“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).

Entering upon the examination of the visions recorded in chapter 21, we discover that the terms and expressions used are most highly pictorial and symbolical. As we have seen in foregoing chapters, the new heaven and the new earth, as symbols, are forcefully descriptive of the new organization of things ordained of God to take the place of the old order after it has been swept away. The new heaven will consist of the new unseen spiritual ruling powers, composed of Christ and his glorified Church. These will take full control of earth’s affairs and will introduce entirely new conditions, social, civil, and ecclesiastical. These new conditions amongst men are called in the text a “new earth.” As the “new heaven” does not mean a new atmosphere containing new planetary systems or a new place for God’s throne, or a new dwelling place for angels and other heavenly beings, but new heavenly powers in control, namely the rulership of Christ and his Church in glory over the earth, so the new earth does not refer to a new planet, but rather to new conditions on this present planet. All present institutions, civil, social, and ecclesiastical, as described in other visions, will pass away in the great time of trouble with which this age closes.

A critical study of the Scriptures that portray the new conditions which will prevail on this earth after the new order is introduced shows that the literal sea will still exist. Therefore, the sea in the text, as is usually the case in the Revelation visions, is a symbol. The stormy sea is a symbol of the masses of people in a restless, unstable, anarchistic condition. Such a condition amongst humanity will have ceased, when the new order of things is introduced at the beginning of the Millennial reign of Christ and his saints. The symbol therefore teaches that under this new government which will rule in equity and righteousness and for the benefit of all, the social order will be of such a character, and will soon after its introduction prove so satisfactory to mankind as a whole, that there will be no more dissatisfaction, discontent, and restlessness; every element of society will be contented under the control of that perfect law and order; and justice will be secured to all alike. There will be an utter obliteration of the difference between classes — caste, wealth, and poverty, etc., which now exist. Consequently there will be no more symbolic sea.

“And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (verse 2).

We have now come to the consideration of the last vision — that of the City of God, the Holy City itself. St. John in this vision catches a view of this celestial City, the New Jerusalem. He afterwards has a vision describing it particularly.

The conception that has prevailed to a very wide extent in the past, and still obtains at the present time even amongst expositors, is that this vision describes a literal city — literal even to its material and measurements and other details, and that it is to be, as a literal city, the eternal abode of the saints. Now as we have found that all the other visions throughout this wonderful book have described in symbol the earthly things with which we are familiar, how much more should we expect that the future heavenly, eternal things, of which no mortal eye hath seen, would be portrayed in terms of the very highest imagery. How little should we expect that the glimpse which is here given us into the unseen heavenly world would reveal to us the shape of buildings or the material used in the construction of them, the city’s walls, its length, breadth, and height. All these things which are mentioned later in the vision are without doubt symbols.

“Come, I will show thee the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb” (verse 9), are the words of the revealing angel to St. John; and he was borne away in spirit to a great and high mountain and from there he was shown “the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” A city is always, in one way of looking at it, identified with its inhabitants, and so in this sense the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, stands for or represents the official organization of Christ and the saints in glory, constituting them the government or Kingdom of God. Thus a city in Revelation is a symbol of a government, and so this Holy City represents a literal government, even the spiritual heavenly government of the new order. However, it should be kept in mind that it is a heavenly, a spiritual, Divine government, and while in the very fullest sense real, it will be unseen to mortal eyes. It is what may properly be termed the capital city, or government of the new dispensation — the legislative order, by whose authority the laws are made and enforced. It is called in the writings of the Prophets, “Zion”: “And the law shall go forth of Zion.” (Micah 4:2). It is therefore a City to which the glorified joint-heirs with Christ belong, in the sense that they are organized, and the various parts of this organization are all united together. As to how these glorified saints and their Lord will look as individuals; as to how, what we might call their legislative halls will look; and as to how the other various features of this heavenly government will appear, mortal eye hath not seen, nor can see; neither would it be possible to reveal them to mortals; consequently they are described in the strongest, most glorious, and meaningful symbols.

St. John sees the city “coming down”; that is, he sees what to us would signify the powerful and blessed influences of this heavenly government of Christ and the saints gradually and effectively changing for the better everything that pertains to the well-being of earth’s inhabitants. The city or government, therefore, had not at the time when St. John first beheld it, come into that close intimacy with mankind that he observed later, when describing it, he said, “There shall be no more death,” for death was still in evidence when he first saw the city. These grand and glorious things are what this heavenly government is to finally accomplish or bring to earth’s peoples.

