sleep

Health Nugget – Rest

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“He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities.”

Benjamin Franklin

The Cambridge Dictionary defines rest as “to (cause someone or something) to stop doing a particular activity or stop being active for a period of time in order to relax and get back your strength.”

Rest, composed of sleep, relaxation, reflection, and recreation, is as important to our health and wholeness as air, water, nutrition, and exercise. Proper rest can improve our physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health.

Relaxation can give us more energy, better sleep, enhanced immunity, increased concentration, better problem-solving skills, greater efficiency, decreased stress, emotional stability, and less headaches and pain.

Rest helps us recover from the work we have done, whether it is our vocation, avocation or training. A day off per week is required to allow bone, muscle, tendons, ligaments, brain, and organs time to recover and repair themselves.

Relaxation gives the heart a rest by slowing the heart rate. This reduces blood pressure and slows the rate of breathing, which reduces the need for oxygen, increases blood flow to the muscles, and decreases muscle tension. Sleep can also maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Rest keeps us healthy by keeping our immune response functioning properly. Sleep produces molecules that help strengthen our ability to fight infection. These help our cells repair and mend our body when we have been exposed to infectious microorganisms and toxins.

Sleep and rest help our brain repair itself and develop new connections, which are useful when we are learning new skills or adaptations. Memory, focus, concentration, and cognitive function improve with proper sleep and rest. Sleep also reduces the occurrence of mood disorders.

Rest can improve hormone balance. It lowers stress by decreasing abnormal levels of cortisol (stress hormone), increasing alertness, productivity, and general health maintenance. Proper sleep regulates hormones that control appetite and can aid in achieving optimal weight. It also reduces the chances of diabetes.

Rest and relaxation promote restoration and rejuvenation. Proper rest and sleep are critical for overall health and energy. During the day, the chief work of the body is done, but during the night, the body is revived, the muscles are built up, the brain tissue is restored, and the nerves are recharged. For growth and health, a sufficient amount of leisure and rest is essential.

Sleep is essential to maintain a well-balanced mind and healthy body. It allows your body to renew itself and aids in healing. Rest strengthens the immune system and can add years to your life. For healing and cleansing to occur much rest and sleep is needed as these actions are done only while asleep.

If deprived of adequate sleep, great demands are made on your backup energy resources, rendering them unable to rebuild and recharge adequately. If you do this habitually, you can expect to have little resistance to disease and stress and an increase in irritability, while creativity, concentration, and efficiency suffer.

Sleep deprivation impairs judgment, causing values and priorities to change. Continued loss of sleep can result in exhaustion, depression, delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations. Losing as little as three hours of sleep in a single night can cut the effectiveness of your immune system in half.

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to numerous serious medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, inflammation and pain, and even early mortality.

There are a variety of things we can do throughout the day to lay the groundwork for better sleep at night.

  • Engage in active exercise daily to best counteract mental and emotional fatigue.
  • Find an outdoor activity you enjoy and can do every day—sunshine, exercise, and fresh air promote sleep. The sweetest rest follows labor. “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet.” Ecclesiastes 5:12
  • Avoid caffeine, even during the day. It commonly causes insomnia. Avoid sleep aids that suppress REM sleep. Avoid alcohol. Skip TV viewing.
  • Maintain a regular schedule for going to bed and getting up, even on weekends.
  • An empty stomach promotes better sleep. Make evening meals light and eaten well before bedtime.
  • Sleep in a totally dark room. Turn off devices at least two hours before retiring.
  • Don’t rehearse the day’s problems at bedtime. Count your blessings and fill your mind with gratitude and thanksgiving. Take a warm bath. Drink herbal tea.
  • Seek a relationship with God who can bear your anxieties and refresh your spirit. Read the Scriptures. Pray.
  • Science has shown that “one day of rest per week” enhances work performance on the other six. Enjoy a Sabbath rest!

Try magnesium glycinate at the evening meal for physical and mental relaxation. Magnesium relaxes the muscles. Tension in the neck or shoulders and/or muscle twitches as well as leg and foot cramps could indicate a need for magnesium, which is depleted by chronic stress. Studies show that up to 80 percent of the population are low or deficient in magnesium.

Excerpts from drlesmoore.com; nutricoach.co.za; granitebaysda.org

“I know that from the testimonies given me from time to time, for brain workers, that sleep is worth far more before than after midnight. Two hours’ good sleep before twelve o’clock is worth more than four hours after twelve o’clock.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 7, 223

“Make it a habit not to sit up after nine o’clock. Every light should be extinguished. This turning night into day is a wretched, health-destroying habit.” Daughters of God, 177

“Give yourselves … give all that are under you the fullest amount of sleep they will take, by compelling them to go to bed at some regular hour, and to rise in the morning the moment they awake; and within a fortnight, nature, with almost the regularity of the rising sun, will unloose the bonds of sleep the moment enough repose has been secured for the wants of the system. This is the only safe and sufficient rule—and as to the question how much sleep one requires, each must be a rule to himself—great Nature will never fail to write it out to the observer under the regulations just given.—Dr. Spicer.” How to Live, 193

The Lord has encouraged us to work six days and rest the seventh. That is His plan for the proper balance between work and rest. “On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:2, 3

The ultimate rest is found in Jesus. Leave your burdens with the Lord and accept His peace and forgiveness. “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29, 30

Health Nugget – The Possibility of Peace

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Today’s headlines, portraying a world seemingly on the verge of self-destruction, were foretold in the Scriptures many years ago.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. … For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:6–8

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25, 26

Not surprisingly, many people are overwhelmed by fear, useless fear. As I see them in the medical office, they are afraid they might die, even to the point that some demand unwarranted medical testing, treatment, and even surgery and hospitalization—in an effort to guarantee what no human can guarantee.

Fear can cause a person to be too worried about his or her health. But even worse is the fact that fear can literally paralyze a person, so they are not able to do the things that they ought to be doing.

Closely allied to fear of death is worry—worry about things that are happening, and worry about things that might happen. Both are useless.

A person must give concern and thought, enough to take appropriate action to meet situations that arise. Once he has done all he can, then he must accept what cannot be changed, and what God will allow.

How can one accept a bad situation and stop worrying?

Prescription for Rest

“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30

Jesus is the Burden Bearer. Can you not give Him your heavy burdens in exchange for His light yoke? In the quiet hour of meditation, why not tie up your burdens in a bundle and give them to Jesus? Then quietly wait, and He will give you an assignment for the day.

Who Makes the Agenda for Your Day?

Many people simply try to do too much. It is true that some people are just lazy, but they are not the ones reading this article. Work is important. Work is life. Your work can also be considered your “calling.” But be sure your calling is of God and get your instructions every day. In fact,

  1. Look at those interruptions carefully. Some of them are special assignments that Jesus is trying to give you.
  2. Look again at your agenda for the day. Some of those things you must do are not necessary, and simply make up the burden that Jesus wants you to hand over to Him.

“Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.” The Ministry of Healing, 479

Are you really willing to hand over your day and your time schedule to Him? If so, your day will be different. You will be busy, maybe busier than you expected, but the yoke will also be light and easy.

Getting the Work Done

Just being a follower of Christ, obeying His great commission, inevitably opens before us the great needs of mankind. How can this work be done and the promise of rest be fulfilled?

“Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:37, 38

“And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Mark 6:31

It is clear that we, the followers of Christ, have a great work to do, but we are not expected to do it all. In fact, Jesus instructs us to pray for more laborers. His promise to be with us is in direct connection with our fulfilling the great commission, and in context, the invitation to rest with Him comes after a period of productive work for Him.

The psychology of work is that a man is most energetic and most effective when impulse strongly urges an action, and his will gives complete and unqualified approval. This response is called integrity and produces interest, confidence, and enthusiasm. There is no fatigue until the muscles themselves get tired.

Conversely, complete and utter fatigue is brought about when impulse strongly urges action, and the will strongly disapproves. The resulting conflict produces fatigue.

Prompt action is often required in daily life, but sometimes the reasoning powers move too slowly, and the will is not enlisted. The action may be performed as required, but accomplished by fear, anger, worry, or dislike. These instinctive reactions introduce inhibitions which require a tremendous amount of energy to overcome. A person can be five times as effective if he is willing and likes his job, and he won’t get tired.

