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8/11/2019 Anthony Hoekema
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The ReformedEschatologyof
AnthonyHoekema
A Judeo-centric Critique
BarryHorner
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8/11/2019 Anthony Hoekema
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THEREFORMEDESCHATOLOGY
OF
ANTHONYHOEKEMA
nthonyA.HoekemawasbornintheNetherlandsandimmigratedtotheUnitedStates
in1923.
He
attended
Calvin
College,
the
University
of
Michigan,
Calvin
Theological
seminaryandPrincetonTheologicalseminary.AfterservingasministerofseveralChristian
ReformedChurches (194456) hebecameAssociate Professor of Bible atCalvinCollege
(195658).From1958to1979,whenheretired,hewasProfessorofSystematicTheologyat
Calvin Theological Seminary inGrandRapids,Michigan. ProfessorHoekema spent two
sabbaticalyearsinCambridge,England(196566,197374).Ofthebookshehaswritten,one
isofmajor significance,TheBible and theFuture (1979); hewas also a contributor toThe
Meaning of theMillennium (1977) inwhichhewas the selected spokesman foramillennial
eschatology.From the latter twopublicationswe seequiteobviously theperpetuationof
theeschatologyofBavinckandVos inparticular,aswellas thatof theChristianReformed
Church.HoekemaalsosympatheticallyreferencesotheramillennialistauthorswhoopposeapremillennialanddispensationalunderstandingofIsraelandtheJews,includingOswalt
T. Allis, Louis Berkhof, W. E. Cox, Louis DeCaro, W. Grier, Floyd E. Hamilton, W.
Hendriksen,PhilipMauto,GeorgeMurray,AlbertusPieters,andMartinWyngaarden.1
A. TheChristianChurchisthetrueIsrael.
Here Augustinian, supercessionist theology with regard to national Israel is quite
explicit.For instance,because thenationof Israelasawhole rejected thekingdom,
Jesus
said
that
the
kingdom
of
God
would
be
taken
away
from
them
and
given
to
a
nationproducingthefruitsofit(Matt.21:43).2Hence,theNewTestamentchurchis
nowthetrueIsrael,inwhomandthroughwhomthepromisesmadetoOldTestament
Israelarebeingfulfilled.3
B. Romans11.
Theauthorreadilyconfessesthathisunderstandingofthismostimportantpassageof
Scripture isbased upon the exegesis ofWilliamHendriksen.4 This isbut a further
indicationofReformed scholastic interdependenceand camaraderie thatwouldalso
include
Palmer
Robertson,
Venema,
Riddlebarger,
etc.
(FI
84
86).
For
our
purposes
1 AnthonyA.Hoekema,TheBibleandtheFuture,pp.194195n.
2 Ibid.,p.46.
3 Ibid.,p.198.
4 Ibid.HespecificallyreferencesRomans911accordingtoHendriksensIsraelinProphecy,p.142n.
A
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THEREFORMEDESCHATOLOGYOFANTHONYHOEKEMA
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herewesimplynotecertainconclusionswhichcanbecompared inmoredetailwith
theconsiderationofthismatterinFutureIsrael(FI251290).
1. ThesalvationofthefullnessofIsrael,v.12,15.
The
saved
remnant
of
Israel,
v.
5,
assumes
Israels
widespread
unbelief
that
at
thesametimewillenablerichesfortheGentiles,v.12a,andtheculminationof
their fullness, v. 15. Yet there is to be an inevitable future salvation or
fulfillmentofIsrael,v.12b,likenedtolifefromthedead,v.15,thatwillbring
aboutundreamedofrichesfortheJewishpeople,v.12,aswellasfurtherbenefit
fortheGentiles.ButwhenwillthisresurrectionofIsraeltakeplace?Accordingto
v.15,itwouldappeartobewhenthefullnessoftheGentileshascomein.The
analogyoftheolivetree,vs.1724,indicatesthatGodisabletograftthem[the
naturalbranches of Israel] in again, v. 23. Butwhen?Hoekema, alongwith
Dutch commentatorsof aReformedbackground inparticular,believes that the
fulfillmentand
resurrection
and
regrafting
will
be
coterminous
with
the
gradualgatheringoftheelectandthegradualcompletionofthefullnessofthe
Gentiles,v.25.Thus:
Israelwill continue to turn to the Lord [as an accumulating remnant] until the
Parousia,whileat thesame time the fullnessof theGentiles isbeinggathered in.
