Given that individual humans have been known to die more than once, I've often wondered if this passage is referring to the collective death of humankind through Adam, which happened once. The judgment that follows, and which also seems to be presented as a singular event (
at least the way the KJV words it), would've been dealt with by Jesus at the cross, given that the punishment for sin is said to have been taken on by him.
Just a thought. Carry on!
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You have made a good point concerning the judgment that follows, and which also seems to be presented as a singular event.
Yes, it is a singular event.....
5Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick/alive and the dead.
6For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Peter 4:5-6)
Peter is refering to the departed Jewish fathers of faith, whom Christ preached to.....
19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1 Peter 3:the 19-20)
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (John 9:28)
It speaks of the event after men physically die.....
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16For where a testament
is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17For a testament
is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
18Whereupon neither the first
testament was dedicated without blood. (Hebrews 9:15-18)
Physical death is what leads all to that event in the singular.
It is written "Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen.
John wrote this after delivering the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the 7 churches, after the fall of Babylon, that is earthly Jerusalem, the 1st Beast, false prophet (religious system).
Death is what brings the whole world before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ. The Jewish high priest who died before 70AD, would be told by Jesus the following....
You have said it yourself," Jesus answered. "But
I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:64)
Paul would take it one step further by saying....
6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith:
8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
The Lord's appearing for all of humanity, for their eyes to see, is the judgement that comes thereafter and thereafter as Jesus would tell the high priest was after he physically dies, for this is the context of all eyes shall see him, even those that were responsible for piercing/condemning him.
As it is well known and said that death brings us before our maker for judgement, hence all men are destined to physically die once, then to be judged before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ.
The cross, brought salvation to a spiritually dead world, the cross did not bring judgement, Jesus said I did not cone to judge the world. Judgement can only be effective after a person physically dies, otherwise the Grace of the cross for those who still are alive in their earthly body would have no power and would either be selectively available or not available at all. After physical death, grace has already been offered and then the judgement event in the singular is effective to all, believers and none believers.
If Justice is not followed after Grace, then grace was never grace, because evil would not be righteously judged by the righteous judge. These is why Paul writes...
8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day
Again that day is the singular event pointing after death and not the cross or whilst we live in our earthly bodies.
2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that,
when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
John is alluding to a post resurrection form, after the first earthly tent, that is our body is dissolved, to then take on the glorified form like our Lord and savior.
So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)
Notice the first time appearance points to the saving grace that forgives our sins, by his redemptive cross. The second time is not to again deliver saving grace for the redemption of sins, but to salvage those from this temporal life to the eternal life, in his Father's house, on that day in the singular, after we pass from this temporal life to our permanent dwelling with our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. For this is the longing for his appearing the second time, that the righteous judge will award the departed, whom he will salvage and give rest to, where there will be no more death, no more mourning and they will live with Christ forever.
The early church fathers had all longed for that singular event, the resurrection of the dead. As Jesus said, in the last day, I will raise you up. We better believe what our Lord comforted us with and ignore full preterist lies.
