Christ our Eschatology - the Eye of the Storm

"Eschatology is the 'eye of the storm' in the theology of our time" (Hans Urs von Balthasar, "Eschatologie," Fragen der Theologie Heute. Feiner, Trütsch, Böckle, editors (Zürich: Köln, 1958), pp. 493-421).

Eschatology is foundational and therefore inescapable. One cannot avoid eschatology, or for that matter the implications of one’s eschatology. Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). The Greek word in this verse translated as ‘last’ is ‘eschatos’; Christ is the eschatos. This comes on the heels of Christ saying that he is the arche and the telos, the beginning and the end. When God begins a work, when he creates, he does so with certain purposes in mind, designs which he will certainly carry through to perfection, to their appointed ends. Moreover, it is Christ himself, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, who is the foundation of the Church (3:10-11), and the ‘Cornerstone’ (Ephesians 2:20) of God’s new Holy Temple-City. Because Christ is the eschatos, and because Christ is the foundation of the House of God, because he is source and goal, the conclusions we make about beginnings and endings are of great consequence. In these we are witnessing of Christ. Eschatology is Christological.

Is Christ the High Priest? When: Now or Not Yet?

Is Christ the Prophet? When: Now or Not Yet?

Is Christ the King? When: Now or Not Yet?

Christ is not divided - in office, or in time.

We all know the opt-out words to describe the eschatologically agnostic Christian. Some describe themselves as ‘pan-mil’ (It will all pan out in the end’). Still others employ a term like ‘pro-mil’ (‘I am for whatever happens’). Others are optimillennialists or pessimillennialists (Its going to get better or its going to get worse).

I am a postmillennialist. I believe that Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead at the end of history; I don’t believe that history will be concluded apart from his stretching forth his scepter from Zion and ruling in the midst of his enemies as the anointed King, summoning all nations to obedience to his rule, to the obedience of faith. ‘All nations shall come and worship before him…his dominion shall be from the river to the ends of the earth…he shall reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet…’, and so on.

This means that I believe Christ’s Lordship is comprehensive and, while met by opposition, will also ultimately triumph in all the world. I do not think that Christ is only head of the Church, but not the ruler of nations; I do not think that Christ is the Lord of the soul, but not the Sovereign of Caesars and Tsars. Christ’s Lordship cannot be reduced to the Church and the individual Christian or the Christian family and school. “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth…” (Matthew 28:18ff). Economics, Medicine, Education, Architecture, the Arts, indeed everything we can conceive of that makes up what we refer to as ‘culture’ is subject to Christ. All reality is created by him, interpreted and judged by him, and returns to him – for from him, and through him, and to him are all things, to him be glory forever.

Suppose however that I believed that Christ’s rule was confined to the Church and the individual Christian. Suppose I believed that the world could not be discipled and saved. Would this have any bearing on my actions in and attitude to society in the present? Certainly. Why send missionaries to Europe if the continent is to be lost to Islam? Why work to end slavery or the scourge of abortion if there is no hope that men’s hearts and minds can be changed? Why have a prophetic voice to the nations and their rulers if there is no hope for repentance? Why labor to build great academies and hospitals if they are the inheritance of the antichrist and we are escaping from here to a different world? As one person said to me many years ago, “Its all going to burn, so why build anything!’ Indeed.

Eschatology is foundational. It is inescapable. One’s view of the future determines how one acts in the present. If you believe the Stock Market is crashing next Tuesday, you won’t be buying until Wednesday.

As it happens, I am in full agreement with the following:

Postmillennialism

Partial Preterism

Biblical Authority in all of Life

Discipling Nations (not just rescuing a few individuals from every nation)

Formal, Liturgical Lord’s Day Worship (with one voice, ascending to heaven)

Parish Churches that Live Out Community, Making Disciples of every Nation and every Generation.

Much of this is unacceptable to some in the PCA. Maybe it would be better simply to say that they don't like these views. Many prefer Amillennialism or even Premillennialism, and to be sure both are perfectly acceptable in this denomination. Many believe that formal liturgical worship is outdated and off-putting to those we seek to reach with the Gospel. Many do not see the Church with a voice in the world at all, confining her activity to worship, discipleship, and evangelism, avoiding anything cultural, whether political or artistic.

That said, I won’t stop asking my friends to consider the Scriptures, consider the implications of their views, and teaching what I hold to be true.

There was a Garden at the start of the Bible, perfect and glorious, fashioned by the Trinity; there the first Adam fell into death, not protecting his bride Eve. There is another Garden in the middle of the Bible, and there the Last Adam was raised to life, met by a new Eve who clung to him there. There is a Garden at the end of the Bible, where the Last Adam invites His perfected and glorious Bride to the wedding feast, and then into dance of the Trinity. Beginning and goal, arche and eschaton, Alpha and Omega, cannot be separated. And between them stands in loving boldness the Cross of Christ and his empty tomb.