3: The Ascension Of The Church Militant an Aspect Of The Rapture

Chapter 3: The Ascension Of The Church Militant an Aspect Of The Rapture In an article under the above title which appeared in The Advent Witness, November, 1931, from the pen of Mr. H. Campbell, the writer says:—

"The Ascension of the Church …"

"The title of our paper strikes a military note. We propose to show it is an appropriate aspect arising out of the Scriptures which present to us this great hope of ours, and no mere imaginary method of treatment on our part. It arises clearly enough when we pay due attention to the very special words used by St. Paul [emphasis mine], under the direction of the Holy Spirit, when describing the character of the great transit of the soldiers of Christ from the fight down here below to the victory up above in heaven. The Rapture of the saints is like a grand military movement. We take three of the main pronouncements on this subject."

The writer then reviews certain Greek and English words in 1 Corinthians 15:23, 52, 53, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. His concluding words contain the following:—

"So our little tale of words is done. We behold do we not, the junction of two grand armies: the dead in Christ—whom God shall bring with Him; and those who are alive and remain at His Coming. What a stirring spectacle! What an amazing sky! Look up at it with the eye of faith. See! There are the troops moving up, ever up, faster and faster, further and further, each in their own order and glorious formation. The innumerable companies are there led on by the high Michael—the Hosts of Heaven. Over all, the loud unending and unmistakable signal to march ringing out. Hark, can we hear it coming near? All is swiftness—the essence of military success. See! They are gone, gone, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye": in the clouds, the far-off clouds, the marvelous clouds. Not in the pale clouds of our poor sky, but in the trailing clouds of glory—the Shekinah clouds of God where the wings of the Cherubim beat. Gone—to the inheritance of the saints in Light. And then? What then, down here, on this darkening earth? This Christless world? ... Think of what this world will be like when all the true Christians, the salt of the earth, are gone. Evil predominant everywhere!"

These two passages will sufficiently illustrate the method and purpose of the article. It is certainly and gloriously true that 1 Thessalonians 4 describes a grand array of Heaven’s Hosts together with the redeemed, glorified ones; but that our Glorious Lord comes with all His Hosts to take all His redeemed myriads swiftly away from the scene of battle, leaving the enemy in sole possession, is a grievous error. This will never be the result of our Lord’s coming for which we most ardently look. But there is no misunderstanding the brother’s teaching, for his last paragraph just quoted, in which he appeals to the unsaved, contains the awful words: "This Christless world. . . . evil predominate everywhere." Note that word "predominant."—"Evil predominant everywhere"!!!
The Shout of Battle.

Reviewing the words "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout" (1 Thess. 4:16), the writer cites certain authorities to prove that it is a battle shout. He says:—

    "Luther uses for this ‘shout’ the German for ‘war-cry.’"

    "Vulgate: ‘shout of command . . . which a general used.’"

    "Lange: ‘Christ is thereby described as a victorious captain whose order summons to battle for the destruction of His enemies.’"

    "Darby: ‘The shout is a military term.’"

    "Conybeare and Howson translate: ‘with a shout of war.’"

    "Barnes sees in the phrase ‘A great military rush.’"

Had our friend kept closer to his own authorities on this subject he would have done well, "for the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout"—"a war-cry" (Luther)—"a shout of war" (Conybeare and Howson). With the description of Lange we concur with the utmost gratitude to God, and hold it to be blessedly true that "Christ is thereby described as a victorious Captain, whose orders summon to battle for the destruction of His enemies," and we truly see with Barnes that it is "a great military rush." But strange to say, Mr. Campbell seems to see in it a great rush away from the scene of battle—a rush off the field instead of to it. Is it thought that our Lord will "shout for the battle, and instead of fighting it, rush His soldiers off the field leaving evil predominate everywhere? Why a battle shout and no battle? Will Antichrist wear out the saints of the Most High after the Lord Himself has shouted His war-cry? Most assuredly not!

"With a Shout" or "In a Shout "—Which?

Speaking of the words "with a shout" he repeats the well-known fallacy that they should be properly translated "in a shout." Shall we then discard our Authorized and Revised Version rendering and read it "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven in a shout" (1 Thess. 4).

