27 - THE LORD'S ANSWER TO THE THIEF by Dudley Marvin Canright

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 6, 1914

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 41, No. 39.

27 — THE LORD'S ANSWER TO THE THIEF

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Did the Lord grant the request of the thief the same day that it was made? Luke 23: 43. C. M. D.

The request of the thief was this: "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." One of the common subjects in our Lord's preaching was the kingdom and the setting up of that kingdom. He taught the prayer, "Thy kingdom come." In the parable of the pounds, as recorded in Luke 19, the kingdom of God is likened to a man that called his servants to him and divided among them money, and on his return called them to account. He himself went away for a time. When he comes again, he will receive his kingdom. See Luke 19: 11-13. Jesus is the nobleman that went into a far country to receive to himself a kingdom and to return.

Matt. 25: 31 teaches the same truth,—that the

kingdom will be set up, or that Christ will sit on the throne of His glory, when He comes the second time; and verse 34 of the same chapter shows that His own children will not inherit the kingdom until the Judgment is over. That kingdom is this earth, for it is the kingdom that is 'prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' The same thing is taught in Dan. 7: 27. 'And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'

Once more in Rev. 11: 15 we read: 'And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign forever and ever.'

What was the request of the thief?—'Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.' It could not be fulfilled that day, could it? That would be utterly impossible, for Christ did not then enter His kingdom. He had not even ascended to the Father; for the third day after this, He said to Mary, who was about to clasp His feet in her ardent worship of the Master, 'Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father.' John 20: 17. The Father dwells in Paradise. 2 Cor. 12: 2, 4. In Paradise is the tree of life. Rev. 2: 7. And the tree of life is near the throne of God. Rev. 22: 2. That Paradise, and that tree of life, and that city in which these are, will descend out of heaven, and the city will become the capital of the new earth. Rev. 21: 1, 2. Then it is that Christ will fully enter into His kingdom, and then it is that the request of the thief will be fulfilled.

Jesus answered him that day, but the answer will not be met until our Lord enters His kingdom in the New Jerusalem. Therefore His words, 'Verily I say unto thee to-day, Shalt thou be with Me in Paradise,' or to put it in the way we usually would, 'Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.' This is simply a different form of putting a declaration. It is common in Old English. See, for instance, Rev. 2: 7, 'Will I give,' equivalent to 'I will give'; also verse 26, 'Will I give authority,' equivalent to 'I will give authority,' even as it reads in verse 28, 'I will give him the morning star.'

What then was the import of the words of Jesus?—Simply this,—that in the darkest hour of Christ's sojourn here upon the earth, when He was dying as a malefactor upon the cross, the thief's faith pierced the darkness, and embraced Him as the Son of God, who would come according to His promises, and save His people. He doubtless had been among the throngs that had heard Christ preach. He wanted a part in that future kingdom of which the perfect character dying at his side should be the King. And as the thief had faith in that dark hour, to express his belief, so Jesus had the assurance to answer, 'I say unto thee to-day, Shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.'

'To-day' is an adverbial phrase which might modify the verb 'say' or the verb 'shalt be.' The whole tenor of Scripture demands that the adverb 'to-day' shall modify 'say.' 'Verily I say to-day unto thee, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise'; that is, when He comes to set up His kingdom.