We looked last week at the time statements in the Bible as to the coming of the Lord. We saw that he said he would come -- while some that were standing there were still living; in that generation; soon; quickly; at hand; he said his coming was near. Everywhere that the Bible talks about the Lord's coming it gives us a time statement. The NT saints fully expected the Lord to return in their lifetime. How could we possibly miss this? Yet the majority of believers today, some two thousand years later are still saying that the Lord will return soon. Can the same event be imminent at two different periods of time separated by two thousand years? Someone said to me that they felt that the Lord said he was coming soon because he wanted every generation to be watching for Him. Think about that. What that means is that when he told the first century believers that he was coming back soon, he really didn't mean it, he was giving them false information to keep them looking for Him. Can you live with that? If that was the case what else did he tell them that wasn't true? Do we have a God who intentionally deceives men? Isn't it much easier to simply believe what Jesus said and believe that he came back in the first century?         What is at stake here is the inspiration of Scripture. If Jesus was mistaken or if he lied to us then what good is the rest of the Bible? There are those opponents who say that if you believe that Jesus came back in the first century then you don't need to read your Bible any more. I don't understand that argument, but if Jesus didn't come back in the first century, when he said that he would then you might as well throw your Bible out because if it isn't inspired, it isn't any good. I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and therefore without errors.

We looked last week at the time statements in the Bible as to the coming of the Lord. We saw that he said he would come -- while some that were standing there were still living; in that generation; soon; quickly; at hand; he said his coming was near. Everywhere that the Bible talks about the Lord's coming it gives us a time statement. The NT saints fully expected the Lord to return in their lifetime. How could we possibly miss this? Yet the majority of believers today, some two thousand years later are still saying that the Lord will return soon. Can the same event be imminent at two different periods of time separated by two thousand years? Someone said to me that they felt that the Lord said he was coming soon because he wanted every generation to be watching for Him. Think about that. What that means is that when he told the first century believers that he was coming back soon, he really didn't mean it, he was giving them false information to keep them looking for Him. Can you live with that? If that was the case what else did he tell them that wasn't true? Do we have a God who intentionally deceives men? Isn't it much easier to simply believe what Jesus said and believe that he came back in the first century? <br>        What is at stake here is the inspiration of Scripture. If Jesus was mistaken or if he lied to us then what good is the rest of the Bible? There are those opponents who say that if you believe that Jesus came back in the first century then you don't need to read your Bible any more. I don't understand that argument, but if Jesus didn't come back in the first century, when he said that he would then you might as well throw your Bible out because if it isn't inspired, it isn't any good. I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and therefore without errors.

Heaven and Earth Have Passed (2 Peter 3:1-13)

Have you ever wondered why it is that two men can read the same passage of scripture and come up with two totally different interpretations? Or why two men can read the same Bible and yet see things so differently? Two men who love God and yet see the same scripture in two different ways. Is it that one of them is stubborn or unreasonable? No, it is because each of us has within us paradigms of what life is really all about. The word paradigm means a model or a map. We look at life through our paradigms. Inside each of us is a map or model of what life ought to be like. Our paradigms are representations of life. We all have them, and we all have paradigms of eschatology. Eschatology is a word that frightens people, they don't understand it so they are afraid of it. When I talk about eschatology, I am not talking about the end of time, but the time of the end. There is a very large difference between those two ideas. Eschatology is the doctrine of last things but it is the last things of God's plan to redeem us, not the last things of planet earth.

Inspiration and the Second Coming of Christ

Does the Bible speak of the end of the world? Everyone seems to think so, but could they be wrong?

The End of the World? (Hebrews 1:10-14)

While most assume Revelation is about the end of planet Earth, it actually never speaks on such a topic. So what does it teach?

The Revelation (Pt 2): The Judgment of Israel

For a book that was written to reveal, much of the plain language seems to confuse so many so easily.

The Revelation (Pt 1): The Soon Coming of Christ

What is Scripture telling us when it speaks of the sun being darkened and the stars falling from the sky? Most people seem to be confused on this topic.

