Eschatology is the branch of theology concerned with the study of the last or final things. The word comes from the Greek “Eskhaton” meaning “last”. As we come near end of the Church liturgical year, we get readings about the last things. This Sunday, the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, is the penultimate Sunday of our year, and it refers to at least three last things, which makes it a bit confusing.
First, there was an end to the era of humanity's slavery to sin and the devil when Jesus goes through His last supper, passion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven. A new covenant is enacted in the Eucharist, and we enter the final era when we await the Lord to come again. Some of the verses of our Gospel apply to Jesus’ passion as an end, “the sun will be darkened” and, “And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory”. At the trial of Jesus, “Again the high priest asked him and said to him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?’ Then Jesus answered, ‘I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’'” (Mark 14:61–62) At the crucifixion, ”At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.”(Mark 15:33) It was the end of the temple of Jesus’ body, which would be rebuilt/raised in three days.
Second, there was an end to the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD which Jesus prophecies in surrounding verses and when He says in our gospel, “Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.” A biblical generation was considered about 40 years, and about 40 years after Jesus makes this prophesy (so around 33 AD) the Temple and Jerusalem were utterly destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD following a Jewish revolt.
Third, all these things also foreshadow and instruct us on the end of all time which Jesus is also making reference to: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
‘But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’”
Are we close to the end of all time? Well, we simply don’t know the day or hour. But there are some things that seem to have to happen before the end comes.
- The Gospel will preached to the whole world. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)
- There will be a widespread acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah among the Jewish people. “I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not become wise in your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, and thus all Israel will be saved…”(Romans 11:25–26) “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:13–15)
- There will then be a great apostasy (or falling away of the faith) and some sort of antichrist who rises up (and maybe a rebuilding of the Temple as well). “We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a ‘spirit,’ or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one doomed to perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God, claiming that he is a god.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4)
Finally, eschatology also reminds us of the four last things of death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. So, there you go, you have now completed Eschatology 101. Should we be worried? Don’t worry, but do be ready always. We have nothing to fear if we are faithful to Jesus and in the state of grace. As our first reading from the Book of Daniel states, “But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.”
Peace,
Fr. Greg