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Eschatology Catechism

1. What is Eschatology? 11. What is the ? Eschatology is the biblical teaching of the Old and New The intermediate state is the irreversible condition of Testaments about how the last things will occur so as to believers and unbelievers in the period of time between death and the of the body. fulfill ’s purpose

12. What is the spiritual condition of believers in the 2. What are the last things? intermediate state? The last things sometimes describe the period between As soon as believers die they enter and the Christ’s first and second comings, but usually refer to the glorious presence of Christ and His Church, are made end of life, the end of the world, and the unending perfect in holiness and happiness by Christ, judge and eternity. reign with Christ, and await the redemption of their bodies. 3. What is the history of eschatology? The history of eschatology is largely one of confusion, 13. What is the spiritual condition of unbelievers in denial, neglect, and error, with brief periods of the intermediate state? reformation. As soon as unbelievers die they enter and the hideous presence of the devil and his angels, where they 4. What is the practical value of Eschatology? experience inconceivable and immeasurable agonies of Eschatology helps us to teach the Church, worship God, soul while awaiting the resurrection of their bodies. serve with zeal, hope in the midst of trouble, and prepare for judgment. 14. What are some errors regarding the intermediate state? 5. What is death? Some errors are , limbo, soul-sleep, Death is the divine separation of the body from the soul, reincarnation, conditional immortality and second which results in the decomposition of the body and the probation. return of the soul to God who made it, and all because of sin. 15. What is purgatory? Roman Catholics teach that purgatory is the temporary 6. Why do believers have to die? place where Roman Catholics guilty of unpunished Believers die to have communion with Christ’s venial sins go for punishment and purification by fire to sufferings, to experience Christ’s grace, to be made like prepare them for and hasten them to heaven. Christ’s image, to witness for Christ’s glory, and to be welcomed into Christ’s presence. 16. What is wrong with the of purgatory? The doctrine of purgatory is without scriptural support, 7. What does death teach us? causes unnecessary anxiety, corrupts the church, and Death teaches us all the brevity, vanity and value of life; undermines the finished work of Christ. the sovereignty and justice of God; and the need and worth of salvation. 17. What is limbus infantum? Roman Catholics teach that the souls of all unbaptized 8. What is immortality? children go to limbus infantum, a neutral place, forever. Immortality means un-die-able and so, strictly speaking, can only be used of God. 18. What is wrong with the doctrine of limbus infantum? 9. Why do some theologians, and some The doctrine of limbus infantum is based on a false view Confessions, ascribe immortality to man? of baptismal regeneration in John 3:5, and a desire to Theologians and some confessions use immortality to avoid saying unbaptized infants are in hell. describe the continued and endless conscious existence of every soul after death and also the limited soul- 19. What is limbus patrum? immortality of the believer. Roman Catholics teach that went to limbus patrum, a shadowy place, until the resurrection 10. Are there any proofs of soul immortality? of Christ. There are extra-biblical arguments for life after death, but the most reliable proofs are found in the , in 20. What is wrong with the doctrine of limbus both the Old Testament and the . patrum? Limbus patrum misinterprets , ignores Psalm 17 and 73, and minimizes Christ’s work in the Old Testament. Eschatology Catechism 1 of 5 Eschatology Catechism 1 of 5

Eschatology Catechism

they share important fundamental beliefs, and they have all been held by good and godly Christians. 21. What is Sheolism? 31. How and why should we study such difficult and Sheolism teaches that OT saints believed that at death controversial ? all souls went to , a temporary and unattractive If we approach this subject with caution and humility, we place, until the final judgment. can learn important practical lessons from it.

22. What is wrong with Sheolism? 32. What is ? It undermines the inspiration of Scripture, mistakes Amillennialism believes that the 1000 years is a appearance for reality, weakens divine warnings, and figurative term for Christ’s present kingdom on earth and fails to explain hope-filled expressions of Old Testament in heaven between his first and second comings, during faith. which the devil is significantly bound, and which will be concluded with these co-incidental climactic end-time 23. What is second probation? signs, the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of Second probation teaches that in the mercy of God the the dead, the final judgment, and the everlasting gospel is preached and salvation through Christ offered kingdom. to certain groups between death and the final judgment. 33. How does an amillennialist interpret Daniel 9:24- 24. What is wrong with the doctrine of second 27? probation? Daniel 9:24-27 is apocalyptic literature which uses Second probation denies that our eternal destiny is figurative language to predict the nature, timing and irreversibly determined by our earthly life, misinterprets 1 consequences of Christ’s work at his first coming. Peter 3 & 4, and fails to explain the missionary zeal of the early church. 34. How does an amillennialist interpret Matthew 24? 25. What is soul sleep? In Matthew 24, uses the classic prophetic Soul sleep teaches that at death the soul is no longer methods of foreshortening and typology to predict not conscious until the resurrection. only the near judgment of Jerusalem, but also the continuing course of world history, and the climactic 26. What is wrong with the doctrine of soul sleep? judgment of the world. Soul sleep misinterprets Psalm 16 and 17, ignores Hebrews 12 and Revelation 7 and misunderstands 35. What is the message of the Book of Revelation? figurative soul-sleep language, while at the same time The message of Revelation is that Christ and his Church robbing the believer of great comfort. will defeat the Devil and his armies.

