From Here to Eternity: a Biblical Order of Coming Events

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Tonight, we come to the topic of eschatology, again, with this theme: from here to eternity, a biblical order of coming events. Winston Churchill once described the former Soviet Union as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma". A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma - that's how many Christians think of eschatology and prophecies about end times. I wish I still had to show you - Sheila and I were talking about this last week. In one of my moves across the country, somehow, I misplaced two charts that dear man gave me to help make eschatology "easier and clearer for me", he said. There were two of them to comprehend the whole end times. Each chart was about three feet by four feet and each of them had a font size of about four. And not a single inch on either of those three feet by four feet charts, was empty and without text. It was incredibly confusing, complicated; it was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

But it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, God has laid out for us the events that are still to come, and He's done it in sequential order. We understand that don't we, that there would have to be order in the mind of God? There must be a plan that God has of how all the future events will unfold.

Think about it for a moment. The very character of God demands this. God's sovereignty demands it. If He in fact rules, then that means He will bring everything to the end that He, as the ruler, desires. God's decree ordained it. We studied God's eternal decree in which He did freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass. So, it includes end times. God's immutability requires it. God has made promises and He will not go back on those promises. And so, His faithfulness and His unchangeability requires that there be a plan for the end - how everything concludes. God's wisdom demands it. God knows what is best to do. He knows the best ends and He knows the best means to get us to those ends - whether we're talking about in our own life circumstances or whether we're talking about the world and human history. God's power always secures it. He will accomplish all of His will. He has the capacity to do whatever it is He chooses to do. And, of course, God's Word explains it. And so, from here to eternity, let's look tonight at the biblical order of coming events.

First of all, you have to start by understanding that there are, in fact, differing views among good Christian people. I want to start though, not with how we disagree, but with how we agree. Understand that there are things on which most, if not all, truly orthodox evangelical Christians agree.

First of all, we agree on death. Now, that's part of the eschatology. That's yet future for us. We agree on the reality of death and on the nature of death that is that man, once he dies, his body goes to the grave, but his soul returns to God who made it, that a believer...to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We as orthodox evangelical Christians agree on that reality. We also agree on the current existence of both heaven and hell. We agree on the literal bodily return of Jesus Christ. We agree on the resurrection of all the dead. Every human being will be raised from the dead. We agree on God's judgment of all men, that is, both believers and unbelievers. We also agree on the eternal state, that there will be a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness will reign and where believers will dwell with our God for all the eternity, and a place reserved for the devil and his angels and those who follow in his steps. So, we agree on all of those things and let's not minimize those areas on which we agree. These are, in fact, the essential issues.

But there are some distinctions, some disagreements, and one or two of these are pretty important as well. First of all, there's the timing of the rapture of the church. When exactly does God receive the church to Himself? There's the nature of the tribulation. What's that going to be like? What does that look like? There's the nature of the millennium, and we're going to touch on that in just a moment. Christians disagree on exactly how many resurrections there are going to be and where those are placed. We disagree on how many judgments there will be and exactly what those judgments will be. While we agree that everyone will be judged, exactly when and how is something else. We also disagree on the place of Israel in end time events and prophecy. Those are the key distinctions or differences among Christians and the issue of end times.

Now, with that basic background set, let's look briefly at the basic overarching views of eschatology. There are really four basic views of the order of last things. Now, let me give them to you and then let me make a couple of comments. First of all, post-millennialism. Secondly, a-millennialism. Historic pre-millennialism. And pre-tribulational pre-millennialism or dispensational pre-millennialism. Now you look at those terms and go, "What is he talking about?"

Now, let me remind you that we're going to look at all of these things in detail in the weeks ahead. You will understand them before we're done. Tonight, I am merely introducing you to these terms and sort of inoculating you so the next time you hear them you'll say, "Oh yeah, I've heard that term before." And we'll talk about it in a little more detail. All I'm going to do tonight is give you a summary of these positions. If you don't fully understand one of them, that's okay. We're going to come back to it in a few weeks and we're going to come back in more detail. So, don't be scared by what you don't understand about these positions.

