The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-22

cended up on high
he led multitude Of captives, (Ephe.
slams iv, S-1O).
IN THIS week occurs the anniversary
OF Jesus ascension. In one sense of
the word our Lord assembled that ia.
from human nature and the tomb. To
the divine nature and Immortality, at
tho time of His resurrection from the
dead. he tarried, however. for forty
DAYS, with the Apostles for their es-
Enlistment and instruction-He on
the spirit plane. invisible to them. ex.
cept when He manifested Himself by
appearing miraculously in various
forms to convince them that He was no
longer deceased. and also that He was
no longer confined to human conditions.
Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the
Kingdom Of God"
we are not, however, to suppose for
q moment that Jesus assembled a flesh.
" or human being; we remember. on
the contrary, that flesh and blood can.
not inherit the Kingdom OF God" and
tnat he was put to death in the
mesh but quickened in the spirit" and
that thenceforth. as the APOSTLE de-
clares. "The Lord is that Spirit" III
Corinthians iii. 10.
To suppose that Jesus went TO heay.
en- man Is to mistake the significance
OF His title. The Son of Man, which
He maintains. as identifying Him with
His great redemptive work-as one of
His many titles. To suppose that
Jesus is human being in heaven
would be to suppose that He is still
as when in the flesh. "a little lower
than the angels" whereas the Scrip-
lures declare that He has assembled far
higher. SO that all the angels of God
as well as men. are commanded TO
worship Him. To suppose Jesus in
heaven human being would be to
suppose Him out Of all harmony with
heavenly. spiritual conditions and sur
roundings.
Moreover. are we not told that the
Church of Christ will be changed from
the human to the spirit condition in
the resurrection. and that this change
will make the ELECT of God" like their
Redeemer. SO that they may see Him
as He IS. not as He tcas-that they
may see Him in glory, honor and i'm
mortality. exaltation. and not as the
Inundated One Who was made flesh
that He might sacrifice His flesh on
mans behalf? When we so thought
we forgot the Scriptural declaration
that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the Kingdom of Cod
A Multitude of captives.
Our text, in figurative way, rep
resents the ascension of Jesus from the
earthly plane to the heavenly as the
triumph OF a great Conqueror. Sin
had gained ascendency over Adam and
his race. and had brought mankind low
to the dust, mentally, morally and
physically. Moreover, this victory
over man had been gained in legal
manner-through one mans disobedi.
ence (Romans V. 12,. The Looos diyest.
ed Himself OF His glory on the spirit
plane. was made flesh. fulfilled the de-
mands Of the Law, proved Himself
competent to pay the sinners ransom
price. and gave Himself ransom for
all. Ito be testified in due time" Il Tim.
othy Ii. g..
Thus the great Conqueror is seen re-
turning to the heavenly state. acclaim.
ed by the Heavenly Host: and follow.
ing Him far down the centuries, the
prophetic view saw. first the Church.
the Royal Priesthood" His breth.
ren," His Bride" delivered from the
power OF sin and death. through the
merit of His blood. And these were
but the first corps of following host
"a kind of tirst-fr,lits to Cod OF His
creatures" rescued from sin and from
death danes /. 1S: Revelation xiv, ~.
Later on. stretching down for a thou
sand years beyond the Church's deliv-
erance. the prophetic pen fortells
countless hosts OF every nation. people.
kindred and tongue to be delivered
from the power of sin and death
through the merit of Him Who died.
the Just for the unjust" Now the
Savior of the Church. His Bride. He
will shortly be the Savior of the world.
its Great King. Great Teacher. Great
Priest Great Mediator. During the
thousand years OF His reign Satan will
be bound. ignorance and superstition
shall become scattered before the light
Of the New Dispensation, mankind
shall be uplifted to human perfection
and blessed with an earthly Eden-all
that was lost by Adam and redeemed
for man through the death of Jesus.
Then will come the glorious consum
nation. when all who will have re-
fused Divine grace shall have been de.
stroyed In the Second Death-then
shall be heard every creature in heav.
en- and on earth and under the earth
saying, GLORY TO God in tho highest"
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