The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-04-19

the Divine providences. He drank 1.-The
cup" which the Father poured for Him.
Divine Power brought From tho Dead
the Great Shepherd"
This Easter Sunday celebrates the
momentous event of our Lords resur-
rection from the dead. His resurrec.
ton is either truth or falsehood.
In our text St Paul assures us that II
1t is untrue. our faith. our hopes. our
preaching and teachings are of no avail
useless. Ii the resurrection Of the
dead is impossible, then the resurrec.
ton of Jesus was impossible. II the
resurrection OF Jesus did not take
place. then we have no proof. and no
ground for believing. that Divine pow
err could resurrect the Church. II Di-
vine Power brought again from the
dead the great Shepherd of the sheep"
1t is Jehovah also who will bring rs
from the dead by Jesus. In Gods dive
time.
Let none avoid the question! Let all
decide at once, Either we believe In a
resurrection from the dead. or we do
not believe in it. If the resurrection
be myth then. says the Apostle, all
those who fell asleep with faith In
Christ are perished-they are not in
heaven, Purgatory nor eternal torment
If we believe in the resurrection obthe
dead both of the just and the unjust.
then. logically. we must believe that
they are dead. except In the Divine
promise. purpose. arrangement. The
decision of this resurrection question
Is a most momentous one. as 1t affects
practically every doctrine OF the Chris.
tan Church. If we get straight the
doctrine of the Ransom effected through
the Redeemer. and the doctrine of the
Resurrection of the dead. oil of our doc
trines will fall into line. ana all of our
absurdities. which have troubled us 50
long will fall out of the way. and all
of the Scriptures will be found har.
monious In teaching Divine Justice,
Wisdom, Love and Power.
Christ tbs First-Fruits.
"But now is Christ risen from the
dead and become the frst-fruits OF
them that slept" (verse 2O. All. thanl,
sinuate the possibility of our Lords
not having risen Merely. he would
put the question that we might see
how weighty is the subject-how much
depends on the answer. He exultantly
answers. Christ is risen.' We re.
ioico in tbiv FOR covaroI rouvnpv rirct
how sad 1t would be II He who laid
aside His glory and was made flesh
and tasted death on our behalf should
have lost by His loyal endeavor IL
serve us and to do the Fathers will
How glad we are that He is risen. and
that He was not raised again In the
| flesh, with the loss Of His heavenly
glory. but raised as the King OF all. fan
above all others. and partaker Of the
divine nature!
Secondly. we are glad on our own
account. and on account Of all man
kind; for II our Lord Jesus had not
been raised from the dead 1t would
have proven one of two things--citheI
that He had not been faithful--up tc
the Divine standard. and therefore
that His life could not be a sdtistoctio,
| for the human life lost in Adam. or else
1t would have proved that God. who
had promised to raise Elm from the
dead II He would be "bedient unto
death, had been unable 30 do so: and
If unable to raise Him from the dead
| we. likewise. would be without hope
even IL our sins were cancelled by vir.
tue of His sacrifice.
The Apostles words give further
suggestion: Our Lord in His rcsurrec.
ton became the first rnits of them
that slept" This signifies that none
was ever raised from the dead before
Him. AS another Scripture declares
'He was the first that should arise
from the dead" There were indeed
others dtcakened from the tomb. by
Jesus Himself and also previous t.
His Advent. But they were merely
dioakened, not lifted fully up out OF
death conditions to perfect life. The
| Redeemer was the first to have such
an experience But the Apostles
| WOTuS ultdH lJoTe. ~ JESUS WAS TIE
first fruits of them that slept. there
must of necessity be Gfter-trnitS. And
this the Apostle proceeds to prove. de
claring that las all in Adam die. even
so all in Christ shall be made alive
| II Corinthians XIV. ~ Glorious resur.
rection hope. Precious Bible The one
Book alone which teaches a resurrec.
ton of the dead. or that the dead are
dead
| The Apostle proceeds to tell us that
| the dead will not all be resurrected
| together-at ouce-"but every man In
| his own order" Il Corinthians XIV. 23,
The first order or rank will be the
! Church. Blessed and holy are all they
| that have part in the First Resurrec-
| ton; they shall be priests OF
God and of Christ and shall reign with
| Him q thousand years utevelation Xxx.
g.
| This work of raising the dead will be
the work of the entire reign of Mes
siah. as explained in our context
Christ must reign until He shall have
put all enemies under His feet-the
| last enemy will be death. AS during
the Mediatorial reign mankind shall
| rise up out OF their ignorance. weak
ness, sin. depravity. they will he com
! Ing out of death conditions into life