OBSERVES he who fell asleep after his departure what still happens here on earth, and more particularly in his former circle of life? The question can be put, whether we who remain behind, can still do anything for our dead; but also the other whether our dead can still do anything for us. And this depends largely upon the possibility or impossibility, of their taking notice of our lot and of what goes on in our heart.
It is known how especially Spiritism has raised these tender questions again. But in former ages also the spirit of the bereaved and of those that mourned has looked for an answer to these questions, and from our side there has been a cleaving especially to the prayer of Isaiah, which is recorded in chapter 63 of his oracles, and in which among other utterances this definite one occurs: “O Lord, Abraham knows not of us and Jacob knows us not, Thou art our Father; Redeemer from of old is thy name.”
Yet we should be on our guard, not to infer from this, more than it contains.
When Isaiah thus prayed, Abraham and Jacob had already been dead many centuries. Here on earth neither Abraham nor Jacob had ever come to know Isaiah or one of his contemporaries.
Here, therefore, there could be no knowledge of remembrance. Here is declared in a very definite sense, that the dead know nothing of conditions, or persons, whom in their life on earth they have not known. But from this it follows by no means, that they should not be able to continue some sort of life along with the circle upon earth which they have known.
One might rather say, that in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus Jesus attributes knowledge to Abraham regarding the vicissitudes on earth of persons who lived long after him. In this parable indeed Abraham shows, that he well knew the altogether different lot in life, which had been the portion of that rich man and of poor Lazarus on earth.
It is then argued, that what is here recorded by Isaiah is not a word of God, not an oracle, but a complaint of a man, who could be mistaken, and that in any case the word of Jesus must be to us of far heavier weight. According to Isaiah’s complaint Abraham knows nothing of us. According to Jesus’ parable Abraham knows our whole lot in life. And so not what Isaiah complained, but what Jesus taught must be true.
Yet this also again goes too far. Jesus here speaks in a parable. In this parable, as is evident from what it says about Abraham’s bosom, the image is taken from the then current representation of the Jews. No one of us indeed will go so far, as to expect that after his death he will provisionally be carried into Abraham’s bosom, the expectation of the Jews of that day directed itself after dying to Abraham. Our expectation does not go out to the old patriarch, but to “being with Christ.”
Only this much is evident, that Isaiah’s complaint only refers to the not knowing anything of those whom on earth we have not known, and nothing definite regarding the awareness, also after our death, of what befalls those, with whom on earth we have shared the bitter and the sweet.
UPON this closer question Holy Scripture spreads no light. From the narrative of the witch of Endor nothing can be inferred, since here it was a case of deception and superstition. Also the recognition of Nebuchadnezzar by his vanquished enemies in the vision of Isaiah 14 when they say to him: “How art thou fallen, O, Morning Star” offers no decisive answer, in so much as the portrayal of such a vision may never be put on a par with history.
If it is difficult to accept, that like questions were not also raised in the days of Jesus and the apostles, and is it nevertheless evident, that in no one of the epistles a revelation regarding it is given us, not even in the book of the Revelation of John, it may be inferred from this, that the Lord is not willing, that we should lose ourselves too much in these musings and reflections.
All that rests us, therefore, is to derive our inferences from the nature of the case. And then the bearing knowledge of what befalls us on earth, on the part of our dead in Jesus certainly becomes highly improbable.
Also after dying our dead continue to be finite beings, creatures with limited horizon. Of omniscience there is no mention with them. And even our Savior would have no omniscient knowledge of us, were He not partaker of the Divine nature. Also in our Catechism the answer to question 47 sharply makes this same distinction. “With respect to His human nature, He is no more on earth. But with respect to His Godhead, majesty, grace and spirit, He is at no time absent from us.”
This last is not attributable to our dead in Christ, and may therefore not be applied to them.
And in so much as knowledge of what happens with us and goes on within us, demands such an omniscience, the boundary is here put, which we can not remove.
To this is added still something else.
Although until the return of Jesus our dead still miss the full glory, yet blessedness has begun with them at once. Think only of the “This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.”
Would it tally with this, that our dead have knowledge of our suffering and of our sins?
If they continually took part with us in our struggles against anxieties, and if their heart were to writhe with pain every time they saw us fall into sin, in view of the so much finer and tenderer love of their heart, would full blessedness be conceivable for them? Consider, that the black spot on our soul is not only evident in our courser sins, but operates daily throughout all our sinful life, and thus, with their more delicate perception of holiness would be to them a continual source of commiseration and of vexation.
IF then on this ground it must be seriously doubted, that our dead have knowledge of what after their death happens with us and in us on earth, another question is, whether the life of remembrance is not continued in them.
He who travels in distant lands, and in far off regions is cut off from all fellowship with what he left at home, surely continues the life of imagination and of remembrance with his own. And in this sense it is in every way possible, that also our dead in their blessed life above, in their remembrance carry us with them.
Yet this may not be taken in an earthly sense. For them there is a separation, which in this measure they have not known before. All their life up yonder is dominated from Christ as the center. What eternally goes in against Christ, is cut off from their love. Only what belongs to Christ or shall belong, interests their sanctified love.
Thus in the feeling also or sense of their memory-life a separation must have entered in. For so much as they whom they left behind, are in Christ, or by the tie of election shall be drawn to Christ, their love for them goes on, and increases in tenderness. But also on the other hand, for so much as this tie in Christ is wanting, or shall never be laid, their love for them would react against Christ.
And so it may be inferred, that living along in memory with those whom they left behind on earth, goes on where that tie with Christ is present or shall come, but with respect to others is cut off. Only so would this memory-life bring no disturbance in their blessedness.
On the other hand it would even heighten their blessedness, when among God’s angels they hear the shout of rejoicing arise over one sinner who is converted, in case it were told them, that that sinner was their child, their father, their mother, their brother, their friend.
IF now, barring this distinction, there is a continuance of the life of memory, there is then no single reason thinkable, why they who are asleep in Jesus, should not also pray for those whom they left behind.
Jesus prays for us, Jesus lives to pray for us. Hence the certainty of our salvation does not exclude prayer for us above. Thus His prayer also in heaven is nothing else, than, in His fellowship with the Father, giving expression to the love for His own.
Yet evidently Scripture does not intend, that in these prayers of our blessed we shall seek a point of support for our heart. For then with regard to it more would have been revealed to us. The point of support of our heart, the anchor of our hope, lies solely in the prayer of Jesus, and not in the prayer of angels or of saints who went before us.
But if our heart is fortified against this, and continues to place its hope solely on the Savior, the thought is ever delightful, that, as God’s angels are sent out to minister unto us, and at our death carry us into heaven, so likewise our saints who have gone before us, now in an altogether holy love continue their remembrances of us, then also when their soul pours out itself before the God of all grace.
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