Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/228

 22* The Plan of Tit /(giM.

sacrifices,*' which do make atonement for the sins of the whole world. We have the " royal priesthood," composed of all those who offer themselves to God "living sacrifices/' holy and acceptable, through Jesus Christ, who is the Chief or te High Priest of our profession. ' ' (Heb. 3:1.) In the Gospel age we find the realities of which the Jewish age and its services and ordinances were shadows. Heb. 10 : i.

The Gospel age, F> is the period during which the body of Christ is called out of the world, and shown by faith the crown of life, and the exceeding great and precious promises whereby (by obedience to the call and its require- ments) they may become partakers of the divine nature. (2 Pet. i : 4.) Evil is still permitted to reign over or rule the world, in order that by contact with it these may be tried to see whether they are willing to give up the human nature with its privileges and blessings, a living sacrifice, being made conformable to Jesus' death, that they may be accounted worthy to be in his likeness in the resurrection. Psa. 17: 15.

The third great dispensation, C, is to be composed of many ages " The Ages to Come." The first of these, the Millennial age, G, is the only one concerning which we have any definite information. It is the thousand years during which Christ will reign over and thereby bless all the families of the earth, accomplishing the "restitu- tion of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets." (Acts 3:19-21.) During that age, sin and death shall be forever blotted out j for "Christ must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. . . . The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death' 7 Adamic death. (i Cor. 15 : 25, 26.) That will be the great reconstruction period. Associated with Christ Jesus in that reign will be the Church, his bride, his body, even as he promised, say- ing, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with

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