The Mayan Calendar has run out, giving tweet-fodder to wits all over the world. Some of the better ones:
People are making apocalypse jokes like there's no tomorrow.
— Daniel Maier (@danielmaier) December 21, 2012
Sorry everyone, running a bit late.
— Mayan Apocalypse (@kabooooooooom) December 21, 2012
And perhaps my favourite...
Staring out my window at the post-apocalyptic hellscape, watching mindless creatures bent on consumption dragging themselves along.
— S. Joel Garver (@sjgarver) December 21, 2012
What's it like to live beyond the end of the world? What's it like to find yourself on the other side of judgement day unscathed?
Well Christians ought to know. We are 8th day people. Through Christ we've been taken through the history of the old world, beyond the limit of the old Adam and into a whole new calendar.
From creation, the week has proclaimed God's work in giving life (cf Exodus 20:8-11; Deut 5:12-15). Day 6 is the pinnacle of His work - the Day of Man. Day 7 is the Day of Completion. On this day, the finished work of giving life is celebrated and rest is brought.
When Jesus died on the 6th day, He was summing up Man and the death he must die ("on the day you eat of it you will surely die" - Gen 2:17). On the 7th He rested in the tomb. The 8th day was the first day of a whole new week, a whole new world.
And ever since, the Lord's people have been 8th day people, celebrating His resurrection into new creation life. We don't live like old covenant people, with the day of rest and completion yet future. We have no work to do in order to arrive at the end of the world. Christ has taken us through our death and judgement - through the End and out into a New Beginning.
"Worldly" people are 6th day people. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we're dead.
"Religious" people are 7th day people. Appearing in their own person at the End and hoping to be let through.
Christians are 8th day people. We've burst through to the other side. The old calendar is gone. The old code is gone. The old man is gone. There's nothing ahead to judge or condemn us. It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.
The metaphore breaks down surely because Christians should strive to enter Gods Sabbath rest ie the 7th day. Part of us is still stuck in day 6. Day 8 who knows!
Hi Brian, we enter that rest in Hebrews' sense by being in Christ our great High Priest who has gone into heaven on our behalf.
In Adam of course we are 6th day people and in our flesh we continue to be until we die. In Christ we are 8th day people, beyond death and judgement.
But in Hebrews it says strive to enter the rest. If we have entered by being in Christ why should we strive to enter. Should we strive to enter Christ and what would this mean?. Is'nt there a danger of having here an over-realised eschatology. Like Hymenaeus and Philetus who say that the resurrection is past we imply that all that we going get has already happened. It is true that we are partly D8 people since we are resurrected with Christ. We are also partly D7 people. But since we need still strive to enter Gods rest we are partly D6 people. Already but not yet is the theological idea.
I won't even waste the Inca commenting on those Mayans...
Brian - yes "already but not yet" is exactly what I'm talking about. I think the way the bible casts it is "In Christ but still in Adam" or "By the Spirit, but still in the flesh".
theoldadam - *groan*. ;-)
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I really enjoy this post. I strongly believe that believers are now living beyond the end in God‘s New Order. I‘d love u