Friday, October 26, 2018

The Rapture



John Nelson Darby, 1800 – 1882.1




John Nelson Darby “produced translations of the Bible in German "Elberfelder Bibel", French "Pau" Bible, Dutch New Testament, and English (finished posthumously) based on the Hebrew and Greek texts called The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation from the Original Languages by J. N. Darby. It has furthermore been translated into other languages in whole or part.3

The forty volume “Collected Writings of J. N. Darby” contains a commentary on the Bible. The following is an extract excerpted from the "first" epistle written by Paul, i.e. 1 Thessalonians 4 ─ from this, Darby resurrects the "long-lost" doctrine, today known as the “Rapture.”



 “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).

We have seen that the Thessalonians were always expecting the Lord. It was their near and immediate hope in connection with their daily life. They were constantly expecting Him to take them to Himself They had been converted to wait for the Son of God from heaven. Now (from want of instruction) it appeared to them that the saints who had recently died would not be with them to be caught up. The apostle clears up this point, and distinguishes between the coming of Christ to take up His own, and His day, which was a day of judgment to the world. They were not to be troubled with regard to those who had died in Christ [7] as those who had no hope were troubled. And the reason which he gives for this is a proof of the strict connection of their entire spiritual life with the expectation of Christ's personal return to bring them into heavenly glory. The apostle, in comforting them with regard to their brethren who had lately died, does not say a word of the survivors rejoining them in heaven. They are maintained in the thought that they were still to look for the Lord during their lifetime to transform them into His glorious image. (Compare 2 Cor. 5 and 1 Cor. 15) An especial revelation was required to make them understand that those who had previously died would equally have their part in that event. Their part, so to speak, would resemble that of Christ. He has died, and He has risen again. And so will it be with them. And when He should return in glory, God would bring them — even as He would bring the others, that is, the living — with Him.

Upon this the apostle gives some more detailed explanation of the Lord's coming in the form of express revelation, shewing how they would be with Him so as to come with Him when He appears. The living will not take precedence of those who sleep in Jesus. The Lord Himself will come as the Head of His heavenly army, dispersed for a time, to gather them to Himself. He gives the word. The voice of the archangel passes it on, and the trumpet of God is sounded. The dead in Christ will rise first, that is to say, before the living go up. Then we who shall be alive and remain shall go with them, all together, in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we be for ever with the Lord.

It was that that the Lord Himself ascended; for in all things we are to be like Him — an important circumstance here. Whether transformed or raised from the dead, we shall all go up in the clouds. It was in the clouds that He ascended, and thus we shall be ever with Him.

In this part of the passage, where he explains the details of our ascension to the Lord in the air nothing is said of His coming down to the earth; it is our going up (as He went up) to be with Him. [8] Neither, as far as concerns us, does the apostle go farther than our gathering together to be for ever with Him. Nothing is said either of judgment or of manifestation; but only the fact of our heavenly association with Him in that we leave the earth precisely as He left it. This is very precious. There is this difference: He went up in His own full right, He ascended; as to us, His voice calls the dead, and they come forth from the grave, and, the living being changed, all are caught up together. It is a solemn act of God's power, which seals the Christians' life and the work of God, and brings the former into the glory of Christ as His heavenly companions. Glorious privilege! Precious grace! To lose sight of it destroys the proper character of our joy and of our hope.

Other consequences follow, which are the result of His manifestation; but that is our portion, our hope. We leave the earth as He did, we shall for ever be with Him.

It is with these words that we are to comfort our selves if believers die — fall asleep in Jesus. They shall return with Him when He shall be manifested; but, as regards their own portion, they will go away as He went, whether raised from the dead or transformed, to be for ever with the Lord.

All the rest refers to His government of the earth: an important subject, a part of His glory; and we also take part in it. But it is not our own peculiar portion. This is, to be with Him, to be like Him, and even (when the time shall come) to quit in the same manner as Himself the world which rejected Him, and which has rejected us, and which is to be judged.

I repeat it: to lose sight of this is to lose our essential portion. All lies in the words, "so shall we ever be with the Lord." The apostle has here explained how this will take place. [9] Remark here, that Verses 15-18 (1Th_4:15-18) are a parenthesis, and that 1Th_5:1 follows on 1Th_4:14; Chapter 5 shewing what He will do when He brings the saints with Him according to 1Th_4:14.

In this important passage then we find the Christian living in an expectation of the Lord, which is connected with his daily life and which completes it. Death then is only an accessory which may take place, and which does not deprive the Christian of his portion when his Master shall return. The proper expectation of the Christian is entirely separated from all which follows the manifestation of Christ, and which is in connection with the government of this world.

