Resurrection, Judgement, and All of Scripture

Will this world be destroyed and replaced or renovated when Jesus returns? Will God bring out an angelic ‘Death Star’ and zap earth in order to create a completely different planet?

For the moment I will say I believe that this world will be renovated not replaced. I will explain in greater detail in a later post. For now I ask the question as an example of what I hope to discuss about today. I will give this one reason which lines up with our present discussion. One of the reasons I believe this world will be renovated and not replaced is due to the pattern of God’s work of redemption and reconciliation. I think those reading this would agree with the historically held belief that the work of Jesus at The End will finalize his salvific work as the Christ. Now when we think of the ways in which God has displayed that work throughout history it is “renovative” (redemptive) in nature. Here are two examples:

1. When God saved his people out of Egypt he did not annihilate and replace them; He redeemed them.
2. Think of your salvation. When you came to understand your need for Jesus and grace, did God destroy you and make an entirely different you? No. He redeemed you and is renovating (sanctifying) your life into the image of His beloved Son.

There are more specific reasons I will give in the future as to why I believe this earth will be remade and not replaced. But for now I make a part of my argument based on the pattern seen in scripture of God’s work in the past.

Using All of Scripture to Understand a Part of Scripture

Now let me ask: Just as I asked above regarding the coming of Christ as the final step of his redemptive work, does that include our resurrection? I think if you are still reading this blog you would agree that our resurrection is a part of Jesus’ work to save.

I have written a few posts arguing for the belief that one resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous will happen, immediately followed by the final judgement. I will not reopen those arguments here, but you may look to those for more particulars by way of specific scriptures referenced and explained.

Here we will observe this position from a slightly different vantage point but one as equal in need. The general protestant position (#reformationmonth) has been a belief that scripture is our only authority for what we believe and how we live (#solascriptura). It is scripture alone that guides our faith and practice. Hand-in-hand with that is its Latin counterpart Tota Scriptura (all of scripture). How this works itself out in our reading of the Bible is that we first strive to understand a specific text in its context (as I strove to do in the previous posts about resurrection and judgement). Then we check our work to be sure it fits with the whole of scripture. That final step is what I will workout here below.

God’s Past Work of Salvation and Judgement

There are many examples we could look at in the Old Testament of God working salvation and times where he brought judgement. However, what I specifically desire to point out is how we have ample displays of God’s work to both save his righteous ones and judge his unrighteous enemies simultaneously. For our purposes I will narrow my examples to those which are both generally familiar yet provide clear examples.

• Noah’s Ark: A quick read through the letters of Peter shows us that this event in the Old Testament displays both God’s salvation as seen in the ark and judgement as seen in the flood waters. These were not events occurring independently of each other but were happening simultaneously. At the same time both salvation and judgement were worked out by God.
• Israel and the Red Sea: Like Noah’s Ark the scriptures, Old and New Testament, speak of God bringing Israel through the Red Sea as a display of his redemptive power. The drowning Egyptians likewise are examples of God’s judgment. In one occasion we read of God delivering his people from Egypt while also judging the nation who had oppressed His people. At the same time both salvation and judgement were worked out by God. (Note Israel entering the Promised Land simultaneous to the nations being judged by their expulsion. See Deut. 7:1-2)
• Sacrifice: The whole sacrifice narrative of the Old Testament is founded on the idea of salvation and judgement being intertwined. From the ram put in the place of Isaac (Gen. 22), to the Passover Lamb (Ex. 12), to the Day of Atonements (Lev. 16), and then the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53), in all of these we see judgement and salvation occurring in the same picture. An animal is judged by being the sacrifice which is inseparably the means of another’s salvation.
• The Cross: The previous point obviously leads very well into this point. At the cross Jesus secured an eternal redemption by his blood. It was at the cross that the Triune God’s redemptive and just plan came to a head. At the cross Jesus was “pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed…By oppression and judgment he was taken away…it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief” (Isa. 53:5, 8, 10). At the cross The Passover Lamb of God was offered up and slain on the alter. Yet, at the cross Jesus shed his blood for the forgiveness of sin. In his death we are justified. At the cross judgement fell on Christ yet in that moment salvation washed over us.

