Our Optimistic Eschatology
AHistoricalGlimpseofHowEschatologyShiftedFromPreteristtoFuturist
The Strange Shift Away from the Optimistic View of End-Times
For1500yearsthemajorityofthechurchhadanoptimisticviewofthefuture.Inotherwords,when
thechurchstartedin30AD(Acts2)untiltheReformationin1517thechurchbelievethatthekingdom
ofGodwasgrowingintheearthandwouldcontinuetodosountilHisSecondComing.Thenstrange
seedsofanewdoctrinebeganintheearly1500s,whicheventuallyborefruitinthe1800sandledto
muchofthemodernChurchbelievinginthesepreviouslynon-existentend-timesdoctrines:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Cessationofthespiritualgifts
Afutureseven-yearglobaltribulation
ARaptureoftheChurch
Aone-world“antichrist”ruler
Are-emergenceofIsraelasanationintheirpromisedland
Beforethe1500snoneofthesepointswereunderstoodassuch.Infact,theearlychurchfathershada
verydifferentviewthanourmodernchurchonthesepoints.Theseedofthisthinkingbecameplanted
inthe1800sintoafewheartsofpeople,andbegantogrow,resultinginacropofbrandnewend-time
doctrines.Thisshiftedmanypeople’sunderstandingofhistoryandshiftedmanypeopleawayfrom
scripturalsimplicity.Eschatologybecameconfusing,leavingmanypeopleafraidandfrustrated.
How Did This Change Happen?
TheReformationofthe1500schangedmanythingsinChristianity.Muchofthechangeswere
necessaryandweregoodcorrectionsaddressingerrorswhichhaddevelopedintheUniversal(Catholic)
church.So,hererestsourepicenter.Unwittingly,thefamousreformerMartinLuther,inareactionary
comment,formedwhatbecametheseedofwhatwouldeventuallyandinadvertentlygrowintoa
completelynewend-timesdoctrine.Luther,inspeakingagainsttheerrorsoftheRoman
CatholicChurch,calledher“theWhoreofBabylonandtheBeast.”
BecauseofLuther’sstatementotherofthereformersalsobelievedthatthepapalsystemwasthe
antichrist,andthatthepopeswereinfact“TheManofLawlessness(see2Thessalonians2:7-12).”This
viewbecamewrittenintokeytheologicaldocumentsofthatera.Forexample,TheWestminster
ConfessionofFaith(1643-1647)declaredthat:
“ThereisnootherheadoftheChurchbuttheLordJesusChrist;norcanthePopeofRomeinanysensebe
headthereof;butisthatAntichrist,thesonofperditionthatexaltethhimselfintheChurchagainstChrist,
1
andallthatiscalledGod.” So,inordertocounterthisthinkingandthestatementbyMartinLutherin1585,aJesuitpriestbythe
nameofFranciscoRiberapublisheda500-pageworkthatintroducedtheideaofplacingtheprophecies
1
th
GaryDeMar,LastDaysMadness(Atlanta,GA:AmericanVision,1999.4 Edition),289
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ofDaniel9:24-27,Matthew24,andRevelation4-19intothedistantfuture.Beforethis,thesewere
understoodtobefulfilledprophesies.Thiswasthefirstteachingofitskind,andtheseedmatured.It
wastheseedthatwastobecome,inmoderntimes,the“futuristeschatology.”2Thesignificanceof
Ribera’stheorieswasthat,ratherthanseeingthesescripturepassagesasfulfilledprophecy,Riberawas
nowputtingtheninthefuture.However,Ribera’sideasdidnotgain
momentumamonganyofthescholarsofhisday.Infacthiswritingwaslost
until1826whenSamuelMaitland,thelibrariantotheArchbishopof
Canterbury(leaderoftheChurchofEngland),foundRibera’sforgotten
manuscriptandthenpublisheditforthesakeofcuriosity.Withthisprinting,
theseedbecameplanted.
Inthe1830sasmallgroup,ledbyJohnDarby,begantotakeRibera’sbookseriously.
