SUMMARY OF

ONE
ESCHATOLOGY
REFORMED

For
Rev. Carlos A. Mena C.

National Presbyterian Church of

Chile
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I. INTRODUCTION

TERMINATION

The term 'Eschatology' is a Greek word that means 'Study of the last things.'
ESCATO means 'last, final'. LOGIA means 'treatise, discourse, study'.

DEFINITION

1. Eschatology is the study or doctrine of last things. The study of eschatology

answer the following questions

What is the purpose or final destination of the individual?

What is the goal that the human race is moving towards?
Does man perish with death or does he enter into another state of existence, whether of blessing or of...
loss?

2. Eschatology is the study of the complex of eschatological events that represent the climax.
of world history, the resolution and fulfillment of God's cosmic program.1

3. Eschatology is a term used to designate the teaching of Scripture concerning the

final consumption of all things. It is assumed throughout the Scripture that history is the
scene of God's redeeming activity, and therefore it is moving towards a new order
In which sin and evil will be destroyed and God will become all in all.2

Traditionally, eschatology has been understood with reference to events that are yet to come.
to happen, both in relation to the individual and to the world, Hence it is spoken of:

Individual eschatology, which deals with issues such as: physical death, the immortality of
soul, the intermediate state (the state between death and the general resurrection), and
General eschatology, which deals with: the return of Christ, the general resurrection, the
final judgment, and the final state.

Regarding this traditional definition, A. Hoekema3indicate the following:

1
Berkhof, L. Systematic Theology, p. 791
2
Tenney, M., Ed., The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol, II P.295
3
Hoekema, A. The Bible and the Future, p.1
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Although we agree that biblical eschatology includes the issues mentioned

above (individual and general), we must insist that the message of biblical eschatology is
it would seriously impoverish if we did not include in it the present state of the believer and the phase
presence of the kingdom of God. In other words, cosmic eschatology must include both what
we could call it inaugurated eschatology4, like to future eschatology.5In reality, our
doctrine is of an inaugurated eschatology.

THE PLACE OF ESCHATOLOGY IN BIBLICAL REVELATION

A, Hoekema
Eschatology should not be considered something that is only found in books like
Daniel and Revelation, but as an integral aspect of the whole biblical revelation,
like something that dominates and permeates the entire message of the Bible.6

J. Moltmann,
From beginning to end, and not only in the epilogue, Christianity is eschatology.
it is hope, looking and moving forward, and therefore also
revolutionizing the present. The eschatological is not an element of Christianity, but
What is the context or setting of the Christian faith as such, the key in which everything is based.
establishes. Hence, eschatology cannot really be just a part of the
Christian doctrine, but rather the eschatological perspective is characteristic of
the entire Christian proclamation, and of every Christian existence and of the whole church.7

Speaking of eschatology and its relation to the rest of dogmatics, L. Berkhof points out:

It is the only division (eschatology) of theology, in which all the others

divisions find their importance and reach their final conclusion.8

In this same sense, L. Berkhof, citing R. B. Kuiper, points out:

...all the other subjects leave some problems unaddressed, to which the
eschatology must provide the answer..., making it the true pinnacle of the
systematic theology.9

In our Orthodox Reformed vision, the historical confessions that collect are important.
our thinking. Thus, the famous Westminster Confession, the Confession10of the
Church 11 (Heidelberg Catechism), the Confession of Faith of the 12
Netherlands, albeit not very
extensive, they deal with eschatology. It is very important to note that all the confessions
reformed (2nd Helvetic, Westminster, Heidelberg, Netherlands, Apostles' Creed) address the
eschatology as a completely different system from the

4
This expression refers to the present enjoyment of the believer of those eschatological blessings.
5
This term is meant to signify the eschatological events that are still in the future.
6
Hoekema, A., Op. Cit p.3
7
Moltmann, J., Theology of Hope, p. 16
8
Berkhof, L., Op. Cit. p. 796
9
The same
10
Chapter 32-33
11
Questions 46, 52
12
Article 37
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"premillennial dispensationalist." Rather, they present an amillennial historical perspective, it is.

