In almost every culture,
the two most significant events in a man’s life are his birth and his wedding
day. Jesus’ birth occurred at His first coming. Jesus’ wedding will occur at
His Second Coming. Therefore, at
its heart, eschatology is the study of the events leading up to Jesus Christ’s
wedding. Since much of this book is about the parallels between marriage and
Jesus’s relationship to the church, and since many Christians believe we are
close to Christ’s return, eschatology felt like an important topic to include.
While the next chapters are written from
my own futurist/multiple-fulfillments perspective, I think you’ll find many of
the concepts they cover are potentially applicable to all eschatological
positions. For those who are unfamiliar, here are some competing eschatological
views:
1) Futurists believe many passages concerning the last
days have yet to be fulfilled, including most of the book of Revelation,
Matthew 24, and many Old Testament passages that seem to describe events such
as the Battle of Armageddon, the Second Coming of Christ, and the Millennial
Kingdom.
2) Preterists believe virtually all last days passages
were fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD and/or the centuries that
followed with the fall of the Roman Empire.
3)
Historicists believe
many last days prophecies were fulfilled throughout church history,
particularly in the Middle Ages through the papacy and the Roman Catholic
Church.
4)
Multiple Fulfillment Advocates believe
many last days prophecies have both legitimate past and future fulfillments
because it is the nature of biblical prophecy to sometimes repeat or contain
both spiritual and literal fulfillments.
Unsettled questions that contribute to
differing interpretations of last days passages include:
1)
Which events are literal and which are symbolic/spiritual?
2) Have documented
historical events already sufficiently fulfilled the passage?
3) Will future
events fulfill them “better” or more literally?
4) Could there be
more than one fulfillment of some passages?
Have you ever noticed that possibly the
most important passage of scripture concerning marriage is also possibly the
most important passage of scripture concerning eschatology? Look at what Ephesians 5:25-27 says:
“Husbands, love your
wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for
her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing
of water with the word, that He
might present to Himself the church in
all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would
be holy and blameless.”
Jesus “presenting the church to Himself”
is a description of Jesus’ wedding day and of His second coming. A parallel
passage can be found in Revelation 19:7-8:
“‘Let us rejoice and be
glad and give the glory to Him,
for the marriage of the Lamb
has come and His bride has made herself
ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine
linen, bright and clean;
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
The fulfillment of these two passages is what
all of creation has been waiting for ever since the fall!
Have you ever considered that marriages in
the body of Christ could become especially beautiful in the last days? I have. Here’s
why:
1) The way we relate to others often mirrors our
relationship to God. (1 John 1:7 & 4:20 are examples of this.) This is
especially true of our closest and most important human relationship – our
marriage.
2) Scripture teaches that a remnant of
believers in the last days will hold fast to their faith, lead many to
salvation, and literally lay down their lives for the gospel.
3)
Since the relationship between Christ and His people
in the last days will be purified in this way, this will likely be mirrored in
Christian marriages.
In other words,
perhaps the wedding between Jesus and His church will be foreshadowed in a
special way through Christian marriages in the time leading up to His return. One Christian leader said this:
“…there is nothing more powerful on earth than
family. It is the single most influential force for good (or evil) in human
existence… This should come as no surprise because God created the family. At
the very dawn of time, ‘God created man in His own image… male and female He
created them.’ Of all the ways He could have chosen to inaugurate His creation,
He chose to start with family. In fact, the Bible begins with a marriage in
Genesis and ends with a marriage in Revelation. Marriage and family have always
been central to what God is doing on planet earth.”
If this is true, that marriage and family are always
central to what God is doing on planet earth, then what role will they play in
the last days?
Before continuing
on the topic of marriage, I want to pause to address a question that may have
arisen for some readers during the last section: Will the last days be marked
by apostasy or revival? Will professing Christians fall away from the faith or
will they grow strong and be purified?
Some ministries
focus mostly on the darkness and deception of the end times, while others focus
mostly on the steadfastness and holiness of the church. However, both are
present in scripture and it would be imbalanced to only teach one.
Here are some
passages about the darkness and apostasy:
1)
Paul said there would be “apostasy” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
2)
Paul said many “will
fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful
spirits and doctrines of demons” in 1
Timothy 4:1.
