The Scripture Doctrine of a Future Life

WE now come to the New Testament. Fourth Objection—Cannot kill the soul. "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 soul and body in hell." Matt. 10:28. We readily admit that, to one trained up in the popular theory of the soul, this scripture at first would favor such a notion. But we as firmly believe that a candid examination of this will harmonize it with the body of the scripture declarations, that the dead know not anything, but are asleep.

First, we remark that this text does positively show that the soul is not immortal, for it can be destroyed. "Fear him that is able to destroy both soul, and body in hell." The soul of the wicked will be destroyed together with the body in hell. Hence it is perishable. But in what way does the soul live after the death of the body? Does this passage show that it goes to Heaven at death? that it is alive in Paradise—has intelligence, knows and understands? No; no such thing is said of it. It simply asserts that those who have power to kill the body have not power to kill the soul. The soul may be alive and yet may be asleep, unconscious. Indeed one third of our life is spent in unconscious slumber, and yet we are alive. In this passage the word soul is from the Greek psychee, which means life, the principle of life, which came from the hand of God when he made man alive.

This same word is rendered life in the same chapter: "He that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Verse 39. In this verse it is properly rendered, but in the other it is not. It should have been rendered life in both verses. Dr. Adam Clarke says, "I know no reason why it should not have been rendered alike in both passages." The wicked then can kill God's saints here, but when they have done this, these saints are only asleep, and they will revive and live again in the resurrection. See what Jesus said of the maiden who was dead. "And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." Mark 5:39. Before him lay a corpse. There were no signs of life. Indeed, she was dead, as we commonly use the term. Yet Jesus said she was not dead but only asleep. He wished to impress upon them the fact that death is not the end of existence. He did not say she was alive and conscious somewhere. He spake the word and she awoke. So he says in the case of Lazarus. "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." John 11:11, 15.

Then Jesus, the very person who spoke the text we are examining, took especial pains to inculcate the idea that a dead man is simply sleeping, and that he will finally wake them all up. Hence he says in the text that men can destroy the body, but their power ends there. The principle of life is not annihilated. God will restore it to him at the resurrection; but after this when God shall destroy the wicked in the second death he will not only destroy the body as men do here, but the principle of life itself, the soul if you please, will be destroyed, annihilated. So this passage furnishes no assistance to our opponents.

Fifth Objection—The Transfiguration. "And, behold, there appeared into them Moses and Elias talking with him." Matt. 17:1-3.

On the mount of transfiguration two men appeared to those present. These were Moses and Elijah. Now it is claimed that this circumstance proves that the real man lives after the death of the body. It is readily admitted that the case of Elijah furnishes no proof of this, from the simple fact that he was translated without seeing death. See 2 Kings 2:11. But in the case of Moses it is different. Moses had died fifteen hundred years before, and was buried; and now he appears on the mountain. Hence it is claimed that it was his immortal soul separate from the body. To this we object and give our reasons.

The Bible says that Moses died and was buried. See Deut. 34. Afterwards he was seen on the mountain alive. Now we submit that the rational conclusion to be drawn from these facts is that Moses had been raised from the dead. The conclusion of our opponents is unnatural,— a mere supposition without any facts. It does not say Elijah and the soul of Moses was there, or the spirit of Moses was there. No; but "There appeared unto them two men which were Moses and Elias." Moses himself was there. But turning back to the record it says, "Moses, my servant, is dead." Josh. 1:2. And here it says that Moses talked with Christ. Was there more than one Moses then—one dead and one alive? That is absurd. No, there was only one Moses. The Bible positively says this Moses was dead. And now we maintain that if Moses was actually seen alive afterwards, he must have been raised from the dead. If our opponents had not had their judgment warped by a fanciful philosophy they would readily admit that their conclusion is unnatural and illogical. We now propose to show that the Scriptures intimate that this is a fact, in the case of Moses, that he was raised from the dead.

First, look at the record of his burial which is extraordinary. It says that the Lord buried him, "and no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day." Deut. 34:6. Why was this? The Lord did not suffer him to die a natural death, but he took him up into the mount and there he died in a peculiar manner, and then the Lord took care of him and no man ever found his sepulcher.

Second, the language in Jude does plainly assume that Moses was raised from the dead. "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." Verse 9.

How is this? What does this mean? Here was a dispute between two noted individuals, Michael the archangel on one hand, and the devil on the other. It will be remembered that the archangel is the one who will raise the dead, for Paul says, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first." 1 Thess. 4:16.

