THE END OF THE WORLD
With the coming of the AD 70
doctrine, there has been a considerable amount of confusion and
heresy associated with the teachings of scripture regarding the
end of the world. The 70 AD doctrine
basically holds to the belief that Jesus returned in AD70 and
judged the world at that time. This belief entirely
depends on the redefinition of words and their meaning within
scripture.
The first and foremost issue
which must be dealt with regarding this belief is that scripture
which was written before 70 AD emphatically states that the
present Christian age at the time is the last one. In 1
John 2:18, the inspired
apostle wrote regarding the then present dispensation, "Little
children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that
antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists;
whereby we know that it is the last time."
The Hebrew writer wrote in Hebrews 1:2, "...Hath in these
last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds".
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:20, "...Who verily was foreordained
before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these
last times for you". Other references to this can
be found in 2 Timothy 3:1, 1 Peter 1:5, 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 18.
Taken as a whole, these scriptures teach that there is only one
Christian age and they were presently in it. This age was
referred to the "last time" or the "last days". There is
not a single scripture when taken in context and understood
without redefining the terms that support more than one
Christian age. The AD70 doctrine teaches that there are
two Christian ages, or Christian times, or Christian days.
It teaches a pre AD70 Christian age and a post AD70 Christian
age.
The day of the Lord, the end of the age, the last day, the end of the
world and the close of this present age are terms that refer to the same
event as seen in the passages of this study.
The Earth
and the Material Heavens Shall Be Destroyed
Psalms 102:25-26
25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the
heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all
of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou
change them, and they shall be changed:
Isaiah 34:4
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens
shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall
fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a
falling fig from the fig tree.
Isaiah 51:6
"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the
earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and
the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell
therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for
ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished."
In Matthew 24:35,
Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33,
Jesus declared:
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall
not pass away."
Hebrews 1:10-11
10 "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine
hands:
11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all
shall wax old as doth a garment"
2 Peter 3:10-12
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth
also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation
and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of
God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat?"
Revelation 20:11
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and
there was found no place for them."
All
of these verses speak to the entire earth with the heavens being
destroyed. The inspired record used words like Perish,
dissolved, pass away, fled away and burned up. Proponents
of the AD70 theory claim that the entire earth and everything in
the universe/heavens passed away in AD70 with the destruction of
Jerusalem. The problem with is that the destruction of
Jerusalem was a localized event while the inspired language of
the scriptures related to this topic speak of a universal event.
If this were true, one would have to ask why we still have so
much archeological evidence of civilizations predating AD70?
If the earth and all that in it is were destroyed, then why do
we still have this evidence with us? In order to
make their doctrine fit, they must change the meaning of the
text. In other words, the earth and the heavens in these
contexts don't really mean the earth and the heavens.
The earth and the
heavens were not destroyed at the destruction of Jerusalem.
Not only do we still have archaeological evidence of earth's
existence prior to AD70, there is not one word in the writings
of Christians after AD70 which supports the idea that Christ's
second coming happened in AD70. There is no evidence from
history which supports such an event. One would have to
think that if Christ did indeed return in AD70 there would be
some evidence of that in the historical writings of Christians
living after that event.
The End of the Law of Moses
Some proponents of the
70 AD theory believe that the earth and other elements mentioned
in the scriptures given in reference to the destruction of the
heavens and the earth do not actually represent what they say,
rather, the physical elements are really in reference to Judaism
or the law of Moses. It is claimed that the heavens and
the earth are representative of the covenant law of Moses
passing. The claim is made that since the temple in
Jerusalem was standing and in use until 70AD that the real
passing of the law of Moses occurred then. This belief
flies in the face of inspired scripture which plainly indicates
that the law of Moses passed with the death of Christ on the
cross. Please see:
Hebrews 9:14-17
14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God,
purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new
testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the
transgressions that were under the first testament, they which
are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity
be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead:
otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
(KJV)
This context from Hebrews plainly shows that a number of things
associated with the passing of the old covenant occurred with
the death of Christ.
