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Pauline Eschatology

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Vos's The Pauline Eschatology marks a monumental advance in Pauline theology. The fruits of over 40 years of vigorous Biblical scholarship, Pauline Eschatology is the last work we have from Vos's pen; and it is undoubtedly his most substantial contribution--his magnum opus. The most important developments that Vos makes are the connection between the Apostle's soteriology (doctrine of salvation) and his eschatology (doctrine of the last things). His chapters on the Resurrection and the Eternal State are brilliant. Based on penetrating exegesis, Vos insightfully works out Paul's Christological perspective of salvation, focussing on the objective acts of the Lord's death and resurrection as they inaugurate the new creation, the age to come, and relates that to the individual's personal salvation. Vos further delves the Apostle's pneumatology (doctrine of the Spirit) and demonstrates how the Spirit functions in his central message of salvation.

The appendix, "The Eschatology of the Psalter," is truly inspiring, opening up for his readers the Psalmist's God-centered piety and God-oriented hope.

Oriented toward the more scholarly audience, Pauline Eschatology is an invaluable resource for pastors and students alike, but is not completely beyond the grasp of the interested reader. If you pick up only one book on Paul, this one should stand at the top of your list.

'Revelation could make use of the pre-established harmony which it had itself laid at the basis of its scheme.' p 43

Geerhardus Vos raised the curtain when he insisted, 'to unfold Paul's eschatology is to set forth his theology as a whole', p 11, specifically in terms of the two ages, namely, this age and the age to come.

The essay which defined Vos' eschatology was printed under the title 'The Eschatological Aspect Of The Pauline Conception Of The Spirit' (printed 1912). The seminal thoughts found there Vos later elaborated on to successfully publish his plenary tour de force in 1930, which marked a stage of development in the theology of Pauline literature not yet known, and hitherto not yet equalled.

In Scripture the rapture and renewal of the earth is subordinate to the resurrection - not preceding the resurrection, but said to follow on the resurrection. In fact, our Lord and Christ explicitly stated: 'I am the Resurrection and the Life.' The dispensational hermeneutic specifically misinterprets the singularity of the revelation to be revealed in us, as Paul deals with in Romans 8:18-19. At issue is not just the rapture, as is misleadingly proposed by Tim LaHaye, but a much fuller climactic event. The whole of creation is on tip-toe to see the sons of God revealed, as the inanimate creation anticipates its own renewal, following instantly upon the resurrection of all the dead. With remarkable foresight Vos deconstructed the exegetical excesses of the popular 'Left Behind' alliance. No other Pauline work has so successfully delimited the patently diverted modern interests of resurrection theology.

In OT times 'eschatology' was connected to the Hebrew word, aharit; rabbis would usually introduce the teaching of the messianic age with this specific word, which literally translated means 'hindmost' or 'after that'. Says Vos of the NT usage: 'Acts has but one instance of the use of the phrase, 2:17, and this is a quotation by Peter from Joel 3:1, where the Hebrew does not contain it, but simply says 'after that'. But this easy substitution [Gk: 'and it shall come to pass in the last days'] proves that the formula was thoroughly familiar in early Christian circles. Apart from Paul, the other NT references are: Hebrews 1:2; James 5:3; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:3; 1 John 2:18; Jude 18.' p 7

NT believers markedly differ from OT Jews in that they distinctly view themselves already to be living in the 'last days', or the epochal 'after that', or in the 'times of the Gentiles'. The Greek word predominantly used for 'last' is the word eschatos, and for the 'times' of the Gentiles, chronos or kairos. When related to the plan and purposes of God in history, both the Hebrew and Greek terminology strongly imply that the consummation of such a plan is wholly under divine control and inevitably certain, eventuating in the great and Johannine 'last day' of the Lord. How Vos leads us up to the eternal state is, inevitably, an accomplishment identifiable of true genius. You can try and put a gloss on the rapture, but in the end the reality is unavoidable.

'The very name 'coming aeon' [Gk: parousia aionos] is not merely expressive of futurity, but also carries within itself the element of direct successiveness.' p 25

'The main structure of Jewish Apocalyptic is embodied in our Lord's teaching as well as in Paul's. And further, 1 Thessalonians 4:15 shows that in an important point of his eschatological program Paul was directly dependent on a word from the Lord.' p 28

1 Thessalonians 4: 15
'For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall NOT precede those who are asleep.'

Vos' aim was to show the clear teaching of Scripture through the denial of chiliasm in refusing to admit this section of Scripture does not teach the rapture or a millennium: 'The use of the verb 'precede' is taken as proof that the question was a mere question of precedence. Paul denies the precedence in the particular form in which the Thessalonians imagined it. There will be no later or earlier as regards believers, no discrimination between the living and the dead as to sharing in the provisional Messianic kingdom. All will be brought by God to be with Jesus at His coming.' p 247 Vos then permitted 'the infallible rule of the interpretation of Scripture is Scripture itself' and introduced into the equation the analogous 1 Cor 15:52 to add more weight to the scriptural import of the all-inclusiveness of the resurrection: 'We shall all be changed...at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.'

'It is true that the descent is suspended, only it is not interrupted.' p 136

Also most discernible is Vos' interest in the rendering of the eschatological events in too literal a fashion, betraying a misplaced zeal. Says Vos:
'It were wrong undoubtedly to reduce all the things mentioned to the rubric of figurative language... On the other hand we should not overlook the equally obvious fact, even with the fullest intent of accuracy, the apostle had to avail himself of a fixed medium of language, which left no room for a margin of over-literalism, and whose interpretation by others, while seemingly in full accord with the words recorded, nevertheless may introduce an ingredient of inadequacy when compared with the actual intent of Paul...missing in reality...his true conception.' p 142

This is the correct interpretive method to be applied to the resurrection passages. Sequence must be established according to their co-ordinate, or subordinate place in redemption - and not by manner of an over-literal hermeneutic, giving precedence to certain catchy words, when clearly sensationalism is not called for or indicated by proper exegesis. This is the full Pauline conception of the resurrection, at complete odds with the rapture agenda, which is hereby seen to be negligible in applying faithfully the whole counsel of God found in Scripture, leading those who essentially subscribe to a 'gap theory' directly to faulty teachings like, i.e. 'two comings', 'two elects', and 'two resurrections'.

The resurrection-theme Vos held as central to recreation: 'As a fact, and that a fact not lacking doctrinal explanation, it is, next to the cross, the outstanding event of redemptive history.' p 147