Eschatology is Christology
I was listening to Dr. Sinclair Ferguson (as I often enjoy doing) speak on eschatology recently, and he said something that has stuck with me: “eschatology is Christology”. Let us see if this statement holds weight, and how it informs our living faith.
The Wonder of Christ
Eschatology deals with the last things. Within biblical eschatology we see God’s revealed will regarding the state of the soul after death, the resurrection of the body, the triumphant consummate return of Christ Jesus, and various accompanying events (such as the final judgment) and truths related to these things.
Dr. Ferguson makes a bold claim (as he so often does) and upon examination the wonder of Christ is on display in each of these subsets of eschatology. Consider with me for a moment how Christ is integrally involved in each of these areas of eschatology:
The Soul After Death
Regarding the state of the soul after death, we know that the relationship of a person to Christ in their life is what determines their destination after death. It is Christ who either purchased eternal life (John 17:2), or it is Christ who will ultimately declare “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23). Our understanding of what we shall be after death is completely dependent on our understanding of Christ’s work and person. This was how the Apostles Paul (2 Corinthians 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:10), John (1 John 3:2), and Peter (2 Peter 3:11-14) approached the topic of life after death. The state of a person’s existence after death is entirely dependent on who Jesus is, and what he has accomplished.
Heaven or Hell
Regarding the eternal destination of a person, it is ultimately Christology which informs that person’s eternal existence. Either the person will live in the presence, and peace of the exalted Lord Jesus, or the person will subsist apart from God’s rest which is only found in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 4:3, Revelation 22:1-5). The eternal life in which the Christian puts their hope of rest (and begins delighting in even now!) is entirely located in the inheritance of Christ’s presence. The eternal darkness of hell is often biblically spoken of as existence apart from the delight of Christ’s presence (Matthew 25:1-13).
The Resurrection of the Body
Regarding the resurrection of the body, the paradigm for what redeemed eternal bodies will be like is entirely informed by the resurrected body par excellence – Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul compares the natural corruptible body of Adam with the resurrected incorruptible body of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). If you want to know what your physical (yes physical!) eternal body will be like, consider the body of Christ (Luke 25)!
Consummation
Regarding the triumphant consummate return of Jesus all related details and topics must be informed by Christ’s accomplished work and the revealed will of God related to that tremendous day. Apart from Christ there is no understanding of His triumphant return. Try for just a moment, to consider Christian eschatology apart from Christ. There is no day to look forward to if there is no king returning. There is no formative basis for living in light of the return of Christ (a massive repeated theme through nearly every New Testament Epistle). Apart from Christ, there is no final day of judgment, or resurrection from the dead.
Underappreciated Eschatology
While I’m certainly not aiming to make any kind of dogmatic argument against anyone who would point out the semantic range of eschatology is larger than Christology, it is a very compelling (and encouraging!) thing to recognize just how closely tied our understanding of the “last things” must be to our understanding of the “king of kings”.
Practically speaking, as a pastor I am persuaded that this phrasing by Dr. Ferguson is helpful. Acknowledging the close knit reality between eschatology and christology can help diagnose where in conversation and conviction we may have an underdeveloped, underrealized, and underappreciated eschatology. Any hope for a robust and daily impactful eschatology must flow from an equally biblically robust and daily impactful christology.
(click here to watch Sinclair Ferguson’s lecture on the last things)