Max R. King The Spirit of Prophecy

THE SPIRIT
OF PROPHECY

And I fell at his feet to worship Him for the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 19:10

{}

Max R. King

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Copyright 1971, 2002 by Max R. King. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
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permission in writing from the publisher. All inquires should be addressed to
Bimillennial Press, P.O. Box 1777, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80901-1777, or email
publisher@wnrf.org

Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE: THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

This book was originally published in 1971 by the Parkman Road Church of Christ,
Warren, Ohio. This second edition is completely revised and updated.

Cover design: Chris Ortiz

Transmillennial is a trademark of the Council on Transmillennialism. All rights
reserved. Used with permission. Transmillennial@aol.com

Printed in the United States of America.
07 06 05 04 03 5 4 3 2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

King, Max R., 1930-
The spirit of prophecy / by Max R. King.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-9641388-6-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 0-9641388-7-5 (e-book)
1. EschatologyHistory of doctrines. 2. EschatologyBiblical teaching.
3. BibleProphecies. I. Title.
BT819.5 .K57 2002
236'.9dc21
200200614

Contents
Preface ........................................................................... 6

Chapter 1: Understanding Bible Prophecy ................... 9

Chapter 2: The Law and the Truth ............................... 22

Chapter 3: Abraham Had Two Sons.............................. 54

Chapter 4: Daniels Seventy Weeks .............................. 82

Chapter 5: The Last Days .............................................. 128

Chapter 6: The Second Coming.................................... 166

Chapter 7: The Eternal Kingdom.................................. 220

Chapter 8: The Last Judgment ...................................... 251

Chapter 9: The End of the World ................................. 292

Chapter 10: The Resurrection of the Dead ................... 309

Chapter 11: The Fall of Jerusalem................................. 349

Chapter 12: The Book of Revelation............................. 372

Chapter 13: The Plan of Redemption........................... 390

Chapter 14: The Transmillennial View....................... 416

Scripture Index.............................................................. 436
About the Author .......................................................... 453

Dedication
{}
To my beloved wife,
Navella,
whose faith, love, understanding, and
dedication have been avenues of divine
blessing and strength in my work,
and to our four sons,
Doug, Randy, Jay and Tim,
this volume is affectionately dedicated.

Preface
{}
As I look back over thirty years to the time I wrote the
first edition, I am amazed and overjoyed at what is taking
place around us.
Fulfilled Bible prophecy is being taught all over the
world. What a difference from the religious and social
climate of the early 1970s! This was long before it was
acceptable to question traditional dogma, and the attitude
was anything but open and embracing. At that time, I was
not aware that others had written on this subject in earlier
centuries, such as J.S. Russell (1816-1895). I stood, with my
family, very much alone. Yet here we find ourselves some
thirty years later seeing the world filled with a brighter
and better understanding of the victory of God.
This work stood alone for nearly 15 years until many of
the authors writing today on fulfilled prophecy came along
and began to labor with us. I am humbled that this work,
along with our theological journals and annual conferences,
inspired them to step forward in the late 80s, and especially
in the 90s for the truth of the gospel. Looking back, this is
what makes it all worthwhile.
THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY 7
Yes, the climate today is different. The twentieth
century is gone, and with it the sectarian obsession with
institutional self-preservation that stifles the search for
truth. In its place stands the hope of the twenty-first century
and a world more interested in movements than
hierarchies. Gone are the days when people refused to think
outside of their familial roots, church doctrines or creeds. It
is a new day that has produced a grassroots movement that
is bent on reflecting the grace of God.
Perhaps the greatest shift in perspective between now
and then is the present day focus on the historical context
of Jesus the desire to see him in his first-century Jewish
setting, rather than the modern one into which he often is
dragged. Certainly this shift alone has aided scholarship by
giving it permission to ask questions they simply were not,
or could not, be asked thirty years ago.
I pray that this Second Edition will continue to be well
received and that this grassroots movement will continue to
thrive. To make it more readable we have updated all
scripture references to the New King James Version. To
make it easier to use for personal or small group study,
chapter summaries and discussion questions have been
added. I am indebted to Ted Troxell, Olgy Gary and my wife
Navella for all their help in getting the manuscript ready.
And I am grateful to Bimillennial Press for also releasing this
as an e-book.
Likewise with the help of Tim King, my fourth son, I
have revised my chapter on the resurrection to reflect some
updated thinking that follows the approach in Old
Testament Israel and New Testament Salvation (1990).
PREFACE 8
For those of you who possess an original copy from the
70s, you also will notice that my section on the Book of
Revelation has been cut back. This was because of length,
not content. Plans are underway to update this section as
well and to offer it as a stand-alone work in the future.
To you, the reader, I offer my welcome to this study of
redemption. I recently celebrated my 72nd birthday, and I
was reminded that Abraham was 75 years old when God
called him to leave home. We are never too old to learn and
change for the better. My prayer is that you will journey
with me in a movement that honors that first call to build
the civilizations of tomorrow that will bring glory and
honor to God.

Max R. King
July 2002
Colorado Springs, Colorado

CHAPTER ONE
Understanding Bible Prophecy
{}
Of all biblical subjects, end-time prophecy is often the most
confusing. Why does confusion reign? One, the exact nature of
prophecy often is not known until after the fact. It is easy for us
to look back on prophecies and see Jesus in them, but only
because we already have a portrait of Jesus as the Messiah. The
Jews in Jesus time had considerably more difficulty making that
connection. Two, we also learn that language can be figurative or
literal, and that prophecy can speak of spiritual events or
temporal events, or some combination of both. Wading our way
through these distinctions is no easy task, and it may require us
to let go of some of our cherished presuppositions.
,./
Theres an old Jewish saying: if you have two rabbis in a
room, youre likely to have three opinions. The same, of
course, can be said of theologians and Bible scholars. There
seems to be no agreement on the interpretation of
Scripture, and no end of divisions among Christians as a
result.
Clearly something is wrong.
This sad state of affairs becomes painfully obvious when
we get into eschatology, or end-time prophecy. Some are
making charts and predictions, and watching the Middle
East with hopes of seeing Armageddon break out. Others are
working diligently for world evangelism a noble goal so
that the spread of the gospel might speed Christs return.
Still others are working to instill Old Testament law as the
civil code of a world government that will become, or bring
about, the millennial reign of Christ. Some Jews and
Christians are even strangely united in the quest to restore
the temple in Jerusalem. Most avoid the subject at all costs,
claiming ignorance or even a kind of end-time
agnosticism. Between apocalyptic enthusiasm and
aversion, many people are content to describe their entire
eschatological view as: Jesus is coming; get ready.
Despite ongoing regional conflicts, the countdown to a
supposed biblical Armageddon continually disappoints,
whether it was for 1844, 1914, or 1988. While statistics
show 73 percent of the world evangelized by 2000, the same
World Christian Encyclopedia statistics show the rate of
increase at a nominal 1 percent per decade. A return to Old
Testament law and theocracy does not seem a likely
scenario, no matter how hopeful the advocates might be.
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank has generated
nothing but bloodshed, and many Palestinians many
Christian Palestinians have lived in refugee camps for a
half-century, oppressed by a public policy endorsed by
many American Christians. Our confusion and our
schizophrenia on the subject of the end time has caused us
to be ridiculed by the media, dismissed by academics, and
despised by popular culture.
Clearly something is wrong.
UNDERSTANDING BIBLE PROPHECY 11
How do we get out of this mess? What is the answer?
Every end time view seems fraught with inconsistencies,
and a clear path to a coherent view does not seem obvious.
Or, perhaps, it is so obvious that we simply have
dismissed it as impossible.
Jesus said to his followers, Assuredly, I say to you, there
are some standing here who shall not taste death till they
see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom (Matt. 16:28).
On many occasions he indicated that his generation the
people living at that time would see the fulfillment of the
promise to Israel and the coming of the kingdom of God.
Similar statements abound in the New Testament. You
cannot open a book of the New Testament perhaps not
even a chapter without finding some reference to the end
of the ages or the coming of the kingdom or the fulfillment
of prophecy.
These statements are rarely taken seriously. The idea
that fulfillment could have happened in Jesus generation is
so unthinkable that we are willing to ignore these
statements or reinterpret them. Or we engage in
philosophical discussions about the nature of time. Or we
construct elaborate fulfillment schemes that apply Jesus
words to some other generation yet to come. Or we
conclude that Jesus was, in the words of one Jesus scholar,
mistaken, but not wrong.
Clearly, something is wrong. And its not Jesus.
What is the answer? We cant translate Left Behind into
the first-century and find it in the historical record. There
are no reports of a Rapture, leaving crumpled togas in the
Senate or unmanned chariots on the Appian Way. What we
do have is Jesus making a clear connection of his return to
the destruction of Jerusalem. We do have the historical
record that Jerusalem was, in fact, destroyed forty years after
Jesus prophecy a generation in biblical terms. We also
have Jesus descriptive language regarding his coming that
appears at first glance more cosmic than the fall of
Jerusalem. Well examine this use of language in a moment.
Right now, let us propose a very simple interpretive
scheme in the form of a mathematical equation. We have
the time frame of Jesus prophecy: the destruction of
Jerusalem. Lets call that t. We have Jesus description of his
coming well call that d. Thats one side of our equation.
On the other side we have the same timeframe, t, because
we know that Jerusalem was destroyed. We also have, for
lack of a better way to describe it, what really happened (or
didnt happen, we might add, but cautiously), that well call
w. So our equation looks like this:
td=tw
In algebra, anything on both sides of the equation drops
out. In our case, t drops out, leaving us with:
d=w
Or in plain English, whatever happened when Jerusalem
was destroyed was exactly what Jesus was talking about. If
not, then his detractors have every reason to question his
claims to legitimacy.
This is a very simple hypothesis, but we must
understand that almost no prophecy is self-evident in terms of
fulfillment. The exact nature of a prophecys fulfillment is
not known until that fulfillment has come to pass.
Jesus was not the Messiah that the Jews of his day
expected. This caused them to doubt his claims to be the
Messiah. But early Christians added up the signs: he was
born of a virgin, of the tribe of Judah and the line of David,
in Davids city. He came with signs and wonders. Either he
is the real Messiah, or biblical prophecy is a little confused.
In Luke 4 Jesus reads the scroll of Isaiah and then says,
Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. The
reaction of the crowd indicated that this was not what they
were expecting. Nevertheless, once Jesus said that, the exact
nature of the fulfillment of Isaiahs prophecy was made
clear.
In Acts 2, referring to the events at Pentecost, Peter says
to the crowd, This is that which was prophesied by the
prophet Joel. Reading Joels prophecy prior to Pentecost,
one would not necessarily conjure up the scene in Acts 2.
Yet, as soon as Peter, under the power of the Holy Spirit,
said, this is that, the exact nature of the fulfillment of
Joels prophecy was made clear. To use a common refrain,
this is not rocket science.
On the other hand we dont have any post-70 scriptures
to tell us this is that with regard to the coming of Jesus
Christ. We do have Jesus own words that his coming would
be concurrent with the destruction of Jerusalem. If our
hypothesis holds, the nature of his coming should now be
made clear. The testimony of Jesus, John tells us in
Revelation 19:10, is the spirit of prophecy.

Use of Language
To make sense of biblical prophecy, we must clarify
some terms. There are four terms that are used throughout
this book, and we can understand them in two pairs of
contrasts.
The first pair is figurative vs. literal. This has to do with
the kind of language used. The language used to describe
prophesied events is often figurative, meaning we are not to
apply the direct literal meaning of the words used. We
sometimes call this figure of speech. Figurative language
takes many forms: simile, metaphor, hyperbole, metonymy,
etc. Discussion of each of these forms is not necessary: it is
enough for us to know that there are several ways in which
words can be used without intending their strict, literal
meaning. Literal, of course, means the words are to be
understood in their exact definition, or close to it.
There is something of a gray area here sometimes
figures of speech are so imbedded in our culture and
language that they become literal. When we speak of an
argument or debate we use terms of warfare: we speak of
fighting or attack. We dont mean this literally, exactly, but
the figure is so imbedded we dont consciously think of it as
a figure.
The other pair of terms is spiritual vs. temporal. These
terms have to do with the nature or the significance of a
prophesied event. Temporal deals with the space-time
universe, with the scope of the daily life of humanity. We
will sometimes use physical as a synonym. Spiritual speaks of
things from Gods perspective. This is not always an
either/or proposition. Sometimes a temporal event can have
spiritual significance. What can help us in this regard is that
the Psalms and Prophets used figurative language to ascribe
spiritual significance to temporal events. Lets take a look at
Psalm 18:
Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations
of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because
He was angry.
Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire
from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down with
darkness under His feet.
And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon
the wings of the wind.
He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around
Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the
skies.
From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds
passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High
uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.
He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,
lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished
them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen, the
foundations of the world were uncovered at Your
rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your
nostrils. (Psalm 18:7-15)
Notice the language David uses here. Without knowing
what he is writing about, we might assume he is describing
some kind of catastrophic, cosmic event much like people
understand the return of Jesus. In fact, the language of this
Psalm is nearly identical to some of the language used to
describe Jesus coming. But the heading of the Psalm
describes the occasion as Davids defeat of Saul. This is not a
cosmic event. The language here is exaggerated but this is
the stuff of poetry. This event is very important to David,
and has great spiritual significance. David, a man after
Gods own heart, wants to celebrate his victory but he does
not take credit himself, so he gives glory to God. And he
uses language that eloquently expresses both his gratitude
and the profound significance of the event he describes. He
uses figurative language to invest a temporal event with
spiritual significance.
Lets look at another example. In Isaiah 13, the prophet
describes the judgment of God against Babylon,
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like that
of many people! A tumultuous noise of the
kingdoms of nations gathered together! The Lord
of hosts musters the army for battle.
They come from a far country, from the end of
heaven the Lord and His weapons of
indignation, to destroy the whole land.
Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come
as destruction from the Almighty.
Therefore all hands will be limp, every man's heart
will melt,
And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take
hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in
childbirth; They will be amazed at one another;
Their faces will be like flames.
Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both
wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate;
and He will destroy its sinners from it.
For the stars of heaven and their constellations will
not give their light; The sun will be darkened in
its going forth, and the moon will not cause its
light to shine.
I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for
their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the
proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the
terrible.
I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man
more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will
move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of
hosts and in the day of His fierce anger. (Isaiah
13:4-13)
The temporal event being described here is the capture
of Babylon by the Medes (Isa. 13:1, 17-19). Again, notice the
language used. This passage is an interesting combination of
literal language graphically describing the attack of the
Medes, and figurative language describing Gods act of
judgment through this event. The event itself is, on the
historical level, just another exercise in ancient warfare, a
relic for the annals of ancient history. The language of
prophecy, however, gives us insight into the spiritual
significance of this event.
In Exodus 19:4 God tells the people of Israel that he
brought them out of Egypt on eagles wings. This is a very
simple example of figurative language being used to
describe a temporal event in spiritual terms.
So how does this apply to our understanding of end-
time prophecy? Very simply, Jesus used figurative language
(coming on the clouds, etc.) to describe a temporal event
(the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans) in terms of its
spiritual significance (the consummation of the ages and the
coming of the kingdom of God).
This means that Christs coming and the kingdom
ushered in are spiritual in nature. This should not surprise
us. Jesus frequently described the kingdom in spiritual
terms: My kingdom is not of this world The kingdom
of God does not come with observation and so on (Jn.
18:36; Lk. 17:20). In some cases this will mean that a
prophecy that appears to use literal language, speaking of
the kingdom of God or of Zion or Jerusalem or the temple,
might turn out to be figurative, with a spiritual application.
This is probably the most confusing aspect of biblical
prophecy. But it is not alien to our way of thinking. Various
Jews, with a literal understanding of prophecy, were
expecting a temporal, or physical, kingdom. Jesus did not
satisfy their expectations in this regard. He offered them a
figurative understanding of these prophecies that pointed to
a spiritual kingdom. This is part of the reason they had him
crucified, and it seems unlikely that he would return to offer
a temporal kingdom he refused to usher in the first time.
The spiritual nature of the work of Christ is established
throughout the New Testament. Never once is it suggested
that he came to remain on earth, or that his ascension into
heaven was a necessary retreat and delay in the
establishment of his kingdom. Rather, he taught that just as
he came from the Father, he would return unto the Father
for the purpose of bringing fullness and completion to Bible
prophecy. In John 6:62-63, he said, What then if you
should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is
the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The
words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. His
message was not earthly or fleshly in hope and promise, but
rather he came to bear testimony to the spiritual. Entry into
his kingdom requires a new birth after the manner and
power of the spirit because his kingdom is not of this world,
and therefore cannot be entered by flesh and blood (Jn.
18:36; 1 Cor. 15:50).
One last term that we will need to be familiar with is
type. In everyday use type has been reduced to mean
variety or kind. In the study of literature, however (and
biblical interpretation is a kind of literary study), it means
something that foreshadows or anticipates or signifies
something else. It is a sign of something to come. You
might think of it as a pointer, or a kind of real-life
metaphor. David, as king of Israel, was a type of Christ.
Because we have the example of David as a temporal king,
we have a better understanding of Jesus as a spiritual king.
A great deal of the Old Testament system served as a
type of the New Covenant that was to come. Because the
Old Covenant had priests, we can understand better what it
means for Jesus to be our high priest, and for Peter to call
the early believers a royal priesthood. Because the Old
Covenant had a temple, we can understand what Jesus
meant when he said Destroy this temple and I will build it
again in three days, referring to his own body, and why
Paul and Peter can both refer to the church in temple terms.
The fact that these temporal things, these types, passed
away is not to denigrate them or despise them. They had a
great and valuable purpose. But that purpose was to point to
the greater things to come (Heb. 9:11; 10:1).
The law system was a type or shadow of things to come,
but not the very image of those things (Heb. 10:11). A type
does not typify itself. Physical or temporal concepts were
used to point to a higher and spiritual meaning, which
would otherwise be impossible without a point of reference.
To hope for a literal fulfillment of these pointers, or types, is
to miss this vital point in Gods spiritual program for
humanity. Literal fulfillment is not necessary if a literal
concept was used in the first place in order to convey a
higher meaning and understanding of some spiritual reality.

The Method of Interpretation
The spiritual method of interpretation is firmly
established in the Bible, and it is the basic and primary
method of interpretation involved in end-time prophecy.
To put it simply, there is biblical precedent for
understanding the kind of language used in end-times
prophecy as figurative, or metaphorical. This is especially
true in Christs first coming to fleshly Israel, and also with
respect to the last days of fleshly Israel. Since prophecy
involves the two Israels of God (fleshly and spiritual) in the
last days, one can expect to find a twofold application of
prophecy. We must recognize, however, that the spiritual
method of interpretation is prominent among New
Testament authors with respect to the establishment and
development of spiritual Israel, and a large portion of Old
Testament prophecy is applied there not to fleshly Israel.
The theme for this book is taken from Revelation,
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to
me, See that you do not do that! I am your fellow
servant, and of your brethren who have the
testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy
(Revelation 19:10).
While the context of this verse does not speak directly to
the nature of prophecy, it does point to Him who is the
grand end and design of all prophecy; namely, Jesus Christ,
the Son of God. Take Jesus out of the Bible, and prophecy
would be meaningless. Since all of the prophets gave
witness unto Him, it is only reasonable to assume that the
nature or the spirit of prophecy may be established in the
nature of Christ and his work. Both must be in agreement
one cannot contradict the other.
The spiritual nature of the work of Christ is established
throughout the New Testament. Never once is it suggested
that He came to remain on earth, or that his ascension into
heaven was a necessary retreat and delay in the
establishment of his kingdom. Rather, He taught that just as
He came from the Father, He would return unto the Father
for the purpose of bringing fullness and completion to
redemption.
As we progress in our study, we will come to a better
understanding of these things. For too long, because of
misunderstanding, the world of Bible prophecy has been
closed to many people. They give up trying to understand,
and miss out on a world of meaning to be found on the
pages of Scripture. It is our hope that by providing a few
tools and concepts, this world can be opened up to all.
,./
Discussion Questions
1. Why is studying Bible prophecy in context important?
2. In what sense should the Bible be taken literally? In what
sense might a literal reading be misleading?
3. What does spiritual mean to you? Temporal?
4. How does the authors use of these terms differ from your
understanding?
5. Can a temporal promise have a spiritual fulfillment?
6. Can a spiritual fulfillment have a physical referent?

CHAPTER TWO
The Law and the Truth
{}
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth
came through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:17). In this chapter we
examine these words of Christ, their meaning, and what impact
they have on our study of prophecy. The Law contained a
foretaste or a shadow of what was to come. The real deal
would come through Christ, but the Law gave us images and
concepts to help us understand the spiritual reality that is ours in
Christ. Things like the tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifice,
the temple, etc., all pointed to the coming everlasting world where
righteousness dwells.
,./
To fully understand prophecy and the nature of
fulfillment we must look at the difference between the Old
and New covenants. The many pairs of contrasting words
flesh and spirit, works and faith, earthly and heavenly
point to the differing natures of these covenants. John
writes in his gospel, For the law was given through Moses,
but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:17).
Since it is clearly stated that Moses gave the law, and Christ
THE LAW AND THE TRUTH 23
gave truth, it is evident that two laws or systems existed that
are different by nature. This raises the question: What law is
spoken of, and what is meant by truth? This may not be as
easy as we think. To define truth, for instance, it would be
easy to go to John 17:17 and apply the statement of Christ,
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. While
the word of God is truth, this is not the answer to truth in
John 1:17! This definition would include the law, since it
too was the word of God. With respect to the law, Exodus
20:1 tells us, And God spoke all these words. There was
nothing contained in the law that was without divine
revelation. Paul said, Therefore the law is holy, and the
commandment holy and just and good (Rom. 7:12). One
cannot make truth in John 1:17 mean merely the word of
God without making the law something other than the
word of God. The law was not the truth given by Christ, nor
was this truth the law, but both were the word of God.
What, then, is the difference?
If we can understand what the law was, especially in
this context, we will be in a better position to understand
what truth is. The book of Hebrews is devoted mainly to
describing the nature and purpose of the law system.
Hebrews 10:1 says, For the law, having a shadow of the
good things to come, and not the very image of the
things. The law, to some extent, was a fleshly system of
services and ordinances that were shadows or types of good
things to come, but not the very image of those things.
The good things to come were the spiritual things of truth,
or of the gospel system. The purpose of the law was to
foreshadow these spiritual things by its carnal types or
shadows. This is the only way we can really understand
spiritual things. The physical things, the types and shadows,
had to be established so that they might serve as metaphors
for spiritual reality. The picture here is of God as a divine
author, establishing characters and settings in the first
chapters so that the climax might make sense to the reader.
The law was first necessary as a schoolmaster to bring us to
Christ, or to the truth. This relationship is illustrated in
Figure 2.
This relationship between the law and truth is further
explained as a pattern (KJV) or copy. The writer states,
Therefore it was necessary that the copies (patterns) of the
things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the
heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than
these (Heb. 9:23).
Patterns here refers to the things of the law system, that
were purged or sprinkled with the blood of animals. The
heavenly things were purified with better sacrifices, the
sacrifice of Christ rather than animals. The law system
contained the copies (patterns) of the gospel system, with the
patterns being concerned only with foods and drinks, various
washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of
reformation (Heb. 9:10). The things produced by the copies
were heavenly, or spiritual in nature. The carnal ordinances
were imposed on them until the time of reformation, or the
time that truth would be brought by Jesus Christ.
This truth also is presented in Hebrews, that describes
the priests under the law,
Who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly
things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he
was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See
that you make all things according to the pattern
shown you on the mountain (Hebrews 8:5).


Figure 2


The tabernacle built by Moses never was intended to be
anything more than a pattern or copy for the purpose of
leading man to the heavenly or spiritual tabernacle, the one
made without hands (Heb. 9:11).
Those who served in this first tabernacle served to
foreshadow heavenly things. Moses gave the carnal patterns,
but the heavenly or spiritual product came by Jesus Christ.
Those who are looking for a rebuilding of the temple, and a
restoration of Israel to Palestine, fail to see the spiritual
application of those carnal patterns given under the law.
The pattern period has been completed, never again to be
restored with divine blessing. These patterns have served
their purpose they have produced the spiritual copy or
product that was desired.
When building a house a blueprint is very valuable. The
various contractors and builders working on the house must
consult the blueprint. They must follow its precepts, and
adhere to its pattern. It becomes a kind of law that assures
the proper construction of the house. Once the house is
finished, however, the blueprint has served its purpose. The
family is not going to move into the blueprint. The
blueprint, as valuable as it was, cannot serve the same
function as the house that it pointed to. This is a lesson yet
to be learned by those who insist upon a literal fulfillment of
Old Testament prophecy. They are still looking for a fleshly
return to the types and shadows of the law, rather than
dwelling in the house of truth that these patterns have
produced.
In addition to shadow and pattern, the law is said to be
a figure. Hebrews 9 tells us of the first tabernacle,
It was symbolic for the present time in which both
gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make
him who performed the service perfect in regard
to the conscience
Concerned only with foods and drinks, various
washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until
the time of reformation.
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to
come, with the greater and more perfect
tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of
this creation (Hebrews 9:9-11).
The word symbolic (figure in KJV) is not the same
as type, but it is roughly the same as a metaphor or
parable. It means to place alongside, which suggests a
comparison, and it is used here in the sense of image or
symbol something that represents something else. The
first tabernacle, with all of its carnal services, was a
representation of the tabernacle to come under Christ, and
stands in contrast to this spiritual tabernacle not made with
hands. Since we are not normally capable of understanding
spiritual things directly, the Bible uses physical things to
represent the spiritual. This explains the difference between
the first and second tabernacles. Hebrews 9 reads,
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with
hands, which are copies of the true, but into
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God for us (Hebrews 9:24).
Those who hold to the literal interpretation of prophecy
want Christ to return in flesh and blood to enter into a
literal tabernacle, but the only one ever intended for Christ
to enter is the one made without hands, and this tabernacle
He entered nearly 2,000 years ago. This tabernacle set forth
the good things to come as foreshadowed by the law
(Heb. 10:1; Heb. 9:11). The good things have come in that
spiritual tabernacle.
Hebrews 8:5 tells us that the law system was an example,
and in Hebrews 3:5 it is presented as a witness, or a
testimony: And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house
as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be
spoken afterward. The things that were to be spoken
afterward are the same as the good things that were to
come under the heavenly or spiritual system. These things
have come to us in truth. The things of which the law
testified have been spoken, and the good things of which it
was a shadow are now a reality. The house has been built,
and we dwell in it.
Once we understand the law as a type or a
foreshadowing, pointing to better things to come, we are in
a better position to understand the truth spoken of in John
1:17. If Moses gave the law for the purposes just stated, then
it follows that truth is the system that was to come after the
pattern or shadow of the law. If the law was a shadow, then
truth is that which is affirmed by Paul with respect to Christ
and the sabbath,
So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or
regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
which are a shadow of things to come, but the
substance is of Christ (Colossians 2:16-17).
If the first tabernacle was a pattern or figure, then one
may expect to find a second tabernacle, which is said to be
of truth, and we might expect that tabernacle to be spiritual
in nature. Hebrews 8 points to this:
Now this is the main point of the things we are
saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated
at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in
the heavens,
A minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle
which the Lord erected, and not man (Hebrews
8:1-2).
The true tabernacle refers to the one that was typified by
the first tabernacle of the law, and the one that the Bible
says is made without hands it is spiritual. This is further
seen in Hebrews 9:24, For Christ has not entered the holy
places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but
into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for
us. Again, the word true is found in relationship to the
tabernacle built by Christ, which helps one to see what is
meant by the truth that was given by Christ in contrast to
the law given by Moses.
To say that the true tabernacle came under Christ does
not mean that the one given under Moses was false in
design or faulty in construction. It was everything God
wanted it to be as a pattern or a figure of the one to come.
But it was not of the state or nature that God wanted as a
permanent tabernacle. The true or permanent tabernacle
was to be made of intangible material. This is the basic
meaning of the term truth as given by Christ.
Truth is the spiritual nature of the New Testament
system in contrast to the carnal or fleshly nature of the Old
Testament system. The flesh had to be first that it might be
followed by the spiritual. This is to be seen in the nature of
the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael, who
was first, was born after the flesh, but Isaac, who was to
eventually receive the inheritance, was born after the Spirit
(Galatians 4:21-31). The next chapter will examine these
two sons in greater detail.
The law was for the purpose of typifying the spiritual
state under Christ. A literal application of Old Testament
prophecy returns one to the carnal conditions of the law,
and denies the truth or spiritual system of the gospel as the
last and final revelation of God. The literalistic approach to
prophecy reduces the truth or spiritual system of the New
Testament to a temporary period of substitution, until the
time comes when Christ shall return and restore man to the
flesh, by means of a fleshly fulfillment of all Old Testament
prophecy. It results in a turning away from the state of truth
to the pattern of flesh, which is more than can be accepted
by any thoughtful student of Gods Word.
Looking at the chart in figure 2, we see two of
everything, which is the idea behind the Law and the Truth.
It shows the shadow and the body; the pattern and the
product; the figure or type, and the antitype. This basic
picture is presented in the two sons of Abraham, the one
being born after the flesh, and the other after the Spirit. In
Galatians 4 we see that the mothers of these two sons
represent the two covenants, and the two sons represent the
two nations born of the covenants, namely fleshly and
spiritual Israel. We have already seen in the book of
Hebrews that the first covenant contained carnal ordinances
as a type or shadow of good things to come under the
second covenant, which, as typified by Isaac, is spiritual by
nature. It is constituted of things not made with hands,
but born of the spirit of God.
On the chart is listed ten things which existed under the
law system in a fleshly, carnal, or literal sense, and then
under the truth their counterparts are shown, which now
exist in a spiritual form of fulfillment. Lets take a look at
these in order, so we can see the change that is made from
the flesh to the spirit.

Tabernacle
First, under the Law there was a tabernacle made of a
material substance, having carnal ordinances. The shape,
design, and nature of this tabernacle are fully described in
Exodus 26 and 27. The writer in Hebrews 9:9-10 had this
tabernacle in mind when he said, It was symbolic for the
present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are
offered. He said that these services were, concerned
only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly
ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
But now, under Christ, we have the true tabernacle; But
Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with
the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with
hands, that is, not of this creation (Heb. 9:11). Thus it is
clearly established that the greater and more perfect
tabernacle is the spiritual one under Christ, that was
typified by the carnal one under the law of Moses. To look
for a material tabernacle in some future time results in
exalting the flesh over the spirit, and the law over the truth.
Certainly, the tabernacle under Christ is of a different
material or substance from the first under Moses, but this
does not destroy the meaning or validity of Bible prophecy.
Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that prophecy given in a
fleshly context must have a fleshly fulfillment. Many are asking
for proof for the right to change from the flesh to the spirit
in application of prophecy; but the proof is contained in
these scriptures that have been under study. Abraham had
two sons to teach this very lesson. One has as much right to
change from the flesh to the spirit as one has to leave
Ishmael (who has now been cast out), and come to Isaac,
who has now received the inheritance.
While the law system still stood, Amos prophesied
concerning the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David. He
said, On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David,
which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise
up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old (Amos
9:11). Since this prophecy was given under the fleshly
system, it might appear from that viewpoint that Amos was
speaking of a time when the material tabernacle would be
raised up in a material form. But now the spiritual
significance of that prophecy is seen since the time of its
fulfillment is under the truth system of the gospel, and
therefore it was to be raised up into its true spiritual form as
taught in Hebrews 9:11, 24.
A confirmation of this is given in the testimony of the
Holy Spirit, who made spiritual application of this prophecy
in the meeting at Jerusalem in Acts 15. The meeting was
concerning the Gentiles, who had been accepted into the
church, and the problem of whether or not they should
keep the law, particularly circumcision. After Peter made his
speech showing how God had accepted the Gentiles by the
gospel, purifying their hearts by faith that is, the gospel
system in contrast to the law system of works he
concluded that they should not be brought under the yoke
of bondage of the law. At this point, James arose and agreed,
noting that this was the very meaning of the prophecy of
Amos, with respect to the raising up of the tabernacle of
David. He said,
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as
it is written:
After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle
of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its
ruins, And I will set it up;
So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even
all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says
the Lord who does all these things.
Known to God from eternity are all His works (Acts
15:15-18).
If the prophecy of raising up the tabernacle of David
must have a material fulfillment, then it is yet future, which
would exclude the Gentiles from any right to seek after the
Lord until that tabernacle comes. But there is another
tabernacle now, confirmed in the Scriptures, where the
Gentiles can now seek after the Lord. On this basis, one may
safely agree with James and the Holy Spirit, that the
tabernacle of David has been raised up in the work and
person of Jesus Christ, and that it is the tabernacle described
in the Scriptures as being made without hands. The true son
of David (Christ) is the minister and high priest of this
sanctuary, and of this true tabernacle, which the Lord
erected and not man (Heb. 8:2).
The prophet Ezekiel prophesied of this same tabernacle
when he identified it with David (Christ) and the New
Testament. He said,
David My servant shall be king over them
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them,
and it shall be an everlasting covenant with
them; I will establish them and multiply them,
and I will set My sanctuary in their midst
forevermore.
My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will
be their God, and they shall be My people.
The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify
Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst
forevermore (Ezekiel 37:24, 26-28).
In the book of Revelation, John identifies this tabernacle
with the coming of the holy city, the new Jerusalem, at the
end of the Jewish world when the kingdom of God came in
fullness, or when Ishmael was cast out and Isaac was
brought in. He said,
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also
there was no more sea.
Then I, John, 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 heaven saying,
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and
He will dwell with them, and they shall be His
people. God Himself will be with them and be
their God (Revelation 21:1-3).
To many this is yet future because it is commonly
believed that most of the book of Revelation has a future
fulfillment. Our contention, however, is that the book of
Revelation, like the rest of prophecy, has been fulfilled. John
was writing of things that must shortly come to pass (Rev.
1:1), and the time was near (Rev. 1:3). Revelation was
written before the fall of Jerusalem,
1
and is a book dealing
with events that would take place in the end of the Jewish
world or system. The Scriptures cited above clearly show
that the tabernacle prophesied by Ezekiel and Amos has had
its fulfillment under the truth brought by Jesus Christ.

Priesthood
The second item on the chart is the priesthood.
Following our spiritual application of prophecy, we would
expect to find a spiritual priesthood under the New

1
The evidence for an early date and a past fulfillment of Revelation is
significant as chapter 12 will show.
Covenant. The priesthood of the Law system was carnal in
work and nature, with the priests being dressed in robes of
distinction. For a complete description of the Levitical
priesthood, see Exodus 28-30. Since we have a spiritual
tabernacle under Christ in the New Covenant, it is only
reasonable to look for a spiritual priesthood. A carnal
priesthood cannot be placed in a spiritual tabernacle. We
find this spiritual priesthood in 1 Peter, you also, as living
stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). There is a spiritual house
built of living stones, in which spiritual sacrifices are offered
by a spiritual priesthood (called a royal priesthood in
verse 9). What greater proof is needed in order to see that
the change from the law system to the truth system is a
change from flesh to spirit? The priesthood today is not
dressed in robes of distinction for the purpose of offering
fleshly sacrifices and ministering in carnal ordinances, nor is
there any Old Testament prophecy of such a priesthood to
come at some future time. There is prophecy of a prosperous
priesthood to come, but this priesthood shares a spiritual
nature with the New Covenant in which fulfillment takes
place. It is not, and was not intended to be, a mere copy or
replacement of the Old Covenant priesthood.
The writer of Hebrews clearly points out the need for a
change in the Levitical priesthood, and therefore a change
in the law or the covenant. There is a New Covenant for the
very reason that there is a new priesthood, and the nature of
the new is spiritual. Therefore all prophecy of the new
priesthood to come may well be expected to have a
fulfillment that corresponds to the nature of the new law
under which such changes have been made (Heb. 7:11-12).
One such prophecy of a new and prosperous priesthood
is found in Jeremiah 33,
In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up
to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall
execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will
dwell safely. And this is the name by which she
will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man
to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;
Nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer
burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain
offerings, and to sacrifice continually (Jeremiah
33:15-18).
There are several things stated in this prophecy that
identify it with the work of Christ under the New Covenant.
First, Christ is the branch that was to grow up unto David
(Isa. 4:2; 11:1, 2; Zech. 6:12). Second, Christ was given the
power to execute judgment and righteousness in the land
(Jn. 5:27). Third, in Christ, the need for a continuous
kingship and priesthood is supplied. But He (Christ), because
He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood
(Heb. 7:24). Not only does he have an abiding priesthood,
but he also is a king as well as a priest, forever according
to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:21). He is King and
Priest, having a throne that is forever and ever (Heb. 1:8),
and an unchangeable priesthood (Heb. 7:24). Thus, the
kingdom and priesthood are united in Christ in fulfillment
of Zechariah 6,
Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From
His place He shall branch out, and He shall build
the temple of the Lord;
Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall
bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His
throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and
the counsel of peace shall be between them both
(Zechariah 6:12-13).
Christ could not be both a King and a Priest if these
prophecies were to have their fulfillment in the fleshly
system. In the first place,
For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to
another tribe, from which no man has officiated
at the altar.
For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of
which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning
priesthood (Hebrews 7:13-14).
For this reason Paul stated, For if He were on earth, He
would not be a priest... (Heb. 8:4). But he is a priest upon
his throne, which shows that this prophecy was not to be
fulfilled in a literal context here upon this earth. Being in
the heavens he can be both priest and king after the order of
Melchizedek, who was priest and king of Salem (Heb. 7:1).
So, according to the prophecy of Zechariah 6:12-13, the
man whose name is the branch would build the temple
and rule upon his throne, and be a priest upon his throne.
That Christ built the temple is clear from Ephesians 2,
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and
members of the household of God,
having been built on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone,
in whom the whole building, being joined together,
grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
in whom you also are being built together for a
dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians
2:19-22).
This is the spiritual house made of the living stones that
Peter speaks of in 1 Peter 2:5. As for the uniting of the
kingdom and priesthood in Christ, this is affirmed in
Hebrews,
Now this is the main point of the things we are
saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated
at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in
the heavens,
A minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle
which the Lord erected, and not man (Hebrews
8:1-2).
So the prophecies of Jeremiah 33:15-18 and Zechariah
6:12-13 are fulfilled in Christ under the spiritual system of
the New Covenant. This is the only place where such a
fulfillment was possible. The Bible says it cannot be fulfilled
on earth (Heb. 7:13-14; 8:4), and that should settle the
matter. The spiritual tabernacle and priesthood in the
spiritual temple are the offspring of the carnal or fleshly
types and shadows of the Law. They are in harmony with
the nature of the New Covenant and produce children born
after the spirit and not after the flesh. Those who fail to see
the spiritual significance and application of Old Testament
prophecies do not rightly divide the word of truth.

Sacrifices
The third item on the chart is sacrifices. The change
from fleshly to spiritual sacrifices also is evident in the
Scriptures, But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins
every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and
goats could take away sins (Heb. 10:3-4). The animal
sacrifices served only temporarily, inasmuch as,
It was necessary that the copies of the things in the
heavens should be purified with these, but the
heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these.
For Christ has not entered the holy places made with
hands, which are copies of the true, but into
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God for us (Hebrews. 9:23-24).
Under the gospel system there is not a repetitious
sacrificing for sins, For by one offering He (Christ) has
perfected forever those who are being sanctified (Heb.
10:14). The typical animal sacrifices of the Old Testament
found their fulfillment in Christ, the Lamb of God that took
away the sins of the world. But the spiritual priesthood
under Christ is not without sacrifice. You also, as living
stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). It should be noticed that
the term spiritual is applied both to the priesthood and the
sacrifices offered. This is in contrast to the carnal priesthood
and sacrifices of the Old Testament.

Temple
The fourth item on the chart is the temple. Volumes
have been written on the glorious temple of Solomon,
commonly referred to as the house of God (1 Chron. 22:6-
10). But like other shadows under the law, this too was
typical of another temple to be built by Christ, the seed of
David. What is the nature of the perfected temple? Should
we expect it to be of the same substance as the original
temple? If we employ our interpretive scheme consistently,
we should expect a spiritual temple, and we should look for
confirmation of this in the New Testament. We find this
confirmation in passages such as 2 Corinthians 6:16, 6:19,
20; Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 7:47-50. Like the true tabernacle,
the true temple of God is not made with hands that is, it is
not of material substance. It is a spiritual house, being
constituted of souls redeemed by the blood of Christ, in
whom God now dwells. This is the house of God in 1
Timothy 3:15.
To look for a future fulfillment of Zechariah 6:12-13,
and the rebuilding of the temple on the basis that no such
literal temple has yet been erected, is to miss the true
meaning and spiritual interpretation of Old Testament
prophecy. The spiritual, not the literal, prevails under Isaac.
Ishmael was born after the flesh; Isaac after the spirit. Mans
freedom is not realized in Hagar the bondwoman, who
typifies the carnal system of the Law, but in Sarah the
freewoman, who stands for the new Covenant, and the Law
of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:2). Demanding
the rebuilding of a literal temple in Jerusalem sets the stage
for Pauls question to the Galatians, Are you so foolish?
Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect
by the flesh? (Gal. 3:3). Do we seek to be brothers to
Ishmael or to Isaac?

Throne
Another type or shadow in the Old Testament was the
throne of David, that stood for the rule and authority David
exercised in the kingdom of fleshly Israel. This kingdom was
first set up in the days of Saul, when the people demanded
of Samuel a king. This grieved Samuel, because he felt they
had rejected him as Judge. But God said they had not
rejected Samuel, they had rejected Him. Gods displeasure
with an earthly kingdom in fleshly Israel was expressed in
Hosea 13:11, I gave you a king in My anger, and took him
away in My wrath.
Though displeased with the peoples request for a king,
God granted their request, and allowed the kingdom to
come to earth, but only for the purpose of pointing to the
eternal kingdom to come. The time would come when a
new Israel would be born, and the kingdom would be raised
from an earthly to a heavenly state. He who would
accomplish this work was to be born of the seed of David,
and possess the throne of David forever.
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;
and the government will be upon His shoulder.
and His name will be called Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there
will be no end, upon the throne of David and
over His kingdom, to order it and establish it
with judgment and justice from that time
forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of
hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6-7).
The gospel of Luke tells us that Christ is the fulfillment
of this prophecy,
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the
Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of his father David.
And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and
of his kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:32-
33).
The great controversy in these passages has to do with
the time and manner of Christs being on Davids throne.
Because of the literal concept of the kingdom and the
throne of David, many believe these prophecies await a
future fulfillment. But the Scriptures plainly establish the
fact that Christ was on Davids throne during the time of
the apostles (cf. Acts 2:22-36) and that his kingdom has
come right on schedule (Matt. 16:27-28; Mk. 1:15; Dan.
2:44).
Expecting a literal fulfillment of this prophecy forces
many to construct a postponement theory, that destroys the
credibility of prophecy by separating it from the time of its
fulfillment. If the time element involved in a prophecy can
fail, so can every other aspect of the prophecy. But the
failure is not in the Scriptures, the prophecies, or the time of
fulfillment, but rather in mans concept of how these
prophecies must be fulfilled. The literal principle will not
work, and is without scriptural support. On the other hand,
the spiritual principle of interpretation is not only
demanded in the Scriptures, but it has a harmony and
consistency that meets every demand of prophecy in
relation to time, history, typology, and manner of
fulfillment. The disharmonies and inconsistencies arise out
of the materialistic and literalistic field of interpretation.
Some have Christ on the Fathers throne now, to be
given Davids throne at a later time. This either makes
Davids throne greater in power and glory than the Fathers
throne, or else Christ is going to be demoted later when he
changes thrones. But the Scriptures make no distinction in
Gods throne and Davids throne, see 1 Kings 2:12 and 1
Chronicles 29:23. Nowhere in Scripture is Christ given the
promise of two thrones, nor is there any indication that he
is going to leave one in order to occupy another.
Others object to Christs being on Davids throne in
heaven, asking how it got from earth to heaven. But, the
question could be reversed, How did it get from heaven to
earth? God didnt want the throne on earth, but allowed it
to be for a time (Hos. 13:11; 1 Sam. 8:7). It was his purpose
to return or restore, at a future time, the throne to its proper
place. Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown!
It shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it is, And I
will give it to Him (Ezek. 21:27). An earthly kingdom and
throne for eternity were no more suitable to God than an
earthly tabernacle, priesthood, or temple. Thus, Stephen
argues the change from the carnal to the spiritual in these
words,
But Solomon built Him a house.
However, the Most High does not dwell in temples
made with hands, as the prophet says:
Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What
house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or
what is the place of My rest?
Has My hand not made all these things? (Acts 7:47-
50).
Thus, Christ came to raise up or to deliver up (1 Cor.
15:24) a kingdom that had come to earth through rebellion
and disobedience, and that eventually was overturned,
waiting the coming of Him whose right it was. A literal
throne on earth could not answer Gods purpose of
restitution and restoration, inasmuch as the imperfection or
weakness of the first was due to the earthly state of its
existence. The same reasoning may be applied to the
argument that Christ, in order to fulfill the Davidic
promises, must rule over fleshly Israel in their own land
(Palestine). But the rule of Christ was to be over restored
Israel in their restored land, therefore the identity of this
Israel and of this land must come from the New Testament
Scriptures, which deal with the work and nature of
restoration under Christ. The identity of Israel and their
land will be addressed later in this chapter.
Seed
Next, presented in the Bible are two kinds of seeds
fleshly and spiritual. Concerning the fleshly seed of
Abraham, the promise of a great nation was given, which
was fulfilled in fleshly Israel (Gen. 12:1-3). But the greater
and higher promise of Genesis 12:1-3 was to be fulfilled
through his spiritual seed, which is Christ. Now to
Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not
say, and to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to your
Seed, who is Christ (Gal. 3:16). In the restored kingdom,
one is not constituted a child of God by fleshly birth of the
descent of Abraham, but by birth of the incorruptible seed,
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ
Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have
put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave
nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you
are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abrahams seed,
and heirs according to the promise (Galatians
3:26-29).
Peter continues this theme of Abrahams seed, having
been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible,
through the word of God which lives and abides forever (1
Pet. 1:23).
The tragic error of the unbelieving Jew was his failure to
see Christ as the promised seed of Abraham, through whom
the Abrahamic promises and blessings were to be realized.
Their vision was clouded with the veil of Moses (2 Cor. 3:13-
16) inasmuch as they anticipated a Messiah whose work
would be a fleshly and literal restitution of the carnal system
born of Moses. They could not see beyond Moses to
Abraham, and grasp the spiritual significance of the
promised seed, which extended above and beyond the
carnal types and shadows of the Law. They continually
assured themselves of future blessings on the basis that we
are Abrahams seed (Jn. 8:33), not realizing that in the new
world to come the children of Abraham would be born of
Christ his promised seed (Rom. 4:13).
On this basis, John defends the believers in Christ from
the charges of heresy and apostasy, showing that the seed
remains in Him (Christ), and therefore is not lost, but rather
maintained by conversion from Judaism to Christianity (1
Jn. 3:6-9; Isa. 66:22). It was this understanding that led Paul
to give up the works of the Law, and seek justification by
the faith of Christ (Gal. 2:16). His fleshly state in Israel was
once a basis for confidence and pride, until he realized that
the old must give way to the new, and that the inheritance
promised to Abrahams seed was not fleshly, but heavenly
or spiritual (1 Pet. 1:3). Therefore, it could not come by the
Law (Gal. 3:18; Rom. 4:13).

Israel
This leads to a consideration of the two Israels born of
the two kinds of seed mentioned. An element of confusion
in prophecy is mans inability to see two Israels born of
Abraham. There is an Israel after the flesh, and an Israel after
the spirit. This fact is clearly shown in the allegory of
Ishmael and Isaac (Gal. 4:21-31). Both were born into the
household of Abraham, but of one (Ishmael) it is said that
he was born after the flesh, and of the other (Isaac) it is said
that he was born after the Spirit. Inspiration uses these
events to advance the concept of a fleshly and spiritual
Israel. The first Israel, typified by Ishmael, was born of
Abrahams fleshly seed, and was propagated and preserved
under the Law of Moses. Concerning them Paul said,
For I could wish that I myself were accursed from
Christ for my brethren, my countrymen
according to the flesh,
who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the
glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the
service of God, and the promises;
of whom are the fathers and from whom, according
to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the
eternally blessed God. Amen (Romans 9:3-5).
The second Israel, typified by Isaac, was born of
Abrahams promised seed (Christ, Gal. 3:16), and is
constituted of all true believers in Christ who walk not after
the flesh (the Law system), but after the Spirit (the faith of
Christ, or the Gospel, Romans 8:1-3). Concerning this Israel,
Paul said,
For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,
nor are they all children because they are the seed of
Abraham; but, In Isaac your seed shall be
called.
That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these
are not the children of God; but the children of
the promise are counted as the seed (Romans 9:6-
9).
The meaning of this passage is obscure until studied in
view of the two Israels as set forth in Ishmael and Isaac. The
true Israel of God today, in whom Abrahamic promises are
fulfilled, is constituted of every true believer in Christ. False
is the hope of a return of Christ to Jerusalem, to bring literal
fulfillment and blessings to a fleshly seed of Abraham.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision avails anything, but a new
creation.
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and
mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God
(Galatians 6:15-16).

Mountain
A further contrast of the Law and the Truth is pictured
in the striking contrast between Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion, the
sources of law and government for the Mosaic and Christian
dispensations.
For you have not come to the mountain that may be
touched and that burned with fire, and to
blackness and darkness and tempest,
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of
the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...
(Hebrews 12:18, 22).
The nature of the Mosaic dispensation inaugurated at
Mt. Sinai is reflected in the nature and character of the
mountain itself, especially in the scenes of events that
transpired at the giving of the Law. Sinai was a mount that
might be touched; it was a tangible, palpable, physical
mountain, and therefore suggestive of the carnal, sensuous
nature of the old economy. In contrast to this is the spiritual
nature of the new economy as represented by Mt. Zion. The
former appealed primarily to the physical senses, consisting
of ceremonious externals. The latter appeals to the inward
man, consisting of spiritual laws and services designed to
cleanse the heart and purify the soul.
Mount Sinai stood for fear, bondage, darkness, severity
and death; whereas mount Zion symbolizes love, freedom,
light, grace and life. As a tangible mountain, Sinai stood for
a carnal, fleshly system that was typical, temporary and
subject to decay (Heb. 8:13). It was elemental because it was
elementary (Gal. 3:24; 4:3).
Those who insist on a return of Christ to Palestine to
rule over fleshly Israel fail to see the spiritual fullness of the
Christian economy as represented by mount Zion. The
believer has not come to Mt. Sinai, but Mt. Zion. God has
removed the things that were shaken, and in their place has
given us a kingdom that cannot be moved (Heb. 12:26-28).
The movables were the physical elements of Judaism made
at Sinai (the tabernacle, priesthood, sacrifices, etc.), and
these were the tangible things that were shaken and removed
when the saints came to Zion. The tangible nature of
Judaism was only a scaffolding set up temporarily with a
view to the erection of the permanent spiritual structure
now existent in Christianity. All has come that was ever
typified by the law or prophesied by the prophets. In Christ
is fullness; there is nothing more to give, or nothing more
to be received. The believers spiritual inheritance is full and
complete, and nowhere in the entire Bible is the promise
that one shall ever return to the fleshly state. Having come
to a mount Zion that cannot be shaken or moved,
Christians should be content to dwell there throughout
eternity. Now, saints are children of the free woman, and
not of the bondwoman. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in
Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is
in bondage with her children (Gal. 4:25).

Jerusalem
Since it has already been shown that whatever existed in
a tangible form under the Law system has its counterpart in
spiritual form under the gospel system, it should be of no
surprise to find two Jerusalems in the Bible. These two cities
are presented in contrast in Pauls allegory of Galatians 4. It
is stated that Hagar, the bondwoman, represents the
covenant from Mt. Sinai, and this corresponds to Jerusalem
in Palestine; the city that Paul said was at that time in
bondage with her children. However, there was another
Jerusalem, of whom Sarah through the New Covenant was
representative, and that Jerusalem is the one above or the
heavenly Jerusalem of Hebrews 12:22. But you have come
to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem.
Many cannot admit the presence of the heavenly
Jerusalem now because they entertain a literal concept of
this city. But the writer of Hebrews did not say, you will
come to the heavenly Jerusalem, but rather you have
come to it. This is a statement of a present fact, and not a
future prospect. The heavenly Jerusalem is not a future
prospect anymore than the church, Christ, his blood, or the
New Covenant listed in this same context are future
prospects. A rejection of one in a present state results in a
rejection of all. Man either has come to all, or he has come
to none.
The purpose of the writer, therefore, is to show the
spiritual nature of those things enumerated in the text, that
belong to the kingdom of Christ here and now. The
heavenly Jerusalem is in marked contrast to the literal
Jerusalem of the Mosaic system. The qualification for
admission into this city is spiritual, not carnal. It is a matter
of spiritual character, not of physical circumstances. We
must be born of Abrahams spiritual seed as represented in
Isaac, and not of his fleshly seed as represented in Ishmael.
To demand a literal New Jerusalem would be in
opposition to everything in relation to it. Under the Truth,
the fact of a spiritual tabernacle, priesthood, sacrifice,
temple, throne, seed, Israel and mountain, has already been
established. Why oppose having a city that corresponds, by
nature, to the things that belong to it? A spiritual
tabernacle, temple or throne would not fit in a literal city.
Surely it is obvious to the thoughtful person that Christ
came to lead us from the fleshly to the spiritual state. Let us
therefore maintain a worship that is in harmony with our
city in which we reside. The hour is coming, and now is,
when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit
and in truth (Jn. 4:24).

Land
This study would not be complete without bringing into
proper focus the land promises of the Bible. The land, the
earth, or the world, are terms used to designate the dwelling
place of Gods people. Again one is faced with the
indisputable fact that the Bible deals with two worlds,
earths, or lands depending on which Israel is under study.
Abrahams fleshly seed was given a land promise, that
was fulfilled in their possession of Canaan. Some deny that
fleshly Israel inherited all the land promised them in order
to have a complete fulfillment of this promise at some
future time. But the Bible affirms that they received it all
(Josh. 21:43-45; 23:14). Possession of the larger land of
Canaan is sometimes questioned, but David recovered his
border at the river Euphrates (2 Sam. 8:31); and Solomon
reigned over all from the land of the Philistines, unto the
border of Egypt (1 Kings 4:21); so evidently if David
recovered it and Solomon reigned over it, Israel possessed it.
The controversy, of course, centers in the land promises
given during and after Babylonian captivity, which assumes
an eternal possession of the land. But the problem has been
in our failure to realize what land, or world, is under
consideration in such passages. Remember, there are two
Israels involved in Gods plan, so the question is, To which
Israel were these land promises given? Can one insist on
giving spiritual Israel a physical land, or must one make the
land correspond to the nature of the Israel that is to receive
it?
For example, the tabernacle promise in Amos 9:11-12
was confirmed in Acts 15:13-19 as having its fulfillment
spiritually under the gospel. Why is not the same true of the
land promises? It is the writers belief that it is, for in the
same chapter of Amos, chapter 9:15, it also is stated, I will
plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled
up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your
God.
The land to be received would be just as spiritual as the
tabernacle, the city, the throne, the temple, or the people
involved in it. Canaan was a type of this land to come, just
as David was a type of Christ, or old Jerusalem was typical of
the New Jerusalem. The residence of Gods people today is
in the new earth promised, which is just as spiritual as
everything that belongs in it. Of this earth and this
inheritance, Jesus spoke in Matthew 5:5, Blessed are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth. In connection with
the prophecy of Amos 9:15, Christ said, My sheep hear My
voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give
them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall
anyone snatch them out of My hand (Jn. 10:27-28). The
clause, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand
is a fulfillment of Amos 9:15. Christians are the true seed of
Abraham, and they are planted in Christ Jesus. They have
citizenship in a kingdom that cannot be moved.
Concerning this spiritual seed Paul said, For the promise
that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham
or to his seed through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith (Rom. 4:13). What world was
promised to Abraham and his seed? Not the one through
the law (Canaan), but the one through the gospel (Heb.
12:28; Eph. 3:21). The next chapter will develop these two
worlds more fully.
This chapter has sought to show the essential difference
between the two states of the law and the truth. The law
was a system of carnal types, shadows or patterns of things
to come. The truth is the spiritual state of those things as
typified under the law. Under truth, there is a complete and
full restitution of all things spoken by the prophets of God,
and witnessed by the law (Acts 3:21). Beyond this one
cannot go, nor from this can there be a return or departure.
All saints stand complete in Christ (Col. 2:10), and are made
free in the truth (Jn. 8:32; Gal. 5:1).
Abraham had two sons, and the difference between Ishmael
and Isaac is the difference between the old and the new
economies. The spiritual principle of interpretation receives its
support in Isaac, just as the literal or fleshly principle inheres
within Ishmael, and cannot be applied to Isaac. We are not
children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
,./
1. What are types and shadows?
2. How does the truth brought by Christ contrast with the law
brought by Moses?
3. What is the purpose of a pattern? What happens to a pattern
when the real thing is in place?
4. Name some things that Christ offers (truly) of which the law
was only a pattern.
5. When Old Testament Scripture is quoted in the New
Testament, does the interpretation seem to be literal or
figurative?
6. Can you think of any Old Testament types that are not
fulfilled by Christ himself or by the church (which is the
body of Christ)? How does this relate to 2 Corinthians 1:20?
7. If Christ is now on Davids throne as the author suggests,
and his everlasting kingdom can be entered now, what does
that mean for eternal life? Is this something we possess now
or something we are waiting for? What does John 3:36 and 1
John 5:11-12 say about this?

CHAPTER THREE
Abraham Had Two Sons
{}
Understanding the way Paul uses Abrahams two wives and
two sons as an allegory (Gal. 4:24) can take us a long way
toward understanding prophecy. Hagar represents the Old
Covenant, and Ishmael the children of the Old Covenant
unbelieving Israel. Sarah represents the New Covenant and Isaac
the children of that covenant the Church. In order for Isaac to
receive the inheritance, Ishmael the firstborn had to be cast
out. Likewise the covenants: in order for the New Covenant to be
established in fullness, for the new heavens and new earth to
be in place, the Old Covenant system had to be put away. The
heaven and earth that would pass away were not the space-time
universe, but the Old Covenant world of the Law and its
typology.
,./
In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul uses Abrahams two sons as
an allegory that will help us a great deal in understanding
Bible prophecy. Here we find some important keys, some
important ideas and concepts, that will help us make sense
of the information we are given. Paul gives us a working
ABRAHAM HAD TWO SONS 55
demonstration of the new understanding Christ brought to
the interpretation of prophecy. Paul himself writes, For all
the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to
the glory of God through us (2 Cor. 1:20). Jesus is
important not only to our salvation, but to our study of
interpretation or hermeneutics.

Figure 3

It is appealing, and seems simple enough, just to take
the Bible literally whenever possible, and a great number of
Bible teachers advocate just such a method. One well-
known rule of thumb is to take a passage literally unless it is
obvious that the usage is figurative. This system has a lot to
commend it, but it overlooks an important fact: there is a
considerable language and cultural barrier between the New
Testament and the contemporary reader. Discerning
between figurative and literal language is not always so easy.
And it really doesnt help our dilemma any: one person may
say, Christ has obviously not returned, so we must take the
time statements figuratively; another may say, Christ said
his return would be signaled by the destruction of
Jerusalem, so we cant take the descriptions literally.
The proof of any system of interpretation is in its
consistency: can it be consistently applied, and does it make
sense? Like a hypothesis in scientific method, we are trying
to make sense of all the available data. We have already seen
that there is biblical precedent for understanding the
descriptive language figuratively. In addition to literal vs.
figurative, there is another fault line involving temporal and
spiritual. What Paul gives us in Galatians 4 is a picture of
how we can understand the difference between these
concepts,
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you
not hear the law?
For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one
by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.
But he who was of the bondwoman was born
according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman
through promise,
which things are symbolic. For these are the two
covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives
birth to bondage, which is Hagar
for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and
corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in
bondage with her children
but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother
of us all.
For it is written: Rejoice, O barren, You who do not
bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in
labor! For the desolate has many more children
than she who has a husband.
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of
promise.
But, as he who was born according to the flesh then
persecuted him who was born according to the
Spirit, even so it is now.
Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? Cast out
the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the
bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the
freewoman.
So then, brethren, we are not children of the
bondwoman but of the free (Galatians 4:21-31).
In his effort to show the essential difference between the
Law and the Gospel, and to keep believers from turning
away from their faith, Paul turns to an allegorical argument
from the Old Testament. He urges the Galatians to consider
a story well known to them from Jewish history. Paul
allegorizes this story in order to reach beyond its plain,
historical meaning, and draw out a second meaning that
God intended for them to have. In other words, he takes a
literal story and makes a figurative application of that story.
Paul, writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit, did
not simply choose an apt metaphor, but his choice gives us
a glimpse into the rich imagery that God invested in the
history of Old Testament. We might think of God as an epic
poet, using the history of the Hebrew people as His
medium. What appears to be simply a story in the life of
Abraham turns out to have great spiritual significance in the
unfolding of Gods redemptive plan.
First, Paul tells us that Abraham had two sons. They
were born into the same household, but of different
mothers. Each mother represents a different covenant, and
each son represents a different covenant people. Hagar was
an Egyptian bondwoman in the household of Abraham,
representing the Old Covenant given on Mt. Sinai. The
Sinaitic covenant was also represented by the literal
Jerusalem that was standing at the time of Pauls writing.
Ishmael represents the people of that covenant, the nation
of Israel, who were under the bondage of sin and death
(Gal. 5:1).
Sarah, the freewoman, represents the New Covenant
that went forth from Mt. Zion, which is also represented by
the New Jerusalem, or the heavenly Jerusalem, which is free
with her children (Heb. 12:22). Isaac, the son of the
freewoman, represents the people of the New Covenant.
The purpose of Paul in this allegory was threefold: First,
to show that Abraham had two sons, which existed side by
side for a time in the same household. We must not miss
this point of the story. These two sons are types of the two
Israels of God, one born after the flesh (Old Covenant), and
the other born after the Spirit (New Covenant). The spiritual
follows the temporal. Ishmael was the first born and, as
such, stood to receive the inheritance. Without Ishmaels
being disinherited, Isaac could not receive the firstborns
portion. This was the meaning and strength of Sarahs
words when she said, Cast out this bondwoman and her
son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with
my son, namely with Isaac (Gen. 21:10).
As long as Ishmael and Isaac coexisted, neither received
the inheritance, and in order for Isaac to receive full
inheritance, it was necessary to cast out Ishmael. Pauls
purpose, therefore, was to motivate all to become and
remain children of the freewoman, for the inheritance was
not going to be shared by the children of the bondwoman.
Fleshly and spiritual Israel coexisted from Pentecost (the
time of Isaacs birth) until the destruction of Jerusalem (the
time of Ishmaels casting out). Part of Pauls mission was to
encourage the children of the freewoman to be faithful
while exhorting the children of the bondwoman to
repentance.
There was a bitter struggle between fleshly and spiritual
Israel while they coexisted, as typified in Ishmaels
persecution of Isaac.
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of
promise. But, as he who was born according to
the flesh then persecuted him who was born
according to the Spirit, even so it is now
(Galatians 4:28-29)
Much of the New Testament was written to encourage
the Christians to hold fast under Jewish persecution, for
deliverance would come soon. Ishmael was going to be cast
out, and then Isaac would be delivered from mockery, and
be in a position to receive the promised inheritance.
Those who teach that the inheritance of spiritual Israel
is yet future have not given careful consideration to this
allegory, nor to the time element involved in prophecies
and Scriptures that deal with the giving of this inheritance.
They have Isaac still waiting (nearly 2,000 years) to receive
what would be his when Ishmael was cast out. Either Isaac
has received the adoption, or Ishmael has not yet been cast
out there is no in-between position for us today.
The persecutors typified by Ishmael were the Judaizers,
Jews who were trying to persuade the early church that
Gentile converts must be circumcised and follow Jewish law.
These were Jews born after the flesh who sought for the
inheritance, or blessings of the covenant, through the carnal
ordinances of the Old Covenant. Frequent reference is made
in New Testament Scripture to the severe persecution
directed against first-century Christians by these groups,
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches
of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you
also suffered the same things from your own
countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans,
who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own
prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do
not please God and are contrary to all men,
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may
be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of
their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the
uttermost (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, see also
Hebrews 10:32-39; 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10).
It is in view of this persecution that Paul asks the
question,
Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? Cast out the
bondwoman and her son, for the son of the
bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the
freewoman. (Gal. 4:30)
Without giving any hint of the nearness of the
destruction of Jerusalem, Paul, by adopting these words of
Sarah addressed to Abraham, emphasizes the need for the
Galatians to stand clear of a system doomed for destruction.
Just as there could be no joint inheritance between Ishmael
and Isaac, so there could be no fusion or amalgamation of
the Old and New Covenants. Temporal Israel could not be
combined with spiritual Israel.
The second purpose of Paul was to show the essential
difference between Old Covenant and New, and the
difference between the temporal and the spiritual, or flesh
and spirit. Ishmael was born after the flesh (Gal. 4:23) and
Isaac was born after the Spirit (Gal. 4:29). This contrast of
flesh and spirit with respect to the birth of these two sons is
based upon the manner that each came into being. Ishmael
was born after the flesh in that his birth was according to
the common course of nature, his parents being of a
reasonable age, so there was nothing uncommon or
supernatural in his birth. The birth of Isaac was above and
beyond the ordinary course of nature, involving the
promise of God, and calling forth from Abraham and Sarah
an act of faith. In response to this act of faith in the purpose
and power of God, God gave them Isaac, miraculously
allowing barren Sarah to conceive (Rom. 4:17-21; Heb.
11:11). Both were physically born, but the power by which
they were born was different.
The birth of Ishmael of a bondwoman, according to the
natural course of nature, became a fitting representation of
Abrahams fleshly descendants, and the state of their bondage
under the Old Covenant. By contrast, the birth of Isaac to a
freewoman was symbolic of Abrahams spiritual seed born of
faith through Christ, and their freedom under the New
Covenant.
Bondage and death were the states of the nation of
Israel under the Law, Even so we, when we were children,
were in bondage under the elements of the world (Gal.
4:3). In contrast to this was freedom and life for those born
of Christ, the spiritual seed of Abraham. Stand fast
therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,
Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, and do not be entangled again
with a yoke of bondage. Flesh and spirit are, therefore,
contrasting terms for the Old and New covenants. It is
common for us to apply these terms to the physical and
spiritual aspects of humanity, but this is not how Paul uses
these terms. An example is Galatians 3:3, Are you so
foolish? Having begun in the Spirit [New Covenant], are you
now being made perfect by the flesh [Old Covenant]?
Terms used in a similar way are letter and spirit who
also made us sufficient as ministers of the New Covenant,
not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the
Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:6; see also Rom. 7:6).
Leaving the Old Covenant and coming into the new,
then, is a matter of rebirth, having been born again, not of
corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God
which lives and abides forever (1 Pet. 1:23).
Jesus.
put on Christ.
And if you are Christs, then you are Abrahams seed,
3:26-29).
Another aspect of this story that might have some
application to our study is that the barren Sarah would have
more children than Hagar. Both Hagar and Sarah were to
have a large number of descendants, but according to
prophecy, Sarah was to have the larger family. This is
implied in the original promise of Genesis 12:3, And in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed. The prophet
Isaiah sets forth this fact more explicitly in Isaiah,
Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth
into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not
labored with child! For more are the children of
the desolate than the children of the married
woman," says the Lord.
Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch
out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare;
lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and
your descendants will inherit the nations, and
make the desolate cities inhabited (Isaiah 54:1-3).
The more numerous children of the desolate, the
spiritual seed of Abraham, were to include both Jews and
Gentiles, a fact that was shrouded in mystery until the
coming of Christ. Paul was an apostle of this mystery,
How that by revelation He made known to me the
mystery
which in other ages was not made known to the sons
of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit
to His holy apostles and prophets:
that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same
body, and partakers of His promise in Christ
through the gospel (Ephesians 3:3, 5-6).
As Paul tells the story, we can see that Ishmael is the
nation of Israel at the time of Pauls writing. Isaac was the
infant church, now made up of Jews and Gentiles both,
waiting to be vindicated. Isaacs mother would bear the
greater fruit, the greater number of descendants. It remained
only for Ishmael to be cast out. Ishmael and Isaac could not
continue to coexist. The son of the bondwoman could not
inherit with the son of the freewoman.
In the same way, the early church awaited the putting
away of the Old Covenant system. This was not some
macabre joy at the loss of life for their Jewish brothers and
sisters, but the sign of the coming of the kingdom was clear:
Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed. The center
and heart of prophecy is not Pentecost (the birth of Isaac) so
much so as the fall of Jerusalem (the casting out of Ishmael).
Gods Two Worlds
We can see from Figure 2, that Abraham gave birth to
two worlds. He had two sons, each typifying a world to
come. Ishmael typified the Jewish world. Since Hagar, the
bondwoman, represented the Sinaitic covenant, her son
Ishmael represented the children born of that covenant: the
biological descendants of Abraham. It was not uncommon
to refer to this people and their culture and their law system
in terms of a world.
Isaac typified the early church and the world to come.
Since Sarah, the freewoman, represented the New Covenant
from Mt. Zion, her son Isaac represented Christians born of
this covenant, or the Christian world. This was a new world,
a new heavens and new earth. Bible teaching, especially
Bible prophecy, spends a lot of time with these two worlds.
Neglecting this can lead to all kinds of interpretive problems
and it had. Also, a fusion of either of these two worlds with
the material heaven and earth can result in mass confusion
in the study of Gods scheme of redemption.
According to Paul, a promise was given to Abraham that
he and his seed would inherit a world. For the promise that
he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to
his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of
faith (Rom. 4:13). The question that arises out of this verse
is, what world would Abraham and his seed inherit? Some
might say the world in question is this present material
world, the earth and everything in it. Some might suggest a
new material world to come.
From the context, however, we can see that the world
Abraham was to inherit was the one typified by Isaac in
contrast to the world typified by Ishmael. This promise was
not given, nor was it going to be received, through the law.
It was not the Old Covenant Jewish world. Since it was a
promise declared to come through the righteousness of
faith, or the gospel, it seems logical that the world of
Romans 4:13 is the Christian world. If this is the case, we
might expect to find evidence of it elsewhere in scripture.
There is a twofold promise found in Genesis 12:1-3 that
is connected to the allegory of Abrahams two sons:
Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your
country, from your family and from your father's
house, to a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and
make your name great; and you shall be a
blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him
who curses you; and in you all the families of the
earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).
There is a temporal and spiritual promise contained in
this passage, and, as seen in Pauls allegory, the temporal
promise would be developed and fulfilled first. This
accounts for the fact that throughout the Old Testament,
the fleshly promise overshadows the spiritual promise.
While Hagar bears children, Sarah is barren and stands in
the background. However, the fact that the temporal
promise was first, and received primary consideration
throughout the Old Testament, does not mean it has a
greater value or standing than the spiritual promise: quite to
the contrary. We have already seen that the purpose of the
law was to serve as a shadow or pattern of good, or better,
things to come.
The temporal promise was not the one on which
Abraham set his heart. His hope was in Isaac, not Ishmael.
His faith was extended beyond Canaan, the inheritance of
his fleshly seed, to the land typified by Canaan that would
be inherited by Isaac his spiritual seed. In other words, he
did not look for inheritance in the Jewish world, but rather
the Christian world, to which the Jewish world pointed.
This truth is conveyed in Hebrews 11, where the spiritual
promise is brought forth and given preeminence over the
temporal promise:
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go
out to the place which he would receive as an
inheritance. And he went out, not knowing
where he was going.
By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a
foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
For he waited for the city which has foundations,
whose builder and maker is God.
By faith Sarah herself also received strength to
conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was
past the age, because she judged Him faithful
who had promised.
Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead,
were born as many as the stars of the sky in
multitude-innumerable as the sand which is by
the seashore.
These all died in faith, not having received the
promises, but having seen them afar off were
assured of them, embraced them and confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth.
For those who say such things declare plainly that
they seek a homeland.
And truly if they had called to mind that country
from which they had come out, they would have
had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly
country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be
called their God, for He has prepared a city for
them (Hebrews 11:8-16).
The first thing we want to see in this text is in verse 9.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt in the Promised Land
(Canaan) as in a strange country. Two things tell us that this
temporal land was not the country Abraham was looking
for: he regarded it as a strange country, and he and his
people continued to dwell in tents, living as nomads. The
reason for this is explained in verse 10: for he waited for
the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is
God. What Abraham really was looking for was not in
Canaan or the temporal promise, but the spiritual promise.
What he really wanted would not come through Ishmael
but Isaac. What did he desire, and see by faith? What made
him confess that he was a stranger and a pilgrim in Canaan?
Hebrews says, in 11:14, that he was looking for a country,
but not Canaan, for he was already in that land. Nor was it
his native land of Ur of Chaldea, for he could have
returned to this place (Heb. 11:15). But now they desire a
better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city
for them (Heb 11:16).
Abraham was looking for the world that he and his seed
should inherit, and this world, says Paul, did not come
through the law but rather the gospel. The city he looked
for was the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22), or the
Jerusalem above (Gal. 4:26). This is the new heaven and
earth promised to Abraham and his seed, of which the
Jewish world (the old heaven and earth) was a forerunner.
The New Testament saints, born of Abrahams spiritual seed,
looked for this new world (2 Pet. 3:13) in anticipation of the
time Ishmael would be cast out, or the old heaven and earth
would pass away. The time was drawing near when the
letter to the Hebrews was written, Now what is becoming
obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away (Heb.
8:13).
Hebrews 12 also speaks of this distinction in terms of
different mountains,
For you have not come to the mountain that may be
touched and that burned with fire, and to
blackness and darkness and tempest,
and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so
that those who heard it begged that the word
should not be spoken to them anymore.
(For they could not endure what was commanded:
And if so much as a beast touches the mountain,
it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.
And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I am
exceedingly afraid and trembling.)
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of
the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an
innumerable company of angels,
to the general assembly and church of the firstborn
who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of
all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the
blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than
that of Abel.
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if
they did not escape who refused Him who spoke
on earth, much more shall we not escape if we
turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has
promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not
only the earth, but also heaven.
Now this, Yet once more, indicates the removal of
those things that are being shaken, as of things
that are made, that the things which cannot be
shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which
cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we
may serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear.
For our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:18-29).
The chart at the beginning of this chapter seeks to
illustrate these two mountains. The writer of Hebrews is
making use of several contrasts, For you have not come to
the mountain that may be touched (Heb. 12:18). This
was Mt. Sinai the mountain and covenant of Abrahams
fleshly seed. Those who follow Christ, however, are not
children of the bondwoman. As children of the freewoman,
we have come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living
God (the one Abraham looked for while in Canaan), the
heavenly Jerusalem (the one that belongs to the heavenly
country mentioned in Hebrews 11:16).
Notice that the writer uses the present tense to describe
their status. They were already approaching Mt. Zion, and
this new world was something they could participate in. It
was not a world in contrast to the material heavens and
earth, but rather in contrast to the Jewish world. It is easy to
misunderstand this distinction. The world promised to
Abrahams spiritual seed stands in contrast to that world
promised his fleshly seed, and this is the new heaven and
earth that replaces the old heaven and earth. The present
material world has nothing to do with either one of the
worlds involved in Gods scheme of redemption as typified
by Ishmael and Isaac. Hebrews 12:25-28 shows the shaking
of the first heaven and earth (the Old Covenant system) in
order to make way for a new heaven and earth that cannot
be shaken. Things that are shaken, as of things that are
made refers to the temporal nature of the Jewish system,
that was destined for destruction. The things that cannot be
shaken refers to the intangible, spiritual nature of the
Christian world or system, which cannot be destroyed by
earthly foes. Hebrews 12:28 makes it clear that the writer
was speaking of the Christian world Therefore, since we
are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us
have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear.
The destruction of Jerusalem was a crucial point in
Gods scheme of redemption, for it was the end of one
world, and the perfection and beginning of another world
that had been born on Pentecost. This was the world
promised to Abraham and his seed (Rom. 4:13). Everything
promised to Abraham came right on schedule.

