Eschatology is the study of last things, including both individual and cosmic eschatology. Individual eschatology concerns death and what happens after death, including the soul's state until the resurrection and final judgment. Cosmic eschatology concerns end times events like the second coming of Christ, establishment of His kingdom, resurrection of the dead, final judgment, and eternal states of heaven or hell. The Bible teaches that Christ will return visibly and bodily to earth to defeat evil and usher in a new heaven and earth, that all people will be resurrected and face judgment according to their deeds, and eternity will be spent either in God's presence or eternal punishment.

1. ESCHATOLOGY
(THE DOCTRINE OF LAST THINGS)

2. INTRODUCTION TO ESCHATOLOGY
• The whole area of Eschatology has excited both
Christians and not-yet-Christians for the past 2000
years. It seems like everyone wants to know
something about the end times. Elaborate, sometimes
complicated time lines of the events of the end of the
world. Eschatology, however, is more than just the
study of the events surrounding the end of the world, it
is also the study of the events surrounding the end of
our lives on earth and the transition from earth to
heaven.
• The study of the events surrounding our personal
transition from earth to heaven is called, Personal, or
Individual Eschatology, and the study of the events
surrounding the end of the world is called
Eschatology.

3. BCP STATEMENT OF FAITH
• The Statement of Faith of the BCP has the following
to say about the Last Things: “We believe in the
personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to
earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We
believe in the resurrection of the body, the final
judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous, and the
endless sufferings of the wicked.”

4. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
• Death. It is obvious that most believers in the Lord Jesus Christ
have died, along with those who believed before the Lord
Jesus came to the earth. Where do they go? What is their
condition? What about those who do not believe--what
happens to them?
• Death is the result of sin in the world. People only live one life
and die one physical death. Death is the separation of the
material parts of humans from the immaterial parts of humans.
The perishable material parts (i.e. the body) return to dust but
the immaterial parts are joined to a new, imperishable body
(see 1, below) and go to their eternal state – those of the
righteous to the presence of the Lord, and those of the wicked
to hell.
• Ro 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• 2Co 5:8 – “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be
away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

5. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
• Death.
• Before the Death and Resurrection of Christ. There
seems to e a difference between what happened o
those.at least believers, who died before Christ and
those who died (and die) after that time. There is not
a lot of revelation concerning the is subject, but what
there is seems to indicate tat those who died prior to
the time of Christ did not go directly to heaven, but did
go to a place of conscious, enjoyable existence, often
designated “paradise” or “Abraham’s side.”
• Lu 16:19-31 – “The time came when the beggar died
and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.”

6. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
• Death.
• Since the death and resurrection of Christ.
• The New Testament gives and answer to the age-old question,
“What happens when we die?” For the believer in Christ his/her
future is transformed from a big question, to that of quiet
confidence. It is hard to improve on the words of the Apostle
Paul, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord” (2Co 5:8).
But what will be our condition when death takes place?
Consider four options:
• 1Soul Sleep. There are a number of professing Christian
groups that believe there will be a time of “soul sleep” between
the death of the believer and the resurrection. They believe
that we will cease to consciously exist during hat time.

7. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
• Death.
• Since the death and resurrection of Christ.
• 1Intermediate body. Some very sound theologians believer
that there will be some form of body that we will possess in
between the time of the death of this present earthy body and
the resurrection. This is based on some of the things said in
2Co 5:1-8, particularly the statement found several times in the
passage, “to be clothed.”
• 1Conscious Soul/Spirit existence. The New Testament teaches
that we will continue to exist following death in a conscious,
disembodied condition in heaven. The Bible seems clear on
the fact that this is possible, is in effect the reality of our
condition. Compare Christ between death and the resurrection,
and the teaching of 2Co

8. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
• Resurrection of the Dead. When Jesus returns, the
dead will be physically resurrected. The resurrected
bodies will be new and immortal.
• 1Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in
heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables
him to bring everything under his control, will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his
glorious body.”
• 1See also 1Th 4:13-18; 1Co 15:35-58

9. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
• Judgment. After people die, regardless of their
spiritual condition, they face judgment by God. This
includes both believers and unbelievers. People will
be judged by what they have done with their lives, as
well as whether their name appears in the Book of Life
or not. Those whose names do not appear are thrown
into hell.
• Re 20:11-15 – “Then I saw a great white throne …
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before
the throne, and books were opened. Another book
was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were
judged according to what they had done as recorded
in the books .… If anyone’s name was not found
written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake
of fire.”

10. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
• The Eternal State. The Bible clearly teaches that humans will
no cease to exist at some time in the future but will live forever.
As such, there are three abodes for humans after death--earth,
heaven, or hell.
• Earth. Re 21:1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new
earth ….” But why a new earth? Isn’t God just going to be
through with it, destroy it and live happily in heaven for
evermore? Or is there something about the earth that is
important to God. Maybe this time will be a return to the
paradise-like conditions of the Garden of Eden. Perhaps this
will be the time when the prophecies concerning the
establishment of the land for the people of God to live in will be
fulfilled.
• 2Pe 3:10 – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The
heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be
destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid
bare.”

11. INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
• The Eternal State.
– Hell.
• Mt 25:41,46 – “Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels.’ … Then they will
go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to
eternal life.”
• Re 21:8 – “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the
murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise
magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–their place will be in
the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second
death.”
• Re 20:10 – “And the devil, who deceived them, was
thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast
and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be
tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

12. INTERPRETATION OF PROPHECY
• Your eschatology will be a reflection or modification of one the
following:
– Futurist View.
• Most of the events of prophetic truth are yet to be fulfilled in the
future.
– Preterist View.
• The events described were taking place at the time written, and
therefore are past from our perspective.
– Historical View.
• The events prophesied were future at the time they were given, but
were to be fulfilled sometime in history. They may be fulfilled already,
may be being fulfilled, or may yet be fulfilled in the future.
– Symbolic View.
• The events mentioned are timeless in their teaching, and do not refer
to some historical fulfilment, either past, present, or future.

13. DEFINITION OF TERMS
• In order to understand the terminology it might be well
to have some brief definitions in mind:
– Second Coming.
• Christ will return to earth again visibly and bodily. The
purpose of that return will be consistent with your view of
the rapture and millennium.
– Tribulation.
• There will be a period of persecution on the earth before
the second coming of Christ. It may last for seven (7)
years or for a period of time represented by the number
seven (7).
– Rapture.
• Christ will receive His church to Himself in the clouds and
they will return with Him to heaven.

14. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Certainty of His Coming.
– The Prophecies of Christ.
• Mt 24:30 – “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will
appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will
mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the
clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”
• Mt 26:64 – “’Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I
say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man
sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on
the clouds of heaven.’”

15. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Certainty of His Coming.
– The teaching of the apostles
• Peter –
– Ac 3:19-21 – “… turn to God … that he may send the
Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus.
He must remain in heaven until the time comes for
God to restore everything, as he promised long ago
through his holy prophets.”
– 2Pe 3:3-9 – “… in the last days scoffers will come ….
They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised?’
…. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With
the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years are like a day .… He is patient with
you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to
come to repentance.”

16. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Certainty of His Coming.
– The teaching of the apostles.
• Paul –
– 1Th 4:15-16 – “For the Lord himself will come down
from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of
the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and
the dead in Christ will rise first.”
– Titus 2:13 – “… while we wait for the blessed hope--
the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour,
Jesus Christ …”
• John –
– 1 Jo 2:28 – “And now, dear children, continue in him,
so that when he appears we may be confident and
unashamed before him at his coming.”

17. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Time of His Coming.
– Mt 24:36 – “No-one knows about that day or hour, not even
the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
– Ac 1:6-7 – “It is not for you to know.”
– Mk 13:10 – “And the gospel must first be preached to all
nations.”
– Ac 1:6-7 – “So when they met together, they asked him,
‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Israel?’ He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times
or dates the Father has set by his own authority.’”

18. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Time of His Coming.
– 1Th 5:1-3 – “Now, brothers, about times and dates we do
not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day
of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people
are saying, ‘Peace and safety’, destruction will come on
them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and
they will not escape.”
– Mt 24:14 – “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached
in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the
end will come.”

19. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Purpose of His Coming.
– it will be wonderful to see Him face to face;
– Christians are vindicated in their faith before all who have
ridiculed, mocked and even persecuted them;
– God is finally vindicated.
• 2Th 2:8 – “And then that lawless one will be revealed who
the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring
to an end by the appearance of His coming.”

20. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Millennium
– Latin word made up of two separate words:
• mille = “thousand”
• anus = “year”
– It means 1000 years.
– Re 20:1-6 – the Greek word used there is cilia eth (chilia
ete), which means 1000 years.
– What are the basic positions held?

21. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Millennium
– Amillennialism (Realised Millennialism).
• No future reign of Christ on earth.
• The kingdom of God is now present in the world through
His Word, His Spirit, and His church.
– Church.
» The church fulfils the promises of God given to
Israel because Israel and the church are one and
the same--the body of Christ.
– Covenants.
» The covenants given by God in the Old Testament
were either conditional, and therefore they are
broken and are no longer applicable, or they are
viewed as fulfilled through the church today.

22. RETURN OF CHRIST

23. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Millennium
– Postmillennialism.
• The world will increasingly respond to the preaching of
the gospel by the church over an extended period of time;
• After which Christ will return.
– How? God will use His church to establish the
Kingdom on this earth.
– How Long? An extended, indefinite period of time, but
not limited to 1000 years.
– When does it Start? The present age blends into the
millennial age. Most Postmillennialists believe this
kingdom has already begun on earth.
– Current Status of the belief.

