When is the End Not “THE” End: Biblical Eschatology (2)
We tend to read language about the end as univocal. That is, it means only and always one thing – the end of all things when God acts to finally and fully establish his kingdom forever. For us Westerners this is a natural and seemingly self-evident way to read this language. Thus, when Jesus speaks about the end in Mark 13 (par. Matthew 24 and Luke 21), he can only be speaking about the end of all things as just described. The Old Testament background to this kind of language is its use of “the day of the Lord.” Careful examination of the use of this phrase reveals its elasticity. In regard to timing, it usually refers to future events, both those envisioned within history as well as beyond. In other words, there can be more than one or even a few “day(s) of the Lord.” Whether it be seen as a day of liberation for ...