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Go to: Underminings

future truth:
The End of This Present Evil Age & The Visible Return of Jesus
* Basic   ** Intermediate   *** In Depth

1. Christ's Kingdom (Kingdom of God/Heaven): Present and Decisively Future

Although this particular truth, future truth, is ultimately directed to Christ's Future Kingdom and the second coming of Christ, we must first grasp the meaning of His present rule. One would think there would be incredible agreement among Christians about Christ's Kingdom, present and future, but this is not always the case. Below are a few different perspectives on Christ's Kingdom.

Articles:

* What is the Kingdom of God?By George Eldon Ladd
Excerpt:
"When we ask the Christian Church, "What is the Kingdom of God? When and how will it come?' we receive a bewildering diversity of explanations. There are few themes so prominent in the Bible which have received such radically divergent interpretations as that of the Kingdom of God...The perplexing fact is that when we turn to the Scriptures, we find an almost equally bewildering diversity of statements about the Kingdom of God. If you will take a concordance of the Bible, look up every reference in the New Testament alone where the word "kingdom" occurs, write down a brief summary of each verse on a piece of paper, you will probably find yourself at a loss to know what to do with the complexity of teaching."Read Article
** Preaching the Kingdom of GodBy Tom Wells
Excerpt:
"In Scripture, however, kingdom often means something else, something like royal rule, reign, power, authority or sovereignty. When Paul writes that God "rescued us from the power [Gr. "authority"] of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13), he does not mean that God moved us from one place to another. Not at all! He means he took us out from under the reign of Satan and brought us under the kingship of Jesus Christ. So when we read of the "kingdom of God," we may translate this "God's kingship" or "the sovereignty of God." When we pray, "Your kingdom come," we are praying, "God, bring your sovereignty to this world!" Again, kingdom means rule, reign or sovereignty." Read Article
** The Coming Kingdom of Christ (Part 1: Daniel 7)By John MacArthur
Excerpt:
"When we talk about the coming kingdom of the Messiah, we have in the seventh chapter of Daniel the who, the what, and the when. And we also have the where, which is everywhere. "For He'll reign over the whole earth."Read Article
*** Response to Questions About the Two KingdomsBy Dr Michael Horton
Excerpt:
"Clearly, Luther drew the lines between the two kingdoms in clear, bold colors, but so did Calvin—and both did so especially over against the radical Anabaptists who were trying to take over cities in the name of Christ's millennial kingdom! Calvin wrote explicitly of the "two kingdoms": both under the reign of the risen and ascended Christ, but "in different ways"; one, by common grace and the moral law inscribed on the conscience and the other by saving grace and the gospel. Neither Lutherans nor Calvinists have been consistent in working out their theory, but the two-kingdoms doctrine has a substantial body of reflection throughout the whole history of the church."Read Article

2. His Kingdom: Four Views

Within Orthodox Christianity there are generally four ways of looking at how Christ reigns and how the future will unfold. Each view is formed from different interpretions of Revelation 20 along with various supporting texts. However, in holding any one of these four views, the Christian should never be distracted from the central hope which is the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Articles:

* Millennial Views-VSG-WikipediaWikipediaRead Article
* Millennial Views Comparison Charttheologue.org Read Article
** Eschatology ComparisonFive Solas Read Article
** Four ViewsBy Mark Vander Pol Read Article
Historic-Premillenialism: ***A Case for Historic PremillennialismEdited by Craig Blomberg/Sung Wook Chung Read Article
Amillennialism: **AmillennialismBy Anthony Hoekema Read Article
Post-Millenialism: **PostmillennialismBy Loraine Boettner Read Article
Dispensational-Premillenialism: *Reflections on DispensationalismBy Dr John WalvoordRead Article
                                                            *** Dispensational TheologyBy Charles F BakerRead Article

3. The End of This Present Evil Age

A. The Old Testament Book of Daniel

–Are the events of Daniel's life placed in chronological order in the book? Answer
–Are there thematic patterns in the book of Daniel? Answer
–Are there prophecies about the final world kingdom in Daniel that are yet to be fulfilled? Answer

B. Matthew 24

–What does the unfolding of the end of the age look like?Answer

C. Thessalonians

Is the Antichrist Revealed Before the Tribulation?By David Sheldon Read Article

D. The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John

Defined:

