Life Only In Christ

Life Only In ChristIllustration.Moses Smiting The Rock. "They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them." 1 Cor. 10:4.1. What is the wages of sin?“The wages of sin isdeath.”Rom. 6:23.2. Through whom only is there salvation from sin?“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”Acts 4:12.Note.—If men do not die, why should Christ die to save them from death? And what need of the resurrection and the second advent?3. Why did God send His only begotten Son to this world?“That whosoever believeth in Him should notperish, but haveeverlasting life.”John 3:16.4. What does Christ declare Himself to be?“I am the way, the truth, andthe life.”John 14:6.5. What does He say He gives to those who follow Him?“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: andI give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”John 10:27, 28.[pg 510]6. Upon what is the possession of this life conditioned?“Except yeeat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.”John 6:53.7. In whom is the life eternal?“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,and this life is in His Son.”1 John 5:11.8. Who only have this life?“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”Verse 12.“He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”John 5:24.9. What is Christ therefore fittingly called?“When Christ, who isour life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”Col. 3:4.There is a fountain filled with blood,Drawn from Immanuel's veins;And sinners plunged beneath that floodLose all their guilty stains.The dying thief rejoiced to seeThat fountain in his day;And there may I, though vile as he,Wash all my sins away.Thou dying Lamb! Thy precious bloodShall never lose its power,Till all the ransomed church of GodAre saved, to sin no more.E'er since by faith I saw the streamThy flowing wounds supply,Redeeming love has been my theme,And shall be till I die.Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,Unworthy though I be,For me a blood-bought, free reward—Eternal life for me.There in a nobler, sweeter song,I'll sing Thy power to save,When this poor lisping, stam'ring tongueIs ransomed from the grave.William Cowper.[pg 511]The Intermediate StateIllustration.The Burial Of Sarah. "If I wait, the grave is mine house." Job 17:13.1. By what figure does the Bible represent death?“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which areasleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”1 Thess. 4:13. See also 1 Cor. 15:18, 20; John 11:11-14.Note.—In sound sleep one is wholly lost to consciousness; time goes by unmeasured; and the mental functions which are active during consciousness are suspended for the time being.2. Where do the dead sleep?“And many of them thatsleep in the dust of the earthshall awake.”Dan. 12:2. See also Eccl. 3:20; 9:10.3. How long will they sleep there?“So man lieth down, and riseth not:till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”Job 14:12.4. For what did Job say he would wait after death?“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait,till my change come.”Verse 14.5. Where did he say he would wait?“If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.”Job 17:13.[pg 512]6. While in this condition, how much does one know about those he has left behind?“His sons come to honor, andhe knoweth it not; and they are brought low, buthe perceiveth it not of them.”Job 14:21.7. What becomes of man's thoughts at death?“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth;in that very day his thoughts perish.”Ps. 146:4.8. Do the dead knowanything?“For the living know that they shall die:but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”Eccl. 9:5.9. Do they take any part in earthly things?“Also theirlove, and theirhatred, and theirenvy, is nowperished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.”Verse 6.Note.—If one continued in consciousness after death, he would know of the promotion or dishonor of his sons. But Job says he does not know this. Not only so, but in death one loses all the attributes of mind,—love, hatred, envy, etc. Thus it is plain that his thoughts have perished, and that he can have nothing more to do with the things of this world. But if, as taught and held by some, man's powers of thought continue after death, helives; and if he lives, he must besomewhere. Where is he? Is he in heaven, or in hell? If he goes to either place at death, what then is the need of a future judgment, or of a resurrection, or of the second coming of Christ? If the judgment does not take place at death, but men go to their reward at death, then theirrewardsprecede theirawards, and there would arise the possibility that some have at death gone to the wrong place, and must needs be sent to the other, after having been in bliss or torment for ages, perhaps.10. What does the psalmist say about the dead praising God?“The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.”Ps. 115:17.11. How much does one know of God when dead?“For in deaththere is no remembrance of Thee.”Ps. 6:5.Note.—There is not even a remembrance of God. As already seen, the Bible everywhere represents the dead asasleep. If they were in heaven or in hell, would it be fitting to represent them thus? Was Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, in heaven when the Saviour said,“Our friend Lazarussleepeth”? John 11:11. If so, calling him to life was really robbing him of the bliss of heaven that rightly belonged to him. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, recorded in Luke 16, was given to teach, not consciousness in death, but that in the judgment riches will avail nothing unless rightly and beneficently used, and that poverty will not keep one out of heaven.[pg 513]12. But are not the righteous dead in heaven?“ForDavid is not ascended into the heavens.”Acts 2:34.13. What must take place before the dead can praise God?“Thy dead men shall live, together with My dead body shall they arise.Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”Isa. 26:19.14. When did David say he would be satisfied?“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,when I awake, with Thy likeness.”Ps. 17:15.15. Were there to be no resurrection of the dead, what would be the condition of those fallen asleep in Christ?“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”1 Cor. 15:16-18.16. When is the resurrection of the righteous to take place?“Forthe Lord Himself shall descend from heavenwith a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”1 Thess. 4:16.Notes.—If, as stated in Eccl. 9:5, the dead know not anything, then they have no knowledge of the lapse of time.“Six thousand years in the grave to a dead man is no more than a wink of the eye to the living.”To them, consciousness, our only means of measuring time, is gone; and it will seem to them when they awake that absolutely no time has elapsed. And herein lies a most comforting thought in the Bible doctrine of the sleep of the dead, that in death there is no consciousness of the passing of time. To those who sleep in Jesus, their sleep, whether long or short, whether one year, one thousand years, or six thousand years, will be but as if the moment of sad parting were followed instantly by the glad reunion in the presence of Jesus at His glorious appearing and the resurrection of the just.It ought also to be a comforting thought to those whose lives have been filled with anxiety and grief for deceased loved ones who persisted in sin, to know that they are not now suffering in torments, but, with all the rest of the dead, are quietly sleeping in their graves. Job 3:17.Again, it would mar the felicity of one's enjoyment in heaven could he look upon earth and see his friends and relatives suffering from persecution, want, cold, or hunger, or sorrowing for the dead. God's way is best,—that all sentient life, animation, activity, thought, and consciousness should cease at death, and that all should wait till the resurrection for their future life and eternal reward. See Heb. 11:39, 40.Sleep on, beloved! sleep, and take thy rest;Lay down thy head upon thy Saviour's breast.We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best—Good night.[pg 514]The Two ResurrectionsIllustration.Christ's Second Coming. Descent Of The Holy City.1. What comes to all men as the result of the fall?“In Adamall die.”1 Cor. 15:22. See also Rom. 5:12.2. Where do all go at death?“All go untoone place; all are ofthe dust, andall turn to dust again.”Eccl. 3:20.3. In what condition is man while in the grave?“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; forthere is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”Eccl. 9:10.Note.—That is, man, when dead, has no use of the powers of mind or body. He cannot, therefore, while in the grave, praise God, or even think of Him (Ps. 6:5); for in the day he dies his thoughts perish. Ps. 146:2-4. See preceding reading.4. What has been promised in order that man may be redeemed from this condition?“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.”Hosea 13:14.5. Through whom will come this redemption from the grave?“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection[pg 515]of the dead. For as in Adam all die,even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”1 Cor. 15:21, 22.6. What would have been the result to the dead had not Christ procured their release from the grave?“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Thenthey also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”Verses 16-18.7. Why did God give His only begotten Son to the world?“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”John 3:16.8. What did the Sadducees in Christ's time deny?“Then came to Him certain of the Sadducees,which deny that there is any resurrection.”Luke 20:27.9. How did Christ, from the Old Testament Scriptures, prove the resurrection?“Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him.”Verses 37, 38.Note.—That is, in view of the resurrection—of the fact that there is to be a resurrection—all live unto God. In His purpose, all are alive. It is in this sense that Paul speaks of God as the one“who quickeneth the dead, andcalleth those things which be not as though they were.”Rom. 4:17.10. Under what illustration from nature are the resurrection and the final salvation of the righteous taught?“That which thou sowestis not quickened, except it die.”1 Cor. 15:36.“Verily, verily, I say unto you,Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”John 12:24.Notes.—The seed dies to spring forth into new life. In this we are taught the lesson of the resurrection. All who love God will spring forth to life, and live again through endless ages in the earth made new.The Open Grave.