The first four verses, therefore, cover in their fulfillment the whole period of the thousand years, describing in a general way the blessed and glorious influences of this government of God and what will be the final outcome of the judgment reign of Christ over the nations (peoples). Later on in the vision we have portrayed in symbol the means employed by this heavenly government to bring in the everlasting blessings. These are described under the symbols of “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb”; and “the tree of life,” the leaves of which are said to be for “the healing of the nations.” These will be considered later.

Millennial Glory Prefigured

The Holy City descends from heaven, “having the glory of God.” The heavenly government, the New Jerusalem, is the divinely chosen agency to display the glory of God to the dwellers of earth. This great privilege is the reward of bearing the cross, and indirectly the fruit of Christ’s redemptive work. While Pre-millennial expositors in general associate the New Jerusalem with the elect, glorified Kingdom class, who are gathered out in this present Gospel Age, they differ in locating the fulfillment of the vision; some placing it at the close of the age, others as covering the whole Millennial period. Mr. Elliott in the first edition of his exposition of the Revelation placed its fulfillment after the Millennial Age was over. In a later edition, however, he interpreted it as existing throughout the Millennial Age. His words to this effect are as follows: “I cannot but incline to think that the Apocalyptic New Jerusalem was intended to symbolize the Millennial glory of the risen saints; and its descent from heaven in vision to denote a public manifestation to the world of that glory at the very opening of the Millennium.” He gives as his reasons for thus believing, the fact that there had been a Pre-millennial announcement that Christ’s Kingdom had come (Revelation 11:15-18), and also that the Marriage of the Lamb had taken place (Revelation 19:7). He reasons, and his reasoning is logical and consistent, that as these two events were Pre-millennial, then this vision is therefore a symbolization designed to represent and synchronize with the setting of the kingly and priestly thrones of judgment, in the opening of the Millennium. He cites as further evidence the fact that the nations (peoples) living during the Millennium are in need of healing and that this healing power proceeds from the New Jerusalem. He says: “I see not how it is possible to interpret this statement except by supposing the vision of the New Jerusalem to be in its chronology, Millennial — unless indeed it be thought that the phrases men, nations of the saved, kings of the earth, signify saints in the resurrection state; an alternative which few probably will be inclined to embrace.”

Mr. Lord’s interpretation is the same. Of all the explanations of the older commentators none seem to us wholly satisfactory for the simple reason that none of them saw that this Millennial reign of Christ and his saints is synchronous with the great Judgment Day of mankind. Indeed the “due time” for understanding fully these things did not come until the period of the “presence of the Son of Man,” which was subsequent to their day. The first clear exposition of this Scripture came near the end of the last century, at which time God’s great Plan of the Ages was more completely revealed than ever before. And it is in keeping with this better understanding of the Divine purpose that the following statement is made by one who had given the subject very careful consideration:

“In the symbolism of Scripture a city represents a government; as for instance, symbolic Babylon is denominated ‘that great city [government] which ruleth over the kings of the earth.’ The New Jerusalem, as a symbol, represents the new spiritual government of the Millennial Age. It is not earth-born, it is not reared by men, but, as here pictured, it descends from God out of heaven — it is spiritual in every sense of the word — of God and not of men. It is for this kingdom, this government, that our Lord taught us to pray, ‘Thy Kingdom come — Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven’ ” (C. T. Russell).

Contrasting this invisible heavenly government with the earthly government, called in the Scriptures, Jerusalem, which is to be to humanity the visible representative of the New Jerusalem, the new heavenly government, the same writer goes on to say:

“It is well also to distinguish clearly between the New Jerusalem, the heavenly or spiritual city of which the Apostles [as symbolical stones] are the twelve foundations, and the old Jerusalem which is to be rebuilt upon her old heaps. The old Jerusalem’s promised restoration implies not merely the reconstruction of the buildings, etc., but specially the reorganization of Israel’s government; for a city in prophecy is always the symbol or representation of a government. Hence the promised reconstruction of Jerusalem upon her old foundations implies a national reorganization of Israel upon a basis similar to that which it formerly had, as a people over whom Jehovah’s anointed held the authority. The New Jerusalem [however] represents the Gospel Church in glory and Kingdom power, spiritual, and invisible to men, yet all-powerful. Its descent to earth (Revelation 21:2) marks the fulfillment of that petition of our Lord’s prayer which says, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’; and its ‘coming’ will be gradual, and not sudden. It is already ‘coming down,’ coming into control, and as a result we see the preliminary steps leading to the re-establishment of the old Jerusalem; and ultimately the result mentioned in our Lord’s prayer will be realized — God’s will will be done on earth even as in heaven. The New Jerusalem and the new heavens are synonymous, signifying the new spiritual ruling power.”

