We use the term “CONSUMMATION” to describe the actual receiving being rescued/saved for “entrance into the eternal afterlife in heaven” in its completed sense. The atonement for the sins of all who would ever put their believing faith in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice for them was completed with the death, resurrection, ascension, and work of Christ in the heavenly Holy of Holies of the heavenly temple (Heb. 9:12). The sign of this was that the Holy Spirit was then given to the atoned-for, believing, faithful saints who were gathered together in one place when Pentecost had fully come in AD 30 (Acts 2:1-4).
“24For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb. 9:24-26).
This atoning work of Christ was a down payment of eternal afterlife in heaven that would not be fully CONSUMMATED for anyone, until Christ came back out of the heavenly Holy of Holies (Heb. 9:8). This would be fulfilled when He returned at His second coming. Christ had to appear a second time, not for atonement of sins, but to actually resurrect the souls of the faithful dead saints, and rapture the remaining living saints, rescuing them (saving them) before the wrath of God was poured out on Old Covenant Israel, and granting all of them entrance into the heavenly Holy Of Holies and eternal life in that heavenly realm. The first century believers experienced this CONSUMMATION or completion through resurrection, rapture, and rewards at Christ’s Parousia.
“28so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him (first century saints) HE WILL APPEAR A SECOND TIME, apart from sin, FOR SALVATION.”(Heb. 9:28 NKJV).
It might be helpful to see how some other Bible translations state this verse:
NASB- “28so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
NIV – “28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
NRS – “28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Futurism generally teaches that this CONSUMMATION will occur at Christ’s second coming in the future. Preterism teaches that this CONSUMMATION occurred at Christ’s second coming Parousia in AD 66-70.
The sign of the CONSUMMATION would be the coming back out of the Holy of Holies at the end of the age. This refers to the end of the Old Heavens and Earth cosmological order and Jewish age and the destruction of the Old Covenant temple in the Jewish-Roman war ending in AD 70.
“8the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All (in heaven) was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.” (Heb. 9:8).
The temple and its sacrifices were made desolate in AD 70. They are no longer part of God’s redemptive plans. At that time the New Covenant spiritual eternal Kingdom was fully established and fully CONSUMMATED (aka: completed) for every faithful believer (past, present, or future) (Dan. 9:26-27).
CONSUMMATION is the Hebrew word: [“kalah” – Strong’s #3617 = completion]. It was used by Daniel to describe that the temple would be utterly consumed and made desolate resulting in the “completion” of the 70 weeks for his people and their holy city (Dan. 9:24a, 27b; 12:7). This was at the TIME OF THE END of the Jewish age, NOT the end of time (Dan. 12:4).
We know when the end of the age occurred. It was when the seals were opened and were no longer necessary because the time had arrived. Daniel’s prophetic vision was SEALED because the time was not yet ready in Daniel’s day (Dan. 8:17, 19; Dan. 11:35, 40; 12:4).
“9And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are CLOSED UP AND SEALED till the TIME OF THE END.’” (Dan. 12:9).
But the time of the end of the Jewish age was present at Christ’s second coming Parousia, which concluded in AD 70. Apostle John wrote that the angel told him in the Book of Revelation NOT to seal the words of the prophecy for the time was AT HAND.
“10And he said to me, “DO NOT SEAL the words of the prophecy of this book, for the TIME IS AT HAND.” (Rev. 22:10).
CONSUMMATION is the Greek word: [“telos” – Strong’s #5056 = properly, consummation (the end-goal, purpose), such as closure with all its results]. Paul writes to the Corinthian Christians recalling Israel’s past history and all of the events that happened to them and how they were types/shadows/examples which “were written for our (their) admonition upon whom the ENDS OF THE AGES (CONSUMMATION – end goal bringing closure with all of the results) have come.” (1 Cor. 10:11).
We born-again believers after AD 70 are living in the earthly seen realm (church) of the fully CONSUMMATED New Heavens and Earth eternal Kingdom because of His second coming Parousia. Our guarantee of eternal life in heaven is forever complete and secure in the body of Christ. When we die in this life, we “put on” our new incorruptible, immortal, glorified, visible, spiritual, heavenly, bodies and immediately enter the presence of Christ in the heavenly realm of the New Jerusalem.
For a more in-depth study see the related full “Study Series”: