Where Are the Dead? by Albert M. Dart

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 1, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 22.

Where Are the Dead?

By Albert M. Dart

Are They Still Alive?—Are They Conscious or Unconscious?

By Albert M. Dart

In our last article, it was seen that man by nature does not possess immortality, but that it is a gift to the faithful in Christ at His coming.

The opinion largely prevails in the religious world, that man receives his reward at death, and is therefore living and conscious between that point and the resurrection. This opinion has given rise to much speculation with reference to the nature of man.

Is He Now in That Fire?

With this view, many difficulties confront one. If one is rightly related to God at death, he is supposed to enter eternal bliss; but if he is not rightly related, where is he? Taken for granted that he still lives and is conscious, his whereabouts has caused no small concern among the human family. Some—yes, many—have taken the ground that inasmuch as the Bible teaches a lake of fire for the ungodly, they are suffering excruciating agonies in this undesirable location.

Thinking this idea too horrible to connect with a God of love, others have taken the position that they are eternally separated from the home of the saved, in mental agony. But just where, no one has made quite plain. Yet if they are immortal, they must be somewhere in conscious existence.

Scientists and Immortality

While it is not the purpose to deal with this subject from the standpoint of science, a few quotations may be given from the sources of authority; for, as declared by Joseph Cook, an eminent lecturer on science as related to the Bible, “everything fundamentally Biblical is scientific, and everything fundamentally scientific is Biblical.”

Charles A. Young, LL. D., professor of astronomy at Princeton College, New Jersey, says: “I think it must be frankly admitted that what is known about the functions of the brain and nervous system, does, to a certain extent, tend to make it difficult to believe in the immortality of the personal consciousness.”—“Science and Immortality,” page 15.

Thomas Hill, D. D., ex-president of Harvard College, thus speaks: “Many facts in possession of modern science make it difficult to believe in immortality.”

The famous scientist F. L. Buchner is thus emphatic in his statement on the subject: “Unprejudiced philosophy is compelled to reject the idea of an individual immortality and of a personal continuance after death.”

Said Lester F. Ward, A. M., of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.: “The destruction of brain results in the destruction of consciousness. No exception to this law has ever been observed.”

That the statements of these scientists are supported by the word of God is susceptible of the clearest proof.

Creation of Man and the Decree of Death

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Gen. 2:7.

Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God said, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Verse 17.

There is no question about man’s disobeying God. He ate of the forbidden fruit. How could there be any question about the result? But he who claims that man exists in a conscious state after he dies, does question the result, for it is making no difference between life and death. God did not say, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely live in another state.”

His Thoughts Perish

Of man in death the Bible says: “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Ps. 146:4. He lived and could think because of the breath God breathed into his nostrils. When that breath goes forth, he no longer lives nor thinks. It is begging the whole question to say that some part of man still lives; for surely no part could live but the thinking, responsible part, and the plain statement is that that part has perished.

We are in a still worse predicament if we hold that the “his” in the text last quoted does not refer to the man at all, but to the house he lives in—his body. This would be making “a cumbersome clog of clay,” as the body is claimed to be, responsible for the building of character; for confessedly “his breath went forth” because he had disobeyed God.

They Know Not Anything

Further proof that man is unconscious in death is found in Eccl. 9:5, 6: “The living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything. . . . Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy [Really, are these qualities of the body only?], is now perished.”

Few, I suppose, think that when a horse dies, he still lives. Every experience of man tells him that the living organism known as “horse” ceases to exist, turns to dust. Why should we think differently of man? Every experience teaches the same thing of him. It would require a tremendous stretch of the imagination, unaided by preconceived ideas, to look upon man in death and conclude that he lives. Touch the man. Speak to him. Every sense of our being responds to the truthfulness of the statements of inspiration concerning his condition.

The condition of the horse and that of the man in death, so far as man’s experience teaches, are identical. What does the Bible teach? “For that which befalleth the sons of man befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man [in death] hath no preeminence above a beast. . . . All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” Eccl. 3:19, 20.

To this agree the words of God to Adam in Gen. 3:19: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou [not thy body] taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

If this view seems gloomy and forbidding to you, do not consult your feelings for proof of its verity. Ask in all sincerity and surrender to God, “Is it God’s view?” And if it is, then know that, seen aright, it is not gloomy and forbidding.

They Are to Live Again

“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” Isa. 26:19.

“Together with my dead body.” This is the key to the situation. Turn it, dear reader, and look again, if the view has been gloomy. The bright rays of gospel light have pierced the tomb. A look at Christ, and the gloom is gone, and the songs of the redeemed greet our ears.

“Walk in the light, and e’en the tomb No fearful shade shall wear. Glory shall chase away its gloom, For Christ hath conquered there.”

But this is when the dead live again, at the resurrection; and it suggests profitable thoughts for further study of this great theme. Some one may ask: “Does the soul go to the grave? Does not the spirit return to God at death?” That is an interesting study for the next article in this series.