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was the instant of the soul's departure into a higher and far more glorious plane of conscious presence with the Lord."

"Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance." 2 Pet. 1: 13-15.

Peter describes his sojourn upon earth in these words: "As long as I am in this tabernacle." By this tabernacle he means his mortal body. Several versions so render it. So, then, the body was not Peter, but Peter dwelt in that body. This proves that Peter understood that the soul is distinct from the body. As a man's house is the place where he dwells, so the body is the house where the soul dwells. His decease (death) he describes as the time when "I must put off this my tabernacle.' Here we have the testimony of an inspired apostle that at death we put off this earthly tabernacle, which is dissolved-goes back to mother dust, while the soul, the real inner man, departs, and is in a more sacred nearness to Christ, which is far better. 'Absent from the body and present with the Lord." This testimony concurs with all Scripture. "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

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Only the bodies of men, that part which returns

to dust, sleep in the grave. "And many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves." Mat. 27:52, 53. "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake." Dan. 12:2. "The dead know not anything." Eccl. 9:5. What part of man sleeps and knows nothing? That part which is dust, the body, which lies in the grave.

But what about our spirit? It returns to God (Eccl. 12:7), and continues to exist "absent from the body" (2 Cor. 5:8), which, to the righteous, is "far better than to abide in the flesh." "Whether we wake [remain in the body] or sleep [our body dies], we should live together with him." 1 Thes. 5:10. "Your heart shall live forever."

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

. . And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psa. 23:4, 6. Death is here described as a valley, a shadow. Do we stop in this valley and remain there in an unconscious state till the resurrection? No. David says, "I walk through the valley ... and will abide in the house of the Lord forever.' Death, then, is but a dark shadow through which we pass to the realm of light beyond.

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"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day and there was a certain begger named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

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and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you can not; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Luke 16:19-31.

With all the twisting men can give the words of

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Christ, they still emphatically teach the conscious state of the soul after death. The account of the rich man and Lazarus is either a parable or a real history. It can not be successfully proved that it is a parable. In fact, Jesus did not say so. His language would rather indicate that it was a true narrative of what actually took place. "There was a certain rich man, and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus," said Jesus, and then gave an account of their death, and future state. But should we admit the whole account to be a parable, that would not lessen the argument one jot or tittle. Christ chose either a falsehood or truth for the base of his parable. Mark that thought. I repeat: The basis of the parable is either a positive falsehood or a positive truth. If such a state of things does not exist after death, then Christ falsified. But if Christ, who is the fountain-head of all truth, told the truth, then the very state of things here described does exist after the death of the body. Every pious soul cries out, "Let God be true, though every man liar."

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day." Here we have a man rich in this world's goods. He had all that heart could wish. He fared sumptuously. But one thing he neglected-salvation; neglected to lay up treasure in heaven-eternal riches. A poor beggar lay at his gate full of sores. If this rich man had been a child of God he would

have taken this poor man in and dressed his sores, and fed him from his bountiful table. But he was too proud and selfish. The starving beggar desired simply the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. Oh, how sinful and haughty was that man!

But the time came when "the rich man died, and was buried." His mortal body returned back to dust. But did that end his existence? Was his soul buried in the grave, too? No. "In hell [Hades] he lifted up his eyes being in torments." Mark the fact, that while his body was buried his soul was in torment.

Now let us glance briefly at the other side. "And it came to pass that the beggar died." Did that end his existence? No. He "was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom [rest]." At death the real inner man departed. He did not go down with the decomposing body, but was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom, the Paradise of God. Here he was "comforted," while the rich man "afar off" was in a state of torment. This narrative of the Savior perfectly concurs with the multiplied scriptures already cited which so clearly teach the conscious state of the soul after death. Other important truths in this lesson will be considered in future chapters.

In Rev. 5 the plan of redemption is symbolically brought to view as a book sealed with seven seals. Finally the Lion of Judah (Christ) prevailed to open it. The seven seals cover the time of its

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