The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-03

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was necessary that some ocular demon
stration should be made Il constitute
the basis for their faith, and ours.
incidentally, there were given them
various proofs that he was no longer
a desh being-that he had experienced
a complete change OF nature. These
proofs were His repeated manifesto
tions to His disciples, during the forty
days between His resurrection and His
ascension. These appearances were
SO circumstanced as to leave no doubt
that they were miracles. such as previ-
ously had been wrought when angels
appeared In the flesh to- mankind.
During the three and on half years
OF His ministry, Jesus had never ap.
peared miraculously to- His followers,
had never vanished out of their sight.
Tt is not d quality. OF human nature
to appear In a room while the doors
are shut, or to appear in. the garb of
a gardener. then In that OF a. traveller,
and at other times bearing the wounds
OF His crucihxion. ALL these things
demonstrated the great change which
had occurred.
~ Ascend 20 My Father"
After the forty days were ended.
Jesus ascended up where He was be:
fore. AS His resurrection body was o
spirit body, His ascending would not
have been visible, had He not for their
sakes appeared In a body OF flesh and
blessed them, and assembled with that
body until a cloud received Him. Then
the Hiesh-body, created for that special
occasion, ceased to be, It was just as
when IN angel appeared to Manoah
and his wife. After talking with
them, the angel ascended in the fame
Of the altar, and the human body, Gre
ated for the very purpose of the mani
~festation. dissolved into gases. So 1t
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 assembled where
He was before, except that, as the
Apostle declares, He was received to
superior distinction. He was seated at
the right hand Of Divine Majesty, as
stated In the prophecy, "Sit Thou at
My right hand until 1.-THE time come
whenl I [will] make Thy foes Thy
footstool."-Psalm 110:1.
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 was His own
death. the Just for the unjust. The
time was set when Satan. the prince of
this world. should be bound for a thou
sand years, and his captives 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 Satan'S 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 q multi
tude of captives. First in the list Of
captives released were those disciple:
Of Jesus who received Him at the Firs
Advent, and who were received Of the
Father. Others Of the same class have
followed all down the Gospel Age-al
c%onquerors of self, all victors through
Christ.
The picture bids us 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 thai
they will all have a full opportunity tt
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 witt
Satan, as the adyersaries of God.
die Gave Gifts Unto Man."
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; fol
the perfecting of the saints for thu
work Of the ministry, for the edifyint
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 {
perfect man, unto the measure OF The
stature Of the fitness of Christ"
Ephesians 4:11-13.
These are the gifts OF the Lord Jesus
during the Gospel Age. After thu
Body Of Christ has been perfected ii
the First Resurrection the Lords bless
Ing will extend to the non-elect world
as indicated by the prophecy, YEA, fol
the rebellious ALSO
The blessings yet to come to tht
world will be wonderful. They will in
clude the binding of Satan for a thou
sand years, the restraining of all evi
Influences. and the inauguration o
the Kingdom. The gifts Of the Lort
to the world will be, In part, His owr
Kingdom for a thousand years-tht
greatest boon. the greatest blessing
that could possibly be imagined.
Another gift Of Christ to the world
will be the Church In glory. These
then associated with the great Re
Saemer will be supervising earth's af
FAIRS, overthrowing everything that 4
contrary to Divine Love and Justice
and blessing all who come into ful
accord with the Lord.
Another channel Of blessing to thi
world will he fine Anaiapt FVorfhtas