Satan commenced his deception in Eden. He said to Eve, "Ye
shall not surely die." This was Satan's first lesson upon
the immortality of the soul, and he has carried on this deception
from that time to the present, and will carry it on until the
captivity of God's children shall be turned. I was pointed to
Adam and Eve in Eden. They partook of the forbidden tree, and
then the flaming sword was placed around the tree of life, and
they were driven from the garden, lest they should partake of
the tree of life, and be immortal sinners. The fruit of this tree
was to perpetuate immortality. I heard an angel ask, "Who
of the family of Adam have passed that flaming sword, and have
partaken of the tree of life?" I heard another angel answer,
"Not one of the family of Adam has passed that flaming sword,
and partaken of that tree; therefore there is not an immortal
sinner." The soul that sinneth, it shall die an everlasting
death-- a death from which there will be no hope of resurrection;
and then the wrath of God will be appeased.
It was a marvel to me that Satan could succeed so well in making
men believe that the words of God, "The soul that sinneth,
it shall die," mean that the soul that sinneth it shall not
die, but live eternally in misery. Said the angel, "Life
is life, whether it is in pain or happiness. Death is without
pain, without joy, without hatred."
Satan told his angels to make a special effort to spread the lie
first repeated to Eve in Eden, "Ye shall not surely die."
And as the error was received by the people, and they were led
to believe that man was immortal, Satan led them on to believe
that the sinner would live in eternal misery. Then the way was
prepared for Satan to work through his representatives and hold
up God before the people as a revengeful tyrant--one who plunges
all those into hell who do not please Him, and causes them ever
to feel His wrath; and while they suffer unutterable anguish,
and writhe in the eternal flames, He is represented as looking
down upon them with satisfaction. Satan knew that if this error
should be received, God would be hated by many, instead of being
loved and adored; and that many would be led to believe that the
threatenings of God's Word would not be literally fulfilled, for
it would be against His character of benevolence and love to plunge
into eternal torments the beings whom He had created.
Another extreme which Satan has led the people to adopt is entirely
to overlook the justice of God, and the threatenings in His Word,
and to represent Him as being all mercy, so that not one will
perish, but that all, both saint and sinner, will at last be saved
in His kingdom.
In consequence of the popular errors of the immortality of the
soul and endless misery, Satan takes advantage of another class
and leads them to regard the Bible as an uninspired book. They
think it teaches many good things; but they cannot rely upon it
and love it, because they have been taught that it declares the
doctrine of eternal misery.
Another class Satan leads on still further, even to deny the existence
of God. They can see no consistency in the character of the God
of the Bible, if He will inflict horrible tortures upon a portion
of the human family to all eternity. Therefore they deny the Bible
and its Author and regard death as an eternal sleep.
There is still another class who are fearful and timid. These
Satan tempts to commit sin, and after they have sinned, he holds
up before them that the wages of sin is not death but life in
horrible torments, to be endured throughout the endless ages of
eternity. By thus magnifying before their feeble minds the horrors
of an endless hell, he takes possession of their minds, and they
lose their reason. Then Satan and his angels exult, and the infidel
and atheist join in casting reproach upon Christianity. They claim
that these evils are the natural results of believing in the Bible
and its Author, whereas they are the results of the reception
of popular heresy.
I saw that the heavenly host were filled with indignation at this
bold work of Satan. I inquired why all these delusions should
be suffered to take effect upon the minds of men when the angels
of God were powerful, and if commissioned, could easily break
the enemy's power. Then I saw that God knew that Satan would try
every art to destroy man; therefore He had caused His word to
be written out, and had made His purposes in regard to the human
race so plain that the weakest need not err. After having given
His word to man, He had carefully preserved it from destruction
by Satan or his angels, or by any of his agents or representatives.
While other books might be destroyed, this was to be immortal.
And near the close of time, when the delusions of Satan should
increase, it was to be so multiplied that all who desired might
have a copy, and, if they would, might arm themselves against
the deceptions and lying wonders of Satan.
I saw that God had especially guarded the Bible; yet when copies
of it were few, learned men had in some instances changed the
words, thinking that they were making it more plain, when in reality
they were mystifying that which was plain, by causing it to lean
to their established views, which were governed by tradition.
But I saw that the Word of God, as a whole, is a perfect chain,
one portion linking into and explaining another. True seekers
for truth need not err; for not only is the Word of God plain
and simple in declaring the way of life, but the Holy Spirit is
given as a guide in understanding the way to life therein revealed.
I saw that the angels of God are never to control the will. God
sets before man life and death. He can have his choice. Many desire
life, but still continue to walk in the broad road. They choose
to rebel against God's government, notwithstanding His great mercy
and compassion in giving His Son to die for them. Those who do
not choose to accept of the salvation so dearly purchased, must
be punished. But I saw that God would not shut them up in hell
to endure endless misery, neither will He take them to heaven;
for to bring them into the company of the pure and holy would
make them exceedingly miserable. But He will destroy them utterly
and cause them to be as if they had not been; then His justice
will be satisfied. He formed man out of the dust of the earth,
and the disobedient and unholy will be consumed by fire and return
to dust again. I saw that the benevolence and compassion of God
in this matter should lead all to admire His character and to
adore His holy name. After the wicked are destroyed from off the
earth, all the heavenly host will say, "Amen!"
Satan looks with great satisfaction upon those who profess the
name of Christ, yet closely adhere to the delusions which he himself
has originated. His work is still to devise new delusions, and
his power and art in this direction continually increase. He led
his representatives, the popes and the priests, to exalt themselves,
and to stir up the people to bitterly persecute and destroy those
who were not willing to accept his delusions. Oh, the sufferings
and agony which the precious followers of Christ were made to
endure! Angels have kept a faithful record of it all. Satan and
his evil angels exultingly told the angels who ministered to these
suffering saints that they were all to be killed, so that there
would not be left a true Christian upon the earth. I saw that
the church of God was then pure. There was no danger of men with
corrupt hearts coming into it; for the true Christian, who dared
to declare his faith, was in danger of the rack, the stake, and
every torture which Satan and his evil angels could invent or
inspire in the mind of man. -