But let me give you a little chart for each one of them; just so you can see the distinctions between these four positions. These charts, by the way, are taken from the "Rose Book of Bible Charts", which is very helpful for a visual presentation. First of all, looking at post-millennialism. Here is an essential view of post-millennialism. You can see that the cross on all of these will be the cross of Christ. And you see, there, the second coming pictured by the blue arrow shooting up. That will be true in all of these as well. What matters is what comes between. You can see that post-millennialism believes in the church age which we are now in and they believe that gradually society is going to improve and get better and better, so that we will gradually work ourselves into a wonderful period of righteousness and joy and peace, and that will be the millennium. It will not come as the song says that we sing and don't always understand what it means. As the song said, "Not with swords loud clashing or role of stirring drum, but with deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes." They believe that gradually things are going to get better and better and it's going to usher in the millennium here on earth, without the return of Christ, and we're going to have a wonderful, wonderful time here on earth. And then, eventually, Christ will return and there will be the final judgment and eternity. That's postmillennialism.

A second perspective is a-millennialism. You can recognize the 'a'. And, again, I'm going to explain this later, but that's what's called in Greek an "alpha privative". It means the negation - no millennium. Alright? But that's not technically true. In fact, many of them would say they prefer not to use that term because they would say that with the cross, and you see here on this chart, you began the church age. And now, in the church age, there is both tribulation, because we live in a fallen sinful world, and there is right now in the church also the reign of Christ, the spiritual reign of Christ from heaven. Now, we don't disagree with that. That is true. But they would say that spiritual reign and rule of Christ, right now, is in fact the millennium. That this is the millennium in which we live. It's just a spiritual reign of Christ from heaven and that someday this church age will end this period characterized by both tribulation and millennium (or the spiritual rule of Christ), it will end with the second coming of Christ, and the final judgment, and that will usher in eternity. That's a-millennialism. And, again, remember, I'm just introducing you to these concepts. W'ell look at them in more detail in the future.

A third view of end times is what's called historic pre-millennialism or classic pre-millennialism. You recognize the word "pre", meaning before - the before the millennium, that is, Christ will return before an actual millennial period. Again, you see the cross representing Christ's death. Then there is the church age. And things, society in general, will grow worse and worse, more and more evil. And that will usher in a period called the Great tribulation. Now, there's some disagreement among the historic pre-millennialists as to what exactly that will look like, but essentially, they're agreed, and we'll talk about that when we get there.

After the Great tribulation, Christ will return, and He will... And, by the way, the church (you and I) will go through that tribulation in this view, and we will be gathered when Christ returns. If we survive that tribulation period, we will be caught up alive. If we have been killed during the tribulation, then we will be reunited with our bodies and glorified bodies and we will join the Lord in the air. And, so, at the second coming - that second coming will be followed by a literal reign of Christ on the earth. Not all historic pre-millennialists believe that will be a literal 1000 years, but they believe that it does, the 1000 years does picture at least a long time, a reign of Christ on the earth and that ushers in, then, eternity.

The fourth view is the view that our church takes and that I will be teaching to you. It's pre-tribulational pre-millennialism; you recognize the pre-millennialism. It acknowledges the fact that there will be a literal reign of Christ on the earth; a millennium meaning 1000 years. And it's also calling for a pre-tribulational return of Christ, that is, "before the tribulation" return of Christ for the church. This is what it looks like pictured out. Again, you see the cross. You see God's work with the church. And this - as we go through this, my own view varies a little bit from this in the sense that I wouldn't say there are two huge distinctions between Israel and the church. There is a distinction, as we've talked about, but I wouldn't make it these two separate peoples of God. But anyway, in the end, there's God's work with the church, during this church age, and then there will come a time, as things grow worse and worse, more and more evil, that Christ will return (1 Thessalonians 4), He will take away the church (rapture the church), ushering in the Great tribulation. And then, at the end of that period called the Great tribulation (seven-year period), Christ will come again in glory, in the second coming. He will land (put his feet) on the Mount of Olives. He will set up and establish an earthly kingdom. And He will rule and reign on the earth for 1000 years, called the millennium. At the end of that 1000 years, there will be the final judgement, ushering into eternity.

So, you can see that there are more differences between this view and the previous one, but the essential difference on this chart, I want you to see, is that there's the return for the church (called the rapture) before the tribulation; whereas with historic pre-millennialism they would say there's one second coming and, at that second coming, the church is rescued, and sinners are punished. Here are the views side-by-side, just so you can kind of glimpse. Basically, with post-millennialism you have that sort of wonderful peace on earth, ushered in slowly by the good deeds of the church and we just have this wonderful time on earth, whereas with a-millennialism you have, during the church age, both the spiritual rule of Christ and tribulation going on. With historic pre-millennialism, you have one second coming, that is the second coming (no rapture) after the tribulation period ushering in a rule of Christ. And then, finally, you have the view that has the rapture of the church before the tribulation. So, that just gives you in a nutshell those views. Again, we will come back and look at those in more detail so hopefully you can get a greater grasp of them. But that gives you an overall view.

