The Truth in Print Vol. 23 Issue 10, Nov. 2017
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
False Doctrines of the
State of Man After Death Corrected by the Scriptures
False Doctrines of the
State of Man After Death
Introduction: Some religions believe that one ceases to
exist after death and before the Day of Judgment. I’ll briefly state the
Seventh-day Adventists’ belief here to illustrate before I show some
comparisons of scriptural after death scenarios.
The Seventh-day
Adventists’ Doctrine on the State of Man After Death
Anthony A. Hoekema on Seventh-day Adventism
“The State of Man after Death” states “...Adventists do not believe that man,
either as a whole or in part, is inherently immortal, or that man has a soul
which can survive the death of the body. He sates here that they interpret the
Biblical word soul (nephesh or psuchee) “as meaning
the entire individual rather than an immaterial aspect of man, and that it is
therefore better to say that a person is a soul rather than hat he has a soul.”
He quotes from Article 10 of the Fundamental Beliefs: “That the condition of
man in death is one of unconsciousness. That all men, good and evil alike,
remain in the grave from death to the resurrection.” He then quotes one of
their author’s explanations of their belief in his saying “Death is really and
truly a sleep, a sleep that is deep, that is unconscious, that
is unbroken until the awakening at the resurrection. In death man enters a
state of sleep. ...No intimation is given that man sleeps only as to his body,
and that he is wakeful and conscious as to his soul. All that comprises the man
sleeps in death.” (The Four Major Cults, p.135).
So then as you’d expect Hoekema says a more
precise way of explaining their doctrine, rather than calling this “soul-sleep”
as some do, would be they teach “soul-extinction” and no soul survives after
death. “After death nothing survives; when man dies he becomes completely
non-existent.” (ibid, p.136).
Concerning their beliefs on immortality he quotes from Article 9 of the
Fundamental Beliefs: Immortality is bestowed on the righteous at the Second
Coming of Christ, when the righteous dead are raised from the grave and the
living righteous translated to meet the Lord. Then it is that those accounted
faithful “put on immortality” (I Cor. 15:51-55). Concerning unbelievers he says
their belief is that they “will be raised only to be annihilated.” (ibid, p.
136).
Hoekema raises an interesting and accurate
point. Under “The Resurrection and Transformation of Believers” he states:
Actually, since no aspect of these believers is still in existence, and since
therefore these individuals have been completely annihilated, it would seem to be more
accurate to call their restoration to life a new creation rather than a
resurrection. God, it may be presumed, now creates them anew on the basis of
His memory of what they were like before they died.” (ibid p. 140).
Some Comparisons of
Scriptural “After Death” Scenarios
The Transfiguration of
Jesus and Those Present
Mat 17:2 And He was transfigured before them;
and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
Mat 17:3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared
to them, talking with Him.
Note: Compare Luke’s “appearing in glory” > Luk 9:30
And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses
and Elijah, Luk 9:31 who, appearing in glory, were
speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Mat 17:4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good
for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for
You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
Question: If you just read your New
Testament starting with the Gospel what can you learn about life after death?
The problem is people in these false religions simply are not reading for
themselves (Cf. Eph. 3:1-7 *Why do so many in denominations try to separate
Jews and their salvation from the one body, the church, that was established
for and made up of both Jews and Gentiles? They don’t read Ephesians for themselves!).
An After Death
Conversation With Abraham Who Is With Lazarus
Read LK. 16:19-31.
Notes: This is “not” a parable for Jesus named
Lazarus who before death was a beggar and sick; Abraham is there and he died as
recorded in Gen. 25 at 175 years of age.
1) Where is the “great chasm” in
Lk. 16:26? It is between those who have died who are in torment in hades, and
those who are in paradise and comforted in the other world.
2) Abraham never said one couldn’t
be sent by God and appear from among the dead; he said if they won’t be
persuaded by Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded if one rises from
the dead. *Reminds you of Samuel coming up and speaking to Saul.
Concerning the Dead
They Are Greatly Mistaken
Mar 12:26 But concerning the dead, that they rise, have
you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke
to him, saying, 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF
JACOB' ?
Mar 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the
God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken." > Mark’s
parallel says “you do not know the scriptures” (Mk. 12:24).
1) Act 23:8 For Sadducees say that there is no
resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
2) Can see that Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, Elijah, the rich man, Lazarus were living after death!
In Death We Live With
Christ
1Th 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath,
but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 who died for us, so that
whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
Note: Paul has just spoken of those who are dead under the
designation of those who are “asleep” in I Th. 4:13. The word “asleep” [G2837 koimaō, vb.] : Thayer’s def.:
2) metaphorically 2c) i.q. (the same as or equivalent to) “the dead.” Notice in I
Cor. 15:17-19, 20 the dead have not perished and have hope in Christ! Read I Th. 4:13-15
where Christ brings them with Him when He comes.
Note: There are three obvious definitions of
“sleep” in I Th. Chapter 5:
1) I Th. 5:6 "sleep“ [G2518 katheudō] Thayer
Definition: 2c) “metaphorically - to yield to sloth and sin, and be indifferent
to one’s salvation.” This is religious carelessness!
2) I Th. 5:7 “sleep” [G2518 katheudō] Thayer Definition: “to sleep.” This is
natural physical sleep.
3) I Th. 5:10 “asleep” [G2518 katheudō] Thayer Definition: 2b) “euphemistically, to be dead.” Notice the
change in the usage. Whether we wake or sleep we live with Christ!
Death Cannot Separate
Us
Rom 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God's
elect? God is the one who justifies;
Rom 8:34 who is the one who condemns? Christ
Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who
is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Rom 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of
Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR
SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE
SLAUGHTERED."
Rom 8:37 But in all these things we
overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor powers,
Rom 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other
created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord. > Note: “separate” [G5563 chōrizō]
Thayer Definition: 1) to separate, divide, part, put asunder, to separate one’s
self from, to depart.
Note: IF YOU CEASE TO EXIST HASN’T IT!
Who To
Fear
Mat 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the
body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to
destroy both soul and body in hell. > Note: When they kill the body
they are unable to kill the soul.
The Faithful Have Died
In Jesus
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
Note: As stated above this speaks of those who are
dead under the designation of those who are “asleep” in Jesus. They have not ceased
to exist.
Rom 14:7 For not one of us lives for himself,
and not one dies for himself;
Rom 14:8 for if we live, we live for the Lord,
or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the
Lord's. > Note: Who do we belong to in death?
Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived
again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. > Note:
Reminds you of the Transfiguration.
To Depart and Be with
Christ Is Far Better
Php 1:21 For to me, to
live is Christ and to die is gain.
Php 1:22 But if I am to
live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know
which to choose.
Php 1:23 But I am
hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with
Christ, for that is very much better;
> Note: “Better” is when no longer in the flesh.
Php 1:24 yet to remain on
in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
The Spirits of the
Righteous Made Perfect
Heb 12:22 But you have
come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to myriads of angels,
Heb 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the
firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of the righteous made perfect, > Note: Heb. 11:40 says apart
from us through Christ and His sacrifice they were not made perfect. Those
faithful through the ages now share heaven with the departed Christians; He
died for all through the ages.
Notes: You might consider “not already perfected”
Phil. 3:12 with Heb. 12:23. There are things of course about the other realm
after death that we’ll only know when we get there. Are those with the spirits
of just men made perfect aware that they will be saved on the Day of Judgment
when Christ comes? Do the unjust reserved under punishment in 2 Pet. 2:9-11
think they’ll be saved on the Day of Judgment? Do the angels in 2 Pet. 2:4 cast
to hell (*Tartarus – we aren’t told where those chains of darkness are) and put
in chains of darkness who are reserved for judgment know they’ll spend an
eternity in hell. If those are part of those in Matt. 25:41 they do.
What Will Christ Do
with the Faithful When They Die?
Death can’t separate us from the
love God in Christ.
Heb 7:25 Therefore He is
able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He
always lives to make intercession for them. > Note: So what will
Christ do for you when you die faithful in Christ?
Ecc 12:7 then the dust
will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave
it. > Note: Not “breath” as some say.
Heb 9:27 And inasmuch as
it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, > Note:
So what will Christ do for you when you die faithful in Christ?
2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad. > Note: then this
must include our obedience and His forgiveness (cf. I Jo. 1:7, 9; notice the
“righteous” on His right hand at the Judgment are saved based upon their
obedience, Matt. 25).
The Judgment “Day”
Joh 5:28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming
in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice Joh 5:29 and come forth— those who have done good, to
the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
condemnation. > Note: Did they know in death they will have “the
resurrection of life”?
Mat 25:32 "All the nations will be gathered before
Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the
sheep from the goats; Mat 25:33 and He
will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Mat 25:34
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed
of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world. > Note: Did they know in death they will have “the
resurrection of life”?
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the
small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was
opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things
which were written in the books, according to their deeds. > Note:
Did they know in death they will have “the resurrection of life?”
1Th. 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts
unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father,
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Conclusion: Why would faithful
Christians hasten the coming (2 Pet. 3:11-12) if they didn’t believe they would
be among those in I Cor. 15:51-52 who have not fallen asleep who will put on
immortality?
Some of you need to understand that
initial forgiveness comes at your baptism for the remission of your sins (Acts
2:38, 22:16) in order to have the hope of heaven.
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928) 782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00;
Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
To learn more call, visit or visit our website at:
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com