The Faith as Unfolded by Many Prophets/Of Death and Judgment

by Harriet Martineau

OF DEATH AND JUDGMENT.

 

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It was early in the morning, before Eber had gone forth from his chamber, when he heard a voice calling Aza. It was the child of Havilah who sought the old man: and when he could not find him in the honse, nor in the porch, nor in the garden, he came to ask of Eber whether he had seen him.—Eber would have gone forth with the boy to seek his friend, but in a moment the child was gone. After a while he came back weeping; and he took Eber's hand and led him forth silently. They passed under the palms, and beside the stream till they came to the field of tombs; and there the child pointed to the place where Aza lay along the ground, his face covered by his robe. Eber feared to disturb him, if he should be at prayer or in sorrow; yet he knew not but that sickness or death might have seized on him suddenly. He said therefore to the child, Why is Aza here?

I know not, said the boy, still weeping; — when I found him, I pulled aside his robe and asked him to go with me into the field: but he bade me leave him, and come not to him again till tomorrow, because he mourns for the dead this day.

We will therefore depart, said Eber: — no eye should watch the mourner when his desire is to be alone.

But, said the boy, I cannot water the plants in my garden unless Aza help me. And who will tell me of the birds, and of the stars, if Aza be away? And I cannot sleep at noon unless he be beside me. O, if tomorrow were come!

Eber comforted the child and led him to the spring, and poured water upon his fruit trees and flowers. Then he sat down in the shade, and took the child between his knees and talked with him.

For whom is Aza mourning this day? he asked.

I suppose it is for his sons who are dead, answered the child. He told me that his sons were once like me, and he used to talk to them as he talks to me. But they are dead, and he will not see them again till he himself is dead.

Then he surely hopes to see them again.

Yes; because the Prophet told where they and all the dead are gone, and where the living shall meet them again, and what is done in the grave and in Paradise.

Tell me, said Eber, what the Prophet has taught about the dead.

Nay, but Aza says that the Christians do not believe what the Prophet taught.

I am a Christian, said Eber; but I believe that the dead are gone where we shall see them again, and that there is a happy place which Aza calls Paradise, where the people who love God shall dwell for ever.

My father believes this, too.

Yes: all people believe this, who have heard what Jesus Christ said of death, and who know how he raised to life persons who had been dead, and how he was raised up himself when the tomb had been closed over him.

While Eber told the child what miracles Christ had wrought upon the dead, Havilah drew near, and sat down to listen. — When Eber had done, the boy exclaimed,

I will go to Aza and tell him what Christ did to Lazarus, and how Martha hoped while she wept. Let me go to comfort Aza.

But Havilah forbade him: and when he wept again, his father took him into the house, that he might forget his grief amidst his sports.

When Havilah returned to his friend, he said: It is with the Gospel even as thou hast said. The wisest of men may meditate long on this story of Lazarus, and yet a child can understand it. If my boy were to behold Aza or myself carried to the tomb tomorrow, he would remember that Martha hoped while she wept, and would hope also. I have long believed in all that the Christian Scriptures tell of Lazarus, because it agrees with what our Prophet taught of the state of the dead.

Concerning the state between Death and the Judgment, said Eber, the Christians believe not that any revelation has been given; for we know not even of those whom Jesus raised, or of Jesus himself, what was done when the body lay dead. Of them should we have heard if it had been intended that we should know. — The funeral wail for the daughter of Jairus had only begun when the Lord raised her up: and where her spirit, was when her breath ceased, we know not. — The young man of Nain was on his bier, and men were carrying him to the grave, when Jesus restored him to his mother; — from him also we know nothing of what Death appeared to him. — Lazarus had been in the sepulchre four days, when a voice from heaven bade him come forth; — yet that voice gave no command that he should reveal aught that had befallen him in the tomb. Neither did the Lord, who told us all that we know of a life beyond the grave, explain when the Judgment should be, and what is the state of the dead till that hour.

To Mohammed was it given to tell these things, said Havilah^[1]. And he has left us not only the tradition which he commanded should not be forgotten, but certain words in the Book by which we know how to look for the Dread Ones in the grave. It is merciful in God thus to have given warning by his Prophet; for it would be a more fearful thing than the spirit could bear, to meet the angels without being prepared. And as for the anguish of the serpents, — who could endure it but they who knew that it must come because their sins were great?

