Monday, April 26, 2004
[The following is part of an email I received this week; below it is my reply.]
I wanted to tell you how much I value and appreciate your web
pages. ...
I was wondering if you could help me with a question. The SDA
believe in something called "Soul Sleep" where when you die you just lie in the ground until the
second coming (hence why prophecy, times, dates and end times are so emphasized?) Anyway, as I
study I do find verses that talk about falling asleep in the Lord and then in I Thess. there are the
verses about the dead is Christ being raised upon the return of Christ. Upon just looking here you
could build an argument that we must lie in wait to be with Christ. But as I have read the Book
you come across texts like Phil. 1 where Paul talks about being absent with the body is to be present
with the Lord. Or say, the theif on the cross: Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in Paradise".
Not tomorrow, or when I return. Do you have any insight on how all this sorts out? I have always
believe "to be absent from the body is, indeed, to be present with the Lord", how does this fit in
with these other texts? Thanks ahead for any insights on this. I always have a question of two bumping
around in my head.
----------------------------------
What a joy to hear from you, ___________ and you have pushed my button, for there is nothing better than giving a good answer of
the mouth, as Solomon said.
Sleep doesn't mean unconsciousness, but just that the body rests in the grave until the resurrection. "Sleep" is a figure of
speech. Indeed, to be absent from the body indicates that there is a conscious existence, the "I" which can be absent from
the body while the body "sleeps" in the grave. The soul has a created immortality, we certainly will not be dumber with the Lord than we are now.
Self-consciousness does not depend upon the body, or angels and the Three Holy Persons of the Trinity could not be conscious.
Nor could demons.
The rich man was conscious in hell, as was Abraham and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. The SDA's dismiss this as "just" a parable. But even granting it to be a parable, which is dubious, what is its main teaching if not that after death, while the rich man's brothers will still on the earth, he was tormented and
Lazarus was comforted--even before the resurrection? Whatever is Jesus talking about if these things are not true?
C. W. Powell
budpow@ureach.com
New Geneva Theological Seminary
Trinity Covenant Church: http://www.trinityrcus.com
Basket of Figs: http://basketoffigs.org/
Blog: http://basketoffigs.blogspot.com
I wanted to tell you how much I value and appreciate your web
pages. ...
I was wondering if you could help me with a question. The SDA
believe in something called "Soul Sleep" where when you die you just lie in the ground until the
second coming (hence why prophecy, times, dates and end times are so emphasized?) Anyway, as I
study I do find verses that talk about falling asleep in the Lord and then in I Thess. there are the
verses about the dead is Christ being raised upon the return of Christ. Upon just looking here you
could build an argument that we must lie in wait to be with Christ. But as I have read the Book
you come across texts like Phil. 1 where Paul talks about being absent with the body is to be present
with the Lord. Or say, the theif on the cross: Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in Paradise".
Not tomorrow, or when I return. Do you have any insight on how all this sorts out? I have always
believe "to be absent from the body is, indeed, to be present with the Lord", how does this fit in
with these other texts? Thanks ahead for any insights on this. I always have a question of two bumping
around in my head.
----------------------------------
What a joy to hear from you, ___________ and you have pushed my button, for there is nothing better than giving a good answer of
the mouth, as Solomon said.
Sleep doesn't mean unconsciousness, but just that the body rests in the grave until the resurrection. "Sleep" is a figure of
speech. Indeed, to be absent from the body indicates that there is a conscious existence, the "I" which can be absent from
the body while the body "sleeps" in the grave. The soul has a created immortality, we certainly will not be dumber with the Lord than we are now.
Self-consciousness does not depend upon the body, or angels and the Three Holy Persons of the Trinity could not be conscious.
Nor could demons.
The rich man was conscious in hell, as was Abraham and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. The SDA's dismiss this as "just" a parable. But even granting it to be a parable, which is dubious, what is its main teaching if not that after death, while the rich man's brothers will still on the earth, he was tormented and
Lazarus was comforted--even before the resurrection? Whatever is Jesus talking about if these things are not true?
C. W. Powell
budpow@ureach.com
New Geneva Theological Seminary
Trinity Covenant Church: http://www.trinityrcus.com
Basket of Figs: http://basketoffigs.org/
Blog: http://basketoffigs.blogspot.com
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