There is no word for `cometh' in the original of verse 24; it simply reads "Then the

end". Some understand the words to mean "Then the end rank", but we can find no

justification for such a rendering. Cremer, in his note on to telos, says that this word does

not primarily denote the end, termination, with reference to time, but the goal reached,

the completion or conclusion at which anything arrives, either as issue or ending; or a

result, acme, consummation, e.g., polemon telos, "victory" (literally `the end of war',

end, not measuring time but object); telos andros, `the full age of man' (not the end of

man--death), also of the `ripening of seed'.  In Luke 1: 33 and Mark 3: 26 the idea

of termination seems uppermost.  The idea of issue, end, conclusion, is seen in

Matt. 26: 58, "To see the end";  James 5: 11, "Ye . . . . . have seen the end of the

Lord"; I Pet. 4: 17, "What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel?"

The idea of a goal reached is seen in Rom. 6: 21, "The end of those things is death";

Phil. 3: 19, "Whose end is destruction". So also II Cor. 11: 15; Heb. 6: 8.  When the

Apostle wrote the words of I Cor. 15: 24, "Then the end", what goal had he in view?

What is the object of resurrection? Does it not take man back into the place intended for

him in the Divine purpose, for which sin and death had for a while rendered him unfit?

The goal, this end in view, is contained in the words of I Cor. 15: 28, "That God may be

all in all". Although `the end' is mentioned immediately after the resurrection of those

that are Christ's at His parousia, it is not attained without a reign of righteousness and a

rule of iron. The uninterrupted statement of the end is as follows:--

The reader is aware, however, that the end is not attained in this unbroken sequence.

The first `when' is conditional upon the second. "When He shall have abolished all rule

and all authority and power." This will not be effected by one grand miraculous stroke,

but by the reign of Christ as King of kings. "For He must reign till He hath put all

enemies under His feet." He reigns `till', His reign has one supreme `end', and that end

cannot be reached while one unsubdued enemy exists.

In this category comes death, the last enemy of mortal man. "Even death, the last

enemy, shall be abolished." This is included in the Divine purpose, "For He hath put all

things under His feet". The resurrection is therefore absolutely essential to the fulfillment

of the great purpose of God.

But it may be asked, Can such an expression as `destroyed' or `abolished' speak of

resurrection? Take the statement of II Tim. 2: 10:

This refers to the Lord Himself in the first instance. He abolished death when He

arose from the dead. Not only did He abolish death, but He commenced that destruction