Q&A on the end times - Part 2 of 2

Along with the previous post, here are 10 quick, but critical things to understand about the end times. These are provided by Pastor Chuck Johnson "to identify where one is eschatologically" speaking. Our intent is not to give exhaustive answers, but to provide short, abridged responses to basic eschatological questions. To keep the posts a reasonable length, I published his Q&A in two installments. Here are questions 6-10 plus one bonus question.

Question 6: What is our proper response to the Second Coming?

Answer: Our proper response to the second coming is I Thess. 4, comfort one another; I Peter, be holy; and Matt. 24:42, be on the alert.

Question 7: What brings on the Messianic Kingdom?

Answer: Our Lord's Coming by His sovereign plan brings on the Millenium, not because the church is going to convert the world first, or because the world will become better and better.

Question 8: Is Matthew 24 referring to the future Second Coming of Christ to earth, or A.D. 70 when Jerusalem and therefore the Jewish nation was destroyed by the Romans?

Answer: The Partial Preterist or Preterist view today says Matt. 24 took place in a.d. 70 at the destruction of Jerusalem. Using the "Normal Method" of interpretation, the phenomena described in Matt. 24 (after the tribulation with the "abomination of desolation" -- the man of sin, "the sun darkened", "the moon will not give its light"), did not occur in a.d. 70. For several other reasons Matt. 24 has not all taken place yet, the coming of Christ is future as it is described in Matt. 24.

Question 9: Is the Tribulation the last seven years of Jewish history, and therefore God primarily working with Israel?

Answer: Comparing Daniel 9 with Matt. 24 and many other N.T. passages such as Rev. 4-19, I conclude that the Tribulation is primarily Jewish, and God is disciplining Israel, and motivating them to repentance (Rom. 11:26 -- all Israel will be saved) to be ready for the Millenium, therefore I believe the seven year tribulation is the promised last seven years of Jewish history.

Question 10: Does Matthew 25 follow Matthew 24 chronologically?

Answer: I think the "Then" of Matt. 25:1 is definitely chronological, and in v. 31 it is clearly immediately following the second coming of Christ described in Matt. 24.

Bonus Question: What are the identifiable characteristics of the "man of sin"/the antichrist and what are proposed characteristics that are false.

Answer: The specific characteristics of the man of sin are found in Daniel 7,8,9; in II Thess. 2; and in Rev. 13ff.

Pastor Johnson earned his Masters of Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary and is the pastor at Kearney Bible Church in Kearney, Mo.