Inaugurated eschatology

Inaugurated eschatology is a term used to describe the belief that the end times (or latter days) were inaugurated at the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. In other words, Jesus' bringing of the Kingdom of God has both a present and future aspects. Sometimes called already and not yet, it argues that the end is already here, but it has yet to be consummated. For example, Christians await the final resurrection where they will receive new bodies, yet in a sense, believers are already "raised with Christ" (Col. 3:1). Or, as believers await the final judgment, in a sense they have already passed through it, for "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1) for believers that are justified by faith in Christ (cf. Rom. 3:21-36). Overall, there is a tension between this age and the age to come.

Multimedia

Resources

  • George Eldon Ladd, The Presence of the Future (Eerdmans, 2002 reprint)
  • Anthony Hoekema, The Bible and the Future (Eerdmans, 1994)
  • N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (HarperOne, 2008)

See also

External links