Fatigue is also the cardinal symptom of depression and often is the only symptom. People who are depressed have very weak impulses and find it hard to start any activity. Coping with life is a real problem, and they have a tendency to retreat—not do much, no initiative, sit around and sleep a lot. There is a lack of motivation. The person has given up, and his self-image is low.

Persons who are depressed will actually feel better if they get involved in some activity, especially if it is interesting and vigorous. A good exercise program is one of the best things such a person can engage in.

Depression must be resisted. Another helpful activity is to write down ten things one is thankful for each morning. Thus the day is begun in a grateful, optimistic frame of mind.

Rest

When a person is tired, the first thing he thinks about is rest. In many cases rest restores energy so that a person can work efficiently again.

Rooted in the story of Creation is the seven-day week, with the seventh day set aside for rest. Many have attempted to disregard this principle in the drive to make a living, get rich, or accomplish certain goals. It was proved during World War II that factory production actually increased as the work week was shortened from 60 hours to 40 hours.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Exodus 20:8–10

Why Is Sleep Needed?

When the body is denied sleep long enough, the electroencephalogram, a machine that records the brain’s electrical activity, will begin to show repeated sleep spindles. These are episodes of microsleep which last just three to six seconds each, but do add up over a period of time. In many activities they might not be noticed, but are most dangerous when one is driving a car.

One has no control over these microsleep episodes. They occur suddenly and without warning when sleep is lacking. Just a few hours’ sleep will restore alertness.

After as short a time as 36 hours without sleep, there is impaired thinking, loss of attention, and poor memory. Time sense is lost. Eye symptoms occur—itching, burning, blurred vision, and double vision.

With continued sleep loss, perception of reality is weakened; delusions and hallucinations may occur similar to schizophrenia. There is an 80 percent decrease in ability to perform tasks that require accuracy.

If dreaming rapid eye movement or REM sleep is suppressed, irritability or depression can occur, and some persons become severely anxious. Experiments have also shown that dream-deprived subjects are much less able to adapt to stress. REM sleep loss tends to be cumulative, and must be made up in part. It is also thought that memory is consolidated, organized, and corrected during REM sleep.

Sleeping is closely bound to the daily cycle of life. If the sleeping habits are irregular, such as having to work a night shift from time to time, a person may become hyperirritable, critical, irrational, or even childish. The sleep pattern may require up to two weeks to return to normal.

How to Sleep Well

  1. Keep active during the day. Moderate-to-vigorous exercise is most helpful. Nothing promotes sleep like being tired physically.
  2. Go to bed on an empty stomach. Supper had best be a light meal, and at least several hours before bedtime, so that digestion is completed.
  3. Have a regular time for sleep. You will tend to get sleepy at the same time every night.
  4. Avoid drugs. Avoid drinks containing caffeine, which will keep you awake. Get off sleeping pills that suppress REM sleep. Alcohol is also a drug, and will suppress REM sleep even in small amounts.
  5. Be at peace with God and your fellow man. “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

Remember, you are trading in your burdens of fear, worry, insecurity, compulsion to work all the time, lack of time, and your health problems. In exchange, He has an assignment for you that is “light and easy,” and He promises rest.

With Jesus as Lord of your life, you will have time to eat two or three meals every day, time to exercise and enjoy recreation with family and friends, and time to keep Sabbath holy.

[All scripture taken from the King James Version]

Health for Today, Hope International ©1991, Hubert F. Sturges, M.D., 14–16.

Bible Study Guides – “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”

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By Gordon Anderson

MEMORY VERSE: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12

STUDY HELP: Testimonies, vol. 2, 200–215.

INTRODUCTION: “The principles of justice required a faithful narration of facts for the benefit of all who should ever read the Sacred Record. Here we discern the evidences of divine wisdom. We are required to obey the law of God, and are not only instructed as to the penalty of disobedience, but we have narrated for our benefit and warning the history of Adam and Eve in Paradise, and the sad results of their disobedience of God’s commands. The account is full and explicit. The law given to man in Eden is recorded, together with the penalty accruing in case of its disobedience. Then follows the story of the temptation and fall, and the punishment inflicted upon our erring parents. Their example is given us as a warning against disobedience, that we may be sure that the wages of sin is death, that God’s retributive justice never fails, and that He exacts from His creatures a strict regard for His commandments.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 11.

“THOU SHALT SURELY DIE”

  1. What test of obedience was given to Adam and Eve in Eden and what was the penalty for disobedience? Genesis 2:16–17.

NOTE: “God has given in His word decisive evidence that He will punish the transgressors of His law. Those who flatter themselves that He is too merciful to execute justice upon the sinner, have only to look to the cross of Calvary. The death of the spotless Son of God testifies that ‘the wages of sin is death,’ that every violation of God’s law must receive its just retribution. Christ the sinless became sin for man. He bore the guilt of transgression, and the hiding of His Father’s face, until His heart was broken and His life crushed out. All this sacrifice was made that sinners might be redeemed. In no other way could man be freed from the penalty of sin. And every soul that refuses to become a partaker of the atonement provided at such a cost must bear in his own person the guilt and punishment of transgression.” Great Controversy, 539.

  1. How did God illustrate the substitutionary death of the Redeemer as man’s only hope of escape from the penalty of sin? Genesis 3:21.

NOTE: “This is what the transgressors of God’s law have done ever since the day of Adam and Eve’s disobedience. They have sewed together fig leaves to cover the nakedness caused by transgression. They have worn the garments of their own devising, by works of their own they have tried to cover their sins, and make themselves acceptable with God. But this they can never do. Nothing can man devise to supply the place of his lost robe of innocence. No fig-leaf garment, no worldly citizen dress, can be worn by those who sit down with Christ and angels at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet to appear in God’s presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 311.

“THE SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT SHALL DIE”

  1. How does the Word of God describe the creation of man? Genesis 2:7.

NOTE: The word translated “soul” in the Old Testament, in all but one case, is “nephesh” which means “a living creature” deriving from the word, “naphash,” meaning “to breathe.” The concept of man having a conscious entity that can exist independently of his body is foreign to the Scriptures and derives from the philosophy of Plato who taught that the body is merely a temporary container for pre-existing souls which also survive the death of the body. Genesis 2:7 shows that a “soul” (nephesh) comes into existence when the body, created from the natural elements, receives the breath of life from God. The equivalent Greek word is “psuche” which derives from the word “psucho” which means “to breathe.”

“The great original lie which he [Satan] told to Eve in Eden, ‘Ye shall not surely die,’ was the first sermon ever preached on the immortality of the soul. That sermon was crowned with success, and terrible results followed. He has brought minds to receive that sermon as truth, and ministers preach it, sing it, and pray it.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 342.

  1. How can we be sure that the Bible does not teach that man possesses an immortal soul? Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Ecclesiastes 9:5; 1 Timothy 6:16; Romans 2:7.

NOTE: See Testimonies, vol. 1, 39.

“THE LORD GOD…BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE”

  1. How did the body which God formed from the dust of the ground become a living soul? Genesis 2:7.

NOTE: There are two words in Hebrew which signify breath—”neshawmaw” used in Genesis 2:7 and “ruwach.” When the King James Bible uses the word “spirit” in the Old Testament, apart from references to “familiar spirits,” it is translating the word “ruwach” which literally means “wind” or “breath,” deriving from a word meaning “to blow.” “Ruwach” is often translated as “breath.” The Greek equivalent is “pneuma” which means “breath” deriving from a word meaning “to blow.” The relationship between “spirit” and breath in English can be seen in words like “respiration.” “Pneuma” gives us words like “pneumatic.” Neither “ruwach” nor “pneuma” carry any sense of a being that can live without the body.

“The doctrine of man’s consciousness in death, especially the belief that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has prepared the way for modern Spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the presence of God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what they before possessed, why should they not return to the earth to enlighten and instruct the living? If, as taught by popular theologians, the spirits of the dead are hovering about their friends on earth, why should they not be permitted to communicate with them, to warn them against evil, or to comfort them in sorrow? How can those who believe in man’s consciousness in death reject what comes to them as divine light communicated by glorified spirits? Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds.” Great Controversy, 551–552.

