[Illustration.]
The Open Grave At Hanover, Germany. "This grave, purchased for eternity,
must never be opened."—German Princess. See page 515.
Origin, History, And Destiny Of Satan
[Illustration.]
The Temptation. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning!" Isa. 14:12.
1. Have any others than the human family sinned?
“God spared not _the angels that sinned_, but cast them down to hell, and
delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” 2
Peter 2:4.
2. What is the name of the one who led the angels to sin?
“Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for _the
devil_ and his angels.” Matt. 25:41.
3. By what other names is he known?
“And the great _dragon_ was cast out, that old _serpent_, called the
Devil, and _Satan_, which deceiveth the whole world.” Rev. 12:9. See also
Isa. 14:12, where he is called “Lucifer.”
4. What was Satan’s condition when created?
“_Thou wast perfect_ in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till
iniquity was found in thee.” Eze. 28:15.
5. What description is given of him by the prophet Ezekiel?
“Thus saith the Lord God; _Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and
perfect in beauty_. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was thy covering, ... the workmanship of thy tabrets and of
thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art
the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon
the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the
stones of fire.” Verses 12-14.
NOTE.—From this it is evident that Satan was a high and exalted
angel before he fell, a masterpiece of wisdom and beauty. From the
reference to his “tabrets” and “pipes” it seems probable that he
was chorister of heaven, and led the angelic host in song. In the
earthly sanctuary the cherubim overshadowed the mercy-seat. Ex.
25:16-22; Heb. 9:3-5; Ps. 99:1.
6. What unholy, ambitious spirit took possession of Satan, and led to his
fall?
“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of
the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the
heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14:13, 14.
7. Did pride also contribute to his fall?
“_Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty_, thou hast corrupted
thy wisdom by reason of thy _brightness_.” Eze. 28:17.
8. What does Solomon say precedes destruction and a fall?
“_Pride_ goeth before destruction, and _an haughty spirit_ before a fall.”
Prov. 16:18.
9. How does the prophet Isaiah describe Satan’s fall?
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” Isa. 14:12.
10. Why was Satan cast from his high position?
“By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee
with violence, _and thou hast sinned_: therefore I will cast thee as
profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering
cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.” Eze. 28:16.
11. When cast out of the mountain of God, to what place were Satan and his
angels banished, to be kept till the judgment?
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but _cast them down to
hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness_, to be reserved unto
judgment.” 2 Peter 2:4.
NOTE.—This, we understand, is the darkness surrounding this world,
and is symbolic of the darkness of utter hopelessness and despair
in rebellion and sin. When Satan led man to sin, darkness was
brought upon this world. But God did not leave man to
hopelessness. In His mercy and great love He caused “the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ” to shine, to call men “out of
darkness into His marvelous light.” That Satan and the angels who
fell with him had a period of probation and opportunity to repent,
there can be no doubt. Their fate is the result of stubborn
rebellion and persistence in sin in spite of the overtures of
mercy and the offers of pardon. For this they were cast out of
heaven. The wicked angels are kept in everlasting chains of
darkness.
12. How is the conflict which took place in heaven between Christ and
Satan described by the revelator?
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither
was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast
out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out
with him.” Rev. 12:7-9.
13. In what terms did Christ refer to Satan’s fall?
“And He said unto them, _I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven_.”
Luke 10:18.
14. Has Satan ever appeared before God since his fall?
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the Lord, _and Satan came also among them_.” Job 1:6. See also
chapter 2:1.
15. When asked whence he came, what was Satan’s reply?
“Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, _From going to and fro in the
earth, and from walking up and down in it_.” Job 1:7. See Job 2:2.
NOTE.—By tempting man to sin, Satan usurped man’s dominion over
the earth. Rom. 6:16; 2 Peter 2:19. This he now claims as his
kingdom (Luke 4:6); hence the temptation in offering the kingdoms
of this world to Christ. As the “god” and ruler of this world,
Satan, for four thousand years before the crucifixion of Christ,
appeared before God among the representatives of other worlds, as
the representative of this world. After accomplishing the death of
Christ, the Son of God, the sinless One, Satan was cast out of
this council, or assembly, and has not been permitted to enter it
since. This was his second fall, and the one, doubtless, to which
Christ, just before His crucifixion, alluded when he said, “Now is
the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be
_cast out_.” John 12:31. His final fall and destruction are still
future.
16. What has been the character of Satan since his fall?
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for _the devil sinneth from the
beginning_.” 1 John 3:8.
17. Was he ever in the truth?
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and _abode not in the truth_,
because there is no truth in him.” John 8:44.
NOTE.—The expression “_abode_ not in the truth” implies that Satan
was once _in_ the truth, but that he did not _remain_ there.
18. What is the only “beginning” of which we have record?
“In the beginning God _created the heaven and the earth_.” Gen. 1:1.
19. What besides a _murderer_ did Christ say Satan is?
“When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for _he is a liar, and
the father of it_.” John 8:44.
20. What did God tell Adam and Eve would be the result if they
transgressed by partaking of the forbidden fruit?
“Thou shalt _surely die_.” Gen. 2:17.
21. What did Satan say to Eve concerning this?
“And the serpent said unto the woman, _Ye shall __NOT__ surely die_.” Gen.
3:4.
NOTE.—This, as far as the record shows, was _the first lie_,—a
direct denial of the word of God. By persuading Eve to accept and
believe it, Satan led our first parents to _commit sin_; and, as
“the wages of sin is _death_,” by it, also, he caused their
_death_, and so became, in reality, _the first murderer_. A lie,
therefore, is a twin brother to murder, and one of the most
hateful things to God, the “God of _truth_.” See Prov. 6:16-19.
“The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue
is but for a moment.” Prov. 12:19. “All liars shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.” Rev.
21:8. See also Rev. 21:27; 22:15.
22. What has been the result of sin’s entrance into the world?
“By one man sin entered into the world, and _death by sin_.” Rom. 5:12.
“By one man’s disobedience _many were made sinners_.” Verse 19. “_The
whole world lieth in wickedness._” 1 John 5:19. “In Adam _all die_.” 1
Cor. 15:22.
23. When Christ came to redeem man, what did Satan do?
“And immediately the Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness. And He was
there in the wilderness forty days, _tempted of Satan_.” Mark 1:12, 13.
See also Matt. 4:1-11.
24. How severely was Christ tempted of Satan?
“For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling
of our infirmities; but was _in all points tempted like as we are_, yet
without sin.” Heb. 4:15.
25. What has the church suffered since the days of Christ?
“And when the dragon [Satan] saw that he was cast unto the earth, _he
persecuted the woman_ [_the church_].” Rev. 12:13.
NOTE.—Many millions of the people of God have been put to death
since the beginning of the Christian era, under pagan and papal
persecutions, all of which have been instigated by Satan. See
Buck’s Theological Dictionary, any commentary or church history on
the subject of persecution, and the readings on pages 218, 264,
268, 491.
26. Is the remnant church to feel his wrath, and why?
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.” Verse 17.
27. How will Satan deceive men in the last days?
“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth _by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast_.” Rev. 13:14.
NOTE.—This, we understand, refers to Spiritualistic manifestations
and miracles to be wrought to fasten men in error and deception.
See readings on pages 530, 533.
28. What will influence the nations to gather for the great battle of
Armageddon?
“They are _the spirits of devils_, working miracles, which go forth unto
the kings of the earth and of the whole world, _to gather them to the
battle of that great day of God Almighty_.” Rev. 16:14.
29. Why will men be allowed thus to fall under the delusion of Satan?
“_Because they received not the love of the truth_, that they might be
saved. _And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they
should believe a lie_: that they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thess. 2:10-12. See 1 Kings
22:20-23.
