I Believe in Death and in the Resurrection of the Dead
by Paul Stringini
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1). Introduction
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1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ... 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.


The New Testament paints a very clear picture of the resurrection of the dead.  There is a specific order to the resurrection. 

Christ is risen.  He is the first begotten from the dead (Revelation 1:5).  He is our example. By understanding Christ's death and resurrection we understand what will become of us when we die and when we are raised from the dead.

Those who are Christ's and have died shall God raise up when Christ returns, and afterwards the living will also be made to conform to the image of the resurrected Christ, without having ever died.  And No one living will be raised before the dead are raised, that is clearly stated in scripture more than once.

These are the facts I seek to establish and defend. 

Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Romans 6:5 is speaking primarily of a spiritual application, but the spiritual application is not the only application.  In context with other similar passages, it is safe to say that this is also true in a carnal/physical application.   Our physical experience of death and resurrection will mirror Christ's physical experience.

We will die and experience death, as Christ did.  Not in the exact same manner, but in the essentials.  And we expect to be be raised from death exactly as Christ was raised from death as well.  We will be planted in the earth, as he was planted in the earth (whatever specific form that "planting" takes is not relevant, the relevant part is that when we die our bodies are disposed of  in the way of all flesh).  We will come forth from the earth in resurrection, as Christ came forth from the earth in his resurrection, raised bodily from the dust into an incorruptible body from the Lord.  The greatest distinction being that many believers have waited centuries for resurrection whereas Christ was in the ground for only three days, and therefore +
did not decay.

Despite the utter simplicity of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, what I am laying out is going to be reflexively rejected or heavily resisted by a large percentage of those who read this.  What we think we know is often our worst enemy. 

1 Corinthians 8:2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.


I have looked at this issue for nearly twenty years, originally, I also had a reflexive reaction against the truth because of my own cultural conditioning and prejudice.  But we have to see that behavior for what it is.  Human beings tend to prefer "truths" that they are "used to," or that please them, or truths that are widely accepted by others, and authorized by those who have placed themselves in authority, and that is how heresy thrives. Individuals preferring their own opinions over that which is written, and institutions institutionalizing those ideas over time.  And any leader who believes and speaks otherwise than the organization that empowered him, risks alienating millions of people and branding himself an "heretic" for attempting to set things right..

Living nearly 2000 years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ we live in a time in which the teachings of Jesus Christ and of his Apostles have become extremely cluttered with all sorts of other doctrines and ideas.  These insidious teachings corrupting the doctrine of the resurrection are very prevalent. They are entrenched.  They color the way people read the scriptures.  They condition our minds to reject the truth. They are comfortable heresies and are widely considered to be orthodox truths.

2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
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Life and Death are better understood in context with each other.  Before we talk about death, we ought to be sure we understand life itself from the Biblical Christian perspective.

According to the scriptures there are three essential components to human life: the body, the soul, and the spirit.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living soul(soul).

The body we can understand by nature and experience.  The spirit and soul require some study. Because of the flexibility of the English language (and also Hebrew), the simple terms could mean anything (and depending on who you are talking to they often do).

The body is real and physical. The terms soul and spirit also refer to real things, but they are metaphysical things; they cannot be examined by conventional means.  Unless the unphysical things are clearly defined, we can't really know what soul and spirit are.  Many base their understanding of the soul and spirit on intuition or tradition, but we need to base our understanding on the scriptures if we want to consider ourselves Christians.

The scriptures do not have any section or book directly and totally dedicated to this subject, so we have to learn what we can by looking at what the scriptures say about both and each of these ideas and attempt to draw conclusions based on a sound understanding of the overall picture.  This can be difficult; because while the scriptures mention soul and spirit hundreds of times, most of these references do not directly address many of the basic questions we may have about the nature of these ideas.

3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
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There is a discernable pattern distinguishing the spirit and the soul. I did a word search though the Old and New Testament and observed this pattern.

The spirit is that which gives life to the individual. 

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth (makes alive);

And the soul IS the  individual

Psalm 30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. (this passage is about rescue from the brink of death)

So, my primary assertion about these two things is that the spirit IS  life itself, while the soul is the individual that lives.

This is an important distinction, because confusion on this issue leads people to get the wrong idea when they read certain scriptures. 

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The spirit that returns to God is not the soul or person. What returns to God is that spirit of life that was given. The spirit is not the individual person, or soul.  All the spirits of men eventually return to God, who gives all things life, and, without that spirit, our souls are dead.

In every case, the scriptures make it clear that, in death, the soul is bound to the grave. 

Psalm 89:48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

The entombed are invariably referred to as having an individual personal perspective that emanates from the grave.

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

The dead are portrayed as being in the grave from whence they hear the call to rise from death.  This should not be taken lightly, nevertheless these words of Christ are generally disregarded because of the widespread heresy that the dead have already entered heaven.

The beginning of our life is in our mother's womb, that is where we come from. 
The end of our life is in the womb of the grave, that is where we are going. 

Man becomes a living soul when that spirit of life enters our body, man becomes dead when the spirit of life departs our body.  The spirit of life is not the same as the soul,  when the spirit departs, the soul dies, or (as it is said euphemistically), the soul sleeps (the term  "sleep" is used because of the possibility of resurrection or "waking"). The soul does not depart the body at death. 

Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell (the grave), neither his flesh did see corruption.

The person "David," is referred to as being "dead and buried."  What is notable about Christ is that "his soul was not left in hell" (the word hell here means the grave), from this passage we can safely conclude that the normal order of things is for the soul to be "left in hell," and that as David is personally dead and buried, so also are all them that have died.  When we bury people, we are not just burying their bodies.  We are also burying their souls. 

4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
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Though every man possess a spirit and a soul, it is only the soul that is absolutely unique to the individual, because the soul is the individual.. One notable property of spirit is that spirits can be "duplicated" or shared by separate individuals across space and time.  There is one excellent example of this.

Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

John the Baptist came "in the spirit and power" of the prophet Elijah.  In that sense, he WAS Elijah. 

Matthew 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

Elijah and John were of the same identical spirit.  They were spiritual twins.  Different individuals can share identical spirits, just as twins share identical bodies, but souls, by nature, can not be shared. 

John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not.

There was a sense in which John was Elijah, and there was a sense in which he was most definitely not Elijah.

Spirits may be altered or exchanged, augmented or diminished. Our human spirit, the life that animates us, is dynamic and may change whether by the indwelling of God's spirit, or by the events and experiences of life.  Man's spirit is malleable, and we don't exercise absolute control over our spirits, but the spirits of men change and are changed by forces external and internal.

Daniel 4:16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him: and let seven times pass over him.

(Heart and spirit are intimately related, if not identical, so a change of heart will affect the spirit)
Exodus 35:21 And they came, every one whose HEART stirred him up, and every one whom his SPIRIT made willing,
Psalm 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken HEART; and saveth such as be of a contrite SPIRIT.
Psalm 77:6 I commune with mine own HEART: and my SPIRIT made diligent search.
Psalm 79:8 a generation that set not their HEART aright, and whose SPIRIT was not stedfast with God.
Proverbs 15:13 A merry HEART maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the HEART the SPIRIT is broken.
Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one HEART, and I will put a new SPIRIT within you; ...
Romans 2:29 ... circumcision is that of the HEART, in the SPIRIT, and not in the letter; ...
Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the HEARTs knoweth what is the mind of the SPIRIT, ...
2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the SPIRIT in our HEARTs. ...


Souls can be restored or renewed, but not exchanged, or replaced. We don't get "a new soul" in Christ.  This is not necessarily an argument from silence, but from exclusion.  What is true of the soul makes what is not true impossible, even if it is not specifically written. 

Salvation is directed at the soul, because the soul is what is saved from death.  Spirits are never directly spoken of as being "saved," (though references to the spirits of saved persons may be found, there is a clear distinction between the idea of the spirits of saved persons and alternative notions of "saved spirits.")

1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The soul can die or be saved from death, but the spirit is life itself.   Spirits can be broken or mended, corrupted or made right, spirits may otherwise be brought down or up, but spirits themselves do not die, because spirits are life itself from God. Souls fall under the power of hell (the grave).

Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
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We do not own our spirits, and we have very little claim to our souls.

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

The soul is not immortal.  It cannot exist on its own. Despite all the lies told us over the past two thousand years, the soul is not immortal.  Immortality only comes to the souls of mortal men through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:10...Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

If eternal existence and immortality are the natural state of our souls; then Jesus Christ actually brought nothing to light.  To affirm the innate immortality of the soul is to essentially deny the necessity of the resurrection.  This is not what they believe, but it is a necessary conclusion. They do not examine the contradiction very closely.

The idea that the soul consciously persists after death is a pagan idea; it came into Christianity through two sources that I am aware of:
1). the disciples of  pagan philosophers such as Socrates and Plato; 
2). the doctrine (leaven) of the Pharisees who also believed in an afterlife (See my later comments on the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man). 

The idea of the immortal human soul appeals to the vanity of man and is readily received by mankind because of this appeal.  Man likes to believe that he is more durable than death, and that death cannot ultimately overcome him.  This is an absolute lie.

1 Timothy 6: 13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth (makes alive) all things, ...16 Who only hath immortality, ...

There is only one being whose soul is by nature immortal. God. The idea that human souls are immortal by nature is not a Christian idea. 

6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
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Spirit and soul are often used interchangeably, this is a mistake.  By the combination of the body and spirit, a unique soul is produced, therefore, for every body there is a unique soul.  Souls are, by definition, the unique individuals.  Souls are our individual selves.  Our spirits are not necessarily unique.  The "breath of life" or spirit is what makes our souls live and have being.  But the being is the soul.

The best demonstration of the distinction between the spirit and soul at death is the example of Christ:

Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

The spirit returns to God, the spirit is "given up" (spirit is translated "ghost" here). This is mirrored by Ecclesiastes 12:7

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The soul goes into the ground with the body.

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Notice, that the person is said to be in the earth, when Christ died he did not go to paradise or to God, but into the ground.  The perspective of the dead is always from the grave. 

Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

The soul of Christ was in the grave, it could not be stated more definitively.

After Christ rose from the dead he said this:

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

The commendation of the spirit into the hands of God, the giving up of the ghost, did not equate with the personal aspect of the being having ascended to heaven. 

There is nothing truly personal about a departed spirit anymore than there is anything truly personal about a dead man's clothes, they have been used by the person and have been worn by the person, even taking on that person's shape, but the essential nature of these things is unchanged, they are "other" than us, the personalization of our mortal property is an illusion.  So it is with the spirits of men. The spirits do not come from us. We wear them like garments, they give life to our souls, they fit us, animate us, and characterize us, but in their essential nature, they are not really us.  The spirit of life comes from God, belongs to God, and returns to God, the essential nature of all spirits belongs to God.

7). What is Death Like?
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Death and resurrection are issues that are intimately related.  We gain a better understanding of each by learning more about the other. 

We have established that the soul remains in the grave (also sometimes mistranslated "hell") when the spirit departs the body.  But how does the conscious individual, the person, experience death? What is it like to be dead? The belief expressed in the scriptures about death is that at the moment of death consciousness ceases and all thought and experience ends.  The common objections to this view of death are the many well-documented "near-death" experiences, I will address these objections in the Objections section.

8). In the Old Testament:
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Psalm 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

When man dies, all thought processes cease.  The idea that the individual consciousness persists after death is not a biblical teaching.

I am aware that there are objections to this idea, and they will be covered, but note first that death is the subject of the passages I am citing.  These passages are trying to teach us about the nature of death.  So it is important that we do not just disregard what these passages say in favor of  what "we think we know," about other passages.  The nature of these passages is significantly different than the passages which seem to contradict them, so please bear with me and I will address the objections later.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

The dead do not know anything, it is all over for the dead. Obviously this passage is not taking into account the possibility of resurrection.  But this passage describes the natural order of things in death.  Without resurrection, man is absolutely lost.  Death is the ultimate "dead-end." 

Psalm 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

When we die, we do not remember anything, not even God.  Death is not a conscious state.

That is the NATURAL ORDER of things, at least that is what the Old Testament teaches.  It is only by resurrection that this natural order is broken. 

Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Death is thoughtless, without perception or conception, it is an unconscious state which is referred to as "sleep" euphemistically because of the belief in the resurrection of the dead.  It is not spoken of as a "departing,"  or "going to be with God."  The dead are not with God.  God is God of the living, not God of the dead.   It is only by resurrection that the dead may experience the conscious, thought filled, experience we call life and be with God.  It is only by the hope and promise of resurrection that the dead are spoken of as though living. (I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)

9). In the New Testament:
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The New Testament conveys the exact same ideas about death as the Old Testament. 

Acts 13:36 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: 37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Notice, that David is spoken of as having "fell on sleep"  and how that he "saw corruption."  David is spoken of as having seen corruption because his essential being is seen as being tied to his dead body.  That is David's perspective, that is David's position, the dead person is perceived by the living to be insensate and unconscious in their grave (or hell, as that word is often mistranslated).  

Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

No saint is ever spoken of as having a heavenly perspective or position.  That position is reserved for Christ alone.

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

For those who die in hope of the resurrection, the next consciously perceived stimulus experienced is the voice of the savior calling us forth from the grave.  Since the dead do not have any perceptions, conscious thoughts, or subconscious thoughts this means that thousands of years spent "sleeping in the grave"  will pass unperceived.  In other words, there is no perception of the passage of time in the grave, so when we rise, it will seem as if we had just died the previous moment.

To those who live on earth, the dead seem to sleep, but since death is the most severe form of unconsciousness, the dead do not  experience physical death as an event that takes place over time.

10). I Believe in Death
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I say that I believe in death because sometimes it seems as though people think that death does not exist.  But death is as all men instinctively fear it to be:  Death is the empty eye, the cold corpse; death is darkness and blackness forever.  That is what death really is.  If we do not have the proper idea of what death is, all the rest of our understanding about death and resurrection becomes corrupted.

11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
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We already established that only God is immortal and that man only becomes immortal though the gospel of Jesus Christ.  All other notions arise from external pagan sources or from the vanity and arrogance of men who teach the bible instead of letting the bible teach them. 

It is commonly taught and believed among Christians today that when people die; they instantaneously transition from one plane of existence to another. (They, or their souls, there is no practical difference, it is the individual conscious part of man that we are dealing with, the "them.") 

They do not call this event a resurrection, that would make it an obvious heresy.  So they don't call it anything, to them it is merely the natural progression of the immortal soul.  They believe that when you die, you do not die, but you continue to explore a conscious world, "the afterlife."  This is an apt name, because an "afterlife" is not death, just as eternal conscious torment is not death either.  If words are going to be useful, they have to adhere to their meaning. 

In this doctrine they have adopted a system of beliefs about death in which the dead souls rise to heaven from death in a way which does not conform to the image of Christ's resurrection.  Unlike Christ, who waited in the grave until the third day, these rise from death immediately. 

On the day of resurrection:

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father:

He had not yet ascended, but according to the popular heresy, when you die, you immediately ascend.

This unlabeled "transition" is a really form of resurrection, not a bodily resurrection, but a resurrection of the consciousness and being of the individual.  It is not that they all reject the idea of resurrecting bodily, many accept this idea.  But at the same time, most descriptions of this alternate state do not represent it as being a disembodied experience or state, they expect to have a body.  And so they accept another contradiction: they believe that the dead have not risen bodily, but have already received a celestial body with which they enjoy heaven.  A celestial body is the promised reward of the resurrection, to obtain such a body prior to the resurrection renders the whole argument that this heresy is not a resurrection a circular farce.

They have incorporated into the Christian idea of bodily resurrection, notions inspired by paganism; that those who have died (or as Paul calls them, "they that sleep in Jesus") have even now gone to heaven (in a "spiritual" form or body) and are going to come down from heaven to retrieve their bodies.    But if they have been enjoying heaven for all this time, in spiritual bodies, what do they want with their moldering old skeletons anyway?  Why do they come down from heaven to retrieve their mortal forms? 

12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
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John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.


If they are in heaven, why does Jesus not say, "All that are in heaven shall hear his voice and return for their bodies?"  Really, think about that.  If you take that literally, as I do, then you have to admit that this passage does not speak of anyone from heaven hearing the call to rise from death.  The call is directed at the grave because that is where the dead really ARE.

We see that Jesus speaks of the dead as being in their graves.  That is the way the entire Old and New Testament speaks of the dead when in the context regarding this doctrine.  There are a few well noted passages which are always rolled out in order to deny the truth, but I will demonstrate how these passages used by the opposition are being abused, and how it is inappropriate to use them thus to overthrow an otherwise solidly clear teaching about death and resurrection.

13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
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The resurrection of the dead is one of the foundational teachings of Christianity (Hebrews 6:1,2) and has been under this very same attack since ancient times.  Resurrection though the gospel is the only transitional force that can bring us back from death.  There is no natural immortality of the soul which preserves us from the biblically described effects of death (loss of all consciousness, all thought, and all perception)

2 Timothy 2:17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

This is one of the earliest listed heresies. The transition of the immortal soul is a form of the same doctrine of Hymenaeus and Philetus. 

This is what the much revered Charles Spurgeon says attempting to split the transition of the immortal soul from the resurrection of  body, "But the resurrection of the dead is quite another doctrine, dealing not with the soul, but with the body. "
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0066.htm

Speaking of the resurrection of Christ, the Apostle Peter said, "His soul was not left in hell."  Spurgeon is not in accord with the doctrine of the Apostles and prophets. The resurrection of the dead is very much about the resurrection of the SOUL. I'll stick with what the Apostle said, instead of going with what Spurgeon said. It is an usurpation of the doctrine of the resurrection to attempt to differentiate between the transition of the soul into the afterlife and the transition of the body from corruption to incorruption, the two are inextricably linked in scripture in the resurrection of Christ.

To properly understand the resurrection, you have to have the proper understanding of what death is and how it works.  Death is exactly as we all instinctively FEAR it to be.  Death is an unconscious state in which there is no thought or perception of any kind.  Death leaves the soul stranded in the most severe form of unconsciousness.  The soul continues to exist, but ceases to perceive its own existence. So the soul requires resurrecting as much as the body does.

14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
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Revelation 1:5 ... Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,

The bible teaches that no one has yet ascended into heaven except Christ, I will deal with objections to this simple fact later.

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

We are going to be raised from the dead, as he was raised from the dead. As the scriptures teach, "on the last day."

John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

The repetition of that phrase lends great emphasis to the simple idea.  It ought to astound us that we would read words like these from the Lord himself and then run off looking for passages with which we might undermine and destroy this simple truth, but that is exactly what I used to do, and doubtless others will do it when the read this writing.  Submit to the words of Christ, they are simple, the objections are not as strong as one might think, in fact they pale by comparison to the strength of  the passages that make the facts about death and resurrection clear.

The resurrection of the dead takes place on the last day of this age.  That is an extremely important fact we should not lose sight of. 

The fact that the promise is delayed until the "last day" completely rules out all ideas about intervening events. The reason I need to talk about "intervening events" in context with the resurrection is because of the highly influential and beloved rapture heresy which seeks to interject events of this age after the resurrection of the dead in Christ.

15). There is No Rapture - Resurrection Side-Effects do not Merit Latin Names and Novels

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The Rapture doctrine is a splinter and a corruption of the doctrine of the Resurrection.  The rapture is the name given to one aspect of the resurrection which corrupt men attempt to spin off as an event separate from the resurrection altogether.

At the coming of Christ those who have been raised from the dead and those who remain alive are "caught up" in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air as part of the resurrection event.  The Greek word for "caught up" is harpazo (to grab or snatch) and from that they go to the Latin derived "rapture" (which has a similar meaning).  I do not use this term "rapture" because the event already has a name (the Resurrection) and this side-effect (the catching up) does not require a special Latin name.

Giving this effect a special name and treating it as a separate event has led to many problems in Christianity.  They split the Rapture off from the Resurrection (they ROB the Resurrection doctrine) and treat it as a separate event, they  move it around in time and add multiple raptures as they see fit.  The Rapture has not only overshadowed the bigger event of which it is merely a side-effect. In the end there is no room for the resurrection, the resurrection is simply replaced by the rapture.  The side-effect become central.  Today, we hear all about the "catching up," but almost nothing about the RESURRECTION, and the resurrection is a central doctrine of Christianity.

I have gotten dozens of questions about the Rapture, but never one about the resurrection, that speaks volumes to me.

Why do people call the Resurrection the Rapture? We had a name for this event for over a thousand years but over the last hundred and fifty years they decided to start focusing on the TRANSPORTATION aspect instead of on the TRANSFORMATION aspect of this event and gave it a name (Rapture).

When I say that "there is no Rapture" what I mean is that the doctrine that Jesus is coming to take us away to heaven (The Rapture as it is commonly taught) is not correct.   We will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord, as the scriptures describe, but we are not leaving the earth, Christ is returning and we will be with him and with those who have died in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4 (which I will cover in detail in the next section)  is the primary passage used to support the Rapture doctrine, this is where it comes from. But 1 Thessalonians 4:16 describes the resurrection, that is the subject and it does not make sense to interject a new idea about transportation to a passage that is talking about the resurrection of the dead.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (shall I mention that this is "on the last day?")

That is the context, the resurrection of the dead, that is the focus. But what verse gets all the attention?

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The rapture focuses on the transportation aspect of this passage, but that is not the central idea. 

Also, there is nothing here telling us that the transportation spoken of will take us to heaven as many believe. When Jesus comes we are going to MEET him, he is on his way here, and we meet him in the clouds, to join him for his triumphant return to Jerusalem, immediately.

According to Mark 13 (and other passages such as Revelation 6:16,17) this event will be visible (not secret as the rapture teachers suggest based on their imaginations)

Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

(The term "they" in this verse must refer to "the world" or "the enemies" or some like thing, because, in the context of Mark 13, the disciples are always referred to as "You" and the enemies as "they" read for yourself)

Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Note the parallel reference to the meeting in the clouds. The elect are gathered in the clouds at the same time as Christ is revealed to the world.  We meet him in the clouds; because we have to meet him before he lands, so that we may land with him. We get to share in that. The Kingdom of Heaven is coming to earth. There is no evidence for any secret removal of Christians from the earth, that is pure fiction. Christians are suffering tribulation and persecution this very day, the idea of being saved from suffering is un-Christian and only makes sense to complacent and comfort loving Christians in the west.  God saves us from death by resurrection, God does not save us from pain by rapture.

Phil 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Instead of assuring themselves that they will not be on earth for tribulation Christians ought to be preparing spiritually to stand in the spiritual battle in the day of the Lord. This is what I live for. I don't despise those who fear the tribulation, I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of suffering (yet I want to fulfill it) but I would rather encourage them to be strong and trust the Lord, that nothing will be asked of us beyond what we can bear.

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

I have heard ministers talk how Christ doesn't want his bride "sullied" by tribulation. They say he does not want her bruised and battered. These savor the things which men love and not the things which God loves. What sullies Christ's bride is her love of material possessions and delight in things which God despises. If I were to judge it based on the Church as it appears today, the bride is already dirty and polluted, tribulation will purify and prepare her. So judge nothing before the time.

Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

For these reasons, I don't like the Rapture doctrine as it is commonly used, and I don't teach it or use that word in my teachings. You can teach Christianity without ever using the word "rapture" and you don't have to know of the small detail of the "catching up," to be caught up. But you cannot be true to Christianity without teaching the hope and truth of the resurrection of the dead.

I  reject the rapture doctrine because it tries to replace the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead in the hearts of Christians. The beliefs inspired by this doctrine cause people to imagine multiple raptures/resurrections prior to the "first resurrection" (Rev 20) The Rapture exalts itself above the knowledge of God. Yes, we will be caught up, but that is just INCIDENTAL to the fact of the Resurrection

16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
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We have already brought up many of the shorter passages from the Old and New Testament which have to do with death and resurrection. I now want to address the longer New Testament texts which deal with death and resurrection before we get to the objections. Having established what death is, we will examine the primary passages which teach us about  the resurrection of the dead keeping in mind the scriptural teachings on death and putting from our mind the conditioning and prejudices we have inherited from out religious culture.

17). 1 Thessalonians 4
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This passage is often used in reference to the "Rapture," heresy.  But there is no rapture, only resurrection (for details see that section above).

1 Thessalonians 4:13
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

"Them which are asleep," refers to the dead in Christ.  Others sorrow because they do not have the hope we have that the dead will be raised.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

When it says he will bring them "with him"  it may tempt some to say, "see they are in heaven! They have to come 'with him'"  But you can only say that if you presume BEFOREHAND that they are already in heaven. 

The dead in Christ will rise as Christ rose.  And when God brings Christ back, he will also bring back them that sleep (the dead) at the same time.  The word "with" (Greek: sun) does not suggest that they come from the same place. The preposition "with" does not change the established position of the dead from being in their graves.  Christ himself said that when he comes back the dead would hear his voice and come out of their graves, that is how they come back with him. The word "with" refers to the TIMING here not to the starting position.

It is unreasonable to use this verse to validate the conditioned prejudices which induce some to reject the truth.  This verse does not  invalidate the idea that the dead will rise from their graves. 

1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

Prevent is being used here in the archaic sense, most modern translations will say something like, "precede" or "go before."  As I said at the beginning, there is a specific order to the resurrection.  Christ, the dead in Christ, they that are Christ's at his coming.  This is why all Rapture doctrines are HERESY, they interfere with this very SPECIFIC order of resurrection.  There is no rapture, the rapture is a corrupt hijacking of the doctrine of the resurrection.

For example, if you believe in the pretribulational rapture point of view, you will have living saints rising before the last martyrs have died.  That is totally out of order.  The living will not precede the dead, that is absolute.  The living will not be changed until after the dead rise, and  these events occur in close chronological proximity, they are sequential. 

Christ returns, the dead in Christ rise, and the living saints are changed.  It is so simply and plainly laid out in the verses that follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Paul repeats the fact that the dead rise first, at that time, at the sound of the trumpet, which according to 1 Corinthians 15 is the Last trumpet. The church I originally came from teaches that the dead have already risen, so they say that the final clause here, "the dead in Christ shall rise first" is added because they have already risen.  I have already made clear my feelings on that.  Not only is it an abuse of this passage, it is the same heresy of Hymenaeus and Philetus. (2 Timothy 2:17)

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Christ returns, the dead in Christ come back to life and go up to meet him first, then we which are alive and remain go up to meet them.  This is the return of Christ.  Simple. That confirms exactly what I have been saying, that there is a specific order to the resurrection.  After this point, you can't have more saints dying and waiting for resurrection, that would be out of order, this is the "last day." 

We meet the Lord in the air, but it should be noted that we do not "go to heaven,"  because this happens as Jesus Christ is returning to Earth.  I tried to portray this in my video for Mark Chapter 13, in that video (from about 5:30) we see the dead rise and meet the Lord in the sky, and they return together immediately to Jerusalem.  Since Christ is returning to Jerusalem it makes sense to meet him in the air, Jerusalem is a long was from Illinois and many other places.

The church I originally came from (The Shepherd's Chapel)  teaches that the word "air" here refers to the "breath of life body."  I do not dispute the fact that we are going to be changed into a celestial or glorious body in the resurrection.  What I object to is the manipulation of this text to obscure the fact that the meeting with Christ takes place in the sky.  The only reason they attempt to make this word mean "air-body" is because of the objection to "flying away"  but that is throwing out the baby with the bathwater.  Meeting the Lord in the air makes sense.  If Paul wanted to reference the resurrected body, he would have used terms like he usually would.  He wouldn't suddenly interject the Greek word for "air" for body when he would have used clear terms like  "glorified body" or "spiritual body"  if that was what he wanted to communicate.  It is such an unnecessary manipulation of the text. 

1 Thessalonians 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The dead sleep but will rise as Jesus rose and we will all be reunited in the resurrection when Jesus comes back.  Those are the words by which we should comfort one another.

But what are the words people USUALLY comfort one another with?  "Don't cry Mabel, Charley is with Jesus now."  "Weep not Fred, Gladys is smiling down on us from heaven, she wouldn't want you to be sad."  "Oh Susan, don't you know that Billy is in a better place?"

Are those the words Paul told us to comfort one another with? Is there any place in the bible where such words are used to comfort those that mourn? No and no!

18). 1 Corinthians 15
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(Part 1 - 1 Corinthians 15:12-36)

I'm covering this passage at length because I believe that the whole of this passage paints the clearest picture.

1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

I think this can lead into confusion for some people, because when we look at this passage while harboring the false assumption that the dead rise as soon as they die we will want to believe that what Paul is saying is affirming what we believe.  This is the result of conditioning, we are conditioned to respond to the scriptures according to what we already believe.

Saying that the dead have not yet risen is not the same as saying there is no resurrection.  This is doubly made plain by the fact that in 2Timothy 2:17,18 Paul makes it clear that to say the dead have already risen is a cancerous heresy.

1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

The simple idea is that if there is no resurrection at all, then it would follow that Christ would not have been raised either, because he is our example.

1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

The whole point of Christianity is resurrection from death.  Sin is what brings death.  Christ came to turn us from our sins and deliver us from death.  The ultimate form of this deliverance came in his resurrection.  Without that, all this noise about Jesus Christ is vain.  Morality is not a Christian monopoly.  It was by his resurrection the God validated all the high claims of Jesus Christ, without the resurrection, Jesus Christ becomes a pretender.

1 Corinthians 15:15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

Again, the tense of the verb "rise" might lead us so think that this passage is indicating that the dead rise on a daily basis, but that is a mistake.  The issue at hand is whether the dead rise AT ALL.  At this point, the Question is not about the timing of the resurrection but about the FACT of resurrection, so the tense is not indicative of an ongoing resurrection, that is not the intention of the passage and it would be wrong to read that into this passage.  this fact is later validated when Paul DOES get into the issue of timing.  So don't forget to include the entire context when interpreting subtleties of words within the writings of Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

This  is a repetition of the point above.  We are talking about the issue of whether resurrection from death is even possible, not about the specific timing of the resurrection of believers.

1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Our faith is in a risen Christ, who overcame death by which he paid for our sins.  If he did not rise, then God did not honor his sacrifice and we are believing in a fraud and our sins are not forgiven.  Simple.

1 Corinthians 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

It is interesting in this verse how Paul refers to the dead as those which are fallen asleep in Christ.  That idiom is very important because it reveals the proper underlying attitude of the Christian towards the dead.  The dead are "asleep."  They are not "looking down."  They are not "in a better place."  They sleep, they are not "lost" or "perished."  Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, we believe that they will also rise, so we do not speak of them as lost, or perished but as "sleeping."   That is the way the bible talks about the dead in Christ.  Period.

1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

I mentioned earlier about how that faith in Christ means we should expect to suffer, if that is the end in itself...  That make life very bleak indeed, though some exceptional souls can live lives of sacrifice and suffering for the sake of others with joy, most of us do have a little more difficulty measuring up.  I want to live forever, it is a big part of my attraction to Christianity. 

If we have no hope of resurrection, then I might prefer to pursue what I see as best for myself in life, I don't really know, because I believe.  But if you listen to some  people who were raised in the denominational faiths talk, if you truly hear the complaints of them who do not believe but were forced as children to swallow the ideas of suffering and sacrifice, you can see how miserable Christianity made them.  This is not for everybody, if you don't really believe in the resurrection, you are not going to want to deny yourself and pick up the cross, that is human nature and I can't blame them.

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Again, the verb usage here can feed into preconceptions we may be harboring.  But when Paul says, "Slept," is it right to conclude that this designation means that they are now risen and sleep no more?  There are plenty of passages where the dead are said to be asleep in the present tense (such as verse 18 of this same chapter just above).  So those passages would come into conflict with this one.  Also, Christ himself said he would raise them up "on the last day." 

The verb tense in Greek does not carry the same force that we associate with "slept"  I'm no expert on Greek but I know how to use the work of experts and this passage would  be better translated "and become the first fruits of them having fallen asleep,"  rather than.  "them that slept."  That may seem a bit awkward to our ears, but the new Testament was written in Greek rather than in English.

Christ IS RISEN.  He is the first one to be raised from the dead.  And according to John 3:13, he is the only one who has ascended to heaven. 

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Jesus is the first and only to truly rise from the dead and ascend victoriously into heaven.  It is safe to assume that Lazarus eventually died, that all the other people Jesus raised eventually died.  Their resurrection was not the same as Christ's. 

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

This is how God purposed it.  It creates symmetry.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Whenever I see terms like this I am reminded of  how easily people lose sight of context.  All who die, die in Adam's sin, the curse, and all who rise, will rise to life everlasting, are made alive in Christ.

