Today, Scripture teachings on pain and the state of the dead are considered along with the idea of eternal torment. A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “voney” (Level 3 with 1,060 points, a member since December 12, 2013) posted the following:
Does the Bible show whether the dead experience pain?
At:
Eccl. 9:5, 10 it says that “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all . . . All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol,* the place to which you are going.”
(If they are conscious of nothing, they obviously feel no pain.)
Sheol refers to the grave.
Ps. 146:4: “His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts* do perish."
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20: 6-15, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Immortality (02/08/2014); Destroying the Resurrected Body? (02/10/2014); For They Shall Be Ashes (02/11/2014); Only While We Live? (12/02/2013); Reveal Himself To All? (12/03/2013); The Dead in Christ? (11/18/2013); Too Much Holy Spirit? (11/19/2013); The End of Pain? (06/10/2013); Night Cometh (06/11/2013); Death Has Been Transformed (05/09/2013); Loving the Enemy? (05/10/2013); After We Die? (10/04/2012); Does GOD Feel? (10/05/2012); Ghosts (09/02/2012); About Conversion (09/03/2012)
“voney”, here are a few points I can share based upon the holy writings, and the common sense reasoning for those who are led by the Spirit of Christ:
(1.) The state of the dead, the state of the blessed following judgment, and the state of the damned are three closely allied concerns that the Adversary uses to repeatedly challenge believers. The same subtlety (i.e., manipulation by hidden differences; barely visible shifts in meaning or purpose), and wiles that were practiced against our first parents (Adam) are used to introduce spiritual confusion, and to overthrow commanded expectation (we say, hope).
(2.) The process of the Scriptures is one of using bananas to describe watermelon—ignoring their differences, both are exactly the same: Both are green (at least, at first); both are fruit, both function as protection and vessels for seed (though banana seeds are barely visible and seedless watermelon has become popular like seedless grapes); and both are tasty as treats. In Scripture, carnal, material and social features are used to describe and demonstrate things that are totally made up from spirit matter such as faith, holiness, joy, longsuffering, wisdom, and wrath against sin.
(3.) Awareness of divine condemnation is described using finite terms that are appropriate to the flesh such as aguish, pain, and suffering. However, eternal separation from GOD is also the removal of the godly substance that establishes ones own existence, character, and person.
(4.) Jesus used the parable of Dives and Lazarus (see Luke 16: 19-31, KJV) to instruct and prepare those closest to him for his own crucifixion, the sacred events on the day of Pentecost, and the revelations that would come by the Spirit of Truth. The parable does not have the same application and authority as the visions found throughout the Book of Revelation.
There is a lot more to be said, correctly understood, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (5.) There must be a correct knowledge of both death and judgment. The idea that hell is a sphere of human existence (i.e., a place where people may walk, talk, quarrel among themselves, hunger, thirst, crave contact and affection, etc.) agrees with the declaration of the serpent in Eden: Ye shall not surely die. Hell is thought a place where men will be totally aware of their sins and wickedness as they burn, and are tortured forever. However, those who insist upon endorsing such a false promise of eternal life are effectively removed from the salvation of GOD in Jesus Christ.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith, and the substance of divinity within you.
The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. (Ecclesiastes 9: 17-18, KJV)
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
No comments:
Post a Comment