The Power of Micro-Progressive Revelation: Jesus Middle Apocalypse. David Fredrickson, PhD Western Seminary

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1 The Power of Micro-Progressive Revelation: Jesus Middle Apocalypse David Fredrickson, PhD Western Seminary

2 I. Introduction: My formative experience applying progressive revelation to OT eschatology

3 The End Times Progressively Revealed THE DAY OF YHWH Israeli age of regional superiority, peace OBADIAH Purpose: 1. Divine punishment of Gentile nations for mistreating Israel (per Abrahamic Covenant) Climactic Gentile attack on Jerusalem, YHWH repulses

4 The End Times Progressively Revealed THE DAY OF YHWH OBADIAH JOEL 2,3 Climactic Gentile attack on Jerusalem, YHWH repulses, Chaotic signs in sky, Spirit of YHWH poured out on all Purposes: 1. Divine punishment of Gentile nations for mistreating Israel (per Abrahamic Covenant) 2. Divine discipline of Israel for breaking Mosaic Cov. Israeli age of regional superiority, peace Israel spiritually empowered internally

5 The End Times Progressively Revealed One like the Son of Man Messiah b. Joseph? THE DAY OF YHWH Prince, boastful horn 70 th "seven" YHWH Messiah b. David THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM OBADIAH JOEL 2,3 ISAIAH 11,53,65 DANIEL 7,9,12 ZECH 14 Wicked prince/ boastful horn rules Israel, enables Levitical worship Climactic Gentile attack on Jerusalem, YHWH repulses, Chaotic signs in sky, Spirit of YHWH poured out on all Purposes: 1. Divine punishment of Gentile nations for mistreating Israel (per Abrahamic Covenant) 2. Divine discipline of Israel for breaking Mosaic Cov. Resurrection of just, unjust Dan 12:1,2 Israeli age of regional superiority, peace Israel spiritually empowered internally Mess. ben David ruling world fr. Jerusalem as political & spiritual world capitol, world spiritually responsive Enforced world peace, creation in approx. Edenic state Gentile nations exist, require Messianic discipline "One like Son of Man" replaces rule of boastful horn

6 Benefits of earlier vs. later biblical apocalypses: their less detail means the primary chronological phases and their order are more clear

7 Benefits of earlier vs. later biblical apocalypses: their less detail means the primary chronological phases and their order are more clear they often cover more ground, tying together more major events

8 Benefits of earlier vs. later biblical apocalypses: their less detail means the primary chronological phases and their order are more clear they often cover more ground, tying together more major events they include fewer non-chronological supplements (illustration, application, etc) to be distinguished amidst their chronologies

9 Benefits of earlier vs. later biblical apocalypses: their less detail means the primary chronological phases and their order are more clear they often cover more ground, tying together more major events they include fewer non-chronological supplements (illustration, application, etc) to be distinguished amidst their chronologies helpfully absent is the freedom seen in later revelations, to give detailed attention to some events while skipping over other events altogether

10 II. Jesus First Apocalypse: Mt 16:24-28; Mk 8:34-9:1; Lk 9:23-27

11 Jesus First Apocalypse Mark 8:34-9:1 Matthew 16:24-28 Luke 9: For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. JC s 2 nd Coming Divine, evaluative judgment Divine, retributive judgment 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds 25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. SEE ALSO APPENDIX 1 FOR SCRIPTURE CONTEXTS

12 Outline of Jesus First Apocalypse I. (Mt 16:27a; Mk 8:38b; Lk 9:26b) Son of Man comes w/ glory, angels II. (Mt 16:27b; Mk 8:38a; Lk 9:26a) Evaluative judgment of every person III. (Mt 16:27c) Retributive judgment/blessing for every person Timeline for First Apocalypse Son of Man s glorious return Evaluative judgment of all Retributive blessing/judgment for all

13 III. Jesus Second Apocalypse: Lk 17:22-37

14 Jesus Second Apocalypse The days longing for 1 of the Days of the SofM People living/attempting normal lives, unawares Color Legend JC s death, 1 st event of His complete apocalypse The godly removed geographically before retributive judgment arrives Luke 17: And He said to the disciples, The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will say to you, Look there! Look here! Do not go away, and do not run after them. 24 For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Divine, evaluative judgment JC s 2 nd Coming Divine, retributive judgment

15 Jesus Second Apocalypse (cont) Color Legend JC s death, 1 st event of His complete apocalypse Divine, evaluative judgment The days longing for 1 of the Days of the SofM JC s 2 nd Coming People living/attempting normal lives, unawares Divine, retributive judgment The godly removed geographically before retributive judgment arrives 30 It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36 [ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left. ] 37 And answering they said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them, Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.

16 Outline of Jesus Second Apocalypse (Lk 17:22 37) Color Legend JC s death, 1 st event of His complete apocalypse Divine, evaluative judgment The days longing for 1 of the Days of the SofM JC s 2 nd Coming People living/attempting normal lives, unawares Divine, retributive judgment The godly removed geographically before retributive judgment arrives (22a) sequential connective (δὲ) + aorist : marks chronological transition in the narrative, from JC teaching the Pharisees, to JC afterward teaching the disciples I. (22b-25) Chronology part one: The Days prior to any Days of the Son of Man (22b) no connective + fut. indic.: marks 1 st event presented from the chronology A. (22b) Event #2a: The SofM will be away, the disciples will long for one of the days of the SofM n o n c h r o n o - l o g i c a l (23a) coordinating connective (καὶ) + fut. indic.: marks future event contemporaneous w/ the prior B. (23a) Event #2b: Others will allege visible appearances of the SofM (23b) no connective + neg. aorist subj.: marks a command resultant to the above event C. (23b) Related command: The disciples are not to respond to those reports (24a) explanatory connective (γὰρ) + present tenses: marks a justification for the prior command D. (24) Related explanation: the above command is appropriate because an event yet future in this chronology, the SofM s appearing, will be universally visible

17 Outline of Jesus Second Apocalypse (Lk 17:22-37, cont) Color Legend JC s death, 1 st event of His complete apocalypse Divine, evaluative judgment The days longing for 1 of the Days of the SofM JC s 2 nd Coming People living/attempting normal lives, unawares Divine, retributive judgment The godly removed geographically before retributive judgment arrives (25a) sequential connective (πρῶτον δὲ) + present tenses: marks a return to the chronology, identifying the initial event of the chronology E. (25) Event #1: first, the Son of Man will be rejected & suffer (26a) sequential connective (καὶ) + indic. fut. : marks a continuation of the chronology II. (26-29) Chronology part two: The Days of the Son of Man will arrive, and be identical (καθὼς) to the tumultuous chronologies seen in The Days of Noah and The Days of Lot (27a, 28a) no connectives + indic. impfcts.: marks 1 st events of the 3 (2 ancient, 1 future) part II chronologies A. (27a, 28b) Event #3: People were (and will be) carrying out typical activities, unawares (27b, 29a) sequential connectives (ἄχρι, δὲ) + indic. aorists: marks a continuation of the 3 chronologies B. (27b, 29a) Event #4, until/on The Day that : On a particular day, the godly were (and will be) removed geographically from the Divinely-selected region

18 Outline of Jesus Second Apocalypse (Lk 17:22-37, cont) Color Legend JC s death, 1 st event of His complete apocalypse Divine, evaluative judgment The days longing for 1 of the Days of the SofM JC s 2 nd Coming People living/attempting normal lives, unawares Divine, retributive judgment The godly removed geographically before retributive judgment arrives (27c, 29b) sequential connectives (καὶ, relative/temporal clause) + indic. aorists: mark a continuation of the 3 chronologies C. (27c, 29c) Event #5: God directly poured (and will pour) out from the heavens retributive judgment upon any living thing remaining in that region (30) no connective + indic. fut.: marks a new section of the chronology III. (30-37) Chronology part three:

19 Outline of Jesus Second Apocalypse (Lk 17:22-37, cont) Excursus: Two of Five Reasons the Days of the Son of Man segment in Lk 17 should be read as a chronological section describing the Rapture 1. The tendency to export backward one s interpretation of the Olivet Discourse s Noah sequence onto Luke 17 s Noah sequence is invalidated by (micro) progressive revelation. The problem is intensified by the reality that scriptural wordings of the two Noah sequences are not even identical, let alone their location and probably their function, within the two apocalypses: Luke 17:27 (NASB95) 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Matthew 24:38-39 (NASB95) 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

20 Excursus: Two of Five Reasons the Days of the Son of Man segment in Lk 17 should be read as a chronological section describing the Rapture (cont) 2. Genesis is clear that while the whole earth was flooded, it was not the whole earth that received judgment. The failure to capture this distinction leads many interpreters to improperly minimize the extent of the parallels between the Noah sequence and the Rapture. Two passages for discussion: Matthew 24:38-39 (NASB95) 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Genesis 7:21-23a (NASB95 + my translation) 21 All flesh that creeped, moved used rarely of water animals, and always with the explicit mention of ;ה ר מ ש] water as their medium] on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind 22 of all that was on the dry ground ח ר ב ה],[ב all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. 23 Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the ground א ד מ ה],[ה from man to animals to creeping things and [ה א ר ץ] to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth SEE ALSO APPENDIX 2 FOR A FULLER EXCURSUS

21 n o n c h r o n o Outline of Jesus Second Apocalypse (Lk 17:22-37, cont) III. (30-37) Chronology part three: The Day the Son of Man is Revealed will arrive, and be the same (κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ), i.e. will also involve sudden events requiring urgent, geographical flight (30) no connective + indic. fut.: marks the next event of the chronology A. (30) Event #6: The Day the Son of Man is Revealed arrives, in a setting like (κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ) part II above - l o g i c a l (31a) no connective + neg. subj. aorists: marks commands resultant to the prior chronology event B. (31b-32) Related commands: Remembering the physical destruction to Lot s wife who hesitated, the listeners/readers are to quickly, geographically flee the region on that day (33a) no connective + subj. presents: transition to advisory segment C.(33) Advisory proverb: Seeking to retain one s (way of) life will cause it s loss, willingness to abandon one s (way of) life will cause life s retention (34a) no connective + future indicatives: resumption of chronology section D. (34-36) Event #7: That night of The Day the Son of Man is Revealed arrives, and begins the supernatural gathering away of select people (37a) sequential connective (καὶ) + historical present indicative: the narration transitions into a weaving together of explanation and chronology, by way of an explanatory dialogue that has a final chronology element embedded within E. (37) Event #8: Those just gathered away have retributive judgment as their end experience

22 Timeline for Second Apocalypse (Luke 17:26-37) Godly removed fr. Divinelyselected region The SofM s return SofM rejected SofM is away, Disciples long for one of the Days of the SofM, others allege (false) appearances of Him People live normal lives, unawares Divine, retributive judgment on the selected region Region attempts normal lives, unawares Selected ones gathered away for evaluative judgment, & then retributive judgment on the selected ones The Days prior to any Days of the Son of Man Days of the Son of Man? That Night Day of the Son of Man s Return D a y s o f t h e S o n o f M a n?

23 Timelines for 1 st & 2 nd Apocalypses Combined Godly removed fr. Divinelyselected region The SofM s return SofM rejected SofM is away, Disciples long for one of the Days of the SofM, others allege (false) appearances of Him People live normal lives, unawares Divine, retributive judgment on the selected region Region attempts normal lives, unawares All gathered away for evaluative judgment & then retributive blessing / judgment on the selected ones The Days prior to any Days of the Son of Man Days of the Son of Man? That Night Day of the Son of Man s Return D a y s o f t h e S o n o f M a n? Elements of 1 st apocalypse passed over in 2 nd apocalypse

24 SEE APPENDIX 3 FOR ONE VERSION OF A CHRONOLOGICAL ALIGNMENT OF THE 2 ND AND 3 RD APOCALYPSES OF JESUS

PARALLEL ACCOUNTS OF THE OLIVET DISCOURSE (NASB) Prepared by Dr. J. Paul Tanner

PARALLEL ACCOUNTS OF THE OLIVET DISCOURSE (NASB) Prepared by Dr. J. Paul Tanner July 5, 2009 Matthew 24:1-51 The Setting: Adoring the Temple Buildings 1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away