Christian Eschatology & Verification Principle

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  • Created by: Megan
  • Created on: 30-04-15 17:38
Define Eschatology
Christian teaching about the end of time or the end of an age
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Where can the christian doctrine of Eschatology be found?
In the last book of the bible, the Revelation of John.
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What is the 'Revelation of John' ?
a prophecy recorded by John, in which he received a dream/vision about the Apocalypse
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What did John's vision predict?
The imagery is vivid and predicts a final battle between God and Satan, initiated by the 2nd coming of Christ.
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What happens in revelation chapter 20?
it outlines the triumph of Good over Evil whereby Satan is finally defeated and the final judgement of mankind takes place. This is sometimes referred to as Armageddon.
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What is Armageddon?
a dramatic and catastrophic conflict, especially one seen as likely to destroy the world/human race
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What is Apocalypse ?
the complete and final destruction of the world
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What are the 4 approaches to Christian eschatology?
1)Postmillennialism 2)Amillennialism 3)Historic Premillennialism 4)Dispensational Premillennialism
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What is Postmillennialism?
The theological doctrine that the second coming of Christ will occur after the millennium
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What is Amillennialism?
The belief we are in the millennium now and that at the return of Christ there will be a final judgement; the heavens and earth shall be destroyed and remade
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Summarise the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
The animals are a metaphor for how God will separate the righteous from the non righteous. Mankind will be split into two based on their prior actions. Then those who have done good go to heaven, those who haven't go to hell.
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What did logical positivists decide about religious language?
That it is pointless to talk about God, ethics etc. as such propositions cannot be verified using the senses
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What is the verification principle?
The meaning of a statement is its method of verification. The principle says that we know the meaning of a statement if we know the conditions under which it is true/false
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Who had a major influence on the work concerning the Verification Principle?
Moritz Sclhlick
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How can you relate the verification principle to John's revelation ?
Individuals have different understandings of concepts & this may result in different interpretations. Thus the language used in revelation could be interpreted differently by different people
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How is religious language described?
Equivocal (unclear) because it is talking about the realm of infinite existence - the result is different interpretations of the words used
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What did John Hick argue about the verification principle?
When we die the truth of God's existence will be prooved. Therefore religious language isn't meaningless as it cannot be proven until after death, thus before death you cannot say whether it is true or false
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What is Pascales Wager?
The idea that you are better off placing your bets on god existing because if h does your rewards will be greater. If he doesn't you wont know,
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Define future based eschatology
The traditional christian belief that at some point in the future, the current world will end. This event is known as the Eschaton
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Give the order of events suggested by future based eschatology (5steps)
1)2nd coming of Jesus 2)Resurrection of the dead 3)Period of tribulation 4)the final battle 5)the final judgement
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What did Jewish prophets use a physical resurrection as a metaphor for?
The resurrection of the nation of Israel established by the Messiah
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Link the Christian idea of eschatology to a current issue...
Ebola outbreak, in the bible one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse is associated with global plagues. In the end the bible predicts a quatrer of the world population will preish
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What is Rapture?
an end of times event where all true believers who are still alive before the end of the world will be taken from earth by God into heaven. According to the bible, believers will dissapear without warning 'in the twinkling of an eye'.
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What will happen to non believers in rapture?
They will be left behind for the tribulation period which most bible scholars agree will last for 7 years, until Christ returns to set up his earthly kingdom during the Millennium
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What is Realized Eschatology ?
The idea that judgement is immediate, those who accept God's word are already in his kingdom. Living the right way& aiming to establish God's kingdom on earth is more important than apocalyptic expectation.
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Give a bible quote to back up the idea of Realized eschatology
"nor will people say, 'here it is' because the kingdom of God is within you" Luke
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Is the idea of Realized eschatology monist or dualist?
Dualist. In death we simply lose the cloak of our outer bodies as our soul is aready in Christ.
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What did Rudolf Bultman argue about biblical imagery?
all the imagery in the bible is supposed to be interpreted symbolically not literally. He suggests any reference to the resurrection is really a call to start living the right life
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If the Kingdom of God is not a physical place, what is it?
it is not a promise of a place in heaven, but a moral attitude to encourage people to live in the right way.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Where can the christian doctrine of Eschatology be found?

Back

In the last book of the bible, the Revelation of John.

Card 3

Front

What is the 'Revelation of John' ?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What did John's vision predict?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What happens in revelation chapter 20?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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