p. 290 | Hope of the Gospel by John Norton Loughborough

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 22, 1875

Hope of the Gospel.

By John Norton Loughborough

THE STATE OF THE DEAD.

It is said by some that death is the separation of soul and body, and that the resurrection is the re-uniting of soul and body; but we see no such language here. Lazarus was asleep. Christ went to awake him out of sleep, and said, "Lazarus, come forth." Certainly it would look cruel to call his immortal spirit from its reward, to come down and raise the body, and be subjected again to all the evils of this world.

John Milton, author of "Paradise Lost," in his "Treaties of Christian Doctrine," says of this text: "If the soul of Lazarus, that is, if Lazarus himself, was not within the grave, why did Christ call on the lifeless body, which could not hear? If it were the soul which he addressed, why did he call it from a place where it was not? Had he intended to intimate that the soul was separate from the body, he would have directed his eyes to the quarter from whence the soul of Lazarus might be expected to return, namely, from Heaven; for to call from the grave what is not there, is like seeking the living among the dead, which the angel reprehended as ignorance in the disciples. Luke 24 : 5. The same is apparent in raising the widow's son. Luke 7 : 14."

Again, in showing that the resurrection is a resurrection from a bodily death, he says: "The death of the body is the loss or extinction of life. The common definition, which supposes it to consist in the separation of soul and body, is inadmissible. For what part of a man is it that dies when this separation takes place? Is it the soul? This will not be admitted by the supporters of the above definition. Is it then the body? But how can that be said to die, which never had any life of itself? Therefore the separation of soul and body cannot be called the death of man."

He himself quotes from his "Paradise Lost" the same sentiment:

* "It was but breath

Of life that sinned; what dies but what had life And sin? the body properly had neither. All of me then shall die : let this appease The doubt, since human reach no further knows." —Paradise Lost, book x., p. 788.

Ezekiel's account of the resurrection shows that after the bones had come together, bone to its bone, and the sinews, flesh, and skin, covered them above, they still lacked life. He does not prophesy to immortal souls to come and animate those bodies, but the breath comes "from the four winds," and the Spirit of God enters them, and they live. Eze. 37.

Paul's reasoning in Corinthians shows most conclusively that the dead are not rewarded, as, also, that there must be a literal resurrection of the dead or there will be no future life, and we will be left without a hope beyond this life. He says, "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." Verses 17, 18. On this text, Dr. Bloomfield, who has been termed England's brightest scholar, says: "They perish. As if he had said, There is an end of them and all their hopes." Olshausen, in his comments upon it, takes occasion to say: "The doctrine of the immortality of the soul, and the name, are alike unknown to the entire Bible."

Paul continues: "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." Verse 19. This language shows most conclusively, that if there is no resurrection, the Christian's hope is all confined to this life. So he says in verse 32, "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." He could see no advantage in obeying God unless there was to be a resurrection. The Epicureans of that time, who believed in no future state, who sought their pleasure here, had this motto, "Eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." Leaving the doctrine of the resurrection, Paul would join the Epicureans in their saying, "Eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." Who could ask a plainer testimony to show that Paul viewed the consummation of his hope as beyond the resurrection of the dead?

THE JUDGMENT.

We have already quoted many texts showing that the hope is not consummated till Christ appears; but there is another consideration which has quite a bearing upon this subject. It is

THE TIME OF THE JUDGMENT.

Many, in their theories at the present time, claim that "at death the souls of all men go immediately to Heaven, and are judged; those found worthy of Heaven are permitted to remain, while the souls of the wicked are thrust down to hell, to receive their punishment. At the time of Christ's second advent, the souls of the righteous, which have been happy in Heaven, receiving their reward, perhaps thousands of years, are called together; then the souls of the wicked, which have been wailing in torments, perhaps the same length of time, are summoned to appear before God. The several bodies which were tenanted by these souls while living here, are then raised from the dead; the souls are united with them, and again they stand before God." For what? We are informed that the day has come that God appointed, in which to judge the world, and these souls must there stand and receive their doom, or the welcome, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

What necessity is there of judging these persons at the resurrection, if judgment was passed upon them at death, and they had been receiving their reward or punishment for thousands of years? Can it be that an all-wise Being has made an oversight, and that they are judged again, to detect errors that may have been made in the first sentence? Who would dare take such a position?

But we inquire, Do the Scriptures state that men are judged at death? We know of but one text that is brought forward to substantiate that point, and that text does not affirm that the dead are judged at death. It is Heb. 9 : 27, 28: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

This text does not state that they are judged as soon as they die. If they are judged at death, we should expect that they would immediately enter upon their reward; but the text tells us that Christ will appear the second time unto—or for their—salvation. If the position were correct that all men are judged at death, how can it be said, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust to the day of Judgment to be punished"? 2 Pet. 2 : 9. If men are judged at death, then we have been in the judgment since the first man died, and there would be no propriety in the apostle's pointing to a Judgment day in the future, as men are being judged all the time. Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come." Acts 24 : 25.

John says: "The seventh angel sounded," and voices were heard declaring, "and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great." Rev. 11 : 15-18. Here we see that the time of judgment is at the time when the reward shall be given. The reward is not given at death, but at the coming of Christ.

There is no promise in the Bible of a reward at death, and but one text we know of that could be claimed as such a promise, that is Rev. 2 : 10: "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." This text is not speaking of the time of the reward, but is a sure promise that they shall have a reward. The death here you will notice, is a death by violence from the hand of their persecutors. It is not, "Be faithful until you die," but, "Be thou faithful unto death." Be thou faithful, though by so doing it costs you your lives. Be willing to lose your lives for Christ's sake, and ye shall keep them "unto life eternal." So this text is only an assurance of the certainty of the reward, without direct reference to the time when it shall be given. If we wish to know when the reward shall be given, we may learn it abundantly from other scriptures. Paul tells us to whom crowns will be given, and when. "Henceforth [from the time of his death] there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day; and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing." 2 Tim. 4 : 8. This explains the promise to the Smyrna church. A crown of life is promised them, and they will receive it at the appearing of Jesus. Christ's own language accords with this when speaking of the time of recompense: "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14 : 14.

The judgment of the righteous is prior to their reward, and according to Peter's testimony it is just prior to the coming of Christ, and the end of all things. Speaking of the wicked, he says: "Who shall give account to Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. But the end of all things is at hand." 1 Pet. 4 : 5-7.

We do not understand from this that the end of all things was at hand when Peter wrote, but that the righteous dead will be judged when the end of all things is at hand, just before the coming of Christ.

The testimony of James is in point here, as having a bearing upon the subject of the Judgment: "Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned; behold the judge standeth before the door." James 5 : 7-9. This locates the judgment of God's people just before Christ comes.

Paul, in his last solemn charge to Timothy, says: "I charge thee, therefore, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge [all men at death? no, but] the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom." 2 Tim. 4 : 1. Why not charge him in view of judgment and recompense? Because that is not the time of judgment and recompense.

After giving this most solemn charge, Paul says: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure [death] is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." The sentiment of many at the present time would be, Paul, you will go right to Heaven. But let us hear what Paul says on the subject: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me [at death? no, but] at that day; and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing." Verses 6-8.

My fellow-Christian, you and I, each of us, want a crown; but if I supposed that the day of Paul's death was the time that crowns were given to all, I should despair of ever getting one. The day spoken of above is the day of the Lord's appearing. Then the righteous of all ages will be made perfect at once.

We read an interesting testimony bearing upon the subject of the Judgment and time of reward, in Rev. 20 : "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon

their foreheads, nor in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Here we see that the judgment of God's people is just prior to the coming of Christ to raise the dead, at the commencement of the thousand years. He continues: "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [which he had already described] is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Verses 5, 6.

From the above testimony it seems that the persons who are participants in the first resurrection are thereby exempt from the second death, and permitted to go to be with Christ, and ever to reign with him. By this act of their being raised in the first resurrection, it is manifest to all who the "blessed and holy" are. We fail to see the force of this scripture, if they had been, some of them, with Christ, receiving their reward for thousands of years.

THE DEAD ARE NOT BEING REWARDED.

We see clearly that the state of the dead is not one in which they are rewarded. Should it still be objected that men are conscious between the death and resurrection of the body, still they are without reward, and "if the dead rise not, then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." There are some texts from which it has been inferred that there is consciousness and reward in death. These are all noticed, answered, and successfully harmonized with the view we are here advocating. See works on immortality, published at the Review Office, Battle Creek, Mich. In our limited space here we shall simply pass to notice matters and texts of a positive character, instead of a mere inference.

We have already shown that Paul told his brethren to comfort themselves, when bereft of their friends, with the coming of Christ and the resurrection. 1 Thess. 4 : 18. Dear reader, are these words of comfort to you? Not if you cherish the sentiment that death sets the Christian free, and sends his soul to bliss and happiness. I presume if you cherish such a sentiment, you have been ready to exclaim long before reading this page, what a gloomy doctrine! True, death is a gloomy picture when viewed without the light of the resurrection. As Job says, it is "the land of darkness, as darkness itself." But Christ has brought life to light. He is coming again, to "proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." So if there is no appearing of Christ, there will be no resurrection. If no resurrection, no eternal life; yea, no reward. Faith, then, in the coming of Jesus and the resurrection, attributes to Christ the work he claims as his. If we believe the Scripture doctrine that then life is to be obtained, it throws a radient glory like morning sunlight around that event. But if we incorporate into the items of our faith the sentiment that the saint goes to his reward at death, we at once destroy the force of the doctrine of the coming of Christ and the resurrection.

If we believe that the reward is given to the saints at death, what would be the force of the doctrine of Christ's coming to reward the saints? To illustrate: "Suppose a man in London was owing you half a million dollars that had fallen to you. He promises to meet you in New York City on a certain day and pay you that sum; of course your mind will be fixed on the point of time when he is coming to New York. But if it so happens that you go to London and get the money before the day arrives, it entirely supercedes the necessity of the man's coming to New York, as the sole object for which he is coming has been accomplished in some other way.

The Scriptures represent, as we have previously quoted, that Christ is coming to reward his saints. But if they go to him and get their reward, I fail to see the necessity of his coming to "reward every man according to his works."

Paul, to the Hebrews, says: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the Judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Heb. 9 : 27, 28. This is conclusive evidence that the time of Christ's coming is the time of reward. In the eleventh chapter, after speaking of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah, he says: "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Heb. 11 : 12, 13. These surely did not receive their reward, either in their life-time or at their death. He continues to say: "The time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jepthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets; who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection : and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment : they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins, and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented [of whom the world was not worthy]; they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens, and caves of the earth." Verses 32-38.

Of such godly characters as just described, if there is such a thing as entering upon reward at death, we should conclude it would certainly be their lot. The promise here spoken of, as we saw in the examination of Heb. 6 : 17, 18, relates to the future reward— to the hope. Paul closes the brief statement concerning the ancient worthies, who surround us as a cloud of witnesses for faith, not by telling of their flight to glory and reward, but, "And these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise : God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Verses 39, 40. So we see God's plan is, the better thing, that all his people shall be rewarded at once.

Do you marvel that so many professing Christians of the present time see no force in the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, and manifest no more care in regard to that event, while they cherish a sentiment which robs the doctrine of Christ's coming of all its force and beauty? They claim that they have immortal souls, and shall enter upon a reward at death, and possess eternal life, whether Christ comes or not. We would ask such, who may read these pages, to candidly reflect upon the words of Paul: "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The Lord help us to realize it; to be thoroughly in earnest in the work of seeking for immortality, and patiently wait the return of our Lord, that we may receive a crown of life. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH. (To be Continued.)