Essay Six
The Word of Reconciliation
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (II Corinthians 5:18-20)
What is this word of reconciliation of which Paul is speaking? Is it the teaching that only a small remnant will be saved, while the vast majority will be permanently claimed by the grave or suffer eternal torment? If God is not willing that any should perish, how can we as his ambassadors preach a gospel which limits reconciliation to a few?
All Men to be Reconciled
The idea of the universality of God’s love embracing the ultimate rescue of all men from sin and death is the very essence of the Gospel, and it behooves us as his ambassadors to understand this ministry of reconciliation. In II Peter 3:9 we read, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” If God is not willing that any should perish, who then is able to thwart the purpose of him, “who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). Christ promised, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32) Was not Christ lifted up, to offer one sacrifice for sins forever? (Hebrews 10:12) Why then, do we count the Lord as slack concerning his promise to draw all men unto him, simply because we have not seen the ultimate fulfillment of this promise?
The apostle Paul was certainly fully persuaded of Christ’s promise to reconcile all men. In I Timothy 2:3-6 we read, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth . . Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” In Titus 2:11 we read, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” In Hebrews 2:9 Paul declared, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” In Colossians 1:20 Paul assures us that this reconciliation is not based on man’s will or his behavior, but it is based on the blood of Jesus Christ. “And, 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.”
That All Men through Him might Believe
John also testified to this word of reconciliation. “In him (Christ) was life; and the life was the light of men . . that all men through him might believe . . That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:4, 7&9)
In Romans 5:18 Paul declares, “Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam), judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Some may contend that the word all in these contexts is not all inclusive. Well, if that is the case, how can we be sure that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, that by him were all things created, and that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. Indeed our Christian faith rests upon the inclusiveness of this word all.
At the name of Jesus every Knee Shall Bow
In Philippians 2:9-11 we read, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Perhaps we can limit the inclusiveness of the word all, but how can we limit the inclusiveness of things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth? The confession of every tongue, “that Jesus Christ is Lord”, does not imply the coercion of God’s enemies. John tells us that “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (I John 4:15)
In spite of these promises, it is apparent that only a small remnant has been reconciled to God in this present age. How and when will the vast majority be reconciled to God?
All to be Resurrected
The scriptures plainly teach that there is to be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. Jesus speaking to the Jews in John 5:28-29 said, “Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (judgment).”
The apostle Paul defending his faith in the resurrection of all men, spoke the following words before Felix, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.” (Acts 24:14-15)
In Romans 14:12 we read, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Again, in II Corinthians 5:10 we read, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that which he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” If the unjust are to be permanently consigned to the grave or eternal torment, would not God’s resurrection of them make as much sense as beating a dead horse?
A Better Resurrection
If all are going to be resurrected and eventually reconciled to Christ, what advantage or purpose is there to being reconciled in this present age? While the answer to this question is very plain in the scriptures, it has been all but obscured by modern evangelical preaching. The apostle Paul gives us the answer in Hebrews 11:35. Speaking of those who died in faith he declared, “Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.”
What is this better resurrection of which Paul is speaking? In Revelations 20:4-5 we read. “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 worshiped 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. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
Obviously the qualifications for being included in the first resurrection and entrance into Christ’s Millennial Kingdom, involves something more than making ‘a decision for Christ’. After fourteen years as a faithful apostle, Paul exclaimed in Philippians 3:13-15, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (unto this better resurrection): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded.”
The Post Millennial Resurrection
The glory to be revealed in those who have part in the first resurrection is replete throughout the scriptures, but what happens to the rest of us, who, “lived not again until the thousand years were finished”?
The apostle Paul tells us that while all will be resurrected there will be an order to the post-millennial resurrection. Everyone will not be resurrected simultaneously. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
(I Corinthians 15:23-26)
Moses speaks of those who sleep (or perish) during the millennial kingdom in Psalm 90:3-5. “Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as asleep: in the morning they are like grass which growing up.”
A further picture of this post-millennial resurrection is given in Revelation 20:11-14. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (the grave) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
In II Peter 2:9 the apostle declares, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” Obviously, the judgment is not going to be a pleasant experience for those in the post-millennial resurrection. Nevertheless, it will have a pleasant outcome as we put off the old man and take on Christ’s nature.
What is the Second Death?
In Revelation 20:14, John indicates that “death and hell (the grave) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Again, in Revelation 21:8 we read, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” From these two verses, many have been led to believe the vast majority of those in the post-millennial resurrection will either return to the grave a second time, or suffer eternal torment in the lake of fire.
Those that are Christ’s have Crucified the Flesh
In Revelation 20:6 we read, “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.” Why doesn’t the second death have power over those in the first resurrection? The scriptures teach that the reason it has no power over them is because they have already experienced the second death. In Galatians 5:24 we read, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Paul declares in Romans 8:13, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
If we through the spirit do judge the deeds of the body now, there will be no need to go through this second death experience later. Notice that the judgment of the deeds of the body, which every Christian must suffer in this present age, is identical to what must be suffered by those in the post-millennial resurrection. Furthermore, just as this judgment of the deeds of the body brings life to the Christian, so will it in like manner bring life to those in this post-millennial resurrection. It is not the unjust who are destroyed, but rather their sin nature and death.
In Colossians 3:3-6 Paul again admonishes us to go through this second death experience now, rather than waiting until after the Millennial Kingdom. “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.”
What is the Purpose of the Lake of Fire Experience?
In Revelation 20:14, we have already seen that the purpose of the lake of fire is to destroy death and bring life. But how will this be accomplished? In I Corinthians 3:13-15 we read, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he had built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
Wash away the Filth by the Spirit of Burning
While the works of the flesh (wood, hay and stubble), which are not built upon Christ, will be consumed by the cleansing fire of God, yet the individual will be saved by this fire. The scriptures teach that “our God is a consuming fire”. (Hebrew 12:29) In Malachi 3:2 we read, “But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.” Isaiah 4:3-4 declares, “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.” The scriptures plainly teach that the purpose of the spirit of judgment and spirit of burning is to wash away filth and to cleanse. Again, in Isaiah 26:9 we read, “for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”
Victory over Death
In Matthew 12:20 we are told that Christ shall send forth judgment unto victory. What victory? In Hosea 13:14 the Lord declares, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death; O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” In Isaiah 25:8 we read, “He (Christ) will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off the earth: for the Lord hath spoke it.” In I Corinthians 15:55&56 we read, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
How can Christ claim victory over the grave so long as it holds a single captive? How prone we are to compromise the atoning work of our Lord, and limit the Holy One of Israel. What a message of hope and reconciliation we are privileged to share with all of God’s children. “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness 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 1:9-10)