I do not take this passage to mean that Christ is going to make everyone alive universally.  I find it frustrating sometimes that the same people who will tell me that Jesus is not the only one to ascend into heaven will also argue that every time the word "all" crops up that it is always a universal distinction rather than a generic distinction. In Adam all die... ok.  Except  Elijah then?  The scriptures speak of Enoch being translated that he should not see death, but this may have been a temporary evasion of death. For example, I could fall off a building and be translated that I should not see death, and then I could be translated back and live out my life and die like all men, in the manner of Adam, I'm not saying that is what happened to Enoch, but if you are going to insist that "in Adam all die," is universal rather than generic, you have to deal with issues like that in some fashion.  I deal with the Elijah and Enoch anomalies later in the objections section.

1 Corinthians 15:23
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.


This is one more repetition of the same simple fact, there is a specific order to the resurrection.  This verse is also important in establishing the context of the verses that follow.  Sometimes people try to suggest that 1 Corinthians 15 is for universal application.  That is a mistake.  The resurrection spoken of in this chapter is the resurrection of believers, of those who belong to Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

1 Corinthians 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

I feel a little shaky about these verses, like I always do when I start to talk about things that I do not feel are solidly explained in the scriptures.  I know some folks are clear as crystal when it comes to the millennium or the non-millennium, and I have some definite ideas, but I feel caution sweep over me when I start to delve into things that I do not clearly see.

I take these verses to refer to the millennial rule of Christ, because even though they that are Christ's will have been raised from the dead, Death itself will not be cast into the lake of fire for another thousand years, and there is the dragon bound in the bottomless pit. So even though Christ will have taken over the earth and established his rule, there will still be enemies that have not been universally subjugated.  Death will no longer reign over we who belong to Christ, but death will still hold sway over others.  Christ must reign until all these enemies are put down.

"The end"  here I take to refer to the end of the millennium, even though the first resurrection occurs at the onset of the millennium.

But if the subject here is resurrection, and it is, we can see a logic in this, because it says, "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." (Revelation 20:5)

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

I think that is a sound parallel there.  I think this is probably what Paul was referring to.

1 Corinthians 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

There is another verse that goes along with this one.

Hebrews2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

In the bible sometimes things are said which are prophetically fulfilled but not yet realized in the world as we experience it.  Like, "God has put all things under his feet,"  or, "God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living. (yet Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are still buried)"  We need to follow the bible closely, but we cannot let our own desires, prejudices, and conditioned perceptions dictate how we read the word of God.  We have to be strict yet flexible and be right, but that is not always easy.  Sometimes things are said which are only true in the future when God fulfills his promises.  God dwells in eternity and sometimes he speaks from eternity, declaring things that are not yet as though they already are.

1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

After the thousand years and the Great white throne judgment a new heaven and earth appear and all things will be changed for the better forever. 

1 Corinthians 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

I think something is lost here in time or translation. I'm going to quote a modern translation. I'm not totally confident in the modern translations, even though the modern translation would make my job here a lot easier.  After we look at the modern translation we will then analyze the more literal translation.

1 Corinthians 15:29 (GOD'S WORD Translation) However, people  are baptized because the dead will come back to life.  What will they do?  If  the dead can't come back to life, why do people get baptized as if they can come back to life?

In that translation they supply a few phrases in order to make it mean what they want it to mean, maybe they are right, maybe that is what Paul meant, I have a some trouble with that because it just seems too convenient.  I have seen this interpretation from many sources, but I really think they are trying to cover up what they see as an inconsistency in the teachings of Paul which they would rather avoid dealing with. What they substitute is absolutely true, but I think it represents a sanitization of the original text.  They are basically deleting what Paul said and replacing it with something safe.

If we translate this passage literally, (as the KJV does here) Paul seems to be saying that there was a practice of some people being baptized on behalf of people who were dead.  I don't know any group that currently practices that.  I don't know that Paul practiced or approved of it either.  But the fact that he references the practice in defense of the resurrection seems to lend credibility to the practice, doesn't it? 

Let's say your brother really, really, wanted to be baptized, but he dies before he has an opportunity to get baptized, so you go and get baptized on his behalf, because you want to honor the wishes of your brother. Is there anything wrong with that?  Sure it shows a certain weakness of faith, but that is not shameful. I would personally prefer to think that God would know and  honor his true intentions and leave my brother's fate in God's hands, since it is the heart that really matters in the first place and all my gestures would only speak of my love for my brother, I can't really help him.  What if it was his dying wish?  I mean, why do people feel like this practice has to be covered up, is it really that much of a departure from the doctrine of the New Testament, is it a departure at all?

The practice seems like something that would have come up spontaneously.  Two brothers hear the Gospel and want to be baptized, one is sick and dies, the other asks if he can be baptized on his brother's behalf.  Fortunately this is in the days before organized religion and Paul recognizes faith when he sees it.  It is not the greater faith that knows the dead brother was saved by faith, but it is still faith.  baptize me for my dead brother.  What kind of Christian would say, "sorry buddy, I can't do that!"  I can't see it and this verse supports the idea that the Apostle Paul would not have objected to any such thing.

It makes sense that Paul would honor the practice by speaking of it as confirming the reality of the resurrection. Paul always urged tolerance for the weak in the faith (but not to doubtful disputation).  So it would not be unusual for him to speak of such a practice without shame. Paul was not ashamed of his weak brethren whose faith was not overthrown by legalism or superstition, this is a small issue, there is no harm in being baptized for the dead, it exhibits love for the dead and faith in the resurrection. 

People would have been baptized on behalf of the dead because they believe the dead are going to rise, so how can you say there is no resurrection?.  It is not a very strong logical argument, but Paul is not relying on logic, but on faith.  This verse is interjected here after a minor digression, so it  seems spontaneous and emotional.  Perhaps the practice was popular in Corinth, so Paul makes a point of it in this discussion.

I find it very difficult to accept the sanitized translations.  I cannot in good conscience advocate that rewrite of what Paul was saying.  It is almost like they think Paul suddenly lost his mind in verse 29 and wrote a bunch of gibberish that they feel the need to rewrite.  It is only awkward because our minds have been conditioned to see it as awkward.  We don't expect Paul to give a nod to people who get baptized on behalf of dead people, so we find the writing confusing, but if you just accept what Paul wrote, it is not confusing at all.

Paul is and Apostle, apostles MAKE doctrine, so the arguments he makes are not always from a rational or logical perspective but from his perspective as an Apostle.  The faith of true believers in the resurrection renders the idea of no resurrection impossible in the faith.  That is the point of verse 29 in the argument for the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

Unlike me, Paul the Apostle does not need to trot out a bunch of scriptures to show how death and resurrection work.  He trots himself out.  If there is no resurrection then why do I risk my life?  To a non-believer these are not logical arguments.  They are not meant to be. Paul is speaking to those who believed in Christ, and were having their faith eroded by some who were saying that there was no resurrection.  There were all kinds of heresies that people tried to bring into the faith, from the very beginning, as I noted before "Hymenaeus and Philetus,"  there were others as well.

1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Something is lost in the translation there.  It is "Day by day I die, in your boasting, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.  It basically means "You boast about my exploits."

1 Corinthians 15:32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

If we know all that Paul suffered for Christ's sake, and if there is no resurrection of the dead, what was the point?  Where is the profit.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Bad companions have a negative influence on our behavior.  This not a digression, he is referring to those mentioned in verse twelve who were denying the resurrection.  Paul sees the corruption of the doctrine of the resurrection as a sign of a corrupt individual.  Someone who misunderstands Christianity to the degree that they deny the resurrection will invariably be corrupt in other areas.

1 Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Heresy is sin, it is as much sin as anything else.  People like to give other people a pass on variant doctrines and opinions, I run into this very frequently. "You don't know everything!"  No I don't but I limit my knowledge to that which can be known.  We can keep the leaven of false doctrine out of our faith if we do not go beyond the knowledge God has given us and intrude into things that have not been revealed.

It is a righteous thing to keep the doctrine of the resurrection pure from corruption, reject the rapture, reject the doctrine of the transition of the immortal soul.  When we just let all kinds of opinions run wild and do not fight it, in ourselves and for our brethren's sake, we think we are tolerant and wise, but we are actually derelict in our duty as Christians.  We owe it to the truth to keep our doctrine pure and to earnestly contend for the faith that was delivered to us by Christ and his Apostles.

1 Corinthians 15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

Now, moving away from total denial, Paul addresses those with doubts.  Obviously, people who deny the resurrection sow seeds of doubt that leave lingering questions in the minds of the ignorant.  We know that dead bodies rot, we know that some people are going to have very little body left to rise from the dead.  How are they going to come back?  As some half-rotted monstrosity?  As some putrid ghoul? As a reanimated skeleton?

1 Corinthians 15:36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

Paul is likening resurrection to the planting of seed. That which is put in the ground is not brought to life unless it "dies."  We don't bury people unless they are already dead,  he is not referring to our normal death here. The dead body is the seed. The person is already dead when they go into the ground, we are talking about the resurrection of the dead here.  He is speaking in his analogy of the death of the seed (the death of the dead). 

The seed must "die" before the plant can come to life.  It is a very simple and elegant analogy.  You have to look at the process of seed planting and germination from a very basic perspective.  After you plant a seed in the ground and it grows into a new plant, the seed which was, is no more (that is the death of the seed).  After the plant is grown up,  you can dig in the ground ,and you won't find any seed, it is gone.   All that the seed was, is absorbed into the new plant.

The dead body that was sown must also "die," in order to be brought to life again.  Everything that the body was is absorbed into the new resurrected body.

19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2 Listen to this Chapter (1 Corinthians 15:37-55)

1 Corinthians 15:37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

The body that we receive in resurrection is not the body that was planted in death (but it shares a seed-plant relationship with that body)  What is sown is a bare grain in comparison to the new body.  The kind of body sown is irrelevant (It may chance of wheat or of some other grain)

1 Corinthians 15:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

This is carrying over the idea that the kind of body is sown is irrelevant, black or white, crippled or whole, in the sea or in the ground, what kind of body you have or how your body was disposed of is irrelevant.  The seed is the dead body.  Different kinds of seeds refer to all the different ways people can become "planted" 

Remember, this section started with questions Paul saw as foolish. "What happens if they die and their arms were cut off ?"  "What if they were buried with an iron collar around their neck?" "What if they were cremated?"  A dead person is a seed, and to God all seeds are alike, it doesn't matter how you die or how your body is disposed of because the body that is going to be is not the body that is buried.  The body that is buried is like a seed and its existence will be absorbed into the new body.

1 Corinthians 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

Flesh is the living substance of the creatures on the earth, that is the kind of living creature substance we are familiar with.  Human, beasts, fishes, birds, etc.  They are not all the same, even if they share many common characteristics

1 Corinthians 15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

Paul is creating another division of living substances, humans, beasts, birds, and fishes all share terrestrial bodies.  Paul says there are also celestial (or heavenly) bodies.  And these are also different.  But they are more different.  Humans and beasts have different kinds of flesh, but they are both terrestrial (earthly) flesh, they belong in the same category on that level.  On that level, the similarities are greater than the differences.  They have  the same "glory."

Sometimes I think "glory" is one of the hardest words to define.  The Greek word, "doxa," comes from a base word that means "to think or seem" and so indicated the something which was greatly apparent, doxa and related words are not only translated "glory" but also dignity, praise, and honor.  Glory is the apparent "seeming" of a great or apparently great object, so glory is perceived greatness. 

When looked at as an whole, all of terrestrial flesh carries a "great and apparent seeming" with it. The glory of the terrestrial flesh is what you experience when you look at the whole picture of life on planet earth, they dedicate multiple cable TV channels to reveling in this glory so we ought to be familiar with it.

That is one glory, but the glory of the heavenly bodies is another kind of glory altogether.  It is an entirely different order of seeming great.

1 Corinthians 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

You look at the sun and the moon and the stars and see how they all differ from each other in their apparent greatness, or as Paul says, in their glory.  So heavenly bodies also have differences in apparent greatness or glory.

1 Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

In the resurrection, there is a vast difference in the large picture between the bodies.  The body that went into the ground had an entirely different "great seeming" (glory) than the body that rises from the dead.

The body that was "sown" is sown in corruption.  Literally.  It decays and corrupts, but it is raised with an entirely different "great seeming," because it will be incorruptible, it will neither age nor die, and this will be apparent about it.  It will seem to be an entirely different thing than the corruptible, earthly body. it will exude the glory of a heavenly body.

I go back to the original analogy of a seed.  The plant material that comes out of the ground seems to be an entirely different order of thing from the seed that was planted in the ground.  The seed is an amazing thing, it contains all the information about what kind of plant will come from it.  So the natural body is also amazing, in its death, it retains everything essential for its resurrection and progression into a new existence, as a different kind of body.

1 Corinthians 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

We bury people "with honor"  but that is just a way of avoiding the awful truth.  We compensate for the dishonor of death by giving great honor to the least honorable of all human endeavors.  We bury the dead with honors and raise great monuments to them, but they do not get to enjoy it.  We give honor to the dead to make the living feel better about the loss.  We memorialize the great things those who have died  did in life.  But the dead have no honor, they are dead, all their honor was in their life, and once their life has ended the honor comes to a halt and the corruption and decay begin. 

When they say "he died for a good cause."  What they mean is that his final living acts were honorable. Once he is dead, we honor the things he did while alive, not the things he has done since he died. We dress them in a fancy suit and they start decomposing all over it.  They stink and do not wash themselves.  Death is so dishonorable that we bury the dead individuals out of sight and smell, we put them far from us.  All the honor is in life.  If there was any honor in death, men who had no honor in life would get a nice bump in death, but they do not. We speak honors over the dead but they do not receive it. 

The great Pharaoh's took many pains to bury themselves "honorably" only to have thieves rob their tombs and scientists poke at their dried out bodies and film their shriveled remains for television; because once you have been dead long enough, no one respects your wishes. 

When we look at a dead body, we experience feelings and impressions. I have trouble putting it into words, but they can be contrasted with the glory of the resurrected body.  The weakness of the body is revealed in death, and is universal to all men, but the power revealed in the resurrection of the dead will be unique to those in Christ. 

This is an important note, everything we are reading about in 1 Corinthians chap15 pertains to believers in Christ only. Verse 23 specifically says that the resurrection which occurs when Christ returns is for those that "are Christ's."

1 Corinthians 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

We discussed that the spirit of life from God is what makes us alive.  Our natural bodies are made of earthly materials, just like beasts.  But the body that will be raised from death will be transformed into a body which is "spiritual."  I'm not sure exactly what that means, because the exact nature of spirit is not something that has been completely disclosed.  But rather than having earthly materials animated by life on loan from God, we will be given a body which seems to be made entirely from the spirit of life itself. 

I do not want you to lose track of the fact that we are still talking about the resurrection of the dead.  The spiritual body is the result of the resurrection of the dead, it is not the result of death.  The spiritual body is the result of a planted dead body (the seed) coming up from the place it was planted by the power of God. That is the analogy Paul provided and it fits perfectly with everything else we have discussed in regards to the resurrection.

Notice, there is only the natural body and the resurrected spiritual body, there is no in-between un-resurrected spiritual body.  The spiritual body is the result of resurrection.  Nowhere in scripture will we find a description of an in-between transitional state.

That is not what many people believe. But if the dead do not need to wait for resurrection, if they go to heaven immediately upon death.  Then this whole analogy is wrong.  Because when you sow a seed in the ground, a plant does not later appear in the sky and come down to get the seed back.  And that is exactly how they corrupt the doctrine.  They believe that the dead go to heaven in some sort of spirit form, because they equate the departing of the spirit with the departing of the individual.  They believe that the dead individual then returns from heaven in some sort of spiritual form or body to collect the old body.  No matter how you play the word game, it amounts to the same thing.  This heresy does not fit the biblical model, but is based on some very questionable interpretations of passages whose subject is NOT the resurrection or death.  (We will be getting to those).

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

A "quickening spirit," means, "a spirit that gives life." And that goes back to what I was saying back when we were talking about the spirit and the soul. The soul is the person who lives and the spirit is life itself.  In the resurrection our mortal bodies will be fashioned like the savior's body.

Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.


Our body's will be made of life-giving spirit and not of earthly materials, even though our origin is earthly.  God has the power to change our bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Yes, historically speaking, Adam came first then Christ.  But by Christ God created the worlds, and unlike all other men, Christ did come down from heaven and was incarnated (John 3:13), Paul does not intend to contradict those truths.  Paul is speaking of Christ as our model in resurrection.  First we are natural men, like Adam, then we become spiritual men in the resurrection, like Christ.  First the natural, then the spiritual.  but Paul wants to make sure we don't start getting the idea that we are also from heaven.

