Untitled article by Geo. B. Thompson

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 19, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 32.

WHAT IS MAN? NO. 6.

By Geo. B. Thompson

BY ELDER GEO. B. THOMPSON.

In this article will be noticed two more Bible doctrines which are diametrically opposed to the theory that man possesses an immortal soul.

Believers in the soul's immortality teach that man receives his reward at death. One prominent exponent of the doctrine says the transaction is more rapid than the translation of Elijah, as they do not have to wait for horses and chariots. In harmony with this they sing to worship God:—

"Then persevere till death Shall bring thee to thy God; He'll take thee, at thy parting breath, To his divine abode."

But, according to the Bible, instead of receiving our reward at death, we must needs wait until the resurrection.

"But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed [when? at death?] at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14: 13, 14.

The resurrection of the just takes place when Jesus comes the second time. See 1 Thess. 4: 16-18. Jesus also says, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22: 12.

This does not sound much as though death were the time when we received our reward, or that it was the gate to endless joy. It rather seems as though the resurrection and second coming of Christ are the events which open to us the gates of paradise. We rejoice that this is even so.

We would like those who believe in the immortal-soul theory to explain to us how Jesus can bring every man's reward with him, and recompense them at the resurrection, if all the dead are now receiving their reward, some of them having entered upon it thousands of years ago. None, as yet, have risen to explain, and we apprehend never will, for it is unexplainable.

Again: Paul, in his masterly arguments on the resurrection, in First Corinthians, deals the soul's immortality a death blow:—

"For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; 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." 1 Cor. 15: 16-18.

How could an immortal soul perish without a resurrection? It can go to heaven without a resurrection, and stay there without one. What need has it of one? And how could an immortal soul perish anyway? What need has a soul, that for hundreds of years has been chanting praises around the throne of God, of a resurrection? That is all it can do with one. A little light on these queries would be very refreshing.

But God says they are perished, and it is so, therefore it follows that mankind do not go to heaven when they die, are not conscious in death, and cannot receive their reward without a resurrection, which demonstrates as clearly as the noonday sun that man does not now possess a single iota of immortality.

Another scriptural doctrine which opposes itself against the immortal soul fable is that of the judgment. There is antagonism between them so irreconcilable that one or the other must be abandoned.

If man has immortality, and at death enters upon his reward, he must be judged at death to determine which place he is fitted for, as God will consign none to perdition, nor receive any to heaven without first determining their characters, and the work of determining character is a judgment. In both the Old and the New Testament the work of the judgment is made prominent, but nowhere is it intimated that it has been in continuous session since the death of Abel; it is a fixed and definite period.

Paul declares that the Lord now "commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained." Acts 17: 30, 31. And again, that those who have "sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law" "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Rom. 2: 12, 16.

Paul did not regard it as in session in his day, for when reasoning before Felix he reasoned of a "judgment to come" (Acts 24: 25), and in 2 Tim. 4: 1 said that Christ will "judge the quick [living] and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom."

This locates the judgment at the close of human probation, a sublime description of which is given in Dan. 7: 9, 10.

But again we are brought face to face with the fact that if man has an immortal soul, and enters upon his reward at death, there can be no general judgment; for when the supreme court above should sit, there would be no one to judge. It would simply be to look over the books and ascertain the fact that they had all been judged before, and sent off to their reward. This removes the great and awful realities of the judgment of the last day into the field of the ridiculous.

In conclusion we ask, What evidence is there that man is immortal? — None whatever. But the evidence is overwhelming that he is mortal (Job 4: 17) and that his only hope of eternal life is in Jesus, who says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14: 6.

In the foregoing articles it has been briefly, yet we think clearly, shown how the doctrine of inherent immortality degrades the Son of God and exalts Satan, and destroys at least three of the central themes of the scheme of redemption, — the second advent, resurrection, and the judgment, — which stamps it forever as unscriptural and untrue. "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Col. 3: 3.