Human destinies as taught in the Bible

Preface

In presenting such absorbing questions of interest to readers as great destructions of mankind on this earth, and their state after death, and their final resting place, both of the righteous and the wicked, we have followed the teachings of the Bible, being careful not to misapply texts bearing upon these points. The Bible alone, when not misapplied, answers these momentous questions. The following pages show what that answer is. We ask the reader not to blindly commit himself to predetermined views, but subject himself to truth at all times and everywhere. We must yield to truth. Facts are stubborn things, and cannot change. The acceptation of truth is safety; while its rejection is exceedingly unsafe and fraught with dangers all along and everywhere. The teachings of the Bible are the most effectual antidotes to error and delusion. The Scriptures were given by the Holy Ghost, and contain the inspired word of God. This book is written upon the principle both of revelation and reason — for revelation and reason go hand in hand. Every fate of man is a reasonable one. God does not act contrary to reason and sound sense, neither is his word found conflicting with reason.

It is useless to write a long preface to this book. The plain, untarnished facts contained in its pages show for themselves. This you will readily see if you read it as carefully as you should; and you will not understand what is taught in this book unless you do read it.

Contents

Chapter Page

I. The Creation and Age of the World 5

II. Questions and Problems Confronting Everyone. . . 12

Chapter I. The Creation And Age Of The World

In the book of Genesis the first book of the Bible, and in the first chapter, we are told that "God created the heavens and the earth." In this short sentence we have communicated to us a bit of intelligence superior to any other statement made by persons calling themselves scientists and by profane historians, as to how the world began. How forcible are the words, "God created the heavens and the earth." Who else could have created it but God? All men, and nations of men, with their modern machinery and inventions, and with their present skill and education, could not or cannot make a world like this one. Then it was God that made it.

Further on, in this book of Genesis, we learn that God created a man whom he called Adam, and that this man Adam lived 930 years. Adam was 130 years old at the birth of one of his sons called Seth, and 235 years old when his grandson Enos was born, and 325 when Cainan was born, and 395 when Mahalaleel was born, and 460 when Jared was born, and 622 when Enoch was born, and 687 when Methuselah was born, and 874 when Lamech was born, and then he died at the age of 930, about 126 years before Noah was born. Noah was born in the year of the world 1056, and Shem (his son) in 1556, and the great and terrible flood came on in 1656.

For fuller information upon this point and subject we here give an article and tables from "A Biblical and Theological Dictionary," by the Rev. J. V. Parsons, of Georgia.

EARLY CHRONOLOGY.

TABLE I.

FROM THE CREATION TO THE FLOOD, EX- HIBITING.

1. The number of years that each patriarch was contemporaneous with the other. 2. The years of the world in which each was born and died. 3. The age of each.

E

CO s

* J a

1* 03

Anno Mundi.

Born.

Died.

Age.

Adam

Seth

910 840 775

962 365

735 548 366

365 300

"3

Enoch

Methuselah

Lamech

Noah

782 600 100

777 595 95

777 950

Shem, etc

The Flood

From this table several very valuable points of information are gained. The thought has probably arisen in the mind of every biblical student, "Is there not reason to apprehend that the account of creation, and of the early events in the history of the world, such as the Garden of Eden, the temptation, fall and expulsion of our first parents, etc., would be greatly corrupted by passing through so many generations,

AS TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE.

when there were no letters to perpetuate an historical event? Would not the imaginations of men, and the love of the marvelous, intermingle much of fancy with truth, in the account transmitted to subsequent generations?"

This skeptical suggestion arises from the idea that the story must have passed through many narrators, and that few opportunities of comparing and correcting one account by another were enjoyed. Look at the table as illustrating these points.

And first, the number of times that the story must be repeated by different persons. Noah and his three sons could receive the account of the creation at the second rehearsal, and that through several distinct channels. I. Adam could relate it to Enos for six hundred and ninety-five years, and Enos to Noah for eighty-four years. Or, 2, Adam, during six hundred and five years could discourse of it to Cainan, and Cainan one hundred and seventy-nine years to Noah. Again, 3, Adam could rehearse it for five hundred and thirty-five years to Mahalaleel, and Mahalaleel for two hundred and twenty-four years to Noah. 4. Adam had four hundred and seventy years to instruct Jared in those sublime facts, and Jared was contemporary three hundred and sixty-six with Noah. Through these four distinct channels Noah could receive a direct account from Adam. But again, 5, Adam lived till Methuselah was two hundred and forty-three years old; time enough, surely, to obtain an accurate knowledge of all those facts pertaining to the dawn of created existence ; and Methuselah lived six hundred years with Noah, and one hundred with his three sons. And once more, 6, Adam lived to see Lamech, the father of Noah, till he was fifty-six years old, and Lamech lived with Noah five hundred and ninety-five years, and ninety-five years with Shem, Ham and Japheth. Through these six channels the account could be brought down to the time of the flood.

