I have recently found myself in a series of eschatological discussions. I won’t bore you with the details, nor will I use this as a forum for my own personal beliefs. What I do want to comment on, though is how similar these conversations, though initially quite dissimilar, ended up.
Each of the conversations powerfully reminded me how wrong most of our popular conceptions of eschatology really are. We have limited it to the idea of “the last” things while forgetting that the writers of the New Testament repeatedly referred to their own times as “the last days” (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2, etc.). We have developed charts and graphs and timelines, zooming in on obscure prophecies while ignoring the larger issues of God’s progressive revelation.
Eschatology is not an isolated study, but an outgrowth of hermeneutics in general. The more the issue of hermeneutics comes up in these discussions, the more I’m convinced, not only the the organic unity of all of Scripture, but of Christ’s centrality to understanding all Scripture, which has driven me to consider two driving questions, not only to eschatology, but hermeneutics in general:
- What Makes the Most of the Cross?
The longer I’m a Christian and the more I look at Scripture, the more I’m convinced that the Cross is the centerpiece, both of Scripture and all of human history. Therefore, whenever we approach Scripture, not just eschatology, but all Scriptural interpretation, it’s imperative to ask what interpretation makes the most of the Cross?
If Christ is the fullest revelation of God, if all of the promises of God are “yes and amen” in Him, (2 Corinthians 1:20), then surely, all Scripture ought to be understood in light of the Cross.
- What Makes the Most Sense of the Most Scripture?
When it comes to issues like eschatology, no approach can answer every question. No matter your position, someone will likely bring some verse to your attention that doesn’t fit neatly. Therefore, the question becomes, what interpretation makes the most sense of the most Scriptures? What interpretation most easily lends itself to the unity of Scripture?
Though these two questions are quick and easy, they drive us deep into the issue, the unity and coherence of Scripture while putting everything into context, both of the original audience and us. Yes, there is much more to sufficiently understanding and applying Scripture (and eschatology in particular), but I have found these two questions to be important starting places.
