The Churchward
Results of the Redeemer’s Return
Chapter 8
"I shall be satisfied,
when I awake with Thy likeness."
What will take place when our
Lord comes back again to receive His blood-bought people unto Himself? What
will be His portion and what will be their portion in that happy day? What will
be the results of Christ’s second advent insofar as they affect the
Church?" We say "the Church," though it would be more accurate
to speak of the saints, for Old Testament believers equally with New Testament
believers, will share in the wondrous blessings and glories of that glad
occasion. How then will the Redeemer’s return affect the redeemed? We leave for
consideration in our next chapter the question of the worldward results of
Christ’s second advent. For the present, we confine
ourselves to the results, Churchward, of the Savior’s appearing. What will
these be? What will be the order of events? Surely these questions are of entrancing
interest and profound importance. And, blessed be God, they are not left
unanswered. It is true that the Holy Scriptures were not written to gratify an
idle curiosity, and that many questions which engage our minds are passed over
in silence; nevertheless, upon everything that concerns our
vital interests sufficient has been revealed to satisfy every trusting heart.
Were we to attempt an
exhaustive reply to the questions asked above, we should be carried far beyond
the limits of a comparatively brief chapter. All we shall now essay
will be to present to our readers an outline which sets forth the most
prominent features of this phase of our subject as they are unfolded in the
Word of God. Seven items will engage our attention, namely:—The descent from
Heaven of the Lord Himself, The Resurrection of the sleeping saints, the
Translation of living believers, the Transformation of every saint into the
image of our glorified Savior, the Examination and Rewarding
of our works, the Presentation of the Church by Christ unto Himself, and the
Manifestation of the Church with Christ in glory. May the One who has been
given to take of the things of Christ and shew them unto us, illumine our
understandings and draw out our hearts in adoring worship.
The one Scripture
which sets forth more fully than any other the order of events which shall
occur at the Redeemer’s return for His saints, is found in 1 Thessalonians 4.
In the course of these pages we have had occasion to refer to this passage a
number of times in various connections, but we would ask our readers to bear
with us while we quote it once more. "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
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord!" (1
Thess. 4:16,17). In this passage three things claim special notice: first, the
descent of the Lord Himself; second, the resurrection of the sleeping
saints; third, the translation to heaven of those believers which shall be
alive on the earth at that time. Before we enlarge upon these, we would first
call attention to the close relation the above passage bears to our Lord’s
words as recorded in the opening verses of John 14—"Let not your heart be
troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you. I will come
again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also"’ (John 14:1-3). There is a four-fold correspondence between these
two passages: the Savior said, "I will come again;" the apostle
wrote, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven." The Savior
avowed, ‘"I will receive you unto Myself;" the
apostle declared that the saints shall be "caught up together to meet the
Lord in the air." The Savior promised, "Where I am, there ye may be
also;" the apostle assures us, "So shall we ever be with the
Lord." The Savior prefaced His gracious promises by saying, "Let not
your heart be troubled;" the apostle concludes by saying "Wherefore
comfort one another with these words." To borrow the
language of T. B. Baines, "There can surely be no questions that these
passages, running so closely parallel relate to the same event." How
wonderful is the verbal agreement of Holy Writ! How the comparison of one
passage with another, brings out the unmistakable unity of the Scriptures! And
how this demonstrates the fact that behind all the human amanuenses there was
One superintending and controlling Mind! Verily our faith
rests upon an impregnable rock! But to return to 1 Thessalonians 4. Let us view
1.
The Lord’s descent from Heaven.
"The
Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout." The Lord Himself—who
had compassion on the multitude, shed tears at the graveside of Lazarus, and
wept over Jerusalem; who healed the sick, cleansed the leper, and restored the
dead to life; who stilled the angry waves, cast out demons, and emancipated the
captives of Satan; who was despised and rejected of men, condemned to a
malefactor’s death, and was crucified on the accursed tree;
who rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven, and took His place at the
right hand of the Majesty on high; who has been given the Name which is above
ever), name, at which Name every knee shall yet bow, "of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every, tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father." Yes, "this same Jesus" shall descend from heaven with a
shout.
Forty days after our Crucified
Savior had risen from the tomb, He ascended into Heaven "far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come," and took His seat upon the Father’s Throne. There He has remained
throughout this dispensation waiting, patiently waiting for the promised
harvest. As He declared, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and
die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John
12:24). The Lord Jesus was the "Corn of Wheat" that died, and the
Church which is His body is the "much fruit" that will be the immediate issue out of that death; we say the "immediate
issue," for in the Millennium many others shall then also enter into the
salvation whirls was purchased upon the cross.
For nineteen long centuries has
the Christ of God waited for the fruit of His travail. As
the apostle James says, "Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious
fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it" (Jam. 5:7). Long indeed
has the Lord of the harvest waited. Thus, too, we read of "The kingdom and
patience of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 1:9). Slowly but surely has the Church
which is His body been growing, growing "till we all come in the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature in the fullness of Christ."
(Eph. 4:13). And now the time of waiting is over. The last member has been
added to the Body; the last living stone has been fitted into that Temple which
the Holy Spirit is now building (Eph. 2:21); the last moments of the
dispensation of grace have run out. Now has come that hour for which the
Redeemer has waited so long. Now has come the time for the
Head to be united to the Body. Now it is that the Savior is to see of the
travail of His soul and be satisfied.
"The Lord Himself shall
descend." Unspeakably precious is this word to the hearts of His own.
Christ is coming in person to effect the object which He has in view. The joy of welcoming His blood-bought people must be exclusively
His own. Angels cannot be commissioned to perform it, as will be the case when
He gathers His scattered people Israel (see Matthew 24:31). Gabriel was granted
the honorous privilege of announcing to Mary the first advent of Christ, yet
not even to him will be entrusted this work. Christ Himself shall give the
gathering shout. The Lord Himself shall descend, "I
will come again" was His promise, The same blessed Lord Jesus who loved
His own unto death, and who has gone to prepare a place for them, is the very
One who has. pledged His word to return for them. He will not send a
representative to receive His people. He will not send the arch-angel to
conduct us to the Father’s House. No; the Lord Himself is the One who shall
descend, "descend from Heaven with a shout"—with
a "shout" of triumph, with a "shout" of joy, with a
"shout" of welcome. That Voice which summoned Lazarus from the tomb,
shall again be heard calling the sleeping saints forth from their graves. That
Voice of the Shepherd who addresseth His own sheep by name, shall then be heard
calling His "little flock" from the valley of the shadow of death
unto pastures ever green. That Voice which is "as the
sound of many waters" (Rev. 1:15) shall then be heard summoning His people
Home. "The Voice of my Beloved; behold, He cometh leaping upon the
mountains, skipping upon the hills" (Song 2:8). And what is it that the
Voice of the Beloved shall say? "My ‘Beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise
up, My love, My fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain
is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time
of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our
land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender
grape give a good smell. Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away" (vv.
10-18). We turn now to consider—
2. The Resurrection of the sleeping saints.
"And the dead in Christ
shall rise first." This is the second blessed event which shall occur at
the Redeemer’s return—the sleeping saints will be awakened and raised. This
brings us to a branch of our subject upon, which there is much ignorance and confusion in Christendom, generally. The idea which popularly
obtains is that of a general resurrection at the end of time. So deeply rooted
is this belief and so widely is it held that to declare there will be two
resurrections—one of saints and another of sinners, the two being separated by
a thousand years—is to be regarded as a setter forth, of strange ideas and
extravagant fancies. Nevertheless, the teaching, of Scripture
upon this point is exceedingly plain and explicit. Probably many of those who
will read these pages are already dear upon this distinction, but for the sake
of those who are not we must briefly outline the teaching of God’s Word upon
this subject, first quoting, however, from one whose writings have been justly
esteemed by Christians of every shade of thought.