New Heavens and a New Earth
The contrast of worlds in the Scripture is not a contrast
of the space-time universe with some future re-creation.
Instead, it is a contrast of the Old Covenant world of the
Jews with the New Covenant world in Christ (which the
Jews would inherit along with the Gentiles). Seeing this,
then, we can take a look at other passages dealing with
heaven and earth and, if we are correct, they will make
sense in light of this interpretation.
Consider, for example, the prophecy of Isaiah 65,
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
and the former shall not be remembered or come
to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For
behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her
people a joy.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; The
voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying (Isaiah 65:17-19).
Parallel to this prophecy is Isaiah 66:22; For as the new
heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain
before Me, says the Lord, So shall your descendants and
your name remain.
These prophetic passages advanced the hope of a new
world in some future time. Involved in this new creation
would be a New Jerusalem, where joy would prevail and
weeping would be heard no more. To what time and creation
do these prophecies refer? Is this a creation destined to follow
the end of this material universe? It is possible, perhaps, but a
careful study of the context of these chapters shows that the
prophet was looking to the end of the Jewish age, with a
vision of the messianic blessings that spiritual Israel would
inherit.
The New Jerusalem of Isaiah 65:18 corresponds to the
New Jerusalem of Galatians 4:26 and Hebrews 12:22. The
new heaven and earth corresponds to the heavenly country
of Hebrews 11:16. This was the world promised to Abraham
(Rom. 4:13), which his seed looked for. Nevertheless we,
according to His promise, Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:13,
look for new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells. Peter was looking for the promise
because Ishmael would soon be cast out, the end of all
things is at hand, he also wrote in 1 Peter 4:7.
John, who was privileged to see this transition in his
vision on Patmos, presents the new heaven and earth in
Revelation 21,
as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation
21:1-2).
This is the same heaven and earth of Isaiah 65:17, and
the same New Jerusalem of Isaiah 65:18. It was a vision of
the world promised to Abraham and his seed not of the law,
but of the gospel (Rom. 4:13).
Many biblical scholars date Revelation around A.D. 96,
during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, who persecuted
Christians. This places the date of Johns letter nearly a
quarter century after the destruction of Jerusalem. There are,
however, several problems with this assumption.
One, the language of Revelation shares the sense of
imminency that characterizes the New Testament. John was
writing of things that must shortly come to pass (Rev. 1:1),
because the time was at hand (Rev. 1:3). So near were the
events envisioned in that book that John was given these
instructions, Do not seal the words of the prophecy of
this book, for the time is at hand (Rev. 22:10). By way of
contrast, it is interesting to note that Daniel was told to seal
the prophecy of his book because the time was yet future
(Dan. 12:4, 9). If both Daniel and John were to wait
thousands of years for their prophecies to come to pass, it
makes little sense for one to be told to seal his prophecy and
the other urged not to.
In Revelation 11, John is told to measure the temple. This
is an unusual command if the temple had been reduced to a
pile of rubble since A.D. 70. Yet no mention is made of a
previous destruction. While John was obviously having a
vision, he does not find it remarkable that the temple is
standing.
Some, clinging to a late date for Revelation, identify Rome
as Babylon, the great whore. This too has problems. Rome was
never in covenant with God that she might become an
adulterous. You cannot be unfaithful to someone you have
never married. Only Jerusalem, representative of the Jewish
people, can be said to be adulterous for breaking covenant
with God. Identifying Rome as Babylon also fails to satisfy the
imminency of Revelation. Rome would not fall for nearly
three more centuries, hardly an event at hand in A.D. 96.
Less compelling, perhaps, but not insignificant, is the
probable age of the apostle. Most scholars assume that John
was probably close to the age of Jesus when he was called to
be a disciple. The later the date of Revelation, the less likely
it is that John was alive and enough in possession of his
faculties to write the book detailing his vision. With God, of
course, all things are possible, but this does not absolve us
from using some common sense when speculating about
the date of Revelation.

The Passing of Heaven and Earth
If our interpretation of the new heaven and earth is
correct, we should expect to find an old heaven and earth
passing away at the same time. Just as we looked at the
coming of the new heavens and new earth, lets take a look
at the passing of the old to see if these passages make sense
in a similar way.
First, there is the discourse of Christ in Matthew 24,
given in response to at least three questions asked by His
disciples,
Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple,
and His disciples came up to show Him the
buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these
things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone
shall be left here upon another, that shall not be
thrown down.
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples
came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when will
these things be? And what will be the sign of
Your coming, and of the end of the age?
(Matthew 24:1-3)
If we miss the meaning of this passage, we will almost
certainly head down a wrong path in our eschatology. A
common, and generally accepted, application of verse 3 is to
apply the question on the destruction of the temple to that
generation, but extend the questions on the coming of
Christ and the end of the world far beyond that age, even to
a time yet to come, and with reference to the end of the
space-time universe. The context of the passage does not
allow this kind of interpretation without considerable
violence to the text a violence that we would not tolerate
of any other passage.
Most Christians do not allow the text to say what it
means because they wont give themselves permission to
think, even for a moment, that Jesus was speaking of the
destruction of Jerusalem exclusively, and not the end of the
universe. The most obvious answer is rejected out of hand
by almost everyone who reads this passage.
There is nothing in the entire chapter of Matthew 24 to
suggest that a division in time of nearly 2,000 years or more
is necessary. The disciples ask three questions relating to the
same event and the same time of fulfillment. When the
temple is destroyed, the world ends. The ending of the
world is the coming of Christ. The coming of Christ is the
fall of Jerusalem, or the destruction of the temple. From
verses 4 thru 14, he speaks of things to come before the end
of the world, that is the Jewish age. The gospel was to be
preached in the entire world for a witness, and according to
Paul this did, in fact, happen (Col. 1:6, 23; Rom. 10:18).
From verses 15 thru 35, Christ speaks of things to happen
before and during his coming. The force of verse 34 is
inescapable, Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by
no means pass away till all these things take place (Matt.
24:34).
All these things must refer to all of the things just
mentioned by Christ, or he is guilty of a very strange use of
language. Such a use of language falls outside any
conventions of speech we know. It is clear from the New
Testament writings that they took his words seriously: they
anticipated fulfillment within their own generation.
Another attempt to support a traditional view of the
second coming of Christ is to divide Matthew 24 between
verses 34 and 35, and apply the latter portion of the chapter
to some future time. This again is a strange use of language,
or a strange way to compile Jesus teachings. Without a
preconceived notion of the Second coming there is no
coherent reason to divide this passage. Luke records the
same teaching by Jesus but uses a different order. Luke was
apparently unaware of more than one context for Jesus
comments. See Luke 17 and compare Luke 17:37 with
Matthew 24:28.
David wrote this concerning the passing of heaven and
earth,
Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the
heavens are the work of Your hands.
They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will
all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will
change them, and they will be changed.
But You are the same, and Your years will have no
end.
The children of Your servants will continue, and their
descendants will be established before You
(Psalms 102:25-28).
On the surface this passage might appear to be a
reference to the material heaven and earth, but a closer
examination will reveal otherwise. Of old You laid the
foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of
Your hands. Laying the foundations of the earth is a
common expression in Scripture, and seldom is it in
reference to the temporal universe (1 Pet. 1:20, 2 Tim. 1:9,
Eph. 1:4). The world in question is the Old Covenant world
of the Law. David was speaking of a world formed after the
calling of Abraham. They will perish, but you will endure
(Ps. 102:26). This is similar to Hebrews 8:13, Now what is
becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish
away. David and the writer of Hebrews are in agreement
here, and we must not take that agreement lightly. In fact,
Davids prophecy is quoted word for word in Hebrews 1:10-
12, and it is no strange coincidence that it appears in a
context dealing with the coming in of the eternal kingdom
of Christ, the theme of Hebrews 12:28.
Now look at the last verse, Psalm 102:28, The children
of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will
be established before You. After the old heavens and earth
pass, Christ would remain, and his years would have no end
(Eph. 3:21). This was the substance of Johns message when
he wrote these words,
And you know that He was manifested to take away
our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins
has neither seen Him nor known Him.
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His
seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because
he has been born of God (1 John 3:5-6, 9).
The fleshly Jew charged the Christian Jew with sin,
because he left the fleshly system in accepting Christ. To the
unbelieving Jew, this was a loss of identity with Abraham,
and placed one in a state of sin. But John answers these
charges by showing that no sin is involved because his seed
remains in him (Christ), and he who is in Christ has not
been severed from the promised seed. Being born of God,
therefore, or abiding in Christ where the seed now is, does
not involve one in sin. This is further supported by Pauls
language in Galatians 3:29, And if you are Christs, then
you are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the
promise.
Thus, the seed would remain in the new heaven and
earth; further proof that these promises and prophecies of
the new heaven and earth are in reference to the Christian
world, the one that Abraham and his seed would inherit
(Rom. 4:13).
A passage difficult for some to apply to the end of the
Jewish world is 2 Peter 3. This is true, however, not because
the chapter defies such an application, but because the
traditional view has always been in favor of the material
heavens and earth. The power of tradition in influencing
our understanding of a scripture is seen in a divided
religious world. No one is entirely free of this power,
although we would like to think that prejudice is the sin
and weakness of the other fellow with whom we disagree.
If we look closely at 2 Peter 3 we can see three worlds:
one that perished in the days of the flood, another one
reserved for fiery judgment in the day of the Lord, and a
new one in which righteousness would dwell. None of these
three worlds have the space-time universe as their referent.
The day of the Lord that would come as a thief in the night
(2 Pet. 3:10) had reference to Christs coming in the
destruction of Jerusalem. The same language is found in
Revelation 3:3 and Revelation 16:15. Remember that John
was writing of things that must shortly come to pass. The
churches needed to know about these things so that they
might not be overtaken as a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:4).
Yes, the heavens would pass away with a great noise, as
predicted by Christ in Matthew 24:35. What about the
elements that would melt with fervent heat? This is often a
sticking point with those who are not open to first-century
fulfillment. The word elements in 2 Peter 3:10 is the same
word translated elements in Galatians 4:3, Even so we,
when we were children, were in bondage under the
elements of the world. Is this a reference to the periodic
table? This does not seem likely. It is more a testimony to
Peters consistent use of metaphor (heavens-earth-elements)
than it is a defense of a literal destruction. To be sure, the
destruction of Jerusalem involved fire, and fervent heat,
which lends an almost eerie strength to the metaphors in
question. Christ said in Luke 12:49, I came to send fire on
the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! Fire is a
figure of speech to denote the full measure of Gods
judgment. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His
wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire (Matt. 3:12). An understanding of these
symbols of judgment should help us grasp the meaning of 2
Peter 3, and see the harmony of this text in relation to all
others that deal with the passing of heaven and earth. It was
an event that they were looking for in their day, and had
every right to expect in their generation, as Christ taught in
his personal ministry (Matt. 24:34).
Applying 2 Peter 3:10 to this present material world
creates a number of problems in our study of prophecy. To
some, the coming of Christ is the beginning of a 1,000-year
reign on the earth, but if 2 Peter 3:10 is the end of the space-
time universe, Christ will have nothing over which to reign.
If this destruction takes place after the 1,000-year reign
there are some timing problems as well. Division exists in
the premillennial camp as to the time 2 Peter 3:10 will be
fulfilled. Those who try to hold to the timing of the text and
have the destruction at Christs coming are forced to
interpret this destruction at least somewhat figuratively, an
unwitting nod in our direction.
Those who place the destruction after the millennial
reign are also in a tight spot, for 2 Peter 3:10 has the
heavens and earth passing in the day that the Lord comes.
Nothing is said about Christs coming, reigning a thousand
years, and then the worlds passing away. Otherwise, the
rapture of the saints happens 1,000 years too soon. The
proper time and place to have a rapture would be at the
destruction of heaven and earth, but they have the rapture
at the coming of Christ, and the destruction of heaven and
earth 1,000 years later. All are not agreed on the time of the
rapture, whether pre- mid- or post tribulation, but all agree
that it takes place before the 1,000-year reign. This leaves
the millennial saints without a rapture at a most critical
time, the burning of heaven and earth.
The amillennialist is also faced with problems as a result
of applying 2 Peter 3:10 to the space-time universe. First,
since he has concluded that the world passing away is literal
or material, he must now decide the nature of the new
heavens and earth of 2 Peter 3:13. Is it a literal or spiritual
world? Again, men are divided on this question. However, if
something in the text demands a literal application to the
world of verse 10, why doesnt the world, the new one, of
verse 13 also demand a literal interpretation? What is the
basis for saying one is literal and the other is spiritual? If
such a change in the nature of the world is without textual
support, why could not a reverse interpretation be made of
the nature of these two worlds? If it is a matter of choice, we
could have either spiritual, both spiritual, or both literal.
Another difficulty that arises out of the traditional view
is that when Christ comes at the end of the world (this
present literal world) all the saved are going to heaven and
all the lost to hell. This makes the new earth of 2 Peter 3:13
a little superfluous, to say the least, unless God is going to
put somebody there besides the saved or the lost! If that
were true, Peter had no right to look for more than new
heavens (2 Pet. 3:13, 14). But he said we look for both new
heavens and a new earth. To insist on a literal interpretation
here forces conclusions that seem a bit foolish.
As we have stated repeatedly, the right principle of
interpretation will be determined by the harmony of thought
and purpose that it advances, not only in one text, but also in
every related text. Again, we see this harmony in 2 Peter 3,
when we make application of this text to the two worlds
typified by Abrahams two sons. By putting the new heaven
and earth of 2 Peter 3:13 in contrast to the Jewish world,
which was soon to come under the fiery judgment of God and
pass away, we can see a coherence and a harmony that no
other interpretive system can claim. What Peter said of the
two worlds in 2 Peter 3, is the same thing that Paul said in his
allegory of Galatians 4:21-31, the same thing prophesied in the
Old Testament (Ps. 102:25-28; Isa. 65:17-19), the same thing
Christ said would happen in that generation (Matt. 24:1-35),
and the same thing John saw in Revelation 21:1-3, which was
at hand and shortly to come to pass. Any other interpretation
of heavens and earth results in interpretive chaos.
,./
1. Consider Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac had a physical body and
was born of physical, human parents, yet he is called a child
of the promise and a child of the spirit, in contrast to
Ishmael, who is called a child of the flesh. What is the
difference?
2. Read Galatians 4:21-31. Is Pauls interpretation literal or
figurative, or something else? How does Pauls system of
interpretation differ from what you were taught?
3. For the Jews, their identity as Gods people rested in being
sons of Abraham. What does Jesus say about this (Matt.
3:9)?
4. God can be seen as a poet whose medium is human
history. How is this borne out in Pauls allegory? Does Pauls
allegory deny the historical meaning of the events?
5. We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free
woman (Gal. 4:31). What does this mean to you? Has your
church or religious experience been one of freedom or
slavery?
6. Does the parallelism of Ishmael being cast out and Jerusalem
coming under judgment make sense to you? Why or why
not? How does such a connection change things?

CHAPTER FOUR
Daniels Seventy Weeks
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The timing of prophecy is important with regard to its
interpretation. Daniels prophecy of seventy weeks is important to
us not only because it deals with eschatological issues, but also
because it is a prophecy with a strong time element. Seeing the
weeks as seven-year periods (the word for weeks simply
means sevens) places us solidly in the first century for the
seventieth week. It is clear, given the nature of the prophecy, that
Jerusalems destruction is the only event that can make sense of
Daniels descriptions. Some of these descriptions must be
recognized as figurative language, but the time element is clear.
We can also recognize similarities between Daniels language and
Revelation.
,./
If we see the destruction of Jerusalem, or the end of the
Jewish age, as a crucial event in Gods scheme of
redemption, we should expect to find this as a major theme
in Scripture, especially in prophecy. Prophecy, if it is to have
credibility, cannot be divorced from the time frame
indicated by that prophecy. If you say, someday I will be a
DANIELS SEVENTY WEEKS 83
movie star then we must give you some latitude in the
timing of your screen debut: someday is fairly vague. If,
however, you say next week I am going to Universal
Studios where I will become a star, then next week is just
as important as the location and the purpose of your
journey. If you went to Warner Brothers, or sought a job as
a makeup artist, or didnt head for Hollywood for another
month, your statement would be rendered meaningless. All
of the elements are important. On the other hand, if you
went to Universal Studios within the week, and landed a
part in a successful movie, enjoying the life of Hollywoods
rich and famous, no one would question your credibility for
not becoming a fiery ball of gases somewhere in the
universe. It is clear to us that next week is concrete
language while Im going to be a star is figurative.
Figure 4
In biblical prophecy, the same applies. A weakness of a
lot of biblical eschatology is the tendency to ignore the time
element of a prophecy simply because the historical events
of that predicted time do not match our concept of what
was to take place. It is more likely, however, that our
concept is wrong, rather than the timing of the prophecy.
Daniels prophecy of seventy weeks is important to us
not only because it is the heart of Bible prophecy, but
especially because it is a prophecy with a strong time
element. That being the case, understanding the timing of
Daniels prophecy might give us a key to understanding
other related prophecies. A quick glance at some of the
prophetic statements made by Christ with respect to the
end of the world (Matt. 24:15-22; Mk. 13:14-20) should
point out this connection,
Therefore when you see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let
him understand), [cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11]
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains
(Matthew 24:15-16).
This was one of the signs given by Christ with respect to
his coming and the end of the world. Since Christ involved
the seventieth week of Daniel in the end time, it follows
that an understanding of these Seventy Weeks will assist
in proper interpretation of Old and New Testament
prophecy.
Before making a textual study, let us read the prophecy,
Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for
your holy city, to finish the transgression, to
make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for
iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to
seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the
Most Holy.
Know therefore and understand, that from the going
forth of the command to restore and build
Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be
seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall
be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome
times.
And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off,
but not for Himself; and the people of the prince
who is to come shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and
till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one
week; but in the middle of the week He shall
bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the
wing of abominations shall be one who makes
desolate, even until the consummation, which is
determined, Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel
9:24-27).
The first thing we need to consider is the entire time
period involved, which is specified as seventy weeks. The
Hebrew here means, literally, seventy sevens seven
being a common designation for a week. It also can be a
designation for a period of seven years (Lev. 25:1-10), and
this latter rendering makes the most sense in our context.
Rendered as seventy seven-day periods the timeframe in
question is 490 days, or less than two years. It seems
unlikely that Daniel would be told to seal up a prophecy
that was only two years from fulfillment. The three major
events the restoration of the city, the advent and rejection
of the Messiah, and the eventual overthrow of the city and
nation could not possibly be accomplished in 490 days.
Four-hundred and ninety years is the more feasible
timeframe, and corresponds more nearly to the events that
would transpire in the scope of the prophecy. Daniel had
been meditating on the close of the seventy years of
Babylonian captivity, and the angel now reveals to him a
new period of seventy times seven, in which still more
important events are to take place, resulting in the end of
the Jewish age. Thus, each week stands for seven years;
and seventy times seven establishes the full scope of this
prophecy as a time period of 490 years.
These seventy weeks are further divided into three lesser
periods of seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one week. The
first division of seven weeks, or 49 years, was the time
involved in the restoration of Jerusalem. This time was to be
counted from the giving of the commandment to rebuild
the city until the work was completed. From the rebuilding
of the city until the cutting off of the Messiah was an
additional 62 weeks, or 434 years. This makes a total of 69
weeks, or 483 years from the giving of the commandment
to rebuild Jerusalem until Christ is rejected or cut off.
One of our difficulties is determining the exact start of
the 70 weeks. There were actually several decrees given in
regard to the restoration of Israel (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra
6:3-8; Ezra 7:7). In these decrees, however, nothing is said
concerning the rebuilding of the city. The first mention of
any such decree is recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8, where, for
the first time, permission is granted to rebuild the city. This
was in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, which
becomes our chronological starting point for this prophecy.
In his book, The Coming Prince, Sir Robert Anderson
makes these observations:
The scepter of earthly power which was entrusted
to the house of David, was transferred to the Gentiles
in the person of Nebuchadnezzar, to remain in
Gentile hands until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled. The blessings promised to Judah and
Jerusalem were postponed till after a period described
as seventy weeks; and at the close of the sixty-ninth
week of this era the Messiah should be cut off.
These seventy weeks represent seventy times seven
prophetic years of 360 days, to be reckoned from the
issuing of an edict for the rebuilding of the city the
street and rampart, of Jerusalem. The edict in
question was the decree issued by Artaxerxes
Longimanus in the twentieth year of his reign,
authorizing Nehemiah to rebuild the fortifications of
Jerusalem.
The date of Artaxerxess reign can be definitely
ascertained not from elaborate disquisitions by
biblical commentators and prophetic writers, but by
the united voice of secular historians and
chronologers. The statement of St. Luke is explicit
and unequivocal, that our Lords public ministry
began in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar. It is
equally clear that it began shortly before the Passover.
The date of it can be fixed as between August A.D. 28
and April A.D. 29. The Passover of the crucifixion
therefore was in A.D. 32, when Christ is betrayed on
the night of the Paschal Supper, and put to death on
the day of the Paschal Feast.
If then the foregoing conclusions be well
founded, we should expect to find that the period
intervening between the edict of Artaxerxes and the
Passion was 483 prophetic years. And accuracy as
absolute as the nature of the case permits is no more
than men are here entitled to demand. There can be
no loose reckoning in a Divine chronology; and if
God has designed to mark on human calendars the
fulfillment of His purposes as foretold in prophecy,
the strictest scrutiny shall fail to detect miscalculation
or mistake.
The Persian edict which restored the autonomy
of Judah was issued in the Jewish month of Nisan. It
may in fact have been dated the 1st of Nisan, but no
other day being named, the prophetic period must be
reckoned, according to a practice common with the
Jews, from the Jewish New Years Day. The seventy
weeks are therefore to be computed from the 1st of
Nisan B.C. 445.
Now the great characteristic of the Jewish sacred
year has remained unchanged ever since the
memorable night when the equinoctial moon
beamed down upon the huts of Israel in Egypt,
bloodstained by the Paschal sacrifice; and there is
neither doubt nor difficulty in fixing within narrow
limits the Julian date of the 1st of Nisan in any year
whatever. In B.C. 445 the new moon by which the
Passover was regulated was on the 13th of March at
7h. 9m. A.M. And accordingly the 1st of Nisan may
be assigned to the 14th March. But the language of
the prophecy is clear: From the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto
Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and
threescore and two weeks. An era therefore of sixty-
nine weeks, or 483 prophetic years reckoned from
the 14th March, B.C. 445, should close with some
event to satisfy the words, unto the Messiah the
Prince.
Mr. Anderson continues on page 125:
No student of the Gospel narrative can fail to see
that the Lords last visit to Jerusalem was not only in
fact, but in the purpose of it, the crisis of His
ministry, the goal toward which it had been directed.
After the first tokens had been given that the nation
would reject His Messianic claims, He had shunned
all public recognition of them. But now the twofold
testimony of His words and His works had been fully
rendered, and His entry into the Holy City was to
proclaim His Messiahship and to receive His doom...
And the date of it can be ascertained. In
accordance with the Jewish custom, the Lord went up
to Jerusalem upon the 8th of Nisan, six days before
the Passover. But since the 14th, on which the
Paschal Supper was eaten, fell that year on a
Thursday, the 8th was the preceding Friday. He must
have spent the sabbath, therefore, at Bethany; and on
the evening of the 9th, after the sabbath had ended,
the Supper took place in Marthas house. On the
following day, the 10th of Nisan, He entered
Jerusalem as recorded in the Gospels. The Julian date
for the 10th Nisan is Sunday the 6th of April, A.D. 32.
What then was the length of the period intervening
between the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem
and the public advent of Messiah the Prince, between
the 14th March, B.C. 445, and the 6th April, A.D. 32?
The interval contained exactly and to the very day
173,880 days, or seven times sixty-nine prophetic
years of 360 days, the first sixty-nine weeks of
Gabriels prophecy.
In the footnotes on page 128, Anderson gives the
following outline of his calculations of the sixty-nine weeks:
The 1st of Nisan in the twentieth year of
Artaxerxes (the edict to rebuild Jerusalem) was 14th
March, B.C. 445. The 10th Nisan in Passion Week
(Christs entry into Jerusalem) was 6th April, A.D. 32.
The intervening period was 476 years and 24 days
(the days being reckoned inclusively, as required by
the language of the prophecy, and in accordance with
the Jewish practice).
But 476 x 365 equal ................................ 173,740 days
Add (14 March to 6th April, both inclusive) .... 24 days
Add for leap years ... ....................................... 116 days

173,880 days
And 69 weeks of prophetic years of 360 days (or 69 x
7 x 360) equals 173,880 days.
2
According to Anderson, the 69 weeks began with the
decree to rebuild Jerusalem and terminated at the time of
Christs entry into Jerusalem, just prior to his crucifixion.
Lukes account lends some credence to this idea,
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over
it,
saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in
this your day, the things that make for your
peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
For days will come upon you when your enemies will
build an embankment around you, surround you
and close you in on every side,
and level you, and your children within you, to the
ground; and they will not leave in you one stone
upon another, because you did not know the
time of your visitation (Luke 19:41-44).
This was the time Christ was rejected as the Messiah of
Israel, and taken to the cross for crucifixion.
This leaves us with the seventieth week to be accounted
for. For reasons that we will examine in a moment, this
week was divided from the sixty-nine weeks. Several factors
set it apart. First, it was divided in the middle, with each
period consisting of forty-two months, or three and a half
years. This division is marked by an event referred to as the
cessation of the sacrifice and the oblation. The seventieth
week is clearly seen as a time of tribulation and destruction,
And the people of the prince who is to come shall
destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it

2
Anderson, Robert. The Coming Prince, pp. 121-128.

shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war
desolations are determined (Daniel 9:26).
Verse 27 seems to indicate that these things would take
place in the second half of the final week:
week; But in the middle of the week He shall
determined, Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel
9:27).
We must look, now, for some event that might be the
fulfillment of this prophecy. First, it seems fairly evident
from the text itself that the event in question is the
destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus alludes to Daniels prophecy
when he speaks of the abomination that makes desolate
in the Olivet Discourse. Daniels vision of the seventy weeks
was a prophecy of the time from Israels release from
captivity to the time of the end. A problem we face is that
Israels end did not come in a seven-year period
immediately following the crucifixion. Instead, it came
nearly forty years later when Rome sacked Jerusalem. This
suggests a break in our chronology, a gap between the sixty-
ninth and seventieth weeks. Given that our hermeneutic
speaks strongly against reinterpreting time frames, we
should have a very good reason for suggesting such a gap,
and an abundance of evidence that might justify this gap.
Lets take a look at this.
First of all, there is a textual division in Daniel 9:24-27
between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week. The
seventieth week is treated separately. At the end of the 69
th

week, Messiah is cut off. Does the expression cut off
mean that Christ was through with national Israel? Not at
all the day of the Lord was still to come. Christ, though
cut off, would still deal with fleshly Israel:
Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men,
and scribes: some of them you will kill and
crucify, and some of them you will scourge in
your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
that on you may come all the righteous blood shed
on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to
the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom
you murdered between the temple and the altar.
Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come
upon this generation.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the
prophets and stones those who are sent to her!
How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, but you were not willing!
See! Your house is left to you desolate;
for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say,
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
Lord! (Matthew 23:34-39).
Matthew 24 is a continuation of the predicted fate of
Israel, in which we have the Lords prophecy of the fall of
Jerusalem. It is in this context that Christ mentions the
abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet
(Matt. 24:15), which identifies the seventieth week with the
destruction of Jerusalem. Where does the gap come in?
First, Christ was received into heaven until the time of
the vengeance of God,
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing
may come from the presence of the Lord,
and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached
to you before,
whom heaven must receive until the times of
restoration of all things, which God has spoken
by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the
world began (Acts 3:19-21).
The gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week
was from the time of Christs going into heaven until he
came again. His coming, according to Matthew 24, was the
time of the end of the world, or the consummation of the
age.
Christ went away, but with the promise of coming again
(Jn. 14:1-3). His return was accompanied with blessing and
destruction blessing for true spiritual Israel, but
destruction for unbelieving fleshly Israel. His coming was
the receiving of one (2 Thess. 2:1), and the rejection of the
other (2 Thess. 1:7-9). According to Acts 3:21, it was a time
of fulfillment of all things spoken by the prophets of God.
This also is affirmed in Luke 21:22, For these are the days
of vengeance, that all things which are written may be
fulfilled. Luke 21:22 agrees with Acts 3:21, and both refer
to the destruction of Jerusalem the coming of Christ.
Peter refers to the period of time between the sixty-
ninth and seventieth week while Christ was away as the
longsuffering of God,
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some
count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance...
and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation (2 Peter 3:9, 15).
It was a time of preaching the gospel, and sealing the
servants of God, before the great day of his wrath has
come (Rev. 6:17). God gave Israel an opportunity to repent
before closing out their age,
After these things I saw four angels standing at the
four corners of the earth, holding the four winds
of the earth, that the wind should not blow on
the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
Then I saw another angel ascending from the east,
having the seal of the living God. And he cried
with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it
was granted to harm the earth and the sea,
saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees
till we have sealed the servants of our God on
their foreheads."
And I heard the number of those who were sealed.
One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the
tribes of the children of Israel were sealed
(Revelation 7:1-4).
Luke 19 seems to suggest a gap or space of time between
the cutting off of Christ and Israels destruction:
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over
it,
saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in
this your day, the things that make for your
peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
For days will come upon you when your enemies will
build an embankment around you, surround you
and close you in on every side,
and level you, and your children within you, to the
ground; and they will not leave in you one stone
upon another, because you did not know the
time of your visitation (Luke 19:41-44).
Consider Christs words in verse 43, For days will come
upon you when your enemies will build an embankment
around you. Those days of destruction would not
immediately follow the crucifixion, but they would come in
that generation (Matt. 23:35-36; 24:34).
Another reason for a gap might be that a continuous
chronology of Israels future would have defeated Gods
purpose in keeping the day or the hour of Christs coming
in secrecy. Jesus said, But of that day and hour no one
knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only
(Matt. 24:36). Because the seventieth week did not
uninterruptedly follow the sixty-ninth, the times and the
seasons would remain in the Fathers own power, to be
shared by no other (Acts 1:7).
The seventieth week of Daniel also sheds light on the
chronology of the book of Revelation, especially the later
chapters. Revelation deals with the end time, the fall of
Jerusalem, and the rise and glory of spiritual Israel. The
seventieth week of Daniel, Matthew 24, and Revelation are
synchronous, all dealing with the time of the end. The
remarkable harmony of these prophetic sections of the Bible
is a reflection of Gods wisdom, and the inspiration of
Scripture.
The first half of the seventieth week is pictured in
Revelation 11, which is a tribulation period for the saints:
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they
will prophesy one thousand two hundred and
sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands
standing before the God of the earth.
And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds
from their mouth and devours their enemies.
And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be
killed in this manner.
These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls
in the days of their prophecy; and they have
power over waters to turn them to blood, and to
strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they
desire.
When they finish their testimony, the beast that
ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war
against them, overcome them, and kill them
(Revelation 11:3-7).
Something happened in the middle of the seventieth
week that stoked the fires of the Jewish people against the
Romans, and this marked the beginning of unparalleled
tribulation and destruction for the Jewish people. John
doesnt tell us what exactly happened, and there isnt much
in secular history to tell us. In A History of the Jewish People in
The Times of Jesus by Emil Schurer, we have what might be a
clue. Because of the peoples distaste for the Roman
governor, Florus, efforts were made to have him removed as
governor, but to no avail. This laid the foundation for more
drastic action in expressing hostility toward Rome. Schuler
records this information, as taken from Josephus, Wars of
the Jews, 11.17, 2-4,
At the instigation of Eleasar, son of the high
priest Ananias, it was now also resolved to
discontinue the daily sacrifice for the emperor, and
no longer to admit of any offering by those who were
not Jews. The refusal to offer a sacrifice for the
emperor was equivalent to an open declaration of
revolt against the Romans. All attempts of the
principal men, among the chief priests as well as
among Pharisees, to induce the people to recall this
foolhardy resolution were in vain. They firmly
adhered to the decision to which they had come.
3

Interesting in this bit of history is the fact that a daily
sacrifice was being made for Nero, the emperor. We are not
sure when this practice started, but it speaks of the friendly
relations between Rome and Israel up until the time the
daily sacrifice was taken away, which was some time in the

3
Schurer, Emil. A History of the Jewish People in the Times of Jesus, pp.
245-247.
fall of A.D. 66. This seems to be the catalyst for the
beginning of the war of Rome against the Jews, which
reached its climax in the destruction of Jerusalem and the
temple in the summer of A.D. 70.
We can see Daniels prophecies coming to fruition in
the course of history. Regarding an end of sacrifice and
offering prophesied in Daniel 9:27, a strong case could be
made for this being the end of the sacrifice on behalf of
Nero, but that may not be the only explanation. It may also
have reference to the cessation of the Jewish sacrifice within
the temple, which had continued up until this time. But
according to history, these did not actually cease until
sometime in July of A.D. 70, due to famine and lack of
manpower. It is possible that the cessation of the sacrifice
and oblation has typical reference to the daily, sacrificial,
evangelistic labors of the saints in behalf of Israel from
Pentecost. The end had come time could be no longer
(Rev. 10:6-7).
And he said to me, Do not seal the words of the
prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is
filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous,
let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him
be holy still.
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is
with Me, to give to every one according to his
work
He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am
coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord
Jesus! (Revelation 22:10-12, 20).
Daniel 9:27 continues, And on the wing of
abominations shall be one who makes desolate. This
could likely have been the coming of the Roman
Commander, as affirmed by Jesus in Matthew 24:15. It also
suggests Jesus prophecy in Matthew 23:38, See! Your
house is left to you desolate. The seventieth week pictures
the casting out of Ishmael and the rise of Isaac. It is the end
of the old world and the beginning of the new, as predicted
in Matthew 24, and envisioned in Revelation.
Before leaving the seventy weeks of Daniel, let us take a
look at the six blessings to be ushered in at the end of that
time period. Keep in mind that the first part of Daniel 9
contains Daniels confession of the sins of Judah and Israel,
and his plea for mercy and pardon. He prayed for the
restoration and divine acceptance of Jerusalem. It was
during the course of this prayer that Gabriel came to give
him understanding of Israels future, and inform him that
seventy weeks must first pass before his prayer would be
answered.
Look at verse 24, and the six blessings that were to
come,
Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for
your holy city, to finish the transgression, to
make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for
iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to
seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the
Most Holy (Daniel 9:24).
Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and the
holy city, which means that Israels restoration and
blessings could be expected at the end of that time. This
would bring us to the time of the fall and destruction of
Jerusalem in A.D. 70. But how can a people and a city be
destroyed and blessed at the same time? Actually Daniels
prophecy includes both blessings and curses, all in the same
week. The blessings promised were to be received by the
new or heavenly Jerusalem of Galatians 4:26; Hebrews
11:10, 16; 12:22; and the one envisioned by John which
appeared after the end of the old heaven and earth.
On the other hand, the city and people destined to
destruction were literal Jerusalem and the people contained
in her. These two cities and their children were to receive
their rewards simultaneously, at the coming of Christ, in
this final week of Daniels prophecy. Ishmael and Isaac were
permitted to co-exist for a while, but Isaacs blessing and
inheritance demanded the casting out of Ishmael, the child
born of the flesh. Even so, Daniels prayer for Israel (the true
seed) could not be answered until the end of the seventieth
week, when the tares were separated from the wheat (Matt.
13:37-43; Matt. 3:12).
The six blessings promised to Daniels people were to
come in fullness not on Pentecost, but the fall of Jerusalem,
because the perfection of Old Testament saints depended
upon the victory and acceptance of the firstfruits of the
gospel. According to the law (Num. 15:18-21; Lev. 23:10-
11), a firstfruits offering had to precede the gathering of the
harvest, and this firstfruits offering made that harvest holy.
James calls the early believers a kind of firstfruits (Jas.
1:18). Their suffering, growth, and eventual perfection and
victory (as pictured in the 144,000 of Revelation) paved the
way for the rest of the harvest. This is the import of Hebrews
11:40, God having provided something better for us, that
they should not be made perfect apart from us.
The suffering of the firstfruits (New Testament saints) in
overcoming that present world, or age, led not only to their
own perfection, but also to the perfection of Israel. The
resurrection of the firstfruits resulted in the resurrection of
the Old Testament saints. It was in view of this truth that
Paul asked, Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized
for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are
they baptized for the dead? (1 Cor. 15:29). Pauls argument
here concerning the resurrection of the dead is based on the
law of the firstfruits. If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then there can be no harvest of Old Testament saints. If
there is no harvest, why should there be an offering of the
firstfruits? Why should gospel saints be baptized, suffer, strive
to bring the faith to perfection, if such sacrificial labor does
not result in the establishment of a system through which
both the firstfruits and the harvest are accepted by God?
Many interpretations have been given of 1 Corinthians
15:29 in an effort to avoid a doctrine of vicarious baptism.
But vicarious baptism is not taught in this text any more so
than vicarious suffering, or vicarious perfection and
acceptance. New Testament saints were not baptized for
specific persons or individuals of the Old Testament, but as
the firstfruits they bore the responsibility of reaching
perfection and gaining Gods acceptance in order to open
the way for the acceptance of the entire harvest. This is the
reason for Pauls concern to present them as a holy and
blameless bride at the coming of the bridegroom. Surely
they understood their position as firstfruits, knowing that
the complete redemption, glory, and manifestation of sons
of God of all ages rested upon their eventual victory.
It is in this light that Paul wrote in Romans 8,
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us.
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly
waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not
willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in
hope;
because the creation itself also will be delivered from
the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans and
labors with birth pangs together until now.
Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the
redemption of our body (Romans 8:18-23).
The glory that was going to be revealed in the firstfruits
was that which attended the coming of Christ. This was the
time of the manifestation of the sons of God, as these three
verses demonstrate. When Christ who is our life appears,
then you also will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4).
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet
been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He
is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He
is (1 Jn. 3:2). Then the righteous will shine forth as the
sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matt. 13:43).
It was also the time of their adoption, or their
redemption, which was fulfilled in the separating of Ishmael
and Isaac, or the fall of Old Covenant and the
consummation of the New. Luke applies redemption to this
event,
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud
with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and
lift up your heads, because your redemption
draws near (Luke 21:27-28).
This was the time for which the whole creation (Old
Testament saints) was waiting because this too would be the
time of their deliverance from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of Gods children (Rom. 8:19-22).
While every living soul from Adam to Christ would share in
the blessings of Christ at his second coming (1 Cor. 15:22),
the creation in this text of Romans 8 seems to apply to the
body of Israel under the Old Covenant (their redemption
assumes the redemption of Gentiles also). This creation was
subjected to frustration. The word frustration here in
Romans 8:20 (Greek mataioes) carries the meaning of
emptiness as to results, failing of the results designed,
owing to sin.
4
They were made subject to this frustration
when placed under the law (Sinai). Paul explains this in
Romans 7, where he writes as a personification of this
creature or creation of Romans 8,
I was alive once without the law, but when the
commandment came, sin revived and I died.
And the commandment, which was to bring life, I
found to bring death.
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
deceived me, and by it killed me (Romans 7:9-11).
Paul said he (the creation) was alive once without the Law.
He was evidently referring to the state of justification by faith,
which was achieved by Father Abraham and his descendants
prior to the giving of the law. The justification of Abraham by
faith (without the Law) is vital to the message of the Roman
letter. His faith and manner of justification are the pattern of
our justification in Christ. But when the law was added, sin
revived, and Paul (the creation) died. The weakness was not
the Law, but the flesh to whom it was given,
Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment
holy and just and good.
Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly
not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was
producing death in me through what is good, so

4
W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.
that sin through the commandment might
become exceedingly sinful.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal,
sold under sin (Romans 7:12-14).
This then, was the frustration that the creature was
made subject to, for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God (Rom. 3:23).
But this did not mean that the creation was left without
hope, O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from
this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our
Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God,
but with the flesh the law of sin (Rom. 7:24-25). Christ was
the hope of Israel, even though they were in a state of sin, and
a body of death. For the creation was subjected to futility, not
willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope (Rom.
8:20). This hope was not in the law, but in the promise,
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises
made. He does not say, And to seeds, as of
many, but as of one, And to your Seed, who is
Christ.
And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred
and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant
that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that
it should make the promise of no effect.
For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of
promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added
because of transgressions, till the Seed should
come to whom the promise was made; and it was
appointed through angels by the hand of a
mediator
Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly
not! For if there had been a law given which
could have given life, truly righteousness would
have been by the law.
But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the
promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to
those who believe (Galatians 3:16-19, 21-22).
In the fullness of time, then, creation Israel would be
delivered because the creation itself also will be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of
the children of God (Rom. 8:21). Deliverance from the
bondage of corruption meant deliverance from the law
and its curse (Gal. 3:10-13). The glorious liberty of the
children of God is that perfect state in Christ after the
acceptance of the firstfruits or the manifestation of the sons
of God. That time had not yet arrived when Paul wrote
Romans, but it was near,
For we know that the whole creation groans and
labors with birth pangs together until now.
redemption of our body (Romans 8:22-23).
The adoption, the redemption of the body, the
inheritance, resurrection to life, and manifestation as sons
of God were all part of the promise which was made to all
the seed through the faith of Christ, and was received when
Ishmael was cast out. This time came at the fall of
Jerusalem. It was then that the firstfruits had overcome,
reached perfection, and were accepted by God.

Six Promised Blessings
1. To finish the transgression. To finish the
transgression is more properly translated To restrain
transgression. Some render it to close the defection. We
must keep in mind that Daniels prayer was on behalf of
Israels transgressions.
Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has
departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore
the curse and the oath written in the Law of
Moses the servant of God have been poured out
on us, because we have sinned against Him
(Daniel 9:11).
In the new heaven and earth, which came in at the end of
the seventieth week, transgression would be finished or
restrained. Through the covenant of mercy, the curse of
the law (Dan. 9:11) would be removed. The history of
rebellion and transgression would come to an end, and the
history of restoration would begin. Israel would come into a
new state and relationship before God,
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor
crying. There shall be no more pain, for the
former things have passed away (Revelation
21:4).
The curse would be removed from the city (Rev. 22:3).
Isaiah prophesied this as well,
And the former shall not be remembered or come
to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For
people a joy.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; The
voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
nor the voice of crying (Isaiah 65:17-19).
2. To make an end of sins. This is also translated to
seal up sins. The idea is that of removing it from sight or
from view. The expression seems to be taken from the
custom of sealing up those things which one lays aside and
conceals. Daniel confesses in his prayer that the sins of
Israel were open and known by all, because for our sins,
and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your
people are a reproach to all those around us (Dan. 9:16).
Ezekiel prophesies of the time when an end would be made
of Israels sins,
For I will take you from among the nations, gather
you out of all countries, and bring you into your
own land.

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall
be clean; I will cleanse you from all your
filthiness and from all your idols.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within
you; I will take the heart of stone out of your
flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk
in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments
and do them.

Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your
fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your
God (Ezekiel 36:24-28).
This prophecy corresponds to the seventieth week of Daniel,
and the new heaven and earth of Revelation 21.
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity. This also could
be to cover iniquity. To cover sin carries connotations
of pardon or forgiveness. The old sins of Israel would be
atoned for and covered or forgiven by God.
We have here three things specified in regard to sin and
what would happen at the end time. Sin would be
restrained, sealed up, and covered. It would be a time of
redemption, the blotting out, or taking away of Israels sins.
It would happen at the end of the seventieth week of
Daniel. This is the time that the old heaven and earth gives
way to the new heaven and earth, where righteousness
dwells (2 Pet. 3:13).
We find further support of this timing of Israels
redemption in New Testament Scriptures,
And that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached
to you before,
Whom heaven must receive until the times of
We can see three things that were expected upon the
coming of the Lord: the blotting out of sins, a time of
refreshing, and the restoration of all things spoken by the
prophets since the world began.
That your sins may be blotted out is equal to Daniels
prophecy of Finishing transgression, making an end of
sins, and reconciliation for iniquity (Dan. 9:24). Daniel said
it would happen at the end of the seventy weeks, and Luke
said it would happen at the coming of Christ. We have
already seen that these events are the same.
Times of refreshing likewise refers to the coming of
Christ at the end of that age to restore true spiritual Israel,
and plant them in the new heaven and earth. We can see a
parallel with the period of regeneration Jesus refers to in
Matt. 19:28, Assuredly I say to you, that in the
regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His
glory. It is the same coming, the same throne, and the
same glory of Matt. 25:31, When the Son of Man comes in
His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit
on the throne of His glory. This time of refreshing,
(renewal or restoration) also is described in the 37th chapter
of Ezekiel.
The restoration of all things, which God has spoken by
the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began
(Acts 3:21) also applies to this same coming of Christ. All
unfulfilled prophecy finds its fulfillment at the end of
Daniels seventy weeks. The law then would be completely
fulfilled, for it was a time of reformation or restoration,
to the conscience-
concerned only with foods and drinks, various
this creation (Hebrews 9:9-11).
The Scriptures seem to assume that this time, when
heaven and earth would pass away, would bring a complete
fulfillment of the law,
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the
Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass
away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass
from the law till all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:17-18).
Again in the Gospels Christ says, Assuredly, I say to
you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these
things take place.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My
words will by no means pass away (Matt. 24:34-35). Luke
likewise assigns the fulfillment of all things to the
destruction of Jerusalem. For these are the days of
vengeance, that all things which are written may be
fulfilled (Lk. 21:22).
Another New Testament passage that assigns
redemption to Israel at the end time is Romans 11,
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be
ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise
in your own opinion, that blindness in part has
happened to Israel until the fullness of the
Gentiles has come in.
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The
Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn
away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them, When I take away
their sins (Rom. 11:25-27).
The bringing in of the fullness of the Gentiles in verse
25 was accomplished in the period of time from Pentecost
to the destruction of Jerusalem. It is the gap between the
sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks of Daniel, or the time that
heaven received Christ until his coming again (Acts 3:19-
21). The cutting off of the Messiah, or his rejection by the
Jews, resulted in salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).
When would ungodliness be turned away from Jacob, or
their sins be taken away? When Christ, the deliverer, came
out of Zion. When did Christ come out of Zion? Not at his
first coming, but at his second coming. Christ could not
come out of Zion until after he had gone there. Yet I have
set My King on My holy hill of Zion (Ps. 2:6) this
happened at his ascension into heaven, (Acts 2). But he was
received into heaven until the fullness of the Gentiles had
come in. Gods people eagerly waited for this to happen, so
Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those
who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time,
apart from sin, for salvation (Heb. 9:28). His second
coming would be apart from sin and for the salvation of
those that waited in readiness.
This picture of Christs coming out of Zion to cleanse
Israel harmonizes with the prophecy of Joel,
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For
the day of the Lord is near in the valley of
decision.
The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will
diminish their brightness.
The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice
from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will
shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His
people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
So you shall know that I am the Lord your God,
dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then
Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever
pass through her again (Joel 3:14-17).
This too, is a prophecy of the end time of Daniels
seventieth week. The darkening of the sun and moon is
alluded to in Matthew 24:29 and Revelation 6:12.
The shaking of the heavens and earth is found in
Hebrews 12:26-29. This is the time when the Lord shall roar
out of Zion and corresponds to Romans 11:26. Then,
according to Joel and the writer of Hebrews, Jerusalem shall
be holy (Joel 3:17). But Judah shall abide forever, and
Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will acquit
them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;
for the Lord dwells in Zion (Joel 3:20-21). Joels prophecy
ends with Judah and Jerusalem dwelling safely in their own
land the new heavens and earth of Revelation 21:1-2 or
the heavenly country sought by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
(Heb. 11:16), which was promised to Abraham and his seed
(Rom. 4:13).
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and
passing over the transgression of the remnant of
His heritage? He does not retain His anger
forever, Because He delights in mercy.
He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue
our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the
depths of the sea.
You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham,
which You have sworn to our fathers from days
of old. (Micah 7:18-20).
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness. The fourth
blessing contained in Daniels prophecy is to bring in
everlasting righteousness. This is really another reference to
the new heaven and earth, because righteousness would
dwell there (2 Pet. 3:13). This does not mean that
righteousness did not exist from Pentecost to the fall of
Jerusalem, or even in previous ages, but it refers to the time
of Christs coming when things would be so changed that
righteousness would be the eternal state of the new world.
The prophet Isaiah saw this time,
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the
earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away
like smoke, the earth will grow old like a
garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like
manner; But My salvation will be forever, and My
righteousness will not be abolished
But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an
everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed
or disgraced forever and ever
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for
brightness shall the moon give light to you; But
the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and
your God your glory.
Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your
moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your
everlasting light, and the days of your mourning
shall be ended.
Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall
inherit the land forever, the branch of My
planting, the work of My hands, that I may be
glorified (Isaiah 51:6; 45:17; 60:19-21).
The same principle applies to the kingdom of Christ.
The kingdom had its beginning on Pentecost, but it did not
take on its eternal nature until it was restored or raised to
its rightful place (1 Cor. 15:22; Daniel 7:18, 27). The
thought or idea seems to be that nothing was complete,
perfect, or eternal in the Jewish age. It was an incomplete,
temporary dispensation, designed to lead us unto that
which is perfect, complete, and eternal. This seems to be the
import of Pauls teaching in 1 Corinthians 13:10, But when
that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part
will be done away. The New Testament saints from
Pentecost to the fall of Judaism lived in an incomplete and
temporary world. They were in the world, but not of the
world (Jn. 17:14). They had the earnest of the spirit,
which within itself speaks of their incompleteness. The
perfect, of which the earnest of the spirit was a pledge,
was soon to come. In the new heaven and earth, the
incomplete gave way to the perfect, and the temporary
gave way to the eternal. Here, eternal righteousness came in.
5. To seal up vision and prophecy. This means to finish,
complete, or fulfill the prophecies. This was done at the
coming of Christ at the end of the Jewish world (Lk. 21:22;
Acts 3:19-21). The prophecies terminated in Christ,
Revelation 19:10,
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to
me, See that you do not do that! I am your fellow
servant, and of your brethren who have the
testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy
(Revelation 19:10).
Prophecy found its complete fulfillment in the second
coming of Christ, and now may be regarded as closed and
consummated, but in the days of the sounding of the
seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of
God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the
prophets (Rev. 10:7).
6. To anoint the Most Holy or the Holy of Holies.
Chapters 9 and 10 of the book of Hebrews will give us a
good picture of the Holy of Holies and its significance for
end-time prophecy. These chapters present the first
tabernacle of the Old Covenant as a foreshadow of what was
to come, and to serve as a basis for understanding Daniels
prophecy concerning the most holy place in prophetic
context.
First, Hebrews gives us a look at the worldly sanctuary,
or the one that belonged to the Jewish system,
Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances
of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.
For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which
was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread,
which is called the sanctuary;
and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle
which is called the Holiest of All,
which had the golden censer and the ark of the
covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which
were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's
rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
and above it were the cherubim of glory
overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things
we cannot now speak in detail.
Now when these things had been thus prepared, the
priests always went into the first part of the
tabernacle, performing the services.
But into the second part the high priest went alone
once a year, not without blood, which he offered
for himself and for the people's sins committed in
ignorance (Hebrews 9:1-7).
The tabernacle had two divisions, commonly referred to
as the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The holy place
was oblong in shape, thirty feet in length, fifteen feet wide,
and fifteen feet high. It contained the lampstand, the table
of showbread, and the altar of incense. This holy place was
for the daily rites and duties of the ordinary priests. Their
duties included sprinkling the blood of sin offerings before
the veil, lighting and trimming the lamps, offering incense
upon the golden altar, and changing the showbread every
sabbath day.
The Holy of Holies or the Holiest of All was fifteen
feet in length, width, and height a perfect cube. Within
this sanctuary rested the Ark of the Covenant, the pot of
manna, Aarons rod or staff, the two tables of the Law, the
mercy seat, and the Cherubim. The Holy of Holies was for
the annual duties of the high priest alone. None of the
ordinary priests were ever allowed to enter, and even the
high priest could do so only once a year on the Day of
Atonement. On that day the high priest would enter at least
three times: first with the censer and incense; second with
the blood of the bull, for his own and the priests sins; and
third, with the blood of the goat, for the peoples sins.
Now all of this was typical, or symbolic, of Gods
redemptive work under Christ. The Holy Spirit indicating
this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made
manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing (Heb.
9:8). Some suggest that this is simply a reference to the Holy
Place and the Most Holy Place. Robert Milligan, in his
commentary on Hebrews, writes,
These able critics insist that the word first is
used here, as in verse six, to denote simply the Holy
Place, standing as it did in front of the Most Holy. So
long as it stood in that position, it served of course, to
obscure the way leading through the veil into the
Most Holy Place, which in the second verse is called
the second tabernacle. All this is, of course, conceded
as a matter of fact.
Milligan then poses the question:
But is this the meaning of the passage? I think
not. It seems to me that the Apostle has reference
here to the entire Jewish tabernacle, which however,
he uses symbolically for the whole system of Jewish
worship, begun in the tabernacle and continued in
the temple; and that the second tabernacle, with
which the first is contrasted, as the greater and more
perfect tabernacle of the eleventh verse, together
perhaps with the heavenly Sanctuary into which
Christ has for us entered.
5

This seems to the most likely, given the overall tenor of
the passage in question. As long as the first tabernacle stood,
the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies only
once a year, which could not make him (or anyone else)
perfect (Heb. 9:9). The writer of Hebrews is indicating that
the way into the holiest of all, the greater and more
perfect tabernacle, was not yet made manifest,
to the conscience-

5
Milligan, Robert. Commentary on Hebrews, p. 250.
concerned only with foods and drinks, various
this creation.
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His
own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once
for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a
heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the
purifying of the flesh,
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without
spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?
And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new
covenant, by means of death, for the redemption
of the transgressions under the first covenant,
that those who are called may receive the
promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:9-
15).
It is tempting, perhaps, to speculate that since the
original tabernacle was divided into two parts, we might
expect a similar division in the greater tabernacle to come.
This is probably not the case, for several reasons.
First, the main typical design of the earthly tabernacle
pointed to the Holy of Holies. As long as the earthly
tabernacle stood, the Holy of Holies was off limits for the
ordinary priests, and this meant that the way into the
holiest of all was not yet opened, or manifest. No
significant distinction is made between the holiest of all
and the greater and more perfect tabernacle that was
about to come the one not made with hands.
According to Hebrews 9:8, as long as the first tabernacle
stood, the way into the Holiest of all was not yet opened to
the people of God. Jesus, our forerunner, entered into that
which was within the veil, leaving a promise of coming
again to receive his own unto himself. When Christ died on
the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the
top to the bottom (Matt. 27:51), which was symbolic of
what would happen the complete removal of the earthly
system and the bringing in of the new heavens and earth.
The death of Christ marked the beginning of this work,
which was consummated in the seventieth week of Daniel.
Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, we
read in Hebrews 9:28, which continues, To those who
eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart
from sin, for salvation. This event referred to the time that
Christ came out of the Holy of Holies, into which he had
gone with the blood of atonement. Like the high priest
under the law, his appearing, or coming out, was for the
purpose of blessing those that were waiting for him. But
unlike the earthly priest, his offering was accepted as perfect
forever, for he does not need daily, as those high priests,
to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the
peoples, for this He did once for all when He offered up
Himself (Heb. 7:27).
His purpose for going into the heavenly sanctuary was
to make atonement at the mercy seat, and to anoint the
greater and more perfect tabernacle. He then appeared, apart
from sin, to bless and to receive those that were waiting for
him. According to Daniel, this took place in the end of the
seventieth week, or the end of the Jewish world. This was
the time that the people of the prince came and destroyed
the city and the sanctuary (temple), bringing the whole
house of Israel to complete desolation (Dan. 9:26).
This was the end of the world, the destruction of the
temple, and the coming of Christ (Matt. 24:1-3). This was
when heaven and earth passed away (Matt. 24:35; Rev.
20:11). This was when the greater and more perfect
tabernacle came down,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and
their God.
former things have passed away(Revelation 21:1-
4).
The tabernacle of God in verse 3 is the greater and
more perfect tabernacle of Hebrews 9:11, which was to
come. It is the tabernacle of Ezekiels prophecy:
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them,
and it shall be an everlasting covenant with
them; I will establish them and multiply them,
and I will set My sanctuary in their midst
forevermore.
My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will
be their God, and they shall be My people.
The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify
Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst
forevermore (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
We also can see parallels between the New Jerusalem of
Revelation 21 and the Holy of Holies. The perfect cube of
the holy of holies now finds its fulfillment in the perfect
cube of the city of God. The city is laid out as a square; its
length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city
with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth,
and height are equal (Rev. 21:16).
Some object to the idea that we are now in the Holy of
Holies. The traditional view is that only Christ is there now,
and he has not appeared to complete our redemption and
receive us to himself. The assumption here is that the space-
time universe will cease to exist and be replaced by the new
heavens and earth. For many, Christ has not yet come, the
world has not yet ended, and only Christ occupies the
heavenly sanctuary.
This view conflicts with the time element involved in
prophecy, and postpones to the far distant future events
that were anticipated in the time of the New Testament
writers,
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the
Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is, His flesh,
and having a High Priest over the house of God,
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure
water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up
love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as
is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the
Day approaching (Hebrews 10:19-25).
The exhortation having boldness to enter the Holiest
suggests that the time of entering was drawing near; and
therefore the Hebrews were exhorted to draw near and to
hold fast the One who made these promises is faithful.
The time was upon them when the promise of God would
be fulfilled; in fact it was a day that they could see
approaching. We can see the struggle between Judaism and
Christianity in verses 26-34, where they are exhorted to
continue to fight and endure afflictions,
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which
has great reward.
For you have need of endurance, so that after you
have done the will of God, you may receive the
promise:
For yet a little while, and He who is coming will
come and will not tarry.
Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws
back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition,
but of those who believe to the saving of the soul
(Hebrews 10:35-39).
In verse 36, we find the promise mentioned again, as
in verse 23, and it is related to the coming of Christ in verse
37. The writer of Hebrews obviously saw this coming as
something that would happen soon. What is this coming of
Christ? Some see his coming in the destruction of Jerusalem.
Milligan writes:
The coming of Christ, as referred to in our text,
must therefore mean, not his second personal
coming, but his coming in providence most likely, to
destroy Jerusalem, and so to deliver his elect from the
violent persecutions to which they had long been
subjected by the unbelieving Jews (Matt. 24:29-41).
To this Christ himself refers encouragingly in Luke
21:28 where, speaking of the signs of Jerusalems
approaching ruin, he says, when these things begin
to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads,
for your redemption draweth nigh. The fall of
Jerusalem put an end, of course, to Jewish
persecution; and in this way and to this extent, it
brought deliverance to the Christians of Palestine.
And as this occurred in A.D. 70, about seven years
after the writing of this Epistle, the evidence seems
very clear that the apostle has reference here to that
ever memorable event.
6

Others say it is the second coming of Christ as most
people normally think of it. This seeming disparity of views
is not surprising. Time-wise, this coming was so near that
the destruction of Jerusalem is the only event it could fit,
and the Olivet Discourse supports this view. But to others,
the purpose and work associated with this coming makes it
necessary to apply it to his second coming, a time when
such things were to be fulfilled.
Correctly understood, these views are both correct. The
dilemma is a false one, for these are not two separate
comings but one. They are synchronous in time, design, and
purpose. The promise was received at that time. The world
(or age) ended at that time. It was the time of the seventieth
week of Daniel and the six promised blessings being ushered
in including the anointing of the Holy of Holies. It was
the time of the new heaven and earth (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev.
21:1), the tabernacle of God with men (the greater and more

6
Ibid., p. 293.
perfect one Heb. 9:11), the time when the inheritance was
received (Eph. 1:14, 1 Pet. 1:3, 4).
A second possible objection to this view of the
tabernacle is that of making the two departments of the
earthly tabernacle symbolic of the two worlds,
dispensations, or covenants. How can the Jewish system or
dispensation be properly represented by the Holy Place
when it was imperfect? This is probably pushing the
symbolism too far. The Holy Place was occupied by men of
God who were never able to achieve perfection by their
sacrifices, But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins
every year (Heb. 10:3).
Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical
priesthood (for under it the people received the
law), what further need was there that another
priest should rise according to the order of
Melchizedek, and not be called according to the
order of Aaron? (Hebrews 7:11).
Nevertheless, the Jewish system was holy in design and
purpose, just as the Law was holy, Therefore the law is
holy, and the commandment holy and just and good
(Rom. 7:12). The presence of God was hidden from the
people by a veil that would have to be lifted for restoration
to take place, and the law could not lift the veil. It could
only point out the gap that existed between humanity and
God.
Holy and Most Holy is a fitting contrast to describe
the two covenants and their respective purposes. A similar
contrast is found in 2 Corinthians,
But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on
stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel
could not look steadily at the face of Moses
because of the glory of his countenance, which
glory was passing away,
how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more
glorious? (2 Corinthians 3:7-8).
The Old Covenant system was holy on the same basis
that it was glorious. But the New Covenant was more
glorious because it brought humanity into the Holy of
Holies.
A third objection is based on the state of the church
between Pentecost and the fall of Judaism. If the church did
not enter the Holy of Holies until the fall of Jerusalem,
where was it prior to that time? If the holy place represented
the Old Covenant, would not this place the church under
the Old Covenant? The answer to this question should help
us to better understand the transition period.
They were in the world, but not of it (Jn. 17:14) and
while many Christians today interpret world to mean
culture (and find reasons to alienate their culture), Jesus is
referring to the Jewish world, or age, Father, I desire that
they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am,
that they may behold My glory which You have given Me
(Jn. 17:24). They would be where Christ was when he came
to receive them unto himself (Jn. 14:1-3; 2 Thess. 2:1) at the
end of the age.
Their redemption, or the completion of it, hinged upon
that time and that event. Until then they must be counted
as being in that world. However, through the power of the
spirit they were not of that world. By spiritual rebirth, and
through the earnest of the spirit, they possessed in part that
which would be given in full at the end of the age. From this
viewpoint they often spoke of the world to come,
referring to the time of separation from Judaism (Ishmael
cast out). For He has not put the world to come, of which
we speak, in subjection to angels (Heb. 2:5). [They] have
tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to
come (Heb. 6:5).
With this understanding, we should be ready to grasp
Pauls language in 2 Corinthians 5,
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is
destroyed, we have a building from God, a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed
with our habitation which is from heaven,
if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found
naked.
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened,
not because we want to be unclothed, but further
clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by
life.
Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is
God, who also has given us the Spirit as a
guarantee.
So we are always confident, knowing that while we
are at home in the body we are absent from the
Lord.
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent
from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or
absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, that each one may receive the things done
in the body, according to what he has done,
whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:1-10).
The phrase our earthly house, this tent in 2
Corinthians 5:1 corresponds to the earthly or worldly
sanctuary of Hebrews 9:1 and in particular to the Holy
Place, which represented the Old Covenant system and age.
When Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 5, that earthly system, or
building had not yet been dissolved. The time was getting
close in Hebrews 8:13, Now what is becoming obsolete
and growing old is ready to vanish away. The house was
still standing, as in Hebrews 9:11: But Christ came as High
Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more
perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this
creation. This creation the original King James version
uses building here is the building of God in 2
Corinthians 5:1; and not of this building in Hebrews 9:11
corresponds with a house not made with hands in 2
Corinthians 5:1.
Pauls message in 2 Corinthians 5 is clear. The
destruction of the temple, or Jewish system, would not leave
the Jewish Christians homeless because God had
promised a new heaven and earth, as well as a greater and
more perfect tabernacle, the holiest of all. Just as certainly
as Christ went to prepare a place for them, he would come
again and receive them to himself (Jn. 14:1). Gods promise
would not fail.
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the
Holiest by the blood of Jesus
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure
water.
wavering, for He who promised is faithful
(Hebrews 10:19, 22-23).
The dissolving of the earthly house would not leave
them naked,
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed
with our habitation which is from heaven,
if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found
naked.
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened,
not because we want to be unclothed, but further
clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by
life.
Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is
God, who also has given us the Spirit as a
guarantee (2 Corinthians 5:2-5).
Special notice should be given to the word prepared
in verse 5, which is from the Greek word katergazomai, and
signifies to work out, achieve, effect by toil.
7
The firstfruits
of the gospel, to whom God gave the earnest of the spirit,
existed for the purpose of working out, or effecting by toil
and sacrifice, this great change from the earthly to the
heavenly state. They labored that they might be accepted of
God. The whole harvest depended on their being accepted
(Rom. 8:18-23).
The groaning of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:2-4
corresponds to his groaning in Romans 8:23, Not only
that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even
we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the
adoption, the redemption of our body. Waiting for their
adoption is the same as waiting for their house from
heaven in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. Putting this deliverance,
adoption, redemption, and heavenly house into our future
perverts the true meaning and application of these passages,
and leaves the Christian of today homeless and orphaned.
Denying the fulfillment of prophecy at the indicated time

7
denies Gods blessing in our lives today. How great is our
need to come into the presence of God, and walk in the
Holy of Holies where the Godhead dwells.
,./
1. The author goes to great lengths to show the accuracy of
Daniels time statements down to the very day! If this
reading provides us with such harmony, is it logical to look
for another explanation? Is there any reason to do so?
2. Does a 30-year gap between the 69
th
and 70
th
weeks seem
plausible? Does a 2,000-year gap make more sense?
3. Given the similarities between Daniel and Revelation, does it
seem likely that they are speaking of radically disparate
events and time frames?
4. Daniel is told to seal the words of his prophecy (Daniel 8:26;
12:4), which would not come to pass for some 500 years.
John is told not to seal the words of his prophecy (Rev. 22:10)
for those things would soon take place. Does that make
sense if the fulfillment of Johns prophecies is anything more
than 500 years away? Is there any logic that allows us to see
500 years as the distant future (Daniel 8:26) and 1900+ years
as soon?
5. Which Israel received the blessings of Daniels prophecy?
How does this mesh with Galatians?
6. The author refers to Matthew 13:37-43. How does this
context change the way you read this parable?
7. How might the identity of the New Testament saints as a
kind of firstfruits shed light on the mission and purpose of
the apostolic church? Could this be part of Pauls concern to
present the church as a spotless bride at Christs coming?

CHAPTER FIVE
The Last Days
{}
The last days in Scripture are not literally the end of the
world, but the last days of the Old Covenant world that was
passing away. Words like end, end of the age, and the Day
of the Lord are end-time expressions, but they need not be taken
to mean the end of the universe. The Old Covenant world was
coming to an end, to be replaced by a new world of everlasting
righteousness. If we correctly perceive this end as happening at the
fall of Jerusalem, we cannot push back expectation of the second
coming to some future age or time. A careful study of last days
passages reveals a remarkable consistency in the scriptural record.
,./
The Bible is the story of Gods love for humanity and
His work to restore the divine-human relationship. Like any
story, this has a beginning, a climax and a conclusion.
Within the Bible there is a complete unfolding of the
mystery and purpose of God in the restoration of humanity.
The end, or consummation of all things, was the subject
of Old Testament prophecy, the heart of teaching in the
Gospels and the Epistles, and the burden of the Revelation
THE LAST DAYS 129
message, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh
angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God
would be finished, as He declared to His servants the
prophets (Rev. 10:7). The book of Revelation is a
description of the end time as foretold in the book of
Daniel.
By end time we mean that time when the story of
redemption reached its climax or fullness. It is not an end in
the sense that there is nothing future, but it is the end or
completion of a divine plan and purpose that now extends
into the future, forming and shaping the destiny of all
things. Just as the end of adolescence leads into maturity of
life, the end of Gods mystery leads into a fullness of
spiritual life that has no end.
The last days are the subject of the field we call
eschatology. Eschatology, according to Webster, means:
the branch of theology dealing with the last things, such as
death, resurrection, judgment, immortality, etc. It is a term
that is derived from a compound word in the Greek,
namely: eschatos, which means last or latter; and logos,
meaning discussion or doctrine. Thus, it means a
doctrine or discussion of last things.
It often is assumed that last things refer to the end of
the space-time universe, and that the Bible contains a great
deal of arcane information about that end. This is simply
not the case. The end in question is the end of Gods plan
for restoration, and while that restoration may need to be
more fully experienced by humanity, the plan for that
restoration has reached completion.
Figure 5

Other Terms
Other terms or expressions that apply to the last days
are these:
1. End. This word carries the idea of the final
outcome and therefore is used in connection with the
THE LAST DAYS 131
consummation of things as predicted by the prophets. Jesus
used it in this manner, And this gospel of the kingdom will
be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations,
and then the end will come (Matt. 24:14). Paul used it in a
similar way, Then comes the end, when he delivers the
kingdom to God the Father; when he puts an end to all rule
and all authority and power (1 Cor. 15:24); Peter uses it in
the same way as well, But the end of all things is at
hand (1 Pet. 4:7).
2. End of the age. The Greek word Aion, which means
age and is sometimes translated world, appears in many
passages dealing with the consummation of all things.
Christ uses it this way, Therefore as the tares are gathered
and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age
(Matt. 13:40 - see also Matt. 24:3). Paul uses it like this, Far
above all principality and power and might and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this age but also
in that which is to come (Eph. 1:21- see also Matt. 12:32
and Mk. 10:30). In these passages we have two worlds or
ages in contrast: this age (world) and the age (world) to
come.
3. The Day of the Lord. This expression appears in
many eschatological prophecies, and has reference to the
last days or end of the age. On the day of Pentecost, Peter
quoted the prophet Joel and left no question as to the time
of fulfillment. This is that, he said, which was prophesied
by the prophet Joel. The prophecy in question was from
Joel 2,
And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh;...
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood, before the coming of the great and
awesome day of the Lord (Acts 2:17, 20, quoting
Joel 2:28-30).
John, in his vision of the Lords day, makes this same
application.
I looked when he opened the sixth seal, and behold,
there was a great earthquake; and the sun became
black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became
like blood
For the great day of his wrath has come; and who is
able to stand? (Rev. 6:12, 17).
Joel and Peter call it the last days and the great and
awesome day of the Lord. John describes it as the great
day of his wrath, and asks, Who is able to stand? Joel
also writes, for the day of the Lord is great and very
terrible; who can endure it? (Joel 2:11). Each of these
writers was writing about the same event, or series of events,
and the same time of fulfillment. The following is a list of
other scriptures dealing with the day of the Lord,
Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it; And
it is the time of Jacobs trouble; But he shall be
saved out of it (Jeremiah 30:7).
Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the
coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord
(Malachi 4.5).
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the
Lord so comes as a thief in the night (1
Thessalonians 5:2).
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night (2 Peter 3:10).
The last day, the end of the world or age, and the day of
the Lord all blend into the same time period of fulfillment.

THE LAST DAYS 133
When Were the Last Days?
This is a critical question to answer. Unless we have a
right concept of the last days we cannot make a proper
application of prophecy. Missing the timing of the last days
will lead us to false conclusions about the events of those
days. Missing the time element of a prophecy will likely
result in a misconception of its fulfillment. The reverse is
also true. The Jews had a misconception of the manner in
which their messianic prophecies would be fulfilled, which
led them to a rejection of the time factor as well. They knew
it was time for Christ to come (Matt. 2:1-10), but since
Christ was contrary to their expectation of the Messiah,
they ignored the time element of prophecy. It was a fatal
mistake for them to make. Likewise, many today have a
misconception of the time in which prophecy was to be
fulfilled; therefore they now are blinded to the manner in
which fulfillment actually transpired. They cant see what
has happened because they wont allow themselves to think
that it might have happened.

The Traditional View
A common application of the last days is to the gospel
dispensation. Albert Barnes writes, in regard to the last days
of Hebrews 1:2, In this final dispensation; or in this
dispensation under which the affairs of the world will be
wound upThey do not imply that the world was coming
to an end, but that that was the last dispensation, the last
period of the world.
8

8
Barnes, Albert. Barnes Notes on the New Testament: Hebrews, pp. 22-23
Adam Clarke gives two possible meanings of the last
days, The gospel dispensation, called the last days and the
last time, because it is not to be followed by any other
dispensation; or the conclusion of the Jewish church and
state now at their termination.
9
Why have men concluded
that the last days refer to the gospel dispensation? One
reason is that many assume erroneously that the Jewish
age came to a close on Pentecost day. This is assumed on
the basis that Pentecost was the beginning of the Christian
age. The problem here lies in a failure to see the overlapping
period of these two ages or dispensations. Ishmael and Isaac
co-existed in Abrahams house for a time before Ishmael was
cast out.
The Jewish age did not end until their city, temple, and
state fell under Roman invasion in A.D. 66-73. The question
in Matt. 24:3, What will be the sign of your coming, and
of the end of the age? was not referring to the end of a
gospel age that had not yet been inaugurated, but to the
end of the Jewish age. Matt. 24 is devoted to that event, and
Christ plainly said, Assuredly, I say to you, this generation
will by no means pass away till all these things take place
(Matt. 24:34). We have seen in Daniel that the end
involved the Roman destruction of the Jewish temple, the
city, and the people. Then, and not until then, did the end
of that age come.

Mistaken Identity
If we assume that the New Testament writers were fully
enjoying the new age that was to come, we can easily get

9
Clarke, Adam. Commentary on Hebrews, p. 686.
THE LAST DAYS 135
confused when they write of this age and the age to
come, and assume they are referring to the Christian age
and some future age that we still have not seen. While
Pentecost was, in a sense, the beginning of the Christian
age, we are better off viewing this time as a transition
period, a bridge of sorts between two ages one that was
fading away and one that was coming to the fore. In this
case, the New Testament writers are consistent in their
reference to the waning Old Covenant age and the New
Covenant age of the kingdom of God that was even then
breaking in. The New Testament writers spoke of this
kingdom as a world or age to come, because the Jewish age
had not yet ended at the time of their writings.
One such example is Ephesians 1:21, far above all
principality and power and might and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this age but also in that
which is to come. The statement this age was in
reference to the Old Covenant age, which had not yet
ended, and the statement that [age] which is to come was
a reference to the New Covenant age, which would abide
and follow the end of the Old Covenant. The last days in
Scripture, therefore, never apply to the Christian age, but
always to the closing period of the Jewish age, which ran
from Pentecost to the fall of Jerusalem.
The writer of Hebrews spoke of the Christian age in
future tense, as seen in Hebrews 2:5, For He has not put the
world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.
Here the world to come is that age under the complete
dominion of Christ and stood in contrast to the age or
world under angelic administration, which, according to
verses 1-3 refers to the Old Covenant age. The statement,
but now we do not yet see all things put under him
(2:8), was made in view of the Jewish world which was still
standing and contesting the right of Christ to rule over
Israel. But this right and this complete dominion soon
would fall unto him, for that which is becoming obsolete
and growing old was ready to vanish away (Heb. 8:13). His
enemies would soon be made his footstool (Heb. 10:13).
Therefore, the world to come was always in contrast
to the Jewish age. It is used this way in Hebrews 6,
For it is impossible for those who were once
enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift,
and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
and have tasted the good word of God and the
powers of the age to come,
if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance,
since they crucify again for themselves the Son of
God, and put Him to an open shame (Hebrews
6:4-6).
Paul expresses their hope of redemption and deliverance
from the Old Covenant age in Galatians 1:4, who gave
Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this
present evil age, according to the will of our God and
Father.

On Solid Ground
The last days period, then, is the closing period of the
Jewish age during which Christianity (Isaac) was born, and
at the end of which Christianity was brought to perfection,
and Ishmael was cast out. In his commentary on Hebrews
1:2, Robert Milligan presents three different views of the last
days: It is alleged (1) that they refer simply to the closing
period of the Jewish age (Moll) (2) that they refer exclusively
to the Christian age (Stuart) and (3) that they refer to the
THE LAST DAYS 137
closing period of the prophetic era, embracing both the
ministry of Christ and of his Apostles (Luther).
10

Milligan favored the first view, but because he thought
the Old Covenant age ended at the cross, he confines the
speaking of Christ to his personal ministry. This
limitation is unnecessary. Christ was Gods spokesman
through the apostles ministry as well as his own (Heb. 2:3;
Jn. 13:20). Since the Old Covenant age did not end until the
fall of Jerusalem, we can have Christ as Gods spokesman in
the last days in his personal ministry as well as the ministry
of the apostles.

More Confusion
Some want to have the Old Covenant age end properly
at the fall of Jerusalem, but they are hesitant to assign the
expected coming of Christ to that time. This effectively
creates a third age that extends from the fall of Jerusalem to
a future return of Christ. There is no such age or period of
time, because the end of the Jewish world was the second
coming of Christ. That was the time of restitution of all
things spoken by the prophets. That was the bringing in of
the new heaven and earth, where righteousness dwells.
Abraham had two sons not three (Gal. 4:21). Just as
Isaac followed Ishmael, so the new world follows the end of
the old. The inheritance stands in Isaac, and beyond him we
cannot go. There is no one in Abrahams household higher
than Isaac, so he does not represent an intermediate state or
period of time, such as fostered by the traditional view.
There is no time period between the fall of Judaism and the

10
Milligan , Robert. Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 49, 50.

second coming of Christ. They are essentially the same
event at any rate they are inexorably linked.
When we, through faulty interpretation, assign last
days prophecies to a period of time that does not exist in
scripture, the result is confusion. The New Testament saints
preached, wrote, suffered, and died in the last days, but this
is not true of us today. We are now in that world which was
to come. We are in the eternal kingdom of Christ, and
instead of being in last days we are in eternal days a world
without end (Eph. 3:21). We are speaking, of course, of the
world typified by Isaac, our spiritual world and citizenship.

Which is Which?
A passage that illustrates the kind of confusion that can
result is Hebrews 1:1-2, God, who at various times and in
various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the
prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his
son.
If the last days is the end of the Old Covenant age (as
we have seen), then the world to come must follow, but
most Christians think that the new world is ushered in by
the second coming of Christ. This presents an exegetical
problem that is acknowledged by J. Barmby in the Pulpit
Commentary:
A subject of discussion has been the point of
division between the two ages whether the
commencement of the Christian dispensation is
ushered in by the exaltation of Christ, or his second
advent. The conception in the Jewish mind, founded
on the Messianic prophecy, would of course, be
undefined. It would only be that the coming of the
Messiah would inaugurate a new order of things. But
how did the New Testament writers after Christs
THE LAST DAYS 139
ascension conceive the two ages? Did they regard
themselves as living at the end of the former age or at
the beginning of the new one? The passage before us
does not help to settle the question ... but other
passages seem certainly to imply that the coming
age was regarded as still future. It has been said,
indeed, with regard to this apparent inference from
some of them, that the writers were regarding their
own age from the old Jewish standing-point when
they spoke of it as future, or only used well-known
phrases to denote the two ages, though they were no
longer strictly applicable.
11

But Barmby admits difficulty in such passages as 1
Corinthians 10:11 and Ephesians 1:21, for in these passages
it appears that the coming of Christ was to usher in the new
age. Barmbys further comments give emphasis to the
existing exegetical problems:
Still, though that day was in the future, the first
coming of Christ had been, as it were, its dawn, the
true light already was shining (1 Jn. 2:8). Hence the
apostolic writers sometimes speak as if already in the
coming age, as being citizens already of heaven
(Phil. 3:20); as already made to sit with Christ in the
heavenly places (Eph. 2:6), having already tasted the
powers of the world to come (Heb. 6:5). In a certain
sense they felt themselves in the new order of things,
though strictly speaking they still regarded their own
age as but the end of the old one, irradiated by the
light of the new. To understand fully their language
on the subject, we should remember that they
supposed the second advent to be more imminent
than it was ... thus they might naturally speak of their
own time as the conclusion of the former age, though
regarding the second advent as the commencement
of the new one.
12

11
The Pulpit Commentary: Hebrews, p. 2
12
Ibid.
The apostles did, of course, write from the viewpoint of
still being in the Old Covenant age, or this world or
present time. That age had not yet ended. But there were
times when they wrote from the viewpoint of being in the
coming age because from Pentecost to the fall of Jerusalem
they had the guarantee (earnest) of the spirit. And
through this guarantee they possessed in part what
would eventually be given in fullness or perfection. This
earnest of the spirit was until the time of their redemption,
adoption, or inheritance. It is fashionable today to describe
our position in the kingdom in terms of already but not
yet, meaning that the kingdom is here but is not yet here
in fullness. This is a useful concept if it is properly applied
to the transition period from the Cross to the Parousia
during which the New Testament saints were writing and
preaching.
These saints did consider themselves to be living in the
end of the age, Now all these things happened to them as
examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the ages have come (1 Cor. 10:11). They
assumed this event to be the second coming of Christ, and
they believed it was imminent. They believed that Christ
would come in their generation (Jesus said so specifically)
and that his coming would be the beginning of a new age. I
do not believe they were deceived, nor were they deceivers.
They were guided by the Spirit of truth. The error is not in
inspiration or revelation, but in interpretation. Christians
today cannot admit that the end of the Old Covenant
system was the second coming of Christ because just as
many Jews missed his first coming their concept of the
manner of Christs second coming forces them to reject the
time and event of it.
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The perennial conflict in the Middle East offers a kind of
macabre hope to Jews and Christians alike who are awaiting
a coming Messiah. To the Jewish zionist, it is a hope of
Christs first coming, to the Christian zionist, a hope of his
second coming! Both are likely to be disappointed, for the
political unrest in that part of the world is not a portent of
divine visitation but merely the product of human
foolishness and cruelty. The Jews failure to see the first
coming of Christ is a nearly identical error to the Christians
failure to see His second coming. Their common error of
looking for an earthly kingdom has brought them to a
common ground of hope the land of Palestine and the city
of Jerusalem. Abraham, however, saw a different country,
and a heavenly city.
Some, finding the premillennial view distasteful, suggest
that the purpose of Christs coming is not to reign on the
earth, but to destroy it since that is supposed to have
something to do with our salvation. A new heaven and
earth will then be created. This is at least a little curious
since it seems to leave the new earth unoccupied. If all the
saved are going to heaven, and the lost to hell, who is left to
inhabit the new earth? The failure of this view lies in
misidentifying the worlds involved in Gods scheme of
redemption. This present material world was never the
subject of prophecy, nor is its destruction a crucial factor in
the redemption of man. The world marked for destruction
in prophecy was the Old Covenant world.

The Last Days in Joel
A major and eventful prophecy involved in the last
days is found in Joel 2,
And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour
out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall
dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My
maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those
days.
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the
earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the
name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount
Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom
the Lord calls (Joel 2:28-32).
Joel uses the expression and it shall come to pass, but
Peter gives the meaning of the time when he called it the
last days (Acts 2:17). The subject of Joels prophecy would
have its fulfillment in the last days. What would happen at
this time? First, God promised to pour out His Spirit upon
all flesh. What was this outpouring of Gods Spirit?
Obviously, for Peter, in quoting Joel on the day of
Pentecost, this had reference to the miraculous gifts of the
Spirit given during the transition period (Acts 2:16-17). The
expression all flesh simply indicated the giving of these
gifts to Jew and Gentile alike, For there is no distinction
between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to
all who call upon Him (Rom. 10:12).
A traditional view has all flesh in this prophecy
limited to Pentecost and the house of Cornelius, where
supposedly the baptism of the Spirit was given. In the first
instance this gift is given to Jews (the apostles), and in the
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second instance to Gentiles (Cornelius and his household).
There are several problems with this view. First, it assumes
that Cornelius and his house received the baptism of the
Spirit as did the apostles on Pentecost. This is an unproved
assumption. The same gift (Acts 11:17) does not
necessarily mean a like measure or power of the spirit as
received by the apostles. The same gift is in reference to
speaking in tongues, which was within itself sufficient
evidence that God had accepted the Gentiles.
Second, it is erroneous to assume that the pouring out
of Gods Spirit in Joel 2 is limited to the baptismal measure,
when the text suggests additional gifts of the spirit, such as
prophecy. It is not confined to Pentecost and the house of
Cornelius, for it involves sons and daughters, young men
and old men, and menservants and handmaidens. This
suggests diversity in the gifts of the spirit and the receiving
of them that correlates Joel 2 with the miraculous gifts to
the early church, even as discussed by Paul in 1 Corinthians
12.
But when would this outpouring of the spirit transpire?
Joel said in the last days. Peter affirms that Pentecost was
the beginning of that which was spoken by the prophet Joel
(Acts 2:16). How long would it continue? Last days does
not refer to the end of the Christian age, but to the closing
period of the Jewish age, which was from Pentecost to the
fall of Jerusalem (or the end of the world). This was the
period of time when God poured out his spirit upon all
flesh, and this pouring out was in miraculous measure, or in
the form of special gifts (1 Cor. 12:4). These gifts were given
during the last days only, or until that which was perfect
came (1 Cor. 13:10). They served the purpose of bringing
the church and the faith to maturity or perfection in Christ.
The last days period was one of transition, during which a
change was being made from one age to another age (1 Cor.
13:11-13).

The Earnest of the Spirit
The pouring out of Gods Spirit, in Joel 2 corresponds
to the earnest of the Spirit. The word earnest (KJV)
means a pledge, or a guarantee. In general usage it came to
denote a pledge or earnest of any sort; in the N.T. it is used
only of that which is assured by God to believers; it is said
of the Holy Spirit as the Divine pledge of all their future
blessedness, 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; in Ephesians 1:14,
particularly of their eternal inheritance.
13

Since the earnest of the spirit was a pledge of something
yet to come, just what was to come? The answer is found in
Acts 2,
Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of
you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins; and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is to you and to your children, and to
all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God
will call (Acts 2:38-39).
The earnest was a pledge, guarantee, or an assurance
that the gift of the Spirit would be received. The earnest (or
miraculous gifts) of the spirit was not that gift of the Spirit
in Acts 2:38, but rather a pledge of it. We must not assume
that the gift of the Spirit was received at the time of
baptism in Acts 2:38. Three things must be considered in
Acts 2:38-39:

13
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First, the gift of the Spirit is not the Spirit Himself, but
something that he gives. Otherwise Peter would have said,
Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and the
Holy Spirit.
Second, the time of this gift was yet future. The
exhortation was, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins; and you shall [future time] receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Baptism would place
them in a position to receive, at a latter date, the gift of the
Spirit. In the meantime, the earnest of the Spirit, involving
special gifts, was given to assure reception of the gift to
come.
Third, the gift of the Spirit was a promise, For the
promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are
afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call (verse 39).
Its the same promise made to Abraham and his seed, which
would be fulfilled when Ishmael (the Old Covenant world)
was cast out, For the promise that he would be the heir of
the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the
law, but through the righteousness of faith (Rom. 4:13).
The world promised to Abraham and his seed was the one
that came by the gospel, not by the law. That world had not
yet come at Pentecost, but they were looking for it when
Peter wrote 2 Peter 3:13, Nevertheless we, according to His
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells. When did it come? When the old
heaven and earth passed away (Rev. 21:1-2). This was the
end of the Jewish age (Heb. 8:13), which brought the
promise or the gift of the Holy Spirit. Baptism placed both
Jews and Gentiles in a position to inherit this promise,
Jesus.
put on Christ.
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed,
3:26-29).
Notice that baptism into Christ made them Abrahams
seed and as the seed of Abraham they were heirs according
to the promise. What was the promise? See again Romans
4:13, For the promise that he would be the heir of the world
was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but
through the righteousness of faith. Abraham and his seed
were heirs of a promised world. They inherited this world
and received the promise when that world came, which
followed the world that was according to the law (Rom.
4:13). Thus the new heaven and earth promised to Abraham
and his seed did not come until the old world (Old
Covenant age) passed away, which was not on Pentecost,
but certainly in that generation (Matt. 24:3, 14, 34). The
new world, being heavenly or spiritual in nature, was in its
perfect state, the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was promised to
all, and would be received by all who were of the seed of
Abraham. One could not receive the gift of the Spirit unless
he was an heir with Abraham, to whom the promises were
given.
As a pledge that this new world would follow the end of
that age, the earnest of the Spirit was given. The
miraculous gifts gave the early church assurance, leadership,
and understanding as they left the elements of the world
to serve in newness of letter, and await the coming of Christ
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at the end of the age, to usher them into their heavenly
inheritance the new heaven and earth.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has
begotten us again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and
that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for
you,
who are kept by the power of God through faith for
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1
Peter 1:3-5).
Christ had promised this inheritance, Blessed are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5).

Miraculous Gifts as the Earnest of the Spirit
An earnest is a pledge or assurance of something to
come. An ordinary indwelling of the Holy Spirit, such as we
have today through Gods word, would do little to convince
the early Christians they had obeyed the right message and
were headed in the right direction. It took a special power
from the Holy Spirit to convince Cornelius that he was
doing right in becoming a Christian, and to convince the
Jews to admit him and other Gentiles into fellowship. The
ordinary influence of the Spirit through the word was not
enough to constitute assurance to both parties. Receiving
gifts of the spirit was evidence of having obeyed the right
message: And we are His witnesses to these things, and so
also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who
obey Him (Acts 5:32). God would not give his Spirit
(miraculous power) to those who obeyed false doctrine. This
was Pauls reasoning with the Galatians who began to doubt
the validity of the gospel. Paul stirs them to sober thinking
with a timely question: This only I want to learn from you;
did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the
hearing of faith? (Gal. 3:2). Did you receive the Spirit,
Paul asks effectively, under the Law system or under the
gospel system?
Now what did Paul mean by receiving the Spirit? Does
he mean the ordinary indwelling of the Spirit through the
word? If so, what proof would this be that the Galatians had
obeyed the right teaching? All teaching conveys some kind
of spirit. But the text shows that Paul was speaking of
miraculous power. Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to
you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the
works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Gal. 3:5). The
fact that the Spirit was given and miracles were worked
under the gospel system rather than the law system was
evidence that God now stood with gospel saints. That was
the earnest of the Spirit given to New Testament saints
until the time of their redemption or separation from
Judaism.
God endorsed and supported New Testament saints
with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts
of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will (Heb. 2:4). As
the gospel of Mark testifies,
And these signs will follow those who believe; In My
name they will cast out demons; they will speak
with new tongues;
They will take up serpents; and if they drink anything
deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will
lay hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark
16:17-18).
But this power was confined to the last days or the
time when the two Israels coexisted,
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Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies,
they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will
cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish
away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect has come, then that
which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as
a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a
man, I put away childish things.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to
face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know
just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the
greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).

Three Categories of the Spirit
As shown already, the pouring out of Gods Spirit in Joel
2 does not relate to the gift of the Spirit in Acts 2:38. We
actually have three categories of the spirit in the New
Testament:
1. The guarantee of the Spirit, which answers to Joel 2 or
the miraculous gifts.
2. The gift of the spirit, which was the promise to
Abrahams seed, to you and to your children, and to all
who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call
(Acts 2:39). It was the inheritance of which the miraculous
gifts were a pledge or assurance.
3. The ordinary indwelling of the Spirit through the word.
This was available on Pentecost, or whenever the word was
received, even until this day. The indwelling of the spirit is
not the gift of the Spirit in Acts 2:38. If so, they were not
born of the spirit until after they were baptized. Baptism was
commanded in order to receive the gift of the spirit. But who
can deny that their believing, repenting, and baptism were
unrelated to the spirit and their birth of the spirit? They had
to be born again in order to receive the gift of the Spirit
which is equated with the promise left unto Abraham and
his seed. The promise was renewed on Pentecost, but not
received until the end of the age.
Therefore, the gift of the spirit in Acts 2:38 is not the
ordinary indwelling of the spirit, but our inheritance in
Christ. The spirit in Joel 2 is miraculous in nature and
corresponds to the earnest. A great source of confusion today
is failure to distinguish between the earnest of the Spirit and
the ordinary indwelling of the spirit. We dont have the
earnest today because we now have the inheritance.

Sun and Moon Darkened
Other things to transpire in the last days were the sun
going dark and the moon turning to blood (Joel 2:31). These
were symbols signifying the end of the Old Covenant world.
Since the sun and moon are the governing bodies of the
heavens (Gen. 1), they came to symbolize governments
within a system. Their darkening and turning into blood
denoted the fall of such a system. Isaiah uses this language
in reference to the Babylonian kingdom,
Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel with both
wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate:
and he will destroy its sinners from it.
For the stars of heaven and their constellations will
not give their light: The sun will be darkened in
its going forth, and the moon will not cause its
light to shine (Isaiah 13:9-10).
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Jesus applied these same symbols to the destruction of
the Old Covenant system, Immediately after the
tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the
moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven,
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken (Matt.
24:29). John, of course, pictures the Jewish defeat in the
same manner, I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and
behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became
black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood
(Rev. 6:12).
Things were to happen in the last days, and since Jesus
and John both apply this language to the fall of Jerusalem,
the case for the last days being the end of the Old Covenant
age seems pretty strong. Again, we fall into a trap if we
assume these images refer literally to the heavenly bodies.
Christ did not apply Joels prophecy concerning the sun
and moon to this material world, nor should others.

The Last Days of Isaiah
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the
mountain of the Lords house shall be established
on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.
Many people shall come and say, Come and let us go
up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of
the God of Jacob; He will teach us his ways, and
we shall walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go
forth the law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3).
It usually is affirmed that this prophecy had its
fulfillment on Pentecost, but just as Joel 2, it must be
understood as having its beginning on Pentecost. The time
period in these two prophecies is the last days, which
extend from Pentecost to the close of the Old Covenant age.
During this time period the mountain or government of the
Lords house was going to be established in the top of the
mountains. This prophecy blends with Daniel 2:44,
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will
set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed;
and the kingdom shall not be left to other
people; it shall break in pieces and consume all
these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever (Daniel
2:44).
The eternal kingdom was not established in one day,
but its emergence demanded the labor, suffering, and
sacrifice of the gospel saints throughout the entire time of
the last days. According to Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and
14, the saints did not take the kingdom and possess it
forever and ever (Dan. 7:18) until after the battle with the
beast (Dan. 7:19-21), which was at the end of the Old
Covenant age. Although the kingdom had its inception on
Pentecost, it did not have its victory until the fall of
Jerusalem. The destruction of Jerusalem was the time of
Christs coming in his kingdom with power and victory
(Matt. 16:27-28; Luke 21:31). We have already seen that the
seventieth week of Daniel is equated with the last half of
Revelation, and deals with the end time or the final battle of
the saints with the beast before the fall of Jerusalem. The
saints did not possess the kingdom before this battle, but
afterwards,
I was watching; and the same horn was making war
against the saints, and prevailing against them,
until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was
made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and
the time came for the saints to possess the
kingdom (Daniel 7:21-22).
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The coming of the Ancient of Days resulted in the
victory of the saints and their possessing the kingdom. This
was not the coming of Christ on Pentecost, but his coming
in the destruction of the Old Covenant system (Matt. 24).
Revelation is a picture and description of this coming.
Chapter 1 pictures the son of man (Ancient of Days) and
declares his coming (verse 7). It was the time of receiving
the eternal kingdom (Rev. 11:15-17; 12:10), as affirmed by
the writer of Hebrews, Therefore, since we are receiving a
kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by
which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear (Heb. 12:28).
The everlasting kingdom of Christ was established in
the last days. Putting the time of the everlasting kingdom at
the end of the space-time universe is a denial of Daniel 2:44,
and Daniel 7:13-14. It is equally absurd to have the eternal
kingdom of Daniel 2:44 fulfilled on Pentecost and still look
for the eternal kingdom of 2 Peter 1:11. There are not two
eternal kingdoms Daniel and Peter were speaking of the
same kingdom and the same time of its coming in fullness.
Daniel 2:44; 1 Peter 1:11; Hebrews 12:28; Matthew 16:27-28;
Luke 21:31; and Revelation 11:15-17 all converge at the end
time of the Jewish age. Everything came to pass in the last
days as prophesied by Isaiah, Joel and Daniel, as taught by
Christ and envisioned by John.
Many are still looking for the external kingdom because
they believe it follows the end of the universe. But the sun
has been darkened and the moon has been turned into blood.
The world (the Old Covenant world) has ended, and the
Ancient of Days has come, giving victory to the saints over
the forces of darkness. The kingdom was delivered to the
saints, and eternal life is the right and power of every
citizen.

The Last Time of 1 John 2:18
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have
heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now
many antichrists have come, by which we know
that it is the last hour (1 John 2:18).
What did John mean by the expression it is the last
hour? The last hour denotes the nearness of things to
come. It is connected with the theme of the text, namely
the passing of the world. John urges separation from the
world on the basis that: 1) The world is passing away; 2) A
great crisis already had begun, and 3) The evidence of this
was the appearance of antichrists. By this John said we
know it is the last hour. So what is John actually saying?
First, there is the traditional view that John was
merely saying this is the last dispensation of time, or the
Christian age. Commenting on this verse, Melvin J. Wise
writes, We know that John was not referring to the last
period of time just preceding the coming of our Lord: If so,
he was wrong about it, for 1900 years have come and gone
by and still the world exists. It is apparent, therefore, that he
had in mind the last dispensation, or the Christian age.
14

John said he knew it was the last hour because the
antichrists have already come. Did John write and labor all
those years not knowing what age he was in? Did it take the
coming of antichrists to convince him he was a servant of
Christ? Would Christ and inspiration not have told him
this? The antichrists were not evidence of an age but of a

14
The Last Days, Fort Worth Christian College Lectures, 1968. p. 244.
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last hour or last time. It signaled the end of whatever was
upon them. The error here is not Johns, but lies in our
concept of the coming of Christ and of the world that
would end.
Second, there is the error of John view. This view is
expressed in the Pulpit Commentary:
The last hour can only mean the last hour before
the second coming of Christ. Nothing but the
unwillingness of Christians to admit that an apostle,
and especially the apostle St. John, could seem to be
much in error about the nearness of the day of
judgment, could have raised a question about
language so plain ... but it may very reasonably and
reverently be asked, What becomes of the inspiration
of Scripture if an inspired writer tells the church that
the end of the world is near, when it is not near? The
question of inspiration must follow that of
interpretation, not lead it.
Let us patiently examine the facts, and then try
to frame a theory of inspiration that will cover them;
not first frame our theory, and then force the facts to
agree with it. But the question in its proper place
requires an answer. The Old Testament prophets were
often guided to utter language the Divine meaning of
which they did not themselves understand. They
uttered the words in one sense, and the words were
true in a far higher sense of which they scarcely
dreamed. The same thing is true of the New
Testament prophets, though in a less degree, because
the gift of Pentecost had given them powers of
insight which their predecessors had not possessed.
The present text seems to be an illustration of this
truth. We can hardly doubt that, in saying it is the
last hour, John means to imply that within a few
years, or possibly even less time, Christ will return to
judgment. In this sense the statement is not true.
15

This view begins well, but runs into problems. Certainly,
John was writing about the nearness of the second coming
of Christ, or the end of the world. But since many assume
that hasnt happened yet, John is credited with an error of
judgment and understanding that made its way into his
writing. This is a much less elegant theory than the
assumption that John was correct and we must examine our
understanding of the end time.
John said the world would pass away and then declared
the nearness of that event by saying it was the last hour
and citing the presence of antichrists. What, exactly, was
then in its last hour? From what we have studied so far we
might guess that he is referring to the end of the Old
Covenant age. We now have a key for our interpretation,
and it should fit. It seems very likely that love for the Old
Covenant system was the object of Johns warning in 1 John
2:15-17. It also was the object of Pauls warning, Therefore
if you died with Christ from the basic principles (or
elements) of the world, why, as though living in the world,
do you subject yourselves to regulations? (Colossians 2:20
see also Colossians 2:8; Galatians 4:3, 9). Would not their
desire to return to the weak and beggarly elements in
Galatians 4:9 correspond to their love for the world in 1
John 2:15-17?
Paul, like John, taught that the end of the world was
near, But this I say, brethren, the time is shortFor the
form of this world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:29, 31). They
were speaking of the world that Jesus said would end in that

15
The Pulpit Commentary: 1 John, pp. 25, 26.
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generation (Matt. 24:3, 14, 34). Jesus said that world, or
heaven and earth, would pass away, but his word would
abide (Matt. 24:35). John was exhorting Jewish converts to
faithfulness with that same message: And the world is
passing awaybut he who does the will of God abides
forever (1 Jn. 2:17). Of course, Peter was speaking of the
same world and its destruction in 2 Peter 3:10-15. He too
realized that the end of all things is at hand (1 Pet. 4:7).
The Jewish world could not abide the presence of him that
sat upon the great white throne of Judgment (Rev. 20:11).
The elements would melt with the fervent heat of divine
judgment. That world was going to burn into oblivion,
because they rejected Christ and opposed his gospel. Jesus
lit that fire of destruction in his personal ministry (Lk.
12:49), and it was fanned into a consuming fire by the end
of the apostolic age. That was the last hour of Johns
testimony. He knew by the signs of the times that the end
of the world, the coming of Christ, and the day of judgment
were upon them.
Before leaving the text of 1 John 2:15-18, we should
note that sin or evil is not being charged against the Jewish
world or system itself. Distinction must be made between
the world or system created of God, which was good, and
the sin that entered and reigned in that world. Since the
Jewish system could not solve the problem of sin (because
of mans weakness), it was necessary for that world to be
removed and a new world created that could minister to
mans weaknesses, and thereby help him overcome sin.
Concerning the law Paul said, For we know that the law is
spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin (Rom. 7:14).
Therefore the law was removed, not because it was sin, but
in order that grace might enter and reign. Grace was able to
do what the law could not do, namely, free man from the
guilt, the state, and the consequences of sin. The law was
not evil, but to love the law and hold to it in preference to
grace resulted only in mans missing the mark of the law
and falling into the grasp of sin. Therefore, the law, though
it was good and spiritual in nature and design, had to be
removed in order to stop the advance of sin.
John writes of this in 1 John 2:15-18. The Old Covenant
world which they were not to love was good and holy
within itself, being created of God. But it became the
habitation of sin through mans lust. John did not say that
this world was not of the Father, but that all that was in the
world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life) was not of the Father. The world was not
created evil, but it became, through mans lust, a world of
sin. The only solution to the problem was the creation of a
new world, conditioned through Gods grace to deal with
the problem of sin. To love the world, therefore, was to
despise grace, and reject righteousness in preference to sin.
The same thing was true of the city of Jerusalem and the
temple. They were holy in design and purpose, being
created of God. Nevertheless, they were destroyed because
both became polluted with mans sin. The great city finally
took on the nature and description of Babylon (Rev. 16:19).
Her sins reached unto heaven, and God remembered her
iniquities. Gods plea for his people to depart out of her is
equal to Johns plea for Christians to sever all connections
with the world that was about to pass away. Sin, and the
inability of the Old Covenant world to deal with it, made
necessary a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). To love the old in
rejection of the new placed one under the dominion of sin
in rejection of the reign of life and righteousness.
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Many Antichrists Have Come
Johns reference to antichrists is further support for our
understanding of world as the Old Covenant system. The
word antichrist carries the idea of rivalry with Christ, as
well as opposition to Christ. According to Jesus himself, this
would be one of the signs preceding the end or fall of
Jerusalem,
For many will come in my name, saying, I am
Christ, and will deceive many
Then if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ!
or There! do not believe it.
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show
great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible,
even the elect (Matthew 24:5, 23-24).
No doubt this was the foundation for the apostles
teaching about the coming of antichrists, whose presence
convinced John that the last time finally had arrived. It is
only by separating 1 John 2:18 from Matthew 24 that we
present ourselves with an exegetical problem. If we let
inspiration lead interpretation rather than follow it, we can
more easily make sense of the text.

Peter and the Last Times
Knowing that you were not redeemed with
corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your
aimless conduct received by tradition from your
fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot.
He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of
the world, but was manifest in these last times for
you (1 Peter 1:18-20).
This manifestation of Christ in the last time for the
purpose of redemption correlates with Hebrews 9:26, He
then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of
the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. The
last times of 1 Peter 1:20 are equated with the end of the
ages in Hebrews 9:26. Christ appeared in the end of the
Old Covenant age (Gal. 4:4). Paul wrote: Now all these
things happened to them as examples, and they were
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
ages have come (1 Cor. 10:11). If Christ came at the end of
the ages, and if that end had come upon Paul and the
Corinthians, it is difficult to see this end extended for
nearly two millennia.

Scoffers in the Last Days
Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last
days, walking according to their own lusts (2
Peter 3:3).
For whom was this warning intended, You therefore,
beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you
also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with
the error of the wicked (2 Pet. 3:17). Peters language and
warning are very similar to that of Christ in Matt. 24, where
he speaks of false prophets whose objective was to deceive
the elect (Matt. 24:24).
An increase in wickedness, sin and deception in the end
of the age is affirmed by different New Testament writers:
But you, beloved, remember the words which were
spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ:
how they told you that there would be mockers in the
last time who would walk according to their own
ungodly lusts (Jude 17-18).
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Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some
will depart from the faith, giving heed to
deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (1
Timothy 4:1).
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will
come:
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy,
Unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-
control, brutal, despisers of good,
Traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power.
And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-
5).
Pauls warning to Timothy places the perilous times
within that generation. Things were going to get worse
toward the end, Yes, and all who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and
impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being
deceived (2 Tim. 3:12-13). Jesus said, And because
lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold,
but he who endures to the end shall be saved (Matt 24:12-
13). The end of what? The end of the Old Covenant age
(Matt. 24:14-34).

Salvation in the Last Time
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has
begotten us again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and
that does not fade not away, reserved in heaven
for you,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith for
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1
Peter 1:3-5).
The last time of 1 Peter 1:5 is the same as the last
time in 1 John 2:18. The salvation that was ready to be
revealed then is the same salvation in Matthew 24:13. It
corresponds to the redemption obtained in the fall of the
Old Covenant system (Lk. 21:28); the adoption (Rom. 8:23);
the inheritance (Eph. 1:14); possessing and entering the
eternal kingdom (Dan. 7:22; 2 Pet. 1:11, Matt. 25:34); or
being received into the new heaven and earth (2 Pet. 3:13;
Rev. 21:1-7; 22:14).
Peter writes as though their salvation is near, and that it
would follow the trial of their faith,
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little
while, if need be, you have been grieved by
various trials,
That the genuineness of your faith, being much more
precious than gold that perishes, though it is
tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and
glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Whom having not seen you love. Though now you
do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with
joy inexpressible and full of glory,
Receiving the end of your faiththe salvation of your
souls.
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and
searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace
that would come to you,
Searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of
Christ who was in them was indicating when He
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and
the glories that would follow.
To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but
to us they were ministering the things which now
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have been reported to you through those who
have preached the gospel to you by the Holy
Spirit sent from heaventhings which angels
desire to look into.
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober,
and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to
be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
(1 Peter 1:6-13).
The exhortation to gird up the loins of your mind, be
sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be
brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ shows
they were in the last time when these things would happen
to them. Paul counsels Timothy by the same appearing of
Christ,
That you keep this commandment without spot,
blameless until our Lord Jesus Christs appearing
Which He will manifest in His own time, He who is
the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings
and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:14-15).
His own time was his coming into his kingdom with
power and glory (Matt. 16:27-28; Mk. 9:1; Lk. 21:27-32).
Luke makes it clear that it would happen in the fall of
Jerusalem. That was the last time in which salvation was
ready to be revealed, provided they would keep the
commandment without spot (1 Tim. 6:14), gird up the loins
of their minds, be sober, and hope to the end (1 Pet. 1:13),
watch and pray (Lk. 21:36) and endure unto the end (Matt.
24:13).
Thus, it was the hope of gospel saints that if we died
with him, we shall also live with him. If we endure, we shall
also reign with him (2 Tim. 2:11-12). They knew the
destruction of the Old Covenant world would not leave
them naked (2 Cor. 5) rather, Christ would raise them to
eternal and heavenly inheritance in that last day. This he
promised in his personal ministry,
This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all
He has given Me I should lose nothing, but
should raise it up at the last day.
And this is the will of Him who sent me, that every
one who sees the Son, and believes in Him may
have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the
last day
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent
Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last
day
Whoever eats My flesh, and drinks My blood has
eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day
(John 6:39-40, 44, 54).
,./
1. Does the Bible speak of the end of time? Where?
2. When the Bible speaks of all things or the end of all
things, to which things does it refer?
3. In the biblical context, what are this age and the age to
come? What age were they expecting? In what age are we
living?
4. What is the Day of the Lord?
5. How might a failure to see the overlap of the two ages
(remember Isaac and Ishmael) lead us to misidentify the last
days?
6. Of what was the Holy Spirit an earnest?
7. John tells us in 1 John 2:18 that many antichrists have
come, by which we know that it is the last hour. Could
these be the false christs of Jesus prophecy (Matt 24:5)?
8. If someone were to tell you that it was the final hour for
our country, what would that mean to you? Would you
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expect nothing to happen for hundreds or thousands of
years?
9. According to 1 Peter 1:20 and Hebrews 9:26, when were the
last times?
10. If Peter was awaiting a salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time (1 Peter 1:5), where is that salvation if we are living
in a kind of perpetual last times?

CHAPTER SIX
The Second Coming
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In this chapter we look at the second coming itself. Just what
did Jesus mean when he spoke of His return? Old Testament
prophecy made no distinction between a first and second
coming. The time of the Messiah whatever details that time
may have involved was to bring about the change of the ages.
Jesus spoke of the coming of the Son of Man, and indicated that it
would happen to the generation of people then living, and that
some of his audience would be alive to see it. In the Epistles of the
New Testament, we see a clear picture of imminent almost
immediate expectation on the part of the early Christians.
Placing the second coming properly within a first-century context
can help us avoid many of the interpretive pitfalls that plague the
study of eschatology.
,./
No theological topic is more widely discussed or more
hotly debated than the second coming of Christ. It is
tempting, due do the apparent confusion and widespread
disagreement, to give up the idea of any definitive
knowledge of the subject and adopt a kind of eschatological
THE SECOND COMING 167
agnosticism. We believe, however, that the second coming
of Christ has a very vital and specific place in Gods scheme
of redemption, and that the Scriptures teaching on the
time, manner, and purpose of that event is of such clarity as
to raise it above doubt, confusion, and speculation. We are
determined in this study to be committed to the Scriptures
only, in forming our concept of Christs second coming,
irrespective of any or all traditional views that might tend to
influence a forced or unnatural interpretation of scripture.
We must be willing to let inspiration lead and interpretation
follow.

Why Confusion and Distortion?
Why are there so many conflicting views? If the message
of Christs return was intended to be clear, where does the
distortion come from? Perhaps Paul furnishes an answer in
this scripture,
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those
who are perishing,
Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do
not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the
glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine on them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Satans concern over the second coming of Christ stems
from the garden of Eden, and a promise God made to fallen
man with respect to his restoration, And I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your seed and
her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His
heel (Gen. 3:15). Old Testament prophecy and this
prophecy is no exception does not differentiate two
comings of Christ. What we regard (somewhat
erroneously) as two discrete events, the Old Testament,
looking forward through time, through centuries or even
millennia, sees as one event. At the cross, Christ announces
the sentence of Satan that would be executed at his second
coming. Now is the judgment of this world: now the ruler
of this world will be cast out (Jn. 12:31). The battle began
at the cross, but the victory was realized at the end of the
world, or Old Covenant age. John envisions this battle in
the Revelation message. Satan is first cast out of heaven into
the earth (Rev. 12:12), and then at the end is cast into the
lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).
It is reasonable, therefore, to assume that Satan would
hate and distort any doctrine or event that resulted in his
defeat. He blinded the minds of many to the first coming of
Christ, resulting in the Jewish nation as a whole rejecting
Christ and his gospel. John said, For many deceivers have
gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as
coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist (2
John 7). The Jews knew that Christ was coming, and they
expected him in that generation, but they had been led to
look for something that was contrary to what actually came.
In this manner they were blinded to the first coming of
Christ.
In the same way many are blinded to the second
coming of Christ. Both comings were to transpire within the
same generation. But what is the reaction of people today
when told that Christ came the second time at the end of
the Old Covenant age? It is similar to the Jews reaction to
his first coming. They didnt believe it, even though they
knew the signs for the coming of the Messiah. Christ was
not in person, purpose, and work what the Jews thought he
should be, so they are still waiting for one to come who will
fulfill their earthly desires and concepts.
The church was taught to look for the second coming of
Christ in that same generation of his first coming. Time-
wise, we know his second coming was then at hand (Jas.
5:8). But many do not believe that he came then. Why?
Because that second coming of Christ was not in manner,
purpose, and result what they think it should be, therefore
they are waiting for a second coming that will meet their
demands and fulfill their expectations.
In both cases, earthly, material concepts are the
blinding powers that keep people from seeing the truth. Our
limited spiritual understanding has led to confusion. This
confusion will remain as long as we fail to see the spiritual
significance of material symbols such as earth, temple,
kingdom, etc.

The Perspective of Time
The coming of the Messiah was the main theme of Old
Testament prophecy, but nowhere was there a sharp
distinction made between his first and second comings. This
resulted in two different lines of prophecy that often
appeared contradictory. Sometimes Christ was pictured as
coming in lowly form, weakness, shame, and suffering, and
sometimes as coming in power, might, and glory. This was,
of course, confusing to the people who did not fully
understand the twofold coming of Christ, and even led
some to believe in the coming of two Messiahs. But the
reason for not separating these two comings was due partly
to their proximity in time. The Jews viewed the Passover,
the Exodus, the wandering in the desert, and the taking of
the Promised Land as a single event in their history. They
did not think of one part without assuming the other parts.
From an historical perspective, forty years was a short time.
Likewise in the coming of the Messiah, the prophesied
events would take forty years for all to be fulfilled. Looking
ahead through the centuries, however, the prophets saw
this as one event. Peter wrote,
Receiving the end of your faith-- the salvation of
your souls.
Of this salvation the prophets have enquired and
searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace
that would come to you,
Searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of
Christ who was in them was indicating, when He
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and
the glories that would follow (1 Peter 1:9-11).
The prophets searched for the time of Christs coming,
but were never permitted to see it. They did understand,
however, that he must first suffer, and then afterwards be
revealed in glory. The glory would so closely follow the
suffering that Old Testament prophecy never made a
distinction in time, separating the two comings. How soon
after his death did Christ come in glory and power?
According to Matthew, it would be in that same generation,
For the Son of man will come in the glory of his
Father with his angels, and then He will reward
each according to his works.
Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here
who shall not taste death till they see the Son of
man coming in his kingdom (Matthew 16:27-28).
Christ would come in glory before some in his audience
would die. This fact cannot be denied without denying
inspiration. This coming is parallel with Lukes account,
Then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud
with power and great glory
When you see these things happening, know that
the kingdom of God is near.
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no
means pass away till all things take place (Luke
21:27, 31-32).
If these two passages are not synchronous in time and
event, then we have an exegetical problem, inasmuch as we
have two second comings expected in the same
generation.
Some erroneously apply Matthew 16:27-28 to Pentecost
in order to have Christs coming in his kingdom at that
time. We can see a kind of beginning to the kingdom at that
time, but Christ did not come in his kingdom with power
and glory then. If so, what reward did he give? John applies
the rewarding to the end of the Jewish age, And, behold,
I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to
every one according to his work (Rev. 22:12). That is the
same coming as in Matthew 16:27-28, and the same
rewarding (or judgment), and it parallels Lukes record in
chapter 21:27-32. Luke applies it to the fall of Jerusalem.
Christs second coming would soon follow his first coming.
The second completes the work begun by the first. It brings
the world or age of Satans dominion to an end, and ushers
in the new heaven and earth, where righteousness dwells.

Is Israel Saved or Destroyed?
Another issue we face in interpretation of prophecy is
an apparent dichotomy concerning Israels fate in prophecy.
Some prophecies predict restoration and blessing for Israel,
some predict judgment and destruction. Verse 24 of Daniel
9 gives six blessings to be received by Israel at the end time,
but verses 26 and 27 picture the total destruction of the
temple, city and nation (cf. Zech. 14). But how could Israel
be blessed and punished by the same Messiah at the same
time? This seems even more contradictory than the two
lines of prophecy concerning a suffering Messiah and a
glorious Messiah. Things become clearer if we understand
the coming of Christ. Ishmael represents fleshly Israel,
involving the city and temple, which were destroyed by the
coming of Christ in the closing period of that age. The
picture here is Ishmaels being cast out. The same coming,
however, was for the salvation of true, spiritual Israel as
typified by Isaac, and fulfilled through Christ. This twofold
reward blessing and destruction can be seen in Matthew
24. The destruction of the one resulted in the salvation of
the other (Ishmael was cast out that Isaac might inherit or
receive the promise). This is further proof that the second
coming of Christ transpired in that generation, because the
fall of Jerusalem is the only event that can fit into a
simultaneous blessing and destruction of Israel.

The Second Coming When?
While the term second coming does not appear in the
Scriptures, the fact of Christs coming again is affirmed
repeatedly. In Hebrews 9:28 we have the expression appear
a second time. Jesus promised his disciples, I will come
again, and receive you to myself (Jn. 14:1-3). Since the
return of the Lord was to be the consummation of the age
and of Gods scheme of redemption, it usually is assumed
that there is nothing beyond this time that would demand
another coming of Christ. No distinction is made in
Scripture between what we might call the second coming
and the fall of Jerusalem. The physical and spiritual results,
and significance of that event, fill every need and purpose of
the coming of Christ. The end of the Old Covenant system
did not leave unfulfilled one single prophecy, promise, or
blessing. Redemption began with a promise in Eden (Gen.
3:15), was promised to Abraham and his seed, developed
and witnessed through Judaism, and consummated by
Christ in the last days of that age by his first and second
comings. The age or world that followed was, and is,
spiritual by nature, and eternal in duration (Eph. 3:21). The
space-time universe did not have to end in order for it to
come into being, and its status is not in any way linked to
that of this universe.

Four Sections of Scripture
In discussing the timing of the second coming, we can
find prophecy in four different sections of Scripture: First,
his second coming in Old Testament prophecy; second, in
the Gospels; third, in the Epistles of the New Testament;
and fourth, in the book of Revelation. Where time
statements are involved in prophecy, they must be reckoned
with. No prophecy can be separated from the time of its
fulfillment and still stand as prophecy. We cannot separate
the content of a prophecy from its temporal references.
We are reminded frequently that no one could know
the exact time of Christs return. Jesus said, But of that day
and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but
My Father only (Matt. 24:36). Notice that he said, of that
day and hour no man knows. It was a time and season that
the Father retained exclusively in His power (Acts 1:7).
There is a difference however, between knowing the precise
time, and knowing the signs that would accompany the
event. Many premillennialists recognize that no man knows
the day or hour, and yet they look for signs and construct
elaborate fulfillment schemes to help others be prepared. No
one could know the day or hour, but the disciples were
given signs that would accompany Christs coming. They
also were told it would happen within a generation (Matt.
24:34). Matthew 24:36 does not rule out other scriptures
showing the general time of the second coming and the
signs that would indicate its nearness.

Old Testament Prophecy
Since Old Testament prophets did not make a
distinction between two comings of Christ, we must take
great care when dealing with these texts. It has been said
that for every prophecy concerning the first coming of
Christ, there are eight that relate to his second coming. The
time of that second coming usually was linked to an
historical event that would serve as evidence for that
coming.
For example, Joel said, the sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of
the great and awesome day of the Lord (Joel 2:31). The day
of the Lord is equated with his second coming, and if we
know when the sun and moon were darkened, we have the
timing of his coming. In Matthew 24:29-34 Jesus applied it
to that generation, in the end of the Old Covenant age. In
the 6th chapter of Revelation John applies it to the fall of
Jerusalem. John was writing of things that would shortly
take place. The time was at hand, Christ was ready to
come. Joel 2 and the day of the Lord are placed in the last
generation of the Old Covenant age.
Joel 3 gives us three events that are associated with that
same period of time. First we are given the battle in the
valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:12), which is equated with the
battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16:15-16. John shows
that this was at the coming of Christ, Behold, I am coming
as a thief (Rev. 16:15). Second is the darkening of the sun
and moon (Joel 3:15), which Jesus and John applied to the
fall of Judaism in that generation. Third, we have the
coming of the Lord out of Zion, to cleanse or to redeem
Judah (Joel 3:16-21). Luke applied this redemption to the
removal of the Old Covenant system (Lk. 21:28) and Paul to
the second coming of Christ (Rom. 11:26-27). All of these
passages have one thing in common; they refer to the fall of
Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ. They speak of
the same events and the same time period.
The second coming is pictured in the seventieth week of
Daniel,
week; but in the middle of the week He shall
determined, is poured out on the desolate (Daniel
9:27).
This text does not tell us when that seventieth week
would be, but we know the event to which it refers. The
city, temple and nation of Israel were going to be destroyed
(Dan. 9:26). This destruction would come about by the one
that makes desolate (Dan. 9:27). Jesus applied it to the
Roman army in the destruction of Jerusalem and the
devastation of Palestine (Matt. 24:15). That was his
coming and the end of the world. And it corresponds to
Joel 2 and 3, and harmonizes with the things at hand in
Revelation. The coherence of these passages with respect to
time and historicity make a strong case that the fall of
Judaism was the second coming of Christ.
The second coming of Christ is the theme of Zechariah
14 and is equated with Matthew 24 and the fall of
Jerusalem. It is called the day of the Lord (Zech. 14:1) and
Jerusalem is the scene of activity (Zech. 2). We have a
picture in verse 4 of the Lord standing on the Mount of
Olives, from which he ascended. It was here that the angels
said he would come again (Acts 1:11) and that coming was
fulfilled in Titus, the Roman Commander and his army, as
prophesied by Daniel (9:26-27) and confirmed by Christ
(Matt. 24:15-16, 27-28). Those who insist on a literal, bodily
return of Christ miss the true meaning and import of these
predictions of his return. It is his coming in power and
glory, and his victory over his enemies. This coming or
appearing (epiphany) was not the re-appearance of a
physical form, but was a visible manifestation of Christs
hidden glory, our Lord Jesus Christs appearing, which
He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and
only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords (1 Tim.
6:14-15).
This was the kind of manifestation that Caiaphas would
witness, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at
the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of
heaven (Matt. 26:64). A hidden divinity and kingship
would be manifested to disbelieving Caiaphas in the events
of that great and awesome day of the Lord. He did not see
a literal body coming on a literal cloud, sitting on a literal
right hand of power, but he did see what these symbols
represented. Not only did Caiaphas see it, but also every eye
(Rev. 1:7), as Christ himself prophesied,
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in
heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will
mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming
on the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory (Matthew 24:30).
Not only would Christ be manifested, but his saints
also, Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints
with You (Zech. 14:5). They were dead with Christ and
hidden with him, but at this coming they were to appear
with him (Col. 3:4; 2 Tim. 2:11-12).
It was a day known only to the Lord (Zech. 14:7; Matt.
24:36), and a dark time (Zech. 14:6), but light came at the
end of that day (2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 21:23-25). It brought living
waters from the city (Zech. 14:8; Rev. 21:6; 22:1). This day
was predicted in Daniels kingdom prophecies the saints
did not possess the kingdom until after their battle with the
beast,
with the saints, and prevailing against them,
Until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was
The coming of the Ancient of days here is the same
coming pictured in Revelation 11:15-17. It is the coming of
Christ in his kingdom with power (2 Tim. 4:1; Matt. 16:27-
28; Mk. 9:1). These verses cannot apply to Pentecost (the
beginning), for the battle with the beast had not yet taken
place. They belong to the seventieth week of Daniel,
particularly the first half (Rev. 13-15).
The fall of Judaism results in the kingdoms being
delivered up to its rightful place. Then, and not until then,
did the saints possess the kingdom. So you also, when you
see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God
is near (Lk. 21:31). Then the King will say to those on His
right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world (Matt. 25:34). He who overcomes shall inherit all
things (Rev. 21:7).
These are only a few of many Old Testament prophecies
dealing with the second coming of Christ, but they all lead
to one historical event: the fall of Jerusalem. This was a
great and awesome day in the scheme of eternal
redemption.

The Gospels and the Second Coming
Although the Gospels contain a record of the personal
ministry of Christ, climaxing in his crucifixion, resurrection,
and ascension into heaven, a large portion of their content
deals with the return or second coming of Christ. Most of
the parables carried the theme of his return in judgment,
power, and glory.
Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the
Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the
third day,
and that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in His name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47).
He was to be received into heaven until the times of
restoration of all things spoken by the prophets since the
world began (Acts 3:19-21). Restoration comes from the
Greek word apokatastasis. Its meaning is derived from apo,
back again, and kathestemi, to set in order. It
corresponds in meaning to the word regeneration in
Matthew 19:28, and is used also in Hebrews 9:10. It is the
time of Christs second coming when all things are restored
to a perfect state under the sovereignty of Christ, such as the
true tabernacle or holy of holies (Heb. 9:11). But when is
this time? Will the Gospels agree with the timing we see in
the Old Testament record?

In That Generation
Christ indicated that his coming, the end of the world,
and the destruction of the temple would happen in that
generation. Many eschatological systems try to evade the
time element of Matthew 24:34. Jesus said, that generation
will not pass to show the nearness of Israels end. The
temple was going to be destroyed. When? In that
generation! Can anyone deny this as an historical fact?
Surely none would be so foolish to affirm that the Jewish
temple is still standing, waiting for destruction in some
future generation or race of Jews. The temples
destruction, the coming of Christ and the end of the world
(Matt. 24:3) are inseparably related. They stand or fall
together. It was all going to happen in the same generation,
and Jesus identified it as his own. It is the same
generation of Matthew 23.36, Assuredly, I say to you, all
these things will come upon this generation. It is the same
generation of Matthew 23:33, Serpents, brood of vipers!
How can you escape the condemnation of hell? The
militant Jews of that day were the serpents, vipers, and
hypocrites upon whom vengeance was going to fall. Luke
said, For these are the days of vengeance, that all things
which are written may be fulfilled (Lk. 21:22). He was
talking about that generation in which Jerusalem was
destroyed (verses 20, 21).

Some Would Not Taste Death
Another passage involving time is Matthew 16,
For the Son of man will come in the glory of His
Father with His angels, and then He will reward
Man coming in His kingdom (Matthew 16:27-28).
The clause, some shall not taste death, is equal to
this generation shall not pass till all is fulfilled. Some
apply this to the Transfiguration, but this seems unlikely.
The Transfiguration was a mere six days away, and it is not
terribly profound to suggest that some would be alive inside
of a week.
Some suggest Pentecost but this seems strained as well.
Christ was speaking of the time He would come in the glory
of his Father, his angels, and himself (Lk. 9:26-27). It was a
time of judgment, for then will He reward each according
to his works. This coming corresponds to Matthew 25:31,
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy
angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of his
glory. It would happen in that generation and some of
his disciples would live to see it, which makes the fall of
Jerusalem the right time, the right place, and the right event
for all of those things to be fulfilled.

The Gospel of John
Another passage demarking the coming of Christ in that
generation is John 21:19-23. Jesus was showing Peter what
manner of death he should die (verse 19). Peter, seeing John
nearby, asked about his destiny. Jesus replied, If I will that
he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.
This led to a misunderstanding, and some concluded that
John, since he would remain till the coming of Christ,
would never suffer physical death. But that is not what Jesus
said. Christ didnt say he would not die, but if I will that he
remain till I come, what is that to you?
Jesus meant to leave the impression that John would
tarry till he came, otherwise he would not have said it, but
the further inference that John would never physically die
does not follow from his statement. There is no reason to
sideline this passage or question that Jesus thought John
would live to see his coming.
John, as author of Revelation, wrote in symbolic
language the scene of Christs coming, and the time was so
near at hand that the book was not sealed (Rev. 22:10-12).
Surely John lived to see Christs coming, not only in vision,
but also in actuality. This is what Jesus meant in John 21:22,
being strengthened by Matthew 16:28 (some standing here
shall not taste death till they see the Son of man coming in
his kingdom), and by Matthew 24:34 (this generation shall
not pass away till all these things take place).

The Epistles
When Christ ascended into heaven he assigned a work
to the apostles that would pave the way for his return. They
were instructed to assemble and wait in Jerusalem until they
received power from the Holy Spirit, and then beginning at
Jerusalem they were to expand and enlarge gospel
evangelism until it encompassed the whole world (Matt.
28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:45-49; Acts 1:4-8). The end of
the age would follow upon the completion of their mission.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will
come (Matt. 24:14).
Jesus stated two things in Matthew 24:14 that would be
done in that generation. First, the gospel of the kingdom
would be preached into all the world for a witness. Paul,
in two places, indicated that this had been done (Rom.
10:18; Col. 1:6, 23). Second, the end of the world or age
would come in that generation. Peter wrote around A.D. 60
that the end was at hand (1 Pet. 4:7), and John, who wrote
around the same time, affirmed it was the last hour (1 Jn.
2:18).
The preaching of Christ to the known world resulted in
churches being established in cities and nations everywhere.
These churches came under apostolic care and guidance,
and many received gifts of the Spirit and exhortation and
encouragement in the form of letters and visits from the
apostles. Since their perfection or complete redemption
rested on the return of the Lord, it is not surprising to find
the coming of Christ a topic of discussion in practically
every New Testament Epistle. The New Testament saints
were taught to watch and wait for the Lord to come. It
would be surprising to find them waiting for coming that
was different from that of the Old Testament and the
Gospels.

Coming in Their Lifetime
It is undeniable that the New Testament saints looked
for the coming of Christ in their lifetime. This is usually
lightly brushed aside as a misconception of the saints,
owing to insufficient instruction from the apostles and
prophets. However, a closer examination of scripture texts
on the second coming will show that the opposite is true.
They looked for the second coming at that time because
they were taught that the time was near. If they were
mistaken or deceived, the apostles and prophets were false
teachers. All through the ages, scholars and interpreters
have been cognizant of this inescapable fact, and not a few
times have they hesitantly concluded that the apostolic
writers were in error on this point. But this seems unlikely.
It is a denial of the inspiration of the Bible.
The apostles and prophets did not speak or write their
own concept of things. They were promised, and given, the
Holy Spirit that they might be guided into all truth. What
they taught was inspired of God, and therefore is reliable
and trustworthy as truth, being above human theory or
speculation. If they taught the saints to look for the coming
of Christ in their lifetime (and they did), we can rest assured
that it was the truth, and that it came to pass exactly as God
said it would. God cannot, and does not, lie. The New
Testament writers may not have had a clear or proper
concept of every facet of Christianity, but one thing is
certain inspiration never allowed them to put into writing
one false or erroneous concept of their own. To deny this, or
to charge error to apostolic writing, is to deny the
authenticity of the Bible.
If inspiration taught that Christ was coming in that
generation, and we say he hasnt come yet (nearly 2,000
years later), someone is wrong. To blame the apostles or the
other New Testament writers is contrary to the promise and
purpose of the Holy Spirit, and undermines faith in the
Bible. It seems more likely that the error rests in our own
interpretation.

The Time at Hand
The second coming of Christ was a part of the message
of James, addressed to Christian Jews who were suffering
from oppression and cruelty. In chapter five of his epistle
James presents the twofold effect of the Lords coming: to
the wicked, unbelieving Jew, described as the rich (Jas. 5:1-
6), it is a coming of doom, but to the patient, waiting
Christian, it is a coming of deliverance. The same event
would bring weeping and howling to the oppressors, but joy
and happiness to the righteous. The reason for the Lords
delay is given in James 5:7, See how the farmer waits for
the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it, until
it receives the early and latter rain.
God was waiting for Israels repentance and turning to
Christ before he brought the Old Covenant age to a close.
The gospel had to be preached to the entire known world,
then the end would come (Matt. 24:14). This is the period
of time referred to by Peter as the longsuffering of God (2
Pet. 3:9, 15). It is the calling and sealing of the remnant
(Rom. 9:27-28; Rev. 7:1-4, see also Heb. 6:1-12).
But how soon was the Lord coming? Did James
encourage these persecuted Christians just on the basis of
the Lords coming, or on the basis that the Lord was coming
soon? James 5:8 seems to indicate the latter, You also be
patient; establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is
at hand. At hand is an expression of time, denoting the
nearness of an event. John the Baptist used the same word
to declare the nearness of the kingdom of God (Matt. 3:2).
John used the same expression to show the nearness of
those things predicted in Revelation (Rev. 1:3; 22:10).
In all three passages, time is an important factor. John
the Baptists message concerning the kingdom of God had
its impact from the fact that it was at hand. The
excitement and interest of the people was stirred, not by the
mere fact that the kingdom was coming, but in the
realization that it was at hand, that the time had at last
arrived. Likewise, James message involving the second
coming of Christ found its strength in the nearness of the
time. The exhortation was based on the fact that the time
was at hand. If at hand meant nothing, or 2,000 years
later, then John the Baptist, Christ, and James were
deceivers. The same is true of Johns Revelation message. If
at hand meant nothing with regard to the time frame
involved, how could that message be of any consolation to
the struggling churches to whom it was addressed? When a
time statement in a prophecy or text has to be ignored,
passed over, or explained away, we probably are not
standing on solid ground.
Some offer 2 Peter 3:8 as proof that time means nothing
to God. But when Peter said that, with the Lord one day
is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, he
was not proving that the Lord has no regard or
consideration for time as such. The lesson is that the passing
of time does not weaken the promises of God, or lessen the
chance of their fulfillment. With respect to time, one day
means one day with God, as seen in the sabbath laws. God
uses time in the advancement of his purposes, and He has
involved a time element in numerous prophecies. He does
not involve time that has one meaning to man, but an
altogether different meaning to Himself. God knew what
effect and understanding the expression at hand would
have in mans understanding, and used it accordingly.
Otherwise one must charge the Lord with deliberate
deception or failure to communicate effectively with man.

At Hand and Not at Hand
We can get a better feel for the meaning of at hand by
looking at other places it is used in the New Testament.
James said the coming of the Lord was at hand (Jas. 5:8). In
2 Thessalonians 2:2 Paul said the coming of the Lord was
not at hand. James said it was, and Paul said it was not. If at
hand is an elastic term with no concrete reference to the
time involved it seems unlikely that the span of time
between these two letters would account for the difference
between at hand and not at hand. When Paul wrote the
second Thessalonian letter, the time of Christs coming was
not at hand. When James wrote his Epistle, the time was at
hand. The Epistle of James is dated from eight to ten years
later than the second Thessalonian letter, which furnishes
us with some idea of the nearness of time by the expression
at hand.
Pauls statement that the day of Christ was not at hand
is sometimes appealed to for proof that Christ was not
coming in that generation. But this assumes more than the
text will support. Pauls object in this second epistle was to
correct some false ideas the Thessalonians had about the
second coming, namely that the day of the Lord was at
hand (or present), and had already set in. Paul did not
mean that Christ was not coming in that generation, for the
language of the text favors no other view. It was not Pauls
object to deny what he had affirmed in his first letter (that
Christ was coming in their lifetime, 1 Thess. 5:4), but to
stem the tide of excitement and consternation owing to the
mistaken belief that the day of the Lord was already upon
them,
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
we ask you,
not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled (2
Thessalonians 2:1-2).
It was a coming marked for that generation, But you,
brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should
overtake you as a thief (1 Thess. 5:4).

The Falling Away
Many point to the falling away as proof that Christ
did not come in that generation. Paul said,
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day
will not come unless the falling away comes first,
and the man of sin is revealed, the son of
perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
They reason that there was not time for a falling away
before the destruction of Jerusalem. This view, however,
fails to take into consideration the times or conditions of
those last days that set the stage for a great and rapid
apostasy. Christ himself foretold the great apostasy that
would precede the fall of Jerusalem,
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill
you, and you will be hated by all nations for My
name's sake.
And then many will be offended, will betray one
another, and will hate one another.
Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive
many.
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of
many will grow cold
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has
not been since the beginning of the world until
this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would
be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will
be shortened (Matthew 24:8-12, 21-22).
The last days were to be a time of trouble and great
tribulation, which explains why the Thessalonians were
shaken in mind, believing the time was present. This
aspect of Christs coming is sometimes overlooked. The New
Testament saints knew that bad times would precede and
accompany the coming of the Lord. The first half of Daniels
seventieth week contained the time of Jacobs trouble,
when the saints would be severely tried by the beast out of
the sea (Rev. 13:1, 7).
The question of John in Revelation 6:17, For the great
day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?
should be considered in light of Ephesians 6:13, Therefore
take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Paul was preparing the Ephesians for the great and awesome
day of the Lord envisioned by John in Revelation, and it was
the same day prematurely anticipated by the Thessalonians.
It was Christs coming itself that troubled the
Thessalonians, for this would be their glory, and their
salvation. Their disquietude arose from their understanding
of the great tribulation involved in the day of the Lord. It
would be a time of distress in which domestic life would be
so uprooted that Paul even advised against marriage during
that time,
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed.
Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if
a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless
such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would
spare you.
But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from
now on even those who have wives should be as
though they had none,
those who weep as though they did not weep, those
who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those
who buy as though they did not possess,
and those who use this world as not misusing it. For
the form of this world is passing away (1
Corinthians 7:27-31).
It is at this point that premillennialists become divided,
not knowing whether to place the rapture of the church
before, during, or after the tribulation. Some believe the
church will escape tribulation, others that the church must
suffer tribulation. Of course their misconception of the two
Israels and the time and event of Daniels seventieth week
greatly complicates their exegetical problems. As shall be
shown in later chapters, the church suffered a physical
tribulation, but experienced a spiritual rapture.
Premillennialists speak of a pre- mid- and post-
tribulation, which is built around the seventieth week of
Daniel. Some believe the rapture takes place before the
seventieth week begins, others in the middle of it, and some
believe it will be at the end of the week. According to
biblical prophecy, the saints were involved in great
tribulation during the first half of Daniels seventieth week
(42 months, Rev. 13:1-10), at which time victory was given
to the saints (Rev. 14:1-5; 15:1-4) as persecution then shifted
from them to great Babylon itself (Rev. 17-18). This means
the saints overcame and obtained victory in the middle of
the seventieth week. This is what the premillennialists refer
to as the rapture of the saints, except they make a physical
application of it. It is the proper time set forth in an
improper concept. This was the time Paul referred to when
he exhorted the Thessalonians by the coming of Christ and
our gathering together unto him (2 Thess. 2:1). Paul, like
John, lessened the bitter by first showing the sweet. The
coming of Christ was a gathering together of all the
redeemed unto himself in the new world. It was promised in
John 14:3, foretold in Matthew 24:31 (a fall of Jerusalem
passage), taught by Paul in Ephesians 1:10, presented in 1
Thessalonians 4:17, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, and envisioned by
John in the marriage symbol of Revelation 19:7-8.
First, there would come a falling away. Not all would
endure unto the end. Apostasy started as early as A.D. 58,
the time Paul wrote to the Galatian churches, and expressed
his surprise of a rapid falling away. I marvel that you are
turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace
of Christ, to a different gospel (Gal. 1:6). It is reasonable to
assume that apostasy would greatly accelerate under
intensified persecution as represented in the sea beast. This
falling away was predicted by Christ (Matt. 24:10-13, 22-24),
warned against by the apostles, and anticipated by the New
Testament saints. Many deceivers were to come in the last
days.

The Man of Sin
The identity of the man of sin or man of
lawlessness that Paul mentions in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is
important in our study of end times. Many applications
have been made of this evil one, some suggesting the Pope
or the Catholic church in general, some suggesting Satan,
some even suggesting the United States or some other
political entity. It seems rather easy to identify nearly
anything we dont like as the man of sin or the whore of
Babylon. The man of lawlessness often is equated with the
Beast of Revelation or some singular antichrist but this is
due more to popular misconception than to solid biblical
scholarship.
The appearance of the man of sin does seem related to
the coming of the antichrists. The word antichrist appears
only in the Epistles of John (1 Jn. 2:18, 22; 5:3; and 2 Jn. 7),
and refers to the false prophets who would come in the last
days, denying that Christ ever came in the flesh, or that he
was going to come again (1 Jn. 4:3, 2 Jn. 7; 2 Pet. 3:1-3).
Their presence was a sign, according to John, that it was the
last hour (1 Jn. 2:18). Antichrists and the man of sin were to
make their appearances in the last day. They are not the
same thing, but they serve similar purposes and work
toward the same end.
According to John, a beast out of the sea (Gentile world
or Roman empire) was going to arise, supported by a beast
out of the land (Judaism, the false prophets, Rev. 19:20),
which would persuade the people to worship the image of
the sea beast (Rev. 13). The false prophets of Judaism were
the antichrists, whose object was to overthrow faith in
Christ through their false doctrine, and persecution of the
saints. The man of sin was the sea beast or Roman emperor,
Nero. Each of these evil forces had a common goal that
could not be achieved without the aid of the other, but
which ultimately would be mutually exclusive. That goal
was world dominion, now being threatened by the little
stone cut out of the mountain.
Fleshly Israel sought an eternal, universal, earthly
kingdom, now being seriously threatened by the rapid
expansion of Christianity through the preaching of Christ!
To stop this growth, Jewish leaders saw the need to extend
persecution beyond the borders of Palestine into Roman
territory where the church was rapidly expanding. This
would require the assistance of Rome. But how could it be
secured? Realizing the innate desire of Nero to be a god and
secure the worship of all his subjects (something that no
king or emperor had ever obtained from Israel), it appears
from Revelation 13 that Israel promised Nero their worship
in order to flatter him, and to have the death sentence
pronounced on all who refused to worship him (Rev. 13:11-
18). In this manner, Christians everywhere, who were
committed to Christ only, would come under the
persecution of Nero, a fact supported by secular history. In
this manner, Rome would serve Israels purpose to destroy
the church, and at the same time Nero would be flattered in
thinking he had the worship of a rebel kingdom. But this
coalition, by the very nature of it, could last but a short
time.
Nero failed to eradicate Christianity, and Israel,
naturally ashamed of her fornication with an alien god,
found herself in an unbearable situation. Her distasteful
worship of the emperor had failed to produce the desired
results. According to history, the daily sacrifice for the
emperor (Nero) was discontinued in the fall of A.D. 66
which finally resulted in Neros decree for the destruction of
Jerusalem. Thus, persecution against the church is shifted to
fleshly Israel, and at last the cries of those under the altar
are heard (Rev. 6:9-17). The great enemy of Christianity
comes under the fiery judgment of God, and the saints are
vindicated and gathered into their eternal inheritance. The
quest for world dominion eluded both Rome and Jerusalem,
and victory was given to the saints (Dan. 7:21-22).
Several factors lend themselves to this position: First,
both the antichrists and the man of sin were to be revealed
in the last days, which applies to the closing period of
Judaism. All prophecy on the end time is channeled into
this historical event. A number of warnings were given in
the New Testament concerning the evil of those last days.
Paul warned,
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some
will depart from the faith, giving heed to
deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron,
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain
from foods which God created to be received
with thanksgiving by those who believe and
know the truth (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
Also, in his second letter to Timothy, he alludes to the
coming of this period of lawlessness (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Peter
wrote that there would arise in the church false teachers,
who would secretly bring in destructive heresies, even
denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on
themselves swift destruction (2 Pet. 2:1), and that in the
last days there would be scoffers, walking after their own
lusts (2 Pet. 3:2). Jude makes a similar statement (Jude 17-
18). And Christ himself, in his eschatological discourse,
warned that there would arise false christs and false
prophets (Matt. 24:24).
Second, the man of sin would exalt himself above God
and sit in the temple of God (2 Thess. 2:4). The Jewish
temple was the only structure on earth ever to be designated
the temple of God. Applying this passage to the papacy does
not fit Rome, for God has never had a temple in that city.
The Jewish temple was recognized and considered as Gods
temple until the time of its destruction. While Nero was
never there in person, he nevertheless received from that
place a daily sacrifice, which is a strong historical
testimony that he somehow won from the Jews worship
claimed by no other Gentile prince.
Third, the mystery of lawlessness is already at work (2
Thess. 2:7) would be a proper expression of any working
alliance between Israel and Rome. Israel despised Roman
domination, but for the purpose of working iniquity or evil
upon the church, she was willing to form an unusual
relationship. So strange or mysterious was this coalition that
it caused John to greatly wonder,
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven
bowls came and talked with me, saying to me,
Come, I will show you the judgment of the great
harlot who sits on many waters,
with whom the kings of the earth committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were
made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
So he carried me away in the Spirit into the
wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a
scarlet beast which was full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and
adorned with gold and precious stones and
pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of
abominations and the filthiness of her
fornication.
And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And
when I saw her, I marveled with great
amazement.
But the angel said to me, Why did you marvel? I will
tell you the mystery of the woman and of the
beast that carries her, which has the seven heads
and the ten horns (Revelation 17:1-7).
Babylon the Great, almost certainly Jerusalem herself,
was being carried along by the Beast. No wonder John
marveled with great amazement to think that she who
was once the wife of the Lord (Israel of the Old Covenant)
would prostitute her body with a hated and despised
neighbor in a vain pursuit of aggrandizement. But her filthy
whoredom failed its objective as her true purpose at last was
discovered by her paramours (Rev. 17:16-18).
Fourth, the man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 is
equated with the Beast, and in particular with the little horn
of Daniel 7:23-27. In this text, it is the coming of the
Ancient of days that results in the defeat of this little
horn, and then the saints possessed the kingdom. The
eternal kingdom came when Christ came (2 Tim. 4:1), and
Luke ascribes this to the fall of Jerusalem (Lk. 21:31). It is a
time when both Rome and Jerusalem are denied world
dominion, and the God of heaven sets up a kingdom that
will never be destroyed (Dan. 2:44; Heb. 12:28). The fall of
Jerusalem is the only event that fits into this timetable,
corresponding to the coming of Christ and his kingdom in
power and glory (Matt. 16:27-28; 1 Tim. 6:14-15).

The Book of Hebrews
The letter to the Hebrews also provides us with some
information about the nature and timing of Christs
coming. Chapters 9 and 10 carry the theme of the more
perfect tabernacle to its conclusion, which is the coming of
Christ to receive the saints into the holy of holies. In the
sixth chapter, Christ is presented as the forerunner into
that within the veil (Heb. 6:19-20). Christ went to prepare a
place and promised to come again to receive the saints into
it (Jn. 14:3). He entered into that within the veil, or the holy
of holies, to make atonement for us and to return, And
unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time without sin unto salvation (Heb. 9:28).
The holy place had to give place to the holy of holies,
but the way into the holy of holies was not possible while
the first tabernacle stood, the Holy Spirit indicating this,
that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made
manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing (Heb.
9:8). The symbolic significance of the old tabernacle was
that as long as the holy place existed (which typified the
Jewish world), the way into the holy of holies (the new
heaven and earth or Christian world) was not yet manifest
or open.
The return of Christ was the complete removal of the
holy place, and the coming of the greater and more perfect
tabernacle. The time for entering was near at the writing of
Hebrews. The writer exhorts the saints to have boldness to
enter (Heb. 10:19), and he urges faithfulness that the
promise might not be missed (Heb. 4:1; 10:23-25). It was a
day they could see approaching (Heb. 10:25). It would
involve suffering and affliction, but patience would bring a
great reward (Heb. 10:32-36).
How soon would that coming be? When would Christ
appear the second time (Heb. 9:28) and the saints enter
into the holiest (Heb. 10:19)? For yet a little while, and
He who is coming will come and will not tarry (Heb.
10:37). The true meaning of this verse is rendered in the
New English Bible: For soon, very soon [in the words of
Scripture], he who is to come will come; he will not delay.
There is no reasonable, legitimate exegesis that can possibly
make soon, very soon mean 2000 or more years later. And
remember, the writer was speaking of Christs coming from
within the veil, from the holy of holies, or from the greater
and more perfect tabernacle, to receive the saints. It was the
second coming of Christ, apart from sin and for salvation
(Heb. 9:28, 10:38-39) and corresponds to the salvation of 1
Peter 1:5, 9-13. It was ready to be revealed in the last time or
end of the Jewish age, when the Holy Place was removed
forever, and the holy of holies was opened unto every
redeemed saint, even down to this present day.
The removal of the earthly house did not leave the
saints homeless and naked, for it was followed
immediately with the house from heaven (2 Cor. 5:1-3).
Why is it so difficult for us to accept the testimony of
Scripture that all these things happened at the fall of
Jerusalem? We seem to want to walk by sight rather than by
faith. We demand and look for a future fulfillment of these
things because we want to see these spiritual realities in
tangible, visible, outward form. But we now are dealing with
spiritual, heavenly things, and therefore must walk by faith,
or in the light of Gods word.
Scripture connects the coming of Christ to the fall of
Jerusalem. The new birth cant be seen except by the eye of
faith, but this is no basis for projecting it into the future
until it becomes outwardly a visible event, for such will
never be. Likewise, the kingdom is just as spiritual as our
birth into it, and the holy of holies is no less spiritual or
any more literal than the kingdom. If we are waiting for
Christ to come in physical form, or the eternal kingdom to
appear in outward display, we will live and die as did the
Jews of old, not knowing the time and manner of our
visitation, or the day of our salvation.

Other Scriptures
We have examined passages in the Old Testament, the
Gospels, and the letter to the Hebrews. Additional passages
in the New Testament also help us understand the nature of
prophecy.
1. Romans 13:11-12
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high
time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation
is nearer than when we first believed.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore
let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us
put on the armor of light (Romans 13:11-12).
Two things are noteworthy in this text. First, their
salvation was nearer than when they first believed. The New
Testament saints anticipated a coming salvation, sometimes
referred to as redemption (Rom. 8:23; Lk. 21:28; Eph. 1:14).
Christ would bring salvation out of Zion (Rom. 11:26-27;
Heb. 9:28). It was ready to be revealed in the last day (1 Pet.
1:5), at the second coming of Christ (Heb. 10:37-39; Matt.
24:13). This salvation refers to the restoration of all things
(Acts 3:21), the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19),
the regeneration (Matt. 19:28), and the gathering together
of all things in Christ at the fullness of time (Eph. 1:10). The
fact that it was nearer for the Roman Christians than when
they had first believed is consistent with the idea that it was
a day belonging to their generation a day that was
approaching, or drawing near. This is why they were being
encouraged to watchfulness.
Second, it was a time of darkness, with the night far
spent leading to the dawning of a new day. A more fitting
figure of speech could not be chosen to picture the closing
era of the Old Covenant system and the dawning of
Christianity. Peter uses the same symbolism, exhorting
Christians to walk in the light of prophecy until the day
dawns,
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,

which
you do well to heed as a light that shines in a
dark place, until the day dawns and the morning
star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19).
Christ uses this image as well in his message to the
church at Thyatira,
Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many
as do not have this doctrine, who have not
known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put
on you no other burden.

But hold fast what you have till I come.

And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until
the end, to him I will give power over the
nations
He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be
dashed to pieces like the potters vessels as I
also have received from My Father;

And I will give him the morning star.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches (Revelation 2:24-29).
If Judaism was not that night far spent, then what was
that night? If the bright and morning star has not come,
and the new day has not dawned, then prophecy has failed
and all hope is lost. Nearly 2,000 years ago Paul said the
night was far spent and the day was at hand, but if the
night that was far spent 2,000 years ago hasnt ended yet,
how long is the night! Obviously, Paul was contrasting
Judaism and Christianity, realizing the coming of Christ in
the end of that dark age was at hand. The coming of Christ
cannot be separated from the destruction of Jerusalem.
2. Romans 16:20
And the God of peace will crush Satan under your
feet shortly (Romans 16:20).
Some translations render this will bruise Satan, and
the language here refers to the prediction in Gen. 3:15
concerning the ultimate defeat of Satan. The bruising of
Satans head was a direct result of the second coming of
Christ, for then he lost his power and dominion as exercised
in the law. John pictures this defeat in many sections of the
Revelation message,
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels
fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his
angels fought,

but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for
them

in heaven any longer.

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the
whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of His Christ have come, for
the accuser of our brethren, who accused them
before our God day and night, has been cast
down (Revelation 12:7-10).
The word Satan is from Hebrew shaitan, meaning
accuser. What John is saying, then, is that the accuser of
the brethren was cast down. Paul said he would be bruised
shortly and John said he was writing of things that must
shortly come to pass. The end of the Old Covenant
system was the deathblow to Satans power and dominion.
He could rule over men in that system, but no place is open
to him in the new heaven and earth (Rev. 20:10,11; 21:4-5).
3. 1 Corinthians 1:7-8
So that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for
the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who will also confirm you to the end, that you may
be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1
Corinthians 1:7-8).
In this text the coming or revelation of Christ is the day
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Corinthians were waiting
for that day. All Christians of that day expected the return
of Christ very soon, because they were taught by apostles
and prophets that he was coming soon (1 Thess. 1:9-10; Jas.
5:8; 1 Pet. 4:7; 1 Jn. 2:18; Rev. 22:20). Their expectation was
also founded on the great eschatological discourse of Christ
(Matt. 24), and on his statement that that generation would
not pass till all was fulfilled. There was an end at hand,
and it was Pauls desire that the Corinthians be confirmed
unto that end, and be found blameless. The end of the age
and the coming of Christ was the close of the Old Covenant
age. That end was still future when the New Testament was
written, but very near. Failure to see this vital point has
resulted in putting the end to the wrong age. The
Christian age has no end (Eph. 3:21). When the Bible is
studied in view of the coming end applying to the Old
Covenant, all things will fall into proper place.
4. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
For they themselves declare concerning us what
manner of entry we had to you, and how you
turned to God from idols to serve the living and
true God,

And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised
from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from
the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).
The Thessalonians, like the Corinthians, were waiting
for the return of Christ. They had been delivered from a
wrath to come. That coming of wrath was near,
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches
of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you
also suffered the same things from your own
countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans,

Who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own
prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do
not please God and are contrary to all men,

Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may
be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of
their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the
uttermost (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16).
To fill up the measure of their sins parallels Matthew
23:32, Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers guilt. The
wrath that was to come upon them to the uttermost
parallels Matthew 23,
That on you may come all the righteous blood shed
on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to
the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom
you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come
upon this generation (Matthew 23:35-36).
Thus the coming of Christ in Thessalonians corresponds
to his coming in Matthew. It would be in that generation.
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren,
you have no need that I should write to you.

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the
Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
When they say, Peace and safety! then sudden
destruction comes upon them, as labor pains
upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not
escape.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this
Day should overtake you as a thief (1
Thessalonians 5:1-4).
The times and the seasons is a reference to the day of
Christs coming and the manner of it, or condition of things
surrounding it. Times (chronos), denotes a duration of
time such as we measure with clocks and calendars, while
seasons (kairos), signifies a period of time possessed of
certain characteristics. Concerning these two words, Vine
says,
Broadly speaking, Chronos expresses the duration
of a period, Kairos stresses it as marked by certain
features; thus in Acts 1:7, the Father has set with his
own authority both the times (Chronos), the lengths
of the periods, and the seasons (Kairos), epochs
characterized by certain events.
16

There were two things about the coming of Christ
which no man then knew: the time of it (Matt. 24:36), and
the manner of it (Acts 1:7). The times and seasons were
retained in the power of God, to be revealed in due time.
Even the apostles did not have a clear concept of the
seasons or the conditions of things at Christs coming.
John confessed
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not
yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know
that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

16
W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vol. 3, p.
333.
Paul admitted, For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but
then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know
just as I also am known (1 Cor. 13:12).
Paul and John were both speaking of the manner or
condition of things in the coming age, which were not yet
fully manifested. The dark night of the Old Covenant
system had not yet been dispelled by the bright sunlight of
the New. The night was far spent and the day was at hand
(Rom. 13:12), but spiritual vision and understanding was
still blurry in that early morning hour. Childhood had not
yet yielded to manhood (1 Cor. 13:11). Partial knowledge
had not yet given place to full knowledge (1 Cor. 13:9, 10).
The earthly body, though in a state of decay and ready to
vanish away (Heb. 8:13), overshadowed and hindered a full
vision of the spiritual body. But the great transition from
glory to glory was in motion (2 Cor. 3:16-18), and the
completed change or perfect state was near, even at hand (1
Cor. 13:10).
While the Thessalonians did not know the times or
seasons, they were sufficiently informed of that day so as
not to be caught unaware. That day would overtake some
like a thief in the night, but not so with the children of the
day, But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this
Day should overtake you as a thief (1 Thess. 5:4). The
reason for their not being in darkness is that they believed
the Lord was coming and knew what signs to look for. The
Jews never saw or recognized these signs because they never
believed their world would end. Not believing their city and
temple were marked for destruction, they were saying
Peace and safety when the signs were saying sudden
destruction was imminent (Lk. 21:28, 31).
Some attempt to extend the coming of Christ beyond
the fall of Jerusalem by denying the signs that were to
accompany his coming. They reason that if it has signs,
then he cannot come as a thief in the night, but this
assumes that his coming would overtake everyone
everywhere as a thief in the night.
Paul taught the Thessalonians that they should stay
awake and watch, that that day would not overtake them as
a thief. This is not because they knew the precise time of his
coming, but because they knew the signs to look for. Christ
said the same thing to Sardis,
Remember therefore how you have received and
heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will
not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and
you will not know what hour I will come upon
you (Revelation 3:3).
If they remained watchful then Christ would not come
on them as a thief, and they would know the hour when it
came.
Making two applications of Christs second coming, one
with signs (the fall of Jerusalem) and one without signs
(some future time) is without scriptural support. No second
coming can be divided this way, and there is no basis to
separate the texts themselves into two camps. Christs
statement in Matt. 24:36, But of that day and hour no one
knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only,
does not rule out the signs given in the context. Signs were
given precisely because no man knew the day or hour. No
one knew the day or hour after the signs were given. What
the disciples had was basis for watching so that the coming
of Christ would not take them by surprise. Paul exhorted
the Thessalonians to watch for the proper signs.
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren,
as it is fitting, because your faith grows
exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all
abounds toward each other,

So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches
of God for your patience and faith in all your
persecutions and tribulations that you endure,

Which is manifest evidence of the righteous
judgment of God, that you may be counted
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you
also suffer;

Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with
tribulation those who trouble you,

And to give you who are troubled rest with us when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels,

In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not
know God, and on those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord and from the glory
of His power,

When He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His
saints and to be admired among all those who
believe, because our testimony among you was
believed (2 Thessalonians 1:3-10).
This text shows that the Thessalonians were suffering
persecutions and tribulations in order to be counted worthy
of the kingdom of God (2 Thess. 1:4-5). The kingdom here
appears to be that future eternal kingdom mentioned by
Peter (2 Pet. 1:11), by Paul (Acts 14:22), by Daniel (Dan.
7:22-23), by John (Rev. 11:15), and by Christ (Matt. 25:34).
This kingdom was to come when Christ returned (2 Tim.
4:1, Lk. 21:31).
In Pauls first letter to the Thessalonians, he identified
their persecutors as their own countrymen, just as the
churches in Judea suffered from the Judaizers (1 Thess. 2:14-
16). The countrymen for the Thessalonians were likely
Torah-observant Jews of the diaspora, seeking to protect
synagogue life. In speaking of their coming fate, Paul wrote
a second letter to the Thessalonians, saying,
Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with
tribulation those who trouble you,
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7).
Paul told them they would have rest or relief from
persecution when Christ came, because he was going to
take, in flaming fire, vengeance upon the enemies of God
and the gospel. Far beyond Jerusalem, the countrymen
were going to be cast out and banished from the presence of
God and his glory. If that coming is still before us, then
those countrymen are still troubling the Thessalonians!
These Torah-observant Jews laid claim to the kingdom
of God, in earthly form, and contested the right of
Christians to have it in spiritual form. But when the struggle
was over and Christ returned, the kingdom was taken from
the Jews and given to the saints, the other nation typified
by Isaac,
Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner
who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around
it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he
leased it to vinedressers and went into a far
country.
Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his
servants to the vinedressers, that they might
receive its fruit.
And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one,
killed one, and stoned another.
Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and
they did likewise to them.
Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, They
will respect my son.
But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said
among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us
kill him and seize his inheritance.
So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard
and killed him.
Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes,
what will he do to those vinedressers?"
They said to Him, He will destroy those wicked men
miserably, and lease his vineyard to other
vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in
their seasons.
Jesus said to them, have you never read in the
Scriptures: the stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone. This was the
Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be
taken from you and given to a nation bearing the
fruits of it.
And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but
on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder
(Matthew 21:33-44).
This parable is exactly what Paul was talking about in 2
Thessalonians. Jesus taught another parable just like it,
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who
arranged a marriage for his son,
and sent out his servants to call those who were
invited to the wedding; and they were not willing
to come.
Again, he sent out other servants, saying, Tell those
who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner;
my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all
things are ready. Come to the wedding.
But they made light of it and went their ways, one to
his own farm, another to his business.
And the rest seized his servants, treated them
spitefully, and killed them.
But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And
he sent out his armies, destroyed those
murderers, and burned up their city.
Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy
(Matthew 22:2-8).
The coming of Christ was the destruction of Jerusalem
and the end of the Old Covenant system, and the receiving
in marriage of his bride (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev.
19:7-8; 21:1-10). The wedding was ready when the city was
burned (Matt. 22:7-8).
Separating the book of Revelation from the fall of
Jerusalem undermines the unity and harmony of Gods
word and his scheme of redemption. The second coming of
Christ belongs to the time when the kingdom was given to
the saints (Matt. 21:43), when the archenemy of
Christianity was destroyed (Matt. 22:7), and when the
marriage of the Lamb and the bride took place (Matt. 22:8).
The fall of Jerusalem is the only time and event in secular
and sacred history that honors prophecy and completes the
mystery of Gods eternal purpose.
Many object to applying 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 to the
fall of Jerusalem on the basis that it disregards those who
have disobeyed the Gospel since then. But the destruction
of Jerusalem did not end Gods eternal purpose. This end
was also a time of beginning (Rev. 21:5). The gospel at that
time became the everlasting gospel (Rev. 14:6), and
disobedience to it today is just as punishable as then.
Nothing is lost by placing the second coming of Christ in
the past, and in view of its purpose everything is gained.
The power and effect of some things depend on their being
in the past, such as the cross of Christ. Who would reason
that the cross should yet be future just so we could have
more hope, or more to look forward to?
Thank God that the cross is now history. If and when
we ever understand the purpose and effect of Christs
second coming, we will likewise thank God that it is now
history! Redeemed and at home in the eternal kingdom of
God what a wonderful inheritance we have! This truth
stands forever, permitting a deeper experience and greater
awareness of our spiritual heritage in Christ Jesus. It will be
the same kingdom, the same spiritual life, and the same
Father then as now, only less to hinder us and stand in the
way. But until then, may God help us now to go in and
possess the land, and grow in grace and knowledge of him
in whose image we are being molded.
7. 1 Timothy 6:13-14
I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all
things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the
good confession before Pontius Pilate,

that you keep this commandment without spot,
blameless until our Lord Jesus Christs appearing
(1 Timothy 6:13-14).
Pauls admonition to Timothy in verse 14 was
contingent on Christs coming in that generation, as the
Pulpit Commentary confirms,
The thought of the second advent of the Lord
Jesus, always prominent in the mind of St. Paul (1
Cor. 1:7-8; 4:5; 15:23; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:15; 2
Thess. 1:9, etc.), seems to have acquired fresh
intensity amidst the troubles and dangers of the
closing years of his life, both as an object of hope and
as a motive of action (2 Tim. 1:10, 2:12; 4:1, 8; Titus
2:13).
17

Paul saw the nearness of Christs coming and recorded it
in what we now have as scripture.
The appearing of Christ would be the time of showing
his kingship (1 Tim. 6:15). John places that event at the
time of his treading the winepress of the fierceness and
wrath of Almighty God,
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with
it He should strike the nations. And He Himself
will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself
treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath
of Almighty God.

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name
written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
It was at the time of the wedding (Rev. 19:7-9). We have
seen that the wedding followed the destruction of Jerusalem
(Matt. 22:7-8). Thus, burning up their city and treading the
winepress of God are parallel concepts. It goes along with
the fall of Babylon (Rev. 14:8-20). What a fitting time for
the King of kings, and Lord of lords to take unto himself his
great power and reign (Rev. 11:15-17). That was the time of
removing the kingdom from Israel and giving it to another
nation, namely spiritual Israel (Matt. 21:40-44).
8. 1 Peter 1:13
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober,
and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to
be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
(1 Peter 1:13).

17
Pulpit Commentary, Timothy, Page 122
The revelation that would bring grace was the end in
1 Peter 1:9, and the last days of verse 5. Peter indicated that
it was an end that they would see in their lifetime. In 1
Peter 4:7 he exhorts them to be sober and watch unto
prayer, for the end of all things is at hand. There is no
basis for separating the end of all things in 4:7 from the
end that brings the appearing of Christ in 1 Peter 1:13.
Each text speaks of the end of the Old Covenant system and
is equated with the end of the world in Matthew 24:14.
9. 2 Peter 3:10-14
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night, in which the heavens will pass away with a
great noise, and the elements will melt with
fervent heat; both the earth and the works that
are in it will be burned up.

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought you to be in holy
conduct and godliness,

looking for and hastening the coming of the day of
God, because of which the heavens will be
dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will
melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for
new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things,
be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without
spot and blameless (2 Peter 3:10-14).
Perhaps no other second coming passage is as highly
charged with traditional views and sentiments as this. For
generations it has been a textual basis for countless sermons
on the fiery destruction of this material world. But the end
of the space-time universe has nothing to do with our
spiritual state. For nearly 2,000 years, people have lived and
died without the benefit of this worlds ending. The end
of the world that Peter is actually talking about, however,
vitally affects the destiny of every soul, and therefore it is
important that we understand what world it is.
First of all, we find three worlds in 2 Peter 3. The first
world is the one that perished in the day of Noah, the
world that then existed perished, being flooded with water
(2 Pet. 3:6). This first world has perished and is gone
forever. Only a remnant was saved out of that world (2 Pet.
2:5). It signaled the close of a governmental system that
could not break the law of sin and death. Gods purpose
moved forward in the creation of another heaven and earth.
This world came forth from the fleshly seed of Abraham and
was codified into a legal system at Mt. Sinai. It is not
uncommon in Semitic and other Near Eastern languages for
a nation or system of government to be spoken of as a
heaven and earth. The heavens symbolize government, rule,
or authority. The earth symbolizes society, or those under
government, or the citizens of a nation or kingdom.
Scripture sometimes refers to the Old Covenant system or
age as the heavens and the earth. Many New Testament
scriptures containing the phrase before the world began, or
from the foundation of the world have reference to the
Jewish world formed at Sinai (Titus 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet.
1:20; Rom. 16:25).
Davids prophecy in Psalm 102:25-28 would appear on
the surface to apply to the material creation, but New
Testament application shows it to be in reference to the
Jewish world (compare with Heb. 1:8-12; 12:26-28). Christ
uses Joels language of heaven and earth in reference to the
fall of Jerusalem (Joel 2:31; Matt. 24:29).
The world reserved for fire on the day of judgment (2
Pet. 3:7) was the Old Covenant world. Fire is a symbol of the
severity of Gods judgment and destruction, For our God is
a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). That phrase is found in the
very context that deals with the shaking of heaven and
earth (the Old Covenant world) so that the kingdom, or
new heaven and earth, may come in its place.
Fiery judgment was going to fall on the Old Covenant
system. Jesus said, I came to send fire on the earth, and
how I wish it were already kindled! (Lk. 12:49). The fire of
2 Peter 3:10 is no more literal than the fire of Luke 12:49.
Other passages involving symbolic fire in the destruction of
the Old Covenant system are: Matthew 3:12; 13:40, 42; and
2 Thessalonians 1:8.
The elements melted with fervent heat belonged to the
heavens rather than the earth (the reverse should be true if
this were literal) and the Greek word is the same as that
used in Galatians 4:3, 9 and Colossians 2:8, 20. These
elements belong to the heavens, and the works belong to
the earth. The works of the law were to cease.
The third heaven and earth in 2 Peter 3 refers to the
new heavens and earth, where righteousness dwells. After
the Old Covenant system ended, or the heaven and earth
passed away, he that sat on the throne said, Behold I make
all things new (Rev. 21:5).
Peter, along with other Christians, was looking for the
day of the Lord in which the new would be brought in.
Some were saying, Christ isnt coming, for since the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue from the beginning of the
creation. The fathers here refer to those men who lived
at the foundation of the Jewish world. The scoffers were
denying that Jerusalem would be destroyed, or that the Old
Covenant system would fall. But while they were saying
peace and safety, sudden destruction came upon them.
The Lord came upon them as a thief in the night.
Peter wrote to warn saints of that day to watch and be
ready, Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things,
be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and
blameless (2 Pet. 3:14). They were exhorted to consider
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation (2 Pet 3:15).
Peters language agrees with that in Hebrews,
wavering, for He who promised is faithful
For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come
and will not tarry (Hebrews 10:23, 37).

The Book of Revelation
The book of Revelation, of course, is all about the
second coming. It is the Revelation (apokalupsis) of Christ.
This book describes in symbolic language the manner and
nature of Christs coming. Anyone who really desires to see
the second coming of Christ should take a seat at the feet of
John and move with him through the scenes of Revelation.
The return of Christ is for everyone to see if we will only
open our eyes and take a good look. The person who refuses
to see it in Revelation will never be given the privilege of
seeing it anywhere else.
If Scripture can show us his first coming, it seems only
reasonable that Scripture can show us his second coming. It
is the eye of faith that enlightens the soul, not physical
sight, Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen
Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed (Jn. 20:29). The book of Revelation
contains a vital message for every living saint. Seeing the
first and second comings of our Lord can strengthen our
faith and enrich our relationship with God.
1. Revelation 1:7
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will
see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the
tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.
Even so, Amen (Revelation 1:7).
The expression, he is coming with clouds is common
in biblical language and is symbolic of a coming in majesty
and judgment. This was the meaning of Christs statement
to Caiaphas when he said, hereafter you will see the Son of
Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on
the clouds of heaven (Matt. 26:64). Caiaphas would see the
Lords coming in judgment upon Jerusalem, which came to
pass in that generation. This poetic language does not need
a literal fulfillment; it is consistent with the use of
apocalyptic language in such passages as Psalm 18 and
Isaiah 13.
Since Jesus applied his coming in clouds to the fall of
Jerusalem and John was writing of things that were at hand
and must shortly come to pass, it seems obvious that
Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30; and Matthew 26:64 are
speaking of the same event.
And every eye will see him (Rev. 1:7) is parallel to all
the tribes of the earth will mourn (Matt. 24:30), and
denoted the universal power, effect, and significance the
end of the Old Covenant system would have upon the
world for all time. It was the defeat of Satan, the redemption
of mankind, and the completion of Gods mystery as
declared by his prophets (Rev. 10:7).
2. Revelation 2:25-28

nations

And I will give him the morning star (Revelation 2:25-
28).
Each of the seven churches addressed in this book was
given a specific promise predicated upon their faithfulness
through those last days. The promises, while stated
differently, are essentially the same, pointing to the
inheritance that would come to Isaac the Church when
Ishmael was cast out. Thyatira was promised Power over
the nations if they held fast until the return of Christ, and
they would be given the morning star.
This passage often is used to teach a future reign of the
saints with Christ on the earth at a future coming. While
this coming and the reign of saints was future when John
wrote this message, it was the immediate future to which
John was pointing. The time was at hand, and all was
fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem, at which time the saints
possessed the kingdom and have reigned with Christ ever
since. Concerning this, Paul spoke when he said,
Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect,
that they also may obtain the salvation which is
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We
shall also live with Him.
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny
Him, He also will deny us (2 Timothy 2:10-12).
Looking for a literal, earthly, future kingdom to fulfill
this coming passage is far removed from the spirit and
message of it.
3. Revelation 16:15-17
Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who
watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk
naked and they see his shame.
And they gathered them together to the place called
in Hebrew, Armageddon.
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the
air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of
heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done!
The statement, I am coming as a thief is common in
second coming passages (Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet.
3:10; Rev. 3:3), and here it is related to the destruction of a
city and a nation (Rev. 16:18-21). This is the destruction
prophesied by Christ, and associated with his coming.
Christ predicted it in that generation, and late in the same
generation, John saw it as ready to come to pass.
4. Revelation 22:6-7, 10, 12, 20
Then he said to me, These words are faithful and
true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets
sent His angel to show His servants the things
which must shortly take place.
Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps
the words of the prophecy of this book.
And he said to me, Do not seal the words of the
prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is
with Me, to give to every one according to his
work.
He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am
coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord
Jesus! (Revelation 22:6-7, 10, 12, 20).
Revelation begins and ends with the coming of Christ.
In what is probably the last testimony of an apostle, the last
breath of inspiration, we have an affirmation of the
nearness of Christs return. Even so, John says in response
to his vision, come, Lord Jesus! May God open our eyes
and grant us the spiritual vision needed to see the revelation
of his Son, Jesus.
,./
1. Why were many first-century Jews unable or unwilling to see
Jesus as their Messiah?
2. Did the prophets of the Old Testament foresee two comings
of the Messiah? Why or why not?
3. From an historical perspective, might a forty year period be
seen as a single event? Do you think the Jews thought of the
Exodus without also thinking of entering the promise land,
or vice versa?
4. In what ways would judgment upon Jerusalem have meant
good things for the Christians of that time?
5. According to the author, what is the only logical time in
which we might find Christs second coming?
6. What role does the material world play in this coming?
7. James admonishes his readers to have hope in the midst of
persecution (Jas 5:8). Would this hope been based on the
Lords coming as a remote possibility, or might James have
been drawing on the nearness of the Lords coming as the
basis of hope?
8. Read a chapter or two of Lamentations. Now read Revelation
17. Do you see any similarities? Does the identity of
Jerusalem as the whore of Babylon seem far-fetched?

CHAPTER SEVEN
The Eternal Kingdom
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The coming of the kingdom of God is a subject to which
much of the New Testament devotes itself, and to which much
Old Testament prophecy is directed as well. Some see the
kingdom coming at Christs ascension, some at Pentecost, but
neither view seems to completely satisfy the need to harmonize all
of the scriptures involved. After Christ ascended, and even after
Pentecost, it seems the early Christians still expected the kingdom
to come. They were awaiting the time of the restoration of all
things (Acts 3:21). The consistent picture we see in Scripture is
that the kingdom would come after the events of the last days
had unfolded. Seeing this at the fall of Jerusalem helps us to
make sense of the prophecies and concepts involved.
,./
The coming of an eternal kingdom, with Christ as King,
is a large part of both Old Testament and New Testament
writing. This is true largely because Gods program of
redemption and restoration of man reaches its climax in the
eternal kingdom. What Adam lost is recovered through
Christ and by citizenship in his kingdom. The kingdom of
THE ETERNAL KINGDOM 221
God, then, is an important topic for us to consider as we
explore biblical prophecy. While there is quite a bit of
teaching on the kingdom of God in the 20th century,
opinions and interpretations vary widely. Erroneous
conclusions in other areas of theology can lead us to error
about the kingdom of God as well, and vice versa.
Controversy is usually the product of mixed truth and error
with each side possessing enough of each to hinder
objective study in removing the false, and blending the true.
A basic question about the kingdom is the timing of its
arrival, and there are roughly two views of this. Some,
taking a cue from Daniel 7, have this happening at Christs
ascension. A variation of this view has the kingdom ushered
in at Pentecost. Some, on the other hand, ascribe the
coming of the kingdom to a yet future coming of Christ in
glory. Each position has strengths and weaknesses, and by
now you are probably beginning to expect that a fulfilled
view of Christs return might clear things up a bit. Lets
examine each view and then work toward a resolution.
First, the Pentecost view: A valid reason for ascribing the
eternal kingdom to this time (especially as opposed to a
time 2,000 or more years later) is the time element in
prophecy. The time element in prophecy or Scripture must
be honored. The Pentecost view makes an earnest attempt
to do this.
Daniel foretold the time when the God of heaven would
set up an eternal kingdom,
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will
set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed;
and the kingdom shall not be left to other
people; it shall break in pieces and consume all
these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, and that it broke in
pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver,
and the gold the great God has made known to
the king what will come to pass after this. The
dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure
(Daniel 2:44-45).
In the days of these kings is a reference to the fourth
kingdom seen in the image of Daniels dream, and it seems
clear that this was the Roman Empire. The first kingdom
was Babylonia under Nebuchadnezzar; the second, the
Medo-Persian Empire under Darius and Cyrus; the third, the
Grecian kingdom headed by Alexander the Great, and the
fourth, the Roman kingdom under the Caesars. Now, the
eternal kingdom was going to be set up in the days of the
fourth (or Roman) kingdom. This is a time prophecy
involving a specific historical period. If the kingdom was
not set up in the day of the Romans, then prophecy has
failed, and Gods eternal purpose was thwarted. The
postponement theory and a future reestablishment of the
Roman empire is a futile effort to solve an exegetical
problem created by a future concept of the kingdom.
Another text used to support a Pentecost arrival of the
kingdom is Mark 9:1, And He said to them, Assuredly, I
say to you that there are some standing here who will not
taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with
power (parallel passages are Matthew 16:27-28 and Luke
9:26-27). Either Jesus came in his kingdom with power
before some of those disciples died, or He made an
erroneous prediction. This passage and others give strength
to the view that the eternal kingdom of Christ was set up on
Pentecost day.
This does not, however, satisfy all texts regarding the
coming of the kingdom. In Acts 14:22 Paul exhorts new
converts to continue in the faith, saying, We must
through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. This
presents an exegetical problem for those who hold that the
eternal kingdom of Daniel 2:44 came on Pentecost. If so,
then it is not the ultimate kingdom, for whatever these
saints were in, Paul informs them that the kingdom of God
was yet to be entered. Likewise, Peter exhorts Christians to:
...be even more diligent to make your call and
election sure, for if you do these things you will
never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied
to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:10-
11).
These passages indicate a kingdom to come sometime
after Pentecost the saints had not yet entered! This is
difficult, unless there are two eternal kingdoms, which
seems unlikely.
Another passage is 2 Timothy 4:1, which equates the
coming of the kingdom with the second coming of Christ,
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at

His
appearing and His kingdom. Paul makes a concrete
connection between the coming of the kingdom and the
coming of the king in judgment. This is supported by
Revelation 2:25-28, where the promise of the saints reigning
with Christ was predicated upon their overcoming and
holding fast until He (Christ) came. Then they would be
given power over the nations which seems to fulfill Daniels
prediction of the saints possessing the kingdom at the
second coming of Christ (Dan. 7:21-22, 27). According to
Revelation 11:15-18, the coming of Christ was his coming
in his kingdom in power.
We have two conflicting views: one contends for the
kingdom coming in the days of the Romans specifically
Pentecost, and the other view has the kingdom being
established at a yet future return of Christ. The resolution,
of course, is that aspects of both are correct: the kingdom
came in the time of the Romans (though not at Pentecost)
at the return of Christ in A.D. 70.

Coming in Power and Glory
The coming of the eternal kingdom is Christs coming
in his kingdom with power, which is sometimes assigned to
Pentecost. Support for the Pentecost view, however, is thin,
such as the attempt to synthesize Mark 9:1 and Acts 1:8:
And He said to them, Assuredly, I say to you that there are
some standing here who will not taste death till they see the
kingdom of God present with power (Mk. 9:1); But you
shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you (Acts 1:8).
The only thing common in these two verses is the word
power which fails to make a concrete connection between
the two passages. First, the kingdom was to come with
power, and Acts 1:8 does not mention the kingdom, but
rather is speaking of the power received by the apostles
through the Holy Spirit. There is a difference between the
kingdoms coming in power and the apostles receiving
power. The power received by the apostles would eventually
lead to, or result in, the kingdoms coming in power, but
they are not the same thing.
Second, the apostles question and the Lords answer
concerning the kingdom suggests that the coming of the
kingdom would follow their Spirit-led mission,
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked
Him, saying, Lord, will You at this time restore
the kingdom to Israel?
And He said to them, It is not for you to know times
or seasons which the Father has put in His own
authority.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
the end of the earth (Acts 1:6-8).
The time and season of the coming of the kingdom was
withheld from the apostles. They were not permitted to
know the day or hour. Later Paul would write the
Thessalonians and remind them that no man could know
the times and the seasons which he applied to the second
coming of Christ (1 Thess. 5:1). The second coming of
Christ and the restoration of the kingdom were
synchronous events, and neither was fulfilled on Pentecost.
The apostles didnt know the times and seasons before
Pentecost (Acts 1:8), nor did they know them after Pentecost
(1 Thess. 5:1), which suggests that Christ did not come in
his kingdom with power at Pentecost.
Peter understood the kingdom was not restored to Israel
at Pentecost,
and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached
to you before,
whom heaven must receive until the times of
Peter taught that Christ was to remain in heaven until
the time of restoration, and then at his coming the
kingdom would be restored. The time of his coming and of
the restoration was known only to the Father, and was still
unknown to Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:1. However, the
apostles did receive power from the Spirit to do what
needed doing before the coming of Christ in his kingdom
(Matt. 24:14).
Third, the coming of the kingdom in power in Mark 9:1
is parallel with Matthew 16:27-28,
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His
Father with His angels, and then He will reward
Man coming in His kingdom (Matthew 16:27-28).
Many are willing to ascribe verse 28 to Pentecost while
ignoring verse 27 (He will reward each according to his
works). What reward did Jesus give to every man at
Pentecost? Jesus came in the end of the Jewish age in
judgment upon all who opposed his rule and authority. In
Matthew 24:30 Christ spoke of his coming in the end of
that world (verses 3, 14) in the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory. That was his coming in glory (Matt. 16:27)
to reward every man according to his work. John, writing of
the fall of Jerusalem, said, And behold, I am coming
quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one
according to his work (Rev. 22:12).
Mark 9:1; Matthew 16:27-28; Matthew 24:30; and
Revelation 22:12 are concurrent passages and relate to the
coming of Christ in his kingdom with power and in glory
and judgment at the end of the Old Covenant. Pentecost
was the beginning of his kingdom, but the fall of Jerusalem
was the climactic state of its development and
manifestation in power, glory, and judgment.
Fourth, instead of coming in his kingdom on Pentecost,
Christ had gone to receive it,
Therefore He said: A certain nobleman went into a far
country to receive for himself a kingdom and to
return.
So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten
minas, and said to them, Do business till I
come.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after
him, saying, We will not have this man to reign
over us.
And so it was that when he returned, having received
the kingdom, he then commanded these
servants, to whom he had given the money, to be
called to him, that he might know how much
every man had gained by trading.
Then came the first, saying, Master, your mina has
earned ten minas.
And he said to him, Well done, good servant;
because you were faithful in a very little, have
authority over ten cities.
And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has
earned five minas.
Likewise he said to him, You also be over five cities.
Then another came, saying, Master, here is your
mina, which I have kept put away in a
handkerchief.
For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You
collect what you did not deposit, and reap what
you did not sow.
And he said to him, Out of your own mouth I will
judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I
was an austere man, collecting what I did not
deposit and reaping what I did not sow.
Why then did you not put my money in the bank,
that at my coming I might have collected it with
interest?
And he said to those who stood by, Take the mina
from him, and give it to him who has ten
minas
For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be
given; and from him who does not have, even
what he has will be taken away from him.
But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not
want me to reign over them, and slay them
before me (Luke 19:12-27).
In this parable, Christ represents himself as a certain
nobleman who went to receive a kingdom, and then to
return. Those who apply his return to Pentecost have an
exegetical problem with the rest of the parable, because his
servants were to act as stewards of his household until his
return. If Pentecost is the time of his return, then Christ
came back before his servants had an opportunity to act as
stewards. Who were the citizens that hated him and refused
to submit to his reign? Were not these the unbelieving Jews
who resisted the gospel and tortured the saints? At his
return he judged and rewarded his servants and destroyed
his enemies. The judgment described in the parable seems
much more in line with the destruction of Jerusalem than
with Pentecost.
Fifth, there is nothing contained in Daniel 2:44 that
suggests Pentecost as the necessary date of its fulfillment.
The prophecy was, And in the days of these kings the God
of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be
destroyed. The text itself indicates a passing of time before
the stone cut out of the mountain would destroy Gentile
dominion. The beginning of this kingdom was Pentecost, in
fulfillment of Mark 1:14-15, but the coming of Christ in
that kingdom with power, glory, and victory over the
enemy was not until the end of the Old Covenant age. This
was when the saints possessed the kingdom (Dan. 7:21-22;
Matt. 25:34; Acts 14:22; 2 Pet. 1:11).
Hebrews 12:28 is sometimes used to support a Pentecost
arrival of the kingdom, but again it seems more applicable
to the fall of Jerusalem. The writer did not say, we have
already received a kingdom which cannot be shaken,
rather, Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which
cannot be shaken [emphasis mine]. The verb tense here is
important. The receiving of the eternal or immovable
kingdom in Hebrews 12 is parallel to the removing of
heaven and earth (verses 26-28; Hag. 2:6), which is in
reference to the passing of the Old Covenant. The eternal
kingdom corresponds to the new heaven and earth (2 Pet.
3:13; Rev. 21:1) into which Christ received the saints at his
second coming (Jn. 14:3; 2 Pet. 1:11; Matt. 5:5; Matt. 25:34).
This was the kingdom and event anticipated by the New
Testament saints,
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and
lift up your heads, because your redemption
draws near
So you also, when you see these things happening,
know that the kingdom of God is near.
21:28, 31, 32).
The shaking of heaven and earth in Luke 21:25-26 is
parallel to the shaking of heaven and earth in Hebrews
12:26-27; and the kingdom nigh at hand in Luke 21:31
corresponds to the kingdoms being received in Hebrews
12:28. This was all to happen in that generation before
some would die, in the days of the Roman kings, and
fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem at the second
coming of Christ.
Sixth, the saints possessed the kingdom after their battle
with the beast,
Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings
which arise out of the earth.
But the saints of the Most High shall receive the
kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even
forever and ever.
Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth
beast, which was different from all the others,
exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its
nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces,
and trampled the residue with its feet;
and the ten horns that were on its head, and the
other horn which came up, before which three
fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a
mouth which spoke pompous words, whose
appearance was greater than his fellows.
John, in Revelation 13, sees and describes a world power
arising out of the sea (Gentile world), and it corresponds
with the fourth beast of Daniels prophecy in Daniel 7,
which also parallels with Daniel 2. This is the beast that
wars against the saints (Rev. 13:7, Dan. 7:25) until the
Ancient of days came (Dan. 7:22), and the kingdom was
possessed by the saints (Dan. 7:27). At this time, the power
of Christ is exercised in taking the kingdom unto himself to
reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15-18). This cannot be
placed at Pentecost. However, the struggle of the saints with
Nero (the beast) and the eventual fall of Jerusalem fulfills
the time and event of Christs coming in power and the
saints receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved. The
visions and prophecies of Daniel are synchronous with the
visions of John in Revelation, and together they find their
fulfillment in the closing era of the Old Covenant as
pictured in the gospel messages.
Seventh, we can see that Christ received an everlasting
kingdom at his ascension into heaven, which is supported
by Daniel 7:13-14,
I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One
like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of
heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and
they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a
kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, And His
kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed
(Daniel 7:13-14)
Some affirm that this was Daniels version and vision of
the ascension of Jesus in the clouds into heaven, and cite
Acts 1:6-9 as the fulfillment. It makes more sense, however,
as a second coming passage. Daniel said one like the Son
of man came with the clouds of heaven. Daniel saw the Son
of man coming with the clouds, and this corresponds to
what Jesus told Caiaphas he would see, the Son of Man
sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the
clouds of heaven (Matt. 26:64). It is the same coming as in
Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7.
Some argue that he came to rather than from the
Ancient of days, but this is not the true rendering of the
passage. The Septuagint renders the last two clauses, As the
Ancient of days he came, and those standing around were
present to him. So rather than coming to the Ancient of
days, the correct meaning is he came as the Ancient of days,
surrounded by his saints. This corresponds to the meaning
of Christs statement to Caiaphas (Matt. 26:64), which
means he would see the hidden divinity of Christ
manifested in the final hour of the Old Covenant age. This
also agrees with the message of John in chapter one of
Revelation, Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every
eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the
tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so,
Amen (Rev. 1:7).
Coming in clouds here corresponds to coming in the
clouds of heaven in Daniel 7:13. John saw the Ancient of
Days coming on the clouds. When John turned to see the
voice that spoke, he wrote,
Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.
And having turned I saw seven golden
lampstands,
and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the
Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the
feet and girded about the chest with a golden
band.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as
snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace,
and His voice as the sound of many waters (Rev.
1:12-15).
Which is very similar to this:
I watched till thrones were put in place, and the
Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was
white as snow, and the hair of His head was like
pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its
wheels a burning fire (Daniel 7:9).
We have seven reasons why the kingdom did not come
in power at Pentecost. Pentecost was the beginning of his
throne, his reign, and his kingdom, but there was a battle to
fight, an enemy to subdue, and a dominion to be seized.
The prince of this world (the Old Covenant world) in
which the kingdom of Christ had its inception had to be
conquered and cast out, and then the kingdom could be
restored to the saints and raised to its rightful place. This
was not accomplished until the very end of that age. When
the seventh trumpet was sounded, the earth-shaking
announcement was heard, The kingdoms of this world
have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,
and He shall reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15). Then
came the redemption of the saints and their resurrection
into the heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. 4:18), that had been
prepared for them from the foundation of the world (Matt.
25:34, 1 Pet. 1:11).

Then Comes the End
A definitive passage on the kingdom is found in 1
Corinthians 15:
Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom
to God the Father, when He puts an end to all
rule and all authority and power.
For He must reign till He has put all enemies under
His feet.
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
For He has put all things under His feet. But when
He says all things are put under Him, it is
evident that He who put all things under Him is
excepted.
Now when all things are made subject to Him, then
the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who
put all things under Him, that God may be all in
all (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
Some extract a very strange concept of the eternal
kingdom from Pauls teaching in this passage, making it a
time when Christ gives up the kingdom, ceases to reign, and
turns it all over to God. But the very opposite is true. This
end in 1 Corinthians 15:24 corresponds to the end in
Matthew 24:14; 1 Peter 4:7, and refers to the end of the Old
Covenant age.
To deliver up the kingdom to God does not mean to
give it up, and cease to reign or be king, but rather to raise
it up or restore it to its rightful place. Christ never will give
up his kingdom nor will he ever cease to reign (Rev. 11:15).
He did, however, rescue a kingdom that had been
overturned by apostasy (Ezek. 21:27), dominated by
Gentile rule since the days of Nebuchadnezzar (Lk. 21:24),
and claimed by Satan (Rev. 12:7-11; John 12:31).
The statement when He puts an end to all rule and all
authority and power (1 Cor. 15:24) does not refer to
Christs personal rule, authority and power, but rather that
of his enemies. To put down means to squelch, crush or
subdue, and this is supported by the next verse. For he
must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

And He Shall Reign Forever and Ever
1 Corinthians 15:24 has been misunderstood to mean
that Christ one day will cease to reign, but that is not Pauls
meaning. The word until does not denote cessation of
reign, but rather points to a time and an event that will be
the zenith of his reign. The highlight of Christs reign was
the hour of victory over his enemies, or those who
contested his right to the kingdom. Many passages speak of
this anticipated victory (Acts 2:34-36; Heb. 1:13; 2:8; 10:13),
and in every case it refers to the end of the Old Covenant
age. The word until is merely a point of reference in the
reign of Christ when the enemy will be completely subdued
and the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our
Lord (Rev. 11:15-17). Rather than being the end of his reign,
it is the beginning of a reign described as forever and ever.
According to Revelation, Christ will possess the throne
throughout eternity in the new heaven and earth (Rev.
20:11; 21:1-5).

The Last Enemy
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death (1 Cor.
15:26). Identifying death in this passage is the key to
understanding it. If we assume we know precisely what Paul
means by death, without paying attention to the
supporting context, we may come up with some strange
ideas about the kingdom ourselves.
First, this death is associated with Christs enemies.
Christs enemies, the enemies of the church, were the
unbelieving Jews who rejected the Gospel and were
persecuting the early Christians. This agrees with both the
immediate context (1 Cor. 15:54-57) and the prophecies
related to it (Hos. 13:14; Isa. 25:8). A study of Isaiah 25 will
show that the prophet is speaking of things that will
transpire at the end of the age. The last verse of chapter 24
speaks of the coming of the kingdom and the reign of
Christ from Zion in Jerusalem, and the figures of the suns
being ashamed and the moon confounded parallel Joel 2:31,
Matthew 24:29, and Revelation 6:12. The coming of the
eternal kingdom is when death is swallowed up in victory
(Isa. 25:8). The statement, And the Lord God will wipe
away tears from off all faces (Isa. 25:8) parallels Revelation
21:4, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death. The statement, And the
rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the
earth (Isa. 25:8) agrees with the redemption promised at
the second coming of Christ when The Deliverer will
come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from
Jacob (Rom. 11:26).
Paul defines the Old Covenant system as a ministry of
death and condemnation,
But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on
stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel
could not look steadily at the face of Moses
because of the glory of his countenance, which
glory was passing away,

how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more
glorious?

For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the
ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in
glory (2 Corinthians 3:7-9, emphasis mine).
It is difficult, perhaps, to see the Old Covenant as a
ministry of death because God created it. Would God create
a state of death? Paul answers this question in Romans 7,
where he shows the law was holy, just, and good, but sin
prevented the law from giving life to man, leaving it with
no alternative except condemnation unto death (Rom. 7:7-
14). The law was not sin, but by it sin was able to increase
its power, due to the weakness of the flesh (Rom. 8:3). In
this manner the law or Old Covenant system failed to give
life. Through the power of sin, strengthened by the presence
of law, the Old Covenant became a body of death. This is
the force and meaning of Pauls statement in Romans 7:24
as he summarizes his state under the law, O wretched man
that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
His obvious answer, I thank God through Jesus Christ our
Lord, corresponds with 1 Corinthians 15:57, But thanks
be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
When the ministry of death written and engraved on
stones was finally destroyed, death was swallowed up in
victory. Sin lost its strength (which was through the law)
and death its sting (which was through sin) when the old
world of condemnation finally gave way to the new heaven
and earth. Righteousness, rather than sin, reigns in the new
world, and the difference is Gods grace and Christs
redeeming blood. In the new heaven and earth the problem
of sin has been solved, not in the sense we are no longer
tempted or tried, or that we no more can commit sin, but
that we are under grace instead of the law and the
dominion of sin (Rom. 6:14-15). We always will be
righteous through him who was made righteousness for us
(1 Cor. 1:30), therefore, we should always glory in the Lord.
Our purpose here is to show that the end referred to
the second coming of Christ in the consummation of the
Old Covenant age, and marked the beginning of his
everlasting kingdom (delivered or raised up) and his eternal
reign. His subordination to the Father (as the Son of God, 1
Cor. 15:28) does not teach the abdication of his throne or
kingdom, as some assume. But to the Son He says: Your
throne, O God, is forever and ever(Heb. 1:8). Then He
who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new (Rev. 21:5). Who was on this throne in the new
heaven and earth? The next verse identifies him as the
Alpha and Omega, the one who came with clouds (Rev.
21:6, cf. 1:7-8). It is not difficult to see the truth of the
eternal kingdom, the throne, and the reign of Christ when
we put the end, the second coming, and the new heaven
and earth where they belong in the sacred history of
redemption.

Kingdom Come
The kingdom did not come in power at Pentecost, it
came in power at the second coming. We have not
examined, however, kingdom passages that look forward
from Pentecost to see if they harmonize with this view. In
doing so we should expect to find two things: one, that
these passages, like other second coming passages, point to
the destruction of Jerusalem as a temporal marker; two, that
seeing the kingdom come at this time will relieve the
tension that seems to exist between these two views of the
coming of the kingdom.

The Promise to Thyatira
Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many
as do not have this doctrine, who have not
known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put
on you no other burden.


nations

And I will give him the morning star.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches (Revelation 2:24-29).
Christ exhorted the church of Thyatira to hold fast until
he came. His coming is spoken of as the end, but
obviously more would follow this end because the saints
were promised authority over the nations, and power to rule
them with a rod of iron. The end here corresponds to the
end in Matthew 24:14; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Matthew 13:40;
1 Peter 4:7; and 1 Peter 1:13, and applies to the end of the
Old Covenant age.
The victory of Christ over the world was the pledge and
surety of the victory of the saints, In the world you will
have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world (Jn. 16:33). Paul told the Roman Christians they
were more than conquerors through Him who loved us
(Rom. 8:37). To the church at Laodicea Christ gave the
promise, To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me
on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My
Father on His throne (Rev. 3:21).
Every one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation
was given a promise, and in every case it was conditioned
upon their overcoming (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21).
Apparently they were to overcome the false prophets and
Judaizing spirits of that final hour,
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits, whether they are of God; because many
false prophets have gone out into the world.
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is of God,
and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is
the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard
was coming, and is now already in the world.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome
them, because He who is in you is greater than he
who is in the world.
They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the
world, and the world hears them. (1 John 4:1-5).
Every form of persuasion and persecution was brought
to bear upon Christians in the last day to challenge their
faith in Christ. The book of Revelation was written in that
hour of crisis to stem the tide of apostasy and buoy the
spirits of the faithful until the flood of persecution subsided.
If they endured unto the end, they would on the throne
with Christ, and reign with him over the nations. Their
reigning with Christ was equal to their possessing the
kingdom, which Daniel places in the days of the Roman
kings (Dan. 7:21-22, 27). We must accept the fact, therefore,
that John was writing of a coming of Christ and a reigning
of his saints that was shortly to come to pass. The end of
the world was upon those saints, and they were the ones
who would be directly involved in the things contained in
the Revelation message.
The promise of receiving authority over the nations
(Rev. 2:26) parallels the parable given in Luke 19:12-27.
Upon the return of the king, authority over cities was given
to those servants found faithful. Needless to say, the
unfaithful servant did not fare so well, and those who had
refused the kingdom were slain. By reading the rest of the
chapter, the meaning and application of the parable
becomes clear. It, along with the other parables and gospel
messages, harmonizes with Revelation and other passages
concerning the return of Christ.

The Saints from Pentecost to the End
The period of time from Pentecost until the fall of
Jerusalem, signifying the end of the Old Covenant system,
was about forty years in duration, and constituted a
wilderness journey for the New Testament saints. They
were on their way to the Promised Land (2 Pet. 3:13), the
new heaven and earth. It was a journey of suffering and
hardship. The inheritance, the rest, the crown, and the reign
lay at the end of that journey. Paul wrote to Timothy,
Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect,
that they also may obtain the salvation which is
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we
shall also live with Him.
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him, He also will deny us (2 Timothy
2:10-12).
This passage shows the reign of the saints as future, but
not beyond the span of that generation. This is another
controversial passage that can be answered only in light of
our present application. The saints were considered as dead
with Christ until he who was their life appeared in glory
(Col. 3:3-4). They were buried in the likeness of his death
with the assurance that some day they would be in the
likeness of his resurrection, Now if we died with Christ, we
believe that we shall also live with Him (Rom. 6:8). Paul
knew they would receive the inheritance with Christ,
And if children, then heirs heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him,
that we may also be glorified together.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:17-18).
We see in the New Testament that the saints of that day
were living in expectation of a glory and reward that were
about to be received. Events were coming to a climax, like
the rising action of a novel, at the end of the Old Covenant
age. The tribulation period of the saints was the time of
Christs reigning in heaven until all enemies were put under
his feet. The subjection of all things under Christ came in
part through the faithful labor and patient suffering of his
saints, who held fast unto the end, And they overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their
testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death
(Rev. 12:11).
At the end of the struggle, the kingdom of the world
became the kingdom of Christ, and because the saints held
fast and overcame, they were raised in the likeness of
Christs resurrection to sit with him on his throne, and
reign with him forever and ever,
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this
world have become the kingdoms of our Lord
and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and
ever!
And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on
their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped
God,
saying: We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to
come, Because You have taken Your great power
and reigned.
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be
judged, And that You should reward Your
servants the prophets and the saints, And those
who fear Your name, small and great, And should
destroy those who destroy the earth (Revelation
11:15-18).
The eternal kingdom, according to Daniel (chapters 2,
7), came in the days of the Roman Empire. So, again, the fall
of Jerusalem is the only event that will fulfill the demands
of this, and other related texts.

The Throne of Glory
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His
glory (Matt. 25:31). This is indisputably a second coming
passage, and simply continues the theme of chapters 23 and
24 judgment was coming upon the Jews, and would
culminate in the destruction of their city. There is nothing
in Matthew 25:31 that forbids its application to that time
and event, except a traditional concept of judgment that
must await a future fulfillment.
Adam Clarke commented on this passage,
This must be understood of Christs coming at
the last day, to judge mankind: though all the
preceding part of the chapter may be applied also to
the destruction of Jerusalem.
18

Clarke is correct in applying the events of the text to the
coming of Christ at the last day, and in recognizing the
context dealing with the destruction of Jerusalem. His error
lies in separating in time two concurrent events. The fall of
Jerusalem was the last day, and therefore the second coming
of Christ.

18
Clarkes Commentary, Vol. 5, Page 242.
Regeneration and the Throne of Glory
A parallel passage with Matthew 25:31 is Matthew
19:27-30,
Then Peter answered and said to Him, See, we have
left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we
have?
So Jesus said to them, Assuredly I say to you, that in
the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on
the throne of His glory, you who have followed
Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or
sisters or father or mother or wife or children or
lands, for My names sake, shall receive a
hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

But many who are first will be last, and the last first
(Matthew 19:27-30).
The key issue in this text is the meaning and timing of
regeneration. Some believe it refers to the process of
spiritual regeneration begun on Pentecost, to continue
through the Christian age. Others believe it has reference to
the second coming of Christ and the changes that will be
affected by it. The Pulpit Commentary supports this view,
The word [regeneration] means new birth, or
renovation, renewal. It occurs in Titus 3:5 in
reference to baptism, through the washing (laver) of
regeneration. It has been variously interpreted in the
present passage. Some have connected it with the
participle preceding, ye who have followed me in
the regeneration, and explained it to mean the
reformation and spiritual renovation commencing
with the preaching of John the Baptist, and carried on
by the ministry of Christ. But more generally and
correctly it is taken with what follows, ye shall sit,
etc. The meaning, however, is still disputed. Some say
that the Christian dispensation is intended, and an
intimation is given of the work of the apostles in the
unseen world directing and guarding the Church. But
this seems hardly to satisfy the language of the
promise. Others regard the term as signifying the
resurrection, when the mortal shall put on
immortality, and we shall be changed, remade,
reconstituted. This is true; but it seems more suitable
to refer the term to the new creation, the new heaven
and the new earth spoken of by Isaiah 65:17 and by
John (Rev. 21:1-2; 2 Pet. 3:10-12). This is the
reparation of the whole creation described by Paul
(Rom. 8:19, etc.), which is to take place at the great
consummation, and which, (remedying all the evils
which sin has impressed on the material and spiritual
world, on man and his habitation,) may well be called
a new birth. This is the mysterious period when
Christs promise shall be accomplished. Shall sit. It is
not when he shall come, but when he shall have
taken his seat as Judge upon his glorious throne. Ye
also. The pronoun is repeated to give greater emphasis
to the amazing assertion: Shall sit upon: shall be
promoted to, taken and placed upon.
19

The same interpretation is advanced by Adam Clarke,
Ye which have followed me, in the regeneration,
when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his
glory. The punctuation which I have observed here,
is that which is followed by the most eminent critics:
the regeneration is thus referred to the time when
Jesus shall sit on the throne of his glory, and not to
the time of following him, which is utterly improper.
The regeneration: Some refer this to the time in
which the new heavens and the new earth shall be
created, and the soul and body united.
20

Concerning this text, Barnes made the following
observations,

19
Pulpit Commentary, Matthew, Sec. 2, p. 252.
20
Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 5, p. 194.
Verily I say unto you. Jesus in this verse
declares the reward which they would have. They
were not to look for it now, but in a future period.
That ye which have followed Me, in the
regeneration. This word occurs but once elsewhere
in the New Testament, Titus 3:5. It literally means a
new birth, or being born again. Applied to man, it
denotes the great change when the heart is renewed,
or when the sinner begins to be a Christian. This is its
meaning, clearly, in the passage referred to in Titus;
but this meaning cannot be applied here. Christ was
not born again, and in no proper sense could it be
said that they had followed him in the new birth; but
the word also means any great change, or a
restoration of things to a former state or to a better
state. In this sense it is probably used here. It refers to
that great revolution that restoration of order in the
universe that universal new birth which will occur
when the dead shall rise, and all human things shall
be changed, and a new order of things shall start up
out of the ruins of the old, when the Son of man shall
come to judgment. The passage, then, should be read,
Ye which have followed me shall, as a reward in the
great day of the resurrection of the dead, and of
forming the new and eternal order of things the day
of judgment, the regeneration be signally honored
and blessed.
21

It is easy, then to see the parallels between Matthew
19:28 and 25:31. Both passages speak of Christ sitting on his
throne in glory. Matthew 25:31 tells us it will be when the
Son of man comes. It is also a time of judgment.
Matthew 25:30-46 depicts all nations assembled for
judgment. Nations has different meanings, sometimes
referring to different countries or kingdoms, sometimes to
the tribes of Israel, and occasionally it is used with respect to

21
Barnes on the New Testament, Matthew, pp. 200, 201.
individuals. The latter view seems more agreeable to the
meaning and purpose of judgment, however all nations
may be intended to show the universality of the judgment.
It was a judgment of spiritual and fleshly Israel, hence all
nations were assembled.

Disciples on Thrones
The reign of the disciples upon twelve thrones is
associated with Christs throne of glory. Some have the
apostles seated on thrones on Pentecost day, but this view
has some weaknesses. Apostolic authority to teach and
make known the law of the kingdom cannot be equated
with their sitting on twelve thrones judging Israel any more
than the regenerative power of the gospel (Titus 3:5) can be
equated with the regeneration of Matthew 19:28. The
apostles had power and authority to teach before they sat
upon thrones of judgment, just as Christ had a throne
before it became a throne of glory. The New Testament
saints were kings and priests before they began to reign with
Christ.
According to Revelation 2 and 3, the promise of sitting
with Christ on his throne was still future when John wrote,
awaiting the coming of Christ which was at hand. Before
they could reign, Christ had to come and the saints had to
overcome (Rev. 2:25-26; 3:21). The same was true with the
apostles. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he had not yet
obtained a throne (2 Tim. 2:11-12). Paul wrote the
Corinthians that the saints will judge the world (1 Cor.
6:2), but this had not taken place. When John wrote of
things at hand, he saw the victory of saints over the beast,
and expressed it in these words,
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and
judgment was committed to them. Then I saw
the souls of those who had been beheaded for
their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
who had not worshiped the beast or his image,
and had not received his mark on their foreheads
or on their hands. And they lived and reigned
with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation
20:4).
John saw thrones being occupied, and he saw judgment
given unto the occupants. This scene corresponds to the
one envisioned by Daniel,

It seems quite evident that Matthew 19:28; 25:31;
Revelation 20:4-15; and Daniel 7:21-22 are concurrent
passages, dealing with the coming of Christ in his kingdom
with power and glory, and the inheritance of the saints in
that everlasting kingdom (Matt. 25:34).

The Regeneration
If the regeneration is part of the end, when the Son of
Man would sit on the throne of his glory, it follows that
regeneration in Matthew 19:28 is parallel to the
restoration of all things in Acts 3:21, Whom heaven must
receive until the times of restoration of all things, which
God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since
the world began.
The coming of Christ is the time of regeneration and
the restoration of all things. Regeneration refers to the new
birth or the new order of things ushered in at the end of
the Old Covenant. Many apply it, and rightfully so, to the
new heaven and earth, but we must understand that it
followed the passing of the Old Covenant world. The
restoration of all things is the topic of Revelation 21:5,
Then He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all
things new.
The reason that some have difficulty putting the new
things of Christianity at the end of the Old Covenant is
that they see those things existing before A.D. 70. The
concept of already but not yet, popular among
theologians today to describe our own time, is a valid
observation when applied to the transition period between
Pentecost and the fall of Jerusalem.
The regeneration, or restoration, deals with the time of
perfection and not with the beginning or the
developmental stages of the kingdom. Nothing starting on
Pentecost was considered to be perfected or possessed by the
saints until the Old Covenant system was put away.
Although everything belonging to the new heaven and
earth had its beginning on Pentecost, or shortly thereafter,
nothing was considered as completed until the old passed
away (Heb. 8:13). The coexistence of Ishmael and Isaac
should be considered in this light (Gal. 4:21-31).
Restoration, therefore, was the bringing of all the types and
shadows of the law to perfection, in a new world marked by
the absence of the old. The departure of Ishmael marked the
beginning of the glory of Isaac.
,./
1. When was the eternal kingdom to be established?
2. What are some of the strengths of the view that the kingdom
was established at Pentecost? In what sense is this view
correct? What are some problems?
3. What are some reasons to favor a post-Pentecost coming of
the kingdom? What problems arise if this event is yet future?
Does the A.D. 70 judgment upon Jerusalem offer a plausible
context?
4. What enemies were to be put down by Christ? What does
it mean for us if these foes have not yet been vanquished?
What does it mean if they have?
5. The letters to the churches in Revelation speak of promises
for those who overcome (Rev. 2:11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). To
whom were these words written, and what were they to
overcome?
6. What was the regeneration? Is this related to the new
heaven and new earth? To resurrection?

CHAPTER EIGHT
The Last Judgment
{}
The early church expected an imminent judgment. Paul
writes in his letter to Timothy, that God was about (Greek mello)
to judge the world (2 Tim. 4:1). The Greek language indicates the
nearness of what was to come. An image that Scripture uses in
reference to judgment is that of harvest. This harvest would
separate the wheat and the chaff, a discernment between two
groups. The early Christians were exhorted to hold fast until the
harvest had been completed, and judgment had been meted out
(cf. Jas. 5:7-9) an exhortation that has little meaning if the
harvest and judgment were not to take place for thousands of
years. Another image used is that of a final battle. Again, we do
not need to assume these to be literal images of warfare and
destruction (though the conflagration surrounding the fall of
Jerusalem was a horrific picture of warfare and destruction) but
rather a picture of the spiritual battle taking place in order for the
kingdom to come in fullness.
,./
The second coming of Christ is linked to many events as
part of the end time, and among these is the judgment.
There is no simplified explanation of judgment; the subject
is a complex one alluded to or mentioned outright in nearly
every book of the Bible. Moreover, the judgment of God is
beyond the grasp of mortal man, Oh, the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding
out! (Rom. 11:33).
For our purposes in this study it is necessary to limit the
definition of judgment to that of the end time. The
Scriptures anticipated a coming judgment that was itself
sometimes called the day of the Lord. David prophesied,
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He
shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples
with His truth (Ps. 96:13). Paul urged the Athenians to
repent because He has appointed a day on which He will
judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has
ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising
Him from the dead (Acts 17:31). Judgment was connected
to the second coming of Christ and his kingdom, I charge
you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who
will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His
kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1).
Despite the fact that we often call this the final
judgment and it takes place in the end time, we need not
assume that this is the end of all judgment, that God
suddenly stopped exercising discernment. Doing this makes
it all the more difficult to see fulfillment in the first-century.
This end was really the beginning of a consummated or
perfected plan of redemption. Time continues beyond the
end time, and judgment continues beyond the final
judgment.
THE LAST JUDGMENT 253
A result of placing ultimate judgment at the end of
history, as in traditional theology, is a failure to recognize
that we are now under the judgment of God. We neglect
the important principles of reaping and sowing, and fail to
seek wisdom over foolishness. Many expect simply to be
made instantaneously perfect upon death or an expected
future return of Christ. But could it be possible that we will
have just what we take with us, spiritually speaking? Christ
suggested a connection between our investment and return
(Matt. 6:19). We are citizens of the eternal, heavenly
kingdom now, and if the life of that new birth is being
properly nurtured, we ought to see some spiritual results
before we pass through to the next dimension.

The Timing of the Judgment
When we speak of the final judgment, which might
more accurately be called the eschatological judgment, we
are associating judgment with the coming of Christ. The
King James Bible states that Christ will return to judge the
quick and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:5). The timing may
have been misconstrued, but the connection between return
and judgment is correct.
Paul anticipated a great judgment, and told the
Athenians about it,
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but
now commands all men everywhere to repent,
because He has appointed a day on which He will
judge the world in righteousness by the Man
whom He has ordained. He has given assurance
of this to all by raising Him from the dead (Acts
17:30-31).
Day is used here much in the same way that the Bible
speaks of the day of the Lord. It is not a literal, 24-hour
day in which the billions of souls that have lived on the
earth for all time march before the throne. Every day of the
Lord prophecy involves a period longer than 24 hours. The
clearest concept of time involved in the day of the Lord
comes from the seventy weeks of Daniel. The seventieth
week foretold events equated with the day of the Lord,
which is seven years in length, and parallels the day of the
Lord described by John in Revelation 1:10; that day, like the
seventieth week of Daniel, consisted of two equal periods of
42 months.
John saw in that time period the return of Christ (Rev.
1:7; 22:12-21), the coming of the eternal kingdom (Rev.
11:15), the judgment (Rev. 11:18; 20:12-15), the
resurrection (Rev. 11:11-12; 14:1-3; 20:4-15), and the
passing of heaven and earth (Rev. 6:12-17; 20:11) all in the
day of the Lord. John makes it clear that he was writing of
things that would happen shortly (Rev. 1:1, 3; 22:10).

How Soon?
Paul told the Athenians to repent and turn to Christ
because he was going to judge the world. But when? How
soon would that judgment day come? Many translations
offer no reference to time, but this is not quite true to the
Greek. Most Greek interlinear Bibles will furnish a reading
similar to this, Because he set a day in which he is about to
judge the habitable world in righteousness, by a man whom
he appointed.
22
Paul said God was about (Greek mellei) to

22
The Greek New Testament Interlinear by George Ricker Berry, Acts 17:31
judge the world. This word mello, used in this tense, conveys
not only intention of purpose but also nearness of action,
meaning at the point of, or ready to do what has been
stated. Had Paul meant to teach a judgment 2,000 or more
years in the future, he certainly would not have used mello
in any tense, especially the present tense. The judgment of
the habitable world (oikoumene) was about to take place in
Pauls day, and in view of other related scriptures we have
every reason to believe Pauls choice of words conveyed the
meaning intended by the Holy Spirit.

Mello in Other Passages
In 2 Timothy 4:1, Paul informs Timothy of coming
judgment, I earnestly testify therefore before God and the
Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to judge living and dead
according to his appearing and his kingdom. In this
passage Paul relates the judgment to the coming of Christ in
his kingdom, and in the place of world as in Acts 17:31,
he uses the terms the living and the dead. The living and
the dead appears many times to be descriptive of Jew and
Gentile (Acts 10:42; Rom. 14:9-10; 1 Pet. 4:5-6), and
therefore the world in Acts 17:31 would be equated with
the living and the dead in 2 Timothy 4:1, meaning a
universal judgment involving Jews and Gentiles alike.
In later writing, especially in the book of Revelation,
the living and the dead appears to be a term of distinction
between Christians and non-Christians. This seems
reasonable in view of the change from Judaism to
Christianity, making the contrast of life and death apply to
Christians and non-Christians, rather than Jews and
Gentiles as in past ages.
The time of judgment is indicated first by the word
about, and secondly, by the coming of Christ in his
kingdom. This coming of Christ in judgment in his
kingdom must be equated with Matthew 16:27-28, where
Christs coming, his kingdoms appearing, and the
rewarding or judgment of every man are linked. The word
about (mellei) is also found in verse 27, For the Son of
man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his
angels. The nearness of time is more specifically identified
in verse 28 by the statement some standing here will not
taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his
kingdom (Mark adds with power, Mk. 9:1). In this regard
Matthew 16:27-28 and 2 Timothy 4:1 are parallel passages.
Neither passage can apply to Pentecost day, but both must
apply to that generation, finding fulfillment in the
judgment and destruction of Jerusalem, and the redemption
and salvation of spiritual Israel.
Another judgment text showing nearness of time and
pointing to the end of the Old Covenant is Hebrews 10:25-
31,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as
is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the
Day approaching.
For if we sin willfully after we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a
sacrifice for sins,
but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and
fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries.
Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without
mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose,
will he be thought worthy who has trampled the
Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified a common
thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
For we know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I
will repay, says the Lord. And again, The Lord
will judge His people.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God (Hebrews 10:25-31).
First, let us take a look at verse 27, where mello appears
again, But a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and
fervor of fire about to devour the adversaries. Without
question, the adversaries were Jewish opponents of the
gospel, and the writers purpose was to stem the tide of
apostasy in that final hour. He argues that it would be futile
and fatal to return to a system marked for judgment. All
that remained of the Old Covenant system at that hour was
a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery
indignation, and it was about to come upon the adversaries.
Thus the warning here was parallel to the one given by
Christ in Revelation 18:4, Come out of her, my people,
lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her
plagues. The time for Babylons judgment was at last at
hand.

The Judgment of the Saints
We often picture final judgment as a simultaneous
judging of the righteous and the wicked, which is true in
the sense that all were to be judged in the day of the Lord.
Daniel tells us that the day of the Lord was to be seven years
in duration, and from Revelation it appears that the saints
were judged in the first half of that week a period
commonly referred to as the time of Jacobs trouble (Jer.
30:7). The saints were to suffer great tribulation at the hands
of the beast (Rev. 13; Dan. 7) before they could enter or
possess the eternal kingdom (2 Pet. 1:11, Acts 14:22). Peter
wrote his first epistle around A.D. 60, and the time for
tribulation was at hand. Since the end of all things was at
hand (1 Pet. 4:7), they could, on the basis of the Lords
eschatological discourse in Matthew 24, expect to enter into
great tribulation. In view of their situation and the coming
end of the Old Covenant system, Peter said,
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the
house of God; and if it begins with us first, what
will be the end of those who do not obey the
gospel of God?
Now If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where
will the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of
God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as
to a faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:16-19).
Judgment, Peter said, would first begin at the house of
God, and then conclude with those who did not obey the
gospel. The word judgment in this passage carries the idea
of trial or testing, by which the destiny of the soul or final
outcome would be determined, That the genuineness of
your faith, being much more precious than gold that
perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise,
honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet.
1:7). In this sense, Paul wrote of judgment in 1 Corinthians
3,
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
each one's work will become clear; for the Day will
declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and
the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it
is.
If anyone's work, which he has built on it endures, he
will receive a reward.
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he
himself will be saved, yet so as through fire (1
Corinthians 3:12-15).
The point is that judgment was ready to begin at the
house of God nearly 2,000 years ago. According to Daniel
(Dan. 7) and John (Rev. 11 and 13), the saints had to first
battle against the beast, and then reward would be given at
the coming of Christ (1 Pet. 1:7). Revelation was addressed
to churches of that day in order to prepare them for the
heat of the battle that was at hand. The struggle would be
fierce, but the reward would be great for those who
overcame (Rev. 2 and 3). At the end of 42 months, (the
period of persecution under Nero) the saints are pictured in
a victory scene on Mt. Zion (Rev. 14:1-5). The battle is over
and the kingdom is the inheritance of the saints (Dan. 7:21-
22), after that follows the second phase of judgment, which
involves Babylon (Jerusalem) and all her people (Rev. 14:6-
20).
But lest we move too quickly from the judgment that
began in the house of God, let us take a look at other
Scriptures related to this judgment. The victory scene of the
saints is continued in Revelation 15, where John writes,
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with
fire, and those who have the victory over the
beast, over his image and over his mark and over
the number of his name, standing on the sea of
glass, having harps of God.
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and
the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and
marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your
name? For You alone are holy. For all nations
shall come and worship before You, for Your
judgments have been manifested (Revelation
15:2-4).
These saints are pictured as having come through a sea
of glass mingled with fire, a symbol of deliverance by
extreme suffering. They had been purified and refined by
the fires of tribulation. Concerning this the prophets spoke,
And it shall come to pass in all the land, Says the
Lord, That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and
die, but one- third shall be left in it:
I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine
them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is
tested. They will call on My name, and I will
answer them. I will say, This is My people; and
each one will say, The Lord is my God
(Zechariah 13:8-9).
The refining of the third part applies to the remnant
(Rom. 11:5) chosen of God and faithful to their calling. It
was said of them that they would be left in the land,
meaning that the inheritance would fall unto them. The
land in this context stood for the new earth of Gods
people (2 Pet. 3:13), which the meek would inherit (Matt.
5:5). They, like their Lord, however, had to come through
tribulation before entering into their inheritance. The
affliction and calamities of the two-thirds would be the
refining of the one-third or remnant. After the two-thirds
were destroyed out of the land (or gathered out of the
kingdom, Matt. 13:41-43), the remnant then became known
and identified as the people or sons of God, and shone forth
in his kingdom.
The separation of Christ-confessing believers from
disbelieving Jews was the main purpose of the judgment,
which found its fulfillment in the Roman invasion and
devastation of Palestine and the headquarters of Judaism.
They were cut off and left to die, and their only hope to this
day is Christ and his gospel. Isaiah said the former, referring
to the old heaven and earth, would never be remembered of
God or come into his mind (Isa. 65:17).
Israels only hope is in the eternal kingdom of Christ,
which was established, in the last day of Judaism (Rom.
11:26). All efforts to restore or rebuild national Israel in
Palestine today as a messianic nation will fall short of
success because Christ is now ruling in the only Mt. Zion
and Jerusalem that shall ever be remembered and blessed of
God. The remnant was brought to this glorious city nearly
2,000 years ago in the return of Christ in his kingdom, and
it continues to this day as the inheritance of all the saints.
Also, concerning the refining of the remnant, Malachi
writes,
Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the
way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to His temple, even the
Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who
can stand when He appears? For He is like a
refiners fire and like launderers soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold
and silver, that they may offer to the Lord An
offering in righteousness (Malachi 3:1-3).

The coming of Christ to the temple was literally fulfilled
in his first coming, but evidently this coming of Christ
suddenly to his temple refers to the second coming. In
this prophecy, as Augustine says, the first and second
advents of Christ are brought together. Malachi saw the
great white throne judgment in the background (Mal.
4:1).
Just as John the Baptist was the messenger and
forerunner of Christs first coming, the first born ones, or
the remnant of Israel, were the messengers that prepared the
way for Christs second coming. This concept may help to
solve the problem of the two comings of Elijah, which
many believe the Scriptures teach. According to Luke 1:17
and Matthew 11:14, John the Baptist was the Elijah which
was to come. But many believe that John and his work,
ministry, and suffering were also typical of another Elijah to
come, who would truly restore all things (Matt. 17:10-13).
Christs statement that John was Elijah was contingent
upon their understanding and accepting, And if you are
willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come (Matt.
11:14). But not all received John, or the one of whom he
spoke (Christ). Thus, after the crucifixion of Christ and his
ascension into heaven, another Elijah was to come who
would restore all things. In Matthew 17:11-12 the word
come is present, but it is coupled with the words shall
restore, which is future, indicating a future ministry of
another, who like John would come in the spirit and power
of Elijah. This agrees with the prophecy, Behold, I will send
you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the LORD (Mal. 4:5).
Through the labors of the Apostles and prophets the
restoration was made possible (Matt. 24:14). Christ was
received into heaven until the times of the restoration of all
things (Acts 3:21), and then he came to judge the two Israels
of God. Malachi speaks of the messenger of the covenant
as coming to his temple suddenly. Daniel said that in the
seventieth week, or the Day of the Lord, he would confirm
his covenant with many (Dan. 9:27). All of the promises,
types, and shadows of the Old Covenant were brought to
complete fulfillment in Christ during the time of restoration
(Acts 3:19-21).
The question, But who can endure the day of His
coming? And who can stand when He appears? (Mal. 3:2),
identifies this as his second coming (cf. Rev. 6:17; Mal. 4:1;
Joel 3:21). A twofold purpose is served in this coming of
judgment. First, the sons of Levi, or Christians, were made
pure and purged of all the dross and impurities of a Judaistic
environment. Judah and Jerusalem were redeemed, and
their offering made acceptable unto the Lord (Mal. 3:3-4).
Secondly, the tares or unbelieving Jews were cast out and
destroyed (Mal. 3:5-6). As in Zechariah 13:8-9, the cutting
off of the two-thirds resulted in the salvation of the one-
third or the remnant. These judgment prophecies show,
therefore, that the judgment would first begin at the house
of God, and then afterward be extended to the adversaries.

Other Judgment Passages
Several parables in the Gospels and other New
Testament Scriptures deal with the judging or rewarding of
the saints. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth,
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, that each one may receive the things done
in the body, according to what he has done,
whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10).
This passage parallels Romans 14:10, But why do you
judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your
brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ.
There are two different words translated judgment
seat in the New Testament. The first word is kriterion and is
found in 1 Corinthians 6:2, 4; James 2:6, and, according to
Thayer, means, the instrument or means of trying or
judging anything; the rule by which one judges.
23
The
second word is bema, which is defined as
... a raised place mounted by steps; a platform,
tribune; used of the official seat of a judge, Acts 18:12,
16 . . . of the judgment seat of Christ, Romans 12:10,
11
24

Concerning this judgment seat, Vine says,
At this bema believers are to be made manifest,
that each may receive the things done in (or
through) the body, according to what he has done,
whether it be good or bad. There they will receive
rewards for their faithfulness to the Lord. For all that
has been contrary in their lives to His will they will
suffer loss, 1 Corinthians 3:15 ... The judgment seat of
Christ will be a tribunal held in His Parousia, i.e., His
presence with His saints after His return to receive
them to Himself.
25

It is evident from the text and the meaning of
judgment seat that this is a judgment of believers. Only
believers had been given the earnest of the Spirit for the
purpose of putting on immortality (2 Cor. 5:5), and

23
Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p.
362.
24
Ibid., p. 101.
25
W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vol. 2,
pp. 282, 283.
receiving their house from heaven (2 Cor. 5:1). The
believers, not the unbelievers, walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7).
The judgment of the saints consisted of trial or testing
followed by reward or blessing for those who overcame.
Though the saints were tried first, their rewarding appears to
be simultaneous with the rewarding or punishment of the
wicked. To those on his right hand the king says, Then the
King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed
of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34), but to those on
his left hand it is the sentence of Depart from Me, you
cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and
his angels (Matt. 25:41).

The Judgment of Babylon
The last half of Daniels seventieth week involves the
judgment and fall of Babylon. Babylon, a symbol of
apostasy and bondage, was a code name for Jerusalem in the
Revelation message. A more fitting name could not have
been chosen for that spiritually corrupt and apostate city.
Other names such as Egypt and Sodom are also applied to
Jerusalem (Rev. 11:8). It should be observed that Babylons
judgment followed that of the saints,
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach
to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation,
tribe, tongue, and people
saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to
Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and
worship Him who made heaven and earth, the
sea and springs of water.
And another angel followed, saying, Babylon is
fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has
made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath
of her fornication.
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud
voice, If anyone worships the beast and his
image, and receives his mark on his forehead or
on his hand,
he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of
God, which is poured out full strength into the
cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone in the presence of the
holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and
ever; and they have no rest day or night, who
worship the beast and his image, and whoever
receives the mark of his name (Revelation 14:6-
11).
A significant statement in this vision of John is the
hour of His judgment has come (Rev. 14:7). This judgment
day, according to John, was at hand (Rev. 1:3). In his first
epistle he said, Little children, it is the last hour (1 John
2:18). Paul said God had appointed a day in which he was
about to judge the world (Acts 17:31). Prophecy pointed to
the end of Judaism as the great and notable day of the
Lord (Joel 3:3). The fall of Babylon was crucial to the
restoration of true Israel. The old Jerusalem had to give way
to the heavenly Jerusalem.
Some try to make Rome the city in question, especially
those who insist on a post-70 date for Revelation. Babylon,
however, is described as an adulteress, which implies the
breech of a marriage or covenant relationship. Rome had no
such relationship with the God of Israel. Moreover, even if
Revelation were written in the late A.D. 90s (as some
claim), Rome did not fall until several centuries later
hardly an event that was at hand.
Jerusalem had a vested interest in eradicating the early
church. The existence of the Christians as a messianic
Jewish sect threatened the Jews status as a registered
religion in Rome. Romes interest in persecuting the
Christians came later, and was instigated by the Jews.
Revelation 13 paints a picture of collaboration of opposing
forces against the church. Rome and Jerusalem suggest
themselves as these opposing forces. Prior to Nero, Rome
took no interest in persecuting Christians. After the fall of
Jerusalem, the Jews had no power to persecute Christians. If
there is a joining of Roman and Jewish forces, the window
for that to have happened is relatively small.
We see another scene of judgment in Revelation 11,
which followed resurrection of the two witnesses,
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this
world have become the kingdoms of our Lord
and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and
ever!
And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on
their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped
God,
saying: We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was and who is to come,
because You have taken Your great power and
reigned.
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
and the time of the dead, that they should be
judged, and that You should reward Your
servants the prophets and the saints, and those
who fear Your name, small and great, and should
destroy those who destroy the earth.
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and
the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple.
And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings,
an earthquake, and great hail (Revelation 11:15-
19).
The sounding of the seventh trumpet introduces the
very end, or the coming of Christ in judgment on Babylon.
kingdoms in Revelation 11:15 is singular in the Greek.
The kingdom of the Old Covenant world became the
kingdom of Christ. Christ was to reign until his enemies
were subdued, and then the kingdom would be raised up to
its rightful place (1 Cor. 15:24-28). At that time Christ and
the saints (under the Father) would reign forever and ever
(Rev. 3:21; 11:15). The time of receiving and delivering up
the kingdom was not the end of Christs reign but rather the
beginning of an eternal reign in an eternal kingdom with
His saints. This victory coincides with the judgment of the
dead. The nations which were angry were the tribes of
Israel the ones that mourned Christs coming (Rev. 1:7,
Matt. 24:30). They had lost their battle for world
domination, and the time of their judgment had arrived.

The Symbol of the Harvest
A frequent symbol of judgment is that of harvest. An
example of this is Matthew 3:11-12,
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but
He who is coming after me is mightier than I,
whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and
gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn
up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew
3:11-12)
Gathering the wheat into the barn symbolized the
safety and salvation of the righteous in the last day. The
chaff that was burned with unquenchable fire represented
the wicked.
The parable of the wheat and the tare also illustrated
this use of the harvest image,
The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed
good seed in his field;
but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares
among the wheat and went his way.
But when the grain had sprouted and produced a
crop, then the tares also appeared.
So the servants of the owner came and said to him,
Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?
How then does it have tares?
He said to them, An enemy has done this. The
servants said to him, Do you want us then to go
and gather them up?
But he said, No, lest while you gather up the tares
you also uproot the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the
time of harvest I will say to the reapers, First
gather together the tares and bind them in
bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into
my barn (Matthew 13:24-30).
In explaining the parable, Jesus said,
He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of
the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the
wicked one.
The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest
is the end of the age, and the reapers are the
angels.
Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the
fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they
will gather out of His kingdom all things that
offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will
be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the
kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:37-43).
Jesus explained the field as the world. Since the Gospels
were directed primarily to the Jews, it is only reasonable to
assume that the world or field corresponds to the Jewish
system or world. It was Gods field (Matt. 13:24), and it was
equated with his kingdom (Matt. 13:41; Rev. 11:15). The
good seed were believers in Christ, while the tares were
those citizens of the kingdom who said we will not have
this man reign over us (Lk. 19:14). At the end of that world
or age, when Christ returned in power and judgment, he
separated the righteous from the wicked, gathering the
righteous into the barn, and casting the wicked into the fire.
That was when the righteous were manifested in glory
(Matt. 13:43; Rom. 8:19; Col. 3:4).
Those who make the world mean the material earth
rather than the Old Covenant world run into exegetical
problems. This field or world is defined as the realm in
which the kingdom of God existed. In the end the tares
were gathered out of Gods kingdom and burned. If the
world means the entire habitable earth (oikoumene), then we
have Gentiles or heathens in the kingdom of God, which
was not true before Christs coming (Eph. 2:12). However, if
the world or field was the Old Covenant world, then the
teaching becomes clear, for this was truly the realm of Gods
kingdom. If the kingdom of God did not belong to the Jews
under the Old Covenant, how could it be taken from them
and given to another nation (the Christians or spiritual
Israel see Matt. 21:43)? Certainly the kingdom was never
taken from the Gentiles, nor were they ever cast out of it.
The gospel, sown as seed in the Jewish world, produced
a twofold response. Some accepted Christ and thereby
placed themselves in a position to inherit the kingdom
when it would be transferred from the old to the new
heaven and earth. Others, who are described as citizens
(Lk. 19:14), refused Christ and his authority, choosing
rather to do the works of the devil (Jn. 8:44). It was a most
unfortunate choice as they lost their right to the kingdom.
They were cast out at the harvest, or in the end of that
world. Note that the word world in Matthew 13:38 is
kosmos, not oikoumene. The end of this world in verse 40 is
rendered in the end of this age. It seems clear that these
refer to the Old Covenant system (kosmos) and age (aion).
The harvest parable in Matthew 13 parallels the harvest
scene in Revelation 14,
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the
cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His
head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp
sickle.
And another angel came out of the temple, crying
with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud,
Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has
come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth
is ripe.
So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the
earth, and the earth was reaped.
Then another angel came out of the temple which is
in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
And another angel came out from the altar, who had
power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to
him who had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in
your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the
vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.
So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and
gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into
the great winepress of the wrath of God.
And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and
blood came out of the winepress, up to the
horses bridles, for one thousand six hundred
furlongs. (Revelation 14:14-20).
This is a twofold harvest scene with verses 14-16
applying to the righteous, and verses 17-20 referring to the
wicked. The great winepress of God (cf. Rev. 19:15)
represented his wrath against the Jews and it was trodden
outside the city. Many mistake the city here for the literal
Jerusalem, but it stands for the redeemed city, namely Mt.
Zion, the new or heavenly Jerusalem, and those outside
were the ones subject to the wrath of God. The blood
flowed by the space of 1,600 furlongs, or a distance of
approximately 200 miles the approximate length of
Palestine.
Joel also prophesied a harvest,
Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the
Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge
all the surrounding nations.
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go
down; For the winepress is full, the vats overflow-
for their wickedness is great.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For
the day of the Lord is near in the valley of
decision.
The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will
diminish their brightness.
The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice
from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will
shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His
people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
So you shall know that I am the Lord your God,
Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then
Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever
pass through her again (Joel 3:12-17).
Many assume this refers to the Gentiles (certainly Joels
audience would have seen it this way) but when we come to
the end time there is a kind of role reversal that takes place.
The church consisting of both Jews and Gentiles had
become Israel, while temporal Israel, through her
unfaithfulness, had become heathen even Babylon.
The symbols of the sun and the moon being darkened
(Matt. 24:29) and the shaking of the heaven and the earth
(Heb. 12:26-28) are consistent with usage elsewhere in the
Bible. The Jerusalem that would then be holy with Christ
dwelling in Zion was the heavenly Jerusalem, not the
temporal Jerusalem, for it fell under the wrath of God. After
the judgment was over, Joel pictures Egypt and Edom
(fleshly Israel) as a desolation,
And it will come to pass in that day That the
mountains shall drip with new wine, The hills
shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah
shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow
from the house of the Lord And water the Valley
of Acacias.
Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate
wilderness, Because of violence against the people
of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in
their land.
But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from
generation to generation.
For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed,
whom I had not acquitted; For the Lord dwells in
Zion (Joel 3:18-21).
The New Testament frequently refers to the covenant
world as a field, with the Lord patiently waiting for the
harvest (Matt. 24:14). The writer of Hebrews pictures the
believing Jew as fruit unto God, but shows the disbelieving
Jews as thorns and briers rejected and about to be burned,
For the earth which drinks in the rain that often
comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those
by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from
God;
but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near
to being cursed, whose end is to be burned
(Hebrews 6:7-8).
Likewise, James exhorted Christians to endure until the
harvest had been gathered,
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of
the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the
precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it
until it receives the early and latter rain.
You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the
coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest
you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing
at the door! (James 5:7-9).
The statement, the Judge is standing at the door
declares the nearness of that judgment day.

All Nations Gathered
In Matthew 25:31-46, we see a gathering of all nations
for judgment. Who is included in this judgment? It might
be a reference to Gentiles, and those who oppose a first-
century fulfillment of biblical prophecy sometimes use this
verse in their favor. The word for nations, however, is also
sometimes used for the tribes of Israel, and this seems a
more consistent rendering of this word. This makes
Matthew 25:31-46 parallel with Matthew 13:37-43 and
Revelation 14:14-20. It was a judgment to determine true
spiritual Israel from rebellious fleshly Israel. The nations
were divided or separated into two groups. Those on the
right hand received the kingdom (Matt. 25:34). Those on
the left hand experienced a fiery destruction (Matt. 25:41).
This corresponds with Matthew 21:43, Therefore I say to
you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given
to a nation bearing the fruits of it. The Gentiles never had
the kingdom that it might be taken away from them (Eph.
2:12). Nor were the Gentiles ever cast out of the kingdom,
for they were never in it (Matt. 13:41, 42; Matt. 25:41).
The judgment of Matthew 25:31-46 belongs in the
Jewish context of Jesus life and ministry. Jesus was merely
showing how the children of the kingdom (the Jews) would
be cast into outer darkness and the kingdom would be
possessed by another nation, the sons of God born of
spiritual birth by Abrahams spiritual seed (Gal. 3:16-29).

Armageddon
Another judgment scene from the final half of Daniels
seventieth week is the battle of Armageddon,
And they gathered them together to the place called
in Hebrew, Armageddon.
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the
air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of
heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done!
And there were noises and thunderings and
lightnings; and there was a great earthquake,
such a mighty and great earthquake as had not
occurred since men were on the earth.
Now the great city was divided into three parts, and
the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon
was remembered before God, to give her the cup
of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.
Then every island fled away, and the mountains were
not found.
And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each
hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men
blasphemed God because of the plague of the
hail, since that plague was exceedingly great
Again, as in other places in Revelation, the reader is
brought to the very end of the Old Covenant world. The
battle of Armageddon is described as the battle of the great
day of God Almighty. It is the downfall of Babylon, and
the terrible shaking of heaven and earth, which were to be
removed in the very end. Armageddon is the finish the
very end of that world. This same end is pictured in
Revelation 6:12-17; 11:15-19; 14:6-20; and 20:7-10.
Armageddon literally means mount Megiddo, a
mountain situated on the plain of Esdraelon in Issachar,
near the valley of Jezreel. Many great battles were fought in
that valley, the first being the battle fought by Deborah and
Barak against the Canaanites. It was here that Ahaziah, king
of Judah, was killed fleeing before the face of Jehu (2 Chron.
22). But more significantly, it was the defeat of the beloved
king Josiah, who went to battle against Pharaoh-Necho,
king of Egypt (2 Kings 23:29-30). Since there was a great
mourning over the death of Josiah, the valley of Megiddo
became known as the valley of mourning. Because of these
great historical events Megiddo became a symbolic
battlefield for the great and final battle of Israel in their last
day. The prophet Zechariah speaks of it as a time of great
mourning,
It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the
nations that come against Jerusalem.
And I will pour on the house of David and on the
inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and
supplication; then they will look on Me whom
they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one
mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as
one grieves for a firstborn.
In that day there shall be a great mourning in
Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon
in the plain of Megiddo (Zechariah 12:9-11).

The Valley of Jehoshaphat
A parallel to the battle of Armageddon is Joel 3,
For behold, in those days and at that time, when I
bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
will also gather all nations, and bring them down to
the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into
judgment with them there on account of My
people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have
scattered among the nations; They have also
divided up My land (Joel 3:1-2).
Little is known about the valley of Jehoshaphat, but
many believe it was the place known as the valley of
Berachah, where Jehoshaphat defeated the Moabites and
the Ammonites (2 Chron. 20:36). It, like Megiddo, was the
place where decisive battles were fought, and similarly
became symbolic of that decisive battle fought in the last
hour of the Old Covenant. But unlike the past, fleshly Israel
now plays the role of the enemy as she seeks to suppress
and destroy the true Israel of God. The hour of her
judgment and defeat finally arrived in the plain Megiddo
and the valley of Jehoshaphat (Jehoshaphat means Jehovah
judges and Berachah means blessing).

Gog and Magog
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven,
having the key to the bottomless pit and a great
chain in his hand.
He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is
the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years;
and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him
up, and set a seal on him, so that he should
deceive the nations no more till the thousand
years were finished. But after these things he
must be released for a little while.
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and
judgment was committed to them. Then I saw
the souls of those who had been beheaded for
their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
who had not worshiped the beast or his image,
and had not received his mark on their foreheads
or on their hands. And they lived and reigned
with Christ for a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the
thousand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection. Over such the second death has no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand
years.
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan
will be released from his prison
and will go out to deceive the nations which are in
the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to
gather them together to battle, whose number is
as the sand of the sea.
They went up on the breadth of the earth and
surrounded the camp of the saints and the
beloved city. And fire came down from God out
of heaven and devoured them.
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake
of fire and brimstone where the beast and the
false prophet are. And they will be tormented day
and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:1-10).
Chapter twenty in Revelation deals primarily with the
defeat of Satan, showing the end time once more from a
different vantage point. The end here is the same as pictured
in other scenes of the book, except Satan is the key
character here. He loses his power in the fall of Gog and
Magog, which raises a question as to their identity.
A common temptation has been to relate Gog and
Magog to the heathen forces opposed to Christianity in that
day, but this misses the general theme of Revelation, and
also of the immediate text. It is true that Gog and Magog
were, in their literal history, heathen forces that made a
final onslaught on the people of God but were destroyed by
hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Ezekiel 38 and 39 describe
Gog as the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. How are
these symbols used in the scene of Satans final defeat? It
seems consistent to see them as symbolic of fleshly Israel. If
this is the case, the judgment of Gog and Magog
corresponds to the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16,
and the valley of Jehoshaphat in Joel 3. All three of these
battles are fought at the end of the Old Covenant world.
They are pictures of the same event, from different
perspectives using different images and figures of speech.
It is difficult for some to see Israel represented by
heathen powers. But as we have already pointed out, fleshly
Israel is represented by heathen countries and cities in her
opposition to the church because she is no longer
recognized as Gods people. In Revelation she is Babylon,
Egypt, and Sodom. She also is compared to Balak (Rev. 2:14)
and Jezebel (Rev. 2:20). In prophecy she takes on the
character and description of Babylon (Zech. 2:7); Egypt (Joel
3:19); Moab, Assyria, etc. The heathen forces of Gog and
Magog are fitting symbols of corrupt Israel in her last days.
There are several details within the text that support this
conclusion. First, Gog and Magog are the same nations in
which Satan was bound and in which he was loosed for a
little season. Since Satan ruled in fleshly Israel as a prince
(Jn. 12:31; 14:30), it was here that he was bound and
eventually cast out. Nations often refers to the tribes of
Israel.
Second, the battle of Gog and Magog is the last or final
battle, resulting in the passing of heaven and earth and the
bringing in of the new world (Rev. 20:11; 21:1-2). The last
enemy to be destroyed was death (1 Cor. 15:26), and Old
Covenant Israel was that ministry of death (2 Cor. 3:7).
Third, these nations dwelt on the four quarters of the
earth, which is usually a reference to the land of Palestine.
The earth (or Palestine) was the world of Gods people, and
therefore Palestine is consistently referred to as the earth in
Revelation (Rev. 7:1).
Fourth, Gog and Magog numbered as the sand of the
sea, which is the description of Abrahams fleshly seed
(Gen. 22:17).
Fifth, they were consumed by fire sent down from
heaven, which alludes to the Roman destruction of
Jerusalem (Matt. 22:7, 2 Pet. 3:9-13, 2 Thess. 1:7-9).
Thus, instead of Gog and Magog being heathen or
Gentile forces, they symbolized heathen Israel in her final
onslaught against the church. In Ezekiel 38 and 39, the time
of Magogs invasion was after the resurrection of Israel into
her own land (Ezek. 37). Here in our text, the time of this
battle followed the resurrection of the saints into their own
land (Rev. 20:5-6).
While it is true that heathen forces battled Christianity
in the first few centuries, it must be remembered that
Revelation deals basically and primarily with the fall and
destruction of Jerusalem, which resulted in the
establishment of the eternal kingdom (new heaven and
earth) of Christ. Thus, the end of the Old Covenant is the
end of the Revelation message. Revelations message does
not extend beyond this time period to deal with the final
history of Rome or any other nation of the earth. Gog and
Magog, the battle of Armageddon, the harvest, and the
valley of Jehoshaphat in Joel 3 are all synchronous
judgments, dealing with the end of fleshly Israel and the
beginning of the reign of spiritual Israel.
Other prophecies bearing on the judgment of fleshly
Israel abound in the Old Testament, a few of which we will
briefly consider just here. First, from Isaiah 34,
Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you
people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the
world and all things that come forth from it.
For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations,
and His fury against all their armies; He has
utterly destroyed them, He has given them over
to the slaughter.
Also their slain shall be thrown out; Their stench shall
rise from their corpses, and the mountains shall
be melted with their blood.
All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the
heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their
host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine,
and as fruit falling from a fig tree.
For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Indeed it
shall come down on Edom, and on the people of
My curse, for judgment.
The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, It is made
overflowing with fatness, with the blood of lambs
and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For
the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great
slaughter in the land of Edom.
The wild oxen shall come down with them, and the
young bulls with the mighty bulls; Their land
shall be soaked with blood, and their dust
saturated with fatness.
For it is the day of the Lords vengeance, the year of
recompense for the cause of Zion.
Its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into
brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch.
It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall
ascend forever. From generation to generation it
shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it
forever and ever (Isaiah 34:1-10).
The similarity between verse four and Revelation 6:12-
14 should be noticed ... the host of heaven shall be
dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a
scroll. Also compare with Isaiah 51,
Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My
nation: For law will proceed from Me, and I will
make My justice rest as a light of the peoples.
My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone
forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; The
coastlands will wait upon Me, and on My arm
they will trust.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the
earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away
like smoke, the earth will grow old like a
garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like
manner; But My salvation will be forever, and My
righteousness will not be abolished (Isaiah 51:4-
6).
In the Isaiah 34 passage, Bozrah appears to be typical of
Jerusalem and Idumea typical of Palestine. It was declared
the day of the LORDs vengeance, the year of recompense
for the cause of Zion (cf. Lk. 21:22). Her fall and
destruction would be complete, It shall not be quenched
night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever (cf.
Rev. 14:11; 18:18; 19:3).
Another passage is Isaiah 65,
Therefore I will number you for the sword, and you
shall all bow down to the slaughter; Because,
when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke,
you did not hear, but did evil before My eyes, and
chose that in which I do not delight.
Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be
hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, but you
shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice,
but you shall be ashamed;
Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but
you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for
grief of spirit (Isaiah 65:12-14).
This prophecy deals with the two Israels of God,
showing the rejection, misery, and destruction of the one,
and the accepting, blessing, and saving of the other. It is a
judgment passage corresponding to Matthew 25:31-46.
A third passage is Malachi 4:1-3:
For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven,
and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will
be stubble. And the day which is coming shall
burn them up," Says the Lord of hosts, That will
leave them neither root nor branch.
But to you who fear My name the Sun of
Righteousness shall arise with healing in His
wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like
stall-fed calves.
You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes
under the soles of your feet on the day that I do
this, says the Lord of hosts (Malachi 4:1-3).
The prediction of Malachi here corresponds with that of
John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11-12. Israel was the stubble
or chaff that was destined to burn in the oven of the Lord.
John was merely confirming the prophecy of Malachi,
showing the time of its fulfillment was near. Malachi had
foretold of Johns coming and work, to be followed by the
messenger of the covenant,
Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the
way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to His temple, even the
messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming," says the Lord of hosts.
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who
can stand when He appears? For He is like a
refiners fire and like launderers soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold
and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an
offering in righteousness (Malachi 3:1-3).
And Isaiah 2:2-4,
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the
mountain of the Lords house shall be established
on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
Many people shall come and say, Come, and let us
go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house
of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways,
and we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion
shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord
from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many
people; They shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:2-
4).
The last days belong to the closing era of the Old
Covenant. During this time, the mountain of the Lords
house was established and Christ judged among the
nations. John 12:48 relates to this, He who rejects Me, and
does not receive My words, has that which judges himthe
word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
This judgment in the last day cannot extend beyond the
end time of the Old Covenant world. It belongs to the end
time of the last days in which the kingdom would be
established.

The Great White Throne Judgment
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled
away. And there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before
God, and books were opened. And another book
was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the
dead were judged according to their works, by the
things which were written in the books.
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death
and Hades delivered up the dead who were in
them. And they were judged, each one according
to his works.
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was
cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).
This judgment, commonly referred to as the great white
throne judgment, is the last or final judgment in the plan of
redemption. Again, emphasis is given to the fact that it is
not the end of all judgment for all time, but the final
judgment that established Gods plan or system of
redemption. It belongs at the very end of the Old Covenant
world, when the heaven and earth fled from the face of him
that sat upon the throne. This is the judgment of the dead;
all of the dead from Adam on down through time, who
were waiting for the final day in Gods redemptive program.
The judgment of the saints is past (Rev. 20:1-6), having been
completed in the first half of Daniels seventieth week, and
the judgment of Gog and Magog (or fleshly Israel) is past
(Rev. 20:8-10), being completed in the last half of the
seventieth week. Now we have the very end, when it is time
for all the dead to appear in judgment. Three classes of
people are called into judgment: the New Testament saints,
fleshly Israel of that day, and all the dead of all nations and
of all ages.

The Millennial Reign
The idea of a literal 1,000 years derives practically all of
its strength from this text. Many see two comings of Christ,
one for his saints and one with his saints. The first,
sometimes called the rapture, takes place before the
tribulation. This will involve the resurrection of the just,
and the change of the faithful believer. The later coming (a
second second coming?) will result in the resurrection of
the tribulation saints and the inauguration of the one-
thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. Then, after the
millennium, death will be destroyed, the wicked raised and
sentenced, and eternity ushered in.
The proper location of this thousand years is the forty
year transition period between the cross and parousia of
Christ. It corresponds to the time when the saints obtained
victory over the beast, and they were resurrected to thrones
of victory and authority on Mt. Zion in accordance with the
promise of Christ (Rev. 2:25-29; 3:21). It is the reign of the
saints with Christ that is pictured by John. The subject is the
reign of the saints, not merely the reign of Christ. The reign
of Christ on the earth from Jerusalem is not mentioned in
this passage at all; proponents of various millennial views
assume it.
The thousand years is no more literal in application
than the key, the bottomless pit, the dragon, or the chain
by which he was bound. When we look for the symbolic
meaning of the thousand years, we discover that time is
not involved at all, but rather the thought or idea of
absolute perfection or infinity (2 Pet. 3:8; Deut. 7:9). In
other words, the saints, through their overcoming, obtained
a reign with Christ in power and authority that could be
described only by the symbolic language of one thousand
years. It is the zenith of power, authority, and victory. Also,
the defeat or fall of Satan, in that last minute effort to
destroy the church, resulted in his thorough and complete
defeat. He was defeated as completely as the saints were
victorious, and inspiration chose to use the symbolic term
of one-thousand years to picture the state of each.
The true picture of Revelation 20 is the defeat of Satan,
and the victory of the saints at the end of the first 42
months of the seventieth week. Satan then is released to stir
Gog and Magog, or fleshly Israel, to a final attack that ends
in their complete defeat and overthrow by fire from heaven
(administered by the Roman army, the messenger of the
Lord, or the prince and people that were to come, Daniel
9:26-27). This is the time when heaven and earth pass away
(Rev. 20:11). The fall of the Old Covenant system completes
Gods program of redemption, bringing the scene of the
final judgment. The dead of all nations stand before God in
judgment. This judgment scene of Revelation 20:11-15
immediately follows the seventieth week, for it is then that
Hades is emptied of her subjects and destroyed forever,
never to be entered again by human souls.

The Dead and the Book of Life
John said he saw the dead, small and great stand before
God (Rev 20:12) and the books were opened, including the
book of life. The dead were judged out of the books,
according to their works. The meaning of books is
uncertain, unless it had reference to the record of mans
deeds (Eccl. 12:14). The book of life, of course, was Gods
record of the faithful, and whoever was recorded in this
book was exempt from the second death, and those who
were not recorded there did not escape hell. This is one
reason for believing that all the dead, both wicked and
righteous, were involved in that judgment.

Hades and the Sea
A significant and interesting statement in this judgment
text is concerning Hades and the sea. We are told that
death and Hades delivered up the dead that were in them.
It is commonly believed that Hades is the abode or the
receptacle of the spirits of all the dead, but the sea gave up
the dead that were in it. Sea is often symbolic of Gentile
nations in contrast to the earth, which is symbolic of Israel
in Palestine. If this is the meaning, then perhaps Hades
belongs to the Jewish world only. This view is strengthened
by the fact that death and Hades have always been close
companions. The Old Covenant system, because it couldnt
redeem man in and of itself, took on the connotation of
death (2 Cor. 3:7) and therefore contributed to Hades.
In the passage before us (Rev. 20:13) both are jointly cast
out, and in Revelation 1:18 Christ is said to have the keys
(or authority) over both.
If death and Hades belong to ancient Judaism, then one
can understand the reason for the sea also giving up the
dead in it (symbolic of the dead from all Gentile nations).
They were dead also, but not of the same region or abode as
the Jewish dead. Jews and Gentiles were united neither in
physical life nor in their spiritual abode prior to the
judgment day. Hence, all the dead of both Jewish and
Gentile descent are now brought together in a common
judgment to be united in a common destiny according to
their works. Since there is no sea (no distinction between
Jew and Gentile) in the new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1), it
is only reasonable to assume that the same is true of Hell
itself. Concerning the righteous, all were to be gathered
together in Christ in the fullness of time (Eph. 1:10), and
this judgment text deals with the fullness of time. Just as all
the righteous are assembled in the new heaven and earth,
all the wicked were cast into a common Hell or second
death.

The Last Enemy Destroyed
The fall of Jerusalem was the time of deaths destruction.
Death and Hades were both cast into the Lake of Fire.
Death, biblically speaking, is alienation from God, and the
destruction of death is the end of that alienation,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will
dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself
will be with them and be their God (Rev 21:3).
Where do people go today when they experience
physical death? This depends upon their state before God at
the time of death. If one is a faithful citizen of the
everlasting kingdom they will be received into a full and
complete spiritual state of existence in that eternal
kingdom, which was entered by spiritual birth during their
fleshly sojourn. If they are found outside of that kingdom,
or disinherited, they are consigned to an eternal Hell,
known as the second death.
Obviously, some of the misunderstandings and
misconceptions of the study rise out of our failure to see the
broad expanse of the new heaven and earth or the eternal
kingdom. It must not be narrowed down solely to mans
spiritual life while in a fleshly body, nor to mans spiritual
life after he leaves the flesh. It covers both aspects of
spiritual existence, except the fleshly state of man must
surely impose limitations on our awareness that will be
removed at death. This is our hope and reward for faithful
service while in the flesh.
Christians today do not go to Hades at death, for
redemption has been perfected and Hades has been emptied
of all its subjects and cast out. Our reward is immediate
upon the time of our physical death, But thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1
Cor. 15:57).
,./
1. Is there any difference between the Day of the Lord and
the Day of Judgment? Is either of these references to a
specific 24-hour period?
2. Is the New Testaments frequent use of the Greek word mello
in reference to eschatological events consistent with the
timing suggested by the author? Is it consistent with a yet-
future fulfillment of these events?
3. In what sense does harvest correspond to judgment?
4. In the parable of an eschatological harvest, the harvest field
is often identified as the world. Is this the entire planet, or
the Jewish world?
5. In what ways has popular culture distorted the meaning of
Armageddon?
6. How does an understanding of Armageddon, the Valley of
Jehoshephat, and Gog and Magog as parallel images make
sense of an otherwise confusing prophetic landscape?
7. King claims both Hebrew and Greek culture in the 1st
century used numerals (3, 7, 40, etc.) symbolically. Why does
King claim that 1,000 years millennium notation was
symbolic, while phrases like soon, this generation, and
at hand were concrete time statements?

CHAPTER NINE
The End of the World
{}
End of the world speculations abound, especially in
Christian circles. It is taken as fact by many that God will
someday bring everything to a grinding halt. But this is not what
the Bible teaches. For one, the sheer variety of images used should
suggest to us that a literal destruction is not what is being
described. 2 Peter 3:10 often is used as a proof text for a literal
destruction. But even the dramatic language of this passage does
not demand a literal reading. The word for elements is used
elsewhere in the New Testament, and never in reference to
physical creation. Instead, it is used to describe the elements of
the law, and reading it this way makes more sense of Peters
usage. Once we get past the idea of a literal destruction, we can
see that the end of the Old Covenant world is consistent in timing
with the other eschatological events we have been studying.
,./
Practically every concept of the second coming involves,
in some fashion, the end of the world. Thousands of
sermons have been preached on this subject, designed to
create fear and produce repentance in the sinner and stir the
THE END OF THE WORLD 293
believer to a more fearful deportment of life. World events,
natural disasters, and conflicts, especially those in the
Middle East, engender panic and fear for those who see such
things as harbingers of The End. Some have even
predicted the end, with dates and charts and elaborate
fulfillment schemes, only to be thwarted.
Will this earth burn with fire someday? Will it pass
away with a great noise? Just what is the destiny of this
material universe that God created in the beginning? The
Bible actually has little to say about the destiny of the space-
time universe. Billions of years from now, scientists tell us,
the Earths orbit will decay to the point that it no longer can
sustain life, and our sun will explode in a spectacular
supernova. Only God knows for certain. Secret things
belong to him only those things that are revealed belong
to us and to our children (Deut. 29:29).
To suggest that the fate of the temporal universe is not
the topic of Scripture is not to deny the end of the age in
the end times. The world or age that ended was the Old
Covenant world. This world could not accomplish
redemption for fallen man, but it did have manifold
purposes that served and advanced the scheme of
redemption until it reached perfection in Christ. It was not
inherently sinful or evil; the law was good and holy, being
able to advance faith in God, and ready its subjects for
redemption through the blood of Christ. The primary
weakness of the Old Covenant system, which came through
the flesh, was its inability to deal with mans problem of sin.
Because of the sins of man, it became a world of corruption
and mortality, and had to be replaced by a new heaven and
earth where righteousness not sin might dwell.

Symbols of Destruction
The traditional idea of the end of the world is developed
primarily from the text of 2 Peter 3:10-12, where Peter
taught that the elements of the heavens would melt with
fervent heat and the earth, along with its works, would be
burned up. This is commonly interpreted in a literal sense,
and is often quoted to support the end of the temporal
universe as part of the end times. If this is the case, why is
Peter the only one with this kind of arcane information
about earths last night? Are not there numerous passages of
Scripture showing other ways that the world is going to be
destroyed? Arent these passages also inspired and valid in
their teaching?
Fire seems to fascinate most people, which probably is
why this passage gets so much press in end-times scenarios.
Some are uncomfortable with the idea that Peters language
here is figurative, and this idea of fiery destruction is so
widespread that objectivity is difficult. There is, of course, a
kind of literal application in that Jerusalem especially the
temple was destroyed by fire. The end of the world,
however, is described in a number of ways in Scripture,
suggesting the use of figurative language. If we choose to be
overly literal with any of these descriptions, we run the risk
of making one or more of the other passages contradictory.

How the World Will End
To get a broader picture, and to develop the context,
lets take a look at these various descriptions of the end of
the world,
1. The heavens and the earth are going to be shaken. This comes
from Hebrews 12:26-28,
Whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has
promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not
only the earth, but also heaven.
Now this, Yet once more, indicates the removal of
those things that are being shaken, as of things
that are made, that the things which cannot be
shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which
cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we
may serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear (Hebrews 12:26-28).
The prophecy and promise referred to in verse 26 is
Haggai 2:6, For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once more (it
is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and
dry land.
This is also mentioned in Hebrews 12:21, I will shake
heaven and earth. We can glean the meaning of this
symbol of shaking heaven and earth from the larger context
of this passage. A striking contrast is being made between
Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion, or the Old Covenant and the New
Covenant. The shaking of the earth at the giving of the law
from Mt. Sinai typified the temporal nature of that creation
and was predictive of a time when the voice of Christ from
Mt. Zion would shake that temporal creation (heaven and
earth or Jewish dispensation) out of its place. The writer of
Hebrews said it signified the removing of those things
that could be shaken (a term of speech denoting temporal
conditions) so that those things which could not be shaken
(the New Covenant fulfillment of Old Covenant typology)
might remain. What they were receiving, which could not
be shaken or removed, was the everlasting kingdom.
Joel said the Lord would roar out of Zion, and utter his
voice from Jerusalem, and shake the heavens and the earth
(Joel 3:16). Of course the children of God would have
strength and hope in Him who would then be dwelling in
Mt. Zion (Joel 3:17).
Isaiah prophesied that men would flee into the holes of
the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of
the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to
shake the earth mightily (Isa. 2:19). John uses the same
figure of speech in Revelation 6:15-17.
John also employed the image of a great earthquake.
When the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and
said, it is done, John recorded, And there were noises and
thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great
earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not
occurred since men were on the earth (Rev. 16:18).
2. The heavens and earth shall wax old and decay. Psalm
102:25-28,
Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the
heavens are the work of Your hands.
They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will
all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will
change them, and they will be changed.
But You are the same, and Your years will have no
end.
The children of Your servants will continue, and their
descendants will be established before You (Psalm
102:25-28).
This prophecy of David is commonly applied to the
physical creation of God, and that may in fact have been in
Davids mind when he penned those words. The writer of
Hebrews, however, quotes the prophecy word for word and
relates it to the end of the Old Covenant world (Heb. 1:10-
12). The superiority of Christ over angels is shown in that
he created the world wherein they were ministering spirits
(Heb. 1:7). In Hebrews 2:2 we see that the Sinaic covenant
was given by the angels, and this is supported by Galatians
3:19. The Old Covenant world, however, would not abide
the presence of him that sat upon the throne (Rev. 20:11).
The heavens and the earth would perish, but Christ and his
throne would remain forever and ever (Heb. 1:8-12). The
world to come in Hebrews 2:5, which would not be in
subjection to angels, was contrasted with the Old Covenant
world that would pass away. The two worlds in contrast are
the two covenant worlds, Old and New. Barnes writes,
To me it seems to be clear that the phrase here
means, the world under the Messiah the world, age,
or dispensation which was to succeed the Jewish, and
which was familiarly known to them as the world to
come; and the idea is, that that world, or age, was
placed under the jurisdiction of the Christ, and not of
angels. This point the apostle proceeds to make out.
26

All things were not yet subdued (Heb. 2:8), but they
soon would be, because of Christs eternal throne or power
(Heb. 1:8). His enemies would soon become his footstool
(Heb. 10:13). When Hebrews was written, the Old Covenant
world still remained; therefore Christs enemies had not yet
been subjugated. The prophecy of Psalm 102:25-28 was
employed by the writer as proof of the eventual victory and
universal dominion of Christ. The destiny of that world was
in the hands of its creator, awaiting the fullness of time
when it must give place to the new heavens and earth.
The statement, Of old You laid the foundation of the
earth is seen by many as having application to the original
material creation, but there is nothing in the context that
demands this view. David wrote many generations after the

26
Barnes on the New Testament, Hebrews, p. 58.
giving of the Law, so the expression of old is not
inappropriate with regard to the Old Covenant world. The
same expression is found in Psalm 74:2, Remember Your
congregation, which You have purchased of old. Amos also
uses this expression, writing that the fallen tabernacle of
David would be built as in the days of old (Amos 9:11).
How were the heavens and earth of old going to perish?
David said they would wax old like a garment, and then
they would be changed. The word wax means to grow,
increase, advance, or become this creation was going to
advance in age until its purpose had been served and the
need for it no longer existed. The same terminology is
found in Isaiah 51:6, The earth will grow old like a
garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner.
It is no strange coincidence that inspiration describes the
passing of the Old Covenant in the same language, In that
He says, A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete.
Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to
vanish away (Heb. 8:13). The words ready to vanish away
are very significant in this passage, showing that the Old
Covenant world continued several years after the cross. Its
final end came with the fall of Jerusalem, and this event
marked the passing of heaven and earth.
Jesus predicted the end of the world in Matthew 24, and
predicted it in his generation (Matt. 24:3, 14, 34). Those
who divide Matthew 24 between verses 34 and 35 do so in
order to separate the passing of heaven and earth from that
generation, but an understanding of this figure of speech
would make such a division unnecessary. David said the
heavens and earth would perish, but Christ would remain,
and this is exactly what Christ taught in Matthew 24:34, 35.
His word the New Covenant would abide the passing of
the Old Covenant, which was waxing old, decaying, and
was ready to vanish away.
Christ said in Matthew 9:16 that no one puts new cloth
on an old garment, meaning that he did not come to revise
or patch up the Old Covenant system. Instead, he that sat
upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new. (Rev.
21:5), which was said at the passing of the old heaven and
earth.
3. The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. Isaiah 34:4:
All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the
heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their
host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine,
and as fruit falling from a fig tree (Isaiah 34:4).
Rolled together as a scroll means, literally, like a
book. Ancient books were written on long strips of paper or
parchment, which extended many yards when unrolled.
They were usually rolled together by means of two round
sticks fastened at each end of the scroll. This is the image
Isaiah employs in this passage.
John uses the same figure of speech in Revelation 6:14,
Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and
every mountain and island was moved out of its place. As
in Isaiah, this too was a symbol of destruction, but was not
intended as a literal description. To look for the heavens to
be rolled up in a physical sense is to miss the true meaning
and import of the passages before us. This is poetic
language, used to describe the profound spiritual import of
what was to take place.
The removal of every mountain and island out of their
places (Rev. 6:14) is more symbolic language designed to
teach a coming change in the Old Covenant world that
would be as devastating as the seismic disturbances
described. A new order of things was going to arise in place
of those long-established ordinances and services of the
former dispensation.
Likewise, the host of heaven being dissolved (Isa. 34:4),
and the stars falling to the earth (Rev. 6:13), were symbols of
speech denoting the fall of rulers, and the failure of
governments. Stars in the Scriptures are symbols of princes
and rulers (Dan. 8:10, Matt. 24:29); the meaning of the
symbols is that the princes and rulers of Judaism could not
stand before the power and authority of Christ, as exercised
through his word.
4. The heavens and earth would flee away Revelation 20:11,
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it,
from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And
there was found no place for them. This verse introduces
the great and final judgment, which embraces the
remainder of the chapter. The first thing seen is the great
white throne upon which Christ is seated. The word great
denoted its high or elevated position, and the word white
denoted its splendor and brightness. The effect of this
judgment scene was the fleeing of heaven and earth from
before the face of him that sat on the throne. This is, of
course, symbolic language designed to advance the concept
of the greatness of Christs authority, so great and irresistible
that heaven and earth could not stand before Him. This is a
very majestic figure, and a fitting description of that
judgment scene, and the effect it had on Babylon of old.
The heaven and earth fled away, never to reappear. John
said no place was found for them. The fall of Judaism was
permanent, never to rise again (Isa. 65:17; Rev. 19:3; Isa.
34:10).
Literal or Symbolic Language
We have studied five different ways the world would
pass away, namely, by burning, by shaking, by growing old
and decaying, by rolling up as a scroll, and by fleeing away.
It should be obvious to the thoughtful reader that these are
symbols or figures of speech, all designed to show the
ending of a world (the Jewish system) and the beginning of
a new world (the Christian dispensation). To choose one
passage and one symbolic term to the exclusion of all the
rest, and insist on a literal application does great violence to
the plain and ordinary meaning of the Scriptures. It results
in an erroneous concept that will lead us astray in the
search for truth in Gods scheme of redemption.
It would be just as logical and right to insist that the
world was going to run or flee away, or be rolled together in
a little round ball, or grow old and decay, as to insist on its
destruction by fire. One term of speech is no more or no less
literal than the other. Fire is just as symbolic as any of the
other forms or descriptions of destruction.

