Chapter XVI. Heaven and Hell

            The Scriptures speak of two places, “Heaven” and “Hell,” where the “righteous” and “wicked” respectively are to spend eternity. The one demands the other. There can be no Heaven without its counterpart Hell. If there is no Hell there is no Heaven, for the same Book speaks of both.

I. HEAVEN

            Heaven is a “PLACE,” it is not a state or condition. The New Jerusalem is not Heaven, though it is a city of Heaven. The Apostle John tells us that he saw it “coming down from God OUT OF HEAVEN.” Revelation 21:2.

            It is the “PLACE” that Jesus told His Disciples He was going away to prepare for them. John 14:2. It did not exist at the time Jesus was on earth. It was built between the time Jesus ascended in A. D. 30, and the time when John saw it in vision descend from Heaven in A. D. 96, or if not yet built, it will be built before the Rapture of the Church, for it is to be the Residence of the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife. Revelation 21:9-10. Of Abraham we read – “He looked for a City which hath foundations, whose ‘builder’ and ‘maker’ is GOD.” Hebrews 11:10. The New Jerusalem is that City. The Apostle says – “Here we have no continuing city (permanent abiding place), but we seek one to come.” Hebrews 13:14.

            The Scriptures speak of three Heavens. (1). The Heaven of the earth’s atmosphere. “God gave you rain from heaven.” Acts 14:17. (2). The Heaven of the Stars. The “High Places” where the “Principalities and Powers” of evil have their abode. Ephesians 6:12. (3). The Heaven where God dwells. It was to this “Third Heaven” that the Apostle Paul was caught up, when at Lystra he was stoned and his spirit apparently left his body. Acts 14:19-20. Paul calls it both the “Third Heaven” and “Paradise.” 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. The two then must be identical, or “Paradise” be a part of the “Third Heaven.” It is to this “Paradise Section” of Heaven that the “Soul” and “Spirit” of the Righteous go since the Resurrection of Christ. See the Chapter on “The Spirit World,” page 76. The word “Paradise” means a “garden” or “enclosed place.” It must therefore be a most beautiful place of trees and flowers and fruits. There the “Spirits” of the Righteous in their “Soulish” bodies, conscious and happy, and in fellowship with loved ones and the saints of all Ages, await the First Resurrection, when, having received their glorified bodies, and been judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and married to the Lamb (Christ), they go to dwell in the New Jerusalem, the home of the Bride. See Chart, page 216. From this we see that we must distinguish between Heaven proper, and its suburb Paradise, and the New Jerusalem.

            But we must not forget, that while Paradise, the place where the Saints of God now dwell, is a glorious place, and the Saints are there in the enjoyment of Heavenly things, that they are under certain limitations. They have not as yet received their resurrection body with all its glorious powers, nor been judged so as to receive their reward, or crown, if they are entitled to any. The description of Heaven and the New Jerusalem as given in the Book of Revelation from the third chapter to the end of the Book, is still future, and the things there described will not come to pass until after the Rapture of the Church, so what is said of the New Jerusalem and its occupants does not apply until after the Judgment of Believers. See my book on Revelation. While the Saints were removed from the Paradise section of “The Underworld” when Christ rose from the dead, and taken to the Paradise of the “Third Heaven” to be near Christ, so that now to depart and be with Christ (Philippians 1:23) is most blessed, it does not follow that their state there is any more blissful than it was in The Underworld. It is well that we get this Scriptural view of the place and condition of the Saints between death and the resurrection of the body clearly in our mind, for there is so much unscriptural teaching as to the state of the dead between death and the resurrection.

            While the state of the Righteous dead is incomplete, it is most blissful and happy, but more a state of rest and waiting than a state of activity or service. Revelation 14:13, Revelation 6:9-11. The Saints in Paradise will be free from sin and temptation, from sorrow, sickness and death. Their environment will be conducive to holy living, and the atmosphere of the place will be that of love. They will enjoy the society of holy men of old, as Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Peter, John and Paul. They shall meet and know their loved ones, and the mysteries of this life will all be solved. They will have a “New Song,” and delight in ascribing their salvation to the Lamb. But after they get their resurrection body, and are rewarded for their works, they will be assigned to tasks for which they are best qualified, and for which their earth life fitted them. For instance David will be a King or Prince, Daniel a Statesman, Moses a Lawgiver, Paul a Missionary, for during the Millennial Reign of Christ the saints will be coworkers with Him. Moses and Elijah came back to earth as God’s witnesses, and why shall not we? The angels work and the redeemed shall work. But with all our service we shall never grow old, nor tired, nor weary, and we shall pass the whole of eternity with our Lord as “joint heir” with Him of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that shall not fade away, reserved in Heaven for us. 1 Peter 1:3-5. Heaven then is our “Father’s House,” it is a HOME, and a place of “many Mansions.” John 14:2. It will be delightful to go there. Some people live in fear of death (Hebrews 2:15), and cannot bear to think of it, but those of us who know that Heaven is to be our Eternal Home ought not to fear “Death,” for it is “Death” that opens the door for our “Exodus” from earth to glory.

FIRST EXPERIENCES AFTER DEATH

            Did you ever stop to think of what happens to the Righteous Soul during the first five minutes after death? Before the funeral has been held, and the body laid away in the cemetery, nay, before the undertaker has been sent for, or the neighbors and relatives notified, or the shades drawn, or the silent watchers at the bedside have realized that you are dead you have been FIVE MINUTES out of the body and reached Paradise and know where you are to spend eternity. Now what will be our experiences in those first five minutes? (1). Our first experience will be that death was so easy. That it was like falling asleep and awaking in a beautiful world. That there was no “Valley of Death,” with its hobgoblins, satyrs, and demons, to traverse, no “dark river” to cross, but that “Ministering Angels” were waiting to convoy us to Paradise as they carried Lazarus. Luke 16:22. Hebrews 1:1314. What a delight it will be to meet our “Guardian Angel,” who has watched over us in our “earth life,” and who will not desert us in that supreme moment when we shall need a guide to conduct us to our Heavenly Home. (2). Our second experience will be the consciousness that we have left behind our earthly body with all its weaknesses, sufferings, and limitations, and have a body that is absolutely well and fitted in every way for the spiritual realm in which it is to dwell. (3). Our third experience will be that we are being transported swiftly upward through the ethereal space toward a beautiful country whose radiance is brighter than the sun, and as we approach it see coming out to meet us and escort us home, groups of angels who sing – “Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates of the city.” Revelation 22:14. (4). Our fourth experience will be that we are in a new environment whose atmosphere is LOVE. That there is no discord, or lack of harmony in our new home, and that its chief characteristic is HOLINESS. (5). Our fifth experience will be the feeling that we are near Jesus. If we do not actually see Him, we shall have the consciousness of His nearness. (6). Our sixth experience will be that of meeting our loved ones. While the writer does not believe that our loved ones have any direct knowledge of what is going on on this earth, yet he believes that our “Guardian Angel” may communicate with our loved ones and inform them of our coming, and that they will be waiting to receive us. (7). Our seventh experience will be the meeting with the saints who have preceded us to glory, such as the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and Christian leaders of our own day. The experiences named may not all happen in the first five minutes after death, but they doubtless will happen before our funeral service is over and our body laid to rest in the tomb.

II. HELL.

            To have a correct view of the other world, and of “Hell,” it is necessary that we have a Scriptural understanding of –

THE UNDERWORLD.

The Hebrew word “SHEOL” is found 65 times in the Old Testament. It is translated 31 times, “HELL;” 31 times, “GRAVE;” 3 times, “THE PIT.” The corresponding word in the Greek of the New Testament is “HADES.” It is translated 10 times “HELL.” ”Sheol” and “Hades” mean “The Unseen State,” or the place to which the “Soul” and “Spirit” of the dead go between the death and the resurrection of the body. The “bodies” of the dead go into the “Grave,” the word for which in the Hebrew is “GEBER,” and in the Greek “MNEMEION.” Neither “Sheol” nor “Hades” denote the “Hell” of final punishment of the wicked. That is called in the Hebrew of the Old Testament “TOPHET,” and in the Greek of the New Testament “GEHENNA.” Neither do they denote “THE BOTTOMLESS PIT” (Revelation 20:1-3), that is “ABUSSOS,” nor the “prison house” of the “Fallen Angels” (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6), that is “TARTARUS.” Their general meaning is – “THE UNDERWORLD.” [Tartarus, Tophet, Gehenna, Sheol, and Hades mean nothing to English speaking peoples. Therefore, the proper term to use for that place of eternal fire is HELL. It is the same term that the perfect King James Bible uses.]

