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Testament revealed, and if this is so, Paul's claim is not
invalidated.
Take for example the passage in Daniel 12 that appears to
have coloured the language of 1 Thessalonians 4 with reference
to the Archangel. Daniel speaks of two companies, one living in
the time of trouble and delivered out of it, the other sleeping in
the dust of the earth and awakened. Daniel knew that he himself
would `rest' and would `stand in his lot at the end of the days'
(Dan. 12:13), but he neither affirms nor denies the precedence
either of the living or of the dead. Paul, however, does affirm
that these two companies go `together', and we understand,
therefore, that this is implicit in Daniel, though explicit only in
Paul. This does not mean, however, that Paul is saying
something more than the Law and the Prophets allowed. It was
all within the framework of the Old Testament and was by no
means a secret `hid' in God.
The apostle makes very full use of the wilderness wanderings
of Israel, and his conclusion at the end of Hebrews 11 to the
effect that `they without us' should not be perfected, could easily
be substantiated from the story of Caleb and Joshua. These two
men qualified for entry into Canaan at the time of the spies, but
they had to wait the full period of the wilderness wandering, and
finally entered the land `together' with the rest of the people.
It is not our custom to quote the writings of others in
confirmation of our teaching; we prefer to stand or fall by the
Book itself. In this case, however, some readers may be
interested to see the last words of Dr. E.W.Bullinger on the
dispensational place of 1 and 2 Thessalonians and their teaching