Against Hyper-Preterism/Full Preterism

Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
0 ratings
· 1 view

What is left eschatologically?

Notes
Transcript

Bodily Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Christ is called the firstfruits. His resurrection prefigures our resurrection. He is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Paul says For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive (Future Passive Indicative).
The spiritual resurrection of the New Birth was already in place so Paul is talking about another resurrection than merely a spiritual one. For Paul there is some resurrection (physical) that is still future.
Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when He delivers the Kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
This resurrection occurs at His coming? Which coming? The one that immediately precedes “the end.” So this would be Christ Last Day final coming.
See John 6:38–39, 44 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day… No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
This “Last Day” coming occurs on the Day of Final Judgment when “all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29).
Paul clearly says there is “an end.” An end of what? The end of human history and the beginning of the eternal state where Christ will deliver the Kingdom to His Father (See Revelation 21:1–4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.)
This end when the Father comes is accompanied with the passing away of all former things/all things associated with death and the curse of sin.
The end is clearly said to come “after destroying every rule and every authority and power” with “the last enemy to be destroyed [being] death.
So if death was destroyed in AD 70, there can be no enemies raised against Christ today because death would be the last. This is obviously not true and so there is still a future victory over death with the bodily resurrection.
Philippians 3:20–21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Paul was awaiting a day when His lowly body would be “transformed” to be like Christ’s own glorious body.
Christ was raised from the grave bodily
John 20:27–28 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Luke 24:36–43 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.
If we don’t have a glorified resurrected body like Christ’s own then there is still a future resurrection that will come on “the Last Day” (John 6:38-39, 44) at the final consummate coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:23) for the Final Judgment (John 5:28-29) (For all see above).
This glorious body is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:42-49.
1 Corinthians 15:42–49 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Paul defines the glorious body that is to be like Christ’s own body at the Resurrection.
Sown Perishable - Raised Imperishable
Sown in Dishonor - Raised in Glory
Sown in Weakness - Raised in Power
Sown Natural - Raised Spiritual
This does not mean that its raised as a “ghost.” It is raised spiritual in the sense that it is completely in tune and conducive to the things of the Spirit (See 1 Corinthians 2:14–16 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.)
It is spiritual in that it is fully submitted to God in all of its capacities.
The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
This corresponds to Philippians 3:20–21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.
If we do not have a physical body resurrected and transformed into the same image of Christ then there is a resurrection that is yet still future.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
This bodily resurrection would occur with the bodily return of Christ as our eyes (that is physical eyes) will see Him and we shall be like Him (Philippians 3:20-21).

Final Judgment

John 5:25–29 Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Jesus says an hour is coming and is now here when the dead are raised to new spiritual life (John 5:25-26), and a future hour that is not here but coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
There is a future universal judgment (all in the tombs) coming at a point in time resurrection (an hour) that in John 6:38-39, 44 clearly occurs on “the Last Day” that immediately leads to a final judgment and the entrance of the eternal state (resurrection of life/resurrection of judgment).
This would define the Last Day as the last day of human history where all over and all men will be judged according to what they had done (2 Corinthians 5:10, Acts 17:31).
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
We must all appear before the seat. There is a universal judgment that according to Christ happens on the Last Day (where the righteous are raised up on the Last Day (John 6:38-39, 44) and the righteous and the unrighteous are raised together all at once at “an hour” in John 5:28-29) because the Father has given all judgment to the Son. (John 5:22).
Without a universal judgment coinciding with the resurrection of all leading to the eternal state, this is still yet future.
Acts 17:31 Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
This day is the “Last Day” (See John 6:38-39, 44 and John 5:28-29).
Revelation 20:11–21:4 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
This great judgment happens after thousand years (present and ongoing) and the defeat of Satan where he is cast into the Lake of Fire necessitating this to still be future unless we are willing to admit that Christ’s Kingdom reign terminated in AD 70 and He has delivered the Kingdom to His Father and defeated every enemy (1 Corinthians 15:23-26).
This judgment happens after the thousand years are ended when the rest of the dead come to life (those who are not born again in the New Birth and raised to new spiritual life).
If Christ is reigning now this is still future.
This corresponds to the “Last Day” resurrection (John 6:38-39, 44) when all in the tombs come out for judgment (John 5:28-29).
This judgment leads to the eternal state where all things associated with sin, death, and the curse (the former things) all pass away. If sin, death, and curse still exist, and mourning and crying and pain, then this is still future.

Christ’s Victory in the World

Conversion of the Nations - Psalm 2:8, 65:2, 72:17-19, 110:1, Dan. 2:44, Mt. 28:18-19, Revelation 21:8-22:5
Christ making enemies a footstool - Psalm 110:1-2 - Christ enemies being made a footstool in defeat. 2 Cor 10:3-5 shows physical warfare in the NT refers to spiritual conquests. The last enemy is death (1 Cor 15:20-26) which will take place at the resurrection which Paul identifies as “the end” of the messianic age.
Christ’s Kingdom ruling over all others - Daniel 2:44 - Christ’s kingdom breaking into pieces and consuming all other kingdoms and will rule (which by definition means his authority will be acknowledged) over all nations, people, and languages (Daniel 7:13-14).

The Restoration of All Things

Acts 3:19–21 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
The restoration of all things comes when Jesus comes from heaven. This restoration would be a New Eden World where sin and death and curse and all the former things are passed away and creation is restored to what it was before the Fall.
Revelation 21:3–4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
This occurs after Death and Hades are cast in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14) so if death and a necessary place for the dead still occurs at all then this is yet still future.

Key Points/Questions

Paul Definitively says there will be an end that will concur with the coming of Christ and after which death itself would be destroyed and God would dwell with His people and this end happens after all other enemies of Christ are submitted to Him because the last enemy is death (1 Corinthians 15:23).
Christ clearly expects a final coming on “the Last Day” (John 6:38-39, 44) where “all in the tombs will be raised for final judgment (John 5:28-29). This final judgment for all at a specific “hour” leads to the eternal state where some go to the resurrection of life and others the resurrection of judgment. But this is a universal judgment that leads to a definitive end to human history and must yet still be future.
If Satan is still active in the world then the resurrection and final judgment is yet still future and did not occur in AD 70 because Satan’s defeat occurs after after the 1000 year reign of Christ is ended (Revelation 20:7) which is the same time the rest of the dead (those not spiritually raised in the New Birth) come to life as well (Revelation 20:5).
Big Idea unless Satan is completely conquered and put away in the Lake of Fire there is still a future bodily resurrection and final judgment as the bodily resurrection/defeat of Satan occurs when the thousand years are ended and the Great White Throne Judgment follows afterwards (Revelation 20:5, 7, 11-15) when death and hades are also thrown into the lake of fire (after Satan) because the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26). Hades is important because Hades is the place of the physical dead (no one spiritually dead is in Hades Luke 16:19-31) and in the eternal state there will be no death and therefore no necessary place for the dead anymore (Revelation 20:14). It will be the end of the former things and the beginning of the eternal state.
If Death still exists at all then how has all been fulfilled in AD 70 (1 Corinthians 15:26, Revelation 20:14, 21:4). And its not just because spiritual death has been defeated in Christ/the New Covenant because Hades has nothing to do with spiritual death but physical death and it is also cast into the Lake of Fire after the 1000 years is ended, the defeat of Satan, bodily resurrection, Final Judgment. So if people still physically die then all of these are still future.
1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
If Christ has already come, then why still take the Lord’s Supper?
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more
Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.