6) An Introduction to The Jewish Narrative of Redemptive History - Part 6: Apocalyptic Category
Introduction
So far, we have explored the intricate threads that connect the foundational narrative of creation, covenant, sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit. Now we see how those lead all the way to the climactic event of the day of the Lord. In this lesson, curated from John Harrigan's insightful work, "The Gospel of Christ Crucified: A Theology of Suffering before Glory," we delve into the prevailing theme of the Scriptures—the day of the Lord. This concept delineates time into "this age" and "the age to come." As we traverse through the two-age worldview, we will uncover the rich tapestry of Paul's teachings, encompassing the death of the Messiah, the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, and the intentional mission to the Gentiles.
Introduction to the Day of the Lord and Two-Age Worldview
The day of the Lord is the predominant theme of the Scriptures. Moreover, it is the event that ultimately unifies the Christian and Jewish Scriptures, for all hold to the ultimate divine end that God "has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness":
Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:31, ESV Bible)
Furthermore, the day of the Lord is so dynamic and extraordinary that it creates a fundamental delineation of time: "this age" before the day of the Lord and "the age to come" after the day of the Lord. This concept of two ages is seen throughout the New Testament:
And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:32, ESV Bible)
Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:21, ESV Bible)
And have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, (Hebrews 6:5, ESV Bible)
This two-age worldview is an essential part of the first-century Jewish understanding. It becomes a backdrop throughout many of the New Testament writings. Human sin and depravity will progress until the end of this age when God judges humanity on the last day, rewarding the righteous with eternal life and punishing the wicked with eternal fire. Through the day of the Lord, God will initiate the age to come, which will continue in righteousness, peace, and joy for unending ages (i.e., "eternity").
Divine Mercy Before the Day of Judgement
Because the day of the Lord and the age to come are markedly punitive in nature, this current age is broadly defined by divine mercy. Everything that happens before the last day must be understood as a restraint of divine wrath and judgment upon sin. This age is different because the day of judgment has not yet arrived. Indeed, God is patient, not wanting any to perish but all to repent and be saved:
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9, ESV Bible)
As such, the event of the cross becomes the pinnacle of all divine activity during this age. God has ultimately shown humanity his mercy and love by offering his Son in order that we might be saved from the wrath to come:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV Bible)
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:8-9, ESV Bible)
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7, ESV Bible)
Rather than negating or reinterpreting the Jewish apocalyptic framework, these reconciliatory realities (cf. 2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20) actually reinforce it:
That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19, ESV Bible)
And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:20, ESV Bible)
Thus, the day of the Lord and the kingdom's restoration to Israel are never questioned when speaking of how God relates to the death of his Messiah. God has provided propitiation (the act of gaining favor or goodwill ) in light of the day of wrath, justification in light of the day of judgment, and redemption in light of the day of recompense. In this way, God has reconciled himself and humanity, granting eternal life to those who repent and believe both Jew and Gentile.
The Messianic Kingdom
The Messiah will establish the kingdom when he comes (i.e.," the kingdom of God"). The new earth will have a definite form and structure, as the resurrection and eternal life will be administrated through the messianic kingdom. The Messiah will rule from Jerusalem, over Israel, and to the ends of the earth. The messianic kingdom, therefore, will be fundamentally "Israelocentric," for Jesus will return to "redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21), "restore the kingdom to Israel" (Acts 1:6), and rule forever as "king of the Jews" (Matt. 2:2):
But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. (Luke 24:21, ESV Bible)
So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6, ESV Bible)
Saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." (Matthew 2:2, ESV Bible)
In this way, eternal life will be administrated "first for the Jew, then for the Gentile":
But glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. (Romans 2:10, ESV Bible)
God is still the "God of Israel," and he has not rejected the Jewish people even in their unbelief:
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1, ESV Bible)
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29, ESV Bible)
The idea that Jesus somehow changed, reinterpreted, or spiritually realized the hope of the Jewish messianic kingdom is a grave misunderstanding. Along with the day of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead, and messianic expectations, the cross did not change the hope of the kingdom of God. The choosing of the Jewish people is predicated on several eschatological concepts often overlooked in modern gospel presentations.
Apocalyptic Defined
At the forefront of modern theological debate is the term "apocalyptic," a word with a long history of heavy baggage. Generally, the term is used in two ways: secular and religious. Historical scholars tend to use the term in a secular manner. In contrast, liberal and conservative scholars tend to adopt the religious definition. The secular usage of "apocalyptic" assumes a fundamentally futuristic orientation that anticipates a sudden and dramatic change in history. This secular definition of apocalyptic is applicable within any belief system (i.e., naturalism, Hinduism, Islam, etc.) as long as it creates a tangible dichotomy of ages. For example, everything before the global nuclear holocaust versus everything after.
The religious usage of "apocalyptic" is etymologically (origin of the word) oriented, based upon the idea of divine disclosure (from the Greek, apokalupsis, meaning "revelation"). This vein of definition often downplays the temporal (worldly) realities associated with the term in favor of more esoteric (mysterious or hard to understand) ideas concerning divine revelation- especially concerning ontology (the study of being) and cosmology (the study of the universe). In this way, "apocalyptic" refers to that which is newly revealed by God (and thus often associated with Paul's use of the term "mystery").
In this study, I will lean toward the secular meaning of the term, emphasizing a dichotomy of the ages or a two-age worldview, with the religious meaning playing a subsidiary role. I believe this approach accurately reflects how first-century Jews understood God, humanity, history, and the future.
While reading the New Testament, you will encounter major concepts that will likely seem foreign to you (e.g., the resurrection of the dead, the day of judgment, Gehenna, the kingdom of God, justification, propitiation, etc.). Still, these terms fit comfortably within the worldview of first-century Judaism. The New Testament writings rarely define or explain such references as the day of Christ, the judgment, the resurrection of the dead, and the kingdom of God. It is almost assumed by the writers that the audience would already have some familiarity with these subjects. To understand proper discipleship, we must realize this native Jewish worldview and theological context, which informed such eschatological (final destiny) realities.
Using Extra-Biblical Apocalyptic Writings to Understand Jewish Apocalyptic Thought
As we have discussed before, we must establish context to understand the New Testament writings and, subsequently, the major concepts related to apocalyptic events. The context of this Jewish worldview within the New Testament is Jewish apocalyptic thought in the late Second Temple period. We must look at Jewish apocalyptic literature to understand the Jewish worldview and attempt to lay a proper foundation. For most Christians, much of Jewish apocalyptic literature is extra-biblical, meaning not part of the typical Bible canon.
Why would we want to reference Jewish apocalyptic literature? Within these writings, we can draw out the primary eschatological themes concerning the day of the LORD (YHVH), the judgment of the wicked, the resurrection of the dead, and the messianic kingdom. These themes, which create the two-age approach to redemptive history, are characteristic of how first-century Jews viewed the world. First-century Jews held a generally coherent "apocalyptic" worldview, which was based upon a two-age view of history, centered around a climactic divine visible manifestation of God, known as "the day of the Lord" ("day of judgment," "last day," etc.).
Paul’s Unique Novelties within the Apocalyptic Narrative
Further, when we start to read Paul's writings, we see that in addition to the apocalyptic themes mentioned, he also reasoned about three unique novelties:
The death of the Messiah
The unique gift of the Holy Spirit
His intentional mission to the Gentiles
These three additional categories are unique Pauline novelties. These novelties are perhaps why Paul's writings are infamous within the Christian church. Paul interprets these events for the Christian reader and helps us better understand what these events mean. However, like other New Testament writings, Paul's letters assumed an existing understanding. It was found that Paul commonly referenced the two-age view of history and the primary eschatological themes of apocalyptic Judaism without definition or explanation. Paul assumed a widely understood meaning associated with these terms. When Paul theologized about the death of the Messiah, the gift of the Spirit, and the mission to the Gentiles, he did so in context to common Jewish apocalyptic themes. This would suggest that Paul presumed upon an unaltered Jewish apocalyptic narrative as he discipled Gentiles into the knowledge of God and the hope of eternal life. Paul discipled the Gentiles into the pre-existing Jewish apocalyptic hope rather than discipling them away from it.
