the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Bowen's Daily Meditations
" Them also who sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him." - 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
The Jews who gnashed with their teeth on Stephen, hurried him forth without the walls of Jerusalem, and stoned him to death with a fury like that with which they had crucified his master and forerunner, would have been confounded to learn that the stoned Stephen was after all not dead, but sleeping a heavenly and exquisite sleep. They will see him when he awakes; when he comes forth again, his spirit from the chambers of the skies, his dust from the chambers of earth when Stephen, with his face shining indeed like that of an angel, cometh with the thousands of saints and with the king of saints. This sleep of the righteous is simply with reference to this world; they are disrobed for a season from this visible scene; they are in a slumber so that we cannot hold converse with them. Their awakening has also reference to this earth; they are to come again with powers sublimely recruited. But while asleep with reference to us, they are awake with reference to heaven. They are with the spirits of just men made perfect.
The advent we look for is the advent of all the good. We look back to them in history; we look forward to them in prophecy. Their advent will be a baptism of fire for this earth. Heaven will come with them. The throne of God with them; Christ with them. Shall we be there? When the Lamb’s book of life is opened, shall our names be read off? If we now live in Jesus, we shall sleep in Jesus, and afterwards appear with him in glory.
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