24. RETURN OF CHRIST

25. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Millennium
– Premillennialism.
• Jesus Christ will return to this earth sometime in the
future;
• Will establish His 1000-year Kingdom upon the earth;
• After which will come the eternal state.
– There are two major types of Premillennialism in
Christian Theology today,
» Historic Premillennialism
» Dispensational Premillennialism

26. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Millennium
– Historic Premillennialism.
• The millennial reign of Christ on the earth
• No pretribulational rapture
• No difference between Israel and the church..

27. RETURN OF CHRIST

28. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Millennium
– Dispensational Premillennialism.
• Difference between Israel and the church and
• Pretribulational rapture (usually)..

29. RETURN OF CHRIST

30. RETURN OF CHRIST
Views Concerning Last Things
Cate-
gories
Amillennialism
Post-
millennialism
Historic
Premillennialism
Dispensational
Premillennialism
Christ’s
Second
Coming
no distinct.
betw/ rapture
& 2nd
coming; Intro
Eternal state
no distinct.
betw/ rapture
& 2nd coming;
Christ returns
aft. 1000
@ same time
as rapture;
Christ returns
to reign on
earth
2 phases: Rapture for
church; 2nd coming to
earth 7 years later
Resurr-
ection
All people at
2nd coming
All people at
2nd coming
Believers at
start of 1000;
Unbelievers at
end of 1000
1st-Church at rapture;
2nd-OT/Trib saints at
2nd coming; 3rd-
Unbelievers at end of
1000
Judg-
ments
1 for all
people
1 for all
people
1st at 2nd
coming. 2nd
at end of Trib.
1st-Believers' works at
rapture; 2nd-Jews/
Gentiles at end of Trib;
3rd-Unbelievers at
end of 1000

31. RETURN OF CHRIST
Views Concerning Last Things
Cate-
gories
Amillennialism
Post-
millennialism
Historic
Premillennialism
Dispensational
Premillennialism
Trib-
ulation
Experienced
in present age
Experienced
in present age
PostTrib: Church
goes through Trib
PreTrib: church
raptured prior to
Trib.
Mill-
ennium
No literal 1000
yrs on earth
after 2nd
coming.
Kingdom
present in
church age.
Present age
blends into
1000 yrs
because of
progress of
gospel.
1000 yrs is
present & future.
Christ is reigning
in heaven. 1000
yrs not
necessarily 1000
yrs.
At 2nd coming
Christ
inaugurates literal
1000 yr. reign on
earth.
Israel &
Church
Church is New
Israel – no
distinctions
Church is New
Israel – no
distinctions
Some
distinctions; future
for Israel but
church is spiritual
Israel
Complete distinct.
betw/ Israel &
church. Distinct
program for each

32. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Tribulation
– The Bible speaks of the persecution and tribulation of the
people of God.
• De 4:30 – “When you are in distress and all these things
have happened to you, then in later days you will return to
the LORD your God and obey him.”
• Mt 24:21 – “For then there will be great distress,
unequalled from the beginning of the world until now--and
never to be equalled again.”
• Jo 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you
may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But
take heart! I have overcome the world.”

33. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Tribulation
• Ac 14:22 – “…strengthening the disciples and
encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go
through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’
they said.”
• Ro 5:3-4 – “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance, character; and character,
hope.”
• 1Th 3:4 – “In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling
you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that
way, as you well know.”
• Re 7:14 – “I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said,
‘These are they who have come out of the great
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb.’”

34. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Tribulation
– The Rapture
• Pre-Tribulation Rapture. This views maintains that the
church will be taken out of the world prior to the beginning
of the time of the tribulation on this earth. All believers
who are a part of the church, both dead and alive, will be
resurrected, or transformed, and go to be will Jesus
Christ for that period of trouble that will sweep this earth
in unbelievable fury during that time. Most
pretribulationists would believe that the tribulation period
will last for about seven years.

35. RETURN OF CHRIST

36. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Tribulation
– The Rapture
• Mid-Tribulation Rapture. This view believes that the
church will go through the first half of the tribulation period
and will then be removed at the middle, before the worst
part takes place.
• A modification of this view is the Partial Rapture position.
Some hold that only those who are practising
righteousness and who are expecting the return of Christ
will be taken in the Rapture, and the rest will be left on
this earth to either by martyred, or to go through the
tribulation.

37. RETURN OF CHRIST

38. RETURN OF CHRIST
• The Tribulation
– The Rapture
• Post-Tribulation Rapture. Posttribulationists believe that
the church will go through the tribulation period. They
often make a distinction between “tribulation” and “wrath.”
The Bible does teach that we will be delivered from
“wrath.” Therefore it is claimed that believers will go
through the tribulation, but will be miraculously kept from
the wrath which is a part of that time.

39. RETURN OF CHRIST

40. THE END