Line Upon Line

What is the state of the departed? Some records of near death experiences consistently show them floating off from their physical bodies toward a bright light. What can we make of these experiences? Are their expectations influencing their dreams? What does the word of God say about the matter?

Ecclesiastes 9:5 NKJV 5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing,…

If the dead know nothing then this supports the idea of the dead being asleep until God awakens them in the resurrection. WHERE ARE OUR departed loved ones?

John 3:13-16 NKJV 13 “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven….15 “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

These verses prove that they are not in heaven now playing harp music and they also are not in an everlasting torture chamber run by Satan. If the reward of the ultimately saved is to avoid perishing then they cannot be tortured in hell forever. Therefore they must be in a state of rest until final judgment is made.

ARE THE DEPARTED SLEEPING UNTIL AWAKENED BY GOD ?

Since the departed are not yet in heaven and are not in an eternal hell fire either, what is their condition ?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

Some mistakenly claim that this verse refers to a secret rapture of the true believers to avoid the end of the age of tribulation. But it is clear Paul is telling them not to be concerned with departed loved ones, fellow believers. They are at rest until the second coming. Note:

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

The trumpet of God accompanying this coming of the Messiah is not very secretive. Paul tells them that this knowledge should comfort all of us.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

What did Jesus’ disciples understand with regard to those who had passed and are at rest- sleeping?

John 11:24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Martha knew that this disciple of Christ would wait in rest until the resurrection. Further Mal. 4:3-4 proves that no ever burning hell fire awaits the unsaved, there is no hell. The ultimate fate of the defiantly wicked is to be turned quickly into ashes. People will be resurrected to either glory or the second one for a chance at salvation. God is fair and will give all a chance for salvation.

Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them..,who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection…but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Note that more than one resurrection exists, no doubt the second one is for those not saved in this age which would obviously be the vast majority of mankind. All the unsaved are asleep at rest awaiting their chance for salvation.

DID GOD MAKE AN EXCEPTION OF THE DEAD SLEEPING UNTIL SECOND COMING ?

We are going to just speculate on this incident. King Saul has been denied any contact or advice from God. He has lost the Holy Spirit and become evil and paranoid. So he goes to the witch of Endor to reach the dead for spiritual advice before a decisive battle with the ruthless Philistines.

1 Samuel 28:11-13 NKJV 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!” 13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.”

The witch is surprised and shocked. Therefore this is not her usual even demon aided routine performance. Something is clearly different and shocking to her. King Saul wants to talk with the prophet Samuel like in the past when he was in God’s favor.

1 Samuel 28:14-15 BBE And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, It is an old man coming up covered with a robe. And Saul saw that it was Samuel, and with his face bent down to the earth he gave him honour. 15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you made me come up, troubling my rest? And Saul in answer said, I am in great danger; for the Philistines are making war on me, and God has gone away from me and will no longer give me any answer, by the prophets or by dreams: so I have sent for you to make clear to me what I am to do.

Most clerics believe that this was simply a false vision given to Saul and God allowed it by the demonic world to trick and unnerve king Saul. This certainly could be true. However the verse actually reads “ Samuel said to Saul”, not a false vision. Further Samuel seems to say you have interrupted my spiritual sleep and rest. If it really was the spirit of Samuel (not the body) he no doubt went back to sleep after his warning remarks to king Saul.

1 Samuel 28:16-19 And Samuel said, Why do you put your questions to me, seeing that God has gone away from you and is on the side of him who is against you? 17 And the Lord himself has done what I said: the Lord has taken the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbour David;..19 And more than this, the Lord will give Israel up with you into the hands of the Philistines:.. the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.

Samuel predicted the death of Saul correctly and I ask would demons want to be so accurate? Maybe Samuel is the one exception to the dead sleeping until one of the two major resurrections awakens the departed. He was only temporarily awakened, maybe.