And Then the End Will Come: A Theory of Biblical Christianity

Copyright © 2014 Michael B. Casteel with John D. Walton.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-4880-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4881-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4879-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014915092

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/27/2014

CONTENTS

Preface

A Note On Methodology

Chapter 1 Introduction

A Chance Conversation

A Proposed Clarification

Chapter 2 The Promise Of The Coming Kingdom In Old Testament Thought

The Primeval History (Genesis 1-11)

The Patriarchs (Genesis 12-50)

The Exodus And Wandering (Exodus-Deuteronomy)

The Conquest And The Period Of The Judges (Joshua-Judges)

The United Monarchy (1-2 Samuel): Samuel, Saul, And David

The Divided Monarchy

The Fall Of Jerusalem (587 Bce) And The Babylonian Exile

Cyrus The Great, Ezra, And The Compilation Of The Torah

The Last Years Of The Old Testament Period: The Late 5Th To Mid-2nd Centuries

Chapter 3 Background To The Life Of Jesus: The Intertestamental Period

Jewish Responses To Hellenistic (Greek) Culture: Sadducees, Pharisees, And Essenes

The Last Years Of The Maccabees (76-37 Bce)

The Roman Period: Herod, Pontius Pilate, And The Destruction Of The Temple

Chapter 4 Jesus’ Life And Mission According To The Earliest Sources (Pre-70 Ce)

The Gospel Of Mark: Jesus As Jewish Messiah, Priest, And Prophet

Paul The Apostle

Chapter 5 From The Destruction Of The Temple To The End Of The New Testament Period (70-100 Ce)

The Gospel Of Matthew

The Gospel Of Luke And The Acts Of The Apostles

The Gospel Of John

The Revelation Of John

Conclusion

Suggestions For Further Reading

About The Author

This book is dedicated in memoriam and with love to my wife, Katherine Jean Casteel (née Burnight), and to

Thomas Robert Burnight, the only dad I ever knew. We shall see one another again.

PREFACE

Since becoming interested in Christianity nearly thirty years ago, I have lost count of the number of times I have read the Bible. I have read multiple translations, the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, numerous commentaries and the text of countless sermons, and have attended many, many church services of varying denominations. All during this time I have had a vague sense that I was missing something: that I did not understand something basic, something essential to the faith.

I typically read the Bible for a time at the end of each day. One night my work schedule kept me up quite late; as a result, I did not start reading until about 2 A.M. After finishing a chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, I put the Bible on the bedside table, turned out the light and began to pray for a bit before sleep. I was feeling particularly despondent that day, and expressed my frustration out loud:

Lord, I’m never going to find what I’m supposed to find. I then had a thought pop into my mind: What doesn’t it say?

I lay there for a long time in the darkness repeating the words over and over to myself: What doesn’t it say? What doesn’t it say?

What doesn’t what say? I had no idea. After nearly an hour of contemplating this cryptic question, I decided to re-read the chapter that I had read earlier, Romans 10. After each sentence I would ask myself, What doesn’t it say? Eventually I reached Romans 10:8-10:

"But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

After reading these verses, scriptures that I had been trying to make sense of for years flooded my mind. This powerful passage assures us that those who believe in Christ may be certain of their salvation, but there is indeed one thing that it doesn’t say: when this salvation will be accomplished. In the coming chapters I will outline—with extensive citations from the Bible—what I believe to be God’s multi-phase plan for humanity’s salvation. It will be argued that the recognition of these phases—multiple resurrections, for both believers and (current) non-believers—reveals a divine plan that is both more just and more merciful than has heretofore been recognized, and reconciles numerous passages in the Bible that, critics have claimed, are contradictory.

Let me be very clear: I am not claiming that this book is divinely inspired. These are my own thoughts, ideas, and interpretations of what I believe is the integrated message God has given to man in the Bible. I do believe, however, that I may have been nudged somehow toward this interpretation. What does this mean? In all honesty, I do not know. I was hesitant to recount this nudge in the first place, for fear that some might think me delusional, or worse, dishonest. I can only ask that the reader not evaluate the content of the subsequent chapters on the basis of what I have written here, but rather on the merits of the arguments themselves and, most importantly, how these arguments accord with the Holy Scriptures: our only certain and reliable guide to the divine plan.

-M.B.C.

