Preview of the End of the World" 3Desmond Ford

When you celebrate the Lord'sSupper, there is eschatology in it:"You proclaim the Lord's deathuntil he comes" (l Corinthians11:26 NIV).

When you are baptized and godown into the water, yousymbolize death; when you comeup, you symbolize theresurrection day. That is a symbolof eschatology.

The first preacher of the SecondAdvent is over 5,000 years old,and still living!

Apostles believed the Blessed HopeIt is a heaven-going doctrine. The apostles believed in it. Theangels told them at Christ's Ascension:

J here are two kinds ofeschatology: 1) Individualeschatology, which has to

do with our death andresurrection, and 2) Corporateeschatology, which has to do withthe end of the world ..

Eschatology is the study oflast-day events, and tells us that

the return of Christ is theBlessed Hope. The whole Bible

is full of the eschatologicalChrist's return is the Blessed Hope. The OldBlessed HopeThe first one, individual eschatol- Testament is promise, theogy, is not the Blessed Hope. Gospels are fulfillment, and the

It is popular amongChristians-atfunerals-to speak return of Christ is the Blessedabout death as though it was a HI.marvelous thing, the gate to ope s consummation. Enoch, the seventh fromheaven. But the Bible says that death is the last enemy, yet to Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord isbe destroyed (see 1 Corinthians 15:26). coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy

The Blessed Hope in Scripture is never death. The Blessed ones." Gude 1:14)Hope in Scripture is the return of Christ to finish death.

The Bible is full of such an idea with over 2,000references! The New Testament has over 320 references-and there are only 260 chapters in the New Testament.

New Testament very eschatologicalThe New Testament is a very eschatological book. When youpray the Lord's Prayer, there is eschatology in it: "Thykingdom come" (Matthew 6:10 KJV).

They [apostles] were looking intently up into thesky as he Oesus] was going, when suddenly two mendressed in white stood beside them.

"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here

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November, 1999Vol.19,No.11Publishedby Good NewsUnlimitedCopyright © 1999

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looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has beentaken from you into heaven, will come back in thesame way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts1:10-11)

Jesus and the Blessed HopeJesus believed in the Blessed Hope:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God;trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms;if it were not so, I would have told you. I am goingthere to prepare a place for you. And if I go andprepare a place for you, I will come back and take youto be with me that you also may be where I am. "Oohn 14:1-3)

Eric Hoffer, a blind longshoreman, wrote a book calledThe True Believer, about fanaticism and religion. (InAustralia, we would call him a "wharfie.") Hoffer said,"There is no potent faith without faith in the future."

Communism copied Christianity by offering people afuture, but it failed. The future it offered had no base tobuild upon, because it had no God.

OldTestament and eschatologyLet's all become theologians for a few minutes as we practiceeschatology together.

You can understand the whole Bible by eschatology.The Old Testament is full of promises about the

approaching end-time "Kingdom of God."

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before mewas one like a son of man, coming with the clouds ofheaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and wasled into his presence. He was given authority, glory and

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trustin God; trust also in me. In my Father'shouse are many rooms; if it were not so, Iwould have told you. I am going there toprepare a place for you.And if I go andprepare a place for you, I will come backand take you to be with me that you alsomay be where lam."

Oohn 14:1-3)

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sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of everylanguage worshipped him. His dominion is aneverlasting dominion that will not pass away, and hiskingdom is one that will never be destroyed."(Daniel 7:13-14 NIV)

"While you were watching, a rock was cut out, butnot by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet ofiron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, theclay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken topieces at the same time and became like chaff on athreshing-floor in the summer. The wind swept themaway without leaving a trace. But the rock that struckthe statue became a huge mountain and filled thewhole earth.

"In the time of those kings, the God of heaven willset up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor willit be left to another people. It will crush all those king-doms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endurefor ever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rockcut out of a mountain, but not by human hands-arock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silverand the gold to pieces." (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45)

That's eschatology.

Rejoice greatly, 0 Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter ofJerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and hav-ing salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, thefoal of a donkey.

He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extendfrom sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.(Zechariah 9:9-10)

That's eschatology

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad forthem; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.(Isaiah 35: 1 KJV)

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie downwith the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together;and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with thebear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eatstraw like the ox. (Isaiah 11:6-7 NIV)

That's eschatology:

Promise, fulfillment and consummationThe Old Testament is full of promise. The Gospels fulfill thatpromise.

Jesus said:

"But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, thenthe kingdom of God has come to you." (Luke II :20)

That is the fulfillment of the Old Testament's promise. Butthe consummation is yet to come.

The Old Testament is the promise. The four Gospels arethe fulfillment. The consummation is yet to come.

Through the New TestamentLook at it another way.

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When you open the New Testament, Matthew talksabout the kingdom over fifty times.

When you move from the synoptic Gospels into John'sGospel, he talks about eternal life.

When you move to Acts, Luke talks about theeschatological gift of the Spirit.

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spiriton all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,your young men will see visions, your old men willdream dreams." (Acts 1:17)

When you move to Paul, he talks about the LastJudgment in terms of justification.

Eschatology through the whole BibleThe synoptic Gospels talk about the kingdom of God;the fourth Gospel about eternal life; Acts about theeschatological outpouring of the Spirit; Paul about theanticipated Last Judgment.

When you come to Jesus, he gives you the verdict of theLast Judgment. You have eternal life; you are accepted.There's no condemnation.

All those are eschatological themes. The kingdom, eternallife, the Spirit, judgment-they're all eschatology:Eschatology is a major theme throughout thewhole Bible. «1(7

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