The Spirit World and a Future Life
By Geo. W. Rine
II. How and When Life After Death Can Be Realized
NEARLY four thousand years ago the patriarch Job asked that question which rises spontaneously in every human: “If a man die, shall he live again?” Job 14:14. By reading verses 11–15 of the same chapter it will be seen that Job answers affirmatively his own question, so far as it has to do with his own personal hope; and, secondly, with the hope of all who, like him, trust in God for eternal life. Observe how Job words his question. He does not ask, “If a man die, shall his life persist, or continue uninterruptedly, at the death of the body?” He entertained no such delusive hope. The very form of his question shows unmistakably that Job knew that when a man has died, he is actually dead. Note again the verbal form of the question: “If a man die, shall he live again?” The word again shows that Job’s thought was that a man who has died, did once live; but now, being dead, shall he live again? A man can not live again unless he has actually died. But if a man were inherently immortal he could not die, and would never need a resurrection, or be caused to live again. Fortunately, the Bible affords us a terse, unequivocal answer to Job’s significant question, from One who could not be mistaken—from One who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” This answer is recorded in John 11:25, where Christ, as He was about to raise Lazarus from death, positively affirms: “I am the RESURRECTION, and the LIFE: he that believeth on Me, even tho he die SHALL LIVE AGAIN.” (Rotherham’s translation.) There can be no doubt as to the meaning of the Master’s answer. First, note that only a specified class of persons who, having died, shall live again: “He that believeth on Me.” Only believers in Christ are given His assurance that some time after death they shall live AGAIN. Our Lord gives no promise of a future continuous life to those who refuse to trust Him for that life. Does not this fact indubitably and forever preclude the possibility of man’s being endowed by nature with immortality? Note, secondly, that Jesus, like Job, uses the word again. His meaning is, that whoever during life believes on Him, even tho he die, shall live AGAIN. That is, the subject once did live,—a life of faith in Christ,—but now he is dead, yet he shall live AGAIN—a second time. Note, thirdly, that it is by a RESURRECTION that such a one shall live again. “I am the resurrection,” declared Jesus. Hence His meaning must be that whoever believes in Him, and, like all men, dies, shall live again by virtue of a resurrection—by being raised from the dead. That this is the Master’s meaning is made doubly certain by what He declared as recorded in verses 39, 40, 44, and 54 of the sixth chapter of John. There He repeatedly promises that he who believes on Him, comes to Him, and spiritually eats His flesh and drinks His blood, shall be raised up (from the dead) “at the last day.” Just as certain as our Lord spoke the truth, no one can hope for life after death except by a resurrection from death, effected through the divine, life-giving power of the Son of God. Furthermore, this resurrection will not be realized until “the last day;” that is, at the second advent of Christ. See 1 Thess. 4:16–18. How Prophets and Apostles Hoped to Enter Into Life After Death
Reverting to Job 14:12–15, we learn the following facts: First, man lies down in the sleep of death, and will not be raised out of that sleep until “the heavens be no more.” It is obviously the atmospheric heavens to which Job refers; for Peter tells us that in “the day of the Lord” the “heavens shall pass away with a great noise;” certainly not the astronomical heavens, but the sin-polluted atmospheric heavens surrounding our sin-polluted earth. We must not fail to note that Job did not expect to enter upon the life to come, at death, for he actually prays that God would hide him in the grave, appoint him a set time, and remember him—that is, remember him in the resurrection of the just. In verse 15, it is written that Job declared his hope of a future life, thus: “Thou [Christ] shalt call, and I will answer Thee.” This statement of the old patriarch is strikingly significant, as we shall see when comparing it with a declaration made by Christ when on earth, as recorded in John 5:28, 29. These are the Master’s words: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves SHALL hear His voice, and shall come forth.” We have seen that Job expected at death to enter the grave and remain there till God should “call” him, and then he would “answer” that call, by coming forth from the grave, of course. Hence Job expected to be called, or raised, from the dead by Him who is the “resurrection and the life.” How precisely this accords with what Jesus declared when He said that the time is coming when all who are in their graves should hear His voice, and should come forth—rise from their graves; “they that have done good, UNTO THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE.” How clear then it is that Job hoped for life after death only through a resurrection from the dead wrought by the life-giving voice of Him who Himself, by rising from the dead, became the conqueror of death. Once more let us turn to our text in Job 14:14. After expressing his desire to be hid in the grave until the “set time” in which his Redeemer would “remember” him by calling him forth from the dead, he said further: “All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” The context shows clearly that Job means that during “all the days of his appointed time” to be hid in the grave, he would “wait” there, till his “change come.” Now, to what “change” does Job refer? Obviously to the change from death to life—to immortality. Next, let us flash the light of a New Testament passage upon the marvelous change for which Job expected to wait in the grave. The Spirit of God through the apostle Paul utters this sublime prophetic truth: “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [the sleep of death], but we shall all be CHANGED, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be CHANGED. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. . . . Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Cor. 15:51–54. We now know to the certainty of a demonstration the nature of the “change” for which Job would wait in death. Ah, it is the change from corruption to incorruption, from mortality to IMMORTALITY! Then, does man now possess immortality? If he does, how could he put it on at the last trump, when “the dead shall be raised incorruptible”? “This MORTAL” is the term by which the Holy Spirit designates man in his present state. But, praise to our heavenly Father, whoever by faith in Christ accepts from God the gift of immortality, shall be clothed with the same in the day of our Lord’s appearing. Read Job 19:25, 26, and observe the certainty with which he knew that his Redeemer should stand in the latter day upon the earth; and tho he knew that his body should be dissolved in the grave, “yet,” he affirms, “in my flesh shall I see God.” Not as a disembodied spirit, at his death, did Job hope to see God, but in his FLESH, that is, in his risen and glorified BODY would he see God, and enter into life eternal. Yes, there will be life after death, not instantly, but at God’s own appointed time and in His own way—for God’s believing children. The Testimony of Other Prophets
The sweet singer in Israel, King David, a man after God’s own heart, prophesied, regarding his own future hope, as follows: “As for me, I will behold Thy [God’s] face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, WHEN I AWAKE, WITH THY LIKENESS.” Ps. 17:15. Unquestionably David refers to his awaking from death, which is so often called a “sleep” in the Holy Scriptures. To awake from death is to be raised from death. The psalmist hoped, then, in a resurrection for the satisfaction, the joy, which entrance into everlasting life would confer. He did not hope for the realization of eternal life at death, but at the glorious time when death should be “swallowed up in victory”—at the resurrection of the righteous. More than a thousand years later, Peter, under divine inspiration, testified that David was dead and buried, and had not yet (in Peter’s day) ascended into heaven. Acts 2:29, 34. Isaiah, the great prophet of the promised Messiah, in his endeavors to console those of his people who by death were bereft of loved ones, did not try to comfort the sorrowing6friends with any assurance that their beloved dead were really not dead and that, as discarnate spirits, they were with God in paradise. He assures them that their dead should live by being raised from the dead, with his own dead body. That is, the bodies of their lamented dead would rise in the final resurrection, when Isaiah’s own body should be raised. He then adds the comforting assurance that “the earth shall cast out the dead.” Isa. 26:19. Not the slightest hint does Isaiah give to his stricken people that their dead were after all not dead. He can only assure them that their loved ones who had passed away would rise from the grave at God’s appointed time. God always comforts His people by assuring them of a resurrection from death; NEVER does He even hint that they can enter into endless life and into the promised inheritance at death. If they could, a resurrection would be superfluous—meaningless. The Witness of Jesus and of the Apostle Paul
Assuredly we are all willing to accept the testimony of our Lord upon this momentous question as to the time and manner of our receiving the reward of life everlasting after death. No one but a hopeless atheist can doubt the infallibility of Christ. On a certain occasion, while on earth, Jesus accepted an invitation to a notable supper. Always alert to seize opportunity to give needed counsel, He said to the host, a representative of God’s servants: “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not . . . thy rich neighbors, . . . and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they can not recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:12–14. Ah, it is at the resurrection of the just, not at death, that God will reward His people—satisfy them “with long [eternal] life.” If believers passed into eternal life and received their final recompense at death, would not Christ have so testified? Do you think, dear reader, that Christ is a dependable witness? Why not believe Him? Passing on to the witness of the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, we learn, that “if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” 1 Cor. 15:16, 17. In this inspired argument, the premise is the hypothesis, “If the dead rise not.” If the dead do not rise, what follows inevitably? Christ is not raised, and His followers are still in sin and their faith is vain. All this is the first conclusion from Paul’s hypothetical premise. It is his second conclusion, however, that is pertinent to our study. Let us now repeat Paul’s argument, but omit his first conclusion and insert the second. Thus: “If the dead rise not, . . . then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” Verses 16–18. Paul here leaves us no room for argument or for difference of opinion. He declares unmistakably that not only the wicked dead, but even “the dead in Christ are perished,” if there is no resurrection from the dead. Paul’s conclusion could not possibly be true if the dead are not really dead, but alive, as disembodied spirits, in glory. But scores of times the inspired writers of the Bible, including Paul, declare that the dead WILL rise; and therefore “the dead in Christ” will not perish. By reading Phil. 3:8–11, we learn that Paul was willing to count all things as loss; to suffer the loss of all things. Why? Here is his own answer: “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Why was Paul ready to suffer anything imaginable which was necessary to assure his being raised from the dead? Simply because he knew that there was no other possible avenue of eternal life except through a resurrection from death. Would not Paul have reasoned foolishly if he had believed that death was the open door into the timeless life? But, of course, Paul spoke as he was moved by the Holy Spirit, for the enlightenment and guidance of his and all subsequent generations. In the face of all this divine testimony, thousands of human souls are to-day turning to the darkness of Spiritualism for an answer to the question, “Are the dead alive?” This fact is as sad and depressing as it seems incredible. Jesus did not say, “Believe in psychics or mediums,” but “Believe in God.” Is it safe to heed the counsel of Jesus? [Note.—In the next article we shall begin to tell the story of Modern Spiritualism, with special reference to prophecy.—G. W. R.]