Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1911-05-25

J.
Merely hymn-book theology presents
it as friend, an angel sent of Cod
Death is introduced to our attention in
the Bible as the penalty for sin, with
the distinct understanding that had
Adam not transgressed the Divine
commands he need not have died, nor
ever have been cast out of his Eden
home. st. Paul emphasizes the fact
that death is the penalty of sin and
that the resurrection Of the dead will
come to mankind as the result of the
redempttve 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 q Corinthians xv, 21-23).
Death Ravenous Monster.
As Genesis introduces death as a
penalty for sin, Revelation concludes
the great drama by pointing out
Christ's victory and the destruction Of
sin and death, the release of all the
members Of Adams family from his
sentence and eventually the bringing
of all the willing back to fellowship
with God and to eternal life. Between
these two extremes of Divine Revela-
ton are the assurances of the Prophets
and the words Of Jesus and His Apos.
ties explaining the processes of redemp
ton and reconciliation. st. Paul sum-
mariZes these with the statement, "By
one man['s disobedience] sin entered
into the world, and death as the result
of sin, and thus death passed upon all
men, because all are sinners. - AS
by one mans disobedience [the] many
were made sinners, so by the obedi-
ence Of one shall [the] many be made
righteous" Romans v, IL, 19).
In the poetic language Of Scripture
death is symbolically represented as
great monster which has been swal.
lowing up the human family never
satisfied. The Divine proposition Is
that whoever would meet the require
ments of Justice against Adam and his
race might purchase or Ransom, them
and have full right to deliver them
from the pr1son-house, the tomb.
"The Last Enemy"-Death.
st. Paul points us to the great De-
Kverer. the glorifed Messiah. at the
time when He shall take the Kingdom
under the whole heavens and begin the
fulfillmeht of the prayer He taught us,
''Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done
on eGcth as in heauen' He tells US He
must reign until He shall have put all
enemies under His feet-"The last enc
my that shall be destroyed is death"
Il Corinthians XIV, 26).
20 Death, Where 10 Thy stine?"
Then aoill be brought to pass the Divine
prophecy, 20, death, where is thy
sting? o, grave, where is thy vic
tory?" Nosea Kill ID; Cor. XIV. So
We must notice when this will be
brought to pass. 1t Is not now true
The sting Of death Is in us all, for. as
the Apostle explains, Sin is the sting
Of death. And because all have been
stung by sin. all are dying. It will
require the entire Messianic Age to
fully extract from humanity the virus,
the sting, Of sin by bringing mankind
to perfection. Only as the sting Of
death is removed. will the power Of
death relax, because it is part Of the
Divine law that 'The soul that sin
meth, it shall die" Death now has its
sting. But when that which Is perfect
shall have come, the sting will be gone,
the imperfection and weakness will
be gone, the cause for sin will also be
gone.
Not now, but then, will be brought to
pass the saying, 20, Hades, where is
thy victory?" Hodes, sheol, the grace.
has been having victory over Adams
race for over sixty centuries, And It's
victory will not be entirely overthrown
until the Redeemer shall have deliv.
cred from the power Of the grave the
last member Of the human family-for
all of whom "He died, the Just for the
unjust, to bring us back to God.'
Thus, as the Apostle says, with the
elimination Of Christ's Kingdom, with
the deliverance Of all mankind from
the power of Sin and Death, death will
be swallowed up in victory. The Apos-
tie probably quoted from Hosea xiii, IA.
where we read, II will ransom them
from the power of the grave {sheoD;
Twill redeem them from death; O death,
I will be thy plaques gradual destruc-
don); o grave (sheoD, will be thy
(complete) destruction; repentance shall
be hid from mine eyes," The Almighty
will never change or turn from this de-
c1sion. Death and the grave, sheol,
hades, the Bible hell, are to be destroy
ed. Every member Of Adams race is
to be delivered by Him Who redeemed
all, except those who after abundant
opportunity will not obey the great De-
liverer; these will be destroyed from
among the people (Acts Ill, %, 23).