3)
Jesus said in
Matthew 24:12 that “most people’s love will grow cold”, referring to love
for God, which nonbelievers do not have to begin with.
4) Isaiah 60:2, often applied to the last days, says “darkness will cover the earth and deep
darkness the peoples”.
5) Revelation 13:12 says, “the earth
and those who dwell in it” will “worship” a false, antichrist
system.
6)
Revelation
14:8 says this system will make “all the nations drink of the wine of the
passion of her immorality”.
By contrast, here
are some passages about revival and the faith and holiness of God’s people:
1)
Daniel 11:32-33
says “the people
who know their God will display strength and take
action. Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the
many…”
2)
In Matthew
13:24-43, Jesus describes a great harvest of wheat and tares. He explained, “the
harvest is the end of the age”, the wheat is “the sons of the
kingdom”, and the tares are “the sons of the evil one”. Then He gave
the order: “Allow both to grow together until the harvest”. This implies
a growing, or maturing, of both groups at the end of the age.
3)
In Revelation 14:14-16, an angel said, “Put in your sickle and reap,
for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe”, then Jesus swept a
sickle over the whole earth and reaped a great harvest, which symbolizes a
harvest of souls. Since Jesus always works with and through His bride on the
earth, it is reasonable to conclude the church will play a part in reaping this
harvest. The same applies to the next two passages.
4)
Another last days passage, Zephaniah 3:13-14, says, “Put
in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is
full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of
decision.”
5)
Revelation 7:9-14
describes “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and
all tribes and peoples and tongues” that successfully comes through the
tribulation as followers of Jesus Christ.
It should come as no surprise that
scripture portrays the end time church as mature and holy because historically
the light of the church has always shined the brightest when darkness and
deception were the greatest. As was seen in the early church or in the Dark
Ages, whenever there has been heavy persecution of believers that forced them
to choose between Christ and reputation, possessions, or their lives, those who
stood firm were purified and became great lights.
Since
believers will be heavily persecuted in the last days, even unto death (ex.
Matthew 24:9, Revelation 6:11, 12:11, 13:7-10), it is to be expected that those who hold
fast will grow in faith and holiness as a result. This could even apply regardless of one’s view on the
timing of the rapture because gradually increasing birth pangs could have a
similar sifting effect. It could also apply from the perspective of preterists
or historicists since there is no reason times of darkness and persecution
could not happen again. Even today as moral pollution increases in the west, many are
falling away from the faith, but others are growing stronger and becoming
bright lights.
We discussed previously how the potential for
husband-wife partnerships to impact the world was handicapped shortly after the
fall when Satan introduced polygamy, which endured throughout the Old Testament.
In the church age, monogamy has been restored, but until just recently women have
still been mostly disallowed from expressing their ministry gifts due to
cultural norms.
Pastors who say women must not be permitted to teach
or exercise any authority in the church base the entire position on one verse
(1 Timothy 2:12) in which the word often translated “man” should
probably be translated “husband” in light of the immediate context, as
well as the full testimony of scripture. Examples of women ministering or
exercising authority in scripture include:
·
Aaron’s sister
Miriam (Ex 15:20)
·
Huldah (2 Kings
22:14)
·
Anna (Luke 2:36)
·
Paul permitted
women to prophesy (1 Corinthians 11:5)
·
The four
daughters of Philip were called prophetesses (Acts 21:9)
·
Debra was a
political and military leader in Israel (Judges 4)
·
Phoebe was a
deacon (Romans 16:1)
·
Junia was an
apostle (Romans 16:7)
Today it is becoming common for women to teach,
preach, write, and hold various other positions of influence in the body of
Christ. Possibly for the first time since the fall, the co-laboring partnership
God created husbands and wives to function in together is no longer hindered by
unbiblical traditions. This is an exciting moment in history. There is
incredible power when husbands and wives labor together in unity.
We see in the church today examples of women freely expressing
their ministry gifts and, in some cases, having a more visible impact than
their spouse. Beside them, we see proud husbands lifting them up, supporting
them, and encouraging them. What an incredible picture of Jesus and the church.
Jesus laid a foundation for His bride to build upon and, in one sense, have an
even greater impact than Him. This is why He said it
is to our advantage that He went away and that we will do greater works than
Him (John 16:7, John 14:12). This did not mean that anyone besides Jesus would
ever be sinless or the Savior, but that God’s purposes would be more
effectively advanced through the empowerment of His bride rather than Jesus
exercising all authority unilaterally.
