Because He Lives…
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (Joh 14:19)
Occasionally, we read of someone who has had their body stored in a freezer with an electric generator backup so that when science advances further, scientists will be able to bring the frozen body back to life. Many others believe it’s possible but don’t have the money to make the arrangements.
I don’t have enough money or faith to join them. The above verse is the route I’m counting on. Because Christ lives, I shall live also. I could not possibly live without sin or do enough good works to earn my way into Heaven, so I’m depending 100% on the resurrected Christ to raise me from the dead.
I make a final and lengthy quote from Nicholson (slightly edited) “The people of Christ are destined to the same condition of body and the same unchangeable glory as Christ showed after He rose from the dead. He is the head and we are His members. Even now, our life is hid with Christ in God, and our citizenship is in Heaven, from when, as saith the Apostle, we are looking for the Savior, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.
“Men speak of progress and improvement, of individual and social advancement. However, there is never any getting above the ills and weakness of this mortal life, and there is never any radical, satisfying improvement. Our perfecting is only in Christ. And not till the manifestation of that great city of God, whose gorgeous vision closes the Word of God, will man’s dream of perfection ever be realized.
In our study of the Six Miracles of Calvary, the Apostle says, “They that are Christ’s” --- without making any exception. All belonging to Christ shall rise; all that are His out of all ages. And then He adds, “But everyone in his own order,” which he explains is “only after Christ” and only “at His coming.” Thus, how particular he is to tell that in this order he includes all, out of all the ages, who were to ever have part in that kind of resurrection.
“Hence, plainly, none of Christ’s people have had yet the spiritual immortal body, and none shall ever have it until His coming.
Those Calvary saints went forth from their graves, but only in their natural bodies revived. For the true resurrection body, they yet wait till the rising together of all of Christ’s from all the ages. No one shall antedate; (come before) no one shall be perfected before another. God has provided some better thing for us, that those things out of the Calvary graveyard shall not without us be made perfect.
“But what about Enoch and Elijah? They were “translated that they should not see death,” and have they not incorruptible and immortal bodies? The question must be met by the statement of Paul. If Enoch and Elijah at their translation received the body spiritual, then Christ Himself was not the Firstfruits nor is it true that everyone who is Christ’s out of all the ages shall so be made alive only at His coming.
“Elijah was seen with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Did not the glory of God radiate from the face of Moses when he came down from Mt. Sinai? Did not Stephen’s face before his martyrdom impress every beholder with its likeness to an angel? And did not the natural body of the Son of Man become refulgent as the sun? And even when He descended from the transfiguration---His countenance still holding the memory of that radiance—were not all the people, when they beheld Him, greatly amazed?
“Therefore, let us abide by the answer of Paul and be content. Enoch and Elijah may be now in a certain glory, although not the glory of the true resurrection condition. They still live in the natural body.” (Nicholson)
Enoch and Elijah (I believe) will return to earth as the two witnesses in Revelation to defy the anti-Christ and shall have great power over the enemies of God until permits them to be killed and lay in the street to be seen of all people of the earth. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. (Rev 11:10-11)
Even Enoch and Elijah must still be raised from the dead and given a glorified body. They will join the millions who have already been given a glorified body ahead of them. Obviously, they will not be raised from the dead at the same time everyone else has been raised. The resurrection of the dead in Christ from the Tribulation Period will experience the same kind of resurrection but at a slightly later time. Because He lives, you shall live also if you belong to Him. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MAY 4, 2017 - THURSDAY
A.M. 1Kings 8-9 P.M. Luke 23:39-56
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Memory Verse This Month:
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)
Song for Today:
Because He Lives (2:58) (George Beverly Shea)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsnWfWdVw1M
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (Joh 14:19)
Occasionally, we read of someone who has had their body stored in a freezer with an electric generator backup so that when science advances further, scientists will be able to bring the frozen body back to life. Many others believe it’s possible but don’t have the money to make the arrangements.
I don’t have enough money or faith to join them. The above verse is the route I’m counting on. Because Christ lives, I shall live also. I could not possibly live without sin or do enough good works to earn my way into Heaven, so I’m depending 100% on the resurrected Christ to raise me from the dead.
I make a final and lengthy quote from Nicholson (slightly edited) “The people of Christ are destined to the same condition of body and the same unchangeable glory as Christ showed after He rose from the dead. He is the head and we are His members. Even now, our life is hid with Christ in God, and our citizenship is in Heaven, from when, as saith the Apostle, we are looking for the Savior, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.
“Men speak of progress and improvement, of individual and social advancement. However, there is never any getting above the ills and weakness of this mortal life, and there is never any radical, satisfying improvement. Our perfecting is only in Christ. And not till the manifestation of that great city of God, whose gorgeous vision closes the Word of God, will man’s dream of perfection ever be realized.
In our study of the Six Miracles of Calvary, the Apostle says, “They that are Christ’s” --- without making any exception. All belonging to Christ shall rise; all that are His out of all ages. And then He adds, “But everyone in his own order,” which he explains is “only after Christ” and only “at His coming.” Thus, how particular he is to tell that in this order he includes all, out of all the ages, who were to ever have part in that kind of resurrection.
“Hence, plainly, none of Christ’s people have had yet the spiritual immortal body, and none shall ever have it until His coming.
Those Calvary saints went forth from their graves, but only in their natural bodies revived. For the true resurrection body, they yet wait till the rising together of all of Christ’s from all the ages. No one shall antedate; (come before) no one shall be perfected before another. God has provided some better thing for us, that those things out of the Calvary graveyard shall not without us be made perfect.
“But what about Enoch and Elijah? They were “translated that they should not see death,” and have they not incorruptible and immortal bodies? The question must be met by the statement of Paul. If Enoch and Elijah at their translation received the body spiritual, then Christ Himself was not the Firstfruits nor is it true that everyone who is Christ’s out of all the ages shall so be made alive only at His coming.
“Elijah was seen with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Did not the glory of God radiate from the face of Moses when he came down from Mt. Sinai? Did not Stephen’s face before his martyrdom impress every beholder with its likeness to an angel? And did not the natural body of the Son of Man become refulgent as the sun? And even when He descended from the transfiguration---His countenance still holding the memory of that radiance—were not all the people, when they beheld Him, greatly amazed?
“Therefore, let us abide by the answer of Paul and be content. Enoch and Elijah may be now in a certain glory, although not the glory of the true resurrection condition. They still live in the natural body.” (Nicholson)
Enoch and Elijah (I believe) will return to earth as the two witnesses in Revelation to defy the anti-Christ and shall have great power over the enemies of God until permits them to be killed and lay in the street to be seen of all people of the earth. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. (Rev 11:10-11)
Even Enoch and Elijah must still be raised from the dead and given a glorified body. They will join the millions who have already been given a glorified body ahead of them. Obviously, they will not be raised from the dead at the same time everyone else has been raised. The resurrection of the dead in Christ from the Tribulation Period will experience the same kind of resurrection but at a slightly later time. Because He lives, you shall live also if you belong to Him. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MAY 4, 2017 - THURSDAY
A.M. 1Kings 8-9 P.M. Luke 23:39-56
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Memory Verse This Month:
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)
Song for Today:
Because He Lives (2:58) (George Beverly Shea)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsnWfWdVw1M
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