Pentecostal eschatology within the different strands of Pentecostalism includes different approaches, including future eschatology, realised eschatology and inaugurated eschatology (Althouse 2012:1–21; Nel 2019; Thompson 2019). Realised eschatology is an approach that perceives the Kingdom of God as already present in the here and now. Realised eschatology, by emphasising the ‘Kingdom of God in the now’, contributed to the idea of divine health and financial prosperity for believers (Anderson 2013:169). Realised eschatology teaches that, to attain material things, believers do not have to wait until the end but can receive all in the present because the Kingdom of God has already come. Inaugurated eschatology, according to Ladd (1996:70), is not only a gift ‘belonging to the Age to Come; it is also a gift to be received in the present’. This eschatology, in a way, balances the forces between the future and the realised eschatology. Inaugurated eschatology brings the balance between the Kingdom of God in the now and the kingdom in the then (Falconer 2018:95–114). The futurist Pentecostal eschatology, sometimes known as apocalyptic eschatology, has been explored in the past as an approach to Pentecostal eschatology that gives the movement a futurist outlook (Clark 1997). This article argues, through a literature review and Moltmann’s theology of hope, that futurist Pentecostal eschatology has a present-life significance. In other words, rather than discussing hope through, for example, a realised eschatology as a direct opposite to futurist eschatology, this article discusses the theology of hope within a futurist eschatology. In demonstrating the contribution of Moltmann’s theology of hope to the study of the futurist Pentecostal eschatology, this study is divided into four main sections. Firstly, the different approaches to futurist Pentecostal eschatology will be introduced to demonstrate the existing research gaps. Secondly, the theology of hope in the works of Moltmann will be unpacked by highlighting its main aspects to apply the same to the futurist Pentecostal eschatology. Thirdly, the theology of hope is used to develop a futurist Pentecostal eschatology that has a present outlook. Fourthly, it will discuss the interplay between the future and the present in futurist Pentecostal eschatology. The main aim of this article is to demonstrate that futurist Pentecostal eschatology has a present-life impact within the broader framework of the theology of hope.

Eschatology in the Christian tradition is a complex subject but can be summarised as the study of the events related to the end times or the end of the present world, God’s judgement and new life (Moltmann 1993, 2010; Moltmann & Kohl 2004). Eschatology is about the things to come, including the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, considering the judgement of God. Wilkinson (2010) adds that it is not only about the end of life but also the beginning of a new life with the Creator in heaven. Therefore, those who embrace salvation do so only to escape judgement but also in their quest to obtain the new life after death (eds. Polkinghorne & Welker 2000:7). This is mainly informed by the prophecies in the Book of Revelation that point to the ultimate judgement on humankind and the world. This is also informed by dispensationalism, which is the reading of the Bible according to different dispensations, including the eschatological dispensation. Dispensationalism refers to the different dispensations of soteriological arrangement or simply the plan of salvation (Gribben 2024:116). With ‘Pentecostal eschatology’, one refers to the Pentecostal perspectives on the eschatological expectations, which are not exhaustive in this article. The Pentecostal eschatology is discussed in this article within the context of Pentecostal theology as outlined by various key pieces of literature. In other words, the Pentecostal theology in eschatology makes it quite distinct from the general discussions on eschatology. Balfour (2011:127) points out that Pentecostal eschatology refers to the distinctions that are identifiable with classical Pentecostalism regarding eschatological positions. The classical Pentecostal eschatology, as highlighted in the introduction, can be divided into three main categories: futurist eschatology, realised eschatology and inaugurated eschatology (Althouse 2012:1–21; Nel 2019; Thompson 2019). A South African Pentecostal scholar and a member of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa, Nel (2019:xvii) explains that futurist or apocalyptic eschatology provides for God’s final judgement of all people, the annihilation of the known world and the ushering in of the new world. This means that futurist eschatology is an eschatological position on God’s judgement and the new eternal life, which are all events of the future rather than the present. The futurist eschatology persuaded early Pentecostals to have a futurist outlook, which can be interpreted to mean that they were only concerned with the events of the future rather than the present. McQueen (2019) concurs that early Pentecostals embraced a futurist eschatology aligned with the ideas of fundamentalism. I argue here that futurist Pentecostal theology should not only be understood in the context of the future orientation of Pentecostals concerning God’s judgement and new life but also as concerning the present life.

