Jesus of Nazareth: The Real Sabbath!

Jesus said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17, ESV) What does that mean? How did he fulfill the Law? Sure, almost everyone can see how he fulfilled the sacrificial system in Torah, but what about the rest of it?

In the Gospel of John, we read: "The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow me.' Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:43-45, ESV) How did Moses in the Law speak about Jesus?" John also wrote that Christ told the Jews of his day: "For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" (John 5:46-47, ESV)

Likewise, in the Gospel of Luke, after his resurrection, Christ said: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Luke 24:44-47, ESV) In other words, it ALL pointed to him - to his life, work, and mission.

But how did Jesus fulfill something like the Sabbath or the commandment to keep it holy? The answer, of course, is found in Scripture.

In the second chapter of Genesis, we read: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." (Genesis 2:1-3, ESV) The thing which created the Sabbath was that God finished/completed/stopped working! Indeed, this is reiterated in the commandment he gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. We read there: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11, ESV) The message is clear: God stopped working, and His people should too!

This point of stopping all work and resting on the Sabbath day was underscored to the children of Israel even before God made it a part of his covenant with them at Sinai. Indeed, the people had complained of being hungry as they traveled through the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:1-3). Then we read that the Lord said to Moses: "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." (Exodus 16:4-5, ESV) Continuing, a little later in the same chapter, we read: "On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.' So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, 'Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none." (Exodus 16:22-26, ESV)

In these passages, we have the same message about stopping work, but another element is introduced: gathering the "bread of heaven." They had six days to gather that bread, and one day to abstain from gathering it. But what does all of this have to do with Jesus of Nazareth?

In the Gospel of John, we are informed that Jesus took five loaves of bread and fed five thousand people with them (John 6:1-13). Afterward, when Christ had left that place, the crowd went looking for him (John 6:14-25). Next, we are informed that Jesus addressed the crowd. He told them: "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.' Then they said to him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.' So they said to him, 'Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' They said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:26-40, ESV)

In this passage, Jesus clearly tied himself to the passage from the Law which we referenced before (from the book of Exodus). Even so, his Jewish audience did not understand the comparison that he was making. As a consequence, Jesus clarified. He went on to say: "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6:47-51, ESV) For anyone who would come to the Father through the Son, the comparison with what was recorded in Torah (the Law) is clear! Jesus is the true mana (bread) that God rained down on his people from heaven, and God expects his people to gather that bread and eat it! Christ went on to say that the work which God expected of his people was to believe in him! Now, that's a lot, but Christ's fulfillment of this aspect of the Law didn't end there!

In several instances in the Gospels, we read that Christ intentionally healed people on the Sabbath and used it as a tool to teach people about what God really expected of his people. (Matthew 12:9-14, Mark 3:1-6, Luke 6:6-11, 13:10-17, 14:1-6, John 5:1-14, 9:1-17). Jesus taught that it was appropriate to do good on the Sabbath - to help people and heal them. In other words, stop doing your own work and start doing God's work! And what gave him the authority to modify their understanding of what was acceptable to do on the Sabbath? In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, 'Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.' He said to them, 'Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." (Matthew 12:1-8, ESV, see also Mark 2:23-28) Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for humankind, and that HE was the "lord of the Sabbath!"

Thus, we have seen that Jesus quite purposefully inserted himself into the narrative around the Sabbath. Indeed, in the Gospel of Matthew, we will see that he became the personification of it! We read: "At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:25-30, ESV) Did you catch that? Jesus invited people to come to HIM for rest - true rest "for your souls."

In the anonymously authored epistle to the Hebrews, the entire question of how the people of Israel related to God and the Sabbath is addressed. In the third chapter of that book, we are informed that Moses was a faithful servant in performing the tasks which God had assigned to him. This is compared to Jesus Christ who was also faithful in the performance of the tasks which God had assigned to him as God's own Son. Jewish Christians were then warned against following the example of their Hebrew forefathers. They were reminded that most of the folks who Moses had led out of Egypt died wandering in the wilderness because of their continual rebellion against God. They were not allowed to enter the "Promised Land," the symbol of ultimate rest from their sojourn.

Thus, beginning in the next chapter, we read that "the promise of entering his rest still stands" (Hebrews 4:1, ESV). Continuing, those ancient folks are compared to the Christians of that day - both having received a kind of "good news." Even so, unlike them, the Christians believed the good news about Christ and were allowed to enter the rest promised to them in Jesus. The author then continued the contrast in more familiar terms. We read: "For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.' And again in this passage he said, 'They shall not enter my rest.' Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.' For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:4-10, ESV) Once again, as God stopped working, he expects us to do the same. The entire thought is completed by a reference to Jesus Christ as their High Priest - a H.P. who is capable of providing that real rest (Hebrews 4:14-16)!

Jesus as the embodiment of the Sabbath? In this connection, notice what the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints of Galatia. He said: "We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." (Galatians 2:15-21, ESV) Christ has made it possible for Christians to rest from their own works, and the works of the Law. According to Paul, our righteousness is found in HIM - in what HE did for us!

Hence, we can see that Jesus of Nazareth epitomized the Sabbath in his life, teachings, and death. He is the Christian Sabbath. Christians are to cease working and believe in him - allow him to give us real rest. He is what we are to remember and keep Holy in our hearts/minds/souls! What do you think?

Lazarus and the Rich Man

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” - English Standard Version

It should be noted that this parable was the last one in a series of parables which this Gospel puts in the mouth of Jesus beginning in chapter fourteen. Now, although the afterlife is definitely an integral part of this story, notice that the point of the story was that even someone rising from the dead would not convince the close-minded and incorrigible to repent! In other words, Jesus knew that his own resurrection would have no impact in bringing some of his Jewish brethren to God. On another occasion, we are informed that Jesus told his Jewish brethren: "For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” - John 5:46-47, ESV

Now, turning to what the parable reveals about Christ's view of the afterlife, the first thing that we notice is that both men DIED (Lazarus and the wealthy man). Next, we are told that the angels came and carried Lazarus to Abraham's bosom (as the KJV renders it). It does NOT say where Abraham was located. In the case of the rich man, we are told not only that he died, but we are also informed that he was buried. In "hades" (Greek for place of the dead), and that he was "in torment." He asks Abraham to send Lazarus to him to give him even a drop of water. He also relates that he is "in anguish in this flame." Was the wealthy man in Gehenna - the Lake of Fire? Were Abraham and Lazarus in heaven? The passage doesn't elaborate. Abraham then proceeded to explain to the rich man that it was impossible to pass between the two places. Once again, the story clearly takes place in the context of the resurrection of the dead. Does it have any applications/meanings beyond this? We simply don't know - if anything more was intended or implied!

What do you think?  

 

A Changed Body

"It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies." -- The Apostle Paul to the saints at Corinth

Ehrman's History of the Notion of Heaven and Hell

I had recently been thinking about our varied beliefs about the afterlife and decided to finally read a book that had been given to me as a birthday gift a couple of years ago. The book was Bart Ehrman's Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife. Now, being familiar with some of Bart's other works, I knew that the book would be interesting and well-researched, and I wasn't disappointed. I found much to agree with in the book and a few things to challenge. Some will call this a book review, but I prefer to think of it as an exploration of the parameters and evolution of Judeo-Christian thought regarding the afterlife.

First, I think that it is important to acknowledge that most humans (including those who are not Christian) believe in some kind of continued existence when this life is over. In terms of Western Culture, whether we're talking about Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Jews or Muslims, we find some notion of an afterlife among them all. Hence, it is not at all surprising that we find Christians have similar beliefs about what happens when our present life ends.

Second, as Ehrman points out, it is even more important that we acknowledge the fear which has motivated a great deal of our thinking on this subject. Frankly, it is very unsettling to contemplate the end of our existence - a time when we no longer exist in this world. Moreover, for most of us, it is downright terrifying to contemplate the prospect of being punished for our sins after this life is over. Conversely, even the prospect of being rewarded for our behavior in this life when it is over, can be the source of some anxiety and uncertainty. Will we be reunited with our loved ones? What will we be doing for eternity and will we enjoy it?

Indeed, for Christians, the certainty of death and our fear of it are what motivated Jesus of Nazareth to do what he did for us. In the anonymously written epistle to the Hebrews, we read: "Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying." (Hebrews 2:14-15, NLT) In other words, Christ's sacrifice was meant to address this near universal human fear of our own mortality.

Nevertheless, before we get into what the Judeo-Christian canon of Scripture has to say on the subject, it is essential that we trace the development of Gentile/pagan thought on the subject. Why? Because many of our "Christian" beliefs about the afterlife are rooted in that thinking, NOT in the Bible! Indeed, we will shortly demonstrate that our modern beliefs about the afterlife are more closely aligned with what folks like Plato and Virgil contemplated about them than they are with what Jesus and Paul believed and taught on the subject!

