9: Some General Difficulties Met
Chapter 9: Some General Difficulties Met The Mystery of the Rapture
"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" (1 Cor. 15:51, R. V.).
These words are often quoted to confirm the ideas that (1) God was herein revealing truth never before known; (2) That truth being, in the words of a recent writer, "The mystery of the rapture"; (3) The words "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," denoting the extreme rapidity with which the Lord will descend to the air, and we ascend to meet Him: such rapidity excluding all possibility of manifested glory and proving it to be a very different event from the Lord’s coming to the earth, which, it is asserted, will take place some years after the "rapture." A mystery in Scripture is "What is known only to the initiated" (Young’s Analytical Concordance). Even if the Corinthian church, through carnality, needed now to be instructed in this mystery, it did not prove that it was never before revealed, for our brethren themselves strongly hold that it is taught in 1 Thessalonians 4, which was written, they believe, at least five years earlier. But for the sake of brevity it only needs to be pointed out that the so-called Rapture of the Church is not even Mentioned in the Whole of 1 Corinthians 15, and so cannot be the subject of any new revelation in that chapter. The mystery of 1 Corinthians 15 is that at one specific moment the bodies of all the dead and all the living saints will be changed from mortal to immortal, from corruptible to incorruptible and it is this event that is to take place in a moment. "We shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the Last Trump." This event is specially emphasized here in connection with the last trump, the first resurrection and the fulfilment of Isaiah 25:8; not as a new event separated by years.
"The Mystery of the Church." A word should be said about the "mystery of the church," and here, too, it is remarkable that the above title cannot be found within the covers of the Bible! Ephesians 3 speaks of "the mystery of Christ," that mystery, as explained by the apostle, being: "That the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel," whereof Paul says, "I was made a minister," and this mystery he affirms, "In other generations was not made known unto the sons of men as it hath now been revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit."
Paul is nowhere claiming to be the medium through whom this truth was first revealed to the church, but states emphatically that it was revealed to His holy apostles (plural) and prophets (plural). The same truth was clearly enunciated by the Lord in the well-known words: "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock, one Shepherd" (John 10:16 [See also Matt. 8:10-12 and Luke 8:28-29, R. V.]). As an apostle of Christ, Paul received his apostleship and all his teaching direct from the Lord, and not from the other apostles, or earlier members of the church, and this he often refers to, e.g. "For I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you." "Let such an one consider that the words I write, they are the commandment of the Lord." Such words as "This we say unto you by the word of the Lord" do not, therefore, necessitate the idea of the revelation of truth not known before to the other apostles. Is the First Resurrection Divided? The idea of dividing the first resurrection is a necessary concomitant of the whole system with which it is connected, for having separated the second coming into parts, numerous other divisions follow as a natural sequence. In Matthew 27:51-52, R. V., we read:—
"Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many."
These, it is sometimes claimed, were part of the first resurrection, the saints referred to in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 coming next, afterwards the tribulation saints. A simple interpretation of the words:—
"This is the first resurrection, blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection," would have saved us from these problems. It has even been said that the verb "is" does not occur in Revelation 20:5, and therefore the word "completes" might be inserted instead. It is perfectly true that, according to very frequent Scripture usage, the verb to be is not written but implied, but the idea that any latitude is allowed for us to supply one word or another according to our theories does not appeal to those who believe in verbal inspiration. In more than sixty instances in the Apocalypse alone the verbs "were," "are," "be," and "is," are implied, and in none of them would the word "completes" possibly fit. In this case it is clear that only one word could be intended, viz., the word (is). A similar instance occurs in the next chapter (21:23) "The lamp thereof (is) the Lamb," and in Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday, today and forever." When, in this book, the thought of completion or its equivalent is intended, it is always written and never simply implied (e.g. "I have found no works of thine fulfilled before my God" (3:2). "Then is finished the mystery of God" (10:7). "When they shall have finished their testimony" (11:7)).
It has been said that "we must not assume without Scripture warrant, that these in Matthew 27 returned immediately to the grave, they may have ascended when their Lord ascended." But though details are repeatedly given in Scripture of the ascension of our Lord, never do we get a hint of any others in bodily form going up with Him. These were visible to those to whom they appeared in Jerusalem and would have been visible had they ascended with Christ. Such a fact—if it were a fact—would not have been passed over in silence by all the New Testament writers. In fact, Peter distinctly says of David that he had not ascended into the heavens. While here on earth our Lord raised people from the dead, of whom the daughter of Jairus, the widow’s son, and Lazarus are examples. In Acts, through His Name, Dorcas was raised and restored to her friends for a further term on earth. Why should any different thought be maintained concerning these others who come between? Lazarus was raised and restored to his sisters only a short time before the death of Christ, yet no one suggests that he ascended when our Lord ascended ten days before Pentecost. His sister’s words still remain true, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." The very way in which the resurrection of the bodies of these saints in Matthew 27 is spoken of in connection with "the earthquake, the rending of rocks and of the veil of the temple," shows it to be one of the series of signs and wonders connected with the greatest event that history could record, viz., the death and resurrection of our Creator Redeemer. In writing to Timothy, Paul, after exhorting him to "give diligence to present himself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the Word of Truth," and telling him to warn the saints not to strive about words to no profit, utters some severe words concerning two men, Hymenæus and Philetus. These men’s words are said to "eat like a gangrene," are described as "profane babblings," and to "Overthrow the Faith of Some." And what is their error? Here are Paul’s words: " Saying that the (or a) resurrection is past already" (2 Tim. 2:18,R.V.). From these words it is certain that Paul did not understand Matthew 27:52-53, as describing a resurrection except in the sense that Lazarus and Dorcas were raised as special signs of Christ’s divine mission and of His power over death, and afterwards returned to the grave and saw corruption.
Son of man. Son of God: Is Christ Divided? A popular distinction is voiced in the words of J. Charleton Steen, in The Witness, February, 1921. He says:—
"Matthew 24:30 brings us to the second advent, His coming to Mount Olivet. . . . This coming has nothing whatever to do with His coming for His church (1 Thess. 4), but it is His coming with His church in manifested glory (1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:10; Col. 3:4; Matt. 24:36-44.). Note, it is the coming of the Son of man. This title is never found in the church epistles. Some one has said, the church has no more to do with Him as Son of man than the Syrophenician woman had to do with Him as Son of David." The best reply to this statement is in the Lord’s own words: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you" (John 6:53), and again: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth may in Him have eternal life" (John 3:14-15 R. V.). To have nothing to do with Him as Son of man is to be eternally lost. As to the usage of the term in the New Testament it is worthy of note that never in the gospel do we read of the apostles calling Him Son of man, so that nothing would be gained if it could be proved that they did not so speak of Him in the epistles. The evangelists record His words in which He continually called Himself Son of man, but Himself testifies of the apostles, "Ye call Me Master and Lord, and ye say well." In sovereign grace He used the term (which by its distinct reference to Dan. 7:13 implied His Messiahship), because, for our salvation, He became in fashion as a man, humbling Himself still further and becoming obedient unto the death of the Cross. In one of the church epistles, written to those who are "Holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling," we read, "What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of man that thou visitest him," and these words quoted from the Psalms seemingly refer to Him, who became a little lower than the angels because of the suffering of death, and is now crowned with glory and honour (Heb. 2). In Acts 7 the Christian martyr Stephen used the words when he testified "I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." In Revelation 1:13 the apostle John says he saw amidst the seven golden candlesticks "One like unto the Son of man," and it was He who addressed the letters to the seven churches.
These are church epistles surely in which are promises of His coming.
Noah and Enoch.
Much valuable help may be afforded us by a proper use of Scripture types, when once a true foundation of doctrine has been laid in the right understanding of the plain statements of the Word of God, provided that such types are always interpreted so as to agree with, and never to differ from, such plain statements. The suggestion that Noah typifies the Jewish remnant going through the tribulation and Enoch of the church being translated some years previously, conflicts with the Scripture use of types, as well as with plain statements of the Word. Peter uses Noah’s deliverance through the flood as typical of the believers’ salvation through the death and resurrection of our Lord; baptism being, he says, a "like figure" (lit. antitupon, i.e. a corresponding type), a type teaching the same truth. Noah was not a Jew. Why, then, should he be the type of a Jewish remnant? As typical of the believer "in Christ" he was untouched by the flood, because the ark bore all the storm. This could not be said of the remnant of Israel that is to be brought through the time of Jacob’s trouble and converted at the coming of Christ. Again, the flood was an overwhelming judgment, likened in the New Testament to the overwhelming wrath that will descend on Christ’s foes at His coming, and not to any period of tribulation that may precede it. The flood came and destroyed them all (Luke 17). There is immense contrast instead of likeness between the latter day Jewish remnant persecuted by the tyrant Antichrist and Noah safe inside the ark with the ungodly world silent beneath the flood.
Enoch, who was translated 669 years before the flood, is mentioned once in Hebrews 11 in reference to his "walk with God" and his translation without seeing death, and by Jude in reference to his prophecy of Christ’s coming with His holy myriads to execute judgment, but nowhere in reference to any suggestion of a secret coming. The New Testament uses Moses and Elijah, Noah and Lot, as typical in reference to the Lord’s coming.
Moses typifies those who sleep in (or through) Jesus, for the Lord buried him. Elijah typifies those who remain till He comes. Both of these appeared with Christ in glory on the mount of transfiguration, a representation, indeed, of "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:16).
Noah illustrates those who are watching and ready for the coming, while Lot is like children of God who are so mixed with the world’s affairs that their eyes are blinded to prophetic truth; for he did not know till the very night that the overthrow was imminent, and he lost everything. Saved though as by fire.
A Question Answered. The following objection has been received:—"Revelation 19 shows holy ones, Christians, coming with Christ out of heaven to execute judgment on the beast and the False Prophet. Therefore, the heavenly company is distinct from those who suffer under the Beast and will be saved at Christ’s coming. The Church cannot come out of heaven to take part in the judgment of the Beast and at the same time be its victims on earth."
Answer. As in Daniel 7:11 we see the beast slain, while later in verse 13 Messiah is brought before the Ancient of Days and invested with the authority which results in the beast being destroyed, even so it is here. The One upon the white horse is seen in Revelation 19:13 with garments already dipped in blood (the blood of His foes) before the conflict is described in verses 17-21. All the saints will be caught up to meet the Lord when He comes to destroy Antichrist; hence they may suffer under him until the Lord appears, and at that moment be changed and translated to join the Lord’s host as He, with all His angels, come forth.