ESCHATOLOGY
II. THE PURPOSE OF HIS COMING INTO THE AIR
We now come to a study of the first phase of his coming. We ask, what is the purpose of his coming in the air? Several answers can be given.
A. To RECEIVE HIS OWN
Jesus will come to receive his own to himself. Jesus said, “I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). Jesus longs for the closest fellowship, but “while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6). When the believer falls asleep in Jesus, he is “absent from the body,” but at “home with the Lord”
(2 Cor. 5:8). But this too is not the ideal condition, for it is apart from the body. When Jesus returns, he will receive the believer to himself in bodily form. From this time forth the believer “shall always be with the Lord”
(1 Thess. 4:17). But since “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50), it is evident that certain changes must take place before he can receive us unto himself. These must be considered next.
1. The prerequisites. “His own” are now either in his presence in spirit (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9) and conscious (Luke 16:19-31;
Rev. 6:9), and their bodies are in the grave, or they are yet “at home in the body,” while “absent from the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6). But to be with Christ in spirit is not the ultimate goal of redemption; Christ has redeemed the body as well as the soul (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:14; 4:30), and he will some day change the body “of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21). Two things are necessary before he can receive us to himself. First, the dead in Christ must be raised; then, second, the living believers must be changed. Let us look at these two in more detail.
The Second Coming of Christ: The Nature of His Coming 349 (1) The dead must be raised. When the Lord shall descend from heaven, the dead in Christ shall be raised (1 Thess. 4:16). Because Jesus is “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), he who believes on him “shall live even if he dies” (v. 25). Whoever believes on him shall never die. Paul writes, “This perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:53). These Scriptures indicate what will take place in the believers at his coming; the dead will be made alive and the living will have their lives made immortal.
There is no general resurrection at which all the dead will arise at the same time. Though John 5:28f. may at first glance seem to imply one general resurrection, it does not say that some will come forth to life and others to judgment, but that some will come forth to a resurrection of life and others to a resurrection of judgment. That both are said to occur in an hour presents no difficulty. John’s last hour (1 John 2:18) has already lasted for about nineteen hundred years. It is easy to think of two resurrections taking place in one hour. Dan. 12: 2 also seems to refer to two bodily resurrections.
“There is to be a resurrection unto life and a resurrection unto death.“’
According to Rev. 20:4-7, there is a space of one thousand years between the first and the second resurrection. Some have suggested that the first resurrection of Rev. 20 is spiritual salvation (cf. John 5:24-26), which is followed by the general resurrection. If one has attained to the first resurrec- tion (or spiritual resurrection), he need not fear the second death. However, language will not allow for that interpretation. Note the words of Alford, the noted Greek scholar:
If, in a passage where two resurrections are mentioned, where certain psuchai exesan at the first, and the rest of the nekros exesan only at the end of a specified period after that first,-if in such a passage the first resurrection may be understood to mean spiritd rising with Christ, while the second means literal rising from the grave;-then there is an end of all significance in language, and Scripture is wiped out as a definite testimony to any thing. If the first resurrection is spiritual, then so is the second, which I suppose none will be hardy enough to maintain: but if the second is literal, then so is the first, which in common with the whole primitive Church and many of the best modern expositors, I do maintain, and receive as an article of faith and hope. 2
We may add that it is this resurrection (ten exunastusin ten ek nekron) to which Paul sought to attain (Phil. 3: 11); there was no need of striving to
‘Young, The Prophecy of Daniel, p. 256.
ZAlford, The Greek Testament, IV, pp. 732-733.
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attain to the general resurrection, since Scripture abundantly shows that all men will ultimately be raised, whether they desire to be or not.
But even in the first resurrection there are phases. Our Lord’s resurrec- tion (1 Cor. 15:23), the rapture of the church when Christ comes for his own (John 14:3; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; 2 Thess. 2:1), the resurrec- tion of the two witnesses in the tribulation (Rev. ll:llf.), and the resurrec- tion of Old Testament saints and tribulation believers (Dan. 12 :2; Rev.
20:4f.) are all different phases of the first resurrection. Even the resurrection of certain saints at the resurrection of Christ might be considered part of this larger group (Matt. 27: 52f .).
(2) The ones living and believing in Christ must be changed. After stating that the dead in Christ will rise first when the Lord descends in the air, Paul adds, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4: 17). But inasmuch as
“flesh and bloo cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50), thed bodies of the living will be changed. Paul explains, “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 trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor.
15: 51f .) . Perhaps Paul has the living in mind in Phil. 3 : 20f., when he writes,
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” The exact nature of the change spoken of is nowhere revealed, but the possibility of being caught up without dying is illustrated in the translation of Enoch (Gen. 5:24; Heb.
11:5) and of Elijah (2 Kings 2:11-18).
The question immediately arises, will all the saved be taken at the rapture?
To this we may reply that the nature of the church would seem to require that everyone who belongs to it should be taken. The church is a temple (1 Cor. 3:16f.; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:20f.; 1 Pet. 2:5). Will any part of the building in which the Spirit dwells be left behind? Further, the church is Christ’s bride (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:24,32; Rev. 19:6-9). Will any part of his bride be left behind? It is also Christ’s body (1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:22f.;
4:12; 5:29f.; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:19). Surely, he will not leave a part of his body behind. That all the living believers will be taken at the rapture is no more improbable than that all those who have fallen asleep in Christ will be raised at that time. Some would maintain on the basis of Phil. 3: 11, “In order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead,” that Paul taught a partial resurrection; however, this is not an expression of doubt, but of humility and hope. In enumerating the order of the resurrection, Paul says,
“Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father”
The Second Coming of Christ: The Nature of Ifis Coming 351 (1 Cor. 15:23f .). Note that “those who are Christ’s” are all grouped together as being raised at the same time; there is no division among them.
2. The manner. A careful reading of the Scriptures discloses that the trans- ference of the believers into Christ’s presence is not the whole of the receiv- ing of his own to himself. It is that, but it is ultimately the receiving of the church into the marriage relationship. The church is the bride. She is now in the position of betrothal or espousal (2 Cor. 11:2); ultimately, Christ will
“present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Eph. 5:27). John writes, “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’
And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev. 19:6-B). Jesus Christ will come as the bridegroom to take the church to be his bride. John the Baptist was the friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29) and as such prepared the way for the coming of Christ.
B. To JUDGE AND REWARD
Both of these are associated with the return of Christ.
1. The believer’s judgment. Christ will come to judge the works of believ- ers and to bestow the rewards. The believer will not be judged v;iLn regard to his sins (John 5:24), since he was judged for them in the person and cross of Christ (Isa. 53: 5f. ; 2 Cor. 5: 21), and he will not again be called to account for them at the return of Christ. During this life, however, he is chastened for the sins he commits that he may not be condemned with the world (1 Cor.
5:5; 11:32; Heb. 12:7; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14f.; 12:13f.). But when Christ returns, the believer will be judged as to the use he has made of the talents (Matt.
25:14-30), the pounds (Luke 19:11-27), and the opportunities (Matt. 20:1- 16) that have been entrusted to him. Salvation is a free gift of God (John 4:lO; 10:28; Rom. 6:23). When James says that we are saved by works (James 2:24), he means by a faith that produces works (2:22, 26). Paul indicates that while we are saved by grace, we are yet saved unto good works (Eph. 2:8-10). In other words, the Lord has given his people an opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven, now that they are saved (Matt. 6: 20), so that
“the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied” (2 Pet. 1:ll).
It is with regard to these works that the believer will be judged when
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Christ returns. Paul writes, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5: 10). He also writes, “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:lO). And he continues, “So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God” (v. 12). When he comes, the fire will test our works; and if they are of wood, hay, or straw, they will be consumed, yet we will be saved so as by fire; if of gold, silver, or precious stone, we will receive a reward (1 Cor. 3:11-15). No doubt many will belong to the group that will be saved, but have little reward; others will have much. We are challenged to abide in Christ so that when he appears we will not be ashamed at his coming (1 John 2:28). Paul writes, “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?” (1 Thess. 2: 19).
2. The believer’s reward. The Lord will keep his word as definitely as in the manner of salvation. Several items must be noted as they relate to the reward.
(1) First, what is the basis of the reward? Various things in the Scriptures are said to lead to a reward. As a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Cor.
