FREE ESSAY ON ESCHATOLOGY OF THE END: ACCORDING TO REVELATIONS

ESCHATOLOGY OF THE END: ACCORDING TO REVELATIONS

Eschatology of the End: According to Revelations What happens to us all when we die or
when the universe comes to an end? Is it all just over? Does history proceed with a
purpose? If so what is the culmination of that purpose? Everyone from scientist to
theologians agree that the world as we know it will eventually end? The question I want
to address is does that eschatological moment, or end mean the destruction of the earth
with fire and brimstone or is does a more glorious end await us? Is there a possibility
of an alternative end, without the desolation some have used to describe it? If one looks
deep enough maybe some of these answers can be found in the book of revelations. Over
time the Book of Revelations has received numerous, some even contradictory
interpretations, but after all of those different outlooks, it is usually conceded that
the book is an essential tool for understanding eschatology. Eschatology comes from the
Greek word of eschatos, meaning last. Eschatology is generally considered to be the
doctrine of the last things. Numerous writers have concluded that Eschatology should
include the notions of judgement and salvation, both things writers assume to be certain
at the end of one's life. Bauckman (1980, p 470) states In contrast to cyclical
conceptions of history, the biblical writings understand history as linear movements
toward a goal. God is driving history towards a goal. God is driving history towards the
ultimate fulfillment of his purpose for his creation. So biblical eschatology is not
limited to the destiny of the individual; it concerns the consummation of the whole
history of the world, towards which all God's redemptive acts in history are
directed.Horton (1994, p. 599) shares this view of Baukman but adds, Believers have a
better hope in and through Christ, who himself is our hope (Col. 1:27; 1 Tim 1:1). Many
believe that the foundation for a better hope along with the events involved in the
consummation of the history of this world, are detailed in the Book of Revelation.
Without this book little could be known about this area. Revelations provides us with
insight into the eschatological field. There is a variety of eschatological
understandings in Christian thought that comes from these areas, (1)interpretation of the
Book of Revelation as a whole, (2)from the interpretation of Revelation 20, and (3)from
whether the hermeneutics employed tend to interpret the Bible more literally or more
figuratively (Horton, 1994, p. 619). There are various views that seem to interpret these
three criteria in extremely different ways.Four principal view points have addressed the
interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Those interpretations consist of Preterist,
Historicist, Idealism, and Futurist. However, because of time and length constraints I am
only going to discuss the first and last. The Preterist view and the Futurist seem to be
the overwhelming favorites of the Christians of today. The Preterist view events of the
end times as a past fulfillment. Preterist comes from the Latin word praeter meaning
past. Preterist feel that the culmination of the end times in Revelations is a reality
that has already been fulfilled. Preterist take an extremely optimistic view of the
Parousia. A Preterist does not fear the end of the world described in
Revelations.According to Preston, Preterists prescribe to the notion that the Bible
speaks not of the end of time but a time of end. Preterists hold that in Revelations John
was writing about a time of end for the old covenant age of Israel. From this stand point
Preston notes that John did indeed believe that he lived in the final times and was a
witness to this passing of the torch from the old covenant to the new. The Preterists
argue that this was in the end that John was describing in his Revelations.So
consequently, the Preterists do not fear the final times and second coming of Christ, as
do the Futurists. The Preterists say that the descriptions in Revelations have already
been fulfilled and that Christians have no need for an apprehensive attitude toward the
end of time. Stevens goes on to point out that the for the Preterist, evil has already
been 'decisively' subdued by the second appearance of Jesus Christ, and that Christ has
fully and finally consummated His victory spiritually and given us our inheritance in His
eternal (spiritual) kingdom. The Preterists live with a positive outlook and an
optimistic mindset. They feel that this superior to the pessimism and paranoia that
surrounds the Futuristic life. Preston interprets what God states in Genesis 8:21, I will
never again destroy every living creature as I have done, literally. The Preterists and
Preston believe that for many years the concentration of this passage has been placed on
the as I have done. By placing the emphasis on the as I have done, people assume that God
merely promises not to destroy the world again by a flood. Preterist suggest placing the
stress of the every living creature, they feel this scripture is God telling humans that
he will never again annihilate the world. So, for the Preterist there is no fear of the
intense Tribulation, Antichrist, and Armageddon. However, the Futurist views are rooted
in the these three ideas. Another manner in which Revelation may be understood is the
Futurist viewpoint, which views most of the book of Revelations (chapters 4 - 22) as
prophecy yet to be fulfilled. Ryrie (1978, p. 1785) believes the Futurist view is the
only logical interpretation of the text. Indeed, as Gentry (n.d.) states,The first
sentence of John's prophecy has become the title of the entire work. And from that title
we are clearly told that this work was to be a revelation. The Greek word for revelation
is apokalupsis, which means an opening up, uncovering. John intended his book to be an
opening up of divine truth for his original audience. He wrote to reveal, not to conceal
truth. Futurists take a much more literal interpretation of John's accounts of the end
times in his Revelations. The Futurists, as the name implies, think that the words of
John are a fulfillment yet to come. A Futurist believes that at the end of time there
indeed will be a realization of all the events described in Revelations. The Tribulation,
Antichrist, and Armageddon are going to be a reality just as John has stated. It is from
the Futurists' view that a great deal of parallels is drawn to other scriptures. The