30. For how long is Satan to be bound at the second advent?
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the
dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and _bound him a
thousand years_.” Rev. 20:1, 2.
31. What is to take place at the close of the thousand years?
“And when the thousand years are expired, _Satan shall be loosed out of
his prison_, and shall _go out to deceive the nations_ which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, _to gather them together to
battle_: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” Verses 7, 8.
NOTE.—Satan’s evil career began in rebellion against God in
heaven, and ends in rebellion against Him on earth.
32. As Satan and his host compass the camp of the saints, what will take
place?
“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
the saints about, and the beloved city: and _fire came down from God out
of heaven, and devoured them_.” Verse 9.
33. What is to be Satan’s final doom?
“_I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth_ in the sight of all them that
behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished
at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and _never shalt thou be any more_.” Eze.
28:18, 19.
NOTE.—A gladsome thought! Satan, sin, and sinners are finally to
come to an end, and be no more. Then God will have a clean
universe.
34. Why did Christ partake of our nature?
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also
Himself likewise took part of the same; _that through death He might
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil_.” Heb. 2:14.
35. What exhortations are given to Christians in view of Satan’s hatred
against God and all that is good?
“_Be sober, be vigilant_; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom _resist steadfast in
the faith_.” 1 Peter 5:8, 9. “_Resist the devil_, and he will flee from
you.” James 4:7.
36. With what weapon did Christ successfully meet Satan’s temptations?
The Word of God. “_It is written, ... It is written, ... It is written._”
Matt. 4:4-10.
NOTE.—The Word of God is the “sword of the Spirit.” Eph. 6:17. If
Christ met and vanquished the enemy with this, so also may we. But
no one can use it who is unfamiliar with it. How important, then,
that we search, study, and know it! See first readings in this
book, and reading on “Importance of Sound Doctrine,” page 127.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Gracious Father, guard Thy children
From the foe’s destructive power;
Save, O save them, Lord, from falling
In this dark and trying hour!
Thou wilt surely prove Thy people,
All our graces must be tried;
But Thy Word illumes our pathway,
And in God we still confide.
What Is Man?
[Illustration.]
Sea Of Galilee. "And the Lord ... breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life; and man became a living soul." Gen. 2:7.
1. In what condition was man created?
“Thou madest him _a little lower than the angels_.” Ps. 8:5.
2. What will be the final condition of the righteous?
“_Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels_; and
are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Luke
20:35, 36.
3. What are angels called?
“And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels _spirits_, and His
ministers a flame of fire.” Heb. 1:7.
4. What is the difference between the two Adams?
“The first man Adam was made _a living soul_; the last Adam was made _a
quickening spirit_.” 1 Cor. 15:45.
5. Are our present bodies natural or spiritual?
“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural;
and afterward that which is spiritual.” Verse 46.
6. When will the righteous have spiritual bodies?
“It is sown a natural body; _it is raised a spiritual body_. There is a
natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” Verse 44.
7. To what does the sowing here spoken of refer?
“That which thou sowest is not quickened, except it _die_.” Verse 36.
NOTE.—Man does not now possess the undying, spiritual nature of
the angels, except as he holds it by faith in Christ; nor will he
until the resurrection. Then, if righteous, he will be made
immortal, and he cannot die any more (Luke 20:36), because he will
be “_equal unto the angels_.”
8. How is man’s nature defined?
“Shall _mortal man_ be more just than God?” Job 4:17.
_Mortal_: “Subject to death.”—_Webster._
9. What is God’s nature?
“Now unto the King _eternal, immortal, invisible_, the only wise God, be
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Tim. 1:17.
_Immortal_: “Exempt from liability to die.”—_Webster._
10. Of what was man formed in the beginning?
“And the Lord God formed man _of the dust of the ground_.” Gen. 2:7, first
part.
11. What act made him a living soul?
“And [God] _breathed into his nostrils the breath of life_; and man became
a living soul.” Same verse, last part.
NOTES.—The living soul was not put _into_ the man; but the breath
of _life_ which was put into man, made _him_—the man, made of the
earth—a _living_ soul, or creature.
The original for “living soul” in this text is _nephesh chaiyah_.
On the use of this expression in Gen. 1:24, translated “living
creature,” Dr. Adam Clarke says: “A general term to express all
creatures endued with animal life, in any of its infinitely varied
gradations, from the half-reasoning elephant down to the stupid
potto, or lower still, to the polyp, which seems equally to share
the vegetable and animal life.”
12. Are other creatures besides man called “living souls”?
“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as
the blood of a dead man: and _every living soul died in the sea_.” Rev.
16:3. See also Gen. 1:30, margin.
13. Do others besides man have the “breath of life”?
“And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of _fowl_, and of
_cattle_, and of _beast_, and of _every creeping thing_ that creepeth upon
the earth, and every man: _all in whose nostrils was the breath of life_.”
Gen. 7:21, 22.
14. Is their breath the same as man’s?
“As the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, _they have all one breath_; so
that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.” Eccl.
3:19.
NOTE.—That is, here men, as well as beasts, die. This present
life, with them, as with the rest of the animal creation, is
dependent upon their breath. When this is gone, they, the same as
beasts, die. In this respect they have no preeminence over beasts.
But men have a future unending life held out before them, and may,
if they will, die in hope of eternal life, which is a very great
preeminence over the rest of the animal creation.
15. What does Job call that which God breathed into man’s nostrils?
“All the while my breath is in me, and _the spirit of God is in my
nostrils_.” Job 27:3.
16. When man gives up this spirit, what becomes of it?
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and _the spirit shall
return unto God who gave it_.” Eccl. 12:7.
NOTE.—That is, the spirit of life by which man lives, and which is
only lent him of God, at death goes back to the great Author of
life. Having come from Him, it belongs to God, and man can have it
eternally only as a gift from God, through Jesus Christ. Rom.
6:23. When the spirit goes back to God, the dust, from which man
was made a “living soul” in the beginning, goes back _as it was_,
to the earth, and the individual no longer exists as a living,
conscious, thinking being, except as he exists in the mind, plan,
and purpose of God through Christ and the resurrection. In this
sense “all live unto Him” (Luke 20:38), for all are to be raised
from the dead. See John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Rom. 4:17.
17. Who only have hold of the life eternal?
“_He that hath the Son hath life_; and _he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life_.” 1 John 5:12.
NOTE.—The veriest sinner has this temporal life; but when he
yields up this life, he has no prospect nor promise of the life
eternal. That can be received only through Christ.
18. Why was Adam driven from the garden of Eden and excluded from the tree
of life?
“And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and _live forever_.” Gen. 3:22.
19. What was done to keep man away from the tree of life?
“So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden
cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of
the tree of life.” Verse 24.
20. How are all men in the natural state regarded?
“We all ... were by nature _the children of wrath_, even as others.” Eph.
2:3.
21. If the wrath of God _abides_ on a person, of what does it deprive him?
“He that believeth not the Son _shall not see life_; but the wrath of God
abideth on him.” John 3:36.
22. Through whom is the sinner saved from wrath?
“Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath _through Him_.” Rom. 5:9.
23. With whom is the Christian’s future life hid?
“For ye are dead [to sin], and your life is _hid with Christ in God_.”
Col. 3:3.
24. When will this life be bestowed upon the believer?
“_When Christ, who is our life, shall appear_, then shall ye also appear
with Him in glory.” Verse 4.
NOTE.—The word _immortal_ occurs but once in the English Bible (1
Tim. 1:17), and is there applied to God.
25. Who only possesses inherent immortality?
“Who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of
lords; _who only hath immortality_.” 1 Tim. 6:15, 16.
NOTE.—God is the only Being who possesses original life or
immortality in Himself. All others must receive it from God. See
John 5:26; 6:27; 10:10, 27, 28; Rom. 6:23; 1 John 5:11.
26. Through whom has immortality been brought to light?
“But is now made manifest by the appearing of _our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel_.” 2 Tim. 1:10.
27. To whom is eternal life promised?
“To them who by patient continuance in well-doing _seek for glory and
honor and immortality_, eternal life.” Rom. 2:7.
NOTE.—One does not need to seek for a thing which he already
possesses. The fact that we are to seek for immortality is proof
in itself that we do not now possess it.
28. When will the faithful be changed to immortality?
“Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but _we shall all
be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump_:
for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 15:51, 52.
29. What is then to be swallowed up?
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, _Death is swallowed up in victory_.” Verse 54. See verse
57.
Life Only In Christ
[Illustration.]
Moses Smiting The Rock. "They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed
them." 1 Cor. 10:4.
1. What is the wages of sin?
“The wages of sin is _death_.” Rom. 6:23.
2. Through whom only is there salvation from sin?
“_Neither is there salvation in any other_: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.
NOTE.—If men do not die, why should Christ die to save them from
death? And what need of the resurrection and the second advent?
3. Why did God send His only begotten Son to this world?
“That whosoever believeth in Him should not _perish_, but have
_everlasting life_.” John 3:16.
4. What does Christ declare Himself to be?
“I am the way, the truth, and _the life_.” John 14:6.
5. What does He say He gives to those who follow Him?
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and _I give
unto them eternal life_; and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of My hand.” John 10:27, 28.
6. Upon what is the possession of this life conditioned?
“Except ye _eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood_, ye have
no life in you.” John 6:53.
7. In whom is the life eternal?
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, _and this
life is in His Son_.” 1 John 5:11.
8. Who only have this life?
“_He that hath the Son hath life_; and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life.” Verse 12. “_He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him
that sent Me, hath everlasting life_, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24.
9. What is Christ therefore fittingly called?
“When Christ, who is _our life_, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with Him in glory.” Col. 3:4.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.
Thou dying Lamb! Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransomed church of God
Are saved, to sin no more.
E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.
Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,
Unworthy though I be,
For me a blood-bought, free reward—
Eternal life for me.
There in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stam’ring tongue
Is ransomed from the grave.
WILLIAM COWPER.
The Intermediate State
[Illustration.]
The Burial Of Sarah. "If I wait, the grave is mine house." Job 17:13.
1. By what figure does the Bible represent death?
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are _asleep_, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” 1
Thess. 4:13. See also 1 Cor. 15:18, 20; John 11:11-14.
NOTE.—In sound sleep one is wholly lost to consciousness; time
goes by unmeasured; and the mental functions which are active
during consciousness are suspended for the time being.
2. Where do the dead sleep?
“And many of them that _sleep in the dust of the earth_ shall awake.” Dan.
12:2. See also Eccl. 3:20; 9:10.
3. How long will they sleep there?
“So man lieth down, and riseth not: _till the heavens be no more_, they
shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.” Job 14:12.
4. For what did Job say he would wait after death?
“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will
I wait, _till my change come_.” Verse 14.
5. Where did he say he would wait?
“_If I wait, the grave is mine house_: I have made my bed in the
darkness.” Job 17:13.
6. While in this condition, how much does one know about those he has left
behind?
“His sons come to honor, and _he knoweth it not_; and they are brought
low, but _he perceiveth it not of them_.” Job 14:21.
7. What becomes of man’s thoughts at death?
“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; _in that very day his
thoughts perish_.” Ps. 146:4.
8. Do the dead know _anything_?
“For the living know that they shall die: _but the dead know not
anything_, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is
forgotten.” Eccl. 9:5.
9. Do they take any part in earthly things?
“Also their _love_, and their _hatred_, and their _envy_, is now
_perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that
is done under the sun_.” Verse 6.
NOTE.—If one continued in consciousness after death, he would know
of the promotion or dishonor of his sons. But Job says he does not
know this. Not only so, but in death one loses all the attributes
of mind,—love, hatred, envy, etc. Thus it is plain that his
thoughts have perished, and that he can have nothing more to do
with the things of this world. But if, as taught and held by some,
man’s powers of thought continue after death, he _lives_; and if
he lives, he must be _somewhere_. Where is he? Is he in heaven, or
in hell? If he goes to either place at death, what then is the
need of a future judgment, or of a resurrection, or of the second
coming of Christ? If the judgment does not take place at death,
but men go to their reward at death, then their _rewards_ precede
their _awards_, and there would arise the possibility that some
have at death gone to the wrong place, and must needs be sent to
the other, after having been in bliss or torment for ages,
perhaps.
10. What does the psalmist say about the dead praising God?
“_The dead praise not the Lord_, neither any that go down into silence.”
Ps. 115:17.
11. How much does one know of God when dead?
“For in death _there is no remembrance of Thee_.” Ps. 6:5.
NOTE.—There is not even a remembrance of God. As already seen, the
Bible everywhere represents the dead as _asleep_. If they were in
heaven or in hell, would it be fitting to represent them thus? Was
Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, in heaven when the Saviour said, “Our
friend Lazarus _sleepeth_”? John 11:11. If so, calling him to life
was really robbing him of the bliss of heaven that rightly
belonged to him. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, recorded
in Luke 16, was given to teach, not consciousness in death, but
that in the judgment riches will avail nothing unless rightly and
beneficently used, and that poverty will not keep one out of
heaven.
12. But are not the righteous dead in heaven?
“For _David is not ascended into the heavens_.” Acts 2:34.
13. What must take place before the dead can praise God?
“Thy dead men shall live, together with My dead body shall they arise.
_Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust_: for thy dew is as the dew of
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” Isa. 26:19.
14. When did David say he would be satisfied?
“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,
_when I awake, with Thy likeness_.” Ps. 17:15.
15. Were there to be no resurrection of the dead, what would be the
condition of those fallen asleep in Christ?
“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. _Then they also which
are fallen asleep in Christ are perished._” 1 Cor. 15:16-18.
16. When is the resurrection of the righteous to take place?
“For _the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven_ with a shout, with the
voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: _and the dead in Christ
shall rise first_.” 1 Thess. 4:16.
NOTES.—If, as stated in Eccl. 9:5, the dead know not anything,
then they have no knowledge of the lapse of time. “Six thousand
years in the grave to a dead man is no more than a wink of the eye
to the living.” To them, consciousness, our only means of
measuring time, is gone; and it will seem to them when they awake
that absolutely no time has elapsed. And herein lies a most
comforting thought in the Bible doctrine of the sleep of the dead,
that in death there is no consciousness of the passing of time. To
those who sleep in Jesus, their sleep, whether long or short,
whether one year, one thousand years, or six thousand years, will
be but as if the moment of sad parting were followed instantly by
the glad reunion in the presence of Jesus at His glorious
appearing and the resurrection of the just.
It ought also to be a comforting thought to those whose lives have
been filled with anxiety and grief for deceased loved ones who
persisted in sin, to know that they are not now suffering in
torments, but, with all the rest of the dead, are quietly sleeping
in their graves. Job 3:17.
Again, it would mar the felicity of one’s enjoyment in heaven
could he look upon earth and see his friends and relatives
suffering from persecution, want, cold, or hunger, or sorrowing
for the dead. God’s way is best,—that all sentient life,
animation, activity, thought, and consciousness should cease at
death, and that all should wait till the resurrection for their
future life and eternal reward. See Heb. 11:39, 40.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Sleep on, beloved! sleep, and take thy rest;
Lay down thy head upon thy Saviour’s breast.
We love thee well, but Jesus loves thee best—
Good night.
The Two Resurrections
[Illustration.]
Christ’s Second Coming. Descent Of The Holy City.
1. What comes to all men as the result of the fall?
“In Adam _all die_.” 1 Cor. 15:22. See also Rom. 5:12.
2. Where do all go at death?
“All go unto _one place_; all are of _the dust_, and _all turn to dust
again_.” Eccl. 3:20.
3. In what condition is man while in the grave?
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for _there is no
work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou
goest_.” Eccl. 9:10.
NOTE.—That is, man, when dead, has no use of the powers of mind or
body. He cannot, therefore, while in the grave, praise God, or
even think of Him (Ps. 6:5); for in the day he dies his thoughts
perish. Ps. 146:2-4. See preceding reading.
4. What has been promised in order that man may be redeemed from this
condition?
“_I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from
death_: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy
destruction.” Hosea 13:14.
5. Through whom will come this redemption from the grave?
“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead. For as in Adam all die, _even so in Christ shall all be made
alive_.” 1 Cor. 15:21, 22.
6. What would have been the result to the dead had not Christ procured
their release from the grave?
“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then _they also which
are fallen asleep in Christ are perished_.” Verses 16-18.
7. Why did God give His only begotten Son to the world?
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, _that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish_, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16.
8. What did the Sadducees in Christ’s time deny?
“Then came to Him certain of the Sadducees, _which deny that there is any
resurrection_.” Luke 20:27.
9. How did Christ, from the Old Testament Scriptures, prove the
resurrection?
“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.” Verses 37, 38.
NOTE.—That is, in view of the resurrection—of the fact that there
is to be a resurrection—all live unto God. In His purpose, all are
alive. It is in this sense that Paul speaks of God as the one “who
quickeneth the dead, and _calleth those things which be not as
though they were_.” Rom. 4:17.
10. Under what illustration from nature are the resurrection and the final
salvation of the righteous taught?
“_That which thou sowest_ is not quickened, except it die.” 1 Cor. 15:36.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, _Except a corn of wheat fall into the
ground and die_, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit.” John 12:24.
NOTES.—The seed dies to spring forth into new life. In this we are
taught the lesson of the resurrection. All who love God will
spring forth to life, and live again through endless ages in the
earth made new.
_The Open Grave._—The truth of the resurrection has been forcibly
illustrated by the following incident: In the city of Hanover,
Germany, is a grave known as “The open grave.” It is that of a
woman, an infidel German princess, who died over one hundred years
ago, and who, on her death-bed, gave orders that her grave should
be covered with a great marble slab, weighing perhaps a ton,
surmounting solid blocks of stone firmly bound together with
clasps of iron, with this inscription placed on the lowermost
stone of the tomb: “This grave purchased for eternity, must never
be opened.” But no human device can thwart the plans of God, or
hinder the workings of life from Him. It happened, providentially
no doubt, that a birch-tree seed was buried with the princess.
Soon it began to sprout. Its tiny shoot, soft and pliable at
first, found its way up through the ponderous stones of the
massive masonry. Slowly and imperceptibly, but with irresistible
power, it grew, until at last it burst the bands of iron asunder,
and opened this never-to-be-opened grave, leaving not a single
stone in its original position. See illustration on page 498. What
a rebuke to infidelity! and what a mute but striking promise that,
erelong, in God’s own time, all graves shall be opened, and the
sleeping ones awake from their dusty beds!
[Illustration.]
The Raising Of Lazarus. "I am the Resurrection, and the Life." John 11:25.
11. Where are the dead when they hear the voice of Christ calling them to
life?
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are _in
the graves_ shall hear His voice, and shall come forth.” John 5:28, 29.
12. How many distinct classes will have a resurrection?
“There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the _just_ and
_unjust_.” Acts 24:15.
13. By what terms did Christ refer to the two resurrections?
“All that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth;
they that have done good, unto _the resurrection of life_; and they that
have done evil, unto _the resurrection of damnation_.” John 5:28, 29.
14. When will the resurrection of the just occur?
“For _the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout_, with the
voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: _and the dead in Christ
shall rise first_.” 1 Thess. 4:16. See also 1 Cor. 15:23.
15. When are the righteous to be recompensed?
“For thou shalt be recompensed _at the resurrection of the just_.” Luke
14:14.
16. In what condition did David expect to rise?
“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,
_when I awake, with Thy likeness_.” Ps. 17:15.
17. What great contrast will be seen between the present body and the one
to be put on in the resurrection?
“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in _corruption_; it
is raised in _incorruption_: it is sown in _dishonor_; it is raised in
_glory_: it is sown in _weakness_; it is raised in _power_: it is sown a
_natural body_; it is raised a _spiritual body_.” 1 Cor. 15:42-44.
18. After whose body will these resurrected ones be fashioned?
“We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile
body, that it may be fashioned _like unto His glorious body_.” Phil. 3:20,
21.
19. What will the righteous do upon rising from the grave?
“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.
_Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust_: for thy dew is as the dew of
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” Isa. 26:19.
20. In what words will their triumph over death and the grave be
expressed?
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Cor.
15:55.
21. How long will they live?
“_Neither can they die any more_: for they are equal unto the angels; and
are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Luke
20:36.
22. How long do the other class wait after the first resurrection before
they are raised?
“And they [the righteous] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
_But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were
finished._” Rev. 20:4, 5.
23. What is to be their fate?
“And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Verse 9.
24. Who are to share this fate?
“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.” Rev. 21:8.
25. What is the last enemy to be destroyed?
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is _death_.” 1 Cor. 15:26. See
Rev. 20:13, 14.
26. How will the righteous ever afterward appear?
“Then shall the righteous _shine forth as the sun_ in the kingdom of their
Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matt. 13:43.
Fate Of The Transgressor
[Illustration.]
The Giving Of The Law. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
James 1:15.
1. What question does Peter ask regarding the wicked?
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if
it first begin at us, _what shall the end be of them that obey not the
gospel of God_?” 1 Peter 4:17.
2. What does the Bible say is the wages of sin?
“For the wages of sin is _death_.” Rom. 6:23. “The soul that sinneth, it
shall _die_.” Eze. 18:4.
_Die_: “To pass from physical life; to suffer a total and
irreparable loss of action of the vital functions; to become dead;
to expire; perish.”—_Webster._
3. What will be the character of this death?
“Who shall be punished with _everlasting destruction_ from the presence of
the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thess. 1:9.
_Destroy_: “To unbuild; to break up the structure and organic
existence of; to demolish; to spoil utterly; to bring to naught;
to put an end to; to annihilate.”—_Webster._
4. How complete will be the destruction of the wicked?
“Fear Him which is able to _destroy both soul and body in hell_.” Matt.
10:28.
5. What does Christ say will befall those who do not repent?
“Except ye repent, _ye shall all likewise perish_.” Luke 13:3.
_Perish_: “To be destroyed; to pass away; to become nothing; to be
lost; to waste away; to die.”—_Webster._
6. How does the apostle Peter say they shall perish?
“But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak
evil of the things that they understand not; and _shall utterly perish in
their own corruption_.” 2 Peter 2:12.
7. To what are the wicked in their punishment compared?
“But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be _as the
fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away_.”
Ps. 37:20.
_Consume_: “To destroy; as by decomposition, dissipation, waste,
or fire.”—_Webster._
8. How does John the Baptist describe the destruction of the wicked?
“He that cometh after me is mightier than I, ... whose fan is in His hand,
and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the
garner; but _He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire_.” Matt.
3:11, 12.
9. For whom does Christ say the fire which will finally destroy the wicked
was originally prepared?
“Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, _prepared for the devil and his angels_.”
Matt. 25:41.
NOTE.—This fire is called “everlasting” because of the character
of the _work_ it does; just as it is called “unquenchable” because
it cannot be _put_ out, and not because it will not _go_ out when
it has done its work.
10. What will be the result of this punishment?
“As the whirlwind passeth, _so is the wicked no more_: but the righteous
is an everlasting foundation.” Prov. 10:25.
11. Will any part of the wicked be left?
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the
proud, yea, and _all_ that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that
cometh shall _burn them up_, saith the Lord of hosts, that _it shall leave
them neither root nor branch_.” Mal. 4:1.
12. What will then be their condition?
“For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the heathen
drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and
_they shall be as though they had not been_.” Obadiah 16.
13. Where will the _place_ of the wicked then be?
“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, _thou shalt
diligently consider his place, and it shall not be_.” Ps. 37:10.
NOTE.—It would be difficult to keep the wicked in eternal torment
without any place for them, even, in which to exist.
14. Where are both the righteous and the wicked to be recompensed?
“Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed _in the earth_: much more the
wicked and the sinner.” Prov. 11:31.
15. Do the wicked go directly to their punishment at death, or wait till
the day of judgment?
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and _to
reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished_.” 2 Peter 2:9.
16. To what are the present heavens and earth reserved?
“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept
in store, _reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men_.” 2 Peter 3:7.
NOTE.—Both the present heavens and earth and sinners await the
fires of the last day.
17. What will be the result of the fires of the last day?
“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein _the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat_.” “_The earth also, and the works that are therein shall be
burned up._” Verses 12, 10.
18. By what means does Christ say His kingdom is to be cleansed from sin
and sinners?
“The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and _they shall gather out of
His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall
cast them into a furnace of fire_.” Matt. 13:41, 42.
NOTE.—Satan and the wicked now have this world as their “place.”
In due time Christ will have it. He will cleanse it from sin and
sinners, and restore it, that He may give it to the saints of the
Most High for an everlasting possession. See Dan. 7:18, 22, 27.
19. When are the wicked dead to be raised to receive their final
punishment?
“But the rest of the dead lived not again _until the thousand years were
finished_.” Rev. 20:5.
20. Whence will come the fire that will destroy them?
“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
the saints about, and the beloved city: _and fire came down from God out
of heaven, and devoured them_.” Verse 9.
NOTE.—This is called God’s “strange act” and His “strange
work,”—the work of destruction. Isa. 28:21. But by this means God
will once and forever cleanse the universe of sin and all its sad
results. Death itself will then be at an end—cast into the lake of
fire. Rev. 20:14.
21. To what will this fire reduce the wicked?
“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for _they shall be ashes under the
soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this_, saith the Lord of
hosts.” Mal. 4:3.
NOTE.—The wicked are to be utterly destroyed—consumed away into
smoke, brought to ashes. Having inseparably allied themselves with
sin, they have forfeited the right to life and an immortal
existence, and chosen the way of death and destruction. By their
choice they have proved themselves worthless. For this reason they
are compared to chaff, briers, thorns, etc. Their destruction will
consequently be no real loss. They will themselves have lost their
opportunity to obtain eternal life; but by the way in which they
used their probationary time they proved themselves unworthy of
it. Their destruction will, in fact, be an act of love and mercy
on the part of God; for to perpetuate their lives would only be to
perpetuate sin, sorrow, suffering, and misery. Terrible,
therefore, as this judgment will be, there will, in consequence of
it, be nothing of value lost,—nothing lost worth saving. The
experiment of sin will be over, and God’s original plan of
peopling the earth with a race of holy, happy beings will be
carried out. 2 Peter 3:13.
22. What is this final destruction of the wicked called?
“This is _the second death_.” Rev. 20:14.
23. After the burning day, what will appear?
“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for _new heavens and a
new earth_, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:13.
24. Where will the righteous then be found?
“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun _in the kingdom of their
Father_.” Matt. 13:43.
25. What promise of the Saviour will then be fulfilled?
“Blessed are the meek: for _they shall inherit the earth_.” Matt. 5:5. See
also Ps. 37:11, 29; Isa. 65:17-25; Dan. 7:18.
26. What universal song of praise will then be sung?
“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_.” Rev. 5:13.
The Ministration Of Good Angels
[Illustration.]
Moses On The Nile. "He shall give His angels charge over thee." Ps. 91:11.
1. Of what family does Paul speak in Ephesians?
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
of whom _the whole family in heaven and earth_ is named.” Eph. 3:14, 15.
2. By what name are the members of this family called?
“Now there was a day when _the sons of God_ came to present themselves
before the Lord.” Job 1:6. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called _the sons of God_.” 1 John 3:1.
3. By what name are those composing the family in heaven commonly known to
us?
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many _angels_ round about the
throne.” Rev. 5:11.
4. Did angels exist before the death of any of the human family?
“So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden
_cherubim_.” Gen. 3:24.
_Cherub_: “A creature of a sacred and celestial
nature.”—_Gesenius._
5. Who witnessed the laying of the foundations of the earth?
“Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the
corner-stone thereof; when _the morning stars_ sang together, and all _the
sons of God_ shouted for joy?” Job 38:6, 7.
6. How many of these beings did John see around the throne?
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of _many angels_ round about the
throne; ... and the number of them was _ten thousand times ten thousand,
and thousands of thousands_.” Rev. 5:11.
7. What does Paul say of their number?
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to _an innumerable company of angels_.” Heb.
12:22. See also Dan. 7:10.
8. Are angels of a higher order of beings than man?
“Thou hast made him _a little lower than the angels_.” Ps. 8:5.
NOTES.—There are different orders of angels: “Cherubim” (Gen.
3:24); “Seraphim” (Isa. 6:2, 6); “Archangel” (1 Thess. 4:16; Jude
9).
Some of their names are: “Michael” (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9);
“Gabriel” (Dan. 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19); “Uriel” (2 Esdras
[Apocrypha] 4:1, 36; 5:20. See 1 Chron. 15:5); “Ariel” (doubtless
of angelic origin. See Ezra 8:16).
_Michael_ means, “Who is _like_ God,” and hence is a fit title for
Christ. _Gabriel_ signifies, “The _strength_ of God,” an
appropriate name for the angel or being who stands next to Christ
(Dan. 10:21). _Uriel_ means, “The _light_ of God;” _Ariel_, “The
_lion_ of God.”
9. Is Christ ever called an angel?
“Behold, I send _an Angel_ before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to
bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” Ex. 23:20. See verse 23;
Acts 7:38; and margin of 1 Cor. 10:4. “_The Angel of His presence_ saved
them.” Isa. 63:9. “Michael _the Archangel_.” Jude 9. See also Dan. 12:1; 1
Thess. 4:16.
NOTE.—Angel means _messenger_. In Mal. 3:1, Christ is called “the
_messenger_ of the covenant.”
10. What is said of the strength and character of the angels?
“Bless the Lord, ye His angels, _that excel in strength, that do His
commandments_, harkening unto the voice of His word.” Ps. 103:20.
11. What description is given of Gabriel in Daniel?
“His body also was like the _beryl_, and his face as the appearance of
_lightning_, and his eyes as _lamps of fire_, and his arms and his feet
like in color to _polished brass_, and the voice of his words _like the
voice of a multitude_.” Dan. 10:6.
NOTE.—Similar descriptions are given of God, the “Ancient of
days,” in Dan 7:9; and of Christ, “the Son of man,” in Rev.
1:13-15
12. What was the appearance of the angel that rolled away the stone from
the sepulcher at the resurrection of Christ?
