The Sabbath-School by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 6, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 42.

The Sabbath-School.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST—NOV. 29.

What do the afflictions of this life work for us? 2 Cor. 4:17.
Under what conditions will they accomplish this result? Verse 18.
By what means do we behold unseen things? Heb. 11:1.
While looking (by faith) at unseen things, of what are we assured? 2 Cor. 5:1.
What is meant by "our earthly house of this tabernacle" being dissolved? Compare 2 Pet. 1:13, 14 with John 21:18, 19.
What does Paul say that we earnestly desire while in this earthly tabernacle? 2 Cor. 5:2.
Why do we desire to be "clothed upon"? 2 Cor. 5:4.
Then to what is being "clothed upon with our house which is from heaven" equivalent?
What do these two "houses" represent? 1 Cor. 15:44.
Which of these is first? 1 Cor. 15:46.
When is the spiritual body bestowed? 1 Cor. 15:42-44.
Whence does this spiritual body come? 1 Cor. 15:49.
When is it that corruption puts on incorruption, and mortality puts on immortality? 1 Cor. 15:42, 51-53.
Then when is it that mortality shall be "swallowed up of life"?
And to what is this equivalent? 2 Cor. 5:4.
Who hath wrought us for this thing? Verse 5.
What is it for which God hath wrought us?
As a pledge of immortality, what does he now give to us? Verse 5.
If when this earthly house is dissolved, and we are "clothed upon" with our heavenly house, mortality is swallowed up of life, what opposite conditions do the two houses represent?
Then in what condition are we while in this earthly body?
And while "at home in the body," from whom are we absent? Verse 6.
When is it that we shall be with the Lord? 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.
And what do we "put on" at that time? 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 2 Cor. 5:2-4.
Since death is the dissolving of this present body, and we are not "clothed upon" with our spiritual body till the resurrection, in what condition are we between death and the resurrection? 2 Cor. 5:4.
Is that a desirable state?
What do we desire rather than this? 2 Cor. 5:8.
Quote three texts to prove that we can be "present with the Lord" only at his second coming.

IN the portion of Scripture covered by this lesson the apostle sets before us the ground of our hope. No matter what we may be called upon to suffer, we are to be of good courage, and trust in the Lord; for this is what is meant by 2 Cor. 4:16: "But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." In the next verse he tells us why he is thus hopeful: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Surely if we believe this, we could, with the apostle, "glory in tribulation."

IT is not, however, for every one, nor under all circumstances, that afflictions accomplish this result. It is not to all that afflictions seem light. Each person is inclined to feel that his own trials are the most severe of any; but certainly there are none that have to endure more than Paul did. Now what was the means by which he lightened them? "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." And thus it is that everybody can make their own trials light or heavy, just as they please. If they choose to look only at the present time, and think of their trials, they will appear enormous; but if they look at eternal things—the world to come, and its joys—earthly sorrows will be entirely lost sight of. Who would not endure a moment of pain to secure a year's pleasure? If during an entire year we should suffer pain but a single second, would that instant of pain be remembered? Certainly not; it would not attract our attention. Well, a second of time is infinitely greater in comparison with a year, than a life-time is in comparison with eternity. So, then, if our entire life were filled with pain, it would not be remembered in eternity. Now in order to get the benefit of this comparison now, and make our present affliction seem light, we have only to transport ourselves, by faith, to the eternal world, looking so steadfastly at it that what it has to offer appears real to us. Christians are to live not alone in the present, but in the future—"for we walk by faith, not by sight."

BUT what is that unseen thing at which we look, that affords this hope? The first verse of chapter 5 gives the answer: "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." This verse gives the answer in full; the remaining verses are devoted to enlarging upon and explaining this point. The question to be solved, then, is, What are these two houses? and when are they occupied?

THERE can be no question but that by the dissolution of this tabernacle the apostle refers to death. Peter uses the same expression in referring to his decease. 2 Pet. 1:13-15. The fourth verse, being partially a repetition of verse 2, affords data for determining when the second house is bestowed. "For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." Thus we see that when we are clothed upon with our heavenly house, immortality is bestowed, or, still better, that the being "clothed upon with our house which is from heaven" is the same as the putting on of immortality. We have already learned (1 Cor. 15:51-54) that immortality is given only when the Lord comes; so we conclude that this heavenly house is not received at death. This will appear still more plainly hereafter.

BY referring to the 15th of 1 Corinthians, we find still more about these two "houses." In the forty-fourth verse we learn that there are two bodies, a natural body and a spiritual body. These bodies do not exist at the same time, but the first is the natural body, "and afterward that which is spiritual." Verse 46. Verse 49 tells us that this spiritual body is heavenly, thus more fully identifying it with "our house which is from heaven." And now from verses 42-44 we learn that this spiritual, heavenly body is given at the resurrection: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." Thus we find that the two houses are the natural and the spiritual body; that the spiritual body is given at the resurrection, which is at the coming of the Lord; and that this receiving of the spiritual body, or "putting on immortality," is the same as mortality being "swallowed up of life."

BUT what about the state of death? What house do we occupy then? None at all. Our condition at that time is represented by the term "unclothed." While we are in this house—this mortal body—we groan, "earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." In Rom. 8:23 Paul says that that for which we groan is "the redemption of our body," thus proving what we have already learned, that the heavenly house is the putting on of mortality. "If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked." 2 Cor. 5:3. Now if this earthly house is dissolved at death—which none will deny—and the heavenly house is given only at the resurrection, it must be that there is a time of being unclothed. But this was not what Paul desired; it is not that for which we groan. Death is not given as the object of desire. We groan with the burden of mortality, not that we desire death to rid us of the cares of this life, but desiring that mortality shall be swallowed up of life. Because we do not desire to be thus unclothed, however, is no sign that that may not be our lot. But "we shall not all sleep," some will be living when the Lord comes, and they will change mortality for immortality "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye."

MORTALITY and immortality are then the two houses—the one earthly, and temporal; the other heavenly, and eternal. Now while we are in the first state we are absent from the Lord; for it is only when Christ comes, and immortality is bestowed, that we shall be "forever with the Lord." And since this is the case, we are not only willing to be absent from this mortal state, and be present with the Lord, but that is the thing for which we groan. Our confidence rests in the fact that God has created us for this self-same thing; he designs that we shall have immortality, and to assure us that it will be given, he has given unto us the earnest of his Spirit. So long as we have that, we are sure of our future, immortal inheritance. And our faith in God's promise brings that inheritance so near, and makes it so real, that, in spite of present tribulation, we may be always "rejoicing in hope."