For me, a central point of apocalyptic theology is that the end reveals the beginning and the beginning reveals the end.
On the one side, as the history of the world progresses toward its end, the real meaning of the beginning becomes apparent—even to the point of becoming obnoxiously obvious. Specifically, the more that the world escalates in sin and death the more clear it becomes that we began our history in original sin. At the same time, the development of goodness and spiritual progress in the world reveals the deeper history of grace and its more fundamental beginning in God’s generous plan for our salvation.
This means, moreover, that we should recognize the end that is death within the beginning of our own sins. The more we see death and suffering in the world, the more we should understand that our own misdeeds lead in this direction. The end reveals like an unassailable witness in the court and this convicts us with the power of the judge’s gavel. Nevertheless, the more obvious this end becomes, the more we blind ourselves and insist on not seeing the truth.
On the other side, the reason I study original sin is precisely because the more we understand the beginning, the more we can achieve an acquaintance with the end. If we understand how a rocket was launched then we can predict its trajectory. Likewise, the Bible begins “In the beginning” (Gen 1:1) precisely so that we can see the trajectory of human sin alongside the more powerful, more fundamental arc of God’s forgiving grace. As the Spirit courses through human history, its contrails mark the way to its new beginning.