Now, before we move ahead, let me read you what I think is a very appropriate quote from Wayne Grudem. He writes, "It's important to realize that the interpretation of the details of prophetic passages, regarding future events, is often a complex and difficult task involving many variable factors. Therefore, the degree of certainty that attaches to our conclusions in this area, will be less than with many other doctrines [we talked about that last week]. It is important for evangelicals to recognize that this area of study is complex and to extend the measure of grace to others who hold different views." That's exactly right, and I want to keep that in our minds as we look at all of these different views.

Now, with those being the basic orders that are out there, what I want to do is see if we can construct a biblical ordo eschatos. Now, understand, that all of these views would argue that they can construct a biblical ordo eschatos, based on their order. But I want you to see that I think it can be created in a very logical way from the flow of the text itself. Now, don't be scared by the term ordo eschatos. That's Latin and Greek. "Ordo" meaning order and "eschatos" meaning last things - the order of last things. If you were here when we study the doctrine of salvation, you'll remember that we began our study with what theologians call the ordo salutis, that is, the order, the logical order of salvation. Then after we created that logical order, we went back over the following weeks and looked at each component separately and in great detail. That's exactly what I want to do with the eschatology. We're going to try to lay out a biblical order of events and then we will come back and look, in the weeks ahead, at each part sequentially at the end time events in much greater detail. So, with that in mind, let's see if we can create a biblical ordo eschatos.

I think the best place to go is the Book of Revelation. The key verse to unlocking the significance to the Book of Revelation is Revelation 1:19. Turn there with me briefly. Revelation 1:19. Jesus, after His appearance to John on the Isle of Patmos, says this to him, "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."

Now, one very obvious thing you need to see here, is that part of this book was obviously prophetic, or predictive when it was written, because the writer... Jesus speaks to John, as the writer, and says, "I want you to write about the things which will take place after these things." So, part of the book anyway, when it was written, was predictive.

Now, when you come to the Book of Revelation, the key issue is how are you going to interpret it? And there are various interpretive methods. Again, I don't want to bog down here, but I want you to see why we take the view we do of Revelation? What are the ways to approach the Book of Revelation?

The first common approach is the idealist, or the symbolical approach to the book. Here's a definition of the idealist approach: it sees Revelation as simply a timeless depiction of the cosmic struggle between the forces of good and evil. It's not predictive, but by symbol, it teaches spiritual principles that should be true of every church in every age. In other words, they would say, "Listen, Revelation isn't about prophecy at all. It is simply a story, if you will, a series of stories that explain the great struggle between good and evil in history." There are a couple of clear problems with this view. One is it disregards the very clear prophetic claims the book itself makes - and we'll look at some of those. And it also leads you into complete subjectivism because there's no way to interpret those stories if you start with this perspective. In fact, those who hold this view come up with many different approaches and many different explanations for what this story means or how this story illustrates the struggle between good and evil. This is not a very common view, but it is a view out there.

Unfortunately, a second view is called the preterist view. The preterist view can be defined this way: it is a description of events, that is, Revelation is a description of events already occurring in the first century throughout the Roman Empire, including but not limited to, the persecutions of Nero, the destruction of Jerusalem, and many other things that are happening in the first century. They would say, only the last few chapters are predictive - when you talk about the second coming of Christ and the new heavens and the new earth. Obviously, nothing in first-century Roman Empire could be called new heavens and new earth so they're forced, by the very facts, to acknowledge this.

Now, there's some objections to this view. First of all, with the first one, it leads you in complete subjectivism. How do you interpret what events go to what stories in the Book of Revelation? It also disregards the book's direct claim to be prophecy. Look at the first chapter verse 3: "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy..." Verse 19 describes the reality that there are things yet to take place. If you look at chapter 22 you discover again that these things are called prophecy. In its extreme form, this view of preterism, is really heresy. Not everyone who holds to preterism is a heretic, but those who hold to what is called "hyper preterism" or "full preterism" or some of them call it "realized eschatology" - they believe, listen to this, that the second coming, the resurrection, the Great White Throne are all past events - those occurred in the first century (before the destruction of Jerusalem), that no prophecy remains unfulfilled, that the existing universe in which we live is the new heavens and the new earth. Frankly, they're the modern equivalents of Hymenaeus and Philetus whom Paul condemns in 2 Timothy 2:18, who said the resurrection had already happened.

