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Concerning the
Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Being Gathered to Him
by Reed Lessing
Study One: An Overview of "End Times" Viewpoints The past century had its share of plagues, famines, and wars. According to historians, more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than in the previous 1,900 years combined. There is constant conflict in the Middle East and terrorism is almost always in the daily news. Such atrocities have even reached American and European soil. These events are, according to the theology of the Left Behind series, signs of the imminent return of Jesus. The following Bible study examines this viewpoint and how its interpretation of current events affects how the rest of Scripture is understood. Historical Background The first person to propose the end time scenario adopted by Left Behind was a nineteenth century Anglican priest turned traveling evangelical preacher to the United States named John Nelson Darby. His ideas were expanded upon by Minister Cyrus Scofield, who laid out these doctrines in his influential Scofield Reference Bible. Today, this view of the end times, called Pre-Millennial Dispensationalism, is very popular. It is taught by several evangelical denominations and is the basis for the all-time best-selling Christian fictional series, Left Behind. These books have heightened awareness of such end-time topics as the millennium, the rapture, the Antichrist, and Armageddon. Yet the ideas expressed in the Left Behind series are in many ways contrary to the teaching of Holy Scripture. Though they contain a fictional story line, the books promote a theology that is, in important respects, at odds with biblical revelation. Introductory Questions
Answer: The return of Jesus Christ in His glory will herald the destruction of this sinful world, the judgment of unbelievers, and the restoration of his people in the new heavens and the new earth. For further discussion, see also Isa. 66:15-24; Dan. 7:9-14; Joel 2:1-11; Matt. 26:62-64; John 14:1-4; Acts 1:6-11; and 1 Thess. 5:1-3.
Answer: God waits because in His great mercy He desires as many as possible to come to saving faith in Jesus.
Answer: The "thousand years" mentioned only in Revelation 20, describe the period of time when the people of God reign with Christ. The different views of the end times are based upon differing understandings what this period is and when it takes place. The Pre-Millennial Dispensational reading of this text takes this as a literal 1,000 years in which the believers reign over the earth with Christ. The Amillennial view (held by most Christians throughout history, including the LCMS) understands the 1,000 years as a figurative number of completeness depicting reign of Christ in and with his church. This was inaugurated by his birth and will be fully revealed at his second coming on the last day. This period is called the Church Age. More information regarding both of these views is discussed below.
Answer: The rapture is the event in which all believers who are alive at the time of Christ's Second Coming are caught up in the clouds with their Lord at his return. According to the Left Behind view, this is a secret coming of Christ in which believers (as well as all children who have not reached "the age of accountability") are taken from the earth. The only people left on earth are unbelievers who will suffer during the seven years of tribulation. But, according to Matthew 24:37-41 and its reference to the Flood, the first to be taken away at the second coming will be unbelievers. Believers will be left to inherit the kingdom prepared for them (cf. Matt. 25:34). It is, therefore, good to be "left behind" (as were Noah and his family), as those "taken away" will face judgment. Amillennialists, therefore, believe that texts such as 1 Thess. 4:17 and Matt. 24:37-41 refer to the final, visible coming of Christ on the last day. The rapture is examined further is the second part of this Bible study. Two Views of the End Times Although various views of the end times have surfaced throughout Christian history and continue to surface today, the focus here is on two end-time scenarios. The first is Pre-Millennial Dispensationalism, the view espoused by the Left Behind series. The second is the historic position of most Christian churches (including the LCMS) often called Amillennialism. These two scenarios are depicted in chart form and discussed in more detail below.
Description: Taking a literal view of all descriptions of the end times in the Bible, the PD view reads these much of the Book of Revelation as a straight line of chronology. For instance, everything in the book is like reading a novel, where each chapter's events take place after the events of the previous chapter. Definition: A "dispensation" in this context means a period of time in the unfolding of God's dealings with humanity. According to the PD view, God acts differently toward humanity in each dispensation. There are seven dispensations: 1. Innocence (before the Fall); 2. Conscience (the Fall to Noah); 3. Human Government (Noah to Abraham); 4. Promise (Abraham to Moses); 5. Law (Moses to Christ); 6. Grace (the Church); 7. The Kingdom (the millennium). The Church Age (the sixth dispensation) ends with the rapture, the secret return of Christ when all believers and children not yet at "the age of discretion" are invisibly taken to heaven. This is followed by seven years of suffering and destruction, called the Tribulation. After this Christ returns visibly as judge and to usher in the seventh dispensation. He then gives authority to believers so that they may reign over the earth with him for one thousand years. During this same time generations come and go so that unbelievers increase. This ultimately results in a group of wicked people who are a part of Satan's "little season" (Rev. 20:3, 7) which comes at the end of the thousand years. Then Christ returns again for the Great White Throne Judgment (cf. Rev. 20:11-15) which then ushers in the new heavens and new earth.
Description: This view takes the thousand years and as a figurative reference to the era of the Church, which lasts from the Ascension of Christ until His final return. The end is marked by the return of Christ, the final judgment, and the new heavens and new earth. As noted above, this has been the dominant position of the Christian Church throughout its history and is the position of the LCMS. This view is discussed in more detail in Study Five.
Answer: The Left Behind series focuses less on the work of Christ on the cross and more upon current events as the unfolding of Scripture. While there is nothing wrong with an appropriate examination of end times teaching in the Bible, it is important to do so in light of the central teaching of Scripture the justifying work of Christ accomplished in His death and resurrection and given freely by grace through faith. Focusing on Jesus in His glory results in an emphasis on His power, sovereignty, wrath, and judgment. It tends to neglect His mercy and grace for sinners brought about by His death and resurrection. The PD view focuses on faith as a means of avoiding suffering under God's wrath here on earth, while Scripture teaches that faith is the instrument that receives forgiveness, life, and salvation (cf. Eph. 2:8-9). The PD interpretation of the Bible shifts its focus away from Christ's fulfillment of Old Testament promises as our sin-bearing Substitute who alone gives us eternal life with God that engenders hope in the midst of earthly suffering (see Rev. 7:9-17). Study Two: The RaptureThe Rapture The word "rapture" comes from the Latin for the term "caught up" in 1 Thess. 4:17. PD's interpret this verse as teaching that all Christians (along with all infants and children who have not reached the age of discretion) will meet Christ in the air. Those who are alive at the time will be immediately transferred and taken to the heavenly mansions that Christ has prepared for them. Unbelievers will then be "left behind" to suffer during the Seven Year Tribulation. However, reading 1 Thess. 4:17 in its context (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11) demonstrates that the passage means something else. Verse 13 reveals that the purpose is to comfort those who are unsure that there is life after this one. Its primary goal, therefore, is not to discuss the details of Christ's second coming, the final judgment, etc. Additionally the description of our Lord's return in vs. 16 the "cry of command," the "voice of an archangel," and the "sound of a trumpet" are not descriptions of a hidden, secret coming of Christ. Moreover in 1 Thess. 5 Paul continues teaching about the same event, which in vv. 1-3 speak of a singular day of the Lord. This is in contrast with the PD end-times scenario that includes at least three "days of the Lord." Christ's first end-time coming, according to this view, occurs at the rapture. His second appearance is at the end of the seven year tribulation and will usher in His 1,000 year earthly reign. The third and final appearance is when Jesus comes to put an end to Satan's "short season" (Rev. 20:3, 7) in order to bring about the new heavens and new earth.
Answer: One day, one hour, one resurrection of the dead. These texts indicate that there will only be one return of Christ, not many (cf. also Acts 17:31; 24:15).
Answer: Every eye will see him come in his glory; a "secret" coming is not taught by Scripture (cf. also Mark 14:62 and Acts 1:11)
Answer: If there are further opportunities to believe in Christ after the rapture then an attitude of apathy may arise. Lost is the apostolic urgency indicated in texts like 2 Cor. 6:1-2. Rather than discussing second chances, Jesus speaks of one opportunity to believe before his return in judgment. For example, in Matt. 25:10 he teaches that at his second advent the door will be shut and there will be no second chance (cf. also Heb. 9:27). Additionally, the PD view allows the rapture to serve as a key witness to unbelievers. This then replaces the central component of the Christian witness which is that the gospel in the power of God for salvation (cf. Rom. 1:16). Christian's are empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) to bear witness to Christ's death and resurrection which have brought about salvation for those who are still under the law (cf. Rom. 10:13-15). The PD view not only offers the rapture as a sign of salvation for those who are left behind, it also encourages believers to focus on the visible signs of current events. Both hopes are misguided because they turn attention away from the means of grace instituted by Christ for the benefit of his people. God has revealed that it is through his Word and Sacraments that he calls people to faith in Christ and not in any other way. Study Three: Israel and the ChurchPD writers suggest that the nation of Israel is the key to a proper understanding of the end times. At issue, then, is the relationship between the Old Testament nation of Israel and the New Testament Church. The PD view of Israel and the Church Left Behind assumes that because the kingdom was offered by God to (and yet refused by) the Jews, it will be offered to them again in the future. They point to the creation of the political state of Israel in 1948 as a sign of the beginning of these events. Thus, current events in the Middle East and especially in Israel are of vital importance in the PD interpretation of the Bible.
