Eschatology

03
May
2025

Interpreting End-Time Prophecy Is Futile

Prophecy

Jesus fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies, but some Bible prophecies still await their fulfillment. He secured the ultimate victory, but the enemy still resists. The powers of darkness continue to fight, and God has not yet revealed His final move. So we still wait for prophecies about the last days, Christ’s return, and the final defeat of evil to unfold. Some prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.

No one, humans, angels, or the devil, unraveled the mystery of the Messiah’s first coming. I believe end-time prophecy works the same way. God continues to conceal His plan. He doesn’t tip His hand to the enemy. He kept His purpose hidden before Jesus came, and He still keeps it hidden.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Eschatology
22
Feb
2025

Set Apart, Not Set Above: The Truth About Saints

Saints

When Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians, he addresses it “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1 BEREAN). This greeting is not unique. Paul consistently refers to Christians as “saints” throughout his letters. But what does that mean? Today, many believers hesitate to call themselves saints, while others reserve the term for a select few. The Catholic Church even has an entire process for declaring certain individuals as saints. These differing views reveal a gap between how the Bible defines sainthood and how we often understand it today.

To clarify, we need to examine three key points: how the New Testament defines a saint, why many assume sainthood applies only to certain Christians, and how the Catholic Church developed its idea of canonized saints.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Eschatology, Misconceptions
23
Nov
2024

Is Heaven Our Final Destination?

Heaven

A while back a good friend (and good Bible student) challenged me with a question. He asked, “Where does the Bible say Christians will live eternally in Heaven?” My immediate response was John 14:1-4. However, it turned out this passage doesn’t say what I thought it said.

For many of us, the idea of “going to Heaven” is deeply embedded in our understanding of the Christian faith. Most Christians consider Heaven our ultimate destination. An eternal place in God’s presence that we “go up to” when life on earth ends. But a closer look at the Bible suggests that this traditional idea might be missing something crucial. The Bible’s vision of eternity appears less about leaving Earth and more about a renewed, united Heaven and Earth. A place where God’s presence will dwell among His people.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Eschatology, Heaven
27
Jul
2024

The Immortal Soul? Part 12: God Will Bring with Him Those Who Have Fallen Asleep

Bring

Some people see 1 Thessalonians 4:14 as evidence that the souls of the righteous are immediately present with God in heaven after death. The verse states, “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.” This might seem to support the idea of disembodied souls in God’s presence. However, the context of the passage does not support this. The concerns of the Thessalonian believers and Paul’s overall message reveal a different picture. This verse, rather than describing the current state of the deceased, points to the future hope of resurrection and the return of Christ. 

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Afterlife, Eschatology, Immortality
10
Oct
2022

Are We Living In The Last Days?

Last Days

Ever since I was a child, I’ve heard Christians say things such as, “Times are really bad. We are surely living in the last days.” Indeed, things are getting really bad in our world. Society is becoming godless and secular. Gross immorality is put on display in TV shows, movies, and music. Many churches have compromised and allowed the surrounding culture to influence them more than the Bible. Is this what Paul meant when he wrote 1 Timothy 4:1?

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (1 Tim. 4:1 ESV) 

Are we living in the later times Paul spoke of? Yes, we can be absolutely certain that we are living in the last days. How can we be so certain we are living in the later times? We can be sure because the later times began over 2,000 years ago with the establishment of the New Covenant.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in 1 Timothy, Eschatology, Misconceptions