Christianized or Rescued?

I will start teaching a class on The Eschatology of the Bible in the Light of Current Events soon. So, I thought that I would dust off an old book that was a classic on the subject several years ago, namely, Contemporary Options in Eschatology by Millard J. Erickson (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994). I don’t think that it is still being published. In his section on “Background Views” he states this:

The kingdom that Jesus brought is different in nature from anything that preceded it. In this sense it had come once and for all. Its nature would not change with passing time. Its growth was one of degree, not kind. As man extended the kingdom to yet more and more areas of society, he would progressively Christianize society. This belief and hope were vividly illustrated in 1908 when a new religious journal was named the Christian Century. Behind this name lay the belief that the twentieth century would be the Christian century. The kingdom of God was here, or it would be shortly. It would be introduced progressively through the efforts of Christians, not through a cataclysmic event such as the second coming of Christ. The nature of the kingdom now is no different from what it will be at any time in the future. Some who hold this view of the kingdom emphasized God’s role in its achievement; others emphasized the role of human institutions and programs. (p. 5 - my emphasis)

I thought - while pondering this tension between the thought that we will Christianize our world culture by the sincere efforts of our community and the polar opposite thought that that same Christian community of ours will, instead, be in need of a cosmic rescuing - that this eschatological choice demands a far more sobering reflection than the majority of our community is currently engaged in. Our eschatological position should not be lightly formed. This should not be an academic exercise only. What if the current world community is gravitating towards an anti-Christian and godless mindset? It seems to me that the preponderance of vigor in the world community is thrusting towards violence and suppression of the Christian community, certainly not in a Christian-like healing of the world condition. I know that commitments to Christ are robust throughout the world. However, such revivals do not seem to be healing the nations and certainly are not turning the information flow of the secular community around from a worldly propaganda towards any kind of Christian light. If it turns out that we will be in need of “a second coming of Christ”, then two questions arise:

Will our faith withstand the events leading up to that coming, and does a “Christianizing” belief system tend to blunt preparedness for just such a series of events? It’s not a small matter is it? I will probably blog much concerning such matters in the future.