Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-23

Martha and Mary sent him special message,
is sick" (John I1:s9 They knew OF Jesus
power 70 heal, even by the word OF his mouth.
They had faith that II he could help strang'
ers he would surely be glad to assist his
friend But Jesus remained where ne wal
and allowed Lazarus to die and a rude shocl
to come to the dear sisters. Then ne SAG
to his disciples. ''Our friend Lazarus sleepeth"t
John u:I1.) Then coming down to their com.
prehension. he added. Lazarus is dead; ant
glad for your sakes that was moi
He was glad to let mis- friend fail asleeI
in death. because 1t would provide special
his disciples. he began the three days jour
ney to Bethany. We cannot blame the sors
rowing sisters that they felt hurt that the
Messiah should apparently be oohvious o.
their anxiety. while they knew that he had
the power 20 relieve them Martha's gentle
reprOof was Lord: !, thou hadst been been here ,
her, Thy brother shall rise again. Marths
saith unto him. 1 know that he shall rist
CJohn 21:23. A) Notice that our Lord die
not say. Thy brother is not dead; thy
brother is more alive than he ever was: he
Is In heaven or in Eargatory. Nothing o.
ed and he knew nothing Of 1t. And as fo1
heaven, our Lords testimony is. in our text
No man hath assembled into heaven. but ht
that came down from heaven" Martha alse
was well informed The errors of the darB
ages had not yet suppIanted the truth. Hei
hope for her brother was the scriptural onei
that he would rise in the resurrection in the
last day. and Millennial day. the seventh Of
the great thousand-year days from creation.
our I-crd explained that the power OF resur~
rection was vested In himself: that he wal
there with her. and could give relief to then
was too late; that putrifaction had set II
BY this time But Jesus insisted on seeing
the tomb and when he arrived. at II, he said
Lazarus. come forth" And we read. "Ht
that was dead came forth" (John u:45s al
Mark well that II was not the living that can't
forth more alive than before he died. MARI
xxral1f hat he xuaa MT alf lad firm
from purgatory.
''An That Were in Their Graves
What Jesus did for Lazarus he intimated hs
would ultimately do for Adam and his entire
IN which all that are in their graves shall heal
his voice. and shall come forth" John 6:2S
81 Does this astOnish US? If So the reason
is not far to seek. 1t is because we have got
ten far away from the teachings OF the
Bible, fully immersed in the doctrines OF this
devils. so fully to believe in the serpent's lie
''Ie shall not surely desc blinded TO the
LOlds declaration, ''Ye shall surely de" ane
The wages OF sin is DEATH.
The remainder Of John 5:2S explains that thert
will be two general classes OF the dead to CONT
forth. The first, those who have had thei
trial and who have passed it successfully; the
second, all the remainder of mankind who have
thus far failed to nave divine approval The ap
proved will come forth from the tomb unto
resurrection o. life-perfection. The disapproved
will come forth unto resurrection of Judgment
(see revised version). The coming forth Is one
thing. The resurrection is another. The apos
eApAhluS Audl Aneg SOAAc lOAlAf SfCAS
man IN his order" Il Cor. 1881 On thui
being awakened the privilege VIII be theirs OF
rising up, up, up out OF present degradation,
mental, moral, physical, to the glorious perfec.
tion which fHthre Adam enjoyed in the image
ana likeness Of bis Creator. The uplifting o.
.R RsS1 Of all things which God hath
spoken by the mouth of all His holy propheu
since the world began" (Acts 3:21.
Nor does this mean universal everlasting life,
for the scriptures declare that such refuse e
profit by the glorious opportunities OF the mil
lennium; such as refuse to De upnfteo 20 per
people in the second death-''they shall be az
though they had not been" (Obad. 49, J
remind you again of our Lords teaching on this
subject He entered the synagogue at Caper'
nAum and, being asked TO read the lesson, be
shose Isaiah the sixty first chapter and read re.
speeding himself and his work-that part Of IL
would be ''to open the prison doors and set al
liberty the captives." We are well aware that
our Lord did not open any OF the little prisons,
made no effort to succor him. The prison-house
which 1t is designed that he shall open Is the
great prison house, the tomb. which now hol0s
Unfortunately twenty thousand millions Of
race. At his second advent our Lord VIII open
this great prison house and aIlow all the prison
ers to come forth, just truly as he aid in the
example-in the case Of Lazarus. Nor viii he
call them from heaven, purgatory and hell, but,
tus. as &c declared Lazarus, come FORTH all
that are in their graves shall hear his voice and
come forth"
Where Are the Dead?
Ny dear friends you have before your mindt
the answers TO questions from the highest
to the lowest earthly authorities. None OF them
is satisfactory now you have heard the testi.
mony OF Gods Word-Ine divine declaration as
to "where are the dead?" Hearkening to tue
voice from heaven we assured that they
are really dead and that all their hopes as re
spects the future are conferred, first, upon the
nIished at calvary, and secondly, upon the
work OF resurrection which, at his second 40
vent he to sSSSmpsn vo g0r have sbSde Of
disappointment as respects a SANITY ororher OF
sister, father mother or child WHO you
hoped was already In heaven, then as eo1-
ISOLATION look at the other side Of the question;
behold how many Of your loved ones, kith ano
Kim friends and foes and neighbors. according
TO your theory and all the prevalent theories,
have been suffering UNRELIABLE woe since their
death and would be suffering similarly for long
centuries TO eome-consioer me reiiet OK ~ tbs
Truth, that they are not alive anywhere, put
simply dead, or. beautifully or more poeticaly.
he is their Redeemer, in whom all their hopes Of
a future awakening reside.
Briefly, remind you that although IN THIS
hour we have discarded theories long held,
nevertheless they never were oeautInl; never
were reasonable. never were scriptural Are
we not glad that In divine provioence we nov nov
see the teachings Of the scriptures on this
most important sub1ect1 with the racing o.
the error from our minds should come instead
great appreciation Of the true character
~ our God and a desire TO worship and serve
him more reverently. more earnestly than ever
before. There should also come 70 US
OO~AT
Bible The fact that It has stood before the
world for these many, many centuries rnisrep-
resented bv both friends and foes. yet ult-
mately INDICATED the only truth teHer on
this Important subject. is sufficient ground
for our determination 10 adhere closely to It's
teachings in the future -
Present Your Bodies Sacr1f1ceS
Inst a closing word: Our subject would lack
a proper finish IL we did not explain scrip
turally why God has delayed the worlds bless !
ing the resurrection nearly two thousand. years
since the death Of Jesus. The reason Is such
a glorious one! It must appeal to every true
christian heart and make II glad. It Is this;
God purposed the selection Of the church
before the blessing Of resurrection should go
10 the world This church is called snmetimes'
''the body OF Christ. which is the Church" OF
which Jesus is the head. Again, 1t is styled
...he RTtde '.the Lambs Wife" Ever since
Pentecost the heavenly Father has been draw
- Reviewers to Jesus side After justifying
tram through faith in the precious blood,
they have been invited to become Jesus dis
cInles his followers. TO walk in his steps,
TO Law down their lives In the Fathers ser
vice as Jesus did. and to develop In their
hearts the fruits and graces OF the Holy spirit
to such a degree that they might be called
'scopies Of Gods dear Son..
The promise to these is not the resurrec-
ton promised to the world during the Millen-
MUM On the contrary. these have heaven
" calling" After their conservation they are
begotten Of the holy spirit and then in
strIlcted in the school Of Christ. and submit
ted to trials and d1sciplines in various ways