John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Why should we invest time in learning and comprehending Biblical eschatology? After all its controversial and complicated. Can’t we just be “Panmillennialists” satisficed with the knowledge that “it will all pan out in the end”? Well, God has given us His Holy Bible and a large portion of inspired scripture is dedicated to eschatology. We know that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16–17). To avoid eschatology because it is to complex or to controversial demeans God’s word. God has put it there for our instruction. Avoiding eschatology in our studies is incompatible with Paul’s admonishment to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).
Still, I have heard too many jokes making light of eschatology and too many people teasing about being “Pan-millennialists” (because everything will “pan” out alright in the end). Such humor misses, I think, the importance of eschatology in the Bible. The Bible is a story—yes, a true story—but a story nonetheless. Everything in a story depends on how the story ends. Eschatology tells us how the biblical story ends. That is how important eschatology is!
Amillennialist Sam Waldron
We are the beneficiaries of 2000 years of interpretive history. We have cumulative corporate insight from sheep listening to their Savior’s voice. This provides us with the resources to hone a tenable, orthodox eschatological understanding. A corporate consensus of sheep listening to their Savior’s voice produced the Biblical Canon and the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. It wasn’t until the fourth century that the NT canon was officially decided. It took three centuries to coalesce around the Apostles Creed which provides the backbone for all modern orthodox eschatology. It took almost 4 centuries to systematically articulate orthodoxy on the Trinity. It took over 15 centuries to develop the principles of the 5 Solas. It wasn’t until the 20th century that Solas became a coherent, systematic tenet of Reformed orthodoxy. The Apostles Creed was established in the 4th century and its truths have been fundamental to orthodox Protestantism (and Roman Catholicism) ever since. In it are these words that attest to the future second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: “He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.” To reject a future second coming is heresy. All modern eschatological positions coalesce around this truth. Dispensational Premillennialism, Historic Premillennialism, Amillennialism and Postmillennialism all agree on the orthodox truths of Christ’s bodily return, the physical resurrection and judgement of all mankind followed by the eternal state. Given the trajectory of the corporate, cumulative effect of John 10:27, it is reasonable to expect a coalescing of the millennial views into one orthodox position at some point in the future. To that end, have listen to this recent (March 2023} interview with Keith Mathison about the remarkable convergence of the Postmillennial and Amillennial views (“the millennial debate has just been a perennial source of arguments and division and to see the exegesis is leading to more and more consensus is an encouraging sign for me…”). It is well worth your 43 minutes.
Eschatology is the backstory that gives context to the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ launched a new creation as a result of which the world became a different place. We elect sinners, saved by grace through faith “are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”. It is through our preaching of the Gospel and walking in the good works ordained for us that we are the instruments chosen to bring about the burgeoning worldwide rule of King Jesus. We are active participants of the God’s Kingdom coming to earth and his will being done on earth as it is in heaven. We are not simply plucking a few souls from the fire, we are God’s chosen means of bringing about a time when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Jesus is now the place where heaven and earth meet. Jesus is the new temple. The death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ is forever the Good News. The new creation has begun, it will culminate when Jesus Christ returns to bring about the eternal state and we’ll be there with new, glorified, resurrected bodies. We must see our Christian walk within this narrative; Something happened, something is happening, and something will happen. In the meantime, we walk as new creations(2 Corinthians 5:17) proclaiming the power of the Gospel to save souls, transform lives, heal bodies, reconcile enemies and disciple the nations.
Orthodox eschatology provides the canvas upon which our understanding of all Biblical doctrine is painted. An awareness of a future resurrection and judgement of all humankind provides an interpretive grid through which we view our lives. If there is no resurrection, our faith is pointless.(1 Corinthians 15:13-14). Because our bodies will be resurrected, we should glorify God in our bodies now. We are assured that justice will be done in the end, and will be seen to be done (Acts 17:31). Eschatology underpins our comprehension of scripture and therefore how we live our walk with Christ. Eschatology provides the guardrails for the outworking of our salvation, the Church’s mission, and our understanding of world events. As leaven slowly causes bread to rise and a mustard seed slowly grows into a tree, the Great Commission will see increasing success. By staying true to the Word of God and making God’s testimonies our meditation we participate in the success of the Great Commission and growth of the kingdom. We learn from 1 John 4:14 that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Not only does the Father purpose to save elect sinners, but also to bring the whole creation, society and culture under the authority of King Jesus. May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! (Psalm 72:8) Our perception of when and how this will be brought to pass will inevitably affect our testimony and how we live our lives. An optimistic view that these prophecies are being fulfilled now during the millennium prior to the second coming provides the impetus to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
