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Svigel, Michael J THE NEED FOR TEACHING THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL OF BOTH COMINGS OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, ESPECIALLY AS WE SEE THE DAY OF HIS PAROUSIA APPROACHING by DAVID K. HEBERT submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY in the subject of SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF RTH DOLAMO NOVEMBER 2009 SUMMARY This thesis is designed to outline the systematic-theological and theological-historical basis for the Eschatological Gospel of Both Comings of Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha Mashiach). This cohesively combines Jesus‘ First Coming (for redemption, reconciliation and restoration) with His Second Coming (for the Rapture/Resurrection of the Church/Body of Christ and judgment at the Day of the Lord/Yahweh) into the complete salvation of the Church. The historical writings of the Patristic, Ante- and Post-Nicene Fathers are examined to ensure the continuity of this Eschatological Gospel message being communicated through their writings to the Early Church. The remainder of Church history is examined to ensure the Eschatological Gospel continued to be communicated by the Church as a part of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. Then, in keeping with the eschatological prophetic intent of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Weeds) in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, of both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan coexisting and growing until ―the end of the age,‖ the antithesis of the Eschatological Gospel is examined—Satan‘s plan of lies, deception and heresy throughout history, culminating with the explosion of activity since 1948. This satanic plan is described as being not only insidiously deceptive by recruiting converts to the kingdom of darkness in rebellion and opposition to the kingdom of God, but also as preparing the way for the End-time/Last Days‘ ten-nation confederacy to be led by the antichrist. Biblical chronology is used to trace the history of both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness to the present day. Finally, the ―Signs of the Times‖ in modern history are examined, thereby showing the need for the Eschatological Gospel to be taught in the twenty-first century, especially as the day of the Lord Jesus Christ‘s Parousia rapidly approaches. i KEY TERMS Eschatological Gospel, Kingdom of Heaven/God, Systematic-Theological, Theological- Historical, Orthodoxy, Heresy, Time, Chronology, Biblical Time, Chronos, Kairos, Premillennialism, Second Coming of Jesus Christ, Parousia, Rapture, Day of the Lord, Prophecy, Satan/the Devil, Kingdom of Darkness. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis is an extension of the conclusion of the Master‘s thesis THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH: A DOCTRINE OF THE EARLY CHURCH OR A RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISPENSATIONAL MOVEMENT? and the culmination of over thirty years of eschatological study. I would like to thank the three Persons of the Godhead for the passion to study eschatology; the knowledge, wisdom and vision to identify the topic for this thesis and the strength to research the topic thoroughly and to complete the work. I would also like to thank my mother Betty for her encouragement to pursue this dream, my sister Claudia, Marlene Mankins and Ben Watts for their tremendous help in technically editing this thesis, and especially my wife, helpmeet and chief supporter Mickey for her love and encouragement in making this dream a reality. Additionally, thanks to the faculty at Oral Roberts University (ORU) School of Theology and Missions (Seminary), especially Dr. Larry Hart, Dr. David Dorries, Dr. James Breckenridge, Dr. James Tollett, and Dr. Charles Snow, for their encouragement to pursue this Doctor of Theology. Thanks also go to the ORU Library staff, especially the Interlibrary Loan Office, the Reference Librarians and Dr. Mark Roberts of the Holy Spirit Research Center, for helping me find all the necessary research material. Special thanks are due to Dr. Paul King, also of ORU, for his encouragement, contact and liaison, on my behalf, with UNISA to begin the process of matriculation. And finally, thanks to Professor Danie Veldsman of UNISA/University of Pretoria, promoter and encourager, for spurring me on toward examination of this thesis, and Professor RTH Dolamo of UNISA for helping me accomplish that goal. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS A.