Hidden in Hosea: The Church's Death-Defying Escape from Hell on Earth

Greetings, brothers and sisters in the Lord! I hope this message finds you standing firmly in the faith and eagerly awaiting the return of our beloved Savior, Jesus. We are getting closer and closer to the day of our departure and arrival into His glorious presence.

For those who have read some of my past articles, you know that I have been busy mining the depths of the mystery of Christ and His body. I really did not set out to make this my niche, so to speak, but the Spirit keeps prodding me along and providing more insight into many Old Testament passages that relate to the mystery now made known and revealed to the Church (cf. Rom. 16:25-26; Eph. 3:3-11; 5:32).

Back in September 2017 right before the sign of Revelation 12:1-2 came to pass later that month, I wrote a piece entitled Birthday Break-away. In that study I traced the mystery of "two nations" born out of "one womb" back to the beginning of the Bible. Moreover, I showed how the continuity and discontinuity of Israel and the Church was prefigured in the birth narrative of Perez and Zerah (Gen. 38:27-30).

At the close of that article, I cited a passage from the prophet Hosea that further developed the Perez/Zerah typology (see Hos. 13:12-14). Ephraim, a prominent northern tribe representing the entire nation of Israel, is portrayed as a son who refuses to be born when the time of labor arrives. Yet, in a surprise plot twist already prefigured in Gen. 38:29, there is another son in hiding who seizes the opportunity and bursts forth out of the womb to become the firstborn (for further development of this profound Perez typology, see my Church of the Firstborn series: Parts One, Two, and Three).

Though the birth (i.e. resurrection) of "the Church of the firstborn" (Heb. 12:23) is not explicitly stated in Hosea 13:12-14, there are apparently enough clues in this Old Testament passage to warrant the blessing of the apostle Paul who makes a direct reference to Hosea 13:14 in his explanation of the mystery of the resurrection/rapture of the Church in 1 Corinthians 15:55.

And so, for the purposes of this article, I am going to explore the tight-knit connection between Hosea 13 and 1 Corinthians 15 and explain how the apostle Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, intentionally or inadvertently "flips the script" of Hosea 13:14. Bridging the gap between these two texts written over 700 years apart gets a little murky at times and some things still remain unclear. Nevertheless, there is hidden treasure in this study, and I pray that your joy may abound at finding another gem in the fertile field of God's word (Prov. 2:1-6; Matt. 13:44).


First Things First: What is the Text? What is the Context?

To fully appreciate the interplay between these two end-time passages from Hosea and Paul, we need to first take a closer look at the textual evidence in context. The Greek text of 1 Corinthians 15:55 is a good place to start; however, to complicate matters further, Paul's incorporation of Hosea 13:14 deviates (ever-so-slightly) from the Hebrew and favors the Greek version of the OT (LXX). And, since Paul weaves together two different OT texts in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 to make his point, it will be helpful to look at Isaiah 25:8 and examine the apostle's overall intent in his message to the Corinthians.

Defeating Death—One Resurrection at a Time...

In the context of chapter 15, Paul caps off his letter to the Corinthians with a lively discussion about the necessity of a bodily, or physical resurrection. The believers at Corinth had erroneously rejected the future resurrection of the body of Christ, because they had already received the gifts of the Spirit and believed they were reigning in the kingdom of God already (for an in-depth look at the eschatological error at Corinth, see my previous post: Kingdom Now).

To set the record straight, Paul gives a bullet-point rundown of the gospel (note: the bodily resurrection of Jesus mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:4) and reaffirms the necessity of the resurrection of the dead. The apostle goes on to explain that Christ's resurrection is only the "firstfruits"—a prelude to the bodily resurrection of all believers at a future point in time (1 Cor. 15:20-28).

And before we get to one of the key "Rapture" passages in the New Testament, Paul states that the resurrection of believers will occur in a progression, "...just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all [believers] will be made alive. But each in his own order..." (1 Cor. 15:22-23). In other words, some folks are gettin' raised first ahead of the rest; namely, a group of believers whom Paul refers to as "the people of Christ" [in the Greek, lit. "the ones of Christ"]. Notice also that "the people of Christ" are raised before "the end [of this present age]" (1 Cor. 15:24), before Christ reigns on the earth putting every opponent under His complete authority (1 Cor. 15:25), and before death, "the last enemy," is done away with forever (1 Cor. 15:26).

