Quick—And The Dead (2 Tim. 4: 1).
Question (1960)—In 2 Tim. 4:1 and 1 Pet. 4: 5 we read of judgment
of “the quick and the dead.” Who are the “quick” and who are the
“dead” of these verses?
Answer.—The Greek word translated “quick” in these verses in the
King James Version means “living” and is so translated in many
versions; it refers to those who are not under a death sentence,
viz., those who are new creatures (2 Cor. 5: 15, 17; as such they
are not under a death sentence—Rom. 8: 1), and the fallen angels,
who never were placed under a death sentence, but for whom also God
has ordained a judgment (1 Cor. 6: 3; 2 Pet. 2: 4). Jude 6 shows us
that they are imprisoned “unto the judgment of the great day,” which
day includes the time of our Lord’s appearing or revealing, at His
Second Advent according to 2 Tim. 4: 12, Jesus judges the
“quick”—the new creature and the fallen angels— during His appearing
(Greek, epiphaneia).
The “dead” of 2 Tim. 4: 1 and 1 Pet. 4: 5 consist of those who
have gone down into the Adamic death state, who are sleeping the
unconscious sleep of death in hell (sheol, hades), the condition of
the grave, oblivion (see The Hell of the Bible booklet, listed on p.
56), and additionally, those who are under the Adamic curse of
death, who are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2: 1), legally
dead (Matt. 8: 21, 22; 2 Cor. 5: 14; John 5: 25), though they have
not yet actually gone down into the death state. Thus the “dead” are
Adams condemned race, whether in the death state or under the dying
process.
The Scriptures declare that “the dead [those in the death state]
know not any thing” (Eccles. 9: 5, 6; Job 14: 21; Psa. 146: 4), that
“in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave [sheol,
oblivion] who shall give thee thanks”? (Psa. 6: 5). In this
condition Jesus could not give them any trial, or judgment;
therefore He will call the dead forth from the grave, from “hell,”
the death state (Dan. 12: 2; John 5: 28); He will awaken them and
then, together with those who then will not have gone down into
death, He will give them their judgment, or trial, during the
world’s great 1,000-year judgment day (John 5: 29, A.R.V.; Acts 17:
31; 2 Pet. 3: 7, 8; Rev. 20: 11-15), which is the period of His
kingdom reign of a thousand years here on earth (Rev. 5: 9, 10; 20:
4). Thus Jesus judges the “dead” during the time of His Kingdom.
’60-55; ’68-15; *’86-15
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