            That we may the better understand the relation of the places mentioned above to each other let us turn to the Chart, “The Heavens,” page 216. The word “Sheol” means a “hollow subterranean place,” therefore “Hades” must mean the same. It has “gates,” for Jesus said that the “Gates of Hell” (Hades), should not prevail against the Church. Matthew 16:18. And Jesus after His return from “The Underworld,” said—“I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold,Iam alive for evermore, Amen; and have the ‘KEYS’ (of the Gates) of hell and of death (the Grave).” Revelation 1:18. To get these “Keys” Jesus had to descend into the “lower parts of the earth.” Ephesians 4:9. The Apostolic Creed says that Jesus descended into “Hell”. Therefore hell, or “The Underworld,” must be in the “heart of the earth,” and is so pictured on the Chart. Jesus said to the penitent Thief “TODAY shalt thou be with me in ‘Paradise.’” Luke 23:43. And as Jesus “that day” descended into “The Underworld” or “Hell,” “Paradise” must have been in Christ’s day in “Hell.” But as it had been prophesied of Jesus that His “SOUL” (for His body was in Joseph’s Tomb on the surface of the earth) should not remain in “Hell” (Hades), (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27), therefore, before His body could see corruption, Jesus came back from “Hades.” But He did not come back alone. He seized the “Keys of Hades,” unlocked the Gates of the Paradise Section (P) in which He was confined, and emptied it of its captives, and when He ascended on high He took them to the Paradise section of the “Third Heaven” (E), where they now are, and since then the Paradise Section of “The Underworld” has been empty. Ephesians 4:8-10.

            In the account of the experience of the “Rich Man” and “Lazarus” in the other world (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus gives us a description of “The Underworld” as it was in His day. According to the narrative, for it is not a parable, for parables do not give proper names as Abraham and Lazarus, both the “Rich Man” and Lazarus had died and their bodies had been buried, and what happened to them in the “Underworld,” was descriptive of what happened to them in their “disembodied state.” In that state they were conscious, could see, hear, speak, and recognized each other. The difference was that Lazarus was in the “Paradise” section of the “Underworld” (P), typified by Abraham’s “bosom,” while the “Rich Man” was in the “Hell” section (H), not the final Hell, which is “Gehenna” (Lake of Fire), but in the section of the “Underworld” where the “souls” of the “Wicked” dead go, and remain until the resurrection of the “Wicked” dead. Between the “Paradise” (P) section, and the “Hell” (H) section of the “Underworld” there is an “Impassable Gulf” (K), (Luke 16:26), which reveals the fact that there is no possibility of the “Wicked” dead ever getting out of “Hell” into “Paradise.”

            On the Chart this “Impassable Gulf” is represented as the entrance to the “Bottomless Pit,” or “ABYSS” (A),.the “prison house” of the “Demons” (Revelation 9:1-21), and where Satan is to be bound for 1000 years. Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 20:7-8. The Old Testament speaks of a place in “The Underworld” called in the Hebrew “ABADDON,” and in the Greek “APOLEIA.” The word is translated in the Old Testament, “DESTRUCTION” (Proverbs 27:20. Job 26:6, Job 28:22, Job 31:12. Psalm 88:11. Proverbs 15:11), and the same in the New Testament (Matthew 7:13. Romans 9:22. Philippians 3:19. 2 Peter 2:1, 2 Peter 3:16). In Proverbs 27:20 it says – “Hell (Hades) and ‘Destruction’ (Abaddon) are never full,” thus connecting “Abaddon” with “Hades” (Sheol). The inference is that “Abaddon” is a part of “The Underworld,” and when we turn to Revelation 9:1-3, Revelation 9:11, this inference becomes a certainty, for there we read that the “King” of the “Bottomless Pit” is called in the Hebrew tongue “ABADDON,” but in the Greek tongue his name is “APOLLYON,” that is, the King of the * “Bottomless Pit” is named after the Hebrew and Greek words that are translated—“DESTRUCTION.” Now the word translated “Bottomless Pit” is “ABUSSOS,” or “ABYSS.” Nine times do we read of this “Abyss” in the New Testament. Romans 10:7. Revelation 9:1-2, Revelation 9:11, Revelation 11:7, Revelation 17:8, Revelation 20:1-3. It is the place into which the Demons besought Christ not to send them. Luke 8:31. The “Bottomless Pit” or “Abyss” (A) then is a deeper compartment in “The Underworld” than “Paradise” (P). or “Hell” (H), and is the place where the “Demons” and baser spirits are temporarily confined until they are finally consigned to the “Lake of Fire” to spend eternity with their Master, Satan.

            To the left of the “Bottomless Pit” is “TARTARUS” (T), the “prison house” of the “Fallen Angels.” 2 Peter 2:4. Jude 6. These “Angels” are not Satan’s angels, for they are at liberty. These “Fallen Angels” confined in “Tartarus” are the “Sons of God” who married the “Daughters of Men,” and whose abnormal sin caused the Flood. See Chapter two, pages 26 and 27. They are to remain in their “prison house” until the “Great White Throne” Judgment, when they with the “Wicked Dead” are to be judged. Jude 6.

            To the right of the “Bottomless Pit” is “GEHENNA” (G). This is the “Final Hell” or “LAKE OF FIRE” prepared for the Devil and his angels, into which the “Wicked,” after the “Great White Throne” Judgment, will be cast to spend eternity. Matthew 25:41. Revelation 20:12-15. It is called “TOPHET” in the Old Testament Hebrew (2 Kings 23:10. Isaiah 30:33. Jeremiah 7:31-32, Jeremiah 19:6, Jeremiah 19:11-14), and in the New Testament Greek it is twelve times called “GEHENNA” (Matthew 5:22, Matthew 5:29-30. Matthew 10:28. Matthew 18:9. Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:33. Mark 9:43, Mark 9:45-47. Luke 12:5. James 3:6), and five times the “LAKE OF FIRE.” It is as yet unoccupied. The first persons to get into it are the “Beast” and the “False Prophet” (Revelation 19:20), then “SATAN” and his Angels a 1000 years later (Revelation 20:10), and then after the “Great White Throne” Judgment the “Fallen Angels,” now confined in Tartarus, and all the wicked whose names are not found written in the “Book of Life.” Revelation 20:12-15. On the south side of Jerusalem was the “Valley of Hinnom.” At a high place in this valley called “Tophet,” in the times of Isaiah and Jeremiah, parents made their children to pass through the fire to Moloch. 2 Kings 23:10. This fire was kindled with brimstone. Isaiah 30:33. The locality afterward became a place for the burning of garbage from the City of Jerusalem. The fires were kept up perpetually, and the decaying matter as yet unconsumed bred worms. Jesus took this valley called “Ge-Hinnom,” corrupted into “GEHENNA,” and made it a type of “Hell” or the “Lake of Fire,” where “their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:43-48.

            At the upper part of the Chart “Heaven” is shown. It includes the present “Paradise” (E), and the “New Jerusalem” (J). And also gives the relative location of the “Judgment Seat of Christ” (C), and the “Great White Throne” (W). The “Arrow” marked lines give the course and destiny of the “Righteous” and “Wicked” dead.

