DEATH-AND THEN WHAT? by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 26, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 17.

DEATH—AND THEN WHAT?

By G.

It is sometimes important that people be told things that they already know—“lest we forget.” There is one important matter that is being emphasized much oftener than daily, and yet the masses of men seem to forget it until it confronts them personally, or in the persons of those who are near and dear. It is something that every one knows, yet is apt to disregard unless frequently reminded of its nearness to the door, and possible entrance at any time. It is simply this, “The living know that they shall die.” Eccl. 9:5.

And then what?—“After this the judgment.” Why do men die?—Because of sin, which is disobedience of God’s commandments. See Gen. 2:17; 1 John 3:4. Going to judgment means meeting the law of God face to face, with its penalty of death, from which the sinner has no means of release in himself. This is a fact that it is well to know in connection with the other truth, that “it is appointed unto men once to die.”

There is another thing that men ought to know, which many of them do not know, and that is, that the great mass of mankind will die twice. Dying once they can not help, for that death has been entailed upon them by the sin of the father of the race. “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” But through the sacrifice of Christ that death will be overcome. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” This is general; “all that are in the graves . . . shall come forth.” But here a peculiar difference is noted: “They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

From the resurrection of life there can be no more death; so that the resurrection of damnation must be the opposite of the resurrection of life. So the Gospel statement is that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This gives us the key to the reason why there are two deaths. It is a matter of faith in Jesus Christ, and that faith must be exercised during the first, or probationary, life; for “after this the judgment.” Then there will be no more opportunity for mercy. The execution of the judgment ends all. The decree is that “the wages of sin is death;” and the sinner, having neglected to seek mercy while mercy was available, having rejected pardon when it was freely offered, has no alternative but the full penalty of the law.

All are not resurrected at once. The resurrection of the righteous will take place at the coming of Christ, as described in the fourth chapter of 1 Thessalonians; and that the unrighteous will be raised a thousand years later is positively stated in Revelation 20. Here it is also stated that, “blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power.” Verse 6. And what the second death means to those who have not, in this life, prepared to have a part in the first resurrection, is shown further on in the chapter.

“The living know that they shall die,” and if they will but believe the Word of God, they may also know all that hangs upon that knowledge, all the possibilities that are involved in that knowledge, and all the consequences that must follow a neglect of that knowledge. The importance of at once seizing upon the benefit of such knowledge is emphasized by the fact that no one knows what hour he shall die. Hence the Lord has given the merciful warning that, for the purpose of securing eternal life, “now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart.” G.