Man Unconscious in Death
Resurrection the Only Hope of Future Life
Having seen that man is not an "immortal
soul" or "never-dying spirit," we are prepared to accept the
clear and unmistakable scriptures which say that "the Lord God formed man
of the dust of the ground" (Gen. 2: 7); that "the first man is
of the earth earthy" (I. Cor. 15: 47); and we can understand the
following testimonies:
"Behold now, I have taken
upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes"--Gen.
18: 27.
"Remember, I beseech thee,
that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust
again?"--Job 10: 9;
"Man that is born of a woman
is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower and is cut
down; he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not." "Man
dieth and wasteth away; yea man giveth up the ghost and where is he?"--Job
14: 2-10.
"He knoweth our frame; he
remembereth that we are dust"--Psa. 103: 14.
"For all flesh is as
grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass
withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away"--I. Pet. 1: 24; Jas. 1:
10, 11.
It would be impossible to
understand these testimonies and many more of the same character if man were
such a "precious immortal soul" as he is claimed to be by popular
theology. That he is mortal is the only view consistent with the Bible, reason,
and the facts of human experience. "Mortal man" is what,
therefore, he is declared to be (Job
Coming to see that man is mortal,
we are able to understand the scripture use of the word death, and thereby see
that "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so
death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned" (Rom. 5: 12). It is
God’s universal law that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom.
When the apostle Paul speaks of
the "mortal" he means the man, recognizing nothing as the man
except that being which is "out of the earth, earthy," animated by
the breath of life. This is what he terms "a natural body," and this
natural body, he says, is a "living soul" (
IS DEATH A FRIEND OR A FOE?
The writers of popular theology
have "made a covenant with death" by persuading themselves that it is
a friend instead of a foe. This is the logical sequence of the false and
delusive theory that man is an immortal spirit entity dwelling in the body till
death liberates him. If man is an entity capable of conscious existence
separate from the body, and if as soon as death takes place every good man
enters a state of happiness, and if death must take place before he can enter
such a state, it follows that death is indeed man’s very best friend, and the
poet might well say:
"I’ll praise my Maker
with my breath
And when my voice is lost in death
Praise shall my nobler powers employ."
But this would put a premium upon
sin; for it was sin that brought death into the world. It makes death the
"gate to endless joy" instead of the "wages of sin" (Rom.
"There is no death;
What seems so is transition,
This life of mortal breath
Is but the suburb of the life elysian,
Whose portal we call death."
But Nature protests against this
and cries out, "Death is a self-evident fact. I am stricken with the
poisonous fangs of death. I am sick, I am pained, I am
dying. Had I all that the world contains how willingly I would give it to save
myself from death. ‘All that a man hath will he give
for his life.’" It persistently refuses to be silenced by the
sanctimonious rebukes and frowns of the ministers of Satan feigning to be
angels of light; and knowing from experience and observation apart from
revelation that it is right, it confidently answers back, declaring, "Death
is a fact."
If it is too glaringly false to
say "there is no death," the serpent’s subtlety is not
to be daunted by Nature’s protests nor to be defeated by positive facts.
Its inventive powers of deception try other tactics, cunningly admitting that
death is a fact, but claiming that the dread fact is a blessing; with which
delusion it attempts to captivate the feeble mind when overwhelmed with that
grief and sadness that death inflicts upon the bereaved. Calling again to its
aid the enchanting power of poetry it exclaims:
"Why do you mourn
departed friends
Or shake at death’s alarm!
‘Tis but the voice that Jesus sends
To call us to his arms."
Having been first led into the snare of the popular
delusion that man is a spirit that can fly to realms of bliss in a disembodied
state, many easily become victims of this falsehood and drink deep draughts of
the intoxicating cup of the strong delusion.
"Console as you will,
they receive it
As a well-meant alms of breath;
But not all the preaching since
Has made death other than death."
If death is a call to the
"arms of Jesus," why did he weep over Lazarus’ death, and why must he
reign till death as the last enemy is destroyed? Can it be that
"death is the gate to endless joy" and yet the Son of God came to
"destroy him that hath the power of death, that
is the devil?" (Heb. 2: 14)? Is it that the devil has the power of death,
and yet that death is the "gate to heaven"? Has the charm of the
serpent’s seed cheated men of all reason, that they can believe that
"death is the gate to glory" and yet to it the redeemed are to exclaim,
"O death, where is thy sting?" Is it that the cup of delusion
is so intoxicating as to cause minds that are reasonable in ordinary things to
believe that death is a friend and yet that "the sting of death is sin"?
How marvelous is the power of the serpent’s craft and cunning, that it can
persuade men to believe that death is the gate to heaven while they hold in
their hands the Book that says that Jesus offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death,
and was heard in that he feared" (Heb. 5: 7)? A companion in labor, a
fellow soldier with the apostle Paul, who ministered to his wants, was
"sick nigh unto death" (Phil. 2: 25-27), which, according to popular
tradition, was to be nigh unto heaven; and yet it is said that "God had
mercy on him," and saved him from dying; which was to save him from going
to heaven, if death is transition and transmission from earth to heaven. Is it
that God’s mercy, by saving one from dying, prevents him from passing from
sickness and sorrow into joy and glory? Would it not--if "death,
translated into the heavenly tongue, means life"--would it not be more
merciful to allow death to do its work and relieve those who say:
"Burdened with this
weight of clay
We groan beneath the load;
Waiting the hour that sets us free
And brings us home to God."
To prevent such from dying is certainly not an act of
mercy; it is cruel; for they claim to
"Know that when the soul
unclothed
Shall from the body fly,
‘Twill animate a purer frame
With life that cannot die."
With the apostle Paul, however,
instead of death being such a blessing as tradition has poetically and
logically (from false premises) concluded, it was a thing to be saved from, and
to save Epaphroditus from it Paul deemed an act of mercy. If an act of mercy
even in one individual case, how much more so will it be for God to at last
save the world from it, when the last enemy, death, is destroyed?
To Hezekiah the prophet Isaiah
was sent with the message of death, which he delivered in the following
emphatic words: "Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order, for thou
shalt die and not live," (Isa. 38: 1). Notwithstanding that Hezekiah
believed that he "had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart,
and had done that which was good," the thought that he must die caused him
to "weep with a great weeping;" and he prayed that he might be spared
from dying. Why was this if death is the beginning of a life of bliss? The
popular delusion afforded no consolation to Hezekiah; to him death was death.
The words, "Thou shalt die and not live" meant to him the
cessation of life, sweet life; and all that he had would he give for his life.
For his prayer to be answered to the extent of adding to his days fifteen years
was to him a cause for deep thankfulness to God.
Now it is clear from this that
Hezekiah’s view of death was very different from that of the popular
Christianity of our day. Instead of expecting death to transport him to
"the Eden above," he declared that it would have been the
"cutting off of his days;" that he would "go to the gates of the
grave;" that he would "not see the Lord in the land of the
living," and "behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world."
In the contemplation of death, instead of "peace he had great
bitterness;" and in that God had caused him to recover, and had made him
to live instead of die, He had "in love to his soul delivered it
from"--Where? From heaven? Yes, says the advocate
of the great delusion that death is the gate to heaven. Was Hezekiah thankful
that his soul was delivered from heaven? Did God in love to his soul deliver it
from that "heavenly place beyond the bounds of time and space, the saints
secure abode?" What folly men become victims of! Let Hezekiah proceed:
"Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption."
What is the pit of corruption to which his soul (or he himself) would have gone
had he died? He answers, "For the grave cannot praise thee, death
cannot celebrate thee; they that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy
truth."
Thus we see that death is death
and not life; that death begins where life ends, and that instead of deluding
ourselves that death is an escape from a world of woe to a world of bliss, we
must face the grim monster as an enemy from whose relentless grasp we can find
escape in Him only who is the resurrection and the life; for "by man came
death; by man came also the resurrection from the dead" (I. Cor. 15: 21).
There are some who are deceived
as to the meaning of death by the cunning use their leaders
make of the word where it represents a moral state.
DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS
The words "You hath he
quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2: 1) are quoted and
commented on in an attempt to prove that men are not really dead when they are
said to be. But if the word death means life, why is it used as the opposite of
life? Why not dispense with the word entirely and use the word life? Why not read the verse referred to thus: "And you hath he made
alive who were alive?" Is it not clear that when they were quickened or
made alive they were in the opposite state from that represented by the words
"dead in trespasses and sins?" So far as their physical life was
concerned no change had taken place. Physically they were alive, though they
were bodies of death that would ultimately die. So long as they were alive
physically they were not in this sense dead; for it is a contradiction of terms
to say that one is dead and alive in the same sense at the same time.
What kind of death had the
Ephesians been made alive from? This question can be answered by asking, What kind of life had they received? They had been dead in
trespasses and sins; they were now alive in the righteousness of Christ. In
other words they had been quickened into a state of moral life from a state of
moral death; and when they were in the former state they were in the opposite
of the latter, and vice versa. So when they were dead in trespasses and
sins they were dead in that sense; and when they were quickened from
that death they were alive in righteousness.
"IS DEAD WHILE SHE
LIVETH"
The text "But she that
liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth" (
WHAT IS DEATH?
There is no use trying to evade
the force of facts and scripture teaching on the question of what is death. We
are all subject to its universal power; the rich and the poor, the great and
the small, the old and the young are subject to death’s tyrannical reign. To
call it a friend does not change the fact that it is a foe; that when it enters
our homes to snatch from us our wives, husbands, children or friends, it is the
most unwelcome visitor and one against which we would close our doors had we
the power. We may believe as strongly as it is possible for man to believe in
the deceptive theory that "death is the gate to glory," but our whole
being rebels and protests with all its might when we are threatened with a
visit from death. The self-evident fact that death is an enemy will not allow
even the strong power of superstitious delusion to hold back the burning tears
that its presence will cause to spring forth and trickle down our cheeks. You
may talk and talk to the grief-stricken one who bends over the corpse in the
coffin about death being a transition from a world of woe to a world of weal,
and the distressed one may try to cherish the thought and proclaim belief, but
the tears cease not to flow, the pain and anguish written upon every feature of
the mourner refuse to give place to joy and gladness. Tell us not, then, that
death is the "voice of Jesus to call us to his arms." It is the voice
of sin, for sin brought death. "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into
the world and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, in whom
all have sinned"--Rom. 5: 12. It is not the "gate to heaven,"
but the gate to the grave. It is not the beginning of life--a better life--but
the end of life; and since "all that a man hath will he give for his
life," he naturally revolts at death as his worst enemy.
When death is viewed in its
proper light it is seen that for the dead resurrection is the only hope, and
that resurrection out of death is the "gate to glory," the beginning
of another life; and therefore it is said: "By man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the dead" (I. Cor. 15: 21). At the resurrection
the judgment will therefore take place, when "every man will be rewarded
according to his deeds" (II. Cor. 5: 10). It is not that good men are
rewarded in heaven and wicked men punished in hell from the time of their death
till the time of resurrection and then judged, the foolishness of which would
be too great for even a fallible human judge, to say nothing of Him who is
great and wise and good and whose ways are the perfection of order.
We do not depend, however, upon
facts and reason only, nor upon scripture testimony
that may be regarded as inferential. The Word of God is quick and powerful in
proclaiming to us what death is, the state of man in death and his hopelessness
apart from resurrection. It is because death destroys life and places man in
total unconsciousness that so much importance is attached to the resurrection.
Some in the church at Corinth having denied the resurrection of the dead, the
apostle Paul is inspired with a marvelous earnestness and logical power to show
how utterly subversive of the truth such a denial was; that it formed one of
the chief elements of the gospel and that salvation depended upon "keeping
it in memory."