Moving along to 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, we have been primed to embrace the wonderful and blessed implications of the mystery of the Resurrection and Rapture of the Church. "The people of Christ" (i.e. His body) are the first of all redeemed humanity to fully defeat death and receive glorified bodies! Furthermore, when the dead in Christ are raised and the living are transformed at the final trumpet sound, the Church will have fulfilled the words of two separate OT prophets both named "Yah[weh] is salvation" (Isaiah + Hosea).

At the time when Christ comes for His people, the Church (cf. 1 Cor. 15:23):

...when this corruptible [body] is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal [body] is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54, HCSB).

The "mystery" of the Resurrection/Rapture of the Church in this context (cf. 1 Cor. 15:51) is not that there would be a resurrection of the dead in the future (cf. Jn. 11:24), or even that the Messiah would be raised (Paul already said as much in 1 Cor. 15:3-4)—on the contrary, the mystery that was once hidden but now revealed is about a people (predominantly Gentile in number) who will be raised and glorified first—before the nation of Israel.

To say it another way, the remnant (i.e. "survivors") in the Church alive at the Rapture will be instantly transformed from mortality to immortality and taken up in glory. The same cannot be said for the believing remnant who survive the entire Tribulation period—Scripture is clear that these people enter the Millennial kingdom with their old, corruptible nature. Surely then, this mystery of Christ and His body is great, and God's wisdom is needed to comprehend what has been plainly revealed (1 Cor. 1:21; Eph. 3:10; 5:32)!

Someone might object that Isaiah 25:8 can't be fulfilled at any other point in time if the Church fulfills this text at the Rapture. However, the Bible contains several instances of multiple, progressive fulfillments of a single prophecy (e.g. Jn. 19:37 + Rev. 1:7; Hos. 11:1 + Matt. 2:15); therefore, Isaiah 25:8 absolutely can and will be fulfilled again and again when God raises even more groups of people long after the Church has been glorified (e.g. during the Tribulation, the two witnesses are raised - Rev. 11:11-12; at the end of the Tribulation, the martyred saints are raised - Rev. 20:4; and, at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, all of the believing dead will be raised and the rest of the living transformed - Rev. 20:11-15).

Interestingly, Paul's incorporation of Isa. 25:8 aligns more with the Hebrew text against the Greek. In the Hebrew there is clear parallelism going on with the word balah ("to swallow up, eat, engulf") in verses 7 and 8 (see here). Also, in Isaiah 5:14 God judges Israel by allowing Sheol (a.k.a. Death) to swallow up His people, "...Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws..." However, once God's judgment concludes and His wrath is quenched, it is Sheol/Death who is swallowed up by the LORD (as the saying goes, "there's always a bigger fish"...that is, unless you're Almighty God)!

So then, Paul weaves in Isa. 25:8 to establish that the LORD will "swallow up" and defeat death for the people of Christ at the Rapture. Next, he adds a couple of lines from Hosea 13:14, although in this instance, the apostle seems to lean on the Greek text versus the Hebrew. Even so, there is more going on here than a copy/paste scenario—Paul is doing something really profound with this reference to Hosea:

O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting? (1 Cor. 15:55, HCSB).

It appears the tables have turned, and Paul is now dishing out a verbal put-down directed at Death itself. Thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ, at the time of the Rapture, the Church will escape "the jaws of defeat" forever and experience total and complete victory over the power of sin and death (cf. 1 Cor. 15:56-57). Paul's death-taunt in 1 Cor. 15:55 is like a football player silencing his opponent's home crowd after scoring the game-winning touchdown and rubbing it in with a choreographed dance routine in the end zone. After Jesus comes to raise up and glorify His people, Death will be a dog that is all bark and no bite, muzzled and deprived of the buried bones in his backyard! Hallelujah!

