"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it... For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel..." - Zechariah 4:9,10
This is the second part of a post I put up on Monday. If you haven't read it I recommend you do as it will help as an introduction to this post. My hope is that this post stimulates some thinking and discussion. Be encouraged! The house of the Lord is being built and it will be completed. Though things look contrary at times and our faith might seem small it's time to rejoice! We are going on to maturity, to the measure (the plumb line) of the stature of the fullness of Christ!
Here are ten things that affect the Church when it embraces an incorrect eschatological hermeneutic. These short paragraphs don't really do justice to the subject at hand. They are meant to make you think.
1. The Church stays in immaturity.
Many in the Church want to go up, not grow up. The rapture craze promoted in books like Left Behind has caused a generation of believers to opt for "fire insurance" only. We've been called to colonize the earth, not leave it. Paul says that he is in the pains of childbirth UNTIL Christ is fully formed in the Church (Gal 4:19). "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways (1 Cor 13:11)." God wants mature believers whose diet consists of meat and not only milk. The author of the book of Hebrews says that, "you have been believers for so long you should now be teachers but unfortunately you need someone to teach you again the elementary truths of God's word all over again (Heb 5:12)." This phenomenon could be said of most of today's Church. Thankfully God is raising up leaders who are calling the Church to walk in the fullness that God has intended for them. Do you hear the call? There is a generation that will finish the work!
For the earth will be filled with THE KNOWLEDGE of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. - Habakkuk 2:14
2. The Church wages spiritual warfare ineffectively.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. - Colossians 2:15
Having served the Church in Congo (and being married to a Congolese) I've observed that for many there is more attention given to the power of the enemy instead of the power of God. This problem isn't only limited to the Congolese church. Much eschatology today sends out the message that Satan is taking over. Instead of defeating the enemy many today are empowering him by watering down the teaching of the victory of Jesus Christ. This has caused strongholds (incorrect thought patterns in the mind) to be built in the Church that desperately need to be torn down. Rather than Jesus Christ and His Church ruling and reigning the principalities and powers are the ones said to be in control. Here again the gnostic message of dualism props up its evil head. It proclaims that Satan is equal to God in power. We need to proclaim to the Church again that her enemy is defeated. Satan is not God's enemy, he's yours. Jesus is already seated and God has placed all things under His feet (Eph 1:20-23) The God of peace will bruise satan under your feet shortly and then Christ will return (Rom 16:20, Heb 10:13).
3. The Church focuses on Fear and Despair rather than Hope and Victory.
Again the central message for many in the last days is that of apostasy coming to the Church. Open any end times book and the message is "bad things are coming." Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. God never commissions us to do something that he does not grace us with the ability to do. The Church will fulfill her mandate in the earth.
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. - 2 Corinthians 2:14
4. The Church promotes favoritism among the people of God.
For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. - Ephesians 2:14
The teaching of Israel and the Church is another sticky subject for many. We must be careful not to allow any teaching to build back up the wall that Christ died to break down. Paul declares in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2 says that "in times past you were gentiles and called uncircumcised." Much eschatology and theology today makes it seem as though the Church is still gentile and uncircumcision left outside the promises and purpose of God. God's plan is to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, not just on the Jew. In Deuteronomy 29:14,15 in the context of the Palestinian covenant the Lord declares that "He's not making this covenant only with you." The him in these verses anticipate the "one new man". Romans 11 is not meant to be read eschatologically but rather soteriologically. Romans 11:25 tells us not to be ignorant of this mystery that blindness has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles come in. Their blindness is temporary, (UNTIL) not permanent. Imagine Israel being provoked to jealousy by the middle east nations coming to Christ! I pray you would hear my heart in this. Any message that claims Israel's salvation outside of Christ is another gospel. Salvation is coming to Israel and Aliyah is being made into the Kingdom but that doesn't mean we don't proclaim salvation to the nations including "Israel's enemies".
The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance." - Isaiah 19:25
5. The Church subtly promotes war and violence.
"It's time that a morbid fascination with a supposed unalterable script of God-sanctioned-end-time-hyper-violence be finally... left behind." - Brian Zahnd
To go to war or not? Again the "unalterable script." I have actually heard from teachers that certain wars must take place in order for the return of Christ. War is not, nor will ever be a Kingdom value. Today we have demonized much of the middle east by proclaiming them the enemies of God. We've played into the us vs. them game (America vs. her enemies, Israel vs. her enemies). The characteristic of a son of God is that of a peacemaker (Matt 5:9). Unfortunately today even peacemakers are looked at with skepticism. The consensus has been that if you are working for peace then you are working for the antichrist and his one world system. This kind of thinking needs to change. As believers our calling is to be peacemakers. When Jesus called us to love our enemies I'm pretty sure he meant don't kill them. Brian Zahnd in his book Beauty Will Save the World says, "We are disciples of the one who would rather die than kill his enemies." Anne Lamott says, "You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." Romans 5:10 declares that, "when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His son." It is time for the Church to rethink her theology of war. Our mission is to beat swords into plowshares, not the reverse. What was once a weapon (enemy of God) is to be used to bring in the harvest.