—The truth of the resurrection has been forcibly illustrated by the following incident: In the city of Hanover, Germany, is a grave known as“The open grave.”It is that of a woman, an infidel German princess, who died over one hundred years ago, and who, on her death-bed, gave orders that her grave should be covered with a great marble slab, weighing perhaps a ton, surmounting solid blocks of stone firmly bound together with clasps of iron, with this inscription placed on the lowermost stone of the tomb:“This grave purchased for eternity, must never be opened.”But no human device can thwart the plans of[pg 517]God, or hinder the workings of life from Him. It happened, providentially no doubt, that a birch-tree seed was buried with the princess. Soon it began to sprout. Its tiny shoot, soft and pliable at first, found its way up through the ponderous stones of the massive masonry. Slowly and imperceptibly, but with irresistible power, it grew, until at last it burst the bands of iron asunder, and opened this never-to-be-opened grave, leaving not a single stone in its original position. See illustration on page498. What a rebuke to infidelity! and what a mute but striking promise that, erelong, in God's own time, all graves shall be opened, and the sleeping ones awake from their dusty beds!Illustration.The Raising Of Lazarus. "I am the Resurrection, and the Life." John 11:25.11. Where are the dead when they hear the voice of Christ calling them to life?“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that arein the gravesshall hear His voice, and shall come forth.”John 5:28, 29.12. How many distinct classes will have a resurrection?“There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of thejustandunjust.”Acts 24:15.13. By what terms did Christ refer to the two resurrections?“All that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, untothe resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, untothe resurrection of damnation.”John 5:28, 29.14. When will the resurrection of the just occur?“Forthe Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”1 Thess. 4:16. See also 1 Cor. 15:23.15. When are the righteous to be recompensed?“For thou shalt be recompensedat the resurrection of the just.”Luke 14:14.16. In what condition did David expect to rise?“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,when I awake, with Thy likeness.”Ps. 17:15.17. What great contrast will be seen between the present body and the one to be put on in the resurrection?“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown incorruption; it is raised inincorruption: it is sown indishonor; it is raised inglory: it is sown inweakness; it is raised inpower: it is sown anatural body; it is raised aspiritual body.”1 Cor. 15:42-44.[pg 518]18. After whose body will these resurrected ones be fashioned?“We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashionedlike unto His glorious body.”Phil. 3:20, 21.19. What will the righteous do upon rising from the grave?“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”Isa. 26:19.20. In what words will their triumph over death and the grave be expressed?“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”1 Cor. 15:55.21. How long will they live?“Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”Luke 20:36.22. How long do the other class wait after the first resurrection before they are raised?“And they [the righteous] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”Rev. 20:4, 5.23. What is to be their fate?“And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”Verse 9.24. Who are to share this fate?“But thefearful, andunbelieving, and theabominable, andmurderers, andwhoremongers, andsorcerers, andidolaters, andall liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”Rev. 21:8.25. What is the last enemy to be destroyed?“The last enemy that shall be destroyed isdeath.”1 Cor. 15:26. See Rev. 20:13, 14.26. How will the righteous ever afterward appear?“Then shall the righteousshine forth as the sunin the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”Matt. 13:43.[pg 519]Fate Of The TransgressorIllustration.The Giving Of The Law. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.1. What question does Peter ask regarding the wicked?“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us,what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”1 Peter 4:17.2. What does the Bible say is the wages of sin?“For the wages of sin isdeath.”Rom. 6:23.“The soul that sinneth, it shalldie.”Eze. 18:4.Die:“To pass from physical life; to suffer a total and irreparable loss of action of the vital functions; to become dead; to expire; perish.”—Webster.3. What will be the character of this death?“Who shall be punished witheverlasting destructionfrom the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.”2 Thess. 1:9.Destroy:“To unbuild; to break up the structure and organic existence of; to demolish; to spoil utterly; to bring to naught; to put an end to; to annihilate.”—Webster.4. How complete will be the destruction of the wicked?“Fear Him which is able todestroy both soul and body in hell.”Matt. 10:28.5. What does Christ say will befall those who do not repent?“Except ye repent,ye shall all likewise perish.”Luke 13:3.Perish:“To be destroyed; to pass away; to become nothing; to be lost; to waste away; to die.”—Webster.[pg 520]6. How does the apostle Peter say they shall perish?“But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; andshall utterly perish in their own corruption.”2 Peter 2:12.7. To what are the wicked in their punishment compared?“But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall beas the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.”Ps. 37:20.Consume:“To destroy; as by decomposition, dissipation, waste, or fire.”—Webster.8. How does John the Baptist describe the destruction of the wicked?“He that cometh after me is mightier than I, ... whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; butHe will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”Matt. 3:11, 12.9. For whom does Christ say the fire which will finally destroy the wicked was originally prepared?“Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,prepared for the devil and his angels.”Matt. 25:41.Note.—This fire is called“everlasting”because of the character of theworkit does; just as it is called“unquenchable”because it cannot beputout, and not because it will notgoout when it has done its work.10. What will be the result of this punishment?“As the whirlwind passeth,so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.”Prov. 10:25.11. Will any part of the wicked be left?“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, andallthat do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shallburn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, thatit shall leave them neither root nor branch.”Mal. 4:1.12. What will then be their condition?“For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, andthey shall be as though they had not been.”Obadiah 16.13. Where will theplaceof the wicked then be?“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea,[pg 521]thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”Ps. 37:10.Note.—It would be difficult to keep the wicked in eternal torment without any place for them, even, in which to exist.14. Where are both the righteous and the wicked to be recompensed?“Behold, the righteous shall be recompensedin the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.”Prov. 11:31.15. Do the wicked go directly to their punishment at death, or wait till the day of judgment?“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, andto reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”2 Peter 2:9.16. To what are the present heavens and earth reserved?“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store,reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”2 Peter 3:7.Note.—Both the present heavens and earth and sinners await the fires of the last day.17. What will be the result of the fires of the last day?“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, whereinthe heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.”“The earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”Verses 12, 10.18. By what means does Christ say His kingdom is to be cleansed from sin and sinners?“The Son of man shall send forth His angels, andthey shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.”Matt. 13:41, 42.Note.—Satan and the wicked now have this world as their“place.”In due time Christ will have it. He will cleanse it from sin and sinners, and restore it, that He may give it to the saints of the Most High for an everlasting possession. See Dan. 7:18, 22, 27.19. When are the wicked dead to be raised to receive their final punishment?“But the rest of the dead lived not againuntil the thousand years were finished.”Rev. 20:5.20. Whence will come the fire that will destroy them?“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed[pg 522]the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”Verse 9.Note.—This is called God's“strange act”and His“strange work,”—the work of destruction. Isa. 28:21. But by this means God will once and forever cleanse the universe of sin and all its sad results. Death itself will then be at an end—cast into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:14.21. To what will this fire reduce the wicked?“And ye shall tread down the wicked; forthey shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.”Mal. 4:3.Note.—The wicked are to be utterly destroyed—consumed away into smoke, brought to ashes. Having inseparably allied themselves with sin, they have forfeited the right to life and an immortal existence, and chosen the way of death and destruction. By their choice they have proved themselves worthless. For this reason they are compared to chaff, briers, thorns, etc. Their destruction will consequently be no real loss. They will themselves have lost their opportunity to obtain eternal life; but by the way in which they used their probationary time they proved themselves unworthy of it. Their destruction will, in fact, be an act of love and mercy on the part of God; for to perpetuate their lives would only be to perpetuate sin, sorrow, suffering, and misery. Terrible, therefore, as this judgment will be, there will, in consequence of it, be nothing of value lost,—nothing lost worth saving. The experiment of sin will be over, and God's original plan of peopling the earth with a race of holy, happy beings will be carried out. 2 Peter 3:13.22. What is this final destruction of the wicked called?“This isthe second death.”Rev. 20:14.23. After the burning day, what will appear?“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look fornew heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”2 Peter 3:13.24. Where will the righteous then be found?“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sunin the kingdom of their Father.”Matt. 13:43.25. What promise of the Saviour will then be fulfilled?“Blessed are the meek: forthey shall inherit the earth.”Matt. 5:5. See also Ps. 37:11, 29; Isa. 65:17-25; Dan. 7:18.26. What universal song of praise will then be sung?“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.”Rev. 5:13.[pg 523]