            There are those who claim that “Sheol” (Hades) and the “Grave” are identical, and as there is no “knowledge” in the grave (Ecc 9:5, Ecc 9:10), therefore the soul “sleeps” until the resurrection of the body. But as it is only the “body” that goes into the “grave,” it is only the “body” that “sleeps” or “has no knowledge. The “Soul” and “Spirit” of a man goes to “Sheol,” not to the “Grave.” In Genesis 37:35 we read – “And all his (Jacob’s) sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, ‘For I will go down into the GRAVE unto my son mourning.’” [A reference to the English Revised (per)Version and the American Standard (per) Version was removed here.] So we see that Jacob did not mean that he would go “unto my son” in the “GRAVE,” for he did not believe that his son Joseph was in the “grave,” “but that he had been eaten by a “wild beast” (Genesis 37:33). What Jacob meant was that he would “go down” into SHEOL, “The Underworld,” and there he would meet Joseph, for it would be no comfort to go to a place (the grave) where he would know no one.

            In Genesis 25:8 we read – “Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was ‘GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE.’” The expression “Gathered to his people” has no reference to the “Grave” or “Family Burial Place,” for that was over in Chaldea, but it means that Abraham went to “The Underworld” where the souls of his ancestors had gone, and where he would be reunited to them. The same statement is made of Isaac (Genesis 35:29) with the additional statement, “and his sons BURIED HIM,” thus showing that while his “soul” was “gathered to his people” in “The Underworld,” his “body” was buried in the “grave.”

            Among those who teach that the “Soul” at death goes to “The Underworld,” are those who claim that the “souls” of those who are not as yet fully fit for Heaven go to a place called

PURGATORY.

The word “Purgatory” is not found in the Bible. The word means a “PLACE OF PURIFICATION.” The “Doctrine of Purgatory” was not known in the first century, and was not promulgated as a doctrine until 600 years after Christ. It had its origin in the belief that the souls of men when they die are not fit to go immediately to Heaven, and so an “Intermediate Place” was invented where they might wait for a while and be purged of their sin. The instrument of purification is physical suffering. The Doctrine further teaches that the soul in Purgatory can do nothing towards its own deliverance, and is dependent upon “prayers” and “masses” said by the living. The purpose of the Doctrine was to secure revenue for the Church by so working on the sympathy of loved ones, that they would pay for “Masses” to deliver the souls of their relatives and friends from the torments of Purgatory.

            The “Doctrine of Purgatory” is unscriptural. There is no “INTERMEDIATE PLACE” to be seen on the Chart between “Paradise” and “Hell,” and the “Impassible Gulf declares that there is no possibility of the occupants of “Hell” ever passing over into “Paradise.” This nullifies the “Doctrine of Purgatory,” and also the

RESTORATION THEORY.

The “Restoration Theory” is that after the “Wicked” have suffered in Hell for a time, and been sufficiently punished for their sins, that they will be restored and transferred to Heaven. The “Theory” includes Satan and his angels and all the “Evil Powers” of the Universe, and the final wiping out of Hell. The Scripture the advocates of this “Theory” use is –  

“Whom (Christ) the Heaven must receive until the ‘Times of Restitution of ALL THINGS, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His Holy Prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:21.

            The claim is that the “ALL THINGS” embrace everything in the Universe, and that therefore at the “Times of Restitution” (Restoration), “All Things” will be restored to their original glory and place. But there is a qualifying clause in the text which limits the “All Things” to what “God hath spoken by the mouth of all His Holy Prophets since the world began.” Now we must not forget that these words were spoken on the “Day of Pentecost” to the JEWS, and were to show the Jews that Christ would not return until they repented and were converted (Acts 3:19), and then He would restore to them the things that the Prophets had foretold He would.

            What were those things? (1). Their restoration to the land of Palestine. Amos 9:14-15. (2). The restoration of the Fertility of the Land. Joel 2:24-26. (3). The restoration of the Kingdom. Daniel 7:13-14. (4). The restoration of Edenic harmony in the brute creation. Isaiah 11:6-9. (5). The restoration of Patriarchal years. Zechariah 8:4. (6). The restoration of the earth to its Original condition before the Fall. Revelation 21:1. Nowhere in the Bible through the Prophets does God promise the restoration of the “Wicked,” or the “Evil Powers” of the Universe, but clearly and distinctly states that they are to be punished FOREVER AND FOREVER, or unto the “Ages of the Ages.” Revelation 20:10. Matthew 25 : 46.

            The “Restoration Theory” is based on the Doctrine of a “SECOND CHANCE.” That is, that the “Wicked” in the “Hell Section” of the “Underworld” shall be given another opportunity to accept Salvation. But how is this second offer to be made? Some claim that when Jesus descended into “Hades” He preached to the “Lost Spirits” confined there, and they base their argument on the words of Peter.  

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit (Holy Spirit) ; by which also He went and PREACHED TO THE ‘SPIRITS IN PRISON’; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited (120 years) in the days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” 1 Peter 3:18-20.

            But Jesus when He descended into the “Underworld”’ did not go into the “Hell Section,” but into the “Paradise ‘Section,” therefore He did not preach to the “Wicked Dead.” Again the Scripture quoted above says He preached to the “Spirits in Prison.” Now the “Spirits in Prison,” as we have seen, are not the “Wicked Dead,” but the Angels who lost their first estate by cohabiting with the Daughters of Men at the time of the Flood, and they are confined in “Tartarus,” and Jesus did not visit “Tartarus” when He descended into the “Underworld.” And Jesus did not preach to them Himself, He preached to them by the Holy Spirit, who through Noah preached for 120 years to those “Fallen Angels” while they were still on the earth, and before they were banished to “Tartarus.”

            If the Wicked are to have a “Second Chance” in the next world who is to proclaim it? If the things that are used by God in this life to lead men to Himself, such as providence, the Bible, the preaching of the Gospel, the striving of the Holy Spirit have no avail here, what is to lead men to God in Hell where those things are absent and their environment wholly evil? Character determines destiny. When character becomes fixed, condition is settled beyond change. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still.” Revelation 22:11. These words of revelation declare the “FIXEDNESS OF CHARACTER” at death.

            But you say the sufferings of the Wicked, and the memories of the lost opportunities of this life will lead to repentance. It is doubtless true that they will be sorry for their sin, but it will not be “godly sorrow,” for there will be no Holy Spirit there to lead them to “godly repentance,” and without Him they cannot be saved. If punishment will turn men to God, then the Gospel is superfluous, and it would be better to punish men than to preach the Gospel to them. The fact is that punishment hardens criminals. The “Rich Man” in Hell (Luke 16:23-28) showed no repentance, he did not beg for mercy, nor express a desire to be out of his place of torment and be where Lazarus was. He simply wanted relief for his parched tongue. The whole teaching of the Scripture is that punishment hardens the wicked. In the Book of Revelation we read how those who suffered under the Plagues of the Book instead of repenting and calling on God, called on the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth upon the Throne. Revelation 6:16-17. They also blasphemed God on account of the “Plague of Hail” (Revelation 16:21), and even Satan after a 1000 years of banishment in the “Bottomless Pit” comes out as bad as ever. Revelation 20:7-8. If men deliberately choose evil rather than righteousness in this world, they cannot keep Hell out of themselves, or themselves out of Hell. Men cannot sink so low in the moral scale but what they can sink lower, and the sad fact is that death will not retard their sinful development but will accelerate it, until it is beyond human conception to what depth the wicked will descend in Hell.

            But I think I hear someone say, Is it not possible for God to devise some way to save the Wicked in the next world? Does not the Bible say that God “Will have all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4) ; that he has “No pleasure in the death of the Wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11); and that Christ “Tasted death for every man.” Hebrews 2:9? Yes it says all this and much more. But it also says – “Behold, NOW is the accepted time . . . NOW is the Day of Salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.Isay it reverently, when God devised the “Plan of Salvation” through the death of His Son on the Cross, He went to the limit. If there had been any other way He would have provided it, rather than the Lord Jesus should suffer.

