Eschatology is the study of last things, i.e., death, resurrection, Second Coming of Christ, judgment, etc. “Prophecy” and “eschatology” are often used interchangeably. Thus, the most common way to express an interest in future and final events is to speak and write in terms of “Bible prophecy”, “end times”, “last days”.  Inaccurate eschatology has, for the most part, left the church in America waiting to get off the earth as quickly as possible instead of getting on with the “Master’s Mandate” of making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). One of the primary reasons we are in the mess we are in is due to believers, who by their eschatological positions, create the impression that “Satan’s lie is more powerful than Jesus’ gospel truth”; that the Holy Spirit, working through followers of the Messiah, are living at a disadvantage due to the absence of Jesus’ actual, material presence on earth.

Inaccurate eschatology causes Christians to:

Wait for a King who already reigns.

A common statement heard from those who believe that the kingdom of heaven has been postponed and that Jesus the Messiah only reigns in heaven and in the hearts of born-again believers, is that “Jesus is the soon coming King who will reign over everyone and everything at his Second Coming!” Jesus is not a soon coming king, he is the reigning King - NOW!

Many Christians today are sighing and not singing because America is going through some tough times. Many are the voices of gloom and doom, and death and despair. Don’t count me among them because Christ has defeated sin, death and the devil and is seated in the place of supreme authority where He presently and powerfully rules overall. And he will remain seated until all his enemies are made his footstool.

As a believer, I share in the victory of Calvary and the empty tomb that brought Christ all power in heaven and earth and seated believers with him in heavenly places. From this position, they “reign in life,” [Rom 5:17] far above the spiritual powers that once held them in their control.

Inaccurate eschatology causes Christians to:

Wait for a Kingdom they're already in.

Next to the Person of Christ, the kingdom of God is the most important and all-encompassing concept of Scripture. So much is contained within it. Yet the kingdom remains one of the most misunderstood, misconstrued, confused, abstracted, and contested realities in Christianity. Most churches today rarely mention the kingdom, let alone teach and obey its established and present-day elements.   

The majority of evangelicals have been led to believe God has withdrawn his kingdom, and someday it will be established and visibly set up in a future Jewish millennial era. Others believe it is here but only partially “in some sense” but question in what sense. Some say it is here, but major elements have ceased to function, having been withdrawn by God. On the other hand, Jesus’ first followers were accused of having “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6; 20:25, 27) with the kingdom. Most, today, however, only give the kingdom of God a small place in their lives and have totally neglected Jesus’ admonition to “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Jesus established His kingdom definitively at His First Advent, is extending it progressively through His kingdom agents and ambassadors, the people of God - His Church - and He will establish His kingdom decisively, victoriously, and permanently at His Second, or Last Advent.

The essential nature of the kingdom of God is divine power, wrapped in love, directed toward reconciliation of man to God, of righteousness, peace and joy - displacing the rule and ruin of the demonic.

Inaccurate eschatology causes Christians to:

Wait to become what they already are.

In the redemptive work of Christ, the kingdom of God is an actual reality that is available and accessible and upon entering it by the miracle of the new birth, we have access to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, all the hosts of elect angels, the company of the redeemed of God – to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 12:22-24). We have a new standing, a new approach, a new name, and a new priest. In chapter 10 of Hebrews, we are told that He has perfected forever those who come to Him, and the Holy Spirit has brought us into the covenant and then brought the covenant into us – writing it in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 10:15-17).

For this reason, we are to be daily “singing in the reign” irrespective of world conditions or personal circumstances! Believers sing because they are the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy that God’s chosen people would “Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.” [Isa 12:5]  They “sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.” [Ps 98:1]  They sing in joyful obedience to the prophet’s admonition to “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion.  For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD. [Zech 2:10]

Believers sing “the songs of Zion” [Ps 137:3] because they alone are: “Children of the promise.” [Rom 9:8; Gal 4:28]; “Abraham’s seed.” [Gal 3:29]; “Heirs according to the promise.” [Gal 3:29]; “The Israel of God.” [Gal. 6:16]; “The circumcision.” [Phil 3:3]; “God’s chosen people.” [Col 3:12]; “A people that are his very own.” [Titus 2:14]; “The people of God.” [Heb 4:9]; “A chosen people.” [1 Pet 2:9]; “A holy nation.” [1 Pet 2:9]; “A royal priesthood.” [1 Pet 2:9]; “Heirs of the kingdom.” [James 2:5]; God’s temple.” [1 Cor 3:16]!

Believers sing because they make up the true Israel of God (Gal 6:16) that buds and blossoms and fills all the world with fruit. [Isa 27:6]  They sing because in the former deserts of their lives a stream of living water has sprung up and now they blossom as the rose. [Isa 35:1-7]  They sing because the Lord comforts all the ruins of Zion, makes her wastelands into Edens, and deserts into gardens of the Lord. [Isa 51:3]

It’s time to start “Singing in the Reign!”

Inaccurate eschatology causes Christians to:

Wait for a victory that has already been won.

The people of God must see themselves as fighting from victory and not for victory. We must be captured again by what made New Testament Christianity so vibrant, victorious, and dangerous. This being that every available member was considered a “kerux” – meaning an “announcer”, “herald”, or “preacher” for the King and His Kingdom. The New Testament church went forth with “charismatic muscle” or experience and a “kerygmatic message” or expression.  When Christians recover the “King Jesus" gospel, they will be constrained by love for its King, that they will hurl themselves out, out, and onward, to the ends of the earth, heralding - announcing the good news.

Their message will announce with passion and power, born of faith in the Spirit and the Word, that through the death and resurrection of Jesus a new order of things has come into being.  Not just something in an individual’s heart, but a new reality in history. The fullness of time has come; the kingdom has come, is coming, and will come; a new creation has been born; the long-anticipated age of the Spirit foretold by Joel has arrived. Now the last days of this present evil age has come as well as a new world of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and his enthronement as the King of all kings.

The reason for telling unbelievers that they must believe and repent isn’t just to go to heaven when they die, get peace in their heart now, or a have happier marriage and better kids.  The reason to repent and believe is quite simple, “God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” and the ruin and route of the devil and his demons is ongoing; the curse is being reversed, and the kingdom has and is coming and His will is being done on the earth as it is in heaven. This being true, there are no other options other than rebellion and more religion; repent or perish!

The Church of the living God needs not only revival and reformation, but a radical interior renovation of our worldview to embrace the power of the life, love, and light of kingdom living under and open heaven as supernatural co-partners for the advancement of the kingdom of heaven over the cross-defeated, kingdom of darkness.

John Noe rightly observes, “… the only potentially effective approach capable of breaking through the barriers of apathy and resistance, of shaking and awakening the “sleeping giant,” and for energizing and rallying the Church toward achieving radical social transformation is restoration of the gospel of the kingdom message, mission, and worldview. The kingdom of God must simply be placed central, once again. Your and my grandchildren, and future generations of Christians are depending on us. Let’s not be the generation that lets them down.

“We must call forth the kingdom and take God’s will, reign, and rule into a lost and hurting world. Unfortunately, we have raised over two generations of Christians here in America who are kingdom illiterate. They have become conditioned to and comfortable with a Christianity without a mighty kingdom. What we now find are millions of God-loving, Scripture-studying, heaven-bound Christians today sitting around and complaining about our country’s declining morality and the demise of a Christian consensus. They readily profess that they are against this and against that. But I ask, What are we for?

“From this day forward, let us resolve to be for the task of making the kingdom of God central, once again, as it was for Jesus, the 1^st Century Church, and our forefathers in the faith who first came to this country. Let us remember the motto of the American Revolution: “No king but King Jesus!” Let our vision, rallying cry, and motto be “For Christ and Kingdom,” as it was for the apostle Paul (Acts 28:30-31). 

“Any lesser, reductionistic gospel, merely focusing on personal salvation, will not produce the results we desire. Likewise, claiming God has only one agenda - getting us ready for heaven - will not enable us to pass along the kingdom in greater shape than we found it.”

Lord, correct or inaccurate, inadequate, eschatology!

(I borrowed the title and some of the points from an excellent blog by Pastor Wade Burleson.)