The Lord comes in Person to receive us to Himself; He does not send. With full authority over death, which He has conquered, and with the trump of God, He calls together His own from the grave; and these, with the living (transformed), go to meet Him in the air. Our departure from the world exactly resembles His own: we leave the world, to which we do not belong, to go to heaven. Once there, we have attained our portion. We are like Christ, we are forever with Him, but He will bring His own with Him, when He shall appear. This then was the true comfort in the case of a Christian's death, and by no means put aside the daily expectation of the Lord from heaven. On the contrary this way of viewing the subject confirmed it. The dead saint did not lose his rights by dying — by sleeping in Jesus; he should be the first object of his Lord's attention when He came to assemble His own. Nevertheless the place from which they go forth to meet Him is the earth. The dead should be raised — this was the first thing — that they might be ready to go with the others; and then from this earth all would depart together to be with Christ in heaven. This point of view is all important, in order to apprehend the true character of that moment when all our hopes will be consummated.

(From "Commentary on the Book of 1 Thessalonians" by John Nelson Darby; emphasis added).

See also: 
A Mystery 
The Quickening


 1By Unknown - John Nelson Darby - in the public domain due to copyright expiration.

2Wikipedia, "John Nelson Darby," 11 August 2018.

©2018 Christian. Textual content may be copied and distributed, but it may not be sold. https://a-hillside-church.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 22, 2018

Drusilla

The Last Days of Pompeii, 1864.1



“This post remains under construction!

And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:24-25).

 “While Felix was procurator of Judea, he saw this Drusilla; and fell in love with her: for she did indeed exceed all other women in beauty: and he sent… one of his friends… who endeavoured to persuade her to forsake her present husband, and marry [Felix]… Accordingly she acted ill; and because she was desirous to avoid her sister Bernice’s envy; for she was very ill treated by her on account of her beauty; was prevailed upon to transgress the laws of her fore¬fathers, and to marry Felix: and when he had had a son by her, he named him Agrippa” (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, xx.7.2).

As Drusilla looked on, what could she have thought as Claudius Felix, the ‎provincial governor of “Judea,” reduced to trembling and terror of “the judgment to come” ─ yet Paul, manacled and chained before him, exuberantly glorifying God?

She obviously had heard the gospel and, in all probability, much more, perhaps “on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city” when, at Festus' command Paul was brought forth (Acts 25:23) ─ and on the day to follow, of how the Lord reveled His self to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:12-18) ─ followed by her brother’s words: “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28).



James Hamilton (American, 1819-1878). The Last Days of Pompeii, 1864. Oil on canvas, 59 15/16 x 48 1/16 in. (152.2 x 122 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 55.138 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.55.138.jpg)

©2018 Christian. Textual content may be copied and distributed, but it may not be sold.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Moral Confusion


Papyrus 46, 2 Corinthians 11:33-12:9.1
“Whatever was the fate of the moral fence posts we began removing in the ’60s, the job today is figuring out how to get that fencing back in place” writes a conservative columnist this morning.2 

Yet, the reality is “Moral fence posts” are but an illusion ─ an illusion that leads to “hell” ─ we are not saved “by” moral living, we are saved “for” moral living! 

We can never be moral enough ─ that is why the Son of God had to die for each and every sin we have ever committed ─ or ever will commit ─ we are saved by His grace when we call upon the “name of the Lord” ─ believing the gospel: 

 “I declare unto you the gospel… . By which also ye are saved… how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). 




However, how shall they call upon the name of the Lord and be saved? “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” (cf. Romans 10:14-15). 

 “As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things,” the apostle Paul was that preacher, and each of us are to be that preacher today! 

See also: 
The Gospel 
The Church a Mystery? 
The Gospel of the Kingdom


1Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=612499

2William Murchison, The American Spectator, “Of Moral Messes — and Traps,” October 9, 2018.

©2018 Christian. Textual content may be copied and distributed, but it may not be sold. https://a-hillside-church.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 1, 2018

The Son of God

Earth rise, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter1


In Ephesians, the Body of Christ is introduced to God Our Father ─ In Hebrews, the Son of God is introduced to a remnant of the sons of Israel “according to the election of grace”:


 God… Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. …  

Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. … I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son. And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  

Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. … 
 
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. (Hebrews 1:1-13)

See also:
God Our Father 
The Face of God




1By NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University - Flickr, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45854207

©2018 Christian. Textual content may be copied and distributed, but it may not be sold. https://a-hillside-church.blogspot.com/