It is the prerogative of the archangel to raise the dead, and this is the very one that held the controversy with the devil about the body of Moses. Let it be remembered, farther, that the devil is the very one who holds the power of death under which Moses had fallen, for Paul says, Heb. 2:14, Christ took our natures "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Now we begin to understand what Jude means. The archangel, who alone has the right and power to raise the dead, has a dispute with the devil who holds the power of death, and this dispute relates to the body of Moses. The devil disputes the right of Michael to raise that body. But the archangel rebukes him, and carries out his own design. This certainly does imply that Moses was raised from the dead. In perfect harmony with this we read that Moses was seen alive on the mountain with Elijah who was translated.

Third, Moses was a type of Christ. See Acts 3:22. "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me." Christ died, was buried, and raised again the third day without seeing corruption. So Moses as the type of Christ was raised from the dead.

Fourth, the very significance of the transfiguration proves that Moses was there bodily. What was the transfiguration for? It was a miniature representation of the kingdom of God; for, notice that Christ had just promised them that some of these standing there should not taste of death until they should see the kingdom of God come. Then Matthew adds that about six days afterwards Jesus took the disciples up into the mountain and was transfigured before them. In the kingdom of God there will be, first, the King of glory. Jesus appeared in this capacity. Second, the live saints who were translated at the second advent without seeing death. Elijah was here as a representative of this class. Third, those who have died and been raised from the dead. Moses was here as a representative of that class. And thus were Christ's words fulfilled. They saw in this an epitome of the kingdom of God. Indeed, Peter directly declares this in speaking of that event. "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount." 1 Pet. 1:16-18. The apostle declares that in this event on the mount they saw the power and coming of Christ just as Jesus had promised.

But to this it may be objected, that Christ, in his resurrection, was the first fruits of them that slept. How then could Moses have been raised before him? Well, Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, the widow's son, and others were raised from the dead before Christ was but you say that these were not raised to immortal life. Neither does this text say that Christ was the first to be raised to immortal life. It simply says that he should be the first fruits that should rise from the dead. Acts 26:23. In point of time, others did rise from the dead before Christ. Looking at the original Greek we find that "the first" translated from protos, is thus defined by Greenfield: "First in time, order; first in dignity, importance." We see then it not only means first in time, but it also means first in importance. So of Christ. His resurrection really did not take place till after a few others were actually raised; but his resurrection was the grand, important one of all; for, by virtue of him the others were raised. And finally by his word and power all the millions of the human race will come up. In view of these facts we firmly believe that Moses was raised from the dead, and was actually alive on the mount as the record says:—

Sixth Objection—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." See Matt. 22:23-32. From this it is claimed that these old patriarchs must be conscious, living beings, probably in Heaven at the present time. But a slight examination of the text will show this conclusion to be wholly gratuitous. The question was not concerning the immortal soul or the state of the dead, but it was touching the resurrection. "The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him." Verse 23. They bring up the case of a woman who had seven husbands. Finally they all died. Last of all the woman died. "Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven?" Verse 28.

Can their question be mistaken? They did not ask which soul of these seven will her immortal soul claim. They never thought of that; but they passed over to the resurrection;—in "the resurrection whose wife shall she be?" is what they ask. What did Christ answer? "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in Heaven." Verse 30. Then he goes on to prove it. "But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Verses 31, 32. The whole controversy between Christ and the Sadducees was on the subject of the resurrection. The Sadducees denied the resurrection; Christ affirmed it. Here was the issue. They demand Christ to prove his point. He refers them back to the case of Abraham. He says, "As touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,—I am the God of Abraham," etc. Why does he appeal to the case of Abraham? He does it to teach that the dead will be raised. How does he prove it? In this simple manner. After Abraham was dead, God says he is still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christ says that God is not the God of these who did not exist, of those who are dead in the sense that the Sadducees held, utterly dead, annihilated, so as to have no existence. Christ claimed that inasmuch as God was the God of those patriarchs, even though they were dead in the ordinary sense of the term, yet they were not utterly perished, for God would raise them from the dead. They were simply sleeping.

As the language touching the case of the damsel and of Lazarus is directly to the point in this case, we will refer to it. "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may wake him out of sleep." "Then said he unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." It will be noticed that while persons are really dead in the common way of speaking, yet Christ is particular to affirm that they are only sleeping, waiting to be raised from the dead. This we think is the truth of the matter in the case of these old patriarchs.

From the evidence presented, the reader must see that this passage has no bearing whatever upon the subject of the consciousness of the dead.

