Baptist Catechism 43

Q. 43. What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?

A. At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28,29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 25:41)

Scripture Reading: Revelation 20:11–15

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11–15, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Talk of hell is weighty. It is a very heavy and serious subject. Every Christian does feel this heaviness within their soul when they think of someone being sentenced to hell, and it is right that they do. It is similar to the heaviness that fills a courtroom when a criminal is tried, convicted, and finally sentenced. Everyone in the room can feel the weightiness of the moment. Everyone knows that something serious is happening. And even if all agree that the man is guilty and the penalty is just, those who have love in their hearts will feel a sense of sorrow even for the condemned, knowing that a life has been ruined by sin. And how much more is the weightiness of the final judgment, and eternal damnation?

It is certainly right to say that the Christian should never rejoice at the thought of someone going to hell. The Christian should feel sorrow at the thought of even their worst enemy coming under God’s condemnation. Just as it would be concerning if a courtroom erupted in jubilant celebration when the sentence of death is pronounced upon the condemned, so too it would be concerning if someone rejoiced in their heart concerning the thought of a man going to eternal punishment. Only one who is consumed with anger and a desire for vengeance could feel such a thing in their heart. As I have said, it is right that we feel a sense of sorrow for those condemned, for this is a weighty matter.

But let us be sure to not err in another direction, and that is, to consider the judgments of God to be somehow unnecessary or unjust. While it is true that the thought of men coming under the judgment of God is weighty and ought to produce a sense of sorrow, it is also true that we ought to say this is right and even good.

If we go back to the courtroom you’ll see what I mean. If when the guilty murderer is sentenced to death the courtroom erupts in jubilant and cheerful celebration, that shows that men are very angry and vengeful — this cannot be the disposition of the Christian. But will anyone dare to say that it is wrong for them to rejoice in the fact that justice has been served? Will anyone dare to say that those who have lost a loved one at the hands of the murder are wrong to consider the judgment to be fitting, right, and even good? And so you see that justice will always produce a mixture of thoughts and emotions. It is right for us to grieve over the destruction that sin brings, but it is also right for us to rejoice when justice is served. 

If we rejoice in this way over the just judgments of men, how much more should we rejoice over the just judgments of God? And brothers and sisters, rest assured God’s judgments are always perfect.

God is not driven by a passion for vengeance as we sometimes are so he is moved to overdo it.  In fact, the scriptures reveal that he takes no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked. Listen to Ezekiel 33:11: “ As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11, ESV).

And when God judges, he does not judge with limited knowledge as we do, for he is all-knowing. Human judges and juries do their best to judge according to what they know. They rely upon evidence and testimonies. But they do not see for themselves whether or not the crime was committed. Not so with God. The Judge of all the earth sees everything with perfect clarity. He even knows the thoughts of man and the intentions of his heart. He does not struggle with the issue of limited knowledge when he administers justice. 

And when God judges he will get it perfectly right, for he is just. The punishment will fit the sin, and perfectly so. Psalm 96:10 speaks to this: “Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity” (Psalm 96:10, ESV). Equity means rightness or fairness. God’s judgments will be perfectly right and fair. And this is why Paul says in Romans, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God” (Romans 3:19, ESV). At the judgment, every mouth will be stopped. No one will say, God, you got it wrong. 

In our prisons, there are men and women who insist that they are innocent. Some of them probably are! For we are flawed in our judgments. But many of them are guilty. They know it, but they lie. There will be none of that at the judgment on the last day, for God will judge with perfect equity, and all will see it. 

This truth should bring a kind of comfort to the people of God. This world is filled with sin, wickedness, and injustice. We long for justice because we are made in the image of God who is just. And so it is comforting to know that on the last day God will right every wrong. 

And isn’t it interesting how even those who do not believe in God or in the Christ whom he sent will comfort themselves with the idea of justice in the afterlife when faced with some great evil? “This predator will get what is coming to him”, they say. Or “this terrorist who killed thousands of innocents will pay in the life to come.” These same people may deny that hell exists for the common folk, but they hope that it exists for those who are particularly heinous. They assume that hell is sparsely populated, I guess. They assume that it is for Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and other characters like these. But when it comes to the common man, hell is a myth to them. Those who think in this way are right to take some comfort in the fact that wrongs will be made right in the end and that justice will be served. But they are terribly wrong to minimize their own sin and the sin of others.  

The scriptures teach that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV), and “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ESV). Yes, there are particularly heinous sins. But all sin is truly heinous and will be punished on the last day, unless we are found in Christ, washed in his blood. 

