Hardly Consistent by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 7, 1882

Hardly Consistent.

By Editor

THE pastor of the First Congregational Church, Oakland, delivered a lecture last Sunday evening on the subject, "What are we to believe about death?" In the closing portion of his address, as reported, the following sentence occurs:—

"To the Christian soul death is but a blessed sleep; it is the coming into the presence of Him so longed for."

The first part of the sentence is correct according to the Scripture; death is a sleep, and those who sleep in Jesus are blessed. But how about their going into the presence of Christ to sleep; wouldn't it be, to say the least, disrespectful? If we should meet a dear friend whom we had long desired to see, would we at once fall asleep? When David said, "In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore," did he anticipate taking a long sleep as soon as he reached Heaven? We do not believe it; for we read of those who overcome that "they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple." Rev. 7:14, 15. See also Rev. 4:8; 5:13, etc. Paul says that "we shall not all sleep." All who die, will sleep; but before they go to Heaven there will be a grand awakening.