  1. How does Solomon show that the death of man is no different from the death that befalls animals? Ecclesiastes 3:19–20.

NOTE: “A correct understanding of ‘what saith the Scriptures’ in regard to the state of the dead is essential for this time. God’s word declares that the dead know not anything, their hatred and love have alike perished. We must come to the sure word of prophecy for our authority. Unless we are intelligent in the Scriptures, may we not, when this mighty miracle-working power of Satan is manifested in our world, be deceived and call it the workings of God; for the word of God declares that, if it were possible, the very elect should be deceived. Unless we are rooted and grounded in the truth, we shall be swept away by Satan’s delusive snares. We must cling to our Bibles.” Review and Herald, December 18, 1888.

  1. What hope does the Bible give that death is not the end for those who sleep in Jesus? 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.

NOTE: “The Thessalonians had eagerly grasped the idea that Christ was coming to change the faithful who were alive, and to take them to Himself. They had carefully guarded the lives of their friends, lest they should die and lose the blessing which they looked forward to receiving at the coming of their Lord. But one after another their loved ones had been taken from them, and with anguish the Thessalonians had looked for the last time upon the faces of their dead, hardly daring to hope to meet them in a future life. As Paul’s epistle was opened and read, great joy and consolation was brought to the church by the words revealing the true state of the dead. Paul showed that those living when Christ should come would not go to meet their Lord in advance of those who had fallen asleep in Jesus. The voice of the Archangel and the trump of God would reach the sleeping ones, and the dead in Christ should rise first, before the touch of immortality should be given to the living. ‘Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ The hope and joy that this assurance brought to the young church at Thessalonica can scarcely be appreciated by us. . . Now they rejoiced in the knowledge that their believing friends would be raised from the grave to live forever in the kingdom of God. The darkness that had enshrouded the resting place of the dead was dispelled.” Acts of the Apostles, 258–259.

“IN THY BOOK ALL MY MEMBERS WERE WRITTEN”

  1. What assurance are we given that, though our bodies may decay, God keeps a record of them? Psalm 139:16.

NOTE: Many are concerned that the destruction of the body in death will lead to a permanent loss of identity. The bodies of some were consumed by fire; others have been destroyed by explosives, drowned, eaten by wild creatures. Such fates befell many of the martyrs. For many that die, there is no grave. We speak of the graves being opened and the dead coming forth at the resurrection but how, many ask, can those who have no grave be raised to life again in the resurrection? This verse shows that, though all trace of them may be lost, so far as man is concerned, our heavenly Father has not forgotten any of His creatures.

“Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man, is returned to God, there to be preserved. In the resurrection very man will have his own character. God in His own time will call forth the dead, giving again the breath of life, and bidding the dry bones live. The same from will come forth, but it will be free from disease and every defect. It lives again bearing the same individuality of features, so that friend will recognize friend. There is no law of God in nature which shows that God gives back the same identical particles of matter which composed the body before death. God shall give the righteous dead a body that will please Him.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1093

  1. How did Job express his confidence that the destruction of his body was no obstacle to the resurrection? Job 19:26–27.

  2. What promise do we have that our identity will remain? 1 Corinthians 13:12.

NOTE: “No more broken hearts, no more sadness, no more sins, no more sorrow, no more suffering, in that kingdom of glory. If I am faithful, I expect to meet the loved ones there. Oh! I have everything to be thankful for. I expect to see Jesus, in whom our hopes of eternal life shall have glad fulfillment. I expect to see the Redeemer’s glorified saints, the white-robed ones about the throne, singing the victor’s song. They have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. There they stand by the great white throne, and Jesus, He that was crowned with majesty, glory, and honor, leads them to fountains of living waters. He is to open to us the living truths of the word of God. We have a little of it here; but throughout eternity will be unfolded the rich treasures of truth. I am so glad that He has honored me in giving me a part to act in this work of shedding the light of truth on the earth. I am so thankful that I can be a partaker with Christ of His self-denial and suffering, and finally of His glory. I thank Him with all my heart; with all my voice will I praise the Most High, and glorify Him on the earth. Soon we shall know as we are known.” Review and Herald, December 23, 1884.

“WITH ME IN PARADISE”

  1. What promise did Christ give to the repentant thief? Luke 23:43.

NOTE: Following the original word order in the Greek, this verse reads literally: “And he said to him truly thee I tell today with me thou wilt be in the paradise.” “Today” is an adverb of time and the fundamental grammatical rule requires it to modify the meaning of its nearest verb within the same sentence or clause. This verse contains three verbs, “he said”, “I tell” and “thou wilt be.” Luke clearly places “today” immediately after the verb “I tell” and separates it from the other two verbs. Thus a correct translation of this verse should read: “And He said to him, “Truly today I tell thee, thou wilt be with Me in Paradise.” The reading found in most English versions is wrong, both grammatically and because it does not accord with the words of Christ in John 20:17. ” ‘I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.’ Christ did not promise that the thief should be with Him in Paradise that day. He Himself did not go that day to Paradise. He slept in the tomb, and on the morning of the resurrection He said, ‘I am not yet ascended to My Father.’ John 20:17. But on the day of the crucifixion, the day of apparent defeat and darkness, the promise was given. ‘Today’ while dying upon the cross as a malefactor, Christ assures the poor sinner, ‘Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.’ ” Desire of Ages, 751.

  1. Did Paul teach that when we die, we go to heaven? 2 Corinthians 5:1–8. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:22–23, 51–52.

NOTE: Paul is using figurative language. “Our earthly house of this tabernacle” is the mortal body. “Tabernacle” means tent, a temporary dwelling. Our mortal body is only our temporary dwelling. But if this mortal body is dissolved, “we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

This building of God is not a tent; it is our eternal dwelling. Since the tent is our mortal body, the eternal house must be our immortal body. Paul expresses his desire to have his immortal body in place of this mortal body. Paul does not want to be “naked.” Those who lose this mortal body at death but do not have an immortal body in the heavens will be found naked. Paul does not want to be among those with no hope of eternal life. While we are in our mortal body, (our tent) we groan, not because we want to be “naked” but because we want our mortality to be swallowed up in [eternal] life. All agree, whatever happens at death, that our mortal bodies remain on earth. Those who believe in the immortal soul are actually teaching that, at death, we become naked, that is, without a body of any kind. They are not teaching as Paul did. 1 Corinthians 15:51–54 explains what Paul taught about when we receive immortality. The word “earnest” means a guarantee or a down-payment. The fact that we have the gift of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is God’s guarantee that we shall at last receive eternal life. So we have confidence even though we know that, while we live in the [mortal] body, we are absent from the presence of the Lord. (This confidence is based on our faith in His promise, not on anything we can see.) Our desire would be to be away from this mortal body so that we may be present with the Lord. But Paul is not equating “absent from the body” with the soul going to heaven at death. Paul is not asking to be naked, which is what would happen if his soul went up to heaven at death. Paul wants to receive his immortal body, his “building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” He earnestly desires “to be clothed with our house which is from heaven“. Isn’t Paul clearly saying, “I want Jesus to come so that I can be in His presence and receive my immortal body”?

  1. Does Christ’s parable about the rich man and Lazarus teach that our souls go to heaven or hell when we die? Luke 16:19–31.

NOTE: “In this parable Christ was meeting the people on their own ground. The doctrine of a conscious state of existence between death and the resurrection was held by many of those who were listening to Christ’s words. The Saviour knew of their ideas, and He framed His parable so as to inculcate important truths through these preconceived opinions.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 263.

A parable is a story told to illustrate a spiritual truth. It is dangerous to use the incidental details of a parable as the basis for a doctrine without support from other straightforward Bible passages. In this case, the parable’s lesson is found in verse 31 and the truth of this lesson, and Christ’s purpose in telling it to the Pharisees, is clearly shown in John 11:45–53. Christ’s parable does not teach that the soul goes to heaven or hell. Both the dead men have bodies, since the dead Lazarus possesses a finger while the rich man possesses a tongue. An examination of their graves would reveal that both tongues and fingers remain in the grave. Water would surely be of no interest to a bodiless “soul.” Other details showing that this parable does not portray literal fact include:

  • the description of the saved reclining in Abraham’s bosom. How many of the saved could Abraham comfortably carry at a time? What sort of eternal life would this be for Abraham?
  • the close proximity of heaven and hell. Will the saved and lost both be able to observe each other’s eternal destiny? Will they be able to hold conversations throughout eternity? Would such a prospect be attractive to the saved? Does such a view harmonize with Isaiah 65:17?

Health – Living in Circadian Rhythm

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We are designed to have 24-hour rhythms to our physiology and metabolism. Our bodies have an internal clock that we refer to as our circadian rhythm. This internal clock is influenced primarily by light exposure during the day and darkness during the night. Ideally, sunlight at sunrise “sets the clock” while darkness after sunset “winds the clock down.” We have a wake cycle, activated by light exposure, during the day and a sleep cycle, activated by darkness, at night. Many organs show daily changes in their function based on circadian influences. Genetic expression, which genes are turned on and which genes are turned off, is also directly influenced by circadian rhythms. In fact, thousands of genes change their expression according to circadian rhythms throughout the day and night.

Sunlight synchronizes all cells and organs in the body and influences cell energy production. During the day, we need to be awake, energetic and active. In contrast, sunset and darkness initiates a sleep and repair cycle via the release of melatonin, so we rest and recover to allow repair processes to occur throughout our cells and organs.

This is how we are designed and there is no escaping it. We are meant to be awake and active from sunrise to sunset and to be recuperating and resting after sunset. In essence, we have a built-in schedule each day; there is a time to eat, a time to sleep, a time to digest, a time to repair, basically a prime time for everything. When we live in accordance with our internal rhythms we optimize health. … Of course, with our modern lifestyle and 24/7 workload, light exposure, computers, television, travel and constant access to food, it is unfortunately way too easy to disrupt our internal clocks. Too often we are eating when we should be fasting, awake when we should be sleeping, exposed to light when we should be releasing melatonin and winding down for the night. Our modern world with all the breakthroughs, benefits, and conveniences, can be damaging to our health in myriad ways.

Circadian rhythm disruption accelerates the aging process while circadian rhythm synchronization slows the aging process.

Our mission is to slow the deterioration in our health that occurs with aging so we can extend our healthspan – the number of years that we live in a healthy state – rather than struggling with disease and degenerative conditions.

The key is to feed, train, and rest our body as originally designed.

Our anti-aging lifestyle, focusing on sleep, nutrition, movement and stress levels, can modulate the aging process. We strive to have a lifestyle that is congruent with our internal clocks to allow us to extend our healthspan.

Everything we do with our lifestyle is meant to restore harmony in our bodies so we can ignite our internal antiaging mechanisms, while simultaneously combating accelerated aging forces. Optimizing our anti-aging mechanisms, such as stem cell activation, genetic expression, DNA repair … requires that we restore this internal harmony with our circadian rhythms.

Our bodies are constantly adjusting to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is a healthy state preserved by incessant refinements of biochemical and physiologic pathways in response to external and internal stimuli.

Homeostasis is our body’s ability to listen and immediately respond to what we do, think, eat, as well as how we act and react. As examples, if we perceive stress, real or imagined, our stress response is switched on. If we relax or sleep, then our stress response is turned off and the relaxation response is activated. If we move or exercise, the body reacts positively and builds. If we are excessively sedentary, the body responds detrimentally and breaks down. When homeostasis is disrupted we have suboptimal function and accelerated aging.

Circadian desynchronization results in chronic stress, leading to accelerated aging, muscle and bone loss, increased fat storage, cognitive impairment and immune dysfunction.

With delicate precision our circadian rhythm impacts our metabolism, physiology, energy level, hormone levels, mood and pace of aging.

So how do we live in balance with our circadian rhythm?

We must balance our:

  • Sleep and wake cycles.
  • Eating and fasting intervals.
  • Stress and relaxation.
  • Exercise and recovery periods.

Sleep

Quality sleep is imperative for physiologic stress reduction as well as brain and body repair. Cells repair, memories consolidate, and hormones balance while we sleep. Sleep deprivation, all too common with our hectic schedules, leads to rapid aging, cognitive decline, weight gain and muscle loss.

It is crucial to maintain a consistent sleep/wake cycle to optimize restorative sleep. Go to bed every night at around the same time, keeping the same schedule on weekends. Strive for 7–9 hours of continuous sleep at night. Turn down bright lights. Too much light at night may make one unable to fall asleep at bedtime. Protect against blue light emitting screens and phones in the evening by wearing blue light blocking glasses or utilizing blue light screen protection on your phones and computers. Blue light exposure decreases melatonin release disrupting sleep. Turn off devices at least two to three hours before retiring. Sleep in a cool, dark, quiet environment. We build collagen, repair DNA, release restorative hormones, and activate stem cells during high quality sleep.

Intermittent fasting/Time restricted eating

The body has established schedules to perform functions such as digestion and nutrient absorption at certain times of the day. If daily routines and schedules do not match the body’s schedules, an imbalance may occur which can lead to fatigue, weight gain, stress, and even illness. To have proper nutrition, 50% depends on the correct choice of food and the other 50% depends on when and how it is consumed. Eating at the wrong times interrupts the circadian rhythm, which alters the ability to have a healthy metabolism and a powerful autoimmune response. Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day with the smallest meal being consumed at dinner.

Restrict your eating window each day to 6 to 12 hour intervals with intermittent fasting. Our digestive tract, digestive processes, and metabolism are affected by circadian rhythms, so close the kitchen at night! Eating late at night strains organs involved in digestion forcing them to work when they are supposed to be repairing. Simply not eating a late dinner, for example, can help with weight loss and digestive issues such as heartburn and irritable bowel symptoms.

Relaxation

Elicit the relaxation response with deep breathing techniques, walking, relaxing music, or whatever your preference. Chronic stress, with the resulting continuous release of destructive stress hormones, overwhelms homeostasis, impairs digestion, increases blood sugar levels and fat storage, while simultaneously breaking down muscle and bone. When we activate the relaxation response we decrease cortisol, lower inflammation, slow telomere loss, and halt this erosive impact of chronic stress on our health and pace of aging: Relax, to reset your health.

Diet

Focus your diet on real food sources such as nuts, seeds, berries and vegetables. Avoid pastas, cakes, cookies, sweet breads, candy, corn syrup, soda, juices, processed oils and refined carbohydrates. Processed foods accelerate aging. Real foods slow aging: Eat clean for health!

Love/Gratitude

Break the cycle of chronic stress by being present, mindful and by living your life with love and gratitude. We all have much to be thankful for. Enjoy your family, friends and pets each day. Share cherished memories with your loved ones: Be present!

Exercise

HIIT, High-intensity interval training, alternating short bursts of activity with quick recovery periods, is a remarkable antiaging modality via several mechanisms, including stimulating HGH (growth hormone) release, increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), our brain fertilizer, and activating stem cells. HIIT is a time efficient exercise technique that optimizes brain and body health while avoiding the excessive stress of prolonged exercise sessions: Exercise to optimize.

Since fasting acts as an exercise mimic, we can accrue additional antiaging benefits when we exercise while fasting: To really optimize, go fast while fasting!

Keep your schedule on track as much as possible. This can make a crucial difference in how your internal clock functions and how you feel.

Dr. Frank Comstock, M.D., ABAARM, FACEP.

Excerpts from www.lifestylespectrum.com/blog/living-in-circadian-rhythm

“The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligent employment and hard study as on account of eating improper food at improper times, and of careless inattention to the laws of health. Irregular hours for eating and sleeping sap the brain forces.” Mind Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 388.

“There should be regular hours for rising, for family worship, for meals, and for work. And it is a religious duty … to maintain this by precept … by a firm example.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 327.

Rest, Your Body’s Need to Lie Down on the Job

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The modern world strives to make laborsaving devices, to provide recreation and entertainment, and to increase speed and efficiency at home and work. So why are we not rested? Why are we weary and stressed? Back in the eras we consider primitive, people had no such resources. Folks worked very hard and when the light of day waned-they went to bed. Today the activities often start before the sky brightens and continues long after the last ray has disappeared.

