The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-09

uiiihis "f the Apostles. they would no
be IN a fit condition to continue to b,
the disriples of Jesus. On the othel
hand. they We're unable to receive spir
itual things until after the sihrit-beget
ting at Pentecost. Hence the instruc
tion given Them must necessarily bt
along earthly lines.
Let us suppose that Jesus had mo-
appeared In the flesh after His resur
| rect1on. Suppose that He had appear
ed as He did 10 Saul Of TarSus-as 8
| great light shining from Heaven. above
the brightness of the sun. and spoken
to them. What proof would they have
had that II was the same Jesus who
mad died: How would he message OF
His resurrection and ascension been
conveyed to their minds? Evidently II
was necessary that some ocular demon
stration should be made to constitute
the basis for their faith. and ours.
incidentally. there We're given them
various proofs that He was no longer
flesh being-that He had experienced
| a complete change of nature These
proofs We're His repeated manifesta-
tons to His disciples during the forty
days between His resurrection and His
| ascension. These appearances We're
so circumstanced as to leave no doubt
that they We're miracles. such as prevl-
ousiy had been wrought when angels
appeared In the flesh to mankind.
During the three and one half years
| or His ministry, Jesus had never APP
peared miraculously to His followers.
had never vanished out of their sight
1t is not a quality of human nature
TO appear In room while the doors
are shut, or to appear In the garb Of
a gardener. then in that of traveller.
and at other times bearing the wounds
of His crucifixion. All these things
demonstrated the great change which
had occurred.
81 Ascend TO My Father"
After the forty days were ended.
Jesus assembled up where He was be
fore. AS His resurrection body was a
spirit body, His ascending would not
have been visible. had He not for their
sakes appeared in body Of flesh and
blessed them, and assembled with that
body until cloud received Him. Then
the tiesh-body, created for that special
occasion. ceased to be- 1t was just as
when an angel appeared to Manoah
and his wife. After talking with
them. the angel assembled In the flame
OF the altar, and the human body, Gre
ated for the very purpose of the mani
festation.. dissolved into gases So it
was with Jesus,
Jesus real ascension was His as
sumption Of the Heavenly glory. The
disciples saw very little of this. but
what they did see fixed in their minds
the great fact that their Redeemer
would not manifest Himself in the
flesh again. Our Lord ascended where
He was before. Except that. as the
Apostle declaresoiHe was received. to
superior distinction. He was seatefat
the right hand Of Divine Majesty. as
stated in the prophecy. ''Sit Thou at
My right hand until 1.-THE time come
whenl l Twill make Thy foes Thy
footstool. Psalm llO:1.
The Return of the losos.
The Logos left His glory that He
might deliver the world from the pow
er of sin and death. The primary step
necessary to this end His own
death. the Just for the unjust The
time was set when Satan. the prince OF
this world. should be bound for thou
sand years. and his captiyes in sin and
death released. The only thing re-
naming TO be done was that the
Church class should be developed The
period for their development was so
fixed that it should be accomplished
by the time Satans empire would be
due to fall
Having this in mind, we grasp the
poetic declaration of our ,text-that Je-
sus assembled on High. leading a multi
tude of cantiyes First in the list OF
captives released were those disciples
of Jesus who received Him at the First
Advent. and who were received of the
Father. Others of the same class have
followed all down the Gospel Age-all
conquerors of self. all yictors through
Christ,
The picture bids MS look away down
into the future. and for a thousand
years see the thousands of millions OF
Adams race returning from bonds OF
sin and death. 1t bids us realize that
they will all have full opportunity to
recover the perfect human nature. the
earthly image of the Divine Father
except such as shall refuse the liberty
of the sons Of God. and perish with
Satan, as the adversaries Of Cod
"He Gave Gifts Unto Men,"
st. Paul specified the gifts secured
for the Church by her Redeemer. say
ing. 'He gave some. Apostles; and
some. prophets; and some. evangelists;
and some pastors and teachers: for
the perfecting of the saints for the
work of the ministry. for the edifying
of the Body Of Christ: till We all come
In the unity of the faith. and Of the
knowledge OF the Son of God. unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness Of Christ
Ephesians 4:ll-13.
These are the gifts of the Lord Jesus
during the Gospel Age. After the
Body of Christ has been perfected in
the First Resurrection. the Lords bless
ing will extend to the non-elect world.
as indicated by the prophecy. Yea. for
the rebelliolls Also
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