Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology

Eschatology
What does the Bible teach about last things?

Review

Review

Redemption history is understood to unfold in two successive ages: this present age and the age to come. This present age, characterized by sin and death and that which is temporal and transient will come to an end. The Second Coming of Jesus to the earth will mark the end of the age. When he comes he will resurrect the just and unjust, judge the believing and unbelieving in righteousness, and glorify the creation. Jesus Second Coming will usher in the age to come, an age characterized by righteousness and life and that which is permanent and everlasting.

The Overlap of the Ages

The Already and the Not Yet

The Overlap of the Ages

When we say that Jesus will usher in the age to come at the end of the age, The implication is that the age to come is exclusively future; This, however, is not true. The age to come has already begun at the same time that this present age is progressing toward its end.

The Overlap of the Ages

The age to come

The age to come The age to come

The end of the age

This present age

The age to come

The Overlap of the Ages

Now Is the Time of Fulfillment

The Overlap of the Ages: Fulfillment Is Now

Gal 4:4-5: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Mark 1:15: and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.

The Overlap of the Ages: Fulfillment Is Now

Heb 6:4-5: For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come Heb 9:26: Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

The Overlap of the Ages: Fulfillment Is Now

Eph 1:13-14: In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvationhaving also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Gods own possession, to the praise of His glory. 2 Cor 1:22: who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

The Overlap of the Ages: Fulfillment Is Now

Gal 5:16-18: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

The Overlap of the Ages: Fulfillment Is Now

1 Cor 10:11: Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Gal 1:4: who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

The Overlap of the Ages

Fulfillment of What?

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

On the one hand, the answer to our question, What is the fulfillment about which the NT authors write? is that Now is the fulfillment of the end of the agewe enjoy a present experience of the end of the age.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

On the other hand, the answer to our question, What is the fulfillment about which the NT authors write? is that Now is the fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs; that is now is the fulfillment of the hope of the Old Testament; For the OT hope is to be identified with the promises for the end of the age.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The Old Testament saints expected a bright future:

A redeemer The seed/offspring of Abraham A prophet like Moses A Davidic King The Servant of the Lord The son of man The kingdom of God The new covenant The restoration of Israel The outpouring of the Holy Spirit The Day of the Lord The new heavens and the new earth

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of a Redeemer Gen 3:15: And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the seed of Abraham Gen 22:18: In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of a prophet like Moses Deut 18:15, 18: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of a Davidic King Gen 49:10: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. 2 Sam 7:12-13: When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the Servant of the Lord Isa 42:1-4: Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the son of man Dan 7:13-14: I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the kingdom of God

Although the phrase kingdom of God is not used in the OT, The idea of a coming rule of the Lord is dominant.

Isa 9:6-7: For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Isa 24:23: Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders. Dan 2:44: In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Dan 7:13-14: I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the new covenant Jer 31:33-34: But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the restoration of Israel Jer 23:3: Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. Isa 11:11: Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. Ezek 36:24-28: "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit Joel 2:28-29: It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the Day of the Lord Isa 13:6-8: Wail, for the day of the LORD is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame. Isa 13:17-22: Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them, Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold. And their bows will mow down the young men, They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb, Nor will their eye pity children. And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come And her days will not be prolonged. Isa 13:9-11: Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The expectation of the new heavens and the new earth Isa 65:17: For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. Isa 66:22: For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me, declares the LORD, So your offspring and your name will endure.

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

The Old Testament saints expected a bright future:

A redeemer The seed/offspring of Abraham A prophet like Moses A Davidic King The Servant of the Lord The son of man The kingdom of God The new covenant The restoration of Israel The outpouring of the Holy Spirit The Day of the Lord The new heavens and the new earth

The Overlap of the Ages: The Old Testament Hope

Two Key Points

Jesus and the apostles as well as the writers of the New Testament understood the promise of the future outlined in the Old Testament to be fulfilled in the person, work, and ministry of Jesus (life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, Second Coming). The promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus in an already and not yet fashion; that is, the promises of the Old Testament involve inauguration (already) and consummation (not yet).

The Overlap of the Ages

The Kingdom of God

The Overlap of the Ages: The Kingdom of God

Perhaps the best place to see the already and not yet character of biblical eschatology is in Jesus teaching on the kingdom of God/heaven, the central theme in his teaching. Mark 1:14-15: Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.

The Kingdom Is Already

The Kingdom Is Already

Matt 11:7-14: As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings' palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. Mal 4:5: Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.

The Kingdom Is Already

Luke 16:16: The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. Luke 17:20: Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

The Kingdom Is Already

Luke 11:14-22: And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.

The Kingdom Is Not Yet

The Kingdom Is Not Yet

Matt 6:10: Your kingdom come. Matt 7:21-23: Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.

The Kingdom Is Not Yet

Matt 26:29: But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.

Cf. 1 Cor 11:26: For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

The Kingdom Is Not Yet

Luke 13:22-30: And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" And He said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.' In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last."

Conclusion

Conclusion

Redemption history is understood to unfold in two successive ages: this present age and the age to come. This present age, characterized by sin and death and that which is temporal and transient will come to an end. The Second Coming of Jesus to the earth will mark the end of the age. When he comes he will resurrect the just and unjust, judge the believing and unbelieving in righteousness, and glorify the creation. Jesus Second Coming will usher in the age to come, an age characterized by righteousness and life and that which is permanent and everlasting. The age to come has been inaugurated by the person, ministry, and work of Jesus Christ in his life, death, burial, and ascension. We await the consummation of the age to come with the return of Jesus Christ. Through our relationship with Christ we experience the blessings of our future life now in the present time and await their consummation at the end of the age.