Jesus, the Prophets, and the End of the World

The Old Testament prophets and their writings were hugely instrumental in the formation of the second temple eschatology, so an appreciation of the Old Testament prophetic literature greatly helps us in understanding the life and ministry of Jesus and the rationale of the early church. Israel's story of divine election lay at the core of their identity as a nation and people, constantly reinforced in the religious practices and rituals that made up their lives. That story, by the time of Jesus, was heavily influenced by the eschatological expectations created by the prophets. The people of Israel expected, looked for, and waited for God's intervention in their history and in their lives once again as he had intervened in the past. The eschatological message of the prophets focused on two themes, the kingdom of God and the day of the Lord. The first theme largely found its fulfillment in the coming of Jesus and the birth of the church, though it awaits his return for its culmination. The book of Revelation presents an unfolding of the second theme, the day of the Lord. This forms the common theme in the prophets of God's final and culminating act of righteousness and justice in this age.