What is the state of the departed? Some records of near death experiences consistently show them floating off from their physical bodies toward a bright light. What can we make of these experiences? Are their expectations influencing their dreams? What does the word of God say about the matter?
Ecclesiastes 9:5, “For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing…” (NKJV)
If the dead know nothing then this supports the idea of the dead being asleep until God awakens them in the resurrection. WHERE are our departed loved ones NOW?
John 3:13-16, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Ezekiel 37:5-6 "Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
Verses 12-13, “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.”’”
These verses prove that the dead are not in heaven now and they also are not in an everlasting torture chamber run by Satan either. The unsaved face a future physical resurrection. If the reward of the ultimately saved is to avoid perishing, then they cannot be tortured in hell forever.
ARE THE DEPARTED SLEEPING UNTIL AWAKENED BY GOD ?
Since the departed are not in heaven and are not in an eternal hell fire either, what is their condition?
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”
Some mistakenly claim that this verse refers to a secret rapture of the true believers to avoid the end of the age of tribulation. But it is clear Paul is telling them not to be concerned with departed loved ones during that time. They are at rest until the second coming. Note the following verses:
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
The trumpet of God accompanying this coming of the Messiah is not very secretive. Paul tells them that this knowledge should comfort all of us regarding the departed.
Verse 18, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
What did Jesus’ disciples understand with regard to those who had passed away?
John 11:24, “Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’”
Martha knew that this disciple of Christ would wait in rest until the resurrection. Further, Malachi 4:3-4 proves that no ever-burning hell fire awaits the unsaved –– there is no hell. The ultimate fate of the defiantly wicked is to be turned quickly into ashes by the lake of fire.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “…We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed–– 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…the trumpet will sound…the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
People will be resurrected to either glory or a chance at salvation. God is fair and will give all a chance for salvation.
Revelation 20:4-6, “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
Note that more than one resurrection exists. No doubt, the second one is for those not saved in this age which would obviously be the vast majority of mankind. All the unsaved are asleep at rest awaiting their chance for salvation.
DID GOD MAKE A TEMPORARY EXCEPTION OF THE DEAD SLEEPING UNTIL THE SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAH ?
We are going to speculate on this incident. King Saul has been denied any contact or advice from God. He has lost the Holy Spirit and become evil and paranoid. So he goes to the witch of Endor to reach the dead for spiritual advice before a decisive battle.
1 Samuel 28:11-13 NKJV 11 Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" And he said, "Bring up Samuelfor me." 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!" 13 And the king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What did you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth."
The witch is surprised and shocked. Therefore this is not her usual even demon aided routine performance. Something is clearly different and shocking to her. King Saul wants to talk with the prophet Samuel like in the past when he was in God's favor.
1 Samuel 28:14-15, “And he said to her, ‘What is his form?’ And she said, ‘It is an old man coming up covered with a robe.’ And Saul saw that it was Samuel, and with his face bent down to the earth he gave him honour. 15 And Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you made me come up, troubling my rest?’ And Saul in answer said, ‘I am in great danger; for the Philistines are making war on me, and God has gone away from me and will no longer give me any answer, by the prophets or by dreams: so I have sent for you to make clear to me what I am to do.’” (BBE)
Most clerics believe that this was simply a false vision given to Saul and God allowed it by the demonic world to trick and unnerve king Saul. This certainly could be true. However, the verse actually reads, “Samuel said to Saul,” not a false vision. Further, Samuel seems to say, “You have interrupted my spiritual sleep and rest.” If it really was the spirit of Samuel (not the body) he no doubt went back to sleep after his warning remarks to king Saul.
1 Samuel 28:16-19, “And Samuel said, ‘Why do you put your questions to me, seeing that God has gone away from you and is on the side of him who is against you? 17 And the Lord himself has done what I said: the Lord has taken the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbour David; 18 Because you did not do what the Lord said, and did not give effect to his burning wrath against Amalek. So the Lord has done this thing to you today. 19 And more than this, the Lord will give Israel up with you into the hands of the Philistines: and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me: and the Lord will give up the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
Samuel predicted the death of Saul correctly and I ask, would demons want to be so accurate? Maybe Samuel is the one exception to the dead sleeping until one of the two majorresurrections awakens the departed. IF SO, he was only temporarily awakened.
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IS AMERICA GOING TO BE BLESSED FOR SOME REPENTING OR NOT?
