Response to Universal Reconciliation Opposition - Part 13

This is the thirteenth in a mini-series of posts responding to the arguments offered by Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) against God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation.

His arguments against Universal Reconciliation (UR) are offered under five headings, the third of which is c. The Basis of the Final Judgement. (see a previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here)

Under the c. The Basis of the Final Judgement heading Dr Arnold states that the third argument is to point out that the final judgement is based on deeds done in the flesh and not on what happens in the intermediate state and then lists several texts from the New Testament he hopes will illustrate his assertion.

The texts are Matthew 7 : 22 - 23; Matthew 10 : 32 - 33; Matthew 25 : 31 - 46; Luke 12 : 46 - 48; 2 Corinthians 5 : 9 - 10; Galatians 6 : 7 - 8; 2 Thessalonians 1 : 7 - 10.

There are three major judgements mentioned in the New Testament.
The first was on Israel and occurred in AD 70. 
The second will be on the Gentile nations prior to the Millennium
The third will be on the dead of all ages at the Great White Throne after the Millennium.

Dr Arnold has correctly discovered judgement in the verses he quoted, but incorrectly applied them to the final judgement - the one that best serves his doctrinal position of eternal punishment in hell for all who do not profess Christ during their physical lifetime on the earth - the final Great White Throne judgement in which "the dead are judged according to what they have done". [Revelation 20 : 12]

But as we will see, none of the verses quoted refer to this final judgement at all.

Jesus' teaching recorded in the Gospels was directed only to the kingdom age as this was the only future the Jews knew about. They knew nothing about the church age (the age of grace) and nowhere did He mention the eternal realm, even though most of our popular Bibles insert words like "eternal" and "everlasting" into the English text.

1.  Matthew 7 : 21 - 23

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ [NIV]

I have included verse 21, which Dr Arnold omitted, to show that the kingdom was the context of Jesus' remarks.

2.  Matthew 10 : 32 - 33

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." [NIV]

If we go to the beginning of this conversation of Jesus and His disciples, we will again see the kingdom context.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
[Matthew 10 : 5 - 7  NIV]

3.  Matthew 25 : 31 - 46
I won't quote this many verses here; please read for yourself. 

If you are reading one of our popular English Bibles, you will need to make corrections for "eternal" (as literal translations do) to see more clearly that this judgement is not the final one. (verse 41: eternal fire = fire of the Age; verse 46: eternal punishment = the chastisement of that Age; verse 46: eternal life = the life of that Age)

Again, the context is the King nominating those nations who qualify, by their good works, to inherit the kingdom.

Then the king will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take the inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world."
[verse 34  NIV]

So the judgement being addressed is that on the nations after the Tribulation and prior to the commencement of the Age of the Messianic Kingdom.

4.  Luke 12 : 46 - 48

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.
But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. [NIV]

Prior to this description of punishments, verses 31 and 32 again demonstrate that Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience, which included His disciples, about judgement relating to the kingdom age.

So each of the Gospel texts quoted relates to judgements on Israel or Gentile nations concerning the future Messianic kingdom, which occurs at least 1000 years before the final Great White Throne judgement inferred by Dr Arnold.

5.  2 Corinthians 5 : 9 - 10

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. [NIV]

The context of this chapter is the Church Age Saints, their resurrected bodies and their judgement for rewards at the Rapture.
Paul also wrote to this church in his earlier letter giving a few more details about the process involved. [1 Corinthians 3 : 10 - 15]
Consequently, this judgement is also well before the final judgement and is only for the Body of Christ.

6.  Galatians 6 : 7 - 8

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [NIV]

Once "eternal life" is replaced with the literal "life in the Age" it is clear that this is talking about life in the kingdom and is therefore well before the final judgement which will occur after the kingdom age.

7.  2 Thessalonians 1 : 6 - 10

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.
This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.
This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. [NIV]

 Several literal translations into English of the underlined words above reveal that the penalty involved is to be totally excluded from the Lord's presence while the Christ's kingdom age is in progress, not for eternity as our popular versions suggest.

Who, indeed, a penalty, shall pay -  age-abiding destruction from the face of the Lord ... - Rotherham (REB)
who shall suffer justice - destruction age-during - from the face of the Lord ... - Young (YLT)
Who will pay the just reparation of ruin in the Age, coming from the face of the Lord ... - Hart (DBH)
who a just penalty shall pay, destruction age-lasting, from face to the Lord ... - Diaglott (DNT)
who shall incur the justice of eonian extermination from the face of the Lord ... - Concordant (CLV)

This judgement will occur at the second coming of Christ - when He comes to judge and rule in blazing fire with his powerful angels - described in detail in Revelation 19.
Again, these verses do not refer to the final judgement which will follow the kingdom age.
 
Once we have clarified which judgement is being discussed, I then agree with the remainder of Dr Arnold's assertion that those judgements are based on deeds done in the flesh.
However, none of these texts refer to the final judgement, but to judgements relevant to participation or otherwise in the millennial kingdom age.

The final judgement at the Great White Throne and subsequent purifying process in the Lake of Fire ensures God will indeed be the Saviour of all and achieve His plan of having everyone know the truth.

... our Savior God, who intends all human beings to be saved and come to a full knowledge of truth.
[1 Timothy 2 : 4  DBH]
For we labor and struggle to this end, because we have hoped in a living God who is the savior of all human beings, especially those who have faith.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10  DBH]

Clearly, a proper reading of correctly-translated Scriptures will not support the common church doctrine that most of creation will be eternally lost because ...

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 8 -10  NIV]
For, even as in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.
Yet, each in his own class.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 22 - 23  CLV]

Blessings, Barry