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Covenant Eschatology –
This system assumes that the Mosaic Law was the universal source of
man’s condemnation, so that by its removal, mankind is logically
universally justified. This view also interprets the
"heavens and earth" of II Pet. 3, Heb. 12:26 and similar passages as
references to the Old Law and Jewish nation; the new heavens and earth
of Revelation 21, 22 are interpreted as the New Testament. Since
unbelieving men are in the new heavens and earth (Rev. 22:15) proponents
of Covenant Eschatology are forced to conclude that all men have been
redeemed from sin (or choose to shut their eyes to this logical
implication of their own teaching). In the words of Tim King “Man
is reconciled to God because he no longer lives under the rule of sin
and death as determined by the Mosaic world. Through the gift of
Christ he dwells in a world of righteousness and life. The issue is
cosmic and corporate, not individual and limited.”
Corporate Body View
– This view has ties to Universalism going back to
Robert Townely (1845). The basic assumption is that the
eschatological resurrection consisted in justification by raising up the
"dead body of Israel" under the law of Moses to life in Christ. As
an integral part of King's Covenant Eschatology, this view is inherently
Universalistic. Resurrection (justification) is predicated upon
removal of the law, rather than the addition of grace. Since the
law universally condemned, its removal universally justifies (assuming
no other source of condemnation remains in its place).
Covenantal Heavens & Earth – Universalists
find language of universal justification in Rom. 8:19-23, where the
“whole creation” will be freed from the bondage of corruption to the
liberty of the sons of God. They see sin and death as being
determined by the Mosaic world, and life and righteousness for the
universal body of mankind under the New Heavens and Earth in Christ.
In the words of Kevin Beck, the president of Presence Ministries,
“There’s no sin and no sin-related death in a world that has the New
Jerusalem in it’s midst.” The idea that the heavens and
earth are covenantal stems from apologetic attempts to explain passages
like Heb. 12:26, 27 and II Pet. 3:7-10 solely in terms of the
destruction of Jerusalem, while overlooking the world-wide events of the
eschaton. (Ps. 2:8, 9; 110:5, 6; Dan. 2:44, 45; 7:27; Haggai 2:6,
7; Acts 7:31) The notion that the heavens and earth are symbols of
the Old Testament, has recently been extended to the Genesis creation
account and flood accounts, arguing that these were also merely local
and covenantal.
Baptism for the Dead/First Fruits
–
This bizarre doctrine of King’s is on the decline, but it
still occurs among his adherents with some modification. The basic
premise is that the Gentiles obtain salvation only by being grafted onto
the Jews by baptism, and that Old Testament Jews that were dead were
vicariously added to Christ by the baptism of the living first fruit
Jews. Universalists wed this concept with the corporate body view
to extend salvation to all mankind. |
