WHAT IS ESCHATOLOGY?

Eschatology, a term of Greek derivation meaning literally "discourse about last things," typically refers to the Judeo-Christian doctrine of the coming of the kingdom of God and the transformation or transcendence of history. The distinction between transformation and transcendence reflects the difference between Old Testament messianism, which looked for the coming of the kingdom of God within a historical framework, and New Testament apocalypticism, which expected the total dissolution of the world at the last judgment. The end of history in Western religions, however, is not a cyclical return to a primordial world outside history as it is in the eschatologies of non-Western religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, even the dissolution of history is based in a historical future. The New Testament concept of Parousia ("coming presence") appears to refer to both the present and the continuing SALVATION among believers in Jesus Christ and the literal SECOND COMING OF CHRIST that will bring an evil world to judgment before salvation. The latter view is reflected in MILLENARIANISM, which also teaches an ANTICHRIST. Eschatology has been a revived theme among theologians in the 20th century. The "consistent eschatology" of Johannes Weiss and Albert SCHWEITZER, the "realized eschatology" of C. H. DODD and Rudolf OTTO, the "dialectic eschatology" of Karl BARTH and Rudolf BULTMANN, and the "death of God" eschatology of Thomas J. J. Altizer and other radical theologians may represent the gamut of interpretation of the biblical concept. For further reference: Altizer, Thomas J. J., The Descent into Hell (1970); Bultmann, R. K., The Presence of Eternity: History and Eschatology (1957); Charles, R. H., Eschatology: The Doctrine of the Future Life in Israel, Judaism and Christianity (1899; repr. 1963); Eliade, Mircea, Cosmos and History, trans. by Willard R. Trask (1959); Gloer, W.H., ed., Eschatology and the New Testament (1988); Gowan, D., Eschatology in the Old Testament (1985); Phan, P.C., Eternity in Time (1988).

DOES THE BOOK OF REVELATION REFER TO THE END TIMES?

The word "Revelation" means "to take the cover off," (GSN0602 - apokolupsis), from the preposition (GSN0575 - apo), "from" and (GSN2572 - kalupto), to cover. Therefore, it is an uncovering, especially of the glory of Christ and of what the future holds because of him. This book is full of symbolism and prophecies. What the Book of Daniel was to the Old Testament, Revelation was to the New Testament. Both books were written in an apocalyptic form. There are similar passages in the Gospels (Matt.24-25; Mk.13; Lk.21). The author is John (Rev.1v1; Rev.1v9; Rev.22v2; Rev.22v8), the same John who wrote the Gospel and the three Epistles of John. This book was written at a time when the Ekklesia (GSN1577) was undergoing persecution and great difficulty. The two most important such periods were during the reigns of Nero in A.D. 37-68 and Domitian in A.D. 51-96. A spirited debate continues about whether Revelation was written BEFORE Jerusalem fell in 70 A.D. or was penned later (about 95 A.D.). Some who believe the former allege that "Babylon" was the code word for "Jerusalem." Others who accept the later date, traditionally believe that "Babylon" was "Rome," the capitol of the Empire. Revelation was addressed to the seven congregations of Asia Minor which are mentioned in Rev.2-3. Almost everyone believes that this section was historical--that these were seven literal congregations in existence at the time that John copied down what he witnessed. There are essentially four ways of interpreting Revelation. The first, or preterist view, places the events and visions described as belonging to the past, particularly to the Roman Empire of the First Century A.D. The advocates of this position explain the highly-symbolic character of the book as an endeavor by John to hide the real meaning of what he was saying to the general populace but which would become apparent to the insiders who lived at the time. People holding this view believe that the main purpose of Revelation was to encourage the early believers that God would ultimately intervene in the affairs of mankind. The second view, or the historicist view, says that what we have in Revelation is a panoramic view of history from the First Century until the Second Coming of Christ. This was the view of most of the Protestant Reformers. In our opinion, this is an untenable position because historians have not been able to identify precise events in history which would correspond to the visions symbolised in the Book of Revelation. The third view is the symbolic view which states that the Book of Revelation portrays the continuing conflict between the forces of good and evil throughout the entire span of human history. According to this view, the Book of Revelation was mainly designed to give encouragement, since at the end good will triumph over evil. The fourth view is the futuristic view which asserts that Rev.4-22 deals with events of the end time. According to this view, the Book of Revelation was not concerned with events of John's own day as much as with later historical events, and particularly those happenings that WILL take place in connection with the Second Coming of the Lord in the future. This view takes seriously the predictive element in the book (Rev.1v19; Rev.4v1). Very definitely the final chapters of Revelation deal with the last days and a definitive change in the things as they are today. Rev.1 deals with the past; Rev.2-3 tells us about things that were current at that particular time and which were to follow; Rev.4-22 informs us about the things which were to follow their time period.

