Dr Paul Allen

Islam has been called a Christian heresy for centuries — first by the Church father  St. John of Damascus , an Arab Christian who lived during the Muslim conquests. Other notable Christian thinkers since —  Martin Luther ,  Hillaire Belloc , and  C.S. Lewis  among them —have agreed. Why? Because Islam’s founder, Muhammad, and the compilers of its holy book, the Quran, clearly cribbed from the Bible — both the  Old  and  New Testaments , as well as the  apocryphal “gospels ” that didn’t make the canonical cut.  In fact, a great  many biblical figures and events turn up in the Muslim holy book ,  as well as in  hadiths  — extra-Quranic sayings attributed to Muhammad. These figures include Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, John the Baptist, Mary, and Jesus—but in the Quran, they’re all given a quite different spin.  Raymond Ibrahim deconstructed the Islamic Mary recently; a s for her Son, Muhammad’s  `Isa  litt...

The biblical end times, also called eschatology, is a complex and varied topic with different viewpoints held by various Christian denominations and scholars. I'll provide a brief overview of some prominent biblical end-times viewpoints: Preterism: This viewpoint asserts that many prophecies regarding the end times, particularly those found in the book of Revelation, were fulfilled in the past. Preterists interpret these prophecies as referring to events that occurred during the early years of Christianity or around the time of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD. Historicist: Historicists interpret the book of Revelation as a symbolic representation of the entire course of history from when it was written until the second coming of Jesus. They see various events and figures mentioned in Revelation as representing specific historical periods and individuals. This viewpoint was prevalent among Protestant reformers. Futurism: Futurists believe that many of the prophec...

What does eschatology mean? The word “eschatology” comes from a combination of Greek words meaning “the study of last things,” or the study of the end times. 1 In the article “Eschatology” in the  Lexham Bible Dictionary  (LBD) Page Brooks writes that  eschatology includes death, the intermediate state, the afterlife, judgment, the millennium, heaven, and hell, but it also refers to the time of Jesus’ second coming . Keep reading to do a deeper dive into what eschatology is, where eschatological themes are in the Bible, why Christians should study eschatology, and more. You can start at the beginning and read to the end or jump to the topics that interest you. Eschatology in the Old Testament Eschatology in the New Testament What are the 4 views of the end times? Why study eschatology? Why is there so much disagreement about end times prophecy? Do the creeds agree on the end times? Where is the concept of eschatology in the Bible? According to Brooks, eschatological ideas...

Despite popular belief, Saul did not become Paul on the road to Damascus. Those are simply two versions of the same name: Saul the Hebrew version, Paul the Roman. However, what did change when Christ appeared to Paul—and it’s perhaps the most overlooked part of the story— was Paul’s eschatology. In Paul’s encounter with Christ, he saw the end breaking into the present. Paul, his vision was nothing less than “a day of the Lord.” What is “a day of the Lord”? “Day of the Lord” terminology is grounded in the Old Testament. A day of the Lord is an event when he comes in righteous and merciful judgment. While the prophets referred to many “days of the Lord,” in their near future, these all foreshadowed one climactic and final “Day.” Historic and localized events in Israel’s history such as famine, war, and exile all predicted the ultimate Day. In this climactic Day of the Lord, he will visit the world to vindicate his people, judge the nations, and establish his kingdom of peace (e.g....

One of the most encouraging developments in evangelicalism over the past several decades has been the remarkable resurgence of reformed theology. This rediscovery of the doctrines of grace has not only captured the Bible ’s emphasis on the sovereignty of God in salvation but also strengthened the unity of the church around the centrality of the gospel. In the area of eschatology, however, I have noticed two concerning trends among those who have joined this reformation. The first involves what I call eschatological agnosticism. To be sure, eschatology is one of the most difficult theological issues to understand, especially when it comes to the finer details. But some Christians, although diligent students of Scripture in every other area, avoid the topic altogether and appear content to place themselves in the category of undecided. Some even seem proud of their agnosticism, as if ignorance about the meaning of biblical prophecy is evidence of a commitment to more significan...

Harold Camping in 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Harold Camping has a lot to answer for, not least that his outlandish views about the end of the world have increased skepticism, even among Christians , about the value of studying eschatology. Let me try to win you back by providing six practical reasons for studying the Bible's teaching on the last things. 1. Eschatology helps us to teach the church The Church needs teaching on this subject, not just because neglect produces a dangerous vacuum, but also because eschatology is the capstone and crown of systematic theology. It sheds light on every other doctrine and answers questions that every other theological subject raises.  Louis Berkhof wrote:  In theology [proper] it is the question, how God is finally perfectly glorified in the work of His hands, and how the counsel of God is fully realized; in anthropology, the question, how the disrupting influence of sin is completely overcome; in Christology , the question,...