Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1911-06-22
OF the
Resurrection
By Pastor Russell
of Brooklyn Tabernacle

BlDle as an enemy. Merely hymn
book theology presents It as a friend
an angel sent of God. Death Is intro
duced to our attention in the Bible al
the penalty for sin. with the distinct
understanding that had Adam moi
transgressed the Divine commands he
need not have died. nor even have
been cast out Of his Eden home. st
Paul emphasizes the fact that death
is the penalty Of sin and that the res
direction OF the dead will come e
mankind as the result OF the redemp
tive work of Christ He says: Since
by man comes death. by man also
comes the resurrection OF the dead
For as all in Adam die. even SO al
in Christ shall be made alive; but
every man In his own order" band oil
cohort q. Corinthians 15:2l-23).
In the poetic language OF Scripture
death is symbolically represented as q
lowing up the human family. never
satisfied. Millions on millions have
already been devoured. Mankind In
vain has looked for a deliverer-foi
one able TO vanquish death and to de
liver the prisoners from the greai
prison house OF sheol. hades. the
grave. This monster was granted per
mission to devour the race by him who
crested us. because We wero unworthy
of eternal life. Death. therefore. IL
backed by the mandate OF the Al
mighty. and he cannot overthrow his
own decision.
The Scriptures assure us that the
sacrifice that Jesus offered (himself)
was a satisfaction, ''ransom-price,
for the sins Of the whole world. They
tell us that the heavenly father mani
Tested his approval of the sacrifice
when he granted the Pentecostal bless
Ing, and that Jesus is even now at the
fathers right hand waiting (Hebrews
1912. 49, until the time shall come
when the heather and the uttermosi
parts of the earth shall be given to
him. that he may establish his reign
OF righteousness. blessing the world
and releasing all the prisoners OF sin
and death.
The delay is not In any sense an In
dication of weakness. nor OF any
change in the divine program. II
merely indicates that there is another
feature of the Almighty's purpose
which We did not for time discern.
The work is to be a great one. TWEEN
ty thousand millions are to be deliv
cred from deaths prison house. And
all OF them will need instruction, up
lifting. Christening. schooling. to pre-.
pare them for the divine blessing of
life everlasting. The time for instruc.
ton and uplifting is declared to be a
thousand years. The power for the
instruction is the Messianic Kingdom,
the Rulers Of which will be Messiah
and His Bride-joint heir with him in
bis kingdom. During the past nine.
teen centuries God. by his word and
providences, has been calling and
drawing a little flock" to Christ to
be bis bride.
St Paul points US 10 the great de
liverer. the glorified Messiah, at the
time when he shall take the kingdom
under the whole heavens and begin
the fulhllment of the prayer he taught
us. Thy kingdom come; thy VIII be
done on earth as in heaven" He tells
us he must reign until he shall have
put all enemies under his feet-"the
last enemy that shall be DESTROYED ID
death" Il. Corinthians 1920. The
meaning is clear. Messiah's kingdom
will address itself promptly to the rec
uhcation of every form OF upright
eousness. financial. political. social. re-
ligious. He will rule the world with
rod Of iron and every nation and
every system or element contrary to
the divine standards OF righteousness
will be broken to shivers with his
Iron rod" Thus will righteousness
be established In the earth I'm the
midst OF "a time of trouble such as
never was since there was a nation. %
By the close of the thousand years
OF Messiah's reign. his victory over
Sin and Death will be complete. Every
member of Adams race will have been
lifted from the prison house of death.
1t will be a prison house no longer.
for there will be no prisoners in IT !:
mankind will have been lifted out of
the clutches Of Sin and Death. weak
ness and depravity. by the processes
of restitution. resurrection, upliftins
tActs iii: 1929. The victory over sin
will be complete.
Then will be brought to pass the
Divine prophecy. 20, death. where IN
thy sting? o. grave. where Is thy
victory?" Il. Corinthians xv:55).
Every member OF Adams race Ia IN
be delivered to him who redeems all
A key is symbol of authority and
symbolizes a legal power to open the
prison house and to release the pris.
oners. Adamic death has been a legal
penalty upon our race-a Just penalty.
But. although all shared the condem-
nation and weakness, God foresaw tba,
some of the race, II granted the ON
portunity. would gladly return to low.
atty to his laws. He has. therefore.
made provision through Jesus for
every member of the race, great and
small. rich and poor. Worldwide re.
demption will be provided and world.
wide opportunity for the coming to a
knowledge of the Truth and for being
uplifted or resurrected will be AFFORD.
ed. The right or power to release
mankind from the power of death and
from the prison house of the tomb.
sheol. hades. the grave. is represented
by the key in the hands of Messiah.
He gained that key. that rightful au-
thority to set us free from the grave,
by the redemption which he accom-
p!ished for us at Calvary.
Cause and Effect.
The only thing that onro.