Early Writings
by Ellen G. White
Death Not Eternal Life in Misery
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Satan has twisted the words of God--'The soul that sinneth, it shall die'--to mean that the the soul who sins will live eternally in misery.
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Review and Herald Publ. Assoc. |
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Satan commenced his deception in Eden. He said to Eve,
"Ye shall not surely die." This was Satan's first lesson upon the
immortality of the soul, and he has carried on this deception from that time to
the present, and will carry it on until the captivity of God's children shall
be turned. I was pointed to Adam and Eve in Eden. They partook of the forbidden
tree, and then the flaming sword was placed around the tree of life, and they
were driven from the garden, lest they should partake of the tree of life, and be
immortal sinners. The fruit of this tree was to perpetuate immortality. I heard
an angel ask, "Who of the family of Adam have passed that flaming sword,
and have partaken of the tree of life?" I heard another angel answer,
"Not one of the family of Adam has passed that flaming sword, and partaken
of that tree; therefore there is not an immortal sinner." The soul that
sinneth, it shall die an everlasting death—a death from which there
will be no hope of resurrection; and then the wrath of God will be appeased. {EW 218.1}
It was a marvel to me that Satan could succeed so well in
making men believe that the words of God, "The soul that sinneth, it shall
die," mean that the soul that sinneth it shall not die, but live eternally
in misery. Said the angel, "Life is life, whether it is in pain or
happiness. Death is without pain, without joy, without hatred." {EW 218.2}
Satan told his angels to make a special effort to spread the
lie first repeated to Eve in Eden, "Ye shall not surely die." And as
the error was received by the people, and they were led to believe that man was
immortal, Satan led them on to believe that the sinner [219] would
live in eternal misery. Then the way was prepared for Satan to work through his
representatives and hold up God before the people as a revengeful tyrant—one
who plunges all those into hell who do not please Him, and causes them ever to
feel His wrath; and while they suffer unutterable anguish, and writhe in the
eternal flames, He is represented as looking down upon them with satisfaction.
Satan knew that if this error should be received, God would be hated by many,
instead of being loved and adored; and that many would be led to believe that
the threatenings of God's Word would not be literally fulfilled, for it would
be against His character of benevolence and love to plunge into eternal
torments the beings whom He had created. {EW 218.3}
Another extreme which Satan has led the people to adopt is
entirely to overlook the justice of God, and the threatenings in His Word, and
to represent Him as being all mercy, so that not one will perish, but that all,
both saint and sinner, will at last be saved in His kingdom. {EW 219.1}
In consequence of the popular errors of the immortality of
the soul and endless misery, Satan takes advantage of another class and leads
them to regard the Bible as an uninspired book. They think it teaches many good
things; but they cannot rely upon it and love it, because they have been taught
that it declares the doctrine of eternal misery. {EW 219.2}
Another class Satan leads on still further, even to deny the
existence of God. They can see no consistency in the character of the God of
the Bible, if He will inflict horrible tortures upon a portion of the human
family to all eternity. Therefore they deny the Bible and its Author and regard
death as an eternal sleep. {EW
219.3}
There is still another class who are fearful and [220]
timid. These Satan tempts to commit sin, and after they have sinned, he holds
up before them that the wages of sin is not death but life in horrible
torments, to be endured throughout the endless ages of eternity. By thus
magnifying before their feeble minds the horrors of an endless hell, he takes
possession of their minds, and they lose their reason. Then Satan and his angels
exult, and the infidel and atheist join in casting reproach upon Christianity.
They claim that these evils are the natural results of believing in the Bible
and its Author, whereas they are the results of the reception of popular
heresy. {EW 219.4}
I saw that the heavenly host were filled with indignation at
this bold work of Satan. I inquired why all these delusions should be suffered
to take effect upon the minds of men when the angels of God were powerful, and
if commissioned, could easily break the enemy's power. Then I saw that God knew
that Satan would try every art to destroy man; therefore He had caused His word
to be written out, and had made His purposes in regard to the human race so
plain that the weakest need not err. After having given His word to man, He had
carefully preserved it from destruction by Satan or his angels, or by any of
his agents or representatives. While other books might be destroyed, this was
to be immortal. And near the close of time, when the delusions of Satan should
increase, it was to be so multiplied that all who desired might have a copy,
and, if they would, might arm themselves against the deceptions and lying
wonders of Satan. {EW
220.1}
I saw that God had especially guarded the Bible; yet when
copies of it were few, learned men had in some instances changed the words,
thinking that they were making it more plain, when in reality they were
mystifying that which was plain, by causing it to lean [221] to
their established views, which were governed by tradition. But I saw that the
Word of God, as a whole, is a perfect chain, one portion linking into and
explaining another. True seekers for truth need not err; for not only is the
Word of God plain and simple in declaring the way of life, but the Holy Spirit
is given as a guide in understanding the way to life therein revealed. {EW 220.2}
I saw that the angels of God are never to control the will.
God sets before man life and death. He can have his choice. Many desire life,
but still continue to walk in the broad road. They choose to rebel against
God's government, notwithstanding His great mercy and compassion in giving His
Son to die for them. Those who do not choose to accept of the salvation so
dearly purchased, must be punished. But I saw that God would not shut them up
in hell to endure endless misery, neither will He take them to heaven; for to
bring them into the company of the pure and holy would make them exceedingly
miserable. But He will destroy them utterly and cause them to be as if they had
not been; then His justice will be satisfied. He formed man out of the dust of
the earth, and the disobedient and unholy will be consumed by fire and return
to dust again. I saw that the benevolence and compassion of God in this matter
should lead all to admire His character and to adore His holy name. After the
wicked are destroyed from off the earth, all the heavenly host will say,
"Amen!" {EW
221.1}
Satan looks with great satisfaction upon those who profess
the name of Christ, yet closely adhere to the delusions which he himself has
originated. His work is still to devise new delusions, and his power and art in
this direction continually increase. He led his representatives, the popes and
the priests, to exalt themselves, and to stir up the people to bitterly
persecute [222] and destroy
those who were not willing to accept his delusions. Oh, the sufferings and
agony which the precious followers of Christ were made to endure! Angels have
kept a faithful record of it all. Satan and his evil angels exultingly told the
angels who ministered to these suffering saints that they were all to be
killed, so that there would not be left a true Christian upon the earth. I saw
that the church of God was then pure. There was no danger of men with corrupt
hearts coming into it; for the true Christian, who dared to declare his faith,
was in danger of the rack, the stake, and every torture which Satan and his
evil angels could invent or inspire in the mind of man. {EW 221.2}
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