Eschatology: A Tale of Two Futures Part 2

In the second part of the two-part series, Geoff’s focus is on Pre-Millennialism. He considers the hallmarks of Dispensationalism. In particular, most dispensationalists equate the coming great tribulation with “the time of Jacob’s trouble”. In many schemes, this follows the “rapture of the church” and is, by definition, still in the future. Accordingly, the focus of the end-time tribulation is the nation of Israel to “bring it to its knees”. Geoff addresses this issue “head-on”, taking us through the chronological sequence which is Jeremiah chapters 30 and 31 which describes the return to the Land out of Holocaust, the establishment of democracy, the reclamation of the land, the promotion of Christian tourism and the encouragement of Christian intercession. The results of this intercession is both the return to the land, and ultimately, the return of the Jewish people to their Lord and Messiah as the nation enters the New Covenant. All Israel will be saved, recognizing that the “all” is but a remnant. In the last part of this talk, Geoff presents an alternative Judeo-Christian Eschatology for consideration. He looks briefly at Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation as described in Daniel chapter 2. All the empires mentioned are those that subjugated the Jewish people from the time of Daniel until the end of this age. In particular, he considers the 2000 years of Roman subjugation that climaxed in the Holocaust as “the time of Jacob’s trouble”. To see it as still future, requires a belief that the modern state of Israel is not the fulfillment of prophecy but a preliminary event requiring another exile. Remarkably, this is taught by some prominent Messianic teachers who are also dispensationalist. Geoff seeks to address this position which he regards as another form of replacement theology. The future great tribulation is on a global scale (Zechariah 13: 8-9) which ultimately leads to the final battle against the Antichrist with the return of Jesus to Jerusalem with the subsequent gathering of the elect which is both Jew and Gentile. The presentation ends with the verse in Isaiah 62:1, namely, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch”.