=1. Pagan Ignorance Concerning the Resurrection.=--In connection
with the statement that human knowledge of the resurrection is
based on revelation, the following is of interest:--"Whatever
heathen philosophers may have _guessed_ as to the immortality of
the soul, even admitting that this was really the result of their
own speculations, and not at all due to the relics of tradition,
it is certain that they never reached so far as the doctrine of a
bodily resurrection. Pliny, when enumerating the things which it
was not even in the power of God to do, specified these two--the
endowment of mortals with an eternal existence, and the recalling
of the departed from the grave (ii, c, vii). A similar opinion is
enunciated by Æschylus in the 'Eumenides' (647, 648). The utmost
to which they attained in their ethical speculations was a
conception of the possible continuance of life, in some new forms
and conditions, beyond the grave; but this was all. A
resurrection in the scripture sense of the word they never
imagined."--Cassell's _Bible Dictionary_, p. 936.
=2. General Belief in a Resurrection.=--"This great event of the
future, like the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ, is so
entirely a cardinal truth, that there never has been a time in
which it has not been an article of the Christian creed, the only
difference between the ancient creeds and our own, being that the
latter has the phrase 'resurrection of the body' whereas the
former invariably uses the form 'resurrection of the flesh.' The
reason for the ancient mode of expression is stated by Jerome to
be, that since there are spiritual bodies, some might readily
accept a resurrection of the body in that sense, who would deny
the actual resurrection of the flesh."--Cassell's _Bible
Dictionary_, p. 935.
=3. The Sadducees=, when mentioned in the New Testament, are
usually represented as being in opposition to the Pharisees, the
two classes constituting the most influential of the sects
existing among the Jews at the time of Christ. The two differed
on many fundamental matters of belief and practice, including
pre-existence of spirits; the reality of spiritual punishment and
future retribution for sin; the necessity of self-denial in
individual life; the immortality of the soul; and the
resurrection from the dead; in all of which the Pharisees stood
for the affirmative, while the Sadducees denied. Josephus
says:--"The doctrine of the Sadducees is that the soul and body
perish together; the law is all that they are concerned to
observe" (Ant. xviii, 1, 4). The sect consisted mainly of members
of the aristocracy. Special mention of the Sadducees here is
suggested by their determined opposition to the doctrine of the
resurrection, which they sought to assail by arrogant assumption
or to belittle by ridicule. Cassell's _Bible Dictionary_ gives
place to the following:--"The Sadducees are never mentioned in
John's Gospel. The only occasion on which they are spoken of in
the Gospels of Mark and Luke is that referred to also by St.
Matthew, on which they attempted to ridicule the doctrine of the
resurrection, by asking our Lord's opinion as to whose wife a
woman would be in the future world, who had been married to
several in this world (Matt. xxii, 23-32; Mark xii, 18-27; Luke
xx, 27-38). Their question proceeded on the assumption that the
levirate law, as promulgated by Moses (Deut. xxv, 5-6), implied
that the Jewish law-giver had no resurrection of the dead in
view. Our Lord's answer explained the difficulty, affirmed the
resurrection of the dead, and asserted the existence of angels,
which the Sadducees also denied (Matt. xxii, 30; Mark xii, 25;
Luke xx, 35, 36; compare with Acts xxiii, 8). He also quoted the
divine announcement,--'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob' (Exod. iii, 6, 15, 16), and founded thereon
by inference an argument not only for immortality, but also for
the resurrection. The words quoted must have been regarded by our
Lord as implying that the patriarchs, as parties to the covenant,
were still in a state of conscious relation to God."
=4. Heathen in the First Resurrection.=--The statement that the
heathen dead will have place in the first resurrection is
sustained by the word of scripture, and by a consideration of the
principles of true justice according to which humanity is to be
judged. Man will be accounted blameless or guilty, according to
his deeds as interpreted in the light of the law under which he
is required to live. It is inconsistent with our conception of a
just God, to believe Him capable of inflicting condemnation upon
any one for noncompliance with a requirement of which the person
had no knowledge. Nevertheless, the laws of the Church will not
be suspended even in the case of those who have sinned in
darkness and ignorance; but it is reasonable to believe that the
plan of redemption will afford such benighted ones an opportunity
of learning the laws of God; and surely, as fast as they so
learn, will obedience be required on pain of the penalty. Note
the following passages in addition to the citations in the text:
"And if there was no law given if men sinned, what could justice
do, or mercy either; for they would have no claim upon the
creature?"--Alma xlii, 21.
"Wherefore he has given a law; and where there is no law given,
there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment, there
is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation, the
mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because
of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of
him."--II Nephi ix, 25.
"And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come, when the
knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people. And behold, when that time cometh,
none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little
children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the
Lord God Omnipotent."--Mos. iii, 20-21. See also Helaman xv,
14-15.
=5. The Intermediate State of the Soul; Paradise.=--The condition
of the spirits of men between death and the resurrection is a
subject of great interest, and one concerning which much dispute
has arisen. The scriptures prove, that at the time of man's final
judgment he will stand before the bar of God, clothed in his
resurrected body, and this, irrespective of his condition of
purity or guilt. While awaiting the time of their coming forth,
disembodied spirits exist in an intermediate state, of happiness
and rest or of suffering and suspense, according to their works
in mortality. The prophet Alma said:--"Now concerning the state
of the soul between death and the resurrection. Behold, it has
been made known unto me, by an angel, that the spirits of all
men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body; yea, the
spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home
to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass
that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a
state of happiness, which is called paradise; a state of rest; a
state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and
from all care, and sorrow, etc. And then shall it come to pass,
that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil; for behold,
they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for
behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the
spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of
their house; and these shall be cast out into outer darkness;
there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and
this because of their own iniquity; being led captive by the will
of the devil. Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked;
yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking, for the
fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain
in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise until the
time of their resurrection."--Alma xl, 11-14.
Reference to paradise, as a place prepared for righteous spirits
while awaiting the resurrection, is made also by the first Nephi
(II Nephi ix, 13), by a later prophet of the same name (IV Nephi
14), and by Moroni (Moroni x, 34). New Testament mention supports
the same (Luke xxiii, 43; II Cor. xii, 4; Rev. ii, 7). Paradise,
then, is not the place of final glory; for such the thief who
died with Christ was assuredly not prepared, yet we cannot doubt
the fulfillment of our Lord's promise that the penitent
malefactor should be with Him in paradise that day; and,
moreover, the declaration of the risen Savior to Mary Magdalene,
three days later, that He had not at that time ascended to His
Father, is proof of His having spent the intermediate time in
paradise.
The word "paradise," by its derivation through the Greek from the
Persian, signifies a pleasure ground.