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perfection? True they were not righteous, but neither were youwhen God gave you your opportunity. Jesus' own words shalltell us that they are not as guilty in his sight as the Jews, whohad more knowledge: "Woe unto thee, Capernaum, for if themighty works which have been done in thee had been done inSodom, it would have remained unto this day." Thus Jesusteaches usR259 : page 45that they had not had their full opportunity. "Remember," Jesussays of the Sodomites, that "God rained down fire and destroyedthem all." So if their restoration is spoken of in Scripture itimplies their resurrection.Let us look at the prophecy of Ezek. 16:48, to the close. Read itcarefully. God here speaks of Israel, and compares her with herneighbor Samaria, and also with the Sodomites, of whom hesays, "I took away as I saw good." Why did God see good totake away these people without giving them a chance, throughthe knowledge of "the only name?" Because, it was not their duetime. They will come to a knowledge of the truth when restored.He will save them from death's bondage first, and then givethem knowledge as it is written. "God will have all men to besaved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth."--1 Tim. 2:4.When brought to the knowledge, then, and not until then, arethey on trial for eternal life. With this thought and with no other,can we understand the dealings of the God of love with thoseAmalekites and other nations, whom he not only permitted butcommanded Israel to butcher. "Slay Amalek utterly--leaveneither man, woman nor child." "Spare not the little ones." Howoften my heart has ached, and yours, too, as we sought toreconcile this apparent wantonness on God's part with theteachings of the new dispensation, "God is love," "Love yourenemies," etc. Now we can see, that the entire Jewish age was atype of the higher Gospel age; Israel's victories and conquestsmerely pictures of the Christian's battles with sin, etc. TheseAmalekites, and Sodomites and others were used to illustrate, orto be "examples" "for our admonition." These people might justas well die so, as of disease and plague, and it mattered little tothem, as they were merely learning to know evil, that when ontrial "in due time," they might learn good, and be able todiscriminate and choose the good and have life.But let us read the prophecy further. After comparing Israel withSodom and Samaria, and pronouncing her worse, vs. 53,R259 : page 46says: "When I bring again the captivity of Sodom and Samaria,then will I bring thy captives in the midst of them." [In death allare captives, and Christ came to "set at liberty the captives andto open the prison doors" of the grave.] In vs. 55, this is called"a return to