THE LIFE OF CHRIST SERIES

VOLUME XVI

The Resurrection of

Jesus Christ

by Gordon Lindsay

Published By

CHRIST FOR THE NATIONS

Dallas, Texas

Reprinted 1977

All Rights Reserved

Contents

I The Despair of the Disciples. ...........................................................5

II The Resurrection and the Spirit World. .......................................11

III The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. ...............................................17

IV The Appearances of Jesus. ..........................................................25

V The Later Appearances of Jesus. ..................................................35

VI The Great Commission. ..............................................................43

VII The Ascension. ..........................................................................51

VIII Prophecies Concerning Judgment on Jerusalem and Judea. ...55

IX Christ's Prophecies of the End of the Age. .................................61

Chapter I

The Despair of the Disciples

I

At the dark moment when Jesus expired on the cross nothing

could have appeared more pitifully hopeless than the cause of

Christianity. Christ’s death seemed to the apostles an absolute

and irretrievable disaster. Through the many months that they

had walked with Jesus they had clung tenaciously to the Jewish

Messianic ideal, and expected confidently that at the appropriate

moment He would arise and claim the throne of His father David

and install Himself thereupon in regal splendor. His death on the

cross dispelled that dream.

When Jesus had been taken prisoner in the Garden the

disciples had scattered, fleeing in all directions for their lives.

Peter and John soon rallied, however, and with regained courage

followed at a distance. They entered the gate and watched the

trial proceed at the palace of the high priest. Peter’s denial

eliminated him, and only John was left to watch the drama as it

reached its final end. He, with some of the women, stood by the

cross until the precious body had been removed and laid in a

nearby tomb.

Until the moment of death, John probably hoped against

hope that some transcendent miracle might take place which

would overwhelm Christ’s enemies. But when He bowed His

head in death that last hope was gone.

Once the body of Jesus was in the tomb the disciples had to

consider what they would do next. Fear held them for the time

being apart from each other. Judas, whom they had never for a

moment suspected, had proved to be a traitor. Whom could they

trust? They were indeed as sheep scattered without a shepherd.

John, who seemed to be bolder than the rest, apparently

remained in the city. The others fled to some point of safety and

hid themselves over the Sabbath. Some perhaps found refuge in

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

the orchards, others at the homes of friends. It might be

wondered why they did not immediately flee to Galilee which

was beyond the jurisdiction of their enemies. It is likely they

were too confused and dismayed to form even the simplest plan

at the moment.

Then too, there were several reasons against immediate

flight. To the women had been committed the task of bestowing

the final work of the embalmment of the body. If they left at

once the women would have to be abandoned. They would also

have thrown themselves open to a new danger—traveling on the

Sabbath—a crime worthy of death in the eyes of the priests.

Yet beyond their own fears there was a deep emotion of

sorrow that utterly overwhelmed them. They had come to lean

upon Jesus, and they loved Him with such love that when He

was taken from them they were left in a daze of complete

helplessness. When in their places of seclusion they tried to

pray, their prayers seemed utterly useless. If God had not heard

the prayer of their Master, how then would He hear theirs?

A terrible suspicion had risen up to haunt them. If Jesus

were not the Messiah, who was He? Were the high priests right

after all? They could not accept the conclusion of the Jews that

He was a deceiver, but was it possible that He was self-

deceived? They had not believed it possible that anything could

happen to Him, and yet it had. Again and again they had

marvelled that Jesus did not put forth His supernatural power

and overthrow His enemies. James and John had urged that this

be done at a Samaritan village where hostility had risen against

Him (Luke 9:54-56). Once their hopes had risen when Jesus

drove the money changers out of the temple, but after this was

done, He made no further move involving force.

It was true that Jesus had again and again alluded to His

approaching death. But the disciples had refused to accept this

literally. And when Jesus persisted in His prediction they

listened in silence and disbelief. When Jesus had told the three

disciples who had witnessed the transfiguration not to divulge

what they had seen, “till the Son of man were risen from the

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The Despair of the Disciples

dead,” they questioned among themselves “what the rising

from the dead should mean” (Mark 9:9-10).

Plainly it is seen that the disciples did not expect Jesus to

die. While Jesus was thinking about the suffering ahead, they

were contemplating the victorious Messiah and the soon

appearance of the Kingdom of God (Luke 19:11). Indeed there

was a rivalry among the disciples as to who would have the

highest place in that kingdom!

Then too, we must remember that there were some mysteries

about His death that were not fully revealed to Himself. It is

obvious that Jesus did not foresee every step in His earthly

ministry, or He could not have entered fully into our human life.

If such were true He could not have walked by faith as we must

walk by faith and trust day by day in the providence of God.

This is clearly seen in Christ’s prayer in the Garden of

Gethsemane. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass

from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt.

26:39).

Thus we may understand the confusion of the disciples.

Jesus had assured them that the gates of hades could not prevail

against the Church, but lo! they appeared to have prevailed

against Him! They knew Christ as the holiest and noblest of men

who went about doing good and living only for others. They saw

in Him the perfect Man. Above Him, there could be none; like

Him, there was none. Therefore, what was this that had

happened? Jesus had died forsaken of God. His last pitiful words

were, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

(Matt. 27:46). Was God a good God after all? The cold facts

seemed to mock them. Was there anything at all they could

believe?

And so the disciples felt they had indeed been put to shame.

They were not only bereaved, but were also disenchanted. They

stood before the nation of Israel as the followers of a self-

deceived Messiah, the foolish dupes of a preposterous

hallucination. What was there for them to do but to return to

their former occupations, amid the derision of old

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

acquaintances?

Surely the future of Christianity could not have been more

bleak or at a lower ebb. The disciples were poor; they were

ignorant; there was no open door for them anywhere, even if

haply the rulers of the Jews were satisfied by their triumph over

their Master and were content to allow them to escape with their

lives. Then what was it that suddenly intervened and made

Christianity the dynamic religion it was—one that reversed the

very order of history and changed the destiny of nations? There

can be but one answer, and that was the resurrection of Christ

from the dead! Any other explanation would require as great a

miracle as the resurrection.

The long night following the Sabbath slowly passed. The

coming of the dawn would be a signal to their enemies that the

Sabbath was over, and they might systematically hunt down the

followers of Jesus and eradicate completely once and for all this

heretical sect that had given them so much trouble. How to

escape the clutches of the Jews became the pressing problem of

the disciples. The first day of the week might have been the best

time to depart, since the caravans would have begun making

their way back to Galilee and among the multitude they might

move unnoticed.

But if the men feared to appear openly, the little group of

women did not seem so affected. The Jews ordinarily would not

molest a woman, although in times such as those there was no

absolute guarantee of the safety of anyone who followed Jesus

of Nazareth.

According to John, Mary Magdalene in the early dawn of

Easter came to the tomb. The evangelists add that she was

accompanied by other women. To fulfill the task she had

undertaken would require the help of others. Carrying with them

precious spices, they prepared to complete the task that

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had left uncompleted.

Although there was yet little light, they were probably grateful

for the cover of darkness and thought to complete their task

before enemies should come who might interfere with them. The

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The Despair of the Disciples

one thing that troubled them was the question of who would roll

away the stone from the mouth of the tomb for them? (Mark

16:3). They of course were unaware of the late permission given

by Pilate to the Jews, who as an afterthought had set a watch at

the tomb. But as they drew near the sepulchre they suddenly

found that their problem had been solved. Someone had been

there ahead of them and had rolled away the stone!

9

Chapter II

The Resurrection and the Spirit

II

World

At the moment that Christ died there was a great earthquake.

Whether the earthquake was the means God used to split the veil

of the temple we cannot say. Certainly the earthquake was

supernatural in origin to occur at that precise moment. It opened

the graves of many of the saints of God. These graves were

mostly hollowed out places in the rocks, covered by large stones.

The quake evidently caused these stones to be rolled aside.

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain

from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and

the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many

bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the

graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city,

and appeared unto many. (Matt. 27:51-53)

Although these graves were opened at the time of the death

of Christ, apparently nothing further happened until His

resurrection on the third day. But after His resurrection

something very remarkable did take place. Matthew tells us that

after Christ arose from the dead many of the bodies of the saints

that slept, arose, came out of their graves and appeared unto

many in the holy city. Here is a statement that allows little

possibility of misinterpretation. It obviously was a resurrection

of the firstfruits of the Old Testament saints. (1) There was a

considerable number raised, though not all of the saints, since

the word many does not indicate all. (2) They were not spirits or

apparitions, for the term bodies is distinctly used. Moreover, it is

plain from Bible teaching as a whole that God does not permit

human spirits to return to earth, as spiritualists falsely claim. (3)

The appearance of these Old Testament saints to so many

witnesses caused the fact of their resurrection to become firmly

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

established. Furthermore, there apparently is an Old Testament

reference to the event in Isaiah 26:19:

Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body

shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for

thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out

the dead. (Isa. 26:19)

There is not a universal agreement in the rendering of this

passage, but it could well refer to this firstfruit resurrection of

the Old Testament saints at the time of the resurrection. What

Old Testament saints were included in this special firstfruit

resurrection? No one can say. But surely such men as Noah,

Abraham, Joseph, Joshua, Samuel, Daniel, Job, and others like

them were included.