Darbyandhiscontemporary,EdwardIrving,becamepassionateaboutthisnew
theologyofend-times.ThemostsignificantoftheirfollowerswasC.I.Scofield,who
publishedtheseconceptsinthereferencecommentaryinthefamedScofield
ReferenceBible.ThisBiblebecamepopularinitstime(1909)becauseitwasoneof
theearliestBiblestocontainfullcommentary.3Inbeddedinthatcommentarywas
Darby’snewdoctrines,calleddispensationalism.
Dispensationalists
Thisthinking,dispensationalism,becameastandardforseminarystudentsduringthistime,andtheir
futuristend-timesviewsremainedunchallengeduntilthe1948LatterRain
movementinwhichaPentecostalgroupdisagreedwithScofield’sclaimthatthe
spiritualgiftshadceased.Scofield’scommentaryassertedcessationism,thebelief
thatthegiftsoftheHolySpiritwereconfinedtoadispensationoftheearlyapostolic
age(the12apostlesofJesus).Hisfollowersbecameknownasdispensationalists,
andamongtheothernewdoctrines,taughtoftheendingofthe"sensationalgifts"
or"signgifts"whicharehealing,faith,workingofmiracles,andtongues(1
Corinthians12:8-10).Theyforbadethembecause“Godnolongerbestowssuch
gifts.”This,ofcourse,becamehighlysuspectbecauseoftheexperienceoftonguesandprophecy
evidencedduringthePentecostalrevivalsoftheearly1900s.
Pentecostals,asawhole,begantopushbackagainstthiscessation-of-giftsportionofScofield’sdoctrine
andcommentary,yetembracedtheremainingpartsoftheirend-timeteachingwithoutrealizingtheir
error.Theywereclearlyexperiencingthecurrentexistenceofthespiritualgifts.Therefore,the
Pentecostalseasilydisavowedthecessationismpart,yetunwittinglytheyretainedtheremainingerrors
inend-timesdoctrines.Forexample,foranumberofyears,wellintothe1970s,astandardtextbookin
PentecostalBiblecollegesandinstituteswasMyerPearlmans"KnowingtheDoctrinesoftheBible
(1937).Hebrokefromdispensationalism,teachingclearlythatindeedthespiritualgiftswerestill
availabletobelieverstoday.However,Pearlman’sexpositiononeschatologyfitsDarby’sfuturistvision
2
3
KellyVarner,WhoseRightItIs,(Shippensburg,PA:DestinyImage,1995),chapter7.
JonathanWelton,Raptureless:Anoptimisticguidetofuturetotheendooftheworld,WeltonAcademy,2013;25.
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oftheend-times.Heretainsa1)futuretribulation,2)rapture,3)restorationofnationalIsraeltotheir
promisedland,and4)thefutureantichristandtheresurrectionofaRomanworlddominion.4
Thenin1961,FinisDakepublishedtheDake’sAnnotatedReferenceBible,whichcontinuedtopromote
thesamedispensationalismastheScofieldBibleinitsnotesandcommentary.Thenfurther,TheRyrie
andMacArthurStudyBibleshavecontinuedinScofield’straditionofDarbyism,believingthatcertain
prophesies,likeJesus’“OlivetDiscourse”inMatthew24,havenotyetbeenfulfilled.Sincethenthe
systemofthinkinghasbeenadvocatedbysuchprominenteducationalinstitutionsasMoodyBible
Institute,DallasTheologicalSeminary,andthenvastlypopularizedinthe“LeftBehind”fictionalbook
serieswrittenbyTimLeHayeandJerryJenkins.Thishasmadepopularthisfuturistviewofeschatology.
A Wave of False Teaching
DuringtheSecondGreatAwakening(1830s),theHolySpiritbegantostirAmericanchurchestolifewith
agreatandnotablefervor.MenlikeCharlesFinneyheldimpactingrevivalsinmanycities,bringinga
clearmoveofGod’sSpiritandholiness.However,atthesametimeSatanspewedoutmanygreatfalse
teachingsanddistortions.Fromtheconcentratedtimefromthelate1700stothelate1800smultiple
falseteachingsemergedthatgainedfooting:
1) JosephSmithfoundedMormonismin1830inPalmyra,NewYork,asuburbofRochester,NY
wereCharlesFinneywashavinghisrevivalmeetingsatthesametime.