Our minds and bodies operate on a fairly constant 24-hour rhythm called the circadian rhythm, with alternating periods of arousal and sleep. Much is known regarding sleep cycles and the factors, including natural body chemistry, that regulate sleep. We know that sleep is necessary, but still do not know exactly why. Yes, it allows the body time and quiet to repair itself, but there is much more to it than that. Humans and animals with more complex brains, like cats, sleep more than small animals with smaller cortexes.1 Dreams occur during REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep, and during REM a person goes into complete muscle relaxation which may lead to increased restoration of muscle tissues.2 Blood flow and temperature of the brain increase during the REM cycle of sleep.

Sleep deprivation causes memory loss, emotional instability, and affects one’s analytical abilities, perception, motivation and motor control. Lack of sleep also impairs our immune systems and our ability to learn as well as our creativity and productivity.3

Resting is also important. Your normal waking, thinking wave is the beta wave which looks short and spiky. During rest, when a person lies still, closes their eyes, and stills their mind, EEG (electroencephalogram) testing indicates that their brains go into an alpha wave pattern. Alpha waves are flowing and synchronous.4 Rest appears to invigorate the body and make the brain more able to function optimally.

What are some ways you can get better sleep? No late suppers, for one thing. Since our metabolisms slow at night, food tends to digest very slowly and one gets the sensation of food “just sitting there,” which is exactly what it is doing. The body must send blood to the stomach to facilitate digestion, pulling blood away from the brain which vitally needs it for sleep processing. The evening meal should be light and eaten several hours before bedtime.

Try to get eight hours of sleep each night and exercise regularly. Avoid the use of drugs and alcohol because although they can sometimes make you drowsy, they actually reduce or eliminate important REM sleep. Keep your bedroom dark and free from stimuli. Absolutely no television watching in bed. Practice breathing deeply and taper to smooth regular respirations. Eliminate caffeine from your diet and keep to a regular bedtime. Exposing yourself to sunlight will help keep your circadian rhythm on track.

Many of us are not getting enough sleep even though it is as necessary to health as is nutrition and water. Many disorders, both physical and mental, can be attributed to sleep deprivation. Even with all our technology and laborsaving devices, all we have accomplished is making more time available for even more activities. We must re-learn to give our bodies and minds the rest needed for healing.

  1. Everyday Science Explained, Curt Suplee, National Geographic Society, 1996, 264
  2. Simple Remedies for the Home, Clarence W. Dail, MD and Charles S. Thomas, PhD, MMI Press, Harrisville, New Hampshire, 1985, 80
  3. The Promise of Sleep, William C. Dement, MD, PhD, and Christopher Vaughn, Dell Publishing, New York, 1999
  4. Biology, Neil A. Campbell, PhD, The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Redwood City, California, 1990, 1003

Restoring the Temple – Rest

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Rest was the first command that God, in His eternal wisdom, gave to us. Do not be confused between rest and idleness. Many do not rest because of guilt that they are somehow being idle. If this describes you, I would suggest doing a study on rest and discovering how it differs from laziness. Ellen White states:

“Those who make great exertions to accomplish just so much work in a given time, and continue to labor when their judgment tells them they should rest, are never gainers. They are living on borrowed capital. They are expending the vital force which they will need at a future time. And when the energy they have so recklessly used is demanded, they fail for want of it. The physical strength is gone, the mental powers fail. They realize that they have met with a loss, but do not know what it is. Their time of need has come, but their physical resources are exhausted. Everyone who violates the laws of health must sometime be a sufferer to a greater or less degree. God has provided us with constitutional force, which will be needed at different periods of our life. If we recklessly exhaust this force by continual overtaxation, we shall sometime be losers. Our usefulness will be lessened, if not our life itself destroyed.” Counsels on Health, 99.

On the other hand, others would be more than happy to rest, but they complain of being too busy. Rest is one of the natural remedies that requires no effort, that is, apart from finding time for it.

The modern world strives to make laborsaving devices, to provide recreation and entertainment, and to increase speed and efficiency at home and work. So why are we not rested? Why are we weary and stressed? Back in the eras we consider primitive, people had no such resources. Folks worked very hard, and when the light of day waned, they went to bed. Today the activities often start before the sky brightens and continues long after the last ray has disappeared.

Our minds and bodies operate on a fairly constant 24-hour rhythm called the circadian rhythm, with alternating periods of arousal and sleep. Much is known regarding sleep cycles and the factors, including natural body chemistry, that regulate sleep. We know that sleep is necessary, but we still do not know exactly why. Yes, it allows the body time and quiet to repair itself, but there is much more to it than that. Humans and animals with more complex brains, like cats, sleep more than small animals with smaller cortexes.1 Dreams occur during REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep, and during REM a person goes into complete muscle relaxation which may lead to increased restoration of muscle tissues.2 Blood flow and temperature of the brain increase during the REM cycle of sleep.

Sleep deprivation causes memory loss, emotional instability, and affects one’s analytical abilities, perception, motivation and motor control. Lack of sleep also impairs our immune systems and our ability to learn, as well as our creativity and productivity.3

Resting is also important. Your normal waking, thinking wave is the beta wave that looks short and spiky. During rest, when a person lies still, closes their eyes, and stills their mind, EEG (electroencephalogram) testing indicates that their brains go into an alpha wave pattern. Alpha waves are flowing and synchronous.4 Rest appears to invigorate the body and make the brain more able to function optimally.

What are some ways you can get better sleep? No late suppers, for one thing. Since our metabolisms slow at night, food tends to digest very slowly, and one gets the sensation of food “just sitting there,” which is exactly what it is doing. The body must send blood to the stomach to facilitate digestion, pulling blood away from the brain which vitally needs it for sleep processing. The evening meal should be light and eaten several hours before bedtime.

Try to get eight hours of sleep each night and exercise regularly. Avoid the use of drugs and alcohol, because although they can sometimes make you drowsy, they actually reduce or eliminate important REM sleep. Keep your bedroom dark and free from stimuli—absolutely no television watching in bed! Practice breathing deeply and taper to smooth regular respirations. Eliminate caffeine from your diet and keep to a regular bedtime. Exposing yourself to sunlight will help keep your circadian rhythm on track.

Many of us are not getting enough sleep, even though it is as necessary to health as is nutrition and water. Many disorders, both physical and mental, can be attributed to sleep deprivation. Even with all our technology and laborsaving devices, all we have accomplished is making more time available for even more activities. We must relearn to give our bodies and minds the rest needed for healing.

“Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:29.

  1. Everyday Science Explained, Curt Suplee, National Geographic Society, 1996, 264
  2. Simple Remedies for the Home, Clarence W. Dail, MD and Charles S. Thomas, PhD, MMI Press, Harrisville, New Hampshire, 1985, 80
  3. The Promise of Sleep, William C. Dement, MD, PhD, and Christopher Vaughn, Dell Publishing, New York, 1999
  4. Biology, Neil A. Campbell, PhD, The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Redwood City, California, 1990, 1003

The Race to Contact the Dead, Part I

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There is something that no skeptic in the world can deny. The Bible, heaven, God and Jesus may all be rashly denied, but none dare deny the fact that all are headed toward death. Because of this undeniable fact, a haunting question vaunts itself into the minds of many: “After death, what?” The subject of death creates a range in the emotional spectrum that can go from paranoia to fascination. The fascination with death, and the realization of the impossibility of escape from death, has led many into a race to contact the dead.

Recently there has been an explosion of interest in the unknown mysteries of death. The phenomenon of claiming to contact the dead is becoming almost common place. Hollywood movies fill the screens with plots revolving around contact with the dead. The television program Crossing Over features a host who claims to contact the dead. Books, movies, television programs, magazines, the Internet, all seem to be feeding America’s interest in contacting the dead. A popular magazine once caught my attention while standing in line at the grocery store. The cover said, “A hit movie has people asking, is there a Sixth Sense? Whether they’re mediums with a message or phonies after a fast buck, a new breed of psychic has made believers of millions who long to talk to the dead.” J. D. Reed, Ivory Clinton, Natasha Stoynoff, Eric Francis, Fannie Weinstein, Johnny Dodd, Glenn Garelik, “Across the Great Divide,” People Weekly, October 25, 1999, 117–126.

The article took a look at mediums (those who claim to communicate with the dead) and their opponents. It declared, “In a 1994 USA Today-CNN-Gallup poll, almost 70 million Americans said they think it’s possible to communicate with the dead. Meanwhile, the afterlife business is booming in the U.S. [United States]. Books about contacting the dead have crowded onto The New York Times bestseller list in the past two years, and the paranormal is at full boil on TV. Leeza, Montel, and Larry King Live regularly feature segments on the spirit world. . . . On the Internet, hundreds of niche sites spread the ghostly gospel, including some devoted to home snapshots of eerie ectoplasmic forms floating around backyard parties, and instructions on how to have your own ADC (after death communication) with loved ones.” Ibid., 118. Clearly the race to contact the dead has well-nigh swept across America.

With the increased interest in afterlife, it becomes necessary for every Christian to thoroughly investigate the Scriptures to see what God’s word teaches about what happens at death. If this is something that the Scriptures commend, then surely Christians should not be left out of the race to contact the dead, but if this is something that the Scriptures explicitly forbid, every Christian should be foremost in warning their friends of this dangerous deception.

The Abomination

The Bible is actually remarkably clear upon whether it is safe for a Christian to contact their dead loved ones. “Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I [am] the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:31. Clearly it is defiling to seek after mediums. The Lord said to “give no regard” to them. “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you [anyone] who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, [or one] who practices witchcraft, [or] a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things [are] an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.” Deuteronomy 18:9–14. This even gives us an idea as to why the Canaanites were driven from the land of Canaan. They had become inundated with practices of spiritualism. There is an entire list that the Lord gives us so we will not be misled. The very foundational cornerstone of most of the ones mentioned in the list above is the supposed ability to contact the dead. Just so there is no misunderstanding, the Lord adds, in unmistakable words, “or one who calls up the dead.” It is an abomination before the Lord to go to someone who claims to contact the dead. This was one of the reasons the Lord’s anger was kindled against the inhabitants of Canaan, and it will rekindle His anger if we get involved with the deceptive practices of spiritualism.

It is an insult to the God of heaven to communicate with the dead for any reason. When King Ahaziah of Israel fell through a lattice and was injured, he sent a messenger to ask of Baal-Zebub of Ekron whether he was going to recover from his injury or not. Elijah met him with the stern message, “[Is it] because [there is] no God in Israel [that] you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?” 2 Kings 1:3. Because the king had gone to inquire of Baal-Zebub instead of the God of Israel, he was to die, and it happened exactly as prophesied. The Lord regards it the same way if we turn to the dead instead of to the God of heaven. “And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek their God? [Should they seek] the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.” Isaiah 8:19, 20. By going in search of what the dead have to say, we are turning our back upon the God of heaven. He says, “Should not a people seek their God?” Why do those who profess His name turn to the dead instead of to the living God? It is an abomination and an insult to God to attempt to contact the dead instead of seeking Him for wisdom and guidance.

In ancient Israel, this act was so offensive to God that He gave the instruction that anyone who went against the word of God and attempted to contact the dead should be stoned. “A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood [shall be] upon them.” Leviticus 20:27. One who attempted to contact the dead or one who dealt with spirits was not to live long. A similar warning is given in the New Testament: “But outside [the New Jerusalem] [are] dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” Revelation 22:15. “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8. This time it is not just physical death; the sorcerers receive the lake of fire. (Sorcery is based on the supposed contact with evil spirits and the spirits of the dead, and is grouped with contacting the dead in Deuteronomy 18:9–11.) God is very clear upon this subject. Those in Israel’s day who ventured onto the forbidden ground of communication with the dead met the sentence of death, and those who follow suit today will partake of the lake of fire.

It is clear from the Bible that neither anciently, nor now, are God’s people to have anything to do with mediums or with calling up the dead. It is an abomination, and the Lord explicitly tells us to give no regard to them. Paul, writing in the New Testament, counsels, “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose [them].” Ephesians 5:11. Although the seriousness of this matter can be seen, the question naturally arises, why such a strict prohibition? Is it not simply an innocent communication with our loved relatives? We communicated with them while they were alive; what could be wrong in talking with them once they are dead?

The Impassable Gulf

God in His great love and mercy for us has put an impassable gulf between the dead and the living. The living cannot communicate with the dead, and the dead cannot communicate with the living. “As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore.” Job 7:9, 10. The word of God plainly declares that once a person dies, he does not come back up from the grave. Job says that he is like a cloud; once it disappears and vanishes, it does not return. Though there will, of course, be a resurrection. Job was not trying to say that once a person died it was all over, but he was making it clear that once a person goes down to the grave, they will not return to this earth again. “So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens [are] no more, they will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep.” Job 14:12. The same concept is explained in the following verses, but with more detail given. Once man dies, he is not going to come back until the heavens are no more. Since the dead are never going to return to their place, it would be futile to attempt to communicate with them, for his place shall know him no more.

God, in His love, has given us this prohibition so we will not be deceived. We are warned in the New Testament about this deception. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1. There are deceiving spirits out there, so we are exhorted to test the spirits in order that we are not deceived. If we are not testing the spirits, we will inevitably be deceived. That the dead cannot cross the gulf back to the living, is one of those tests. God has given us this test because He knew that without it the devil could counterfeit our loved ones and thus deceive us.

The Bible tells us that the devil can, and frequently does, transform himself! “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14. The devil can be transformed into an angel of light, and his agents put on his wily masks as well. “Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” Verse 15. It is no great thing for the devil or his fallen angels (see Revelation 12:9) to appear in the guise of a loved one. After all, did not Satan first come in the form of a serpent in the Garden of Eden? (See Genesis 3:1–5, 14, 15.) God knew that these deceiving spirits could impersonate our dead loved ones and that we would be unable to tell the difference, so He put an impassible barrier between the dead and the living. We know from the Bible that if someone claims to be a deceased loved one, they are not from God. God has said that will not happen. Once a person goes down to the grave, they will not come up again. Thus, if there is one who claims to be able to hold conversation with the dead, in reality he is conversing with the devil or with one of his angels. When we understand this, it is not hard to see why God calls communicating with the dead an abomination. It is not hard to understand why God instructed that all who did this be put to death. It is not hard to explain that those who continue to do this without repenting will have their part in the lake of fire.

The Sleep of Death

In order to understand this subject fully, it is also necessary to understand how death is described throughout the Bible. In the overwhelming majority of texts, in both the Old and New Testaments, death is referred to as a sleep. Job was probably one of the earliest patriarchs, and he knew what death was: “Why did I not die at birth? . . . For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been at rest.” Job 3:11, 13. Moses knew what death was: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers . . . .” Deuteronomy 31:16. David knew what death was: “Consider [and] hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the [sleep of] death . . . .” Psalm 13:3. Jeremiah knew what death was: “‘And I will make drunk Her princes and wise men, Her governors, her deputies, and her mighty men. And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake,’ says the King, whose name [is] the Lord of hosts.” Jeremiah 51:57. Daniel knew what death was: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2. Our Lord Jesus Himself testified as to the state of death: “He said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.’ Then His disciples said, ‘Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.’ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead.’” John 11:11–14. There is no mistaking what Jesus was talking about. Jesus plainly calls death a sleep. Paul knew what death was: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51. Lastly, we find that Peter also called death a sleep: “Scoffers will come . . . saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of creation.’” 2 Peter 3:3, 4. This is such predominant terminology in the Bible that in the King James Version similar words such as “sleep, sleepeth, asleep,” are used to describe death in no less than 60 verses.

Since this is something that is so widely taught throughout the Bible, we must take note of it and try to understand what it is telling us. Over and over again death is referred to as a sleep. What is sleep? Sleep is an unconscious state when man is totally oblivious to all that goes on around him. A person that is peacefully sleeping does not know of the calamities and problems or anything else that is happening. World War III could break out, and they would not know it. The silent sleeper is unaware of anything taking place around them until the moment they awake. The first thing that they have cognizance of when they awake may be the alarm clock ringing or the sun rising. There may have been ten minutes that have elapsed or eight hours, but it was as a moment of time to the sound sleeper. How fitting and comforting a representation of death. Instead of trying to explain the soaring of some spirit to unknown worlds afar, the one who dies is simply sleeping in the grave where he was laid. This is something that our ancestors knew. Years ago the letters R.I.P. (Rest in Peace) were engraved upon many tombstones—sleep silently in the grave until your Maker calls you forth. Thus, if death is a sleep, a resting in the grave as the Bible testifies over and over again, it can clearly be seen why there is an impassable gulf between the dead and the living. None can awake until they hear the voice of the Creator Himself, so it is an impossibility to communicate with our dead loved ones. They are sleeping in the grave awaiting the voice of the Son of God.

