The Search for Order: Biblical Eschatology in Focus

Rating:
Summary: An orderly search
Review: Table of Contents
Part 1
1. Creation, Fall, and Covenant
2. Exodus, Covenant, and Promised Land
3. Kingship
4. Zion Theology and Preexilic Eschatology
5. Exilic Eschatology
6. Postexilic and Apocalyptic Eschatology

Part 2
7. Matthean Eschatology
8. Marcan Eschatology
9. Lucan Eschatology in his Gospel and Acts
10. Johannine Eschatology
11. Pauline Eschatology
12. Other Eschatological Views
13. Apocalyptic Eschatology

Bibliography
Index
Index of Scripture

From the Introduction, p. 9-11.

"Interpretation of the Bible demands a framework within which the details are set. We need to know the big picture before we look at the details. The Bible is a book about the future in light of the human failures of the past and present. In this sense the entire Bible is eschatological, since it focuses upon the ushering in of the kingdom of God, the fulfilling of the divine intention for humanity and society. In very broad terms the biblical sweep is from creation to the new creation. Yet the end is not merely a return to the beginning, for the Bible reveals a great deal more about the divine intention than what is shown at the beginning of Genesis. Regarding eschatology, we must recognize how the Bible develops its theme of God's purpose from the beginning in Genesis to the end in Revelation."

"Our understanding of divine intention initially comes from the narratives of Genesis 1-2, the accounts of creation in the garden. The fall (Gen 3), however, furthers our understanding of God's plan, so the issues arising out of Genesis 1-3 qualify as broad issues of biblical eschatology...First indicated in Genesis 1-2, these purposes find their fulfilment in Jesus, who was both Israel's Messiah and the Second Adam..."

"In the prophetic period, another strand is added to the web of human understanding regarding God's purposes - that of the New Jerusalem as the New Eden occupied by the redeemed people of God..."

"The Fall of Jerusalem in 587/586 B.C. marks another significant development in biblical eschatology since the event raised the question of the future of Israel and her hope. In response arose apocalyptic eschatology with its more cosmic emphasis and stress upon the reality of evil in the world as working through dominant political structures...Thus, by the end of the Old Testament era hope is severed from the historical progress of national Israel and affixed to divine intervention, which will bring and end to the present age."

"Israel's role of world mission, forfeited by disobedience, is transferred in the Gospels to Jesus, whose ministry put Israel's' task and the issues that affect her before the nation again...After the empowering of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts, a restored Israel resumes her role in the world..."

"In Paul's time, the old and new ages overlapped and tensions arose...Pauline eschatology culminates in the Epistle to the Ephesians, in which eschatological fulfilment for the people of God - namely, the divine intention expressed through the Second Adam - is found redemptively. Featured in this epistle is the eschatology of the one new man, by which the restrains of the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile are broken down."

"Last of all, I survey the contents of the Book of Revelation, though most of the book is a contextual analysis of the difficulties facing the churches existing under Roman control. Revelation 21-22 is a picture of the end that capitalizes upon all the symbolism and history of the preceding biblical account. With a return to the setting of Eden at the end of the book, we find that the divine purposes for creation have been fulfilled and the people of God are sen in Adam's and Israel's role as kings and priests in the New Jerusalem, now descended to earth."

"The Search for Order seems a most fitting title, for the account of creation in Genesis 1-2 exhibits a certain contingency and provisionality as the future is given over into the hands of human beings, who lapse from almost the very start. Though the task of humankind is the Edenize the world, it is clear that the task, as well as the personal and social order which stem from it, can only be cahieved by divine intervention and within a divine timetable."

His presuppositions:
The Bible is the Word of God
The Creation is good
God is going about putting the world to rights
Adam and Israel function typologically for Christ
Jesus is the True Adam and the True Israel
The goal of the Kingdom is to redeem Israel through the Messiah and establish the people of God in the New Creation

Method
Dumbrell pays close attention to the biblical text. Genesis functions very importantly for him throughout the book. His interpretation of Genesis 1-3 is based upon a solid exegetical, grammatical and thematic study of the text. He follows ANE backgrounds fairly closely. His interpretation is similar to that of John Walton in his NIVAC Genesis Commentary. He understands that king/priesthood are the roles of Adam in a temple (garden). The rest of the Bible goes about unfolding how this relationship between God and humanity will be restored through Jesus Christ, climaxing in humanity's return to its priest-king role in the New Creation. This is the proper order for humanity in Creation.

A Christ-centered, inaugurated eschatological, amillenial reading of whole Bible eschatology. You can't get any better than that. A book that evangelicals and liberals alike should read. In addition to this book I would also recommend The End of the Begining by W. Dumbrell. Also, The Israel of God in Prophecy by Hans K. LaRondelle is outstanding.