27. What is the millennium? 36. When was the Book of Revelation written? The millennium is the 1000 year reign of Christ and his Revelation was written by the Apostle John sometime saints, which follows the binding of Satan, which, around 80-90 AD. because of many diverse and damaging misinterpretations, has become central to eschatology. 37. For whom was the Book of Revelation written? Revelation was written not only for John’s generation but 28. What are the names of the main millennial also for all subsequent generations of Christians. views? The main millennial views are amillennialism, 38. What is the structure of Revelation? premillennialism, and postmillennialism. Revelation is composed of seven parallel sections describing the period between Christ’s first and second 29. What are the principal areas where the main comings. millennial views differ? The three millennial views differ in these 8 areas: the 39. What are the biblical presuppositions for the length of the 1000 years, the nature of Christ’s kingdom amillennial interpretation of Rev. 20? on earth, the relationship between Israel and the Church, Amillennialists believe in the spiritual-literal fulfillment of the role of the Devil, the tribulation, the end-time signs, Old Testament prophecies, the synchronization of end- the number and timings of the and of time events, and a belief in one unchanging and Christ’s coming(s). unfailing plan of God.

30. What do the main millennial views hold in 40. When are the 1000 years of Rev. 20? common? Though these views differ significantly, yet Eschatology Catechism 2 of 5 Eschatology Catechism 2 of 5

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The figure “1000” is figurative language for the period into seven periods, each with a different test of human between Christ’s 1st and 2nd comings, both on earth obedience to God's will, through one way of salvation. and in heaven.

41. What happens during the 1000 years on earth? Christ’s death and resurrection devastates the devil’s ability to deceive the nations until close to the end of 49. What is progressive dispensationalism? time. On the basis of complimentary hermeneutics, progressive dispensationalists see a closer relationship 42. What happens during the 1000 years in heaven? between Israel and the Church, between the Old The souls of glorified saints are spiritually resurrected to Covenant and the New Covenant, and between the live, reign, and judge with Christ in perfect holiness and dispensations; it also has no great regard for a pre- happiness, while the rest of the dead experience the tribulation rapture. second death. 50. What is dispensational premillennialism? 43. What will happen at the end of the 1000 years? Dispensational premillennialism teaches that Christ's At the end of the 1000 years the devil will be released to second coming will occur in four phases: Christ's deceive and stir up the nations against the Church, but rapture, Christ's revelation, Christ's reign, and Christ's the Lord will return to deliver the church, resurrect all, renewal. and finally and fully bind the devil. 51. What is Christ's rapture? 44. What are the strengths of amillennialism? Without any precursory signs Christ will return for His Amillennialism is relatively simple, it interprets the Church, resurrect all dead believers, transform all living obscure in the light of the clear, does justice to the believers, meet them all in the air, and return to heaven powerful effect of Christ’s first coming, fits “few find it” with them while the 70th week begins on earth. language, and represents the Kingdom of God as eternal not temporal. 52. What is Christ's revelation? At the end of the 70th week Christ will return to the earth 45. What are the weaknesses of amillennialism? in glory with His Church, win Armageddon, convert Amillennialism has been accused of misinterpreting Israel, bind the devil, resurrect tribulation martyrs and Revelation 20, of underestimating the devil’s present OT saints, and then judge the nations. power, and of cultivating unbiblical pessimism and careless complacency. 53. What is Christ's reign? Christ will reign on earth from Jerusalem with Jewish 46. What is Historic Premillennialism? believers for a thousand blessed years, although they Historic Premillennialism believes that after the end time will be concluded with the devil's ultimately unsuccessful signs, including the great tribulation, Christ will return to little season. earth to bind Satan, resurrect His people, and reign on earth for a thousand years; after which Satan will be 54. What is Christ's renewal? released for a little season before the resurrection of all After raising and judging the wicked dead and the saints at the final judgment, and the return of the Kingdom to who died in the millennium Jesus will renew and reign the Father. over the new and the new earth.

