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FAMILY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES. CHRISTIANITY 2021

ESCHATOLOGY IN THE GOSPELS & THE PAULINE LETTERS [1
THESSALONIANS AND 1 CORINTHIANS].

Objectives;
 Explain the concept of eschatology.
 Examine the eschatological concepts or views in the Gospels and Pauline letters.
 Develop a logical view of death and life after.
 Compare the Christian view of death and here-after with similar concepts in society.
 NB background teachings of Jesus concerning Eschatology has been covered under
the topic Kingdom of Heaven.

What is eschatology?
- Eschatology, from the Greek word ‘eschatos’ meaning ‘at last, finally or the end of all
things’. Associated with the following words;
1. 2nd advent, from Latin word advenire meaning ‘to come’ meaning the 2nd coming of
Jesus in glory.
2. Parousia – is a Greek word for 2nd advent, presence or arrival, especially a royal visit.
3. Apocalypse – Latin word ‘apokalupto’ which means to reveal what has been
previously been hidden or ‘unveiling or revealing of future events.

Why Paul Taught on Eschatology?

Paul was responding to the special concerns of the 1st century Christians especially those at
Corinth & Thessalonica:
- confusion as some were saying there is no resurrection of the dead 1 Cor 15:12.
- some were being baptised on behalf of the dead 1 Cor 15:29.
- questions concerning the nature of the resurrected body. How are the dead raised? With
what kind of body do they come? 1 Cor 15:35.
- The Thessalonians, in particular, were concerned about their departed brothers and sisters
in Christ. Paul sought to comfort the distressed church concerning some of their baptised
converts who had recently died (1 Thess 4:13-18). Had the departed Christians forfeited their
places in christ’s eternal kingdom?
- To refute false teachings concerning the resurrection of the dead 2 Thess 2:1-2 Various.
speculations concerning the timing of Christ’s return. Believers had been taught and made to

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understand that the Christ’s 2nd Coming would take place in their lifetime. Premature death
had not been anticipated.
- The Corinthians were arguing over the bodily resurrection (1 Co 15).
Events of the Last Day
1. Jesus will come for the 2nd time (Jn 6:40,44).
2. The dead will be raised, both the righteous and unrighteous (Jn 5:28,29).
3. The righteous living will be bodily changed or transformed (1 Co 15:52).
4. The righteous dead will be reunited with their resurrected bodies (1 Thess 4:14-16).
5. Judgment of the living will occur (Jn 12:48).
6. All the righteous will ascend to heaven (1 Thess 4:16,17).
7. The present earth and heavens will pass away (2 Pt 3:10,11).
8. Satan, his angels and the wicked will be cast into hell (Mt 25:41).
BASIC CONCEPTS OF ESCHATOLOGY
1. Timing of the ‘End Times’
- Pauline doctrine concurs with the teaching of Jesus Christ that the time and the day is
unknown.
- Jesus refused to set any date for his 2nd coming Mk 13:32, ‘But of that day or that hour no
one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father …’
- Jesus taught on preparedness & watchfulness in the parable of the ten maidens/virgins.
- Paul discourages speculation about the exact time of Christ’s return and urges the
Thessalonians to be alert, prepared and watchful 1 Thess 5:1-11. See Ewbank p103
2. The Messianic Banquet or the Wedding feast
- The future kingdom is viewed as a Messianic Banquet or the marriage feast. In Christian
circles it is interpreted as the wedding of the Lamb Luke 14:15ff.
3. Judgement Seat of Christ
- Both the righteous and evil ones are to appear before the judgement seat of Christ 2 Cor
5:10, ‘For we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may
receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body’.
- Paul wrote that Jesus will, ‘judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his
kingdom…’ 2 Tim 4:1. All the hidden things will be made manifest (Mt 10:26; Mk 4:22, (At
17:31; see 10:42).

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3. The Resurrection of the Dead

- In the future there is going to be a bodily resurrection of all saints but in the state of a
spiritual body. The body will be raised because in the grave it has only fallen asleep. Through
the eyes of God, physical death is simply falling asleep. However, it is the body that sleeps
until the resurrection.

- Being questioned by the Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead, Jesus noted that, the
raised saints will be equal to angels and be called sons of God Luke 20:35-36.

