Not only are eschatology and ecclesiology closely entwined, therefore; both are inseparable from the atonement. Jesus did not simply come to gather a people, but to die for them. What a strange king is this, who says that, unlike the Gentile rulers, who “lord it over” their subjects, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28).
... The church is the place where this final, eschatological gathering of the scattered people of God occurs. Remarkably, the church is what Jews are praying for in that ancient supplication.
Horton, M. (2011). The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way (p. 721). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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