OPINION (PNW) – The prevailing mindset of many Bible-believing pastors today is that eschatology, or the study of future things, is not only separate from the preaching of Gospel but detracts from it. They maintain that our task of fulfilling the Great Commission excludes teaching on prophecy, which they believe only confuses believers and stirs up unwelcome controversy. Is this way of thinking biblical? No, it is not. This represents a myopic way of viewing both the commands and teachings of Jesus, who highlighted
“eternal life” as the result of belief in Him and commanded His followers to watch for His return. Let’s explore these things in more detail. Jesus emphasized eternity throughout His earthly ministry. The Gospel of John records at least a dozen instances where Jesus promised “eternal life” to those who believe in Him. We are all familiar with John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The foundation of the Gospel is the promise of eternal life versus the fate of everlasting punishment in hell. READ MORE
