of dying before the coming of the Lord. In verse 16 we read, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” This gives us the literal bodily return of Christ. The word “himself” is in the emphatic posi tion in the sentence. This means that no one else but the Lord Him self will usher in this great event. The two witnesses said, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” When a believer dies he goes to be with Christ; Christ does not come to him. The Lord who re turns is the same Jesus who died and rose again. It was Christ’s body, not a spirit, which was buried in Jo seph’s tomb. It was a body that was received up into heaven. It is the same body that shall descend from heaven. The phrase, “the dead in Christ,” is synonymous with “them also which sleep in Jesus.” Now observe closely the reference is not to all the dead but only to the resurrection of the dead in Christ or to believers only. A point to be made is that there is no reference to the resurrec tion of the unsaved. They shall be raised but not at the resurrection of the saved; not at the Rapture. Jesus said, in 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 fo rth ; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” Here two distinct resurrections are men tioned. Before the Rapture some will come forth to the resurrection of life. After the Tribulation some will come forth unto the resurrection of damnation. Those who teach one general resurrection are in error. Every individual whoever lived will be raised physically, saved or not saved. 17
Miss Helen While, who has worked in various departments of Biola since the twenties, was recently honored at a special staff luncheon upon her retirement. With her are Mr, James Bramer, Controller, and Mr. James Canning. We thank the Lord for the faithfulness of those whom He has sent to be a part of the Biota family.
scenes. It is more likely that this truth concerning the Rapture and the resurrection was given to Paul by direct revelation. This shows the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit revealed these im portant things to him. This particular revelation cleared up a number of matters. Among them was the one being that, “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep” (verse 15). It might seem that living ones at the time of the Rapture would have a “head start” on those who were in their graves. They would have six feet more to travel. The living, however, shall not prevent (which means “precede” or “go before”) those who have died. Contrariwise those who have been laid away in their graves will have the precious privilege of going on ahead. It seems more than a mere possibility that Paul was looking for the Rapture during his own lifetime. He be lieved that it was eminent and that it could take place at any moment. Still he refused to commit himself to date-setting. The same should be true with us today. We dare not overlook the fact that Paul spoke freely of the alternative possibility
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