Hope of the Gospel by John Norton Loughborough

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · Aug 19, 1875

Hope of the Gospel.

By John Norton Loughborough

DEATH A SLEEP.

FROM the testimonies already examined, it is evident that the dead are not receiving their reward, but that their hope is respecting the coming of Christ, the resurrection, and the inheritance to be given God's people beyond the resurrection. We have been taught from our childhood that "the body is mortal, it will soon die; the soul is immortal, it can never die." But we have seen from the Scriptures that man is mortal, and has no promise of immortality only through Christ at the resurrection. Webster's statement above is a direct contradiction of the plain statements of the Bible. "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Eze. 18:4, 20.

Here theologians have found themselves in a difficulty, and to extricate themselves from it, have stated that the death of the soul was the "death that never dies." What death is that? We should consider it a contradiction of terms, and that there was no death about it. What would you think if some one should tell you of a person who lived a life that never lived? You would most certainly conclude that it was either a contradiction in language or that the person was not yet born. So a death that never dies is just no death at all. But with the Scripture theory of immortality, there is no necessity for such explanations, and the Scripture statements concerning unconsciousness in death and no reward until the resurrection are all harmonious.

We will now call attention to plain statements of Scripture which show us that the dead are asleep, without knowledge or reward. Of the dead, Solomon says: "Neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten." Eccl. 9:5. Again he says, "The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead." Eccl. 9:3. If they go to the dead, they are not rewarded; for, as we have just quoted, "neither have they any more a reward." In verse 10, he says, "There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."

Paul says: "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." If the dead enter at once into their reward, it surely would be of great advantage to Paul to be faithful, even though the body should never be raised. How often we hear the hymn, "I'll praise my Maker while I've breath, And when my voice is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler powers." This sentiment, however, does not agree with the plain statements of David: "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." Ps. 115:17. Again: "While I live will I praise the Lord, I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being." Ps. 146:2.

But, it is asked, Is not the death of persons spoken of in the Bible as though they were still in conscious existence? As, for instance, the case of Isaac: "And Isaac gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." Gen. 35:29. The claim is made on his being "gathered to his people," that he and his people must be conscious. Were his people in Heaven? They must have been in the grave; for the last clause of the above text says, "Esau and Jacob buried him."

His father was in the grave, and went to his fathers when he went to the grave, as the Lord had told him. "And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace: thou shalt be buried in a good old age." Gen. 15:15. He went to his fathers in the grave. When Jacob supposed his son was destroyed by an evil beast, and was sorrowing for him, he could not have supposed his son was in Heaven: "And he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him." Gen. 37:35.

Of Hezekiah, we read, "And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchers of the sons of David." 2 Chron. 32:33. It was also said to Josiah: "Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace." 2 Chron. 34:28. Such expressions clearly show that being gathered to their fathers meant their passing into the grave. Of David, Paul says: "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption." Acts 13:36. The same David who went to his fathers, saw corruption. Certainly there is no corruption in Heaven. And as certain is it that David did not go there. Says Peter, "For David is not ascended into the Heavens." Acts 2:34. Where is David? Peter says, "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day." Acts 2:29. David says of himself, "I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." Ps. 17:15. Again he says, "Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forever more." Ps. 16:11. If David was going into the presence of God to receive his reward at death, then he is represented as looking forward to the resurrection for satisfaction. Or, in other words, he could be where there was fullness of joy, and not be satisfied. Of Stephen's death, we read: "And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." Acts 7:60. He was the first martyr for Christ. As he yields his life as a sacrifice for Christ, he does it in these words: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." What is recorded? That he went to Heaven? No; but, "He fell asleep." Paul says to the Thessalonians, I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep." 1 Thess. 4:13. "Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Verse 14. "Bring with him." That is, bring up from the dead by the power of Christ. Daniel says, "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake." Dan. 12:1.

Paul says to the Corinthians: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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." 1 Cor. 15:51, 52. But, says one, if the dead are asleep, there must still be some part that is alive. When men are asleep here they dream, and do not these texts show that the dead are in a sort of semi-consciousness? The texts quoted concerning the sleep show that they are dead, sleeping "in the dust of the earth." In a sound sleep, literally, there is no dreaming, and so those who are in the sleep of death are without knowledge; "the dead know not anything." Eccl. 9:5.

If you say that Solomon simply meant to tell them that the bodies of the dead know nothing, we answer, that according to the immortal-soul theory, the body of a living man knows nothing. And in such a case it would make folly of the text to say that he tells them that a dead body knows nothing. It is the same that knows nothing when alive that knows nothing when dead.

"The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." Ps. 115:17. If it be said that this language simply applies to the body, we reply that, with the common theory, a live man's body does not praise the Lord. Mary said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord." The text is pointedly against the common theory, and presents the dead as in a state of "silence."

If we look still further at David's testimony, we shall see why the dead are in silence, and why they know not anything: "While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God; which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; which keepeth truth forever; which executeth judgment for the oppressed; which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners." Ps. 146:2-7.

If we compare the above with previous quotations, we shall see plainly that David expected when dead he should be out of being. All the hope he saw for the Lord's people was in the resurrection, as expressed in verse 7: "The Lord looseth the prisoners."

Job also says of one when dead: "His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them." Job 14:21. Mark his testimony concerning his condition, had he died in his infancy: "For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept; then had I been at rest with kings and counselors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves; or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver; or as an hidden, untimely birth, I had not been." Job 3:13-16. Again he says, "Oh! that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! I should have been as though I had not been." Job 10:18, 19. Again he says, "And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be." Job 7:21. Where would he be? Sleeping in the dust. As before shown in this work, he expected to see God in his flesh, when the Redeemer should come, at the latter day. See Job 19:26. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH. (Concluded next Week.)