Questions On Death, Resurrection And Judgment

Question 1. In 1Thessalonians; what does the Bible mean "sleep in Jesus" or the "dead in Christ mean?

Answer "ASLEEP IN JESUS"—"DEAD IN CHRIST" Paul is discussing "them which are asleep". These are the ones that had already died, who were Christians. (Paul is writing to "the church" 1 Thess. 1:1) The Christians still living, knowing what Paul had taught about the return of Christ, were concerned that those that had died would miss the HOPE of His return and the HOPE of eternal life. The non-believers were not looking for His return and had NO HOPE of eternal salvation. Jesus used "sleep" to describe "death" in John 11:11-14. Dead, to the faithful, is spoken of as sleep because it is not only rest, but also temporary.

There will be a resurrection of those Christians who died, and the reason is stated in the first part of verse 14. The Greek in the phrase "them that asleep in Jesus will God bring with him"  should read: "them that asleep THROUGH Christ will God bring with him." That is, because Jesus died and is risen, He became the first fruits from the dead. And in the Old Testament the first fruits were the promise of the coming harvest. So Jesus resurrection is a promise of the resurrection of the faithful. (All will be raised but here Paul is discussing the resurrection of the believers.)

The word "prevent" in verse 15 in the King James Version means "precede".  That is, those that are alive when He returns will have no precedence or privilege over those believers who had died. If there is any privilege it is that the dead because they will be raised an instant before those alive are "caught up into clouds" (verse 17). 1 Corinthians 15:51  "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," 1 Corinthians 15:52   "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."

The "dead in Christ" in verse 16 shows the location of the dead. To be "in Christ" is to be in "fellowship" with Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17  "Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." How does one get "into Christ"? Galatians 3:26  "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:27  "For as many of you as have been BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST have PUT ON CHRIST." We "get into" our clothes and therefore have put "on" our clothes. So we "get into" Christ through baptism and therefore  "put on" Christ. Think of going "into" a house through a door. Then you are "in" the house.  So the "dead in Christ" are the Christians that had already died. And those that are "asleep", in the context Paul is talking the Christians that have died, Christ through His death on the cross as Savior will He bring with Him and the dead and the living who are and were faithful will be changed into a spiritual body to live with Him throughout eternity. Contact Danny

Question 2. What was/is the Jews concept of life after death.

Answer I will answer this in the best way I know how. As to current Jewish thinking, I do not have much information on that. However, there are several passages in the Old Testament that indicate the Jews had some knowledge of life after death to some degree. I will point a few of these out, but I will start with a passage in the New Testament where Jesus is quoting from the Old, specifically from Exodus 3.

Here, Jesus is confronted by the Sadducess, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, responds to them by quoting from the place in the Old Testament where God appears to Moses in the continually burning bush. God identifies Himself to Moses by referring to those in the past, but yet using a verb in the present tense "I AM". Jesus infers that this should have told the Sadducess that God is the God of the living, not the dead. Therefore, even at the time of Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were still alive, although their spirits had been separated from their bodies. See Matthew 22:23-33.

Then, in the Old Testament, we have the account of Enoch, who lived before the Great Flood, being translated into Heaven rather than seeing death in the way all of us will see it.

GEN 5:22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.
GEN 5:23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.
GEN 5:24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Finally, another passage indicates that the spirit, at death, separates from the body and returns to God. It is the sprint that is the conscience, thinking part of human beings.

ECC 12:7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Contact Gary

Question 3. When we die do we go straight to heaven? Or do we wait until judgement day? What about hell?

Answer The mot revealing passage that I know of is found in the story Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus. See Luke 16:19-31. This gives us great insight into what happens to those who die, whether they are righteous or wicked.

Here we are told that both of them dies with the rich man going to torment and the beggar going to Paradise. Although there is conscience and contact with others, this is not the eternal place of rest that we know as Heaven or the eternal place of torment that we know as Hell. However, until the time of judgment souls go into the realm of the dead and depending on their spiritual condition will either be in comfort or torment.

For information on hell, see Mark 9:43 and after, Matthew 25:31-46. Contact Gary

Question 4. Does Jesus know the day and hour of: The Rapture? 1 Thess 4:13-18

Answer This is a good question because it raises some important issues. The Bible does not teach that there is going to be anything called the "rapture." What the Bible does teach is that Christ is going to return, the "dead in Christ" will be raised first, and then those who are alive "in Christ" will meet him in the air. All of this comes from 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

Where do you find anything in the Bible about a "rapture"? I searched 5 different versions of the Bible on my computer, and that word is not in any of the texts.

Read carefully what Peter has to say about Christ's return in 2 Peter 3:

10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

There's not going to be a time that Jesus comes for a "rapture" and then comes back later. Peter wrote that upon Jesus's return the earth would be destroyed. >> >>2. His Second Coming? Rev 19:11-21

According to Matt. 24,

36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

In Matt 24:35 Jesus said :No one know the day or hour , not the angels in >heaven, not the Son but only the Father >> >>Is this true of both the Rapture and His Second Coming?

Again, there is no teaching anywhere in the Bible about something called the "rapture.". Contact Michael

Question 5. Do the dead know what the living are diong

Answer According to What Jesus taught in Luke 16, the dead do indeed have some idea of what is going on with the living:

19“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20“But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21“desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23“And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24“Then 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.’ 25“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. ’ 30“And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31“But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

Based on this, I would say yes, the dead at least have an idea about what is happening with the living. How much they know, I don't know.  Contact Michael