TIME PAST Hope: Page 102

TIME PAST Hope
 

God not only has the power to create life, but after He sets these souls on earth He has the power to move them from the top side of the earth to the grave, from grave back to the top side of the earth, from earth to heaven and from heaven back to earth. 

 

Think on the great power of our mighty God.
 

31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 

 

32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 

 

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matthew 22:31-32).
 

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother (Lazarus) shall rise again. 

 

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 

 

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 

 

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this (John 11:23-26)?
 

24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:24). 

 

God moved Enoch’s living soul from the top side of the earth directly to heaven. 

 

Elijah also had a unique change. 

 

11 There appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:11). 

 

When Jesus yielded up His spirit, 

 

51 the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 

 

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 

 

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many (Matthew 27:51-53). 

 

In the book of Revelation two Old Testament saints will again live on the earth. 

 

These two witnesses that will have a new ministry during the tribulation will die. 

 

11 After (being dead) three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them 

 

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them (Revelation 11:11-12).
 

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his (Son of God) voice, 

 

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29). 

 

The Old Testament saints wait for their set time to receive their rewards and live in this future earthly kingdom. 

 

We will look at the thoughts and understandings of the Old Testament saints, Job, David and Ezekiel.
 

In the Times Past Dispensation, 21 there was a man in the land of Uz (Lamentations 4:21) 1 whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil (Job 1:1). 

 

God called this Old Testament man a righteous man because Job believed what God had prophesied. 

 

By faith he believed that after a future tribulation, at a set appointed time in the latter days, he would have a new body and see his living redeemer stand on the earth. 

 

10 But man dieth, and wasteth away:  yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? 

 

11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: 

 

12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 

 

13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 

 

14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come (Job 14:10-14). 

 

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 

 

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 

 

27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me (Job 19:25-27).
 

David stated in Psalms 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Ezekiel, another Old Testament Kingdom prophet writes: 

 

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 

 

5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 

 

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 

 

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 

 

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 

 

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 

 

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 

 

11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 

 

12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 

 

13 Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 

 

14 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves (Ezekiel 37:4-14).
 

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works (Matthew16:27).
 

There is one set time for change, the receiving of a new celestial body, fashioned like His glorious body (Philippians 3:21) for members of the Body of Christ at the Catching Away. 

 

There are set times for the change for the Old Testament saints, the Church in the Wilderness (Acts 7:38), the Kingdom Church (Acts 2:47), those who come out of the tribulation, and for those born in the thousand-year kingdom. 

 

We know that the little flock, which includes the twelve apostles who will be seated on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, the saints in the Old Testament, and all those coming through the Great Tribulation, will have a set time for change as they enter their Millennial Kingdom. 

 

Those who are born during the thousand years and place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ during the Millennium will be changed when they come into the New Jerusalem in the FULLNESS OF TIMES.