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Extensive review of Jonathan Menn's Biblical Eschatology

Simon Wartanian | 6,563 views | 12,397 words | 1:05:40 hours | 09 February 2022 21:11

...ist (Matt 13:24–30, 36–43) (5) The wicked and the righteous will be separated and will not coexist (Matt 13:40–43) (6) It is the age of worry, persecution, and suffering (Matt 13:22; Mark 10:30; Rom 8:18) (6) There will be no mourning, crying, or pain (Rev 21:4) (7) It is the age of death (Luke 20:29–36; 2 Cor 4:3–4) (7) It will be the age of eternal life; there will be no death (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; Luke 20:36; Rev 21:4) (8) People marry and are given in Marriage (Luke 20:34) (8) There will be no Marriages or giving in Marriage (Luke 20:35) (9) Now we see dimly, know only in part, and have been blinded (1 Cor 13:12; 2 Cor 4:4); the rulers of this age do not understand God’s wisdom (1 Cor 2:6–9) (9) Then we will see clearly and will know fully (1 Cor 13:12) (10) This present age and its ways are evil (Gal 1:4); people walk in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1–2) (10) Evildoers and immoral, impure, covetous people and idolaters will not inherit the kingdom, but only the worthy will inherit the kingdom (1 Cor 6:9–10; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5; 1 Thess 2:12; 2 Thess 1:5) (11) Now it has not appeared what we will be like (1 John 3:2) (11) We will be like Jesus (1 John 3:2) and will be “like angels” (Luke 20:36) (12) Christ is reigning and is above all names in this age and will be with us until the end of the age (Matt 28:20; Eph 1:21) (12) Christ will reign and be above all names in the age to come (Eph 1:21)

Coupled to the two-age model is the fact that the last days begun in the first century A.D. (Acts 2:17; Heb. 1:1-2; Jas. 5:1-3; 2 Pet. 3:3; also 1 Cor. 10:11; Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 4:1-6; Heb. 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:3-5, 20; 1 John 1:28; Jude 17-19). With the coming of our Lord Jesus, the age to come has broken into the present evil age wherefore we speak of the overlapping of the two-ages. All of our blessings are of an eschatological nature which belong to the new world, but we already partially partake of them while awaiting the complete fulfillment in the new world. Dr. Menn gives the following examples:

The breaking in of the “age to come” into “this age” is parallel to the “already, but not yet” nature of the kingdom. Thus, the age to come is the reign of Christ; the reign of Christ has already begun (Acts 2:29–36; Eph. 1:21). The age to come is the age of resurrection (Luke 20:34–36); the resurrection has already begun (1 Cor 15:23). The age to come is the age of eternal life (Mark 10:30); eternal life has already begun (John 3:36; 17:3; 1 John 1:2–3; 5:13). The age to come is the age of the new creation (Rom 8:18–22; Rev 21:1–4); in a sense the new creation already has begun (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15). (pp. 44-45)

Christ’s Second Coming

Chapter 5, titled “The Eschatological Significance of Christ’s Second Coming,” begins by answer the question about the demarcation line

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Shadows & Types

The Scriptures are numerous which mention Noah and allude to the account of the global Flood. We will consider the aspect of judgment here.

Judgment and Salvation

While speaking of His awesome second coming, our Lord compares it to the days of Noah–

Matt. 24:37-39 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in Marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Just like in the time of Noah, daily life was “normal” until that moment when he entered the ark and the Lord brought rain upon the earth and broke the fountains of the deep. There are two groups of people: those who were outside of the ark and thus were destroyed, and those who were in the ark and were saved from destruction. This is a glorious picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone who is in Him will be saved from God’s wrath. There is no more condemnation for them who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1). But anyone who is not in Christ, God’s wrath burns hot against them. Destruction and the Second Coming will come suddenly, at a time when people don’t expect them, just like the Flood did. Jesus Christ is the Ark of Salvation.

The Flood should function as a clear sign that God is not kidding when He says that He will come and He will bring judgment upon the ungodly. Indeed, read what Peter says–

2 Pet. 2:5-6 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

The Lord’s great judgments when He cast the fallen angels to hell when He brought the Flood to destroy the godless world, when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness function as types and shadows of the greater destruction that is to come. These events assure us that God will judge the world in righteousness. Let us also not forget the important aspect of salvation by grace as we noted above. It was not because Noah was good that He was saved. It was because he found grace in the eyes of the LORD (Gen. 6:8 KJV). In short, anyone who is not hidden in Christ will face the wrath of God. Therefore, come and take shelter in Christ as your Ark of Salvation.

