CHAPTER XIX.

MOSES AND THE PROPHETS ON THE PLACE AND CONDITION OF THE DEAD.

The hoary fable that every man has in his own nature an immaterial, ever-conscious, never-dying principle, vaulting from the gloomy regions of heathen mythology over into the precincts of Christianity, and claiming the positive authority of Christ and his apostles, instead of the uncertain speculations of Socrates and Plato, conceives that it finds a secure intrenchment in Luke 16:19-31, or the record concerning the rich man and Lazarus.

Into this record, as into the strongest of strongholds, it enters with every demonstration of confidence; and from its supposed impregnable walls, it hurls mockery and defiance against all opposing views, as the infatuated subjects of Belshazzar defied the soldiers of Cyrus from the walls of Babylon.

We venture to approach, at least to reconnoiter. We venture further, from the record itself, even to lay siege to it, and dig a trench about it, which, if we mistake not, will soon effectually reduce it, and all the arguments for immortality it is supposed to contain.

The first fact to which we call the attention of the reader is that Christ, as the result of this narrative or parable, or whatever it may be, refers us to Moses and the prophets for light and information respecting the place and condition of the dead. In the record, the rich man is represented as requesting that Lazarus might be sent to his brethren on earth, lest they should come into the same place of torment. How would he prevent them? By carrying back to them information respecting the state that follows this life; by telling how it fared with the covetous rich man who had enjoyed his good things in this life, and inducing them to live such a life here as to avoid the condition into which he had fallen.

And what was Abraham’s answer? “They have Moses and the prophets.... If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” That is to say, Moses and the prophets had given them just as positive information respecting the condition into which man passes from this life, as could be given them by one who should repass the portals of the grave and rise from the dead.

The significance of this declaration should not be overlooked. It throws us right back upon the records of Moses and the prophets for information upon that subject respecting which the incident here related is claimed to be full and sufficient testimony.

We therefore inquire what Moses and the prophets have taught us respecting the place where the scene here depicted is represented to have taken place. What place was this? Answer, _Hades_; for this is the word from which hell is translated in verse 23. In hell, _hades_, the rich man lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham and Lazarus afar off, though still within sight and speaking distance. The New Testament was written in Greek, while Moses and the prophets wrote in Hebrew. What is the Hebrew word answering to the Greek _hades_? Answer, _Sheol_. These are the equivalent terms in the two languages. All that a Hebrew writer meant by _sheol_, a Greek writer meant by _hades_, and _vice versa_. The question, then, is simply this: What have Moses and the prophets taught us respecting _sheol_, and the condition of those who enter therein?

_Meaning of hades and sheol._ These words denote the common receptacle of the dead, both righteous and wicked. The righteous dead are there; for at the resurrection they raise the victorious shout, “O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave [Gr. _hades_], where is thy victory?” 1 Cor. 15:55. And the wicked dead are there; for at the resurrection to damnation it is said that death and hell [Gr. _hades_] deliver them up. Rev. 20:13. That the _hades_ of the New Testament is the _sheol_ of the Old, Ps. 16, and Acts 2:27, bear testimony. Thus Ps. 16:10, says, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Heb. _sheol_];” and the New Testament, as above, makes a direct quotation of this passage by saying, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in _hades_.”

_Use of the word sheol._ This word occurs in the Old Testament sixty-five times. It is rendered hell and grave each thirty-one times, and pit three times. With our Lord’s special indorsement of what is there written concerning it, we may look with interest at the facts brought out by the testimony of Moses and the prophets.

_All alike go there._ Thus Jacob says, “I will go down into _sheol_ [to use the original word in place of the English rendering], unto my son mourning.” Gen. 37:35. Korah and his company went down into _sheol_. Num. 16:30, 33. All mankind go there. Ps. 89:48.

_What goes into sheol._ _Sheol_ receives the whole man bodily at death. Jacob expected to go down with his gray hairs to _sheol_. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, went into _sheol_ bodily. The soul of the Saviour left _sheol_ at his resurrection. Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:27, 31. David, when restored from dangerous sickness, testified that his soul was saved from going into _sheol_. Ps. 30:2, 3.

_The duration of its dominion._ Those who go down into _sheol_ must remain there till their resurrection. At the second coming of Christ, all the righteous are delivered from _sheol_. All the living wicked are then turned into _sheol_, and for one thousand years it holds them in its dread embrace. Then it gives them up, and judgment is executed upon them. Rev. 20:11-15.

_Location of sheol._ It is in the earth beneath. It embraces the interior of the earth as the region of the dead, and the place of every grave. Eze. 32:18-32. It is always spoken of as beneath, in the interior of the earth, or in the nether parts of the earth. See Num. 16:30, 33; Isa. 5:14; 14:9-20; Eze. 31:15-18; 32:18-32. Referring to the fires now preying upon the interior parts of the earth, and which shall at last cause the earth to melt with fervent heat, the Lord, through Moses, says: “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest _sheol_, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundation of the mountains.” Deut. 32:22. Jonah went down into _sheol_ when he descended into the depths of the waters, where none but dead men had ever been. Jonah 1:2.

_Condition of the righteous in sheol._ They do not praise the Lord there. David so testifies: “In death there is no remembrance of thee; in _sheol_ who shall give thee thanks?” Ps. 6:5. Hezekiah uttered the same great truth, when he was delivered from death in answer to prayer: “I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of _sheol_; I am deprived of the residue of my years.... Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the _pit of corruption_; for thou hast cast all my sins behind my back. For _sheol 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: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.” Isa. 38:10-19; Ps. 115:17; 146:1-4.

_Condition of the wicked in sheol._ They are still and silent there. David, in a prayer indited by the Spirit of God, says: “Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in _sheol_.” Ps. 31:17. In 1 Sam. 2:9, we read that the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

_General character of sheol._ It is a place of silence, secresy, sleep, rest, darkness, corruption, and worms. Job says: “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep. Oh! that thou wouldst hide me in _sheol_, that thou wouldst keep me secret till thy wrath be past, that thou wouldst appoint me a set time and remember me. If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.” Job 14:12-15. Again he says: “If I wait, _sheol_ is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister. And where is now my hope? As for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of _sheol_, when our rest together is in the dust.” Job. 17:13-16; 4:11-19; Ps. 88:10-12.

_There is no knowledge in sheol._ This fact is plainly stated by Solomon through the Spirit of inspiration: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in _sheol_ whither thou goest.” Eccl. 9:4-6, 10. When man goes in there his very thoughts perish. Ps. 146:4.

Such are the great facts concerning _sheol_, or hades, revealed to us in the books of “Moses and the prophets.” Their statements are literal, plain, explicit, and unequivocal. In opposition to all these, can it be maintained that in _sheol_ and _hades_ there _is_ consciousness, wisdom, device, knowledge, happiness, and misery, as is popularly claimed on the authority of this record about the rich man and Lazarus? If not, and if _sheol_ is such a place of silence, darkness, inactivity, and unconsciousness, as they declare, can the use of such language as is employed respecting the rich man and Lazarus in this very place be accounted for?