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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Bible Questions Answered: Soul Sleep- II

Bible Questions Answered:
Some people tell me that when you die, your soul is asleep, until resurrection, others don't think this.
Aadyn/ Melbourne, Australia

Bible Answer:

Our Lord's words to the penitent thief on the cross...
Luke 23:43 KJV
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.

Our Lord's teaching concerning the afterlife...
Luke 16:22,23 KJV
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments,...(Please see our Saviour's teaching/Mark 9:42-48)

(In preface to our next verse please read, whole story of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31.)

This true account as told by the Saviour, relates how that the dead are “not-sleeping,” but very much awake and aware of their surroundings, albeit joy or pain.

Lazarus had gone to a place called “Abraham's bosom,” or paradise, which was located at the center of the earth, and at some distance from the area known as hell.
The two were separated “afar off/ verse 23,” “a great gulf fixed, separated the two verse 26.

All this is mentioned to allude to the words of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesian believers....

Ephesians 4:8-10 NLT
8 ...the Scriptures say,
“When He ascended to the heights, He led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to His people.”
9 Notice that it says “He ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.
10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that He might fill the entire universe with Himself.

Who were these “captives,” that our Lord lead into the heights (heaven)? They were the righteous since Adam and Eve, who had been waiting in Paradise for Christ to take them to heaven.

Why hadn't they all gone to heaven before this time/ and why was such a place necessary (paradise)?
It was because the title of “first-fruit,” first to ascend into heaven, belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the first-fruit of resurrection.

Far from being asleep, the Lord Jesus having descended into Paradise, lead the captives, to heaven, the everlasting home of the redeemed.

The Apostle Paul's words …
II Corinthians 5:6-8 KJV
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

II Corinthians 12:2-4 KJV
1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise ( the third heaven), and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

1st heaven: The atmosphere.
2nd heaven: The Starry heaven, the universe.
3rd heaven: God's throne, heaven, everlasting Eden, home of the blessed.

Other Proof:

Moses and Elijah certainly were not soul sleeping!
Matthew 17:1-6 KJV
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Moses had been dead for centuries, and Elijah been taken up many centuries before.