First or Second Death?

Most Christians agree that the idea of second death expresses a final status concerning salvation. For the universalist believer it means a purification process leading to eventual salvation. However, most consider it to be a point of finality, when certain individuals will be irretrievably lost and condemned by Divine justice to some fate of destruction or eternal punishment.

I'd like to highlight one small aspect of this topic here. That concerns when people are subject to the condemnation of second death. Most Christian theologies still hold to a position that people will be judged for eternal life based on what they do or in the present life. In the case of the majority of people living this results in an unfavorable outcome since most do not accept Christ. That means as well that their postmortem status leading to the second death is essentially completed in this life.

I would like to propose that this is inherently unfair and actually places excessive weight on present life decisions. Firstly, all people living throughout history have already been subjected to the weaknesses of human nature which results in death. This is sometimes referred to as Adamic death, the essential point being that everyone is trapped in circumstances and a physical makeup that is incapable of living sinlessly and perfectly. We all die at the end of some number of years. That is the first death and it exactly corresponds to our life time of imperfection.

If a second death is considered a possibility at some point after death, then it must be for something additional, something beyond this life. To say that it is a reaffirmation of the 1st death in the final day of judgment seems redundant. It also appears to me that this also misses a crucial point. This is each judgment should be based on some period of trial, which itself should be capable of 2 outcomes, good or bad.

There are 2 possibilities for the period of trial. Many who have held to the future probation concept concentrate their attention on what is called the intermediate state. They consider that people will continue in a conscious state following the death of the body. Somewhere between death and the final judgment they suggest that God and Christ will reach out to each and present them the gospel for their acceptance and salvation.

The other possibility which I prefer is the the period of the resurrection is the time that God will present the all people with the truth, then they will have the opportunity the learn, to revive their minds and hearts and to reach everlasting life. It's the reason for the resurrection of the unrighteous that Jesus tells us about in John 5:28-29 and Paul also does in Acts 24:15. People will be brought back in a resurrection of judgment, that judgment containing an educational and reforming period. Then the decision will be made concerning life or death. If death is the outcome, that will be the second death. It is a failure that follows from the 2nd life, the resurrection time.

Standing Up

A Vision of the Kingdom

First there will be trouble, alot of it, enough to pretty much end the effective rule of earth's governments. Israel will be the only nation left standing with any functional organization. God's ancients, the patriarchs and fathers of Israel will be visibly asserting their authority and leadership. Christians will have been translated or gathered up with Messiah in the air, they won't be like other people, exactly how they will appear to humanity isn't spelled out in the Bible.

The government of Israel will have righteous leaders who will have the abilities to start the necessary healing process that will extend from Jerusalem to all of the nations. Many of the nations won't be the mood to cooperate, they will frozen out of the offered blessings until they decide it's the best way to get ahead. The earth's peoples will increasingly recognize the good leaders that will then be present, leaders who aren't selfish or dictatorial but helpful and honest.

Micah 5 tells about the start of this process, the raising up of the shepherds, truely good leaders. They will lead Israel through the tribulation. They will continue expanding their influence. See Daniel 2:44 the mountain will fill the earth. Daniel 12:1-3 they will shine as the stars. The vail of darkness over all of the people will be lifted as it hasn't been in the present age. Isaiah 26, 35 and 49.

What's really going to blow people away is the resurrection of the dead. People will start coming back, they will be standing again as living human beings. It won't be like the old days, the times of their deaths that may have been filled with suffering and pain, filled with darkness or despair at the approach of death. Instead they will be filled with the vitality of health, of peace, of justice all tied together in genuine love for each other. It won't be love rooted in any organization, in any dictator or self serving social movement. It will be love that is productive and desirous of reaching out to less fortunate, to those who need help.

Who will be restanding in this process? How about Sodom and Gommorah, those awful people that God destroyed in the days of Abraham? How about Nineveh, the inhabitants of Assyria that Jonah wanted to see God wipe out? And the queen of the south alng with the pharisees that Jesus talked to? Read the gospel accounts about who Jesus said would be present in the future kingdom of God. It's also the time of judgment as well and that isn't bad. If there's anything our world needs today, it's justice and fairness to all people. That's what the kingdom will provide. A chance for education and growth will also be included in this kingdom's bill of rights.