AndinthiswayallIsraelwillbesaved:notjustthelastgenerationofIsraelites,but
alltrueIsraelites,...thesumtotalofalltheremnantsthroughouthistory.5
OfcourseaprimafaciereadingofRomans11doesnoteasilyleadtoHoekemas
conclusion here, and it is difficult not to conclude that PaulsJewish oriented
meanng
here
is
at
all
costs
to
be
avoided.
In
other
words,
Hoekemas
exegesis
here is really driven according to Augustinian and historic Reformed
presuppositions.RatherRomans11mostnaturallypresentsasequential/temporal
order, which vs. 2526 as a whole quite obviously construe. Hence a
sequential/temporal understanding here, with the mass saving of Israel
subsequenttothetimesoftheGentiles,alsopresentsamostexcitingconclusion
tothisage,asisPaulstonehere,whichatthesametimeisclimaxedbythereturn
ofJesusChrist.ButHoekemasunderstanding,withatrickleofJewsbeingsaved
uptotheend,ishardlyclimactic,evenifacumulativeremnantoverthecenturies
isconsidered.RatherPaulsconcludingexcitementinRomans11,asaJew,surely
anticipatesatime
of
riches
for
the
world
through
Israels
national,
spiritual
regenerationandresurrection(Ezek.3637)thatchallengesthelimitationsofour
presentimaginations.
5 Ibid.,p.145.
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THEREFORMEDESCHATOLOGYOFANTHONYHOEKEMA
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2. ThesalvationofallIsrael,v.26.
This will involve the bringing to salvation throughout history of the total
number of the elect from among theJews. . . . [Thus] all Israel . . . [is] not
designating thenationof Israelasa totality tobe saved in theendtime,butas
referring
to
the
number
of
the
elect
to
be
saved
throughout
history.6
Of
course
such a view commonly believes that this elect remnant has no national or
territorialidentityinthesightofGod,onlytemporaryethnicrecognition.Sothe
JewishChristian, inbeingabsorbed into theChurchofJesusChrist,allegedly
loses all historic Jewish identity in the sight of God. Such an emasculated
meaningforJewishbetraysthefaultyexegesisthatitispurportedleadstothis
conclusion,especiallywhenPaulhassorigorouslyupheldthatheispresentlyan
Israeliteinv.1.
C. Galatians6:16.
Thehonestythatthefollowingquotationexpressesisquiterevealingsinceonecould
rightlyexpectthattheallegedidentificationofIsraelwiththechurchinGalatians6:16
wouldhavenumeroussupportingindicationsinScripture.Howeverweread:
ThereisatleastoneNewTestamentpassagewherethetermIsraelisusedasinclusiveof
Gentiles, and therefore as standing for the entire New Testament church. I refer to
Galatians6:1516. . . .Theword kai [Greek], therefore, shouldbe rendered even,as the
New InternationalVersionhasdone.When thepassage issounderstood,theIsraelof
God isafurtherdescriptionofallwhofollowthisrulethat is,ofalltruebelievers,
includingbothJewsandGentiles,who constitute theNewTestament church.Here, in
otherwords,
Paul
clearly
identifies
the
church
as
the
true
Israel.7
LetthereadersimplyrefertoFutureIsrael(FI263269)concerningGalatians6:16and
hewill appreciatejust howmuchHoekema leaves unsaidwith regard towhat is
undoubtedlyhisminorityopinion, theNIVnotwithstanding.Hemightat leasthave
madementionofthemajorityopinion.
D. TheconversionoftheJews.
The following quotation describes the continual adding ofJewishChristians to the
remnant
(Rom.
