Any serious student of the Bible knows that the only thing that can bring us salvation is the Grace of Christ, and that his saving Grace is given as a gift to all of those that meet the qualifications. However, the traditional Christian view seems to be that all that is required to qualify for His Grace is to believe in Christ or have faith in Him, or call upon His name, or confess that He is their Saviour. They say the Bible teaches that if you do this then you are converted, and therefore from that moment on you are saved by His Grace. They say that works are not necessary to qualify anyone for salvation. But if they are wrong, imagine all the millions of people that are being deceived into failing to qualify for salvation!
Let’s see what the Bible really says… While it is true that the Bible teaches that the only thing that can bring someone to salvation is the Grace of Christ, it also tells us very clearly that before anyone can be saved by grace there is much required for him/her to DO first. Conversion is only the beginning of the process of qualifying for His gift of Grace. In other words the Bible clearly says that much more is required in order for someone to meet the criteria that our Saviour demands before He will save us by His Grace!
First consider what He taught to the masses during His ‘Sermon on the Mount’. In Matthew 7:21 He told them “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH the will of my Father which is in heaven.” He clearly teaches here that to be saved it is not enough to call upon Him, or confess His name. He says that one must DO the will of His Father, which also implies that we must LEARN what that will is.
Now consider verses 22 & 23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” It is very clear that here He is describing those that believe in Him, so much, that they are able to prophesy, cast out devils and do many wonderful works in His name. They are obviously people that have great faith in Him, in order to be able to do so much in His name. Yet He rebukes them telling them He never knew them, even saying that they ‘work iniquity’!
Such is apparently the fate of those that believe in Him, have faith in Him, and accomplish good works using His name, but obviously lack one thing… they failed to understand and DO the will of our Father in heaven. But how can someone actually learn what is the will of our Heavenly Father? Our Saviour explains that process very succinctly in the following verse: 7:24 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and DOETH them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
In other words, ONLY if we study the teachings of our Saviour, and DO them, then we are learning and doing the will of our Father in Heaven. Christ and His Apostles certainly said to believe in Him and have faith in Him and call upon His name, but obviously that is only the beginning. Before we consider some of the specific things He said we must DO let us consider some other scriptures that teach us about this general principle of qualifying for salvation through our Saviour’s gift of grace.
On a certain occasion our Saviour was talking to some Jews that ALREADY BELIEVED in Him. In John 8:31-32 it explains what He told them: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Upon analysis, it will be seen that here He reinforces that which He previously had taught to the multitudes in Matthew, above. When He said ‘…continue in my word…know the truth…shall make you free’, He is merely restating the other words, ‘…whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them…[is] a wise man… founded upon a rock.’ To continue in His word means to learn what He said and to DO it! Then we will be doing ‘the will of my Father which is in heaven.’ And thus we become eligible by His grace to ‘enter into the kingdom of heaven’ as He said in His sermon quoted above.
On another occasion a man approached our Saviour and actually asked Him what he must DO to be saved. This incident, and the Lord’s answer are recorded in two different gospels, as follows:
“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and FOLLOWme. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”[Mark 10:17-22]
“And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come,FOLLOWme. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” [Luke 18:18-23]
Now we know that the original Ten Commandments were only the fundamental, most basic requirements given to Old Testament Israel to act as their ‘schoolmaster’ in order to prepare them for the coming of our Savior. When He came, He would fulfill those with two all-encompassing commandments:
Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” [Matt. 22:37-40]
Obviously, our Lord’s message to that man (and all of us) is that we are required to OBEY all of our Father’s commandments BEFORE we might qualify for His Grace unto salvation. That is why He teaches us, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” [John 14:15]
Now consider what else our Saviour has said regarding this subject of salvation. On a certain occasion He was praying to Heavenly Father and He expressed a very important concept. In John 17:3 He said, “And THIS is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” In order to merit the gift of Grace unto eternal life, why does He say it is obligatory FIRST to actually come to ‘know’ the Father and the Son. A little thinking might reveal that this is because He knows that that is the only way that someone might fully understand the will of the Father and the teachings of the Son, and then be able to do them in order to qualify for His gift of eternal life.