Based on what we have seen so far from the context of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul utilizes a shortened version of Hosea 13:14 to build his case that every single member of the body of Christ will be raised up and glorified, fully and completely conquering Death once and for all at the time of the Rapture.

Let's go now to the text of Hosea 13:14 and see what's going on there. In order to appreciate Hosea's context, we must travel over 700 years back from Paul's day to a prosperous nation that had drifted away from her covenant Lord. By God's grace and mercy, Israel had many prophets sent to her, but the dire warnings went unheeded before judgment came like a flood.


Hosea 13:14: Salvation or Judgment? Or Both?

Isaiah and Hosea were contemporaries, but they had separate assignments during a time when the nation of Israel was divided. While Isaiah confronted Judah in the south, Hosea was busy in the north dealing with Ephraim (the northern tribe representing the headship of Israel). Ironically, the prophet Hosea was given the same name as the last king of Israel prior to the Assyrian invasion and exile of 723-722 BC (in Hebrew, the spelling is "Hoshea"). Thus, Hosea's message would indeed mean last-minute "salvation" for some, but it largely meant overwhelming death and destruction for the rest of his fellow countrymen during King Hoshea's final days.

Before we get to chapter 13, it will help to get a birds-eye view of the book. If we are able to see the whole picture, then navigating our way through chapter and verse will become a whole lot easier. Plus, knowing where we are thematically will be the key to interpreting and translating 13:14 accurately.

For example, one way to look at Hosea is through the lens of alternating cycles of judgment and salvation:

Judgment                           Salvation

1:2-9                                    1:10-2:1

2:2-13                                  2:14-3:5

4:1-5:14                               5:15-6:3

6:4-11:7                               11:8-11

11:12-13:16                        14:1-9

*Chart adapted from Kenneth G. Hanna, From Moses to Malachi: Surveying the Old Testament, "Hosea," 320.

As you can see, there is symmetry and balance throughout the book between God's wrath and His mercy/compassion. Even with all of the inexcusable sins mentioned in the judgment sections of Hosea, we discover that the LORD will nevertheless remain faithful to the irrevocable covenant that He made with His people, Israel (cf. Rom. 11:29). In the end, the faithful husband (YHWH) will win back his wayward wife (Israel) once judgment has run its course.

To narrow things down even further, I have highlighted the section relevant to our comparison of 1 Corinthians 15 and Hosea 13. Notice that chapter 13, verse 14, falls under the last "judgment" section right before Israel's final restoration. Having this thematic overview in mind will be helpful as we seek to understand why the English versions are so divided when it comes to translating the text of Hosea 13:14.

Take a look for yourself at the various English translations of Hosea 13:14 (e.g. see Bible Hub). You'll soon discover they are split down the middle based on two interpretative approaches:

Approach #1: Go with the LXX (Septuagint/Greek version of the OT) and read 1 Corinthians 15:55 back into Hosea

Approach #2: Go with the Hebrew (Masoretic Text) and translate based on the immediate context of Hosea (i.e. the judgment section of 11:12-13:16)

I'll post examples from both the Greek and the Hebrew versions in order to compare and contrast the two. Next, once we have arrived at a reasonable estimation of the original text of Hosea 13:14, then we will be in a better position to figure out what Paul is doing with Hosea's message of judgment and discern why the Spirit led him to reference the Greek over the Hebrew.

On the Bible Hub compilation of Hosea 13:14 linked above, there is an English translation of the Septuagint (LXX/Greek version of the OT) that will give us the root behind Approach #1:

I will deliver them out of the power of Hades, and [I] will redeem them from death: where is thy penalty, O death? O Hades, where is thy sting? Comfort is hidden from mine eyes (Brenton Septuagint Translation)

Other English versions that follow the lead of the LXX include: the KJV, NIV, ESV, HSCB, et al.

Next up, here is an example of Approach #2 based on the Hebrew (Masoretic Text) and the surrounding context of Hosea chapter 13:

Should I ransom them from the grave? Should I redeem them from death? O death, bring on your terrors! O grave, bring on your plagues! For I will not take pity on them (NLT)

Other English versions that follow the lead of the Masoretic Text include: the NASB, NET, NRSV, CEV, et al.

