Eschatology - is it part of the Armor of God?

[Nebuchadnezzer]

Eschatology: how does it benefit the believer?

If Eschatology is about Jerusalem, how does this benefit the believer?
If Eschatology is there for brothers to speculate and boast about future events how does this sanctify and grow the believer?

Eschatology is not a salvation issue, meaning it typically does not bring a person to salvation.
However, Eschatology is part of God's Word so it must be important.

Why is Eschatology important and how does it benefit a believer?
How does it benefit the church?
As believers we must "put on the full armor of God"
I have concluded that the importance of Eschatology is that it is part of the Armor of God. It is part of the Armor of God for the individual believer, but it is also part of the Armor of God for the church.

has anyone else come to this conclusion?

 

[Absolutely]

The way you view eschatology effects how you frame most scripture.
End times has many "apexes",but the 2 greatest are 1) the gathering of the bride, 2) the throne of David re established.

We see many,many threads on end times with 99 % of the posts oblivious to the 2 greatest heartbeats from heaven.

.....almost entirely left out.

Oh they say "rapture", and "tribulation";but their view is from earths perspective.

 

[Absolutely]

Eschatology is a perspective.

How I see Gods view.
How I line up with God.

The first miracle of Jesus was at a wedding.

The last gathering is to a wedding (rev 14)

The last words of the bible are wedding inclusive.

The communion table is a betrothal to marriage.

The church is heading to the wedding.

The dead in Christ are raised to the wedding.

Remove the wedding as the focus and you miss the apex.

Seems impossible

 

[pottersclay]

Eschatology is the prophetic look of one's faith. Theology is how we get to our conclusion.

There are two things that need only to be addressed and should be in your statement of faith.

#1......Jesus is to return.
#2......Jesus will judge.

If jesus is the author and finished of our faith and also the alpha and omega then surly eschatology is needed in our faith based belief.
Remembering that faith is in the hope of things not seen........at least not yet.

 

[Keras]

Those who expound Bible Prophecy, are part of the current generation which is mainly corrupt and ungodly. [as in the days of Noah]

They try to convince us that the cumulative research over the last century now yields a better understanding of the things of God. Conversely, our ancient Scriptures themselves do not say there will be an increase in understanding and discernment during the end times. The Bible prophets say that many will be deceived and will follow false teachings and only a few will understand. Daniel 12:10

Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. 1 Cor 3:18-20

Matthew 11:25 I thank You, Father for hiding the truth from the wise and revealing it to the simple.



At the time of Jesus, the people the Lord selected to preserve His Word for the rest of human kind failed to understand God’s plan and were deceived to the degree that they arrange to brutally execute the Son of God who loved them.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3

Instead of telling us that mankind will progressively draw near to God because of our ability to assimilate and wisely apply knowledge to our circumstances, the Word of God tells us the Christians will repeat the ancient sin of Israel, and embrace lies.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-10 For this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie….because they received not the love of the truth.

Theological error isn’t random. In this regard, the Greek word in our New Testament, rendered delusion, and it is the Lord Himself who delivers that delusion to those He deems appropriate.



This means it is a deluding error, which the Lord Himself sends, to those who want - no: who demand God to remove them, before any holy discipline; Hebrews 12:4-13 and they reject the Spirit of humbleness which would draw them to the truth.

This fulfils an Old Testament prophecy, which is in the context of the end times:

I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. Isaiah 66:4



The reason the Lord places a delusion upon people, is because they practice insincere worship and maintain wrong doctrines, Isaiah 58:5 and have confused themselves by believing fiction and false teachings. Isaiah 29:9-12

 

[Nebuchadnezzer]

Those who expound Bible Prophecy, are part of the current generation which is mainly corrupt and ungodly. [as in the days of Noah]

They try to convince us that the cumulative research over the last century now yields a better understanding of the things of God. Conversely, our ancient Scriptures themselves do not say there will be an increase in understanding and discernment during the end times. The Bible prophets say that many will be deceived and will follow false teachings and only a few will understand. Daniel 12:10

So are these false teachers hiding something in eschatology that is useful for us brothers here and now.
Are the false teachers corrupting eschatology because it is part of the Armor of God?

 

[Keras]

So are these false teachers hiding something in eschatology that is useful for us brothers here and now.
Are the false teachers corrupting eschatology because it is part of the Armor of God?

No. The false teachers are just clueless and deceived because they have failed to read all of the Prophetic Word.
They take a scripture and misinterpret it to suit what they think will happen.

For example, it is generally thought that there will be a nuke war. But this is not what is prophesied; several verses say the Lord will destroy all weapons of war on His Day of fiery wrath. Haggai 2:2-22, Hosea 2:18, Psalms 76:3, Ezekiel 7:14, +

The armor of God is as Ephesians 6:10-18.
The Prophetic Word is given to us so we can know God's Plans for our future and be prepared for all that must happen until Jesus Returns.

 

[GraceAndTruth]

Eschatology is important to study because
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is NEAR.

