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vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in
victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and
the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for
the Lord hath spoken it' (Isa. 25:6-8). (See also Isa. 26:1 and 27:1).
What is true in the Millennium, `in this mountain' and for `His
people', will be universal when `the end' comes.
A further note of time given in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is, `At the last
trump'. In Revelation 11, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, `the
kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ'.
Immediately follow references to the `great power' and a `reign', the `time
of the dead', and the `destruction of them that destroy the earth'. These
Scriptures therefore place the period in view as being before the second
death.
Perhaps a word will be expected upon that difficult verse, 1
Corinthians 15:29:
`Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead
rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?'
We do not for one moment believe that the passage teaches baptism for
the dead, by proxy, although this strange rite is practised by `The Church of
the Latter Day Saints', commonly known as `Mormons'. We quote from a report
in the Arizona Republican Phoenix, 23rd November, 1921:
`Up to and including the year 1920 there have been 3,220,196 baptisms
performed by proxy in the temples ... and since the world has so
wonderfully helped us out in genealogical research, placing in our
hands so munificently the records of our fathers, the year 1921 bids
fair to double the number of 1920. Genealogy, and its handmaid, temple
service, contemplates tracing the family line back to Adam, and
administrating the ordinance of baptism ... `.
The strange idea contained in these words, and the enormous energy and
patience expended upon the `5,500 volumes of genealogy' in the Library at
Utah, are swept aside by the one majestic statement, `As in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive'.
The meaning of verse 29 appears to be this. It enlarges on the words
of verse 19, `If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men
most miserable'. If so what is the good of being baptized? It is merely a
baptism into death if the dead rise not. Baptism, however, is not only `into
His death' but:
`We are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His
resurrection' (Rom. 6:4,5).
The apostle follows the question, `Why are they then baptized for the
dead?' by another which illuminates his meaning, `And why stand we in
jeopardy every hour? ... I die daily' (1 Cor. 15:30,31).
The grand conclusion with its spiritual exhortation must not be omitted
in this summary: