| FLOYD HAYES |
| RELIGION |
| WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE? Page 5 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 -- "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (Does this text imply that we will be absent from our body when our spirit goes to be with the Lord? Could it be referring to our earthly body rather than our heavenly body?) Galatians 5:19-21 -- "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery; fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Can those who practice "witchcraft" or attempt to communicate with the dead "inherit the kingdom of God"?) Galatians 6:8 -- "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Can the spirit live after the body dies? If so, when?) Ephesians 5:14 -- "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (If the Bible describes death as "sleep," does a conscious soul exist after the body dies? When does Jesus "awake" the dead?) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 -- "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (If the Bible describes death as "sleep," does a conscious soul exist after the body dies? Do the souls of saints ascend to heaven immediately after they die or when Jesus comes? After death, do saints ascend to heaven individually or "together with them" at the same time?) 1 Thessalonians 5:23 -- "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Can the spirit, soul and body can exist apart from each other?) 1 Timothy 4:1 -- "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (Which "seducing spirits" and "doctrines of devils" prevalent in the "latter times" could Paul be referring to?) Hebrews 4:12 -- "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints of marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Can the soul and spirit be divided?) Hebrews 11:13 -- "These [Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sara referred to in preceding verses] 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." (What were "the promises" referring to? The "promised land" of Canaan or blissful eternal life with God in heaven after death? If the latter, did the patriarchs receive "the promises" of blissful eternity with God in heaven immediately after death or are they still waiting?) Hebrews 11:39 -- "And these all [a long list of saints, including Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David and Samuel, referred to in preceding verses], having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." (What was "the promise" referring to? Several lived in the "promised land" of Canaan. Could "the promise" refer to a blissful eternal life with God in heaven after death? If so, did the patriarchs receive "the promise" of blissful eternity with God in heaven immediately after death or are they still waiting?) James 2:26 -- "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (Is "the body without the spirit" a biblical definition of death? If so, what happens to the spirit?) Revelation 1:18 -- "I [Jesus] am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (How many people can claim to be alive but once dead?) Revelation 2:11 -- "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." (How many times do we die? When is the "second death"?) Revelation 6:9-11 -- "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (Can the soul live apart from the body after death? Does this text teach that souls are living up in heaven, and can speak? Is this text speaking about reality, or is it a vision?) Revelation 11:18 -- "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." (When are the dead "judged" and given their "reward"? This text refers to the seventh trumpet [see Revelation 12:15-19]; is this when Jesus comes?) Revelation 12:9 -- "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 16:3 -- "And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea." (Does this text teach that the soul is immortal? Does it teach that animals have a soul?) Revelation 16:4 -- "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God almighty." (Can evil spirits mimick dead people? Are miracles a sign of God's true church, or can Satan and his agencies also perform miracles?) |
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