One Torah for All
One Torah shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Exodus 12:49
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Shalom Zerubbabel,
Have you done a study on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, of Luke 16:19-31? Our group had some great discussion on that concerning the nature of the afterlife, ie genhenna/sheol/gan eden, and Abraham's lap in comparison to the commonly taught beliefs of the church about heaven. We would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Thanks much for your wonderful ministry.
B_____
____________________
Shalom B_____
Here is one study which the subject matter is very important to understand before one can truly understand the afterlife.
This study shows the difference between the soul and the spirit. Because most of Christianity has not understood nor made the scriptural distinction between these two aspects of man, he has gone off into false ideas about the afterlife. For example, one such doctrine concerns soul-sleep. Since soul-sleep is based upon many passages of Scripture, there is an element of truth in it. However, because this doctrine does not recognize the difference between the soul and the spirit, it is woefully incomplete and downright misleading in many areas.
The one aspect of the afterlife that must place a key role in our understanding are the words of Yeshua when He said:
Matthew 22:32
“I am the Elohim of Avraham, and the Elohim of Yitzchaq, and the Elohim of Ya’aqov. Elohim is not the Elohim of the dead, but of the living.”
If a man is living, then he is aware of what is going on. As Scripture states, the dead know nothing. However, the living know, therefore, Avraham, Yitzchaq and Ya’aqov know and are aware because they are living, not dead. The question then is, where are they living? Before Mashiach it was a place in Sheol known as Avraham’s Bosom. This place was the upper most region of Sheol. It was a place reserved for the righteous dead. However, when Mashiach Yeshua led the captives free this place ceased to exist and the lower regions of Sheol “enlarged herself.” This is spoken of prophetically in the prophet Yeshayah.
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 5:14
Therefore Sheol has enlarged herself, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoices among them, descend into it.
This enlargement seems to have happened at the point when Yeshua led the captives free. After this time, when a person died in Mashiach, he would go to a different place.
Revelation 6:9
And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of Elohim, and for the testimony which they held:
Now please understand, this place in heaven is an absolutely temporary place for mankind. Earth is the dwelling place of man, not heaven. While heaven is a real place, it is not the eternal dwelling of man, rather the olam haba (world to come) is the place where man shall dwell eternally. Remember these words of Yeshua:
Yochanan (John) 14:2-3
2 “In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”
3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Here is what most people miss in what Yeshua said that day. He said that “where I am”, and where was He? He was on earth, in Jerusalem. Where shall He be on THAT DAY? Once again He shall be on earth in Jerusalem. Furthermore, what is the Father’s house? It is Torah. There are many levels in which one may live within Torah. He has prepared a place for each one of us, just for each individual to walk and obey His Voice.
It is rather unfortunate that the word and concept of hell even exists. I typically do not use that word as it is not a scriptural word and has no true scriptural understanding to it. Sheol on the other hand is quite scriptural in usage and meaning. I cannot say at this point exactly how many levels there are in Sheol, but there are several. The following passage tells us the name of the lowest level in Sheol.
Kepha Bet (2nd Peter) 2:4
For if Elohim spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
This lowest level seems to be reserved for the worst of the fallen malakim-fallen messengers known in English as “angels.” It does not seem that any man will ever experience it. This does not mean that no man shall be cast into Sheol, for many are already there.
Revelation 20:14-15
14 And death and Sheol were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.
15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
We learn from the Peshitta that Sheol, that is, all those in Sheol at some point in the future shall be cast into the lake of fire. There are those who teach that the unrighteous shall then be consumed and no longer exist. Let’s look at one passage in particular to see that this is simply a false teaching.
Revelation 14:11
and the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receives the mark of his name.
Those who teach such false ideas say that it is the fire which is eternal, not the person in the fire. However, please prayerfully consider what the verse actually states. This is a word picture that is giving us truth. It is the torment which is eternal. If a person is consumed, then there is no longer any torment, which is not what this passage teaches. Rather it teaches us that their torment shall be forever and ever. I realize that many attempt to point out that it is the “smoke” of their torment which shall rise forever and ever and not the actual torment itself. Logically, this is pure silliness. Question: if a person burns a pile of wood, there is smoke rising. What happens when the fire has consumed all the wood? The fire goes out and there is no more smoke. For there to be smoke, there must be fire and for there to be fire, there must be something for the fire to burn. Therefore, for there to be smoke from torment, there MUST be torment. It is simple logic. It is a torment which shall be forever.
Hope these thoughts are helpful. It is a study which I need to write and those things which I need to write is a long and growing list! For me to actually get it all written down would take me an eternity (eternal life???), huummmmm….. smile
Love and blessings
Zer
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