Lexical Summary eschatos: Last, final, utmost, extreme Original Word: ἔσχατος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance end, last, uttermost. A superlative probably from echo (in the sense of contiguity); farthest, final (of place or time) -- ends of, last, latter end, lowest, uttermost. see GREEK echo HELPS Word-studies 2078 és NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition last, extreme NASB Translation end (1), last (46), last of all (1), last man (1), last men (1), late (1), remotest part (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2078: ἔσχατοςἔσχατος, ἐσχάτῃ, ἔσχατον (from ἔχω, ἔσχον adhering, clinging close; (according to others (Curtius, § 583 b.) superlative from ἐξ, the outermost)), the Sept. for אַחֲרון, אַחֲרִית; (from Homer down); extreme, last in time or in place; 1. joined to nouns: τόπος, the last in a series of places (A. V. lowest), Luke 14:9f; in a temporal succession, the last: ἔσχατος ἐχθρός, that remains after the rest have been conquered, 1 Corinthians 15:26; κοδράντης, that remains when the rest have one after another been spent, Matthew 5:26; so λεπτόν, Luke 12:59; ἡ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγξ, the trumpet after which no other will sound, 1 Corinthians 15:52, cf. Meyer ad loc.; αἱ ἔσχαται πληγαί, Revelation 15:1; Revelation 21:9; ἡ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρα τῆς ἑορτῆς, John 7:37. When two are contrasted it is equivalent to the latter, opposed to ὁ πρῶτος the former (Deuteronomy 24:1-4): thus τά ἔργα (opposed to τῶν πρώτων), Revelation 2:19; ἡ πλάνη, Matthew 27:64 (where the meaning is, 'lest the latter deception, caused by the false story of his resurrection, do more harm than the former, which was about to produce belief in a false Messiah'); ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ, the latter Adam, i. e. the Messiah (see Ἀδάμ, 1), 1 Corinthians 15:45. ἡ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρα, the last day (of all days), denotes that with which the present age (הַזֶּה הָעולָם, see αἰών, 3) which precedes the times of the Messiah or the glorious return of Christ from heaven will be closed: John 6:39f, 44 ( 2. ὁ, ἡ, τό ἔσχατον absolutely or with the genitive, a. of time: οἱ ἔσχατοι, who had come to work last, Matthew 20:8, 12,(14); the meaning of the saying ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι καί ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι is not always the same: in Luke 13:30 it signifies, those who were last invited to enter the divine kingdom will be first to enter when the opportunity comes, i. e. they will be admitted forthwith, while others, and those too who were first among the invited, will be shut out then as coming too late; in Matthew 19:30; Matthew 20:16 it means, the same portion in the future kingdom of God will through his goodness be assigned to those invited last as to those invited first, although the latter may think they deserve something better; cf. Mark 10:31. ὁ πρῶτος καί ὁ ἔσχατος i. e. the eternal, Revelation 1:11 Rec., b. of space: τό ἔσχατον τῆς γῆς, the uttermost part, the end, of the earth, Acts 1:8; Acts 13:47. c. of rank, grade of worth, last i. e. lowest: Mark 9:35; John 8:9 Rec.; 1 Corinthians 4:9. Strong’s 2078 characteristically speaks of what is final—whether in time, rank, consequence, or geographical reach. In the New Testament it clusters around three principal ideas: temporal consummation (“the last day,” “the last trumpet”), moral and social inversion (“the last shall be first”), and ultimate authority (“the First and the Last”). A fourth, less frequent, nuance extends the word to the remotest place (“the ends of the earth”). Together these senses form a coherent biblical theology of finality in God’s saving plan. Temporal Consummation and Eschatological Hope John’s Gospel records seven instances (John 6:39-54; 7:37; 11:24; 12:48) where Jesus anchors resurrection and judgment in “the last day.” He promises, “I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40), grounding assurance in His own authority over history’s endpoint. Paul echoes this certainty in 1 Corinthians 15:52: “In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…the dead will be raised imperishable.” Peter likewise speaks of “a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5), tying believers’ perseverance to their eschatological inheritance. “Last days” also mark the era inaugurated by the Spirit. Peter, quoting