By Christian
This series contains the blog articles by biblical scholar Dr Michael S. Heiser in his blog series on eschatology.
Why an Obsession with Eschatology is a Waste of Time, Conclusion
I can well imagine that one or the other thought from time to time: “Hopefully this confusing series will end soon.” If you’ve stuck with me this far, I’m especially happy. But of course everyone else is also very welcome 🤗. Now, instead of a summary (“oh no, not that again…”), here’s a conclusion.
It was about eschatology…
Eschatology ([ɛsça-], from ancient Greek τὰ ἔσχατα ta és-chata ‚the outermost things‘, ‚the last things‘ and λόγος lógos ‚teaching‘) is a theological term that describes the religious concept of the end times, in particular the prophetic teaching of the hopes for the completion of the individual (individual eschatology) and of the whole of creation (universal eschatology).
In short, it is about the ‚end times‘. And that is something you can think about – or maybe even should think about? What does the Bible say about it?
Well, probably nothing as obvious as a date, otherwise it would be clear to everyone. But perhaps we just have to understand and combine the encrypted terms in the Bible book of Daniel, the New Testament and especially Revelation to unravel this mystery? There are even supposed to be signs that we just have to decode. And many claim to be able to do this! When translating Carl Olof Jonsson’s book “The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology and Christ’s Return,” I was shocked, to say the least, by the long list of predicted dates of the end times: from the Reformation to the present day alone, he cites dozens of predictions and years.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a good example of how people can go completely astray and still stubbornly cling to an interpretation even when the predictions have not been fulfilled. I have shown the chronological order of the prophecies and their failure in my video “This Generation…”, using the example of their doctrine of “the generation of 1914”.
The late M. James Penton had already covered this in a book many years ago: “Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah’s Witnesses”:
The central conclusion is therefore:
What is unfortunately often overlooked in teachings on eschatology is the crucial role played by one’s own assumptions and interpretations.
We cannot derive exactly one eschatology from the Bible with certainty and without our own assumptions.
That is why there are so many different trends, some of which may materialize, or many:
Ultimately, all these interpretations are based on relatively few and short passages, mainly in the New Testament. Some ideas are based on only a few verses, or even just one.
If there is so little and so little clear in the New Testament, then it is hardly the core message of this text. Should our focus not rather be on the gospel, its meaning and how it can be implemented in our lives?
Those who focus too much on ‚the end‘ lose their focus on their own lives in the time before that – on the here and now.
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