Why Do We Deny Truth?

 There will be the UNJUST, there will be the WICKED, there will be those who endure the SECOND DEATH. These are all Biblical truths. Not all is rosy and uplifting. When Christ ministered upon the earth, He called out the wicked! He didn't hide their wickedness from them. 

Mat 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 

Jesus spoke truth, so why do we deny truth? I want to belong to the LORD, I long to be with my SAVIOR, I want to see HIM return! I want to rise to meet my LORD in the air and be with HIM for ever more! I don't want to be among the wicked, among the hypocrites, among those who are seemingly Christ's to all outward appearance but inwardly evil, God forbid! I do know the wicked exist! I do know evil exists! 

Jesus called out the wicked for their wickedness and He wanted them to turn from their wicked ways! May this be our desire, to turn from all wickedness and to desire all the wicked to turn from their wicked ways and seek Jesus Christ the LORD, their Savior!

We can't deny wickedness exists. We can't sugarcoat wickedness because to do so is to embrace deception and that is deadly, eternally deadly.

God help us! Keep us from evil, Father! PLEASE! We are such weak, sinful creatures! Please, save us from ourselves! Clean our hearts LORD, PLEASE.

All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR now and forever!!!!!!!

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Resurrection of the Just and Unjust

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(EXCERPT)

The unjust will be resurrected, some object to this truth. The article we've been studying is vindicating the truth of the resurrection of the unjust- scripturally, logically. Pray for enlightenment through our Savior, by the Holy Spirit.

A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Unjust

By J.H. Waggoner 

CONTINUING STUDY….

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

'I have seen a change of translation of Dan. 12:2, which is far more plausible than that produced by the opposers of the resurrection of the wicked. It is the substitution of the word multitude for many. "The multitude of them sleeping in the dust of the earth shall awake." I do not assert positively that it is correct, though the word there used is sometimes rendered multitude, in the Old Testament. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming

1 Cor. 15:22, is another passage which, in my mind, clearly teaches the resurrection of the unjust: "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." They are made alive in, or by, Christ; not, as some say, "all in Christ" are  made alive, but in Christ shall all be made alive. If this be not so, I cannot imagine what verse 23 can mean: "But every man in his own order." For if the righteous only are made alive there is but one order. And here I am obliged to say I must dissent in some respects from the expositions of this text that are

generally given by those who affirm the resurrection of the wicked. 

It is usually admitted that there are three orders in the text: 1. Christ; 2. His at his coming; 3. The rest of the dead, or the wicked. This is evidently an error, and also gives the whole ground, on that verse to the opposition; for, in allowing that Christ is one order, verse 23 becomes explainable without any reference to the wicked, there being two orders without them. But it will be noticed that the resurrection of Christ is made the basis of the argument for the resurrection of man, and it is in, or by, Christ that "all shall be made alive." When it says, "Every man in his own order," it refers to every man of them who are made alive in Christ, and to no others. And to make Christ one order in this list we must make his resurrection the basis of his resurrection; that is to say, Christ is included in the number who are made alive in Christ! but this is absurd. Some authors, whose research and learning entitle their opinion to consideration, apply the word translated end (telos) to the rest, or last part of the resurrected ones. On this, expositors are not agreed. Whether this be so or not, makes but little difference so far as this argument is concerned. The resurrection of the wicked is found in this passage in these expressions, "All be made alive," and, "Every man in his own order." To make sense of this it must be allowed that there is more than one order. And it is no detriment to this view that the argument in the latter part of the chapter is concerning them that are Christ's exclusively; as it is no uncommon thing to first state a great truth and then take up an argument upon a certain branch of that truth. And that this is a correct view of this text is proved by those scriptures which state in positive terms that there is more than one order of the resurrection, to wit, one of the just, and one of the unjust; one of them that have done good, and one of them that have done evil; one to everlasting life, the other to shame and condemnation.

To be continued…

Forgive.

 We are told this by our Savior-

Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment

Even anger brings on reason for judgment, just as killing. We are guilty on so many levels, and Satan will use all sorts of things to get us to sin in our hearts. Satan doesn't care if we put on an outward show of sinlessness, as long as our hearts hold sin. And as long as our hearts hold sin, we are far from sinlessness even if we tell ourselves we are just because we don't commit the acts we might happen to think on. Our thoughts, our secrets, will be brought into judgment. We are all worthy of death even by our thoughts, we are all sinners, unable to cast that first stone. We must seek forgiveness and we must forgive all the time!

Rom_2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

1Co 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Cherished Fables May Cost Us Eternal Life.

 More than ever we need the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to all truth. We cannot be satisfied with flippant answers to serious subjects. We cannot ignore truth in favor of liking what we read. The truth isn't ours to toy with. So many aren't willing to dig deep into the Word, preferring to be spoon fed the food others have harvested. The trouble is preferring to be fed by others, means we don't really know if it is the food God would have us ingest. I'm not saying it's wrong to read what others have been led to write, but we have to study for ourselves what is true, not just believe it because we are used to being fed. We can't trust any human spiritual food source without praying and studying for ourselves. If we can take the spiritual food to the word of God and pray for enlightenment through the Holy Spirit, and study it out so that it a makes sense as it is given- then we can feast on the truth before us. To eat without prayer, without studying, endangers us in ways that put our eternal lives in peril. If we get so used to simply swallowing the word given to us by others that we don't do for ourselves -we may swallow lies, and a whole bunch of them. 

God please help us to KNOW YOU for ourselves, search for You, pray to You, study under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the way You would have us do! We know some are teachers which means those teachers have students and students aren't teachers.  The students have to know that their teachers are teachers of truth, and not teachers of deception, and they must do this by prayer and trying the spirits…

1Jn_4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

This is our job! We must not just believe a teacher who speaks the things we like to hear, but try those teachers lessons by the Word of God and know whether those lessons are TRUTH. 

We are responsible, and Jesus will not want to hear that we were duped, not when we have a choice to choose truth over lies by searching for only truth. Our trying to blame another for leading us astray will not work. Many are going to tell Jesus that they were doing all sorts of wonderful things in His name, but Jesus is going to tell them He doesn't know them!  How scary is that?! That should get us digging deep into God's word for ourselves, praying for truth and only truth! If we have cherished fables to give up, may God give us the strength to do so. Those cherish fables are NOT WORTH our eternal life!  God help us ALL!

All in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Now and forever! AMEN!!!!!!!

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Resurrection of the Just and Unjust

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(EXCERPT)

The unjust will be resurrected, some object to this truth. The article we've been studying is vindicating the truth of the resurrection of the unjust- scripturally, logically. Pray for enlightenment through our Savior, by the Holy Spirit.

A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Unjust

By J.H. Waggoner 

CONTINUING STUDY….

Another objection, supposed to be insurmountable, is urged as follows; In announcing his hope, Paul said he believed all things which are written in the law and the prophets; but the prophets never said the wicked should be raised; therefore this was no part of his belief. A specious argument, truly, to avoid the force of a positive declaration! I have two objections to urge against this assertion:

(1) Those who claim as above are not always safe guides in regard to what the prophets teach. Probably not one of them would ever have known that Abraham had the resurrection taught to him, had not Paul affirmed it. Heb. 11:17-19. Perhaps this reference is the first of the idea to some of them. Nor would they have known that Jehovah's words to Moses prove a resurrection of the dead, had not Jesus so explained them. Luke 20:37, 88. Which of them, by reading Isa. 7:10-16, would ever have thought of applying this prophecy to the birth of Christ, had not Matthew so applied it. Matt. 1:23. And so I might quote a score of texts, for the application of which we are entirely dependent on the comments of New-Testament speakers and writers. In the light of these facts, it seems nothing short of arrogance to rise up against the plain statement of the apostle with a counter statement, in a matter wherein, from the very nature of the case, their testimony is not admissible against him. 

But (2) I affirm that the prophets do teach the resurrection of the wicked. Every text which has been, or might be, quoted to prove a future judgment of the wicked, is proof of their resurrection. Such texts are not scarce. But there is one at least which plainly and positively teaches the resurrection of the unjust. I refer to Dan. 12:2. I am not ignorant of the efforts made to destroy the force of this plain declaration. I should be very much surprised that men of learning have given such a criticism as to destroy the meaning of this text, were I not aware of the fact that learning is no safeguard against error. Prof. Bush was the first to start on this side-track, and quite consistently ended the course by entirely denying the literal resurrection of the dead. For here is where consistency requires us to go if we deny the resurrection of the wicked; for if such plain, positive statements as are found in John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15, and others, can be spiritualized away, then every text supposed to teach the resurrection of the dead may be likewise easily set aside.

That two classes are brought to view in Dan. 12:2, will not be denied. It is also admitted that there are two elliptical clauses in the text. Granting that the words rendered "some" should be rendered "these" and "those" (of which, however, I am not satisfied), the text will only be read correctly when the ellipses are properly supplied. They who deny the resurrection of the wicked read it thus: "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, these the awakened to everlasting life, and those the unawakened to shame and everlasting contempt." The italic words in this reading point out where the ellipses are to be supplied. But the reading is altogether defective. In supplying an ellipsis, no new member should be introduced in the sentence; that only should be supplied, the omission of which

prevents tautology. In the reading quoted above, the ellipsis is supplied in neither case; but a comment or note of explanation inserted instead. This is not admissible. It will be seen that the sentences are precisely alike in construction, thus: "These---to everlasting life; and those---to shame and everlasting contempt." "These" and "those" refer to the individuals comprising the "many" that "awake;" and these individuals are not classified or separated into parties before these sentences are introduced, but are spoken of collectively. Hence, both sentences refer back to "shall awake," as their predicate, [understood.] Each sentence must have at least two elements, the subject, or nominative, and the predicate, or verb. "These the awakened to everlasting life," is not a complete sentence; "those the unawakened to shame," is open to the same objection. "Shall awake" is the only predicate relating to "life" and to "shame," respectively, as shown by the preposition. The omission of this in each case prevents  tautology; and its insertion does not introduce any new member in the sentence. Therefore this is the proper rendering of the text: "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; these shall awake to everlasting life; and those shall awake to shame and everlasting contempt." And I contend that no other words can be inserted without perverting the text. Submitting this criticism to an accomplished teacher, he remarked that the only difficulty that the case presented was to prove a thing which was so evidently true. And this passage affords the most positive evidence of a resurrection of two classes, having entirely different destinies beyond the resurrection. If Paul believed all that was "written in the prophets," he must have believed in the resurrection of the unjust. And this was his confession of faith. Eld. Storrs, noticing the translation of "these" and "those," by Bush and Whiting, says: "Such being the facts, no argument in favor of the wicked dead being made alive again can be strengthened by using this text; for when translated according to Whiting and Bush, it is against the wicked's living from the dead." Life from the Dead, p. 39.

I have used the translation of Whiting and Bush, and I confidently appeal to the reader if it alters the sense of the passage so as, by any fair grammatical construction, to contradict the rising or awaking of the wicked. Bush, in his comment, says those refers to the unawakened; but a comment and a translation are quite different things. I have allowed the translation, though I do not think it beyond dispute. The same words-ailleh and weailleh-are translated "some" in other texts, and apparently correctly, as in Josh. 8:22, "some," "and some." And in truth they are the same word, the "we" being a prefix generally answering to the conjunction "and;" and it assuredly does answer to that word in the text in question. And so the LXX have rendered it in different places. Take, for instance, Ps. 20:7. "Some [Heb. ailleh-Gr. outoi] trust in chariots, and some [Heb. weailleh-Gr. kai outoi] in horses." And so in Dan. 12:2, both in Hebrew and Greek. Granting that "these" is generally a better rendering of ailleh and outoi than "some," there yet appears no necessity for a change of the word by the presence of the conjunction. 

In any possible view, I cannot see that the inference drawn from this passage by those who deny the resurrection of the unjust has any foundation whatever. I think the remark of Eld. Storrs is very unguarded, to say the least, and calculated to give the impression that a correct translation of the text makes it oppose the rising of the wicked, which is not the case.

To be continued….

Vengeance.

 Love and Vengeance. 

Some want to say the two can't go hand in hand because Jesus told us even when we are wronged by someone to turn the other cheek, we are to forgive others over and over not taking any vengeance. Why? 

Rom_12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Psa 94:1  O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. 

Nah 1:2  God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. 

Nah 1:3  The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 

Heb 10:30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Vengeance belongs to God. You may question why to God and not to us who are experiencing the wrong right then and there? Us, whose hearts are breaking from the agonies caused by others against us in so many ways, don't we have the right to exact vengeance? No, the answer is absolutely, no. 

Why? Because we are sinners. We have done wrong to others maybe not in gross, blatant displays of horror, but even by a thought we may have had- we sin. Our hands are bloody. We are guilty. We can in no way raise up in vengeance against others with our bloody guilt ridden hands except to add more guilt, more blood to them. 

God is pure, just, love. God is all that is good without fault. God alone can exact vengeance because He alone is guiltless and can judge the guilt of man perfectly. 

We must throw ourselves at the feet of our Savior begging mercy, pleading for unwarranted forgiveness, exposing our sinful selves fully and asking to be cleansed by the blood of His the greatest of sacrifices! We cry mercy! Mercy! Because we know our guilt covers us in its filth, its putrid stench that threatens to crush our spirit fully were it not for the hope we cry out for… MERCY! Please, Lord, have mercy on us wretches, so completely undeserving of Your smallest of thoughts. MERCY!

Vengeance belongs to the LORD, not us. As we suffer abuse in all its many forms - from the tiniest abuse to the most terrifying, we must cling to the truth that the pure hands of our Savior will avenge us one day, and on the heels of that thought we must pray… pray and forgive our enemies, hoping they too will come to know the forgiveness of our blessed, loving, all gracious, all worthy LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

Amen!

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Resurrection of the Just and Unjust

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(EXCERPT)

The unjust will be resurrected, some object to this truth. The article we've been studying is vindicating the truth of the resurrection of the unjust- scripturally, logically. Pray for enlightenment through our Savior, by the Holy Spirit.

A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Unjust

By J.H. Waggoner 

CONTINUING STUDY….

'I next appeal to the words of Paul, in Acts 24:15: "And have hope toward God which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." 

On this text it may be well first to say, that the translation is as correct as may be; a better rendering, probably, could not be given. Some versions reject the words, "of the dead;" there is some doubt of their genuineness; but Greenfield, following Griesbach, says there is not sufficient evidence to justify their removal from the text. This is not material, as no doubt has ever been raised as to the subject of the remark; all admit, so far as I know, that the subject is the resurrection of the dead.

This text is an exceedingly difficult one for the opposers of the resurrection of the wicked. Eld. Storrs says, "This text would have great weight on the question if there were no opposing considerations." Whether the "opposing considerations" are sufficient to counteract the weight of the text, let the reader judge. 

In favor of the doctrine taught by the text, I have nothing to say. Words cannot add to the force of the passage, as it is so plain that it does not admit of explanation. In this respect it is just such a text as I always love to resort to as a proof text: it needs no labor to make it prove what it is quoted to prove. But a great deal of labor has been spent to destroy its testimony in favor of the resurrection of the unjust. It is claimed that, as Paul is herein laying down the object of his hope, he cannot mean to say that the unjust will be raised, as that cannot be an object of hope.

It is quite gratuitous to speculate on what Paul meant to say, while we have in plain terms what he did say! Greenfield gives the definition expect, as well as hope, to the original; but that  rendering is not necessary; I accept it as it stands.

The hope of the resurrection of the dead is a legitimate hope, and it necessarily includes two parties. The hope of the coming of Christ is a legitimate hope, because it is based on positive revelation; yet the reward of the righteous is no more certain to rest upon that coming than it is certain that the terrible destiny of the wicked is suspended on his coming. The hope of his coming necessarily embraces all the concomitants of his coming, and all these are alike subjects of prophetic promise. 

In regard to the word hope, there is no more incongruity in Paul's words in Acts 24:15, than in Peter's words in 2 Pet. 3:7-9, where he bases the expectation of the melting of the earth and perdition of ungodly men on the promise of God. Let our opponents on Paul's words note this text; it will be difficult for them to apply their rule of exposition to Peter's prophecy. But if they feel compelled to free the words of revelation from such appearance of incongruity, let them try their hand on Psalm 136:10, 15: "To Him that smote Egypt in their first-born; for his mercy endureth forever." "But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; for his mercy endureth forever:" They might do by this as they do by Acts 24:15: deny that it means so, because there was no mercy in the transaction. But there was mercy to somebody involved, if not to Pharaoh and his host; and so of Acts 24; somebody's hope rests on these facts. But whether it be denied or distorted, there it stands, a decisive declaration of the resurrection of the unjust.

A very weak point is made by the advocates of that theory, of which I am reminded by their comments on Paul's hope. Thus it is said, "If the love of God can raise the wicked to punish them, then only may they be raised; for God is love." Very good for Universalists, but defective in point of fact. Suppose we say, If the love of God will destroy the wicked, then may they be destroyed, but not otherwise. And this is apposite; for Jesus, who raises the dead, likewise takes vengeance. 2 Thess. 1:7, 8; Rev. 6:16, I7. 

2Th 1:7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 

2Th 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 

Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? 

If judgment destinies were to be decided by love alone, the revelation which God has made to us would be far different from what it now is. Justice is the ruling attribute in that transaction, for the offer of mercy to the incorrigible is entirely withdrawn before the judgment is executed; and he who loses sight of this fact is poorly qualified to reason on the nature and events of that day.

To be continued…

Witness to Our Pain.

 Should you die before Christ returns will you need to be resurrected? Do you mistakenly believe you are resurrected the moment after you stop breathing never to breathe again? 

Being resurrected- Jesus was resurrected. Jesus' body disappeared from the tomb. If I open your grave the day after you're buried would you still be in that grave? Yes. You were not resurrected. But we know there will be a day of resurrection.

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 

Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 

The HOUR is coming … ALL that are in the graves…

This plainly teaches that there will be a time when ALL that are in the graves will be resurrected. ALL who have died will be resurrected! You aren't resurrected upon dying, yet ask most people and they'll immediately reassure you that your loved ones are in heaven right now, as if they'd already been resurrected! It's not true! 

Our benevolent God has designed this part of our lives so perfectly as the God of LOVE He is! God would NOT want our loved ones in heaven instantly upon dying, to remain there for thousands and thousands of years while others are born and die, born and die, born and die and they get to watch from their heavenly perch ALL the evil forced upon their loved ones. Tell me SERIOUSLY, could your loved ones be happy watching you in and out every day with every single thing you have ever done since their death? They watch every time you are sick, every time you face heart break, every time you tell a lie, every time you do anything at all whatsoever- that is embarrassing, or heart wrenching to them. They get to watch you die, and this is something you believe is a good thing, a loving thing? When you stop and truly examine the word of God, more than at a cursory glance, you realize a loving God would NOT allow such horrors to be witnessed since the first death till now by those who are His in heaven. God designed death to be an end of all cognitive thinking, and calls it a sleep. Why, because when we sleep we know nothing but the next time we wake up. In this case, after we wake up from death's sleep we WILL wake up and rise to meet our LORD in the air, if we are His! We will be resurrected!  Such perfection. We have the reassurance our loved ones are sleeping peacefully, truly sleeping without any worries! We aren't disappointing them in any way, we aren't worrying them in any way, because they aren't watching us now. They won't see us die, they won't see any suffering at all that we must go through. They won't watch us make mistakes, they won't see any of it. You protest that you want them to witness the joys, but ask yourself this… does your idea of heaven contain heartaches or only joy? To imagine that our loved ones witness our lives here on earth is to comprehend they see it all, every moment, you can't have them just witnessing our happy times and not the bad if they are a witness to all the things in our lives. 

