In Book IV of Paradise Lost, John Milton introduces “our first father” and “our general mother,” ancestors of the human race: “Adam, the goodliest man of men since born / His sons, the fairest of her daughters Eve” (Milton 2000, 86, 83). Together . . . Continue reading →
Eschatology
Was Paul Mean?
I was meditating on Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 3:6–12. Paul was concerned about those in the congregation who were obsessed with and confused over Jesus’ return (parousia). They had what theologians (rightly) call an “over realized eschatology.” In their anticipation of . . . Continue reading →
Vos Against An Earthly Glory Age Before Christ Returns
The idea of the Antichrist in general and that of the apostasy in particular reminds us that we may not expect an uninterrupted progress of the Christianization of the world until the parousia. As the reign of truth will be extended, so . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: Why The Dispensational Theory About A Rebuilt Temple Is False
Jesus told the Samaritan woman that he could give her living water and that “whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst” (John 4:14). Jesus declared that he fulfilled the image Ezekiel foretold in chapter 47 of his prophecy when . . . Continue reading →
A Failed Project
Following up on his 2021 work The Failure of Natural Theology, which served as a clarion call to abandon the retrieval movement and return to a more biblical view of natural theology and Christian theism, Jeffrey Johnson has published another work towards this . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: The Last Days Begin With The First Advent
Another way New Testament writers linked the coming Redeemer with the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy was by referring to the new messianic age as the “last days.” In fact, the phrase “latter days” appears twenty-seven times in the New Testament. In . . . Continue reading →
Elon Is Wrong: The Gates Of Hell Will Not Prevail
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris was four hours long. Part of the ceremony featured the return of Celine Dion, the procession of competitors, and other highlights. The most controversial aspect, however, was the introduction into the ceremony . . . Continue reading →
Harry Potter And The Allure Of A Magical World
The Harry Potter movies were enchanting movies (pun intended). They are shot through with overt theological themes: ontology, good and evil, cosmology, sin, and redemption. Part way through one of them, I remembered something that Bob Godfrey once said, something that I . . . Continue reading →
Video: Eschatology And Hope (Part 2)
Chris Gordon is joined by Pastor Jon Moffitt and Pastor Justin Perdue of Theocast to discuss the promise of the return of Christ and how Christians can stay optimistic and heavenly-minded during these trying times. Continue reading →
Video: Eschatology And Hope (Part 1)
Chris Gordon is joined by Pastor Jon Moffitt and Pastor Justin Perdue of Theocast to discuss how eschatology has shaped the American church and the ways their different church upbringings affected their views on the end of all things. Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: New Testament Eschatology Is The Fulfillment Of Old Testament Prophecy
Old Testament believers were aware that God was moving history toward a goal that lay far off on the distant horizon. That goal was the coming of the promised Redeemer who would bring to fruition the prophetic expectations and hopes of the . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger On The Two Ages
The third aspect of New Testament eschatology is that the relationship of these two ages ensures that the blessings of the present age are a guarantee of the consummation of the age to come, which will bring even greater and final blessings. . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: Dispensational Eschatology Is Jewish
Much like modern dispensationalists expect Jesus to reign over the nations in the future millennial kingdom, the Jews expected the Messiah to establish a political kingdom whereby Israel would rule over the Gentile nations. This explains why the Jews rejected Jesus as . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: What “Last Days” Really Means
This use of the phrase “last days” as marking the dawn of the new age of redemption can be seen in Peter’s Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:16–17). Peter demonstrated that the coming of Christ and his resurrection clearly meant that the last days . . . Continue reading →
Review: Grounded In Heaven: Recentering Christian Hope And Life On God By Michael Allen
I remember seeing my first one. It was beautiful, and I could barely take my eyes off of it. There before me on a simple piece of paper lay the answers to so many of my questions. This was the secret, the . . . Continue reading →
Johnson On The Timing Of The Kingdom
Jesus’ parables sometimes send mixed messages about the timing of the coming kingdom. He speaks the parable of the wedding banquet in response to a fellow dinner guest’s pious-sounding beatitude that seemed to envision a distant future age, “Blessed is everyone who . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: Christ Is The Central Character
The central character of the story, even in the Old Testament, was the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and sinful humans (1 Tim. 2:5). He lay hidden in Old Testament shadows but was revealed in the New. Seeing the . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: Christ Is At The Center Of Old Testament Eschatology
The first thing we should note about Old Testament eschatology is that from the moment the human race fell into sin and came under God’s curse, there was an expectation that God would send his promised Redeemer. He also promised to put . . . Continue reading →
With Abounding Grace On The Future Of Israel
Chris Gordon and Dr. R. Scott Clark continue their conversation about Israel, its current state, its biblical history and the continued problem of anti-semitism plaguing culture today. Continue reading →
Riddlebarger On The Rapture
Many Protestants have historically seen this event [i.e., “the rapture”] as one aspect of the general resurrection at the end of the age (1 Cor. 15:50–55; 1 Thess. 4:13–5:11). The rapture, therefore, refers to the catching away of believers who are living . . . Continue reading →