Deeper Reflection
WITH ENDURANCE FAITH, THE PEOPLE OF GOD WERE “tortured, not accepting their release” in suffering for their faith. And it was “so that they might obtain a better resurrection” (v.35b). Their endurance faith was built on eschatological faith. Two kinds of resurrection are mentioned in verse 35: the resurrection of exploit faith and the resurrection of eschatological faith. The latter faith has “a better resurrection” than the former faith, because the resurrection of eschatological faith lasts for eternity, whereas those resurrected through exploit faith will eventually die again.Eschatological faith is living life with the end in mind: the Second Coming of Christ, the end of history to which God is bringing, when there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” (2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1) and reigning with Christ “forever and ever” (Rev 22:5). Those who live by eschatological faith see themselves as people “of whom the world is not worthy” (v.38). Note that it is not they are not worthy of the world, but the world is not worthy of them. Is this how we see ourselves and the world?Biblical faith is both “live by faith” (Heb 10:38) and “died in faith” – and “died in faith without receiving the promises” (vv.13, 39). “Without receiving the promises” means God has not fulfilled the promises. But that does not mean that God is not faithful, for these “promises” are to be fulfilled only at Christ’s Second Coming. Thus, eschatological faith lives for “something better” (v.40). The faith of the “died in faith” is endurance faith and eschatological faith.