Seventh Objection—The Rich Man and Lazarus—Luke 16:19-31. Does the case of the rich man and Lazarus teach that the dead are now conscious and that the wicked are now being punished in torment? For many good reasons we answer, no. If it did, it would contradict the many texts which positively declare that the wicked are not punished till the Judgment, and also all those texts which state that the dead are asleep. Evidently this is only a parable.

The account of the rich man stands at the conclusion of a discourse made up of parables. Thus Luke 15 presents us with the parable of the lost sheep, the ten pieces of silver, and the prodigal son. The sixteenth chapter is made up of two parables; the unjust steward and the rich man and Lazarus. It is true that the account of the rich man and Lazarus is not called a parable by the sacred penman; but the fact is the same with respect to the two cases which precede this; and the three are introduced in the same manner: "A certain man had two sons;" "There was a certain rich man which had a steward;" "There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen."

Even our opponents are compelled to admit that it is a parable. Was Lazarus carried unto the literal bosom of Abraham? Oh, no, that is used as a symbol to represent Paradise, say they. Is the impassable gulf a literal gulf? If so, how would this hinder a spirit from passing over it? No, that too, they claim, is a figure. Then the fire and the water, were they literal? How could literal fire torment an immaterial spirit, or literal water cool the tongue of a ghost? And then, do spirits have tongues and fingers? O no, these are all figurative, say our opponents. Well, that is just what it takes to make a parable.

The whole scene is laid in the grave. The word here translated "hell," is, in Greek, hades, and in Hebrew, sheol—the grave.

Three of the dead are here introduced—Abraham, Lazarus, and the rich man—and all are represented as in hades. "In hell [Greek, hades] he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Luke 16:23. In a previous article we have already clearly proved the following points concerning sheol, or hades:—

1. Sheol is a place down in the earth. See Num. 16:33; Deut. 32:22; Prov. 15:24 ; Isa. 14:9, 15. In these texts and those to follow, sheol is rendered pit, hell, or the grave; but in the original it is sheol in the O.T. and hades in the N.T.

2. All go into sheol at death. Job ,17:13, 16 ; Eccl. 9:10. The good, Gen. 37:35; the bad, 1 Kings 2:9.

3. The whole man goes there. Gen. 42:38; Num. 16:30-33; Eze. 32:27.

4. Beasts go there, Ps. 49:14.

5. The soul goes into sheol at death. Ps. 89:48; 30:1-3; 49:15; Isa. 38:17, 18; Acts 2:31.

6. Sheol is described as a land of darkness and silence. Job 17:13-16; Isa. 14:11.

7. The righteous dreaded it 2 Sam. 22:6; Ps. 6:5; Songs 8:6.

8. The wicked are silent there. Ps. 31:17.

9. There is no knowledge in sheol or hades the very place where Abraham, Lazarus, and the rich man all were. Thus writes the wise man, the Spirit of inspiration bearing testimony through him: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in sheol, whither thou goest." Eccl. 9:10.

10. Here all the dead good and bad lie unconscious till the resurrection when all will be awakened and brought up. Hosea 13:14; Rev. 20:13, 14; 1 Cor. 15:54, 55.

Such are the great facts concerning sheol or hades, as revealed to us in the books of "Moses and the prophets." Yet we have the following cases in these same writings in which the dead in sheol, in the nether parts of the earth, converse together, and are comforted or taunted by each other.

The case of the king of Babylon is a noted instance of this. When he is overthrown, and goes down to sheol, the DEAD (for sheol has no others in its dark abode) are stirred up to meet him. The kings that had been conquered and destroyed by the king of Babylon in the days of his prosperity now rise up from their thrones in that dark abode, and mock him with feigned obeisance as in life they had rendered real homage. Now they taunt him, saying, "Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?" Those that see him shall narrowly look upon him, saying, "Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms!" Isa. 14:9-20.

Pharaoh and his army, slaughtered in battle with the king of Babylon, are set forth in the same manner. The slain upon the field of battle being buried indiscriminately, and friend and foe cast down together into pits, into the "nether parts of the earth," into sheol, "the strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of sheol." And this sheol, in the nether parts of the earth, full of the dead, is contrasted with "the land of the living." These slaughtered soldiers went down to sheol with their weapons of war, and their swords they "laid under their heads." Pharaoh, lying among them, and seeing the multitude of his enemies that were slain, is "comforted" at the sight. See this remarkable prophecy, Eze. 32:17-32; 31:15-18.