Now the directness of this communication is the same as the following: My grandfather was a sergeant in the

Revolutionary war, and was wounded in the arm by a musket ball. How do I know that, seeing he died before my birth? He related it to his children, among whom was my mother, and she to me. He was contemporary thirty years with her, and she twenty-five years with me, and that fact is as well established, distinct and certain to my mind, as any recorded in history. Precisely such was the directness of Noah and his sons' information relative to creation; and at the same time the certainty of accuracy was increased by much longer periods of contemporary life, and a six-fold chain of testimony.

II. This table shows how many opportunities there were of comparing and correcting different accounts. The perpendicular column of names shows how many were contemporary with generations before them, and the figures in the horizontal line denote the number of years common to both. Thus, Jared was contemporary with Adam four hundred and seventy years, with Seth five hundred and eighty-two years, Enos six hundred and eighty, Cainan seven hundred and seventy-five, Mahalaleel eight hundred and thirty, and with himself nine hundred and sixty-two. The horizontal column of names, and the perpendicular line of figures under them, show the generations after them with which each was contemporary, and the length of time. Thus take the name Jared, over the perpendicular line of figures, and follow it down, and he will be found to have lived with his son, Enoch, three hundred and sixty-five years, and survived him ; with Enoch's son, Methuselah, seven hundred and thirty-five years; with Lamech five hundred and forty-eight, and Noah three hundred and sixty-six.

These two combined show the whole number of generations with which each was contemporary. Thus, Adam was contemporary with none before, him ; but all after him down to Lamech. Again, take the horizontal name Methuselah, and trace it along the horizontal line of figures, and you find him contemporary with all before him, till you come to himself ; then turn down the column under his name, and he is

AS TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE.

contemporary with all after him down to the very year of the flood, being one hundred years with Shem and his brothers.

In this way it will be found that all the generations from Adam to the flood were eleven. Of all these Adam was contemporary with nine, Seth with nine, Enos ten, Cainan ten, Mahalaleel ten, Jared ten, Enoch nine, Methuselah eleven, Lamech eleven, Noah eight, Shem and brothers four. Thus there were never less than nine contemporary generations from Adam to the flood, which would give, in one lineal descent, eighty-one different channels through which the account might be transmitted.

III. Another important point illustrated by this table is the occurrence of the flood at the precise time, and the only time, when it could have occurred, without contradicting the sacred history and the chronological account. The reason assigned in sacred history for the deluge was the great wickedness of men, for which all were to be destroyed, except Noah and his family. Now, if the flood had occurred ten years sooner than it did, it would have involved Methuselah and Lamech in the destruction of the wicked ; for the former lived to the very year of the flood, A. M. 1656, and the latter within five years of it, A. M. 165 1. And, again, it would have involved a contradiction, for if the ark had been completed in fifty, instead of one hundred years, and the age of Methuselah and Lamech had been given as it is, it would have brought their death fifty years after the flood! And there is not one year from the creation at which the date of the flood could have been fixed, without involving such a contradiction, till the very date given. This is a very remarkable coincidence ; and if the accounts given are fabrications, a most fortunate escape from a fatal blunder.

The results of the second table are no less striking and instructive. Whoever imagined, without making the comparison, that Noah lived to see Abraham sixty years old, and that Shem lived to witness all the glorious things transacted between God and Abraham, and, finally, to see him buried, and to unite in the general mourning for the father of the faithful? Who would have supposed that Abraham lived his whole lifetime, Isaac for one hundred and eight years, and Jacob for forty-eight years with those, who for one hundred years of their early life witnessed and assisted in the building of the ark; who were borne triumphantly in it through the swelling flood, saw the opening heavens, felt the heaving earth when its deep foundations were broken up, and heard the groans of a perishing world? Yet such was the fact, as will be seen by comparing births and deaths in the second table. Noah was contemporary with every generation after him down to Abraham; Shem down to Jacob, and Arphaxad down to Isaac; Salah and Eber again down to Jacob, and probably Eber to the twelve sons of Jacob.

TABLE II. FROM THE FLOOD TO ABRAHAM, ISAAC,

AND JACOB.

CO

H

a:

"5

co go

1°

CO s

Anno Mundi

Born

Died

Shem

2.85433 37?

,161

Reu ..

221 1 3 9 158 130 60

230 148 130

ICI

I

148 148

Terah

1481175 175 ... 78

205 175

75 15

175 75 15

180 120

M7

2124 2123

Isaac

Jacob.. ;..

iS

Every one disposed to do so, can trace the same facts in regard to the manifold channels of communication from the flood to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as we found from the creation to the flood. We will only notice here the whole chain from Adam to the fathers of the Hebrews. Three narrations only were necessary to bring the account of creation

AS TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE.

to those fathers, and a part of the cords entwined in this

"cable strong" may be seen from the following collation :

Enos

Shem, etc.

Cainan

Noah

Arphaxad, etc.

Adam

Mahalaleel

Shem

Nahor

Jared

Ham and

Abram )

Methuselah

Japheth

Isaac >

Ivamech

Jacob )

These narrations bring the account to the time when minute and particular history commences, and when the art of inscribing upon ■ papyrus and probably upon parchment was understood. The participators in the awful scenes of the flood lived to see the Pharaohs, the pyramids and obelisks of Egypt, and probably to have those scenes stereotyped on monuments and in hyeroglyphics, which have come down to us. So that we have the account, in a manner, second-handed from Shem.

From the foregoing figures and facts, we have a complete history of the world as to its age up to the time that abundance of history commences, and tracing the Bible on, as well as other history, we find that the earth, at this writing, A. D. 1901, to be about 5,900 years old. If it were not for the Bible we could have no perfect knowledge of the age of the earth, but would be left to vain imaginations and surmisings, and would, no doubt, think it to be much older than 6,000 years, instead of being considerably less. Can you not see the grandeur and superiority of the Bible over all other books and conjectures ?

The scientists, as they call themselves, are full of contradictions among themselves. Their arguments and reasonings are, manv of them, vain and erroneous.

Chapter II. Questions And Problems Confronting Every Intelligent Human Being

With the exception of Adam and Eve, every one of the human family has come up through infancy and the feeble knowledge of childhood. Without our consent we find ourselves in the world of human existence, subject to all the trials of life and hastening forward to that final destiny allotted unto the race. Everything is to be learned. Various inquiries crowd our minds.

We have to learn who arranged this order of things, and the purpose of our creation, the make-up of our nature, and obligations to God. What kind of a God is "he? What disposition will he finally make of us ? If we obey him will he extend our souls forever ? and if we stubbornly disobey him will he turn us back into non-existence? or will he put us in some place of confinement and punish us according to our sinful natures and rebellious principles ?

We have two natures, body and spirit, and we see the bodies of men falling victims to death all along through time. No one seems to escape. Do their souls or spirits die when their bodies die? Their bodies are lifeless, cold, and still. Is this the end of man, after all the trials and troubles of life? Such questions force themselves upon us and absorb our deepest interest. "Where shall we look for an answer? Have we any means within our reach by which to solve these problems?"

The earth, with its ever changing seasons, and predictions of life and beauty, are before us and around us; the sun, moon, and stars have their motions and glory above us. They tell us of a God, the creator of all things — as the apostle has said :

"The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead ; so that we are without excuse."

But, as Mr. Smith has said, "This only intensifies our anxiety a thousand fold. For now we want to know upon what conditions his favor is suspended. What must we do to meet his requirements? How may we secure his approbation? He surely is a being who will reward virtue and punish sin." Has he created our souls self-existent, "so that we must live forever," either as subjects of his favor or "everlasting contempt?" "Who can tell?" The dead cannot tell us. Nature cannot tell. The grave is silent — being void of knowledge, device or wisdom. And, as Mr. Smith has again said :

Science proves itself a fool on this momentous question. The imagination breaks down ; and the human mind, unaided, sinks into a melancholy, but well-grounded despair. God must tell us, or we can never know what lies beyond this state of existence, till we experience it for ourselves. He who has placed us here, must himself make known to us his purposes and his will, or we are forever in the dark. Of this, all reverent and thoughtful minds are well assured. * * * "If there be any satisfactory light, then, on the momentous questions of a future state, it must be sought from the word of God. * * * Socrates, when about to drink the fatal hemlock, said : 'I am going out of the world, and you are to continue in it; but which of us has the better part is a secret to everyone but God.' * * * And the skeptic Hobbs, when death was forcing him from this state of existence, could only exclaim, with dread uncertainty, 'I am taking a leap in the dark !' — dying words not calculated to inspire any great degree of comfort and assurance in the hearts of those who are inclined to follow in his steps.

