In the last section of this paper, we saw that many of the judgment passages in the New Testament actually relate to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, which was of great redemptive-historical significance because it destroyed the last physical vestiges of the Old Covenant. This judgment is referred to in Jesus’ mentions of Gehenna (Matt. 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; 18:8-9; 23:33; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 12:5), in his parables about the end of the age (Matt. 13:37-43, 47-50; cf. 24:1-3), in his parable about ‘the Sheep and the Goats’ (Matt. 25:31-46), in his reference to “the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29), in Paul’s description of “eonian destruction, away from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thess. 1:5-10), and in the ‘Great White Throne Judgment’ (Rev. 20:11-15).
Most of these passages are conventionally thought to refer to the final judgment at the Second Coming, rather than the AD 70 fall of Jerusalem. As our exegesis has shown that these passages do in fact describe God’s judgment on unbelieving Israel, rather than a future judgment, one might be tempted to relate all prophecies about judgment to AD 70 (as full preterists do). So is it possible to relate all other judgment passages to the fall of Jerusalem as well, and if not, do they refer to a future judgment or something else? What about the passages that describe the salvation and blessing of believers in Christ; do these refer to past blessings, present blessings, or something still future?
Eonian Life
In order to understand the other blessings and punishments described in the New Testament, it is important to have a correct understanding of the phrase “eonian life” (zōē aiōnia). Because this phrase is commonly translated as “eternal life,” many Christians understand it to refer to the immortality that we will receive at the resurrection. However, the Greek adjective aiōnios is derived from aiōn (“age”), which refers to a temporal period with an end. Although aiōnios can mean “eternal” in certain contexts (e.g., Rom. 16:26), it also refers to temporal things in dozens of instances throughout the LXX. [1] Based on an extensive study of the use of aiōnios in biblical and extra-biblical texts, scholars Ilaria Ramelli and David Konstan have determined that zōē aiōnios means “life of the [Messianic] age.” [2] Therefore, we should not assume that eonian life will necessarily be eternal, nor that it refers to immortality.
According to Jesus, it is “the righteous” who receive eonian life (Matt. 25:46), including those who have lost family members or possessions due to persecution (Matt. 19:29-30; Mark 10:29-31; Luke 18:29-30). In the gospel of John, those who believe in Christ are said to receive eonian life (3:15, 16, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47). The book of Acts refers to some people as “unworthy of eonian life” and states that “as many as were appointed to eonian life believed” (13:46, 48). Paul says that eonian life is “the gift of God... through Jesus Christ” (Rom. 6:22-23; cf. 2 Thess. 2:16; Tit. 3:7), and that those who have faith toward Christ and God will receive it (Rom. 2:7; Gal. 6:8; cf. 1 Tim. 1:16; 6:12, 19). Overall, the consistent testimony of the New Testament is that only those who have faith in Jesus as Messiah receive eonian life.
When is eonian life received? Although it’s often thought that zōē aiōnios is merely a postmortem blessing which will be received after the resurrection, John repeatedly states that eonian life is something which we “have” in the present tense (John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47, 54; 1 John 5:11, 13). Nonetheless, other New Testament writers say that eonian life is still future from their perspective (Matt. 19:29; 25:46; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tim. 6:19; Tit. 1:2; 3:7), and Jesus states that it will be inherited “in the age to come” (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30). The New Testament era was a time of transition between the Old and New Covenants (Heb. 8:13), and the age of the Old Covenant did not end until AD 70 (Matt. 24:1-3), when the kingdom of God finally came “with power” (Mark 9:1; Luke 21:31-32; cf. Matt. 24:30).