John Bunyan who was certainly
a close student of the Divine Oracles wrote, "Now when the saints that
sleep shall be raised thus incorruptible, powerful, glorious and spiritual; and
also those that then shall be found alive, made like them; then forthwith,
before the unjust are raised, the saints shall appear before the judgment-seat of the Lord Jesus Christ, there to give an account to
their Lord the Judge of all things they have done; and to receive a reward for
their good according to their labor. They shall rise, I say, before the wicked,
they being themselves the proper ‘children of the resurrection,’ that is, those
that must have all the glory of it, both as to pre-eminency, and sweetness;
and, therefore, they are said, when they rise, to rise from
the dead; that is, in their rising, they leave the reprobate world behind them.
And it must be so, because also the saints will have done their account, and
beset upon the throne with Christ as kings and priests with Him to judge the
world, when the wicked world are raised."
But
without citing human testimony any further, let us turn to the teaching of
Christ and the inspired writings of His apostles. On one occasion the Lord
said, "But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame,
the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou
shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:13,14). Now
if there is to be but one resurrection—a general
resurrection of all the dead—then why did our Lord make the above distinction
and qualification of the resurrection of the just"? Again, in Luke 20:34,
35 we read, "The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage.
But they which shall be accounted worthy, to obtain that world, and the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage."
What can be the meaning of such words as "they which
shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the
dead" if all the dead alike are sure of participating in an indiscriminate
resurrection. Worthiness to obtain the resurrection from the dead certainly
implies there will be some who are not esteemed worthy, and hence will not be
partakers of the resurrection here mentioned; therefore,
the conclusion is irresistible that there must be two distinct resurrections.
That there will be is further seen from the language of John 5:28,
29—"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which, all that are
in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done
good, unto the resurrection of life: and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation." Here the two resurrections
ate sharply distinguished both as to name and participants, and as we shall
see, there is to be a long interval of time between them.
The testimony of the apostolic
Epistles is in strict harmony with the teaching of our Lord
recorded in the four Gospels. In 1 Corinthians 15:21-23 we read, "For
since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as
in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in
his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His
coming." It is important to notice that ,the resurrection of the wicked is
not contemplated in this chapter at all, but is strictly
limited to the resurrection of Christ and His saints. The words "all be
made alive" are qualified by the clause which immediately precedes them.
It has reference solely to those who are "in Christ." Christ Himself
is the "firstfruits" (the reference is to the type of Lev. 23:10) and
the harvest that is garnered at His return are "they that are
Christ’s." Again, we are told that the people of God in Old Testament times who refused to accept deliverance from death
at the hands of their persecutors, did so "that they might obtain a better
resurrection" (Heb. 11:35) which expression is quite meaningless if there
is but one general resurrection in which saints and sinners shall alike
participate.
One other
Scripture yet remains to be considered, namely Revelation 20:4-6 "And I
saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I
saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the
word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither
had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of
the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the
first resurrection. 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." Here we
learn not only that the resurrection of the saints is quite distinct from that of the wicked, but we are also expressly told that
an interval of a thousand years lies between the two. It were meaningless to
speak of the resurrection of the "blessed and holy" as the
"first resurrection" if there is no second resurrection of the wicked
to follow. The righteous shall all be raised before the Millennium begins, but
the lost shall not be raised until its close. Thus we see that the uniform
teaching of the New Testament respecting the resurrection
of sleeping believers is in perfect accord with our Thessalonian
Scripture—"The dead in Christ shall rise first." None but the
"dead in Christ" will come forth from their graves in response to the
assembling shout of our descending Lord at the time of His second advent. But
now consider,
3.
The Translation of living believers.
"Then we which are alive
and remain (on the earth) shall be caught up together with them (the
resurrected ones) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." In connection with this
statement we would call attention to another Scripture which at first sight
appears to have no bearing upon it at all. We refer, to the words of our Lord
recorded in John 12:23—"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men unto Me." We hesitate to set forth our own understanding of this
passage because it differs widely from the generally received
interpretation of it. It is from no desire to pander to the modern and
miserable craving for novel expositions of Scripture that we advance our own
view, but simply because necessity is laid upon us. "I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all unto Me"—the word "men" inserted
in italics has no equivalent in the original, and hence we must understand the
"all" to refer to all believers. The question we
would now raise is, What does the "drawing unto Christ" here have
reference to? Personally, we do not think it has any reference to salvation,
for where coming to Christ for salvation is in view it is the
"Father" who is said to do the "drawing." This may be
verified by a reference to John 6:44, where we read, "No man can come to
Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." Therefore we submit that our Lord’s words here point to the catching up
of the saints at the time of His return, that it is then He will
"draw" them all "unto Himself." The words "I will draw
all unto Me" correspond very closely with that other word of His which has
reference to this same event—"I will receive you unto Myself" (John
14:3). We would further suggest that the reason why this "drawing of all
believers unto Himself at the time of His return is linked
with His "lifting up" is to show us that this consummating blessing,
like every other we enjoy, is based upon His cross-work for us. Finally; it is
highly significant, and seems to corroborate our interpretation, that in the
verse immediately preceding the one now under consideration, our Lord said,
"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince
of this world be cast out." It was then—"now"—at the Cross, that
the Divine sentence was passed but it will not be until the Rapture that it
will receive its execution. It is immediately following the "catching
up" of the saints, their "drawing" to Christ, that God’s
"judgment" will fall upon "this world," as it is then also
that its "prince"—"Satan"—will be "cast out" of
his present domains (see Rev. 12:7-9). Who are the ones
that shall be "drawn" unto Christ at that day?)The answer is found in
our Thessalonian Scripture—"Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."
We have already contemplated the resurrection of the sleeping saints, let us
now say a few words concerning those believers who shall be alive on earth at
that time.
It is often said, "There
are many things in this life which are uncertain, but one thing is sure: we
must all die; we must all pay nature’s debt." Nothing is more common than
to hear such affirmations as those which set death before the believer as his inevitable prospect. Such assertions are regarded as
axiomatic. Frequently they are repeated from the pulpit. But not so do the Scriptures
teach. The Word of God distinctly declares, "We shall not all sleep, but
we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor.
15:51,52). So that instead of it being certain that all will die, it is
absolutely certain that all believers will not die. A whole generation
of Christians, namely, those that are alive upon the earth when our Lord
descends from Heaven, will be "changed in a moment," and without
passing through death at all, shall be caught up together with the resurrected
saints to meet the Lord in the air.
The
prospect which God’s Word sets before every believer is the imminent return of
Christ. Not a dread anticipation of death, but "looking for the
Savior" is to be our daily occupation. Translation to Heaven and not the
grave is our goal. That is why it is termed "that blessed hope," and
that is why we are said to be "begotten again unto a living hope"—a
living hope in a dying scene. This hope was active in the hearts
of the first-century saints. The Thessalonians had "turned to God from
idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from
heaven." They were waiting for Christ not death. Observe that in our text
the apostle includes himself among the number of those who might be alive on the
earth at the time of Christ’s second advent—"Then we (not "ye")
which are alive and remain shall be caught up;" and
again, "We shall not all sleep." The beloved apostle was not looking
for ‘the king of terrors’ but for "the King of Glory."
Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for THY
coming we wait;
The sky not the grave is our
goal:
The
rapture, not death, we gladly await,
Praise the Lord, Praise the
Lord, O my soul.
A striking illustration and
type of the removal to heaven of those believers which shall be on the earth at
the time of our Lord’s return is found in the rapture of Enoch,
"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not
found, because God had translated him" (Heb. 11:5). Here was a man of like
passions with us, who was raptured to Heaven without seeing death. Such is the
blessed prospect which Scripture sots before the Christian as his present hope.
We repeat, that all believers on earth at the time of our Lord’s descent into
the air, shall altogether escape the gloomy portals of the
tomb and be translated to Heaven to meet the Lord and be for ever with Him.