            But you ask does it not say in Philippians 2:10-11, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in ‘Heaven,’ and things in ‘Earth,’ and things ‘UNDER THE EARTH’ (in The Underworld) ; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord?” And does not John in the Book of Revelation describe that day when he says – “And every creature which is in ‘Heaven,’ and on the ‘Earth,’ and ‘UNDER THE EARTH,’ and such as are ‘in the sea,’ and ALL that are in them, heard I saying, blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever?” Revelation 5:13. Yes, the Bible says all this, but confession is not REPENTANCE. A conquered foe will admit the supremacy of the conqueror by virtue of necessity, but that does not imply a changed heart. Satan and his angels and all the “Powers of Evil,” in Heaven, Earth, and Hell, will confess that Jesus Christ is not only Lord, but King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but that will not restore them to Heavenly Glory. We must not forget that the issues of Eternity are settled in Time. Men and women are to be judged for what they do “IN THE BODY” (2 Corinthians 5:10), that is on this side of the grave, and not for what they do on the other side. Jesus said—“I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go YE CANNOT COME.” John 8:21. This shows that if men die impenitent they can never go where Jesus is.

            The “Doctrine of Purgatory” is the result of

A DEFECTIVE VIEW OF THE WORK OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS.

            It implies that the “Death of Christ” was not sufficient, for if it was sufficient then those who die in the faith have no need to spend any time in a “Purgatory,” but should go at once to “Paradise.” The fact that “MASSES” are offered for the dead shows a misconception of the purpose of the “Lord’s Supper.” The “Lord’s Supper” is not a “Sacrament.” There is nothing saving in it. It is simply a “MEMORIAL” that looks back to the “Cross,” and forward to the “Coming.” 1 Corinthians 11:26. Between the “Fall in Eden” and “Calvary” there is the “ALTAR,” between “Calvary” and the “Second Coming” there is the “TABLE,” and between the “Second Coming” and the “New Heaven and Earth” there is the “THRONE.” See the Chart on the “Threefold Work of Christ,” Page 198. What right then has any one to set up between “Calvary” and the “Second Coming” an “ALTAR,” where Christ has placed a “TABLE?” To call the “Table” an “ALTAR” is to make that which is offered upon it a “SACRIFICE,” and if the “Bread” and “Wine” represent the REAL BODY AND BLOOD of Christ, as those who teach the Doctrine of “TRANSUBSTANTIATION” claim, then every time a “MASS” is offered Christ is “SACRIFICED,” and the partaker of the “Mass” is a “GOD-EATER,” and also a “CANNIBAL” for feasting on the FLESH AND BLOOD of a human being.

            We must not forget the circumstances under which the “Lord’s Supper” was instituted. It was after the “Passover Supper.” Jesus was about to shed His blood on the Cross as the “Lamb of God,” which the Passover typified, and as the Disciples had just eaten of the “Passover Lamb,” whose blood had been previously shed, Jesus wished to show them that they must feed upon Him by faith as the “Lamb of God.” So He took the “Bread” and said – “This is (represents) my Body which was broken for you, this do in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24. “After the same manner also He took the ‘Cup,’ when He had supped, saying, ‘This “Cup” (the Fruit of the Vine in it) is the New Testament (Covenant) in My Blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.’” 1 Corinthians 11:25. When Jesus offered His Disciples the “Cup” saying of its contents this is “MY BLOOD,” did He open a vein and let His life blood flow into the Cup? Did the Disciples that night actually eat the FLESH and drink the BLOOD of Jesus? To ask the question is to answer it. What Jesus meant was that the “Bread” symbolized His Body about to be broken on the Cross, and the “Cup” symbolized His Blood about to be shed. What He desired to set before His Disciples was the fact that His death on the Cross would fulfil what the “Passover Lamb” typified, and that they would be reminded every time they partook of the Lord’s Supper that all animal sacrifices had been done away with, and that the offering of Himself was “once for all,” and that there is to be “no more offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:12-18.

ANNIHILATIONISM

            Annihilationism is the Doctrine that the wicked are to be destroyed at death, or later after Judgment. The Doctrine is based on a false view of Death, and a wrong interpretation of the word “Destruction.” If the wicked are destroyed at death then there is no such thing as the resurrection of the wicked dead and their judgment after resurrection, both of which the Scriptures clearly teach. John 5:28-29. Revelation 20:12-15. We know from Luke 16:19-31, that the wicked “Rich Man” was alive in Hell, though as to his body he had died, and it had been buried on the earth. Judas died as to his body, but his soul went to its own place. Acts 1:25. Again we are told that “endless punishment” awaits the wicked, but “Annihilation” would not be “endless punishment” or any punishment at all. The “Fallen Angels” were not annihilated, they are now in “Tartarus,” and are yet to be judged. Jude 6. There is no such thing as “Annihilation” in nature. Things pass into another form or condition, but are not destroyed. The word “Destruction” as used in the Bible never means annihilation or the blotting out of existence. It simply denotes “loss” or “ruin,” and that the thing “destroyed” is no longer fit for the purpose for which it was made or intended, and that the “form of its existence” is changed. To illustrate, the servants of Pharaoh said to him – “Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed.” Exodus 10:7. But Egypt exists today. And Jesus said – “Destroy this temple, and in three daysIwill raise it up.” John 2:18-22. He meant the “Temple of His Body,” and though they destroyed it by “Crucifixion,” He raised it up on the third day.

FUTURE PUNISHMENT ETERNAL

            In Matthew 25:46 we read – “And these (the Wicked) shall go away into ‘EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT;’ but the Righteous into LIFE ETERNAL.” Primarily these words are spoken of “The Nations” (Matthew 25:3132), but they apply to individuals. The words in this passage “Everlasting,” and “Eternal,” are both the same Greek word “AIONIOS,” and should both be translated “ETERNAL.” The word “Aionios” comes from the Greek word “aion,” which is the same as the English word “aeon,” or AGE. It has been said that the word means “Age-long,” that is, a “definite period” with a beginning and an ending, and not necessarily eternal in duration. The word “Eternal” is from the Latin word “aetas,” or “Age.” Now a year is a definite time. It has a beginning and ending. If we know its beginning we know that in exactly 365 days it will end. But an “Age” is an indefinite time. Of past “Ages” we know of their beginning and ending, though we may not be able to tell how long they were, for instance the “Creative Age.” But of Future Ages we do not know when they will begin or end. So the word “Age” is the only word we have to express “indefinite time,” and the phrase “Ages of the Ages” is the only way we have of expressing “Endless Duration,” or “ETERNITY.

            The lifetime of the “Lord God Almighty” is said to be “For Ever and Ever.” Revelation 4:9-10, 5 : 14, 10:6, 15 : 7. And means for the “Ages of the Ages.” And that is the time given for the punishment of the “Satanic Trinity” (Revelation 20:10), and the reign of the “Righteous.” Revelation 22:5. And as the “Wicked” are to exist as long as the “Righteous” they are to exist for the “Ages of the Ages” or for all “ETERNITY.” So we see if “Hell” is to be blotted out, “Heaven” will be blotted out, the Universe will become extinct, Eternity will end, and God be no more, a thought which is inconceivable.

THE SECOND DEATH

            It is said of the “Righteous Dead” that after their resurrection they can “DIE NO MORE.” Luke 20:36. But it is said of the “Wicked Dead” after their resurrection and Judgment that they shall “DIE AGAIN.” Revelation 20:12-15. What is this “SECOND DEATH?” What was their “First Death?” It was the separation of their “Soul” and “Spirit” from their “Body,” so that their “Soul” and “Spirit” could exist in the flames of the “Hell Section” of “The Underworld” as did the “Soul” and “Spirit” of the “Rich Man.” Luke 16:24. But as the Wicked after Judgment are consigned to the “LAKE OF FIRE” where a physical body would be consumed, it is necessary that they “DIE AGAIN,” that is, lose their resurrection body, and go only “Soul” and “Spirit” into the “Lake of Fire,” for “Soul” and “Spirit” can exist in flames. This explanation permits the “Lake of Fire” to be a Lake of LITERAL FIRE, and is in harmony with Christ’s teaching to that effect.

            It is a noteworthy fact that the “Doctrine of Hell” was mainly taught by Jesus Himself. It was He who said that the wicked shall be cast into the “Lake of Fire,” and that there should be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:49-50. Matthew 25:41. He also taught that the fire was quenchless, and their worm would never die. Mark 9:43-48. And as the Book of Revelation is the “Revelation of JESUS CHRIST,” Revelation 1:1, then whatever it teaches of the final doom of the Wicked, is the teaching of Jesus Christ.