11:5),
so
that
when
the
remnant,
that
is
the
sum
total
of
all
the
6 Ibid.,p.140.
7 Ibid.,pp.196197.
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THEREFORMEDESCHATOLOGYOFANTHONYHOEKEMA
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remnantsthroughouthistory iscomplete,8thenall Israelwillbesaved,butnot in
anynationalandclimacticsense.
JewswillcontinuetobeconvertedtoChristianitythroughouttheentireerabetweenthe
firstandsecondcomingsofChrist,asthefullnumberoftheGentilesisbeinggatheredin.
In suchJewish conversions, therefore,we are to see a signof the certaintyofChrists
return.In
the
meantime,
this
sign
should
bind
on
our
hearts
the
urgency
of
the
churchs
missiontotheJews.InaworldinwhichthereisstillagreatdealofantiSemitism,letus
neverforgetthatGodhasnotrejectedhisancientcovenantpeople,andthathestillhas
hispurposewithIsrael.9
However,aswellintentionedasthelasttwosentencesmayseemtobe,thereappears
someambiguity,evenobfuscation,withthedeclarationthatGodhasnotrejectedhis
ancient covenant people. Does this mean that Hoekemabelieves, concerning this
present church age, that national Israel and the land it inhabits hasdivine sanction
according to the explicit covenantal promises that God made to Abraham? The
followingcommentwouldsuggestotherwise.
From the fourth chapter of thebook ofHebrewswe learn thatCanaanwas a type of
SabbathrestofthepeopleofGodinthelifetocome.FromPaulslettertotheGalatians
welearnthatallthosewhoareinChristareincludedintheseedofAbraham(Gal.3:29).
WhenwereadGenesis17:8(AndIwillgiveunto thee,and to thyseedafter thee, the
landofthysojournings,allthelandofCanaan,foraneverlastingpossession;andIwillbe
their God [ASV]) with this understanding of the New Testamentbroadening these
concepts,weseeinitapromiseofthenewearthastheeverlastingpossessionofallthe
peopleofGod,notjustofthephysicaldescendantsofAbraham.Andwheninthelightof
thisNewTestamentteaching,wenowreadAmos9:15(AndIwillplantthemupontheir
land,andtheyshallnomorebepluckedupoutoftheir landwhichIhavegiventhem,
saithJehovah
thy
God
[ASV]),
we
do
not
feel
compelled
to
restrict
the
meaning
of
these
wordstonationalIsraelandthelandofPalestine.Weunderstandthemtobeaprediction
oftheeternaldwellingofallofGodspeople,GentilesaswellasJews,onthenewearthof
whichCanaanwasatype.10
Hereisaclassicexampleofhowplasticityinexegesis,especiallywithregardtoAmos
9:15(FI198200),results inthesquarepegofanOldTestamenttextbeingforced into
theroundholeofatheologicalsystem.TheJewtowhomwearecalledupontowitness
wouldrightlyscoffatsuchamisuseofthesacredtext.Furthermore,hewouldalsobe
repulsed by the knowledge, should it be revealed to him, that our evangelistic
endeavor intends forhim tocome torealize thathisJewishness isreallypass in the
sightof
God.
Of
course
Paul
never
had
such
an
intention,
but
those
who
follow
Hoekemaseschatologycertainlydo.Hence thisreference toGodsancientcovenant
8 Ibid.,p.145.TheauthorfootnotesthathisinterpretationiscompetentlysetforthinHendriksen,Israel
inProphecy,chapters3and4.
9 Ibid.,p.147.
10 AnthonyA.Hoekema,Amillennialism,TheMeaningoftheMillennium,ed.RobertG.Clouse,p.185.
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THEREFORMEDESCHATOLOGYOFANTHONYHOEKEMA
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people involves dubiousmeaning. The reference to the urgency of the churchs
mission to theJews also appears tobe fraughtwithbothquestionable terminology
and intentions, and quite unlike thatwhich is genuinely Pauline.And in the same
breathtomentionaworldinwhichthereisstillagreatdealofantiSemitismwhile
EuropeanhistoryindicatesthattheChristianChurchingeneral,overthecenturies,has
fostered
this
great
shame
through
the
Augustinian
eschatology
that
Hoekema
espouses,isenoughtoleaveonecompletelybreathless.