This will be the fulfillment of our Lord’s promise "I will come again and
receive you unto Myself." Observe that our Lord does not say, "I will
come again and take you unto Myself." but "I will come again and
receive you unto Myself." The thought suggested by this distinction is exceedingly precious. "Taking" is an action confined
to myself. I may enter an empty room and take a book from the table. But
receiving is an action that brings in another. If I "receive" a book
the necessary inference is that someone handed it to me. Exactly so will it be
at the Rapture. The sailors of God are not left alone in this cold
wilderness-world. The "other Comforter, even the Spirit of truth" has
come to take up His abode in the Church, and it is from Him
that the Lord Jesus will "receive" it. (For this beautiful thought I
am indebted to George Hucklesby’s book "Surely I come quickly.") And
observe further that our Lord did not say "to Heaven," or "to the
Father’s House," but "unto Myself." The person of Christ is to
be the Object before the eye and heart. Thus it was with the martyr Stephen—"Lord Jesus receive my spirit." Thus it was with the
apostle Paul—"To depart and be with Christ which is far better;" and
again, "absent from the body, present with the Lord." The heart
occupied with Him.
"To meet the Lord in the
air." Why should the Church meet the Lord in "the air," rather than on the earth? We would suggest a twofold reason.
First, Because the Church is heavenly not earthly. It is heavenly in its origin
(1 Cor. 15:48). It is heavenly in its calling (Heb. 3:1). It is heavenly in its
citizenship (Phil. 3:20). It is heavenly in its blessings (Eph. 1:3). It is
heavenly in its destiny (1 Pet. 1:4). Therefore will the Church meet its Head
in the "air"—the atmospheric heavens. Second; I
believe this joyous meeting between the Lord and His blood-bought people is to
be in the air, rather than in the Heaven of heavens, for the purpose of
privacy. The eyes of the world shall not gaze upon that holy scene, nor will
even the angels (so far as Scripture indicates) witness that first moment when
the Redeemer shall meet the redeemed.
"And so shall we ever be
with the Lord," which, as we have seen, corresponds with His own blessed
promise, "That where I am there ye may be also." Wondrous privilege!
Marvelous prospect! Truly, such love "passeth knowledge." The place
which is due to the Semi is the same place wrier shall be accorded the sons. We
are made "joint-heirs with Christ." His
inheritance and blessedness shall be shared with His redeemed. He shall come
Himself to conduct us to His place! But are we, shall we be, lit, to dwell in
such a realm? The answer to this question leads us to consider,
4. The Transformation of each believer into the Image of
our glorified Savior.
In the beginning, man was made
in the image and likeness of God, but sin came in and as the consequence that
image has been defaced and that likeness marred. Has then the purpose of
Jehovah been thwarted? Not so: "The counsel of the Lord standeth
for ever" (Ps. 33:11). Therefore it is written, "For whom He did
foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His
Son" (Rom. 8:29). The time when this purpose and promise of God will be
realized is at the Return of His Son. It is then that God’s elect will be
completely "conformed to the image of His Son." It is then that they
shall "be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye."
It is then that "this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall put on immortality." But to particularize.
In Romans 7:24 the question is
asked, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of
this death?" Part of the answer to this interrogation is recorded
in Romans 8:11—"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." This Scripture has
been the occasion of considerable controversy of late and some wild fancies
have been indulged concerning it, yet its meaning is quite simple. The
"quickening of our mortal bodies" does not refer
to resurrection, nor to "healing," but to that "change"
which shall take place in the physical beings of those believers on earth at
the Redeemer’s return. Here, as everywhere, the apostle has the "blessed
hope" before his heart and he would interpose nothing between (not even
death and resurrection) the present moment and the realization of that hope. The
"quickening of our mortal bodies," the
"changing" of them in a moment, is described in Philippians
3:20,21—"For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall change our vile body, that it may
be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He
is able even to subdue all things unto Himself." These present corruptible
bodies of ours shall be transformed into bodies like unto
that glorious body now worn by our Lord. That is, like His body as it appeared
on the mount of transfiguration—dazzling in its splendor; like onto His body as
it appeared unto Saul as he journeyed to Damascus—scintillating with a
brilliancy which surpassed the shining of the midday sun. What a glorious transformation
that will be! Each saint will be given a body of glory
fitted to and for the scene to which he shall go, as his present body is fitted
to this earth. Scientists tell us that the little sparkling diamond which we
admire so much, was once a piece of carbon, a fragment of charcoal which has
undergone a marvelous transformation, converting the little piece of black
charcoal into the resplendent jewel. This, perhaps, is Nature’s type of the
glorious transformation that awaits us, when the Savior shall
take our present mortal body and fashion it like unto His glorious body.