            The Ethical value of the “Doctrine of Hell” and of “Endless Punishment” is beyond computation. Preach the doctrine of a “Second Probation” after death, that men and women after a life of sin here can get out of Hell and into Heaven by repentance and accepting the Gospel Plan of Salvation, and they will throw the reins of self-control on the neck of passion and ride at breakneck speed to perdition. It is the spread of such pernicious teaching that is the cause of the increase of lawlessness in the world. If there were more preaching of Hell in the pulpit there would be less of hell in the world. But why do men want to go to Heaven via Hell when they can go to Heaven direct? God is love, but God is JUST. He must preserve the Righteous from the Wicked. This demands that they be separated for all eternity. Therefore, O reader! if you are not a child of God, I beseech you to fly from the Wrath to come by accepting God’s overtures of mercy ere it be too late.

Chapter XXVII. Judasim and Christianity

            We must make a sharp contrast between “JUDAISM” and “CHRISTIANITY” or there will be confusion in our Scriptural Thinking. There is an overlapping between them, and the debatable ground is in that “Transition Period” between “Pentecost,” A. D. 30, and the “Destruction of Jerusalem,” A. D. 70, when the “JEWISH AGE” really ended in the “Dispersion” of the Jews. See the Chart, page 228. Hebrews 9:26, we read –  

“For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the ‘END OF THE WORLD’ (AGE) hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”

            The “Age,” in the “END” of which Jesus came to put away sin, was the “JEWISH AGE.” Jesus did not live in this “Christian Age.” He was crucified, dead, buried and ascended before it began. It began with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the “Day of Pentecost.” Jesus said – “Think not that I am come to destroy the ‘Law,’ or the ‘Prophets;’I am not come to destroy, but to FULFIL.” Matthew 5:17. The “Law” that Jesus came to fulfil was not the “Moral Law” (the Ten Commandments), though He kept that in every particular, but the “Ceremonial Law.” The “Ceremonial Law” typified what the Messiah was to do, or fulfil, when He came. He was to be the “Passover Lamb.” As such He was offered up at the “Passover Season.” In Him the “Sin Offering” was fulfilled. As the Goat of the “Sin Offering” He shed His blood at the Altar of the Cross, and as the “Scape Goat” He carried His own blood away, not into the Wilderness, but into the Holy Place of the Heavenly Tabernacle. Hebrews 9:11-12. In His conversation with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, on the afternoon of the day He arose, He said – “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His Glory? And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things CONCERNING HIMSELF.” Luke 24:25-27. The same evening in the city of Jerusalem Jesus appeared to the “Eleven” and them that were with them, and said – “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be FULFILLED, which were written in the ‘Law of Moses,’ and in the ‘Prophets,’ and in the ‘Psalms,’ CONCERNING ME.” Luke 24:44. So we see that “Christ is the ‘END OF THE LAW for Righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:4. That is, He fulfilled the Law, and we as Believers are no longer under Law but under GRACE. But while we are no longer under the “Ceremonial Law,” that being fulfilled in Christ, we are under the “Moral Law,” the “Ten Commandments,” for while they are distinctly Jewish, yet their observance is required of every Christian Believer as laid down by the Apostles in their Epistles, with one exception, and that the observance of the Sabbath, or the Seventh Day of the Week. That is not obligatory upon the Christian. He is supposed to observe the First Day of the Week.

            The Ten Commandments as reproduced in the New Testament are as follows: (1). One God. 1 Timothy 2:5. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6. (2). Idolatry. 1 Corinthians 10:7, 1 Corinthians 10:14. 1 John 5:21. (3). Profanity. Colossians 3:8. Matthew 6:9. (4). Sabbath. They are warned against keeping it. Galatians 4:1011. Colossians 2:16-17. (5). Honor Parents. Ephesians 6:2. (6). Murder. 1 John 3:14-15. (7). Adultery. Ephesians 5:3-5. Galatians 5:19. (8). Stealing. Ephesians 4:28. (9). False Witness. Ephesians 4:25. 1 Corinthians 13:5. (10). Covetousness. Ephesians 5:3.

            In the “Transition Period” from Egypt to Canaan of the Children of Israel, the Lord employed “Signs” (Miracles) to authenticate the Divine Mission of Moses. Exodus 4:1-9. The same method was employed in the “Transition Period” between “Judaism” and “Christianity” to authenticate the Messiahship of Jesus, and the Divine Mission of the Apostles. The length of the “Period” in both instances was the same, about 40 years. It was foretold of the “Messiah” that when He should come – “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.” Isaiah 35:5-6. When John the Baptist, shut up in prison, had his doubts as to the Messiahship of Jesus, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him – ‘”Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?” Jesus seemingly did not directly answer John’s question, but after performing a number of miracles said to John’s disciples – “Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” Matthew 11:1-5. Now the above reference from Isaiah, as the context shows, has reference to the Millennium, and therefore is a “Kingdom Sign,” and as the Jews expected the Messiah when He came to set up the “Millennial Kingdom,” the “Miracles of Healing” of Jesus were “Kingdom Signs” to prove His Messiahship.

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 In what is spoken of as “The Great Commission,” we read—“Go ye into all the. world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these ‘SIGNS’ shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils (demons); they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:15-18. While it is true that verses 9-20 of this chapter are not found in the two oldest Greek manuscripts, and that their authenticity is questioned, nevertheless the signs here promised, with the exception of “drinking deadly things,” followed the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles. It must not be overlooked that the command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, was given to the “Eleven Apostles” and not’ the followers of Jesus in general. The difference between Matthew’s account (Matthew 28:16-20), and Mark’s account (Mark 16:14-18) is striking. In Matthew’s account no “Signs” are promised and it was to continue until the “end of the world,” or this present “Age.” While in Mark’s account the promise seems limited to the days of the Apostles. Be sure it says – “And these ‘Signs’ shall follow them that believe,” but that may mean only those who believed the Apostles, for such did “speak with tongues.” Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6. As further evidence of the “time limit” of the promise we have the words of verse 20, “And they (the Eleven Apostles) went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with SIGNS FOLLOWING.” To the “Eleven Apostles” we must add Paul who was chosen of the Lord to take Judas’ place. Acts 9:15-19. Romans 1:1. 1 Timothy 2:7. That these “Signs” were “Apostolic Signs,” and were to confirm the claims of the Apostles, was the teaching of Paul. “Truly the ‘SIGNS OF AN APOSTLE’ were wrought among you in all patience, in ‘SIGNS,’ and ‘WONDERS,’ and ‘MIGHTY DEEDS.’” 2 Corinthians 12:12. These “Signs” were to convince the Gentiles (Romans 15:16-19), and to confirm the “Great Salvation” promised through the Gospel (Hebrews 2:3-4), and when their purpose was fulfilled they ceased. The reason they ceased was because they were no longer needed to confirm the Gospel or authenticate the mission of the preacher of the Word. While it is true that some of these “Signs” have attended the preaching of God’s messengers where it was necessary to confirm their Divine authority, the fact that they have not generally attended the preaching of the Word since the days of the Apostles is an implication that they are not to be expected or looked for in these days. We do not need them to confirm the Scriptures. We have nearly nineteen centuries of Church History as evidence to the Divine origin of Christianity. We must not forget that in that “Transition Period” between “Judaism” and “Christianity” the Christian Church was largely Jewish, and it was hard for many to break away from the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion, but gradually they were weaned away until “Signs” were no longer necessary. We must not forget that there was no New Testament for the Apostles ta appeal to in the first half of that “Transition Period.” Therefore “Signs” and “Wonders” were necessary. The first New Testament book to be written was 1 Thessalonians, A. D. 52. The first Gospel was that of Mark, written between A. D. 57-63. The Acts was written about A. D. 65. Most of the New Testament was written between A. D. 60-70. All was written, except the writings of the Apostle John, before the Destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70. With the death of the Apostles and New Testament Prophets, the Apostolic and Prophetic Office ceased. Since then the Church of Christ has had no new revelation. Signs are not needed in these days because we have the more sure “Word of Prophecy.”

