Living the End in the Now: An Orthodox Vision of Eschatology
Decoding Prophecy, Dispelling Myths, and Embracing the Presence of the Kingdom Now
The following is part 1 of a 2 part series on eschatology and the Orthodox faith, which was taught as part of our Thinking Theologically class at Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church. A teaching video is provided below, along with a summary article, and a download of the slides in PDF form. You can check out part 2 here.
Orthodox Christian eschatology isn’t just an option postscript to our theology. Rather, it is a lens through which to understand God’s revelation, the nature of time, and the ultimate destiny of creation. Rooted in Scripture, Tradition, and the liturgical life of the Church, this perspective invites us to live in the tension of the “already and not yet” of God’s Kingdom.
This article explores the Orthodox understanding of time, prophecy, apocalyptic themes, and the Eucharist as a foretaste of the eschaton, drawing from the wisdom of saints, theologians, and the Church’s lived experience.
Time and the Creation of the World
In his Hexaemeron (Homily 1), Saint Basil the Great articulates a foundational Orthodox understanding of time as a created reality. Unlike eternity, which is timeless and without beginning or end, time flows from a definite starting point and is marked by succession—past, present, and future. Basil refutes the Greek philosophical notion of an eternal or chance-driven world, insisting that “In the beginning God created” (Genesis 1:1) marks the inception of both the cosmos and time itself. Before this moment, an “eternal and infinite” order existed, incomprehensible to human minds, inhabited by spiritual beings untouched by temporal change.
For Basil, time is ever-moving, characterized by flux: “the past is no more, the future does not exist, and the present escapes before being recognized.” All created beings are subject to its relentless progression, experiencing growth, decay, and change. The “beginning” of creation is not a span but an indivisible instant, a point where God’s creative act initiated time. Because the world began in time, Basil teaches, it is also destined to end in time: “that which was begun in time is condemned to come to an end in time.” This finitude stands in contrast to the eternal, unchanging nature of God.
The Revelation of God through Prophecy
Orthodox Christianity views prophecy as a dynamic communion with God, a living dialogue that culminates in Christ and continues in the Church’s worship and sacraments. Prophecy is not merely predictive but a call from God to repentance, covenant faithfulness, and spiritual renewal. Prophets, as chosen vessels, warn of sin’s consequences, offer hope rooted in God’s mercy, and point to both immediate and eschatological fulfillments. Their messages, often cloaked in symbolic language, focus on Israel yet carry universal implications, prefiguring Christ as the ultimate Prophet.
Messianic prophecies, such as the “Seed of the Woman” (Genesis 3:15), the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13–53:12), or the Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14), find their fulfillment in Christ, celebrated in the Church’s liturgical life. Prophetic literature, far from instilling fear, offers comfort and hope, proclaiming Christ’s victory and the renewal of creation. In the Orthodox tradition, these visions are interpreted through worship, particularly the Divine Liturgy, where the faithful encounter the eternal realities they describe.
Key Biblical Texts on Eschatology
The Orthodox eschatological framework spans both Testaments, emphasizing the continuity of God’s promises. From the Abrahamic covenant to the Psalms, Daniel, Malachi, and the Gospels, Scripture points to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s return, the resurrection of the dead, and the establishment of the Eternal Kingdom. Key New Testament passages, such as 1 Corinthians 15 (on the resurrection), 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (on Christ’s return), 2 Peter 3:10-13 (on the new heavens and earth), and the Book of Revelation, provide a vision of God’s redemptive plan. These texts display the hope of cosmic renewal and the significance of personal salvation.
Dispelling Myths about Revelation
“The book of Revelation, quipped Ambrose Bierce, is ‘a famous book in which St. John the Divine concealed all that he knew. The revealing is done by the commentators, who know nothing.’ And G. K. Chesterton wrote, ‘Though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.’”
- Carl Olson
Roman Catholic Carl Olson, in Five Common Myths about the Book of Revelation, identifies several misconceptions that historic Christian theology corrects:
The world ends in our lifetime: Sensationalist readings ignore Revelation’s historical and symbolic context, which points to broader spiritual truths rather than specific timelines. Every generation of Christians has had prognosticators who predict the end, and the one thread tying them all together is that they were all wrong.
Literal earthly millennium: The “thousand years” (Revelation 20) is interpreted symbolically in historic Christianity, representing the spiritual reign of Christ, not a literal period.
Christ’s reign tied to a location: Christ’s victory transcends geography and politics, encompassing all creation—and cannot be limited to the city of Jerusalem (or Independence, Missouri, if you’re Mormon).
Whore of Babylon as the Catholic Church: This misreading lacks historical basis; the image originally symbolized pagan Rome’s opposition to the early Church in the first century.
Pre-tribulation rapture: Revelation depicts the Church enduring tribulation, not escaping it, with “the saints” standing firm in faith.
Orthodox exegesis avoids such errors by grounding interpretation in Tradition, Scripture, and the liturgical life of the Church.
Remembering the Future: An Eschatological Ontology
Metropolitan John Zizioulas of blessed memory offers a transformative vision of eschatology as shaping Christian identity. In his concept of “remembering the future,” Zizioulas argues that the Kingdom of God is not merely a future event but a present reality breaking into our world. This is most vividly experienced in the Divine Liturgy, where the faithful participate in the eternal “now” of God’s Kingdom. The Eucharist reorients our ontology—our very being—toward the future reality of Christ’s reign.
Zizioulas emphasizes the Church as a living icon of the eschaton—which he sees as the final union of creation with God. In his view of ontology, the Church is not merely a human institution but a foretaste of the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Through the Eucharist, believers experience this future in the here-and-now, as the liturgical act brings together the temporal and eternal realities. The Eucharist is central to Zizioulas’s theology, and becomes a manifestation of the eschaton in time. Through participation in the Eucharistic rite, the faithful participate in an eternal communion with God and each other.
Consistent with his earlier works, Zizioulas continues to develop the idea that being itself is relational, rooted in communion rather than individualism. Drawing heavily from Trinitarian theology, he teaches that God exists as relationality (Father, Son, and Spirit), and by extension, humanity mirrors this relational ontology. This relational aspect of being can only reach its full expression in the eschatological future, where perfect communion with God and others will be realized. The Christian life, therefore, is a foretaste of this ultimate relational fulfillment.
Zizioulas’s bold eschatological perspective challenges us to live as citizens of the Kingdom in the present, allowing hope to define our existence. The Church, through its worship, becomes a microcosm of the Kingdom, where past, present, and future converge in a transformative encounter with the God who has broken through into the present—challenging theology that’s overly focused on ethics, anthropology, or historical criticism at the expense of eschatology. He argues that the Christian narrative only makes sense when oriented towards its ultimate telos (end/goal)—the Kingdom of God.
Conclusion
Orthodox Christian eschatology invites believers to live in the light of God’s Kingdom, where time, prophecy, and worship converge. From Saint Basil’s reflections on creation to Zizioulas’s vision of “remembering the future,” the Tradition offers a powerful understanding of the end times without inviting unnecessary speculation.
Next month, we will discuss the Eucharist as the heartbeat of this vision, which transforms the faithful into citizens of the Kingdom, proclaiming Christ’s victory until He comes. In a world of uncertainty, this eschatological hope calls us to faithfulness, endurance, and worship, trusting in God’s promise to renew all things.
Thanks for this, it really resonates. As a former Protestant I was steeped in end times theology and hour-and-a-half-long sermons from the pulpit, with oversized timeline banners stretched behind the lectern (no offense intended to my Protestant brothers). I’ve come to realize that Christian eschatology was never meant to be a parlor game for doomsday prophets or a riddle for theological hobbyists. It’s a call to presence, to live now as if the Kingdom is not only coming, but already brushing against our skin in bread, wine, breath, and silence.
What really struck me is how profoundly your message aligns with incarnational mysticism, which is the core subject of my reflections in Desert and Fire: the conviction that the eternal doesn’t hover above history, but seeps into it… through matter, through moments, through us. Saint Basil’s teaching that time began in an indivisible instant is a mystical heartbeat, a pulse that continues, not just in cosmic chronology, but in every liturgy, every act of mercy, every encounter with the real. Zizioulas picks up that thread, reminding us that the Eucharist is not just remembrance but rupture, a sacred breach where heaven enters the room and time kneels.
From that perspective, eschatology ceases to be a countdown and becomes a calling: to live as if Christ already reigns, not only at the world’s end but in this moment, in this place. And if being itself is relational, as Zizioulas writes, then the Kingdom isn’t just ahead it’s within, waiting to be realized in how we see, serve, and share. The end, as your piece explains so well, is not escape, but union. Not someday, but now.
This is wonderful. I didn't know where I could get your email address to request for the pdf but please do send me the pdf of the presentation if possible @ eden.demissiee@gmail.com