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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Judgement, Sheol, and Hades | Heb 9:27 | C.S. Lewisist | 73655 | ||
I have a few questions that I have been contemplating for quite a while now: 1) The bible seems to imply that judgement - for the wicked and righteous - is summed up in a single event. Paul described it as 'the day' (1 Cor. 3:13); Jesus referred to it as 'the last day' (John 12:48). My question is: because we die and have time before this judgment, as the scripture speaks of our spirits surviving after death, then how is it that those in Hades are in torments before the final judgment that renders them unto the second death - the lake of fire? If the punishment is inflicted by God, then what is the necessity of even having a second death? If the punishment is intrinsic on behalf of the condemned (that is, due to their wrath and refusal to accept the objective good), then how would this suffering differ from the warnings Jesus spoke about concerning the Lake of Fire (anger, wailing, casting into outer darkness, etc.)? Could it be that when Jesus spoke of condemnation, He did not specify any difference between the intermediate state (Hades) and the final state, that being the lake of fire? Theologians seem to imply that when Christ speaks of Gehenna, He is referring to the lake of fire. Is there any possibility that those who die unredeemed continue in a state of 'rest' - or soul sleep - until their coming judgement? 2) How do we reconcile the idea of the spirit surviving the body with such passages as Ecclesiastes 9:10 and Psalm 146:4, both of which seem to imply that death, and sheol, are entities that lack any action or recreation? If God is the God of the living, and Ecclesiastes 9:10 seems to be in the context of everyone - good and evil -, how is it that those who died in the Old Testament were with Him, but also without knowledge, wisdom, work or device? Could it be that the OT idea of death was incomplete? Or could it simply be that sheol strictly means the grave and nothing more (even though its Greek counterpart, Hades, literally means 'the unseen world')? blessings, John |
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2 | Judgement, Sheol, and Hades | Heb 9:27 | Robert Nicholson | 73656 | ||
Greetings John: Welcome to the forum and thank you for your well written comments and questions. I believe the scripture supports that there are several judgments. The Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:13-15)(2 Cor. 5:10) and (Romans 14:10) In the three references the people involved are believers who will be judged according to their work since they have been saved. You have referred to (1 Cor. 3:13) which is discussing spiritual builders in the church. This work will be tested by fire and only the work which abides receives a reward. In looking at the three references we will notice that motives for our work is judged. However, we find that although we suffer loss for work which does not abide we are saved. This judgment has nothing to do with judgment for sin. The people represented here are redeemed and forgiven by the blood of Christ who bore the judgment for our sins upon the cross. It is interesting to note that the believer who dies is referred to as "those who sleep in Jesus" The Judgment of the Living Nations: We know that at the end of the age the Lord Jesus himself is coming in power and glory and will judge those living on the earth that have rejected him and reward those who have been saved during the great tribulation. As promised in Acts 1:11 "this same Jesus which is taken up into heaven shall come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven" The feet of Jesus will rest upon the mount of olives from whence he left. It is at this point he will separate the sheep from the goats or the saved from the unsaved.(Matt. 25:33-46) Those who are saved will go into the millenial kingdom and those who are not saved will be cast into hades to await judgment. The Great White Throne Judgment: This is the final judgment of unbelievers who are dead to God. (Rev. 20:11-15) It is the "dead" small and great who stand before God. It is made clear that no unbeliever can escape this judgment. "The sea gave up the dead, death and hades gave up the dead which were in them."v.13 At this judgment the books are open, each is judged according to their works. The Lamb's book of life is open to show that their name is not written there. "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"V.15 (this is the second death) In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus holds back the curtain into hades (place of departed spirits) and shows us two men in life and two men in death. I do not believe this is a parable since Jesus names them as a "certain rich man and a beggar called Lazarus. The rich man in question is conciously suffering, has memory and a sense of his awful state. In contrast Lazarus is in Abraham's bosum a place of comfort. Hades is divided into 2 compartments with a great gulf between which prevents anyone from passing over from one side to the other. You ask why would such lost people be called up to judgment at a later day? I believe this is to show the righteous judgment of God, in that day they will agree that they are getting what they deserve. I think that your observation is correct in that God has revealed more truth regarding those who have died through Christ and through his apostles. I do not believe that the scripture supports soul sleep. The body of the Lord Jesus Christ was placed in Joseph's new tomb. He went to paradise which is the equivelant of Abraham's bosum, a place of comfort. The prophecy of Psalm 16:10 speaks of the soul of the Lord Jesus and the body of the Lord Jesus: "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell(Sheol); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Paul in his letter to the Corinthians speaks about our physical body as being a temporary or "tent" In other words we are not a body with a soul, but a soul with a body. In (2Cor. 5:8) "...willing to be absent from the body and present with Lord" Paul also writes "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:" Phil. 1:23) In both cases Paul gives us the sense that we "are present with the Lord" not in a sense of sleep. Finally, in Rev.6:9) we find that "the souls of them that were slain for the word of God"v.9 are crying out to be avenged. There is no hint of soul sleep here. This is a serious subject which many would mock. God is longsuffering, patient and by his Spirit he works with the souls of humans. The sin which separates humans from God for eternity is the disobedience to the gospel of his grace. Peace in his Name Robert |
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