INTERMEDIATE STATE by L. Maxson

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 5, 1860

INTERMEDIATE STATE.

By L. Maxson

BY L. MAXSON.

MUCH has been said, and many different views expressed of late, respecting the intermediate state of the dead, or some part of man, the immortal soul or deathless spirit, as some please to call it, which some and that number not a few, say continues to live right along in a conscious state of happiness or misery after we appear to die, and that that undefined region or place or state is the intermediate state between death and the resurrection; although many already deny the necessity of the resurrection, and that number is fast increasing as the natural result of such doctrine.

Modern Spiritualism is exerting its influence in the same direction. I think that the truth on that subject can be very easily ascertained by taking the plain common sense meaning of the word of God as our guide, instead of the traditions of men, received from heathen and Romish superstition, which serves only to mystify and darken the mind. I think the Bible speaks of only three places in which any part of the human family has a place, and these three places are heaven, earth and hell. Webster defines intermediate, lying or being in the middle place or degree between two extremes. And as heaven and hell appear to be the two opposite extremes, the earth must be the middle place or intermediate state.

On the earth is the place where we first find man, made of the dust of the earth with the breath of life breathed into his nostrils, and man became a living soul, a living man; and was to have dominion over all the earth, and every living creature on the earth; but on account of his transgressing the law of God, the sentence of death was pronounced against him that he should die and return to the dust from which he was taken; the whole man without any exception of any part of him; the same man that had sinned, endowed with all the power and faculty which he possessed, was sentenced to die and return to the dust; and there must have forever remained so, as far as we know, had it not been that before the execution of the sentence a Saviour or Redeemer was provided to take upon himself our nature. And as some of our popular theologians say, "He took the sinner's place and suffered the penalty that was due or was to be inflicted upon the sinner." So far I think they are correct.

Now let us see what kind of a death Christ suffered in order to pay the penalty due to Adam's sin, and that will decide the question with all reasonable men. Was it a literal, physical death? or was it a moral, a spiritual and eternal death, of misery in hell? Surely no sane man would say that Christ suffered a moral, spiritual, and eternal death, as penalty that was due to Adam's transgression. If that had been required he never could have accomplished it. So we see that the death that Adam was to die, was the same kind of death that Christ died; a death that could be accomplished; and not a death that never dies to all eternity.

Christ magnified the law of God by obeying it, and so opened a way whereby those that believe and obey the gospel, may be forgiven and find peace and pardon, and go down to the grave reconciled to God. Jesus Christ by suffering and dying for us, and going down into the grave and bursting the prison house of death by his own resurrection, has opened the way for a glorious resurrection for all of his redeemed; for all who die in the Lord or sleep in Jesus. We have no account in the Bible of natural immortality by virtue of creation. There is no such word in the Book as immortal soul, or deathless spirit, or the death that never dies. They are of heathen and Romish origin. Man in this state of existence is treated in the Bible as a mortal dying creature, of the earth, earthly.

2 Tim. i, 10. Life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel. It was purchased by the blood and death of Christ. 1 Tim. vi, 16. "God only hath immortality," and those that receive it, receive it as a gift of God through Jesus Christ, and the resurrection of the dead, when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality. 1 Cor. xv.

In Rom. ii, 7, we are required to seek for immortality, which would be unmeaning if we already possessed it by virtue of creation. This earth is the place where man was created or made of the dust, and this is the place where we see him dying and returning to the dust; and this is very likely the intermediate state where he will remain until the resurrection morn.

In the dust of the grave is the place where men are found when Christ makes his second appearance to awake the sleeping dead. The prophet Daniel says, [xii, 2] "Them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." Christ says [John v, 28] "For the hour is coming in which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation."

There are some passages in the Bible which, when taken in separate and detached sentences, might convey a very different idea from what they do when taken in connection with the whole or with other passages which explain the subject more fully. For instance, see Eccl. xii, 7. "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." In the original language the word breath is translated into our language, spirit. Webster defines spirit "primarily wind, air in motion; hence breath, animal excitement, life, mind." Breath, life, mind, health, strength, property, and all the blessings of life, are all the gift of God to us; and when he sees fit to take any or all of them away, it may be said that they return to God who gave them. Job says, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, and blessed be the name of the Lord."

When the life of man or any other living creature is taken away, we say they are dead. And Solomon says [Eccl. ix, 5, 6] "For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything. Also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." David says, speaking of man [Ps. cxlavi], "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish." Ps. vi, v. "In death there is no remembrance of thee." Ps. xvii, 15. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. Ps. xlix, 15. "God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me." Acts ii, 26, 27. "My flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the grave), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

Here we see Solomon, and David the man after God's own heart, testifying to the truth, that the dead know not anything; that in the very day that his breath goeth forth, his thoughts perish; they have no remembrance, their love and their hatred and their envy is all perished.

