Truth Magazine

By Lee Forsythe

Fifty-two percent of France does not believe in heaven., Eleven percent of Americans do not either. That percentage increases with a college education (23%), but, interestingly, decreases as people grow older (10%). Many are too occupied with the “here” to give much thought to the “hereafter.” But heaven is a necessary inspiration to us, an encouragement to persist through sickness, financial problems, and even death. Let us notice what heaven is and then discuss who will be there.

Heaven is a perfect place. When the apostles were stunned by Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s denial, Judas’ betrayal, and his own impending death, Jesus told them of a better place. “Stop letting your hearts be troubled; keep on believing in God, and also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places; if there were not, I would have told you, for I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make it ready for you, I will come back and take you to be face to face with me, so that you may always be right where I am” (John 14:1-3, Charles Williams). Some believe that heaven is on earth or a state of mind, but Jesus was leaving earth  “I go” to prepare a “place.” His words offered stability to the apostles even when their world was falling apart. Heaven would only help by believing deeply (notice “believe” in vv. 1 [2x’s], 10, 11 [2x’s], 12, 29), “believe not only in certain doctrines, but in Jesus himselfin him as able to carry out every promise that he has made.”, They could have peace because of their ultimate victory in heaven.

Heaven is a permanent place. When Jesus spoke of the idea of heaven he often used the phrase “everlasting life”, and “eternal life. It is more than quantity of life, because the wicked will suffer “everlasting punishment” (Matt. 26:46). It is quantity plus the quality of living life as God intended, to the fullest extent possible. Although eternal life is a present possession (Jn. 3:36, “has everlasting life”), it will be fully realized in heaven. A place where we will not be pilgrims (1 Pet. 2:11), nor does it “fade not away” (1 Pet. 1: 4). It will be our “homeland” (Heb. 11:15) forever. We will not be upset by houses failing to sell, furniture being scratched or broken, and, most importantly, saying heartbreaking goodbyes.

Heaven is a place where we will have a perfect body. Who cannot identify with Paul as he cries out, “0 wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7: 24) Paul is not saying that the body, per se, is evil, but that Satan uses the desires of the body to try to destroy us. As Jesus said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). Paul continues in Romans 8:23, ” … even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (cf. v. 11). In heaven our glorified bodies will be like Jesus (Phil. 3:20-21). Our “spiritual bodies” (1 Cor. 14:42-49) will be incorruptible (not subject to decay or sickness), glorious (as opposed to dishonor), and powerful (contrasted with the weakness of the fleshly body). It is comforting to think we will never have to go to a doctor, suffer the limits of old age, or finally “wear out.” Our bodies will be perfectly suited for eternity.

Heaven will be a place of perfect fellowship. Although the word “heaven” is used some 284 times in the New Testament, only about 15 speak of heaven as our future abode.’ Most of the “heaven” references are to the air where the birds fly, the place of the stars, the dwelling place of God and his angels, or in the phrase “kingdom of heaven” (31 times). Instead of “heaven” the Bible often uses the concept of being with God. This “face to face” relationship is the best part of the “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20, 19:21, Lk. 12:33; Heb. 10:34). A place without people is not home. A while back I visited my grandparent’s old home place. They had been dead for years, but the house still stood. The giant oak that we spent many evenings under was still there. Wonderful memories came to mind. But memories are not as good as being with my grandparents. This is what makes heaven special. We will have intimate fellowship with God. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev. 21: 3).

Who Will Be In Heaven?

Infants will be in heaven. When David had lost his child he said, “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (2 Sam. 12: 23). Some would suggest that David was talking about the grave, but why would this console David? David clearly anticipated being with God after death (Psa. 17:15; especially 16: 10) and, thus, he would be reunited with his child. This thought has comforted many a grieving parent, including my wife and me. Several years ago we stood and watched our daughter of six and a half weeks die of congestive heart failure. The pain was intense, but we knew Lana would never feel another needle, experience pain, or cry a single tear. She would be with God.

