PREVIEW ONLY:

I.   ESCHATOLOGY

Biblical prophecy. Eschatology - the study of the end times. Scary predictions of worldwide catastrophes, judgment, and persecution. The Antichrist, the Beast, the false prophet, and 666. A one world government bent on waging war with God. What's it all about?

I daresay most Christians think all the wrangling about the end times is just that: endless debates about interpretational methods, timelines and event sequences, and spiritual mysteries. Endless jousting about whose system is more literal, and whose is more biblical. Who can really know this stuff? We tend to relegate the whole matter to professional theologians because, after all, this stuff is so obviously theological.

It's not.

What it's all about is law and government. Specifically, the government of the kingdom of Christ: what form it will take, how it will come about, and who will govern in it. If you don't consider eschatology from a governmental perspective, you will never understand it.

II.   THE JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD

Before there can be judgment, there needs to be a trial. And worldwide judgment requires a big trial. That's what the Great Tribulation is - a great legal trial. What? Your clergyman or theologian never told you this? What a surprise. The cast: God as judge. The unholy trinity and their followers as defendants. The prosecution. The witnesses. Christ as executioner.

One of the most misunderstood symbols in prophecy is that of the two witnesses, in Rev. 11. In most modern Christian mythology (popular books and films) these are portrayed as evangelists who are persecuted for their testimony of Jesus. Is there no other meaning of the word "witness" besides "evangelist" in Christian thought?

Of course there is. It is the concept of a person who gives testimony at a legal trial. Specifically, in this case, it is two people who testify against the defendants in the great trial, proclaiming the nature of their lawless deeds for all to see and hear. These people are not on the scene to proclaim Jesus - they are present to accuse the wrongdoers. They are prophets, not evangelists. Theirs is not a ministry of hope, but a ministry of impending doom. They will be persecuted not because of their message of love, but because of their message of condemnation.

III.   THE SEVENTH DIVINE COVENANT

OK, so Jesus comes in great clouds of power, gathers his saints, rides a white horse, and slays all the bad guys. Then what? Does he simply announce to the world, "Here I am, I'm the big guy, everybody obey Me, so bow the knee" and start ruling with a rod of iron? Hardly.

God has always been the big guy, yet he has never operated in this fashion. Merely having a superior military force and conquering one's enemies is not a sufficient basis for establishing rule, not even for God. It is God's nature to inaugurate a new aspect of his relationship with mankind with a covenant specific to that new aspect.

Based on God's prior covenanting actions, and consistent with his nature as we understand it, it only makes sense that before he begins a worldwide theocratic reign over all the nations, he will first institute a new divine covenant for that purpose. It's not as though any existing divine covenant can serve that purpose. Does the New Testament covenant in Christ give him the authority to govern the gentile nations as a civil ruler? Well, does it?

Respectfully submitted,

Elias