7.
Christ Alone Has Immortality!
[Questions Answered]
According
to Scripture, there is no life in
death, for the believer and the unbeliever alike. Death is death and not some
portal into another life. The only way
out of the state of death is through resurrection, which is the only way that
our Lord Jesus Christ escaped death. Need we be reminded that Scripture clearly
declares that Christ alone has immortality (1 Timothy 6.16), and
no one has ascended into heaven except He Who descends out of heaven (John
3.13).
According
to Paul’s evangel to the nations, the believer’s hope or expectation is the
resurrection, transfiguration and the snatching away to the presence of the
Lord when He comes for His body at the conclusion of this present eon. Until
that day, all who fall asleep in Jesus are dead, waiting until they hear that
mighty shout and the trump of God. This is based on 1 Corinthians 15 and 1
Thessalonians 4.13-18, for this is when we shall always be with the Lord, and
not a day sooner.
The
“die and go to heaven (or, to hell)” teaching is defended by many using certain
Scriptures. Some Scriptures are used so often and so strongly in defense of
this matter that they have been accepted by many believers without a serious
intelligent challenge. It is needful that serious students of Scripture
diligently study the word to see if what is being preached from many pulpits
and Bible classes is truly the truth of the inspired word of God or the traditions and interpretative
biases of men. The following are some of the most often quoted Scriptures.
1. A medium,
Saul and Samuel’s appearance.
[1 Samuel 28]
2. To you
am I saying today (
3. No one
has ascended into heaven except.
[John 3.13]
4. By no
means be dying for the eons. [John 11.25-26]
5. You can not
follow Me now, yet you shall. [John
13.36]
6. Making ready a place for
you. [John 14.2-4]
7. Longing
to be dressed. [2 Corinthians 5.1-5]
8. Out of
the body and at home with the Lord. [2 Corinthians 5.6-9]
9. Snatched
away to the third heaven. [2 Corinthians 12.1-4]
10. He
captures captivity. [Ephesians
4.7-10]
11. For me to
be living is Christ. [Philippians
1.21-24]
12. Dying
once. [Hebrews 9.27-28]
13. A cloud
of witnesses. [Hebrews 12.1-2]
14. Heralding
to spirits in jail. [1 Peter
3.17-20]
15. The
exodus. [2 Peter 1.15]
16. The souls
under the altar. [Revelation
6.9-10]
Well,
let us challenge ourselves and see if these oft-quoted passages of Scripture
are truly proof that when one dies he or she does not really die.
1.
A medium, Saul and Samuel’s appearance. [1 Samuel 28]
The
ancient Jews did not believe in the immortality of the soul; however, in the
Hebrew Scriptures, we discover a story that many today view as proof that the
soul is immortal; that is, the soul never dies, it merely goes into another
realm in the earth (hades) or heaven (paradise). The story is the account of
Saul visiting a medium who calls up Samuel from the dead.
The
question that this story poses is this: Was it truly Samuel, or a demon impersonating
Samuel, or some sort of vision from God to teach Saul a lesson? It seems that
those who have written on this story are pretty much split on the interpretation.
However,
Scripture must be consistent on any subject, including death. We need to apply
the concept that if the majority of Scripture supports one interpretation, then
when we come upon something that does not fit, or even seems contrary, we need
to study it carefully to see why. The solution is not to interpret it as if it
does not fit, but to see how it does fit and interpret it accordingly. Scripture
cannot leave us with two contrary answers, particularly with something as
important as this topic. Unfortunately, it seems that many take the one Scripture
that does not fit and force all the other Scriptures to coincide with the
contrary one. This is a dangerous approach, for it can lead to more confusion.
Before
looking at the specifics of this story, we need to see how God views mediums.
“When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives
you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone
who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses
divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a
sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who
calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and
because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before
you.” (Deuteronomy 18.9-12 NASB)
The
Lord specifically warned the Israelites not to call on a medium, which was a
very common practice among the heathen nations. This, along with many other
practices of the nations, was a detestable thing to the Lord. The Israelites
were to seek the Lord and not seek the ways of the heathen. So, we are given a
very clear indication of how the Lord views such practices.
Further,
Scripture acknowledges that demons exist, and they are deceivers. Paul even
warned that in the last days people would be heeding deceiving spirits and the
doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4.1). To prove this is a reality today, one only
needs to do a word search on the Internet on this topic. It is amazing how many
web sites seem to be from cults that focus on the medium of En-dor or, as some
call her, the witch of Endor.
As
the story goes, Saul, the king of
For rebellion is as
the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim.
Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from
being king. (1 Samuel 15.23 ASV)
Notice
that Saul’s sin was the sin of witchcraft or divination, as in other translations.
The result was that the Lord rejected Saul’s kingship (1 Samuel 15.24-28). We
could say that the die had been cast for Saul.
And Samuel
came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for
Saul: and Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over
Now the
Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled
him. (1 Samuel 16.14 ASV)
Instead
of having the spirit of Jehovah, Saul was troubled by an evil spirit. This led
Saul to seek counsel from that which was forbidden to all the Israelites. Saul
had been turned over to what the heathens of the nations sought.
Now,
in this context, Saul sought a medium when the Lord refused to answer his
cries. Most likely, this was driven by the evil spirit that troubled him. This
is a fact that must play heavily on our interpretation of this story, for it
places it on the ground of the world of darkness and removes the Lord from any
direct part in it, other than to allow it to happen.
Let
us look at this story line by line in 1 Samuel 28.
(7) Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman
who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants
said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor.” (8) Then
Saul disguised himself by putting on other clothes, and went, he and two men
with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, “Conjure up for me,
please, and bring up for me whom I shall name to you.”
Saul knew that this was something to be hidden and thus
had to be done in the cloak of night, for sin always seeks to be hidden in
darkness.
(9) But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul
has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the
land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?”
Saul had forbidden the use of mediums in the land, but now
he was doing what he knew was against the Lord’s command. He had crossed the
line. This should remind us of what James wrote.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by
God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil,
and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is
carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it
gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (James
1.13-15 NASB)
God cannot be tempted by evil; therefore, this action was
not of God.
(10) Saul vowed to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD
lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” (11) Then the woman
said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?" And he said, “Bring up Samuel for
me.”
The medium gave Saul his request and sought for Samuel.
(12) When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud
voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you
are Saul.”
The evil spirit must have revealed to the medium that Saul
was making the request, or the spirit had been stalking Saul all along and knew
his every move.
(13) The king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do
you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up out of
the earth.” (14) He said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man
is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel,
and he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage.
Notice that Saul did not see the figure himself; he had to
rely on the medium. Saul thought it was Samuel, for this is whom he sought; but
this does not prove it was, in fact, Samuel, for evil spirits were at work. If
it truly was Samuel, then we would have to conclude that the demons have power
to bring up dead saints, which is impossible, for this is strictly in God’s
power. Also, coming up from the grave was a pagan concept. The pagans believed
in an elaborate underworld in which the dead reside alive.
(15) Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me
by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the
Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no
longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have
called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” (16) Samuel said,
“Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become
your adversary? (17) “The LORD has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for
the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor,
to David (18) “As you did not obey the LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath
on Amalek, so the LORD has done this thing to you this day. (19) “Moreover the
LORD will also give over
This was not a prophecy, for all that was spoken to Saul
was known to anyone watching and listening to Saul and Samuel while Samuel was
still alive. This discounts the notion that something new was being spoken.
(20) Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the
ground and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; also there was no
strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night. (1 Samuel
28.7-20 NASB)
Saul’s reaction was only natural for someone about to die
in fear.
