The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-05-05


prison-hOuse and to release the prison
ers Adamic death has been legal
penalty upon our race--a just penalty.
But although all shared the condemna-
ton aud weakness. God foresaw that
some of the race. if granted the oppor-
tunity, would gladly return to loyalty
to His laws. He has, therefore, made
provision through Jesus for every
member of the race. great and small,
rich and poor. Worldwide redemp-
ton will be provided and worldwide
opportunity for the coming to knowl-
edge of the Truth and for being up
lifted or resurrected will be afforded.
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
tbe hands of Messiah. He gained that
kew. that rightful authority to set us
free from the grave. by the redemption
which He accomplished for us at Cal
vary.
This figure Of the prison-house was
used also by the Lord through Isaiah
Lord was anointed to preach a mes
sage of good tidings to the meek, to
bind I'D the broken-hearted, to pro-
claim liberty to the c0pttres of Sin and
Death and the opening Of the prison
house of death to those that are bound?
And did not Jesus apply this very
prophecy TO Himself? isaiah Xxi, 1;
Luke ". 49,, Surely our Lord opened
no earthly prison-doors at His first
advent But just as surely He fore
told that He would open the prison
doors and set all the captves free His
death. 1.-The just for the unjust" was
in order that He might have the right
full authority to release the prisoners
by His death He secured the key.
Eventually this glorious work will be
and in the cOnsumma-
ton of it the elect Church Of this Cos
pei Age is invited to have share.
Hence the Church is called out from
the world first under special Cove
pant Of sacrifice that she may with her
Lord. the Redeemer. become part OF
the Seed Of Abraham on the spirit
plane Galatians ill. 29).
Hades Cast Into Gehenna.
"Aud death and hell (hades) were
east into the lake of fire. This is the
Second Death Revelation Xxx. 14.
In the symbolic language Of Reve-
lation. Messah's reign is described as
glorious opportunity for all man
kind to come back into harmony with
the Almighty and to attain everlast-
ing life through the great Mediatorial
Kingdom The symbolic picture Of
which this text is part, describes
the establishment of Messiah's King
dom, the saints Of this Gospel Age be-
ing with Him in His throne, in His
Kingdom, reigning with Him-a Royal
Priesthood Revelation Xxx, 4-G.
The context further describes that
period. In which all mankind shall
be brought to knowledge of the
Truth, when all will stand before the
great White Throne" Messiah's Judg-
ment Throne. to be tried. to be tested
to be proven whether they will ac-
cept or refuse the perfection and eter-
make possible for them. During that
thousand years of Messiah's reign. as
we have seen, death will be gradually
swallowed up in victory. And as the
prisoners Of the tomb are gradually re-
leased, the grave will be destroyed.
will be no more
The statement, death and hades were
cast into the lake of fire. which is the
Second Death. is merely another way
of explaining to us that Adamic death.
and the grave connected Herewith,
will be superseded by the Second
Death. Amy Of the race who. by the
close of the Mediatorial reign, will not
have come up to perfection and will
not have gotten entirely free from the
power of sin and the tomb. will them,
selves be responsible for their wrong
condition. their imperfection. The
great Mediator will have done every
thing right. proper and necessary for
all. Whoever then will come short of
eternal life will himself only lie to
blame. And the trial time over. any
not fully delivered. any still held by
sin and death, will be willingly held
and all such will be turned over to
the Second Death. destruction, symbol
lied by FIRE, from which there will be
no recovery.
Let 1t be remembered that the Val
ley Of HinnOm, outside Of Jerusa lem
the earthly. where only the vile refuse
was destroyed, will find its antique
in the Second Death. symbolically rep
resented as lake of fire outside the
New Jerusalem. In it will be con.
sumed utterly, completely, everything
out Of harmony with the Divine will.
The Wicked Returned to ShsoI.
In the New Testament. as we have
seen. hades stands for the grave or
state of death, which results from
Adams transgression; while Gehenna
represents the Second Death. which
will come only upon those who shall
first have been delivered from the
Adamic sentence, or shall have had
at least full opportunity for deliv-
erance and who will manifest their
love for sin more than for righteous
ness and who, therefore. will be sen
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