GOD A BEING AND HEAVEN A PLACE.
By Wm. S. Ingraham
In making remarks on this text I do not design to refer to every point, but discuss the following propositions: - God is a personal Being.
- Heaven is a location.
When we consider the Orthodox view (so called) of this subject, we find it left in dark obscurity, forming no foundation for Christian faith or hope. God is supposed to be a being without body or parts, thus denying virtually his real existence, and if believed in at all we must confidently endorse the notion that he is immaterial; and if form is in any way connected with him it must be ghost-like or shadowy; and to doubt the sentiment of poets, and call in question their poetic fancy, that Heaven is “beyond the bounds of time and space,” is an outrageous crime hardly to be forgiven in this world or in the world to come. But there is a pleasure in the thought that God does really exist, and also that the home of the saints is a city fair, made of solid material which will never decay. With these reflections the reader is called to a consideration of the question in debate, and 1. God is a real person. My first proof in support of this proposition is Gen. i, 26, 27. The point in question is the expression, the image of God. Many suppose this consists in nature and not in form, and as God is said to be immortal, and man being in the image of God, the conclusion is that man must be immortal also. If this reasoning is correct, why not embrace other attributes of the divine mind? Is immortality the only attribute he possesses? Is he not omnipresent and omnipotent also? To reason from the nature of God to the nature of man (which no one has any right to do) would exalt man to the throne of the universe and place him on the right hand of the Majesty in the Heavens. Gen. i, 26, 27 shows that man was made in the image of God, and Gen. ii, 7, proves that man was formed of the dust of the ground. The conclusion is clear that that which was made or formed of the dust of the ground was made in the image of God. Paul’s testimony corroborates this fact. 1 Cor. xi, 7. “For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God.” Here man with a head (and not a headless ghost) is the image of God. In my old Discipline I used to read that the Creator was without body or parts. This I never could believe. The Bible taught me another way. What saith the word? Ex. xxxiii, 18. “And he (Moses) said I beseech thee shew me thy glory.” Verse 20. “And he said, thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live.” Verses 21, 23. “And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock; and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock; and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by; and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts; but my face shall not be seen.” I am aware that Drs. of Divinity live in this age, and certainly this age is the place for them. Had they lived in the age of Moses they would have been out of employment, for this great truth was not sick at that time, not having, as yet, fallen into the hands of uninspired physicians. In Ex. xxiv, 9, 10, 11, a scene of majesty and grandeur is witnessed by Moses and the elders of Israel: “Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire-stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.” Some tell us that the Bible does not prove the existence of God, but takes it for granted. With lawyers, evidence is that which demonstrates and makes plain. Have we such evidence of the existence of God? In the above record it is plainly stated that God was seen by more than seventy witnesses. Is all this taken for granted? Verse 10. “And they saw the God of Israel.” The view that many entertain in relation to the immateriality of God we admit is taken for granted, for the proof is lacking. One text more from the Old Testament and then we will come to the New. Dan. vii, 9. “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” None dare deny but that a person is here described, but say that Christ is meant. How does this better the case? Trinitarians tell us that Christ is the eternal God, and if this be true, when Daniel speaks of the Ancient of days he means Christ, and when he sees Christ he sees the eternal God, for both are one. Again, if the view that Trinitarians hold, be true, that Christ is the Almighty God, and that Daniel in verses 9 and 10 refers to Christ, my point is gained, that is that God is a person. But I deny that Daniel in verses 9 and 10 refers to Christ at all. The prophet in this record not only represents the majesty and glory of the Divine Being, but represents him as presiding in judgment. In verse 13 he says, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” If the Ancient of days is Jesus Christ, who is the Son of man that stands before him? In verse 14, the Son of man receives a kingdom from the Father, or the Ancient of days. Query. Does Christ stand before himself? Does he receive a kingdom from himself? How rational the conclusion that the Father and the Son are both seen in this vision, and that they are separate persons. This idea does not harmonize with the notion that at the incarnation of Christ two whole and perfect natures (the Father and Son, or human and divine) were joined together, never to be separated. “But,” says one, “this vision was given long before the birth of Christ.” But sir, this does not help your case in the least, for the eye of the prophet penetrated the future, and he was carried in heavenly vision down the stream of time to where the thrones shall crumble before the Majesty of Heaven as he sits in judgment to fix the destiny of men and place his Son on David’s throne to reign. Some testimony from the New Testament will be offered. Acts vii, 56. “And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Testimony of dying men is usually considered good evidence, especially if they have their reason. We cannot question the soundness of Stephen. The 55th verse says, “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” Query. Did Stephen see Christ? Most certainly. What was his position? It was standing. Where did he stand? On the right hand of God. How do we know whether he stood on God’s right hand or on his left? By giving heed to the declaration of this man of truth. He says he saw God and his Son. This evidence proves conclusively that God is a person. We will now listen to Paul. Phil. ii, 5, 6. “Let this mind be in you which was also in18Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” How can Christ be in the form of God if God has no form? Does this mean that the humanity was equal to the divinity? and that the humanity was in form like the divinity? Turn this passage as you will and it proves that God has a form. Heb. i, 3. “Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his (the Father’s) person.” This is evidence that cannot be denied unless the doubting mind has some selfish end in view. A vast amount of evidence might be added to the above. Who was that majestic Being that spoke on the burning mount, in the midst of thunders, and darkness only broken by the lightning’s flash and the glory of him that spoke? It was one whose voice shook the earth and made the Israelitish host to tremble. Was this the voice of an immaterial ghost? No! God was there. Moses says he saw him. Deut. ix, 10. “And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God.” How could a nonentity deliver to a man tables of stone? How could an immaterial being plow the solid rock with its finger, and deeply imbed or write a law on stone? Matt. xvii, 5. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” Peter says this voice came from heaven. 2 Pet. i, 18. Moses was on the mount of transfiguration. He was permitted to hear the same voice that spoke the ten commandments when he was on Mount Sinai and at that time he saw the one that spoke. Matt. xviii, 10. “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven.” There are two points worthy of remark in this text. 1. The Father was in Heaven and the Son on earth (surely the divinity was separated once from the humanity). 2. God is said to have a face, which proves his personality. Matt. v, 8. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This cannot refer to Christ, for “every eye shall see him.” Rev. i, 7. “And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matt. xxiv, 30. All the nations of the earth will see the Son of man, but only the pure in heart will be permitted to see the Father,—“and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.” Enough has been said on this part of the subject, and we now submit it to the judgment of the reader. If we have proved our first point, the second is easily reached. If God is a personal being he must have a fixed habitation. We are now prepared to consider our next proposition. In arguing this point we might call up the question of the resurrection of the saints and show that they will have material bodies, composed of flesh and bones like the glorious body of Christ. And also that angels are real beings, tangible and material. These principles involve the idea that Heaven must be a location. Evidences growing out of the bare facts we pass over and offer proof from another source. Deut. x, 14. “Behold, the heaven and the Heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also with all that therein is.” Now unless the Heaven of the heavens, so expressed by way of eminence, has a real existence and a location as well as the earth, how can it be said to belong to God? If there is no local Heaven, then there is no local earth. David is in harmony with the above. “Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed. He will hear him from his holy Heaven.” Also in another place, Deut. xxvi, 15, the locality of Heaven is brought to light. “Look down from thy holy habitation, from Heaven, and bless thy people Israel.” Also Isaiah lxiii, 15. “Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory.” Luke xv, 7. “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke says again, chap. ii, 15, “And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them (shepherds) into Heaven.” How could such language be applied to a Heaven “beyond the bounds of time and space?” Christ went to Heaven. Acts i, 9, 10, 11. Verse 10. “They looked steadfastly toward heaven.” Verse 11, “Which was taken up from you into Heaven.” Acts iii, 21. “Whom the Heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. 1 Thess. i, 10. “And to wait for his Son from Heaven, even Jesus.” John xiv, 1. “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there ye may be also.” Paul in 2 Cor. xii, 2, says, a man was caught up to the third Heaven. In verse 4, he says he was caught up into Paradise. (The apostle alludes to his own experience.) This chapter locates Paradise, and I understand the Father’s house here spoken of by Christ, is Paul’s Paradise. They are identical. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Rev. ii, 7. Compare this with Rev. xxii, 2, where John in describing the holy city says that the tree of life is in the midst of the street of it. We learn, 1st, that Paradise is in the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem; and to carry the subject still further, that overcomers will reach that blissful home. The scenes of this beautiful world so attracted the mind of the prophet that he almost forgot the duty he owed to the church of God, and the faithful record which he was to make for the benefit of future generations. And a voice suddenly broke upon his ear, saying, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” The contrast between this state of existence and the world to come, is very great. Three times has this earth been cursed as the result of transgression. First, when man rebelled against the government of God and partook of the forbidden fruit. In quick succession one curse after another was pronounced upon man. In the animal creation there was a regular revolt from the control of man. No more in innocency do they play before him. Fear is upon every living creature. They roam over creation seeking to devour and tear in pieces each other. The elements are placed in opposition to man, and the means of perpetuating life is cut off (Gen. iii, 22–24), that the penalty of the law might be inflicted upon him, and he return back to dust again. Earth’s beautiful flowers are nipped as with an untimely frost, and thorns and thistles take their place. The curse spreads itself over the earth like a mildew from heaven, and its glories begin to fade and die. Man soon becomes so corrupt in his nature that murder is committed, and the blood of the innocent flows freely (Gen. iv, 8), and the productions of the earth decrease. Verse 12. Still the course of man is sinful, and as he multiplies, transgression abounds, until God says, “the wickedness of man is great in the earth,” “and every imagination of the thoughts of the heart is only evil continually.” God bears with man until the warning of mercy is rejected and salvation is slighted. The heavenly dove droops its wings and leaves the guilty to drink Jehovah’s wrath. The fountains of the great deep are broken up, and the windows of heaven are opened. The flood of waters cover every high mountain. Golden rocks are buried in the bowels of the deep. Worthless, shapeless, ragged rocks appear. The earth’s surface is broken by high mountains, deep valleys and caverns. The tree of life and Paradise, once eastward in Eden, have been removed and are now in the city of God, on high. Paradise lost by transgression, can be obtained by obedience. Rev. xxii, 14. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Earth’s mortal scenes, where is hunger, thirst, and all the perplexities incident to this life, where man is compelled to get his living by the sweat of his face, may be changed for a world of glory where sorrow will never be known. “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Rev. vii, 15, 17. This earth, now groaning under the curse, will soon be free from its burden, and the curse purged away. The New Jerusalem will come down from God out of Heaven, adorned as a bride for her husband, and the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. I hope to be there.