being sustained in health by eating of the Tree of Life continually. It is evident that the Tree contained elements which maintained the body in perfect condition. (Gen. 3:22, Ez. 47:12, Rev. 22:2.)

2. It was the action of God in cutting off the human race from this perfect food, which resulted in the universal death of the body. Nothing short of this diet will restore earthly bodies to their original health. (Gen. 3:22, I Cor. 15:22, Rom. 5:12-14.)

3. The Bible speaks of the death of the body as an unmitigated evil. It is the greatest and last enemy of the human race. Not until its final defeat will perfect victory be enjoyed. (I Cor. 15:22-28, Rev. 20:14.)

4. Hades (Greek) or Sheol (Hebrew) was the name of the place to which the souls of those who lost their bodies went. It had two sides to it, as the Lord showed in the parable of Dives and Lazarus, and between those two sides was a great gulf fixed. (Is. 14:9, Ez. 32:17-32, Lk. 16:19-31.)

(a) In the one division were the believers in God. The darkness of their experience was relieved by their faith in the resurrection at the Last Day; so that they might be said to rest in hope, together with Abraham the Father of the believing. Yet dread even of this softened experience kept the Old Testament saints all their lifetime in bondage, and made the hour of death highly unwelcome, since the loss of their spirit cut them off from God, and the loss of their body cut them off from the world. At this Resurrection they would enter into the enjoyment of the promises of God in Palestine during the Millennium. (Heb. 2:15, Mt. 4:16, Job 10:20-22, II Kings 20:1-3 (contrast Phil. 1:21-23), Lk. 1:79, 16:19-23, Ps. 16:9-11, Is. 26:19, Ez. 37:1-14, Dan. 12:2 (compare Ez. 44:13.))

(b) In the other division were:—

1. The ignorant dead, who in the darkness of the disembodied state had no ray of hope of any escape from their miserable condition. The final resurrection will come to them as a wholly unexpected shock.

2. The enemies of God whose hearts are filled with expectation of fiery judgment and punishment. (Ps. 73:18-19,