Quiet Talks by Samuel Dickey: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks on Life After Death: 16. Some Incidental Teachings

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Quiet Talks by Samuel Dickey: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks on Life After Death: 16. Some Incidental Teachings



TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks on Life After Death (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 16. Some Incidental Teachings

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Some Incidental Teachings

There's a group of incidental teachings, that touch the subject indirectly. Incidental evidence is always strong evidence, like Ehud's left-handed thrust. It reveals an atmosphere, an attitude, an outlook, which at once tells the dominating faith. Look at a few of these incidental teachings.

In the creation story, it is said that God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life. The lower animal creation had come earlier. Here is something distinctly additional. God's own breath was breathed into man. Man is of the essence of God, creatively. We are as God in the possession of life, the fact of life, and the sort of life. This is creative. It is quite distinct from redemptive action. The creative, sustaining, preserving, power of God continues in spite of sin. It's a bit of the love of God.

In the outstanding Fifty-third of Isaiah there stands an incidental word of significance, when thou hast made his soul, a sin-offering (put to death) he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days." The same is repeated a few lines farther down. Because he poured out his soul unto death, therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and so on. Here is not only life after death, but a victorious triumphant life after a peculiarly humiliating death (Isa_53:10-12), indicating the continuation of life after death had control.

In that remarkable last chapter of Daniel, there is clear teaching of a coming resurrection, with its direct implication of a continuation of the life of the spirit while the body mingles with the dust. "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; these (that awake) to everlasting life; the others (that do not awake at this time) shall be to shame and everlasting abhorrence." (Dan_12:2 translation of Tregelles, the famouos Hebraist.)

And an incidental bit spoken to Daniel personally, closes that chapter, "Thou shalt rest, and shalt stand in thy lot at the end of the days." Or paraphrased, "thou shalt die, but when these events occur thou shalt be living and be in thine allotted place (Dan_12:13).

It will be noticed that the large group of teachings about the resurrection become invaluable indirect evidence. Clearly if there is a resurrection, it is based on a continuation of the human spirit whose body is lying in the grave.

The resurrection involves a continuation of individual identity, for each spirit re-enters its own body. It takes for granted a spirit world, and that all in touch of heart with God who have died, are in His immediate presence, and that it is His resistless power in action overcoming the power of death.

All reference to the expected Second Coming of Christ belongs in this group of incidental teachings, Whatever view we may hold today regarding that subject is quite immaterial, just now, in this connection. Clearly in these pages there was a living faith in His return. His appearance was a thing expected in that generation.

These references at once express belief in the fact of an unseen spirit world, where Christ was then living in the same body they had seen and touched after his resurrection. Those who had died, who were in touch with Him, were in that spirit world. They would return with Him in great victory and gladness.

It will be noted that Jesus' constant stand-point is this: He had come down from His Father's immediate presence, on an errand to the earth, When the errand was done He would go back home again. That made the spirit world a very real thing to Him. The characteristic phrase "eternal life," original with Jesus and the Gospels, carries with it the same significance.

In Peter's address, on the occasion of the healing of the lame man at the beautiful gate of the temple, he says of Jesus, "whom the heavens must receive until the times of the restoration of all things whereof God spoke by the mouth of His Holy prophets." (Act_3:21) There was clear teaching that the Jesus whom they had killed was living then, up out of view, and living such a life of power that He would be returning to take control of things down here.

In his long teaching letter to the disciples in Rome, Paul makes two incidental allusions full of suggestive meaning. The sufferings then being endured by some of Christ's followers were intense and real, but they are said to be insignificant when compared "with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward."

And in the same paragraph there is a most touching reference to the whole lower creation. It is said to be full of inarticulate groanings, the suffering of intense birth-pains, in anticipa tion of a coming new birth which would include the whole creation, with man himself (Rom_8:18; Rom_8:22-23). Not only is there life beyond death, but a victorious life in which all wrongs are righted, and the earth's hurt healed. This is a gathering of some of the indirect incidental teachings.