The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-04-17
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
8. The Holy Scriptures speak of two dis
tinct resurrections, the first, the resurrection
of the righteous, at the time of the second
coming of Christ, and the second, the reSur-
rection of the wicked, at subsequent time.
There are two phrases occurring in the
English New Testament which may be sup
posed by many readers of the English Bible
to mean the same thing viz: "the resarrec
ton of the dead" and the resurrection from
the dead" In the Greek of which the first
phrase is the translation, the word "dead"
is not preceded by proposition, and simply
limits "resurrectior :" and the phrase means,
the resurrection of dead people-whether
some of the dead people, or all of them, must
be determined by the context. The other
phrase resurrection from the dead might
seem to some to have the same meaning, as
if the idea was, resurrection from state Of
death. But the word translated dead is pre-
ceeded by proposition which means from,
out of, and with this proposition forms an
adjunct which limits the soOra resurrection.
The word translated dead, never means death,
or the state of the dead, but alSvays dead
people. The literal rendering of the phrase
would be, the resurrection from among the
dead people. There may be resurrection
from the dead people, and yet not resurrec-
ton of all the dead people. There is rea-
son why the Holy Ghost uses one of these
phrases in some places, rather than the other;
and the evident reason is because of the dis
tinctlon ABOVE noted. fne 11pOotie Paul
said, "now is Christ risen from the dead. "
He arose from among the dead, and left mil
lions of dead people still in their graves
The phrase resurrection from the dead is
never used in reference to the resurrection Of
the wickea, Our Saviour said, "The chill
dren of this world marry and are given in
marriage, but they that shall be counted wor-
thy to obtain that world, and the resurrection
from the dead, neither marry nor are given
in marriage, neither can they die any more,
for they are equal to the angels, aud are the
children of the resurrection, that is the re-
surrection from the dead of which He had
lust spoken. 1t should be noted that He
speaks of some who are 0Orthy to obtain that
world-alluding to the world of glory. He
also speaks of them as worthy to obtain the
resurrection fram the dead people; as He
Himself who is tne first fruits of them that
sleep, obtained a resurrection from among
dead people. He still further describes them
as children of the resurrection. Why should
they be designated as children of the re8ur-
rection, since all the dead will ultimately be
raised, if He did not intend to designate a
particular resurrection, even the resurrection
from the dead people, of which He had just
spoken
Again, our Saviour said concerning those
who made feast and invited those who could
not recompense them, they shall be "recom-
pensed at the resurrection Of the just" Why
did he not say simply at the resurrection, in
stead of the resurrection of the Just, if there
is to be but one resurrection 1t may be
said that the distinction here marked by
Christ had no reference to any internal of
time between the two resurrections, but to
the character of the resurrectOns, or to the
character of the subjects of them. But there
| is no difference as to the character of the
reslrrectionS. In respect to both the just
and the unjust, their bodies will be raised
from their graves, and that only is signifed
by the term resurrection. And the terms
Just and unjust sufficiently designate the
characters of the subjects of the two reSur.
rections. What different transformations will
be wrought upon the bodies of the two classes
must be learned from other portions of God'G
Word.
Paul writes this striking language, "That
1 may know Him, and the power of His re
8urrection, and the fellowship Of His suffer
ings, being made conformeble unto His death
if, by any means, l might attain unto tn,
resurrection of the dead" Here, the phrss,
resurrection of the dead should have beer
translated resurrection from the dead. Sucl
is the translation of the phrase every wher
else in the New Testament. Paul did no
use the means specified, in order to attain t.
the resurrection of the dead to which all vii
, attain, but he desired to be so connected witt
Christ as to attain to a resurrection simila
} to His, the resurrection from among the dea
r people who will be left in their graves.
The 18th chapter of Cor. treats Of tn
0 resurrection only of Christ and the saints
e Paul says, eff Christ be not raised, the