Death not Translation by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 15, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 15.

Death not Translation.

By Editor

THE Advance says of a good man who recently died: "His going was as grand as that of Elijah, who went up in the chariot of fire." We protest against such statements. A parallel to Elijah's ascent to Heaven in a chariot of fire, with horses of fire, has never been seen since that day. Enoch and Elijah are the only ones on record who have ascended to Heaven without death and a resurrection. And their cases are recorded because of their exceptional nature. If every good man who dies is translated, why does the record say that Abraham died, and that Enoch was translated? If death is translation, why such different terms? and why does the record say that "Enoch was translated, that he should not see death"? Cannot every reader see that there is a difference,—as wide a difference as there is possible? The statement quoted from the Advance is equivalent to saying that Elijah died instead of being translated. In other words, it is a direct perversion of Scripture. Let us be careful in all things to make a difference between things which the Bible declares to be different.