A third view of Revelation is the historist view. This view can be defined as approaching Revelation as a panorama of church history, from the time of the apostles to the end time. It's a kind of history book of church history. Revelation is seen as predicting a lot of things. Let me give you a few of them. These aren't all of them. But they say you can look at Revelation and you can see the barbarian invasions of Rome. You can see the Muslim invasions of Europe, the rise of Roman Catholicism, the Reformation, and even the French Revolution. Those are all in Revelation, they say. The objections to this view is, again, you have utter subjectivism. There's no way to decide what stories have what connotations in history. It's divided differently by many different people. But it also disregards...let's go back here...it disregards the book's own internal timelines. As you trace through the Book of Revelation, it's obvious that there are specific things occurring at specific points in time, relative to others. And this view disregards those time connections in the book and assumes that those can be drawn in different places based on their own views.

I won't spend much time with this next view, but it's called the recapitulationist view. It basically says, "Listen, when you look at Revelation, it's talking about the church age between Christ's first and second comings from repeated perspectives in sort of an ascending climactic border, with special emphasis on end times." That's how Robert Raymond defines it. He's a brilliant theologian but, you know, I have to take issue with him here. For example, he says that the seven churches, in chapters two and three, you know the seven churches of Asia Minor - he says those represent types of the churches present in every age. I can agree with that if...but he didn't go any further than that. Then he says chapter 4:1 through chapter 8:5, spans this age from the death of Christ to the final judgment. So, therefore, he has things like this: the two witnesses, you remember in the Book of Revelation, they're slain - he says those represent all faithful preachers in the history of the church who have been killed. Well, certainly, in one sense I guess you could say that. But to say that that was the divine intention is something entirely different. Again, you have subjectivism and you have the ignoring of a literal hermeneutic.

The final view and the view that I take, that our church takes, is called the futurist view. And basically, this view says this (and this is what most of you know and embrace): the events of chapter 6 to 22 of Revelation are predictive and are all yet in the future. Literally and symbolically, both, they describe actual people and actual events yet to come. This is consistent with the prophetic claim throughout the book. It's consistent with the devastating apocalyptic images. You know, those who have...who held those views that these things have already happened, throughout church history, they have a hard time dealing with things like, you know, the stars falling, and a third of the earth population being killed, and all the waters turning to blood, and all of those kinds of things are pretty hard to explain from history, because nothing of that apocalyptic nature has occurred. It's also built on the grammatical historical approach to Scripture and it's consistent with the interpretation of the early church.

Now, you can see then, why we take the futurist position regarding this book. In other words, a significant portion of this book and most, regardless of their interpretation, would say that at least chapter 6 to 22 are prophecy. Chapters...Let me take you back to Revelation 1:19. We looked at Revelation 1:19. That really provides us an outline for the book. "The things which you have seen" - that's chapter 1 when Christ appears to John. "The things which are" - that refers to the churches of Asia Minor to which he writes. That's chapters 2 and 3. "The things which will take place after these things" have to do with chapters 4 through the end of the book, chapter 22. Now, chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation are a glimpse into heaven of its worship and especially the search for someone who is willing and worthy to take a scroll from the hand of God and to break its seven seals. After that, after the scenes in heaven where they're looking for somebody who will break the seals and, by the way, I believe that is the title deed to the earth. Satan, the usurper, has taken control of the earth and God produces the title deed to the earth, a scroll sealed with seven seals. And they look for somebody worthy to open the seals. And, of course, they find the lamb who looks...or the lion, rather, who looks like a lamb who's been slain. That's our Lord Jesus Christ. He takes the scroll, the title deed to the earth. And with each seal, as He breaks each seal to open that document - that title deed - judgment is unleashed on the world. That's what happens in 4 and 5 as they look for the person worthy and it's none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. Now after that, end time events become much clearer.

Now, when you look at the Book of Revelation, here is the basic flow. And this gives us our ordo salutis [he meant ordo eschatos]. If you take a futurist view of the Book of Revelation, and as you can see, the other views are wholly unsatisfactory. I hate to rush through those interpretations and hate to rush through the objections to them. There are many other objections. Those are just some thumbnails. But if we take that approach, which we do as a church, then when you look at the flow of the history (the predicted history of Revelation), this is where you land.

