The Doctrine Of The Last Things: Eschatology

The Doctrine of The Last Things: Eschatology
1.Introduction
The word eschatology means the study of the last things. It derives from eschatos (adjective) meaning last and logos meaning subject or word. Strictly speaking the eschaton is the last age. However, in another sense, whatever is in the future can generally be subsumed under the word. The first prophecy, speaking of the destruction of evil (Gen. 3:15) was strictly speaking an eschatological matter since evil will be defeated at the very end, however much it has been defeated on the way. Eschatological things are generally those things which are ahead, and specifically those which are at the very end-time.
2. The Background To Eschatology
(i) Salvation History
Many eastern religions and philosophies do not see an end, but rather cyclic movements which may consummate but recede to repetition of the former cycles.
Eschatology, then, is wholly linked with salvation history.
1
Salvation history
(heilsgeschichte) means that God is the God of history, and that in fact all history relates to the salvation which God is working out. It is not only an aspect - redemption within history - but history itself is redeemed, or, to put it another way, all history is God's act of salvation, rightly understood.
History, on the whole, is often understood as the simple chronicle of events as they happen.
To this interpretations of history are often added. Some even adduce certain principles or patterns from the historic events. However, creation, redemption, and the final restoration of all things is the whole event of redemption. Hence the ‘end things’ (eschatology) must not be seen on their own, but viewed from the perspective of salvation history.
3. Christ and Eschatology: The Lord of The Future
It goes without saying that all eschatology is in the hands of the Lord of history, Jesus
Achieving personal power is helpful for someone who pretends to be more confident than he really is. For example, one of my friends threw a party at his house last month. He asked me to come to his party and bring a date. However, I didn’t have a girlfriend. One of my other friends, who had a date to go to the party with, asked me about my date. I didn’t want to be embarrassed, so I claimed that I had a lot of work to do. I said I could easily find a date even better than his if I wanted to. I also told him that his date was ugly. I achieved power to help me feel confident; however, I embarrassed my friend and his date. Although this lie helped me at the time, since then it has made me look down on