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Evangelical Eschatologies

Evangelical Eschatologies. Introduction. What Christians generally agree on: Christ will return ( parousia ) and there will be new heavens and a new earth After that a variety of perspectives regarding millennium, judgment, the soul, etc. Main Debates

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Evangelical Eschatologies

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  1. Evangelical Eschatologies

  2. Introduction • What Christians generally agree on: • Christ will return (parousia) and there will be new heavens and a new earth • After that a variety of perspectives regarding millennium, judgment, the soul, etc. • Main Debates • Disagreements between Dispensationalist and other schools of thought • Millennium • Timing of Rapture or Return of Christ • Destiny of unbelievers (hell or conditional immortality)

  3. Some Preliminary Thoughts: Oscar Cullman • Oscar Cullman • One of the most widely held eschatological views, especially among Evangelicals such as George Eldon Ladd, • though Moltmann criticizes Cullman on his linear conception of time • The Kingdom as Already and Not Yet • A mediating position between: Is the kingdom already here (an over-realized eschatology) or is it still to come? • The kingdom has truly arrived/was inaugurated in the coming of Jesus but the full establishment of Kingdom awaits the return of Christ • Seems to do justice to the differing passages in NT that reference the Kingdom of God • Ages • Christ as the midpoint of sacred history • We are in an interim period, the age of the Spirit; the old age has not full ended and the new age has not fully arrived (see Jeremy Wynne, Serving the Coming Kingdom, 443. • This is the time of the Church and mission • Kingdom as Promise and Fulfillment

  4. Millenium • And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be loosed for a little while.” Revelation 20.2,3 • * See also I Cor. 15.23

  5. Millennium • Premillenialism = Christ will reign visibly on earth; he will return before he inaugurates his reign • Historical Premillenialism • A visible reign of Christ for 1000 years will be established upon Christ’s return (also called chiliasm in the early church) • Proponents include: • Irenaeus (c.140-203) • Justin Martyr (c. 100-165) • George Eldon Ladd • Widely held view until the time of Augustine. Gradually lost favor in Roman Catholic Church. • Dispensational Premillenialism (notthe same as historical premillenialism) • Postmillennialism = Christ returns after a golden age of 1000 years (literal or figurative) • Amillennialism = 1000 year reign in Revelation is symbolic and spiritual, not literal; Christ will return to establish his permanent reign • Richard Mouw’s article in Placher is very helpful here in orienting you to the different views.

  6. Comparison of Millennial Teachings This chart can be found in various locations on the net, but I have to sheepishly say this one is from Wikipedia. It does, however, give one of the better visuals of the differences. And it is public domain. 

  7. Evangelical Approaches • Dispensationalism • “Traditional” Evangelical approach • “Reserved” Evangelical Approach • E.g. Grenz

  8. A Closer Look at Dispensationalism • Key ideas • Literal interpretation of the Bible, including apocalyptic and prophetic sections • Difference in God’s economy of salvation between Israel and the Church • Two redemptive plans/eschatological events: one for the nation of Israel and one for the Church (spiritual people) • Division of human history into seven dispensations • “Rapture” and Unseen coming of Christ for his Church (from I Thess. 4.14-17) • Note this is different from the second stage of Christ’s return when he returns with his Church and reigns 1000 years • The idea of a pre-tribulation rapture was introduced by Dispensationalists. This was not part of historic premillenialism • Rapture clip from Left Behind • “Tribulation” • Heightened period of suffering and chaos (Dan 9.24-27) around time of Christ’s rapture and before final return • Climaxes with war in Palestine • We are in a period where the countdown to Armageddon has begun

  9. Assessment of Dispensationalism • Assessment • “Literalist” hermeneutics is problematic • With its one-sided futurism a tendency towards neglect of implications of eschatology to Christian living • Relationship between Israel and Church hard to reconcile with New Testament view • Tendency to be speculative has led to disappointments and spiritual problems

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