Imagine you are driving down the road in the middle of nowhere, listening to the radio. Over the radio, a man decides to read a story. As you drive over a long stretch over country road, you find yourself paying partial attention to his words. The man's voice begins to blur in with the background noise of the car and the tires as they go over the paved asphalt road. This man is reading some science-fiction story, but by the fourth chapter, you forget what (or if) he is reading. All you know is that, somewhere between the man's paced cadence and the sound of your driving, there must be some words in there.

Suddenly, the man's voice begins to pick up tempo and grow louder. This catches your attention -- the same way the announcer did in last night's hockey game. Without warning, the man screams over the radio, "They're coming for me! It's too late! Save yourself!"

Now, your blood runs cold.

Instantly, without even thinking, you brake, wheels squealing in protest. You stop and listen, turning up the dial. "They're everywhere!" The man screams. "Please save yourself!" Out of fear, you turn of the radio and speed off, going anywhere but here. Of course, unbeknownst to the listener, the man on the radio is actually reading dialogue from the book.

Does this incident sound familiar? For most of us, it does. On October 30, 1938, CBS Radio decided to broadcast a narration of the science-fiction book War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. The broadcasted book, dramatically narrated by late actor Orson Welles, was meant to be a Halloween special by the station. For Halloween, Welles wanted to read the book as if it were a news bulletin. However, Welles' reading of the book inadvertently incited mass panic among listeners, causing them to believe an alien invasion was actually taking place in New Jersey. Welles eventually apologized for the confusion and claimed that he was not trying to cause any panic. Still, his broadcast is one of the most infamous radio blunders of all time. And it also goes to show how susceptible each one of us is to panic.

In our day and age, nothing causes more confusion, excitement, pandemonium, and stress than talk of the end times. Yessire, I'm talking the drum-banging, conference-gathering, sign-bearing, pulpit-pounding, book-binding, chart-making, heart-racing, controversial, one-of-a-kind, genuine subject commonly known as the end times. 

In recent years (i.e., the past two decades), there has been more talk than there has ever been about what will happen in the end. Yes, the end, as in, the end of the world. Of all the subjects in human history, nothing has captured the hearts and minds of many more than the mass speculation of the end times. So what is the big deal about the end times? Well, for every beginning, there must be an end; basic science teaches that. All religions, from Christianity to Buddhism, teach that there was a beginning and there will be an end to the world. Even atheists, who claim the Big Bang Theory created life, agree that there will be an eventual end to the earth. Mass speculation of the end has made its way into movies (2012), songs (It's the End of the World by REM), and other forms of media. In the church, there are various perspectives on the end times in relation to the coming of Jesus. Everyone, everywhere, in all stages of life agree that at some point in human history, the world will end.

So who's right? Who's wrong? Who's left behind?

If you are a new believer, the topic of the end times might seem daunting. Not only are there seven billion perspectives on the end times, but all of them seem to claim they are the correct. Those who believe in climate change stress that humanity's disregard of the environment will destroy the world; the only way to fix it is by going green. Atheists, on the other hand, believe the world is doomed to end. Scientists have created a Doomsday Clock that tracks how close humanity is to destruction ('midnight') and use horrible events in history as time markers. Even in the Christian faith, there are different perspectives on what will happen concerning the end and the coming of Jesus. Thankfully, however, the topic of the end times can become less confusing once we clear the proverbial chessboard and start from scratch. In this mini-series, I will be discussing Christian eschatology. Specifically, I will be explaining what eschatology is, the different eschatological views in the church, the pros-cons of each view, and how eschatology pertains to the Kingdom of God, as well providing a brief overview of the book Revelation.

What is Eschatology?

So, first things first -- what is eschatology? According to Merriam-Webster and Encyclopedia Britannica, eschatology is "a branch of theology" or a "doctrine" concerning the last things (i.e., the end of the world). The word 'eschatology' comes from the Greek work eschatos (ἔσχατος), meaning the end of something; so, eschatology is the study of the end.

In a Christian context, the general eschatological view is that Jesus ascended up into Heaven (cf. Acts 1:9), is reigning now as King (cf. Revelation 12:10), will return in the future (cf. Acts 1:11) to judge humanity (cf. Revelation 20:12), and will set things right (cf. Revelation 22:1-5).

Why is Eschatology Important?

What is the importance of eschatology, especially in regards to the Christian faith? In short, having an eschatological view gives us hope. Because we know Jesus is King and that He will return someday, we have the hope and blessed assurance that Jesus will destroy evil. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes," the apostle John writes. "Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more" (Revelation 21:4, WEB). And it is because of that hope in Jesus that Christians can continue to evangelize, plant churches, and show Christ to others. It's why we do what we do. A good, Christ-centered eschatology provides Christians with refreshing hope and everlasting joy in Jesus' return.

To use an illustration of how eschatology works in the Christian faith, suppose you are planning on building a house. The foundation is Jesus, no doubt. Eschatology, however, is the house's blueprints -- it determines the style, layout, and overall structure of the house. Similarly, eschatology is not be the core of one's faith, but rather its result. A strong faith, tethered to convictions of truth by the Holy Spirit, can produce a healthy, hopeful eschatological view.

On the Winning Side

Knowing that God's Kingdom is growing and that evil will eventually be destroyed, we can have hope in knowing that we are on the winning side! The battle has already been won by Jesus, and it is only a matter of time before He comes back to finish the job. Here's a hockey analogy. Imagine you are a hockey player on a first-place NHL team. Your team is not just first place this season, but has always been first place ever since the team started. Throughout franchise history, your team won several Stanley Cups, President's Trophies, and Division titles. To end the current regular season, you are scheduled to play against the worst team in the league. This team is historically the worst team in existence, winning no Stanley Cups, President's Trophies, or Division titles throughout franchise history; it has been rumored they will even fold after this game. To make matters worse for them, you guys are playing in their arena -- a ramshackle sports center if you ever saw one. Dedicated fans and spectators boo you and your team the moment you arrive, thus lowering overall team morale. "But don't give up," says the Coach, "I am with you. I will guide you all to victory. Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24)." Filled with hope, your team rout the other team 3-0, with 1 second to go in the third period. Similarly, God's Kingdom is winning, and we are on the winning side. Knowing that God's Kingdom is on the march and Satan's empire on the run, we can rest in the hope and the blessed assurance that Jesus has won, will win, and will continue to win. That is the power and the hope of having a Christ-centered eschatology.