The curse was over man AND creation. The curse caused creation to produce thorns and thistles. Jesus's command was to preach the Gospel to all of creation. The earth is groaning to be released from corruption into the fullness of glory. God is not destroying the earth, but releasing it into full glory. The goal isn't for you to go to heaven, but for heaven to come to earth.
Core values for the study of Eschatology:
- I will not empower a dis-empowered devil
- I will have a hope for the future and a desire to leave an inheritance to my children.
- I have a theology which embraces making disciples of all nations
- I have a theology which brings heaven to earth.
- I have hope for the nations and a value for the restoration of destroyed cities.
- I believe in the unchanging nature of a good God.
- I will not celebrate bad news as a sign of the times and a necessary requirement of the return of Jesus.
- The promises of God cannot be placed in a time-zone. I have a responsibility to to pursue those promiss for my life-time.
- The last days are not a time of the church calling for judgment. The church doesn't judge, only God does.
Dann Farrelly and Kevin Dedmon tackle your questions ranging from speaking in tongues to eschatology.
Dann is an associate pastor at Bethel Church and the Head of Biblical Studies at the School of Supernatural Ministry. A graduate of Simpson College, he holds a Masters Degree in Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. Dann is uniquely gifted to bring rich insights from the Word of God, with wit, humor and great anointing. Dann is also the pastor of Church Life at Bethel.
Kevin has been in pastoral ministry for over 20 years and has a B.A. in Biblical Studies and a M.A. degree in Church Leadership from Vanguard University. Kevin is currently the director of Bethel Church's Firestorm ministry, which sends teams to local churches for the purpose of demonstrating the revival culture of Bethel Church, as well as imparting, empowering, and activating the church to live naturally in the supernatural, so that the atmosphere in both the church and the community is transformed. Kevin's first book is called "The Ultimate Treasure Hunt"
Kris shares on an apostolic eschatology. We are citizens of two kingdoms, and we need to live from heaven towards earth. If live from the first heaven, we become an echo instead of a voice. If we do not disciple nations, someone else will.
Fatalism changes us from the thought the kingdom of heaven is at hand to the end of the world is near. The future belongs to an eschatology which has hope.
Kris discusses having a victorious mindset. The 2nd command that God gave man in Genesis was to subdue the earth. The way you view things will end will directly affect the way you take care of things today. Most people's eschatology is working against our ecology and creation care. People don't want to take care of a planet that is going to burn up. Romans 1 says that studying creation will lead unbelievers to the Creator. However, creation needs to be redeemed and released from corruption.