Do not believe the lie that your sin is not serious. It is truly terrible for humans to live in the world that God has made, to enjoy his blessings in this life, and to partake of his mercy, but fail to give him honor and glory. How ungrateful we are by nature. And not only do we fail to honor our Creator, we worship the creature instead. We rob him of the glory due to his name. This is a heinous sin deserving of God’s just condemnation. And add to this the disrespect we have shown to mother and father and to others with authority over us, the hatred we have shown to our fellow man, our sexual immorality, our thievery, and dishonesty. We are ungrateful sinners by nature. Do I really need to convince you of this!? It is strange how we read the news and say, look at all the wickedness in the world! But we are unable to see the wickedness in our own hearts. We see it in the lives of others while convincing ourselves that we and those who are close to us are basically good. 

Brothers and sisters, God would be just to send us to hell for all eternity for our sin against him –  for failing to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves –  But he is merciful and kind, as you know. He has provided a Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord.    

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Catechism Explained

Question 43 of our catechism helps us to understand these things. It asks, “What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?” Answer: 

“At the Day of Judgment” 

“At the Day of Judgment…” When will this day be? It will be on the last day when Christ returns. Christ came the first time to pay for sins and to accomplish our salvation. And the scriptures teach that he “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28, ESV), and to judge. Christ himself taught this when he said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left… Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”(Matthew 25:31–33, 41 ESV).

“The bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves” 

“At the Day of Judgment the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves…” Notice that the resurrection day is the Day of Judgment. On the last day when Christ returns, the dead in Christ will be raised, and so too will the dead who are not in Christ. Question 41 of our Catechism taught us that on that day those in Christ, “being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity.” Here we learn that those not in Christ will be raised bodily too.  

John was shown a vision of this as recorded for us in Revelation 20:12-13: ​​“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened…. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:12–13, ESV).

“Shall be sentenced, together with their souls” 

So then, or catechism is right to say that the wicked will be raised and “shall be sentenced, together with their souls”. Just as the righteous will be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity”, so too the wicked will be judged in body and soul, that is to say, as whole persons. 

 “To unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.”

Lastly, our catechism says, “to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.” Three things should be noted. One, hell is described as a place of torment. And this is clearly the teaching of scripture. Two, hell is also a place of torment for the devil and his angels. It will be a place of punishment for all who have rebelled against their maker, the exception being those to whom God has shown mercy in Christ Jesus (see Revelation 20:10). Three,  our catechism is right to say that this punishment is forever. The Matthew 25:41 passage that was cited earlier teaches this. There Jesus says to the goats, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”(Matthew 25:31–33, 41 ESV, emphasis added).

Some have questioned if eternal punishment fits the crime of a lifetime of sin and rebellion. Though there is some mystery concerning what heaven and hell will be like, we must believe and confess what the scriptures teach. Hell is eternal, and God is perfectly just. Perhaps we need to adjust our view concerning the severity of sin instead of standing in judgment over God’s justice. 

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Conclusion

Let me conclude with three suggestions for application. They will sound familiar to you because they are similar to the points of application that were made last week.

One, this teaching should move you to ask the question, where will I go when Christ returns to judge? Will I be openly acknowledged and acquitted by him and invited to experience the glories of heaven, or will I fall under his just condemnation and be cast into the torments of hell? What makes the difference? Answer: faith in Christ! We are all born in sin. We all violate God’s law in thought word in thought, word, and deed. We all deserve the torments of hell. But God has provided a Savior for us, Christ the Lord. We must be found in him, and so I urge you to turn from your sins, trust in Christ as Savior, and confess him to be your Lord.  

Two, this teaching should move us to pray for those who do not believe in Christ and also to tell them about Jesus. These are the means that God uses to bring his people to salvation: the proclamation of the gospel and prayer. 

Three, this teaching should increase our gratitude for the mercy and grace that God has shown to us in Christ Jesus. In questions 35 through 41 of our catechism, we were taught about what Christ has saved us to. There we learned about the benefits that come to those who have faith in Christ in this life –  justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them, namely, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. There we also learned about the blessings that come to believers at the moment of death and at the resurrection. But here in questions 42 and 43, we have learned what Christ has saved us from, namely, eternal judgment in hell. 

Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace shown to us in Christ Jesus.

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Baptist Catechism 42

Q. 42. But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?

A. The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19–31

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19–31, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Over the past several weeks our catechism has been helping us to consider the blessings that come to those who have faith in Christ. In our catechism, these blessings (or benefits), are presented in three stages. 

First, in questions 35-39 we are told of the benefits that come to those who have faith in Christ in this life. They are justification, adoption, and sanctification. And there in that section, we are also told about the “several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them, namely, the “…assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.” These are all blessings (or benefits) that come to the believer in this life.

Question 40 then asks, what benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? That is a good question, don’t you think? We experience many benefits in this life through faith in Christ Jesus, but what about when we die? Are there blessings that come to the believer then? Yes. Here is the answer: “The souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.” This is very comforting, is it not? Though death is an unpleasant thing for all people, for the believer there is a sense in which it is a blessed thing because of what Christ has accomplished for us. 

Question 41 then asks, what benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection? Answer: At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. We considered this question and answer last Sunday, so I will not comment on it now. 

