Page 283 - Bible Writers Theology Original

Jesus proclaimed the purpose of His coming: "Verily, verily, I say unto you. The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself" Qohn 5:25,26).
According to the above passages, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the resurrection of all believers that wait ed in hope. This is accomplished by "burial baptism". The Old Testament believers that waited and died in hope were saved by "grave baptism" hear ing the gospel from the Lord Jesus Christ: "For Christ also hath once suf fered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison" (I Peter 3:18,19). They have now received their hope (Job 19: 23-27).
In Isaiah 25:7-10 we read, "And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all the people, and the vail that is spread over all
nations. Hewillswallowupdeathinvictory;andtheLordGODwillwipe 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. For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill." "For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit" (I Peter 4:6).
The dead in Christ are now in the third heaven in paradise. The Bible
declares, "ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. To the
general assembly and church of the first born...and to the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:22-24). Paul also stated, "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not law ful for a man to utter. Of such a one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in my infirmities" (11 Corinthians 12:4,5).
We know that all the dead that awaited the resurrection of Jesus Christ were saved by grave baptism, which is the type of our baptism in the watery grave. Thereasonwhyweburyconvertsthataredeadinrepentanceinthe watery grave is to show and testify that our fathers, who were dead in the hope of Christ, are saved by grave baptism. David knew this mystery and said, "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine
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