Illustration.Moses Smiting The Rock. "They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them." 1 Cor. 10:4.

Moses Smiting The Rock. "They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them." 1 Cor. 10:4.

1. What is the wages of sin?

“The wages of sin isdeath.”Rom. 6:23.

2. Through whom only is there salvation from sin?

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”Acts 4:12.

Note.—If men do not die, why should Christ die to save them from death? And what need of the resurrection and the second advent?

3. Why did God send His only begotten Son to this world?

“That whosoever believeth in Him should notperish, but haveeverlasting life.”John 3:16.

4. What does Christ declare Himself to be?

“I am the way, the truth, andthe life.”John 14:6.

5. What does He say He gives to those who follow Him?

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: andI give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”John 10:27, 28.

6. Upon what is the possession of this life conditioned?

“Except yeeat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.”John 6:53.

7. In whom is the life eternal?

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,and this life is in His Son.”1 John 5:11.

8. Who only have this life?

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”Verse 12.“He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”John 5:24.

9. What is Christ therefore fittingly called?

“When Christ, who isour life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”Col. 3:4.

There is a fountain filled with blood,Drawn from Immanuel's veins;And sinners plunged beneath that floodLose all their guilty stains.The dying thief rejoiced to seeThat fountain in his day;And there may I, though vile as he,Wash all my sins away.Thou dying Lamb! Thy precious bloodShall never lose its power,Till all the ransomed church of GodAre saved, to sin no more.E'er since by faith I saw the streamThy flowing wounds supply,Redeeming love has been my theme,And shall be till I die.Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,Unworthy though I be,For me a blood-bought, free reward—Eternal life for me.There in a nobler, sweeter song,I'll sing Thy power to save,When this poor lisping, stam'ring tongueIs ransomed from the grave.William Cowper.

There is a fountain filled with blood,Drawn from Immanuel's veins;And sinners plunged beneath that floodLose all their guilty stains.

There is a fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to seeThat fountain in his day;And there may I, though vile as he,Wash all my sins away.

The dying thief rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day;

And there may I, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

Thou dying Lamb! Thy precious bloodShall never lose its power,Till all the ransomed church of GodAre saved, to sin no more.

Thou dying Lamb! Thy precious blood

Shall never lose its power,

Till all the ransomed church of God

Are saved, to sin no more.

E'er since by faith I saw the streamThy flowing wounds supply,Redeeming love has been my theme,And shall be till I die.

E'er since by faith I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,Unworthy though I be,For me a blood-bought, free reward—Eternal life for me.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,

Unworthy though I be,

For me a blood-bought, free reward—

Eternal life for me.

There in a nobler, sweeter song,I'll sing Thy power to save,When this poor lisping, stam'ring tongueIs ransomed from the grave.