I'm extremely grateful to know my loved ones are sleeping death's sleep peacefully, extremely grateful. It fills my heart with joy to know they are in a peaceful sleep knowing nothing. There will be a time for a reunion when our Savior calls us to meet Him in the air to forever more be with Him, and that reunion with Him and our loved ones will be amazing! Our dead loved ones will not know they missed our lives, they will only know they have us with them now and forever with Christ Jesus, and there will be NO pain, NO heartache, NO tears, NO death.. Just joy in celebrating all. Just think of the generations of family members meeting for the first time all in the love of GOD! 

All through the love of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST now and forever! AMEN!!!!!!!

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Act 24:15  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. 

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(EXCERPT)

The unjust will be resurrected, though some object to this truth. The article we've been studying is vindicating the truth of the resurrection of the unjust- scripturally, logically. 

A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Unjust

By J.H. Waggoner 

CONTINUING STUDY….

In examining the Scriptures, I will arrange the texts under certain propositions,

to give a better view of my objections to the non-resurrection theory; giving,

however, as my first serious objection, that--

IV. It contradicts the plain teaching of the Bible in regard to the resurrection of 

the unjust.

First, I appeal to the words of the Saviour in John 5:28, 29. "The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation." In the verse preceding, he said the Father had "given him authority to execute judgment," and we have already seen when the judgment will be executed,-in that great day of wrath unto which the unjust are now "reserved," and unto which they are eventually to be "brought forth." Every attempt to avoid the force of this plain, positive testimony of the Son of God, so far as I have seen, is only an evasion. It is contended that the prophets declare they shall not rise, and of course the Saviour does not contradict them, so he cannot mean what we claim on his language. Suppose we turn it in this manner. 

The prophets testified of Christ, who came into the world to bear witness to the truth; and of course they could not contradict his testimony; and therefore, inasmuch as he says the unjust shall come forth from the graves to a resurrection, any construction of their language which would make them contradict him is inadmissible. And two important considerations sustain me in this position. 

1. It is a just principle of criticism that the words of the prophets are to be explained by the declarations of the New Testament, for, in many respects, the New Testament is a commentary on the Old

2. There is not so clear evidence in the prophets against the resurrection of the unjust as there is in the New Testament in its favor. The strength of evidence lies on this side of the question. The truth of this statement will be seen, I trust, when we carefully examine the texts. 

In the Saviour's words in John 5:28, 29, we notice:

1. There can be no reasonable dispute in regard to the nature of the resurrection in this passage, as it is introduced by his authority to execute judgment. 

2. Before he divides them into two classes he speaks of them collectively as being in one place, thus, "all that are in the graves." 

3. He affirms of them all alike that they "shall come forth." 

4. The words immediately following explain that this coming forth is the resurrection; that is, they shall come forth from the graves. The same expression the Saviour used when he raised Lazarus from the dead. Chap. 11:43. 

5. Having fixed the fact that they shall all, come forth from the graves, he next divides them that come forth into two classes. 

6. He says that they that have done good [shall come forth] unto the resurrection of life. That this is a literal, actual resurrection, cannot, with any show of reason, be denied; for if the coming forth from the graves to the resurrection of life, is not the literal resurrection of the just, what can it mean? or what language can describe that event? 

7. He also says they that have done evil [shall come forth] unto the resurrection of damnation. The statement concerning the evil-doers, is identical with that concerning the welldoers, except as to the object of their respective resurrections. 

Both classes are in the graves; both come forth from the graves; both have a resurrection. I pity the person who attempts to array the Scriptures against these words of the Son of God. But plain as are these words, there are objections urged against them. These I must notice. It is objected that the term resurrection has sometimes a figurative meaning, and therefore this resurrection of evil-doers is not a literal resurrection. We admit that the term is sometimes used figuratively, and so are most all other words.

