The Spirit Realm (Part 2)
THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp
Friday April 3, 2009
Luke 23:39-43 (NIV)
39. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40. But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42. Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43. Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Jesus said "TODAY you will be with me in paradise!" Since Jesus said "today", and-- as explained yesterday-- he meant that very day, that means people do not "sleep" until the judgement. Otherwise, Jesus would have left out the word "today", which is not figurative.
More evidence of this fact is found in the story of Lazarus and the rich man:
Luke 16:19-23, (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
19. "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21. and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
(Skipping to verse 27:)
27. "He (the rich man) answered, `Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28. for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29. "Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30. "`No, father Abraham,' he said, `but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31. "He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
Notice here that Abraham answered the rich man by acknowledging that his brothers were ALIVE right at that moment! First Abraham said , "They HAVE (present tense) Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them."
Abraham did not say, "They HAD Moses and the prophets; they COULD HAVE listened to them... he said they HAVE Moses and the prophets, and they still had the opportunitry to listen to them!
Then, when the rich man disagrees, and suggests that his brothers may believe if they saw someone rise from the dead, Abraham does not say that it's too late for that... he says they WILL NOT (present tense) be convinced EVEN IF someone rises from the dead! By saying "even if", Abraham leaves open the possibility that someone COULD rise from the dead and walk into the same time period the rich man left when he died! (Remember, earth time is different than time in the spirit realm)
So then why does the Bible refer to the dead in Christ as "asleep"?
1 Corinthians 11:30 (NIV)
That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep (died).
1 Corinthians 15:6,17,18,20 (NIV)
6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep (died).
17. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18. Then those also who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ are lost.
20. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul explains that the "dead in Christ" will rise first at the rapture:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 (NIV)
13. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep (die), or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep (died) in him. 15. According to the Lord's own word, 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 (died).
16. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
This is clearly talking about the BODIES of those who have died in Christ rising from the dead. Notice that THOSE WHO HAVE fallen asleep (died) in Chist COME WITH Christ when believers rise at the rapture to meet Him in the air. Yet it says THEY will "rise first"! In other words, their bodies will rise from their graves and be glorified first, then believers who are still alive will rise to meet the Lord as well. Remember, according to 1 Corinthians 15, our physical bodies are "sewn" perishable and "rise" imperishable! (They are "glorified" when they rise.)
So these believers that died were already alive (their spirits and souls), as we can see with Lazarus, but just didn't have their bodies yet until they "rose from the dead". The spirit and soul DO NOT "sleep" when we die! Only our physical earthly body does!
PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your Word that tells me the spiritual truths that will bless my life as well as the lives of others. Help me understand Your Word so I can follow Your ways closely.
In Jesus' Name, Amen
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