Next, take into account the words in the epistle to the Hebrews concerning the requirements for salvation: In Hebrews 5:9 we read, “And being made perfect He became the author of eternal salvation UNTO ALL THEM THAT OBEY him;” Can it be any clearer that, despite what the ‘traditional Christians’ teach about becoming qualified to be ‘saved by grace’, according to the words of Christ and the Bible, BEFORE we can expect to be worthy for our Saviour’s Grace to provide us with salvation, we must first OBEY Him! This means we must DO all He has said, including the following BEFORE we can qualify for His saving Grace:
1. DO The will of our Heavenly Father, which is to KNOW and DO what our Saviour says. [Matt. 7:21-25]
2. CONTINUE in His word to BECOME His disciples and KNOW the truth that makes us free. [John 8:31-32]
3. KEEP His commandments which again means we must OBEY what He has told us to do. [John 14:15]
4. Actually come to KNOW the Father and the Son to become qualified for eternal life. [John 17:3]
5. Obey ALL that Christ has said in order to qualify for His Grace unto salvation. [Hebrews 5:9]
That is what the Bible really says is required for salvation. It should be obvious by now that for someone to be ‘saved’ requires knowledge, actively doing, and obedience to all that our Saviour has said. If you do not believe this, you simply do not believe what is written in the Bible. It is now time to consider some more of these specific things that He taught that we must DO.
1. “Come, follow me.” [Luke 9:59; 18:22; John 1:43; 12:26; 21:19]
2. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” [John 14:6]
These meaning, if we want to be saved by His Grace we must OBEY Him, FOLLOW in His footstep and pattern our lives after the way He lived.
3. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” [Matthew 5:48]
4. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know
that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” [1 John 3:2]
These meaning He expects us to become like Him, and if we want to be saved by His Grace we must FIRST SPEND ALL OF OUR LIVES TRYING to BECOME like Him and our Heavenly Father, even perfect, which is the way that our Saviour has shown by His own life example. This is why our Saviour Himself teaches:
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that ENDURETH TO THE END shall be saved.” [Matt. 10:22]
“But he that shall ENDURE UNTO THE END, the same shall be saved.” [Matt. 24:13]
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall ENDURE UNTO THE END, the same shall be saved.” [Luke13:13]
It is true that people are mortal beings and perhaps cannot expect to achieve total perfection in this life, but that does not mean we should not SPEND OUR LIFE TRYING to do so to the best of our abilities, for that is the teaching of our Saviour and those that desire to be saved by His Grace are expected FIRST to obey Him, for that is the will of our Heavenly Father [Hebrews 5:9; Matt, 7:21-25]. Each individual CAN finally achieve his own degree of perfection and that is enough for Christ to intervene AFTERWARD with His Grace.
And that is why the scripture teaches:
“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, AFTER ALL WE CAN DO.” [2 Nephi 25:23]
Finally our Saviour taught “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” [ John14:1-2 ] and Paul said, “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 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. So also is the resurrection of the dead”. [1Cor. 15:40-42]
These are merely indicators that in accordance with the teachings of our Saviour each individual that FIRST OBEY’S HIS WORDS and ENDURES TO THE END may qualify for salvation by His Grace, and be rewarded with a dwelling place in accordance with his personal efforts.
According to the teachings of Christ quoted in this message those ‘traditional Christians’ that teach the kind of ‘salvation’ without the necessary works to qualify for His gift of Grace are not doing enough. They are teaching ‘another gospel’ than that one set forth by Our Saviour and His disciples in the Bible! That is why we are warned, “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” [Matt. 7:14]
What the Bible Really Tells Us About Salvation
Any serious student of the Bible knows that the only thing that can bring us salvation is the Grace of Christ, and that his saving Grace is given as a gift to all of those that meet the qualifications. However, the traditional Christian view seems to be that all that is required to qualify for His Grace is to believe in Christ or have faith in Him, or call upon His name, or confess that He is their Saviour. They say the Bible teaches that if you do this then you are converted, and therefore from that moment on you are saved by His Grace. They say that works are not necessary to qualify anyone for salvation. But if they are wrong, imagine all the millions of people that are being deceived into failing to qualify for salvation!
Let’s see what the Bible really says… While it is true that the Bible teaches that the only thing that can bring someone to salvation is the Grace of Christ, it also tells us very clearly that before anyone can be saved by grace there is much required for him/her to DO first. Conversion is only the beginning of the process of qualifying for His gift of Grace. In other words the Bible clearly says that much more is required in order for someone to meet the criteria that our Saviour demands before He will save us by His Grace!
First consider what He taught to the masses during His ‘Sermon on the Mount’. In Matthew 7:21 He told them “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH the will of my Father which is in heaven.” He clearly teaches here that to be saved it is not enough to call upon Him, or confess His name. He says that one must DO the will of His Father, which also implies that we must LEARN what that will is.
Now consider verses 22 & 23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” It is very clear that here He is describing those that believe in Him, so much, that they are able to prophesy, cast out devils and do many wonderful works in His name. They are obviously people that have great faith in Him, in order to be able to do so much in His name. Yet He rebukes them telling them He never knew them, even saying that they ‘work iniquity’!
Such is apparently the fate of those that believe in Him, have faith in Him, and accomplish good works using His name, but obviously lack one thing… they failed to understand and DO the will of our Father in heaven. But how can someone actually learn what is the will of our Heavenly Father? Our Saviour explains that process very succinctly in the following verse: 7:24 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and DOETH them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
In other words, ONLY if we study the teachings of our Saviour, and DO them, then we are learning and doing the will of our Father in Heaven. Christ and His Apostles certainly said to believe in Him and have faith in Him and call upon His name, but obviously that is only the beginning. Before we consider some of the specific things He said we must DO let us consider some other scriptures that teach us about this general principle of qualifying for salvation through our Saviour’s gift of grace.
On a certain occasion our Saviour was talking to some Jews that ALREADY BELIEVED in Him. In John 8:31-32 it explains what He told them: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Upon analysis, it will be seen that here He reinforces that which He previously had taught to the multitudes in Matthew, above. When He said ‘…continue in my word…know the truth…shall make you free’, He is merely restating the other words, ‘…whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them…[is] a wise man… founded upon a rock.’ To continue in His word means to learn what He said and to DO it! Then we will be doing ‘the will of my Father which is in heaven.’ And thus we become eligible by His grace to ‘enter into the kingdom of heaven’ as He said in His sermon quoted above.
On another occasion a man approached our Saviour and actually asked Him what he must DO to be saved. This incident, and the Lord’s answer are recorded in two different gospels, as follows:
“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and FOLLOWme. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”[Mark 10:17-22]
“And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come,FOLLOWme. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” [Luke 18:18-23]
Now we know that the original Ten Commandments were only the fundamental, most basic requirements given to Old Testament Israel to act as their ‘schoolmaster’ in order to prepare them for the coming of our Savior. When He came, He would fulfill those with two all-encompassing commandments:
Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” [Matt. 22:37-40]
Obviously, our Lord’s message to that man (and all of us) is that we are required to OBEY all of our Father’s commandments BEFORE we might qualify for His Grace unto salvation. That is why He teaches us, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” [John 14:15]
Now consider what else our Saviour has said regarding this subject of salvation. On a certain occasion He was praying to Heavenly Father and He expressed a very important concept. In John 17:3 He said, “And THIS is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” In order to merit the gift of Grace unto eternal life, why does He say it is obligatory FIRST to actually come to ‘know’ the Father and the Son. A little thinking might reveal that this is because He knows that that is the only way that someone might fully understand the will of the Father and the teachings of the Son, and then be able to do them in order to qualify for His gift of eternal life.