–Satan Given Authority to Act – Revelation 13:1-2
This describes the fact that God will soon allow Satan to have sway in exercising his authority upon the earth. This is initially seen in Revelation 13 in the form of the beast-antichrist and in the false prophet. It might help us to think of Rev. 13 as the unholy triumvirate: 1)Satan, as the false source 2)Beast-Antichrist, as the false object and 3)The False-Prophet, as the false desire/means to worship the others.
–The Rise of the Beast-Antichrist – Revelation 13:1-18
The final world kingdom of Antichrist is seen as ten horns that fulfill the prophecies of Daniel. This "beast" is ten regions/persons (which will go from ten to seven) that rule the world. It should be specifically noted that when this is described it is very specific. It is an overarching economic rule. This ten/seven horned beast rules the world because it first rules the world economically and the antichrist is its head. This beast has a fatal wound that is healed, and the world is amazed and follows after this beast.
–The Rise of the False Prophet – Revelation 13:11-18
The false prophet is that system/person that "causes fire to come down out of heaven in the presence of men," and the one who gives "breath" to the image of the beast. He may indeed provide false signs and wonders, false pyro-techniques. But, we shouldn't miss the point: he is the false desire, breath to the image, as the catalyst and means for false worship of the beast and his image.
–The Image of the Beast – Revelation 13:14-15; 14:9-11; 19:20
Some hold that the "Image of the Beast" in Revelation 13 is a literal statue of the antichrist himself. This may or may not be true. It should be noted, however, that the false prophet does not help the world make an image of the beast, rather an image to the beast. I would tend to see this as a progression. This is a description of the false prophet energizing the world toward self-worship of "the image" that is, the fallen image of man as if that image is God. (Remember the serpents promise to Eve?) It is a description of each individuals' self-worship, reflected in the whole and in the Antichrist as if that is worship of God. (Think Hitler) This is the deification/worship of Satan and Antichrist (Rev. 13:4) and also the deification/worship of the image to Antichrist (Rev. 13:15) i.e. self-worship reflected in the worship of Satan/the Beast. This is what the false prophet energizes, his power coming from Satan himself.
When The Fallen Image is EverythingBy David SheldonRead Article
–The Rise of the Harlot Church – Revelation 17:1-18
Revelation 17 describes "a Woman" (false religion) that is drunk with the blood of the saints. This is religion gone astray. She sits upon the scarlet beast, but as the scene unfolds there is no doubt about who is in control. It is the beast. He is using her. The Great Harlot as Mystery BabylonBy David SheldonRead Article
–The Persecution of the Saints - Revelation 13:7
The Beast is given authority to persecute God's people for the last 3 ˝ years of this present evil age.
–God's Judgments Before Christ Returns – Revelation 6-9, 16
God's judgments are given in three descriptive sevens. Seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls.

4. Babylon the Great: The Three-Legged Stool of Revelation

Defined:

–Why would we call "Babylon the Great" a three-legged stool?Answer
God's People Called Out of Babylon - Revelation 18:4-5
1. Religious Babylon - Revelation 17:1-18
2. Economic Babylon - Revelation 18:6-20
3. Political/Social Babylon - Revelation 14:6-13
The Great Babylon Destroyed By Being Divided into Three Parts - Revelation 16:19

5. The Visible Return of Jesus Christ: Our Great King

A. Salvation

I Thess 4:15-18 "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."

B. Judgment

Revelation 6:15-17 "Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

6. Personal Quotes Regarding His Appearance

Compilation of QuotesMultiple AuthorsRead Quotes

Undermining the Authority of King Jesus

–How is Christ's Kingdom undermined?

A. Globalism

Oswald Chambers Now Read ArticleBy David Sheldon
The Global Church(1): The Millennial Church & A Church in Tune with the World Read Article
Please make sure you read their personal note before you read these five articles– Kjos Ministries
The Global Church(2): Church Networks & Global Management Read Article
The Global Church(3): The Call to Global Oneness Read Article
The Global Church(4): The Open Church Read Article
The Global Church(5): God's Remnant in the New Millennium Read Article

Here is more information on Globalism Links Page

B. Dominionism/Kingdom Now Theology

Here is more information on Dominionism/Kingdom Now Theology Links Page

future truth: Summary

–God will dramatically intervene in this world once again.

Not only will He bring judgments upon the earth at the end of this age, he will first fulfill all the Scriptures that speak of what is going to happen before this end. God is going to send back the Lord Jesus Christ in power, glory, salvation, and judgment!

–God will, with great splendor and glory, send back His Son Jesus Christ on the Clouds of Heaven.

–God will, finally, establish His eternal state for Christian believers, a new heaven and earth.

These "future" truths, based on the Scriptures, are fully sufficient. Each person should study His Word for themselves to know about His Second Coming. If you are saved, you are already a member of God's Kingdom, both present and future. Therefore, be sober toward prayer and look forward to His Coming. His present reign is clearly displayed by our obedience to Him through His Word. When we are faithful to His Word and commands, He uses us as vessels to multiply His Kingdom. He is already completely in charge and seated at the right hand of God. One day He will make that very, very apparent to all of creation! If you are not saved, repent and believe in the Jesus Christ who died on Calvary for your sins before it is too late.

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