2) CharlesT.RussellfoundedtheJehovah’sWitnessesinthelate1870s
3) ThethreeFoxSisters(Leah;Margaret;andKate)foundedSpiritualismin1848(whichlater
becamethefoundationoftheNewAgeMovement).Theyused“rappings”toattemptto
provetheycommunicatedwithspirits,andwereconsideredmediums.5
4) ThefirstUnitarianchurchbeganinBostonin1785.
5) MaryBakerEddyfoundedChristianSciencein1879.
ItwasalsoduringthistimethatJohnNelsonDarbybroughtforthhisnewend-timeteachings,which
embeddedintothechurchandasaresulthasbecomeamainstreambelieftoday.
The Result? A Fatalistic Pessimism
OccurringrightaftertheriseoftheScofieldReferenceBible(publishedin1909),theearthwentthrough
adeeplytraumaticseason:
1)WorldWar1
2)TheGreatDepression
3)WorldWar2
1914-1918
1929-1939
1939-1945
31years
4
MyerPearlman,KnowingtheDoctrinesoftheBible,GospelPublishingHouse,SpringfieldMO,1937,390-391
RichardWiseman(2011).Paranormality:WhyWeSeeWhatIsn'tThere.Macmillan.p.118.In1888,MargaretandKate
confessedthattheir“rappings”hadbeenahoaxandpubliclydemonstratedtheirmethod.Margaretattemptedtorecanther
confessionthenextyear,buttheirreputationwasruinedandinlessthanfiveyearstheywerealldead,withMargaretandKate
dyinginabjectpoverty.Spiritualism,however,continuedasiftheconfessionsoftheFoxsistershadneverhappened.
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Bythetimethis31yearperiodoftimewasover,pessimisticScofield-ismhadrooteditselfinAmerican
thinking.Thisresultedinafatalisticmoodandanaccompanyingapathy.TheapathyamongEuropean
churchesduringtheriseofHitlerandMussoliniresultedbecausemanybelievedthatoneofthesemen
wasinfacttheanitchristandthereforeshouldbeallowedtorisetopower,sinceitwouldleadtoasoon
rapture.Abookletpublishedin1940identifiedMussoliniastheantichrist,statinghefulfilled49
propheciesoftheantichrist.6
GaryDeMarsaysofthisera:
ManywillrecallwidespreadpreachingduringtheWorldWarIIerathatMussoliniorHitlerwasthe
Antichrist.SincethesloganVVILDUCEwaswidelyusedbyMussolini,andbecausetheRomannumeral
7
valueoftheslogan/titleis666,manyweresureofpositiveidentification. Becauseofthedispensationalbeliefwhichsaid“thegentilenationsarepermittedtoafflictIsraelin
Chastisementforhernationalsins,”therewaslittletobedonetoopposeit.Thiseffectivelycreateda
hands-offpolicyregardingNazipersecutionoftheJewsduringWW2.SoinspiteofbeingmoreproJewishthananyotherChristiangroup,theyalsowerequiteapathetic,sincepersecutionwas
propheticallyexpected,andseemedthebeginningoftheinevitableGreatTribulation.Thiseventthen
wouldbethethingthatwouldusherintheirhopedforrapture.Itwasatwisted,complicatedhope.
ThentofurthercementDarbyism,Israelregaineditsindependentnationstatusin1948,causingmany
followerstosaythatwhenIsraelbecameastateagaintheendwasnear.Theydidnottakeliterally
Jesus’propheticwordssayingtotheJewishdisciplesthat“thisgenerationwillcertainlynotpassaway
untilallthesethingshavehappened(Matthew24:34).”Jesus’statementplacesthetimeframefor
fulfillmentofHisMatthew24prophesy—thegreattribulation—inbetween33ADand73AD(aBiblical
generationbeing40years).Dispensationalismhadsomehowalloweda1900yearperiodoftime
betweenJesus’wordsandrestartingthe40yearcountdown-clock(onegeneration)atthe1948
emergenceofthenewnationcallingitselfIsrael.Theybelievedthatduringthenext40yearsthere
wouldbearapturewhereJesuswouldrescuehischurchfromthegreattribulation.Theyunderstood
therapturetobeanothereventseparatefromJesus’SecondComing,whichwouldfollowtheeventsof
thetribulation.
