What is Eschatology?

Eschatology is a term that is used to denote “the study of the last days”. It is taken also as the study of “the future”, study of “the prophecies”. All meanings are inherent in the term eschatology. We know that resurrection of the dead, heaven, hell, the second coming of Jesus are all part of Eschatology.

But, to know more about the scope of eschatology, we need to know what constitutes the “last days.” For that, we should go to the Old Testament. The Book of Genesis teaches us that Adam disbelieved God. Adam and his descendants fell into the pit of sin. But God who is gracious and merciful promised them a Messiah, a deliverer.

Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

From that time onward, the people of God lived their lives waiting for that promised deliverer. They believed that the deliverer will deliver them from sin, and all its consequences which include diseases, curses, afflictions, spiritual death and physical death. They believed that the Messiah will judge all the ungodly. They believed that all who believes in God will live even when they die.

Jude 14, 15: “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 

Job 19:25, 26: “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God”

But the term “last days” can be seen only in the prophets (Isaiah and Micah).

Isaiah 2:2: “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.” (Micah 4:1)

They believed that Yahweh will manifest himself in the “last days” to redeem his people. They believed that in the “last days” he will establish his everlasting kingdom and people from all the nations will come into it. The New Testament has also various reference to the “last days.”

Acts 2:15-17: “These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

1 Peter 1:3-5: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 1:20: “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”

2 Peter 3:3,4: “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.”

1 John 2:18: “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.”

From the passages we have read in the NT, we can ascertain the following points. Yahweh was manifested himself as the redeemer (Jesus Christ) in the last days. The Historical Coming of the Holy Spirit took place in the “last days”. The period when myriads of antichrists came and still coming and when the final Antichrist will come is also “last hour.” The completion of salvation of those who believes in Christ will occur in the “last days” or “last times”.

From this we can define what is meant by “last days”. The time period between the First Coming of Jesus Christ and the completion of salvation (salvation of the body) is told as the “last days” in the Bible.

Therefore, eschatology (study of last days) has following scopes:

1.       The First Coming of Jesus

2.       The Second Coming of Jesus

3.       The Kingdom of God

4.       The New Testament Age

5.       The Completion of our Salvation

6.       Resurrection of the Dead

7.       The Final Judgment

8.       Heaven

9.       Hell

10.   New Heaven and New Earth


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