The Goal of Human Existence (and of the world) is God. Popular notions of eschatology include the ideas of Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and Limbo, and tend to focus on other aspects of the final goal of human existence (e.g. "everlasting life" or eternal punishment). But these ideas are out of context if not viewed in terms of God as the ultimate Goal of human life. "Life" always is life-with-God, and punishment is always life-alienated-from-God.

Eschatological texts are comparable to protological texts (e.g. Gen 1-11). Both types of literature exhibit a primitive and obsolete world view, therefore the texts cannot be understood in a literalistic sense. The authors intended to teach a religious message about the final consummation of the world in God, not to teach the structure of the universe (e.g., Rev. 9:1-12, 11:14-19, 12:1-17; Mt 25).

Eschatology in the Hebrew Bible.
The Biblical materials pre-dating the Christian period contain very little discussion of the fate of the individual after death.

1. There is a notion of the person's 'shade' surviving after death, as a self living in an underworldly existence of shadows.
2. The 'self' continues through the name in posterity; one's hope is in a blessed old age, and blessing in one's posterity who will see the new covenant.
3. The present judgement of God: the just are rewarded and evil-doers are punished -- but this is not always true in this life. There is voiced a hope that Yahweh will help, but . . . .
4. Job: Yahweh is the answer to this question of final retribution, but we do not know how.
5. Finally there develops the idea of a resurrection for judgement. For example, the Psalms speak of eternal life after death for the individual (Ps73); II Maccabees 7 and other later literature, especially Daniel, discuss the notion of the resurrection of the just for reward and the resurrection of the wicked for punishment by God. Other places delegate death to the wicked; on the 'last day' only the good will be raised to life with God.

Thus, eschatology in the Hebrew Bible is primarily this worldly and communal (not other-worldly and individual). For example, the Kingdom of God will come when all Jews obey the law for one instant. This Kingdom of God is depicted in terms of a "new Heaven and New Earth" but the characteristics of these are just like the present heaven and earth; the one significant exception is that righteousness will characterize human relations and the animal and plant world will no longer be opposed to human life (e.g. the Kingdom of Peace). These texts, therefore, do not really refer to an ultimate end to human history, but rather to an end just beyond the present -- an "end" in the sense of a radical change in the present reality, the giving of a new shape to history.

The Prophets give more attention to the future promise, especially the expectation of the Messiah (the promise of the Davidic line), of the New Covenant, of the Day of Yahweh: a day of judgement which brings salvation to the just and sorrow to those who are unfaithful to the covenant. With the political failure of Israel and Judah, the religious aspect of this expectation receives more emphasis (especially in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, e.g. Ez 37).

Hebrew Apocalyptic Literature.
Apocalypse means "unveiling" and the apocalyptic literature typically portrays a future which exists now in a divine realm and which will someday be revealed by its suddenly breaking forth into the present, material world. Often this breakthrough is presented as a cosmic catastrophe which affects the entire cosmos -- thus, apocalyptic literature exhibits a universalistic perspective. This event is presented in very colorful imagery (e.g. Daniel 7).

New Testament Eschatology is characterized by a tension between realized (already) and consequent (not yet) eschatology.

• Realized Eschatology
• The messiah has come
• The new covenant has come
• Kingdom of God has begun
• Resurrection has begun (in JC)
• We are freed from Sin and Death
• JC has ascended to union with the Father
• We are united with Christ, and adopted by God
• We share in JC's self-giving love through our sufferings for the sake of the gospel
• Consequent Eschatology
• The messiah will return
• All creation will be incorporated into it
• It is not yet finished
• We have not been raised
• This freedom is in the process of growing
• We have not yet achieved that type of union
• This unity is not complete
• We have yet to share in his glory

The New Testament again emphasizes the communitarian aspect of the Kingdom of Heaven/ City of God (e.g., Paul, John, Revelation).

The Council of Trent on "justification." Justification is forgiveness of sins, sanctification and renewal of the interior person, and the beginning of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

• Causes: final -- the glory of God and of Christ; life everlasting
• efficient -- the merciful God (the single efficient cause)
• meritorious -- the life, death, and resurrection of Christ
• instrumental -- Baptism
• formal -- God's own justice by which God makes us just (the one formal cause)

Vatican II: Lumen Gentium emphasizes the eschatological character of our vocation as Church, and also the communion between the "Church Triumphant" and the "Church Militant."

Gaudium et Spes speaks of the new heaven and new earth, places a renewed emphasis on the communitarian aspect of salvation, and discusses the relationship between human activity in the world and the final consummation (especially, the role of Christians in the salvation of the world).