Impact of the doctrine of Eschatology on the Pentecostal Movement - Past and Present

Early Pentecostalism believed in an eschatology that taught that the period prior to the second coming of Christ would see an end-time outpouring of the Spirit, accompanied by the restoration of spiritual gifts of tongues and healing. It was this eschatological perspective that provided the impetus for holiness, which prepared one for Christ’s return, as well as the urgency for evangelism. Pentecostals see a close relationship between the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as an empowerment for service, an eschatological hope in the imminent return of Christ and Jesus’ command to evangelize the world. This influenced the emphasis on supernatural empowerment for world evangelization and end time harvest.

Much of the early evangelism was the work of Pentecostal missionaries. Foreign missionaries who visited Azusa and were baptized in the Spirit returned to their respective fields charged as Pentecostal missionaries. They see redemption as the central purpose of God and evangelism as the way to fulfill it. The early Pentecostal missionaries were intent on trusting God for miraculous provision of finances and food, as well as some being given languages to preach in foreign countries. Often times, in their fervor, they respond to the missionary call without a coherent strategy or missionary sending agency. Empowered by the Holy Spirit before Christ’s return, the early missionaries responded obediently as a radical eschatological community, often on a one way ticket with no thought of returning.

For contemporary Pentecostals, the immediacy of the Kingdom has become more distant with the delay of Jesus’ return. Pentecostal eschatology is being revised to include a more transformative view of the kingdom. Although there is not the same focus on the imminent return of Christ today, eschatology still plays as significant a role. The difference is in a theology focused on the concept of the Kingdom of God already breaking into human history, which must be preached to the people, a requirement for a holy life lived under the rule of the King, and emphasis on the power of the Kingdom being manifested in healing, deliverance, and the miraculous.

We discern today a Gospel of transformation that affirms a call to respond to the needs of the whole person and to all human need. With Pentecostal growth in most parts of the world facing increased tension between Gospel and culture, the urgency for Pentecostal mission has been impeded. The numbers going for active and sacrificial mission and evangelism to share the gospel and eschatological vision is on the wane.

The context of early Pentecostalism may be different from what we experience today; the urgency of a century ago focused on “end times”. The Baptism of the Spirit still provides the participant with an encounter with Jesus that drives the redemptive mission of Christ. Spirit Baptism and thus, a Pentecostal theology of mission, can retain an eschatological fabric regardless of the century we find ourselves. Our continued effectiveness will rest on the manifest presence of God in our midst as well as faithfulness to the Word and faith in God’s power. Participation in God’s end-time harvest is an experience we have been liberated to participate in. The Holy Spirit is personally and powerfully present to drive the continuing redemptive ministry of Jesus to the uttermost parts of the earth but we need to take Him out of the back burner and allow Him to re-ignite the fire once again.

Is Pentecostal Spirituality vibrant today or dissipating?

Spirit-baptism provides the Pentecostal with a heightened awareness of God’s presence and anointing. While grace makes Spirit baptism possible, people must seek the experience for it to happen. Pentecostal spirituality and practice revolve around our relationship with God.

The Pentecost experience at Azusa has been described as a global fire that was expected to consume the world. One hundred years later, although events did not turn out as expected, Pentecostalism and Charismatic Christianity is attributed as the fastest expanding movements in the world. The second Pentecostal wave in the 1960s brought with it indigenous Christianities that experienced signs and wonders, prophecies, gifts of the Spirit and expressive worship that energize churches around the globe.

However, compared to the heydays of Pentecostal fire, symptoms of spiritual stagnation can be seen in churches today. Statistics have shown a decline in glossalolia, interpretation of tongues and interpretation of tongues in the church. Sociologist Margaret Poloma’s research on the cyclical nature of institutionalising forces within Christian spiritual renewal movements identified the emergence of the “routinzation of charisma.” in the last 30 years of the twentieth century. According to her, “A movement’s full optimized flowering, is at the crest of the wave. Yet it’s right there at the height, that a movement naturally experiences the forces of declension.”

The outpouring and workings of the Holy Spirit appears to be loosing momentum. I was not an eyewitness but have heard from pastors that some large contemporary driven mega churches today have entertainment driven settings for praise and worship. Congregational worship has been observed to be displacing a genuine encounter with the Holy Spirit, with a largely sensate, entertainment driven approach.

Literature confirms that the problem of institutionalisation, including the “routinizaton of the charisma,” is global. AG ecumenist Cecil Robeck foresees that these developments will only lead to increasing decline in the number of those who have been baptized in the Spirit, with less than 40% of AG parishioners receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit today.

Within Pentecostal spiritualities, it has been observed over the past decade a definitive loss of consciousness, towards Spirit-baptism as being important to shape a believer’s spirituality. Concurring with Poloma, we see, “ the control of public prayer and testimony has steadily increased over the past decades. This trend directly parallels other symptoms of institutionalism within the movement, such as the decreasing number of people who have experienced or practice speaking in tongues.”

God responds through an outpouring of His Spirit to congregational prayer that is not bound by fixed agendas. The true power of Scripture is released in its spoken rather than written form. We need more spontaneous testimony, spontaneous prayer, and the congregational exercise of tongues, coming through our whole being to almighty God to bring down revival fire upon us again. Sadly, in the name of decency and order, and from the motive of conveniently averting possible error, we are now programming the Holy Spirit almost out of the church service. Today people do prayers on the run, spiritual practices in between a busy day. We need to experience authentic spirituality on a daily basis. Churches too, need to re-focus on providing experiences rather than just programs. The spiritual renewal that came a hundred year ago came as a result of spending time together in unity and prayer!