This futurist Pentecostal eschatology contributed much to the growth and expansion of Pentecostalism in the early inception of the movement. The futurist Pentecostal eschatology of the early Pentecostal movement caused Pentecostals to engage in the work of evangelism, as they saw the need for people to be saved to escape God’s judgement and to have a new life (McQueen 2019). This view is also supported by the early Pentecostals’ expectation of the imminent second coming of Jesus. Another Pentecostal scholar, Althouse (2003), says that early Pentecostals spread the gospel of Jesus Christ with this expectation, which contributed to the growth of Pentecostalism. Faupel (2019:20) explains that the message about the second coming of Jesus was central to the futurist Pentecostal eschatology. This was also understood according to Revelation 14:6–7:

Early Pentecostals also understand evangelism as one of the factors that will provoke that eschatological expectation in the context of futurist Pentecostal eschatology (Johnson 2020:85–108). Therefore, Pentecostals around the world engage in preaching the message of the cross and the performance of signs and wonders in a way of preparing for the second coming of Christ (Johnson 2020:85). Early Pentecostals were preoccupied with the notion of the second coming of Christ as being near and sooner (Anderson 2005; Nel 2017; Petersen 1998). In Matthew 24:14, it is stated: ‘And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come’. This means that the futurist Pentecostal eschatology brought about the zeal to preach the message about the second coming of the Lord. As much as the early Pentecostals embraced a futurist eschatology, they also expected the second coming of the Lord to happen soon. This aspect of futurist eschatology can also be understood as one of the reasons for the expansion of the Pentecostal movement in its early inception of the movement (Anderson 2013). One can also point out that evangelism, because of futurist eschatology, is one of the reasons that the Pentecostal movement continues to grow even in the 21st century, particularly in the Global South.

This futurist Pentecostal eschatology made the early Pentecostal movement neglect important social issues in the present by becoming more inward-looking and more conservative (Anderson 2013; eds. Dempster, Klaus & Petersen 2011; Topf 2020). Pentecostalism began more as an eschatological movement, but this led it to neglect social, economic and political challenges that existed in society (Topf 2020:9). Dempster et al. (eds. 2011:23) explain that the eschatological fervour of early Pentecostalism prevented Pentecostals from engaging in social transformation. On this, Anderson (2013) says:

Considering that the Pentecostal movement is one of the influential church traditions in the world of Christianity, it is surprising that issues of oppressive governments did not get the attention of the early Pentecostals. Kgatle and Chigorimbo (2024:145) concur with Anderson, noting that the ‘focus on the futuristic eschatology in classical Pentecostalism, at times, comes at the expense of neglecting the current challenges in the hope that change will come with the eschaton’. In other words, as Pentecostals expected the imminent second coming of Jesus and the judgement of God, they could not engage in social life. This is correct in the South African context, because the futurist outlook made many of the Pentecostals not engage in issues such as racial segregation because they were too concerned about God’s judgement and going to heaven. It was only in the third generation that churches, such as the Apostolic Faith Mission in South Africa, began to engage in sociopolitical issues with personalities like Frank Chikane and others (Anderson 2001; Masuku 2024; Yong 2006). However, my contention here is that this is not the only way we should understand the futurist Pentecostal eschatology. I will demonstrate through the theology of hope that the same futurist eschatology can also have implications for the present life. In other words, while it is true that futurist eschatology gave Pentecostals an outlook, we cannot underestimate the impact of the same futurist eschatology on giving believers hope to deal with the present-life challenges within the framework of the theology of hope. In the next section, I outline the aspects of the theology of hope in the works of Moltmann.

One of the scholars who influenced the theology of hope is the German Reformed and systematic theologian Jürgen Moltmann. The theology of hope was developed by Moltmann as part of an eschatological theology (particularly, futurist eschatology). Moltmann (1967:21) argued that the Christian hope should be based on the hope of the resurrected Lord. The theology of hope, therefore, is not only grounded in the knowledge of Christ, who suffers with his people, but also in the hope of defeating the sufferings of the world through the resurrected Christ. Beker (1994), Daley (1991) and Moltmann (2024) concur that the resurrection of Christ provides hope for those who are facing agony and pain by turning them to joy and peace. In this way, the theology of hope is not only premised on the second coming of Christ (future) but also on the one who has already resurrected (present) and conquered death (Schreiner 2008). But this should not be confused with the realised eschatology of the kingdom of God in the here and now but rather as part of the theology of hope given in the present. Schreiner (2008:37) asserts that hope has already been secured by the death and resurrection of Christ, which gives the believers hope in the present, as they wait for the eschatological future. The believer finds comfort in knowing that, as much as future salvation is important, the death and resurrection of Christ also promise present salvation (Daley 1991). Even when going through death, believers know that it has already been conquered by the power of the resurrection of Christ (Moltmann 2013). By resurrecting from the dead, Christ has already defeated death and given much hope to believers. Therefore, what gives the Christian hope credence is not the long wait for the future but rather the crucified and resurrected Christ. This is the same reason Paul wrote to the Philippians to demonstrate our hope in the resurrected Christ. Philippians 3:10 states:

