How Should We Study Eschatology?

Part 1 of an Introduction to Eschatology

Eschatology means “the study of last things” from the Greek word eschatos, meaning the last in a series. But this is a case where the word can often be misleading. To study eschatology requires that we understand the origin of last things as well. When we consider that God is the one who has ordained all things—even last things—it may begin to occur to us, as we mature in our study of Scripture, that many of those “last things” are actually embedded in the design of first things. In other words, eschatology is inseparable from the study of “first things” (protology). This is also true of everything in between. Eschatology really spans the whole progress of the kingdom of God, driving toward the end of time. This is especially the case about the coming of Christ, and the whole advancing Day of the Lord, in the King’s First and Second Advents. 

Different Bible-believing Christians and church traditions will have different views of how to understand the nature of the millennium, as well as how to interpret prophecy in general and Revelation in particular. Some of these disagreements may touch on essential doctrines. However, we do have to get comfortable with the fact that many of these disagreements are not over essential truths—that is, matters that do not make or break the Christian worldview and gospel—and so, while we may have settled convictions on these, we ought not make final divisions over them. R. C. Sproul offers wise words of balance on this point:

“Whichever eschatological view we hold, we must hold it humbly because we do not know the future. We can all look backward, but we do not know God's agenda for what's to come. We must be humble and acknowledge that our eschatological view might not be accurate. At the same time, much of the doctrinal teaching in the New Testament has to do with future things, so how we understand God's promises about the future has a dramatic impact on our personal confidence and involvement in the mission Christ gave to the church.”1

In times of social upheaval there is a tendency to come back to our eschatology. That has both positive and negative implications. The fact that people are waiting for their world to be shaken to make a study of it only shows that (a) the apparent permanence of this life has been, to some extent, the object of their faith, and (b) they are preparing themselves to form more of their eschatology by reaction rather than by careful reflection. That’s two strikes. But we can also see the glass half full and make a better effort in such a season. 

Balance in Our Eschatology

Does the view one takes on this doctrine really effect our day to day lives? It can do this in good or bad ways. Some bad ways are infamous. A pre-tribulation view of the rapture can make us complacent or shocked in our faith when tribulation comes. Some would say that Postmillennial views make us think we can bring the kingdom in ourselves, and others say that Amillennial views are pessimistic about Christians having any influence outside of the church. However, a balanced view (no matter what we think of the millennium) should make us always ready for Christ's return and longing for it and preaching the gospel with urgency. It will make us heavenly-minded, but always about the Master’s business here on earth.

That will mean that we will not use our view of either “end times” or “dominion” or any other related idea to pit the gospel against ethics, nor the spiritual reign of Christ against the mandate for the church to be salt and light in the culture around us, nor the hope of beholding the face of God against the glory of the resurrected body and all things made new.

All of these things go together. Any eschatology that divorces them is not worthy of the name. 

Naturally we will always have brothers and sisters whose whole eschatology consists in only one anxious question: Could this be the end? Of course the “this” in view is the latest headlines, some of which are naturally very troubling. As gentle as we must be, some perspective is in order. Every generation in church history has speculated that they were in the end. At the time, such a case always seems very reasonable. The reason is because there is always tribulation, and always those who seem to fit the role of antichrist. But one of the surest things about New Testament eschatology is how we are told that we cannot know the exact time (e.g. Mat. 24:36, Acts 1:7, 2 Pet. 3:10). Now what is the real punchline of all of those passages?

Is the moral of the story ever to build a better prophecy chart? Not at all. Instead, it is always: Therefore, be ready. But how are we to be more ready? The answer is always to do those things that the church is always to be doing. Gather together regularly to receive from his means of grace. Love and serve. Tell the good news, warning of the wrath to come and extending his mercy. Be the light of Christ where you live. Do study it. But study as those living out the advance of Christ’s kingdom, to make much of Him, and not to make much of one’s own mastery of the obscure and the sensational.

(To be continued)

____________

1. R. C. Sproul, Everyone’s a Theologian (Sanford, FL: Reformation Trust, 2014), 314.