Publication date
1/15/15
Volume
36
Number
2
The WatchTower
The Soul, Not the Body, Brought forth from the Tomb
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1915/2/1915-2-1.html
 
 
 
VOL. 
XXXVI 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
JANUARY 
15, 
HJl5 
No.2 
THE 
SOUL, 
NOT 
THE 
BODY, 
BROUGHT 
FORTH 
FROM 
THE 
TOMB 
"There 
shall 
be 
a 
resurrection 
of 
the 
dead, 
bolh 
of 
the 
just 
and 
of 
the 
unjust."-Acts 
24:15. 
POINTS 
NOT 
USUALLY 
NOTICED 
IN 
WHAT 
SENSE 
THE 
DEAD 
SLEEP 
Everywhere 
the 
tlcriptures 
state 
that 
it 
is 
the 
soul 
that 
is 
dying. 
The 
question 
then 
might 
arise, 
If 
the 
soul 
dies, 
what 
hope 
of 
a 
future 
life 
has 
mankind? 
The 
Bible 
answers 
that 
from 
the 
beginning 
God 
foreknew 
all 
that 
would 
happen, 
and 
that 
already 
in 
his 
plan 
he 
had 
made 
arrangements 
whereby 
there 
would 
be 
a 
resuscita,tion, 
a 
re-quickening, 
of 
these 
human 
souls 
that 
have 
dicd. 
Nothing 
is 
beyond 
his 
knowledge 
or 
his 
power. 
Nowhere 
does 
he 
say 
that 
there 
will 
be 
a 
re-quickening 
of 
the 
body, 
but 
of 
the 
soul. 
The 
Sadducees 
of 
Jesus' 
day 
did 
not 
believe 
in 
the 
resur­ 
reetion 
of 
the 
dead. 
When, 
thereforc, 
they 
hcard 
that 
Jesus 
had 
said 
that 
all 
in 
the 
graves 
would 
ultima.teIy 
hear 
hig 
voice 
and 
come 
forth, 
they 
disputed 
his 
statement 
as 
foolish. 
Coming 
to 
him 
with 
a 
proposition 
wldch 
they 
thought 
would 
expose 
the 
fallacy 
olf 
his 
teachings, 
they 
said 
to 
him, 
Suppose 
a 
woma,n 
had 
seven 
husbands, 
aU 
of 
whom 
died 
before 
she 
did, 
whose 
wife 
would 
she 
be 
in 
the 
resurrection 
?-Luke 
20:27-40. 
.le·sus 
replied 
Ulat 
they 
erred 
because 
they 
neither 
under­ 
stood 
the 
Scriptures 
nor 
appreciated 
thc 
power 
of 
the 
Al­ 
mighty. 
He 
reiterated 
his 
statement 
that 
there 
would 
be 
a 
resurrection 
of 
the 
dead, 
and 
reminded 
thcm 
that 
(lod 
had 
so 
implied 
in 
his 
message 
to 
?lIoses 
at 
the 
burning 
bush, 
when 
he 
said, 
"I 
am 
the 
God 
of 
Abraham, 
TsaiLe 
and 
.Jacob." 
Th.e 
Master's 
argument 
is 
that 
this 
statement 
is 
of 
itself 
a 
proof 
of 
the 
resurrection; 
for 
(lad 
surely 
would 
not. 
refer 
thus 
to 
beings 
forever 
blotted 
out 
of 
existence; 
that 
God's 
purpose 
of 
a 
resurrection 
is 
fixed, 
unalterable, 
and 
that 
thos·e 
whom 
men 
call 
dead 
"all 
live 
unto 
him"-from 
God's 
standpoint 
they 
are 
asleep, 
and 
not 
destroyed. 
The 
\Vord 
of 
God 
therefore 
speaks 
of 
the 
dead 
as 
sleeping. 
Throughout 
the 
Old 
Testament 
we 
read 
that 
different 
one;, 
were 
gathered 
to 
their 
fathers 
or 
that 
they 
slept 
with 
their 
fRthers. 
Did 
the 
body 
sleep? 
No, 
it 
was 
absolutely 
dead­ 
returned 
to 
the 
dust 
from 
which 
it 
was 
created. 
What 
was 
it, 
then, 
that 
slept? 
That 
whieh 
slept 
was 
tha,t 
whjeh 
God 
recognized 
a,s 
the 
personality-the 
soul. 
The 
souls 
of 
bot.h 
good 
and 
bad 
slept; 
for 
it 
is 
written 
that 
"there 
shall 
be 
a 
resurrection 
of 
the 
just 
and 
of 
the 
unjust." 
Abra.ham's 
fathers 
were 
not 
saintlv 
men, 
but 
heathen. 
He 
was 
called 
out 
from 
amongst 
his 
kindred 
to 
bea 
servant 
of 
God. 
vVhen 
Abraham 
was 
gathered 
to 
his 
f,ltllPrs 
in 
death 
he 
went 
to 
the 
same 
place 
where 
they 
were--sheol 
in 
the 
Old 
TesLtment, 
hades 
in 
the 
New-the 
tomb, 
the 
death 
state. 
Of 
all 
the 
kings 
of 
Israel, 
good 
and 
bad, 
and 
of 
the 
prophets, 
we 
read 
that 
they 
were 
gathered 
to 
their 
fathers. 
They 
are 
asleep 
in 
death. 
vVhen 
.Jesus 
entered 
the 
Toom 
where 
the 
young 
daughtpr 
of 
Ja.irus 
lad 
dead, 
he 
declared, 
"Weep 
not; 
she 
is 
not 
dead, 
but 
sleepoth." 
He 
did 
not 
say 
that 
she 
was 
in 
heaven 
or 
in 
purgatory 
or 
in 
hell. 
He 
spoke 
in 
the 
samc 
way 
about 
Laza­ 
rug, 
saying, 
"La·zarus 
sleepeth." 
His 
disciples 
replipd, 
"lf 
he 
sleep, 
he 
shall 
do 
well." 
They 
had 
not 
understood 
the 
Mas­ 
ter's 
words. 
Finally 
,Tesus 
sa-id 
to 
them 
plainly, 
"Lazarus 
is 
dead 
.... 
Nevert.heless, 
let 
us 
go 
unto 
him." 
So 
they 
went 
to 
the 
tomb 
wherc 
Lazarus 
was. 
When 
.Jesus 
me,t 
Martha 
and 
Mary, 
he 
did 
not 
tell 
them 
that 
Lazarus 
was 
in 
heaven, 
with 
a 
harp 
in 
his 
hands, 
dc.­ 
nothing 
of 
the 
kind. 
What 
he 
s,aid 
was, 
"Thy 
hrother 
Rhall 
rise 
again;" 
thy 
brother 
shall 
live 
again. 
Martha 
replipd, 
"I 
know 
that 
he 
shall 
rise 
again 
in 
the 
re8urredion 
It 
t 
the 
last 
day"-the 
grc!lJt 
day, 
the 
seventh 
thousand-year 
day, 
the 
day 
of 
Christ's 
kingdom, 
when 
all 
the 
dead 
will 
be 
ou!' 
to 
come 
forth. 
To 
encourage 
her. 
Jesus 
said, 
"I 
am 
the 
nsur­ 
reetion 
and 
the 
life"-there 
will 
he 
no 
resurredion 
except 
by 
my 
power-why 
not 
ask 
me 
now? 
But 
Martha 
dio 
not 
get 
tIle 
t'hought; 
for 
.J 
esus 
said, 
"\Vhere 
have 
ye 
laid 
him?" 
Martha 
and 
Marv 
took 
our 
I~ord 
to 
where 
Lazarus 
was. 
When 
.Jesus 
gave 
command 
that 
the 
stone 
he 
rolled 
away 
from 
the 
tomb, 
Marth,a 
protested, 
saying 
that 
since 
her 
brother 
had 
then 
been 
dead 
four 
days, 
corruption 
must 
have 
set 
in. 
We 
read 
that 
Je,suB 
sa,id, 
"Lazarus, 
come 
forth"-out 
of 
the 
cave 
wheTe 
he 
had 
been 
laid. 
Jesus 
did 
not 
say, 
Lazarus. 
come 
down 
from 
heftven, 
nOr 
did 
he 
say, 
lJazarus, 
corne 
up 
from 
bdow.-.John 
11: 
1-46. 
Lazarus 
was 
a 
very 
dead 
man; 
for 
he 
had 
died 
fo·ur 
days 
before 
.Jeslls 
came. 
Yet 
from 
the 
(li'\;ine 
standpoint 
he 
was 
asleep, 
as 
the 
Master 
declared; 
that 
is 
to 
say, 
his 
soul 
was 
not 
destroyed. 
According- 
to 
the 
Scriptures, 
the 
80ul 
cftn 
be 
put 
out 
of 
existence. 
On 
one 
()()casion 
our 
Lord 
said 
to 
his 
[5611] 
(19-20) 
\Vhen 
we 
consider 
that 
for 
centuries 
people 
have 
been 
accustomed 
to 
confusion 
in 
respect 
to 
the 
teachings 
of 
Scrip­ 
ture, 
it 
is 
natural 
that 
the 
question 
should 
be 
asked, 
What 
proof 
1la",e 
we 
that 
it 
is 
not 
the 
body 
that 
sleeps 
in 
depth, 
and 
that 
meantime 
the 
soul 
has 
not 
passed 
on 
to 
the 
hig'her 
realms? 
The 
answer 
is 
tha,t 
in 
the 
\Vord 
of 
God 
we 
find 
no 
suggestion 
that 
such 
is 
the 
case. 
The 
Bible 
says 
nothing 
Ibout 
the 
resurrection 
of 
the 
body, 
but 
much 
about 
the 
soul. 
tepeatedly 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
calls 
death 
a 
sleep. 
Every 
night 
he 
body 
sleep·s, 
if 
it 
is 
in 
good 
condition; 
and 
this 
natural 
leerp 
of 
the 
body 
is 
Scripturally 
used 
to 
illustrate 
the 
condi­ 
ion 
of 
all 
who 
die 
the 
Adamic 
death. 
In 
order 
to 
get 
the 
matter 
clear 
in 
oUr 
minds 
we 
must 
o 
back 
to 
the 
beginning 
and 
see 
what 
the 
soul 
is. 
First 
of 
all 
we 
read 
in 
the 
Genesis 
account 
(1: 
27) 
that 
God 
crea,ted 
man-not 
man's 
body, 
but 
man. 
The 
question 
then 
arises, 
What 
is 
man? 
\Vc 
answer, 
J\fan 
is 
not 
so 
much 
avoirdupois, 
but 
an 
in­ 
telligent 
b<;ing, 
11 
personality. 
What 
God 
formed 
out 
of 
the 
dust 
of 
the 
earth 
was 
not 
man, 
but 
merely 
a 
form, 
or 
body, 
that 
would 
be 
made 
into 
man. 
Then 
into 
its 
nostrils 
God 
breathed 
"the 
breath 
of 
lives"-the 
Hebrew 
term 
signifying 
the 
breath 
or 
vitality 
common 
to 
all 
animal 
beings. 
It 
was 
not 
a 
special 
kind 
of 
life 
different 
from 
that 
which 
the 
lower 
animals 
have; 
on 
the 
contrary, 
it 
was 
the 
same 
kind 
of 
life 
given 
to 
fish, 
fowl 
and 
beasts-the 
power 
to 
live. 
The 
same 
kind 
of 
life 
is 
carried 
forward 
in 
the 
human 
family 
that 
is 
carried 
forward 
in 
beasts. 
This 
vitality 
com­ 
mon 
to 
all 
animal 
creatures 
infuses 
the 
body 
and 
thus 
ener­ 
gizes 
it. 
The 
difference 
between 
man 
and 
the 
lower 
animals 
is 
that 
while 
they 
have 
the 
same 
kind 
of 
life 
man 
has 
the 
superior 
brain. 
Man's 
head 
is 
shaped 
differently; 
therefore 
he 
can 
think 
of 
SUbjects 
about 
whieh 
the 
lower 
animals 
can­ 
not 
think, 
because 
he 
has 
a 
better 
brain. 
A 
man 
with 
a 
head 
of 
a 
given 
shape 
cannot 
think 
with 
the 
,same 
breadth 
of 
mind 
as 
a, 
man 
with 
a 
better 
shaped 
head-a 
man 
who 
is 
less 
fallen. 
Some 
have 
lost 
more, 
others 
less, 
of 
the 
original 
perfection, 
of 
the 
original 
intelligence, 
given 
man 
in 
his 
creation. 
A 
CANDLE 
AS 
AN 
ILLUSTRATION 
A 
careful 
examination 
of 
the 
Genesis 
a,ccount 
of 
man's 
creation 
reveals 
the 
fact 
that 
when 
the 
breath 
came 
into 
the 
body 
which 
God 
had 
formed 
out 
of 
the 
dust 
of 
the 
ground, 
the 
comhinaltion 
produced 
soul, 
,sentient 
being, 
with 
person­ 
ality. 
The 
body 
in 
itself 
has 
no 
personality, 
the 
breath 
of 
life 
has 
no 
power, 
no 
sentient 
being, 
but 
when 
the 
two 
came 
together, 
they 
produced 
sentient 
being. 
Perhapg 
the 
best 
ilhlgtration 
of 
the 
thought 
is 
afforded 
by 
a 
candle. 
The 
candle 
is 
composed 
of 
tallow 
or 
wax 
and 
wick. 
The 
flame 
is 
produced 
by 
an 
outside 
power-the 
spark 
of 
fire. 
When 
the 
spark 
is 
a.pplied 
to 
tJ:1e 
wi(k, 
the 
air 
begins 
to 
combine 
with 
the 
wax 
or 
the 
tallow, 
and 
the 
result 
is 
light. 
Let 
the 
candle 
rcpresent 
the 
body, 
the 
air 
represent 
the 
breath 
of 
life--vitality-and 
the 
flame 
the 
being, 
the 
person­ 
ality. 
God 
alone 
can 
strike 
the 
match-create 
the 
human 
be­ 
ing. 
This 
life 
which 
came 
from 
God 
in 
the 
beginning 
was 
given 
to 
Adam 
upon 
certain 
conditions, 
certain 
restrictions; 
namely, 
it 
was 
to 
continuo 
forever 
if 
man 
remained 
obedient 
to 
Go'd, 
but 
if 
he 
was 
disobedient 
God 
would 
take 
hig 
life 
from 
him. 
Adam 
was 
disobedient, 
and 
his 
soul 
was 
sentenced 
to 
death. 
(Ezekiel 
18:4,20) 
It 
was 
not 
the 
body 
that 
sinned 
and 
was 
sentenced 
to 
death, 
while 
the 
soul 
remained 
pure. 
On 
the 
contrary, 
"The 
soul 
that 
sinneth 
it 
shall 
die." 
The 
sentence 
of 
death 
prononnced 
upon 
Adam 
affected 
his 
souL 
As 
it 
was 
the 
spark 
of 
life 
that 
produced 
the 
soul, 
so 
the 
taking 
al\vay 
of 
the 
spark 
of 
life 
extinguished 
the 
soul. 
To 
revert 
to 
the 
illustration 
of 
the 
candle: 
If 
some 
one 
blow 
upon 
it, 
the 
flame 
will 
be 
extinguished; 
thus 
is 
produced 
an 
adverse 
con­ 
dition. 
But 
before 
father 
Adam 
died, 
before 
the 
flame 
of 
life 
wag 
fully 
exting'uished, 
he 
had 
imparted 
the 
spark 
of 
life 
to 
his 
children; 
and 
these 
in 
turn 
imparted 
the 
spark 
of 
life 
to 
theirs. 
Thus 
the 
spark 
of 
life 
has 
been 
transmitted 
from 
generation 
to 
generation. 