I would ask any rational man to tell me what there would be left of him, after such testimony, which could be in a conscious state before the resurrection of the dead. David was a firm believer in the resurrection. He being a prophet [Acts ii, 29, 30, 31], spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his flesh should rest in hope, and his soul would not be left in the grave; also of his own resurrection, that God would redeem his soul from the power of the grave; and that he should be satisfied when he awoke with his likeness. David died long before the gospel day and slept with his fathers. But Peter under the influence of the Holy Spirit on the day of pentecost said [Acts ii, 34], "David is not ascended into the heavens."

The Bible abounds with passages of scripture like these: John xiv, 2, 3. "I go to prepare a place for you; I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there ye may be also." Luke xiv, 14. "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Titus ii, 13. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ." Col. iii, 4. "When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." 1 John iii, 2. "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." "Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are his at his coming." 1 Cor. xv, is almost the whole of it on the same subject. 2 Tim. iv, 7, 8. Paul just at the close of his life, speaks of a crown laid up for him and all that love his (Christ's) appearing, which the Lord would give him at that day. That was the time to which Paul was looking forward for his reward.

Christ has not chosen death as the door by which his saints are directly to enter heaven. But death is the door which opens into the grave, where death reigns victorious for a time. Death is the enemy of man and of Christ; it is the last enemy which God will destroy. Then comes the victory over death; when the Lord shall descend from heaven and the dead in Christ shall rise victorious to meet their Lord. Then will the door by which his saints are to enter heaven be plainly opened through Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead to a state of immortality and eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. A prize at the end of the race, surely worth striving for!

The objector to the above views, brings forward as one of his strongest arguments Luke xxiii, 42, 43, where Jesus said to the dying thief, "to day thou shalt be with me in paradise." This is generally understood to be heaven. Now it cannot be possible that the penitent thief went from the cross to the paradise of God in heaven that very day; and if he had gone he would not have found Jesus there until after his resurrection; for he had first to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. And after he had risen, he said [John xx, 17], "I am not yet ascended to my Father." Jesus did not say to the thief, Your immortal soul or spirit but thou, the person himself. Jesus had just said [Matt. xxvi, 38], "My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death."

Well what did actually take place on that day? Did they not die and go down to the grave where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest? Or was it the pardoning love of Christ shed abroad in the penitent's heart, giving him a foretaste of heaven that day? I do not think that either of these cases could be the whole meaning. I do not think that any particular stress was meant to be put on the manner in which the day was spoken of. The prayer was, "Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." I think Jesus meant to answer his prayer just the same as though he had said I say unto you this day, when I come into my kingdom you shall be with me as one of my subjects; and that he should enter that kingdom in the same way that all the followers of Christ were to enter; that is through Christ the door, in the same way that Christ went; viz. the way of death, the grave, the resurrection of the dead and then his ascension to heaven. There I am willing to leave it.

Some bring as an objection, Matt. xvii. "It is certain," say they "that Moses died, and we have no account of his resurrection; hence the spirit of Moses was consciously alive without his body, and what good reason is there for considering his case an exception from others who die?" I would say dear brother no good reason at all. Others who die are not consciously alive before the resurrection, as we have abundantly proved by the Bible. Jesus had just been telling his disciples "there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." And six days after he took three of them up into an high mountain and gave them to see in a vision something of his future glorified state, when he should come in his kingdom with his saints, which is represented here by himself, Moses and Elias. And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. Jesus calls it a vision.

Another objection. Rev. vi, 9, 10. "I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and they cried with a loud voice saying, 'How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth.' "Here" say they "are the spirits of the martyred saints appealing to the Judge of the quick and the dead, that he would avenge their blood on those then living on the earth." This passage is figurative, and these souls should be understood as speaking in the same way that the voice of Abel's blood cried from the ground for vengeance. See Matt. xxiii, 35. "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias whom you slew between the temple and the altar." The altar is the place where blood is shed; and from that place this voice came; and it should be understood as personified and speaking. It may be said at the present time, that the wrongs, sighs, and groans, and the blood of the murdered, downtrodden and oppressed millions of the African race are crying to heaven for vengeance on these United States.

One of the great reasons, no doubt of there being so many different opinions of the Bible and the future state, is owing to the erroneous opinions, traditions and superstitions of heathen philosophers respecting the natural immortality of the soul, which in the dark ages were brought in and advocated in the corrupt church of Rome. And in my opinion the use they have made of them has been a greater source of wealth to the Roman hierarchy, than the mines of California have been to America. They could easily make an ignorant and superstitious people believe that their friends who were dead, had immortal souls that were suffering in the flames of purgatory; and that they (the priests or pope) were able to pray them out, provided they would pay them large sums of money. Protestants came out of that corrupt church, but retained many of her errors.

Modern Spiritualism aided by the popular sentiment is doing more towards annulling the religion of the Bible, the coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead and the general judgment, than any other feature of infidelity before it. Spiritualists have found a shorter way to heaven. Death is the gate to endless bliss, with them, and there is no need of the resurrection of the dead, and they do not believe in it. Many church members are already on that ground. May all the candid who wish for light examine the Scriptures in search of truth.

Alfred Center, N. Y. Dec. 1859.