Saturday, November 15, 2008

# 265: Death and its Implications

# 265: Death and its Implications This post is extremely long and was difficult to write; therefore, it may be difficult for some to understand; it may need to be read a second time. Once a person reads and understands this post, it will change how one believes on this topic for the rest of their life.

This is a topic where there are very few, if any, experts. Why do the majority of humans on this planet think of death as a sad, frightening and negative event? Also, why do the majority dread death? I am certain there are a number of reasons, but I think the main reason most don’t want to leave this life is because they don’t know what death will be like. If they believe there is a God but don’t live as He requires, they may be fearful of hell. If they don’t believe there is a God, they think that physical death is their end, just like an animal.

Then there are some who are caught in a living hell on earth; so to them, death will be a welcome relief. And still, with all the above reasons and more, I believe most are just plain afraid to die. That fear stems from not knowing what it will be like.

Another reason why many don’t want to die is because they are having too much fun right here on earth, whereas the hereafter is no more than a shot in the dark. Also, some don’t desire to die because they have amassed such a large amount of wealth, and therefore, don’t want other unworthy people to enjoy it.

Let us not forget those on life support and those who have the responsibility of making critical life-or-death decisions. Should they pull the plug? If so, when? What is best for all concerned?

Then there are mothers and fathers who don’t want to die because of their love and responsibility to their spouse and/or children. I think that is one of the better reasons for not wanting to die. Along with that, children don’t think much about death; but for them, death will be disastrous, since they haven’t experienced life to any great degree. I am certain there are a few who believe they are indispensable in what they do, and think that the world would stop turning if they were to die. Actually, the world does stop turning for everyone when they die. I am certain there are multitudes of good reasons why most would like to postpone death as long as possible.

What if there was a group of people who did not fear death at all? In fact, they would be looking forward to death more than all else. That kind of thinking is for people who actually believe that there is a better place waiting for them, much better than this world can ever produce. That place is called paradise or heaven. In order to believe in this way without fear of death, a person’s belief/faith must be so acute that it removes all doubts as to its reality. The writer of the book of Hebrews puts it this way: 2:15. “. . . and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Therefore, for all genuine Christians (disciples of Christ), there is, or should be, no fear of death. This author is in that category.

Here is a strange happening: There are millions of people wanting to go to heaven, but don’t want to die just yet. Why is that? Because heaven may not be real to them except in word; or they may not be absolutely certain they are going there, etc.

Most Orthodox churches believe that our spirits/souls will instantaneously go to either heaven or hell at death. Then they try to present Biblical Scripture in a very weak attempt to authenticate that belief.

The New Testament will undoubtedly prove that belief is false. I will give all the Biblical verses which teach that our souls will sleep at death, and be resurrected at the last judgment. Our physical bodies will have nothing to do with that event, since they all will be decayed or have been disintegrated, like in the Twin Towers disaster.

If you make it through all the questionable information coming up in this post, as presented by the Orthodox church, that spiritual malarkey doesn’t—and will never—nullify all the New Testament evidence which says we will all sleep in Christ until the resurrection of the dead. Let me give a comprehensive list of verses which teach that we will sleep at death until the last day.

John 5:28. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves [spiritual entities (souls) do not occupy space] will hear his voice and come out [the souls will come out and not the decayed or totally disintegrated bodies, like those in 9/11, to the point where no remains could be found]—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”

John 6:40. “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise him [the soul] up at the last day.”

John 6:54. “. . . and I will raise him up at the last day.”

For all those like myself who believe we will be raised in a spiritual body, read what Jesus says about the flesh: John 6:63. “The Spirit gives life, the flesh [physical substance] counts for nothing.”

John 11:11. “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”

Acts 13:36. “For when David served God’s purpose in his generation, he fell asleep; was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.”

1st Corinthians 11:30. “That is why many among you are weak or sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”

1st Corinthians 15:6. “. . . most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”

1st Corinthians 15:17-18. “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.”

1st Corinthians 15:20. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep.”