Physical transformation is not
all that awaits the believer. At our Lord’s return there will be a mental,
moral and spiritual transformation too. In 1 John 3:2 we are told,
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we
shall see Him as He is." The emphasis here is often thrown upon the wrong
words. Some read this verse as though it had reference to present ignorance of
our future condition, the clause "it doth not yet appear what we shall
be," being understood to signify "We don’t really
know now what we shall yet be." But this is a mistake, for we do
"know" as this very verse informs us—"we know that, when He
shall appear, we shall be like Him. The emphatic words are "It doth not
yet appear what we shall be." What we are really going to be like awaits
its manifestation till our Lord’s appearing. Let us illustrate. I hold in my hand
a small seed: it is unlovely in appearance and gives no
promise at all of what it will ultimately become. It doth not yet appear what
it shall be. But I plant that seed in the ground, and a few weeks later it has
become a strong plant, and one morning I wake and find it covered with the most
beautiful flowers. Now the potentialities of that little seed are fully
manifested. So it is with the believer. He looks at his own heart and wonders
if after all he is a child of God. His body is just the
same as the bodies of unbelievers, and viewed by the eye of sense he seems to
be no different from them in anywise. No; because his real "life is hid
with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3)—it doth not yet appear what he shall be,
nevertheless he knows (by faith) that when Christ shall appear, he shall be
like Him, for he shall see Him as He is.
"We shall be like
Him." Who dare limit this exceeding great and precious promise? "Like
Him" physically, for our vile body shall then be "fashioned like unto
His glorious body." "Like Him" mentally! Today we are very
unlike Him mentally: our minds now are often harassed with evil thoughts, they
are clouded and darkened by the effects of the Fall, and
are subject of too many limitations; but when Christ appears, that which is
"perfect’’ shall come and then, no longer shall we see through a glass
darkly and know in part, but we shall know as we are known. We shall be
"like Him" morally and spiritually. Sin will be erased from our
being; every trace and effect of the Fall shall be eradicated from our persons.
Then will God’s predestinating purpose be fully realized.
Then shall we be completely "conformed to the image of His Son."
Blessed transformation! Glorious prospect! We shall be like Him.
"High in the Father’s
house above
There is the home, the rest I
love,
And there my bright reward.
With Him I love, in spotless
white,
His blissful presence my
delight,
His love and glory mine.
All taint of sin shall be
removed,
And I shall dwell with God’s
Beloved
Through God’s eternal
day."
5.
The Examination and Rewarding of the believer’s works.
"Behold, I come quickly,
and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall
be" (Rev. 22:12). If it is true that the general teaching of Christendom
upon the subject of the Resurrection is unscriptural, the popular conception of
future judgment is still more erroneous. It is generally believed that at the
end of time saints and sinners shall all stand before the judgment-bar
of God; that they will be divided into two great classes—"the sheep and
the goats;" that those whose names are found written in the book of life
will pass into Heaven, and that the wicked will be consigned to the Lake of
Fire. For this conception (excepting the last clause) there is not a single
verse of Scripture when rightly interpreted. So far as believers
are concerned the Sin question has been closed for ever, for their sins were
all judged at the Cross where their Substitute died—the Just for the unjust.
Consequently, all who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ are for ever
beyond the Curse of the Law. This is clear from our Lord’s own
words—"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and
believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and
shall not come into condemnation," or as the Revised Version more
correctly renders it, "shall not come into judgment" (John 5:24). How
erroneous then the prevailing conception; and how absurd! Shall the apostle
Paul who has already been in Heaven for more than eighteen hundred years, yet
have to appear before the judgment-bar of God, in order to ascertain whether he
shall spend eternity in Heaven or in the Lake of Fire? How
could this be, when we are distinctly told "There is therefore now no
condemnation (judgment) to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1).
Furthermore, observe that it is said of the sleeping saints they are
"raised in glory" (1 Cor. 15:43). How then could a glorified saint be
consigned to the Lake of Fire? And if there is no possibility of him going
there, then what need is there for any Assize to decide his
eternal destiny? No; the judgment of the Great White Throne concerns the wicked
only.