The
facts of this story are this: the Lord was not talking to Saul anymore; Saul
was troubled by an evil spirit; he sought help from a medium or witch to
contact the dead, something forbidden by God, for it would only open someone up
to the demons; the demonic spirit associated with the medium fooled Saul into
believing it was Samuel, for how else could Saul know since the spirit of God
had departed from him; the Lord could not have been behind this evil practice,
even to teach Saul a lesson; the Lord allowed it because Saul had opened
himself up to it; his act was an abomination to the Lord, and Saul paid the
price with his life.
Concerning
this last point, there is one more proof.
So Saul died for
his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of
the LORD which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium,
making inquiry of it, and did not inquire of the LORD. Therefore He killed him
and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse. (1 Chronicles 10.13-14 NASB)
The
Lord killed Saul, not only because he disobeyed Him, but because he sought a
medium.
There
is only one conclusion to be made that coincides with all other Scripture:
Samuel was not called up from the dead; consequently, the soul is not immortal,
based on this story. Samuel was dead and continues to be dead, waiting for the
resurrection of his people.
Unfortunately,
this story has led some of the Lord’s people to believe in the immortality of
the soul, which is what the deceiving spirits want us to believe in these last
days. Let us not be deceived by the doctrines of demons!
2.
To you am I saying today (
And one of the criminals who were hanged there was
hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”
But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God,
since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly,
for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done
nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus,
remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be
with Me in
The
story of the criminals hanging on a cross next to Jesus, as He hung on the
cross, is used almost exclusively by many as proof positive that when a
believer dies, he goes straight to heaven to be in the presence of God.
Recently, a very well-known preacher even declared that this story “absolutely
proves without any doubt” that the death of a believer leads to instant ascent
to heaven. To be sure, this brother in Christ means well in his preaching, but
this particular story declares nothing of
the sort. Let me be more emphatic; this story has nothing whatsoever to do
with where a believer goes in death.
First, the criminal asked Jesus to remember him when He
comes in His kingdom. To what kingdom was the criminal referring? In that day,
there was only one kingdom that was expected by the Jewss. It was the kingdom
promised to David, and which was declared to Mary when Gabriel appeared to her
pronouncing her favorable before God.
“He will be great, and will be called the Son of
the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no
end.” (Luke 1.32-33 NASB; see Isaiah 9.6-7; Daniel 7.13-14)
Even
if he did not know all the facts surrounding Christ’s future kingdom, the
criminal surely understood the insults being hurled at Jesus as He hung on the
cross.
And the people stood by, looking on. And even the
rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if
this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” And the soldiers also mocked Him,
coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of
the Jews, save Yourself!” Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS
THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Luke 23.35-38 NASB)
So,
it was in this context that the criminal asked Jesus to remember him when He
comes in His kingdom, which leads to the second point.
Did
the
Second, some might argue that Jesus promised the criminal
a place in paradise, not in His kingdom. There are only two other places in the
Greek Scriptures that refer directly to paradise and each points to the future
kingdom. Paul was snatched away into paradise (2 Corinthians 12.4), which is
taken up later. Then, it is promised to those believers who overcome (the
conquerors) that they may eat of the tree of life in the paradise of God
(Revelation 2.7). It must be added that all of the promises to those who conquer,
as recorded in the seven epistles to the ecclesia (Revelation 2-3), refer to
entering paradise in some fashion. Of course, John, along with Paul, actually
saw paradise.
Third, many preachers place their emphasis on the word today as proof that the criminal and
Jesus both went to paradise in that day. However, when Jesus died, He went into
the tomb, or the grave as a dead man, until God raised Him from the dead on the
third day. Jesus then ascended to His Father (John 20.17), returned to the
earth and appeared to His disciples over a forty-day period, before finally
ascending into a cloud as the disciples watched (Acts 1.9-11; 2.14-36). Today, He is not in paradise but seated upon His Father’s throne in heaven.
The
Hebrew believers were encouraged that Christ entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us
(Hebrews 9.24). Please note that these believers had no expectant hope that
they were to go to heaven in death.
In fact, a few verses later, they were encouraged to wait for Christ to come a
second time for salvation apart from sin (Hebrews 9.28).
Further,
the Thessalonian believers were commended because they were waiting for God’s
Son to come from heaven (1 Thessalonians 1.10). When they were concerned over
their loved ones who had fallen asleep in Jesus, Paul did not encourage them that there was no need to be concerned, for they
were in heaven already. Rather, he encouraged them that they would be
resurrected (1 Thessalonians 4.13-18). They were to comfort one another with
these words about the resurrection and snatching away to meet the Lord in the
air.
Thus,
God’s word consistently places the emphasis on waiting for the resurrection, and
not on death and immediately going to
heaven. However, this leads to a most pressing question: Then why does Scripture
state that today you shall be with Me?
The answer is that most of our English translations state it this way, but this
may not be the intent of the available Greek manuscripts from which the translators
derived their particular translation. [1] What
we have today that we call the Bible is a translation by men of the inspired word.
Consequently, the many English (as well as other language) translations at our
disposal today are translations of what men perceive to be the original intent.
There is room for error and interpretative bias on all fronts.
Another
very important fact is that the Greek manuscripts do not have punctuation;
this has been added by the translators. The meaning of Jesus’ response will
change depending where a comma is placed in relation to the word today. Consider the following wording: And
he said to Jesus, “Be reminded of me, Lord, whenever Thou mayest be coming in
Thy kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise”
(Luke 23.42-43 CV).
Given
this rendering, Jesus was merely stating that on that particular day (today)
He made a promise to the criminal that referred to a day many years (2,000
years) in the future when He would be
coming (future) in His kingdom.
Given all the other points that have been made and in light of all Scripture
on this matter, this appears to be the most plausible understanding of this
account.
3.
No one has ascended into heaven except.
“And no one has ascended into heaven
except He Who descends out of heaven.”
(John 3.13 CV)
Jesus
spoke these words in response to questions posed by Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a
ruler of the Jews (John 3.1). Jesus had just spoken about being born again,
something that puzzled this Jewish ruler and teacher of
Heaven
can be used to describe the vast reaches of the universe, and it can be used
for the atmosphere around the earth. However, the reference to the celestial in
verse 12 makes it clear that Jesus referred to something other than the air
around the earth. He could have been referring to the vast reaches of the
universe, even the far north, or another dimension entirely, one beyond the
three spatial dimensions in which terrestrial or earthly mankind lives and
where the throne of God resides. Personally, I see the whole matter of heaven
as something dimensional and not so much related to a physical location. Either
way, it must stand according to Scripture that no one has ascended into heaven
or the celestials except Christ alone, the One who has entered into heaven
itself, now to be disclosed to the face of God for our sakes (Hebrews 9.24 CV). Accordingly, no one from mankind is with Christ today.
If
we are to believe Scripture, which we must, then we are faced with a question:
What about Enoch and Elijah? Many teach that they are in heaven today. Some
teach that they are not at the throne but in some intermediary heaven, perhaps
a so-called second heaven. This sounds all well and good until we start
searching Scripture and discover that it is found nowhere in the sacred text.
It simply has been made up by man to explain where one believes Enoch and
Elijah to be, that is in heaven.
However,
the most pressing question is: Are Enoch and Elijah in heaven or did they
die like all mankind?
I
realize the answer to this question will go against the grain of most orthodox
teaching on this subject, but we must continually seek for the truth, even if
it upsets the coconut cart.
