For Those Tired of Eschatology, We Salute You!

For years I have maintained a list of theological issues I would not argue with people about. The list is short, but it exists, nonetheless:

1. Eschatology (because only wierdos obsess over that)
2. The King James Only Controversy (because there is no point trying to reason with such people)

There were more on the list, but I can't remember them. But they rest of the list is inconsequential. Both of these two items have now become issues for me, for one reason or another, but I want to touch on one of them in my first post here.

For years, I have avoided the issue of eschatology, focusing primarily on soteriology, providence, and other Calvinist shorthand favorites. My primary reason for avoiding the issue was a form of agnosticism, in the sense that I didn't think it was possible to come to a solid, confident conclusion regarding what the timeline of the "end times" was actually supposed to look like.

The truth is, though, my framework for thinking about God and His plan for the universe had a big hole in it. Over the past several weeks, becoming consciously aware of this lack in my theological worldview, I borrowed the book The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views edited by Robert Clouse from Josh Walker.

I have frequently heard that every Christian comes into the world an arminian, and a dispensationalist. And this was certainly true for me. However, ever since becoming a Calvinist, I have leaned towards the preterist reading of "end times" portions of the New Testament. Anthony Hoekema's arguments for the Amillenial position in this volume almost have me convinced of the Amil position, as well. I don't feel that I've exhaustively researched enough to decide between the Postmil or Amil positions yet, but I am certain that there is no way that the Premillenial understanding of eschatology accurately reflects the teachings of Jesus or his Apostles. I am, however, confident enough in the truthfulness of the preterist reading of the New Testament that I think tomorrow I will begin a series of blogs offering the simplest reasons I can for why we ought to understand almost all of the prophecies in the Bible as having taken place.

But it's late, and my daughter is sleepy. Okay, I'm sleepy.

However.

(I just wanted to make sure that I said "However" way too many times in this post. Mission accomplished.)