Category Archives: Eschatology

Nightline Reports: What Happens When You Die?

Video: What Happens When You Die?

New Report: Bishop’s Heaven: Is There Life After the Afterlife?

Nightline did a report yesterday on Bishop Tom Wright’s views on heaven and the afterlife. This interview dealt with the same thing that I post about in an earlier interview this year.

The Interview was good, but I know that they cut out several things that Wright said that could have clarified his views on things. I also didn’t like the way Nightline cast the interview. It sounded as thought Wright was saying that everyone will inherit the new heavens and the new earth, but I know that Wright does not believe that everyone will be saved. Some have accused him of that, but he expressly denies it.

What do you think about the Nightline interview?

McKnight Reviews N.T. Wright’s Latest Book

Surprised by Hope

Scott McKnight of Jesus Creed has reviews N.T. Wright’s latest and second book in Wright’s short trilogy of apologetic work introducing the Christian Faith to readers. This review is helpful and informative. I encourage everyone to read through it and consider purchasing Wright’s new book to read as well. Please let me know your thoughts.

N. T. Wright Interview: Christians Wrong About Heaven

And to this I must say, Amen!

N. T. Wright is one of the best Bible teachers out there when it comes to eschatology and God’s ultimate purpose for mankind and the rest of the creation. One of the things he loves talking about is “life after life after death”. His point is that “life after death” is not the end. It’s not our final resting place. Heaven, as most Christians think today, is not the end goal of the Christian life. The “end”, instead, is the beginning of life as God always planned it to be. Life after life after death begins with resurrection. And in resurrection the Christian inherits a new heaven and a new earth.

In other words, heaven and earth will finally be one, God will be all in all, and man will finally dwell on the earth as God has always intended it to be. Had God decreed something other than the fall, Adam would have fulfilled his calling to expand the Garden and dwelling place of God on the earth (i.e. – to fill and subdue the planet, Gen. 1:26-28) and his descendants would have been brought into a new heavens and a new earth once the Genesis dominion mandate was fulfilled.

Let us thank God for the Last Adam, Jesus Christ, who fulfilled Adam’s calling and guaranteed a new heavens and a new earth to all who trust in him!

So, why the interview? Well, Wright has just published his second book in a trilogy of books on the essentials of the Christian Faith. Thankfully, Time has interviewed him for us here. I am reposting the interview below. Enjoy! Continue reading N. T. Wright Interview: Christians Wrong About Heaven

Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study

This is Fee’s most recent work on the Apostle Paul and his theology. I do not own it, but from the reviews I’m posting below, I really do look forward to it and I would definitely recommend it to others already.

Here is the information on the book:

Pauline Christology Cover

Description: An exhaustive study of Pauline Christology by noted Pauline scholar, Gordon Fee. The author provides a detailed analysis of the letters of Paul (including those whose authorship is questioned) individually, exploring the Christology of each one, and then attempts a synthesis of the exegetical work into a biblical Christology of Paul. The author’s synthesis covers the following themes: Christ’s roles as divine Savior and as preexistent and incarnate Savior; Jesus as the Second Adam, the Jewish Messiah, and Son of God; and as the Messiah and exalted Lord. Fee also explores the relationship between Christ and the Spirit and considers the Person and role of the Spirit in Paul’s thought. Appendices cover the theme of Christ and Personified Wisdom, and Paul’s use of Kurios (Lord) in citations and echoes of the Septuagint.

Subjects: Bible, New Testament, Pauline Epistles, Literature, Methods, Theological Approaches, Biblical Theology, New Testament Theology

Reviews:

Review by Matthew Montonini

Review by Don Garlington

You can purchase the book here: Continue reading Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study

Thy Kingdom Come

Here is a helpful definition of the Kingdom of God from a Reformed perspective by S. M. Baugh. I hope that you will consider this definition in your study of the Bible.

Thy Kingdom Come: A Reformed Definition of the Kingdom of God

Here is a good excerpt from the PDF about what the Kingdom of God is NOT properly:

1. The Church militant in this age
2. The rule of God in the hearts of believers
3. An spiritual rule to be consummated in an earthly millennial reign
4. A geo-political or social program in this age or a program of Christianizing all spheres of life
5. However: the power and influence of the kingdom is currently felt in these areas. Continue reading Thy Kingdom Come

Jürgen Moltmann

Given that I am highly influenced by other theological scholars and writers who were influenced by Jürgen Moltmann, I thought it best if I offer some resources for everyone interested in knowing more about him…

And last, but not least… here is an online book version of his most well known book on Eschatology, The Theology of Hope.

Hope you enjoy some reading and please post your comments.

In Christ and In Defense of the Faith,

What’s Your Eschatology?

Of course I am! What better kind of eschatology could one hold??? 🙂

What’s your eschatology?
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You scored as Moltmannian Eschatology

Jürgen Moltmann is one of the key eschatological thinkers of the 20th Century. Eschatology is not only about heaven and hell, but God’s plan to make all things new. This should spur us on to political and social action in the present.

Moltmannian Eschatology

100%

Preterist

80%

Amillenialist

55%

Postmillenialist

55%

Premillenialist

50%

Dispensationalist

10%

Left Behind

10%

[HT: Jim West]

Trevin Wax Interview with N.T. Wright

Here is the full transcript of the interview Trevin conducted with N.T. Wright. This is a really great interview and I hope that every one of you will read through it or listen to the mp3 of it. The mp3 is available for direct download here.

I really appreciated Wright’s response and comments regarding his critics, in particular John Piper. Here is what Wright had to say about Piper and his new book:

Piper is in a different category. He graciously sent me an advance manuscript of his book which is critiquing me and invited my comments on it. I sent him a lengthy set of comments. I’ve only just got on email about two days ago the book in the revised form and I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. So I cannot say whether he’s being fair or not at this stage.

But I do know that he has done his darndest to be fair and I honor that and I respect that. People have asked me if I’m going to write a response, and the answer is that I don’t know. I’m kind of busy right now. But I maybe should, sooner or later.

I would love to see that response! Pray that Wright will find the time to respond and that this Piper/Wright dialogue will continue to bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.

The breakdown of the interview is also available in individual postings. Here is the breakdown:

  1. Introduction
  2. Wright’s conversion, calling, and personal worship
  3. Wright on “the gospel”
  4. Justification by faith
  5. Justification – present and future
  6. Justification and the Roman Catholic Church
  7. Sola Scriptura
  8. Is Wright arrogant to assume he has just now figured out what Paul meant?
  9. Wright on his critics
  10. Justification in practice
  11. Wright on penal substitution
  12. Wright on the resurrection
  13. Wright on Evangelism
  14. Wright on Church and State
  15. Upcoming Writings and Conclusion

Who is the antichrist?

in defense of israelJohn Hagee’s knew book claims that Jesus is not the Messiah of Isreal and that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah in word or deed. John Hagee has given himself over to the spirit of Antichrist and will one day be punished for eternity because he did not remain faithful, but instead rejected that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel who came to save Israel from their sins. John Hagee must be called to repentance or else his place will be in the lake of fire that burns with sulfer and brimstone.

Read the reviews at Amazon to get a better picture of what Hagee says. Or, better yet, just look at the video on my previous post and hear John Hagee condemn himself before your very eyes.

If you will read this passage out of 1st John from the New Testament, you will see that John Hagee has forfited the eternal life which he claims to have…

I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us —eternal life.” (1 John 2:21-25)

The end of the ages has come upon us. The end of days have begun. These days began when Jesus, the Messiah and representative of ethnic Israel, died for the sins of His people (both Jew and Gentile) and was raised from the dead and exalted on high as the King of kings and the Messiah of Israel. Jesus’ resurrection began the resurrection from the dead as He was the first fruits of that resurrection. This means that Jesus is now reigning over all the earth and that all who believe in Him have been raised with him in the heavenly places to reign over the entire earth with him as co-heirs of the Kingdom of God, the new heavens and the new earth! (Eph. 2)

For John Hagee to reject the Bible’s testimony that Jesus is the Messiah and, instead, embrace the very people who’s own generation of fathers nearly 2000 years ago rejected and crucified Jesus, their Messiah, is tantamount to blasphemy and destructive and damnable heresy. It is with great sorrow in my soul that I write this blog… but John Hagee has put an unfaithful and unbelieving people in the place of God’s own people, who are true Israel (the Christian Church), and he has chosen to twist the Bible into his own religion of neo-dispensationalism, which destroys the souls of all who hear and embrace it.

Pray for Pastor Hagee, that God will change his mind and his heart and bring him to the repentance and faith that he so desperately needs once again!

In Messiah and In Defense of the Jesus, who is true Israel,

Is John Hagee going to Hell?

You just have to hear it yourself to realize that the title of this post is NOT being presumptive or judgmental. In fact, I worried about it, but I hoped the day would never come that I could write a post like this about Pastor Hagee.

John Hagee has rejected Jesus as the Messiah. John Hagee, who once preached the Gospel about Jesus the Messiah, has fallen away from the faith once for all delivered to the Saints of God. May God have mercy upon his soul and may God change his heart before it is too late!