Salvation
is a matter of Eternal Life or Eternal Death; the Bible contains the only key
to Eternal Life.
Christ said in:
John 5:39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and
they are they which testify of me.
Knowledge of
both the Old and New Testaments are necessary to understand Gods plan and
purpose with the earth and mankind, if we dont know what he has promised how
can we seek to obtain those promises?Prov
4:7Wisdom is theprincipal
thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Heb 11:6But without faith it
is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
We have no ministers
or priests, but male members are elected or appointed as managing Brothers and
the speaking (or preaching) each Sunday is rotated among the men members.We have no central leadership or headachy,
each Ecclesia (Ecclesia is Greek and means a religious congregation) is
autonomous and self-governing.
We meet on a
statement of faith, which was in use prior to 1898.At this time there was a division brought about by a doctrinal
difference in what made man accountable to the resurrection and the Judgment
Seat of Christ.Those who broke away
are identified as the Amended Christadelphians because they amended or
changed the statement of faith to include those who have a knowledge of the
scripture but have not been baptized to appear at the judgment.There are several separate and distinct
groups of Amended Christadelphians the largest being called the Central
Fellowship.
A note about this page
This page and
its contents are the my responsibility, my intent is to clearly define the
Scriptural meaning of the Gospel which is the Good News and Glad Tidings
concerning the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ; in contrast to present day
theology.
E-MAIL ME
About the
contents of this page or for additional information or available books or
pamphlets
I will pay a
$500.00 reward to anyone who can show by Book, Chapter and Verse in any of the
following translations of the Bible, the King James, New International, Revised
Standard editions wheretheterm or phrase IMMORTAL SOUL is
found.
Immortality of
the Soul is NOT taught in the Bible, it is a fable and a fallacy which has been
taught by such pagan cultures as the Egyptians and the Greeks. Plato is perhaps
the most recognized individual who taught that the soul was immortal
Quotation from
the Historian Gibbon
Even with the
originators of the doctrine of the immortally of the soul, it was a matter of
expediency rather than one of truth. As Gibbon says, With the people the
ignorant masses - it was equally true, with the philosophers equally false,
and with the statesmen equally necessary. The Pious Fraud was used as a
means in the hands of philosophers and statesmen to Intimidate the common and
ignorant masses. With them the policy was to do evil that good might cometo
teach lies as productive of supposed good results. They would seem to have
reasoned thus : We must persuade the masses that they have or are immortal or
never-dying souls, and that if they do not obey the laws of the State, their
souls will be preserved in misery eternally in the fires ofTartarus; but if they are obedi-ent to the
laws of their superiors, then their souls will be taken to the happiness of the
Elysium fields. hence Plato, alluding to this sentiment, says, If falsehood be
indeed of no service to the gods, yet useful to men in the form of a drug. it
is plain that such a thing should be touched only by physicians, hat not
meddled with by private persons. To the Governors of the State then (if to any)
it especially belongs to speak falsely, for the good of the State, whereas, for
till the rest, they must venture on no such thing. It is said that Cicero, on
the authority of Plato, taught that not to deceive for the public good was
wickedness
Note references
regarding soul in scripture.
The word soul is
found 458 times in 432 verses, never proceeded by the word or term immortal,
the Old Testament word for soul is NEPHESH, (H 5315) and means breath, breathing
creature, lust, me, mind ect, the New Testament word is PSUCHE (G 5590) and
means breath or spirit, heart or mind..
Souls in
scripture souls are said to breath, to live to die, to drown souls are
numbered, souls eat blood ect.
Gen 2:7And 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.
Ezek 18:4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of
the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall
die.
Eccl 3:19For 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 hath no preeminence above a
beast: for all is vanity.
Eccl 9:10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it
with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in
the grave, whitherthou goest.
Psa 49:12Nevertheless man being in honour abideth
not: he is like the beasts that perish.
Psa 49:13 This their way is their folly: yet their
posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
Psa 49:14Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death
shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the
morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
These are a few
of the verses that show the nature of man (more on request)
The word hell
was translated from the word Sheowl in the Old testament and means H7592; hades
or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), includ. its
accessories and inmates:--grave, hell, pit. To cover or to hide.In the New Testament 067. geenna,
gheh-en-nah; of Heb. or [H1516 and H2011]; valley of (the son of) Hinnom;
gehenna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerus., used (fig.) as a name for the place
(or state) of everlasting punishment:--hell.Gehenna was the garbage dump for Jerusalem.The translators of the King James were honest enough to put in
the margin the correct word for Hell.
Eccl 9:10Whatsoever 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.
Isa 26:14They are dead, they shall not live; they are
deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them,
and made all their memory to perish.
Isa 14:4That thou shalt take
up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor
ceased! the golden city ceased!
Isa 14:10All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art
thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Isa 14:11Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and
the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover
thee. Isa 14:12How art thou fallen
from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the
ground, which didst weaken the nations! Isa 14:13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of
the congregation, in the sides of the north:(note the Heaven here refers to the lofty place he attained as emperor)
Lucifer or the
King of Babylons end is shown in,
Isa 14:15Yet thou shalt be
brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit Isa 14:16They that see thee shall narrowly look upon
thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to
tremble, that did shake kingdoms; Isa 14:17That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof;
that opened not the house of his prisoners? Isa 14:18All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory,
every one in his own house. Isa 14:19But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the
raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to
the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Isa 14:20Thou shalt not be joined with them in
burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of
evildoers shall never be renowned.
Rev 12:9And the great dragon
was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth
the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out
with him.
This verse if used to prove an immortal devil has some problems, first
in the beginning of the book of Revelation which was given to John in AD 98
states
Rev 1:1The Revelation of Jesus
Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must
shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his
servant John:
This would mean that the Devil and his angels would have resided along
side God in Gods dwelling place (Heaven) until after AD 98 .
If theology is correct and the Devil resides in a burning Hell, then
Hell was in Heaven until after 98 AD.Actually the book of Revelation is a book of symbol.In order to be understood the book of Daniel
must first be studied.
Additionally the word Devil .is translated from
1228. diabolos, dee-ab-ol-os; from G1225; a traducer; spec. Satan
[comp. H7854]:--false accuser, devil, slanderer.
Satan translated from
G4566 (with the def. affix); the accuser, i.e. the devil:--Satan.
The two verses
most commonly used to prove the trinity are
1 John 5:7For there are three
that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these
three are one.
1 John 5:8And there are three
that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these
three agree in one.
NOTE
This text concerning the heavenly witnesses is not contained in any
Greek manuscript which was written earlier than the 15 th century it is not
cited by any of the Greek ecclesiastical writers; nor by any of the early Latin
writers even when the subject dealt with would have naturally led them to
appeal to its authority and are therefore spurious, meaning added.(from the translation The Emphatic Diaglott
footnote)
Deu 6:4Hear, O Israel: The
LORD our God is one LORD:
Mark 12:29And Jesus answered
him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our
God is one Lord:
Exo 20:2I am the LORD thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exo 20:3Thou shalt have no
other gods before me.
Mat 26:39And he went a little
farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as
thou wilt.
Mark 13:32But of that day and
that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither
the Son, but the Father.
(Comment)
If Christ was Co-Equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit why would he
make this statement
Consider this, if God was composed of three
co-equal-co-powerful-co-eternal immortal beings, on what basis was the decision
made that one (the Son) should be sent to be crucified.This is an impossibility for Immortal means
Cannot Die
Rom 5:8But God commendeth his
love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Therefore if Christ was one third of the trinity his death was a farce
in that being immortal he could not die, however scripture testifies that he did
die
CHRIST THE SON OF GOD NOT GOD THE
SON
Christ himself states 47 times in the New Testament (KJ) that he is the
SON of God (references on request)
By decree of
Constantine, (a PAGAN ) at the Council of Nicaea the Trinity became a doctrine
of the church, without any scriptural support or proof.
Trinity or
Christ being consubstantial with God the Father decided by VOTE by
council convened by the Emperor Constantine in 325 AD, note Constantine was a
PAGAN until three days before his death when he was baptized as a Christian.
(note that this
was by a VOTE not by any scriptural evidence)
From Microsoft
Encarta
Time Line 325 AD
First Council of Nicaea
Held in 325, this first ecumenical council was
convened by Constantine the Great, emperor of Rome, to settle the Arian dispute
concerning the nature of Jesus Christ (see Arianism) Of the 1800 bishops in the Roman Empire, 318 attended the council.
The Nicene Creed, which defined the Son as consubstantial with the
Father, was adopted as the official position of the church regarding the divinity
of Christ. The council also fixed the celebration of Easter on the Sunday
after the Jewish Pesach, or Passover, and granted to the bishop of Alexandria, Egypt authority in the East in
the fashion of Romes quasi-patriarchal authority, which was not, as sometimes
erroneously stated, the same as that of the pope. In this granting of authority
lay the origin of the patriarchies.
IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH ?
Job 14:14,15If a man die,
shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my
change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire
to the work of thine hands.
Psa 50:4,5He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth,
that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that
have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Rom 2:6Who will render to
every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7To them who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal
life:
1 Cor 15:16-18For if the dead
rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is
vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ
are perished.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of
them that slept.
1 Cor 15:21,22For since by man
came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead, For as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Rom 6:4,5Therefore we are
buriedwith him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his
death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
HEAVEN NOT THE PLACE OF ETERNAL
REWARD
John 7:33Then said Jesus unto
them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
John 7:34Ye shall seek me, and
shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like
manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
John 14:3And 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.
Rev 5:10And hast made us unto
our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the EARTH
. Rev 20:6Blessed and holy is
he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with
him (on earth) a thousand years.
Scripture teaches Christ will return to the Earth (second advent) his
Kingdom will be established on the earth and he will reign with his redeemed
saints for a thousand years
NoteOnly a portion of
supporting scriptures for any subject ;have been given due to space
limitations, for those who are interested in more complete references they will
be supplied on request by subject.In
addition I have many books (on CD) and booklets that are available by request
BOOKS
LIST OF BOOKS ON CD
Please note
thatthese authors (Dr Thomas, J J
Andrew, Thomas Williams, Robert Roberts) all wrote over 100 years ago, some of
the historic events that they applied to fulfilled prophecy have been shown to
be incorrect, however their interpretation on doctrine is as true today as it
was then.Also it is important to see
when the books were written as the author may have (and in some cases) He did
change his views or interpretation of certain doctrines
Books by
Dr Thomas
Anastasis
Elpis Israel
Eureka (5
volumes)
Exposition of
Daniel
Phanerosis
By Thomas
Williams
Adamic
Condemnation
Burning
Questions
Selected works
of T Wms
The Great
Salvation
Worlds
Redemption
By Robert
Roberts
Christendom
Astray
Edited out pages
from original copy Christendom Astray
Ecclesial Guide
The Law of Moses
Thirteen
Lectures
The Robert Andrew
Debate
By A Hall
Eden to Eden
By J.J Andrew
Blood of the
Covenant
Articles by JJ A
Articles from
Sanctuary Keeper
Doctrine of
Atonement
The Real
Christ( note an early publication,
author changed views in later book Blood of Covenant)
By James Farrar
The Way of The
Tree Of Life
The Diaglott
(need a PDF reader)
Word 97 reader
THE GREAT SALVATION
An excellent book to learn what
God requires for salvation, many questions are answered all with scriptural
references for support.
In fact I want
to show you-dont get angry-that for to learn the religion of the Bible is to
discard the popular religion of Christendom. Now, come and let us reason
together.
Perhaps you will
have done like many others-concluded that it does not make any difference what
our religious belief is if we are honest and sincere; but it is the
hopelessness of reconciling the many religious creeds with themselves, and
nearly all of them with the Bible that has driven many to say, Well, it makes
no difference. But your common-sense will tell you that it does make a
difference whether you believe the truth or believe a falsehood, whether you
believe God or not; and the religious world, by its actions, shows that it
makes a difference what is believed, for they send missionaries to change the
belief of the heathen, and also to the Jews to change their belief, so that
they may believe that Jesus is the Christ.
If it makes a
difference what we believe then we can see why the Bible has been g i v e n to
guide us into the Truth; and the Bible itself says that our salvation depends
upon our belief of the gospel as revealed in its pages.
1.Thess. 5:
21-Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Jude 3-Beloved
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Rom. 1: 16-For I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto
salvation TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH.
Mark 16: 16-He
that believeth (the 1) and is baptized shall be saved; that believeth not shall
be condemned.
Now, reader, do
not run away with the delusion that one man can believe one gospel and another
can believe another gospel;
That is, the
gospel our Saviour commanded to be preached; the gospel-not a gospel; not any
gospel you please, but the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. And think
of this:
Gal. 1:6 1
marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel
from heaven preach any other gospel unto you THAN THAT WE HAVE PREACHED UNTO
YOU, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.
Now he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him (Heb. 11: 6); and it is life eternal to know Thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent (John 17: 3); and therefore it will
not do to believe in any other god or in any other Christ, for that would be
idolatry.
Is what the
religious world believes in, which is the same as to believe in a trinity of
Gods, which, further, is the same as to believe in three Gods; for they say that
each is co-equal and coeternal, and how can there be three co-equals and
co-eternals unless there are three Gods? Reason, reader, you have a right to.
God has invited you to reason and it is only a false way out of a difficulty
to say it is irreverent to pry into these matters.
Proof: Deut. 6:
4; Mark 12: 29-Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.
I.Cor. 8: 6-But
to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things.
Eph. 4: 6-One
God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
John 17: 3-And
this is Iiife eternal, that they might know thee the only true God.
Do you think
that if Christ was co-equal and co-eternal with God and therefore God very God
He would have addressed the Father as the only true God? That would have been
one co-equal telling another co-equal that He was the only true God. where
then would lie the co-equality?
Luke 1: 35-The
Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee; thereore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called
THE SON OF GOD.
Matt. 3: 17-This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
John 3: 35-The
Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
Acts 2: 22-Jesus
of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles.
I. Tim. 2: 5 One
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Gal. 4: 4-God
sent forth his Son, made of a woman.
I. Cor. 15:
21-By man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
Rom. 5: 15-The
gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Jesus was not
God, very God, as the creed of the religious world claims; for He Himself
disavows any such claim. How could God be tempted like as we are? How could God
die and be buried? Do not allow yourself to be deceived by the sophistry that it
was His humanity that was tempted died and was buried, as if He Himself was
not; for that would be admitting that He escaped temptation and death and that
the Christ of popular religion did not die-could not die, being immortal;
that only His body-not-He-died. The Bible says Christ died, Christ was buried,
etc.; and what is the use of perverting such language to suit a religion that
is far astray from the Bible? Instead of Christ being co-equal and co-eternal
with God, God very God, He
The Holy Spirit
is not a third part of a Triune God, but Gods power effluence and influence.
It is said that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with
power. Now, reader, we appeal to your common sense. If each-God Christ and the
Holy Spirit-were God very God, co-equal and co-eternal, how could the first
be said to anoint the second with the third in order to impart power from the
first to the second through the third? If they were co-equal, the imparting of
power from one to another would destroy the co-equality. If they were
co-equal what power would one have to impart to another that the other was
not already in possession of?Will your
common sense allow you to be-
pg 4
lieve that one
of three co-equals anointed a second co-equal with a third co-equal? Can you
think for a moment that one person anointed a second person with a third
person? Note the following testimonies:
Psa. 104:
30-Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created.
Job 33: 4 -The
Spirit of God bath made me, and the breath of the Almighty bath given me life.
Luke 1: 35-The
Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: there-fore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God.
Acts 10: 38-God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.
There is,
therefore, only one God and Father of all; and Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
having been begotten of God through the Holy Spirit. God was the one who begat;
the Holy Spirit was the power or influence emanating from Him under the
direction of His will in the begettal; and Christ was the Son of God begotten,
who, after growing in wisdom and stature, was made perfect by the things which
he suffered (Heb. 2:10).
Now, dear
reader, I want to appeal to you upon another subject. You know that it is the
belief of the religious world that man is an immortal soul, and that when death
takes place the real man does not die he simply forsakes his body and continues
to live without a body. If he has been good man, he goes to heaven to live in
happiness; if he has been a bad man, he goes to hell (supposed to be a place of
torment) to live in misery. Now, just think for a moment. The Bible says there
is to be a day of judgment.
Eccl. 3; 17-I
said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is
a time there for every purpose and for every work.
II.Cor. 5; 10-For we must all appear
before the judgment scat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things in
body, according to that he hath done, whether good or bad.
This judgment,
you must know, is not at death, but at the second coming of Christ:
II.Tim. 4: 1-1 charge thee therefore
before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at
his appearing and his kingdom.
Matt. 25:
31-When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be
gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats.
Here is proof
that the judgment of good and bad is to take place when Christ comes back to
the earth. So it follows they have not yet been judged. Now, then, to return to
the point. If it be true that the good go to happiness when they die (and have
to die to get there)! and the bad go to misery when they die, what is the
judgment for? I appeal, reader, to your reason. Can you believe that God will
reward and punish good and bad men for thousands of years and then call them to
judgment? You will possibly say, 0 well, God knows where to put them when they
die as well as He will at the judgment day. Granted; but if it is a question
of
pg5
His knowledge,
why has he provided a day of judgment at a set time? Do you not think there is
something wrong with a theory that represents God as arranging in His plan for
a day of judgment in which He will reward every man according as His work shall
be (Rev. 22: 12), and yet rewarding some for hundreds of years before that day
of judgment arrives?
Now the Bible
will help us out of this difficulty, and the first step is to believe that man
is mortal, a creature of the dust.
I.Cor. 15: 47-The first man is of the
earth, earthy.
Gen. 2: 7-And
the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.
Gen. 3: l9 For
out of it (dust) wast thou taken; for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.
Job 33: 6 I also
am formed out of clay.
Gen. 3:
23-Therefore the Lord God sent him(Adam) forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he
was taken.
Gen.18:27-And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak
unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes.
Job 4: 17-Shall
mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his maker?
Job 10:
9-Remember, I beseech thee that thou has made me as the clay; and wilt thou
bring me Into dust again?
Psa. 103: 14-For
he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Now do not
forget that ~ all this is said of man-not of the house that man is supposed to
dwell in for a time, as if man were one thing and his body another. It was the
man that was formed out of the dust.
It is the man
that is of the earth, earthy.
It is the man
that is formed out of clay.
It is the man
that is dust and ashes.
Now the second
step out of the difficulty presented is to believe that
Job 30: 23-For I
know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all
living.
Job 7. 1-Is
there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the
days of an hireling?
Psa 89 48 What
man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul
(himself) from the hand of the grave?
Eccl 3:19 20-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.
Isa. 40: 6 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.
Eccl 9.
10-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.
Psa. 6: 5-In
death there is no remembrance of thee, in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
Eccl. 9:
5-Forthe living know that they shall
die; but the dead know not any thing.
Psa. 146: 3,
4-Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, m whom there is no
help; his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth;
pg 6
IN THAT VERY DAY
HIS THOUGHTS PERISH
Isa. 38: 18,
19-The grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down
into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Now, you see,
the Bible having taught us that, instead of death being a continuation of life
some where off the earth, it is the cessation of life; and instead of men going
to happiness or misery when they die, they go to the grave, we are helped out
of the absurdity of believing that good and bad are rewarded and punished
before they are judged. It clear now that, instead of the faithful dead having
gone to heaven to continue to live, these all died in the faith, not having
received the promises (Heb. 11:3).
Now, dear
reader, do not, like many, get angry and denounce us as materialism, and say,
If man in death is no better than the beasts-is as dead as the beasts
are-there can be no future life; for that is just what some in Corinth said;
and Paul said they were fools for doing so. Paul argued with the Corinthians
that the dead were dead, and proved that if there was no resurrection even
those who had died in Christ had perished (I. Cor. 5:18),gone for ever-an
impossibility if they had gone to a heaven of happiness.
Now if there is
to be a resurrection of the dead and a gathering of those who are alive at
Christs return to judge the quickened the dead, then our difficulty gone, the
wisdom of God shines rightly and the Bible is a book of consistency and
beautiful harmony.
Job 19: 25, 26-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.
Psa. 49: 15-But
God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave.
Isa. 28: 19-Thy
dead men shall live, together with my de ad body shall they arise. Awake and
sing, ye that dwell in dust.
Dan. 12: 2-And
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Phil. 3: 10,
11-That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,* * * if by any means
I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
I.Cor. 15: 16, 18-For if the dead rise
not, then is not Christ raised; then they also which are fallen asleep in
Christ ARE PERISHED.
While it is
clear from the testimonies given that man is mortal and absolutely destitute of
immortality, and that in death he is dead and therefore unconscious, our hope
of immortality must be through the resurrection, and immortality is therefore a
matter of hope for the righteous only, and not an inherent possession of saint
and sinner alike. Immortality is Gods nature. He is The King eternal,
immortal, invisible (I. Tim. 1: 17), who only hath immortality (I. Tim. 6:
16). It is therefore a holy nature befitting righteous beings only; for God
would surely not impart His own holy nature to wicked and depraved beings
II.Pet. 1: 4-whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of
the divine NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust.
I.John 3: 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.
Phil. a: 20,
21-For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
LIKE UNTO HIS GLORIOUS BODY.
Luke 20: 35,
36-But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage neither
can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels and are the children
of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Rom. 2: 6, 7-who
(God) will render to every man according to his deeds; to them who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal
life.
I.Cor. 15: 51-54-Behold I show you a
mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, 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 shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Now the word
immortality is found only six times in the Bible, and never once is used as a
prefix to the word soul in the oft-repeated form we hear from men immortal
soul. First, it is said that God is immortal (I. Tim. 1:17). Second, that God
only hath immortality (I. Tim. 6: 16). Third, that Christ abolished death (in
Himself), and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (II.
