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 Presentation # 16 - Dead of Alive Tuesday 26, May 2010
Title: Dead or Alive
Topic: The State of the Dead
Introduction:
What is death?
Consider how man was made in the beginning.
Genesis 2:7 God took the elements of the earth, carbon, hydrogen, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and so forth – and formed the body. (We learned from the seminar # 6 on Wholesome Body) God gave Adam a brain but he was not thinking.
A heart but it was not beating in his chest. Blood in the arteries and veins but it was not circulating.
Eye that were not seeing
Hears that was not hearing
Lips that was not speaking
God created man but he was not yet alive.
God had to breathe into Man the breath of life – and man became a living soul. Therefore - All life is from God- Job 27:3 Dust plus (breath of life) spirit = a living soul
The elements of the earth + breath of life = A living being God did not place a soul in the body and then breath and it became a living soul. The elements of earth –(Subtract) breath of life = a corpse (Dead) James 2:26
The light bulb, by Thomas Edison was a marvelous invention. Place it in a socket – turn on electricity – we get Light! Device + electricity = light Remove electricity – what happens? Light is gone. When life returns to God – man ceases to be. You have no life apart from God.
Psalm 146:3-4 Life after DEATH?
Is there life after the death we observe and experience on earth?
Muslims believe that at death you transition to paradise or to hell many Christians believe the same. Buddhists believe various levels of existence – some paradise and some hell
Hindus that life reenters world different form and body There are religions – mostly African continent – believe spirit world (Witchcraft) even among Christians. Because most of these religions are from tradition. It is difficult for new believers in Christ to give up traditional practices.
The above religions all believe in the life continues after death.
Many wonder what happen after death.
Is there a spiritual world?
Death will be experience by almost everyone on this earth.
The first death is from this world to the Grave.
The second death will be grave to final death.
We will discuss these deaths below under the topics 1st. and 2nd. Resurrection.
When Henry Ward Beecher (Famous American Clergy in the late 19th century) was dying he said; “Now comes the mystery”
When Socrates prepared to drink hemlock poison he said; “Farewell, I go the way of all flesh, but whether to life or oblivion I know not.” But is there truly life after death?
The only dependable source of truth on the question is the Bible.
Let us see what the Bible say about life after death. What happens at death?-
When a person dies their body returns to the elements of the earth and his spirit returns to God.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
Job 17:13
Scripture does not teach man goes to hell or heaven at death
Or to purgatory. Origin of purgatory- WHAT IS PURGATORY?
Purgatory! The word itself comes from the old French purgatoire, from medieval Latin purgatorium, literally: place of cleansing. According to the Roman Catholic Catechism, issued with episcopal authority on the occasion of the 4th Plenary Council in 1937, purgatory is "...a place or state of punishment in the next life where some souls have to suffer for a time, because they are not yet fit to go to heaven."1
Purgatory is sometimes referred to as God’s hospital for souls, a place where people are healed of their sin before being able to go ‘home’ to heaven.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that purgatorial sufferings vary greatly in intensity according to the degree of sinfulness on the part of the sinner. For some the torment will be light and mild, lasting perhaps a few hours. For others, however, the pain is no less than that of hell and can last for several thousand years.
Bellarmine, a noted Roman Catholic theologian, once stated that "The pains of Purgatory are very severe, surpassing anything endured in this life."
The Manual of the Purgatorial Society, with the imprimatur of Cardinal Hayes—the imprimatur, along with the ‘nihil obstat,’ is an official declaration that a book or pamphlet is free, according to the Roman Catholic Church, of doctrinal or moral error—says: "According to the Holy Fathers of the Church, the fire of Purgatory does not differ from the fire of hell, except in point of duration." "It is the same fire" says St. Thomas Aquinas, "that torments the reprobate in hell, and the just in Purgatory. The least pain in Purgatory" he says, "surpasses the greatest suffering in this life. Nothing but the eternal duration makes the fire of hell more terrible than that of Purgatory."2
Romanism teaches that although eternal punishment may be cancelled through the sacrament of baptism—which the Roman Catholic Church wrongly teaches cleanses a person from original sin—The Catholic Encyclopedia points out that, "...there still remains the temporal punishment required by Divine justice, and this requirement must be fulfilled either in the present life or in the world to come, i.e., in Purgatory. An indulgence offers the penitent sinner the means of discharging this debt during this life on earth."3 The Council of Trent has decreed: "If you dare to say that a repentant sinner who has been justified by grace is forgiven to such an extent that that person is no longer under an obligation to suffer for his or her sins either here and/or in Purgatory anathema to you!" (Appen. A, note 2, A Woman Rides The Beast).