First,
let us look at Enoch. Of all the men in the Bible, only Enoch and Noah are
described as ones who “walked with God” (Genesis 5.24; 6.9). However, Enoch’s
life is recorded unlike any other in Scripture.
So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five
years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Genesis
5.23-24 NASB)
All
we are told in the book of beginnings is that Enoch was not. God took him, but
we are not told where. It is as if he walked before God for 365 years and then
his history stopped. Where was he taken? Everyone assumes it was to heaven, but
Scripture does not state this as a fact; we have to assume so to make the statement.
However, our saying so does not make it a fact. The next place we read of Enoch
is in the Hebrews epistle.
By faith Enoch
was transferred, so as not to be acquainted with death, and was not found,
because God transfers him. For
before his transference he is attested to have pleased God well. (Hebrews 11.5 CV)
The
Concordant Version reads differently than most translations, but perhaps it
gives us a clearer picture of what happened to Enoch. The Greek word for transfer means “after-place” and transference means “after-placing.”
In
the Greek Scriptures, we discover the words used in reference to the father’s
bones being transferred to Shechem (Acts 7.16), being transferred to a
different evangel (Galatians 1.6), the transference of the priesthood and law
(Hebrews 7.12), and the transference of that which can be shaken to the kingdom
that cannot be shaken (Hebrew 12.27).
This
analysis tells us that these words are not used to refer to being taken up to
heaven. In one case, it actually refers to the transference of dead bones (Acts
7.16).
The
second point of this verse is that all we are told is that Enoch was not
acquainted with death. Why did the writer state it this way? Why didn’t he just
state clearly that Enoch did not die?
Again,
in the Greek, the word for acquaintance
has the meaning “to perceive.” The English Sublinear to the Concordant Greek
Text states it as to-be-perceiving death.
In other words, all we are told is that Enoch did not perceive death
because he was well-pleasing to God. The major reason for this action on God’s
part was Enoch’s walk that pleased God.
There
is one other verse that might answer the question for us, and that is
discovered a few verses later in the Hebrews epistle.
In faith died all these, not being requited with the promises, but
perceiving them ahead and saluting them, and avowing that they are strangers
and expatriates on the earth. (Hebrews 11.13 CV)
The
phrase “all these” must refer to all
the names that preceded this verse, from Abel to Sarah, which obviously
includes Enoch. In other words, Enoch is included in the “in faith died all these.” We must conclude that Enoch died. But to
where was he transferred? We are not told, but perhaps there were wicked men
who sought Enoch’s life, and God transferred him beyond their reach and beyond
his immediate family. All his family knew was that this righteous man was being
sought by evil men, and all of a sudden he was not there. There was no body and
no sign of Enoch. So his days were numbered at that point, which were 365
years.
Now,
let us look at Elijah.
And it came about when the LORD was about to take up
Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. … As
they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and
horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a
whirlwind to heaven. (2 Kings 2.1, 11 NASB)
Most
people assume that heaven in these verses refers to the vast spaces of the
universe, but actually it refers to the atmospheric heavens associated with the
earth’s atmosphere, the heaven in which the birds fly. For example: “Let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens” (Genesis
1.20 NASB). Also, a
whirlwind is more of a weather phenomenon, like a violent storm, even a
tornado.
One
other fact that will help our understanding is that in the Hebrew text, the
preposition into is not used, that
is, it does not state into heaven; into has been added by the translators.
Thus, the meaning is more in line with the thought that Elijah was removed by a
tempest heavenward.
So,
where was Elijah taken? We don’t know. With his service as a prophet completed,
perhaps the Lord removed him to a far distant region for some other service
until he died. This was necessary so that Elisha could be placed in service as
a prophet.
An
interesting observation has been offered by one commentator who states that the
letter written by Elijah, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 21.12-15, concerned
events that occurred well after (about ten years) Elijah went up in the
tempest. This would prove that Elijah was not taken up to heaven.
Finally,
the question arises as to the appearance of Elijah and Moses on the mount when
Jesus was transformed (Matthew 17.1-8).
How could Elijah and Moses appear on
the mount if they are dead? Perhaps,
it was a vision. The disciples were given a vision of their appearance; there
was not an actual appearing of them. Or perhaps, what the disciples witnessed
simply transcended time. The Father opened the portal of time and allowed the
disciples to see outside of time. I know that this may be a difficult one to
apprehend, for we are so locked into our mindsets of a physical world, but we
need to realize that God is spirit, and His realm is not bound by time.
This leads to the two witnesses in
Revelation 11.1-13: Are they Elijah and Moses? The answer is simple; we are not told. Jesus did
say that Elijah must come (Matthew 17.10-12), but did He mean that he would
personally reappear on earth or that one in the spirit and power of Elijah
would appear? After all, Jesus also said that if they had accepted John the
baptist, then Elijah had come. Or perhaps, the two witnesses are not even
persons, but the spirit and power of Elijah and Moses manifested through a
spiritual vessel of conquerors.
4.
By no means be dying for the eon.
In
the account of raising Lazarus out of the death state, Jesus spoke to Martha,
the sister of Lazarus, about those who believe in Him will never die. As with
most traditions of men, this account, as recorded in John 11, is seen by many
as proof that death is not really death but another life. Many seem to believe
that Jesus was teaching that once a person believes, the person will never die,
even if the body dies. This is not what Jesus meant.
Now, I want to approach the explanation of these verses in
two ways. The first way is based on using the most common translations of the
Greek text. The second is based on using a more accurate and literal rendering
of the Greek text.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11.25-26
KJV)
Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life: he
that believes on me, though he have died, shall live; and every one who lives
and believes on me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11.25-26 DNT)
“I am the Resurrection and the Life,” said Jesus; “he who
believes in me, even if he has died, he shall live; and every one who is living
and is a believer in me shall never, never die. Do you believe this?” (John
11.25-26 WNT)
Jesus spoke these marvelously encouraging words that He is
the Resurrection and the Life. Notice that He did not state that He could raise
the dead or that He had life. Surely, He can and did raise the dead, and He
surely had a life that no man has ever had who has walked this earth; but He
declared that He is the Resurrection
and that He is the Life, each of
which is emphasized with the definite article the. In other words, no man can know either resurrection or life
apart from Christ, for He is the very essence of both.
Now,
with this declaration, Jesus promised that whoever believes in Him will never
die, but notice the order of His words. He was not stating that whoever
believes in Him would never see death. On the contrary, He started with death.
If a person who believes in Him dies, he will yet live. Those who see that death
is not death, but merely a pathway into another existence, might be tempted to
take these verses as proof that when believers die they actually will not die
but go to heaven. Jesus was not making such a statement. The fact of the matter
is that He never introduced the concept of “going to heaven when you die” in
this account or in any of His teaching to His disciples.
The context of this
account is resurrection and life, with resurrection preceding life or, we could
say, with resurrection being the way into immortal life, a life beyond death
(i.e., shall never, never die). When
believers die, they will come to life only through resurrection, and once they
come alive through resurrection and are transfigured, they will never face
death again. The order of Jesus’ words is death, resurrection, life, never to
die again. Consequently, the second death will have no power over a believer
who has part in the first resurrection or out-resurrection.
This is confirmed
through John in reference to the martyrs.
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the
first [former] resurrection; over these
the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ
and will reign with Him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20.6 NASB [CV])
Most
of those who believe in Jesus will face the first death, but once they are
resurrected through the very Life of Christ that dwells in them, they will
never have to face the second death that will result from the great white
throne judgment. In other words, once one who believes in Jesus is resurrected,
that one will never, never have to face death again, specifically the second
death that is reserved for the unbeliever.
Simply,
Jesus was declaring that His Life would raise up all who believe in Him, and
when they are raised they will be immortal.
Now, let us look at the second approach to this subject by considering
a more accurate and literal rendering of verse 26, as presented in the Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by
Jay P. Green, Sr. and the Concordant
Greek Text by Concordant Publishing Concern. This one verse is an excellent
example of the traditions of men and interpretative bias being woven into the
translation of Greek text.
The Interlinear Greek-English
New Testament and the Concordant
Greek Text show the Greek text and under each Greek word the equivalent
English word or phrase is shown. This is called an English Sublinear because
the English words appear on a line below the Greek text. Greek does not read
like English, so a sublinear generally is not what we would call readable
English. The editors or translators often take these words and form them into
readable sentences. It is during this process that the traditions of men or
interpretative biases become part of the translations.
The sublinear rendering in the Interlinear
is: And everyone living and believing
into Me, not ever shall die to the age.
Anyone with a searching mind will immediately notice that the word age appears in the Greek text, and yet
it is almost always left out of most English versions. In case you missed the
significance of this rendering, the Greek text contains the word aiōn, which translated
means “age” or “eon,” a long period of time with a beginning and an end. For
those who use the King James, do you see the word age or eon in your Bible?
Of course not!
But consider how Mr. Green translates his sublinear English into what
he calls a literal translation: And
everyone living and believing into Me shall not ever die forever. Notice
that the Greek word aiōn, which he translated as age
is now the word forever. How does one go from age to forever unless one’s own interpretative bias is applied? So much
for a literal translation! [2]
The Concordant Greek Sublinear reads:
And every the living and believing into
me not no may-be-from-dying into the eon. In the Concordant
Literal New Testament, it is translated: And everyone who is living and
believing in Me, should by no means be dying for the eon.
There
is no bias built into this rendering, and as such, it is the most accurate and literal
translation. By allowing the word eon
into the verse, as it should be, the reader is left to interpret the verse,
which also is as it should be.
So,
what is the meaning of Jesus’ words? Simply, Jesus was looking forward to the
oncoming eon, which is the Messianic era (1,000-year reign of Christ). The
conquering believers will enter eonian life in the oncoming eon. This is what
the Jews of that day were looking for, and Jesus was telling them how they
would enter that day through resurrection by believing on the One who is the
Resurrection and the Life. There is no other way, for Christ is the Way!
5.
You can not follow Me now, yet you shall.
Simon Peter is saying to Him, “Lord, whither art
Thou going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going, you can not follow Me now,
yet you shall be following subsequently.” (John 13.36 CV)
What
did Jesus mean by these words? Where was He going? Jesus was going to the stake
(cross) to be killed. He made no mention of going to heaven or of the disciples
following Him to heaven. Jesus was telling Peter that he too would face death
through the cross, a fact noted in the history of the early ecclesia. In fact,
except for John, all the disciples suffered violent deaths (see Matthew
10.16-18).
6. Making ready a place for you.
“In My Father’s house are many abodes; yet if not I
would have told you, for I am going to make ready a place for you. And if I
should be going and making ready a place for you, I am coming again and I will
be taking you along to Myself, that where I am, you also may be. And where I am
going you are aware, and of the way you are aware.” (John 14.2-4 CV)
These
words of Jesus are often cited as another proof that when believers die they go
to heaven and receive a home. It is often described in songs as “the mansion in
the sky.” This all sounds good, but it is not what Jesus stated.
First, He stated it to His Jewish disciples in reference
to something they understood: the temple in
Second, notice the actual order of Jesus’ words. He said
He would be going away and making ready a place for them, and then He would be coming
again, at which time He would take them along with Him. Along with Him where?
There is only one place, and that is a place of prominence in His kingdom. In
other words, His whole point dealt with His coming, which speaks of when He
comes to set up His millennial kingdom. We also know that when He comes, He
will place His apostles on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
So,
Jesus was comforting them that when He comes in His kingdom, they will not be
left out. This comfort was needed because He was about to leave them by being impaled
on a stake, which was something they were having a hard time understanding.
Third, it appears that the disciples had no problem with
this part of Jesus’ statement; however, they did not understand the last part:
And where I am going you are aware, and
of the way you are aware. Thomas did not understand this part, for he asked
for an explanation. Notice that Jesus never said that He was going to heaven.
Instead, He spoke these often-quoted words: “I
am the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14.6 CV). Not once in the following verses did Jesus bring heaven into the
conversation. Rather, Jesus gave them instruction for after His departure.
7.
Longing to be dressed.
For we are aware
that, if our terrestrial tabernacle house should be demolished, we have a
building of God, a house not made by hands, eonian, in the heavens. For in this
also we are groaning, longing to be dressed in our habitation which is out of
heaven, if so be that, being dressed also, we shall not be found naked. For we
also, who are in the tabernacle, are groaning, being burdened, on which we are
not wanting to be stripped, but to be dressed, that the mortal may be swallowed
up by life. Now He Who produces us for this same longing is God, Who is also
giving us the earnest of the spirit. (2 Corinthians 5.1-5 CV)
These
verses are most often quoted by those who hold that the believer goes to heaven
immediately in death. According to
them, Paul wanted to put off his earthly body so he could go to heaven and be
with the Lord. To be sure, Paul desired to be with the Lord, as we should all
desire, but this does not mean that Paul taught that at death a believer
immediately goes to heaven. Many people who support this view read this into
Paul’s words and simply do not allow Scripture to speak for itself.
Paul
made no such assertion. He placed no immediacy between being in the
earthly body and dressed with the heavenly body. He was expressing what should
be the desire of every chosen believer. In fact, Paul stated that God Himself
produces this longing in us, which is confirmed by the spirit.
While
on this earth, we live in bodies of death (Romans 7.24), and the spirit within
us groans for the heavenly body of glory, which, according to Scripture and, uniquely,
Paul’s evangel, only comes at the resurrection. We must put off corruption and
put on incorruption, and we must put off mortality and put on immortality;
this occurs only with the resurrection and transfiguration about which Paul
taught. A heavenly body is beyond death, and we are only beyond death through
resurrection. [3]
In
his first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul devoted much space to defending the
resurrection of the Lord and the resurrection of believers. We shall all be
changed at the last trump, which means that a day will come when Christ will
raise from among the dead all those who belong to Him. Paul saw death simply as
a sleep.
By
the way, so did Jesus. “Our friend
Lazarus has fallen asleep. Lazarus
is dead” (John 11.1, 14).
Paul
obviously saw himself falling asleep in Jesus and one day waking up and being snatched
away into the presence of His Lord and Savior. Any other view contradicts
Paul’s defense of the resurrection and makes the resurrection some secondary
and less meaningful matter to the believer. After all, if at death a believer
is already in heaven enjoying the eternal bliss of glory, then what is the
purpose of the resurrection? [4]
When
we are young, generally we do not view our bodies as humiliation. In fact, many
youth of our day worship the body and see no humiliation in it. They dress up
the body, flaunt it to sexually entice one another and pamper it to keep it looking
young. However, the longer we live, the more we take on the groan that Paul described,
even more so as the eyes of our heart are opened to see more clearly our
celestial calling in Christ. We begin to groan to be clothed with a spiritual
body that can live among the celestials in Christ; a body that is not of flesh
and blood but one energized by spirit; a body that does not require oxygen to
energize the blood; a body that does not necessarily require food; a body that
knows no disease, illness and death. It is a body like our Lord Jesus’ body.
