Ver. 5. "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."

Ver. 6. "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 God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

Here we have for the first time those mysterious words—“This is the first resurrection.”

It must not, however, be supposed, that on this day Christ will appear in bodily presence, and reign on this earth a thousand years with those who shall have lot or part in the "first resurrection."

The expression, " they lived," used in the latter part of the fourth verse, is explained in the fifth and sixth verses, and all taken together convey to us this truth, that the dead, who shall be found worthy to have part in the "first resurrection," shall on that day live again, but that the rest of the dead shall not live again, until the thousand years shall be finished.

The "first resurrection" is here shown to be the resurrection of the natural bodies of certain

chosen servants and soldiers of God and of Christ: "There is a natural body;" " and so it is written," "The first man Adam was made a living soul." (1 Cor. xv. parts of 44 and 45.)

The resurrection of the body at the last day through Him, who is "the resurrection and the life," is thus shown by St. Paul in answer to a question supposed, "How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?" (1 Cor. xv. part of 35.)

"It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonour, 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. xv. 43, and parts of 42 and 44.)

"There is a spiritual body." And so it is written, "The last Adam was made a quickening spirit." (1 Cor. xv. parts of 44 and 45)

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Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John iii. 2.)

That the kingdom of the saints will be on this

earth is evident from many parts of the Holy Scriptures, particularly from Rev. v. 9, 10. “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation."

"And hast made us unto our God, kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."

Here is shown the reign on the earth of "kings and priests. The Lord Jesus Christ, their King, yea, the King of kings, will be with them by his spirit, power, and glory; but not in bodily presence. When He shall come again at the last day to judge both the quick and the dead, " Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him, even so. Amen." (Rev. i. 7.)

In that day," The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up." (2 St. Peter iii. part of 10.)

In that day," Before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from

another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." (St. Matt. xxv. 32.)

In that day, "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." (St. John v. from the latter part of 28 to end of 29.)

The kingdom of the "saints" will be the kingdom of the Holy Land, and the city of the kings and priests will be the once holy city Jerusalem, out of which shall go forth the word of the Lord; not Jerusalem, as it now is, for it is not now inhabited by a holy people, but it shall be so inhabited on and after the day of the "first resurrection."

A city or land is to be accounted holy or unholy according to the works of them that dwell therein, whether they be good or evil. To this Jerusalem again made holy, "all nations shall flow." The means are already at work to convey to Jerusalem the distant nations of the earth.

I take the next evidence from Jer. xxiii.

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Ver. 5. Behold, the days come, saith the

Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous

branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and justice in the earth."

Ver. 6. "In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name, whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'

Ver. 7. "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.".

Ver. 8. "But the Lord liveth, which brought up, and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them, and they shall dwell in their own land."

The next evidence I take from the 31st chapter of the same book.

The martyrdom of the infants is one of the most affecting, and at the same time one of the most comforting, events recorded in the Holy Bible. We too well know in what manner the prophecy relating to this event was fulfilled. Well might King Herod be troubled, when he heard what the wise men said, Where is he that is born

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