Eschatology - is it part of the Armor of God?

[Runningman]

All parts of the Bible may fall under the armor piece known as the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14) because the Bible is the truth and Jesus is the truth, but interpretation of some doctrines like eschatology are a different matter because Jesus never actually says the day or hour he returns. So there's a lot of speculation.

Eschatology interpretation normally falls into two main camps: pre-tribulationism and post-tribulationism. I think post-tribulationism is accurate.

While misinterpreting the meaning of when Christ returns is not a matter of saved or not saved, for we are saved by grace through faith as a gift from God and not by works.

Misinterpreting the timing of eschatological events can absolutely lead to disillusionment and confusion. If people become disillusioned with their faith it can lead to mass apostasy on a global level.

So the other pieces of the armor are the breastplate of righteousness, the boots of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit, and prayer.

So sound doctrine is actually vitally important to the throughly equipped and prepared person of God.

Question: will someone remain wearing the other pieces of the armor of God is they have become disillusioned and bitter with their faith?

 

[Nebuchadnezzer]

All parts of the Bible may fall under the armor piece known as the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14) because the Bible is the truth and Jesus is the truth, but interpretation of some doctrines like eschatology are a different matter because Jesus never actually says the day or hour he returns. So there's a lot of speculation.

Eschatology interpretation normally falls into two main camps: pre-tribulationism and post-tribulationism. I think post-tribulationism is accurate.

These are man-made terms that serve to pigeon hole and restrict believers from understanding the purpose and application of eschatology.

These man-made terms serve as a sleight of hand. They get you focused on the FUTURE to purposefully draw your attention away from the flaming arrows that are striking HERE and NOW.

Eschatology is part of the Armor to help us recognize where the flaming arrows are coming from HERE and NOW.

If you can't see where or how the enemy is attacking, it is much harder to stand against the attacks.

 

[Nebuchadnezzer]

Question: will someone remain wearing the other pieces of the armor of God is they have become disillusioned and bitter with their faith?

Absolutely not. You must remember and hold fast to

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

[Runningman]

These are man-made terms that serve to pigeon hole and restrict believers from understanding the purpose and application of eschatology.

These man-made terms serve as a sleight of hand. They get you focused on the FUTURE to purposefully draw your attention away from the flaming arrows that are striking HERE and NOW.

Eschatology is part of the Armor to help us recognize where the flaming arrows are coming from HERE and NOW.

If you can't see where or how the enemy is attacking, it is much harder to stand against the attacks.

That's an interesting way to look at it and I think it's also a good way to look at it.

Eschatology is divided up into multiple events that take place on a timeline. So making reference to the birth pains, the great rebellion, the rise of the anti-Christ, the tribulation, the return of Jesus, and rapture are not out of line in this sort of discussion.

A sleight of hand in a discussion about eschatology would be a foot in the door technique where someone tells 9 truths and 1 lie, then building upon that one lie in an attempt to undermine someone's talking points.

A trick of the devil in spiritual warfare is capitalizing on ignorance to pull the rug out from under someone without them even realizing it. These are the very darts our shield of faith protects us against, but just how different members serve a purpose in one body - different armor pieces serve a purpose in one suit of armor. Does that make sense?

 

[Deade]

For example, it is generally thought that there will be a nuke war. But this is not what is prophesied; several verses say the Lord will destroy all weapons of war on His Day of fiery wrath. Haggai 2:2-22, Hosea 2:18, Psalms 76:3, Ezekiel 7:14, +

You cannot make such a statement. Some of the very descriptions in Revelation suggest nuclear engagement. Like the fiery ball from heaven (simply the sky). Or how about the third of waters and land becoming wormwood?

People today are mostly in denial of what the future may hold for them. Worldwide natural disasters and manmade problems seem to be proliferating with no easing up or solutions in sight. It may just be possible for mankind to overcome its plagues, economic woes, resource shortages and rebuild earthquake damage, etc, but a prospective World War 3, starting in the Middle East, has the potential to practically wipe us out and pollute large areas of the earth.

Do you suppose WW III will be started without nuclear weapons? Does not mankind bring forth their most destructive instruments eventually? Yes, if the is a global war it will have nukes.

 

[Nebuchadnezzer]

That's an interesting way to look at it and I think it's also a good way to look at it.

Eschatology is divided up into multiple events that take place on a timeline. So making reference to the birth pains, the great rebellion, the rise of the anti-Christ, the tribulation, the return of Jesus, and rapture are not out of line in this sort of discussion.

A sleight of hand in a discussion about eschatology would be a foot in the door technique where someone tells 9 truths and 1 lie, then building upon that one lie in an attempt to undermine someone's talking points.

A trick of the devil in spiritual warfare is capitalizing on ignorance to pull the rug out from under someone without them even realizing it. These are the very darts our shield of faith protects us against, but just how different members serve a purpose in one body - different armor pieces serve a purpose in one suit of armor. Does that make sense?

I like what you wrote.
I have heard that a good lie always starts with the truth.

Yes, there are different pieces of armor with each piece serving a different purpose, all coming together to form one full suit of armor.

Which piece of the armor would eschatology be, I am not sure.
I am still working out the question of whether or not eschatology is part of the Armor.

 

[Deade]

Church History:
The first couple hundred years after Christ the church was persecuted (satan attacking church from the outside in)
Then Emperor Constantine had a false vision, and decided to "fight for Christ". he legalized christianity 313 AD thus stopping persecution (satan attacking church from the outside in). Instead satan used Constantine, and others, to attack the church by infiltration of it (attacking the church from the inside out).
Constantine and the emperors that followed grabbed control over the church and redefined it. Then once the roman empire had firm grip of the church (infiltrating it from the inside out) in 381 AD they put forth the edict of thessilonica where they restarted the persecutions.

Thus for the next 1200 years Satan attacked the church from:
1) persecution (attack the church from the outside in)
2) infiltration (attack the church from the inside out)

How eschtology provides us with part of the Armor is that it foretells us of these tactics that satan will use.

1) persecution (attack of church from the outside in) --> This is the Beast
2) infiltration (attack of the church from the inside out) --> This is the False Prophet

During the Middle Ages Satan was able to employ both these tactics at the same time. Thus the reason why the Middle Ages were the Dark Ages.

Perhaps some will digest this and give consideration to this.
I will pause here before I write more in my next post.

Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Satan got into the religion business soon after the Christian era began. He had to get Emperor Constantine to adopt it so he could call the Nicene Council and start the perversions.

Then he made sure nobody could read to start the dark ages. Those those could read were not allowed to read scripture.

Christianity spearheaded by the Catholic Church did more damage to anointed Christians than any other group.

Christianity has long ago lost the true Gospel. It is not the story of what Jesus did to rectify mankind to the Father (although that is part of it). What is the real Gospel but what God has in store for the rest of the world, not called at this time.

That has all been lost to history and why we can't rectify some scriptures like John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

1 Jn. 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

Most Christians today, have no clue what is in store for the unbelievers.

 

[Keras]

You cannot make such a statement. Some of the very descriptions in Revelation suggest nuclear engagement. Like the fiery ball from heaven (simply the sky). Or how about the third of waters and land becoming wormwood?



Do you suppose WW III will be started without nuclear weapons? Does not mankind bring forth their most destructive instruments eventually? Yes, if the is a global war it will have nukes. View attachment 221737

A fiery ball from the sky?
I don't see how that describes a nuke. Or makes 1/3rd of all the worlds water become poisonous.

What it does describe is a strike on the earth by a Coronal Mass Ejection; an explosion on the suns surface. Exactly what Isaiah 30:26a says will happen.
The sun does eject fiery matter on an irregular basis. They cause radio interference and auroras. But there have been some bigger CME's that caused damage to our modern infrastructure.
A really big one will literally fulfil all the graphic prophesies about the terrible Day of the Lord's vengeance and wrath.

There will be no war; Ezekiel 7:14. The Lord will arise and send fire upon them all. Psalms 7:12-16, Psalms 11:4-6, Amos 1, Jeremiah 49:35-37 He will destroy all weapons of war; Isaiah 34:2, Amos 5:9, Psalms 46:9, Revelation 6:12-17

 

[GaryA]

Which piece of the armor would eschatology be, I am not sure.
I am still working out the question of whether or not eschatology is part of the Armor.

I don't think I would consider it in terms of it being a 'piece' of the armor; however, if anything, I think that it would most likely best fit in with 'knowledge of truth' as part of that which is girt about the loins...

 

[Nebuchadnezzer]

Church History:
The first couple hundred years after Christ the church was persecuted (satan attacking church from the outside in)
Then Emperor Constantine had a false vision, and decided to "fight for Christ". he legalized christianity 313 AD thus stopping persecution (satan attacking church from the outside in). Instead satan used Constantine, and others, to attack the church by infiltration of it (attacking the church from the inside out).
Constantine and the emperors that followed grabbed control over the church and redefined it. Then once the roman empire had firm grip of the church (infiltrating it from the inside out) in 381 AD they put forth the edict of thessilonica where they restarted the persecutions.

Thus for the next 1200 years Satan attacked the church from:
1) persecution (attack the church from the outside in)
2) infiltration (attack the church from the inside out)

How eschtology provides us with part of the Armor is that it foretells us of these tactics that satan will use.

1) persecution (attack of church from the outside in) --> This is the Beast
2) infiltration (attack of the church from the inside out) --> This is the False Prophet

During the Middle Ages Satan was able to employ both these tactics at the same time. Thus the reason why the Middle Ages were the Dark Ages.

Perhaps some will digest this and give consideration to this.
I will pause here before I write more in my next post.

Then the reformation began.
To escape persecution some fled to the New World.

Puritans populated the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England. They felt that the Church of England still possessed too many of the Roman Catholic rituals and polity.
As the word "puritan" indicates they tried to themselves purity the church. However, only Christ can purify.
Although they were split from the Roman Catholic Church and separate from the Church of England, the puritans practiced the same things. They themselves also executed heretics in order to keep their sect "pure".
And so the puritans were still cut from the same cloth as the churches they were trying to reform or purify.

Roger Williams saw that the Church of England was irrevocably corrupt and could not be purified. He also saw the same problems in the puritan churches. Williams saw that they had to be left, completely broken away from. He founded Rhode Island and advocated for the separation of Church and State. Another name for Church and State Which is False Prophet and Beast.

America had to fight and win a revolutionary war to sustain separation of Church and State. In order to rid of the beast.
And so for the last two hundred years or more the church in America have been essentially free from persecution from the outside in (free from the Beast).

Therefore, if the church in America has been largely protected from satan attacking it from the outside in, how then has satan been attacking the church in America?

Satan has been attacking the church in America from the inside out (false prophet). I will again pause here and add more in the coming days.