05. Is there life after death?

The State of the Dead (Red letters do not record)

Have you lost someone close to you? Will we see them again? Will we hear them again? Will we be able to hug them again? Will they be able to help us? Are they somewhere where they can communicate with us? Death is definite and irreparable. Jesus offers a solution to the separation from those we hold dear. The resurrection of Jesus and the life that He offers is the only hope for those who want to know Gods plan for man: Eternal life. This is the hope for the believer in Jesus. The opportunity to see our dear ones again. Do you want to know about this hope? You should see this presentation first and then select the topic How to be saved in the general index. What does the Bible teach us about death? Introduction There are many people who believe that spirits of the dead bring messages from beyond to help those who live or for us to help them put their souls to rest. Every day more and more people experience life after death: they see their lifeless bodies and return to them for another opportunity to live again. The belief that there is life after death or that man is immortal is corroborated even by some current groups of Christians. Spiritualism is considered by some as the true religion of the Bible. We want to share this analysis with you. Lets remember that the Bible speaks for itself, and we as its readers, should take into account very basic details such as: grammatical context, the social situation of the era during which it was written, who the writing was meant for, and the perspective and the purpose of the author. Specific sciences for the interpretation of the Bible exist such as, Theology, Bibliology, Hermeneutics, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, High and Low Critique. We mention these so you get to know the Bibles doctrinal unity with regard to all its themes. When we speak of interpretation, we are talking about the managing and analysis being done in the original language it was written in order to be able to be translated to other languages. We do not mean the interpretive manipulation the biblical text has been through on the part of some churches. You can learn more about how the Bible was written in the topic The Bible in the general index. If the Bible is unified in its teachings, why do churches X, Y, or Z teach different applications of the same subject? It is mostly due to the ignorance of the churches that the sciences for interpreting the Bible exist that the rules that are violated when studying or teaching the Bible. Regretfully, these doctrinal differences have led many to despise the Bible, because they see the manipulation on the part of the churches with terrible or even evil interpretations, who literally deceive their faithful followers, who generally know even less about these sciences of interpretation. Let us analyze these concepts in the light of the Bible. (1- Does the Bible teach that there is life after death? 2Examples of the manipulation of Biblical texts. 3 The real makers of Spiritualism and New Age. 4- The immortality of the soul and its implications.) The Dead and the Bible 1-Does the Bible teach that life exists after death? Clearly not. Nobody is being fried in hell or doing time in a parallel world expecting to be helped to cross, much less trying to communicate with us from beyond. To know who the deceased relative is that appears in your dreams, or whose presence is felt in the house, or who it is that communicates through a medium, wait just a moment longer and make this choice. In Job 14:14 we find the question asked by many. "If a man dies, shall he live again?..." Ezequiel 18:4, 20."...the soul that sinneth, it shall die." The dead know nothing. "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing..." Ecclesiastes 9:5. They do not have feelings. "Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither
have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun 10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Ecclesiastes 9:6, 10.

Their thoughts perish. "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Psalms 146:4. They do not know anything, nor of their beloved. "His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them." Job 14:21. They cannot praise God or make any decision for the Kingdom of Heaven. "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence." Psalms 115:17. Isaiah 38:18, 19 ." For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 19The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. Job 14:1, 2. Man...He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and
continueth not."

Job 14:10-12 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: 12So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. The Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens Psalm 115:17 "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence."

