Volume IX – Escatología

Biblical eschatology, the study of the last things or the last times according to the teaching of the Bible, is of the utmost importance within Christian theology for several fundamental reasons: Vision of God's Plan: eschatology offers a complete vision of God's plan for human history and the cosmos. It explains how the divine purpose unfolds from creation to the final consummation, providing a coherent framework for understanding history and the final destiny of humanity. Hope and Comfort: eschatology offers hope and comfort to believers. It promises God's final victory over evil, the complete restoration of creation, and eternal life in communion with God for those who have placed their faith in Christ. This hope is fundamental to the Christian faith and strengthens believers in times of difficulty and suffering. Motivation for Holiness and Watchfulness: eschatology teaches the reality of the final judgement and the coming of Christ. This motivates believers to live holy and watchful lives, prepared to meet God at his return and to give account of their lives before him. Christ as the Centre: eschatology emphasises the centrality of Christ in God's plan for the last times. Christ is seen as the coming King, the righteous judge and the one who will establish his kingdom of justice and peace on earth. Studying eschatology deepens the understanding of who Christ is and his role as redeemer and final ruler. Prophetic Discernment, Preparation for Mission and Evangelism: eschatology motivates the church to fulfil Jesus's mandate to go and make disciples. Interaction with Other Doctrines, Witness to God's Faithfulness: eschatology shows God's faithfulness in fulfilling his promises and bringing his plan to its final consummation. This strengthens the faith of believers as they see how God has worked throughout history to fulfil his redemptive and restoring purpose. In short, biblical eschatology is essential because it provides a complete vision of God's plan for human history, offers hope and comfort to believers, motivates sanctification and watchfulness, focuses on Christ as the centre of the divine plan, facilitates prophetic discernment, drives the mission and evangelism of the church, enriches the understanding of other Christian doctrines, and bears witness to God's faithfulness in fulfilling his promises. The present work develops a biblical, systematic, historical and theologically rigorous study of Eschatology, the discipline of Christian theology devoted to the study of the ultimate realities and of the consummation of God's redemptive purpose according to the witness of the Holy Scriptures. Traditionally called…