Re: LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN
Good day VCO,
Regarding the event of the rich man and Lazarus, I have come across many people myself who in order to support their beliefs, refer to this event as a parable. However, scripture is very clear in 2 Cor.5:8 and Phil 1:23 that at the time of death, for the believer the spirit immediately departs and goes to be in the presence of the Lord. On the other hand, when the unrighteous die, their spirits are taken to Hades where that rich man went and where he will remain until he is resurrected out at the great white throne judgment.
You are correct in that, parables never use actual names and locations, but use symbolism to represent the literal. That being said, we have mentioned in this event, Abraham, Lazarus, Moses, the prophets, the rich man and the actual location of Hades, ergo, this is not a parable. For those who believe in soul sleep, these are those who attempt to explain the rich man and Lazarus as a parable and that because it kills their position on this.
Suffice to say, the rich man and Lazarus is not the only proof that the spirit/soul is conscious and aware after death. We also have Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus on the mount where in Luke's version it states that they were discussing with Christ his coming departure (Luke 9:30-31). We also have Jesus telling the man crucified with him, (the one on the right I'm guessing), that he would be with Jesus in paradise that very day. Regarding this, it is amazing how low people will stoop in order to defend their positions, for regarding this, they will tell you that the comma is in the wrong place in the verse, as demonstrated in the example below:
True verse: "Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
False verse: "Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise."
They distort the verse by claiming that the comma should be placed after the word "today" instead of where every major translator places it, which is after the word "you." The first verse focuses on their being in paradise that very day and the false verse puts the focus on giving him this information that very day, with being in paradise being at some unknown time. The false verse makes Jesus sound like a "Shakespeare in the park" play. The true verse demonstrates that though Jesus and the thief died before sunset, that they would be in paradise, which would demonstrate that though their bodies were up on the earth, their spirits/souls were somewhere else.
The fifth seal is another good proof demonstrating that the spirit/soul is conscious and aware after death. For at the opening of the fifth seal we have those who will have been killed for the testimony they had maintained and these dead guys are having a conversation and are given white robes to wear and are told to wait a little longer. Kind of hard to do when you sleeping. Here is another verse that is overlooked as proof that the spirit/soul is conscious after death:
"But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.
When the angel is calling out for anyone who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals, it would be superfluous to mention those under the earth if they were in soul sleep, for that alone regardless of worthiness, would keep them from being able to open the scroll. Then we have Phil.2:9 which says:
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.
Kind of hard to bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord when your soul sleeping. This again would demonstrate conscious awareness of the spirit/soul after death.
Conclusion: Whenever the word is used to in reference to those who have died as "sleeping" it is in reference to the body only. For as we have seen, scripture demonstrates that the spirit/soul is conscious and aware after death for both the righteous and the unrighteous. The only way that an expositor could come to the conclusion that the spirit sleeps after death, would be to circumvent and/or distort all of the scriptures that demonstrate to the contrary.
Thank you! You just triggered, yet another memory of one Dr. John MacArthur's sermons from the 80s.
Within it, he explained how we can biblically PROVE that
Paradise, is the Eternal Dwelling Place of GOD.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NASB)
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2 [/SUP] I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such
a man was caught up to the third heaven.
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3 [/SUP] And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—
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4 [/SUP]
was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
Revelation 2:7 (ASV)
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7 [/SUP]
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
Revelation 22:1-2 (NLT)
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1 [/SUP] Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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2 [/SUP] It flowed down the center of the main street.
On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.
Luke 23:42-43 (ESV)
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42 [/SUP] And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
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43 [/SUP] And he said to him,
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise .”
THE THREE HEAVENS:
THIRD HEAVEN: = The Eternal Dwelling Place of GOD
Psalm 11:4 (ASV)
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4 [/SUP] Jehovah is in his holy temple; Jehovah,
his throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
Psalm 123:1 (NIV)
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1 [/SUP] I lift up my eyes to you, to you
whose throne is in heaven.
Hebrews 8:1-2 (NIV)
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1 [/SUP] The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,
who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
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2 [/SUP] and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.
THE SECOND HEAVEN: = The Universe
Genesis 26:4 (NKJV)
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4 [/SUP] And I will make your descendants multiply as
the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;
Isaiah 13:10 (NKJV)
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10 [/SUP] For
the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.
Mark 13:24-25 (YLT)
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24 [/SUP]
`But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
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25 [/SUP]
and the stars of the heaven shall be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken.
FIRST HEAVEN: = The ATMOSPHERE
Genesis 1:20 (ASV)
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20 [/SUP] And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth
in the open firmament of heaven.
2 Samuel 21:10 (HCSB)
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10 [/SUP] Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest until
the rain poured down from heaven on the bodies. She kept the birds of the sky from them by day and the wild animals by night.
Daniel 2:38 (NKJV)
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38 [/SUP] and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and
the birds of the heaven, He has given
them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all--you
are this head of gold.
IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS THE THIRD HEAVEN IS PARADISE!