Young children will be in heaven. Paul claimed that he “was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Rom. 7:9). There was a time when Paul was innocent, incapable of understanding God’s law (Mosaical). But when he reached the age where he could understand, he died spiritually. The “age of accountability” is dependent upon the maturity level of the child. If one dies before he reaches that age, he will go to heaven.

The mentally incompetent will be in heaven. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”(Matt. 28: 19). “Discipline” involves teaching. One must be able to comprehend the gospel and believe in Jesus (John 8:24). Without faith, baptism is merely a dunking in water (John 3:5). A special problem arises with those who are mentally competent but put off obedience unto God. Then some tragedy occurs and they lose their mental competency. They would be judged for the time they were “accountable” (2 Cor. 5: 10).

The redeemed who remain faithful will be in heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way (both the revealer and the redeemer), the truth (reliable, trustworthy), and the life (spiritual life). No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). By the blood of Jesus we are redeemed (Eph. 1:7) and made fit for the kingdom of God. It is only because of this forgiveness that we can have fellowship with a perfect God (Rom. 3:25-26; 1 John 1:5). A person does not need money, education, or to be of a particular nationality to go to heaven. He only needs a humble (Matt. 5:3), receptive heart (Lk. 8:15) that is willing to obey the word of God (Matt. 7:24-25). Although only a few are willing to obey (Matt. 7:14), John depicts heaven as “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Rev. 7:9). Imagine how incredible it will be to stand with that group!

But heaven is not for everyone. Some might say with Machiavelli, “I desire to go to Hell, not to Heaven. In Hell I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings, and princes, but in Heaven are only beggars, monks, hermits, and apostles.”. No, he will not enjoy hell and heaven is far more that he envisions. It is the most wonderful place we could imagine (Rev. 21 & 22) with the best people whoever lived (Matt. 8:11; Heb. 12:22-24). Yet the best part is that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, along with all the heavenly hosts, will be there. It is no wonder that Paul would write, “For we who are in this tent (physical body) groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed (spirit without the body), but further clothed (spiritual body), that mortality may be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor. 5:4).

If we are troubled or afraid, let us meditate more deeply on heaven and receive the peace that Jesus promised (John 14:27). Problems, the apostles learned, were “light . . . for a moment,” but they work “for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). Let us not be satisfied with a description of heaven, but let us live that we may experience heaven. Heaven inspired the apostles. May it inspire us as well.

Footnotes

Rosten, Leo. Religions Of America. New York: Simon and Schuster (1975), pp. 341-342.

Charles Spurgeon. The Treasury Of The Bible, Grand Rap-ids: Baker (1981), VI, p. 511.

Matt. 19:29; Lk. 18:30; In. 3:16; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27, 40, 47; 12:50.

Matt. 25: 46; Mk. 10:30; In. 3:15, 36; 5:39; 6:54; 10:28; 12:25; 17:2, 3.

Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, pg. 595: Phil. 3:20; Lk. 10:20; Heb. 12:23; 2 Cor. 5:1; Matt. 5: 12; Lk. 6:23; Matt. 6:20; Lk. 12:33; Col. 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:4; Lk. 19: 38; Rev. 3:12; 21:2, 10. To these Thayer (465) would add: Matt. 19:21; Mk. 10:21; Lk. 18:22; Heb. 10:34.

Quoted by Bergan Evans, Dictionary of Quotations, 310, supposedly on his deathbed. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975, pp. 341-342.

Guardian of Truth XL: 1 p. 20-21
January 4, 1996

By Brooks Cochran

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (NASB)

Paul, in answering the charges made against him by false teachers and brethren in Corinth, declares that, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature”; the old things have passed away and “new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). The particular change, of which he had just spoken; i.e., knowing “no man according to the flesh” (2 Cor. 5:16), is one indication that a transformation has taken place in “any man” who is “in Christ.” At one time, in the days before his con-version, Paul judged Jesus by external standards in the light of the teaching he received from Gamaliel and thus concluded that Jesus of Galilee was not the Messiah (Acts 22:3; Phil. 3:4; Acts 26:9). Now he no longer judges Jesus by such standards. He is a “new creature” old things have passed away and all things have become new. Likewise, it was time for the Corinthians to quit judging him in much the same way. They were placing too much emphasis on externals and should have been emphasizing the spiritual. They were Paul’s “letter, written in” his heart, “known and read by all men; . . . written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God” (2 Cor. 3:2-3).

Many, as the Corinthians, fail to grasp the significance of what it means to be in Christ and the transformation of life and character that goes with such change. Upon examination of this passage one can learn some truths that will help him appreciate and understand what it means to be “in Christ.”

The text emphasizes: 1. The Universality Of The Gospel (“If any Man”); 2. The Location Of The New Life And Relationship (“In Christ”); and 3. The Standard One Is To Follow Once He Makes The Decision To Come Into Christ (“He is A New Creation; The Old Things Have Passed Away; Behold New Things Have Come”).

“If Any Man”

Though Paul is directing his remarks to a specific group of individuals, those designated as being “in Christ,” his words infer that any person can become a member of this group. The group may be limited in number, but the invitation to join is universal. This invitation was extended by the apostles in their “ministry of reconciliation” as they preached the “word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18-19). Today their word has been left for us in permanent form on the pages of the New Testament.

While the invitation is extended through the “word of reconciliation” one must make a conscious choice as to whether or not they will accept the offer to “be reconciled to” and “receive the grace of God,” namely, the forgiveness of their sins (2 Cor. 5:20; 6:1). In Romans 5:1, 2 one is said to obtain their “introduction by faith into this grace” and as a result has “peace with God.” Such actions on the part of an individual infer a change of heart.

But more than a change of heart is involved. There must also be a change of relationship. I.B. Grubbs, in Exegetical Analysis of The Epistles, states that, “It is a very prevalent error to regard a change of heart as constituting the whole of regeneration. It is, indeed, a fundamental requisite apart from which there can be no new creation. But more is embraced according to the conception of Paul in this and other passages. . . . A change of position or spiritual relationship must follow a change of disposition.” (110)

“Be in Christ”

This change of relationship occurs when one comes “into Christ.” When one submits to the will of God and is immersed in water for the remission of his sins he is brought into this union with Christ and enters a new relationship (Gal. 3:26, 27). He is now reconciled to God “through the death of’ Christ and no longer considered an “enemy” (Rom. 5:10).

Reconciliation with God is possible only for those “in Christ,” since he is the means by which one is made accept-able to God the Father. They will be “saved from the wrath of God” that will be poured out on all unbelievers at the judgment (Rom. 5:9; John 3:36; 1 Thess. 5:9). It is this latter group that has been “destined” for this fate.

One chooses his destiny; either by electing to be among those “predestined to be conformed to the image of” Christ and “glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30), or those that will experience God’s wrath. God allows men to exercise their free will; but they will have to accept the consequences of their choice. That is why the apostles extended the invitation to “be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).

“A New Creature”

When one has been reconciled to God he is described as being “a new creature” or “a new creation.” He is now a product of God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10). Old things have passed away, new things have come. In the words of Isaiah: “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new” (43:18-19). In commenting on this passage, Hailey states that “the people are urged to cease looking to and appealing to the past (except to learn from its examples and warnings), and to look to the future instead” (Homer Halley, Commentary On Isaiah, 365).

There is the tendency for many “new creatures” in Christ to look back to the past and long for their former manner of life. Such thoughts and desires must be expelled from the mind. Paul forgot what was behind him in his life in the Jews religion and reached “forward” and pressed “on to-ward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). So too, the “new creature” must not entangle himself in the defilements “of the world” of which he has “escaped” (2 Peter 2:20). Such a step back-ward indicates a lack or love and appreciation for the new found blessings “in Christ.”