There
can be no inconsistencies in Paul’s writings. The heavenly body comes into view
only at the resurrection and snatching away of believers. To the Philippians,
he wrote: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for
a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will
transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His
glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things
to Himself (Philippians 3.20-21 NASB); or, For our realm is
inherent in the heavens, out of which we are awaiting a Saviour also, the Lord,
Jesus Christ, Who will transfigure the
body of our humiliation, to conform it to the body of His glory, in accord
with the operation which enables Him even to subject all to Himself (Philippians
3.20-21 CV).
When
does a believer receive this new heavenly body? Only when the Savior comes from
heaven, just as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1.10;
4.13-18).
However,
the proof lies within what Paul taught the Corinthians. In his first epistle,
Paul presented to the immature Corinthians the truth of the resurrection (1
Corinthians 15). In his defense of the resurrection, Paul contrasted for them
the earthly or soulish body with the heavenly or spiritual body, which the
believer receives with the resurrection. We
shall all be changed is Paul’s declaration. We must put off the old
corruptible body and put on the new incorruptible body.
Notice
how Paul connected the verses under discussion (2 Corinthians 5.1-5) with the
closing words of his defense of the resurrection, recognizing that he first
wrote about the resurrection.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal put on immortality. Now, whenever this corruptible should be
putting on incorruption and this mortal
should be putting on immortality, then shall come to pass the word which is
written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory. (1 Corinthians 15.53-54 CV)
We are not wanting to be stripped, but to be
dressed, that the mortal may be
swallowed up by life. (2 Corinthians 5.4 CV)
So
according to Paul, his longing to be dressed in our habitation, which is out of
heaven, must be joined with the end of mortality, which is putting off
mortality and putting on immortality. This fact is always ignored by those who
teach that believers go to heaven immediately upon death. Paul taught no such
thing.
Further,
it is also incorrectly taught that the soul
goes to heaven immediately. For this to occur, a believer would have to go to
heaven unclothed because the clothing only comes at the resurrection and transfiguration.
This means that the believer would be naked before God, for the soul does not
exist apart from the body, which is the way that mankind is constituted. When
the spirit of life was breathed into Adam, he became a living soul. Soul is not given by God; it comes about when life
comes into the body. Soul relates to the sensations of the body; thus, it is
nothing apart from the body.
Many
preachers work around this difficulty by teaching that the soul is clothed with
some intermediary covering. Their reasoning is based on the parable (not a literal story) of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke
16.19-31). However, this is based on a faulty understanding of this parable.
Apart from this one parable and one story in the Hebrew Scriptures about Saul
and the medium, there are no other Scriptures that indicate the soul must
receive some intermediary covering. It is simply the figment of imagination
that has been incorrectly institutionalized as truth within Christendom and
repeated countless times from the pulpits until no one questions its validity
as presented in Scripture. It has led many to wrongly believe that the soul is
something that can exist by itself, and thus is immortal. The pagans believed
in the immortality of the soul and, sadly, so do many believers.
Now,
returning to the text in question, Paul stated: For in this also we are groaning, longing to be dressed in our
habitation which is out of heaven, if so be that, being dressed also, we shall
not be found naked.
Death
strips us of our earthly tent. We have no heavenly tent in which to reside at
death. Why? Because Paul placed the heavenly tent as something that we receive
with the resurrection and snatching away! We groan as long as we are in these
bodies of humiliation waiting for our transfiguration when our Savior comes out
of heaven, so that we can enter the celestial realm with new glorified bodies
like His. Death is merely a sleep time for believers. One day, they will be
awakened from their sleep to rise and meet the Lord. The period of sleep will
seem like a night, even though it might be a very long time.
Scripture
refers to only two types of bodies: the soulish and soilish body of flesh and
blood, and the spiritual and celestial (heavenly) body of flesh and bone. There
is no intermediary body for just the soul or the spirit.
8.
Out of the body, and to be at home with the Lord.
Paul
continued to express the longing in his heart in the next four verses.
Being, then,
courageous always, and aware that, being at home in the body, we are away from
home from the Lord (for by faith are we walking, not by perception), yet we are
encouraged, and are delighting rather to be away from home out of the body and
to be at home with the Lord. Wherefore we are ambitious also, whether at home
or away from home, to be well pleasing to Him. (2 Corinthians 5.6-9 CV)
There
is one pastor who has a daily radio ministry, and practically every time I
listen to him he uses these verses, in particular, to tell his audience that
they will go to heaven immediately when they die, if they believe. Every time,
he states something like this: “Paul taught that to be away from the body is to
be with the Lord; therefore, you go to heaven when you die. This is what Paul
taught.” Dear reader, this is not what Paul taught. Let us look carefully at
what Paul stated, which by the way is merely an extension of what he stated in
the previous verses that we just looked at. Paul did not change his message.
The
first part is very obvious: if we are in the body, which is our earthly home, we
are away from home from the Lord. In the meantime, the earnest of the spirit
leads us to walk by faith. Faith says that one day we will be with the Lord. On
the basis of faith, Paul was encouraged that our delight is rather to be away
from these bodies of humiliation and to be at home with the Lord. Notice that
Paul in no way stated that death is the way that leads immediately to being at
home with the Lord. One must read this into Paul’s words.
Unfortunately,
some people do exactly such a thing; that is, they read words into this verse
that are not there. Notice that when Paul stated that we are delighting rather to be away from home out of the body and to be at
home with the Lord, he joined the two thoughts with the conjunction and. Some misstate Paul’s words
by declaring that to be out of the body is
to be at home with the Lord. Listen carefully next time this verse is recited
from the pulpit and note if this is how it is stated. Please note that the verb
is is not in Paul’s words, and by
using this word, one changes the meaning of the phrase. Paul made no such
connection, as if one immediately leads to the other.
Paul’s
final words of this section refer back to verse 6. We are ambitious, whether at
home, that is, at home in the body,
or away from home, that is, away from the
Lord, to be well-pleasing to Him. It is merely the same thing expressed
from different angles. Being ambitious and well pleasing can only refer to our
current walk of faith and not to life after death.
9.
Snatched away to the third heaven and paradise.
If boasting must
be, though it is not expedient, indeed, yet I shall also be coming to
apparitions and revelations of the Lord. I am acquainted with a man in
Christ, fourteen years before this, (whether in a body I am not aware, or outside
of the body, I am not aware–God is aware) such a one was
snatched away to the third heaven. And I am acquainted with such a man
(whether in a body or outside of the body I am not aware–God is aware) that he was snatched away into
paradise and hears ineffable declarations, which it is not allowed a man to
speak. (2
Corinthians 12.1-4 CV)
Another set of Scriptures that is used by some to try to prove that
the believer goes to paradise upon death is located in the second epistle to
the Corinthians. It is taught that the believer, upon death, is caught up to
the third heaven and to paradise. But this cannot be the proper understanding
of these verses.
First, Paul was snatched
away, but he did not know how this occurred, whether in the body or out of the
body. In other words, he did not claim that this event was linked to anything
he or anybody else had taught. He simply was snatched away to these places and
heard things that were unutterable that man is not allowed to speak.
Second, note that he was snatched
away to the third heaven and snatched
away into paradise. Some translations
place a bias into these verses by stating that Paul was caught up, not to or into. This has led to the
teaching that Paul was caught up from this earth, which for some people it refers
to either the experience at death or the rapture. However, this cannot be
determined from Paul’s description of his experience. He did not know if he was
in the body or in the spirit. He simply had a powerful experience.
