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Are The Spirits Of The Dead Still In The Grave?gracethrufaith.com
Q. Thank you for taking time to answer my question. I am gentile searching my Jewish roots. Recently I have attended a Messianic congregation with mainly gentiles.
At one of the Shabbats the subject of life after death came up. I was shocked to find that the majority believed the spirit stays in the grave. Any scripture I quoted they had an answer for it. The answer that shocked me most was that of Yeshua’s reply to the thief on the cross. Here are some of their replies as follows:” 1. There is no punctuation in Greek of the NT. The comma was placed by translators according to a source book and changed the meaning of “today you will be with me in paradise”. 2. Yeshua went to the grave and stayed three days and nights and that paradise didn’t mean heaven, but garden.3. The word for paradise was in the future.
Needless to say I was left reeling for it seems there was a response for all of the theology I was taught about life after death as related to the spirit. I honestly don’t know if this is a Messianic belief. I still believe the spirit goes somewhere to heaven or hell. Please help me get some understanding. I will greatly appreciate your response.
Answer: Having led a Messianic congregation for a time, I have come to the sad realization that there’s a fair amount of error being taught in the movement. Most of it involves some form of legalism.
But this one is fairly common throughout the Church.
The Greek word for paradise does mean garden and was meant to recall the Garden of Eden to mind.
Before the cross, no one could enter Heaven because the perfect sacrifice had not yet been made.
Both believers and unbelievers who died went to a place called “Sheol” in Hebrew and “Hades” in Greek.
Both words mean “abode of the dead.”
Sometimes these words are translated “grave” but that’s only accurate as far as the body is concerned.
For the spirit, Sheol was a place of waiting divided into two sections with a wide gulf between them.
One section was for the faithful and was called Paradise, or Abraham’s Bosom.
It was a place of rest and comfort. It is where both Jesus and one of the thieves went upon dying.
But after Jesus came out of the tomb, He brought the spirits in Paradise with Him
”52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:52-53) English Standard Version (ESV)
Since that time the spirits of believers who die go straight to be with the Lord.
Paradise has been empty since the Resurrection.
But it cannot be so because the passage says that when we leave the body we will be judged for the things we did while in the body.
It is a reference to the Bema Seat judgment of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 that takes place in Heaven.
” 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
”8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
”10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 ESV)
“10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
“11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
“12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
“14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
“15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15 ESV)
The other section of the Abode of the Dead was a place of torment.
Unbelievers who die have always gone there to await judgment and still do. It is where the spirit of the other thief went.
They will be brought to life at the end of the Millennium for their final judgment. (Judgment Before the Great White Throne)
“11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
“12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life.
“And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
“14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
“15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV)
You can get an understanding of Sheol straight from the Lord by reading Luke 16:19-31, the story (not a parable) of the rich man and Lazarus.
“19 There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table.
“Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
“24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
“25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
“26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
“27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’
“29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
“31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31 ESV)
Are you struggling with a big decision or wondering how your eternal future will play out?
Why not talk to the God of the universe and let Him work in your behalf?
He says, “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" (Psalm 32:8).
Ask God to show you what to do. Pray the following prayer:
“Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and begin a new life with You. I receive Your free gift of salvation.
Please forgive me. I now receive your Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior, my Master and my Lord. I believe and confess that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose from the dead.
I want to receive all that Jesus Christ has provided for me as my Savior. Your Word says, ‘Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Romans 10:13).
I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes unto the Father, but by Him.
Lord Jesus, I pray and ask You, to come into my heart and be Lord of my life. I thank You that you have given me eternal life, and according to Your Word, I am born again and I am now a child of God.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who is in me now to help me do Your will for the rest of my life. I surrender my life to You. I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
If you have just put your trust in Jesus Christ, you have been born into God’s family.
As a spiritual baby, you need to grow by feeding on God’s Word – the Bible (1 Peter 2:2).
You must have a good modern translation Bible and begin prayerfully reading it. Start in the New Testament, such as the Gospel of John or Paul’s letters to the Ephesians.
As you read, ask two questions: “What are You, Lord?” “What do You want me to do?”
Also, you need to join a Christian fellowship where the Bible is taught and where God is truly worshiped.
God bless you as you begin your new life with Him!
https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/are-the-spirits-of-the-dead-still-in-the-grave/
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