THIS QUESTION would never be asked if God's beloved saints understood the
Mystery of the Gospel and its companion truth, the Secret of the Resurrection. Very
briefly, therefore, we will consider God's attitude toward the world in this
administration, and His gracious dealings with His saints, as well as the special secret
connected with our resurrection at His coming. Apart from this we will be sure to confuse
the truth of this economy with that of the next. We will fail to correctly partition
between this day of salvation and the coming one of God's indignation. We will be misled
by the Bible itself, thinking we have its support, when, in reality, we are applying to
ourselves what belongs to others. There is no more insidious error for earnest Bible
students than the misplacing of His words.
Paul is the apostle for the nations. He was entrusted with the
evangel of the Uncircumcision, as Peter of the Circumcision. Luther's translation of this
passage (Gal.2:7) is far from expressing the real truth. Paul was not merely sent to the
Uncircumcision with the same evangel as Peter, but he had an evangel of the Uncircumcision
which differed in its scope, its contents, and its expectation, from that of the
Circumcision. This was unknown to Luther, as his translation shows. The Greek is the
genitive, not the dative. It speaks of character, not location. Luther recovered somewhat
of the truth of justification, as outlined in the first four chapters of Romans and in
Galatians, but he never really entered into the fifth chapter or recovered the great truth
for today, the conciliation.
PERCEIVING THE CONCILIATION
Conciliation and
Reconciliation |
What is the conciliation? It is a startling commentary on the apostasy of Christendom
that few languages even have a word which clearly expresses the peculiar grace of God
which is ours today. The Greek words katallasso or katallagˆ are
seldom distinguished from apokatallasso. Luther makes no distinction. I feel
justified in saying that no point in the theology of the evangel is so tremendously
important, yet no item is so little known. No two words will enrich any language as much
as the pair which will clearly reveal the meanings of these two Greek words, and
definitely define their difference.
Protracted and exhaustive investigation has shown that the
shorter word connotes conciliation, a one-sided amity, the longer
denotes reconciliation, the restoration of friendship on both sides of an estrangement.
This latter is found only in Ephesians 2:16 and Colossians 1:20,21. It is mutual. Both
sides are at peace. This is not true of conciliation. This sets forth God's side. God, in
Christ, conciliated the world to Himself (2 Cor.5:19). The casting away of Israel was the
conciliation of the world (Rom.11:15). We should pray the offender, "Be conciliated
to God!" (2 Cor.5:20). When we believe we obtain the conciliation (Rom.5:11).
This is that secret evangel (i.e., secret aspect of Paul's
evangel), long hushed in times eonian, yet now manifested and made known to all nations
for the obedience of faith (Rom.16:25,26). You will search in vain for this evangel in the
Hebrew Scriptures, in the accounts of our Lord's life, in Acts, in Hebrews, James, Peter,
John, and Jude, and it is utterly foreign to the book of Revelation.
The keynote of this evangel is peace (Rom.5:1). When we were still
sinners, Christ died for our sakes. Much rather, then, being now justified in His
blood, we shall be saved from indignation through Him. May this truth sink into
our hearts! Under no circumstances can we come under the divine indignation. If, being
enemies, we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son, much rather, being
conciliated, we shall be saved in His life (Rom.5:8-10). The blood of Christ shed for
sinners gives justification and salvation from His indignation. The death of God's Son for
His enemies gives salvation in His life. Christ brings us into court and vindicates us.
God's Son opens the door of His affections and reconciles us.
All enmity between us and God is gone. Even the estrangement
between us and those of the Circumcision who believe in this economy is gone. Christ, by
creating the two into one new humanity, made peace between those far off and those nigh.
He is our Peace (Eph.2:14-16). As a result there is not only complete amity between God's
saints and Himself, but they also should reflect His attitude toward the unbelieving
world. Our feet are sandaled with the evangel of peace (Eph.6:15). We are ambassadors (2
Cor.5:20; Eph.6:20). God is not at war with the world now.
ISRAEL'S GREAT AffLICTION
In startling contrast with the present economy of God's undiluted
grace is the succeeding administration of His unrestrained indignation. The true character
of this era is seldom clearly apprehended. It is simply set forth as a time of unexampled
trouble, especially for the sons of Jacob. Let us distinguish its various aspects.