Futurists argue that these other scriptures are the foundations for all of the evil they
see in the end times of Revelations. The Futurists believe that John's Revelations brings
all of these past decrees found in other scriptures to an ultimate end. For the futurist,
the depth of understanding of the consummation of this age that Revelation provides is
sublime. Nevertheless, as stated, Eschatological concepts are expressed in many other
passages of scripture. Revelation further contributes to an understanding of Scripture by
bringing these diverse strands into a tight, cohesive whole.Futurists plead that Daniel
referred to the Antichrist when he spoke of a prince to come who would destroy the city
and the sanctuary and bring about desolation (Daniel 9:26). The apostle Paul also spoke
of the Antichrist, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders (II Thessalonians 2:9). He is the son of perdition (II Thessalonians
2:3) and the Wicked (II Thessalonians 2:8), whom the Lord shall consume, but cannot be
revealed until his restrainer is removed at the rapture of the Church (II Thessalonians
2:6-7). These are all passages that the futurist draw from to convince themselves and
others that what John speaks of in the final times will indeed become a reality. After
all, how many times are the Old Testament declarations fulfilled in the New testament?In
futurism Daniel's vision of the little horn again refers to the Antichrist, the previous
beasts and horns being the formation of Empires yet to come (Daniel 7:1-11). Daniel sees
the little horn slain and destroyed (Daniel 7:11) and, in harmony with Revelation, Daniel
sees the return of Christ as one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven
(Daniel 9:13). He would be given dominion and glory and a kingdom that will know no
end(Daniel 9:14). The Futurist concludes that without the book of Revelation these
threads of predictive prophecy would be potentially meaningless, subject to immense
speculation. Without the book, the clear sequence of events and the relationship between
these prophecies would not be so noticeable.One final important contribution that the
futurist feel the Book of Revelation gives to eschatology is an understanding of the
nature of evil and its final overthrow. Caird (1984, p.294) writes,John uses the most
offensive language he can to delineate his spiritual enemies (Balaamite, Jezebel,
fornication, monster, whore), because he is aware that they present themselves to the
world in a much more attractive light. No man chooses evil because he recognizes it to be
evil, but always because, for the moment at least, it appears to be good. The essence of
evil is deception and counterfeit. Satan is 'the deceiver of the whole world', who
misleads men by telling lies about God. The monster is the Antichrist, the false Messiah,
who makes blasphemous claims to deity. It bears 'deadly marks of slaughter', which are a
parody of the marks on the Lamb, and its deadly wound has been healed in a mock
resurrection (xiii. 3, 14). Its followers bear a brand which is a travesty of the seal of
God on the foreheads of the martyrs (xiii. 16). Its title, 'was and is not and is yet to
be', is a caricature of the name of God (xvii. 8; cf. i. 4).Evil will reach its final
crescendo in the Antichrist, inspired by Satan to perform false miracles (II
Thessalonians 2:9; cf. Matthew 24:24; Revelation 13:11-15). Interestingly, while Paul
provides a sketch of this human embodiment of evil (II Thessalonians 2:3-12), other New
Testament references find Antichristalready present in heretical teachings (I John
2:18f., 22; 4:3). Nevertheless, the Eschatology drawn from the Book of Revelation reveals
that the powers of evil willbe completely eliminated. It is easy to see the distinct
differences in beliefs from the Preterist to the Futurist point of view. Now that I have
discussed some of the views and meanings behind Eschatology and the end time, which do we
choose? Is it more logical for the world to accept the view that the end is going to be
filled with the worst possibilities that man has ever known. Or does God not wish to
subject the human race to that sort of punishment. Obviously, the Preterist would say
that it makes no sense to live in fear of the end because there will be no evil end
times. Whereas, the Futurist are convinced that the end times is going to bring about
great tribulations of epic proportions. From a personal perspective, my views are more in
line with that of the Preterist. Although this view maybe difficult for some to accept it
seems to be somewhat more logical. However, often I feel that the Preterist is not fully
understood. One must recognize that the Preterist is not convinced that the Christians
will never have to suffer. On the contrary, they perceive the fact that if Christ had to
endure so may the Christian. It seems that the Futuristic view is more of a traditional
view and the Preterist is slightly more enlightened. I know as a child in church I was
subjected to all the ideas that the Futurist present right down to the rivers turning to
blood. It would most likely be safe to assume that the same people which prescribe to the
Futuristic view also teach the angry God of the Old Testament and the loving God of the
New Testament, an idea which I have expelled. For me the logic behind the Futuristic view
does not hold. It flows more logically for me that God has a master plan in mind. God
created the world out of love and he intervenes in the world because of his love for
humans, at least that is what I hold to be the truth. Obviously, the creation was not a
perfect one because humans sin every day, every minute, even every second. So, why would
God create this world, send his son to show us the way only to destroy it in the end
times? God already destroyed the sin infested world once, and that did not eliminate the
sin from the earth, so why would he do it again? God did indeed send his son, the perfect
human, to give us a light to live by so maybe we are supposed to try to bring everything
full circle. Man was once with God on a higher level (i.e. Adam). Through sin we have
been force out of all of God's glory maybe even become less human. Is it possible that
sin clouds men's vision, and makes them unable to see what God originally intended humans
to be. Therefore, he sent his son as a sort of reminder of what humans should be. Maybe
the reason he sent his son is because he wishes for man to be escalated once again to
that plateau from which Adam fell. The end is then not a condemnation of man, but the
completion of the journey of reinstating man to his original grandeur.