There is no synoptic agreement regarding eschatology in the Gospel of John. Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there is no single chapter in John that deals exclusively with the end times. Yet, eschatology is present in every chapter of John’s Gospel.
John, in contrast to the synoptic writers, sets forth a realized eschatology, where Jesus’ message proclaims the eternal breaking into the temporal world.
In the Fourth Gospel, Jesus uses apocalyptic language to describe the transcendental nature of the Kingdom of God. John presents the Early Church with a dual futuristic reality:
To be saved with God toward eternal life in this lifetime, and
Then to enter eternal life in eternity itself.
These are not the same, according to John’s Epistles, where the apostle uses the present continuous tense to indicate that salvation must persist through life into eternity.
Thus, the terminology of the Fourth Gospel projects both the present and the future within Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of John names Jesus in ways that reveal His eschatological role:
“Savior of the world” – offering salvation through His sacrifice.
“Son of Man” – pointing to His earthly ministry leading to the Cross.
“Son of God” – revealing His eternal existence and post-resurrection glorification.
“Messiah” – pointing to His future coming Kingdom.
These titles demonstrate existentialization in Johannine eschatology, where the resurrection, parousia, and the coming of the Holy Spirit are not separate events but one unified promise.
In John 5:28–29, we encounter an example of primitive Christian eschatology. John presents both a “not yet” (future) and an “already” (present) dimension of eternal life. This creates a tension between the already fulfilled and the not yet completed.
In John 6:40, 53–54, Jesus links eternal life (spiritual) with resurrection life (physical).
Eschatological themes in John are not concentrated in one section, but spread throughout the Gospel. The six major areas are:
Death
Heaven
Judgment
Resurrection
Eternal Life
Christ’s Return
These themes appear in 16 of the 21 chapters, especially in chapters 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, and 12.
References found in John:
34 references to death
26 to heaven
21 to judgment
18 to eternal life
4 to Christ’s return
In John, death and dying have both present and future, physical and spiritual aspects.
Spiritual death is the present condition of those who reject the word of the Son.
Physical and spiritual death must not be confused, just as physical and spiritual (eternal) life must remain distinct.
In John 6:58, eating the bread from heaven—that is, receiving Jesus Christ—keeps one from spiritual death and provides eternal life.
The one who receives eternal life is delivered from judgment (3:17–19; 5:24).
Jesus assures that such a person will never perish, and that no one can remove them from His care (10:28).
In John 5:24, Jesus connects eternal life to hearing His word. The Greek term akouō means not merely to hear, but to hear and to do His word.
Jesus explains that the Father “has life in Himself” (5:26), being uncaused and independent. Since the Son shares the same divine essence, He partakes in this same eternal quality.
Again, John’s eschatology holds both a present and future dimension of eternal life—the “already” and the “not yet.”
In John 5:19–29, we find three of Jesus’ “truly, truly” (Amen, Amen) statements. In verses 19–23 and 25–29, resurrection truths are revealed.
Jesus claims power and authority over resurrection and life, equal to that of the Father (5:21).
The Son of Man is directly associated with resurrection in verses 28–29.
During His earthly ministry, only some of the dead heard His voice (such as Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter). But in the eschaton, “all” the dead will hear His voice and rise from the tombs.
Thus, the God who calls forth resurrection becomes our eschatological hope for the future.
In John’s Gospel, “heaven” is referenced both directly and through terms like “above,” “my Father’s house,” or “a place for you.”
These passages affirm that heaven is a real place with definite location and purpose, providing future hope for believers.
Jesus teaches that the realities of heaven stand in contrast to those of earth (3:12).
All genuine blessings come from heaven—that is, from God (3:27).
The bread from heaven (6:31–33) provides eternal life and is equated with Jesus Himself (6:38).
In chapters 14 and 16, Jesus describes heaven as going to the Father, and calls it “my Father’s house” and “a place for you” (14:2–3).
The only other use of “my Father’s house” (2:16) refers to the temple, linking earthly worship to heavenly fulfillment—just as Revelation describes heaven without a temple, for the Lamb is its temple.
John’s Gospel presents judgment as both present and future.
Those already judged by God now will also face judgment in eternity—unless they are born again.
Jesus uses two key terms for judgment:
krinō – to judge, separate, or condemn.
apollymi – to perish, the opposite of being saved.
John’s presentation of judgment falls into three categories:
The Judge – Christ Himself.
The Judged – humanity.
The Standard of Judgment – God’s truth and word.
The Gospel references Jesus’ coming in several senses.
John 14:2–3 and 21:22–23 refer to the Parousia, His second coming.
John 14:28 and 16:16–22 may refer to His return to the disciples through His resurrection.
Revelation later expands this concept, depicting Christ returning with His saints.