There in a nobler, sweeter song,

I'll sing Thy power to save,

When this poor lisping, stam'ring tongue

Is ransomed from the grave.

William Cowper.

The Intermediate StateIllustration.The Burial Of Sarah. "If I wait, the grave is mine house." Job 17:13.1. By what figure does the Bible represent death?“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which areasleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”1 Thess. 4:13. See also 1 Cor. 15:18, 20; John 11:11-14.Note.—In sound sleep one is wholly lost to consciousness; time goes by unmeasured; and the mental functions which are active during consciousness are suspended for the time being.2. Where do the dead sleep?“And many of them thatsleep in the dust of the earthshall awake.”Dan. 12:2. See also Eccl. 3:20; 9:10.3. How long will they sleep there?“So man lieth down, and riseth not:till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”Job 14:12.4. For what did Job say he would wait after death?“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait,till my change come.”Verse 14.5. Where did he say he would wait?“If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.”Job 17:13.[pg 512]6. While in this condition, how much does one know about those he has left behind?“His sons come to honor, andhe knoweth it not; and they are brought low, buthe perceiveth it not of them.”Job 14:21.7. What becomes of man's thoughts at death?“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth;in that very day his thoughts perish.”Ps. 146:4.8. Do the dead knowanything?“For the living know that they shall die:but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”Eccl. 9:5.9. Do they take any part in earthly things?“Also theirlove, and theirhatred, and theirenvy, is nowperished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.”Verse 6.Note.—If one continued in consciousness after death, he would know of the promotion or dishonor of his sons. But Job says he does not know this. Not only so, but in death one loses all the attributes of mind,—love, hatred, envy, etc. Thus it is plain that his thoughts have perished, and that he can have nothing more to do with the things of this world. But if, as taught and held by some, man's powers of thought continue after death, helives; and if he lives, he must besomewhere. Where is he? Is he in heaven, or in hell? If he goes to either place at death, what then is the need of a future judgment, or of a resurrection, or of the second coming of Christ? If the judgment does not take place at death, but men go to their reward at death, then theirrewardsprecede theirawards, and there would arise the possibility that some have at death gone to the wrong place, and must needs be sent to the other, after having been in bliss or torment for ages, perhaps.10. What does the psalmist say about the dead praising God?“The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.”Ps. 115:17.11. How much does one know of God when dead?“For in deaththere is no remembrance of Thee.”Ps. 6:5.Note.—There is not even a remembrance of God. As already seen, the Bible everywhere represents the dead asasleep. If they were in heaven or in hell, would it be fitting to represent them thus? Was Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, in heaven when the Saviour said,“Our friend Lazarussleepeth”? John 11:11. If so, calling him to life was really robbing him of the bliss of heaven that rightly belonged to him. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, recorded in Luke 16, was given to teach, not consciousness in death, but that in the judgment riches will avail nothing unless rightly and beneficently used, and that poverty will not keep one out of heaven.[pg 513]12. But are not the righteous dead in heaven?“ForDavid is not ascended into the heavens.”Acts 2:34.13. What must take place before the dead can praise God?“Thy dead men shall live, together with My dead body shall they arise.Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”Isa. 26:19.14. When did David say he would be satisfied?“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,when I awake, with Thy likeness.”Ps. 17:15.15. Were there to be no resurrection of the dead, what would be the condition of those fallen asleep in Christ?“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”1 Cor. 15:16-18.16. When is the resurrection of the righteous to take place?“Forthe Lord Himself shall descend from heavenwith a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”1 Thess. 4:16.Notes.—If, as stated in Eccl. 9:5, the dead know not anything, then they have no knowledge of the lapse of time.“Six thousand years in the grave to a dead man is no more than a wink of the eye to the living.”To them, consciousness, our only means of measuring time, is gone; and it will seem to them when they awake that absolutely no time has elapsed. And herein lies a most comforting thought in the Bible doctrine of the sleep of the dead, that in death there is no consciousness of the passing of time. To those who sleep in Jesus, their sleep, whether long or short, whether one year, one thousand years, or six thousand years, will be but as if the moment of sad parting were followed instantly by the glad reunion in the presence of Jesus at His glorious appearing and the resurrection of the just.It ought also to be a comforting thought to those whose lives have been filled with anxiety and grief for deceased loved ones who persisted in sin, to know that they are not now suffering in torments, but, with all the rest of the dead, are quietly sleeping in their graves. Job 3:17.Again, it would mar the felicity of one's enjoyment in heaven could he look upon earth and see his friends and relatives suffering from persecution, want, cold, or hunger, or sorrowing for the dead. God's way is best,—that all sentient life, animation, activity, thought, and consciousness should cease at death, and that all should wait till the resurrection for their future life and eternal reward. See Heb. 11:39, 40.Sleep on, beloved! sleep, and take thy rest;Lay down thy head upon thy Saviour's breast.We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best—Good night.

Illustration.The Burial Of Sarah. "If I wait, the grave is mine house." Job 17:13.

The Burial Of Sarah. "If I wait, the grave is mine house." Job 17:13.

1. By what figure does the Bible represent death?

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which areasleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”1 Thess. 4:13. See also 1 Cor. 15:18, 20; John 11:11-14.

Note.—In sound sleep one is wholly lost to consciousness; time goes by unmeasured; and the mental functions which are active during consciousness are suspended for the time being.

2. Where do the dead sleep?

“And many of them thatsleep in the dust of the earthshall awake.”Dan. 12:2. See also Eccl. 3:20; 9:10.

3. How long will they sleep there?

“So man lieth down, and riseth not:till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”Job 14:12.

4. For what did Job say he would wait after death?

“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait,till my change come.”Verse 14.

5. Where did he say he would wait?

“If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.”Job 17:13.

6. While in this condition, how much does one know about those he has left behind?

“His sons come to honor, andhe knoweth it not; and they are brought low, buthe perceiveth it not of them.”Job 14:21.

7. What becomes of man's thoughts at death?

“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth;in that very day his thoughts perish.”Ps. 146:4.

8. Do the dead knowanything?

“For the living know that they shall die:but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”Eccl. 9:5.

9. Do they take any part in earthly things?

“Also theirlove, and theirhatred, and theirenvy, is nowperished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.”Verse 6.