Conclusion

The world, being under the power and control of Satan (1 John 5:19), does not and cannot make a man “new.” It is the desire of Satan for a man to keep “the old self’ and continue to be “corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit” (Eph. 4:22). One day there will be “new heavens and new earth” (2 Peter 3:13), but it will only be populated by those that are new creatures in Christ. Therefore, it would be in the interest of our soul to become a new creature in Christ and remain faithful to him during the time of our stay on this earth so we might inhabit the “new heavens and new earth” (heaven) with him.

Guardian of Truth XL: 1 p. 17-18
January 4, 1996

By Grover Stevens

The Bible is the Living Word of the Living God. Jehovah, the God of the Bible, is the only “God” known to man that is eternally living, intelligent, all-knowing, holy and righteous, and he alone knows the future and is able to “declare the end from the beginning” (Isa. 46:10). His Word, the Bible, the Word of God is just as living, eternal, all-knowing, holy and righteous as the person of God (Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet.1:23). Prophecy, and particularly the prophecies of the Messiah, is one of the two greatest miracles since the creation of the world, and it, together with the resurrection of Christ from the dead as an historical fact, is the most conclusive and convincing of all proofs for the existence of God, the deity of Christ, and the divine inspiration of the Bible. The resurrection is not only an historical fact, but also has its place in prophecy. The “law and the prophets” refer to the writings of the Old Testament (Luke 19:26). There are specific prophecies foretelling the coming of Christ, but also the coming of Christ is the heart and soul of Old Testament, just as the Second Coming of Christ is the basic message of the New Testament. We hear the apostle Peter as he declares, “Jesus Christ . . . which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). The Lord Jesus said, “. . . 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); and “search the scriptures, for . . . they testify of Me” (John 5:39).

Bible prophecies concerning the coming of Christ are the most numerous, most prominent, most specific, most extended over time, and most remote from their fulfillment, of all the prophecies ever made, thus the decided distinction of the Bible and Christ over all other books and religions.

Over 300 prophecies about the Messiah (Greek: Christ; Hebrew: Messiah) have been identified in the “Law and the Prophets,” all made from the first book in the “law” to the last book in the “prophets,” made between 1500 B.C. and 400 B.C., and all fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth in the first century A.D.  400 years after the last prophecy. Dr. A.T. Pierson says, “One might almost as well expect by accident to dip up any one particular drop out of the ocean as to expect so many prophetic rays to converge by chance upon one man, in one place, at one time. God has put especially upon these prophecies as to His Son the stamp of absolute verity and indisputable certainty, so that we may know whom we have believed. Mistakes in so solemn a matter are (eternally) fatal, and God meant that none should be possible” (God’s Living Oracles, see “The Law” on p. 26 quoted in All The Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, Herbert Lockyer, p.17, Zondervan, 1973). Every prophecy concerning Christ has been fulfilled except his second Coming, the end of the world, destruction of death, resurrection and judgment. No man can name one prophecy concerning Christ that Jesus did not fulfill. How foolish of the Jewish people to ignore this phenomenal fact.

Sometimes the prophecies of Christ seem to be contradictory, but not so. Many of the prophecies represent him as a triumphant king and conqueror (as David was), whose dominion would be universal, and who would flourish in righteousness and peace forever; while others portray him as one despised and rejected, full of sorrow and grief, with-out esteem, oppressed and afflicted, yet meek and forbearing, as cut off out of the land of the living, and as pouring out his soul unto death. But, however great the seeming inconsistency, there is an exact fulfillment of both characters in Jesus Christ, and in no other person who ever lived. Misunderstanding of those prophecies dealing with the conquering king and his worldwide rule of righteousness and peace form the basis for the false concepts of the ancient Jews and modern Zionists and non-Jewish Millennialists. Millennialists apply the same prophecies to the second coming of Christ that the Jews do to the first. Both have missed the true meaning of these and other prophecies.

