Introduction
Eschatology is a term that Christians use in reference to the study of last things. There are a lot of theories regarding the things to come throughout the history of the Church from the Early Church Fathers, through the Rise of Amillennialism, the Reformation Views, the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, and the Modern Millennial Views. This paper is not a historical study, and not a defense of a particular eschatological view. However, this paper explores the history of eschatology throughout the history of the Church. It is imperative that Christians not ignore the prior generations exegetical study.
Early Church Fathers
Irenaeus
In studying the eschatology of Irenaeus (AD 125-202) he saw Jesus Christ as the key to all prophecy. …show more content…
This is well defined in his text Against Marcion, who was a heretic who heavily edited the Word of God. His eschatological stance is unmistakable with his statement,
“But we do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem, ‘let down from heaven,’ which the apostle also calls ‘our mother from above;’ and, while declaring that our poli/teuma, or citizenship, is in heaven, he predicates of it that it is really a city in heaven. This both Ezekiel had knowledge of and the Apostle John beheld.” It is obvious with this statement that Tertullian was a premillennialist. However, his interpretation is not in unison with today’s understanding of premillennialism. The prophet Montanus influenced his interpretation of the millennium that believed the rise of New Jerusalem would come out of Asia Minor and that the Anti-Christ would occur at the fall of the Roman Empire.
Justin
Eschatology is a term that Christians use in reference to the study of last things. There are a lot of theories regarding the things to come throughout the history of the Church from the Early Church Fathers, through the Rise of Amillennialism, the Reformation Views, the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, and the Modern Millennial Views. This paper is not a historical study, and not a defense of a particular eschatological view. However, this paper explores the history of eschatology throughout the history of the Church. It is imperative that Christians not ignore the prior generations exegetical study.
Early Church Fathers
Irenaeus
In studying the eschatology of Irenaeus (AD 125-202) he saw Jesus Christ as the key to all prophecy. …show more content…
This is well defined in his text Against Marcion, who was a heretic who heavily edited the Word of God. His eschatological stance is unmistakable with his statement,
“But we do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem, ‘let down from heaven,’ which the apostle also calls ‘our mother from above;’ and, while declaring that our poli/teuma, or citizenship, is in heaven, he predicates of it that it is really a city in heaven. This both Ezekiel had knowledge of and the Apostle John beheld.” It is obvious with this statement that Tertullian was a premillennialist. However, his interpretation is not in unison with today’s understanding of premillennialism. The prophet Montanus influenced his interpretation of the millennium that believed the rise of New Jerusalem would come out of Asia Minor and that the Anti-Christ would occur at the fall of the Roman Empire.
Justin