Answer: Taken out of context and their literary genre, these passages may seem to suggest that there is a still a separate plan of salvation for Israel.
Answer: In the PD view, because the Jews rejected their Messiah Jesus, God's plan changed to a salvation of the Gentiles. This is a temporary plan that will cease with the rapture. After that the seven year tribulation will begin and God will reinitiate His primary plan which is to save his "chosen people," the Jews. What is in a name? Since the PD view holds that the Old Testament promises given to Israel are not fulfilled in the Church, the nation of Old Testament Israel must be preserved in order to receive the fulfillment of these promises. Therefore, the Left Behind series understands the following four terms to be synonymous: Israelite, Hebrew, Jew, and Israeli. In this way they are able to apply God's promises to the Israelites of the Old Testament with modern day Jews, and especially with the 1948 state of Israel. But these four terms have different definitions. They are as follows: Israelite: An Old Testament believer in Yahweh (the LORD), the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hebrew: Used by Israelites in the Old Testament to identify themselves to non-Israelites. Jew: This term means either an ethnicity or an adherent to "Judaism", which is not the Christ-centered faith of the Old Testament. Israeli: A citizen of the 1948 state of Israel, which is not the same Israel of the Old Testament. Israelis are sometimes called secular' Jews.
Answer: There is only one plan, for the Jews as well as the Gentiles, and that is faith in Christ as the way to salvation.
Answer: The PD interpretation of the Bible understands these terms as synonymous. They contend, therefore, that since Abraham was a "Jew" and "Israeli" that God's promises made to him do not find fulfillment in Christ and the church but rather in ethnic Jews and especially the 1948 state of Israel. However Paul teaches that Israelites and Hebrews are the spiritual forefathers of all who confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. People may no longer say, "We have Abraham as our father" (Luke 3:8) for there is only one way to the Father and eternal life, and that is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Answer: The promise given to Abraham (e.g., Gen. 12:2-3) is fulfilled in Jesus. Those who are in Christ are therefore the sons and daughters of Abraham, both Jews and Gentiles. It is not possible to claim God's favor on the basis of an ethnic relationship with Abraham (cf. Luke 3:8), for this ignores the only name given by which people may be saved (Acts 4:12).
Answer: The Old Testament needs to be viewed in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The New Testament is the definitive interpretation of the Old Testament (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20).
Answer: First, it suggests that there are different plans of salvation for different groups of people, which is contrary to Scripture. Second, if modern Jews and Israelis had a separate covenant with God from that of the Church, then there would be no reason for the Church to preach Christ to them, which goes against the mandate of Christ to bear witness to the Gospel to all people. Third, God's love shows no partiality or favoritism, but is the same for all people (cf. Acts 10:34; Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 3:21-30). Study Four: Israel and the LandThe creation of the 1948 state of Israel is important to the PD view, so important that in one of their most popular books they call it "the super sign of biblical prophecy." This, they believe, is the definitive sign that planet earth is in the last generation before the rapture of the Church. The Promise of the Land
Answer: The focus of the promise to Abraham is three-fold; he will be the father of a great nation and will be blessed by God in order to become a blessing to "all the families of the earth." The third part of the promise is the land which God uses to convey the first two blessings. In this case the land is not a blessing in and of itself.
Answer: The land belongs to the LORD, not the people of Israel. He owns the land and they are only tenants. The land is therefore to be used as God dictates, not according to the whims of people.
Answer: Receiving the gifts promised to Abraham based on faith in Christ is more important than inheriting the physical land of historical Israel. It is faith which makes one the son of Abraham, not the land inheritance.
Answer: Jesus speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in these verses. He also makes no reference to it ever being rebuilt, or the restoration of the land inheritance of the people.
Answer: The new temple is Jesus himself. His sacrifice on the cross on our behalf is fully sufficient for all people of all times and places so that no further shedding of blood is necessary. Through the means of grace the Holy Spirit now indwells believers so that their bodies are God's temple. Built together will other Christians the church also is understood as God's dwelling place or his temple (cf. also Eph. 2:19-22).
Answer: The next great event in God's plan of salvation that Christians look forward to is the coming of Jesus Christ in his glory, on the Last Day.
Answer: The land is only a means by which the promise of blessing to all the families of the earth is carried out through Abraham and his descendants. It is therefore a means to a greater end, the coming of Jesus Christ in the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4).
Answer: We look forward to the new heavens and new earth, restored without the taint of sin and within the living presence of God. Study Five: The Book of Revelation and ConclusionsHow to Read the Book of Revelation The PD view of the book of Revelation is that it is to be read as a chronological book that sequentially explains a series of events. Reading the book of Revelation in this linear fashion, however, creates several problems which the PD view has had to contend with. It mandates that Jesus return more than once, while it also forces one to explain how apparently the world ends more than once. The PD view contends that after the letters to the churches (Rev. 2-3), the book depicts the events of seven years of tribulation on the earth. At this time a kingdom of ten confederated kingdoms arises and is led by the Antichrist. At first he makes a covenant with the Jews, but in the middle of the seven years he breaks it and begins persecuting the Jews. From these persecuted Jews 144,000 come to faith in Christ and begin to convert many Gentiles. Toward the end of the seven year tribulation a great battle takes place, called Armageddon. After Armageddon Christ returns and destroys his enemies. Believers then enjoy 1,000 years of blessings as they rule with Christ on the earth. Toward the end of the millennium Satan is let loose for his "little season" (Rev. 20:3, 7). This is followed by Christ's final return to usher in the new heavens and the new earth. This linear reading of the Book of Revelation forces its events to fit a chronological order. However, the Book of Revelation is intended to be read as a series of events that are repeated. In the Old Testament Joseph's dreams are repeated for emphasis (cf. Gen. 37:5-10; 41:14-32). Jesus repeats the same point in several different parables in order to drive home his point (e.g., Matt. 13; Luke 15). Seen in this way, the Book of Revelation is a series of visions which depict the same time period from different angles, even as each cycle also increases in intensity. The six visions of the end times in Revelation tell of the events that will happen between the first and second comings of Christ. They are as follows: (1) the seven seals (6:1 8:5); (2) the seven trumpets (8:6 11:19; (3) the Church and Satan (Rev. 12:1 14:20); (4) the seven bowls (15:1 16:21); (5) the overthrow of Babylon (Rev. 17:1 19:21); (6) the binding of Satan and his destruction (20:1-15).
Answer: The antichrist is not primarily a political figure, nor even a single person. Rather, it is an institution that spreads false doctrine. Any teaching that does not clearly proclaim salvation by Christ alone through faith alone is untrue to the biblical revelation and therefore demonstrates characteristics of the antichrist.
Answer: On pages 18-19 the CTCR document outlines the biblical use of numbers in apocalyptic literature in the scriptures. When the 1,000 years of the millennium are understood properly they refer to the same events of the first six visions in the Book of Revelation (see above); namely the first and second comings of Jesus.
Answer: The kingdom of God is the reign of Christ. It is, as such, a kingdom that is really present now in His Word and Sacraments. It is also a kingdom that has yet to manifest its fullest glory. The Church, therefore, lives within this tension of "the kingdom now, but not yet" (cf. 1 John 3:2; Rev. 1:5-6).
Answer: The suffering Christians endure now is a part of the persecution by the world which the baptized are taught to expect. It also provides an opportunity to be a witness to a sure and certain hope in Christ (cf. also Mark 13:9; Acts 14:21-22; Rom. 5:3-5; 1 Pet. 1:3-7; 3:13-17).
Answer: Rather than looking for signs, the Church is to recognize that Christ may return at any time. In light of this believers are to have an urgency in spreading the gospel while "the day remains because the night is coming" (John 9:4). The apocalyptic sections of the Bible are also sources of great strength, for from them Christians derive joy, peace, and comfort, knowing that the sufferings encountered in this life do not compare with the glories of the life to come (cf. Rom. 8:18).
Answer: Jesus Christ is the interpretive key to the Old Testament and of all Scripture. His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world is the chief teaching and the true source of Christian joy and confidence. All biblical revelation converges on Christ and is given direction from him. Summary Points
Guidelines for leaders:
1. It is best to use this Bible Study in tandem
with the 2004 CTCR report entitled "A Lutheran Response to the Left Behind'
Series
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