1. S. Β., Caermarthen.—Punishment eternal Is clearly the truth revealed to us in scripture. Awful as it is, the wrath of God abideth on the unbeliever. (Matt. 25:46; John 3:36.) If a teacher denies this, then he believes nothing, because God says it is so. He neither really believes the atonement, as scripture speaks of it, nor anything else. He may find when too late that the punishment in the lake of fire is not for a time, or temporal, but eternal. Scripture teaches that from this there is no escape. Give up the plain teaching of scripture, and all is darkness. There is indeed nothing vague as to the atonement. It was Christ, the holy One, forsaken of God, suffering the wrath of God due to us. Nothing can be plainer than Isa. 53 and abounding texts in the New Testament. God’s righteousness is revealed in it. And there is no other ground by which God can be righteous in justifying the ungodly.
On no account should the Christian have fellowship with the infidel who denies the statements of the word of God as to eternal punishment. “What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Cor. 6:15.)
We have arrived at the days when the little leaven is fast leavening the whole lump. And we have no safe directions but the word of God. “The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Tim. 2:19.) Read also verses 20-22. It is no doubt a painful path of trial to walk according to the word of God, but it is the only safe one.
In the beginning it was, “Purge out therefore the old leaven.” (1 Cor. 5:7.) In the end, now, it is, “If a man therefore purge himself from these,” &c. (2 Tim. 2:21.) Thank God, there will be a small remnant, “that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” The path may be very narrow: but let us take courage, we only read of one, Enoch, who walked with God; but “he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” As it was then, so it is now: the world is ripening fast for judgment, but a few more days, and then, when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? In that day we shall not regret having walked in a path of separation from all evil, however lonely. And we can only say, “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.”
2. J. W., Liverpool.—Isa. 53:12 presents Christ as the mighty conqueror dividing the spoil, and that beyond death. We know Him as such, gone up on high, even now. (See Eph. 4:8-13; compare Psalm 68:17, 18, see margin, “in the man.”) This chapter (Isa. 53.) is Israel’s repentance after they are fully restored, as Eze. 36:22-31. Israel, or the remnant of them, after they have seen Him with wounded hands, will thus repent. (Zech. 13:6.) It will then be revealed to them, that He, their Messiah, has made the atonement for them. They had despised Him, but He had entered in full, deep sympathy into all their sufferings—carried their sorrows. (Ver. 4.) But far more, He had borne their iniquities. (Ver. 5 to end.) And that despised Jesus, having passed through death for them, is the mighty Conqueror, dividing the spoil. This is a figure understood by observing the customs of the East.