With the death of
the mediator of the new covenant came the redemption of sin for
all who lived under the old covenant. In verse 16, the
Hebrew writer wrote that the new testament, or new covenant
which Christ is the mediator of came in to force with His death.
The destruction of the temple did not occur until roughly 40
years later.
Ephesians 2:13-15
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath
broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law
of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself
of twain one new man, so making peace;
(KJV)
Paul clearly indicates that the
abrogation of the law of commandments which is a reference to
the law of Moses, coincided with the blood of Christ which was
shed on the cross, not 40 years later with the destruction of
the temple in Jerusalem.
The resurrection of the dead is
said to happen with the destruction of the heavens and the
earth.
In scripture the end of
the earth and the resurrection and judgment of all mankind is
said to happen at the same time.
MATTHEW 13:40-50: Here Jesus declares that both the righteous and the
wicked will be together until the end when the wicked will be separated
from the just.
JOHN 6:39,40,44,54: According to Jesus the resurrection will be on the
last day.
JOHN 5:28,29: Here Jesus says that ALL who are in the grave shall come
forth, some to the resurrection of life and some to the resurrection of
judgment. There are still people in their graves. There are
still people who have not been judged.
MATTHEW 25:31-46: When Jesus returns all the nations will be before Him
and He will separate the just and the unjust. The unjust will be sent
into eternal punishment and the just to eternal life. We see the same
happening in Revelation 20:11-15. All the nations of the earth were
not gathered at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70.
The universal resurrection of the
just and the unjust, the judgment of all nations and the
destruction of the heavens and the earth are all things that
happen with one single event.
The
Lord's Supper was commanded to continue until Christ came again.
1 Corinthians 11:26, "For
as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew
the Lord's death till he come." Christians were
commanded to show the Lord's death through the Lord's supper
until he comes again. This implies that the Observance of
the Lord's supper would cease upon Christ's return. This
certainly works in perfectly with the idea of the end of the
heavens and earth and the resurrection of the dead occurring at
the same time. Why would Christians today be any less
obligated to remember the Lord's death than Christians living
before AD70?
Justin Martyr, a Jewish historian that lived from 110 - 165 AD
wrote of the Christians partaking of the Lord's
supper: "Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we
before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water
are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and
thanksgivings, according to his ability". One must ask, if
the Lord's supper was to end at the second coming of Christ,
then why do we have evidence of Christians partaking of this
after AD70? Paul said to do it till Christ came, so if
Christ came in AD70, why are Christians living after AD70 still
observing the Lord's supper?
There are only two advents of
Christ mentioned in scripture.
HEBREWS 9:25-28: Here we see the two advents of Christ; He came the
first time to die for our sins, and when he comes again it will be to
bring salvation to all who wait His return. If He did this in AD70
then what about all the Christians living since then who are
waiting? What are they waiting for?
LUKE 19:11-27: In this parable we see again His two appearances. He came
the first time to give gifts and instructions to His servants, then He
leaves to receive 'kingly' authority. When He returns it will be to
reward and punish. Compare Daniel 7:13,14 and Acts 1:9-11. The
rewards and punishment described in these verses are universal
in nature.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:35-58: In these verses and in 1 John 3:2 , we learn
that at the resurrection we shall all be changed, in an instant, in the
twinkling of an eye ... for everything material will be gone. What we
shall be like has not yet been revealed, but we do learn that flesh and
blood can have no part in the Christian's final victory over death!! We
shall be like HIM!!
There
are people who have not been changed. There are things
which have not been revealed. There are people still in
their graves. The heavens and earth are still here.
All nations have not been judged. Christians still partake
of the Lord's supper. all of these things mentioned are
inseparably connected with the second coming of Christ.
All of these things which are said to happen when Christ comes
again have not happened. The only logical conclusion that
can be reached is that Christ has not come again to judge the
nations, destroy the heavens and the earth and take the faithful
home to heaven.
There Is No Mention Of
Christ's Physical Return In Early Church Literature.