Christ’s Descent Into Hades

Before we could consider the subject of the resurrection

further, let us take note of what happened to Christ after death

and before His resurrection. Forsaken of God at the time of

death, His spirit like that of a lost soul descended into hades.

The apostle Peter tells of Christ’s going down into the heart of

the earth, where He preached to the spirits in prison that were

disobedient in the days of Noah.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for

the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to

death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which

also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the

longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the

ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were

saved by water. (I Pet. 3:18-20)

For this cause was the gospel preached also to them

that are dead, that they might be judged according to men

in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (I Pet.

4:6)

It is to be noted that Noah was the only preacher of

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The Resurrection and the Spirit World

righteousness among perhaps millions of people who lived at

that time. This being the case it is probable that many

antediluvians never received an opportunity to hear the truth.

Some have proposed that the above-mentioned “spirits” referred

not to men but to angels that had sinned. Others, that Christ did

not actually preach to those spirits at the time of His death at all,

but preached to them through the Holy Spirit in the days of

Noah.

If these views are correct, it would nullify the statement of

Peter that Christ preached to the dead. Few Christian expositors

accept that interpretation, but believe that Christ actually

preached to the dead.

It perhaps is not wise to attempt to build any specific

doctrine upon these words or to speculate unduly about them.

Nevertheless, this brief sketch of Christ’s ministry while He was

in the abode of the dead shows us that He was performing some

important work there.

And now the question arises as to what happened when

Christ arose from the dead? What took place in hades after Jesus

finished preaching to the spirits in prison? Certainly death could

not hold Christ in its embrace. He was the prince of life! Hades

could not hold the Lord, because while there He seized the keys

of death and hades. That is Christ’s own testimony.

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am

alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of

death. (Rev. 1:18)

Yes, He seized the keys of death and hades! That meant He

could go from one compartment of hades to the other. He could

commune with the righteous. He could go over into the

compartment of the unrighteous, where Dives was. He was

stronger than Satan who had held the keys of death.

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he

led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that

he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into

the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same

also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some,

prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and

teachers. (Eph. 4:8-11)

When Christ ascended from the grave, He led captivity

captive. That is He took the captives who were in the righteous

compartment of hades and ascended with them up into the

immediate presence of God, or the third heaven.

Previous to this, the abode of the righteous dead was always

“down.” Jacob spoke of going “down” to hades mourning. Christ

went “down“ into the heart of the earth. So therefore paradise at

that time was down. But this was no longer true after the

resurrection of Christ. For He had taken captivity captive and

had ascended on high. From that moment on, paradise was up,

not down! When the Apostle Paul was caught away by the Spirit

to paradise, he did not go down into the heart of the earth. He

was “caught up to the third heaven.” He was caught up into

paradise (II Cor. 12:2, 4).

Therefore when loved ones who die in Christ pass from this

scene they no longer go down into hades. Paradise is now

located in the third heaven. Our loved ones who die in Christ are

now in the immediate presence of Christ.

Thus Paul could say that to depart this life was to be with

Christ.

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to

depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

(Phil. 1:23-24)

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that,

whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the

Lord. (II Cor. 5:6)

Now let us sum up what we have learned in this chapter:

1. While Christ was in this world, paradise was still down in

the earth. All the saints until that time, at death, went to

paradise, or the compartment of the righteous, in hades.

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The Resurrection and the Spirit World

2. At Christ’s death He too went down to hades. While there

He obtained the keys and passed at will from one side to the

other—something that had never been done before.

3. While in the compartment of the unrighteous in hades, Jesus

preached to the spirits in prison—those who had been

disobedient in their lifetime.

4. At the time of Christ’s resurrection, when He ascended on

high He took the righteous in paradise with Him up to the

third heaven. From that time on paradise has always been

up, in the immediate presence of God.

5. Since paradise was removed from hades, the New Testament

saints at death do not go to hades. Thus is fulfilled Christ’s

promise that the gates of hades shall never prevail against

His Church.

6. At the time of Christ’s ascension certain chosen ones of the

Old Testament saints were resurrected and given glorified

bodies. They appeared unto many in Jerusalem.

7. All New Testament saints now at death go to paradise, the

third heaven, and which is in the immediate presence of

Christ. Unlike Old Testament saints, informed believers of

the New Testament welcome death, since it unites them with

Christ.

15

Chapter III

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

III

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene,

and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought

sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And

very early in the morning the first day of the week, they

came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they

said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone

from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked,

they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very

great. (Mark 16:1-4)

It was a great surprise to the women who visited the

sepulchre to discover that the heavy slab had been rolled away

from the entrance. Their first conclusion was that vandals had

come and taken away the stone and had stolen the body.

Looking in, they could see nothing. When it was plain that the

body of Jesus was gone, Mary Magdalene left at once to carry

the astonishing news to John and Peter. Knowing the place

where Peter and John were staying, she hurried along to bring

them the word of the mysterious happening. The other women

apparently remained behind while she went on her errand. As

they stood around the sepulchre they suddenly became aware

that a “young man” was sitting within on the right side. He

addressed the women informing them that Jesus had risen.

And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young

man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white

garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto

them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which

was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place

where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and

Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye

see him, as he said unto you. And they went out quickly,

and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were

amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

were afraid. (Mark 16:5-8)

While the angel spoke, they looked around and discovered

that he had a companion. Luke gives us this additional

information:

And it came to pass, 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, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the

hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day

rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned

from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the

eleven, and to all the rest. (Luke 24:4-9)

The question is sometimes asked as to whether these were

glorified men or angels? Although angels are spoken of as men

on occasions, it is possible that they were actual human

witnesses. If so, could they have been Moses and Elijah, who

previously appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration? We see

two witnesses appear again at the Mount of Olives, after the

ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:1-11). This is a possibility, although

it cannot be certainly answered. At any rate, the heavenly

visitation was something which so deeply affected the women

that without waiting for the return of Mary they hastened to the

apostles to tell them of their strange experience.

Mary in the meantime had arrived at Peter and John’s house

and burst in upon them with the strange news saying, “They

have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know

not where they have laid him” (John 20:2). These tidings

startled the two disciples. And without standing upon ceremony

or waiting for Mary to go with them they started on a dead run to

the tomb to see for themselves. John was the speedier and got

there first, with Peter following close behind.

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple,

and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the

sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the

linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon

Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth

the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his

head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped

together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other

disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and

believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he

must rise again from the dead. (John 20:3-9)

John looking in through the door could see by means of the

twilight dawn the place where the Lord’s body ought to have

been. Peter arrived and with his customary impetuousness did

not even pause, but dashed in and began looking for clues as to

what happened to the body. John followed him inside. The

sepulchre was obviously empty, but the circumstances were

puzzling. The grave clothes were lying there, as if the body had

evaporated right through them. Here were the grave clothes still

undisturbed as if encasing a body, and the cloth that had held

His sacred head, lying separate (as was the custom), but where

His face should have been (for this was left unwrapped) there

was nothing! Only a supernatural miracle could have whisked

Christ’s body away and left the grave clothes in this manner

Moreover, who would have carried off the corpse without its

wrappings? The men looked at each other in utter bewilderment.

Slowly it began to dawn on them what had happened was of a

supernatural nature. The words of Jesus concerning His rising

from the dead began to pass through their minds. They urgently

needed time to think, and as the tomb had told them all it could,

the two disciples, wondering over the exciting developments,

returned to their house.

When Mary Magdalene had given the news to Peter and

John she was in no condition to match their pace. Possibly she

started to follow them, but more likely she waited for their

report. Moreover, she would want to tell the details to Mary the

mother of Jesus whom she awakened from sleep, and of course

any other members in the household.

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

In the meantime the women who had seen the angels and

had left the tomb to carry the astonishing news to the other

disciples had begun to locate some of them. They would not go

to Peter and John’s place first, since Mary Magdalene had

already gone in that direction. The disciples responded to their

tidings that they had seen celestial beings at the tomb with flat

disbelief, crediting their story to a hallucination caused by

excited minds.

When Peter and John returned and reported that they too had

found the tomb empty and also that the other women had gone,

Mary Magdalene felt urged by a strong curiosity to revisit the

tomb and see if she could find a clue to the deepening mystery.

When she arrived there she looked in, and of course as before,

the body was not there. Mary was convinced that grave-robbers

had profaned the tomb, and at a total loss as to what to do next

she stood there weeping. Suddenly looking up she saw two

angels, one at the head and the other at the feet of where the

body had lain, but she knew not that they were angels. The

visitors engaged her in a brief conversation:

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and

as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the

sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at

the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus

had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest

thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away

my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. (John

20:11-13)

When Mary Magdalene between her sobs had poured out her

sorrow saying, “They have taken away my Lord,” some

gesture or sign must have been made by the angels that caused

her to look around, and in so doing she saw someone standing

near. It was Jesus, but through her tears she did not recognize

Him. The Lord asked her, “Why weepest thou? whom seekest

thou?” She supposed that it was the gardner who perhaps was

about to charge her with trespass. A rather absurd idea sprang

into her mind that he had taken the body away, perhaps lest

curiosity-seekers trample down his plots of flowers. So she cried

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

out, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou

hast laid him, and I will take him away” (John 20:15),

although she had no idea how she would go about doing that.

