The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-21
EvERYBODY'S BIBLE BOX.

| tVEHIBUUIS bIbLE bun.
Q.-Is there anything in the Bible
to Indicate whether Adam was black
or white man? Some of my colored
brethren maintain that the first man
| was black, but I have not found any :
thing in the Bible that would prove
| that he was or was not. What color
J do YOU think he was? q. H. b
Answer.-The first man was neither
| white or black but as the name Adam
! implies he was o. a rudy color. All
| er all. it is the color of health, the rug
| ged pink and red hue that is the most
! man must necessarily have been the
! picture of health" The varying colors
| o. the different races have been pro-
duced largely by the climatic condl-
! reason to believe, will all be eliminated
| in the times of restitution of all
| things when the original conditions
of perfection will be restored to the
| human race and all will have the same
| rudy color of perfect health. Inc
Prophet Jeremiah asks Can the Ethio-
plan change his skin?' Jeremiah KIM
| 23) While it would be impossible for
4 him to change his own color, yet 1t IS
not impossible for the Lord to change
it for him. Several instances nave
| been known within recent times of col
ored people whose SKINS turned white.
One of these j. seemed was in answer
| to prayer, and the man continued in
good health without being diseased IN
any way.
| O.-Upon what foundation did the
Pharises build their faith in the res
| direction? Some modern Bible critics
! have declared that the Old Testament
! does not teach the doctrine of the res
direction; hence my question. &C. L. ID
Mid n ar n
Bible critics. have never seriously ex-
amined the writings of the Old Testa-
ment, as the doctrine of the resurrec-
ton is taught directly and indirectly
| by every one of the ancient writers.
1t is true that the word resurrection"
does not occur. but the awakening of
! the dead and the life beyond the grave
are frequently referred to. Recall the
words of Job-"If a man die shall he
! live again? All the days of my ap-
! change come. Thou shalt call and Z
/ will answer thee, thou wilt have a de-
sire to the work of thine hands," For
I know that my Redeemer liveth. and
! that He shall stand al the latter day
| upon the earth: And though, after my
my flesh shall I see Cod Dob iv, IA:
xix, %, 26.) See also the following two
citations: Isaiah XVI, 10, and Daniel
xii. 2. Note the Apostles words in
InTOugl-
out this entire chapter, it was faith
in the resurrection of the dead that
prompted those righteous ones of old
to obedience to the Divine will
Q.-Is the doctrine of reincarnation
the same as the Bible doctrine of the
resurrection? (Swedenborg.)
Answer-The theory of reincarna-
ton as usually believed in, is as fol-
lows: When death occurs, it is only
the body which dies, while the soul
or spirit continues in existence in
some other sphere, until such time,
as it may please the Creator, to per-
NIT the disembodied entity to cease it's
nude perambulations, and to once
again rehabilitate itself with the most
up to date and approved form of
flesh to which it may be the most
spiritually adapted. This highly
fanciful theory is no better than the
myriad other vagaries of the human
mind. There can be no fixed conclu-
sions, and no settled form of belief
unless a standard of authority is rec
ognized. This standard, the Bible,
distinctly teaches that it is the soul,
the living, sentfent being that is to be
resurrected. 1t is the soul, the be-
ing, that dies. There is nothing that
floats away into some other sphere
of consciousness, but the breath, or
energy of life, returns to God who
impaired it to man, and who is the
source or fountain of all life The
reincarnation theory as taught, is
Numerically opposed to the doctrine
of the resurrection as presented in the
Bible.
Q.-Would we understand Revela-
ton xiv, IS, to teach that when the
Lords people die now, they would
take up the work of assisting those
who yet remain this side of the We'll"
to walk in the narrow way?
(Jesse.)
Answer-tBlessed are the dead
who die in the Lord from henceforth:
Yea saith the Spirit, that they may
rest from their labors; and their
works do follow them This Scrip
ture would seem to infer that, from
certain time, those who die and pa SIS
into the heavenly kingdom, would
continue in the same kind of work in
which they had been engaged while
on the earth. This, of course, would
have reference to the spiritual lines
of work and not to the material ones.
For instance, if one had been an IN
to continue that calling in the heav-
emily state! The sanity followers of
the Lord have been devoting them
selves to the work of service of the
brethren and of the truth, the glad
tidings' of the coming Kingdom of
Messiah, throughout their earthly
lives; and therefore, from the above
cited Scriptures it would he reason