The six eschatological themes from John reappear in Revelation 1:
Death and dying – “I was dead.”
Eternal life – “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”
Judgment – “Every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him.”
Resurrection – “I was dead but live forevermore.”
Return – “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him.”
Revelation reveals the invisible God made visible—the God of Light who created light so that He might be seen by all in the last day.
We see the Light in John, and the Light glorified in Revelation.
The rejected God of John now returns victorious in Revelation.
Beside the Light, we have the Word spoken by the Voice:
“Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me” (Revelation 1:12).
The God who spoke in Genesis still speaks today.
You are not alone, nor without direction—turn from your understanding to the Voice who speaks through the ages.
God was moving in a new way in Revelation, and John wanted to be part of it.
He was told that revelation would unfold in three stages:
The things that you hear
The things that you see
The things that you experience
Reflect personally:
What do you hear in your life—just the noise of the world?
What do you see—failure, depression, or God?
What do you experience—an empty church or the living Christ?
John said, “I turned to see the voice” (Rev. 1:12).
It is time to move beyond merely hearing His voice and begin to see Him face to face.
When God speaks, three things happen:
He has a plan.
He has the power to do it.
No one can stop Him.
How can we see the voice of God?
Just as creation saw it when He said, “Let there be light.”
But today, we have become too dignified, too busy, too proud to follow His way.
We must turn from our own ways to see Jesus:
a. Turn from your way to see The Way.
b. Turn from your truth to see The Truth.
c. Turn from your life to see The Life.
How do we turn? By trusting the hand of God.
“He laid His right hand upon me” (Rev. 1:17).
In verse 16, Jesus holds seven stars, representing the angels of the seven churches—not only the good churches, but all seven.
The seven stars remind us that God has not left us; we are still in His hand.
It is the same hand that was nailed on Calvary,
the same hand that created the world,
and the same hand that holds the future of all creation.
Are you in the hand of God today?
Does your family need that touch?
All these studies mean nothing if we do not make it to heaven.
If we do not meet again in this life,
may we meet in heaven.
I keep on repeating this through the years, but the need for the constant repetition comes from the simple fact that among new doctrinal teachings and Hillsong style of worship the True Message of Pentecost remains long forgotten
Speaking in Tongues in America Prior to the Azusa Street Revival of 1906
April, 1906 – The Azusa street revival swept the globe starting with California
January 1, 1901– The initial phenomenon of speaking in tongues occurred at Parham’s school in Topeka, Kansas
January 6, 1900 – Frank Sanford’s Shiloh school reported that “The gift of tongues has descended”
1896 – Over 100 people baptized in the Shaerer schoolhouse revival conducted by the Christian Union in the North Carolina mountains
1887 – People falling in trances and speaking in tongues were reported at Maria Etter’s revival meetings in Indiana
1874 – Speaking in tongues occurred during healing meetings reported in New York
1873 – William H. Doughty and the Gift People of Rhode Island spoke in tongues
1854 – V. P. Simmons and Robert Boyd reported tongue speaking during Moody’s meetings
FURTHER READING:
Church of God (Cleveland, TN)
Azusa Street Revival of 1906
Prior to Azusa Street Revival of 1906
The Unforgotten: Historical and Theological Roots of Pentecostalism in Bulgaria
SEE MORE at Amazon.com by clicking this link
1. What is meant by the term “full gospel” in Pentecostal Theology?What is meant by the term “full gospel”? Anyone know the answer? I don’t and that is why I’m asking! Michael Moore [09/13/2015 6:26…
What is a “full gospel” ? John Kissinger [03/31/2015 3:47 PM] W. Faupel defined Full Gospel within the doctrinal themes of: 1) justification by…
Pentecostal Detective Five-fold Gospel 1. Jesus the Savior 2. Jesus the Sanctifier 3. Jesus the Spirit-Baptizer 4. Jesus the Healer 5. Jesus the Soon-coming…
Do Pentecostals and Evangelicals Preach the Real Gospel? It seems like a lot of ‘evangelism’ these days is full of phrases and practices that…
The Everlasting Gospel: The Significance of Eschatology in the Development of Pentecostal Thought by D.W. Faupel follows the following outline: 1. The Pentecostal Message:…
I keep on repeating this through the years, but the need for the constant repetition comes from the simple fact that among new doctrinal teachings and Hillsong style of worship the True Message of Pentecost remains long forgotten
Speaking in Tongues in America Prior to the Azusa Street Revival of 1906
April, 1906 – The Azusa street revival swept the globe starting with California
January 1, 1901– The initial phenomenon of speaking in tongues occurred at Parham’s school in Topeka, Kansas
January 6, 1900 – Frank Sanford’s Shiloh school reported that “The gift of tongues has descended”
1896 – Over 100 people baptized in the Shaerer schoolhouse revival conducted by the Christian Union in the North Carolina mountains
1887 – People falling in trances and speaking in tongues were reported at Maria Etter’s revival meetings in Indiana
1874 – Speaking in tongues occurred during healing meetings reported in New York
1873 – William H. Doughty and the Gift People of Rhode Island spoke in tongues
1854 – V. P. Simmons and Robert Boyd reported tongue speaking during Moody’s meetings
FURTHER READING:
Church of God (Cleveland, TN)
Azusa Street Revival of 1906
Prior to Azusa Street Revival of 1906
The Unforgotten: Historical and Theological Roots of Pentecostalism in Bulgaria
SEE MORE at Amazon.com by clicking this link
Over 1 billion Muslims around the world are now observing Ramadan, a month of fasting and reflection. While most adherents to Islam are spending their holiday on personal discipline and dedication, more extreme factions are using the time of year to call for violence against Christians.