Tim. 1: 10). Fourth, that we must by well doing seek for immortality (Rom. 2:
7). Fifth, that immortality will be put on at the resurrection. And, sixth,
that when it is put on death will be swallowed up in victory (I.Cor. 15:
53-57).
Job 14 1 2 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
Psa 39 :5 Behold
thou has made my days as a handbreadth and mine age is as nothing before thee
verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.
Psa. 103: 15-As
for man, his days are as grass as the flower of the field so he flourisheth
Psa. 144: -Man
is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
I.Pet. 1: 24-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.
Jas. 4: 14-For what
is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time and then
vanisheth away.
I.John 2: 25-And this is the promise
that he hath promised us, EVEN
pg 8
ETERNAL LIFE,
through Jesus Christ.
II.Tim. 1: 1-Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, by the will of God according to THE PROMISE OF LIFE which is in Christ
Jesus.
Tit. 1: 2-IN
HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE, which God that cannot lie promised before the world
began.
Tit. 3: 7-That
being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to THE HOPE OF
ETERNAL LIFE.
Ram. 2: 6, 7-Who
will render to every man according to his deeds; to them who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory, honor and immortality, eternal life.
Col. 3: 3, 4-For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God; and when Christ, who is
our life, shall appear, THEN shall ye also appear with him in glory.
John 5: 28,
29-All that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they
that have done good unto the resurrection of life.
Gal. 6: 8-He
that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life ever-lasting.
Luke 20: 35,
36-They which shall he accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage; neither
can they die any mare; for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children
of God, being the children of the resurrection.
A false theory
forces many to attach an erroneous meaning to the phrase eternal life, making
it stand for eternal happiness. While eternal happiness is the sequence of
eternal life, the one must not be confounded with the other. Since the
testimonies given prove that eternal life is the gilt of God to the righteous
only, it follows that those who obtain the precious gift will enjoy a happy
state of being. If wicked men live for ever, they live everlastingly; and
surely to live everlastingly is eternal life. The place where they live can
make no difference as to the duration of life. If we ask those who are
unreasonable enough to believe in the eternal conscious existence of all wicked
and depraved men, do you believe the wicked will be tormented eternally? they
will answer yes. Then do you not believe they will live eternally in torment?
Yes. Then if they live eternally, will not that be eternal life in torment? The
difference, therefore, between the righteous and the wicked is only one of
place and state in which they live eternally-both having eternal life, the one
in happiness and the other in misery. Compare this theory with the testimonies
given above, and it will be seen that it is far astray from the Word of God,
which teaches that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Everlasting life for those who believe. No everlasting life for those who do
not believe; but they perish.
DEPRAVED WHO ARE NOT AMENABLE DIE AND REMAIN DEAD.
Psa. 49: 12, 14,
20-Man being in honor abidieth not; he is like the beasts that perish. * * * 7
Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them, and The
upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall
consume in the grave from their dwelling. * 7* * Man that is in honor, and
understandeth not, is LIKE THE BEASTS THAT PERISH.
Isa. 26: 13,
14-0 Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us; but by
thee only will we make mention of thy name. They are dead, They SHALL NOT LIVE;
they are deceased, THEY SHALL NOT RISE therefore hast thou visited and
destroyed them and made all their memory to perish.
pg 9
Prov. 21: 1~The
man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the
congregation of the DEAD.
Jer. 51: 39,
57-In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that
they may rejoice and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not awake, saith the Lord. *
* * And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her
rulers, and her mighty men; they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not awake,
saith the king, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
Obadiah 16-For
as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually,
yea, they shall drink and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though
they had not been.
Rom. 2: 12-For
as many as have sinned without law shall perish without law; and as many as
have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.
If these testimonies
are accepted a question that has baffled the understanding of many will be
solved. What will become of the heathen? has troubled those who have received
from their forefathers and their theological fathers the tradition that every
human being is an immortal soul, that must either bask in bliss or writhe in
pain to all eternity. Consistency will not allow the belief that the thousands
of wretched beings in human form go to heaven; for that would make the supposed
future abode of the saints unfit for decent people. To preserve them in
torture, on the other hand, would be no more just and reasonable than to do the
same with the beasts of the field. How can you, dear reader, believe that the
savage is possessed of Gods holy nature? which he is if he has an immortal
soul. To reason with the belief that every human being once alive is always
alive is to be driven to the conclusion that the vast majority of the human
family is to be preserved in misery, and thus perpetuate a monstrous evil in
Gods fair universe. It can never be harmonized with the wisdom, goodness and
power of God.
Accept the
testimony, then, both of Scripture and reason,that those who have lived the life of mere animals also die the death of
the beasts of the field and all is clear.
AND THE LIVING, WILL BE DESTROYED AFTER JUDGMENT
AND CONDEMNATION.
Acts 24: 15 And
have hope towards God, which they themselves also allow that there shall be a
resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.
II.Cor. 5: 10-For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things in
body according to that be hath done whether it be good or bad
Rom 6 23 For the
wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord
Ezek 184 Behold all souls are mine as the soul of
the father so also the soul of the son is mine the soul that sinneth IT SHALL
DIE
Prov. 16:
25-There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the
ways of death.
Psa 37.10 20-For yet a little while and the Wicked
shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not
be. * * *But the wicked shall perish
and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs; they shall consume;
into smoke shall they consume away.
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. * * *And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be
ashes under the soles of your feet.
Matt. 13: 40-As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end
of this world.
Matt. 3:
12-Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather
his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable
fire.
II.Thess. 1: 7-9-And to you who are
troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with
his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power.
Now, a great
many people will, when they are confronted with testimonies to prove that man
is mortal, that he dies and is unconscious, and that the wicked are destroyed,
proceed to theorize that such testimonies refer to the body only-not to the
Soul or real man. But, reader, can you satisfy yourself in the belief that God
has taken so much pains to tell us that the body, as a mere house in which the
man resides, dies? that when the Scriptures speak of the dead knowing not any
thing it is simply the body that is unconscious, while the real man continues
alive and conscious? Can you be fully persuaded that when it is said the
enemies of the Lord shall be consumed like the fats of lambs and burnt up root
and branch it means that it is the body only that is consumed and destroyed,
while the man, the responsible man, is not? Such a Position would place the
punishment upon that, which, according to the theory held, is in no way
responsible, while the responsible man would be exempt. If the soul is the man
separate from the body, and the body is not the thinking part of man, why
should it be said that the body becomes unconscious? Is it not that which is
conscious when it is alive that becomes unconscious when dead? Is it not that
which is responsible for sins committed that suffers destruction as punishment?
It is the man, which is a being of bodily form, made and kept alive by the
Spirit of God, which gives life to all living beings, that dies, becomes
unconscious in death, is raised from the dead, judged according to his deeds,
given eternal life if worthy, punished with eternal death-the opposite of
eternal life-if unworthy.
You will,
however, ask, What is the soul? Why is it that it is claimed that the soul is
immortal? And so we will briefly deal with the question of the soul.
PROPOSITION 16.
THE SOUL IS NOT IMMORTAL, BUT IS THE MORTAL,
BODILY BEING CALLED MAN.
This proposition
gives the primary meaning of soul as used in the Bible; but the word is also
used for life and mind, and it is applied to animals as well as to man.
We quote the
following from the Emphatic Diaglott:
pg 11
The Hebrew word
nephesh, of the Old Testament, occurs about 700 times, and is rendered soul 471
times, life and living about 150 times; and the same word is also rendered a
man, a person, self, they, me, him, anyone, breath, heart, mind, appetite, the
body (dead or alive), lust, creature, and even a beast; for it is 28 times
applied to beasts and to every creeping thing. The Greek word psuche of the New
Testament corresponds with nephesh of the Old. It occurs 105 times, and is
rendered soul 59 times and life 40 times. The same word is also rendered mind,
us, you, heart, heartily, and is twice applied to the beasts that perish.
Psuchicas, an adjective derived from pusche, occurs 6 times, and is translated
natural and sensual; it is properly translated animal in modern translations.
Perhaps it may be worthy of notice that in all the 700 times which nephesh
occurs, and the 105 times of psuche, not once is the word immortal or
immortality or deathless or never-dying found in connection as qualifying the
term.
Numb. 31: 28-And
levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle; one
soul of five hundred, of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and
of the sheep.
Gen. 1: 20-(The
very first place where the word nephesh, the word rendered soul occurs) And God
said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life
(nephesh, soul, see margin), and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open
firmament of heaven.
Gen. 1: 30-And
to every beast of The earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing
that creepeth upon the earth wherein there is life (margin living soul) I have
given every green herb for meat.
Gen. 2: 19-And
Adam called (named) every living creature (Hebrew nephesh, soul).
Gen. 9: 10-And I
will establish my covenant with every living creature (Hebrew nephesh, soul)
that is with you of fowl, of cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you.
See also verses 15, 16.
Job 12 :10-In
whose hand is the soul of every livingthing and the breath of all mankind.
Josh 10:28: And
that day Hoshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword; and the
king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein.
See also verses 30, 32, 35, 37, 39.
Judges 16-
16-And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words and urged
him, so that his soul was vexed unto death
Job 7: 1~So that
my soul chooseth strangling and death rather than my life
Psa 33. 19-To
deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine
Psa 78- 50-He
made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death
Isa 53 12
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the
spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death
Ezek 13- 19-And
will ye pollute me amongmy people for
handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not
die, and to save the souls alive that should not live?
Ezek 18-
4-Behold all souls are mine- as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the
son is mine; the soul that sinneth it shall die.
Verse 27- Again
when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed,
and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive
Matt. 26: 38-My
soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death.
Jas 5: 20-Let
him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall
save a soul from death
Rev. 16: 3-And
the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood
of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea.
SOULS DESTRUCTIBLE AND DESTROYED.
Psa 35:17 Lord
how long wilt thou look on?Rescue my
soul from their destructions.
pg 12
Psa. 63: 9-But
those that seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the
earth.
Acts 3: 2~And it
shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be
destroyed from among the people.
In the following
testimonies the Hebrew word nephesh and the Greek word psuche, which are so
frequently rendered soul, are rendered life. Substitute the word soul for life
in the reading of these and it will be seen that, instead of soul being
indestructible and immortal, it is the opposite.
Ex. 4: 19-Go,
return into Egypt; for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
Matt. 2: 20-For
they are dead which sought the young childs life.
Mark 3: 4-Is it
lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill
(life or soul)?
Rev. 8: 9-And
the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life (soul)
died.
Rev. 12: 11-And
they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives (souls) unto the death
Job 33: 1~He
keepeth back his soul from the pit (grave) and his life from perishing by the
sword. Also verses 28, 30.
Psa. 16: 10-For
thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the grave), neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption.
Psa. 30: O Lord,
thou has brought up my soul from the grave; thou hast kept me alive that I
should not go down to the pit. The pit and the grave are here synonymous;
also my soul, and me and I.
Psa. 49: 1 But
God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for he shall receive me.
Psa. 89: 48-What
man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul
(himself) from the band of the grave?
Isa. 38: 17,
18-Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption 7 * * *
for the grave can-not praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee; they that go
down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Act 2: 31-He
seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not
left in hell (grave), same word as is translated grave in I. Cor. 15: 55.
Now, dear
reader, by these testimonies you will see that the various ways in which the
soul is spoken of in the Bible leaves no room whatever for the doctrine of the
immortality of the soul. Think a moment. Is it not strange that in all the
instances in which the word soul occurs it is never once spoken of as immortal?
To find the phrase immortal soul you must close your Bible and open
theological books; and these will direct you to the words of heathen
philosophers as the authors from whom the phrase came. You do not hear
popular teachers in our times speaking of souls dying, being destroyed, going
to the grave and coming out of the grave. They say the soul is never dying,
immortal, does not go to the grave and is not delivered from the grave. Take,
for instance, the word life in Matt. 6: 25, where the Greek word is psuche-the
word which in other places is rendered soul-and try if you can make it suit the
doctrine of the immortality of the soul. It would read, Take no thought for
your (immortal) soul.
Try it again in
Matt. 16: 25, 26, of which Dr. Adam Clarks says: On what authority many have
translated the word psuche
pg 13
in the 25th
verse life and in this 26th verse soul I know not. If, as is
claimed, that the word psuche means immortal soul, then these verses would
read, For whosoever will save his immortal soul shall lose it; and whosoever
will lose his immortal soul for my sake shall find it, etc.
Ponder over the
following questions and see the folly of the doctrine of the immortality of the
soul:
Since the Bible
speaks of a living man (Gen. 2: 7) as a living soul, and a dead man as a dead
soul (Numb. 6: 6; 9: 10) (the word body in these verses is from nephesh), and
since Paul defines a living soul to be a natural body (I. Cor. 15: 44, 45), how
can you speak of the soul as immortal, deathless?
The phrase
living soul occurs fourteen times in the original Scriptures and twice it is
applied to man (Gen. 2: 7: I. Cor. 15: 44); once to fish (Rev. 16: 3) and
eleven times to the beasts of the field (Gen. 1: 20, 21, 24, 30; 2: 19; 9: 10,
12, 15, 16; Lev.
11: 10, 46). In
view of this can you persuade yourself that living soul means immortal soul?
If the word soul
signifies immortality, why is the word immortal added to it by those who use
the phrase immortal soul? This is the same as if they were to say immortal
immortality.
If to have a
soul is to have immortality, then the beasts have immortality; for they are
said to have souls, as you will see by the verses already quoted and the
following:
Numb. 31: 28;
Job 12: 10; Prov. 12:10 (The word life is from nephesh, soul)
Popular teachers
say the soul is mortal. They cannot give you their description of man without
using the words immortal soul; and yet Moses, the prophets, Christ and His
apostles never used the words in all the nearly one thousand times they use the
word soul. Immortal was never a prefix to the word soul with them.
The Bible speaks
of soul being born (Ex 12 19) of souls dying (Rev 16 3)of souls being in the
grave (Psa 89 48) of souls being raised from the dead (Acts 2 31) of souls
having blood (Jer 2 34) of souls breathing (Josh 1111) of souls being slain with the sword (Josh 10 28 29) of souls
eating and drinking (Lev 7 20 Isa 32 6) of souls committing carnal abominations
(Lev 18 29)of souls expiring (Job 31
39 margin) of souls being burnt with fire (Isa 47 14 margin)of souls fasting (Psa 35 13) of souls having
flesh (Lev 1715 16) of souls having
hands (Lev 22 :6) of souls having mouths (Psa 103: 2,5) of souls having lips
(Lev 5 4) of beasts having souls (Deut 12: 23)Hebrew nephesho, of souls being put in fetters of iron (Psa 105 18,
margin)and of fish having souls (Rev 8
9 Greek psuche soul) In view of such Bible descriptions of souls how is it
possible nay is it not preposterous to talk about souls being immortal and
immaterial?
Dear reader, you
may think, that all great and good men are against us upon this question, and
this may have weight on your mind, as it has with many; and they say, 0 well,
if great men believe in the immortality of the soul it is no use for us to deny
it, for they ought to know. This is by no means a proper view to take. We must
allow God to be true though all may thereby be proved liars. However, to show
you that all great men have not believed in the doctrine and that some have
protested against it. I will reproduce a list of quotations from the
Declaration
pg 14
PROPOSITION 17.
MANY LEARNED MEN DENYTHE IMMORTALITY OFTHE SOUL, AND SHOWTHAT IT CAME FROM A HEATHEN SOURCE.
Herodotus, the
oldest historian, writes as follows:
The Egyptians
say that Ceres (the goddess of corn), and Bacehus (the god of wine), hold the
chief sway in the infernal regions; and the Egyptians also were the first who
asserted the doctrine that the soul of man is immortal-Herodotus, page 144.
Mosheim says
Its first
promoters argued from that known doctrine of the Platonic school, which was
also accepted by Origen and his disciples, that the divine nature was diffused
through all human souls. Ecclesiastical History, Volume 1, page 86.
Justin Martyr
(150 A.D.) said:
For if you have
conversed with some that are indeed called Christians and do not maintain these
opinions, but even dare to blaspheme the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob, and say that there is no resurrection of the dead, but
that the souls, as soon as they leave the body, are received up into heaven,
TAKE CARE THAT you do NOT LOOK UPON THESE. But I, and all those Christians that
are really orthodox in every respect, do know that there will be a resurrection
of the body and a thousand years in Jerusalem, when it is built again and
adorned and enlarged, as Ezekiel and Esaias and the rest of the prophets
declare.-Dialogue with Trypho, the Jew, section 80.
An extract from
a canon which was passed under Leo X. by the Council of Lateran shows that the
doctrine of an immortal soul that lives when the man is dead was supported in
those days, as it generally has been since, by the authority of creeds rather
than the Word of God:
Some have dared
to assert, concerning the nature of the reasonable soul that it is mortal; we,
with the approbation of the sacred council, do condemn and reprobate all such,
seeing, according to the canon of Pope clement the Fifth (not according to the
Bible) the soul is immortal; and we strictly inhibit all from dogmatizing otherwise;
and we decree that all who adhere to the like erroneous assertions shall be
shunned as heretics.-Caranga, page 412, 1681.
Martin Luther,
ironically responding to the decree of the Council of the Lateran held during
the pontificate of Pope Leo, says:
I permit the
pope to make articles of faith for himself and his faithful-such as the soul is
the substantial form of the human body, the soul is immortal, with all those
monstrous opinions to be found in the Roman dunghill of decretals.-Luthers
Works, Volume 2, folio 107, Wittenberg, 1562.
In an old work
printed in 1772, entitled Historical View of the Intermediate State, on page
348, when speaking of Martin Luthers belief in relation to the state of the
dead between death and resurrection, it is said he held that they lay in a
profound sleep, in which opinion he followed many of the fathers of the
ancient church
In putting
departed souls in heaven, hell and purgatory, you destroy the arguments
wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection. * * * The true faith putteth
the resurrection, which we be warned to look for every hour. The heathen
philosophers, denying that, did put that the souls did ever live. And the pope
joineth the spiritual doctrine of Christ and the fleshly doctrine of
philosophers together-things so contrary that they cannot agree. *** And
because the fleshly pope consenteth into HEATHEN DOCTRINE, therefore he
corrupteth the Scriptures to establish it. 7* * *If the souls be in heaven,
tell me why they
pg 15
be not in as
good case as the angels be. And then what cause is there for the resurrection?
This translator
of the Scriptures into English suffered martyrdom in 1536.
Gibbon declares:
The doctrine of
the immortality of the soul is omitted in the law of Moses.
Gibbon, Volume
1, page 530-1.
George Combs
says:
No idea can be
more erroneous than to suppose that man is an Immortal being, on account of the
substance of which he is composed.-System of Phrenology, page 595-7.
Parkhurst says:
As a noun nephesh
hath been supposed to signify the spiritual part of man, or what we commonly
call his soul, I must confess that l can find no passage where it hath
undoubtedly this meaning.-Hebrew Lexicon.
Now we have
given proof that even men highly esteemed among men deny and give good reasons
for denying the theory of the souls immortality. Some, however, will turn to
the word spirit, and claim that the Scripture use of this word will sustain
that which they are forced to concede is not supported by the use of the word
soul. So we will ask you to accompany us while we examine the subject under
this heading.
Now, reader, you
may be under the impression that spirit is only applied to man in the
Scriptures; and truly, if it is a word that signifies immortal entity, it ought
never to apply to the beasts in any sense. If we show you testimonies in which
spirit is spoken of as belonging to the beasts as well as to man, then you will
see at once that it cannot have the meaning commonly attached to it.
Now there are
different words in the original Scriptures that are rendered in our translation
spirit. It will therefore be well for me to give these and a brief statement of
the facts as to their meaning and use. To do this I will quote from the
alphabetical appendix of the Emphatic Diaglott a statement whose correctness
you can, with little trouble, test yourself.
THE DEFINITION AND USE OF THE OF
THE WORD SPIRIT AS FOUND IN THE
SCRIPTURES
The Hebrew
world ruach occurs 400 times in the Old Testament, and is rendered spirit 240
times; breath 28 tunes; wind 95 times; mind 6 tunes, and the balance in 18
different ways. The Greek word pneuma has been chosen by the inspired writers
of the New Testament as the equivalent in meaning of ruach. It occurs 385
times, and is the only word rendered spirit, (with two exceptions Matt. 14: 26;
Mark 6: 49). pneuma, like ruach of the Old Testament has four significations.
1It represents primarily the air we
breathe .2It denotes a being as angels 3 It represents an influence from a
being. 4. It indicates a state of feeling It is believed that there is not a
passage where these words rendered spirit occurs but what may be classified
under one of thesesignifications.
Now when it is
said in Gen. 6:17 I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all
flesh wherein is the breath (rauch the Hebrew word often rendered spirit) 0f
life we see that immortal soul or immortal spirit is out of the question;
for all flesh included the beasts of the field. when the wise man declares of
Pg 16
man and beasts
in Eccles. 3: 19, 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 (ruach), you
would certainly not read, yea they have all one immortal spirit. So, also,
when it is said in Jas. 2: 26, For as the body without the spirit (pneuma) is
dead, the meaning is, as you will see by the word breath in the margin, the
body without the breath (or life ) is dead. And surely this is true of all
flesh wherein is the breath or spirit of life.
It was the
breath of life that God breathed into man to make him a living man. Before that
he was a lifeless man. When God takes away the breath of life or the spirit of
life, which all creatures possess, the man becomes as lifeless as he was before
he received the breath of life. Hence Solomon says in Eccles. 12: 7, Then
shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God
who gave it. The word rendered spirit here is the same as is rendered breath
in chapter 3: 19, where it says of man and beasts, yea they have all one
breath (ruach).
The fact that our
translators have rendered the same word (ruach) breath and spirit does not
change the fact that the inspired writers used the same word. A good way for
you to test whether the inspired writers believed as theologians do now-that
spirit means immortal spirit or soul-is to read immortal spirit in the
verses where the words rendered spirit, breath and wind occur. Try
in the
following:
II.Kings 2: 9-And Elisha said, I pray
thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
Job 9: 18-He
will not suffer me to take my breath (ruach).
Job 12: 10-In
whose band is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
Job 27: 3 All
the while my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils.
Job 33: 4 -The
spiritGod bath made me and the breathof the Almighty bath given me life.
Eph. 4: 23-Be
renewed in the spirit of your mind.
Col. 2: 5-For
though I be absent in flesh, yet am I with you in spirit.
Numb. 16: 22-0
God, the God of the spirits of all flesh.
Numb. 27: 16~Let
the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation.
Josh. 5:
1-Neither was there any spirit in them any more because of the of the children
of Israel.
I.Kings 10: 4, 5-When the Queen of Sheba
had seen Solomons wisdom there was no spirit in her.
Psa. 104: 29,
30-Thou takest away their breath (spirit of the beasts, see context) they die
and return to the dust.
We say, a proud
spirit, a haughty spirit, a rebellious spirit, a meek spirit, etc.; but we use
the word for disposition or state of mind, and not for immortal entity. We say
a horse is in good spirits or is a spirited creature; but we do not use the
word as theologians do.
Understanding
spirit to be used for life, we can understand the words, Lord Jesus receive my
(not me) spirit and Stephen fell asleep (Acts 7: 59); and, Jesus, when he had
cried with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost, spirit or life (Matt. 27: 50).
But Jesus died. The spirit was not Jesus; it was that which gave Him life. when
He
pg 17
yielded up the
spirit He yielded up His life and then He-Jesus Himself-died. If the spirit
that He yielded up was Jesus, the Christ, then He did not die, to claim which
would imperil our salvation.
When you seek
the meaning of a Scripture word it is not safe to take the theological meaning;
for Scripture words have been made to serve in giving expression to heathen
doctrines. If you take the radical meaning of spirit as given in the dictionary
you will find it accords with the Scripture use in the primary sense. The
meaning given by Webster for spirit is breath. The meaning the lexicons give of
the Greek and Hebrew words pucursia and ruach-the words which stand for
spirit-is breath. The noun in each case is derived from a verb meaning to
breathe. So when God formed man of the dust of the ground He made him alive by
causing him to breathe His spirit, which all the creatures that went into the
ark possessed (Gen 7:14, 15). When man dies his breath (ruach, spirit) goeth
forth, he returneth to his earth, and in that very day his thoughts perish
(Psa. 146: 4). The spirit of God is everywhere-in the air that surrounds us.
That portion of it which God enables us to appropriate to our use in
respiration (by breathing) is called breath; and as it is by this process of
breathing that we live, it is called the breath or spirit of life It is the
same with all creatures; for, as we have seen, they-man and beasts- have all
one breath (Eccles. 3: 19). So our breath or spirit of life comes from God to
make and keep us alive; and when we die the breath or spirit of life returns to
God who gave it. The giving of it makes us alive, and the taking away of it
leaves us dead.
With these facts
before you, that man is mortal, and that the soul and spirit of man are never
spoken in the Scriptures as immortal, we may now ask you to listen to the use
of the word immortal, so that you may more fully see that immortality is in no
sense mans present possession, andthatthereforeimmortal soul and immortal spirit are
invented phrases-not scriptural.
Now immortality
is spoken of in the Scriptures in various ways. We have already shown
(Proposition 11.) that it is a gift of God to the righteous only; but let us
now look at the use the Bible makes of the word. Following are all the
instances where it is found:
I Tim 117-Now unto the King eternal, immortal,
invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.
I Tim61516-Which in his times he shall show, who is
the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords who only
hath immortality dwelling in the light, etc
II Tim 110 But is now made manifest by the appearing
of our Saviour Jesus Christ who bath abolished death and hath brought life and
IMMORTALITYto light through the gospel
Rom 26 7-Who will render to every man according
to his deeds to
pg 18
them who by
patient continuance in well doing seek for glory, honor and Immortality,
eternal life.
I.Cor 15: 53, 54-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 shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory.
Now, dear
reader, look at this without prejudice, and see, first, that the word immortal
or immortality is never applied to man in his present state. Then consider that
in the first verse quoted immortality is Gods nature. Do you think God would
bestow His divine and holy and indestructible nature upon wicked and depraved
beings? Do you think it is reasonable to believe that beings possessed of Gods
holy nature could be tempted to sin and that God would torture eternally
millions of beings possessed of His own divine nature? Is not such a thought
revolting to a mind that regards God as being holy, just, wise and good, His
nature being the very essence of these attributes?
But now look at
the four verses where the word is used in relation to man. First, immortality
is brought to light through the gospel. Second, it is that which we must seek
for by well doing. Third, we shall put it on at the resurrection. Fourth, when
it is put on death is swallowed up in victory. Thus you will see that such a
boon as to be made partakers of the divine nature is only for those who prove
themselves worthy of it. (Remember that you never read in the Bible the words
immortal soul or immortal spirit). The same is true of eternal life ~ as we
shall next proceed to show.
I.John 2: 25-And this is the promise
that he bath promised us EVEN ETERNAL LIFE, through Jesus Christ.
II.Tim. 1: 1-Paul an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the will of God, according to THE PROMISE OF LIFE which is in Christ
Jesus.
Tit. 1:2 ~IN
HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE, which God that cannot he promised before the world began.
Tit. 3.. 7-That
being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to THE HOPE OF
ETERNAL LIFE.
Rom. 2: 6, 7-Who
will render to every man according to his deeds, to hem who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory, honor and immortality, eternal life.
Col. 3: 3, 4-For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God; and when Christ who is
our life shall appear THEN shall ye also appear with him in glory.
John 5: 28,
29-All that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they
that have done good unto the resurrection of life.
Gal. 6: 8-He
that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.
Luke 20: 35,
36-They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage,
neitheror can they die anymore for they are equal unto the angels; and
are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Your mind will
possibly run to a few texts which say, He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life (John 3: 36). Many quote these to prove the immortality of
the soul; but you will notice that it is added, He that bath not the Son, bath
not life
(I. John 5: 12).
If the first part means, He that hath the Son bath an immortal soul or spirit,
then the last part means, He that bath not the Son bath not an immortal soul or
spirit. Eternal life, therefore, whenever it is possessed, is possessed by the
righteous only. Now if you will compare scripture with scripture you will see
what is meant by the words hath life. Think of this:
He that
believeth on the Son hath the witness (not the thing witnessed) in himself; he
that believeth not God bath made him a liar; because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God bath given to
us eternal life and this life is IN HIS SON
(I. John 5; 10,
11)-not in us yet. We have it in the Son so long as we have Him in our minds
and hearts; but the time when we shall have it in ourselves is seen in the
words. Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who
is our life SHALL APPEAR, THEN shall ye also appear with him in glory (Col. 3:
3, 4).
You will be told
by theologians that eternal life means eternal happiness-not eternal living
existence. It is true that all who
shall be
accounted worthy of eternal living existence will, as a necessary result, enjoy
eternal happiness. Hence by obtaining the former we enjoy the latter: but
eternal life means to live without end; and eternal happiness means to be
always happy.
Now if the
wicked live without end, it matters not where they live; tliey have eternal
life. If you ask theologians,Will
the life of the wicked ever end? they will answer you, No; they will Live in
torment as long as the righteous live in happiness; the difference is only in
the place and state where they live. So that you will see there is in this a
denial of the gospel of eternal life, which says, For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not
perish, but have everlasting life (John 3: 16). There is a strait gate and a
narrow way that leadeth to life-life is at the farther end; not at this
end, in us-and there is a broad gate and a wide way that leadeth to
destruction-not to life in misery.
This will
prepare your mind for the reception of the Scripture teaaching the destiny of
the wicked, which we will now consider
Job 205-8-The triumphing of the wicked is short
and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. He shall perish for ever like
his own dung; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? He shall fly
away as a dream and shall not be found, yea, he shall be chased away as a
vision of the night.
Psa37. 38-But the transgressors shall be
destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psa 37. 10-For
yet a little while and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently
consider his place, and it shall not be.
Psa 37. 20-But
the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord
pg 20
shall be as the
fat of lambs; they shall consume; INTO SMOKE SHALL THEY CONSUME AWAY.
Psa. 145: 20-The
Lord preserveth all them that love him; but all the wicked will he destroy.
Psa. 104: 3~Let
the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.
II. Pet. 2..
12-But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak
evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their
own corruption.
II.Thes. 1: 9, 10-Who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power.
Those who cling
to the terrible theory that God will preserve the wicked eternally in torment
try to evade these plain statements of Scripture by saying that the meaning is
not literal destruction; but that the word destroy must be understood in the
sense we speak of a man who has become a reprobate-his character is destroyed,
he is ruined. You will see that this is not reasonable, because it is the
wicked who are to be destroyed. They are already ruined in the sense referred
to, from the fact that they are the wicked; and it is the destruction of these
that the Scriptures are speaking of.
Then, again,
there is a play upon the words from among the people (Acts 3: 23), as if they
did not mean absolute destruction, but banishment to another region. A
comparison of scripture with scripture will show you how unreasonable this is.
Notice the application of the word destroyed in these texts: And every living
substance was DESTROYED which was upon the face of the ground, both man and
cattle and the creeping things, and the fowl of heaven; and they were DESTROYED
FROM THE EARTH(Gen. 7: 23). If destroyed here as applied to man means
banished to another region, then it must mean the same for all the creatures
named, for the one word is made to serve for what happened to them all.
From force of
education you will now possibly wonder, in view of the foregoing, what is the
meaning of HELL in the Bible. For if the wicked are to be destroyed, such a
place as you have been taught to believe hell to be will not be needed. If the
wicked are not to be preserved alive the popular hell will be of no use. So let
us examine this subject next.
The use the
inspired writers make of the Hebrew and Greek words rendered in our translation
hell must be allowed to determine what they mean by these words. You must
remember that in the Greek there are two words in the original Scriptures-hades
and Gehenna-that are translated by the one word hell. In the Old Testament the
Hebrew word answering to hades is sheol. Now this word is often rendered grave;
and its use in such cases shows that the prophets never understood it to mean a
place of torment for disembodied spirits
SHEOL-GRAVE OR
STATE
OF THE DEAD.
Gen. 37: 35-He
(Jacob) refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave
(sheol) unto my son mourning.
Gen. 42: 38-If
mischief befall him in the way by which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray
hairs with sorrow to the grave (sheol).
I.Sam I. 2:
6-The Lord killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave (sheol) and
bringeth up.
I. I Kings 2: 6-Do therefore according
to thy wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down to the grave (sheol) in
peace.
Job 14: 13-0
that thou wouldest hide me in the grave (sheol), that wouldest keep me secret until
thy wrath be past.
Job 17: 13-If I
wait the grave (sheol) is mine house; I have made my bed in the darkness.
Psa.30: 3-0Lord,thouhas brought up my soul from the grave
(sheol); thou has kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit.
Psa. 49: 14-Like
sheep they are laid in the grave (sheol), death shall feed on them.
Hos. 13: 14-I
will ransom them from the power of the grave (sheol); 0 grave I will be thy
destruction. (Compare with I. Cor. 15: 55).
Eccles. 9:
10-There is no work nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave
(sheol), whither thou goest.
Psa. 31: 17-Let
them be silent in the grave (sheol).
Ezek. 32: 27-And
they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which
are gone down to hell (sheol) with their weapons of war; and they have laid
their swords under their heads. (Hell here is shown to be the grave, by the
fact that the mighty lie there with their swords under their heads, it being
a custom to bury warriors with their swords under their heads).
Psa. 16: 10-For
thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (sheol), neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption. (Peter uses this to prove that Christ was raised
from the grave.-Acts 2: 27, 30-3:2).
From these
testimonies it is clear that the inspired writers had no idea of a place of
eternal torment being represented by the word sheol. Just substitute the place
of eternal torment for the word sheol in these texts and you will see how
absurd is the theory of modern theology. It would make Jacob say, I refuse to
be comforted; and I will go down to the place of eternal torment to my son
mourning. It would make David say, Let not his hoary head go down to the
place ofeternaltormentin peace. as though it were possible to go to such a place in peace. It
would make Job say, 0 that thou wouldest hide me in the place of eternal
torment until thy wrath be past, which would be praying to be taken from bad
to worse. It would make David and Peter say that Christ went to the place of
torment but was not left there. Now if you keep in view that the final end of
the wicked is to be punished with eternal death-to be cast into the darkness of
death and the grave-then you will easily understand the use of the word sheol
when the translators have rendered it hell; such, for instance, as The
wicked shall be turned into hell (sheol), and all nations that forget God
(Psa. 9: 17).
The word that
the writers of the New Testament used as meaning the same as sheol is hades.
HADES -GRAVE OR STATE OF THE DEAD.
The Septuagint
(the Greek translation of the Old Testament)
pg 21
uses the word
hades as the equivalent of sheol. Therefore the texts quoted above apply to the
use of the word hades in the Greek in the same way as they do to sheol in the
Hebrew. The word hades only occurs eleven times in the New Testament. As to its
meaning and whether or not it is properly translated by the word hell we submit
the following:
The Hebrew word
sheol is translated HELL properly as a general thing, if intended to mean the
same as the old Saxon word hell, the covered receptacle of all the dead, where
the good and bad repose together in a state of unconsciousness; but very
improperly and very SHAMEFULLY IF intended to be a symbol of the orthodox and
traditionary hell as a place of conscious torment for the wicked only. But we,
without the slightest reservation, condemn the translators; for they have
evidently endeavored to observe the true sense of the word sheol, and to uphold
the traditionary meaning of hell at the expense of truth and uniformity. Had
sheol been uniformly translated pit or grave or the state of the dead, or even
the mansions of the dead, no such absurd idea as that of a place of conscious
torment could ever have been associated with it.-Bible versus Tradition, page
188.
Hades means
literally that which is darkness. A careful examination will lead to the
conclusion that no sanction to the intermediate state is afforded by these
passages where hades occurs; but they denote the grave, both of the righteous
and wicked.-Dr. Kitto, Cyclopedia.
The original
word hades, from a, not, and idien, to see-the invisible receptacle or mansion
of the dead, answering to sheol in Hebrew. The word hell, used in the common
translation, conveys now an improper meaning of the original word, because hell
is only used to Signify the place of the damned. But as the word hell comes
from the Anglo-Saxon helan, to cover or hide, hence the tiling or slating of a
house in some parts of England (particularly Cornwall), heling to this day, and
the covers of books (in Lancashire), by the same name; so the literal import of
the original word hades was formerly well expressed by it.-Dr. Adam Clarke,
Commentary.
The gates of
hades may always be allusive to the form of the Jewish sepulchres, which were
large caves with a narrow mouth or entrance, many of which are found in
Judea.-Parkhurst, Lexicon.
Following are
the passages where the word hades occurs in the New Testament:
Matt. 11: 23-And
thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell
(hades).
Upon this Dr.
Adam Clarke says:
This prediction
of our Lord was literally fulfilled; for in the wars with the Romans and the
Jews these cities were totally destroyed, so that no traces are now found of
Bethsaida, Chorazin or Capernaum.-Commentary.
To be brought
down to hell, the grave, was therefore to be destroyed.
Matt. 16: 18-And
I say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church; and
the gates of hell (hades, the grave) shall not prevail against it.
The gates of
hades, says Parkhurst, may always be allusive to the form of Jewish
sepulchres.
The gates of the
grave will not prevail, because the church will be delivered, and exclaim: 0
grave (hades), where is thy victory? (I. Cor. 15: 55).
Luke 10: 15-Same
as already referred to in Matt. 11: 23.
Luke 16: 23-And
in hell (hades) he lifted up his eyes.
Acts 2: 27,
31-Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (hades), neither wilt thou
suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
I.Cor. 15: 55-0 death, where is thy
sting? 0 grave (hades), where is thy victory?
pg 23
Rev. 1: 1 I am
he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, amen; and
have the keys of hell (hades) and of death.
Rev. 6: 8-And I
looked and behold, a pale horse; and his name that sat upon him was Death, and
Hell (hades) followed with him.
Rev. 20: 13,
1~And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (hades)
delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and hell (hades) were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death.
These passages
will all be clear to you as applying to the grave, except, perhaps, one-that in
which the rich man is said to lift up his eyes in hell (hades). We purpose
devoting a chapter to this further along, but will say here, that the parable
of the rich man and Lazarus was addressed to the Pharisees (Luke 16: 14), who,
having received traditions which made the Word of God of none effect, had
become believers In the heathen dogma of the conscious existence of disembodied
souls. To find a receptacle for these after death they invented a place where
good and bad souls were preserved awaiting the judgment day; and to that place
they gave the name of hades. In this parable our Lord used their theory to
represent the national calamity shortly to come upon them in the destruction of
Jerusalem and their torment at the hands of the Roman and other nations among
whom they would suffer. The fact that the Saviour used their theory in parable
no more commits Him to that theory than His use of the word Beelzebub (Matt.
12: 27) committed Him to the pagan fiction of the god of the fly. It must he
remembered that our Lord made no attempt to instruct the Pharisees and show
them the fallacy of the heathen dogmas they had espoused. He knew they were
self-righteous, and ironically said to them, I am not come to call the
righteous (Matt, 9: 13). It is said that, without a parable spake he not unto
them (Matt. 13: 34); and the reason He gave for this,, was, because it is
given to you (the disciples) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,
but to them it is not (Matt. 13:11).
GEHENNA-WHAT
AND WHERE
IS IT?
Gehenna, the
other word translated hell in the New Testament, has an entirely different
meaning from hades, and never ought to have been translated by the word hell.
The following from the Emphatic Diaglott is a good explanation:
Gehenna, the
Greek word translated hell in the common version, occurs 12 times It is the
Grecian mode of spelling the Hebrew words which are translated The Valley of
HinnomThis valley was also called
Tophet a detestation an abomination. Into this place were cast all kinds of
filth with the carcasses of beasts and the unburied bodies of criminals who had
been executed Continual fires were kept to consume these. Sennacheribs arrny
of 185,000 were slain here in one night. Here children were burnt to death in
sacrifice to Moloch. Gehenne, then as occurring in the New Testament
symbolizes death and utter destruction, but in no place, symbolizes a place of
eternal torment.
The Jews having
come to look upon Gehenna as a place of horror, it was associated by our Lord
with the destiny which awaited those who shall be the victims of the wrath of
God in the day of
pg24
just
retribution. The testimonies in which the word is used indicate that, not only
was Gehenna a place of judicial punishment in the past, but in that same place
will the righteous judgments of Cod be poured upon the transgressors. The worms
that preyed upon the carcasses in the past have long since devoured them; the
unquenchable fire that burned has devoured its victims. So when the worms shall
again prey upon the bodies of the wicked and the fire burn, destruction will be
the inevitable result. You will see, dear reader, that the meaning of the words
The worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched is not that the bodies upon
which the worms prey are preserved alive-not that they will burn and yet never
burn. The fact that worms are represented as preying is proof that their
victims have been put to death and that to be totally devoured is the certain
end; and the fact that the fire is not quenched is proof, not that its victims
will be preserved, but that they will be devoured.
Following are
the passages where the word hell in the common version is from Gehenna:
Matt. 5: 22-But
I say, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in
danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall he
in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell (Gehenna) fire.
Matt. 5: 29-And
if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be east into hell (Gehenna).
Man. 10: 28-And
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but
rather fear him
which is able to
destroy both body and soul in hell (Gehenna).
Matt. 18: 9-And
if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: it is better for
thee to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast
into hell (Gehenna) fire.
Matt. 23: 15-Woe
unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye compass sea and land to make
one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell
(Gehenna) than yourselves.
Matt. 23: 33-Ye
serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell
(Gehenna)?
Mark 9: 43, 45,
47; Luke 12: 5. These are the same as given from Matthew.
Jas. 3: 6-And
the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members,
that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and
it is set on fire of bell (Gehenna).
Now you will see
from these testimonies that no support is given by them to the theory of
eternal preservation in lieu fire as popularly believed. The Jews knew that
to be in danger of Gehenna was to be in danger of an ignoble death, a
devouring of worms or a consuming of fire in the detested valley of Gehenna,
instead of even after death being allowed a burial. They were assured that God
would destroy the wicked, both soul and body in Gehenna; and that it was better
for them to enter into life maimed than to suffer death and the destruction of
Gehenna. If you notice the use of the word life in some of the quotations you
will see that it is not a question of their going to live in a place of
happiness on the one hand and to live in a place of misery on the other. It is
a question of entering into life or of being destroyed.
Dr. Parkhurst
remarks on Mark 9: 43: Our Lord seems to allude to the worms which continually
preyed on dead carcasses that were cast into the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna),
and to the perpetual fire kept up to consume them; a place of abominable
filthiness and pollution.-Greek Lexicon.
Now, dear
reader, we come to the question of the devil-a question that you may think of
trivial importance, but which we must insist is of great importance. It is very
important that we believe no doctrine that will dishonor and blaspheme God. If
there is such a personal monster as is popularly believed in one that is
immortal and possessed of power to tempt weak humanity in all parts of the
world at the same time, and that has the power of an endless life to continue
his rebellion againstGod-thequestion is, Where did such a being come
from? Did God create him? Did God give him immortality-His own nature and the
nature we are commanded to seek for by well-doing? Did God give him power to be
everywhere present performing his wicked work? Is it Gods purpose to allow
such a monster of wickedness to live eternally in open rebellion against Him?
If so, why so? Can you believe these things without dishonoring God, who is
wise, just, all-powerful and good?
If we believe
that the devil is immortal and has eternal life, how can we believe that the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Rom. 6: 23)? If we
believe that the devil is to be an eternal enemy of God and man, how can we
believe that Christ through death will destroy him that hath the power of
death, that is the devil (Heb. 2: 14)? and that Christ will destroy the last
enemy (I. Cor. 15: 26)? Is not man naturally weak enough in resisting the
enticements of the carnal mind? Why should God create, or even allow to exist,
a being possessed of such a tempting power over man who is already so weak? Why
should there be a hell larger and more thickly populated than heaven, and
why should there be a devil more powerful for mischief than God is for good? Is
it not blasphemy againstGod to believe
such things?
DAIMON-DEMON.
Now, the word
devil, like that of hell, is quite deceiving in the manner of its use in the
New Testament, for it is made to represent two different words in the original
Scriptures. These words are, in the Greek, daimon and diabolos. The first is a
word which the heathen applied to supposed departed spirits. With them, when a
person was afflicted with a disease of any kind, especially disease affecting
the mind, it was a disembodied spirit, or, as it would now be called by their
disciples, an immortal soul, had entered the body of
pg 26
the person to
punishhim. To cure the disease was to
cast out the demon, spirit or soul. Thus, if one was affected with seven
different diseases and was healed it was the casting out of seven spirits or immortal
souls. Religious people who have given heed to doctrines of devils (demons)
still hold the heathen dogma of disembodied spirits, but they have abandoned
the ancient theory of transmigration. The language ofScriptures is the language times in which they were written; but
it does not commit our Lord and His apostles to the heathen theory, any more
than our use of the word lunatic commits us to the belief that an insane person
has been moonstruck, or that our use of erysipelas means that we believe in
St. Anthonys fire.
The following
from Yates History of Egypt which we quote from Diabolism, will illustrate
how the use of words and phrases may mean one thing to a heathen and another
thing to one who has escaped the darkness of heathenism :
It would seem
that the same diseases prevailed then in Syria Egypt as now, and the various
and thepractices adopted by the
peopleconcerning them have very little
changed during a period of nearly two thousand years. Nothing is more common in
the present day in the East than to be told that a person has a devil or is
possessed of a devil; and the expression is applied more or less to every
complaint. I had occasion to notice this immediately on my arrival in the
country.
I have known
the Rev. Mr. Wolfridiculed for stating
that one evening when he was passing between Jerusalem and Cairo he cast out a
devil in the wilderness; but I can only suppose he used the expression in the
sense alluded to, and that he merely employed the native idiom. I have often been
applied to myself in Syria and other parts to cast out a devil; by which I
merely understood that I was to cure the bodily ailments of the individualsnot
that I was expected to perform a miracle on the occasion, further than that the
cure of every disease is ascribed by the natives to talismanic influence.
The work of the
Saviour and His apostles in this particular was the miraculous cure of disease,
the account being given in the idiom of the times. The heathen and those who
believed their doctrines of demons took a heathen view of the matter; lust as a
religious heathen in our day would look upon a case of erysipelas as a fire
from St. Anthony, while a rational mind would know better.
DIABOLOS.
The word which
most concerns us is diabolos; because a failure to understand the meaning of
this word will hinder one from comprehending the plan of salvation. Christ came
to destroy the diabolos and his works; therefore a wrong view of diabolos
interferes with a correct view of the mission of Christ.
The meaning of
diabolos as given by Dr, Young is accuser, calumniator, The word is rendered
devil in the New Testament thirty times, where its use sustains the meaning
above given. It does not stand for one supernatural being, as is commonly
supposed; for in three instances it is used in the plural. In these cases,
however, the translators of the common version, seeing, no doubt, that the word
could not mean the supposed supernatural being, have not used the word
devil.It would not do to make
pg 27
Paul say, Even
so must their wives be grave, not supernatural devils. So they gave us a
correct translation, which furnishes a key to the true meaning of the word.
Hence it is:
I.Tim. 3: ii-Even so must their wives be
grave, not slanderers (diaboloi).
II.Tim. 3: 3-Men shall be O without
natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers (diaboloi).
Tit. 2: 3-The
aged women, likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false
accusers (diaboloi).
If they had been
slanderers oraccusers they would have
beendevils in the sense that devil
is used in the New Testament from diabolos.
Literally the
word diabolos means that which causes to cross over. Hence that which tempts
men to cross the line from right to wrong, or to sin. That which causes man to
sin, as well as sin itself in all its various phases is personified in the
Scriptures in the same way that riches are called the god of this world and
mammon; and this principle of human nature is what tempts to do wrong. Hence it
is the diabolos which causes men to cross over the line. There are what we call
riches; there are what we call sins. Take the Scripture personification of
these and call the first Mammon and the second Diabolos. Then we can say Mammon
tempts us; Mammon is our enemy, Mammon will destroy us. And we can substitute
Diabolos and say the same things. No one would be foolish enough to think
mammon a supernatural, personal monster because we use the word in this
personal sense. Why should not the use of the worddiabolos be allowed in the same way?Obedience and sin are personified: Know ye not that whom ye
yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye ; to whom ye obey; whether
of unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness (Rom. 6: 16 )?Here are two masters represented by the pronoun
his; but nobody supposes they are really two persons. Sin is either a wicked
thought or act of a person, obedience is a good thought or act of a person. And
it probably because neither can exist without a person that they are
personified.It was diabolos that put
it into the heart of Judas to betray: Christ (John 13: 2); and thus became a
devil (diabolos)--John6: 70.
Now Christ came
to take away the sin of the worldthat is, ultimately remove sin and all
effects from the earth. When this is done the diabolos will be nomore.
CHRIST TO TAKE AWAY SIN
John 1:
29-Behold the Lamb God which taketh away the sin of world.
I.John 3: 5-He was manifested take away
our sins.
Rom. 8: 3-God
sending his ( Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, for sin, condemned sin in
the flesh.
Heb. 2:
14-Forasmuch then as children are partakers of flesh blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same; through death he might destroy him that hath
power of death, that is the devil ( diabolos).
I.John 3: 8-For this purpose Son of God
was manifested, that might destroy the works of the devil (diabolos).
When the devil
and his works are destroyed, all evil will be
pg 28
removed from the
earth, paradise will be restored and everything will again be very good. To
believe, therefore, that the devil is a supernatural being that is to live as
long as God lives, and whose works in a supposed hell are to continue as long
as heaven continues, is to deny the truth concerning the work of redemption
through Christ.
Think not, then,
that God maintains the existence of such a monster and that our temptations
come from him. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and
enticed- James 1:14.
SATAN.
Satan is
frequently used in the same sense as diabolos. Indeed, diabolos is the word
which the Septuagint employs for the Hebrew word Satan. While the word mostly
means the same as diabolos, there is this difference-that satan does not always
stand for an opposer of right. It is frequently rendered adversary; and the
angel of the Lord that stood in the way of Balaam is called a satan. On the
whole, however, what has been said under the heading of diabolos will apply to
the word satan. Any person who is an opposer of right is a satan. Hence our
Lords words to the Apostle Peter, Get thee behind me, satan; from which no
reasonable person would infer that Peter was the being superstition supposes
the devil to be.
When the grand
mission of Christ is completed there will be no satan, diabolos nor demon, for
he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet; the last enemy shall
be destroyed-death.
Sin, the
transgression of law, made man a satanan adversary of right. Lust conceived
and brought forth sin; and sin, when completed, brought forth death. To bring
forth death sin took effect in mans nature in the form of disease or
mortality; disease multiplied into various forms, and these forms were by the
heathen called demons. When our Redeemer brings the time when there will be no sickness
or pain there will be no demons. When our vile body is changed and fashioned
like unto his glorious body, mortality will be swallowed up of life and
there will be no more lust in our natures; hence no more diabolos or satan in
us. Being free from lust, we shall not sin and therefore not become diabolos or
satan. Then Christ will have fulfilled His mission in destroying him that hath
the power of death, that is the devil. There being no more death, no more
demon, no more diabolos, no more satan, the LAST enemy will have been
destroyed. Yes, DESTROYED; and then God shall be all IN ALL In this, dear
reader, you have a prospect that exalts and honors Jehovahs name, in that it
shows us that, while He has permitted man to sin and thus blight and curse the
earth for a time, His wisdom, power and glory will put an end to all evil. Such
a God-honoring, glorious prospect is shut out from your view by the heathenism
that would perpetuate the existence of a personal, omniscient, omnipresent,
immortal, fire-proof devil, with countless millions of hopeless and helpless
victims.
pg 29
PART TWO
TO obtain the
great salvation it is necessary that we understand and believe the things
concerning the kingdom of God. Now, dear reader, do not persuade yourself that
it is not necessary to have a correct view of this matter; for the things we
are now to treat of are part of the gospel our Lord sent His apostles to
preach, of which He said, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,
and he that believeth not shall be condemned. Remember that to hold a false
view of the gospel is to believe another gospel, for doing which some in the
church at Galatia were said by the Apostle Paul to be bewitched (Gal. 3: 1). If
the gospel promises us an everlasting inheritance on the earth, and we persist
in refusing to believe it and hold to the theory that our eternal abode is in
heaven, we shall believe in another gospel and shall therefore lose the great
salvation. Read Gal. 1: 6-9 and see how important a matter this is.
It is the
general belief that this earth is to be burnt up, and that all good men and
women will finally be taken to heaven to enjoy eternity. This theory represents
Gods work, so far as the earth is concerned, as a failure; for if there is not
a future for it better than the past-if the evils of the earths past and
present are not to be made to yield ultimate goodwhat else is it but a
failure?
Numb. 14:21--But
as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.
Psa. 72:
17-19-His name shall endure for ever; his name shall be continued as long as
the sun; and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And
blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with
his glory.
Isa. 11: 9-They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover sea.
Hab. 2: 14-For
the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the
waters cover the sea.
Matt. 6: 9,
I0-After this manner Pray ye: * * * Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth
as it is in heaven.
Luke 2: 14-Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
You will see
that these promises have never been fulfilled. In these testimonies we have
Gods Word concerning the future of the earth. Can His Word fail?
Listen to what
He says:
Isa.55: 1O-13-For as the rain cometh down, and
the snow from heaven, and retumeth not thither, but watereth the earth, and
maketh it bring forth fruit and bud so shall my word be that goeth forth out of
my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which
I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go
out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall
break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap
pg 30
their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall
come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name. for an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
According to
these promises the earth is to be restored to the beautiful state it enjoyed
before sin cursed it; and in that restored beauty and fertility will be an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut off-a sign of the wisdom, goodness and
power of God in removing the curse and giving blessings without end.
THE EARTH IS
TO ABIDE FOR EVER.
It is by failing
to observe the different ways in which the earth is spoken of that the mistake
is made in believing in the destruction of the literal earth. That it is not to
be destroyed is not only clearly implied in the above testimonies, but is
declared in the following :
Eccles 1:4One generation passeth aeay and another
generation cometh; butthe earth
abideth for ever.
Psa. 104: 1-5
Blessed ibe the Lord,*** who laid the foundation of the earth, that it should
not be removed for ever
Psa119: 90--Thy faithfulness is unto all
generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
Now those
Scriptures that speak of the earth passing away also include heaven. If the
destruction of the literal earth and the literal heaven is meant we may well
ask:
When heaven and
earth are fled
and gone,
Ohl where shall
I appearP
The following
passages will show you that the earth sometimes represents the inhabitants of
the earth and the heaven the rulers, a figurative use of these words drawn from
the fact that the literal heaven rules the literal earth.
HEAVEN AND
EARTH,
FIGURATIVE
AND SYMBOLIC.
Deut. 32: 1-Give
ear 0 ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, 0 earth, the words of my mouth.
Deut. 33:
28-Israel then shall dwell in safety alone; the fountain of Jacob shall be upon
a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
Hab. 2: 20--Let
all the earth keep Isa. 1: 2-Hear, 0 heavens, and give ear, 0 earth; for the
Lord hath spoken.
Isa. 49:
13-Sing, 0 heavens, and be joyful, 0 earth.
Jer. 22: 29-0
earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.
silence before
him.
These
testimonies will show that the words heaven and earth frequently apply to the
rulers and ruled upon the earth; and they enable us to see that the Scriptures
that speak of the passing away of the heavens and the earth are not a
contradiction of those which declare that the heavens and the earth are never
to be removed.
You may find a
difficulty, however, as some have, in the fact that the Apostle Peter says that
the earth and the works therein shall be burned up (II. Pet. 3: 10). The
question is sometimes asked, What are the works therein, if the word earth
refers to the people?The answer is,
The earth represents the social system as whole, and the works are the various
productions of the people which feed their vanity and pride.
The figurative
and symbolic use of terms in relation to the heavens and earth finds a good
explanation in the following from
pg 31
Dr. Adam
Clarkes introduction to Isaiahs prophecy:
By images
borrowed from the world natural, the prophets frequently understand something
analogous in the world politic. Thus the sun, moon and stars and heavenly
bodies denote kings, queens, rulers and persons in great power; their increase
of splendor denotes increase of prosperity; their darkening, setting or falling
denotes a reverse of fortune, or the entire ceasing of that power or kingdom to
which they refer. Great earthquakes and the shaking of heaven and earth denote
the commotion and overthrow of kingdoms; and the beginning or end of the world
their rise or ruin.
The cedars of
Lebanon, oaks of Bashan, fir trees and other stately trees of the forest denote
kings, princes, potentates and persons of the highest rank. Briars and thorns
the common people or those of the meanest order. High mountains and lofty hills
in like manner denote kingdoms, republics, states and cities; towns and
fortresses signify defenders and protectors; ships of Tarshish merchants or
commercial people; and the daughter of any capital or mother city the lesser
cities or suburbs around it. Cities never conquered are further styled
virgins.
Sir Isaac Newton
also says:
In attempting
to understand the prophecies, we are in the first place to acquaint ourselves
with the figurative language of the prophets. This language is taken from
analogy between the world natural and an empire or kingdom as a world politic.
Accordingly the whole world natural, consisting of heavens and earth, signifies
the whole world politic, consisting of thrones and people, or so much of it as
is considered in the prophecy. Great earthquakes and the shaking of heaven and
earth are put for the shaking of kingdoms, so as to distract or overthrow them;
creating a new heaven and earth and the passing away of the old one, or the
beginning and end of the world for the rise and wane of body politic signified
thereby. The sun and moon are by the interpreters of dreams put for the persons
of kings and queens; but in sacred prophecy, which regards not single persons,
the sun is put for the whole series and race of kings in the kingdoms of the
world politic, shining with regal power and the moon considered as the wife,
the stars for subordinate princes and great men.
Now with these
explanations we shall escape the folly of believing that God will destroy the
heavens and the earth, which declare his glory and show forth his handiwork
(Psa. 19: 1), and shall be able to see in such texts of Scripture as speak of
heaven and earth passing away and the creating of new heavens and earth wherein
dwelleth righteousness (II. Pet. 3: 4-13; Isa. 85: 17-19) the destruction of
the kingdoms of men and the establishment in their place of the kingdom of God,
in the former of which there is unrighteousness hence the reason they pass
awayand in the latter of which dwelleth righteousness; hence the reason they
represent a kingdom that shall never be destroyed (Dan. 2: 44).
Now that we have
seen that the earth is to abide for ever, we can safely proceed, feeling we are
on solid ground.
Gen. 13: 15-For
all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.
Rom. 4: 13-For
the promise that he (Abraham) should be the heir of the world was not to
Abraham, or to his seed through the law, but (it was) through the righteousness
of faith
Psa. 37: 9-For
evil doers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall
inherit the earth.
pg 32
Verse 11But the
meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves the abundance of
peace.
Verse 22-For
such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of
him shall be cut off.
Verse 29-The
righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for ever.
Verse 34-Wait on
the Lord, and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land; when
the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.
Psa.ll5: 16--The
heaven, even the heavens are the Lords; but the earth hath he given to the
children of men.
Prov11: 31-Behold the righteous shall be
recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner.
Dan. 7: 27-And
the kingdom, and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.
Matt. 5:
5--Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.
Rev. 5: 9,
lOAnd they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made
us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.
Now, dear
reader, it is impossible for testimony to be clearer than this. Where is there
room now for the theory that finds expression in the following fanciful words
The saints
secure abode.
Beyond the bounds of time and space
Look forward to
that heavenly place,
How can heaven
be the eternal abode of the righteous, when it is so positively said that the
meek shall inherit the earth and dwell therein for ever? If good men go to
heaven at death why did not David go there? If he did not go there why should
we expect to go? He did not; for the Apostle Peter declares: For David is not
ascended into the heavens (Acts 2: 34); and it is said further, And no man
hath ascended into heaven, but he that came down from heaven (3ohn 3: 13).
Now the
everlasting inheritance in the earth, when God shall have blessed it and all
nations upon it: is the one gospel, which gospel was preached to Abraham: And
the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith,
Preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be
blessed. Hence we may safely take another step.
In regard to the
covenants of promise in the gospel the Apostle Paul says: Wherefore remember,
that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, * * * that at that time ye
were without Christ, BEING ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, AND
STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANTS OF PROMISE, HAVING NO HOPE, AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE
WORLD (Eph. 2: 11, 12).
You will
certainly see from this that whatever the commonwealth of Israel is and the
covenants of promise are it is of vital importance that, instead of being
aliens to them, we should become fellow-citizens (verse 19). Let the Word of
God now decide what they are.
pg 33
THE PROMISES TO ABRAHAM.
Gen. 12: 1-Now
the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred,
and from thy fathers house, unto a land that I will show thee.
Verse 2-And I
will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name
great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
Verse 5-And
Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brothers son, and all their substance
that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they
went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they
came..
Verse 7-And the
Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land.
Gen. 13: 14--And
the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine
eyes and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and
eastward, and westward.
Verse 15: For
all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.
Verse 16 And I
will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the
dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Verse 17Arise,
walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will
give it unto thee.
Gen. 15: 18--In
the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I
given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river
Euphrates.
Gen. 17: 1-And
when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said
unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect.
Verse 2-And I
will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
Verse 4-As for
me behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
Verse 5-Neither
shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a
father of many nations have I made thee.
Verse 6-And I
will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings
shall come out of thee.
Verse 7-And I
will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy Seed
after thee.
Verse 8-And I
will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art
stranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be
their God.
Gen. 22: 15--And
the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
Verse 16-And
said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son.
Verse l7--That
in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as
the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed
shall possess the gate of HIS enemies.
Verse 18-And in
thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
The same
promises were made to Isaac and to Jacob, as you will see by the following
references: Gen. 26: 2-4: 28: 3, 4, 13, 14. Now you cannot fail to see that
these promises assure to the fathers an inheritance in the earth -not a word in
them of a promise of heaven. There is no use to deny these promises and you
cannot misunderstand them. God made oath that He would fulfill them. Has he
fulfilled them ?
Since God has
made oath that He will give Abraham and his seed the land of Canaan for an
everlasting inheritance and since He has not fulfilled it, it follows that the
fulfillment is yet future; for Gods promise cannot fail.
pg 34
You will
probably imagine that the possession of the land by the twelve tribes was a
fulfillment of the promise so far as the land was concerned; but remember that
the words are, To thee and to thy seed. Now that Abraham never received it
you will seeyou cannot help but seeby the following proofs:
Micah 7: 2O-Thou
wilt (not thou didst) perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham,
which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
Rom. 4: I3-For
the promise that he (Abraham) should be the heir of the world was not to
Abraham, or to his seed through the law; BUT THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF
FAITH.
Rom. 15: 8--Now
I, Paul, say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth
of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers (the fact that Christ
confirmed them proves they were not fulfilled).
Luke 1: 54-55-He
hath (prospectively) holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as
he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Luke I:
68-Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his
people.
Verse 89-And
hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
Verse 70-As he
spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
Verse 71-That we
should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
Verse 72-To
perform the mercypromised to the
fathers and to remember his holy covenant;
Verse 73-The
oath which he sware to Abraham
Heb. 11: 13-These
all died in the faith, not having received the promise,but having seen them afar off, and were
persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb. 11: 8, 9-By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after
receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he
went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country,
dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise.
Acts 7: 5-And he
(God) gave him (Abraham) none inheritance in it, no not so much as to set his
foot on, YET HE PROMISED THAT HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM for a possession
.
We have shown
that the promises made to Abraham are called the gospel (Gal. 3: 8). The gospel
cannot be preached unless Christ is preached. In what sense was Christ preached
in these promises to Abraham?Is it not
Christ that is to bless all nations of the earth?Is it not to Christ that the uttermost parts of the earth are
to be given (Psa. 2: 8)?But let us be
sure that Christ is the very essence, as it were, of the promises made to the
fathers; then, since He is the very essence of the gospel of the great salvation,
we shall see that the covenant with Abraham and the gospel are identical.
Now read
carefully Gen. 22: 17, and you will see that we can safely make the following
proposition :
This is proved
beyond a doubt by the words, Thy seed shall possess the gate of HIS enemies.
Who else but Christ can be represented by this singular pronoun His ?No one else, for inspiration says:
Gal. 3: 18-Now
to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as
of many; but as ofONE. And to thy
seed. WHICH IS CHRIST
pg 35
.
Verse 17-And
this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before (the law) of God in
Christ (typically in the offering of Isaac), the law, which was four hundred
and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of
none effect.
Verse 18--For if
the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise; but God gave it to
Abraham BY FROMISE.
Verse
19-Wherefore then serveth the law?It
was added (to the promise) because of transgressions, till the seed should come
To WHOM the promise was made.
Verse
24-Wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us to Christ.
You will
remember that Paul, in declaring that while we are aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise we are without hope (Eph.
2: 12), speaks of covenantsplural, Now the covenant with Abraham we have seen
provides for an everlasting inheritance of the earth by Christ and all who
shall be worthy to share the inheritance with Him. The nations are to be given
Him for His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession
(Psa. 2: 8) in order that He might bless all nations. How may all nations be
blessed? May we not safely say, by the establishment of a kingdom that will
insure righteousness, peace and good will universally. It is to this end that
God has made a covenant with David.