Here's the basic flow. First of all, you have a tribulation. There's no question about that. As I said when you come to chapter 6:1, after the scroll is found...after the person, rather, worthy to open the scroll is found (notice chapter 6:1): "Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, 'Come.'" And then, all of a sudden, this series of judgments are unleashed on the war...or excuse me, on the world. You see, the second seal is broken in verse 3; in verse 5, the third seal which is famine; in verse 7, the fourth seal which is death; verse 9, the fifth seal issues forth in martyrs; verse 12, the sixth seal in terror. And there's this interlude that occurs.

Now, with the breaking of the seventh seal, beginning in chapter 8, you have an interesting thing that occurs. Think of it this way. You remember in... some of you have seen these. When I went to Russia, I brought back for my girls the first time I went - the stacking dolls. You remember those, where they make them there in Russia, and you open one and within it you find other stacking dolls. Think of these judgments in that way. You have the first doll which represents those seals. When the seventh seal is broken, out of the seventh seal come the seven trumpets. When the seventh trumpet is blown, out of the seventh trumpet comes seven bowls. So, it says if all of the trumpets and the bowls are into that seventh seal, they're part of that seventh seal. They grow out of it, if you will. But what happens with the trumpets and the bowls is you have an ever increasing intensity of judgment. In fact, the bowls are really more like flat saucers so that there's this sort of violence and suddenness depicted; that with each little saucer spill, as it were, a fresh judgment pours out on the world. And so, you have in sort of staccato fashion as you come to the end out of that seventh seal, come the seven trumpets. And out of the seventh trumpet, come these seven saucers or bowls and judgment is unleashed in dramatic fashion on the world. You see this from chapter 6:1 through chapter 19:10.

Now, the second event then that occurs begins in chapter 19:11. That is the second coming and it's the second coming. This is very clear. Turn there with me. Chapter 19 and notice verse 11: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." And you have the armies following Him and out of His mouth comes a sharp sword that He can strike down the nations. "He will rule them with a rod of iron...", which of course is a prophecy that goes back to the Old Testament that describes the Servant of Jehovah, the Messiah. This is none other than Jesus Christ. "He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'" There's no question about who this is. And for most Christians, in all of the views or most of the views I should say that I shared with you tonight, they would see this as the second coming. So, here we the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the events that accompany it that follow.

The third element of this basic flow - you have tribulation, second coming. The third event is the Millennium - chapter 20. After you have the end of Jesus' return and all the attendant events that are related to it - Armageddon at the end of verse...end of chapter 19 there, the doom of the Beast and the False Prophet (these personages that are part of the tribulation period, behind whom stands Satan himself). Then in chapter 20, notice what happens in verse 1: "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan [again there's no question who we're talking about here], and [he] bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded [during the tribulation period] because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image..." Verse 5: "The rest of the dead..." Notice the end of verse 4: "they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection..."

Now, if you take a straightforward reading of the text as our approach to this book would, what you have, because you have clear linear flow of events - you didn't have it introduced in verse 1 of chapter 20 with the word "then", which it includes that idea of sequential events - you have a millennium, a 1000 years as it is described on several occasions in the text I just read for you. We'll talk about the Millennium when we get to that issue. But that's obviously what's being referenced here. And when we when we look at this text, we'll look at a little more detail and see how the other views would take this text because that's the key - a key discussion and issue in eschatology.

What do you have after verse 6? Satan is freed and doomed and the devil, verse 10, "was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone [he was released for a short time, then he is ultimately defeated, and he's thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone], where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." You got the end of Satan. Then verse 11 says, "Then I saw a great white throne..." So, here you have the final judgement - the great white throne. We'll talk about the judgment and the various judgments when we get there, but there's no question - but when you come to chapter 20:7 and following, you have the doom of Satan followed by the great white throne.

Now, what happens next? Verse 14 says, "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth..." Again, you get that sequential idea in the words of the Apostle John]. So, following on this great white throne, is a new heaven and a new earth "for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea." This is what Peter references in 2 Peter 3 when the whole world is consumed by God in some sort of an atomic explosion and God starts all over and makes a new heaven and a new earth. And this runs all the way from chapter 21:1 through the end of the book.

So, when you look at the flow of the text of Revelation, meant to give us the description of end time events, this is what you have. You have: a tribulation. You have a second coming. You have a Millennium. You have a great white throne. And you have a new heaven and a new earth.

