Eschatology That Pasts The Test Series

• End-times, the Rapture, The 1000 year reign of Christ, Heaven, Hell, Why are they important?

• A fellow skeptic once asked the famous atheist Voltaire if he would speak some words of comfort to a friend who was dying. Voltaire responded, "I don’t think I can do that. The thought that there might really be a hell plagues me continually."

• Eschatology is the study of end times, particularly from the Bible.

• There are different schools of belief about how things on earth are going to wrap up.

• Based upon interpretations of the scripture, there is a latitude for different beliefs, as the belief of a certain end-time doctrine is not included as a requirement of salvation.

• Part of the confusion comes between Jewish end-time prophecy and Church end-time prophecy.

• For most of the Church age, Israel did not exist as a nation.

• Israel's Old Testament prophesies often looked past the Church age.

• Prophesies concerning Israel and the end time do not account for the Church, although there are mentions of the Church.

• To reconcile the Eschatology of Israel and the Eschatology of the Church will create create some headaches.

• However, if you understand the end-time prophesies of the Church and view the eschatology of Israel for them, things clear up some.

• There is still room for debate, and much debate exists.

• There are some things, however, that based upon scriptures, are non-negotiable when it comes to Eschatology.

• Today, I want us to look at them and why they are important.

• Before we get into the passage, I want to set the scene and see how improper eschatogy is involved with this passage.

• You have to place yourselves into the mindset of the disciples to really understand the significance of this Text passage.

• The disciples were following the One they believed to be the Messiah.

• They believed this from the start. John prophesied it.

• Joh 1:35-37 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

• They even recruited for the Messiah.

• Joh 1:40-41 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ).

• By this time, they had seen the Messiah heal the sick, cast out demons, feed thousands with one sack lunch on two occasions and other great miracles.

• And now they had seen Him meet with their spiritual heroes who had long been dead: Moses and Elijah.

• But something didn't click for them. Something seemed amiss.

• The scribes and Pharisees picked up on it. They talked about it.

• The disciples heard them and now that discussion was a the forefront of their minds.

• Mal 4:5-6 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."

• The scribes were saying, "This can't be the Christ. Malachi said Elijah would come first. He has not come."

• The disciples said, "What about John the Baptist?"

• The Pharisees and scribes quickly point out, John denied it.

• Joh 1:19-21 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."

• So, said the scribes, Jesus cannot be the Messiah because Elijah had not come.

• Now, after the transfiguration, these disciples had just seen Elijah and Moses, and that was really encouraging.

• But then Jesus told them not to tell anyone, especially the scribes.

• They could not use this to argue against these experts.

• This was upsetting to the disciples.

• Secondly, the Elijah of the Transfiguration didn't stick around to get things set in order, as they expected.

• This raised several questions in the disciples minds.

• Jesus had made clear to them that He was the Christ.

• How did He explain this weakness in His teachings. (TEXT)

Mar 9:10-13 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" 12 And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."