From Earthly to Heavenly

The Deliverance of the Church

As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.—1 Corinthians 15:49

David Rice

In this change from earthy to heavenly lies the great hope of the saints. Those who patiently apply themselves to the lessons of life, continually setting aside earthly attractions and pleasures for "treasure in heaven," must have the keenest interest in the time, nature, and circumstances of the change which is the goal of their present life.

It is not possible to know what the spirit realm is like, or the details of the glorious inheritance awaiting us, because our experiences are earthly, and the spirit realm is so different a level of existence. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2).

But this we do know—we will not be flesh and blood as at present, nor of any corruptible substance. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorrruption" (1 Corinthians 15:50). Our old bodies will not be assumed into heaven, or transmuted. The spirit is altogether different than the flesh, and our change into the spirit will follow, and require, the death of the human nature and its body of flesh. Thus we are obliged to be "faithful unto death" in order to receive the crown of life in heaven (Revelation 2:10).

The Time Has Come

The apostle Peter referred to the "word of prophecy" as "a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19). In this comment Peter may have drawn from Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path," and perhaps from the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25 associated this lamp with the advent of Christ. (Matthew 25:6 even speaks of a "midnight cry," as Psalm 119:62 speaks of rising "at midnight.")

Each of the virgins in the parable "took their lamps," the wise taking care to bring sufficient oil in case of an unexpected delay. So with the saints looking for the coming of their heavenly bridegroom, they have taken their lamps—the word of prophecy. This was fulfilled by reverent students of prophecy throughout the age looking for the advent of Christ, but it was particularly demonstrated in the Adventist movement of the early 1800s, which scrutinized so carefully the prophecies of Daniel for whatever light they might shed on the advent of Christ.

Among these, a series of three time prophecies—the 1260, 1290, and 1335 days of Daniel 9:25 and 12:6-13—mark a progression of dates now identified as 1799, 1829, and 1874, which introduced the waiting ones to the blessed appreciation of the Lord’s presence.

Thus, and by other means, has the lamp of prophecy lighted the way to this harvest of the Gospel age. The Lord taught us that when we begin to see the events of the harvest come to pass, we should be the more earnest in anticipation of our release: "Look up, and lift up your heads, for your deliverance draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).

Some Precede Others

All the saints will receive their change before the close of the harvest, and thereafter "shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matthew 13:43). But evidently the time has already come for the saints of bygone years to receive their change, even before the saints of the harvest have completed their walk.

This seems to be the testimony of Paul in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18. Paul’s purpose in this passage was to comfort the brethren "concerning them which are asleep" in Christ, explaining that they will have priority in the sequence of the resurrection. Paul said when the Lord returns, "we which are alive and remain into [eis] the presence [parousia] of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep" (verse 15). In fact just the opposite, the sleeping ones precede the others. "For the Lord himself shall descend ... and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up" (verses 16 and 17).

The words "first" and "then" deserve some attention. "First" is from the Greek proton, and in this case is rendered "firstly" in Marshall’s Diaglott. The "ly" suffix is that translation’s way of showing that the word is used as an adverb, that is, it pertains to the verb "will rise again." In other words, the sleeping saints are raised first, in order of sequence, before those who are alive and remain into the presence of Christ.

In English "then" serves a variety of uses. It can be a logical connector (if ... then ...), or mean "at that time" (when we arrive, then we will rest), or mean "afterwards" (first we will eat, then we will sleep). Fortunately for the sake of clarity, the Greek uses three different words for these purposes: ara (as in Matthew 24:45, "who, then ..."), tote (as in Matthew 24:30, "then shall appear ..."), and epeita (as in Galatians 1:21, "afterwards"). It is epeita which is used in the Thessalonians text: "The dead in Christ shall rise first: afterwards we which are alive and remain shall be caught up." It is a matter of sequence.

However, the following words—"together with them"—have confused the issue, particularly since the Wilson Diaglott renders the phrase "we ... shall at the same time with them, be caught away." There is clearly an incompatibility between "afterwards" and "at the same time," and the rendering of the latter is evidently at fault. There are two texts in the King James translation where the expression "same time" appears: Matthew 18:1 and Acts 19:23. The word for "time" in the first is ora (hour), and in the second is kairon (time). Neither appears in the Thessalonians passage. If Paul intended the thought "at the same time," presumably he would have used one of these words to express his thought.

The words Paul used are hama sun—together with—and neither word is ever rendered "time" in the common version. However the expression "at the same time" is included in the definition of hama in three sources—Strong’s, Vines, and a lexicon by Moulton. Are these adequate defenses for the Wilson Diaglott translation?

Clearly, in context, it does not express Paul’s thought because it is at odds with "first" and "afterwards." The issue is about the concept of "together." When people experience something together they frequently experience it at the same time, so the word can imply the thought, and thus be mentioned in the definition. But sameness of time is not a necessary element of the meaning. For example, Paul says of mankind, "They are together [hama] become unprofitable" (Romans 3:12). He does not mean all people became unprofitable at the same time, but by the same experience—disobedience—Jews to the Law and Gentiles to their conscience. This occurred by reason of the various sins we exhibit through the 6,000 years of sin and death. Togetherness of experience, not of time, is the issue.

It is similar with respect to the word sun [with]. Paul said "if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him" (2 Timothy 2:11). The word "with" is sun (as a prefix) in the first instance. We die together in the sense of a shared experience, but clearly not at the same time.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 uses the word similarly. "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with [sun] him." This does not mean we come back with Jesus, for Paul’s whole point in the following verses is that the saints are raised after Jesus returns. But just as God raised Jesus from the dead, so God will raise us "with" him—in the same experience. But our raising and his are separated in time by nearly 2,000 years.