But are we not told in 2
Corinthians 5:10 "We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body; according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad"? Yes, we
are. Let us then examine this Scripture. First, it is to be remarked that the
Greek word which is here translated "judgment-seat" is
"Bema." At the time the New Testament was written the Bema was not a
judicial bench upon which a judge sat, pissing sentence upon criminals (an
entirely different word was used for it), but was throne from which the judge distributed prizes to the victors in the games. Such will be
the Bema of Christ.
In the second place, the
purest of the appeasing of believers "before the Bema of Christ" is
not to test their title and fitness for Heaven, but in order that their works
may be examined and their service rewarded. A Scripture which throws much light
upon this is to be found in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15,
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made fire: for the day
will declare it: because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try
every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s
work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet
so as by fire." we learn that the foundation of the believer’s salvation
is Jesus Christ Himself and that his subsequent works and service likened to a
building which he erects upon this foundation. different kinds of works which
the believer performs—good and bad—are regarded as two
classes of materials which he employs in the building he is erecting. In the
day of Christ’s appearing his building is to be tested by fire, which means
that his works will be examined and the motives which produced them carefully
scrutinized. Those works which will endure the searching precis will be
rewarded, thee which are worthless will and in the latter instance, the
individual, though saved, will "suffer loss."
When the Lord returns, every
servant will be called upon to give an account of his stewardship. Notice will
be taken of how our talents were employed and how our time was redeemed. The
whole life of the believer will be examined in detail in the light
of the Throne and his deeds measured by the Divine standard. Words spoken now
and actions performed in this world will then be weighed in the Balances of the
Sanctuary. Things will then be seen in their true colors and labeled at their
real worth by the impartial hand of the Omniscient Christ.
The
difference between the two classes of materials mentioned in the above
Scripture points to a most solemn truth. "Gold, silver, precious
stones" are of intrinsic value, whereas "wood, hay, stubble" are
a natural growth. In Scripture "gold" symbolizes the Divine nature,
"silver" Divine redemption, and "precious stones" the
Divine glory. Those works of the believer which have issued from the Divine nature within us, are based upon Christ’s redemption,
and have been performed for God’s glory, will receive a reward; but those which
were wrought by those who felt they must do something, those performed in the
energy of the flesh, those done merely for self-aggrandizement will all be
burned up. What a conflagration there will be in that day! What surprises there
will be at the Bema of Christ! An hundred-dollar
subscription, given to got a name, will be ashes in the day; while a dime given
to help the poor for the Lord’s sake will receive an imperishable reward.
"Deeds of merit as we
thought them
Little acts we had forgotten
He will tell us were for
Him."
No work done out of love for
Christ will lose its reward. "For God is not unrighteous
to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in
that ye have ministered to the saints" (Heb. 6:10). All that endures the
test of that day will be publicly, abundantly and eternally rewarded. There,
before His Father and in the presence of the holy angels, our gracious Redeemer
will delight to say to the rewarded one, "Well done, good and faithful
servant; thou bast been faithful over a few things, I will
make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Matthew
25:23).
The subject of rewards is a
wide one and we can only deal briefly with it here. Four crowns are mentioned
in the New Testament the Incorruptible crown (1 Cor. 9:25), which
is the reward for faithful service; the crown of Righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8),
which is given to those who love Christ’s appearing; the crown of Glory (1 Pet.
5:4), which is reserved for faithful pastors who have tended the flock; and the
crown of Life (Rev. 2:10), which is a special reward reserved for martyrs. Each
crown is conditional, conditional upon faithfulness to an absent Christ. But to
return now to 2 Corinthians 5:10.
The prospect of our
manifestation before the Bema of Christ is both joyous and solemn. It is
"joyous" because it is then that everything will come oat into the
light and all misunderstandings will be cleared up; because everything which
will not endure the Divine test will be "burned
up;" and because every work which was done with an eye single to God’s
glory will receive commendation from our blessed Lord Himself. It is
"solemn" because then it will be seen how much of our work was
nothing but "wood, hay, and stubble;" because we shall then discover
how sadly we had failed to "redeem the time;" and because we shall "suffer
loss." Ah! my brethren it behooves us to live in the
light of that day now so near at hand. Let our chief ambition be that all we
say and do shall meet with the approval of our Lord at the Bema. Yes, the
contemplation of the Bema is solemn and searching. He who has lived in selfish
ease and carnal gratification will be the loser throughout all eternity. But he
who has "denied himself" out of love for and gratitude to the Savior,
shall yet hear His "Well done" and enter into His
joy.
6.
The Presentation of the Church by Christ to Himself.
When every saint of God shall
have been made like Christ, made "like Him" physically,
mentally, morally and spiritually, and after each individuals life and works
have been examined before the Bema, then is the Church publicly presented and
Ephesians 5:25-27 is fulfilled—"Christ also loved the Church, and gave
Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the Word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish." The word "present" here means
"to set alongside of." Christ is yet going to set the Church
alongside of Himself. The Church will share His glory and reign with Him
throughout the Millennium. As saith the Scriptures—"To him that overcometh
will I grant to sit with Me in My throne" (Rev. 3:21). The Church will
then have been fitted for this exalted position, for
observe that Christ presents the Church to Himself "a glorious
Church." In that day none of the defiling "spots" of sin shall
be found in the Church, and not a "wrinkle"—the mark of age and
corruption—shall mar its beauty, but with youth eternally renewed the Church
shall then perfectly reflect the glory of Christ. Then shall He be able to say,
"Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in
thee" (Song of Sol. 4:7).
Another Scripture which tell
of the presentation of the Church is to be found in Jude 24—"Now unto Him
that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence
of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our
Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
Amen." We believe the reference here to the "exceeding joy" is
that of Christ Himself. This was "the joy" that was set before Him
when He endured the Cross and despised the shame (Heb. 12:2).
Closely
connected with the public Presentation of the Church is,
7.
The Manifestation of the Church with Christ.
The last time the world saw
the Lord Jesus He was alone—alone in death. But when He
returns to this earth He will not be alone. His saints will accompany Him. He
is the "Firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29), and when He
appears again they will be with Him. "He that goeth forth and weepeth,
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing His
sheaves with Him" (Ps. 126:6). Yes, that blessed One who humbled Himself
to become the Sower shall return with "His
sheaves"—"Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His
saints" (Jude 1:14).
"The Spirit Himself
beareth Witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if
children, theft heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom.
8:16-18). Observe that "the glory" here mentioned is to be revealed,
and revealed in us; and further, that it is a glory which we shall share with
Christ glorified together". When will this glory be "revealed in us" together with Christ? The answer is at the time of
His return to this earth, far "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4)—"in glory"
for before this, our present bodies will have been ‘fashioned like unto His
glorious body." It is in connection with this appearing of Christ with His
saints in glory that we read, "For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of
God" (Rom. 8:19). In that day the sons of God—whose life is now "hid
with Christ in God"—will be manifested, manifested with Christ in glory.
Then will our Lord’s prayer be fully answered—"Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all
may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me:, and I in Thee, that
they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.
And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one,
even as we are one" (John 17:20-22).
"Soon shall come that
glorious day
Thou shalt to wondering
world’s display
That Thou with us art
One."
These are the Results of the
Redeemer’s Return as they affect the Church-results in part
for the half hath not been told. The Lord Himself descends from Heaven with a
shout, awakening the sleeping saints and translating them together with living
believers, to meet Him in the air. Then, all are conformed to the image of God’s
Son and made "like Him." Next, the saints appear before the Bema that
their works may be examined and their service rewarded. Finally, as Christ
prepares to return to the earth, He sets the Church, now
glorious within and without, alongside of Himself, and as He appears before the
eyes of the world the Church appears with Him, to be the object of never-ending
wonderment and admiration as it is seen what great things the Lord hath wrought
for those who were by nature children of wrath and deserving of nought but
eternal condemnation. In view of such a prospect must we not
long for God to hasten the glad day of our Lord’s return, and are we not
compelled to cry "Even so, Come Lord Jesus"!