            As still further evidence that the “Signs,” particularly that of healing, ceased before the close of that “Transition Period,” we have the treatment of Paul of his fellow workers. In writing to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23) he advised him to – “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” And of Trophimus he wrote – “But Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.” 2 Timothy 4:20. If “Divine Healing” was more than a “Sign,” if it was part of the Gospel, and was conferred on the Believer because Christ’s death on the Cross included physical healing along with the salvation of the soul, then why did the Apostle Paul advise Timothy as he did, and leave Trophimus at Miletum sick?

            The writer is a firm believer in “Divine Healing,” and that the “Prayer of Faith” will heal the sick. He has had too much evidence in his own family and congregation to that effect. But he does not believe that it is a lack of saving faith to be sick. Some go so far as to say that if a Christian has not faith to be healed, he has not the faith that saves. God does heal, and in many cases instantly, in answer to the “PRAYER OF FAITH.” James 5:14-15. But that “Faith” must be implanted by God Himself. All “Divine Healing” is of “God’s Sovereign Will.” If prayer alone could heal there would be none of us sick. The fact that the majority of God’s saints have not had their bodily infirmities removed in answer to prayer, implies that healing of the body is not a part of the atoning work of Christ, else they would have been healed the moment they took Christ as their Saviour. If the pulpit would teach the Scriptural method of Divine Healing, professing Christian people would not resort to the Satanic devised Healing Cults of the day for healing.

SPEAKING WITH TONGUES

Another “Sign” of the “Transition Period” between “Judaism” and “Christianity” was “Speaking With Tongues.” In the last hundred years there has been an attempt to revive this Apostolic “Sign.” In discussing this “Sign” it is necessary to know why it was given. John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the one who would “Baptize His Disciples with the HOLY GHOST and FIRE.” Matthew 3:11. And Jesus just before His Ascension commanded His Disciples to not depart from Jerusalem until they received the promised “Gift” of the Father of the “Baptism of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 1:4-5. This “Baptism” was for a twofold purpose. First to endue them with POWER (Luke 24:49), and secondly to incorporate them into the “BODY OF CHRIST” – the CHURCH. The “Church” did not exist until Pentecost. There could be no “Body” until there was a HEAD, and there was no HEAD until Jesus had died, risen, and ascended to the Father. In Ephesians 1:22-23, we read – “And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him (Jesus) to be the ‘HEAD’ over all things to the ‘Church,’ which is His BODY.” The Church came into existence by the union of all “Believers” at that time into ONE BODY. This union was brought about by the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” on the “Day of Pentecost.” It is referred to in 1 Corinthians 12:13, . “For by one SPIRIT are we all baptized into ONE BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” [A quote from the Revised (per) Version was removed here] This does not refer to “Water” baptism, but to SPIRIT baptism. The “Upper Room” being the “BAPTISTRY” in which the disciples of Jesus were immersed in the Holy Spirit.

            The “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” was not for the purpose of regenerating the disciples of Jesus, they had already been regenerated. Jesus had said to them in the “Upper Room” – “Now ye are clean THROUGH THE WORD which I have spoken unto you.” John 15:3. What does that mean? Let Peter answer – “Being BORN AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the ‘WORD OF GOD.’” 1 Peter 1:23. The disciples then had been “Born Again,” yet they needed to be “Baptized with the Holy Spirit” for POWER. From this we see that the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” is something separate and distinct from being “Born of the Holy Spirit.” There can be no question but that Jesus was regenerated from His birth, and yet He needed the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” before He could enter upon His public ministry. This He received at the Jordan when the Holy Spirit as a “Dove” descended on Him. John 1:32-33. The Holy Spirit took the form of a “Dove” when He baptized Jesus, the “Dove” being an emblem of purity, but when He baptized the disciples at Pentecost He took the form of “FIRE” – the emblem of purification. In regeneration the Holy Spirit imparts LIFE. In Holy Spirit Baptism He imparts POWER. These two may be simultaneously imparted, or there may be a “time space” between them, due to a lack of complete consecration, or a lack of scriptural knowledge.

            The “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” on the Day of Pentecost was preceded by a “sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.” There was no wind, only a sound of wind, and it was the sound, not a wind, that filled the house where they were sitting. There also appeared unto them “Cloven Tongues” like as of fire, it does not say it was literal fire, but the “Flaming Tongues” typified the purifying effect of literal fire, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. The result of this Baptism of the Holy Spirit was that all who were in the house began to speak with “other tongues” as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. There was no confusion of Tongues, as at Babel, of which Pentecost was the reversal, but each one praised God in a foreign language. It was this fact, that was noised abroad, that caused outsiders to assemble, and they were amazed and marvelled at each man hearing in his mother tongue. The “Gift of Tongues” was given, not to evidence to the disciples that they had received the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit,” they knew that from the power of the Holy Spirit in them, but it was given as a “Sign” to the assembled multitude.

            Why was the “Gift of Tongues” given on the “Day of Pentecost?” Because it was a “Feast Day,” and there were gathered in Jerusalem Jews from all parts of the world. Acts 2:8-11. Some probably had remained over from the Passover, and during those 50 days many startling and wonderful things had occurred at Jerusalem. Jesus had been crucified and buried, and it was reported that He had risen from the dead, and had appeared at different times to His Disciples, and that they were expecting some special “Gift” from Heaven. Opinion was divided as to the truthfulness of all these tales. Tomorrow, the Feast of Pentecost being over, these Jews were going to depart for their distant homes, and would carry with them the strange tales they had heard. It was necessary that they should know exactly what all these things meant. The report that the disciples of Jesus had been given the power to “Speak with Tongues” spread like “Wild-fire,” and soon the street in front of the house where they were stopping was filled with a crowd of Jews of all nationalities anxious to hear in their own tongue what had happened. Notice that no Tongue was an UNKNOWN Tongue. They each heard in their OWN TONGUE, the Tongue of the nation in which they had been born.

            The “Sign” of the “Gift of Tongues” was very appropriate. Every Jew would understand it. Like “Healing” it was a “Kingdom Sign.” It furnished Peter with a “Text” for his sermon. His text was – “This is THAT.” This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel, that it shall come to pass in the “Last Days,” saith God, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,” etc. Joel 2:28-32. While Peter said “This is that,” he did not say this is the fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel, for what happened that day was only a partial fulfilment, for there were no wonders in the heavens and on the earth, such as blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke, with the sun turned into darkness, and the moon into blood. The complete fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel awaits the future. The prophecy of Joel has nothing to do with the Church. It relates to Israel. It belongs to the “Day of the Lord,” which is the Millennium. Joel 1:15. A careful reading of the context shows that the “Gift of Tongues” is not to be given until after the Jews have been gathered back to their own land and been converted, then the Lord will pour out His Spirit upon them and they shall prophesy, etc. Again the prophecy shall not be fulfilled until after the “Latter Rain” has been restored to Palestine, which “Latter Rain” is not Spiritual but literal, as the context shows. Palestine today is suffering for water. It is a curse that came upon it because the Children of Israel turned aside to worship other gods. Deuteronomy 11:13-17. The “Former” and “Latter Rain” are to be restored (Joel 2:23-27), and the land of Palestine shall again blossom as the rose, and be covered with vineyards and olive groves. Isaiah 35:1-2.

            The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was but a “foretaste” of what is to happen after the Lord Jesus Christ comes back, and was used by Peter as an argument for the Jews to repent nationally at that time that their sins might be blotted out, that the “Times of Refreshing,” the fulfilment of the Prophecy of Joel, might come. Acts 3:19-21. From this we see that the “Gift of Tongues” is a “Kingdom Sign,” that it has nothing to do with the Church, or this Age, and when the need for it in that “Transitional Period” passed it ceased, and is not to be restored until Christ comes to set up His Kingdom.

            While it is true, as has been already stated, that there is a bestowal of the Holy Spirit separate and following the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, which is given to impart power, there is no command or exhortation in any of the Epistles that we should pray for another Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit, with its accompanying gift of “Speaking with Tongues.” We might as well look for another Calvary as for another Pentecost in this Age.

The second account of “Speaking with Tongues” is recorded in Acts 10:44-48. This occurred in the house of Cornelius at Caesarea, and was to convince Peter and the Jews that accompanied him, that the Gentiles also were included in the Church. Acts 11:15-18.

            The third account is found in Acts 19:1-7. When Paul visited Ephesus he found some disciples of John the Baptist, who probably had been converted by the preaching of Apollos, but who were ignorant of the work of the Holy Spirit, whom, when they had been properly instructed and baptized Paul laid his hands on, and the Holy Spirit came on them and they “spake with Tongues” and prophesied. This “Sign” was to convince these 12 disciples that there was such a thing as the Holy Spirit. See verse 2. When Peter and John went to the Samaritans and laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit, it was not evidenced by “Speaking with Tongues.” Acts 8:14-17. So we see that the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” may be received without the testimony of “Speaking with Tongues.”

            It was not the “Sign” of “Speaking with Tongues” that converted the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, it was Peter’s sermon, and Peter did not speak with “Tongues,” but in the ordinary language of the people, and his sermon was interpreted by the Disciples who received the “Gift of Tongues,” to the foreign Jews who were present. This led to the conversion of many, and fitted them to carry the Gospel to their home land. They doubtless received the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit,” for Peter told them that if they repented and were baptized (with water) they would receive the “Gift” of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38. But we are not told that with the “Gift” of the Holy Spirit they received the power to “Speak with Tongues.” Those who spoke with “Tongues” on the Day of Pentecost only needed the “Gift” for that special occasion, and we are nowhere told that they exercised it afterward.

            The only Epistle where the “Gift of Tongues” is mentioned is the First Epistle to the Corinthians, the twelfth to the fourteenth chapters inclusive, and there it is looked upon with disfavor. The “Gifts of the Spirit” are enumerated in chapter 12, verses 4-11. They are nine in number, and the “Gift of Tongues” is next to the last, showing that it is of minor importance. It must not be forgotten, that, while there are “Nine Gifts” of the Holy Spirit, it does not follow that these “Gifts” are dispensed regularly and in equal proportions, and that each individual may possess all of them, for we are told in verse 11, that the Holy Spirit divides to every man severally as He will, and the inference is that some “Gifts” are limited to certain periods or stages of the world’s history, as for instance the “Gift of Tongues” to the Apostolic Period, and in the future to Israel in the commencement of the Millennial Age.

            Again we must not forget the condition of the Church at Corinth to whom the Epistle to the Corinthians was written. The walk of the members was carnal, they tolerated all kinds of sinful practices, and were filled with sectarianism and vainglory. 1 Corinthians 3:1-4; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2. It is no wonder then that some of them for the purpose of display sought the “Gift of Tongues.” For this Paul reproved them, and said—“Let all things be done decently and in order,” for God is not the author of CONFUSION. 1 Corinthians 14:33, 1 Corinthians 14:40. It also appears from 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, that the women of the Church were prominent in the “Speaking with Tongues Movement,” and for this cause Paul commanded that they keep “silent” in the churches, and if they wanted to know anything to ask at home of their husbands.

            From this it would appear that the “Speaking with Tongues” in the early church was for a “Sign,” that it was not for edification, nor was it the practice of the Apostles. The Apostles emphasized the “Filling” of the Spirit, but not the “Baptism,” and nowhere in their Epistles do they affirm that “Speaking with Tongues” is an evidence that one has been Baptized with the Holy Spirit, and is necessary for such evidence. Paul says – “Wherefore ‘Tongues’ are for a ‘SIGN,’ not to them that believe, but to them that BELIEVE NOT.” 1 Corinthians 14:22. Therefore the “Believer” is not to seek the “Gift of Tongues” for any witness to himself. It is also strongly hinted that “Speaking with Tongues” is peculiarly open to SPURIOUS IMITATION. Satan is always on the watch to take advantage of any opportunity to “ape” the “Gifts” of the Holy Spirit, and when those who claim to have the “Gift” of “Speaking with Tongues” speak in an inarticulate and unintelligible manner, and behave unseemly, it is an evidence of the work of the Devil, for the Holy Spirit is always dignified, quiet, and edifying in His manifestations.

            As has been already said the Church is the BODY OF CHRIST. Now a body is made up of different members and organs, each of which has its own peculiar function, and limitation. If one is diseased or improperly functions the whole body suffers. Even the muscles and joints have their functions, and the Apostle says that the Church, as the “Body of Christ,” is to be – “FITLY JOINED TOGETHER and compacted by that which every JOINT supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of EVERY PART.” Ephesians 4:11-16. That is every individual member of the Church, even though he be but an insignificant JOINT, must function properly, or there will be schism. Any undue emphasizing, or dislocation of any Scriptural truth, only tends to disturbance in the “Body of Christ,” the Church.

            As a negative argument it is well to note the OMISSIONS of the “Gift of Tongues” in the Apostolic Church. There is no record that the 3000 converts of the Day of Pentecost, or the 5000 converts of a short time afterward, nor the converts at Samaria who received the Baptism of the Spirit by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17), received the “Gift of Tongues.” With the exception of the Church at Corinth, where the “Gift” was of no practical value, the Churches do not appear to have possessed the “Gift.” The Apostles did not consider it of sufficient importance to mention it in their Epistles to the Churches, and the fact that it has never been a doctrine of the Church, is evidence that it does not belong to the Church, but was simply a Judaistic SIGN.

            It is not proper to use the word “Pentecostal” in connection with the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church. Pentecost was a Jewish Feast, and was associated with the Jewish calendar, and has no meaning outside of that fact. The “Baptism” of the Holy Spirit” on the Day of Pentecost was not a “Pentecostal Blessing,” it had nothing to do with the day. The Feast Day was utilized simply because, as has been stated, it was a suitable occasion to reach those Jews of all lands who had come up to the Feast and were soon to depart for their homes.

            We must not forget that other “Gifts,” beside those mentioned, that were bestowed upon the Church in that “Transition Period,” passed away with the Period. The Apostles were a “Gift” to the Church (1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-12), but they passed away. The New Testament Prophet was a “Gift,” but as soon as the Canon of Scripture was closed his office ceased. This was anticipated by Paul when he said—“Whether there .be prophecies, they shall fail (cease).” 1 Corinthians 13:8. During that “Transition Period” the dead were raised to life. Are they still raised? Prison doors miraculously opened and prisoners were set free. Handkerchiefs, and aprons and “Shadow Casting” (Acts 5:15) were used as instruments of healing—have they any such power today? It is not a question of what God can do, but what He has been doing in the Church for the past nineteen centuries. There is just as strong faith in the Church today as in Apostolic times. To demand and depend on physical signs is not of faith. The distinguishing difference between “Judaism” and “Christianity” is, that “Judaism” is a “Ceremonial Religion,” largely dependent upon “Signs,” while “Christianity” is a LIFE. Those “Transition Days” were days of “GRACE” to the Jews, and when they failed to profit by them, they were scattered over the earth and “Judaism” passed into a state of ECLIPSE.

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Chapter XXVIII. The Circles of the Christian Life

            A number of years ago at Northfield, Massachusetts, Robert E. Speer, D.D., gave an address on “The Inner Circle.” Its purpose was to show the different concentric circles or spheres of the Christian Life in their relation to Christ. The outline of Dr. Speer’s address has been put in diagram form by the writer, see Chart on “The Circles of the Christian Life,” page 236. The description of the “Circles” is mainly that of the writer.

FIRST CIRCLE – “THE FIVE HUNDRED”

            In 1 Corinthians 15:6, we read – “After that, He was seen of above FIVE HUNDRED BRETHREN at once.” The word “Brethren” denotes that the “Five Hundred” were “Believers,” that they had “FAITH,” and were saved persons. This “Circle” then is the

“CIRCLE OF FAITH,”

and represents the large body of Christian Believers in the Church who have been saved by faith in Christ, but are not walking in nearness to Christ, but are following “afar off,” and therefore are mere followers of Christ.