In this study we will only be able to look briefly at a few of the most remarkable of these striking prophecies. It is plain from a casual reading of the Scriptures that they fore-tell the coming of a distinguished person who was to be Savior and Lord, as is expressed by the Samaritan woman in John 4:25. This personage was to be “the seed of woman” (a virgin); the “seed of Abraham in whom all nations should be blessed”; “from the tribe of Judah”; from the “seed of David according to the flesh,” yet God was to be his father and he was to be the Son of God; a “king” whom God would “set upon His holy hill of Zion” on the “throne of David” in spite of raging opposition of the people and rulers who made a “covenant with death” to prevent it; a “Prince of Peace” whose rule would be “forever”; a prophet like Moses (a deliverer and lawgiver); a “priest forever after the order of Melchizedek”; “the anointed one” or ” Messiah; the righteous Branch”; “the corner stone”; “the Shepherd of Israel”, etc.; even the fact that he would be “from everlasting” (Mic.5:2).

There were prophecies of his birth; the time and place of his birth; descriptive names he would bear; of his character and work; of his dual nature of both God and man (God with us, Isa. 9:7); of his death and resurrection. Scores of prophecies concerning the Messiah and his coming, nature and work are to be found in a host of TYPE and SYMBOL throughout the law and the prophets.

God’s promise and prophecy of a Savior was first given as soon as a Savior was needed, back in the Garden of Eden when sin first entered into the world bringing death (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12; 6:23; etc.). In pronouncing the sentence of death upon Adam and Eve, God continued by saying, “And I will put enmity between thee (the serpent/ Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it (seed of woman) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). “Seed of woman” refers to the virgin birth of the Savior. Isaiah, reaffirming this fact, said, “The Lord shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). The only person in the history of the world that was born of the “seed of woman,” and not the seed of man and woman as all other people have been since Adam and Eve, was Jesus Christ. Seven hundred years later Matthew and Luke tell us that this “sign” was given (prophecy fulfilled) when Jesus was born of the virgin Mary (1:23, 34-35), and the apostle Paul refers to this prophecy in saying, “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman . . . that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal.4:4). Further, this “seed” was to be called Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” How foolish of some, even today, to contend that Jesus Christ was not God while he was in the flesh. Further, the fact that woman has seed was written by Moses over 3000 years before it was discovered by modern science. Satan bruised Christ’s heel when he was crucified; and Christ bruised the serpent’s (Satan’s) head when he was resurrected from the dead (Heb. 2:14-15; Rev. 1:18).

The genealogies given in Matthew and Luke show that both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David and there-fore God’s prophecies regarding Christ being of the “seed of woman” and the “seed of David according to the flesh” was literally fulfilled in spite of the fact that the royal line of David had fallen into obscurity for the past five hundred years (Acts 15:15-17). In his summary of the Bible, the Risen Christ declares “I am the root and offspring of David” (Rev. 22:16).

God further promised David that while he was “sleeping in his tomb . . . that He would set up his seed in his kingdom on his throne forever” (2 Sam. 7:12-14). God was careful to specify that the particular “seed of David” whose kingdom and throne he would establish forever was one to whom “I (God) will be His Father, and He shall be My Son.” This prophecy is quoted by the God- inspired writer of the book of Hebrews and there declares to have been fulfilled “when He (Christ) had by himself purged our sins (died on the cross for our sins), and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb.1:3-5). And this is precisely what the Holy Spirit inspired apostle Peter says in Acts 2. Peter says, “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day.” (Hence, David’s body is in the grave, sleeping with his fathers). “Therefore being a prophet (inspired of God), and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him (David), that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh (that is, seed out of his fleshly body), He (God) would raise up Christ to sit on his (David’s) throne; He (David) seeing this (that God would raise up Christ to sit on his throne  He seeing this) before spake of the resurrection of Christ, (when he said in Psalm 16 which Peter had just quoted, v. 27) “that His soul was not left in hell (hades), neither His flesh did see corruption.” David had also referred to this promise of God to him in Psalm 132.