II.Sam 7: 12 -And when thy days shall be
fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed which
shall proceed out of thy bowels andI
will establish his kingdom
Verse 13-He
shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his
kingdom for ever.
Verse 1 6 --And
thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever beforethee; thy throne shall be established for
ever.
II.Sam 23: 3--The God of Israel said, the
Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the
fear of God.
Verse 4-And he
shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning
without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining
after rain.
Verse 5
-Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure; and this Is ALLMYSALVATION AND ALL MY DESIRE, although he make it not to grow.
Psa. 132: 11-The
Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of
thy body will I set upon thy throne.
Now these
promises were not fulfilled in the days of David and Solomon. They remain yet
to be fulfilled after the resurrection of David and all the faithful. This you
will see by the fact that it was when David should sleep with his fathers
(II. Sam 7: 12) that the promised king would be raised up; and yet it says,
Thy house and thy kingdom will I establish for ever before thee, or in thy
presence (verse 16); so that it would be subsequent to Davids resurrection. In
this light David understood it; for he says: But thou hast spoken also of thy
servants house for a great while to come (verse 19)7
Ezek. 21:
25-27-And thou profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come when
iniquity shall have an end. Thus saith the Lord God; remove the diadem, and
take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low and abase
him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no
more UNTIL HE COME WHOSE RIGHT IT IS, AND I WILL GIVE IT HIM.
Jer. 33: 15--In
those days, and at that time will I cause the BRANCH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to grow
up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
Zech. 6: 12,
13-Behold the man whose name is the Branch; and he shall grow up out of his
place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord; Even he shall build the
temple of the Lord; and he shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be
a priest upon his throne, and. the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Isa. 9: 7-0f the
increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of
David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and
with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will
perform this.
Luke 1:
31-33-And, behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and
shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the
Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID;
and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there
shall be no end.
Matt. 19: 28-And
Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in
the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory,
ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matt. 25:
31-When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all his holy angels with
him, THEN Shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.
Acts 15;
16--After this (the visiting of the Gentiles) I will return, and will build
again the tabernacle of David, WHICH IS FALLEN DOWN; and I Will build again the
ruins thereof, and I will set it up.
Acts 2: 30,
31-Therefore (David) being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an
oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh he would
raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake of the
resurrection of Christ.
Now from these
testimonies you will see that the restoration of Israel is to take place under
Christ. We may therefore safely state:
Jer. 31: 27,
28-Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel
and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. And it
shall come to pass that like as I have watched over them to pluck up, and to
break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict, so will I watch
over them to build, and to plant, saith the Lord.
Jer. 33:
14-Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that Iwill perform that good thing which I have promised unto TIIE
HOUSE OF ISRAEL, AND TO THE HOUSE OF JUDAH. In those days and at that time till
I cause the Branch of Righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute
judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah shall be saved, and
Jerusalem shall dwell safely, and this is the name whereby she shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jer. 31: l
O-Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar
off, and say, He that scattered Israel WILL GATHER HIM, and keep him as a
shepherd doth his flock
pg 37
Isa. 11: 12-And
he shall set up an ensignfor the
nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the
dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Ezek. 37: 21,
22--Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from
among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side,
and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the
land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and
they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two
kingdoms any more at all.
Ezek. 38:
22-24-Thus saith the Lord: I do not this for your sakes, 0 house of Israel, but
for my holy names sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen whither ye
went. * * * For I will take you from among the heathen. and gather you out of
all countries, and will bring you into your own land. See also verses 31-38.
Micah 4: 7--And
I will make her that halted a remnant. and her that was cast off a strong
nation; and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion, from henceforth even
for ever.
Rom. 11: 26 And
so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion
the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
Now, dear
reader, we are well along in our search for the truth in relation to the things
concerning the kingdom of God. It will be well for us to remember now, that in
preaching the gospel to the Samaritans Philip preached Christ (Acts 8: 5). So
that to preach the gospel is to preach Christ. The result of preaching Christ
was that they believed the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name
of Jesus Christ, and were baptized (verse 12). Now to preach these things was
to make known the purpose of God in relation, not to the moon or any of the
planets we are not so specially concerned about, but to the earth. We may
therefore briefly summarize the matter as follows:
THE FUTURE ABODE
OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS NOT HEAVEN,
BUT THE EARTH.
Psa. 115:
16--The heavens, even the heavens are the Lords; but the earth hath he given
to the children of men.
Prov. 11:
31-Behold the righteous shall be recompensed IN THE EARTH; much more the wicked
and the sinner.
Matt. 5:
5-Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.
Psa. 37: 11--But
the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance
of peace.
Rom. 4: 13-For
the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham or to
his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith
Rev. 5: 10-And
has made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.
Dan. 7: 27-And
the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.
WHEN THESE
PROMISES ARE FULFILLED
THE KINGDOM OF
GOD WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN THE
EARTH.
II.Tim. 4: 1- I charge thee therefore
before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick andthe dead at this appearing ANDHIS KINGDOM.
Matt. 6: l0-Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Rev. 11: 15 -The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ;
and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Numb. 14:
21--But as truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the
Lord.
Psa. 72: 18-And
let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
pg 38
Psa, 2: 8-Ask of
me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost
parts ofTHE EARTH for thy possession.
SECOND, THE JEWS
RESTORED
TOTHE HOLY LAND AS THE
SUBJECTS
Micah 4: 8-And
thou, 0 tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee
shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter
of Jerusalem.
Ezek. 37: 21.
22--Behold I will take the children ofIsrael from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather
them on every side, and bring them INTO THEIR OWN LAND; and I will make them
one nation IN THE LAND, UPON THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL; and one king shall be
king to them all, and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be
divided into two kingdoms any more at all.
THIRD, ALL
NATIONS AS THE
SUBJECTS OF THE
DOMNION.
Isa. 2: 4, 5-And
he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall
beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nations
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Psa. 72: 8,
17-He shall. have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of
the earth *** all nations shall Call him blessed.
FOURTH,
JERUSALEM AS THE SEAT
OF GOVERNMENT.
Matt. 5: 34, 35--Swear
not by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Zech. 2: 12 -And
the Lord shall inherit Judah, his portion in the holy land, and shall choose
Jerusalem again.
Micah 4: 2-For
the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the lord FROM JERUSALEM.
Isa. 62: 1-4-For
Zions sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest,
until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation
thereof as a lamp that burneth. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken, neither
shall thy land anymore be termed Desolate, but thou shalt be called Hephzibah,
and thy land Beulah; for Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be
married.
FIFTH, CHRIST AS
THE KING.
Zech. 14: 9-And
the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Lord
and his name one.
Rev. 11: 15-The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Dan. 7: 13, 14-1
saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near
before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, THAT
ALLPEOPLE, NATIONS, AND LANGUAGESSHOULD SERVE HIM; his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed.
SXTH, THE
REDEEMED SAINTS
AS THE
ASSOCIATES OF THE KING.
Dan, 7: 18, 22,
27-But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. And the time came that the saints
possessed the kingdom. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of
the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall
serve and obey him.
Rev. 5: 9,
1O-And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to
open the seals thereof for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to Cod by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made
us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
THE KINGDOM OF
GOD WILL DESTROY
ALL THE KINGOMS
OF MEN FROM
THE FACE OF THE
EARTH.
Dan. 2: 44--And
in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people,
but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand
for ever.
Psa. 2: 8, 9-Ask
of me and I shall give thee the heathen (nations) for
pg 39
thine
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou
shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a
potters vessel.
Psa. 149:
2-8-Let Israel rejoice in him that made him; let the children of Zion be joyful
in their king. *** Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon
their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword
in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the heathen (nations) and punishments
upon the people; to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters
of iron.
THE CURSE WILL
BE REMOVED FROM
THE EARTH AND IT
WILL
YIELD ITS
BOUNTIFUL INCREASE.
Isa. 55: 12,
13-For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and
the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the
field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come the fir tree, and
instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord
for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.BLESSEDNESS,
PEACE AND PROSPERITY WILL BE THE GRAND RESULT.
Gen 12:3; Gal.
3: 8-And in thee (Abraham) shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Psa, 72: 17-1His
name shall endure for ever; *** and men shall be blessed in him.
Zech. 9: lO-And
he shall speak peace unto the heathen; and his dominion shall be from sea even
to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
Luke 2: 14-Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men.
Psa. 85:
lO-l2-Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed
each other; *** yea the Lord shall give that which is good, and our land shall
yield her increase.
It will be seen
from the numerous testimonies on the various subjects treated that the return
of Christ to the earth is a necessity in the fulfillment of the promises that
compose the gospel. Hence we submit irresistible evidence of this truth.
Mart. 25:
31--When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.
Luke 19:
12-1~-He said therefore, A. certain nobleman went into a far country to receive
for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called his ten servants, and
delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. And it came
to pass that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he
commanded these servants to be called unto him.
John 13:
33--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.
John 14: 3-And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you (here,
not there) unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also.
Acts 1: 9-And
when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a
cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward
heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which
alsosaid, Ye men of Galilee, why stand
ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go.
I.Cor. 1: 7, 8-So that ye come behind in
no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall confirm you
(at his coming; not at their going) unto the end, that ye may be blameless in
the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
pg 40
Cor. 15: 23-But
every man in own order; Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are
Christs at his coming.
Phil. 3: 20-For
our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Col. 3: 4 -When
Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in
glory.
! Thess 1: (,
10-n Ye turned to God from Idols to serve the livingand true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven.
II, Thess. 2: 1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming or our Lord Jesus Christ, and by
our gathering together unto him.
Verse 8-And then
shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of
his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
II.Tim. 4: 1 -I charge thee therefore
before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead
at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word.
Verses7. 8-1 have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteous which the Lord, the righteous judge , shall give me at
that(not this) day; and not to me only
, but unto allthem also who love his
appearing.
Tit. 2: 12,
13-Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed
hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Heb. 9: 28
--Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for
him SHALL HE APPEAR THE SECOND TIME Without sin unto salvation.
I.Pet. 1: 7-That the trial of your
faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried
with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ.
I.John 3: -Behold 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.
Rev. I:
7-Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also
which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.
Rev. 16:
15-Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth.
Rev. 22:
7-Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of this book.
Verse I2-And
behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man
according as his work shall be.
Verse 20--He
that testifieth these things saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen, Even so,
Come, Lord Jesus.
Not only do
these testimonies prove clearly that Christ is personally to return to the
earth, but they show that there is no reward for the righteous till He does
come. What a blessing it will be, dear reader, to be among those to whom the
invitation will then be extended, To you who are troubled rest with us, when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in
flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (II. Thess. 1: 7, 8). Remember that it is to
them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation (Heb. 9: 28).
NOW, dear
reader, it will be evident to you from the Scriptures we have presented that
man is mortala perishing creature, as the result of sin. That, by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men
(Rom. 5: 12). Sin having taken effect in the nature of our first parents, and
that nature having been transmitted to us, we are dying creatures, and are
therefore by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2: 3). Our first parents having
been cast out of Eden and from all its blessings, and having become alienated
from God by sin, they have left us outcasts from paradise and aliens from the
glorious promises of God which we have been reading about. Hence the Apostle
Paul says, Wherefore remember, that ye being in times past Gentiles in the
flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision
in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ, being:
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Eph.2:11,12)
Our need of the
great salvation is now apparent, and the question arises, To whom shall we go
to obtain it?
In the Bible we
read of the first Adam and the second Adam. In the first there is death; in the
second there is eternal life. Our birth of the flesh gives us relation to the
first only; but God in His Goodness has opened up a way-by which we may change
our relationship from Adam the first to Adam the second, and thereby become now
heirs of eternal life, and in the future possessors of that boon with all its
glorious consequences.
John 3: 16-For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Acts 4:
l2--Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Matt. 20: 28-The
Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his
life a ransom for many.
Rom. 5: 6 For
when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Verse 8-God commendeth
his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Verses 10,11 For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but
we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
pg 42
by whom we have
now received the atonement.
Eph. 1: 7--In
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of his grace.
Eph. 2: 13-But
now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood
of Christ.
Col. 1: 14-1n
whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
Tit. 2: 14--Who
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
From these
testimonies it will be seen that out of Christ there is no reconciliation with
God and consequently no salvation. The question therefore is, How may we pass
out of Adam into Christ? This will lead us to the subject of baptism.
Mark 16: 15,
16-And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but
he that believeth not shall be damned.
Acts 2:38--Then
Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission
of sins.
Acts 10: 47,
48-Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, seeing they have
received the Holy Spirit as well as we. And he commanded them to be baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus.
John 3: 5-Jesus
answered, Verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
ALL BELIEVERS OF
THE
GOSPEL WERE:
BAPTIZED.
Acts 2: 41--Then
they that gladly received his (Peters) words were baptized.
Acts 18: 8--And
many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized.
Acts 8: l2--And
when they believed Philip ***they were baptized, both men and women.
Acts 8:
38--Philip baptized the eunuch.
Acts 16:
15--Lydia was baptized and her household.
Acts 18: 33--The
keeper of the prison was baptized, he and all his straightway.
Acts 19: 5-When
they (twelve men at Ephesus) heard this, they were baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus.
BAPTISM IS FOR
THE REMISSION
OF SINS.
Acts 2: 38-Be
baptized for the remission of your sins.
Acts 22: 16-Be
baptized and wash away thy sins.
I.Pet. 3: 21Baptism doth also now save
us-by the answer of a good conscience.
II.Pet. 1: 9-Purged from his old sins.
Eph. 5: 26--The
washing of water by the word.
BAPTISM INTO
CHRIST REQUIRES
WATER.
Acts 8: 36-See
here is water: what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Acts 10: 47--Can
any man forbid water that these should not be baptized?
John 3: 23-John
was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there.
BAPTISM IN WATER
ISA BEING
BURIED OR
IMMERSED THEREIN
.
Rom. 8: 3-5-We
are buried with him by baptism into death ***plantedtogether in the likeness of his death.
Col. 2:
12-Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him.
John 3: 5-Born
of (Greek, out of) water.
In other cases
where the word baptism is used, it is with the idea of complete covering over
with the thing or element it is related to.
Proof: Acts 1:
5; 2: 2--Baptized with the Holy Spirit **** it filled all the house where they
were sitting.
pg 43
I.Cor. 10: 2--Israel baptized in the
cloud and in the sea.
Luke 12:
50-Christs baptism of suffering: it overwhelmed him.
WHAT GOOD WILL
WATER DO ME?
None in the
sense of your inquiry. It is a question of conforming to the ordinances and
appointments of God. He has appointed and commanded baptism. It is part of His
will, and we know what Jesus has said: He that doeth the will of my Father,
the same is my brother and sister and mother.
Much has been
written on the meanings of the word baptize, while really there is no room for
dispute. If religious people were not wedded to hoary tradition and
unscriptural practices, the texts that speak of baptism as a burial and a birth
would be sufficient to decide the meaning the inspired writers attached to the
word. If it were seen that, instead of going to heaven or hell at death we go
to the grave, and that resurrection is necessary to a future life, and that
baptism is a symbol of death, burial and resurrection, the idea of sprinkling
would be seen in its real absurdity and immersion in its true and beautiful
significance. Since, however, there has been so much play upon the word we will
produce the evidence of scholars.
THE WORD
BAPIIZE MEANS TOIMMERSE.
Emphatic
DiaglottBaptize, bapto baptize. Bapto occurs 3 times (Luke 16: 24; John 13:
26; Rev. 19: 13~, and is always translated dip in the common version. Boptizo
occurs 79 times; of these 77 is not translated at all, but transferred; and
twice (Mark 7: 4; Luke 11: 38) it is translated wash, without regard to the
manner in which it was done. All lexicographers translate it by the word
immerse, dip or plunge not one by sprinkle or pour. No translator has ever
ventured to render these words by sprinkle or pour in any version. In the
Septuagint version we have pour, dip and sprinkle occurring in Lev. 14: 15,
16-He shall pour the oil, he shall dip his finger in it, and he shall sprinkle
the oil. Here we have cheo, to pour; raino, to sprinkle, and bopto, to dip.
Baptisma,
baptismos. These words are never translated sprinkling or pouring in any
version. Baptisma occurs 22 times and baptismos 4 times.
Dr. Adam Clarke
(Commentary) on Col. 2: l2-Buried with him by baptism, alluding to the
immersion practiced in the case of adults, wherein the person appeared to be
buried under the water, as Christ was buried in the heart of the earth. His
rising again the third day, and their emerging from the water was an emblem of
the resurrection of the body, and in them of a total change of life.
Now, dear
reader, you will see that it is not possible for us to enter the only name
given whereby we can be saved in any way except by baptism. Baptism only will
introduce a believer into the one name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Christ, having overcome sin and gained the victory over death and the grave,
became the manifestation of the Father by the Spirit, and therefore the
fullness of the Godhead bodily. He is therefore the name of the Lord which is a
strong tower, into which the righteous may enter and be safe (Prov. 18: 10).
You will remember that we
found the
Apostle Paul called the promises made to Abraham the gospelThe promises all centered in (Christ. They
were centered in Christ. They were confinedto Abrahams seed, which Paul says is Christ and all who form part of
His body. We are not the seed by nature. How
pg 44
may we become
such?Note the answer: For ye are all
the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. *** And if ye be Christs, then are
ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3: 26, 27, 29). If
you are led by the Spirit, which we now have expressed in the Word, to thus
believe and obey, you will then have the one faith, without which it is
impossible to please God (Heb. 11: 6); which faith cometh by hearing and
hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10: 17); and then will you be a child of God
and be able to cry Abba Father, the Spirit itself (as now expressed in the
Word) bearing witness with our spirit (mind) that we are the children of God;
and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ
(Rom. 8: 14-17). Then, dear reader, will your heart be filled with the love of
God and your whole being be thrilled with the hope that will at last bloom into
the glory of immortality, and in the words of the Apostle John you will
exclaim, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
would be called the sons of God (I. John 3: 1).
Luke 19: I3-And
he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds, and said, Occupy till
I come.
John 14: 15-If
ye love me keep my commandments.
Verse 25-If a
man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will
come in unto him, and make our abode with him,
John 15:
13-19-Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call
you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have
called you friends; for all things that I have heard of the Father I have made
known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you,
that ye should go and bring forth fruit; and that your fruit should remain;
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
These things I command you, that ye love one another. *** Ye are not of this
world, but I have chosen you out of this world, therefore the world hateth you.
Rom. 2: 7-To
them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, honor and
immortality (God will render) eternal life.
I.Cor. 11: 23-27-For I have received of
the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same
night in which he was betrayed took bread; and when he had given thanks, he
brake it, and said, Take eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; this do
in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had
supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood; this do ye as often
as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and
drink this cup, ye do show the Lords death till he come. Wherefore whosoever
shall eat this bread, and drink this cup unworthily shall be guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord.
Heb. 10:
23-25-Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is
faithful that promised); and let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see
the day approaching.
II.Pet. 1: 3-11--(God) hath called us to
glory and virtue; whereby are
pg 45
given to us
exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust. And beside all this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kindness love. For if these things be in you and abound ***ye shall never fall; for so an entrance
shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We have now
before us the way of the great salvation. You will conclude that if this is the
only salvation and the only way of salvation set forth in the Bible, then
Christendom has gone far astray; and you will possibly stagger before the
question, How can so many be wrong? Remember that the same question might have
been asked by Noah and by the faithful in the days of Jesus. But the many were
wrong and only few were right. Truth is truth regardless of whether few or many
believe it. It is your Privilege to believe and obey the Truth and then to walk
worthy of its glorious end. You have been shown what is good, and now what
doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love
mercy, and to
walk humbly with thy God3
Should you, dear
reader, feel that the flesh is weak, do not despair if the mind is willing; for
the God of Israel loves mercy. In His great mercy He has provided for us a high
priest who has been touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). In that he himself
hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted (Heb.
2: 18); and he ever liveth to make intercession for us. Affectionately we are
addressed in the words, My little children these things I write unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thus we find
that God is the God of truth, righteousness, love and mercy. Let us therefore
respond to His gracious appeal, Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea buy wine and milk
without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is
not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?hearken diligently unto me. Incline
your ear and come unto me; hear and your soul shall live; and I will make an
everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David (Isa. 55: 1-3).
You cannot help
but see from the numerous texts we have given that the general tenor of the
Scriptures is set forth in what we have placed before you. This being the case,
if there are a few texts that seem to you to contradict the evident teaching of
the many texts given, what would be a wise course for you to pursue?Of course you are not prepared to believe
that the Bible contradicts itself. If it has the appearance of doing so, depend
upon it the reason is to be-found in taking a wrong view of the few passages
that seem to oppose the many. In solving the difficulty it would be very unwise
to ignore the general tenor of Scripture teaching and risk your eternal destiny
upon a superficial view of a few texts. I have heard some foolishly say,
Well, I cannot decide this question; but the old belief was good enough for
my forefathers, and what was good enough for them is good enough for me. The
folly of this you will easily see; for if we go back farther in the line of our
forefathers we shall not go very far till we find them all in a wild,
barbarous state; and surely no sane person will seriously say, What was good
enough for them is good enough for me. Beside, the prophet, in speaking of the
latter days, says that in the days of affliction the Gentiles shall come from
the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
vanity, and things wherein there is no profit -Jer. 16: 19.
Now just pause
and think and ask yourself the question, How many passages are there that seem
to oppose the multitude of testimonies quoted in this little book? to which,
remember, many more might be added. You will find that they can all be counted
on your fingers. Hers they are: Elijah restoring the soul of the child, Her soul
was in departing, the spirit shall return to God who gave it, cannot kill
the soul, souls under the altar, the rich man and Lazarus, the thief on the
cross, Pauls desire to depart, Stephens prayer,
pg 47
Now when you
come to read these just as they are you will be surprised to find how far they
are from teaching the popular notions of immortal soul and heaven going at
death. But even if they were as strongly in favor of these notions as some
think them to be it would not do to risk our eternal destiny upon these nine
cases in an utter disregard of the general tenor of the Bible.
