Monday, February 23, 2009

Class Notes on Intro to End Times

  • Why study prophecy?
  1. Walter Rauschenbush, A Theology for the Social Gospel, p 209, wrote  "Prophecy has also suffered at the hands of its supporters because of inconsistent and incorrect usage of a person's rules of interpretation"
    • We will employ a common sense hermeneutic (leads to a dispensational view point)
  2. From, a theological point of view, the bible is full of prophecy and it is a large part of its content.  Revelation pulls together the entire bible in theme and other prophecies and is critical in developing a coherent understanding
    • Fruchtenbaum, in his book, references every book in the bible, except Ruth, Esther, Philemon, and 3 John (2003)
    • There are over 500 references to the OT in the book of Revelation (Fruchtenbaum, 2003)
  3. Revelation is the only book of the bible with a promise of blessing to those who read it
  • Draw out a picture of the Gentile age and Church age
  1. Gentile age is from 586 BC (destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon) until tribulation
  2. Church age begins with Pentecost (30/33 AD) and continues until the rapture (prior to Tribulation)
  • There are three main views of the tribulation, what are they?
  1. Pre-tribulation (rapture precedes tribulation)
  2. Mid-tribulation or pre-wrath rapture (rapture occurs somewhere in the tribulation--seventh trumpet)
  3. Post-tribulation (rapture occurs at end of tribulation)
  • There are also three views of the millennial kingdom
  1. Pre-millennial: tribulation occurs prior to the millennial kingdom
  2. Post-millennial: tribulation occurs after a thousand year reign of Christ (making things better view)--often this is not literal, but a general idea of Christ ruling through his people
  3. A-millennial: we are in the midst of the millennial, the millennial age is not literal
  • The rapture is imminent but the Great Tribulation is not -- what does that mean?
  1. There are specific events related to the Tribulation which must occur first, whereas the rapture can happen at any moment

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