Now good people, there you have it, clearly stated, from an inspired apostle of the resurrected Christ! That Christ was resurrected to sit on David’s throne as prophesied by God some thousand years earlier. That this prophecy was fulfilled by Christ when he was resurrected “to sit on David’s throne” is too plain to misunderstand. Too bad for the Millennialists that Peter and David said that God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-14 referred to the resurrection of Christ, and not to the second Coming of Christ. And, Peter’s conclusion in verses 33 to 35 clinches this point beyond all argument: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted (Christ was then, and is now, “exalted” on David’s throne), and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He (Christ) hath shed forth this which you now see and hear (the Holy Spirit). For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord (God the Father) said unto my Lord (Christ), Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make Thy foes Thy footstool.” Here the inspired Apostle Peter tells us that Christ was then, is now, and will continue “being by the right hand of God … exalted … sitting on David’s throne . . . until God makes His foes His footstool,” that is, till the end of time. Referring to this same prophecy, the Divinely inspired Apostle Paul says, “For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet, and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor.15:25-26). The “sitting” and the “reigning” are coextensive. Christ began reigning on David’s throne when he began sitting on David’s throne, and he will sit and reign on David’s throne until the last enemy, death, is destroyed, and that will be at the second coming of Christ which will be the end of time (1 Cor. 15:23-26, 51-55). Furthermore, when Peter says, “And having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Spirit” he is saying that Christ had already,  at that time, the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when Christ was “raised up to sit on his (David’s) throne,” that Christ had already  received this promise  that is, the promise that the Holy Spirit made through Nathan the prophet to David as we read in 2 Samuel 7:12-14.

Peter’s sermon on Pentecost also shows the fulfillment of many other prophecies concerning the coming Christ, such as Psalm 2 (See: Acts 2:23; 4:25; 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5); Psalm 110 (See: Heb. 5-7, note: 5:5-6); Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-12 (See: Rom. 15:12, Acts 15:16-19; Eph.3:4-6; Rom. 11:5; John 1:17; Eph. 3:26-29); Isaiah 28:14-18 (See: Acts 2:23; 4:25-28; 1 Pet. 2:4-10; Rom. 9:33); Isaiah 2:2-4 (See: Acts 2:17; Luke 24:46-47; Eph. 2:13-22); Dan. 2:44; etc.

The betrayal, trial, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ were foretold in such detail that unbelievers refuse to believe that these prophecies were written 400 to a thou-sand years before the fact. There is plenty of evidence that these books were written at the time assigned to them, but the fact that a translation of these books, known as the Septuagint, was made between 285 and 247 B.C., more than 250 years before Christ came, makes it absolutely certain that they are given by divine inspiration, so why argue over just how many more years before their fulfillment that they were written. Indeed, the “law and the prophets” point to the coming of Christ.

Guardian of Truth XL: 1 p. 2
January 4, 1996

By Thaxter Dickey

I am a Christian because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Some, even among Christians, might find that statement dogmatic; but I am in good company. It was on this basis that Thomas called Jesus “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). It is to this fact that the early preaching of the apostles pointed (Acts 2:24; 3:14-15; 4:10, 33; 17:18, 32; Rom. 1:4; 2 Tim. 2:8). And Paul says that if it is not true then his preaching is in vain and our faith is also vain (I Cor 15:14).

The resurrection is the central fact of Scripture. It is the uniqueness of Christianity. This is illustrated in the oft told, perhaps apocryphal, story of a Moslem and a Christian discussing the relative value of Mohammed and Jesus as prophets. The Moslem said, “We can make a journey to Mecca to view the grave of our prophet. All you Christian’s have is an empty tomb.” The Christian’s reply: “Exactly.” Exactly, this empty tomb has changed the world.

