Exploring Corinthians #26

Kenneth Rabon

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What Happens When We Die?

Recap of Last Week

We believe Jesus rose from the dead

We believe that we will be resurrected from the dead also.

If we don’t believe in the Resurrection of the dead we are most miserable and the only hope for us in life is what this life has to offer.

Recap of the last two verses from last week:

1 Corinthians 15:33–34 NKJV

33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

Paul Describes the afterlife

1 Corinthians 15:35–49 NKJV

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

1 corinthians 15:

What happens to us when we die?

1 corinthians

People argue about this question all the time

Some feel that when you die you are instantly with the Lord while others believe you go into a holding chamber

1 Corinthians 15:50–53 NKJV

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

People argue about

The body goes back to dust

Ecclesiastes 3:20 NKJV

20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.

Ecclesi

Ecclesiastes 12:7 NKJV

7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Where does the spirit Go?

1 Corinthians 15:50 NKJV

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

1 Corinthians 15:50–53 NKJV

Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom so is Paul saying that our bodies can’t make it into Heaven?

No, if you look further into Paul’s message you will see that our Corruptible bodies must put on incorruption.

During the rapture the dead in Christ will rise in incorruption

1 Corinthians 15:51–55 NKJV

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

So what happens to our Spirits when we die?

All through the old testament and even through Jesus’ teachings there was a place called Sheol/Hades.

Sheol was sometimes translated as Grave but wrongly so. It was never used plural, as in “all the graves in a cemetery”.

When Sheol is used, it never speaks of the body going there.

Sheol never refers to an individual's grave.

The Bible never speaks of a man putting a dead person into Sheol.

Man never digs or makes a Sheol.

Sheol/Hades does not refer to hell as hell is normally understood.

The Lord Jesus went to Sheol/Hades between His death and resurrection.

Sheol/Hades is located in the center of the earth.

Sheol/Hades once had two compartments: one for the souls of the saved, the other for the souls of the unsaved.

Jesus said “Surely today you will be with me in Paradise” to the sinner that converted on the cross beside Him.

There is a story that Jesus shared about this holding compartment called Sheol/Hades in which many people believe to be another parable.

Luke 16:19–31 NKJV

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then 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.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

is not a parable.

This story wasn’t just a parable. How can we tell?

How can we tell that this story wasn’t a parable?

1. It would be the only parable in the Bible that describes certain things that are outside of the realm of human experience. All the other parables talk about things that we are familiar with such as birds, seed, fields, pearls, wheat, barns, leaven, fish, etc. (see , etc.). This passage is different because it talks about what happens to two men after death, and this is a realm where none of us have had any personal experience. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly or spiritual significance, but transcends the realm of the earthly.

2. It would be the only parable in the Bible that uses a proper name (Lazarus).

3. It would be the only parable in the Bible that makes mention repeatedly of a historical person--Abraham. Moreover, this historical person actually carries on a dialogue with the rich man! Indeed, mention is also made in this parable of Moses, another historical character. What other parable speaks of real, historical persons?

4. It would be the only parable in the Bible that describes the places where the dead go (Hades, Abraham's bosom, a place of torment).

5. It would be the only parable in the Bible that makes mention of angels. Compare verses 24-30, 36-43, 47-49 where angels are mentioned in the explanation of the parable but not in the parable itself.

6. If Hades is not really a place of torment then this would be the only parable in the Bible where the Lord Jesus taught error instead of truth. GOD FORBID!

Following the Resurrection/Ascension of Christ, the righteous dead go immediately to the third heaven, to be with Christ. They do not go to Hades.

Conclusion:

1 Corinthians 15:56–58 NKJV

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.