Jesus said only the word, “Mary,” and that was enough.

The familiar inflection of His voice caught her attention at once.

“Rabboni!” which means “Master,” she cried, and she would

have flung herself at His feet and embraced them with kisses.

She thought that Jesus had been restored to her on the same

basis as of old, but He gently repulsed her with the words,

“Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but

go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my

Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God”

(John 20:17).

There is some mystery in these words, yet the meaning

seems not too difficult. Later we are told that the other women

saw Jesus and “held him by the feet, and worshipped him”

(Matt. 28:9). It would appear, therefore, that Jesus spoke to

Mary as the high priest fulfilling the day of atonement (Lev. 16).

After leaving Mary He presents the sacred blood in heaven, then

returns for the meeting of Matthew 28:9. Mary Magdalene knew

Christ only after the flesh (II Cor. 5:15-17), and having found

Him alive again wanted to hold on to Him in the old

relationship. But after His resurrection He was about to assume

a new relation and He would show Mary that she must not

attempt to hold Him on earth, but to carry the message of the

resurrection to others at once. What wonderful condescension!

Jesus has all power in heaven and in earth at His command, but

He entreats and persuades as if He were dependent upon

securing the agreement of His followers!

It is a marvelous object lesson that this woman out of whom

Jesus cast seven devils was given the honor of being the first to

see Him on the resurrection day. But it is true that he that is

forgiven much loves much. So great had been the depth of

Mary’s anguish that even the appearance of the angels could not

astonish her nor divert her thoughts. Only when she turned

around and saw Jesus could the bitter pain of her soul be eased.

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

That one word, “Mary,” in tender and impelling tones suddenly

made her aware that it was none other than Jesus Himself, and it

transfixed her with joy that was beyond human comprehension.

Jesus gently checked her enthusiasm and directed her to carry

the message of His resurrection to His disciples.

Swept with an emotion of both awe and joy she made her

second flight to where the disciples were to carry the incredibly

good news. What a scene must have followed as she burst in

upon the disciples with the astonishing words, “I have seen the

Lord.” Nor was her story unsupported. The other women had

come rushing in with a report that the Lord had risen.

Notwithstanding, the disciples at first could not believe that the

story they carried was true. It surely must have been an

hallucination. Their expectations had been so cruelly dashed to

the earth that they dared not allow hope to build again, only to

have it die once more. And so Luke declares, “And their words

seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not”

(Luke 24:11).

Whether Peter, before Mary arrived, went the second time to

the tomb we cannot say. It is not unlikely that he did, to spend

time alone there in reflection or to see if he too might meet the

angels (Luke 24:12). Apparently he did not see them;

nevertheless, before the day was far advanced he met the Lord

Himself. The apostle Paul mentions that Jesus first appeared to

Peter (omitting reference to the appearance to Mary of Magdala

as of minor importance in I Cor. 15:5).

Luke tells us also of this appearance of Jesus to Peter as

being the first of a series of visitations to the apostles (Luke

24:34). That the Lord had something personal to say to Peter

seems probable from the command that the angel had given to

the women, “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter,

that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him,

as he said unto you” (Mark 16:7). Apparently Jesus wanted to

tell Peter something apart from the other disciples. What was

said during the interview is not recorded. No doubt the details

were too sacred and intimate to repeat. Peter was in the depths

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

of self-condemnation because of his denial and felt that he like

Judas had cut himself off forever from the circle of the apostles,

if not from all hope itself. The memory of his cursing and denial

must have risen up as an evil specter to haunt him. The rumor of

Christ’s resurrection instead of bringing him joy, must have

filled him with shame and dread at the thought of meeting Jesus

face to face.

Thus it was that while Peter was in this state of mind Jesus

made His appearance to him. We can only imagine what was

said. Peter, a rough sort of man yet with an exceedingly tender

conscience, must have poured out his confession in broken sobs,

while the Lord seeing the depths of his repentance turned the

conversation away to the things which He had spoken

prophetically before His death: “And when thou art converted,

strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).

By the time the interview had ended Peter was a new man.

Indeed he must have felt as one who had a reprieve from death

itself. The apostle had been appointed to a special mission and

he lost no time in fulfilling it. He searched out the various

disciples to tell them the good news and his testimony carried

weight. The news spread rapidly from disciple to disciple, and

soon they were all together to discuss the wonderful thing that

had happened. Each one was in a state of intense excitement to

learn every possible detail of what happened at the tomb and of

its significance.

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Chapter IV

The Appearances of Jesus

IV

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the

angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and

rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His

countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as

snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and

became as dead men. (Matt. 28:2-4)

It is now time to note the evidence of what took place at the

tomb of Jesus on the morning of the resurrection. It will be

recalled that the enemies of Christ remembered the rumored

prophecies of His resurrection, and decided that they had to

anticipate any surreptitious move on the part of the disciples to

steal the body. Knowing that under similar circumstance that is

the very thing they themselves would have done, the chief

priests made plans to forestall any such attempt. Therefore, they

made a request of Pilate—a request which was curtly granted—

to have a guard provided at the tomb. Satisfied that they had

thought of everything, the priests and their minions at last

relaxed in complacent conviction that one Jesus of Nazareth

would never again cross their path. They could not have been

more wrong!

Just as the first streaks of dawn began to spread across the

eastern sky the quiet of the night was broken by a great

earthquake. “The angel of the Lord descended from heaven,

and came and rolled back the stone from the door, (of the

sepulchre) and sat upon it” (Matt. 28:2). The full moon of the

Passover shed its glow over the scene. The soldiers shook with a

nameless horror and fell like dead men to the ground. The

guards saw what appeared to them an apparition, which rolled

the stone away and sat upon it. As soon as they could recover

themselves they arose to their feet and fled from the scene. Some

of them in their terror never paused in their flight until they

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

reached their own quarters. Others knowing that their lives were

at stake and that they would have to make a report of what had

happened to the Sanhedrin, went there trembling with fear to tell

their story.

That the news they brought to the high priests was

unwelcome can well be imagined. Any investigation by them of

what had happened at the tomb was out of the question, since

they were deeply committed in their murderous crime. It was

most unlucky that this had happened, and their only hope to

justify their wicked deed before the people was to connive in an

outright falsehood. They had to hush up the matter at all costs.

Some men may stand at the Judgment Bar of God and plead

that they were deceived. But how could these men plead any

justification of their conduct? Truth was no longer their shield.

Doggedly they pursued their course as if there were no God in

heaven watching them and to save their skins for the moment

they were willing to perjure themselves. So they suggested to the

soldiers to say that while they slept the disciples of Jesus came

and stole away the body:

Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch

came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the

things that were done. And when they were assembled

with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large

money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came

by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this

come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and

secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were

taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the

Jews until this day. (Matt. 28:11-15)

To persuade the soldiers to follow such a dangerous course

undoubtedly required very “large” bribes. Nevertheless, the

chief priests had available the temple funds and were able to

secure an agreement from the guards to follow their suggestion.

Actually it is doubtful that anything much was said by the

soldiers at the time, since to be guilty of sleeping at their post of

duty would have subjected them to the penalty of court-martial

and execution.

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The Appearances of Jesus

The high priests hoped that the whole matter would be

buried in secrecy and silence. If anyone inquired of them about

the matter they would turn it aside with the explanation that the

disciples had stolen the body. Certainly no mention would be

made by them of the soldiers’ sleeping, or even that any soldiers

had been stationed at the tomb. The whisperings were received

and passed on by those who wanted to believe them, and in later

years the rumors were revived by Jewish historians.

This falsehood inspired by the high priests, intended to

counteract the fact of the resurrection, did not have any great

effect at the time. The proof that it took place was testified to by

so many witnesses that Jerusalem was literally shaken by the

event, and the way was prepared for the conversion of the

multitudes. Indeed, the effect of the resurrection story upon the

populace was so great that before long a sizeable portion of the

city’s population believed the report, and the harried leaders,

despite their desperate efforts to destroy the new faith, found

their efforts quite unsuccessful.

We must now return to the thread of events that occurred

following Christ’s appearance to the Apostle Peter on the

resurrection day.

Christ’s Meeting With the Two Disciples on the

Way to Emmaus

And, behold, two of them went that same day to a

village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about

threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these

things which had happened. And it came to pass, that,

while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself

drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden

that they should not know him. And he said unto them,

What manner of communications are these that ye have

one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? (Luke 24:13-17)

While the disciples were gathering to discuss the amazing

developments which they had heard, two other disciples were

having a wondrous experience while on their way to a village

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

called Emmaus, about eight miles distant from Jerusalem. The

name of one was Cleopas and the other is unknown. They were

not apostles, but belonged to that number of the Lord’s

followers who had hoped that Jesus was the One who would

redeem Israel. They had received word of the strange events of

the morning, of the empty tomb and the report that the women

had seen the vision of the angels saying that Christ was alive.

Evidently they had not heard of His appearance to Mary, else

they would not have left Jerusalem.

Where Cleopas and his companion were from is not

certainly known. But it is probable that they were disciples

living in Judea, rather than Galilee, since their home seems to

have been in Emmaus. Nor do they show fear with their sorrow,

as was the case of the disciples who were behind closed doors

“for fear of the Jews.” The latter had come from a distance,

and as strangers were objects of suspicion.

