THE TIMING OF RESURRECTION
Paul does not tie Resurrection of the Dead (which he taught was ABOUT TO happen in their lifetimes -- Acts 24:15;
Romans 13:11, 1 Thess 4:15) to the end of the New Covenant Age as many futurists just assume. Rather, the institution of Resurrection of the Dead is tied to the end of the Old Testament Age in Pauline theology. That is, Paul ties the institution of Resurrection to the removal of THE OLD COVENANT LAW OF MOSES. I'll take us forward to see in 1 Cor 15 how Paul ties the victory of resurrection to the end of the LAW AGE.
"THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN AND THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW [OF MOSES]"
Paul's famous and triumphant summary of his teaching on resurrection of the dead is indeed tied to the end of the LAW AGE and not the end of the New Covenant Age. Paul believed that the sting and victory of death (which futurists teach have not yet been eradicated) existed due to SIN POWERED BY THE LAW OF MOSES! (1 Cor 15:56). Paul writes:
1 Corinthians 15:54-56
and when this corruptible may have put on incorruption, and this mortal may have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the word that hath been written,
'The Death was swallowed up in victory [55] where, O Death, is thy sting? Where, O Hades is thy victory?'[56] And the sting of the death is sin, AND THE POWER OF SIN IS THE LAW
This is worth repeating here. Paul ties the resurrection victory to the removal of THE LAW covenant of Moses:
'The Death was swallowed up in victory [55] where, O Death, is thy sting? Where, O Hades is thy victory?'[56] And the sting of the death is sin, AND THE POWER OF SIN IS THE LAW
Paul's teaching that the Law of Moses is the code that gives power to sin and therefore death can be found fully developed in
Romans 7:5-14. Only by the removal of the Law
and its earthly curses and Temple would the Temple in Heaven be opened up to receive the dead out of the hadean realm (
Hebrews 9:8; 1 Cor 15:55-56). So the dead were raised out of HADES at the end of the Old Covenant Age which was at AD 70 when the earthly Temple System was abolished forever.
In Sum:
As Paul's own teaching in
1 Corinthians 15:55-56 shows, the end of death via the institution of resurrection of the dead (granting of eternal life to the saints - Lk 18:30; Titus; 1 Tim 6:19) is actually tied to the removal of THE LAW OF MOSES which was the power of sin and death and was in effect over the Nation until the Temple/Law economy was destroyed at AD 70.
None of this of course NEGATES the future CREEDAL resurrection into the FINAL ETERNAL STATE of all things.