As he skillfully traced the evolution of human thinking on the afterlife, Ehrman wrote: "There were obvious problems with the concept of Hades imagined in the writings of Homer. If everyone has the same fate after death - whether noble or lowly, righteous or wicked, valiant or cowardly - then where is justice? Doesn't this life, in the end, make any sense? Isn't good behavior to be rewarded and evil punished? Won't I get a better hereafter than the brutal tyrant who torture and kills for his own sadistic pleasure, or even that obnoxious fellow who lives across the street?" In other words, these ancient philosophers were grappling with the same kinds of questions which haunt us.

Ehrman continued: "We have seen some hints of what we might call 'differentiated' afterlives even in Homer. Three particularly wicked sinners are punished forever, and a very few individual humans, or semi-humans, related to the gods are rewarded. This differentiation is far more pronounced in Virgil's Aeneid, which portrays fantastic rewards for the upright and horrible punishments for sinners. In the centuries between Homer and Virgil, more than any other thinker and writer, it was Plato who developed the notion of postmortem justice for both the virtuous and the wicked." It is in this very human reasoning that we find the embryo of our own modern notions about heaven and hell!

Like most Christians today, Plato believed that we humans have an immortal soul which departs from our physical bodies at death. For many of us, this "soul" represents our true self. This physical body is merely a temporary abode for the part of us that really makes us a sentient god-like being. Isn't that much at least Scriptural? Yes and no!

In the Old Testament, we read: "Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, NLT) In the Gospel of John, we read that Christ became human and tabernacled among us (John 1:14). Likewise, Paul wrote: "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit." (II Corinthians 5:1-5, NLT) Also, in the second epistle of Peter, we read: "Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease." (1:13-15, NKJV)

Thus, in the light of the above passages of Scripture, it is reasonable to conclude that the Bible teaches that humans have a physical body and a spiritual soul. Nevertheless, we still have to answer the question as to whether this spirit component/soul is inherently immortal. What does Scripture reveal about that?

First, we should note that ONLY God has true immortality (I Timothy 1:17, 6:16). The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are also God (Genesis 1:1-2, Job 33:4, Psalm 90:2, 104:30, 139:7, Matthew 28:19, John 1:1-3, 10:30, Hebrews 1:1-13, Revelation 1:8). Like the Father, they are NOT created entities. They have always existed and will always exist. In this respect, they are UNIQUE!  EVERYTHING ELSE was/is created - both physical and spiritual! (Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 40:26, Ezekiel 28:13, 15, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:16, and Revelation 4:11) Moreover, as Creator and the Omnipotent One, God is able to destroy or annihilate ANYTHING He has created!

"What about angels and the resurrected saints?" some will demand. Angels apparently have the ability to exist indefinitely. They are, after all, composed of spirit. However, as we have already demonstrated on this blog in previous posts, God has the ability to annihilate angels (including the former covering Cherub now known as Satan the Devil). Indeed, Scripture reveals that that is exactly what God has planned for him and his demons!

Remember, in the book of Isaiah, we read: "How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths." (Isaiah 14:12-15, NLT) Likewise, in Ezekiel, we read: "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone— red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire...You defiled your sanctuaries with your many sins and your dishonest trade. So, I brought fire out from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All who knew you are appalled at your fate. You have come to a terrible end, and you will exist no more.” (Ezekiel 28:12-19, NLT) Finally, in the book of Revelation, we read: "Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet...Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:10-14, NLT)

"But, what about the soul? Isn't that immortal?" The soul is a created thing. Hence, like the rest of creation, it is subject to annihilation by Almighty God! Still not convinced? Once upon a time, Jesus told his apostles: "Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28, NLT) On another occasion, Christ said that it was unwise for his followers to try to hang on to their physical lives, and he asked them: "What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" (Mark 8:36, NLT) According to your Savior, you can lose your soul! Paul wrote to the saints at Rome that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NLT) Hence, the soul is NOT immortal.

"How then do Christ's followers become immortal?" Paul explained it to the saints at Rome this way: "Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:10-11, NLT) This is completely consistent with what Christ told Nicodemus about being born again. He said: "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life." (John 3:5-6, NLT) In other words, the Holy Spirit (God) makes our soul immortal, and that Divine spark is there the instant that we receive God's Spirit! Christ said: "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life." (John 5:24, NLT)

Getting back to Ehrman, what is his thesis about Christ's views and teachings about the afterlife? He wrote: "Jesus did not teach that when a person died they would go to heaven or hell. He taught that the Day of Judgment was soon to come, when God would destroy all that is evil and raise the dead, to punish the wicked and reward the faithful by bringing them into his eternal, utopian kingdom." Now, that will come as a surprise to many of my more traditionally minded Christian friends; but it would probably also come as quite a shock to some of my Armstrongist friends. "Where does Lonnie stand on this issue?" I think that Ehrman is right and that most traditional Christians and Armstrongists do NOT really understand the nature of what Jesus believed and taught about the afterlife.

According to the Gospels, Jesus of Nazareth believed in and taught about the resurrection of the dead. In the Synoptic Gospels, there is a story about Christ being confronted by the Sadducees with a question about the concept of a resurrection (Matthew 22:23-30, Mark 12:18-25, Luke 20:27-36). After dealing with their challenge, all three gospel accounts inform us that Christ said something along these lines: "But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So, he is the God of the living, not the dead." (Matthew 22:31-32, Mark 12:26-27, Luke 20:37-38, NLT) Even so, there is probably no more succinct statement of Christ's beliefs about the resurrection than one found in the Gospel of John. We read there that Jesus said: "I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment." (John 5:25-29, NLT)

Moreover, Paul believed and taught the very same thing! In the famous "Resurrection Chapter" of his letter to the saints at Corinth, we read: "But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless." (I Corinthians 15:12-14, NLT) Paul then reassured them that their faith was well-placed and began to explain exactly how the resurrection will work. He wrote: "But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back." (I Corinthians 15:20-23, NLT) 

Absolutely NOTHING about going to heaven or hell when we die! But where did this notion originate? It is too simplistic to say that we inherited it from Plato and Virgil (although they certainly popularized these notions). No, it is more accurate to say that these notions about punishments and rewards and going to heaven or hell upon death arose from our own flawed human reasoning and sense of justice. "God wouldn't allow us to lose consciousness or have to wait for hundreds or thousands of years after our death - would he?" Continuing with this line of thinking, "God wouldn't simply annihilate sinners and grant eternal life to the righteous, would he? How is that fair and just? Don't murderers, rapists, and child molesters deserve to be tormented? Don't the righteous deserve a paradise with lots of good food, drink, and companionship waiting on the other side? In other words, isn't the Christ - Paul formula just a little bit boring and too easy?" Of course, we could throw a few questions back in the other direction as well. Is it really fair to punish someone for all of eternity for sins spread out over a brief human lifespan?

Now, having said all of that, Scripture does seem to point to some kind of interim state between death and the resurrection. In the book of Ecclesiastes, we quoted a passage which also seems appropriate here: "Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, NLT) Likewise, we know that Saul is said to have consulted the ghost of Samuel (I Samuel 28:7-25). We are also informed in the book of Revelation: "When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?' Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them." (Revelation 6:9-11, NLT) What does this interim state entail? As Scripture is silent on the subject, anything I offered here would be pure speculation.

What's the point of all of this? We can believe whatever we choose to believe. We can follow Dante into hell? We can visit the Elysian Fields. Imagination is a beautiful thing! But please, let's not fool ourselves that our fantasies are supported by Scripture or reflect the teachings of Christ and his apostles! Moreover, for those who profess to follow Christ, wouldn't it make sense to embrace what he believed and taught about the afterlife? Just asking.😊

 

Are You Giving Thanks to Ceres or God?

My friend, xHWA, has been posting a great series of posts on Samhain over at the blog As Bereans Did. As my readers know, this blog has pushed back on an unfortunate phenomenon which began during the Protestant Reformation - a claim that has been advanced by certain over-zealous and mostly well-meaning folks that most of the holidays we celebrate are rooted in pagan practices of the past. And, as xHWA and others have pointed out, most of these claims are based in whimsy and apophenia (seeing connections or patterns in data which do NOT exist and consequently lead to false conclusions).

Now, while this phenomenon has focused more on traditional holidays (like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween), there are a few rabid individuals who have even attempted to paint the American Thanksgiving holiday with this pagan brush! Don't think so? Try typing "pagan origins of Thanksgiving" into your search engine and see what happens!

