Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 93

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him _shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation_." Heb. 9:28.

10. When did Christ say the good would be recompensed?

"For thou shalt be recompensed _at the resurrection of the just_." Luke 14:14.

11. Have the worthies of old gone to their reward?

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, _received not the promise_: G.o.d having provided some better thing for us, _that they without us should not be made perfect_." Heb. 11:39, 40.

12. When did Paul expect to receive his crown?

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me _at that day_: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." 2 Tim. 4:8.

13. Will this be a time of judgment?

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, _the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all_." Jude 14, 15.

14. How did David express himself on this point?

"_For He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth_: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth." Ps. 96:13.

15. When did Paul say Christ would judge the living and the dead?

"I charge thee therefore before G.o.d, and the Lord Jesus Christ, _who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom_." 2 Tim.

4:1.

16. What great separation will then take place?

"When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and _He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats_." Matt. 25:31, 32.

17. What will He say to those on His right hand?

"Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, _Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world_." Verse 34.

18. What will He say to those on the left?

"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_."

Verse 41.

At the sounding of the trumpet, when the saints are gathered home, We shall greet each other by the crystal sea; When the Lord Himself from heaven to His glory bids them come, What a gathering of the faithful that will be!

When the angel of the Lord proclaims that time shall be no more, We shall gather, and the saved and ransomed see; Then to meet again together, on the bright, celestial sh.o.r.e, What a gathering of the faithful that will be!

At the great and final judgment, when the hidden comes to light, When the Lord in all His glory we shall see; At the bidding of our Saviour, "Come, ye blessed, to My right,"

What a gathering of the faithful that will be!

When the golden harps are sounding, and the angel bands proclaim In triumphant strains the glorious jubilee; Then to meet and join to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, What a gathering of the faithful that will be!

J. H. KURZENKNABE.

The Resurrection Of The Just

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

The Resurrection Of Christ. "I am He that liveth, and was dead; ... and have the keys of h.e.l.l and of death." Rev. 1:18.

1. Concerning what should we not be ignorant?

"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.

2. What is set forth as the basis for hope and comfort?

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, _even so them also which sleep in Jesus will G.o.d bring with Him_." Verse 14.

3. When will this resurrection of the saints take place?

"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto _the coming of the Lord_ shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep. _For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven_ with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of G.o.d: _and the dead in Christ shall rise first_." Verses 15, 16.

4. What will then take place?

"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." Verse 17.

5. With what are we to comfort one another?

"Wherefore comfort one another _with these words_." Verse 18.

NOTE.-The hope of a resurrection from the dead to a life immortal is the great hope set forth in the gospel.

6. Concerning what did Christ tell us not to marvel?

"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_; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of d.a.m.nation." John 5:28, 29.

7. What is said of those embraced in the first resurrection?

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of G.o.d and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." Rev. 20:6.

8. Upon what one fact does Paul base the Christian hope?

"Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But _if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain_. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of G.o.d; because we have testified of G.o.d that _He raised up Christ_: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 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_. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." 1 Cor.