Now, that is the basic flow. But where is the church? This also is a key issue. There's some other clues here in the Book of Revelation as well. First of all, you'll note that in chapters 1 through 3, the church is on earth. The word "church", by the way, occurs in those two chapters 19 times. No question but that there are churches existent in Asia Minor in chapters 1 through 3. In chapters 4 through 5, when we're ushered into the presence of God there before the seals are broken, the church we find in heaven. The church represented by the elders and there are number of reasons for that which, unfortunately, with the limited time I don't have time to go to. But let me just say that we have now the church on earth in verses...or chapters 1 through 3, you have the church in heaven in chapters 4 and 5. There are a couple of references in the flow of the book that refer to the saints. But the saints are not defined. That term is very general term. It can speak of Old Testament saints. It can speak of the saints of the church. It can speak of the saints of the tribulation period. There are a lot of things saints can mean and they're not defined clearly, and that only occurs a couple of times.

The next time we clearly see the church is in chapter 19. The church is in heaven. In chapter 19:1-10, you have the marriage of the Lamb mentioned. In fact, in verse 7, the church is referred to as the wife of the Lamb; there's no question but what we're talking about the church there. In chapter 19:11-21, with the second coming, you have the church returning with Christ. Remember, clothed in white linen and coming back with Christ? You have the church returning with Christ at His second coming. In chapter 21:9, we have mentioned the wife of the Lamb, in chapter 22:17 the bride.

Now, that raises a very clear, or I should say that establishes a very clear implication, and that is: the church is called away before the second coming. I say that for two reasons. One, they're obviously in heaven in chapters 4 and 5. They're obviously in heaven in chapter 19, before the second coming with the marriage supper of the Lamb. And then, the church returns with Christ at the second coming. So, that must mean that the church is called away before the second coming. The question is when? Well, the church is not on earth from the end of chapter 3 until the second coming in chapter 19. It's only an implication. We'll look at another...several other passages, but the implication seems to be that the church is taken out before God's judgment on the world begins, before the seals are begun or began to break.

So, with that in mind, let's put together a kind of final draft of our ordo eschatos. You have death, obviously. You have the intermediate state, that is, what happens to us after death but before Christ returns. And, of course, related issues we'll look into or things like purgatory and soul sleep which some people believe and teach. Then you have the rapture and of course, related to this, is the issue of resurrection and the judgment seat of Christ. You have the tribulation over a seven-year period. Related to that would be who are the main characters there - the Beast, the False Prophet, and Satan. What about Daniel? How does that figure in? The seals, the trumpet, the bowls, the second coming and related issues would be Armageddon, the salvation of Israel (as Zechariah prophesies), and the judgment of the nations. Next, would be the Millennium, the 1000-year period. The related events there would be: is there going to be a millennial temple and what's that about? The role of Israel and the church as we look at the millennial period. The great white throne - and there the question is, is there only going to be one final judgment, in which everybody stands, or are there going to be several? Who exactly is judge? And then, finally, the eternal state. And the related issues there are the new heavens and the new earth, the Lake of Fire. And we need to look at those who now teach annihilationism, that is that the soul of unbelievers, upon death, cease to exist.

So, those... that is a sort of final draft of our ordo eschatos. Now, just to help make that a little clearer in visual form, let me give it to you in a chart. Alright? It begins in our lifetimes with death, the intermediate state, rapture, tribulation, second coming, millennium, great white throne, and eternal state. Alight? Now, let me give you a couple of clarifiers to all of that. As far as death and the intermediate state, that is obviously unknown duration because nobody knows when Christ is going to return. So, therefore, we don't know how long that process will be. The rapture is a one-time event, a moment in time. The tribulation is a seven-year period as we will see. The second coming is also a one-time event that occurs. The millennium a 1000-year period. The great white throne will be an event that may cover a period of time, but we're not told exactly how long that period of time would be. And, of course, the eternal state is describing eternity.

So, where are we during all of these events? Well, right now, during a time of death and the intermediate state, that is as people die and their soul goes somewhere, their body is buried. Basically, the believer's soul goes to heaven; his body is in the grave. At the rapture, there will be the resurrection. We know, based on 1 Thessalonians 4, that those who were dead in Christ will rise first, they will be given glorified bodies, and then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the air. So, we'll be involved in a resurrection at the rapture. In the tribulation period, we'll be in heaven. During the second coming, we will return with Christ to the earth. During the millennium, we will be here on earth ruling and reigning with Christ. The great white throne will be present, but I don't believe that judgment is for us. We'll look at that when we come there. And then eternity, of course, we will occupy the new heaven and the new earth. So, that gives you, kind of in a nutshell, an ordo eschatos that we're going to take apart.

Now, if you disagree with me, here or there, that's fine. That's okay. We're going to look at each one of these and, maybe over time, I can convince you that my position is more biblical than yours. But maybe not. Maybe you disagree with me. We can be brothers and still disagree on these issues. Alright? That's why I want you to understand that, as I said last time, we ought to try to understand the Scripture. We ought to have a position about what the Scripture teaches, but we don't treat others who disagree with us ungraciously; unless, of course, they're holding a position that's out of touch with the major doctrines of the Christian faith - like the bodily return of Christ, for example.

Alright. So, that gives you the overall picture. As I told you, when we started the doctrine of salvation and we put this kind of chart up, don't be scared. Some of you look at that and say, "We will never...I'll never understand. It will never unravel for me." It will. It'll come together as we look through each of these events. By the time we're done, we'll put it all together in a package and you will have a basic flow of the order of events, and what each one is about.

Now, briefly, in the time that we have remaining. Let's just think for just a moment about applying our ordo eschatos, our order of last things. What are the ramifications of the reality that there is, in the mind of God, an ordo eschatos, that is, a divine plan of the end. What are the ramifications of that? Well, they're not unlike the ramifications we saw last week, but there are couple of different nuances I want us to see.

First of all, we have a very clear impetus to holiness. Look at 2 Peter 3. 2 Peter 3. Basically, and I'm not going to go through this text in detail, but Peter lays out here in 2 Peter 3 a sort of modified or, maybe a better way to say it would be, an abbreviated - a brief form of the ordo eschatos. And he describes what's going to happen, when? He talks about the fact that the Lord will return. Notice verse 3: "Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming?" And then he goes on to argue for the coming. But he says, verse 9: "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." So he's got the second coming, he's got the destruction of the present world, and then he's got a new heavens and a new earth. Again, that's a truncated version of the ordo eschatos.

But what is the conclusion he draws from it? Notice verse 11: "Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation..." Do you see here, that in the concept of God having established an order of events that includes a judgment of this world, includes the destruction of all these things that we now hold so dear, that we are to hold them lightly and we are to pursue holiness - holy conduct and godliness? And in verse 14 - spotless and blameless. Folks, do you understand that all of the stuff that matters so much to here...matters so much to us here...will one day be destroyed by God Himself? It ought to be an impetus to holiness, understanding that God has mapped it out. He has structured the end of the world. It's coming.

It ought also to be a cause for worship. God's future plan for the salvation of Israel, for example - Paul lays that out in chapters 9 through 11 of Romans. And after he lays that out, after he describes the prophetic word about all Israel being saved, and he describes the plan of God in building the church, in putting us, grafting us in, where does he go? Verse 33 of Romans 11: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" Listen folks, as we study eschatology, as we studied the reality that God has mapped out the end, that He not only knows what's going to happen, but He has determined it and He will execute it. It ought to cause us to respond just like Paul: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him..." And here it is. Here's the end of eschatology: "...and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

Do you see the same in 2 Peter 3 where we just were? Peter ends that chapter after he describes this great reality of all that God will do and how it ought to affect us. He ends by saying, "To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity." God's glory is the stated goal of the plan. Remember God made everything, what? For His own glory. So, when he wraps it all up, in the end it will be to accomplish, what? His own glory.

You see it, as well - you see this ordo eschatos, that is, this divine order of end time events causing people in Revelation to worship. Let me just give you a couple of examples. You see them worshipping God for His power in Revelation 11 [verse 17]: "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bondservants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." Got praise or what He's accomplishing, praise for His power.

Praise for His Holiness in chapter 15: "And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.'" As the scene unfolds, as God looses His torrential, devastating judgements on the world, He's praised for His Holiness. There's no one like God. He's praised for His justice in chapter 16:5: "And I heard the angel of the waters saying, 'Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things..."

