THE BIBLICAL HOPE

In the Bible there is one God, one people of God and one hope for all of God's people - eternal life in the coming age of the kingdom of God. Though this hope was foretold and foreshadowed in the pages of the OT, it comes clearly into focus through the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus THE Messiah. As a result of these events the Messiah has "brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). Therefore, the hope of God's – Yehovah’s new covenant people is no longer seen "from a distance" as in OT times (Hebrews 11:13) but is now centered on the clear and simple truth of the Messiah's own glorious resurrection and his future second coming for his people. At that time all believers - whether dead or alive - will be resurrected and transformed so as to be with the Messiah in the glory of God's kingdom (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corossians 15:50-54). This glorious "parousia" of the Messiah will also bring about the "universal restoration of all things" - as "foretold by all the prophets" (Acts 3:17-26) - so that even "creation itself will be delivered from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God - Yehovah" (Romans 8:19-21). In short, the hope of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus for the future is now centered on the final fulfillment of God's – Yehovah’s foreordained plan "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even the Messiah" (Ephesians 1:10).

In the NT this hope can be summarized in a single phrase: "The Messiah Jesus our hope" (I Timothy 1:1). This truth is the result of the incorporation of each believer, by way of the Spirit, into the one body of the Messiah (I Corinthians 12:13). Because of this incorporation "in the Messiah" the assembly of the body of the Messiah is now bound up in all of the Messiah's accomplishments - past, present and future. This can be seen quite clearly in many of Paul's Letters. Look, for example, at his Letters to the Ephesians and Colossians:

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with the Messiah ... And God raised us up with the Messiah and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in the Messiah Jesus. In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in the Messiah Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7).

Since, then, you have been raised with the Messiah, set your hearts on things above, where the Messiah is seated at the right hand of God - Yehovah. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with the Messiah in God. When the Messiah who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).

Here we have explicitly stated the simplicity of the life of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus. The Messiah is our "life". For Paul and the other new covenant believers it was impossible to think of their lives - either in the present or in the future - apart from the Messiah. The life, death and resurrection of the Messiah, together with his pouring out of the Spirit on Pentecost, had forever changed the believers' perspective on history. In the cross and in the resurrection the decisive events of history have already taken place. In the Messiah, God - Yehovah has accomplished victory for mankind over the forces of sin, death and Satan forever. As a result, the life of every believer is now bound up in their existence "in the Messiah."

Because of this Paul's entire life was focused on the Messiah - whether in this life or in the life to come:

I have been crucified with the Messiah and I no longer live. But the Messiah lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

For to me, to live is the Messiah and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with the Messiah, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

The Messiah Jesus was Paul's "life." Paul's whole existence - both in the present and in the future - was determined by this single overwhelming truth. It was "in the Messiah" that he had been redeemed and now, by way of the Spirit, the Messiah lived "in him." Since even now Paul's life was "hidden with the Messiah in God - Yehovah," he knew that when the Messiah appeared, he also would "appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:3-4).

Here we have explicitly stated the simplicity of the life of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus . The Messiah is our "life". For Paul and the other new covenant believers it was impossible to think of their lives - either in the present or in the future - apart from the Messiah. The life, death and resurrection of the Messiah, together with his pouring out the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, had forever changed the believers' in the lord Messiah Jesus perspective on history. In the cross and in the resurrection the decisive events of history have already taken place. In the Messiah, God - Yehovah has accomplished victory for mankind over the forces of sin, death and Satan forever. As a result, the life of every believer is now bound up in their existence "in the Messiah."

Because of this Paul's entire life was focused on the Messiah - whether in this life or in the life to come:

I have been crucified with the Messiah and I no longer live. But the Messiah lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

For to me, to live is the Messiah and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with the Messiah, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

The Messiah Jesus was Paul's "life." Paul's whole existence - both in the present and in the future - was determined by this single overwhelming truth. It was "in the Messiah" that he had been redeemed and now, by way of the Spirit, the Messiah lived "in him." Since even now Paul's life was "hidden with the Messiah in God," he knew that when the Messiah appeared, he also would "appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:3-4).

It is often thought that Paul's words "depart and be with the Messiah" indicate that Paul expected to go to heaven immediately after his death and to live consciously there "with the Messiah." What Paul means by this is that if he died, the time that went by until Jesus comes means nothing to a person who is dead, 2,000 years can pass and the dead don’t know how much time has passed. So for Paul he knew that when he died it would seem like a split second when he would experiencing rising from the dead to be with the lord Messiah Jesus. In Philippians it is the resurrection and the Messiah's return that Paul longed for (Philippians 3:10-21). This can be seen in I Corinthians and I Thessalonians where he clearly expresses his understanding of how believers will come to be "with the Messiah" forever:

For as in Adam all die, so in the Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: The Messiah, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him (I Corinthians 15:22-23).

According to the lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God - Yehovah, and the dead in the Messiah will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air. And so, we will be with the lord forever (I Thessalonians 4:15-17).

In these verses it is crystal clear that Paul believed that believers who died were "asleep in the Messiah" and would be "with the Messiah" when they were "awakened" and raised to be "with him" at his second coming. This fits both the OT and NT pattern of the state of the dead as well as the future resurrection (cp. Daniel 12:2-3, 13; Acts 24:14-16). Most likely, Paul's words "depart and be with the Messiah" simply indicate the degree to which the Messiah was indeed Paul's "life" and that for him the next stage of conscious life after his "departure" (2 Timothy 4:6) would be to be "with the Messiah in glory" - on the day of his appearing. Look at 2 Timothy 4:

In the Presence of God and of the Messiah Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word ...

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (II Tim. 4:1-8; cf. Heb. 9:27-28).

For Paul, the next stage after death, on the chronological timetable of God's plan, was to "appear with the Messiah in glory" - on "that day" of "his appearing and his kingdom." This was the simplicity of Paul's life and hope - may it be ours as well.

Written by Richie Temple Cary and edited and added on to by Bruce Lyon

P.S. When my brother was close to dying, he asked me what would happen to him when he died. He already knew the answer but wanted me to hear it again. I told him that the moment he died in the next split second he would experience rising up in the air to meet the lord Messiah Jesus in the clouds as a glorified immortal man. His cancer would be gone. While I was talking to him, he suddenly said, look Bruce there are 2 angels at the foot of my bed, do you see them. I said no, but I believe you do. A week later he died. I look forward to meeting him in the clouds when the lord Messiah Jesus returns.