Ancient Adventists by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 14, 1874

Ancient Adventists.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

THERE are two classes who hold opposite views concerning the hope of God’s people: one hopes to go to Heaven at death, while the other places all its hope in the personal advent of Jesus Christ to raise the dead and translate the living saints. Which of these is right? We will let the prominent men of the Bible, some from every age, from Genesis to Revelation, testify as to their hope. The advent of Christ and the resurrection of the saints are events immediately and inseparably connected, so that when one is affirmed the other is necessarily implied. For when Christ appears, the trumpet sounds, and the dead are raised. 1 Thess. 4:13–18. With this fact before us, let us now examine the word of God upon this important subject.

The first promise of the Deliverer was made to Adam immediately after his fall, Gen. 3:15, when God said that the “seed” of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head. From this time we shall find that the eyes of God’s people were ever turned with eager longing to the coming of this Saviour to deliver them. Thus we read of Enoch: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all,” &c. Jude 14, 15.

This holy man was only the seventh from Adam, was the first prophet, and lived before the flood. He is a good witness from the old patriarchs of the antediluvian age. How plainly and boldly he expresses his hope in the advent of the Lord! Looking by faith through the long vista of over five thousand years, his prophetic eye sees this grand event, and in the rapture of his soul he exclaims, “Behold, the Lord cometh.” This, then, was his hope.

In Hebrews 11, Paul enumerates a host of ancient worthies. Beginning with Abel, he mentions Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, and many more “who through faith subdued kingdoms, . . . and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.” The resurrection, therefore, was the glorious hope for which all those old patriarchs believed and suffered and died. But not one word do we anywhere hear from them about going to Heaven at death. They had no such hope.

Let us now call up a witness from the far-off land of Uz—the patient Job. In his deep affliction, he had need of a firm hope and strong consolation to sustain him. What was this hope? We are not left to guess; for Job has recorded it in the clearest terms: “Oh, that my words were now written! oh, that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever!” He has something important to tell which he wished all coming generations to know. “For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” Job 19:23–27.

The most zealous modern Adventist could not express his faith and hope more clearly than this. “I know,” says Job, “that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand upon the earth in the latter day.” This shows his advent faith. He further declares that then he will see God in his flesh. That he was a firm believer in the sleep of the dead is very evident. Thus he says: “But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?” Now mark his own answer: “As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up; so man lieth down, and riseth not; till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.” Job 14:10–12.

Leaving the desert of Arabia, we will now come down the stream of time about five hundred years and call up a royal witness from the land of Judea, the man after God’s own heart. His testimony is clear and decisive. He had no faith in the conscious state of the dead. Thus he says: “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” Ps. 115:17. Again: “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.” Ps. 146:3, 4. Our thoughts constitute our consciousness; when we cease to think we cease to know or to have any consciousness. David says our thoughts perish the very day we die, and that the dead do not praise the Lord. This is in perfect harmony with what the great majority of Adventists now believe.

But now listen to what David did hope and wait for: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Ps. 17:15. He knew that he should fall asleep, but his hope was that from this sleep he should awake in the likeness of his Lord. The apostle tells us when this will be, viz., at the advent of Christ: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2. When Jesus comes, the saints will see him as he is, and will be made like him. For this glorious event, David, like all before him, earnestly hoped. This sufficiently shows his advent faith.

Our next witness shall be the wisest man who ever lived, a great king of Israel. In the most unqualified terms he states his faith in the unconscious sleep of the dead. Thus 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.” Yes; they go to the dead, not to Heaven or hell. He continues: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished.” It is not simply the body which ceases to live and act, but the mind also ceases to operate; for it neither knows, nor loves, nor hates. He further says, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Eccl. 9:3, 5, 6, 10. This is a good, decisive testimony, and shows that Solomon firmly believed in the sleep of the dead the same as his father David did before him. He shows his faith in the resurrection in the following language: “The righteous hath hope in his death.” Prov. 14:32.

Dismissing Solomon, we will next call up one of the greatest of the old prophets, Elisha, the son of Shaphat. Like modern Adventists he believed in “going up,” and like them he “had trial of cruel mockings” (Heb. 11:36) on account of it. As he returned from viewing the translation of Elijah, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 2 Kings 2:23. This shows that he believed and taught that doctrine, and that it was as much hated and mocked at then as now. How often we have heard the question mockingly asked, “When are you going up?” But let these modern mockers take warning from the punishment which God visited upon those mockers of old. “And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.” Verse 24.

Passing down more than a century later, we find Isaiah the prophet all aglow with the grand doctrine of the second advent and the resurrection of the saints. He has said so much about these that I hardly know what to select. As his prophetic eye sweeps over the wonderful events of the last days, he breaks out thus: “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.” Chap. 26:19–21.

He shows that when the Lord comes the saints will be waiting and eagerly watching for him, ready to hail him when he comes. “It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Chap. 25:9. The fact is made prominent and emphasized that they have waited for him.

As Isaiah foresaw the persecution which the Adventists would receive for their faith, he comforts them thus: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word: Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.” Chap. 66:5. While he thus frequently shows his faith in the advent of the Lord, not one word does he say about going to Heaven at death. He had no such hope.

From Isaiah who walked in kings’ palaces, we will pass down one hundred years later and listen to the voice of the weeping prophet from his dungeon. “Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.” This refers to the destruction of the little children in Bethlehem by Herod, as we are informed in Matt. 2:16–18. Those children were martyred and their mothers were weeping over their dead bodies. Jeremiah now comes forward with words of comfort and consolation. “Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears.” Now carefully notice the hope which the prophet holds forth to these bereaved mothers. Contrast it with the comfort offered to mourning mothers in our days by popular ministers. As the little dead child lies before them, the minister says, “Sister, do not weep. This is not your child. He is not dead, but is now with the angels in Heaven, happy in the presence of God. Your loss is his gain. Be faithful, and you will soon go to join him.” Such words we often hear. Now listen to the hope held out to weeping mothers by this inspired seer. “Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.” Jer. 31:16, 17.

What was their hope? That they should come again from the land of the enemy, and return to their own border. Then at death they went into the land of the enemy. Did they go to Heaven? No; for Heaven is not an enemy to children. But they did “go to the dead,” Eccl. 9:3, there to remain till Jesus comes to awake them. John 5:28, 29. Then death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. 1 Cor. 15:26. If there was any other, better, or nearer hope, why did not Jeremiah think of it? Because he, too, was an Adventist, and offered to others the same hope which consoled his own sorrow.

D. M. CANRIGHT.

(Concluded Next Week.)