the great controversy-第122节

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portion　forever　in　anything　that　is　done　under　the　sun。〃　〃There　is　no　work；
nor　device；　nor　knowledge；　nor　wisdom；　in　the　grave；　whither　thou　goest。〃
Ecclesiastes　9：5；　6；　10。

When；　in　answer　to　his　prayer；　Hezekiah's　life　was　prolonged　fifteen　years；
the　grateful　king　rendered　to　God　a　tribute　of　praise　for　His　great　mercy。
In　this　song　he　tells　the　reason　why　he　thus　rejoices：　〃The　grave　cannot
praise　Thee；　death　cannot　celebrate　Thee：　they　that　go　down　into　the　pit
cannot　hope　for　Thy　truth。　The　living；　the　living；　he　shall　praise　Thee；　as
I　do　this　day。〃　Isaiah　38：18；　19。　Popular　theology　represents　the　righteous
dead　as　in　heaven；　entered　into　bliss　and　praising　God　with　an　immortal
tongue；　but　Hezekiah　could　see　no　such　glorious　prospect　in　death。　With　his
words　agrees　the　testimony　of　the　psalmist：　〃In　death　there　is　no
remembrance　of　Thee：　in　the　grave　who　shall　give　Thee　thanks？〃　〃The　dead
praise　not　the　Lord；　neither　any　that　go　down　into　silence。〃　Psalms　6：5；
115：17。

Peter　on　the　Day　of　Pentecost　declared　that　the　patriarch　David　〃is　both
dead　and　buried；　and　his　sepulcher　is　with　us　unto　this　day。〃　〃For　David　is
not　ascended　into　the　heavens。〃　Acts　2：29；　34。　The　fact　that　David　remains
in　the　grave　until　the　resurrection　proves　that　the　righteous　do　not　go　to
heaven　at　death。　It　is　only　through　the　resurrection；　and　by　virtue　of　the
fact　that　Christ　has　risen；　that　David　can　at　last　sit　at　the　right　hand　of
God。

And　said　Paul：　〃If　the　dead　rise　not；　then　is　not　Christ　raised：　and　if
Christ　be　not　raised；　your　faith　is　vain；　ye　are　yet　in　your　sins。　Then　they
also　which　are　fallen　asleep　in　Christ　are　perished。〃　I　Corinthians
15：16…18。　If　for　four　thousand　years　the　righteous　had　gone　directly　to
heaven　at　death；　how　could　Paul　have　said　that　if　there　is　no　resurrection；

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〃they　also　which　are　fallen　asleep　in　Christ　are　perished〃？　No　resurrection
would　be　necessary。

The　martyr　Tyndale；　referring　to　the　state　of　the　dead；　declared：　〃I　confess
openly；　that　I　am　not　persuaded　that　they　be　already　in　the　full　glory　that
Christ　is　in；　or　the　elect　angels　of　God　are　in。　Neither　is　it　any　article
of　my　faith；　for　if　it　were　so；　I　see　not　but　then　the　preaching　of　the
resurrection　of　the　flesh　were　a　thing　in　vain。〃William　Tyndale；　Preface
to　New　Testament　（ed。　1534）。　Reprinted　in　British　ReformersTindal；　Frith；
Barnes；　page　349。

It　is　an　undeniable　fact　that　the　hope　of　immortal　blessedness　at　death　has
led　to　a　widespread　neglect　of　the　Bible　doctrine　of　the　resurrection。　This
tendency　was　remarked　by　Dr。　Adam　Clarke；　who　said：　〃The　doctrine　of　the
resurrection　appears　to　have　been　thought　of　much　more　consequence　among　the
primitive　Christians　than　it　is　now！　How　is　this？　The　apostles　were
continually　insisting　on　it；　and　exciting　the　followers　of　God　to　diligence；
obedience；　and　cheerfulness　through　it。　And　their　successors　in　the　present
day　seldom　mention　it！　So　apostles　preached；　and　so　primitive　Christians
believed；　so　we　preach；　and　so　our　hearers　believe。　There　is　not　a　doctrine
in　the　gospel　on　which　more　stress　is　laid；　and　there　is　not　a　doctrine　in
the　present　system　of　preaching　which　is　treated　with　more
neglect！〃Commentary；　remarks　on　I　Corinthians　15；　paragraph　3。

This　has　continued　until　the　glorious　truth　of　the　resurrection　has　been
almost　wholly　obscured　and　lost　sight　of　by　the　Christian　world。　Thus　a
leading　religious　writer；　commenting　on　the　words　of　Paul　in　I　Thessalonians
4：13…18；　says：　〃For　all　practical　purposes　of　comfort　the　doctrine　of　the
blessed　immortality　of　the　righteous　takes　the　place　for　us　of　any　doubtful
doctrine　of　the　Lord's　second　coming。　At　our　death　the　Lord　comes　for　us。
That　is　what　we　are　to　wait　and　watch　for。　The　dead　are　already　passed　into
glory。　They　do　not　wait　for　the　trump　for　their　judgment　and　blessedness。〃