How can the doctrine of
resurrection be held as important by those who believe
that death does not end life for the real man; that it only relieves him of the
burden of the "mortal coil" and sends him to a land of bliss in the
sky? Resurrection with such, instead of being gospel or good news, is an
encumbrance to their belief and an event that will be a disturbance to the
happiness to which death is supposed to send them. If at death they "mount
triumphant there" to unspeakable joy, surely to compel them to leave their
"thrones on high" and return to their house of clay to be judged, to
be placed in jeopardy, to be weighed in the balances, would be the most
awkward, inconsistent and unwelcome arrangement.
To those in
The process by which man was
formed and made alive is given very clearly in Gen. 2: 7--"And the Lord
God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life, and man became a living soul." In this we see that, first
man is formed from the dust; second, the breath of life is breathed into his
nostrils; and third, he--the man formed out of the dust--becomes a living soul
or creature. As the result of this we now behold a living man. Now death being
the opposite of life there ought not to be any difficulty in understanding it.
What made the man alive? The breathing into his nostrils the
breath of life, and starting respiration. What would take away life? The breathing out of the breath of life, expiring, and thus
stopping respiration. When the life is thus expired or gone out of the
man he is dead, and when dead he is lifeless as he was before the life was
breathed into him. We have now a dead man who is "out of the earth,
earthy," whom "the Lord God formed of the dust of the ground,"
and of whom it is said, "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return."
When this dissolution has taken place the man, as a living, formed being, is no
more. Death and dissolution have reversed what formation and life did. Hence
Inspiration says: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man,
in whom there is no help; for his breath goeth forth (death), he
returneth to his earth (dissolution); and in that very day his thoughts
perish (unconsciousness)--Psa. 146: 4. So far as death is concerned, there
is no difference in its results in man and animal; all die alike, the
difference being in man’s relation to resurrection. Hence Solomon’s inspired
words declare: "I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of
men, that God might manifest them, that they might see that they themselves are
beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one
thing befalleth them; as the one dieth; so dieth the other; yea, they have all
one breath; so that a man (in death) hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for
all is vanity. All go to one place; all are of the dust and all turn to
dust again" (Eccles.
"For I know that thou wilt
bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living"--Job 30: 23.
"Is there not an appointed
time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the
days of a hireling?"--Chapter 7:1
"What man is he that liveth
and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul (himself) from the
hand of the grave?"--Psa. 89: 48.
"For that which befalleth
the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one
dieth so dieth the other; * * * all go to one place; all are of the dust
and all turn to dust again."--Eccl .3: 19, 20.
"All flesh is grass, and all
the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the
flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it; surely the
people is grass"--Isa. 40: 6.
"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 whither thou goest"--Eccl. 9: 10.
"In death there is no
remembrance of thee, in the grave who shall give thee thanks?"--Psa.
6: 5.
"For the living know that
they shall die, but the dead know not anything"--Eccl. 9: 5.
"Put not your trust in
princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help; his breath goeth
forth, he returneth to his earth; IN THAT VERY DAY HIS THOUGHTS
PERISH"--Psa. 146: 3, 4.
"The grave cannot praise
thee, death cannot celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit cannot
hope for thy truth."--Isa. 38: 18, 19.
RESURRECTION THE ONLY HOPE OF
LIFE
FOR THE DEAD
The theory that man is an
immortal soul that never dies and is never buried has produced different
inventions of resurrection in attempts to fit the needs of the supposed case.
Some have confined resurrection to a moral quickening of the "immortal
soul;" others have declared that it consists in the escape of the
"immortal soul" from the house of clay and its elevation into the
"spirit world." These speculators no doubt saw that too much
importance is attached in the Scriptures to the resurrection to allow of its
application to the body as a mere tabernacle for the soul which was only a
burden during natural life, and which to be rid of is the unhampered and
unburdened liberty of the soul to bask in bliss. No theory of resurrection
would fit this disembodied existence as well as the ascension of the soul out
of the body into heaven, and if the words of scripture could be manipulated to
suit this invention the body might just as well, indeed much more conveniently,
be left to moulder eternally in the dust. Having shown that disembodied
existence is a myth it will be readily seen that to invent such theories of
resurrection is only to add myth to myth. The fact that death
is the cessation of life to the real man, and that the man is buried in the
dust and is then in the dust and nowhere else, makes a real resurrection a
necessity.
Death having passed upon all the race in Adam when he sinned, escape from death is
what is needed in order to salvation. Since the sentence is "Dust thou art
and unto dust shalt thou return," the escape can be found only in a
resurrection that will bring man out of the dust. "By man came
death;" and if the race had been left in the condition into which it fell
in Adam and no other provision had been made, every one of the race must have
gone down to dust without a shadow of hope.
Having sinned and thus lawfully
brought himself into this hopeless and helpless state, man had no one to blame
but himself; and if means of escape are provided it must be an act of love and
not one that could be claimed upon a basis of man’s right. Therefore if
salvation is offered to fallen man it will be by love; and so it is said:
"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life" (Jno.
Realizing that this is the
condition the human family is in, we see that a gospel
that will meet the requirements of the case must provide for resurrection.
"By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death
passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned" (Rom. 5: 12); "by man
came death" (I. Cor. 15: 21) and "in Adam all die" (verse 22).