The Elements Shall Melt
A thought for the literalists on the fiery destruction
passage is the word and application of elements. And the
elements shall melt with fervent heat (2 Pet. 3:10). Why
are the elements ascribed to the heavens rather than the
earth? Peter said, ...because of which the heavens will be
dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with
fervent heat (2 Pet. 3:12). It would seem more natural to
speak of the elements of the earth rather than the
heavens, if the material world were the subject. However,
the interpretation of the Jewish world gives a natural
explanation for elements being placed in the heavens, as
seen from the meaning of the word. According to Vine, the
word element in the Scriptures means the rudimentary
principles of religion...the elementary principles of the O.T.,
as a revelation from God, Hebrews 5:12, R.V.
27

This same word is found in Galatians 4:3, 9 where it is
used in reference to the rudimentary principles of the Jewish
system. Since law or government is involved in the meaning
of heaven, it follows that the rudiments or elements of
Judaism properly belong to the region of heaven. These
were the elements that would melt with fervent heat, fire
being a symbol of destruction.

The Works Shall Burn
In association with the earth are works, which refer to
the works performed under the authority of the law system.
The subject of faith versus works occupies a large portion of
New Testament scripture, being a basic theme of the Roman
and Galatian letters, and finding strong emphasis in the
Hebrew Letter and the epistle of James. The righteousness of
the law could not be obtained by the works of that
meritorious system, rather through the faith of Christ.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of
the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be
justified by faith in Christ and not by the works
of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh
shall be justified (Galatians 2:16).
The works that were to perish or be destroyed in the
fiery judgment of that world were the works of the law,
practiced by the citizens of that earth. Both the citizens (the

27
W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament words, Vol. 2, p. 23.
earth or society of people) and the works therein (the carnal
services of the law) were burned up, according to Peter. The
complete fulfillment of this passage was centered in the
destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. 22:7), resulting in the
complete death and decay of the Jewish Commonwealth.
Again, lest the wrong impression is given of Judaism or
the law system, it was good, holy, and just, being ordained
of God. But it could not deal with man's problem of sin, and
fill his need of justification, except through Christ, to whom
it pointed the whole world. Its destruction, therefore, came
after Christ entered upon the work of redemption, and that
because the citizens of that world would not turn to Christ.
By loving the Jewish system, they were guilty of loving the
world of sin and lust that resided within it through the lust
or weakness of man. The only answer, therefore, was the
destruction of the system and of all who refused to leave it
and come to Christ. This was the cause and reason for the
destruction that came upon the world in A.D. 70.

The World Shall End - When?
The time for the world to end must be thoughtfully and
sincerely considered if there is a time-period involved in any
of the eschatological passages. A common error is man's
tendency to form a concept of how a prophetical event is
going to find fulfillment and what is actually going to
transpire, and then ignore any time element involved in the
Scriptures, choosing instead to wait for things to happen as
he thinks they must. This might be safe and justifiable if the
prophetical event is described and defined in plain, literal,
unsymbolic language, but many are not. We have shown
this to be true of the coming of Christ, the judgment, and
the end of the world. Therefore, we must consider the time
element that inheres in a passage (for it is always placed
there for a purpose) and then form our concept of how a
prophecy was to be fulfilled by considering what actually
happened when it was supposed to happen. Had the Jews
followed this rule of interpretation, they would not have
allowed their preconceived concept of the Messiah to
overrule the time element resident in their prophecies
concerning his coming. But they chose to ignore the time
factors while waiting for the Messiah of their concept. Thus,
they knew not the time of their visitation (Lk. 19:41-44; Isa.
10:3).
According to Jesus, the Jewish world or age was going to
end with his coming and the destruction of the temple and
Jerusalem (Matt. 24:3). But before that crucial judgment day
came, the grace of God was extended to all mankind
throughout the whole world. This was the work and
ministry of the early saints. See Matthew 24:14; Colossians
1:6, 23. They prepared the world for a coming judgment by
preaching salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus, in giving
the signs of that coming day, plainly stated that this
generation will by no means pass away till all these things
take place (Matt. 24:34). In the same breath of inspiration
he said, without a 2,000 or more years break in time,
Heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall
not pass away (Matt 24:35). And then he hastened to add,
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the
angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matt 24:36). The
fact that he had given signs of Jerusalem's destruction does
not separate verse 36 from the previous verses and textual
theme. The disciples, though they knew the signs, did not
know the time. They had the signs so the time would not
overtake them as a thief in the night; that is if they would
stay awake and watch (I Thess. 5:4; Rev. 3:3). If the second
coming is still future and we dont have any signs, then
Christ will overtake us as a thief because we dont know
what to watch for!
The signs of Matthew 24 belonged to that day, the same
as did the second coming of Christ. Some believe that the
coming of Christ as a thief could not apply to Jerusalems
destruction because it involved at least three and one-half
years, hence plenty of time for the people to know what was
happening. It may sound like a logical argument until one
considers the fact that in Jerusalem alone over one million
Jews perished, not to mention the rest of Palestine. That
appears to this writer to be a time of overtaking by the
coming of Christ.
Also, in regard to its being a day known only to the
Lord, therefore not applying to Jerusalem because of the
signs, it must be remembered that Zechariah prophesied the
very same truth. It shall be one day which is known to the
Lord (Zech. 14:7). Many scholars agree that Zechariah 14
applies to the destruction of Jerusalem, and is equated with
the eschatological discourse of Christ in Matthew 24.
Therefore Zechariah 14:7 corresponds to Matthew 24:36.

The Time and the Event
The time for the world to end has been established as
being in that generation, therefore we must look for a
historical event that could fulfill the prophecy. No one
should have difficulty in realizing that the end of Judaism,
as represented in the fall of Jerusalem, was a major subject
in Old Testament prophecy, nor should we be lacking in
evidence by now that the Jewish commonwealth was often
represented under the symbol of a heaven and earth. On
what basis, then, can one be justified in refusing to accept
both a time factor and a historical event that became united
in applying the end of the world to the fall of Judaism?
Only a traditional concept could possibly be the reason for
passing over a time-period (so specifically stated in
prophecy) and also a prominent historical event such as the
fall of Judaism, and still demand a future fulfillment that
will take place under different circumstances and in a
different manner than was really taught by the Scriptures.
The purpose and results of that event are too greatly
emphasized in holy writ to conclude that some greater
event is needful to meet the demands of eschatological
Scriptures.
Like the second coming of Christ, the prophecies of the
Old Testament, the Gospels, the Epistles, and the book of
Revelation all unite and blend in perfect harmony in
establishing the time and identity of the world that was to
end in that generation. John wrote of last things and places
the time of the new heaven and earth as being near and
things which must shortly take place (Rev. 1:1, 3).
Revelation cannot be separated from the predictions of the
Gospels or the affirmations of the Epistles. The terminology
is too harmonious and the time element obviously
synchronous for any division to exist. Jesus taught of things
to happen in that generation and before the death of
some of his disciples. Paul said the time was short (1 Cor.
7:29), for the form of this world is passing away (1 Cor.
7:31). He said the night is far spent, the day is at hand
(Rom. 13:12). Peter said, but the end of all things is at
hand (1 Pet. 4:7). James wrote that the coming of Christ
is at hand (Jas. 5:8), and the judge is standing at the
door (Jas. 5:9). John said, it is the last hour (1 Jn. 2:18),
and the things in Revelation were at hand (Rev. 22:6, 10).
There is a unity of teaching in relationship to Old
Testament prophecy, starting with the ministry of Christ,
continuing through the Epistles of the apostles, and
concluding with the Revelation of John, that establishes the
Bible as a completed volume of sacred history concerning a
completed and perfected scheme of redemption. The great
history of redemption should thrill the heart of every reader
and strengthen the faith of every believer. One dares not
interfere with the unity and harmony of something so great
and so sacred by fostering a concept unrelated to the time
and historical factors resident in inspired Scripture. We are
weak and frail as human seekers of truth, and the maze of
human doctrines and traditions often hinders objective
study, but the fervent prayer of the author is that God will
help us all to be thoughtful, reverent, and considerate in our
search for the ancient order, and to fear not the truth, nor
mans response to it in our acceptance and presentation of
it.
,./
1. When we speak today of the business world, what do we
mean?
2. When Carole King wrote, I feel the earth move under my
feet in a 1972 pop music recording, was she speaking of
seismic disturbances? Is it possible that the Bible might use
language in a similar way?
3. Read Psalm 18. To what event does this Psalm refer? What
kind of language is used to describe this event? Why would
similar language used to describe the parousia demand a
more literal reading?
4. In what ways was the destruction of Jerusalem and the
temple the end of their world? Refer again to
Lamentations. How significant was the 586 B.C. destruction
of Jerusalem to the Jews of that time?
5. Does the Old Covenant system with its animal sacrifice and
temple exist today? Is it safe to say that world ended in
A.D. 70?
6. Most Christians expecting a future return admit a somewhat
figurative rendering of the language used. Even those making
movies and writing popular novels on the subject admit to
being speculative. If this language is universally recognized as
difficult to interpret in terms of actual events, how can so
many be so sure the described events have not happened?

CHAPTER TEN
The Resurrection of the Dead
{}
While the physical resurrection of Christ stands as a
cornerstone of our faith, the question of how we share in that
resurrection was on the minds of New Testament writers. In
Romans 6, Paul associates our baptism with our death in Christ,
and speaks of our resurrection in the same context. The death
Paul speaks of here is not a literal or biological death the
resurrection that would follow need not be understood in this
light either. There is nothing in Pauls corporate language of the
body of Christ that forces us to assume that the resurrection to
come (in their day) would involve the literal process of individual
corpses coming out of their graves. Instead, the expected
eschatological resurrection was the translation of the children of
God from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3:18).
The death from which we are corporately raised is from sin-death,
or alienation from God. This is what it meant for Christ to be the
firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20, 23), the harvest to
follow was the early church and all Israel (Jas. 1:18, cf. Rev.
14:4).
,./
The resurrection of the dead is inexorably linked to the
parousia of Christ. Paul admonished Timothy, I charge you
therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will
judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His
kingdom to faithfully preach the word (2 Tim. 4:1). Once
again we see constituent elements of judgment, resurrection
and the coming of the kingdom linked to the parousia of
Christ and limited to that generation. Our question about
the resurrection, then, is not about the timing, but about
the nature, purpose and result of the resurrection.
We have seen that the manner in which a prophecy or
promise is fulfilled is vital to understanding that event in
Gods scheme of redemption. Our understanding of
resurrection must fit the time, manner and nature of its
fulfillment.

Resurrection Language In Scripture
The New Testament writers were aware that they were
living in a time that anticipated the restoration of all
things and that theirs was the day spoken of by all the
prophets, from Samuel andas many as have spoken
(Acts 3:21, 24). On more than one occasion the theme of
Israels restoration was spoken of in terms of resurrection
of passing from death unto life. The parable of the prodigal
in Luke 15 bears this out. When the son returns home the
father exclaims, It was right that we should make merry
and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again
(Lk. 15:32). This story was one of a national hope in which
Israel would be vindicated by the actions of her God. The
use of resurrection language is an allusion to the prophetic
images of passages such as Ezekiel 37, where the prophets
vision of the valley of dry bones was symbolic of Israels
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD 311
return to Palestine. In an even greater sense, these images
anticipate the arrival of the new heavens and earth
Paul taught a bodily resurrection. The question is, What
was the body about which he wrote? Was he writing
about the raising of individual bodies (plural) or of a body
(singular) as in the church, the firstfruit body of Christ?
Furthermore, are we to believe that Scripture teaches a
plurality of resurrections? Does it teach a spiritual
resurrection from sin now and a physical resurrection from
physical death later? If so, which one is Christ the
firstfruits of? Did Jesus not say that he was the
resurrection (singular) and the life? What resurrection was
he referring to and what was the time, manner and nature
of its fulfillment?
For centuries the nature of the resurrection has been
contemplated and debated. For instance, it is not
uncommon for interpreters to refer to passages such as
Romans 6-8 as dealing with a resurrection of a soul or
spirit while professing a view of passages such as 1
Corinthians 15 as teaching the resurrection of physical
bodies. What we wish to do is briefly look at a few New
Testament examples to see if we can shed new light on the
bodily resurrection as taught by both Jesus and Paul.
28

The Literal Body View
Perhaps the most classical view of resurrection is the
teaching that a physical body goes into a grave, so a

28
For a fuller treatment of this subject, see Part Five of my book The
Cross and the Parousia of Christ, 1987, pp. 381-634.

physical body must come out of a grave. This view finds its
basis in light of the undeniable physical resurrection of
Jesus. It is reasoned that his resurrection was to establish the
nature of our resurrection. As well, resurrection teachings
such as the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Lk. 8:41-56)
and Lazarus (Jn. 11:41-44) in the New Testament, and Old
Testament examples such as 1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 4 are,
we are told, indicative of a future physical resurrection.
These perspectives raise some questions. Is it not
possible that the physical resurrection of Jesus was to point
to a greater truth that is to be seen in its applied meaning?
When Jesus healed the paralytic he questioned,
For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven
you, or to say, Arise and walk?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has
power on earth to forgive sins then He said to
the paralytic, Arise, take up your bed, and go to
your house (Matthew 9:5-6).
Clearly the outward, physical manifestation of healing
was a sign testifying to Jesus power to forgive sins. What
stood behind the words and miracles of the ministry of
Jesus was the reality of what was taking place through
Israel, humanity was being reconciled to God. For this
reason Jesus said,
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the
Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do
not speak on My own authority; but the Father
who dwells in Me does the works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in
Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works
themselves (John 14:10-11 emphasis added).
So, the biblical principle is, the works (outward signs)
serve to confirm the true spiritual reality of the words
spoken.
Was the healing of the paralytic a sign that Jesus desired
to come to earth in order to inform mankind that some day
they would receive perfect physical bodies? Was that the
hope of Israel? Or was the purpose of Jesus to affirm that
Israels salvation was at hand (Lk. 21:28, 31-32), as God
would remove the Mosaic system (body/world) and put in
place the incorruptible New Covenant (body/world) of
Christ?
To argue for a literal, physical resurrection is to pick up
the same line of thinking as Nicodemus when told he must
be born again Can a man enter a second time into his
mothers womb? (Jn. 3:4). Clearly Jesus was pointing to
something beyond the realm of the physical that was
directly tied to the problem of mankind and it wasnt
paralysis or physical death it was humanitys need to be
reconciled to God and redeemed from sin-death.
For this reason Jesus said,
An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,
and no sign will be given to it except the sign of
the prophet Jonah.
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the
belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth (Matthew 12:39-40).
For Jesus, the necessity of his physical resurrection was
to serve as a sign of a much greater reality. As we know, a
sign is not the thing itself, rather, it points to the thing
itself. When we make the physicality the point of his
resurrection and then parallel it to the type of resurrection
we must have, we miss the spiritual realities of both.
We believe that biblical resurrection is about ones
stance before God, not ones substance. Paul affirms that the
death of Jesus was a death to sin (Rom. 6:10) so that we
might also be dead to sin and, therefore, alive to God. This
was the answer to the problem of Eden not the addressing
of physical death or physical infirmities.

Physicality and the Audience of Jesus
There is, perhaps, no greater illustration of missing the
applied meaning of Jesus kingdom teachings by opting for
a physical interpretation than is seen in the feeding of the
multitudes in John chapter six.
Note how consistently Jesus uses physical concepts to
denote the spiritual realities and how consistently the
crowds cling to the physical; in the end, it is this
interpretation that causes them to turn away from Jesus and
the truth of his kingdom.
John 6:35 I am the bread of life. He who comes to
Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall
never thirst.
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down
from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live
forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh....
John 6:53-54 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood,
you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks
My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last
day.
John 6:66 Because of the failure of the people to
spiritually discern the teaching of Jesus, what was the result?
From that time many of His disciples went back and
walked with Him no more.
What was wrong with the crowds interpretation of
Jesus words? Jesus made it clear It is the Spirit who gives
life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you
are spirit, and they are life (Jn. 6:63). Why would we expect
anything other than this when Scripture affirms that God is
Spirit?
In hindsight we scoff at the audience of Jesus and
question why they could not look past the physical
substance of his teaching and see the spiritual realities being
communicated. Because he came to establish a spiritual
kingdom (Lk. 17:20-21), many in the first-century failed to
see Jesus for who he was and what he was accomplishing.
This begs the question, Is it possible that we could be guilty
of the same thing when it comes to our understanding of
his (and his disciples) resurrection teachings? Furthermore,
is it possible that our ideas of resurrection are not at all in
line with the understanding of Jesus and the Jews of his
day?
Could it be that the dualism of physical versus spiritual
is an unnecessary hindrance to the theme of biblical
restoration that was taught from the earliest prophets to the
time of Christ? Is it possible that biblical resurrection is
about a corporate body (singular) versus individual bodies
(plural)? Ultimately we must ask, Is it possible that we have
hijacked Israels salvation, restoration and resurrection and
placed them all in a modern Christian context focusing
on the afterlife?
The question is not, How much salvation/resurrection is
of the Jews and how much is of Christians; the question is,
When and how is this total, comprehensive
salvation/resurrection of Israel fulfilled in Christ and what
are the consequences for all humanity?

Israels Resurrection
The erroneous concept that some portion of the
resurrection occurs at the end of the Christian age is the
most influential factor in its removal from its original Jewish
setting. For Jesus, salvation is of the Jews (Jn. 4:22) and
this salvation would not occur until the restoration of Israel
had taken place. And Israels restoration was essentially tied
to the resurrection that came through their Messiah. Christ
was Israels Savior, Consolation and Redemption (Lk. 2:11,
25, 38).
The centrality of the cross event in bringing about the
resurrection of Israel and ultimately the blessing for all the
families of the earth (Gen. 12:1-3), is seen in the prophecy
of Caiaphas in John 11:47-52. His argument was that it was
more expedient for one man to die than for the entire
nation to perish (at the hands of the Romans). By the will
and working of God, the truth of his statement was that
Jesus would die so that the entire nation (and those
scattered abroad) would not have to perish in sin.
The truth of this is carried in the statement of Jesus
concerning the death of the One for the many that is
focused primarily on what would occur through him, and
therefore, the nation of Israel,
The hour has come that the Son of Man should be
glorified.
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat
falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain (John 12:23-
24).
Any study of resurrection passages that does not
recognize the centrality of Old Testament Israel and their
restoration through the death, burial, and resurrection of
Jesus is doomed to miss the mark from beginning to end.
Old Testament promise and New Testament fulfillment are
the key for understanding the entire scope of the
resurrection that is of the Jews.

Israel and the Promise
The ministry of Paul was thoroughly focused upon
Gods promises to Israel. So much so that Paul proclaimed
that he said no other things than those which the
prophets and Moses said would come (Acts 26:22). In line
with this is the indisputable evidence that the promise of
resurrection was central to the hope of Israel, and that
Israels hope was the one hope of the gospel. In defending
himself before King Agrippa, Paul said,
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the
promise made by God to our fathers.
To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving
God night and day, hope to attain. For this
hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the
Jews.
Why should it be thought incredible by you that God
raises the dead? (Acts 26:6-8)
The purpose of Paul was to show the roots of his gospel
and it wasnt non-Jewish because its promise was Israels
promise, its hope was Israels hope, and its resurrection was
Israels resurrection. From this it follows that Israel was the
dead, whose promise, hope, and resurrection was being
disputed by Jews with a contrary view of Pauls. How Israel
would be raised or restored was the burning issue that
stirred opposition to Pauls gospel.
As he faced Felix he said that, concerning the
resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day
(Acts 24:21). Likewise, before the Jerusalem council Paul
said, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a
Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I
am being judged! (Acts 23:6). These verses are indicative of
the promise of resurrection being rooted in Old Testament
Israel and that the gospel of Christs resurrection had a
direct bearing on the fulfillment of the hope of the
promise made of God unto the fathers of Israel.
So, what was the futuristic aspect of the resurrection
during the apostolic period in which Paul is ministering?
Did it relate to a resurrection that was irrelevant to Israels
resurrection? Was it non-Jewish in origin, meaning, and
manner of fulfillment?
Modern commentators often leave Israel at the cross as
having been redeemed or resurrected in some sense at that
point. From there they jettison Israel, her promises, hope,
etc., and head into a future as though the gospels things to
come pointed to another distant, different end-time
resurrection. This, however, runs contrary to Pauls
understanding of resurrection. Instead of setting Israel aside
at the cross as having attained salvation, redemption, or
resurrection, he correlates the future of Israel with a future
of the gospel.
In Romans 11 Paul did not answer the question, Has
God cast away his people? by replying, God forbid, they
were saved, resurrected and gathered unto Christ at the
cross. No, to the contrary Paul says that they fell or
stumbled in rejecting Christ, and this resulted in salvation
coming to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:11). But there is more for
the Gentiles because there is more for Israel. Paul said, God
has not cast away his people whom he foreknew (Rom.
11:2). He reasons, if Israels fall resulted in (spiritual
blessings) for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness
(Rom. 11:12)? That Israels fullness meant their
resurrection is made clear in Romans 11:15, what will
their acceptance be but life from the dead? Life from the
dead (i.e., from Israel) is the much more for the Gentiles.
It is critical to see that whatever raises Israel, or that
leads to their reception, is that which also completes the
Gentiles in Christ. In light of this it must be seen that there
is great impact upon this entire process by the coming in of
the fullness of the Gentiles with respect to Israels futuristic
fullness (Rom. 11:25) future to the cross but not beyond
the limits of that generation (cf. Lk. 21:22; 1 Pet. 4:7). What
Paul says about the coming in of the Gentiles is
immediately followed with the clear affirmation, And so all
Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:26). This takes place when
Christ comes out of Zion. At that time, in keeping with his
covenant to Israel, God takes away their sins (Rom. 11:26,
27, again, this is post-cross). The reference is to the coming
of Christ at the end of the Jewish age. At that point Israel
was totally diminished and finished as an outward, earthly
nation.
The other side of Israels earthly demise was her spiritual
fullness in Christ, which constituted the ground for her
reception or resurrection. But until the end of the age, while
the Gentiles were coming into Israels olive tree or spiritual
things, Israel, in her earthly state, stood as enemies of the
gospel. However, concerning the gospel, Paul said, they
are beloved for the sake of the fathers (Rom. 11:28). This
simply means that the other side of Israels rejection was her
reception and fullness when the change of the ages was
consummated. This destiny was the focus of their election.
They were raised out of a state of comprehensive death
because the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable
(Rom. 11:29).
For those who might be inclined to protest this act of
mercy by God, one needs to see that Gods mercy for Israel
was the sole basis for his mercy to others (Rom. 11:30-32;
Rom. 15:9). Why? Because the state of resurrection life in
Christ is of Israel.

Resurrection From Sin-Death
A lack of understanding the nature of the resurrection
for many interpreters lies in common misunderstandings
regarding the state of death from whence resurrection was
promised. As a result, the meaning of Christs resurrection is
missed.
It is significant that in Romans 11 the blotting out of
Israels sins (Rom 11:26-27; Acts 3:19-21) is the meaning of
their fullness (Rom. 11:12), or their resurrection (Rom.
11:15). Their cleansing and deliverance from sin equaled
their being raised from death to life. This concept of sin-
death is inherent within Israels Old Testament resurrection
promises. God said through the prophet Hosea,
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will
redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your
plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity
is hidden from My eyes (Hosea 13:14).
The words ransom and redeem are soteriological or
salvation oriented terms denoting freedom from the
dominion of sin. Christ came to redeem Israel, to bring
her into a new creation wherein righteousness dwelled. He
gave his life a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28; 1 Tim. 2:6).
Resurrection from sin-death was the specific purpose and
outworking of Christs death and resurrection and the direct
response to the predicament of Eden. Paul wrote,
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the
dead, dies no more. Death no longer has
dominion over Him.
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all;
but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our
Lord
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are
not under law but under grace (Romans 6:9-11;
14).
To be ransomed from the power of the grave (Sheol,
Hades) involves more than the forgiveness of sins. As seen
in Romans 6, it entails deliverance from the dominion of
sin. Israel needed more than forgiveness; she needed
deliverance. From what? From the law mode of life wherein
sin had dominion (Rom. 6:14). To what? To the new
creation in Christ where grace reigns, where life and
righteousness are found.

Resurrection and the Changing of the Ages
The change of the ages from the old to the new was the
focus of Israels resurrection promises in the last days of the
Jewish age. In this light Paul emphasizes,
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead
to the law through the body of Christ, that you
may be married to another, to Him who was
raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to
God (Romans 7:4).
The change of the ages through the ministry of the
Spirit constitutes the framework for the gospels future and
Israels future regarding the consummation of resurrection.
Israel of the Old Covenant age was cut off in the crucifixion
of their Messiah, permanently with respect to the age of
law, but temporarily with respect to the coming of Christ.
Therefore, the diminishing of the old world and the
bringing in of the new were accomplished through Christs
pre-end-of-the-age reign. Paul, in countering the denial of
the resurrection of the dead (Israel of the Old Covenant
age) pointed out the reason it had not yet occurred. For He
(Christ) must reign till He has put all enemies under His
feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death (1 Cor.
15:25, 26).
What does Christs reign have to do with the
destruction of death? How does this relate to the
resurrection of the dead? In order for Israel to be raised
from a state of sin-death to a state of life, the former must
be abolished and the latter established. The change is rooted
in Christs death and resurrection, but it is accomplished or
carried through his reign. He reigns to destroy the dominion
of death (the Old Covenant age, 2 Cor. 3:7) by putting in its
place a dominion wherein life and righteousness rule. Since
Paul equates freedom from the dominion of sin with
freedom from the law (Rom. 6:14), and identifies life and
righteousness with the gospel state of being (Gal. 3:21-29),
we are provided a clear understanding of the connection of
Christs reign with the defeat of death. His reign changes
the ages and covenant worlds from that of the old to the
new from a world of law to a world of grace. The end in
view in 1 Corinthians 15:24 is the consummation of the
ages and is the same end in view in Christs Olivet Discourse
(Matt. 24). It is not the end of Christs reigning for he reigns
forever (Lk. 1:33; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 22:1-5). What was not
forever was the period of time for the defeat of death under
the age-changing reign of Christ.
So, when the change was completed by which death
was defeated (i.e., the complete end of the Old Covenant
and the complete establishment of the New), Old Testament
Israel was not left to perish. This is why they remained
central in Pauls resurrection motif (Acts 26:8; Rom. 11:15; 1
Cor. 15:12) and, as the dead, remained the center of the
gospels not yet with respect to the resurrection that would
take place at the end of the Old Covenant period or age.
That the focus is on deliverance from the state of sin-death
in fulfillment of Gods promise to Israel in Hosea 13:14 is
clear in Pauls appeal to this prophecy and his application of
it,
O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your
victory?
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the
law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians
15:55-57).
If, as many believe, Paul is referring to a yet future
resurrection (involving a physical body), one must wonder
why the law, which is the strength of sin, still remains in
force to this day. Death has no sting without sin, and sin
has no strength without the law.
Clearly, interpreters would do well to reevaluate the
teaching of the resurrection based upon Old Testament
promise and New Testament fulfillment.

Isaiah, Death and Messianic Victory
One prominent Old Testament promise that figures into
our analysis of death and its answer in the end-of-the-age
reign of Christ is found in the prophet Isaiah. At the end of
Isaiah 24 the prophet sees the time when, Then the moon
will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts
will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His
elders, gloriously (Isa. 24:23). This is similar to Joels end-
time prophecy as he proclaims,
awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the
name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount
Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be
deliverance (Joel 2:31-32, cf. Acts 2:16-21;
Matthew 24:29-35).
In this messianic, end-time framework Isaiah writes of
things that would take place in the mountain of Christs
reign, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established on the top of the mountains, and shall be
exalted above the hills (Isa. 2:2). This is continued in
chapter 25,
And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for
all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines
on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-
refined wines on the lees.
And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of
the covering cast over all people, and the veil that
is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God
will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of
His people He will take away from all the earth;
For the Lord has spoken.
And it will be said in that day: Behold, this is our
God; we have waited for Him, and He will save
us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we
will be glad and rejoice in His salvation (Isaiah
25:6-9).
Note how this text flows with messianic blessings: First
is the image of the messianic banquet (Isa. 25:6), the
marriage supper of which Christ spoke (Matt. 22:2-14), and
which was confirmed by John as having come when
Babylon fell (Rev. 19:7-9).
Second, the reign of Christ would remove the veil spread
over the nations (Isa. 25:7), a reference to the veil of Moses
that was being done away in Christ in Pauls day (2 Cor.
3:13-16).
Third, death would be abolished or swallowed up in
victory (Isa. 25:8), a reference to the defeat of sin and death
in the passing of the Old Covenant heaven and earth,
followed by the New in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet.
3:13). Paul quotes Isaiah 25:8 in 1 Corinthians 15:54 from
this world-changing perspective, which is the determinative
factor in putting off mortality and putting on immortality.
The first believers of that time had been called of God for
that very purpose, by dying and rising with Christ (2 Cor.
5:1-5).
Fourth, God would wipe away all tears (Isa. 25:8), which
was fulfilled in his making all things new (Rev. 21:1-5),
where the pain and sorrow of sin and death are no more.
Fifth, he would take away the rebuke of his people (Isa.
25:8), a reference to turning away ungodliness from Jacob
and taking away or blotting out of Israels sins (Rom. 11:26-
27; Acts 3:19-21).
Sixth, the certainty of accomplishment rested in the
spoken word of God (Isa. 25:8). Hosea said with respect to
Israels resurrection that, I will ransom them from the
power of the grave; I will redeem them from death... (Hos.
13:14). In affirming Israels redemption from death, based
on Israels election, Paul reiterates the words of Hosea in
saying, For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable
(Rom. 11:29). So much for some who were concluding that
Israel, the dead, would not be raised (1 Cor. 15:12).
Seventh, in that day Israel could say,
Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and
He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited
for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His
salvation (Isaiah 25:9).
This language is akin to the later vision of Isaiah,
and the former shall not be remembered or come
to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for
people a joy (Isaiah 65:17-18).
Israel waited, and in due time received (via the reign of
Christ from mount Zion, see Isaiah 24:23) the fulfillment of
this prophecy,
The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open,
the earth is shaken exceedingly.
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and
shall totter like a hut; its transgression shall be
heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again
(Isaiah 24:19-20).
There would be no place found for it (Rev. 20:11),
neither would it be remembered, nor come into the mind of
God (Isa. 65:17).
With the arrival of the new heaven and earth (i.e., life in
the New Covenant world), the prophecy of Israels
resurrection was fulfilled, the nation did not perish, and
Israel was not cast away. As Isaiah writes,
Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body
they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell
in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead (Isaiah
26:19).
This fulfillment blends with Daniels vision of the time
of the end (Dan. 12:9-13).
At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince
who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble, such as
never was since there was a nation, even to that
time. And at that time your people shall be
delivered, every one who is found written in the
book.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to
shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:1-2).
Here Daniel speaks of the same Israel on whose behalf
he pleaded before God that their transgressions might be
forgiven.
The response of God is found in the six blessings that
would come to Israel in the consummation of their age and
the destruction of their earthly city and sanctuary (Dan.
9:24-27). In that day God promised,
To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins,
to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy (Daniel
9:24).
None of this could be accomplished in the old world,
but all of it was fulfilled through the bringing of the new
creation. Those six covenant blessings represented Israels
fullness, redemption, reception, restoration, resurrection
all wrapped in one and delivered through Israels Messiah at
the end of their age.

Ezekiel, Resurrection and Restoration
One final Old Testament text that pairs Israels
resurrection with New Covenant restoration is Ezekiel 37.
The prophet sees a valley of dry bones, and after being
asked, Can these bones live? he is instructed, Prophesy to
these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word
of the Lord (Ezek. 37:4). The dry bones heard the voice of
the Lord and came to life. So I prophesied as he
commanded me, and breath came into them, and they
lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army
(Ezek. 37:10). The meaning of this is given in verses 11-14. It
is a picture of Israel in Babylonian captivity, stripped of all
that constituted them as a nation. Ezekiel was told, these
bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, Our
bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off
(Ezek. 37:11). Even so, by the blessing of God Israel is
returned to her own land and restored as a nation. This
event was portrayed by the opening of graves from whence
Israel was raised and restored to her former national life.
What is clear from this chapter and others is that Israel
failed to gain a complete and lasting restoration in God.
This served to point Israel toward her ultimate fulfillment
that would come through Christ. The future messianic
resurrection would be the raising of Israel by the voice of
God out of a greater, more comprehensive death, bondage,
or captivity than the one experienced in Babylon of old.
The Jews in Jesus day failed to identify their bondage and
missed the workings of messianic restoration that were
taking place. Jesus addressed this as he said,
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free.
They answered Him, We are Abraham's descendants,
and have never been in bondage to anyone. How
can you say, You will be made free? (John 8:32-
33).
The reply of Jesus struck at the core of their lack of
perception
Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a
slave of sin.
And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a
son abides forever.
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free
indeed (John 8:34-36).
Israels bondage under the dominion of sin constituted
the grave of death which Jesus came to open through his
redeeming death and resurrection, thereby raising up Israel
and bringing them into their own land that answers to
the heavenly country of the covenant confirmed to
Abraham in Christ. As seen in Ezekiel 37, the restoration is
messianic. In that day David would be their prince forever
(Ezek. 37:24, 25), which was fulfilled in Christ and the
establishment of his everlasting kingdom (Acts 2; 2 Pet.
1:11). In that day God would make an everlasting covenant
with them (Ezek. 37:26), and cleanse them of all sin (Ezek.
37:23), a promise Christ came to fulfill through his death
and resurrection (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 8:6-13; Rom. 11:26-27).
In that day the greater and more perfect sanctuary of God
will be set in their midst forevermore and I will be their
God, and they shall be My people (Ezek. 37:26-27; Heb.
8:8-10; Rev. 21:3). In that day The nations also will know
that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in
their midst forevermore (Ezek. 37:28).
All of the above Old Testament resurrection promises
made to Israel found their full, complete, and lasting
fulfillment in Christ through his world-changing death,
resurrection, and end-time reign. If interpreters have not
seen this in New Testament scripture, it is an indication
they have dropped Israel too soon and headed for a future
resurrection that is entirely foreign to Old Testament
promise and New Testament fulfillment. Evidence of this
will become even clearer in the section to follow.

Are There Two Resurrections?
It has been common practice to divide the gospels
already but not yet with respect to resurrection into two
different, widely separated resurrections; a spiritual one for
believers now, and a resurrection of the body later for both
believers and non-believers. This means believers must die
and be resurrected twice in order to be completely delivered
from the dominion of sin and death. Why sin is defeated for
the soul now but not for the body until much later seldom
is explained, except it appears that for some it is the only
answer to the not yet in New Testament resurrection.
However, the gospels already but not yet are inseparable,
constituting completeness within a common framework of
fulfillment.
The basic mistake made in resurrection exegesis is that
of turning the stages of one resurrection into different
resurrections. This is seen, for example, in John 5:25-29
where Jesus spoke of the hour that is coming, and now is
when the dead would hear his voice and live (v. 25), and
then of a future hour when all that are in the graves shall
hear and come forth (vv. 28, 29). It is claimed that Jesus
speaks of a spiritual resurrection in verse 25 and of a
physical body resurrection in verses 28-29. The first, we are
told, applies to believers and the second to everyone else
both believers and non-believers.
It should be noted that there is nothing in the text
indicating two different resurrections. This must be read
into the text. As well, nothing indicates that the dead in
John 5:25 who are brought to life do not have
comprehensive life from a comprehensive death to the
effect that they must die some more and be raised some
more in company with those who are in the graves in verses
28, 29.
Instead, it should be seen that in John 5 Jesus addresses
two stages of one resurrection, which follow his
determinative death and resurrection. Since he came to his
own and confined his personal ministry to Israel, as a rule
he speaks to and of his nation. It is no different in John 5.
His focus is on the resurrection of Israel, the dead from
the standpoint of the life that Christ came to give. As they
were raised out of the graves of national death by the word
of the Lord in their historical captivity (Ezek. 37), the hour
had come for Israel to be raised out of their graves of sin
captivity by the voice of the Son of God. The peculiar
feature of Israels messianic resurrection was the appearing
of Christ in the end of the age (Heb. 9:26) before the end
came (70 years after Christs birth), to call out from among
the dead a body of believers as firstfruits of the
resurrection. James writes, Of His own will He brought us
forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of His creatures (Jas. 1:18). Christ himself was the
first of the firstfruits, the firstborn from the dead (Col.
1:18; 1 Cor. 15:24). John sees this firstfruit body in the
victory over Babylon, standing with Christ on Mt. Zion
(Rev. 14:1-5).
In Old Testament times the firstfruits represented the
first grain of the harvest, indicating that the entire harvest
was ready to be gathered. They represented the whole
harvest, being themselves the actual beginning of the
harvest. This precisely is the picture we have in John 5.
There are not two resurrections, but two stages of one
resurrection, the firstfruits (Jn. 5:25), followed by the harvest
(Jn. 5:28, 29). From this perspective the harvest does not
come at the end of the Christian age but at the end of the
Jewish age. This makes sense for two basic reasons. First, the
resurrection promises were given to Israel in the Old
Testament. While the Gentiles would certainly benefit from
Christs fulfilling the promises made to Israel, it doesnt
change the fact that Christ came to make good what God
had promised to Israel (Rom. 15:8). Second, the presence of
the firstfruits is indicative of the presence of a harvest
already sown, grown, ripened, and standing ready to be
gathered in. The harvest, therefore, comes out of the past
from the standpoint of Christs time, not out of some far-
distant future removed from the audience of Jesus.
While most scholars recognize that the firstfruits signal
the beginning of a harvest, few attempt to explain why (if
the resurrection of the dead is still future) there was no
follow-through in Christs day. If Israel were not the harvest
(the dead) of which Christ was the firstfruits, then it makes
his resurrection merely a piece of the resurrection broken off
in history and separated by centuries from the resurrection
of the dead. This destroys the meaning of firstfruits. It
pushes Israel and her resurrection promises into the
background unfulfilled, and seeks the identity of the harvest
on other grounds far removed in time from the firstfruits.
In light of this, whatever is the more abundant life
that came through Christs fulfillment of the salvation of,
by or through Israel, the death that makes up the dead
in the resurrection of the dead continues to have power
over all humanity including Christians! That means that
Gods promise to raise Israel from the dead cannot be
fulfilled through the death and resurrection of Christ until
after all Christians are numbered among the dead. Only after
this are the dead raised.
That is the inescapable conclusion of the concept that
John 5:25 is a spiritual resurrection, but verses 28, 29
address a physical body resurrection of all humanity. In this
view, physical death becomes the meaning of death, and of
the dead, and resurrection from this kind of death the
meaning of the victory over death through Christ (1 Cor.
15:57). This simply does not blend with Christs statement
to Martha, I am the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25)
not I am the resurrections of two kinds of life.
Furthermore, he said, And whoever lives and believes in
Me shall never die. Do you believe this? (Jn. 11:26).
How can the believer obtain life in Christ now to the
effect he shall never die, but later he does die in some sense to
the extent that he is numbered with the dead who must be
resurrected in order to have life and victory over death? How
could the believer perish, if the dead rise not (based on the
view that the resurrection of the dead is from physical
death) if, before the believer joined the dead through
physical death, he had been made alive in Christ to the
effect that he shall never die?
Pauls line of argument in 1 Corinthians 15 would make
no sense at all if he were countering a denial of the
resurrection of the dead by some (1 Cor. 5:12) that meant
they were denying resurrection from physical death instead
of sin-death. His argument that those fallen asleep in Christ
have perished if the dead rise not (1 Cor. 15:12-18), would
have placed him on the side of his opponents (if
resurrection from physical death were the issue). They could
have countered by saying, Paul, that is our point, there is
no need of resurrection from physical death, for how could
those in Christ otherwise perish if they had beforehand
obtained life in Christ to the effect they shall never die?

The Role of the Firstfruits
Hopefully we are beginning to see some of the
exegetical complications when the two stages of the
resurrection (singular) are turned into two kinds of
resurrection. Old Testament Israel cannot be denied her
place in New Testament resurrection as she is the harvest of
whom Christ and the called out were the firstfruits. This
explains why the bulk of New Testament resurrection
teaching references the firstfruits, beginning with the
resurrection of Christ until the end of the age, at which
point the gathering of the whole harvest takes place (Matt.
13:37-43).
Christ was the first of the firstfruits.
29
Those joined to
him prior to the end of the age constituted the firstborn
ones (Heb. 12:23) and were the focal point of the gathering
in of the whole harvest. Their dying and rising with Christ
was eschatological in meaning. This served the purpose of
working out Christs death and resurrection; the defeat of
the dominion of sin and death through the changing of the
ages or worlds. These are covenantal worlds that are
determined by the two covenants. The change is
accomplished through the cross, the reign of Christ, the
outpouring of the Spirit, and the preaching of the gospel in
all the world (Col. 1:6, 23). Only in this manner would the
Mosaic world (1 Cor. 7:29-31; 1 Jn. 2:17-18) come to an end
(Matt. 24:14). At which point the new world would be
brought forth, the new creation as witnessed by John,
having the glory of God (Rev. 21:10-11).
Something that is seldom seen, but needs to be
recognized, is the connection between the changing of
worlds and the resurrection. This change is central to the
resurrection, for how is the dominion of sin defeated except
by the bringing in of a new world where righteousness
dwells? This was crucial for the ingathering of the harvest,
for how could Israel be resurrected to life if her restoration
meant a return to the old world of sin and death?
Israel needed a new house not made with hands one
where mortality was swallowed up of life (2 Cor. 5:1-4) Paul,
a firstfruit Jew, said that God has prepared us for this very
purpose (2 Cor. 5:5). They had been chosen or called out
from Israel to work out the change. This was not

29
Concerning the expression of firstfruits, see Ex. 23:19; 34:26; Ezek.
44:30.
accomplished instantaneously at the cross, but progressively
through the cross. It is set forth in New Testament Scripture
in terms of dying and rising with Christ inasmuch as the
changing of the covenantal worlds was the focus of his
dying and his rising. Dying with Christ related to the
preaching and the sufferings of the gospel by which the old
world was brought to an end. To this end the sufferings of
Christ abounded in Paul (2 Cor. 1:5), and those who stood
with him (2 Cor. 1:6). They were momentary because
they were eschatological, working out the world to come
(Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17).
Fleshly circumcision in the life of an Old Testament
Hebrew was critical. For Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, not to
preach circumcision meant a turning from the old age
something that Paul called the offence of the cross
(because it called one out of the old age) for which he
suffered persecution (Gal. 5:11). Through this process, Paul
was dying with Christ because he was dying to the old age
and all of its relationship with God via legal practices. On
the other hand, he was rising with Christ by putting the
totality of his faith in preaching, defending, and embracing
the things of the coming new age (Heb. 6:1-6). Therefore,
dying and rising were concurrent, progressive actions under
the power of the gospel until the changing of the worlds
(ages/covenants) was consummated. Then came the end
(Matt. 24:13-14; 1 Cor. 1:8; 15:24; 1 Pet. 4:7; Heb. 3:6, 14)
when the rest of the dead (the harvest that was preceded
by the firstfruits) came to life (Rev. 20:5; Jn. 5:28-29; Rom.
11:26-27).

Progressive Dying and Rising With Christ
The concept of a progressive resurrection does not blend
with the traditional view of resurrection from physical
death. Advocates of the latter do not appear to be aware of
an extended period of dying and rising action with Christ.
Even so, it is abundantly clear in New Testament Scripture
with respect to the firstfruits and the harvest.
If the changing of the ages was progressive, and if this
translated into dying and rising with Christ, then we should
find evidence of a progressive resurrection between the cross
and A.D. 70 timeframe. As well, this progressive firstfruit
resurrection should be found in contexts that in one way or
another pertain to the change from the Old to the New
Covenantal modes of life.
A good place to begin is Romans 6-8. Here Paul
demonstrates that dying and rising in the likeness of
Christs death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-6) granted the
believer freedom from the dominion of sin and death (Rom.
6:7-9). Paul also equates this process with freedom from the
law (Rom. 6:4; 7:4). This dying and rising are commonly
understood as a completed spiritual resurrection at
baptism, and therefore, what is taught about future
resurrection (1 Corinthians 15, for example) refers to the
raising of the physical body in some form. But this will not
withstand the scrutiny of the immediate context and other
futuristic resurrection passages.
What must be seen is that passages such as Romans 6-8
are not spiritual versus bodily resurrection passages. There
is not such a text in the Bible with respect to the defeat of
sin and death. The body of sin that is to be destroyed
(Rom. 6:6) is not a reference to a collective mass of sin,
rather, it is the body of man that is dominated by sin.
Therefore, it is about the world of sin in which man is held
under the dominion of sin. In other words, to change man,
one must change the world by which man is determined.
With respect to sin and death the needed change calls
attention to the law mode of life, and from this perspective,
after describing his state of captivity under the law, Paul
exclaims, O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me
from this body of death? (Rom. 7:24). Pauls answer (Rom.
7:25; 8:9-11) is not removed from dying and rising with
Christ in chapter 6. He does not argue for another, different,
future resurrection to redeem the body, but he does
recognize a not yet aspect of the already dying and rising
with Christ (Rom. 8:23-25). This is typical of the same
process in such passages as 2 Corinthians 3:12 and Galatians
5:5.
The future verbs in Romans 6 must be dealt with. For
if we have been united together in the likeness of His death,
certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection
(Rom. 6:5). Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we
shall also live with Him (Rom. 6:8). having been
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Rom. 5:10). Shall
be denotes a real but not yet attained future in these verses.
It cannot be explained away as a logical future because of
its demand of faith, Now if we died with Christ, we believe
that we shall also live with him (Rom. 6:8). Note how
dead with him is reiterated in Romans 8,
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of
sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from
the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who dwells in you (Romans
8:10-11).
Note that Paul says, if Christ is in you, the body is dead,
not will be dead because of sin.
This is not a physical or biological death it is a cross-
determined death that occurred in their baptism into His
death (Rom. 6:3-5). The need and reason for this death is
because of sin. By participating in this death they were
dying to sin and the world wherein they would be
dominated by sin (Rom. 6:14; 7:4-6).
Subsequently, death with Christ is with the view of
being raised with him,
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from
the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who dwells in you (Romans
8:11).
The question is, How is the dead body made alive by the
Spirit? If we understand why and how the body is dead, we
should be able to see what is involved in making it alive.
Instead of a world dominated by sin, man needed a
world ruled by righteousness. This process of a new creation
would be the work of the imparted Spirit. He was a
quickening and creative Spirit because he had a direct
bearing on the creation of a new heaven and earth where
righteousness and life would dwell rather than sin and
death. God promised this kind of world to Israel (Isa. 66:22),
and that promise was being fulfilled in Pauls day in the
firstfruits through the imparted eschatological Spirit.
Therefore, the amount of time involved for the
consummated passing of the old heaven and earth and the
coming of the new is the time frame for dying and rising
with Christ. This accounts for the future perspective in
Romans 6:6-8. We also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection (Rom. 6:5). We shall also live with Him
(Rom. 6:8). Who will deliver me from this body of death?
(Rom. 7:24). He will also give life to your mortal bodies
(Rom. 8:11 emphasis added).
It seems clear that there is an already but not yet with
respect to dying and rising with Christ in Romans 6 that
parallels the already but not yet with respect to the
changing of the covenants/ages. Furthermore, this dying
and rising with Christ in Romans 6 did not exclude the body.
The already cannot be made a spiritual resurrection
and the not yet be turned into a future physical body
resurrection. Further, if physical death is the meaning the
body is dead in Romans 8:10, it follows that the Spirit
indwells the body after biological death (Rom. 8:11). Who
can believe it? That would relegate the quickening Spirit to
cemeteries.
This is not the picture that is provided for us within
Scripture. The reception of the Spirit in baptism brought
about a death with Christ (1 Cor. 12:13) to enable the
believer to attain unto the life of Christ (Rom. 5:10; 6:5,8)
in the age to come. From this perspective Paul wrote, For
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). The us refers to the firstfruits
of Pauls time. The glory to be revealed in them is the
glory of God of the new creation (Rev. 21:11) that occurs in
the face (presence) of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6).
The creation with earnest expectations is Israel, who
was waiting for the firstfruit manifestation of the sons of
God (Rom. 8:19). Though made subject to vanity under the
law, Israel had the promises that gave them the hope of
deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the
glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. 8:20-21). To
carry the present sufferings (Rom. 8:18) and the
groanings and birth pains (Rom. 8:22) through the
entire Christian age in order to receive the adoption or
redemption of the body (Rom. 8:23), removes chapters 6-
8 out of their context with respect to deliverance from the
law, and therefore from the dominion of sin through Christ.

Philippians 3
One of the clearest passages on progressive dying and
rising with Christ with respect to deliverance from the law
and attaining unto the heavenly world of the New
Covenant is Philippians 3. What Paul had counted loss (Phil.
3:7) and continued to count loss (Phil. 3:8) is clear in verses
4-8.
Paul had died to the world of law, and he was sustaining
that death, and would need to do so for as long as the Old
Covenant order stood. He was doing this so he might win
Christ and be found in him (Phil. 3:9). Didnt Paul
already belong to Christ? What, then, did it mean for Paul
to win Christ and to be found in him? Why had he not
already achieved this? How would he attain unto this goal?
In answering these questions, we need to see what Paul
equates with winning Christ and being found in him. It has
to do with obtaining righteousness, not having my own
righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is
through faith in Christ the righteousness which is from God
by faith (Phil. 3:9). He was counting the things of the law
in which he once trusted as garbage (Phil. 3:8) because,
now the righteousness of God apart from the law is
revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the
Prophets,
even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus
Christ (Rom. 3:21-22).
Had Paul not yet attained righteousness? Recall that
Paul said, For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the
hope of righteousness by faith (Gal. 5:5). The waiting
through the Spirit points to a future consummation that
is of the Spirit. The already of the Spirit was a pledge of the
fullness or the perfect that was to come. The focus in
this text is on the arrival of the new world, in which
righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13). Paul already was a
citizen of it (Phil. 3:20), waiting for its arrival at the parousia
or revelation of Christ (cf. Luke 17:26-31). His revelation has
to do with the passing of the Jewish world. Paul, in leaving
the law, knew he would not be found world-less (naked or
houseless) in that day (2 Cor. 5:1-5). Instead, Paul knew he
would be fully clothed with fine linen, clean and bright
(Rev. 19:8), which is the righteousness not of the law, but of
the faith of Christ (Phil. 3:9). Thats what Paul meant by
winning Christ and being found in him.
The attainment of this goal is progressive. The action is
that of dying and rising with Christ
That I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being conformed to His death,
if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection
from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11).
The sufferings Paul experienced in being conformed
to His death arise from his counting all things of his former
life a loss for Christ. These are dying with Christ sufferings.
His knowing the power of His resurrection pertains to his
attaining unto the state of the age to come, the prize of the
upward [or heavenly] call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil.
3:14).
The heavenly calling stands in apposition to the Mosaic
age (Phil. 3:4-8; Heb. 3:1-6). The words, Not that I have
already attained, or am already perfected (Phil. 3:12)
accent the not yet from Pauls standpoint. But his
attainment was not wholly future: Nevertheless, to the
degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the
same rule, let us be of the same mind (Phil 3:16).
Here is indisputable evidence of a progressive dying and
rising with Christ. It pertained to changing worlds to bring
about the life and righteousness that the law could not give.
As in Romans 6-8, it was not a spiritual versus bodily
resurrection. It was the process of bringing life to the
firstfruit body that was being conformed to the image of
Christ (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:19; Gal. 4:19).
To change man one must change the world by which
man is determined. Paul addresses this (bodily) change at
the coming of Christ as that which
will transform our lowly body that it may be
conformed to His glorious body, according to the
working by which He is able even to subdue all
things to Himself (Philippians 3:21).
The transition the time between the two worlds truly
was a lowly state from the perspective of the shame and
sufferings endured for the cause of Christ, but these things
were nothing, Paul said, compared to the glory which shall
be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18).
The meaning of being conformed to Christ, or being
changed bodily is missed when interpreters focus on the
materiality of the body rather than on the state, the world
or the mode of existence that determines what man is in
nature, word, thought, and deed. This is especially true
regarding mans relation to God and society. There is just no
way one can place a progressive, physical dying and rising
with Christ into Pauls train of thought in this text.
Once we grasp the framework of the firstfruits attaining
unto the resurrection out from among the dead, the faith-
destroying significance of the heretical teaching that the
resurrection is already past is illuminated (2 Tim. 2:18). At
that time (during the transition of the covenants) it was
equal to saying that the change of the ages was completed
before the end came. Therefore, what remained of the old
world would be embraced as that which completed the
already of the new. In other words, the law and the gospel
would become intermingled, to the delight of the Judaizers
who wanted to retain the law as the core of the gospel. But
that was not the way to win Christ and be found in him.
Paul branded them as enemies of the cross (Phil. 3:18) and
labeled them dogs, evil workers and part of the
mutilation (Phil 3:2). It is likely that Pauls words, Not
that I have already attained (Phil. 3:12) were spoken with
awareness that some were beginning to teach that the
resurrection is already past (2 Tim. 2:18).

If the Dead Rise Not
The controversy which moved Paul to write 1
Corinthians 15 was a misunderstanding of this very
framework of how the Jewish believers, or firstfruits were
selected for dying and rising with Christ in order to bring
about the full harvest of Old Testament Israel from the
dead. Some at Corinth were saying that there is no
resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:12). As seen in Pauls
rebuttal, they were not denying the resurrection of Christ.
Neither were they denying the resurrection life to believers
the firstfruits. Their denial was that a particular class or
community referred to as the dead would not be raised to
life. We believe this class, the dead, points to Old
Testament Israel (under law). Referencing this, certain
Gentiles (not Judaizers in this case) were concluding that
Israel had been cast away that they had their day under
the law and were found wanting. This was true, of course,
but the conclusion that God had cast away Israel was
refuted by Paul in Romans 11:1-2. It is important to note
that his dialogue was with Gentiles. Romans 11 is vital
context and commentary for understanding 1 Corinthians
15.
Follow Pauls reasoning in 1 Corinthians 15: He asserts,
if there is no resurrection of the dead [Israel], then Christ is
not risen (1 Cor. 15:13). This is a forceful argument because
of the organic bond between Christ and Israel. He was
Israels Messiah and destiny. He died, not to exclude Israel,
but to ransom her from the power of the grave and to
redeem her from death (Hosea 13:14). The only way Israel
would not be raised would be if Christ, the firstfruit, was not
raised. Paul knew this scenario would be entirely
unacceptable to the Corinthians. But this dilemma expands.
If Christ is not risen, Pauls preaching to these Gentiles was
in vain this meant their faith was in vain (1 Cor. 15:14).
The strength of Pauls defense was the Gentiles realizing
that the only hope they had was that which comes
through Christs confirm[ing] the promises made to the
fathers (Rom. 15:8). Pauls point was that these Gentiles
were the partakers not the producers of a gospel salvation that
was of the Jews (Jn. 4:22), not of the Gentiles.
In casting away Israel, these Gentiles were casting away
their own salvation. In denying the resurrection of Israel,
they were denying themselves of the resurrection life that
comes from the dead [Israel], (Rom. 11:15). The purpose of
the firstfruits, among which the Gentiles were grafted (Rom.
11:17), was not to signal the rejection of the harvest, but the
readiness for the ingathering of it. The firstfruits and the
harvest formed one organic whole. However, some of the
Gentiles were spurning this and in denying it stood in
danger of forfeiting the very basis of their own salvation life.
It cannot be missed that Paul did not argue that if Christ
is not raised from the dead, neither will you Gentiles be
raised. That would be the logical argument if the focus were
on a future resurrection from physical death. Instead, Paul
said, you are still in your sins! (1 Cor. 15:17) strong
affirmation that the subject of this resurrection was from
sin-death and the dead (Old Testament Israel) must wait
for the age-ending manifestation of the sons of God before
they also could be delivered from the bondage of corruption
(Rom. 8:19-21).
This was the future end affirmed by Paul in 1 Cor.
15:24, when, through the age-changing reign of Christ,
death, the last enemy, was destroyed (1 Cor. 15:25-26). Then
the reign of God was established eternally in the new
heaven and earth. Then the dead were raised incorruptible,
and the world-changing role of the firstfruits was
consummated (1 Cor. 15:51-53). Then, when the corruptible
put on incorruption and the mortal put on immortality (1
Cor. 15:54) the prophecy of Isaiah 25:8 was fulfilled, He
will swallow up death forever. Then the sting of death
forever was removed (1 Cor. 15:55-56), because that which
was its sting (sin), and that which was sins strength (the
law) had no place in the new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:4).
Then Gods promise to Israel to make an end of sinsto
bring in everlasting righteousness (Dan. 9:24) was fulfilled.
Then was won the victory through Jesus Christ (1 Cor.
15:57). Then the salvation, which is of the Jews, came to its
full realization and manifestation through the revelation of
Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 13:10). Then all things written were
fulfilled (Lk. 21:22). Then the mission of the Old Testament
in bringing us to Christ was accomplished (Gal. 3:22-24).
Nothing failed. Nothing was delayed. Nothing was
postponed. Nothing was carried into the Christian age
unfulfilled.
The modern interpretations that postulate a future
coming of Christ to fulfill Gods promises to Israel through a
return to the Old Covenant order represent a mis-alignment
of Old Testament promise and New Testament fulfillment
that nullifies the cross of Christ. In the words of Paul,
For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I
make myself a transgressor
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if
righteousness comes through the law, then Christ
died in vain (Galatians 2:18, 21).
Equally counterproductive to the gospel of Christ are
the interpretations that turn Israels promises into Christian
promises to be fulfilled at the end of Christianity. When the
gospels not yet is taken from Israels eschaton and turned
into a Christian eschaton, the fullness of Israel that gives
fullness to Christianity is stripped of its meaning and time
and manner of fulfillment. The loss is ours. This concept
narrows and distorts ones understanding of completeness
in Christ a completeness that was realized through Christs
fulfillment of every promise that God made to the fathers of
Israel. From this perspective, in an absolute sense, salvation
is of the Jews.
,./
1. Is it possible that, just as Christs death was unique in both
manner and significance, that his resurrection likewise would
be unique?
2. Read Romans 6:1-5. Does our association with Christs death
involve our own physical death? Does it follow that our
participation in Christs resurrection would involve our own
biological resurrection?
3. What is the significance of Pauls using the singular body
in Philippians 3:21 and Romans 8:23?
4. Read Ezekiel 37. Is this chapter about biological resurrection
or the return of Israel from exile? Does it make sense that the
translation of Israel from the Old Covenant to the new
would be described in terms of resurrection?
5. Paul often uses asleep to refer to physical death. Is this
merely a euphemism, or is it possible that he uses this term
because death is often used to describe mans spiritual state
under the Old Covenant?
6. Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. Paul mixes metaphors of
dwellings and clothing. Might this make more sense if we
understand that both images were used in describing
covenant, and this is the context of Pauls discussion?
7. Why is the Jewish concept of the fruitfruits key to
understanding Pauls corporate resurrection teaching in 1
Corinthians 15.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Fall of Jerusalem
{}
Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem. He said it would
be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may
be fulfilled (Lk. 21:22). It was the casting out of Ishmael that
Isaac might receive the promised inheritance. It was also the
marriage supper of the Lamb, which was to follow the fall of
Babylon (Rev. 19). As long as Herods Temple stood, the symbols
of the Old Covenant system stood intact, and the fledgling church
did not have assurance of their place as the children of God, the
Bride of Christ. The heavenly Jerusalem would come down only
after the earthly Jerusalem was taken out of the way.
,./
The fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was a watershed event
in the redemption of humanity. It is to us, perhaps, unclear
how the destruction of a city could be invested with such
eternal significance. The bare facts, however, stare us in the
face: Jesus linked this event with his coming in the Olivet
Discourse, it is the subject of many Old Testament passages,
the New Testament epistles point to an impending
judgment (connected with their very salvation), and
Revelation describes her fall.
We have seen, briefly, the impact of Jerusalems
destruction in 586 B.C. as recorded by the poet of
Lamentations. We are not fabricating the significance of this
event; rather, we are trying to understand its significance in
the proper context. The fall of Jerusalem was the
culmination of Gods redemptive program, which signaled
the fullness of time when all things were brought to
perfection in Christ (Eph. 1:10). It marked the beginning of
the new age anticipated by the saints and prophets of old
who, along with the angels, desired to see the glory that
should follow upon the sufferings of Christ (1 Pet. 1:10-13).
For many, the expectation of a more literal fulfillment
clouds the vision of the heavenly city. By assigning to the
future what belongs to the present, the importance and
value of our spiritual heritage have been minimized (Heb.
12:22, 28), and in many respects have been made
subservient to a literalistic age to come. There are literalistic
giants in the Promised Land preventing believers from
entering boldly to possess in fullness their spiritual heritage.
We must decide between Hagar and Sarah. Shall we be
children of the flesh or of the Spirit (Gal. 3:1-3)? Can we
cling to Sarah as our mother in the here and now and yet
hold out for better things to come at a later date? Can we
recognize the perfection of Gods plan that offers us spiritual
perfection in a world that may seem to us to reek of
humanitys flaws?

What Happened When Jerusalem Fell?
Many wonder, when faced with the prospect of first-
century fulfillment, what the church obtained in A.D. 70
THE FALL OF JERUSALEM 351
that it did not have through the resurrection of Christ in
A.D. 30. We need to ask, What happened when Jerusalem
fell that was so important to the formation of Christianity?
This is a vital question because the answer forces us to
examine what the New Testament saints expected
expectations that we often project into our own future.
The whole book of Revelation was a vision of things
that were at hand, and they were expected to come to
fruition soon. Plain statements such as these cannot be
lightly brushed aside. Peter wrote that the end of all things
was at hand (1 Pet. 4:7). The end was approaching in
which all things written would be fulfilled, and all things
awaiting restoration would be restored (Acts 3:21; Lk.
21:22). James said the coming of the Lord was at hand
(Jas. 5:8) and spoke of the Judge at the door. Repeatedly the
New Testament writers wrote of things about to come or
that were at hand. Some major event was about to take
place but what?
It is not difficult, once we establish context, to see the
fall of Jerusalem as this event. First, it is the only historical
event of any importance that will fit into the timetable of
prophecy. The seventieth week of Daniel cannot be applied
to any other event. Christ himself placed major emphasis
on the destruction of Jerusalem in the Gospels. There is
nothing else in the first-century, or the centuries to follow,
that could fulfill New Testament predictions with respect to
the nearness of the time when such things were to happen.
Second, the Old Covenant was a system ordained of
God and disciplined by him for nearly 1,500 years; it is
unreasonable to assume that its consummation and removal
would be insignificant in the advancement of divine
purpose. It was added because of transgression till the seed
should come (Gal. 3:19) and no temporary, subservient
system covering a span of 1,500 years can be lightly brushed
aside.
Third, the typical nature of the Old Covenant is widely
recognized, and the time when the types and shadows of
the law yielded the fruition of a perfect system of
redemption would naturally be a crucial moment in sacred
history. The burden of Old Testament prophecy was in
relation to that which was also typified by the law system.
Therefore, the fulfillment of prophecy runs concurrently
with the fulfillment of the types and shadows of Judaism,
and was fully accomplished in the end times.
It is unreasonable to assume that the Old Covenant
system faded away before its types were fulfilled.
Christianity is not a gap between Judaism and something
yet to come, but rather it is all that was ever intended by the
shadows and prophecies of the Old Testament. For that
reason, the fall of Jerusalem was a momentous event that
merits the tremendous emphasis placed upon it in the
Scriptures.
In a way, by refusing to recognize fulfillment in proper
context and in the proper time, we fail to live in the reality
of that fulfillment. Once the fall of Jerusalem and its
significance are fully realized, the ransomed of the Lord
shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with
everlasting joy on their heads (Isa. 35:10).

The Fulfillment of All Things Written
A great deal of Old Testament prophecy is
eschatological, dealing with the last days. The last days
were the time of the Messiah, and really dealt with what we
would call both the first and second comings of Christ. His
first coming was after the pattern and according to the
nature of the law system under which he was born,
inasmuch as He came in flesh and blood. This coming,
which was characterized with suffering, sorrow, and
eventual rejection, fulfilled only a portion of the messianic
prophecies. His second coming, however, which was
according to the spiritual nature of the New Covenant, was
a manifestation of his power and glory and the revelation of
his hidden divinity as witnessed through the testimony of
his apostles and prophets. This coming was a complete
fulfillment of all prophecy; especially that portion of
prophecy that dealt with the arrival of the messianic age in
its full glory and power.
According to the prophets, Christ first had to suffer, and
then glory would follow (1 Pet. 1:11). His coming in glory
and power is assigned to the fall of Jerusalem (Matt. 24:30).
It is the consummation of the seventieth week of Daniel in
which all things written are fulfilled. Concerning the fall of
Jerusalem, Luke recorded, For these are the days of
vengeance, that all things which are written may be
fulfilled (Lk. 21:22). Luke recorded the same message in
Acts 3:21, where Peter said Christ was received into heaven
until the times of restoration of all things, which God has
spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the
world began.
Christs coming in the fall of Jerusalem was the
fulfillment of all things written and spoken by the prophets
of God. That event finished or completed the plan and
mystery of God everything came to pass in the day that
was appointed by the Lord. The Jewish system stood until
every portion of the law was completely fulfilled. Jesus said,
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the
Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass
away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass
from the law till all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:17-
18).
The heaven and earth, whose passing corresponded to
the fulfillment of the law, is the same heaven and earth of
Matthew 24:35, and corresponds to the world that was
going to end in that generation at the coming of Christ
(Matt. 24:3, 14, 34-35). It all happened at the fall of
Jerusalem.

The Marriage of the Lamb
One thing the church was waiting for was the return of
the Bridegroom. When were Christ and his bride married?
None can place this event in A.D. 33 or even as late as A.D.
60 when Paul wrote the Corinthians,
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I
have betrothed you to one husband, that I may
present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2
Corinthians 11:2).
The betrothal of the church to Christ was not the
marriage itself, but a preparation for it. From Pentecost until
the return of Christ the church was engaged, awaiting the
time of her presentation to Christ. Paul said he had
espoused the church to Christ that he may (at future date)
present it as a chaste virgin to Christ. We find the same
thing in Ephesians,
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved
the church and gave Himself for her,
that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the
washing of water by the word,
that He might present her to Himself a glorious
church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing, but that she should be holy and without
blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27).
The wedding feast was still future when Paul penned
those words.
The time for the marriage is clearly shown in chapters
19 and 21 of the book of Revelation. In chapter 19 the
marriage follows the judgment or fall of Babylon (verses 1-
10). Whatever this Babylon was, its fall opened the way for
the marriage of the Lamb. This suggests that Babylon was
the wife of the Lord by a previous relationship, which had
to be entirely dissolved before the second marriage could
take place. The only city that could possibly fit this
description is Jerusalem, which stands as a metonymy for
Israel.
In the Old Testament, Israel is viewed as the wife of the
Lord (Isa. 50, Jer. 3) but she failed the covenant of her
marriage and became unfaithful. Her redemption and
cleansing rested in her deliverance from the law of her first
marriage, (wherein she failed) and her marriage unto
another (Rom. 7:4). Only a remnant initially accepted the
proposal made by Christ. The rest were blinded to the offers
of the gospel and sought political revolution instead. This
resulted in a severe conflict between two Israels of God, each
claiming the right of marriage. The betrothal of the gospel
saints was the earnest of their marriage unto the Lord, while
the law was the basis for the Jews claim to be the true wife
of the Lord. Their rejection of Christ's proposal and
opposition to those who did accept made them the great
Babylon of that day. As long as their temple and city stood,
they claimed to be the true wife of the Lord, based on their
long and ancient history as Gods chosen people.
John said of Jerusalem, or Babylon,
In the measure that she glorified herself and lived
luxuriously, in the same measure give her
torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, I
sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see
sorrow (Revelation 18:7).
She boasted that she was a queen and would never be
left as a widow, but her divorce and her plagues came in one
day (Rev. 18:8). Then came the marriage of Christ and his
bride (Rev. 19:7).
The divorce of Israel and the marriage of Christ and the
church are commonly applied to the resurrection of Christ,
based on Pauls teaching in Romans 7:1-4. But Romans 7:4
does not teach the immediate marriage of those gospel
saints; it states that they became dead to the law that they
should be married to another. Their death to the law placed
them in a position for marriage, but the text does not
specify the time of the wedding. Several things are assumed
in this text that are not taught anywhere in the Scriptures.
First, the saints freedom from the law was not on the
grounds that the law had died. The law was never destined
to die it was to be fulfilled. It was not completely fulfilled
until heaven and earth (the Jewish world) passed away
(Matt. 5:17-18 see also Luke 21:22, Acts 3:21).
Second, the law did not end at the cross, nor was it
completely fulfilled at that time, as we see in Matthew 5:17-
18. It was, however, taken out of the way for those who
accepted Christ. Through Christ they died to the law and
received deliverance from it. All of the New Testament
scriptures that speak of the laws being nailed to the cross,
or taken out of the way are in reference to the saints that
came by way of the cross. In Christ was the state wherein
the law was abolished or done away, but aside from Christ
not one jot or tittle passed from the law till all was fulfilled.
The law was not abandoned but fulfilled.
Third, the time that fleshly Israel was divorced or cast
out was when the law of her marriage ended in fulfillment
in Christ. It led to a completed spiritual Christian system in
Christ Jesus, where the saints were accepted by God; and
those (Babylon or the queen) who held tenaciously to the
law had nothing left when the law yielded to Christ in
complete fulfillment. This explains why the marriage of
Christ and the church came in the fall of Jerusalem. That
event was the rejection of the ones who claimed to be the
true wife, and the receiving of the others who by the gospel
were betrothed to Christ.
In Revelation 21 John presents the marriage along with
the new heaven and earth, or the new abode of God's
people,
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and
their God.
former things have passed away
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven
bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to
me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will
show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and
high mountain, and showed me the great city,
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven
from God (Revelation 21:1-4, 9-10).
If this does not apply to the fall of Jerusalem, then the
marriage is yet future; but if we see Babylon as apostate
Israel, we can understand the fulfillment of this in the fall of
Jerusalem. Jesus alludes to this,
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who
arranged a marriage for his son,
And sent out his servants to call those who were
invited to the wedding; and they were not willing
to come.
Again, he sent out other servants, saying, Tell those
who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner;
my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all
things are ready. Come to the wedding.
But they made light of it and went their ways, one to
his own farm, another to his business.
And the rest seized his servants, treated them
spitefully, and killed them.
But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And
he sent out his armies, destroyed those
murderers, and burned up their city.
Then he said to his servants, the wedding is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy
(Matthew 22:2-8).
There are few scholars who would apply this parable to
any other time or event except the fall of Jerusalem. Verse
seven is a prophecy bearing directly upon the fate of
Jerusalem and her people, even as predicted in Matthew 23
and 24. Note that the wedding feast is ready after the
destruction of the city. This statement pinpoints the time of
the wedding, the fall of Babylon, and the coming of the
new heaven and earth. It is one of the strongest arguments
showing that the Revelation message deals directly and
specifically with the fall of Jerusalem, and confirms the fact
that John was writing of things that were expected shortly.
The wedding of Matthew 22:8 is synchronous with the
wedding of Revelation 19:7, and the burning of Jerusalem in
Matthew 22:7 is parallel to the fall of Babylon in Revelation
19:1-3. The fall of Babylon, or the destruction of Jerusalem,
is the end of the world in Matthew 24:3, 14, 34, and the
new heaven and earth seen at the wedding in Revelation 21
is the messianic age that was to come when the Old
Covenant system was put away. These scriptures have a
remarkable harmony and unity that place the time and
message of the Revelation letter solidly in a first-century
context. The coming of Christ in the Gospels is the same
coming as in the Revelation message. Ditto the end of the
world, the judgment of the eternal kingdom, etc. Revelation
is in no way separated from the Gospels or the Epistles with
respect to those things that were announced for that
generation.

The Bride Made Ready
John records, from his Revelation vision, Let us be glad
and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the
Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready (Rev.
19:7). This suggests that the espousal period from Pentecost
to the fall of Jerusalem was a time of preparation. The saints
had a work to do in the consummation of God's plan, and
their marriage was contingent upon their faithfulness to
Christ. They had to overcome the world and put on the
garments of righteousness. In the wedding parable a guest
was found without a wedding garment (Matt. 22:11-12),
and as a result of his improper dress he was cast into outer
darkness. This was the sentence pronounced upon all who
would not let go of the Old Covenant and dress themselves
in the robes of the New. Isaiah prophesied of disobedient
Israel, the Lord God will slay you, and call His servants
by another name (Isa. 65:15).
Jesus said, the kingdom of God will be taken from
you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it (Matt.
21:43). This transition period was the longsuffering of God
(2 Pet. 3:9) while he waited for the turning of Israel but
many refused to make ready for the day of the Lord.
The coming of Christ to receive his saints unto himself
(Jn. 14:3) is presented under the figure of a marriage because
it is the time when the saints were manifested as belonging
to Christ and being in intimate union with him. Jerusalem
refused to recognize New Testament saints as the children of
God, which was a grievous experience for the saints. Christ
was blasphemed and his disciples persecuted by the Babylon
who claimed to be the queen and wife of the Lord. John's
desire for vindication and recognition as sons of God was
expressed in these words,
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed
on us, that we should be called children of God!
Therefore the world does not know us, because it
did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not
yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know
that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:1-2).
The appearing of Christ was his manifestation as the
divine Son of God and the final vindication of his role as
prophet and Messiah. His coming in the destruction of
Babylon was proof of his Lordship (I Tim. 6:14-15). The
tribes that rejected him and crucified him would see that
coming (Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:30), including the high priest
that condemned Christ (Matt. 26:64). The disciples knew
that when Christ did appear in power and glory (Matt.
24:30) that they would appear also with him (Col. 3:1-4).
His manifestation would be their manifestation and his
glory their glory. Because he took his great power unto
himself and reigned (Rev. 11:15), they would also reign with
him (Rev. 3:21). The saints, in overcoming the world, made
themselves ready for the coming of Christ, and their
gathering together unto him (Matt. 24:31) in the new
heaven and earth prepared for them from the foundation of
the world (Matt. 25:34). In that day Christ's prayer was
answered, I desire that they alsobe with Me where I am
(Jn. 17:24). In the accommodative language of 1
Thessalonians 4:17, they were caught up to meet the Lord in
the air always to be with the Lord. So that whether we
wake or sleep, we should live together with Him (1 Thess.
5:10).

Receiving the Adoption
Another blessing not fully realized until the fall of
Jerusalem was adoption. A case for adoption prior to this can
be made from such scriptures as Galatians 4:5; Ephesians
1:5; Romans 6:15, but other scriptures indicate that they
were still waiting for adoption. Paul wrote,
redemption of our body (Romans 8:23).
The New Testament seems to deal with two states of
sonship: the first state or condition is that of minority or
childhood; the second condition is that of maturity or
adulthood. Paul speaks of the first days of Christianity as the
adolescent period of the church (1 Cor. 13:9-13). The saints
had been adopted as sons of God, but because they were in
that transition period from Judaism to Christianity they
were considered as minors or children not of age. They
were in a development period, waiting for perfection or full
maturity to come (Eph. 4:11-16).
Again, this situation of the New Testament saints is seen
in the allegory of Abrahams two sons. Isaac, for a period of
time, was a minor and without inheritance, though a son.
Likewise, during his minority, he was overshadowed and
threatened by Ishmael, the firstborn who had the right of
primogeniture. The meaningful moment in Isaacs sonship
was the casting away of Ishmael, which in a sense was
Isaacs adoption into a position of full inheritance. This
seems to be Pauls usage and meaning of adoption in
Romans 8:23. The saints were waiting, not only for
adulthood, but especially for their full manifestation as sons
of God at the appearing of Christ in the fall of Jerusalem.
Until the day of her fall, fleshly Israel denied sonship to the
saints, claiming this relationship as her own. Like Ishmael of
old, she mocked Isaac, claiming a superior position in the
Father's house, totally unaware of the great change that was
about to take place. When Christ said the kingdom would
be taken from national Israel and given to another nation
(spiritual Israel), he was announcing her disinheritance and
the adoption of the saints. Their adoption corresponded to
the time when they possessed the kingdom (Matt. 25:34;
Dan. 7:21-22).
The Inheritance Received
Closely associated with the adoption is the inheritance.
The first adoption into the minority state made them heirs
of God, whereas the second adoption gave them that
inheritance. The church came of age in the last days of
Judaism, and received her full spiritual heritage upon the
departure of the firstborn (Israel as an Old Covenant nation)
from the Fathers house. To place the inheritance beyond
that day denies the church of her maturity and perfection,
making her a minor for nearly 2,000 years. This means that
either the miraculous gifts were removed before adulthood
was reached, or else we should expect such powers to
continue with us today. The Holy Spirit was given as an
earnest of our inheritance, and this inheritance came with
redemption,
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also,
having believed, you were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise,
Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, to the
praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).
The purchased possession answers to the church
purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28), but though
purchased of Christ, her redemption was yet future when
Paul wrote to the Ephesians. Is her redemption still future
today? The redemption for which those saints were waiting
was in their immediate future, and corresponded to the time
of their adoption and inheritance.
The redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23) or the
purchased possession (Eph. 1:14) was the resurrection of the
spiritual body from the natural body (1 Cor. 15:44), which
transpired in the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus said with
respect to the signs that would signal the destruction of
Jerusalem, Now when these things begin to happen, look
up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws
near (Lk. 21:28). Their release from the natural body (the
Old Covenant) to become fully manifested as the
indisputable sons of God was called a redemption of the
body, or of the purchased possession. This redemption is
equated with their inheritance because the natural body,
which was first (1 Cor. 15:46), is now removed, with the
spiritual body or seed of Abraham remaining to receive the
promises.
The fall of Jerusalem was not only the time of the
churchs redemption, but also the coming of the kingdom
in its eternal state. Again, Jesus said concerning the signs of
Jerusalems fall,
So you also, when you see these things happening,
know that the kingdom of God is near.
21:31-32).
This passage does not deny the existence of the
kingdom from Pentecost, but rather establishes the time
when the kingdom came in power and victory (Rev. 11:15).
The saints inherited the kingdom at the coming of Christ
in his glory (Matt. 25:31-34), and the gospel of Luke places
these events at the fall of Jerusalem. According to Daniel,
the saints would possess the kingdom after their battle with
the beast, and at the coming of Christ, the Ancient of days
(Dan. 7:21-22). With the end of Judaism in mind (the
shaking of the old heaven and earth), Paul said, Therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken,
let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28).
Three crucial events are associated with the ending of
the Old Covenant system: the adoption, the redemption,
and the inheritance. While the old system stood, the saints
were considered as minors or heirs of God (Rom. 8:16-17;
Gal. 4:1-4). Their inheritance was contingent upon their
suffering or overcoming until Christ was revealed in glory.
They were waiting for the coming of Christ and expected it
in that generation as promised in Matthew 24.
Paul wrote, For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18), or with the
glory about [Gr. mello] to be revealed in us. Paul knew the
time was short (1 Cor. 7:29; Rom. 16:20) and the suffering
was just for a moment (2 Cor. 4:17-18). Paul didn't
anticipate that the church would be a minor for centuries to
come, but saw her maturity coming in his day (1 Cor. 13:10-
13). The miraculous gifts would cease at the maturity of the
spiritual body because they were given as an earnest (pledge
or guarantee) of the inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased body (Eph. 1:14).
What did the saints inherit in the fall of Jerusalem? The
answer to this question is contained within the Abrahamic
promises, For the promise that he would be the heir of the
world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law,
but through the righteousness of faith (Rom. 4:13).
Abraham and his seed would inherit the world. Jesus said,
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth
(Matt. 5:5). These scriptures give a definite promise of an
inheritance.
Peter wrote, Nevertheless we, according to His promise,
look for new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13). The children of God,
soon to come of age, anticipated a future world or a world
to come (Heb. 2:5; 6:5). Their baptism into Christ made
them Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise
(Gal. 3:27, 29). Jesus spoke of things that would happen in
the end of the world (Matt. 13:40, 49) and predicted its end
before that generation would pass away (Matt. 24:34). The
New Testament writers spoke of the end time, which Peter
said was at hand (1 Pet. 4:7).
The new world inherited by Abrahams spiritual seed,
then, was to follow the end of the Old Covenant age. The
new heaven and earth seen by John (Rev. 21:1) was the
earth of Matthew 5:5 and the world of Romans 4:13. The
saints maturity their deliverance from the Law and
manifestation as children of God was their entry into the
new world or heavenly inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4). Because they
overcame the world that was then passing away, they
received a full reward and inheritance when the battle was
over. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will
be his God and he shall be My son (Rev. 21:7). God was
their Father before this, the same as they were his children,
but this verse is dealing with their adoption into a position
of inheritance, which is the time of their redemption or
resurrection. The new or heavenly Jerusalem is the theme of
Revelation 21, and parallels the receiving of the eternal
kingdom in Hebrews 12:18-28. Jesus was referring to the
end of the Jewish age when he spoke of his coming in
power and glory (Matt. 24:30; 25:31), and he was speaking
of those who had overcome the world when he said,
Comeinherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). This was when
Abraham and his seed inherited the kingdom (Matt. 8:11-
12) and the new world (Rom. 4:13).

Eternal Life Received
Eternal life was another promise involving inheritance,
and was associated with the world to come (Mk. 10:30; Lk.
18:30). It is the immortality of the spiritual body raised up
in the last day (1 Cor. 15). The saints often spoke of eternal
life as though they already possessed it (1 Jn. 5:11; Jn.
10:28), but actually they had only the earnest of it, as was
also true of the kingdom, the adoption, and their
redemption. The perfect state came with the coming of
Christ and the departure of the Old Covenant. The world
that was to come is a present reality today, and eternal life
belongs to its citizens.
A failure to recognize the overlapping of the Old and
New Covenants has created a third age or world that really
doesnt exist in Scripture. The world to come was always a
reference to the perfect system, which arrived at the end of
the Old Covenant world.
A misunderstanding of the resurrection has led some to
separate the world to come from Christianity and foster a
concept of a future world or age. For example, in answering
the Sadducees physical concept of the resurrection Jesus
said,
The sons of this age marry and are given in
marriage.
But those who are counted worthy to attain that age,
and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry
nor are given in marriage;
nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the
angels and are sons of God, being sons of the
resurrection (Luke 20:34-36).
The statement that those in the world to come would
neither marry nor be given in marriage is not, as it would
appear on the surface, a denial of marriage or physical life in
the New Covenant age. Rather, it has the meaning of Pauls
statement that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink,
but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit
(Rom. 14:17). Jesus was not teaching that the citizens of the
world to come do not marry anymore than Paul taught
that citizens of the kingdom do not eat or drink. The point
being debated is the nature of the world that was to come.
The children of this world (the Old Covenant world)
were constituted as such by physical birth, being the fleshly
seed of Abraham, and a physical sign, circumcision. The
citizens of this world were propagated by marriage or
fleshly procreation. But such would not be true in the world
to come (the Christian age). Jesus said those who would be
worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the
dead, would not do so by physical means or methods. It was
not the kind of world that could be entered by flesh and
blood (1 Cor. 15:50). It was a spiritual world and a heavenly
inheritance, involving ones spiritual relationship with God
through Christ. Nor can they die any more because they
are sons of the resurrection (Lk. 20:36), refers to the
spiritual state of redeemed humanity, and not the physical
state. Jesus said those who kept his sayings would never die
(Jn. 8:51), And whoever lives and believes in Me shall
never die (Jn. 11:26). This is because they are the sons of
the resurrection (Lk. 20:36), which corresponds to the
adoption of Romans 8:23.
The primary resurrection of 1 Corinthians 15, then, is
not physical but spiritual, and corresponds to adoption or
inheritance in that world which was to come, where there is
no death (Rev. 21:4). Eternal life was promised to Abrahams
seed in the world to come, the New Covenant age. But we
would be sadly mistaken if we limited or confined the New
Covenant world to man's fleshly existence in the space-time
universe. The new heaven and earth, being spiritual by
nature and therefore not subject to time or space, includes
all the redeemed from Adam to the present time.
The glory and perfection of this new world must be seen
from a spiritual viewpoint and not confused with the
limitations, weaknesses, or imperfections of a material
world. A flesh and blood existence should not prevent one
from realizing their spiritual heritage in Christ now,
although admittedly while in the flesh one is somewhat
confined and limited. The vital point that needs to be
recognized is the expanse of the new heaven and earth. It is
not confined to this life, nor is it excluded from this life.
It is the abode of all redeemed souls, whether in the flesh or
out of the flesh. The fact that we are in it now does not
mean that we ascribe to it the problems, trials, and
temptations of the flesh. The flesh doesnt belong to it (1
Cor. 15:58).
To put the new heaven and earth in contrast with this
material world, making it essential for all material elements
of creation to be destroyed before the new world can be
created, misses the whole scheme of redemption, as well as
the very nature of it. The world that failed to accomplish
redemption, becoming a ministration of death was the
one the new heaven and earth followed, bringing a
ministration of life and righteousness.
Summary
The fall of Jerusalem and its far-reaching consequences
is, therefore, a major subject of the Bible. A great deal of
prophecy found its fulfillment in that event, including the
types and shadows of the law. It was the coming of Christ in
glory that closely followed his coming in suffering (1 Pet.
1:11), when all things written by the prophets were fulfilled
(Lk. 21:22; Acts 3:21). It was the perfection of the saints (1
Cor. 13:10) when they reached adulthood in Christ,
receiving their adoption, redemption, and inheritance. The
eternal kingdom was possessed (Heb. 12:28) and the new
heaven and earth inherited (Matt. 5:5; Rev. 21:1, 7). Out of
the natural body that received its death blow (Heb. 8:13),
arose the spiritual body, wherein the saints were manifested
in glory, fully clothed with their house from heaven (2 Cor.
5:1-5). The earnest of the spirit (the miraculous gifts) did not
fail in power or purpose, bringing the gift of spiritual or
heavenly inheritance to all the seed of Abraham (Acts 2:38,
39; Gal. 3:28-29; 1 Pet. 1:4).
Abraham had two sons, and there was no gap between
them. They overlapped for a season, but Isaac came on
when Ishmael went out. The son born of the spirit was
given the place and inheritance of the son born of the flesh.
This simple allegory (Gal. 4:21-31) establishes the spirit of
prophecy, confirming prophecy's fulfillment in the
spiritual seed of Abraham through Christ (Gal. 3:16, 26-29),
and these prophecies cannot be extended beyond the fall of
Jerusalem.
,./
1. In Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, and Luke 21:32, Jesus tells
his hearers that their generation would not pass until all
these things have been fulfilled. To what things is Jesus
referring?
2. In Luke 21:22 Jesus describes the destruction of Jerusalem as
the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been
written. What did he mean by all?
3. When Paul wrote his letters, was the church yet wed to
Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 11:2)? When did Paul expect this wedding
to take place?
4. In Revelation, Babylon is described as an adulteress. Was
any nation besides Israel in covenant with God that their
unfaithfulness could be called adultery?
5. Read Matthew 22:7. How does this relate to the destruction
of Jerusalem and the marriage of the Lamb?
6. In what ways did the temple and Jerusalem stand in the way
of the churchs claims to be the true Israel? In what way did
the destruction of Jerusalem validate those claims?

CHAPTER TWELVE
The Book of Revelation
{}
The book of Revelation is the Holy Grail of eschatology:
understand Revelation, and you understand the Bible. Of chief
concern in the study of Revelation is the date of its writing. If
Revelation is a post-A.D. 70 book, then clearly the expectation of
a future coming is warranted. If Revelation is pre-A.D. 70, then
there is a strong case for its being about the destruction of
Jerusalem. External information regarding the date of Revelation
is almost non-existent. There is an obscure reference in the
writings of Irenaeus that has been used to support a late date, but
this is inconclusive. The only other information we have to go on
is internal, and this evidence points to an early date. As with the
rest of the New Testament, the destruction of Jerusalem is not
mentioned as having happened. An event of this magnitude
would surely have warranted mention in a post-A.D. 70
document. Moreover, John is told to measure the temple (Rev.
11:1) a strange command, even in a vision, if the temple had
been destroyed. Properly identifying Babylon as Jerusalem can
take us a long way toward understanding the date of this book
and its content.
,./
THE BOOK OF REVELATION 373
As no journey is completed until the last mile has been
traveled, our study cannot come to a close without
examining the last book of the Bible. Revelation is the
capstone atop the tower of biblical eschatology. It paints a
picture of the end of the story of redemption, and
completes the mystery of God as declared to His servants
the prophets (Rev. 10:7).
There has been considerable difficulty in placing this
book in its historical context both in terms of chronology
and of the redemption story itself. This has cast over it a
cloud of mystery that has led to much theological
confusion. Explanations and divergent views abound, and
this confusion has led many to resign themselves to the
belief that a satisfactory exposition of the book is
impossible.
It is inconceivable, however, that God would deliver a
message to seven churches, pronouncing a blessing upon
those who heed the message, if its content were completely
beyond human understanding. While we may always have
difficulty ascertaining the precise meaning of some of the
images and expressions, separated by time and culture (not
to mention language), the message must have had some
kind of concrete meaning to its original audience, and this
concrete meaning should not elude us completely.
Why the mystery and confusion? It seems obvious that
any ambiguity regarding the import and context of Jesus
eschatological message, and the early churchs apocalyptic
expectations, would reach a fever pitch by the time we get
to Revelation, and render the book nearly impossible to
understand. When building a model, if we get off to a
wrong start, by the time we reach the end it will be
impossible to make sense of the remaining pieces. What
many have decided to do is simply ignore or discard the
leftover pieces to account for them would require
admitting error, and starting over. Some are hoping that
some future event will help make sense of things. So here
we sit, 2,000 years later, waiting for time to answer our
present prophetical dilemma.
But like Siseras mother, we are waiting for the dead
(Judges 5:28). The answer to the meaning and fulfillment of
Revelation lies in the past and not in the future. When
biblical eschatology is reconstructed to fit harmoniously
into Gods whole scheme of redemption, there will be a
place for the book of Revelation. When we can place the
Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles in proper context
there will be no doubt as to where Revelation belongs. It
will fall into proper place, giving us the climax and outcome
of the drama of humanitys redemption.
30

Dating Revelation
The date of the book of Revelation is an important
consideration. If Revelation is conclusively post-A.D. 70 (as
many claim), then Christianity has every reason to look
beyond the fall of Jerusalem for the fulfillment of prophecy
at least, for the fulfillment of Revelation. On the other
hand, if Revelation can be dated prior to A.D. 70, we have
no reason to assume its subject matter differs from any
other eschatological passage either in its content or its
timing.

30
The first edition of The Spirit of Prophecy had a multi-chapter
exposition of the Book of Revelation. This chapter is merely its
introduction. A full exposition of Revelation will be reprinted under
separate cover.
It seems obvious that the book was written during a
time of tribulation for Christians. Most assume this to be a
period of persecution by Rome, and two periods of history
present themselves as likely candidates: Neros reign in the
mid 60s and the latter part of Domitians reign, about A.D.
96. If we assume John to have been roughly the same age as
Jesus, then the apostle would have been in his late sixties
during Nero and his late nineties during Domitian. While
hardly conclusive, it seems less likely that John would have
lived that long to receive the Revelation. While there were
certainly exceptions (the prophetess Anna, for instance Lk.
2:37), the average life expectancy in first-century Palestine
was lower than ours today, and even we would find a 96-
year old author remarkable.
Without assigning any particulars to the images used,
Revelation 13 seems to picture a collaborative effort against
Christ and the church. It also seems likely, given the social
situation of the time, that if there were a joint effort to
persecute Christians, the co-conspirators would be Rome
and Jerusalem. Roman persecution of Christians was not
significant until Nero. Jewish persecution of Christians
would have been unlikely after the destruction of Jerusalem,
since the Jewish power base was effectively destroyed. It is
highly unlikely that the Jews after A.D. 70 would have
cooperated in any fashion with the Romans who destroyed
their city, their temple, and their religious life. The reign of
Nero, during which there is historical evidence of
collaboration between the Jews and the Romans, is the only
timeframe that fits this reading of Revelation 13.

The Things Must Shortly Take Place
Johns introductory statement that the things shown in
the Revelation message must shortly take place (Rev. 1:1),
furnishes us with inspired testimony that it is not a book of
prophecy that stretches over centuries, but a picture of
immediate events that are about to unfold. This is further
supported in verse three,
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words
of this prophecy, and keep those things which are
written in it; for the time is near (Revelation 1:3).
As with other eschatological passages, we must expect
expressions such as shortly or for the time is near must
have had a concrete meaning to Johns audience. These
time statements were used to impress upon the recipients of
that message the urgent need for hearing, reading,
understanding, and keeping the things that were written. As
such, they also can serve as a guide for future generations in
a proper placement of the Revelation message.
A further indication of the immediacy of those events is
made in the last chapter of the book. In Revelation 22:6,
John writes, And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent
His angel to show His servants the things which must
shortly take place. In verse ten John is instructed, Do not
seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is
at hand. Thus, the message of Revelation is anchored at
both ends to a first-century context. All that remains for us
is to identify the events described and anticipated by John.

The Book of Revelation and Daniel
Revelation and the book of Daniel both deal with the
end time. Daniels prophecy was sealed till the time of the
end (Dan. 12:9), but John was forbidden to seal his book
because it was a revelation of what had been sealed in
Daniels prophecy, and the time for those things was at
hand (Rev. 22:10).
What did Daniel prophesy? He foretold the destruction
of Jerusalem and the temple (Dan. 9:26-27). He predicted
the coming of the Messiah, the Ancient of Days and the
saints possessing the kingdom (Dan. 7:21-22). He saw in
connection with the coming of Christ, the judgment and
the defeat of the beast (Dan. 7:9-11), followed by Christs
receiving an eternal kingdom of worldwide dominion (Dan.
7:13-14).
It is no coincidence that Revelation deals with these
same vital themes, announcing the time of fulfillment as
being at hand. Revelation presents the destruction of a city
called Babylon (Rev. 18:2) and associates its fall with the
coming of Christ (Rev. 1:7; 22:7, 12, 20). It was no accident
that Jesus connected the book of Daniel with the fall of
Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15), joining his coming to that event
(Matt. 24:30) and affirming that all would come to pass in
that generation (Matt. 24:34). Hence, Jesus has his coming
and the fall of Jerusalem that were predicted in Daniels
prophecy of last things, in that generation. Likewise, John
wrote in the same generation concerning Christs coming
and the fall of Babylon, stating it was at hand.
Daniel, Christ, and John are inexorably linked in their
prophetical utterances, each progressing to the same end
time, with John announcing its arrival. Also, the eternal
kingdom that Daniel presented upon the defeat of the beast
(Dan. 7:21-22) is applied by Christ to the fall of Jerusalem
(Lk. 21:31-32) and confirmed by John as arriving in the
defeat of the beast (Rev. 11:15) and Babylon (Rev. 19:1-6).
There are several obvious facts that tie the book of
Daniel, the Gospels, the Epistles, and Revelation to one
common time and event of prophetical fulfillment. For
example, the following subjects are major topics in all four
places,
The destruction of Jerusalem (Dan. 9:26-27; Matt.
24, 1 Pet. 4:7; Rev. 18:2).
The coming of Christ (Dan. 7:13, 22; Matt. 24:30;
Jas. 5:8; Rev. 1:7).
The appearing of the eternal kingdom (Dan. 7:18-
27; Lk. 21:31, 33; 2 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 11:15).
The time of judgment (Dan. 7:10; Matt. 25:31-46; 1
Pet. 4:17, 18; Rev. 11:18).
The end of the world (Dan. 12:13; Matt. 24:3, 14; 1
Cor. 10:11; Rev. 10:6).
The great tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21; 1 Cor.
7:26-31; Rev. 13:1-7).
The resurrection (Dan. 12:2; Lk. 20:34-36; 1 Cor. 15;
Rev. 20:1-6).
When these and other end-time subjects are carefully
studied and correlated with respect to the time and manner
of their fulfillment, they point to the time period of the fall
of Jerusalem.

The Seventieth Week of Daniel
Further evidence that the Revelation message applies to
the fall of Jerusalem is seen in its relationship to the
seventieth week of Daniel. Daniels prophecy predicted the
history of Israel from Babylonian captivity until the fall of
Jerusalem (Dan. 9:24-27). The entire prophecy has to do
with Daniels people, city, and temple, and their destiny in
the end time. The first sixty-nine weeks end with the
cutting off of the Messiah (Dan. 9:26) or the crucifixion of
Christ. At this point, the consecutive chronology of the
seventy weeks comes to a halt. The cutting off of the
Messiah at the end of the sixty-ninth week marked the
beginning of a time and work for which the apostles had
been chosen and prepared, after which the seventieth week
would set in, consummating Gods purposes with respect to
the two Israels (or two sons of Abraham, Gal. 4:21-31).
The cutting off period between the sixty-ninth and
seventieth weeks was the time in which the gospel was
preached in all the world as a witness (Matt. 24:14). It was
Gods will that all Israel hear of his redeeming work through
Christ, and have opportunity to turn from the natural to
the spiritual body before the end time.
Peter referred to that time as the longsuffering of God (2
Pet. 3:9, 15). It was the time that Christ was received into
heaven until the times of the restoration of all things
(Acts 3:21) the time of Daniels seventieth week when the
six promised blessings would come to true Israel (Dan. 9:24).
This was the meaning and significance of Christs promise,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself (Jn. 14:1-
3).
But that seventieth week also contained a judgment and
reward for rebellious national Israel; a certain people of a
prince were to come to destroy Jerusalem and the temple
(Dan. 9:26). As to the identity of this Prince and people
the case is somewhat debatable. While Rome was Gods
instrument in Jerusalems physical destruction, the greater
factor in Israels judgment and destruction was the coming
(parousia, manifestation) of the Prince and his people,
even to the effect that the lawless one associated with the
temple and its abominations would be consume[d] with
the breath of His mouth and destroy[ed] with the brightness
of His coming (cf. 2 Thess. 2:8-9).
Several things seem to lean in this direction on the
identity of the Prince and his people: First, there is no
reason or basis for a change from the Messiah Prince in
Daniel 9:25 and 26a to some other prince in 26b, who
makes firm the covenant in Daniel 9:27.
Second, the Messiah Prince who is cut off in verse 26, is
not left destitute of a people, but his cutting off resulted
in his having a people. Furthermore, his cutting off was
attended with the promise of his return, but his coming
(manifestation) would also be the manifestation of his
people (Rom. 8:17-19; Col. 3:4), who play a significant role
in the judgment (demise) of earthly Jerusalem on one hand
and on the other the judgment (revelation and vindication)
of the heavenly city and country.
Third, the people of the coming prince in Dan. 9:26b
would play a role in the judgment that fell on fleshly (Old
Covenant) Israel in the A.D. 70 events (Matt. 19:28; 1 Cor.
6:2). Thus, the saints judging the world in the end, at
Christs coming (1 Cor. 4:5), blends with the apocalyptic
vision in Revelation 20:4 where not just Christ reigns, but
his saints or people reign with him, to the effect that the old
heaven and earth fled away from the face or presence of
Him who sat on the great white throne and there was
found no place for them (Rev. 20:11).
Fourth, this, perhaps, is Daniels primary focus relative
to Jerusalems destruction, without which the Roman
invasion and desolation would be reduced to just another
historical event bankrupt of Gods redemptive purpose,
promise, and action through Christ.
The overspreading of abominations was to leave that
people, city and nation desolate (Dan. 9:27). Jesus applied
that abomination of desolation to the Roman destruction of
Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15; see also Matt. 23:36-39; Matt. 22:7;
Lk. 19:12-27).
From the cutting off of the Messiah until the end of the
seventieth week of Daniel, we have two periods of time,
which constitute the two major divisions of the book of
Revelation. The first division of Revelation (chapters 1-11)
deals with the gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth
weeks, or that period of time when the gospel was being
preached in all the world. The purpose of that period of
evangelism was to seal the servants of God (Rev. 7:3; 2
Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30) and to perfect them as
firstfruits (Rom. 8:23; Col. 1:28; Rev. 14:4), that they might
be presented to Christ in spotless purity (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph.
5:25-27; Rev. 19:7-8) at his return for them (Jn. 14:1-3; Matt.
24:31; 2 Thess. 2:1; Rev. 21:2).
The second division of Revelation deals with the
seventieth week of Daniel, which is divided into two equal
periods (Dan. 9:27). The little book eaten by John (Rev.
10:10) contained the outline of that seventieth week as
given in chapter eleven of Revelation. The first 42 months is
the tribulation period of the saints in their battle with the
beast (Rev. 11:3-7; 13:1-7). The second 42 months is the
destruction of Jerusalem or Babylon (Rev. 12:1-2, 18; Dan.
9:26-27). The saints battle with the beast in Revelation
13:1-7 identifies Revelation with the beast of Daniel 7:17-28,
and the once faithful city measured for destruction (Rev.
11:1-2). This city was known as Babylon the great (Rev.
17:5) in whom the blood of the saints was found (Rev.
18:24; Matt. 23:34-35), linking Revelation with the
seventieth week of Daniel (Dan. 9:26-27) and the
destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15).
The identity of Babylon is a significant factor in the
dating of Revelation. The actual city of Babylon had long
since fallen. If by Babylon John meant Rome, as some
suggest, we are presented with a handful of problems. Even
taking a late date for Revelation, Rome would not fall for
several centuries hardly an event at hand when John
recorded his vision. Moreover, Babylon is described as an
adulteress (Rev. 18:2). Rome was never in covenant with
Yahweh that the image of marriage (and thus adultery)
might be appropriate. The only city that could ever have
been described in such terms was Jerusalem. This is
significant internal evidence that Revelation was written
prior to the fall of Jerusalem.
Babylon is called the great city eleven times in
Revelation, and in Revelation 11:8 it is called Sodom and
Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. What greater
evidence is needed to establish the time and message of this
book? It cannot be separated from the prophetical theme of
Daniel and the Gospels. The seventieth week of Daniel
provides the exact chronological framework for the great
events recorded in chapters twelve through twenty-two of
Revelation.
Concerning the parenthetical period of time between
the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks, or the cut off period
of Christ, it should be observed again that this accounts for
no one knowing the day or hour of Christs coming (Matt.
24:36). A break in Daniels chronological timetable of
prophecy puts the times and seasons in the Fathers own
power (Acts 1:7; 1 Thess. 5:1). Christ, however, did not
teach that the time of his coming was unknowable, but
rather that no one knew. There is a difference in that which
is not known and that which cannot be known! Some things
not known at one time may be known at a later time. The
signs given to signal the fall of Jerusalem prevented that day
from overtaking the disciples as a thief in the night (1 Thess.
5:4; Heb. 10:25; Lk. 21:31; Rev. 3:3).

The Basic Purpose of the Revelation Message
The very purpose of the Revelation message supports
this idea of an early date and immediate fulfillment. Since
the coming of Christ, or Day of the Lord, was attended by
great tribulation, the immediate purpose of Revelation was
to comfort and strengthen the believer in that hour. The
final struggle between Judaism and Christianity was fierce,
with the persecution being intensified by the beast out of
the sea (Rev. 13). But the eventual triumph of Christ and his
church over Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and great
Babylon, as seen by John, was written to buoy the spirits of
the tribulation saints, that they might overcome (Rev. 2:7,
11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21) and stand fast in that evil day (Eph.
6:13). As souls under the altar (Rev. 6:9), they were made to
see that what appeared to be defeat was only the darkest
hour before the dawn. Assurance was given that their blood
would be avenged (Rev. 6:9-11) and that they would at last
reign with Christ (Rev. 20:4).
The ones who would endure this tribulation were the
ones to whom the message was addressed. John wrote to
prepare the churches of that day for a tribulation that would
soon come. It was at hand. Each of the seven churches was
exhorted to overcome, indicating the approaching of
some crisis that would severely test their faith. Smyrna was
exhorted not to fear any of those things which you are
about to suffer (Rev. 2:10) which was predictive of some
special trial that would continue with them for ten days.
Thyatira was exhorted to hold fast until Christ came,
indicating a time of trouble that would precede the Lords
return, which they would experience. Daniel said it would
be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a
nation, even to that time (Dan. 12:1), and Jesus said,
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has
not been since the beginning of the world until
this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would
be saved; but for the elects sake those days will
be shortened (Matthew 24:21-22).
Christ, like John, placed that special period of trial just
before his coming (Matt. 24:23; Rev. 2:25).
Since there is no exegetical basis for separating the
coming of Christ as taught in the Epistles from the one
taught in the Gospels and Revelation, we may well
understand the reason for alarm among the Thessalonians
when they were led to believe that the day of Christ had
already set in (2 Thess. 2:2). They knew it would be a time of
intensified tribulation; hence the reason for their
disquietude. Paul admonished Thessalonica, as John did
Thyatira, by assuring the saints of rest or relief from
tribulation at the appearing of Christ (2 Thess. 1:7).
Likewise, Philadelphia was prepared for that final hour with
Christs promise,
Because you have kept my command to persevere, I
also will keep you from the hour of trial which
shall come upon the whole world, to test those
who dwell on the earth.
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you
have, that no one may take your crown
Any interpretation, therefore, that would remove the
events of Revelation from the period of time and
experiences of those to whom John wrote, is contrary to the
immediate purpose of the book; namely the support and
comfort of those saints who lived, fought, and died for the
faith in the last hour of the Old Covenant world. This also is
true of the Epistles. The church at Rome was waiting for the
glory that was about to be revealed, which would be the
time of their manifestation as sons of God (Rom. 8:18-19).
They were waiting for their redemption and adoption (Rom.
8:23), which Christ applied to his coming in the destruction
of Jerusalem (Lk. 21:27-28). The church at Corinth was
waiting for the coming of Christ (1 Cor. 1:7). Why were
they waiting? Because inspiration taught them Christ was
coming in their generation! They had not been misled or
misinformed. The time was short when Paul wrote 1
Corinthians 7:29-31. They had been taught that the end of
the ages had come upon them (1 Cor. 10:11).
The church at Philippi also was looking for Christs
coming in their day, which is seen as a time of the
redemption of their body, because Christ was able to subdue
his enemies and put them under his feet (Phil. 3:21). The
church at Thessalonica also was taught to wait for Christ
from heaven (1 Thess. 1:10), knowing that his coming
would be in their day (1 Thess. 5:4). They were encouraged
in their tribulation with a promise of rest when Christ was
revealed from heaven to take vengeance on their enemies (2
Thess. 1:6-10). If that coming is still future, as some affirm,
then the rest for those Thessalonians has been a long time
coming. Paul beseeches them by Christs coming and their
gathering together unto him.
Paul admonished Timothy to keep a certain
commandment until our Lord Jesus Christs appearing (1
Tim. 6:14). Paul evidently believed that Timothy would live
to see the day of Christ. In that day, Paul said, Christ would
show who is King of kings, and Lord of lords (1 Tim.
6:15). He would show this to those who denied his Lordship
and refused his reign (Lk. 19:14, 27; Matt. 26:64). After the
fall of Babylon (Jerusalem), Christ appeared, having on his
robe and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and
Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). Timothy, then, was waiting for
that revelation of Christs true identity and power that John
envisioned in Revelation, testifying that the time is near
(Rev. 1:3). The time is near is a clear time statement
denoting the nearness of what is about to happen.

Does this Make the Bible a Dead Book?
Some fear that putting the second coming of Christ in
the past and giving fulfillment to all prophecy in the end
time of the Old Covenant undermines the relevancy of the
Bible. What does the Bible mean to us today, they ask, if the
second coming is past and all things have been fulfilled?
Many abruptly conclude that our hope is being blotted out,
and they greatly fear what effect this concept will have on
the power of Gods word and motivation for repentance and
Christian living.
First of all, let us realize that new concepts (whether
right or wrong) are at first disconcerting because our
established customs, traditions, and beliefs give us a feeling
of security and well-being. This is especially true of religious
belief, as witnessed in reformations and restoration
movements. It is extremely difficult for the masses to
become entirely free from the influences of their
background and view the Bible objectively. Changes,
therefore, are slow in coming and often attended with a
disquietude that reflects upon, and builds resentment
toward, the principle of truth that is being sought. Its real
merits may become lost in a prejudicial judgment that is fed
by fear and related emotions.
But a fair and unbiased evaluation of the facts will show
that the power of Gods word is not lessened, nor its
relevancy destroyed, as a result of putting the second
coming of Christ in the past.
A proper location and concept of that coming brings to
perfection a scheme of redemption that completely fills the
need of every person now and for eternity. There is a hope
and a future for humanity as a result of Christs second
coming. Death and Hades (Hell) have been destroyed (Rev.
1:18; 20:14). Christs enemies (the children of the kingdom
who refused his reign, Matt. 13:41; 21:43; Lk. 19:14, 27)
have been subjugated (1 Cor. 15:25) and his eternal reign
established (Rev. 11:15). The saints have possessed the
eternal kingdom (Heb. 12:28), which was not until Christs
second coming (Dan. 7:21-22; Matt. 25:34).
What does all of this mean to todays believer? First, it
means that all the saints who have departed this life over
the past 2,000 years are not still waiting for the benefits of
Christs second coming. Because Christ has already come at
a time and in a manner that fully consummated Gods
redemptive purposes, the perfection and eternal reward was
effective for the redemption of past saints as well, as
supported in Hebrews 9:15. As citizens of an eternal
kingdom, such is our hope today. But if Christs coming to
us while we are living on the earth is our hope of eternal
inheritance, then millions have died without ever having
had it.
If, as we propose, the primary purpose of Christs
coming was for the benefit of humanity as a whole rather
than for the individuals living at that time, then it is
advantageous to all to have his second coming closely
connected with his first coming. This means that the
benefits of his second advent are now fairly and impartially
dispensed to saints of all ages through the system perfected
by his second coming. Therefore, all share alike in the
blessings of his second advent, and physical death does not
create a gap or waiting period, as would be true if his
coming and its results were still future.
This, of course, puts the second advent of Christ and its
results in the spiritual realm, but this is where it properly
belongs. Christs first coming was fleshly (of tangible form)
because he came to a fleshly Israel. His second coming was
to spiritual Israel, and therefore was of spiritual form this
also is true of our temple, priesthood, tabernacle, city, etc.
Failure to recognize this simple but vital truth is largely
responsible for the misplacement and misapplication of
Christs second advent. This literalistic concept of a second
coming has forced a time and manner of fulfillment upon
the book of Revelation that lifts it from its context and
alienates it from Gods spiritual system of redemption.
Unable to relate it to anything that has been, or now is,
humanity looks to the future for an answer to its mysteries.
The correct time and place for this last book of the Bible
will never be found in future events or history. We must
return to the past, even to the age in which it was written
and to which it was applied, and relate its theme to the
spiritual designs of the New Covenant. When this end-time
message is allowed to complete the mystery of God (Rev.
10:7) and bring his redemptive program to fullness, we truly
will have a message of life for whoever thirsts (Rev. 22:17).
,./
1. Why is the book of Revelation such a source of confusion?
What could help?
2. Why is the date of Revelation such a significant issue? What
is at stake? What information do we have that might help us
with the date?
3. When was John expecting the things he saw in his vision to
come to pass?
4. In what ways is Johns vision similar to Daniels? Why is this
significant?
5. Why did John receive this vision, and the message to the
seven churches? What bearing does it have on us?
6. Blessings are promised to those who would overcome
overcome what? What was coming? What would their
overcoming accomplish?
7. If Revelation was written to encourage and exhort a specific
people in a unique time and place, what message does it hold
for us?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Plan of Redemption
{}
We must guard against some false conclusions when we
embrace a fulfilled view of biblical prophecy. We must not, for
instance, spiritualize everything in Scripture. Some prophecies had
a simple, temporal, even literal fulfillment. We must recognize
that while the Old Covenant system had served its purpose and
was cast aside, and the failure of many Jews to see this necessity
brought judgment upon them, Judaism was not and is not today
inherently evil. We must also recognize that while we might draw
inspiration for our own lives from prophetic passages, and some
scriptures do have secondary application, we do not have license
to distort the Scriptures to support a view of the kingdom of God
that is not explicated in Scripture. Most of all, we must recognize
and proclaim the joyous reality of our present life in the New
Heaven and New Earth.
,./
The primary purpose of this book has been to briefly
sketch the prophetic subjects of the Bible and lay a
foundation for interpretative study that will properly
correlate eschatological passages and bring them into
THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION 391
harmony with Gods plan of redemption. It has been
necessary, therefore, to forgo in-depth analysis of some
passages in favor of working out and demonstrating, in
some cases an overall hermeneutic of prophetic literature.
Without doubt, many questions have been left
unanswered and will require additional study on the part of
the reader. Also, because time and space will not permit an
extensive exposition of every verse or subject, the danger of
misunderstanding can be reduced only by an open minded
and objective study of the subject material. It is often a
temptation to form conclusions out of our own background
knowledge without an earnest attempt to understand the
thinking of the author. In such cases it is not so much a
communication gap as it is reluctance to do the necessary
study.
We take the opportunity here, as we wrap up our study,
to briefly address some critical questions.

Not All Prophecy had a Spiritual Fulfillment
As noted in the first chapter, the use of spiritual to
contrast literal is fraught with difficulties. By spiritual, a
non-literal or intangible type of fulfillment is meant.
Anything may be spiritual in purpose and service, whether
tangible or intangible. When we speak of the spiritual in
regard to prophetic fulfillment, we mean the intangible
realm of unseen realities. Some prophecies are fulfilled
completely in the temporal realm. You shall have a child,
the angel told Zechariah, and John the Baptist was born.
Some prophecies use concrete language to speak of
spiritual, even abstract, things. The issue is not whether the
events prophesied are tangible, but how the language is used.
The purpose of poetry, which is often the language of
prophecy, is to make concrete through the use of image
what might ordinarily be ambiguous or abstract.
To say that all prophecy had a non-literal fulfillment
would deny that any portion of prophecy applied to
national Israel and her destiny in the end time. A literal
nation could not be visited or destroyed in a non-literal
way. On the other hand, to say all prophecy had a literal
fulfillment would deny its application to spiritual Israel. A
non-literal nation must be born, developed, and established
in a non-literal way, and such was the true nature and
fulfillment of a major portion of prophecy. Thus, there are
two kinds of prophecy and fulfillment in the last days
because of the two Israels involved (Gal. 4:21-31).
Prophecy dealing with the development and
establishment of spiritual Israel had a spiritual or non-literal
fulfillment. On this basis one must understand and accept
such spiritual realities as the temple, the priesthood, the
second coming of Christ, the eternal kingdom and the new
heaven and earth. The Israel involved, and the context, will
determine in most cases the application that must be made.
For example, Christ came to national Israel the first time
in a literal manner, but his second coming to and for
spiritual Israel was not physical or literal in nature. To
contend that both comings must correspond in nature or
substance is to deny the distinguishing natures of the two
Israels. Christ came to the literal temple in a literal way, but
he came to his spiritual temple in a way corresponding to
the nature of the temple; namely, spiritual. If Christs
second coming must be visible to be valid, even so must his
temple be visible. Unless one accepts the validity of invisible
things, the existence of God and the Holy Spirit is denied,
including our own souls.
What complicates things, perhaps, is that a temporal
event such as the destruction of Jerusalem can have
profound spiritual significance. This significance is attested
to by the use of poetic, apocalyptic language. Jesus described
the destruction of Jerusalem in his prophecy, and to the
extent he was describing just the temporal event, his
language is literal, and the fulfillment was literal. When he
describes the significance of this event, however, he describes
it in apocalyptic terms that we cannot take literally without
coming to some erroneous conclusions.

Judaism Was Not Inherently Evil
The fact that the Second Jewish Temple eventually came
under the judgment of God does not mean that Judaism
was evil, or that the Jews as a people stand condemned. The
condemnation came through sin and its power to establish
itself in the Old Covenant body. Judaism itself, like the law,
was holy, just, and good (Rom. 7:12), but through the
power of sin, strengthened by the law, it became a ministry
of death (2 Cor. 3:6). Paul, however, called it glorious,
not because sin and death reigned within it, but because
God created it with a glorious design and purpose. Its
purpose was to lead to Christ (Gal. 3:19), and once that
purpose was served, clinging to it only got in the way.
From a technical viewpoint, true Judaism was never
destroyed any more than the law was both ended in
fulfillment. That which was destroyed was the perverted
usage and form of Judaism that refused the time of her
change into the New Jerusalem. It was because of her bitter
opposition to those who did turn to Christ that she became
a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit,
and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! (Rev. 18:2). It
was this corrupt form of Second Temple Judaism that
became the object of Gods wrath, and was destroyed in the
end of that age. Her corruption resulted from her refusal to
be transformed into the spiritual body that was promised.
The unbelief of some did not result in the
condemnation of all. The faithful Jew was redeemed by
Christ and given inheritance in the eternal kingdom (Heb.
9:15). When the fullness of the Gentiles came in (Rom.
11:25) and the New Covenant system was perfected (1 Cor.
13:10), the deliverer came out of Zion and turned away
ungodliness from Jacob (Rom. 11:26-27). This was the
times of refreshing that your sins may be blotted out
that Peter said would attend the coming of Christ (Acts
3:19-21). That was Christs coming to fill his role as the
second Adam, raising all believers to eternal life (1 Cor.
15:21-26). And so all Israel was saved in the day of Christ
(Rom. 11:26). The perfection and acceptance of the
firstfruits saints opened the way for the entire harvest (Heb.
11:39-40).
The day of Christ was also the destruction of what had
become false Judaism because of her refusal to accept the
time of her change. She sat as a queen, claiming to be the
true wife of the Lord (Rev. 18:7), and glorified herself in her
antiquated earthly system, mocking the children of Sarah.
One must not, therefore, equate apostate Judaism of the last
days with the true form of biblical faith from Moses to
Christ, which now occupies the new heaven and earth. The
Jewish people today have a rich heritage and are loved in
the sight of God, yet the role and purpose of the Old
Covenant system has been served. In Christ, all racial and
national distinctions were obliterated, with every baptized
believer being constituted as the seed of Abraham (Gal.
3:26-29).
The sin of national Israel was her refusal to recognize
this greater and higher promise made to Abraham through
Christ, and to honor it when the time for her change came.
She fell in love with her national image, and became more
devoted to advancing her social and political status than
advancing the designs and purposes of God with respect to
redemption. She sought crystallization rather than
fulfillment of her carnal (tangible) types and shadows; being
less concerned about the power and strength of sin that
dwelt within her body. She preferred worldly dominance
and distinction to redemption and genuine adoption.
This seems to be the crux of Johns admonition (1 Jn.
2:15-17) as he exhorts Jewish converts not to love the world
(the Old Covenant system and the national identity of
Israel) because now all that is left in it is the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Before, it was a
system of types leading to Christ, now it was void of divine
purpose and opposed to Christ. To love it now instead of
the spiritual body of Christ was to prefer sin to
righteousness. In Revelation 18:4 John records, And I heard
another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my
people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her
plagues (see also Gal. 4:3, 9 where Paul exhorts the
Galatians not to return to the Old Covenant world).
This exhortation can be applied today. The modern
state of Israel is not to be exalted in view of some future
messianic role, but Judaism should be encouraged to be
faithful to the heart of the covenant, which Jesus brought
forth.

Primary and Secondary Applications
Since the destruction of Jerusalem has emerged as a
focal point of prophecy, at least in its primary fulfillment,
the question comes up what about secondary fulfillment?
Admittedly, many scriptures or prophecies of the Old
Testament had double applications, such as 2 Samuel 7:12-
16. Can this also be true of New Testament Scriptures, and if
so, is there a way to determine which of these might have
secondary fulfillments? While we need not dogmatically
oppose a secondary application of eschatological passages, it
is difficult to mount a case for such secondary fulfillment.
As far as can be determined in the New Testament, the
prophetic buck seems to stop at Christ. Paul called Christ
the yes to all of Gods promises (2 Cor. 1:20).
Regardless of whether or not there is a secondary
application, however, it has been our purpose to show the
first or primary application. Until a proper and correct
primary interpretation is recognized and accepted we have
no grounds to look for secondary fulfillments. A denial of
the primary interpretation can do great harm to biblical
study, especially if time is involved.
This does not disallow us the use of Scripture for
personal edification. We can look to the images of Christs
return as one of many scriptural truths that frame our
experience of God. Our God is a God who comes. He is a
God who rescues us, who vindicates our suffering, who
ushers us daily into a new heaven and earth. Morning by
morning, the old hymn says, drawing from Lamentations
3, new mercies I see. But there are reasons for not
expecting a double fulfillment in these New Testament
predictions.
First, there is a distinct difference between the nature
and purpose of the two testaments or dispensations.
Prophecies of the Old Testament carried a double meaning
because they were typical in nature and purposes. The
primary fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (such as the
building of the temple, 2 Samuel 7) was for the purpose of
establishing a tangible temple that would typify the
ultimate spiritual temple under Christ. It is not, therefore,
the nature or purpose of the New Testament to be typical of
anything more to come. Abraham had two sons, and there is
not a third son beyond Isaac. Ishmael led to Isaac, but Isaac
represents the ultimate state and condition of sonship.
Ishmael was born of the flesh and Isaac of the Spirit, and the
spiritual level or state cannot be excelled.
Second, it is illogical to assume that the carnal (material)
services of Judaism were designed to foreshadow spiritual
things to come, and now those spiritual things are to
foreshadow a return to the carnal state. This is primarily the
hope and belief of the premillennialists, who are looking for
Christs return to Jerusalem to rule on Davids throne. They
have failed to see the primary fulfillment of these
prophecies in the end-time of the Old Covenant system.
Others cling to a literal second coming while dismissing a
literal reign on earth. In fact, they disregard the new earth
altogether as it complicates their vision of the afterlife.
Third, the time element of prophecy is as important in
its fulfillment as any other portion of the prophecy, and it is
inconceivable for a time prophecy to have a double
meaning. No scholar of the Bible can ignore or reject the
time of a prophetic prediction and still honor biblical
inspiration. For example, inspiration taught that Christ was
coming again in that generation (Matt. 24:30-34), and
instructed the saints that Christs coming was at hand
(Jas. 5:8). The entire book of Revelation was devoted to the
coming of Christ, the judgment, the end of the world, the
resurrection, and a new heaven and earth which were at
hand and were going to happen so shortly that John was
forbidden to seal up the book. It is more biblically sound to
take at hand to mean at hand and shortly to mean
shortly, and this generation to mean the generation
that Jesus was addressing.
Fourth, a secondary application seems inadmissible
when perfection came by the first or primary one. The
ending of another world, or another coming of Christ could
not make the New Covenant system more perfect. The
kingdom cannot be made more eternal than it became in
the fall of Jerusalem. Eternal life in Christ could not be
made more certain, nor could spiritual death receive a
greater destruction or defeat. Since perfection cannot be
improved, the need for something beyond Isaac does not
exist. Rather than deny the eternal state of man, this
perfection of our covenantal house confirms the afterlife.
Secondary applications as they may apply to the afterlife
are not denied, such as contained in 1 Cor. 15:18. As then,
the saints who fell asleep or died had not perished. That
truth can comfort us today. However, Pauls major emphasis
in his teaching on the resurrection was to instruct us on the
system wherein mans ultimate perfection is achieved.
Today that redemptive system as it now stands is complete
and has no need of a greater fulfillment. Because this is true,
there is hope for our eternal bliss immediately at death. A
postponement of the primary application would leave the
system incomplete and defer hope in death to some future
time. This is not characteristic of Gods plan of redemption.
The first and second comings of Christ were so close in time
that the prophets of old hardly distinguished between the
two. Christ soon returned in glory and power to complete
and perfect what he inaugurated in suffering and weakness,
even before that generation passed away.
There is no need for a third coming in Gods redemptive
program. Time, as known by man, may end along with this
present material world, but mans ultimate and eternal state
does not depend upon such an event, nor are we given in
the Bible arcane information about the probability of such
an event. Redeemed saints of all ages who have departed
this life are just as securely and permanently established in
the new heaven and earth now as they ever will be
throughout all eternity for ever and ever (Eph. 3:21).

Until He Comes
A source of error and misunderstanding in the study of
last things is the meaning of the word till or until, which
sometimes means as far as or up to the time of,
suggesting a cessation of whatever is involved. But this is
not its only meaning or usage. It also is used as a point of
reference in time, suggesting a goal or a point aimed at,
with a continuance rather than a cessation of whatever is
involved. For example, Christ exhorted Thyatira to hold
fast till I come (Rev. 2:25), which was a goal or a point
aimed at by those saints. But did Christ mean to teach that
after he came they would not need to hold fast or be faithful
any longer? Was that the end of everything, including all
personal responsibility? Certainly not, for the next verse,
Revelation 2:26, points out, And he who overcomes, and
keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over
the nations. That end was not a cessation of earthly life,
for nations were to continue; therefore it may be assumed
that the coming of Christ did not fulfill the need for
holding fast. Till I come was a point aimed at, and did
not mean a cessation of faithfulness after Christ came.
This same meaning and usage of till is found in 1
Corinthians 15,
Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom
to God the Father, when He puts an end to all
rule and all authority and power.

For He must reign till He has put all enemies under
His feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).
Here, as in Revelation 2:26, the end is traditionally
viewed as the end of time and of the material world and all
earthly life. But the end here does not refer to cessation of
time anymore so than the end in Revelation 2:26, where it
is clearly seen that time goes on and nations continue. Nor
does the word till mean the cessation of Christs reign
when that end came, or when the enemies were put under
his feet.
The eternal reign of Christ is a plain, unequivocal fact of
the Scriptures (Rev. 11:15; Heb. 1:8, Lk. 1:33; Isa. 9:6-7). His
reigning until the subjugation of his enemies did not result
in the abdication of his throne, but rather it was a goal or a
point aimed at that justified its being singled out as a high
point in Christs reign and not the cessation of it. Those
who use this passage to show that Christ will lay down his
power and give up his kingdom have missed its teaching.
The rule, authority, and power put down were not his but
that of his enemies. It is not the end of his reign, nor the end
of time. The death that is destroyed is not physical death,
but the end of separation from God. Christ was and is the
resurrection and life (Jn. 11:25-26; 8:51). It is the same end
associated with his coming in Matthew 24:14, 30, 34 and
Revelation 2:25-28.
Another use of until has to do with the Lords Supper,
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lords death till He comes (1 Cor. 11:26).
Some suppose this means an end to the Lords Supper in
light of the coming of Christ. But the word till does not
fulfill the Lords Supper anymore so than it fulfilled the
reign of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:25 or the need of
faithfulness in Revelation 2:25. Instead, it denoted a goal or
point aimed at by the early church that was very eventful in
their perfection and revelation as sons of God. It
corresponds in meaning to the promise Christ gave his
disciples that He would be with them always, even unto
the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).
Christ did not mean to teach or imply that after the age
ended, he would no longer be with them. The end of that
world was a goal or point of reference in eschatology that
separated it from all other events with respect to its
significance. Jesus was assuring his disciples that he would
be with them without fail until that crucial hour was past.
Naturally, he would continue with them afterwards.
The same applies to the Lords Supper. Christs coming,
or the inheritance of the new heaven and earth after the
wilderness journey did not destroy the significance of the
Lords Supper anymore so than Israels entry into their
Canaan or inheritance negated the Passover observance. In
fact, each of these memorials became more meaningful after
the event that each commemorated was fully
consummated.
If the Lords Supper was only until the second coming
of Christ, why wasnt this also true of its type, the Passover
supper? There was a double deliverance of fleshly Israel,
separated by approximately forty years. They not only
crossed the Red sea from Egyptian bondage, but a few years
later their deliverance was fully consummated when the
waters of Jordan were divided, permitting them entrance
into the promised land. Did that final deliverance
eliminate the purpose of the Passover supper? It seems not.
The human need to remember, to commemorate, to
celebrate with an incarnational act, remains.
The church, or Gods spiritual Israel, had a double
deliverance or redemption, as did national Israel. They were
first redeemed from sin (Eph. 1:7) when they were baptized
into Christ (1 Cor. 10:1; Gal. 3:27), and approximately forty
years after the church began its journey through the
wilderness of tribulation her second redemption or
deliverance came (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:14; Lk. 21:28). That
redemption corresponded to the coming of Christ (Matt.
24:30; Jas. 5:8), and entrance into the new heaven and earth
(Rev. 21:1), the promised land of spiritual Israel (2 Pet.
3:13; Rom. 4:13; 1 Pet. 1:3-4).
Traditional theology has the second deliverance still
future, making the wilderness journey nearly 2,000 years
already. Even some who recognize the spiritual nature of the
Christian system (the temple, priesthood, Jerusalem, etc.)
fall into the same error of interpretation, postponing the
spiritual or heavenly inheritance of Gods people.
Our application not only corresponds to the type, it also
has the solid support of the Scriptures. The fall of Jerusalem
was the redemption of the purchased possession (Lk. 21:28),
the coming of Christ (Lk. 21:25-28) and the saints
possession of the eternal kingdom (Lk. 21:31-32) the new
heaven and earth (Heb. 12:18-28). It came, in fulfillment of
the type, approximately forty years after their wilderness
journey.
The book of Hebrews, which deals primarily with the
new age to come at the return of Christ, speaks very
specifically of the wilderness journey and the land of rest
(Heb. 3 and 4). The writer of Hebrews shows that Canaan
was only typical and not the fulfillment of the rest promised
of God (Heb. 4:8-9). He further shows that many did not
enter the rest because of unbelief or apostasy, thereby
exhorting the saints to remain faithful lest they fall after the
same example of unbelief. That generation was a wilderness
period for the church, after which they would rest from
their tribulations (2 Thess. 1:7; Matt. 23:34-39; 24:3, 14, 34).
The world to come (Heb. 2:5; 6:5), which resulted from a
complete fulfillment of the types and shadows of the law
(Acts 3:21; Matt. 5:17-18) would be inherited by the saints
(Matt. 5:5; 25:34). This New Jerusalem or heavenly country
(Heb. 11:16) is the promised rest of God as typified by the
Sabbaths,
The Lord has sworn in truth to David; He will not
turn from it: I will set upon your throne the fruit
of your body.
If your sons will keep My covenant And My
testimony which I shall teach them, Their sons
also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.
For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for
His dwelling place:
This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I
have desired it (Psalm 132:11-14).
Zion, or the new Jerusalem, is the place of Gods rest
forever. The New Jerusalem came when the first heaven and
earth passed away (Rev. 20:11; 21:1-2). It followed upon the
destruction of old literal Jerusalem (Matt. 24), the time of
the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets of God
(Acts 3:21; Lk. 21:22).
John wrote the churches in Asia and told them that this
was a message from Christ concerning things at hand, and
that it was for their encouragement that they might hold
fast till the end or till I come (Rev. 2:25-26). The promise
of entering into rest was contingent upon their faithfulness
in the wilderness (Heb. 4:1-2; Rev. 3:21).
Thus, the statements, you proclaim the Lords death till
He comes (1 Cor. 11:26); holding fast till I come (Rev.
2:25); and He must reign till He has put all enemies under
his feet (1 Cor. 15:25), do not mean that these things were
to cease and to be no more after Christs coming. His
coming was a goal in Gods redemptive program; it was a
point aimed at which brought the fullness of time (Eph.
1:10) and the consummation of the ages (Matt. 28:20),
giving birth to that world without end (Eph. 3:21).

All Enemies Under His Feet
A failure to properly identify the enemies that were to
be put under the feet of Christ has greatly influenced a
futuristic view of eschatology. The statement, For He must
reign till He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Cor.
15:25) is sometimes understood to mean that there will
come a time when there will be no evil or opposition to the
reign of Christ. Many reject the coming of the eternal
kingdom at the fall of Jerusalem because all power the
Roman government, for instance was not conquered at
that time, and even to this day there are nations and
governments that oppose Christ. But there are several
factors that must be considered in Christs subjugation of
his enemies.
Christ did not come to establish an earthly kingdom (Jn.
18:36), but rather a heavenly kingdom, demanding a
spiritual birth of all of its citizens (Jn. 3:1-6). While God
rules in the entire universe, including the kingdoms of men,
temporal rule or civil authority was not the design or
purpose of Christs kingdom. The coming of his kingdom
did not depend upon the dissolution of all civil forms of
government - these were not his enemies, at least in that
sense.
His enemies were the children of the kingdom (Matt.
8:11-12; 13:41; 21:43), born of the fleshly seed of Abraham
(Jn. 8:39-40), who said We will not have this man reign
over us (Lk. 19:14). Israel was a type of the kingdom or
reign of righteousness to come. But her refusal to accept
Christ and yield to his spiritual body in fulfillment of the
types and shadows of the law, constituted her as the
archenemy of Christ. She rejected and bitterly opposed the
intended change from a natural to a spiritual body, seeking
instead a literalistic fulfillment of her promises and
prophecies. She yearned to be an eternal, earthly kingdom
of universal dominion. Consequently, her subjugation was
essential for the perfection of Isaac. Sons outside of
Abrahams household did not obstruct the inheritance of
Isaac as did Ishmael. Likewise, nations or governments apart
from national Israel did not have to be removed before
Christs kingdom could be manifested in power and glory.
The marriage of Christ and the church did not take
place until those murderers were destroyed and their city
was burned up (Matt. 22:7-8). The fall of Babylon
fulfilled that parabolic teaching of Christ (Rev. 19:1-8; 21:1-
2). Luke makes it clear that Christs enemies were the
Herodian Jewish leaders who opposed his reign, But bring
here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign
over them, and slay them before me (Lk. 19:27). Those
enemies of mine in verse 27 are his citizens in Luke 19:14.
When were the Romans or any other nation except Israel
ever referred to as citizens of the kingdom of God? The
Gentiles were never in possession of the kingdom that it
might be taken away (Matt. 21:43).
The enemies, therefore, that were to become his
footstool (Acts 4:34-35; Heb. 10:13) were those described by
Paul as enemies of the gospel (Rom. 11:28), contending for
the fleshly system of the law, For many walk, of whom I
have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that
they are the enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18).
These enemies were the evil workers, or the dogs, of
Philippians 3:2, who trusted in the flesh (Phil. 3:4-6). His
coming and the end in 1 Corinthians 15:23-24 correspond
to his coming and the end in Matthew 24:3, 14, 30, 34, and
the time when the kingdom was purged of the tares (Matt.
13:40-43). In the fall of Jerusalem the rule, authority, and
power that Paul said the saints wrestled against (Eph. 6:12)
were put down (1 Cor. 15:24), and power was given to the
saints over the nations, or the tribes (Rev. 2:25-29).

The Seventieth Week of Daniel
Daniels vision of seventy weeks (Dan. 9:24-27) provides
a chronological timetable of prophecy that helps us to
identify the end times. These seventy weeks, or 490 years,
run concurrently with that period of time that the Lord
called the times of the Gentiles,
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall
be led away captive into all nations: and
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles,
until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke
21:24).
The times of the Gentiles began with the Babylonian
captivity and continued until Jerusalem was destroyed and
the new or heavenly Jerusalem came down from God out
of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband
(Rev. 21:2). Daniel prophesied concerning four world
powers (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome) that
would constitute the times and dominion of the Gentiles.
Gentile domination of Israel was to end in the days of the
fourth beast, or the Roman Empire, in the seventieth week
of Daniels prophecy. The event that terminated Gentile
rule over Israel was the second coming of Christ. Here is
where exegetical confusion reigns supremely as a result of
not understanding the time and conditions of Christs
second coming.
First, it is assumed that Christs coming would destroy
all Gentile rule or form of government therefore it must
still be future. But this is not what Daniel or the other
prophets predicted. The prophecy was concerning the
fullness of time in which Gentile domination had served its
purpose.
The second error is in assuming that the second coming
of Christ would result in a deliverance of temporal Israel
from Gentile domination. Instead, the second coming of
Christ marked the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish
commonwealth (Matt. 24; Lk. 21). This is made clear in the
seventieth week of Daniel when the people of the prince
who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary,
making a full end of national Israel (Dan. 9:26-27).
The coming of Christ accomplished a three-fold
purpose. First, it ended national Israel by the destruction of
their city and temple. Second, it fulfilled the times of the
Gentiles inasmuch as Israel ceased to be Gods people and
his kingdom, giving place to spiritual Israel as represented in
Christ. Third, it was the complete fulfillment of the types
and shadows of the law (Heb. 10:1, 10), resulting in the
complete manifestation and perfection of a spiritual Israel
over which the Gentiles could not rule.
The resurrection of the spiritual body from the natural
body placed true Israel, the New Jerusalem, and the spiritual
temple beyond the reach of Gentile domination. An eternal
kingdom was established that could not be destroyed or
possessed by earthly governments. In this manner the beast
was defeated and Babylon was destroyed. Nero, or Rome,
sought to conquer and rule in a fleshly Israel not realizing
that out of Jerusalems fall and the ending of that ancient
commonwealth there would arise a heavenly Jerusalem and
a spiritual Israel that could not be invaded or conquered by
military force.
The New Jerusalem and kingdom of God is, in nature,
like the Holy Spirit. The world could receive or take by force
Christ and crucify him. But Jesus said they could not receive
or take by force the Holy Spirit whom He would send (Jn.
14:17). Neither could they receive Christ at his second
coming, inasmuch as it corresponded in nature to the
kingdom in which He came with power and glory (Matt.
24:30; Lk. 21:27-32).
Understanding the nature of the eternal kingdom solves
many exegetical problems in the book of Daniel. First, it
explains how a Jerusalem and a sanctuary or temple could
be destroyed and saved or blessed at the same time (Dan.
9:24-27). The end time deals with two Israels, cities, temples,
etc., as typified by Abrahams two sons. This is why the
second coming of Christ cannot be separated from the fall of
Judaism. Second, it explains how Gentile domination or
rule was destroyed in the days of the Roman empire,
without its involving the fall of Rome or any other
government of the earth.
The Gentile dominion that was destroyed was in
relation to the kingdom of God. A new Jerusalem, temple,
and land made it impossible for earthly governments to
invade and rule over Gods people any longer. They could
not, as in the past, invade Palestine and capture Jerusalem,
bringing Gods people into servitude. Unlike the old, the
new commonwealth was spiritual in nature, power, and
purpose, and was not vulnerable to the earthly forces that
would attack and enslave.
There is no escape from the time and events of the
seventieth week of Daniel that clearly identify the end with
the fall of Jerusalem (Dan. 9:26-27). Christs application of
Daniels seventieth week (Matt. 24:15) to the end of the
world and his coming (Matt. 24:3) in that generation (Matt.
24:34), places the time and manner of its fulfillment in this
way. Added to this is the testimony of John concerning the
presence of the antichrists, which signaled the end times (1
Jn. 2:18) in Johns day.