So, we find in the ordo eschatos an impetus to holiness, and we also find a cause for worship. But in addition to that, and I close with this one, we find a reason for courage, a reason for courage. Turn to 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy 4:16. Paul is in prison for the second time. He's locked away in a Roman prison. He will never get out. He knows that. He's just told Timothy he's about to be poured out, as it were, as a drink offering. What would be your mindset? Well, it gets even worse. Verse 16 of chapter 4 says, "At my first defense no one supported me..." Think of it. The Apostle Paul, standing alone. "...all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear..." You see, Paul is thinking of what? The plan of God. He's realizing his connection to the plan of God. I have to make "the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear..." because this is part of God's plan. This is what God wants to happen. Verse 18: "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

What I want you to see, folks, is that when Paul came to the very end of his life, when there was no one with him, and he knew that he would soon be killed for the gospel of Jesus Christ, where did he find courage? He found courage in the plan of God using him to accomplish that plan, but beyond him, the fact that God had a heavenly kingdom that He would establish, and he would be brought safely to it. It gave him courage. It gave him courage.

A writer by the name...a theologian by the name of Oscar Coleman gave a famous illustration of the reality of this truth by using WWII's D-Day and Victory Day. You see, in WWII, if you've read the history, you know that the decisive battle in Europe was the D-day. If you haven't read Stephen Ambrose's wonderful book on D-Day, I encourage you to read that. It's an amazing account of what happened on that fateful day. But that was the decisive battle. Eventually, Victory Day came but for most people V-Day was assured after D-Day. To use that analogy as Coleman did, for the Christian, D-Day has already been fought. It was at the cross, 2000 years ago. The victory has been secured. Jesus accomplished a decisive victory in His death and resurrection. In "O Church Arise", the Gettys have described it this way: "Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet, As the Son of God is stricken; Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet, For the Conqueror has risen! And as the stone is rolled away, And Christ emerges from the grave, this vict'ry march continues till the day Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him." We are involved in a victory march. D-Day has happened. The victory has been gained. Because of D-Day, Victory Day is absolutely certain. Jesus' universal, unequivocal victory will come. So, you and I, like the soldiers in France after D-Day, can be courageous because we know the victory has been secured.

You see this practically borne out through church history, not just in the life of Paul. You see it in the life of a man by the name of Polycarp. Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna. He was a disciple of the apostle John, actually sat under the Apostle John, became pastor there in Smyrna. As the persecution mounted and Christians began to be martyred in the city, the Romans realized that they were killing just the followers. If they were going to defeat the Christians in Smyrna, they needed to silence the leader, and this was Polycarp. As Polycarp stood before the governor, he was told to deny Christ, to swear the oath to Caesar, and he would be released. Polycarp answered in those immortal words that perhaps you've heard. He said, "For 86 years I have been His servant and He has done me no wrong. How, then, can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" The governor shouted at him, "Swear by Caesar!" He said, "You try in vain to get me to swear by Caesar. Hear me plainly. I am a Christian." The governor said, "I have wild beasts. I will throw you to them unless you change your mind." Polycarp said, "Call for them." "If you're not afraid of the beasts, I will have you burned alive." Polycarp responded to the governor, "You threaten me with fire that burns for a little while and goes out. But you are ignorant of the fire of eternal punishment which is prepared for the ungodly. Why do you wait? Come and do what you want with me." The crowd began to shout, "This is the teacher of Asia. This is the father of the Christians who teaches many not to worship our gods. Burn him!" Soldiers tied Polycarp to a post and surrounded him with straw, with oil soap kindling, and with timber. Polycarp prayed these words aloud: "Oh Lord God Almighty, the Father of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the knowledge of You, I bless You for granting me the honor of this day and this hour, that I might be numbered among the martyrs. You are the faithful and true God. To You be the glory both now and for the ages to come. Amen!" As he finished those words, a long torch ignited the bonfire and a mighty flame leapt upward in just a few moments. Polycarp was dead but his courage in the face of death emboldened persecuted Christians across the empire to remain faithful to Christ. Where did you find this courage? He found it in the reality that God had a plan and God had secured the victory and he was merely part of the victory parade. May God give us courage under fire as well.

Let's pray together.

Our Father we thank You for this opportunity tonight to study. We've gone through so much and so quickly. Father I pray that You would cause those things to stick in the minds of Your people that would be helpful for them to gain. As we go through this study over the coming weeks, Lord may all the things that we've merely sort of flown over tonight, may they become clearer in our minds. And Father may these things be, as they were and have been for so many through the history of the church, a source of comfort and courage and strength, knowing that the victory has been won, that Christ will have the prize for which He died, an inheritance of nations. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!