A new LifeWay Research study on the End Times conducted prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic reveals that Evangelical and historically black denominational U.S. pastors believe that current events are indicators of Jesus’ return in the coming days, according to a press release.
Theological scholars Dr. Darrell Bock and Joel C. Rosenberg today joined Scott McConnell of LifeWay Research for a webcast hosted by Dr. Mitch Glaser of Chosen People Ministries to analyze the relevancy of survey results while warning against sensationalizing the current pandemic as a judgment from God.
“When we look at pestilences and plagues and how they function in Scripture, what we see is that God doesn’t always use them with a specific signature to explain why He is doing it,” said Bock, Executive Director of Cultural Engagement at The Hendricks Center and Senior Research Professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. “Rather, He uses them as a reminder to us of our need for Him, our dependence upon Him, the fact that we are mortal and don’t control what is going on around us, that we need to pursue a relationship with Him and be aware of what He asks of us as human beings made in His image.”
The press release reported that the LifeWay Research study, which consisted of a phone survey of 1,000 pastors from Evangelical and historically black denominations, was conducted Jan. 24 to Feb. 11, 2020, to assess how American Evangelicals view eschatology, the study of the End Times. Notable results include:
88% of pastors see at least some current events matching those Jesus said would occur shortly before He returns to earth;
7 out of 10 evangelical and black Protestant pastors (70%) say the modern rebirth of the state of Israel and the regathering of millions of Jewish people were fulfilments of prophecies in the Bible;
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SOURCE: Assist News, Peter Wooding
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