Were the Ancient Worthies on trial for life?
“The Ancient Worthies were not on trial for life or death; they were never brought to that condition of intelligent opportunity for eternal life which would make them amenable to a sentence of death. Such a condition of knowledge and opportunity did not exist in the world until our Lord came. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ;" "he brought to light, life and immortality." These were never disclosed before our Lord's time, and consequently no such responsibility, AS NOW exists, had come.
In a certain sense the Jewish nation had been typically justified and was typically on trial for life or death, but this was not an actuality so far as life and death eternal were concerned, because God knew in advance that they could not keep the law, and that they could never have eternal life under it; and he had arranged in advance that they should be redeemed from the curse of the law irrespective of anything they might themselves do in the matter. Hence it was only in the typical or figurative sense that they were on trial for life or death.
The Ancient Worthies "had this testimony that they pleased God." They pleased him in that when they ascertained his will they set about doing it, even before he gave it to them as a law or obligation, even before he could ask them to obey him and promise them eternal life for their obedience. Abraham manifested his faith in God although there was no redemption yet accomplished in the world. Christ had not yet come. And although Abraham was not on trial for life or for death God granted Abraham his favor and declared that he pleased him; and his word tells us that "a better resurrection" is to be not only to Abraham, but to all these Ancient Worthies—a resurrection to human perfection.
But since human perfection will come only UNDER the Medeatorial reign of Christ, the Ancient Worthies will not be introduced to the Father in the complete sense until the close of the Millennial Age. Hence, they will not have *LIFE, in this fullest sense, until that time, when, at the close of the Millennial Age, the Kingdom shall be delivered over to the Father.
What they will have in the meantime will be the perfection of human nature and all the blessings that God provides for mankind, through the great Mediator. But they will not come into actual and personal relationship to God, so as to be determined worthy of eternal life, until the completion of the Millennial Age, because that age is set apart for the very purpose of determining who of all mankind may have eternal life, aside from the spirit-begotten ones of the present time.
At the close of the Millennial Age, when all mankind shall be in perfection of being, they shall be tried of the Father for their worthiness or unworthiness of eternal life--just as Adam, while enjoying perfection, was tested as to whether or not he was worthy to have life made perpetual or eternal.
Since the Ancient Worthies will be a part of the world under the New Covenant arrangements, it follows that they will not have this decision of the Divine Court, Divine Justice, respecting their worthiness of eternal life until the completion of the Millennial Age, until the conclusion of the trial at the end of that age, which will bring to them, as it will bring to all others who are faithful, the great reward of life eternal.” (Q12:1)
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*As stated none of the world including the Ancient Worthies will have LIFE, in its fullest sense until first they shall have been brought to perfection and without the aid of the Mediator given their final test to see if they are worthy of eternal life.
Turning to Revelation Chapter 20 we read:
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them and the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands (See Rev 13:15). And they came to life (were resurrected) and reigned with Christ for the thousand years. This is the first resurrection.” (Rev 20:4, 5)
Now note the following part of Verse 5 in brackets [“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished”] although this part of Verse 5 is spurious it is still nevertheless a true statement as only those of the world who pass the final test at the end of the next age will truly ever see life in its fullest sense. At present as well as in the next age although even though brought back to life (resuscitated) from the grave (such as was the case of Lazarus and all those brought forth from the grave previously) mankind is still considered “dead” and will not actually “live again” until they shall have past their final test.
Note those who pass this final test will not be sharing in the same life as that given the Church, the divine or immortal life (life inherent; self-existence), but rather will receive eternal life as perfect human beings always having access to the trees of life (thus dependent upon an outside source for their existence even as all God’s mortal creatures are.)
We will take a look at another question involving the Ancient Worthies in our next post.
“The Ancient Worthies were not on trial for life or death; they were never brought to that condition of intelligent opportunity for eternal life which would make them amenable to a sentence of death. Such a condition of knowledge and opportunity did not exist in the world until our Lord came. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ;" "he brought to light, life and immortality." These were never disclosed before our Lord's time, and consequently no such responsibility, AS NOW exists, had come.
In a certain sense the Jewish nation had been typically justified and was typically on trial for life or death, but this was not an actuality so far as life and death eternal were concerned, because God knew in advance that they could not keep the law, and that they could never have eternal life under it; and he had arranged in advance that they should be redeemed from the curse of the law irrespective of anything they might themselves do in the matter. Hence it was only in the typical or figurative sense that they were on trial for life or death.
The Ancient Worthies "had this testimony that they pleased God." They pleased him in that when they ascertained his will they set about doing it, even before he gave it to them as a law or obligation, even before he could ask them to obey him and promise them eternal life for their obedience. Abraham manifested his faith in God although there was no redemption yet accomplished in the world. Christ had not yet come. And although Abraham was not on trial for life or for death God granted Abraham his favor and declared that he pleased him; and his word tells us that "a better resurrection" is to be not only to Abraham, but to all these Ancient Worthies—a resurrection to human perfection.
But since human perfection will come only UNDER the Medeatorial reign of Christ, the Ancient Worthies will not be introduced to the Father in the complete sense until the close of the Millennial Age. Hence, they will not have *LIFE, in this fullest sense, until that time, when, at the close of the Millennial Age, the Kingdom shall be delivered over to the Father.
What they will have in the meantime will be the perfection of human nature and all the blessings that God provides for mankind, through the great Mediator. But they will not come into actual and personal relationship to God, so as to be determined worthy of eternal life, until the completion of the Millennial Age, because that age is set apart for the very purpose of determining who of all mankind may have eternal life, aside from the spirit-begotten ones of the present time.
At the close of the Millennial Age, when all mankind shall be in perfection of being, they shall be tried of the Father for their worthiness or unworthiness of eternal life--just as Adam, while enjoying perfection, was tested as to whether or not he was worthy to have life made perpetual or eternal.
Since the Ancient Worthies will be a part of the world under the New Covenant arrangements, it follows that they will not have this decision of the Divine Court, Divine Justice, respecting their worthiness of eternal life until the completion of the Millennial Age, until the conclusion of the trial at the end of that age, which will bring to them, as it will bring to all others who are faithful, the great reward of life eternal.” (Q12:1)
……………………………………………….....................................................................................................
*As stated none of the world including the Ancient Worthies will have LIFE, in its fullest sense until first they shall have been brought to perfection and without the aid of the Mediator given their final test to see if they are worthy of eternal life.
Turning to Revelation Chapter 20 we read:
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them and the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands (See Rev 13:15). And they came to life (were resurrected) and reigned with Christ for the thousand years. This is the first resurrection.” (Rev 20:4, 5)
Now note the following part of Verse 5 in brackets [“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished”] although this part of Verse 5 is spurious it is still nevertheless a true statement as only those of the world who pass the final test at the end of the next age will truly ever see life in its fullest sense. At present as well as in the next age although even though brought back to life (resuscitated) from the grave (such as was the case of Lazarus and all those brought forth from the grave previously) mankind is still considered “dead” and will not actually “live again” until they shall have past their final test.
Note those who pass this final test will not be sharing in the same life as that given the Church, the divine or immortal life (life inherent; self-existence), but rather will receive eternal life as perfect human beings always having access to the trees of life (thus dependent upon an outside source for their existence even as all God’s mortal creatures are.)
We will take a look at another question involving the Ancient Worthies in our next post.
