Over the last two
weeks we have seen how Jesus Himself, and those who proclaimed Him, began to
modify their Jewish two-stage view of death.
·
Jesus
radically taught that He was the hinge on which resurrection turned in the
history of Israel.
·
Jesus
radically taught that the Gentiles would play as predominant a role as the Jews
in the judgment that would follow resurrection.
·
Peter
and Paul demonstrated by their proclamation of resurrection as the Gospel that
resurrection moved from the periphery of Jewish theology to the very center of
Christian theology.
o In Acts, where they proclaimed the Gospel,
they proclaimed resurrection
·
That this
“centering” was going on was also evidenced by the fact that specific examples
of their persecution were attributed to resurrection.
·
We saw
this clearly when we discussed the “Direct Opposition” resurrection
evoked from unbelievers.
Today, we continue
to explore the impact Easter Sunday had on the Jewish view of resurrection.
·
As we
said last week, this is where we get into the “Dramatic Modifications”
Christian resurrection made to its Jewish counterpart.
·
And this
involves both facets of the Jewish two-stage view of death.
·
I want
to briefly look at Paul’s view of the first stage, the intermediate stage –
heaven.
·
And then,
over the next couple of weeks, we will look at his profound teaching on the
second-stage – resurrection.
Before we begin, I
want to raise a point now, then again at the end.
·
It is my
belief that our brand of evangelical Christianity overemphasizes heaven at
the expense of resurrection.
·
This has conditioned us to escape the world
instead of transform it.
·
And in this respect, we have more in common with
pagan thought than Jewish/Christian thought.
·
We speak of our disembodied existence as if it
is superior to our coming resurrected bodily existence.
·
Read on to see why.
1) HEAVEN VS. SHEOL – THE FIRST STAGE
OT Review:
The first-stage view
of death for the Jew was characterized as follows:
·
It was
physical death which was described as being asleep in the dust or in Sheol.
·
We saw
that some views elaborated on this first-stage.
o They ranged from being at rest all the way to
some type of conscious existence.
For example, we saw:
·
Either it was as simple as the fact that “the
dead are ‘asleep with the ancestors’” – Wright.
·
And “martyrs go, immediately upon death, into
the blissful immortality already enjoyed by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” – Wright.
·
Or,
“the dead may be ‘received’ by YHWH into some continuing life” – Wright.
·
And as we saw then, this continuing life was not
nearly as developed as the pagans.
We looked at a variety of texts that suggested that some
activity is going on.
·
“They might be momentarily aroused from their
comatose state by an especially distinguished newcomer, as in Isaiah 14…” –
Wright.
o
“All of them will answer and say to you: ‘You
too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!’” – Isaiah 14:10.
·
This means, of course, that the dead were “not
completely non-existent…” – Wright.
·
“But their normal condition was to be asleep” –
Wright.
Christian
Redefinition Intro:
Sheol, Judaism’s
first-stage, is what the NT refers to as heaven, Christianity’s first-stage.
·
There
are some obvious and significant differences between these “first-stages”.
·
But,
surprisingly, there was one similarity we will talk about.
We will hang out
mainly with Paul as we sort this stuff out.
·
He
provides us with at least two explicit texts on the Christian view of the first-stage
of death – heaven.
Obvious and
Significant Differences – Heaven – A Better Place:
(1) Philippians 1:18–24 (ESV) — 18b Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and
the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope
that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always
Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to
die is gain. 22 If I am to
live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I
cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed
between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more
necessary on your account.
Paul is discussing
the pros and cons of continuing to endure physical hardship for the sake of the
Gospel.
·
In verse
12 he concedes that, though he is imprisoned, “what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel”.
·
In verse
16 he concedes that he is has been tasked with, “the defense of the gospel”.
·
But he
is clearly weary of his suffering – “my
desire is to depart”.
·
And it is
in this context that he articulates a truth about the first stage of death far
more specific than Pharisaic views.
·
He tells
us that if he were to die, he would “be
with Christ”.
o The Messiah – Israel’s King and Deliverer
o Not what the Jew had in mind at all
And knowing that
Christ ascended into heaven and was exalted to the right hand of the Father…
·
Mark 16:19 (ESV) — 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had
spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
·
Paul is
telling us the location of “life after death” – heaven.
·
He even
tells us that this life is “far better”.
We must remember
that the circumstances Paul is describing – a vindicated, exalted Messiah in
heaven – were precipitated by the resurrection of the Messiah.
·
No resurrection
– no vindication.
·
No
resurrection – no exaltation to heaven.
The second text
comes after some very strange sounding teaching, which we will come back to
momentarily.
(2) 2 Corinthians 5:6–10 (ESV) — 6 So we are always of good courage. We know
that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
7 for we walk by faith, not by
sight. 8 Yes, we are of good
courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
9 So whether we are at home or
away, we make it our aim to please him. 10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may
receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Paul speaks of a preference for being in the presence of God
instead of in the present body.
·
He says, “we would rather be” (vs. 8) with
reference to being at home with the Lord.
·
And we of course know that the Lord’s home is
currently heaven.
And interestingly, he teaches that the expectation of being
“at
home with the Lord” should impact our Christian living now – “make
it our aim to please him” and to aware of “what he has done in the body”.
·
Paul expresses this same sentiment elsewhere,
for example…
·
Ephesians 2:6 (ESV) — 6 and raised us up with him and seated us
with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
o
The believer is
currently, in a sense, “raised” and “seated” with Jesus in
heaven.
o We should therefore walk accordingly.
Summary of “A Better Place”:
So in these texts we see a first-stage, “life after death”,
that is…
·
A place better than our current fleshly home
·
A place in the presence of Jesus Christ – the
risen Lord, King, Savior and Messiah.
·
A place that carries with it a motivation for
Christian living because we are…
·
Metaphorically “raised” to and “seated” in it
while still alive here.
·
All of these differ from the typical Jewish
first-stage.
Obvious and
Significant Differences – Heaven – Future Purposes Stored Up:
There exists within the NT a characterization of heaven as
the place where the future purposes of the age to come are “stored up”.
·
In other words, heaven contains the future that
will break into our present - eschatology.
·
One of these future purposes, the one that
pertains to us, is resurrection (the promise, the power, etc. – not the actual
physical body).
·
Paul
captures the idea of this future purpose in Romans 8.
·
We will
start there and then relate it to our point by looking at other texts.
·
In all
the following texts, pay attention to the emphasis on the future breaking in to
the present!
Romans 8:11 (ESV) — 11
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who
raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:16–17 (ESV) — 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we
are children of God, 17
and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with
Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may
also be glorified with him.
·
Here Paul explains the work of the Spirit both
now and in the future.
·
By the Spirit we are right NOW…
o
Children of God
o
Heirs of God
o
Heirs with Christ
o
Suffering with Him
And because of the NOW
we are assured to participate in the glory of Christ in the FUTURE.
·
Here is where it gets exciting.
·
The glory that Paul is speaking of here is the
incorruptible resurrection body.
·
It is the resurrection that he speaks of in
verse 11.
How do we know this?
·
Paul goes on in Romans 8 to speak of creation
being set free of corruption.
·
He says creation is groaning now, but will
obtain freedom – when it is recreated and put right in the age to come.
·
Paul also says we are groaning.
·
But the groaning will end with the “redemption
of our bodies” (vs. 23).
o
Again, the thing that will happen in the future
age to come.
·
The “redemption of our bodies” is
resurrection.
This is spelled out in detail in Paul’s awesome resurrection
chapter, 1 Corinthians 15.
·
1 Corinthians 15:53–55 (ESV) — 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable,
and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When
the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality,
then shall
come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in
victory.” 55 “O death, where is your
victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Our future
resurrection will be our actual participation in the glory of Jesus’
resurrection.
·
It will
be when the groaning of God’s good, but fallen creation is put right.
·
It will
be when death for us is finally defeated once and for all.
So what does this
have to do with heaven?
·
Because these future events have to originate
from somewhere.
·
And Paul (and others) teaches us that this
somewhere is heaven.
·
Heaven is the place where our future
resurrection is “stored up” – N.T. Wright.
This is the second significant difference with Judaism’s
first-stage of death.
·
The Christian first-stage is where an awesome
eschatological future is “stored up” – resurrection.
o
Judgment is also “stored up” in heaven –
Revelation 19:11-16.
o
As are many other things.
Examples of the Stored Up Future Hope of Resurrection in
the NT:
(1) 1 Peter 1:3–5 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living
hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded
through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(2) Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV) — 20 But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from
it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be
like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to
subject all things to himself.
(3) 1 Thessalonians 4:14–17 (ESV) — 14 For since we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him
those who have fallen asleep. 15
For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who
are left until the coming of the Lord [from heaven], will not precede those
who have fallen asleep. 16 For the
Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of
command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of
God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will
be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we will always be with the Lord.
(4) 2
Corinthians 5:1–5 (ESV) — 1
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we
have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens. 2 For in
this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be
found naked. 4 For while we are
still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be
unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be
swallowed up by life. 5 He
who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the
Spirit as a guarantee.
·
This strange sounding text relates entirely to,
“the future promise of the resurrection body” – N.T. Wright.
·
“Here he says that we who are in the present
body are longing to ‘put on over the top’ the new body, the new ‘dwelling’ (5.2,
4). In the analogy in 1 Corinthians 15.37, he spoke of the seed as being
‘naked’ when planted, but given a new body by God; so here (5.3) he speaks of
the longing of present human beings not to be found ‘naked’, but to be more
fully clothed” – N.T. Wright.
·
Fully clothed in the resurrection body.
Summary of Future Purposes Stored Up:
·
Heaven contains
our future it
·
Heaven is not the
end for us.
·
It is from heaven
that all things will be put right.
·
It is from heaven
that the promises of God will break into the present.
·
And this future
is resurrection – the second-stage of life after death, or, “life after ‘life
after death’”.
Surprising
Similarity – Heaven and Sheol:
The surprising similarity can be articulated as follows…
·
The Jew’s main hope and focus was people, nation
and land, and later, the resurrection of the body as well.
·
Their main hope was not “life after death”.
Paul’s main hope was the future resurrection (“life after
‘life after death’”) of the body when all would be put right – including creation.
·
His main hope was not “life after death” –
heaven.
How do we know this?
·
Both his Gospel proclamations from last week and
his letters are saturated with resurrection.
·
He speaks of resurrection at least 63 times –
probably more (often uses metaphorical language that is hard to search for).
o
Raised (egeiro),
Appeared (horao), Resurrection (anastasis)
·
And he explicitly speaks of our future in heaven
less than 5 or so (that I could find).
·
He does speak of heaven some 33 times or so, but
most have to do with Jesus’ location, descending from heaven, and various
things coming from heaven or “stored up” in heaven.
Additionally, his very life was transformed by witnessing the
raised Jesus Christ.
·
And, importantly,
as we saw last week in Acts with our “Direct Opposition” material, much of his
suffering and persecution was due to resurrection.
And he wasn’t the only one.
·
His description
of Gospel as resurrection to Timothy…
o
2 Timothy 2:8–9 (NRSV) — 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised
from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the
point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.
·
And to
the church at Corinth…
o
1 Corinthians 15:1 (ESV) — 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the
gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
o
At which
time Paul goes on to talk of resurrection for 58 verses.
·
Was not lost on
the early church.
“We should not forget that when Irenaeus became bishop of Lyons he was replacing the bishop who had died in a fierce persecution; and that one of the themes of that persecution was the Christians’ tenacious hold on the belief in bodily resurrection. Details of the martyrdom are found in the letter from the churches of Vienne and Lyons to those of Asia and Phrygia. The letter describes how in some cases the torturers burnt the bodies and scattered the ashes into the Rhone, so that no relic of the martyrs might still be seen on earth. This they did, says the writer, ‘as though they were capable of conquering god, and taking away their rebirth’. He quotes the torturers as saying…that the aim is to prevent the Christians from having any hope of resurrection: ‘because through trusting in this, they have introduced strange and new worship, and have despised terrors, going to death readily and joyfully. Now let us see if they will rise again, and if their god is powerful enough to help them, and to snatch them out of our hands.’”
Why would pagans
persecute Christians over resurrection?
·
(1) The
Idea of bodily resurrection itself. They felt the body was to be shed. The
physical world was to be escaped. But Christians taught that because God
created the physical and the flesh, he valued it and would redeem it all.
·
(2) Jesus
was raised from the dead, and vindicated as King in the kingdom of God – just
as Christians will be raised and vindicated. And with this resurrection will be
the judgment of the unrighteous – those that persecute Christians. They will be
judged and condemned and their kingdom overthrown. And Christians will be
reigning with Christ forever in His actual, physical Kingdom on the new earth.
·
(3) And
because of their certainty of this outcome, as found in Christ's resurrection
as the firstfruits of resurrection, they were willing to die.
Has western
Christianity mistakenly overemphasized heaven over resurrection?
·
Are we
more impotent as a result?
·
The early church believed so strongly that
things would be put right in the age to come through their resurrection that
they boldly proclaimed the gospel and died for it.
·
Their persecutors both in Acts and in the letter
above said as much.
·
Paul and his heirs died over resurrection, not
over heaven.
Perhaps overemphasizing
heaven at the expense of resurrection has conditioned us to escape the world
instead of transform it.
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