(i.e. bring again from the dead), even as the Lord Jesus died and

come to Thee". Thus the blessed hope of resurrection and the

rose again" (v. 14).

coming of the Lord have been well nigh blotted out from the

(b) That we which are alive and remain till His coming shall

belief of the Churches; and the promise of the Lord been made

not precede those who have fallen on sleep.

of none effect by the ravages of Tradition. Men may write their

(c) And therefore they cannot be with the Lord before us (v.

books, and a Spiritist may entitle on "There is no death", etc.

They may sing words and expressions which are foreign to the

(d) The first thing to happen will be their resurrection. They

Scriptures, about "the Church triumphant". They may speak of

are called "the dead in Christ". Not the living, but "the dead", for

having "passed on"; and about the "home-going"; and "the great

resurrection concerns only "the dead" (v. 16).

beyond"; and the "border-land"; and "beyond the veil"; but

(e) The next thing is we, the living, shall be "caught up

against all this we set a special revelation from God, introduced

together with them to meet the Lord in the air" (v. 17). Not (as

by the prophetic formula, "the Word of the Lord".

many people put it) to meet our friends, who are supposed to be

"This we say unto you BY THE WORD OF THE LORD that

already there; but to meet "the Lord Himself" (v. 17).

we which are alive and remain shall not precede (R.V.) them

(f) Finally, it is revealed that this is the manner in which we

which are asleep" (I Thess. 4:15).

shall be "with the Lord". The word is houtos thus, so, in this

To agree with Tradition this ought to have been written,

manner, and in no other way.

"shall not precede them which are already with the Lord". But

this would have made nonsense; and there is nothing of that in

Those who do not know the truths here given by special

the Word of God. There are many things in Scripture difficult;

Divine revelation have invented other ways of getting there.

and hard to be understood; there are many Figures of Speech

They say the "death is the gate of glory". God says that

also; but there are no self-contradictory statements such as that

resurrection and ascension is the gate. It is the tradition that

would have been.

those who have fallen asleep are already in heaven that has given

Moreover, we ought to note that this special Divine revelation

rise to the idea of "the Church Triumphant". But no such

was given for the express purpose that we might not be ignorant

expression can be found in Scripture. Eph. 3:15 is supposed to

on this subject, as the heathen and Traditionalists were. This

teach or support it, when it speaks of "The whole family in

revelation of God's truth as to the state of the dead is introduced

heaven and earth". But it is by no means necessary to translate

by the noteworthy words in verse 13: "I would not have you

the words in this way. The R.V. and the American R.V. render

ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep". Unless,

them "every family in heaven and earth" so does the A.V. also in

therefore, we know what the Lord has revealed, we must all alike

Eph. 1:21, where we have the same subject, viz. the giving of

remain "ignorant". What is revealed here "by the Word of the

names (as ονομαζω onomazo, in both places, means. See Luke

Lord", is

6:13, etc.) to some of these heavenly families, e.g. "principality

and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is

(a) That as the Lord Jesus was brought again from the dead

named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come". It is

(Heb. 13:20), so will His people be. "If we believe that Jesus

not "the whole family" that is named; but every family has its

died, and rose again, even so (we believe that) them also which

own name given to it. A few verses before Eph. 3:15 we have

two more of these families, "principalities and powers" (v. 10).

sleep in (R.V. marg. through) Jesus will God bring with him"