And it is here that eschatology becomes relevant for the church today! Our mission as followers of Christ is to carry forward the mission begun by Christ, which itself was an inauguration of the eschaton (the “end”). You see, eschatology is not simply a bunch of ramblings about the future and what will happen, but it is intimately tied to the life of the church today. That is, understanding Jesus, both his person and his work, in the context of the biblical story and through the lens of eschatology, correlates directly to a proper understanding of the mission of God’s people today.
The Need for a High Christology
Perhaps the primary presupposition presented throughout this book is that a proper understanding of biblical eschatology begins and ends with a very high Christology.9 The basis for this exceedingly high view of Jesus is found in Paul’s affirmation, “For as many are the promises of God, in him they are yes” (2 Cor 1:20). It is this high view of Jesus, though relevant in many ways beyond what we can possibly engage here, that will enhance our understanding of the Bible in general and the issues pertaining to the end times in particular. It is, in fact, my contention that many evangelical Christians have failed to grasp the significance of the first coming of Christ (his life, death, and resurrection, as well as the coming of the Spirit) in terms of the end times. The result is that many have also failed to adequately understand both the mission of the people of God in the present, as well as the unfolding of end times events (e.g., temple, tribulation, second coming, Armageddon) throughout the NT.
The tragedy, then, that many Christians have become apathetic towards eschatology resides in the fact that the mission of the people of God in the present is an eschatological mission. Discerning this is central not only for our understanding of Scripture, as well as the person and work of Christ, but also for our awareness of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus today. Thus, a proper understanding of Scripture is at stake. But, also at stake is a proper understanding of the mission of God’s people and, as we shall see, the ethical manner in which we are to carry out that mission. Understanding the end times indeed matters!
The Hermeneutical Problem
It is important also to understand that the debate over which perspective of the end times is most warranted is not simply a matter of differing interpretations of isolated passages. Instead, the debate begins and ends with a proper hermeneutical perspective.10
Hermeneutics seeks to answer the questions of how a given passage, as well as the Bible as a whole, is to be understood. Unfortunately, many Christians have come to accept a basic set of assumptions with regard to how the Bible is to be interpreted that is highly suspect. This questionable set of assumptions has been manifested most significantly in the area of the end times. Two of the key elements of popular evangelical hermeneutics for our purposes are that the Bible must be interpreted literally as much as possible and that the end times relate primarily, if not strictly, to the future.
What I intend to suggest is that those who place so much emphasis on the future aspect of the end times and the need for a “literal” fulfillment have not only failed to properly understand the person and work of Christ in his first coming, as well as the implications of this for the fulfillment of Scripture, but they have failed to maintain a consistent hermeneutical approach.
Now, since this work is not intended to be an introduction on how to interpret the Bible, we are going to approach this issue from a different angle. What I aim to show is that a proper understanding of the person and work of Christ and a consistent approach to biblical interpretation results in an understanding of the end times that runs counter to many of the popular conceptions within evangelical Christianity—even though it accords with both the majority opinions of the scholarly community today as well as the general historical understanding of the church.
What Do You Mean By “Eschatology”?
Part of the difficulty with regard to the debate over eschatology relates to the meaning of the terms employed. The view held throughout this book is that eschatology, or the “end times,” has a past, a present, and a future fulfillment. That is, I will contend that the end times/eschaton/last days are defined in Scripture as the period of time in history that was inaugurated by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit, and climaxes at the return of Christ. This does not in any way deny that there is a future to eschatology. We do indeed anticipate a future coming of Christ in glory. And we join the heavenly chorus in affirming, “Amen, come Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20). We long for the time when the New Jerusalem comes “down out of heaven” to the earth (Rev 21:10).
The point is that the “last days” in Scripture refers to events that are characteristic of the past, the present, and the future. This is what scholars have termed the “already/not yet.” That is, the end times have “already” come and they have “not yet” been fully consummated. For example, we see that in 1 Corinthians Paul affirms (referring to the present reign of Christ) that “He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25).11 Thus, Jesus presently reigns! His kingdom has “already” come. At the same time, however, Paul may also proclaim, “Come O Lord” (1 Cor 16:22). In another instance, Paul acknowledges that Jesus has risen and begun the eschaton,12 while at the same time he notes that we have not yet been raised.13 Likewise, Paul asserts that sin and death have already been defeated,14 and yet sin and death remain.15 In all of these examples, the former elements are the present characteristics of the eschaton/last days/end times, while the latter features confirm that the consummation of the kingdom has not yet occurred. Therefore, we may conclude that the “last days” are “already” here16 and that the return of Christ and the final consummation are “not yet.”
Understanding the End Times and Why It Matters
This book endeavors to lay a foundation for understanding Scripture in general and biblical eschatology in particular. I will attempt to move beyond the impasse and the confusion that often convolutes the issues. The goal is not just to provide a framework for understanding the end times, but always to ask the question, “Why does this matter?” In the end, I will contend that a proper understanding of the end times is more than just helpful; it is in fact essential for the life of God’s people today.
Underscoring each of the central chapters of this book (chs. 6–11) will be the importance of understanding the significance of these issues as it relates to the present life of the people of God. That is, much of the popular ideas on the end times, with its fascination with contemporary world events and how such may fulfill prophecy, is the assumption that the end times are primarily about the future. This future focus can be potentially dangerous for the life of the Christian. For it can lead to apathy. This, as I see it, is a significant problem for many in the church today—especially among the younger generation. For many of them, end times speculations are not worth the time and energy. And I understand why they might say this.
But if, as I will argue, there is a present importance to the temple, the tribulation, and Armageddon, then we may need to heed the biblical exhortations related to each theme as it relates to us. That is, if we are the temple of God, then should we not strive for holiness now? And, if the notion of tribulation refers to some extent to the life of the follower of Christ now, then should we not be prepared to overcome? And if the notion of Armageddon refers to the present lives of the people of God throughout history, then should we not prepare to endure and to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are enduring such today?
Furthermore, understanding the end times matters because the very nature of Scripture is such that the eschatological promises of the OT have been inaugurated in Christ. Understanding the end