The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

"Thus they will be saved from that great hurricane of trouble which will follow their
departure, as well as preserved in the forepart of the battle in which a thousand will fall
into infidelity, and be overcome by the various pestilences of error, to one who will stand.-
-Psa. 91:7."
"Changed in a moment"
We have seen that it was this writer's interpretation (and we believe it was well founded)
that the vision of the Lamb and the hundred and forty-four thousand standing on Mount
Zion, the voice of the harpers, the singing of the song by the hundred and forty-four
thousand, the preaching of the everlasting Gospel, the announcement of the Judgment
Day, and the proclamation of Babylon's fall, were all due to have their fulfillment, and
have been in process of fulfillment simultaneously, during the harvest time of this Gospel
Age. Thus as these various events of transcendent importance were fulfilling, the "voice
from heaven" was heard to say, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth," that is, from the time of the events just mentioned, blessed indeed are the
dead who die in the Lord. The meaning therefore would seem to be that this proclamation
marks not only the time of the resurrection of the sleeping saints of the past Gospel Age,
but also indicates that from that time forward those who finish their course in death will
experience their change immediately by the power of the First Resurrection; these events
are surely due in connection with the presence of the great King. The events named above-
-the Lamb upon Mount Zion, the harpers, the singers, the announcement of the everlasting
Gospel, etc., are events that follow immediately the Second Coming of Christ, whose
presence is invisible, and for a time, of such secrecy as to be known only to the Church.
Then in close connection with the advent of the Savior, and the fulfilling of these events,
the resurrection of the sleeping saints is due, as the Apostle announces--"The dead in
Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall [as we die] be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord." It is, therefore, these who are "alive and remain" unto the presence of the Lord
that come under the benediction of this announcement: "Blessed are the dead who die"!
Blessed are these who from the date that marks the Second Presence of Christ as King,
finish their course and die in the Lord. Why blessed? Because they will not need to wait
and remain asleep in death; but as they finish their sacrifice, they are "changed in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye," and join the heavenly throng that has gone before.
Mr. Russell adds:
"Accordingly, when the setting up of the Kingdom was due, their awakening from the
sleep of death was due. Why should their waiting and sleep continue after the Lord is
present and the time for His Kingdom has come? There can be no reason for it; and we
believe, therefore, that they 'sleep' no longer, but are now risen, and with and like their
Lord. And if their continuance in the sleep of death is no longer necessary, neither is it
necessary that any of the saints who now die in this time of the Presence of the Lord and
the setting up of His Kingdom should 'sleep' or wait in death for a resurrection at some
future time."