Where we all will go in death, Sheol.

[JohnD]

1 minute ago, Bandit said:

This is why the Creation in Genesis is seperated from the forming process. (The body) was not even apart of the 6 day creation, how do we Know this? Because he CREATED the bird on the 5th day and Man on the 6th..yet FORMED man before the bird.

And what does this have to do with the make up of human beings?

[JohnD]

Here we have on display for all to see HUMAN REASONING that opposes God's reasoning.

"Well there was a special creation period... so that's why what I chose to believe is biblical despite all the 

texts to the contrary..."

Sheesh!

[Guest Bandit]

Just now, JohnD said:

And what does this have to do with the make up of human beings?

Everything i know is from scripture only, no man has taught me, only The Holy spirit and I dont deserve it, what I said about souls and spirits was a gained understanding from the Word and Holy Spirit, not just a belief ive made up..

And the Creation of human has everything to do with our make up. What does it not have to do with it? The body is not man at all. Just a house or temple of man. A car. 

[Guest Bandit]

45 minutes ago, JohnD said:

Here we have on display for all to see HUMAN REASONING that opposes God's reasoning.

"Well there was a special creation period... so that's why what I chose to believe is biblical despite all the 

texts to the contrary..."

Sheesh!

Yes exactly, but your advise is meant for yourself this time buddy.  If u dont understand the true belifs of old testement good luck on a full understanding of the New or how anything actually works..

The soul(man) was made living(breath/spirit of life, which belongs to Elohim) and it will be made dead(the spirit will go back to Elohim,The man/soul will die and be put into sheol until you get the great gift of eternal LIFE, hence the great gift.) , fear not the one who can kill flesh, but the soul. How can the soul be killed, by the spirit of life being removed from it. 

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by Bandit

[JohnD]

16 minutes ago, Bandit said:

Yes exactly, but your advise is meant for yourself this time buddy.  If u dont understand the true belifs of old testement good luck on a full understanding of the New or how anything actually works..

The soul was made living and it will be made dead, fear not the one who can kill flesh, but the soul. How can the soul be killed, by the spirit of life being removed from it. 

The Lord bless and keep you far away from me.

Ignore.

[Guest Bandit]

24 minutes ago, JohnD said:

The Lord bless and keep you far away from me.

Ignore.

All of us saved thru Messiah Yahshua will goto The Kingdom of Heaven as a team, a unit. Not one by one. Until then we will be in "Abraham's bosom", in a state of repose as explained by Isaiah, When He returns we will truly be brought back to life...this is a AWESOME THING. But I edited my last message maybe easier for folks to understand, it never once contradicts scripture, unlike your beliefs do contradict every verse about His 2nd coming...

But thanks brother have a great day.

[Guest Bandit]

Order of things according to The Word...

1.Humans(living souls) die get put into sheol, two groups separated by a great chasm, Righteous or Not. 

2.all those saved thru the Mashiyach Yahshua will be Resurrected(truly brought back to life, and its eternal this time!) in That Great Day of His 2nd coming,  

3. Those set apart people, will live with the Messiah for 1000 years on THIS earth, during this time haSatan is locked up.

4. The evil one will be loosed one more time to tempt the four corners of the earth, but only for a Short time, he will then be put into Gehenna, The Lake of Fire for ever.

5. Then all the dead will be resurrected and Judged, all whose name is not in The Book of Life will be thrown into Gehenna, Then Sheol and Death its self will be thrown into Gehenna.

6. Then this Earth and Heaven will pass away.

7. Then all of the ones whos name is in The Book, The ones of The first resurrection who lived the 1000 years with Messiah on earth, Will THEN inherit The Kingdom of the new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem, whose floors are pure gold like glass, where no sun or moon is needed, and there is no darkness or night,crying,or death. and Life is eternal!

Praise THE MOST HIGH YHWH IN THE NAME OF HIS MASHIYACH! SALVATION IN HEBREW IS Y'SHUA! AMEN.

[Retrobyter]

On 12/18/2019 at 2:11 PM, Guest Bandit said:

Matt..4.17..."From That Time Yahshua began to preach, and to say, repent; for the Kingdom Of Heaven is at hand"....now were able to actually goto the real Kingdom Where The Messiah is acting as High priest to this very day...but were still gonna have to comfortably wait in His presence, during death.(sheol). Till he comes back..then he will separate good from wicked, each to thier permanent location. 