Sinceagenerationis40years,thisledmanytobelievethenthattherewouldbearapturein1988.
However,sinceJesusdidnotreturnwithin40yearsof1948(theBiblical
generation),thentheywereforcedtocreateelaborateunderstandingsofwhat
agenerationmightbe.OnesuchpreacherwasEdgarWhisenantwhosold4.5
millioncopiesofhisbook,88ReasonWhyJesusWillReturnin1988.Whenthe
prophesiedrapturefailedtooccur,Whisenantfollowedupwithlaterbooks
withpredictionsforvariousdatesin1989,1993,1994and1997.Inspiteof
theunfulfilledandobviousfalseprophesies,peoplecontinuedinconfusion,
undeterredintheireffortstobuildonthecrumblingfoundationsoftheirendtimesbeliefs.
6
7
RalphWoodrow,GreatPropheciesoftheBible;(Riverside,CA;RalphWoodrowEvangelisticAssociation,1971),148.
DeMar,236.
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In1970HalLindseywroteTheLateGreat
PlanetEarth8,selling35millioncopies,
whichcementedDarbyismintothehearts
ofmanypastorsemergingasleadersinthat
greatwaveofnewbelieverswhichwas
knownastheJesusMovement.This
effectivelycreatedagenerationthatbelievesmoreinLindseys
mythologythaninunderstandingHistoryandBible.In1980hereleasedthebookThe1980scountdown
toArmageddon9,implyingthebattleofArmageddonwouldhappensoon.Thisdeeplyaffectedthe
thinkinginAmerica.Thebookwasquietlytakenoutofprintinthe1990s.Ofcourse,hethenpublished
PlanetEarth—2000AD,whichwarnedChristiansthattheyshouldnotplantostillbelivingonearthby
theyear2000.10
Thenin1995,thefirstofabestsellingbookseries,LeftBehind,11wasreleasedwhich
plantedseedsofDarbyismintoawholenewgenerationwhowerethechildrentothe
JesusMovementbelievers.DuetotheparanoiaaroundY2K(theyear2000)Americans
werenowprimedwithrapturefever.Whenallwasover,Y2Kwashype,buttheLeft
Behindbookssold65millioncopies.Asaresult,therewasgreatconfusionregardinga
clearandsimplebiblicalend-timesdoctrine.Evenfewerpeopleunderstoodthetrue
historyofthechurchandthehistoryoftheemergenceofmanyfalsedoctrines.InsteadofBible,their
doctrinesbecameformedbyChristianfiction.NowalreadyfulfilledprophesiesoftheBibleweretaken
andputintothecontextofourfuture,resultinginfearandspeculation.
Summary
Insummary,manyofthefoundationalend-timesprophecieshavealreadybeenfulfilled.Thisiscalled
PartialPreteristEschatology.Thesealreadyfulfilledprophesiesinclude:
1)
Matthew24
Jesus’ProphecyoftheGreatTribulationofJerusalem
2)
Daniel2
GodsKingdombeginningatJesus’ascension,overtaking4kingdoms
3)
Daniel9
70yearsofweeks(490years)betweenRebuildingJerusalemandthe MessiahcomingtoputanendtosinandtheJewishsystemofsacrifice
4)
Revelation4-19
ThedemiseoftheRomanandtheJewishOldTestamentSystem
Theideathatthesepropheciesareallreferringtofutureeventsisanewconcept.Churchhistory,for
thefirst1800yearsdoesnotreflectacceptanceofthistheorywhichiscalledfuturisteschatology.It
grewfromDarby,whoreadasinglereactiontotheReformation.Itisyoung,andonlyinthepast180
yearsorsohassproutedandtakenroot.ItisnowdeeplyimbeddedintheAmericanchurchandthe
globalevangelicalcommunityinspiteofnotbeingsupportedbyChurchHistoryortheBible.
8
HalLindsey,withC.C.Carlson,TheLateGreatPlanetEarth,Zondervan,1970.
HalLindsey,1980sCountdowntoArmageddon,WestgatePress,Inc.,1980.
10
Welton,29.
11
TimLeHayeandJerryB.Jenkins;LeftBehindBookSeries;TyndaleHouse;aseriesof16fictionbooksprintedfrom1995-2007.
9
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