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE THESIS 1 A.2 THE PROBLEM 3 A.3 MOTIVATION 6 A.4 METHODOLOGY 8 PART 1: DEFINITIONS AND A STUDY OF THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL IN THE SCRIPTURES 12 1.1 INTRODUCTION 12 1.2 DEFINITION OF TERMS 13 1.2.1 Systematic Theology, Orthodoxy and Heresy 13 1.2.2 Eschatological Gospel 19 1.2.3 Time 27 1.2.4 Biblical Time, Salvation History & the Kingdom of Heaven/God 31 1.2.5 Premillennialism 34 1.2.6 Second Coming or Parousia 37 1.2.7 Rapture 39 1.2.8 Dispensationalism 47 1.2.9 The Day of the Lord 49 1.2.10 Satan/the Devil and the Kingdom of Darkness 50 iv 1.3 OLD TESTAMENT ESCHATOLOGICAL WRITINGS 53 1.3.1 Messianic Prophecies of the First Advent 55 1.3.2 Kingdom of God Prophecies 58 1.3.3 Parousia/The Day of the Lord / Millennial Kingdom Prophecies 65 1.3.3.1 Parousia Prophecies 66 1.3.3.2 Day of the Lord Prophecies 70 1.3.3.3 Millennial Kingdom (Including the Restoration of Israel) 71 1.4 JESUS‘ ESCHATOLOGICAL TEACHINGS 73 1.4.1 Kingdom of Heaven/God Teachings 74 1.4.2 Parousia Teachings 78 1.4.3 Lord‘s Prayer/Words of Institution/Great Commission/Baptism 85 1.4.4 Author & Finisher/Alpha & Omega/Beginning & End Statements 87 1.5 NEW TESTAMENT ESCHATOLOGICAL WRITINGS 88 1.6 CONCLUSION 92 PART 2: A HISTORICAL-SYSTEMATIC TREATMENT OF THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL 94 2.1 INTRODUCTION 94 2.2 CHURCH FATHERS 96 2.3 MEDIEVAL CHURCH THEOLOGIANS 101 2.4 REFORMATION, POST-REFORMATION AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGIANS 111 v 2.5 ESCHATOLOGICAL THEOLOGIES AND CHRISTOLOGIES 116 2.6 TWENTIETH CENTURY EVANGELISTS AND THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL 124 2.6.1 A. B. Simpson (1843-1919) & the Fourfold Gospel 126 2.6.2 Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944) & the Foursquare Gospel 130 2.6.3 Billy Graham (b. 1918) and the Eschatological Gospel 133 2.6.4 Oral Roberts (b. 1918) and the Eschatological Gospel 135 2.7 CONCLUSION 138 PART 3: SATAN‘S HISTORICAL-SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF FALSE RELIGION AND HERESY 142 3.1 INTRODUCTION 142 3.2 GENESIS 144 3.3 1500 BC TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST 149 3.4 THE BIRTH OF CHRIST TO THE BIRTH OF ISLAM 165 3.5 MEDIEVAL PERIOD AND RENAISSANCE 178 3.5.1 Modern Witchcraft 184 3.5.2 Modern Secular Humanism 186 3.5.3 Rosicrucians 187 vi 3.6 RATIONALISM AND ENLIGHTENMENT 192 3.6.1 Freemasonry 193 3.6.2 Illuminati 196 3.7 MODERN PERIOD 204 3.7.1 Illuminati – 1830 to Present 205 3.7.2 Nineteenth Century – Others 220 3.7.3 Twentieth Century – Others 241 3.8 CONCLUSION 244 PART 4: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 247 4.1 ESCHATOLOGICAL CHRONOLOGY 247 4.1.1 Chronology of the Eschatological Gospel 249 4.1.2 Chronology of False Religions/Heresies of Satan 251 4.2 SIGNS OF THE TIMES 254 4.3 CONCLUSION 266 4.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHING THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY 268 WORKS CONSULTED 274 VITA 302 vii A.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE THESIS In these Last Days of New World Order, New Age, Post-Modernism, Relativism, the meteoric rise of Islam as a world religion, and the Search for the Historic Jesus/Jesus Seminar, truth seems to be individually relative, deceptive heresy is taught as truth, the love of many has grown cold, and people are lovers of self and pleasure rather than lovers of God. This may be seen in the apocalyptic eschatological prophecies described in Matthew 24:12; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-7; 2 Peter 3:3-4; and Jude 17-19 (Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible references in the thesis are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)). This culture has not taken place in a vacuum but in an exponentially increasing explosion of knowledge, communication and transportation, as foretold by the prophet Daniel some twenty-five hundred years ago (Dan 12:4). All of this has primarily occurred in the short timeframe since the rebirth of the nation of Israel on May 14, 1948, which in and of itself is a fulfillment of eschatological prophecy (Isa 66:7-9; Ezek 37:15- 28; Amos 9:14-15; and Zech 8:7-8). This new global experience still gives evidence of humanity‘s innate interest in its spiritual nature, which was born and then died in the Garden of Eden around six thousand years ago (World Book 2001, 1:31; 3:29; The Timechart of Biblical History 2002:I; Butt 2006:19; Hebrew Date Converter 2007; and Michael Rood‘s newly discovered Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar 2007), and which is still longing to be in right relationship with its Creator as originally designed and described in Genesis 2 and 3. Thus, there remains a critical need for discerning truth from error, Christian orthodoxy from heresy, and the Eschatological Gospel of the kingdom of God from the false gospel of the kingdom of Satan (see Section 1.2 for definition of terms). 1 2 The Church, especially the Western Church, appears to be living in the Laodecian Period of the Church Age (Rev 3:14-20), just prior to the Rapture of the Church (1 Thess 4:13-18, symbolized by the individual rapture of Jesus Himself in Acts 1:6-11 and Rev 12:5).
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