Shalom, Guest Bandit.

I know this is WAY late, but I was reading through the thread (the topic) and noticed this post. In Matthew 4:17, Yeshua` (NOT "Yahshua," btw) was saying that the Kingdom from the sky, the Kingdom of David that the Messiah would bring back to the children of Israel, was WITHIN THEIR GRASP while He was here. When He left them after being rejected by them as their King, He RESCINDED that offer, POSTPONING it until a later date when a generation could accept Him as their King. He left them "DESOLATE." (Matthew 23:37-39) Then, He was crucified by them. However, He was resurrected and came back to life and ascended to His Father, leaving this earth, essentially taking the offer with Him. When He returns, THEN He will bring His offer of the Kingdom back with Him and will establish His reign ... from Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).

Matthew 4:17 is no longer available to our present population. The promise of a FUTURE Kingdom can be individually accepted as one comes to trust GOD (YHWH) and His Messiah, His Representative King, Yeshua`, but the Kingdom shall be established in the Messiah's Israel when He regathers the children of Israel and plants them in His Land FOREVER. 

The Hebrew word "sh'owl" or "Sheol" simply means "asked." It's the same Hebrew word used for the name "Sha'uwl" or "Saul." In the case of the person, he was the one "asked FOR." In the case of the word "sh'owl," it is the place where children "asked ABOUT" their loved one, their ancestor.

[Retrobyter]

On 1/5/2020 at 12:57 PM, Guest Bandit said:

This is why the Creation in Genesis is seperated from the forming process. (The body) was not even apart of the 6 day creation, how do we Know this? Because he CREATED the bird on the 5th day and Man on the 6th..yet FORMED man before the bird.

Shalom, Guest Bandit.

You don't know what you're talking about. The creation (Hebrew: baaraa') and the forming (Hebrew: yaatsar) were performed in the SAME WEEK! You just don't understand the nature of Hebrew literature.

If our outline of events is in a sequential order of...

I.
I.A. 
I.B. 
II.
II.A.
II.B.

Hebrew literature would write...
I.
II.
I.A.
I.B.
II.A.
II.B.

Theirs is an order of IMPORTANCE, not according to the timeline!

Look at verse 1:

Genesis 1:1 (KJV)

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The transliterated Hebrew (remembering that there are really no capital letters in Hebrew) is this:

B'reeshiyt 1:1

1 B'reeshiyt baaraa' 'Elohiym 'eet hashaamayim v'eet haa'aarets:

1 B'reeshiyt = 1 In-beginning
baaraa' = created
'Elohiym = God
'eet = (next word is the direct object)
hashaamayim = the-skies
v'eet = and-(next word is the direct object)
haa'aarets: = the-earth:

Then, look at part of the REST of the chapter:

Genesis 1:6-13 (KJV with quotation marks, royal purple for God's words, and some Hebrew)

6 And God said,

"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament "Heaven." (Hebrew: shaamaayim = "skies") And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said,

"Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear":

and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land "Earth" (Hebrew: 'erets = "earth"); and the gathering together of the waters called he "Seas": and God saw that it was good. 11 And God said,

"Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth":

and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

So, verse 1 is a SYNOPSIS of what is to follow! The "heaven" and the "earth" weren't created and named until days 2 and 3, respectively!

 

The SAME THING happens between chapters 1 and 2! Chapter 1 are main points of the Creation Week, while chapter 2 for the most part (since the first few verses really should have been placed with chapter 1, although they show that the story doesn't end in chapter 1) goes into the details of Day 6!

Look at it again (with some explanation):

Genesis 2:4-25 (KJV)

4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day (each day) that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 7 And the LORD God formed (Hebrew: vayiytser = "and-formed") man of the dust of the ground (on day 6), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (air-breather).

8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden (on day 3); and there he (later) put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil (on day 3).

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it (on day 6). 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying,

"Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 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."

18 And the LORD God said, 

"It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet (suitable) for him."

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field (earlier on day 6), and every fowl of the air (on day 5); and brought them (later on day 6) unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle (all types of domestic animals), and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast (wild animal) of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet (suitable) for him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said,

"This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called 'Woman,' (Hebrew: 'ishaah) because she was taken out of Man (Hebrew: 'iysh)."

