Eschatology 2

Death and the Afterlife

• Question: Is the Kingdom of God physical, spiritual or symbolic?

Interpretations of the Kingdom of God

• The Kingdom of God:

  • Describes the reign of God in this world or the next, including heaven.

  • Three possible interpretations:

    • An actual place.

    • A spiritual state.

    • A symbol of moral life.

Present Moral and Spiritual State

• Acknowledgment of the Kingdom as a current reality prompting moral and spiritual reform.

• Inaugurated eschatology:

  • Concept indicating that Jesus' teachings imply the Kingdom is already present.

• Biblical reference: Isaiah 35:5-6

  • "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer..."

Kingdom as a Moral and Spiritual Entity

• New Testament suggests the Kingdom has 'come near' or is already realized.

• Indicates it may not be a physical reality but a moral one:

  • Biblical references:

    • Matthew 3:2 - "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

    • Luke 17:20-21 - "The kingdom of God is among you."

• Living a Christian life equates to belonging to the Kingdom.

Commands of Love in Relation to the Kingdom

• Kingdom participation requires following Jesus' teachings:

  • Love God and neighbors.

  • Prefer others' interests over one's own (Matthew 5:40-42).

  • Help the poor (Luke 19:1-10).

• God ruling one's life implies the Kingdom is present within the individual.

Concept of a Physical State

• Paul’s observation on eschatological realities:

  • Seen as 'dimly'; possibly indicating the Kingdom’s spiritual reality is a prelude to a future physical reality.

• Biblical reference: 1 Corinthians 13:12 - "For now we see in a mirror, dimly..."

The Resurrection and Its Implications

• Paul argues for the necessity of resurrection for faith:

  • 1 Corinthians 15:12-19:

    • If the dead are not raised, then neither was Christ, rendering faith futile.

The Kingdom as a Physical Reality

• Paul's connection between Christ’s resurrection and the physicality of the Kingdom:

  • Revelation depicts the New Jerusalem as a concrete reality:

    • Revelation 21:1-4: "See, the home of God is among mortals..."

Importance in Early Church

• The physical resurrection was crucial in early theological discussions:

  • Gnosticism: belief in the soul escaping the body.

  • Irenaeus and Athanasius argued for the significance of the physical aspect of resurrection and salvation:

    • The whole person (body and soul) should inherit the Kingdom.

Physical vs. Spiritual State

• Debate on whether the Kingdom encompasses physicality or an abstract experience:

  • Physical experience is fundamentally different from worldly experience (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Resurrection and Transformation

• Raising of the dead and the kind of bodies:

  • 1 Corinthians 15:35-44 discusses the transformation of bodies:

    • What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable, transitioned from physical to spiritual existence.

• Paul’s notion of glorified, incorruptible resurrected bodies at eschaton.