Over four years ago, I was introduced to a “strange” and “crazy” teaching. I thought, “I’ve never heard of this before, so it must be false.” So, for the next year, I made it my mission to disprove this new (to me) doctrine. Spoiler Alert! After a year of intensive study, I reluctantly came to believe it myself.
Before I reveal what this teaching is, I want to pose a few questions that may prove to be pertinent to you as we carry on this study.
- Why was I so quick to reject and disbelieve a teaching I had never heard of nor studied before?
- Why, before knowing anything about the belief, was my first thought, “I don’t believe this!”
- Why wasn’t my immediate reaction to be noble-minded, like the Berean Jews, who “received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so”? (Acts 17:11)
- Why didn’t I “examine everything” and “hold fast to that which is good”? (1 Thess. 5:21)
- Why was I so reluctant to follow the Scriptural evidence whenever it led to a different conclusion than what I had always believed?
So, What Is This Doctrine?
In this series of articles, I’m going to refer to it as “Renewed Eschatology”. Eschatology = “The study of last things (end times).” To give a very brief, non-exhaustive summary, I believe that when Jesus returns:
- The dead will be resurrected. (John 5:28-29)
- The present heavens and earth, as well as the ungodly, will be destroyed by God’s fiery judgment. (2 Peter 3:7)
- “…the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption…” (Romans 8:21)
- And God will dwell with the faithful in a “new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13)
The major difference between renewed eschatology and the “traditional” eschatological view of the churches of Christ is the location of our eternal home. The traditional view is that, once resurrected, we will go to Heaven to dwell with God. The renewed view is that God will come to His restored creation to dwell with us.
Over the next several weeks, I plan to write a series of articles in which I will thoroughly explain this eschatological view using the Scriptures. I hope you eagerly study along, “examine the Scriptures”, and “hold fast to that which is good.”
What Renewed Eschatology ISN'T
My eschatological views have absolutely nothing to do with the following beliefs:
- Premillennialism
- Jehovah’s Witness Eschatology
- LDS Eschatology
Also, renewed eschatology isn’t “new”. It may be new to you, just as it was new to me four years ago, but it isn’t a new doctrine. Not only do I believe it was taught by Jesus and the inspired writers of the New Testament, but it was also widely held by many in the early church, as well as the leaders of the Restoration Movement, through which churches of Christ trace many of our theological roots. In my next article, I will share a host of quotes from some Restoration leaders in which they explain their view.
What Led Me to Believe in Renewed Eschatology?
Well, a number of things, actually:
- Those who taught this doctrine seemed to have better Scriptural arguments than those who taught against it. They focused more on making contextual arguments instead of cherry-picking verses to prove their point. They were also able to give satisfactory explanations to many passages that had been avoided and ignored most of my life.
- Those who taught against this doctrine proved to not have a very good understanding of it (if you don’t understand someone’s position, you can’t adequately refute it). Their refutations almost always consisted of straw man arguments (distorting the other side’s position in order to make it easier to attack).
- Generally, those who taught this doctrine did so with a much more Christ-like demeanor. They often taught it with humility, gentleness, and grace. Those who taught against it often did so with arrogance, anger, insults, and judgment. Some may say I’m using ad hominem argumentation (an argument against the person rather than their position). However, Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matt. 7:15-20) The stark difference in the fruits that were being presented by each side were impossible for me to overlook.
My Hope for This Series
- I hope you will gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the Scriptures and God’s wonderful story of redemption.
- I hope this study brings you the same immeasurable hope that I received whenever I came to understand and believe in God’s great plan to “make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
- I hope we can still enjoy the unity that comes from being siblings in Christ, even if we arrive at different conclusions.
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This struck a cord with me and made me understand something that had troubled me. Thank you.
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Jon, I'm so excited to learn more about this subject. I'm looking forward to following along.