Dogmatics in Outline (Judgment and Resurrection)
For Barth, Christ's coming is yet future with the goal of the time that is coming to an end when he comes to meet the church and the world. Christ comes to judge the living and the dead. Drawing from Matthew 24:30, the scholarly Barth argues that Jesus is coming from heaven on the clouds. No mention is made of the chronological setting of the text or the temporal guidelines given by Christ. It is obvious that Jesus discusses the overthrow of Judaism, it's city and temple, all to occur within the first century. Yet, these texts are projected into the future as proof of a yet to come parousia. Barth admits that Jesus' coming on the clouds attended by flashing lightening imagery are metaphors, yet he insists that there is a reality to them. Interestingly, he connects the imagery of Matthew 24 with the book of Revelation, saying latter reveals Christ. This a great testimony to the fact that Revelation and Matthew 24 teach one harmonious subject, namely the A.D. 70 coming of Christ. While placing the emphasis more on the moral nature of judgment, Barth makes an interesting allusion to the apokatastasis, i.e. the restoration of all things to a new and better state at Christ's return. Dogmatics in Outline as stated, gives a glimpse of Barth's view on the resurrection. He believed in a resurrection of the physical body and that body was man, under the sign or power of sin. Death and change meant the completion of this life rather than a continuation of this life. Another interesting parallel occurs in the resurrection lecture. 1 Corinthians 15 is parallel to Romans 6:8. For Barth, "we believe we shall also live with him," in the latter text was a real future. One can only wonder what death he make of the statement that the death which Christ died, he died to sin. (Romans 6:10). Hence believers were likewise to reckon themselves indeed dead to sin but alive to God through Jesus Christ. Of course, this life was proleptic and present through the Spirit in the absence of Christ. At his coming it would be realized. In conclusion, the insights of Barth in tying togther Matthew 24 and Revelation on the judgment and 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 6:8 on resurrection are of great value to the study of eschatology. Though incorrect on time, he was correct on the unity of the texts.
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