River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-05-20

rection change; and the Scriptures do
not attempt to give US an explanation.
The Bible merely declares that as we
now bear the image Of the earthly.
Adam, we shall by the glorious resur-
rection change be given a share In the
nature and likeness of the Second
Adam, our glorious Lord. We shall
be like Him and see Him as He Is Il
John 3:2) And be it noted, we must
be changed from flesh and blood con-
ditions to spirit conditions by resur-
| rection power. in order that we may
see Him as He is. Surely this fact
proves that our Lord Jesus is no long
er flesh, as He was once-"in the days
of His fesh.'-Hebrews 81.
Heavenly Bodies Versus Earthly Bodies.
st. Paul calls attention to the diff
! ference between celestial bodies and
terrestrial. or earthly bodies, and de-
clares that they have different glories.
He tells US that the first Adam was
made a living soul. human being;
but that our Redeemer, who humbled
Himself and took the earthly nature
for the suffering of DEATH" thereby
became the Second Adam-the Heav
emily Lord. The wide distinction be-
tween the first Adam and the Second
Adam Is clearly set forth. One was
earthly, and the other Heavenly. AS
we now bear the image Of the earthly.
we shall, if faithful, bear the Heavenly
image of our Lord, the Second Adam,
after our resurrection change.
| ST Paul illustrates by saying that
we know of many kinds Of organisms
on the earthly plane-one flesh Of man,
another Of beasts, another Of birds and
/ another Of fishes. But however differ
ent the organisms, they are all earthly.
So on the Heavenly plane, the spirit
| plane, there are varieties Of organisms,
but all are spirit.
Our Heavenly Father is the Head
or Chief-''God is Spirit Cherubim.
seraphim. and the still lower orders of
angels are all spirit beings; and Christ.
our Redeemer, after finishing the work
Of sacrificing appointed to Him. was
resurrected to the Spirit plane-far
above angels, principalities and powers
next to the Father Ephesians 1:2O-
23.) Thus we read Nov the Lord Is
that Spirit; and again, HE was put to
death In the flesh, but quickened tmade
aliye] in the spirit. % Corinthians
3:17; Peter 3:18.
The more we examine the subject,
the more foolish and unscriptural ap-
| pear the views handed down to us from
the Dark Ages. For instance, the
Scriptures clearly set forth that our
Redeemer, prior to becoming a man,
was a spirit being-"the Only Begot-
ten Of the Father. full Of grace and
truth" His leaving the spirit plane to
become man is Scripturally described
as q great stOOp, or humiliation. Is 1t
reasonable to suppose that the Heav-
emily Father would perpetuate to all
eternity that humiliation, after it had
served it's purpose? Surely not!
The Bible tells us why Jesus hum
bled Himself to the human nature-"a
little lower than the angels" 1t was
because q man had sinned, and the Re-
deemer must, under the Law, be on
the same plane as the one whom He
would redeem. Thus Jehovah partic-
ularly specified, "An eye for an eye, q
tooth for a tooth, life for a life"
Hence the death of an angel or of our
Lord in His pre-human condition could
not have effected the payment Of mans
penalty and the consequent release of
the condemned race. Thus again we
read, "A body hast Thou prepared Me, y
for the suffering Of death."-Hebrews
1915; 20.
No one questions that this applies
exclusively to our Lords experiences
during the years in which He who
was rich became poor for our sakes,
that we through His poverty might be
made rich" Surely it Is indispensable
that the Father would arrange a Plan
by which our Redeemer's faithfulneSs
in accomplishing mans redemption
would cost Him an eternity of poverty,
humiliation, degradation to plane "a
little lower than the angels; while the
Church would be made rich and would
attain a spirit state ''far above angels"
be made partakers of the Divine na-
ture.-2 Peter Ia.
"God Hath Highly Exalted Him."
On the contrary, the very same Apos-
tie who tells us of our Lords humilia-
ton carries the matter to the climax,
and teTls us of His faithfulneSs, as the
Man Christ Jesus, unto death. even
the death Of the cross" Then he adds
an assurance of the Heavenly Fathers
faithfulness in not leaving His Son on
lower plane: Wherefore God also
highly exalted Him. and hath given
Him name above every name."-
Philippians 30.
This is in harmony with our Lords
words in His prayer to the Father. A
JOY had been set before Him-the Joy
of pleasing the Father, of bringing a
blessing to mankind, and also of exal-
tation. as a special reward for obedi-
ence. But the Redeemer, ignoring all
the promises of a higher glory as a re-
ward for His faithfulness. merely
IN.f IL,