24 Therefore shall a man (Hebrew: 'iysh = "a man") leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife (Hebrew: b'ishtow = "in-his-woman"): and they shall be one flesh (Hebrew: l-baasaar echaad = "to-flesh one"). 25 And they were both naked, the man (Hebrew: haa'aadaam = "the-red-[man]," "Adam") and his wife (Hebrew: v'ishtow = "and-his-woman"), and were not ashamed.

"Creation" is when God makes something out of nothing; "Forming" is when God takes what He has created and makes something else out of that, and BOTH were done in the "Creation Week!"

[A Christian 1985]

truthseekersasciencespiritual.blogspot.com/

 Do Not confuse Hades with 'Hell'

HADES

            Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth? (Eccles. 3:21)

            It is obvious, especially when taken in context that the writer here is not speaking prophetically. Indeed, he is speaking cynically, rather than literally. This is the only verse in the whole Bible that could conceivably contradict the assertion that, of the life on earth today, man alone has a spirit. Due to its context, and in light of the meaning of the original language, we cannot credibly consider this verse to be in conflict with what is clearly and consistently shown by the rest of the Bible.

            And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; (Heb. 9:27)

            and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it. (Eccles. 12:7)

            At death, man's physical body returns to dust and his spirit "returns to God." But what happens to the human soul after death? Due to man's having a spirit, his soul, unlike those of animals, is immortal. This poses a problem: the souls of the dead must be kept somewhere until their final disposition at the judgment.

            And thou, Capernaum, shalt be exalted unto heaven? Thou shalt go down unto Hades: ... (Matt. 11:23).

            And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:14)

             And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and Death and Hades"‑ that is, "the unseen world"; for the translation "Hell" is incorrect‑ "delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works" (Rev. xx.13). Now the sea is commonly supposed to be mentioned as giving up the bodily germs of those who have been drowned or buried in it. But if the meaning goes no further than that, why do we not also hear of the earth giving up the far more numerous dead which lie beneath its sods? Instead, however, of sea being coupled with land, we find it mysteriously connected with Death and the unseen world: that is, it is mentioned in a list of places filled, not with the remains of material forms, but with disembodied spirits.

            This is certainly a fatal objection to a common interpretation: but if the sea be the prison of demons, all difficulties vanish, and in that case we can well understand why it is the first to give up its dead. For every one will be judged in his order, and, therefore, these pre‑adamic beings will have an awful precedence of the prisoners of Death and Hades, whose innumerable cells are, perhaps, filled exclusively with criminals from our present world ‑ excerpt from Earth's Earliest Ages, p. 61.

            Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell (Gehenna)? (Matt. 23‑33)

            The Bible uses two entirely different words concerning disposition of the souls of the dead. Most people fail to distinguish between Hell (GREEK: Gehenna), and Hades (Greek: Hades), considering them to be different words for the same thing. This is far from being the case, and a correct knowledge of this matter is essential to an understanding of several other spiritual matters.

Rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell (Gehenna) of fire. (Matt. 18:9)

            Hell is the burning lake of fire, which, dispensationally speaking, is not yet. The purpose of hell is that of a universal eternal disposal for all of the negative things after they have been righteously judged. Such an eternal disposal is necessary for creatures with a spiritual aspect to their being, and will include the fallen angels, the demons, and unregenerated human beings. Hades, however, is a keeping-place for the souls of dead human beings, some of the demons (originally all of them), and the special category of fallen angels discussed in Appendix VII. That these are two distinctly different things is proven by Revelation 20:14, where this verse states that Hades is cast into the lake of fire (Gehenna).

             Hades has existed since the disembodiment of the demonic race, long before the time of the human race (Hades’ original purpose was the confinement of the disembodied spirits of the demonic race), and will exist until the end of the millennium. To enable us to realize the significance of other biblical, non‑physical matters, let us now learn what we may about Hades. Although Hades most probably cannot be considered a physical place, nonetheless it does have a physical location, which will make several other matters clear.

Yea, his soul draweth near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers. (Job 33:22)

What is the pit, and how does it relate to Hades?

... And thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. (Ps. 86:13 NASB)

            Hades has different levels; saints and sinners are not lumped together indiscriminately. The Old Testament believer here met with God's approval, such that at death God did not let his soul be consigned to Sheol but to a better, higher level of Hades. What are the other levels?

