Eschatology
“‘Surely, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Rev. 22:20–21). The Bible ends its masterful story with these words. Moving from creation to fall to redemption, the Bible points to the consummation, the coming grand finale of history. Eschatology is the study of the unfolding of God’s plan in history, especially the destiny of humans and the world.
While eschatology focuses on the future, it is rooted in the past and relates to the entire biblical story. Creation is for God’s purposes. Human beings are created in the image of God to know and serve him and to rule his creation for his purposes (Gen. 1:26–31). In the fall, humans rebelled against God’s reign, and the domain of sin and death ensued (Genesis 3). Thankfully, God’s gracious promises were revealed to Abraham in a covenant, in which God called a people to himself, promised to bless them, and promised to bless all peoples of the earth through them (Gen. 12:1–3). The promises made to Abraham were expanded in God’s covenant to David, in which God promised David a son, a throne, and an eternal kingdom (2 Sam. 7:12–16). These promises looked forward to a new covenant marked by forgiveness of sins, the law written on believers’ hearts, and new life (Jer. 31:31–34).
The NT makes clear that the promised Messiah came in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Through his incarnation, ministry, teaching, sinless life, substitutionary death, victorious resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Spirit, Jesus fulfilled the messianic promises, accomplished the messianic mission, and provided salvation for a lost world. The NT also declares that Jesus will come again to reign as King, bringing peace, joy, and righteousness. The kingdom is not primarily a geographic area but a people governed by the will of Jesus their King. The kingdom is something believers enter, experience, and affirm. It is a present reality for the people of Jesus and a future promise linked to the second coming of Christ.
Death
Individual eschatology is situated in this broader context. Sooner or later, until the Lord returns, all humans will die (Heb. 9:26–28). Physical death is variously represented in Scripture. It is spoken of as the death of the body, as distinguished from the soul (Matt. 10:28), or as the separation of body and soul. Never is it spoken of as annihilation, but rather as the termination of physical life.
According to Scripture, however, death is not merely a biological phenomenon but is also a consequence of disobedience to the command of God (Gen. 2:16–17; Prov. 8:35–36). For humans it is an expression of divine anger, a judgment on sin (Rom. 6:23). Adam’s sin brought death upon not only himself, but also his descendants (Rom. 5:12–21). Death ultimately has been defeated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:54–57).
The immaterial aspect of believers, known as the soul or spirit, will at death be made perfect in holiness and pass immediately into glory (2 Cor. 5:5–9; Phil. 1:21–24; Heb. 12:23). The body, the material portion, remains in the grave after death until the final resurrection (1 Thess. 4:14). At death the soul consciously rests in the presence of God or in torment until the body is raised. Then the whole person exists eternally in a condition established by God’s just and righteous judgment. Those who suffer are punished according to the degree of divine truth they refused (see Matt. 11:21–22). Those glorified with Christ receive his inheritance as a gift and will dwell in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21–22).
The Resurrection of the Dead
Scripture teaches that at the return of Christ all the dead will be raised (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28–29; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15). The resurrection will be a bodily redemption similar to the resurrection of Christ (Rom. 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15). Both the righteous and the wicked will be raised. The reunion of body and soul will issue in the penalty of eternal death for the wicked and deliverance and glorification forever for the righteous.
The Return of Christ
Throughout the history of man, people have sought, worked, and died attempting to bring about peace and justice on the earth. The church’s responsibility is to work for and pray for peace and justice on earth, but ultimate peace and justice are precluded by the sinfulness of humanity. Only when God’s rule and reign come to full manifestation will history know true peace. It is to the return of Christ that the church has expectantly looked since his ascension (Acts 1:9–11).
Jesus Christ came first in the form of a servant. He will return as the judge of all mankind (John 5:24–27; 1 Thess. 5:1–3). At the first coming, Christ inaugurated his kingdom; at his second coming, he will consummate his kingdom. The second coming will be physical and personal, as were his resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:10–11).
The coming of Christ will be immediately preceded by a cosmic and terrestrial distress (Luke 21:25–27). Christ’s return will bring a judgment upon the world that is sudden, unexpected, and inescapable (Matt. 24:42–44). The antichrist figure will arise prior to the second coming. He will be decisively overthrown (2 Thess. 2:8).
The kingdom of God, his rule and reign, will be consummated and fully established at the return of Christ. In some sense, Christ’s redemptive kingdom is already realized in his church through the hearts and lives of his people (Rom. 14:17; Col. 1:13). Yet it is not fully realized throughout the earth and awaits the fullness of his kingship (Isa. 11:9; Rom. 8:18–27; Rev. 20:1–6). There is debate about whether that fullness will precede or coincide with the final, eternal state after the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth (Isaiah 65; Revelation 21).
A great outpouring of God’s grace will occur in the end times as the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world (Matt. 24:3–31; Rom. 11:25–36). Christians throughout history agree that Christ will come again physically and visibly, and the church’s hope is focused on him. Though believers have differed over the meaning of the millennium (Rev. 20:1–6), they have nevertheless agreed that the rule and reign of God on earth will be expressed completely as God’s victory over sin, evil, Satan, and death is accomplished.
The Final Judgment
The teaching of the resurrection leads to the throne of final judgment. In the first coming of Christ, he came as Savior; in his second coming, he will return as Judge of all mankind (John 12:47–48; Acts 17:31). God’s judgment will come according to the standard revealed in God’s Word and will vary based upon the revelation available to different groups of people (Matt. 11:20–24). Those who have not heard the gospel, the heathen, will be judged by the law of nature and conscience (Rom. 2:12); Jews, by the OT law (Rom. 2:17–28). Those who have not responded to the full gospel revelation will be judged by it (Rom. 3:19–20). God will give every person his or her due. Every individual of the human race will appear before the judgment seat (Matt. 25:32; Rev. 20:12). Satan and demons will be judged (Matt. 25:41; Jude 6), and forgiven believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged for their works (2 Cor. 5:10).
The Eternal State
The last judgment assigns the final state of those who appear before the judgment seat. Their final state is one of either everlasting misery and separation from God or eternal blessedness. In the final state the wicked are consigned to the condemnation of hell, a place of punishment, banishment, and death (Matt. 25:31–46; 2 Thess. 1:5–10; Rev. 20:11–15; 21:8). The wicked will for all eternity be deprived of divine favor and will suffer punishment for sins.
The final state of believers will be preceded by the judgment of the world and the establishment of a new creation. The abode of the righteous will be prepared by Christ and will involve the establishment of the new heavens and new earth (John 14:2; Revelation 21–22). In the eternal state, creation itself will be freed from the effects of sin and the curse upon the earth (Genesis 3; Rom. 8:18–23; Rev. 22:3). This fullness of life will be enjoyed in communion with God, the essence of eternal life (John 17:3; Rev. 21:3). All in that state will enjoy perfect bliss. In sum, Christ’s return leads to judgment and then to the eternal state: condemnation for the wicked and eternal bliss for believers as God’s eternal glory is manifested in his victorious rule and reign.