The Sun Will Be Darkened: Apocalyptic Symbolism

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Most Christians today view this verse as describing an escape from the troubles of this world. They believe that one day soon, (it is always soon, it was "soon" when Jesus spoke it to the Thessalonians and it is still soon today) Jesus is going to physically appear in the sky, and immediately all the dead are going to be resurrected and rise to meet Him, and the living Christians will be caught up in the clouds with them to be with Christ. They believe that Christians will physically be "raptured" off of this planet. I'm sure you've seen the pictures of the unmanned cars crashing and bodies coming out of the graves with everyone going up into the sky.        Are you aware that this "rapture of the church" idea is not a historical teaching of the church but something that was started around 1830 by the Plymouth Brethren? It was popularized in America by the Scofield Reference Bible and by elaborate End Time event charts published by Clarence Larkin. During the twentieth century, the "physical rapture" of the Church became a dominant eschatological view.                Berean Bible Church provides this material free of charge for the edification of the Body of Christ. You can help further this work by your prayer and by sending a contribution to: Berean Bible Church 2000 Centerville Turnpike Chesapeake, VA 23322

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Most Christians today view this verse as describing an escape from the troubles of this world. They believe that one day soon, (it is always soon, it was "soon" when Jesus spoke it to the Thessalonians and it is still soon today) Jesus is going to physically appear in the sky, and immediately all the dead are going to be resurrected and rise to meet Him, and the living Christians will be caught up in the clouds with them to be with Christ. They believe that Christians will physically be "raptured" off of this planet. I'm sure you've seen the pictures of the unmanned cars crashing and bodies coming out of the graves with everyone going up into the sky.<br>        Are you aware that this "rapture of the church" idea is not a historical teaching of the church but something that was started around 1830 by the Plymouth Brethren? It was popularized in America by the Scofield Reference Bible and by elaborate End Time event charts published by Clarence Larkin. During the twentieth century, the "physical rapture" of the Church became a dominant eschatological view.<br>        <br>        Berean Bible Church provides this material free of charge for the edification of the Body of Christ. You can help further this work by your prayer and by sending a contribution to: Berean Bible Church 2000 Centerville Turnpike Chesapeake, VA 23322

The Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Matthew is filled with time text indicators of the events to occur in the "last days" but many do not take a serious consideration of them, or seek to explain them away if they do not fit with their expectations.

The Second Coming in Matthew (Part 2)

The Second Coming in Matthew (Part 1)

The resurrection of mankind is not a New Testament prophecy, but comes from a promise to Israel in the Old Covenant. It had been laid out hundreds of years earlier, and both Jesus and Paul came preaching that resurrection hope. That hope was to happen at a certain time, and Daniel 12 holds many keys to knowing the time.

Daniel 12 and the Resurrection (Part 2)

A series of messages that deal with the Preterist view of eschatology and the implications of preterism for the believer today. For additional sermons on the issue of the "last days" visit our site at http://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/studies/eschatology.php

Daniel 12 and the Resurrection (Part 1)

This morning we want to talk about "How to share the Preterist view." It's not the easiest or smartest thing to just say to someone: "I believe that Jesus returned." Although I did that very thing not long ago. So how do you introduce this subject? How can we introduce this without causing people to tear their clothes and throw dust into the air? I have come up with a handout that I use to share Preterism, and I thought I'd share it with you this morning. But before I share with you how to share Preterism, a question we should first answer is: Why share Preterism? People always says to me, "Why is this important? What does it matter if He has returned or not?" My answer is always the same, "Does truth matter? If it doesn't, than we don't need to study the Bible at all. But if truth does matter, then Preterism matters.

How to Share the Preterist view of Eschatology

Get your bible out and a pen and paper! This is gonna be one of the best exegetical podcasts on the 2nd coming of Christ. Even if you already disagree with preterism you can&#39;t ignore the scriptures in its original language. Check these podcasts out.

This is a great way to start

This is not heresy at all....one needs to decide what is infallible, the historic creeds or the Bible....if one sees the Bible as infallible, then this is valid for study. Apparently godspeed12volt forgets that the Westminster Confession of Faith in it&#39;s chapter 10, says that debates in theological matters are to be determined by using Scripture only, NOT Scripture and the creeds....So if one really follows the creeds honestly, they would ONLY use Scripture for debates in theology, just as the Westminster Confession of Faith in it&#39;s chapter 10 instructs us to do.

Contrary to what godspeed12volt has said.....

A series of messages that deal with the Preterist view of eschatology and the implications of preterism for the believer today. For additional sermons on the issue of the "last days" visit our site at <a href="http://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/studies/eschatology.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/studies/eschatology.php</a>

Berean Bible Church: Introduction to Preterism

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