IF the holy apostle Paul made mention of a high, holy happiness, which every one that fell asleep in Jesus, finds in the “being ever with the Lord,” in the visions of Patmos this close fellowship with the Mediator is still more strongly emphasized. For of those who are most richly glorified is said: “These are they which follow the lamb whithersoever He goeth” (Rev. 14, 4).1
That herewith distinction is made between blessed and blessed, can not be denied. The 144,000 which are here in question, are “firstfruits” who receive a higher reward and therefore an extraordinary glory. These are they who sing the song before the Lamb with a fullness, purity and depth, such as no others can. Does it not say of these 12 × 12,000 that with a voice as the voice of many waters, and yet with a voice as of players upon harps, they sang a new song before the throne, and is it not added thereto: “No man could learn that song but the 144,000, which were redeemed from the earth? Are they not called the redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb?” Is it not said of them, that they have not defiled themselves with women nor with lies? And apart from their altogether unique song, is not their glory described in this wondrously beautiful trait: “These are they which follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth.”
The effort on the part of some, to make all distinction in glory fall away, and to make it appear, as though all the dead are to enjoy a perfectly equal glory, has no stand before Holy Scripture.
Did not Jesus Himself express it as a fundamental thought, that His Father would reward openly, what had been piously thought and performed in the quiet hiddenness of life? Did not Jesus refer again and again to a “Reward, that will be great in the heavens”? And does not Paul declare, that the righteous Judge in that great day will reward every one, according as he has done in the body? He who has left much for Jesus’ sake, shall he not receive more in the eternal life?
Salvation is for all, but in degree of glory, he who exhibited stronger faith, excels him, who was more backward. And as one of the very signs of that highest degree that “following of the Lamb, whithersoever He goeth,” is here indicated.
All the redeemed shall ever be with the Lord, but, as among the disciples, there will be a broader and a narrower circle of fellowship.
The closest to Jesus in glory, he who here on earth has believed, loved, lived most conscientiously in fellowship with his Savior.
THUS your attitude toward Jesus on earth, is the standard of your relation to Jesus up yonder. And in that fellowship with Jesus alone, they who have fallen asleep, can find one another back.
Thus there will be seeing again and finding back, but in an entirely different relation.
Already on earth we are familiar with this transition. They who were schoolmates together, can later on find each other back incorporated in the army, or as sailors of the same ship, or as members of the same board of directors. And, truly, also then the old comradeship is alive again, but on an entirely different footing and in an entirely different relation. Now dominated by the new condition, into which they have entered, and by the altogether different relation, in which they stand to each other.
Even with moving from one town to another we are aware of this. You may live three long years in a town and there enjoy regular and friendly association with your social peers. But move, change place of residence, and change again, and let it happen, that twenty years later you find back one of those earlier acquaintances in the new place of your residence, of course you still know one another, but yet your attitude becomes new and different.
You in the meantime have become more mature. He also has developed himself, but he differently from you. And the relation in which you come to each other, will bear the marks of this.
And so it will also be with the seeing again.
What you have on earth experienced together in Jesus, remains; all the other falls away; and for so far only can the finding back lead to new fellowship, as together you are rich in Jesus. So for the earthly tie a heavenly tie comes in place, and that tie can not be other than in Jesus. Two persons who see each other again are both members of the Body of Christ, and the place they will occupy in that Body of Christ, determines the relation in which now they will stand to one another.
Here on earth all sorts of other factors still operate upon your closer connection with men. Family ties, place of residence, business connections, material interest, likeness of taste and character, and so much more, and by no means merely your tie to Jesus. Frequently even that tie to Jesus only loosely accompanies the family tie, or is lacking altogether. There can even be two persons, who both fell asleep in Jesus, and who on earth never had fellowship with each other in Jesus, though in business or other ways were much in touch with each other.
We do not say, that the tie which in heaven shall bind us to Jesus, is altogether outside the natural relationship of soul and soul, of character and character. This difference and this agreement in character, sense and disposition flow forth from God’s ordinance in the creation, and has therefore abiding value. Surely it is also operative in heaven. But yet, also this joining of hands can in the realm of glory only consist in Jesus, while here on earth it was so frequently evident in all sorts of other interests besides that of fellowship of faith.
So it is possible, that this natural affinity brought two persons to holy wedlock. And it is equally thinkable, that between parents and children from the tie of blood a spiritual tie arose. And be it now, that this marriage tie founded upon spiritual sympathy, or tie between parents and children, was truly braided in Jesus, then naturally that tie is also operative in eternity. Still, even then never by reason of marriage, or by reason of generation, but in Jesus and alone under the influence of that personal affinity, which existed here by virtue of the ordinance of creation.
Thus what must be watched against, is not homesickness after the seeing again, but the urge of obtaining each other back for the sake of the earthly relation and in the earthly relation.
Every longing to meet one another again otherwise than in Jesus, antagonizes the claim of faith.
CONSIDER also, that your life circle in the realm of glory, will be so much, much greater, than here below.
Here you have lived together with the saints of one generation. In the realm of glory you are given a place in the “general assembly of the just made perfect,” or, if you will, in the broad circle of the generations of all ages, which have been before you, and which shall come after you.
Here you have lived with the saints of one single village, one single town, one single land. In the realm of glory it will be a living together with the redeemed by the blood of the Lamb from all nations, and peoples, and tongues.
Here, according to the limitation of this dispensation, you have lived together with thousands of the redeemed of the Lord. But you only had more intimate fellowship of life with a very few, a circle of twelve, twenty, certainly not exceeding one hundred. In the realm of glory the fellowship shall be a perfect one, and simultaneously extend to a company, which no one can number.
Is it now so unthinkable, that among those saints of all ages and all nations persons will be found, which spiritually stand much closer to you, who inwardly are far nearer allied to you, than those few, with whom here on earth you could associate? And is it not then evident, that with this far richer choice the seeing again of these few, recedes in the background?
TO follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, remains the highest, and therefore every relation to your fellow-blessed must remain subordinate to your relation to the Lamb.
Dying of God’s child is therefore called in Scripture: To fall asleep in Jesus.
And this says more, than being assured by Jesus of everlasting life. Falling asleep in Jesus, is at the moment of his dying to be found in Jesus. It is dying as a member of the Body of Christ. It is going into death as one, who is incorporated in Him. As one who can not be thought apart from Jesus. As one who is forever inseparable from Jesus.
Of course there is fellowship therefore between all, who now or ever have fallen asleep in Jesus, for it is and remains eternally one Body under one Head.
But also in that Body the relation of the members mutually is not determined by the relation which on earth they sustained one to the other, but chiefly by the place which they occupy in that Body of Jesus.
This can coincide with your earthly relation, but it can also altogether differ from it.
And therefore it is, that Scripture does not point us to the seeing again of each other, but always to the seeing of Jesus, to which all seeing again must ever remain subordinate.
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Footnotes
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It has been tried to make this mean: persons who in their earthly life have walked in the paths of Jesus. But this can not be the case. In the original it is in the present tense. Not that they followed Jesus, but: they follow the Lamb. ↩