1st Thessalonians 4:13-15. “Brothers, we don’t want you to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep, or grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own words, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.”

1st Corinthians 15:51. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”

John 11:24. “Martha answered, ‘I know he will raise again in the resurrection at the last day.’”

Here is something to think about: When a person is sound asleep, very likely, that is the most peaceful time in a person’s life. The exception is if a person has constant nightmares. Sleep is wonderful, if just for a night or for possibly hundreds of years after our death, while waiting for our soul’s resurrection on the last day.

Now, I will present several paragraphs from a short essay on “The Orthodox Teaching on Life After Death,” which I found on the Internet. It presents several verses in an attempt to show why people at death go directly to heaven or hell. I will say ahead of time: Don’t believe what they teach.

This essay gives the location of about a dozen verses to substantiate what the Orthodox church believes, but does not tell what their meanings are. At the end of this essay, I will tell what the verses teach.

The Orthodox Teaching on Life After Death

Concerning the temporary state of the soul from the time of its separation from the body to the day of universal resurrection, the Holy Scripture teaches us that the soul continues to live, feel and think. For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him. said Christ (Luke 20:38, Matt. 22:32, Acc. 12:7). As death is a temporary separation from the body, the Holy Scripture refers to it as the departure [deceased, decessus, decedere, go away], separation, falling asleep (2 Pet 1:15, Phil. 1:23, 2 Tim. 4:6, Acts 13:36). It is evident that the word repose or sleep does not refer to the soul, but to the body which after death seems to be resting from its works. The soul, having left the body, continues a conscious life as before.

The truth of this assertion is seen from the Savior's parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16th Chapter) and from the miracle at Mt. Tabor (Matt. 17:3, Mark 9:4, Luke 9:30). In the first, the Gospel's rich man, being in hell, and Abraham, being in heaven, discuss the possibility of sending Lazarus to earth to the brothers of the rich man to keep them from hell. In the second, the prophets Moses and Elijah, who lived long before Christ, speak with the Lord of his coming suffering. Also, Christ told the Jews that Abraham saw His Coming, apparently from heaven, and rejoiced. (John 8:56). This passage would not make sense if Abraham's soul were in some unconscious state as is taught by some sectarians regarding the soul's existence after death. The Book of Revelation in general terms speaks of how the souls of the righteous in heaven react to the events taking place on earth (Rev. Chapters 5-9). All of these passages in the Scripture teach us to believe that the soul continues to be active after its separation with the body.

All though daily convention shows us that death is the unalterable lot of every man and a law of nature, the Holy Scripture teaches us that initially death was not in God's plan for man. Death was not a rule established by God, but, rather, a parting from God's way and a terrible tragedy. The Book of Genesis tells us that death became part of our nature as a result of the first human beings' transgression of God's Commandment. In accordance with the Bible, the purpose of the Son of God coming into the world was to return to man his forfeited eternal life. This is not referring to the soul's eternal life, which by its being is not subject to ruin, but to the immortality of the whole person, consisting of body and soul. The realization of the unity of soul and body will happen simultaneously for all people at the universal resurrection of the dead.

In certain religious and philosophical systems, (such as Hinduism or Stoicism), there is the thought that the most important part of man is his soul and that the body is only a temporary shell in which it develops. When the soul reaches a certain level of maturity, the body becomes useless and must be thrown off like worn-out clothing. Freed from the body, the soul ascends to a higher step of existence. Christianity does not share this understanding of human nature. Giving precedence to the spiritual origin of man, it continues to see him basically as two essences, each complementing the other, the spiritual and the material. Purely spiritual beings also exist; such as angels and demons. Man's design and purpose are, however, different. Thanks to his body, his nature is both more complex and richer. God's union of the soul and body is an eternal union.

