170 | TE014 | Transcending Eschatology | Part 14 | The Climactic Ending
Date: October 2, 2023
Welcome back to our series on Eschatology - the study of End Time events.
This is it friends! The final episode...
Here's where we've been:
Episode 1: The Doomsday Clock - We discussed our social and cultural beliefs about the End of Time. Typically based on science and entertainment.
Episode 2: The Flip Side - We dove into End Time beliefs that are based on spiritual or religious belief systems. And we looked at some of the major world religions.
Episode 3: Carrying the Torch - We discussed the history and origins of Christian Eschatology - and how it can be traced all the way from Adam and Eve to us today.
Episode 4: Choosing Sides - We discussed the high level categories most Christians fall into when it comes to eschatology.
Episode 5: Making It Plain - We jumped in to Bible passages that talk about the End of Time. Plain language that makes it easy to understand.
Episode 6: The Left Bookend - We moved into the adult pool and walked through seven stories in the Book of Daniel. We then walked through the first piece of Apocalyptic Prophecy.
Episode 7: Expanding on the Statue - We looked at Daniel's 2nd and 3rd dreams and how they simply build on the first one. We also introduced prophetic math, and we discussed the 1,260 Day Prophecy and the 2,300 Day Prophecy.
Episode 8: Daniel's 70 Weeks - We looked at Daniel's dream in Chapters 9 and 10. We refer to this as the 70 Weeks Prophecy and it is a very important one. Not just because of the information presented - but because of the various interpretations we see coming out of it.
Episode 9: Daniel's Final Vision - We looked and the way all of Daniel's visions are connected and how they grow in complexity. We also discussed all relevant time periods discussed in the Book of Daniel.
Episode 10: The Right Bookend & The 7 Churches - We talked about the Right Bookend - the Book of Revelation, the prologue and the first set of 7s - the Letters to the 7 Churches.
Episode 11: More Sets of 7 - We discussed the next two sets of 7. The 7 Seals and the 7 Trumpets.
Episode 12: The Coming Global Crisis & A Final Warning - We discussed Revelation 13 & 14. The Sea Beast, The Land Beast, and the 3 Angel's Messages
Episode 13: The Final Set of 7 & The Prostitute - In this episode we worked through the 7 Last Plagues. And we discussed the prostitute that illustrates the church gone wrong.
Today, we discuss The Climactic Ending
Today's Topic: Transcending Eschatology | Part 14 | The Climactic Ending
The Rider on the White Horse
Heaven & The Millennium
The Final Judgment & The New Earth
// CHAPTER 1: THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE
So in the last two episodes - we turned the corner and headed toward the finish line.
After numerous prophecies, visions and dreams about historical events: Dates, times, civilizations, kings, powers, people, periods of time, the life and death of Jesus, etc.
We finally hit the point where looking forward was the goal.
Now I know - there have been teasers all along the way.
It all started with Daniel 2 and the dream about the huge statue. For Daniel - it was all in the future. Because the head of gold stood for Babylon - the very civilization he was living in.
But for us - reading Daniel 2 - it is 80% past and 20% future... right?
Babylon
Medo-Persia
Greece
Rome
Rome splitting into 10 kingdoms
And then the final kingdom - the rock cut out of the mountain
We're probably living somewhere in the 5th Civilization - the one where Rome has been split into 10 kingdoms. Obviously it happened in the past - but if it continues until the end of time - we're somewhere in the middle of that.
And obviously God's Kingdom has not arrived yet.
And this is how most of the prophecies in Daniel worked. A bunch of information about the past - and a little taste of the future...
Then in Revelation - mostly the same thing. If you interpret Revelation as the Historicists do.
The Letters to the 7 Churches for example - if you interpret these to be blocks of time since the death of Jesus:
6 are in the past
And we're living in the 7th and final church age - a very small piece suggesting something in the future
But when we moved from the 7 Trumpets into Revelation 13 - things really changed.
From there on it's pretty much all future:
We learned about the Beast from the Sea
Then the Beast from the Land
And while we're given historical information in order to identify who these powers are - that history isn't the point
The point is how these two powers come together at the end to force the entire world to turn from God and worship Satan
We learned about things like the 144,000, the 3 Angels Messages and the final harvesting of the earth
Then we learned about the 7 Last Plagues - all coming in the future
We learned about the Prostitute - or the church at the end of time that will be preaching and teaching things that go against everything God asked us to do as humans
And we got a little spoiler in Chapter 18 - when the end was revealed - that the world would ultimately turn against the Prostitute and the great city of Babylon - and it would fall - but not at the hand of the people - it would fall because God returned to earth and set up His kingdom
So today - that's where we pick up the story.
We ended last time with Babylon falling. And today it's the cry of victory in Chapter 19.
John is shown this amazing event:
He hears a vast crowd in heaven shouting things like:
God is just in His judgment
He punished the Great Prostitute
He avenged those who were murdered for His name
He will reign forever
He is setting the table for a feast
The 24 Elders and the 4 Living Beasts fell down and worshiped God as well
And in that moment John saw the sky split open
And he saw a white horse
The rider of the horse had the name "Faithful" and "True" for the war He waged was righteous war - and He judged fairly
His eyes were like flames of fire
On His head were many crowns
A name was written on Him that no one was able to understood
His robe was dipped in blood - and His title was the Word of God
All the armies of Heaven followed Him
A sharp sword came from His mouth - to strike down the nations of the world
And on His thigh was another title: King of All Kings and Lord of All Lords...
The rider of the white horse, and the armies of Heaven fought against the beast, the false prophet and their armies and threw all of them into a lake of burning sulfur
The End...
// 2. HEAVEN & THE MILLENNIUM
So an interesting thing happens again when we get to this point in the story.
We haven't talked about the Futurists in quite a while - because they literally believe everything from Revelation 4 on takes place in this little window of time we're talking about right now.
A 7 year period of time right before Jesus returns.
In other words - everything contained in the 7 Letters, the 7 Seals, the 7 Trumpets - all the info on the Beasts, the 7 Last Plagues, the Prostitute, Babylon, the 144,000, the 2 Witnesses - everything happens in that small little window of time at the end.
We talked about the Rapture - the Futurist belief that all of God's people will suddenly vanish from the earth.
A concept made popular by LaHaye & Jenkins in the Left Behind Series of books and the resulting movies.
And in the HBO TV Series The Leftovers.
The teaching is that this miraculous event is tied directly to world events centered around a Zionist view of Israel.
That God still views Israel as His one true people - and that global events will happen at the end of time because of that fact.
When the rapture happens - God's people will be removed so they won't have to face the difficult times ahead.
For 3 1/2 years the world will get worse and worse as powers align and things heat up. Then at the end of the 3 1/2 years a covenant will be made which really shakes things up. And for the next 3 1/2 years the Antichrist figure will run the world with an iron fist. And at the end of those 3 1/2 years - 7 Years in total - the 7 cut off from the 70 Weeks Prophecy we read about in Daniel...then the end will come. Jesus will return to set everything right.
Now - this is the point in the story - the point where Jesus returns - where most interpretations agree.
Preterists are split into two camps:
Partial Preterism teaches that all prophecy ended with the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD - except for one little piece - the Second Coming of Jesus and the Final Judgment
And Full Preterism which teaches all prophecy ended with the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD - period. There is no Second Coming of Final Judgment
Futurists and Historicists are much closer - in that they both view the Second Coming and Final judgment in a similar way.
And like we've said before - there is no need to discuss the Idealist interpretation - because there is no interpretation. The Idealist views all Apocalyptic Prophecy as art, literary masterpieces based on a genre that existed at that time. Similar to our apocalyptic movie genre today.
Fun to read and watch - but mere entertainment. Meant to give you a good feeling as you watch the potential destruction of our entire world thwarted by the hero.
Small caveat here: One thing I've mentioned before - but I feel is worth repeating - is the fact that not all interpretations of prophecy are equal - at least in my book...
If you research when each started - and how they came to exist - you start to see the bigger picture
We've talked about Historicism being the oldest and most agreed upon explanation of Bible prophecy
Going all the way back to 300 AD
With obvious revisions in thought along the way
The Great Disappointment in 1844
And a renewed level of interest and understanding after that
But at the end of the day - it has been the dominant strand for a very long time
But the same cannot be said of the other two:
Futurism - based on the Dispensationalism began to take root in the mid to late 1800s
Preterism - started a bit earlier - but a book on Full Preterism wasn't written until 1845. And just as a side note - the author of this book at some point recanted his entire book
The point here is that Dispensationalism, Or a Futurist view of prophecy, and the Preterist view of prophecy began at the end of the Dark Ages
Many believe that they were "created" in direct opposition to the running Historicist viewpoint
Why? Because Historicists had come to the point where they were seeing the Catholic CHurch in prophecy
They were identifying the Little Horn from Daniel - and the Beast form the Sea as the Papacy - and the 1260 Year period of persecution as the Dark Ages - perpetrated by the Pope and the Catholic Church
Now - the Catholic Church was extremely powerful in those days - and there were many theologians who were loyal to her teachings
Loyal enough to create new interpretations of Bible prophecy in order to take the heat off the one true church?
Possibly...
As we know - the church lost most of it's political power in 1798
But prophecy says that this "Deadly Wound" would be healed
And it's no secret that the Catholic Church has made at least a religious resurgence
It is one, if not the most powerful religious organization on earth today
With one man in control - viewed as god on earth
With it's own sovereign land and city - The Vatican
And as time goes on it is gaining more and more political power as well - slowly returning to the power it had during the Dark Ages
Don't believe me? Here is one sign: The Supreme Court of the United States of America...
Here is a statement from Marci Hamilton & Leslie Griffin on the "Verdict.Justia" website from May of this year:
"The current Court has six Catholics in the majority: Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, plus a liberal Catholic (Justice Sotomayor), a Jew (Justice Kagan), and a Protestant (Justice Ketanji Brown). Few people have questioned why the Supreme Court does not reflect the religious diversity of the population of the United States. We all should wonder why it happened without much opposition from this diverse United States."
Starting to see the trend?
Okay - like I said - that was a caveat - a tangent at best. But important in understanding where some of the diversity of thought may have come from. New interpretations meant to distract and confuse people from the growing belief that the Papacy is front and center in the long accepted Historicist view of Bible prophecy.
So back to the episode...
We left off discussing how most of us agree on the Second Coming.
But the minute we start to agree on something - another issue comes up to cause division...
That thing is the Millennium. And your interpretation of it. We opened this conversation in Episode 4 when we talked about it as an identifying factor in how different groups of people interpret prophecy.
These are the three that rise to the surface:
Premillennialism:
Classic or Historic:
The Millennium, or a 1000 year period of time will happen right after Jesus Returns
The earth is barren - as the rider of the white horse and His armies completely burn it down
Those with the Seal of God - are taken to heaven for 1000 years
Dispensational or Futurist:
The Rapture happens at some point out of the blue
Then there will be a very defined 7 years of tribulation
Then Jesus will return
And the 1000 years will begin at that point - most likely here on earth
Post-Millennialism:
This belief teaches that the 1000 years will be before the Second Coming of Jesus
At some point in time (a time we won't fully know) the Millennium (or what is called the "Church Age" will start on Earth)
During this time the church leads the charge in making the world a better place
Some refer to this as, "Bringing the kingdom from Heaven to earth."
During this time many come to know Christ
And the entire world will be cleaned up (if you will) in order for Jesus to return
Amillennialism:
The belief that there is no such thing as a 1000 year period
We are simply waiting for Jesus to return
When He does - believers will go to heaven with Him and non-believers will be judged and sent to eternal condemnation - whatever that means - as different people have different beliefs about what hell is and how it works
So there you go. Those are your options.
As I've said - I lean Historicist - and in this case Classic Premillennialism.
For me - it's largely based on reading the Book of Revelation in order - and trusting that it was written that way to suggest how and when things happen.
I don't believe the book is trying to fool people - or that it was written out of order and we need to figure out how to rearrange it so it makes sense.
I believe it is there for a reason. And in this case - this is the order it suggests:
Revelation 13:
The world starts to spiral
The Catholic Church and the United States form an unholy alliance - resurrecting the Papacy of the Dark Ages
This power is once again religious AND political
Forcing people to make a final eternal decision:
Take The Mark of the Beast - the sign that you are offering your allegiance to the One World Government
Receive The Seal of God - the sign that you have chosen God over the One World Government
Revelation 14:
The 3 Angels Messages
Basically warning us about this choice and how important it is
Revelation 15-16:
Once everyone has made his or her decisions - the 7 Last Plagues will fall upon the earth
We discussed the concept of the Close of Probation - that at some point the temple in Heaven shuts down because all decisions have been made
This allows the plagues to only fall upon those that took The Mark of the Beast
Revelation 17-18:
Describes the way this One World Government works
And how it will not be successful - it will ultimately fall
Revelation 19:
Describes the victory celebration as the Jesus returns and ends the rule of the One World Government
Revelation 20:
Explains that when this happens a period of 1000 Years will happen
And during this time period - some very important things happen:
Satan is locked on the earth with nobody to tempt, kill or manipulate
However - it explains that he will be let loose in the future for a short period of time
Next, thrones were set up and people were allowed to judge. Obviously not judge peoples eternal destiny - that has already been done
My understanding is that we will be able to judge God - judge His judgments - and see for ourselves that He made the right decisions:
There will be people in Heaven that shock us - how did he get in? Why is she here?
And there will be people missing that we though for sure would be in Heaven - why isn't he here? What happened with her?
But after we're given access to the books - we'll see that God simply allowed these people the freedom to choose - and ultimately He honored their decisions
// 3. THE FINAL JUDGMENT & THE NEW EARTH
Okay - so we've moving into our last chapter - but we haven't finished the Revelation Timeline we started.
So let's pick up where we left off:
Revelation 20:
Goes on to explain what happens at the end of the 1000 Years:
God, and those who are in Heaven with Him will return to earth - most likely in a massive city referred to as the New Jerusalem
When we arrive, it says Satan will be let out of his prison
And apparently so will every person that ever lived on the earth - raised from the dead in order to witness the final climactic conclusion to earth's story
Satan sees this massive army, and his first thought is evil of course
He once gain has people he can manipulate and use
So he convinces them that based on their numbers they can take the city
They can still win
But as they advance on the New Jerusalem
God pronounces the final judgment - opening the books and allowing every person to see the choices they had made against Him
Once everyone sees the indisputable evidence - the books are closed and God cleanses the entire earth with fire - an all consuming fire that even takes out Satan this time
Okay - time for another station break...
Before we wrap things up - and talk through the final two chapters of Revelation - let's talk about a few things - things that many people are either confused about - or simply haven't heard before:
First, is the concept of multiple judgments:
We know this to be true - because we're told about two of them
The first is the Investigative Judgment - the thing that has been going on in Heaven since 1844 - and will end with the Close of Probation
And the second we just read about - it's called the Great White Throne Judgment - and it happens after the 1000 Years just before Satan and his army try to take the New Jerusalem
It isn't an investigation like the first one - to determine peoples ultimate choice - it's the sentencing phase of judgment
It's the reading of the choices - and the ultimate consequences for those choices
And then the sentence is carried out
Next is the concept of multiple deaths:
We know this is true because it was described in here:
Revelation 20:14
"Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death."
So it's pretty clear - that the first death is natural - thanks to the Sin Virus and the Human Condition
We live for a time and then we die
But at the end of the 1000 Years - there will be a resurrection of all living beings - in order for the Great White Throne Judgment to happen
And once that is complete - and the lake of fire covers the earth - that will be the second death
Next, you guessed it - there are multiple resurrections:
Jesus was resurrected on the third day after He died
There have been one off human beings resurrected:
Think about Lazarus
And think about the people resurrected with Jesus when He was resurrected - referred to in Matthew 27:51-53
Then there are the two big ones:
What we refer to as the First Resurrection: When Jesus returns - those in the grave who chose God will be resurrected and caught up in the sky with Him along with those living who chose Him
Then there is the Second Resurrection: At the end of the 1000 Years - when God raises everyone who chose against Him so they will be able to see the choice they made
Obviously - the Bible suggests the Second Resurrection and the Second Death are NOT things we want to be part of...
Next, we have the state of the dead:
And while we could do an entire episode on this - let's just summarize it here
Within Christianity - there are two views on what happens when you die:
Some believe when you die, your soul leaves the body and goes somewhere
And others believe that when you die you return to the earth and simply sleep in the grave until Jesus returns
For me - the sleeping in the grave thing is the most logical - because the soul leaving the body creates some pretty big problems:
Like if a soul leaves the body and goes to hell - why would there need to be a second resurrection and second death - they are already existing in their eternal punishment?
And if a soul leaves the body and goes to heaven - why would they return to their old body just to be raised in the first resurrection and then go back to heaven? And if God allows us to look over the books during the Millennium - what are these souls doing until then?
If you think it through logically - death as a sleep is the only logical explanation - given the way prophecy plays out at the end of time
And finally - the doctrine of hell:
Some believe hell is a real place where bad people go and will burn forever
Some people believe hell is eternal separation from God - and that the affects of the lake of fire are eternal - not the burning part...
Again - the idea of souls leaving the body and an eternally burning hell both come from pagan beliefs - Greek Mythology - and the teachings about Hades and the Underworld where the dead go
Again - if you run these beliefs through the filter of Bible prophecy and how things shake out at the end of time - the idea of an eternally burning hell doesn't make a lot of sense
In Revelation it explains that the New Jerusalem comes down to earth, Satan is loosed, the dead are raised, the GWT Judgment is completed and the lake of fire happens
And what happens next?
Revelation again talks about the New Jerusalem coming down - and that the earth had been reborn so to speak - that the old heavens and earth had passed away and the new heavens and new earth were now visible
The assumption being:
Creation Part 2 happens once the lake of fire burns out
Suggesting that the lake of fire - or hell - is an event
It happens - and it ends
Allowing God to recreate the earth as it was in the beginning
And then - God adheres the New Jerusalem to the earth - making it the new center of the known universe
And then there is this telling explanation in Malachi 4 in the Old Testament:
"The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, 'The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all. But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet,' says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies."
Sounds pretty legit to me - that hell is not an eternal event. But an event whose result is eternal
Okay - thanks for indulging me in that short list of very important items. Important because they all overlap on some level. People have some pretty wild and crazy beliefs about these things - but if you run each and every one of them through the filter of Bible prophecy - it isn't very difficult to find the right interpretations for each.
But let's get to the good stuff!
Revelation 21-22:
We're not going to read through it verse for verse
But I want to pull out some of the amazing things presented
The New Jerusalem is described
Full of shiny, happy people
No tears, no pain
These are said to be gone forever
God sits on His throne
The city is described as the most beautiful thing ever
And there is no temple - no church - no synagogue - because God lives in the city - so there's no longer a need for those things
There is no longe a need for celestial bodies like the sun, moon and stars - because God's light sufficiently illuminates the entire universe
It sounds like there will be no night - which some people might view in a negative light - but my guess is we'll have so much energy - and will never be tired - so sleep won't even be a thought in our brains
And finally - evil will no longer exist
Nothing is cursed
John sees all of this and then he is told:
You can believe all of this
It will come to pass very soon
So John finishes by explaining:
I, John, heard all of these things
I was told NOT to lock any of this away
Because the time is short
God is coming quickly and His reward is with Him
Let's Land the Plane:
Friends - we did it.
We made it through and it only took 14 episodes...
I know this was a HUGE departure from what we typically discuss.
So apologies - but also a word of thanks for allowing me to do this.
In a million years I never thought I would be discussing my thoughts on Bible prophecy with people - especially not on a public podcast for the world to hear.
I'm not a pastor, I'm not a theologian, I'm just little old me.
But the Bible isn't just for pastors and theologians. It's for each of us.
God wants us to know how things will work out. He wants us to be confident that someday in the very near future He will return to right the wrongs that have been perpetrated on this earth.
Evil will be dealt with once and for all.
The Human Condition we talk so much about will cease to exist someday - or at least it will be changed into the New & Improved Human Condition. Or maybe the Eternal Human Condition.
I don't know.
And Transcend Human will no longer be a pursuit - it will be a reality. In past tense. God helped us Transcend Human once and for all.
That will be the day - and that day isn't far off.