If Christ literally returned in
70AD and accomplished the resurrection of the dead and all of
the other events which are associated with His return, then why
does none of the early church writings mention this? The
early church literature in regard to the coming of Christ all
look to a future coming and not one that occurred in 70 AD.
This fact begs the question, If Christ literally returned in
70AD then why did nobody in the church living in that time
period witness it or record it?
Clement of Alexandria was born
about 150 AD. In a letter to newly baptized Christians he
wrote: "...wishing
to make His power known to men, in the hope that, when they have
come to full knowledge, they may return to God, and may enjoy
eternal blessedness when the Son of God shall appear and restore
good things to His own."
Polycarp, born about 69AD was an
elder in the church in Smyrna. Being an infant in AD70
when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, his writings came
after that time period. It is believed that Polycarp was a
contemporary and was familiar with the Apostle John and knew
him. His writing plainly indicate a future resurrection
and judgment of Jesus Christ. If Jesus came in 70AD as
some claim, then how did that event get past Polycarp without
his knowledge of it?
Polycarp 2:1
Wherefore gird up your
loins and serve God in fear and truth,
forsaking the vain and empty talking and the error of the many, for
that ye have believed on Him that raised our Lord Jesus Christ
from
the dead and gave unto him glory and a throne on His right
hand;
unto whom all things were made subject that are in heaven and
that
are on the earth; to whom every creature that hath breath doeth
service; who cometh as judge
of quick and dead; whose blood God
will require of them that are disobedient unto Him.
Polycarp 11:2
But he who cannot govern himself in these things, how doth he
enjoin
this upon another? If a man refrain not from covetousness, he
shall
be defiled by idolatry, and shall be judged as one of the
Gentiles
who know not the judgment
of the Lord, Nay, know we not, that the
saints shall judge the world, as Paul teacheth?
Papias was born in 70AD, the year
Jerusalem was destroyed. In his writing, he plainly wrote
of a future coming of Christ where the things mentioned in
scripture were foretold.
As the presbyters say, then those
who are deemed worthy of an abode in heaven shall go there,
others shah enjoy the delights of Paradise, and others shall
possess the splendour of the city; for everywhere the Saviour
will be seen, according as they shall be worthy who see Him. But
that there is this distinction between the habitation of those
who produce an hundredfold, and that of those who produce
sixty-fold, and that of those who produce thirty-fold; for the
first will be taken up into the heavens, the second class will
dwell in Paradise, and the last will inhabit the city; and that
on this account the Lord said, "In my Father's house are many
mansions:" for all things belong to God, who supplies all with a
suitable dwelling-place, even as His word says, that a share is
given to all by the Father, according as each one is or shall be
worthy. And this is the couch in which they shall recline who
feast, being invited to the wedding. The presbyters, the
disciples of the apostles, say that this is the gradation and
arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance
through steps of this nature; and that, moreover, they ascend
through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the
Father; and that in due time the Son will yield up His work to
the Father, even as it is said by the apostle, "For He must
reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death." For in the times of the
kingdom the just man who is on the earth shall forget to die.
"But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest
that He is excepted which did put all things under Him. And when
all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also
Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that
God may be all in all."
It goes on and on. One must
ask the question, if Jesus really did come in 70AD and
accomplish all the prophecies associated with the end of the
age, or the end of the world, then why are these early church
leaders writing of a future coming of Christ? Did they
miss the fulfillment of the prophecies in associated with the
second advent of Christ?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHRIST DOES
RETURN?
Suddenly, and without warning, the Lord will descend from heaven with
His angels and the dead and the living will rise to meet Him in the air,
their bodies transformed. The present material creation will be
destroyed by fire, replaced by a new heaven and earth of a spiritual
nature. All nations will
appear before Him. There will be a separation between those who loved
truth and followed in the light of Christ's message and example, and
between those who rebelled and rejected His words of love and mercy.
Those who hid themselves behind the sacrifice of Christ will live
eternally with the Lord and the redeemed. The rebellious and impenitent,
along with Satan and his followers, will go into the lake of fire, the
second death.