Roman Catholicism teaches that temporal punishment in Purgatory may be reduced and eventually cancelled by works of penance, by almsgiving, by indulgences and by paying the priest to say a mass.
A statement which appears in ‘Vatican II – The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents’ reads, "The (Roman) Church offers the Paschal Sacrifice (the Mass), for the dead so that the dead may be helped by the prayers..."
As we have just learned, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that people in Purgatory may be helped by having their time there shortened through the prayers and good works of those on earth. This is done by gaining what is called ‘Indulgences’ for them, especially through the ‘Holy sacrifice of the Mass’. These Masses are not freely performed but must be paid for by those who request them.
The Roman Catholic Catechism teaches that an Indulgence "...is a remission, through the power of the (Roman Catholic) Church, of the temporal punishment due to sin, after the sin itself has been forgiven."5
In contrast to this the Scriptures state clearly that "...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22).
The buying of indulgences is encouraged as a way to free souls from Purgatory. In 16th century Germany, one Roman Catholic Church-appointed ‘indulgence seller’, John Tetzel, had a statement written on his collection box, ‘As soon as the money in the casket rings, the troubled soul from Purgatory springs.’ I would ask one question of Mr Tetzel: ‘How did he know?’ It would appear, according to Mr. Tetzel and the Roman Catholic Church, that Christ need not have died to save a sinner from the punishment due unto his sin, but that a mere few coins given into the hand of Rome is all that is required!
As we have just learned, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that people in Purgatory may be helped by having their time there shortened through the prayers and good works of those on earth. This is done by gaining what is called ‘Indulgences’ for them, especially through the ‘Holy sacrifice of the Mass’. These Masses are not freely performed but must be paid for by those who request them.
The Roman Catholic Catechism teaches that an Indulgence "...is a remission, through the power of the (Roman Catholic) Church, of the temporal punishment due to sin, after the sin itself has been forgiven."5
In contrast to this the Scriptures state clearly that "...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22).
The buying of indulgences is encouraged as a way to free souls from Purgatory. In 16th century Germany, one Roman Catholic Church-appointed ‘indulgence seller’, John Tetzel, had a statement written on his collection box, ‘As soon as the money in the casket rings, the troubled soul from Purgatory springs.’ I would ask one question of Mr Tetzel: ‘How did he know?’ It would appear, according to Mr. Tetzel and the Roman Catholic Church, that Christ need not have died to save a sinner from the punishment due unto his sin, but that a mere few coins given into the hand of Rome is all that is required!
Man does not live anymore until the resurrection
Resurrection is the key. The only life after death is at the time of resurrection, not the time of death.
The scripture tells us there is life after death – our loved ones will live again! In the resurrection.
Isaiah 26:19
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 Trying to reach the dead?
There is an explosion of interest in the supernatural, angels, spiritualism, and life beyond the existence we know on a daily basis.
Especially in this postmodern era, we have today.
The postmodern mind is trying to be connected to their inner spiritual being. This is dangerous.
By opening out minds to supernatural things that are not necessarily of God lead us down the path of demonic spiritualism.
Yoga might start off good as exercise, but it basic foundation in Middle Eastern spiritualism. It is a mystic practice, which is about spiritualism that is not of God.
Palm reading, Tara cards, Horoscope, to name a few, all are designed to know the future. Which is not of God.
The Christian must understand if God desire you to know the future and all of it, He has and will send messages that are truth, un contradicting and not in secrete.
The Bible stands as a testament of God word. It tells us of the past and the coming of the end. This is all the signs and prediction we need.
Man does not need to pay someone for predicting the future, because it has been predicted for free for us in the Bible.
Today’s Magazines, books, movies, TV specials is full of Physic, supernatural, mystic powers, magician, and fortune tellers.
God need not work in these mediums. He speaks directly to man. We have direct connection with God and need no medium to do so.
