The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-23
HADES DESCRIBED
ORIGINAL IDEAS ADVANCED AS TO
SOULS INTERMEDIATES STATE.
A HAPPY HUNTING GROUND.
THREE HEAVENS AND THREE
HELLS DECLARED TO EXIST.

Rev. j. ID. Jordan at First Baptist
Question which Gives Room for
Observation-Disclosures Expresses His
Ideas As to the Place of Residence
of Souls Between Life and on
Earth and Eternal Life-Other
Questions Answered.
Highly original and picturesque ideas
as to the intermediate state into which
the soul passes after the life leaves
the mortal frame were advanced by
Rev. J. D. Jordan, pastor of the First
Baptist Church, in answer to ques-
ton, which had been propounded
through the system of a question box,
which has been introduced into that
church. The minister without choos-
ing a text spoke at considerable length,
expressing his views as to the residence
of the soul between time and eternity,
and held the attention of a fascinated
audience for half an hour.
The two questions prompting these
original ideas were: will you Say
whether or not the soul goes direct to
heaven after death or goes into an
intermediate state?" and Granted the
soul does not go directly to heaven,
what disposition is made of it until
Judgment Day." In answer DR.. Jor-
dan commenced his argument by the
assertion that he does most assuredly
believe in an intermediate state.
Three Heavens and Three HeIIs.
ITO every SOUL" said the minister,
there are either three heavens of
three hells, and each one of us here is
existing in either a certain realm of
heaven or of hell. Every human who
accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his
Savior lives on earth in realm of
heaven, a heaven amid trials and
temptation, the lowest form of heaven.
Every unconverted soul is living in
hell on earth, although that hell may
be brilliant and shining, full of pleas
ures and of gayety, but nevertheless,
if the soul is unregenerated, it is a
hell.
Passing from life," continued the
minister the soul goes into hades;
not the hell of hells nor the heaven of
heavens, but a Hades with two dis
tinct portions, one of which is a para
disc for Christians, and the other
and in darkness. My idea of this par
adise is that it is something like the
Garden of Eden, where everything is
beautiful; a sort of a park or pleasure
grounds where a soul is content while
awaiting the last day of judgment
My idea of the other part of hades is
that 1t is darkness, full of misery and
cold and comfortless, where the SOUL
hopelessly lost, awaits eternal damna-
tion and everlasting torment.
How the Soul Goes to Hades.
Nov, understand me; I don't be-
lieve that God compels the soul to go
to hades but that it is attracted by a
spiritual gravitation. Nor is this place
sort of reformitory; the die is already
cast.
The minister contended that this par
adise is not the seat of Gods throne,
and that it is merely a place of resi-
dence for disembodied spirits.
Christ has promised that in the last
great day that the graves will give up
their dead, and in that day the good
finds a more perfect paradise and the
evil sinks down into the hell of hells,
where they are shut out from God for
ever and forever and abandoned of
God"
Other questions asked through the
question box were answered by the
minister. Among these was one from
a little boy, as follows: "Why did they
just say Adam and Eve?" This truly
characteristic puzzle of the young brain
was given a satisfactory answer. An
other question was: do you under
stand the Bible to teach that we should
give special glory and praise to those
who render efficient service to the
church," The answer to this was both
in the affirmative and the negative.
1--WE should render glory and praise
to God alone" answered the minister.
But we should certainly properly en-
courage those who are working for
Him and promoting His work"