Eschatology

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Eschatology

• SCTR 19 Religions of the Book
• Prepared by Matt Pham

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Eschatology

• The study of, or teachings about
• The end end times last days end of the
  world etc.
• And what, if anything, is after/beyond the end?
• Types of Eschatology
• Personal death / afterlife of individuals
• National/Ethnic end of a nation/empire or group
  of people
• Cosmic ultimate end of the world / universe
• Christian Eschatology variety of biblical
  teachings
• Second Coming of Jesus, End of the World
• Kingdom of God, Messianic Age
• Resurrection of the Dead, Final Judgment
• Heaven (Eternal Life) vs. Hell (punishment? or
  void/nothing?)

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Apocalypse

• Popular Def Catastrophic Event
• Major disaster, atom bomb, plague,
• Biblical Def Literary Genre
• Written mostly in narrative form
• A revealing/uncovering of hidden truth
• Reveals Gods view of past, present future
• Uses highly symbolic terms and images
• Often revealed in dreams or visions
• Interpreted with help of an intermediary (angel)
• Purpose Provides encouragement for people in
  the midst of trials and tribulations

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Other Terminology

• Prophecy speaking on behalf of God conveys
  Gods messages to people, in direct words or
  symbolic actions
• Parousia the coming or arrival of an important
  person (esp. the Second Coming of Jesus)
• Revelation the uncovering or revealing of
  some truth previously hidden or unknown to people
• Tribulation a 7-year period of suffering and
  turmoil before (or after?) the Second Coming of
  Christ
• Millennium a thousand-year period (of peace),
  esp. as mentioned in Revelation 20
• Rapture belief of many fundamentalist
  Protestants based on literalist reading of 1
  Thess 417

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Biblical Eschatology

• Early Stages Jesus is coming! Soon!
• Pauls Early Letters, esp.
• 1 Thessalonians 4
• Middle Stages Life goes on! Stay awake!
• Pauls Later Letters, esp.
• 2 Thessalonians 3
• Mark 13
• Later Stages Millennia ahead! Beware!
• Revelation 20
• 2 Peter 3

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1 Thessalonians 413-18

• Pauls first letter (ca. 50 CE)
• Wants Christians to keep faithand await Jesus
  return (soon)
• Answers peoples concernsabout those who have
  died
• Dont grieve or be afraidALL will see the
  Parousia.
• When Jesus returns, the dead will be raised
  first
• And we who are still alivewill be together with
  them.
• Note
• Belief in Rapture based on literalist reading
  of 417

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Later Pauline Eschatology

• Paul realizes that he himselfmay die before
  Jesus returns
• Philippians, Romans, etc.
• 2 Thessalonians 3
• Corrects misinterpretations of 1 Thess 4
• Dont be alarmed by those who say,The End is
  here!
• The lawless one will come first,trying to
  deceive many
• Dont quit your jobs continue to work!Whoever
  is unwilling to work, should not eat!

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Mark 13 Eschatological Discourse

• Apocalyptic Discourse / Little Apocalypse
• Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21 expand on Mark 13
• Content Jesus teachings on
• The Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple
• The Great Tribulation
• The Coming of the Son of Man
• WHEN?
• "But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither
  the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the
  Father. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know
  when the time will come. (Mark 1332-33)

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The Last Judgment
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The Book of Revelationa.k.a. The Apocalypse

• The Revelation to John
• Entire book is apocalyptic genre
• Other Xn apocalypses not in NT
• Purpose
• Encourage Xns to preserve infaith in time of
  crisis (1310 1412)
• Content
• Initial vision The Son of Man
• Letters to 7 Churches of Asia
• Main visions Many Tribulations
• Final visions The End
• Destruction of Satan, Evil, Death
• New Heavens, New Earth, New Jerusalem, Reign of
  God

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Johns Visions
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Revelation 17-22

• Johns Visions of the End
• 17-18 Fall of Babylon (Rome)
• 19 Coming of the King of kings, Word of God
  (Jesus)Final Battle (Armageddon Valley of
  Megiddo 1616)
• 20 Satan is tied up for 1000 years
  (Millennium)1000-year reign of GodSatan freed
  destroyedResurrection of the DeadFinal
  Judgment
• 21-22 New HeavenNew EarthNew Jerusalem

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Wide Variety of Interpretations

• Highly Symbolic Language
• Symbols ? open to vastly different understandings
• Presuppositions about Biblical Eschatology
• Literal Predicts the future, the coming End of
  the World
• Historical Reflects persecutions faced by Early
  Christians
• Theological Describes timeless conflict Good
  vs. Evil
• Ex When is Millennium vis-à-vis Parousia?
• Pre-millennialism / Catastrophic - 1000-year
  reign of peace will come only after the great
  tribulation and the return of Jesus believers
  must be prepared to endure difficult trials
• Post-millennialism / Progressive - 1000-year
  reign of peace must be established on earth by
  human beings and societies Jesus will return
  only after that is accomplished
• A-millennialism 1000-year reign of Rev 20 is
  not literal, but purely symbolic when Jesus
  returns cannot be predicted

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2 Peter 3

• The Problem Delay of the Parousia
• Early Christians preached Jesus is coming
  soon!
• After decades, doubts arise When?Is Jesus
  coming at all? Is our faith in vain? (31-4)
• One Explanation 2 Peter 3
• Time is irrelevant for God God is outside of
  time
• But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that
  with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
  and a thousand years like one day. (38)
• God is being patient, to allow more people to
  repent
• The Lord does not delay his promise, as some
  regard delay,but he is patient with you, not
  wishing that any should perishbut that all
  should come to repentance. (39)

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The End Is Coming!

• When?
• Is it near? Or far away?
• How can we define time?
• Is time relevant for God?
• How?
• What will happen at The End?
• End of what? My life? The USA? The world?
• Are the events depicted in the Book of
  Revelationmeant to be interpreted literally or
  symbolically?