Tribulation is here, and we need to know God's word.
This is the gist of chapter 7 in Greg Beale's A New Testament Biblical Theology. In 37 pages, he lays out how the eschatological tribulation has been inaugurated with Jesus and the church. It's here, now.
Tribulation Already
Telltale marks of the tribulation, according to Daniel 7–12, include
persecution and deception through false teaching. The apostles were
mindful of how present these things were in their own day, especially
the rise of false teaching. John even drops the A-word (antichrist) in 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7.
Though it seems to have not yet reached its climax, the tribulation
clearly has begun (the whole period between Christ’s two comings), and
Christians are called to persevere.
On the corporate level, a major part of this perseverance is church
elders (gently) correcting insidious doctrines that raise their head
within the covenant community (see 2 Timothy). As individuals, the best
antidote is to understand temptation — and know the Bible.
Deception All Over Again
Beale observes that the same ways Satan deceived Adam and Eve at the
beginning of history are reproduced by the biblical authors to
characterize his deception at history's end. On this note, Beale shows
how we can learn from the initial failure to trust God's word: Continue at Jonathan Parnell
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