Jesus Revealed: In the End Times

The New Testament epistles tell us that Jesus will be born in the end-times (Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:10; Revelation 12:5). Jesus is said to die "once in the end of the world" (Hebrews 9:26 KJV), which is attested in Zephaniah 1:7! Scripture also informs us that the Lord (Messiah) will be resurrected in the end-times (Isaiah 2:19; Daniel 12:1; 1 Corinthians 15:22-24). According to British theologian James Dunn, Jesus probably meant that he would be resurrected in the end-times. In the New Testament epistles, Jesus is said to appear once "at the final point of time" (1 Peter 1:20 NJB) and that he will speak to humanity in the "last days" ( Hebrews 1:2; cf. Acts 3:20-21). Even Luke 17:30 tells us that the Son of Man has not yet been revealed. First Peter 1:10-11 reveals that the New Testament account of Jesus is prophetic, not historical. Revelation 19:10 also tells us that the testimony to Jesus is prophetic. Besides, a historical Jesus would contradict Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:10; Heb. 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 12:5, and so on. Our basic misunderstanding stems from the fact that we have relied on the theological gospels. However, the gospels are nonhistorical theological narratives that rely heavily on Old Testament stories. There were no eyewitnesses and no firsthand accounts. By contrast, the New Testament epistles are the more didactic and explicit portions of Scripture. They are written in expository style which is straightforward and aims to inform. So, the New Testament epistles give us the real Jesus, and they place the timeline of his birth, death, and resurrection in eschatological categories! Bottom line, the New Testament is an apocalypse, not a history (cf. Isaiah 46:10)! It is a futurist book that is written in advance!