great Judge, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the place prepared for
the devil and his angels, because you never confessed My name." [Matthew 25:41] Would
not that heathen be justified in saying, "Who are thou? I never heard
of Jesus Christ. When I was on the earth I worshipped Joss and served
him faithfully." To punish the heathen for not confessing Christ when
in fact he had never heard of him, is contrary to the justice of an all-
wise Creator. But God has provided a better way. All who have never
heard the Gospel in life will have an opportunity after death, as
clearly set forth in the above as in the following: "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." [John 5:25]
"But,"
says the objector, "that means all they that are dead in sin," but read
a little farther: "Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the
which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice." (John 5, 25 and
28) Again, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's
belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth." (Mat. 12, 40). By these passages it is clearly
apparent that the Savior fore-knew His mission to the spirit world in
the heart of the earth, and that while there, all who were in their
graves would hear His voice. Not only was this understood by Jesus and
His Apostles, but long prior to the Savior's day, the Prophets foresaw
the work He would do for the dead, viz: "I the Lord have called thee
in righteousness, and will hold thine hand and will keep thee, and give
thee for a covenant toof the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open
the blind eyes, to bring out the 7 prisoners from the prison, and them
that sit in darkness out of the prison house." (Isaiah 42, 6-7). Here
the prophet foretold the labors of the Savior. During His sojourn in
the flesh, we have no account of His having brought out the prisoners
from the prison, or proclaiming liberty to the captives, or the opening
of the prison to them that are bound. Had hHe done so, the Roman Gov-
ernment would have had a case against Him, yet Pilate found no fault in
Him. Hence we must look elsewhere for the fulfillment of these pass-
ages. "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish
the host of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth
upon the earth, and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are
gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison and after many
days shall they be visited." (Isaiah 26, 21-2). Here is the final of a
terrible picture of the earth's desolation, when it is to be empty,
turned up-side-down, broken, dissolved, removed like a cottage, and the
inhabitants thereof scattered. All are to be gathered, including the
kings and the high ones, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, shut up
in prison and after many days visited. What will be the object of this
visitation? Peter has already told it, as Christ visited the antide-
luvians, so when these have suffered the vengeance of almighty God in
the spirit ^world,^ some of His servants, ministering angels, will be sent to
visit them and preach the Gospel to them as Jesus did. "lift ^up^ your
heads, Oh ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the
King of glory shall come in. Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong

great Judge, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the place prepared for the devil and his angels, because you never confessed My name." Matthew 25:41 Would not that heathen be justified in saying, "Who are thou? I never heard of Jesus Christ. When I was on the earth I worshipped Joss and served him faithfully." To punish the heathen for not confessing Christ when in fact he had never heard of him, is contrary to the justice of an allwise Creator. But God has provided a better way. All who have never heard the Gospel in life will have an opportunity after death, as clearly set forth in the above as in the following: "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." John 5:25 "But," says the objector, "that means all they that are dead in sin," but read a little farther: "Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice." (John 5, 25 and 28) Again, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Mat. 12, 40). By these passages it is clearly apparent that the Savior fore-knew His mission to the spirit world in the heart of the earth, and that while there, all who were in their graves would hear His voice. Not only was this understood by Jesus and His Apostles, but long prior to the Savior's day, the Prophets foresaw the work He would do for the dead, viz: "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenantof the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the 7 prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." (Isaiah 42, 6-7). Here the prophet foretold the labors of the Savior. During His sojourn in the flesh, we have no account of His having brought out the prisoners from the prison, or proclaiming liberty to the captives, or the opening of the prison to them that are bound. HadHe done so, the Roman Government would have had a case against Him, yet Pilate found no fault in Him. Hence we must look elsewhere for the fulfillment of these passages. "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth upon the earth, and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison and after many days shall they be visited." (Isaiah 26, 21-2). Here is the final of a terrible picture of the earth's desolation, when it is to be empty, turned up-side-down, broken, dissolved, removed like a cottage, and the inhabitants thereof scattered. All are to be gathered, including the kings and the high ones, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, shut up in prison and after many days visited. What will be the object of this visitation? Peter has already told it, as Christ visited the antideluvians, so when these have suffered the vengeance of almighty God in the spirit world, some of His servants, ministering angels, will be sent to visit them and preach the Gospel to them as Jesus did. "lift up your heads, Oh ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong