Eschatology and Missions

How has the understanding of future events affected the perspective and motivation for world evangelism?

1

Importance of Eschatology

What we repeat in our minds and believe give us our beliefs, values, convictions and motivation for action

Different views of eschatology have motivated missions

The Church has shifted from Premillennial to Amillennial to Postmillennial back to Premillennial and now back to Postmillennial

Second coming referred to 300x in the NT (1:5 verses)

The Great Commission is mandated until the “end” of the age – when Jesus returns

Do we have time to waste?

2

Effect of Messianic Eschatology

Jews had just had 100 yrs of freedom from Greek oppression until 63 BC when Romans conquered them

Messiah was prophesized to bring superiority to Israel

Daniel’s prophecy was remarkable accurate to the week or day of His crucifixion in 69 weeks of years, leaving 1 week (Daniel’s 70th week) unfulfilled = Great Tribulation

Mark 10 reveals their motivation was to be in power with Messiah

If He were going to go away, when would He return.

3

Problem of Immanency

NT sensed He was coming again soon, but TIME GAP Parables Peter’s prophesized old age Increasing catastrophes (Matt 24:1-13) Mission to accomplish (Matt 24:14)

Immanency is a motivation for living (Tit 2:11-13)

“Nothing has to be accomplished before His return”

Jesus was asked about the signs of His coming and

Great Commission has to be accomplished (Matt 24:14)

4

Great Commission to be done?

Matt 24:14NET, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to the nations, and then the end will come.”

Pretribulation denial: this is accomplished by the 144,000 in the Tribulation – can’t have a restriction to the rapture

Preterist denial: this was accomplished before 70 AD by representative nations

Amillennial denial: this is already done or spiritual viewed, or is the mission of the Church now.

Postmillennial view: this must be done in the kingdom now to deliver the world to Christ as mission accomplished

5

Comparison of Millennial Views

Events of Matt

24

Events of Matt 24:1-

14

Events of Matt 24:15-

44

Events of Matt

24

Events of Matt

24

6

Problem with One-Generation ViewMatt 24:34, “…this generation…”

Preterist: fulfilled in the first generation of believers Thus they see the Great Commission fulfilled in 1st cent Matt 24:34 linked to Matt 28:19-20

Premill, some postmil: fulfilled in the last generation Within the 7 year Tribulation period or before the 2nd coming 144,000 are the instruments to fulfill the mandate

Linguistic view: “Generation” means “family, race, or age of generations of a people” – Thus refers to the perpetual existence of Israel until the 2nd Coming

7

Exegesis of Matt 24:14 “gospel of the kingdom”– “good news” of the kingdom of Christ –

He has all “power and authority” as King now though not here physically.

“will be preached” – kerusso: “announce formally with the authority of a ruler”– not teaching, but proclaiming facts in common language

“in the whole world”– “inhabited earth,” thus wherever people live– koikumene from oikos, “household” = other fold

“as a testimony”– martyria “first hand witness” – priority: every people get an opportunity to understand the gospel

“to all peoples”: ethnosin, “races of people” or people groups – this is the priority of the Church.

“the end shall come”: telos, “termination of a process, the limit of a thing to exist”—either the conclusion of the Tribulation or Church – Cognate with “the end” in Matt 28:20

8

144,000 to finish the job? Presumption that the Church will fail in its mission

98% of missionary force is focused on nominal Christians

40.5% of world pop. live in unreached people groups (2,161 people groups as primary target)

Premillennial problems with 144,000 Jewish evangelists No connection between the 144,000 and the people groups in

heaven in Rev. 7 and not chosen until the middle of the Tribulation Period.

The 144,000 would require miracles to accomplish the task in the last half of Tribulation with everything destroyed.

The Jewish evangelists would require a love for Gentiles Would require a mastery of linguistics or gift of tongues in short

period of time – no hint of this in Scripture Would require much time to find, set up logistics, learn language,

culture, contextualize message, etc. Would have to have a mastery of the New Testament to explain the

gospel

Better explanation: there were believers among their people group who told of rapture as in “Left Behind” = many converted from former witness

9

Five reiterations of the Great Commission

Three of the Five mandates are to go to all “ethnic” groups

The church has only discovered this focus in the past 50 years!

We have only know how many people groups actually exists for the past 25 years!

A handful of committed linguists are committed to reaching the last 2100 people groups by 2025.

10

Effect of 2nd Coming on Early ChurchMisunderstanding led to idleness and false hope (2 Thes

3:6)

Proper view leads to godliness and zealousness (Tit 2:13; 1 Jn 3:3) and no fear of death or persecution (1 Thes 4:13-18)

Paul lived in the light of the 2nd coming Judgment Seat accounting of one’s life (Phil 4:1; 1 Thes 2:19; 2 Tim 4:8)

No greater joy than to be praised by God in Christ at the Judgment Seat (1 Cor 4:5)

Paul lived in the passion of the mandate: “preach where Christ has not been named” (Rom 15:20) and “preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond and not boast of work already done in another person’s area” (2 Cor 10:16)

Peter spoke of “waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet 3:12)

11

Effect of 2nd Coming on Church History

Premillennialism was the dominant view for first 300 years (Philip Schaff)

When the Church came to power it was assumed to be the beginning of the millennium, the Roman state became the millennial kingdom on earth, and premillennialism was forbidden

The postmillennial (or amillennial) view carried through the Dark Ages, supported by Augustine’s City of God.

Since the Church was the kingdom there was little interest in world expansion but rather defense of the Roman (Catholic) Empire

When Rome fell, the motivation was to rebuild the Church as the Holy Roman Empire

Inquisitions, Crusades and torture were means of forcing people into the Catholic Empire (“rule with a rod of iron” (Rev 12:5; 19:15). Fierce action because they were the kingdom.

12

Early Protestant Missions Catholicism was so corrupt that the Protestants attempted to reform the

Postmillennial kingdom.

The kingdom was to go to all the nations (thought of as geopolitical countries)

Postmillennial Kingdom mandate demanded the transformation of society’s ills: poverty, illiteracy, disease, polygamy, child prostitution, slavery, etc.

Foundation of American ideal was a postmillennial dream – democracy and Christianity became synonymous (as Rome and Christianity)

Postmillennial social transformation motivated the Awakenings and revivals and global mission effort

Edwards and Finney were sure that when they had enough conversions and social reforms the millennium would begin

The passion for repentance and change was to bring in the kingdom

The Civil War marked the beginning of the end for evangelical postmillennialism, and premillennialism began to fit the global corruption

Liberal theologians held on to the social change mandate of postmillennialism as the evangelicals abandoned that view

13

Awakenings, Pentecostals and Fundamentalists

1st Awakening died in the Revolutionary War; 2nd Awakening died in the Civil War; 3rd Awakening died by WW1; 4th Awakening is the Charismatic Movement which is now guided by Kingdom Now postmillennial theology

Holiness Movement and Wesleyan theology shifted from postmillennialism to premillennialism

Holiness Movement sought for power to be holy by the Spirit Baptism (a post-conversion, 2nd work of grace)

Pentecostalism began when a young lady spoke in tongues seeking the baptism, soon a revival in Azusa St Mission in LA.

As Postmillennialism lost credibility some turned to Amillennialism (less mission focus) and many to Premillennialism (more mission focus)

Postmillennial liberals controlled the major Protestant denominations so Fundamentalists split off to from independent denominations and missions by 1920-1935, maintaining a rigid premillennialism

14

Premillennialism and missions

With the establishment of Israel in 1948 Premillennialism was authenticated and required doctrine by most evangelical missions (though major denominations were amillennial). 60% of SBC pastors were premillennial in ‘80

Many interpretation of signs of the times gave great emphasis for world missions

When the Charismatic Movement began (1960) most of its constituents were neither Pentecostal nor Fundamentalist

Most of their eschatology was Amillennial or Postmillennial

As Charismatics exploded around the world Dominion Theology brought a revival to Postmillennial hope (change society to a theocracy)

15

Postmillennial Dominion and Kingdom Now Theologies and Missions

Amillennialists and Postmillennialist joined in forming Dominion Theology, a coalition of Evangelical churches committed to changing America and ultimately the world

Amillennialists tended toward Reconstructionism and theonomy, while Charismatic Postmillennialists tended to Kingdom Now Theology Reconstructionism is Christians should gain influence or control

over society and government to obey God’s laws Kingdom Now adherents follow Latter Rains Pentecostal extreme

views of global Christian dominance and power

Both see the conquest of Democracy and Christianity as the keys to millennial reign

Premillennialism is seen as powerless and offers little change impact to society, thus has lost its influence

16

The New Postmillennial Kingdom Now

As society turns more intolerantly post-modern and pluralistic, they turn anti-Christian.

This forces a reaction from the Religious Right to fight for their freedom politically, rather than spiritually.

The Kingdom Now Charismatic strategy is to infiltrate key roles to take over local and national government agencies, and all other influence career areas (press, education, entertainment, government, etc)

A parallel strategy is to conquer the demonic power grid of Territorial Spirits through prayer and miracle powers to free evangelism to transform every society completely

17

Kingdom Now “kings and priests”

As a coalition of believers of all denominations band in united prayer and worship to bind Satan and his demons, the blindness of the unsaved is supposedly lifted and the power of the gospel is unleashed.

A network of small prayer groups become Shepherd-discipleship relationships under prophets and in turn apostles who rule over large geographic areas, though not officially affiliated with any one church.

This umbrella structure of submission to your discipling Shepherd, then to your prophet and area apostle is key to the new Kingdom. They plan to take over everything.

Seven Mountains the Apostles are taking over

18

Fundamentalists and Unreached

In the midst of political, social, philosophical and moral (and now economical) upheavals, a handful of people have committed to the unengaged people of the globe.

From a Dominionist or Postmillennial point of view these are insignificant people – they will never change society

Their only importance is to those who value the Word of God and seek to fulfill Christ’s purpose: “some from every nation and kindred, and tongue and people” (Rev 14:6).

They must come first because they are in the Book. Changing society is a hopeful consequence, but not a priority yet.

19

Biblical Second Coming Motivation

Postmillennialism and Amillennialism tend to be both gospel and societal change agents

Premillennialists tend to focus on spiritual change of individuals, while giving credence to moral social change (esp. abortion)

The Immanency of the Rapture is the key motivator: what will Christ find us doing in that moment?

If time is short then it cannot be wasted…not a single day wasted

20

Primary Motivation of Premillennialism

Now is not the glory of being a “king” now or a “somebody” like the disciples wanted (Mark 10).

Rather to pay any price, suffer any loss, go anywhere, learn to communicate to anybody the single most important message that Jesus is alive and He has provided salvation for all.

Living in the light of the Bema Seat daily, going to bed sensing that today I contributed to the kingdom purpose of our Lord. The motivation to be “useful” or “good” (meaning in 2 Cor 5:10)

Refusal to accept excuses for failure or to detour to other worthy causes, rather a bull-headed, “must needs go” or train/support others to the unreached peoples

The mandate is not to “go and make disciples…” but to “go and make disciples of all NATIONS.” Watch where people put the period.

21

A Final Word on Escatology

Because the blessed hope of our Lord's return has so refining an influence on character it is the very mold and matrix of missions. Its whole tendency is to make us unselfish, to relax our grasp upon material treasures and carnal pleasures; to fashion us "not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life." It makes all time seem short and the whole world seem small; dwarfs the present age into insignificance and lifts the peaks of the age to come into loftier altitudes, on a nearer horizon, in a clearer view. It so magnifies the approval of the coming Lord as to make present compensation for service and sacrifice appear trifling.

22