Notice that each one of these questions and answers helps us to better appreciate what Christ has done for us. When did Christ accomplish our salvation? A long time ago. He accomplished our salvation nearly 2,000 years ago when he lived, died, rose again, and ascended to the Father. Our catechism teaches us all about the accomplishment of our redemption in questions 23-31. But when are the benefits of that salvation that Christ has earned applied or given to the people for whom Christ died? Answer: when they turn from their sins and place their faith in Christ. Questions 32-43 teach us about the application of the redemption which Christ earned so long ago to the believer in due time. 

Notice that here in question 42 (which we are considering today) and in question 43 (which we will be considering on the next Lord’s Day), the blessings that will be enjoyed by those who have faith in Christ at death and at the resurrection are contrasted with the awful destiny of those who die in unbelief and in their sins. 

Listen again to question 42: “But…” That word is important. It is a word indicating contrast. “But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” Answer: “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” 

Brothers and sisters, these are unpleasant truths. But please hear me. These are essential truths that must be proclaimed. For here we have the biblical truth concerning the destiny of the wicked. And here we also have the biblical truth concerning the thing that Christ has saved us from, if he is our Lord and Savior. And so as we consider these next two catechism questions and answers, we should be moved to both pray for and evangelize the lost, and also to give heartfelt thanks to God for this salvation that he has provided. For here we see that in Christ we are not only saved unto heaven, we are also saved from the eternal torments of hell. Thanks be to God. 

Let us now briefly consider the catechism piece by piece. 

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Catechism Explained

“But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” 

Notice that question 42 asks, “But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” 

I suppose some might be thinking, but aren’t we all sinful? Aren’t we all wicked? Well, by nature, yes. But when our catechism speaks of “the wicked” here it is referring to those who remain in their unbelief and die in the guilt of their sins. Though it is true that we are all born in sin, when a person is drawn to faith in Christ it is because they have been born again. No longer are they “wicked”, for when they turn from their sins and trust in Christ they are, at that moment, washed and forgiven. And though it is true that we all continue to struggle with sin, those who have faith in Christ have been justified (declared not guilty), adopted (as children of God), and are being sanctified further with each passing day. For these reasons, those in Christ cannot be called “wicked”. They are instead called “saints”. And this is by the grace of God alone. So then, this catechism question is asking, what happens to the wicked, that is to say, to those who do not believe in Christ, and are therefore still in their sins, when they die?     

Here is the answer:

“The souls of the wicked” 

“The souls of the wicked…” Notice that a distinction is being made between the body and the soul. This should sound familiar to you. In an earlier catechism question, we learned that believers have a body and soul. And here we are taught that non-believers have a body and soul too. In other words, all humans have a body and soul. A soul is not unique to those who have faith but is an essential part of human nature. 

“Shall at death”

Back to the answer: “The souls of the wicked shall, at death…” Here we are talking about the moment of physical death. Question: what happens to the souls of those who have faith in Christ when they die? We have learned that at the moment of death “the souls of believers are… made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory…” (BC 40), that is to say, into the blessed presence of God.  

“Be cast into the torments of hell”

But this is to be contrasted with the destination of the souls of the wicked. What will happen to the souls of those who do not have Christ as Lord and Savior when they die?  “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell…” What is hell? I suppose we might say that it is the opposite of heaven. While heaven is a place of eternal blessedness in God’s glorious and gracious presence, hell is a place of eternal torment wherein God’s perfectly just wrath is poured out on the unrighteous.

Earlier I read from Luke 16:19–31. I will not take the time to explain that text in detail now, for that is not the purpose of this sermon. But I would encourage you to go back to that text later today or later this week to reflect upon it. In that passage, Jesus tells us about the destinies of two people at the moment of death. There was a rich man who prospered in this life. But where did his soul go when he died? To Hades. This is what the place of hellish torment was called prior to the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The rich man suffered in Hades because he was wicked and unbelieving. But where did the poor man go? The text says his soul went to “Abraham’s side”, or “Abraham’s bosom”. Before Christ from the grave, that is what the heavenly and pleasant portion of Hades was called (Hades is a general term referring to the place of the dead before the resurrection of Christ. And within Hades, there was a place of torment and a place of comfort. By the way, why do you think the place of comfort was called “Abraham’s side” or “Abraham’s bosom”? It is because it was those who had the faith of Abraham who went there. It was those who believed in the promises concerning the coming Messiah that were entrusted to Abraham who went to be with him in paradise to be comforted there. Now that Christ has accomplished our redemption through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, there is no longer Abraham’s bosom, but only “heaven” and “hell”, for through Christ the way into the heavenly holy of holies has been opened up. All who were in Abraham’s bosom before Christ’s resurrection are in heaven now. And all who have died in Christ ever since his resurrection and heaven too. They went there immediately and in their soul. In so too will we if we have faith in Christ and die before he returns. 

