The Only Correct Eschatology?

Podcasts about eschatology

In April 2022 Mairi and I recorded five podcasts on the four main biblical eschatologies. Our conviction hasn’t changed — historic pre-millennialism is the faithful reading, and I am confident that the debate will clarify before Jesus appears in glory and vengeance. People have argued about this for centuries, but it will surely become a matter about which most Christians will come to repent through tears.

The Fifth Alternative

There is however a fifth eschatology that we didn’t record an episode about and which I am utterly persuaded matters more than the answer to the age-old debate concerning Revelation 20. I call it radical Messianic eschatology and you can read a whole chapter on this here.

What this comes down to is one pivotally important verse that speaks of the human heart’s greatest longing. Near the end of his life, Paul anticipates in his second letter to Timothy the crown of righteousness that was waiting for him; and then he adds that it was a crown for “all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). Notice what he doesn’t say, ‘the crown is for those whose eschatological conviction and timeline is right, or those who satisfactorily ticked the box about Jesus’ physical return on a doctrinal statement.’

The crown is for all those who loved His appearing.

This is the heartbeat of the whole New Testament. Indeed, loving His appearing means that, in practice, you would rather that Jesus came again urgently than have this life carry on as it is for one second longer. In other words, Philippians 1:21, “to live is Christ and to die is gain”. And this glorious hope and witness should be increasingly true of our hearts. Merely agreeing in theory that Jesus is physically coming back is something quite different, and you can hold that view perfectly well for a lifetime while having no longing for it (Him) whatsoever.

As always, God looks upon our hearts.

Would you rather have the Lord Jesus return, or this world continue?

Once again, here is the question I’d like to emphasise within the eschatology debate: would you actually prefer Jesus Christ to come now, and for life as you know it to immediately end? Give it a minute before you answer.

I think we have assumed a great deal about those who love His appearing — that if someone says they’re a Christian then they’re kindred with those in 2 Timothy 4:8, as though by default. Nearly every argument about the end times takes it for granted that the Church loves His appearing and is only disagreeing about the details. I don’t believe that for a moment. With all my heart, I believe the Church at large does not love His appearing at all because I believe the Church has many other lovers.

So this is my challenge to every camp, mine included. Post-millennialists, amillennialists, dispensationalists and historic pre-millennialists like me can all ask which framework fits the Bible best, and that’s a good question.

However, the question I’d ask first and last is whether the framework we hold has made us people who love His appearing more than this world. A right timeline held by a lukewarm heart is still lukewarm and it will profit us nothing. We may well be better informed than any generation before us and yet, tragically, remain a long way further from Him.

These are perilous times, friends, and the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. Repentance and clarity of doctrine are urgent for anyone who takes the Name of Jesus Christ, and so is the courage to make radical decisions of faith.

I’d say the clarity starts with one thing: do we want Him to return more than seeing our children (or churches) grow into maturity, or more than our careers and houses or whatever else holds greatest sway on our often fickle hearts? The Bible is emphatically and unapologetically clear: if the answer to this question is ‘no’ then not only is our eschatology not biblical, it means that we are worse than idolaters.

MARANATHA?

Nick Franks

---