47. What are the problems with Historic 55. What are the main criticisms of classic Premillennialism? premillennial dispensationalism? Though historic premillennialism has some strengths, it The main criticisms are an unsustainable literalism, an tends to be pessimistic, it misconnects Rev19 & 20, it unfounded postponement theory, an unjustified adds living believers to Rev20, it sees time where there separation of the final events, a confusion between is only order in 1Co15, it reverses Christ and His divine wrath and tribulation, an unlikely reversal of people’s glorification, and it adds a third era to the two glorification, and a return to Old Covenant worship. found in the New Testament. 56. What is Postmillennialism? 48. What is traditional dispensationalism? Postmillennialism believes that most of the signs of the On the basis of literal-grammatical-historical times have been fulfilled, and that the thousand years is interpretation of the Bible and a fundamental distinction a figurative term for a future of between Israel and the Church, traditional on earth, when the devil will be almost totally bound and Dispensationalism teaches that God has divided history the earth almost totally Christianized, followed by a brief Eschatology Catechism 3 of 5 Eschatology Catechism 3 of 5

Eschatology Catechism period of satanic loosing and the3 Lord's return to earth Worldwide apostasy will result in an increasing departure for the final judgment. from the faith by Christian churches, teachers, and people, departing from the faith.

57. What are the weaknesses of Postmillennialism? 66. Who is the antichrist? Despite some attractions, Postmillennialists are over- The last false christ will be the deceiver, the man of sin, optimistic about the future progress of , the son of perdition, the usurper and enemy of Christ, under-pessimistic about the future rise of evil, and who will rise on the wave of apostasy and lead a great unrealistic about the present reign of Christ. international persecution against the Church of Christ, which will finally end with his defeat. 58. What are the signs of the times? The signs of the times (from Matt. 16:3) are gracious and 67. What is the great tribulation? judgmental events in creation and providence, which, by The great tribulation is the persecution that remaining escalation, point towards the second coming of Jesus Christians will pass through in the antichrist’s final and and the end of the world. greatest attack against the Church of Christ.

59. What are the practical effects of observing the 68. What is the cosmic upheaval? signs of the times? There will be unusual and fearful signs in the heavens Observing the signs of the time will make believers just before the 2nd coming of Christ. evangelistic, balanced, watchful, active and prayerful. 69. When, how, and why will Christ return to this 60. What signs of the times are signs of grace? world? The signs of grace are the preaching of the Gospel to all Christ’s return will be sudden, final (or single), personal, nations and the conversion Israel. physical, visible, glorious, and conclusive.

61. What does the preaching of the Gospel to all 70. When and how will the dead be resurrected? nations mean? When Christ returns to judge the world, he will raise the As prophesied, from the first coming of Christ onwards, bodies of dead believers and unbelievers, and transform the Gospel of the Kingdom will increasingly penetrate the bodies of all to suit their eternal destiny. the nations of the world as a witness to them and against the,. 71. What will the believer’s resurrected body be like? 62. What does the conversion of Israel mean? The believer’s resurrection body will be physical, Despite the judgments of the Jews for their rejection of personal, recognizable, changed, victorious, Christ, and the breaking down of the wall between Jew imperishable, beautiful, powerful, spiritual and Christ- and Gentile, both the Old and New Testaments indicate like. that, towards the end, large numbers of Jews will repent and believe, resulting in blessing for the worldwide 72. What will the unbeliever’s resurrected body be Church. (Zech. 12:10, Ezk. 36:33, Lk. 21:24, Rom. like? 11:25-29, 2Co. 3:15-16) The unbeliever’s resurrection will be physical, personal, recognizable, changed, imperishable, defeated, ugly, 63. What signs of the times are signs of judgment? weak, sinful, and devil-like. The signs of judgment, some of them typified in the Jerusalem judgment, are increasing earthly disasters, 73. What will happen at the final judgment? worldwide apostasy, the final antichrist, the great On the final judgment day, Christ will publically examine tribulation, and cosmic upheaval. the lives of all rational creatures and finally sentence (this question is taken apart in questions 64-68) them to heaven or hell, in varied degrees, according to their response to God’s revelation. 64. What are the earthly disasters that will signify that the end is near? 74. What is Hell? The earthly disasters are increasing wars, famines, Hell is a place for all the wicked where they will diseases, earthquakes, and other fearful events. experience the just and inescapable wrath and curse of God resulting in unrestrained and insatiable lust, spiritual 65. What is meant by the worldwide apostasy? and bodily pain, weeping and gnashing of teeth, all forever and ever.

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75. What is Heaven? At the end of the world, God will renew the heavens and the earth, for Him, His angels, and His renewed people, to enjoy eternal marriage (in an eternal house, in an eternal city), eternal worship, eternal service, an eternal Sabbath, and eternal blessedness, and all for Christ’s sake.

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