The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-24
SERMON.
DID CHRIST TEACH THE DOCTRINE
OF EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT7
BY EDWIN c. swEETsfR. D. D.

BY EDWIN G. SWEETSlRr d. ID.
.'These shall go away into everlasting punish
ment, but the righteous into life eternal -
Matt. XIV .46. [Authorized Vefsion.)
These are the closing words, &C
cording to King James Version, OF a
long discourse which Jesus gave, in
answer to a question which his dis
ciples had asked, a few days before
his crucifxion. He had gone up to
Jerusalem to attend the Feast OF the
Passover, well aware that he would
there be arrested and crucified, and
full of holy determination not only
to meet the dreadful death which
awaited him, but to declare more
emphatically than ever before his
Messianic claims and character, and
to assert his authority as the rightful
Lord of mankind.
Up to that time he had kept his
claim to the Messiahship to great
extent in the background, not wish
ing to precipitate conflict with his
enemies, knowing that the proper
time for it had not arrived; but at
last it had arrived and, throwing off
all reserve, he had asserted his
Messiahship in the most significant
manner, by entering Jerusalem in
triumphal procession, seated on an
ass's colt, in accordance with Zee
hariah's prophecy. Understanding
and accepting the significant ac-
ton, the multitudes had hailed him
as the king long expected, saluting
him with glad hosannas and shout
ing "Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord" Then, entering
the temple, he had rebuked the
traders and money changers, and,
meeting his enemies face to face, had
denounced them in severest terms,
telling them, in conclusion, that be-
cause of their rejection of him Jeru-
salem should be destroyed, and that
they should not see him thenceforth
till they also should say, BLESSED is
he that cometh in the name of the
Lord"
AS he was leaving the temple he
told his disciples that not one stone
of it should be left upon another,
that should not be thrown down. Elk
cited by these events, and entertain
ing the ordinary Jewish idea of the
nature of the Messiah's kingdom, the
disciples supposed that he was about
to set up a material throne, and to
introduce a new era and order of
things, in which Israel regenerated,
would be given the supreme position
among the nations of the earth. For
such was the prevailing belief of the
Jews in regard to the work which the
Messiah would do. They divided
time into two eras-or, to use the
Greek word which was current in
those days, into two oions-the pre-
Messianic and the post Messianic, and
supposed that the Messiah at his
coming would finish the one in which
they were then living and would in
augurate new one of far different
character. In that respect they were
correct, only that they did not under
stand what the character and ac-
compartments of the new era would
be.
The disciples, sharing the popular
belief, and having heard what Jesus
had said to his enemies, were natur-
ally anxious to know more in regard
to the matter. So at the first oppor-
tunity they went to him privately,
and said "Tell us, when shall all these
things be9 and what shall be the
sign of thy coming and of the end of
the age9" not, as our Authorized
Version says, "what shall be the sign
of thy coming and of the end of the
world?" The word which is here
translated "world" is the word aion,
before mentioned, and the Revised
Version properly renders it cage" in
the margin.
Jesus had said nothing about the
end of the world, and the disciples
asked him nothing about it. Such a
question would have had no relev-
ancy. He had spoken of his Messiah
ship, which they supposed was to
terminate that aioaa, and of the de-
struction of Jerusalem; and, putting
two things together, they wanted to
know when the event was to occur,
and by what sign its approach would
be indicated. That this was their
meaning, and their only meaning, is
evident from the form which Mark
gives to their question. According
to his report they said, "Tell us, when
shall these things bei and what shall
be the sign when all these things
shall be fulfilled7" or, as the Revised