Our origin is earthly.  Having come out of a cult of personality which emphasized the preexistence of our persons in spiritual bodies prior to the incarnation, this verse used to give me pause.  Of course they have ways of explaining their way around this verse.  That is how difficult verses are dealt with, explanations are offered, but we ought to be very careful when we do that, lest we explain our way around the truth.

This verse rules out any ideas of pre-incarnation or reincarnation.  Human life progresses on a linear basis, and it starts with the earthly first, then afterward the heavenly, very simple.  We are not heavenly beings inhabiting earthly bodies, we are earthly beings inhabiting earthly bodies which have been afforded the possibility though the promises of God in Christ of resurrection into a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

As the earthly body is, so are we that are earthly.  As the heavenly body is, so also are those that are heavenly, and so shall we be in the resurrection. Verse 49 drives the nail home.  This is a comparison using Christ as our model of what a resurrected spiritual body is like.

1 Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

These verses really require no comment, but I'm not here to reprint the bible.  This should be easy enough for us to read, but somehow people keep overlooking the simple writings.   That is why I talk about conditioning, wishful thinking, and the prejudice of tradition.  We influence the things we read by the things we already believe, and right or wrong, we cling to those ideas tenaciously, but that is not such a great instinct.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

The body that is corruptible cannot inherit eternal life, flesh and blood beings will not be heirs to God's kingdom.  So we need to be in a spiritual body to become heirs to the promised kingdom of God

1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

One of the great truths of Christianity is that those who are alive when Christ returns will not be required to die first in order to be changed into an incorruptible body.  That is why I said Paul was not really talking about death when he wrote about the death of the seed, because we don't have to die ourselves in order to be changed. By "death"  I mean that our souls will not go into the ground according to the normal order of things. We will not all sleep.

However, the "seed" must die, the mortal body must be swallowed up by the immortal.  This corruptible "seed" must sprout into the new and incorruptible body.  If we should live to see that day, we are not required to die normally and have our souls go into the ground. Our bodies will be changed in order for us to enter in the kingdom of God.    The seed still "dies," according to the analogy.  It is changed from a corruptible nature to an incorruptible nature, that fundamental departure from the original nature of the carnal body into the new nature of the heavenly body represents a form of death for the body, what was will be no more,  though the person will never sleep in the earth or suffer the pain of death.

I believe this passage can only be properly read with the correct understanding of death. Because if the normal experience of death is (as it is falsely taught) for the individual to instantaneously step from life on earth into an "afterlife," then NO ONE sleeps!  We are all changed in an instant, not at the return of Christ , but at our own deaths. To reconcile this chapter with  that doctrine would require such gymnastics of reason, and that is one of the reasons I abandoned that point of view.  When it come to biblical interpretation, I like to feel like I have a great weight of authority from the Apostles and Christ backing up what I say, and I think so far, I have brought that weight to bear on this subject.

1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The last Trumpet is the seventh trumpet of Revelation, that is my interpretation and I'm sticking to it.  The only other possibility is if there is another trumpet AFTER the seventh trumpet which was not written of in the book of Revelation.   The seventh Trumpet is the moment in which "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."

The seventh trumpet marks the moment when Christ appears in the sky, I have come to this conclusion based on all the evidence. It is not written precisely that way in Revelation 11:15-19, but it is written that way here.  The trumpet sounds, Christ appears, the dead are raised, the living in Christ are changed.  That is the sequence, do not allow anyone to corrupt it in your mind.

Many people become confused when reading revelation because they try to force everything they read into graphs, charts, and chronologies based on the order they appear in the book.  I do have a Revelation study planned, but one of the things I wanted to accomplish first was to lay down some of these important doctrines as a foundation.

1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Paul repeats himself frequently, that should make it hard for us to be mistaken about it.  The mortal must PUT ON the immortal.  We are not immortal, neither body nor soul, because when the body dies the soul sleeps, and that term, "sleep" is really just an analogy.  The soul dies.  But just like the body it can be raised from the dead.  The soul is mortal with the mortal body, because the soul requires a spirit and some sort of body, remember the spirit is life, the soul is the individual, when the spirit departs the body, it also departs the soul, so without the spirit, the soul is dead.

Someone is going to ask, "What proof do you have that the soul dies?" "What Scriptures can you show us that back up your claim that the soul is not merely sleeping?"

Psalm 33:19 To deliver their soul from death ...
Psalm 56:13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: ...
Psalm 78:50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
Psalm 89:48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
Psalm 116:8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
Matthew 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: ...
James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

It is the way the scriptures speak. We could explain our way around these scriptures, but in light of all that has been said here, shall we continue in the corrupting ways?  Is it all just a figure of speech?  I can see that in some of those passages, but definitely not in James 5:20. 

I'm not going to make it a point of contention though, because the soul does not rot and corrupt like the body, the soul is more like and unplugged computer, it does not function, calculate, or remember, but all the memories are intact, all that is required is a spark. In death the body is destroyed, but not the soul.  In death, the soul is lifeless, yet it is not corrupted.  So there are some definite differences there

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (and this word for hell does not refer to the grave, but to Vale of  Hinnom, which I believe was Christ's term for the Lake of Fire from Revelation chapter 20).

1 Corinthians 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The resurrection is the object of every promise of God promising salvation from death.

20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
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I have said several times that the resurrection spoken of in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 is for those in Christ only.  But it is only natural to ask, "What about everyone else?"

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.


The rest of the dead will not live again until the thousand years are finished.  The term, "lived not again,"  is very suggestive. The simplest way to understand that phrase is in the context of the doctrine which I have been laying out. 

Under doctrines which say that at death the soul makes a transition from one plane of existence to another this verse must be made "euphemistic." In that case, "lived not again" must be interpreted spiritually since normal death is also only a euphemism for the transition of the soul from one plane of existence to another.  As I said before, spirit is life itself from God, but one may be "void of the spirit"  and "spiritually dead"  These are euphemisms for states where eternal life does not abide in the individual, even though he or she may be technically alive. 

Those who believe in the transition of the soul usually try to say that Revelation 20:5 refers to "living again spiritually." The problem with that is this: the subject of Revelation 20:4 is the resurrection of the saints, so when it talks about "the rest of the dead"  that is said in contrast to the dead mentioned previously, the saints.  "They lived and reigned with Christ."  Prior to our resurrection, the saints are NOT spiritually dead, we are only physically dead, "asleep."  God is not the God of the dead after all.  In the sight of God the saints are alive, because  he has promised them resurrection. They are spiritually alive, they are only dead physically.  It is the physical resurrection of the dead saints that the resurrection of the rest of the dead is being contrasted with.  So you can't suddenly make this a spiritual death, that would violate the context. 

When it says they "lived not again" the scripture implies that these were once alive and that the resurrection would return them to a life they had known before.  This would have to refer to life and consciousness as we know them.  If in death no one ever loses consciousness it would be hard to speak of any one as "living not again." To insert into this text the idea that death is only spiritual creates conflicts and complications which I cannot accept.

Also, the dead who are not in Christ, are not likely going to "live again" in a spiritual sense, ever.  That is very unlikely since all those people are going to be judged based on their works. That is not to say that it would be impossible, after all, God is merciful.  But I would not count on it, if God's mercy is not given to us in this life, it is unlikely that it will be extended to us in the resurrection.

The firstborn from the dead, Christ, lived not again until the third day.  Those that are dead in Christ will not live again until Christ returns.  The rest of the dead will not live again until the thousand years are finished.

 I hope I made that clear because this is a very clear, cut, and dry interpretation.  It is a bit a a digression but necessary

Death is an extremely powerful force.  To overcome death and rob death of its expected and inevitable victory is the greatest promise of Christianity.  1Corinthians 15 is one of the primary passages dealing with this subject, and it is important for us to properly understand this doctrine so that when we preach the gospel we communicate the promises of God according to the teaching which we received from the Apostles and Christ.

21). Acts 2:29-34
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The third and final primary section of scripture dealing with the resurrection which I want to treat in context is Acts 2: 29-24.  This passage is important because Peter reveals in this passage his point of view on death and it is safe to assume that this point of view was shared by Christ and all the Apostles.

Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

It is important to understand that the dominant faction in the Jews religion was the Pharisees.  The Pharisees believed in an afterlife.  I believe this view crept into the Pharisee's version of Judaism by the influence of the pagan Greeks.  The Hebrew word for "the grave," sheol, had been translated into Greek as Hades, and had begun to take on some of the characteristics of Hades as well. 

The Old Testament view is clearly that the dead are unconscious and in their graves.  But the reason that Peter prefaces his statement with this "let me freely speak to you" is because Peter's view was not universally held to be true and he is begging tolerance.  The pagan belief in an afterlife is a very appealing point of view, and had found a home also among the Jews, I will get further into this, in detail in the very next section when I begin to tackle the objections specifically the Parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

The perspective on David, the person, it that he is "both dead and buried,"  he is not "with the Lord," or "in a better place."  He has not "passed on," or transitioned from one plane of existence to another.  David was and is yet dead and buried.

Peter is looking at one of the greatest figures in the history of Israel and he is trying to establish the fact that this man, David, is really and truly dead.

Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

David is considered a prophet and one only need to consult the Psalms to understand why.  In Psalm 22, for example, David reveals many details about the death of the Messiah, and that passage has supported my faith in many dark moments.  David also wrote many of the Psalms which we turn to for understanding the Old Testament view of death.

David knew that out of his loins God would raise up the Messiah.

Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

Peter refers to Psalm 16, and this is a verse I have referenced over and over, this verse is definitive.  This verse tells us what happens to the soul when the body dies.  It is not glamorous, exciting, or gratifying to man, that is why so many chose to deny this truth.  The soul is left in hell.  That is how the Apostle Peter talked, that is what the Old Testament taught, that is what Christ and all the Apostles believed and taught.

Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Christ's soul was not "left in hell" the Hebrew word is sheol, which means "the grave."  (Eventually, I will have to do a new paper on the hells, perhaps next, because there are several words translated "hell," as I have mentioned, and they do not all refer to the same thing)

 All souls go to the grave, but only Christ's soul was not LEFT in the grave.  When I die, I will go to hell with everyone else, just as Christ did, and I will make my bed in hell.

Psalm 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psalm 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

And I will sleep there in hell until the last day (John 6), as Christ taught.  The difference with Christ is that he rose from the dead and became the first begotten from the dead, as I referenced earlier.

Acts 2:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

 I will see corruption, but he did not. My soul will remain in hell, but his did not.  Except by the promise of God in Christ of the resurrection for them that believe, my soul would be lost.

Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

I am a firm believer in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when my faith wavers, that is the rock I lean on, Christ is certainly risen.  We have his burial cloth, but not his body.

Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

By "this," Peter is referring to the shedding forth of the the holy Spirit which resulted in the Apostles and disciples speaking with other tongues.  Christ had promised that after he had risen and ascended into heaven  he would send forth the spirit of God to dwell in those who believed in him and the speaking with tongues was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise.

Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

David is dead and buried, his position is in the grave.  His position is not heavenly, he has not ascended into heaven, only Christ has ascended into heaven, only Christ's soul has not been left in the grave until the last day.

22). Objections
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In death, the soul is with the body, that is the consistent teaching of the scriptures.  In the corrupt teachings, the soul is not with the body, but in heaven. Not being familiar with the essential nature of the soul, people have trouble imagining the soul being with the dead body.  But that is exactly the way the scriptures describe the situation. The spirit of life departs and the soul waits in hope of resurrection.

Because we have been conditioned by tradition and vanity to read the scriptures according to certain prejudices, it is not surprising that we find excuses to reject the many plainly worded scriptures which agree with the correct teaching in favor of the fewer and less clear scriptures that conform to our prejudices and wishes (I once practiced that error).  It is surprising how infrequently we question these prejudiced rejections of clear scripture teaching.

I have laid out the case, I have covered the MAJOR passages which deal with death and resurrection.  Now I am going to cover the passages which are used or may be used to call into question the teachings which I have laid out.  As we look at these, we need to ask ourselves if these passages really warrant the overthrow of such clearly described ideas about death and resurrection as we have already read.

23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
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One of the passages that death-transitionists turn to, are a few verses from 2 Corinthians 5:

2Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.


The problem here is that people assume that to be dead is to be absent from the body.  But that is never stated, in fact, that would be a contradiction of everything that we have learned about death in the Bible.   If the dead are absent, then how shall they hear and come forth from their graves when Christ's voice sounds forth on the last day? There would be no one home to hear him call. 

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

So to be dead is not to be absent from the body, that is an unfounded assumption, and a contradiction of Old Testament and Apostolic teaching.

This one actually took me a long time to figure out, that is how powerful the conditioning we receive is.  We assume that absence from the body means death, because we have been conditioned to make that assumption, but once we free our minds from that assumption we realize that this passage is talking about the Resurrection, not death.

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Again, is death the "dissolution" of this "tabernacle?"  Absolutely not.  At death the body is not dissolved. In the resurrection however, according to 1 Corinthians 15, which Paul assumes our familiarity with, Paul talked about how the mortal must "put on" immortality, that the corruptible body might be "swallowed up" by the incorruptible.  It is the "change" of bodies that Paul is referring to when he speaks of dissolution of the body. 

We have more than flesh and blood, we have faith in a promise from God in Christ of resurrection, and we know that when he returns we will be changed and be "clothed upon" with that heavenly body.  Again, I reference 1 Corinthians 15 above.

2 Corinthians 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

This is what we want, this is our hope and dream, eternal life in a body constructed from imperishable and eternal life-giving spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

I absolutely LOVE this verse. This "absence from the body" is not merely a question of "shuffling off this mortal coil"  as the saying goes.   That would be a "naked" soul. That is reminds me of the soul-transitionist's view.  That by virtue of the nature of our immortal souls we consciously pass from one plane of existence to another at death.

According to the Apostle Paul, as Christians we do not expect our naked souls to persist in consciousness or transition to another plane of consciousness.  According to Paul, we need to be CLOTHED, we expect to be CLOTHED with a body, we do not expect to just schluff off this body and naturally proceed into our afterlife. We look for the resurrection of the dead which proceeds according to the script laid out by Christ and the Apostles. 

2 Corinthians 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

To be "unclothed" would be to be a disembodied conscious soul, and that is contrary to Christian doctrine.  We do not look to leave our bodies, but rather to put on a new body.

Again, I want to turn your mind back to everything we learned in 1 Corinthians 15.  The seed dies, this body must be changed.  And whether we die and are buried or remain alive until the coming of the Lord; the new body comes directly from the old body.  The seedling sprouts from the seed, it does not magically appear in the sky, it germinates from the original seed.  In the Resurrection, the immortal, celestial, incorruptible body replaces (or "swallows up") the mortal,  terrestrial, corruptible body which we now inhabit and to which our souls are bound in death.

2 Corinthians 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

God,  who made us, gave us the promise that our mortal nature might be, "swallowed up" of life.  He has also done more for us than merely promise us a resurrection.  The spirit of God is the "earnest money" on the promised resurrection.  God is earnest, he intends to follow through on his promise.  

I sought the spirit of God until I knew he had given me something.  When I got the spirit of God it was a powerful experience  which made a firm impression on me. Earnest money ought to be tangible, something you can look to in faith which reminds you that God keeps his promises.  Otherwise, why is the giving of the Spirit more earnest than the promise itself?  People who just have faith that they have the spirit without having had a tangible experience might as well just call the bible the earnest of their inheritance, because they are still operating based on promises and not on tangible goods.  Earnest is more than a promise, that is not just my opinion

2 Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

We like to think and meditate on verses like Matthew 28:10, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."  And we have the spirit of God in us.  He is with us, I have no doubt about that,  but it is also true that we are not with him.  That is the difference.  Again, in death, you are still at home in your body, just sleeping.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

We believe that God is with us, but we still long for something better, that is because we have hope, we have faith in the promises of God.  And even though we believe that he is with us , it is also true that we are painfully absent from him. 

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

In the resurrection... and that is really all I have to say about this.  Far from contradicting anything we have learned about death and resurrection this passage fits right into the model I have laid out for us.  To see the simple truth, it is only required of us that we lay aside the prejudice of our traditions and the conditioned responses with which we often unwittingly corrupt our reading of the scriptures.

2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

We want to be accepted by God, whether present with him in the new body, or absent from him in this present body.  True believers do not expect to live their lives in excess and sin and then suddenly turn around after the resurrection and change their behavior when they finally enter into the kingdom of God.

We expect to change bodies in the resurrection,  and certainly, in the resurrection, any remaining defect of character due to the corruptible nature of the earthly body will also be swallowed up. But we labor now to bring our behavior into line, because it has also been promised to us that we will prosper in the pursuit of righteousness.  We want to be suitable for that body.  It is not a question of "earning salvation"  or any such thing, it is what Christians do in faith.  We sincerely believe in the resurrection, so we get ready for it.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Our behaviors say a lot about the state of our faith, God is patient and longsuffering, and we ought to be zealous and earnest.  I am a firm believer in salvation by grace.  But the grace of God ought to teach us a few things, and this also relates to the resurrection.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.


To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Indeed. But to be dead is not to be absent from the body.  The dead souls are sleeping with their bodies, waiting for the resurrection as Christ and his Apostles taught.  While we live in the body we live in readiness and expectation of the resurrection.  We are not slothful but labor diligently in the faith that our souls may prosper,  and that the essential aspects of our lives may be brought into conformity to the image of Christ.

24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
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Let's look at the passage in question and examine the pertinent verses.

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.


So obviously, verse 43 is the verse people are saying contradicts all this weight of doctrine I have already brought to bear from the Old and New Testament.

Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The answer to this one is very simple: that verse is not properly punctuated. 

The original Greek New Testament does not have any punctuation. Punctuation had not been invented yet..  Punctuation was supplied by later translators and copyists, and these people were and are subject to the same pervasive influences of  tradition and prejudice which can cause us to err in doctrine.  The traditional way of punctuating this verse  is the way people WANT this verse to continue to be punctuated, and that is the way they do it.  But the following punctuation is just as plausible in the context of this text, and moreover, in the larger context of the Bible as a whole, the following punctuation is preferable; in my opinion, required, because the following punctuation is consistent with passages which deal specifically with the death of Christ, and with death in general.

Verily I say unto thee to day, thou shalt be with me in paradise.

Today, I give you this promise, that you will be with me in paradise, (in the resurrection).  If I reconstruct the sentence to conform with a pattern of speech that would seem a little more natural in English, it would read:

Today I say to you, truly, you will be with me in Paradise.

Remember, according to Peter in Acts 2, Christ did not go to paradise when he died. As it was said after his resurrection; "his soul was not left in hell."   Jesus Christ died and was buried, and he was in the Earth for three days, not in Paradise for even  a moment.  When he spoke to Mary on the day of resurrection he made this remark:

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

If the term "ME" as in "you will be with ME in paradise" refers not to the body of Christ, but to the person of Christ, then you have to be consistent and say the term "I" as in "I am not yet ascended to my father" also refers to the person of Christ, and that creates a contradiction.  And it does not end there, it also applied to all the passages which speak of the dead as having a perspective which extends in hope from the grave.  It also contradicts all the verses that say, "I will raise him up on the last day."

If we begin to try to separate the person of Christ from his body and say, "Well, his body had not ascended but he did," we make it hard  to stay consistent.  I like to keep things as consistent as I can, a simple as the subject allows.  What makes my writing complicated is unraveling all the traditions and corruptions which have come to color and cloud our understanding of death and the resurrection of the dead.

It is not merely a question of  Christ's body being in the tomb.  It was not merely the body of Christ entombed,  but the whole person of Christ which was entombed. 

The passages I rely on for understanding the doctrine of death and resurrection are passages which are contextually dealing with those very subjects.  This is a narrative passage, and while this passage is part of the narration of Christ's death, it is not really a passage that ought to be construed as trying to teach us something new about death or to change established doctrine about death. 

In Christ's ministry he talked about  the resurrection and made it very clear that the dead would be raised from their graves on the last day. We need to examine if the passage we are using is strong enough to warrant a strong objection in the first place when we start objecting to the teachings of Jesus Christ by interjecting, "What about the penitent malefactor?"    Considering that a mere punctuation change can eliminate all the trouble this verse might cause,  we must consider this an extremely weak objection.

25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death

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Before we go into the next "official" objection, I wanted to cover an issue that could be used as an objection. No one has ever brought this one to my attention as an objection, but it is worth mentioning because it certainly could be used even if it would not really be a very effective argument..  It is the issue of "seeing" and/or "tasting" death.  There are a few interesting passages in the New Testament which declare the following:

Matthew 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not TASTE of DEATH, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

Mark 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not TASTE of DEATH, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Luke 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not TASTE of DEATH, till they see the kingdom of God.

These passages all share the same idea, that there were SOME standing there who would never "taste death" until they saw the kingdom of God come with Power.  All three of these passages immediately precede an account of Christ's transfiguration.  Whatever view of death one takes, this phrase must be interpreted the same, whatever death is, Christ referred to some who would not "taste it."

What does it mean to taste death, I believe tasting death can only be interpreted as meaning, "to die in the very least."  Consider the ideas of "drinking deep of death" or of  "swallowing death  whole"  Through this metaphor Christ is emphasizing that those he was speaking of would not die, not in the least, until they had seen the promised kingdom. 

Notice that those who would not "taste death" are a select group (or individual, because "some" refers to at least one).  Those who would not taste death are an exceptional group, not everyone who believed on him would see this, but only some.  The verses are cryptic, secretive, Christ does not explain.  The promise is arbitrary, there are no conditions on which fulfillment of this promise depends.

Contrast the verses above with the following verse: 

John 8:51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never SEE DEATH.

In this verse, the promise is different in content and character. 

The promise is not arbitrary, fulfillment is dependant on the recipient keeping the saying of Christ. 

The content of this promise is different. In the previous examples it was promised that some would not "taste death TILL,"  In this case, the promise is "never see death."  That is significantly different.  The one is an arbitrary promise to be fulfilled before the death of some who stood there, the other is a conditional promise to never see death for any who fulfill the condition.

Christ's enemies restated his promise, notice how the change of metaphor does seem to alter the promise. I believe they were twisting his words to cast what was being said in the worst light, much as they did when they claimed he said he would destroy the temple and raise it in three days, when what he had said was "destroy this temple and I will raise it again after three days."  He spoke of his body.

John 8:52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never TASTE of DEATH.

So is there more than a rhetorical difference between seeing and tasting death?  I believe the Pharisees thought so.

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of DEATH, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should TASTE DEATH for every man.

To suffer death is to taste death, tasting death refers to the experience of losing one's life.  The term "taste" is used to indicate a sensation, it is the sensation of dying.  There is no sensation in the grave.  Christ died, but he also rose from the dead, I believe that when Jesus Christ said that we would "never see death"  he meant that we would die, but that through the resurrection we would escape death.  The term "see" connotes perception which goes beyond mere observation.  By seeing Christ means that we will never truly know death and experience it as it truly is, true death is a permanent state. 

To truly see death one must experience "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:9), "the blackness of darkness for ever" (Jude 1:13).  There is really no knowing in death, no seeing, no experience, except in the dying. Only those that escape death can even speak of the dead as seeing death as it truly is, because only the living can see the dead.  Those who escape death will never see (experience, know) what the dead are seeing, which is eternal darkness and destruction, in a word, eternal nothing.  The dead do not see.

So is that what the terms always mean?  Each instance has to be taken in context.

Luke 2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not SEE DEATH, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

In this context, "see death"  has the same force as "taste death."  But you will never see the term "taste" used for the stronger form.  The fate of those who fail to inherit eternal life is never spoken of as merely "tasting death."

That still leaves the question open.  Who was it that would not taste death until they had seen the kingdom of God come with power?

It is always best to first look at the near context, and so some have suggested that Christ was referring to the events that followed on the mount of transfiguration.    Christ is the kingdom of God, and seeing him in his glory on the mount of transfiguration could  be what Christ was referring to.  That is a possible interpretation, but it has never satisfied me, it has always felt like an awkward interpretation.

The transfiguration does not comfortably fit what was described as seeing "the kingdom of God come with power."   Contextual landmarks given from the previous section referring to Christ  "coming in the glory" and "with the holy angels," also contribute a certain expectation to the idea of "seeing the kingdom of God come with power."  The Apostles saw the kingdom of God in Christ in many ways, but this passage is clearly referring to a much more powerful appearance of the Son of man in power and in his kingdom.

Christ may have been referring to what the Apostle John witnessed in the book of Revelation.  That would certainly count as seeing the kingdom of God coming with power, with his holy angels.  The word "some" refers to "at least one."  (Some as in, "There be some standing here."  It has long been my opinion that the only person I can point to whom Christ could have been referring to is the Apostle John.   John is the only person who has ever clearly testified to have seen anything matching the description "the kingdom of God coming with power," this does not mean  he was the only one, but he is the only one I can point to.

26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
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In Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9 are found recorded accounts of Christ appearing transfigured and Moses and Elijah also appearing and speaking with him.  To some, this is evidence of an afterlife, confirming the transition of the soul from one plane of existence to another at death.  But is that the only explanation?  Once again, I want to emphasize that death and resurrection were the contextual subjects of the passages I have used to support my view of death and the resurrection.   But Luke 9, Mark 9, and Matthew 17 record events whose significance is unexplained, this event was something that was seen, but there is no explanation given for these events, so we need to be careful about what we read into what was reported. 

It is not reasonable to take these unexplained events out of context and to use them to undermine other passages which explain the nature of death and resurrection in the context of a discussion of that subject.  We need to interpret these passages in light of the clear doctrine that has already been revealed.  It is very bad practice to take passages such as these which, on their own, are totally open for speculation and use them to change the way we understand what Christ said about death and resurrection.

The three passages are nearly identical and the passages that lead into them are nearly identical.  The latter portions of  Matthew 16 and Mark 8 and the former portion of Luke 9 all deal with the question which Jesus posed to his disciples "Who do men say that I am?  The verses which lead into the transfiguration accounts in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and the parallel section of  Luke contain the following phrases:

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels;

Mark 8:38 ... when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Luke 9:26 ... when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

I give these verses so that we can have some sense of the context in which these events took place. The events which followed occurred in the context of teachings regarding the coming of the kingdom of God and Christ in glory with his holy angels which is also the time when the dead shall be raised incorruptible and the living in Christ will be changed. 

The following sections open with a clear pronouncement which we analyzed in the section dealing with "tasting death."

Matthew 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom

Mark 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Luke 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

The easiest way to understand this declaration is to take it literally.  Some standing there would not die until they had seen the kingdom of God come with power.  I have suggested that Jesus was speaking of the Apostle John who declared in the book of Revelation that he did indeed see those things Christ described.

Revelation 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them.

It is interesting that though Matthew Mark and Luke all agree that these things were said before the transfiguration, they all say that about a week passed before the actual transfiguration.  They all place the transfiguration in context with these sayings so that is why I have included them in this analysis. 

Matthew 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, Matthew 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. Mark 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

Luke 9:28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. Luke 9:29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

To clarify the timeline, Mark and Matthew say, "after six days"  That means that the events took place a week later but they did not count the day of the sayings or the day of transfiguration.   Luke says "about" eight days after, so he must have counted the day of the sayings and the day of the transfiguration.  This is a minor discrepancy.

If the words before were spoken (hypothetically) on Monday, Matthew and Mark don't count Monday. They start counting with Tuesday, then Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,  Saturday, and Sunday, giving them six days between the events.  So they say, "after six days," and the event occurs on Monday the seventh. 

Luke, on the other hand, counted "about 8 days after the sayings"  The context of Luke tells us that late on the day prior to the statement about tasting death, Jesus had fed a multitude (let's say,  this was on hypothetically on Sunday), and it was just after this, when Christ had withdrawn to pray, that he had made the statements to his disciples, so that means that he would have been speaking very early on Monday the first (the Hebrews reckoned the days from sunset to sunset)  Luke therefore counts Monday as a day passing and counts Tuesday-Sunday as an additional six days, then Luke also Counts the following Monday in his calculation as the eighth day, perhaps because the transfiguration occurred late on that day, but before sundown (Which the context supports)  So "after six days" and "about eight days after" can both easily refer to a week, as I said, this is a very minor discrepancy, but I like to be thorough.

These are inspired writings, but the inspiration should not be expected to extend to such mundane aspects as how different people express the passing of a week.  The bible is not supposed to be a miracle of mathematical clarity and uniformity, so we should not be shocked by these kinds of minor discrepancies, do not let the very human way the ideas are communicated distract from the actual ideas themselves.

Matthew 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Mark 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

Luke 9:30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Luke 9:31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke 9:32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

So there we have it, Matthew and Mark do not give much detail, but Luke informs us that Moses and Elijah "appeared in glory,"  and they spoke of his death.  But what does any of this say about death itself?  Does this passage tell us that Moses and Elijah, long residents of heaven, descended from heaven to speak with Jesus?  No it does not.  We are given no explanation for their appearance.  They could have been temporarily raised from the dead, they could have been transported through time, this event may have been a visionary experience, we will look at these possibilities.  But none of these explanations can really be said to be superior to the other, except to the degree that all these explanations do not contradict established facts about death and resurrection.  For that reason, there is one explanation that I can rule out completely, and that explanation is the idea that Moses and Elijah had come down from heaven whence they had already ascended in glory at their deaths.  This explanation is clearly contradictory to the teachings of Christ which we have already covered.

Some might object to the idea of a temporary resurrection, after all, I have been emphasizing that the resurrection has a specific order to it.  Still this would only be a temporary exception, they would return to their rest after this event. To ascend to heaven in victory would be a great violation of the order of resurrection, to temporarily appear with Christ on earth, would not really be equivalent. 

I want to emphasize that this is only speculation, I am not presenting this possibility as my personal explanation for the events.  We will explore other explanations as we continue.

Some people read this passage with preconceived ideas about death and resurrection, so they assume that Moses and Elijah were already "glorified" and had come down from heaven.  But the idea that they appeared, "in glory"  indicates that we are talking about resurrected bodies here (or the appearance of resurrected bodies), so if this is real, but not just a temporary event, meant only to foreshadow the coming kingdom and resurrection, then it would violate the order of resurrection. 

1 Corinthians 15:43  it is raised in glory: ... it is raised in power: 44 ... it is raised a spiritual body... and there is a spiritual body.

There is only the natural body and the resurrected spiritual body, there is no in-between un-resurrected spiritual body.  The spiritual body is the result of resurrection.  And the resurrection of the dead is reserved for a specific time (the last day) at the end of the world.  All doctrines that say otherwise are simply heresy.

Christ is the firstfruits, even though he raised up Lazarus and others from the dead, and even though Moses and Elijah appeared in resurrected bodies with him, they all returned to the grave.  Only Christ has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven in victory (John 3:13 And no man hath ascended into heaven except he that came down from heaven, specifically the Son of Man which is in heaven.).

I can't think of any doctrinal objection to the idea that Moses and Elijah were transported through time from the future when the resurrection will have already taken place, though such an idea is complicated and undesirable for that reason, it is not completely without precedent.  As I mentioned in the previous section, John was transported to the future, "in the spirit," so this is definitely not an unprecedented suggestion.  There is also the possibility that Moses and Elijah travelled forward though time and were temporarily transfigured with Christ by virtue of their transportation.  My point here is not to try to explain the events of the transfiguration.  My point is that the least plausible explanation is that they had already risen from the dead in glory and had come down from heaven. 

Matthew 17:4 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.

Mark 9:5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. Mark 9:6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

Luke 9:33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

Peter was apparently so stunned at what he saw that he began to suggest they erect of shrines to memorialize the event.  I guess that was the first thing that came to his mind.

Matthew 17:5 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. Matthew 17:6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Mark 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him

Luke 9:34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. Luke 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

It seems the purpose of the transfiguration was to bolster the faith of Christ's foremost disciples.  God commands, "Hear him," and Moses the lawgiver and Elijah the prophet appear with him to demonstrate that the purpose of Christ was in unity with the Law and the Prophets.  This passage is about Christ's authority on earth in matters pertaining to the Law and the Prophets, we are to hear him.  One purpose of the transfiguration was doubtless to firmly fix in the minds of his disciples the absolute authority of Christ.

Matthew 17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. Matthew 17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. Matthew 17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Mark 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. Mark 9:9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. Mark 9:10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

Luke 9:36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

Matthew 17:9 suggests another possible explanation of the nature of these events.  "Tell the vision to no man." The events could have been visionary in nature, the disciples were described by Luke as being heavy with sleep,    Luke 9:32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. So perhaps Elijah and Moses were not "physically" present.

