The Sting Removed, Death, and Hades: Rethinking 1 Corinthians 15:55–56 and the 1,000 years

The Sting Removed, Death, and Hades: Rethinking 1 Corinthians 15:55–56 and the 1,000 years


"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"

– 1 Corinthians 15:55


In the Full Preterist world, it’s often assumed that all eschatological events culminated in 70 AD. While that pivotal event was indeed the climactic judgment of the Old Covenant world, we must be careful not to conflate distinct eschatological fulfillments. One major misstep is equating the removal of “death” in 1 Corinthians 15 with the casting of “Death and Hades” into the lake of fire in Revelation 20:14. These are not the same event—and seeing the difference is vital for a clear understanding of fulfilled prophecy.



The Victory of Christ Over the Law’s Condemnation


In 1 Corinthians 15:55–56, Paul proclaims the defeat of death in a very specific context:


"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (vv. 56–57)



Death’s “sting” is sin. Sin’s “power” is the law.

Victory is through Christ, not over biological death, but over the condemnation the law brought.



Paul is not talking about funerals, cemeteries, or corpses. He’s speaking of a legal system that kept people under the shadow of guilt, fear, and alienation from God. The “death” he refers to is covenantal death—the state of being estranged from God under the Law.


That "death" was overturned when the Law was fulfilled and abolished. This is precisely what happened in 70AD, when the temple—the very heart of the Mosaic system—was destroyed. That judgment ended the age in which the Law held power to condemn. The result? No more fear. No more condemnation. The sting is gone.



A Different Event: Death and Hades Thrown into the Lake of Fire


Compare this now to Revelation 20:14:


"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."


This doesn’t happen until after the 1,000 years. This is not the same “death” from 1 Corinthians 15. Paul’s “death” was dealt with through Christ’s New Covenant work, culminating in 70 AD. But Revelation’s “Death and Hades” are personified and judged after the millennium. Why?


Because “Death and Hades” in Revelation represent the intermediate realm of the dead—particularly for the wicked dead, where they awaited final judgment. This realm still existed for them even after the resurrection of the righteous in 70 AD, but it was destined for destruction.



Bar Kokhba: A Historical Marker?


If 70 AD marked the end of the Old Covenant world, the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–135 AD) may well mark the close of another era: the final judgment upon unbelieving Israel who continued in covenant rebellion even after the kingdom had come.


It’s striking that after this failed revolt—hailed by many Jews as the true Messianic moment—the Jewish nation was shattered. Jerusalem was renamed, Jews were banned from entering it, and the last vestiges of Jewish resistance were stamped out. 


The Lake of Fire imagery represents total destruction, not ongoing torment. The Lake of Fire scene is about removing the intermediate state, cutting off access to the old Sheol paradigm and ending any hope of delayed judgment. After this, there is only eternal life in Heaven or total annihilation through the Lake of Fire.



Conclusion


Resurrection life has already come. The Law is gone. Sin’s power is broken. The veil is torn. We live now in the light of God's indwelling presence. The fear, guilt, and uncertainty of the old world are dead and buried. The intermediate state of the wicked—symbolized by Death and Hades—has no place in the New Creation. Let’s stop importing Greek ideas of afterlife delay, and instead embrace the freedom, life, and presence that Christ established when He came in judgment and glory.

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