Hi Justine,
Here is an excerpt from the article 'Lazarus and the Rich Man'
http://bible-truths.com/lazarus.html ---------------------
WHERE DID CHRIST GO WHEN HE DIED?
Read I Cor. 15 again.
"Christ died for our sins," "He was buried," "He rose again the third day."
All right, let’s be Scripturally exact.
SPIRIT: When Christ "died," where did His "spirit" go? Scripture -- Luke 23:46: "Father, into thy hands am I committing My spirit."
Comment: Do other Scriptures verify this truth that at death man's spirit returns to God Who gave it? Yes.
"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return to the God Who gave it" (Ecc. 12:7).
BODY: Where did Christ's "body" go at death? Matt. 27:59-60:
"And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb ... "
Comment: Do other Scriptures verify this truth that dead bodies are normally buried or entombed? Yes.
" ... David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day." (Acts 2:29)
Do dead bodies normally begin to decay and stink after a few days? Yes.
"Martha ... Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days." (John 11:39).
Would Christ's body have started to decay had not God miraculously prevented it? Yes.
" ... nor was His flesh acquainted with decay." (Acts 2:3).
Was Christ (Himself) said to be where His body was? Yes.
"They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre ... " (Acts 20:2).
Comment:
Do other Scriptures verify this truth that the "person" or "personality" if you will, or whatever you want the pronoun "He" to represent, is where the body is? Yes.
" ... David ... he is buried ... " (Acts 2:29) It's "his spirit" and "his soul" but it's "he" that is said to be buried with the body.
It was "The Son of man" who was entombed in the earth (Mat. 12:40 & I Cor. 15:3-5). "Christ [he] died ... [he] was buried ... [he] rose again ...
SOUL:
When Christ died, where did His soul go? "For Thou wilt not be forsaking my soul in the unseen [hades]" ( Acts 2:27).
Comment:
Do other Scriptures verify this truth that at death the soul goes to the unseen (hades)? Yes. Psa. 49:15 " ... redeem my soul from the power of the grave [Heb. sheol]."
DEATH IS LIKE SLEEP
I have heard many jeer the idea that souls "sleep" in death. Although the phrase "soul sleep" itself is unscriptural, the idea that the dead are "sleeping" is most Scriptural.
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers..." (Deut. 31:16).
"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou [David] shalt sleep with thy fathers. (II Sam. 7:12).
"David slept with his fathers..." (I Ki. 2:10).
"Solomon slept with his fathers..." I Ki. 11:43).
Job said, "...for now shall I sleep in the dust..." (Job 7:21).
Get this one: David said
"...lest I sleep the sleep of DEATH..." (Psa. 13:3).
"For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [are dead]" (ICor.. 11:30).
"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep ... the dead shall be raised..." ( I Cor. 15:51-52).
"...the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep" (I Thes. 4:14).
"...My daughter is even now dead ... the maid is not dead, but sleepeth." (Mat. 9:18 & 24).
"For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption." (Acts 13:36).
It is said even of our own Lord:
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruit of them that slept" (I Cor. 15:20), etc., etc.
Now I believe all of these Scriptures. Either Abraham is dead, buried and sleeping with his fathers, just as Moses, David, etc., or these Scriptures can’t be trusted.
By the way, where do we read of "heaven" in this parable? There is not the slightest hint of the word heaven in this parable! Abraham’s "bosom" is no more heaven than my bosom is heaven.
Interestingly, not only did all these patriarchs go to sleep, but they went to sleep with their fathers, and many of their fathers were idolaters!
So there we have a dozen Scriptures stating that God likens death to sleep. In what way is being conscious and tortured in the flames of Hell analogous to "sleep?" God says death is "sleep." Now in what way is conscious torture in Hell fire analogous to "sleep?" In what way is a blissful life in Heaven analogous to "sleep?" Well, of course, it’s not analogous at all. Yet God plainly says, many times, that death is "sleep" God awakens dead people out of sleep.
Therefore, the teaching that the dead Rich man and dead Lazarus are not asleep is wrong and unscriptural. It is only in the figurative language of a parable can it be said to be different.
Let me give you a Scripture that will "lay to rest" (pun intended) this issue once and for all. What happens after one dies:
"If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change comes. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands." (Job 14:14-15).
When a person dies, he must: WAIT ... FOR APPOINTED TIME ... TILL CHANGE COMES ... GOD CALLS ... WE LIVE AGAIN...
When Jesus taught this parable there were no Greek Scriptures. So when this "rich man died" he went to Sheol [Heb. the unseen or imperceptible, the abode of the dead, the grave] It’s the same sheol that Christ’s soul went to at death:
Psalm 16:10--"For Thou will not leave my soul in the unseen [Sheol]."
This verse is quoted in the New Testament Greek:
Acts 2:27--"For Thou wilt not be forsaking my soul in the unseen [Gk. Hades]."
Sheol and Hades are synonymous. The Old Testament says Christ’s soul went to "Sheol," the New says His soul went to "Hades."
We know that Christ was the "firstfruit" of them that slept (I Cor. 15:20, 42, 43, 52, 53, 55, I Thes. 4:16-18). The "dead in Christ" are now "ASLEEP" according to the Scriptures.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat
Author
Topic: help with finding a Ray teaching (Read 6891 times)