Note.—If one continued in consciousness after death, he would know of the promotion or dishonor of his sons. But Job says he does not know this. Not only so, but in death one loses all the attributes of mind,—love, hatred, envy, etc. Thus it is plain that his thoughts have perished, and that he can have nothing more to do with the things of this world. But if, as taught and held by some, man's powers of thought continue after death, helives; and if he lives, he must besomewhere. Where is he? Is he in heaven, or in hell? If he goes to either place at death, what then is the need of a future judgment, or of a resurrection, or of the second coming of Christ? If the judgment does not take place at death, but men go to their reward at death, then theirrewardsprecede theirawards, and there would arise the possibility that some have at death gone to the wrong place, and must needs be sent to the other, after having been in bliss or torment for ages, perhaps.

10. What does the psalmist say about the dead praising God?

“The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.”Ps. 115:17.

11. How much does one know of God when dead?

“For in deaththere is no remembrance of Thee.”Ps. 6:5.

Note.—There is not even a remembrance of God. As already seen, the Bible everywhere represents the dead asasleep. If they were in heaven or in hell, would it be fitting to represent them thus? Was Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, in heaven when the Saviour said,“Our friend Lazarussleepeth”? John 11:11. If so, calling him to life was really robbing him of the bliss of heaven that rightly belonged to him. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, recorded in Luke 16, was given to teach, not consciousness in death, but that in the judgment riches will avail nothing unless rightly and beneficently used, and that poverty will not keep one out of heaven.

12. But are not the righteous dead in heaven?

“ForDavid is not ascended into the heavens.”Acts 2:34.

13. What must take place before the dead can praise God?

“Thy dead men shall live, together with My dead body shall they arise.Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”Isa. 26:19.

14. When did David say he would be satisfied?

“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,when I awake, with Thy likeness.”Ps. 17:15.

15. Were there to be no resurrection of the dead, what would be the condition of those fallen asleep in Christ?

“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”1 Cor. 15:16-18.

16. When is the resurrection of the righteous to take place?

“Forthe Lord Himself shall descend from heavenwith a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”1 Thess. 4:16.

Notes.—If, as stated in Eccl. 9:5, the dead know not anything, then they have no knowledge of the lapse of time.“Six thousand years in the grave to a dead man is no more than a wink of the eye to the living.”To them, consciousness, our only means of measuring time, is gone; and it will seem to them when they awake that absolutely no time has elapsed. And herein lies a most comforting thought in the Bible doctrine of the sleep of the dead, that in death there is no consciousness of the passing of time. To those who sleep in Jesus, their sleep, whether long or short, whether one year, one thousand years, or six thousand years, will be but as if the moment of sad parting were followed instantly by the glad reunion in the presence of Jesus at His glorious appearing and the resurrection of the just.It ought also to be a comforting thought to those whose lives have been filled with anxiety and grief for deceased loved ones who persisted in sin, to know that they are not now suffering in torments, but, with all the rest of the dead, are quietly sleeping in their graves. Job 3:17.Again, it would mar the felicity of one's enjoyment in heaven could he look upon earth and see his friends and relatives suffering from persecution, want, cold, or hunger, or sorrowing for the dead. God's way is best,—that all sentient life, animation, activity, thought, and consciousness should cease at death, and that all should wait till the resurrection for their future life and eternal reward. See Heb. 11:39, 40.

It ought also to be a comforting thought to those whose lives have been filled with anxiety and grief for deceased loved ones who persisted in sin, to know that they are not now suffering in torments, but, with all the rest of the dead, are quietly sleeping in their graves. Job 3:17.

Again, it would mar the felicity of one's enjoyment in heaven could he look upon earth and see his friends and relatives suffering from persecution, want, cold, or hunger, or sorrowing for the dead. God's way is best,—that all sentient life, animation, activity, thought, and consciousness should cease at death, and that all should wait till the resurrection for their future life and eternal reward. See Heb. 11:39, 40.

Sleep on, beloved! sleep, and take thy rest;Lay down thy head upon thy Saviour's breast.We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best—Good night.

Sleep on, beloved! sleep, and take thy rest;

Lay down thy head upon thy Saviour's breast.

We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best—

Good night.

The Two ResurrectionsIllustration.Christ's Second Coming. Descent Of The Holy City.1. What comes to all men as the result of the fall?“In Adamall die.”1 Cor. 15:22. See also Rom. 5:12.2. Where do all go at death?“All go untoone place; all are ofthe dust, andall turn to dust again.”Eccl. 3:20.3. In what condition is man while in the grave?“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; forthere is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”Eccl. 9:10.Note.—That is, man, when dead, has no use of the powers of mind or body. He cannot, therefore, while in the grave, praise God, or even think of Him (Ps. 6:5); for in the day he dies his thoughts perish. Ps. 146:2-4. See preceding reading.4. What has been promised in order that man may be redeemed from this condition?“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.”Hosea 13:14.5. Through whom will come this redemption from the grave?“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection[pg 515]of the dead. For as in Adam all die,even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”1 Cor. 15:21, 22.6. What would have been the result to the dead had not Christ procured their release from the grave?“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Thenthey also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”Verses 16-18.7. Why did God give His only begotten Son to the world?“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”John 3:16.8. What did the Sadducees in Christ's time deny?“Then came to Him certain of the Sadducees,which deny that there is any resurrection.”Luke 20:27.9. How did Christ, from the Old Testament Scriptures, prove the resurrection?“Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him.”Verses 37, 38.Note.—That is, in view of the resurrection—of the fact that there is to be a resurrection—all live unto God. In His purpose, all are alive. It is in this sense that Paul speaks of God as the one“who quickeneth the dead, andcalleth those things which be not as though they were.”Rom. 4:17.10. Under what illustration from nature are the resurrection and the final salvation of the righteous taught?“That which thou sowestis not quickened, except it die.”1 Cor. 15:36.“Verily, verily, I say unto you,Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”John 12:24.Notes.—The seed dies to spring forth into new life. In this we are taught the lesson of the resurrection. All who love God will spring forth to life, and live again through endless ages in the earth made new.The Open Grave.—The truth of the resurrection has been forcibly illustrated by the following incident: In the city of Hanover, Germany, is a grave known as“The open grave.”It is that of a woman, an infidel German princess, who died over one hundred years ago, and who, on her death-bed, gave orders that her grave should be covered with a great marble slab, weighing perhaps a ton, surmounting solid blocks of stone firmly bound together with clasps of iron, with this inscription placed on the lowermost stone of the tomb:“This grave purchased for eternity, must never be opened.”But no human device can thwart the plans of[pg 517]God, or hinder the workings of life from Him. It happened, providentially no doubt, that a birch-tree seed was buried with the princess. Soon it began to sprout. Its tiny shoot, soft and pliable at first, found its way up through the ponderous stones of the massive masonry. Slowly and imperceptibly, but with irresistible power, it grew, until at last it burst the bands of iron asunder, and opened this never-to-be-opened grave, leaving not a single stone in its original position. See illustration on page498. What a rebuke to infidelity! and what a mute but striking promise that, erelong, in God's own time, all graves shall be opened, and the sleeping ones awake from their dusty beds!Illustration.The Raising Of Lazarus. "I am the Resurrection, and the Life." John 11:25.11. Where are the dead when they hear the voice of Christ calling them to life?“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that arein the gravesshall hear His voice, and shall come forth.”John 5:28, 29.12. How many distinct classes will have a resurrection?“There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of thejustandunjust.”Acts 24:15.13. By what terms did Christ refer to the two resurrections?“All that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, untothe resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, untothe resurrection of damnation.”John 5:28, 29.14. When will the resurrection of the just occur?“Forthe Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”1 Thess. 4:16. See also 1 Cor. 15:23.15. When are the righteous to be recompensed?“For thou shalt be recompensedat the resurrection of the just.”Luke 14:14.16. In what condition did David expect to rise?“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,when I awake, with Thy likeness.”Ps. 17:15.17. What great contrast will be seen between the present body and the one to be put on in the resurrection?“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown incorruption; it is raised inincorruption: it is sown indishonor; it is raised inglory: it is sown inweakness; it is raised inpower: it is sown anatural body; it is raised aspiritual body.”1 Cor. 15:42-44.[pg 518]18. After whose body will these resurrected ones be fashioned?“We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashionedlike unto His glorious body.”Phil. 3:20, 21.19. What will the righteous do upon rising from the grave?“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”Isa. 26:19.20. In what words will their triumph over death and the grave be expressed?“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”1 Cor. 15:55.21. How long will they live?“Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”Luke 20:36.22. How long do the other class wait after the first resurrection before they are raised?“And they [the righteous] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”Rev. 20:4, 5.23. What is to be their fate?“And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”Verse 9.24. Who are to share this fate?“But thefearful, andunbelieving, and theabominable, andmurderers, andwhoremongers, andsorcerers, andidolaters, andall liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”Rev. 21:8.25. What is the last enemy to be destroyed?“The last enemy that shall be destroyed isdeath.”1 Cor. 15:26. See Rev. 20:13, 14.26. How will the righteous ever afterward appear?“Then shall the righteousshine forth as the sunin the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”Matt. 13:43.

