Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-29

addresses, based on Revocation Az
&c. It was announced that next Sun
day he would address similar Con-
vention in London.
Christianity Versus Platonism.
Many Christians whose faith can
not accept the Divine promise have
turned instead to the theory adranc-
ed long before Jesus day by the Gre
clan philosophers. headed by Plato.
Their teachings respecting death. al
though less logical than the bioie
theory, require less faith Thus we
have It today that Christian faith re-
specting the future life Is supported.
not by the Bible, but by the teachings
of the heather from Plato down.
Plato and allathe heather claim with
ont evidence that dying was not the
penalty for sin. that. on the contrary
1t is another step Of an evolution proc
ess. passage-way to q new life' un-
der new conditions. OF which they
know nothing. Theirs is merely a
guess. philosophy, and, of course, mas
no use for a resurrection Of the dead,
because the fact of death Is denied
and the dead are said to be more alive
than when they were alive.
The Bible declares that from the very
beginning God purposed the resurrec-
ton of the dead and that. therefore, all
believers were privileged to speak OF
the deceased, not as dead In an aDso-
lutte sense, like the brute, but as being
asleep-waiung for the glorious morn
Ing Of Messiah's Kingdom and the res
direction. Thus the Prophet declares.
weeping may endure for the night
but JOY cometh In the morning" Thus
the Bible tells us that abraham slept
with bis fathers" ETC., etc., :1nn 4a:y
St Paul says, eff there be DO resur.
rection Of the dead, then those
who are fallen asleep in Christ are
persisted" Q Corinthians XIV, 1879
How could this be true if they have
been alive In heaven for centuries?
First or Chief Resurrection.
Not all Of the dead will have the
same resurrection. Some will be rails
ed to the likeness Of the first Adam.
while others, members Of the Body OF
Christ, will be granted superior res
urrection-to glory. honor, immortality
and the divine nature OF the latter
st. Paul explains. .'sown In weakness.
raised In power; sown In dishonor
raised In glory; sown an animal body,
raised spirit body" Il Corinthians
XIV, 43, 40 Of the same class our
text declares. BLESSED and holy are
all they that have part in the FIRST
Resurrection; they shall be
Priests. unto God. and unto Christ, and
shall reign with Him thousand years"
Revelation xx. G: v. lo'
nHut the Rest of the Dead"
All! this part OF our text IS sadly mis-
understood and has thrown many 81
BILE students off the track OF truth
They have understood the passage to
mean that Christ and His glol'iticd
Bride class Will reign for 4 thousand
wears over such Of humanity rs Will
be alive at the tlme Of the setting up
of the Messianic Kingdom. They think
that this passage teaches that all the
millions of the world who have died
during the past SIX thousand years will
have no share in the blessings Of Mes
siah's Kingdom.
The proper thought is this: Adam hac.
life and the right to continue it unceaS
ingly so long as he WAS in harmony
with God When he sinnpd he came
under the sentence. dying. thou shall
die" Our race. his children. shared Ills
sentence by lprediry. Hence we are
all dying. From the Divine standpoint
none have life. ThuSe who become GiS
cipleS of Jesus are said 20 pass fSoni
death unto life. although their new !!it
will not be completed until the flF>i
Resurrection. But speaking from tins
standpoint Jesus said. Lei the de:!C
bury their dead. hut go thou (hcllcEer
and preach the GoSpel.-I.nkc is. 90
From this Divine standpoint tht
world in general today is dead. has II"
right to life and can obtain etr!na! HE
only through accepting Jesus: lie thai
hath the Son hath life: He that hath
not the Son hath not life. u John ', l.
Thus seen the world. whether in The
grave or out of the grave are nil from
the Divine standpoint dead Durin.
the thousand years of AieSSiah'< rtiGl'
these will be helped up. np. up. ont ii
sin and death. back IL perfect life anC
all that Adam lost. The npraiSiA@ Of tll3
world during that thousand years i
the general resurrection. This IS he
meaning of the word GnGst0SiS--it does
NOT refer to mere awakening from the
foElh. Hence. although the world vii
Ii, gradually rising oul of Si,ia!il GCa!s
conditions. they will NOT live nS:;hr rs
the S""Se of attaining Ferfe"iicir oisi:s;is
Until the thousand years are ,iaiSaed>