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The Church

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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 25, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 33.

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The Church

By C. S. Longacre

VIII. The Church Triumphant

By C. S. Longacre
By the terms “church militant” and “church triumphant,” we distinguish between the church on earth as engaged in actual warfare with the forces of evil, and the church in her future triumphant state, before God’s throne in heaven, clothed in garments of immortality and crowned with eternal life. In the church militant the members are often compared to good soldiers fighting the good fight of faith, putting on the whole armor, as in a military contest; but the church triumphant has fought all her battles and won all her victories, and has come off an absolute conqueror over the flesh, the world, and the devil, and over death and the grave, and is forever safe in the Father’s home.
The church militant numbers many more than the church triumphant, because many a poor soldier is taken captive by the enemy, or falls out by the way. Instead of being an overcomer, he is overcome. He may have his name written on a score of church rolls on earth; but that in itself is no evidence that his name is on the roll of “the general assembly and church of the first-born which are written in heaven.” “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 7: 21.
The church triumphant is composed of all the saved of all ages which will be gathered from the four quarters of the earth, and brought before the throne of God in heaven at the last day. A part of this church has already been taken to heaven, to assist Christ in His mediatorial work in the heavenly sanctuary. Matthew speaks of their resurrection thus: “And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of their graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many.” Matt. 27: 52, 53. Paul in writing to the Ephesians states that this company ascended with Christ to heaven. “Wherefore he saith, When He ascended up on high, He led a multitude of captives.” Eph. 4: 8 (margin). John when he was shown heaven in vision, saw this resurrected company there, and he heard them singing a new song and praising the Lamb of God: “Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests.” Rev. 5: 9, 10. These resurrected saints, together with the resurrected Christ, constituted “the first-fruits of them that slept.” The harvest itself will be “in the end of the world.” “And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory; and then shall He send His angels and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven.” Mark 13: 26, 27. “And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years,” not on earth, but in heaven, where He had promised to take them when He should return again. Rev. 20: 4; John 14: 2, 3. At the end of the thousand years they descend in the holy city to this earth which, when purified, becomes their everlasting abode. Rev. 21: 10.
Long had the church been Satan’s “lawful captive,” but the days of her captivity are now ended, “and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isa. 35: 10. Then the Lord “will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isa. 25: 8, 9.
In that day the church of the dead and living saints of all the ages will win her final victory over death and the grave, and from that day she will eternally be the church “triumphant.” At that time, “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.” Rev. 21: 4.
Dear reader, if you wish to belong to the triumphant church at last, you must triumph over your sins now. Only he “that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Rev. 2: 7.
Can you say, at this moment, that if you should suddenly be cut off from life, you would be prepared to meet your God in peace at the last day of final reckoning? Do you know that the long and weary struggle of all of earth’s pilgrims is almost over, and that the journey from this dark world of sin to the everlasting realms of light is soon to take place? Have you obtained Heaven’s passport? Would you like to know what it is? Here it is: “Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev. 22: 14.
O Christless one! why will you delay and hesitate over the salvation of your soul? What will it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul? What more can Christ do for you than that He has done? If such infinite love as He manifested on the cross will not win you, there is nothing left that can win you. It was for you that He died, that you might be redeemed from the curse. Why not make your peace with Him now, and become an heir of an inheritance that fadeth not away, and the possessor of a life that will never end? The long night of sin is almost spent, and the morning of the eternal day will soon dawn upon the faithful of all ages, and they will sing the new song of the triumphant church, and make heaven’s arches ring with resurrection melody. “The Spirit and the bride say, Come.”