XVIII. OF THE RESURRECTION, RETURN OF CHRIST AND RELATED EVENTS
We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures these upon subjects at their face
and full value. Of the Resurrection, (a) we believe that Christ rose bodily "the
third day according to the Scriptures;" (b) that He ascended "to the right hand
of the throne of God;" (c) that He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest
in things pertaining to God;" (d) "that this same Jesus which is taken up from you
into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven"bodily,
personally and visibly; (e) that the "dead in Christ shall rise first;" (f) that
the living saints "shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump;" (g) "that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His
Father David;" (h) and that "Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness
until He bath put all enemies under His feet."
* * * * * * * * * *
*** (a) Matt. 28:6-7. "He is not here: for he
is risen as he said Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and
tell His disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before
you into Galilee; and there shall ye see him."
Luke 24:39. "Behold my hands and my feet, that
it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit bath not flesh and bones as ye
see me have."
John 20:27. "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach
hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it
into my side: and be not faithless but believing."
I Cor. 15:4. "And that he was buried, and that
he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
Mark 16:6 "Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which
was crucified, he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him."
Luke 24:3-6. "And they entered in, and found
not the body of the Lord Jesus. And.... as they were much perplexed thereabout,
behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid and bowed
down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among
the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was
yet in Galilee."
*** (b) Acts 1:9. "And when he had spoken these
things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their
sight."
Acts 1:11. "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye
gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Luke 24:51. "And it came to pass, while he blessed
them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven."
Mark 16:19. "So then after the Lord had spoken
unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."
Rev. 3:21. "To him that overcometh will I grant
to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
in his throne."
Heb. 8:1. "Now of the things which we have spoken
this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the
throne of the Majesty in the heavens."
Heb. 12:2. "Looking unto Jesus.... who.... is
set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
*** (c) Heb. 8:6. "But now bath he obtained
a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant,
which was established upon better promises."
I Tim. 2:5. "For there is one God and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
I John 2:1. "If any man sin we have an advocate
with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous."
Heb. 2:17. "Wherefore in all things it behaved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of
the people."
Heb. 5:9-10. "And being made perfect, he became
the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him Called of God an high
priest after the order of Melchisedec."
*** (d ) John 14:3. "And if I go. . .I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
Acts 1:11. "This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven."
I Thess. 4:16. "For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven."
Matt. 24:27. "For as the lightning cometh out
of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be."
Matt. 25:13. "Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
James 5:8. "Be ye also patient; stablish your
hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
Matt. 24:42. "Watch therefore: for ye know not
what hour your Lord cloth come."
Heb. 9:28. "Unto them that look for him shall
he appear a second time without sin unto salvation."
*** (e) I Thess. 4:16. "The dead in Christ shall
rise first."
I Cor. 15:42-44. "So also is the resurrection
of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown
in dishonor; it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."
I Cor. 15:52. "And the dead shall be raised
incorruptible."
*** (f) I Cor. 15:51-53. "Behold I show you
a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.... and we shall be changed For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."
I Thess. 4:17. "Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds."
Phi. 3:20-21. "For our conversation is in heaven;
from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body."
*** (g) Luke 1:32. "He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne
of his father David."
Isa. 9:6-7. "For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince
of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon
the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with
judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of
hosts will perform this."
Acts 2:29-30. "Men and brethren, let me freely
speak unto you of the partriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his
sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that
God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to
the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne."
*** (h) I Cor. 15:25. "For he must reign till
he hath put all enemies under his feet."
Isa. 32:1. "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness."
Isa. 11:4-5. "But with righteousness shall he
judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall
smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall
he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness
the girdle of his reins."
Psa. 72:8. "He shall have dominion also from
sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth."
Rev. 20:1-4. "And I saw an angel come down from
heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And
he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and
bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up,
and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand
years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And
I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw
the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word
of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years."
Rev. 20:6. "Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
Next: XIX. OF MISSIONS