the promise of an inheritance in glory, let us walk in the Spirit and observe God's holy law as his adopted sons and the brethren of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ, according to the exhortation of Paul to Timothy. 'I give thee charge,' saith he, 'before God, who endueth with life all things, and the Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession; that thou keep the commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus the Christ [appearing]: which shall show in its times the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who reign, and the Lord of those who command; who only hath immortality, dwelling in a light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.' (1 Tim. 6. 13-16.)

301

CHAPTER XIV.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

'I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.' (John, 11. 25.)

I. It is announced by the prophet Daniel and by the Lord Jesus.

II. The doctrine of the resurrection of the saints is expounded by the Apostle Paul.

III. The new Jerusalem, the glorified Assembly of the Christ.

I. When the saints cease to live in the flesh their bodies return to their original dust, and their souls are taken to paradise to sleep with the Lord till the last day, when he shall bring them to the earth and awaken them from sleep and shall clothe them with incorruptible bodies, and take them up again from the earth to dwell with himself for ever in glory. This is the resurrection or the raising again of the just who believe in the Lord, who is our life, and our rest, and our hope of glory, for he hath said, 'This is his will who sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it again at the last day. For this is my Father's will, that every one that seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have everlasting life : and I will raise him again at the last day.' (John, 6. 39, 40.) The Lord Jesus is himself the first-fruits of those that

sleep; for he is the first man whom God hath awakened from the dead and taken up to heaven in a glorified body; and his resurrection is the earnest of our resurrection. Knowing,' saith the Apostle Paul, that he who awakened the Lord Jesus shall awaken us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.' (2 Cor. 4. 14. Comp. 1 Thess. 4. 14-18.) In his answer to the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, our Lord showed that the immortality of the souls of the saints was witnessed by the law of Moses. But as touching the resurrection of the dead,' said Jesus, 'have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.' (Matt. 22. 31, 32. Exod. 3. 6.)

:

But God did not clearly reveal the resurrection of the dead at the last day, till he spoke to Israel by the prophet Daniel, saying: 'And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.' (Dan. 12. 1-3.) In this prophecy Jehovah announced the Christ as the deliverer of the rebellious nation from the great tribulation at the end of the age (Acts, 3. 19-26. Rom. 11. 25, 26); when many of the children of Israel who sleep in the dust, that is, whose bodies are dead, shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt. Accordingly the resurrection of the dead was the hope of the faithful remnant of Israel (Acts, 26. 6-8); which hope was confirmed by the

Lord Jesus, who said unto his disciples: 'He that heareth my word and believeth him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man (i. e. the Christ). Marvel not at this for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto a resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto a resurrection of judgment.' (John, 5. 24-29.) In this discourse Jesus tells his faithful disciples that they have everlasting life, and that they shall not come into judgment, and that the hour was at hand when the good news should be announced to the nations, and the dead should be called to life; and, finally, that the hour was coming when all those whose bodies were dead shall come forth, some for a resurrection of life, and some for a resurrection of judgment. (Matt. 16. 18; 26. 31-46.) And speaking to Martha of the resurrection of her brother Lazarus, Jesus said: 'I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live.' (John, 11. 25.) Jesus is the resurrection, for he will awaken all who believe in him at the last day; and he is the life, for he has given his life to his brethren (John, 4. 14; 10. 28; 17.2; 6.51), which life is everlasting; and as he was glorified by the resurrection from the dead (John, 12. 23, 28; 13. 31. Acts, 2. 36. Luke, 24. 26. Rom. 1. 4), so shall we be manifested with him in glory by the resurrection at the last day. For the Christ is in us by virtue of his life which he hath given to us, and he is our hope of glory. (Col. 1. 27. 2 Thess. 2. 16, 17, 18. Eph. 1. 17, 18. 1 Tim. 1. 1. Rom. 8. 23-25.)

The prophet Daniel announced the resurrection of the people of Israel, but Jesus revealed the resurrection of the dead of all nations; for he brought everlasting life and incorruptibility to light when he was raised from the dead; for he said unto his disciples: 'Because I live, ye shall live also.' (John, 14. 19.) 'I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore; and have the keys of death and of the abode of the dead.' (Rev. 1. 18.) Therefore, saith Paul, ‘we in the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness (or of the righteous) by faith.' (Gal. 5. 5. Comp. Rom. 15. 13; Eph. 4. 14.) Knowing that God who awakened again the Lord Jesus shall awaken us also by Jesus, who is our hope of glory, at the last day.

II. The doctrine of the resurrection of the saints is expounded by the Apostle Paul.

'Now,' says Paul, if it be preached that the Christ awoke from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no awakening of the dead, then the Christ hath not been awakened : and if the Christ be not awakened, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he awakened the Christ; whom he awakened not, if so be that` the dead awake not. For if the dead awake not, then is not the Christ awakened; and if the Christ be not awakened, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also who are fallen asleep in the Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in the Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is the Christ awakened from the dead, the first-fruits of those that sleep. For since by man is death, by man is also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in the Christ shall all be made to live. But every man in his own order, the Christ the first-fruits; afterwards they that are the Christ's at his coming.' (1 Cor. 15. 12-23.)