Chapter 19—Death, Not Eternal Life in Misery
Satan commenced his deception in Eden. He said to Eve, Thou
shalt 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
[114]
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 tree of life 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
have 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 that will last forever, where there will be no
hope of a resurrection; and then the wrath of God will be appeased.
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.
Satan told his angels to make a special effort to spread the deception
and lie first repeated to Eve in Eden, Thou shalt not surely die. And as
the error was received by the people, and they believed that man was
immortal, Satan led them still further to believe that the sinner would
[115]
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; that those who do not please him, he will plunge
into hell, and cause them ever to feel his wrath; and that they will
suffer unutterable anguish, while he will look down upon them with
satisfaction, as they writhe in horrible sufferings and eternal flames.
Satan knew that if this error should be received, God would be dreaded
and hated by very many, instead of being loved and admired; and that
77