In this text, Paul encourages the Philippians to have the same mentality, meaning to have the same hope in the resurrected Christ. This confirms the foundation of the resurrection of Christ in the theology of hope. Therefore, the resurrection of Christ becomes the ultimate fulfilment of the promises of God for new life and avoiding God’s judgement and wrath. For this to happen, Moltmann (1967) argues that believers do not have to wait for the end of the world but can experience the promises of God through their hope in Christ.

The theology of hope is not only premised on the hope for the future but also on dealing with the present conditions that believers go through in life. The hope for the future should never, according to Moltmann (1967:32), be a deterrent for humanity to experience the goodness of the Lord in the present. Therefore, for Moltmann, the theology of hope brings happiness in the present. The theology of hope is important for the understanding of the eschatological future in the here and now. This kind of hope, for Moltmann (1967, 1993), does not escape from the realities of life in the present but rather places its hope in the resurrected Christ to deal with these realities. Therefore, while the futurist outlook has failed for years to provide strategies for dealing with the current sufferings and oppressions, the theology of hope engages these by recognising the power of resurrection. It is in the theology of hope that the consequences of sin and unrighteousness are overcome by acts of righteousness emanating from the power of the cross. By resurrecting from the dead, Christ has brought hope against the unrighteousness of the world to vindicate those who have experienced suffering and oppression. Bauckham (1989:204) states, ‘The eschatological message of Jesus’ resurrection attains its full significance only where it exposes the unrighteousness of the present and sustains the hope of those who hunger for change’. This is not to undermine the ultimate victory of the future but rather to point out the significance of such a victory, even in the present life, particularly in dealing with the sufferings and oppressions of the people of God. The theology of hope does not immediately replace the eschatological victory but points out the importance of addressing the challenges of the present time.

The theology of hope, as it is aware of the transcendence of God, moves believers towards the life of righteousness and humanity. This is a possibility for the theology of hope to move from an understanding of God as transcendence to God as being immanent and present in the world. Therefore, even if believers are going through various challenges in life, they have hope in God, who is present in the world. Even though believers are living in the world of sin, for Moltmann (1967, 1993), they still have hope in the presence of God through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, for Moltmann, God does not wait for the eschatological end and consummation to participate in the world but rather does so even in the present. In this way, the theology of hope sees God as the one who takes part in the day-to-day life of humanity in society. The theology of hope is, therefore, important for sensitising the church to its participation in the present world in socio-political issues that also involve the believers in the Christian faith. Bauckham (1989:204) states that this theology ‘made Christian hope the motivating force for the church’s missionary engagement with the world, especially for Christian involvement in the processes of social and political change’. This means that waiting for the future does not have to make the church redundant in terms of its earthly responsibilities. Hence, the importance of the theology of hope is such that the church is not static but active in engaging social and political issues. Bauckham (1989) continues to say that:

In summary, the theology of hope is founded on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its ability to deal with the day-to-day challenges of the believer. With this in mind, the theology of hope is a call for the church not to become inward looking and conservative but to participate in the current challenges facing believers. These aspects of the theology of hope are applied to the futurist Pentecostal eschatology.

There are three aspects of the theology of hope drawn from the discussions in the preceding section that are important to the current study, including, but not limited to, hope in the resurrected Christ, dealing with the current sufferings and oppressions of the believers, and the participation of God in the world through His immanence. In the first place, the theology of hope in futurist Pentecostal eschatology appreciates the contribution of the resurrected Lord in the present life. This means that the belief in the resurrected Christ makes Pentecostals hope not only for the future but also for the present. With the knowledge that Christ has already been raised from the dead, Pentecostals not only wait for the eschatological end for victory but also for the present victory through hope. This means that the victory of Christ over death not only has implications for the future but also in the present, through the hope in the resurrected Christ (Kgatle & Chigorimbo 2024:147). In this way, hope is not the abstract of the future but the reality of the present through an assurance of Christ’s victory over death. This is one reason, according to Althouse and McCormick (2024:7), that the futurist eschatology cannot be only about the future, but the present as well, through the theology of hope. This is how futurist eschatology can contribute towards the transformation of the church, particularly the Pentecostal tradition, by having hope in the present. The theology of hope in futurist Pentecostal eschatology contributes towards the transformation by bringing the future back into the present. The notion of the resurrected Christ, as shared by Moltmann, is relevant in the Pentecostal movement, as Pentecostals around the world not only believe that Jesus was born but also that he died and rose on the third day. The contribution of the current study is that this belief is part of the theology of hope in adopting the present life orientation of futurist eschatology. The theology of hope, therefore, is important in the embracement of the resurrected Christ to orient Pentecostals towards the futurist eschatology that has a present life outlook.

