“Winter is Past”

Spring touches our souls like a healing balm. The light of longer days dispels winter’s darkness. Comforting warmth sooths the ache of winter’s cold. The dreary earth erupts in a riot of color. Flowers push up from thawing ground, the grass turns green and trees cover their bare branches in pastel hues of blossom and bud. Spring, simply put, is a miracle! It reminds us of the promise of life after death. By it God preaches from His book of nature the glorious doctrine of the resurrection.

The Bible gives us assurance that God has a plan for mankind in the hope of the resurrection —a promise of life for the dying human race! The Apostle Paul testified that, “there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” Because God “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” See Acts 24:15; 17:31, 32

Death was not God’s intended destiny for humanity. He created our race to enjoy everlasting life in Edenic paradise here on earth. Death was held out as a conditional curse that would only be enforced if father Adam disobeyed God’s command. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17

Yes, if father Adam had not disobeyed God, death’s blight would never have been imposed on him or his descendants. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Romans 5:12 19

God was not taken by surprise at the disobedience of His creation! Divine foreknowledge knew that Adam would sin and that the death curse would be imposed. God in His foreknowledge had planned for our salvation before the world was created. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were… redeemed with… the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” 1 Peter 1:18-21

Jesus Christ, “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification,” Himself became “the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” “Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Romans 4:25; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

When Does the Resurrection Occur?

Jesus was the first to experience the resurrection. When will those that He died and was raised again for be resurrected. The time of the resurrection is well summarized in Martha’s statement to Jesus regarding the death of her brother Lazarus, “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” John 11:24 That is, the resurrection of Adam’s race will begin at the time of Jesus’ Second Advent.

Those for whom Christ died will be raised in progressive stages. Beginning at the time of His Second Advent, the first to be resurrected is His church—faithful disciples of the Christian age. Even among them there is a progressive order. Those disciples who have fallen asleep in Christ are to be raised first is at His Second Advent. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then [next in time] we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Resurrection blessings are not only for Christ’s followers of the present time but will extend eventually to all mankind. “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits [Jesus’ Church]; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” 1 Corinthians 15:23 Yes, the “just” shall be raised to life and, afterward, the “unjust” also. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” John 5:28, 29

God “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” Who will judge mankind? “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” Because, “If we suffer [with Jesus], we shall also reign with him.” Truly, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” to rule over mankind and bless them. Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 6:2; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:6

The promise that we are betrothed to Christ as His future Bride is one of the most beautiful and inspiring truths of the Scriptures. Apostle Paul sheds light on this great mystery saying, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:31, 32

The purpose of this holy union is to restore the lost race of humanity. As Jesus’ Bride we will join with Him in blessing the dying race. Apostle John, in The Revelation, “saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Then it will be said, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

Yes, these words are true. These words are faithful; because, as we learned from an early age, “The Bible tells me so.”

The Bride, the Lamb’s wife, is the New Jerusalem—a symbolic picture of Christ’s church. When, in God’s Kingdom on earth, Christ and His Bride rule over mankind they will bless and heal them bring them back to sonship with their Creator. Any who then overcome (in the time of resurrection by judgement) God promises that they shall “inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Any who then resist the righteous rule of Christ and His church being “the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” They will have had a generous opportunity to gain life eternal and restoration to sonship with God but, sadly, rejected it. See Revelation 21:2-10

God’s ancient promise to bless all the families of the earth in Abraham’s seed (Genesis 12:3) will be fulfilled in the work of Jesus and His Bride. “If ye be Christ’s then are YE Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29 The message to the groaning creation, the sin-sick human family will be, “the Spirit [Jesus] and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.

Christ Calls To His Beloved Bride

The resurrection time, God’s Kingdom, is figuratively described as “summer” in Jesus’ great prophecy in Matthew 24. “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Verses 32, 33

Some question the meaning of “it” in verse 33, believing that “it” refers to Christ’s return. The Scriptures give us a positive definition and clarification in the Gospel of Luke. That account of Jesus’ prophecy fully reveals the figurative meaning of both summer and “it.”

Jesus “spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” Luke 21:29-31 The summer time of our Lord’s prophecy is the kingdom of God.

Jesus words parallel the love song and prophetic allegory in the Song of Solomon. Perhaps He had them in mind when He gave His great prophecy. Poets and literary scholars have long admired the beauty of these words. However, there is more in them than the mere beauty of language—there is also power in their prophetic reality!

“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Song of Solomon 2:10-13

Jesus first gathers His Bride, the Church, when He returns. The allure of our Beloved’s call enraptures our hearts and minds. The kingdom is at hand! The winter time of human suffering in sin and death is coming to an end. The summer time of God’s Kingdom with its healing light and warmth is at the doors! The joy of dispensing blessings and life to the dying race of mankind lies before us.

We gladly receive Jesus’ call. We desire to reign with Him; sharing His throne and the joy of blessing of all the families of the earth. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” 1 Peter 5:4

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