According to Luke the disciples had been asleep or nearly asleep before they saw Christ transfigured and the two men appear.  This is suggestive of a visionary experience.  They hide their faces and when they look up they only see Christ, in his normal unglistering state.  The idea that the events were visionary means that Moses and Elijah did not have to literally be present, it could have been a vision of the future, or of the past, I don't know, but it means that the things they witnessed did not have to have been occurring right there on that mountain at that moment in time.  It would not mean that the vision was imaginary or a dream.  It would mean that they saw what God wanted them to see,  that they saw things that were not actually occurring at the same place and time that Peter, James, and John were occupying.

This is only speculation, my main point is that all three of these alternatives manage to explain the events on the Mount of Transfiguration without changing the established doctrines regarding death and resurrection.

27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?

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This is another common objection to the doctrine of death and resurrection as I have presented it. Does the Translation of Enoch or the Taking Up of Elijah teach us that when we die, we transition from one plane of existence to another?  Do these events signify that all the dead have "passed on" to another plane of existence. After having covered so much ground, I almost feel justified in dismissing this objection out of hand.  After all, the remarkable events associated with Elijah and Enoch are not normal., these are extremely exceptional events and neither is associated with the death of either man. These events were never used in the bible as examples of what happens to us all when we die.  In fact, if these events are examples of what happens to us all when we die, then they would cease to be exceptional and lose their significance.  So what can we say about these things?  Lets look at what the bible says about each of these individuals and see if this objection has any merit.

Enoch

We will tackle Enoch first.  Less is said about Enoch. 

Genesis 5:22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
Genesis 5:23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

This is the section of Genesis which traces the descent of Adam through Seth down to Noah.  There is a specific pattern in which each descendant is said to have lived so long and to have begat sons and daughters and to have died.  Enoch is the exception, it is not said that he died, but that "God took him."  In our culture, that is actually a euphemism for death, but here it seems to be distinguishing Enoch from the rest of his family.  He walked with God, and God took him, apparently God did not take the others, they died and were buried; another stroke against the popular view. 

The most likely explanation of this "taking" is that Enoch was physically removed from the Earth or earthly plane and no one could report his death nor the location of his body.

The new testament adds to our understanding of these events:

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

But Hebrews also adds the idea of "translation" to the puzzle concerning Enoch  I have already covered the metaphors about seeing death and tasting death.  Obviously, the idea that Enoch was translated (we assume into a celestial body) gives opponents something to work with.  But what can they really say?  Christ was also transfigured (which I take to be equivalent to translation) and Christ went on to die and rise again. Does the testimony concerning Enoch violate that pattern?

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

If the book meant for Enoch to be excepted from death by his translation, he forgot to make note of that when he got to verse thirteen.  He says quite plainly, "These all died." and Enoch was part of his list, and is not excluded at the end.  He was translated so that he would not see death, but rather know the joy of eternal life, he experienced the direct translation of the body like those who remain alive to the coming of the Lord.  Yet, because of verse 13, I believe he may have still tasted death like every other man. 

 It says they all died, and I'm going to lean towards the authority of that verse.  Though I can still get by without it,

As I said in the preface, if everyone is translated at death, then why was Enoch singled out in the first place?   If Enoch is exceptional in his translation, it is because the rule is that when you die you are NOT instantly translated, but are buried and await the resurrection on the last day.

Elijah

Elijah's case is somewhat similar to Enoch.  He was taken from the Earth in the following manner.

2Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
2Kings 2:12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

Elijah is taken to heaven and nothing further is recorded of him in that history. 

Interestingly, the men of his time who knew about his going up were concerned about him.

2Kings 2:16 And they said unto him (Elisha), Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.

I mention this verse because it is interesting that they did not presume that Elijah was taken to another dimension or transfigured.  They were concerned Elijah might be stranded on a mountain somewhere.  They did eventually make the search, but did not find Elijah. 

Many years later there was a prophecy concerning Elijah, that he would "come back."

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

The angel who appeared to the Zechariah the father of John the Baptist had this to say about John.

Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (In the New Testament Elijah is Hellenized as Elias)

I mentioned that scripture earlier in regard to the nature of spirits. But John the Baptist was not the only prophet who shared the spirit of Elijah.

2Kings 2:15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

In the time of Christ, the Jews were looking for Elijah to appear. John the Baptist was questioned about whether he was himself Elijah

John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias?

And John denied that he was Elijah, certainly not the Elijah they were looking for.  The Jews had developed a mythology about Elijah, (as they had also developed mythologies about death which we will touch on later).  Elijah was on people's minds. Jesus was mistaken for Elijah by some.

Luke 9:8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

It is worthy of note that they only speak of Elijah "appearing"  but of the other prophets as "rising again." Elijah may have been taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, but that is not the normal order of things.  The other prophets would have to "rise again."  Once again, the exceptional nature of Elijah's experience only confirms that the normal order of things is otherwise. The prophets rest in their graves, rest or sleep are used as metaphors pointing to the unconscious nature of death.

When Christ was on the cross and was calling on God, some that stood by thought he was calling for Elijah.

Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Mark 15:35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
Mark 15:36 And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

Sometimes when reading the Gospels you get the idea that the people of Christ's time had a fixation on the prophet Elijah.  After all, it is not recorded in the writings of the prophets what happened to him, and Malachi had given a prophecy that Elijah would come again. (and he had come again in the person of John, but they did not receive him)  So a popular mythology had sprung up around Elijah.

But what can we learn of Elijah doctrinally from the teachings of Jesus and the writings of his Apostles?  We used Hebrews chapter eleven to establish that Enoch may have died. Let's examine that writing again.

Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

The book is talking about the men (and women) of faith who had died in hope of resurrection.  The book had previously mentioned Enoch's translation and stipulated that all those he spoke of had died, without excepting Enoch. In verse 32 he is begging off from mentioning everyone he could possibly mention, but he does categorically include "the prophets"  without specifically excluding Elijah.   So that is one point to consider but lets go on to see what else he says and if we can learn anything about Elijah in all this.

Hebrews 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Hebrews 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

The reference to women receiving their dead raised to life again can only be considered a reference to Elijah or to his disciple Elisha, as these two men are the only men recorded to have been involved in all three resurrections recorded in the Old Testament.

But notice the thrust of the reasoning in Hebrews 11.  All that these faithful did and experienced was in expectation of obtaining the resurrection of the dead. I would include Elijah in that number, just because the search party never located him does not mean that Elijah who went up did not come down somewhere else to live out his days and die after the manner of all men.  It is purely an assumption to say that he went to heaven and resides there evermore

Hebrews 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Hebrews 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

David lived in a cave, and so did Elijah:

1 Kings 19:9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
1 Kings 19:10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

Elijah spent some significant time in a cave and it is extremely safe to assume that when Hebrews mentions all these things which the faithful have suffered, Elijah is among those whom he has in mind.

Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

As I suggested previously, obtaining a better resurrection is foremost among the promises Hebrews has in mind.  Elijah is accounted among those who all died in faith not having received the promises of resurrection and eternal life, the promise of the kingdom of God, that country to which these strangers and pilgrims on the earth looked to. 

Hebrews 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Was Elijah made perfect without us?  The first resurrection is the moment when we will all be made perfect in the promise of God, not before, and I am not inclined to accept Elijah as an exception. He did not receive the promise and you can throw in Enoch again here for good measure.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

All men except Elijah and Enoch?

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die...

All save Elijah and Enoch?  Or not? 

The Apostle Paul cautioned us against giving heed to Jewish fables and I believe one of these Jewish fables is the notion that Elijah and Enoch never tasted death like all other men.  But as I have shown from the book of Hebrews, the Christian teaching is otherwise.  Neither Elijah nor Enoch are considered to have received the promise of the resurrection which would have been in contradiction to the order of resurrection set forth in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4.

Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Do the cases of Enoch and Elijah overthrow the plain language of these verses? Not at all, but people who try to argue with me about the resurrection, in seeking to dismiss John 3:13, invariably turn to Elijah and Enoch as examples which are supposed to make John 3:13 less potent. 

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Was Elijah not taken up?  Was not Enoch taken?  They were indeed, and it is a well recorded fact. So also was John who wrote John 3:13. But it is far easier and more reasonable to look at Hebrews Eleven and conclude that Elijah and Enoch must have eventually died outside of the biblical record, like everyone else, than to say that these two are examples of how no one really dies and no one remains in the grave, but that, at death, all men transition from one plane of existence to another, and that all the good people go to heaven and all the bad people go to hell. (deck stacking, acknowledged)  The transition from one plane of existence to another is a resurrection, they won't call it that, but they teach people that the dead are "gone to heaven (or torment)" and have received glorified bodies to be pampered or tormented in.  Is that what Elijah and Enoch signify?  Nothing even remotely like it.

The argument in favor of the popular view which I have commonly heard is that John 3:13 means that no man has ascended up to heaven "by his own power."  But now we are in the realm of subjective interpretation.  I could name several other valid possibilities for interpreting the verse. Christ is different than Elijah and Enoch in that we are certain that he died before he ascended into heaven. How about "No resurrected man" has ascended into heaven?  That is a much less intrusive interpretation. And the two living men who went up are not the only prophets who seem to have either visited heaven while alive or been translated.  So we could interpret John 3:13 to read "and no man hath ascended up to heaven (with the notable exceptions of Elijah and Enoch and a few other prophets who saw heaven temporarily). 

Either of my two examples are better than the one offered by my opponents because their interpretation is designed to accommodate the idea that all believers have ascended to heaven when we have already gone over plenty of evidence that they are in their graves awaiting the resurrection on the last day. Like Jesus taught.  Their interpretation is the legal equivalent of leading the witness.  They are manipulating the text in a manner inconsistent with conscientious study.

The dead in Christ rise with the sound of the trumpet, the last trumpet according to 1 Corinthians 15.  The translation of Enoch and the taking of Elijah have to be considered purely exceptional events which Hebrews 11 reveals could have only been temporary. 

28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son

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As I was investigating the case of Elijah I came across the account of the widow's son who was resurrected when Elijah prayed for him.  The language is very suggestive, so I knew that I would have to address this passage as part of this writing.

1 Kings 17:17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
1 Kings 17:18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
1 Kings 17:19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
1 Kings 17:20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
1 Kings 17:21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
1 Kings 17:22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

The terminology  regarding the soul coming into the son would seem to be somewhat contradictory to my assertions that the soul remains with the body.  But that would be an oversimplification of my view and a prejudiced reading of the passage. When God breathed the breath of life into man, man became a living soul. But when the spirit departs, the body dies and the soul becomes dormant, Christ likened this state to sleep, but it would not be accurate to say the the soul is "in" the body. 

 The matter of what happens to the soul when we die is simple from a verbal perspective, the soul goes to hell (the grave). But it often gets complicated when we ask, "and where is the grave."  I have had countless hypothetical scenarios thrown at me over the years.  "What if the body is lost in the sea.? Eaten by animals? etc."  The body decomposes and there is eventually nothing there for the soul to be "in."  The grave, in the biblical sense, has no real fixed location. Hell/Grave/Sheol is not really a physical place, it is more like a state of being.

"Does the soul have a physical presence?" Yes and no, the body is the physical presence of the soul, but without a body the soul has no presence of its own.  A dead man has "no soul"  no life.  So when the body dies, the soul only exists as a non physical potential being, it does not really reside anywhere. 

The word soul is often translated "life." Not in the same sense that the spirit GIVES life. The soul is the life of the individual. The spirit is life from God.  So when it talks about the soul "returning"  we are not talking about the soul returning from a physical location such as heaven, or near God. The soul returns to life in the body.  The soul is returning from hell, the grave to life in the body.  This return is the return of restoration, of state, not of place.

I do not really see this passage as contradicting anything I have said, but I did not wish to ignore it and have people throw it at me later.  People will read into this passage their own prejudices and desires.  I know people accuse me of the very same thing.  But of me it is not true, because for years I wanted to believe, and did believe that dead believers go to heaven immediately on death.  That was my prejudice.  But I get over it because the scriptures kept eating at me.  When I interpret this passage in light of the doctrine I have come to believe in,  I do it having my conscience satisfied that I have taken the teachings of Christ and his Apostles as the greatest authority on the matter and I have accepted at face value the clearest passages having to do with this subject.

29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)

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Luke 16:19-31 is a parable, and therefore the events related in this story are not to be taken as literally true any more than the stories in any of the other parables of Jesus are to be taken as literally true.  That very idea is a major stumbling block for many believers who adhere to the idea that every word of the bible is to be understood as literal.  In the view of some, Christ would be a liar if the events transpiring in the parables were not historical events. Of course, there is no way that one can remain completely faithful to that kind of unbridled literalism. On examination, those who say the bible must be taken literally in all its parts are inevitably discovered to have reserved to themselves the right to spiritualize or render metaphorical certain passages of the bible which are inconvenient to their own preferred forms of doctrine or covetous lifestyle.  To offer one example from among many:

Luke 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Few self-styled "fundamentalists" are even remotely interested in taking that verse literally. 

We ought not  wantonly spiritualize inconvenient passages. Neither ought we encourage unreasonable and unwarranted literalism.  But it is irresponsible to teach that the parables of Jesus were literal historical events.  To adopt such a view is a questionable and presumptive step, because we have neither sanction nor hint from Christ nor any Gospel author directing us to believe that parables are historical accounts.  

In parables, Christ used fantasy to communicate lessons which apply to reality, that does not make him a liar, because he never intended for us to believe the stories were true historical events, and it is genuinely ridiculous that I have to explain this.  The point here about parables is that while we normally need to heed the literal meaning of what the scriptures teach without interjecting interpretations to deflect the meaning, parables are a prime example of the sort of passage which actually requires us to interpret what we are reading.  Parables are intentionally not to be taken at face value.  If we take a parable at face value only, we receive no truth at all, and by our own stubbornness, we make Christ's words into pure fantasy for ourselves.  If we ever needed to "read between the lines," (a phrase I generally despise) it would be when we are dealing with a parable. We need to discern what the parable is really saying, not so much what it is literally saying. The literal meaning is the conduit through which we gain insight of what is really being communicated, so the literal meaning is not totally irrelevant, but the literal meaning is not what Christ was ultimately trying to communicate.

That is the nature of parables. Parables are devices which are intended to teach a lesson which may not be readily apparent to all who hear it.  This can be due to the way their own hearts have been hardened or due to God having specifically excluded them from understanding based on other factors known only to Him.  Parables communicate truths that are not dependant on the reality of the literal objects and players associated with the stories.  Parables are about communicating greater truths.  When Jesus talks about a "certain king" who does this and that, he does not intend for us to believe that he is talking about an historical king, because he is not really talking about any man at all, he is talking about a truth which transcends the actors and settings of the story, the same truth could be communicated using an entirely different set of actors in another setting..

The players in the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man are not real people and the events that occur in the story are not real events, neither are the settings real, the story and events related are intended to communicate a truth which is not dependant on the reality of the actors or the scenery. 

Those who deny that Luke 16 19-31 is a parable offer in defense of this view the fact that the beggar has a proper name.  It is suggested, that since in no other parable does Christ assign a proper name to a character, that doing so in this passage designates this story as something other than a parable. This is an argument from silence.  Since Christ does not use proper names in other parables, they presume the use of a proper name in this passage disqualifies it from being a parable.  That is not logical.  There are no such rules about parables.  And while Christ does not use proper names in his other parables, there are other parable-like passages in the bible which utilized proper names with symbolic meanings.  Much of what Christ did and said had reference to the Old Testament so it is entirely reasonable to compare similar stories in the Old Testament with the stories told by Christ.

Ezekiel 23:1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: 3 And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. 4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.

The names in Ezekiel 23 had symbolic meanings ("In her tent" and "My tent is in her") and their story is presented in much the same manner as a parable.  The opponents do not consider the possibility that the name Lazarus may have a symbolic meaning. They also argue from silence that no parable can contain a proper name.  These are not valid arguments and should not be taken seriously.

Analysis of the Parable:

In order to gain a better understanding we need to set Luke 16:19-31 firmly in context. Parables were often given as further illustrations, in reaction to statements made by Christ, or in response to questions he was confronted with in his ministry. So there are often contextual clues which can help us understand what a parable means.

