3. New-Testament Teaching
tween "everlasting" and " eternal,"
the latter in the sense of the Fourth
Gospel is not strange to the synoptics
(cf.
Matt. xxii. 32;
Mark xii. 26
sqq.).
Jesus' idea of the future is distinguished from that
of the Pharisees (1) by the apiritualizing and ethici-
zing of the aims and
means of the resurrection
(
Matt. xvi. 25
sqq.); (2) through the conscious distinction between form and content (cf.
Matt. xi. 14-15
with xiii. 9-13); (3) by transcending a natural in favor of a universal ideal
(
Matt. viii. 11, xxi. 43, xxiv. 31
sqq.); instead of the judgment of the
Gentiles by pious Israelites, the Son of Man judges
men out of their own mouths
(
Matt. xxv. 31-46, xii. 37;
of.
John xii. 47-48).
Traces of "metempsychosis" also appear
(
Matt. xi. 14, xvii. 12).
Herod Antipas's identification of Jesus with the
murdered Baptist witnesses
to the popular conviotion that earlier prophets may be reincarnated as
heralds of the Messianic time
(
Matt. xiv. 2;
Luke ix. 7-9).
Soul and body were sharply distinguished
(
Matt. x. 28).
In this
general belief, the resurreotion of Christ became a new factor.
Paul spoke now of simply passing over into the
future life
(Phil. i. 23),
now of a transformation
(I Cor. xv. 51).
But it is uncertain whether the
glorified
man is more properly described as his trite
self
(II Cor. iv. 16),
as a new planting upon the
ruins of the old man
(I Cor. xv. 35-55),
or (cf.
Rom. xi.) as a grafting into the latter; also, whether
the " departure " of the soul " to be at home with
the Lord "
(II Cor. v. 8)
is a sleeping, a dreaming,
or a conscious entrance into another sphere of
existence. Paul's
presentation is enriched with
such figures as the "book of life"
(Phil. iv. 3),
"sting of death"
(I Cor. xv. 55).
From his reference to the stars and the seed-corn
(I Cor. xv. 37)
one must not infer that the resurrection body was
not specifically
different, a newly fashioped duplicate of the perishing body. The Apocalypse pictures (1) a repose of many of the blessed for more
than a thousand years (xiv. 13) until the second
resurrection (xx. 5 sqq.), from which some are
excepted (ver. 4), others experience a yet earlier
quickening (xi- 11). (2) A speedy recompense for
the pious sufferers (cf. iii. 11-21 with xii. 10-12).
These pictures are to be regarded not as dogmatic
constructions, but as the impress of pious feeling,
even the distinction between first and second resurrection (chap. xx.), and between the first and
second death (ii. 11, xx. 14), as well as between the
temporary rule of the risen martyrs on earth
(Chiliasm) and the future changeless life (see
Millenium, Millenarianism).
Many of these piotures, as xx. 3-7, originate in pre-Christian Messianic
hopes (Daniel, Enoch, IV Ezra); also " resurrection
of the
just," of the good to life, of the wicked to
judgment
(Luke xiv. 14;
Matt. iFxv. 46;
John v. 29),
and relation of Hades to Gehenna
(Matt. xi. 23).
The figurative forms in which the future hope is
realistically painted are almost everywhere
referred
to the spiritual-ethical new creation as this should
have been fulfilled in this world:
palingeneaia,
kaini-ktisis, anastasis, z6opoiesis, enduaasthai.
For
the dwelling of God in mankind, cf.
John i. 14
with
Rev. xxi. 3
and both with
II Cor. vi. 16:
since this
is as truly future as present, transcendent and becoming as well as already immanent and existent, the
figurative character of
this aspect of the immortal
life is evident, especially when
Lev. xxvi. 11-12;
Num. xii. 8;
Ex. xxiv.
to
are compared with
Matt. v. 8;
John i. 18;
and
I Tim. vi. 16.