A NOTE ON METHODOLOGY

For those who are unfamiliar with the methods and results of modern biblical scholarship, parts of what follows might be disconcerting or even troubling. I would like, therefore, to highlight three important points at the outset:

1. The authors are Christians, who believe that Jesus Christ is the messiah, and that the ultimate result of his life, teachings, death, and resurrection is the salvation of humankind. Everything in the work that follows is compatible with these foundational beliefs, even if some details might differ from the dogmas and orthodox positions that have come to define Christian theology in the post-New Testament period. By introducing historical and literary methods of biblical analysis to an audience unfamiliar with such scholarship, it is our hope that this book might create a greater awareness of how the Bible’s message is often far subtler—but richer and more wondrous—than traditional dogmas sometimes suggest. In short, the theories put forth in this book are ultimately grounded in what the Bible teaches about itself, and what Jesus taught, though they occasionally challenge our traditional understanding about what the Bible means. Such challenges may sometimes make us uncomfortable, but can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding and a greater faith. We must be careful not to make the Bible out to be something that it never claims to be, and we must always remember that a challenge to our traditional understandings need not entail an attack on our core beliefs.

2. God is subtle. He acts within a historical framework—occasionally giving it a good nudge—but largely doing things in such a way that they can be mistaken for the random acts of history. But when in the biblical record we see, over and over again, these random acts leading inexorably to the development of first Judaism and then Christianity as great world faiths, the divine hand at work is clearly evident. To watch the events unfolding behind the scenes as God leads his people, step-by-step, over centuries, toward an understanding of his purpose and plan results in an even more stunning and miraculous revelation than the traditional view of scripture assumes.

3. The previous two points deal with potential concerns of believers. But what of skeptics and non-believers? Perhaps the authors’ contention that a confessional approach to scripture—scripture taken on its own terms—is not inherently incompatible with scholarship will cause them to take another look at the possibility that this book’s sacred status is deserved, that it may indeed be God’s revelation to humanity, and that—though the manner of this revelation may be quite different than is often assumed—there just might be a divine hand guiding the human authors who created it.

This third point bears further discussion. One of the more troubling developments in the history of Christianity is the blanket assertion by some Christians that the Bible must in all cases be viewed as literally, historically true, and that it is the inerrant word of God. Such assertions have done profound damage to the spreading of the gospel message, in that they give skeptics ammunition for their attacks on the faith. It is unfortunate that the insistence by many believers that the events recounted in the Bible all must have happened in history has, when modern scholarship has demonstrated otherwise, allowed skeptics to dismiss the moral and religious value of the stories as well.

This is nothing less than a tragedy. The truth of Christianity does not necessitate the denial of science: the message of Jesus does not depend, for example, on the literal truth of a six-day creation. Even in ancient times, great (and religiously devout) thinkers like Philo of Alexandria recognized that the Genesis narrative of creation was not a factual, historical account, but rather conveyed a more profound religious truth. This should not be viewed as surprising or threatening. No less a figure than Jesus himself taught using parables and stories. Would the truth, for example, of the story of the prodigal son depend on whether it was a historical fact? Of course not. And in fact there are a number of indicators in the Bible itself that some of the stories contained therein were not written to convey history in the modern sense, but rather to convey eternal truths that are not dependent on time or setting. (Some of these will be discussed below.) Again, we must always guard against placing our presuppositions about the Bible above what scripture reveals about itself.

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A CHANCE CONVERSATION

I was in a book store some time ago, looking for books with subject material about the early Christians; specifically, books about the period in early Christianity prior to the gentiles taking control of the church. I noticed an older gentleman looking through books in the Christianity section. I approached him and asked, Sir; have you accepted Christ as your Savior?

As a matter of fact I’ve been a pastor for fifty-two years, he replied.

I asked him, Do you believe what Paul writes in Romans 10:9?

He picked up a King James Bible from the shelf and glanced at the passage, only half looking at it:

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Absolutely! he said. Salvation is by grace and grace alone.

What if someone has been baptized and accepts Christ as his Savior, but remains a practicing homosexual? Is he saved? I asked.

I’m afraid not, he said, shaking his head, he has fallen away from the will of God.

Why do you say that? I asked.

He leafed through the Bible for a moment. Here is the scripture, he said, and read 1 Corinthians 6:9-10:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Is Paul talking about the unsaved or Christian believers? I interrupted.

No, no, he replied, Look here, it goes on to clearly explain who Paul is referencing. He then read verse 11:

And that is what some of YOU [he emphasized you] were. But YOU were washed, YOU were sanctified, YOU were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.

You see Paul is clearly warning those who have received Christ and fall away they risk spending eternity in hell, he finished.

I believe the scripture actually states that they won’t inherit the kingdom of God, I replied.

He waved his hand dismissively. That’s just another way of expressing the danger they face in hell for falling away.

Well, thank you Pastor. I just needed clarification of the issue, I said.

He gave me his business card and told me I could call him if I had any other questions.

This conversation illustrates, in a nutshell, one of the principal quandaries with which the Christian church has been grappling for centuries: simply put, is grace a free gift or not? Once one receives Christ as his or her Savior, are there any stipulations of law and/or obedience to qualify for salvation?

I didn’t want to argue with the man; he had been a pastor for 52 years, and was certain that he understood the meaning of Paul’s statements in the passages from Romans and 1 Corinthians. But there are biblical passages which clearly indicate that salvation is a free gift of God, requiring nothing but faith on the part of the believer. Consider the following verses:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life… (John 5:24).

Jesus said to [Martha], I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26).

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

An extraordinary number of New Testament verses offer this guarantee. Such verses demonstrate that there simply are no qualifiers to the free gift of eternal life: you cannot earn salvation no matter how good you are. Conversely, you cannot lose salvation unless, after receiving Christ as your Savior, you choose to reject His gift. This, then, is our assurance of eternal salvation through faith in Christ: "…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:10).

What of the pastor’s view, that the practicing homosexual has forfeited his salvation? In my opinion, he has made an all-too-common error: he has presumed to know a sinner’s level of righteousness, and to find it insufficient to obtain eternal life. Even if a Christian is perceived as a drunkard, an adulterer, a swindler, or as taking part in any of the other behaviors which Paul classifies as practicing lawlessness, it is not within man’s ability—or authority—to judge someone’s motives or heart. Only God is qualified to do this; indeed, this is the very purpose of the white throne judgment mentioned in Revelation 20:11 (see discussion below).

How, then, can the 1 Corinthians passage quoted by the pastor (Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, etc.) be explained? I believe that he, along with other Christian theologians, has missed a crucial distinction: 1 Corinthians here does not refer to salvation, but rather to the kingdom of God. There are indeed ramifications to lawless behavior, but these ramifications do not involve the forfeiture of eternal life (which is a free gift of God, and cannot be earned). In every instance mentioning Christians who live in (i.e. practice) lawlessness, it is stated that these offenders will not be involved in a specific period of time referred to as the kingdom of God. Further evidence for this view can be found in Galatians 5:19-21:

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The context indicates that Paul is discussing Christians who may be living in such a sinful fashion. Note that he does not say they will not inherit eternal life, but rather that they will not inherit the kingdom of God. Recognition of this crucial distinction—i.e. that salvation and inheriting the kingdom of God are not the same thing—allows us to harmonize numerous seemingly contradictory statements in the New Testament, both in the gospels and in Acts and the epistles. Consider Paul’s words in I Corinthians 9:24:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I may not be disqualified for the prize" (emphasis mine).

In a similar vein, Philippians 3:12-14 reads:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize (reward) for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Given that Paul is the apostle most strongly associated with the doctrine of grace (as the passages cited above make clear), his language here is exceedingly curious: he describes himself as running, fighting, beating his body, straining, pressing on toward the goal, and trying to obtain and take hold of a prize. Paul cannot not possibly mean he is doing all this to win eternal salvation; otherwise, he is contradicting his many other statements that such salvation is a free gift. The only way to reconcile these seeming contradictions is to acknowledge that when Paul talks of salvation by grace and his struggle for the kingdom, he is referring to two different things.

Jesus also makes this distinction in the gospels; for example Mark 10:13-15 reads:

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

Similarly, in Matthew 11:11-12 Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven:

I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.

If the kingdom of heaven signifies the same thing as eternal life or salvation, then this is an exceedingly strange remark: how exactly might forceful men—many translations read violent men—lay hold of it? What Jesus and Paul are explaining here is something that is achievable only by what in the traditional parlance are called works, as opposed to salvation, which is obtained only by grace. Christians must therefore confront the stark fact that the Bible either contradicts itself on an issue of central importance, or the church—in a larger sense, meaning the Christian community—has made a critical error in how it interprets and teaches the gospel.

A PROPOSED CLARIFICATION

In this work, it is the purpose of myself and my co-author to offer the Christian church the following proposal in an attempt to clarify a fundamental doctrine regarding the sequence of the coming of the kingdom of God, the resurrection(s) from the dead, and Judgment Day. I do