Definition
Overcoming eschatology is an eschatological orientation that views the Church — or a remnant of overcomers — as the instrument through which God’s Kingdom rule is established on earth before or at the second coming. The Church is not primarily a fleeing congregation awaiting escape (rapture) but a victorious bride that lays Christ’s enemies at his feet (1 Cor. 15:25-26; Ps. 110:1). Overcoming eschatology is related to postmillennialism and Kingdom Now theology but is used here as a distinct category because the corpus authors do not accept the full postmillennial schema.
Usage in the Corpus
George Warnock
Warnock’s eschatology is paradigmatically overcoming. The manifest sons of God lead the Church to the overcomer position: “Before this cherished rapture or resurrection takes place, there is to arise a group of overcomers who shall appropriate even here and now their heritage of Resurrection Life in Jesus Christ.” The overcomers will shorten the great tribulation: “the great tribulation itself is going to be cut short because of the sons of God… ‘For the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened’ (Matt. 24:22).” Christ waits at the Father’s right hand until his enemies are subdued: “God hath said, ‘Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.’ (Ps. 110:1.) And the last enemy is Death! (1Cor. 15:26).” [Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Ch. 12, 14]
Stephen Jones
Jones’ overcomer theme is rooted in his tagma doctrine: the firstfruits resurrection (barley) is for the overcomers who reign with Christ in the Sabbath Millennium. “With the Overcomers’ declaration of the Jubilee in the autumn of 1996, the breach began to be repaired.” The overcomers are the firstfruits of the apokatastasis. [Jones, Secrets of Time, Ch. 15]
Cees Noordzij
Noordzij connects overcoming eschatology to the sonship theme: “Whoever overcomes will eat of the tree of life (Rev. 2:7), will receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10) and is written in the book of life (Rev. 3:5). They will sit as sons with Jesus on His throne (Rev. 3:21).” The overcomers are the sons of God who liberate creation. [Noordzij, Moses and the Path to Sonship]