The Two Theories by John Matteson

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jun 7, 1877

The Two Theories.

By John Matteson

1. The righteous and the wicked shall be rewarded and punished in the day of Judgment. The day of Judgment begins where probation ends, and ends with the lake of fire beyond the thousand years.

2. The righteous go to Heaven as soon as they die, and the soul, or real man, enjoys immortal glory in the presence of God. But the wicked go immediately after death into hell fire and receive their punishment.

Now let us look upon these two theories in the light of Matt. 25:31–41.

1. The Son of man has not yet come in his glory, with all the holy angels. The second coming of Christ is still in the future. So far we agree.

2. The nations spoken of which shall be gathered, and then separated one from another, include all the righteous and all the wicked that ever lived upon the earth. For when he says to them on his right hand, “Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom,” this must embrace all the righteous; otherwise some would be left out of the kingdom. And when he says to those on the left hand, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,” it must refer to all the wicked who receive their final punishment in the lake of fire. On this we must also agree.

3. Now then, upon the principles of the second theory we have:

1. All the righteous and wicked once separated, and placed respectively in Heaven and hell. Then in the Judgment they are all taken out, mixed together, and then separated the second time. There is no avoiding this; for it is plainly stated, that when Christ comes, he shall separate the righteous and wicked “one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” Does it look reasonable or scriptural that Christ will do this work of separation twice; first at death, and then in the Judgment have them all mixed together again and try the work of separation once more?

2. Christ is represented as saying in the last day to all the righteous, “Come, inherit the kingdom.” Whereas by far the greater part of them had inherited that kingdom a long time ago. Then righteous Abel might well say, Lord, why do you tell me to come and inherit the kingdom? Have you forgotten that I have been with you in the kingdom these six thousand years? And so the whole host of patriarchs, apostles, and martyrs. They have been with Christ hundreds and thousands of years in glory. Why, then, does he tell them to come, and to inherit the kingdom. There must be a mistake in that theory.

3. Christ is represented as saying to the wicked in the Judgment day, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Whereas millions of these poor men, according to said theory, have come right out of hell fire, and some have been burning there for six thousand years. You might imagine them rising up scorched, and singed, half crippled, with distorted faces, gnashing their teeth, blaspheming and cursing, saying, “Good heaven! we have been tormented in this terrible fire these five thousand years. And

now do you bid us return? What do you do that for? We are well acquainted with that horrible place.” (If any take the position that the fire is not literal, it does not better their theory any, for if they have been in torment, whether by fire or any other means, it does not alter the argument.)

Surely theory number two is terribly lame, and contrary to the Bible and common sense.

Now let us examine theory No. 1.

1. The righteous and wicked all go to one place when they die. “Because man goeth to his long home. . . . Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Eccl. 12: 5–7. Surely man means the whole human race. And the body of every man goes back to the earth; and the spirit of those bodies returns unto God who gave it. If the dust means the bodies of all, wicked and righteous, then the spirit does also embrace the spirit of all, righteous and wicked. There is no getting away from this.

2. Then in the great Judgment day the King shall resurrect every man, and cause spirit or breath to “enter into them again.” Eze. 37: 5. And they shall live. Then the Lord will separate the righteous from the wicked, as he calls forth the righteous in the first resurrection unto life, and the wicked in the second resurrection unto damnation. John 5: 28, 29. This is all consistent and scriptural.

3. Then shall the King for the first time extend the gracious invitation to his glorified saints, “Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” And the righteous, robed in honor and glory, enter upon the possessions of the heavenly kingdom.

Then for the first time does he also bid the wicked to depart into everlasting fire. They must die the second death. May the Lord help us to prepare for the solemn decision.

JOHN MATTESON.