The psalmist says, "What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death ? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave ? " (Ps. 89:48). That every man must die was the common belief in that day as in this. That such is not the case is, however, an absolute certainty on the authority of the word of God. There had been no revelation to the contrary in the psalmist's day; therefore we can easily understand his queries as quoted above. There has now been a revelation on the subject vouchsafed to us in the written Word, so that what was a mystery has been explained and made clear to us; yet, alas, most Christians are in utter ignorance of it still, though possessors of Bibles which make it known. Let us see if we can gather up a few thoughts as to this most important subject.
The apostle says:" Behold, I show 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," etc. (i Cor. 15:51-58). We shall note seven things connected with this explained mystery. May they carry blessing to both writer and reader of these lines.
(1) We have the certainty of it set forth in the words "shall" and "must." We shall all be changed. The trumpet shall sound. The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. This corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. How very wonderful! "We shall not all sleep." Sleep here is used for death. The Lord said to His disciples, " Lazarus sleepeth;" and they thought He meant taking of rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead" (John 11:14). Now, Scripture says "we shall not all sleep," or die ; so that the common thought is an erroneous one. Current teaching says "we must all die;" Scripture says No; "we shall not all die." There was one man in the past who did not die-Enoch. And it is very remarkable that he lived before the flood, and walked with God in the midst of that state of things which called for the flood, yet God took him away without seeing death, before the flood came.
Well, then, if one man could go to heaven without dying, other men can do the same; and that is exactly what Scripture says will be the case. Instead of dying, those who are Christ's will be changed at His coming, and, with the dead in Christ who are raised at the same time, they will all be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so be ever with the Lord.(See i Thess. 4:16, 18).It is an absolute certainty; the Lord has said it. He told it to Paul in order that he should tell it to us. The mystery has been explained and communicated, and that settles it. Men may cavil, or sneer, or refuse to accept it; but it matters not if the thing is a certainty, and any moment the Lord's people may be '' caught up."Well may the apostle, in writing to Titus, call it "that blessed hope" (Titus 2:13).
(2) The extent of it. Whom does it embrace ? It embraces those that are Christ's-all of them-the living and the dead-all the saints from Abel, down the stream of time, till the event takes place-all of them; not one left; not one missing; not one refused. "They that are Christ's, at His coming" (ver. 23). The first fruits-Christ-has been gathered; afterward the whole crop in the field, and not a grain left or lost, "at His coming."
Beware of the unscriptural idea that only those who are looking for Him will be taken, and the rest left to go through the tribulation-a most Christ-dishonoring doctrine! The dead in Christ are to rise first. Now multitudes of them never knew anything about the Lord's coming; yet they had Bibles and privileges as we have. Are they, then, to be left in their graves till after the tribulation ? Or, by what process of reasoning is a difference to be made between them and saints living now, yet in the same condition as they before they died ? Are all the dead in Christ to rise first ? Most assuredly. Then all the living must just as assuredly be changed when the Lord comes for His own. As I have noted, the first fruits have been gathered. Then the whole crop in the field is gathered at His coming, and not a grain left or lost.
(3) The suddenness of it. " In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." How marvelous! The world will be going on; not jogging on, but rushing on at lightning speed, faster than ever, with less time than ever to devote to their souls' interests, business and pleasure demanding every moment, when they will be startled for the moment, in their insensate rush to eternity, by the announcement in large capitals in the newspapers :'' Remarkable Disappearance of a number of religious people!" or some such heading, and the 'admission that it has not yet been accounted for. There will be, alas, many homes where there will not be found one saint to be reckoned as missing, and so the newspapers will be the medium to give them the information.
On the other hand, there will be many homes where one or more will be taken and others left. Awful word-left! No hope for them afterward, the door of salvation closed forever for them, and only a question of time when their Christless indifference will give place to awful and hopeless remorse.
" In a moment." No warning note sounded; no bugle-call to prepare-"in a moment." The saints are already prepared. They are washed in the blood of Christ. They are meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. They are all ready, and waiting for the shout. Then, suddenly, what they have waited for so long will take place-the last trump will sound, and " in the twinkling of an eye " they will be gone.
(4) The time of it. At the last trump. This is not to be understood as the last trump that will ever sound, or at the last day, as it is termed. It is supposed to be a Roman figure. Paul often uses them in his writings. Saints in those days were familiar with them. It is said there were three trumpet-calls in the Roman army. First, was to strike tents; and the men took down their tents. Second, was to fall in; and they fell into their ranks, ready to march. The third was called "the last trump," and was- March!
It is really a very beautiful figure. The Lord's people are supposed to be all ready, and just waiting for the last trump; and the moment it sounds, they march. March, did I say ? Ah no! No marching -no flying, even – but "caught up!" The same mighty power that saved and kept us will "change these bodies of humiliation, and fashion them like unto His body of glory" (Phil. 3:21), and catch us up and away from this scene to be forever with the Lord.
(5) The result of it. Death is swallowed up in victory. What a result! Death has claimed its millions since sin began its reign, and only two that we know of ever escaped it-Enoch and Elijah. But, blessed be God, the Son of His love came into the scene, and robbed death of its sting. He lay in the arms of death, but He is risen. His victory is so complete that when the time comes He will swallow up mortality in life. Death will be robbed of its prey and swallowed up in victory. Millions will be changed and not die. Blessed be God for such a victory, and certain to be accomplished.
(6) The triumph because of it. Well may the saints sing, " O death, where is thy sting ?O grave, where is thy victory ? "It is the shout of triumph. Listen, and let death and the grave make answer. Death says, I have no sting; I buried it in the heart of the Son of God when He died upon the cross. The grave says, I have no victory. I thought I had, but the Son of God broke my fetters and snapped all my bonds, and rose again from among the dead and robbed me of my victory. "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is law," which forbids it, but only aggravates it b)' acting on a corrupt nature which is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can be (Rom. 8:7); but the question both of sin and law has been forever settled at the cross of Christ, and the believer forever freed from their dominion.
(7) The present and final victory on account of it. "Thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"-a present victory over sin and law through association with Christ in His death and resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost; and by and by the final victory over death itself at the coming of the Lord, when death is swallowed up in victory. What a blessed hope! What wonderful blessings! What grace to make them all known to us! "Hallelujah, what a Saviour!" May He Himself so command the affections of our hearts that we shall be ever on the alert, and breathing out continually,
"Come, Lord, come. We wait for Thee.
We listen still for Thy returning.
Thy loveliness we long to see;
For Thee the lamp of hope is burning.
Come, Lord, come."
W. E.
New Zealand