Illustration.Christ's Second Coming. Descent Of The Holy City.

Christ's Second Coming. Descent Of The Holy City.

1. What comes to all men as the result of the fall?

“In Adamall die.”1 Cor. 15:22. See also Rom. 5:12.

2. Where do all go at death?

“All go untoone place; all are ofthe dust, andall turn to dust again.”Eccl. 3:20.

3. In what condition is man while in the grave?

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; forthere is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”Eccl. 9:10.

Note.—That is, man, when dead, has no use of the powers of mind or body. He cannot, therefore, while in the grave, praise God, or even think of Him (Ps. 6:5); for in the day he dies his thoughts perish. Ps. 146:2-4. See preceding reading.

4. What has been promised in order that man may be redeemed from this condition?

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.”Hosea 13:14.

5. Through whom will come this redemption from the grave?

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection[pg 515]of the dead. For as in Adam all die,even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”1 Cor. 15:21, 22.

6. What would have been the result to the dead had not Christ procured their release from the grave?

“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Thenthey also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”Verses 16-18.

7. Why did God give His only begotten Son to the world?

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”John 3:16.

8. What did the Sadducees in Christ's time deny?

“Then came to Him certain of the Sadducees,which deny that there is any resurrection.”Luke 20:27.

9. How did Christ, from the Old Testament Scriptures, prove the resurrection?

“Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him.”Verses 37, 38.

Note.—That is, in view of the resurrection—of the fact that there is to be a resurrection—all live unto God. In His purpose, all are alive. It is in this sense that Paul speaks of God as the one“who quickeneth the dead, andcalleth those things which be not as though they were.”Rom. 4:17.

10. Under what illustration from nature are the resurrection and the final salvation of the righteous taught?

“That which thou sowestis not quickened, except it die.”1 Cor. 15:36.“Verily, verily, I say unto you,Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”John 12:24.

Notes.—The seed dies to spring forth into new life. In this we are taught the lesson of the resurrection. All who love God will spring forth to life, and live again through endless ages in the earth made new.The Open Grave.—The truth of the resurrection has been forcibly illustrated by the following incident: In the city of Hanover, Germany, is a grave known as“The open grave.”It is that of a woman, an infidel German princess, who died over one hundred years ago, and who, on her death-bed, gave orders that her grave should be covered with a great marble slab, weighing perhaps a ton, surmounting solid blocks of stone firmly bound together with clasps of iron, with this inscription placed on the lowermost stone of the tomb:“This grave purchased for eternity, must never be opened.”But no human device can thwart the plans of[pg 517]God, or hinder the workings of life from Him. It happened, providentially no doubt, that a birch-tree seed was buried with the princess. Soon it began to sprout. Its tiny shoot, soft and pliable at first, found its way up through the ponderous stones of the massive masonry. Slowly and imperceptibly, but with irresistible power, it grew, until at last it burst the bands of iron asunder, and opened this never-to-be-opened grave, leaving not a single stone in its original position. See illustration on page498. What a rebuke to infidelity! and what a mute but striking promise that, erelong, in God's own time, all graves shall be opened, and the sleeping ones awake from their dusty beds!

The Open Grave.—The truth of the resurrection has been forcibly illustrated by the following incident: In the city of Hanover, Germany, is a grave known as“The open grave.”It is that of a woman, an infidel German princess, who died over one hundred years ago, and who, on her death-bed, gave orders that her grave should be covered with a great marble slab, weighing perhaps a ton, surmounting solid blocks of stone firmly bound together with clasps of iron, with this inscription placed on the lowermost stone of the tomb:“This grave purchased for eternity, must never be opened.”But no human device can thwart the plans of[pg 517]God, or hinder the workings of life from Him. It happened, providentially no doubt, that a birch-tree seed was buried with the princess. Soon it began to sprout. Its tiny shoot, soft and pliable at first, found its way up through the ponderous stones of the massive masonry. Slowly and imperceptibly, but with irresistible power, it grew, until at last it burst the bands of iron asunder, and opened this never-to-be-opened grave, leaving not a single stone in its original position. See illustration on page498. What a rebuke to infidelity! and what a mute but striking promise that, erelong, in God's own time, all graves shall be opened, and the sleeping ones awake from their dusty beds!

