Systematic Theology – Eschatology

The Meaning of Eschatology

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Systematic Theology

Genre: Speech

Lesson: 1 of 32

Track: #1

Year:

Dictation Name: 01 The meaning of Eschatology

[Rushdoony] Let us begin with prayer. O Lord our God who made heaven and earth and all things therein, who has made us for Thy purpose and called us to be Thy people, fill our hearts ever with joy and Thanksgiving, that we may serve Thee according to Thy word, that in all things we might be faithful servants, that we might be filled with the joy of salvation and be more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless us now by Thy word and by Thy spirit, and give us strength in Thy service, in Jesus name amen.

Our subject today is the meaning of eschatology, and what eschatology is will be explained very shortly. And our scripture is Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:15-17.

“And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

And Genesis 2:15

“15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Our subject today is the meaning of eschatology. Eschatology is spelled e-s-c-h-a-t-o-l-o-g-y. Now in any seminary one of the main headings of theology, the study of the word of God, is eschatology. Now what does it mean? The dictionary definition is this “Eschatology is the branch of theology that treats of death, resurrection, immortality, the end of the world, final judgment, and the future state. Very briefly eschatology is defined as the study of the last things.” Is this the correct definition? It is the one that prevails now, and there is no question that there is a great deal of truth to that definition, but it is to limited. The word eschatology comes from a New Testament word which in the Greek is eschatos, as an adjective, and eschaton as a noun, it means “the extreme, the last” sometimes “the least.”

Now man is a religious creature. Man therefore, because God made him and made him in His image, is goal directed, and the goal of his life is that which God has established for him; to exercise knowledge, dominion, righteousness, holiness. Man therefore lives in terms of meaning, and there is nothing more deadly for man than meaninglessness, emptiness, in his life. And when men lose faith it means that the culture and the members thereof turn to liquor, to drugs, and to various stupid ways of trying to fill the emptiness in their lives. Man wants meaning, he wants answers. The important part of a problem in math is the answer. The important part of a story is the ending; how does the story come out? How many stories would sell if the last chapter were ripped out? Because man is created in the image of God he is goal directed; what is the end, the eschaton? How does it come out? As a result, the concern that people have because God has made them for the last things is a very, very important, and a very valid one. On the other hand if we put too much emphasis on the end, on the conclusion, then we destroy the meaning of what comes before.

I have known people who, if they pick up a book and start reading it and it’s very exciting and suspenseful book, will turn to the last chapter and read it. They can’t wait to see what happens all they’re interested in is the end, not the development; and that’s not healthy. And when you transfer that into the field of the faith what you have is a faith that is not concerned about your duty here and now under God, but “what’s going to happen to me at the end?” And you have cults actually, which pay no attention to most of the Bible, but concentrate on all kinds of speculation about the end times. And I know churches that will never tell you what your duty day by day is, and how men ought to be heads of the household, and what the duties of children are, but they will have charts galore that they’ll pass out; and have on the walls of their Sunday school classes working out the details of that the end is supposedly going to be like; and there will be big arguments about the details. And one class will have one chart, and another class will have another chart, and the church will split over those things.

As a matter of fact in the history of the church there have been times when people have so concentrated on the last things, as they define them that they totally depreciate the present, and they say for example that marriage is to be despised, or set aside, or it’s not important, because there’s neither marrying nor giving in marriage in heaven, according to our Lord; and so they say it’s of no importance here in this world. Well that’s a sin because the Bible not only says that its important, but that God blessed it, and God has all kinds of laws in scripture to govern the relationship of men and women in marriage. As a result two heavy a concentration on the end time is very dangerous and not Godly.

Now to understand the meaning of eschatology, maybe the best place to begin is the word eschatos, eschaton. Let’s go back to the Greek and see what it means. The very great Greek scholar Hans-Georg Link has said that eschatos means, and I quote, “The end point of a continuously conceived succession of circumstances.” Now that is very important. He does not say end time, he says the end point. When you finish building a house, it’s the end point, when you drive the last nail. But it’s not the end time; it’s not the end of the world. When you answer a problem and you write down the answer it’s the end point, but it is no end time. If a man has committed murder he’s caught, tried, and executed, it is then the end point, the eschaton, but it is not the end time. Thus the end point can come with a death of a man, the judgment of a nation, the judgment of a family, and history continually tells us in our day by day life we see a lot of eschatons, end points. Now this is the original Greek meaning, but is it the New Testament meaning. Both testaments speak of the Day of the Lord. And the prophets say the Day of the Lord is coming upon Israel, and upon Judah, and upon Nineveh, and upon Babylon, upon Edom, and Moab; and also at the end of time the day of the Lord, the final judgment. So we have to say that in the Bible, eschaton and eschatos mean end point and end time, so that eschatology in the Bible is not just the end-point, when a man gets executed for his crime, nor is it just the end of the world, the end time, it is both, it is both.

So that when judgment strikes a nation it is not the end of the world, but it is an judgment and it is an eschaton for that nation. And when Christ comes again it is an end time and an eschaton. The Bible uses the word in both senses. But what has happened over the years is we have limited, usually, to the end time and not the end point, it is both. Thus the first thing we need to realize about eschatology is that it is an end point, and an end time, and then this fact that however an eschaton is announced in the Bible, an end, it is also accompanied by a declaration of the salvation of the Lord; so that when God pronounced a judgment, an eschaton, the end of the world before the flood, it was the salvation of Noah and hi s family from a world of evil. And when God pronounced the ultimate judgment upon sin in the form of the cross, it was an eschaton, it was a judgment, it was the declaration of what is the end of all sin, death. But it was also a declaration of salvation, so that ever eschaton, every end point in history is also a declaration of salvation, even as the end time, the last judgment is the final judgment upon all apostasy and sin, and it is also the fullness of the new creation of a new heaven and a new earth, the fullness of our salvation, the resurrection of our body, and all the glory of eternity. Thus an eschaton is both judgment, and salvation

To give an example of an eschaton in history, the coming of John the Baptist. John proclaims both the culminating judgment, and salvation. What does he say? In Matthew 3:10-11 “And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with Holy Ghost and with fire; whose fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather His wheat into His garner but He shall burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” What does John the Baptist declare? Why for Judea, the judgment is come, the eschaton, but also salvation because Christ is coming. And His coming will mean the end of a Godless order, an order that had abandoned the faith of their Fathers, but it will also means salvation for all in Judea and Galilee, and to the uttermost parts of the earth who receive Him as the Messiah. So John the Baptist proclaims an end, an eschaton, in the full meaning of the word; a judgment which brings an end to something, and a great and glorious salvation.

To give you another example before we turn to our text, Paul says in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” What does he do he gives you, in a sentence, a declaration of God’s eschaton as it works in history. Wages of sin are always death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Judgment, salvation, both, both are aspects of an eschaton.

Now to understand eschatology, the doctrine of the last things, we must begin at the beginning of the Bible to see all that God means by this. Very definitely it does mean, and we’ll come to it in time, the end of the world, the last judgment, the life beyond the grave, heaven and hell, the resurrection of the body. But we have to see the doctrine of last things from the beginning to see all that they mean; and very definitely we are told first of all that man is created in God’s image, and therefore man has a different end, a different eschaton than all the rest of creation. Now God intends to redeem all creation, to re-make it, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and Paul tells us that the creation, the very ground beneath our feet, and the animals around us ground and travail waiting for the glorious liberty of the suns of God. That even as a flower put near a window turns to the light, so all this creation is turning and groaning towards God because God made it. It is in bondage because of us; but it is our end that is different in that for us there is a heaven and a hell. But the earth is going to be renewed and remade into perfection. And so we are told immediately in the very first chapter that we have a purpose, a God ordained purpose different from all of creation because we are made in the image of God, and therefore we have a more glorious destiny and a more fearful one. Our eschaton, according to God’s purpose, is dominion over all the earth and over all His creatures.