Then, the theology of hope contributes to the futurist Pentecostal eschatology in understanding the conquest by the resurrected Christ in the present life’s challenges. Banda (2016:47) calls this theology of hope an ‘empowering hope in recognising that it empowers the believers to deal with the eschatological challenges in the present’. In African Pentecostalism, for example, Pentecostals dare to confront the current challenges with the same hope through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In a way, this is how Pentecostals in Africa interpret the resurrection of Christ, in that it helps them to deal with the various challenges they face in the present life. These Pentecostals do not wait until the end to have victory over sickness and diseases or any other challenge but rather address the same in the present. This explains the rationale for the confrontation of the evil forces as emanating from the spiritual realm, with the understanding that the resurrected Christ can deal with the same in the present, not only in the future. Pentecostals, particularly in the African contexts, understand that Christ, upon his resurrection, defeated the powers and the principalities and afforded them victory in the present life. Therefore, the victory overpowers, and principalities are not merely a thing of the future but rather happen in the present through the recognition of not only the power of the cross but also the power of the resurrected Lord. This makes the theology of hope relevant for the understanding of the confrontation of the current challenges in the present life. This does not mean that Pentecostals do not understand suffering with Christ; however, they have a discernment to distinguish between the sufferings of believers through Christ and those emanating from the spiritual realm. The latter are confronted through the hope in the power of the resurrected Christ to ensure victory in the present life.

Lastly, the theology of hope perceives God not only as transcendent but also immanent, thus bringing the future into the present and the invisible to the visible. Moltmann’s (1967:35) theology of hope confronted what he calls ‘transcendent consciousness’ and embraced what he calls ‘immanent consciousness’. This means that God should not only be known as the one who is detached from the realities of life and as the one who is not present but rather as a present and caring God. The immanence of God cannot be fully grasped within the futurist orientation of eschatology but rather through the present orientation. In being immanent, this means that God is not only known in the future but also in the present. This is the crux of the theology of hope in believing that God is present with the believers in the world today. This is not being dismissive of the transcendence of God, but to acknowledge that even His transcendence is understood in terms of His immanence; God is omnipresent. This opens the opportunity to also understand futurist eschatology in terms of the presence of God in the world. This presence is not a futurist orientation but a present-life orientation. Pentecostals not only believe in the transcendent God but also believe that God is made present through the coming of the Holy Spirit. In the Pentecostal theology of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, in this instance, is not only defined as God the Spirit but also the Spirit of God in demonstrating that God himself is present through His Spirit on earth and in the life of the believer. Therefore, the Pentecost narrative in Acts 2 signifies that moment when the transcendent God is now immanent through the coming of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus asked His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit, He did so for the experience of the immanence of God, which changes how we perceive futurist eschatology. This means that the believers do not have to wait until the end to experience the immanence of God but can do so in the present. This contributes to our understanding of the futurist eschatology in the present life through the same theology of hope given through the Pentecostal theology of the Spirit.

The futurist Pentecostal eschatology does not have only one dimension of the future outlook of Pentecostalism; it also has a second dimension of the present life outlook. The futurist Pentecostal theology cannot be viewed only in terms of the future or the orientation of Pentecostals towards the future. It has a present significance, particularly when discussed within the broader framework of the theology of hope in the works of Moltmann. This causes an interplay between the future and the present in the context of the futurist Pentecostal eschatology. One must point out that this does not immediately move into realised eschatology but the present and future dynamics within futurist eschatology. This means that the futurist Pentecostal eschatology can move into the future, which is unknown, but, at the same time, be in the known present through the theology of hope. Bialecki, in Althouse and McCormick (2024), explains:

What Bialecki is alluding to is that we can only refer to the past and the future because of the present reality. It is, therefore, a misnomer to only define a futurist eschatology in terms of the futurist outlook, because that future is understood in the present. Here, we see an interplay between the present and the future, and, for Bialecki, this also includes the past. This is also correct if we think of the resurrection of Christ as something that happened in the past but has an impact on the present and the future. Ladd (1996) clarified this point by referring to the presence of the future, alluding to the very point that the future can only be referred to in the present life. In placing hope in the resurrected Christ, Pentecostals do not only dwell in the past and the future but also in the present reality, since the power of resurrection is effective in the present life.

