The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-02-21


reserved in lasting
restraints under the thick darkness for
q Judgment of the Great Day." dude
g. He said:
Last Sunday we discussed the fall
of the angels. who Succumbed to sin,
first introduced by Satan's rebellion.
and continued by mans fall from d.
vine favor. Mans fall had to do with
the fall of the angels, and they in
turn have had much to do with man S
further perversion mentally, morally
and physically. st. Paul declared that
we wrestle not with flesh and blood
merely. but with wicked spirits in high
positions-Ephesians 6:12.
Pastor Russell said that many who
read his sermons in the newspapers
will laugh at what may seem to be his
superstitious belief that fallen angels
are in close propinquity with humanity
"a continual power for evil. God and
Truth opposing. Personally he knows
nothing Of Spiritism: for. obedient to
the Divine command. he avoids every
thing occult. His knowledge of Spirit
ism comes mainly from the Bible. but
is well supported by the testimony Of
many rescued from Spiritism.
The Bible styles the fallen angels
demons, translated devils in our Com
mon Version. These demons, not our
forefathers, have perverted the True
Gospel. st. Paul refers to their insid-
ious teachings as doctrines of demons"
These demons have blasphemed God
by teaching that He prepared for
the everlasting torture of nearly all hui
manity-except the Elect-at the hands
of fire-proof demons.
Thus the human mind was turned
against God in dread. Thus humanity
learned to think of Satan and his asso-
ciates as in some far-off place-not near
them. But now, the Pastor said, that
humanity are gradually learning that
the theory of a great torture place is a
hoax, these demons would lead truth
seekers to the opposite extreme, and
convince them that there is no such
place, nor are there any demons.
Cast Down to Tartarus.
The Bible. however. teaches that
these spirits are near us-in our at
mosphere- that they have power
over us only as we yield our wills to
their suggestions. and our minds to sin.
st. Peter says that Satan goes about
through the earth. seeking whom he
may devour; and that his host of fallen
angels are present power for evil
throughout the world. Jesus bids us
pray, 'Deliver us from the Evil One"
Pastor Russell said that st. Peter tells
us that the fallen angels were cast
down to Tartarus at the time of the
Deluge. The word taTtGrus is used only
once in the Bible, and mistranslated hell.
We must not confound the Bible
story Of the fall Of the angels with the
symbolic picture of the Revelation,
where Satan is cast out Of heaven. said
the speaker. This does not refer to the
literal Heaven. 1t is fgurative descrip-
ton OF events which occurred long ago.
when the Roman Empire was over
thrown and Papacy set itself up, claim
ing to be Messiah's Kingdom.
satan's First Lie Perpetuated.
The Pastor then showed at some
length that although God could have
destroyed Satan at any time, yet He
has permitted him to continue in his
course for six thousand years. in order
to demonstrate the evil character of
sin, In contrast with the beauty Of holt
ness. When men and angels shall have
learned their lesson well, Satan and all
who love sin will die the Second Death.
Note Satan's persistency and effront-
cry, said the Pastor. God distinctly
told Adam that disobedience would
bring death. Satan contradicted the
Almighty pointblank, declaring. "Ye
shall not surely die" When mankind
experienced death, Satan continued to
pervert Gods Word and mems minds
by saying that when men die. they do
not die really; but that a dead man is
more alive than is living one.
This absurdity has been repeated to
our race century after century, until
all believe Satan's lie and discredft
Gods Word. The way back to God
and to sanity of reasoning is to repu-
date the lie. and believe Gods Truth:
The dead know not anything"
Ii the Truth prevailed. where would
come in prayers and masses for the
dead? If the dead know not anything.
how can they suffer i'm hell or nuroo-
tory? Where would come in the belief
OF those who claim to have communities
ton with the dead?