Eschatological Hope in the Coming Peaceable Kingdom: An Examination of Paul’s Exhortations in 1 Thessalonians 4–5
The further we progress into the 21st century, the more it seems as if the world is at the precipice of some irrevocable calamity. In tandem with doomsday YouTube channels, end of the world televangelism, and end-time prophecy novels, the eschaton or “end-times” are on the minds of many believers.1 Perhaps, the most appealing of the eschata or “last things” is the coming of the peaceable kingdom. The reason being is that in times of turmoil, the notion of the coming peaceable kingdom gives Christians a sense of eschatological hope.
Some skeptics would question whether the world is in need of such a hope, since it is so heavily dependent on the belief of a transcendent future. I would argue that the global community desperately needs eschatological “hope in” the coming peaceable kingdom. The more befitting question would be, what does it mean to have this type of eschatological hope and why is it so essential?
What is Eschatological Hope?
Victor Ezigbo aptly cites eschatological hope as an “ongoing process” in which the Lord continually reshapes our “present world that is perishing from its sin and its injustice with the intent of bringing it to its ultimate fulfillment.”2 Similar to this position articulated by Ezigbo, most scholars conceptualize eschatological hope from a temporal perspective. Scholars often use the phrase, “already—not yet” to describe the present and future components of eschatological hope.3 The “already” relates to the triumph over death by Jesus Christ, and the “not yet” refers to the eschatological fulfilment still to come.4 Hence, the most practical definition of eschatological hope is the expectation for God to fulfill the promise of creating a new heaven and earth, based on what the Lord is “doing” and has “already done.”
“Hope for” and “Hope in” the Coming Peaceable Kingdom
Optimally, Christians should have a healthy spiritual balance of eschatological “hope for” and “hope in” the coming peaceable kingdom. However, considering the popularity of apocalyptic fiction and the precipitous decline in church attendance, this is probably not the case. Christians will always hope for the coming peaceable kingdom as long as there is oppression in the world that stems from racism, hatred, sexism, discrimination, bigotry, poverty, etc. Hope in the coming peaceable kingdom, however, is not as enduring in the hearts of most Christians.
There is a notable difference between hope for the coming peaceable kingdom and hope in the coming peaceable kingdom. Christians who hope for the coming peaceable kingdom faithfully believe the Lord will reign over “a new heaven and a new earth” in a not so distant future (Isa. 65:17; 2 Pet 3:13). For those who hope for the coming peaceable kingdom, there is comfort in knowing that “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).
In contrast to the concept of hoping for, Christians who hope in the coming peaceable kingdom are galvanized by their labor for the Lord. These Christians, whose hopes lie in the fulfillment of God’s ultimate promise of a peaceable kingdom, toil so that all of humanity can be saved if they so desire (1 Tim 2:4). Christians who hope in the coming peaceable kingdom acknowledge that they cannot be apathetic to the suffering of their neighbor. They also recognize that they cannot escape their circumstances and problems by speculating on the advent of Christ. In essence, eschatological hope in the coming peaceable kingdom is the active practice of Christian discipleship while expectedly waiting for the return of Christ.
It is worth pointing out that hoping for the coming peaceable kingdom is not necessarily reprehensible because it requires a modicum of faith that is absent in non-believers. What obfuscates the merit of hoping for the coming peaceable kingdom is the abstract way by which eschatological hope is understood. Even though some theologians argue that eschatological hope lies “in the attainment of a life lived with God now and not in some future state of blessedness beyond death,” Polkinghorne astutely opines that this is “an inadequate expression” of eschatological hope.5 Life is too oppressive for most Christians to believe that their eschatological hope rests solely in making the best of their current situation.6 In most cases, there is a need for Christians to “consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). Because as Polkinghorne poignantly states, without the hope of “a transcendent future, many are condemned to a loss of good that no process solely within history could ever restore to them.”7
Encouraging Hope in the Coming Peaceable Kingdom
Although it is admirable to hope for the coming peaceable kingdom, Christians should be encouraged, perhaps now more than ever, to place their hope in the coming peaceable kingdom as we wait for the parousia or “Christ’s return.” This begs the question posed by the writer of 2 Peter when he asked, “…what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…” (3:11–12). In other words, what should Christians do as they wait for the establishment of the coming peaceable kingdom? What type of hope should Christians have?
Paul’s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians provides insight on how to appropriately prescribe eschatological hope in the coming peaceable kingdom. Some of Paul’s most salient exhortations in 1 Thess. include, “abstain from date speculation” (5:2), “encourage one another” (5:11), “respect those who have charge of you in the Lord” (5:12), “rejoice always” (5:16), “pray without ceasing” (5:16), and “abstain from every form of evil” (5:22). In a moderate way, each of these verses in 1 Thess., either collectively or in isolation, demonstrate what it means to place our eschatological hope in the coming peaceable kingdom.
The truest expression of eschatological hope, however, is best discerned when one examines the overarching theme of 1 Thess. 4 and 5. In Paul’s final exhortation to the Thessalonians, he emphasizes the principle of love. Paul encourages the Thessalonians to love one another more and more (1 Thess. 4:9–10) and to “see that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all” (1 Thess. 5:15). Eschatological hope in the coming peaceable kingdom is essentially characterized by the “labor of love” that Paul urges the Thessalonians to partake in; “admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them” (1 Thess. 5:14). As Christians faithfully wait for the establishment of the coming peaceable kingdom, we must labor in love and “be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). This message of love that Paul articulates in his exhortation is the embodiment of eschatological hope in the coming peaceable kingdom.
Why Hope in the Coming Peaceable Kingdom?
The popularity of the eschaton and the hope for the coming peaceable kingdom will not fade as long as the world continues on its trajectory of self-destruction. Since this fascination with the end times will not dissipate anytime in the foreseeable future, it is imperative that the church encourages Christians to cast their eschatological hope in the coming peaceable kingdom. Similar to the approach Paul took with the Thessalonians, who were also obsessed with the parousia, church leaders must instruct Christians to labor in love or have the eschatological hope necessary to bring more healing, more justice, and more diplomacy to the world. So until the final trumpet sounds, until every tear is wiped away, until every wrong is made right, and until all former things are made new, let us place our hope in the coming peaceable kingdom.
Notes
1. Andrew Crome, “Left Behind or Left Below? Parodies of Christian End‐Times Fiction in American Popular Culture,”; The Journal of American Culture 38, no. 4 (December 2015): 386, accessed November 26, 2016, doi: 10.1111/jacc.12441
2. Victor Ezigbo, “Christian Eschatological Hope.” In Introducing Christian Theologies: Voices from Global Christian Communities (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 2015), 256, accessed November 26, 2016, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1ffjnnr.11.
3. Benjamin L. Gladd, and Matthew S. Harmon, Making All Things New: Inaugurated Eschatology for the Life of the Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2016), 8.
4. Ibid., 9
5. John Polkinghorne, The God of Hope and the End of the World (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002), 99, accessed November 26, 2016, http://site.ebrary.com/lib/northeastern/detail.action?docID=10176373.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