Consequences and Meaning of the Resurrection

The resurrection shows God’s approval of Jesus and his life. God said, “This is my Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” Time and time again God showed his approval of his only begotten Son in words and signs; but the resurrection is the ultimate stamp of approval (Acts 2:22-24).

The resurrection gave meaning to Christ’s death. Lots of men die for what they believe. Many are even good men. But none has had the same power over the lives of others. Auguste Comte, the French philosopher, was discussing the future with Thomas Carlyle, the Scottish essayist. He said that he was going to start a new religion that would sup-plant the religion of Christ. “Very good, Mr. Comte,” Carlyle replied, “very good. All you will need to do will be to speak as never a man spake, and live as never a man lived, and be crucified, and rise again the third day, and get the world to believe that you are still alive. Then your religion will have a chance to get on.” The power of the gospel message of the atonement of the cross is in the resurrection.

The resurrection makes his promises certain and teachings authoritative. How could we believe Jesus’ promises if he had died just as any other man. When Peter says it was impossible for death to hold him (Acts 2:32-36), we say amen and every knee must bow and every tongue must confess that he is Lord. If he had been wrong about this, our confidence in him would be undermined but instead with his resurrection we are brought to believe all that he said.

The resurrection gives meaning to his promise to return. At his ascension the angels said he will return as you’ve seen him leave (Acts 1:6-11). Death was not the end of his life as with other men. Death was but a pause before his victorious resurrection and triumphant return to the Father. And we know that if he ascended, then he comes again.

It was the resurrection that gave the disciples the boldness to preach. They were a dispirited and scattered band after the crucifixion until he came to them and said “peace.” Read again of the disciples who were leaving Jerusalem in discouragement but whose hearts burned within them as they returned to Jerusalem after witnessing the resurrected Lord ( Luke 24:13-53).

The resurrection of Christ testifies of the certainty of our own resurrection. It thus frees us of the power of the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15). Where else but in the resurrection of Jesus do we learn of the hope of which Paul speaks in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14 with which we are to comfort one another in times of loss?

It gives a reason to live righteously for it gives reality to the concept of a final judgment. One of Plato’s thought puzzles in the Republic was the story of a man who found a ring that made him invisible so that he could do whatever he wanted and avoid punishment. The question he was considering was whether a man will live righteously if he can escape punishment. Many ask that question today, thinking that punishment does not reduce crime; but for many the threat of punishment is the only means of securing right behavior. It is true that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we are holy as he is holy; but ultimately without the certainly of an eternal judgment, which is made possible by the concept of the general resurrection which is made possible by the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no fairness, no justice, no motivation to live righteously.

Thus the enemies of the cross rightly see the resurrection as the crux of the matter. If they can cause men to doubt it, then the life and death of Jesus has no power. In fact Paul says, “If Jesus be not raised then our preaching is in vain.” If he is not raised, then his teachings are not trustworthy; the atoning power of his death is a fiction; we have no more authoritative word about the resurrection than that of charlatans, pseudo-spiritualists, and mediums and there is no reason not to be pragmatic and selfish. But if he was raised, then every knee must bow and every tongue must proclaim him as Lord. And so the Devil has exerted all his wiles to bemuse the minds of men and a number of objections have been raised by the enemies of Christ.

Objections to the Resurrection

Veracity of Scripture. Obviously any challenge to the resurrection is a challenge to Scripture since Scripture so clearly teaches that Jesus rose from the grave on the third day. Many will argue that the Scriptures are not historical documents, merely human fabrications, and thus the resurrection of Jesus is also mere fiction. But any discussion of this topic is beyond the scope of this article. Instead our attention will be directed to those theories that give some credence to the Bible accounts and still attempt to deny the resurrection.

