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ESCHATOLOGY

ESCHATOLOGY. By Noel Platt. ESCHATOLOGY. Eschatology is the study of the last things, or how the end of time is viewed in the Bible. That portion of time allocated to happenings in known history is referred to as Historical time

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ESCHATOLOGY

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  1. ESCHATOLOGY By Noel Platt

  2. ESCHATOLOGY • Eschatology is the study of the last things, or how the end of time is viewed in the Bible. • That portion of time allocated to happenings in known history is referred to as Historical time • That portion of time allocated to events to take place at the end of time is known as eschatological time. • Eschatological time cannot be understood without first understanding the historical development of the Prophetic and apocalyptic message in historical time as portrayed in the Bible.

  3. The Prophets • God originally made a covenant with Abraham and his seed, which was ratified by the sign of circumcision. • Abraham’s seed (the Jews –Israel) later settled in Egypt where they became slaves to Pharaoh. • Because God remembered this covenant with Abraham, he sent Moses to deliver Israel from her Egyptian bondage. • After delivering Israel from Egypt, God reaffirmed the Abrahamic Covenant with Israel through the giving of the Law. • In her subsequent history Israel would from time to time, break the terms of this covenant through sin. • Whenever this happened, God would send prophets to call the nation back to the terms of his original Covenant. • This is why we read of the ministry of the prophets arising only after the giving of the Law.

  4. The Prophets • Prophecy is not primarily about foretelling the future, it is chiefly concerned with forth telling the word of God. • Thus a Prophet is one who speaks as God’s mouth piece. • Hence the constant refrain among the message of the prophets is: • ‘THUS SAITH THE LORD…’ • Prophecy only concerns the future when it is God’s desire for the prophet to speak of the future.

  5. The Prophets • Under the Prophet and Judge, Samuel, God instituted Israel’s Monarchy. • The kingdom of Israel reached it’s climax in the reigns of David and Solomon. • Ever since this time the prophets would recall the past glories of this period by portraying the future glory of the Kingdom of God in terms of the Old kingdom of David and Solomon. • Thus the Davidic & Solomonaic kingdom became a Prophetic metaphor for the glory of the Kingdom of God, with it’s Temple and Davidic ruler (Messiah) Ezek: 40 ff.

  6. ESCHATOLOGY • 1. THE OLD TESTAMENT VIEW. • A. The Prophetic View. • This was a dualistic view. • It saw time as dealing with the transition between TWO non-overlapping ages: • Unless people REPENTED, the current age of evil would shortly lead into the new age of the kingdom of God by means of the intervention of the DAY OF THE LORD.

  7. ESCHATOLOGY • The DAY OF THE LORD is an unspecified period of time in which God would: • Judge & destroy the wicked who broke the terms of his Covenant (including those nations who opposed God’s people) • Deliver his people • Gather the scattered believers from all nations • Establish his rule & kingdom on earth.

  8. ESCHATOLOGY • Other features of the Prophetic View: This view was not pessimistic: • The judgment could be averted by the people’s repentance. The Judgment is usually described in Local or Universal terms.

  9. THE PROPHETIC JUXTAPOSITION OF TIME • The prophets often would juxtapose historical and eschatological time. That is: • They would write or speak of historical events and eschatological events, linking them as though they were one and the same event (with no distinction between them).

  10. THE PROPHETIC JUXTAPOSITION OF TIME • Examples: • Amos speaks of on the one hand, of the historical judgement of Israel at the hands of the Assyrian Empire in the same breath as he does the eschatological day of the Lord (Amos 5: 18:27 cf 9:11) • Isaiah’s portrays the historical Judgement of Babylon (Isa 13:1-22) as though it was the eschatological end of the world (cf Isa 13:10, 13)

  11. THE PROPHETIC JUXTAPOSITION OF TIME • The prophet Joel moves imperceptibly from relating a historical plague of locusts to the eschatological judgements of the day of the lord (cf Joel 1:1ff and 2:1 ff).[1][1] Ladd, G, E,. (1972) A Commentary on the Revelation of John, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans.

  12. ESCHATOLOGY • B. The Apocalyptic View: • This was dualistic like the Prophetic view. • Once again, it saw time as dealing with the transition between TWO non-overlapping ages: • It took a Pessimistic position on the current age. • The current age was seen as deteriorating so much that it would INEVITABLY end in the judgment of THE DAY OF THE LORD. • The Judgment was usually described in COSMIC terms with VIVID symbolism.

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  14. ESCHATOLOGY • 2. THE NEW TESTAMENT VIEW. • This was expressed in the Kerygma (Original apostolic Preaching) • The New Age spoken of by the prophets (and Apocalyptic writers) has come about through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

  15. ESCHATOLOGY:The Kerygma • The age of fulfilment has dawned; the latter days foretold by the prophets. (Acts 2:16, 3:18, 24) • This has taken place through the ministry, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:16-36, Hebrews 9:26) • By virtue of the Resurrection, Jesus has been exalted at the right hand of God as Messianic head of the New Israel (Acts 2:33-36, 3:13; 4:11, 5:31). • The Holy Spirit in the Church is the sign of Christ’s present power and glory (Acts 2:17-21, 33; 5:32). • The Messianic Age will reach its consummation in the return of Christ (Acts 3:21; 10:42). • The Kerygma closes with an appeal for repentance, usually mentioning a form of water baptism, an offer of forgiveness and of the Holy Spirit and the promise of salvation (Acts 2:38; 3:19, 25; 4:12; 5:31; 10:43, 47).[1] • [1]The Apostolic Preaching Dodd. C.H., Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1936.

  16. ESCHATOLOGYTHE KINGDOM • Central to the message of the Kerygma is the New Testament view of the Kingdom. • It is important to note that: • The Kingdom of God is the same as the Kingdom of heaven, • the terms are used interchangeably • There is a present (now) aspect to the Kingdom. • The kingdom of God is the rule of God in the hearts and lives of believers. • This is evident through the vibrant presence of the Holy Spirit within the Church. • There is a future (not yet) aspect to the kingdom. • The kingdom of God will not be outwardly manifested until the return of Christ. • The tension between the present and future aspects of the Kingdom takes the form of an Overlap of Ages.

  17. ESCHATOLOGY • We are at present in the OVERLAP OF AGES: • The Old age of Evil is still an external reality. • Since the New Age is not outwardly visible, it is present as the internal reality of the rule of God in the hearts of believers. • The New Age finally will become outwardly visible at the CONSUMMATION of all things.

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  19. ESCHATOLOGY • The Overlap of Ages leads to three realisations of the DAY OF THE LORD. • DAY OF THE LORD 1. • Refers to the Suffering, Death and Burial of Christ. • Here God poured out all his wrath and Judgment of the wicked on Christ himself. • DAY OF THE LORD 2. • Refers to the New Testament Church Age (the overlap itself) • During this time Christians undergo judgment through the process of sanctification in which they are identified with Christ in his SUFFERINGS & DEATH.

  20. ESCHATOLOGY • DAY OF THE LORD 3. • This relates to the final unleashing of God’s judgment on all the wicked at the return of Christ (the Consummation).

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