Timothy to Hebrews - The Preterist Archive

—
Hebrews XI. 39, 40. 555
In order, however, rightly to understand these words of the 40th
verse :— " that God in regard to us has provided something better
in order that they should not be made perfect without us,"—we
must keep in view the doctrine of the Holy Scripture on the state
after death (which in the evangelical system of doctrine has not
been fully developed). The Scripture does not teach, that in the
case of all men the last and final decision takes place immediately
after death, but very plainly teaches the contrary. The consequence
and punishment of sin is, according to the Holy Scripture, not eternal
condemnation (this is mentioned for the first time in Is. Ixvi. 24,
and as the punishment of an obstinate rejection of the Messianic
salvation, consequently a positive unbelief, and, in perfect consistency
with this, the New Testament teaches that the punishment
of the eternal second death stands connected with the positive rejection
of the known and ojffered salvation, or the falling away from
the salvation which had once been accepted. Comp. our remarks
on chap. vi. 4, seq., and on chap. x. 27). The punishment of sin
simply considered is death, i. e., the separation of the man from
God, and of nature from the man, and the body from the soul
(which unhappy separation would indeed last forever, and would increase,
if no redemption had been offered ; now, however, it lasts
forever only in the case of those who despise this offered salvation).
The punishment of sin simply considered is that the soul goes into
Sheol, into the kingdom of the dead ; and thither go and have gone
all who are born only of woman, who are only descendants of the
first Adam, consequently all heathens who had not opportunity to
hear of the salvation, and, in like manner, all Israelites toho lived hefore
Christ (with the exception of Enoch and Elijah). It is not
thereby denied, that, in this Sheol, there may be a difference between
the state of the penitent and pious who longed for the salvation,
and that of the bold and hardened sinner. David hopes, that
even in the valley of the shadow of death, God will still be with
him and comfort him (Ps. xxiii. 4), and the second David has evidently
taught us in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, that
there is a gulf fixed between those who suffer torment and those
who are comforted with Abraham (Luke xvi. 25, 26), and, accordingly,
when he himself was about to enter into Sheol, he promised
to the penitent thief that to-day he would be with him " in paradise."
The entrance into the heavenly holy of holies, on the other
hand (Heb. x. 19, seq., etc.), i. e., into the sphere of glorification and
of glorified nature, was first opened up by Christ's going before as
the first-fruits through his resurrection and ascension, and opened
for those who are, not men together with Christ, side by side with
him, but, members of " the one who is in heaven" (John iii. 13)
not the posterity of the first Adam, but, by regeneration, sons of