 

Sheol and Abaddon are before Jehovah ... (Prov. 15:11).

            And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen unto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the abyss.... They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue he hath the name Apollyon. (Rev. 9:1, 11)

            At first glance, Abaddon, like Sheol, appears to be another level of Hades, but Abaddon is the name of the angel of the abyss.

            In other translations "the pit of the abyss" is rendered "the bottomless pit," indicating further the non‑physical characteristics of Hades. But Hades does have a physical location.

            Therefore Sheol hath enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, descend into it. (Isa. 5:14)

            The wicked shall be turned back unto Sheol, Even all the nations that forget God. (Ps. 9:171

            And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, that are gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are upon their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. (Ezek. 32:27)

            Whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit, and her company is round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror in the land of the living. (Ezek. 32:23)

            A careful consideration of these verses discloses that the pit is comprised of two levels, Sheol being the name of the uppermost one. The pit is the part of Hades where the souls of unbelievers are kept, with the better unbelievers kept in Sheol, and the worse ones kept in the lower level.

            For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be renewed unto judgment; (2 Pet. 2:4).

         The word translated incorrectly here as hell is not the Greek word for hell (Gehenna), but is the Greek word Tartarus. Tartarus is the lowest level of Hades and the lower of the two levels that to compromise the pit, Sheol being the upper one of the two. Evil unbelievers are kept in Tartarus, along with the chained fallen angels who sinned further than their peers, as is detailed in Appendix VII. As we shall see in Chapter Five, although some of the demons are still confined to Hades (in the pit and almost certainly Tartarus), most of them escaped their confinement before the time of Adam.

 

            And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but not here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us. (Luke 16:22‑26)

 

            Sheol and Tartarus are two distinct levels but, although it is almost certainly the case, there is no specific mention of a gulf or barrier between them. We see here that there is a level containing the souls of the dead that is higher than Sheol, but that there is a great gulf between it and the pit such that it is considered a separate part of Hades from Sheol and Tartarus. Why this is so we will see shortly. Another thing to notice is the torment of the rich man due to the heat. I repeat: Gehenna, the burning lake of fire and brimstone is not yet here. Why then the torment and whence the flame? The people on these levels are evil people- should we expect their keeping to be pleasant? As we have seen in previous verses, the pit is located beneath the abyss. This puts its physical location pretty deep in the earth (one verse‑"in the heart of the earth"), deep enough for the tremendous temperatures at such levels to cause the discomfort and torment spoken of.

            Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city.... And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? ... (1Sam. 28:3, 16).

            Samuel was one of the Old Testament saints, so this verse substantiates that believers are kept in an upper level of Hades, which is located beneath the abyss. What is this upper level, and where is the abyss?

            And he (Jesus) said unto him (one of the two men crucified beside Jesus, who had just repented), Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise. (Luke 23:43)

 

            The thief on the cross believed on the Lord, so the Lord told him that that same day, at the end of which they would both be dead physically, he would be with the Lord in Paradise. Paradise, then, is the uppermost level of Hades, which contains the believers. Did you ever wonder where the Lord's soul was during the three days between His death and Resurrection?

            And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden. ... (Gen. 2:8‑9).

            I made it fair by the Multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.... I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the nether parts of the earth.... To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain with the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah. (Ezek. 31:9,16,18)

            So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the flame of a sword, which turned every way, keep the way of the tree of life. (Gen. 3:24)

            It is clear from these (and other verses) that Paradise, the uppermost level of Hades, is as pleasant as the Garden of Eden. At the time of Adam, the Garden of Eden had a physical location on the surface of the earth in Mesopotamia. Due to the fall, man's access to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden was barred by God, as long as a man was physically alive in the fallen, corrupted flesh. After death, however, this restriction no longer applied ("For he that is dead is freed from sin"), so that the souls of believers could be kept in this Paradise, Eden, which has since the Fall been located beneath the abyss with the other two levels of Hades.

