Eschatology

The ideological and theological divide that was generally assumed to exist between Evangelicals and theistic evolution is shrinking. A major issue moving these tectonic plates closer to each other in recent times is the impact of the conclusions that the Human Genome Project has created among sig...

Jewish notions of anthropology in the Second Temple period resist systematization. They floated in a sea dominated by Greek philosophy and ideas about the human soul, death, and the afterlife that themselves are diverse and at times somewhat contradictory. Unshakable was the Jewish conviction of ...

This dissertation seeks to determine which of the three methods of interpretation mentioned in the title is the most appropriate hermeneutical method to interpret apocalyptic prophecy. To do so, Stander has developed an analysis model whereby the three schools of interpretation are critically eva...

Questions have come to the Biblical Research Institute regarding the Seventh-day Adventist position on the Mark of the Beast in relation to Sunday observance, the conditionality of prophecy, and pertinent statements by Ellen G. White. The following questions summarize the main concerns that have ...

There are some people who are dual citizens and have passports from two different countries. Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and the United States are among the countries that allow this. Having two passports does not mean they are traitors to one country or less loyal to the other. Similarly, so...

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One major theme in the book of Job is: Why do the righteous suffer? As the focus in a cosmic drama between the forces of good and evil, Job struggled with this ancient conundrum that robbed him of children, wealth, and health—leaving him devastated and his life threatened. This presentation examines the basis of Job’s avowal, which suggests an eschatological twist engendering hope and the realization that suffering, in whatever form, is meaningless if viewed from the fragmented lens of current realities. Outside the biblical worldview, the existential problem of suffering is difficult to understand. Faithful believers experience difficult and hopeless situations that threaten their well-being and faith in God. This presentation, therefore, concludes that although the cosmic dimensions of human suffering may not always be apparent, as in the case of Job, believers can overcome by exercising unwavering faith rooted not in the externals (material prosperity) but rather in the internals (a conscious and deepened relationship with God); such faith rekindles hope amidst hopelessness and stretches to the hereafter.

The eschatological belief held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Fundamental Beliefs 24–28) is a composite belief founded on the reformation principles of sola scriptura, tota scriptura, prima scriptura, and the analogy of Scripture. Apart from Revelation 20–22, there is only one other late Second Temple period text that separates the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked by a Messianic kingdom. This presentation compares and contrasts the composite eschatological belief held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church with the belief appearing in the pseudepigraphical text Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah. This presentation demonstrates that although there are some important overall similarities, there are also significant differences between the two beliefs, suggesting the Seventh-day Adventist eschatological belief may be unique.

This presentation presents a biblically based Last Day Leadership model for developing Seventh-day Adventist members into strong Adventist leaders, who, partnering with the Holy Spirit and grounded in the Word of God, will successfully lead out in helping to finish God’s end-time work in preparation for the second coming of Christ.

Eschatology inevitably casts a moral vision—generating a corresponding ethic and giving promise of offering a unity of life and the possibility of total fulfillment. Revelation’s eschatology and ethics interweave, informing Scripture’s ultimate moral/spiritual vision and urgent appeal. Moral realities unfold against the vivid tapestry of an eschatological horizon comprised of a historical flow (past, present, future) and in the context of an overarching worldview with its vision of God and His redemptive re-creation. These moral realities include character (being and doing), freedom and choice, truthfulness, worship, covenant faithfulness, ethical practice, reconciliation, ethical norms, moral dilemmas, and moral agency. The context for ethical reflection is nuanced through key integrating themes that call for priority in our thinking and ethical method. Revelation puts us in a moral context—telling us what condition human life is in, where we are, and where we are going. It informs us what questions need to be answered. It provides the philosophical map, the larger moral vision against which its various moral themes can be considered.

This paper takes “a fresh look” at the Litch-Smith-White perspective on the fifth and sixth trumpets of Revelation. It is argued that valuable insights may be obtained, and faith may be strengthened in Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, from the final book of the Bible that deals with the end-times.