Returning to Emmaus in a state of sore perplexity, they were

debating between themselves the meaning of the reports that

they had heard, when a Stranger who appeared to be going in

their direction joined them. He inquired of them the cause of

their sad countenances and their apparently heated conversation.

Rather ashamed that their differences had been heard and

perhaps slightly resenting that the stranger had intruded upon

them, one of the men, Cleopas, said, “Art thou only a stranger

in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come

to pass there in these days?” This statement brought a further

inquiry from the newcomer who had joined their company. The

men then explained in detail what had transpired:

And he said unto them, What things? And they said

unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a

prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the

people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered

him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But

we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed

Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these

things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our

company made us astonished, which were early at the

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The Appearances of Jesus

sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came,

saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which

said that he was alive. And certain of them which were

with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the

women had said: but him they saw not. (Luke 24:19-24)

Thus did they describe what had happened, and their

yearning hopes and how they had been crushed to the ground.

They mentioned the rumors of the women’s vision of the angels,

but with a disconsolate sigh of incredulity and sorrow they

added, “But him they saw not.”

These men failed to recognize Jesus and the question is,

why? The explanation given is that “their eyes were holden,”

that is, supernaturally kept in ignorance. Nevertheless, the

miracle on this occasion was not especially remarkable. When

one thinks it an impossibility for another person to be present,

his mind will explain the resemblance as only a coincidence.

How much the more in a case where the person in question has

died! At all events there was a reason why Christ did not wish to

be recognized immediately. If the two disciples were to give

their attention to what Jesus was about to teach them, it was

necessary that they not be in a state of overwhelming excitement

which would certainly have been the case if they had recognized

Him. Indeed that was what happened when He was finally

recognized.

The Stranger reproached them for their dullness and lack of

spiritual perception, and began to trace through the Old

Testament and show them how that the Scriptures had foretold

the sufferings of Christ before He should enter into His glory:

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to

believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not

Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his

glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he

expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things

concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27)

As the Stranger continued His conversation concerning

these things, it seemed that their despondency vanished away

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

and the parts of the great puzzle began to fit together. How could

they have been so blind as not to see these things? But now they

had reached the village and the Stranger who had warmed their

hearts seemed to be going on further. Immediately they

constrained Him to turn in with them, pointing out that it was

coming eventide and the day was far spent. And so He turned

from His way and accepted the invitation to come into their

home.

As He sat down with them He took the bread, blessed it and

broke it and gave it to them. At that very instant their eyes were

opened and they knew Him. How did they know? Was it the way

He broke the bread? Did they suddenly see the nail prints in His

hands? However this may be, even as they recognized Him He

was with them no longer!

How much of a meal they ate can only be guessed.

Overwhelmed with their amazing experience they turned to each

other and said, “Did not our heart burn within us ... by the

way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” The news

was too good to keep even to the next day. Although evening

shadows were falling and Jerusalem was eight miles distant,

they set out on the return journey to carry the joyous tidings to

the disciples.

It was probably about nine in the evening when they reached

the place where the disciples were gathered together. Things had

changed even since they left. The apostles were no longer

dispersed and despairing, but they had gathered with several

others, probably including the women who had visited the

sepulchre.

Before the two had opportunity to tell the disciples of how

Jesus had met them and talked with them on the way to

Emmaus, the happy band had to repeat the story that Peter had

told them saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and hath

appeared to Simon.”

Then every detail of the memorable day was repeated and

rehearsed, beginning from the events of the early dawn to that

moment. Soon Cleopas and his companion got their chance to

30

The Appearances of Jesus

tell of the wondrous experience they had, thus kindling fresh

excitement.

The doors of the place had been locked and made securely

fast for fear of the Jews. But while they were wholly

preoccupied with the telling of the events that had transpired,

suddenly another figure stood in their midst saying, “Peace be

unto you.” Their first reaction was that they were seeing a

spirit.

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the

midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But

they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they

had seen a spirit. (Luke 24:36-37)

Only a few of the company had yet seen Jesus and He

manifested Himself in these cases in a normal way, thus giving

them opportunity to accustom themselves to His presence. In

this instance His appearance was so sudden that it frightened

them. The Lord, however, had no thought to alarm them and

admonished them gently saying, “Why are ye troubled, and

why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” He wanted His

disciples to know beyond all shadow of doubt that it was indeed

He that was risen. So He showed them His nail-scarred hands

and feet:

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself:

handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as

ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed

them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed

not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye

here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish,

and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before

them. (Luke 24:39-43)

Joy mingled with tears overwhelmed the little company as

Jesus talked and ate with them. And when the disciples had

sufficiently composed themselves they listened to their risen

Lord as He opened their understanding of the Scriptures.

And he said unto them, These are the words which I

spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses,

and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Then opened he their understanding, that they might

understand the scriptures. (Luke 24:44-45)

The appearance of Jesus to His disciples on this first Easter

day was convincing proof that He was indeed risen from the

dead. But a question might be asked why He did not make His

appearance to all in Jerusalem, thereby confounding His enemies

and compelling all to accept His claims? The answer is that His

appearance to them would not have made them believe. They

still would have attributed His power to that of Beelzebub and

avowed that He was in league with the devil.

What would the fickle populace have done? They would

have again hailed Him as the Messiah and manifested an even

wilder enthusiasm than that shown on Palm Sunday. But their

own hearts still would have been unconverted. They could only

have been satisfied with a Messiah that would have driven out

the Romans and set up His throne in Jerusalem. The city would

have been filled with excitement, but it would not have been a

holy excitement. It would only have resulted in the same kind of

stir that occurred after He had fed the multitude the loaves and

fishes, when they had wanted to crown Him king.

All the apostles were present that memorable evening with

the exception of Thomas. As we have noted elsewhere, Thomas

was an affectionate man but inclined to be melancholy. When

Jesus had said, “Lazarus is dead,” the best Thomas had to offer

was that they should return to Bethany to die with him. When he

rejoined the apostolic band after the resurrection and they told

him the marvelous story of seeing Christ, he refused to believe it

saying, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails,

and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my

hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

Why did Thomas speak about the nailprints in His hands?

The answer is of course that the other disciples had seen the

nailprints themselves (Luke 24:40).

Thomas, of course, missed it by not being present with the

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The Appearances of Jesus

others on the resurrection evening. Why he was not there we are

not told. Surely word was sent to him as it had been to the

others. It was, however, in keeping with his character to be the

one absent, even as it would have been out of character for Peter

not to have been present. But Jesus was to appear again and give

Thomas a chance to see Him.

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Chapter V

The Later Appearances of Jesus

V

One week later Jesus appeared to the disciples again,

Thomas being present this time. Why Jesus should again appear

on Sunday we are not told, but the evidence adds up that the

resurrection day was to become the Christian’s day of worship.

Jesus was in the tomb on the Sabbath. It was on the first day of

the week that He arose. When Jesus appeared before them

Thomas knew it was the Lord, and he believed and worshipped

Him apparently without the test he proposed.

And after eight days again His disciples were within,

and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being

shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

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. And

Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my

God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen

me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen,

and yet have believed. (John 20:26-29)

The Appearance in Galilee

The time had come for the Lord to give His final

instructions to His apostles, and Jerusalem was not a convenient

place for Him to do it. Therefore, Jesus had spoken several times

that they should return to Galilee where He would meet with

them and make known His plans for them. It is doubtful that the

whole band of believers returned, but at least the apostles did,

and perhaps a few more. There was much to do when they

returned. The news of the crucifixion had of course preceded

them, and first they had to seek out the band of believers, tell

them the good news to rekindle their enthusiasm and to rouse

them to join with them in their new mission to evangelize the

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

world. Knowing that they must return to Jerusalem, there were

houses and lands to be sold, household goods to be prepared for

transportation, and a host of other domestic matters to be taken

care of.

Then one evening Peter said in the presence of several other

disciples, “I go a fishing.” Those present besides Peter were

Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other disciples. All

night they labored but caught nothing (John 21:1-3). Since they

had no other means of livelihood, fishing seemed an obvious

way to replenish their purse. Although they had been living on

mountaintops since the resurrection, there was the matter of

taking care of their families. All night they toiled and caught

nothing. Through the grey dawn of the morning they saw a

Stranger on the shore. It was Jesus, but they did not recognize

Him. The Stranger asked them if they had caught anything?

Their despondent reply was that they had not. He then told them

to cast their net on the right side of the ship, and they, supposing

that the Stranger had seen indications of a shoal, obeyed; and

soon their net was so full that they could scarcely drag it.

Immediately the disciples knew it was Jesus. Impulsive Peter

cast off his fisherman’s coat and swam to shore while the other

disciples busied themselves bringing the draught of fishes to

land. When they arrived they found that Jesus had a fire on

which fish were laid. There was also bread beside the fire. He

bade them to breakfast and distributed the food. Perhaps they

remembered their last supper together, at which time each

disciple had declared they would fight for Him until death.

Remembering their past failings they ate in awed silence. Jesus

told them to bring some of the fish that they had caught, and

Peter instantly arose and reached for the net and pulled it to

shore. The fish were laid on the fire and baked and presently all

had eaten a sufficiency.