“His countenance was _like lightning_, and his raiment _white as snow_.”
Matt. 28:3.
13. What shows that the angels sent to Abraham and Lot were real beings?
“And he [Abraham] took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had
dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and
_they did eat_.” “And he [Lot] made them a feast, and did bake unleavened
bread, and _they did eat_.” Gen. 18:8; 19:3.
14. What reason does Paul give to encourage us to entertain strangers?
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: _for thereby some have
entertained angels unawares_.” Heb. 13:2.
15. In his dream at Bethel, what did Jacob see?
“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of
it reached to heaven: _and behold the angels of God ascending and
descending on it_.” Gen. 28:12.
16. To whose authority are the angels subject?
“Jesus Christ: who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God;
_angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him_.” 1 Peter
3:21, 22.
NOTE.—In Joshua 5:13-15, Christ is called “captain of the Lord’s
host.”
17. In what work are angels engaged?
“Are they not all _ministering spirits_, sent forth to minister for them
who shall be heirs of salvation?” Heb. 1:14.
18. What scripture indicates that each child of God has an accompanying
angel?
“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto
you, That in heaven _their angels_ do always behold the face of My Father
which is in heaven.” Matt. 18:10.
NOTE.—Another has said: “Christians who live in the light of God’s
countenance are always accompanied by unseen angels, and these
holy beings leave behind them a blessing in our homes.”
19. How is their watch-care over God’s people expressed?
“The angel of the Lord _encampeth round about them that fear Him, and
delivereth them_.” Ps. 34:7.
[Illustration.]
Daniel In The Lions’ Den. "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear Him, and delivereth them." Ps. 34:7.
20. By what means were the three Hebrews protected while in the fiery
furnace?
“I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no
hurt; and the form of the fourth is _like the Son of God_.... Then
Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abed-nego, who hath _sent His angel, and delivered His servants_ that
trusted in Him.” Dan. 3:25-28.
21. When cast into the lions’ den, how did Daniel say he had been saved
from death?
“_My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths_, that they
have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me.” Dan.
6:22.
22. When surrounded by the Syrian host, what did Elisha say, and for what
did he pray, to encourage his frightened servant?
“And he answered, _Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they
that be with them_. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, _open
his eyes, that he may see_. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man;
_and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of
fire round about Elisha_.” 2 Kings 6:16, 17.
23. What does the psalmist say of the chariots of God?
“The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even _thousands of angels_.” Ps.
68:17.
24. By what means were the apostles delivered from prison?
“_The angel of the Lord_ by night _opened the prison doors_, and brought
them forth.” Acts 5:19.
25. How was Peter delivered later?
“_The angel of the Lord came upon him_, and a light shined in the prison:
and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up
quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.... And he saith unto him,
Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.... They came unto the iron
gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord:
and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the
angel departed from him.” Acts 12:7-10.
NOTE.—“What we call physical law is no obstruction to angelic
ministrations. Bolts and bars and prison gates disappear at their
volition, and dungeons like palaces shine in their presence. No
place can be so dismal, no cavern so deep and dark, no Inquisition
cell so hidden and fetid, no fortress so strongly guarded, that
they cannot find quick and easy access, if a child of God is
there.”—_“__Footprints of Angels in Fields of Revelation,__”__ by
E. A. Stockman, pages 74, 75._
26. When Elijah was about to take a forty days’ journey, how was he
strengthened for it?
“_And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him,
and said, Arise and eat_; because the journey is too great for thee. And
he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat
forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” 1 Kings 19:7, 8.
27. After His forty days’ fast and temptation in the wilderness, how was
Christ strengthened?
“Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, _angels came and ministered unto
Him_.” Matt. 4:11.
28. How was Christ strengthened while suffering in the garden of
Gethsemane?
“And _there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him_.”
Luke 22:43.
29. Are the angels interested in the plan of salvation?
“Which things _the angels desire to look into_.” 1 Peter 1:12.
30. Are they interested in the conversion of men?
“Likewise, I say unto you, _there is joy in the presence of the angels of
God over one sinner that repenteth_.” Luke 15:10.
31. Before whom are we said to speak?
“Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow
and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; _neither say
thou before the angel_, that it was an error: wherefore should God be
angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?” Eccl. 5:5, 6.
32. For what must men give account in the judgment?
“But I say unto you, That _every idle word_ that men shall speak, they
shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matt. 12:36. See also
Eccl. 12:13, 14.
33. Out of what will they be judged?
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the
dead were judged _out of those things which were written in the books_,
according to their works.” Rev. 20:12.
34. What shows that the actions of men are recorded?
“And the Lord harkened, and heard it, and _a book of remembrance was
written before Him_ for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon
His name.” Mal. 3:16. See also Isa. 65:6; Jer. 2:22.
35. In the judgment how many angels minister before God?
“A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: _thousand thousands
ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before
Him_: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Dan. 7:10.
NOTE.—Since the angels are our ministering spirits, and our lives
are open before them, it is reasonable to infer that they make the
record of our lives. Then when the books are examined, they will
of necessity be present, to minister before God.
36. What does Christ promise overcomers?
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I
will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but _I will confess
his name before My Father, and before His angels_.” Rev. 3:5.
37. What protection has God promised His people during the seven last
plagues?
“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy
dwelling. For _He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in
all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy
foot against a stone_.” Ps. 91:10-12.
38. When Christ comes, who will come with Him, and what will they do?
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father _with His
angels_.” “And _they shall gather together His elect_ from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other.” Matt. 16:27; 24:31.
39. Where will all the saints then go?
“Then we which are alive and remain _shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds_, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:17.
NOTE.—We shall then have the privilege of seeing and conversing
not only with the good and blest of all ages, but with the angels
who have ministered to us during our earthly pilgrimage.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
O, may Thine angels, while I sleep,
Around my bed their vigils keep;
Their love angelical instil,
Stop every avenue of ill!
May they celestial joys rehearse,
And thought to thought with me converse.
BISHOP KENT.
The Dark Ministries Of Bad Angels
[Illustration.]
Satan’s Entrance To Eden. "The prince of this world cometh, and hath
nothing in Me." John 14:30.
1. Against whom do we wrestle?
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but _against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness_ [margin, _wicked spirits_] in high places [margin,
heavenly places].” Eph. 6:12.
NOTE.—“The facts of history concur with the statements of
revelation in forcing upon us the unwelcome conviction that the
human race is subject to the malevolent influence of an organized
and all-pervading demonism. Alike in the career of nations and in
the phenomena of personal destiny the presence of demoniacal skill
and power is often prominent, frequently dominant, always
evil.”—_“__Footprints of Angels in Fields of Revelation__”__ by E.
A. Stockman, page 2._
2. To what place were the angels that sinned cast?
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but _cast them down to
hell_ [Greek, _tartarus_, a place of darkness], and delivered them into
_chains of darkness_, to be reserved unto judgment.” 2 Peter 2:4.
3. What is Satan himself called?
“The _god of this world_.” 2 Cor. 4:4. “The _prince of this world_.” John
14:30. “The _prince of the power of the air_.” Eph. 2:2.
4. How numerous are these wicked spirits, or fallen angels?
“And He asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is
_Legion_: for we are _many_.” Mark 5:9.
5. What is the chief occupation of Satan and his angels?
“And He was there in the wilderness forty days, _tempted of Satan_.” Mark
1:13. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, _seeking whom he may devour_.” 1 Peter 5:8.
See Rev. 12:9, 12; 16:14.
