Eschatology is the study of Christ’s final coming, the resurrection
of the dead, the last judgment, and the new heavens and the new earth; some
persons believe all these “last thing” have already been accomplished.
One small group of realized eschatologists have targeted A. D. 70 as the time
of the end when the “last things” occurred. Michael Hill writes:
“Christ’s eschaton…began at the cross and ended in his parousia
(presence/coming) at Jerusalem at the end of the seven-year war with Rome….Thus,
true to Jesus’ words, that old world ended, the dead were judged, the
saved were resurrected, and a whole new realm of grace began” (The Cure
for Millennial Madness, p. 3). Therefore, they say, the Bible teaches absolutely
nothing about any event that will occur beyond A. D. 70.
The tension between the “now” and the “not yet” (Heb.
2:8), i.e., the events surrounding the cross and the coming of Christ, is the
focal point of the debate with realized eschatologists. The Old Testament viewed
the history of the world in terms of “this age” and “the age
to come” (see Matt. 12:32). The Messiah’s presence would mark the
end of “this age” and inaugurate “the age to come.”
Realized eschatologists have correctly observed that the cross and the parousia
are the two focal points of the “last things,” but they have incorrectly
argued that Biblical teaching about the Lord’s coming is completely fulfilled
in the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem. The hollow rituals of
Judaism that remained until A. D. 70 had lost their spiritual significance after
Jesus nailed the law to His cross (Eph. 2:14-16, Col. 2:12-15).
The Biblical theme of “suffering” and “glory” is much
too broad for the narrow focus of realized eschatology. The culmination of Jesus’
suffering ended when He died physically, and was buried in the tomb, and He
was glorified when He rose from the dead and was crowned King (Dan. 7:13; Acts
2:28-36; 1 Pet. 1:11, 21). Likewise, the Christian’s suffering ends only
when he personally dies physically, and he will be glorified when he is raised
to live with Jesus forever (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17-18; 1 Pet. 5:10). However,
the Christian currently lives in a spiritual time ward between what has already
been realized “now” and what is still to occur in the future, having
“not yet” been glorified.
Furthermore, Jesus “must reign until he has put all His enemies under
His feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death” (1 Cor. 15:25-26).
At that time, “He shall wipe away every tear from [the believer’s]
eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying,
nor pain any more (Rev. 21:4). Realized eschatologists would have us believe
that all of these things were accomplished in A. D. 70. Again, however, their
focus is too narrow.
The curse of physical death and corruption came not only upon the human race
but also upon all creation. The ground itself was cursed (Gen. 3:17; see Gen.
4:11, 8:21); therefore, the whole creation yearns for its deliverance from the
curse (Rom. 8:18-23) and to be free from the defilement of sin. Only then can
there be “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness”
(2 Pet. 3:13; see Isa. 65:17-25, 66:22-24; Rev. 21:1). Only then “there
shall be no curse any more” (Rev. 22:3) because “death and hades”
will have been “cast into the lake of fire” with the devil and his
angels (Rev. 20:14).
The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is, perhaps, the greatest stumbling
block to realized eschatologists. Despite the fact that they have reinterpreted
everything about the resurrection, the continued presence of dead bodies in
the tombs of the earth stubbornly testifies against their position. Max King’s
The Cross and the Parousia of Christ devotes 285 pages to reinterpreting the
doctrine of the resurrection. In fact, 35.6% of the book (pp. 429-666) focuses
on a reinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 in an attempt to make Paul’s
subject the resurrection of the body of Christ (the church) out of the dead
body of Judaism. Despite his effort to convince us otherwise, “all that
are in the tombs shall hear [Christ’s] voice, and shall come forth,”
some “unto the resurrection of life,” and other “unto the
resurrection of judgment” (Jn. 5:28-20).
Realized eschatologists do not understand the proper tension between the “now”
and the “not yet” because they do not fully grasp the principle
of time-compression in prophecy. Although they properly stress the near-at-hand
perspective of many passages, they create confusion over the terms “imminent”
and “remote” fulfillment. They argue that the first coming of Christ
was “imminent” in Old Testament prophecy, whereas His parousia ,
which they say occurred in A. D. 70, was “remote” (see diagrams
1 and 2 in Cross and Parousia) despite the fact that these events occurred within
forty years of each other. However, most of the so-called “imminent”
predictions were made 1500-400 years before the events took place (Gen. 32:25,
49:10; Isa. 56:1; Jer. 31:31), and one goes back to Eden (Gen. 3:15), about
as “remote” as could possibly be. Nevertheless, realized eschatologists
refuse to admit that another coming of Jesus is “imminent” because
2,000 years have elapsed since the New Testament predicted it would occur.
If, as Max King concedes, prophetic time-compression blurs the distinction between
the “limited” commission and the “great” commission
in Matthew 10 (The Cross and the Parousia, p. 458), why not make the same thing
between the coming of Christ to judge Jerusalem and His parousia to judge the
whole world in Matthew 24. Indeed, the Christians hope lies in his belief that
the dead will be raised and judged at the parousia of Jesus, and that the righteous
will be rewarded with “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and
that fades not away, reserved in heaven” (1 Pet. 1:4).
By Melvin Curry ---in Search, a monthly publication of the Church of Christ, Vanduser, MO; July-August, 2009; Vol. 16, No. 1.
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