to say, that Jesus Christ is the Lord now. The essence of the confession of the early Christians, not
It was to present Jesus as the Savior, but as the Lord. What saves is the confession of Jesus.
like the Lord (Rom. 10:9), and the essence of the Gospel of the early Christians was 'Jesus Christ is
the Lord" (2 Corinthians 4:5)13Our eschatology declares the already inaugurated lordship of Christ
(Eschatology carried out), but not fully realized in creation and in humanity.
Also, reformed eschatology declares that Christ will return visibly, physically, audibly and
gloriously to manifest his full and eternal lordship in a world and humanity recreated for his
glory (Future Eschatology) Therefore, our eschatological confession is 'hallelujah, because the'
Our Lord God Almighty reigns,” but also “come, Lord Jesus.”14

II. ESCHATOLOGY AND HISTORY

We will now see some fundamental points that the Reformed faith establishes for the
history in eschatology.

1. History is the unfolding of God's purposes. God carries out His purposes in the
history. Especially in the so-called 'sacred history' or 'holy history.'

Redemption has a historical dimension with its roots in promises, types, and ceremonies of the Old Testament.
its fulfillment in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and its consummation in the new ones
heavens and the new earth. It involves the history of humanity, the history of a nation (Israel),
the story of a person (Jesus of Nazareth) and the story of a movement (Christianity)
New Testament) Since, however, the 'sacred history' is the key to meaning
of all history (because it is at the center of God's dealings with man), and placed
that all of history is under the control and direction of God, we can say that all of history is
a revelation from God.

2. God is the Lord of history. This is clearly taught in the Scriptures. The writers of
A.T. affirmed that the kingdom of God rules over all (Ps. 103:19), even over the kingdoms.
of the nations (2nd Chron. 20:6), and that he changes the heart of the king when he wants (Prov. 21:1)

The writers of the New Testament tell us that God accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His
will (Ephesians 1:11) and that He has determined the times and places for the existence of the
nations on the earth (Acts 17:26) "God is King and acts in history to lead you to a
meta directed divinely.15

The fact that God is in control of history does not mean that He manipulates men.
as if they were robots, as they always preserve their freedom in their decisions and their responsibility
for them, but it means that God rules even the bad works of men in order to
that serve their purpose (Gen. 50: 20; Acts 4:27-28) The fact that God is the Lord of the
history implies that everything that happens serves its purpose, one way or another (Is. 10:5,12,24-
27; 44:28; 45:1

All of history fulfills the sovereign purposes of God, both for nations and for
individuals (Romans 2:5; 8:28)

Ladd, E. G., Will Sell Again, p. 76

13
14
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Ladd, G. E., The Presence of the Future, p. 331

15
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Because God is the Lord of history, history has meaning and direction. It may be that
We may not always be able to discern God's purpose in history, but there is such a purpose.
Purpose is a cardinal aspect of our Christian faith.

3. Christ is the center of history. 'The primary difference between understanding

the Old Testament and the New Testament understanding of history is that the midpoint of
she has moved from the future to the past. For the believer of the N.T. the coming of Christ is that
midpoint, and he is therefore aware of living between the midpoint of history and its
culmination. the Parousia of Jesus Christ.16

This means that in this central event, not only is everything that is before fulfilled, but
it is also decided that everything about the future is.

The Bible teaches us to see human history as completely dominated by

Christ. History is the sphere of God's redemption, in which he triumphs over sin.
man through Christ and once again reconciles the world to himself (2nd Cor 5:19)
Through Christ, God has won victory over death once and for all.
15:21-22), about Satan (John 12:31), and about all hostile powers (Col. 2:15)

The centrality of Christ in history is symbolically described in the fifth chapter of the book.
of the Apocalypse. Only the Lamb is worthy to break the seven seals of the scroll, which means not
not only the interpretation of history but also the execution of the events of history (as it
they show the chapters that follow

4. The new era has already been introduced. The believer of the N.T. was aware that he was
living in the last days and the end times (Luke 7:289) The implication here seems to be
that John, the precursor of Christ, still belonged to the old era instead of the new era of the kingdom
that Christ was now introducing (Col. 1:13; Cf. Gal. 1:4; Eph. 2:5,6; Rom. 12:2)

The common Pauline contrast between 'flesh' and 'spirit' is not so much a psychological contrast between
two aspects of our being as a contrast between lifestyles that belong to two spheres
of power or two 'aeons', the old and the new.

The same can be said about the contrast between the 'old man' and the 'new man' in the writings.
of Pablo.

5. All of history is moving towards one goal: the new heavens and the new earth. Although
Christ has introduced the new era, the fulfillment of the new era is still future. What the
writers of the O.T. had described as a single movement17, was seen by the writers of the
N.T. as involving two stages: one was the present messianic age and one was still future.
The first coming of Christ was to be followed by a second coming. The kingdom of God that
it has been established but has not yet reached its final consummation.

Since the new heavens and the new earth will be the culmination of history, we can say
that all of history is moving towards this goal.

Since the expression 'heaven and earth' is a biblical description of the total cosmos, we can
to say that the goal of redemption is nothing less than the renewal of the cosmos, of what the
current scientists call the universe. This cosmic dimension of redemption is taught
clearly in passages such as Ephesians 1:9-10 and Colossians 1:19-20.
Cullmann, O., Time, pp. 81-83
16

This is called 'prophetic perspective'

17
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III. IMPLICATIONS OF INTERPRETATION

Reformed History

1. The characteristic activity of the present era is the missions. (Matt. 28:19-20; 24:14; 2nd Pet.
Oscar Cullmann expresses it as follows: "The missionary proclamation of the
Church, its preaching of the gospel, gives to the period between the resurrection of Christ and His Parousia
its significance for the redemptive history and it holds this meaning through its connection with the
"Present lordship of Christ."18

2. We live in a continuous tension between the 'already' and the 'not yet'. The believer of the New Testament lives
in recent days, but the last day has not yet come. He is in the new era, but the era
The final has not arrived yet. Although he enjoys the 'powers of the coming age', he is still not free.
of sin, of suffering, and of death. Although he enjoys the firstfruits of the Spirit, he still groans
internally while awaiting his final redemption.

Since Christ has won the victory, we must see evidence of that victory in history and
in the world around us. But, since the final consummation of victory has not
still taking place, there will continue to be much in history that we do not understand, what we do not
seems to reflect the victory of Christ. Until the Day of Final Judgment, history will continue to be
marked by a certain ambiguity.19

3. There are two lines of development in history. The tension between the already and the not yet implies that
together with the growth and development of the kingdom of God in the history of the world since its coming
of Christ, we also see the growth and development of the kingdom of evil (Matt. 13: 24-30, 36-43)

The two lines revealed in the cross and the resurrection, the line of man's rebellion and
the line of God's superior power, both will continue and be deepened and strengthened
until they reach a climax and a crisis.20

Here again we see the ambiguity of history. History does not reveal a simple triumph of
well over evil, nor a total victory of evil over good. Evil and good will continue
existing side by side. The conflict between the two continues into the present era, but placed
that Christ has won the victory, the final outcome of the conflict is never in doubt. The enemy
he is fighting a lost battle.

This leads us to consider the question of the meaning of progress. Is history

showing real progress? With this question we face the issue of ambiguity
of history. For every advancement, there seems to be a setback (e.g., car ---- pollution and
increase in accidents) Apparently, progress implies a certain degree of regression.

Although we recognize these two lines of development in history, faith always sees the
kingdom of God controlling, governing, and finally conquering the kingdom of evil. It is in the
kingdom of God that we must see the real meaning of history.21

4. All our historical judgments must be provisional. This is another implication of the
ambiguity of history. This means that all our historical judgments must be relative,
tentative and provisional. We can never be absolutely sure if a historical event
specific is good, bad, or in case of participating in both, predominantly good or
predominantly bad.

18
Op. Cit. P.157
19
Hoekema, Op. Cit., p. 34
20
Berkhof, H., The well-founded hope. P. 79
21
Hoekema, Op. Cit., pp. 36-37
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Until the end of everything, no phenomenon in history is absolutely good or absolutely

bad22

Hoekema makes the following comment regarding this:

We often tend to see historical movements and forces simply in terms of

in black and white: The church is good, the world is bad. In reality, things are much
more complicated than that. There is much that is bad in the church and there is much that is good
in the world23
Although we recognize that historical judgments are provisional, this should not prevent us from making them.
and make decisions that are connected to certain events. History is the context or
scenario of human decisions and actions.

5. The Christian understanding of history is basically optimistic. Although the Christian is

sufficiently realistic to recognize the presence of evil in the world and the presence of
sin in the hearts of men, he is basically an optimist. He believes that God is
sitting on the throne, and that God is carrying out His purposes in history. Just as the
Cristiano must firmly believe that all things work for good in his life, despite
contrary evidence, so he must also believe that history is moving towards the goal of
God, even when world events often seem to be heading in a contrary direction to the
will of God.24

Finally, we must keep in mind that history is depraved; it is made by humanity.

depravity. This has to do with one of the five points of Calvinism, or the Canons of Dort,
this is 'Total Depravity' or 'Total Inability'25

To better understand what has been said, it must first be established that the Gospel is the sum of
the redeeming acts of God in history, that is, it points to a goal for history as the
ultimate goal of God's redemptive acts. Secondly, the above does not mean that
the final historical redemption is to be achieved by history, on the contrary history cannot
saving oneself. For this reason, the coming of Christ is necessary. Evil is a reality
(Total depravity), evil is greater than man, greater than all of humanity
fall, stronger than all of history. Only a vigorous act of God breaking into history,
he/she can save her.26

Man cannot redeem himself, and history cannot produce the Kingdom of God, or the
the coming of Christ by itself. In Reformed eschatology, the coming of Christ is not the result
of historical events, but rather an interruption of the divine (outside of history) into
human (within the story) We see this in the dramatic apocalyptic irruption of the kingdom of
God, described by Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar saw a stone cut out, not by hand, which struck the
image at their feet, crumbling it to dust that the wind carried away. Then the stone
what wounded the image grew and was made a great mountain that filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:31-35)
The coming of Christ will not occur gradually in the course of history, through a slow
growth or evolution process, or result of historical processes, but rather it will be carried to
suddenly, catastrophically, by a vigorous act of God to accomplish both the judgment
as the final salvation. In other words, the kingdom of God and its King Jesus Christ will be incorporated into
the story, but it will do so from outside the story.

Next we will see the events that occur within individual and general eschatology.

22
Same
23
Same
24
Hoekema, A., Op. Cit. P. 38
25
Palmer, H. E., Key Doctrines, pp. 11-32
 8

Ladd, Op. Cit., p. 83

26
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IV. CLASSIFICATION OF ESCHATOLOGY

INDIVIDUAL ESCHATOLOGY
Physical death
Consequence of sin
In the light of redemption
Why do believers have to die?

The immortality of the soul

3. The intermediate state

The state and condition of the dead
The place of the dead
Does purgatory exist?

GENERAL ESCHATOLOGY

The Second Coming of Christ

His/Her expectation
The signs of the times
Signs that evidence the grace of God
(2) Signs that indicate opposition to God
Signs that indicate divine judgment
Its Nature

The Millennium
Revelation 20
Premillennialism
Postmillennialism
Amillennialism

3. The Resurrection

4. The Last Judgment

Need for judgment
Purpose of the trial
Nature of the judgment
The Judge
Those who will be judged
What will be judged
The measure or criterion of judgment
Faith and works in judgment
The rewards
The eternal punishment
New Heavens and New Earth
Eternity in heaven or on earth?
Renewal or annihilation?
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V. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

Due to space and time constraints, I will only present the point of General Eschatology that deals with
the Second Coming of Christ.

His/Her expectation

Central to General Eschatology is the event of the Second Coming of Christ. Christ has
he came to inaugurate his kingdom, but he is coming again to introduce the consummation of that kingdom.
Although the kingdom of God is present in one sense, it is still future in another. We now live between the
two comings. We look back with joy at His first coming, and we await with expectation His
promised return.

The expectation of the Second Coming of Christ is a first-rate event.

importance in the Eschatology of the N.T., so much so that the faith of the N.T. church is dominated
for this expectation. Each book of the N.T. points towards the return of Christ and urges us to live according to
so that we are always prepared for that return.

The Gospels: Mat. 16:27; Mark. 14:62; Mat. 24:42,44; Luke. 12:40; Luke. 12:37, 43; Luke.
21:27; John 14:3
The Facts: Acts 1:11; 17:31
The Epistles of Paul: Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Titus 2:13; Romans 8:19-25
Las Epístolas Generales: Hebr. 9:28; Stgo. 5:8; 1ª Ped. 5:4; 2ª Ped. 3:10; 1ª Juan 2:28; 1ª
John 3:2
The Apocalypse: Rev. 1:7; 3:11; 22:20.

This same expectation of the return of Christ should mark the church of Jesus Christ today. If
this expectation is no longer present, then something is radically wrong. It is the servant
unfaithful in the parable of Jesus who says in his heart, 'My Lord delays his coming' (Luke.
There may be several reasons that explain the loss of this sense of anticipation.
It may be that the church today is so busy with material and secular interests that its
interest in the Second Coming is fading into a secondary place. It may be that many
Christians no longer believe in a physical, visible, audible, and glorious return of Christ. It may also
It is that many who do believe in a visible return have relegated that event so far into the future.
distant who no longer live in anticipation of that return. Whatever the reasons, the loss
A vivid and vital anticipation of the Second Coming of Christ is a sign of the most serious
spiritual illness in the Church. Although there may be differences among us on various
Aspects of eschatology, all Christians should live in the light of that expectation every day.

2. The Signs of the Times

Commonly this expression is used to describe certain events or situations that are said to
precede or point towards the Second Coming of Christ.

Although we commonly think that the signs of the times point to the future, these
signs indicate first what God has done in the past (Matthew 16:3,4)
The signs of the times also point towards the end of history, particularly to the
return of Christ (Matthew 24: 14,29,30)
The signs of the times reveal the ongoing tension in history between the kingdom of God
and the powers of evil.
The signs of the times demand a decision
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The signs of the times are means of grace that bring us closer to the presence of
God.
The signs of the times demand constant alertness (Matthew 24:42)

Although the signs of the times are truly present throughout the entire history of the church
Christian, these or some of them will take on a more intense form than in the past. These signals will
group in the following way:

Signs that evidence the grace of God

The proclamation of the Gospel to all nations. Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament we find
indications of this signal (Joel 2:28; Is. 52:10, 42; 45:22; Mat. 24:14; Mr. 13:10) This
signal does not mean that each of the people in the world must be converted first
Let Christ return, for it is evident, by Scripture, that this is not the case. Neither
it means that every individual on earth must hear the gospel before the
parousia. What this sign does mean is that the Gospel must be preached through
of the world as a testimony to all nations, that is to say, not that each person of
each nation will hear the Gospel, rather that the Gospel will become part of
the life of each nation that cannot be ignored. The Gospel should lead to faith,
but if he is rejected, he will testify against those who rejected him.
(2) The salvation of the fullness of Israel. The passages from Matthew 10:23 and Romans 11:25-26
They propose that "all Israel will be saved," but what do these words really mean?
what the Apostle Paul himself tells us in Galatians 3:28,29: 'there is neither Jew nor Greek;
There is no slave or free...for you are all one in Christ Jesus...certainly
you are descendants of Abraham,” we can say the following: the expression “and then everything
Israel will be saved" relates to the salvation of all the chosen ones, not just of
Jews, but also of Gentiles, throughout all of history. The term 'Israel' is
synonym of 'Church' (Jews and Gentiles) John Calvin commenting on this passage
Romans points out that 'all Israel' refers to the salvation of the total number of the
chosen throughout history, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the
gentiles.

Signs that indicate opposition to God

The Tribulation. This sign is obviously an indication of the opposition to the kingdom of God.
by their enemies. This sign was already predicted by the prophets of the Old Testament (Jer. 30:7; Dan.
In the Olivet discourse, Jesus speaks of tribulation as a sign of the
times that must be expected from his people throughout the entire period between his first and
second coming (Matt. 24:9,10; 5:10-12; Jn. 15:20; 16:33) The sign of the tribulation does not
it restricts to the final time, but characterizes the entire period between the two comings of Christ.
This tribulation will not be basically different from those experienced throughout history.
since the first coming, but it will be much more intense as the end approaches. By
Finally, there is no indication that the so-called 'Great Tribulation' by the
dispensationalists are limited only to the Jews, and that Gentiles or the Gentile Church do not
will pass through it.
Apostasy. The word apostasy comes from a Greek verb that means 'to fall'. In 2nd
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, this sign appears. The apostasy will occur within the ranks of the
members of the visible Church. Those who are true believers will not desert (Jn.
10:27-29; 1st Peter 1:3-5), but many who have made an external profession of faith will do so.
The Antichrist. Many relate John's antichrist to Paul's 'man of sin.'
In the whole Bible, the only books that specifically deal with the term
"antichrist" is: 1 John 2:22; 4:2,3; 2 John 7. The antichrist was already operating in the times of
Juan. This had to do with false teachers and their false teachings. The doctrinal system and
his teaching contrary or that which will take the place of Christ, John calls it the antichrist. The
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the relationship that is made to the antichrist as a powerful future human character is
merely dispensationalist and not reformed. The antichrist is everything
 13

that which opposes Christ, or that which takes the place of Christ, such as the
teaching that states that Christ is not God, or that a person or entity occupies the
attributes of Christ. That is antichrist. In 1 John 2:18 the Greek article 'the' does not appear.
what does 'the' mean, that is, in the original Greek one reads: 'you have heard that antichrist
comes" With this, Juan wants to tell us that the antichrist is not a future person, but a
evil force that would work through false teachers and false prophets. The other passage
1 John 2:22 tells us: "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?"
This is the antichrist.” Here the article “O” (the) appears, it is clear that John uses in this
the term 'the' antichrist, as referring to a particular force that
It is evident in anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Therefore, the antichrist is all
that which opposes God and takes his place.

Signs that indicate divine judgment

War, Earthquakes, Famine, Diseases. These signs also have

backgrounds in the A.T. (Is. 19:2; 2nd Chr. 15:6; Jud. 5:4,5; Ps. 18:7; 68:8; Jer. 15:2; Ezek.
5:16,17; 14:13; Is. 24:19; 29:6; 64:1) These signs are evidence of divine judgment (Gen.
3:7; Rom. 1:18; Stg. 5:9) Like the other signs, these also mark the entire period
between the first and second coming of Christ (Rom. 8:22,23)

3. Its Nature

The nature of the Second Coming of Christ presents five aspects that are fundamental to the
Reformed eschatology.

It will be a Personal Coming. “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you to heaven, thus
he will come just as you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) “But our citizenship is in
the heavens, from where we also await the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20)
Other passages that deal with the personal coming of Christ are Acts 3:19-21,
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

It will be an Audible Coming. "The Lord Himself, with a commanding voice, with the voice of an archangel and with
"the trumpet of God will descend from heaven." (1 Thess. 4:17) In the Old Testament, God would descend to the people with
great sound of trumpets (Ex. 19:16-18) In the N.T. the kings or great lords were received
with great trumpet voices so that all the people would know that it had arrived the
king. The King of kings and Lord of lords will have a triumphant and glorious arrival, great voices of
trumpets will announce their arrival so that everyone is aware of their enthronement
full. Nowhere do we find in the Bible that the coming of Christ will be silent.

It will be a Visible Coming. "Behold, He comes with the clouds: Every eye will see Him, and those who
they transferred; and all the lineages of the earth will mourn because of him. Yes, amen.
..while we await the blessed hope and the manifestation
glorious of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13) The Coming of Christ does not
It will be in secret, without the world knowing, on the contrary, even the very creation will be
participants in the visible coming of Christ (Rom. 8: 22-26)

It will be a Glorious Coming. "..when He comes on that day to be glorified in His saints
and to be admired by all those who believed.” (2 Thess. 1:10) “…all the tribes of the earth
They will lament when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with
power and great glory." (Matt. 24:30) Other passages that deal with the glorious coming of Christ.
 14

It will be a Sudden Coming. "..because you know perfectly well that the day of the Lord
it will come like a thief in the night." (1 Thess. 5:1,2) "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even
but only my Father." (Matt. 24:36) "Watch, therefore, because not
You know what time your Lord is to come.” (Matt. 24:42) The Second Coming of Christ
It is a secret that will be revealed to no one the day nor the hour of its fulfillment. Christ
will return suddenly.

VI. THE CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE COMING OF

CHRIST
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day or the hour when the Son of Man will come.
to come.
(Matthew 25:13)

Regarding the Coming of Jesus, I do not know it and neither does anyone else. No, not even the angels.
Of the sky, not even Jesus himself, but only the Father knows the hour. It can never be fixed.
in human calendars through the cleverest study of the signs, nor by the
more expert adaptations of the prophecies. It is beyond the reach of any human mind to point out
Infallibly that hour when the clock of God must sound. We can only talk about two things.
dogmatically: first, from the certainty of the event; and second, from the uncertainty of the
time. Yes, time is uncertain.

I don't believe there is a reason to maintain that our Lord Jesus is coming very soon, if
by "soon" we mean that it will come this year or the next, or within the course of our
life. One can wait for its coming, desire it, and work for it. The disciples desired it and
they worked for her during their lives. But these are the facts: that "the little bit" of Pablo and the
"around" Peter has stretched for more than two thousand years, and the great event has not yet occurred.
this is called 'the date without a date'.

What should our attitude be towards the wait for the Second Coming?

The event is certain, but the time is uncertain. Jesus summarizes our attitude in one word.
towards his coming. He tells us that we have to 'watch'. 'Blessed are those servants who
which, when the Lord comes, finds watching" (Lk. 12:37) What did Jesus mean by "watching"?