"With a full sense of our need, we turn, then, to the revelation which God has given us in his word. Will this answer our inquiries? It is not a revelation if it does not; for this must be the very object of a revelation. * * * If we are immortal, never-dying beings, that revelation will plainly tell us so.

"To the Bible alone we look for correct views on the important subjects of the character of God, and the nature of life and death, the resurrection, heaven and hell. But our views upon all these must be, to a great extent, governed by our views of the nature and destiny of man. On this subject, therefore, the teachings of the Bible must, of consistency, be sufficiently clear and full.

"Prominent upon the pages of inspiration, we see pointed out the great distinction which God has put between right and wrong, .the rewards he has promised to virtue, and the punishment he has threatened against sin ; we find it revealed that but few, comparatively, will be saved, while the great majority of our race will be lost; and as the means by which the perdition of ungodly men will be accomplished, we find described in fearfully ominous terms, a lake of fire burning with brimstone, all-devouring and unquenchable.

"How these facts intensify the importance of the question, Are all men immortal ? Are these wicked immortal ? Is their portion an eternity of conscious torture and unutterable woe?

Have they in their nature a principle so tenacious of life that the severest implements of destruction with' which the Almighty can assail it, an eternity of his intensest devouring fire, can make no inroads upon its inviolate vitality? Fearful questions ! — questions in reference to which it cannot be that the word of God will leave us in darkness, or perplex us with doubt, or deceive us with falsehood.

"In commending the reader to the word of God on this great theme, it is enough to suggest to any candid mind the spirit in which we should present our inquiries. Prejudiceor passion should not come within the sacred precincts of such an investigation."

Mr. Smith is the author of several books, and among the number he has one on "Man's Nature and Destiny." He has fallen into the belief that all men die at death — the spirit or soul as well as the body. He thinks they will remain thus dead until the resurrection, and then, both the righteous and the wicked will be raised to life again, and be judged, and then the wicked will totally die again, but the righteous will live forever. He thinks he finds abundance of Scripture texts sustaining his opinion or belief. He is a great writer and fine scholar, and if he has made a mistake, how did he do it ? He insists on letting the Bible decide all important questions, but, after all, has he done it ? Wherein is his teachings and reasonings false? There is only one way for any one to fail to get the true light when they go to the Bible for it. If they let the Holy Ghost guide them, it being the spirit of truth, they will obtain the correct or true light ; but if they let Satan, the falsifier and misapplyer, deceive them, they will misapply the Scriptures and deceive themselves. It all rests right there.

Chapter III. How To Apply The Scriptures So As To Rightly Understand Them

If any one expects to rightly understand the teachings of the Bible, he should be very careful not to misapply them in his mind, nor suffer Satan nor any of his perverters of God's word to mislead him by any of their many misconstructions.

There is a rule by which we should be guided in the investigation of Bible texts. It is no new rule, but the one which the Holy Ghost has laid down of rightly dividing the word of truth. It is the common sense way of understanding any written matter.

ist. We should be careful to ascertain the subject upon which the original writer was writing, and the exact instruction or light he intended to communicate; and his words must not be made to teach more than was intended by him, nor less than was intended. In so doing, one will be rightly dividing the words of truth.

2nd. To accomplish this, it is highly necessary to get the meaning of all the words the original writer uses in all their senses ; for nearly all words have more meanings than one, both in ancient and modern languages. The original languages, of Hebrew and Greek, in which the Scriptures were written, had more meanings than one attached to the same word — hence we find the same Greek word in one place translated one way in the Scriptures, and in another place quite different. And yet this was no mistranslation, because the original word had more than one meaning, and having more than one meaning it was used in one of its meanings in one place, and in the other place it was used in another one of its meanings, and was so translated by our translators. It would have been a false translation if they had not done so. The same is true of the Hebrew language, and, when we come to our English language it is very much worse; for some English words have over twenty meanings. Do you see, now, the importance of getting the meaning of words in all their senses, and then using the meaning of the word in the investigation of any difficult passage in the sense only that the writer used it in ? Doing this will lead you to facts that cannot be gainsaid. All the truly wise do this.

