Why Preach Biblical Prophecy?...Continued from page 2

Eschatology is more of a point of contact with our culture than many of us seem to realize. All of the major news magazines had cover features on the LaHaye/Jenkins Left Behind books. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the scenario of these books, they are a plausible laying out of a possible sequence of end-time events of a kind we have oftenhad. Michael O’Brien has a similar series of novels of Roman Catholic vintage. Repeatedly on The New York Times bestseller list and read by millions, these books have led many to the Savior. Christ is set forth again and again as Savior and Lord. They are not great literature but are a kind of evangelical Star Wars.

Gallup and Barna have both found that some 62% of the American people believe Christ is coming back and over 40% believe he may come back in their lifetime. We have a foot in the door with these folks and need to exploit it. They will not be satisfied with being told to be pan-millennialists (everything is going to pan out in the end). Nor can we leave the exposition of these great truths to nuts and “whackos.” Eschatology deserves serious, thoughtful, sensitive address.

Highways of Scriptural Sanity in a Nutty World

Evangelicals in North America right now are in a fairly fluid state eschatologically. Historic amillennialism is suffering considerable defection in our time (called realized millennialism or fulfilled millennialism by Jay Adams) because it is essentially negative and not very interactive. (Ever hear of an amillennial conference on Bible prophecy?) R.C Sproul has become a preterist (basic fulfillment of Christ’s prophecies occurred in 70 A.D.). Theonomists often blend preterism (with an attempt to give Revelation a date before 70 A.D.) with a new postmillennialism. Among premillennialists, the post-trib or mid-trib have never really caught fire outside of the academic classroom and just aren’t “preached” much in the pulpits. Little better are the partial rapturists who are really wrestling with the issue of the carnal Christian as are the Lordship Salvation advocates.

Historic dispensational premillennialism (with its two-stage parousia and its insistence on the difference between Israel and the Church) seemed to have been in a serious slump except for three factors resulting in its substantial rejuvenation. Not even Rosenthal’s pre-wrath rapture or the inroads of progressive dispensationalism have held back a veritable renaissance of interest and excitement in classical dispensational circles.

First, the Left Behind books have rallied the troops. A steady stream of new publications has been a boon.Second, the generally apocalyptic nature of our times has fed into this movement for many who hear the word apocalyptic everywhere except in the church! In addition, this interest is fed by the continuing crisis in the Middle East, particularly with respect to the modern state of Israel. Dating well back before Darby to the Puritans and the Continental Pietists, something special for geo-political Israel has re-energized the people of God. Even amills like D.M.Lloyd-Jones believed the return of the Jews to the Holy Land had sizeable significance and even the postmillennialist Charles Hodge held that Romans 11 described something which would befall ethnic Israel at the end of history.

Given the serious flux and ferment of our times and the tendency to silence on these crucial issues among us, is this not the hour for all of us to re-examine our systems and hermeneutic? Let us in good spirit open serious discussion and substantive preaching on the relevant issues. We can preach our own convictions with fervor, recognizing that sincere Christians have contrary viewpoints. Ask your people to pray for you where you are in error, for you will be praying for them that they will see the light. Let us not go beyond what Scripture says but let us not be silent or stuttering where Scripture does speak.

A good place to start is with the prophetic parables of Jesus in the Olivet Discourse. Or lead your people in a brief series on “Prophetic Personalities” ? contrast the living Christ of Revelation 1 with the beast out of the sea in Revelation 13, etc. Perhaps a series on “Great Prophetic Absolutes” will be a timely address to this mass of material ? ‘I will come again;” “Anti-Christ will come;” “Scoffers will come;” “Perilous times shall come;” etc. Is there not an itch here which the preacher ought to scratch?

Look back over your preaching of the last several years ? are you in an eschatological debit? Perhaps this is the time to reflect upon how you can better pay attention to and use this light that is shining in a murky and squalid place.

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David L. Larsen is Professor Emeritus of Preaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL.