The State of the DEAD From Old Testament times to 70 AD

by Bishop Marthy C. Austria House Under The Grace of Christ Fellowship PURE GRACE

What was the state of dead, both righteous and wicked during the Old Testament times?

In order to understand it, first we must learn the composition of man that God made.

Gen 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.”

I. Here is the composition of man:

DUST (physical body) + BREATH OF LIFE (spirit) = LIVING SOUL.

Man is a LIVING SOUL composed of dust and breath of life.

II. Let us reverse the process:

DUST (physical body) – BREATH OF LIFE (spirit) = DEAD SOUL.

A. Man becomes a DEAD SOUL when the breath of life leaves the physical body.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

B. When it happens, man, the soul himself is dead – a DEAD soul. The soul dies. It is not immortal.

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.”

C. When man (the soul) dies, he stops existing. The breath of life (spirit) goes back to God who gave it, and he (the physical body) returns to the earth – which means he returns to the dust. That’s the grave. When man dies, he goes to hell/grave. A place of non-existence and unconsciousness. The Bible calls this state of the dead as “sleep”.

D. All OT people, righteous or wicked, when they died went to Hell or THE GRAVE, called in the Old Testament as SHEOL. Contrary to popular teaching, it was not a place of waiting for conscious spirits of the dead waiting for the resurrection, but it was a place of unconsciousness and inactivity.

E. All the saints from Old Testament times up to New Testament times slept in hell/grave until the Parousia/ arrival/coming of Christ in 70 A.D.

III. Look at these verses that teach that the OT and NT dead people “slept” in their graves.

A. Ecclesiastes

Eccl 9:5 “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.”

Eccl 9:6 “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.”

Eccl 9:10 “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither (where) thou goest.”

Eccl 3:19 “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.”

Eccl 3:20 “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.”

B. Psalms

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

Psa 49:12 “Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.”

Psa 49:14 “Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.”

Psa 49:20 “Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.”

Psa 88:11-12 “Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?”

Psa 115:17 “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence”

Psa 146:3-4 “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”

C. Job

Job 14:10 -12 “But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”

Job 14:13-15 “O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.”

Job 17:11-16 “My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. I have said to corruption, thou art my father: to the worm, thou art my mother, and my sister. And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.”

D. Isaiah

Isa 38:18 “For the grave cannot praise Thee, death can not celebrate Thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth.”

E. John

About Lazarus: John 11:11, 13 “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep… Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.”

F. Acts

About Stephen: Acts 7:60 “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

About King David: Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption”

G. 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:30 “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”

1 Corinthians 15:51 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed”

H. 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 “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.”

Prepared by:

Bishop Marthy C. Austria

H.U.G. of Christ Fellowship

Pleroma Bible Training Centre

www.houseundergrace.webs.com

Man is Mortal

by: Bishop Marthy C. Austria House Under The Grace of Christ Fellowship PURE GRACE

I. Here are the verses that prove that man is mortal which means “he dies”.

A. Genesis

Gen 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.”

Gen 3:22 “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:”

Gen 3:23-24 “Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”B

B. Ezekiel

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.”

C. 1 Timothy

1 Tim 6:16 “Who (Christ Jesus) ONLY hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”

D. 1 Corinthians

1 Cor 15:53-54 “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

E. Romans

Rom 2:7 “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life”

II. Without Christ there is no immortality

A. False teaching: setting a wrong date for the resurrection.

During Apostle Paul’s time there were two men teaching heresy: Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Timothy 2:17, 18) “Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some”. Why could they fool the saints in that way? Because the saints of that time were taught by Paul the apostle and they believed that the resurrection would be SPIRITUAL in nature, and NOT physical. If the saints during Paul’s time believed that the resurrection was to be a physical one, they would not have been fooled, because if it was or would be, they would see it with their physical eyes. Remember, according to Jesus that “the kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Matt 17:20, 21). It means that the kingdom of God is NOT physical. It cannot be seen with the physical eyes. It is spiritual and spiritual things can only be “spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14) that is why Jesus said that a man must be “born again” (regenerated) in order for him to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). And resurrection happens only when Christ comes in his kingdom (Mark 9:1; 1 Cor 15:23-24).

Yes these two men were right, for the resurrection is spiritual in nature. But these two men were mistaken, for the resurrection (spiritual resurrection) had not occurred yet in their day for it was still to come. Their error was NOT the teaching of a spiritual resurrection, but the declaration that it had already occurred in their time, without understanding the exact prophetic time of the Lord who prophesied that his coming and the resurrection would come after a generation. But during their time, that generation (40 years) had not yet passed, so it would be an error to say that the resurrection had happened already. And so their teaching was called a heresy.

Mark 13:30 “Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.”

Luke 21:32 “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”

Therefore the resurrection had not yet occurred that time for without Christ there was and never will be a resurrection. Resurrection happens only when Christ comes back.

John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”

For the Bible teaches that “the dead shall be raised incorruptible” (1 Cor. 15:52) or be resurrected at Christ’s coming (1 Cor. 15:23). Christ had not yet come back during that time.

The error of Hymanaeus and Philetus: teaching that the resurrection is past already (during their time). Setting the wrong date of the resurrection. Many today follow these heretics, by teaching that the resurrection will still be in the future and that it will be physical. So you see, whether you teach a spiritual resurrection or a physical resurrection, but you set the wrong date, it is heresy. But what is the right and exact date of the resurrection?

B. Right teaching: The resurrection happened after a generation (40 year period) according to Christ’s words, at Christ’s coming/arrival or parousia. 30 to 70 A.D.

It happened at 70 A.D. – when Christ fulfilled his promise of return after a generation (40 years) to judge the quick and the dead at the destruction of Jerusalem and her temple.

Can’t we trust Christ’s very words? He is faithful and true.

Matthew 16:28 “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”

Matthew 10:23 “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.”

Matthew 24:34 “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”

1 Corinthians 15: 21 -23 “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”

1 Corinthians 15: 42 -49 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

III. Christ is the Solution to the Death Problem

A. Christ is the only one who has immortality and the Giver of immortality.

1 Timothy 6:14-16 "Our Lord Jesus Christ; which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen"(1 Timothy 6:14-16).

2 Timothy 1: 9-11 “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”

B. Christ died for his people, was buried and rose again from the dead to be the firstborn from the dead.

Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

C. He abolished spiritual death.

2 Timothy 1: 9-11 “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”

D. He took the keys of hell (grave) and spiritual death from the devil.

Revelation 1:18 “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

E. He destroyed the devil which had the power of spiritual death.

Hebrews 2:14 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”

1. F. He became the mediator of the New Testament for the eternal inheritance of his people.

Hebrews 9:15 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

Hebrews 9:16 “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.”

G. He finally destroyed spiritual death at his second coming.

1Cor 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.”

1 Cor 15: 54-57 “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Appearing of Christ and His Second Coming

The Appearing of Christ

I. What is the Hope of the Body of Christ?

Now that the Lord has come back and is present with us since 70 A.D., and the Lord had fulfilled all his prophecies written in his book, so everything is finished and fulfilled. That is why we call it “Fulfilled” or “Completed” theology.

Some people ask us, “If that is the case, then what is OUR HOPE?” “If the event that was hoped for by the saints in the Bible – called the Second Coming – had already happened, then we don’t no more hope”.

We answer that question by saying: Our hope is the appearing of Christ.

Isn’t the Second Coming of Christ (the parousia) the same as the appearing of Christ (the epiphaneia or manifestation of Christ)?

II. The Appearing Vs. The Second Coming.

1. The second coming and the appearing are two different things.

2. The coming of Christ is this – Christ “descends from heaven” (1 Thess 5:16). Christ from heaven to earth.

3. On the other hand, the appearing or manifestation of Christ is this – Christ does not descend from heaven, but is in heaven. He doesn’t come to us; we come to him – in heaven. We from earth to heaven. This is what Paul says as we shall “appear/manifest with Christ in glory” when he appears/manifests (Col 3:4).

4. Jesus Christ began his appearing when he was manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16; 2 Tim 1:10; Titus 2:11). Then he was to appear again during his second coming (1 Pet 1:7; 5:4; 1 John 2:28; 3:2).

5. And he is going to appear/manifest again in heaven for members of the Body of Christ (Col 3:4; Titus 2:13).

6. Every man at his own order. (1 Cor 15:23). We shall manifest with him in glory. He is in heaven. When we die, we go to heaven, where Christ is (Col 3:1). So there we will manifest with him. That is the appearing of Christ with the members of his body, the church.

The hope of the Body of Christ is not the second coming but the appearing of Christ.

III. We look for his appearing.

(We don’t wait, we look. The NIV uses “wait” but the KJV uses “look”. Looking is different from waiting.)

Philippians 3: 20-21 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Titus 2: 11 -13 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”

Col 3: 1-4 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Prepared by:

Bishop Marthy C. Austria

H.U.G. of Christ Fellowship

Pleroma Bible Training Centre

www.houseundergrace.webs.com

The Appearing of Christ and His Second Coming

The Appearing of Christ

I. What is the Hope of the Body of Christ?

Now that the Lord has come back and is present with us since 70 A.D., and the Lord had fulfilled all his prophecies written in his book, so everything is finished and fulfilled. That is why we call it “Fulfilled” or “Completed” theology.

Some people ask us, “If that is the case, then what is OUR HOPE?” “If the event that was hoped for by the saints in the Bible – called the Second Coming – had already happened, then we don’t no more hope”.

We answer that question by saying: Our hope is the appearing of Christ.

Isn’t the Second Coming of Christ (the parousia) the same as the appearing of Christ (the epiphaneia or manifestation of Christ)?

II. The Appearing Vs. The Second Coming.

1. The second coming and the appearing are two different things.

2. The coming of Christ is this – Christ “descends from heaven” (1 Thess 5:16). Christ from heaven to earth.

3. On the other hand, the appearing or manifestation of Christ is this – Christ does not descend from heaven, but is in heaven. He doesn’t come to us; we come to him – in heaven. We from earth to heaven. This is what Paul says as we shall “appear/manifest with Christ in glory” when he appears/manifests (Col 3:4).

4. Jesus Christ began his appearing when he was manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16; 2 Tim 1:10; Titus 2:11). Then he was to appear again during his second coming (1 Pet 1:7; 5:4; 1 John 2:28; 3:2).

5. And he is going to appear/manifest again in heaven for members of the Body of Christ (Col 3:4; Titus 2:13).

6. Every man at his own order. (1 Cor 15:23). We shall manifest with him in glory. He is in heaven. When we die, we go to heaven, where Christ is (Col 3:1). So there we will manifest with him. That is the appearing of Christ with the members of his body, the church.

The hope of the Body of Christ is not the second coming but the appearing of Christ.

III. We look for his appearing.

(We don’t wait, we look. The NIV uses “wait” but the KJV uses “look”. Looking is different from waiting.)

Philippians 3: 20-21 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Titus 2: 11 -13 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”

Col 3: 1-4 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Prepared by:

Bishop Marthy C. Austria

H.U.G. of Christ Fellowship

Pleroma Bible Training Centre

www.houseundergrace.webs.com