FROM NOW TO ETERNITY: PROPHECY AND THE END TIMES – A SUMMARY

SUMMARY OF JACK COTTRELL’S “COLLECTED WRITINGS” SERIES:
VOLUME TWELVE: FROM NOW TO ETERNITY: PROPHECY AND THE END TIMES, by Jack Cottrell

INTRODUCTION

The first eleven volumes in this series were not written as parts of a “systematic theology”; they are just miscellaneous brief studies on various aspects of Biblical subjects and (mostly) grouped around specific subjects. This volume is different, however. Here I have indeed attempted to produce a unified systematic study of what the Bible says about a specific subject: prophecy and the end times. This is not just an organized collection of miscellaneous brief studies and sermons about that subject.

Most of this material can be found presented on an academic level in the last seven chapters of my book, The Faith Once for All. The style is a bit different here, being more on a popular or sermonic level than an academic level. It is actually divided into thirteen subjects that can form a three-month sermon or lesson series. (In my experience, though, it takes more than one week to cover the material in each of these individual lessons!)

These lessons were originally composed as a sermon series which I presented at the Miamitown (OH) Church of Christ in 2005. These sermons, accompanied by a 59-page printed form of the outlines distributed to the audience, were made available in audio form by College Press in 2008; here they have been expanded and made available in a prose format.

The view of the end times defended and explained here is usually called the amillennial view, even though this term is quite misleading—as is explained in the chapter on this subject.

Because of the way this volume differs from the others, I have decided not to select certain portions for summarizing while just listing the others. Each chapter is well outlined, so I have chosen here to simply present an outline of the content of all the chapters, using the form of the outline in each printed chapter. I should also point out that chapter one was not included in the original twelve-sermon series; that is why there are thirteen chapters here instead of twelve!

CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION

I. Introducing the Book of Revelation: six basic facts:

A. The real-time events described in Revelation are happening in TWO distinct places.
B. There are TWO kinds of narratives or events in the Book of Revelation.
C. The language of Revelation is mostly figurative, not literal.
D. The PURPOSE of the Book of Revelation is to show us that God is in charge of the whole course of history.
E. The OUTLINE of the Book of Revelation is NOT CHRONOLOGICAL, but is rather a series of PARALLEL descriptions of Christian history leading up to the end times.
F. Christian history—the period between the first and second comings of Christ—is divided into two periods, according to Revelation 20:1-10.

II. A Survey of Main sections of Revelation. (Each section ends with an end-times event.)

A. Chapters 4-7: The Seven Seals
1. 6:2 – The first coming of Christ
2. 6:4ff. – “Who’s in charge here?”
3. 6:12-17 – The judgment day
4. 7:16-17 – The final heaven

B. Chapters 8-11: The Trumpets
1. Throughout – “Who’s in charge here?”
2. 11:7-10 – The loosing of Satan
3. 11:11-14 – The church’s victory
4. 11:15-18 – The second coming and judgment day

C. Chapters 12-14: The Dragon and the Beast
1. Chapter 12 – The first coming of Christ
2. Chapter 13 – “Who’s in charge here?”
3. 14:6-20 – Judgment and wrath upon the wicked

D. Chapters 15-19: The Bowls and Babylon
1. Chapters 15-18 – “Who’s in charge here?”
2. 19:7-9 – Heaven
3. 19:11-21 – Hell

E. Chapters 20-22: The Heavenly Kingdom
1. 20:1-6 – The first coming of Christ and the church era
2. 20:7-10 – The loosing of Satan and the second coming of Christ
3. 20:11-15 – The judgment day
4. Chapters 21-22 – The final heaven

CHAPTER 2: THE FOUR “HEAVENS” IN THE BIBLE

I. The Divine Heaven: God’s very being or pure divine essence.
II. The physical heavens: The skies above, outer space.
III. The angelic heaven: God’s present throne room.
IV. The final, future heaven: Our eternal home

CHAPTER 3: THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME (Matthew 12:28)

I. The Kingdom promised. (Old Testament prophecies.)

II. The Kingdom established.

A. The great and good King is Jesus.
B. Jesus established His Kingdom when He came the FIRST time.
C. Christ’s Kingdom is spiritual, not physical or political.
D. Christ’s Kingdom is the CHURCH.
E. Jesus reigns over us—His Church, His Kingdom—from His throne in the angelic heaven.

III. The Kingdom distorted.

IV. The Kingdom rejected.

CHAPTER 4: “THE MILLENNIUM IS NOW!” (Revelation 20:1-6)

I. Facts about the millennium.

A. Main millennial views.
B. The nature of prophetic language, especially in Revelation, leads to the amillennial view.
C. The contents of the Book of Revelation are not chronological.