In 
the 
illustration, 
if 
before 
we 
say, 
"I 
will 
blowout 
the 
light 
of 
that 
candle," 
it 
has 
been 
used 
to 
light 
other 
canrlle8, 
the 
extinguishing 
of 
the 
flame 
of 
the 
first 
canr]le 
will 
not 
affect 
the 
others. 
But 
the 
fad 
that 
the 
transmitted 
spark 
of 
life 
was 
ip,paired 
ig 
evident; 
for 
whereas 
Adam 
lived 
nine 
hundred 
anrl 
thirty 
years 
under 
ad­ 
verse 
condition, 
his 
children 
as 
a 
rule 
could 
not 
live 
neRrIy 
so 
long, 
thirty-three 
ye.arg 
now 
being 
the 
average 
life-time. 
Vou. XXXVI BROOKLYN, N. Y., JANUARY 15, 1915 No. 2 THE SOUL, NOT THE BODY, BROUGHT FORTH FROM THE TOMB “There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust.”—Acts 24:15, When we consider that for centuries people have been accustomed to confusion in respect to the teachings of Scripture, it is natural that the question should be asked, What proof have we that it is not the body that sleeps in deeth, and that meantime the soul has not passed on to the higher realms? The answer is that in the Word of God we find no suggestion that such is the case. The Bible says nothing bout the resurrection of the body, but much about the soul. Xepeatedly the Word of God calls death a sleep. Every night he body sleeps, if it is in good condition; and this natural leep of the body is Seripturally used to illustrate the condiion of all who die the Adamic death. In order to get the matter clear in our minds we must o back to the beginning and see what the soul is. First of all we read in the Genesis account (1:27) that God created man—not man’s body, but man. The question then arises, What is man? We answer, Man is not so much avoirdupois, but an intelligent being, a personality. What God formed out of the dust of the earth was not man, but merely a form, or body, that would be made into man. Then into its nostrils God breathed “the breath of lives’—the Hebrew term signifying the breath or vitality common to all animal beings. It was not a special kind of life different from that which the lower animals have; on the contrary, it was the same kind of life given to fish, fowl and beasts—the power to live. The same kind of life is carried forward in the human family that is carried forward in beasts. This vitality common to all animal creatures infuses the body and thus energizes it. The difference between man and the lower animals is that while they have the same kind of life man has the superior brain. Man’s head is shaped differently; therefore he can think of subjects about which the lower animals cannot think, because he has a better brain. A man with a head of a given shape cannot think with the same breadth of mind as aman with a better shaped head—a man who is less fallen. Some have lost more, others less, of the original perfection, of the original intelligence, given man in his creation. A CANDLE AS AN ILLUSTRATION A careful examination of the Genesis account of man’s creation reveals the fact that when the breath came into the body which God had formed out of the dust of the ground, the combination produced soul, sentient being, with personality. The body in itself has no personality, the breath of life has no power, no sentient being, but when the two came together, they produced sentient being. Perhaps the best illustration of the thought is afforded by a candle. The candle is composed of tallow or wax and wick. The flame is produced by an outside power—the spark of fire. When the spark is applied to the wick, the air begins to combine with the wax or the tallow, and the result is light. Let the candle represent the body, the air represent the breath of life—vitality—and the flame the being, the personality. God alone can strike the match—create the human being. This life which came from God in the beginning was given to Adam upon certain conditions, certain restrictions; namely, it was to continue forever if man remained obedient to God, but if he was disobedient God would take his life from him. Adam was disobedient, and his soul was sentenced to death. (Ezekiel 18:4, 20) It was not the body that sinned and was sentenced to death, while the soul remained pure. On the contrary, “The soul that sinneth it shall die.” The sentence of death pronounced upon Adam affected his soul. As it was the spark of life that produced the soul, so the taking anay of the spark of life extinguished the soul. To revert to the illustration of the candle: If some one blow upon it, the flame will be extinguished; thus is produced an adverse condition. But before father Adam died, before the flame of life was fully extinguished, he had imparted the spark of life to his children; and these in turn imparted the spark of life to theirs. Thus the spark of life has been transmitted from generation to generation. In the illustration, if before we sav, “I will blow out the light of that candle,” it has been used to light other candles, the extinguishing of the flame of the