Though there are some things that require explanation in Luke 16:19–31 because of the fact that Jesus spoke these words before his resurrection, the text does illustrate the point, doesn’t it? When people die, their souls go either to a place of torment or a place of blessedness and comfort. Now that Christ has risen, we call these two places heaven and hell. 

“And their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.”

What happens to the bodies of those who do not believe in Christ when they die? The same thing that happens to the bodies of believers. “[T]heir bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” This mention of the “resurrection” day, which is the “day of judgment”,  anticipates the next question, which is this: “What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?” The answer to this question will have to wait until next Lord’s Day.

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Conclusion

Let me conclude with three suggestions for application.

One, this teaching should move you to ask the question, where will I go when I die? Will I go to experience the glories of heaven, or will I go to experience the torments of hell? What makes the difference? Answer: faith in Christ! We are all born in sin. We all violate God’s law in thought word in thought, word, and deed. We all deserve the torments of hell. But God has provided a Savior for us, Christ the Lord. Listen to John 3:16-18: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16–18, ESV)

Two, this teaching should move us to pray for those who do not believe in Christ and also to tell them about Jesus. These are the means that God uses to bring his people to salvation: the proclamation of the gospel and prayer. This is why Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, ESV)
Three, this teaching should increase our gratitude for the mercy and grace that God has shown to us in Christ Jesus. This teaching concerning what Christ has saved us from should cause us to wholeheartedly agree with the apostle Paul, when he says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, … In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV). May our gratitude towards God increase. May our love for him grow and grow. May we, like the Apostle, be moved to praise.

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 39

“From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place. They made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. And they hammered out gold leaf, and he cut it into threads to work into the blue and purple and the scarlet yarns, and into the fine twined linen, in skilled design. They made for the ephod attaching shoulder pieces, joined to it at its two edges. And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the LORD had commanded Moses. They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, in the style of the ephod, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. And they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree. Thus they attached it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD had commanded Moses. He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue, and the opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding around the opening, so that it might not tear. On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates— a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. They also made the coats, woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, and the turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twined linen, and the sash of fine twined linen and of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, embroidered with needlework, as the LORD had commanded Moses. They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the LORD.” And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the LORD had commanded Moses. Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; the covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins, and the veil of the screen; the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; the lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent; the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for their service as priests. According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.” (Exodus 39, ESV)

New Testament Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1–6

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:1–6, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

The sermons that I have preached on Exodus chapters 35 and following have been a little unusual. Instead of moving slowly through these texts to consider the details, I’ve stepped back from these texts to consider the Sabbath, the tabernacle, and its furnishings theologically. We considered these things in detail when they were first mentioned to us in Exodus 25 through 31. But in this repetitive portion of Exodus where the actual building of the tabernacle is described to us, I’ve taken the opportunity to do what is called Biblical theology. In Biblical theology, we identify themes in scripture and trace their development in individual books, and even throughout the whole of Scripture. This we have done with the theme of Sabbath, the tabernacle and its furnishings, and today we will do it with the priesthood. With each theme, I have attempted to demonstrate that they find their fulfillment in Christ, his finished work, and his eternal reward. Christ is our eternal Sabbath rest. Christ is the tabernacle or temple of God. Through faith in him we come to God. Through faith in him we will enter into the new heavens and earth, that is to say, into God’s eternal temple. And so, in previous sermons, we have considered the gospel of the Sabbath, the gospel of the tabernacle, the gospel of the ark, table, and lampstand, and the gospel of the courtyard, the altar of burnt offering, and the bronze laver. Today’s sermon is entitled, The Gospel Of the Priesthood. 

Here in Exodus 39 we are told about the making of the garments for the priests of Old Covenant Israel. These priests were of the tribe of Levi. Aaron was the first High Priest. All others descended from him. And we know that these men were set apart to minister in the tabernacle, and later the temple. They ministered on behalf of the people and before God. They functioned as mediators or middlemen. Having been washed with the water of the laver, they ministered daily at the altar of burnt offering in the courtyard, daily at the altar of incense in the holy place, and once a year before the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. Here in this text, we are told about the making of their garments. 

In fact, Exodus 39:32-43 bring this entire section, which began at 35:1, to a conclusion. There we read, “Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did…” This reminds us of the instructions that were given to Moses on the mountain abc in Exodus 25-31. God told Israel to do this, and they did it. That is the point. After this, we are told in 39:33, that they “brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its” fittings and furnishings. In 39:41 we are told that they also brought before Moses these  finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons for their service as priests.” 

Can you picture the scene? After all of the construction work was done in the making of the tabernacle, its fittings, and furnishings, along with the priestly garments, the people brought their finished work to present it to Moses, the Prophet of God. The work was conducted according to the patern of the Sabbath, remember? It was stressed in Exodus 35:1-3 that the tabernacle was to be built according to the pattern of Sabbath. 35:2 says, “Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death” (Exodus 35:2, ESV). So then, teh work of tabernacle building was no exception. Isarel was to work six days and rest on the seventh according to the pattern established by God at creation. 

I wonder if you can see why I am stressing this. I have tried to convince you in previous sermons that the tabernacle was a little miniature replica of the heavens and the earth. When Israel constructed the tabernacle they were mimicking God’s work of creation, therefore. In imitation of God and according to his command, they made a little replica of the heavenly realm where God manifests his glory before the angels, of the heavens above where their sun, moon, and stars reign, and of the earth with its dry land, mountains, and seas. Israel, in imitation of their Maker, and in obedience to his command, worked six days and rested on the seventh. And when the work was done, they brought it before Moses, the Man of God, to see. 

Listen carefully to verse 43 to see if it reminds you of another famous text in Scripture. “And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them” (Exodus 39:43, ESV). Students of the Bible have long noticed that Exodus 39:43 sounds a lot like Genesis 1:31-2:3. “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 1:31–2:3, ESV). Well, when Israel had finished the work of building the tabernacle, which was a little replica of the heavens and earth, according to the pattern of the Sabbath established by God at creation, “And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them” (Exodus 39:43, ESV).  This observation certainly reinforces all that has been said before about the tabernacle being a replica of the original creation, and of Eden.

I have briefly addressed Exodus 39:32-42 so that we might return to our main question for today: Why the priesthood? It is one thing to know the facts about the priesthood of the Old Covenant. Who were the priests? They were of the tribe of Levi. What did they wear? They wore these garments that were constructed according to the pattern shown to Moses on the mountain. And what did they do?  Having been washed with the water of the laver, they ministered daily at the altar of burnt offering in the courtyard, daily at the altar of incense in the holy place, and once a year before the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. But my question is why? Why did God command this? Why did he institute the Aaronic Priesthood? And I suppose, the most basic answer to this question is that they were appointed to minister in the tabernacle so that the people might approach God in worship according to the means that God had appointed under the Old Covenant. But when I ask “why?”, I’m asking something more. I’m wanting to know what the presence of the priests communicated concerning God’s plan of redemption.

In brief, the answer is this: God gave Old Covenant Israel the Levitical priesthood to communicate symbolically, that the way to the forgiveness of sins, to full reconciliation with God, and into the New Heavens and Earth, would be opened up by a priestly mediator, Christ the LORD. 

Stated differently, while on the most basic level the Levitical priests were in fact used by God under the Old Covenant to administer the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God on earth as the worshippers came to worship at the tabernacle according to the terms of the Old Covenant, the Levitical priests could not, in and of themselves, provide for the forgiveness of sins to the cleansing of the conscience, not reconcile sinners to God fully, nor bring sinners into the eternal presence of God in the New Heavens and earth. Only Christ, the mediator and High Priest of the New Covenant can do that.  And I am saying that the priests of the Old Covenant anticipated him. They proclaimed him. They foreshadowed Jesus Christ, God’s great Prophet, Priest, and King. 

In just a moment we will consider how the priests of the Old Covenant, and especially the High Priests, proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ in a symbolic way. But before we go there, I would like to show you three ways in which the book of Exodus itself communicates that the priests of the Old Covenant could not themselves provide for the true forgiveness of sins nor bring about full reconciliation with God leading to life eternal in the new heavens and earth.

One, consider that the Old Covenant priests themselves were sinful men in need of cleansing, atonement, and imputed righteousness. In other words, they themselves were in need of a Savior. They could not, therefore, be the Savior. Remember, the priests had to be washed with the water of the laver. When the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement, he had to take blood – blood to atone for his own sin, and he sins of the people. And why were the priests clothed in these elaborate garments for “glory and beauty”? For many reasons, one of them being to cover their sin and signify the imputed righteousness of Christ. Just as God graciously clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins after their fall into sin, so too he clothes his priests with garments for “glory and beauty”. And do not forget the episode involving Aaron leading the people in the worship of the golden calf. That episode was important for many reasons, one of them being that it clarified that Aaron was not the Messiah. He could not be, for he himself, along with all of the other priests of the tribe of Levi, was tainted by sin. The Old Covenant priests themselves were sinful men in need of cleansing, atonement, and imputed righteousness. They themselves were in need of a Savior. They could not, therefore, be the Savior. But they did point to him, as we will see.       

Two, consider that the Old Covenant priests of Israel ministered on earth and with earthly things.  They did not minister before God in heaven (as Christ does). They ministered on earth. The blood they offered up was animal blood. And we know that animal blood cannot atone for the sins of man to the cleansing of the conscience. They were purified in a fleshly way through the washing of the body with water. But we know that water cannot cleanse the soul. The priests and their administration could not provide for the true forgiveness of sins nor bring about full reconciliation with God leading to life eternal in the new heavens and earth.  But they did point forward to the one who could, as we will see.     

Three, the book of Exodus itself does communicate the limitations of the tabernacle and the priests who served there, and it does so in many ways. Consider again the veil that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies. Yes, provision was made for the High Priest to enter the Holy of Holies once a year, but not without animal blood. Certainly, the message was this: the way to reconciliation with God is not opened wide by this tabernacle, these sacrifices, or this priesthood. And would you turn with me to Exodus 40:34? Before this verse, we are told about the tabernacle being set up by Israel, and in 40:34 we read, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34–35, ESV). Moses was not able to enter. So which is it? Did the tabernacle, Moses, and the priests of the Old Covenant make a way for sinners to come before God in worship and to enter into his presence or not? Answer: yes and no. Yes, in an earthy, partial, and temporary way, but not in a heavenly, full, and eternal way. The Old Covenant, its laws, tabernacle, priests, and sacrifices were good, but they were limited in their design and purpose from the beginning. That said, they did also point forward to Jesus the Messiah, our great Prophet, Priest, and King, the only “mediator between God and men” (1 Timothy 2:5). By his obedience, he has entered into the heavenly Holy of Holies (Hebrews 10:1-18), and through faith in him we have bold access to the Father (Hebrews 10:19ff.)

So now I ask, how did the priests of the Old Mosaic covenant proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ? No doubt, some of the proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ with their lips as they read and taught the word of God and urged worshippers to trust, ultimately, not in the tabernacle, nor in the animal sacrifices, nor in the priesthood, but in the Messiah who was promised to them, of whom these earthly things were signs. But my question is a little different. I am asking, how the priesthood, as an Old Covenant institution, proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ in a shadowy and symbolic way.

I have three points: One, through their mediation in the courtyard at the altar of burnt offering. Two, through their mediation at the altar of incense in the Holy Place. Three, through their mediation in the Most Holy place, before the Ark of the Covenant, on the Day of Atonement. As the priests, and especially the High Priest, moved about the tabernacle amongst the people day after day, and year after year, they proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ in a symbolic way.          

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Through Their Mediation In The Courtyard At The Altar Of Burnt Offering. 

First, let us consider how the priests proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ through their mediation in the courtyard at the altar of burnt offerings. 

You should notice that I have repeated the word “mediation” in each of the points of this sermon. What is “mediation”? It is the act of intervention, intercession, or reconciliation between two parties. If two people are at odds with one another, they may need “mediation”. They may need a third person to intervene to help them work out their differences. Hopefully, the mediator will be successful leading to the reconciliation, or bringing back together again, of the two people.

I want you to see that the priests of the Old Covenant functioned as mediators. Who were the two parties they mediated between? Answer: God in heaven and Israel on earth. All of Israel did not enter into the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place. Only the priests did. But when they entered, they represented all of Israel.     This is seen most clearly in the garments that the High Priest wore. On his shoulder, there were set two precious stones, one on each side. And on those stones were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, six on each side. So then, as the High Priest ministered at the tabernacle he “carried” all of Israel on his shoulders.  And on his chest there hung a breastpiece. And on that breastpiece there were twelve precious stones, four rows of three. Each of those precious stones had the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved upon it. So then,  as the High Priest ministered at the tabernacle he “carried” all of Israel on his chest, that is to say, on his heart. 

The priests in general, and especially the High Priest, stood on behalf of the people of Israel before God, and on behalf of God before the people of Israel. The priests were mediators, middlemen, or intercessors, between God and Israel, under the Old Covenant.

Think of what this communicated concerning God’s plan of redemption. Though it is true that the priests of the Old Covenant were unable to reconcile sinners to God really, truly, and eternally, it communicated that God’s plan of redemption would be accomplished through the work of a mediator. Someone greater than Moses and Arron would arise who would mediate between God and man, not only on earth and in a temporary way, but really and truly in heaven and for eternity. And we know who this Mediator is. He is Jesus the Messiah of Israel. He has accomplished our redemption.

Now back to the priests of Old. Where did they minister primarily except at the altar of burnt offerings? And what did they do there? There on that little mountain, they represented the people before God and God to the people, as they offered up animal sacrifices according to the law that was given to them. The blood of these animals atoned for the sins of the people in an earthly way. It made them right before God temporarily and according to the terms of the Old Covenant. But it did not take away their sins to the cleansing of their conscience. 

This ministry of the priests at the altar reminded the worshippers of the past. It reminded them of the worship at Able, the worship of the patriarchs at altars, and even Abraham’s worship on the mountain when he offered Issac up, but God provided a substitute. The blood on the altar would have also reminded Israel of the blood of the Passover lamb by which they were redeemed. 

This ministry of the priests at the altar would have communicated truths to the worshipper concerning the present. The blood sacrifices would have reminded them of their sin asnd of their need for true forgiveness. The blood sacrifices would have reminded the worship of God in heaven and that he is “the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6–7, ESV).

