As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Or perhaps better—the imminence of death as related to prophecy.
The Imminence of Death—note that I didn’t say The Death of Imminence—though some want to quash the latter. Death isn’t a nice subject. Yet it’s one which demands our attention. Barring the Lord’s return for His church—in whatever context we think that will be—we’ll all have to cross the Great River of Death at some point.
“Over-realized eschatology is an underlying hermeneutical assumption of prosperity-doctrine (health-and-wealth) teachers… permeates the eschatological expectations of NAR ‘apostles’ at one end of the theological spectrum, and pervades some sectors of politically-obsessed fundamentalists on the other end.” - Kenneth Berding
Read Part 1.
If we take a look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 we can try and track what the apostle is teaching:
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. (1 Thess. 4:13)
Paul’s concern is that the embattled believers at Thessalonica are not unaware of a certain doctrine concerning those saints who have passed since it will give them hope.
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry will present its annual Look Up virtual Bible prophecy conference next weekend — Friday and Saturday, March 10 and 11.
The theme this year is “Unraveling the Mysteries of the Bible,” and it deals with a number of questions related to eschatology.
The conference is free for all to participate and will remain available to rewatch until March 24. Registration is required at lookupfoi.org.
I have received the following objection to the Pre-Trib Rapture from a brother named Jerry Parks. Jerry is a good man who blogs here. He states his argument thus (I have brought together his main assertions from several comments etc.):
“The [Pew Research] study further divides the end-times believers into two groups: those who believe Jesus will return to Earth someday and the world situation will worsen until then (14% of Americans) and everyone else who believes these are the end times (25%).” - Lifeway
In our culture, it’s become the proverbial fifth wheel of holidays.
Really, we don’t even celebrate it anymore. It used to be that we would pause for much of the day—to feast, spend time with our families and, yes, to watch football … but, most importantly, to worship and give thanks.
Read Part 1
It will be here before we know it! December 25th, that is….
But long before that big day, we’ll sense the sights, the sounds and smells.
Christmas, in fact, permeates our culture so thoroughly that it almost mingles together with all things related to fall—the cooler weather, a warm sweater, the desire to stay inside, football on television, a hot cup of cocoa, and the crackling of the fireplace.
If you work in a retail environment, you’ve already seen them—maybe as early as July, but certainly in August. Yes, you’ve seen the signs!
I am referring, of course, to the signs of Christmas.1 They’re all around you by now.
“…let me offer seven Scriptures that I have used to help people who wonder if they will be reunited with their believing loved ones in heaven. All of these point to our knowing one another in the resurrection, and some of them point to believers knowing one another immediately after death.” - Colin Smith
Discussion