Abstract

Dispensationalism is a well-known and widely held eschatological framework among contemporary evangelicals. It has, however, been little explored in academia, possibly due to the wide range of interpretations it provides for understanding eschatological events. Texts such as the “eschatological discourse” of Matthew 24 give rise to the belief in a particularly grim future. In this work, research was conducted on the history of the interpretation of Matthew 24 as well as its reception in the social and political life of Brazil. It is possible to observe a relationship of cause and effect concerning the lack of knowledge about eschatology and popular imagination about the meaning of Matthew 24. The conclusion that is reached is that a “theology of fear” results from adopting a dispensationalist perspective which finds itself in opposition the Christian message of hope.