6. In Due Time

[1] Apostle Paul says this about the way God’s salvation works – ‘For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times’ (1 Timothy 2:5,6,ASV). ‘In its own times’ are the key words to note! We saw in the previous chapter that the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ saves all mankind from death but Paul says that each person is appointed a time when he or she will be testified to about it. The ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ can be likened to a Medicine that cures a particular illness. Let us assume that this illness had afflicted all the citizens of a particular town, just as the sin of Adam and the resulting curse of death had afflicted all mankind. Some people of the town took the Medicine in the morning and got well right away, while some others took the same Medicine in the noon and got well then. A few others took the Medicine in the night and became well at that time. In this example, even though the time at which each group of people got healed was different, the Medicine was the same. In the same way, it is the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ that saves everyone from death and gives them a chance to prove themselves to God. But the time at which this sacrifice gets testified and then utilized by various people is different.   

[2] As we saw earlier, Jesus gave himself as a ransom sacrifice to redeem Adam only in the year 33 A.D. This was by Biblical calculations, some 4000 years after the creation of Adam. The reasons for this delay in the coming of Jesus are varied. Owing to the commandments given to the Jewish people by God, thousands of years before, mankind in general had developed a concept of sin and thus was ready by 33 A.D.for the message of Jesus (Read Galatians 3:24). Moreover, the socio-political conditions that were needed for his birth and his subsequent sacrifice were set to occur only in the 1^st century A.D. Because of such reasons, Jesus gave his ransom sacrifice, a good 4000 years after the creation of Adam. It is only through his sacrifice that mankind has redemption. The Bible stresses repeatedly on this point – ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12). But this creates an obvious problem, for it seems to leave no means for the people who lived before the ransom sacrifice of Christ, i.e. before 33 A.D. to seek and serve God. Jesus was not even born then, and hence how could they get saved through him. It appears that the only way that was available for them was to die, resurrect in the coming Kingdom of God, seek God then and prove their loyalty to Him. If this had been true, then there would have been no way for anyone to seek God from the time of Adam’s expulsion from Eden till 33 A.D. Even those who wished to seek God would have had to necessarily wait till their resurrection in the Kingdom of God.  

[3] God would never keep anyone who wishes to seek Him in waiting. To those who wished to seek Him before 33 A.D, through His angels and prophets, He gave extensive guidelines about the means with which they could do that. People of those time worshiped God by giving animal and grain sacrifices. But these sacrifices, only symbolized the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, says the New Testament (See Hebrews 9-11 Chapters). Hence, in effect, they too were seeking God through the sacrifice of Jesus which was foreshadowed by the offerings they gave. God also conveyed His principles to them through His Messengers, and those who lived according to them till death would resurrect with eternal life in the coming Kingdom of God, for they would have proven their loyalty in this life itself. Kingdom of God will be the time when God will give them all the things He had promised to them in the past (Hebrews 11:39,40). On their resurrection, they will be considered as tested and proven by God. They will not need to have their faith tested once again, but will be rewarded with eternal life on resurrection. They will also be given major positions and roles in God’s kingdom and act as a regulating force with regards to the others of mankind who will resurrect in earth. The others of mankind i.e. those who did not seek God in their present lives, will also resurrect, but will not possess eternal life until they are tested and proven. They would die again if they failed to prove their faith towards God. We will see about this group in detail later. Hence, those who sought God before 33 A.D. did not do so in vain. They will get eternal life as their reward at resurrection. They will occupy important positions in God’s kingdom and thus aid in the teaching and building up of the resurrected millions of others who did not seek God in their previous lives. This is the glory that is awaiting Noah, Moses, Abraham, and all others who sacrificed for God before Christ.

[4] Those who have been following the principles of Jesus Christ since his death and resurrection in 33 A.D. are called as Christians by the world. The Bible calls them as the ‘Church’ (Read Ephesians 5:27). Many think wrongly that the word ‘Church’ denotes the physical place where Christians meet. ‘Church’ is the translation of the Greek word ‘Ecclesia’. ‘Ecclesia’ means ‘a called out’ people i.e. a people who have been separated from the rest, chosen ones. Indeed, the Church of God comprises of those people who have been called out by God, and separated from the rest of mankind for His Holy Work. Truly, the Church is a predestined group (Read Romans 8:28,29). The chosen ones of the Church get called by God now itself, and thus have the immense privilege of accepting the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and getting saved during their present lives itself. This is their duetime. This call has been ringing far and near, loud and clear for the last 2000 years. Every day, many people across the world hear this call and accept Jesus Christ as their savior. This is a prestigious calling. The Bible says that this is a better and higher calling than the one received by people like Moses and Abraham who lived and sought God before the period of Christ (Read Hebrews 11:40). This calling will close with the start of God’s Kingdom. And after that, this calling will never again be extended to mankind. What then is exceptional about this calling? 

[5] It is a heavenly calling – ‘Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling’ (Hebrews 3:1). Heaven is the dwelling place of God. The Bible says that so far, only one man has ever reached heaven. And that man is Christ Jesus (Read John 3:13; 20:17). The reason for this is simple. The Bible says that human bodies i.e. flesh and blood cannot reach heaven (Read 1 Corinthians 15:50). Jesus was able to reach heaven only because of the fact that he did not resurrect in a human body but in a glorious spiritual body (Read 1 Peter 3:18). Those who follow Jesus and God now, the church that is, will also resurrect like him to get a spiritual body, and can and will reach heaven (Read 1 John 3:2). They will rule as Kings and Priests along with Jesus during the Kingdom of God (Read Revelations 20:4). This is the promise that Jesus gave to his church before he left for heaven – ‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am’ (John 14:3). This is the glorious reward awaiting the faith and suffering of the Church. Thus, the Church class is chosen right now to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, undergo testing, and be victorious to receive a spiritual body, a heavenly dwelling and Kingship along with Christ in the coming Kingdom of God. Surely, it is a wonderful calling.

[6] However, millions of people have died in the past and are still dying, who did not even hear the name of Christ. Millions others have heard of him but refused to accept him as their personal savior. Satan has blinded their eyes, says the Bible (Read 2 Corinthians 4:4). Still, a time is coming, when they will also be told about the good tidings of the Gospel, and at that time there will be no Satan to blind their eyes. That time again is the coming Kingdom of God. It will be the due time for them then to come into the Gospel of Christ. It is a thousand year period. And Satan will be bound for those thousand years such that he cannot blind their eyes of understanding (Read Revelations 20:1,2). As we saw in the third chapter of this book, it will be a golden age for mankind. People will be taught about the ways of righteousness by the resurrected faithful of the pre-Christ era such as Noah and Abraham, who, as we saw earlier, would hold important posts and positions on earth. The resurrected Church along with Christ, then in glorious spiritual bodies will oversee this whole process (Read Revelations 20:4). It will be the period when all of mankind will know who the true living God is. They will come to know that Yahweh God loved the world so much that he sent his only son, Jesus Christ to sacrifice and redeem the world. All the sins committed by these people in the present world, that is in their present lives will be forgiven on account of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and will not be held against them. Yet, unlike the faithful of the pre-Christ era or the Church, who resurrect as tested and eternal at the beginning of the thousand year Kingdom, these people will not possess eternal life on resurrection (at the beginning of the thousand years), for they need to be tested as they had not been tested in their life before. God does not grant anyone the right to live eternally without appropriate testing. The Church class and the faithful of the pre-Christ period get tested during their lives in present times, and hence receive eternal life as a reward at resurrection. The rest of mankind however, will resurrect as untested and mortal beings. They will be taught about God in the thousand year Kingdom, and at the end of it they will be tested by Satan, who will be released for a short time by God, just for this purpose (Read Revelations 20:3). All of mankind would have been instructed clearly and precisely about the ways of God before the beginning of this period of testing. They would have been told in no unclear terms about their coming test with the release of Satan. Those who fall away and favor Satan in spite of such warnings will be destroyed forever along with Satan (Read Revelations 20:9,10). Others, who stand fast and withstand Satan, and overcome the testing, will continue to live eternally on earth. The earth will be as wonderful and blessed as the Garden of Eden then. This is the wonderful plan of God for mankind. This time is near.

[7] How wonderful is the plan of God where the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ is imputed to three different classes in their own appropriate time. This is how Yahweh God gives opportunity for all of mankind to obey Him and receive eternal life. This is the plan that God has been executing to redeem mankind who wandered away from Him. He gives each one of us, an opportunity to choose a glorious future. Not even one person can complain that he was not given a proper opportunity. But we have to remember that God has given free will to mankind and so ultimately it is in our hands to choose God’s way but we will all get a fair shot. Each one of us will ultimately decide his or her future. Those who choose God’s righteous path will live happily ever after with perfect peace and perfect health. What a wonderful future awaits mankind! Neither the Nuclear bombs nor the terrorists are going to determine the future of mankind. Yahweh God has determined it already. A golden age awaits mankind. What a glad tiding this message is!