SPECIAL TOPIC: BIRTH PAINS OF THE NEW AGE

This is imagery for the "coming" of God to His creation. It can be for "blessing" or "judgment," depending on the actions of human beings. The related imagery of a woman in child birth (cf. Gen. 3:16) is used

1. the suffering before the coming of "The New Age of the Spirit" being consummated by the Second Coming of Christ (cf. 1 Thess. 5:1-11)
2. the suffering preceding Deity coming in judgment (temporal judgment)
   1. Babylon ‒ Isa. 13:8; 21:3
   2. Israel ‒ Isa. 26:17; Hosea 13:12-14
   3. Judah ‒ Jer. 4:31
   4. Judaism (sacrificial system of Moses by the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 ‒ Matt. 24:8; Mark 13:8 (parallel in Luke 21:10-12)
3. some times "coming" or "birth pain" are used as preceding divine deliverance ‒ Isa. 26:17-18; 42:14-17; Micah 4:9-10; Acts 2:24 (Jesus)

This reflects the Jewish belief in the intensification of evil before the new age of righteousness

1. Jer. 30:7
2. Mark 13:19-20
3. the seals, trumpets, and bowls of the book of Revelation
4. the Book of Jubilees 23:18
5. the Apocalypse of Baruch 27-29).

The Jews believed in two ages: the current evil age, characterized by sin and rebellion against God and the "age to come." The New Age would be inaugurated by the coming of the Messiah (cf. Psalm 2). It would bring a time of righteousness and fidelity to God. Although the Jewish view was partially true, it did not take into account the two comings of the Messiah. We live in the overlapping of these two ages: the "already" and "not yet" of the kingdom of God!

The idiom of "birth pains" describes the cetainty, yet unknown time element related to God's judgment (both temporal and eschatological).

Recently, in my understanding of "birth pains," I have had to consider that my earlier perspective may have been unduly influenced by my cultural, geographical, and denominational thinking. I attribute this to my "futuristic" views related to Jesus' Olivet Discourse (i.e., Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21) and the book of Revelation. I am becoming more sympathetic to "Partial Preterism," which views the above texts as relating to the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. I still fully expect a Second Coming preceded by "birth pains"!

If you are interested in this understanding and want to know more

1. Read
   1. John L. Bray, Matthew 24 Fulfilled
   2. Steve Gregg, Revelation: Four Views (pp. 60-64, 64-68)
   3. Kenneth L. Gentry, Four Views of the Book of Revelation, pp. 37-92
   4. Kenneth L. Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell
2. View Steve Gregg's YouTube videos
   1. Fulfimment vs. Futurist Eschatology
   2. Eschatology, "When Shall These Things Be?"
   3. Why not full Preterism?

SPECIAL TOPIC: THIS AGE AND THE AGE TO COME

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ANY MOMENT RETURN OF JESUS vs. THE NOT YET

SPECIAL TOPIC: SOON RETURN

SPECIAL TOPIC: TRIBULATION

SPECIAL TOPIC: JUDGMENT IN THE NT

Copyright © 2014 Bible Lessons International