IRAQ CONFLICT BOOSTS SALES OF

By DON LATTIN, Religious Writer, San Francisco Chronicle.[2003] America is embarked on a battle of biblical proportions -- and in the eyes of a growing number of evangelical Christians, this long-awaited fight could actually bring about the fulfilment of ancient prophecies about the war of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ. Wars and rumours of war in the Middle East have long inspired doomsayers and date-setters who see the unfolding of prophecy in current events. But the attack on Iraq provides especially rich imagery for students -- and entrepreneurs -- of "end times" theology. Babylon, the ancient Mesopotamian capital where the Israelites were once held in captivity, is located in modern Iraq, now being occupied by the United States, Britain and other allies. War in Babylon has evangelicals seeing Earth's final days. Adding to the biblical overtones of the Iraqi invasion is the backdrop of the battle between Israelis and Palestinians for control of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. That conflict reignited on the cusp of the new millennium, when Ariel Sharon, now the Israeli leader, ascended one of the holiest shrines in Islam, the Dome of the Rock, and symbolically reclaimed it as the site of the ancient Jewish Temple. Put it all together and the selling of Armageddon becomes a growth industry. Some signs of the times: 1. ArmageddonBooks.com features a newly updated edition of "The Rise of Babylon -- a Sign of the Endtimes," with the face of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein staring ominously from its fiery cover. 2. Tyndale House, the Christian publisher of the megaselling "Left Behind" series of apocalyptic novels, initiates a huge promotional campaign for its 11th installment of serial fiction, this one titled "Armageddon," set for an April 8 release. 3. Prophecy Watch, a Website dedicated to "revealing the truth in scripture," prepares for its International Prophecy Conference April 2-5 in Tulsa, Okla. There will be a session devoted to "Iraq and the Rebuilding of Babylon" and a lecture by the author of "The Assyrian Connection -- the Roots of the Antichrist and the Emerging Signs of Armageddon." Meanwhile, in the real world, President Bush condemns Hussein as the "evil- doer" and set out to bring him down. Some religion scholars are troubled by the president's use of religious language in justifying the war against Hussein. "There is enormous arrogance and presumption in his use of religious claims, " said James Donahue, the president of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. " 'God is on our side' -- it's too simplistic in its labelling of good and evil. It personifies evil in one person and makes it one bad person versus the rest of the world." But the books, movies and conferences are part of a growing belief in conservative evangelical circles that the Antichrist is alive, well and working in the world. Before the Antichrist is revealed in the flesh, however, Jesus will appear in the sky and "rapture" true believers up to heaven. They escape seven years of intense earthly tribulation and disaster that culminate in the end of the world. At end of the Great Tribulation comes the battle of Armageddon, with Christ fighting the Antichrist. Once the Antichrist is defeated, Satan is bound and kept out of the way for a perfect 1,000 years -- lions lying down with lambs. Then there's the Last Judgment and people go to heaven or hell. Human history ends. This is also the scenario of the "Left Behind" serial novels, which have sold more than 50 million copies dealing with the adventure-packed lives of Buck, Chloe and Rayford. In their next instalment, writers Tim La Haye and Jerry Jenkins link the events in Iraq and Israel. "New Babylon is in a strange pillar of darkness that has incapacitated its population and its power," the prepublication hype proclaims. "Who will stay true to their newfound faith in the face of possible capture, interrogation or torture? While the world focuses on the chaos in New Babylon and the possible cause for this inexplicable darkness, what about Jerusalem?" The Rev. Dick Bernal, pastor of Jubilee Christian Center in San Jose, said his Pentecostal flock is "always looking for signs that line up with Matthew 24." That passage in the New Testament quotes Jesus as saying the Second Coming will be preceded by "wars and rumors of war," famine, earthquakes and "nation rising up against nation." "Some of what's going on today does look interesting," Bernal said. "But some people in my camp get a little too carried away, and it makes us look foolish." Bernal does not think Saddam Hussein is the anti-Christ because that great deceiver will be "extremely subtle, cunning. He will look like the ultimate peace-broker." In the "Left Behind" series, the anti-Christ is the evil, Russian-accented secretary-general of the United Nations, Nicolae Carpathia, who rapidly assumes political, economic and religious control of the entire planet. But the books, movies and conferences are part of a growing belief in conservative evangelical circles that the Antichrist is alive, well and working in the world. This is also the scenario of the "Left Behind" serial novels, which have sold more than 50 million copies dealing with the adventure-packed lives of Buck, Chloe and Rayford. In their next installment, writers Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins link the events in Iraq and Israel. Lynn Garrett, the religion editor of Publishers Weekly, said the "Left Behind" series took off before the turn of the new millennium and shows no sign of slowing down. "This kind of thinking is just a part of American culture," she said. "It feels familiar to people who aren't even part of the evangelical movement. They just find it a good read -- like any other thriller." Garrett said several publishers have tried to imitate the "Left Behind" craze with their own apocalyptic thrillers but have not found a market. Bantam Books, she said, recently signed a $40 million to $45 million contract with La Haye to put out a new series of end-time thrillers. Gary De Mar, the evangelical author of "End Times Fiction: A Biblical Consideration of the Left Behind Theology," said La Haye's hugely popular novels are not just harmless entertainment for "escape-minded Christians." "There is no reason to bring about a peace movement because they believe all this has to take place," DeMar said. "It's prophetic inevitability."