This is simply a natural continuance of the kingdom hope that was always present among the Jews, recall what Martha said to Jesus concerning Lazarus, that she knew he would be raised in the last day. That's God's book of life that Moses talked to YHWH about as they pondered the impact and consequences of Israel's sins at Sinai. God continued to work with Israel, whatever their imperfections he intended to bless his chosen people come what may. That intention extends into the age to come as told to Daniel in 12:1-3. That intention extends to all of the nations as told to Abraham "all the families of the earth". It's the role of the seed, Israel and Messiah to bless the other peoples of the earth. Ezekiel in chapter 16 expected this same time of re-standing, it will involve Judah and Israel first, then the cities of Sodom, the bottom of the human barrel.

Paul told the pagan Greeks on Mars hill that God has appointed a day that he has in store to judge the nations. It will be a righteous judgment, one completely full of light and life. Then people will get a good clear look at what God desires for them. The good news of the kingdom and of Messiah will extend to everyone. 1 Tim 2:5-6 it will be the culmination of "the testimony in it's own times".

The Just and the Unjust

Resurrection is associated with the time of the judgment of the last day. The phrase is used several times in the New Testament period. It includes all people, both righteous and unrighteous. What are the similarities and differences between the two groups?



1. Specific mention of unsaved people being present in the kingdom of God
2. Resurrection is a restoration to life for humans
3. Comparisons are made over the outcome of the judgments, some will turn out better than others, some will suffer less than others.
4. Some living during the transistion period between the present age and the one to come are not righteous, God will be dealing with those peoples. The invitation to change is pronounced and clearly possible.
5. There is no reason to think that unrighteous dead raised into that time period will have any different experiences than those who survive the time of trouble.

Justice of God & Future Punishment

Over the years many people discuss the issue of future punishment in the context of God's justice. While divine justice certainly includes the idea of correction and punishment, there is more to it than wrath. In fact, it's not how YHWH introduced himself to Moses, at that juncture he points out the reasons for his justice. It's practical. In contrast I would suggest that the idea of and unending burning justice is not practical, it doesn't correct, it doesn't do anything useful. His display of power over unrighteousness is to end that behavior, after that there's no purpose in infinitely prolonging his wrath in a static scene of horror.

Ezodus 33 says
18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

In Exodus 3:14-16 YHWH explains the reason for his intervention on behalf of Moses' people is their misery. That's a word that's never used for the afterlife because misery is not what happens to bad people after death.

Ezodus 34 tells us the reason for his justice, it's to be fair to all of the people. Sure, he does punish when needed. But first he's slow to anger. That doesn't fit with the usual idea that ignorant and unenlightened non Christians will be going into a fiery inferno. when God punishes, it has a purpose, when it's completed it's over. No trace of the idea that his wrath abides eternally because it's against his infinite nature.

6"Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, (G)compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;
7who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

Lastly Deuteronomy 24 has
17"You shall not pervert the justice due an alien or [a]an orphan, nor (B)take a widow's garment in pledge"

Justice is concerned with the fortunes of people, God takes care of the weak, that's real justice.

Progressive Orthodoxy at Andover

This is another very interesting approach by professors from the Congregationalist seminary at Andover. They deal with a couple of the criticisms concerning future probation. This is some good, deep thinking here.

Progressive Orthodoxy
A Contribution to the
Christian Interpretation Of
Christian Doctrine
By
The Editors of “The Andover Review”
Professors of Andover Theological Seminary

Boston, New York
1886

page 98
“What, now, are the passages is Peter’s allusion in the third chapter of his epistle to Christ’s preaching to the spirits in prison. The preponderating conclusion of scholarship is that Christ appeared in the adobe of the dead between his crucifixion and resurrection. That his message was other than the gospel, least of all that it was an exultant condemnation of the lost, we find it impossible to believe. The inference is natural, though not necessary, that if Christ preached to the contemporaries of Noah, the wickedest of former generations, his gospel is also made known to the heathern nations who have had even less than the warnings of Noah. The belief of the ancient church, a belief which has held its ground till the present time, that Christ descended into Hades, is a legitimate inference from Peter’s teaching, taken in connection with Paul’s parenthetical question in the fourth chapter of Ephesians, “Now this, he ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens.”

"Even more significant is 1 Peter iv. 5, 6 : “Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” Here it is expressly taught that, in order to make the judgment universal, the gospel was preached to all the dead as well as to the living. There is the identical connection of thought which we have indicated. Judgment by Christi is preceded by the preaching of the gospel to the living and the dead. The passage is unequivocal. It can no longer be maintained that the dead referred to are the spiritually dead, or that any others are meant than all the dead of former generations. Both the fifth and the sixth verses have the same general application to all the dead. And the very object of preaching the gospel to them is that they might be judged in the way according to which all men are judged in respect to the life in the flesh, but might yet in the way characteristic of God have opportunity t live in the spirit. The interpretation of Professor Kellogg that the preaching to the dead was to the martyrs who are now dead but who heard the gospel when alive is too fanciful to deserve serious consideration. "

"Another passge is that in the gospels concerning the sin against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven, neither in this world nor in that which is to come. These words of Jesus do not affirm that any sins will be forgiven in the world which is to come; but the inference is natural from his solemn declaration that the sin against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven in the world to come, that other sins may be forgiven hereafter. And, inasmuch as this sin is generally thought to be no other than the willful rejection of Christ, the inference is still more natural. It is possible, however, that Christ meant only to speak strongly, and was employing an “emphasized negative.” Professor Kellogg argues that the world to come was, in the opinion of the Jews, to begin with the resurrection, and that Christ had no reference to an age between death and resurrection, but to an age following the intermediate state. If we correctly understand this explanation, the inference would be that all sins can be forgiven all the way on up to the resurrection; that is, in this age or world; and possible, except the sin against the Holy Ghost, in the period which is ushered in by and follows the resurrection…. "

Page 100
"Again, if the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon are to be condemned to everlasting woe, in what sense can their judgment be more tolerable than that of Chorazin and Bethsaida? If Sodom, with the knowledge of Christ would not have been overthrown, and if Tyre and Sidon would have repented, can we believe that the knowledge of Christ will forever be withheld from them? And is it certain that our Lord had in mind more than the temporal calamities to which those cities had been exposed by reason of their sins? Was he thinking of the everlasting destiny of all the individuals who dwelt in them? "

Page 102
"The Scriptures plainly teach the universality of Christ’s work in its intent, its application, and its consummation. The burden of proof, even on the Scriptural side, rests upon those who aver that any portion of the race is excluded from the privileges of the gospel. It is not incumbent on us to quote Scripture which shall show that the heathen do have the gospel before they are judged. It is incumbent on those who oppose our view to quote Scripture which shall show that the heathen do not have the gospel before they are judged…. "

Page 102-103.

"The objection which are urged most strenuously against the hypothesis of future probation for the heathen are prudential. The consequences of such a hope are held to be dangerous. If it is admitted, so the argment runs, that there are any who may have opportunity after death, will not the hope be encouraged that some in Christian lands will also have such opportunity? Many to ready to say that they have not had a fair chance here; and as men are so prone to delay, they will be more secure than ever. We do not deny that there is force in this consideration. Such misues might be made of the breadth of the gospel. Men defer repentance for various insufficient reasons, presuming too much on the mercy of God, or on the more convenient season. But we do not accpt this objection as conclusive against the theory. It is difficult to judge of the usefulness of a particular belief. No one can tell how many are hardened against the gospel because the opinion has been advanced that all the heathen are hopelessly lost. Perhaps the harm done by encouraging delay would be more than offset by the harm done through narrow conceptions of the love of God. It is certain that many more have been prejudiced against the gospel by representations of God which make Him a severe and tyrannical Sovereign. It is certain that conscientious, intelligent men have shrunk from identifying themselves with a church and from embracing a religion whose God leaves the vast majority of the race without opportunity of salvation. There is danger on both sides, and it is impossible to decide on which side it is greater."

Dorner on the Future State

Isaac Dorner was one of the big guns of German evangelical protestant thought in the late 1800's. His views on future punishment and probation were enlightened and worth reviewing again. In his view, every person will have an opportunity for salvation after this present life, if they haven't already heard. It's a little known fact that most German theologians at that time went even further into various forms of universalism.

Dorner
on the
Future State
Being a
Translation of the Section of his System
of Christian Doctrine
Comprising
The Doctrine of the Last Things
With an Introduction and Notes
By Newman Smyth
New York Charles Scribner’s Sons 1883

Page 128-132

“The objective reason why dogmatically no positive categorical statement can here be made, lies in human Freedom. This does not allow the assertion of a universal process necessarily leading to salvation, because such a process is and remains conditioned by non-rejection and free acceptance.

But this same human freedom, so long as it lasts, also excludes any categorical dogmatical affirmation that there certainly are damned being; for so long as freedom of any kind exist, so long the possibility of conversion is not excluded, though it be through judgment and damnation to deep, long woe. And wherever this possibility issued in reality, there self-evidentl damnation could not continue. The necessary eternal duration of the rejection and damnation of the one class could be maintained, with complete definiteness, only provided we also taught, ad advocates of eternal damnation generally do teach, the total loss of freedom for conversion – absolaute hardening; whereupon the new question arises whether such are still men, and not rather beings that were men, but have really fallen back to a lower plane.

6. But a third theory seems now to meet increasing approval, in opposition both to church doctrine, and especially to the doctrine of apokatastasis, viz: the hypothesis of the annihilation of the wicked, which likewise thinks it can attain categorical statements respecting the question of persons. We accordingly dwell on it awhile.

If regard for the fact of freedom does not permit the affirmation of the doctrine that a harmonious conclusion of history and universal restoration are secured by means of a conversion certainly universal and without exception, -- for if the ethical process turned into a physical one, the result attained would be only apparently of ethical value, -- this harmonious conclusion might seem to be better secured by the view that, since the power of immortal life resides only in Christ and living communion with him, those who obstinately and finally withdraw from such communion perish and are annihilated. This theory may take account of human freedom and the divine justice further by leaving room for a punishment of the wicked, and making the very annihilation itself to be effected by the consuming divine penalties, which begin from the final judgment. In favor of the view of the final annihilation of the wicked, it is alleged that numerous expressions which are used in reference to those falling under sentence of condemnation suggest annihilation. The word death has, indeed, various meanings, but it always denotes the dissolution of a living power. … "

132
"This also seems to be held by all church teachers, who, in order to maintain the eternity of hell punishments, and cut off the continued possibility of conversion, assert a s a natural consequence and punishment of sin the entire loss of freedom in the case of the lost; with which, in keeping with the connection of knowledge and will, is linked a complete darkening of the spirit, and extinction of every remnant of higher light and knowledge of God. And however it may be disputed whether so shattered a being, in whom that which makes a man – reason and freedom – is extinguished, is still to be called a man, so much seems clear, that even the church teachers mentioned reach in the main point an annihilation of the ungodly. These are then to be viewed essentially as a kind of demeted beings, perhaps raging for ever in impotent fury, which again would be a sort of annihilation of their human character."

W Brookman

This is a book I found a couple of years ago. Mr Brookman was a Baptist with quite unconventional views on the fate of unbelievers. He didn't believe that masses of unsaved were dropping off into hell every day. He participated in an English movement called the Conditional Immortality Association, during the late 1880's and well past 1900 it published a large amount of original material under the name of "The Faith".

I have found this book The Future of the Non-Elect Dead: The Vast Majority of Mankind in all Ages, 1906 printing to be quite inspiring. He noticed that the salvation work of Christ extends to all humanity just as death had affected all. His prefatory remarks capture some key thoughts:

"This is an Argument of View concerning the Non-Elect's Future Probation in Resurrection, - for God does not prove that which is already tried and proved, as fallen and death-doomed, - for a right to take of the Tree of Life individually, (thus differing from their doom to death collectively) if found worthy of so doing after the judgment of "the man" or the few stripes" accoring to their lives "in Adam," as may or may not be needed for the character which they thus formed when they first lievd on Earth." page 4

He consistently links the coming resurrection with salvation and with judgment, they aren't opposites but a different aspects of the same process. The outcomes isn't necessarily bad as in much evangelical eternal torment views or necessarily good as in universalism.

On page 168 he continues:
"In the view I have presented throughout, and am now concluding, no such doctrine as that erroneously termed by many "a second chance" has been advocated. I neither use the term, not have I taught, nor do I believe the principle contained in it: the Truth of Election absolutely forbids it: but I do heartly believe "in a hope" as Paul puts it, existing in connection with "the Resurrection of the unjust"; and that such Period becomes the period of judgment, and probation for fitness to liev on the part of the Non-Elect or the vast majority of Manking (a much wider scope that that of the "unjust"), and is in reality their first "chance," using that term in the ordinary sense, but to speak more correctly, their opportunity: for they were born into a condition of condemnation and death: and so Death, not a Probation for Life, was theirs by their very birth; out of which Redemption by Resurrection alone can save them."

Brookman's book quoted is only one among several in the same vein published by "The Faith", although not all in that fellowship accepted the above position. Some very encouraging considerations concerning God's kingdom to come.

Conditional Immortality

The concept of conditional immortality has gained signicant acceptance among Christians of various denominations. Although maintaned by individuals like John Milton, Sir Isaac Newton and William Whiston in the 17th century it greatly increased in popularity during the 19th century. It's advocates tended to prefer a more positive description for their views by using the phrase "life in Christ". That was even used as the title of one of the most important conditionalist works of the late 1800's, Life in Christ (1846 and 1878 editions) by Edward White. The key thought of this view is that God only give immortality to the righteous believers in the gospel. The wicked of the world won't have any life after death, that translates then into a negation of the popular view of eternal torment or future retribution of peoples immortal soul's.

While this is a step in eliminating the moral concerns about eternal conscious punishments it offers nothing the extend the hope of salvation beyond the narrow scope of Christian believers.
Edward White himself felt the burden of this lack, he later elaborated a mild form of future probation. In a clerical symposium published in the Homiletic magazine of England he admitted the place that future probation had for those who receive no knowledge of the gospel in this life. The book Future Probation a Clerical Symposium, published by Nisbett in 1886 contains the full text of various prominent English clerics, some in favour and other opposed.

Edward White wasn't the only one among conditionalists to make this shift. I'd like to highlight Charles F Hudson, Canon C A Row, Henry Dunn, Jacob Blain and George Storrs. They each made the leap to the next level beyond simply opposing orthodox future retribution and eternal torment beliefs. They held that all people would have an opportunity for salvation beyond this life. Among present day evangelicals, a similar movement is taking place. See John Sanders No Other Name, and Crockett's The Fate of Those who Have Never Heard.

Life is indeed conditional, but it also provides a real offer of divine grace to all of humanity.

Future Probation is not Purgatory

The Catholic doctrine of purgatory bears similarities to the concept of future probation. But there are crucial differences. First, purgatory is to be experienced by those who die as Christians (Catholics), just that they haven't reached a state of spiritual growth that is appropriate for a direct elevation into heaven. The purgatorial fires occur in a post mortem state that is akin to what some call the protestant intermediate state since it precedes the time of resurrection and final judgment.

The Catholic doctrine of invincible ignorance is a bit closer to the future probation concept. But as II is motivated in explaining the fate of famous philosophers and great non Christian peoples it still falls short of a clearly laid out way to future salvation for all people.

Future probation has a somewhat different approach in that it describes the recovery of those who are not Christians in this life. It extends the time of divine compassion into the post mortem state for those that would not be eligible for purgatory after death. It contains elements that include a post mortem presentation or education concerning Christ.

I still find that there is hope for the non Christian in Catholic doctrine, it's a just harder to find it clearly described and still contains sigificant areas that are limiters in the scope of salvation.

Future Probation not Universalism or Pluralism

I here compare future probation to Universalism and Pluralism. Future probation varies from these in the some important ways.

Compared to universalism, the future probation viewpoint usually holds salvation is not necessarily universal, only the opportunity for salvation is thought universal. The intent is that all people are presented with sufficient information and circumstances to allow for a full chance to accept salvation. Several options are taken, that this occurs at the moment of death, that it occurs after death during the intermediate state, or lastly it occurs during a future judgment period usually occuring at the resurrection period.

Compared to pluralism, future probation holds that there is one truth as revealed in the Bible and that all people will be judged according to that standard. The idea of simple sincerity concerning God and religion is not sufficient to that view.

The knowledge necessary for salvation comes from one of two sources, those faithful to the Jewish Law covenant (knowing the God of Israel writes their names into the book of life) and those of the nations coming as gentiles through acceptance of Christ. Jesus Christ as messiah will deliver all of the saved and unsaved in the future kingdom of God. That kingdom then completes the education, correction and judgments that will lead to endless life for the unsaved (if they accept it).

A Bibliography

For study of this topic I have listed a group of items that have been helpful in my studies.

[1] Isa 2:2-4, 25:4-12, 35: 1-10, 42:1-16, 49:1-26:, 56:1-8, 62:1-12.
[2] Johnston, Philip S. Shades of Sheol, Death and the Afterlife in the Old Testament. Downers Grove. Intervarsity Press, 2002.
[3] Revelation 20:1-6. Greek world chilia is translated millennium.
[4] Harmon, Steven R Every Knee Should Bow, Biblical Rationales for Universal Salvation in Early Christian Thought. New York. University Press of America, 2003.
[5] Trumbower, Jeffrey A. Rescue for the Dead, The Posthumous Salvation of Non-Christians in Early Christianity. New York. Oxford University Press, 2001. Edward Beecher. History of Opinions on the Scriptural Doctrine of Retribution. New York. D Appleton and Co., 1878.
[6] Evil and the God of Love. John Hick. Revised Ed. New York. HarperCollins,1977.
[7] Alive Again. . John Class. San Diego. Aventine Press, 2005 For those that enjoy Christian fiction offering a positive alternative to the “left behind” series.
[8] Burms, Norman T. Christian Mortalism from Tyndale to Milton. Cambridge. Harvard University Press, 1972.; Walker D.P. The Decline of Hell, Seventeenth-Century Discussions of Eternal Torment. Chicago. University of Chicago, 1964.; Froom, LeRoy. The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers. Washington, D.C. Review and Herald, 1966.
[9] Geoffrey Rowell, Hell and the Victorians, Oxford 1974
[10] The Age to come or Glorious Restitution. Joseph Marsh. Rochester, N.Y. Advent Harbinger Office. 1851
[11] Future Probation, A Symposium on the question “Is Salvation Possible After Death?”. London. James Nisbet, 1886 Rev Edward White, Rev Richard Littledale and others take the affirmative on the question. Associated with this work is Immortality A Clerical Symposium. 1887. Both of these contain essays originally published in the Homiletic Magazine.
[12] Eternal Hope, Five Sermons. F W. Farrar. London. MacMillan and Co. 1892, orig 1878.
Mercy and Judgment. F. W. Farrar. London. MacMillan and Co. 1904, originally 1881.
[13] Theological Essays. Frederick Denison Maurice. London. MacMillan. 1891. orig. 1853
[14] Dorner on the Future State. Being a translation of a section of Christian Doctrine..On the Last Things. Isaac Dorner. Trans by Newman Smyth. New York. Charles Scribner’s Sons. 1883
[15] Beyond the Grave. Hermann Cremer. Translated from the German. New York. Harper & Brothers, 1886
[16] Progressive Orthodoxy A Contribution to the Christian Interpretation of Christian Doctrine. By the Editors of “The Andover Review”. Boston and New Yrok. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. 1886. Also see Whither? A Theological Question for the Times. Charles Augustus Briggs. New York. Charles Scribner’s Sons. 1889.
[17] The Destiny of the Human Race: A Scriptural Inquiry. 2 volumes. Henry Dunn. London. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. 1863. This work is a primary work representing earthly restitution views.
[18] The Future Human Kingdom of Christ; Or Man’s Heaven to be this Earth. Rev Dunbar Isidore Heath. London: J W. Parker. 1852.
[19] The Future of the Non-Elect Dead: The Vast Majority of Mankind in all Ages. Rev W. Brookman, London. “The Faith” Press, 1906.
[20] A Vindication of the Government of God Over The Children of Men, or, the Promise and Oath of God to Abraham. George Storrs. New York. Published by the author. 1874.
[21] Atheism and Theism. John G Wilson. Philadelphia. J. B. Lippincott. 1883.
Discourses on Prophecy. John G. Wilson. Philadelphia: Published for the author. 1850.
[22] Hope for Our Race; or, God’s Government Vindicated. Jacob Blain of Buffalo NY. London: Elliot Stock, 1871
[23] The Three Worlds. NH Barbour, Rochester NY, 1877. Divine Plan of the Ages. C T Russell. Allegheny Pa, 1886. The Day Dawn. John H Paton. Almond MI, 1880. This group of works are referenced multiple times by George N Peters in his 3 volume work Theocratic Kingdom. 1883 reprinted 1952.
[24] What About Those Who Have Never Heard? Three Views on the Destiny of the Unevangelized. Gabriel Fackre, Ronald Nash, John Sanders. Ed. John Sanders. Downers Grove, Intervarsity Press. 1995.
Through No Fault of the Own? The Fate of Those who Have Never Heard. Ed by William Crockett and James Sigountos. Grand Rapids. Baker Book House, 1991.
No Other Name. An Investigation into the Destiny of the Unevangelized. John Sanders. Grand Rapids. Wm. B. Eerdmans. 1992.
How Shall They be Saved? The Destiny of those Who Do Not Hear of Jesus.. Millard Erickson. Baker Books. 1996. Examines the multitude of options on this question. How indeed.