Some scholars, such as Igboin (2024:19), argue that hope can only be about the future, since that which is present does not require hope. Such an argument is taken from Romans 8:24–25:

However, the argument in the current study is that the very same hope for the future has implications for the present. Put differently, the hope for the future does not become an obstacle in addressing present-day challenges. Althouse and McCormick (2024:83) call this kind of hope that has implications for the present ‘anticipatory hope’ – meaning that, although hope is about the future, it anticipates something to also happen in the present. Therefore, Romans 8:24–25 should be read together with Titus 2:11–13, which clearly outlines the need to deal with the present, while we wait for the blessed hope:

While Titus distinguishes between the futurist outlook and the present outlook, he does not overemphasise one over the other. This means that, while the ultimate end is important in the future, there is also a need to deal with the current challenges. The contribution of the current study is that the theology of hope is a relevant framework in which the present can be addressed while waiting for the future or what Titus calls the ‘blessed hope’. Therefore, the theology of hope is relevant for the balance between the futurist outlook and the present life implications of the same. This is well captured by Kuzmic in Gould (2016):

This article does not in any way want to be dismissive about the glorious future that will ultimately come with the second coming of Christ, judgement and new life. However, it is only pointing out that, even before the new life, the theology of hope is relevant for dealing with the current challenges and realities of life. The theology of hope helps believers to live with hope amid pain and agony (Chitando 2007). This also helps to not be in a hurry for the ultimate glorious end if the theology of hope can bring courage to address the present realities. There is a need for the theology of hope that frames a futurist Pentecostal theology in the context of the present realities because, according to Matthew 24:36, ‘No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father’. This means that, since we cannot predict the day of the Lord or His second coming, there is a need to have hope for the present. Hence, it is argued that we cannot only look at that futurist outlook of the futurist eschatology without taking cognisance of the present-life implications of the same through the theology of hope. The present life implications are also important in creation care, as we do not have to wait for the new life in heaven but should take care of nature and the environment in the present rather than the distant future (Laughlin 2024). Therefore, the past and present dimensions of futurist eschatology have great potential in not only transforming the church but also transforming creation through creation care in the present. However, without the present outlook, some Pentecostals have a perception that it is not necessary to take care of the world that will ultimately be destroyed in the end. Hence, the only concern of the early Pentecostals was to evangelise the world to prepare them for the eschatological future. Some did not even see the need to engage in social issues, and hence the call here for considering the present outlook of futurist eschatology. Therefore, in incorporating the present outlook, we are demystifying the view of taking care of the world only in the distant future.

This study looked at the futurist Pentecostal eschatology and discussed it within the broader framework of Moltmann’s theology of hope. This framework is relevant for us to understand futurist Pentecostal eschatology beyond its future outlook by also exploring the hope provided by the death and resurrection of Christ. This was achieved by discussing the previous approaches to futurist Pentecostal eschatology concerning God’s judgement and the new life. This study argued that futurist Pentecostal eschatology is not confined to the future outlook but also understanding the present life through the theology of hope. The theology of hope is framed as the hope in the resurrected Christ, that is, the Christ who has conquered death through the power of his resurrection. The theology of hope helps believers to deal with the current sufferings and oppressions they are experiencing, even as they hope for the eschatological victory. The theology of hope is founded on the participation of God in the world through his immanence, as opposed to his transcendence. Therefore, in the theology of hope, God is both immanent and transcendent. The findings are that the futurist Pentecostal eschatology gives hope for the conquest of present-life challenges. Hope perceives God not only as transcendent but also immanent, thus bringing the future into the present and the invisible to the visible. Hope, in the new life, encourages Pentecostals to live a life of righteousness in the present life to obtain victory in the present. This changes how we have studied futurist Pentecostal theology; it should not only be defined in terms of the future outlook of Pentecostalism but also the present life within the broader framework of the theology of hope. This study was limited to the discourses on futurist eschatology within the Pentecostal movement. Future studies can explore the present-life aspect of futurist eschatology in other Christian traditions as well. Such studies should be able to make distinctions between the present-life implications of future eschatology and realised eschatology.