A WEEKLY CHALLENGE
Soul Sleep? You’re kidding me right?
My wife and I talked about Heaven this past week and with tears in our eyes we agreed… we don’t want to miss it.
I was talking to my mom a few years back about life after death experience. The Bible has several scriptures that counteract that doctrine of soul sleep or dirt naps… or simply… nothingness. I think that one of the most vivid statements that counteracts this is a statement that Jesus made on the cross to one of his “cross mates”. (And remember, He either really was the Son of God, or a raving lunatic and you will believe what He said… or you won’t)
Luke 23:42-43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
It’s not only what Jesus “said” that counteracts a lot of misconceptions of life after death, but also what HE “didn’t” say. He didn’t say, “You will go to sleep for 2,000 years and I will awaken you with a trumpet.” He didn’t say, “I will open the ground and pull you out of the dirt and decomposition.” He didn’t say – “You blew it, you will have to go and come back as a dog to see if you can try to pass the test again.”
What He did say was… “THIS DAY.” And that, folks, is very significant to our core belief that there IS life after death. Jesus reinforces the scripture that was written years later by the Apostle Paul: “2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord.”
I don’t often teach the logistics of why soul sleep or being put back into a grave until the last trump is lacking both in scripture and credibility. A lot of the arguing is very pointless and many times is a trick of the enemy to get our eyes off the main idea to BE READY at all times.
We do know that since Christ’s resurrection, 99% of all people have died and are not just floating around in an oblivious purgatory. (The other 1% looking for the rapture of the church – which all 100% of Christians have looked for. My grandparents, my parents, my brother all had their rapture… or catching away. Just sayin.’ Don’t look for an event in time… Walk with Him each day and continue to “look upon His face.” He will take care of the outcomes.)
In Luke 16:19-31 is another great argument against us sleeping or being at rest.
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeing Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented.
Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there.
And at this juncture, it would be a great time to remind you that you are SPIRIT wrapped in a flesh body. A spirit that has the ability to use it’s five senses and then some. Luke 16 reminds us that after death, we don’t take a nap. Both men had funeral services, both men’s mortal bodies were buried, but as we clip our fingernails and our hair and we lose skin fragments, these things are not who we really are!!!
It gives us credible proof from Jesus Himself that a person, after death is able to:
- be carried by angels (transported in the supernatural realm) (vs 22)
- know (or reason) where they are (vs 23 and 25)
- has the ability to taste and the validation of body parts (vs 24)
- have the ability to hear (vs 25)
- have sight (vs 23)
- have recollection and proof that the mind won’t forget things (vs 23 and 25)
- have speech and tears (vs 24)
- sense temperature and torment (feel) (vs 24)
- there are boundaries, so there is a possibility of dwelling and traveling (vs 26)
- ability to remember God’s word (vs 26)
- make request and pray. Although those prayers can NEVER be answered in that realm of torment. (vs 27)
- KNOW that there is life after death
Now… you must realize that Luke 16 was not a parable. If it were, Jesus would have stated such. This was in deed a true story and perhaps those listening knew both Lazarus and the rich man… certainly they had heard of Abraham.
Some may not believe in hell, but Jesus told us that such a place was created. A place of hell containing torment and a place of Paradise for the righteous dead who had not yet been redeemed by the blood.
Paul later gives evidence that Paradise had been transported or transplanted into the third realm of Heaven: 2Co 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And 2Co 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Which gives evidence of being caught “UP” and “into” the same place that Jesus talks about while on the cross. We know that Paradise changed from BC to AD due to the blood.
While paradise was a place for the righteous dead not yet redeemed by blood, it appears that today it is a place that can be accessed by the righteous living (who have not yet tasted of death) but covered by the blood. We know this by this explanation in 2 Corinthians 12:4. We also know that John the Beloved was taken there in the book of Revelation.
Now… obviously his flesh could never stand there, but in His Spirit – He also had all of his senses fully engaged.
And finally, I John 3:2 tells us that when we see Him, we shall be like Him. We will have full use of all the faculties that Jesus has. And when I am absent from this body… I will see Him… immediately… IF I am covered by blood, having all my sins forgiven, and I KNOW Him.
Makes what we celebrated Sunday something… VERY special.