The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-04-22

z Ai"hNAttf anu khNa PNtN"iht ~ Abt "
them Why3 because, rs again th,
Scriptures say. There is neither wis
dom. nor knowledge, nor device, IA She
~. whittier thou gucst WHITTIER All "a
This exactly acconls with the Divine
statement. The wages OF Gin &
dealt" The soul that sinneth. IL shall
die" There l. not word N the Bib,
for the commonly accepted thought
that those who die 20 10 Heaven OF
/ purgatory or eternal torment Al
these teachings are found IN the yari
Gus creeds, the Bible alone tells th,
/ simple story. reasonable, harmonious
Gehenna Fire--Seeond Death.
IL Is true that Jesus used the word
Gehenna IRE, and that our translators
mixed up the English reader by trans
lating this word He'll, the same as
Hades. But us all scholars will admit,
Jesus used the word fire here sym.
bolically, just as we use 1t. TO represent
destruction Thus our newspapers tell
about the great contagration in Europe
mot literal lire. but war, causing great
destruction.
so Jesus pointed out that. although
He had come 10 save men from death
and eventually by a resurrection 10 lift
up all who had gone down TO Hadcs,
nevertheless the relief would be only
temporary, except TO those who would
conform to Divine Law. All others
under that Second Trial would be con
demned as unworthy of everlasting
life and would die again. This Second
Death would be everlasting, because
Christ would not die again for those
who would sin wilfully after being re
leased from the first sentence.
Pointing to the valley outside of
Jerusalem, used as garbage furnace
and called in the Greek Gehenna. and
In Hebrew Valley OF Hinnom and also
Tophet, Jesus declared that II illustrat-
ed the fate Of all wilfu sinners. Dead
cats and dogs, etc, were thrown into
the Valley of Hinnom. Gehenna, where
fires were kept burning and where
birthstone was burned to Kill the germs.
1t Is said that criminals Of the worst
type, after execution, were thrown into
that valley, as intimating that they
would not share in the resurrection.
This thought Jesus emphasized the ut
ter destruction, In the Second Death,
of any found incorrigible after having
received full opportunity Of return to
God through the merit Of Christ's sacri-
flee. The Bible everywhere holds out
the thought that the Church now, and
the world in its trial Day future. will
be in danger Of Gehenna destruction
the Second Death. Speaking Of wllful
sinners against full light, St Paul says,
"Who shall be punished with everlast
Ing destruction" g Thess IT'D St
Peter says they shall perish like nat
ural brute beasts. % Peter 2:12.
Release From Sheol, 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 |
we'll but hide them from the people. |
Hosea 1914 reads, 20 grave [SheoIl | |
will be thy destruction ] Corinthi-
ans 1886, 20 grave IIadesl where is
thy victory?' Revelation 2014, Death
and Hell 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 hui
man family, that mankind will be de-
|ivered 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-
sented 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 their
graves, in the tomb, the prison-house
If death, shall ultimately be set free by
he great Deliverer, the glorified Christ,
who already has laid down His life as
he Ransom-price, that sinners might
lot perish but have the opportunity Of
life.
This opportunity has yet come only
o the Church, and to her by promise
Her covenant il to follow In her Mas
ers footsteps unto DEATH and the
'romise Is that she shall have a supe-
Tor resurrection, because Of greater
rails Of faith and obedience to sacri-
zee. "The gates Of He'll shall not pre-
all against her" Matthew 1G:1S)
hat IL, as the Heavenly Father raised
p Jesus Christ from the dead, so the
ates Of death shall not prevail against
be Church, Corinthians 15:42-44.
With the world 1t will be different.
under the New Dispense
on will prove that the reign OF Sin
nd Satan has terminated, that the
.eign OF Righteousness has begun. /.
hey will find themselves, not only
Dming back from the tomb, every /,
ian In his own order" but gradually
iised out Of imperfection and weak \
ess back to all that was lost In Adam
nd redeemed at Calvary, II they will =
,llow instructions. The great prison ,