- The resurrection will occur in an instant: Paul revealed that in the last day the trumpet will
sound and ‘we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Co
15:51,52). It will not be a time when men have time to think and prepare. Paul simply stated,
"The dead in Christ will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed" (1 Co 15:52).

- Paul notes that the resurrected physical body will never exist again as it existed in this life, 1
Co 15:44. The body is raised, ‘imperishable’, ‘raised in glory’ & ‘raised a spiritual body’.
The saints shall be clothed with what the Scriptures refer to as a “building from God” (2 Co
5:1), “a glorious body” (Ph 3:21), “a spiritual body” (1 Co 15:44).

- At resurrection the physical natural body will be the same but changed and glorified and
raised as a spiritual body.

- The dead in Christ will rise first then the physically alive will be transformed and clothed
with an incorruptible spiritual body.

- 1 Thess 4:16 ‘… And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds…’ See also 1 John 3:2 and Phil 3:21.

Place for the righteous and unrighteous

- Jesus taught that the physically dead yet righteous will resurrect to inherit eternal life John
5:28-29.

- Petrine theology teaches that, the righteous will then dwell in the eternal ‘new heavens
and new

Earth’ (2 Pt 3:13) which will be a habitation for their spiritual body.

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Eternal Death
- Jesus taught that the physically dead yet righteous will resurrect to eternal punishment John
5:28-29.
- Pauline theology teaches that, the unrighteous, will be confined to the destruction of hell (2
Thess 1:7-9).
Rewards in the future
- The righteous are to be rewarded e.g. the beatitudes Mt 5, the labourers in the vineyard, the
wedding garment, the talents and the pounds.
- The resurrected righteous saints will; live forever be with the Lord (1 Thess 4:17), raised to
everlasting life (Jn 5:29), (Mt 25:46), raised to receive glory (Rm 8:18; 1 Co 15:43), raised to
have an incorruptible body (1 Co 15:42), raised to receive immortality (1 Co 15:50-54),
raised to receive a reward (Lk 14:12-14).
Punishment of the unrighteous – Lake of fire
- the unrighteous will be raised to face eternal punishment and hell fire e.g. Mt 7:21-23, woe
oracles Lk 6:24-26, the dragnet, wheat and the weeds.
- see the predictions by John the Baptist, chaff and unquenchable fire.
- the unrighteous will be raised for judgment (Mt 7:23; 24:41; At 10:42; 2 Co 5:10), for
certain punishment (Mt 25:46), to experience God's wrath (Rm 2:5; 1 Thess 1:10) & for
certain destruction (2 Thess 1:9; Ph 3:19).

The Last or Second Coming or of Jesus Christ

- Jesus is coming again on earth. Technically speaking, it is His second coming in a visible
manner, and His final coming for the purpose of judgment. The Hebrew writer said that Jesus
would visibly appear a second time (Heb 9:28).
- Jesus will come back in the clouds, Acts 1:9-11, ‘This Jesus, who was taken up from
heaven, wil come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ See also Rev 1:7, 1 Tim
6:14, 2 Tim 4:1, 8.
-Paul notes that Jesus is coming with a great noise with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel and the sound of a trumpet 1 Thess 4:16, 1 Co 15:52.
- Jesus’ coming in the last day, therefore, will be a final coming in judgment. It will be the
last personal appearance to the inhabitants of the world, but a final coming in judgment of
things that pertain to the world.

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- Jesus appeared in the flesh in the first coming, and He will appear a second time so as to be
seen.
- the day & time of Jesus’ second coming is unknown to mortal man, 2 Peter 3:10, ‘But the
day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise,
and the elements will be dissolved …’.
- Jesus is coming with a fearful fire of destruction and judgement of the unrighteous, 2 Thess
1:8,9, ‘… when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,
inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus. They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and
exclusion from the presence of the Lord…’ . It is a consuming fire of destruction of the
material world (2 Pt 3:10,11).
- Jesus is coming with his angels, ‘Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels’
(2 Thess 1:7). This is a prophetic picture of God coming in judgement.
- Jesus is coming with the departed saints. Jesus will be coming ‘with all His saints’ (1 Th
3:13). Paul wrote, “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will
bring with Him those who have fallen asleep (1 Thess 4:14). The souls and spirits of those
who have died in Christ will also be with the heavenly host of Jesus’ appearing. It will be a
spectacular event and a scene that every inhabitant of the world shall witness. The departed
saints will be coming to receive their resurrected bodies.

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