The ministry of the priests at the altar was also meant to direct the minds and hearts of the worshipper to the future to that day when the precious and very great promises concerning the Messiah would be fulfilled. After all, God announced to Adam and Eve that one of their offspring would crush the head of the serpent. And he announced to Abraham that one of his offspring would inherit the earth and bless the nations. All who had true faith under the Old Covenant new that they were not to place their faith in the blood of bulls and goats, but in the Messiah who had been promised to them.

When the Messiah came into the world, he too was a priest who mediated between God and man at an altar. He was not a priest in the line of Levi or Aaron, for he was not a priest or mediator of the Old Covenant.  He was a priest in the order of Melchizedek, who was also the king of Salam, who lived in the says of Abraham, long before the Levitical priesthood was established. The Messiah was of the tribe of Judah and David, not Levi and Aaron, for he, like Melchizedek, was a priest-King. And neither did the Messiah serve in the temple at the altar there, for that temple and that altar, like the Levitical priests, belonged to the Old Mosaic Covenant. As I have said, Christ is not a mediator of the Old Covenant order. He is the great High Priest and mediator of the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace. It is through this covenant alone, and through this Mediator and Priest alone, that sinners are actually forgiven and reconciled to God eternally. And it all comes down to the altar and to what is offered there. 

Under the Old Covenant, the Levitical priests offered the blood of bulls and goats up on the altar for the cleansing of the flesh so the worshipers might be made right on earth and under the terms of the Old Covenant. 

But the New Covenant has Christ as Mediator. He is God’s Prophet, Priest, and King, who came in the order of Melchizedek. And what altar did he minister at? It was the altar of the cross. And what sacrifice did he offer up there? He offered Himself us, “a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God…” The blood of bulls and goats offered up by the Levites could not accomplish this. But they did point forward to the one who could. And all who have true faith in this promised Messiah will have true and eternal forgiveness of sins. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).

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 Through Their Mediation At The Altar Of  Incense In The Holy Place.

Secondly, and very briefly, let us consider how the priests of Old proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ through their mediation at the altar of incense in the Holy Place. 

Can you picture the priests of Old burning incense on that altar that stood immediately outside of the veil which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place? What did the smoke of that incense symbolize? The prayers of God’s people. So what then were the priests of Old doing when they burnt that incense morning and evening? They mediated between God and Israel in prayer.

Christ did this in his earthly ministry. He did it often, but you made read of it in John chapter 17. There we hear the prayer of our great High Priest as he interceded on behalf of the true Israel of God, that is to say, all whom the Father gave to him in eternity. 

And what is Christ doing now that he is risen and ascended? He is interceding for his people as our great High Priest, the only true Mediator between God and man. This is what Paul says in that beautiful and much-loved passage. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:31–37, ESV).

Here is the thing that I want you to see. The priests of Old interceded on behalf of the people at the altar of incense from on earth. Christ intercedes for us in the heavenly Holy of Holies itself, the true reality of which the Holy of Holies on earth was a sign. As the priests of Old ministered on earth they did not only do a good thing for Old Covenant Israel, they also pointed forward to the greater priest to come, Christ the Lord, who intercedes for us now in heaven. Through him, we have bold access to the Father. 

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Through Their Mediation In The Most Holy Place Before The Ark Of The Covenant On The Day Of Atonement

Thirdly, lastly, and briefly, let us consider how the priests proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ through their mediation in the Most Holy place before the Ark of the Covenant on the Day of Atonement.

Much of what I have said before applies here too. I simply want you to imagine the High Priest of Old passing through the veil of the curtain once per year and not without blood. It communicated three things. One, the way into the presence of God was not hopelessly lost after man’s fall into sin. After all, the High Preist was invited to enter in. So, we can see that God had made a way. Two, the way into the presence of God was not yet, in those days, opened wide. After all, only the High Priest could enter in, and only once per year. Three, the way into the presence of God required the shedding of blood. The High Priests of Old could enter in after offering up animal blood to atone for their sin, “[b]ut when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance…” (Hebrews 9:11–15, ESV)

The mediation of the High Preist in the Most Holy could not reconcile us to God truly or secure our eternal redemption. But his movements in the tabernacle of Old did point forward to the One who has accomplished this work, Christ Jesus the Lord, our great Prophet, Priest, and King who has come in the order of Melchizedek, the only mediator between God and man. 

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Conclusion

May we be found united to him by faith on the last day, for no one comes to the Father except through him.  

Baptist Catechism 41

Q. 41. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?

A. At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20,21; 1 Cor. 15:42,43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35–49

“But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”(1 Corinthians 15:35–49, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what the tree of life signified for Adam in the garden of Eden? We know what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil signified. That forbidden tree signified rebellion against God and its consequences. God commanded Adam not to eat of that tree and warned that in the day he ate of it he would surely die. Eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would mean that there was rebellion in Adam’s heart and it would lead to death – physical death and eternal enmity with God. Conversely, eating from the tree of life would mean that Adam passed the time of testing and would enter into life, just as the name implies. But you ask, wasn’t Adam already alive? Indeed he was! And not only was he alive, he was alive in paradise. He stood in right relation to God! What more could he ask for? 

