The Rapture, the Mark of the Beast, & Christian Eschatology—Fact & Fiction (Matt Halsted) Ep. #187

What if much of what we believe about the end times is shaped more by modern speculation than by biblical theology? In this episode, Dr. Matthew L. Halsted joins The Biblical Mind Podcast to debunk common misconceptions about eschatology, including the rapture, the mark of the beast, and the role of the Middle East in biblical prophecy.

Halsted and Dru Johnson explore how American Christianity has often read Revelation through a me-centered lens, focusing on personal fears rather than the broader biblical narrative of renewal and justice. They discuss the history of end-times speculation, tracing it from the 16th century to modern prophecy teachers, and why discipline in reading scripture is crucial to avoiding theological confusion.

Drawing from his book The End of the World as We Know It, Halsted unpacks how early Christians understood eschatology and why the Bible’s emphasis is not on escaping the world but on God’s renewal of creation.

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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:03 Understanding Eschatology in American Christianity
10:19 What Happens When You Die?
16:59 The Nature of Post-Mortem Existence
28:25 Its The End of The World As We Know It
29:06 Pandemic Fears and Speculations
31:17 The Mark of the Beast and Public Response
33:45 Dispensationalism, The Rapture, and Tim Lahaye
38:23 Rapture Theology and Its Implications
45:53 Political Dimensions of Eschatology
50:47 Future Projects and Research Directions