2 Corinthians 4:14, in the better manuscripts (followed by modern translations), says "He [God] which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with [sun, not `by,’ en, as in King James] Jesus." Again, the same experience, but at vastly different times.*

All Fall Asleep

In 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Paul is consistent with his teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4. He distinguishes between those dying before the Lord’s second advent, and those dying afterward, as respects the time of their resurrection change. However, in this passage there are problems both with the translation of the common version, and with the texts used as the basis of the common version. Here is the King James rendering: "Behold, I shew 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: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

The problem of translation appears when we consult the Marshall’s Diaglott for verse 51. Rather than saying "we shall not all sleep" it says "we shall not all fall asleep" which is quite a different thought. The former is true, not all saints will sleep in death, since those who die after the Lord has raised the "sleeping" saints will not sleep in death but will be raised at once. But the latter rendering, "we shall not all fall asleep," is a more precise rendering of the Greek. This presents us with a difficulty for we do all expect to die—to "fall asleep."

Even this rendering is not technically precise. Moulton’s lexicon shows this spelling to indicate "first person, plural, future, indicative, passive" (but with a "not" before it), which would be something like "we shall not all be being put to sleep." But this does not change the problem.

The solution is in a better manuscript, and has to do with the placement of the word "not"—ou in the Greek. In some of the best manuscripts (including the Sinaitic) the word does not appear before the word for sleep, but before the expression about being changed in a moment (see "Manuscript Evidence and the English New Testament," James Parkinson, page 7). These manuscripts say something like "we shall all fall asleep, but we shall not all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trump."

This does solve the problem. All the saints will fall into death, but only those living after the Lord’s return will be changed "in a moment [the moment of their death], in the twinkling of an eye" during the last trump. Those who died before the second advent of Christ had to await the end of the age before their change.

This approach to the passage seems to be confirmed by Paul’s words following. "For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised ... and we shall be changed." Those who were resting in death are described as raised, and those who live into the sounding of the trumpet are said to be changed, that is, at the moment of their death.

The dead, who lie corrupted in the grave, then put on incorruption. The living, mortal saints, who die and are changed, are said to put on immortality. "The dead shall be raised incorruptible ... For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:52,53).

Prophetic Testimony

That some saints are raised before others during the harvest seems to be shown in Revelation also. Chapter 15 speaks of "seven angels having the seven last plagues," who come "out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles ... and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled" (verses 1, 6, and 7).

These seven angels evidently represent saints in glory, beyond the veil, who have received their reward, but at a time before the entire body of Christ has been gathered into heaven. If so, it would confirm the thought drawn from Paul’s lessons that the saints are not all gathered at once—that after the sleeping saints are raised to life, the living saints remain in the flesh for some period until, one by one, they pass into death and join the heavenly gathering.

The evidence that these seven angels do represent saints in glory comes both from the symbols in Revelation 15 and a comparison of this passage to the dedication of Solomon’s temple in 1 Kings 8:6-11. The latter passage says the priests who brought the ark of the covenant into the most holy came "out of the holy [and] the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord." This is very similar to the scene in Revelation 15: the seven angels came out of the temple, then "the temple was filled with ... the glory of God ... and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."

The comparison suggests the seven angels in the Revelation passage are the same as the priests in the 1 Kings passage, and Revelation 20:6 shows that the priests are the saints. After the raising of the saints there is an interim work before they can "enter into the temple" to function as priests. Meanwhile the judgments of God, the seven last plagues, must clear away the old order. Until then "no man [priest] was able to enter the temple."

The description of the seven angels is consistent with them being the saints. They wear "pure and white linen" which Revelation 19:8 interprets as "the righteousness of saints," and they have golden girdles indicating divine service.

But if these are saints in glory, clearly they are not the completed church, for at least some saints remain in the flesh during the seven last plagues. The last plague in Egypt, which corresponds to the last of the seven in Revelation, saw the deliverance of the firstborn, which implies some saints are not delivered until the outset of the last plague. Also, Revelation 16:15 implies that during plague six some saints still need to watch, and attend to their garments, lest any "see his shame." This jeopardy only fits ones still on earth.

Additionally, in Isaiah 6:1-7, another scene of judgment where "the house was filled with smoke," Isaiah as the Lord’s prophet represents a class which needs purging to be a fit spokesman to pronounce the judgments of theLord (verses 5-12)—presumably saints in the flesh during the time of judgment. Also, 1 Kings 22, which describes the coalition of Ahab, Jehoshaphat, and 400 false prophets, evidently pictures the coalition of dragon, beast, and false prophet in the sixth plague. Micaiah in 1 Kings 22 represents the Lord’s people afflicted for their stand against the coalition. All of this speaks of some saints remaining in the flesh up to and through plague six.

The Morning Comes

Through all the tumults and tribulations of the age, the Lord has been with his saints to establish their faith, and care for their needs. Now we live in the morning of her deliverance: "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that when the morning appeareth" (Psalm 46:5, with marginal rendering). The dawning of the new day is upon us, but though "the morning comes," its opening is attended by "a night also" as the troubles incident to establishing the new day come to a focus (Isaiah 21:12).

So it is that in the restless tossing of the waves, and the fitful birthpangs of the new order, the saints see the signs of their full release just at hand. "Only a few more trials, only a few more tears," until the body complete in glory will usher in the glorious kingdom of God. The rejoicing of the saints in this prospect is not "selfish in its character; for the deliverance and exaltation of the church of Christ will be the harbinger of a speedy deliverance tothe whole race, from the tyranny and oppression of the great enslaver, Sin ... `For weknow that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain ... waiting for the ... deliverance of our body’ (Romans 8:22,23)" (Volume 3, pp. 227, 228).

* For more technical comments on this passage please refer to the article "1 Thessalonians 4:14-17," in Beauties of the Truth, February, 1999.