Is it possible that my friend knows not, said Eber, that this tradition was told among the Jews many hundred years before Mohammed entered the world? The torment of the grave is by them called 'the beating of the sepulchre;' and they believe that all men must undergo it, but those only who die on the evening of the Sabbath, or who have dwelt in the land of Israel.

But, replied Havilah, to what Jew was it ever given to know whither the spirit departs till the day of the resurrection^[2]? Who but Mohammed beheld how the prophets enter at once on the bliss of Paradise; and how the Faithful are at peace under the care of God, while the wicked are thrown into a dungeon in the lowest earth? Who but Mohammed knew when the spirits hovered near the graves, so that he might salute them; and gave assurance that his salutations were heard by the dead as well as the living, though they could not answer?

The Christians thus believed before Mohammed was born, answered Eber; and it was their custom first to pray, and afterwards to offer gifts at the tombs of holy persons: and thus arose the superstition of worshiping the saints, and Mary the mother of Jesus. Thus the idolatry which is offensive to us both, arose from the superstition which Mohammed adopted from the Christians, and encouraged in his followers.

If the Christians thus believed, said Havilah, whence came their belief?

Not from their Lord, nor from his Apostles; but from certain philosophers, who mingled some superstitions of the pagans concerning the soul with the purer religion of Christ. — By the Gospel we know that there is life after death. But how life is renewed, and where and when men shall receive their lot of good or evil, God has given it unto no man to reveal.

Havilah replied, Unto no man indeed has it been given to reveal when the day of resurrection shall be; nor is it known even to the angels^[3]. Our Prophet asked of Gabriel concerning it; and even he who writes down the decrees of God had not beea told this secret.

This also did Mohammed learn from the Christians, replied Eber, for it is written in their Scriptures how Jesus said, 'Of that day and that hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father only.'

But, answered Havilah, unto Mohammed it given to declare the signs which shall be in the earth when that day is approaching^[4]. The lesser signs are; that the faith shall decay among men, and that there shall be troubles and seditions, and so great distress in the world, that men shall look on the graves and sigh to be at peace within them.

Eber answered, When Jesus warned his followers of a great and terrible day of the Lord, he said, 'When the Son of Man cometh shall he find faith on the earth?' Again, 'There shall be wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. All these things are the beginning of sorrows.' Again, 'There shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world unto this time, nor ever shall be.' These words of Jesus were written more than five hundred years before Mohammed was born, and from those writings he learned them. — Now tell me the greater signs of that day.

Havilah replied, The sun shall arise in the west, and the moon shall be eclipsed, and a smoke shall go forth to fill the whole earth. The beast of which the Prophet told shall arise out of the earth, and its mark shall be on the faces of men according as they are believers or infidels. Antichrist shall also come, and many false prophets under him. There shall be many wars, and much fire and slaughter; and rivers shall flow abroad and leave their channels dry. The Jews shall meet with a terrible destruction, and few of them shall be hidden from the slaughter. Then shall Jesus descend from heaven, and under him shall the righteous live in peace; till the great wind shall arise, which shall bear away together the Faithful whom God hath chosen, that they may not be destroyed with the world, when the end shall come^[5]. — These are the greater signs by which men may know that the day is at hand.

Then Eber took from his bosom the Book of the Gospel, and pointed out several portions of it to his friend, saying, See if to Mohammed indeed these many signs were first made known. It was not of the same great day that he and Jesus spoke; but of the Gospel did your Prophet learn the signs.

Then Havilah read, 'The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven, shall be shaken^[6].' 'And I beheld a beast coming up out of the earth: — and he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hands, or in their foreheads^[7].' 'If any man shall say unto you, Lo! here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders ; insomuch that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the elect themselves^[8].' 'Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places^[9].' 'Then (when armies are round about Jerusalem) let them which are in Judea flee into the mountains: let him who is on the house-top not come down to take any thing out of his house: neither let him that is in the field return back to take his clothes. And alas for them who are with child, and for them who give suck in those days ! And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved^[10].' 'Then men shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. — Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; When its branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors^[11].'

Havilah looked at his friend in surprise when he had read. — I knew not, he said, that so many of the signs of the Prophet were told in the Christian Scriptures. Here are also some which Mohammed said should take place at the hour of resurrection; such as that a star should fall, and the trumpet should be sounded, and that a woman should abandon her sucking child.

Tell me other signs of the resurrection, said Eber; and perhaps we shall find that they also were written before Mohammed was born.

The heavens shall melt, said Havilah, and the angels who stand between heaven and earth to guide the stars, shall die; and the last angel who shall die will be the angel of Death. And the water of Life which flows from under the throne of God shall be given unto men.

Then Eber opened the volume again, and read from the Book of Revelations concerning the angels who stood between heaven and earth; and how Death should be destroyed; and how the river of Life flows from under the throne of God. — Henceforth, said he to Havilah, read of these things as they were first written; and then shall the truth appear what these signs are, and whereof they signify.

Is it not of the day of resurrection that Jesus spoke? asked Havilah.

Let every one judge for himself, said Eber; but none can judge till he has read the whole.

I have heard from thyself, said Havilah, that every Christian believes that there is a resurrection for every man.

Even so, said Eber; and that there is a just judgment for all. This is the greatest of all the truths which Christ was appointed to make known. Till he came, there was only the hope of every man's own mind that the dead should live again. Jesus has made this hope sure and steadfast, by bringing a promise from God, and by arising from the sepulchre himself, and ascending into heaven in the sight of many. Till Christ came, they who mourned for the dead earnestly desired to know whither they had departed, or whether they should indeed exist no more. They looked around for signs of what should become of the life of man. They saw how trees, whose branches had been bare, put forth leaves again as the seasons changed; and while they saw this, they hoped. But they also beheld how the human body is sometimes turned to dust, and scattered to the four winds; and then they feared that no new life could spring from such remains. Again, they watched the dragon-fly as it came forth from the reeds where it abode as a worm, and spread its silken wings in the sunshine; and then there was again a hope that if from so mean a body so beautiful a life could arise, life might also issue from the grave. — But in all this there was no certainty: and those who now read what Paul wrote concerning the resurrection, look back upon the doctrines of ancient times as a man remembers the idle tales of his childhood. The believing Christian is no longer perplexed when the hour is come for himself or for any whom he loves; but a sure hope sustains him when he suffers, and consoles him when he mourns.

There is, however, no hope without fear, declared Havilah. Both just and unjust must be tormented long and grievously till their lot is fixed: and though the guilty shall suffer infinitely the most, there is no one who can escape wholly, or who can therefore die entirely without fear^[12].

It is true, replied Eber, that no man is altogether holy: and since every secret thing is to be brought into judgment, all who are conscious of evil deeds and of impure thoughts must tremble in the belief of the punishment which awaits such deeds and thoughts. Great is the woe of the guilty, therefore, when their hour is coming: but the just man so loves God, and is so beloved of him, that the judgment becomes a, joyful rather than a fearful thing. The just man knows that God is merciful to forgive sins on repentance; and while he mourns the evil he has done, he yet trusts in the love of his Father, and longs to draw nearer to him, that he may know and love him continually. If God is the Judge, he is also the Father of men; — and who that is obedient, should fear to meet a father perfect in justice and in love?

In the end we know, replied Havilah, that the righteous shall be fully blest^[13]; but the terrors of the judgment-day are for all.

I believe, answered Eber, that there shall be much that is awful to be beheld; much that cannot now be conceived by those who have seen only the things which are done upon the earth; — but that there shall be pain of body or anguish of spirit for the righteous while they stand in God's presence, I do not believe. Christ hath not so taught; and if the Father be indeed merciful, this cannot be true. It is with death, as it was but yesterday with the darkness that spread over the land at noon-day. Every man knew that the sun should be eclipsed, and it was eclipsed for all alike; yet some looked upon it with delight, and others with horror; some with calmness, and others with doubt. Some covered their faces when they saw how the cold shadow crept over the radient earth, how the flowers closed themselves up, and the birds were hushed, and the flocks lay down together; — for such beholders were guilty, and they feared judgment from God. Others looked up with wonder, and feared they knew not what; — for they were ignorant. But because the wise and the innocent know not fear, Ramul the sage watched with satisfaction how all came to pass as he had foreknown ; and thy child leaped upon thy bosom with joy, and smiled to see the stars come forth amidst the darkness. — Thus in death may the pure repose on the love of his Maker.

There are some, innocent as my child, said Havilah, who, as the Prophet declared, shall enter Paradise without being judged. For such there is no fear, when they have once passed out of the excessive heat of the sun. But for all those whose works shall be weighed, there is surely fear and sorrow. My child would fear to give an account to me if he knew that he had done evil, — and what man, I again ask, is wholly pure?