The Body is Still in the Tomb Theories

Mistaken tomb theory. Some argue that the Bible accounts of the resurrection are based on a simple mistake: the women went to the wrong tomb. After all, the argument goes, it was late in the evening when they saw the tomb and they had only seen it at a distance. I think this poor sense of direction and these poor powers of observation are a modem and a scholarly overlay on the ancient stories. It is we moderns (and scholars especially) who pay little personal attention to the location or appearance of a location important to us and instead depend upon official maps to arrive where we intend. Besides what about the guard? Were they at the wrong tomb too? Why did they report the same thing to the chief priests? And if the women went to the wrong tomb, why did it have the stone rolled away and grave clothes left inside? And how improbable that Mary would meet a gardener at exactly that time who said such ambiguous things as to confuse her into thinking him the resurrected Christ. These improbabilities are preferable to the miracle of the resurrection only to those who refuse to accept miracles as a matter of their materialist assumptions.

Spiritual resurrection theory. Others argue that the tomb wasn’t empty; that what occurred was a spiritual resurrection  a resurrected hope in the minds of the disciples. The major problem with this alternative theory is that it is not consistent with the psychology of men. It could only be seriously considered in a time in which we have so lost touch with human nature that we believe bizarre theories of the human mind and have an excessive and misplaced faith in the power of subjective experience over objective facts. It is a theory that could have currency only among people who are factually challenged (to use the phrase that Cal Thomas used in a recent article in reference to politics), who, as many today do, believe their own pet theories so that they will abandon facts. (the very thing that they accuse Christians of). For example, in the area of politics and history some say the holocaust never happened; some say that America was the aggressor in WWII; some say that Egyptians were blacks. Just so in religion some say that the resurrection was a spiritual one. Factually challenged in-deed or living in a virtual reality (to use Thomas Sowell’s expression) where facts are never allowed to interfere with political or social theories.

Empty Tomb Theories

Swoon theory. According to this theory. Jesus was not re-ally dead. He was merely in a swoon and was revived by the coolness of the tomb and made his own way from the grave, later to die a natural death somewhere else. This was a favorite explanation of the rationalists of the 19th century, but it is ludicrous to consider it. It requires more faith to believe this than to believe in the resurrection. It is impossible that a man would survive the cross and the spear in the side, be considered dead by the two men who carried him to a tomb, and then revive and have enough strength to remove his grave clothes and roll back a stone (which five women doubted they could move (Mark 16:3; Luke 24:10) and then either overpower the guards or sneak past them and disappear without another trace. This would be miraculous indeed except that it did not hap-pen. The miracle that did occur was the resurrection as described in the Scriptures.

The body was stolen by enemies. The silence of the Jews is as eloquent as the speech of Peter on the day of Pentecost. If the Jews had stolen Jesus body away, they would have come forward to dispute Peter’s claim of a resurrection which occurred just seven weeks later in the same city. They didn’t come forward because it was a known fact. He had appeared to many on numerous occasions (1 Cor 15:3-8).

The body was stolen by friends. This was the lie told that very day by the Jews because they knew the significance of the resurrection. But look at the foolishness of that idea. What happened to hearten the frighten disciples  to make them think they could carry off such a lie? What kind of men were they to do such a thing? Men may die for what they believe to be true even if it is false; however, few will suffer persecution and die for a lie they themselves have conceived. Nor can we imagine how they thought to succeed. How did they even come up with so bold an idea and where did they get the boldness to carry it off? The picture we have of them before the resurrection is that of a frighten scattered band (Matt 26:56; John 20:19). What changed that? A lie? Nonsense! But if Jesus was raised from the dead then it all makes sense.

Conclusion

Christ is risen! His teachings are true. God’s stamp of approval is on him. His death is the atonement for our sins and we too can know the power that seized the apostles and turned the world upside down. He is raised and because he is raised we are faced with the certainty that we will be raised in the last day and face the judgment and so we know that we ought to live soberly and righteously in the present world. We are compelled by the resurrection to accept his claim to authority in all things (Matt. 28:18; Acts 2:24-38).

Guardian of Truth XL: 1 p. 13-14
January 4, 1996