#8 IM Culture: Upside Wrong
OH-HELL | Dr. Stephen Phinney: Many churches today have entirely removed the ideology of Hell. Since it is trendy to remove the destination of Hell, it covertly removes Satan from the equation.
ESCHATOLOGY | Upside Wrong
What's the difference between Christian and Indwelt Christian eschatology?
Statistics tell us the masses are taking a second look at eschatology, the end times, and all trending current events. According to a recent end-times survey conducted by Lifeway, nearly nine of ten pastors recognized that many current events match the ones Jesus Christ said would unfold right before His Second Coming. That might sound exciting, but it begs the question: Which of the four end-times positions do these pastors hold? You wouldn’t think it would make a big difference, but it does.
When Lifeway conducted their recent survey, 97% of 1,000 American pastors from evangelical and historically Black churches said they believed that Jesus Christ would physically return to Earth for his Second Coming. Furthermore, 83% of pastors see events such as the appearance of false prophets, wars, increasing immorality, anti-Semitism, earthquakes, and other natural disasters ushering in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
To my disappointment, not one question was asked of these pastors regarding their end-times position, like if they believed Jesus would come to gather His Bride before the seven-year reign of the Antichrist, saving authentic Christians from the horrid events ensued by Satan, or if they believed in mid-rapture, leaving indwelt Christians to go through the first three and a half years of Satan's rule, or the worst position, if they believed in post-tribulation Rapture, leaving believers to face Satan releasing his wrath onto the world.
While these statistics are encouraging, they should have focused their surveys on the end times details that ushered in the Great Tribulation. While the talking point of Jesus’s return is elementary, the issue of when Satan steps into his seven-year reign is relevant. It also offers a direct impact on current events.
Since the church culture avoids contemplating the permissible acts of Satan, the global church will maintain its focus on fixing the fix God has fixed on the earth.
ESCHATOLOGY
ESCHATOLOGY, IN A NUTSHELL, IS THE STUDY OF GOD CONCERNING THE DEATH, JUDGMENT, AND FINAL DESTINY OF HUMANITY’S SOUL. WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK, IT CONCERNS ITSELF WITH THE LAST EVENTS OF EARTHBOUND HISTORY, THE PREDESTINED FINALITY OF SATAN ON EARTH, AND THE ULTIMATE DESTINY OF SATAN, HIS TRIO (SATAN, FALSE PROPHET, AND THE BEAST), AND HUMANITY – PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. THIS IDEOLOGY IS CALLED THE "END OF THE WORLD" OR "END TIMES.”
The word eschatology arises from the Greek ἔσχατος eschatos meaning "last," and ology meaning "the study of," which first appeared in English around 1844. Before this timestamp, it was referenced by the world as the study of God’s prophecies throughout the Old and New Testaments spoken by the prophets and Jesus Christ.
Special Note: The religions that adhere to this “ology” are Buddhist, Christians, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, Taoist, and Zoroastrians. Each one supports the end of ordinary reality and reuniting with the Divine. All believe their religion treats eschatology to future events prophesied by their sacred texts. Of course, this leads us to the most critical question, Who is their Divine?
Eschatologists vary in their degree of optimism or pessimism about the future. In some views, conditions are better for some and worse for others, e.g., heaven and hell. They also vary as to timeframes, hinging on their primary view. Orthodox Christians are referenced as the “doomsday cult of the seven religious groups.” These indwelt, or Orthodox Christians, carry this label due to their passion for keeping Hell intact.
DELUDING HELL
Many churches today have entirely removed the ideology of Hell. Since it is trendy to remove the destination of Hell, it covertly removes Satan from the end-times equation. In this stupidity, we find that most surveys do not focus on the prophecies of the Great Tribulation, Satan, or the destructive promises of punishment God laid out in His prophecies.
No matter how you view eschatology, the world IS experiencing the birth-pangs of the coming of our Lord’s ordained and well-placed “gathering of the Saints,” the Great Tribulation, and His Second Coming.
Let’s carefully review the four primary positions of the end times. Only one of these positions holds to the pre-tribulation Rapture concept - taking up the authentic Bride of Christ.
1. HISTORIC PREMILLENNIALISM
Historic premillennialists believe that the Second Coming of Christ will precede the Millennium (thousand-year reign of Christ), and the church has replaced the nation of Israel as God’s covenant people. Some refer to this position as Covenant Premillennialism. Historic Premillennialism treats the Millennium of Christ as a literal future event. Most who hold this position believe Christians will remain on the earth during the Great Tribulation of Satan when the Tribulation purifies the churches by rooting out false believers. This position does not include the believer’s rapture.
2. AMILLENNIALISM
Amillennialists believe that the Millennium rule of Christ symbolizes Christ’s reign in His people's lives from the church's beginning until His Second Coming. They tout that Revelation 19:11-21 portrays Christ’s triumph over Satan through His death and resurrection and that this triumph will restrain the power of Satan on the earth. They also state that the first resurrection symbolizes the eternal life experienced by people when they become Christians.
Amillennialists do not necessarily support the indwelt experience. They believe when Christ returns, He will immediately defeat the powers of evil, resurrect the saved and the unsaved, judge them, then deliver them to their eternal destinies. This position does not include the believer’s rapture. They also believe the Great Tribulation represents calamities and persecutions that have occurred throughout church history while advocating no seven-year reign of Satan. Sadly, they believe any reference to Israel in the book of Revelation is a symbolic reference to the people of God, promoting that Israel does not need to be protected.
3. POSTMILLENNIALISM
Postmillennialists believe that the Second Coming of Christ will occur after the Millennium (thousand-year reign of the judgment of Christ) and that the Millennial Reign described in Revelation 20:1-6 represents an extended period when, through the preaching of the Gospel, most of the world will submit to Jesus Christ. They also believe Satan will have no power over the earth during this time, and evil regimes will collapse, but a period of great tribulation may precede the Millennium. They religiously believe that Christ will rule the world through His Spirit and His Church, but He will not be physically present on the earth. Somehow, they believe the judgment will occur at the end of the Millennium. This position does not include the believer’s rapture.
4. DISPENSATIONAL PREMILLENNIALISM
Dispensational Premillennialists believe that the Second Coming of Christ will precede the Millennial Reign and judgment and that God will still give the nation of Israel the land described in Genesis 15:18. Outside God’s objective of punishing Satan and his followers, these believers hold to the ideology that giving Israel back their land IS the reason for the end times.
Dispensational Premillennialism treats the Millennium as a literal future event. Most of those who adhere to these beliefs are pre-tribulationists who understand Revelation 4:1-2 to refer to the Rapture, which occurs moments before the Tribulation, hosted by the Antichrist. Some within this group, known as mid-tribulationists, believe the Rapture will occur halfway through the Tribulation, which is at the three and a half mark. However, they clearly understand that the first three and a half years are “peace, peace,” and the second three and a half years is when Satan turns on the Jews and tortures them with his wrath – outside the 144,000 pure bloodline Jews, whom God protects.
This horrid abuse provokes Christ's Second Coming; thus, the reason for His return. Once Christ returns, Satan, the false prophet, and the beast will be bound in chains and temporarily held in the pit during the thousand-year reign. After the thousand-year judgment period, Jesus will release him from the pit for one more war – the Battle of Armageddon. After Christ wins the war, Jesus will send Satan, his demons, and followers (unsaved) to the lake of fire. He then takes the old earth while it’s burning and tosses it into outer darkness (Matt. 25:30).
With the closure of the earth and the evil upon it, Jesus will gather His Bride, who will be housed in the New Jerusalem, hovering over old Jerusalem during the thousand years, and take them to the New Earth. End of story.
The dispensational view is the predominant view of most orthodox indwelt Christians. These believers have added and deleted from the basic model through the ages. Although, most have kept this flow intact: God’s work with Israel (OT), God’s work with the Church (NT), the believer’s rapture, the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming, the Millennial Reign of Christ (Judgement), and eternity (New Earth).
It needs to be further noted that the group of fake Christ-followers and their churches bounce between the Amillennialism and Postmillennialism positions.
The bottom line is that believers tend to pick positions that grant them the most significant comfort. As I study the church's culture today, I find that most pick and choose the best scenarios from each position to form, at times, their idolatrized end-times view.
If wisdom ruled, the most comforting position would be Christ gathering His Saints before Satan throws his seven-year pity party.
There is a direct relationship between fear and theology, minimally choosing a theology that helps one deflect their fear over the end times. When a fear-bound believer is fronted with events such as the appearance of false prophets, wars, increasing immorality, anti-Semitism, earthquakes, health pandemics, and other natural disasters, they quickly focus on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. A well-versed believer should know that the Rapture and the Second Coming are two SEPARATE events. While all authentic Christians should focus on Christ, we must remember that Jesus Himself does not know the day or hour of His return. In knowing this, we should be careful about predicting His return. Only the Father knows this day and hour.
We should never lie a little to help people feel better. Our goal should be to tell the masses the Truth, even if it hurts. Jesus didn’t suggest we advance His message to the Seven Churches. He mandated it.
I am glad the recent pandemic has caused a surge of interest in the book of Revelation. It might have been God’s reason for allowing it to happen. If the masses don’t listen to the upward calling hidden within the linings of this pandemic, and those to come, maybe the next round will accomplish such a blessing.
Here are the pre-established facts.
Jesus warned us of the things to come. He didn’t hold back any consequences from those who refused to listen, and He won’t hold back from those with deft ears today. Yes, He is coming to gather His Bride. Yes, He is preparing the world for the Great Tribulation. Yes, He will arrive in His Second Coming.
Until then, He will separate the goats from the sheep - the authentic Christians from the Christ-followers. Yes, He will rapture His Bride. Yes, He will allow Satan to rule for seven short years. Yes, He will return and put Satan, his demons, and the refuters of Christ in a place of torment. Yes, He will judge all those who refused the message and invitation of Christ. And yes, He will take those who remained faithful to the end to the New Earth as an eternal resting place.
Review authentic Salvation HERE.
Eschatology is a gift our Lord gave us to prepare for the closure of all of God’s prophecies. While some will run to hide in the caves of the earth, others, like me, will consider the prophecies one of the greatest gifts given to authentic Christians.
The two key eschatological books are Daniel and Revelation, and both are chronological. YAH is orderly, and His gracious efforts to inform us how the story of mankind ends is only clearly understood by the in-dwelt. YAH is quickening us in these last days, the separation is becoming more obvious. This is discernment in action.