AND THE PURPOSE OF THE AGES

The days that we live in are solemn indeed, but to the humble student of prophecy they are thrilling as well -

for we can see the beginnings of Ezekiel 37 taking place under our own eyes. Something has happened to the Jew

which has not been since the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, namely they have acquired national status again in

their land. The importance of this from a Scriptural standpoint should be evident. There are stirrings amongst the

dry bones now and while as yet they have no spiritual life, the time cannot be very far distant when the power of

resurrection will begin to operate in them and they shall live.

Since Calvary there has been a converse action going on with regard to Jew and Gentile. During the Acts, as

the chosen people sink deeper into unbelief and darkness, the Gentile comes more and more to the fore, till at last in

this present dispensation, the Gentile is right in the forefront, the Jew far off in unrepentance and hardness of heart.

As the dispensation of the Mystery closes, the reverse takes place, the Jew comes back to the light and finally takes

the place that God intended that he should, namely to be first amongst the nations. And here we get resurrection

power operating again, for Romans 11:15 declares `If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what

shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?' First of all Israel themselves experience the working of

resurrection and then, in their turn, they become the means of resurrection life to a world sunk in sin, death and

Let us take heart as we see these things happening which not only confirm the truth of the Word of God, but

assure us that the day cannot be far distant when our own hope shall be realised and the church of the One Body

joined to its Head in glory and manifested there (Col. 3:1-4).

(5) Resurrection and Hope.-When we consider the Scriptural basis for life after death, or the hope of the

believer, we reach a point where resurrection comes right to the forefront. With whatever company of the redeemed

we are dealing, hope is clearly the realisation of some promise of God or the fulfilment of a calling. The apostle

Paul links the two together:

`And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise of God unto our fathers' (Acts 26:6).

To Israel after the flesh, the promises pertained in a special way (Rom. 9:4). As we have stressed previously,

God has planned that Israel as a nation shall be a means of blessing to the whole world, and as such they shall be the

premier nation.

`The LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be

beneath' (Deut. 28:13).

While Israel forfeited any claim to such an exalted position by their sin and disobedience, yet under the new

covenant of grace they will realise the fulness of God's purpose. At that time Isaiah 61:5-9 shall be true of them:

`And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your

vinedressers. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye

shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. . . . their seed shall be known

among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they

When all this has been accomplished for the earthly seed of Abraham and the Divine promise put into effect

and become literally true, Israel will have realised their hope.

Coming to the Church of the One Body we find no future blessing in an earthly sphere, but a revelation of a

mighty purpose to bless all such in the heavenlies far above all where the ascended Lord Jesus is now seated (Eph.

2:4,5). This favoured company has been `made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the holiest of all in light'

(Col. 1:12). Now we walk by faith, but when this has become literally true and we enter into our heavenly

inheritance, our hope will have been realised. But we may ask, how will this hope and the hope of other callings be

fulfilled? The Scriptural answer is that there are only two ways: (1) for living saints it will be the Lord's coming or

the manifestation of His glory; (2) for those of the redeemed who have died, it will be resurrection. The Word of

Truth knows no other way to glory, and hope that is based on anything else, however ancient, learned or sincere it

may appear, will surely lead to deception and delusion. To substitute any other conception for the great truth of

resurrection as the hope for children of God who have died, is to miss the way and to build on a foundation of sand.