None, replied Eber; but they who love God have already confessed their sins before they are judged. If they have deeply and truly repented, there is hope of free forgiveness; if not, they will meekly endure their punishment, and not love God the less. The more men love God, the less will they fear to stand before him; and if there were any who loved perfectly, they would fear nothing, knowing that their Father giveth perfect peace hereafter to such as perfectly obey.

Havilah answered, If our friend Aza believed as the Christians believe, he would not mourn for his sons with so bitter a grief as at this very hour.

Is his grief, asked Eber, for them, or for himself, because he is left childless in his old age?

Many are the tears which he has shed, replied Havilah, when he has seen the sons of other men going forth to war, or joining the company in the pilgrimage: but his greatest fear and sorrow is for them, though they were his delight in their lives, and his pride in their death. In their religion they were faithful; their hands were clean, and their hearts pure.

Whence then are the fears of Aza?

The terrors of the judgment-day are ever before him. I have seen him look up to the sun; and, remembering how it shall one day leave its place^[14], and afflict with a burning heat all who wait for judgment, cover his face with his garment. I have marked his clenched hands and frowning brow when he has heard how long men must stand in torment awaiting the judgment; and in the night-time I have been roused by his cry, 'They have fallen! They are lost!' and then I knew that he dreamed of the narrow way over the abyss^[15]. — When I have awakened him, and declared my belief that his children and himself shall alike pass the narrow way in safety, he has wiped the sweat from his brow, saying only, 'The will of God be done!' — Thus does his fear almost overcome his faith.

Eber exclaimed, Would that men could discern what is the will of God, as well as strive to submit to it! Who would not grieve for the anguish of Aza, and of many who have suffered like him, if it were shown that this superstition of the sun being unsheathed had been devised by the Jews many ages ago; that from them and from the Magians, and not from on high, had Mohammed heard of the narrow bridge over the bottomless pit of fire? This will I show to Aza from the ancient books of the Jews. Would I could show it likewise to all who have vainly suffered from this tradition of your Prophet?

I impute it not to Mohammed as a falsehood said Havilah. If it were believed first among the Jews, it may yet be true.

I lay it to Mohammed's charge, replied Eber, that he has made worse that which was no better than a superstition among the Jews. — They supposed that idolaters alone were subject to these torments and trials: Mohammed declares that the righteous shall share them. If it were so, I could no longer call God the tender Father of men.

Yet his mercy is finally sure, replied Havilah; for Mohammed himself will intercede for men^[16], and to him nothing is refused. In him is our only hope in that day; for no other prophet, neither Adam, nor Noah, nor Abraham, nor Moses, nor even Jesus, will intercede for so many who are guilty in great things or small.

In God himself is my hope, replied Eber. Though many prophets, though angels who stand about the throne should offer to intercede for me, I would not accept their intercession. I would say, 'God is just, therefore will I trust in him. God is merciful, therefore will I hope in him. God is my Father, therefore will I draw nigh unto him; and none shall interpose between us. I will myself seek his forgiveness: what he grants, I will joyfully receive; that which he may inflict, I will patiently bear.' — Thus should it be, where there is love between a Father and his child. Thus it is between God and man, as Jesus showed when he declared that there was no need of intercession with God. Hearken to his words: 'I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loveth you^[17].' I trust our friend Aza feels that no intercessor is needed between the mourner and Him who causes mourning; — and if not here on earth, why hereafter, when we shall be drawn yet nearer to God?

Let us go, said Havilah, and comfort Aza, as I have been wont to comfort him, with the truth that according to the thoughts of the heart and the deeds of the hands shall man be judged. In this the Christians and the Faithful alike believe; and in this may they who mourn the innocent have confidence, and be consoled.

When Havilah and Eber drew near the place of tombs, they saw that Aza had risen from the ground; and though his head was bowed as he sat in the shade, his countenance was calm, so that they feared not to approach. The child

1. Prelim. Dissert. page 77.
2. Prelim. Dissert. page 77-78.
3. Prelim. Dissert. page 79.
4. Prelim. Dissert.
5. Prelim. Dissert. pp 79, 80.
6. Matth. xxiv. 29.
7. Rev. xiii.
8. Matt. xxiv. 7.
9. Matt. xxiv. 23, 24.
10. Matt. 16-22.
11. Ibid. 30-33.
12. Prelim. Dissert. p. 86.
13. Prelim. Dissert. p. 87.
14. Prelim. Dissert. p. 86.
15. Prelim. Dissert. p. 91.
16. Prelim. Dissert. p. 87.
17. John xvi. 26, 27.