(This post was moved from the ‘Reading Romans eschatologically’ thread.)
Andrew and Peter,
If we agree that the Scripture texts regarding the day of the Lord have an imminent, first century historical fulfillment and character (or some other local, historical fulfillment), from where do you arrive at the notion that there is more? i.e, a universal, final judgment.
In other words, although the church has promulgated this sense for many years (without proof), where is the Scriptural proof for your joint assumption that these Scripture texts speak more than just to the first century.
As you know, this is a preterist question, and I think a valid one. If predictions or statements have found a first century context and fulfillment, what right do we have to assume more?
What I think you may be postulating is a double-sense theory, and we should be wary of such an approach to understanding eschatology.
Re: Reading Romans eschatologically
Interesting question. Of course, Peter and I disagree about the extent of historical fulfilment. My view is that when Jesus and Paul use Old Testament prophecy that refers to concrete historical events to construct a viable hope for the early church, they are speaking about their own foreseeable future, which in practice meant the existence of the fledgling church in conflict first with Judaism, then with Rome (I do not think we can make sense of New Testament eschatology solely within the first century context). Peter only goes part way with that argument, as is apparent from his recent series of posts on ‘Christ and Eschatology’.
We do agree, however, as you point out, that there will be a final judgment of all the dead. I base this largely on Revelation 20:11-15, which seems to depict a judgment scene quite different from all previous historical judgments:
In a sense this is simply a final confirmation of the basic existential judgment on human sinfulness, which is death: those whose names are not written in the book of life are thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death (20:14). This is not, incidentally, a place of eternal conscious torment: fire destroys, death is death. But the graphic account of the general resurrection of all the dead and the judgment scene suggests a much more specific form of accountability: ‘the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done’ - not apparently according to what they believed (20:12).
Those whose names are written in the book of life are (presumably - it is not explicitly stated) included in the new creation that appears in chapter 21. This is not the same group as the martyrs who were raised in the ‘first resurrection’ (20:4-6), who reign with Christ in heaven during the thousand year period and, I imagine, descend with Christ from heaven in the new Jerusalem.
So I don’t think I am postulating a ‘double-sense theory’ - if I understand you correctly. I think that on the outer edge of New Testament eschatological expectation is the conviction that when God finally and absolute renews his creation, all the dead will be judged on the basis of what they have done.