Questions & Answers

Harold S. Paisley

Questions: Have the words of Christ in Luke 12:35-36 any bearing upon us, who are looking for the Rapture?

Answer: "Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord" are the words of the Lord Jesus and certainly have a definite application to the believers of the present age as well as those later. The Lord is speaking of our responsibility during His absence and the rewards for faithfulness. Three things are to mark us: Readiness, Expectancy and Activity. We are to be Waiting, Watching and Working. The figure of lights burning, show it is the night of the Lord's absence and the tendency to ungird and sleep is ever present. We are children of the day, therefore let us not sleep as do others but watch and be sober (I Thes. 5:5-6). The loins girded and lights burning indicate readiness to move at the word of the Lord. We are to be like unto men that wait for their Lord, "Watching and ready may we be as those who wait their Lord to see."

Question: In reading of the Lord Jesus in heaven "standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56) a difficulty has risen: How to understand this in light of the words of Hebrews 10:11-13 where he is said to have "sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made the footstool of His feet." Could a clear explanation be given?

Answer: It seems evident that Heb. 10:11-13 is a doctrinal statement emphasizing that the work of atonement was finished by Christ and being accepted by God, His posture is one of sitting at the right hand of God. Stephen, however, saw Him as the Son of Man standing in an attitude of expectancy as suggested in the words of Peter earlier (Acts 3:19-21). When the crowning act of Israel's rejection took place at the martyrdom of Stephen, the fulfillment of the parable of the Lord Jesus of the message to be sent after the rejected nobleman saying, "We will not have this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:16) became their final refusal to own the risen, exalted Christ as their King. He is no longer seen as "Son of Man" standing waiting for an earthly people to acknowledge Him but sat down till His enemies became His footstool. Israel had thus "filled up their sins," and wrath was about to come upon them which took place in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and the scattering of the earthly people (1 Thes. 2:16). Following their final rejection of Christ glorified, Saul of Tarsus was called to be the apostle Paul, to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, to preach Christ, "without distinction" (Rom. 11:13; Acts 15:9).

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: (Romans 11:11-13).

Question: What is to be gathered from the phrase "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:52)?

Answer: It is our view that the first expression "in a moment" (Atomos), which is an atom of time so brief, that it cannot be divided more, denotes the rapidity of the passage of sleeping and living saints, from the earth, to meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture. The "twinkling of an eye" marks the suddenness of the event. No sign precedes the twinkling of an eye so the absence of any sign is no proof that His coming is not near. His coming will be sudden and the result will be rapid. Perhaps today!