“I think the first thing that must be admitted is that the various eschatological scenarios attested in the New Testament resist systematization into a single coherent frame.”

1)I would rather say that, like a prism, each New Testament author gives us a different perspective on the end. I also assume, on the basis of God’s nature, the analogia fidei, so I do not think there is any problem with trying to draw out to the best of our abilities a unified eschatology even though there maybe difficulties resolving all of our questions.

2a) As far as the New Testament “resisting” a single coherent frame I would beg to differ. Ben Witherington demonstrated a while back that there is essential points of agreement between Jesus and Paul on the end of the world.

2b) There are also themes in the general epistles that cohere with Jesus and Paul. The “theif” in the night motif can be found in 2 Peter, the imminence of Jesus coming is referred to as at the door in James. These are just a few examples.

2c) The “already” but “not yet” tension is apparent across the New Testament literature. Some writings in the New Testament emphasize one in certain circumstance the second in other circumstances.

“It is about time, nonetheless, that a more this-worldly eschatology was recovered. I introduce the topic in a recent post on my blog entitled “The Apostle Paul was a Zionist.”

I will have to take a look at your post, but do not exclude the other-wordly side of eschatology, which gave the apocolyptic movements their strength in “this world”. See Richard Bauckham “The Delay of the Parousia” Tyndale Bulletin.

Blake