Then second, God’s first eschatological word for man is marriage. Now that’s not for heaven, but God saw it important enough to tell man above everything else, increase, be fruitful, multiply. It is not good that man should be alone God said. So God’s eschaton for man is to be not alone, but to be in marriage, to increase, to create families. William Buckley likes to use words, and to coin phrases, and one of them that he’s very fond of, or was a few years ago, was “let us immanentize the eschaton.” What does that mean, to immanentize, to bring into the present something from the future, the eschaton, the last things? In other words, the goals that we should accomplish let’s work to accomplish them now. Well in marriage we immanentize the eschaton; if we in marriage fulfill God’s purposes for us. So that when we set up a Godly home, with Godly children, and the more we are faithful to the calling that is ours in marriage, and place our children in Christian school, for example, and rear them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, we are realizing God’s eschaton for us, His goal for us in marriage. So marriage is a part of God’s goals, His eschaton for man.

Then third, God pronounces a blessing upon them as they meet His calling and do His will, and God blessed them. So that when we are faithful to God’s eschaton, His goal, His end, His purpose for us, God blesses us. And in Deuteronomy 28:1 we are told that if we keep all these words, Moses said God’s blessings will pursue you and overtake you, you will not get away from them.

And then fourth, we are told very definitely there is a pronouncement of death for disobedience. That if they put out their hand to reach for that one fruit, they would die. Death would enter into the world. We live you see in an eschatological universe; universe in which there is a goal, an end, to everything that man does for good or for evil. It’s a world of causality, and that’s what eschatology is about. It tells us that when certain things are done it eventuates in certain things. The soul that sinneth, it shall die; that’s a declaration of eschatology. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, the man who is faithful to the Lord, and he doth meditate, “the Psalmist tells us, “in the word of the Lord day and night,” and his goal, his eschaton is a glorious one.

Now it is an interesting fact in scripture that in Genesis 2 when God sets man in the garden of Eden he says “look, here are all these trees, fruit trees”, no doubt He pointed him to all the berry bushes, and vegetables, and so on, “these are all yours, help yourself to them free. But there’s one that you cannot touch, just one.” Now the interesting thing is that in the Garden of Eden there was a broad way that led to life, and a very narrow way, one tree, one fruit, that led to death. But when we turn to the Sermon on the Mount our Lord gives us a different picture, He says: “Broad is the way that leads to destruction and narrow (or strait s-t-r-a-i-t is the word that is used in English) is the way to life.

Now that’s a very interesting point. It’s broad in Genesis two, the way to life, and narrow in the Sermon on the Mount. The key to that is the word that our Lord there uses, it is stenos. We have that word in English in the word stenographer, steno-grapher. Narrow, cramped, is the usual meaning, in writing. Why is a stenographer’s writing narrow or cramped? Well because taking dictation, the stenographer is hurrying, and from ancient times a kind of short-hand was used, a kind of a cramped writing; but even more, and especially in ancient times when the stenographer was a slave, there was no thoughtfulness. And so the Greek or Roman slave owner would rattle off without any thought of the fact whether or not the slave, a man usually, who was taking dictation could keep up with him. Now the root meaning of stenos is groaning, groaning, because as the slave took down that shorthand that slave was groaning because the master was not thoughtful and was just rattling off at such a rate.

Now, what is our Lord saying? Strait is the way to life, groaning is the way, because we are fallen creatures. It was broad for Adam, all the trees against one tree; narrow, limited, the way to death; but now broad. Why? Because all we see being sinners, even though saved by grace and, oh especially who is not redeemed; why the world is full of “Thou shalt not’s” everything is either illegal, immoral, or fattening; and everything that is forbidden is the way that is appealing. But the way of righteousness, oh that’s the groaning way. “I’ll do it because I’m scared of my wife, or I’m scared of the cop, or I’m scared of the boss”, but it’s the groaning way because we are sinners. But in reality as God created the world, the way of righteousness is not, and was not intended to be the groaning way. It is our sin that makes the way of righteousness a groaning way. For Adam it was the way of freedom, for us it is the way of freedom also. But we groan at obeying God, and we’re prone to saying “Look Lord, haven’t I obeyed you enough, can’t you ease up on me? Can’t I have a little rope here to do as I please, a little freedom to sin?” Not so.

