Why this framework matters
The “last things” are not a detached appendix to the gospel. They help us understand what Jesus announced, what His death and resurrection accomplished, what His enthronement means, and why His people can live faithfully under His reign now.
This framework will trace the biblical movement from the prophetic hope of Israel through Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom, His warnings of covenant judgment, His death and resurrection, His enthronement as the Son of Man, the establishment of the new covenant, and the continuing hope of resurrection and new creation.
It will also distinguish the near horizon of Jesus’ first-century prophetic warnings concerning Jerusalem and the temple from the wider horizon of Christ’s reign, the defeat of every enemy, resurrection, final judgment, and the renewal God has promised.
The purpose is discipleship, not speculation
The goal is not to create another prophecy chart or to turn eschatology into an argument about dates. The purpose is to understand the biblical story well enough to live within it.
Christian eschatology should deepen allegiance to the reigning Christ, clarify the significance of the new covenant, strengthen hope in the defeat of death, and form a people who live faithfully in the present because they know where God’s story is going.