            Now, where was Christ during those three days?

            for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matt 12:40)

            (Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he (Christ) also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? (Eph. 4:9)

            Because Christ also died for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. (1 Pet. 3:18‑19)

            For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Pet. 4:6)

            For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou offer thy holy one to see corruption. (Ps. 16:10)

he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. (Acts 2:31)

            whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be held by it. (Acts 2:24)

            or, who shall descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.) (Rom. 10:7)

            Christ, while in Hades those three days, not only appeared in Paradise but also went to Sheol to preach the good news of the gospel to the souls of the dead there, that they should believe so that their spirits would be made alive unto them at the judgment.

            knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion or him. (Rom. 6:91)

            For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and living. (Rom. 14:9)

            and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. (Rev. 1:18)

            By Christ's Resurrection, He achieved the authority (keys) over death and Hades, taking this power away from Satan, who legally had it until then. Thus it is that Satan does not have the key to the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:1, but must be given it.

            Sing, 0 ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth ... Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel. (Isa. 44:23)

          But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: and after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God: (Job 19:25‑26).

            ... and at that time thy people shall be delivered. Every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame, and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:2)

 

            Marvel not at this for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. (John 6:28‑29)

            and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. (Matt. 27:52‑53)

            The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken‑hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the openings of the prison to them that are bound;  (Isa. 61:1)

                Whereforth he saith, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now this, He ascended, what is but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? (Eph. 4:8‑9)

            ... To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. (Rev. 2:71

            I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up even to the third heaven. And I know such a man (whether in the body or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth), how that he was caught up into Paradise ... (2 Cor. 12:2‑4).

For David ascended not into the heavens ... (Acts 2:34)

            According to the original Greek of 2 Corinthians 12:2‑4, Paul was caught up to the third heaven, but he was caught into (not up into) Paradise. Notice also that his being caught up to heaven and his being caught into Paradise are recorded as two separate instances of the same experience. Both these instances occurred at the time of his regenera­tion. That the Paradise where the believers are being kept is not in heaven (then or now) is shown by this being recorded as two separate instances. Otherwise Paul would have stated that he was caught up to Paradise in the third heaven. (The first heaven is the atmosphere of our planet, the second heaven is the space of stars, and the third heaven is the spiritual heaven of God.) That Paradise, the keeping place for believers, is still in the earth is confirmed by Acts 2:34, which tells us that David, even after the   ascension of Christ, had not ascended to heaven. There are two Paradises, therefore: one, the earthly Edenic level of Hades, and the other, a heavenly Paradise of God in the third (spiritual) heaven.

            It is my opinion that the tombs opening, etc., was only a temporary resurrection (a sneak preview, as it were) of the bodies of the saints given as a sign to God's people in Jerusalem to further try to bring them to repentance. The actual physical resurrection of the bodies of the saints, both Old and New Testament, does not occur until right before Christ's return to the earth. The souls of New Testament believers who fall asleep are also kept in Paradise until the Lord sets up His judgment seat.

            By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well‑pleasing unto God: (Heb. 11:5)

            And it came to pass, when Jehovah would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven…(2 Kings 2:1)

            These were some of the exceptions to the rule, who were caught up directly to heaven without seeing death rather than dying and being kept in Hades. We will see why this was so later on in the book (Chapter Nine).

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead. (James 2:26)

And it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died)…(Gen. 36:18).

                For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two‑edged word, and piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit . . . (Heb. 4:12)

                ... because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets: before the silver cord is snapped asunder . . . (Eccles. 12:5‑6)

                 Is not their tent‑cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom. (Job 4:21)

                And her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately: and he commanded that something be given her to eat. (Luk 8:55)

                And he stretched upon the child three times, and cried unto Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. (1 Kings 17:21‑22)

                … being borne down by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Make ye no ado; for his life is in him. (Acts 20:9‑10)

            There is a "cord" that connects and binds the soul‑spirit to the physical body of the individual that it belongs to. Ordinarily, at the time of physical death, this cord is severed and the soul‑spirit goes to whichever keeping place is appropriate to the life that that person led in the flesh. However, sometimes this does not immediately occur and the person is able to be brought back to life. This has occurred not only in these biblical instances but also up to the present. There is only one logical reason to explain this: God must so love and desire that these people become His children by believing in Christ that He has given them the most final of chances. A word of warning: direct knowledge in this life of the next is expressly forbidden by God‑ any and all impressions obtained by these people while medically dead are almost certainly deceptive.

 

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