We, the nations, have no right to intrude ourselves into Israel's affairs, as is the
common custom. The "great tribulation' (Matt. 24:21; Mark 13:19-24) has absolutely no
application to the Gentiles. The sons of Jacob suffer at the hands of the nations. The nations
are the persecutors, not the persecuted. Hence the question with which we began is not
intelligent. It wrests the Scriptures concerning Israel and seeks to relate them to us. We
will therefore restate it, and ask, Will we go through the era of God's indignation
against the nations?
Let one point be clear. The nations will persecute the Jews. God
will hurl His thunderbolts against the nations. It is this latter aspect which we should
consider. All of God's saints suffer affliction. Some of us are now passing through a
"great tribulation" It is our lot, as saints of God. Is this proof of God's
indignation against us? Far from it! It is evidence of His fatherly care and discipline.
Unbelievers also suffer, but never due to an overt act of divine intervention. God is
conciliated now. He refuses to be offended. Then He will be indignant. He
will shake the earth and the heavens. He will blow the trumpets of war. He will hurl down
the bowls of hoarded wrath. Will He visit His saints of this economy with this wrath or
will He withdraw His ambassadors before He declares war upon the apostate nations of the
earth?
This question was one of the earliest to engage the attention of
Paul's converts. He did not confine his preaching to the evangel, but taught them
concerning the day of the Lord. His earliest letter, to the Thessalonians, is burdened
with this inquiry. They knew that the terrors of God's awful wrath would precede the
coming of the Messianic kingdom. Had Israel as a nation repented at that time, it would
have followed speedily. They were suffering sorely. Were these inflictions from man or
God? Was He already dealing out His indignation? Were they to go through that terrible
time, before the presence of Christ on the earth? This was especially disturbing when some
one, impersonating Paul, assured them that the day of the Lord was present.
Indignation
on the Nations |
Let us not confuse the presence of the day of the Lord with the presence
of Christ. For the world and for Israel, the day of Yahweh will be present more than seven
years before Christ Himself comes down to earth. The interval between is the time of
indignation.
In the first epistle they were especially concerned as to those
of their number who were reposing, that is, who had died. What would become of them? To
this the apostle replied that God, through Jesus, will lead them forth with Him. It is
not, as in some versions, that they are with Him, and will come down with Him. The Greek
does not bear this out, and the following context shows that they rise from below and
ascend with those who have survived until that day. We, who live at that time, will not
precede them, for they shall be rising first. The dead are roused immediately preceding
our snatching away to the air.
It is generally supposed that there are three distinct
personalities engaged in this great event, the Lord, the archangel, and God. This is a
serious mistake. It is the Lord Himself Who comes. This is quite emphatic in the
original. He needs no assistants for this tryst. He utters the shout of command. His is
the voice of the Chief Messenger, for all "angels" are subject to Him. He blows
the trumpet of God. These details are important, for many confuse this event with His
later advent and suppose that this is the seventh trumpet of Revelation.
The seventh trumpet (Rev.11:15) is not sounded by our Lord. Its
blast is blown by a messenger, or "angel" (Rev.8:2). This trumpet is accompanied
by vastly different results. No dead are raised by the seventh trumpet. The
"first," or former resurrection is in the era that follows (Rev. 11:18), but
does not take place until about seventy-five days later, according to Daniel. The seventh
trumpet is followed by judgment and dire calamities on those who are blighting the earth.
The nations are angered. None ascend to the air. Living and dead are not united. The
trumpets in Paul's epistles (1 Cor.15:52; 1 Thess.4:16) are blown by Christ. They vivify
the living, rouse the dead, call them up to Him above, and have nothing in common with the
last trumpet in Revelation. In one we see salvation, in the other judgment.
THE SECRET OF THE RESURRECTION
This event is in perfect accord, however, with Paul's later revelation to the
Corinthians (1 Cor.15:51). It is a secret. This is most important. This does not
mean that it was a "secret rapture." It is not the manner of our resurrection
which was concealed. But there is to be a change, which will not only restore the
dead to life, but which will radically alter both living and dead. This change is
intimated in Thessalonians. We, who are living, could not ascend to Him, or remain with
Him in the air, without a celestial body, suited to our new environment. We now wear the
image of the soilish. We shall wear the image of the celestial (1 Cor.15:40,49).