All this was a setting for certain instruction that Jesus

wished to give. His thrice-repeated question, “Lovest thou

me?” undoubtedly had a connection with Peter’s thrice-repeated

denials. There was no fierce protest of his loyalty at this time as

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The Later Appearances of Jesus

there was before. A much-humbled Peter took part in the

interview with Jesus that followed:

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter,

Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He

saith unto him, Yea Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.

He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again

the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He

saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.

He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the

third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was

grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest

thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all

things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him,

Feed my sheep. (John 21: 15-17)

Why did Jesus speak these words? Was it just a cruel

reminder of Peter’s previous unfaithfulness? Or was Jesus

reproaching him because he had gone back to fishing? Or was it

a reinstatement of Peter to his place among the apostles?

It would hardly seem that Peter was being singled out for

reproach. The other disciples had scarcely acquitted themselves

better than he. They had all forsaken the Lord when He was

arrested and Peter at least had followed Him to the judgment

hall of Annas. If there was a reproach, it was addressed equally

to all of them.

Jesus, however, was not thinking to upbraid any of them. He

was telling them how they could fulfill their debt to the world.

They were being shown how they could prove their full devotion

to His cause. He said, “Feed my sheep.”

That Jesus had no thought of putting Peter to shame before

his companions is seen in the sequel. He foretold how he would

truly prove his love and at the end would die a martyr’s death.

That when he was young he went where he desired, but when

old age would come he would be led by another executioner to

the place of execution, there to give his life a martyr for God’s

glory.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou was young,

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

thou girdedst thyself and walkedst whither thou wouldest:

but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy

hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither

thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death

he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he

saith unto him, Follow me. (John 21:18-19)

Jesus had drawn Peter a little aside, and looking around, the

latter saw John following. The apostle could not refrain from

asking the question, “Lord, and what shall this man do?” It

was hardly the question to ask but impulsive Peter had to ask it.

Jesus answered him saying, “If I will that he tarry till I come,

what is that to thee? follow thou me” (Verse 22).

The disciples misconstrued the words of the Lord to mean

that John would live until Christ came in glory. The idea seemed

reasonable since the view that Christ’s coming was not far in the

future was confidently held by many until the destruction of

Jerusalem in A.D. 70. John, however, refuted the notion and

protested that Jesus had not said that he would live until His

Second Coming. Yet the idea persisted even after John’s death.

His grave at Ephesus was shown for centuries afterward, and

even in St. Augustine’s day it was said by some that John was

not really dead but only living asleep and that the earth above

him heaved gently with his breathing!

While it was indeed a mistake on the disciple’s part to

suppose that John would live until the Second Coming, the

words of Jesus concerning John had a peculiar significance.

John indeed lived about thirty years longer than the other

apostles. He lived to witness the vision of the living Christ on

the Isle of Patmos where the great Revelation was imparted to

him. That Christ’s appearance on Patmos was far more than an

ordinary vision is seen in the words of Revelation 1:17-19:

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he

laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I

am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead;

and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the

keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast

seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall

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The Later Appearances of Jesus

be hereafter.

While this remarkable event on Patmos was not the Second

Coming of Christ, it was something on the level of the

transfiguration vision, concerning which Jesus had said, “Verily

I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here,

which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the

kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1).

The events attending the destruction of Jerusalem were in a

very real way a preview of the happenings to occur at the

Second Coming of Christ. A careful reading of Luke 21,

especially verses 20-28, shows this to be true. All the other

disciples, so far as we know, were martyred before the fall of

Jerusalem, but John outlived them all. He lived to see the

overthrow of the Jewish nation and the destruction of the temple

which brought an end to the strict observance of the institution

of the Old Covenant, making way for the unimpeded

establishment of the New Covenant and the bringing of the

Kingdom of God into the hearts of men.

Appearance to the 500

There was another important occasion on which Jesus

manifested Himself, this time to as many as five hundred

brethren at one time (I Cor. 15:6). On several occasions Jesus

had mentioned that He was going to meet with His disciples in

Galilee (Matt. 28:7, Mark 16:7). Apparently this meeting is

alluded to as the one on “a mountain” in Galilee (Matt. 28:16-

17). The eleven were present, but there were also others since it

says, “some doubted.” This could not have been the eleven for

by then they were firmly and thoroughly convinced. Surely,

however, when Jesus came in the midst of them, all believed.

According to Matthew it was at this time that Jesus gave the

Great Commission to His disciples (Matt. 28:18-20).

There were probably other appearances to the disciples that

are not recorded. Paul says, “After that he was seen of James”

(I Cor. 15:7). And there was at least one more meeting with the

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

disciples—the one that took place at the time of the ascension.

Who was James? There is a long standing dispute over

whether he was actually the son of Mary and Joseph. Scholars

differ widely in their opinions, depending on their belief that

Mary was a perpetual virgin. Nevertheless, the overwhelming

evidence is that Jesus had brothers and sisters (Mark 6:3).

During the early ministry of Christ it appears that His brothers

did not believe in His Messianic claims (John 7:5). There is an

account in the apocryphal gospel of Hebrews that at the death of

Christ, James began a fast which he continued until Jesus arose

from the dead, and that the Lord did appear to him when that

event took place. Paul, however, puts the appearance late in the

chronological order, after His meeting with the five hundred. We

assume that it took place in Galilee and resulted in all the

members of Christ’s family accepting His claims (Acts 1:14).

The Resurrection Body

A matter that has long been a subject for discussion is, what

kind of body did Jesus have when He arose from the dead?

Certainly the Gospel record represents it as being in many

respects the same body that He had before death. It bore the

marks of the nails and the spear. The voice of Jesus was

recognizable. It was at the point that He said, “Mary,” that the

Magdalene knew that the speaker was her Lord. Except when

Jesus wished to be holden, His face and personality were

recognizable as when He was on earth. He ate food, even as He

did during His lifetime on earth. He walked at the natural pace

of a human being, as He did when He walked with Cleopas and

his companion. Yet He could travel instantly to a distant

geographical location.

His body had undergone a fundamental change—a

transformation, or rather a glorification, which however, when

He desired could accommodate itself to physical laws. The

transfiguration on the Mount was only temporary; glorification

was permanent. The information given about the resurrection

body of Christ is relevant to the body that the Christian will have

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The Later Appearances of Jesus

at His coming For “we shall be like him.” The present earthly

body and the one we shall have at the resurrection are two

distinctly different bodies. One is not a development of the

other. For “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of

God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (I Cor.

15:50). Yet there is a genuine resemblance between the two that

makes the individual identifiable as the same person.

There is a theory that the body that Christ received on the

first Easter was not the glorified one, that it was revived, healed,

clothed, and given new capabilities, but was not a resurrection

body. This teaching is of course false. Jesus received His true

resurrection body on that Easter morn. There are some

unexplained mysteries about His ascension, whether He

ascended to heaven immediately after the resurrection and then

ascended again at the end of the forty days. To attempt to

explain all that Christ did during this time when He was not with

His disciples is futile and beyond our depth. There were in fact

mysteries about Christ even while He was on earth, as may be

seen from the Lord’s words to Nicodemus: “And no man hath

ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven,

even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13). It is

enough for us to know that His resurrection is a glorious fact and

ours will be just as glorious and wonderful.

41

Chapter VI

The Great Commission

VI

The giving of the Great Commission appears to have

occurred on the memorable occasion of Christ’s meeting with

the Five Hundred on a mountain in Galilee. Its importance is

indicated by the fact that reference had been made to this event

several times before it took place. Yet not all of His final

instructions were given on this occasion, or if so they were

repeated at other times. Because of the importance of Christ’s

final words we shall now consider them one by one. The first

command apparently was given on the day of His resurrection.

1. Disciples Were to Preach Remission of Sins

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as

my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he

had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them,

Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit,

they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye

retain, they are retained. (John 20:21-23)

What did that command of Jesus’ mean? The Medieval

Church based its doctrine of the confessional on these verses.

They said that this command of Jesus authorizes the priest to

forgive sins.

Let us look at the passage closely and see whether the

Medieval Church has the right explanation. There is a parallel

passage describing the same incident in Luke 24:33-45. Luke’s

account is more complete than that of John’s, and to get the full

story both must be read. We note that not only were the eleven

apostles present but certain women also, and what was spoken

by Christ concerning remitting and retaining sins must apply to

all (Luke 24:9, 33).

While the Medieval Church said that only a priest has the

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

power to forgive sins, the Protestant Church declares that its

ministers have the power to pronounce the remission of sins

only upon those who truly repent. Which is right? Christ gave

the answer in this very same meeting with the disciples, and

which is recorded in the Luke account:

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it

behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the

third day: And that repentance and remission of sins

should be preached in his name among all nations,

beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these

things. (Luke 24:46-48)

Jesus told the apostles as well as all who were present to

preach repentance in His Name, and those who repented would

have remission of sins! The book of Acts tells us how the

apostles carried out this command. On the day of Pentecost Peter

preached to the people, and when they said, “Men and

brethren, what shall we do? ” Peter answered:

... Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the

name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall

receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)

Thus Peter told them that if they repented and were

baptized, they should receive both remission of sins and the gift

of the Holy Ghost. And those who were baptized that day were

3,000 souls. Would Peter and the apostles have had time to take

that many people into a confessional and heard them confess?

No, they were to confess to God, and then “whosoever shall

call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

Notice that this promise was not just for that time, but for all

time (Acts 2:39).

Peter on a later occasion told his hearers that they must look

to Christ in repentance to receive forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:29-

32). When Simon the sorcerer committed his wicked act of

trying to purchase the gift of God with money, Peter did not ask

him to confess to him, but to confess to God (Acts 8:22).

Likewise, when Paul preached at Antioch he showed that

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The Great Commission

forgiveness of sins was only through Christ:

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren,

that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness

of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all

things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of

Moses. (Acts 13:38-39)

When the Philippian jailer cried out and asked, “What must

I do to be saved?” Paul did not tell him to confess his sins, but

rather to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be

saved” (Acts 16:31).

The claim, therefore, that the priest has received authority

from God to forgive a person’s sins in the manner done in the

confessional is not based on Scripture. Christ is the one who

forgives our sins. We are to confess to Him. “If we confess our

sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to

cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).

Of course, if we have wronged a brother there is a place for

confession to him, but not to the priest. We are to go to the one

against whom we have sinned and ask his forgiveness, and as far

as possible to make restitution (Matt. 5:23, 24).

There is one final thought on the words of Jesus in John

20:33: notice that in the preceding verse it says, “He breathed

on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”

What is the significance of this? Let us remember that men do

not truly repent until they get under conviction for their sins. An

unanointed minister finds it almost impossible to secure this

conviction as a result of this preaching. It is the Holy Spirit that

convicts men of sin and of righteousness and of judgment (John

16:8).

So Christ breathed upon them and said, “Receive ye the

Holy Ghost.” It was this power that would come upon the

disciples that when they spoke their words they would cut men

to the heart and cause them to cry out, “What must we do to be

saved?” When a sinner is repentant before God, the minister or

any Christian worker under the anointing of the Spirit may

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

indeed say, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” not because they have

any power in themselves to forgive sins, but because they may

speak forth what Christ had already accomplished on the cross.

That was the very work that John the Baptist declared when he

first saw Christ and cried out, “Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

2. Command to Baptize

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All

power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye

therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

(Matt. 28: 18-19)

Included in the Great Commission was the command to

baptize. That is also referred to in Mark 16:16, “He that

believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” This is hardly a

place to discuss the subject of water baptism, but the fact that

the command to baptize is included in the Great Commission

shows its importance. John baptized with the baptism of

repentance and Jesus suffered His disciples to continue the same

baptism while John was alive (John 4:2). We do not read of their

baptizing after the death of John, and Acts 19:3-5 makes it clear

that Christian baptism was something that superseded John’s

baptism.

The baptism that Jesus authorized was one clearly different

from that of John. It retained John’s call to repentance, for when

Peter preached on the day of Pentecost he said, “Repent, and be

baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the

remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). But being baptized into Christ

means to be baptized into His very life. When one has the rite

performed upon him it means that he has declared to all that he

has renounced the world, has gone down into the water in

symbolic death, and has arisen to the new life, which answers to

the resurrection.

3. To Teach All Men to Observe All Things I

46

The Great Commission

Have Commanded You

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have

commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto

the end of the world. (Matt. 28:20)

When Jesus taught His disciples the precepts of His great

truth they were so revolutionary He realized that men would find

a thousand excuses to evade them. Perhaps Satan’s greatest tool

in causing men to miss the truth is the tradition that developed in

later centuries that there was one Gospel for the apostles and one

for their successors. Although the apostles never taught any such

idea, it was only a short time after their deaths that it began to be

held that the ministry of the supernatural, the baptism of the

Spirit, the manifestation of the charismatic gifts, and the

ministry of divine healing were all supposed to have passed

away with the apostles.

Jesus sought to anticipate and forestall this error by

including in His Great Commission these words, “Teachng

them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded

you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the

world (age).” There was to be no time when Christ’s presence

or gifts were to be withdrawn. He was to be with them always,

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever”

(Heb. 13:8).

4. To Preach the Gospel to Every Creature

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and

preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and

is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be

damned. (Mark 16:15-16).

The Great Commission envisaged the preaching of the

Gospel to all men of all nations. There were no restrictions or

exclusions. It was to be the supreme task of the Church. Upon

the successful execution of this work was the age to end and

Christ’s return to take place, as is clearly declared by Jesus

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Himself in Matt. 24:3, 14.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples

came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these

things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of

the end of the world? ... And this gospel of the kingdom

shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all

nations; and then shall the end come.

Hence, the Church has a tremendous task and a solemn

responsibility. Every Christian believer has a debt to discharge

to the heathen. Can each of us say we have done our part?

5. The Signs Were to Follow the Preaching of

the Gospel

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my

name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new

tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any

deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on

the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:17-18)

The passage in Mark 16:9-20 has been disputed by some as

to its genuineness because it has been omitted in a few

manuscripts. Nevertheless, it is found in most MSS; and in the

Vatican MSS, which is one of the most cited as leaving out the

passage, there is a blank space between Mark 16:8 and in the

book of Luke, as if the copier was not sure whether or not to

include it.

It is copiously quoted by the Early Church fathers, and the

stark abruptness of the ending of the 8th verse is almost

overwhelming proof that there was something additional after it.

It is hard to imagine that Mark, the forceful evangelist, would

end his book with the words, “for they were afraid.”

However, the authenticity of the passage apart from all other

reasons is attested by the fact that it is in perfect agreement with

the rest of the teaching of the New Testament.

“In my name shall they cast out devils.” The ministry of

Christ is replete with incidents in which evil spirits were cast

48

The Great Commission

out. In the synagogue in Capernaum, He cast the evil spirit out

of the man who disturbed the meeting (Mark 1:21-25). In the

evening of the same day when the sun set, many possessed with

devils were brought to Him and “He cast out the (evil) spirits

with his word” (Matt. 8:16). He cast the legions of demons out

of the lunatic (Mark 5:5-13). He ejected the epileptic spirit from

the lad who fell down foaming at the mouth (Luke 9:39). He

delivered Mary Magdalene, who had seven devils (Luke 8:2).

Now in the Great Commission Christ gave the same powers to

His disciples. The fulfillment of His promise is demonstrated in

Acts 16:18 in which Paul cast the spirit of divination out of a

girl that was a soothsayer.

The words, “They shall take up serpents” has disturbed

some. Did Christ really give this command to His disciples?

Does it mean that a Christian is to go out and literally pick up

deadly serpents to prove he is a believer? We must let the Bible

explain the Bible. When Paul, as recorded in Acts 28:3-5, picked

up a serpent by accident he did not wave it around to

demonstrate he was a believer, but shook it off into the fire. And

it is recorded that he “felt no harm.” This is of course what

Christ meant in His command.

There is apparently a further symbolic meaning in this

statement of the Lord’s in the Great Commission. This is

evidenced in the promise given to the Seventy in Luke 10:18-19.

And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall

from heaven. Behold I give unto you power to tread on

serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the

enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

The meaning of the third sign is also seen in the fourth,

“And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.”

The word “if” clearly indicates what is meant. People are not to

go out and drink deadly poisons and pick up serpents to prove

they are believers. Nevertheless, if by mistake or accident they

should do so, then they may claim immunity. The promise of

divine protection from harm of those who believe is entirely

consistent with the words of Psalms 91.

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

“They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall

recover.” Here is Christ’s promise in the Great Commission that

believers may lay hands on the sick and they shall recover and

be healed. There can be no doubt as to what Christ meant. The

ministry of healing became an integral part of the ministry of the

Early Church. At the Beautiful Gate, Peter and John took hold of

the hands of the man lame from birth and lifted him to his feet,

and lo, he was able to walk and leap. Miracles flowed in

profusion, but the demand was never satisfied. They brought the

sick in from the surrounding cities. It was impossible for all to

be ministered to individually, but faith was so high that people

were healed even were Peter’s shadow to pass over them.

There was no diminution of miracles throughout the days of

the apostles. Toward the close of Paul’s ministry when he was

unable to visit all who were sick, he took cloths that had touched

his body and sent them to those afflicted with diseases and evil

spirits, and they were healed (Acts 19:11-12).

That this same ministry was to continue in the Church is

clearly indicated by James who enjoined prayer for the sick as a

regular ministry of the elders:

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of

the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him

with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith

shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if

he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James

5:14-15)

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Chapter VII

The Ascension

VII

Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he

through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto

the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed

himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs,

being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things

pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled

together with them, commanded them that they should not

depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the

Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John

truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with

the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:2-5)

Forty days had passed since Jesus had risen from the dead.

He had appeared at least nine times to one or more of His

disciples. But the time had come when He had to be parted from

them until He should return in glory to judge the nations.

For the last time He appeared to them at Jerusalem and led

them forth to Bethany, which is on the eastern slope of the Mt.

of Olives. For some time the disciples had wanted to ask Him a

certain question, but they were somewhat in awe of Him since

He had received His resurrection body. Nevertheless, since this

was to be their last meeting they felt that the question was so

pressing that they had to ask it. So they said, “Lord, wilt thou

at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

Actually, the Lord had answered that question in His Olivet

discourse. He had told them how wrath was to come on that

generation because they knew not the time of their visitation

(Luke 19:41-44), and that Jerusalem would be surrounded by

armies, that it should be taken and trodden down and the people

led captive into all nations until the times of the Gentiles be

fulfilled (Luke 21:24). But the disciples were so carnal-minded

at the time that all these things fell on deaf ears. It seems that

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

they could not get away from the idea of an imminent visible

kingdom. Before Christ’s death they were certain that it would

be set up at once. But after the resurrection they were not

certain. At this last meeting at Bethany they realized that if they

were going to ask Him they must do so then.