Next, take into account the words in the epistle to the Hebrews concerning the requirements for salvation: In Hebrews 5:9 we read, “And being made perfect He became the author of eternal salvation UNTO ALL THEM THAT OBEY him;” Can it be any clearer that, despite what the ‘traditional Christians’ teach about becoming qualified to be ‘saved by grace’, according to the words of Christ and the Bible, BEFORE we can expect to be worthy for our Saviour’s Grace to provide us with salvation, we must first OBEY Him! This means we must DO all He has said, including the following BEFORE we can qualify for His saving Grace:
1. DO The will of our Heavenly Father, which is to KNOW and DO what our Saviour says. [Matt. 7:21-25]
2. CONTINUE in His word to BECOME His disciples and KNOW the truth that makes us free. [John 8:31-32]
3. KEEP His commandments which again means we must OBEY what He has told us to do. [John 14:15]
4. Actually come to KNOW the Father and the Son to become qualified for eternal life. [John 17:3]
5. Obey ALL that Christ has said in order to qualify for His Grace unto salvation. [Hebrews 5:9]
That is what the Bible really says is required for salvation. It should be obvious by now that for someone to be ‘saved’ requires knowledge, actively doing, and obedience to all that our Saviour has said. If you do not believe this, you simply do not believe what is written in the Bible. It is now time to consider some more of these specific things that He taught that we must DO.
1. “Come, follow me.” [Luke 9:59; 18:22; John 1:43; 12:26; 21:19]
2. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” [John 14:6]
These meaning, if we want to be saved by His Grace we must OBEY Him, FOLLOW in His footstep and pattern our lives after the way He lived.
3. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” [Matthew 5:48]
4. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know
that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” [1 John 3:2]
These meaning He expects us to become like Him, and if we want to be saved by His Grace we must FIRST SPEND ALL OF OUR LIVES TRYING to BECOME like Him and our Heavenly Father, even perfect, which is the way that our Saviour has shown by His own life example. This is why our Saviour Himself teaches:
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that ENDURETH TO THE END shall be saved.” [Matt. 10:22]
“But he that shall ENDURE UNTO THE END, the same shall be saved.” [Matt. 24:13]
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall ENDURE UNTO THE END, the same shall be saved.” [Luke13:13]
It is true that people are mortal beings and perhaps cannot expect to achieve total perfection in this life, but that does not mean we should not SPEND OUR LIFE TRYING to do so to the best of our abilities, for that is the teaching of our Saviour and those that desire to be saved by His Grace are expected FIRST to obey Him, for that is the will of our Heavenly Father [Hebrews 5:9; Matt, 7:21-25]. Each individual CAN finally achieve his own degree of perfection and that is enough for Christ to intervene AFTERWARD with His Grace.
And that is why the scripture teaches:
“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, AFTER ALL WE CAN DO.” [2 Nephi 25:23]
Finally our Saviour taught “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” [ John14:1-2 ] and Paul said, “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 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. So also is the resurrection of the dead”. [1Cor. 15:40-42]
These are merely indicators that in accordance with the teachings of our Saviour each individual that FIRST OBEY’S HIS WORDS and ENDURES TO THE END may qualify for salvation by His Grace, and be rewarded with a dwelling place in accordance with his personal efforts.
According to the teachings of Christ quoted in this message those ‘traditional Christians’ that teach the kind of ‘salvation’ without the necessary works to qualify for His gift of Grace are not doing enough. They are teaching ‘another gospel’ than that one set forth by Our Saviour and His disciples in the Bible! That is why we are warned, “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” [Matt. 7:14]
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
What The Bible Really Says About Life After Death
This subject is pondered by mankind perhaps more than any other, yet it seems to remain a mystery to the minds of most of us. Of course every religion seems to have an answer of some kind, and all of them have certain elements in common. I will show you that the Bible reveals a very clear picture of what we can expect to experience when we leave this life. These things were taught from the beginning of earth’s adamic creation period, to Adam and Eve and were perpetuated by the prophetic patriarchs that followed them, and they remain in the Bible today.
A little historical examination seems to reveal that over the generations, as men began to multiply and spread across the earth, and as they began to rebel and to separate from the patriarchal leaders chosen by our Heavenly Parents, each group began to modify and change the true knowledge with which they were originally endowed to conform to their own personal preferences. Thus we have the various philosophies of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Muslim, Judaism and Christianity, to name a few that are among the most well-known religions that have survived to the modern era.
