The Future Resurrection
by Terry Wane Benton
Clement of Rome, early in the second century, it is believed, wrote a letter to the Corinthians and spoke of the future resurrection. There was no thought that AD 70 was the resurrection. That idea is of recent origin, and it is wholly false. Clement wrote:
“Let us consider, beloved, how the Lord continually proves to us that there shall be a future resurrection, of which He has rendered the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruits by raising Him from the dead.” (1 Clement 24).
In chapter 35, he said:
“Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those that wait for Him, in order that we may share in His promised gifts”( From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 9).
Thus, still waiting for Him way past AD 70, His “promised gifts” were still anticipated in the future.
Has the “last enemy”, death, been defeated? Paul said that Jesus will remain in heaven till the last enemy is put under Jesus’ feet, and that last enemy is death (I Corinthians 15:22f). If death is still around, it was not defeated in AD 70. Death is still around, and therefore, Jesus has not left heaven to come here to defeat the last enemy. When Jesus comes, we will have our bodies redeemed from mortal bodies to immortal bodies (Romans 8:11, 18-24). We will be raised with immortal bodies (I Corinthians 15:23ff) and will “see Him as He is” (I John 3:1-3).
Spiritual death is still around; else our AD 70 brethren would be teaching universal salvation and once-saved-always-saved. Physical death is still around, and we are not immortal yet, so the last enemy has not been defeated in AD 70.
Nobody since AD 70 has ever thought Jesus came and defeated death and gave all His people immortal bodies. Therefore, the resurrection from death and having immortal bodies is still in the future. It will be wonderful to have Jesus come if you have been living by faith in Him, but it will be a day of vengeance for you if you let Jesus’ death on the cross be for nothing in your case (II Thessalonians 1:7-10). It all comes down to a separation of the wise from the foolish (Matthew 7:21-24; 25:33ff).
Will you be ready?
