The season of Advent begins this Sunday, November 30, and ends, appropriately enough, on Christmas Eve — Wednesday, December 24.

No doubt many churches will sing Isaac Watts’ “Joy to the World” throughout this season, especially on Christmas Eve. But did you know that Watts wrote that song to celebrate the Second Coming, not the birth of Jesus Christ?

Advent celebrates both in the Christian tradition. It looks backward to the First Coming and forward to the Second Coming. It is a thoroughly historical and end-times holiday season.

In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Allen Tennison about the relationship between Advent and eschatology. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Tennison is theological counsel of The General Council of the Assemblies of God.

This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.

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