This means that eonian life is a blessing which is enjoyed in the present Messianic (New Covenant) age, which began during Jesus’ ministry and was fully inaugurated in AD 70; it is not something that will only be inherited in the future (such as immortality). But what exactly is eonian life? Fortunately, Jesus defined it for us:
“Now this is eonian life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)
According to Jesus, eonian life is defined as the state of knowing God and Christ (cf. Heb. 8:10-12). This is more than a mere intellectual knowledge, and involves God and his Son actually coming to dwell in communion with us (John 14:23; 1 John 1:3; 2:24; 3:23-24; 4:12-13; cf. 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 3:17). The love of God is being “perfected” in those who are in communion with the Father and the Son (1 John 2:5; 4:12, 18), so that we are being “conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29; cf. 2 Cor. 3:18). This is a spiritual blessing which we believers presently possess, not something to be fulfilled in the future.
Jesus’ statement in the gospel of John that eonian life is a present spiritual blessing, rather than a future blessing, is supported by Paul’s claims in Romans 2:
To those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, [God] will give eonian life... There will be... glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, both the Jew first and the Greek. (Rom. 2:7, 10)
By parallelism, Paul defines “eonian life” as “glory and honor and peace.” These are spiritual blessings which are enjoyed in our present life as believers (Rom. 8:6; 14:17; 15:13; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 5:22-24; Phil. 4:7, 19; Col. 1:27; 2 Thess. 2:14; 3:16; etc.).
Moreover, the salvation that believers experience is not a salvation from postmortem punishment. In the New Testament, there are numerous types of salvation that are spoken of [3], but by far the most common salvation spoken of is salvation from our sin. [4] In a few instances, Paul talks about our salvation from God’s wrath (Rom. 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9), but there is no indication that this refers to postmortem punishment. Throughout the Bible, God’s wrath consistently refers to temporal punishments in this life. [5] Because of our eonian life (communion with God and Christ), we are being saved from our sin, as the spirit of God is producing within us “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23; cf. John 15:5; Col. 3:12-17; 2 Pet. 1:5-8).
Punishment of Sins
In his epistles, Paul repeatedly states that some people “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11; 15:50; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5). This is sometimes taken to refer to a future judgment in which some people will be given an inheritance in the kingdom of God, and others will be shut out (cf. Matt. 25:34, 46). However, this does not cohere with Paul’s understanding of the kingdom of God; as he states elsewhere, “the kingdom of God is... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). In other words, an inheritance in the kingdom of God is the same thing as eonian life, as it refers to the present spiritual blessings. Those who do not have faith in Christ, and do not have God’s spirit, cannot partake of these blessings (cf. Gal. 5:22-24).
The same presently ongoing judgment is spoken of in Paul’s description of “the day of wrath” in Romans 2:
... by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will repay according to each one’s deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eonian life, while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but injustice, there will be wrath and fury. There will be affliction and distress for everyone who does evil, both the Jew first and the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, both the Jew first and the Greek. (Rom. 2:5-10)
This “day of wrath” cannot refer to the AD 70 fall of Jerusalem, because it encompasses “both the Jew first and the Greek”. Nor can it refer to a future final judgment, because Paul stated earlier in the epistle that “the wrath of God is being revealed upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Rom. 1:18). Therefore, it must be an ongoing judgment in which those who do good are rewarded with “eonian life,” and those who do evil are rewarded with “affliction and distress.” The “day of wrath” must not refer to a literal day, but to the “day” in which the Messiah would reign and judge the gentiles (Isa. 11:10-12; 42:1-4; Zech. 2:11; 14:9; 2 Cor. 6:2; cf. Acts 17:30-31). Notably, throughout the Hebrew Bible, there appears to be no knowledge of a single post-mortem judgment by the Messiah, but the idea that the Messiah would establish justice all throughout his reign (Isa. 2:3-4; 11:1-5; 16:5; 42:1-4; Jer. 23:5; Mic. 4:1-4; Zech. 14:16-19).