Illustration.The Raising Of Lazarus. "I am the Resurrection, and the Life." John 11:25.

The Raising Of Lazarus. "I am the Resurrection, and the Life." John 11:25.

11. Where are the dead when they hear the voice of Christ calling them to life?

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that arein the gravesshall hear His voice, and shall come forth.”John 5:28, 29.

12. How many distinct classes will have a resurrection?

“There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of thejustandunjust.”Acts 24:15.

13. By what terms did Christ refer to the two resurrections?

“All that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, untothe resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, untothe resurrection of damnation.”John 5:28, 29.

14. When will the resurrection of the just occur?

“Forthe Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”1 Thess. 4:16. See also 1 Cor. 15:23.

15. When are the righteous to be recompensed?

“For thou shalt be recompensedat the resurrection of the just.”Luke 14:14.

16. In what condition did David expect to rise?

“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,when I awake, with Thy likeness.”Ps. 17:15.

17. What great contrast will be seen between the present body and the one to be put on in the resurrection?

“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown incorruption; it is raised inincorruption: it is sown indishonor; it is raised inglory: it is sown inweakness; it is raised inpower: it is sown anatural body; it is raised aspiritual body.”1 Cor. 15:42-44.

18. After whose body will these resurrected ones be fashioned?

“We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashionedlike unto His glorious body.”Phil. 3:20, 21.

19. What will the righteous do upon rising from the grave?

“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”Isa. 26:19.

20. In what words will their triumph over death and the grave be expressed?

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”1 Cor. 15:55.

21. How long will they live?

“Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”Luke 20:36.

22. How long do the other class wait after the first resurrection before they are raised?

“And they [the righteous] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”Rev. 20:4, 5.

23. What is to be their fate?

“And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”Verse 9.

24. Who are to share this fate?

“But thefearful, andunbelieving, and theabominable, andmurderers, andwhoremongers, andsorcerers, andidolaters, andall liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”Rev. 21:8.

25. What is the last enemy to be destroyed?

“The last enemy that shall be destroyed isdeath.”1 Cor. 15:26. See Rev. 20:13, 14.

26. How will the righteous ever afterward appear?

“Then shall the righteousshine forth as the sunin the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”Matt. 13:43.

Fate Of The TransgressorIllustration.The Giving Of The Law. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.1. What question does Peter ask regarding the wicked?“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us,what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”1 Peter 4:17.2. What does the Bible say is the wages of sin?“For the wages of sin isdeath.”Rom. 6:23.“The soul that sinneth, it shalldie.”Eze. 18:4.Die:“To pass from physical life; to suffer a total and irreparable loss of action of the vital functions; to become dead; to expire; perish.”—Webster.3. What will be the character of this death?“Who shall be punished witheverlasting destructionfrom the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.”2 Thess. 1:9.Destroy:“To unbuild; to break up the structure and organic existence of; to demolish; to spoil utterly; to bring to naught; to put an end to; to annihilate.”—Webster.4. How complete will be the destruction of the wicked?“Fear Him which is able todestroy both soul and body in hell.”Matt. 10:28.5. What does Christ say will befall those who do not repent?“Except ye repent,ye shall all likewise perish.”Luke 13:3.Perish:“To be destroyed; to pass away; to become nothing; to be lost; to waste away; to die.”—Webster.[pg 520]6. How does the apostle Peter say they shall perish?“But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; andshall utterly perish in their own corruption.”2 Peter 2:12.7. To what are the wicked in their punishment compared?“But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall beas the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.”Ps. 37:20.Consume:“To destroy; as by decomposition, dissipation, waste, or fire.”—Webster.8. How does John the Baptist describe the destruction of the wicked?“He that cometh after me is mightier than I, ... whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; butHe will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”Matt. 3:11, 12.9. For whom does Christ say the fire which will finally destroy the wicked was originally prepared?“Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,prepared for the devil and his angels.”Matt. 25:41.Note.—This fire is called“everlasting”because of the character of theworkit does; just as it is called“unquenchable”because it cannot beputout, and not because it will notgoout when it has done its work.10. What will be the result of this punishment?“As the whirlwind passeth,so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.”Prov. 10:25.11. Will any part of the wicked be left?“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, andallthat do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shallburn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, thatit shall leave them neither root nor branch.”Mal. 4:1.12. What will then be their condition?“For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, andthey shall be as though they had not been.”Obadiah 16.13. Where will theplaceof the wicked then be?“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea,[pg 521]thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”Ps. 37:10.Note.—It would be difficult to keep the wicked in eternal torment without any place for them, even, in which to exist.14. Where are both the righteous and the wicked to be recompensed?“Behold, the righteous shall be recompensedin the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.”Prov. 11:31.15. Do the wicked go directly to their punishment at death, or wait till the day of judgment?“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, andto reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”2 Peter 2:9.16. To what are the present heavens and earth reserved?“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store,reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”2 Peter 3:7.Note.—Both the present heavens and earth and sinners await the fires of the last day.17. What will be the result of the fires of the last day?“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, whereinthe heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.”“The earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”Verses 12, 10.18. By what means does Christ say His kingdom is to be cleansed from sin and sinners?“The Son of man shall send forth His angels, andthey shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.”Matt. 13:41, 42.Note.—Satan and the wicked now have this world as their“place.”In due time Christ will have it. He will cleanse it from sin and sinners, and restore it, that He may give it to the saints of the Most High for an everlasting possession. See Dan. 7:18, 22, 27.19. When are the wicked dead to be raised to receive their final punishment?“But the rest of the dead lived not againuntil the thousand years were finished.”Rev. 20:5.20. Whence will come the fire that will destroy them?“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed[pg 522]the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”Verse 9.Note.—This is called God's“strange act”and His“strange work,”—the work of destruction. Isa. 28:21. But by this means God will once and forever cleanse the universe of sin and all its sad results. Death itself will then be at an end—cast into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:14.21. To what will this fire reduce the wicked?“And ye shall tread down the wicked; forthey shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.”Mal. 4:3.Note.—The wicked are to be utterly destroyed—consumed away into smoke, brought to ashes. Having inseparably allied themselves with sin, they have forfeited the right to life and an immortal existence, and chosen the way of death and destruction. By their choice they have proved themselves worthless. For this reason they are compared to chaff, briers, thorns, etc. Their destruction will consequently be no real loss. They will themselves have lost their opportunity to obtain eternal life; but by the way in which they used their probationary time they proved themselves unworthy of it. Their destruction will, in fact, be an act of love and mercy on the part of God; for to perpetuate their lives would only be to perpetuate sin, sorrow, suffering, and misery. Terrible, therefore, as this judgment will be, there will, in consequence of it, be nothing of value lost,—nothing lost worth saving. The experiment of sin will be over, and God's original plan of peopling the earth with a race of holy, happy beings will be carried out. 2 Peter 3:13.22. What is this final destruction of the wicked called?“This isthe second death.”Rev. 20:14.23. After the burning day, what will appear?“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look fornew heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”2 Peter 3:13.24. Where will the righteous then be found?“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sunin the kingdom of their Father.”Matt. 13:43.25. What promise of the Saviour will then be fulfilled?“Blessed are the meek: forthey shall inherit the earth.”Matt. 5:5. See also Ps. 37:11, 29; Isa. 65:17-25; Dan. 7:18.26. What universal song of praise will then be sung?“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.”Rev. 5:13.

Illustration.The Giving Of The Law. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.

The Giving Of The Law. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.

1. What question does Peter ask regarding the wicked?

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us,what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”1 Peter 4:17.

2. What does the Bible say is the wages of sin?

“For the wages of sin isdeath.”Rom. 6:23.“The soul that sinneth, it shalldie.”Eze. 18:4.

Die:“To pass from physical life; to suffer a total and irreparable loss of action of the vital functions; to become dead; to expire; perish.”—Webster.

3. What will be the character of this death?

“Who shall be punished witheverlasting destructionfrom the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.”2 Thess. 1:9.

Destroy:“To unbuild; to break up the structure and organic existence of; to demolish; to spoil utterly; to bring to naught; to put an end to; to annihilate.”—Webster.

4. How complete will be the destruction of the wicked?

“Fear Him which is able todestroy both soul and body in hell.”Matt. 10:28.

5. What does Christ say will befall those who do not repent?

“Except ye repent,ye shall all likewise perish.”Luke 13:3.

Perish:“To be destroyed; to pass away; to become nothing; to be lost; to waste away; to die.”—Webster.

6. How does the apostle Peter say they shall perish?

“But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; andshall utterly perish in their own corruption.”2 Peter 2:12.

7. To what are the wicked in their punishment compared?

“But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall beas the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.”Ps. 37:20.

Consume:“To destroy; as by decomposition, dissipation, waste, or fire.”—Webster.

8. How does John the Baptist describe the destruction of the wicked?

“He that cometh after me is mightier than I, ... whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; butHe will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”Matt. 3:11, 12.

9. For whom does Christ say the fire which will finally destroy the wicked was originally prepared?

“Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,prepared for the devil and his angels.”Matt. 25:41.

Note.—This fire is called“everlasting”because of the character of theworkit does; just as it is called“unquenchable”because it cannot beputout, and not because it will notgoout when it has done its work.

10. What will be the result of this punishment?

“As the whirlwind passeth,so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.”Prov. 10:25.

11. Will any part of the wicked be left?

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, andallthat do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shallburn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, thatit shall leave them neither root nor branch.”Mal. 4:1.

12. What will then be their condition?

“For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, andthey shall be as though they had not been.”Obadiah 16.

13. Where will theplaceof the wicked then be?

“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea,[pg 521]thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”Ps. 37:10.

Note.—It would be difficult to keep the wicked in eternal torment without any place for them, even, in which to exist.

14. Where are both the righteous and the wicked to be recompensed?

“Behold, the righteous shall be recompensedin the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.”Prov. 11:31.

15. Do the wicked go directly to their punishment at death, or wait till the day of judgment?

“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, andto reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”2 Peter 2:9.

16. To what are the present heavens and earth reserved?

“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store,reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”2 Peter 3:7.

Note.—Both the present heavens and earth and sinners await the fires of the last day.

17. What will be the result of the fires of the last day?

“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, whereinthe heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.”“The earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”Verses 12, 10.

18. By what means does Christ say His kingdom is to be cleansed from sin and sinners?

“The Son of man shall send forth His angels, andthey shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.”Matt. 13:41, 42.

Note.—Satan and the wicked now have this world as their“place.”In due time Christ will have it. He will cleanse it from sin and sinners, and restore it, that He may give it to the saints of the Most High for an everlasting possession. See Dan. 7:18, 22, 27.

19. When are the wicked dead to be raised to receive their final punishment?

“But the rest of the dead lived not againuntil the thousand years were finished.”Rev. 20:5.

20. Whence will come the fire that will destroy them?

“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed[pg 522]the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”Verse 9.

Note.—This is called God's“strange act”and His“strange work,”—the work of destruction. Isa. 28:21. But by this means God will once and forever cleanse the universe of sin and all its sad results. Death itself will then be at an end—cast into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:14.

21. To what will this fire reduce the wicked?

“And ye shall tread down the wicked; forthey shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.”Mal. 4:3.

Note.—The wicked are to be utterly destroyed—consumed away into smoke, brought to ashes. Having inseparably allied themselves with sin, they have forfeited the right to life and an immortal existence, and chosen the way of death and destruction. By their choice they have proved themselves worthless. For this reason they are compared to chaff, briers, thorns, etc. Their destruction will consequently be no real loss. They will themselves have lost their opportunity to obtain eternal life; but by the way in which they used their probationary time they proved themselves unworthy of it. Their destruction will, in fact, be an act of love and mercy on the part of God; for to perpetuate their lives would only be to perpetuate sin, sorrow, suffering, and misery. Terrible, therefore, as this judgment will be, there will, in consequence of it, be nothing of value lost,—nothing lost worth saving. The experiment of sin will be over, and God's original plan of peopling the earth with a race of holy, happy beings will be carried out. 2 Peter 3:13.

22. What is this final destruction of the wicked called?

“This isthe second death.”Rev. 20:14.

23. After the burning day, what will appear?

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look fornew heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”2 Peter 3:13.

24. Where will the righteous then be found?

“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sunin the kingdom of their Father.”Matt. 13:43.

25. What promise of the Saviour will then be fulfilled?

“Blessed are the meek: forthey shall inherit the earth.”Matt. 5:5. See also Ps. 37:11, 29; Isa. 65:17-25; Dan. 7:18.

26. What universal song of praise will then be sung?

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.”Rev. 5:13.

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