The following are excerpts from the book “The Voice of the Seventh Angel”.
Why cannot the children be made perfect without the fathers, and the fathers without the children? Because this perfection cannot be attained without continued life and experience; and this eternal law of Reincarnation gives the necessary opportunity to become perfect as our Father is perfect.
What are we to understand by the words — “Instead of the fathers shall be the children?” We are to understand that the fathers decrease according to the flesh, and live again in the children according to the spirit.
How is this brought about? By the principle of Reincarnation by which the fathers become the children and the children become the fathers.
How is this accomplished? By the fathers returning to birth. This beautiful order of Reincarnation, or restoration, or reproduction, places all mankind in a condition on the earth, in accordance with their previous life; whether good or evil, and gives a further opportunity to obtain knowledge.
Then this law, the re-birth of man is indispensable in his salvation? Yes, because it gives him a full and perfect opportunity to be saved.
What are we to understand by the doctrine of the resurrection? We are to understand that all men will be restored to good or evil, according to their previous lives in their probationary period.
How is the resurrection brought about? By the spirits of all men, returning to birth, in accordance with the laws of nature and God.
What is the resurrection? It is the reunion of the spirit with the body.
What is the resurrection to life? It is the coming forth of those who have done good, to enjoy the fruit of their labors in the Kingdom of God, in the great day of a thousand years.
What are we to understand by the Last Day so often spoken of in the Scriptures? It is the last day of the earth’s probationary condition, which day will be a thousand years. It is the day of the Great Judgment, in which space of time the Saints will judge the world and rule the nations with equity.
What is the resurrection to damnation? It is the restoration of those who have done evil to their just reward, evil is restored to them, or they come to rebirth under conditions of evil and darkness; in accordance with their desires of evil in their previous life time and probation.
Then the doctrine of the resurrection as taught generally by the ministers and teachers of Christendom is not true? No, verily no.
What are we to understand by the words of Paul “And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body which shall be, but grain, it may be wheat, or some other, but God giveth it a body as “it hath pleased him?” We are to understand that all creatures are resurrected or reproduced according to the laws of nature and pleasure of God, that is if we sow wheat, we expect wheat, and so on according to the kind of seed we may sow; but we do not sow the body of man that we may obtain the body that shall be, and it is absurd in the extreme to expect that body to rise again as a body, or that the body which shall be, will come from that which is put in the grave.
It will be well for these men to consider the manner by which man’s tabernacle or body is reproduced or resurrected, and they may come to the right conclusion of the fact; that the whole question of the resurrection, or restoration, or reproduction of man’s body is contained in that beautiful principal of rebirth — and that the resurrection of the body of man, is the soul of that great command God gave in the beginning “multiply and replenish the earth.”
This is God’s plan of resurrection or reproduction of all mankind as far as the body is concerned and he will not step out of it to please or suit the opinions or theories of any man or any number of men; he will not and cannot perform an impossibility though all Christendom may teach the theory; he will call upon them to repent and learn the fact that their teachings are wind and confusion and that their wisdom is foolishness with God.
Angels and Heaven
What is an angel? A resurrected being.
What is a spirit? One who is not resurrected.
Who are angels? All mankind are angels to God or the Devil.
Where is heaven? Where God lives.
What is heaven? A condition of light and truth, love and purity.
When will God indeed dwell with man on earth? In the great reign of righteousness and peace.
What kind of beings will constitute the kingdom of God? Resurrected beings, who in their previous lives went through great tribulations, having overcome the world, the flesh of the devil.
What are we to understand by the terms the living and the dead? The living are those who know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. The dead are those who know not God and the Son of Man whom he hath sent, with power to resurrect both the just and the unjust; some to everlasting life; some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Who is ordained to judge both the quick and the dead? The Son of Man.
When will the great Judgment take place? During the last thousand years of the earth’s temporal state, say the millennial period.
Where will mankind receive their reward? On the earth and in the earth; in the regions of light, or in the domain of darkness. In accordance with their works and true character whether good or evil?
The Law of Eternal Life
What is eternal life? The possession of power to always live, or to be changed in the twinkling of an eye, or to immediately enter another tabernacle.
What are we to understand by the gospel of the Son of God? It is a divine law which gives to everyone an opportunity to obtain a knowledge of God, and to lay hold of eternal life.
What is the order of the Son of Perdition or that gospel which is not a gospel? It is a system of rules and degrees administered by wicked oaths; destroying manhood and making them slaves to some promised great secret, which is in reality a great flattery and a lie. It chains freedom, blights the mind, binds the soul, destroys the earth, and secures eternal death; yea, under its withering influence mankind have been cursed from the beginning.
Then the institution of the law of eternal life, and the period of probation, comprehends the grand question of man’s development, this ability to choose his future? Yes, in this point of time divided off from eternal duration, this law was placed before all mankind, giving each an opportunity to obtain everlasting life or death.
The Plan of Redemption
In what sense did all mankind die in Adam? In a spiritual sense, he being the chosen representative of the race.
In what sense will all be made alive in Christ (Adam the quickening spirit?) In a spiritual sense also, i.e., all will hear the voice of the Archangel (Adam) and come forth out of their graves, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt, and they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.
Will any of the human family be damned because of Adam’s transgression? No, verily no, neither will any be saved by the obedience and work of the Son of God, but the salvation or condemnation of all mankind, will depend upon their own act and choice of life or death.
Then the great plan of redemption, (comprehended in the commandment and transgression in the beginning; the obedience and suffering and death in the meridian of time; the restoration of all things or beings, in the end of time;) will not make any difference whatever to the nature and character of any man? No, verily no, the whole arrangement simply involves the question of man’s agency, giving him the opportunity of choice, and was a method or plan devised by the Father and his Only-begotten, to test and prove the nature, disposition and capabilities of all the inhabitants of the earth; through a probationary period of seven thousand years, including the last great day of judgment.
Then let it be known that the life and actions of all mankind, whether good or evil will not be changed or affected in the least degree by the great plan of redemption; but that all mankind will find themselves responsible for their own acts, and that this method was instituted to give a knowledge of good and evil; (by the transgression of a given law,) and the power through repentance and obedience to overcome evil by the good. Not in any sense escaping the consequences of evil actions, but to overcome them; this is the only way of dispensing with the result of evil deeds; and on the other hand no one will be rewarded for good works, because of this plan of salvation, but in harmony with it, for justice demands a reward of good to those who have done good, whether they obey the gospel or not.
Or, in other words, as the fall of Adam did not affect the character of any man, in the beginning, so neither will the restoration, but everyone will be resurrected and restored to that which he hath done; i.e.: the whole plan of salvation is simply the institution of laws calculated to test the character of the human race; making it possible for every individual to receive a righteous judgment in accordance with his own acts and free choice whether it be unto eternal life or unto death.