To Correspondents

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 7, 1874

To Correspondents.

P. OWENS: For an exposition of 1 Pet. 3: 18–20, which speaks of the spirits in prison, see “MAN’S NATURE AND DESTINY,” pp. 87–95, or “STATE OF THE DEAD,” pp. 73–80. Published at this Office.

FRIEND OF THE CAUSE IN ILL.: During the work in the most holy in the heavenly sanctuary, God is Judge, not Christ. For proof that Christ entered the most holy in 1844, see the work on the sanctuary and 2300 days. Published at this Office.

F. CURTIS: For an explanation of Rev. 20: 1–3, see Thoughts on the Revelation, pp. 291–297. Published at this Office.

S. A. GILLEY: The reasons for our frequent use of the term “present truth,” will be found in the article in this number under that head.

QUERY: Will you give through the REVIEW the origin of the term Jew? B. F. KROUS.

ANSWER: Smith, in his Bible Dictionary, art., Jew, says: “This name was properly applied to a member of the kingdom of Judah after the separation of the ten tribes. In this sense, it occurs twice in the second book of Kings, 2 Kings 16: 6; 25: 25, and seven times in the later chapters of Jeremiah, Jer. 32: 12; 34: 9 (in connection with Hebrew); 38: 19; 40: 12; 41: 3; 44: 1; 52: 28. After the return, the word received a larger application. Partly from the predominance of the members of the old kingdom of Judah among those who returned to Palestine, partly from the identification of Judah with the religious ideas and hopes of the people, all the members of the new State were called Jews, and the name was extended to the remnants of the race scattered throughout the nations.”

The term Israelite is from Israel, the name given to Jacob when he wrestled with the angel and prevailed. Gen. 32: 28.

The other term by which that people were known, namely Hebrews, was more ancient. It is from a word which signified “from the other side” and was applied by the Canaanites to those who came from the “other side” of the Euphrates, the land from which Abraham was called. It was first applied to Abraham, Gen. 14: 13, and became the common name of his descendants.

J. F. L.: You will find an explanation of Christ’s words to the thief on the cross, in Nos. 23 and 24 last volume of the REVIEW, STATE OF THE DEAD, pp. 144–153, and MAN’S NATURE AND DESTINY, pp. 190–210. C. S.