548


But　when　about　to　leave　His　disciples；　Jesus　did　not　tell　them　that　they
would　soon　come　to　Him。　〃I　go　to　prepare　a　place　for　you；〃　He　said。　〃And　if
I　go　and　prepare　a　place　for　you；　I　will　come　again；　and　receive　you　unto
Myself。〃　John　14：2；　3。　And　Paul　tells　us；　further；　that　〃the　Lord　Himself
shall　descend　from　heaven　with　a　shout；　with　the　voice　of　the　Archangel；　and
with　the　trump　of　God：　and　the　dead　in　Christ　shall　rise　first：　then　we
which　are　alive　and　remain　shall　be　caught　up　together　with　them　in　the
clouds；　to　meet　the　Lord　in　the　air：　and　so　shall　we　ever　be　with　the　Lord。〃
And　he　adds：　〃Comfort　one　another　with　these　words。〃　I　Thessalonians
4：16…18。　How　wide　the　contrast　between　these　words　of　comfort　and　those　of
the　Universalist　minister　previously　quoted！　The　latter　consoled　the
bereaved　friends　with　the　assurance　that；　however　sinful　the　dead　might　have
been；　when　he　breathed　out　his　life　here　he　was　to　be　received　among　the
angels。　Paul　points　his　brethren　to　the　future　coming　of　the　Lord；　when　the
fetters　of　the　tomb　shall　be　broken；　and　the　〃dead　in　Christ〃　shall　be
raised　to　eternal　life。

Before　any　can　enter　the　mansions　of　the　blessed；　their　cases　must　be
investigated；　and　their　characters　and　their　deeds　must　pass　in　review
before　God。　All　are　to　be　judged　according　to　the　things　written　in　the
books　and　to　be　rewarded　as　their　works　have　been。　This　judgment　does　not
take　place　at　death。　Mark　the　words　of　Paul：　〃He　hath　appointed　a　day；　in
the　which　He　will　judge　the　world　in　righteousness　by　that　Man　whom　He　hath
ordained；　whereof　He　hath　given　assurance　unto　all　men；　in　that　He　hath
raised　Him　from　the　dead。〃　Acts　17：31。　Here　the　apostle　plainly　stated　that
a　specified　time；　then　future；　had　been　fixed　upon　for　the　judgment　of　the
world。

Jude　refers　to　the　same　period：　〃The　angels　which　kept　not　their　first
estate；　but　left　their　own　habitation；　He　hath　reserved　in　everlasting
chains　under　darkness　unto　the　judgment　of　the　great　day。〃　And；　again；　he
quotes　the　words　of　Enoch：　〃Behold；　the　Lord　cometh　with　ten　thousands　of
His

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saints；　to　execute　judgment　upon　all。〃　Jude　6；　14；　15。　John　declares　that　he
〃saw　the　dead；　small　and　great；　stand　before　God；　and　the　books　were　opened：
。　。　。　and　the　dead　were　judged　out　of　those　things　which　were　written　in　the
books。〃　Revelation　20：12。

But　if　the　dead　are　already　enjoying　the　bliss　of　heaven　or　writhing　in　the
flames　of　hell；　what　need　of　a　future　judgment？　The　teachings　of　God's　word
on　these　important　points　are　neither　obscure　nor　contradictory；　they　may　be
understood　by　common　minds。　But　what　candid　mind　can　see　either　wisdom　or
justice　in　the　current　theory？　Will　the　righteous；　after　the　investigation
of　their　cases　at　the　judgment；　receive　the　commendation；　〃Well　done；　thou
good　and　faithful　servant：　。　。　。　enter　thou　into　the　joy　of　thy　Lord；〃　when
they　have　been　dwelling　in　His　presence；　perhaps　for　long　ages？　Are　the
wicked　summoned　from　the　place　of　torment　to　receive　sentence　from　the　Judge
of　all　the　earth：　〃Depart　from　Me；　ye　cursed；　into　everlasting　fire〃？
Matthew　25：21；　41。　Oh；　solemn　mockery！　shameful　impeachment　of　the　wisdom
and　justice　of　God！

The　theory　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul　was　one　of　those　false　doctrines
that　Rome；　borrowing　from　paganism；　incorporated　into　the　religion　of
Christendom。　Martin　Luther　classed　it　with　the　〃monstrous　fables　that　form
part　of　the　Roman　dunghill　of　decretals。〃E。　Petavel；　The　Problem　of
Immortality；　page　255。　Commenting　on　the　words　of　Solomon　in　Ecclesiastes；
that　the　dead　know　not　anything；　the　Reformer　says：　〃Another　place　proving
that　the　dead　have　no　。　。　。　feeling。　There　is；　saith　he；　no　duty；　no
science；　no　knowledge；　no　wisdom　there。　Solomon　judgeth　that　the　dead　are
asleep；　and　feel　nothing　at　all。　For　the　dead　lie　there；　accounting　neither
days　nor　years；　but　when　they　are　awaked；　they　shall　seem　to　have　slept
scarce　one　minute。〃　Martin　Luther；　Exposition　of　Solomon's　Booke　Called
Ecclesiastes；　page　152。

Nowhere　in　the　Sacred　Scriptures　is　found　the　statement

550

that　the　righteous　go　to　their　reward　or　the　wicked　to　their　punishment　at
death。　The　patriarchs　and　prophets　have　left　no　such　assurance。　Christ　and
His　apostles　have　given　no　hint　of　it。　The　Bible　clearly　teaches　that　the
dead　do　not　go　immediately　to　heaven。　They　are　represented　as　sleeping　until
the　resurrection。　I　Thessalonians　4：14；　Job　14：10…12。　In　the　very　day　when
the　silver　cord　is　loosed　and　the　golden　bowl　broken　（Ecclesiastes　12：6）；
man's　thoughts　perish。　They　that　go　down　to　the　grave　are　in　silence。　They
know　no　more　of　anything　that　is　done　under　the　sun。　Job　14：21。　Blessed　rest
for　the　weary　righteous！　Time；　be　it　long　or　short；　is　but　a　moment　to　them。
They　sleep；　they　are　awakened　by　the　trump　of　God　to　a　glorious　immortality。
〃For　the　trumpet　shall　sound；　and　the　dead　shall　be　raised　incorruptible。　。
。　。　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。〃　I　Corinthians　15：52…54。　As
they　are　called　f