Despite the differences between the two approaches, there is one major similarity that makes Approach #1 more problematic contextually: The last line is exactly the same in both the Greek and the Hebrew, the LORD says to Ephraim/Israel, "...Comfort [or, compassion] is hidden from my eyes."

Therefore, based on the context of Hosea 13, the positive spin of the Greek version appears to jump the gun. Rather than offering a promise to escape the judgments of Death and Hell, the LORD is actually beckoning Death and Hell to attack Ephraim/Israel. Moreover, despite centuries of long-suffering and patience, the time of God's mercy and restraint is over at this point.

Here is a clarifying explanation from Dr. Chisholm (my former Hebrew professor!) concerning the Hebrew text of Hosea 13:14:

Traditionally, verse 14a has been interpreted as an expression of hope and a promise of salvation. However, this view is contextually problematic. Though Hosea's prophecy is characterized by abrupt changes in tone, such a shift appears to be premature here (the shift in this section appears to come in 14:1) and would leave 13:14a awkwardly connected with what follows (cf. 13:14b, 'I will have no compassion'). The first two statements may be translated better as rhetorical questions implying a negative answer: 'Shall I redeem them from death?' (RSV). The next two questions (Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?) would then be appeals for death to unleash its 'plagues' and 'destruction' against Ephraim (cf. vv. 14b-16), not a triumphant cry of victory over death. Of course the Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, applied the language of this text in the latter sense (cf. 1 Cor. 15:55-56). However, in that context Paul was drawing on the language of Scripture as traditionally understood (cf. the LXX); he was not offering a textual and exegetical analysis of Hosea 13:14 (Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., "Hosea," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, vol. 1, 1405-1406).

For clarification: Some may be wondering why we can't just look at the Hebrew text and determine whether the first two lines have question marks or not. Well, that would make things easier for us; however, the original manuscripts of the Bible contain no punctuation marks whatsoever. We're totally dependent on the context to figure out whether we should understand God as saying declaratively "I will," or interrogatively, "Will I?"

Nevertheless, while Approach #2 provides a firm foundation and gets us closer to the original text of Hosea 13:14, we are still left wondering why the apostle Paul suddenly "flips the script" and turns a verse about certain judgment into a triumphant cry of victory over death. What exactly is Paul seeing in this passage that would cause him to rejoice rather than faint out of sheer terror at what is coming upon God's people? 

I mean, we don't have to go very far contextually to see the outcome of the LORD's invitation to Death and Hell to bring on their worst—just look at Hosea 13:15-16. These concluding verses of chapter 13 correspond to the "plagues" and "destruction" in verse 14 (cf. Hos. 7:13, and see the covenant curses of Lev. 26:25; Deut. 28:21; 32:24-25; and the seal judgments of Rev. 6).

A triumph over death in Hosea 13:14? Really? For whom exactly, because we know Ephraim/Israel (and Judah, for that matter - Hos. 5:5) will not escape the final judgment to come.

In order to solve this interpretative mystery, we must behold and believe yet another mystery—the mystery hidden for past ages but now revealed to the saints (cf. Rom. 16:25-26; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26-27). If we don't appreciate the mystery of Christ and His Body, the Church Age, the Dispensation of Grace, etc., then we will continue to stumble over many Old Testament fulfillments that are referenced in the New Testament.

Therefore, to truly comprehend what Paul is doing with Hosea 13:14 in 1 Corinthians 15:55, we have to understand the overarching narrative of the entire Bible. Paul and the rest of the apostles do not teach replacement theology (i.e. the Church replaces Israel as God's people). However, it's not a stretch at all to call the mystery of the Church something like "temporary displacement" theology.

The big clue in Hosea 13:14 that really unlocks the mystery is the last phrase, "Compassion is hidden from My eyes." In other words, God is going to withhold His mercy/compassion from Ephraim/Israel when the time of labor arrives (a.k.a. The Tribulation/Jacob's Trouble; cf. Hos. 13:13).

But, that's only half the story...


The Surprise Ending

Now where else in Scripture have we heard about the LORD rescuing and showing compassion to another nation besides Israel? Well, come to think of it, right in the middle of a swan song that details the horrific judgments that will befall God's covenant people, Moses writes...and/or sings:

Then [the LORD] said, 'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; For they are a perverse generation, sons in whom is no faithfulness. They have made Me jealous with what is not God; they have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation (Deut. 32:20-21, NASB).

And, isn't there a place in the New Testament where Paul cites Deuteronomy 32:21 and invites Hosea to join his conversation regarding God's purpose for Israel during this age of the Church?

Yes there is! Romans 9–11 is an oft misunderstood but absolutely essential discourse on the mystery of the Church in light of God's irrevocable covenant with Israel. Here are the relevant passages that shed light on our current study:

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us [the Church], whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, 'I will call those who were not My people, 'My people,' and her who was not beloved, 'Beloved.' And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' there they shall be called sons of the living God (Rom. 9:22-26, NASB, bracketed explanation mine).

Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, 'I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry (Rom. 10:19, RSV).

At this point, maybe you can see why we could legitimately call God's plan for the Church "temporary displacement" as opposed to the insidious and indefensible teaching of replacement theology. Israel replaced by the Church? No. Temporarily displaced? Yes.

To fully understand Paul's rationale for "flipping the script" in Hosea 13:14, we must have a firm grasp on the roles for both Israel and the Church in God's story. It is, after all, the greatest love story ever told! Or, better yet, it's the greatest love story ever lived out—by each and every one of us who are now called "God's people."

Note: Paul is not the only one to pick up what the Spirit has put down. Even Peter caught on to the hidden truth embedded in Hosea (see 1 Pet. 2:9-10; in the context, the apostle states that the Church is being built up into a spiritual temple with Jesus as the Rock and Cornerstone that the builders [Israel] rejected).

Finally, to summarize what we've covered in this study, I will conclude with a brief commentary on select passages from Hosea. Hopefully, these highlighted verses will uphold and clarify Paul's use of Hosea 13:14 in 1 Corinthians 15:55 as a hidden, yet Spirit-inspired reference to the resurrection and departure of the Church.

In surveying Hosea from beginning to end, take note of the recurring theme of the LORD's imminent departure from Israel as a means of judgment. This devastating departure comes in response to Israel's spiritual departure from the LORD and will also leave her vulnerable to the "wild beasts" that seek her ultimate destruction. Therefore, the historical departure of the LORD back in Hosea's day serves as a prophetic template that will be fulfilled again through the departure of the body of Christ at the time of Israel's final Labor (cf. Isa. 26:17-21; 66:7-9; Mic. 5:3; 2 Thess. 2:3, 6-7; Rev. 12:5).

1) Hosea 1:10; 2:23 - In these passages where God promises to eventually restore Israel in the end, the mystery of the Church can be found if we read between the lines. In other words, the implied assumption is that during the period of time when Israel is called "Not My People" and "No Compassion," there will be another nation who is shown compassion by the LORD and called His people (see above: Deut. 32:21; Rom. 9:23-26)

2) Hosea 5:6 - The LORD "withdraws" and hides from Israel

3) Hosea 5:15 - A very explicit reference to the LORD's departure followed by Israel's time of distress (cf. Deut. 4:30; Jer. 30:7; notice that God says, "I will return and depart to My place..."– see also "His place" in Isa. 26:19-21)

4) Hosea 9:11-12 - Ephraim's glory that "flies away" is parallel to "Woe to them, when I depart..."

5) Hosea 13:12-14 - The time of final Labor arrives, but Ephraim/Israel is not ready to be born. Death and Hell are given the green light to unleash their plagues and destruction against Israel (cf. Isa. 28:14-22; Dan. 9:27; Hos. 12:1; 1 Thess. 5:3; Rev. 6:7-8). However, there is one nation...under God...in Christ...who makes a down-to-the-wire, death-defying escape from this end-time judgment. And this undeserving bunch who were once "Not a People" and shown "No Compassion" will get taken up in glory via the Pre-Labor Resurrection and Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-55; cf. Isa. 66:7; Rev. 12:5).

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57; cf. Matt. 16:18)!

Amen!

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