It is said by St. John that “the city is prepared as a Bride, adorned for her Husband.” There is implied in these words that the heavenly Church, which constitutes this government, was caused to pass through trying experiences in her earthly state in order that she might be prepared, fitted to occupy such a grand exalted position as kings and priests with Christ. The adorning may also refer to the glory, grandeur, and perfection of this heavenly government in its heavenly assemblies and legislative enactments that have for their purpose the uplifting of humanity. This aspect, however, could be seen only by the heavenly, spirit beings, as angels, principalities and powers in the heavenlies. The effects of these heavenly deliberations, manifested in the administration of affairs on earth amongst men, will be seen by men, and in this way the world will realize the glory represented in this, its adorning. It can hardly be otherwise than that the splendor that shall surround that heavenly court will surpass anything that angels or other heavenly beings have beheld before.

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God” (verse 3).

In keeping with the picture furnished us in the ancient city of Jerusalem, the temple, the object and center of Divine worship, is brought to our attention in connection with the description of the symbolical New Jerusalem. And how appropriate that it should be! In the days of old God dealt with Israel, constituting that nation a pictorial or typical people, and furnished through them many beautiful pictures or lessons, revealing in miniature one or another of the various features of His Plan. Their Law Covenant was illustrative of the New and more successful Law Covenant to be instituted on behalf of all mankind by the greater Mediator than Moses (Hebrews 10:1). Their system of sacrifices was typical of the better sacrifices represented in Christ and the members of his Body (Hebrews 9:23). Their tabernacle and temple occupied a most important position also, being the official place where atonement for sin was made through the offering of sacrifices — where the mediatorial service was performed which constituted the basis for the forgiveness of Israel’s sins. In other words, the temple was the place where God met Israel, and through the officiation of the priesthood, and the services of the mediator, peace and harmony were established between God and the nation of Israel.

Here, then, we observe earth’s new government or Kingdom composed of Christ and the Church, veiled under the symbol of a city; and our view and vision enlarges as we associate therewith the lessons of the symbolical Tabernacle or Temple and recognize that herein we have another picture indeed of the Christ, Head and Body, which God in this Gospel Age has been preparing for its future mission. The members of this class are referred to as “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5), and as “pillars” (Revelation 3:12), designed for the Temple.

This Temple of the Apocalypse will be indeed the meeting place between God and all the world of mankind. Through this Temple class God will once more visit and speak to humanity, offering them pardon and peace based upon the better sacrifices, upon the higher and more effective mediation to be accomplished through the better Mediator than Moses. Thus as atonement was accomplished for Israel through the temple of old, so atonement on a higher and grander scale for the entire human race will be effected through the higher and greater Temple of the New Jerusalem.

It is undoubtedly, therefore, during the Millennial Kingdom, when Christ is reigning for the purpose of putting all enemies under his feet, that this vision of the Temple will be fulfilled. It will be in this Holy City that God will dwell. In another sense this Holy City will be His Temple, and at its gates mankind will be permitted to approach God in prayer and worship, just as Israel approached the typical tabernacle and the temple in their worship. It will be in this sense that God will dwell with men. “The Christ” will be His dwelling place — the place where He will meet with mankind. This great privilege will have been secured to the world through the ransom sacrifice of the man Christ Jesus. For, “He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). The Christ will be the great Mediator. The time then having come in God’s Plan for the manifestation of His grace, all will then be treated as the Lord’s people; none of them will be treated as strangers and aliens from God and His promises and blessings. At the close of the Millennial reign all estrangement and enmity between God and humanity will have been removed, and the figure of the temple, not being intended to picture any proceedings or doings between God and men throughout the ages of bliss to follow, will then come to an end.

The Millennial Kingdom will be not only the Kingdom of Christ and the Joint-heirs, but it will be the Kingdom of God as well, in that all that will be done in that age will be in harmony with God’s foreordained purpose and thus be representing the Divine will. It will, however, be distinct and separate from God’s rule in general so far as the rest of the great Divine Empire is concerned. This is according to the words of St. Paul: “For he [Christ] must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him” (1 Corinthians 15:25-28). “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. [This will be at the close of the Millennial reign.]” (1 Corinthians 15:24).

