Your ShelfYour Projects

What is the Truth?

3%

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 4, 1864

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 24, No. 19.

Read the full edition

What is the Truth?

This question should be earnestly propounded by every Christian; but the mass seem contented with the inquiry, "What is popular?" We should be willing to follow the truth irrespective of popular theology! Let the truth be what it may, or where it may, we should strive to be with it, at whatever sacrifice!! Tradition should not deter us from scrutinizing a search for this rare article, in this age of fables! Without pausing to ask, "Have any of the rulers believed," or noted Divines embraced, this or that sentiment, we should zealously prosecute the inquiry, "What is TRUTH?" The Saviour, in addressing the Father, gives this general answer: "Thy word is truth." Then let us appeal to that word for an answer to the following series of questions, relative to immortality.
1. Are men in possession of immortality? Ans.: "The King of kings and Lord of lords; who ONLY hath immortality."—1 Tim. iv, 15, 16; Rom. ii, 7.
2. When will the saints obtain immortality? Ans.: "At the last trump this mortal must put on immortality."—1 Cor. xv, 52, 53.
3. Are saints recompensed at death or at the resurrection? Ans.: "Thou shalt be recompensed at the RESURRECTION of the just."—Luke xiv, 14; Rev. xi, 18; Matt. xvi, 27; Rev. xxii, 12.
4. Are saints to be recompensed in Heaven or on the earth? Ans.: "Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the EARTH."—Prov. xi, 31; Rev. v, 10; Matt. v, 5; Ps. xxxvii, 11; Matt. vi, 10; Dan. vii, 27; Rev. xi, 15.
5. Are the dead conscious or unconscious? Ans.: "The DEAD KNOW NOT ANYTHING."—Eccl. ix, 5; Ps. cxlvi, 4; Isa. xxxviii, 18; Eccl. iii, 19.
6. Are departed saints now celebrating the praises of the Lord? Ans.: "The dead praise NOT the Lord."—Ps. cxv, 17; Eccl. ix, 6; Ps. vi, 5.
7. Are the patriarchs in Heaven? Ans.: "David is NOT ascended into the heavens."—Acts ii, 34; John iii, 13.
8. Have the prophets received their reward, or does it await them at the judgment? Ans.: "The time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst GIVE REWARD unto thy servants the PROPHETS."—Rev. xi, 18; Ps. xvii, 15.
9. Have the apostles gone to Heaven? Ans.: "As I said to the Jews, Whither I go ye cannot come, so now I say TO YOU" (apostles).—John xiii, 33; 1 Tim. iv, 16.
10. Are saints crowned at death, or at Christ's coming? Ans.: "When the Chief Shepherd SHALL APPEAR ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."—1 Peter v, 4; 2 Tim. iv, 18; 1 Peter i, 4, 5.
11. Do saints go to glory at death, or at the appearing of Christ? Ans.: "When Christ who is our life shall appear, THEN shall ye also appear with him in glory."—Col. iii, 4; 1 John iii, 2.
12. Did Job exist to see his Redeemer at death, or "at the latter day"—in Heaven, or "upon the earth"—in a disembodied state, or in his resurrected capacity? Ans.: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand AT THE LATTER DAY upon the EARTH: and though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my FLESH shall I see God."—Job xix, 25, 26; 1 Thess. iv, 16.
13. Did David expect to be satisfied at death or at the resurrection? Ans.: "I shall be satisfied when I AWAKE with thy likeness."—Ps. xvii, 15; Phil. iii, 20, 21.
14. Will the saints "shine" in the kingdom at death or at the resurrection? Ans.: "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall AWAKE they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament."—Dan. xii, 2, 3; Matt. xiii, 40-43.
15. Did Christ promise to receive saints unto himself at death, or at his coming? Ans.: "I will COME AGAIN and RECEIVE YOU unto myself."—John xiv, 3; Rom. viii, 23.
16. Do saints enter the kingdom at death, or at Christ's coming? Ans.: "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him THEN shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom."—Matt. xxv, 31-34; Dan. vii, 27.
17. Did the apostles groan for a disembodied state, or for the redemption of the body? Ans.: "We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption: to wit, the REDEMPTION of the BODY."—Rom. viii, 23; 2 Cor. v, 4.
18. When will the saints receive eternal life? Ans.: "In the WORLD TO COME eternal life."—Mark x, 30; Luke xviii, 30.
19. Are the saints made equal to the angels at death, or at the resurrection? Ans.: "They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the RESURRECTION of the dead THEY are equal unto the angels."—Luke xx, 35, 36; Matt. xxii, 30.
20. Were the ancient worthies rewarded at death? Ans.: "These all died in faith, NOT having received the promises."—Heb. xi, 13, 39, 40.
21. When did they expect their reward? Ans.: "Others were tortured not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better RESURRECTION."—Heb. xi, 35; 1 Peter i, 13.
22. Will the soul come from Heaven, or the grave, at the resurrection? Ans.: "God will redeem my SOUL from the power of the GRAVE."—Ps. xlix, 14; lxxxix, 48.
24. What would be the ultimatum without a resurrection? Ans.: "If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is not Christ risen then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are PERISHED."—1 Cor. xv, 13-18.

PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED.

25. Are the wicked now being punished in some unknown hell, or are they to be punished at the judgment day? Ans.: "Reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment TO BE PUNISHED."—2 Peter ii, 9; Job xxi, 30.
26. Does the sinner receive his damnation at death, or at his resurrection? Ans.: "They that have done evil [shall come forth] unto the RESURRECTION of damnation."—John v, 29.
27. Are the wages of sin eternal life in misery? Ans.: "The wages of sin is DEATH."—Rom. vi, 23.
28. What death awaits the sinner? Ans.: "The SECOND death."—Rev. xx, 14.
29. Will the sinner exist eternally unconsumed? Ans.: "Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall BURN THEM UP, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them NEITHER ROOT NOR BRANCH."—Mal. iv, 1; Ps. xxxvii, 10; 2 Thess. i, 9; Obad. 16, Rev. xx, 9.
30. Will the wicked emigrate to some remote realm to receive their punishment, or will the foretold hell of the impenitent exist on earth at the great burning day? Ans.: "The heavens and the EARTH which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto FIRE against the DAY OF JUDGMENT and PERDITION OF UNGODLY MEN."—2 Peter iii, 7; Prov. xi, 31; Matt. xiii, 40-42.
With the popular view, we have only a human sacrifice for immortal souls, for it is contended that only the body of Christ died; whereas, the Scriptures show us that we have a divine sacrifice, as Christ "poured out his SOUL unto DEATH," making "His SOUL an offering for sin."—Isa. liii, 10, 12; Matt. xxvi, 48; Acts ii, 27-31.
Modern theology is subversive of the scriptural doctrine of a judgment day, as it represents men as going to Heaven or hell before being judged, involving the idea of a future rally from hell and Heaven to "stand before the judgment seat of Christ"—which would be like first hanging a man, and afterward trying his case! Neither the reward of the righteous, nor the damnation of the sinner can be realized before the judgment. Jesus never told us that we must give an account at death, but "They shall give account IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT."—Matt. xii, 36.—Crisis, California.