- What is Death?
- Is Man Immortal?
- What About Hell?
- Spirits and Spiritualism
- What is Heaven?
- Where is Paradise?
Chapter I
Death is man’s greatest enemy; and the Bible
alone, of all the sources of information available to man, furnishes us
with definite information concerning the future of those who are struck
down by this dread monster. God’s Word promises that a time is coming
when there “shall be no more death”; and, furthermore, that those who
have died shall live again. (Rev. 21:4; John 5:28) A knowledge of the
Creator’s provision for a dying race should be a real solace to those
who mourn for their beloved dead.
Added to the ghastly spectre of death itself,
is the almost universal uncertainty of what lies beyond the grave. What
happens to an individual the next moment after the heart stops beating?
Is that individual still alive in some mysterious way, actually
hovering around the undertaking parlors while his friends are gathered
to mourn his passing? Or, has he departed to some unknown and
“beautiful isle of somewhere”? Or, in the event that the deceased was
not a Christian, is he now in the traditional regions of the damned,
where he is doomed to suffer an eternity of torture in a hell of fire
and brimstone?
Try as we will, we cannot entirely dismiss
these questions from our minds. And while many of us may partially
console ourselves in the thought that at least many of our close
friends and relatives who have died were good characters, and faithful
believers in Christianity as they understood it, and hence, according
to our accepted beliefs should now be happy in heaven; yet, all of us
have had some dear friends, and probably relatives, who have died
outside the pale of orthodox belief and practice, and we can’t help
wondering what has become of these. Are they now suffering, or are they
happy?
Science tells us that there is no evidence of
the continuance of human life after the heart stops beating. This being
an age of materialism, many are inclined to accept this view. The claim
is that so far as the life principle is concerned, man is no different
than the lower animals; that the higher intelligence of the human
species is not due to the traditional theory that man has hidden within
him a separate intelligence called a “soul,” or a “spirit,” but to the
fact that he possesses a superior, a more refined, organism than does
the brute creation.
Let us now note a few of the scriptural passages which show clearly that science is right as far as the present condition of the dead is concerned. Ecclesiastes 9:5 reads, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything.”
Psalm 49:10-2 is also to the point: “For he seeth that wise men die,
likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth
to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue
for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations: they call their
lands after their own names. Nevertheless, man being in honor abideth
not: he is like the beasts that perish.”
In Genesis 2:7 we are told that “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.” Later, after the
transgression of this originally perfect pair, God said, “In the sweat
of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for
out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou
return.” (Gen. 3:19) In Psalm 146:4 David makes an emphatic declaration
as to the condition of those who return to the dust. We quote, “His
breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his
thoughts perish.” If language means anything at all then there is no
mistaking the fact that these words describe a dead man as being
absolutely unconscious, even his thoughts having perished.
Note again the statement of the Psalmist—“His
breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth.” If a man, as a
conscious, living being, was brought into existence by the union of the
material body with the breath of life, it would seem reasonable that
when these two elements are separated, life would cease; and this is
exactly what the text states—“In that very day his thoughts perish.”
Some may wonder about the “breath of life,”
thinking perhaps this may be that traditional something-or-other that
continues to live on after the body dies. We will leave the subject of
the “soul” for subsequent consideration, but let us now examine a
passage which describes the process of dying, showing exactly
what becomes of the two principal elements which divine, creative
wisdom has combined to produce human life. It reads: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”—Ecclesiastes 12:7
The key to a proper understanding of this
text is found in the word “return,” used with respect to both the body
and the spirit. The body is said to return to the earth. This is because its elements originally came from the earth. It follows, therefore, that if the spirit returns to God,
it must have been with God before it entered the human organism. If to
be with God in this sense means to be in heaven, then it follows that
if the “spirit” here referred to is a conscious entity, capable of
enjoying life in a spiritual heaven, it means that every one of us must
have been in that spiritual heaven before we were born; else it could
not be said that we “return” when we die.
The Hebrew word here translated “spirit,” is ruwach.
Prof. Strong, noted authority on the Hebrew and Greek languages, tells
us that this Hebrew word ruwach means “wind,” or “breath.” It is the
same Hebrew word that is translated “breath” in Genesis 7:15, where it
is said to be possessed by the lower animals. We quote: “And they went
in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath [ruwach] of life.” If the use of the word ruwach
to describe the breath or spirit of life in human beings means that we
have within us an intelligent entity of some sort that continues to
live after the body dies, it also means that the lower animals
inherently possess a similar intangible something which can never die.
But when we reason in harmony with the Word
of God, all is clear. Genesis 2:7 declares that God created man out of
the dust of the ground and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life.” The result of the uniting of the body with the breath of life is
said to be that “man became a living soul.” Obviously, when the body
returns to the earth, and the breath or spirit of life returns to its
original source—to God who gave it—it leaves the individual in exactly
the same condition as he was before birth, which was a condition of
nonexistence.
To settle this question even more definitely we need only to turn to Ecclesiastes 3:19-21, where the Hebrew word ruwach
is again used, and there it is said that the breath (ruwach) of both
man and beast goes to the same place at death. We quote: “For that
which befalleth the sons of men, befalleth the beasts; even one thing
befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have
all one breath [ruwach]; so that man hath no pre-eminence above a
beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place: all are of the dust,
and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth [that] the spirit of man goeth
upward [to heaven] and [that] the spirit of the beast goeth downward to
the earth?”
The records of the New Testament on the
subject of death agree fully with those of the Old Testament. Jesus
indicates that the dead are in a condition of unconsciousness, which he
likens to sleep. In John 11:1-46 we have a wonderfully revealing
account of the sickness, death, and awakening of Lazarus, a dear friend
of Jesus. Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus, were also friends of the
Master, and when their brother was taken sick they sent word to Jesus
supposing that he would come at once to their aid.
But instead of going immediately to the
bedside of his friend Lazarus, Jesus tarried. After some time had
elapsed he said to his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth;
but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” The disciples
misunderstood this, supposing that Jesus referred to natural sleep.
Then he said plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” Later, at the tomb
of Lazarus, Jesus addressed this dead one in a loud voice saying,
“Lazarus, come forth.” And we are told that “he that was dead came forth.”
Not a hint here that Lazarus’ “soul” was either in a heaven of bliss or
a hell of torment. According to the record, he was asleep in death.
Yes, Jesus believed in the “sleep of death.”
In the account of the awakening of Lazarus
from the sleep of death we have emphasized the fact that the scriptural
hope for life beyond the grave is in the assurance that there is to be
a resurrection of the dead, rather than in the supposition
that man possesses inherent immortality. The Apostle Paul fully agrees
with this. In I Corinthians 15:12-18 he concludes that if there be no
resurrection of the dead, then, “they … which are fallen asleep in
Christ are perished.”
In the book of Revelation also, we find the
same uniformity of thought as to the unconscious condition of the dead.
For example, the Revelator says, “And the sea gave up the dead which
were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them.” (Rev. 20:13) We will leave the subject of hell for
subsequent consideration. Suffice it now to note the fact that
according to the text just quoted, those that are in the scriptural
“hell” are declared to be dead. This means that they are not alive and
being tormented. The text also reveals that the hope of the dead is
that they shall be brought out of hell—raised to life.
In brief then, the answer to the question,
Where are the dead? is that they are now in a state of unconsciousness;
that all hope for life beyond the grave is centered in the scriptural
assurance that through the mighty power of the great Creator, exercised
by the divine Christ during the coming kingdom period, there is to be a
“resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust.”—Acts
24:15
Before leaving this phase of the subject it
is well that we pause long enough to call attention to the origin of
the false theory so generally accepted in both Heathendom and
Christendom, that “there is no death.” If the Bible so clearly teaches
that death is a grim reality and man’s worst enemy, whence came the
idea that it is a friend in the sense of being but the gateway into
another life?
The answer to this question is found in the
Genesis account of the fall of man into sin and death. Satan, operating
through the serpent, in discussing the matter with mother Eve prior to
the transgression that brought death, said, “Ye shall not
surely die.” (Gen. 3:4) God has said that the penalty for disobedience
would be death—“thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) The testimony of
the entire Bible is consistent with this original statement of what
would constitute the penalty for sin. “The wages of sin is death,”
declares Paul. (Rom. 6:23) “The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” says
Ezekiel. (18:4)
In Revelation 20:2,3 we get the thought that
the “old serpent” that deceived mother Eve has continued to be a
deceiver ever since; and history reveals that this is indeed true.
Every deceptive effort possible has been made down through the ages to
bolster up Satan’s lie, “Ye shall not surely die.” As a result, nearly
everybody today who attempts to believe in a future existence at all,
bases his faith on the supposition that man possesses inherent
immortality. But, what say the Scriptures about immortality? The next
chapter discusses this point.
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Chapter II
The theory of inherent immortality, which
alleges that when what we call death overtakes a human being he
actually becomes more alive than before it occurred, is based on the
supposition that lurking somewhere within the human organism is an
elusive, intangible, and invisible ego or intelligence called a “soul.”
And the claim of theologians is that this soul is immortal or
death-proof; hence, that when the body dies, this inner intelligence,
or real man, escapes from its prison-house of human limitations and is
free to enjoy life forever on a much higher plane of existence—unless,
of course, it has been a wicked soul. In the latter case, according to
traditional theology, the soul must suffer untold agonies in a burning
hell of literal fire; or at best, according to Roman Catholic theology,
pass through a long period of suffering in purgatory before it can
enjoy the freedom and blessings of heaven.
The expressions “immortal soul,” and “undying
soul,” are so commonly used in religious conversation that it is taken
for granted by those who have not made an investigation that they are
scriptural terms. For this reason it will be a distinct surprise to
many to learn that these expressions are not to be found in the Bible
at all. The traditional immortality of the human soul is purely a
product of imagination, having no scriptural support whatsoever.
The words “soul” and its plural, “souls,” are
used in the Bible more than five hundred times, but in no instance is
the thought even hinted that human souls are immortal. On the contrary,
wherever the Bible discusses the subject of death in connection with
the soul, it distinctly and clearly states that the soul, even as the
body, is subject to death. For example, through the prophet the Lord
says, “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.”
(Ezek. 18:4) And in the New Testament we read the words of Jesus, “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 [Gehenna].” (Matt. 10:28) Yes, even those souls which go to the Bible hell are destroyed, not tormented.