"Life" and "rise" are also used figuratively; why may we not apply their remark to their proof texts, and so remove their objection to the Saviour's words? Surely the word is not always used figuratively, and if I were left to select a text where it is not so used, John 5:29 would be that one. The objection is an unreasonable one. If this text does not refer to a literal resurrection of the saints, how shall that doctrine be proved? But the same facts are predicated of both classes. They are all in the graves. Does this mean that the righteous are in literal graves, and the wicked in figurative graves? And they shall all come forth. Can this mean that a part come forth literally, and a part figuratively? Such interpretations are no less than trifling with the plainest declarations of the Scriptures. Prove that this means

a figurative resurrection and you easily prove that there is no literal resurrection taught in the New Testament. In proof that it is a figurative resurrection, reference is made to Eze. 37, the vision of the valley of bones, which, it is said, is a figurative resurrection. But this claim I deny. That the vision itself embraces figures, I admit. But the Lord gave an explanation of the vision; if the explanation is also figurative, it amounts to no explanation at all, as another explanation of its figures would be necessary to an understanding of it. See the parable of the wheat and tares in Matt. 13. The parable itself is in figurative language, but the Saviour's explanation is in literal terms, otherwise it is no explanation When the Lord explained the vision to Ezekiel he said; "These dry bones are [represent in figure] the whole house of Israel." Is the "house of Israel" a figure of speech? If so, what does it represent? Away with such pretended expositions of the word of God. But what shall take place as represented by the vision? "Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." Will the promise to Abraham ever be fulfilled that he shall possess that land? See Acts 7:4, 5. It will.

How? Just as is here promised to all the Israel of God, by opening his grave, and bringing him up out of his grave. They who make the Lord's words in Eze. 37:11-14, figurative, destroy all of God's promises to Israel. It is again objected that Eze. 37 proves that it is not necessary that the wicked shall be made alive to fulfill these scriptures, as the dry bones heard and were moved before there was any life in them. That was in the vision; but how is it in the actual resurrection? Do they come forth from the graves dead? Yes, replies the objector, Rev. 20 says the dead stand before God. What will men not do to sustain a theory!

Listen to the words of Jesus: "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and

see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up." The deaf heard, not in their deafness, but by being cured thereof. The lame walked when their lameness was removed; and the dead were no longer dead when they were raised up. Yet it plainly says, "The deaf hear," "the lame walk," and "the dead are raised up." Let our Saviour's words explain Rev. 20, and there is no difficulty. And again, this criticism is shown to be invalid by 1 Cor. 15:15, etc.: "Whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not." Do "the dead" rise up as dead bodies? "How are the dead raised up?" This shows what the Scriptures mean by the dead being raised up. Why force a

construction on Rev. 20 which they know is not justified by common sense, nor admissible in any other part of the Bible? There will be no necessity for making the Bible teach absurdities if we keep absurd theories out of its way. But when these plain statements of Christ are referred to, we are met, as a last resort, with the declaration that "established principles" do not admit of such a construction of his language as we claim. If any are yet shaken by this declaration, I invite them to turn back, and read again the examination of the

so-called "principles" laid down by that class of expositors, and then say if there is any necessity for turning aside the plain testimony of the Lord, or making it teach that which in its obvious import it never can teach.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Reserved For the Day of Judgment.

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Act 24:15  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. 

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(EXCERPT)

The unjust will be resurrected, though some object to this truth. The article we've been studying is vindicating the truth of the resurrection of the unjust- scripturally, logically. 

A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Unjust

By J.H. Waggoner CONTINUED HERE…

"Every soul of man" is a very comprehensive expression; Jews and Gentiles are both included in it-not by implication, but-by direct and express statement. Both are referred to in verses 11-15, and verse 16 is directly related thereto. This speaks of "the day when God

shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." Not of one generation of men-but of men; all to whom he has previously referred in the same argument; every soul of man, both Jews and Gentiles; and here I note another point in the argument. 

4. Jesus Christ will be judge in that day. This is strongly confirmatory of the view that this is a future judgment-a day appointed in the which he will judge, as in Acts 17:31, when he who is now the Advocate will take judgment into his hands. The Saviour himself, in John 5:26-29, closely connected his "authority to execute judgment" with the resurrection of evil-doers. Woe to the soul that is  unreconciled to God in that day, when "the wrath of the Lamb" is manifested-the wrath of that Lamb of God that has long been pleading the merits of his own blood in behalf of the very ones on whom he will take vengeance in the day of

wrath. These statements of the Saviour and his apostles give us a clear understanding of Job 21:30, concerning which there has been much needless dispute. 

