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Covenant Eschatology - Spirit of the Word - Introductory Note - New Stuff
A Study of the Resurrection
Part 6
by Don K. PrestonTHE KINGDOM DOES NOT COME WITH OBSERVATION
As we have seen, the Jews desired a kingdom that was nationalistic and political--an outwardly observable kingdom. In Luke the Pharisees came to Jesus asking "when the kingdom of God would come" Lk. 17:20. Would the Pharisees who wanted a nationalistic kingdom not also expect a literalistic resurrection? Jesus responded "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will one say, `See here!' or `See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" Lk. 17:20-21.
Please observe that Jesus said the kingdom would not come with observation. Now here is a critical point: THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM AND THE RESURRECTION ARE CONCURRENT EVENTS!
In 2 Timothy 4:1 the apostle said "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." [See also Mat. 16:27-28; Mat. 25:31]. Now if the nature of the coming kingdom was "without observation" why are we supposed to think that the attendant resurrection, which would give entrance into that New World order, Lk. 20:27-38, would be of a different nature than the kingdom itself? Here then is help in understanding the vehement antagonism against Paul's doctrine of the resurrection.
The Pharisees had already rejected Jesus even though he offered them the kingdom. They rejected him because, while he offered what they ostensibly wanted, what he was truly offering was of a different nature than what they envisioned. It was no different with Paul. While he was offering them what they supposedly desired they discovered it was of a different nature than what they wanted. Thus their original defense of Paul, Acts 23, quickly turned into their damnation of Paul.
All of this manifestly demands that we understand the resurrection as a spiritual event and not physical. It comports perfectly with what we have seen about the "already-but-not-yet" aspect of the resurrection and it also agrees with the framework of deliverance from sin. Let us now return to the hope of Israel, the resurrection, in light of the "already-but-not-yet" and its spiritual nature.
To Paul, Israel's prophetic salvation hopes were summarized in one word--resurrection. In Romans 11:7 the apostle spoke of Israel's hope "Israel has not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." Israel's hope was the resurrection, but Paul said while Israel, the majority, had not obtained that hope, "the election hath obtained it." Follow us here.
The hope of Israel was the resurrection, Acts 26:6f. The elect, i.e. the remnant of Israel, had obtained the hope of Israel, Rom. 11:7. Therefore the elect, the remnant of Israel, had obtained the resurrection. [This is why they are called the firstfruits!] This agrees perfectly with our investigation of Philippians 3 above where Paul declared that he had already attained "to a degree" in the resurrection.
Is it not abundantly evident that the resurrection could not be a raising of dead physical bodies out of the ground? Paul was not saying that the remnant of Israel had been physically resurrected from the dead-- was he?
Lest it be argued that Paul is not thinking of the resurrection note vs. 15 where the apostle discusses the fate of Israel: "If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" Now if the acceptance of those cast off was "life from the dead" what was it that the "election" had received? Was it something different? No. The elect had received life from the dead! And when would Israel receive their "life from the dead"?
In Romans 11:25-27 Paul said Israel's salvation would be when "the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." This fullness of the Gentiles is not a mathematic number but a reference to the bringing of the Gentiles into full equality in Christ. Compare verses 11-12 to see that Paul's reference to fullness is speaking of a state of blessedness not numbers to be counted.
Israel's salvation would also be concurrent with the coming of the Lord, "There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" vs. 27.
Space forbids a full discussion of the coming of the Lord for the salvation of Israel but we would note this significant fact: Israel's salvation would come when Israel passed through the fire of God's judgment. Notice a brief examination of only three Old Testament predictions. Isaiah 2-4; Isaiah 65- 66; Zech. 12-14
1.] Isa. 2-4--In 4:3-4 Jehovah spoke of when he would cleanse Israel of her bloodguilt and wash away her filth. He would establish His tabernacle among them for a shelter. This would be "in that day" when the Branch of the Lord was glorified. Undeniably the "Branch" of the Lord is Christ.
When would "in that day" be? Following the antecedent references into chapter 3 and 2 several things become apparent. First, it would be a time of warfare, 3:25; when God would arise to judge Israel, 3:13-14. This would come because Jerusalem had provoked the Lord, 3:8f. It would be called the Day of the Lord, 2:12, when the wicked would flee to the mountains "to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the crags of the rugged rocks, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily" 2:10, 19, 20-21. Finally, these events would be "in the last days" when the kingdom of God would be established, 2:2ff.
This "Day of the Lord" cannot be speaking of an end of time scenario if men have time to flee to the mountains. It does comport well with Jesus' prediction of the time of Jerusalem's judgment in Matthew 24:15f, where he tells his own disciples to flee to the mountains for safety. But we are not left to doubt the application of Isaiah's prophecy.
In Luke 23:28-31 Jesus directly alludes to Isaiah's prophecy in a prediction of the coming judgment on Jerusalem in his generation! Now go back to Isaiah 4.
Isaiah, predicted the establishment of God's kingdom, the cleansing of her sin, and the establishment of God's tabernacle among men; this is all good news to be sure. How would it be accomplished? In the Day of the Lord and "by the spirit of judgment and by fire" 4:4. All this says is that Israel's salvation would come when Israel was judged! See Joel 2-3.
Note the correlation of Isaiah to the book of Revelation. In the Apocalypse we find the salvation of Israel, 7:4ff; 14:1-5. The kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of God and His saints, 11:15. The Tabernacle of God is established among men, 21:3f. Those written in the book are saved, cf. Isa. 4:2-4; Rev. 20; and all this happens when the city "where the Lord was crucified," 11:8, is destroyed. Now to our next passage.
2.] Isaiah 65-66--Both chapters speak of the blessedness of the coming "new heavens and earth" 65:17-19; 66:22. This is the "good news" of the fulfillment of Israel's salvation hopes. But there was also the "bad news" side.
Israel would fill the measure of her sin, 65:6-7; as a result "you shall leave your name as a curse to my chosen; for the Lord God shall slay you and call His servants by another name" 65:15. While this was true the remnant would be saved, 65:8-9. In 66:15f this judgment would be at the coming of the Lord "with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind to render His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire, for by fire and by His sword the Lord will judge all flesh." Since there would be evangelistic efforts after this coming of the Lord, 66:19f, this hardly suggests an end of time judgment.
Jesus said Israel would fill the measure of her sin and be destroyed in his generation, Mat. 23:29-31; and he described that event as his coming on the clouds with power and great glory, 24:29- 31. Thus, in Isaiah 65-66 we find the concept of Israel's salvation occurring at the coming of the Lord to consummate her salvation hopes through judgment.
The Old Israel of the Flesh would have served her purpose of bringing in the Messiah, Gal. 3:23ff; prefiguring and foreshadowing his work, Heb. 10:1f; of accentuating the futility of salvation by works and the despair of sin, Rom. 5:20-21. God would sweep away the external and carnal and fully establish the spiritual.
3.] Zechariah 12-14--The prophet foretold the time when "they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn" 12:10. But "in that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness" 13:1. This would be when God would "cause the prophet and unclean spirit to depart from the land," 13:2; and when the remnant of Israel would be saved by passing through judgment, 13:8-9. More specifically, it would be when the Lord would come with His saints and "gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem," 14:1-5.
Zechariah predicted the coming of the Lord against Jerusalem yet predicted that at that time a fountain for her salvation would be provided. The concept of salvation through judgment is inextricably interwoven into Israel's Messianic salvation hopes.
In Matthew 24:30 Jesus quoted from Zechariah 12:10-12 and applied it to his coming against Jerusalem in A.D. 70. We thus find the exact motif here as in Isaiah, the salvation of Israel accomplished when Israel was judged at the coming of the Lord. We have Jesus' application of Isaiah 2-4 to his coming in the fall of Jerusalem; we have Jesus saying that Israel would fill the measure of her sin, as predicted in Isaiah 65-66, and be destroyed at his coming against her in the fall of Jerusalem; and Zechariah says Israel would be saved when the Lord came against Jerusalem. Jesus applies Zechariah to the events of A.D. 70. With these three predictions before us we return to Romans 11.
The apostle predicted the salvation of Israel when the Lord would come. Is this a different coming than in the texts cited above? If so then the salvation is different. Yet Paul in Romans 11 is discussing Israel receiving "life from the dead" and in Acts 24-26 the same apostle said resurrection life was the hope of Israel. Since Paul said the remnant was receiving at that time the hope of Israel this is "prima facia" evidence of the "already-but-not-yet" aspect of the resurrection and irrefutable proof of the spiritual nature of the resurrection hope of Israel.
Contents - Part 7 - Don Preston's site - Covenant Eschatology
Spirit of the Word - Introductory Note - New Stuff
Undivided Version
Part 1 - Resurrection From What Death?
Part 2 - Two Resurrections?
Part 3 - It Is the Last Hour
Part 4 - The Hour of His Judgment Is Come
Part 5 - The Hope of Israel
Part 6 - The Kingdom Does Not Come With Observation
Part 7 - Resurrection and the Law
Part 8 - The Prophetic Background of John 5
Part 9 - What Is Resurrection?
Part 10 - Resurrection When?
Part 11 - Problems With Tradition
Part 12 - Objections Considered
Part 13 - Summary and Conclusion