The word “soul” in the Old Testament is translated from the Hebrew word nephesh. Prof. Young states in his Analytical Concordance of the Scriptures, that this word nephesh
simply means “animal,” or, freely translated, that which is animated,
or alive a sentient being. The word is used in the Old Testament in
connection with the lower animals as well as man. In Numbers 31:28 it
is applied to such animals as beeves, asses, and sheep. Thus, were we
to insist that the Hebrew word nephesh, translated “soul” in the Old Testament, means immortal soul,
then we would be bound to conclude that the lower animals also possess
immortal souls—a conclusion that few would want to accept.
The word “soul” in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word psuche. We know that this word has exactly the same meaning as the Hebrew word nephesh,
for the reason that the Apostle Peter uses it to translate the latter
when he quotes from Psalm 16:10. The apostle’s quotation is found in
Acts 2:27, and reads: “Because Thou wilt not leave my soul [Greek, psuche, Hebrew, nephesh]
in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
Peter tells us that this is a prophecy concerning the death and
resurrection of Jesus, that his soul was not left in hell.
In Matthew 26:38 Jesus is reported as saying, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.”
This is fully in harmony with the prophetic declaration concerning
Jesus which says that his soul was “made an offering for sin.” Yes,
Jesus’ soul died, and through that great sacrifice the souls
of all mankind are redeemed from death, and ultimately will be
resurrected from the condition of death.
Another interesting use of the Greek word psuche
[English, “soul”] in the New Testament is found in Acts 3:19-23. Here
we have a prophecy describing the work of restoration, or resurrection,
that will be carried on by the Messiah following his second coming and
the establishment of his kingdom. We are told that then “every soul
which will not hear [obey] that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” Thus both the Old and New Testaments emphasize the fact that human souls are mortal,
subject to death, and that ultimately all wicked souls are to be
destroyed—not preserved and tormented, as the Dark-age creeds would
have us believe.
Let us now note carefully the process by
which the first human soul was brought into being, as this will help us
to understand more clearly just what a soul really is. The scriptural
account of this is given in Genesis 2:7, which reads: “And the Lord God
formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Note that the soul is here shown to be the
result, or product, of a union of the body, or organism, with the
breath of life—“man became a living soul.” This passage does not say,
as many in the past have erroneously supposed, that God created man and
then injected a soul into him—it declares, rather, that in the creation
man “became” a soul, which is quite different.
First, according to the record, the organism, or body,
of man was formed—out of “the dust of the ground.” This is
scientifically in harmony with the facts as we know them today, as the
body of man is composed entirely of the various chemical elements found
in the earth. Then, into this organism was forced the “breath
of life”—the animating power of the air which we breathe, which is
necessary to all animal life. The Hebrew word here translated “breath,”
is neshamah, which, according to Prof. Young, literally means “breath.” The fact that it was breathed into the nostrils of father Adam emphasizes the fact that it was the breath. Certainly the nostrils would seem like a peculiar place for an immortal soul to be located.
Now what happened when the breath of life was
blown into the nostrils of this first human organism? Simply this, it
became alive—or, as the text declares, “a living soul.” Thus seen, the “soul”
is really that which results from the union of organism with the
life-giving qualities of the breath—the “breath of life.” A simple
illustration of this is the electric light. The organism of the bulb
with its internal vacuum, filament, etc., is not the light; neither is
the electricity that flows through that organism, the light; but the
union of the organism with the electricity produces the
light. Destroy the bulb (organism) or cut off the electric current
(corresponding to the breath of life) and the light goes out; that is,
it ceases to exist, being extinguished.
Just so it is with the human soul. When the
body becomes impaired through disease or accident, to the point where
it can no longer function sufficiently well to react to the
life-sustaining impulses of the breath of life, the soul, or life, of
the individual “goes out,” that is, it ceases to exist, it dies.
Likewise, if for any reason, or in any manner, the breath of life is
kept from the body, as in drowning, or in asphyxiation, the life also
ceases—the soul dies.
It should be borne in mind in this
connection, of course, that the great secret of life, the outward
manifestations of which we are able to understand to some extent, is in
the hands of the Creator. He is the great Creator, not only of man, but
of the lower animals as well. He is to all life on earth what the sun is to all natural light;
that is, he is the source. It is not possible for man to form an
organism, put in it some of the earth’s atmosphere, and have it live.
The literal air is the breath of life both to humans and to the lower
animals, because it is a medium of the Creator by which means the
life-principle is communicated to all living things in the earth.
This life-principle, however, is not an
intelligence in itself, but merely the power of God by which all life
exists. In Genesis 7:15,22, this same breath of life is said to be a
possession of the lower animals.
As we pursue our investigation we will
discover that the reason the Bible holds out a hope of future and
eternal life for human beings who obey the law of God is that the
Creator proposes to continue imparting the life-principle to them, and
not because he originally put something into their organism which is
death-proof.
As already noted, the expression “immortal
soul” is not to be found in the Bible at all. The word “immortal” is
used only once in the entire Bible, and in that one instance it is
applied to the Lord and not to man. We quote: “Now unto the King
eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for
ever and ever.” (I Tim. 1:17) In I Timothy 6:16 we have a passage
similar to the foregoing in which the word “immortality” is used. This
text is also speaking of the Lord, and reads: “Who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath
seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting.” These two
scriptural passages should definitely settle the question as to whether
man, by nature, is an immortal creature.
The word “immortality” is used four other times in the Bible, and in each case it is descriptive of a future conditional
reward for those who in this life walk faithfully in the footsteps of
the Master. And right here let us emphasize the fact again that we are
not attempting to prove that there is no future life for human beings,
but rather, that all hope of future life, according to the Bible, is
based on the fact that there is to be a resurrection of the dead,
rather than on the supposition that we are by nature immortal, hence cannot die.
We will leave the general subject of the
resurrection for later consideration, pausing here just long enough to
note the four scriptures which refer to the Christian’s hope of being
exalted to immortality with the Lord. Romans 2:7 reads: “To them
[Christians] who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory
and honor and immortality, eternal life.” This text shows that
immortality is not now a possession of the Christian, but rather that
it is something to be sought after, “through patient continuance in
well doing.”
In I Corinthians 15:53 we read: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Here we are told that “immortality” is a quality, which ff it is ever
to be possessed, must be “put on.” Distinctly does the apostle say that
now we are “mortal” beings. The next verse reads: “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.”
There is just one other text in the Bible in
which the word “immortality” appears, and that is II Timothy 1:10. It
reads as follows: “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our
Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel.” It is evident from this
passage that no one prior to our Lord’s first advent had even as much
as an opportunity to strive for immortality, as the church of this
Gospel age is encouraged to do. It shows, furthermore, that all hope of
life and immortality is centered in Jesus and in his redemptive work.
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Chapter III
A doctrine of Christian belief which has been
much distorted by the Dark-age superstitions is that which pertains to
the punishment of those who disobey the divine law. We have seen the
plain teachings of the Bible to be that “the wages of sin is death.”
(Rom. 6:23) We have found the scriptural definition of death to be a
state of unconsciousness—symbolically described as sleep. We also found
that the death penalty applies to the “soul,” or complete being, and is
not limited merely to the disintegration of the human organism. In view
of these simple, but definitely stated truths of the Bible, many will
naturally and properly inquire about the doctrine of eternal torment
for the wicked.
The answer to this apparent difficulty
becomes obvious when we realize that the eternal torture theory is
purely a man-made dogma and has no support whatsoever in the sacred
Scriptures. True, the Bible does say a great deal about hell, even the
expression “hell fire” is to be found in the sacred record; yet, upon
investigation, it is found that the Bible hell is not a place of
torment at all, but is merely the condition of the dead; and that
condition, we have discovered, is one of unconsciousness.
All know, of course, that our English Bible
is a translation from the Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament and
the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Hence, in order to have a
definite foundation of fact upon which to base conclusions on this
important matter pertaining to the divine purpose and plan, it is
necessary to consult authorities on the Hebrew and Greek languages as
to the actual meaning of the various ancient words that are translated
“hell” in our English Bible. In doing this, a flood of surprising
information at once opens up to us.
We find, for example, that there is only one Hebrew word in the entire Old Testament that is translated hell, and that word is sheol.
This word appears, in all, 65 times. In our Common Version of the Bible
it is translated 31 times grave, 31 times hell, and 3 times pit. Dr.
James Strong, Professor of Hebrew and Greek, defines sheol as
being “the world of the dead.” But in order to arrive at a definite
conclusion as to the exact condition that exists in this “world of the
dead,” it is necessary to consult the Bible itself.
The Hebrew word sheol appears in
Ecclesiastes 9:10, where it is translated “grave.” We quote:
“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 [sheol]
whither thou goest.” This is the inspired definition of the Hebrew word
sheol—the only word translated hell in the Old Testament. It
makes clear that this “world of the dead” is a silent, sleeping world,
in which there is no knowledge, no consciousness. For four thousand
years, from the creation of Adam to the first advent of Jesus, Jehovah
employed no other word than this to describe the condition of the dead.
If eternal torture is the penalty for sin, would it not have been most
unkind and unjust to keep the people in ignorance of it for so long a
period of time?
The good Prophet Job knew that sheol
was a condition of unconsciousness comparable to sleep, and for this
reason, when he was suffering so acutely, both mentally and physically,
he asked the Lord to let him go down to this condition. Yes, Job
actually prayed to go to the Bible hell. His prayer reads, “O that thou
wouldest hide me in the grave [sheol], that thou wouldest keep
me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set
time, and remember me!” Note that Job wanted to go to sheol in order to escape
God’s wrath. How different this is from the creedal theory that hell is
the place where God visits his wrath most spitefully upon all who go
there! Another point to be noted here is that Job was a faithful
servant of the Lord, yet he expected to go to the Bible hell when he
died. What can this mean?
A careful examination of all the texts in the Old Testament in which the word sheol
appears will reveal that this “world of the dead” is a condition into
which both good and bad, saint and sinner, go at death. It is not
necessarily, however, a permanent condition of death. As a matter of
fact, Job did not expect to remain in death, so in concluding his
prayer, he asked the Lord to remember him by calling him forth from
sheol. He asks the question, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” and
then answers his own question by affirming his hope in the
resurrection, thus, “Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt
have a desire to the work of thine hands.”— Job 14:13-15
Only once in the Old Testament is the thought
of pain associated with the word hell, and that is in Psalm 116:3,
which reads: “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell [sheol]
gat hold upon me.” David is the speaker in this passage, and while he
had yielded to temptation at times, nevertheless, on account of heart
loyalty to his Creator, he was said to be a man after “God’s own
heart.” (Acts 13:22) Certainly such a one would not be a proper subject
to suffer the tortures of a creedal hell. What, then, does he mean when
he says, “The pains of hell gat hold upon me”?