II. Satan is bound NOW! Revelation 20:1-3.

III. We receive our first resurrection NOW! Revelation 20:4-6.

IV. Christians reign with Christ NOW! Revelation 20:4, 6.

CHAPTER FIVE: ISRAEL IN PROPHECY

I. To understand Bible prophecy, you must know what the Bible itself says about the nature of prophecy.

A. Prophecy about Israel’s original possession of the land of Canaan.
B. Prophecy about Israel’s disobedience and captivity.
C. Prophecy about Israel’s return to their homeland and their rebuilding of the temple.
D. Prophecy about a New Covenant with Israel.
E. Prophecy about Israel being a magnet attracting all nations.

II. To understand Bible prophecy, you must know Bible history.

A. God promised to give the land of Canaan to the Israelite nation. DONE!
B. God prophesied that disobedient Israel would go into captivity and be separated from their land. DONE!
C. God prophesied Israel’s return to their homeland. DONE!
D. God specifically prophesied the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. DONE!
E. The most important prophecy fulfilled by physical Israel was the first coming of Christ. DONE!

III. To understand Bible prophecy, you must understand that all reality is NOT physical—especially regarding Israel.

CHAPER SIX: ARE WE HEADIN’ FOR ARMAGEDDON?

I. Where does the Bible teach intense spiritual warfare preceding the second coming?

A. Anti-Christ: 1 John 2:18-22; 4:3; 2 John 7.
B. The loosing of Satan: Revelation 20:3, 7-9.
C. The Man of Lawlessness: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12.
D. Wickedness: 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
E. Armageddon: Revelation 16:12-16.

II. Are we in the “end times” now?

A. We live in a time of exceedingly great falsehood.
B. We live in a time of exceedingly great wickedness.
C. We live in a time when the Church is the target of much Satanic persecution.

III. How can we be ready for Armageddon?

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

I. The visibility of Jesus’s second coming.
II. The victory of Jesus’s second coming.
III. The vindication from His second coming.

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE OTHER SIDE OF DEATH

I. On the other side of death, we will be conscious.
II. On the other side of death, we will be bodiless.
III. On the other side of death, we will be perfect.
IV. On the other side of death, we will be happy.
V. On the other side of death, we will be hopeful.

CHAPTER NINE: RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD

I. Why will there be a resurrection?

A. First of all, we need a body because THAT’S WHO WE ARE.
B. After we die, our intermediate, bodiless state is UNNATURAL.
C. Thus the resurrection of the body is needed to defeat our last enemy, DEATH.

II. How will the resurrection happen?

III. What kind of bodies will we have for eternity?

A. Our new bodies will be like our old ones in SHAPE and APPEARANCE.
B. Our new bodies will be like JESUS’S new glorified body in SUBSTANCE and QUALITY.
C. What will this glorified body be like?

CHAPTER TEN: WHAT IS THE RAPTURE?

I. At the second coming, Christians will be raptured.

A. The CONCEPT of the rapture.
B. The CONDITIONS of the rapture.
C. The CONFUSION about a “secret” rapture.

II. At the second coming, there will be two raptures: one for the wicked and one for the righteous; and – SURPRISE! – the wicked are raptured first!

CHAPTER 11: THE FINAL JUDGMENT

I. Facts about the final judgment.

A. Where will it take place? In the ANGELIC HEAVEN.
B. Who will be the JUDGE? Both God the Father and God the Son.
C. Who will be judged? EVERY human being.
D. What will be judged? All our WORKS, both good and evil.

II. The purpose of the final judgment.

A. Determination of REWARDS and PUNISHMENTS.
B. Vindication of God’s JUSTICE in condemning some to hell.
C. Glorification of God’s GRACE in saving some to heaven, though their works will show that they do NOT deserve it!

CHAPTER 12: WHAT ABOUT HELL?

I. HOW will the wicked be punished?

A. Hell is like a GARBAGE DUMP.
B. Hell is like being confined in UTTER DARKNESS.
C. Hell is SEPARATION FROM GOD.

II. HOW LONG will the wicked be punished?

III. HOW COME there will be such a place as hell?

A. God is a RIGHTEOUS God.
B. God is a CONSUMING FIRE.
C. God is LOVE.

CHAPTER 13: WHAT ABOUT HEAVEN?

I. The nature of heaven.

II. The blessings of heaven.

A. Physical blessings.
B. Mental blessings.
C. Spiritual blessings.

III. The heirs of heaven.