Conscious or Unconscious

While we are taking a nap, it is common to have dreams or even nightmares. What kind of sleep is this “sleep of death”? Is it an unconscious, dreamless sleep or is there a conscious existence? Once again, our only safety is in turning to the word of God. There is no one who truly knows the mysteries of death aside from the One who said: “You shall surely die.” Genesis 2:17. The testimony of the Bible is once again unmistakable. “For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun. . . . Whatever your hand finds to do, do [it] with your might; for [there is] no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10. Solomon, the wisest man that has ever lived upon the earth, declared, “the dead know nothing.” Obviously the sleep of death is an unconscious state. He further says that all of the emotions of the dead have perished. They have no more love or hatred. Then the warning is given to the living to do what they can with their might, because in the grave they will be unable to do anything; there is no wisdom or knowledge in the grave. The Psalmist testifies of this same thing: “Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Psalm 146:3, 4. The thinking process comes to a standstill. Problems are no longer wrestled with; solutions are no longer sought or found. The amazing organ of the brain ceases to turn; the neurons and electric currents of the brain no longer carry their messages back and forth. At the moment of death every thought ceases to exist. The conflicting emotions stop. Knowledge and wisdom come to an end. The thoughts perish. Instead of this life of turmoil and problems, there is a silent and peaceful sleeping in the grave. Time is frozen for the dead. Although life moves on in our world, it is all unbeknownst to the deceased. They are neither writhing in anguish and pain, nor looking down from bliss, seeing the agony and suffering that the living are enduring. The dead are unconsciously sleeping in the grave where they have been laid.

Another way we know from the Bible that the “sleep of death” is an unconscious state is because we are repeatedly told that the dead are not praising God. “Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise [and] praise You? Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? [Or] Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?” Psalm 88:10, 11. “For in death [there is] no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks?” Psalm 6:5. “The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forevermore.” Psalm 115:17, 18. The Psalms repeatedly declare that it is the living that praise God. “The dead do not praise the Lord.” Surely if the righteous dead have a conscious existence, they would be praising God. If they had ascended to heaven where all worship and praise the Lord, they would certainly join in the praise. But no, the inspired record declares that they do not praise the Lord and that there is not even remembrance of Him in death. Why? Because in the very day of death the thoughts perish. The righteous, with the wicked, are sleeping in their graves, awaiting the call of the Master.

[All Emphasis Supplied.]

To be continued . . .

Bible Study Guides – The Resurrection

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October 18, 2003 – October 24, 2003

Memory Verse

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40.

Suggested Reading: Early Writings, 285–288; 292–294.

Introduction

“All the dead would remain in their graves forever were it not that Christ died and rose again. For if He be not risen, then there can be no resurrection of the dead. But the blessed truth that there shall be a resurrection, because Jesus actually died and rose again (Revelation 1:18), brings life within reach of every lost son and daughter of Adam, and makes the plan of eternal life through Him forever sure.” Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, April 1912, 6, 7.

1 What question was asked long ago concerning the dead? What answer is given? Job 14:14, 15; Isaiah 26:19.

note: “Christ is life itself. He who passed through death to destroy him that had the power of death is the Source of all vitality. There is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there. Christ endured an agonizing death under the most humiliating circumstances that we might have life. He gave up His precious life that He might vanquish death. But He rose from the tomb, and the myriads of angels who came to behold Him take up the life He had laid down heard His words of triumphant joy as He stood above Joseph’s rent sepulcher proclaiming: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life.’ [John 11:25.]” Testimonies, vol. 6, 230.

2 How much depends upon the resurrection? 1 Corinthians 15:16–18.

note: “If for four thousand years the righteous had gone directly to heaven at death, how could Paul have said that if there is no resurrection, ‘they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished’? No resurrection would be necessary. . . .

“It is an undeniable fact that the hope of immortal blessedness at death has led to a widespread neglect of the Bible doctrine of the resurrection. This tendency was remarked by Dr. Adam Clarke, who said: ‘The doctrine of the resurrection appears to have been thought of much more consequence among the primitive Christians than it is now! How is this? The apostles were continually insisting on it, and exciting the followers of God to diligence, obedience, and cheerfulness through it. And their successors in the present day seldom mention it! So apostles preached, and so primitive Christians believed; so we preach, and so our hearers believe. There is not a doctrine in the gospel on which more stress is laid; and there is not a doctrine in the present system of preaching which is treated with more neglect!’—Commentary, remarks on 1 Corinthians 15, para-graph 3.” The Great Controversy, 546, 547.

3 What did Jesus declare to be the will of God? John 6:39, 40.

note: “Jesus has promised that he will in no wise cast out those who come to him. We are to come with the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. What has the Father given the Son? He has given him every one who has genuine faith in Christ; for this faith will enable its possessor to endure unto the end, and he will be raised up at the last day.” Review and Herald, April 14, 1891.

4 What two distinct classes are known in this life? Ecclesiastes 3:17.

note: “Two classes . . . were to exist till the second coming of Christ—the righteous and the wicked, the rebellious and the loyal.

“God will remember the righteous, who fear him. On account of his dear Son he will respect and honor them, and give them everlasting life. But the wicked, who trample upon his authority, he will cut off and destroy from the earth, and they will be as though they had not been.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 57, 58.

5 How are these classes spoken of in connection with the resurrection? Acts 24:14, 15.

note: “Through the provisions of the plan of salvation, all are to be brought forth from their graves. ‘There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust;’ ‘for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’ Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:22. But a distinction is made between the two classes that are brought forth. ‘All that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.’ John 5:28, 29. They who have been ‘accounted worthy’ of the resurrection of life are ‘blessed and holy.’ ‘On such the second death hath no power.’ Revelation 20:6. But those who have not, through repentance and faith, secured pardon, must receive the penalty of transgression—‘the wages of sin.’ They suffer punishment varying in duration and intensity, ‘according to their works,’ but finally ending in the second death.” The Great Controversy, 544.

6 In connection with what event are the righteous dead awakened from their sleep? 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

note: “The reception of Paul’s epistle [to the Thessalonians] was to them a great event. Written communications passing between friends were of very rare occurrence in those times. There was great joy in the church as the epistle was opened and read. What consolation was afforded them by those words which revealed the true state of the dead. Paul therein showed them that those who should be alive when Christ should come would not go to meet their Lord in advance of those who should be asleep in Jesus. For the voice of the archangel and the trump of God should reach the sleeping ones, and the dead in Christ should rise first, before the touch of immortality should be given to the living.” Sketches From the Life of Paul, 112, 113.

7 After whose likeness are these resurrected ones fashioned? Philippians 3:20, 21.

note: “Christ came to restore that which had been lost. He will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto His glorious body. The mortal, corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once polluted with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and immortal. All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave.” The Great Controversy, 645.

8 How long a time intervenes between the first and second resurrections? Revelation 20:5, 6.

note: “At the close of the thousand years the second resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from the dead, and appear before God.” The Faith I Live By, 184.

9 What occurs at the end of this thousand year period? John 5:29, last part; Revelation 20:7–9.

note: “In fearful majesty he [Jesus] calls forth the wicked dead. They are wakened from their long sleep. What a dreadful waking! They behold the Son of God in his stern majesty and resplendent glory.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 84.

“Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. While deprived of his power and cut off from his work of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the great controversy. He will marshal all the armies of the lost under his banner and through them endeavor to execute his plans. The wicked are Satan’s captives. In rejecting Christ they have accepted the rule of the rebel leader. They are ready to receive his suggestions and to do his bidding. Yet, true to his early cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He claims to be the prince who is the rightful owner of the world and whose inheritance has been unlawfully wrested from him. He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves and that he is about to rescue them from the most cruel tyranny. The presence of Christ having been removed, Satan works wonders to support his claims. He makes the weak strong and inspires all with his own spirit and energy. He proposes to lead them against the camp of the saints and to take possession of the City of God. With fiendish exultation he points to the unnumbered millions who have been raised from the dead and declares that as their leader he is well able to overthrow the city and regain his throne and his kingdom.” Maranatha, 337.