These three divine workings and novelties create a significant challenge of faith. These three novelties must be received by faith, which is how God has ordained our participation in Christ crucified and glorified Christ. If we live this life by faith in Jesus' sacrifice (cf. Rom. 6:5; Gal. 2:20), then we will be found in him on the last day according to that faith, inheriting with him eternal glory (cf. Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:9-11):
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5, ESV Bible)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, ESV Bible)
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. (Romans 8:17, ESV Bible)
And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:9-11, ESV Bible)
Regrettably, those who lack faith, that is, those who put their faith in the ways of the world and the strength of the flesh (cf. Phil. 3:19; Col. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:5), will suffer condemnation:
Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. (Philippians 3:19, ESV Bible)
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8, ESV Bible)
And constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (1 Timothy 6:5, ESV Bible)
The Apostolic Witness and Proclamation
In light of the great eschatological courtroom where all of humanity will be charged with their sins (i.e., the day of judgment), Jesus commissioned the apostles to be his "witnesses" (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8; cf. Matt. 28:19):
You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:48, ESV Bible)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8, ESV Bible)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19, ESV Bible)
The legal connotations of this Day of Judgement were evident to all. The apostles sought to testify faithfully to the acts of God throughout redemptive history, particularly his workings in the Messiah being sent the first time as a sacrifice and the future, second time coming as a judge (cf. Acts 3:19-26; 10:42-43; Heb. 9:28):
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness." (Acts 3:19-26, ESV Bible)
And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10:42-43, ESV Bible)
So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28, ESV Bible)
For the sake of this testimony, God gave believers the gifts of the Holy Spirit to encourage and empower the proclamation of the truth, both in word and deed, even unto martyrdom.
In the apostolic witness, I believe that we find a faithful proclamation of the gospel in its fullness. When we consider the apostles' testimony, we see that it was relatively unsophisticated (in contrast to much modern theological exposition). The apostles sought to communicate a simple, linear view of history, which begins with creation (cf. Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21); incorporates faithfulness to the covenants, particularly those with Abraham, Moses, and David (cf. Acts 1:6; Rom. 9-11); highlights the atoning implications of the cross (cf. Rom. 3:21-26; Col. 1:20- 23); emphasizes the empowerment of the Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 5:5); and strives toward the day of the Lord (cf. Rom. 13:12; 1 Cor. 1:8; Phil. 1:6). In this way, the apostolic witness can be holistically described in redemptive stages as creational, covenantal, sacrificial, charismatic, and apocalyptic. Here are the verses mentioned above in this linear view of redemptive history:
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because wall sinned— (Romans 5:12, ESV Bible)
For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:21, ESV Bible)
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6, ESV Bible)
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26, ESV Bible)
And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (Colossians 1:20-23, ESV Bible)
And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:23, ESV Bible)
He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 5:5, ESV Bible)
The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12, ESV Bible)
Who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8, ESV Bible)
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6, ESV Bible)
The Full Gospel Message Summarized
John Harrigan summed up the entire gospel message (all five categories of redemptive history) into two simple parts: Christ dies for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3; Gal 1:4) so that we can live forever (Rom 6:23, Titus 3:7):
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:3, ESV Bible)
Who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, (Galatians 1:4, ESV Bible)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, ESV Bible)
So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:7, ESV Bible)
In ironic comparison, this sounds very much like the message commonly taught within the church today. When studying the writings within the New Testament, you can appreciate the foundation from which the authors write. They clearly have a good understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures and thus have a pre-existing knowledge of the redemptive events within those scriptures (creational and covenantal). There is also a very apparent understanding of where the redemptive narrative is headed, the apocalyptic redemptive event. The authors of the New Testament tend to focus on two distinct realities: the understanding of the cross and the future return of Jesus. The two comings of Jesus represent two critical halves of the full gospel message.
In stark contrast, much of the modern church's proclamation scoffs at the historicity of Genesis, flagrantly rejects God's covenantal dealings with the Jews, sets aside a substitutionary-sacrificial understanding of the cross, scorns the gifts of the Spirit, and ignores the return of Jesus. Though various movements and traditions seek to emphasize one or two of these elements (often to the detriment of other elements), few seem to seek a proclamation that holds them all in tandem. Yet the holistic proclamation of redemptive history, from beginning to end, comprises the gospel and characterizes the faithful witness.
Summary
In conclusion, this lesson has delved into the profound tapestry of eschatological thought, emphasizing the central theme of the day of the Lord that threads its way through both Christian and Jewish Scriptures. We've explored the intricate dance of divine activity, where the Holy Spirit serves as the agent of life from the beginning, the guarantee of resurrection in the end, and the present assurance of our future inheritance. By understanding the two-age worldview and the context of first-century Jewish apocalyptic thought, we've gained insight into the unaltered narrative underlying Paul's theological foundation and the apostolic witness. As we navigate the challenges of faith and discipleship, let us be anchored in the holistic proclamation of redemptive history, recognizing the unchanging hope embedded in the death of the Messiah, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the mission to the Gentiles. May this understanding inspire a faithful proclamation of the gospel that holds all these elements in tandem, reflecting the enduring truth that spans from creation to the coming age of the messianic kingdom.