Luke 16:[SUP]19 [/SUP]There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:[SUP]20 [/SUP]And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,[SUP]21 [/SUP]And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.[SUP]22 [/SUP]And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;[SUP]23 [/SUP]And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.[SUP]24 [/SUP]And 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.[SUP]25 [/SUP]But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.[SUP]26 [/SUP]And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Say what? Below us, near hell, but not in hell? Any confirmation in scripture on that?
1 Samuel 28:[SUP]6 [/SUP]And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.[SUP]7 [/SUP]Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.[SUP]8 [/SUP]And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.[SUP]9 [/SUP]And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?[SUP]10 [/SUP]And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.[SUP]11 [/SUP]Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.[SUP]12 [/SUP]And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.[SUP]13 [/SUP]And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.[SUP]14 [/SUP]And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.[SUP]15[/SUP]And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.[SUP]16 [/SUP]Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
So.. the O.T. saints were not in Heaven yet. Why is that?
John 3:[SUP]13 [/SUP]And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
1 Peter 3:[SUP]18[/SUP]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:[SUP]19 [/SUP]By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;20Which sometime were disobedient, ............
There is no other way to bring the O.T. saints to Heaven, and so after His crucifixion, He descended to Abraham's bosom also known as Paradise to preach the Good News unto them.
Ephesians 4:[SUP]8 [/SUP]Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.[SUP]9 [/SUP](Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?[SUP]10 [/SUP]He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
How do I know Abraham's bosom was Paradise?
Luke 23:[SUP]42 [/SUP]And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.[SUP]43 [/SUP]And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
What had happened when Jesus had resurrected? Did He bring the captive out of captivity?
Matthew 27:[SUP]52 [/SUP]And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,[SUP]53 [/SUP]And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Where is Paradise now? In the third heaven.. above us.
2 Corinthians 12:[SUP]2 [/SUP]I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
such an one caught up to the third heaven.[SUP]3 [/SUP]And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth[SUP]4 [/SUP]How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Of course, Paul was speaking of John the apostle of his experience in bringing us the Book of Revelation.
So....the promise of the permanent indwelling Holy Ghost; hence, eternal life, could not have been given yet till after Christ had died for ALL of us & ascended to Heaven. He had to go to Heaven first to prepare a place, not only for the O.T. saints, but for the coming N.T. saints of the church on earth at Pentecost.
Hebrews 11:[SUP]11 [/SUP]Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.[SUP]12 [/SUP]Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.[SUP]13 [/SUP]These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.[SUP]14 [/SUP]For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.[SUP]15 [/SUP]And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.[SUP]16 [/SUP]But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
So the O.T. saints were not in Heaven with God yet till Christ brought them to God in Heaven in leading the way.
Say what? Below us, near hell, but not in hell? Any confirmation in scripture on that?
1 Samuel 28:[SUP]6 [/SUP]And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.[SUP]7 [/SUP]Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.[SUP]8 [/SUP]And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.[SUP]9 [/SUP]And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?[SUP]10 [/SUP]And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.[SUP]11 [/SUP]Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.[SUP]12 [/SUP]And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.[SUP]13 [/SUP]And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.[SUP]14 [/SUP]And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.[SUP]15[/SUP]And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.[SUP]16 [/SUP]Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
So.. the O.T. saints were not in Heaven yet. Why is that?
John 3:[SUP]13 [/SUP]And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
1 Peter 3:[SUP]18[/SUP]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:[SUP]19 [/SUP]By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;20Which sometime were disobedient, ............
There is no other way to bring the O.T. saints to Heaven, and so after His crucifixion, He descended to Abraham's bosom also known as Paradise to preach the Good News unto them.
Ephesians 4:[SUP]8 [/SUP]Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.[SUP]9 [/SUP](Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?[SUP]10 [/SUP]He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
How do I know Abraham's bosom was Paradise?
Luke 23:[SUP]42 [/SUP]And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.[SUP]43 [/SUP]And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
What had happened when Jesus had resurrected? Did He bring the captive out of captivity?
Matthew 27:[SUP]52 [/SUP]And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,[SUP]53 [/SUP]And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Where is Paradise now? In the third heaven.. above us.
2 Corinthians 12:[SUP]2 [/SUP]I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
such an one caught up to the third heaven.[SUP]3 [/SUP]And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth[SUP]4 [/SUP]How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.Of course, Paul was speaking of John the apostle of his experience in bringing us the Book of Revelation.
So....the promise of the permanent indwelling Holy Ghost; hence, eternal life, could not have been given yet till after Christ had died for ALL of us & ascended to Heaven. He had to go to Heaven first to prepare a place, not only for the O.T. saints, but for the coming N.T. saints of the church on earth at Pentecost.
Hebrews 11:[SUP]11 [/SUP]Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.[SUP]12 [/SUP]Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.[SUP]13 [/SUP]These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.[SUP]14 [/SUP]For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.[SUP]15 [/SUP]And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.[SUP]16 [/SUP]But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
So the O.T. saints were not in Heaven with God yet till Christ brought them to God in Heaven in leading the way.