River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-06-22
of the
Resurrection
By Pastor Russell
OF Brooklyn Tabernacle


the penalty for sin, with the distinct
understanding that had Adam not
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 to
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 all
in Christ shall be made alive; but
every man in his own order" band or
cohort Il. Corinthians 15:21-23).
In the poetic language of Scripture
death is symbolically represented as
great monster which has been swal-
lowing up the human family, never
satisfied Millions on millions have
already been devoured. Mankind IN
vain has looked for a deliverer-for
one able to vanquish death and to de-
liver the prisoners from the great
prison house of sheol, hades, the
grave. This monster was granted per-
mission to devour the race by him who
created us, because we were unworthy
of eternal life. Death, therefore, ID
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, 13) until the time shall come
when the heather and the uttermost
parts of the earth shall be given to
him, that he may establish bis reign
Of righteousness, blessing the world
and releasing all the prisoners of sin
and death.
Tho delay is not in any sense an In
dicatton Of weakness, nor of any
change in the divine program. It
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. Twen-
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
his 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 his bride.
st. Paul points us to the great de-
liverer, the glorified Messiah, at the
time when he shall take the kingdom
under the whole heavens end begin
the fulfillment of the prayer he taught
us, Thy kingdom come; thy will be
done on earth as in heaven" He tells
put all enemies under his feet-"the
last enemy that shall be destroyed is
death" q. Corinthians 1929. The
meaning is clear. Messiah's kingdom
will address itself promptly to the rec
LITIGATION of every form Of upright
eousness, financial, political, social, re-
ligious. He will rule the world with
a 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 In 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
Ii will be a prison house no longer,
for there will be no prisoners in 1t:
mankind will have been lifted out of
the clutches of Sin and Death, weak
ness and depravity, by the processes
of restitution, resurrection, uplifting
(Acts iii: 1929. The victory over sin
will be complete.
Then will be brought to pass the
Divine prophecy, 20, death. where is
thy sting? o. grave, where is thy
victory?" q. Corinthians xv:55).
Every member of Adams race is to
be delivered to him who redeems ALL
A key is a symbol Of authority and
symbolizes legal power to open the
prison house and to release the pris-
oners. Adamic death has been legal
penalty upon our race-a just penalty
But, although all shared the condem-
nation and weakness, God foresaw that
some of the race, if granted the op-
portunfty, would gladly return to 10y
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-