“He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Hebrews 9:12

• Finally, Back to the Beginning: I will make my final point in light of what I have said and draw our attention to the first display of the tight correlation between salvation and judgement: Genesis 3. The narrative in Genesis 3 reminds us of how humanity fell into sin by the sin of our first parent Adam. After the sin is committed God makes a declaration (Gen. 3:14-19). It is a declaration of judgement on sin yes, but not only judgement. He makes a promise amid that judgement to send salvation. In the very words of God, before a single work of judgement or salvation had been exercised, he showed us his purpose by his declaration. He proclaimed judgement but also salvation.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Genesis 3:15

Summary

Along with what has been previously presented here I further my argument for a singular event of one resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous that will be immediately followed by the final judgement. I believe this is the pattern we see in the Old Testament narratives and at the cross.

A Healthy and Helpful Approach to Prophecy

You may respond to what I have written with a “That is all well and good. So what?” Well, there is an area I have not yet touched on heavily: Old Testament Prophecy. If eschatology is something you are passionate about, as many of my friends are, then you have probably read, heard sermons from, or attended prophecy conferences on Old Testament Prophecy. I admit there are some prophecies that would make my presentation seem hard to swallow, or to some would make my position seemingly laughable. So why do I keep on writing? Why hold a position as such? Here is why.

1. I believe that the New Testament’s comments on the prophecy of the Old Testament gives foundation to what I believe by giving clarity to those Old Testament content. It is the consistent pattern of scripture for that which comes later to clarify previous content. We know that Genesis 22, Exodus 14, and Leviticus 16 are all examples of Jesus’ death not because they in and of themselves give that answer but because the New Testament (New Covenant) scriptures teach us this. The New clarifies the content of the Old.
2. The pattern of God’s work to save and judge occurring together as argued above leads me to believe that, when reading the prophets, if it is unclear whether the events of judgement and salvation are separate or together that it is then plausible to see them as together since that is God’s overall pattern.

The healthy approach to prophecy is seen in listening to the apostles’ teaching on this topic as seen in the gospels and epistles. The Holy Spirit inspired the New Testament writers to give perfect interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies, even those regarding The End.

It is also helpful to give attention to normative patterns of God’s work, so long as they are not stretched and unreasonable, nor contradicting plain texts of scripture. If we see a constant and continual pattern of God working out judgement and salvation simultaneously then maybe we should be mindful of that when we read prophecies that do not specify whether certain end times’ events are consecutive or simultaneous.

Conclusion

The study of scripture includes two distinct but inseparable practices: 1) Striving to understand what a text means by its contexts (historical, grammatical, redemptive). And 2) Checking our studies against the testimony of the whole Scripture. I strongly believe that when we study out the final resurrection and judgement in this way we conclude that these events occur with no lengthy period of time between them, nor with multiples of each. I am whole heartedly open eared to challenges to this view and correction. This is not a hill I die on, but it is a belief I hold firmly.

Two Applications

1. This whole post has been founded on the interpretive principle that the New Testament scriptures naturally explain the Old Testament. Use this principle in your personal reading. If this is a new idea I would encourage you to do one of two things, just one not both: 1) Read through the book of Matthew (at least one chapter per day…preferably two) and note how often Matthew quotes the Old Testament while explaining what it means in light of Christ’s coming. OR 2) If you have read the whole Bible at least once pick up Hebrews and read it with special attention to all the Old Testament references which are explained by the author of Hebrews. The Bible very naturally reads in this way: The New Testament explaining the Old.
2. Grab a pen and paper, and get alone for ten minutes. Much has been said in this post about how we should approach Bible interpretation. I have tried to be faithful in presenting a position which holds the scriptures in and of themselves to be perfect and complete in themselves to explain themselves (sola scriptura; sufficiency of scripture). However, this approach to scripture carries us beyond how we understand the scripture and informs how we obey the scriptures. On that paper make 3-5 bullet points with space between them. For each point list out a category that makes up your weekly life: family, church, job, school, hobbies, leisure, health, money, friendships, plans, goals, etc. Which ever 3-5 you picked, or maybe you selected a category not mentioned, which is fine, in the space between the categories start writing one of the following. In that given area can you articulate how you live out that category in light of scripture? A) If so put down in writing why you believe that you are abiding by scripture in that area of life. B) Maybe you have never considered how to live according to the Bible in that area; write down the thoughts and questions that come to mind about how to start. C) Is there an area that needs to be put in line with scripture because it is obvious to you that it is rebellion against God? Finally, to make this more than a ten minute exercise I would encourage you to keep a pen and paper with you when you do your regular Bible reading. Out of what you read think of 1 or 2 ways you can obey what you have read or correct an area of sin in your life. Make the scriptures the authority that determines what you believe and how you live.