The Entrance of Death by John Nevins Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 17, 1874

The Entrance of Death.

By John Nevins Andrews

THE existence of death in the universe of God was not consistent with the original order of things. Death is not possible in a state where innocence prevails. God gives life to his creatures, that their existence may be a blessing to themselves and may bring glory to his name. He does not willingly destroy the work of his hands. In fact, so long as his creatures continue in their uprightness, he is their shield and defense against all harm. The apostle Paul tells us how death gained a foothold in our world:—

“Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Rom. 5:12.

Death is termed by the same apostle “the last enemy.” 1 Cor. 15:26. The door by which this enemy entered our world is sin. The first man opened this door by rebelling against God. He who prompted him to rebel was Satan, the being with whom sin began. So death comes in consequence of sin, and sin itself came from Satan. The entrance of death is given with sufficient distinctness in Genesis 2 and 3.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen. 2:16, 17.

This must signify either that man should actually die in the very day of his transgression, or else that on the day in which he sinned, the sentence of death should be passed on him, rendering it absolutely certain that he must return again to dust. The event proved the latter to be the true interpretation. And this is well illustrated by the case of Shimei. 1 Kings 2:37–42.

Man being in honor did not abide in his high estate. Through envy of the devil came death into the world. Eve was tempted by Satan to sin, and Adam was led also to rebel when he found that Eve had taken of the forbidden fruit. These two did thus break God’s commandment, and so sin entered our world. Man held his right to live on the sole condition of obedience. That condition was now violated and his right to life was therefore forfeited. The Lawgiver had annexed the penalty of certain death in case of disobedience, and that case had now arisen. Man’s original probation was now closed. God designed that man should pass his probation in a state of innocence, until, having been fully tested, he should be confirmed in virtue and thenceforward nevermore in danger of falling into sin. But the probation of our race in innocence ended in their becoming sinners against God. Then there remained but one thing for the Judge to do, and that was to put the law into execution.

So the Judge proceeds to pass sentence upon the parties concerned in the transgression. The serpent is told that the seed of the woman shall bruise his head, while the serpent shall bruise his heel. Gen. 3:15. And in this declaration is embodied the whole work of human redemption, and of the final retribution for sin both in Satan and in wicked men. See the New Testament statements of this doctrine in Rom. 16:20; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8. So that before God pronounces sentence upon Adam, he gives him the promise of a Redeemer, and, by necessary consequence, of a second probation in which to recover his lost innocence, and to become established in virtue, even as God designed that he should by his first probation. Having first done this, that man may not fall into absolute despair, the Judge pronounces upon Adam the irrevocable sentence of the law.

“Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree; ... cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. ... In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Gen. 3:17–19.

We have in these words the exact sense of the penalty of the law which was threatened in the probation under which Adam was first placed. The very first act of disobedience must bring this period of probation to a close; for it could last only while man maintained his innocence, and when he committed his first transgression, he made the penalty of the law inevitable. Now he was a fallen being under sentence of death. He was excluded from paradise, and he must henceforth lead a dying life till he should return again to the ground from which he was taken.

Adam now possessed a sinful nature, and because of God’s curse upon him for his sin, he bore within himself the seeds of death. The irrevocable sentence of death was pronounced upon him in the day of his transgression; but before passing this sentence on him, the Judge promised a Redeemer, and of necessity with that Redeemer did secure to man a second probation. To show that God was in earnest with man he makes death his certain portion. But in giving man the opportunity to recover his lost innocence and to regain paradise, the execution of the penalty was deferred till space for repentance could be first secured.

Adam’s nature being sinful, he could transmit to his posterity no purer nature than himself possessed. In the loss of paradise he stood as the representative of his race. When he was excluded from it we also were excluded. Paul says that “it is appointed unto men once to die.” Heb. 9:27. This appointment was made when God said to Adam, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” which proves that this sentence of death concerned Adam and his posterity alike. He now possessed only a dying life, and all who are descended from him can by nature possess no higher life than this. The sentence of death is upon all mankind, not for the actual transgression of each person, but because they possess only a forfeited life, the right of the race to live being lost when man lost his innocence, and when his first probation ended in having sentence of death passed upon him.

Now he lives by sufferance, the sentence of death hanging over him, but its execution being deferred in the case of each generation to give space for repentance. The entrance of death was an attestation that his innocence was lost and that the first probation of the race was a failure. And as death has been the portion of mankind without respect to character during the whole period of man’s fallen state, it is plain that its present infliction upon men is not the punishment for their own personal transgressions. They are upon a second probation, and this involves a day of judgment at its close which shall determine the case of each individual, and shall award immortality to those who are worthy to receive it, and shall consign all others to the lake of fire and the second death. Rev. 20:14, 15; 21:8. This second death is the penalty for personal transgression under the second probation of our race. Rom. 6:23. We shall hereafter see that it is, in the measure of suffering involved, incomparably awful, and in no measure to be placed on a level with the death which comes in consequence of Adam’s transgression.

We believe these statements respecting the origin of death, and concerning the relation which mankind sustains to it to be so just that Bible students will acknowledge their truthfulness. But there are important questions involved in this which some are not able to treat with candor.

What place had death in our world while man was innocent? Not any. What brought death into the world? Sin. On what ground does sin occasion the death of man? Simply this, that when man violated the law of God, he forfeited his right to live. God told Adam that disobedience would bring death. His innocence was his title to life. Sin was the occasion of death. If sin gives death admission to our world, is it reasonable to think that death gives us admission to Heaven?

Death was not the doorway to Heaven while man was innocent, for then there was no death. If Adam had continued in his uprightness, and God had seen fit to take him to Heaven, we have in the translation of Enoch an example of the manner in which he would have done it. Translation is the door by which Enoch and Elijah entered, and by which all shall enter who are alive at the coming of Christ. There was no occasion for sin to make a new door to Heaven by introducing death. Moreover, the character of death, which is that of an enemy, is no better fitted to inspire our confidence than is its parentage. And can we believe that death is the gate to endless joys when it has such an origin and such a character, and when Paul and John declare that it shall be destroyed? 1 Cor. 15:26; Rev. 20:14. That death is not the doorway of Heaven will be further evident when we study the doctrine of the resurrection. J. N. A.