Things Of Which We Should Not Be Ignorant. Concerning Them That Fall Asleep, And The Lord's Coming.

by Dorricott, J. | Category: For Young Believers | Mar 1957

"But we would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them that fall asleep ; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with Him (1 Thessalonians 4.18, 14). Thus Paul taught and comforted those who had been bereaved of their loved ones in Thessalonica and for our consolation also were these things written . Those in Christ who fall asleep die in sure hope of a better resurrection. As pertaining to the resurrection of the body it stands written, " It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption , it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power, it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body " (1 Corinthians 15 42 44) The resurrection of those in Christ from amongst the dead is assured by the fact of Christ's resurrection In 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul bases his argument of the resurrection on the truth of the death and resurrection of the Lord, and also on divine revelation to him concerning such. At the Lord's return the dead in Christ shall be raised, and the living saints will be changed, and together they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall they be for ever with Himself.

As to the present state of saints of this dispensation who fall asleep, the spirit returns to God, who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12. 7), the soul departs to be with Christ (Philippians 1.23), which, as Paul says, is very far better They are also spoken of as being "at home with the Lord " (2 Corinthians 5. 8). The body, which was the abode of the soul, falls asleep and sees corruption (The soul is the person himself that inhabits the body, and is the Same man whether in the body or apart from the body (2 Corinthians 12. 2, 3). No such thing is taught in the word of God as an unconscious state of the soul after leaving the body, or of the soul sleeping, but rather a conscious enjoyment of the Lord's presence, for, as we have said, the soul or person is at home with the Lord, awaiting the resurrection of the body, which resurrection takes place at the coming again of the Lord Jesus.

The Old Testament saints (up to the time of the death of the Lord Jesus) at death being absent from the body, did not depart to be with the Lord ; they went down to Sheol (the upper portion), the place of the abode of the departed, not the grave, but the under world. To this place Jacob, in his sorrow, said he would go . " For I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning". (Genesis 37. 35 R. V. M. and see the preface to the Old Testament Revised Version). It is obvious that he did not mean the grave here, for Jacob had believed the untrue report of his sons that Joseph's body had been devoured by wild beasts

But he knew that there was a conscious existence in Sheol, and "to my son," said Jacob, "I will go." So also David, in hearing of the death of his child, said, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (2 Samuel 12. 28). It was a place where comfort could be experienced, though these saints did not look forward to their departure from the body with the joy that saints of this dispensation do. When they knew they were shortly to put off this tabernacle, see how they cried to be spared a little longer. (See Psalm 102.24; Isaiah 38. 10; and read "Sheol," as in the margin, instead of "the grave," in the latter scripture).

No praise went up to God from Sheol, no celebration of His holy name.

For Sheol cannot praise Thee,

Death cannot celebrate Thee" (Isaiah 38.18).

Our Lord spoke of the under-world in Luke 16 (which is not a parable, but a fact), for He says, "There was a certain rich man," and "there was a beggar," and He gave us the poor man's name. Then He lifts the curtain a little and shows the state of the departed after death. (Of course this is prior to His own resurrection). Here is the Sheol of the Old Testament Scripture, the Hades of the New Testament. It is plainly described as to its two portions, the upper for the righteous, the lower for the wicked, with the great impassable gulf between. Here is seen Lazarus at rest and comforted, also the rich man, troubled and tormented. When the Lord Jesus died on the Cross, He committed His spirit unto His Father. His soul went to Hades. His body was put into the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and saw no corruption (Luke 23.46; Acts 2.25-28). His soul was not left in Hades. Having accomplished redemption's work, He who has the keys of death and Hades, from this upper portion of Hades, it appears, delivered those who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Hebrews 2.15). And, as another scripture says, "when He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, ... Now this, He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things" (Ephesians 4.8, 9, see margin).

