Slightly Fabulous ! by G.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 24, 1885

Slightly Fabulous !

By G.

In the columns of one of our good orthodox exchanges, we remark the following paragraph, which, in the light of the Scripture, will not bear very close inspection. It says:

"Death to a good man is but the dawning of an eternal day. Not till then does he enter upon real life—a life unclogged by corruption. Then is he 'clothed upon,' and ascends to be with Christ, which is far better. Then, farewell earth, farewell toil, and pain, and tears, and death. He goes to join the immortal company, who sing and shine in the presence of God forever."

We will criticise a little. "Death," says the above, "is but the dawning of an eternal day!" It seems that good men have not always thought just so. For instance the righteous man of Uz, Job x, 21, 22, thought quite differently. Says he, "Let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before

I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness, and the shadow of death; a land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness!" Job didn't think there was much "daylight" where he was going; and he had the "lively hope" in him. See Chap. xix, 25, 26.

"Not till then does he enter upon real life—a life unclogged by corruption," says our extract. If by "real life," is meant going to Heaven at death, it must be that the above was penned in the interest of some one more highly favored than good old David, for he according to the apostle Peter, "is not [yet] ascended into the Heavens." Acts ii, 34. "A life unclogged by corruption," is what a "good man" may expect when he dies, says our orthodox friend. That ancient worthy, Hezekiah, didn't seem to "indulge" this style of hope. Says he, in thanking the Lord for delivering him from the gates of death, "Thou hast in love to my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption!" Isa. xxxviii, 17. What a difference there sometimes is between authors inspired and uninspired, as in the present case.

The next sentence says: "Then (at death,) is he (the 'good man,') 'clothed upon,' and ascends to be with Christ, which is far better." We think, with all respect to the writer of the above, that he has got things here "a little mixed!" But Simon Peter will set him all right. Says he, in his second epistle, to those of "LIKE precious faith," (then there were others who believed just as Peter did) "I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must PUT OFF this my tabernacle." Quite a difference between "putting off," and being "clothed upon," in the Bible sense! But what about this clothing upon? Paul's first letter to the Corinthians will explain that. Says he: "Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep; but we shall all BE CHANGED (or 'clothed upon,') in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, [when? Ans.] AT the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must PUT ON incorruption, and this mortal must PUT ON immortality. So when this corruptible shall have PUT ON incorruption, and this mortal shall have PUT ON immortality, THEN [not when a 'good man' dies! but when Jesus comes,] shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory!" Chap. xv, 51-55. This is being "clothed upon," according to the Scriptures. Compare also, 2 Cor. v, 1-4, with Rom. viii, 19-23, which shows that the groaning desire of the church to be "clothed upon with our house from Heaven," is merely a longing for the great Life-giver to come, who will "fashion" our vile bodies like unto his glorious body. Then will be the genuine manifestation of the sons of God. Rom. viii, 19; 1 John iii, 2. In view of it we too can say with the beloved disciple, "Even so come, Lord Jesus!" "Come quickly!"

The last sentence in the above paragraph is just as erroneous as the others; in fact there is hardly a syllable of truth in the whole extract! That is the only remarkable thing about it. It says: "Then (i. e., when the Christian dies,) farewell earth, farewell toil, and pain, and tears, and death. He goes to join the immortal company, who sing and shine in the presence of God forever." If this was only so, it would indeed be a blessed hope; but alas for its correctness. When our divine Lord and Master would comfort his desponding disciples in view of his departure, he did not say, "Let not your hearts be troubled; for life is but a vapor, and your short span of existence will soon eke out, and Death will be the gate of endless joys to your waiting souls; then will you ascend to join the immortal company of kindred spirits, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore"—no! no!! but—"Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are MANY mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

This is the genuine gospel hope, right from the lips of the Saviour! It has the true heavenly ring in it. It is, then, when "the trumpet sounds," and the dead AWAKE, who are now sleeping beneath the clods of the valley, that the "good man" goes to join the "immortal company." Then, when Michael's heavenly chariot appears, will the ransomed of the Lord return and come to Zion, with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads." THEN will they, as the prophet beautifully says, "obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. xxxv, 10. It is when the Archangel's trump shall peal out its resurrection notes, that we shall "ascend to be with Christ," and go to dwell forever with the Lord. See 1 Thess. iv, 17. But what shall we say of any theory which so wretchedly distorts the plainest teachings of the Bible. And what a strange turning of things "upside down" has orthodoxy accomplished with the Scriptures; and nowhere is this perversion more apparent than with the doctrine of the state of the dead. But why should we say more.