first candle will not affect the others. But the fact that the transmitted spark of life was irnaired is evident; for whereas Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years under adverse condition, his children as a rule could not live nearly so long, thirty-three years now being the average life-time. [5611] IN WHAT SENSE THE DEAD SLEEP Everywhere the Scriptures state that it is the soul that is dying. The question then might arise, If the soul dies, what hope of a future life has mankind? The Bible answers that from the beginning God foreknew all that would happen, and that already in his plan he had made arrangements whereby there would be a resuscitation, a re-quickening, of these human souls that have died. Nothing is beyond his knowledge or his power. Nowhere does he say that there will be a re-quickening of the body, but of the soul. The Sadducees of Jesus’ day did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. When, therefore, they heard that Jesus had said that all in the graves would ultimately hear his voice and come forth, they disputed his statement as foolish. Coming to him with a proposition which they thought would expose the fallacy of his teachings, they said to him, Suppose a woman had seven husbands, all of whom died before she did, whose wife would she be in the resurrection ?—Luke 20:27-40, Jesus replied that they erred because they neither understood the Scriptures nor appreciated the power of the Almighty. He reiterated his statement that there would be a resurrection of the dead, and reminded them that God had so implied in his message to Moses at the burning bush, when he said, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” ‘lhe Master’s argument is that this statement is of itself a proof of the resurrection; for God surely would not. refer thus to beings forever blotted out of existence; that God’s purpose of a resurrection is fixed, unalterable, and that those whom men call dead “all live unto him’—-from God’s standpoint they are asleep, and not destroyed. The Word of God therefore speaks of the dead as sleeping. Throughout the Old Testament we read that different ones were gathered to their fathers or that they slept with their fathers. Did the body sleep? No, it was absolutely dead— returned to the dust from which it was created. What was it, then, that slept? That which slept was that which God recognized as the personality—the soul. The souls of both good and bad slept; for it is written that ‘‘there shall be a resurrection of the just and of the unjust.” Abraham’s fathers were not saintly men, but heathen. He was called out from amongst his kindred to be a servant of God. When Abraham was gathered to his fathers in death he went to the same place where they were—sheo! in the Old Testament, hades in the New—the tomb, the death state, Of all the kings of Israel, good and bad, and of the prophets, we read that they were gathered to their fathers. They are asleep in death. POINTS NOT USUALLY NOTICED When Jesus entered the room where the young daughter of Jairus lad dead, he declared, “Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.” He did not say that she was in heaven or in purgatory or in hell. He spoke in the same way about Lazarus, saying, “Lazarus sleepeth.” His disciples replied, “If he sleep, he shall do well.” They had not understood the Master’s words. Finally Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. . . . Nevertheless, let us go unto him.” So they went to the tomb where Lazarus was. When Jesus met Martha and Mary, he did not tell them that Lazarus was in heaven, with a harp in his hands, ete.— nothing of the kind. What he said was, “Thy brother shall rise again;” thy brother shall live again. Martha replied, “TI know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day”’—the great day, the seventh thousand-year day, the day of Christ’s kingdom, when all the dead will be due to come forth. To encourage her, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life”’—there will be no resurrection except by my power—why not ask me now? But Martha. did not get the thought; for Jesus said, “Where have ye laid him?” Martha and Mary took our Lord to where Lazarus was. When Jesus gave command that the stone he rolled away from the tomb, Martha protested, saying that since her brother had then been dead four days, corruption must have set in. We read that Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth’—out of the cave where he had been laid. Jesus did not say, Lazarus, come down from heaven, nor did he say, Lazarus, come up from below —John 112:1-46. Lazarus was a very dead man; for he had died four days before Jesus came. Yet from the divine standpoint he was asleep, as the Master declared; that is to say, his soul was not destroyed. According to the Scriptures, the soul can be put out of existence. On one occasion our Lord said to his (19-20)

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