Ruth Kramer of Mission Network News reports:
“During Ramadan, the jihadists are calling for holy war. They’re calling it kind of an obligatory act of worship. What you typically see during Ramadan is a real spike in the violence. On the day that Ramadan began, jihadists attacked a bus that was filled with Coptic Christians in Egypt and killed 29 of them; about half of those were children as young as two years old.”
In the face of such violence, as we’re bombarded by stories of increasing barbarism, how should the body of Christ respond?
“One of the biggest tools we have in our tool chest is prayer, and we just don’t know how to pray for Muslims, how to love Muslims, to come alongside them and say there is another way.”
“If we knew how to pray for Muslims, and we joined together in prayer, imagine what God could do through that.”
To help us learn to pray for our Muslim neighbors, Prayercast, a branch of OneWay Ministries, is hosting the Ramadan Prayer Challenge.
The campaign sends daily prayer notes directly to your smartphone, focusing on specific regions and concerns of Muslim people. They’re inviting Christians across the world to unite in prayer for the next month, to ask “with one voice that God would shatter the deception of Islam with the presence and truth of Jesus Christ.”
How to Evangelize a Muslim
1. What is meant by the term “full gospel” in Pentecostal Theology?What is meant by the term “full gospel”? Anyone know the answer? I don’t and that is why I’m asking! Michael Moore [09/13/2015 6:26…
What is a “full gospel” ? John Kissinger [03/31/2015 3:47 PM] W. Faupel defined Full Gospel within the doctrinal themes of: 1) justification by…
Pentecostal Detective Five-fold Gospel 1. Jesus the Savior 2. Jesus the Sanctifier 3. Jesus the Spirit-Baptizer 4. Jesus the Healer 5. Jesus the Soon-coming…
Do Pentecostals and Evangelicals Preach the Real Gospel? It seems like a lot of ‘evangelism’ these days is full of phrases and practices that…
The Everlasting Gospel: The Significance of Eschatology in the Development of Pentecostal Thought by D.W. Faupel follows the following outline: 1. The Pentecostal Message:…
The Everlasting Gospel: The Significance of Eschatology in the Development of Pentecostal Thought by D.W. Faupel follows the following outline:
Called & Empowered is a collection of essays that addresses a number of critical post-modern issues. The main purpose of the book is to introduce and answer problematic questions related to church and culture. A great addition is the compilation of in-depth cultural studies and recent theological developments viewed in Christian context. What made the book interesting for me personally was the presence of a number of well-balanced critical perspectives which were presented from different viewpoints. Because they were combined with different cultural factors, they were helpful in understanding the Global Mission of Pentecostalism. The supportive evidence focused on the Kingdom, culture, social formation and unity.
On the Kingdom of God
During the latter part of the twentieth century, the doctrine of the Kingdom of God was of great concern for many theologians and missiologists. In my short educational experience, I have been introduced to a number of works on the subject, some of which were quite controversial. However, it has been interesting to read about the Kingdom strategy of Jesus, along with the development of the Kingdom theology in the context of third world praxis. It seems that in both cases, it is reasonable to accept the fact that since the Kingdom of God was a prime concern in the ministry of Jesus, as well as in the ministry of John the Baptist and the apostles, it should carry the same importance in our Christian life and activities. Unfortunately, this may not be the observed reality in Christianity today. However, traditionally and historically, Pentecostal Christians have always focused on the Kingdom of God. A very particular example in this case is the already-not-yet proposal, which is directly associated with Kingdom theology.
On Gospel and Culture
This particular division in Called and Empowered has a very important discussion on the urbanization of the Pentecostal mission. Historically, Pentecostal revivals do not begin in huge urban centers and do not focus or attract them. It seems that such revivals occur mainly among people who are neither highly educated, nor economically prosperous. Also they do not occupy a high rank in the social hierarchy. It is only after they have had a period of successful existence as aggressively growing religious organizations that the Pentecostal Churches and ministries start aiming at the great cultural, economical and political urban centers. Such progressive development is evident in the Bible. Undeniably, the first move of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 was among uneducated people such as fishermen and tax collectors. Similar concern was expressed by Gentiles present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Nevertheless, shortly thereafter the Gospel was preached before kings, politicians, governors and military leaders. Therefore, what Pentecostalism rediscovers today is not a new blending of culture and Gospel, but rather a reclamation of the continuity of historical inheritance.
On Pentecostal Response to Marxism
A very good point was made by Dr. Kuzmic in his exposition on Marxism in relation to the existence of Pentecostalism. It is always quite disturbing when a parallel between Marx’s socialism and Christianity is being made. In Eastern Europe however, this idea is not as neoteric as proposed by some Western writers. In the early twentieth century Nikolay Berdyaev, one of the most prominent socialist writers, introduced what is considered probably the first comparison between Christianity and Marxism. The similarities are many: common wealth, economical and social balance, peace, brotherhood, ect. Also, communism in many ways imitates Christianity. Good examples are the establishment of the social and economical infrastructure of cultural communes, work unions and agricultural cooperatives which have common assets. A similar example is the almost “religious” dedication required by the Communist Party.
What is missed, however, is the simple fact that Marxism, different from Christianity, lacks God. As Dr. Kuzmic points out, Marx hated all gods, including Christ. Therefore, there is no room for comparison. If Communism is Christianity without Christ, it then stands far away from the whole idea of the existence of Christianity. This was shown through the enormous failure of communism in Eastern Europe. Since Dr. Kuzmic has personally experienced all of the above, his exposition on Marxism in relation to Pentecostalism assesses the true danger of such a parallel.
On Ecumenism and Pentecostal Mission
The last evidence is drawn from the discussion on Ecumenical Mission offered in Called & Empowered and my long-term relationship with the World Council of Churches. The World Council of Churches is one of the numerous organizations which promote worldwide Christian unity through reconciliation, theological dialogue, sharing of resources and the vision of a community life rooted in a particular cultural context.
The vision of the World Council of Churches is based on the common Christian mission of introducing Christ and Christianity to the world. I am persuaded that the future of World Missions is for Christians uniting with a common purpose for our Christian mission. Undoubtedly, such process will take time and mutual efforts. I am reminded of this as I observe my home country, Bulgaria where Protestant Christians are divided against one another and unity is lacking. Unified missions will not only bring oneness and harmony back into the church, but it will formulate the ecclesiastical community after the image of the Early Church from the Book of Acts. The results from such a unified mission will not only be world changing, but self-changing as well.
Mission Applications
The following part of this overview will include a mission application response to the evidences listed above. As it focuses on the Eastern European context, it will further suggest mission applications in the present Protestant reality in the region, and more specifically among the Bulgarian Pentecostals. The above four evidence accents were chosen among others because they all pertain to today’s Bulgarian Protestant reality. The kingdom of God as both present reality and eschatological hope takes a bit different perspective in a society where forty five years of Communist regime has left a deep scar on people’s mentality. Healing for the emotional and social wounds has not been provided by rapidly changing governments and political models, crime has increased, severe economical crises have occupied and there remains a constant fear and lack of hope for the future. In such context, the Kingdom of God is much more than a present reality or a future hope. It is all that the Protestant church in Bulgaria really has.
Gospel and culture are an essential part of Bulgarian missions work. On the Balkan Peninsula where Bulgaria is located, there are more than 150 languages and dialects spoken. Adding the crossroads of three world religions, three continents and constant migration of people that has been going on for thousands of years, makes this Europe’s melting pot of cultures and ethnoses. Discovering a paradigm which will serve as a buffer between the ever-changing Balkan culture and the eternal Gospel will be the ever-present factor that determines the success of Protestantism on the Balkans.
In Eastern European cultural and social context, the mentioning of Communism indeed has a different meaning. The Pentecostal church in Bulgaria historically and ideologically has opposed Communism in every form, and thus Pentecostal Christianity in Bulgaria must differentiate from Communism in order to remain in its historical distinctives. In order to be successful in its mission and message, and at the same time remain within its original identity, the Bulgarian Protestant movement must continue to oppose Communism in all of its forms.
The final evidence of ecumenism must be understood in Eastern European settings not only as an ecumenical cooperation of different religious formations, but as a union between all existing Protestant groups. As costly as such idea may seem, it will strengthen Eastern European Protestantism. Historically, in Bulgaria an organization called Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance (United Evangelical Churches) has served such purpose by preserving the identity of the denominations members. Such unity of cooperation must continue in even more strategic and planned ways in order to provide Bulgarians with the proper social context for national Protestant reformation and revival.
