The State of the Dead by B. F. Snook

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 18, 1863

The State of the Dead.

By B. F. Snook

Where are the dead? is a question which is easily solved if we are willing to receive the light communicated in the holy Scriptures. But if we should appeal to the creeds and writings of men for light, a more perplexing question could not be asked.

1. We will examine the teachings of the popular churches, on their supposition that the dead are in heaven and hell. The following lines from the poet will express their faith on this point: > “Where are the dead? in heaven or hell, > Their disembodied spirits dwell.”

This is the faith of all Protestantism, with but few exceptions. One party preaches that the dead go immediately to heaven and hell, but that they will return to earth again in the resurrection to be re-united with their bodies. Another party preaches that they will never return to earth again, and hence deny, in toto, the doctrine of the resurrection.

We will now show that this whole system of so-called theology, is rather a system of demonology; for it is diametrically opposed to the plain teaching of the Bible. The Son of God is better authority than all the world of theologians. He says, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” John iii, 13. No man hath ascended up to heaven. This expression forbids the idea that the dead had gone to heaven. There is no difficulty in reference to the case of Enoch and Elijah; for they did not die, but were translated that they should not see death. His testimony in another place is equally strong. Addressing the Pharisees and chief priests he said, “Yet a little while I am with you, and then I go unto Him that sent me.” “Ye shall seek me and shall not find me; and where I am, thither ye cannot come.” Chap. vii, 33, 34. “Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins; whither I go ye cannot come.” Chap. viii, 21. This settles the question so far as the wicked are concerned, Universalism to the contrary notwithstanding. But says the objector, This only refers to the ungodly, and is not proof that the righteous do not go to heaven at death. Very well. We will give you something that does prove that even they can no more go to heaven at death than can the wicked Jews. “Little children, yet a little while I am with you; ye shall seek me, and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go ye cannot come, so now I say to you.” Chap. xiii, 33. This is sufficiently plain for any one who honestly desires the truth.

2. We will in the next place affirm the following proposition:

The dead are down in sheol, in the earth, in the seas, and in a state of ignorance, darkness, and silence.

1st. Sheol is a Hebrew word, and is used to designate the state, rather than the place, of the dead. Its location is represented as being down, and not upward. Jacob said, when speaking of his death, “For I will go down into the grave (sheol) unto my son, mourning.” Gen. xxxvii, 35. “They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave” (sheol). Job xxi, 33. This shows that both the good and bad go to sheol. “Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into the grave (sheol); for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.” Ps. lv, 15. “Her house is the way to hell (sheol), going down to the chambers of death.” Prov. vii, 27. “The way of life is above to the wise; that he may depart from hell (sheol) beneath.” Chap. xv, 24. These scriptures are sufficient for the proof of the location of sheol, the state of the dead; that it is down and not up. Besides the above, see also Job xvii, 16; Eze. xxxi, 17.

The advocates of immortal-soulism teach that sheol is the place or receptacle of departed spirits. We have proved that both the righteous and wicked go there in death. Do these immortal souls all live in union together in sheol? Oh no. They tell us that there are two apartments there, Paradise and Tartarus; one for one class, and the other for the other. Very well. Is this all? We will now show that there is at least a third party in the same place. The brutes are there, “Like sheep they are laid in the grave (sheol).” Ps. xlix, 14. Death shall feed on them, and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty shall consume in the grave (sheol) from their dwellings. But God shall redeem my soul from the power of the grave, (sheol) for he shall receive me.” Verse 15.

Here we learn, 1. That brutes are in sheol. 2. That there is a consuming going on there. 3. That death feeds on all who are in sheol. From the above we conclude, (1.) That if sheol is a receptacle for the immortal souls of men, it also receives the immortal souls of sheep. (2.) That as there are but two apartments there, the souls of men and brutes roam about indiscriminately together. (3.) That as death feeds upon those in sheol, all who are there will sooner or later be consumed. So much for this view.

2d. We will in the next place, show, that all who are in sheol, are in a state of silence and darkness. Job says, “Why died I not from the womb? For now should I have lain still and been quiet. I should have slept; then I had been at rest, with kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves; or as an hidden untimely birth, I had not been: as infants which never saw light. There the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and the great are there; and the servant is free from his master. Job iii, 11–19. How different was the hope of Job from that now entertained by Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Spiritualists, Universalists, or Mormons!

Hear him again, “For there is hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost and where is he?” “So man lieth down and riseth not till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep.” Chap. xiv, 7–12. “If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come.” Verse 14. Job, where will you wait till you receive this change? “If I wait, the grave (sheol) is my house, I have made my bed in darkness.” Job then hoped to wait in the receptacle of immortal souls did he? Job please tell us who your companions are in sheol, the place of immortal souls. “I said to corruption, thou art my father; to the worm, thou art my mother.” Please tell us Job, whether you will be in a land of immortal souls while you are waiting in sheol? “They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust. Chap. xvii, 13, 16. We now see at once, that if the immortal soul goes to sheol, it is in the dust consumed by worms and is in a state of corruption.

3. We will show, thirdly, that sheol is a place of total unconsciousness. “For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything.” Eccl. ix, 5. The living are here contrasted with the dead. The same ones who know or have knowledge, while they are living, in death know not anything. Neither have they any more a reward. Also their love and their hatred, and their envy is now perished. Hence those in sheol are neither happy nor miserable; for they neither love nor hate. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave (sheol) whither thou goest. Eccl. ix, 10. This testimony proves, as clear as a sunbeam, that the inmates of sheol are not only in a state of unconsciousness, but that they neither love nor hate, enjoy their reward, nor suffer any punishment. Here they all rest together, awaiting the dawn of the last day to them. The righteous wait till their final change shall come. Job, xiv, 14. And the wicked are there reserved unto the day of judgment to be punished.

B. F. Snook.