The Day of Christ 6
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (I Thessalonians 4:14)
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again." Our hope of being reunited with our deceased loved ones is based solidly on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the Lord Jesus returned to life as a real, identifiable Person, able to eat the fish and the honeycomb, being solid flesh and bones, we know beyond all doubt that we shall see our deceased loved ones again as living, identifiable individuals.
"Them also which sleep in Jesus." What does it mean to "sleep in Jesus"? It means to die physically while one is abiding in the Lord. If we die physically while we are not abiding in Christ we are not sleeping in Jesus.
It is one matter to "accept" Christ in the sense of assenting to a theologically correct concept of Jesus as the Lord and Savior of men. It is quite another matter to accept Christ truly and to live and walk in Him in the Spirit of God.
The parable of the ten virgins is a warning to us concerning the Day of Christ and of the division between those who merely are correct in their doctrine and those who are full of the Presence of the living Jesus.
Each of the ten was a "virgin," that is, a Christian. Each had her lamp, her testimony concerning the truth of Christ.
But only five had sufficient "oil," that is, the eternal Life of Jesus dwelling in them. Only these five went in with the Bridegroom to the marriage.
To be "sleeping in Jesus" is to have not only the lamp of truth but also the oil of the Spirit that keeps the lamp shining. We must worship Christ not only in truth but also in the Spirit of God. Apart from the oil of the Spirit, the lamp of the Word will not shine. The letter without the Spirit kills.
By "having the Spirit of God" we do not mean that the believer speaks in tongues. The writer speaks in tongues. Being filled with the Spirit is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit, not by speaking in tongues as valuable as tongues are to the believer. Many believers speak in tongues who are not filled with the Spirit of God. Their lives reveal clearly they are not abiding in the Lord Jesus.
It is our point of view that those who are sleeping in Jesus consist not only of the saints of the new covenant but also the saints of the old covenant. All will come forth in the Day of Christ.
But how could the saints of the old covenant be saved in Christ? It is possible because the Gospel was preached to them in the spirit world.
For for this cause (in order that all might be judged on the same basis) was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (I Peter 4:6)
That the old-covenant saints will appear with the new covenant saints was demonstrated on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Mount of Transfiguration was a preview of the Day of Christ.
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Matthew 16:28)
Six days after stating this, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up into a high mountain. The preview of the coming of the Kingdom of God, which will occur in the Day of Christ, included Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John. This is one reason why we believe that those who sleep in Jesus include the saints of both covenants.
Another interesting episode concerning the old-covenant saints took place at the time of Christ’s resurrection when "many bodies of the saints which slept arose" and appeared to people in Jerusalem (Matthew 27:52,53).
It is the saints, the holy ones, both of the old covenant and the new covenant, who will be raised in the Day of Christ. This does not include the lukewarm, casual professors of Christ who are so abundant today. They may subscribe to correct doctrine but they will not be raised in the Day of Christ because there is not enough eternal life dwelling in them.
It is the army of Christ that will be raised, because the Day of Christ is the time of the Battle of Armageddon.
"Will God bring with Him." This is the return of the saints in glory spoken of so many times in the Scriptures:
. . . and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:5)
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)
Who will see the saints when they appear with Christ? Everyone will see them, and seeing, the world will believe.
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (II Thessalonians 1:10)
The nations of the earth will behold the Glory of God in Christ in the saints and they will believe that it is God who has sent Christ.
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:21)
When the sons of God are revealed together with Christ the creation will be set free from the bondage of corruption:
For the earnest expectation of the creature (creation) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19)
The Day of Christ is the Day of Resurrection of the saints. It is the raising of God’s army from the dead:
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. (Ezekiel 37:10)
The army of Christ will accompany Christ at His coming. The saints will execute the Divine judgment on all sinners—human and angelic:
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 1:14,15)
This is the time of the possessing of the Kingdom of God by the saints.
God will permit Antichrist to make war against the saints and to overcome them. But Antichrist will be destroyed by the appearing of Christ with the saints as they descend from Heaven to assume the rulership of the world:
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:21,22)
At their appearing the soldiers of Christ will be riding God’s war horses:
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:14)
It is an honor to be chosen to return with Christ in the Day of the Lord:
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14)
Even the Lord’s own people will tremble because of the fierceness and majesty of the Lord Jesus when He appears from Heaven with His army:
When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. (Habakkuk 3:16)
When Christ descends from heaven in the clouds He will shout for the battle:
And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:11)
All who have died in the Lord, from the beginning of the creation of mankind to the time of His appearing, will return with the Lord Jesus to set up the Kingdom of God on the earth.
Many of these who will return, such as Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Malachi, John the Baptist, Paul, Peter, and multitudes of saints whose names we do not know, have been dead for hundreds or thousands of years. They are familiar with the ways of Heaven. But their bodies, as far as we know, are still sleeping in the ground.
What have they been doing while they are with Christ in Heaven? Perhaps they have been planning with Him the setting up of the Kingdom of God on the earth:
And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30,31)
The establishing of the Kingdom of God on the earth requires a carefully planned military campaign and numerous political considerations and decisions. After the Battle of Armageddon has been concluded the assigned rulers and governors will be dispersed (no doubt with angelic armies) to every nation, village, and tribe on the earth. Every ruler and angel warrior will know precisely what to do.
Zion is being prepared for battle and for the rule of Christ in the earth.
When Jesus appears, in the Day of Christ, His kings, governors, rulers, priests, generals, angel warriors, executives, counselors, and so forth will descend from Heaven with Him.
Many of these dignitaries are so endued with Divine glory that they are as great mountains of fire, huge weights of glory that will make the sun by comparison seem as a flickering candle.
God’s kings and priests are returning to earth to bring forth their own bodies from the grave, just as the Lord Jesus brought forth His own body from the grave, and then to confront those who are working wickedness and rebellion in the earth.
This will be a frightful hour for the sinners in the earth, including the "Christians" who have the mark of the Beast in their head or in their hand. These are "believers" who name the name of Christ but who are part of the present world system. They want Christ to "cover" them as they continue to "eat their own bread and wear their own clothes" (Isaiah 4:1).