The meaning of David’s words in this text is
apparent when we take the context into consideration. He is telling how
the Lord delivered him from death, even though he was actually sick
enough to die. The “pains of hell” to which he refers are clearly the
pains and sufferings incident to the dying process—the sickness that
finally did result in the prophet’s death, although for a time he was
delivered from it. Viewed from this standpoint, we can see that all the
suffering in the world that eventually leads to death could properly be
considered as being the “pains of hell,” because it eventuates in the
condition of death, sheol, the Bible hell.
The Greek word hades is used in the New Testament to translate the Hebrew word sheol,
when quoting from the Old Testament. An interesting example of this is
Acts 2:27, which reads: “Because thou will not leave my soul in hell [hades],
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” These words
are a quotation from the 16th Psalm, where, according to the Apostle
Peter’s inspired testimony, the Prophet David foretold the death and
resurrection of Jesus. In this prophecy David uses the Hebrew word sheol, and in translating it the apostle uses the Greek word hades. From this we know that hades of the New Testament has exactly the same meaning as sheol of the Old Testament. Inasmuch as the prophet in Ecclesiastes 9:10 defines sheol as being a condition of unconsciousness, there seems no room for doubt as to the New Testament meaning of the word hell.
David’s prophecy of Psalm 16:10 which, as
before noted, Peter interprets as referring to the death and
resurrection of Jesus, is specially interesting because of the fact
that it puts Jesus in the Bible hell during the time he was dead. Thus
it is apparent that the Bible hell is not the sort of place that
Dark-age theology has represented it to be; for surely we could not
think of Jesus as having gone to a place of torture. But, when we
remember that the Bible hell is the state or condition of death, we can
see why it was necessary for Jesus to go to hell. The Bible makes it
clear that Jesus, in his redemptive work for the human race, took the
sinner’s place in death, that he became a ransom, or corresponding
price, for the sins of the world. In doing this, he tasted “death for
every man,” hence, went into the condition of death, the Bible hell.
See Isaiah 53:3-10; I Tim. 2:3-6; Heb. 2:9.
In order to be fully assured that the Bible
hell is not a place of eternal torture as traditional theology would
have us believe, let us turn to Revelation 20:13 and 14. In this
passage the Greek word hades, translated “hell,” is used in
the Bible for the last time. We quote: “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.”
Three outstanding facts become apparent as we
study the foregoing passage: First, that the Bible hell is not
necessarily a permanent abode of either the wicked or the righteous,
for it is said to deliver up its dead. Second, that the Bible hell is not the lake of fire.
Third, that those who are here said to have been in hell were dead
while there, and not alive suffering the alleged agonies of the
Dark-age abyss of the damned.
As already noted, this is the last mention of
hell in the Bible, and here we find it described as a place or
condition, entirely emptied of its inhabitants, and then burned up or
destroyed in a symbolic lake of fire. Fire is one of the most
destructive elements known to science, and it is here employed by the
Lord to picture, or symbolize, the fact that hades, the
condition of death that resulted from the transgression of our first
parents back in Eden is finally to be completely destroyed.—I Cor. 15:26
In Revelation 1:18 the possibility that hell
must eventually deliver up its dead is brought to our attention by
Jesus himself, in the following words: “I am he that liveth, and was
dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys
of hell and of death.” Keys are used to unlock doors or gates. Jesus
purchased these symbolic keys of hell and death by his own death. This
gives him the divine authority to unlock the great prison-house of
death and set the captives free; and in the passage which declares that
“death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them,” this is
exactly what is shown as taking place.
That Jesus now possesses the divine right to
raise the dead is also pointed out by the Apostle Paul in Romans 14:9,
which reads: “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived,
that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living.” As the Lord of
the dead, he has promised to use his official authority and power, the
“keys of hell,” to restore the world to life. This is the import of the
Master’s own words as recorded in John 5:28,29: “Marvel not at this:
for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear
his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection by judgment.” (See Revised Version.)
This evacuation of the dead world from sheol, or hades,
will be followed, as indicated in Revelation 20:14, by the destruction
of hell. This was not a new thought to the New Testament writers, for
it had been prophesied long before in the Old Testament. Through the
Prophet Hosea, the Lord says: “I will ransom them from the power of the
grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues: O
grave [sheol], I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be
hid from mine eyes.” (Hos. 13:14) Notice the blessed assurance given in
this passage: “Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” That is, the
Lord had definitely determined to destroy death and hell, and this is
sure to be the glorious consummation of his loving purpose on behalf of
the fallen race.
Those who insist that the Greek word hades
in the New Testament signifies a place of endless torment, rather than
a condition of unconsciousness in death, as the Bible so clearly
teaches, cite the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in an effort to
prove their contention. It is true, of course, that the word hell in
this parable is a translation of hades; but a careful and
unbiased examination of the account will show that it cannot be
consistently used to prove that good people go to a place of bliss when
they die, while evil persons are consigned to a place of torture.
Professor Benjamin Wilson, author of the
“Emphatic Diaglott” translation of the New Testament, knowing that
hades does not signify a place of torment, was puzzled to understand
the manner in which it is used in this parable, so he presents a
footnote in which is offered evidence that the entire parable may be an
interpolation and not actually a part of the sacred writings at all.
Whether this be true we cannot say; however, when the account is viewed
in the light of its being a parable rather than a statement
of literal facts, there seems to be no necessity to doubt its
authenticity. In order that we might have the details of the parable
clearly in mind, we suggest a careful rereading of the account as found
in Luke 16:19-31.
According to Dark-age theology this parable
is supposed to teach that all good people who believe in Christ go to
heaven when they die, and that all evil persons who do not accept
Christ in this life go to a place of eternal torture at death. Yet,
strange though it may seem, a careful scrutiny of the parable indicates
that nothing at all is said about either good people or evil people;
nor is anything said about heaven. All that is said of the supposedly
virtuous man of the parable is that he was poor and covered with sores,
that he ate crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, and that the
dogs licked his sores. Of the rich man it is related merely that he
fared sumptuously, wore good clothing, and permitted the poor man to
lie at his gate.
Nor, according to the parable, did the
diseased beggar go to heaven when he died, but instead was carried by
the angels to “Abraham’s bosom.” If this is a statement of literal
fact, it would preclude the possibility of anyone else ever being
blessed with a similar reward at death, for the reason that there would
not be room for more than one sick beggar in Abraham’s bosom. On the
other hand, if Abraham’s bosom is understood to be symbolic of heaven,
and the beggar representative of those who are qualified for heaven,
then the only hope for any of us is in becoming poor beggars full of
sores before we die—yes, and having dogs lick our sores.
There are many other inconsistencies in this
parable if viewed in the light of traditional theology. As a matter of
fact, there is not a single item in it that is in harmony with the
theory that Christian believers go to heaven when they die, while
unbelievers go to a place of torment. The one point in the account that
theologians have seized upon to bolster up the God-dishonoring dogma of
torture is that the rich man is said to be surrounded with tormenting
flames after his death. But what could Jesus have meant by this strange
account?
We have already referred to this passage of
Scripture as being a parable. In this thought lies the solution of what
it really means. In a parable the things said are not to be understood
literally. We may not be able to determine dogmatically what Jesus
intended to teach by this parable, but the prominence given to “Father
Abraham” seems to indicate that it has to do in some way with the
experiences of the natural seed of Abraham; as they were the ones in
Jesus’ day who called Abraham their father. (Matt. 3:9; John 8:33,39;
Rom. 4:1) It seems reasonable to conclude, therefore, that the rich man
of the parable is intended to illustrate the Jewish nation. This is not
an uncommon symbolism, as even today we have “John Bull” to typify the
British nation, and “Uncle Sam” to typify the United States.
The Jewish nation was a royal nation in God’s
sight, chosen by him as the channel through which his promised
blessings were to flow out to all other nations. This royal standing of
the natural seed of Abraham was represented in the parable by the
purple clothing of the rich man. He also wore fine linen, which was
illustrative of the typical righteousness that came to the Jews as a
result of their endeavor to keep the Mosaic Law, and also through the
typical sacrifices of the tabernacle services. And by virtue of all the
rich promises made to them, they fared sumptuously every day, even as
the parable states. Indeed it was the rich blessings of the Lord to
them that proved to be their stumbling block. Paul, quoting from Psalm
69:22, says: “Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a
stumbling block and a recompense unto them.”—Romans 11:9
The beggar in the parable seems to be a
fitting illustration of the Gentiles at the time of Jesus’ first
advent. From the standpoint of God’s favor they were indeed poor. All
the promises had been made to the Jews and through the Jews. Any
Gentile up to that time who desired the blessings of the true God was
required to become a Jew by being made a proselyte. To the Jews, the
Gentiles were “dogs,” unworthy of any special consideration.
But the status of both Jews and Gentiles was
greatly changed shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The
Jews had rejected and crucified their Messiah and as a result were cast
off from divine favor. In this sense of the word they died. They lost
their place of chief favor before the Lord, and as a nation went into
oblivion. But as a people they have continued to live; and from that
day until now the flames of persecution have engulfed them almost
constantly.
The beggar also died; that is, the Gentiles
ceased to be a people wholly ignored by God, but instead divine favor
was extended to them, and as many as believed were carried into
Abraham’s bosom. That is to say, they became heirs of the promises made
to and through Abraham. Concerning this Paul says, “The Scripture,
foreseeing that God would justify the heathen [Gentiles] through faith,
preached before the Gospel unto Abraham.” (Gal. 3:8) While it has been
possible all through the Gospel age for individual Jews to become
Christians and thus become spiritual children of Abraham, divine
providence has so overruled the matter as to make the Gentiles the
special recipients of his favor along this line—they have occupied the
place of chief favor, as illustrated by “Abraham’s bosom.”
Just as the rich man in the parable
petitioned Abraham to send Lazarus with a drop of water to cool his
tongue—to ease his suffering—so more than once down through the age the
Jews as a people have implored God to send a measure of relief through
Christian sources! But the hardships and persecutions have continued.
There has indeed been a great gulf fixed between Jew and the
spiritually favored Gentile during all this long period—a gulf that has
been impossible to bridge. Nothing in the parable, however, indicates
that this torment of the rich man was to last forever. Other Scriptures
show clearly that the time is even now here when the Jewish nation is
to be restored to her former place of divine favor as the natural seed
of Abraham.
Another interesting point in the parable is
that the “five brethren” mentioned by the rich man were also said to
have Abraham as their father. When the nation was released 500 years
prior to our Lord’s first advent, those who actually returned to
Palestine were mostly of two tribes, although a few from all tribes
returned. If this one rich man stood for the two tribes, then the other
ten tribes, the majority of which did not have the opportunity of
coming in direct contact with the teachings of the Messiah at his first
advent, would be properly represented by the five brethren, a ratio of
one to two.
Thus seen, every detail of the parable is
found to be in harmony with the Bible as well as with historical facts;
whereas if we undertake to think of it as being a literal statement
intended to show the final rewards of the righteous, it is most
inconsistent and absurd. Not only so, but it would mean that the Bible
is contradictory and unreliable because, as we have already seen, sheol in the Old Testament and hades
in the New Testament are specifically stated to be conditions where
there is no knowledge, whereas in this parable there is said to be
torment in hades. But all is clear when we realize that it is national death here referred to, while the people of the nation continue to live and to be persecuted.
While sheol is the only Old Testament word translated “hell,” hades,
its Greek equivalent, is not the only word translated “hell” in the New
Testament. Just outside of ancient Jerusalem was a valley in which dead
carcasses and other offal of the city were burned; and it is said that
brimstone was used as an aid in this work of destruction—probably as a
disinfectant. This place was called in the Hebrew the Valley of Hinnom; and the Greeks called it Gehenna. So this Greek word Gehenna
is used a few times in the New Testament, and in the Common Version
Bible is translated by our English word “hell.” It is said that the
dead bodies of certain criminals considered by the Jews as unworthy of
a resurrection were cast into Gehenna; hence Jesus employs this word to
describe a condition of eternal destruction into which wholly wilful
sinners must ultimately go.
This word Gehenna is translated
“hell” in Mark 9:43-48, which reads as follows: “And if thy hand offend
thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than
having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that shall never be
quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And
if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter
halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the
fire that never shall he quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the
fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is
better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than
having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched.”
In each instance in the foregoing passage the word hell is a translation of the Greek word Gehenna,
and is clearly, therefore, an allusion to the symbolic significance of
the destructive effects of the fires that burned continuously in the Valley of Hinnom.
The whole picture is one of destruction rather than of torment. Even
the mention of the worms that die not, intensifies this picture of
destruction; as these worms are unquestionably those which infest all
dead carcasses. The translators of this passage, of course, believed in
the theory of eternal torture and they did the best they could to give
us a translation that would seemingly lend support to their
superstitions. Hence the “unquenchable” fire and the “undying worms”
give the text an appearance that convinces some that eternal torture in
a hell of fire must indeed be the fate of the wicked.
If we will but use our common sense, however,
we shall find that the passage presents no problem of this kind at all.
Any fire that completely consumes that which is being burned is
properly called an unquenchable fire. A fire that continues to burn
until all combustible material at hand is consumed is a fire that is
not quenched, yet it is not an eternal fire. So Jesus was here
illustrating the fact that sinners would not be able to escape the full
penalty of sin, which is death, or destruction—that the fires of
destruction will not be quenched. Also that in case the symbolic fire
did not for any reason complete the work of destruction the
ever-present “worms” would. Hence from every standpoint we can see that
the Master was here using a symbol of destruction, which again bears
out the united testimony of the Scriptures that the “wages of sin is
death.”—Romans 6:23
The remainder of this passage of Scripture is
also symbolic. One’s eyes, hands, and feet are esteemed most highly
because of their usefulness, and Jesus’ suggestion that the Christian
part with them rather than lose everlasting life is just another way of
saying that we should be willing to make any kind of sacrifice in this
life rather than jeopardize our eternal existence.
The first application of the passage
evidently is only to Christians—those who have covenanted to follow in
the footsteps of Jesus—although the same principle will apply to the
wilfully wicked during the Millennium. Christians are now on trial for
life, and the surest way of gaining the victory is through the
sacrifice of everything in the divine service.
Isaiah 66:24 describes the destruction of
wilful sinners during the Millennial age in similar language as used by
the Master. Jesus may have been quoting this passage, applying the
symbolism of destruction to those who are now on trial for life. We
quote: “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men
that have transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die,
neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring
unto all flesh.”
Revelation 14:10,11 is sometimes cited as
proof of the torment doctrine. This portion of Scripture reads as
follows: “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which
is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he
shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy
angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night, who
worship the beast and Ms image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his
name.”
If the foregoing passage is intended by the
Lord to be a literal statement of fact, then not many of the world of
mankind need to be especially concerned about it, for the torment is
said to be upon those who worship either a beast or the image of a
beast. While some in heathen lands have worshiped beasts, few, if any,
have ever worshiped a literal beast such as is here described—a beast
like a leopard, with the feet of a bear, the mouth of a lion, and with
seven heads and ten horns. (Rev. 13:1,2) The passage is still more
puzzling from a literal standpoint when we note that the tormenting
takes place in the presence of the holy angels, which could easily be
construed to mean in heaven. Surely such a condition of things in
heaven would make that a totally different kind of place from what many
have thought it to be.
The Book of Revelation is one of symbols, and
this passage is no exception to the rule. The “beast” here is evidently
a false religio-political system that demands the worship of men; and
the thought symbolically presented is that those who profess to follow
the Lamb and worship the true God yet give allegiance to this beast
instead are to be subjected to troubles of various kinds, partaking of
the sufferings that are to come upon all false systems during the great
“time of trouble” with which this age will finally end. There is
nothing in this passage to indicate that the torment takes place after
death.
The “smoke” of their torments is evidently a
symbolic way of saying that the evidence, or remembrance, of their
torments will ever continue to be a reminder of the result of
worshiping anything or anybody except the true God. Regardless of what
all the details of this passage may signify, it certainly cannot be
consistently used to prove the Dark-age theory of the eternal torture
of the wicked.
Some, in seeking to “prove” the doctrine of
eternal torment, have seized upon the statement of Revelation 20:10,
claiming that it supports the torment theory. We quote: “And the devil
that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where
the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and
night for ever and ever.” We have already seen that the Bible makes a
clear distinction between the “lake of fire” and “hell,” or hades,
in that the latter is said to be cast into the former. (Rev. 20:14)
This “torment” said to come upon Satan is evidently limited to him and
could not apply to those who are delivered from hell, and who are said
to have their “tears wiped away.”—Rev. 21:4.
How, then, is Satan to be tormented? Is the
Dark-age theory applicable to him if not to anyone else? We do not
think so. The Greek word here translated “tormented” is, according to
Professor Strong, from the Greek word basanos, the literal
meaning of which he gives as “touchstone.” The same word is translated
“vexed” in II Peter 2:8, where we are told of the effect of the wicked
deeds of the Sodomites upon the soul of righteous Lot. The thought in
Lot’s case evidently is that he was daily learning by comparison the
terrible results of a life of godlessness.
To get the correct thought of how the devil
is to be “tormented” it is helpful to consider the prophecy of Isaiah
14:15-17. We quote: “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell [sheol], to
the sides of the pit. They 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 the kingdoms; that made the world as a
wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house
of his prisoners [of death]?”
Comparing this prophecy relative to the
destruction of Satan with the statement of the Revelator concerning his
“torment,” the thought seems clear that the devil is to become an
everlasting example of the terrible results of a course of rebellion
against God, that throughout the ages of eternity the saved of mankind
will continue to hold him in derision. Not that the devil
himself will actually be conscious of the derision in which he is held.
This would not be necessary within the meaning of the text. For
example, in our own manner of speaking we sometimes hear it said of one
who had been disliked in his community, “Now that the man is dead, let
him rest, as nothing can be accomplished by continuing to talk about
him.”
Actually, of course, nothing that we might
say or do would affect in any way one who has died, just as the
everlasting ignominy that is to be heaped upon Satan will not affect
him when he is finally destroyed in the lake of fire; nevertheless, the
people will not let him rest; they will continue to hold him up as an
example of the dire results of an evil, selfish course. Thus the divine
permission of evil will be seen to result in an everlasting blessing to
all the willing and obedient of the human family, being a “touchstone”
by which all will be able to discern intelligently between good and
evil. Doubtless the majority will choose the good.
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Chapter IV
“For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by
which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which
sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in
the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is,
eight souls were saved by water.” —I Peter 3:18-20
That the truth of God’s Word cannot be
properly understood and appreciated except by taking into account its
entire testimony on a given subject is well illustrated by its several
statements concerning the condition and whereabouts of Jesus during the
interim between his death and his resurrection.
In an Old Testament prophecy concerning
Jesus, quoted by the Apostle Peter, and applied by him to the death and
resurrection of the Master, Jesus is said to have been in hell.
(Psa. 16:10; Acts 2:27-32) Through a misunderstanding of what Jesus
himself said to the thief on the cross many have been led to believe
that he went to “paradise” the moment he died; and from a surface
reading of our present text it would appear that he went somewhere to
preach to “spirits in prison.”
In a previous discussion we learned that the Bible hell is the condition of death; that sheol in the Old Testament and hades in the New are words which describe a condition of utter unconsciousness.
(Eccl. 9:10) As Jesus died a ransom, or substitute, for father Adam and
his race, thus taking the sinner’s place, it therefore was necessary
that he go into this condition of death, the Bible hell.
“He made his grave with the wicked,” declared
the prophet concerning Jesus. (Isa. 53:9) It is in harmony with this
basic fact of biblical truth that we must seek an understanding of
whatever else the sacred Word may have to say concerning the
whereabouts of Jesus between the time of his death on the cross and his
resurrection from the dead the third day thereafter.
In order to understand clearly just how it
was possible for Jesus to preach to “spirits in prison” at a time when
other scriptures show that he was unconscious in death it is necessary
first of all to determine who the “spirits” were to whom he preached.
It is this information that Peter gives us in the words, “Which
sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in
the days of Noah.”
In his second epistle, Peter furnishes us
with even more definite identification of the “spirits,” saying: “For
if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,
and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto
judgment; and spared not the old world, but spared Noah, the eighth
person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly.”—II Peter 2:4,5
From the foregoing quotation it will be seen
that the “spirits” to whom Jesus preached were a certain group of
“angels” who had been disobedient to God at the time of the flood. The
Apostle Jude also mentions these same beings, similarly referring to
them as “angels,” and describing their special sin as being that they
“kept not their first estate.” Jude also explains, even as Peter does,
that these “angels” are now imprisoned, Jude adding that they are in
“chains of darkness,” waiting for the judgment of the great day.—Jude 6
These “spirits in prison” then, are not the
“spirits” or “ghosts” of human beings who have died, but are spirit
creatures on the angelic plane of existence. This is an important truth
ever to keep in mind.
We are well aware that on God’s earthly plane
of creation, which is visible and understandable to us, there are
various levels of existence, from the lowest form of shellfish life up
to man, who in his perfection was the king of this material or earthly
domain. The Scriptures show that this same variety in the divine
creation extends to a higher realm, far beyond that which is visible to
us, that above man, the highest of God’s earthly creatures, there is a
spirit world; and that in this spirit world, even as in the natural,
there are various orders of beings, such as angels, cherubim, etc.
Concerning man the Psalmist declares, “Thou
hast made him a little lower than the angels.” (Psa. 8:5) When Jesus
came to earth to die as man’s Redeemer, he was “made flesh,” and as a
man he died; but when resurrected he was highly exalted “far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.”
(Ephesians 1:21) Thus do the Scriptures point out a clear line of
demarcation between the earthly and the spirit planes of existence.
The Bible indicates that at the present time
there are both holy and unholy angels; although when created all these
spirit creatures were in harmony with God, and served him in various
capacities. Of those angels which remained in harmony with the Creator
the apostle says that they are now “ministering spirits, sent forth to
minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”—Heb. 1:14
Again, “And of the angels he saith, Who
maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” (Heb.
1:7) Concerning these angelic servants of Christians, Jesus said: “Take
heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you,
That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father
which is in heaven.”—Matt. 18:10
The student of the Scriptures should not be
confused by the fact that in the Bible the term “angel” is sometimes
applied to human beings. The word literally means servant, or
messenger, and it is always necessary to determine from the context
whether or not the passage in which it is used has reference to human
messengers or to heavenly, or spirit messengers.
On the other hand, the Scriptures clearly
indicate that there are spirit creatures called “angels.” For example,
the night that Jesus was born an “angel” announced his birth to the
shepherds. That it was a spirit being who performed this service is
evident from the words: “And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke
2:10-14) Likewise, it was a spirit being that announced to Mary that
she was to be the mother of Jesus, and it was also a spirit being that
ministered to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus referred to
heavenly beings when he said that he could ask of his Father and more
than twelve legions of angels would be provided to assist and protect
him.—Luke 1:26-38; 22:43; Matthew 26:53
But as we have already seen, not all of these
angelic creatures remained loyal to Jehovah, their Creator—some of them
having been “disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in
the days of Noah.” (I Pet. 3:20) These unfaithful ones, by common
usage, have come to be designated as the “fallen angels.” The
Scriptures show that as a punishment for their rebellion they are now
held, or imprisoned, in “chains of darkness.”
In a text already quoted the apostle gives us
some very important information as to what constitutes the prison-house
of these fallen angels. We quote the text again: “For if God spared not
the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them
into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.”—II Pet. 2:4
The word “hell” in the passage just quoted is not a translation either of the Greek word hades or of Gehenna. The term here used by the apostle is tartaroo; and this is the only time it appears in the Bible. Tartaroo is from the Greek word tartarus,
a term used in Grecian mythology as the name for a dark abyss or
prison. In the text under consideration the entire expression, “cast down to hell,” is used to translate tartaroo;
so evidently the word refers more to an act than to a place. The fall
of the angels who sinned was from honor and dignity into dishonor and
condemnation; so the thought seems to be: “God spared not the angels
who sinned, but degraded them, and delivered them into chains of darkness.”
These angels in their original state of
holiness were mighty and powerful and honorable. They evidently
possessed great liberties; and in their service of God and of his
earthly friends they probably were frequent travelers between the earth
and other parts of the Creator’s vast universe. Jude says that these
angels “kept not their first estate.” This throws light on the words of
Genesis 6:2, which reads: “That the sons of God saw the daughters of
men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they
chose.” In other words, the “sin” of these angels was, in part, at
least, that of materializing as human beings and indulging in
illegitimate relationship with the daughters of men.
At different times during the historical
period covered by the Bible various ones of the holy messengers, or
angels, were sent to earth to deliver messages to the prophets and
others; and on many of these occasions they were permitted to
materialize and appear as human beings. An example of this is furnished
in the visit of the three angels to Abraham prior to the birth of
Isaac. (Gen. 18) Such materializations were permissible when sanctioned
by the Lord, and when the angels taking part in them did not exceed
their privileges. But the angels that sinned before the flood “kept not
their first estate,” that is, they preferred to continue their
association with mankind as human beings.
Having limited and degraded their own powers
by illicit relationship with the fallen human race, how fitting it was
that their punishment should be that of being cast down, or abased, and
at the same time “restrained in chains of darkness.” The thought
contained in the use of the word “prison,” as found in our text, is
that of the restraint of liberty; so these “spirits” have indeed been
in “prison,” restrained of much of the normal liberty that was theirs
while in full fellowship and harmony with the Creator.
There is much scriptural evidence to support the thought that the place
of incarceration of these fallen angels is that of our earth’s
atmosphere, their sphere of influence being limited largely to a more
or less indirect contact with the human family. In the Gospel accounts
of Jesus’ ministry we find frequent mention of his casting out
“devils,” or “demons.” Later, the apostles were privileged to render a
similar service for different ones. While higher critics try to prove
that these cases of “obsession” thus dealt with by Jesus and the
apostles were but cases of insanity or nervous disorders, there is
altogether too definite a thought of personality attached to these
“devils” to permit of any such liberal interpretation.
Not only in the New Testament, but in the Old
as well, we find evidence of the limited activities of these fallen
angels or “Spirits in prison.” There is, for example, the case of King
Saul and the Witch of Endor. All witchcraft was forbidden by the Mosaic
Law, yet these ancient spirit mediums persisted in their nefarious
practices even though it was at the risk of death. Just as spirit
mediums today claim ability to communicate with the dead, so evidently
the Witch of Endor made similar professions. Anyway, when King Saul,
because of his wickedness, lost the favor of God and saw that he was in
grave danger of being defeated by his enemies, he appealed to the witch
to get in touch with Samuel to see if the dead prophet could do
anything for him.
The account of this ancient séance is
recorded in I Samuel 28:7-20. Many students of the Bible, in reading
this story of Saul’s supposed communication with the dead prophet
Samuel, have concluded that it furnishes excellent scriptural proof
that the dead are not really dead at all, but alive somewhere, and that
they can be communicated with under certain conditions, especially by
the aid of a spirit medium. In fact, all down through the ages, Satan
has used this same method of deceit in an effort to give the lie to the
plain teachings of the Scriptures that the “wages of sin is death.” As
we examine briefly some of the facts concerning Saul’s visit to the
witch, we will readily discern that much the same analogy could be
applied to modem séances, and with the same result.—Rom. 6:23
First of all, it will be noted that according
to Saul’s own words, he was no longer in favor with God. He said to the
witch, “God is departed from me and answereth me no more, neither by
prophets, nor by dreams.” While Samuel was alive he was a faithful
servant and prophet of the Lord, and was never willing to go contrary
to the Lord’s wishes; yet here we find Saul, who himself admitted that
God would not favor the idea, asking the witch to obtain a message from
this faithful prophet.
Are we to suppose that in the event Samuel
were alive, either in heaven or some other place, he would be any less
obedient to the Lord than he was while here on the earth? Or are we
supposed to believe that this wicked witch, under condemnation by the
Lord, had the power to thwart the divine will, and not only produce
Samuel, but inveigle a message from him to comfort this rebellious
king? Evidently, then, this account is given us in the Bible merely as
an historical record of important events in Saul’s life, but with no
thought of accrediting the witch’s claim of having seen and talked with
Samuel.
The methods used by the evil spirits through
the medium at Endor were similar to those in use today. They caused to
pass before the witch’s mental vision the familiar likeness of the aged
prophet, wearing, as was his custom, a long mantle. When she described
the mental or “astral” picture, Saul recognized it at once as a
description of Samuel. But Saul himself saw nothing—he ‘perceived,”
from the description, that it was Samuel.
Easily convinced, as people under such
circumstances usually are, Saul did not stop to question how it could
be that Samuel looked as old and as stooped as he did while alive on
the earth, if he were now a spirit being and far better off than
before. Nor did Saul think to inquire why Samuel wore the same old
mantle in the spirit world that he wore when he knew him as an earthly
being not even stopping to consider that the prophet’s mantle, gray
hair, etc., had long before decayed in the grave. Saul had been
forsaken by the Lord, and now was easily deceived by these “lying
spirits” who impersonated the prophet and spoke to Saul in his name
through their medium, the witch.
“Why hast thou disquieted me to
bring me up?” she represented the dead prophet as asking. It was
generally understood by the Israelites in the days of King Saul that
the dead were actually asleep in sheol, hence the question, “Why hast thou disquieted me,”
would not sound strange. But can we imagine for a moment that this
condemned witch had the power to raise the prophet from the dead? Or,
to look at the matter from the standpoint of modem spiritualism, that
Samuel was not really dead at all, but enjoying himself in the spirit
world, does it not seem strange that he was declared by the witch to
come “up” from earth instead of “down” from heaven?
And from the standpoint of modem theology,
how utterly absurd is “Samuel’s” prophecy concerning Saul’s defeat and
death in the battle of the coming day! We quote: “Tomorrow shalt thou
and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the hosts of
Israel into the hands of the Philistines.” Imagine the faithful Samuel
and the beloved Jonathan together in the spirit world with the wicked
King Saul! Does this fit very well with the creedal theology of the
Dark Ages? Certainly not! Ultimately, of course (but not the next day),
all these were together in death, in sheol, the Bible hell,
where they still are awaiting the resurrection, when all will be called
forth by the Son of Man; but it did not require any super-natural power
on the witch’s part to forecast truly the approaching defeat and death
of Saul. In fact, Saul already feared it, hence his appeal to the witch.
Charles Wesley was evidently puzzled by the
manner in which the “medium’ of Endor put both good and bad together in
death, for he wrote:
What do those solemn words portend?
A gleam of hope when life shall end?
Thou and thy son shall surely be
Tomorrow in repose with me:
Not in a state of hellish pain,
If Saul with Samuel remain;
Not in a state of damned despair,
If loving Jonathan be there.
Actually, of course, Saul was not in
communication with Samuel at all, but with one or more of the “spirits
in prison” whose chief activity since the time of the flood has been to
deceive mankind, particularly with respect to the condition of the
dead. The mention in the Scriptures of these necromancers, witches, and
mediums leads us to infer that through mediums these fallen angels were
seeking fellowship with Israel. But apparently it is the custom for
these mediums to change their manner of manifestation from time to
time; just as witchcraft flourished for a time in New England and Ohio,
and throughout Europe, gradually dying out and being succeeded by
Spiritualism, whose tipping and rapping manifestations also are
gradually giving way to clairvoyance and attempted materializations. In
the days of the Lord and the apostles the operation of these “spirits”
had evidently changed from the witchcraft method to that of obsession and possession.
Having been once given the power to
materialize as men, yet abusing it, these fallen angels still seem bent
on exercising their powers through human agencies, either by the use of
“mediums” or through direct control of the mind, as in obsession. It is
evident, however, that the human will must consent to this foreign
domination before these “spirits” can take possession. But when they do
take possession, apparently the will becomes so broken down that there
is no longer any power of resistance; hence the service of Jesus and
the apostles was so much appreciated by those possessed of devils in
their day.
But while these fallen angelic beings may
change from time to time their method of contacting and deceiving the
human race, their influence in general is always away from God and away
from the truth of his Word. In modem times much ado is made about
talking with the dead, yet in all the thousands of attempts that have
been made—scientifically controlled, and otherwise—what has been the
total result? True, by absurd “identifications” such as the Witch of
Endor succeeded in foisting upon Saul, many have been convinced that
they have been in touch with their dead friends and relatives—but here
it has ended. No worthwhile information has ever been procured through
spiritualistic sources.
Now that we have identified these “spirits”
to whom Peter tells us Jesus preached, the question arises, How was
this preaching accomplished? How could Jesus be in sheol, or hades,
where there is no consciousness, yet at the same time be preaching to
these fallen angels? The explanation of this apparent difficulty is
simple when we examine the passage a little more critically. According
to the Common Version English Bible, the apostle said that Jesus “went
and preached to the spirits in prison.” But Greek authorities are
agreed that the words “went and preached” are used in the sense of
accomplishing something and not in the sense of going to any particular
place. In other words, these two words are a needless addition to the
text. In olden times it was customary to use expressions of this kind,
and even today we find they are sometimes used.
Dr. Benjamin Wilson, in his Emphatic
Diaglott, translates this passage of Scripture, “He preached to the
spirits in prison,” leaving out the two words, “went and,” as being
unnecessary to a proper understanding of the text. In the footnote to
this text he shows that other authorities agree with him in this
respect. Leaving out then, these two unnecessary words, the full text
reads, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit; by which also he preached unto
the spirits in prison.” (I Pet. 3:18,19) The meaning here is apparent,
namely, that it was by his death and resurrection that Jesus preached
to these fallen angels—an object lesson, taught by his faithfulness to
the Heavenly Father and Creator, against whom these “spirits” had
rebelled.
Lucifer was the first of these spirit beings
to rebel against God; and he evidently exercised a great deal of
influence over those who later joined the ranks of the rebels. In
Matthew 25:41 the expression, “the devil and his angels”, indicates a
close relationship existing between Satan and these other fallen spirit
beings. It was the spirit of ambition and pride that led to Lucifer’s
fall (Isa. 14:14); and apparently the same spirit has pervaded the
ranks of these lesser fallen angels. Jesus’ faithfulness, therefore, a
faithfulness that led him to humble himself and became obedient unto
death, would be a powerful sermon to these “spirits in
prison.” And the power of that sermon would be greatly increased when
these “spirits” noted that Jesus on account of his faithfulness was
raised from the dead and highly exalted to a place at the right hand of
God, while they were degraded and abased because of their disloyalty.
Thus we find that one by one when properly
understood, the various scriptural passages bearing on the condition of
the dead are seen to be in harmony with that great fundamental truth
that the “wages of sin is death,” and that the “dead know not
anything.”—Eccl. 9:5
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Chapter V
“Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.”
—I Peter 1:3,4
If we are to have a scriptural understanding
of what lies beyond the grave for both sinners and saints, it is
necessary to take into consideration what the inspired record has to
say concerning heaven. There is no mistaking the scriptural fact that
God created man to live upon the earth, and that the earth was created
as a home for man. While man lost his earthly dominion, and was
sentenced to death because of sin, restoration to life upon the earth
has been assured for him through the death and resurrection of Jesus,
as the Redeemer. The exception to this general resurrection for all men
to a life of human perfection on an earth made glorious are the
faithful footstep followers of the Master who, the Scriptures make
clear, are to receive a heavenly reward.
The Bible, particularly the New Testament,
has a great deal to say about heaven and about the heavenly hopes.
Jesus, for example, said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”—John 14:2,3
This is a very definite promise, clearly
implying a change from earthly to spiritual conditions. Much
misconception has been attached to these words of the Master, however.
We often hear expressed the hope of possessing one of these “many
mansions,” yet Jesus distinctly shows that they were not for his
followers, but rather that he was going away to “prepare a place” for
them. The thought is that there already were many “mansions” at the
time he spoke, but that a new place, or condition, was to be provided
for his followers.
The expression, “many mansions,” conveys the
idea merely of dwelling places or conditions in which there is a
superabundance of blessing and joy. The earth itself, and the condition
of perfect human life represented in our first parents, was doubtless
one of these “mansions.” This mansion, of course, was forfeited because
of sin, yet it is to be restored in God’s due time, as we shall see
later.
And then there are, according to the
Scriptures, various angelic planes of existence. These, too, could
properly be included among the many “mansions” mentioned by the Master.
How many planes or orders of life there are in the Creator’s spiritual
realm we do not know; but judging from the great variety of life that
exists in what we call the material realm, there must be many. But now
there was to be a “new creation”—another plane of existence was to be
prepared and provided for the church—a place with Jesus and to which he
was exalted at the time of his resurrection.
Jesus said, “That where I am, there ye may be
also.” This shows that the future state of the Master’s faithful
followers will be the same place, or condition, to which he was
exalted. Concerning Jesus’ exaltation the apostle says, “Wherefore God
also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth.”—Phil. 2:9,10
High exaltation, indeed, was given to the
Master by the Heavenly Father, even to the “right hand of the throne of
God.” (Heb. 12:2) And this same highly exalted condition is being “
prepared” for the church. Note Jesus’ promise in Revelation 3:21: “To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I
also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
No wonder Peter said that through the
resurrection of Christ the Christian is “begotten again to a lively
hope, … to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you.” But note the apostle’s words in
the verse that follows: “Who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”—I Peter 1:5
The “last time” or “last days” mentioned
frequently in the Bible, has reference to that period following the
second coming of Christ. This means that the heavenly inheritance
reserved for the church has not, down through the centuries, been
received by each individual Christian at the moment of death, as
creedal theology teaches, but is a reward to be given at the end of the
age when Jesus returns and the dead are raised. And this agrees with
the Master’s own promise concerning the “place” to be prepared for his
followers: “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go … I will come
again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be
also.” How evident it is from these words that no Christian can hope to
be with the Master until he “comes again,” and “receives” them unto
himself.
The Apostle Paul bears testimony to the same
fact as follows: “I have fought a good fight…. I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not
to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (II Tim.
4:7,8) Ah, yes, well did the apostle know that his heavenly reward as a
joint-heir with Christ in the messianic kingdom would not be received
until the end of the age, when Jesus would return to take all his
saints unto himself.
Through a mistranslation of Paul’s words in
Philippians 1:23, some have been led to believe that the apostle
expected to be in heaven with Jesus immediately upon his death. We
quote the passage as it appears in the Common Version: “For I am in a
strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ;
which is far better.” The word “depart” in this text is from the Greek
word analusai, and evidently should have been translated “returning,” and is so translated by Prof. Wilson in his Emphatic Diaglott.
In the preceding verses the apostle explains
that he is not sure whether or not he is shortly to be executed, or
whether he is to be released by the Roman authorities and so be
permitted to continue on for a time in the ministry. He had no choice
between these two things—“I am in a strait betwixt [the definite
article, “the,” although omitted in A.V., is in the original Greek
text] two.” But there was a third thing he did very much prefer, and
that was the analusai; and his preference for this was that he might be with Christ.
Paul knew that he could not be with Christ
until the “returning” of the Master, and he was merely giving
expression to his longing desire for this glorious consummation of
every true Christian’s hope. Prof. Wilson, in a footnote on this text
in his Emphatic Diaglott, comments as follows:
“The word analusai occurs in Luke 12:36, and is here rendered ‘return’—’Be you like men waiting for their master, when he will return,’
etc. Jesus had taught his disciples that he would come again, or
return. … Paul believed this doctrine and taught it to others, and was
looking for and waiting for the Savior from heaven … when … he would
‘ever be with the Lord’.”
But even though some may insist on the
correctness of the Common Version translation, it still would not prove
that Paul expected to go to heaven the moment he died, There were only
two possible things from which he might choose—one was a little longer
time to live and serve the truth and the brethren, the other was to
fall asleep in death. But there was something which would be “far
better” than either of these, and that was to be with Christ; but this
he knew was impossible at that time. He knew that the “returning” of
Christ was a long way in the future; and he also knew his reward as a
Christian would not be given to him until he received it in the
resurrection at the last day.—II Tim. 4:7,8
The words of the Apostle Paul in II
Corinthians 5:1-9 are sometimes misconstrued to mean that Christians go
to heaven immediately when they die; but the passage does not teach
this when properly understood. Paul says, “For we know that if our
earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of
God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Paul knew
that this glorious provision of heavenly life had been promised by
Jesus, but did he expect to receive it at the moment of death?
