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Eschatology
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Eschatology is one of the most well-attended areas of theology, even though most people have never heard of the term, let alone know what the term means. Over the last 40 years the subject of Bible prophecy has been popularized to an extent never before experienced in history, primarily due to the inventions of radio, television, and of course the internet. Millions are able to log on, turn on, and turn up sermons, fictitious novels, movies and television shows dealing with end-time events. Awareness of, and obsession with, Bible prophecy has grown exponentially as a result this era surrounding the turn of the millennium. Articles have been featured on the covers of Time, Life, Newsweek, and virtually every tabloid that exists. Millions of readers have purchased books, both fiction and non-fiction, by authors such as Hal Lindsey and Tim Lahaye.
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Eschatology has ... been a belief shared, sometimes theorized on, by philosophers. Saint Augustine stressed the allegorical method of interpretation. He was greatly influenced by Origen.[2] He was followed by Ibn al-Nafis[3] and Hegel with their philosophy of history, and, some have argued, Karl Marx. Theodicy has gathered together most Enlightenment thinkers, among whom are Kant and Rousseau.
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Eschatology is literally "discourse about the last things," doctrine concerning life after death and the final stage of the world. The origin of this doctrine is almost as old as humanity; archaeological evidence of customs in the Old Stone Age indicates a rudimentary concept of immortality. Even in early stages of religious development, speculation about things to come is not wholly limited to the fate of the individual. Such devastating natural phenomena as floods, conflagrations, cyclones, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions have always suggested the possibility of the end of the world. Higher forms of eschatological thought are the product of a complex social organism and an increased knowledge of natural science. Often myths of astrological origin, the concept of retribution, or the hope of deliverance from present oppressions provided the material or motive for highly developed eschatologies.
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Eschatology, speculation about the last things, plays an important role in virtually all religions. Gnosticism is no different in this regard. However, Gnosticism is unique in that the distinction between future eschatology and present salvation begins to break down. This is particularly true in Valentinianism.
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In dealing with a subject such as Spurgeon and Eschatology, it is vital that some issues of introduction be covered first. A basic survey of the life and ministry of Spurgeon would ... be helpful. Furthermore, an understanding of the basic tenets of the various eschatological schemes, as they were understood in Spurgeon's own day; is absolutely necessary before one can begin an examination of Spurgeon's teachings in this area. To complete this study there also needs to be a clarification of eschatological positions as understood today as they relate to those of Spurgeon's day.
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Eschatology is traditionally defined as the doctrine of the "last things" (Gr. eschata), in relation either to human individuals (comprising death, resurrection, judgment, and the afterlife) or to the world. In this latter respect eschatology is sometimes restricted to the absolute end of the world, to the exclusion of much that commonly falls within the scope of the term. This restriction is unwarranted by biblical usage: the Hebrew be'aharit hayyamim (LXX en tais eschatais hemerais, "in the last days") may denote the end of the present order or even, more generally, "hereafter."
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Eschatology