I.Kings 17: 21 -And he stretched himself
upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, 0 Lord my God, I
pray thee, let this childs soul come into him again.
You will see
from what we have said on pages 10 and 15 that the word nephesh, which is in
this text rendered soul, is frequently used for life. The word is translated
life in the following places: Gen. 9: 4; Lev. 17: 11; Deut. 12: 23, where you
will see it cannot have any other meaning. The Greek word psuche, which means
the same as nephesh in the Hebrew, occurs in Matt. 2: 20, where it is said,
They are dead which sought the young childs life to destroy it. The word
life is from psuche also in Matt. 6: 25--Take no thought for your life. In
these cases, as in all others, the context shows how absurd it is to attach the
meaning of immortal soul to the words. Just imagine the Saviour saying, Take
no thought for your immortal soul, and you will at once see that believers in
the popular notions have not thought out the subject. Soul in these texts
clearly means life.
Now let us
return to Elijah and the child with this Scripture information on the use of
the word soul, and by comparing Scripture with Scripture a proper
conclusionthe only possible conclusion the premises admit ofwill be easily
reached. What was the trouble with this child ? It was dead. What had caused it
to become dead ?~ The loss of its life. How might it be made alive again?By restoring its life to it. Was this what
Elijah did? Yes; for he prayed that the childs soul (life) might come into
him again, and the soul of the child came unto him again, and he the
childrevived. Now remember that it was not the child that had departed;
neither was it the child that returned. The child was there all the time, but
its life had gone out, and in answer to the prophets prayer the childs life
was restored. So here we have a child that was once alive, then dead, then
alive again.
Now another
thought. Did the prophet do a good thing or a bad thing in restoring life to
this child? Popular tradition strangely claims that when a child dies it does
not die, but leaves its body and is sure to go directly to a place of bliss.
According to this it is a fortunate thing for a child to die and a very
unfortunate thing to compel it to come back to life again. If this child had,
by death, escaped the mortal coil at a time when it was sure of eternal bliss,
how can we regard the prophet as doing a good thing in calling back the child
from its
pg 48
blissful home
and compelling it to re-inhabit its mortal coil, in which it might grow up to
years of accountability and thus place in jeopardy the possibility of ever
getting back to those realms of joy it had only had a taste of.You must see, dear reader, there is no
soundness in this theory. The case simply stands thus, as expressed in the
Septuagint rendering of the verse: And when he had breathed on the child three
times ***he said, Let this childs life be restored to him.
HER SOUL, WAS IN
DEPARTING.
Gen. 35: 18 is
sometimes quoted for the same purpose as the text we have7 just considered; but
what we have said applies also to this text. You have only to remember that it
is said, for she died.
Some, however,
will ask the question, Where does the life go when it departs? as if it must be
a conscious entity after it has gone. To see that because it speaks of the life
departing it does not follow that it is an entity, you have only to ask, Where
did our life come from when it .entered our being?Was it an entity before it entered?If not, then why should it be an entity after it has gone out
into lifes great ocean whence it came?Life is a condition of being; when that condition is destroyed we say
the life is gone. The light of a candle is a condition. Blow out the light and
you destroy the condition; and when you say the light is gone out you do not
suppose that it exists as a light separate and independent of the candle. So in
the use of such terms as my sight is gone, my hearing is gone
ILLUSTRATION OF
HOW SOUL
IS USED.
It may be well for
me to illustrate here how the meaning of the word soul in the Bible can be
determined by the context. We find it says: And levy a tribute unto the Lord
of the men of war which went out to battle, one soul of five hundred, of the
persons and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep (Numb. 31: 28).
Here the reader is bound to see that the word means creature or being, both man
and beast. In Job 12: 10 it says: In whose hand is the soul of every living
thing and the breath of all mankind. In this case it must be seen that soul
applies to the life of the beasts; so that in one instance it stands for the
animal itself and in the other for the life of the animal, it being impossible
to misunderstand its application; and no one thinks of attaching the meaning of
immortal entity to the word. Now carry the same reason to cases where the word
stands sometimes for the man and at other times for the life of the man and the
texts are clear to a mind willing to be reasonable and scriptural that immortal
entity is out of the question. It is said that Zilpah bare unto Jacob sixteen
souls (Gen. 46: 18); and here souls stands for the persons, while in Ex. 4:
19, where it says, All the men are dead which sought thy life (nephesh, soul)
it is clear that it means life, and the translators so rendered it, as they did
also the Greek word
pg 49
psuche in Matt.
2: 20, where it says, They are dead which sought the young childs life. If
the translators had given soul here, as they have in many places. the reader would
have seen by the very nature of the case that the word stood for life.
In Matt. 16: 26
we have a striking case where the translators have shown their bias in favor of
this theory, and yet it only exposes the fallacy of it: What is a man profited
if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?or what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul? Many quote this in support of the great value of the soul in view of its
supposed immortality. A little thought, however, will show that such a theory was
far removed from the Saviours mind, and make clear that the word psuche here
rendered soul means life. The context in this case enables us to easily see
this; for the fact is that in verse 25 the same word as is rendered soul in
verse 26 is rendered life. The way those who contend for the popular theory
would like to read the 26th verse is this: For what shall a man
profit if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own immortal soul or what
shall a man give in exchange for his immortal soul? To suit this contention
they have to add the word immortal. Now since the Saviour used the very same
word in verse 25 that He did in verse 26, and since the theorist is determined
to have immortal soul in verse 26 we have only to read it the same way in both
verses to see the fallacy of the popular view. This is how it would read: For
whosoever will save his immortal soul shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose
his immortal soul for my sake shall find it.
This at once
condemns the popular meaning of soul and shows that the Saviour uses it here
for life.
It happens that
the famous commentator, Dr. Adam Clarke, bears testimony to the truth upon this
portion of Scripture. He says: On what authority many have translated the word
psuche in the 25th verse life, and in this verse (26th)
soul I know not; but I am certain it means life in both cases.
Inthe Revised Version, too, life is used in
both verses.
CANNOT KILL THE SOUL.
Of all the texts
in which the word soul occurs, Matt. 10: 28 is the one most confidently relied
upon in support of the immortality of the soul. It is thought that this text
fully refutes the idea of the soul being destructible and sustains the theory
of its never-dying and indestructible nature. The phrase cannot kill the soul
is seized and loaded down, as it were, with the claim that it is not only out
of the power of man to kill the soul, but that it is, by reason of its nature,
absolutely indestructible and must live for ever. Now, dear reader, you have
only to take heed to one word in this verse to see that the soul here is not
the supposed immortal, indestructible soul of popular belief. That word is
destroy. Fear him that is able to destroy both body and soul in hell
(Gehenna). Please notice that the one word destroy is used
pg 50
to describe what
God will do with the body in Gehenna and what He will do with the soul in the
same place. Gehenna was known by the Jews to be a place of
destruction-destruction of life and destruction of carcasses or bodies after
they had been deprived of life. When the great day of Gods judgments and wrath
comes Gehenna will again be a valley of slaughter, where God will destroy His
enemies and those who are unworthy. The life that will be given to those who
are raised from the dead to appear before Christ as the Judge of the quick and
the dead will not be in power of men to take. The life of the condemned will be
in the hands of the judicial power of God, who will administer few or many
stripes according to desserts, and at last destroy totally and eternally every
vestige of the life of the unworthy and every particle of the body in Gehenna,
when the words of the Psalmist will be fulfilled, The wicked shall not be; yea
thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be-Psa. 37: 10.
Different views
are taken of the sense in which soul is used in this verse; but even if the
real sense in which our Saviour used it is never known, we can be sure that a
soul that is as destructible as the body, as this is, is not the immortal
soul of the Platonic theory.
We think a
careful observance of the context in this case, with an understanding of the
meaning of the two words in the verse in questionkill and destroy will
disclose the true meaning of our Saviours encouragement to His disciples. He
had been foretelling them of the persecutions His true followers would suffer
at the hands of enemies. They would be as sheep in the midst of wolves; they
would be delivered up to the councils and be scourged. The brother, he says,
shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child; and the
children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake; but he that endureth to
the end shall be saved (verses 18-22). Read also verses 23-27. From this it
will be seen that our Lord was preparing His disciples for the ordeal they were
to pass through, so that in the persecution and torment they would endure they
might keep their minds steadfastly fixed upon God and the hope set before them.
In other words, that though they would be subjected to great bodily pain and
suffering, they must maintain that composure of mind that can be sustained only
by a strong and unswerving faith.
Now with these
thoughts let us examine the two words kill and destroy. The word kill is
from the Greek word apokteino, which Donnegans Lexicon defines to kill,
torture, torment, render miserable or wretched, to destroy, condemn to death.
The word destroy in the verse is from apollumi, and this word is defined by
the same author to mean to destroy totally, to be lost, to perish; and by some
authors the word annihilated is added as a meaning. The word destroy is
therefore from a word which is much stronger than that
pg 51
from which the
word kill comes.
Again let me
remind you that the word psuche, rendered soul in this verse, is sometimes
rendered mind. For example: Acts 14: 2; Phil. 1: 27; Heb. 12: 3. And now, with
these facts in mind, we hear the Saviour saying: Fear not them which torture,
torment, render miserable the body (as the persecutors did by thumbscrews,
etc.), but are not able to torture, torment, render miserable, the psuche,
mind. For the mind would be fixed upon the hope of the gospel even when the
body was being tortured by the many wicked devices the tormentors of the
Christians invented. The case of Polycarp is an illustration of this, when he
assured his persecutors they need not tie him to the stake, for he could stand
there to be burned and yet maintain that composure of mind that a faith such as
his only could exemplify. It was a mind such as this, burning with confidence,
hope and joy in the promises of God, whose fiery zeal could not be quenched by
all the bodily torture they might inflict. Therefore fear not them who will
torture the body but cannot torture or harass the mind. Fear not men in the
sufferings you will be called upon to receive at their hands. Be faithful, be
calm and steadfast. Then He tells whom they should fear, him who is able to
destroy here is the stronger word, meaning to destroy totally, to be lost, to
perish, to be annihilated. Fear Him who is able to thus destroy both body and
mindthe entire beingin Gehenna.
This view of the
matter brings out in full the encouragement and the warning of our Saviours words
to those whom He knew stood in need of much fortitude to withstand the terrible
sufferings they were to pass through.
THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR.
Rev. 6: 9, 10
are the only texts that remain to be examined as a stronghold of the popular
theory of the immortality of the soul-that is, of those texts in which the word
soul is found; others we shall examine under their proper headings.
Superficial, indeed, must be the mind that cannot see that, instead of this
portion of Scripture favoring the immortality and immateriality of the soul, it
is directly opposed to such a theory. One would think that the fact of these
souls being under an altar, and of them having blood would be sufficient to
show that they are not immortal or immaterial.Suppose the words are taken in the most literal sense, we
should, standing beside the Apostle John, see a heathen priest place a person
on an altar, slay the person or soul, who in the struggles with death falls
from the altar and under it out, How long, 0 Lord, and true, dost thou not
judge and avenge our blood (which we see running from the wounded soul) on them
that dwell on the earth? What? Slay a soul! cries out the astonished
immaterialist. How can you slay that which is immaterial?If it has no size, weight or dimension; if
it cannot be seen or felt, how can it be put on an altar
pg 52
and slain and
how can it be said to have blood ? We grant the force of the questions; but
they are all based upon if the soul is immortal or immaterial; and if that
were true the texts would be inexplicable. But that is just where the evil
isin reading the verse with the preconceived dogma in the mind, and therefore
allowing a distorted Imagination to take the place of reason and Scripture. The
apostle was not
speaking of
immortal; immaterial, bloodless souls. Such souls were only found in the myths
of those who slew upon the altar souls that were real and substantial. Why be
astonished at the idea of souls being slain, when it is said that Joshua took
Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereofhe utterly destroyed, them and all the souls
that were therein (Josh. 10: 28, 39)?Why should it be thought incredible that souls have blood, when the
prophet Jeremiah says: In thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the
poor innocents (chapter 2: 34)?To a
mind in harmony with and familiarized with the Word of God the texts in
question present no difficulty whatever in the way of the materiality and
mortality of the soul. Neither is there anything in the fact of their crying
out to prove that they were disembodied entities. We would ask the
immaterialist, Have the souls of your theory blood?Can they be slain upon an altar? and the answer is, No. Then you
have nothing to do with Rev. 6: 9, I0in fact you have nothing to do with the
souls of the Scriptures. Your sphere is in the realms of pagan and Roman myths,
whose heavens are filled with imaginary dead mens ghosts.
Now as to the
real meaning of the verses in question, we have to take our stand along with the
Apostle John before we can discern it. We must remember that the things John is
seeing are signifiedto himthat is,
they are shown by signs. In this way he is shown things before they actually
come to pass. I will show thee things which must be hereafter, says the
Spirit to John (chapter 4: 1). In this way he saw the resurrection of the dead,
and heard the redeemed sing the of Moses and the Lamb after theyhad been raised; and he saw them live and
reign on the earth with Christ for one thousand Years (chapters 5: 7-12; 20:
4). So in the verses in question he is relating the signs of-what was to take
place under the fifth seal, when the Roman persecution and martyrdom of the
saints filled to overflowing the pit, as it were, under the altar with the
blood of the innocents and faithful. John himself knew from experience that the
cruel hand of persecution and death would be imbrued in the blood of his
brethren, and his anxiety was to know the outcome. He first sees the scroll
sealed with seven seals; when he hears that no man is worthy to open the book,
he says: I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the
book (chapter 5: 1-4). Now the actual breaking of the seals and unrolling of
the scroll are to be seen in the actual events that have transpired and will
yet transpire in the actual events that have transpired and will yet transpire.
in
pg 53
the world from
Johns time down to the fulfillment of the promise, Behold; I come quickly and
my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be
(chapter 22: 12). John, hoping to be one of those to be rewarded, and knowing
that the reward could not be received till the coming of the Lord, it is no
wonder he was so anxious to know the course of events during the interval. His
anxiety is soon ended by the information that the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
the Root of David, had prevailed to open the look and to loose the seals
thereof (chapter 5: 5). Thus by signs he is shown what nlould take placenot
in heaven, Gods holy habitation, but in the earth and the political heavens
thereof. To signify what would be the treatment his brethren would receive at
the hands of Roman persecution, of whose cruelty he was himself a victim, the
Spirit causes a panoramic view to pass before his vision, showing him that
faithful souls would be slain upon the altars of Romish superstition, whose
blood would cry to heaven for just vengeance upon the enemies of God, His truth
and His people. To show John that there would be a grand sequel to the dreadful
drama that was being performed before his eyes, as the canvas, as it were,
passes a vision appears of those souls being given white robes, indicative of
the glorious reward of immortality, to be bestowed upon them by Him who
declared, Behold; I come quickly and my reward is with me, to give every man
(or-every soul) as his work shall be.
The only shadow
at which the believer in the immortality of the soul can snatch in this case
is, that the souls are represented as crying out. Can dead souls speak ?~ they
triumphantly ask. To which it would be excusable to retort, Can blood speak
(Gen. 4: 10; Heb. 12: 24)7 Can the earth sing? Can fir trees and cedar trees
rejoice (Isa. 14: 7, 8)? The common sense that can see in a parable or a symbol
how blood can speak, the earth sing, trees rejoice and clap their hands, will
have no difficulty in understanding how souls, though dead, can be represented
as crying out for to be lustly avenged of the cruelty of which they have been
the victims.
There are some,
however, who are possessed of common sense in common things, but who seem to be
destitute of it when their cherished myths are in question. So long as men
allow themselves to be intoxicated with the spirits of pagan and Roman
beverages they can see nothing in this Scripture except disembodied souls in a
conscious statealive and conscious because they are represented as speaking.
But when the attention is called to the fact that John saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God at the judgment day; and that he heard them sing the
song of Moses and the Lamb (Rev. 20: 12; 5: 9), they are able to see that men
can be represented as having real bodily existence and as singing while they
are deadsome of them, too, before they are born; for in the view that John had
of the resurrection there must have been a representation
pg 54
of all that
would die up to the time when the resurrection takes place.
Those who so
stubbornly resist the Truth and so tenaciously cling to hoary superstition may
be asked, Where is this altar under which these souls are seen?If you say heaven, then we ask, Is there an
altar in heaven upon which souls are slain and under which they cry for
vengeance? Perhaps, if reason and Scripture will not persuade you of the folly
of such a foolish thing, the prestige of a famous orthodox commentator might
have some weight. Dr. Adam Clarke, in commenting upon this text, says: A
symbolical vision was exhibited in which he saw an altar, and under it the
souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God, martyred for their
attachment to Christianity, are represented as being newly slain as victims to
idolatry and superstition. The altar is upon earth, not in heaven.
THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.
The words of
Eccles. 12: 7 are relied upon to sustain the belief in the flight of the spirit
to heaven at death, where it is supposed to enter upon its eternal inheritance;
although it seems always to be forgotten that we must all appear before the
judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether good or bad (II. Cor. 5: 10). What
such a judgment could be for if men go to their rewards and punishments at
death is inconceivable to a rational mind.
Now the first
thing we would call the readers attention to in the verse in question is the
fact that Solomon makes no difference between good and bad men, but speaks
without qualification of the spirit returning at death to God who gave it.
Whatever the spirit here spoken of is, all will agree that all men, good and
bad, are in possession of it, and that at death the same spirit forsakes the
good and the bad alike; and since it is said it returns to God who gave it, it
follows that it came from God.
The fact that
the spirit here spoken of is given to all men alike and that at death it
returns to God whence it came, clearly shows that it is not the man himself,
good or bad; for no believer in the popular theory will admit that the supposed
spirit entity of bad men goes to God at death. For this text to be made to suit
the theory of disembodied conscious existence and heaven-going at death it must
be changed considerably. Solomon must be re minded that he made quite a mistake
in not guarding his words so as to say that at death the spirit of the good man
only goes to God, while that of the bad man goes in an opposite directionnot
to God, but to the devil.
You, dear
reader, will not be willing to allow that Solomon made a mistake. You will
rather be disposed to conclude that the popular theory is so much out of
harmony with inspiration thatScripture
wordsmust undergo much changing in
order to make
pg 55
them appear to
suit the dogmas of theological schools.
Please take
notice, that the spirit here spoken of returns to God who gave it. God gave if.
It is an it that God gave to something or some being. It is that which was
given to the being and it is not the being to whom it was given. It is
therefore not the man but something that was given to the man, which at death
leaves the man to whom it was given and returns to Him who gave it.
Now let me ask
you, dear reader, to read again what we have said and the texts we have given
on the question of the spirit on pages 15, 16, 17. You will then see that the
word spirit is frequently used for lifeboth with reference to man and beasts.
The word spirit in the verse in question is from the Hebrew word ruach. Solomon
used this same word in this same book in chapter 3: 19; but our translators
gave us breath there and spirit here. There it is said of man and beasts,
Yea, they have all one breath (ruach). Now what did God give to man when He
made him alive?The answer is given in
Gen. 2: 7: He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. What takes place
when a man dies? His breath goeth forth; he returneth to his earth; and in
that very day his thoughts perishPsa. 146: 4. When we breathe we inhale the
air that surrounds us, which God has, in his mysterious ways, impregnated with
the principle of life. When by disease or accident we prevented from breathing,
our breath goes out, life goes out and we are left as lifeless as Adam was
before God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. God is the only
source of life the life of all living creatures. Life came from Him. When death
takes place it returns to Him. The life that God gave to Adam was not an
immortal entity. Surely it was not a conscious entity that God breathed into
Adams nostrils. Neither is it a conscious entity when it returns to God who
gave it.
Moreover, the
spirit or life of all men and all animals comes from God; but man came out of
the dust. The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2: 7). The
first man is (out) of the earth, earthy (I. Cor. 15: 47). The man came out of
the dust; his life, or spirit of life or breath of life came from God. When
death takes place there is a returning of things. The man that came out of the
ground returns to the ground, and the life that was given to make him a living
man returns to God who gave it. To make a living man, formation and impartation
of life took place. For that same man to die is for the life to be withdrawn
and for the man to be left for dissolution.
This is what our
text says of death: The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit
(life) returns to God who gave it. And what is true in this respect of man is
true of the beasts; for Solomon says of both: As the one dieth so dieth the
other; 0 * * * all are of the dust and all turn to dust again (chpt 3: 19, 20)Men thatare no better than the beasts are like the beasts that perish; like
sheep they
pg 56
are laid in the
grave (Psa. 49: 12, 13, 20). But the man that ascends above the beasts in the
intellectual and moral scale and becomes responsible to God will come forth to
life againa resurrection (anastasisstanding again) will take place to
receive the things in body according to that he hath done, whether good or
bad (II. Cor. 5: 10).
STEPHENS DYING PRAYER,
What we have
said in the foregoing will fully prepare the readers mind to understand the
words of Stephen as regarded in Acts 7: 59. Under this heading therefore little
need be said.
Suppose we read
this verse as theorists would have it, it would be: Lord Jesus, receive my
immortal entity. This would not suit the theory, for it would not prove that
Stephen continued to live7 after he was dead, since the next verse says: He
(Stephen) fell asleep. Reading the verse just as it is, with the mind freed
from false tradition, it is very easy to understand When Stephens spirit had
left him he was a dead man; but he is in the resurrection to be made a living
man again. To make him a living man his spirit will be returned to him. Left
without the spirit he is a dead man; because the body without the spirit
(breath, see margin) is dead (Jas. 2: 26). In thepossession of the spirit: he will be a living man again.