6. The Church neglects creation care.
"It's all going to burn." This statement is repeated over and over again by believers who don't think it is their job to take care of creation. The first job of man in the garden was to care for creation. Again the misunderstanding between the earth and the world has caused much of this neglect. Global warning, oil spills, and the like are disregarded by Christians as unimportant and not having any spiritual impact. What if caring for creation was an act of spiritual warfare? Jesus came in a physical body and rose in a physical body. God cares for the physical world as shown in His care for the ravens and the lilies (Luke 12:27).
7. The Church gets involved in political activity Christ never asked us to get involved in.
Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world." - John 18:36
Do we really believe that it is the meek who inherit the earth (Matt 5:5)? It is not the politically powerful or the strong who inherit the earth. The government of the Kingdom is not by political means but is rather upon his shoulders. It is not in the shoulders of the state but rather the corporate body of Christ. Jesus is lord, Caesar is not. Jesus can never be used to endorse capitalism or communism. He came to endorse love. If you truly believe that what America needs is this or that politician to be in power you are mistaken. What America needs is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit like never before!
Ecclesiologically, “the composition of the church changed” from a persecuted minority to “everyone.” Before, it took some courage to become a Christian; after Constantine, “it would take exceptional conviction not to be counted as a Christian.” He begins the next paragraph (Yoder): “What this means, of course, is that the meaning of the word ‘Christian’ has changed." - Peter J. Leithart
8. The Church has an incorrect view of judgement, the grace of God and the finished work.
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. - Hebrews 9:28
Living in the San Francisco bay area I hear numerous reports of judgement about to be poured out here in California. Many of these prophets are quick to jump on California saying that it is a sinful place in need of God's judgement. My question is what about the rest of the country where tradition and religion hold people in bondage to legalism not allowing for them to live in the freedom Christ obtained for them. We see time and time again Christ rebuking the Pharisees for this kind of behavior. Even James and John wanting to call fire down from heaven were rebuked. Jesus said they did not know what spirit they were of. The son of man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them (Luke 9:56). Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more (Romans 5:20). God is raising up a people in these dark places that are going to carry the scent of Christ in such a way that whole cities are going to turn to Him! Cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles have been stigmatized for far too long. Like the Samaritan woman at the well they are about to receive a visitation from the bearer of living water. God isn't finished with California.
9. The Church neglects the poor and works of social justice.
"The church doesn't have a social strategy, the church is a social strategy." - Stanley Hauerwas
"The church's future lies with the left wing of the Reformation." - Jürgen Moltmann
With so much focus being on doom and gloom many believers today have stocked up in case of the coming wrath. Pantries stuffed with food, shelters, and survival kits have been set aside just in case something happens. Instead of spreading the message of the good news we've been hoarding it unto ourselves. As much as we have done it unto the least, we have done it unto Christ (Matt 25). For much of the Church this passage in Matthew 25 of the sheep and the goats is in reference to the end times. What if caring for the poor, visiting those in jail, clothing the naked and more were really that important in the coming days?
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. - James 1:27
10. The Church sees her mandate as getting people to heaven rather than bringing heaven to earth.
"If we don't understand what the first Adam lost and what the second Adam (Jesus Christ) came to re-institute then we will be preaching just on the little benefits of the kingdom and not connecting people to the kingdom itself." - Ronald Pillay
The Gospel that Jesus preached is the kingdom of God. Man is constantly in search for what Adam lost (Gen 1:26). When we get a revelation of the kingdom we will preach the gospel of the kingdom. Religion distracts us from God's original purpose in colonizing the earth with Heaven. Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness... - Matthew 6:33 THY KINGDOM COME!
Some things a healthy eschatology promotes:
1. The Lordship of Christ
2. Maturity (Apostles' Doctrine)
3. Unity in the Body of Christ (Fellowship / Breaking of Bread)
4. Prayer and worship
5. Preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom (Missions)
Let's not divide over eschatology but let's discuss it together in a spirit of love and unity. Knowledge puffs up but love edifies. We need one another more than ever before. The name calling because someone doesn't agree with us needs to stop. It's not our church but rather His.
Regardless of your millennial beliefs (a/post/pre) we are called to be a prophetic picture of this age. The new has come. Whatever is characteristic of the millennial age is to be our present hope. Peace, long life, poverty alleviated, social justice, an end to war and more are Kingdom values we need to live in the present.
The shaking is taking place. The earth is groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God. Fathers are in travail until Christ is fully formed in us. The end result of the shaking is not our destruction but rather the glory of God. There is a serious transition taking place in the church. We are all going through a shift on some level. We are not waiting for a kingdom to be established. It's already here.
It's my hope that this post will cause you to rethink through some of the things you've been taught concerning eschatology. Let victory and hope be your foundation. The house is being built and you as a living stone have a place in it! You were created for such a time as this. Be encouraged! Kingdom blessings!
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. - Galatians 6:15,16
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