The Resurrection by Geo. L. Butler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 15, 1875

The Resurrection.

By Geo. L. Butler

This subject has been considered from so many different standpoints, and at such length, that I cannot hope to bring from it anything especially new or striking. But there is still a necessity that it be considered often and carefully.

It is one of the great fundamental doctrines of revelation, and contains infinite comfort for loving hearts, furnishing as it does the connecting link between this life and the life which is to come. Its truth was clearly stated in the teachings of our Saviour, and its possibility and certainty demonstrated by his own resurrection. His coming forth out of the tomb a living conqueror caused a flood of light to illuminate its dark chambers, enabling us to see a clear pathway from this world through to the world beyond. Before this, all was impenetrable darkness, except as the prophets of old had caused rays of light to shine upon the future. But now we have the clearness of an accomplished fact upon which to found our faith. Christ has come forth from the tomb, bringing its keys with him. He says himself: “I am he that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen; and have the keys of hades and of death.”

A scoffing world, led by a false philosophy, may proclaim its impossibility; a formal church may exchange its glorious promise for a ghostly faith of immaterial existence “beyond

the bounds of time and space” (which is, perhaps, as good a description of nothing and nowhere as human language can frame), but we will still cling to the faith of an actual, personal, bodily resurrection, such as our Lord teaches and illustrates. Here is the only rational hope of the church and the world. This alone shall give us at last the society of our risen Lord, the companionship of the good, the holy, the martyrs of all ages, and a reunion with our loved friends, whom death has snatched from our embrace. We want, then, to keep this in memory, to consider its precious lessons often, as a prime source of encouragement and hope while battling with sorrow and sin.

It is an interesting lesson indeed to consider the testimony of Holy Writ upon this delightful theme. How early in the experience of God’s people this glorious doctrine was clearly revealed to them, we are not specially informed. We have reason to believe it was very early, though not particularly mentioned in the historical books of the Old Testament. It is doubtless much the same with this as with the glorious doctrine of Christ’s second coming, the event which ushers in the resurrection and makes it possible. We find no statement in the lives of the ancient patriarchs, as recorded in the Pentateuch, that they had any knowledge of this. But the inspired apostle Jude in his short letter states the interesting fact that “Enoch, also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all.” This holy man was then an advent preacher in the fullest sense; and how natural and necessary the conclusion that he must have known of the resurrection, which was the complement of that event. Adam must have listened to the preaching of Enoch; for he was contemporary with him. These glorious doctrines, then, were known to the patriarchs.

We must not err in drawing conclusions concerning the knowledge of ancient worthies by taking it for granted that their knowledge only extended to what is recorded of them in the Pentateuch. That history is very brief. It covers thousands of years, and is all embraced in a few short chapters. One forcibly said that if we were to write a history of the United States upon our thumb nail, we should doubtless leave many things out; so in this case; we have but the barest outline of what they knew, or what they did. We have, doubtless, sufficient upon which to found the great plan of truth which is built upon these facts; but we must recollect that Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, and no doubt many others, had communications from God more directly than we do.

It seems very clear to my mind that all the great facts of God’s truth were revealed to them from certain evidences given here and there throughout the Bible. We learn from the apostle Paul that Abraham “looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” In the book of Genesis nothing is said about this. So the apostle declares in regard to Isaac and Jacob, and many others. We read also in the apostle’s writings that the “gospel was preached to Abraham,” but there is nothing said directly about it in the history of his life. Who would have thought of taking the passage our Saviour quoted from Ex. 3: 6, to silence the skeptical Sadducees, and convince them from Moses’ writings that there was to be a resurrection of the body? From the manner in which our Saviour quotes and comments on the words, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” we should be justified in drawing the conclusion that Moses was well acquainted with the glorious hope of the resurrection of the dead. It must have been so, when we consider it was by faith that he left the riches and pleasures of Egypt, esteeming the reproach of Christ of more value than all of them, because he “had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” He could only hope to obtain this reward through the resurrection. He therefore believed in it. So, doubtless, did all these worthies.

When we come down to the poetical and prophetic writings, the references to this glorious theme are plainer. Job, who is supposed to have lived as long ago as in the time of Moses, seemed to be perfectly familiar with it. Hear him in the midst of his suffering and anguish burst forth in words powerful and weighty: “Oh, that my words were now written! oh, that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!” You must have something very important, Job, to desire all this pains taken to make it enduring. What can it be which can so inspire you in the midst of your pain and abject misery, sitting in the ashes, covered from crown to sole with terrible ulcers? It is what would now be called Adventism. “I know,” says this ancient worthy, that “my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me.” Job 19: 23–27. Job evidently thought there was some importance attached to this matter. How is it that this ancient patriarch could be so positive in regard to this? We read of no revelation of it to him anywhere in any previous portion of the Scriptures. Ah! it came, as I have hinted, as a natural and necessary part of divine truth, without which a person could have very little knowledge of God and the plan of salvation.

David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, was comforted with this blessed hope: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness.” Ps. 17: 15. He speaks also of the resurrection of Christ, and shows its importance as connected with this subject: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Ps. 16: 10, 11. The resurrection of Christ, here brought to view, fully laid open the “path of life,” which was to lead David into the presence of God, and to the enjoyment of happiness forever at his right hand. He knew he could never behold his face in this world. It was only when he should “awake” from his long sleep, that his heart-longings could be “satisfied.” What a fullness of meaning there is in that word “satisfied.” I know of nothing in all revelation that quite equals it. Many are the beautiful and glorious descriptions of the blessings of that heavenly world contained in the volume of inspiration, but the thought that we shall be satisfied, that we shall want nothing more, that all the longings and yearnings of the heart will then be met, seems to embrace and swallow up all. This was to be accomplished through the rising up from the sleep of death. It was then he was to receive the likeness of his blessed Lord. We will speak more fully of that when we speak of the resurrection of Christ. GEO. L. BUTLER.

(To be Continued.)