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No. It's Not The End Of The World

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  • No. It's Not The End Of The World

    Is the end near?

    The link can be found here.

    ----

    Does Matthew 24 predict the end of the world? Let's plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

    My view in eschatology is Orthodox Preterism. I understand the hesitancy many have towards it and I suspect often it's because they see it through the lens of dispensationalism. In dispensationalism, when Jesus comes, it's the end. Many hold to the idea that the world will end and we'll all live forever in Heaven. Indeed, many messages in church have it that the goal of Christianity seems to be to get to Heaven.*

    This isn't to say we shouldn't think about Heaven. I think the reason we say this is actually the opposite. We're not thinking about Heaven. We just hear about this place that is really good and we don't think about what makes it really good. What makes Heaven good is God.*

    So when we come to a passage like Matthew 24, many people today think it talks about the end of the world. I mean, isn't that what the text says? Let's look at verse 3.

    And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what*shall be*the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
    There you go! Right there, it talks about the end of the world. Case closed! Right?

    Not exactly. That's in the KJV. It's not the best translation job of that verse. Let's look at the word. The word is aion.

    for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity

    the worlds, universe

    period of time, age
    There were other words that can be translated as world. Matthew does not use them. Matthew refers to an age referring to the system of things. Besides, let's consider some points. If the world is coming to an end, what good is it going to do to flee to the mountains? Will they somehow survive? May the end of the world not come in the winter on the Sabbath? Why those times specifically?
    No. The end in mind refers as I said to this system of things. Let's keep something in mind. When Jesus is there, His disciples ask about the destruction of the temple and when His coming would be. They have no concept of Jesus being crucified really. He's said it would happen, but they're expecting Him to be crowned king instead. They certainly don't have a concept of Him dying, resurrecting, and leaving in an ascension. Why would they be asking Him about a return? He was right there and they did not anticipate Him leaving them.

    This world is also not an evil thing. It is a good creation of God. God is going to redeem it just as much as He redeems sinners who come to Him. The enemy is not going to be allowed a victory so that God's plans for this world come to failure.*

    So what is Jesus talking about? Jesus is talking about His coming to His throne, which is what the disciples would want to know about. Jesus is going to be the king so there's no need of a temple. They could anticipate an earthly king, but Jesus is going to rule from Heaven. The Son of Man approaches the Ancient of Days. The Ancient of Days is not on Earth. He's ascended in Heaven. Jesus is going up. He's not going down.*

    Right now, Jesus is the ruling king. He is reigning and as Psalm 110:1 says, His enemies are being put under His feet right now. We await the full fruition of that in the resurrection, for as 1 Cor. tells us, the last enemy to be defeated is death.

    In Christ,
    Nick Peters

  • #2
    2 Peter 3:10?

    Comment


    • #3
      But R.E.M. informed us back in 1987 that "It's the end of the world as we know it." In any case, I feel fine

      I'm always still in trouble again

      "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
      "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
      "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Sparko View Post
        2 Peter 3:10?
        2 Peter 3:10 refers to a spectrum of events the second coming and Him sitting in judgement, Revelation 20:11.

        ". . . heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. . . ." and ". . . earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. . . ."
        . . . the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; . . . -- Romans 1:16 KJV

        . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: . . . -- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV

        Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: . . . -- 1 John 5:1 KJV

        Comment


        • #5
          I struggle with the partial preterist reading of Matt. 24:30-31 in light of 1Thess. 4:16-17; 1Cor. 15:51-52; Matt. 25:31-32. It seems that Matt. 24:30-31 has the second coming/final judgment in view.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Scrawly View Post
            I struggle with the partial preterist reading of Matt. 24:30-31 in light of 1Thess. 4:16-17; 1Cor. 15:51-52; Matt. 25:31-32. It seems that Matt. 24:30-31 has the second coming/final judgment in view.
            I lean strongly toward the partial preterist view, yet I have no problem holding those scriptures as talking about the end of the age, or the last day.

            The disciples didn't realize that they were asking a three-part question in Matthew 24:3. They probably thought the destruction of the temple, Jesus's coming and the end of the age were all the same. Remember their confusion in Acts 1:6, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" Probably Jesus's "oy vey!" moment. I see Matthew 24 as Jesus breaking down their question into three stages.
            When I Survey....

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Faber View Post
              I lean strongly toward the partial preterist view, yet I have no problem holding those scriptures as talking about the end of the age, or the last day.

              The disciples didn't realize that they were asking a three-part question in Matthew 24:3. They probably thought the destruction of the temple, Jesus's coming and the end of the age were all the same. Remember their confusion in Acts 1:6, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" Probably Jesus's "oy vey!" moment. I see Matthew 24 as Jesus breaking down their question into three stages.
              I think they can't be talking about the same event because Matthew 24 nowhere has a resurrection.

              That's kind of a big deal.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                2 Peter 3:10?
                I think there's a lot of metaphorical language in that passage. Bauckham has some good stuff on that I read in another book that relied on him greatly. Will Dogs Chase Cats In Heaven?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Faber View Post
                  I lean strongly toward the partial preterist view, yet I have no problem holding those scriptures as talking about the end of the age, or the last day.

                  The disciples didn't realize that they were asking a three-part question in Matthew 24:3. They probably thought the destruction of the temple, Jesus's coming and the end of the age were all the same. Remember their confusion in Acts 1:6, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" Probably Jesus's "oy vey!" moment. I see Matthew 24 as Jesus breaking down their question into three stages.
                  Matt. 24:29-31:

                  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

                  Note verse 29: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days..". The "tribulation" is referring to Matt. 24:21 (the flight from the destruction in Jerusalem in AD 70). So back to verse 29 and following -- after the "tribulation of those days"/"destruction of Jerusalem" the Son of Man will descend on the clouds of heaven with power and glory, send out his angels and blast the trumpet, at which point the elect will be gathered to the Lord (and final judgement will commence as per Matthew 25:31-46). Of course we know that Jesus did not return in that manner "immediately after the tribulation of those days", and therein lies the problem.

                  I remain unconvinced by the partial preterist interpretations of Matt. 24:30-31 thus far, but they do make good points.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Apologiaphoenix View Post
                    I think they can't be talking about the same event because Matthew 24 nowhere has a resurrection.

                    That's kind of a big deal.
                    But Matthew 25:31-46 doesn't highlight the resurrection yet it deals with the return of Christ and the final judgement.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by 37818 View Post
                      2 Peter 3:10 refers to a spectrum of events the second coming and Him sitting in judgement, Revelation 20:11.

                      ". . . heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. . . ." and ". . . earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. . . ."
                      eggzactly. Sounds like the end of the world to me. And then God makes a New Heaven and a New Earth. Basically he renews his creation. The old creation passes away and is transformed into a new creation. Apparently that involves a lot of noise, elements melting and the Earth burning. Sounds like every "end of the world" scenario I have ever heard of.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Apologiaphoenix View Post
                        I think there's a lot of metaphorical language in that passage. Bauckham has some good stuff on that I read in another book that relied on him greatly. Will Dogs Chase Cats In Heaven?
                        And what is the metaphorical language trying to convey? Maybe the "end of the world?"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Scrawly View Post
                          Matt. 24:29-31:

                          Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

                          Note verse 29: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days..". The "tribulation" is referring to Matt. 24:21 (the flight from the destruction in Jerusalem in AD 70). So back to verse 29 and following -- after the "tribulation of those days"/"destruction of Jerusalem" the Son of Man will descend on the clouds of heaven with power and glory, send out his angels and blast the trumpet, at which point the elect will be gathered to the Lord (and final judgement will commence as per Matthew 25:31-46). Of course we know that Jesus did not return in that manner "immediately after the tribulation of those days", and therein lies the problem.

                          I remain unconvinced by the partial preterist interpretations of Matt. 24:30-31 thus far, but they do make good points.
                          Why should I think Jesus will descend after that?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                            And what is the metaphorical language trying to convey? Maybe the "end of the world?"
                            I think it's trying to convey purification. Jesus is going to purify the world when He returns.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Apologiaphoenix View Post
                              I think it's trying to convey purification. Jesus is going to purify the world when He returns.
                              What is the purification? How does it happen?

                              Why is it called a New Heaven and New Earth?

                              Nobody thinks the actual Earth will be destroyed, Nick. The "end of the world" means that this fallen creation will be remade and renewed. The old will pass away and be no more. That is the end of the world. I think that will entail a lot of physical changes though, and earthquakes and fire and such.

                              Comment

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