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Commentary on "Heaven"
Day 2: Sunday, May 24, 2009
Overview
In today's lesson, the position is taken that the idea of our immortal soul ascending to heaven right at death is a lie of Satan. It uses Gen. 3:4 as a reference. It is also implied that our soul can not be separated from our physical body and still be in existence. Today's lesson has the follow verse used as a reference:
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (Gen. 3:4 KJV)
Problems
When quoting Gen. 3:4, the whole verse should have been used. Or better yet, we should back up and consider the actual words of God instead of Satan's out of context partial quote:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Gen. 2:17 KJV)
Just like Satan's tactic, we find that vitally important words have been left out. What God really said was that they would die the very day they sinned and ate of the fruit. The real question to ask is: When Adam and Eve sinned, in what way did they die that very day? When God says you will die, well, you are dead! So, what death was this?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5 KJV)
In talking to Nicodemus, Jesus makes it clear that we have a dead spirit which must be made alive if we are to enter the kingdom of God. It is the spirit of Adam and Eve that died on the day that they sinned. Sin caused the death of their spirits and loss of direct face-to-face fellowship with God.
Now, let's consider the references used in this lesson and the doctrine of Soul Sleep:
In I Kings 11:21, it simply describes King David's death as he: "slept with his fathers". Notice that to be asleep is not 'non existence'. It is simply a state where you are unaware of your surroundings. Ps. 13:3 defines death as: "the sleep of deathâ. I Cor. 15:51 mentions "We shall not all sleep", implying that we will not all have a physical death.
Let's take a look at the classic proof-text used to support this doctrine.
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 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. 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. (Ecc. 9:3-6 KJV)
When we back up to at least verse three, we see that the theme of this chapter is "things that are done under the sun". In-other-words, the topic is the futility of the activities of living people on this earth. Among other things the dead have no conscience knowledge of anything happening in our present sin-filled physical world. Most importantly, this passage does not state that the dead are non-existent. And, it does not mean they have no consciousness within the realm of the dead. To say so is to make assumptions not supported by Scripture.
We now come to the question of; If you are a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, where will you spend eternity?
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Phil. 1:20-23 KJV)
How would Christ be magnified if Paul was non-existent in death?
How is it to gain anything when you are dead it you are non-existent?
How is it possible to "be with Christ" if you are non-existent?
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38,39 KJV)
Death cannot separate us from Christ Jesus our Lord. Clearly, when we die our physical death, we are with our Savior in heaven.
Summary
- For those whose sins have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and their spirits have been brought to life by the Seal of the Holy Spirit, when they die their physical death here in this sin-filled world, they can repeat the words of Paul; "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain". That person is with Christ in heaven. For the rest of us who are alive at the return of Christ, we will meet him "in the heavens". It isn't whether or not our future home is "in heaven" or not. The promise is that we will never be separated from the love of God.
Copyright 2009 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised May 11, 2009. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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