The authorities he has quoted have not made such a mistake. They describe it as "a shout of command which a General used." Conybeare and Howson translate it "with a shout of war." Would the writer likewise alter the translation of the words: "And He shall rule them with a rod of iron"? (Rev. 19:15; cp. 12:5). "What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod?" (1 Cor. 4:21). "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth" (Rev. 2:16). In hundreds of instances in the New Testament the little Greek word en has an instrumental meaning and must be translated "by" or "with" as in the A.V. and R.V.

"The Last Trump "—Is it Really the Last?

Like many more expositors he stumbles over the words, "last trump," in 1 Corinthians 15:52. Like other writers he declares (without taking time to explain why) that "this ‘last trumpet’ has nothing to do with the trumpets of the Apocalypse." He says: "We cannot go into that question here. Suffice it to say that it means more ‘last sounding trumpet,’ rather than ‘trumpet sounding in the last days,’ as if there were no trump after it."

We, however, refuse to treat Holy Scripture so! For us, these suggestions do not "suffice." We believe this "last trumpet" is the last trumpet in the only series of prophetic trumpets in the New Testament, namely, the seven foretold in the book of Revelation. It is when the seventh trumpet sounds that the Lord and His Christ take the sovereignty of earth’s kingdoms for ever and ever. It is then that the angry nations are met by the wrath of the Almighty. The heavenly voices declare that to be the time for the dead to be judged (which must involve their resurrection) and "that Thou shouldst give reward." This must involve the judgment seat of Christ and agrees with our Lord’s own statements as to when He will reward His saints, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works" (Matt. 16:27). Revelation 11:18 gives a most comprehensive list of those who shall then be rewarded, viz., "unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints and them that fear Thy Name, small and great." Most believers in the two-stage theory, place the resurrection and rewarding of all the Old and New Testament saints at the time of the Lord’s coming as foretold in 1 Thessalonians 4, and 1 Corinthians 15. But here Christ and His heavenly witnesses place it at the seventh trump, which proves in itself that the alleged two events are only one, and that the "last trumpet" of 1 Corinthians 15 is the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15. These Scriptures are complementary, for while 1 Corinthians 15 says "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"; Revelation chapters 8-11 tell us of the only series of Prophetic trumpets; and show that it is then that the resurrection and rewarding of the Old and New Testament saints take place. While 1 Thessalonians 4 describes our Lord as descending from heaven with a shout—"a war-cry"—"a shout of command"—

"The victorious Captain whose orders summon to battle for the destruction of His enemies,"—Revelation 11 tells us of the wrath of the Almighty falling upon the angry nations, thus showing us with whom our Lord will battle when He "descends from heaven with a Shout." Our brother does not tell us, as many do, that none of the Lord’s enemies will hear that "Shout." He has acknowledged unhesitatingly the great truth that this is a battle scene and the shout is a "war-cry."

For about twenty years I believed in the two-stage theory (because I had never seen the other taught), although I felt difficulties in calling two distinct and different comings, with years apart, only one coming. Surely godly men must see that they are up against great difficulties when their theory compels them to controvert the true and simple meaning of such words as "Last trumpet," " First resurrection," "End of the age"; and when they have to contend that two second comings are one second coming. If these plain words could thus be "wrested" from their ordinary everyday meaning, one would feel it a hopeless task to be sure of anything.

Mr. Campbell also repeats the mistake that appeared in a tract by Dr. F. E. Marsh entitled, "At Any Moment." Dr. Marsh therein says: "As there are two trumpets (Num. 10) in connection with Israel, one to gather the people unto Moses and to God, and the other when they gathered to war against their enemies; so there are two trumpets, one to gather all the Lord’s own to Himself (1 Thess. 4:13-18), and the other when Christ comes with His saints to inaugurate His kingdom of righteousness and to put down His foes."

Supposing this were true, which of these two trumpets would be the last, the first or the second? Mr. Campbell says, "In Israel two trumpets were used; one summoned the assembly; the last of the two was for the journeying of the camp—the order to march."

