Preterism and Universalism

While not causally related, I suppose, there is a link between preterism—the belief that some or all of the events in Revelation have occurred already (known respectively as partial and full preterism)—and universalism.

The most obvious one is that if the judgments described have already passed (e.g., because they really refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70), then clearly they're not meant for those following afterward.  This, of course, ties neatly into the universalist's position that there isn't a final eternal judgment.

One of the interesting aspects of Universalism is that it is so often accompanied by different heresies, whether it's anti-trinitarianism or full preterism.  One wonders how far down the road the heresies must fall, since the resurrection is commonly mentioned with respect to judgment (Lu 14.14, 20.35 if we treat "worthy" as a statement concerning judgment; Jo 5.29; Ac 4.10–12, 17.31, 24.15; He 6.2; and others).

Not surprisingly, forgiveness is also tied to the resurrection; so in Ac 13.33 and others, the preaching of the gospel is a message of forgiveness.  The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is simultaneously an indication of a judgment to come and a proclamation that forgiveness is to be found in the person of Jesus.

While it would take too long to go down this path—it's late—I think it's worth noting the tie-in to the law, too.  In this same passage in Acts, Paul in preaching to the Jews notes that through Jesus Christ one is justified from all those things that the law of Moses condemned.  In his famous passage concerning the resurrection, Paul also writes that the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law (1Co 15.56).  I think the idea here is that sin is a mini-death, and it is empowered through the law.

Full preterism, among its many faults, upends the entire structure of the arguments pertaining to resurrection.  Indeed, virtually the whole New Testament breaks down at this point.  Allowing that there is a fairly diverse spectrum of universalist beliefs (ranging from purgatory knock-offs to no-fault judgments and others), it seems to me that they also wildly mistake the message of the New Testament.

The resurrection means at least two things:  (1) that there is a future resurrection for all people—that Jesus rose from the dead is the proof of this; and (2) that this resurrection includes one for judgment.