"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1
Cor. xv:20.
In our last we noticed the context, and also taken into consideration
the language of Paul on the coming of Christ and the change of the
living in Phil. iii:20, 21. This, we have shown, has no reference to
the mortal bodies of men being changed to immortal bodies, so as to
resemble the personal form of Jesus Christ. If it refer to Jesus,
still the resemblance would be _moral, not personal_, for no where do
the scriptures teach, that we are in our personal appearance to be
like our Saviour. But in a _moral_ sense, "we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is." I do not say, that there will be no
_personal_ resemblance between immortal beings and Christ. I fully
believe there will be; but I mean that this personal resemblance is
more a matter of course, than a doctrine of divine revelation. I do
not read of the "glorious body" of Jesus in his immortal resurrection
state. But the scriptures do compare the moral body of Christians on
earth with the glorified body of holy beings in heaven, Heb. xii:22,
23--"But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an in-numerable company of angels
to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are
written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of
just men made made perfect." So far as the Christians were
"established unblamable in holiness before God even our Father at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints" so far as they
were elevated to "shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the
stars forever" so far as their moral condition and enjoyments were
improved and enlarged, thus far, of course, the _lowly body_ of the
church on earth would be changed into a moral resemblance of that
"glorious body" of Christ, who were praising him in heaven. In
_heaven_ the Christians had their conversation, from whence they were
looking for the Saviour, as shortly to come, and fashion them into a
moral resemblance of those saints above, who had died in his cause,
and who were to come with him. From the whole context, the conclusion
is irresistible that this change of the "vile body" was at the coming
of the Lord _then_ at hand, and not at the end of time, as some
imagine.
Another scripture commonly applied to the _general_ resurrection of
the dead, and a change of all the living is recorded in 1 Thess.
iv:15, 16, 17--"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
_be before_ them that are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the
trump of God; and the _dead in Christ_ shall rise first. Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so we shall be evermore with the
Lord." That Paul here refers to the coming of Christ in his kingdom to
establish his reign, and to elevate the Christians who were alive at
that period, the _preceding_ and _succeeding_ contexts fully justify.
And so I must understand his language, till some one can prove a third
coming of Christ, and an _eighth_ sounding trump at the end of time.
In the two preceding chapters, he dwells largely upon the persecutions
of the Christians, exhorts them to be faithful, expresses his desire
"to perfect that which is lacking in their faith," and concludes by
saying--"To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in
holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ _with all his saints."_ No one will deny that this has
reference to his coming at the end of the Jewish age. Now would it not
be doing injustice to this powerful and cogent reasoner to say, that
he suddenly drops this subject without giving his brethren any
warning, and runs off to the end of time, speaks of another coming of'
Christ at which he is to raise, at the same instant, all the dead and
change the living to immortal beings? And that he should again, as
suddenly, drop this subject, and hasten right back to the coming of
Christ at the destruction of Jerusalem? To charge him with this is
certainly ungenerous.
After stating that Christ should descend with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel and the trump of God to exalt the dead and living, he
adds--"But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I
write for yourselves perfectly know that the day of the Lord so cometh
as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and safety then
sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape." There
is no resisting the conclusion, that _"the day of the Lord"_ in this
passage refers to the same period when "_the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven_" in the passage above; which must be at the
destruction of Jerusalem. He quotes Christ's own language, Matt.
xxiv:43. See also 2 Peter iii:10. In both places, the sudden coming of
Jesus is compared to a "thief in the night." But where is a _general_
resurrection, at the end of time, clearly stated, that he had no need
to inform them of the times and seasons, because they already
perfectly knew? Where is sudden destruction to come upon any in that
day? For one, I find no such revelation.
Though the doctrine of immortal resurrection of all mankind was fully
revealed, and established in the world at the coming of Christ in his
kingdom; yet that particular point is not argued by the apostle in the
scripture on which we are commenting. He is not speaking of all
mankind, nor of the immortal resurrection; but as in Phil. iii:20, 21,
so _here_ he is speaking of the Christians _only_ who should be alive
when that scene burst and of those dead _only_ who had died in the
cause of Christ. "The dead in Christ" cannot possibly include those
who died previous to his birth, but those only who died in the faith
of his doctrine previous to his coming in his kingdom. We might reason
this point at large, but deem it unnecessary till some one proves how
those, who never heard of a Saviour, could be said to die in Christ,
or to be dead in him. I would, however, remark that the Greek
preposition _en_ may be rendered, _on account of_. The phrase would
then read thus--_the dead on account of Christ_. Wakefield renders it
thus--"_they who have died in the cause of Christ_." That this is its
true sense, I have not a doubt.