Christs Coming - Suddenly and as Lightning
Since the seventieth week of Daniel or the complete
destruction of the Jewish commonwealth covered a seven-
year span of time, many feel that this event cannot be
equated with the second advent of Christ. To them, the
coming of Christ involves only a few seconds or minutes at
the most, and then it is all over. But this concept of Christs
coming is without scriptural support. The Scriptures do
teach, however, that Christ would come suddenly but this
has reference to his unexpected appearing and carries the
idea or thought of surprise.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety! then
sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a
pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thess. 5:3).
Labor pains come to a pregnant woman suddenly, but the
period of travail may be anything but sudden or brief.
The coming of Christ was like the flood in Noahs day;
it came suddenly and caught the people unaware. But the
flood period itself was not sudden or brief, inasmuch as it
rained forty days and nights. All were not destroyed the first
day it rained. Evidently it took all forty days of raining to
accomplish a full and complete destruction. Some reason
that the Lords coming could not be as a thief in the night if
three and one-half years were involved in the destruction of
Jerusalem. But his coming suddenly, or as a thief, had
nothing to do with the length of time involved in that
prophetical day of the Lord. Since over one-million Jews
perished in the city of Jerusalem alone, a three and one-half
year siege did not disqualify that coming as a thief in the
night.
Others cite Matthew 24:27 as proof of an instantaneous
coming. For as the lightning comes from the east and
flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of
Man be. The word lightning is translated from the Greek
word astrape which properly means a bright shining. But is
lightning the only thing that causes a bright shining? The
word astrape is used in Luke 11:36 and is rendered the
bright shining of a lamp. Therefore, any bright shining
light could fulfill the meaning of astrape. Evidently most
translators, being influenced by a concept that Christs
coming would be sudden or brief, give the meaning of
lightning to the word astrape. But lightning is against the
meaning of the text for two reasons. First, it seldom comes
out of the East, second, its brief flash penetrates the
darkness for a moment only. But whenever the sun is made
the source of the bright shining, the meaning of the text is
clear. First, the sun comes out of the East and shines unto
the West, and second, the rising of the sun is the dawning
of a new day that dispels the darkness of the night period
(Rom. 13:11). The coming (or parousia) of Christ was the
dawning of a new day (2 Pet. 1:19), in which all things were
to be made plain (1 Cor. 13:12).
The object of Christ was to warn against false concepts
of his coming. Some, having a fleshly concept of his coming
or presence, would say he is in the desert or in the secret
chambers. But Christ warned his disciples not to believe
them. Even today a literal interpretation of Zechariah 14:4
has led multitudes to look for a fleshly return of Christ to
Jerusalem, And in that day His feet will stand on the
Mount of Olives. But the bright shining that came out of the
east, revealing the hidden divinity of Christ, had its
fulfillment in the dawning of the new day or New Covenant
age wherein the wisdom, power, and true nature of Christ
were fully revealed, even until this day. But to you who
fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with
healing in His wings (Mal. 4:2).
But the wicked were trampled under his feet (Mal. 4:3)
in fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 15:25. The carcass and the
eagles identify this event with Romes destruction of
Jerusalem (Matt. 24:28).

What Does the Future Hold for Us?
A source of strong opposition to placing the second
coming of Christ at the end of biblical Judaism is the
erroneous concept that this destroys hope, leaving the
believer with no future. But in reality the very reverse is
true. The believer has a greater hope inasmuch as the
coming of Christ has completed and perfected the system of
redemption, giving citizenship in an eternal kingdom (Heb.
12:28). Aside from meaningful fellowship with Christ now,
at physical death the believer has what otherwise would be
deferred to some future coming of Christ. Also, the same
immediacy of reward at death applies to the sinner.
Preachers who feel evangelistic power is lost in the absence
of future second coming sermons need to study the matter
more carefully. There is power in the cross because it is now
history, and the same is true of the second coming. Seeing
what God has done and how it relates to salvation has a
great drawing power, the same as fear has a driving power.
The old adage, You can drive a horse to water but you cant
make him drink is largely true, especially if the water that
he must drink is a little muddied!
Separating the second advent from the fall of Judaism
leaves the waters of Christian inheritance muddied, and
denies the believer of vital spiritual security. Christianity
suffers loss when security and perfection are exchanged for
fear and incompleteness. The imminency of death, the
inevitability of judgment, and the perpetuity of hell should
provide enough fear without having to borrow from the
other side of the ledger. Putting the second coming of
Christ where it belongs does not lessen mans need to fear
God, but it does strengthen the believers position and
relationship with God now, giving him a firmer grip on his
spiritual heritage and a greater certainty of future
blessedness.

The New Heaven and Earth Now
It has been shown from prophecy and the Revelation
message that the new heaven and earth followed the fall of
apostate Judaism (Rev. 21:1-3). This concept of the world
that was promised to Abraham and his seed (Rom. 4:13) has
led many to conclude that heaven and hell are being
denied. They reason that if one were in the new heaven and
earth now he has all that is ever going to be received, which
is short of what is desired. The error, however, is in failing to
see the broad expanse of the new heaven and earth. It is not
limited by time or space and the fact that we have entered a
timeless and spaceless world does not mean that there is no
future ahead, or that this life is all there is to Christianity.
A parallel situation is citizenship in the kingdom of
God. Because one is in the kingdom now does not mean
that this life is all there is to it. The fact of being in the
kingdom now does not destroy hope of a future blessedness
in the same kingdom. One does not have to wait until death
or a second coming of Christ to enter the kingdom, nor will
death be the terminus of our citizenship. There is more to
come! It is somewhat like touring a beautiful and spacious
mansion. Entry into the foyer is only the beginning. It
would be unfair and misleading to judge the whole house
by what is first seen, or to conclude that nothing more
remains to be seen.
Likewise, it is unfair for one to judge the whole
kingdom of God or new heaven and earth from the
viewpoint of our fleshly lives. Nor should one refuse to
enter upon his spiritual heritage now upon the basis that
one must have all at once or none at all.
Also, one must recognize the vital and essential
difference between the perfection of Gods redemptive
system and the perfection of redeemed man himself. The
perfection of Gods system depended upon the second
advent of Christ, whereas the perfection of man depends
upon the system. Because Christ has returned, Gods work is
done and his mystery is finished (Rev. 10:7). Now, all that
remains is the complete redemption or full salvation of each
individual believer, which is predicated upon his
faithfulness until death, at which time he is delivered from
the limitations and confinements of a flesh and blood
existence. With the second advent of Christ in the past and
the new world before humanity now, the believer may walk
through the valley of death with no fear of evil, knowing
that he shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Ps. 23:4,
6). As Paul says in Ephesians 3:21, to Him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
,./
1. Read 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:1 and 6:16, and
Ephesians 2:19-22. Is our temple literal or spiritual? Might we
expect Christ to have come to this temple in a literal or
spiritual fashion?
2. Was Judaism evil that it had to be destroyed? Can you think
of things that are good in and of themselves but must be
discarded once they have served their purpose?
3. If the types in the Old Testament have been fulfilled, does it
make sense to look for a future restoration of these things in
a literal sense?
4. How does the story of Christs death and resurrection
followed by his return some 40 years later parallel the story
of the Exodus and entrance into the promised land? In what
ways is the New Covenant the promised land?
5. If Christ is the Yes to all of Gods promises (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20),
why would we look beyond Christ and his prophecy for
fulfillment of those promises?
6. What has this study meant to you personally? What are your
next steps?

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Transmillennial
View
{}
A postscript by Timothy R. King
Max Kings youngest son shares some reflections about his
fathers role in the fulfilled prophecy world, the growing divisions
among so-called preterists and how the development of a
Transmillennial vision promises to bring greater focus. He
concludes by suggesting that the aim of Recovering Humanitys
Hope should be seen as central to a post-industrial Christian
worldview.
,./
In 1971, Richard Nixon was president of the United
States and the Vietnam War was still raging. I was only
twelve at the time The Spirit of Prophecy came out and the
youngest of Maxs four sons. As a junior high student I was
unaware of the counter-cultural earthquakes that the 60s
had unleashed but I clearly realized that my fathers book
was causing the tectonic plates of traditional church dogma
to shift.
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The year before, Hal Lindsey had released The Late Great
Planet Earth, an end-time book predicting and
sensationalizing the arrival of the second coming, the
tribulation and the supposed end of planet earth. It would
become the best-selling book of the 1970s. In contrast to
Lindseys phenomenal success, The Spirit of Prophecy received
little attention outside of Maxs immediate church tradition.
Those who did take notice condemned it, much like the
church had once done to Galileo for observing that the
earth revolved around the sun.
It is easy now, with thirty years worth of hindsight, to
see Maxs book as the seminal work of the modern fulfilled
prophecy movement. Check the copyright dates of any
fulfilled prophecy author from last century none are
earlier than 1971. Not only that, but they will readily admit
that the writings of Max (or someone who studied him) had
a profound impact on their present-day view of prophecy.
No one, certainly not Max King, thought this work could
possibly play the role it is playing in shaping how we think
of fulfilled prophecy in the third millennium. Back then the
way forward was not so clear not so clear at all.
Max King came from humble beginnings. He grew up
during the depression on a small farm on a hill in West
Virginia. Unencumbered by big city lights, the farm revealed
a star-filled sky that made Gods promise to Abraham take
on a whole new meaning. From this perch, Max was
surrounded by Gods creation and held a firm grasp on why
God had proclaimed that everything He had made was
very good.
Why would God destroy such a creation, Max
questioned, if Abraham received a blessing filled promise?
The dogmatic hellfire-and-brimstone messages of his youth
turned Max off. It didnt make sense to him that the victory
of God would involve so many perishing and so few being
saved.
Why would God want to incinerate such a beautiful
earth? With an unyielding conviction that Scripture was the
word of God, Max began to wonder: What was this story
about? To whom was it written? Why did Jesus expect the
kingdom of God to come in his generation if it would only
be delayed for millennia? What was going on? What could
we possibly be missing?
Largely self-taught but a diligent student of the Bible,
Max began preaching at the age of 21. In 1962, after a
decade of pulpit ministry, Max answered a call to move to
Warren, Ohio. In addition to preaching on Sundays, he
logged hours in his study tackling the Bibles unsolved
Rubiks Cube of eschatology.

Not a New Problem
This apparent difference between what Jesus taught
about his first-century return and what the church later
came to teach about a far-distant second coming and
resurrection at the end of time was not a new problem. It
took nineteen centuries, however, for theologians and
historians to frame the question.
In 1906, Albert Schweitzer pinpointed the problem in
his landmark book, The Quest for the Historical Jesus.
The whole history of Christianity down to the
present day, that is to say, the real inner history of it,
is based upon the delay of the Parousia, the non-
occurrence of the Parousia, the abandonment of
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eschatology, the process and completion of the de-
eschatologizing of religion
31

For Schweitzer, the delay of the Parousia in the first-
century confirmed Jesus failure as an apocalyptic prophet.
Max King agreed with Schweitzers picture of Jesus as an
apocalyptic prophet, but he could not accept Schweitzers
conclusion that Jesus had failed. He felt the Bible must have
its own internal consistency that we have missed.
Even though he had hit his stride as a preacher in his
church network and was in demand as a speaker and
lecturer, at the age of forty, he risked alienation for his firm
conviction that the church had not gotten the Bible right.
With the writing of The Spirit of Prophecy, everything
changed. Some of the criticism was personal; others wrote
letters breaking fellowship with our local assembly and even
family members distanced themselves from us.
At the time, Max stood alone. There was no Presence
Ministries. There was no third quest for the historical
Jesus. There were no fellow authors or preterist web sites.
There was just Max, his Bible and his firm convictions.

None Dare Call It Heresy
Anytime a new paradigm is proposed its detractors
brand it heresy. This was true in the 16th century when
Nicholas Copernicus first proposed a heliocentric solar
system. It took more than 165 years, Galileos telescope, and
Newtons theory of gravity to complete what we now know
as the Scientific Revolution. In the process, unfortunately,
the Catholic church channeled its energy to suppress and

31
Albert Schweitzer, The Quest of the Historical Jesus, (The Macmillan
Company, 8
th
printing, 1973), p. 360.
condemn the new scientific paradigm. This fateful decision
put the church on the wrong side of scientific inquiry for
almost four centuries. In 1992, Pope John Paul II formally
declared the Catholic church in error when it condemned
Galileo.
Theres a curious irony to the fact that in science or
religion, if youre two steps ahead, youre hailed as a leader.
If youre five steps ahead, youre considered a visionary. But
if youre ten steps ahead, youre a heretic or a madman.
When people first read in Copernicus work that the Earth
moved, and was not the fixed center of the universe, this
new concept was so contradictory to everyday experience,
so apparently false, that it hardly warranted serious
discussion. A few thoughtful astronomers, however, began
to find Copernicuss argument persuasive.
Just as the Scientific Revolution brought about a shift in
the way we understand astronomy and the planets, so the
field of fulfilled prophecy has begun to revolutionize the
way we understand how history revolves around Jesus.
Instead of seeing Jesus as someday bringing world history to
its end, fulfilled prophecy sees Christ as opening an
unending Age of New Creation. In Jesus, redemptive
history, or the story of Israel, is brought to fulfillment. In
the Last Adam all things are fulfilled and, as the Second
Man from heaven (1 Cor. 15:47), a new way has been
opened. Universal history now unfolds as people of faith
enter Gods presence and likewise become a transforming
presence in relation to nature and society.
All these lofty thoughts as to how The Spirit of Prophecy
opened a new paradigm in biblical theology are hindsight.
Personally, the worst part is that at the age of twelve, all you
know about such matters is that your father cant be right
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because the whole world disagrees with him but he cant
be wrong because hes your dad, the pillar of your life.
I was torn within. For years after high school I couldnt
even study eschatology without getting physically ill. I
didnt want to know but I had to know. My own journey
was slow, arduous and more painful than most could
imagine. Im certainly pleased to have come out the other
end with both an enlarged mind and heart. If youre having
the same struggle, I can relate!

A Movement is Born
Despite traditional criticism from those expecting a
future second coming, the fulfilled Bible prophecy
movement thrived. Fifteen years after writing The Spirit of
Prophecy, Max wrote a definitive treatment of eschatology
titled The Cross and the Parousia of Christ, placing the
fulfilled view in the context of modern New Testament
studies.
By the late 80s Max coined the term Covenant
Eschatology to refer to this field of biblical study. He
reasoned that all eschatology is tied to Gods covenantal
working. Once you leave the sphere of the covenant, you
cut loose from the real story of the Bible. Covenant is to
eschatology what gravity is to the earth and humanity
once you remove it, theres no telling where youre going to
end up.
In 1989 Max began hosting annual seminars on
Covenant Eschatology, a conference series that would last
ten years. Additionally, he launched the Living Presence
Journal as a regular research publication. Through these
vehicles in addition to his books, many people outside the
Restoration Movement (Christian Church/Church of Christ)
became aware of Covenant Eschatology.
This was especially true in the Reformed world, when
leaders like R.C. Sproul began to take a look at eschatology.
As a result of Maxs writings, people were discovering that
this view had been taught in various degrees throughout
church history. By the mid-90s, a reprint of J.S. Russells
1878 book, The Parousia became particularly popular. Many
postmillennialists and Christian Reconstructionists began to
study the preterist position. One of their most keen
theologians, the late David Chilton, even adopted Covenant
Eschatology before his untimely death.
Why was fulfilled prophecy appealing to
postmillennialists? The Protestant Reformation had given
people permission to study the Bible anew from the vantage
point of its original meaning to its first readers. Over the
next three centuries this produced a limited preterist
interpretation of the book of Revelation in places such as
England and Germany. But in each case, these smoldering
wicks were snuffed out and did not survive into the 20th
century.
Websters Dictionary defines preterist as one who
believes that the prophecies of the Apocalypse have already
been fulfilled. Picking up on this linguistic fragment, many
from the Reformed world began to view Max Kings writings
as preterism.
Soon preterist web sites sprang up. Preterist debates
spread across the U.S. among Reformed churches. Within
five years it became evident that there were various shades
and degrees of preterism, i.e., full, partial, hyper,
consistent, etc., and that these differences could be radical
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and harsh at times. There were even militant Christian
Identity patriots that considered themselves preterists,
advocating the armed overthrow of the U.S. government.
When the term preterist began to be used in the 90s,
no one even spoke of partial-preterism. In Max Kings
view of redemption post-A.D. 70, there was no such thing as
partial covenant. Gods redemptive plan is completely in
place. All of it. And if the end fully came at the fall of
Jerusalem, there is no need to invent a non-biblical
resurrection and judgment for individuals at death. At best,
by 1999, the preterist term no longer stood alone and had
to be qualified in terms of degree. At worst, the term became
a badge of infighting among postmillennialists.
In 1997, things came full circle as I left a lucrative career
in the business world to help establish Presence Ministries
and further Maxs work. By this time thousands had read
Maxs books and attended his seminars and by the grace of
God we were eventually able to become self-supporting as a
faith ministry, supported by partners gifts each month.
By 1999 we began to look long-term at what it would
take to extend Maxs research as a second generation and
prepare the church for the postmodern age. It became all
too apparent to me that the preterist impulse would never
fully capture what fulfilled prophecy could mean for the
21st century church. The first definition for preterists in
Websters Unabridged Dictionary is one whose chief
interest and pleasure is in the past. Something more was
needed than an obsession with the past to reframe the
churchs study of the kingdom of God and its future
civilization building.
In the summer of 1999 we invented a new word
Transmillennialism. As a new term, this could stand
beside pre-, a-, and post- millennialism, the final forms
that had developed in Christian eschatology.
Unlike traditional dogma, Transmillennialism sees
Christs millennial reign in its first-century context, from
the Old to the New Covenant, bringing about the
transformation of the ages. It sees the thrust of the Bibles
speaking about how heaven comes to earth, not primarily
about how one gets to heaven.
Advocates of pre-, a-, and post- millennialism, with little
success, seek to find their particular eschatology in the early
church fathers in order to claim an historical precedent for
their doctrine. They are largely unsuccessful. Each of
Christianitys mainstream millennialisms sees the
kingdom of God as yet future. The Transmillennial view is
distinct.
As a prefix to millennialism, Trans- means across or
over or on the other side of. It also means above and
beyond, transcending such as transatlantic. The trans
part of Transmillennialism stands for moving through or
beyond what has gone before.
In light of this, Transmillennialism is prepared to
biblically challenge the other three mainline millennial
views. Through the first-century reign of Christ, Gods
creation was transformed people were transformed.
Humanitys relationship with God moved through or
past the Mosaic system of death and into the New
Creation of the resurrected Christ. Through this, the
kingdom has come.
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That following June we upgraded from ten years of
annual seminars to hosting our first national conference,
entitled Transmillennial 2000. This historic meeting put
Transmillennialism on the map as a movement to stem
the tide of present-day millennial madness, and it brought
together all streams of the fulfilled Bible prophecy
movement. As a result, a new standard for biblical unity
emerged in the quest to help the church of the third
millennium embrace its full redemptive heritage.
Through The Spirit of Prophecy and all that has followed
the last three decades or more, Max King can be credited
with founding an entirely new field of Christian
millennialism that, unlike other efforts throughout the ages,
will not be snuffed out. To insure that Transmillennialism
would not lose its inherent meaning through sectarian
feuds (as preterism has), Presence Ministries secured a
registered trademark on the term Transmillennial,
particularly in reference to its use in conferences and study
materials. Our intent is for this worldview to be studied and
written about widely, but not to be redefined or misused by
sectarian upstarts, seeking to forward their own interests.
In order to keep Transmillennialism a trans-
denominational concept, we immediately established a
Council on Transmillennialism. This is a group of like-
minded leaders and ministries to help steward this sacred
trust, thus ensuring that Transmillennialism remains open
to all faiths and believers.
Up until this edition, only some 10,000 copies of The
Spirit of Prophecy had been circulated since its inception in
1971. That hardly compares to the 35 million printed copies
of The Late Great Planet Earth, but I firmly believe that Max
Kings tortoise could someday overtake Hal Lindseys hare.
Not only is it biblically sound, Transmillennialism
helps the church shun Chicken-Little Sky-is-Falling
religion, to seek first the kingdom by joining hands in
building the civilizations of tomorrow. Leaving behind the
escapism of traditional eschatologies, Transmillennialism
is a worldview calling forth believers to serve humanity in
the full image of a loving, compassionate and gracious God.

On Earth as it is in Heaven
The great Reformation leader, Martin Luther, once
wrote, In our sad condition, our only consolation is the
expectancy of another life. The conventional
understanding of religion is that faith is a means of getting
to heaven. We prepare for a better death one that leads to
the pearly gates or the streets of gold. If you died
tonight, goes the classic line from revivals and witnessing
manuals, do you know where you will go? Heaven and
hell are at stake and the final exam awaits us at some point
in a future known only by God but what about a better
life?
Christianity has focused on its relationship to the
afterlife to such a point that most believers no longer have a
relationship to their present or what becomes the future.
Rebuilding faiths relationship to the future might well be
the difference between the churchs surviving or thriving
throughout the course of the third millennium.
Some, throughout cultural history, have seen the greater
reality, finding eternal life in the here and now. Even so, the
emphasis was on personal experience, and an inward
journey, with no prescription for the relationship of faith to
the surrounding culture. Spirituality flourished in
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monasteries and convents but had little to offer those who
had no such vocation.
After the Reformation, the monastery walls came down
but the cloister mentality remained. Faith either consisted
of following the appropriate religious script to gain entrance
to heaven at death or it consisted of denying the temporal
world and its trappings so as to experience heaven in the
present but still only as a foretaste of the better life to
come.
In his book, The Passion of the Western Mind, Richard
Tarnas writes, In this sense it could be said that much of
Christianity was still waiting for its redeemer not unlike
Judaism, though now with a more afterworldly emphasis.
Tarnas continues, Humanitys hope lay in the future in
the afterworld, and, for the present, in the bulwark of the
church.
32
In contrast, those who discover the
Transmillennial view realize that recovering humanitys
hope begins now.
Few Bible scholars prior to Max King have been willing
to say that the kingdom of God fully came in Jesus day. But
now that the case has been biblically made in terms of Jesus
original setting, faith can open whole new frontiers and
shape society in the third millennium.

God is With Us
In Revelation 21:3, John heard a voice proclaiming,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will

32
Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind, Ballantine, 1991, p.
134.
dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself
will be with them and be their God.
This is not merely some future state of eternity, as
traditional dogma has maintained, but the glorious fruit of
the Parousia: God now dwells with us. By faith, then, we
have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company
of angels (Heb. 12:22). We are Zion-born heaven is our
birthright, the country we now inhabit (Ps. 87:4-7).
The Transmillennial view of reality is a
radical departure from postponement
theology. Because traditional dogma does
not yet embrace the fulfillment of
Revelation 21-22, it lives in a conflict
paradigm, a pre-Parousia conception of the
cosmos. Two spheres can depict this:
heaven above and earth below. These two
worlds are still at war, and locked in an
eternal struggle. In this dualistic world, all reality is divided
into two camps, good angels against bad demons, good
nations against evil ones, good guys against the bad guys.
All creation awaits Gods coming to set things aright.
The Transmillennial view sees a
world of reconciliation and divine
potential. Through the Cross,
Resurrection and Parousia, The
kingdoms of this world have become
the kingdoms of our Lord and of His
Christ, and He shall reign forever and
ever! (Rev. 11:15).
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VIEW 429
We live in the new heavens and new earth that has
come. We can see this reconciled paradigm as a single
sphere or reality, with a heavenly and earthly aspect.
Heaven is the inner spiritual reality, and earth is the outer
visible reality. This is not to deny a dimension beyond our
present one where we, along with David, may live in the
house of the Lord forever (Ps. 23:6). What must be clear,
however, is that Scripture teaches that through the finished
work of Christ we are indeed reconciled to God now, and in
the words of Jesus, will never die (Jn. 8:51).
With heaven and earth being reconciled, the presence
of God can transform all things in life and society. The City
of God now exists in the midst of the City of Man. Our
mission is to work toward the wholeness of persons and the
healing of the nations through Christ (Rev. 22:2).

Recovering Hope
At the end of the modern age, our world is marked more
by despair than hope. For most of the world, including the
church, The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we
are not saved (Jer. 8:20). Like Jeremiah we ask, Is there no
balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has
the health of my poor people not been restored? (Jer. 8:22).
Is it any wonder that humanity suffers, when the
church has been blind to its heritage in Christ? This is
where the Transmillennial worldview can offer the
antidote to despair. It can take the church beyond cultural
pessimism into a responsible engagement with society. This
is not to say that Transmillennialism is a utopian
movement. Scripture has made two things clear one, as to
the increase of Gods kingdom, there is no end (Dan. 2:44;
Lk. 1:33), and two, while we serve together in the new and
heavenly city of Jerusalem, there will always be those
outside the city to whom we are called to minister (Rev.
22:15).
The chart below offers the various building blocks of
Transmillennialism. Stated simply, its aim is Recovering
Humanitys Hope. We believe that this hope was restored in
Christ, but lost throughout history, and can now be recovered
in our generation by faith in the consistency of Gods word.
As part of this recovery, we need to look backward,
inward and forward. In studying Covenant Eschatology, we
look backward at how God has fulfilled all things in Christ.
Through worldview analysis, we look inward we study
history to see why the West has not entered its redemptive
rest. Then we look forward, prepared to create a future in
keeping with Gods will.
Jesus whole ministry was about helping people recover
hope. In Mark 8:22-25, we read the story of how he took the
blind man out of Bethsaida and restored his sight. He
touched the man once, and the man could see, but people
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VIEW 431
looked liked trees walking around. It took a second touch to
get him to where he could see everyone clearly. The church
today needs to receive a second touch to see the restoration
of all things. Rather than seeing men like trees walking,
we need to discover a whole new world that is made
possible through fulfilled redemption.

The Study of First Things
Traditionally, Christian theology has thought of
eschatology as the study of last things with little or no
concern for what takes place after that. Recently we began to
ask ourselves: Is there a corresponding doctrine of first things
in Christian theology? Since most theologians believe that
the world will come to a fateful and fiery destruction, it
seems there is not.
We speak of the transition period from the Cross to A.D.
70 as being the last days of the Old Covenant, while seldom
giving a thought that they were also the first days of the
New and everlasting Covenant. We are comfortable asking,
What were the last things of the Old Covenant remaining to
be fulfilled? We rarely think to ask, What were the first
things of redemption that would shape humanitys future?
As our annual conference for 2002 drew near, we began
to search the Scriptures for a word that complemented
eschatology and would hold the promise of reshaping
Christian theology for the next generation.
Eschatology is derived from a Greek word, eschaton,
meaning the study of the End. The corresponding Greek
word would be archon, meaning origin, beginning, or
first chronologically. So we dubbed this new theological
field archonology, or archonics. (Archonology is not to
be confused with archaeology thats the study of
primitive material remains.)
Archonology, then, would be the study of first things in
the light of the New Jerusalem. The use of the word archon
or origin is best found in Revelation 22:13, where Jesus
says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,
the Origin and the Consummation. Origin and the
Consummation can also be translated as the beginning
and end. For us then, archonics is the architecture of the
possible.
Paul said, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has
come (2 Cor. 5:17). God calls us by faith to give ourselves
to these new possibilities and to be social architects to
shape the future through originality, creativity, vision and
leadership.
Archon appears elsewhere in Scripture as well. In
Revelation 3:14 Christ uses archon again to refer to himself
as the Origin of Gods Creation or Gods Creative
Original. In Colossians 1:16-17, Paul says of Christ, all
things were created through him and for him. He is before
all things, and in him all things hold together.
Eschatology tells us how the reign of the First Adam was
brought to an end. Archonology, on the other hand, tells us
how the reign of the last Adam began and was
consummated in the appearing of Jesus, the Second Man
from heaven Jesus Christ, God come in the flesh.
Throughout the Bible, eschatology counted down to the
end; archonology counts up from the beginning.
Eschatology deals with the end of Israels story; archonology
with the beginning of the human story as redeemed in
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VIEW 433
Christ. The story of the Bible is the story of transformation,
of being elevated from the world of sin to the world of
grace. Now we have the awesome privilege of exploring the
divine limits of human potential!
Just as Max King has led the fulfilled Bible prophecy
world into the study of eschatology that dealt with the
consummation of the Old Covenant, my aim is to join with
you in moving humanity into the study of archonology and
the commencement of the New Covenant in a world
without end (Eph. 3:21).

Join a Grassroots Movement
For nearly twenty centuries the Bible has been a fulfilled
book, and redemption a finished work. We, more than any
generation since the apostles, have the insight and the
resources to understand its full message. This is not to say
that organized religion will grasp the message of The Spirit of
Prophecy any time soon.
Institutions are often self-protecting and preoccupied
with the past and in extending their own self-interests for
the future. We must keep in mind that God created us as
human beings and far too often our institutionalized gospel
has coerced us into a system of doing. Institutionalism is not
likely to be the carrier vehicle of this good news that sets
people free. Grassroots movements, on the other hand, can
be free of religious dogma and work through real
relationships that focus on being.
Christ did not die on the cross for organized religion. He
did not suffer for sectarianism. He died on the cross and rose
from the dead that we might share in his life in this life. This
world is not going to be okay because religion will change.
It will be okay because we change. It will be okay because we
discover the fullness of Gods presence and allow it to flow
through us.
There is no hierarchy in Gods kingdom. Every person is
valuable, made in the image of God. And the full expression
of that faith is not just to be found on Sundays it is found
from Monday to Saturday, in homes, in schools and in
workplaces. Transmillennialism must never be associated
with any group that seeks to lead the masses rather than
walk with them. It must forever remain a movement of God
among the people, regardless of what secondary creeds,
denominations, or confessions we follow.
I invite you to join head, heart and hand in this
movement called Transmillennialism. We need what you
can bring in this new day the Lord has made. We are all
partners equals. Together we can build the civilizations of
tomorrow that bring honor and glory to God.
Thanks for making the journey let us hear how we
might continue to serve with you in this grassroots
movement.
,./
1. Why have books like The Late Great Planet Earth and the Left
Behind series been so popular? How does The Spirit of Prophecy
compare or contrast to these books?
2. How did Christianity develop, such that there are various
eschatological positions, such as pre-, a- or post-
millennialism? What is at stake in ones eschatological
position?
3. How does Tim King define the Transmillennial view? How
does this compare or contrast to other millennialisms?
THE TRANSMILLENNIAL

VIEW 435
4. What lessons, if any, can you take from Max Kings example
in studying and sharing the Transmillennial view?
5. What does it mean for God to dwell with humanity? How
can a fulfilled understanding of prophecy help us in
Recovering Humanitys Hope?
6. What is Archonology? Why do we need to balance the
study of last things with the study of first things?

Index of Scriptures
Old Testament
Genesis
3:15........ 167, 173, 200
12:1-3 ........ 44, 65, 316
12:3.......................... 62
21:10........................ 58
22:17...................... 280
Exodus
19:4.......................... 17
20:1.......................... 23
23:19...................... 335
26............................. 31
27............................. 31
28-30........................ 35
Leviticus
23:10-11 .................. 99
25:1-10 .................... 85
Numbers
15:18-21 .................. 99
Dueteronomy
7:9.......................... 287
29:29...................... 293
Joshua
21:43-45 .................. 50
23:14........................ 50
Judges
5:28........................ 374
1 Samuel
8:7............................ 42
2 Samuel
7 ........................... 397
7:12-16 .................. 396
8:31.......................... 50
1 Kings
2:12.......................... 42
4:21.......................... 50
17........................... 312
2 Kings
4 ........................... 312
23:29-30 ................ 276
1 Chronicles
22:6-10 .................... 39
29:23........................ 42
2 Chronicles
20:36...................... 277
22........................... 276
36:22-23 .................. 86
Ezra
6:3-8 ........................ 86
7:7............................ 86
Nehemiah
2:1-8 ........................ 86
Psalm
2:6.......................... 109
18............. 14, 216, 307
18:7-15 .................... 15
23:4........................ 414
23:6................ 414, 429
74:2........................ 298
87:4-7 .................... 428
96:13...................... 252
102:25-28 .. 76, 81, 213,
296, 297
102:26...................... 76
102:28...................... 76
132:11-14 .............. 404
Ecclesiastes
12:14...................... 288
INDEX OF SCRIPTURES 437
Isaiah
2:19........................ 296
2:2.......................... 324
2:2-3 ...................... 151
2:2-4 .............. 284, 285
4:2............................ 36
9:6-7 ................ 41, 400
10:3........................ 304
13..................... 16, 216
13:1.......................... 17
13:4-13 .................... 16
13:9-10 .................. 150
13:17-19 .................. 17
24........................... 324
24:19-20 ................ 326
24:23...... 235, 324, 326
25........... 235, 324, 346
25:6........................ 325
25:6-9 .................... 325
25:7........................ 325
25:8........ 235, 325, 326
25:9........................ 326
26:19...................... 327
34........................... 283
34:1-10 .................. 282
34:4................ 299, 300
34:10...................... 300
35:10...................... 352
45:17...................... 112
50........................... 355
51:4-6 .................... 283
51:6................ 112, 298
54:1-3 ...................... 63
65:12-14 ................ 283
65:17.... 71, 72, 81, 105,
245, 261, 300, 326,
327
65:17-18 ................ 326
65:17-19 .... 71, 81, 105
65:18.................. 71, 72
66:22.......... 45, 71, 339
Jeremiah
3 ........................... 355
8:20........................ 429
8:22........................ 429
30:7................ 132, 257
33:15-18 ............ 36, 38
Lamentations
3 ........................... 397
Ezekiel
21:27................ 43, 234
36:24-28 ................ 106
37... 107, 281, 310, 328,
329, 348
37:10...................... 328
37:11...................... 328
37:11-14 ................ 328
37:23...................... 329
37:24................ 33, 329
37:25...................... 329
37:26...................... 329
37:26-27 ................ 330
37:26-28 ................ 118
37:28...................... 330
37:4........................ 328
38................... 279, 280
39................... 279, 280
44:30...................... 335
Daniel ....... 129, 376, 377,
378, 409
2 ........... 152, 230, 243
2:44.. 42, 152, 153, 195,
222, 223, 228, 429
2:44-45 .................. 222
7 ... 152, 243, 258, 259
7:9.......................... 233
7:9-11 .................... 377
7:10........................ 378
7:13.............. 153, 231,
232, 377, 378
7:13-14 .......... 153, 231
7:17-22 .................. 230
Daniel , continued
7:17-28 .................. 381
7:18........ 112, 152, 378
7:18-27 .................. 378
7:19-21 .................. 152
7:21-22 .. 152, 177, 193,
223, 229, 240, 248,
259, 362, 364, 377,
387
7:22 162, 206, 230, 378
7:22-23 .................. 206
7:23-27 .................. 195
7:25........................ 230
7:27........ 223, 230, 240
8:10........................ 300
8:26........................ 127
8:27........................ 112
9:11........................ 105
9:16........................ 106
9:24...... 85, 91, 98, 107,
171, 327, 328, 347,
378, 379, 406, 409
9:24-27 ..... 85, 91, 327,
378, 406, 409
9:25........................ 380
9:26.. 91, 118, 171, 175,
288, 295, 377, 378,
379, 380, 381, 408,
409
9:26-27 .. 176, 288, 377,
378, 381, 408, 409
9:26a...................... 380
9:26b...................... 380
9:27...... 84, 91, 97, 171,
175, 263, 380, 381
11:31........................ 84
12:1-2 .................... 327
12:13...................... 378
12:2........................ 378
12:4.................. 72, 127
12:9.......... 72, 327, 376
12:9-13 .................. 327
Hosea
13:11.................. 40, 42
13:14...... 235, 320, 323,
326, 345
Joel
2 ... 142, 143, 144, 149,
150, 174, 175
2:11........................ 132
2:28-32 .................. 142
2:31 150, 174, 213, 236,
324
2:31-32 .................. 324
3 ........... 174, 279, 281
3:1-2 ...................... 277
3:3.......................... 266
3:12................ 174, 273
3:12-17 .................. 273
3:14-17 .................. 110
3:15........................ 175
3:16-21 .................. 175
3:17................ 110, 296
3:18-21 .................. 273
3:19........................ 280
3:21........................ 263
Amos
9:11............ 32, 51, 298
9:11-12 .................... 51
9:15.......................... 51
Micah
7:18-20 .................. 111
Haggai
2:6.................. 229, 295
Zechariah
2 ........................... 176
2:7.......................... 280
6:12.......................... 36
6:12-13 ........ 37, 38, 40
12:9-11 .................. 277
13:8-9 ............ 260, 263
14........... 176, 305, 411
Zechariah, continued
14:1........................ 176
14:4........................ 411
14:5........................ 177
14:6........................ 177
14:7................ 177, 305
14:8........................ 177
Malachi
3:1-3 .............. 261, 284
3:2.......................... 263
3:3-4 ...................... 263
3:5-6 ...................... 263
4:1.................. 262, 263
4:1-3 .............. 283, 284
4:2.......................... 412
4:3.......................... 412
4:5.................. 132, 262

New Testament
Matthew
2:1-10 .................... 133
3:2.......................... 184
3:9............................ 81
3:11-12 .......... 268, 284
3:12............ 78, 99, 214
5:5.... 51, 147, 229, 260,
365, 366, 370, 403
5:17-18 .. 108, 356, 403
6:19........................ 253
8:11-12 .......... 367, 405
9:5-6 ...................... 312
9:16........................ 299
11:14...................... 262
12:32...................... 131
12:39-40 ................ 313
13........................... 271
13:24...................... 270
13:24-30 ................ 269
13:37-43 .. 99, 127, 270,
274, 334
13:38...................... 271
13:40...... 131, 214, 239,
271, 366, 406
13:40-43 ................ 406
13:41260, 270, 275, 387
13:41-43 ................ 260
13:43.............. 101, 270
13:49...................... 366
16:27 42, 152, 163, 177,
195, 226
16:27-28 .. 42, 152, 153,
163, 170, 171, 177,
180, 195, 222, 226,
256
16:28................ 11, 181
17:10-13 ................ 262
17:11-12 ................ 262
19:27-30 ........ 244, 245
19:28...... 107, 178, 198,
246, 247, 248, 380
20:28...................... 321
21:33-44 ................ 208
21:40-44 ................ 211
21:43...... 209, 270, 275,
360, 387, 405, 406
22:2-8 ............ 209, 358
22:2-14 .................. 325
22:7 209, 211, 280, 303,
359, 371, 381, 406
22:7-8 .... 209, 211, 406
22:8................ 209, 359
22:11-12 ................ 360
23........................... 358
23:32...................... 202
23:33...................... 179
23:34-35 ................ 382
23:34-39 .......... 92, 403
23:35-36 .................. 94
23:35-38 .................. 98
23:36...................... 179
23:36-39 ................ 381
Matthew, continued
24................ 73, 74, 75,
78, 92, 93, 95, 98,
159, 176, 179, 243,
298, 305, 354, 358
24:1-3 ........ 74, 81, 118
24:1-35 .................... 81
24:3 174, 177, 181, 190,
216, 226, 231, 298,
305, 359, 371, 406
24:4-14 .................... 75
24:5........................ 164
24:8-12 .................. 188
24:10-13 ................ 190
24:12-13 ................ 161
24:13162, 163, 198, 336
24:14...... 131, 146, 157,
161, 181, 182, 184,
212, 226, 234, 239,
262, 274, 298, 304,
335, 336, 354, 359,
378, 379, 401, 406
24:14-34 ................ 161
24:15.... 84, 92, 98, 175,
176, 377, 381, 382,
409
24:15-16 .......... 84, 176
24:15-22 .................. 84
24:15-35 .................. 75
24:21...................... 378
24:21-22 ................ 384
24:22-24 ................ 190
24:23...................... 384
24:24.............. 160, 193
24:27...................... 411
24:27-28 ................ 176
24:28................ 75, 412
24:29...... 110, 121, 151,
174, 213, 236, 273,
300, 324
24:29-34 ................ 174
24:29-35 ................ 324
24:29-41 ................ 121
24:30...... 177, 216, 226,
231, 268, 353, 361,
366, 377, 378, 398,
402, 408
24:30-34 ................ 398
24:31...... 190, 361, 381
24:34.. 75, 79, 108, 134,
146, 157, 174, 181,
298, 304, 354, 359,
366, 371, 377, 403,
409
24:34-35 108, 298, 354
24:35........ 75, 118, 157
24:36 95, 173, 177, 203,
205, 305, 382
24:43...................... 218
25:30-46 ................ 246
25:31...... 107, 180, 243,
244, 246, 274, 275,
283, 364, 366, 378
25:31-34 ................ 364
25:31-46 274, 275, 283
25:34...... 162, 178, 206,
229, 233, 248, 265,
275, 361, 362, 367,
387, 403
25:41.............. 265, 275
26:28...................... 329
26:64...... 176, 216, 231,
232, 361, 386
27:51...................... 117
28:18-20 ................ 181
28:20.............. 401, 404
Mark
1:14-15 .................. 229
1:15.......................... 42
8:22-25 .................. 430
9:1.. 163, 177, 222, 224,
226, 256
Mark, continued
10:30.............. 131, 367
13:14-20 .................. 84
13:30...................... 371
16:15-16 ................ 181
16:17-18 ................ 148
Luke
1:17........................ 262
1:32-33 .................... 41
1:33........ 323, 400, 430
2:11........................ 316
2:25........................ 316
2:37........................ 375
2:38........................ 316
4 ............................. 13
8:41-56 .................. 312
9:26-27 .......... 180, 222
11:36...................... 411
12:49........ 78, 157, 214
15........................... 310
15:32...................... 310
17:20................ 17, 315
17:20-21 ................ 315
17:26-31 ................ 342
17:37........................ 75
18:30...................... 367
19:12-27 228, 240, 381
19:14...... 270, 271, 386,
405, 406
19:27...................... 406
19:41-44 ............ 90, 94
19:43........................ 94
20:34-36 ................ 368
20:36...................... 368
21........................... 408
21:20...................... 179
21:21...................... 179
21:22 93, 108, 112, 179,
283, 319, 347, 349,
351, 353, 356, 370,
371, 404
21:24.............. 234, 407
21:25-26 ................ 229
21:25-28 ................ 403
21:27...................... 171
21:27-28 ........ 101, 385
21:27-32 ........ 163, 408
21:28...... 121, 162, 175,
198, 204, 229, 313,
364, 402, 403
21:31...... 152, 153, 177,
195, 204, 206, 229,
313, 364, 377, 378,
383, 403
21:31-32 171, 364, 377,
403
21:32...... 229, 313, 371
21:33...................... 378
21:36...................... 163
24:45-49 ................ 181
24:46-47 ................ 178
John
1:17.................... 22, 28
3:1-6 ...................... 405
3:36.......................... 53
4:22................ 316, 346
4:24.......................... 50
5 ........................... 331
5:25........ 331, 332, 333
5:25-29 .................. 331
5:27.......................... 36
5:28................ 332, 336
5:29................ 332, 336
6:35........................ 314
6:39-40 .................. 164
6:44........................ 164
6:51........................ 314
6:53-54 .................. 314
6:54........................ 164
6:62-63 .................... 18
6:63........................ 315
6:66........................ 315
John, continued
8:32.......................... 52
8:32-33 .................. 329
8:33.......................... 45
8:34-36 .................. 329
8:39-40 .................. 405
8:44........................ 271
8:51........ 368, 401, 429
10:27-28 .................. 51
10:28...................... 367
11:25.............. 333, 401
11:26.............. 333, 368
11:41-44 ................ 312
11:47-52 ................ 316
12:23-24 ................ 317
12:31...... 168, 234, 280
12:48...................... 285
13:20...................... 137
14:1.. 93, 123, 125, 172,
379, 381, 408
14:10-11 ................ 312
14:1-393, 123, 172, 379,
381
14:17...................... 408
14:3 190, 196, 229, 360
14:30...................... 280
16:33...................... 239
17:14.............. 112, 123
17:17........................ 23
17:24.............. 123, 361
18:36.......... 17, 18, 405
20:29...................... 215
21:19-23 ................ 180
21:22...................... 181
Acts
1:11........................ 176
1:4-8 ...................... 181
1:6-8 ...................... 225
1:6-9 ...................... 231
1:7.... 95, 173, 203, 383
1:8.................. 224, 225
2 ............ 13, 144, 145,
149, 150
2:16........ 142, 143, 324
2:16-17 .................. 142
2:16-21 .................. 324
2:17................ 132, 142
2:20........................ 132
2:22-36 .................... 41
2:34-36 .................. 235
2:38........ 144, 145, 370
2:38-39 .......... 144, 145
2:39........................ 149
3:19-21 .... 93, 107, 109,
112, 178, 226, 263,
320, 326, 394
3:21.... 52, 93, 108, 198,
220, 248, 263, 310,
353, 356, 370, 379,
403, 404
3:24........................ 310
4:34-35 .................. 406
5:32........................ 147
7:47-50 .............. 39, 43
10:42...................... 255
11:17...................... 143
13:46...................... 109
14:22.............. 206, 223
229, 258
15....................... 32, 51
15:15-18 .................. 33
17:30-31 ................ 253
17:31252, 254, 255, 266
18:12...................... 264
18:16...................... 264
20:28...................... 363
23:6........................ 318
24:21...................... 318
26:22...................... 317
26:6-8 .................... 317
26:8........................ 323

Romans
3:21-22 .................. 342
3:23........................ 103
4:13.. 45, 52, 64, 65, 70,
71, 72, 77, 110, 145,
146, 365, 366, 402,
413
4:17-21 .................... 61
5:10................ 338, 340
6 ... 311, 321, 337, 338,
340, 343
6:1-5 ...................... 348
6:3-5 ...................... 339
6:3-6 ...................... 337
6:4.......................... 337
6:5.................. 338, 340
6:6.......................... 337
6:6-8 ...................... 340
6:7-9 ...................... 337
6:8.......... 241, 338, 340
6:9-11 .................... 321
6:10........................ 314
6:14 237, 321, 322, 339
6:14-15 .................. 237
6:15........................ 361
7 ........... 102, 236, 356
7:4.. 322, 337, 355, 356
7:6............................ 62
7:7-14 .................... 236
7:9-11 .................... 102
7:12.......... 23, 122, 393
7:12-14 .................. 103
7:14........................ 157
7:24 103, 237, 338, 340
7:24-25 .................. 103
7:25........................ 338
8 ........... 311, 337, 343
8:1-3 ........................ 46
8:2.... 40, 103, 104, 162,
198, 338, 341, 343,
363, 381, 385, 402
8:3.................. 236, 239
8:9-11 .................... 338
8:10................ 339, 340
8:10-11 .................. 339
8:11................ 339, 340
8:16-17 .................. 365
8:17-18 .................. 241
8:17-19 .................. 380
8:18....... 126, 336, 340,
341, 343, 365, 385
8:18-19 .................. 385
8:18-23 .......... 101, 126
8:19 101, 198, 245, 270,
341, 346
8:19-21 .................. 346
8:19-22 .................. 101
8:20........ 102, 103, 341
8:20-21 .................. 341
8:21........................ 104
8:22........................ 341
8:22-23 .................. 104
8:23....... 126, 162, 198,
338, 341, 348, 361,
362, 363, 368, 381,
385, 402
8:23-25 .................. 338
8:29........................ 343
8:37........................ 239
9:3-5 ........................ 46
9:6-9 ........................ 46
9:27-28 .................. 184
10:12...................... 142
10:18................ 75, 182
11................... 318, 320
11:1-2 .................... 345
11:2....... 109, 175, 198,
236, 261, 319, 320,
326, 329, 336, 394,
406
11:5........................ 260
11:11...................... 319
Romans, continued
11:12.............. 319, 320
11:15319, 320, 323, 346
11:17...................... 346
11:25...... 109, 319, 394
11:25-27 ................ 109
11:26...... 175, 198, 236,
261, 319, 326, 329,
336, 394
11:26-27 175, 198, 326,
329, 336, 394
11:27...................... 319
11:28.............. 320, 406
11:29.............. 320, 326
11:30-32 ................ 320
11:33...................... 252
12:10...................... 264
12:11...................... 264
13:11...................... 411
13:11-12 ................ 198
13:12.............. 204, 306
14:10...................... 264
14:17...................... 368
14:9-10 .................. 255
15:8................ 332, 346
15:9........................ 320
16:20.............. 200, 365
16:25...................... 213
1 Corinthians
1:30........................ 237
1:7.......................... 385
1:7-8 .............. 201, 210
1:8.......................... 336
3:12-15 .................. 259
3:15........................ 264
3:16-17 .................. 415
4:5.................. 210, 380
5:12........................ 334
5:12-18 .................. 334
6:2.......... 247, 264, 380
6:4.......................... 264
7:26-31 .................. 378
7:27-31 .................. 189
7:29 156, 306, 335, 365
7:29-31 .......... 335, 385
7:31................ 156, 306
10:11...... 139, 140, 160,
378, 385
11:26.............. 401, 404
11:3........................ 209
12........................... 143
12:13...................... 340
12:4........................ 144
13:10...... 112, 144, 204,
347, 365, 370, 394
13:10-13 ................ 365
13:11.............. 144, 204
13:11-13 ................ 144
13:12.............. 204, 411
13:8........................ 149
13:9........................ 204
13:9-13 .................. 362
15... 311, 334, 337, 344,
345, 348, 378
15:12.............. 323, 326
334, 345
15:13...................... 345
15:14...................... 345
15:17...................... 346
15:20...................... 309
15:21-26 ................ 394
15:22.............. 102, 112
15:23...................... 309
15:23-24 ................ 406
15:24........ 43, 131, 234
239, 268, 323, 332,
346, 400, 406
15:24-28 ........ 234, 268
15:25...... 322, 346, 387,
401, 404, 412
15:25-26 ................ 346
15:26.............. 235, 280
1 Corinthians, continued
15:28...................... 237
15:29...................... 100
15:44...................... 363
15:46...................... 364
15:47...................... 420
15:50................ 18, 368
15:51-53 ................ 346
15:54...................... 325
15:54-57 ................ 235
15:55-56 ................ 347
15:55-57 ................ 323
15:57............. 237, 290,
333, 347
2 Corinthians
1:20.... 53, 55, 396, 415
1:21-22 .................. 381
1:22........................ 144
1:5.......................... 336
1:6.......................... 336
3:12........................ 338
3:13-16 ............ 44, 325
3:13-18 .................. 204
3:18........................ 309
3:19........................ 343
3:6.................... 62, 393
3:7.......... 280, 289, 322
3:7-8 ...................... 123
3:7-9 ...................... 236
4:17................ 336, 365
4:17-18 .................. 365
4:3-4 ...................... 167
4:6.......................... 340
5 ........... 124, 125, 126
5:1.......... 124, 125, 126
158, 197, 263, 265,
325, 335, 342, 348,
370, 415, 432
5:1-3 ...................... 197
5:1-4 ...................... 335
5:1-5126, 325, 342, 370
5:1-10 ............ 124, 348
5:2-5 ...................... 126
5:5.................. 264, 335
5:7.......................... 265
5:10........................ 263
5:17................ 158, 432
6:16.................. 39, 415
11:2........ 354, 371, 381
Galatians
1:4.......................... 136
1:6.......................... 190
2:16.................. 45, 302
2:18........................ 347
2:21........................ 347
3:1-3 ...................... 350
3:2.... 47, 148, 322, 347,
366, 370, 395, 402
3:3...................... 40, 62
3:5.......................... 148
3:10-13 .................. 104
3:16.... 44, 46, 275, 370
3:16-19 .................. 104
3:16-29 .................. 275
3:18.......................... 45
3:19........ 297, 352, 393
3:21-29 .................. 322
3:22-24 .................. 347
3:24.......................... 47
3:26-29 ...... 44, 62, 146
370, 395
3:27................ 366, 402
3:28-29 .................. 370
3:29.................. 77, 366
4 ........... 30, 48, 54, 56
71, 78, 81, 98, 156,
214, 302
4:3.. 47, 60, 61, 81, 156,
395
4:4.......................... 160
4:5.......................... 361
4:9.......................... 395
Galatians, continued
4:19........................ 343
4:21.. 45, 137, 249, 370,
379, 392
4:21-31 .. 29, 45, 57, 81,
249, 370, 379, 392
4:23.......................... 60
4:24.......................... 54
4:25.......................... 48
4:26.......................... 67
4:28-29 .................... 59
4:29.......................... 61
4:30.......................... 60
4:31.......................... 81
5:1........ 52, 58, 61, 336
5:11........................ 336
5:5.................. 338, 342
6:15-16 .................... 47
Ephesians
1:4.................... 76, 361
1:7.......................... 402
1:10................ 190, 198
289, 350, 404
1:13-14 .......... 363, 381
1:14........ 122, 144, 162
198, 363, 365, 402
1:21........ 131, 135, 139
2:6.......................... 139
2:12................ 270, 275
2:19-22 ...... 37, 39, 415
3:3............................ 63
3:5-6 ........................ 63
3:21.... 52, 76, 138, 173,
201, 399, 404, 414,
433
4:11-16 .................. 362
5:25-27 .. 209, 355, 381
6:12........................ 406
6:13................ 188, 383
Philippians
3 ........................... 341
3:2.................. 344, 406
3:4-6 ...................... 406
3:4-8 ...................... 343
3:7.......................... 341
3:8.................. 341, 342
3:9.................. 341, 342
3:10-11 .................. 342
3:12................ 343, 344
3:14........................ 343
3:16........................ 343
3:18................ 344, 406
3:20................ 139, 342
3:21........ 343, 348, 385
Colossians
1:6.... 75, 182, 304, 335
1:16-17 .................. 432
1:18........................ 332
1:23.. 75, 182, 304, 335
1:28........................ 381
2:8.......................... 214
2:10.......................... 52
2:16-17 .................... 28
2:20........................ 214
3:1-4 ...................... 361
3:3-4 ...................... 241
3:4.......... 101, 177, 210
270, 380
1 Thessalonians
1:14-16 .................. 202
1:9-10 .... 201, 202, 385
2:14-16 ............ 60, 207
3:13........................ 210
4:17................ 190, 361
5:1.. 202, 203, 225, 226,
383
5:1-4 .............. 202, 203
5:2.................. 132, 218
5:3.......................... 410
5:4............ 78, 186, 187
204, 383, 385
5:10........................ 361
2 Thessalonians . 190, 195,
208
1:3-10 .................... 206
1:4-10 ...................... 60
1:4-5 ...................... 206
1:6-10 .................... 385
1:6-7 ...................... 207
1:7-10 .................... 209
1:7-9 ................ 93, 280
1:8.......................... 214
1:9.......................... 210
2:1.... 93, 123, 187, 190,
381
2:1-2 ...................... 187
2:2.......................... 186
2:3.......................... 187
2:4.......................... 193
2:7.......................... 194
2:8-9 ...................... 380
1 Timothy
2:6.......................... 321
3:15.......................... 40
4:1.................. 161, 193
4:1-3 ...................... 193
6:13-14 .................. 210
6:14 163, 176, 195, 386
6:14-15 .. 163, 176, 195
6:15................ 211, 386
2 Timothy
1:9.................... 76, 213
1:10........................ 211
2:10-12 .......... 217, 241
2:11-12 .. 163, 177, 247
2:12........................ 211
2:18........................ 344
3:1-5 .............. 161, 193
3:12-13 .................. 161
4:1.. 177, 195, 206, 211,
223, 233, 251, 252,
253, 255, 256, 310
4:8.................. 211, 233
Titus
1:2.......................... 213
3:5.......... 244, 246, 247
Hebrews....................... 35
1:1-2 ...................... 138
1:2.................. 133, 136
1:7.......................... 297
1:8.... 36, 213, 237, 297,
323, 400
1:8-12 ............ 213, 297
1:10-12 ............ 76, 296
1:13........................ 235
2:2.......................... 297
2:3.......................... 137
2:4.......................... 148
2:5.. 124, 135, 297, 366,
403
2:8.......................... 297
3 ........................... 403
3:1-6 ...................... 343
3:5............................ 28
3:6.......................... 336
3:14........................ 336
4 ........................... 403
4:1.................. 196, 404
4:1-2 ...................... 404
4:8-9 ...................... 403
5:12........................ 302
6:1-6 ...................... 336
6:1-12 .................... 184
6:4-6 ...................... 136
6:5.. 124, 139, 366, 403
6:7-8 ...................... 274
6:19-20 .................. 196
7:1................ 35, 37, 38
7:11........................ 122
7:13-14 .............. 37, 38
7:21.......................... 36
7:24.......................... 36
7:27........................ 117
8:1-2 .................. 29, 38
Hebrews, continued
8:2............................ 33
8:4...................... 37, 38
8:5...................... 24, 28
8:6-13 .................... 329
8:8-10 .................... 330
8:13...... 47, 68, 76, 125,
136, 145, 204, 249,
298, 370
9 ................... 113, 195
9:1.... 32, 114, 118, 124,
178, 387
9:1-7 ...................... 114
9:8.......... 114, 117, 196
9:9.......................... 115
9:9-10 ...................... 31
9:9-11 .............. 27, 108
9:9-15 .................... 116
9:10.......................... 24
9:11.. 19, 26, 28, 31, 32,
118, 122, 125, 178
9:15................ 387, 394
9:23.......................... 24
9:23-24 .................... 39
9:24.............. 27, 29, 32
9:26........ 159, 165, 331
9:28........ 109, 117, 172
196, 198
10........................... 195
10:1.............. 19, 23, 28
39, 120, 125, 136,
196, 297, 406, 408
10:3.. 38, 122, 196, 197,
198
10:3-4 ...................... 38
10:10...................... 408
10:11........................ 19
10:13136, 235, 297, 406
10:14........................ 39
10:19...................... 125
10:19, 22-23 .......... 196
10:19-25 ................ 120
10:22-23 ................ 125
10:23...................... 215
10:23-25 ................ 196
10:25.............. 196, 383
10:25-31 ........ 256, 257
10:26-34 ................ 120
10:32-36 ................ 196
10:32-39 .................. 60
10:35-39 ................ 120
10:37...... 197, 198, 215
10:37-39 ................ 198
10:38-39 ................ 197
11:8-16 .............. 66, 67
11:10.................. 67, 99
11:11........................ 61
11:14........................ 67
11:15........................ 67
11:16...... 67, 69, 71, 99,
110, 403
11:39-40 ................ 394
11:40........................ 99
12................. 47, 49, 68
69, 71, 76, 110, 153,
229, 294, 295, 366
12:18.......... 47, 69, 403
12:18-28 ................ 403
12:18-29 .................. 69
12:22 47, 49, 58, 67, 71,
99, 350, 428
12:23...................... 335
12:25-28 .................. 69
12:26-28 .. 48, 273, 294,
295
12:28.... 52, 70, 76, 153,
195, 229, 230, 350,
365, 370, 387, 412
12:29...................... 214
James
1:18.......... 99, 309, 332
2:6.......................... 264
James, continued
5:1-6 ...................... 184
5:7.................. 184, 274
5:7-9 ...................... 251
5:8.. 169, 184, 186, 201,
306, 351, 378, 398,
402
5:9.......................... 307
1 Peter
1:3-4 ...................... 402
1:3-5 .............. 147, 162
1:4.......... 122, 366, 370
1:5.......... 162, 165, 197
198, 212
1:6-13 .................... 163
1:9.................. 170, 212
1:9-11 .................... 170
1:9-13 .................... 197
1:10-13 .................. 350
1:11........ 233, 353, 370
1:13 163, 211, 212, 239
1:20.. 76, 160, 165, 213
1:23.................... 44, 62
2:5................ 35, 38, 39
2:9............................ 35
4:16-19 .................. 258
4:5.................. 253, 255
4:5-6 ...................... 255
4:7.... 71, 131, 157, 182,
201, 212, 234, 239,
258, 306, 319, 336,
351, 366, 378
2 Peter
1:10-11 .................. 223
1:11 153, 162, 206, 229,
258, 329, 378
1:19........ 177, 199, 411
2:1.......................... 193
2:5.......................... 213
3 ............................. 77
3:1-3 ...................... 191
3:2.......................... 193
3:3.......................... 160
3:6.......................... 213
3:7.......................... 214
3:8.................. 185, 287
3:9............ 93, 184, 280
360, 379
3:9-13 .................... 280
3:10...... 78, 79, 80, 132,
157, 212, 214, 218,
245, 292, 294, 301
3:10-12 .......... 245, 294
3:10-14 .................. 212
3:10-15 .................. 157
3:12........................ 301
3:13...... 67, 71, 80, 106,
111, 121, 145, 162,
229, 241, 260, 325,
342, 366, 402
3:13, 14.................... 80
3:14........................ 215
3:15.. 93, 184, 215, 379
3:17........................ 160
1 John
2:15-17 .......... 156, 395
2:15-18 .......... 157, 158
2:17........................ 157
2:17-18 .................. 335
2:18........ 154, 159, 162
164, 182, 191, 201,
266, 307, 409
2:22........................ 191
2:8.......................... 139
3:1-2 ...................... 360
3:2.................. 101, 203
3:5-6, 9 .................... 77
3:6-9 ........................ 45
4:1-5 ...................... 240
4:3.......................... 191
5:3.......................... 191
5:11........................ 367
1 John, continued
5:11-12 .................... 53
2 John
7 ........................... 191
Jude
17-18.............. 160, 193
Revelation........ 33, 34, 95
98, 129, 168, 173,
188, 200, 209, 215,
216, 231, 240, 255,
265, 281, 306, 351,
359, 372, 374, 376,
377, 378, 381, 382,
383, 386, 388, 389,
398, 413, 422
1 ........................... 153
1:1...... 34, 72, 232, 254,
306, 376, 387
1:3...... 34, 72, 184, 254,
266, 306, 376, 386
1:7.. 176, 216, 231, 232,
254, 268, 361, 377,
378
1:7-8 ...................... 238
1:10........................ 254
1:12-15 .................. 232
1:18................ 289, 387
2 ................... 247, 259
2:7.................. 239, 383
2:10........................ 384
2:11........................ 250
2:14........................ 279
2:17................ 239, 383
2:20........................ 280
2:24-29 .......... 199, 239
2:25........................ 401
2:25-26 .......... 247, 404
2:25-28 .. 217, 223, 401
2:25-29 .. 287, 384, 399,
404, 406
2:26...239, 240, 383, 400
3:3.... 78, 205, 218, 305,
383
3:5.......................... 383
3:10-11 .................. 385
3:12........................ 383
3:14........................ 432
3:21........ 239, 247, 268
361, 383, 404
6 ........................... 174
6:9-11 .................... 383
6:9-17 .................... 192
6:12........ 110, 132, 151
236, 254, 276, 282
6:12-14 .................. 282
6:12-17 .......... 254, 276
6:13........................ 300
6:14........................ 299
6:15-17 .................. 296
6:17.. 93, 132, 188, 263
7:1.................. 184, 280
7:1-4 ................ 94, 184
7:3.......................... 381
10:6.................. 97, 378
10:6-7 ...................... 97
10:7........ 113, 129, 216
373, 389, 414
10:10...................... 381
11..... 72, 153, 206, 211,
231, 233, 234, 235,
254, 259, 265, 270,
361, 364, 372, 377,
378, 381, 387, 400
11:1-2 .................... 381
11:3-7 .............. 96, 381
11:8................ 265, 382
11:15...... 153, 177, 206,
211, 224, 231, 233,
234, 235, 243, 254,
268, 270, 361, 364,
377, 378, 387, 400,
428
Revelation, continued
11:15-17 153, 177, 211,
235
11:15-18 224, 231, 243
11:15-19 ................ 268
11:18.............. 254, 378
12........................... 382
12:1-2 .................... 381
12:7-10 .................. 200
12:7-11 .................. 234
12:10...................... 153
12:11...................... 242
12:12...................... 168
12:18...................... 381
13... 152, 177, 192, 230,
258, 259, 267, 375,
383
13:1 188, 189, 192, 378
13:1-7 ............ 378, 381
13:1-10 .................. 189
13:7................ 188, 230
13:11-18 ................ 192
14................... 152, 177
14:1-5 .... 189, 259, 332
14:4................ 309, 381
14:6................ 209, 259
14:6-11 .................. 266
14:6-20 .................. 259
14:7........................ 266
14:8-20 .................. 211
14:11...................... 283
14:14-20 ........ 272, 274
15........................... 177
15:1-4 .................... 189
15:2-4 .................... 260
16........................... 279
16:15........ 78, 174, 218
16:15-16 ........ 174, 218
16:16-21 ................ 276
16:18.............. 218, 296
16:18-21 ................ 218
16:19...................... 158
17................... 189, 219
17:1-7 .................... 195
17:5........................ 382
17:16-18 ................ 195
18........................... 189
18:2 377, 378, 382, 394
18:4................ 257, 395
18:7................ 356, 394
18:8........................ 356
18:18...................... 283
18:24...................... 382
19........................... 355
19:1-3 .................... 359
19:1-6 .................... 377
19:1-8 .................... 406
19:1-10 .................. 355
19:3........................ 283
19:7 190, 209, 211, 325,
356, 359, 381
19:7-8 .... 190, 209, 381
19:7-9 ............ 211, 325
19:8........................ 342
19:10...... 1, 13, 20, 112
19:15...................... 272
19:15-16 ................ 211
19:16...................... 386
19:20...................... 191
20........................... 287
20:1-6 ............ 286, 378
20:1-10 .................. 279
20:4........................ 383
20:4-15 .......... 248, 254
20:5................ 281, 336
20:5-6 .................... 281
20:7-10 .................. 276
20:8-10 .................. 286
20:10.............. 168, 201
20:11...... 118, 157, 201,
235, 254, 280, 288,
297, 327, 380, 404
Revelation, continued
20:11-15 ........ 285, 288
20:12...................... 288
20:13...................... 289
20:14...................... 387
21............... 71, 81, 106
110, 119, 249, 355,
357, 359, 366, 427,
428
21:1........ 121, 229, 402
21:1-2 ...... 72, 145, 245
280, 311, 404, 406
21:1-3 .............. 34, 413
21:1-4 ............ 118, 358
21:1-5 .................... 325
21:1-7 .................... 162
21:2................ 381, 407
21:3................ 290, 330
21:4 105, 236, 347, 369
21:5 209, 214, 238, 299
21:6................ 177, 238
21:7........ 178, 366, 370
21:9-10 .................. 358
21:10-11 ................ 335
21:16...................... 119
21:23-25 ................ 177

22........................... 382
22:1........................ 177
22:1-5 .................... 323
22:3........................ 105
22:6................ 218, 376
22:6-7 .................... 218
22:7........................ 377
22:10........ 72, 127, 181
307, 376, 377
22:10-12 .......... 97, 181
22:11...................... 340
22:12...... 171, 226, 377
22:12-21 ................ 254
22:13...................... 432
22:15...................... 430
22:17...................... 389
22:20........ 97, 201, 377

About the Author
In the early 1960s Max King began to restudy traditional
eschatology in an attempt to more accurately understand
Jesus within the scope of his historical setting. He wrote The
Spirit of Prophecy in 1971, followed by two published debates
in 73 and 75, along with a comprehensive treatment on
covenant eschatology in 1987, The Cross and Parousia of
Christ. From 1989 to 1996 he edited The Living Presence
journal and convened the Annual Seminar on Covenant
Eschatology.
King was born in West Virginia in 1930. He began full-
time ministry in 1952 and served in various churches until
he retired from preaching in 1995. Since then he has
continued his research and writing ministry with Presence
Ministries International. Max and his wife Navella reside in
Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Max R. King The Spirit of Prophecy

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