This change shall be made at the last trump, in the half twinkle
of an eye, to fit us for our celestial allotment. If we die, our corrupted corpse will put
on incorruption. If we are living, our mortal frame will put on immortality. With this
there will be a change, which is a secret hitherto unrevealed, which is quite unnecessary
for the saints of the Circumcision who will be roused at the beginning of the thousand
years.
They will live on earth in bodies restored to Adamic perfection, but
terrestrial in their constitution and powers. They will not undergo this change. That is
reserved for those who have a heavenly destiny. That is for us.
While the phrase "secret rapture" is unscriptural, let
us not confound this event with the coming of the Son of Mankind as the lighting
flash (Matt.24:27). The title, Son of Mankind, shows that He is dealing with the race, not
with the saints alone, and He comes to earth, and does not call His own to Himself in the
air. In harmony with the figure of the lightning, He comes in devastating judgment. We do
not look for lightning. We await a Saviour (Phil.3:20,21). Our citizenship belongs to the
heavens, where the Son of Mankind has no jurisdiction. At His coming to the earth no
saints will be raised from the dead. When our Saviour calls us, He will
transfigure the body of our humiliation, to conform it to His body glorious, in accord
with the operation which enables Him to subject even the universe to Himself.
PAUL'S DISTINCTIVE LANGUAGE
When Paul wrote his Ephesian epistle, which first definitely
changed the destiny of those under Paul's ministry to a place among the celestials
(Eph.1:3), he had to make it clear that it did not apply to the twelve apostles and the
Circumcision. Israel's destiny is on earth, and the twelve shall rule them there. Paul was
not sent to them. He does not deal with their destiny. His message is for those who are
called during Israel's apostasy. But how shall he define these saints? He does this partly
by designating them as "those who are also believers in Christ Jesus". This lays
emphasis on our relationship to God's Son as He is presently glorified in heaven.
Our Rescuer out of
the Coming Indignation |
Another designation is most remarkable. The translators have been unable
to make much of it. Literally it is "the ones-having-before-expected in the
Messiah" (Eph.1:12). Paul himself was by no means the first who trusted in Christ,
nor were those to whom he was writing. That cannot be the meaning. The verb is in the
perfect tense, and denotes a state rather than an action. They were in a state of prior
expectancy.
Among the very earliest words to be penned by Paul in his
ministry to the nations are these: "to be awaiting His Son out of the heavens, Whom
He rouses from among the dead, Jesus, our Rescuer out of the coming indignation" (1
Thess.1:10). The picture is a vivid one. A great storm is brewing. We are not in it, but
we can see it coming. Just before it falls on us we are snatched out of its destructive
path. Or, to use an illustration which fully accounts for the highly figurative words, out
of (which seem to imply that we are in it), let us turn to a later letter. To Timothy Paul
writes, "I am rescued out of the mouth of the lions" (2 Tim.2:17). It
is not probable that he was actually in the lions maw. His words are true to feeling
rather than to fact. Similarly, we are rescued "out of" the coming indignation.
Later on the apostle elaborates the point. He exhorts them to put
on the helmet, the expectation of salvation, "seeing that God did not appoint us
to indignation, but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, the
One dying for us that, whether we may be watching or drowsing, we should at the same time
be living together with Him" (1 Thess.5:10). This has been mistranslated, as though
it was a figure for living or dying. It is a plain statement of the graciousness of our
future salvation. In the past it was not by works, and in the future it is not by
watching. It is based solely on the death of Christ.
NOT APPOINTED TO INDIGNATION
Dorcas and Eutychus furnished us with good illustrations of the
difference between Peter and Paul in the matter of resurrection. Dorcas was a good,
deserving woman, like the faithful of Israel who will be raised seventy-five days after
Messiah's advent to Israel. But Eutychus' only accomplishment seems to be that he fell
asleep when Paul preached. How like the saints today! Paul always puts them to sleep!
Dorcas, like the saints she represents, deserved a reward. Eutychus may have
merited a rebuke. He carelessly sits where he will fall if he sleeps. He certainly was not
watching! Yet such is the grace revealed to the nations through Paul, that he is instantly
recalled to life. God grant that we grasp more of His gratuitous grace!
The Thessalonians had been deceived into the idea that the day of
the Lord was present. A careful student of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and the prophet
Daniel win note that the day of the Lord commences at least seven years before Christ
comes. The seals must be broken, the trumpets must be blown, the bowls must be poured out
during this period. The Thessalonians imagined that their afflictions were due to these
inflictions. Paul appeals to them through the truth he had taught in his first epistle,
and his oral teaching while he was with them. None of the signs of the day of Yahweh were
present. The man of lawlessness was not unveiled. Lawlessness was still in its secret
phase. So long as they were restraining it by their presence it could not come into the
open. They must be removed before the day of Yahweh comes.
Paul appeals to them by his previous teaching. The day of Yahweh
cannot be present because they were not appointed to indignation. Before God unleashes the
forces of destruction they will be gathered into Christ's presence in the air. To get
these matters clear it is necessary to carefully follow the argument. Paul does not say
that our gathering to Christ must be preceded by the apostasy. That is the first feature
in the day of Yahweh. Its absence proves that that day is not present. Paul presents our
gathering into Christ's presence as an argument that they cannot be in the day of the Lord
at all.
The day of Yahweh cannot coincide with the present economy of God's grace. In it
Yahweh, as the God of Israel, raises the holy nation to its proper place as priests and
kings over all the other nations of the earth. Conciliation vanishes. Jews once more are
nigh, while Gentiles are far off. It is all a day of righteousness and judgment, but this
is most marked in its first phase. It would be absolutely ridiculous for us to preach
conciliation when God Himself is hurling His bolts of vengeance upon Israel's enemies.
Every characteristic truth which is ours clashes with conditions which obtain during the
first phase of the day of the Lord. If we are here then, waiting for Christ's coming to
the earth, it would occasion the utmost confusion and disaster. Instead of imitating God,
we would be clashing with Him at every turn. We would be preaching peace while He is
waging war. Accustomed to grace, we would be crushed by wrath. It is utterly impossible!
Let us not be misled by the phrase "first resurrection" in
Revelation 20:5,6. The Greek word has the significance of first of a series, not
necessarily first absolutely. The scope of the Unveiling is limited. It does not include
the present grace. Those who take part in the former resurrection (i.e., the
first of the two resurrections in view in the context) become priests and reign with
Christ the thousand years on the earth. Our rule will be in the heavens. Paul felt the
necessity of distinguishing the resurrection to which he testifies from this
"former" resurrection. He called it an out-resurrection, because not
all the saints would be raised. Only those within the sphere of his ministry are included
in this out-resurrection (cf Phil.3:11), with its secret change and its upward
call to the air, and its transfigured body. None of these features is found in the
"former" resurrection. Paul desired to attain to this resurrection in his
present experience.
We repeat that those who do go through the "great
tribulation" or are martyred in it, receive a reward utterly out of keeping with the
destiny which is ours in Christ Jesus. Our blessings are spiritual, among the celestials
(Eph.1:3), while theirs are largely soulish and material, among the terrestrials. The
thousand years' reign is on the earth. It is characterized by priesthood. The saints shall
reign for the eons of the eons, up to the consummation (Rev.22:5), but not as priests.
There will be no temple and no priests in the day of God. Christ's Melchisedek reign is
limited to the thousand years. Israel's priestly supremacy then comes to an end. Our reign
is in the heavens. We are never called priests. Our place and portion is unutterably
higher than that of those who go through the "great tribulation."
The bride of the Lambkin is so often confused with the body of
Christ, that a few observations may be timely at this point. The destiny of the bride is
the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven to earth (Rev.21:2). It is the
destiny of saved Israel, not the body of Christ, which has its place in the
heavens, not on earth. Not a single feature of this city harmonizes with the present
grace. Paul is our apostle. He is given no place in its foundations. It has a wall,
shutting out the nations. We are the nations, and all barriers are broken down.
It is Israel's home, and the nations are subordinate (Rev.21:24- 27). This is directly
contrary to the mystery, for the body is a joint body, in which the Jew has no
preeminence. Israel was the wife of Yahweh. She shall be the bride of the Lambkin. We have
a nearer and dearer place. She was once divorced. He cannot divorce His own body!
"BY THE WORD OF THE LORD"
Much of the confusion on this subject has come from failure to see that Paul received
it by the word of the Lord. It was a secret, unknown to the Circumcision. It is never
referred to before. The coming of the Son of Mankind (Luke 18:8; 21:27,36, etc.) always
refers to His coming after the "great tribulation," to the saints of
the Circumcision, who go through it or are martyred in it. The name "Paul" means
"interval." This economy is a parenthesis in God's dealings. It is set forth only
in Paul's epistles.
To sum up: All saints go through tribulation of some sort, but
only Israelites will endure the "great tribulation" of the end time, when the
most violent of Jewish pogroms will test their faithfulness to Yahweh Now, God is
conciliated to the nations, as such. When the day of Yahweh comes, He will manifest the
opposite attitude. We, who have received this conciliation, are at peace with Him and are
His ambassadors to the world. Before He can declare war, and vent His indignation on the
earth, we must be withdrawn. Hence we are pre-expectants, who await Christ at least seven
years before He descends to the earth. Then there will be an eclectic resurrection,
leaving the Circumcision saints until later. Both living and dead will be vivified and
changed to accord with their celestial destiny and snatched away to the air, before
the great affliction of the Jews, and before God's indignation visits the earth,
and before the Son of Mankind descends in glory to the earth.
============ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ============
THE "SNATCHING AWAY"
by James R Coram
Question: "Since the word `rapture' does not appear in the
Bible, why do you use it?"
Answer: It is true that the word "rapture" is not a scriptural
expression, but only in the same sense that Millennium" is a not a scriptural
expression. That is, both terms are close equivalents of scriptural phrases. Just as
"millennium" and "the thousand years" (Rev.20:5,6) are synonymous,
"rapture" and "snatch away" (cf 1 Thess.4:17) are synonymous.
Actually, it is not the custom of the Concordant Publishing
Concern to use this word ("rapture") in its teaching ministry; the only
exception would be in speaking informally, or if we should make reference to the teachings
of others, ones who use this term quite freely.
The word "rapture" itself, however, is a perfectly good
English word. Indeed, one of its definitions is in reference to the Pauline prophecy of 1
Thessalonians 4:13-17 in which the apostle declares that, in that day, the believers will
be "snatched away" (or "raptured") to meet the Lord in the air. This
is because the English "rapture" is a close derivative of the Latin word for
"snatch [away]" (viz., rapere) which was used in the Latin Vulgate
translation of the New Testament.
The question at issue does not at all concern this word itself
(much less the popular prejudice of many, ones on both sides of the actual issue), but
only whether this "snatching away" (or "rapture") of which Paul speaks
is before or after the time of Israel's great affliction ("tribulation," AV).
Fundamentally, the question is whether the presence of Christ in 1 Thessalonians 4 is a distinct
event, an event which is not a phase of or otherwise connected with the presence of Christ
as recorded in Matthew 24, at the time of His return to the earth.
Concerning this question of the "snatching away" (or "rapture"),
some have pointed out that, prior to the early nineteenth century, "church
history" does not record the teaching of the pre-tribulational position. While this
may well be so, such a consideration cannot be decisive for those who base their faith not
upon church history but upon the Scriptures themselves. Much truth was lost very early,
and at any given time, simply may not as yet have been recovered. Indeed, this could have
easily been so insofar as those groups of believers which are recognized in extant
historical works are concerned.
Over the centuries, the great majority have denied the
thousand-year, terrestrial reign of Christ itself. So it is not so surprising that church
history would have no record of those who affirmed a pre-tribulational resurrection
preceding it.
In light of these facts, it becomes evident that those who, in
their quest to repudiate the pre-tribulational, presence-of- Christ teaching, deride the
word "rapture" or make appeals to church history, only expose their own
ignorance and bias.
If we are able to do so, let us by all means decide the question,
Shall we go through the great affliction? (see pp.5-16). But in any case, may we freely be
anticipating that happy and glorious day--let its relationship to other events be what it
will--when we will be "snatched away" (or "raptured")
together, to meet the Lord in the air, and thus always to be with Him (1 Thess.4:17).
Accordingly, then, we are waiting for God's Son out of the heavens, Whom He
rouses from among the dead, Jesus, our Rescuer out of the coming indignation (1
Thess.1:10).
