The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-04-10


that we all, as intelligent, thoughtful
beings, have accepted this heather
philosophy, without a word of Scrip
ture for its support, and with hundreds
of Scriptures to condemn It!
We can see how the heather philoso-
piers might be led to conjure up such
a theory, because of their desire to be
lieve in a future life. and because they
had no revelation from God respecting
a future life. They therefore tried
their best to convince themselves that
man really does not die-that no man
can die. The Bible theory is the very
reverse of this, namely, that a man Is
not merely body. that he is a soul, a
thinking, sentient being. Neither is he
a bodiless being. and indeed he cannot
, be n being at all without a body. His
body may change, as science declares
1t does gradually, hour by hour. until
complete change is effected in seven
years.
Thus man, a soul, n sentient being,
may in life of fifty years have slough
ed off gradually sufficient matter to
have composed seven bodies. But the
moment the sloughing off of this dy-
ing matter and the substitution Of liv-
ing matter ceases. we have death; and
as soon as the body dies the soul dies
that Is, the intelligent being ceases.
There can be no thinking without a
brain, no breathing without lungs, no
maintenance of life in any sense of the
word without a body
This would have been total de
struction of the soul had not God spe-
cially provided, as the Prophet de
clares. that He would redeem mans
life (souD from destruction through
the redemptive work accomplished by
Jesus in giving His soul an offering for
mans sin. and thus making possible
mans resurrection from the dead.
1t Is In consequence of this Divine
provision through Christ for a resur-
rection of humanity that the Scrip.
lures speak of death as merely Il fall.
ing asleep for time, to wait for the
new body in the resurrection. rather
than to speak OF us as dying as the
brute beasts. The word sleep implies
that in the Divine purpose future life
is intended, and will eventually be
given.
"sut Now Is Christ Risen."
st. Paul does not leave the matter
Of Christs resurrection undecided. He
positively affirms that. Christ Is risen
from the dead and that, thus risen.
"He is the First-fruits of those that
slept" which implies that when He was
raised the others still slept. Jesus slept
a part of those three days, from the
time He died until the Father raised
Him from the dead. from hddes from
skeol. from the tomb, on the third day
He. as the First-fruits of the sleeping
ones. is an example and a guarantee
of the fultilment of the Divine prom
Use. that there shall be a resurrection
Of the dead both of the just and of the
unjust"
1t behooves us to take q decided
stand. either with the Grecian philoso
piers and their theories. or with the
Bible. The two are in conflict and
whoever attempts to hold both is in
confusion. If the dead are not dead
then no human being Is dead. And If
no one is dead, how could there be a
resurrection of the dead?
The inconsistency of the theory held
respecting the resurrection Of the bodB
has invited very reasonable and just
criticism The skeptic asks. How
could the body be resurrected, after
1t has gone to dust and after the dust
has been scattered to the four windsY
They tell Us of grave that was open
ed near an apple tree, and it was found
that a root from the tree had entered
the coffin and practically absorbed the
corpse. from which it had produced
thousands of apples, which in turn
had been shipped to various parts. Of
the world, some Of the poorer grades
being fed to hogs. whose hams were
cured and sent abroad and thus passed
into other human beings. to become
parts of still other human bodies The
question IS proper one but 1t is an
unanswerable one from the standpoint
VI oul lpliIlcI anu Jul i'oSA
attempt TO combine human philoso-
ply and Divine Revelation.
But such a question brings no con
sternation to the Bible student who
follows the Scriptures alone. The
Scriptures never speak of the resurrec-
| ton of our bodies. They do tell of the
| resurrection OF the soul. and that in
| the resurrection God giveth it uhe
! soun body as ii pleaseth Him.
How reasonable it will be for the
world to be awakened in practically
| the condition in which they went down
| into death! And these will experience,
, If willing and obedient. Il gradual res
direction or raising up to the image
and likeness of Father Adam in his
perfection. But some in the resurrec-
/ ton will receive spirit bodies like unto
7 the angels, and some like unto the
I body of Christ in His resurrection,
which Saul Of Tarsus Notwithstanding
above the brightness OF the sun at
| MONDAY"
The class that is promised resur-
rection in spirit bodies Is the Church
the sanity few who walk in the foot
steps of Jesus The begetting Of the
| Holy Spirit which comes to these
| changes their nature from earthly to
| sniritual If they are faithful 10 their