For ages, Christianity as well as the Old Testament Jewish saints have all believed that someday there would be a resurrection of the dead, but not until Paul’s revelation unto the church was it known the order of the resurrection and that God intended to have a translation (or catching away) of the living saints who were pleasing unto him. However, since Paul’s great revelation, the church now knows that the blessed hope (Titus 2:13) according to the revelation of scripture assures us, though our physical body be dead and decayed beneath the sod, when that hour arrives we have the blessed assurance our corruptible bodies according to Rom. 8, especially verses 11-23, as well as our spirits were included in the redeemed purchased price of Calvary and therefore also awaits the change from mortal to immortality! Somewhere before us, Paul’s revelation declares, there will be a “catching away” of a living realm of people. Just when, how or what all the glorious circumstances surrounding this event will consist of, I do not know! We only know what the scripture teaches and it teaches in many places since Paul’s revelation to the church, there is a resurrection for the dead saints and a translation for the living saints and both events are to transpire within the same time period.

Today we are approaching a subject about which for years I searched for the answer, tried to link together certain verses of scripture in the Book of Revelation. How often we read over something, never once laying any importance on some certain word (such as woe) when that may be the very word which holds the key to unlock the hidden mystery. The word WOE found in Rev. 8:12-13 under the fourth trumpet, certainly has no reference to the term Whoa used in the sense of stopping a team of horses. No! On the contrary, Webster's Dictionary defines WOE as relating to extreme sorrow; to extreme grief. As a matter of fact, WOE used here indicates to be immersed (covered) in grief or sorrow.

For the basis of our study today we are discussing one of Christ ‘s most profound and puzzling parables recorded in Matt. 13:36. Isn’t it strange that no other parable of this segment of seven recorded here ever puzzled the disciples as did this second one concerning the wheat and tares growing together.

Bro. Allen ended the last edition in Romans 8 speaking about how we are joint heirs with Christ, and also looking at the 144,000. He is picking up here where he left off.

REALIZING THAT THERE IS MUCH CONTROVERSY AMONG THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ON THE SUBJECT OF DIVINE HEALING, AND REALIZING ALSO THAT THERE IS A BIBLE ANSWER THAT SHOULD SETTLE THE MINDS OF EVERY TRUE BELIEVER, I FEEL COMPELLED TO DEAL WITH THE SUBJECT, USING ALL THE FAMILIAR SCRIPTURES, AND SOME OTHERS THAT ARE SELDOM CONSIDERED, AND I PRAY THAT IN DOING SO, WE CAN ESTABLISH ONCE AND FOR ALL WHAT DIVINE HEALING IS, AND WHAT IT IS NOT. MOST OF THOSE WHO PREACH ON THIS SUBJECT, HAVE A FEW PET VERSES OF SCRIPTURE THEY ALWAYS USE, AND THEY NEVER BOTHER TO PRESENT THEM IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT THE WRITER WAS ACTUALLY DEALING WITH, NOR DO THEY EVEN BOTHER TO PRESENT THE CONDITIONS THAT USUALLY ACCOMPANY SUCH PROVISIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE ISAIAH 53:5, WHERE IN A PROPHECY CONCERNING THE MESSIAH THAT ISRAEL LOOKED FOR, ONE OF HIS STATEMENTS WAS, “AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.” OVER 700 YEARS LATER WHEN THE APOSTLE PETER WAS DEALING WITH THE SUBJECT OF CHRISTIAN CONDUCT AND EXAMPLESHIP, HE USED ISAIAH’S TERMINOLOGY (1ST PET. 2:24) “BY WHOSE STRIPES YE WERE HEALED,” AND THAT HAS BECOME A KEY VERSE FOR ALL THOSE WHO PREACH DIVINE HEALING, BUT MY POINT IS, THEY LIFT IT OUT OF THE CONTEXT OF WHAT PETER WAS DEALING WITH. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER STUDIED THAT WHOLE CHAPTER WHEN YOU GO THERE TO READ THAT ONE VERSE? WOULD YOU SAY THAT PETER WAS PREACHING ON DIVINE HEALING? YOU WHO BELIEVE HE WAS, HAD BETTER GO BACK AND READ THAT WHOLE CHAPTER. FIND OUT WHAT PETER WAS REALLY ENDEAVORING TO GET ACROSS TO THOSE PREDESTINED SAINTS OF GOD.

WE ARE STILL ON THE SUBJECT, “SALVATION IS BY FAITH,” SO WE WILL JUST CONTINUE ON FROM THE LAST ISSUE. BROTHER JACKSON ENDED BY SPEAKING ABOUT THE ETERNAL DAY, THAT COMES AFTER THE MILLENNIUM OF RESTORATION AND THE FINAL JUDGMENT FINISHES CLEANSING THE PLANET.

Throughout this series, Rev. James Allen has been reviewing the scriptural support for the doctrine commonly known as annihilationism, and showing how scripture shows us that the damned in hell will eventually cease to exist. In the last edition Bro. Allen began to leave his title subject and started to review topics which have been attacked by critics. He finished by looking into Isaiah 4, and in this edition, he picks up looking at the three days of Hosea 6 before returning to his subject of Hell Is Not Eternal.