How can escape be found from this except through resurrection? Exclude
resurrection from the gospel and it will be no gospel to man in the plight in
which scripture and facts prove him to be. Spiritualize the resurrection and
you might as well deny it altogether; for what is the use of a "spiritual
resurrection" as a means of reaching the literal fact of death, and
dissolution in the dust? Death, as we have seen, is terribly literal, and a
resurrection that does not deal with the fact of death as it really is, is a
delusion and a snare. The cure must reach the disease; the plaster must fit the
wound. It is worse than vanity to theorize about a resurrection of a supposed
spirit entity out of the body and lose sight of the resurrection of that upon
which death and dissolution to dust came. It is grasping at an imaginary shadow
and losing the substance. It is the substantial man that is the "thou"
of the words, "Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou
return," and it is this man that must be the subject of resurrection if
the requirements of the case are to be met. In view of the reality of this it
is said: "By man came death; by man came also the resurrection of the
dead" (
Whenever and wherever the gospel
is made known to man the resurrection must be found in it, either expressed or
implied; for if it is not, then in this life only we have hope and we are most miserable;
since death is the extinction of life, if there is no resurrection there is no
hope beyond the present life. It is said by some that resurrection is a New
Testament doctrine, and that scarcely is it referred to in the Old. If the
gospel was made known to Adam and Eve when they found themselves alienated from
God and sentenced to death, it must have offered a hope of real deliverance
from the real destiny brought upon them. The serpent’s lie, "Ye shall not
surely die," was what had caused them to sin. On this account the serpent
became a representation of sin, and sin became personified and was called a
serpent. The effectual way to kill a serpent is to crush its head; and this is
used to represent the taking away of sin and redeeming from its power. What
power had sin obtained? It had power to take life, for "the wages of sin
is death" (Rom.
It will be seen from the
"bruising of the heel" of the seed of the woman in the crucifixion of
Christ that as a means to the removal of sin and destruction of its power over
man God saw fit to require sacrifice, even that of His beloved Son. All the
sacrifices of the law of Moses were shadows of the
"better sacrifice" made by Christ. With this in view we may go back
to
THE COATS OF SKIN
Death is not brought to view,
either in man or animal, until after sin is committed. The first intimation we
have of it as a matter of fact is in the words, "Unto Adam also and to his
wife did the Lord God make coats of skin and clothed them" (Gen. 3:21).
The forgiveness of sin is spoken of in the Scriptures as a covering of
nakedness. David says: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered" (Psa. 32: 1). Again: "Thou hast forgiven the
iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their
sin." Sin having caused shame of nakedness literally in our first parents,
nakedness became a representation of man’s unfitness to be in communion and
conciliation with God. By the sacrifice of Christ he became an acceptable
mediator between God and man and the "holy place," as it were, in
which God would become reconciled to man. By another figure of speech we are
spoken of as "putting on the new man," and are "in Christ
new creatures" (II. Cor. 5: 17). Having "put on the new man"
(Col. 3: 10), he is to us a garment of righteousness to hide the nakedness of
sin in which we were placed by the disobedience of the "old man"
(Col. 3: 9). In all this we see sacrifice, a garment for covering sin, and
redemption; and all brought about by the death, burial, and resurrection of
Christ.
For "coats of skins" to
be made for Adam and his wife there must have occurred the death of the victims
from which the skins were procured; and is it going too far to say that their
death was sacrificial, typical of Christ’s death, and that the clothing made
from the skins represented redemption in Christ? The death of Christ without
his resurrection would not have procured the necessary release for man.
"Christ died, yea, rather is risen," says the apostle Paul;
and "if Christ be not raised your faith is vain; ye are yet in
your sins" (
ABEL’S OFFERING
Coming one step down, we next see
resurrection typified in Abel’s "excellent sacrifice," speaking of
which the writer to the Hebrews says: "By faith Abel offered unto God a
more excellent sacrifice than Cain" (Heb. 11: 4). There must have been
instruction given to Adam’s sons before they could know that God required
sacrifices, and that the instruction was sufficient to render it possible for
them to offer acceptable sacrifices is shown by the fact that Abel had a faith
that enabled him to make one that was more excellent than that of Cain’s and by
which he "obtained witness that he was righteous." To be righteous is
to believe and obey God; and to do this there must be a
knowledge of what to believe and what to do. The only faith that will
please and without which "it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:
6) is one that "cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"
(Rom.
Abel, therefore, hoped for
something promised; and his intelligence in the promise is exhibited in the excellence
of his sacrifice. Christ, the seed of the woman, who would "bruise the
serpent’s head" had been promised--promised as a
sacrifice, the Lamb to be slain, whose blood would bring remission of sins, the
"Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Here is Christ
crucified, buried and raised again from the dead; and
here, therefore, is resurrection for all in Him who have Abel’s faith. Did Abel
"by faith" show forth in his sacrifice of the "firstling of his
flock" Christ put to death only? Belief in the death and burial of Christ,
unless he saw his resurrection to "die no more," would to have been
belief in good news of deliverance; but seeing that the sacrifice of Christ
would give him power over death and the grave, he saw in him "the resurrection
and the life," and his faith taught him that he that believeth in him,
though he were dead, yet shall he live" (Jno. 11: 25). Thus the
resurrection is seen in every step as we come down the ages to Him who broke
the barriers of the tomb and came forth and declared: "I am he that liveth
and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore,
amen; and have the keys of hades and of death" (Rev. 1: 18).
NOT THE GOD OF THE DEAD
That resurrection is not so
clearly and fully set forth in plain language in the Old Testament as it is in
the New is, no doubt, the reason some think it almost exclusively a New
Testament doctrine. Being of little importance, too, to a theory that sends
good men to happiness and the wicked to torment at death, it has not
been viewed as a serious omission, even if the Old Testament did have but
little to say upon the subject. Indeed, the popular theory would be much
relieved if the doctrine were not taught in the New Testament. With a few clear
exceptions resurrection in the Old Testament is shown by types and taught by
implication. Wherever the gospel is set forth necessarily it is either
expressed or implied. A striking instance of implied resurrection is seen in
the words, "I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac and the God of Jacob" (Ex. 3: 6). One who believed that Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob were alive in heaven would not see resurrection implied in
these words. Indeed the words are often quoted to prove the disembodied
existence of these fathers in a happy state. But to one who believed that they
were dead and "gathered to their fathers" in sheol,
or "in the dust of the earth" (Dan. 12: 2) this passage would be an
implied proof of resurrection. It was the Saviour’s clear discernment of this
that enabled him to silence the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection. They
were sticklers for the writings of Moses, and from a passage in these writings
Jesus proved the doctrine they denied. "Now that the dead are
raised," he says, "even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the
Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is
not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him"--Luke
To fully see the force of this
argument the facts must be kept in view. The Sadducees denied the resurrection;
Jesus is proving the resurrection. He is not proving that the fathers were
alive and stood in no need of resurrection, as believers in the immortality of
the soul claim from this passage. If it were true that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
were alive in happiness, and that they--their "immortal souls"--never
died the Saviour’s argument for resurrection based upon the words quoted would
be utterly without force and entirely irrelevant. The believers in the conscious
state of the dead when they use this text to prove that doctrine in effect
declare it to be useless for the purpose quoted by Jesus. They say it does not
prove resurrection, but it proves conscious existence independently of
resurrection. The argument as used by our Lord, however, is this: Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob are dead; God is their God, and He is not the God of the dead,
but of the living; therefore they must have a resurrection to life from the
dead. They "live unto him" now, because it is His purpose to raise
them to life. As a matter of fact they are dead; and it is because they are
dead that resurrection is necessary to make them alive; and God’s purpose to
raise them is irresistibly proven by His words, "I am the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."
Let there not be an attempt to
evade this by saying that our Saviour was speaking only of the body. He is
speaking of the men named. God was the God of these men, not of bodies
of which they could live independently and better without than with. They were
among those who had "died in the faith, not having received the
promises" (Heb.
THE OFFERING OF ISAAC
In the offering of Isaac we have
another way of showing forth resurrection. Many claim it was unnatural and
cruel of Abraham to be so willing to make an offering of his beloved son, and
that the demand that he should do so was inconsistent with a God of love and
justice. This disparagement of Abraham’s faith and reflection upon the
character of God exhibits destitution of the faith which made such an
act possible for a loving father. It also shows ignorance of God’s ways and His
object in making trying demands.
If Abraham had seen only the
death of his son the demand would have been greater than human nature could
bear and the object in view would not have been reached, namely: to make a
practical test of his faith. Faith here, as in the Scriptures generally, must
not be viewed as blind trust, but as intelligent confidence. The faith that
sustained Abraham in such a hard trial is defined by the writer to the Hebrews
as the "substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not
seen." And then it is added: "For by it the elders obtained a good
report," etc. (chapter 11: 1, 2).
We have already shown that a
faith pleasing to God is based upon His promises. It was confidence that what
God "had promised He was able to perform" that constituted a faith
intelligent and strong enough to stand such a rigid test as Abraham was
subjected to. Belief that God would restore his son to life was the faith that
inspired Abraham and prevented him from "staggering at the promises of
God." The promises that had begotten this great faith were as follows:
"For all the land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed
forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth" (Gen. 13: 15,
16). "And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all
the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him" (Gen. 18:17, 18)? The
fulfillment of these promises depended upon Isaac, for it had been told
Abraham, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (chapter
Redemption is nothing without
resurrection. Resurrection is a necessary part of redemption. Therefore the
offering of Isaac was a type fully showing forth redemption in its various
aspects and especially foreshadowing resurrection. In it the great love of God
is seen, the willing resignation of the Son to the Father’s requirements; the
necessity of offering for sin; the fact that God only could provide the
sacrifice; that death by shedding of blood must take place and that
resurrection would surely follow; thus redemption would be complete when every
child of God would be brought out of death into immortal life to be received
into the love of a Father’s embrace without danger of ever more falling.
In the history of
|
JOB’S HOPE OF RESURRECTION
The patriarch Job, after taking a
view of the work of death among men, and showing that in general man
"lieth down and riseth not," cries out in the great agony he was then
suffering, "O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest
keep me secret until thy wrath is past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set
time and remember me" (Job 14: 13). Then he asks: "If a man die shall he live again?" and his faith in God’s
promises answers: "Thou shalt call and I will answer thee; thou wilt have
a desire to the work of thine hands." The "set time" that God
would call and he would answer was the time of the resurrection. Then will Job,
with all of like faith, answer. This "call" is undoubtedly the same
that in the New Testament is spoken of as the "sound of the trump."
Further along Job gives still
clearer expression to his knowledge of resurrection. He says, "For 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; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold and not
another, though my reins be consumed within me" (Job 19: 25-27).
DAVID’S HOPE
In the Psalms there is abundant
proof of resurrection. In chapter 49 the Psalmist, like Job, declares that the
masses of men, who are without understanding and are "like the beasts that
perish," die in their folly without hope of resurrection. But in contrast
with this he says: "But thou wilt redeem my soul
from the power of the grave; for thou wilt receive me." Of the
resurrection of Christ and of his own through Christ he says: "Therefore
my heart is glad and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope. For
thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (sheol, the
grave), neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption" (Psa.
16:9, 10). That this refers to resurrection is made more evident by the apostle Peter’s reference to it in Acts 2: 27-31. Referring
again to the destiny of men in general and in contrast with his hope concerning
himself and all of his faith, the Psalmist prays to be delivered "from men
of the world, which have their portion in this life;" and then of himself
he says, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be
satisfied when I awake with thy likeness" (Psa. 17: 14, 15).
It was hope in resurrection to
the Divine nature, which he terms "thy likeness," that inspired
David’s last words. The "everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and
sure," which "was all his salvation and all his desire" (II.
Sam. 23: 1-5), depended upon resurrection; without it the covenant could never
come into force. In making this covenant with David, God assured him that he
would raise up Christ to sit upon his throne and that of his kingdom there
should be no end" (II. Sam. 7: 12-15; Luke 1: 32, 33;
Acts 2: 30). He knew that Christ would suffer death, and yet God
covenants that he should rule upon David’s throne forever. How could this be
without resurrection? How could David derive consolation from this covenant
unless he understood and believed the doctrine of resurrection? The fulfillment
of the covenant he knew was not to be until "a great while to come"
(II. Sam. 7: 19). He had been told that when he would "sleep with his
fathers," his "days having been fulfilled," (verse 12), his Son
and heir should be raised up. Then he is assured: "Thy throne and thy
kingdom shall be established for ever before thee" (verse 16). It followed
therefore, that his resurrection must take place.