NOTES.—“In undiminished possession of their intelligence and
strength, they constantly assault us in every weakness, through
every avenue, by every means, by methods foul or fair.... Whom
they cannot destroy they cease not to worry, torment. They inspire
evil tempers; arouse dark passions; instil ill will; beget malice,
envy; impose care, fear, distrust; suggest deceit, fraud, and all
the forms of crime.” “Supremely do they revel in the criminal
domain. They foster falsehood, incite revenge, fan jealousy, beget
quarrels, help on thefts, robbery, and arson, further divorces,
plan defalcations, instigate murders. They run the saloons and
edit the _Police News_.”—_“__Footprints of Angels in Fields of
Revelation,__”__ pages 9, 10, 22._
6. What are we admonished not to do?
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
_neither give place to the devil_.” Eph. 4:26, 27.
NOTE.—Those who give vent to anger or retain old grudges, who
parley with temptation or tamper with vice, who indulge in
intemperance, pride, foolishness, or levity, or give way to any
other weakness, give place to the devil; that is, they give the
devil an opportunity to work through them—give him an advantage
over them. We should therefore close every avenue to Satan and his
angels. We should suppress anger, be sober and watchful, and nip
in the bud every prompting to sin.
7. What spirits stand ever ready to deceive and ruin those who are off
guard or bent on going astray?
“And the Lord said, Who shall persuade [margin, deceive] Ahab, that he may
go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?... _And there came forth a spirit, and
stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him._ And the Lord said
unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and _I will be a lying
spirit in the mouth of all his prophets_. And He said, Thou shalt persuade
him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.” 1 Kings 22:20-22. See 2
Thess. 2:10, 11.
8. With what were many possessed in Christ’s time?
“And they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with divers
diseases and torments, and those which were _possessed with devils_.”
Matt. 4:24.
NOTE.—Vampire-like, evil angels take possession of, and make their
abode with, all over whose minds and bodies they can gain control.
Only through Christ can this demoniacal captivity be broken. Until
this is done, one in this condition is led captive by Satan “at
his will.” His self-control and power to resist temptation are
gone. See 2 Tim. 2:26.
9. How do evil spirits sometimes treat those thus possessed?
“And as he was yet a coming, _the devil threw him down, and tare him_.”
Luke 9:42.
NOTE.—Those under demoniacal control are simply the sport and
plaything of the evil spirits possessing and controlling them.
10. As we near the closing scenes of human probation, why may we expect an
increase in demoniacal manifestations?
“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! _for the devil is come
down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a
short time_.” Rev. 12:12.
NOTE.—Acquainted, as they are, with the laws of nature, Satan and
his angels raise storms and scatter disease and death as far as
lies within their power; and, as enemies of God, they likewise
pervert the truth and disseminate error as far as possible. Far
better, also, than the inhabitants of the world, do they know that
the end of all things is fast approaching, and that their time to
work is short.
11. Concerning what have we been definitely informed?
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that _in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils_.” 1 Tim. 4:1.
12. What class of God’s servants have evil angels, through wicked men,
seemed to make special objects of attack?
“Which of _the prophets_ have not your fathers persecuted?” Acts 7:52.
NOTES.—“Of all classes of men employed by the Heavenly Father in
the work of redemption, none are more fiercely hated by the wicked
angels than the whole line of the prophets; for from the first to
the last they foretell the final and eternal overthrow and utter
extinction of the ‘powers of darkness,’ the ‘spirits of
disobedience.’ ”—_“__Footprints of Angels in Fields of
Revelation,__”__ page 14._
Evil angels also incite men and nations to war, and by this means
divert their attention from things pertaining to the kingdom of
God, and so take peace from the earth. Rev. 16:14. This will end
in Armageddon.
“Familiar with the laws which govern mental conditions, the fallen
hosts ply all their specious arts to excite personal suspicions
and animosities, and to create national resentments and bloody
conflicts, their chief delight being to compass the destruction of
peace and the banishment of concord from the earth, to embitter
the poor children of sin and sorrow against each other, and turn
our world into an arena of strife and crime.”—_Id._, page 22.
13. What will be the final doom of Satan and his angels?
“Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, _prepared for the devil and his angels_.”
Matt. 25:41. “And the day that cometh shall _burn them up_, saith the Lord
of hosts, that it shall leave them neither _root_ nor _branch_.” Mal. 4:1.
See Rev. 20:9.
Spiritualism
[Illustration.]
Saul And The Witch Of Endor. "They are the spirits of devils, working
miracles." Rev. 16:14.
1. What is Spiritualism defined to be?
“A belief that departed spirits hold intercourse with mortals by means of
physical phenomena, as by rapping, or during abnormal mental states, as in
trances, or the like, commonly manifested through a medium;
spiritism.”—_Webster._
_Spiritism_: “The theory that mediumistic phenomena are caused by
spirits of the dead.”—_Webster._
NOTE.—“The very central truth of Spiritualism is the power and
possibility of spirit return, under certain conditions, to
communicate with those in the material form.”—_N. F. Ravlin,
Spiritualistic lecturer, of California._
2. Did this doctrine exist in ancient times?
“Regard not them that have _familiar spirits_, neither seek after
_wizards_, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” Lev. 19:31.
NOTE.—“The phenomenal aspect of modern Spiritualism reproduces all
essential principles of the magic, witchcraft, and sorcery of the
past. The same powers are involved, the same intelligences are
operating.”—_F. F. Morse, in __“__Practical Occultism,__”_ page
85.
3. How does God regard sorcerers?
“And I will come near to you to judgment; and _I will be a swift witness
against the sorcerers_.” Mal. 3:5
4. What does He say of the teachings of enchanters and sorcerers?
“Therefore harken not ye to ... your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers,
... for _they prophesy a lie unto you_, to remove you far from your land.”
Jer. 27:9,10.
NOTES.—Rev. F. B. Meyer, of England, gives the following warning
against dabbling in Spiritualism: “I have known several families
that have been cursed by having recourse to clairvoyants and
mediums. There are grave dangers in these things; and when occult
powers are used for selfish ends, it is possible for men and women
to be filled with evil spirits, as was the girl at Philippi.
People are fools to play with the dregs of the spirit
world.”—_Present Truth, Sept. 7, 1911._
“I am perfectly certain that the whole movement known as modern
Spiritualism is in the hands and under the direction of the father
of evil spirits; in other words, is thoroughly and unmistakably
diabolical.”—_Dr. C. Williams, of London, England._
5. Before their entrance into Canaan, what instruction did Moses give
Israel concerning these things?
“When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou
shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall
not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass
through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an
enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits,
or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an
abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy
God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the
Lord thy God.” Deut. 18:9-13.
NOTES.—Whoever consults or has to do with mediums or any who
profess to receive instruction or communications from the spirits
of the dead, disregards this plain instruction, and places himself
upon the enemy’s ground. Ever since Satan told that first lie in
Eden, when he denied that _death_ would be the result of _sin_, in
the very face of death itself, he, working upon man’s natural
dread of death and upon his distress at the thought of being
separated from loved ones, has been endeavoring to persuade men to
believe that the dead are not dead, and that men do not die.
Idolatry, heathenism, Spiritualism, occultism, and the whole brood
of false isms of this kind, it will be noticed, deal very largely
with _death_. This, of itself, indicates their origin, and should
be a warning to all to let them alone—to have nothing whatever to
do with them. They are from beneath, and not from above. However
promising or pleasing they may be at first, they are downward and
destructive in their tendency, and ultimately lead away from God,
into unbelief of His Word and into sin. They promise life by
denying death, and apparently “make good” Satan’s lie in Eden,
through the ministration and manifestations of evil angels
representing themselves to be the spirits of the dead.