When the soul abandons the body at death, it finds itself in an alien environment. Indeed, it is not called to exist as a spirit and it finds it difficult to adjust to the new and unnatural condition. This is why, for the purpose of obliterating all of the destructive consequences of sin, God willed the resurrection of the people He created. This will come about at the Second Coming of Christ, when by his Almighty Word the soul of every man will return to its renewed and transfigured body. We must emphasize that it will return not into a new shell, but will unite, once again, with the body in which it resided, a body transfigured, incorruptible, and suited to the new order of being.

Concerning the temporary state of the soul from the time of its separation from the body to the day of universal resurrection, the Holy Scripture teaches us that the soul continues to live, feel and think. For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.

Repeating: The following verses and my comments are between brackets.

(Luke 20:38. [“He is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” When people are asleep in death, waiting for the resurrection, it doesn’t mean they are dead in the sight of God. That is why Luke said, “for to him (God) all are alive.”]

Matt. 22:32., [This verse is a repeat of the last one.]

Acc. 12:7). [I can’t comment on this one since I don’t know what Acc. 12:7 means; it doesn’t come from the Christian Bible.] As death is a temporary separation from the body, the Holy Scripture refers to it as the departure deceased, decessus, decedere, go away, separation, falling asleep.

2 Pet 1:15. [“And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” This verse does not say Paul will depart to heaven as the author of this article presumes. Paul will be with Christ in a state of sleep.]

Phil.1:23. [“I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” In a state of sleep.]

2nd Timothy 4:6. [“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.” Again, departure does not mean going directly to heaven in a conscious state.]

Acts 13:36. “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep, he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.” It is evident that the word repose or sleep does not refer to the soul, but to the body which after death seems to be resting from its works. The soul, having left the body, continues a conscious life as before. [This last statement can not be found anywhere in the Christian Bible.]

Matt. 17:3. In the first, the Gospel's rich man, being in hell, and Abraham, being in heaven, discuss the possibility of sending Lazarus to earth to the brothers of the rich man to keep them from hell. The truth of this assertion is seen from the Savior's parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

(Luke 16th Chapter) [There is a parable in the New Testament: Luke 16:19-30—please read this passage of Scripture so that you will see where they are coming from—Jesus is teaching to make the point that rich people who have no concern for those without do not go directly to hell at death, and the less fortunate who believed in Christ do not go directly to heaven at death before they are judged at the resurrection at the end of time. And from that solitary section of Scripture in Luke 16:19-30, by the persuasion of the clergy, there arose the erroneous belief that has engulfed the vast majority of Christianity.]

[The point that Jesus was making is that wealth is not a reward for being holy, as most rich Jews of that time believed, but a result of greed and heartlessness, or the poor are not automatically condemned because of their poverty, as many of the Pharisees and church leaders believed. Many of the Jews never accepted that view, and still don’t accept it to this day.]

Mark 9:4, Luke 9:30. In the second, the prophets Moses and Elijah, who lived long before Christ, speak with the Lord of his coming suffering.

[Concerning why Moses and Elijah were in heaven: Deuteronomy 33:5. “And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab . . . but to this day no one knows where his grave is.” And there is good reason why Moses, the greatest servant of the Lord, was taken to heaven; he deserved it. 2nd Kings 2:11. “. . . Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” It is easy to say that we can see why Elijah was in heaven.]

[Also, Christ told the Jews that Abraham saw His Coming, apparently from heaven, before He came to earth as a baby, and rejoiced.] (John 8:56). This passage would not make sense if Abraham's soul were in some unconscious state as is taught by some sectarians regarding the soul's existence after death.

Concerning Abraham. “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and rejoiced.” John 8:56. [Most likely, the Lord, the Son of God, saw Abraham many times while Jesus (the Lord of the Old Testament) was in heaven and was giving Abraham instructions as to where to go and what to do, etc. John 7:29. “but I [Jesus] know him [God] because I am from him and he sent me.” Also, the Son of God (who was named Jesus as a human) was with God the Father at creation: Genesis 1:26. “Then God said, ‘Let us [plural] make man in our image, in our [plural] likeness . . .’” Most likely, that is the case, and even if that is not the case, it would be but a small matter for God to take Abraham, the great man of faith, the father of all the Jews, to heaven before all his descendants.]

The Book of Revelation in general terms speaks of how the souls of the righteous in heaven react to the events taking place on earth (Rev. Chapters 5-9). All of these passages in the Scripture teach us to believe that the soul continues to be active after its separation with the body.

[In the book of Revelation, there are about 7 sections of Scripture, aforementioned, that are referred to as being relevant to their unscriptural belief as mentioned above, in Revelation, Chapters 4-9. I will quote them all.]

[Revelation 4:7-8. “In the center, around the throne, there were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes in the front and in the back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.” It could honestly be said that these creatures did not come from the earth we know. Just keep that in mind as we continue.]

[Revelation 5:8. “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb.” The question I ask is, Why are the living creatures associated with the twenty-four elders? Could the twenty-four elders also be from other worlds, etc.? I say that because of how the strange living creatures are described. Let us all remember that the book of Revelation is mostly symbolic.]

[Revelation 5:11. “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. And in a loud voice they sang . . .” These 24 elders and the living creatures must be/ have been very special to be encircled by that many angels. I doubt that anyone from earth has been that special to receive such great honor except Jesus Christ.]

[Revelation 6:10. “They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’” Evidentially those—maybe a few or maybe all—who had been killed for a holy cause, and with no regrets for their faith, will be given entry into heaven before the final resurrection. This, by no means indicates/implies that all God’s peoples will be in heaven before the final resurrection. The reason I say that is that if they were, it would somehow, somewhere be mentioned in Scripture. That would end all disagreements.]

[The book of Revelation includes “what is now and what will take place later.” Revelation 1:19. Also what has taken place already. Listen to Revelation 12:9: “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who lead the whole world astray. He was hurled to earth, and his angels with him.” That evil creature and his cohorts have been down here since the beginning of time.]

The scripture also teaches us that after death God appoints a place of temporary abode corresponding to that which it has earned while living in the body — heaven or hell. The appointment in one or the other place or condition is preceded by a so-called informal judgment. The informal judgment must be distinguished from the final judgment that will take place at the end of the world. Regarding the informal judgment, [Informal judgment is a man-made rule and has no Scriptural backing.] the Scripture teaches us: For it is an easy thing unto the Lord in the day of death to reward a man according to his ways (Sirach 11:26). And further, And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, seemingly on an individual basis (Heb. 9:27). [That verse isn’t worth mentioning, in defense of their man-made theology. Hebrews 9:27. “Just as a man is destined once, and after that to face judgment.”] There is reason to believe that in the first stages after death the soul needs the guidance of its guardian angel. For example, in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus the soul of Lazarus is taken to heaven by angels. In accordance with the teachings of Our Savior, the angels take care of these small ones, that is to say children, (literally and figuratively).

We believe that the souls of the dead are either blissful or in torment from their deeds. Having been separated from their bodies, they immediately step over either to happiness or to sorrow and mourning. Besides which they feel neither complete bliss nor complete torment since either one of these states will be conferred on each after the Universal resurrection, when the soul will unite with the body in which it resided either virtuously or dishonorably (Epistles from the Eastern Patriarchs regarding the Orthodox faith, article 18).

In this manner, the Orthodox Church discerns two conditions of the soul in the other world: One for the righteous and another for the sinner — heaven and hell. It does not accept the Roman-Catholic teaching of a middle state in purgatory inasmuch as the Holy Scripture makes no reference to a middle state. The Orthodox Church does teach that the sufferings of a sinner can be eased and even taken away through prayers and good deeds done in their memory. This is the reason for presenting a book of remembrance at Liturgy with the names of the living and the dead.

[To contradict the above, here is another incriminating event to consider that disproves their argument which, of course, wasn’t mentioned by the Orthodox writer. This is the story of King Saul, Samuel the prophet, and the medium (witch) of Endor. King Saul was having problems with his enemies and asked the advice of the Lord; the Lord did not answer Saul. So he went to a medium in the town of Endor to get advice from her. Saul wanted the medium to bring Saul up while he slept in the grave. The medium did just that. And this is what the response was from Samuel: Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” The last words of Samuel as he was talking to Saul were these: “. . . and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [in the grave].” Read the whole story in 1st Samuel 28:4-19. This story, along with the aforementioned details, is good evidence that when we die, we all will, one way or another, go to sleep until the resurrection. And remember this: If a witch can bring up the dead, why couldn’t God, before the resurrection, do the same, if He desired?]

[Here is the stupidest part of going to heaven or hell at death; the Orthodox Churches believe they go there because, as they call it, ‘the informal resurrection’ which happens on an individual basis as people die. The words “informal resurrection” are not found anywhere in the Christian Bible.]

[The Orthodox church which believes they are the religious intelligentsia, in which they erroneously and dogmatically state that as truth. And the funny part is that they somehow persuaded millions of naive people to believe it also. By knowing what the New Testament teaches, we will not/cannot be fooled anymore.]

[Let us now go to another view of death, by examining “near-death experiences” and “out-of-body phenomena” from the secular point of view. On the internet I found a booklet-sized essay that is extremely long. The address is at the very end of this post. It tells of many cases of out-of-body experiences that are associated with near-death experiences. It is extremely interesting. But when you get to the section on ‘The Orthodox Teaching on Life After Death,’ where the aforementioned verses came from, they are totally misinterpreted. Don’t believe the teaching that our soul goes directly to heaven or hell, but rather believe the New Testament teaching which has clearly been displayed.]

[Then, if you are not weary from reading the above, here is a short essay I also copied from the Internet on the possibility that “out-of-body experiences” are caused by a certain part of the brain that is activated when a person is near death. In other words, could near-death experiences be emitted from a part of the brain that gets activated only when a person is having a near-death experience in his/her brain? You decide.]

(WebMD) Scientists may be one step closer to understanding what happens in the brain when someone has an out-of-body experience.

A certain spot in the brain shows increased activity during out-of-body experiences, Belgian researchers report in The New England Journal of Medicine. That part of the brain is where the angular gyrus, a brain region involved in self-awareness, meets the supramarginal gyrus, a brain area that affects the body's spatial orientation.

The Belgian scientists studied a 63-year-old man who had had an electrode implanted in his brain to treat tinnitus, in which people experience ringing or other unusual sounds in their ears.

Before getting the electrode implanted in his brain, the man had tried other tinnitus treatments, with no success.

The implant was supposed to use electrical stimulation to suppress tinnitus. But that didn't work.

Besides still having tinnitus, the man had out-of-body experiences during the electrical stimulation.

His perception of disembodiment always involved a location about 50 cm behind his body and off to the left, write the scientists, who included Dirk De Ridder, MD, PhD, of University Hospital Antwerp.

The man didn't have near-death experiences and he couldn't see himself from outside his body during his out-of-body experiences, which lasted for an average of 17 seconds. De Ridder's team stimulated the man's brain via the implanted electrode.

The man pressed a button with his right hand to indicate when his out-of-body experience began. Meanwhile, he got a brain scan using positron emission tomography (PET).

The scientists noticed a spike in activity in the junction of the angular gyrus and the supramarginal gyrus during the man's out-of-body experiences. But the researchers don't claim to understand everything about out-of-body experiences.

For instance, they don't know if the brain behaves differently when people have out-of-body sensations during near-death experiences or in other cases that aren't induced by electrical stimulation. And the findings are just a window on brain activity, not what people feel during out-of-body-experiences.

[I repeat: Here is the address of the extremely long essay I copied from the internet. Halfway through this report is the section named “The Orthodox Teaching on Life After Death,” the one I wrote on and gave you the Biblical perspective. Even though this report is long, it is extremely interesting, except for the section on “The Orthodox Teaching on Life After Death.”]

Please feel free to ask any questions or leave comments.

Click on www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/life_after_death.htm.