BIBLICAL ESCHATOLOGY AND ECOLOGICAL CRISIS: REREADING ISAIAH 51:6 IN THE AGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

The global ecological crisis, particularly climate change, has intensified scholarly engagement between theology and environmental studies. This paper explores the intersection of biblical eschatology and ecological degradation through a contextual rereading of Isaiah 51:6, which states that “the earth will grow old like a garment.” Traditionally interpreted within apocalyptic and eschatological frameworks, this prophetic imagery is here re-examined in light of contemporary environmental realities, especially within the African context. Employing interdisciplinary methods - biblical exegesis, ecological hermeneutics, and theological analysis - the study argues that Isaiah’s metaphor provides both a diagnostic and ethical framework for understanding the climate crisis. African theological perspectives, which emphasize relationality, community, and sacred cosmology, are integrated to demonstrate how indigenous and Christian worldviews can contribute to ecological sustainability. Through case studies from Nigeria and other parts of Africa, the paper critiques fatalistic interpretations of eschatology and proposes a constructive ecological eschatology grounded in stewardship, justice, and hope. The study concludes that Isaiah 51:6 should not be read as a justification for ecological neglect but as a call to responsible participation in God’s redemptive plan for creation.