In a sermon on “Spiritualism an Imposture,” Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage said: “Spiritualism takes advantage of those who are weak
and morbid with trouble. We lose a friend. The house is dark, the
world is dark, the future seems dark. If we had, in our rebellion
and weakness, the power to marshal a host and recapture our loved
one, we should marshal the host. Spiritualism comes in at that
moment, when we are all worn out by watching,—all worn out, body,
mind, and soul,—and says: ‘Now I will open that door; you shall
hear the voices. Take your places around the table; all be quiet
now.’ ... O, I hate Spiritualism, because it takes advantage of
people when they are weak, and worn out, and morbid under life’s
bereavements and sorrows!... If Spiritualism had its way, it would
turn the world into a pandemonium of carnality. It is an unclean
and adulterous system.”
6. Under the theocracy of Israel, what was the law concerning witches and
those who had familiar spirits?
“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Ex. 22:18. “A man also or woman
that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to
death.” Lev. 20:27.
NOTE.—This shows how dangerous and deadly everything of this
character is in God’s sight.
7. With what is witchcraft classed by Paul, and what does he say to those
who are guilty of such things?
“Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies.... I have also told you in time past, that they which
do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:20-23.
8. What should one do if asked to inquire of a familiar spirit?
“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar
spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: _should not a people
seek unto their God?_ for the _living_ to the _dead_?” Isa. 8:19.
NOTE.—Giving the sense of this passage, Dr. Adam Clarke says:
“Should not a nation seek unto its God? Why should you seek unto
the dead concerning the living?” But this is exactly what
Spiritualism teaches men to do,—to seek unto the _dead_ concerning
the _living_.
9. What instruction does the apostle John give touching this subject?
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but _try the spirits whether they are
of God_.” 1 John 4:1.
10. By what are we to try them?
“_To the law and to the testimony_: if they speak not according to this
word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20.
11. Should we allow ourselves to be influenced by signs or wonders
performed by those who would try to lead us away from God and His law?
“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth
thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof
he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast
not known, and let us serve them; _thou shalt not harken unto the words of
that prophet; or that dreamer of dreams_: for the Lord your God proveth
you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him,
and keep His commandments, and obey His voice.” Deut. 13:1-4.
12. How much do the dead know of what is going on among men?
“Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. His sons come to
honor, and _he knoweth it not_; and they are brought low, but _he
perceiveth it not of them_.” Job 14:20, 21.
13. Do the dead know _anything_?
“For the living know that they shall die: but _the dead know not
anything_.” Eccl. 9:5. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth;
_in that very day his thoughts perish_.” Ps. 146:4.
14. What scripture forever precludes the idea that the dead come back to
earth to communicate with the living?
“Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished;
_neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done
under the sun_.” Eccl. 9:6.
15. Then when miracles are performed by spirits purporting to be those of
our dead friends, to what shall we attribute them?
“For they are _the spirits of devils, working miracles_.” Rev. 16:14.
16. What will be one characteristic of last-day apostasies?
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, _giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils_.” 1 Tim. 4:1.
NOTES.—The following items illustrate a condition widely
prevalent:—
“ ‘A lawyer with a national reputation, well known to me,’ said J.
L. Hall, of New York, ‘never begins the preparation of a difficult
case without getting “advice from the other side,” as he describes
the search.... Another distinguished man of New York City once
asserted to me that he had his familiar spirit with which he
talked as freely as with a human companion,’ ”—_Washington Herald,
May 8, 1911._
A noted Brooklyn divine some years ago, not realizing that he was
voicing Spiritualistic views, gave expression to the following:
“What are our departed Christian friends, who in this world had
their joy in the healing art, doing now?—Busy at their old
business. No sickness in heaven, but plenty of sickness on
earth.”—_Christian Herald, July 8, 1882._
Writing concerning “Communion With the Departed,” General Booth,
of the Salvation Army, said: “Through all my history, my personal
intercourse with the spirit world has been but limited. I have not
been favored with many visions, and it is but seldom that I dream
dreams that impart either pleasure or profit; and yet I have a
spiritual communion with the departed saints that is not without
both satisfaction and service. And especially of late the memories
of those with whom my heart has had the choicest communion in the
past, if not the very beings themselves, have come in upon me as I
have sat at my desk or lain wakeful on my bed in the night-season.
Amongst these, one form, true to her mission, comes more
frequently than all besides, assuring me of her continued
partnership in my struggle for the temporal and eternal salvation
of the multitudes—and that is my blessed, my beautiful wife!”—_War
Cry, Nov. 27, 1897._
“Dr. Joseph Parker, of the City Temple, London, has openly
declared that he prayed to his departed wife every day. He said
that he never came to the City Temple to preach without asking her
to come with him. He further says: I encourage my friend to pray
to his wife, and to pray God to ask her to come to his help. She
will be more to him than twelve legions of unknown angels.”—_The
Living Church, Nov. 14, 1899._
“The emperor Nicholas ... has fallen under the influence of a
Spiritualist named Philipp, who rules the emperor to such an
extent that His Majesty makes no important decision, even in
relation to family life, without consulting his Spiritualistic
guide.”—_Melbourne Age, Nov. 15, 1902._
In a statement given put Dec. 20, 1910, soon after the death of
Mrs. Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, Mrs. Amelia Stetson,
one of the leaders of the Christian Science Church of New York
City, said: “Mrs. Eddy, who was the female Christ, will return to
earth. I am watching and waiting for the manifestation of Mrs.
Eddy in the semblance of human form. It may come today, it may
come next week, it may not come for ten years, but it will surely
come.... The millennium is at hand. Mrs. Eddy is not dead. She is
still alive, and when she appears again on earth, it will be as
herself—as Mary Baker Eddy.”
“A message purporting to come from Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy, the
founder of Christian Science, through Mr. William T. Stead, the
noted English journalist, shortly after the former’s death, says,
‘There is no death; all is life; all is freedom,’ ”—_Signs of the
Times, Feb. 28, 1911._
And soon after Mr. Stead himself went down on the “Titanic,” April
15, 1912, Spiritualists in different parts of the world received
numerous messages purporting to have come from him.
17. How does Satan deceive the people?
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is _transformed into an angel of
light_.” 2 Cor. 11:14.
18. What role do his agents assume?
“Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be _transformed as
the ministers of righteousness_.” Verse 15.
19. Will Satan and his agents attempt to counterfeit the coming of Christ,
and work signs and wonders to confirm their pretentious claims?
“Then if any man shall say unto you, _Lo, here is Christ_, or there;
believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
_and shall show great signs and wonders_; insomuch that, if it were
possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matt. 24:23, 24.
20. What will be one of the last great signs performed by this means, to
fasten men in deception?
“And he doeth great wonders, so that _he maketh fire come down from heaven
on the earth in the sight of men_, and deceiveth them that dwell on the
earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight
of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make
an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.” Rev.
13:13, 14.
21. What scripture shows that Satan is to work with special power and
deceptive wonders just before Christ’s second coming?
“Whose coming is _after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders_, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them
that perish.” 2 Thess. 2:9, 10. See also Rev. 12:12.
22. While many will be deceived by these wonders, and accept of the false
Christs that appear, what will those say who have maintained their love
for the truth, and patiently waited for Christ’s return?
“And it shall be said in that day, _Lo, __THIS__ is our God; we have
waited for Him, and He will save us: __THIS__ is the Lord; we have waited
for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation_.” Isa. 25: 9.
23. What warning has been given us through the apostle Peter?
“_Be sober, be vigilant_; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” 1 Peter 5: 8.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Wicked spirits gather round thee,
Legions of those foes to God—
Principalities most mighty—
Walk unseen the earth abroad;
They are gathering to the battle,
Strengthened for the last deep strife;
Christian, arm! be watchful, ready.
Struggle manfully for life.