Let us now consider the Lord's coming as it affects the living. One was heard to say to another, "How little we hear of our Lord's return! Would it not be worth while to walk a few miles to hear a soul-stirring address on the Lord's coming? " Can it be true that our souls are so dead to this blessed hope that it is rarely spoken of? Is it true that the souls are longing to hear more from ministers of the word of His coming, whilst it may be that we are in the darkest hour that precedes the appearing of the Morning Star?

We can only fitly speak of that with which our hearts are occupied, and if the one mentioned above has gauged the general situation aright it is a very sad indictment. The place that this truth had with the early Christians, and how it was spoken of, can be seen in the fact that His return is mentioned in every inspired letter with the exception of two. If, then, it had such a place in the Christian at the beginning of this dispensation, how much more so should it have its place with us!

In John 14 we read of the promise of His return, based upon the words, "If I go." We know that He has gone to the Father's right hand and from thence He will descend into the air to fulfil this promise. This is the great Physician's cordial for troubled hearts. For us it is promise, not prophecy. Paul, who received the word of His promise by direct divine revelation, says, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first : then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." In the closing words of the book of Revelation our Lord reminds us of His promise in the thrice-repeated words, "I come quickly." May our hearts be ready to respond like John, and say, "Amen; come, Lord Jesus."

This coming is not a spiritual coming to our hearts, as some would teach; neither is it at death, for we have seen in the latter case that we go to be with Him, but it is a personal coming, even the return of the Lord who went back to heaven.

The purpose of His coming is to receive us unto Himself, and, where He is, there we shall be. How striking are the words in that memorable prayer, "Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory!" (John 17.24 A.V.). The Bridegroom yearns for the bride to be eternally with Him, to behold His God-head glory. His earned glories through the triumph of the Cross we shall share, but His God-head glory we shall never share, but adoringly shall behold (John 17.22).

The manner of His coming, and the rapture of the saints, is seen from 1 Corinthians 15., where Paul by the Spirit says, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (This of course only pertains to the bodies of the living and the sleeping saints when the Lord comes.) None but the dead and the living in Christ shall hear that trump and be caught up to be with Him at this coming, even as none but His saw and heard Him after resurrection.

The Spirit has marked very clearly the distinction between His coming for His saints, and His coming with the saints, both by title and by circumstances. As to title, when He comes for His saints it is as " The Lord Himself" ; " The Lord Jesus Christ " ; "His Son "; "The Lord." But when He comes with His saints it is spoken of as "The coming of the Son of Man." God, the Father, hath given Him authority to execute judgement in this last mentioned name (Matthew 24.; John 5.27, 28).

As to the circumstances which precede His coming for His saints, there is nothing marked out in Scripture of any special events. There are no prophecies to be fulfilled before His coming for His saints takes place, for as we have said, it is a promise for the Church prophecy pertains to Israel and the nations. At any moment He may come.

Before He comes as Son of Man to the earth to execute judgement and to set up His righteous, glorious reign, certain prophecies will be fulfilled. It will be preceded by the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, the Jews being back in Palestine, the re-building of the temple, the rise of the anti-Christ, and the great tribulation. There will be great disturbance in the heavens, the sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Concerning this appearing it is written, " Behold, He cometh with the clouds ; and every eye shall see Him, and they which pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over Him" (Revelation 1.; Matthew 24).

We have remarked that when He comes for His saints they only will hear the call and see Him, but when He comes as the Son of Man every eye shall see Him. Joy and rejoicing accompany the former, sorrow and mourning of the tribes accompany the latter. He comes from His Father's throne to the air for His saints, but when He appears with His saints His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives. Let us take heed to the exhortation, " Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless." May this truth sanctify our lives so that we may not be ashamed before Him at His coming (1 John 2.28).

A little while, 'twill not be long,

Let us the precious hours redeem.

Our only grief to give Him pain,

Our joy to serve and follow Him.

Watching and ready may we be,

As those who long their Lord to see."

Dorricott, J. | Mar 1957
For Young Believers