No More Sorrow nor Crying

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (verse 4).

The wiping away of tears is symbolical of the removal of everything that during the present reign of sin and evil causes pain and sorrow and death. This drying of tears will be a gradual process, and is a way of describing one feature of the work of the Millennial reign. During this great judgment or trial of the world man will gradually be brought up to a condition of mental, moral, and physical perfection. Those who hear and seek to obey the laws of that Kingdom will eventually be lifted into this blessed state; those who refuse to obey, and make no progress in character development, will after a hundred years of trial, be cut off, destroyed (see Isaiah 65:20, Leeser). The complete results of the reign of Christ is summed up in the words: “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” One has effectively said:

“It is almost impossible for one to read this passage comprehendingly with dry eyes. Can it be possible that, after all the wicked rebellion and inexcusable wickedness of mankind, our Heavenly Father will be so good to us [mankind]? … Throughout the passing millenniums, Jehovah has patiently waited, bearing the enmity and suspicion of the millions who knew Him not. Waiting, waiting, waiting, with infinite condescension and patience for the various phases in the development of His grand Plan. During this period, with longsuffering, has He borne with the errors and ignorance of the people of the earth; yet during all this interval has His ‘sun risen upon the just and unjust.’ His rains have fallen, and the seasons have pursued their ceaseless round, bringing forth His bounty to all, even though the recipients thereof were thankless; but now [at that time] His glorious Plan stands revealed to every eye, and all the earth unites in anthems of praise, in which the choirs of the angels gladly join, and the Kingdom of Peace stands forever. … Never having known what true happiness and contentment are, because of the taint of sin, it is hard to realize what conditions must be like where all disobedience and rebellion has ceased, and mankind brought to a state of mind, where God ‘will open the windows of heaven,’ and deluge the earth with blessings.”

Another writer has with true and proper eloquence expressed the fulfillment of this symbol of the drying away of tears and the cessation of death:

“He who dries them off is God Himself. Human hands are poor at drying tears. If they succeed in removing one set, others come which they cannot wipe away. Earthly power, however good and kind, cannot go far in the binding up of broken hearts. Only the Hand that made the spirit can reach the deep sources of its sorrows, or dry up the streams that issue from them. The springs of grief yield to no other potency. But then His loving Almightiness shall wipe every tear. ‘As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted,’ saith the Lord. ‘Every tear,’ for they may be many — tears of misfortune and poverty, such as Job and Lazarus wept; tears of bereaved affection, such as Mary and Martha and the widow of Nain shed; tears of sympathy and mercy, such as Jeremiah and Jesus wept over the sins and calamities of Jerusalem; tears of persecuted innocence, tears of contrition and penitence for faults and crimes against the goodness and majesty of heaven; tears of disappointment and neglect; tears of yearning for what cannot now be ours; these and whatever others ever course the cheeks of mortals shall then be dried forever.

“Death no longer exists. O the reign of death! Whom has it not touched! What circle has it not invaded! What home has it never entered!

“There is no flock however watched and tended,
But one dead lamb is there!
There is no fireside howsoe’er defended,
But hath one vacant chair.

“We can scarcely open our eyes without seeing the gloomy hearse, the funeral procession, the undertaker’s warehouse, the shop full of mourning goods, or the stone cutter chiseling epitaphs. Every newspaper we pick up has its obituary lists, and every week brings forth its bills of mortality. On the right hand, on the left hand, before us, behind us, around us, beneath us, in all seasons, in all climes, everywhere, is death. We ourselves are only waiting, not knowing what day or hour we shall fall beneath its stroke. Physicians are sent forth by hundreds and thousands every year from our colleges and universities, and myriads of hands are ever busy collecting and preparing medicines for the sick; and yet there is no check, no restraint, to the career and reign of death! But, at length, an end to his fell dominion comes. The time will be when death itself shall die; not by the power of man, not by mortal skill or earthly medicines, but by the great redemption of God. When the sunlight of the New Genesis dawns upon this stricken world, the grand thanksgiving shall ring out over every zone, from the equator to the poles, that ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ Never another dying-bed shall then be seen again. Never another grave shall then be dug. For ‘death shall no longer be.’ ” (Joseph Seiss).

The poet who has derived his inspiration from pondering over and meditating upon the glorious prophecies that portray these scenes of joy and blessedness that follow the destruction of death, has grasped more clearly their significance than most theologians:

“Oh, scenes surpassing fable, and yet true,
Scenes of accomplished bliss! which who can see,
Though but in distant prospect, and not feel
His soul refreshed with foretastes of the joy!

“Rivers of gladness water all the earth,
And clothe all climes with beauty; the reproach
Of barrenness is past. The fruitful field
Laughs with abundance; and the land once lean,
Or fertile in its own disgrace,
Exults to see its thistly curse repealed.
The various seasons woven into one,
And that one season, an eternal spring.
The garden fears no blight, and needs no fence,
For there is none to covet, all are full.
The lion and the leopard and the bear,
Graze with the fearless flocks; or bask at noon
Together, or all gambol in the shade
Of the same grove, and drink one common stream.
Antipathies are none. No foe to man
Lurks in the serpent now; the mother sees,
And smiles to see, her infant’s playful hand
Stretched forth to dally with the crested worm,
To stroke his azure neck, or to receive
The lambent homage of his arrowy tongue.

“All creatures worship man, and all mankind
One Lord, one Father.

“Error has no place;
That creeping pestilence is driven away,
The breath of heaven has chased it. In the heart
No passion touches a discordant string,
But all is harmony and love. Disease
Is not: the pure and uncontaminate blood
Holds its due course, nor fears the frost of age.
One song employs all nations, and all cry —
‘Worthy the Lamb,’ for he was slain for us!
The dwellers in the vales and on the rocks
Shout to each other, and the mountain tops,
From distant mountains catch the flying joy;
’Til, nation after nation taught the strain
Earth rolls the rapturous hosanna round.

“Behold the measure of the promise filled;
See Salem built, the labor of a God!
Bright as the sun the sacred city shines;
All kingdoms and all princes of the earth
Flock to that light; the glory of all lands
Flows into her; unbounded is her joy,
And endless her increase. Thy rams are there,
Nebaioth, and the flocks of Kedar there;
The looms of Ormus, and the mines of Ind,
And Saba’s spicy groves, pay tribute there.
Praise is in all her gates; upon her walls,
And in her streets, and in her spacious courts,
Is heard salvation. Eastern Java there,
Kneels with the natives of the farthest West;
And Ethiopia spreads abroad the hand
And worships. Her report has traveled forth
Into all lands. From every clime they come
To see thy beauty, and to share thy joy,
O Zion! An assembly such as earth
Saw never, such as heaven stoops down to see!”
(Cowper, The Task, 1783).

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (verses 5, 6).

“The fifth verse … comprehensively grasps the entire Millennial Age; our Lord Jesus, then in the throne of earth’s dominion, declaring, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ This expression does not relate merely to rocks and trees, etc., but to the great work which our Lord undertook; viz., the regeneration of humanity — of so many of Adam’s race as would, under favorable conditions of knowledge, experience, and assistance, develop characters in full accord with the Divine will. The end of the Millennial Age will see the work completed — all the wicked destroyed, all who will not hear the voice of that Prophet, Teacher, Governor, cut off from amongst the people in the Second Death, and all the willing and obedient made new, brought to the complete perfection contemplated in the original Divine Plan.

“John was to write this matter, because the testimony is true, is faithful, as is the one who has promised. This asseveration of faithfulness and truthfulness implies what we [who understand God’s Plan] see to be the case; viz., that present conditions seem so contrary to all this grand restitution outcome that it cannot be fully believed and trusted by any except those who have learned to walk with the Lord, and in their weakness to lean upon His might — to trust to His power to accomplish all the exceeding great and precious things which He has promised. To all others these things will appear untrue, and God will appear unfaithful, and the matters which we are here discussing will seem ‘idle tales,’ as fables and golden fancies; but to us who believe, these promises are precious, and He from whom we receive them is precious correspondingly as we know Him and trust Him (1 Peter 2:7).”

The words, “They have been done,” proceed from “the Christ,” as will be seen from the words that follow: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” The works that in the Divine counsels had been committed to Christ, will at the time of this vision’s fulfillment be completed: “It was the Father’s good pleasure that the blessed one, the Only Begotten of the Father, should accomplish the entire program of redemption and restitution; and that incidentally, by his obedience in the things which he suffered, he should prove himself worthy to be forever the associate and representative of the Father, through whom and by whom all things should continue, as he was the one through whom all things were made that were made.”

All the blessings that are associated with life everlasting in a perfect earth home, with no sin to mar its blessedness, is comprehended in the words, “the water from the fountain of life.” The everlasting life, enjoyed by the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife, will be like unto her Lord’s — immortal, that is, life inherent, life not dependent. This life which will be the reward of the final overcomers of the Millennial times, while everlasting, will be a dependent life; it will need ever to be supplied and renewed by drinking of the life-giving fountain. However, we have the Divine assurance that when the restitution work of the Millennial Age will be completed there will be no more death.

