Do we have an appointed time of death?

Ans. — Death was God's appointed penalty for sin, as Adam was forewarned (Gen.2:7), and sooner or later it comes to us all as sinful children of Adam (Heb.9:27). The time, the means, and circumstances of it are entirely in God's hand. In the cases of Enoch and Elijah, God intervened that they should not see death. In Abraham's case and many others, they “died in a good old age, satisfied with years.” In the New Testament, salvation having been accomplished by our great Redeemer's death and resurrection, death is spoken of for the believer as “asleep in Jesus” (or “put to sleep through Jesus,” New Trans.; see 1 Thess.4:14; Acts 7:16, etc.); for by Christ's atonement, the sting of death, sin, has been taken away for the believer.

Man being of few days, his life in this world must terminate in death, and the time when he goes is determined by God, as verse 5 states. But, what then? Job felt he was just like an hireling filling out his day, and he wished that God would give him rest until the end came. But again, what then?

We are mistaken if we imagine that Adam had immortality in himself; no creature possesses that; they are all maintained by God, who alone has immortality essentially. When it was no longer God's will to maintain it in the world, man became mortal, and his strength in fact wears out, according to the ways and the will of God; when such is God's will, he has a life of more than a thousand years - only three score and ten when He thinks fit. It is God's will that life should come to a close, that we should die, sooner or later; except those who shall be alive at the coming of Jesus, who shall be changed, because the Lord has vanquished death.

182 It is a mistake to suppose that Adam had immortality in himself. No creature possesses it. They are all sustained of God, who "alone has immortality" essentially. When God was no longer pleased to sustain in this world, man becomes mortal and his strength is exhausted: in fact, according to the ways and will of God, he attains to the age of near one thousand years when God so wills, seventy when He finds it good. Only God would have this terminate, that one should die sooner or later when sin enters, save changing those who survive to the coming of Jesus, because He has overcome death.

In a later day God gave His rebellious people the choice of "life and good, and death and evil" (Deut. 30:15). I do not suppose that their choice in any way affected their allotted span of years, but it did affect their position Godward.

There are cases where discipline is in the course of progress, and might terminate (Job 36:7-12) in death, but where the intercession of the saints may be the means of blessing, and in the administration of God's government in the Church on earth, may avert the threatened evil. As regards this government, the sins would be forgiven and the life of the faulty person spared, the soul being set right. (Job 34:23-24.)

Will the Lord admit the plea? He is not unrighteous to forget; He does not deny the truth of what Hezekiah says. He takes it at its worth, and tells him He will yet add fifteen years to his life. "Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years." (vv. 4, 5.)

On the other hand, if the sin was “unto death,” that is, of such grievous character that God had purposed to take the offender’s life from the earth, no amount of prayer could change this. A believer may have gone so far in such a case that the only resource of God’s mercy would be his removal from the earth. Certainly, this would not infer that we cease praying for the person, for his spiritual good, and for his restoration of soul to God; but to pray for his recovery to health would be ineffectual.

It is a great comfort to be assured that when we see a brother sinning, not unto death, we have liberty to pray for him. It is also comforting to know that God in such cases will deliver from the extreme penalty. All bodily affliction of course tends to death; but every bodily affliction does not indicate sinning unto death. To discern the case that is sinning unto death will require great nearness to God. In any other case we may without hesitation pray for the brother's life to be spared.

This thought is closely connected with the question of life and death: "The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up." Not only is our coming into the world completely under God's control, but when born, our life is in His hand; death, too, is amenable to His will. This is the sobering declaration of the prophet Daniel before the impious king Belshazzar: "The God in whose hand thy breath is." He is "the sovereign Lord of life and death." He killeth; death is His black-winged messenger. It is He who "turneth man to destruction, and says, Return, ye children of men" (Ps. 90:3), and who in "the last day" will cause His voice to be heard by all that sleep in the grave. He "maketh alive," and "bringeth up" from the grave. Resurrection is the sovereign act of His power.