Now, as a matter of fact, Numbers 10 says not a word about one trumpet succeeding the other. Why then attempt to read the idea of First and Last into it? God told Moses that two trumpets of silver were to be made; and one blown to assemble the Princes to Moses, whereas the Two Blown Together summoned all the people. It was not a matter of succession at all but simply whether one was to be used or the two together. Our brother has told us (we believe truly) that this "trump" means a "war trumpet," but note the express words of Numbers 10:7: "But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm."

If the trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 and Matthew 24:31 (same word) is "a war-trumpet" and the "shout" is a "war-cry" (as our friend has truly sought to prove), and as an alarm was not to be sounded simply to gather the people to Moses and to God, it follows that this "alarm" in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 must be connected, not with simply gathering the people unto God, but with gathering them for war. Paul says the bodies of all the saints will be changed "in a moment [not any moment], in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound,..." Many attempts have been made to prove that this last trump is not the last trump spoken of in the only series of Prophetic trumpets in Holy Scripture, but, whether it be explained away as the Roman or Greek army trumpet, or the silver or ram’s horn trumpet, it still remains that if this last trumpet is not the last trumpet, but seven are to sound after it, then it follows that there are two last trumpets, or that the trumpet here spoken of by the inspired Apostle as the Last, is not the last. Be it also noted that the apostle nowhere says that the saints will be translated "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." It is the change that is said to take place, and that change will not be at any moment, but "in a moment.. . at the last trump." In one given, specific moment when the last trumpet sounds "the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed." The translation of all the redeemed will follow the change of the living and the resurrection of the dead in Christ.

"To Meet the Lord"
With regard to the word "meet" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Mr. Campbell truly says: "The word here used for ‘meet’ is a prechristian one of the ‘koinee’ or common Greek. It implied the welcoming of a great personage on his arrival. ... It is the same word which is used of the Wise Virgins who went out to ‘meet’ the Bridegroom."

This word is used three times in the New Testament and in each instance the thought is the same. In Matthew 25:6, it is when at midnight the cry goes forth "Behold the Bridegroom cometh" that this word for meet is used. It is not used in verse 1 where they went out to meet him, but while he tarried they all slumbered and slept. It is the word used only when the midnight cry goes forth, Behold! and the Bridegroom was actually on his journey—so much so that only those who were then ready could go in with him to the marriage. The wise virgins alone met him so as to conclude His journey with Him (*In the Textus receptus the words in both verses 1 and 6 are: "Eis apantesin"; but in Tregelles’ Greek text the difference is shown: verse 1: Eis hupantesin; verse 6: Eis apantesin). Likewise in Acts 28 the word is used in a simple historical manner, viz., when the brethren living in Rome heard that the apostle Paul was coming to Rome, they went out as far as the Market of Appius to meet him (apantesin) in order to conclude His journey to Rome with him. So—and in no other way—when our Lord is coming with all the Hosts of heaven, the dead and living saints (in glorified bodies) will be caught up together to meet Him (apantesin).

"We shall Meet Him on His Way."
In Matthew 25 the Bridegroom is not represented as coming for the purpose of meeting the virgins, but the reverse! In Acts 28 it was not Paul journeying to meet the brethren of Rome in order to return with them to Jerusalem from which he set out, but the reverse. It was they who went to meet him so as to conclude his journey with him into Rome, the place of his destination. Likewise in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, it is not the Lord coming to meet His church that is emphasized, but the reverse.

Be it noted that the well-known expression about our Lord’s coming to the air is nowhere to be found in Holy Scripture. Nowhere does this or any other Scripture speak as if the air would be the terminus of Christ’s journey on this occasion; but in the same way that the five wise virgins went to meet the bridegroom when the midnight cry arose and conducted him on his way; in the same way that the brethren in Rome went to meet Paul in order to accompany him on the rest of his journey into Rome;—even so shall we be caught up . . . to meet the Lord in the air. For Him to be Coming to the Air would be one thing, but for His redeemed to be "caught up . . . to meet Him in the air" (as Scripture says they will) is quite another. Well did Miss Frances Ridley Havergal put this thought in her well-known hymn:

"Thou art coming: Thou art coming:

We shall meet Thee on Thy way."
The divine emphasis is not on Him coming to meet us, but we being caught up to meet Him. Christ is the center of all the glory in that day.

