fall asleep involuntarily, hence is

used as a figure of death.  The word to `wake' in 1 Thessalonians 5:10 is the

Greek gregoreo `to watch' and is so translated in verse 6.  There it is

associated with being drunk and being sober, not with physical death, whereas 1

Thessalonians 4 deals only with death, and not with moral sluggishness.  When

the Scriptures speak of the Saviour Himself, both words egeiro `to rouse' and

`anistemi' `to cause to stand up, to raise' are employed, for in His case there

was no interval, as there is between the conversion and quickening of the

believer, and his resurrection in glory.  As we have before remarked, Ephesians

5:14 differentiates the two terms:

Awake (egeiro to arouse) thou that Sleepest, and

Arise (anistemi to cause to stand up) from the Dead.

We therefore see that the words `and hath raised us up together' do not

teach that for the believer `the resurrection is past already', and in the same

way, we must remember that the words that follow `and made us sit together in

heavenly places' do not alter the fact that those originally were living at

Ephesus or some other city; they were still here upon earth surrounded by sin

and temptation, called upon to walk worthy of their calling and to avoid

complicity with the unfruitful works of darkness.

Even though made to sit together in heavenly places, where they neither

marry nor are given in marriage, those so blessed still belong to that society

in which there is husband and wife, parent and child, and in connection with

obedient children there is even added the promise of long life `on the earth'.

Further, complete armour is provided in view of a future `evil day'.  The word

translated `made to sit together' is sunkathizo, and the only other occurrence

in the New Testament is in Luke 22:55.  There are comparatively few occasions

when kathizo means simply `to sit' in the sense of resting; it is generally

associated with authority.  This idea of authority in connection with being

seated is found in the use of kathedra `a chair' in English.

A cathedral is so named because it contains `the bishop's throne' or

`chair', so we use the expression `ex cathedra' of one who by reason of his

office speaks with authority.  Similarly we use the English word `chair' (which

is itself derived through the Latin cathedra from the Greek).  We speak of

`taking the chair' or of `a chair' meaning a professorship at a university.  So

we find kathizo used:

For the authority of

`When He was set'. `The Pharisees

a teacher.

sit in Moses' seat'.

For the authority of

`Pilate ... sat down in the judgment

a judge.

For the authority of

`When the Son of Man shall sit on the

a king.

throne of His glory'.

It has special significance when it is associated with the right hand of God.

`He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God' (Mark