Then finally we are told the Lord God commanded the man. When God commands He lays down the law; that’s an eschatological fact. The law says something about the end, “thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, bear false witness, nor covet, nor have other God’s before Me” and so on. What does the law do? It tells us there’s certain results, results that follow actions; there is an eschaton, an end. And we are told with regard to the fifth commandment “honor Thy Father and Thy mother, that Thy days may be long upon the earth.” Why that’s an eschaton, “here is the way, walk ye in it” of honoring our parents; and here is the end, a blessed and long life upon the earth. Do you see what the Bible means by eschaton? This is why we cannot limit it just to the end times, it is both the end point and the end times. So we’re going to study as we go into eschatology, the doctrine of the last things, then end point and the end time. All the prophetic declarations concerning the day of the Lord are concerning the law of God, so the law is related to eschatology. Salvation is related to eschatology. We cannot limit the scope of eschatology, the doctrine of last things, without limiting God. Let us pray.

Our Lord and our God we thank Thee that Thy word is truth, and that Thy word sets forth the end of all things; the end of faith, and the end of unbelief, the end of honoring our parents, and the end of dishonoring them, The end of marriage, and the end of adultery. Oh Lord our God great and marvelous are Thy ways, and we rejoice in them; and we thank Thee that in Jesus Christ Thou hast given us such glorious promises concerning our end, our eschaton in Him. Make us ever mindful oh Lord that this is Thy world, and Thy purposes shall prevail. In Jesus name, amen.

Are there any questions now concerning our lesson? Yes?

[Audience member] Rush in Matthew 15 verse 5 & 6 where you’re talking about dishonoring {?} in verse five where it says “it is a gift” would you explain that?

[Rushdoony] Yes, that’s Matthew 15 verse 5. “Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother ‘it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me’, and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free, thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”

Now what the Pharisees had done in those days, was to teach that ‘well yes you should honor your father and your mother” which meant of course caring for them if they were in need. “But if you don’t like your father or your mother and they’re a nuisance to you, you can say to them ‘I’m giving the money to the temple, and dedicated it to the temple.” Which they did, and the Pharisees of course were happy to make that interpretation because it meant more income. So here were people who were tithing and then giving above and beyond that what they said would of gone towards the support of their father or their mother, to the temple also. And our Lord says ye have made the word of God, the law of God, the Torah, of none effect through your traditions; and therefore, He says, you sin. So he calls them hypocrites who are looking for an excuse not to obey God’s word. Why were they not obeying it? “Well, it rids me of a nuisance, it’s cheaper to give the cash to the temple, or to the church, than to take care of somebody who’s always making demands on me, and who’s a problem, and I’d sooner be rid of the responsibility.” That’s the meaning of what our Lord says there.

Yes?

[Audience member] Well how about the other side of the coin there then though, when the parents ridicule the faith and…

[Rushdoony] Yes, that is different. If the parents ridicule the faith, and are disruptive, that cannot be tolerated; and I know of specific instances of that where husbands and wives have sinned because they’ve tolerated a mother or a father in the home who continually ridiculed their faith to the children, and did great damage. That is a failure of authority on the part of the man. He is the head of the household, if his parents, or one of them, or his wife’s parents, one of them, is in the home they have to be under his authority. As long as they are in that household, it is his authority that must prevail, and he cannot tolerate something from them that is evil. He certainly wouldn’t tolerate it from his wife, or his children if he were a Godly man, why should he allow; and I know of one very tragic case, such a parent to ridicule, sometime very blasphemously, the faith of the parents to the children.

Any other questions or comments?

Well if not let us bow our heads now for prayer.

Our Lord and our God we thank Thee that Thy blessing is upon Thy people when they hear and obey Thy word. Make us a faithful and a joyful people in Christ Jesus. Give us joy in the end which Thou hast set before us, day by day, and at the end of the world; that we might ever know that Thy purposes for us are glorious, and thy word is truth. In Jesus name, amen.