Clearly, the presence of the tree of life in the garden communicated that God had more for Adam. The one tree was a threat to him, but the tree of life held out the promise of life – a higher form of life –  life eternal. If Adam would have passed the test he would have been transferred from life in Eden to life in glory. 

As you know, Adam failed. He ate of the forbidden tree and entered immediately into the state of death, which is eternal separation from and enmity with God. Never did he eat of the tree of life. He was barred from that tree. God “drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24, ESV).

What was it that Adam forfeited? What kind of life was it that was offered to him through that tree of obedience? If the only scripture we had was Genesis 1-3 then I suppose we could only speculate. But the rest of scripture answers this question with great clarity. The tree of life held out to Adam the offer of life eternal; consummate life; spiritual life; life in glory. This is what the scriptures mean when they say, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In sin, Adam, and all who are born from him, are born in sin and thus fail to enter into this state of glory.

Brothers and sisters, if you wish to know the kind of life and the kind of body that Adam would have been given had he passed the test by abstaining from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and eating from the tree of life, then consider Christ in his resurrection. Christ lived for sinners, he died for sinners, and on the third day, he rose from the grave bodily. He was raised in glory (see 1 Corinthians 15:42ff and 1 Peter 1:21). He walked on earth for 40 days proving himself to be alive. And then he ascended to the Father, that is to say, into glory. Christ, the second Adam, obeyed God. He earned the right to eat of that tree of life, if you will. And he did enter into the glory of the Father. His earthly body went into the grave, but from there it was raised by the power of the Holy Spirit. To use Paul’s metaphor, the body of Christ was, like a seed,  sown perishable but raised imperishable. It was sown in dishonor. It was raised in glory. Christ, the God-man, died according to the flesh, but he was raised in the flesh never to die again. He completed the race that the first Adam failed to complete. 

But listen carefully to this: when Christ entered into glory, he entered as a forerunner. He entered into glory so that he might, in due time, bring others into glory also. As Paul says elsewhere: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:20–24, ESV).

In the previous question, we learned that when the believer dies their body goes into the grave and their souls immediately pass into the presence of God. Indeed, that will be a great blessing to pass into the presence of God at the moment of death. But this week we learn that this is not the end for the believer. The believer will not remain in that incomplete, disembodied, soulish state forever. Instead, at the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity.

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Catechism Explained

Notice a few things about this answer. 

One, notice that we are talking about what will happen “at the resurrection”. What is this? It is what will happen in the future, on the last day, when Christ returns. He will do many things on that day, one of them being, to raise the bodies of all who have died. 1 Thesalonians 4:16-17 says, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, ESV).

Two, our catechism is specifically addressing what will happen to believers on the last day. “At the resurrection believers…” This is about beleivers,  and not those who remain in unbelief. Those outside of Christ will be our focus in the following question. 

Three, the language of glory is used here. Christ suffered in the flesh to bring many sons to glory, to quote Hebrews 2:10. To enter into glory is to eneter into the blessed presence of God where we will enjoy him forever and ever.   

Four, notice the connection between the resurrection and the day of judgment. Again, “at the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment.” According to dispensational premillennialists there will be a long gap between the resurrection and the day of judgement, but the scriptures nowhere teach this. In fact, the scriptures teach that on the last day Christ will return to raise the day, to judge, and to usher in the new heavens and earth. There will be many things that happen on that last deay (including the resurrection), but this will be one event with many components, and not many isolated events spread over a long period of time. This is what Paul so clearly teaches in 1 Corinthians 15:22ff: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:22–24, ESV). The premillennial dispensationalists see gaps of time in the scriptures where there are no gaps of time. The truth is this. When Christ returns he will raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new. 

Five, those in Christ “shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment.” Believers will be acknowledged as children of God, for they were adopted in Christ. And believers will be acquitted (a legal term), for they were justified through faith in Christ. What a terrible thought to be judged by God. But what a wonderful hope we have. We will not be judged, but will be openly acknowledged and acquitted instead, thanks be to God.

Six, believers will be made “perfectly blessed” at the resurrection. We will be blessed at the moment of death when our souls are brought into the presence of God. But at the resurrection we will be perfectly blessed. 

This is because, seven, in that moment we will be glorified “both in soul and body” as whole persons. As I explained last week, those with faith in Christ will be blessed in soul when they die, but their bodies will go into the grave. For this time we will be blessed, but incomplete. At the resurrection we will be whole persons against. Then we will be ”made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body.”

Eight, notice what it is that will make us perfectly blessed, or happy. It will be the “full enjoyment of God to all eternity.” Stated differently, God is the blessing. His presence is what makes heaven heavenly. King David knew this. And Christ knows this. Listen to Psalm 16:8-11: “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:8–11, ESV)

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Conclusion

Q. 41. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?

A. At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20,21; 1 Cor. 15:42,43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)