So here's what I hoped to accomplish in this series:
Be Educational:
My plan was to NOT hit you over the head with the details
Coming across like, "Here's how it is - take it or leave it..."
Instead my intention was to try and explain eschatology from all 4 perspectives - and let you decide for yourself:
Historicist, Futurist, Preterist and Idealist
Which turned out to be a bit harder than I thought
Because at the end of the day - it really comes down to two
Because Preterists believe all prophecy was officially fulfilled in 70AD - so there's really no point in walking through this interpretation if there's nothing to look forward to
And Idealists believe prophecy is nothing more than literature - something to read and get good vibes from - so we didn't need to spend much time there
For me - the Historicist and the Futurist interpretations are the only reason to be having the conversation in the first place
Which probably became evident as we went on
Because we spent most of our time going back and forth between those two interpretations
Be Transparent:
In other words - I didn't want to just be educational - as if I have no skin in the game
I do have pretty specific beliefs - and they lean Historicist
So I did want to be honest about that
And - the version of Historicism is even a bit more unique - with a little Seventh Day Adventist flair thrown in there for good measure
Be Positive:
So many people view Bible Prophecy as "doom and gloom"
Like every other apocalyptic movie they've ever seen
Sorta like watching the movie San Andreas when you live in Orange County, CA
But my hope was to talk about the bad things in a positive light
To make it a bit easier to understand
To simplify things
And to focus in on the fact that there is a massive light at the end of the tunnel
A future we can't even imagine
I was listening to a podcast episode today and the guys made this statement:
"If your god is smaller than nature, smaller than the universe itself - you don't have the right view of God. After all, if God created the universe - and we can't understand it - how much less should we know about the One who was able to create it?"
And for me - that's how I've started to view Heaven - or whatever it is that comes after life on this earth
If He's in charge of it - I'm not going to understand it unless He explains it to me when I get there
And however amazing my limited mind can think it up to be - it's only going to be 100x better than that
Be Humble:
I need you to know that I'm not an expert on this subject
Just like you - I'm wading through it - trying to understand as best as possible
I know it's hard - and we tend to think we need a degree in theology to understand it
But I don't think that's what God asks of us
I think He asks that we put in some time - and that we keep an open mind as we learn more and more
And I believe He meets us half way
In our struggle to understand - I believe He gives us understanding
So there you go friends - Transcending Eschatology - in the books...
If you're interested in more on this topic - I would highly recommend the following:
The Voxology Podcast with Mike Erre & Tim Stafford
These guys walk through the Book of Revelation in detail - and interview people with great insight into the history and genre of Bible Prophecy
A recent book: Revelation for the Rest of Us by Scot McKnight & Cody Matchett
These guys were interviewed on the Voxology Podcast - and have a similar interpretation of the book itself
Now, I'm going to be honest - I don't agree with 100% of the conclusions these guys come to:
But they do amazing work
And they're coming from a place of humility and wonder
And at times, I think that might be the most important piece of the puzzle
Being humble - and reading the Bible with awe and wonder
Another thing I've learned about myself is this:
I'm no longer looking for people who believe exactly the way I do
I'm looking for people who have done their own research and are humbly trying to understand things as best they can
Now, it definitely helps when they call out Futurism as a fad - something that came out of the blue - took over the mainstream evangelical landscape - and is taught as the gospel truth to this day. Even though there are numerous contradictions and issues related to that interpretation
But that's for another day...
And finally, there are a few resources that line up a lot closer to my view on End Time events:
Amazing Facts with Doug Batchelor - a website packed full of content - and some full length prophecy seminars like:
Revelation Now from 2020: https://www.revelationnow.com/
And Pinnacle of Prophecy - which is a Prophecy Seminar starting in October of this year: https://www.pinnacleofprophecy.com/
And then there's a series called Unlocking Bible Prophecies with Cami Oetman
Also a good resource if you're looking for a complete walkthrough of Bible Prophecy
And that about does it for today - and for this series!
As for next week - I have absolutely no idea what's next...
I mean, I have ideas - but I just haven't decided which direction I want to head.
So stick around if you're interested in finding that out!
Until then - have a great week - and as always, keep Transcending Human!