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Description: This essay presents a critical examination of the flawed foundations underlying Fundamentalist eschatology, particularly the Dispensationalist doctrine of an “imminent” Second Coming. The author argues that this teaching, along with other problematic assumptions like the notion of “Two Economies,” directly undermines and falsifies the integrity of the biblical witness.
A key issue highlighted is the disconnect between the New Testament’s timing indicators for prophetic events and the failure of these cataclysmic occurrences to materialize within the lifetimes of the original audience. The author contends that if the New Testament genuinely teaches the imminence of Christ’s return, then these events should have taken place by the end of the first century, or at the latest, the third decade of the second century. The fact that they did not challenges the exegetical foundation of Fundamentalist eschatology.
The essay goes on to critique the “merry-go-round” of endless speculation and unfulfilled predictions that have come to characterize this theological framework. It suggests that the credibility of the gospel message and the church’s mission are at stake if these problematic assumptions are not rigorously re-examined in light of sound biblical hermeneutics.
The author offers a path forward, inviting readers to humbly submit their cherished beliefs to the penetrating light of scriptural interpretation modeled by Jesus and the apostles. This, the essay argues, holds the promise of unlocking new prophetic insights and reinvigorating the church’s witness in a troubled and skeptical world.