The Prize of the Call Above
By
DECIMUS
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[PART
1]
The third chapter of Pauls Epistle to the Philippians
contains teaching of the most profound moment regarding the resurrection of
believers. It is doubtful if its full significance
has come to any of us, for some elements are not easily understood in view of
the Apostles declarations elsewhere.
Not understood at all, we think, save as we bear in mind the time when
the Epistle was written, the dispensational break at Acts
28: 25-28,
and the special revelations given to Paul concerning the church of this age.
Our
readers are familiar with the chapter, which opens by recounting the things
which to Paul were gains, and which he counted loss for Christ. Advancing, he counted all things but refuse,
that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of mine own, that which is of the law, but
that which is through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith.
The same [imputed] righteousness which he had long before announced in Rom. 1: 17, &c.
Rising further - that I may know Him and the
power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of
His sufferings, becoming conformed to His death
(cf.
We
need not say that this resurrection from the dead is other than the resurrection of the
dead. The latter doctrine was well-known
to the Jews, who themselves had the hope of this [general] resurrection (Acts 24:
15); it was the resurrection from
the dead which offended them (Acts 4: 2) and
especially because it was Proclaimed in [and
by] Jesus.* In Dan. 12: 2 we have
the distinct promise of a resurrection, that one of the just and unjust, to which the Apostle [John] referred.**
[* If
they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced though one out
of dead should rise (Luke 16:
31. See Greek). And again: He
[Jesus] commanded them [Peter, James and John] that they should relate to no one what they saw [on
the Mount of Transfiguration], except when the Son of
man out
of dead ones should be raised.
And they kept the word to themselves, arguing, what is that out
of dead ones to be raised (Mark 9:
9, 10,
see Greek text,). This appears to be the
first time the three heard the Lord speak about a select resurrection of one Person
only - even the resurrection of our Lord Himself, - three
days and three nights after His death.
** See Rev. 20: 13, 15, -
death and Hades
gave up the dead which were in them
And if anyone was not found written on the book
of life, he was cast into the lake of
fire.]
Paul
continues Not that I have already obtained or am
already made perfect, but I press on (notice
the strong word dioko, used in many passages
to express (persecute), if so be that I may apprehend that for which also I was
apprehended that for which I was apprehended by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. The word apprehended is the Greek katalambano, and in this connection its other
occurrences are worthy of study.
The
Apostle now goes on to the climax, But one thing,
forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,
I press on (again dioko)
toward the goal
unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Literally, of the above, or upward (ano) call of God.
The word ano, an adverb of place, has
reference not to the exalted nature of the believers calling (that
is a heavenly, a holy
calling), but to the place to which God shall summon him, or from which
the call comes (as Syriac). The primary
sense of klesis is a call, a summons, a
citation.
It
may be said that there is nothing in Pauls words as quoted to hinder the view
that this prize which he so earnestly desired
was a special reward to himself personally, but the
words which follow, as well as what he wrote to Timothy, indicate that all
believers have the same prize before
them. For he adds, Let us therefore,
as many as be perfect, be
thus minded, which is inclusive in its terms. The succeeding words are most remarkable, and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, even this shall God reveal unto you. What is this,
which God would reveal to him?
The
prize and the call
above are one, kleseos being in the Genitive
of Apposition. This prize must be something other than life eternal,
which is a free gift, and for which no pressing on or striving after was needed
by the devoted Apostle. We have seen
that it seems to be set before as many as be perfect, and thus is the special exanastasis, the out-resurrection from among the dead, to be realized by the church
of this age, the earlier
resurrection of the elect of Eph. 1: 3-14, &c.
It is a call from above, or a call upwards, to which Paul pressed
on. And thus the teaching is confirmed
that the church now, occupying an interval, is not to be found in the book of Revelation,
being called upwards before the unveiling
(Revelation) of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In
John 5: 29,
universality is apparent, and in John 6: 39, 40, 44, all believers
are referred to. Martha saith unto him, I know
that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day (John 11: 24). Writing to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 15: 50, and
on), Paul told them a mystery something which
had then previously been revealed; we shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment,
&c. There is no trace of any of
these passages of any pressing on unto a prize,
unto a call above. The universality of the change (1 Cor. 15: 51) upon
all believers is manifest; there is nothing of earnest desire, if my any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the
dead. The difference calls for
attention from us who have the full Record before us. Earlier yet, in one of the first written
Epistles, and prior to the revelation made to the Apostle respecting the Church
which is His body universality [at
the end of the Great Tribulation (we that are alive,
that are left)] is implied (1 Thess.
4: 17),
whatever may be the scope of the we and them.
The
special resurrection of a unique class is identified in Rev. 14: 1-5. Equally so in Rev.
20: 4-6, and there is nothing in Scripture to bar the
belief that the resurrection of all the saved may not happen at the
same hour. There may be intervals. Those who attain to eternal life, rendered
according to their works (Rom. 2: 6, 7; Rev. 20: 12) are not
raised at the same time as those who are changed (1
Cor. 15: 51, 52), or
those caught up in the clouds (1 Thess. 4: 17), least
of all at the same time as those on whom is bestowed the
prize of the call above of God in Christ Jesus. These are they of whom Paul wrote (Eph. 3: 10), to the intent that
now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenlies might be made
known through THE CHURCH the
manifold wisdom of God, according to the purpose
of the ages which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. The election of this church - [i.e., of of the firstborn] - to fill a special place according to the good
pleasure of God is completed by the particular [out]- resurrection
of Phil. 3:
[11] - 19.
* *
*
[PART
2]
Resurrection
AN ADDRESS BY
G. J. VAN
SOMEREN
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We can know nothing of this subject, except from the
Word, and we must rightly divide it, and
compare one part with another.
In
John 5: 29,
our Lord speaks of two resurrections.
In Rev. 20:
5, there is a resurrection spoken of as the first resurrection; and the 13th.verse speaks of the sea and death and hell [Gk.
Hades] giving up
their dead at a period at least a thousand years later; and so we must call
that too a resurrection, and generally it is taken as the second
resurrection. If nothing more were told
us than what is in the Revelation we should have to leave the matter alone, and
in confusion. For in Rev. 20: 12-15, there
are some judged to obtain life, others sentenced to death in the lake of
fire. Since at this time of resurrection
all are not condemned to death, our Lords words in John
5: 29 do not of themselves mean that all holy [or all regenerate] ones
are raised at one time and all evil ones at another: for at the second resurrection
of Rev. 20:
12-15,
both holy and evil are raised together; but other Scriptures show that while holy
ones are raised at different points of the first resurrection; and some holy ones
with some evil ones at the second: no Scripture shows that any evil ones are
raised except at [the time of] the
great white throne judgment (Rev. 20: 11-15), and that takes place after the Millennium. So there
remain to be considered these questions:-
(1) Does
Scripture teach us that holy, saved men are raised all at one time? Evidently not, seeing what we have just learned from Rev.
20: 12-15.
(2) What is
the first
resurrection of Rev. 20: 5? Are all the other holy ones then raised, and who
are the holy ones raised at the time of the great white throne?
First,
let us see if the general idea that during the Millennium there is no dying is
warranted by Scripture. Now we must
remember that the Millennium is a period of a thousand years during which the
Lord Jesus Christ will reign on this present earth; and that the new heavens and new earth of Rev.
21 - 22: 6, are quite distinct from and come after the burning up of the present
heavens and earth; which is of course after the Millennium is closed. Will then men die or not die during the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus on earth?
Now
in Isa. 65: 20 we read
that in the time when Jerusalem shall be restored, and the wolf and lamb and
lion and the ox shall be at peace in the holy mountain (11: 6-9), there shall be no
more then an infant of days, nor an old man that
hath not filled his days; for the child shall
die an hundred years old; but the sinner being
an hundred years old shall be accursed.
That means, a man of a hundred years shall be accounted quite young
still, nevertheless he may die at that age; and old men, that have filled their
days will die. Thus both good and bad
will be dying during the Millennium; but a sinner will be cut off most
assuredly though still reckoned young.
Life will be lived under better conditions during the Lords [kingdom] reign, but it
will be a life on [this] earth. Death,
we have just seen, will occur, and there will be marriages and births (Zech. 8: 4, 5).
The
Lord Jesus in His just, holy rule, will be seen of
all. Men will then be walking by sight,
not by faith.
Ps. 2: 9 shows how
sharp and instant punishment will fall on wrong doers; men will be kept in
subjection to a great extent by fear.
See Psalms 9:
7-20; 18: 42-45; 21.; 45: 1-5; 46: 6-11; 59: 12, 13; 66: 7; 101: 4-8; 110: 2, 5, 6; 149: 69; and many places in the prophets. So we see how [those born] in the Millennial reign [of Messiah-Jesus] good men will
die, and also many evil men. Here are [some] the ones
whose names will be found written in the book of life (Rev.
20: 12);
who could not be raised before the Millennium because they were alive then, or
were born during its course. The sinner
dying in the Millennium will add to the number of all sinners from Adams day
to the great white throne day, whose names are not found written in the book of life (Rev.
20: 15). For, as I have pointed out
before, Scripture speaks of but [more than] one
resurrection*;
and that at the Great White Throne, for all the
sinners of all the ages.
[* Judgment in Hades
(immediately after Death Heb. 9: 27; Acts 2: 34ff; Rev. 6: 9-11) - must be
distinguished from the judgment after the thousand years at The Great White
Throne.
The
resurrection for reward, (Luke 14: 14); the inheritance in Messiahs coming kingdom (Luke 22: 29, 30. cf.
1 Cor. 6: 9; Gal. 5: 21; Eph. 5: 5) and Better Resurrection (Heb.
11: 35b),
all
take place before the establishment of Messiahs Millennial Reign.]
So
far, I have answered that part of the question (2) which relates to holy ones raised at the time of the great white
throne. There remain to be answered
question (1), and the first part of question (2): We may combine these points in one
question and call it (3). Are all saved ones who are raised before the
Millennium, raised at the same moment, or are these stages in the first
resurrection? For myself I am convinced
that there are separate stages in the first resurrection. Take Rev. 20: 4. It speaks of certain people who did not
worship the beast, nor his image, and had not received
his mark, and of people beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and of these special
people being raised and reigning with Christ a thousand years. But the Beast, the Antichrist, has not come
yet, so the people described as refusing to have anything to do with him are
either yet alive, or may even in large numbers be not
yet born. But they will be in the first resurrection;
so that raises the thought that the first resurrection includes different
stages; or, so to speak, scenes in one great Act of the Great Drama of the Day of the Lord, which is a lengthened period.
Heb. 11: 7 tells of
Noah who became heir of the righteousness which is by
faith, and verses 8-16 speak of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, who all died in faith not having received the promises
but embraced them
they
seek a country
a better country
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared a city for them. So they must be raised [out from the dead], in order to occupy that city.
But they lived many centuries ago, long before Antichrist who has not
yet come; so they cannot be amongst those described in Rev.
20: 4, 5, because they would not have anything to do with
Antichrist. With them must be many more millions
of those who served God through the ages before the Lord Jesus was born on
earth; e.g., Moses, David, Hezekiah,
Ezra, and hosts of others; and other faithful ones, like Melchizedek; and many
known only to God, as the 7000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal. All of these will be raised just before the
millennium, and stand in their lot at the end of the
days, as shall Daniel (ch.
12: 13).
Then
with them will be raised John the Baptist, and Simeon, and Anna, and all who
believed in [and waited for] the Lamb of God, the Christ, before the Church of the
present dispensation; a dispensation stretching from a few years after the
Ascension of the Lord till his return in the air, as Head of His Body, the
Church. That Body is
quite distinct [in time,] from
all others; whether those that preceded it or that shall follow it.
Then
there is the resurrection of the two special witnesses who during the Day of
the Lord will be slain in
The
coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24: 29-31) is when He comes to the earth for the
destruction of
There
is much to be learned by studying the difference in the use of the titles Son
of Man and Son of God as applied to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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