Let it not be forgotten that
"the dead know not anything;" for if the reality of death is not kept
in view the absolute necessity of resurrection in these cases will not be seen.
If as is popularly claimed, David did not die, only forsook his body and went
to heaven in a disembodied state, it would be difficult to see why he exulted
in hope of resurrection, and declared that he would be satisfied when he would
"awake." It is quite difficult to persuade believers in the disembodied
existence of the dead to look at the words of scripture that assure us that
David is "both dead and buried" (Acts 2: 29); that he "fell on
sleep and saw corruption" (chapter 13: 36); that "David is not
ascended into the heavens" (chapter 2: 34). These truths must be accepted,
however, before the importance of resurrection can be seen.
ISAIAH AND EZEKIEL
The prophet Isaiah is very clear
in declaring his hope in the resurrection. After speaking of some who were dead
and should not live, deceased and should not rise, he exclaims: "Thy dead
men shall live,
together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing ye that
dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast
out the dead" (chapter 26: 19). In the prophecy of Ezekiel there is a
very remarkable representation of resurrection. It is a vision of the national
death state and resurrection of
THE PROPHECY OF DANIEL
The resurrection is set forth in
symbol and in plain words in the book of Daniel. The prophet sees in vision a
man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz; his body
was like the beryl and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as
lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and
the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude" (chapter 10: 5, 6).
This description is similar to that given in the book of Revelation, and
represents Christ as the multitudinous man--that is, Christ returned to the
earth, the dead saints raised and with the living glorified with immortality.
These saints will, after resurrection and glorification, constitute the one
body of which Christ will be the Head to rule the world in righteousness. Since
they have been redeemed and glorified by one man, even Jesus, the aggregation
is represented in the picture of a wonderful man portrayed in the words quoted.
"When he shall appear," says John, "we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is" (
In the interval, which he is
informed must elapse between his time and the resurrection, the program of
events previously symbolized will be carried out in the world. Periods of time
represented by "time, times and a half," "one thousand two
hundred and ninety days" and a "thousand three hundred and five and
thirty days" were to intervene between an event subsequent to the
prophet’s time and the "time of the end;" and Daniel is given no
hope, and entertains no hope of salvation till the end of the events
symbolized, or "that time" when "Michael shall stand up" and
"many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake." The
last words spoken to him gave him the only consolation that could be given to
one who must "sleep in the dust of the earth." No use is found for
the common custom of consoling men with the hope of soon shuffling off the
mortal coil, and "mounting triumphant there" to realms of bliss. Such
delusive hope was not given by the angel; but he says: "Go thou thy way
till the end be; for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot AT THE END OF
THE DAYS" (verse 13).
RANSOM FROM THE POWER OF THE
GRAVE
In the prophecy of Hosea (chapter
RESURRECTION IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT
The resurrection is so fully
taught and there is so much predicated upon it in the New Testament that he who
runs may read the doctrine there, and special examination of numerous
testimonies is unnecessary, even if our space allowed. A
careful reading of one chapter--I. Cor. 15, is
enough to convince anyone of the truth of the doctrine. But it is not as
necessary to prove the resurrection as it is to show what it really is and that
future life depends upon it. Few there are professing to believe the Bible who
will not admit that it is taught; but it is nullified by the tradition that
"immortal souls" go to heaven and hell at death. After proving
resurrection by showing it to have been a fact in the case of Christ, the
apostle emphasizes its necessity; and in doing so shows that the dead are dead,
and that without resurrection dead they must remain. This chapter (I. Cor. 15)
is nearly always read at funerals; and the speaker is sometimes drawn into the
powerful current of the apostle’s argument, until one is almost persuaded that
he accepts the doctrine of resurrection as of vital importance--so much so that
the only hope for the dead is in resurrection. But we are soon disappointed
when the "orthodox" creed begins to assert itself, and breaks out in
such expressions as "He is not dead but gone before;" "Weep not,
our friend is better off;" "He is in the land of bliss," etc.
This not only spoils what the officiating preacher has said when he is in the
current of the teaching of the chapter, but it entirely destroys the force of
the apostle’s argument--rather the apostle’s argument utterly destroys the
orthodox tradition expressed in the foregoing quotations. If "he is not
dead but gone before," is "better off" and in "the land of
bliss," why read a chapter that has not a single word in it about one that
is dead having "gone before" to "the land of bliss" to be
"better off"? Why read a chapter that only treats of resurrection and
that predicates all upon it? If the resurrection has nothing to do with the
real man who has "gone before," and only provides for the reforming
of the body, what consolation can there be in it when it is claimed that the
"departed" is "better off" without his body than he was
with it? When the "departed" was in the body before "he went
before" it is claimed his experience was,
"Burdened with this weight
of clay
We groan beneath the load:
Waiting the hour that sets us free
And brings us home to God."
If, now that he is dead, he is
"set free" from the "weight of clay under which he groaned"
and has "gone home to God," why read a chapter about a resurrection
that is supposed to have to do with the "weight of clay" only, and
what consolation can there be in contemplating a time when the
"departed" must return from his "home with God" to his
"load" and "weight of clay"? Resurrection in this case is
surely the most awkward and inconvenient prospect for the "departed"
to contemplate. To them the prospect of a resurrection would make them
"miserable;" but with Paul it was, If there is no resurrection
of the dead there is only this life; and "if in this life only we
have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable" (verses 16-19).
Now it is safe to say that any
theory that will destroy the force of an argument of an inspired apostle must
be false. The burning words of the Spirit enabled the apostle in this chapter
to present one of the most powerful, logical arguments to be found in the
Bible. In it he lost sight of no truth that could in any possible way be
used to weaken his force or in any manner to oppose his trenchant position.
