Bible Questions and Answers

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If we and our families attain to the kingdom of God we will know them.Each individual will be recognisable in the kingdom of God.

 

Luke 13:28... ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God...

 

However, neither we nor our families go to heaven – this is a myth invented by apostate Christianity.

 

The Bible makes it clear that we do not possess immortal souls which go to heaven, but rather, we are mortal souls that die.

 

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

 

The soul is the living being. Body + breath = living soul; therefore: body - breath = dead soul.

 

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

 

Jesus, like us, was mortal when he died. After 3 days in the grave he was raised from the dead and given immortality.

 

Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell (Hades the grave), neither his flesh did see corruption.

 

We (living souls) all sin and therefore we die.When we die, whether baptised into Christ or not, we go to the grave.When we are dead we know nothing. No part of us has a conscious existence after death.

 

Solomon with his God-given wisdom writes:

 

Ecclesiastes 9:5,6 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

 

David, inspired by the Holy Spirit writes:

 

Psalms 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

 

The hope of the Gospel is resurrection from the dead to eternal life in the Kingdom of God (also called the kingdom of heaven).The kingdom of God will be upon this earth.It will be established when Christ returns to the earth. At his return he will raise from the dead those that have been baptised into him.His kingdom will be the kingdom of David restored to bear rule over all the earth.

 

Luke 1:32,33 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

This will be in fulfilment of the prophecy given through Daniel.

 

Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

 

In death, those that have been baptised into Christ are said to ‘sleep’ awaiting his return. So Paul explains:

 

1Thessalonians 4:13, 15-17 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 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 (precede) 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:17 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.

 

Salvation does not involve going to heaven but rather resurrection from the dead to eternal life in the kingdom of God on earth. This is what Jesus is referring to in the ‘sermon on the mount’ where he says:

 

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

 

If he had meant ‘heaven’ he would have said so. We see the same reward promised in the psalms.

 

Psalms 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

 

Psalms 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

 

Psalms 37:22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

Jesus gives the following prophecy:

 

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 

This is why the ‘Lord’s prayer’ has the clause:

 

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 

Paul describes the reign of Christ on the earth

 

1Corinthians 15:23-28 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

 

We see then, that rather than man going to heaven to be with God, God is to dwell in man on the earth.This will be the fulfilment of God’s declared purpose.

 

Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

Here is some reading material on this topic available on the website

 

After Death – What?  (Click on the title)

 

Heaven and Hell  (Click on the title)

 

The Kingdom of God on Earth  (Click on the title)

 

I hope this helps.

Glenn Smith