ESCHATOLOGY
The doctrine of the last things. It deals with both the future of the individual and the eternal destinies of humanity, as well as in general the development of God’s prophetic plan throughout History.
The focus of interest is on the establishment of the King in a kingdom of God. The first Adam having failed as head of creation to remain himself subject to God, Satan becomes the god of this world.
The development of the history of Redemption and the future and definitive establishment of the Kingdom of God by the Son of Man, the Second Adam, the God-man, is what constitutes the center of all eschatology.
The first step in this establishment is taken in the battle of the cross, in which Satan loses his power. The second step will be when the Risen One, who “destroyed through death him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14), comes to make his victory effective, and to take the dominion that It already belongs to Him by virtue of the redemption consummated by Him.
The Bible marks a historical march, which is revealed throughout it, but especially in the prophetic books. The first announcement, after the Fall, about the establishment of the kingdom, is found in the protoevangelium (Gen. 3:14-15).
There is the eschatological germ, which expands in
circles that encompass more and more, through the promise given to Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12: 3; 22:18).
Various promises follow one another, giving the scepter of the kingdom to the descendants of Judah (Gen. 49:10). This is then limited to the descendants of David, with the promise of an eternal throne (2 Sam. 7:8-29; 1 Chron. 17:7-27), which is confirmed with the new covenant (Jer. 31: 31-37; 33:14-17), which is fulfilled in Jesus, son of David according to the flesh (Lk. 1:3033).
There are numerous mentions of this kingdom throughout various passages of Scripture. Notable among them is Psalm 2. But the basic structure of the eschatological development is found in Daniel and Revelation, which provide the chronological framework.