Elsewhere in Paul’s epistles, he describes the punishment of the sins of unbelievers as “death” (Rom. 6:16, 21-23; 8:6, 13; 2 Cor. 7:10; cf. Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10). This cannot refer to literal death, because this ‘death’ will never be experienced by believers (John 3:16; 8:51; 10:28; 11:26; Rom. 8:13; 2 Cor. 2:15-16). Moreover, before we had faith in Christ, we existed in this state of ‘death’ (Rom. 7:9-13; Eph. 2:1-5; Col. 2:13; 1 Tim. 5:6; Rev. 3:1). When we first believed, we “passed from death to life” (John 5:24; 1 John 3:14; cf. Rom. 6:13; Eph. 5:14), and now we “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). Thus, ‘death’ as punishment for sin refers to a lack of eonian life, in the same way that literal death is a lack of life.
This judgment is also described in the gospel of John as follows:
For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world may be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not judged, but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they did not believe in the name of the unique Son of God. Now this is the judgment: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness more than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to it, so that their deeds may not be exposed; but those who do the truth come to the Light, so that their works which have been done in God may become manifest. (John 3:17-21)
In this passage, the judgment of unbelievers is explicitly said to have already taken place, and is ongoing. This is confirmed by John 3:36, which states that “the wrath of God abides” on the one who does not obey the Son. This judgment of ‘darkness’ or ‘perishing’ arises from a failure to come to the Light and the Life, namely Jesus (John 8:12; 11:25; 14:6), so that one remains in their sins.
Therefore, according to the New Testament, the punishment for unbelievers’ sins occurs in this life, and consists of the lack of spiritual blessings (love, joy, peace, etc.) that come from knowing God and Christ. They are “having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12).
This is perfectly in line with the testimony of the Old Testament, especially the book of Proverbs, which tells us that the righteous and the wicked are judged in this life for their deeds (see esp. 11:31). Even Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes), who apparently had no knowledge of a future resurrection, concludes that it is better in this life to have faith in God and follow his commandments (12:13-14). [6] Throughout the Old Testament, there is no hint of any postmortem judgment, and the severest punishments that can be brought upon sinners are the covenantal curse of exile (Lev. 26:27-33; Deut. 28:58-68) and/or premature death. [7] The author of the epistle to the Hebrews says that under the Old Covenant, “every transgression or disobedience received a just punishment” (Heb 2:2). Those who follow God find “peace” and “rest for your souls” in this life (Psa. 119:165; Prov. 3:17; Isa. 26:3; Jer. 6:16), whereas “there is no peace for the wicked” (Isa. 48:22; 57:21; cf. Rom. 3:17).
Objections
A common objection to the view that people are rewarded and punished in this life is that it leads to a ‘prosperity gospel’ like the one taught by Joel Osteen. The ‘prosperity gospel’ is the belief that God will reward believers in this life with material blessings and wealth, because he wants us to be happy. This view is not only contradicted by Scripture (e.g., Luke 6:20-26; 12:15; John 16:33; 1 Tim. 6:9-11), but it also leads to a lack of compassion for those who are in poverty or suffering, as their lack of material blessings would be equivalent to a lack of faith or punishment for sin.
However, the view that people are rewarded and punished in this life is not the same thing as the ‘prosperity gospel.’ Although it’s true that followers of God will be “happy” (makarios; Matt. 5:3-12), this does not translate to material blessings, but spiritual blessings. As Paul said, “the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). In the first century, and even today, many believers experienced persecution which led to a lack of material wealth (John 16:2, 31-33; 2 Tim 2:9; 3:10-12; 1 Pet. 2:18-21; etc.).
Nonetheless, Peter said that “even if you should suffer for what is right, you are happy [makarios]” (1 Pet. 3:14). James says, “Consider it all joy when you fall into various trials” (Jas. 1:2, 3; cf. Rom. 5:3). Jesus told his disciples that they would have peace, courage, and joy in the face of persecution (John 16:20-24, 33). Paul wrote that he was “as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Cor. 6:4-10). It is a consistent theme throughout the New Testament that even though we may not have material wealth, we still possess the spiritual blessings that come from knowing God and Jesus.
