Thursday, July 10, 2008

So what do you talk about for your 666th post?

Satan
The anti-christ
Kirk Cameron and bad eschatology
The nature of evil
Hell
Nah...Let's tackle "the rapture" that'll be fun. Ok so I might get into some Kirk Cameron stuff.
If anyone starts getting crazy on this post I will shut it down...fair warning. I just want thoughts...not attacks.
For those of you that read my blog and aren't steeped in church culture...the rapture is a made up name that the church came up with to describe what will happen at the second coming of Jesus. There's some trumpets, Jesus appears, (I Thes. 4:16-18)we are zapped up to heaven in the twinkling of an eye (I Cor. 15:51-53), and people that don't know Jesus are avoiding un-manned, out of control cars on the freeway and then the world blows up. There are some variations to that train of thinking such as: tribulations, 1000 year reigns, I'm not gonna get into all of it. I have been refining my thoughts on this subject for my whole life.
Ultimately I believe Jesus is coming back!
How he decides to do that is his business. If I've got it all wrong I'm ok with that. If I end up chillin' on some clouds with a harp but I'm with Jesus...I'm good. I don't think that's what the Bible teaches but I'm not arrogant enough to think that everything I think about God is spot on. I've refined my positions on a ton of things so I'm open to growing and refining more.

I really like what N.T. Wright has to say about "life after life after death." Revelation 21:1-5 talks about a new heavens and new earth that we look forward to and God's dwelling with his people. He's written two amazing books that get at this. Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope. Here's a little taste from Surprised by Hope (122)

Most first-century Jews, and virtually all early Christians believed that history was going somewhere under the guidance of God and that where it was going was toward God's new world of justice, healing, and hope. The transition from the present world to the new one would be a matter not of the destruction of the present space-time universe but of its radical healing.
That's the hope that I'm looking forward to. What are your thoughts? Be nice.

5 comments:

escamillaweddings said...

you're SO going to hell.




just kidding.
i'll come back to this later...when im not commenting on blogs from work :)

Jeff Yoder said...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAh!!!

Dan, you know I'm going to take the bait.

I will keep it short and arrogant! I agree with NT Wright that God is renewing this earth and we are not in a downward spiral. I would consider the position I most agree with is a postmillennial partial preterist view.

Christ is reigning, world's getting better, God's grace is being extended more and more ultimately reversing the curse first placed on Adam. And then we arrive back at Eden. (maybe naked, maybe not...just kidding, totally naked, just kidding, bathing suits only, just kidding.)

I would disagree that your view doesn't really matter. It determines how you live, your view of the current church, how you witness to others, how you raise your kids, and what you value.

Unpackaging all that is behind these few statements would take hours, hours that I don't have for a blog, hours I will take to explain it to my kids.

Klein said...

I remember watching 'Thief in the Night" when I was 5. Bad move. This is back in the early 80's when everyone thought Jesus was coming back any minute and so they showed movies supporting the rapture and "The Late Great Planet Earth".

Anyways, from the years of 5-10, ever time my parents were late getting somewhere, I thought they had been raptured, and I had been left behind. Stupid movie screwd me up.

Almost as bad as when I thought I commited the unforgiveable sin when I was 8. That sunday School teacher screwd me up. He should of never showed us "The Last Temptation of Christ". haha

I love N.T. Wrights view of the future. I think its right on. Although I think the church of Thess. actually thought they had already missed the day of the Lord. So perhaps some peoples eschological theology was perfect in the first century, but it seems like it was much like it is today. A lot of different views.

Oh, and Yoder, can i get a refill on my fries and some more barbeque mayo sauce.

Late

Jeff Yoder said...

Yeah Klein,
I can get you a "shut the crap up";).

Wasn't it "Smokey-Bleu" sauce with bbq and blue cheese.

MMMMMMMMMMM. I can taste it now.

Klein said...

So Good.
Smokey Blue is probably right. Since having a kid my wife and I rarely get out anymore. You know what I'm talking about. Its great to see that you guys are doing so good.

I'll never forget how you owned 'Faith and Culture' with Slane. I used to sit back in that class with wonderment, hoping Slane would ask me some deep question about the Jews