The words of the Son of God that follow: “The conqueror shall inherit these things; and I will be to him a God, and he shall be to me a son,” are not addressed to the Church of the present time, for this class have the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as their Father. Christ is called in one of the Old Testament prophecies “The Everlasting Father” (life giver), and He is the one who bestows this life to the overcomers of the restitution times. All these, therefore, who receive the everlasting life in the Millennial Age, look to Him as the one who gave them this life. These are not invited to inherit the Heavenly Kingdom, prepared for the Joint-heirs. The promise to the Millennial overcomers is the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, the earthly paradise, which was lost through Adam. All who will have been restored at the close of restitution times will be those who have accepted Christ’s gracious favors and have been regenerated by him, thus becoming sons (see Isaiah 9:6).

“The Wages of Sin is Death”

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (verse 8).

We have in this verse described the end of those who fail to profit by the instruction and corrective discipline of the great Judgment or Trial Day. These have permitted to develop in them the evil characteristics described in this verse. Their characters are fixed, settled; therefore, their cases are hopeless, so far as their ever changing is concerned. This is the last utterance of the Great Judge concerning their final punishment. What do these words teach? Some tell us they teach eternal torment; and those who so teach, believe that all the trial or probation that any living soul will have is that which he has in this present life. These also allege that this decision, this sentence, is when the sinner dies; and furthermore that this torment begins immediately at death, when what they call separation of the soul from the body takes place; that its severity is increased by the resuscitation of their bodies, and their souls taking up their abode again in the same; and that this torment will be endless and increase without hope of recovery. Who really believes it? Only those so believe who do not understand the Scriptures. Do the Scriptures teach such a blasphemy against the God of Love? We submit a brief exposition of this verse which we believe sets forth the truth:

“The true character of the goat class is portrayed. ‘The fearful and unbelieving [who will not trust God], the abominable, murderers [brother haters], whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters [such as misappropriate and misuse Divine favors, who give to self or any other creature or thing that service and honor which belong to God], and all liars’ — ‘whosoever loveth and maketh a lie’ (in a word, all who do not love the Truth and seek it, and at any cost defend and hold it) ‘shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone [Gehenna, symbol of utter destruction], which is the Second Death.’ Such company would be repulsive to any honest, upright being. It is hard to tolerate them now, when we can sympathize with them, knowing that such dispositions are now in great measure the result of inherited weakness of the flesh. We are moved to a measure of sympathy by the remembrance that in our own cases, often, when we would do good, evil is present with us. But in the close of the Millennial judgment, when the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall have given every advantage and opportunity of knowledge and ability, this class will be an abhorrence and detestation to all who are in harmony with the King of Glory. And the righteous will be glad when, the trial being ended, the gift of life of which these shall have proved themselves unworthy, shall be taken from them, and when the corrupters of the earth, and all their work and influence, shall be destroyed. …

“This destruction or death is called the Second Death in contradistinction to the first or Adamic death, and not to signify that everything which goes into it dies a second time. For instance, death (the first or Adamic death), and hades, the grave, are to be cast into it; this work will require the entire Millennium to accomplish it; and in no sense will they ever have been destroyed before. So also ‘the devil,’ the ‘beast,’ and the ‘false prophet,’ will never have been destroyed before.

“From the first, or Adamic death, a resurrection has been provided. All that are in their graves shall therefore come forth. The Revelator prophetically declares: ‘The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell [hades, the grave] gave up the dead which were in them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened.’ (Revelation 20:13, 12). It was in view of God’s Plan for redeeming the race from Adamic death that in both the Old and New Testaments it is called a ‘sleep.’ In Israel’s history of the good and the wicked it is repeatedly stated that they ‘slept with their fathers.’ The Apostles used the same symbol, and our Lord also. But no such symbol is used in reference to the Second Death. On the contrary, the strongest figures of total and utter destruction are used to symbolize it; viz., ‘fire and brimstone’; because that will be a destruction from which there will be no recovery.

“Blessed thought! the Adamic death (which claimed the whole race for the sin of their progenitor) shall be forever swallowed up, and shall cease in this Second Death into which it is to be cast by the great Redeemer who bought the whole world with the sacrifice of himself” (C. T. Russell).