Moreover, throughout the Bible, it is said that the wicked sometimes prosper materially, which is seen as a great injustice (Job 21:7-13; Psa. 73:3-9; Ecc. 7:15; Jer. 12:1; Hab. 1:13; etc.). But despite their material wealth, “there is no peace for the wicked” (Isa. 48:22; 57:20, 21). The wicked can never be “happy” (Gk: makarios) in the same way that the righteous are (Luke 6:20-26), for they are “without Christ… having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). This can be seen in Psalm 73: although David originally envied the wicked for their material wealth, he realized that it was far better to be poor and know God than to be wealthy and without God (vv. 16-28). Furthermore, God sometimes acts in other ways to punish the wicked, such as taking away their wealth or giving them a premature death. [7]
Does this mean that we should not have compassion on those who suffer? Not at all! First, there is no way to outwardly tell who is “suffering for good” and who is “suffering for evil” (1 Pet. 3:17). Moreover, even if someone is “suffering for evil,” they still deserve compassion. When Paul said that one of the believers in the Corinthian church was suffering for their sin, he also declared that “you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by even worse grief” (2 Cor. 2:7; cf. 1 Cor. 5:5). Finally, Paul says that God “consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God” (2 Cor. 1:4). In other words, our spiritual blessings are not given to us in spite of others, but so that we can share them compassionately with others. Indeed, those who have eonian life are being “perfected in love” (1 John 2:5; 4:12, 18).
But surely, if all sin is punished in this life, then people will just sin with no consequences? Again, this completely misses the point. No postmortem punishment for sin does not mean no punishment for sin at all. To the contrary, it means that punishment for sin is assured in this life, whatever form it may take. At least for me, this is more of a deterrent from sin, because my punishment would be in the here-and-now rather than in some distant future. Surely, any follower of Jesus can affirm that it is far better to “walk in newness of life” than to be “without Christ... having no hope and without God in the world” (Rom. 6:4; Eph. 2:12). Those who fail to love their neighbor, and thereby sin, are pushed further away from fellowship with God and his Son and the peace and joy that comes with it (1 John 2:3-6; 3:14-17, 23, 24; 4:7-12, 16-21). This should be a great deterrent from sin for any Christian. [8]
Another objection is that this view removes any need for Christ’s sacrifice. But according to the Bible itself, what did Christ die for? He died to save us from our sins; not just the punishment of our sins, but the act of sinning itself (Matt. 1:21; Acts 13:39; 1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:3-4; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19). Jesus died as an example of obedience so that we might “live to righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24, 25), and his death allows us to come into a relationship with God and himself (Rom. 5:6-11; Eph. 2:16). It’s true that this is not the only reason he died; he also died to “abolish death and bring life and immortality to light” (2 Tim. 1:10), which I’ll discuss more in the next section of this paper. But the point is that Christ dying for our sins, rather than for the punishment of our sins, by no means makes his sacrifice of no effect (and is more biblical).
In summary, the testimony of the New Testament is that “eonian life” and “the kingdom of God” are not rewards to be enjoyed in the far-distant future, but in this life, as they refer to our relationship with God and Christ and the spiritual blessings which come from that (see esp. John 17:3; Rom. 14:17). Moreover, the punishment for sin which is described as ‘death’ and ‘darkness’ is not a future punishment, but refers to the state of being “without God in the world” which we existed in before we became believers (see esp. Eph. 2:1-5, 12). This agrees with the Old Testament belief that the righteous and the wicked are judged and recompensed in this life (see esp. Prov. 11:31).
But what about the Second Coming of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead, both of which are still future? In the next section, we will discuss the Second Coming and resurrection, and the various passages which describe this all-important future event.
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[1] Gen. 17:17, 8, 13, 19; 48:4; Exod. 12:14, 17; 27:21; 28:43; 29:28; 30:21; 31:16, 17; Lev. 6:18, 22; 7:34, 36; 10:9, 15; 16:29, 31, 34; 17:7; 23:14, 21, 31, 41; 24:3, 8, 9; 25:34; Num. 10:8; 15:15; 18:8, 11, 19, 23; 19:10, 21; 25:13; 1 Chron. 16:17; Job 3:18; 10:22; 21:11; 41:4; Psa, 76:4; 78:66; 105:10; Isa, 24:5; 55:13; 60:15; Jer. 5:22; 18:16; 20:17; 23:40; 25:9, 12; 51:39; Ezek. 35:5; 35:9; Jon. 2:6; Mic. 2:9.
[2] Ilaria Ramelli and David Konstan, Terms for Eternity: Aiônios and Aïdios in Classical and Christian Texts (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2013).
[3] For example, salvation from sickness (Matt. 9:21, 22; Mark 5:23; Acts 4:9); sinking (Matt. 8:24, 25; 14:30); enemies (Luke 1:71, 74); love of money (Luke 19:8-10); death (John 11:12; Heb. 5:7); fear of death (Heb. 2:14, 15); earthly trials (2 Pet. 2:9); and Egypt (Jude 5).
[4] Matt. 1:21; Luke 1:77; John 1:29; 8:33-36; Acts 2:40; 5:31; 13:36-39; 26:18; Rom. 6:16-23, 7:21-25, 8:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:3, 4; Eph. 2:1-5; 1 Tim. 1:15; Tit. 2:11-14; 3:3-5; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; 2:1-3, 21-25; 2 Pet. 2:20.
[5] Exod. 22:24; 32:10; Num. 11:1, 33; 16:46; 32:13; Deut. 1:34, 35; 6:13; 9:8, 19; 11:17; 29:23, 28; 31:17; Josh. 23:16; Judg. 2:14; 3:8; 10:7; 1 Sam. 28:18; 2 Sam. 6:7; 2 Kgs. 13:3; 22:17; 24:20; Job 21:17; Isa. 5:25; 9:19; 10:5, 25; 13:9; Jer. 4:8, 26; 7:20; 12:13; 25:37, 38; 32:37; 33:5; 42:18; 44:6; 52:3; Lam. 2:1, 3, 6, 21; 4:11; Ezek. 5:15; 7:3, 8; 9:8; 20:8; 21:31; 22:20; 25:14; Jon. 3:9; Nah. 1:6; Hab. 3:12; Hos. 13:11; Luke 21:23; John 3:36; Rom. 1:18; Eph. 2:3; 5:6; Col. 3:6; 1 Thess. 2:16; Rev. 6:17; 11:18.
[6] Howard N. Bream, “Life Without Resurrection: Two Perspectives from Qoheleth,” in A Light unto My Path: Old Testament Studies in Honor of Jacob M. Myers, ed. Howard Bream, Ralph Heim, and Carey Moore (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1974): 49-65; Jesse M. Peterson, “Did Qoheleth Believe in an Afterlife?,” JTS 73, no. 2 (2022): 474-486.
[7] Gen. 6:5-7; 19:24-26; Exod. 14:28; 21:12-17, 23; 22:19-24; Lev. 10:1, 2; 18:29; 20:2-16; Num. 16:31-35, 49; Deut. 13:5, 9, 15; 19:11-13, 19-21; 21:21; 22:20-26; Judg. 9:56, 57; 1 Sam. 2:25; 2 Sam. 6:7; 2 Kgs. 1:4; 1 Chron. 13:9-12; 2 Chron. 21:18, 19; Psa. 9:5-8, 15-17; 31:17, 18; 37:35-38; 52:5; 73:27; Prov. 3:1, 2; 9:10, 11; 10:27; Ezek. 18:4, 20; cf. Acts 5:1-11; 12:21-23; 1 Cor. 11:27-30.
[8] In fact, this view should be more of a deterrent from sin for a Christian, because those who believe in postmortem punishment typically think that believers are not punished for their sins, whereas those who do not believe in postmortem punishment think that believers are still punished for sin in this life.
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