Preaching Eschatology
Where do we begin when we preach the end things? The fact is that there are many approaches to preaching what the Bible says about the future. One way is to work backwards.
First, there are two ends, two destinations to this present Creation, which means there are two futures for two very different groups of people. These biblical themes are still quite common amidst vast biblical illiteracy. In other words, people are still talking about heaven and hell.
The two destinations carry much doctrinal weight because they have been preached for a long time, and even more so because of Jesus’ teachings. Heaven is the eternal home for the righteous, and hell is the eternal home for the unrighteous. Heaven is depicted in Revelation 21–22, as a safe and prosperous city, filled with the glory of God. Unbeknownst to many, Jesus is the most prolific teacher of this doctrine of hell, which is referenced in various passages: as a place of eternal punishment; of torment; of outer darkness; of burning fire; of consciousness; of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
To preach these ends in any detail, one’s hearers should inquire, “How does one enter heaven and avoid hell?” Is there a more pressing question in life? If we know the answer to this key question, preachers should have their motivation. We would be cruel to deprive the heaven-bound of this future hope and assurance; while depriving the hell-bound of ample warning is equally mean (Mt 3:7; Lk 3:7).
On the cusp of eternity is God’s Day of Judgment (Mt 24–25; Mk 13; Lk 21; 1 Thess 4:13–5:11; Rev 19:11–21). There are voluminous references to the last day of human history and the end of the world, coming with the fiery destruction of the first Creation (2 Pet 3:7, 10–12). Why such a violent end?
The last day is initiated by the returning Judge of all, the King of glory, our Lord Jesus Christ, whose kingdom reign is characterized by righteousness (Rom 14:17; Heb 1:8; Rev 15:3). The kingdom of this world is judged because of its rebellion against the kingdom of God. For all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), which demands a resurrection to precede it (Jn 5:25–29).
The resurrection of the dead will reveal a most remarkable distinction between the two groups previously noted. All will be raised for their day in God’s courtroom, but some will be raised with glorified bodies (Rom 8:30; Phil 3:21; 1 Cor 15:49–54). These are the righteous, who are under no condemnation (Rom 8:1) because they are in Jesus and belong to Him (1 Cor 1:30; 3:23). The other group, the great mass of humanity from around the world and across history will be raised to judgment (Jn 5:29). Because these are already condemned (Jn 3:18; Rom 5:16, 18), judgment day will really be the day of sentencing for criminal transgressors of God’s Law.
Seeing the righteous assigned to heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22; Rev 21:2) and the unrighteous cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14–15), we must now ask the question, “What determines one’s status, whether righteous or unrighteous, at the resurrection from the dead?
The key element of one’s right or wrong status before God is one’s union with Christ (Jn 15; 17:11, 22; 1 Jn 4:13). On the Day of Judgment, one either has the righteousness of Christ (Phil 3:9; 2 Pet 1:1), or nothing, because there is no righteousness apart from Christ.
Clearly, people are ignorant or in unbelief about their desperate need for God to be their Savior (Titus 1:3; 2:13; 3:6). Otherwise, people would flock to Jesus Christ, but they will not come because they do not belong to the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:26). If they did belong to Him (1 Cor 3:23; Gal 3:29), they would hear His voice when He called them to come to Him (Jn 10:3–4). They would come because of the Father irresistibly drawing them to the Son (Jer 31:3; Jn 6:44).
The reaction of people to the ministry of the Gospel is hostile (Rom 8:7; 1 Cor 1:21). The Gospel is an offense to those having no grace to understand it. Without the regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:1–8; Eph 2:5; Col 2:13; 1 Pet 1:3), one cannot understand the news about her plight of sin (Jn 1:5, 10), pending judgment, and the punishing second death in the lake of fire for eternity (Rev 20:14; 21:8). Knowing the natural man’s unwillingness and inability to repent, at the preaching of the Gospel (Acts 10:44), preachers proclaim Christ in light of eschatology. Their motive, knowing it does not depend on man (Rom 9:16), is obedience to the command of God.
Just as the prophets of old warned people of these matters (Jer 28:8; Lk 1:70; Acts 3:21), and at the same time, instilled hope in the believing remnant people of God — today, we preach the same message. The end of God’s story, the end of history, has not changed and will not change.
God, in His eternal good pleasure and council, has decreed all things that will come to pass (Jn 1:3; 13:3). Being the Alpha and Omega, we know our eternal God will accomplish His will at all points: past, present, and future (Eph 1:11). What has already been revealed to the holy prophets and apostles, which has already been fulfilled in history, gives us great confidence in the coming events of the end things.
In love, we preach and sometimes suffer for the sake of God’s elect (Col 1:24; 2 Tim 2:10), declaring a victory by Christ (1 Cor 15:57), and heralding the triumphant procession of the Gospel (2 Cor 2:14). In obedience, we preach to those who consider us fools for Christ (and that we are!), despising the shame for the sake of His Name (Acts 9:16; Rev 2:3).
Christian, you have a sure Gospel to bear witness to all nations (Mt 28:19–20; Acts 1:8). You have God’s revelation, glimpses of future events, validated by Jesus Christ Himself (Mt 24–25; Mk 13; Lk 21; et al.). It behooves you to learn eschatology, albeit with a warning, that many have been led astray by false teachers of this subject matter. May we suggest you stay with the basic tenets?
The message we preach is that God planned all of history (Acts 5:20); and it will all be executed, just as He planned, from beginning to end. The end is coming with the last day, when Christ returns, and all are resurrected, into the final separation, and delivery of every person to his or her eternal home — be it heaven or hell. This is what we preach about the end…until the end.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
May 29, 2022
