INTERPRETING TEXTS ON THE END TIMES
As we begin to work our way through the 24th chapter of Matthew on Sunday morning, we are going to be wading into the study of eschatology. Our eschatology is our theology of the end times. As I noted on Sunday morning, when Jesus delivers His Olivet Discourse, He is speaking of two different events: the “near” event of the destruction of Jerusalem which came just 40 years later in 70 A.D., and the “far” event of His second coming and the final judgment, which at this time is still a future occurrence for us.
Rightly interpreting apocryphal texts, like those we have in Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation, and here in Matthew 24, is often very challenging. These texts are recorded visions which employ an incredible amount of metaphor and symbolism to reveal truths about God’s judgment of the wicked and His preservation of the righteous. Though we might prefer more clarity, we must remember that Scripture is absolutely Continue reading
