Introduction to Eschatology
The word “eschatology” comes from the Greek word “eschatos” which means “ends of, latter, last, final”. The suffix “logy” simply means “the study of”.
Another example of a word that ends in logy is Pathology
Here's a breakdown of the etymology:
Pathos: From the Greek pathos, referring to suffering, illness, or disease.
Logy: From the Greek logos, meaning "word," "treatise," or "study".
Pathology: The combination of these roots forms the word for the "study of disease" or "the study of suffering".
So when we are looking at or using the word Eschatology we are looking at Eschato = Last things or final things Logy = Study of.
Therefore, eschatology is the study of the last days of the Old Covenant that God had with the Physical Nation of Israel. It is the belief that all Bible prophecies were completely fulfilled by AD 70.
These prophecies include those dealing with:
the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the resurrection of the dead,
the judgment of God against the nation of Israel and
the arrival of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus Himself predicted all these things in Luke 21:6,20-22, 28, 31.
Under the Old Covenant, being judged a false prophet was a very serious matter. It meant a death sentence, Deuteronomy 18:20. Yet most modern prophecy teachers completely ignore this crucial point and present a Gospel message that make Jesus and the Apostles deceivers.
There are some that claim that the eschatology aspect of the Apostles doctrine is a relatively new teaching; however, as we can see from the passage we just read, there is nothing new about it.
This Apostolic teaching comes from the Bible which was divinely inspired long before any man-made creeds that contained contrary contradictions came into existence.
Remember, when you read the Bible, you are reading about things written to people that were alive in the first century. These things were getting ready to take place in their first century lifetime not our lifetime.
We believe that all Bible prophecy was fulfilled on schedule. The 1st century church received everything it was promised. The inspired words of Jesus and the Apostles take precedence over all teachings to the contrary.
God is the author of the Scriptures, not the author of confusion. 2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Corinthians 14:33 Confusion only comes when the original meaning of Scripture is altered or changed. Ephesians 4:5, Acts 2:42, 1 Timothy 4:16, John 17:8,20, Galatians 1:8, Hebrews 2:3, 1 John 4:6.
The question that often arises is:
"What does eschatology have to do with salvation?"
The answer is it has everything to do with salvation. It is about God being faithful to fulfil His promises in His Word.
Does truth matter?
If truth does matter, then eschatology matters. Here are several reasons why it matters. Salvation is tied to eschatology because no one can go to heaven before Jesus returns.
Jesus refers to this in John 13:33, 36 & 14:2-3.
Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 that the dead in Christ shall rise first. If the dead have not yet been resurrected which happens at the second coming, then no one is yet in heaven.
Most Christians believe that when they die, they will go to heaven; but heaven was not opened until the return of Jesus. According to Hebrews 9:28, salvation was not yet complete until Jesus appeared the second time without sin unto salvation. Peter also said in 1 Peter 1:5, that salvation was not yet complete.
Consider this parable in Matthew 22:1-10. In Matthew 22:1-3, those invited to the marriage feast of the king's son are the nation of Israel, but they refused to come.
As this parable continues, in Matthew 22:4-7, we have a very clear prediction of the AD 70 judgment of Jerusalem. The destruction of the nation was because of their rejection of Jesus.
It was also prophesied from the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry in Matthew 3:9-10. Jesus did come in judgment against the nation of Israel in AD 70.
This judgment ended the physical nation of Israel, its physical temple and physical sacrifices.
God made it very clear that He is through with the Physical nation of Israel, yet most Christians today still believe that the Jews are God's special people and must be protected. This false belief is affecting our foreign policy and our faith and walk in Messiah.
The truth about eschatology really does matter. It affects your world view. We are NOT living in the last days; we live in the Kingdom of God.
This Kingdom has no end; it is an eternal Kingdom. When we read and study the Bible, we must keep in mind the hermeneutical principle of audience relevance.
Audience relevance seeks to discover what the original audience understood a passage to mean.
The Bible was written for us but not written to us. As you read these Scriptures, ask yourself
to whom is this written?
When did "they" expect Jesus to return?
Please see our Teaching: Audience Relevance for a more in-depth understanding.
A few places where Jesus specified when He would return when talking to His disciples are Matthew 10:23, 16:27-28, 24:34.
Jesus told Peter when He would return in John 21:21-22.
Paul spoke of the nearness of the return of Jesus to the Roman Christians in Romans 13:11-12, 16:20.
To the Corinthian Christians, in 1 Corinthians 1:7-8, 7:31,10:11, 15:51-52.
To the Philippian Christians in Philippians 1:6, 4:5.
To the Thessalonian Christians in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 5:23.
To Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:14.
To Titus in Titus 2:12-13.
The writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:37.
James talked of His return in James 5:7-9.
Peter also wrote about this to Christians in 1 Peter 1:13, 4:7.
John wrote about it to the seven churches in Asia Minor in Revelation 1:4
Jesus talked about His coming to the 1st century church of Thyatira Revelation 2:25
Jesus also said to the 1st century church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:11
Some other references where Jesus talked about His soon return are found in Revelation 22:6-7, 10, 12, 20.
In Matthew 24:34, Jesus tells His disciples very plainly and very clearly that all of the things He had mentioned in Matthew 24 would come to pass in their generation.
This included:
the Gospel being preached in all the world,
the abomination of desolation,
the great tribulation, and
the second coming of Christ.
This is so clear. Jesus made it very clear that He was coming in the lifetime of those He was speaking to back in that first century. All of the writers of the Epistles of the New Testament knew and wrote about His soon return in their lifetime.
The Book of Revelation has already taken place.
All the Scriptures that we have mentioned speak of the nearness of the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant.
The Resurrection was on the Last Day of the Last Days. John 6:39, 11:24
The Return of Jesus was on the Last Day of the Last Days. The Judgment was set up on the Last Day of the Last Days and has been ongoing ever since.
Jesus did keep His promise to come within that first century generation. His coming occurred spiritually the way He intended. He made atonement for sin that would last forever.
Today, we are in the New Eternal Covenant. Now all generations can receive eternal life and live eternally in heaven. Remember, we must always read the Scriptures for what they actually say, not for what we want them to say.