IF A MAN DIE, SHALL HE LIVE
AGAIN?
This question is not one that is asked
now so much as it ought to be. The question that is now asked a good
deal more than it ought to be is whether man really dies-whether there
is really any such thing as death. And as it is, in the great majority
of cases, decided that man does not die, that "there is no death,
what seems so is transition," in the view that man never ceases to
live, it would not be an appropriate question at all to ask, Shall he
live again?
But, as we have abundantly shown, the
Bible considers this subject from the standpoint of the fact that man
does die; that when he is dead he is wholly unconscious, and that all
prospect of future existence depends upon an affirmative answer, from
the Word of God, to the question as to whether he shall live again. In
Job 14:14 is written the question to which we have here referred,
"If a man die, shall he live again?" And in Isaiah 26:19 we have
the direct answer to the question: "Thy dead men shall live,
together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that
dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth
shall cast out the dead."
The only hope of future life which the
Word of God presents is in the resurrection of the dead. This is the
hope of the righteous; it is the Christian’s hope. Paul, in discussing
this subject of the resurrection of the dead, proves first that Christ
is risen, and then says: "Now if Christ be preached that He rose
from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of
the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ
not risen; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and
your faith is also vain." 1 Corinthians 15:12-14. It is evident that there
were some at Corinth, even as there are some now, who professed to
believe in Christ, and at the same time believed not in the resurrection
of the dead. But Paul settles that at once by saying, "If there be
no resurrection of the dead," your faith in Christ is vain. This
proves plainly that our hope and faith in Christ meet their fruition
only at and by the resurrection of the dead.
This is so important that the Spirit of
God, by the apostle, repeats it. Again he says: "If the dead rise
not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith
is vain; ye are yet in your sins." Here it is declared that to deny
the resurrection of the dead is to deny the resurrection of Christ, is
to leave the professed believer yet in his sins; and therefore it
subverts the gospel and the salvation of Christ. This is followed by
another most important conclusion, and that is, If the dead rise not,
"then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are
perished." It would be impossible to more forcibly show that all
hope of future life depends upon the resurrection of the dead. If there
be no resurrection of the dead, then the dead are perished. And this is
stated, not of the wicked dead, but of the righteous dead, "they
also which are fallen asleep in Christ," even these have perished
if there be no resurrection of the dead. In verse 32, this is repeated
in another form: "If after the manner of men I have fought with
beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us
eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
Such argument as that is very seldom
heard in these our days. The argument now is, What advantageth it us to
practice the life of Christian self-denial if the soul be not immortal?
What advantageth it us to do these things if we do not go to heaven when
we die? And so it is sung,—
"Oh, you must be a lover of the
Lord,
Or you can’t go to heaven when you die!"
The truth is that, though you be a
lover of the Lord, you can’t go to heaven when you die, but you can go
at the resurrection of the dead; and that is at the coming of the Lord.
For so it is written: "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the
first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming."
Verses 22, 23. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and
the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians
4:16, 17.
"So" means "in this manner." In this manner it is
that we go to heaven. In this manner we meet the Lord.
The hope of life by Christ, at the
resurrection of the dead, is the hope in which Paul lived, the hope in
which he exercised himself, the hope which he preached. When he stood
before the council, he said: "I am a Pharisee, the son of a
Pharisee; of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in
question." Acts 23:6. And afterward, when he answered his accusers
before Felix, he said; "I have hope toward God, which they
themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead,
both of the just and unjust. … Let these same here say, if they have
found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council, except it
be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the
resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day."
Acts 24:15-21. Again, when he stood before Agrippa, he said: "And
now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto
our fathers; unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God
day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am
accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with
you, that God should raise the dead?" Acts 26:6-8.
Now put these things together: (a) He
stood and was judged for the hope of the promise made of God. (b) This
was the promise made unto the fathers. (c) Unto this promise the twelve
tribes-all Israel-hope to come. (d) For this hope he was accused of the
Jews. (e) But he was accused-called in question-of the Jews,
"touching the resurrection of the dead." (f) Therefore the
hope of the promise of God, made unto the fathers, is the hope of the
promise of the resurrection of the dead. (g) This is made emphatic by
his question to Agrippa, "Why should it be thought a thing
incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" When Paul was
at Athens, "he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection."
Acts 17:18.
Therefore it is plainly proved that the
hope which God has set before us in Christ and His blessed gospel, is
the hope of the resurrection from the dead unto everlasting life and
eternal glory. And as this resurrection all depends upon the glorious
appearing of our Saviour, therefore the second coming of our Saviour is
inseparably connected with this, the Christian’s "blessed
hope." Thus saith the Lord: "The grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and
godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
Titus 2:11-13.
This is that for which Job looked. He
says: "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my
change come." Job 14:14. This change is at the resurrection, for
says Paul, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump." 1
Corinthians
15:51,52. Again says Job: "If I wait, the grave is mine house; I
have made my bed in the darkness. … And where is now my hope?"
Chap. 17:13-15. Here it is: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and
that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after
my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom
I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not a stranger.
My reins within me are consumed with earnest desire for that day."
Chap. 19:25-27, margin.
Time and space would fail us to quote
the words of this hope, expressed by David, and Isaiah, and Jeremiah,
and Ezekiel, and Daniel, and Hosea, and Micah, and all the prophets and
apostles. We can only cite again the words that this is the hope of the
promise made of God unto our fathers, unto which promise we instantly
serving God day and night hope to come. Why should it be thought a thing
incredible that God should raise the dead? The righteous dead shall live
again, at the coming of the Lord, and therefore we look and anxiously
wait for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus.
Like faithful Job, our reins within us are consumed with earnest desire
for that glorious day. And as He assures us, "Surely I come
quickly," our hearts reply, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord
Jesus."
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