{"id":4548,"date":"2025-12-01T16:19:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T22:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/?p=4548"},"modified":"2025-12-10T14:13:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T20:13:46","slug":"eschatology-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/?p=4548","title":{"rendered":"Eschatology Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Eschatology, Who Needs It?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Budapest Hungry 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It’s interesting that I’m writing about the second advent of Jesus Christ, on the first day of Advent 2025, when Christendom starts celebrating Christ\u2019s first advent\u2014His first \u201ccoming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus second coming to Earth and the study of events surrounding that cosmic event is called eschatology. But who needs it? Maybe we all do! I’ll repeat the eschatology being taught us recently from Luke, Daniel, and Revelation, and I’ll also include thoughts on personal eschatology. I\u2019ll call that \u201cSolomon’s Eschatology\u201d from the book of Ecclesiastes. There we see what the wisest thought about the end of our lives with inspiration and insights from the Holy Spirit. We all will have a personal end-times, if the Lord doesn’t come back first. We should give that equal thought and live with it in mind. You can read Ecclesiastes 12 for Solomon’s perspective and conclusion, but I\u2019lll get to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is eschatology important? Four reasons come quickly to mind:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

So you won’t be confused or disillusioned when the end time events start happening. You will be at peace and able to make some sense of it all knowing God is in control and He told us about it before hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


There will be a lot of deceit involved and flying around like there was in 586 B.C., 70 A.D., and nearing 2026 A.D.. Jesus started one of his end-time\u2019s discussions like this, “Let no one deceive you.” Paul said essentially the same thing before 70 A.D. as recorded in II Thessalonians 2:4-11. That\u2019s important to know as a sign to the approaching end times, and as a deterrent to lethargy and hurtful surprise\u2014being caught unaware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


So you will continue to put your trust in God who told you these kinds of things in the past through His prophets and recorded them in His Word. They came to pass. God is 100% faithful to His Word and plan (Isaiah 46:9-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n


It’s a part of the process of having faith, and growing in your faith, confidence, and love of the Lord. In reading the book of Ezekiel anew, I noticed the phrase, “Then they will know that I am the LORD” was often stated. I asked the AI engine, Grok, how many times that phrase was in Ezekiel, and was quickly told 63 times!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thumbnail Sketch of the End Times<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ben Wilson, our Cambridge-educated, PhD, Pastor recently taught on Luke 20 through 24 a message series entitled, “The Week That Changed the World.” <\/a>Within it, he outlined the timeline of biblical prophecy. In theology the study of end-time events is called eschatology and is mostly taken from the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Daniel, Revelation, and the words of Jesus in the Gospels. Jesus addressed the subject during His final week on earth with some prophetic insights and predictions. Peter, Paul, John, and Jude, were New Testament prophets and apostles who added to the clues under the Spirit\u2019s inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben mentioned that all Christians believe that Christ is coming back, in the resurrection of the dead, and in the judgment. He emphasized that in eschatology, where the doctrines of the Bible are more complex, we should employ the same straightforward reading of scripture to order the predicted events most accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Ben said that the future events of the end times are important because they give us hope, a focus on God, His promises, and His character. A thumbnail sketch, or timeline of those future end-time events that come from the straightforward reading of scripture would look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[1] RAPTURE (Christians meet Christ in the air, spared the wrath of the tribulation, and live forever with Jesus \u2014 Luke 7:43-35, Matt 24:40-41, John 14:1-3, 1 Thess 4:13-15 & 5:9).
[2] TRIBULATION (A time of violence, intrigue, evil political powers, and judgment; the 70th week of Daniel, it ends with Satan’s defeat, the battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ as King \u2014 Daniel 9:24-27, Matthew 24:4-28, Revelation 6-18, and Zachariah 11-12).
[3] MILLENNIAL KINGDOM (Christ reigns on the Earth for 1000 years from Jerusalem with the Saints who died during the tribulation\u2014Revelation 20:1-3).
[4] NEW CREATION (Believers experience a new heaven and a new earth with Christ forever\u2014Revelation 21:1-4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discussion of personal eschatology will have to wait for another blog. This has become lengthy enough and I want to keep the timeline and the reasons for having a timeline simple, so it\u2019s meaningful and easier to recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summary<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The complexity of the subject comes from the fact that the pieces of the puzzle are spread over 4000 years of Bible history scattered through many epochs and eras. But they do fit together in a grand, cosmic, mysterious story our Creator wished to make known\u2014one that is hard to ignore if one wishes to look at the puzzle pieces searching for truth and honoring the tug of a God who put \u201ceternity in our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m learning to use AI like the rest of the world, and consulted my favorite AI engine Grok for a summary. Here\u2019s my question and Grok\u2019s answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What’s the most commonly taught eschatology or sequence of end-time events?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: Probably the premillennial dispensationalist view-top dog in evangelical circles. Jesus comes back before a thousand-year reign, raptures the church first, then there\u2019s seven years of tribulation with the Antichrist, Armageddon, and finally Satan\u2019s defeat. Folks teach it heavy in seminaries and churches-big on literal timelines from Revelation, Daniel, and Matthew twenty-four.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope this helps you to remember or serves as a starting point for your own investigation of the facts the Bible and history provide about the end times and Christ\u2019s return. Godspeed on your journey to truth, and knowing God better each year of your journey. Shalom in Jesus, \u201cThe author and finisher of our faith,\u201d the Son of God, Prince of Peace, Bright and Morning Star, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.\u201d (Hebrews 12:2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor I know that my Redeemer lives,\u2028and He shall stand at last on the earth;
and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, \u2028that in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,\u2028and my eyes shall behold, and not another.\u2028How my heart yearns within me!\u201d
(Job 19:25-27)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father\u2019s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.\u201d (John 14:1-3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John\u2026\u201d (Revelation 1:1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2018 Blog About the End Times<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A PDF with more end times references and explanations <\/a> South Fork, Colorado 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eschatology, Who Needs It? It’s interesting that I’m writing about the second advent of Jesus Christ, on the first day of Advent 2025, when Christendom starts celebrating Christ\u2019s first advent\u2014His first \u201ccoming.\u201d Jesus second coming to Earth and the study of events surrounding that cosmic event is called eschatology. But who needs it? Maybe we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10,9,12,11],"tags":[307,32,306,33,207,50,21],"class_list":["post-4548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-friendoftheking","category-be-a-leader","category-be-a-man","category-bread-for-the-spirit","category-understanding-our-times","tag-bible-prophecy","tag-christian-life","tag-eschatology","tag-faith","tag-history","tag-israel","tag-jesus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4548"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4598,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4548\/revisions\/4598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}