Each of these philosophies has preserved certain truths and each has developed certain spiritual powers in conformity with their chosen points of emphasis. But they have all lost so much knowledge as a result of their rebellion against the Spirit of Truth. Even amongst the several Christian sects there is much variation as to their teachings and beliefs regarding that which awaits us when we leave the world of mortality. Based on their unique own interpretations of the scriptures some believe that when a man dies, unless he is properly baptized, he must go to a place of suffering. Others think that man has no individual soul, so he ceases to exist until the resurrection.
In order to arrive at a true and accurate understanding of what the Bible really reveals regarding this or any other theme, according to our Saviour at least three things are required: 1] a perpetual dedication to the study of the Bible and of things related thereto (If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32); 2] reliance on guidance from the Spirit of Truth (Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:3) and 3] living so as to be available to the guidance of the Spirit of Truth (Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20-21); But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (1 Cor. 2:14-15)
With these things in mind and practice, you can learn many things from the Bible about life after death. However, in order to do so it is also often necessary to revert back to the original language of the Bible scribes to discover the accurate meanings of the words that have sometimes been loosely translated into English. This is in order to avoid the weaknesses that often accompany the arm of flesh. Take for example the two Old Testament Hebrew words, Sheol or sheole and qeber or qebuwrah. Both of these words are often interpreted in English to mean grave, sepulcher or burying place, but in reality they have two very distinct meanings. Sheol actually means underworld, abode of the dead, or place of punishment or exile, while the meaning of qeber is clearly known to be burial place, grave, sepulchre or burial site.
The diverse nuances of these two words give them obviously very different meanings. Qeber plainly refers to the place where a dead and lifeless body is buried, but Sheol, although also often translated as 'hell', evidently illustrates a vastly different situation, described as a separate ‘under’world where sentient beings, whatever their nature, may reside for a time and experience the consequences of censure and discipline.
This same differentiation is found in the Greek scriptures of the New Testament. There, the two Greek words that are often translated into the English word ‘grave’ are Hades and mnemeion, but as in the case of the Hebrew translations, these two words actually have very different meanings. The word mnemeion does mean place of interment, grave, sepulchre or tomb as does the Hebrew qeber, but the word Hades means unseen place or abode or state of departed souls or spirits, which is very similar to the meaning of the Hebrew Sheol.
From the above research one can come to the clear realization that upon the departure from mortality, man becomes separated into two entities. The body which is left lifeless goes to the grave (qeber or mnemeion), and the soul or spirit which remains conscious and goes to the unseen abode of departed souls (Sheol or Hades).
In pursuit of an understanding of these things, as you study the scriptures, you will discover that the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades are both frequently interpreted into the English hell. Why should the place where departed spirits dwell be referred to as hell? There is actually a very good explanation for this, and you can find answers in several places in the New Testament.
First consider the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, found in Luke 16:19-31. There we find that upon death these two men immediately went to very different circumstances where they were both conscious and sentient. Lazarus died first and was taken by angels to a good place described as ‘Abraham’s bosom’. But when the rich man died we are told he found himself in hell [Hades]. Now according to what we have learned so far, the spirits of both of these men were in the place called Sheol or Hades, so how could the rich man be described as suffering in ‘hell’ while Lazarus is in comfort if they are both essentially in Sheol or Hades?
To clarify the situation consider also the words of our Saviour to the thief while they were both dying side by side on crosses. Shortly before his dying we are told: And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) and we are further told by Peter that when Christ died he went to preach to the ‘spirits in prison’, referring to those that had been disobedient and had drowned during the great flood. Peter declared, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.(1 Peter 3:18-20)
Thus it is clearly shown in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, and also in the death of Christ, himself, the the dwelling place of spirits after they die, known as Sheol or Hades, is divided into two parts. One part is reserved for the repentant and the righteous and is known in scripture as the ‘bosom of Abraham’ and as ‘paradise’. The other part is the abode of those that are disobedient to the laws of God. In the Bible that place is translated both as ‘hell’ and as ‘spirit prison’.