Future Probation What is It?

This is a topic that I've been studying for quite a few years. You see I'm kinda old.
Getting close to the time that I'm starting to think about what happens after people die.
This might be depressing to some, but the alternative terrors and hopes that people have for the time after death is quite a large part of religious and philosophical belief.

I'm going to advocate a Christian position, true to the Bible as I have studied it.

A few starting premises.

1. I believe that Jews and Christians are both encompassed in the community of believers that God is dealing with in this present life. He has made provisions for both in the life to come. Just so it's clear, Jews don't have to become Christians in this life, or the next to be saved.

2. There is a future time of resurrection when believers will be brought back to life. At present all who die go into a death state of unconsciousness. It's known as soul-death, a stronger form of the soul sleep doctrine.

3. There is a future time of resurrection to judgment that will include everyone else. It will be a time for education, growth and opportunity. It will be a time of potential life.

4. There will be a final accounting that will eventually occur, everyone will have made their choices by then, many for life, some for death. That time of renewed life constitutes the hope of future probation.

The Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12, 17 and 22 contains the all encompassing promise of life to those of Abrahamic descent and those who are of the nations.

I will present some of my research findings here. There are and have been alot of Christian and Jewish people who I count as fellow believers in this position. There are many elements of this belief that have been incorporated into various theological schemes, some with great success. I count among those the famous name of F W Farrar, whose Eternal Hope in 1878 rocked the religious world. The systematic theological works of Herman Cremer and Isaac Dorner likewise upset more than a few theological applecarts. Others today talk of a wider hope, of post mortem evangelization, even of universal salvation. We have something in common.

A positive assesment of this question is not the "orthodox" position, I defer to those who claim some organized history behind that label. Orthodoxy generally rejects any hope for future life outside of Christian belief in the present time. All else go into eternal hell or loss. But that doesn't mean I recognize that position, or the authority and exclusive claims to truthfulness.

It's a stimulating topic.