I look at "history" this way: When Gen 1:1 says "In the beginning God...," and John 1:1 says "In the beginning was...," the "beginning" was the beginning of history. The "end" of history is at i Cor 15:24, when Jesus hands the kingdom back to the Father, so that God may be all in all. That all happens within eternity, of which God and Jesus and God's kingdom are eternal.
The phrase “ending human history” is really just shorthand for the final consummation of all things that Scripture associates with the return of Christ. I understand why the wording can sound strange or even misleading, but what is meant is this: history as we now know and experience it under the curse will come to a close. When Jesus appears in glory, He will raise the dead bodily, judge all humanity, and renew the created order itself.
The New Testament repeatedly ties the return of Christ to a cosmic transformation. Paul describes creation as groaning in hope of the day when it will be “set free from its bondage to corruption” (Romans 8). Peter speaks of the present heavens and earth giving way to “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3). John presents the same vision: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21).
My late pastor used to put it beautifully: heaven and earth will finally be joined. The reign of Christ will fill every corner of the renewed creation. The wicked will be removed, the curse of sin will be gone, and redeemed humanity will dwell bodily with the Lord forever. In other words, the age to come and the kingdom of God will stand in their full, eternal reality.
While the exact phrase “ending human history” does not appear in Scripture or the creeds, the concept absolutely does. The Nicene Creed expresses it this way: “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” The Apostles’ Creed likewise ends with “the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Both affirm that the present order is moving toward a final, glorious transformation.
As for why this is a “concern,” it is because the final consummation is the very goal toward which salvation moves. Redemption is not limited to the forgiveness of individual sins. Scripture ties it to the restoration of all things in Christ, the resurrection of the body, the renewal of creation, and the final judgment that ushers in the eternal kingdom.
And this is is precisely where the hyper-preterist scheme proves fatal. In that system, all things simply continue indefinitely as they presently are. There is no future consummation, no final restoration, no climactic moment when death is abolished and creation is made new. Instead of the apostolic vision of the renewal of all things, it offers an endless continuation of the fallen order. The result is a worldview with no promised “world to come,” no bodily resurrection, no final victory of Christ over death, and therefore no full-orbed Christian hope. This is why the church has always treated the resurrection and the final judgment as essential doctrines: without them, the Gospel is not the Gospel, and Christian eschatology dissolves into something entirely foreign to Scripture and the historic creeds.
I'll also add that what makes Gary DeMar’s position ridiculous is that he explicitly rejects all of this future hope as something Scripture teaches. And he urges Christians to focus almost entirely on improving life in the here and now. But to what end? If there is no future transformation of creation, no ultimate victory over death, and no final renewal of the world, then what exactly is all this earthly labor aimed toward? Scripture motivates Christian obedience and cultural engagement by anchoring it in the coming kingdom and the resurrection life to be revealed at Christ’s return. If that future is erased, the entire eschatological horizon collapses, leaving believers striving for temporal improvements with no promised consummation to crown those efforts.
In short, when the hope of the resurrection and the world to come is stripped away, Christian mission, sanctification, and perseverance lose their biblical orientation. The apostolic pattern is clear: “your labor is not in vain” because the resurrection is certain. Remove that certainty, and the center of Christian hope dissolves.
I look at "history" this way: When Gen 1:1 says "In the beginning God...," and John 1:1 says "In the beginning was...," the "beginning" was the beginning of history. The "end" of history is at i Cor 15:24, when Jesus hands the kingdom back to the Father, so that God may be all in all. That all happens within eternity, of which God and Jesus and God's kingdom are eternal.
Could you say more about "ending human history"? I'm not understanding where that phrase or idea comes from.
Is it biblical? Is it creedal?
Why is "ending human history" a concern?
Thank you
Hello Johnathan,
The phrase “ending human history” is really just shorthand for the final consummation of all things that Scripture associates with the return of Christ. I understand why the wording can sound strange or even misleading, but what is meant is this: history as we now know and experience it under the curse will come to a close. When Jesus appears in glory, He will raise the dead bodily, judge all humanity, and renew the created order itself.
The New Testament repeatedly ties the return of Christ to a cosmic transformation. Paul describes creation as groaning in hope of the day when it will be “set free from its bondage to corruption” (Romans 8). Peter speaks of the present heavens and earth giving way to “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3). John presents the same vision: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21).
My late pastor used to put it beautifully: heaven and earth will finally be joined. The reign of Christ will fill every corner of the renewed creation. The wicked will be removed, the curse of sin will be gone, and redeemed humanity will dwell bodily with the Lord forever. In other words, the age to come and the kingdom of God will stand in their full, eternal reality.
While the exact phrase “ending human history” does not appear in Scripture or the creeds, the concept absolutely does. The Nicene Creed expresses it this way: “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” The Apostles’ Creed likewise ends with “the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Both affirm that the present order is moving toward a final, glorious transformation.
As for why this is a “concern,” it is because the final consummation is the very goal toward which salvation moves. Redemption is not limited to the forgiveness of individual sins. Scripture ties it to the restoration of all things in Christ, the resurrection of the body, the renewal of creation, and the final judgment that ushers in the eternal kingdom.
And this is is precisely where the hyper-preterist scheme proves fatal. In that system, all things simply continue indefinitely as they presently are. There is no future consummation, no final restoration, no climactic moment when death is abolished and creation is made new. Instead of the apostolic vision of the renewal of all things, it offers an endless continuation of the fallen order. The result is a worldview with no promised “world to come,” no bodily resurrection, no final victory of Christ over death, and therefore no full-orbed Christian hope. This is why the church has always treated the resurrection and the final judgment as essential doctrines: without them, the Gospel is not the Gospel, and Christian eschatology dissolves into something entirely foreign to Scripture and the historic creeds.
I'll also add that what makes Gary DeMar’s position ridiculous is that he explicitly rejects all of this future hope as something Scripture teaches. And he urges Christians to focus almost entirely on improving life in the here and now. But to what end? If there is no future transformation of creation, no ultimate victory over death, and no final renewal of the world, then what exactly is all this earthly labor aimed toward? Scripture motivates Christian obedience and cultural engagement by anchoring it in the coming kingdom and the resurrection life to be revealed at Christ’s return. If that future is erased, the entire eschatological horizon collapses, leaving believers striving for temporal improvements with no promised consummation to crown those efforts.
In short, when the hope of the resurrection and the world to come is stripped away, Christian mission, sanctification, and perseverance lose their biblical orientation. The apostolic pattern is clear: “your labor is not in vain” because the resurrection is certain. Remove that certainty, and the center of Christian hope dissolves.