4:1-5), the believer is to render an account of his stewardship. A definite reward is promised for those who are faithful (1 Cor. 4:2) in the use of the opportunities, the talents, and the pounds entrusted to them (Matt. 20: l-16;
25: 14-30; Luke 19: 11-27). As trustees of their material possessions, they will be rewarded according to the way in which they have used their pos- sessions (Matt. 6: 20 ; Gal. 6: 7). He that sows sparingly will also reap sparingly (2 Cor. 9: 6). Further, as one responsible for the souls of others, the believer will be rewarded according as he has led many to righteousness. The angel said to Daniel, ”And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righ- teousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3). In similar manner Paul writes, ” For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?” (1 Thess. 2:19). As those who live in a needy world, we may do good to all men and reap a reward for so doing (Gal. 6:lO). Hospitality will be rewarded (Matt. 10:40- 42), as will the care of the sick and the persecuted (Matt. 25:3540). Even a cup of cold water will not remain unnoticed in that day (Matt. 10:42). This is especially true of kindnesses done to the Jewish people. And finally, as sufferers in an evil world, Christians will be rewarded for endurance. Thus, we read that when they revile us, persecute us, say all manner of evil against us falsely, our reward will be great in heaven (Matt. 5:llf.; Luke 6:22f.). If we suffer, we shall reign with him (2 Tim. 2:12; cf. Rom. 8:17). As James
The Second Coming of Christ: The Nature of His Coming 353 promises, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1: 12).
(2) What is the time of the reward? It is when he comes that the rewards will begiven (Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:5-10; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 11:18; 22:12). In view of this, it is not altogether correct to say of a believer when he dies, that he has gone to his reward. Paul declared that it would be in that day when Christ appears that he would receive his reward, and not at death. Those who have fallen asleep in Jesus are now in his personal presence, but they still look forward to the day of reckoning and recompense.
(3) What is the nature of the reward? The Scriptures represent the rewards to be bestowed under the figure of a crown or trophy. We are told that it will be an imperishable wreath (1 Cor. 9:25), and we are warned against losing our crown (Rev. 3: 11). Souls won to the Lord are going to be our crown of exultation (1 Thess. 2:19). Besides these, there are the crown of righteous- ness (2 Tim. 4:8), the crown of life (James 1:12; Rev. 2:10), and the crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4). Whatever may be meant by the figure, we may be sure that it represents a glorious and eternal honor in the presence of the Lord. As a part of the reward there is also the promise of a place with Christ in his throne (Luke 19:11-27; 2 Tim. 2:llf.; Rev. 3:21).
C. To REMOVE THE RESTRAINER
He will come to take the restrainer of the revelation of the man of lawless- ness out of the way. Paul writes, “And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” (2 Thess. 2:6-8). Two persons are here connected with Christ’s return: the restraining one, who is to be taken out of the way, and the lawless one, who is to be slain with the breath of Christ’s mouth. Paul tells us that the mystery of lawlessness was already working in his day, but “what restrains” and “he who now restrains” interfered with the full development of iniquity.
What or who is this restraint or restrainer? Some see it as the restraining power of law and order. Others see it as human government; still others identify it with Satan himself. It is certainly true that government does restrain evil, but can this be said of evil government? And, surely, Satan does not restrain evil.
In Gen. 6:3 the Holy Spirit is represented as striving with wicked mankind in the days of Noah, and it is said that he “shall not strive with man forever.” When he ceased opposing the wickedness of man, the judgments of
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God burst forth upon the world. It would seem that he is the restrainer also in the end time, when the days of Noah are to be repeated. He does the restraining of evil, often through the church; for, because of his presence in them, believers are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt.
5: 13-16). When the church will be caught up, the salt and the light will be withdrawn. For a brief time after the rapture, until individuals turn to the Lord, there will be no saved people on the earth. Evidently the Spirit will withdraw his special ministry of restraining evil. Then corruption and dark- ness will develop rapidly; then iniquity will abound, and the man of lawless- ness will be revealed. The Holy Spirit will continue to be on earth as he was here during Old Testament times, but not in the special sense in which he is here during this age. Satan with his leaders is to have large authority on this earth before the final judgment. Christ’s coming will remove the restrainer to the development of lawlessness and the program of the last days.
and
CHAPTER XL1
The Second Coming of Christ:
The Purpose of His Coming to Earth the Period Between the Rapture and the
Revelation
As already noted, the first phase of Christ’s return will be his coming into the air, but it is clear that he will also come down to earth. Let us consider now the purpose of his coming to earth and the time that lies between the two.