3rd. If the Scriptures are talking upon the subject of an overthrow or destruction of some sinful nation or people while they are on this earth, those passages of Scripture will be wrongfully applied if made to apply to future judgment after death. Upon the other hand, those telling of judgments and persons after death, are not to be applied to persons and judgments here on earth or under the sun. The same is true of all subjects.

4th. If we want to know anything about God's dealings with people on earth, let us examine those passages of Scripture describing his dealings with them while here on earth. If we want to know anything about his judgments and great destructions of large bodies of peoples or nations, let us read and study those passages bearing on such events and transactions. And if we want to know anything about our spirits or souls after we have died, between death and the resurrection, let us read and understand those texts of Scripture describing the state of those called the "dead" between their departing of this life and the resurrection. If we wish to know the state of the righteous after the resurrection we will be gratified by reading and studying passages describing their future and final state. The same is true of the wicked or finally damned. What does God's word say about them after the resurrection? God's word may be the better understood by sound reason ; for "revelation and reason go hand in hand."

5th. In determining where mankind has two essential parts in their nature or make-up, body and spirit, and when the body dies does the spirit die also at the same time, let us go to passages bearing upon this very important subject. What does God in his word say about them?

6th. In determining all these things, and others, it will not be necessary to be troubled about what God can do, but learn what he has said he will do, and what he has said he has done. God can do what he wills to do, and he wills to do what is right, and the proper thing to be done in all matters. He is wise and powerful, and is, therefore, able to do the wise and proper thing.

7th. We find that God has made various species of animals on earth, with no two species exactly alike. Man is not built like the ape, or any other animal, and he is much wiser than any or either of them. The spirits of men and the spirits of beasts are made of different material, those of men being far superior to those of beasts and fowls and fishes and worms. God can make what he pleases. And if he has chose to make the spirits of all inferior animals to die when their bodies die, he certainly had the power and wisdom to do so. And if he chose to create a superior spirit for man, one that he intended to live on forever after the death of the body, he could do that also, and will deal with them according to their created natures. If he has purposed to let both the righteous and the wicked live on forever, that is sufficient ; it will be done, and his having the power to kill both body and soul does not say he will destroy both. Will the reader let the word of God settle all these important questions?

Chapter IV. The Creation Of Adam And Eve, And Their Two- Fold Probationary State

In the reading of the first chapter of Genesis we are told that "God created the heavens and the earth," and then in six days more all else was created, including Adam and Eve. ''And God said. Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Gen., i : 26, 27.

From this Scripture we learn that God has a body resembling the body of man ; for the same expression is used in reference to one of Adam's sons. "And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image." Gen.. 5 13. And so in outward form, man resembled God. Our Savior was said to be in the image of God also.

After God had created the earth, he then formed man out of the dust of it. "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." Gen., 2 \y. We learn by this passage that man is composed of two parts : "the body formed of the dust of the ground, and a soul or spirit placed therein by God's breathing into the nostrils of that dust-formed body the breath of life." On this same passage Adam Clarke, in his Commentary, says :

"In the most distinct manner, God shows us that man is a compound being, having a body and soul and separately created, the body out of the dust of the earth, the soul immediately breathed from God himself."

Here, then, in the creation of man we see him, in composition, with both body and soul, and now we cite the reader to another passage of Scripture describing man as he dies.

"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth ; in that very day his thoughts perish." — Ps., 146:3, 4-

Here we find man giving up that spirit that was breathed into him, and the thoughts of his brain cease to act, the spirit having departed out of them. But this passage does not tell us whether or not the spirit that was breathed into, and which departs at death lives on or dies with the body. We must learn this elsewhere.

But from whence came this death of men ? What is it ? In Genesis we are told that God looked upon all his works and pronounced them "Good, very good." Adam was a dead person just before the breath of life was breathed into him from God, and then Adam became a living person. The word soul in this place means person. But God did not intend that Adam should ever again become a dead person, yet it came about ? Sin did it. God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to dress it. and told them they might eat of the fruit of every tree in that Garden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil ; for in the day they eat of it they should die. God had just given them the breath of life, thereby making them living persons. All he had to do to make them dead persons again was to withdraw that breath of life which he had breathed in at their nostrils, and they would be dead again. But the question is not yet settled in regard to the life or death, of this spirit that gave them life when it entered into them, and left them dead when it went out of them again.