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Retrobyter -> RE: Question about Judgement (8/31/2008 10:38:03 PM)
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Shalom, Love2BMommy.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Love2BMommy
I read in Revelations 20 about the judgement of the dead, those whose names are in the Book of Life, and those who aren't. I've also read 1 Corinthians 15 about the natural body dying and the spiritual body being raised. Starting in 1 Cor. 15:51, the Bible says "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." I've learned from being brought up in a Pentecostal church that the dead in Christ are raised first, not sure about all the Biblical references to that.
My question is, when a Christian dies, where do they go? Do they go to Heaven and get taken out and put back in the ground for the resurrection? Or is there like a holding place for Christian souls until the Second Coming?
Sorry I keep jumping around with my question, I'm just confused. I'd appreciate insight from anyone who's more well-read than me. I'd like scriptural references also, not just opinions.
I appreciate it, and God Bless!
Desiree
I'm going to give you a different type of answer:
First, allow me to introduce you to some simple terms:
The Hebrew word usually translated "soul" is "nefesh." ("N" represents the Hebrew letter "nun," "f" represents the "fei," the undotted "pei," and the "sh" represents the "shin.") The Greek word usually translated "soul" is "psuchee" (I use a double "ee" to represent the Greek letter "eta" and a single "e" to represent the Greek letter "epsilon," and of course the "ps" represents the "psi," the "u" represents the "upsilon," and the "ch" represents the "chi.") BOTH words mean "animated being" or literally "one that breathes."
The Hebrew word usually translated "spirit" is "ruach." ("R" represents the Hebrew letter "reish," the sound between the "u" and the "a" is the Hebrew letter "alef," and the "ch" represents the Hebrew letter "cheit.") The Greek word usually translated "spirit" is "pneuma." ("P" represents the Greek letter "pi," "n" represents the Greek letter "nu," "e," as before, represents the Greek letter "epsilon," "u" represents the Greek letter "upsilon," "m" represents the Greek letter "mu," and the "a" represents the Greek letter "alpha.") BOTH words literally mean "wind; forceful breath; a blowing."
Thus, without going into the secondary meanings of these words, we can simply conclude that a "soul" ("one that breathes") is a combination of a "body" (Hebrew: "guf" or "geviya'"; Greek: "sooma," where "oo" represents the Greek letter "omega") and its "spirit" ("forceful breath").
Therefore, even if the "spirit" is an allegory to the "immaterial part of a human being," the "soul" is a combination of the "body" and the "spirit." A human being's "soul" is INCOMPLETE without BOTH the "breath" or the "spirit" and the person's "body!" That's why the Resurrection is so important!
Now, consider the following verses from the book of Acts, a passage from Kefa's ("Cephas's" or Peter's) message which occurred AFTER both the Resurrection of Yeshua` (Jesus) and AFTER His Ascension (one of which should have been when Yeshua` supposedly "led captivity captive" [Eph. 4:8]):
Acts 2:22-36
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
KJV
Obviously, we are reading about David's body still being in the grave and not having been resurrected, yet. If we are going to define the "spirit" as his "breath," then he will not have his breath back until he is resurrected. If we are going to define the "spirit" as the "immaterial part of a human being" that is analogous to "breath," then he will not be WHOLE--he will not be a "soul"--until the immaterial part of him is brought back and joined to his body in the resurrection.
Now, since I see no difference between how "OT saints" are justified by God and how "NT saints" are justified by God (both are "saved" [1] by grace, [2] through faith, and [3] with blood), except in the direction through time each looked to the Messiah's Sacrifice of His own body, then I see no advantage a "NT saint" or a "Christian" has over an "OT saint." BOTH are in the grave until the resurrection.
IF we go to "heaven" (actually the New Jerusalem) at all, only our "spirits" go; we are not "souls" until our "spirits" are re-united with our bodies.
Now, the two major passages that are viewed as the Resurrection are from the Resurrection Chapter that you have already noted (I Cor. 15) and I Thess. 4.
Here they are:
1 Cor 15:40-58
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
KJV
1 Thess 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
KJV
Both of these passages are best understood and appreciated in the Greek. Both bodies are PHYSICAL! The "natural body" or the body that is "earthy" or "terrestrial" is a "psuchikos sooma" and is corruptible (decaying) and mortal (able to die); the "spiritual body" or the body that is "heavenly" or "celestial" is a "pneumatikos sooma" and is incorruptible (not given to decay) and immortal (never able to die again). What's interesting is that a "psuchikos sooma" is a "breathing body." A "pneumatikos sooma" is a "BLASTING body!" The difference between the two is found in their strengths! The natural body is weak; the spiritual body is powerful!
Consider the verses about our Lord Himself:
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
The first man Adam was made a "living soul," a "living breather." The last Adam, Yeshua` (Jesus), was made a "quickening spirit," a LIFE-GIVING BLASTER!" His body was NOT immaterial; His body could be touched and handled; He could eat fish and bread; He could be seen; He could talk to His students; and He breathed upon His students! He was physical, but He was BEYOND being just "one who breathes!" He is THE TRUE SUPERMAN, if you'll pardon the term!
I hope this has answered your questions, and not just raised more than it's answered.
Retrobyter
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