There is a widely-spread belief that the dead are unconscious. Many who admit their existence deny their consciousness. Is it a belief founded on Scripture ?Does the word of God teach that the state of the dead is one of unconsciousness ?

Several persons are mentioned in the Bible who, having died, were brought back again to earthly life. Elijah, by the power of God, raised up the son of the widow of Zarephath (i Kings 17:17-23). Elisha raised the son of the great woman of Shunem (2 Kings 4:18-37). The man who was being hastily buried in the sepulcher of Elisha came back to earthly life again on coming into contact with the bones of Elisha (2 Kings 13:20, 21). Our Lord brought back from the death state the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:35-43), the widow's son of Nain (Luke 7:11-15), and Lazarus (John 11:). There are thus six instances mentioned in the Scriptures of the return of dead persons to earthly life.

Now it might be thought that these six persons would be good witnesses of the condition of the dead. Having been themselves in the death state, on their return to earthly life they might well give their testimony to their experiences while in the death condition. Whether they did so or not, we do not know. There is no record of any testimony given by them about the condition of the dead. No utterance of theirs concerning their experience in the place of the departed has come down to us, either by tradition or inspiration.

Will it do to assume, because they have told us nothing about the dead, that they must be regarded as showing that the dead are unconscious ? Must we take it for granted that, if the dead are conscious, they would certainly have been employed to tell us so ? The argument founded on this supposition cannot be trusted unless it is confirmed. These cases cannot be cited on one side of the question more than on the other. If it be said, They do not tell us that the dead are conscious, it may be answered, They do not deny their consciousness.

Plainly, then, we must look further to find the answer to the question, Are the dead unconscious ? We will inquire, then, Is there not something in Scripture directly referring to the state of the dead? Does it speak of any one in the dead condition ? Does it refer in any way to the experiences of dead people ?

In searching the word of God to find the answers. to these questions, we will find that it refers to Samuel as in the dead condition (i Sam. 28:3-20). On diligently examining what is recorded about dead Samuel, we will find the facts to be these :First, Samuel is dead. He is not, at the time when this record speaks of him, a living man on the earth-a living man among living men. Second, Saul, the king of Israel, is in great distress, and is exceedingly desirous of getting into communication with dead Samuel. Third, there was living at the time a woman who had a familiar spirit, a representative of a class of people who claimed to procure communications from the dead. Notice this carefully. Consulters with the dead do not engage to raise the dead, but only to get communications from them, Fourth, Saul, in inquiring of this woman who had a familiar spirit, only looked for a communication from dead Samuel. He said to her, "Divine unto me." It is plain he believed that Samuel was in conscious existence, even in the dead state. Fifth, the woman says, "I saw gods," 1:e., spirits. She did not pre-tend to bring Samuel out of the dead state. She only claims to have seen him as a spirit-a disembodied spirit. Furthermore, she saw more than one spirit; but among the spirits she saw, she could distinguish the spirit of Samuel. Sixth, Samuel as a spirit actually communicates with Saul. He communicates with him directly, not through the woman. Seventh, in his communication to Saul, Samuel tells him, "Tomorrow thou and thy sons shall be with me," 1:e., Saul and his sons were to die the next day, and be with Samuel in the spirit world.

Now it must be perfectly plain that the spirit of Samuel was conscious. Had he been unconscious, could he have carried on a conversation with Saul ? In this case, it was a direct communication. It was not the woman who told Saul what Samuel had to say to him, but it was Samuel himself speaking directly to Saul.

Now here we have a clear case of a person in the dead condition, and he is spoken of as being conscious. It is only one case, you say; but is it not a sample case ? If the Scriptures tell us plainly of one person in the death state who is conscious, does it not suggest at least that others are ? May we not say, rather, that it implies consciousness for all others ?

But as a matter of fact, it is not an isolated case. Scripture speaks of others besides Samuel as in the dead condition; and when we examine the other cases mentioned, we shall find that in every case the person is spoken of as conscious.

We will now look at Moses on the mount of transfiguration. Moses was a dead man. He had been dead over 1400 years. He was in the dead state. When the Lord was transfigured before three of His disciples, Moses, as well as Elias, appeared with Him (Matt. 17:, Mark 9:, and Luke 9:). For the
purpose of manifestation, he assumed the human, bodily form. He was not raised from the dead. The body he had when he was in this earthly life was not raised up out of its grave. The body in which he appeared on this occasion was an assumed body. Angels, and the Lord Himself, in Old Testament times, assumed the human, bodily form for the purpose of manifestation. There is no reason for thinking it was not the same with Moses here.

Now it is evident that Moses was conscious. He and Elias talked with the Lord about the decease He was to accomplish at Jerusalem. Hence we have another case like that of Samuel, where a dead man is referred to, and where he is spoken of as undoubtedly being conscious.

If there were no more testimony in the Scriptures on this subject than these two cases of Samuel and Moses, it would be quite sufficient for us to reject the belief of the unconsciousness of those who are in the death state. Scripture nowhere affirms the unconsciousness of the dead, and these two cases are not in any way treated as being exceptions. They argue irresistibly for the consciousness of the departed.

But these two cases are not the limit of the witness of Scripture on the subject. Another case of men spoken of as conscious in the death state is found in Luke 16:, where our Lord mentions the names of Lazarus and Dives. They were both once living men on earth. Both of them have died, and both are in the world of the departed. When in this earthly life, one had his "good things," the other his "evil things." In the world of spirits the order is reversed. The one who in earthly life had his good things is suffering "torments," while the one who had his evil things is "comforted." But without consciousness there can be neither suffering nor comfort. Thus it is plain our Lord speaks of these men as conscious in the death state. To say that the dead are unconscious is to call in question the authority of the teaching of Christ. It is to accuse Him of misrepresenting the actual condition of the dead. Notice, He represents. Dives as being tormented, as longing for relief from his torment, and as in anxious solicitude for the welfare of his brethren who are still in the earthly life. How could this be without consciousness ? To the mind that is subject to Scripture this is perfectly plain.

C. Crain

(To be concluded, D. V., in our next.)