Although men are generally more accomplishment-oriented,
women, in one sense, are uniquely
equipped for stewarding authority since they are naturally more relational and
relationship is the highest value of God’s kingdom. Plus, women are “weaker”
(1 Peter 3:7) and God’s “power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians
12:9). However, women were also created to be covered, served, and empowered by
their husbands in order to realize their full potential. This ingredient has
been mostly missing from many generations throughout history. Perhaps it will
be on special display in the days prior to Christ’s return.
God chose women as the first witnesses to herald Jesus’
resurrection (Luke 24:9-10). Similarly, Psalms 68 suggests women will also be
among the preeminent voices declaring His return. The passage contains several
elements related to the second coming – Jesus riding through the wilderness
leading heavenly armies; a great earthquake; all the wicked melting like wax
and perishing; Jesus taking His throne in Israel forever (vs. 1-3, 7-8, 16-17).
All of this imagery parallels passages in Revelation and other parts of
scripture that describe the Battle of Armageddon and the second coming. But
notice what it says in verse 11. Who does it say will
proclaim the good news of the second coming? Who does it say will replace the
wicked kings of the earth in their positions of authority? “The women who
proclaim the good tidings are a great host; kings of armies flee, they flee,
and she who remains at home will divide the spoil!” Women, wives, and
faithful mothers will be at the forefront of proclaiming Christ’s return and among
those given authority in His coming kingdom.
We discussed earlier how stewarding authority has to
do with wisdom and there seems to be a special connection in the Bible between
women and wisdom. It was the desire for wisdom, pursued in a forbidden way,
which caused Eve to disobey. And in the book of Proverbs, a book all about
wisdom, wisdom is personified as a woman (chapters 3-4, 8-9) and it famously
culminates with a woman in Chapter 31.
However, what is not commonly recognized about
Proverbs 31 is that its last verse speaks specifically about the last days. It
states:
“Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the
gates.”
Notice the key elements:
1) The “product of her hands”
refers to garments she made (vs. 13), which represent her righteous works.
2) Her “works” praising her in
the gates represent eternal rewards.
3) The “gates” represent the
gates of the enemy, which are immediately converted into gates of Christ’s
kingdom upon His return.
The only other time in the Bible
where a woman is rewarded in the gates
with garments symbolizing righteous works is at the
second coming of Christ in Revelation
19:7-8:
“‘…for the
marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride
has made herself ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine
linen, bright and clean;
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
In context, this passage takes place
immediately before the Battle of
Armageddon, when the “gates” of the enemy are overwhelmed. God described
this moment to Abraham in Genesis 22:17, saying, “Your seed shall possess
the gates of their enemies”, and Jesus foretold it to Peter in Matthew
16:18, saying, “The gates of Hades will not overpower [the church].”
When Jesus Christ condemns Satan to hell and takes His place in Jerusalem as
the King of Kings over the earth, the enemy’s gates will essentially be converted
into heaven’s gates, and the saints will receive their eternal rewards.
I realize the Proverbs 31 “gates”
also refer to historical city entry points where elders sat and conferred honor
upon worthy recipients. However, for me, the five-point parallel between
Proverbs 31:31 and Revelation
19:7-8 is enough evidence to infer a valid last days application.
If Jesus is the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:21), this
makes the church the last Eve. Just as the last Adam overcame where the first
Adam fell, the last Eve will overcome where the first Eve fell.
The first Eve did not abide under her husband’s
covering. She did not trust God’s word. She obeyed Satan’s suggestion. The last
Eve, the church, will do the opposite – reject Satan’s suggestions, abide under
her husband’s covering, and trust God’s word.
The first Eve was deceived into pursuing good things in
a forbidden way – wisdom, opened eyes, discernment of good and evil, and to be
like God. The last Eve will desire these things as well, but she will trust God
to fulfill them.
Of course this has applied to saints throughout church
history, but perhaps this victory will be uniquely reflected through godly
wives in the last days. Perhaps some of the most beautiful wisdom and
discernment will come through women.
In the next chapter we will discuss the
relationship in scripture between marriage and overcoming the fear of death.