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resurrection in the economy of redemption. For that immense mass of mankind, of past and present generations, who have died in their sins, it converts this promise of recovery from death into a threat of the double torment of soul and body to endless ages. We have insisted that, as death is the wages of sin, and as resurrection is, by its very nature, recovery from death, it must be a redeeming act; and that any other view of it involves the whole Scripture plan in hopeless contradictions. Upon this point, that resurrection is redemptive, we are perfectly assured. As to the inferences we have drawn from it, we are not so positive, and are open to correction.

As supplementary to the more complete exposition of this principle we have heretofore given from Scripture, we propose to select one or two passages for special examination each month, in order to show how readily they fit in to this general interpretation. Indeed, without this key in hand, a large part of Scripture becomes a hopeless enigma. Isaiah li. 4-11, R.V., reads as follows:

Attend unto me, O my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall go forth from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth and mine arms shall judge the peoples; the isles shall wait for me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner (margin, * like gnats): but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach *Gesenius and Robert Young both prefer this reading.

of men, neither be ye dismayed at their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool but my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation unto all generations. Awake, Awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord, awake as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Art thou not it that cut Rahab in pieces, that pierced the dragon? Art not Thou it which dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

All interpreters will agree that the general thought of this and the preceding chapters is that, notwithstanding the adverse condition of the people of God, and the great obstacles to be overcome, He would yet make them the subjects and the instruments of a salvation that should embrace not only Israel, but reach unto the ends of the earth (xlix. 6). They would generally agree also that the "servant of Jehovah," called to this office of raising up the tribes of Jacob, and of being a light to the Gentiles, is the Messiah; but not the Messiah alone, but as the Head of a chosen seed (Comp. Acts xiii. 47). They would further perceive that the whole passage abounds in intimations that this salvation could be brought in only by a triumph over death.

But it is in dispute (1) whether this triumph over death relates to the Messiah alone, as the agent of this salvation, or whether His people share in His triumph and take part with Him in His saving work. (2.) Whether this salvation which shall be " unto all generations" is to be extended to the generations of the dead as well as of the living.

1. When God called His people out of Egypt that He might make them a kingdom of priests to all the earth, a holy nation (Ex. xix. 5, 6), He brought them out of

Egypt, type of the kingdom of darkness, through the Red Sea, type of death. He spoiled Rahab and wounded "the dragon that is in the sea.” This was a most expressive sign that God's true Israel, the Messiah, Head and members, would hereafter fulfil their mission through the overthrow of him that hath the power of death, and by their resurrection from the dead. Hence the reference in this and other passages to the triumph at the Red Sea, in proof that not even death and Sheol could prevent Jehovah from fulfilling all His purposes concerning His people, and putting them in that place of royal priesthood which should make them a blessing to all the families of the earth. That they as now "risen with Christ" (Col. iii. 1) are partly fulfilling this office, no one can deny. But as was true of the Messiah, that He did not fully enter upon it until after His resurrection from the dead, so must it be true of the whole Christ-Body that the grand fields of their mission await their victory over death. Until then they are under reproach, burdened and hampered. Hence it is beyond their resurrection that the glorified church becomes that tabernacle of God with men under whose shelter the weary nations find repose, in whose light they walk, and to whose gates they bring their glory and honor (Rev. xxi).

2. But not only so; as death cannot defeat God's purpose concerning Israel, so must His purpose of "salvation unto all generations" be accomplished, even though the realms of death must be robbed of their captives. Therefore He declares that even though the earth shall wax old as doth a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in swarms, like gnats, yet He that smote Ra

hab, and pierced the dragon, and opened a path for His ransomed through the depths of the sea, will find a way of making good His promise to bless all nations through their recovery from death. The common interpretation, which makes this promise apply to the nations of a future era when all mankind will be converted, misses the very point of the prophecy, which is that the promised salvation' will be wrought in spite of the fact that most of the generations of mankind have gone down to death unblessed by it. The very trial of faith it was designed to meet was that death had both annulled the priestly calling of Israel, and had put the nations to whom they were to bring salvation beyond the possibility of being blessed. Hence this strong declaration by Him who has power to redeem from death. And that not merely saints, but unrighteous men, were to be made the subjects of a saving power that is not baulked by death, is shown in the fact that in verses 17-23 Jerusalem is addressed as one who had drunken the cup of Jehovah's fury and suffered under His strong rebuke, and yet as now about to be restored and blessed by this great salvation.

THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM.

Thrice was the promise repeated to him that in him, and in his seed should all the families of the earth be blessed,

I. This covenant includes the resurrection of the dead and the times of "restoration of all things." In dealing with "certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is

any resurrection," the great Teacher made the first part of this proposition very clear. His argument is concise and conclusive: "Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: for He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him" (Luke xx. 36, 38). A solemn rehearsal of this divine formula took place at "the bush"; and in recording it Jesus claims that Moses showed "that the dead are raised." How so? How so? The formula grew out of a covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These patriarchs had then been dead hundreds of years. That did not matter, because the covenant covered the resurrection of the dead. So far as it is concerned, death is of no moment. The God of the living made it with living persons, and unto living persons it will be fulfilled. The fulfilment of it is as certain as though it had actually taken place. Meantime "God . . . calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Rom. iv. 17);." for all live unto Him.”

...

The last part of this proposition may be established by reference to the third of Acts. In a wide-ranging discourse, there recorded, the Apostle Peter brings together the covenant made with Abraham; the prophet like unto Moses is "the seed of Abraham," and "the times of restoration" are those times when " all nations of the earth shall be blessed." The position, of course, is not elaborated; but it is there, and may be a key to much that crops up in considering the scheme of human redemption.

2. The Extent of the blessedness promised. "In thee

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