Evidently not, for in the fourth verse he
continues, “Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that
mortality might be swallowed up of life.” In I Corinthians 15:51-55 he
shows clearly that the church will Dot be clothed upon with immortality
until the resurrection, at the sounding of “the last trump.” This puts
it beyond the second coming of Christ, and is in agreement with all the
other scriptures bearing on the subject.
When in II Corinthians 5:8 Paul speaks of
being “absent from the body,” and of being “present with the Lord,” he
apparently is not contrasting this present life with the resurrected
life beyond the grave, but rather is speaking of two conditions that
are possible for the Christian right here in this life. One, a
condition of nearness to the Lord, through faithfulness in doing his
will, and the other that of comparative alienation from him through
unfaithfulness in heeding his words of instruction. Paul says,
“Wherefore we labor, that whether present or absent we may be accepted
of him.” That is, whether we are always able to realize a sense of
nearness to the Lord, or whether at times we may feel far away from him
because of our imperfections, we as Christians should labor earnestly
that we might finally be accepted of him, and hear the Master’s “well
done.”
Revelation 14:13 is a precious promise
applying during a very limited period at the end of the age, and cannot
properly be used as a general statement describing God’s method of
dealing with his people throughout the Gospel age. It reads: “Write,
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith
the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do
follow them.”
The expression, “from henceforth,” is the key
to a proper understanding of this passage, showing, as it does, that
the promise is applicable only from a given time forward. The context
indicates that the time alluded to is at the end of the age, following
the second coming of Christ; that there would be a period called a
“harvest,” during which the faithful saints, when completing their
earthly course in death, would not need to remain asleep in death, but would be immediately resurrected to take part in the activity relative to the establishment of the new kingdom.
Paul alludes to this in I Corinthians
15:51,52: “Behold, I show you a mystery,” says the apostle, indicating
that what he is about to mention is an exception to the general rule,
“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.”
Yes, all the saints must die—be “faithful
unto death”—and “all” must be changed in order to put on immortality;
but there will be some, at the sounding of the last trump, who will not
need to remain “asleep” in death. These are the ones who, while they
will cease in death from their laborious toil in the Master’s service,
being immediately resurrected, will continue right on with their work
for him. But even this immediate change from mortality to immortality
will not be because they are death-proof, but because their
resurrection will come at the moment of death—they do not need to wait
in sleep until the second coming of the Lord, as was necessary for the
remainder of the church.
No heavenly promises were given to God’s
faithful servants prior to the first advent of Jesus; and the Master
himself makes it plain that up until that time no one had gone to
heaven. We quote Jesus’ words: “And no man hath ascended up to heaven,
but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man.” (John 3:13)
The apostles of Jesus understood this matter clearly, for Peter,
speaking on the day of Pentecost concerning the faithful patriarch
David, said, “For David is not ascended into the heavens.”—Acts 2:34
It is supposed by many that Enoch, whom God
translated, was taken to heaven, but not so. Evidently Enoch’s
“translation” consisted merely of his being removed in death without
the necessity of himself experiencing the dying processes incident to
death; and possibly before he had the distressing experience of seeing
others die. The record is that he was translated that “he should not
see death.”
Paul, in the 11th chapter of Hebrews,
includes Enoch among the faithful ones of the past, concerning whom he
said, “These all died.” (Heb. 11:5,13) In Genesis 5:24 we are told that
Enoch “was not; for God took him.” A similar expression to this is
found in Jeremiah 31:15, where, in describing the condition of Rachel’s
dead children, it says that they “were not.” The evidence is
convincing, then, that whatever else may be implied in the thought of
Enoch’s translation, he did not go to heaven.
Some contend that Elijah must be in heaven,
inasmuch as they suppose he was taken up into heaven in a chariot. But
the record shows that the fiery chariot merely separated Elijah from
Elisha. It was the whirlwind that caused Elijah to ascend into heaven.
See II Kings 2:11. It should be remembered in this connection that the
words “heaven” and “heavens” are often used in the Scriptures as
descriptive of the circumambient atmosphere about the earth; and it was
evidently into this “heaven” that Elijah was taken by the whirlwind
that ended his eventful life. See Genesis 1:8,9,14,15,17,20, and
7:11,23; Zech. 2:6
The fact that in the transfiguration vision
the disciple saw Elijah and Moses does not mean that these two prophets
were then actually alive somewhere in heaven. In coming down from the
Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus said to his disciples, “Tell the vision
to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” (Matt.
17:9) A vision is not a reality. Peter saw a vision of unclean animals
let down from heaven in a sheet, but they were not real animals. John,
on the Isle of Patmos, had a series of visions in which all sorts of
objects, animate and inanimate, appeared before him in a great
historical panorama of two ages, but none of the things he saw were
realities. So the disciples saw a vision in which Moses and Elijah
appeared, yet both of those prophets were actually asleep in death, and
still are to this day, and will be until the resurrection.—Heb.
11:35,39,40
This transfiguration vision was of the
kingdom of Christ when established to reign over the earth. All true
Christians, then exalted to heavenly glory, will reign with Christ, the
purpose of this reign being to bless mankind in general with health and
life upon the earth. It will be during this time that paradise is to be
restored.
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Chapter VI
Many people use the words “paradise” and
“heaven” as if they were synonymous, and usually both terms are thought
of as applying to a state or place of spiritual bliss far removed from
this material world of sin and death. And it is held that all good
Christians go to this place immediately at death. There are some,
however, who make a distinction between paradise and heaven, claiming
that the former is a sort of intermediate state into which nearly
everyone enters at death, and where they remain until the future
judgment day, when they will be transferred either to a heaven of
bliss, eternal in duration, or to a hell of torture, which likewise is
to be unending.
A careful study of the Scriptures indicates
that the foregoing views are erroneous, and that this misconception is
but another indication of the archdeceiver’s effort to bolster up his
original lie, “Thou shalt not surely die.” If the dead are really dead,
as we have discovered the Scriptures so clearly teach, then those who
die cannot possibly be enjoying themselves, either in paradise or in
heaven.
The word “paradise” means, literally, a
garden or park. It is properly and scripturally applied to the Garden
of Eden, from which man was expelled because of sin. In Ezekiel
36:34,35 the prophet indicates that a Garden of Eden condition is to be
restored in the earth; which, according to the Apostle Peter’s
testimony in Acts 3:19-21, is also the united declaration of all God’s
holy prophets. Peter here refers to the period in which the
rehabilitation of the earthly paradise is to be accomplished as the
“times of restitution of all things.”
By checking carefully the apostle’s words in
Acts 3:19-21 it will be noticed that the “restitution” period is to
follow the second coming of Christ—“Whom the heaven must receive until
the times of restitution of all things.” If, then, paradise is to be a
worldwide state of happiness and perfection here on earth, it not only
was not in existence at the time of Jesus’ first advent, but according
to Peter’s words will not become a reality until Christ returns and
establishes his kingdom.
What did Jesus mean by his promise to the
thief on the cross? Jesus’ statement, “Thou shalt be with me in
paradise,” is in reply to the thief’s request, “Lord, remember me when
thou corneal into thy kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) We are not to suppose that
the thief knew very much about the proposed kingdom of the Messiah. It
was not necessary that he should know a great deal about it in order to
make a request of this kind. The inscription displayed over the
Master’s head showed clearly that he claimed to be a king; and while at
the time it did not look as though Jesus would ever be able to exercise
kingly authority or be in a position to help anyone, the thief
doubtless reasoned that it could do no harm to show a measure of
respect to and recognition of this alleged criminal king by asking to
be admitted to his kingdom.
But this gesture of friendliness on the part
of the thief, prompted by a mere wish which was father to his request,
was taken up by Jesus and translated by him into a living, radiant
promise “Thou shalt be with me in paradise.” That Jesus’ reply was
intended as an acknowledgment of the appropriateness of the thief’s
request is indicated by his use of the word “verily”—in other words,
Your request is in harmony with the divine plan. I am a King, I will
have a kingdom, and you will be remembered in that kingdom—“Thou shalt
be with me in paradise.”
That Jesus’ kingdom had not yet been
established at the time he made this promise to the thief is evident in
that he taught his disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10) Not only does this
inspired prayer emphasize the fact that the messianic kingdom was not
then a reality, but it also substantiates the thought we have already
discovered, namely, that when it does come it is to be right here on
earth.
The thief, then, asked for an earthly
blessing, and Jesus’ reply promised an earthly blessing. These earthly
blessings of the restored paradise under the administration of the
messianic kingdom will be available for all mankind when the times of
“restitution” are ushered in. Until then, however, the friendly thief,
as well as all who are in the graves, must wait for the promised
blessings wait in the sleep of death, until the morning of earth’s new
day, when they will be awakened by the voice of the Son of man.—John
5:28
What, then, did Jesus mean by the expression,
“This day,” in his promise to the thief on the cross? The apparent
difficulty in harmonizing this passage with the general testimony of
the Scriptures relative to the condition of the dead has been caused by
a misplacement of the comma in our Common Verse English translation of
the Bible. The original, inspired writings of the Bible were not
punctuated at all, because punctuation had not at that time been
invented. Punctuation, in fact, is of comparatively modern origin,
having been introduced into literature only a few hundred years ago.
The translators of our English Bible,
believing, as nearly the whole religious world does, that the moment of
death is the moment of translation into heavenly bliss, inserted the
comma in this passage to make it read in harmony with their theological
dogmas. By merely changing the position of this comma we get the proper
thought from the text: “Verily I say unto thee today, shalt thou be
with me in paradise.” Thus does the Master reveal the implicit
confidence he had in the Heavenly Father’s program for him.
The “today” in Jesus’ statement was a day
when from the human standpoint it seemed impossible that he should ever
have a kingdom. But the Master’s faith was so great that he was able
with full confidence, even at a time when every natural circumstance
challenged his hope, to assure the thief definitely and positively that
there was indeed to be a messianic kingdom—paradise was to be restored,
and he would be there and have an opportunity of enjoying its blessings.
In II Corinthians 12:1-4, Paul tells of a
vision in which he was “caught up into paradise.” This, as the apostle
explains, was a “vision,” and it does not at all imply that paradise
was then actually in existence. The apostle explains that in this same
vision he was also caught up to the “third heaven.” This information
gives us the key to the meaning of the entire vision.
The Apostle Peter, in his second epistle,
chapter 3, tells us of this “third heaven” seen in vision by Paul.
