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THE DISPUTED CLAUSE

To those who are loath to part with the first clause of Rev. 20:5. (See Millennial Dawn Note p. 287) we would suggest, that it probably crept into the text by accident in the fifth century; for no MS. of earlier date (neither Greek nor Syriac) contains this clause. It was probably at first merely a marginal comment made by a reader, expressive of his thought upon the text, and was copied into the body of the text by some subsequent transcribers who failed to distinguish between the text and the comment.

However, the repudiation of this clause is not essential to the “Plan” as by us set forth, as will be clearly shown in a subsequent volume of “Millennial Dawn.” For, the word resurrection, it will be shown, has been misapprehended greatly: it signifies to raise up. As related to man it signifies to bring up to the full perfection of manhood—the thing lost through Adam. The perfection from which our race fell, is the perfection to which they will gradually rise during the Millennial age of restitution or resurrection (raising up). The Millennial age is not only the age of trial, but also of blessing through resurrection or restitution to life—to that which was lost. The process will be a gradual one, requiring the entire age for its full accomplishment. Consequently it will not be until the thousand years are finished, that the race will have fully attained to the complete measure of life lost in Adam. And since anything short of perfect life is a condition of partial death, it follows that it would be strictly true to say, the rest of the dead lived not again (did not regain fully the life lost) until the thousand years of restitution and blessing were complete.

This much here to prevent stumbling upon this point—particulars again, in appropriate connection.

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— March, 1887 —