Eschatological Hope - Carl F. H. Henry

Through his substitutionary death and resurrection life, Jesus stands at the sluice-gates of eternity, and manifests God’s holy sovereignty as the Lord of history and of the cosmos. Only the gospel of Christ’s mediatorial work can turn sinful man’s expectation of coming judgment (Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6; 1 Thess. 1:10; cf. Rev. 6:17; 14:1, 10) into an ardent eschatological hope, one that longs for “the ages to come” (Eph. 2:7, KJV), the coming day (Acts 2:20; 1 Thess. 5:2), the coming hour (John 4:21-23), even the moment (1 Cor. 15:52) of the Lord’s appearance. The people of God anticipate the end time not as a prospect of doom but as good news that turns their faith to sight, that fulfills their brightest hope and present joy into an unending reality. At that day the longed-for victory of righteousness will channel into open manifestation of Christ’s glory and public manifestation of the awaited King, who will forever put down all forces hostile to God and his purposes. The Christian gospel throbs with joyful expectation of the Son of Man coming in power and great glory (Matt. 16: 27-28; 25:31), of the Lord who returns suddenly to vindicate righteousness and the righteous (Matt. 24:42).

-Carl F. H. Henry; God, Revelation and Authority (Vol. 3: 73)-