both are mentioned in conjunction, that is in the same verse.20

But Jesus has taught us that this objection has no force, by giving us a remarkable example to the contrary. In Luke 4:16-21, we read, that He opened the book, found the place and read from Isa. 61,21 to the comma (or division of clauses) in verse 2, and closed the book, saying: "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." Why did He stop there? Because the time had not come to proclaim "the day of vengeance." That comma has been over eighteen centuries long and will continue until Christ (having gathered His saints, 1 Thes. 4:16-17) shall appear with them executing vengeance on the ungodly. 2 Thes. 1:7-10; Jude 14, 15. Therefore, Jesus, Himself, having taught us, that two events, stated consecutively in Isa. 61:2, are sep

(20) Dan. 12:2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

John 5:29. 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.

Acts. 24:15. And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

(21) Isa. 61:1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called

Trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Luke 4:16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21. And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.

arated by more than eighteen hundred years, surely we should respect God's Word, when it so plainly states that there will be a period of a thousand years between the resurrection of the "blessed and holy,"-and that of "the rest of the dead."

The word "pa (hora-hour) which Jesus used in John 5:28 is the same word as that used in verse 25.22 The latter we all believe has been over eighteen hundred years long. Why, then may not the former be at least a thousand years long and thus perfectly harmonize with Rev. 20? See also John 4:21, 23 and Rom. 13:11 (high time = it is already the hour) in each of which hour signifies a long period.

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Tregelles-who is supported by the Jewish commentators-renders Dan. 12:2 as follows:

"And many from among the sleepers of the dust of the earth shall awake; these shall be unto everlasting life; but those (the rest of the sleepers who do not awake at this time) shall be unto shame." (See Jamieson, Fausset and Brown on this passage.) It is needless to add that this most intensely confirms the doctrine of the first resurrection.

Only One Text.

Lastly it is objected that a difference in time for the resurrection of the just from that of the unjust is stated in only one place in the Word, to-wit: Rev. 20, and that this is a book so symbolical, that we must not rely upon it for such an important fact.

Only one place indeed! But is not that enough? Why! the existence of all light rests upon the single sentence in Gen. 1:3,23 and it rests safely, because God spoke those words. The most marvelous fact, in connection with our Lord's first appearing, was the immaculate conception. It

(22) John 5:25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.

28. Marvel not at this: for the

hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice.

(23) Gen. 1:3. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

has caused suspicion of Mary's character, and it calls for the greatest exercise of faith to believe in the Holy Ghost Fatherhood of her Son. It professes the holiest purity where the world can see only fornication and shame. And yet this astonishing event rested for centuries upon a single passage of prophecy, "Behold a virgin shall conIceive and bear a son." Isa. 7:14, and although it was given by the Lord to the Jews as a special and important sign they will not rely upon it, because it occurs in a poetical book, and so they reject the Babe of Bethlehem.

But shall we,-who believe that Isa. 7:14 has been literally fulfilled-condemn the Jews for not accepting it, and yet justify ourselves in rejecting the literal fulfillment of this plain statement in Rev. 20? God forbid. Remember that He says, "Behold I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." Rev. 22:7; 1:3. Oh then let us earnestly entreat you, to heed this one passage even though it may pierce through your established opinions.24 Don't reject it. Don't pervert its simple teaching, for it is God's holy Word of prophecy and is as immovable as the rocky fastness of the mountains-yea more-for these shall pass away "but the Word of the Lord endureth forever."

Dean Alford's Comments.

And here, dear reader, let us invite your careful attention to Dean Alford's comment upon this passage, viz.: "this is the first resurrection." He says: "It will have been long ago anticipated by the readers of this commentary, that I cannot consent to distort its words from their plain sense and chronological place in the prophecy, on account of any considerations of difficulty, or any risk of abuses which the doctrine of the Millennium may bring with it. Those who lived next to the Apostles, and the whole Church for three hundred years, understood them in the plain literal sense; and it is a strange sight in these days

(24) Heb. 4:12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the di

viding asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

to see expositors who are among the first in reverence of antiquity, complacently casting aside the most cogent instance of unanimity which primitive antiquity presents. As regards the text itself, no legitimate treatment of it will extort what is known as the spiritual interpretation now in fashion. If, in a passage where two resurrections. are mentioned, where certain souls lived at the first, and the rest of the dead lived only at the end of a specified period after that first, if in such a passage, the first resurrection may be understood to mean spiritual rising with Christ, while the second means literal rising from the grave; then there is an end of all significance in language, and Scripture is wiped out as a definite testimony to anything. If the first resurrection is spiritual, then so is the second, which I suppose no one will be hardy enough to maintain. But if the second is literal, then so is the first, which in common with the whole primitive church and many of the best modern expositors, I do maintain and receive as an article of faith and hope."

Resurrection From the Dead.

Now if Christ is coming to raise the righteous a thousand years before the ungodly, it would be natural and imperative that the former should be called a resurrection from, or out of the dead, the rest of the dead being left until after the thousand years. We rejoice therefore that this is just what is most carefully done in the Word, and in this we believe we have another most comprehensive and definite proof of the pre-millennial coming of Christ. It consists in the use made, in the Greek text of the words ἐκ νεκρῶν (ek nekron).

These words signify "from the dead" or, out of the dead, implying that the other dead are left.

The resurrection νεκρῶν or τῶν νεκρῶν (nekron, or ton nekron-of the dead) is applied to both classes because all

*See also the quotations from distinguished authorities, both English and German given as critical testimonies in the appendix to Pre-millennial Essays, published by F. H. Revell, Chicago, Ill.

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will be raised. But the resurrection K VEKρŵv (ek nekron out of the dead) is not once applied to the ungodly.* The latter phrase is used altogether 49 times, to-wit: 34 times, to express Christ's resurrection, whom we know was thus raised out of the dead.†

3 times, to express John's supposed resurrection, who, as Herod thought, had been thus raised out of the dead.‡ 3 times, to express the resurrection of Lazarus, who was also raised out of the dead.||

3 times, it is used figuratively, to express spiritual life out of the deadness of sin.

Rom. 6:13: "As those that are alive from the dead"; 11:15: "Life from the dead."

Eph. 5:14: "Arise from the dead."

It is used in Luke 16:31. Parable of the rich man. "Though one rose from the dead."

And in Heb. 11:19. Abraham's faith that God could raise Isaac from the dead.

And the remaining 4 times it is used to express a future resurrection out of the dead, namely, in Mark 12:25, where Jesus says: "When they shall rise from the dead (k VEKρ@V) they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven," and in Luke 20:3536. "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection which is from among (the) dead (rĥo ȧvaσtáσews Tŷσ ek veкpŵv), neither marry, nor are given in marriage; 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.

*Mat. 22:31; Acts 17:32; 23:6; 24:15, 21; 1 Cor. 15:12, 13, 21, 42 and especially John 5:28-29 (R. V.): 28. Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, 29 and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.

†Mat. 17:9; Mark 9:9-10; Luke 24:46; John 2:22; 20:9; 21:14; Acts 3:15; 4:10; 10:41; 13:30; 13:34; 17:3; 17:31; 26:23; Rom. 1:4; 4:24; 6:4-9; 7:4; 8:11; 10:7, 9; 1 Cor. 15:12, 20; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 1:20; Col. 1:18; 2:12; 1 Thes. 1:10; 2 Tim. 2:8; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 1:3, 21.

Mark 6:14, 16; Luke 9:7.

John 12:1, 9, 17.