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–
Resurrection of Condemnation –
Jn
5:24-29
"Most assuredly, I say to you [Israel],
he who hears My word and believes
[first-fruit saints] in Him who sent Me has
everlasting life
[life
unto
or
into
the
age/s
Eph 2:7
about to come
– the AD70+ world of righteousness
2Pet 3:13],
and shall not come into
judgment
[condemnation =
present tense],
but has passed
[present tense] from death
into life
[into covenantal resurrection]. Most assuredly, I say to
you
[Israel], the hour is coming,
and now is
[present tense], when
the dead
[in trespasses and sins] will hear
the voice
[the Gospel] of the Son of God; and those who hear
will live
[in fullness
of
life i.e., eternal life –
Jn 10:10].
For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have
life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also,
because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming in which
all
[the whole harvest] who are
in the graves
["all Israel" –
Ezk 37:1-14]
will hear His voice and come forth--those who have
done good
[righteous works of grace], to the resurrection of
life
[the AD70 reward of such works], and those who have
done evil
[self-righteous works of law], to the resurrection of
condemnation
[the AD70 consequences of such works, i.e., loss of rewards].
The present tense context of this passage shows that "the resurrection of
condemnation"
was not just limited with the finality of the Parousia, but also
directly associated with the age of which it consummated. There was
for Israel a spiritual, moral and covenantal awakening occurring
in that age as a result of the contemporary and concurrent
proclamation and acceptance of the Gospel in the "this generation"
– this the language makes abundantly clear: "he who hears My word and
believes… has eternal life".
However, for those who had been awakened or "raised" into this
awareness of the truth [verse 25's "and now is",
meaning the first-fruits resurrection] but
then
subsequently disregarded this heavenly message and calling [Heb 2:3;
6:4-8; 10:26-17, 29; Jn 8:30-33, 37, 44; 2Pet 1:10] indeed
fell
in shame – having
experienced resurrection from "the death" out of trespasses and
sins, only to
then experience the consequences of the resurrection of condemnation
associated with the personal shame and loss suffered by the "old
covenant man" or identity and mode of existence that the second death
brought. Thus the finality of the old covenant's demise in Israel's AD70
'lake of fire' was truly a condemnation of historical and perpetual shame
[Isa 66:24; Jer 23:39-40;
Ezk 16:62-63].
Those who clung or returned to that old world perished with it – dying in their
sins [Jn 8:24], not having grasped the forgiveness that was theirs.
These then were they who had acquiesced again [Gal 2:18] to that
which they had initially abandoned in Christ [adherence to the law for righteousness]
and so in due
course along with their stubborn countrymen literally
paid with their lives. Entrusting their lives yet again to that
old covenant world and identity of Jerusalem, Temple, Priesthood and Law – that to
which they had returned, having "fallen from grace" [Gal
3:1-3; 5:4], returning as it were like dogs to vomit [2Pet
2:20-22], reverting once more to law observance for righteousness –
"filthy rags", "dung" and "loss" [Isa 64:6; Phil
3:8; 1Cor 3:15]; yet for those who remained "in Christ Jesus"
there was "no condemnation" [Rom 8:1]; but for
those who in trials and testings had abandoned their Lord, only loss and shame [Mk 8:38;
2Tim 1:8-9]. Such loss and shame however was ultimately relative to
the receiving of rewards in the Parousia and NOT their status or
position of existence thereafter:
2Tim
2:12-13
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also
will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny
Himself.
And so it was that throughout all this did the grace of God reach out to
all Israel, and beyond:
Isa 45:22-25
“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of
the earth!
[2Cor
5:20] For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by
Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall
not return; that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an
oath. He shall say, ‘Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and
strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are
incensed against Him. In the LORD all
the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall
glory.’” [Rom 10:1; 11:2, 26-27]
1Cor 3:15
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will
be saved
[delivered], yet so as through [the AD70] fire.
The resurrection of AD70 did have temporal and corporeal outcomes
in the loss and destruction of physical life, and covenantal
consequences of lost rewards in an old covenant and its world judged. THIS was "the resurrection of
condemnation"
– but the main thrust of the
Age Changing Resurrection was the fulfillment of Israel's
restoration-resurrection – "the promise" [Act 26:6-8],
which subsequently brought Life to the world [Rom 11:15].
Thus resurrection
was all
about Israel's corporate and covenantal transition and stance
before God as forgiven, and the world-wide blessing that that
brought. Resurrection was NOT about individual substance post
mortem i.e., one's
ethereal composition or disposition after death, but rather about humanity's
collective and renewed,
restored and reconciled position and stance before God through Christ.
[DISCUSS
HERE]
David G. Embury
© Copyright 2004ŕ
Email:
contact@pantelism.com
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