How Will It All End?
We looked at several different Scripture readings in this morning's message. If you did not get the insert - you can find the passages linked below:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Romans 14:10
Romans 14:12
2 Peter 3:8-10
Matthew 24:36
Matthew 24:42
Matthew 24:44
From these verses, we gain several insights about where everything is heading...about how it is all going to end...about the return of Christ:
• Everyone will face a day of accountability.
• Christ’s return will happen unexpectedly.
• We will be reunited with believers who have gone on before.
• Our task is to be prepared (not to try to figure out the Lord's timing).
• These teachings from the Bible are intended to be a source of comfort.
Our concluding verses came from 2 Peter 3:11-12, 14 (The Message):
Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival…Since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace.
John Wesley's sermon The Great Assize summarizes his teaching on judgment day. (By the way, the word "assize" - rarely used these days - customarily refers to a judgment or a formal judicial action.)
What Does the Bible Say About the Rapture? is an article by Cliff Leitch. You may also want to look at his article What Does the Bible Say About the Second Coming of Jesus?
This statement by the Lutheran Church is a helpful explanation of the real message of Revelation, and how it contrasts with the message of the Left Behind books.
If you really want to dig deeper, there is a very lengthy paper prepared by the Lutheran Church - called Project Wittenberg - The "End Times" - A Study on Eschatology and Millennialism. Notice that the entirety of this document is divided into four sections, so be sure and click "next page" when you reach the bottom, if you want to make it to the end!
This article on dispensationalism may help you to better understand the fundamental theological differences that lie behind the concepts of Left Behind.
posted by Robert Stutes at
6:38 AM
1 Comments:
Good questions! :)
>>>Methodists do not believe in the Rapture of the Church??
To be pretty blunt, the doctrine of the "rapture of the church" is primarily a phenomenon that was developed in the 19th century - and because Methodist doctrine was set in the 18th century - it is clearly not mentioned.
See this article on John Nelson Darby (1800-1882):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nelson_Darby
During the 20th century, several study Bibles were written from the Darby perspective - and so his interpretation can be found among some individuals in many different denominations.
The Methodist doctrines are more basic and traditional. For example these statements, from the "Doctrinal Standards" section of the UM Book of Discipline:
>>>Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day.
and
>>>We believe all men stand under the righteous judgment of Jesus Christ, both now and in the last day. We believe in the resurrection of the dead; the righteous to life eternal and the wicked to endless condemnation.
This is more in line with what you might call "old-fashioned" Christianity - that the resurrection is not just for believers - it is for everyone - even the wicked are resurrected - but they are resurrected to their final judgment.
(Frankly a lot of people don't believe this anymore - they just think of judgment happening after death - but this is the biblical view and basic doctrine.)
>>>next question...Do Methodist "allegorize" the Book of Revelation is as in the Lutheran Church website called "The 'Left Behind' View is Out in Left Field"?
First - there really is no singular Methodist interpretation of Revelation. We have our basic core doctrine but no official interpretation of individual passages.
(Someone once said, "Where 2 or 3 Methodists gather, you will find 3 or 4 opinions!)
Now - this is just me speaking - it appears to me that almost every interpretation of Revelation is basic allegory....for example in the interpretation of the "whore of Babylon." (Sorry for the language!) I can't recall any interpretation of Revelation that says Babylon means Babylon. Just about every interpreter has a particular interpretation of what this represents. See, for example, this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whore_of_Babylon
And just as a reminder here is a definition of allegory - "Allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas."
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