The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-04-20

L.
of any found incorrigible after having
received full opportunity of return to
God through the merit of Christ's sacri-
fee. The Bible everywhere holds out
the thought that the Church now, and
the world in its trial Day future. viii
be in danger of Gehenna destruction
the Second Death Speaking of wilful
sinners against full light. ST. Paul says
"Who shall lie punished with everlast-
ing destruction" q Thess. 17-9J st.
Peter SAYS they shall perish like nat
ural brute beasts."-2 Peter 2:l2.
Release From Sheoi, Hades, the Tomb.
Bible students know that Sheol and
Hades could not be places Of eternal
torture; for the Scriptures say that
they shall be destroyed. If Sheol and
Hades are to be destroyed, how could
anybody be tortured there everlasting
ly? The clergy know these things very
WELL but hide them from the people
Hosea 1914 reads. 20 grave ISheol],
will be thy destruction l Corinthi-
ans 1856. 20 grave [Hadesl, where b
thy yictoryY Revelation 20:14, Death
and He'll Hadesl shall be cast into the
Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death "
These Scriptures mean that the grave
shall not always triumph over the hu
man family, that mankind will be de
livered by Messiah's Kingdom from the
power of the tomb, that we can rely
upon Gods promise that ultimately
Hades, the tomb, will be destroyed In
the Second Death, symbolically repre-
scented by the Lake of Fire. Note that
the symbol is explained the Lake OF
Fire, which IS the Second Death"
In other words, all that are in then
graves, in the tomb, the prison-house
of death, shall ultimately be set free by
the great Deliverer, the glorified Christ.
who already has laid down His life as
the Ransom-price, that sinners might
not perish. but have the opportunity of
everlasting life.
This opportunity has yet come only
to the Church, and to her by promise
Her covenant is to follow In her Mas
ter's footsteps unto death; and the
rior resurrection. because Of greater
trials of faith and obedience to sacri-
fee. 1.-THE gates of Hell shall not pre-
vail against her" (Matthew 1913,
That is, as the Heavenly Father raised
up Jesus Christ from the dead. SO the
gates of death shall not prevail against
the Church. Corinthians 15:4244.
With the world 1t will be different
Everything under the New Dispense
ton will prove that the reign OF Sin
and Satan has terminated, that the
Reign of Righteousness has begun.
They will find themselves, not only
coming back from the tomb, every
man in his own order,' but gradually
raised out of imperfection and weak
ness back to all that was lost In Adam
and redeemed at Calvary, If they will
follow instructions. The great prison
house will give up the prisoners; for
He who died on Calvary obtained the
key of Hades, as He tells us.-Isaiah
1919; Revelation 1:18.
The Rich Man In He'll.
The parable Of the Rich Man and
Lazarus would seem very simple IL our
minds had not been perverted with
error; but. filed with the perversion.
many find this parable difficult to I'M
derstand and are inclined to throw
away the entire Bible because OF 1t. We
hope to make the matter very plain.
nv. h., fhorayOb xv. rn,,u% no4a tho 20 NJ
that lovers of the eternal torment doc
trine insist that this is not a parable,
but literal description. Let US see.
Does it seem reasonable to say that
with nothing said about his character
as being either moral or immoral but
simply ON account of his fine clothes,
his sumptuous food, and his riches. a
man should be eternally roasted? Is
that logical Interpretation?
Similarly 1t is not said that Lazarus
was moral or immoral, but merely that
he was poor, ate crumbs at the rich
mans gate, and was full of sores,
which dogs licked. Is it reasonable to
suppose that sores and restitution,
without character, would be qualifica-
tons for Heaven? Surely not! II all
rich people 60 to eternal torment. II
all people who wear fine linen and
purple clothing and have plenty to eat
must suffer to all eternity. what an
aristocratic place Hell would be, and
how full II would be! On the other
hand. If only those who have sores and
dogs to lick them, who lie at a rich
mans gate and eat crumbs from his
table. go to Heaven, how few of us
win get therei Moreover, If it Is q
literal statement, then Abraham here
is literal person, as well as Lazarus;
and when Lazarus would get into his
bosom, how many more could Abraham
hold without letting some drop!
Surely this Is not literal statement
but a parable Let us treat 1t from
this viewpoint, remembering that q
parable never means what 1t says. For
instance. in the parable of the Wheat
and Tares. the wheat does not mean
wheat. but children of the King
dom'; the tares, children of the Wick
ed One" Accordingly, the Rich Mar
does not mean rich man, but stands
for some class; and Lazarus does not
mean poor man. but stands for some
class. Let us thus apply the matter.
Interpretation of the Parable.
We suggest that the Rich Man OF
the parable represented the Jewish
nation, rich in Gods favor. Their
spiritual table was bountifully sup
piled with gracious promises from God
They ''fared sumptuously," as no 9th.
er people did. To them belonged the
promise of the Kingdom, represented
by the purple raiment of royalty. AS
people they had the purging of their
sins, typical Justification, accomplished
on their annual Atonement Day. This
was their fine linen,' representing
that righteousness was thus imputed
to them as people.
In A. D. 70, the Rich Man, the Jew.
ish nation, died, when the last vestige
of the government was destroyed by
Titus, the Roman general. The nation
has been. asleep in Hades ever since
though the Jews have been very much
alive and have suffered many things
especially amongst professed Chris
tians of the tare class. Zionism, which
has sprung up within the past thirty
years. is the revival of hope that the
Rich Man will be resurrected from
Hades; and present indications point
to this as Il matter of speedy accom-
plishment-as soon as the fulness OF
the Gentiles shall have come into Spir
itual Israel-Romans 1852.
Lazarus represented outcasts who
desired favor with God. but We're
"aliens and strangers from the com