Eld. Curry, in his discussion with Eld. Grant, after criticising this text gave the following rendering: "The wicked is kept in the day of calamity, and brought on with funeral pomp in the day of death." This rendering is certainly forbidden both by the context and by the harmony of the Scriptures. 

Job 21 verses- 19 and 20 say, "God layeth up his iniquity for his children; he rewardeth him, and he shall know it; his eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty." That this does not refer to the event of natural death, is evident from verse 23: "One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet." "Tribulation and anguish" have not yet been his portion. But they shall be, in that "the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." This agrees with Peter, who says the unjust are reserved to the day of judgment to be punished; and he further says that that day of judgment is that day in the which the heavens and earth shall be melted by fire. "And they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." Paul shows that this

day of wrath is the day of judgment, in which Jesus Christ shall judge the secrets of men-even every soul of man that doeth evil, Jew and Gentile. Brought forth from whence? Not brought forth to burial; but they who die at ease, and in peace, and in full strength, are brought forth to the day of wrath, and to that day they are "reserved," and Peter says "to be punished." Of course they are brought forth from the grave-from death; for this is the statement of Job: 1. He dies in ease and quiet. 2. He is reserved to the day of destruction. 3. He shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. And that day is a definite, appointed day, clearly marked in the Scriptures. Job 21 is, beyond all contradiction, describing the awful destiny of the wicked the wrath that awaits him. But what is his terrible destiny, according to the criticism and rendering of the opposer of the resurrection of evil-doers? It is this:

He shall be kept in the day of calamity, die in ease and quiet, and at last have a splendid funeral! The subject is altogether too solemn and important to admit of criticisms and "renderings" which are a mere burlesque of the threatenings of God's wrath upon evil-doers. The same idea presented by Job is again brought to view in Isa. 24:21, 22: "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered together in the pit; and shall be shut up in the prison; and after many days they shall be visited." Peter speaks also of the "spirits in prison," to whom the Lord by his Spirit preached in the days of Noah. They were not in prison in Noah's day, in the time when they were preached unto; but they are now in prison. This determines what Isaiah meant by the prison in which they shall be shut up "many days;" there they await the day of

wrath, when they shall be visited, brought forth to be punished. Our examination thus far aids us in determining (if any such aid is needed) the meaning of Jude 14, 15. The Lord, when he comes to execute judgment, will convince all of their ungodly deeds, and of all

their hard speeches which they have spoken against him. This will be fulfilled when he judges the secrets of men-"of every soul of man." To convince all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds and words, they must be in a state or condition to be convinced, which they will be when they are brought forth from their prison to the day of wrath. But another fact is stated by Jude which has a most important bearing on this question. He affirms that "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." Verse 6. This language is unmistakable in its import, and cannot possibly be evaded, or made to refer to anything but a future judgment. Peter said, "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." 2 Peter 2:4. They were not spared-they were cast down; but they are reserved unto judgment, the judgment of the great day. This is "the day of judgment" unto which the unjust are reserved to be punished. The day is the same; there is but one great day of wrath or judgment; and the terms used are the same concerning the fallen angels and unjust men. Both are reserved to be punished in that day. To that day and its events Paul refers in 1 Cor. 6:2, 3: "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? . . . Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" And this judgment is contrasted with judgments pertaining to "this life," showing it to be that future and eternal judgment unto which both the angels and unjust men are reserved. Paul says we shall judge "the world;" that is, the world of the ungodly. Not a particular class of the world, but the world, and as this is not in "this life," it must be beyond the judgment and resurrection or translation of the saints, who are raised or translated one thousand years before the resurrection of the unjust. It is impossible to show that any one part or generation of "the world" have a special or exclusive interest in "the judgment of the great day;" while every scripture evidence shows that all classes and ages of the unjust, both of men and angels, are reserved unto the day of judgment-the great day-to be punished. 

Much more might be produced on this point, but I do not deem it necessary. Enough evidence has been given from the word of God, it seems to me, to convince every one of the fallacy of the expositions and conclusions of those who, to avoid the truth of the resurrection of the wicked, endeavor also to disprove a general judgment. I leave it, to examine another point. 

TO BE CONTINUED

They With Us!