The Abrahamic Covenant

The next revelation of the Covenant of Grace is the Abrahamic Covenant. Certainly, the Abrahamic Covenant is one of the most important covenants in the Bible. There are many questions that need to be answered when dealing with the Abrahamic Covenant.

God’s Story

After flooding the world, “the greatest story ever told” continues. The earth is populated by the descendants of Noah, but mankind has not become better. Sin was still rampant among them. God commanded Noah and his descendants to fill and subdue the earth, but people wanted to stay in one place and thereby disobey God’s commission. Therefore, they wanted to build a tower which reached to heaven to make a name for themselves. God was not pleased. At that time, the Lord caused the division of the languages and scattered the people over the face of the planet. When reading the list of Shem’s de...

§2 To Be Administered By Those Only Who Are Qualified

These holy appointments are to be administered by those only who are qualified and thereunto called, according to the commission of Christ. 1

Matt. 24:45-51; 28:19-20; Luke 12:41-44; 1 Cor. 4:1; Titus 1:5-7

The holy appointments or ordinances are to be administered by those only who are qualified and called to this task, according to the commission of Christ.

Now here there is a little difficulty. Who are the persons qualified to do these things? In a local church, those persons would be the elders. But, does this exclude any regular member in administering the ordinances or helping in the administration thereof? I do not see any biblical command that only the elders may do these things, nor any prohibition against regular members helping. Obviously, within the local gathering of God’s people, the elders would undertake to administer the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. They may, perhaps, ask the help of some brothers or sisters for the Lord’s Supper, for example, to pray for the bread and wine and distribute the elements. I do not see why that would not be permissible. Obviously, having the elders administer the ordinances is much better, as they are the ones who are in the position to lead the church and are known as the church leaders. Therefore, having them baptize a person or administer the Lord’s Supper, is much more authoritative than a regular member. Philip, for example, who was not an elder, baptized the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:38). I do not advise people to go and baptize others outside the church. That is not my point. But rather, my point is that I see nothing in the Bible (I am open for change) which restri...

...ow His commands.

That the celebration and observation of this solemn ordinance were not limited to a particular time is seen from v. 26, where Paul says that we proclaim the Lord’s death “until he comes.” Since Christ has not come back yet, we must celebrate the Lord’s Supper and thus look forward to the time of perfect communion with our Lord (without the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper). We look forward to the Lord’s Day on which we partake of the Lord’s Supper with the Lord’s people. It is important to note that the Lord’s Supper also has a future aspect. As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are anticipating the Marriage Supper of the Lamb which is to come (Rev. 19:6-9). We will have perfect and face-to-face communion with our Lord. Therefore, as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we at the same time anticipate the greater supper that is still yet to come (see also Matt. 26:29).

The elements of this ordinance are bread and wine. The bread was undoubtedly the unleavened bread of the Passover meal and the wine was simply alcoholic grape wine. Jesus mentions that this wine is “the fruit of the vine” (Matt. 26:29). There is nothing special in the elements of the Lord’s Supper, but the sacredness is in what they signify and Christ’s institution. We deny that any change, at all, happens to the bread and wine when the minister prays for God’s blessing on the elements. The substance of the bread and wine remain unchanged and as they are.

The bread symbolizes the body of our Lord which was broken for our sake. Isaiah the Prophet, around 700 years before Christ, wrote, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isa. 53:10). Through His death, an atonement is provided for our sins. It was God the Father who sent the Son to die in our place and it was He who crushed Him. The pain that Christ felt was not because of the Roman soldiers or because of the Jews, they were merely instruments in God’s hand (Acts 4:27-28). The pain and loneliness that Christ felt was because of God’s holy wrath.

The blood symbolizes Christ’s life given for us, the forgiveness of sins, and the institution of the New Covenant. The New Covenant was instituted by the blood of its Mediator and its Sacrifice (Heb. 12:24; 13:20). The Bible teaches that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb. 9:22), but also that there was no efficacy in the blood of animals (e.g. Heb. 10:4). Therefore, Christ says that His blood is the means of forgiveness. In Matthew’s account, He gives the following explanation of the wine: “for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). This is the blood that institutes the New Covenant, but it is also the blood that brings about the forgiveness of sins by its sacrifice. Therefore, when believers celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they celebrate the Lord’s death in all of its benefits. The life of Christ which lead to His vicarious sufferings on our behalf, His perfect atonement on behalf of His New Covenant people on the cross, the institution of the Covenant of Grace in time and in His blood, i.e., the New Covenant, in all of its blessings, and His peoples’ participation in these blessings bought for us by His blood and given by grace.

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