Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-15
glory" if every Christian entered into
fbof hlaceadnacs of 1aath2

But believers in living dead claim
that the body alone is meant; that the
resurrection is only of the body. Such
statement must appear absurd to
every intelligent mind. Did
Christ make such explicit
declarations about the body and never
mention the soul; did he urge them to be-
lieve in him that their bodies might be
raised up at the last day? Is the judg-
ment to be set and the books opened to
judge the body, when the soul is in heaven
or hell? Did Paul think it would pay him
to share in the sufferings and death of
Christ, that he might s'by any means" at
tain unto the resurrection of his body
when his soul, the thinking, loving, en-
joying part of him was stepped in the
bliss of heaven? If the resurrection is
not raising up of the soul and body,
what is the meaning of this declaration of
st. John, BLESSED and holy is he
that hath part in the first resur-
rection?" Stephen, the martyr, in
dying saw the heavens open and
''the son of man sitting on the right hand
of God" but the apostle simply says he
fell asleep, whatever beatifc vision was
given him there is no mention of his ris-
ing to its realization. Paul writes to Tim
othy, Il have fought good fight, hence
forth there is laid up for me crown Of
righteousness, which the Lord, the right
eOus judge, shall give me at that day, and
not to me only but unto all them also that
love his appearing" Again in writing to
the Thessalonians he says, For, if we be-
lieve that Jesus died and rose again, even
SO them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him. For this We say unto you,
by the word of the Lord, that
we that are alive and re-
main unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God, and
the dead in Christ shall rise first" Is there
any intimation in this of saints praising
God in heaven? Paul preached to people
who were prosecuted for their faith, and to
whom the future held the possibility of
torture, agony and death for Christ's sake.
Why did he tell them they were sin bond
age to the fear of DEATH" but when Christ
came to raise the dead he would set them
free, if death opened for them the door OF
heaven and they would be with Christ?
But if the dead are not alive, how was il
possible for Moses to be present on the
Mount of TRANSPORTATION, for the Bible
says Moses died, and God buried him
The Bible also declares that he that hath
the keys and the power of death is the
devil. tt also says that 'death reigneC
from Adam to Noses" Why did it stop al
Moses, unless he escaped from its power.
That Moses was raised from the dead, by
the will of God, is evident from the epistle
angel, when contending with the devil, dis
puted about the body of Moses" The
devil, having the power of death, had rule
over the dead, and thus Moses was his sub
ject, and IN raising him to life the arch
angel removed him from the power Of
Satan.
But Christ's promise to the dying thief
J The request of the thief was, "Remembel
me when thou contest into thy kingdom
Christ taught his disciples one prayer, and
since that hour thousands daily pray, Thu
kingdom come" That Christ's answer
was To-day say unto thee thou shalt bt
with me in Paradise, or in my kingdom
He could not have meant that day, for h
was not in Paradise himself. Three day
after he said to Mary, II am not ye
assembled 10 my Father"
The parable of the rich man and Lazar
Us is always quoted as an unanswerable
argument in proof of a conscious dead
The most obvious lesson taught b,
that parable is the great chang
to be wrought in the Jewish and Gentil
nations by the mission of Christ, wheI
the Jews, in their priestly robes of purpl
and fine linen, should become the outcast
OF the earth and the Gentiles become tn
favored of God, occupying the place t.
them most sacred, "Abraham's bosom"
Whatever Interpretation is given to thi
parable, its value as a witness for a con
scious state after death is nothing com
pared with the direct and uniform test
mony of the re,G of the Bible, which de
clares that the dead know not anything,
but sleep in the dust of the earth until tn
trump shall sound and they shall awak,
some to everlasting life and some to sham
and everlasting contempt"