Peter, in fact, mentions all three “heavens,” and not merely the
“third” one. He explains that the first of these heavens existed before
the flood of Noah’s day, and that it was destroyed at the time of the
flood. He relates also that the second heavens came into being at the
time of the flood, and are to be destroyed following the second coming
of Christ. “Nevertheless,” continues the apostle, “we, according to his
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness.”
This “new heavens” for which we look would,
then, be the “third.” Peter speaks also of a “new earth.” It is this
“new earth” that Paul describes as the “paradise” of his vision. Now
Peter makes it plain that both the new or “third” heavens and the new
or “paradise” earth are to be created, or brought into being, following
the second coming of Christ. This confirms our previous findings,
namely, that paradise is not yet in existence, hence that no one can go
to paradise at the moment of death.
Peter says that we “according to his promise”
look for “new heavens and a new earth.” The “promise” to which the
apostle evidently alludes is that of Isaiah 65:17-25. One of the
outstanding facts in connection with this promise, as will be noted
upon reading it, is that with the creation of the “new earth” there
comes “rejoicing”; the end of “weeping”; no more thence “an infant of
days”; economic security in that those who build houses will “inhabit
them”; “they shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth trouble”; before
they call the Lord “will answer”; “the wolf and the lamb shall feed
together”; and finally the all-comprehensive promise, “They shall not
hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [kingdom], saith the Lord.”
Yes, this is one of the glorious kingdom
promises of the Bible, as the term “mountain” here is used to symbolize
God’s kingdom. It is that mountain described by Daniel (2:35,44,45)
which is to grow and fill the whole earth. It is the kingdom in which
the thief on the cross will be remembered: the kingdom which will
restore paradise conditions worldwide. Nothing in this prophecy
indicates that it is a promise of heavenly blessings—it is all earthly.
The same new heavens and new earth are
mentioned in Revelation 21:1-4, with the same blessings promised to
follow their establishment. And what wonderful, far-reaching blessings
they are! We quote: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Both Isaiah and the Revelator associate the
“new heavens” and the “new earth” with the “new Jerusalem.” Paul, in
Galatians 4:26, identifies the church as this heavenly Jerusalem class.
The church is also called the “bride” of Christ, and in Revelation
21:9,10 we learn that this “bride” is indeed the “new Jerusalem.” Thus
it is that when the new heavens and the new earth are finally
established the church class will have already been completed, and will
be with the Lord Jesus as joint-heirs with him in this new kingdom
arrangement.
Then, as his bride, they will join in the
blessed work of restoring life to all who will hear and come to the
fountain of life then provided—“And the Spirit [our Lord Jesus] and the
bride say, Come. … And whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely.” (Rev. 22:17) This water of life is shown to come out from
underneath the throne of God and of the Lamb—a beautiful, combined
symbolism telling us that the blessings of life then available will be
subject to the governmental regulations of the new kingdom—the
“throne”—and will be free to all who desire them because of the
redemptive work of the slain Lamb.— Rev. 22:1
The “heavens” and “earth” are also, of
course, symbolic; and the Scriptures indicate that they represent the
two phases of the new kingdom: the heavenly phase composed primarily of
Jesus and his glorified church, who will be the spiritual, unseen
rulers in the kingdom; and the earthly phase made up principally of the
resurrected ancient prophets and other worthy ones of the past, who are
to become “princes in all the earth.”—Psalm 45:16
Jesus said, “Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God,” and sure enough,
they will be resurrected from the dead and restored to perfect human
life; and it will be these perfect “statesmen,” representatives of the
divine Christ, who will deal directly with the world of mankind. Yes,
it will be a real kingdom, and when it is established, real blessings
of life are to be the result to the whole groaning creation.
This, then, is the hope the Scriptures hold
out to us as a comfort and stay in time of need. Glory, honor, and
immortality, as joint heirs with Jesus in his kingdom for all faithful
Christians; and restored human life in an earthly paradise for all
others of mankind who, when the kingdom of the Messiah is established,
obey its laws and accept “the water of life freely.”
And what a glorious time of blessing this
divine kingdom will provide for the sin-sick world in answer to the
prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven”! A new dispensation indeed it will be. The changes from one
dispensation to another in the past have been marked and prominent, but
this change will be the most outstanding and eventful of all because it
will mean a transfer of world rulership from Satan’s reign of death to
the Messiah’s reign of life; from the superstitious worship of false
gods to the intelligent worship of Jehovah the true God, and Christ,
his Son, the world’s Redeemer and Life-giver.
The very thought of such far-reaching changes
would be staggering to faith were it not for the realization that they
have been promised and planned by the Almighty God and Creator of the
universe, who is as abundantly able to restore the dead to life,
through his Son, as he was to create life in the first place. And what
a spectacle it will be—a whole race returning to God and to life with
songs of everlasting joy upon their lips and in their hearts! As, yes,
“they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee
away.”— Isa. 35:10
The sorrow and sighing now seem inseparable
from our being, yet the divine promise is that they shall “flee away.”
Sin, sickness, and death have been the causes of all the sorrow in the
world, and these “enemies” of the race are to be destroyed by the
kingdom power of the Messiah. Thus, though weeping in sackcloth and
ashes has endured throughout the long night of the dominion of sin and
death, joy awaits the groaning creation in the Millennial morning now
so soon to dawn. Then the tears shall be wiped away from all faces, and
beauty shall be given for ashes, and the oil of joy for the spirit of
heaviness.
In Isaiah 25:6-9 the prophet gives us a
prophetic description of the new kingdom, when paradise conditions
shall be restored worldwide, and a part of this prophecy declares that
God will then “swallow up death in victory.” In I Corinthians 15:54 the
Apostle Paul quotes this promise and explains that it will be fulfilled
following the exaltation of the church to immortality with her Lord.
One of the original promises of kingdom blessings was given to Abraham,
in which God told him that through his seed all the families of the
earth were to be blessed.
In Galatians 3:8,16, and 27-29, Paul explains
that the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham will come through
Christ and his glorified church, his faithful footstep followers of
this age. This, then, is why paradise conditions of life and happiness
have not heretofore been restored to the earth; that is, Christ’s
followers of this age, who are to share his heavenly home, and be
joint-heirs with him in dispensing blessings of life to the world, must
first of all be selected and prepared for their high position in the
kingdom.
The signs of the times indicate beyond any
question of a doubt that we are living in the end of this age, when the
work of selecting the church of Christ is nearly complete. This means
that the “sweet by and by” of the world’s golden age of blessing is now
drawing near, that soon the dark night of weeping shall give way to a
morning of song. And what a glad time that will be when funerals will
no longer be the order of the day, but in their place will come the
happy reunion of friends and relatives once loved, but lost awhile in
death—a reunion that will be permanent for all those who then obey the
laws of that divine kingdom, and through obedience become partakers of
the restorative powers of the divine Christ and his glorified
bride.—Rev. 22:17
And no creature of the redeemed race will be
too low for divine grace to reach through the all-powerful and blessed
agency of the kingdom. No degradation of sin will be too deep for the
hand of mercy to fathom, to rescue the blood-bought soul; no darkness
of ignorance and superstition will be too dense in any heart but that
the light of divine truth and love will penetrate its gloom and bring
to it a knowledge of the joy and gladness of the new day and an
opportunity through obedience to share in its blessings. No disease
that can attack and pollute the physical system will be beyond the
prompt control of the Great Physician. And no deformity, or
monstrosity, or superfluity, or mental imbecility will be able to
resist his healing touch.
But let no one for a moment suppose that this
means universal reconciliation and salvation of every individual
irrespective of their obedience to the laws of the new kingdom; for the
Scriptures do not teach any such unconditional salvation. In Acts
3:19-23 the apostle tells us about the coming time of restoration which
God has promised by the mouth of all his holy prophets, but makes it
clear that the receiving of those blessings by the individual will
depend upon obedience to “that prophet”—the divine Christ. He says:
“And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that
prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”
Paul raised the question of how one can
believe on Christ ff he has not heard of him. Indeed, no one will be
either saved or lost in his ignorance. The Scriptures teach that no one
will be destroyed in what the Revelator describes as the “second death”
until, through a clear knowledge of the truth, he has had a full
opportunity to believe and obey. To accomplish this end the plan of God
provides for an awakening of all who, sleep in death. This awakening is
referred to by Paul where he says that it is God’s will that all shall
be “saved”—not saved eternally, but saved from the sleep of death in
order that they might come to a knowledge of the truth, particularly
the truth concerning God’s gift of his Son to be their Redeemer. But eternal
life will be the happy portion only of those who, when they are
enlightened, “believe” on him. This limit of God’s grace is clearly
stated in John 3:16, which reads: “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.”
It is not for us to conjecture as to how many
or few will reject the grace of God during the Millennial period, when
the pure message of truth shall cover the earth, ocean deep. Present
conditions offer us no criterion by which to judge, because the world
as a whole at the present time is blinded by the deceptive influences
of the great deceiver, Satan. It is a mistake to suppose that all who
live within sound of church bells have a fair opportunity to know about
Christ and believe on him for the reason that there are so many
conflicting church bells. That is to say, they themselves are
hopelessly divided as to what constitutes truth; and if the blind lead
the blind, what can we expect but that both will fall into the ditch of
confusion and doubt. It is even so.
But at the very beginning of the kingdom
period, in which the thief on the cross asked to be remembered, Satan,
the archdeceiver of mankind, will be bound. (Rev. 20:1,2) The coming
into power of the Messiah is likened by the prophet to the rising of
the sun, the new King of earth being styled the “Sun of Righteousness,”
which is to rise with health and life-giving powers, scattering the
mists of darkness and superstition, and enlightening the world with the
true Gospel of the love of God.
That will be the time when all will have a
bona fide opportunity to prove their loyalty to the divine principles
of righteousness then being exemplified in the messianic kingdom
arrangements, being privileged to dwell eternally in that restored
earthly paradise. Those who do not believe and obey will, according to
the Scriptures, be “destroyed from among the people.”—Acts 3:23
Thus shall God’s kingdom come, and his will
be done on earth, as it is done in heaven. Thus shall The Christ reign
as the Father’s vicegerent until he shall have put down all
antagonistic authority and power, and caused every knee to bow and
every tongue to confess the wisdom, justice, love, and power of God the
Father.