SECOND CIRCLE – “THE SEVENTY”

            In Luke 10:1-11, we read—“After these things the Lord appointed other ‘SEVENTY’ also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come.” Jesus sent the “Seventy” forth “two by two” so that they would have company and could consult with each other. Probably they were of different gifts, as preacher and singer, and of different temperaments so as to harmonize their work. They were fully instructed as to their conduct, where they were to go, what they were to do, and what they were to say. When their mission was successfully finished they returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name.” Luke 10:17.

            The “Seventy” were picked out from the “Five Hundred” for SERVICE. This “Circle” then is the

“CIRCLE OF SERVICE.

            In every Church there is only a small number, in proportion to the membership, who are fit for service. Shall we say that the proportion is only 70 in every Church of 500 members ? How was it with Gideon when he went against the Midianites? He had an army of 32,000 men (Jdg 7:1-8), but the Lord told him that they were too many, that if they were successful they would lay it to their number, so he told Gideon to test them to see how many were fit for service, and Gideon found there were but 300. In this we see the weakness of numbers. The “fearful” and “afraid” in every Church are a source of weakness. Only those of “faith” are fit for service. It is a great thing to be saved, to be in the “Outer Circle” of FAITH, but it is a greater thing to be fit for service and to be honored by a place in the “Circle of Service.”

THIRD CIRCLE – “THE TWELVE”

            The next inner circle is the “Circle of the Twelve.” “And He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto Him whom He would; and they came unto Him. And He ordained TWELVE, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils (demons).” Mark 3:13-15. Jesus called the “Twelve” for a twofold purpose.

1. That they might be with Him.

2. That He might send them forth.

Jesus was a lonely man, as all men are who live above their fellows and have visions of the future. This was seen in His desire for fellowship, and His “Homesickness” was revealed in His prayer in the “Upper Room” in which He said—“And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine Own Self with the GLORY WHICH I HAD WITH THEE BEFORE THE WORLD WAS.” John 17:5. To meet this “loneliness” and to overcome this “homesickness,” Jesus chose the “Twelve Apostles.” This “Circle” then is the

“CIRCLE OF FELLOWSHIP.”

            But Jesus was not selfish in His desire for “Fellowship.” He wanted as companions men whom He could use in His work, and whom He could send forth as He had sent forth the “Seventy.” The names of these men are given in Matthew 10:2-4. These men were doubtless chosen not from the “Five Hundred” but from the “Seventy.” While all the “Seventy” were fit for “Service” they were not all fit to be “APOSTLES.” There are therefore among the workers in every church some who are especially fit for office in the church, such as “Deacons.” For the good of the Church, and the helpfulness of the Pastor, these officers should be men of his own choosing, so that their fellowship may be mutually helpful and pleasant. These Officers should be paired off for service, so the Pastor can send them forth to minister on the field.

FOURTH CIRCLE – “THE THREE”

            Among the “Twelve Apostles” there were three men that Jesus chose to go with Him on special occasions. Those men were Peter, James and John. Why He always chose the same three men we are not told, doubtless it was because of their special fitness. We do know that those three men, unknown to themselves, had special work ahead of them. Peter was to be the leading Apostle, James was to be the head of the Church in Jerusalem, and John was to be the “Apocalyptic Seer” of the Church. It was necessary therefore that these three men should never question the “DEITY” of Jesus. To this end He took them to places where He manifested His “Deity.”

            1.         The Home of Jairus.

            Jairus sought Jesus that he might ask Him to come and heal his dying daughter. On the way Jesus was delayed, and when they reached the home of Jairus his daughter was dead. Mark 5:22-43. Jesus put out the curious crowd and taking only Peter, James and John, and the parents of the dead girl, entered the chamber where she lay dead, and raising her from the dead He restored her to her sorrowing parents. Why did Jesus take Peter, James and John to that “Chamber of Death”? He took them there that He might reveal to them His “RESURRECTION POWER.” That they might see in that “Power” His DEITY.

            2.         The Mount of Transfiguration.

            The second place to which Jesus took Peter, James and John was the “Mount of Transfiguration.” Mark 9:1-10. His purpose was to reveal to them His “GLORY.” To let them have a vision of the “Glory” He had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5), that they might see that He existed before His Incarnation, and that He was not a stranger to Moses and Elijah, but had known them and they Him before He became a man. It is noteworthy that Jesus forbade them to tell at that time what happened in the home of Jairus, or upon the Mount of Transfiguration because the announcement of His DEITY then would be premature and interfere with His work.

            3.         The Garden of Gethsemane.

            The third place Jesus took Peter, James and John alone was to the recesses of the “Garden of Gethsemane.” Mark 14:32-52. Doubtless all who were in the “Upper Room” and had partaken of the “Lord’s Supper” accompanied Him to Gethsemane, but all but Peter, James and John, were forbidden to enter the recesses of the Garden. Even they were not permitted to witness the “Agony” of Gethsemane, that was too sacred, but they did see when He awakened them the marks of suffering on His face. Jesus took the “three” into the Garden that He might reveal to them His “SORROW,” and that they might get a vision of what the sufferings of the Cross cost Him. The sad thought is that they did not measure up to their opportunity, for they fell asleep. That night was a microcosm of present world conditions. 1. A praying Christ. 2. A sleeping Church. 3. An active Devil.

            The “Circle of the Three” was the

“CIRCLE OF PRIVILEGE.”

            It was a great privilege for them to have been chosen by Jesus for special revelations of His “Power,” “Glory” and “Sufferings.” It is a great privilege for a chosen few of the Officers of a Church to be singled out by the Pastor, and have revealed to them things that are not best to give to the world, yet increase their faith in him. You may say “I am not fit to belong to the ‘Circle of Privilege,’I am a vacillating, unreliable, and impulsive man.” So was Peter, but he was chosen. And James and John were self-seeking men, who, through their mother, sought to sit on the right and left of Jesus in His Kingdom, yet Jesus chose these men. Why? Because He saw in them when they were “sifted as wheat” the golden grain of character that would make them leaders in the Church. How did they get in? Why, they “forsook all” to follow Him. Jesus knew that they were consecrated men and therefore He chose them.

FIFTH CIRCLE – OF ONE

            Jesus said – “A new Commandment I give unto you. That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.” John 13:34-35. If there ever was a Disciple of Jesus that fulfilled this Commandment it was JOHN. He never boasted that he loved Jesus, but with great humility spoke of himself as the Disciple whom JESUS LOVED. John 21:20. Love seemed to be the “Key-note” of his life, and he breathed it out in that wonderful fourth chapter of his First Epistle, in which he uses the word 26 times. The “Circle of One” then is the

“CIRCLE OF LOVE”

Love will brave any danger for those it loves. A mother’s love will face the most malignant disease for the sake of her child. We read that at the time of the Arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane all the Disciples of Jesus forsook Him and fled. Mark 14:50. But there was an exception, and that exception was JOHN. He was the “another disciple” who went in with Jesus into the Palace of the High Priest to the trial. John 18:15. The intimacy of love exceeds all other intimacy. A Pastor may respect the Officers of his Church, and take them to a large extent into his confidence, but he will not become intimate only with those he loves.

            Now to which of these “Circles” do you belong? Do you belong to the outermost Circle, the “Circle of Faith?” Are you only one of the “Five Hundred,” saved, but no good for service? Do you belong to the “Circle of Service,” are you one of the “Seventy” busy about the Master’s work? Or do you belong to the “Circle of Fellowship,” having been called from among the “Seventy” to be one of the “Twelve” and hold some Office in the Church? If so, are you one of the “Inner Circle of Privilege” where you enjoy the special favor of your Pastor? Or can it be said of you that you are the “Beloved Disciple” whom Jesus loves? Your usefulness and service depends on which “Circle” you are in. May we all live the “Pillowed Life” of rest on the Bosom of Jesus.