The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-12-06

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Pastor Russell to take The position
that lie has Let rs nov entef upop
a stddy Of the Millennium and tlie
eyents come eted it
AS already oticed, the resurrec
Ition Of the righteous marks the he
ginning Of the millennium, but there
Is something else that transpires Just
before the righteous are brought
forth, T. e., the second coming Of
Christ. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with shout,
with thevoice OF the orchangei, and
with the trumpet Of Cod: and tile
dead in Christ shall rise first. Then
we which are alive and remain shall
te caught up together with them in
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and SO shall we ever be with the
Lord" I.'Thes. 4:16-17. See also /.
Cor 15:49-55. This reference speaks
of the resurrection of the righteous
and show it to be directly connected
with the coming Of Christ. Why did
not the speaker deal more with tffe
second coming of Christ, and why did
he use only part of the Scripture that
refers TO this event? The reason is
Obvious, as will be shown farther on.
Let us notice the nature Of the
second coming of Christ Will it be
literal coming? One that both
righteous aud wicked will seeF A
personal coming? "For l know that
my redeemer liveth, and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the
earth: And though after my skin
worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall 1 see God: Whom 1 shall
see for myself, and mine eyes shall
behold and not another" Job 1925
81. "For as the lightning cometh
out of, the east, and shineth even
unto the vest; SO shall also the COM
ing ofJthe Son of Man be? Matt!
24:27-3O. See also Acts 1911.
Every eye shall see him. Rev. III.
These scriptures prove that the COM
ing of Christ will be visible to'all,
both righteous and wicked.
The references given above show
ing that the coming of Christ will be
personal, and visible to the eye of all,
let us now see what happens to both
righteous and wicked, AS already
noticed, the righteous are brought
forth from their dusty beds, then
we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them In
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord" 1. Thes. ALL!
This is one thing that this text
completely overthrows Of Pastor Rus
sells views, /. e., the fact that the
righteous are taken to heaven. and
do not spend the thousand years upon
this earth. All the references given
speaking Of Christ's return to this
earth show him to come in the clouds
where this text shows that the right
eous meet him. The next seen of
them is before the throne Of God iu
heaven. Read inclusiyely from the
14th verse of the fourteenth chapter
to the third verse of the fifteenth
chapter Of Revelation:
Now concerning the wicked, what
becomes Of them att Chrlsts second
coming? Are they given another OPP
portunity as Pastor Russell declares?
The question revolves around the
statement in Revelation 20:5, But
the rest Of the dead lived not again
until the thousand years were finish
Cd" What constitutes the death
that is mentioned here? Does 1t mean
the literal death such as men die
now? Or has it a symbolic mean
ing, "dead in 'trespasses and sins?
Pastor Russell evidently thinks 1t
means the latter, and not a literal
death at all, and that it is the wori:
OF the church during the thousand
years, to raise the human family
step by step to the standing of Adam
mentally, morally and spiritually.
Those dead in trespasses and Sins
cannot be said to be alive until they
have reached this standard. Let the
Bible answer this question as to the
poturn of This death
At the second coming Of Christ the
wicked are destroyed by the bright
ness and glory of his presence, as the
following references will show. And
then shall that wicked be revealed
whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit Of his mouth, and shall de-
stroy with the brightness Of his COM
ing" 2 Thes. 2:S. "And 10 you who
are troubled rest with us, when the
Lord shall be revealed from heaven
with is mighty angels, in flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and obey not the Cos
pei Of our Lord Jesus Christ: VINO
shall be punished with everlasting
Decentralization the presence OF the
Lord, and from the glory OF Ills
power" Thes. 1879. "Nnd the
slain of the Lord shall be at that day
from one end of the earth even unto
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