Therefore because of fear, the desire to know the future and to control others man continues to believe in these mystic practices.
God has no room for these people in His kingdom.
Galatians 5:19-21
History of the dead?
When God created Man, they were never to die. Everything God created it was perfect.
Genesis 1:31
God warned Man not to eat of the tree of Good and Evil or else they will die.
Genesis 2:15-17
Eating from the tree of Knowledge of good and evil, did not cause man their death. As we can see that after eating man was still alive.
Genesis 3:6-7
So the serpent was partly right. But this is how the devil behaves. He gives us half truth, which is as bad as a full lie.
Genesis 3:1-5
Hence, they eat and did not die. The serpent was right about that, but he refuse to let them know that now that they knew the difference between good and evil, they could do much good or much evil. This was not good.
God now in his infinite wisdom had to put a stop to this.
God had to now follow through with his promise which was to make man die, because since they had to knowledge of good and evil, God could not allow them to live forever. He had to get rid of sin.
Genesis 3:19
God also had to remove Man from the garden before they also eat of the tree of live and live forever with evil in them.
Genesis 3:22-24
The result of the knowledge after the creation of man.
Genesis 6:5-8
Imagine Adolf Hitler, Alexandra the Great living in evil forever. This would be terrible... SO Gods had to put an end to evil and in result an end to good by having man not living forever.
Man had to die for them to live again in the newness of life.
But we should not live as there is no hope after death or preempt what lies beyond the grave.
In the catacombs of Rome are these inscriptions
Words of sorrow and finality those died outside of faith Goodbye for all eternity, Goodbye forever in the same catacombs are tombs of Christians – these words Goodbye until we meet again, Goodbye until the morning Egyptian view of death: If you lived in Ancient Egypt, you probably believed you would use your body in the afterlife (1) -- even if your innards were removed and stored in a canopic jar (2). When you died your soul or ba would fly out of your body and spark your double (ka), which would then travel to the otherworld. However, it would need to return to your body, since without the physical body, the ka would die. Since your body had to be preserved for the re-entry, the Egyptians developed embalming.
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/egyptdeath/a/aa031098.htm
Most Christian view of Death, is that the dead either goes to heaven or hell after death.
However, the Bible does not teach this.
The Christian hope is of great comfort Our good byes are not final. There is a resurrection.
What is the state of the Dead?
The state of the dead is that they know noting. It is as if they are asleep. When you are asleep, you know nothing that goes on around you. Totally Nothing!
Ecclesiastes 9:5
Jesus called death a sleep.
John 11:11-14 Jesus gave a dramatic proof of the resurrection, He rose/ called Lazarus from the grave. He called him out of his sleep.
If Jesus can do that to Lazarus, He can do that for you and me.
Lazarus was Jesus friend, Jesus is our friend.
John 11:39
Job anticipated the resurrection.
Job 14:14-15 Therefore there is a resurrection we can look forward to.
What is the 1ST. RESURRECTION?
Jesus demonstrated the first resurrection. He rose from the dead.
Matthew 28:1-7
Jesus foretold his resurrection.
John 2:18-19
They believed Jesus.
Matthew 27:63-64
Jesus also proved the resurrection by raising His friend Lazarus for the grave.
John 11:21-24
John 5:28-29 There will be a first resurrection, because Jesus did it and He did it for Lazarus.
1 Corinthians 15:16-18
1 Corinthians 15:20-23
When will the resurrection take place?
The answer is clear – at Christ’s second coming What is the 2nd? Resurrection
The second coming of Christ is the returning of Jesus to this world. At this time the dead in Christ shall rise to meet him in the air and then the dead in Christ shall and will also meet him in the air. Therefore the second conning will also be the first resurrection for the children of God.
I Corinthians 15:51, 53
Our bodies also will be changed: Philippians 3:20121 How about reunion with those who have died before us? 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
What about those seen from “the other side?”
Scripture says war originated heaven – sin. Third angels cast to this earth. Entire history of evil is a controversy Satan with Christ. Satan deceives us Revelation 12: 3-9 The real hope:
The real Hope is in Jesus, it is not the spirits, but Jesus.
It is in Christ Jesus! John 11:25 Revelation 1-18
The resurrection of Christ’s followers is as certain as the resurrection of Jesus Himself!
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