This must be admitted by all who accept the inspiration of the apostle in this
chapter. Yet, if the popular theory of heaven-going at death for the righteous
be true, Paul’s argument is absolutely destitute of force, truthfully or
logically. This arises from the fact that the apostle on the one hand starts
out with the postulate that the dead are dead and not alive, and that if they
ever live again it must be by resurrection. On the other hand the advocate of
the popular tradition starts out with the assumption that the dead are not
dead, only their bodies, and that they are better off since they died than they
were before. With premises so opposed how can a conclusion be reasoned out
without conflict? The inspired apostle starts with the truth and
finishes with the truth. The advocate of the popular theory starts with a false
position and his finish must necessarily be false. The result is collision in
this way: Paul’s argument is that, since all who have died are dead, if there
is no resurrection then "they also which have fallen asleep in Christ are perished." It follows, therefore,
that "our faith is vain" if in "this life only we have
hope;" and we who have supposed ourselves to be in Christ and thereby in
the resurrection "are of all men most miserable." But a champion of
the "orthodox" theory steps forward and says: You are wrong in the
start, Paul; the dead are not dead, only their bodies. "They that have
fallen asleep in Christ" are not asleep, they are awake in the happiness
and bliss of heaven, and when we die we shall go to them. Therefore you
attach too much importance to resurrection, we
can do without it; for death to us is what resurrection is to you. Let them
deny the resurrection and our faith is not vain; neither are we
"miserable," for our faith is not dependent upon resurrection; it is
that we shall be happy in heaven as soon as we die; and therefore for you to
say that if there is no resurrection they that have fallen asleep in Christ are
perished is without foundation. Thus a false theory nullifies the Word of God;
and the fact that it does is sufficient to expose its fallacy and render it
worthy of condemnation by all who are willing to "let God be true though
all men are liars."
With these truths kept in view a
simple reading of the following scriptures affords all that is necessary to
show that man’s relation to the law of sin and death necessitates resurrection
in order that he may enjoy the blessings of life and immortality:
The same day came to him the
Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection * * * Jesus answered and
said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures
nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given
in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the
resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by
God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac and the God of
Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.--Matt. 22: 23-32.
And thou shalt be blessed; for
they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection
of the just.--Luke 14: 14.
Marvel not at this; for the hour
is coming in which all that are in the graves 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.--Jno. 5: 28, 39.
These things said he; and after
that he said unto them: Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake
him out of sleep * * * Jesus saith unto her. Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at
the last day. Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that
believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he
live.--Jno.
Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord
Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John unto that
same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness
with us of his resurrection.--Acts 1: 21, 22.
He (David) seeing this before,
spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell (hades,
the grave) neither did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are witnesses.--Acts
The Sadducees came unto them,
being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the
resurrection from the dead.--Acts 4: 1, 2.
And with great power gave the
apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.--Acts 4: 33.
Then certain of the philosophers
of the Epicureans and the Stoics encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other
some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; because he preached unto
them Jesus and the resurrection.--Acts 17: 18.
When they heard of the
resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, We
will hear thee again of this matter.--Acts 17: 32.
But when Paul perceived that the
one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he
cried out in the council: Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a
Pharisee of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in
question.--Acts 23: 6.
But this I confess unto thee,
that after the way which they call heresy so worship I the God of my fathers,
believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets; and have
hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, and there shall be a
resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.--Acts 24: 14, 15.
See also verse 21.
Who (Christ) was made of the seed
of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power
according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.--Rom. 1:
3, 4.
For if we have
been planted in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of
his resurrection.--
I count all things but loss * * *
that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of
his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead.--Phil. 3: 8-11.
Therefore leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the
doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the
dead, and of eternal judgment.--Heb. 6: 1, 2.
Women received their dead raised
to life again; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they
might obtain a better resurrection.--Heb.11: 35.
Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us
again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.--I.
Pet. 1: 3.
The like figure
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us * * * by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead.--I. Pet. 3: 21.
Not only do these testimonies
show that the resurrection is an essential part of the gospel, that salvation
depends upon it, but they contain irresistible proofs that death ends the
present life and holds man helpless and unconscious in its grasp, and that no
future life can be reached by the dead except through resurrection. It is
"in the resurrection that we are to be made like the angels to die no
more." It is in the resurrection that the just are to be recompensed. It
is in the resurrection that the righteous are to come forth to eternal life and
the wicked to condemnation. It was "in the resurrection at the last
day" that Martha believed her brother would rise again. Since all depended
upon the resurrection of Christ there must be "ordained witnesses" to
testify of its truth. Since David could not hope for the realization of God’s
promises without resurrection he spake of the resurrection of Christ; and in
fulfillment of the promises of Christ’s resurrection, and as assurance that all
depending upon it would at last be fulfilled, it says: "This Jesus hath
God raised up." It was the part of Epicurean and Stoic philosophy to deny
and mock at the resurrection of the dead. It was for the hope of the
resurrection of the dead Paul was called in question. He had "hope towards
God that there would be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the
unjust." It was by the resurrection of Christ from the dead that he was
"declared to be the Son of God with power by the spirit of holiness."
The hope of the Roman believers was that they would be "in the
likeness" of Christ’s resurrection. Paul counted all else as nothing
"if by any means he might attain to a resurrection from among the
dead." The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is one of the
principles of the foundation upon which the
THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS
In John 11 we have an account of
a case of a once happy little family stricken with sorrow by the visitation of
man’s great enemy, death. A beloved brother had died, and two loving and
devoted sisters were left to mourn his loss. Here is the scene that death,
cruel death, always brings to view wherever its cold withering hand clutches.