Let one thing here be distinctly noticed: Paul says--"For this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain,"
&c. Now where has our Lord ever said, when speaking of the immortal
resurrection, that some would be alive, and be changed to immortal
beings? Nowhere. This single circumstance ought to make every man
pause before he asserts such a change to be true. Read Christ's
language in all three of the Evangelists where he addresses the
Sadducees; and he speaks only of the dead being raised, but not of any
one being changed. Read his language, John vi:39--"And this is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I
should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day." Nothing
is here said about changing the living to immortal beings. The Father
has given all into the hands of his Son; and if he is to _raise_ them
up at the last day, then all must die, for the _change_ of the living
is not the _resurrection_ of the dead. How then could Paul tell his
brethren, "by the word of the Lord," that they were to be thus
changed? He could not because there is not a "thus saith the Lord" to
support it. But Paul had the word of the Lord support the change in
the living which we have pointed out. Christ said, "the righteous
should go into life eternal," they "that endured unto the end should
be saved" that "they should shine like the sun in the kingdom of their
Father," and that "they should be recompensed at the resurrection of
the just."
But, inquires the reader, were those who died in the cause of Christ
raised immortal at his coming? No, they were not. It simply means that
they were in that day to receive their elevated stations of glory and
and honor in the gospel kingdom, so much so, as if they had been
alive. The living Christians, in this respect, were not to be before
them. Having suffered and died in the cause of Christ, they were in
the minds of the living to "shine as the stars forever and ever" in
the kingdom of Christ, because they had turned many to righteousness.
The Lord had, as it were, delayed his coming, and many had given up
faith in Christ's resurrection, and were sorrowing without hope over
their friends who had fallen asleep in his cause. They of course had
no faith in the immortal resurrection of their friends, nor in the
fulfillment of Christ's predicted coming to raise their names to
unfading honor for having labored and died in his cause. We are not to
understand that those departed saints were _literally_ exalted to
elevated stations in Christ's kingdom on earth, any more than Christ
_literally_ came. But as Jesus was _in that day_, at the end of the
Jewish age, "crowned with glory and honor," as king on the mediatorial
throne of the universe, so were his apostles elevated on thrones of
glory with him. Jesus says, "when the Son of man shall sit on his
throne of glory, ye also shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel."
Now certain it is, that Jesus did take his throne, when he came in his
glory, at the destruction of the temple. Then it is equally certain,
that the apostles and martyrs also took their's at the same period and
in the same sense. _Then_ Christ came and "his holy angels" and all
the saints came with him; not literally, but in the same sense that he
himself came. Luke ix:26, 27--"For whosoever shall be ashamed of me
and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he shall
come in his own glory and of his Father's and of the holy angels; but
I tell you of a truth there be some standing here which shall not
taste death till they see the kingdom of God." I Thess. iii:13--"To
the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God
our Lord even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with
all his saints." Here we perceive, that he was to come "_with all his
saints and holy angels_." By his _holy angels_, we are to understand
his gospel messengers or martyred apostles and by _his_ saints, those
who had died in his cause. These are the persons who are said to be
_dead in Christ, and asleep in Jesus_. By the words _dead and asleep_
we are not to understand their present extinction of existence in
contrast with their immortal resurrection, but the supposed _low and
disgraceful_ cause in which they died, or for which they were put to
death by their persecutors, as malefactors. This _disgraceful
condition_, in which their murderers viewed them as unchangeably
sleeping, stands in contrast with their _triumphant exaltation_ at the
coming of Christ. Their enemies would _then_ look upon them as having
come forth from the dust of the earth and shining as the brightness of
the firmament and as the stars forever and ever, and not as sleeping
in perpetual infamy and dishonor. [See Daniel xii 2, 3, and John v:28,
29.] Their enemies (whether dead or alive) were to come forth to
_shame, contempt, and condemnation_, which stand in contrast with the
_glory and honor_ to which the Christians (whether dead or alive in
Christ) were to be raised in the minds of the living even to
succeeding generations.
Let it be distinctly noticed that _these dead in Christ_ are not said
to be raised _incorruptible and immortal_, but only caught up with the
living Christians in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air--not
_literally_, but in the same sense that the living saw the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven, so should they see his saints and holy
angels raised from the slumber of infamy, and, together with the
Christians who remained alive at that day, be exalted with him in the
air. [See Matt. xxiv:30, 31--Mark xiii:26, 27--Luke xxi:27, 28, and
Rev. i:7.] In these passages he is represented as "coming in the
_clouds_ with his angels," who "gathered, with a great sound of the
trumpet, his elect," and raised them to honor in his kingdom. And let
me add--this is all the _change_ Christ has ever said should take
place in the living at the sound of the Trumpet. I have no doubt that
the Apostle had his eye upon the above words of our Lord when he said,
"we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." It
will here be plainly seen in what sense those who had died in the
cause of Christ were _first_ raised. They are represented as coming
with him at the destruction of the temple, and after that event the
whole "body" was exalted together. The "vile body" of Christians on
earth (vile indeed in the eyes of their enemies) was then "fashioned
like unto his glorious body" of saints and angels in heaven who had
died in his cause.