As we see here, the doctrine of the state of the dead comes from the Bible, it teaches that the dead are dead, and not alive somewhere, nor in any way. That some people want to force or manipulate biblical texts to contradict its teachings is another matter. 2- Examples of manipulation: (A and B) Example A: The parable of the rich man and Lazarus A-. Please read the parable The rich man and Lazarus, Luke. 16: 19-31 before continuing with this topic. We have said that the Bible is clear in teaching us that man dies, and not that he is kept in some other place. Does the parable of the rich man and Lazarus teach us something contradictory to the rest of the Bible? Little is known of the circumstances surrounding the presentation of this parable. It is evident that this parable was directed especially at the Pharisees (Luke 15:2; and 16:14), even though the disciples (Luke 16:1), the publicans, the sinners (chapter 15 verse 1), and without a doubt the general public (see Luke 12:1; 14:25; 15:1) were also present. Jesus continued in this parable the lesson He had presented in the previous parable of the unjust steward (chapter 16: 1-12): the objective here is to indicate to us that the manner in which we handle the opportunities that come to us in life will determine our destiny. In verses 17-18, Jesus affirms that the principles stated in "the Law" are immutable, just as God Himself does not change, and gives us an example of this sublime truth. Subsequently, we will present the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in the hope that it will teach you that in this life our destiny is decided according to the use we make of the privileges and opportunities that are given to us. (PVGM 204). First of all, "The rich man" here represents all those who do not use the opportunities in their life correctly, and in a collective sense it also represents the Jewish nation, which, like the rich man, was committing a fatal mistake. The parable consists of two scenes: Scene 1 represents this life (verses 19-22); the 2nd scene represents the future (verses 23-31). The parable of the unjust steward presented the problem in a positive manner, that is to say, from the point of view of one who has made his preparations for the future. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus presents the same problem, but from the negative point of view, which is to say, it emphasizes the attitude of another not making the necessary preparations. The rich man was mistaken to think that salvation was based on being a descendant of Abraham and not on individual preparation (Ezequiel 18). The parable of the rich man and Lazarus should be interpreted, as all others, in harmony with its context and with the general sense of the Scriptures. One of the most important principles of interpretation is to demonstrate that each parable has the purpose of teaching a fundamental truth, that it necessarily has an intrinsic meaning, to give form to the account. In other words, it should not be insisted that the details of a parable have literal meaning where spiritual truths are referred to, unless the context is clear that the meaning is an integral part of the original intention. From this principle, another principle is inferred: It is not wise to present the details of a parable when teaching a doctrine. Solely as a doctrinal base

may the fundamental lesson of the parable be taken- according to what is clearly deduced from its context and is confirmed by the general sense of the Scriptures, along with the details explained in the same context. The supposition that Jesus wanted to teach us from this parable that all men, good or bad, receive their reward when they die violates these two principles. According to what the context illustrates clearly, the purpose of this parable is to teach that future destiny is determined by the way in which men take advantage of the opportunities in this life. Jesus was not speaking here of the state of man when he dies or the time when he receives his reward. He was simply making a clear distinction between life here and now and life in the future, and how one relates to the other. Besides, when we interpret this parable to mean that man receives his reward immediately after dying, we would be openly contradicting what Jesus Himself has taught us: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. "Reflected in all these biblical passages are: Mat. 16:27; 25:31-41; 1 Cor. 15: 51-55; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Revelations. 22:12; etc. One of the most important rules of interpretation is: the stories and the figurative accounts should be understood in light of the literal affirmations or true statements which the Scriptures refer to. Even those who by means of this parable try to teach something contrary to its immediate context and to the general sense of Christs teachings have to admit that many of the details of the parable are figurative. (*1) Example B The Thief On the Cross Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. there are those who use this passage to reinforce the supposed biblical teaching that as soon as we die, we go to heaven if we did good, or to the other side if we did otherwise. The Bible is originally written in the koin Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic languages where It does not include accent marks or comma, nor any other punctuation. To analyze its grammar, and to be able to have a better picture of the authors real intention, the sciences we mentioned earlier are used. Lets look at the following problem in this passage: A comma has been added, to supposedly give a better understanding. But this comma does not appear in the original Greek and takes meaning, from the general sense of the Scriptures, the concept of life after death. We have to remove it as it is in the original, to understand what the author wanted to get across. If the Bible does not have commas in the original language, then, where would the comma be put in order to give the general context a more correct definition? If we put the comma after thee, the text would affirm that we would be in paradise with Jesus the same day! If we put the comma after day, the passage will change thus: Shall you be which would indicate the future from a promise made Today. This version or translation would more closely follow the original in Greek. By placing the comma after thee, it reflects the translators intention which is not the intention of the author nor of the Bible. Nevertheless, if we keep in mind what the rest of the Bible teaches, we would know the intention of the text and where to put the comma. If that isnt enough, we could point out that the biblical version that says today shalt thou be with me is not correct. How was Jesus going to be with the thief on that same day in paradise, if according to John 19:32 only Jesus died on Friday and not the thief? He could not have been with Jesus. Furthermore, John 20:17 says that Jesus did not go to any paradise while He was dead: Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. A study of what the Bible continuously states will clarify to us the truth of what a single passage appears to state. Therefore, it is obvious that the comma which would give us the former meaning should not be there. 3- Spiritualism and New Age The Bible condemns through Gods own words the consultation of the dead. (Leviticus 9:31, Isaiah 8:19-20) It does not matter if its one of your dearest relatives. When an invocation of the dead or a sance is performed, the spirit that appears is not your dear relative, it is in fact a demon disguised as your relative who wants to trick you into not believing what the Bible says:

Ezekiel 18:4, 20. "...the soul that sinneth, it shall die". All demons want you to believe that God was a liar when He said in the Garden of Eden that if man ate of the forbidden tree, he would surely die. Modern spiritualism started in March of 1848, in the state of New York, by the Fox family, who were members of the Methodist church, and who heard inexplicable noises that turned out to be a medium for communicating with the spirits beyond. From that time, hundreds of cases of spiritual manifestations, noises, levitation, and materialization all over America and Europe were reported. Many scientists of the time did their best to explain these supernatural demonstrations, attributing them entirely to fraud and parlor tricks on the part of the medium. But while it is true that hoaxes have often been portrayed as genuine manifestations, there have also been marked exhibitions of supernatural power. The mysterious noises with which modern spiritualism began was not the result of human trickery or cunning but was the direct work of evil angels, who thus introduced one of the most successful delusions for the destruction of souls. Many will be ensnared by the belief that spiritualism is a merely human imposture; when brought face to face with manifestations which they cannot but regard as supernatural, they will be deceived and will be led to accept them as the great power of God. These persons overlook the testimony of the Scriptures concerning the wonders wrought by Satan and his agents. It was with the help of Satan that Pharaoh's magicians were enabled to counterfeit the work of God. Paul testifies that before the second advent of Christ there will be similar manifestations of satanic power. The coming of the Lord is to be preceded by "the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.... (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10, V.M.) The fact that they state some truths and are able at times to foretell the future gives their statements an appearance of truth; and their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The law of God is set aside, the Spirit of grace despised, the blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The spirits deny the deity of Christ and place even the Creator on a level with themselves. Thus under a new disguise the great rebel still carries on his warfare against God, begun in heaven and for nearly six thousand years continued upon the earth..(*2) The great lie which made Adam and Eve fall into sin is in Genesis 3: 45 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. The Bible teaches that man does die, and warns that when the dead make appearances, they are really evil spirits disguised as our dearly beloved or as someone from the past. These fads like New Age, UFO mania, Purgatory, the Ways of the Warrior by Carlos Castaneda, Reincarnation, the Chakras (and the Aura) or any that teach us about life after death, about passing to another world or about an encounter with the internal God all have the same message on their mind: The immortality of the soul. Different wrappings but all with the same content: a soul in man supposedly immortal. Dont let your self be deceived, this is a doctrine of evil spirits. They carry the seal of Satans first lie to man: you will not die, you will be like God. 4- An immortal Soul? Implications What is the objective of teaching that the soul is immortal? If you were immortal, why would you need a savior? Those who believe that the soul continues living, do not see the need for a savior, they are a law unto themselves and do not consider that they should pay homage to a Superior being. Gods law is despised, and these people consider moral rules to be relative. For you then, something which is bad would be considered by another as good. God is the only Being who possesses immortality: 1 Timothy 6:16. "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. All other creatures are created and do not possess immortality. For these created beings, we will use the term conditional eternal life for the life they enjoy, as in the case of Gods angels, under the condition that they remain faithfully at Gods side. It is likewise a condition that man believe in God. John 3:16 that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Man does not possess immortality, he is a created being, so therefore he had a beginning. When accepting Jesus as his Savior, the moment in which he will receive his reward of eternal life is reserved just by having acknowledged Him as his Creator. John 10: 27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I

give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. God had given us eternal life when He created us and placed us in the Garden of Eden, but our ancestors did not appreciate it. For this reason the Bible affirms that the wages of sin is death.... Romans 6:23, because we surrendered to it, but God has given us an opportunity, the same passage continues saying ...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Notice that the phrase ties eternal life to our Lord Jesus Christ, because we humans are not immortal, we need Someone to save our soul. The only hope for man to be returned to life is by accepting Jesus as his Savior. The Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Believe in Jesus!! 1Thessalonians 4:14-17. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. This is our only hope!! The only way to have immortality is to accept Jesus; He is the only means we have to escape eternal death. He is the resurrection and the life! He is the One who places life within our reach! The salvation of our soul! John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life. If you want to live again after dying, He is the only way, the truth, and the life! If you do not present yourself before Jesus, then you will not have eternal life. Bibliographical references *1 - APIA CD-ROM Fundamentals of Hope Electronic Library. (BEFE CD-ROM) Folio VIP Electronic Publishing, Folio Corp. 1992-1993. Adventist Biblical Comment. Luke 16:19-31. *2 - Adapted: Conflict of the Centuries. Chap. 34 Can Our Dead Speak to Us? by Hellen G. White. APIA. (CD-ROM ELBH) Folio VIP Electronic Publishing. Folio Corp. 1992-1993. Biblical passages: King James Version David Obando Cano Project CD-ROM The Greatest Biblical Lessons. IASD Inter American Division 2006