The state of the soul after death is a subject which deeply interests us all. The rejection of the coming again of Christ to receive the saints, and to judge the earth before the end of the world, and the losing sight of the distinctive importance given to the resurrection, in the New Testament, has given in the common evangelical faith, and that where sound in the main, an absolute character to the vague idea of going to heaven, exclusive of all other conception of happiness and glory. But scripture spoke too plainly of the Lord’s coming and the resurrection of the saints, to allow the thought of going to heaven when we die to maintain the absorbing place it held in the minds of the pious. Strange to say, going to heaven is not spoken of in scripture, unless in the one case of the thief upon the cross, going to be with Christ in Paradise. Not that we do not go there; but the scriptural thought is always going to Christ. Since He is in heaven, of course we go there; but being with Christ, not being in heaven, is what the scripture puts forward, and this is important as to the state of the spiritual affections. Christ is the object before the soul, according to the word, not simply being happy in heaven, though we shall be happy and in heaven. I speak of it only as characterizing our habits of thought.
Poor human nature is apt to fall into Scylla to avoid Charybdis. It is apt, too, to follow its own thoughts, not simply to receive the word of God. There was a re-action, and the recovered truth of the Lord’s coming and the first resurrection obtained an importance in some minds, which eclipsed the going to heaven when we die, too vague and too little formally scriptural to satisfy those awakened to search the word. It was stated that the soul sleeps, is unconscious till the resurrection, even by some who in the main were sound in the faith, while with others, this notion carried them on to deny not only the immediate bliss of the departed, with Christ, but that we ever went to heaven, and what constitutes distinctive Christian hope. Alas! soon very many were led to deny the fundamental doctrines of the gospel.
My object now is not to enter into controversy with these last, who deny the immortality of the soul; it has been done, and done more effectually, by more than one; my object is to give a plain scriptural statement and proof from scripture, that there is immediate happiness with Christ, for the departed Christian. It is an intermediate state, and so, as to His position as a man, is Christ’s, though He be in glory. The departing Christian waits for the resurrection of the body—and then only will he be in his final state in glory. Men speak of glorified spirits, scripture never. The purpose of God as to us is, that we should be conformed to the image of His Son, that He may be the firstborn among many brethren. “It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” “As we have borne the image of the earthy, so also we shall bear the image of the heavenly.”
This was exhibited for a moment when Moses and Elias appeared in glory with Christ at the transfiguration (see Rom. 8:2929For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29) John 3:22The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (John 3:2); 1 Cor. 15:4949And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:49); Luke 9:28-3628And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. (Luke 9:28‑36)). This, and to be forever with the Lord, received to Himself in the Father’s house, is our eternal state of joy and glory. This latter part is seen also in the account of the transfiguration in Luke, where they enter (Moses and Elias) into the cloud, whence the Father’s voice proceeded. See also 1 Thess. 4:1717Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17). But this is our eternal state, when Christ shall have come and received us to Himself, raised, or changed into His likeness, when our poor earthly body shall have been fashioned like His glorious body (Phil. 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)). God hath wrought us now, already, for this selfsame thing and given to us the earnest of the Spirit (2 Cor. 5:55Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 5:5)). To be with the Lord and like the Lord forever is our everlasting joy, and that the fruit of God’s love, who has made us His children, and will bring us into the mansions prepared in our Father’s house.
Two things belong to us: first, to be like and with Christ Himself; and, secondly, to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Him. Redemption has made this ours; but we are not in possession. We have only the earnest of the Spirit, though God has wrought us for that selfsame thing. The first point, being like Christ, we have already spoken of, though what has been cited there introduces us with scriptural authority to the second; “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” But I add here other proofs of the second point, namely, that our portion is in heavenly places. It is distinctive of believers who have believed and suffered with Him. God, we are told, will gather together in one, under Christ, all things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth (Eph. 1:1010That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Ephesians 1:10)). So we read all things were created by Christ and for Christ (Col. 1:16, 2016For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16)
20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)); all things will be put under His feet as man (Heb. 2; 1 Cor. 15:27, 2827For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:27‑28); Eph. 1:2222And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (Ephesians 1:22)). But we read in Heb. 2 That all things are not yet put under Him. He sits now on the Father’s throne, not on His own (Rev. 3:2121To 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. (Revelation 3:21)). God has said, “Sit at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.” He is (Heb. 10) expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. The time will come when not only all things in heaven and earth will be reconciled (Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)), but even things under the earth, infernal things, will be forced to recognize His power and authority. Every knee shall how to Him and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ, the despised and rejected of men, is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10, 1110That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10‑11)). For this we must wait.