Many times the emphasis has been placed by some people as if it were a way of looking.
to heaven waiting for the material heavens to come down. Others see it as a kind of
ecstasy of the soul that keeps them on mental tiptoes, doing everything possible to describe and
decipher the signs of the future. But the vigil that Jesus meant is not that ecstasy of the soul nor
that look at the sky. At first, looking at the sky was censored. 'Galilean men, what are you
Looking at the sky? Even less does this vigil consist in the ecstasy of the soul that always has it in a
state of excitement, or what signals the second coming as imminent. I am sure that this
great doctrine has often been discredited because of the efforts of those
they have tried to set dates. Since the day our Lord ascended to heaven, they have not
some have tried to fix, with infallible certainty, the date of their return. At the end
In the first thousand years, there were crowds in England that left their homes, their lands,
they abandoned their families and their jobs, and they devoted themselves to waiting for the Lord. Many were
sure that the end had arrived during the days of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was considered
like the antichrist. Others were very sure of the end during World War II,
when Adolf Hitler was identified as the 'man of sin'
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William Miller and his followers, initially known as Millerites, proclaimed that the
the second coming of Christ would be between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844. The failure
from this prediction
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was named The First Disillusion, and led many followers to abandon the
movement. A second date was later set for the long-awaited coming of Christ: the 22 of
October 1844. Even many Adventists, preparing for the event, were
They got rid of all their belongings. To their regret, that day passed with absolute tranquility.
and what was expected did not happen, so the movement was harshly ridiculed and many of its
followers returned to their old churches after having lost faith without remission. Others
they announced the second coming for 1914, others for the year 2000, and still others say that the return
of Christ will occur between 2006 and 2010 according to numerical calculations and events that have occurred. The
the problem of these people, apart from the poor hermeneutics, is not the hope in the return of
Christ, except daring to set dates for his coming, that is, putting themselves on a par with God, who
He is the only one who knows the day and the hour. It is the same sin as Lucifer (Satan) when he wanted
to rise to the level of God 'I will be like the Most High' (Isaiah 14:14). These are the sorceries that
use the ancient serpent, the Devil, to cause many to fall: '...your eyes will be opened and
you will be like God...” (Genesis 3:4)

All these prophetic calendars, with their bold dates, are an irreverence to the words.
of Jesus that tells us that "it is not for you to know the times or the occasions that the Father
put in his sole power" (Acts 1:7)

This is not what I meant, Jesus, by being watchful. If we read Christ's parables, like the Ten
virgins, the Talents, and the Faithful Servant we find that what he wants to say by watching is the
faithful and vigilant service, serious and expectant hope. This is the worthy way to watch that bears the name
of Christ. In each case, the vigilance consisted of loyalty to the work that was assigned to each.
A very notable case of the true Christian attitude that awaits the coming of Christ.
It is given in a story that occurred in the USA in 1780. "An inexplicable darkening of everything
The visible sky caused intense alarm and distress among the crowds and dismay in the animals.
Thousands of people believed that truly that day was the end of the world. Many abandoned
their occupations and devoted themselves to religious devotions. It is said that the Chamber was
sessioning on that occasion, and that the darkness was becoming so thick that the members believed that
the final day had arrived. Consequently, a motion was made to suspend the session. At that moment, a
A member stood up and said: Mr. President, either it is the final day, or it is not. If it is not, there is no
need to suspend the session. If it is, I wish to be found fulfilling my duty.
I motion to bring the candles and that we continue with the affairs of our nation.

The attitude of this man shows us the true way to watch over. In this we find good
sense and healthy theology. Let us not allow panic to penetrate our hearts and make us
deviate from the true vigil. Therefore, let us continue with our work calmly, patiently,
cheerfully and diligently as befits true children of God, so that if Jesus comes
let this night not find us idle. And if he does not come during our lifetime, then
we will go to him with our work well done.

No human knows the day and hour of Christ's return nor will they know until the day that
Let it happen. Neither the angels have this secret revealed, which only God knows. Therefore, let us be
alerted, for the Son of Man is to come at the hour we do not expect. Yes, come Lord
Jesus! Amen.

Three fundamentals:
Structure of the tenses:
Timeline
Transcendental facts
We will call them era or period.
2 Periods or two eras of eschatological events
Matthew 12:32 This age and the age to come. There are no more eras.
Mark 10:28
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Ephesians 1:20
Luke 20:33
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

What marks the event of the last times (The coming of Christ.) Hebrews 1:1-3 Acts 2:17,
1 Peter 1:18
What marks the division between this century and the next

Isaiah