Eschatology In The New Testament

Eschatology has long fascinated many including myself since the beginning of time. There is just something that tends to fascinate our finite minds of the end of times. Over this time, many thoughts and perceptions has arouse from a wide variety of sources including scholars, theologians, scientists, sociologist, religions, colts, and many more. Consequently, each sources’ idea are different and unique from the others. The particle eschatology that is found throughout the New Testament tends to be the most studied and quoted collections of eschatological ideas that have been around since the creation of the Canon thousands of years ago. There are numerous books in the New Testament that directly and indirectly allude to the end of times. The most famous of these books, Revelation, is debated to be the most iconic literacy book on eschatology that answers a lot of question an as well creates a score of other new questions.

This concise paper will investigate and elaborate on the themes and ideas on eschatology that are found in the New Testament and will begin to draw forth connections and present arguments and conclusions from these themes and

ideas.
Investigation:
The Canon we have today was written by the early church in which many different ideas and writings were joined together in the creation of the New Testament. Therefore the development of apocalyptic and eschatology literature in the New Testament finds its roots in the early Christian church. There are dozens of verses and chapter throughout the New Testament that contain eschatology ideas and literature, but for this investigation only some of those from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and most importantly Revelation. Firstly in the book of Matthew, we have one of the first occurrences of eschatological writings in the New Testament. In the 24th chapter of Matthew , the writer speaks of a great tribulation in which there should no flesh be saved from the wrath of God in verses 21 and 22. Later on in the chapter the writer Matthew alludes to the return of the son of man in verse 29-31. He writes that after the tribulation the earth be darkened and the stars from heaven shall fall and the Son of man come in the clouds and everyone will be assembled before him. This short description of the end of times in Matthew will be our base starting point in the investigation of eschatology in the New Testament.
Next in the 13th chapter of Mark, we find the next major occurrence of eschatology writing. The writer, John Mark, speaks of what seems to be the same tribulation and destination of the Son of man that is talked about in the gospel of Matthew. He writes of after a great tribulation has occurred the shy will darken and then the Son of Man will appear in the clouds in glory and power. This very close resemblance between these two stories in the Gospel has been investigated very closely through the years. Many believe that this resemblance has something to do in how the gospels were written. It is speculate that there are 100s of so called gospel documents that were written after the death of Jesus. Some speculate that these gospel stories were rewritten from one Q document or that some writers used other gospel stories to write their own gospel. Therefore many believe that the gospel story of Matthew was rewritten from the gospel story of Mark. If this occurrence is true, then this would explain the correlation between the two eschatological stories found in Matthew and Mark.
In the 17th and 21st chapters of Luke we find the next occurrence of eschatological literature. In the 17th chapter of Luke, the author speaks of a day when the Son of man will be revealed and the power that He will bring down with him and exercise it all over the earth. Later on in the 21st chapter the revealing of the Son of man is referenced again and as well as a day of vengeance. The day of vengeance is on reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and of the rest of the world. This vengeance will be the day that God takes his raft out on the world and destroys everything created by man. This graphic destruction of the world is also later reference in other eschatological literature in the New Testament. The eschatological literature in the gospel of Luke is very similar to which is found in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. This is because of the speculation that Luke was rewritten from the Q document that some believed is the base for all of the gospel literature in the Canon of the New Testament.
Thus far we have seen a lot of correlation between the eschatological literatures that is found in the gospels of the Bible. And this correlation is due in part of what some believe in how the gospels were written from one document. As you venture more into the New Testament, we find more eschatological literature outside of the gospels, which is found in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. In the 4th chapter of 1 Thessalonians , the writer, Paul, writes about the lord descending from heaven and raising up all of the dead in Christ into the clouds. This literature contained inside these scriptures is often referred to by some as the rapture . In the next chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul writes more about what will happen to those once they are ascended into the clouds. He says those that are called up are children of light, which are not in darkness and shall escape the destruction that is coming upon the earth. This passage is referring to those that are children of God and are to be saved from God’s raft and destruction. Those who are not children of God and will not be saved are mentioned in Paul’s next book 2 Thessalonians. In the 2nd chapter of 2 Thessalonians Paul writes that in this time all that is wicked will be revealed and it all shall be destroyed. Both of these books written by Paul helps us to understand the rapture and alludes to the great Revaluation story that will come later on at the end of the New Testament.
There are other eschatological literatures and scriptures written by Paul that are found in the New Testament Canon as well, these are in the books of 1 and 2 Timothy. In the 4th chapter of 1 Timothy , Paul writes some of the events that will prelude the rapture of God’s children. He expresses that some people shall depart from the faith of Jesus and will give into the doctrines of the devils. This scripture acts as a warning for those during the end times but doesn’t give us much information unto itself. But in Paul’s next letter, 2 Timothy, Paul expresses more into detail what he means by this. In 2 Timothy 3 , Paul writes of how men be become lovers of themselves, unholy, unthankful, blasphemers, boasters, false accusers, traitors, high minded, and many other characteristics that are thought of to be against God. Through this scripture, there is a understanding that there will be a great turning away from God and His ways, and turning to Satan and his ways.
Finally we come to the last but not least book in the Canon of the New Testament, Revelation. Even though the book of Revelation is sometimes referred to the book of end times, the entire book in itself is not dedicated to eschatological literature. But the book of Revelation mostly reveals to the audience a realm of apocalyptic and eschatology literature. In the first chapter of Revelation the writer, John, includes the rapture story that was expressed in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. Unlike in the gospels, John tells us what the Son of man will say as He descends which is, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Later on in chapter 4, Paul elaborates in his text of what heaven will look like. He talks of all the great animals that are there in imagery and most importantly the Lord which is seated on His thorn in the middle. Later on in chapter 20, Paul writes about the day of judgement. He says that everyone will be judged according to their works and during this time the devil will be cast into the lake of fire along with all of his followers. Then in the very next chapter Paul lays down the framework for us of what the new heaven and new earth will look and be like. This is in reference to the restriction of Jerusalem that takes us back to the Old Testament scripture and the promise to restore it.
Conclusion:
From a macro and even a general micro level of investigation into the New Testament, we can conclude that the eschatological literature found throughout the New Testament all coincides with itself. It presents a very concise understanding of the end times that are speculated to come in the future years. Through this investigation, we answered the question that were presented on the general bases and might have open more doors for further investigation on the realm of eschatology.