Now, to state
the same facts in other words, when Stephens life returned to God who gave it
he died. When the time arrives to raise him from the dead to live again his life
will be returned to him. Stephen therefore, in the hour of death, with the hope
of living again, commended his life into the hands of Him who is the
resurrection and the life, and who said, He that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live.
From God the
spirits of all flesh come (Numb. 16: 22; Job 34: 14), and in death to God they
all return; for it is in Him all creatures live and move and have their
being. Spirit, therefore, in the text under consideration stands for life,
without which thought the words cannot be Properly understood.
The same is true
also of our Saviours dying words, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit
(Luke 23: 46). Having uttered these words it is said, He gave up the ghost.
To give up the ghost is defined by lexicographers as to breathe out, to gasp
out, or to expire. When Jesus had given up His spirit or life He was dead,
having poured out his soul unto death. But God raised Jesus from the dead
(Acts 3: 15), and therefore returned to him His spirit or life.
With the
understanding that the word spirit in the Bible represents, influence,
disposition mind, state of feeling, air, breath and life, its meaning in any
particular text can readily be seen by keeping in view the context; and in
those we have been considering it is clear that life is meant.
Phil. 1:
21-23-For me to live isChrist, and to
die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor; yet
what I. shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a
desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better.
With the sense
in which the word depart is used by those who view death as a release of the
person from the body, this verse, as it appears in the Authorized Version,
seems to support the theory of heaven-going at death. Since there is so much
dependence put upon the word depart, let us, dear reader, consider its use in
connection with other words related to it. I need not tell you that no language
has a separate word for each thought. Thoughts are so numerous and of such
various shades and degrees that it is impossible to have a separate word for
each thought, shade or degree of thought. One illustration will suffice to
impress this fact upon our minds. Take the word raise. You sometimes say, Raise
that chair, raise that stove, raise the carpet. The act represented by the word
raise in these cases would be capable of instant literal performance and would
not be misunderstood. Now suppose you were to say to a person, You shall go on
my farm and raise a crop this year, would not the word convey quite a different
thought ~ So with the phrases, raise a garden, raise a family, raise
stock, etc.
In the first use
of the word you have the chair right before your eyes before it is raised the
same as it is after it is raised; but not so with a crop, a family, ect, . In
these cases the raising involves bringing them into existence.
Now suppose you
say, That comfortable chair I used to have is gonesome one stole it. In this
case the word gone represents the fact that the chair has been taken from one
place to another and it may still exist as a chair. But suppose when your crop
is ripe a cyclone or a fire destroys it, and you say, 0 dear, my fine crop is
all gone! would not the thought here be quite different? If you were asked of
the chair, Gone where? you might be able to say gone to such a place; but if
asked the same question in relation to the crop you could only answer, Gone to
destruction, or ceased to be.
Now we speak of
ourselves as having come into this world but we do not thereby mean that we
existed in some other world and literally and bodily came into this. If we were
asked the question, Where were you before you came into this world, we could
only answer, Nowhere. The meaning of the phrase came into this world is that
we were begotten, formed and borna process that took place in this world; but
we as conscious beings are the result, and of this we say, We came into this
world. Now suppose we reverse this and contemplate death, in which we lose our
life, dissolve or waste away and thus cease to be, is there not a return to
non-being? and in such a case, since we say we came into this life, may we not
say that in death or dissolution we are out of this world or out of life and
still not mean that we exist after we have gone, any more than we mean that we
existed before we came.
pg 58
Now instead of
the word gone we may use the word departed; to go out of life might be
expressed by the words depart out of life. This thought is expressed in the
words of Job, when he says, Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked
shall I return thither. The original womb of the race of Adam is the dust,
and this is the womb to which we return in death, which fact is expressed in
the words, Out of it (the dust) wast thou taken and unto dust shalt thou
return. Before we came out of the dust we had no personal existence in the
dust, and when we have returned to the dust we shall have no personal existence;
the one is our coming, the other is our going; Thus we come and we depart.
Literally speaking the coming of Adam into the world was his formation and
animation, causing him to become a being; and his going out was the dissolution
of his being. He thus came and departed, and many of his and many of his
descendantscame and have departed for
ever. They dead, they shall not live; they are deceased and they shall not
rise, therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them and made all their memory
to perishIsa. 26: 14. On the other hand, some of Adams descendants who have
departed will return; for the same prophet exclaims: Thy dead men shall live,
together with my dead body shall they ***arise;the earth shall cast out the deadverse 19. When Abraham was
gathered to his fathers he departed out of life into death; but he will
return to life again when resurrection takes place. So we may say to depart
from life is to go into death, and to depart from death is to return to life.
With this in
view we can understand the words of Paul when he says, For I am now ready to
be offered, and the time of my departure is at. handII. Tim. 4: 6. When the
apostle would be a subject of this departure dissolution would take place,
and, indeed, dissolution is the word Used in the Diaglott instead of departure.
That Paul did not use the word here in the sense it is used by those who
believe in departing from earth to heaven at death is clear, from the fact that
he says in the same connection, Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day
(not this day, the day of my death); and not to me only, but unto all them
also that love his appearingII, Tim. 4: . You will see, dear reader, that
Paul expected no reward before the appearing of Christ as the righteous Judge,
of which he had made mention in the first verse in the words, I charge thee
therefore before God, and Lord Jesus Christ, who judge the quick and the dead
at his appearing and his kingdom. At this appearing the Lord would find some
deadnot quick or alive and others he would find quick or alive. When Paul
would take his departure (verse 6) he would pass from the quick to the
dead, knowing which he said his desire was to be found in him (Christ)***
that I might know him, and the
pg 59
power of his
resurrection, ***if by any means I
might attain unto the resurrection from among the deadPhil. 3: 10, 11.
Now let us
return to Phil. 1: 23. Supposing that the word depart here is a proper
rendering; if Paul means the same here that he does by the word departure in
II. Tim. 4: 6, it would only express his desire to depart from life (with its
extreme suffering he was then experiencing) and go into death, to await his desired
resurrection from among the dead in which he expresses his hope in this same
letter (chapter 3: 10, 11). That Pauls hope was not in death, but in the
coming of Christ, you will clearly see from these testimonies; the first of
which is in this very letter.
Phil. 3: 20,
21--For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body that it may be
fashioned likeunto his glorious body
etc.
Col. 3: 3, 4-Ye
are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life
SHALL APPEAR, THEN shall ye also appear with him in glory.
To these
testimonies manymore might be added;
but as we have shown from II. Tim. 4, that when Paul was about to die the
coming of the righteous judge to give him his crown of righteousness his only
hope through resurrection, this is sufficient.
But perhaps the
reader will ask, Why did Paul say he desired to depart and be withChrist.It would seem that the being with Christ would immediatelyfollow his departure, It will be urged. In
what we have said so far we are admitting that depart is the proper word in
this text; but this admission is only for the sake of showing that even making
such allowance the words do not sustain the theory that Paul expected to go to
heaven when he died. When Paul said he desired to depart, that was one thing;
and that he desired to be with Christ, that was another thing; for, as we have
seen, many have departed never to return, being dead, never to live, and
deceased, and gone into the depths of eternal oblivion never to rise. Though
the two things are spoken of together, it does not follow that the one
immediately follows the other. This same apostle says: It is appointed unto
men once to die, and after this the judgment; but he shows elsewhere that the
judgment in some cases is hundreds of years after the death. When we depart
from life and pass into death our thoughts perish (Psa. 146: 4), and the
dead know not anything (Eccles. 9: 5). Knowing not anything thousands of years
is to them but the flash of a moment. So far as their experience goes they
close their eyes in death and the same moment open them in life, though as an
actual fact thousands of years pass between the death and the life. Had Paul
meant, then, a desire to die and to be with Christ, the two events would be to
his consciousness facts of a moment, while in reality they are facts separated
by hundreds of years.
From Pauls
general teaching we may therefore paraphrase his words in the text in question
thus: I have a desire to depart
pg 60
out of this life
into death; for such would be gain to me, since I am a prisoner in bonds and
continually suffering almost beyond endurance. My desire is, too, to be with
Christ when He shall appear as the resurrection and the life and cause me
with others who shall then have departed out of life into death to return out
of death into life.
While what we
have here said explains the meaning of depart as applied to death, and leaves
no room for the popular theory of heaven-going in the verses in question, we do
not believe that depart is the proper word here, and we will give our reasons;
for without a good reason our opinion would be worthless.
Now, dear
reader, let us go to the verse and see whether this word depart is the proper
word here. The Greek word of which this purports to be a translation is only
found in one other place in the New Testament, and by comparing the two places
we shall be able to decide its meaning. The word is analusia, and the other
place where it is found is in Luke 12: 36--And (be) ye yourselves like unto
men that wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding, that when
he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Here our
translators have given us the word return for the analusia, while text under
consideration have given us depart.
Let it not be
forgotten that the translators of the Authorized Version were believers in the
popular theory, and in many instances in thetheythey have shown a strong
bias intheir translations, so much
sothat even men of their own
schoolhave been compelled to condemntheir work in many cases. Nowin Luke 12: 36 it was impossiblefor them to use the word depart,for the context would in no wayallow of it. The word return is the most
important word in thetext. Substitute
the word depart and you make the Saviours com mand ridiculous. Look, dear
reader, at the situation. The lord of the servants has gone from home to marry
and return with the bride of his choice. What could possibly escape the eye of
his lordship when approaching and entering his home in company for the first
time with her whom he delighted to honor and please?This return of the lord is the most extraordinary return, and
what servant would be lax in preparingfor such an event as this?Now
what is the point of the Saviours words? Was it not that, since He was to
call his servants together and as the nobleman take leave of them and go
into the far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, He
wished them to obey His command, Occupy till I come (Luke 19)? Was it not
that, since He, their Lord, would return and call His servants to account, He
wished them to prepare for His return as faithfully and as anxiously as servants
would prepare for the return of their lord from the wedding in company with his
bride? Are not the two most important thoughts of the command expressed in the
words return and be ye like which mean Be ye ready; for in such an hour
pg 61
as ye think not
the Son of man cometh. Return (analusia), then, can mean nothing else here
but returnthe return of Christ, which, as we have seen, was Pauls inspiring
hope.
Now it would be
strange, indeed, if the word analusia had two opposite meaningsone depart and
the other return; and is it not much more in harmony with Pauls general
teaching to view him in the text in question as desiring the return of Christ
rather than death?
Let us examine
the apostles words carefully and see if this is not his meaning. Mark you,
dear reader, there are two things between which he is in a strait, and of
which he says, what I shall choose I wot not. Whatever these two things are
they cannot be the thing he says hedesired; for he is in no strait about the desired thing which he says is
far better. There are therefore three things in contemplation. First, to live
and continue to preach Christ, second, to die and thus be freed from his
sufferings; and third, the thing, whatever it was, that he desired. So far as a
comparison between the first and second was concerned it would be gain to him
to die and. be relieved of his bonds and affliction; never the less to abide
in the flesh was more needful for them But about the third thing he was in no
strait; it was far better than anything else and it was his desire. What
was it?It was the return of Christ,
when Paul hoped to be with him; yes, with Him in the highest sense of the term.
To admit of this meaning, however, we must give analusia the same meaning here
it has in Luke, and this is what is done in the Emphatic Diaglott, which
translates as follows
Phil. 1:
19-24-And I know that this will result in my deliverance, through your
entreaty, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest
expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed; but with all
confidence, as at all times, also now Christ will be magnified in my body,
whether it be by life or by death. Therefore for me to live is Christ and to
die is gain. But If I live in the flesh, this is to me a fruit of my labor; and
what I shall choose I do not know. I am. indeed, hard pressed by the two things
(I have it desire for the returning, and being with Christ, since it is very
much to be preferred); but to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
This makes the
matter clear and saves us from making Paul contradict himself and the general
teachings of the Scriptures. how strange, you will say, that the translators
should give us the word depart instead of its opposite, return! In answer to
which we may remark that the literal meaning of analusia is said to be loose
again; and it was a word employed in reference to ships loosing anchor and in
this somewhat of an apology is offered for the apparent anomaly of rendering
the same word depart and return. If the ship is in the harbor of the speakers
standpoint analusia would mean to loose anchor that it might depart and go;
if it is in a harbor of a foreign land away from the standpoint of the speaker,
the word would mean loose anchor in order that it might return home; to do
which it must depart from the harbor in which it is an-
pg 62
chored. Now
Pauls hope was in Christ-anchored within the veil. He was hoping for Him to
be loosed again from heaven, which would be His departure from heaven and His
return to the earth, of which the same apostle says: To them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
IN OR OUT OF THE B0DY.
The Scriptures
clearly teach that man had no existence before he was formed of the dust of
the ground. That when formed that which was formed was the man. That when the
breath of life was breathed into the nostrils of the dust-formed man that man,
that form became a living soul, a living man, a living form. This is the man
and not the house in which the man lives, and which he may vacate and live
somewhere else without. It is not the body of man as something separate from
the man that the apostle Paul says was out of the earth, earthy; but he is
very emphatic in saying. The first man is of the earth, earthy (I. Cor. 15:
47). When this man who is formed out of the earth, earthy is dissolved in
death, he is said to return to the dust: For out of it wast thou taken; for
dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou RETURN (Gen. 3: 19). In other words,
His breath (that was breathed into his nostrils) goeth forth; he (who was
formed of the dust of the ground) returned to his earth, and in that very day
his thoughts perish (Psa. 146: 4). In this state it is said of him that he has
no power for work, nor device, no knowledge, nor wisdom; for there is no
power to perform any of these in the grave whither thou goest (Eccl. 9: 10).
The fact is man in death has returned to the dust from whence he was taken; and
while the living know that they shall die, the dead know not anything (Eccl.
9: 5). Man had none of the powers or functions above named before he was a
formed, living being. Therefore when he goes back into the formlessness and
lifelessness that preceded his creation there is nothing-there are no
organsfrom which work, device, knowledge and wisdom can be manifested. So
that man in death has no more personal, conscious existence than he had before
he was formed. All that remains of him is the memory his friends may have of
him; and, if he was responsible to the law that shall judge the just and the
unjust, there remains an impress, as it were, of his character in the Divine
memory, which, when re-formation, or resurrection takes place, will be
reimpressed upon him, which will either prove him to be worthy of eternal life
or of eternal death. Disembodied existence, then, finds no room in Scripture
nor in reason.
But what shall
we do with II.Cor. 12: 1-4, where Paul speaks of not knowing whether he was in
the body or out of the body? the reader will ask. Well, what would you do with
it? You certainly would not make a matter about which even Paul himself says,
I cannot tell (verse 3) of so much importance as to establish you in the
belief of a theory
pg63
that is found in
direct opposition to the general teachings of Scripture Even if you were
compelled to say of the meaning of thissmall portion of the Word I cannot tell you would not repudiate the
many clear statements concerning man, his nature, his condition in life and in
death. You may examine the writings of this apostle, in which he speaks in
Unmistakable terms, and see what he sets forth on the subject of mans nature
and the state of the dead. That should settle the chief question, even if you
have to conclude that there are a few obscure statements which, as the apostle
Peter says, are hard to be understood. Now we have seen that the apostle Paul
teaches that man is out of the earth, earthy. In the same chapter he tells us
that, instead of there being inside this corruptible body an incorruptible
soul, as popularly taught, corruption does not inherit incorruption (1. Cor.
15: 50). He clearly shows that mans nature is not part spirit from heaven and
part flesh from the dust now in this life; but that he is first (in this life)
a natural, earthy or flesh and blood being; and afterward (in the future life)
he will be that which is spiritual, that is, when he in the resurrection is
raised a spiritual body. Of those who are dead he says, in verses 17, 18 that
if there is no resurrection through Christ all are perished. This shows that he
did not believe they were living out of their bodies in happiness or misery;
for if he had believed that, the non-resurrection of their bodies as houses
they could live without just. as well asyea better thanwithin would in no way
cause them to perish. So we see that Paul held no such idea as disembodied
existence.
Now the words
in the body or out of the body to believers in disembodied existence mean,
that Paul did not whether he left his body and went away from his body or not.
from their point of view what would it have been if Paul had literally gone out
of his body and left it in one place while he was in another place?In other words, by what means could he have
left his body?What happens when one
leaves his body? The only answer is, Death. Death, according to popular
tradition, is the only thing that can take a man out of his body; and when he
is out of his body that is death, they say. Here is how they express their
theory of death in poetry:
Burdened with
this weight of clay
We groan beneath
the load;
Waiting the hour
that sets us free
And brings us
home to God.
Know that when
the soul unclothed
Shall from the
body fly,
Twill animate a
purer frame
With life that
cannot die.
Now is it
seriously to be supposed for a moment that Paul when he said, I knew a man in
Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body I cannot tell; or out of
the body I cannot tell; God knoweth) meant that he could not tell whether he
died above fourteen years ago? Was it death he had in view when he used the
words in the body and out of the body?Absurd, you will say. Yes indeed, absurdI
pg 64
say too. But if
he meant by out of the body what this text is quoted to Prove by theologians,
then the absurdity is charged to Paul. Whatever the apostle meant by these
phrases it is clear from his expressed view of death and from all reason in the
case that he did not mean that he did not know whether or not he died above fourteen
years ago and therefore might have been literal]y out of his body.
Now this is not
the only place where Paul used phraseology of this kind. For instance, in Col.
2: 5 he says, For though I be absent in flesh, yet am I with you in spirit,
joying and beholding your order. Who would suppose that the apostle meant by
these words that his flesh was absent from them; but hethe spirit, as is
claimedwas actually present? For this to have been the case literally Paul
would have had to forsake his body and go to Colosse bodiless; and since the
body without the spirit is dead (James 2: 26), Paul would have been dead in
the sense of popular tradition. What Paul meant by these words is clear to
common sense, namely, that although he was not actually present, in mind or
thought he was with them, which literally means that he was thinking about
them. He was picturing their conduct, as it were, in his mind. Similar
phraseology is in common use among us in these days. When we write friends at a
distance, I am far away from you in body, but I am with you in mind, we are
never supposed by reasonable people to mean that we are literally out of our
bodies.
Now that the
apostle is not speaking literally in the verses in question is evident from his
prefacing his remarks by I will come to visions and revelations of God. On
account of some having spoken evil of him and tried to belittle him it was
necessary for him to defend himself and claim what honor was justly due him. He
did not like to boast of himself in a direct way, and to maintain his rights
with as much modesty as possible he spoke of himself as another mana man he
knew above fourteen years ago Of such an one will I glory, he says (verse
5). In a sense he left himself, and talked about a man he knew; and yet he was
the man. That enemies of Paul were at work in the body at Corinth will be seen
from chap. 11: 4, 13. Some of these had evidently gone to the extent of trying
to make him out a fool, as will be seen by his remarks in verse 16: I say
again, Let no man think me a fool. Also in chap. 12: 6, For though I would
desire to glory, I shall not be a fool. Also verse 11, I am become a fool in
glorying; ye have compelled me.
Now it is very
often said of a foolish person that he is beside himself. If this were
literally construed it would be that he is outside of himself, an impossible
thing in the literal sense. Of the prodigal son coming to his senses it is
said, And when he came to himself he said, I will arise and go to my father.
Not that he had literally been away from himself; that no one is absurd enough
to believe now, although these phrases may have had their origin in the old
Egyptian and Grecian
pg 65
theory of
transmigration of souls.The words
came to himself imply that, as we sometimes say,? he was not himself. He
was of his head. Now it so happens that Paul uses the words beside ourselves
in this very letter; and that too in reference to the attempt that had been
made to make him appear a fool. He says, in chap. 5: 13, For whether we be
beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we be sober, for your cause. Now
put there words together fools beside ourselves out of the body,in the
body andthe one will explain the
other. What the apostle says in chap. 12: 1-6 is in substance this: Some have
belittled me and said I am a fool, beside myself, out of my body, etc.
Well, it is not expedient for me to glory. I will come to visions and
revelations of the Lord. I will show you a man who can glory, because he has
been favored with visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ
above fourteen years ago, whether beside himself, as you say, whether a fool,
as you saywhether beside himself or not beside himself, whether in the body or
out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth. I wont argue that question with
you. You have said I was beside myself, out of the body; that I will leave to
God. This, however, I will glory in, that such an one was so favored of God as
to be caught up to the third heavento paradise, and was favored with a
revelation of Gods grand purpose to restore paradise, and with a view, in
vision, of what that paradise will be in all its glory. Of such an one as that
I will glory, leaving you to judge from these favors bestowed upon him whether
the recipient was a fool, beside himself, or out of the body. Here was a home
thrust, a powerful argument in Pauls own behalf that was calculated most
effectually to put to silence his enemies and bring those to their senses who
were wavering and inclining toward the troublers in their midst. Marvelous tact
is manifested in the method Paul adopted in throwing himself, as it were, in
the third. person then proceeding to show that person was favored of God. A
destructive blow was masterfully dealt his enemies when he left them to
determine whether such a favored person was a fool, beside himself, or out
of his body. God knoweth, he says. As much as to say, It is not likely that
God, who knoweth, would so favor one that was a fool, beside himself, or
out of his body. In all this we have the work of a master in polemics, one
who could lustly boast and yet be modest; who could maintain his honor and due
justice and yet use cutting irony on those who deserved it; who, in short,
could slay his enemies with the very sword they had sharpened for him.
Now, dear
reader, you will see that by comparing scripture with scripture a difficult
passage becomes clear and wonderfully forcible. And you will now see that the
words that tradition uses, or rather misuses, to Prove disembodied existence
have no reference whatever to such a theory. The words, indeed, out of the
pg 66
body and
beside himself may be fitly applied to the delusive state of popular
theologians, evidence of which is not wanting in the fact that they seriously
apply such words to a fabulous disembodied state.
You may ask,
What about being caught up to the third heaven-to paradise?Heaven and earth are used in the Scriptures
to represent political and social conditions. Hear, O heavens and give ear 0
earth are words addressed to rulers and ruled. How art thou fallen from
heaven? are words addressed to the King of Babylon upon the occasion of his
fall from power and dominion. Now the Apostle Peter divides the history of man
on the earth into three partsfirst the antediluvian; second the Jewish and
Gentile down to the millennium; third the glorious reign of Christ on the
earth, when righteousness will be the stability of the times. The first he
calls the world (Greek, kosmos, or order of things) that then was, consisting
of the heavens that were of old, and the earth, that by the waters of the
flood perished (II. Pet. 3: 4-6). The second he calls the heavens and the
earth which are now (verse 7). This world, or order of things political,
religious and social, is to pass away with a great noise. The system, with all
the works that are thereinall the details of evils that go to make up the
combustible aggregation are to pass away, melt with a fervent heatthe heat of
Gods just vengeance upon a wicked world; and then will come the third, which
Peter says we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness. The first was an unrighteous world and was
swept away with the flood of Gods anger; the second is unrighteous and will be
burned up with the fervent heat of Gods wrath; but the third will be a
righteous world wherein everything will be very good as in paradise before sin
cursed and blighted it; and that third heaven will be paradise restored.
In vision and
by revelation of the Lord (II. Cor. 12: 1) Paul was caught up or as the
Diaglott better renders it conveyed away and was permitted to see a drama, as
it were, of what this glorious future will be. Its glory and splendor were so
great that it was, in its intensity, unspeakable and not Possible for a man
to utter (see margin verse 4). That glorious state is so over whelmingly
grand, that, as another apostle writes, 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 (I. John 3: 2).
This third
heaven or paradise is what will obtain in the Lords day into which John,
when on the isle that is called Patmos, was also caught away in spirit, and which
he was allowed to give a revelation of so far as it was possible to reveal to
mortal man the effulgent glory of such transcendent beauty as will bless the
day in which the earth will be full of the glory of the Lord as the waters
cover the sea.
The words of the
Apostle Paul in II. Cor. 5: 1-9 are supposed to teach that the apostle expected
that when he died he would go into the presence of the Lord in a disembodied
state. To those who have the idea rooted in their minds from infancy that every
man exists as a conscious entity bodiless after death a superficial view of
this scripture would seem to be a support. In determining what the apostle
meant in this chapter we must be governed by his general teachings; it will not
do to away one part of his writings against all others. If Paul here expected
to go to Christ when he died his other teachings ought to show the same
expectation. What are the facts in the case?Instead of hoping and striving to go to Christ at death he strove to be
worthy of a resurrection from among the dead. He gives expression to his hope
as follows: 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 unto the resurrection of ( or from
among)the dead -Phil. 3: 8-11. It is
evident from this that Paul had no idea of disembodied bliss in the presence of
Christ as soon as he died. Indeed, disembodied existence with Paul was out of
the question; for he says that if there is no resurrection of the dead his
faith is vain (I. Cor. 15: 13,14 )Showing that he predicated all upon the
resurrection and thereforeignored the
Platonic theory of a happy state for disembodied ghosts independent of
resurrection. Of those who had died he said: If the dead rise not, then is
Christ not raised; and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain; ye are yet
in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perishedI.
Cor. 15:16-18From II. Tim, 4: 1-8 it
will be seen that the apostle expected no reward till Christ would appear to
judge the quick and the dead ; and that from the time of his death till that
appearing Pauls crown of righteousness would be laid up (verse 8). Having
now Pauls own words as to when he expected to be present with the Lord, we
shall have little difficulty in understanding him in the chapter in question.
In this present
state of things, which is temporal or temporary (chapter 4: 18) and in this
mortal body we groan; and the desire is for that state to be ushered in that
shall be eternal, when we shall be delivered from this wretched body of death
(Rom. 7: 24) by a change into likeness to Christs glorious body (Phil. 3:
21). So long as we are at home in the bodyin our present mortal state-we
are absent from the Lord; and the desire of all who have Pauls hope is to be
absent from the bodythis mortality in which we groanand to be present
with the Lord, when we shall be like him; for we know that when he shall
appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (I. John 3: 2).
pg 68
To be absent
from the body and to be present with the Lord is therefore not be absent from
bodily existence, it is to be absent from the vile body and present with the
Lord in the glorious body like His (Phil. 3: 21). this will be realized
whenmortality is swallowed up of life
(verse 4). For
the present we walk by faith and not by sight (verse 7). Wherefore we labor
that, whether present or absent (whether now or then, here or there, at the
judgment-seat)we, may be accepted of
him (acceptable to him. Diaglott).
The words not
that I would be unclothed and we shall not be found naked are made to serve
the purpose of those who teach disembodied existence, They never stop to think
that if the apostle used the word in the sense they do, he said Not that I
would go to Christs presence in heaven. To be unclothed with them is to
shuffle off this mortal coil and go to heaven, a thing to be desired, surely.
Whatever Paul meant by unclothed and naked it was a condition he did not
desire. If he used these terms in the physical sense they represent death; if
in the moral sense they represent a sinful statenakedness being used
frequently as a figure of sinfulness (Rev. 16: 15; 3: 4, 18). In either case it
was a thing Paul desired not. The words may apply in the physical sense and yet
not imply a disembodied state. Our Saviour speaks of God clothing the grass of
the field (Matt. 6: 30). If He could speak of grass clothed He could also
speak of it being unclothed; for the former implies the latter. Who is there
foolish enough to think of a disembodied state of grass because the word
clothed is applied to it in fact and unclothed by implication? For the grass
to be clothed is for it to have life; for it to be unclothed is for it to
die. Apply this to life and death in relation to man and commonsense will
readily see the conclusion.
It is not
impossible that the apostle used the word in both a physical and moral sense;
for physical nakedness in the sense explained is the direct result of Sin.
Hence the
following paraphrase from Dr. Thomas seem to embrace what the apostle means:
For we know
that if our mortal body be dissolved in the dust we are to receive a new body
and a new habitation, a building from God, a home not made with hands, enduring
in the new heavens. For in the midst of the things which are seen we groan,
eamestly desiring that our habitation which is from heaven may be clothed upon
us; if so be that being raised and appearing before the tribunal of Christ we
shall not be found naked or destitute of the wedding-garment. For we that are
surrounded by the things seen and temporal do groan, being burdened not that we
desire to enter the death state by being unclothed or divested even of mortal
life, but clothed upon by putting on immortality, that mortality may be
swallowed up of life. Now he that has begotten in us this earnest hope is God,
who has given us the spirit as the earnest of what we shall receive at the
coming of the Lord. We are therefore always confident, having full assurance of
faith knowing that whilst we who believe are mortal we are absent from the Lord
(for whilst absent we walk by faith, not by sight); we are full of hope , I say
and rejoice rather to be delivered from mortality and to be present with the
Lord.
pg 69
Wherefore we
labor that, whether present at His tribunal or absent from it, we may be
accepted of Him. For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ,
that everyone may receive the things in body, according to that he hath done,
whether good or bad.
THE SPIRITS IN PRISON
I.Pet, 3: 18-20.
This is a
portion of Scripture used, or rather misused, for two purposes: First, to prove
the existence of disembodied conscious spirits; and, second, the personal
pre-existence of Christ, The mistake in regard to the first case grows out of
the preconceived idea that the word spirits means bodiless entities commonly
called immortal souls. In I. John 4: 1 the word spirits is used as the
equivalent of prophets: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the
spirits, whetherthey are of God;
because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Now it must be clear
to an unprejudiced mind that the word here means persons assuming to be
prophets. It is a warning against evil persons; and the same thought is
conveyed if we substitute person for spirit in the verse. If Christ had
preached to these spirits
He would have
preached to persons of bodily forms, not to disembodied ghosts.
Now this
understanding of the use of the word spirits will enable us to see that the
spirits in prison who were preached to were real persons. How absurd it must
seem to thinking people that Christ would go to the fictitious hell of popular
theory to preach to immortal souls !How could poor creatures maddened by
indescribable torture and writhing in the pangs and pains of such a place be
expected to listen to preaching that would require sober thought and calm
obedience? Then again, if this passage is made to apply to such a view, why was
the preaching confined to the disobedient of the days of Noah?Why not allow all the supposed unfortunate
inhabitants of the so-called infernal regions to be preached to?If some must be followed even into a horrid
hell after this life and be given an opportunity of hearing the gospel, why not
follow all?It is only a mindbewildered by pagan delusions of departed
ghosts that reads such folly into this passage of Scripture.
The spirits or
persons who were preached to were the antediluvians, and the time they were
preached to was when once the long-suffering of God waitedIN THE DAYS OF NOAH (verse 20). It does not
say that Christ personally visited them, but that He did so by the
Spiritquickened by the Spirit, bywhich also he went and preached. The Spirit here is the Spirit of God;
and since Christ is the offspring of that Spirit by direct begettal, and was filled
with it, raised from the dead and quickened by it into immortality it is
called the Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets (chapter 1: 11). This
Spirit was in Noah when he preached to the disobedient of his time.
Some find a
difficulty in understanding the phrase in prison; but the prison in which the
anti-
pg70
deluvians were
when Peter wrote was the grave. Chapter 4: 8 explains the matter: For this
cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead. Not that they were
dead when the gospel, was preached to them; for the dead know not
anythingEccl, 9: 5. The gospel was preached to them that are now dead and in
the prison of deaththe grave. But should this view be objected to and it be
claimed that they were dead and in prison when they were preached to, it would
only follow that they were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2: 1) and in this
sense all men are prisoners till the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
makes them free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8: 2). First, we know that
the gospel was preached to the antediluvians when they were alive, in the days
of Noah; and we know they were dead, and not alive, when Peter wrote. With this
knowledge we can read chapter 4: 6 thus: For this cause was the gospel
preached to them that are (now) dead. And we can also read chapter 3: 19 thus:
By which (Spirit) also he went (in the days of Noah) and preached unto the
spirits (now) in prison. With this view we can feel sure that we are in
harmony with truth; for the facts sustain us. if, in the second case, they are
viewed as dead in trespasses and sins, and in this sense are in prison or
bondage, we know that this sense will scripturally apply to those who were
preached to, and that in this view we are in no danger of violating Scripture
rules of interpretation. On the other band, there is nothing to warrant us in
accepting the absurd idea that Jesus when He was dead went to hell to preach to
spirits whoif they were in such a place at all as hell is supposed to bewere
there as a punishment for disobedience in this life, their destiny therefore
having been determined as exemplified in the fact that they were there. With
this view we should contradict the plainest testimony on all important phases
of fundamental truth. We should deny that Christ was dead when the Scriptures
say He was dead and buried. We should deny that the antediluvians were dead and
that the dead know not anything. These dangerous consequences would follow
such unwarranted and assumed premises, to say nothing of the consequent
erroneous positions such a view would lead us into on the question of what and
where hell is and on the baseless theory of probation after death.
In showing how
the text speaks of Christs preaching to the antediluvians-that is, that the
Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ, etc., we have shown that, since He did
not visit them and preach to them in person, the theory of His pre-existence as
a person is in no way supported by the passage. On account of Christ being the
Alpha and Omega of Gods plan in relation to the human race on the earth, all
things are said to be done by Him or on account of Him. The Spirit that caused
Noah and all the prophets to preach the Truth was the Spirit of God which was
to overshadow the virgin, beget the Son of
pg 71
God and dwell in
Him, manifesting God in and through Him mentally and morally and by wonderful
works performed. Everything: that was done in the world before He was begotten
had direct relation to Him and centered in Him. He, as the purpose of God was,
as it were, the power that operated in and through all things. His personal
existence is no more proven by this than the personal existence of Levi is
proven by his being represented as having paid tithes in Abraham before he was
born. In this case what was done by Abraham is shown to have been done, in a
sense, by Levi. Yet no one supposes from this that Levi personally pre-existed.
THE THIEF ON THE CROSS.
When the fact
that the Scriptures teach the unconsciousness of man in death is shown to those
who believe in the immortality of the soul, they generally ask, What about the
thief on the cross? On account of their preconceived idea of heaven-going at
death they conclude, without investigation, that the words, Verily I say unto
thee to-day, shalt thou be with me in paradise, mean that that very day the
thief would be with Christ in heaven.
It is very
necessary for us to guard against the power of prejudice; it is very apt to
influence us to infer that certain texts mean so and so, when upon close
investigation they are found to have no such meaning. Remove from the mind the
prejudice in favor of the popular theory of mans disembodied conscious
existence in death, and then, before a conclusion would be reached as to the
meaning of the words of our Lord to the thief, a thoughtful mind would ask,
What was the request of the thief? Did the thief die inside that very day? Did
our Saviour go to heaven that very day, or did He really die?If his soul is considered apart from
Himself, did His soul go to heaven, and if so, how shall I understand the
scripture that says He poured out his soul unto death (Isa. 53: 12)How could His soul be in heaven, or,
supposing paradise to be some other place than heaven, how could His soul be in
paradise, when it is declared that His soul was not leftin hell (hades or the grave)?-Acts 2: 31.
All these questions would arise before a thoughtful mind would be satisfied on
the meaning of the text.
The Scriptures
teach that Christ died, that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead (I.
Cor. 15: 3, 4); that His soul was poured out unto death; that His soul was in
hell (hades; the same word is rendered grave in I. Cor. 15: 55). In view of
this, how could He be in heaven on the day He spake the words in question to
the thief? Consider, dear reader, Did Christ die?To this question the popular teachers of the people, who cause
them to err, answer, His soul did not die, thus denying the Word of God,
which declares that He poured out His soul unto death. Press the question,
Did Christ die? and the answer you will receive will be, His body
pg 72
died; an answer
that means, No,Christ did not die,
only his bodythe house He dwelt in died, but He did not. This is a denial of
the death of Christ; for to say that the body He inhabited died is to say that
something else other than Himself died.
It will be seen
therefore that the theory that would send Christ to heaven, or to any other
place of conscious existence with the thief the very day He uttered the promise
necessitates a denial of His death. So that the matter resolves itself into the
question. Which is wrong; the theory that says Christ that very day was alive
with the thief in paradise, or the Scriptures that declare that He died? The
Scripture cannot be broken; therefore the theory must be wrong. Nothing that
nullifies the plain statements of Gods Word, that Christ really died, and that
the same Christ that died was buried, and that if He had not been raised there
would have been no living Christ (see I. Cor. 15)-nothing, I say, that nullifies
these positive facts can be entertained by a thoughtful, God-fearing person.
That Christ did
not go to heaven the day He uttered the promise to the thief is a subject of
positive proof. Three days afterwards, upon His resurrection from the tomb, We
met Mary, and said: Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father
(John 20: 17). The reader will readily see that the theory that sends Christ to
heaven with the thief the day of His death is a flat contradiction of the
Lords words uttered at His resurrection three days after His death. The I
who spoke to the thief is surely the same I who addressed Mary. How could
this I say on one day I will be in heaven this day, and three days after say
I am not yet ascended to heaven?The
theory that so misrepresents the Saviour, whose word are infallible is, of
course, wrong; and now with that theory weighed in the balances and found
wanting, what can we do with it but cast it aside. Free from its deceptive
influence, let us carefully examine the narrative of the thief on the cross,
and see whether it is not fully in harmony with mans unconsciousness between
death and resurrection, and with the teaching that the reward of the righteous
is not at death, but at the resurrection from the dead.
To understand
the Saviours answer to the thief we must keep in view the lattersrequest. He did not say, Lord remember me
when thou goest to heaven; but Lord remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom. Was this request in accord with what our Lord had taught His
disciples to hope for?It certainly
was; for in the parable of the nobleman (Luke 19) He had shown that He would go
to heaven and return; that during His absence the duty of His disciples would
be, not to expect to follow Him, but to Occupy till I come; and that it would
be when He would return, having received the kingdom, he would call His
servants before Him for judgment, reward and punishment according to their
works. In unmistakable language he declared, When the Son of man shall come in
his
pg 73
glory and all
the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory
(Matt. 25: 31); and to those on His right hand at that time he will say, Come,
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared, etc. Referring to this
time, and in full accord with this teaching, the thief asked, Lord, remember
me when thou comest into thy kingdomthe very time when, as the Apostle Paul
says, Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and His
kingdom (II. Tim. 4: 1).
Now is it not
reasonable to believe that our Saviours answer to this dying penitent man was
in accord with the request and with His teachings as shown above?What is the kingdom but paradise restored?When the kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Rev. 11: 15) the earth will be
paradise restored. The prophet has said, The Lord shall comfort Zion; he will
comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden and her
desert like the garden of the Lord--(Isa. 51: 3). The fulfillment of this will
be when the kingdom of God is fully established in the earth and the Lord
shall be King over all the earth--(Zech. 14: 9). Christ will then have come
into his kingdom and His promise to the thief will be fulfilled.
Now as to the
form of the Words in the promise as it appears in our translation, it must not
be forgotten that the translators were biased in favor of the popular theory,
and may therefore sincerely but mistakenly have placed the words in the form in
which we find them in the A.V. Punctuation is of comparatively recent date, and
translators often differ in their use of it, as well as in the positions of the
various words composing a sentence. In the word-for-word translation in the
Diaglott the promise to the thief reads as follows: Indeed I say to thee,
today with me thou shalt be in the paradise. In the text of the same
translation it reads, Indeed I say to thee, This day thou shalt be with me in
paradise. That is, this day referred to by the thiefs request, namely, the
day when Christ would come into His kingdom. We would particularly attention to
the fact that here it is thou shalt instead of shalt thou, as in the King
James translation. The text therefore is in perfect harmony with the facts and
truths of Scripture we have called attention to when read thus: Verily I say
unto thee today, Thou shalt be with me in paradise. It was a hearty and
emphatic reply to the request of penitence in a most trying and solemn moment.
Hence the verily and to-day, as if one in our times should say, Mark you,
I tell you this moment, that measure will prove disastrous to the nation. The
mark you and the this moment give emphasis to the statement. So with the
verily and the to-day. The time when the promise is to be fulfilled is
defined by the words in the request, when thou comest into thy kingdom.
A case very
similar to this are the words of Zech. 9: 12-Turn
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you to the
stronghold, ye prisoners of hope; even to-day do I declare I will render double
unto you. The even and the to-day give emphasis; and instead of today
defining the time when the promise would be fulfilled, it defines the day the
promise was made. The rendering double would be long afterwards.
Some excuse their
disregard of baptism upon the assumption that the case of the thief was one of
salvation without baptism; but the inference is all the other way. There is no
statement to the effect that he was or was not baptized; but his understanding
of the gospel is shown by his request; for in that is implied a knowledge of
the resurrection, ascension and return of Christ into His kingdom who will be
bold enoughto affirm that such a
degree of intelligence in the gospel has not yielded obedience in baptism?The blessing of being in the kingdom with
Christ is predicated upon baptism based upon belief of the Truth; and since our
Lord promised the thief he should be with Him in paradise, or the kingdom, it
follows that baptism had been submitted to. But he was a thief Some exclaim.
Yes; that is against him, his crime being a very grievous one. But Gods
merciful kindness is great towards us. If it were not so, hopeless would be
our case. In this matter it is not in evidence that the man was habitually a
thief. As to the degree of his crime the Saviour was better judge than the
Roman government was and than we can be. In any event there was penitence in
the case, and what could be a more beautiful finish to the natural life of the
man of sorrows than an extraordinary manifestation and exercise of Divine
mercy of which He was and is the very embodiment?
THE RICH MAN ANDLAZARUS.
In the parable
of the rich man and Lazarus, recorded in Luke is: 19-31, the believer in
disembodied existence after death in torture or happiness-heaven or
hell-,thinks he finds positive proof of his theory. It is with this passage
ofScripture the same as with the few
others that seem, superficially viewed, to sustain the popular dogmas. There
arepreconceived notions that cause
readers to read into the Scriptures what is in their minds but what is not in
the texts themselves. Instead of reading the words of the text there is a
reading between the lines. To avoid this mistakea mistake that many make
unconsciouslyit is necessary to have in mind the general teachings of the
Scriptures upon the subjects involved. One with the popular theory of the
nature of man and the state of the dead in his mind will read into this parable
immortal soul and never-dying spirit, without perceiving that no such words
are there. The rich man died, they will read in their minds, The body of the
rich man died. In hell he lifted up his eyes to them is, In hell his
immortal soul lifted up its eyes, forgetting that their theory says the soul
is immaterial without parts, and therefore has no eyes to lift up. Throughout
the entire parable there is this
pg 75
same reading in
of terms and phrases that are only in the mind of the reader, and thus a false
conclusion is reached by a false method of reading. If it were remembered that
immortal soul is a phrase of pagan invention and not found in the Bible the
folly of supplying it in the text would be seen. With the Scripture definition
of death in the mind and Platonic fiction out of the mind the words, The rich
man died and The beggar died, would be accepted in harmony with the
fact-that when a man dies his breath goes forth, he returneth to his earth and
in that very day his thoughts perish (Psa. 148: 4), and the dead know not
anything (Eccles. 9: 5).
Feeling very
confident that this parable supports their theory, some are very bold to demand
that it Be read lust as it is, literally, as a statement of facts and not as
a parable. To satisfy such that they are mistaken we frequently have to respond,
Come along then and let us read it literally in the light of positive
Scripture definitions of the words employed. We will begin with the statement,
The beggar died. Do you believe this ? O, it means that his body died, is the
answer we receive. It says The beggar died. Do you believe it?Here we have a beggar who died. Is he dead
now or is he alive?Stick to the words
literally. Before this beggar died he was alive and not dead; now he is dead
and not alive. If he is alive now, what is the difference between his condition
now, after he has died, and his condition then, before he died?0, the difference is that before he died he
was alive in his body; now he is alive out of his body. Indeed, then he was alive
and is