"Parousia" Not a Special Pauline Word.
The two words "parousia and apousia" occur in that well-known verse in Philippians 2:12: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence." Its literal translation is "presence."

The idea that "parousia" (and the other Greek words mentioned in his paper) are "the very special words used by St. Paul" to describe this event in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 is disproved by the fact that it is used four times in Matthew 24 of the coming of the Lord which such brethren distinguish (and want us to distinguish) from the coming which Paul taught the church to expect.

"Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming (parousia), and of the end of the age?" (Matt. 24:3).

"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall the coming (parousia) of the Son of man be" (Matt. 24:27).

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming (parousia) of the Son of man be" (Matt. 24:37).

"And they knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall be the coming (parousia) of the Son of man" (Matt. 24:39).

These all (cited from the Lord’s Olivet prophecy) refer admittedly to Christ’s coming in power and glory with His church and show our Lord’s use of the word.

"Christ the Firstfruits; afterwards they that are Christ’s at His coming" (parousia) (1 Cor. 15:23).

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming (parousia) of the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:15).

These illustrate Paul’s use of the word.

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming (parousia) of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient: establish your hearts: for the coming (parousia) of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:7-8).

These show how the Apostle James used the word. And note how he emphasizes "patience": waiting for a harvest which must involve waiting for the seasons with early and latter rain, etc.

"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty . . ." (2 Pet. 1:16). "Where is the promise of His coming" (parousia)? (ch. 3:4). "Looking for and hasting unto the coming (parousia) of the day of God . . ." (ch. 3:12).

These illustrate the apostle Peter’s use of this word. "And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (parousia) (1 John 2:28).

This illustrates the apostle John’s use of the word. And these citations from the words of the Lord, and Paul, Peter, James, and John, disprove the idea of it being a very special word used by Paul. The same can be said of the "trumpet" (cp. Matt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:52, and 1 Thess. 4:16), where the same word is used by Christ and Paul. The same also can be said of "musterion" (cp. Matt. 13).
A Day of Glory and Victory.
With all that is said in our brother’s article about this scene being one of majesty we heartily agree. Truly no passage of Holy Scripture more vividly describes our Lord as coming in manifested glory than 1 Thessalonians 4. We fully agree that He is seen Coming as "The Lord of Hosts." Indeed in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 to chapter 5:11 (which is all one context and runs on without a break) He is spoken of as Lord seven times. It is the Day of the Lord—"the Lord Himself." Christ is Lord—the Day of Christ is therefore The Day of the Lord. After reading all that our brother has said about the "shout of command"—"the war-cry"—and the affirmation that "Christ is therefore described as a Victorious Captain whose order summons to Battle for the destruction of His enemies," it will surely be impossible for any God-fearing man to repeat the assertion that "of course no one will hear that shout except the Lord’s people," for it would be rather strange for the LORD to come with all heaven’s hosts ("the Holy Myriads") and utter that "war-cry"—"that shout of command" and for all His foes to be quite unconscious of it. Truly we are thankful that our brother has not followed the example (in this article) of those who would degrade this scene of glory into a secret removal of the bride.

Our Lord is coming again once, and that in manifested glory, and it is when He so comes forth, that we shall be caught up to meet Him in the air. We shall thus, in glorified bodies, be with our Lord when He rescues the spared remnant of Israel, destroys Antichrist and his armies, and sets up His glorious kingdom. With our brother’s ardent longing for that glorious day, I am absolutely one, as also in his earnest desire to warn souls to flee from the wrath to come, but I earnestly pray that he and others may be led to see (even as God has led me) that the result of that day, foretold in 1 Thessalonians 4:16&17, will not be to leave this world "Christless". . .with "Evil Predominate Everywhere" for a period of years, but to fill it with Christ’s millennial glory. Christ Predominate Everywhere.