That we have given a correct exposition of 1 Thess. iv:15, 16, 17, is
evident from Paul's words 2 Tim. iv:7, 8--"I have fought the good
fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth
there is laid up for me a _crown of righteousness_, which the Lord,
the righteous Judge shall give me at _that day_," &c. The phrase
"_that day_" means not the day of Paul's death, but the day Christ
should appear in the clouds of heaven at the end of the Jewish age.
His _crown was merited_ for having "fought the good fight and kept the
faith." The crown means that exalted honor he should then receive for
having "turned many to righteousness." And not only himself, but all,
"who love the appearing of Christ," should shine as the brightness of
the firmament and as the stars forever and ever in his gospel kingdom
among men. We this day look upon the martyrs and apostles as the
lights of the Christian world and as occupying, on the sacred page,
stations far more exalted than any ever conferred upon the greatest
men of the universe. They are "made priests and kings to God" for
dying in his cause, and thus establishing the truth of Christianity.
This was the "first resurrection," and these were the persons who had
a part in it, which no subsequent christians can ever can have. Rev.
xx:6--"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, but they shall
be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand
years." But if Christ had not come in his kingdom at the end of the
Jewish age, as the prophets and himself had declared, then the whole
Christian system must have fallen and the names of its martyrs and
apostles remained buried in perpetual infamy as a set of deluded men
and impostors. But, blessed be God, it is not so. They, by their
faithfulness, have attained unto the "first resurrection" and thus
broken the dark chains of infidelity into fragments. This is the
_resurrection and change_ referred to in Phil. iii:20, 21, and 1
Thess. iv:15, 16, 17, on which we have commented.
We have intentionally omitted till now Phil. iii:11, 12, as our ideas
will be more readily comprehended here than in our introductory
discourse, where we simply adverted to these words of Paul--"If by any
means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead--Not as though
I had already attained either were already perfect," &c. Here we
perceive that the resurrection unto which he desired to attain
depended on his exertions in the cause of Christ, and being faithful
unto the end. He says (verse 14)--"I press towards the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." But what prize was
this? Ans. It was a _part_ in the _first resurrection_ to which he
desired to attain (verse 11) and he was not "perfect," he feared "lest
after having preached to others himself might be a cast-away." He
feared that he might not endure faithful unto the end. He was well
aware that the promise was--"Be thou faithful unto death and I will
give thee a crown of life." To obtain this crown of life in the first
resurrection, was the _highest prize_, the _highest calling of God_,
ever suspended upon human merits! Paul did continue faithful, and as
he was led to the thought of death, with composure and satisfaction
exclaimed--"For I am now ready to be offered; and the time of my
departure" is at hand. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a
_crown of righteousness_, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall
give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also, that
love his appearing." Here we perceive that Paul had continued
faithful, and was entitled to the promised crown, which was awarded to
him, and to all "the dead in Christ," who, on account of their
faithfulness, had a part in the first resurrection--when he came in
the clouds of heaven to establish his kingdom. It has nothing to do
with the immortal resurrection of the dead, for that is not the reward
of merit, but the gift of God. To _that_ all shall attain who die in
Adam. But in the _first_ resurrection none had a part except those who
died in the cause of Christ, and the living who continued faithful to
the day of his appearing. On them and _them only_ devolved the honor
of establishing the truth of Christianity for the happiness of future
generations, by not only testifying that they had seen Jesus alive
from the dead, but by cheerfully submitting to death, and showing
themselves miracles of suffering in his cause. Both the departed and
those that remained alive, attained to the first resurrection, were
glorified together, and their crowns shall shine in the gospel heavens
with undiminished splendor long after those of kings and tyrants shall
be dimmed and lost in the vortex of revolutions.
He concludes the chapter by noticing the change of the "vile body"
which we have explained. Here then is no evidence of a general
resurrection, nor of the end of time. The _context_, the _silence_ of
Jesus about the change of the living into immortal beings, and the
_whole tenor_ of revelation combine to set it at defiance. Of one
thing I am satisfied; that no man ever _has_, and I believe, no man
ever _can reconcile_ the change of the living and the resurrection of
the dead recorded in Philippians and 1 Thessalonians with their
respective contexts, so as to prove a general and immortal
resurrection at the end of time. As I have traveled in an untrodden
path, I do not know but that I may have erred in some minor points,
but am satisfied that my general positions are sound and tenable.
[To be continued.]