The Lord parried the question by saying to them, “It is not

for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father

hath put in his own power” (Acts 1:7). Rather, they had a task

to do—the evangelization of the world. The disciples understood

then that the setting up of the kingdom of Israel was not to take

place immediately. Nevertheless, some Christians continued to

entertain the hope that it would take place in their lifetime. Paul

on various occasions had to correct the persistent belief that the

Second Coming of Christ was just at hand (II Thess. 2:1-3).

The Lord then impressed upon them the importance of

remaining in Jerusalem until they had received the promise of

the Father, the baptism of the Holy Ghost. When that had taken

place they were to begin the evangelization of the nations—

Jerusalem first, then Samaria, and after that all the nations.

But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is

come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in

Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the

uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

While Jesus was yet speaking these words the disciples

suddenly observed that He was being lifted up from the earth.

Then as He extended His hands out in blessing, He was carried

up farther and farther until a cloud received Him out of their

sight.

Transfixed and silent, their gaze continued upward as if

hoping they would be given one more view of their beloved

Friend and Master. Suddenly they became conscious of two men

in white standing by, who spoke to them:

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he

went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing

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The Ascension

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. (Acts 1:10-11)

Who were these two men in white? Who were these two

witnesses? Were they the two that were at the tomb on the

resurrection morning? (Luke 24:4-7). Whoever they were, they

were heavenly messengers and their message was appropriate.

There was no reason for the disciples to stand there gazing up

into heaven, for that same Jesus would come again in like

manner as He went away. Indeed He would return and His feet

should stand again on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4). In the

meantime they were to prepare for the task ahead of them. And

so the eleven, perhaps after a further conversation with the

celestial visitors, turned about and began their journey back to

the upper room where they would await that enduement of

power that would shortly come upon them.

Some have shewed their impiety by scoffing at the idea that

Jesus could have reached heaven by ascending up from the

earth, pointing out that the idea does not harmonize with the fact

of a round earth that revolves on its axis every twenty-four

hours. But the act of the ascension signifies exactly what heaven

is—it is a higher plane of existence than that of earth.

Jesus never attempted to unravel fully the mysteries of

existence in the spirit-world; nor did He satisfy the curiosities of

those who wish to speculate on the geographical relation of earth

to heaven. Heaven certainly is a place; it is a reality, and for

Jesus to have attempted to explain these tremendous mysteries to

the apostles would have hopelessly confused them and diverted

them from the all-important task of preaching the great message

they were to carry to the world. Jesus’ answer made clear that

there were times and seasons in which certain knowledge was

kept under the power of the Father.

53

Chapter VIII

Prophecies Concerning Judgment on

VIII

Jerusalem and Judea

In previous volumes we have discussed some of the

predictions of Jesus which were fulfilled during His ministry.

We shall now consider those that were fulfilled after His death

and resurrection, and which resulted in the destruction of

Jerusalem and the inhabitants’ going into age-long captivity.

As we have noted, after His resurrection Christ had given

the disciples a command to remain in Jerusalem until they had

received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. “And, behold, I send

the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city

of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high”

(Luke 24:49). True to His promise, the Holy Ghost fell on the

day of Pentecost on the 120 disciples who tarried in the upper

room worshipping and praising God.

Following this event, for nearly forty years the Gospel of the

resurrection was preached, beginning in Jerusalem, then in

Samaria, and then to the many Gentile nations. The Church grew

and prospered even under severe persecution. But nationally the

Jews never accepted Christ as their Messiah, and as a result the

judgment which Jesus prophesied fell on the nation with an

unprecedented severity.

Jesus had said that “This generation shall not pass away,

till all be fulfilled” (Luke 21:32). Forty years, a generation

later, in A.D. 70 the armies of Titus overthrew the city, took the

inhabitants who survived a siege marked with incredible horrors,

and delivered them to the slave-markets from whence they were

dispersed throughout the world.

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and

wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy

peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days

shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench

about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on

every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and

thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee

one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time

of thy visitation. (Luke 19:41-44)

It was during the triumphal entry into Jerusalem that Jesus

spoke this prophecy, which proved to be the last invitation for

the people of Jerusalem to repent and thus avert the fearful

disaster ahead. But in vain. Jesus could only say, “If thou hadst

known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which

belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine

eyes.”

About the year 65 A.D. the fateful drama began to unfold.

The Jews had carried on a steady persecution of the Christians,

killing many and sending others to the Roman officials for

punishment. In Rome the gleaming axe had risen and fallen and

the head of the apostle Paul rolled in the dust. About the same

time Peter also died, it is said, by crucifixion.

But the Jews had become more and more incensed against

their Roman masters. The governors of Jerusalem were all men

of mediocre ability, and they used their offices for rapine and

plunder. The excesses of the last governor finally resulted in the

Jews’ making an insurrection against him. They captured the

fortress of Masada near the Dead Sea and put the Roman

soldiers to the sword.

The spirit of rebellion flared through the whole province.

Cestus, the Roman prefect of Syria advanced against the rebels

with an army of 23,000. During the Feast of Tabernacles he

pitched his camp outside the walls of Jerusalem and called on

the city to surrender. Failing this, he began the investment of the

city. But just as the Jews were about to open the gates the

Roman army mysteriously withdrew. The Jews seeing the

retreating columns, pursued hard after the army of Cestus and

inflicted a terrible defeat on it, killing some 6,000 Roman

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Prophecies Concerning Judgment on Jerusalem and Judea

soldiers and capturing vast stores of booty. The Jews

appropriated these immense quantities of war materials and

returned to Jerusalem confident of victory. Alas, it was a false

hope.

The Escape of the Christians to Pella

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with

armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then

let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let

them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not

them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be

the days of vengeance, that all things which are written

may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child,

and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be

great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And

they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led

away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be

trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the

Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)

Why did the Romans make this foolish move that resulted in

the destruction of their army? Christ had given warning that

when they should see Jerusalem compassed with armies they

should know that its destruction was nigh, and they were to flee.

But this could not be done unless the Romans lifted the siege.

For this reason the providence of God allowed the Romans to

retire from the city. This gave the Christians time to escape to

Pella.

The unbelieving Jews did not leave Jerusalem. Their

fanatical false prophets blinded them to all reason. They

predicted that the Romans could be driven out of the land.

Buoyed up by these false hopes, the Jews plunged madly into a

hopeless war which could only result in the destruction of their

city.

The Christians, however, warned by the words of Jesus, lost

no time in escaping. They knew that the handwriting was on the

wall. They had prayed to God that He would grant them

deliverance. Historians of the times comment on the strange

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

retreat of Cestus Gallus after he practically had the city in his

hand. But it was providential. When the Romans withdrew on

the eve of victory the Christians knew their prayers were

answered.

Realizing that they had little time, for the Lord had told

them not to delay (Matt. 24:16-20), the entire Christian

community fled across Jordan to Pella, which became a great

Christian center. The safe flight of the Christians was of extreme

importance to the Early Church, for it was still young and it

would have been a serious disaster to Christianity had all the

people of the first Christian Church been slain.

Destruction of the Cities of Galilee

Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of

his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if

the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done

in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in

sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more

tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than

for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto

heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty

works, which have been done in thee, had been done in

Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say

unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of

Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. (Matt. 11:20-

24)

When the Emperor Nero heard of the strange retreat of

Cestus Gallus, he sent Vespasian, his most able general, to take

command of the armies in Palestine. Titus, the son of Vespasian,

brought up several legions; and soon there was an army of

60,000 men ready to put down the rebellion. Jotopata, defended

by Josephus, was the first city to fall.

One by one the cities of Galilee were overcome, including

those that Jesus had denounced. Many of the inhabitants, fifty

years or older, could remember the wonderful works of Christ

some forty years before. They could recall His miracles, His call

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Prophecies Concerning Judgment on Jerusalem and Judea

to repentance; they could remember the fishermen Andrew and

Peter and James and John, who followed Him. But all that was

long ago. Most of the people of those cities were too busy

enjoying their current prosperity to take the words of Jesus

seriously. They had almost forgotten His warnings. But in 67

A.D. they were caught in the terrible vortex of war. Their

possessions and all that was the pride of life was swept away.

They and their children were to be sold as slaves in the trade

marts of the world. Alas for the cities Capernaum, Bethsaida and

Chorazin! They had their hour, but they knew not the time of

their visitation. It is difficult today even to locate the exact sites

of these cities.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

Galilee had fallen before the victorious Roman legions.

Vespasian had been called to Rome to become the new emperor.

Titus, his son, moved against Jerusalem. It was near the time of

the Passover, and many Jews arrived there to assist in the

defense of the city. Josephus, the historian, estimates that a

million people were in the city, although this seems to be an

exaggeration. It might have been supposed that the Jews would

be of one mind in defending the city against the Romans, but

actually there were three factions bitterly fighting each other

inside the gates.

59

CHAPTER IX

Christ's Prophecies of the End of the

IX

Age

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:

and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings

of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all

these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left

here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown

down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the

disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when

shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy

coming, and of the end of the world. (Matt. 24:1-3)

During the last week of Christ’s ministry His disciples took

the opportunity to show the Lord the many features of the newly

completed temple of Herod which had been over forty-six years

in building (John 2:20). The Lord’s reply was a surprising one.

He said that not only would the temple be destroyed, but not one

stone would be left standing upon another. This statement

aroused the curiosity of the disciples and caused them to ask

three questions that appear above. The first was to be fulfilled

long before the second two, a circumstance we have noted in the

previous chapter.

In answering the last two questions, Jesus began to describe

the signs that would mark the Church age. There would be wars

and rumors of wars, kingdom should rise against kingdom, there

would be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers places.

False prophets should rise and “because iniquity shall abound,

the love of many shall wax cold.”

Then Jesus came to the final sign marking the end of the age

—the preaching of the Gospel to all nations.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all

the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the

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end come. (Matt. 24:14)

The fulfillment of the command of the Great Commission to

preach the Gospel to all the nations is, therefore, the final sign

before the coming of the Lord.

And may we pause a moment? What a responsibility the

Church has! The pressing task upon us now is to get the message

to the masses. This can be greatly accelerated through the return

to apostolic ministry. Only when we have completed the work of

world evangelization can the Lord come, for He straightly

declared that the Gospel of the kingdom must first be preached

to all nations.

Luke 21:20-23 shows that the siege of Jerusalem and the

great catastrophe that fell on the Jews was a foretype of

judgment which would fall upon Israel at the end of the age.

What would happen to the Jews during the intervening Church

period is clearly foretold by Jesus in Luke 21:24.

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall

be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall

be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the

Gentiles be fulfilled.

In other words, the Jews were to be dispersed among all

nations and Jerusalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles

until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. The implication

was, therefore, that when the times of the Gentiles came to an

end Jerusalem would be freed of the Gentiles. During the year

1967 the Bible city of Jerusalem came into possession of Israel.

Surely this indicates that the Gentile dispensation is fading fast

while that of Israel is again being restored. If forty years were

required (A.D. 30 to A.D. 70) for the dispensation to move from

Israel to the Church, then it would not be unreasonable to

believe that a similar forty-year period should effect the Gentile-

Israel transition and bring us to the judgment of Armageddon

and the events of the end of the age. Israel became independent

in 1948, and most of the immigration took place by 1955 so time

is moving rapidly through this period of transition.

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Christ's Prophecies of the End of the Age

Let us sketch briefly the fulfillment of the end-time

prophecies that Christ made in His Olivet discourse.

The Great Tribulation

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not

since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever

shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there

should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days

shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo,

here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise

false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs

and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall

deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.

Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the

desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers;

believe it not. (Matt. 24:21-26)

The age Jesus said, would come to an end with the Great

Tribulation, a time “such as was not since the beginning of the

world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” This period, as well

as that just preceding, was to be marked by the rise of false

prophets and false Christs—but especially the Man of Sin who

should make a covenant with the Jews, which covenant would

be broken in the middle of a seven-year period by what Jesus

called “the abomination of desolation,” also mentioned by

Daniel the prophet (Dan. 9:24-27). This event would introduce

Beast worship, which in turn would be a sign for those in

Jerusalem to flee to the mountains. The Abomination of

Desolation inaugurates the beginning of the Great Tribulation

period. This is a time of trouble of such intensity that were the

days not shortened no flesh would be saved.

At one time this remark of Christ’s was thought to be only

figurative or poetical, but now that hydrogen bomb warfare is

possible responsible statesmen see that the warning of Jesus is

only too true. The hydrogen bomb has increased the powers of

destruction a million-fold. It is possible to pack into one bomb

the power of all explosives which fell in World War II. Great

cities such as London, New York, or Tokyo can be completely

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destroyed with one nuclear weapon.

Jesus shows that during this terrible period the antichrist

will be in the saddle demonstrating his lying signs and wonders,

so that if it were possible he would deceive the very elect. Jesus

warned people not to be deceived by false prophets who would

claim to be the Christ. If they say, “Behold, he is in the desert;

go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it

not.”

The Rapture of the Church

In describing the last days Jesus likened the period to that of

the mad pleasure-seeking antediluvians in the days of Noah

(Matt. 24: 37-39), or to the wickedness of the days of Sodom

(Luke 17: 28-32).

Jesus also likened His people at His coming to ten virgins

who went forth to meet the bridegroom. One-half of their

number had oil in their vessels; the other half had not.

Consequently, when the bridegroom came only half of them

were ready. Christ could not recognize them as members of the

bridal party, although He did not say that He never “knew

them.” The oil clearly typifies the presence of the Holy Spirit.

While the unprepared went to replenish their supply the

bridegroom came and the door was shut:

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;

and they that were ready went in with him to the

marriage: and the door was shut. (Matt. 25:10)

This parable clearly portrays the rapture of that part of the

Church which is ready. It is a warning for all to be alert that

when we hear the call of the Bridegroom when He comes, we

shall be ready to go forth to meet Him. Jesus shows that for His

people to be ready they must give themselves to much prayer.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your

hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness,

and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you

unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that

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dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore,

and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to

escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand

before the Son of man. (Luke 21:34-36)

The words “worthy to escape all these things” is

significant. Not all of God’s people will be ready when the

rapture takes place. “One shall be taken, and the other left.”

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,

and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the

mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch

therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth

come. (Matt. 24: 40-42).

The Coming of Christ in Glory

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. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will

the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the

tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the

moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from

heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in

heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,

and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of

heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his

angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall

gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end

of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:27-31).

The Lord then describes His coming in glory. What a

contrast to His first advent when He was born in a stable. His

coming would not be in secret nor in a desert, but as the

lightning flasheth from the east to the west “so shall also the

coming of the Son of man be.” There would be great celestial

signs with “men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for

looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for

the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:26).

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The celestial signs will include the darkening of the sun and

the moon and the falling of stars from heaven. These signs

which mark the opening of the sixth seal of the book of

Revelation will be followed by the terrible Trumpet and Vial

judgments. The destruction of the wicked is referred to in the

words, “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles

be gathered together.” That is, wherever the slain fall there

will the birds of prey be.

That the apocalyptic judgments will immediately follow the

coming of Christ in glory and the gathering of His elect, is seen

from the words of Jesus in Luke 17:29-30, “But the same day

that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone

from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in

the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

The coming of Christ is simultaneous with the resurrection

of the righteous dead, and is implied in the words, “And he

shall .... gather together his elect from the four winds, from

one end of heaven to the other” (Matt. 24:31).

Thus we see that the life of Christ is different from the

biographies of all great men. Their story comes to an end at the

grave. But the most important part of Christ’s story follows His

death! For He alone of all men who have ever lived on earth,

came to grips with man’s greatest enemy. He went down into

death’s chambers and defeated it. Rising triumphantly over

death, hell, and the grave, He says, “I am He ... that was dead;

and, behold, I am alive ... and have the keys of hell and of

death” (Rev. 1:18). “Because I live, ye shall live also” (John

14:19). And so do those who love Him look forward to that

glorious moment when He shall come again—not as the Lamb of

God, but as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The dead shall be

raised, the living shall be translated, and so shall we ever be with

the Lord. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

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Document Outline

- The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

- Contents

- I The Despair of the Disciples

- II The Resurrection and the Spirit World

- Christ’s Descent Into Hades

- III The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

- IV The Appearances of Jesus

- Christ’s Meeting With the Two Disciples on the Way to Emmaus

- V The Later Appearances of Jesus

- The Appearance in Galilee

- Appearance to the 500

- The Resurrection Body

- VI The Great Commission

- 1. Disciples Were to Preach Remission of Sins

- 2. Command to Baptize

- 3. To Teach All Men to Observe All Things I Have Commanded You

- 4. To Preach the Gospel to Every Creature

- 5. The Signs Were to Follow the Preaching of the Gospel

- VII The Ascension

- VIII Prophecies Concerning Judgment on Jerusalem and Judea

- The Escape of the Christians to Pella

- Destruction of the Cities of Galilee

- The Destruction of Jerusalem

- IX Christ's Prophecies of the End of the Age

- The Great Tribulation

- The Rapture of the Church

- The Coming of Christ in Glory

Table of Contents

The Despair of the Disciples.

The Resurrection and the Spirit World.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Appearances of Jesus.

The Later Appearances of Jesus.

I The Great Commission.

The Ascension.

Prophecies Concerning Judgment on Jerusalem and Judea.

Christ's Prophecies of the End of the Age.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Contents

Christ’s Descent Into Hades

Christ’s Meeting With the Two Disciples on the Way to Emmaus

Appearance to the 500

The Resurrection Body

2. Command to Baptize

4. To Preach the Gospel to Every Creature

5. The Signs Were to Follow the Preaching of the Gospel

The Escape of the Christians to Pella

Destruction of the Cities of Galilee

The Destruction of Jerusalem

The Great Tribulation

The Rapture of the Church

The Coming of Christ in Glory