Eschatology // Inaugurated Eschatology

I. Eschatology (General)

Eschatology – from the greek word eschatos meaning last or end.

Inaugurate –

Inaugurated Eschatology –

Eschatology/Bible/General Timeline

In on sense the whole Bible is eschatological…moving toward an end. There

are different acts within the drama but the end of the story was revealed in
the beginning.

Christ’s return: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not
pass away. But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in
heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch; for you do not
know when the time will come.” (Mark 13:31-33)

*apocalyptic literature – unique genre of literature. The author of apocalyptic

literature is not necessarily referring to end time events but is usually
viewing things in their own day, immediate future as well as the more distant
future. (New Testament Theology, J.Julias Scott Jr. 295).

II. Eschatology and the Bible Story (“true myth”)

A. Eschatology in the OT
Genesis 3:15 –
(Gal. 3:16, 4:4; Rev. 12:9; 20:2)

Genesis 12 –

II. Sam. 7:12-13 –

Isaiah 61:1-4; (Luke 4:16-21) -

Daniel 7:13-14 –

Jeremiah 31:31 –

Joel 2:30-31 –

“Joel in his prophecy sees as coming together in a single vision

events actually separated from each other by thousands of
years.” (Hoekema 11).

“The prophetic prospective in the Old Testament prophets

intermingled items relating to the first coming of Christ and
items related to the second coming.” (Hoekema, 12).
 B. Eschatology in the NT

Jesus

1. Luke 16:19-31 –

a.

b.

c.

d.

2. Matthew 19:23-29 –

“It is the time of the ultimate return of all things to the

conditions and situations God intended at creation.” (New
Testament Theology, J. Julias Scott, pgs. 300-301).

III. Eschatological People of God (church)

A. Jesus is coming (didn’t he already come?)

B. Jesus leaves and leaves

Where does he go?

Whom does he leave?

How does this relate to the church (eschatological people of God) and
the Bible story?

IV. Already/Not yet of the kingdom

The already/ not yet of the kingdom refers to elements of the prophetic
vision. The prophets foresaw both of Christ’s comings along with the
Kingdom of God simultaneously. But now we know there are two comings. So
the Kingdom of God is all at once “at hand” and has not fully been
consummated.

A. Scripture
1. Hebrews 9:28 –

2. Revelation 5:5-7 –
 3. Revelation 19-11-16

B. Church (Eschatological people of God)

1. John 17 –

2. Galatians 6:1 –
“…it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that
of his neighbour. The load, or weight, or burden, of my neighbour's glory should
be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the
backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of
possible gods and goddesses to remember that the dullest and most
uninteresting person you may talk to may one day be a creature which, if you
saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and
corruption such as you now meet if at all only in a nightmare.
All day long we are in some degree helping each other to one or the other of
these destinations. It is in light of these overwhelming possibilities it is with awe
and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings
with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no
ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal, Nations, cultures, arts,
civilizations, these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is
immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit -- immortal
horrors or ever lasting splendours.” (Weight of Glory, by C.S. Lewis).

“For the Christian believer today the already outweighs the not yet.” (Salvation,
Cullmann, 83).

3. I Corithians 2:9 –

V. The Kingdom of God

1. Definition –

So is it a physical place or is it in some other dimension?

2. Matthew 11:4-5

3. Matthew 13:31-32

Thy kingdom came –

They kingdom come -