TO CORRESPONDENTS

The Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 20, 1879

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

52.—GEHENNA VS. SHEOL.

Does not Ps. 9:17 refer to the time and place of the final reward of the wicked? If so, does not the word sheol, as here used, have a shade of meaning equivalent to gehenna? D. B. W.

Ans. Sheol denotes the place or condition of the dead. It is, therefore, the proper word to denote the ultimate place or condition of the wicked, after they have passed through the period of their sufferings. If the expression was made that all the wicked shall be turned into gehenna, and it was there left, it would mislead; for the wicked are not to remain in gehenna forever, as they do in sheol, when finally placed there. Gehenna seems to be the place where those active agents of destruction are manifested which cause the wicked unutterable anguish so long as they have any conscious existence, and then prey upon them till they are reduced to their original elements. The power of gehenna then ceases, and they are left in the depths of sheol. So when David says that all the wicked shall be turned into sheol, he shows what their ultimate condition will be, while other scriptures show that they pass through gehenna to reach it.

53.—DRAWING ALL MEN.

In John 12:32 Christ says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” What is the meaning of the phrase, “will draw all men unto me”? D. B. W.

Ans. The lifting up from the earth doubtless refers to the death of Christ upon the cross, by which the world beholds in epitome the great work which Christ has wrought in their behalf. And by this means men will be drawn from all nations of the earth to partake of the great salvation he has provided. We do not think the term “all men” here includes every individual of the human family, as the Universalist would have us believe; but the words spoken are in contrast with the notions of the Jews, who arrogated salvation to themselves exclusively, as a nationality. It was one of the peculiar characteristics of the Messiah, that unto him should the gathering of the people be; Gen. 49:2; and when it was announced to the Jews that the Gentiles were to be brought in, and a new body be formed, they took offense thereat. But it is this great fact which we understand is announced in the words under notice. As if he had been asked, “Will you confine your work to the Jews?” and he had answered, “No; I will draw all men unto me;” not that he would draw every individual of all nations unto him, but he would draw from all nations in contrast with the work which had before that time been confined to the particular nation of the Jews. And the gospel has thus gathered from all nations believers in the cross of Christ.

54.—ESTEEMING A THING UNCLEAN.

Rom. 14:14: “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” What are we to understand by this? D. B. W.

Ans. The next verse reads: “But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat,” etc. From this it is evident that the apostle’s subject is meat, and the distinction he speaks of is that which formerly existed between clean and unclean

meats. Some thought the distinction still existed; others thought it did not. Now Paul says there is nothing unclean of itself. The former distinction does not exist. But if any one, believing that the distinction does still exist, partakes, nevertheless, of that which he regards as unclean, to him it is unclean; that is, he shows himself just as devoid of principle, and does his own conscience just as much a wrong, as though the distinction were really binding and he had disregarded it.