Alot of people are blogging about the end times in part due to John MacArthur's opening address at the 2007 Shepherd's conference.
The men at Expository Thoughts remind us why the "blog world" can be a dangerous place esp. when dealing with secondary issues that are hotly debated among the scholars. Their is often alot of hot air produced in mass volumes when it comes to Christian Blogging... Anyways, please check out http://expositorythoughts.wordpress.com/
Tim Challies has done a wonderful job highlighting all the lectures/sermons from the Shepherd's conference and you can find his work here http://www.challies.com/
Phil Johnson posted the following sermon by C.H. Spurgeon at http://teampyro.blogspot.com/
"I am not given to prophesying, and I fear that the fixing of dates and periods has been exceedingly injurious to the whole system of premillennial teaching; but I think I clearly see in Scripture that the Lord Jesus Christ will come—so far I go, and take my stand—that he will come personally to reign upon this earth.At his coming it appears clear to me that he will gather together the Jewish people, that Jerusalem shall become the metropolis of the new empire which shall then extend from pole to pole, from the river even to the ends of the earth. If this be a correct interpretation of prophecy, you may read the whole of Zechariah 2 through and understand it; you have the key to every sentence: without such a belief; I see not how to interpret the prophet’s meaning.Dear friends, we may sometimes refresh our minds with a prospect of the kingdom which is soon to cover all lands, and make the sun and moon ashamed by its superior glory. We are not to indulge in prophesyings as some do, making them our spiritual food, our meat and drink; but still we may take them as choice morsels, and special delicacies set upon the table; they are condiments which may often give a sweeter taste, or, if you will, a greater pungency and savor to other doctrines; prophetic views light up the crown of Jesus with a superior splendor; they make his manhood appear illustrious as we see him still in connection with the earth: to have a kingdom here as well as there; to sit upon a throne here as well as in yonder skies; to subdue his adversaries even upon this Aceldama, as in the realm of spirits; to make even this poor earth upon which the trail of the serpent is so manifest, a place where the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.If our view of prophecy be the correct one, it seems to be in perfect harmony with all the doctrines of the gospel. God certainly did elect his people the Jews; he made a covenant with his servant Abraham, and albeit you will remind us that this was only a temporal covenant, I would remind you that it was the type of the spiritual one, and it would be an unhappy reflection for us if the typical covenant should prove to be only temporary as well as temporal; if that came to an end, and if God cast away, in any sense, the people whom he did foreknow, it might augur to us the ill foreboding that mayhap he might cast away his spiritual seed also, and that those who were chosen as the spiritual seed of Abraham, might yet be cut off from the olive into which they had been grafted. If the natural branches are cast away for ever, why not the grafted branches too?But here is our joy, the God who sware unto his servant Abraham that to him and to his seed would he give the land for ever, hath not gone back from his word; they shall possess the land; their feet shall joyously tread its fruitful acres yet again; they shall sit every man under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and none shall make them afraid; and so the spiritual seed to whom the spiritual heritage is given as by a covenant of salt, they also shall possess their heritage for ever, and of their rightful portion no robber shall despoil them."
If you want to join the conversation please check out my friend Nathan's site at http://www.sfpulpit.com/
1 comment:
Paul Lamey wrote,
"I’m watching the whole discussion on MacArthur and the millennium from the sideline and all I can say is the state of biblical argumentation and hermeneutics is in a sad place if the web is any representation of how people think about Scripture and these sort of issues. I really have nothing to offer here other than an occasional post where we might address subjects of eschatology. For now, I would highly commend Jerry Wragg, Rich Ryan, and Pat Howell’s comments in this thread. I will say that a few of us are working on a series for Expository Thoughts on the “priority of the OT” which is sure to bring-out the theological fangs again. At least now we know what to expect.
In related news, Phil Johnson has given us his weekly dose of Spurgeon and this week he delivers with a timely look at Spurgeon’s eschatology. As in all things, I think we understand that Spurgeon is not the final word in doctrinal matters. However, it is always interesting to note how he gets brought-out in discussions like this and usually misrepresented. Over the last hundred years, Spurgeon has been referenced in support of every millennial position under the Sun. Nevertheless, I think Phil is spot on in how he understands the Prince of Preachers. For a more academic treatment I would commend this article on Spurgeon’s eschatology from Dennis Swanson which is based on his seminary thesis.
Lastly, since we’re talking about Spurgeon, I would recommend that everyone read Spurgeon’s two-volume autobiograpy (The Early Years and The Full Harvest). There is something in it for everyone. Most Sunday afternoons and evenings I read a number of pages and he simply recharges my batteries.
Have a blessed Lord’s Day"
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