Ruminations on biblical studies, technology, economics, and sports from Jason A. Staples
I suppose it’s about as good a time as any to deal with this popular misinterpretation, given Harold Camping‘s ridiculous prediction that the church will be raptured at 6PM on May 21 (time zone by time zone, no less!). Yet again, the passage in question deals with eschatology (the end times), a subject that has [...] Read more »
There’s a pretty good post on how various eschatological perspectives have influenced American foreign policy decisions over at the New Jerusalem Community Blog. Though not exactly precise in terminology (identifying “premillennial” with “dispensational” when the former does not necessarily imply the latter), the blog is an excellent read about how certain end times theologies have [...] Read more »
A good post over at the TCoJC blog compiles a list of quotations on eschatology from the church fathers. Unfortunately, the quotes are not in chronological order, but it is an interesting read nonetheless. (Missing from the list are the numerous quotes from church fathers talking about the pre-tribulation rapture and all the horrible events [...] Read more »
The tradition that Jesus' ministry lasted 3.5 years stems from early Christian interpretations of the prophesy of the seventy "sevens" in Daniel 9. Remarkably, although that tradition remains standard, Daniel 9 is now often interpreted very differently... Read more »
International strife, wars, rumors of wars, famines, and pestilence are not the "signs of the times." In fact, Jesus warns his disciples against being alarmed by these things or thinking they signal the end times. Amazingly, Jesus' words have been read to mean almost exactly the opposite of what he actually said. Read more »