Joel, proclaims, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit” (Acts 2:17). Hebrews 1:2 affirms that God “has spoken to us by His Son” in these “last days,” showing that the final age began with Christ’s first advent and awaits its consummation at His return (2 Peter 3:3; Jude 18; 2 Timothy 3:1). Moral Reversal and Kingdom Ethics Jesus repeatedly turns worldly hierarchies upside-down: “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” (Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30). Discipleship embraces lowliness—“If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). The vineyard laborers (Matthew 20:8-16) illustrate grace that disregards human calculations of merit. The same principle checks self-promotion at social gatherings: “Take the last place” (Luke 14:10). Even penitence before the court requires paying “the last penny” (Matthew 5:26; Luke 12:59), underscoring full accountability. Warning Passages: A Worse “Last State” When a demoniac’s deliverance is squandered, “the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Matthew 12:45; Luke 11:26). Peter applies the idiom corporately: false teachers who relapse into corruption find “the last state worse for them than the first” (2 Peter 2:20). Finality can therefore be tragic as well as blessed, urging seriousness in repentance and perseverance. Pauline Humility and Victory Paul twice calls himself “last”: “Last of all…He appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:8) and “God has displayed us apostles last, like men condemned to die” (1 Corinthians 4:9). Yet in the same chapter he proclaims triumph: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Adam and Christ form another contrast—“The last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Thus the apostle moves from personal littleness to cosmic victory, framing ministry within resurrection hope. Petrine and General Epistles: Scoffers and Salvation Peter foresees “scoffers” in “the last days” (2 Peter 3:3) who deny Christ’s return, but believers are “protected by the power of God” until the salvation to be revealed (1 Peter 1:5). James warns the rich, “You have stored up treasure in the last days” (James 5:3), reminding readers that temporal wealth evaporates before divine judgment. John alerts the church: “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard, the antichrist is coming” (1 John 2:18). Urgency marks the entire church age. Revelation: Christ the First and the Last “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13; cf. 1:17; 2:8). The title crowns Jesus as Lord of origins and endings alike. Revelation 15:1 shows “the last plagues” completing God’s wrath, while Revelation 21:9 looks upon “the last things” (ἔσχατων) of the judgment narrative. The believer’s destiny is therefore secured by the One who stands sovereign over every terminal event. Mission to the Ends of the Earth A spatial extension appears in Acts 1:8: “You will be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth,” and again in Acts 13:47, fulfilling Isaiah’s promise. The same term in Hebrews 1:2 and 1 Peter 1:20 underscores that Christ’s incarnation comes at history’s furthest edge. Evangelism therefore stretches to the remotest peoples while time itself hastens toward its final curtain. Pastoral and Ministry Significance 1. Assurance: Resurrection at “the last day” anchors pastoral comfort in funerals and catechesis. Synthesis Strong’s 2078 weaves a unified testimony: the God who began all things will finish them; the Son who served as last has become the exalted First; the Spirit empowers the church in the last days to reach the last place with the last word of grace before the last trumpet sounds. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 5:26 Adj-AMSGRK: ἀποδῷς τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράντην NAS: until you have paid up the last cent. KJV: thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. INT: you pay the last kodranten Matthew 12:45 Adj-NNP Matthew 19:30 Adj-NMP Matthew 19:30 Adj-NMP Matthew 20:8 Adj-GMP Matthew 20:12 Adj-NMP Matthew 20:14 Adj-DMS Matthew 20:16 Adj-NMP Matthew 20:16 Adj-NMP Matthew 27:64 Adj-NFS Mark 9:35 Adj-NMS Mark 10:31 Adj-NMP Mark 10:31 Adj-NMP Mark 12:6 Adj-AMS Mark 12:22 Adj-ANS Luke 11:26 Adj-NNP Luke 12:59 Adj-ANS Luke 13:30 Adj-NMP Luke 13:30 Adj-NMP Luke 14:9 Adj-AMS Luke 14:10 Adj-AMS John 6:39 Adj-DFS John 6:40 Adj-DFS John 6:44 Adj-DFS John 6:54 Adj-DFS Strong's Greek 2078 |
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