The parable in Luke 16:19-31 is part of a series of parables which begins in chapter 14.  The parable from earlier in chapter 16 (The Parable of the Unjust Steward) had been about a "certain rich man" who was defrauded by his steward.  The Steward went about writing down the debts of his master's debtors in hopes of making them his friends.  He had hoped that they would then take care of him after his master fired him.  The ironic twist in the story that confuses  people is that the master actually commends the unjust steward for being such a shrewd operator.  Christ explains this twist by saying that the children of the world are wiser in their generations than the children of light.  Christ then issues the following challenge:

Luke 16:9 ...Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

This is ironic, because the point of the parable is as follows:

Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Luke 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Luke 16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

God is our master and we are his stewards, but Christ was talking to the Pharisees.  Christ went to great lengths to catalog the abuses of the Pharisees.  They were unjust stewards of the Law and the Prophets, they were not faithful to the word of God.  They excused each other for transgressing the law, they wrote down one another's debts, and they patted each other on the back for being so shrewd.  But God is not impressed by their shrewdness.   All God sees is that his laws and doctrines are being corrupted.  We must be faithful to the doctrine of God in every point and not make unjust exceptions to win friends and advance ourselves.  That was the lesson of the parable of the unjust steward. 

The children of this world are wiser in their generations than the children of light because, in this world, the wicked sometimes get ahead by being wicked. But you must understand that we are not to behave like that.  This is a great example of the way that parables can't be taken literally. The reason I'm covering this parable with the parable of Lazarus is because the Unjust Steward illustrates how interpreting parables literally can be hazardous to righteousness and sound doctrine.  If you work for a bank and try to take Christ's advice literally and "go and do thou likewise,"  you may quite possibly wind up in federal prison.  And if you get away with defrauding a bank, you will have shown yourself unfaithful in the unrighteous mammon, and God will not entrust to you the true riches.

Luke 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

The master in that parable is a child of the world, he is not God.  I think that is a point people have difficulty with, they are used to the "Master"  character in many parables being God. But God will not commend the shrewdness of those who defraud him or others. We are not supposed to imitate the unjust steward, even though Christ actually suggests that we "make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness," because, believe it or not, he was saying that with heavy irony. God is not a child of this world, he will not commend nor wink at the greed and self-serving actions of those who are supposed to be his faithful servants.  And no matter how many people we please by fraud, they will not be able to save us from God's judgment and receive us into everlasting habitations, those sort of arrangements only work out in this world. 

Neither the Pharisees nor anyone else should expect the literal interpretation of this parable to work for them the way it worked for the unjust steward in the parable. God will not commend unjust stewards for being shrewd.  This story also reminds me of the self-glorifying kind of thinking associated with the Talmud, where the successors to the Pharisees wrote tales about wise rabbi's who used their shrewdness to out-wit God. 

That parable and the verses that follow are important in understanding what Christ is saying in the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, they are contextually linked and the thought continues from one to the other.  Also the literal interpretations of both these parables are demonstrably false. If you got lost in the first parable you will definitely have trouble with the second.  It is wrong to commit fraud and it is wrong to corrupt doctrine, the two ideas are tied together.  Jesus Christ trusted his true followers enough to believe that we would figure out that he did not intend for us to try to win friends in the world by stealing from our employers on their behalf.  And if any Christian working at Bank of America doesn't agree with me, I'd like to talk to you about reducing the balance I owe on my mortgage!  I will be your friend forever!

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

I love this parable because so many people are confused by it, but if you can handle it, then you are on your way to escaping the kind of unreasoning literalism that cripples many who would like to be counted faithful Christians. Serving God means we are faithful in the way we handle the things which God values.  We cannot serve that interest and also the interest of worldly advancement.  The two things are contradictory.  Seeking worldly approval and wealth will require us to compromise our faithful adherence to the will of God.  If you want to be a faithful Christian be faithful to the ideals that Jesus Christ taught, such as to honesty or to confession, not to a blind literal reading of the scriptures which would lead you to imitate a wicked character in a fictional story! Get your priorities straight.

Luke 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

The Pharisees derided Jesus the same way prosperity preachers deride him when they say that you can have it both ways. They say that you can have all the money you ever dreamed of and still please God, but it simply does not work that way. They are all rich, and they are all corrupt, every  single one, without exception, because God declared that it is so.  Christ said you cannot serve God and mammon and anyone who says anything remotely to the contrary is plain antichrist.  Rich people become godly by distributing their riches and that is at cross purposes with the means of getting riches.  Do not heed those who peddle schemes where you are told to give earthly riches to men of God in order to get more earthly riches back from God.  They never read you the letters from the people who were hurt in those schemes.  Do not tempt God, you may be required to bear the consequences.  If you give your money away, God may deem it high time for you to live in poverty, and there is nothing wrong with that, but if you were looking to get rich, it will be a hard lesson.

Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Men esteem all kinds of things that God hates.  This is especially true when it comes to doctrine.  I don't know how many times I have heard the problem of evil explained as a necessary consequence of free-will.  The problem with that explanation is that God himself never explains it that way.  Its not a biblical explanation.  That doctrine is highly esteemed by men, but hated by God, because it is a lie.   Men also esteem the doctrine that says the soul is immortal by nature.  Men esteem the doctrine of the transition of the presumed immortal soul from one plane of existence to another at death.  Men esteem that which is contrary to the word of God, and in this they are unjust Stewards.  They are not faithful in the way they handle the doctrine of Christ.  This is part of the point of the previous parable and also relates to the parable of Lazarus.

Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

Jesus attracted multitudes and there was often a great press of men about him seeking him and what he offered.  Everyone seemed to want in, but what he has left unsaid is that while men want in with God, they want in on their own terms, it was over these terms that Christ came into conflict with many in his time on earth and many come to conflict with each other ever since that time.  Christianity is always growing in one way or the other, not merely in the number of believers in the world, but in the sheer number of varying beliefs among those that count themselves as inheritors of this exclusive kingdom.  Many are called, but few are chosen. 

From that time to this very day men have pressed into the kingdom and heaped upon the doctrine of Christ all sorts of beliefs and teachings which they find pleasing.  Traditions of men and other strange doctrines which find an audience among those for whom the specific idea holds some appeal.  All this is based on what man finds pleasing and on what man thinks is reasonable and right.  Men find certain ideas to be more palatable than the truth and as they press their way into the kingdom they also try to impress upon the kingdom their own ideas and preferences.

Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

God's word is not intended to be taken back, it is firmly established, but still, we do know that heaven and earth shall pass away.  I often talk about how Christ abolished the law, but to leave that as a bald statement is to invite angry retorts because of statements like Luke 16:17.  Yet Paul declared that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness in them that believe, which means we do not rely on the law for our righteousness as Christians.  It does not mean that adultery is no longer a sin, or that it is now acceptable to steal.  It means that Christians are made just, by the blood of Christ, not by the keeping of the law.  We do not overcomes sin by following the regulations of the law, but by seeking the kingdom of God and by receiving the promises of God in Christ through faith.  We rely on the power of God to cleanse us from sin and to teach us and lead us to righteousness.  This is as opposed to relying on ourselves to obey the commandments and rituals of the law to accomplish the same thing.   Christ fulfilled the Law in his death and we fulfill the Law in Christ, we cannot fulfill the Law by any other means, nor are we required to as Christians.

The dynamic for Christians is different because we overcome sin by faith, not by the law.  But sin is still sin.  You can't wave your hand and make wrong things right, though that is practiced by politicians and religious leaders from the time of Christ to this day.  Men make exceptions for themselves and excuse themselves for behaving badly while accusing and even punishing others.  It is vile hypocrisy, and it does not matter if they are liberal or conservative, they all do it.  On one side, for example, there are the liberals who want to disqualify sins such as homosexuality from being sin.  Then there are the hypocrites on the right who tell homosexuals that they are not allowed to sin while they themselves admit to sinning daily and confess that they do not expect that they will ever stop sinning.  If in Christ we are not expecting sin to cease, then why do they insist that homosexuals and others are uniquely expected to stop their sinning? They excuse themselves because they are merely liars, full of hypocrisy, having eyes full of adultery, who love not their brothers, and they do not think themselves as needful of rebuke and repentance as others.  I need to stop sinning, that is my first concern, and I seek that end through faith in Jesus Christ declaring the truth in love.

Luke 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

You can't make sin right by abusing loopholes.  I have heard that this verse seems out of place to some, but  it follows perfectly, the subject is unchanged.  The Pharisees were notably liberal in granting divorces; a point over which Christ had clashed with them. 

Mark 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

It wasn't the mere fact of divorce, it is the fact that they made those that got divorces "lawful."  In other words, getting divorced was seen as "keeping the law," because there was a provision in the law for getting a divorce.  They counted themselves sinless in their divorces. But Christ is saying that when a man divorces his wife to marry another woman, that is called ADULTERY.   They were violating the spirit of the Law by abusing this loophole granting divorces.  We need to acknowledge our sins so that we might seek Christ's forgiveness.  When we justify ourselves in our sins, we cut ourselves off from forgiveness; because as Christ said,  "the whole need not a physician."  If you count yourself sinless, then you do not need Christ's forgiveness and will not receive it.  Not that divorce is an unpardonable offense, but that pardon must be sought because sin has been committed. The New Testament says we should forgive all manner of sins, considering ourselves lest we should be tempted (Galatians 6:1), yet it also says that it is unacceptable to continue in sin (Romans 6:1,2), these two ideas may seem to be mutually exclusive, and they are, but God is longsuffering and leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4) 

The point Christ is making is that the Pharisees and other religious leaders were unjust stewards, they were unfaithful  in handling the Lord's riches (the Law).  This was a prime example of the way they had written down the debts of sinners (as the unjust steward had written down the debts of his master's debtors). They had justified men who had unlawfully put away their wives.  I'm sure their views on divorce were popular with wicked husbands.  But that which is esteemed by men is an abomination to God.  Sins may be forgiven, but no sin is taken off the books.

The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is a continuation of this line of thinking:

Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

In this parable the rich man represents the Jewish leadership, they are the ones clothed in purple symbolizing the royalty, and linen representing the priesthood.  The rich man is simply another unjust steward.  The scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses seat, they occupied the earthy seat of political and religious authority.  They were the stewards of God's riches and were held in high regard by many, as many are today.  They had been given political and religious power, but had neglected the godly duties of those in such a position.  They fattened themselves in the things of God but did not heed nor share these riches.  

I need to interject an answer to the arguments of some who have attempted to interpret this parable and have tried to make the rich man and the beggar morally neutral, saying there is no sin in being rich and no virtue in poverty.  But that is ignoring the teachings of Christ.  Christ said that the poor were blessed and the rich were burdened. 

Luke 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
Luke 6:25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

They have pointed out that it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom, but that it is not impossible.  But that is ignoring the fact that Christ taught the riches needed to be gotten rid of for the rich man to enter.  (see the example of the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30) The reason it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom is because the rich man is reluctant to part with his riches.  To this day rich people look for preachers who will allow them to stay rich.  So difficult is it for them to part with their riches.  But according to the scriptures those that have plenty bear responsibility for those who have little.

1Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Timothy 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; (communicate means share)
1Timothy 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

So it is clear from the new Testament teaching that while riches themselves do not make a man sinful, the holding of riches in the face of the need of others is sinful.  It is interesting the way in which the literal actions in the previous parable conflict with the morals in this parable.  In the previous parable the unjust steward was robbing his master of earthly goods, writing down debts to win friends in this world who would support him in hard times.  The conflicting idea is that God actually wants us to preach forgiveness of sins, forgive debts and distribute to the poor.  It is only superficially in conflict, because the unjust steward was looking after his own interest, against the wishes of his master, while God expects us to forgive one another and distribute the good things he gives us in this world, so we are looking after his interest when we forgive or distribute, not our own. We are liberal with the riches he gives into our possession, but we do not compromise or otherwise tamper with the true riches contained in his promises, or in the doctrine of godliness which we have received through Jesus Christ.

Luke 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Luke 16:21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

The beggar represents the common people. The sores represent the sins and ailments of the people that have festered and worsened as a result of the poor leadership.  This is possibly an allusion to the words of the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward...
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and
putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

That whole first chapter of Isaiah makes a good companion piece to this parable.

The crumbs which fell from the table of the Pharisees are the remnants of the rich things of God with which the rulers fed themselves.  The leaders are supposed to feed the people from the riches of God and from the good things God has given them.  Instead of using their status to provide the service for which they were appointed, these use their position to improve their own lives and enrich themselves and their friends (as unjust stewards).  The religious and political leaders grow fat from their stewardship and the people are starved because the leaders corrupt the word of God and precious little edible "crumbs" fall into their mouths.  They help themselves and they help not the people.

The dogs are the ungodly and gentiles.  The Romans served the people of God better than the presumptive servants of God and provided a stable and tolerant government in which the Jewish religion flourished and Christ's ministry was not hindered.  I think this may be the meaning of the dogs that licked the sores of Lazarus.  Christ occasionally referred to gentiles as dogs, (Mark 7:27).

Those that have suggested that the characters are morally neutral have also suggested, that Lazarus represents the gentiles and the rich man the Jews.  I think this is incorrect.  That interpretation renders the parable inapplicable to religious leaders of our day.  In Christ we are supposed to have learned that in every nation those that honor God may be accepted by God. 

Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Acts 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

The idea they try to get out of this parable is that the Jews (the rich man) would be out, and the Gentiles (Lazarus) would be in. But that is not really how it went.  The Ecclesia (Church) of the New Testament does not replace Israel, it is the gathering together in one body of both believing Jews and gentiles alike.  I prefer to view this parable based on behaviors rather than based on races, because that is one of the important messages of the New Testament, i.e. that in Christ, race, sex, and social status are irrelevant.

The name Lazarus may have some symbolic meaning.  Its literal interpretation is "God Helps" but the name Lazarus also signifies something else.  It is a contraction of the name Eleazar from the Old Testament.  The most notable Eleazar would have been Eleazar the son and successor of Aaron the brother of Moses. So Lazarus represents the true priesthood of God which does not prosper in this world, because men continually esteem things that God hates, and vice versa.  Two of Aaron's sons, Eleazar's older brothers, were destroyed by God for being derelict in their duties at the altar of God. They were unjust stewards.  Instead of using the true fire kindled by God himself, they offered fire from some other source.

Numbers 3:2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Numbers 3:4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father. Numbers 3:32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

The scribes and Pharisees, the priests and rulers of Christ's day were equivalent to Nadab and Abihu, they were presumptive of their status and were willing to compromise the service of God towards the people.  They were not faithful stewards of the things of God. 

Revelation 1:5...Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Christ makes us Kings and Priests.  He clothes us with the "purple and linen"  in the place of those who unjustly wear it on earth. There are few on earth indeed who fill the rolls of religious or political leadership who are saved; because they are derelict in their duties before God, they are unjust stewards, making friends of the mammon of unrighteousness.

Luke 16:22 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;

Christ is not trying to teach us that good people go to "Abraham's bosom" when they die anymore than he was trying to say that throwing seed all over the place is the most efficient way for a farmer to plant seed.  The term "Abraham's bosom" comes directly from the false traditions of the Pharisees.

According to the Companion Bible citing the works of John Lightfoot, the Pharisees taught that there were three places they might go when they die: (1) Abraham's Bosom; (2) under the throne of glory; (3) the garden of Eden; (Paradise).  Speaking of death they would say "this day he sits in Abraham's bosom."  Lightfoot, Works, vol.xii, pp.159-163

Such a place as "Abraham's Bosom" is never mentioned in any of the teachings of the scriptures regarding death and resurrection, so this setting is fictional, no such place exists.  

The point is not about demonstrating the places that the dead go, but rather the reversal of fortunes in the resurrection in the Kingdom of God.  When God judges the world, many that are last shall be first, and the first last.  The character Lazarus receives his portion with righteous Abraham and the Religious leaders would not be accounted worthy.  In other words, in the resurrection, God will punish the unjust stewards and comfort the neglected the people of God. 

Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

The word hell here is hades, which answers to the Hebrew word Sheol (the Grave)  Christ always used  hades to refer to the place of the dead, the grave.  In the passages which Christ is referring to final judgment, the word Gehenna is used and also translated "Hell,"  which is unfortunate because they refer to two totally different ideas.

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Hell in Revelation 20 is "Hades." When Christ referred to the final judgment he used the term Gehenna in order to distinguish the eternal fire of judgment from the abiding place of the dead, which is translated from the Hebrew Sheol as "Hades."  And the Pharisees had apparently adopted many of the mythological ideas of the Greeks about the afterlife when they taught about "sheol/hades."  I will be doing a paper on the nature of hell and everlasting punishment, look for it on my doctrine page.

The Pharisees saw themselves as "on their way to heaven" of course, they did not exactly believe in going to heaven, they went to "Abraham's bosom." The idea is the same, they expected a positive outcome for their afterlife experience.  Christ is clearly refuting that idea. 

From the evidence of scripture it is observed that the Pharisees believed that if you were well off in life; it was evidence that God approved of you.  Whereas if you were a poor beggar with sores all over his body, it was ample evidence that you were cursed by God.  Notice that nothing bad ever happened to the rich man in his life, the Pharisees would have judged such a man as supremely blessed. 

John 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

His disciples asked the question, but the idea came from those that sat in Moses' seat, this was what people were being taught in those days.  We know this because of the way they treated the man who was born blind when they investigated the healing.

John 9:34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

It is ironic that many Christians today subscribe to the same philosophical line of thought as the Pharisees.  I have had people write me who have told me, "We are so blessed, so it is impossible that we could be doing anything wrong."  Whereas I know that if I revealed my own situation to my enemies, they would rejoice at my poverty and proclaim that God was punishing me.  So many Christian people still equate worldly prosperity with God's approval and worldly want with God's disapproval.  There are many ways which I could demonstrate the falseness of that idea, but this parable really ought to suffice.

You will notice that in the fictional account of Hell, (or Hades) everyone is in sight of each other.  That is because in the doctrine of the Pharisees all the dead are in the same place, they are just treated different.  In the doctrine of Christ, the dead are also in the same place, but will be treated different after the resurrection in the final judgment.   The setting is really irrelevant, because what Christ is saying is that the Pharisees would not be going where they thought they were going, to Abraham's Bosom, or to be approved of God in any way.  Yet that was what they believed.  And the common people whom they despised and counted sinful would be the ones whom God approved.

His message to them is that they would not receive what they expected in death because they were not faithful to the teachings of God in life.  The ironic part is that he is using their own teachings on the subject of death to illustrate his point.  He is not affirming the reality of their doctrine, he is only affirming the fact that they would not escape the judgment of God for having been unfaithful to God's word.  But the setting of the story is an ironic twist to the story, and it should not be taken any more literally than Christ's injunction to "make ye friends of the mammon of unrighteousness."  To do so would to make one an UNJUST STEWARD!  Christ has given us the truth concerning death and resurrection, why would we exchange that for the contrary evidence of a fictional story?  So also had God given the Pharisees the truth concerning death in the old Testament, yet they had exchanged that truth for a fictional story. That is as plain as I can say it.  Christ has already taught us about death, so why would we suddenly be unfaithful to that based on the setting of  a fictional story?

Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The one who failed in his duty to relieve suffering, is portrayed as desiring relief from the one whose suffering he did not care about in life. 

Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

These details are directly from the teachings of the Pharisees. They believed that two  men might be "coupled together" in life and see one another in the afterlife.  The Pharisees gave similar stories of  fictional conversations taking place after death.

Luke 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
Luke 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

The Old Testament contains no accounts of places of torment or of immortal souls.  The dead are in their graves.  But the Pharisees had no doubt been influenced by long association with the Greeks and having heard the myths of Tantalus and Sisyphus believed in places of torment in death and in places of comfort.  Men like to believe that their loved ones are "still alive" and in "a better place" such as "with Abraham" but the teaching of the bible on these subjects does not satisfy man's desired outcome, so men prefer to believe the fiction rather than receive what is actually being taught.

Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

This is the most ironic part of the story because the story itself violates the teachings of the Prophets concerning death and resurrection.  We have discussed how in the matter of Adultery the Pharisees had corrupted the Law, and in the matter of what happens to the dead they had corrupted the teachings of the prophets.

Psalm 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

This parable is literally filled with things which contradict the scriptures. This is part of Christ's point. The things which are being said are actually Jewish traditions, contrary to the Law of Moses and the Prophets

Luke 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Regardless of whether one comes back from the dead to confirm the contrary, men's hearts are too hardened against the truth to receive what those returned from the dead might say.  Even if it was to warn of eternal torture, men would continue to follow the things that they preferred to believe in than heed any word to the contrary, regardless of the source.  Jesus Christ came working miracles, yet they crucified him.  He rose from the dead, yet they stoned his servants.  Is further evidence required?  Men use every power at their disposal to protect their interests, reputation, and goods.

The Pharisees were covetous and disregarded the teachings of the law and the prophets in order to justify themselves (Luke 16:15). The setting of the parable is ironic, because the imaginary scene which Christ portrays contradicts his own teaching concerning death and also contradicts the teachings of the law and prophets.  The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead, but they also believed in an afterlife, which I speculate was based on the Greek mythology.  The fictional narrative which Christ uses to make his point is taken directly from the traditions of the Pharisees and was intended to be ironic just as the previous parable in Luke 16 had an ironic ending.   Some people will have trouble with the idea that Christ ever used irony, and I would encourage you to keep an open mind, because there is really no way to understand Luke 16 without conceding that Christ was being ironic.

The Bottom Line on Lazarus

It is not fitting to use the setting of this parable to undermine the consistent biblical teaching regarding death.  When Christ or the Apostles spoke of what it was like to be dead they consistently told the same story it is only in a few places that we can find anything contrary.  And the context of such passages render, without exception, any argument for the popular view highly questionable.

30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation

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If you accept my view of death, the book of Revelation contains many places where one might pause and question whether this view is correct.

Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Context is the key here.  For one, the context of the whole book of Revelation is different than most books of the bible. The book of Revelation is a prophetic vision. It is difficult to place the thing which John saw into the context of human experience.  John was taken up in the spirit, "on the Lord's day"  and saw events which are yet future.

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

John also saw things which were symbolic of future persons and events. So not everything John saw is to be taken literally.  That is one of the central challenges of a proper understanding of the book of Revelation; to understand what is symbolic and what is a direct reference.  Also we must understand that the things seen in Revelation are future to us and were future to John, but in the world to which John was spiritually transported, the events may have been long past.  John saw events at the beginning of the one thousand year reign of Christ and he saw events that came after that, so when and where exactly was John when he got all this?  John saw the new heavens and earth and many other things, so when we read about "people in heaven" in the book of Revelation it is not reasonable to presume that what is being described is how things stand at this time (in reference to our time).

Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

You can bet I take that verse literally.  When I believed in the popular view, that verse bothered me, and no wonder, because it says so much, so simply.  But I bring it up here so that you will notice that when John wrote this, he wrote it as if it had already happened.  When we read other passages in Revelation which cause us to doubt the consistent teaching of Christ and His Apostles, we need to remember to keep it all in context.  We don't really know for sure where and when these things occurred or will occur.

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

We should not be leaping to the conclusion that this all means that dead people are now living in heaven.  If we examine what these worshippers say, then it bears remembering that these same terms are used of those that participate in the first resurrection.

Editorial Note:  It is also worth noting that according to some sources the King James translation of this passage is inaccurate.  Accordingly, the "us" in verse ten ought to be "them," and the "we" ought to be "they," referring to he saints, and most Greek texts supposedly omit the "us" from verse nine.  This makes sense in light of the idea that these are heavenly beings singing about the saints and not the saints singing of themselves.  "...and hast redeemed them to God by thy blood out of every kingdom and tongue and people and nation and hast made them unto our God kings and priests, and they shall reign on the earth.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

These are they that were made priests and kings, they that had been dead and were now alive through the resurrection.  As I have said before, if the soul instantly transitions from one plane of existence to another at death, there really is no such thing as death.  It would require us to awkwardly insert the concept of "spiritual death" into a passage which in context clearly speaks of physical death, i.e. beheading.  They were once beheaded, but they lived again in the resurrection.  These are the same ones which John witnessed in chapter five (if those in chapter 5 were indeed saints).  John was either taken into the future or was shown visions of future things or of things which symbolized future things.  Either way it is not reasonable to suggest that the worshippers witnessed in chapter five were actual dead people, the dead know not anything. The dead do not go to heaven.  Only those that live in the resurrection could literally fill those roles.  Either that or it was purely a vision created by God of what would be, or symbolizing what would be.

Even though chapter five occurs sequentially prior to the resurrection, what was seen in chapters four and five was highly visionary and it is difficult to say when exactly the outward events of  those chapters were taking place.  By "outward events" I mean the things which involved John and his interaction with the people and angels he saw.  The things described in the seals themselves are another matter.  John could have already been transported to a future well past the events that the prophecies were addressing.  In other words, it is reasonable to believe that John was in the distant future receiving prophecies of things which were then past (in reference to that future time, but yet future in reference to John and us (I know the amillennialists are not happy with me).

So it is important for us to consider what we are reading.  What are we really reading?  When do these things occur?  What is the context?  The near context and the broader context.  And we also have to be willing to compromise what we think we know in favor of allowing the scriptures themselves to teach us and give us understanding.  There has to be a consistent biblical teaching regarding death and resurrection and we have to be patient and willing to adjust our opinions until the fullness of that truth is revealed to us clearly.

31). The Souls Under the Altar

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This is the classic objection from Revelation.  I used to use it myself.  "What about the souls under the altar?"

Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

So, here we see "souls under the altar" and this is definitely "before" the resurrection because the passage clearly states that more saints must be killed before the desired vengeance will be visited on the enemies of God.  They are told to "rest yet," for a little season.  What exactly does that mean? They seem to be anything but at rest, crying out, crowded there under the altar in their thousands of thousands, is that the reward of their sacrifice?  Obviously, I do not take this passage literally.  The vision of the souls under the alter can be reasonably classified as a symbolic vision.  The voices of the slain saints cry out to God in the same way that the blood of Abel cried out to God from the ground.

Genesis 4:10 ...the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Interestingly, notice how God does not say, "Cain!  Why has thy brother Abel appeared here before me in heaven?"  God places the cry of Abel's blood as coming from the ground, which received his blood and his body.

The slain saints are shown to John as being under God's gaze, directly under the Altar before his throne.  This is to emphasize the fact that God has not forgotten the sacrifice of  his saints.  It is a matter very close to him which he never ceases to be aware of.  The admonishment to "rest yet," is a nod to the literal truth, the saints are "at rest," they are sleeping in the dust of the earth, as Christ taught.  In the mind of God, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the saints which will be slain at the feet of the beast, the righteous blood cries out for vengeance and God is very attentive to this matter.

The fact that this vision is the result of an opened seal is not without significance.  The intention of this seal is to communicate these ideas, not to change the way we understand death.  We have to keep these things in context.

32). The Mysterious Multitude

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Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Revelation 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. (omitting the verses referring to the angels)
Revelation 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Some people make a big deal about them having "washed their own robes," in order to separate these "tribulation saints"  from the rest, but it does not make sense.  We all have to wash our robes in his blood, by faith.  It is a red herring.

But half the answer is right there. This one is a matter of time.  We are told WHAT John beheld, but not the context of when what he saw existed.  In other words, this multitude is likely post-resurrection, they came out of great tribulation (possibly THE great tribulation) but regardless of where or when they came from.  When John observes them, they are either resurrected, or he is being given a vision of them after their resurrection.

I included verses 15-17 because they mirror verses from the end of the Book of Revelation

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Further on the living waters are also mentioned. 

So we see that those mentioned in chapter seven are not likely pre-resurrection residents of heaven.  Much of the confusion surrounding these verses arises from a lack of familiarity with the Book of Revelation and a failure to place the visions and events expressed into their proper context.  I hope to do a study of revelation soon, but I felt this writing was more needful. 

33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences

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Though this is not a biblical objection I'm going to cover it briefly.  Experience is not something that should be categorically discarded when considering a question.

The objection here is going to take many forms.  There are thousands of anecdotes about what people have seen when they got close to dying.  And they are not consistent which makes analysis of any specific experience questionable.  There is one universal truth about these experiences:  They are not called "near-death"  experiences without good reason.  I don't care how loudly someone protests about them being "clinically dead,"  biologically dead, or whatever terminology by which they choose to describe someone who is not "stone cold dead." These people are quite clearly not "really dead."  If they were "really dead"  then doctors could have legitimately claimed that they had raised the dead.  But I know of no physician who will claim to be able to bring back to life a person (or other animal) who is fully dead.  No matter how gently you may kill them, you can't bring them back after they become completely dead.  For medicine there is a point of no return, and there are no anecdotes from modern medicine about people coming back after being dead for a day or so. And that is the only death that really matters, everything up to that point is the product of  the human imagination.

As the body dies the mind is subject to all kinds of chemicals being released and as one goes unconscious, may enter into a dream state which can seem as real and lucid as any other dream may.  This explains why people have so many different and conflicting experiences.  Kids see Santa Claus, Sinners see Satan, and others see Christ, Jehovah, the Great Spirit, their life flashing before their eyes, or whatever they fancy as their body's biological functions wind down towards actual death.  It does not matter how "life-changing"  these experiences can be.  I have no doubt they are a psychological powerhouse.  And God might even work through such an experience to change someone's life.  That is not the point.

The point is that we have no modern testimonies from people who have had full death experiences.  But we do have testimony from one who died and came back to life from the scriptures.

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

When Christ died, we know it was not a "near-death"  experience because he was dead for three days.  He claims that after three days of being dead, he had not yet ascended to his father.  That was a full-on death experience, and that is the one I take as authoritative.  The dead do not ascend into heaven.  Only through the resurrection may we hope to do so.  Christ is our pattern.

I used to think that "near-death" experiences were the bread and butter of new-age types, but more and more I hear supposedly Christian voices taking advantage of stories which coincide with their view of heaven or hell.  But you can't just cherry-pick the stories that suit you. You have to take all the stories.  If they were 99% in agreement, that would be somewhat compelling, but the stories vary so greatly that it is irresponsible to try to rely on such conflicting testimony from people who were arguably never dead.

34). CONCLUSION

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If there was a parting thought I would like to leave with you, it would be that the passages which actually deal with the subject of "what is it like to be dead,"  as their primary subject matter all agree.  The passages that seem to disagree with these passages are invariably of a different nature and this makes them poor arguments against the primary passages.  It is one thing to use those conflicting passages to cast doubt on the doctrine of death and resurrection.  But it is another thing entirely to construct from the ground up a view of death, based on those scriptures.  If we were to attempt such a thing, we should also have to list all the objections, which here have been my primary evidence.  That would be a difficult sea of scripture to make our way through and I have never seen an opponent even attempt it. And generally they don't have to, because their view is popular, their view is the view that people want to hear. What I'm saying is, I have yet to see anyone even attempt to explain all these passages away. That is a lot of very plain scripture to explain away, which I am not comfortable doing, and that is the reason I changed my view.  And that is the point,  we have to make a choice here, we have to decide, we have to exercise a little of one of the weightier matters of the Law, judgment.

We have to exercise good judgment.  We have to rightly divide the word of God.  We have to decide what we will take at face value, and what was meant to be taken some other way.  You can't have it both ways, and being able to set aside our own prejudices and preferences is part of growing up into Christ and being faithful to the doctrine which is according to godliness.

Paul Stringini
reborn@oraclesofgod.org
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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Table of Contents:
The full audio may be downloaded or listened to in sections linked from the section headings.
1). Introduction
2). Life and Death: Body, Soul, and Spirit
3). Distinguishing the Soul from the Spirit
4). Distinctive Properties of Spirits
5). The Mortality of the Soul Requires the Work of Christ
6). Soul and Spirit - Conclusions
7). What is Death Like?
8). In the Old Testament
9). In the New Testament
10). I Believe in Death
11). The False Doctrine of the Transition of the Immortal Soul
12). Death is a State, Not a Transition 
13). The Transition is a False Resurrection
14). The Dead in Christ are Waiting for the Last Day
15). There is No Rapture
16). Primary Passages Dealing with the Resurrection
17). 1 Thessalonians 4
18). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 1
19). 1 Corinthians 15 Part 2
20). 1 Corinthians 15: What About Everyone Else?
21). Acts 2:29-34
22). Objections
23). Objection #1: To be Absent from the Body is to be Present with the Lord?
24). Objection #2: What about the "Penitent Thief?"
25). The Matter of Seeing Death and Tasting Death
26). Objection #3: What About the Mount of Transfiguration?
27). Objection #4: What about Elijah and Enoch?
28). Difficulty: The Case of Elijah and the Resurrection of the Widow's Son
29). Objection #5: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31)
30). Objection #6: Saints with God in the Book of Revelation
31). The Souls Under the Altar
32). The Mysterious Multitude
33). Objection #7: Near Death Experiences
34). CONCLUSION


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