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w o u ld n o t h av e you to b e ig n o ra n t) concern ing th em which a re asleep th a t y e so rrow n o t ev en as o th ers which h av e no h o p e .” H e re is a g re a t w o rd , th e w o rd *H o p e , co n n e c ted w ith this th ird m ystery. It is a hope, once to ld ou t it con stitu tes th e b lessed h o p e of th e church, b u t go on. “F o r if w e believe th a t Jesus d ied an d ro se again, even so also th em which sleep in Jesu s w ill G o d b rin g w ith H im . F o r this w e say u n to you b y th e W o rd o f th e L o rd (th a t is a P au line p h ra se fo r im p o r ta n t an d special re v e la tio n ) th a t w e w hich a re alive a n d rem ain u n to th e com ing of th e L o rd shall n o t go b e fo re th em th a t a re asleep, fo r th e L o rd H im self shall d esc en d from h e av en w ith a shout, w ith th e voice o f th e a rch ang e l a n d w ith th e trum p o f G od , a n d th e d e a d in C hrist shall rise first (n o t a g en eral re su rre c tion ) th e d e a d in C hrist (N ow I am often ask ed if I b e liev e th a t th e sleeping saints o f p a st d isp en sation s will rise th en . F o r m yself I an sw er ve ry confidently, I d o believe it, fo r th ey are all one in Christ. “A b ra h am ,” said Christ, “ saw My d a y an d was g la d .” T h a t is n o t to say th a t I b e lieve A b ra h am is in th e C hu rch ; it is a v e ry d iffe ren t p ro p o sitio n .) shall rise first— “T h e n w e which a re alive a n d rem ain shall b e caugh t up to g e th e r w ith th em in th e cloud s (o r in c loud s) to m e e t th e L o rd in th e a ir.” T h e L o rd do e s n o t com e to th e ea rth . T h e re is a c e rta in m a g a zine in this co u n try which seem s to exist fo r th e sake of charg ing tho se w ho h o ld this h o p e w ith believing in “ th e secret ra p tu re o f th e sain ts.” I n ev e r knew an y one w ho be liev ed in th e secret ra p tu re o f th e saints. S uppo se th e L o rd cam e in th e air now , a n d th a t th e shou t a n d th e vo ice of th e archangel, a n d th e trum p o f G o d raised th e sleeping saints an d ch ang ed us w ho a re liv ing, w o u ld it b e a se c re t th in g in
y e m ay b e also .” In F irst T hessa- lon ian s 4, th e Sp irit of G od , b y th e sam e A po stle , fo r it is P au l’s c a ll ing, a n d to P au l is en tru sted th e ex p la n a tio n o r th e rev e la tio n ra th e r, of th e g re a t New T e stam e n t m ysteries, h e tak e s up th e d e ta il o f it. T h a t is th e w ay tru th com es in Scrip tu re— first th e b la d e , th en th e ear, a fte r th a t th e full co rn in th e e a r; an d th e tru e w ay to stu d y a n y p a rticu la r su b je c t in th e B ible is to find ou t th e p lace w h ere it first em erges in th e re co rd a n d follow it th ro u g h as re v e la tio n a fte r rev e la tio n is given, to d e tail an d am p lify th e tru th . T a k e fo r in stance th e line o f prom ise co n c e rn ing th e com ing of a D ivine m an , th e G od -M an . Yovl know y o u h a d to beg in aw ay b a c k in Genesis. T h e seed of th e w om an shall bru ise th e se rp en t’s h e a d .” A v e ry general prom ise. Y ou know how th a t is tak en up a n d a line of iden tification an d am plification follows. W e com e to th e A b rah am ic co v en an t— th en it is n a rrow ed dow n, “ In th e e a n d th y seed shall all th e n a tion s o f th e e a rth b e b le ssed .” T h e n Ishm ael is ex clu d ed a n d Isaac is p o in te d out. F in a lly it com es d ow n in th e line to K ing D av id . A ll tru th is like th a t. W e shall n o t all sleep, b u t w e shall all b e ch ang ed has its beg inn ing in th e fo u rte en th o f Jo h n . In th e fou rth c h a p te r of F irst T h essalon ian s th e rev e la tio n is m a d e as to its fo rm com plete. I w ou ld b eg in w ith th e th irte e n th verse, “ I w o u ld n o t h av e you to b e igno ran t, b re th re n (th e re a re seven in stances o f th a t p h ra se in th e w ritings o f Paul. Tw ice th e fo rm is, “ I w ou ld h av e you to kn ow .” If you will find th ese places you will see th a t th ey concern p re cisely th e sub jects on which th e C hu rch o f G o d is th e least en ligh t ened. W e n e ed an en ligh tenm en t — it w ou ld b e a g o o d th ing in a c o n ference som e tim e to tak e up these things in tro d u c ed b y th e ph rase, “ I
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