IN the entire bible I have not noted ONE verse that says some words of scripture are more important that other words, some teachings more important than others. Do real study and be approved by God

 

[GraceAndTruth]

Absolutely NOTHING in the bible is a "perspective".........the meaning of all things made clear, usually by careful reading the bible itself!!

 

[Nebuchadnezzer]

No. The false teachers are just clueless and deceived because they have failed to read all of the Prophetic Word.
They take a scripture and misinterpret it to suit what they think will happen.

For example, it is generally thought that there will be a nuke war. But this is not what is prophesied; several verses say the Lord will destroy all weapons of war on His Day of fiery wrath. Haggai 2:2-22, Hosea 2:18, Psalms 76:3, Ezekiel 7:14, +

The armor of God is as Ephesians 6:10-18.
The Prophetic Word is given to us so we can know God's Plans for our future and be prepared for all that must happen until Jesus Returns.

False teachers work for Satan. They misinterpret scripture to deceive others. It is more sinister than what you have portrayed it to be.

You say like many of the false teachers say that eschatology is all about the future. But maybe them getting everyone to keep looking to the future they succeed in distracting us from looking at the here and now. Perhaps if the false teachers are saying, "hey, eschatology is all about the future", they are serving to distract us from seeing how eschatology can serve us to identify the flaming arrows of the evil one here and now.

 

[Ahwatukee]

Eschatology: how does it benefit the believer?

If Eschatology is about Jerusalem, how does this benefit the believer?
If Eschatology is there for brothers to speculate and boast about future events how does this sanctify and grow the believer?

Eschatology is not a salvation issue, meaning it typically does not bring a person to salvation.
However, Eschatology is part of God's Word so it must be important.

Why is Eschatology important and how does it benefit a believer?
How does it benefit the church?
As believers we must "put on the full armor of God"
I have concluded that the importance of Eschatology is that it is part of the Armor of God. It is part of the Armor of God for the individual believer, but it is also part of the Armor of God for the church.

has anyone else come to this conclusion?

Hello Neb!

The purpose of Revelation is revealed right in the first chapter in the first verse:

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants what things must take place in quickness."

So, the purpose of the book of Revelation is to show us, believers, the the things which must take place. That said, the majority of the book of Revelation is a detailed account of God's wrath via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments and all related information. What is the purpose for revealing this information to believers? To warn all people regarding God's coming wrath. Because once the Lord appears and the church is removed, then that time period of God's wrath will close on them like a trap.

A time of tribulation is coming that will be unequaled from the beginning of creation, until now and never to be equaled again. By the time that Jesus returns to the earth to end the age, the majority of the earths population will have been decimated and all human government will be dismantled. This is also supported by when Jesus said, "unless those days had been shortened, no one would be left alive."

Therefore, since we have been given a detailed account of said wrath, we ought to be proclaiming this at every Spirit-given opportunity and also telling people how to avoid that time period by believing in Christ and the hope of eternal life.

 

[Nebuchadnezzer]

Hello Neb!

The purpose of Revelation is revealed right in the first chapter in the first verse:

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants what things must take place in quickness."

So, the purpose of the book of Revelation is to show us, believers, the the things which must take place. That said, the majority of the book of Revelation is a detailed account of God's wrath via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments and all related information. What is the purpose for revealing this information to believers? To warn all people regarding God's coming wrath. Because once the Lord appears and the church is removed, then that time period of God's wrath will close on them like a trap.

A time of tribulation is coming that will be unequaled from the beginning of creation, until now and never to be equaled again. By the time that Jesus returns to the earth to end the age, the majority of the earths population will have been decimated and all human government will be dismantled. This is also supported by when Jesus said, "unless those days had been shortened, no one would be left alive."

Therefore, since we have been given a detailed account of said wrath, we ought to be proclaiming this at every Spirit-given opportunity and also telling people how to avoid that time period by believing in Christ and the hope of eternal life.

You are saying, 'it is all to the future, no application for here and now.'

 

[Ahwatukee]

You are saying, 'it is all to the future, no application for here and now.'

The key to understanding the historical chronology of Revelation is found in Rev.1:19 when John was told to write:

What you have seen = Everything written from Rev.1:1 thru 19

What is now = Represented by the letters to the seven churches which represents the entire church period

What will take place later = Everything that takes place after the "what is now," i.e. after the church period

The "what will take place later" is synonymous with when in Rev.4:1 the Lord says, "come up here and I will show you what must take place after this."

Currently we are still in the "what is now" portion of what John was told to write. Once the Lord appears and gathers the church, the "what is now" will be completed and the "what must take place later" will begin, which is the time of God's wrath via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments, the sealing of the 144,000, the emergence of the antichrist/beast, the false prophet, his image and mark.

Though the letters were to the literal churches of that time, they are also for every church and believer to examine themselves regarding the rebukes and if the shoe fits, then repent. To be clear, the letters are to applied to all churches and believers throughout the entire church period. Eating foods sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immorality is mentioned three times in the letters. Though eating foods sacrificed to idols does not pertain to us the reference to committing sexual immorality certainly does pertain to us today. So does abandoning your first love, being luke warm, and trusting in your physical riches instead of God.

To answer your question, Revelation 4:1 is what I coined a prophetic allusion to where the church is gathered. The voice that sounds like a trumpet is identified in Rev.1:10 as being the Lord Jesus. Then John hears that same voice like a trumpet saying "come up here." These are subtle clues that the Lord has laced throughout Revelation. Therefore, Revelation 4:1 and going forward are all future events which will take place after the church has been gathered.

 

[JaumeJ]

It is written, people will run to and fro, and knowledge will be increased. Now, what kind of knowledge, I believe, is simply data and other temporal facts. All of this knowledge is for the fire next time, but true knowledge shall come with our Lord's return, I believe.

 

[crossnote]

1 John 3:2-3 (KJV) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

 

[Keras]

The Elephant in the Room
People today are mostly in denial of what the future may hold for them. Worldwide natural disasters and manmade problems seem to be proliferating with no easing up or solutions in sight. It may just be possible for mankind to overcome its plagues, economic woes, resource shortages and rebuild earthquake damage, etc, but a prospective World War 3, starting in the Middle East, has the potential to practically wipe us out and pollute large areas of the earth.

A lot of people do not want to be concerned about the future, it’s hard enough just to get by without any extra worry and it is right that we must carry on doing what we have to for survival. Those whom God has called for a specific task must continue to do it and we all need to plan and provide for the future as though things will continue as usual. It is a mistake to sell up and withdraw to a hideout, as many failed doomsday proponents have shown.

However, ‘You, My friends are not in the dark’ about end times events. ‘It is ‘While they are saying: All is peaceful: sudden destruction will come upon them’. 1 Thess. 5:3-4
‘My friends’- those who love the Lord and keep His commandments. Luke 21:34-36
‘they/them’- godless people, who don’t know that God Himself will act against them. Micah 4:12

The Bible [and the Apocrypha] have a very large amount of unfulfilled prophecy, that is not there for no reason; God expects us to take note of what He has told us through His prophets. Because so many incorrect ideas and notions about what God has planned abound in the church and in the secular world, it is difficult for us to overcome them and just simply believe the literal words of the prophets. Excepting for the obvious metaphors, which are used to describe events and scenes unknown in their time.



With the current world situation as it is, then we must expect something dramatic to change the situation and commence the end times events. The Lord had told us, through the ancient prophets, what this will be – in over 100 prophecies, of the great and terrible Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, a judgement of fire that destroys His enemies. We are clearly informed of the nature and extent of this event, it will be a gigantic fireball exploded from the sun – a Coronal Mass Ejection of superheated particles that will envelope the earth and literally cause all the prophesied disasters. But there will be plenty of survivors, just a matter of staying under shelter until the CME passes and fervent prayers for the Lord’s protection. Acts 2:21

The so called prophecy gurus, don’t have the truth and while their motivation is money and adulation, God will not enlighten them. Demonic entities can perform certain signs and wonders and I guess they know what the Bible says, therefore they may give mankind information or dis-information, for their own reasons. So, people are now without any real idea of how and when this huge threat will impact their existence.

The fulfilment of the Lord’s Day of vengeance and wrath is ‘the Elephant in the Room’, the event that ‘comes like a thief’, but we who ‘are His friends’ can and should know of what the Lord has planned for His creation.

 

[crossnote]

2 Peter 1:19 KJVS
[19] We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

 

[Nehemiah6]

I have concluded that the importance of Eschatology is that it is part of the Armor of God.

If you broaden the scope of the Gospel to include the Second Coming of Christ. In a way it is a part of the Gospel.

 

[JaumeJ]

It seems reasonable having the understanding that the Return of our Savior is the most glorious part of the Gospel but then who am I to say.

 

[Nebuchadnezzer]

If you broaden the scope of the Gospel to include the Second Coming of Christ. In a way it is a part of the Gospel.

Church History:
The first couple hundred years after Christ the church was persecuted (satan attacking church from the outside in)
Then Emperor Constantine had a false vision, and decided to "fight for Christ". he legalized christianity 313 AD thus stopping persecution (satan attacking church from the outside in). Instead satan used Constantine, and others, to attack the church by infiltration of it (attacking the church from the inside out).
Constantine and the emperors that followed grabbed control over the church and redefined it. Then once the roman empire had firm grip of the church (infiltrating it from the inside out) in 381 AD they put forth the edict of thessilonica where they restarted the persecutions.

Thus for the next 1200 years Satan attacked the church from:
1) persecution (attack the church from the outside in)
2) infiltration (attack the church from the inside out)

How eschtology provides us with part of the Armor is that it foretells us of these tactics that satan will use.

1) persecution (attack of church from the outside in) --> This is the Beast
2) infiltration (attack of the church from the inside out) --> This is the False Prophet

During the Middle Ages Satan was able to employ both these tactics at the same time. Thus the reason why the Middle Ages were the Dark Ages.

Perhaps some will digest this and give consideration to this.
I will pause here before I write more in my next post.