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NASB | Luke 16:23 "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 16:23 "In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). |
Subject: Where did the dead go prior to Jesus |
Bible Note: Greetings Biblestudent74! Ecc. 9:4 is a very interesting passage, but I believe that in terms of this thread, it is being misunderstood. Ecc. 9:4 is not meant to be a teaching on the status and condition of those who have died. Notice what the first two verses of chapter nine say: "So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God?s hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. 2 All share a common destiny?the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them." Is Solomon teaching that everyone will be with the Lord forever? No! Is he teaching that no one will be with the Lord? No! He is simply saying that everyone one, whether good or evil, will die. According to verse 4, it is better to be alive. Solomon is simply comparing life and death. To take v. 5, and draw from it that the dead are not conscious is to draw more than is intended from the verse. Further, it fails to take into consideration the very cynical tone of Ecclesiastes. ;-) Now, Luke 16:19-31 does speak of the condition of both a wicked and a righteous man after their deaths and it is quite clear that they are conscious. Other Scriptures also speak of those who have died as being conscious and aware. Moses and Elijah appear in the New Testament, yet they have not been resurrected as of yet. Old Testament saints were seen after the resurrection of Christ. Well, my kids want to go swimming now, so I have to run! ;-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |