Although I've now been retired for some years and have kept busy preaching during this time, I have tried to step away from the regular lecturing that I used to do over many years. However one of the subjects I still get asked to teach on is eschatology. Just when I feel I may have done it for the last time another invitation comes my way. I feel I've probably had more final appearances than Frank Sinatra! But I'm highly motivated about the subject for various reasons. For one thing I feel the need for a 'sensible' eschatology,when on this subject there is so much wild speculation, sensationalism and frankly plain rubbish which is taught. Nothing is more sensational than the truth, and although I would concede that no-one's eschatological understanding is perfect (not even mine!) there is clearly a need to correct so much which is so obviously in error on this subject. I also teach eschatology because of the hope that it brings when one gets a Biblical perspective of what happens after death and what the Bible teaches us about heaven. Then of course there is the fact that the Bible does talk about an End (eschatology means end times). We've had a beginning, when God created all things, we've had an intervention, when God became incarnate in Jesus Christ and there will be an End to history as we know it. But there are perils in teaching about it.
I've heard it said that one of the besetting mistakes of every generation is the belief that it is the last generation. In my lifetime I've read books and articles that dogmatically conclude that The End will come in a certain year and even on a certain day - can we hold that a moment and realise that there has been a slight miscalculation! So I've always avoided speculation on a date when The End might come, hiding behind the not too clever statement that The End is certainly nearer now than it used to be. Preachers, of course, have often pointed dramatically to the present state of the world and even though they may avoid the error of suggesting a particular date nevertheless ramp up the probability that it must be very near. Then of course, certainly in my younger years, there was a lot of preaching that included the challenge; where would you stand if Jesus came back again tonight? After a large number of these 'tonights' have passed it's easy to get cynical and simply postpone the Second Coming of Jesus so far into the future that it's hardly worth considering the issue. My question to the groups I lecture on how often they have heard a sermon specifically on the Second Coming of Christ in their church makes it clear to me that it's very rare that this doctrine is preached today. We're so busy today that we can't spend anytime considering something that doesn't really seem imminent at all.
Having said all of that I take the risk of saying I believe it is important to consider state of the world as it is today:
For one thing there is climate change. As one who didn't rush to accept what was happening I believe it's now impossible to dismiss that reality that our world is changing. Fires rage more fiercely, floods come more often, storms blow more strongly. We see the pictures of melting ice, disappearing glaciers and forests and threatened low-lying islands. Our world is in deep trouble and we don't seem urgent enough to fix it.
Again, there is a rise in international tensions that make the world look ever more dangerous. The main nuclear powers are re-arming and the lesser nuclear powers are developing their weapons. North Korea is a threat, Iran is a threat, and some would say Israel is a threat. My own view is that the threat that comes from Israel is that of retaliation, which has for many years been that nation's policy. Hit us and we will hit you harder. And it's not simply that these nations (and some others) have nuclear weapons, but that what could begin as a small conflict could easily escalate into something far bigger.
There are a rising number of potential conflict points. Turkey looks ready to throw its increasing weight around. India and Pakistan live in a perpetual condition of simmering violence and potential war over Kashmir. China goes on steadily building up islands equipped for backing up military force in the South China Sea and clearly wants to claim that area as its own with permission needed to pass through. And so on.
Then there is a rising tide of hatred, division and separation around the globe. It's been bad enough in the UK with tensions running so high over Brexit, and with increasing demands for another Scottish referendum, but that's as nothing compared to the fear engendered by the increasing strength of Al Shabaab in Nigeria, as well as Al-Qaeda in the Far East and the potential resurrection of ISIS in the Middle East and North Africa. We live in a very tense world
To suggest that society is breaking up or breaking down sounds like a cliche, but violent crime, family break down and the kind of madness that now is propagated in the gender confusion all contributes to a fracturing society.
Is this enough to claim that The End is Nigh? Well of course I don't know, but I do think we need to be real about the world and time that we presently live in and because we live with the blessed hope of Christ's Return at least acknowledge that the fragile state of the world today could indicate how near we are to the end.
As I read the New Testament it seems to me that there are 3 clear unfilled prophecies that must see a fulfilment before The End comes. Here again is the peril of dealing with eschatology, but I take these seriously as on closer inspection what may seem unfulfilled may not be entirely clear.
The salvation of 'all Israel.' Romans 11:26. It seems to me that to interpret this as referring to any but the Jewish nation is to violate the text. As with many commentators I take 'all Israel' to be a general term for the nation as a whole rather than referring to every individual jew. Such a work of salvation does not yet seem at all evident. However there is enough in Romans 9-11 to allow a 'deathbed conversion.' That even as the glorified Christ is seen returning at the end of history, that the Jewish people could acclaim him as their Messiah.
The appearance of the Antichrist. References in the letters to the Thessalonians, 1 John and Revelation. I find it difficult to believe from Scripture that this won't be an identifiable single figure. However, I could be wrong; for some suggest it should be understood more as a spirit of Antichrist in the world and certainly there are several now who in the way they rule their nations could be identified with that spirit. So I don't think this prophecy is yet fulfilled, but maybe it is.
The gospel being preached to all nations (Matt 24:14), which is commonly understood as 'people groups'. Again, that doesn't seem to have happened and so attempts to proclaim the gospel throughout the world continue. But maybe our definition of what a 'people group' is would not be God's definition of a people group. So again, although this prophesy looks well short of being fulfilled, perhaps that is not a correct understanding.
So I live with the expectation that there are prophecies to be fulfilled, but also with the possibility that these are already at or nearer fulfilment than I realise. As Paul said to Titus: 'we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.' Titus 2:13
'We, need to say to ourselves regularly the great acclamation, "Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again".' John Stott.