To Correspondents by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 22, 1874

To Correspondents.

By Uriah Smith

“John 8:22: ‘Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? Because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.’ Where did the Jews think that Jesus would go if he killed himself?” M. L. S.

Simply into some state or condition in which he would be beyond their reach, or where they could not find him. They thought that nothing short of death would put him where they could not find him. So they asked, Will he kill himself?

“Is the famine spoken of in Amos 8:11, 12, past or future?” L. W. C.

The famine spoken of is a famine of hearing the word of the Lord; and we think it will be fulfilled in the future, when the work of the gospel ministry is done.

“Will Sabbath-keepers of other countries be affected by the decree of the image which is formed in this country?” A. M. L.

Not directly. The papacy has leavened with its corrupt doctrines all Christendom, which adapts the warning of the third angel to all civilized lands. But the work of the image is local, and affects those of other places simply as fulfillments of prophecy in other lands affect us, confirming our faith, and establishing our confidence in the truth. The message of Rev. 14:8, was called out by the rejection of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ by backslidden and backsliding Protestants, and doubtless that of Rev. 18:2, and onward will be called out by some of their work in connection with the formation of the image.

“What is the meaning of 1 Cor. 15:29, and 1 Pet. 3:19, 20?” E. L. S.

Paul, in 1 Cor. 15:29, asks what they shall do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not: “Why are they then baptized for the dead?” His argument is to show the great fact of the resurrection of the dead; and he asks why we do certain things if we do not believe it. Why do we expose ourselves to death every hour, and endure all the sacrifices we have to make, and why are we baptized in the faith and hope and representation, of the resurrection of the dead, if that event is never to occur? Dr. Clarke, in his note on this text, takes the view that this is what the apostle meant by being baptized for the dead. For an exposition of 1 Pet. 3:19, 20, see Man’s Nature and Destiny, pp. 87-95, and for an explanation of verse 21, see article on Baptism in REVIEW of Sept. 1, 1874.

“Does Eze. 47:9, 10 refer to the new-earth state?” W. B. H.

We think the prophecy of Ezekiel, from the 40th chapter to the end, was a conditional prophecy, chap. 43:11, and never fulfilled to the Israelites, because they did not comply with the conditions upon which it was suspended. Jer. 6:15. U. S.