History, God's Gift to Humanity
When I read well researched articles that deal with a lot of historical data and historical settings I am often amazed at the enormous historical research that it must have taken to write such articles. While historical research is not quite my forte, there is a very strong feeling that this is so very important to us. There is a sense that history is God’s gift to humanity.
Some who will be reading this little article like myself, used to be biblical futurists [A biblical futurist is someone that sees the second appearance of Christ as yet future, and the end of the age as yet future.]. From this angle we had a very different perspective of what history was going to mean to us once the end of the world would take place [as we anticipated such a thing]. History would then in a sense be finished and its work would have been done.
Working from the perspective of covenantal “end-times”, our view of the purpose of history is most likely going to change somewhat (Eph. 2:7, 3:21). Biblical history then becomes a way of seeing how God has worked in His creation to bring about solutions for humanity and so affect ongoing history. Human history [as we may have thought of it] then becomes something else other than temporary and final.
“That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end [unto all generations]. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
The first-fruits [first century Christians that saw the end of the age in front of them] were promised a very special reward. Indeed, a reward that touches upon the subject of “ongoing history” (Revelation 3:12) and how ongoing history would be affected and even steered. Quite different, from the historical impact that would come upon apostate Israel and the children of the old Jerusalem (Revelation 14:11, 19:1-3; Isaiah 66:24; Jeremiah 23:39-40). Indeed, Sodom’s historical recorded demise foreshadowed (was an example of) what was then about to happen to apostate Israel (Jude 7-13).
In the record of biblical eschatology Sodom had served as a prelude (“example”) to what would take place in the consummation of biblical eschatology [the finalizing of that history, that time, that era]. Not being, necessarily the last word that consummation has to offer (Romans 11:25-36). It being however the final word concerning that which was of the “fleshly” status and was caused to utterly perish (2 Peter 2:12-13) and fully pass away (1 John 2:15-17), in the last moments (Rev. 22:11-17) of consummation and the birthing of God’s new age.
One of the most interesting points however, is that the biblical record of eschatology does not record it’s own ending. There is no verse in the Bible that says, “The old has now passed away”, except in prophecy of that coming passing. God apparently had enough to say about it in anticipation of it, that no further words were necessary.
Could we say then that God is allowing what we might call “secular history” to fill in the historical finality of the consummation of biblical eschatology [end-times]? If so, then we might consider that this in itself might indicate something important about ongoing history.
Secular history is not perfect by any means but has it become or is it becoming sufficient for the task of ongoing human development?
As we look back upon almost 2 thousand years of ongoing “church history” we might feel a little “let down” to say the least. Yes indeed there is a visible trend. Covering at least the last 1600 years, maybe longer, the persecuted rise up and become the persecutors. This happens time and time again. Atrocity after atrocity in the name of the love of God, Church with its own army, and controlling theocracy just for beginners. Is reviewing and studying this a good thing? I think so because I believe that history is a gift from God. Without history there can be no social transformation, no social evolution, no perspective of the present and no hope of the future. History is God’s gift to humankind. History is to be cherished, studied, learned from, and respected for its value and importance. We should be listening very carefully to history. It speaks a tale of where we have come from and where we may be heading. What then does church history teach us? What indeed?
In the history of eschatology [end-time studies that are recorded in the Bible] we see a historical “filling up” of the “fathers’ guilt” coming upon the terminal generation, which Jesus calls a "generation of vipers". The shed blood and murder of all those righteous men recorded in its history would come upon this terminal generation of "snakes" in the consummation of this (eschatological) history (Matt. 23:31-36).
So powerful is the “record” or “testimony” of this history that Melchizedek as high priest with no written or recorded history of genealogy is said to be, “without father, without mother, without decent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life: but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually”. On a recorded historical basis he foreshadowed the Christ (1 Timothy 2:5, the one mediator). And in the history of the eschatological status of the “flesh” the son’s Levi paid tithes through Abraham, through the status of the flesh and blood (genealogy).
The Bible is primarily the history and record of eschatology. There may be therefore something to said about what the last 2000 (almost) years of history has taught. What it has taught us in view of the consummation of biblical history almost 2000 years ago.
Much of the history of eschatology can be summed up in the word “knowledge”. The “knowledge of good and evil” [the disparaging need to be right, (bringing sacrifice and murder through that need)], the “knowledge of sin” [increased consciousness of sin-death, (increasing judgment and wrath)], “knowledge will increase” [the gospel, the good news] “know as we have been fully known” [face to face].
But why must we relive the Pharisees? Why the “dark ages” after fulfillment? Why the very long road to move out of theocracy? Why is the concept of “fulfillment” catching on after so very long a time? A little discouraging perhaps wouldn’t you say? After all, we might have expected things to move much faster than they have.
Some people think that the two most significant historical events since the time of Christ are the printing press and the Internet. Both deal directly knowledge. Both have shaped the church and have brought reformation and transformation to the church. Both undermine the control of knowledge by those “in religious power”. I see a trend! Perhaps even a little bit of a pattern.
There seems to be a particular movement that is apparently hard to deny. Even if the dates do not match perfectly some of the underlining points concerning knowledge do in principle match quite well. Such a concept is seen in view of knowledge and the facility or ease in which knowledge is communicated freely. When post AD history is paralleled with the history of eschatology it touches upon the time of the giving of the law at Mount Sinai and the time of Abraham leading backward toward the confusion of language at Babel.
To make some parallel points concerning knowledge in its historical outworking in post eschatology [post end-times] as compared with the history of eschatology, we can move from Babel, in its confusion of languages essentially stopping immediately their advances, to Abraham and the promises of “all the families of the earth” would be blessed. Then to Moses and the commandments written in stone. Now compare this to the inevitable, just around the corner, barrier of languages being broken down in and through instant translation, the present advancing Internet touching all the families of the earth and the printing press where the first book printing was the bible. Do you see any parallels here? Do you find it the least bit interesting as to how, in the very least an appearance of how history seems to be working out in reference to the concept of “knowledge”.
How accurate these BC to AD dates may be is not really of great importance. There is no attempt here to try and recreate the concept of ongoing prophecy. Rather a concept of how history is working in our favor through the grace of God. And henceforth the need for us to have some patience and work in the present with a respect and understanding that past history gives us. What is becoming abundantly clear is that God is still working in his creation, and he has been taking some time to do it. That “time” is seen as history for us. Almost 2000 years for us who see things in their fulfilled end times context.
What can we learn from history? That it is a gift worthy of our attention. That it tells us where we have been and may give us a glimpse of where God may be taking humanity. It tells us that we are participants in the ongoing story. It tells us that what we do now is important. That the lessons that we can learn form the past should be applied in the present thus affecting the present and the future.
We do not get the impression that we are merely bystanders watching things unfold that we can have very little part in. But neither do we get the impression that what is happening is just for us in our own time, as if we are not only at the center of the universe but at the center if time itself. We are part of a family that extends to both the past and the future.
An over ambitious save the world in our generation is a little short sighted as an approach to life in view of history. A “sit back” and just let things happen mentality is just as short sighted. We are part of something much bigger here.
By Barry Dupont