But in this gathering of all things in heaven and earth under one head, Christ, our part is in heavenly places, and as it is our portion now in spirit, so it will be our part in glory. Nor is there any real separation between these two. Of course we are not in glory now, there is no need to insist on that, but that is our calling now, that which we are redeemed to, and wrought for, and wait for. Now we have the treasure in earthly vessels, and groan, being burdened. When we are out of the body, groaning is over, and we are with Christ in joy; when He comes we shall have a body suited to that heavenly place, we shall be in glory. Thus in Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3), “He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” In 2 Cor. 5:11For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1), “We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” In Phil. 3:2020For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20), “Our conversation [citizenship, our relationship in life as Christians] is in heaven”; and in the same chapter (ver. 14) where you have ‘high calling,’ the true force of the word is ‘calling above,’ as may be seen in a Bible with a margin. We are called to be up above there. So in Heb. 6:19, 2019Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 6:19‑20), we read that Christ is entered within the veil, that is, heaven itself (9:24), and as our forerunner. So, Heb. we are partakers of the heavenly calling. As united to Christ by the Holy Ghost, we are sitting in heavenly places in Christ—not with Him yet, but in Him, that is our place. So when the Lord comes, He gathers indeed, as Son of man, out of His kingdom, all things that offend and them that do iniquity. But the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Hence Moses and Elias, not only are manifested in glory on earth, to show the state of the saints in the kingdom, but they enter into the cloud, God’s dwelling place, whence the Father’s voice came.
It is thus, clear that as God will gather together in one, all things, both which are in heaven and on the earth, our part is to be like Christ in glory, and with Him forever, and that in heaven itself, blessed with all spiritual blessings (as Israel with temporal ones) and in heavenly places (as they in earthly). If we are joint-heirs with Him (Rom. 8:1717And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)) we have what is yet better, to dwell in the Father’s house where He is gone. Hence it is clearly and distinctly expressed (Col. 1:55For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; (Colossians 1:5)), that our hope is laid up for us in heaven, and Peter tells us (1 Peter 1:44To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:4)) that an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, is reserved in heaven for us.
All this clearly shows our blessings are where our hope enters, where our forerunner is gone; what our glory is, celestial, not terrestrial. We shall bear the image of the heavenly and shall be forever with the Lord. He has gone to prepare a place for us in the Father’s house, and will come again to receive us there to Himself. He has declared, “Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am.” One might expatiate on the blessedness of this, the wondrous place given to us, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus! but my object now is to give the scripture statement of our blessedness and the proofs of it. What I have said gives our calling the same throughout, from the moment we are called, to the glory of eternity. There is no other, there is “one hope of our calling.” God has called us to His own kingdom and glory; we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Their Father’s house is the home of His children.
But this has not told us in distinct statements what the intermediate state is, though it has shown us, as a general principle, where all our blessing is, what redemption has obtained for us. The God of all grace has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus: wondrous love! but an integral part of Christ’s own glory, for what is a Redeemer without His redeemed? And once I believe that the blessed Son of God has died for me as man on the cross, nothing that a creature, whose life He has become, can have, is too great as the effect of it. The whole object of the Epistle to the Hebrews is to show that our portion is heavenly, in contrast with the Judaism which was, and when Israel is restored will be, earthly. They had a high priest on earth because God —sat between the cherubim down here. Such a High Priest became us; holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens. Why? Because our place and portion are with God there. Our place and calling are in the heavenlies. All had to be suited to this; the excellence of the sacrifice and the service of the priest.
But how far does the word of God show us our intermediate state, between the time of our being in this tabernacle, in which we groan, and having it glorified, when Christ comes and shall change our vile body and fashion it like His glorious body?
Once we have understood the previous passage, and that our calling and portion are heavenly, all is simple and plain. Our citizenship now and always is in heaven. How far we enjoy it when we die, is the only question; more than here or less? God is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live unto Him (Luke 20:3838For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. (Luke 20:38)), though dead for this world, they are for Him as alive as ever, and so for faith.
But it is alleged they sleep. There is no ground for this whatever. Stephen fell asleep, that is, died. It was not his soul fell asleep after death; those which sleep in Jesus shall God bring with Him (1 Thess. 4:1414For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (1 Thessalonians 4:14)), but these (ver. 16) are the dead in Christ. Some have fallen asleep, that is, had died (1 Cor. 15:66After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:6)), the same word as sleep in Jesus, in 1 Thess. 4. This contrasted with being alive, in 1 Thess. 4, with remaining to this present, in Corinthians. It is just simply dying, and a beautiful expression to show they had not at all ceased to exist, but would wake up again in resurrection, as a man out of sleep. This is clearly determined in the case of Lazarus (John 11). The Lord says, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.” They thought it was taking of rest in sleep; then said He plainly, “Lazarus has died.”
That is, sleep means, plainly, dying; and awaking is not awaking the soul as if it slept apart, and so leaving it, but bringing back from the state of death by resurrection. A Christian’s falling asleep is neither more nor less than dying; a soul’s sleeping is a pure invention. People living upon this earth fell asleep, that is, they died. That is what is means in plain speech and nothing else, and we do learn clearly in scripture the state of those who die in the Lord.
[J. N. D.]
(To be continued)