©
1999 James A. Fowler
You are free to download
this outline provided it remains intact without alteration. You
are also free to transmit this outline electronically provided
that you do so in its entirety with proper citation of authorship
included.
LAST THINGS (Eschatology)
I. Representative Biblical references to "last"
things.
A. Old Testament - Heb. word achrith
- "that which comes after"
Isa. 2:2
- "In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord
will be established..."
Jere. 49:39
- "in the last days I shall restore the fortunes of Elam"
Ezek. 38:16
- "in the last days I shall bring you against My land"
Hosea 3:5
- "they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness
in the last days."
Micah 4:1
- "in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord
will be established"
B. New Testament - Greek word eschatos
- "last in a sequence"
John 6:39,40,44,54
- "raise it/him up on the last day"
John 11:24
- "he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day"
John 12:48
- "will judge him at the last day"
Acts 2:17
- "In the last days I will pour forth of My Spirit"
I Cor.
15:26 - "the last enemy abolished will be death"
I Cor.
15:52 - "at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised imperishable"
II Tim.
3:1 - "in the last days difficult times will come"
Heb. 1:2
- "in these last days God has spoken to us in His Son"
I Pet.
1:5 - "a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time"
I Pet.
1:20 - "He has appeared in these last times for the sake
of you"
II Pet.
3:3 - "in the last days mockers will come following their
own lusts"
I Jn. 2:18
- "it is the last hour"
II. A Biblical understanding of eschatos.
A. Eschatos implies the "last"
in a sequence - cf. I Cor. 15:8
1. Not
necessarily end or terminus
2. Not
necessarily final events of a future time
B. Two avenues of eschatological consideration
1. "Last
things" for individuals - death, judgment, resurrection,
after-life, etc.
2. "Last
things" concerning God's purposes in history.
C. Time can be divided into "past
times" and "last times" - Heb. 1:1,2
1. Complete period
of "last times" - Acts 2:16; Heb. 1:2; II Pet. 1:20
2. Specific
period of "last days" of "last times" - Jn.
6:39,40,44, 11:24; 12:48; I Cor. 15:26,52; I
Tim. 4:1; I Pet. 1:5; II Pet. 3:3; I Jn. 2:18
D. Differing perspectives of "last
times"
1. Jewish
theology of old covenant looked to future for "last things"
2. Christian
theology of new covenant looks both to present fulfillment and
future
consummation
of "last things"
E. Christianity views God's "last
things" as fulfilled in Jesus Christ
1. "Last
days" inaugurated by the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection,
ascension, Pentecostal
outpouring
of Jesus Christ.
2. "Last
things" fulfilled in the "finished work" of Jesus
Christ - John 17:4; 19:30
3. God's
"last word" for the restoration of mankind is in His
Son, Jesus Christ.
F. Christian eschatology must maintain a balance
between the
1. Already
- the present, experienced, realized, inaugurated
2. Not
yet - the future, expected, anticipated, awaited
III Biblical categories that evidence the "already"
and "not yet" of "last things."
A. Coming of Christ - parousia
1. Already
- II Pet. 1:6
2. Not
yet - I Cor. 15:23; I Thess. 2:19; 5:23; James 5:7,8
B. Appearing of Christ - epiphaneia
1. Already
- II Tim. 1:10; Titus 2:11; 3:4
2. Not
yet - II Thess. 2:8; I Tim. 6:14; Titus 2:13
C. Manifestation of Christ - phaino
1. Already
- I Tim. 3:16; I Pet. 1:20
2. Not
yet - I Pet. 5:4; I Jn. 2:28; 3:2
D. Revealing of Christ - apokalupsis
1. Already
- Gal. 1:16
2. Not
yet - I Cor. 1:7; II Thess. 1:7; I Pet. 1:5,7; 4:13; 5:1
E. Kingdom
1. Already
- Rom. 14:17; Col. 1:13
2. Not
yet - I Cor. 15:24,50; II Tim. 4:18
F. Eternal life
1. Already
- Jn. 3:36; II Cor. 2:16; I Jn. 5:11-13
2. Not
yet - Jn. 6:40; Gal. 6:8; Jude 21
G. Salvation
1. Already
- Lk. 19:9; Rom. 1:16; Eph. 2:5,8; Titus 2:11
2. Not
yet - Rom. 13:11; I Pet. 1:5
H. Redemption
1. Already
- Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Titus 2:14
2. Not
yet - Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:4; 4:30
I. Immortality
1. Already
- II Tim. 1:10
2. Not
yet - I Cor. 15:53,54
J. Resurrection
1. Already
- Rom. 6:4,5; Eph. 2:6; Col. 2:12; 3:1
2. Not
yet - Jn. 11:24; I Cor. 15:42-44; II Cor. 5:4; I Thess. 4:16
K. Hope
1. Already
- Eph. 1:8; Col. 1:27; I Tim. 1:1
2. Not
yet - Rom. 8:24,25; Col. 1:5; Titus 2:13
L. Judgment
1. Already
- Jn. 3:19; 12:31
2. Not
yet - Rom. 14:10; II Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27
M. Heaven
1. Already
- Eph. 1:3; 2:6; Phil. 3:20
2. Not
yet - Col. 1:5; I Pet. 1:4
IV. The Christological reality of "last things"
A. Biblical eschatology must be Christocentric
1. Jesus
Christ is the eschatos of God. God's last word for man.
a.
Last Adam - I Cor. 15:45
b.
First and the Last - Rev. 1:17; 2:8,19; 22:13
2. Jesus
is the culminating consummation of God's intent for man.
3. Jesus
is the ontological dynamic of God's "last thing"
B. One's eschatological understanding
will provide a perspective and a grid for the interpretation
of
all Scripture.
1. Is God's
"last thing" an event, a time period, a social entity,
or a program of physical
promises
to be fulfilled?
2. Or is
God's "last thing" fulfilled in His Son, Jesus Christ?
|