Third, Paul was obviously
snatched away to something not of this earth and time. It is most probable that
he was snatched away to the third heaven, and it was there that he saw
paradise. Let us look at each one separately.
Paul was the only one of all the inspired writers to refer to the
third heaven. Most commentators view the third heaven as a third level in the
heavens that currently exists and to which believers are taken when they die.
It is seen as the place where the throne of God is. However, where in Scripture
are we told this supposed fact? If this is true, then it should be and, in
fact, must be explained by Scripture. The fact of the matter is that it is not
found in Scripture, other than in this one epistle. How are we to answer this
dilemma? There is only one way, and that is to view the third heaven, as well
as paradise, in light of John’s experience as recorded in the Revelation of
Jesus Christ. [5]
As John was caught away in spirit to perceive the Lord’s day, so was
Paul caught away in spirit to see the Lord’s day, which John also saw, as
recorded in Revelation 21-22. In other words, Paul saw beyond the coming
millennial kingdom to the eon of the eons in which there is a new heaven and
new earth, and the new Jerusalem comes down out of heaven.
The third heaven refers to the new heaven that is to come when our
current heavens and earth will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be
destroyed with intense heat (see 2 Peter 3.10).
We know that this will be the third heaven, chronologically, as
presented in Scripture. According to Peter, there was an original heaven (the first heaven of old) before the
disruption; there is a current heaven (the second
heaven now reserved for purging by fire); and there will be yet another heaven
(the third heaven after the present
passes away, or is cleansed and purged) as declared by John and which Paul was
allowed to see (see 2 Peter 3.5-13).
Since Paul was snatched away to the third heaven, the paradise that he
was caught away to must be in relation to the time of the third heaven as well,
for this coincides with John’s vision on the isle of
At this point, I believe it is important to inject a thought about the
spiritual side of Paul’s experience. Although I refer to time and chronology,
Paul’s experience must be viewed in light of his revelation about the body of
Christ being among the celestials. The third heaven is not so much about time
and space as it is about His body entering the realm of God, which is both
spiritual and celestial. Is this not the heaven of God? Most surely it is!
Now, what is the paradise?
There
is one more matter relating to Paul’s experience, and that relates to the new
creation. Paul alone referred to the body of Christ as a new creation in Christ
(2 Corinthians 5.17; Galatians 6.15). Being snatched away to the third heaven
and to paradise refers to being snatched away to the new creation, when all
things are new (Revelation 21.5). The new creation comes into view with the
last eon of the five eons or the eon of
the eons. Paul saw a truth that has been lost among the countless teachings
of Christendom; the body of Christ is joined with the last of the eons when
there is a new heaven and a new earth. As glorious as the next eon will be, the
millennial kingdom on earth will pale in comparison to the glory of the last
eon when God makes all new. Paul saw the destiny of all the saints, and
although he could not speak what he heard, he could nevertheless proclaim that
he saw the new creation, which is in Christ. Ultimately, this new creation will
extend to all mankind, to the praise and glory of God.
Thus,
based on Scripture, we can conclude that Paul was given great revelation of the
future destiny of mankind, which has nothing to do with what happens when one
dies.
Thank
God!
10.
He captures captivity.
Now to each one of us was given grace in accord
with the measure of the gratuity of Christ. Wherefore He is saying, Ascending
on high, He captures captivity and gives gifts to mankind. Now the ‘He
ascended,’ what is it except that He first descended also into the lower parts
of the earth? He Who descends is the Same Who ascends also, up over all who are
of the heavens, that He should be completing all. (Ephesians 4.7-10 CV)
The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands;
The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness. You have ascended on high, You
have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among
the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there. (Psalm 68.17-19 NASB)
Using
Ephesians 4.8, some teach that when Jesus ascended on high, He opened up hades,
the pagan holding chamber in the earth for dead, yet alive souls, released them
and took them to heaven with Him. Those in Abraham’s bosom, according to their
interpretation of the parable of the
rich man and Lazarus, were transferred from the underworld to heaven. This is
all based on pagan beliefs about the soul at death going to one of two
compartments in the earth, one called paradise (i.e., Abraham’s bosom) and the
other called hades (hell to some). By now, the reader should be able to see the
error in such teaching.
Paul
quoted Psalm 68, which some people call the War Hymn of the Great Conqueror. It
speaks of God arising and scattering His enemies. We discover victorious
declarations of God marching through the wilderness and Sinai quaking at the
presence of God, the God of Israel. Then in verse 17, we discover another
reference to Sinai when the Lord was with
Christ ascended on high,
having defeated sin and death and releasing mankind from its stranglehold: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set
you free from the law of sin and of death (Romans 8.2 NASB). It was for freedom that Christ set us free (Galatians 5.1 NASB). All
obstacles and hindrances were removed by Christ and are removed in Christ.
In
His ascension and exaltation, Christ gave forth gifts to mankind. But what is
the greatest gift? It is grace! The law is fulfilled by grace. Notice how Paul
brought grace into the matter. Now to
each one of us was given grace in accord with the measure of the gratuity of
Christ. Then Paul quoted Psalm 68.18, not in reference to
This
has nothing to do with opening up pagan holding chambers. It has everything to
do with grace and equipping the body of Christ.
Christ
is the One who descended into the lower parts of the earth. Notice that this
does not mean that He descended to the center of the earth or even under the
earth to release dead souls or spirits but merely into the lower parts of the earth.
To inject such a concept at this point in Paul’s epistle is out of the
question, for it would make no sense to what Paul was trying to convey about
the body of Christ and walking worthy of the calling.
The
simple explanation for this is discovered in the fact that some of the area in
the
Consequently,
Paul never introduced the pagan concept of Christ releasing the dead from the
earth. Rather, Paul reinforced the idea of the body of Christ being released
from bondage by grace, so that His body might grow up. When Christ ascended
back to His Father’s throne, He bestowed grace and gifts upon those who
believe.
11.
For me to be living is Christ.
Another
Scripture used by many as their proof text that the believer goes to heaven
upon death is found in Paul’s epistle to the Philippians.
For to me to be living is Christ, and to be dying,
gain. Now if it is to be living in flesh, this to me means fruit from work, and
what I shall be preferring I am not making known. (Yet I am being pressed out
of the two, having a yearning for the solution and to be together with Christ,
for it, rather, is much better.) Yet to be staying in the flesh is more
necessary because of you. (Philippians 1.21-24 CV)
There
is no doubt whatsoever that Paul wanted to be with the Lord, but he never
stated that he was going to be with Him immediately upon his death; this is
what many preachers read into Paul’s words, but this does not make it a correct
understanding. Paul’s desire to be with the Lord cannot conflict with his
desire for the resurrection when all will be changed.
To begin, Paul was contrasting two conditions, both
of which would bring glory to Christ. If Paul lived, his life would be gain for
the cause and glory of Christ; if he died as a martyr, this too would be gain
for the cause of Christ. Throughout his epistles, Paul never wrote of seeking
gain for himself; it was always for Christ and His people (e.g., 1 Corinthians
15.31; 2 Corinthians 8.23; 11.23-29; 2 Thessalonians 1.12; 2 Timothy 2.10). Paul
died daily and suffered tremendously for the cause of Christ.
In spite of all his trials and even being jailed at
the end of his life, Paul remained fruitful in the work of the Lord, and all of
us are recipients of that fruit, even after 2,000 years.
We could say that Paul was caught between two
outcomes, the better and the best. He desired that in life or death he would
bring glory to Christ; he never desired glory for himself. If he lived, he
would be fruitful in Christ’s service; if he died as a martyr, this too would
bring glory to Christ. Either way, it would be gain to Christ and not to him.
This is what Paul meant when he questioned which he preferred.
But notice the next line: Yet I am being pressed out of the two, having a yearning for the
solution and to be together with Christ, for it, rather, is much better. Paul
was pressed out of the two, that is, life or death; but he yearned for the
better solution, and that was to be together with Christ. In other words, Paul
injected a third option to remaining alive or death. The better option was to
be together with Christ, which according to Paul’s teaching only comes at the
resurrection, transfiguration and the snatching away to meet the Lord. Paul’s
solution was the resurrection, for this was and is the hope of the evangel that
he was entrusted with to take to the nations. This is the better solution with
which Paul very clearly encouraged the Thessalonians who were waiting for the
Son to come from heaven.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall
always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1
Thessalonians 4.17-18 NASB)
So we shall always be with the Lord. This is the
comfort that Paul gave the nations. It was not
death and then immediately going to heaven. It was death, resurrection,
transformation and glorification in the presence of the Lord. Notice that Paul
never mentions “going to heaven.” The air is not heaven!
Paul faced his imminent death with triumph and a
shout of victory. What greater legacy could he leave to his beloved brethren than
to remind them that there is a glorious hope on the horizon? There is “a better”
coming and all should set their hearts on this, as Paul did. Consider Paul’s
testament to his beloved son of the faith, Timothy.
For
I am already a libation, and the period of my dissolution is imminent. I have
contended the ideal contest. I have finished my career. I have kept the faith.
Furthermore, there is reserved for me the wreath of righteousness, which the
Lord, the just Judge, will be paying to me in that day; yet not to me only, but
also to all who love His advent. (2 Timothy 4.6-8 CV)
His death was imminent; his dissolution had come,
which simply means he was about to die. Paul knew he would receive a reward in that day, which is the future day of
Christ, not the day of his death. Paul joined that day to His advent,
which refers to the return of the Lord. All who love His advent will be
rewarded as Paul will be rewarded in that day.
In concluding his letter to Timothy, Paul brought
the expectation into view again: The Lord
will be rescuing me from every wicked work and will be saving me for His
celestial kingdom (2 Timothy 4.18 CV). Paul and all
who love the Lord will be saved for His celestial kingdom, which comes at His advent.
This is the
better, and this is what we are encouraged to love and to expect, as Paul
did.
12.
Dying once.
After
the Lord’s death on the cross, it is recorded that many dead saints came out of
the tombs and entered
And lo! the curtain of the temple is rent in two
from above to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks are rent, and the
tombs were opened. And many bodies of the reposing saints were roused, and,
coming out of the tombs after His rousing, they entered into the holy city and
are disclosed to many. (Matthew 27.51-53 CV)
Following
the same thought that He captured captivity, many teach that those who came out
of the tomb walked the earth and then were taken up to heaven. However, no
place in Scripture are we told that this, in fact, happened. Further, there is
no indication that they were placed beyond death; that is, they were
incorruptible and immortal. If they were, then they would still be walking this
earth today. Consequently, we have every reason to believe that they died
again, just like Lazarus who was raised from the dead and later died, according
to the historical record.
Now,
some might argue that, according to Hebrews, all men are destined to die once
and then comes judgment. Doesn’t this mean that the ones who came out of the
tombs could not have died again? Perhaps not!
And, in as much as it is reserved to the men to be
dying once, yet after this a judging, thus Christ also, being offered once for
the bearing of the sins of many, will be seen a second time, by those awaiting
Him, apart from sin, for salvation, through faith. (Hebrews 9.27-28 CV)
First, this cannot be taken as an absolute statement of
truth, for we know that when the Lord comes for His people, those who are alive
and remain will not see death; they will go from mortality to immortality
without ever seeing death. So it is not an absolute truth that all must die.
However, let it be understood that until that glorious day, death is the lot of
all. [6]
Second, notice the concordant rendering of this verse. It
refers to “the men,” not all men. Most translations state “unto men,” and at
least one states “all mankind.” These are misleading, particularly the latter
one, for they lead one to believe that it refers to all men, not the men. The
question that this poses is: Who are the men? The answer to this question lies
in the context of this portion of Scripture.
The
Hebrews writer contrasted the two types of priests that the Hebrew believers could
appreciate—the Levitical priests and the Chief Priest, who is Christ. All one
needs to do is to read Hebrews to see the clear unveiling of how the priests
all died, but Christ now lives. His priesthood is much greater. He is a priest
of the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7.17). The first part of the sentence
refers to the Levitical priests: And, in as much as it is reserved to the men
to be dying once, yet after this a judging. The men in view are priests who
all died in office. Their service was limited. However, part of their service
dealt with judging.
Consequently,
the men in view are the Levitical priests and the judging is that which
occurred through them. Judging does not refer to the judgment of all mankind
for sin, which was completed by the finished work of the cross. This deals with
the judging of the innocent manslayers.
But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw
something at him without lying in wait, or with any deadly object of stone, and
without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy
nor seeking his injury, then the congregation shall judge between the slayer
and the blood avenger according to these ordinances. The congregation shall
deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation
shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in
it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. But
if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to
which he may flee, and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his
city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will not be
guilty of blood because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the
death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer
shall return to the land of his possession. These things shall be for a
statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
(Numbers 35.22-29 NASB)
The
manslayer was commanded to go to a city of refuge until the death of the high
priest. The period of time that the manslayer remained in the city was
determined by the life of the high priest. When the high priest died, then, we
could say, the sentence of judging was complete and the manslayer could return
to his land.
This
is exactly what will happen with the Jews and the coming kingdom. They demanded
the death of Messiah, which makes them the manslayers. They are banished from
the land and are in a time of judging that will yet intensify. However, there
is good news, for thus Christ also, being
offered once for the bearing of the sins of many.
The
Chief Priest has died and now lives to intercede for them; the judging will end
when He comes a second time apart from sin, not as the Chief Priest but as the
Deliverer. In that day, the Jews who believe will have completed their sentence
of judging in the city of refuge; they will be treated as if innocent and will enter
eonian life in the kingdom, along with the nations.
“And of their sins and their
lawlessnesses should I under no circumstances still be reminded.” (Hebrews 8.12b CV)
This
is the promise of the new covenant that the Hebrew believers needed to
understand.
13.
A cloud of witnesses.
Surely, in consequence, then, we also, having so
vast a cloud of witnesses encompassing us, putting off every impediment and the
popular sin, may be racing with endurance the contest lying before us, looking
off to the Inaugurator and Perfecter of faith, Jesus, Who, for the joy lying
before Him, endures a cross, despising the shame, besides is seated at the
right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12.1-2 CV)
Many
preachers declare that the cloud of witnesses refers to all the dead (but
alive) believers that are in heaven looking down on the living saints on earth.
It is amazing how often this verse is presented as if the believers are in a
big stadium, and all the dead saints are in the bleachers, looking down and
cheering them on. This might help to bolster a preacher’s view that all the
dead in Christ go to heaven upon death, but this is not what the writer of the
Hebrews epistle meant. It is important to keep Scripture in context.
The
witnesses are all those mentioned in the previous chapter of the epistle, from
Abel on down to the wanderers in the caves. All of them gained approval through
their faith, but not one of them received what was promised. These are the
saints of the Hebrew Scriptures who are dead and awaiting the better
resurrection. None of them is watching from heaven, for they are dead.
A
witness is one who testifies. Their testimony is the testimony of their lives
of faith. This is what encompassed the Hebrew believers.
Further,
the English Sublinear of the Concordant Greek Text has the phrase about-lying for the translated word encompassing. The cloud is lying about,
meaning they are dead in the grave and not looking down, which excludes the possibility
that these witnesses are alive and looking down from heaven. The origin of the
word cloud indicates that it refers
to a mass of rock, signifying a mass of anything. In the context, a cloud is
merely a figure of speech for a mass of witnesses.
Thus,
the witness is in their testimony of faith and not in them looking down on
others.
14.
Heralding to spirits in jail.
For it is better to be suffering for doing good, if
the will of God may be willing, than for doing evil, seeing that Christ also, for
our sakes, once died concerning sins, the just for the sake of the unjust, that
He may be leading us to God; being put to death, indeed, in flesh, yet vivified
in spirit, in which, being gone to the spirits in jail also, He heralds to
those once stubborn, when the patience of God awaited in the days of Noah while
the ark was being constructed, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were
brought safely through water…. (1 Peter 3.17-20 CV)
This
is a difficult passage that is not without much controversy and interpretation.
Frankly, I have struggled over its meaning; nevertheless, I offer an opinion.
Some people argue that since man is never called a spirit, this cannot refer to
man and must refer to spirit beings (i.e., angels) that were imprisoned in Noah’s
day. As this thinking goes, these angels are imprisoned, and Christ appeared to
them after He was resurrected. Perhaps this is correct. Of course, others
believe that Christ appeared to them while He was dead for three days, but this
I reject because it redefines death as another life.
However,
the context could indicate that this is a reference to man and not to spirit
beings. First, Christ is referred to as vivified in spirit and a vivifying
Spirit (1 Corinthians 15.45 CV), and is He not a Man?
Second, those who were stubborn were those humans that lived in Noah’s day.
Third, the emphasis in these verses is on doing good rather than evil, and
Christ, the Just, dying for sins and the sake of the unjust. Christ died for
unjust mankind. Could this merely be figurative language to indicate that in
Noah’s day the ancients were preached to, but they ignored the warnings, and
all were condemned to death? Noah must have preached under the power of the
spirit of God. In other words, Christ did not preach directly to them, for He
did it through righteous Noah. They rejected the message and died.
Consequently, their spirits returned to God and figuratively are in prison;
that is, there is no chance for their spirits that are in the state of death to
come alive and return to earth. Their future is the great white throne and the
second death. If Christ did preach to them, perhaps this too speaks
figuratively of the testimony of His death and vivification. Christ’s death
testifies against all unrighteousness and testifies for all righteousness,
reaching back to the ancient days of Noah.
15.
The exodus.
As
he approached his death, Peter referred to it as his exodus.
Yet I shall endeavor to have you, after my exodus, to make mention of these
things, ever and anon, also. (2 Peter 1.15 CV)
Some
translations use the word departure
and others use the word decease. The
Greek word exodus means “out-way.”
Some people might think that Peter was referring to his exodus from earth to
heaven, but this cannot be his meaning. The same word is used in reference to
Jesus’ death and resurrection when He appeared on the mount as He was
transfigured in the presence of His three disciples. Exodus in this case
starts with death and proceeds to resurrection and ascension. Without dying on
the cross, Jesus could never have exited this world. His exodus was through
death, as it will be for all His people, except the few who are alive and
remain when He comes. The resurrection of the Lord’s people has not come yet;
therefore, Peter has only accomplished the first part of the exodus, which is
death.
And lo! two men conferred with Him, who were Moses
and Elijah, who, being seen in the glory, spoke of His exodus, which He was
about to be completing in Jerusalem. (Luke 9.30-31 CV)
The
third use of the word exodus in Greek
Scripture refers to the exodus of the sons of
By faith Joseph, at his decease, remembers
concerning the exodus of the sons of
Notice
how the decease or death of Joseph is the primary emphasis of this verse. Even
the exodus of the sons of
16.
The souls under the altar.
And when It opens the fifth seal, I perceived underneath the altar the souls
of those who have been slain because of the word of God and because of the
testimony which they had. And they cry with a loud voice, saying, “Till
when, O Owner, holy and true, art Thou not judging and avenging our blood on
those dwelling on the earth?” (Revelation 6.9-10 CV)
Some
might wonder about these souls under the altar. Are they alive, which would
indicate that the soul is immortal? The answer is no; they are not alive. I
must confess that at one time I thought and wrote that they are alive, but I have
been adjusted on this matter.
First, they have been slain, so they are dead, not
alive.
Second, the altar was the place upon which the sacrifices
were offered, which indicates that these souls suffered death. The soul is the
seat of sensations, and the soul is in the blood. When a sacrifice was made on
the altar, the blood of the animal flowed through the grating and below the
altar. Consequently, as martyrs, the blood of these souls was poured out, and
it is the blood that actually sits under the altar.
Third, their cry is like the cry of Abel’s blood that
cries from the ground, as does the blood of all the martyrs. Abel is not crying
out, but the testimony of his spilt blood is crying out. It is merely
figurative language.
Consequently,
there is no reason to view these martyrs as being alive under an altar. Can you
imagine the scene if this was taken literally? It is simply a figurative
statement indicating that their blood will be avenged by God. It is stated that
more martyrs will follow, and it will be an encouragement to them to endure
even unto death.
Who
are these martyrs? Most likely, they are the ones from the ecclesia in
Christ
alone!
We
must hold to Scripture and not weave into our understanding discrepancies that
are based on the traditions of men.
[Christ] alone has immortality. (1 Timothy 6.16)
And no one has ascended into heaven
except He Who descends out of heaven. (John
3.13)
[1] Actually, we do not have the original writings of
the Greek Scriptures; these were lost early on in the history of the ecclesia.
All that is available are hand-written copies of the originals.
[2] In another publication edited by Mr. Green (Literal Translation of the Holy Bible),
the word age is maintained.
[3] Technically, resurrection does not put one beyond
death. Mortality must put on immorality, which means that one must be changed
completely, that is, transfigured, to enter the celestial realm. In Jesus’ day,
several were resurrected, but they were not beyond death, for they later died.
[4] Some people believe that resurrection occurs at
the death of the believer; however, the lost remain in the death state until
the great white throne judgment. Need we be reminded that Paul placed the
resurrection at the coming (presence) of the Lord when all who are asleep in
Christ will be raised from among the dead. This is our expectation.
[5] Some commentators use the following Scriptures to
support the view that there are three heavens: The first heaven refers to the
part of the earth’s atmosphere from which comes rain and in which the birds fly
(Genesis 8.2; Deuteronomy 11.11; 28.24; Isaiah 55.10); the second heaven refers
to all the host of heaven or where the sun, moon and stars reside (Deuteronomy
4.19; 17.3; 2 Kings 23.5; Isaiah 13.10; Jeremiah 8.2; Revelation 12.1); the
third heaven refers to where God resides. However, the fact of the matter is
that there are several heavens above the earth. Science has proven that there
are five spheres or “heavens” above our earth: the troposphere (weather, clouds
and birds), stratosphere (ozone layer), mesosphere, ionosphere (auroras) and
the exosphere, which leads to outer space. One could argue that perhaps there
are seven heavens, which is the number of perfection of what is in view.
[6] I have often wondered if those who will be alive
and remain will actually experience a moment of death as they are set free from
their mortal body to take on an immortal body of glory. I picture it as a light
switch being turned off and then on. Just a thought!