Who is there that has not been in its presence, and witnessed aching hearts,
agonizing cries and scalding tears? And who can be there and not feel the
darkness of the hour, and not be touched with the sympathetic chord that
vibrates through every throbbing heart? Why these pangs? Why this pain, this
sorrow and sighing? What is the cause? The answer to it all is in the dreadful
word, death. Yes, it is death that makes the heart ache and the tears
burst forth. In its presence the Son of God, "Jesus wept." What a
rebuke to the false tongues that in death’s presence say it "is the voice
that Jesus sends to call us to his arms!" "Our friend Lazarus
sleepeth," said Jesus. "If he sleepeth he doeth well," said his
disciples, speaking of natural sleep. And if he sleepeth in death he doeth better, say the modern believers in the conscious,
happy state of the dead of Lazarus’ faith; for he is not asleep but basking in
bliss. Look at those loving sisters weeping. Send some one to console them.
Whom shall we send? Shall we send one who will console them with the words,
"He is not dead but gone before"? Or shall we send one who will
console them with the words, "Thy brother shall rise again"?
If you send a popular preacher who has "made a covenant with death"
he will use the former method; if the Son of God go he
will use the latter--he will give resurrection as the consolation. Why
this difference? Because one represents the lie of the serpent, "Ye shall
not surely die," while the other is the "Seed of the woman" and
represents the truth of God; "Thou shalt surely die." Let the
preacher say "He is not dead," "There is no death," and let
the serpent hear him, and if he still has the power of speech he will say,
"That is right; that is the doctrine I taught when I said ‘Ye shall not
surely die,’ and I am pleased to hear preachers faithful to me in saying that
‘there is no death.’" Let the Saviour say plainly "Lazarus is dead,"
and "Thy brother shall rise again," and let the serpent and
popular preacher hear him and they will charge him with being a materialist,
believing that the man is dead and unconscious, depending upon rising again for
life. Let them stand by when Jesus calls Lazarus back to life as an act of
kindness, and they will charge him with an act of cruelty; because to them it
is calling a man back from bliss to re-enter a life of woe. How can these
things agree? How can truth and falsehood walk together? They cannot; and now whose
consolation to the two weeping sisters is consolation? Is there
consolation in a lie? No; there is only deception in it, cruel deception; all
this is the deception of popular funeral sermons, rebuked and condemned by the
Son of God in words that sound out, echo and re-echo the mournful sound,
"Lazarus is dead," and rebuked again in words of cheer that give
hope, the only hope, "Thy brother shall rise again."
The resurrection of Lazarus had
for its object more than simply temporary gratification of the two bereaved
sisters. Its object was to manifest the power of God in Christ and to give a
practical demonstration of the words Jesus uttered, "I am the resurrection
and the life." The real and permanent benefits of resurrection were not realized
by Lazarus, and will not be till the time contemplated by Martha when she said,
"I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
This miracle of our Lord’s was therefore an
illustration of the resurrection, and shows us the meaning of the word of which
resurrection is a translation. That word is anastasis and means a
standing again--that is, a standing again in life. For one to stand again
in life implies that he stood once, then fell from standing in life, and then
was made to stand again in life; and this implies that during the interval
between there was no life, but death. This is why Jesus could say plainly,
"Lazarus is dead," and then promise, "Thy brother
shall rise again."
If we follow the Saviour to the
tomb of Lazarus we shall have the question of the state of the dead and the
resurrection from the dead decided by the highest authority and in the most
demonstrative manner. A believer in the conscious happy state of the righteous
in death would expect to hear Jesus call Lazarus down from heaven; and since
they expect to see their friends in heaven, bodiless though they be, they would expect to see Lazarus come and re-enter his
body. On the other hand, a believer in the scriptures, that the
"dead" are "asleep in the dust of the earth" and that
"the dead know not anything" would expect to see Lazarus called out
of the grave where he lay dead and buried. Of course the expectations of the
one are doomed to disappointment, as all theories and hopes contrary to the
Word of God are, while the other will see just what the Scriptures prepare him
to expect. Jesus is at the tomb; the stone is removed therefrom; prayer is
offered to God, and the Son of God "cried with a loud voice, Lazarus,
come forth! And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot
with grave-clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith
unto them, Loose him and let him go." Surely
there is no room here for the popular theory of the consciousness of man in
death.
"WHOSOEVER LIVETH AND BELIEVETH
IN ME, SHALL NEVER DIE"
With an air of triumph the
question is asked, What will you do with the words,
"He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die?" Our
answer is, Believe these words just as fully as those that immediately precede
them, namely, "He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live." Lazarus had believed and he was dead; yet he should
live. Jesus had said plainly, "Lazarus is dead." Who will say
he never died or apply the words "shall never die" to all men? He who
would must use one scripture to contradict others and would support the
serpent’s lie, "Ye shall not surely die." The two statements of
verses 25 and 26 must be true; and therefore one class will be dead but shall
be made alive by resurrection, while the other class will be alive and not
dead; and Christ at the time referred to--the "resurrection at the last
day"--having come to change the mortal to immortality "in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye" (I. Cor. 15: 52), they will "never
die." This is the "mystery" that Paul said he would show and did
show when he said, "We shall not all sleep" (
"MY BROTHER HAD NOT
DIED"
When Martha met Jesus she
exclaimed: "Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died."
It is possible she only meant that if Jesus had been at Bethany he would by his
power to heal sicknesses have prevented the death of Lazarus; but are not the
words capable of a much more far-reaching application, especially in view of
the saying of Jesus, "He that liveth and believeth in me shall never
die?" Let us suppose Christ returned today; how would it be with those who
live and believe? Would it not be as Martha’s words declare, and as more fully
explained by the apostle Paul: "We shall not all sleep, or die"? When
the Lord does return our brothers and sisters who, like Lazarus, are dead,
shall be made alive by resurrection; and our faithful brothers and sisters (in
the Lord) will not die, but will "be changed in a moment in the twinkling
of an eye at the last trump." The whole matter concerning the "quick
and the dead" is therefore dealt with in this narrative, and we can
confidently say of all in Christ as Martha did: "I know he shall rise again
in the resurrection at the last day."