It must be remembered, however, that even though the paradise section of this spirit world is sometimes called heaven and the prison section is often referred to as ‘hell’, both of these places are only temporary dwellings. There are numerous scriptures that talk about a great and final day of judgment. John describes it like this, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelations 20:12-15)
Our Saviour talks about the heavens saying, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)
Paul also gives us some insights regarding the nature of the next life telling us, “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 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. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:40-44)
You can see that both the Lord and Paul have described a future place in the heavens that is very diverse in nature, Christ saying there are ‘many mansion’ and the apostle tells us that the stars all differ in glory, saying ‘so also is the resurrection of the dead.’ But we do not go to this future place until after we have first spent some time in Sheol/Hades, and until after that great day of judgment. But hopefully we have learned that the time spent in that spirit world is certainly not wasted.
We must realize that not only is the period of our mortality a time of learning and preparation, but it appears that the time that we spend in Sheol/Hades, whether it is in the spirit prison section or the paradise section, must also be a time of learning and preparation. Why else would the rich man in ‘hell’ have carried on the conversation with Abraham, and why else would the Lord have gone and preached to the spirits in prison right after he was crucified. Peter gives a good clarification for this when he explains that Christ went and preached to those spirits of the dead, and Peter then continues saying, “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6)
Those in the temporary ‘hell’ of spirit prison were taught by Christ, but it also appears that they had access to such righteous men as Abraham. But those in ‘paradise’ certainly must be learning and progressing as well, because being ‘good’ is not sufficient. Did not Christ also say “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) and “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) Are these things no longer expected goals one we arrive at the life to come? We must continue progressing at least until the final judgment
Just because we have arrived at paradise obviously does not mean we have acquired a sufficient knowledge of the truth, and until we do we cannot become perfect as is our Father which is in heaven, and as the Lord has told us, we cannot be free until we do. So we can be sure that we must continue in his word, and continue to learn and continue to prepare ourselves in the next life. As Paul told the pagan Greeks, we are all the ‘offspring [kindred stock]of God’ (Acts 17:26-29).
A little historical examination seems to reveal that over the generations, as men began to multiply and spread across the earth, and as they began to rebel and to separate from the patriarchal leaders chosen by our Heavenly Parents, each group began to modify and change the true knowledge with which they were originally endowed to conform to their own personal preferences. Thus we have the various philosophies of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Muslim, Judaism and Christianity, to name a few that are among the most well-known religions that have survived to the modern era.
Each of these philosophies has preserved certain truths and each has developed certain spiritual powers in conformity with their chosen points of emphasis. But they have all lost so much knowledge as a result of their rebellion against the Spirit of Truth. Even amongst the several Christian sects there is much variation as to their teachings and beliefs regarding that which awaits us when we leave the world of mortality. Based on their unique own interpretations of the scriptures some believe that when a man dies, unless he is properly baptized, he must go to a place of suffering. Others think that man has no individual soul, so he ceases to exist until the resurrection.
In order to arrive at a true and accurate understanding of what the Bible really reveals regarding this or any other theme, according to our Saviour at least three things are required: 1] a perpetual dedication to the study of the Bible and of things related thereto (If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32); 2] reliance on guidance from the Spirit of Truth (Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:3) and 3] living so as to be available to the guidance of the Spirit of Truth (Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20-21); But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (1 Cor. 2:14-15)
With these things in mind and practice, you can learn many things from the Bible about life after death. However, in order to do so it is also often necessary to revert back to the original language of the Bible scribes to discover the accurate meanings of the words that have sometimes been loosely translated into English. This is in order to avoid the weaknesses that often accompany the arm of flesh. Take for example the two Old Testament Hebrew words, Sheol or sheole and qeber or qebuwrah. Both of these words are often interpreted in English to mean grave, sepulcher or burying place, but in reality they have two very distinct meanings. Sheol actually means underworld, abode of the dead, or place of punishment or exile, while the meaning of qeber is clearly known to be burial place, grave, sepulchre or burial site.
The diverse nuances of these two words give them obviously very different meanings. Qeber plainly refers to the place where a dead and lifeless body is buried, but Sheol, although also often translated as 'hell', evidently illustrates a vastly different situation, described as a separate ‘under’world where sentient beings, whatever their nature, may reside for a time and experience the consequences of censure and discipline.
This same differentiation is found in the Greek scriptures of the New Testament. There, the two Greek words that are often translated into the English word ‘grave’ are Hades and mnemeion, but as in the case of the Hebrew translations, these two words actually have very different meanings. The word mnemeion does mean place of interment, grave, sepulchre or tomb as does the Hebrew qeber, but the word Hades means unseen place or abode or state of departed souls or spirits, which is very similar to the meaning of the Hebrew Sheol.
From the above research one can come to the clear realization that upon the departure from mortality, man becomes separated into two entities. The body which is left lifeless goes to the grave (qeber or mnemeion), and the soul or spirit which remains conscious and goes to the unseen abode of departed souls (Sheol or Hades).
In pursuit of an understanding of these things, as you study the scriptures, you will discover that the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades are both frequently interpreted into the English hell. Why should the place where departed spirits dwell be referred to as hell? There is actually a very good explanation for this, and you can find answers in several places in the New Testament.
First consider the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, found in Luke 16:19-31. There we find that upon death these two men immediately went to very different circumstances where they were both conscious and sentient. Lazarus died first and was taken by angels to a good place described as ‘Abraham’s bosom’. But when the rich man died we are told he found himself in hell [Hades]. Now according to what we have learned so far, the spirits of both of these men were in the place called Sheol or Hades, so how could the rich man be described as suffering in ‘hell’ while Lazarus is in comfort if they are both essentially in Sheol or Hades?
To clarify the situation consider also the words of our Saviour to the thief while they were both dying side by side on crosses. Shortly before his dying we are told: And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) and we are further told by Peter that when Christ died he went to preach to the ‘spirits in prison’, referring to those that had been disobedient and had drowned during the great flood. Peter declared, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.(1 Peter 3:18-20)
Thus it is clearly shown in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, and also in the death of Christ, himself, the the dwelling place of spirits after they die, known as Sheol or Hades, is divided into two parts. One part is reserved for the repentant and the righteous and is known in scripture as the ‘bosom of Abraham’ and as ‘paradise’. The other part is the abode of those that are disobedient to the laws of God. In the Bible that place is translated both as ‘hell’ and as ‘spirit prison’.
It must be remembered, however, that even though the paradise section of this spirit world is sometimes called heaven and the prison section is often referred to as ‘hell’, both of these places are only temporary dwellings. There are numerous scriptures that talk about a great and final day of judgment. John describes it like this, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelations 20:12-15)
Our Saviour talks about the heavens saying, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)
Paul also gives us some insights regarding the nature of the next life telling us, “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 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. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:40-44)
You can see that both the Lord and Paul have described a future place in the heavens that is very diverse in nature, Christ saying there are ‘many mansion’ and the apostle tells us that the stars all differ in glory, saying ‘so also is the resurrection of the dead.’ But we do not go to this future place until after we have first spent some time in Sheol/Hades, and until after that great day of judgment. But hopefully we have learned that the time spent in that spirit world is certainly not wasted.
We must realize that not only is the period of our mortality a time of learning and preparation, but it appears that the time that we spend in Sheol/Hades, whether it is in the spirit prison section or the paradise section, must also be a time of learning and preparation. Why else would the rich man in ‘hell’ have carried on the conversation with Abraham, and why else would the Lord have gone and preached to the spirits in prison right after he was crucified. Peter gives a good clarification for this when he explains that Christ went and preached to those spirits of the dead, and Peter then continues saying, “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6)
Those in the temporary ‘hell’ of spirit prison were taught by Christ, but it also appears that they had access to such righteous men as Abraham. But those in ‘paradise’ certainly must be learning and progressing as well, because being ‘good’ is not sufficient. Did not Christ also say “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) and “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) Are these things no longer expected goals one we arrive at the life to come? We must continue progressing at least until the final judgment
Just because we have arrived at paradise obviously does not mean we have acquired a sufficient knowledge of the truth, and until we do we cannot become perfect as is our Father which is in heaven, and as the Lord has told us, we cannot be free until we do. So we can be sure that we must continue in his word, and continue to learn and continue to prepare ourselves in the next life. As Paul told the pagan Greeks, we are all the ‘offspring [kindred stock]of God’ (Acts 17:26-29).
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