10 What is the recompense of those whose names are not found written in the book of life? Revelation 20:15; 21:8.

note: “Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1; 11 Peter 3:10. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass—a vast, seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men—‘the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.’ Isaiah 34:8.

“The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. . . . Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished ‘according to their deeds.’ [Romans 2:6.]” The Great Controversy, 672, 673.

11 From what will the overcomer be delivered? Revelation 2:11.

note: “While the earth was wrapped in the fire of destruction, the righteous abode safely in the Holy City. Upon those that had part in the first resurrection, the second death has no power. While God is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His people both a sun and a shield. Revelation 20:6; Psalm 84:11.” The Great Controversy, 673.

12 What is the last enemy to be destroyed? 1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 20:14.

note: “ ‘The thoughts of the coming of the Lord,’ said Baxter, ‘are most sweet and joyful to me.’—Richard Baxter, Works, vol. 17, p. 555. ‘It is the work of faith and the character of His saints to love His appearing and to look for that blessed hope.’ ‘If death be the last enemy to be destroyed at the resurrection, we may learn how earnestly believers should long and pray for the second coming of Christ, when this full and final conquest shall be made.’—Ibid., vol. 17, p. 500. ‘This is the day that all believers should long, and hope, and wait for, as being the accomplishment of all the work of their redemption, and all the desires and endeavors of their souls.’ ‘Hasten, O Lord, this blessed day!’—Ibid., vol. 17, pp. 182, 183.” The Great Controversy, 303, 304.

These lessons are adapted from the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, April 1912.

Bible Study Guides – Man’s Condition in Death

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October 4, 2003 – October 10, 2003

Memory Verse

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

Suggested Reading: Christ’s Object Lessons, 260–267.

Introduction

“Nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures is found the statement that the righteous go to their reward or the wicked to their punishment at death. The patriarchs and prophets have left no such assurance. Christ and His apostles have given no hint of it.” The Faith I Live By, 181.

1 What passed upon all men as a result of sin? Romans 5:12.

note: “Sorrow filled heaven, as it was realized that man was lost, and that world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness, and death, and there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must die.” Early Writings, 149.

2 What is death called? John 11:11–13; Matthew 9:24.

note: “Christ represents death as a sleep to His believing children. Their life is hid with Christ in God, and until the last trump shall sound those who die will sleep in Him.” The Faith I Live By, 175.

“To the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks of it as if it were of little moment. . . . To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness.” The Desire of Ages, 787.

3 During the time of sleep, where does man wait? Job 17:13.

note: “The Bible clearly teaches that the dead do not go immediately to heaven. They are represented as sleeping until the resurrection. . . . They that go down to the grave are in silence. They know no more of anything that is done under the sun. Blessed rest for the weary righteous! . . . As they are called forth from their deep slumber, they begin to think just where they ceased. The last sensation was the pang of death, the last thought that they were falling beneath the power of the grave.” The Faith I Live By, 181.

“The Life-giver will call the dead from their prison-house, and as they come up from the grave, they will receive the finishing touch of immortality. They will rise from their dusty beds and exclaim, ‘O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory!’ [1 Corinthians 15:55.] And they will be caught up with those who are translated to heaven without seeing death, to meet their Lord in the air. Then the crown of immortal glory will be placed upon each brow.” Review and Herald, July 29, 1890.

4 How long must the dead wait in the grave? Job 14:12. Compare John 5:28, 29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

note: “The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead.” Sons and Daughters of God, 359.

5 During this time, what is said of the dead’s knowledge concerning the affairs of earth? Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6; Job 14:20, 21.

note: “The Bible declares that the dead know not anything, that their thoughts have perished; they have no part in anything that is done under the sun; they know nothing of the joys or sorrows of those who were dearest to them on earth.” The Great Controversy, 556.

“The saints must get a thorough understanding of present truth, which they will be obliged to maintain from the Scriptures. They must understand the state of the dead; for the spirits of devils will yet appear to them, professing to be beloved friends and relatives, who will declare to them that the Sabbath has been changed, also other unscriptural doctrines. They will do all in their power to excite sympathy and will work miracles before them to confirm what they declare. The people of God must be prepared to withstand these spirits with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything, and that they who appear to them are the spirits of devils. Our minds must not be taken up with things around us, but must be occupied with the present truth and a preparation to give a reason of our hope with meekness and fear. We must seek wisdom from on high that we may stand in this day of error and delusion.” Early Writings, 87, 88.

6 What testimony is borne concerning the death of Christ? 1 Corinthians 15:3; Isaiah 53:5, 8; John 19:28–30.

note: “And what is it to believe? It is to fully accept that Jesus Christ died as our sacrifice; that He became the curse for us, took our sins upon Himself, and imputed unto us His own righteousness. Therefore we claim this righteousness of Christ, we believe it, and it is our righteousness. He is our Saviour. He saves us because He said He would.” Faith and Works, 70.

7 What significance is attached to the death of Christ? Isaiah 53:12. Compare Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25.

note: “By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now, not as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a Conqueror claiming His victory. His offering is complete, and as our Intercessor He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotless merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. Perfumed with the fragrance of His righteousness, these ascend to God as a sweet savor. The offering is wholly acceptable, and pardon covers all transgression.

“Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and surety, and He neglects no one. He who could not see human beings exposed to eternal ruin without pouring out His soul unto death in their behalf, will look with pity and compassion upon every soul who realizes that he cannot save himself.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 156, 157.

8 What blessed hope for us was involved in Jesus’ coming forth from the tomb? 1 Corinthians 15:20–23.

note: “Death entered the world because of transgression. But Christ gave His life that man should have another trial. He did not die on the cross to abolish the law of God, but to secure for man a second probation. He did not die to make sin an immortal attribute; He died to secure the right to destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. He suffered the full penalty of a broken law for the whole world. This He did, not that men might continue in transgression, but that they might return to their loyalty and keep God’s commandments and His law as the apple of their eye.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 134.

9 What hope lightens the darkness of the grave? 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14.

note: “To the believer, Christ is the resurrection and the life. In our Saviour the life that was lost through sin is restored; for He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will. He is invested with the right to give immortality. The life that He laid down in humanity, He takes up again, and gives to humanity.” The Faith I Live By, 183.

10 To what time do followers of the Lord look forward to meet their loved ones who have fallen in death? John 11:23, 24.

note: “In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. ‘He that hath the Son hath life.’ 1 John 5:12. The divinity of Christ is the believer’s assurance of eternal life. ‘He that believeth in me,’ said Jesus, ‘though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ [John 11:25, 26.] Christ here looks forward to the time of His second coming. Then the righteous dead shall be raised incorruptible, and the living righteous shall be translated to heaven without seeing death.” The Desire of Ages, 530.

11 How did Isaiah speak of this time? Isaiah 26:19.

note: “The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1143.

12 Whose voice alone can awaken the dead? John 5:26–29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18.

note: “It was not long after the passing of the time in 1844, that my first vision was given me. . . .

“Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried, ‘Awake! awake! awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise.’ Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted ‘Alleluia!’ as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 64, 66.

“Satan cannot hold the dead in his grasp when the Son of God bids them live. He cannot hold in spiritual death one soul who in faith receives Christ’s word of power. God is saying to all who are dead in sin, ‘Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead.’ Ephesians 5:14. That word is eternal life. As the word of God which bade the first man live, still gives us life; as Christ’s word, ‘Young man, I say unto thee, Arise,’ gave life to the youth of Nain, so that word, ‘Arise from the dead,’ is life to the soul that receives it. [Luke 7:14.] God ‘hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.’ Colossians 1:13. It is all offered us in His word. If we receive the word, we have the deliverance.” The Desire of Ages, 320.

These lessons are adapted from the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, April 1912.

Children’s Story – Can You Sleep When the Wind Blows

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Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic Ocean. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

“Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him.

“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn; the chickens were in the coops; and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you are prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We, as believers in Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We may not always understand everything, but we need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms. I hope you can sleep well!