12
because it touches so many of the central themes of faith."
39
Sproul reported
that "It has been argued that no less than two thirds of the content of the New
Testament is concerned directly or indirectly with eschatology"
40
So, we are not talking about a relatively insignificant issue.
To date, to my knowledge, and after numerous consultations with
follow members of the Evangelical Theological Society and six Trinity faculty
members, and after a personal literature search, as well as, one employing the
services of two Trinity-recommended, professional researchers (EPA Research
and Ruth Dalman), a synthesis treatment of the return of Christ, or of any other
major eschatological event, has never been done before
i.e. one that spans the
entire spectrum of conservative, eschatological views. (For more, see Literature
Review Synthesization Attempts.)
Spykman, in the textbook used in Trinity's Systematic Theology I & II
courses, writes regarding biblical eschatology, "It is a highly problematic,
critical venture, perhaps, more so than ever before, and for that reason perhaps
also a matter of increasingly high priority."
41
Louis Berkhof noted in his book, The History of Christian Doctrines,
that:
The doctrine of the last things never stood in the center of attention, is one of
the least developed doctrines, and therefore calls for no elaborate discussion . . .
. It may be that, as Dr. Orr surmises, we have now reached that point in the
history of dogma in which the doctrine of the last things will receive greater
attention and be brought to further development.
42
Conspicuously, no creedal council ever debated eschatology. Even the
16th-century Reformers spent little time with it. Hoeksema granted, "At the
time of the Reformation eschatology did not receive its proper place and
attention in dogmatics."
43
Spykman added:
Luther, however, dealt with the doctrine of "last things" in only fragmentary
ways. Calvin, too, gave it only passing attention. Noteworthy among his
voluminous writings is the absence of a commentary on the book of Revelation.
Far-reaching conclusions are often drawn from this omission, including
indictments of an alleged eschatological impoverishment in the Calvinist
tradition."
44
39
Daley, The Hope of the Early Church, 2.
40
R. C. Sproul, "A Journey Back in Time," Tabletalk, January 1999, 5.
41
Gordon J. Spykman, Reformational Theology: A New Paradigm for Doing Dogmatics
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 520.
42
Louis Berkhof, The History of Christian Doctrines (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, c1937,
1959), 267.
43
Herman Hoeksema, Reformed Dogmatics (Grand Rapids, MI.: Reformed Free Pub.,
1966), 730.
44
Spykman, Reformed Theology, 518-9.