A HISTORICAL-SYSTEMATIC TREATMENT OF THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL

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Eschatological Gospel

The Eschatological Gospel is based on the combination of two theological concepts: eschatology and gospel. The Eschatological Gospel is born out by both the eschatological emphasis of Jesus in His chosen name for Himself, ―Son of Man‖ (taken from the eschatological vision of Dan 7:13-14), and His own words in the Kingdom Parables, the Lord‘s Prayer, the Words of Institution at the Last Supper, the Great Commission, and the Revelation or Apocalypse given to John on the Isle of Patmos.

Time

The concept of time was created for humanity by God in Genesis 1:14-19. However, God is love, spirit and light (1 John 4:8, 16; John 4:23-24; 1 John 1:5) and therefore, exists in/at the speed of light. According to Albert Einstein‘s ―Theory of Relativity,‖ at the speed of light there is no time, just eternity or infinity. This coincides with Moses‘ statement about God in Psalm 90:2. As a result of this revelation, the purpose of time rests within God‘s creation according to Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 and Proverbs 16:4. It may be further developed from the Bible that time had a beginning (Gen 1:14), is linear (proceeding since its creation in a line, not a circle—Luke 2:4; 3:23-38; 17:22-30; 21:7- 28; Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:1-11), is finite, quantifiable and measurable (Gen 1:14; 8:22; Gal 4:10), is part of the space-time continuum (Dan 2:20-22, 28-45; 9:1-2, 24-27; 12:8- 13; 2 Cor 12:1-4; Rev 1:9-19; 4:1-2), and will cease when its purpose is completed at the end of time (Gen 8:22; Rev 21:1-6a).

Biblical Time, Salvation History and the Kingdom of Heaven/God

Biblical time is centered on the purposes of God in relation to humanity and is communicated through the concepts of ―Salvation History‖ and the ―Kingdom of heaven (God)‖ (Ervin 1984:2-3). The concept of ―salvation‖ existed in the mind of the Triune God of the Bible (represented by the plural Hebrew name for God, Elohim in Genesis and alluded to by Old Testament Theophanies/Christophanies, mentions of the ―Spirit of God,‖ and Ps 110; Prov 30:4; and Isa 63:7, 9-10) ―before the foundation of the world‖ (Eph 1:4), or even the creation of Adam and Eve (who were made in the very ―image of God,‖ without sin and considered to be ―very good,‖ versus ―good‖ for the rest of creation—Gen 1:26-31). However, salvation history is set into context and begins immediately after the Original Sin (the Fall) in Genesis 3:15.

Parousia/The Day of the Lord/ Millennial Kingdom Prophecies

The key to separating the two eschatological comings of the Messiah in the Old Testament prophecies is in the differing purpose for each coming. The First Coming involves ―the suffering servant‖ of Isaiah for the atonement of the sin of humanity and reconciling/restoring relationship with Yahweh. The Second Coming (Parousia) involves the glorious ―King of Kings and Lord of Lords‖ of Revelation coming to complete the salvation of His beloved Body (the Church) through physical resurrection and rapture, to judge the earth for its sins (day of the Lord), and to set up His kingdom on earth for one thousand years (Millennium).

Parousia Prophecies

Two of the Parousia prophecies were highlighted by Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho, a Jew (Falls 1965; Hebert 2004a). In roughly half of this document, Justin tries to prove that Jesus Christ was the Messiah that the Jews were anticipating. He addresses ―Elijah coming first‖ in Malachi 3:1 and 4:5 as two separate comings/advents. Malachi 3:1, corresponding to Isaiah 40:1-17, speaks about John the Baptist (confirmed by Jesus Himself in Matt 11:7-11; 17:10-13). Malachi 4:5 speaks of another messenger (maybe one of the two witnesses of Rev 11:3-12) coming prior to the Parousia.

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Day of the Lord Prophecies

As mentioned above in the definition of day of the Lord (Yahweh), there are many Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the day of the Lord, also known as ―Jacob‘s Trouble‖ or the Tribulation. The day of Yahweh is an Old Testament term, which becomes contextualized in the eschatological writings of the New Testament. The day of Yahweh is when the ―wrath of God‖ will be poured out upon the earth because of humanity‘s cumulative sin. The clear New Testament references to the day of the Lord (Acts 2:19-20; 1 Thess 5:2-4; 2 Thess 2:1-2; and 2 Pet 3:9-10) place it within the context of Daniel‘s ―seventieth week.‖ This remaining week is also commonly referred to as the seven-year Tribulation Period addressed in the Book of Revelation and by Daniel 12, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.

TABLE OF CONTENTS :

A.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE THESIS
A.2 THE PROBLEM
A.3 MOTIVATION
A.4 METHODOLOGY
PART 1: DEFINITIONS AND A STUDY OF THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL IN THE SCRIPTURES
- 1.1 INTRODUCTION
- 1.2 DEFINITION OF TERMS
  - 1.2.1 Systematic Theology, Orthodoxy and Heresy
  - 1.2.2 Eschatological Gospel
  - 1.2.3 Time
  - 1.2.4 Biblical Time, Salvation History & the Kingdom of Heaven/God
  - 1.2.5 Premillennialism
  - 1.2.6 Second Coming or Parousia
  - 1.2.7 Rapture
  - 1.2.8 Dispensationalism
  - 1.2.9 The Day of the Lord
  - 1.2.10 Satan/the Devil and the Kingdom of Darkness
- 1.3 OLD TESTAMENT ESCHATOLOGICAL WRITINGS
  - 1.3.1 Messianic Prophecies of the First Advent
  - 1.3.2 Kingdom of God Prophecies
  - 1.3.3 Parousia/The Day of the Lord / Millennial Kingdom Prophecies
    - 1.3.3.1 Parousia Prophecies
    - 1.3.3.2 Day of the Lord Prophecies
    - 1.3.3.3 Millennial Kingdom (Including the Restoration of Israel)
1.4 JESUS‘ ESCHATOLOGICAL TEACHINGS
- 1.4.1 Kingdom of Heaven/God Teachings
- 1.4.2 Parousia Teachings
- 1.4.3 Lord‘s Prayer/Words of Institution/Great Commission/Baptism
- 1.4.4 Author & Finisher/Alpha & Omega/Beginning & End Statements
1.5 NEW TESTAMENT ESCHATOLOGICAL WRITINGS
1.6 CONCLUSION

PART 2: A HISTORICAL-SYSTEMATIC TREATMENT OF THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL
- 2.1 INTRODUCTION
- 2.2 CHURCH FATHERS
- 2.3 MEDIEVAL CHURCH THEOLOGIANS
- 2.4 REFORMATION, POST-REFORMATION AND SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGIANS PART 3: SATAN‘S HISTORICAL-SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF FALSE RELIGION AND HERESY
- 2.5 ESCHATOLOGICAL THEOLOGIES AND CHRISTOLOGIES
- 2.6 TWENTIETH CENTURY EVANGELISTS AND THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL
  - 2.6.1 A. B. Simpson (1843-1919) & the Fourfold Gospel
  - 2.6.2 Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944) & the Foursquare Gospel
  - 2.6.3 Billy Graham (b. 1918) and the Eschatological Gospel
  - 2.6.4 Oral Roberts (b. 1918) and the Eschatological Gospel
- 2.7 CONCLUSION
- 3.1 INTRODUCTION
- 3.2 GENESIS
- 3.3 1500 BC TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
- 3.4 THE BIRTH OF CHRIST TO THE BIRTH OF ISLAM
- 3.5 MEDIEVAL PERIOD AND RENAISSANCE
  - 3.5.1 Modern Witchcraft
  - 3.5.2 Modern Secular Humanism
  - 3.5.3 Rosicrucians
PART 3: SATAN‘S HISTORICAL-SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF FALSE RELIGION AND HERESY
- 3.1 INTRODUCTION
- 3.2 GENESIS
- 3.3 1500 BC TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
- 3.4 THE BIRTH OF CHRIST TO THE BIRTH OF ISLAM
- 3.5 MEDIEVAL PERIOD AND RENAISSANCE
  - 3.5.1 Modern Witchcraft
  - 3.5.2 Modern Secular Humanism
  - 3.5.3 Rosicrucians
PART 4: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- 4.1 ESCHATOLOGICAL CHRONOLOGY
  - 4.1.1 Chronology of the Eschatological Gospel
  - 4.1.2 Chronology of False Religions/Heresies of Satan
- 4.2 SIGNS OF THE TIMES
- 4.3 CONCLUSION
- 4.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHING THE
- ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL IN THE
- TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
- WORKS CONSULTED
- VITA

GET THE COMPLETE PROJECT
THE NEED FOR TEACHING THE ESCHATOLOGICAL GOSPEL OF BOTH COMINGS OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, ESPECIALLY AS WE SEE THE DAY OF HIS PAROUSIA APPROACHING