Theology of Acts: Eschatology

I. The Structure of Luke’s eschatology

Luke has a two-part structure in his eschatology: the age of promise and the age of fulfillment. He is not interested in any differences in God’s working prior to the coming of Christ, as it doesn’t fit his purpose.

The period of fulfillment has a period of transition (Christ). Early in Jesus’ ministry, the message was that the Kingdom has been brought near Luke 10:9. However, by the end of his ministry, the message was exactly the opposite Luke 19:11. What happened?

ἥγγικεν means just what you might expect - has come near.

Luke’s use of this verb in other places demonstrates this common-sense idea Luke 12:33; 15:1; 18:40; 22:47; 24:15, 28; Acts 21:33

The preposition ἐπι is significant in these case in that it is difficult to say that one approaches upon a person. Rather to come upon people suggests that one is arriving where they are.

However, Luke 19:11 just as clearly states the exact opposite

δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς ὅτι παραχρῆμα μέλλει ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναφαίνεσθαι

“they thought that immediately was going the kingdom of God to appear”

So those who think the Kingdom of God is near are mistaken.

This suggests something like the arrival of a bus. If I call out to my child, “James, the Bus is here!” my language states clearly that the school bus is presently outside the house, so he’d better hurry up or he’s going to be left behind. But if he takes too long and the bus leaves, I would instead say when he finally got ready, “sorry James, you missed the bus.” So was the bus here or was it not here?

The turning point in Jesus’ ministry can be narrowed to an exact point, when Jesus was accused of casting out demons in the name of Beelzebub Luke 11:14-15.

He warned them at that time that this didn’t make sense, and that the only plausible explanation is that he did so by the finger of God, therefore he must be offering them the Kingdom Luke 11:20.

Thus, Israel rejected the Kingdom of God. The religious leaders, who had something to lose, rejected Jesus completely, while the people, who had nothing to lose, loved to hear him speak and wanted him to be king, but they did not accept the ethical demands he required of them.

However, the offer was never taken off the table. Peter was still offering the Kingdom to Israel if they were to accept it Acts 3:19-21. Acceptance of God’s gift of salvation by Israel would have brought in the Kingdom. Alas, while many people did accept it, the majority did not.

The church age was created by this interregnum, this gap between the arrival of the eschatological age and the arrival of the Kingdom of God. Some end-time blessings were distributed to the church, but the Kingdom was still absent, as is the King.

The age of promise (OT) lumps all previous ages together

This includes the OT prophets Luke 24:44

This includes the ministry of John the Baptist Luke 7:28; 16:16

John is the greatest prophet of the old period, but is still more insignificant than the least in the kingdom

As a pointer to Christ (Luke 7:18-35; 3:1-65) John prepares the way for the Messiah and serves as the end of the old era

The promise of the Father, i.e. the Holy Spirit, has not yet arrived for all believers:

Christ’s shed blood is the blood of the New Covenant.

The age of fulfillment

The descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost marks the arrival of the last days Acts 2:16, 33; 11:15-16.

the ascension of Christ to the Father’s right hand fulfills OT promise Luke 22:69; Acts 2:32-36. Specifically, this session at the Father’s right hand fulfills the promise that the Messiah would sit at the Father’s right hand instead of God immediately destroying his enemies.

The resurrection of Christ fulfills OT promise Acts 2:24-31; Ps 16:8-11

thus the age of fulfillment is not merely an extension of the age of promise, but it signals the arrival of the Last Days.

Many other NT others indicate that the last days are a present reality

Paul 1 Cor 10:11; 1 Tim 4:1; 2 Tim 3:1

James 5:3

Hebrews 1:2; 9:26

Peter: 1 Pet 1:20; 4:7; 2 Pet 3:3

1 John 2:18

Jude 18

Peter specifies that the Spirit outpouring at Pentecost is an instance of Joel’s prediction of universal prophecy. As Joel’s prediction is considerably greater than what occured at Pentecost, we are to still wait for this universal prophecy.

Peter states that “this is that,” which is used in Qumran to indicate their (usually spurious) interpretation that prophecy is fulfilled in themselves.

yet most of the phenomena did not happen, and the only one that did was on a much smaller scale than predicted.

Peter specifies that the outpouring is the fulfillment of the promise of the Father Acts 2:33, 39.

Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5 refer to the coming promise of the Father.

Joel didn’t predict the arrival of the New Covenant, or the arrival of the kingdom. he predicted that “afterward” (= “in the last days”), there would be (1) phenomena from heaven (2) universal prophecy (3) salvation from God’s wrath depends on calling on the Name of the Lord.

Joel uses similar language to the New Covenant (Exek 36:26-27; 11:19; Jer 31:33; 24:7; 32:39-40. However the effect of the Spirit’s outpouring is radically different in the two passages. In the Joel, it’s universal prophecy and presumably the joy of God’s revelation; in the New Covenant, it’s universal repentance and mourning for sin.

Both sets of passages speak of universal salvation, however, in the New Covenant it is the promise that all Israel will receive cleansing Ezek 36:25, in Joel the promise is that only those who call on the Name of the Lord Joel 2:32.

Gentiles were never excluded from the Kingdom of God. Salvation was possible for them as well. In fact, the New Covenant would have the effect of spurring Gentile faith Isa 55:3-5

Thus Joel’s prophecy still waits fulfillment. The day on which the salvation from God’s wrath has not taken place, but even Joel wants people to call on God’s name then. The universal prophecy hasn’t taken place either, but there was an instance of that phenomena, the tongues-speaking of a small number of Jesus’ followers. This sample is a powerful warning to Israel that they need to call on Jesus’ name (note switch), for the last days have arrived, and the outpouring of God’s wrath is imminent.

However

The fulfillment of OT promises that definitely reference the arrival of the Kingdom are yet to be fulfilled Acts 3:19-21

Jesus must first return for the Kingdom to come Acts 1:11

Jesus will return as Judge Acts 10:42; 17:31

Thus, the arrival of the Kingdom yet waits the Return of the King.