Unless It Dies! (1Cor.15:36)
Acts 2:25-28
25 For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.' NKJV
In our last study we briefly discussed what David saw concerning, Jesus Christ, the “Holy One”. We discussed a little on what David felt based on how he understood the hope that he had in Jesus Christ. In this study it is my desire to briefly look at what gave David this hope. It was the knowledge of the resurrection; but David knew, as Peter later expounds that because of his sin, David needed the power of God to be his resurrection; for David confesses:
. . . For You will not leave my soul in Hades . . .
David is referring to the corruption of his flesh because of sin. David is not saying that he is in the literal abode of hell, where the wicked are held under judgment, until the final day to be cast into the lake of fire (Rev.20:14). David is talking about the present condition of man (Gen.2:7;Col.2:13; Eph.2:1). We often use terms like this in our culture. Just the other day, I had a conversation with a co-worker and he made the statement about the ungodly heat conditions he was working in, and I said, “Yes, I sometimes feel like I am in hell”. This is basically what David is driving at. Hades is the Greek equivalent to Sheol of the pagan realm of the gods in David’s history. Because this is a pagan term doesn’t mean that it does not have a very real application in God’s redemptive plan. Hades was a mythical god who ruled the realm of the dead. This figure sounds a lot like how Satan is described in the Bible. Satan is considered to be the “god of this age” (2Cor.4:4). Satan often takes what God has said and twists it to his own advantage. If you look up the word Hades it gives you a brief history of the term. You will find that the term changed it’s meaning over time.
In older Greek myths, the realm of Hades is the misty and gloomy[32] abode of the
dead (also called Erebus), where all mortals go. Later Greek philosophy introduced the idea that all mortals are judged after death and are either rewarded or cursed. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades]
Notice that the original Greek myths were changed later in Greek philosophy to come to a more “Biblical” meaning. It is my goal to know what the term meant to Theophilus, to whom, Luke was writing this account of the Acts of the Apostles. How would have Theophilus understood this? Or more importantly how would David have understood this? What is in David’s mind? It is important to introduce some theology here to show that David is not referring to the wrath that is to come (Lk.3:7), but to the present wrath that abides on all mankind (Jn.3:36).
After the fall of Adam God judged the whole human race. God threatened Adam that in the day he would eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he would “surely die”. The literal translation is “in dying you will die”. In other words, Adam is now declared spiritually dead and soon his flesh will follow suit. The Holy Spirit who sustained his life departed from him (1Sam.4:21). This wrath that abides on us all is a slow death. David understood that all who are born into this world including himself are under this condemnation.
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. NKJV
Therefore because we are all made sinners after the image and likeness of Adam (Rom.5:19), David who felt the condemnation of the law (Rom.7:24), knew that the “Holy One” would not forsake him in this corruption (1Cor.15:53). David was able to have rest in his flesh, because the “Holy One” cannot know corruption. Therefore when David says, “You will not leave my soul in Sheol”, he means in the present state of corruption and death. David’s statement is in the future tense. Therefore he is not saying that he is going to die and go to hell to then be rescued. He is saying that his soul is already (forensically) in hell and that it will not be left there. In other words, he is already judicially in Sheol, but he has hope in the “Holy One” who will not bring him to know/experience the reality of it. This is also not to say that in David’s soul he doesn’t know the reality of it, but that he will never have to experience the reality of it; because the “Holy One” to come, who never knew, or will know corruption in the soul, has the power over death and hell (Acts 2:30). Later, in Peter’s sermon, Peter applies this to Christ’s fleshly body that it will not know decay.
. . . nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
David in faith and by the Spirit is referring to himself here, but Peter gives a very different application of it in:
Acts 2:29-32
"Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. NKJV
What the Spirit was working in David at the time of this prophesy about his own body and soul (v.30), the Spirit through Peter applies to the person of Jesus Christ. Remember Jesus came to fulfill all the law and the prophets which were a shadow of the Christ who was to come (Mt.5:17; Col. 2:17). Peter brings out the point that David’s body saw corruption, therefore, what David may have thought was concerning him, was really concerning the Christ. Peter later testifies that the prophets, and even the angels who delivered the messages, didn’t fully understand what they were prophesying.
1 Peter 1:10-12
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things which angels desire to look into. NKJV
. . . he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. (v.31)
The Spirit speaking through Peter again applies this to Christ, “that His soul was not left in Hades”. What does this mean if we just established that David was referring to the corruption of his soul? How does this apply to Christ then?
This applies to Christ, in that, He left heaven and entered into the judicial realm of sinners [Hades] (Rom.8:3), remaining incorruptible in His own soul (Php.2:6), to bring us back into the incorruptible nature of God (1Cor.15:49).
1 Peter 1:22-25 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
"All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever."
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. NKJV
Jesus Christ was the incorruptible seed to multiply His seed in us through the Holy Spirit (Gen.9:7; Mt.13:38).
Gal 3:15-18 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. NKJV
. . . You have made known to me the ways of life . . .
David is now stating that through this knowledge, yet not fully understood, for God was still giving revelation, that the way of life has been revealed to him. What does this mean to us in how we should live in the light of the understanding, that we are presently under God’s wrath, awaiting its consummation?
Rom 2:5-6 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, . . . NKJV
2 Peter 3:14-15 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — NKJV
The present wrath we are under works two ways: (1) For the unbeliever this wrath is being stored up for the sinner who continues to sin (Rom.2:5,6). (2) For the believer the wrath that is to come (Lk.3:7), which is the comsummaiton of the present wrath upon the world, is judically removed (Rom.3:28). But the believer still remains in a state of suffering, as the whole world does because of sin (Rom.8:26), but this works salvation in those who are justified by faith (2Pet.3:15; Heb.12:8). Therefore the believer looks forward to these things, to be found blameless in the peace of Jesus Christ who washes them in His righteous blood (1Cor.15:36).
Titus 3:4-7 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. NKJV