My Bing Copilot picked up this: "Thanksgiving has roots in ancient pagan harvest festivals, reflecting traditions of gratitude and celebration of the harvest season." It continued:

Historical Context

Thanksgiving, as celebrated in the United States, is often traced back to the 1621 feast shared by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. However, the concept of giving thanks for the harvest predates this event and is deeply rooted in various pagan traditions. Many ancient cultures held harvest festivals to honor their deities and celebrate the abundance of the season.

Pagan Harvest Festivals

Cerelia: In ancient Rome, the festival of Cerelia was dedicated to Ceres, the goddess of agriculture and grain. This festival celebrated the harvest and involved various rituals and feasting, similar to modern Thanksgiving practices. 

Lughnasadh and Samhain: The Gaelic Celts celebrated Lughnasadh around August 1st, marking the beginning of the harvest season, and Samhain on November 1st, which signified the end of the harvest. These festivals included feasting and community gatherings, reflecting the themes of gratitude and abundance. 

Harvest Home: In Britain, the tradition of Harvest Home evolved from pagan customs, where communities would celebrate the completion of the harvest with feasts and festivities. This practice continued even after the Christianization of the region, blending pagan and Christian elements. 

The information was then summarized by noting paganism's "Influence on Modern Thanksgiving:"

The modern Thanksgiving celebration incorporates many elements from these ancient harvest festivals. The act of gathering with family and friends to give thanks for the harvest mirrors the communal feasting of past cultures. While Thanksgiving is now a secular holiday, its roots in pagan traditions highlight the universal human practice of celebrating abundance and expressing gratitude.

In summary, while Thanksgiving is often viewed through a contemporary lens, its origins are intertwined with ancient pagan customs that celebrated the harvest and the changing seasons. These traditions have shaped the way we observe Thanksgiving today, emphasizing gratitude and community.

Google's AI Overview offered much of the same information. Their lead paragraph read:

Thanksgiving has roots in ancient pagan harvest celebrations from various cultures, which honored the earth's bounty through feasting and rituals. Examples include the Roman Cerelia festival for the harvest goddess Ceres and the Celtic Harvest Home, which featured parades and feasts for the final harvest. Modern Paganism, specifically Neopaganism, observes a similar celebration called Mabon, which marks the autumnal equinox with feasting and gratitude for the harvest. 

"Well, they must be right! Thanksgiving is nothing but a pagan celebration to honor Ceres! True Christians shouldn't be partaking in this pagan holiday!" If that was your reaction, you may want to examine the AI sources behind these statements.

The actual history of this celebration is drilled into every school-aged child in America! Most Americans will tell you that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians in the fall of 1621. Surprisingly, many of them will also be able to tell you that Abraham Lincoln was the first president to make it an official national holiday. In other words, the genesis of the holiday is clearly found among a group of Christian people who wanted to give thanks to God for their survival and a bountiful harvest at the conclusion of their first year on this continent. The truth is that these humble folks didn't have a pagan thought in their heads at the time!

It is my hope that in pointing out just how absurd this notion about pagan origins can be - that it will give some of my Armstrong Church of God and Jehovah's Witnesses brethren some pause about our other holidays which have been painted with this brush. The real truth is that almost all of our current holiday traditions were founded in the Christian era and do NOT have pagan origins. The fact that pagans observed harvest festivals devoted to their gods and goddesses does not mean that we borrowed our celebration from them. If anything, this entire exercise should generate a little intellectual curiosity. and a willingness to dig a little deeper and engage our brains in some good old critical thinking and common sense! What do you think?

A Message for Today?

In the latest installment of his Wall Watchers program, Bill Watson stated that the first chapter of Isaiah applies to the United States in our day! According to him, the United States is the modern representative of ancient Israel, and Isaiah's message is a warning for our people. Pastor Watson believes that these Old Testament prophecies have dual applications - one for ancient times and one for modern times. And, as the name he has chosen for his new program indicates, Watson believes that he is a watcher on the wall in the tradition of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 33:1-9). Is Bill right?

In the first chapter of Isaiah, we read: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." (Verse 1, ESV) Notice that this is Isaiah's vision, NOT Bill's - NOT mine - NOT yours. Notice too, that his vision concerned JUDAH and JERUSALEM during the reigns of four of the ancient kings of Judah. In other words, the first verse clearly laid out whose vision was being recorded and for whom it was intended! Note too, that even if Bill was right about the United States and Israel, that this prophecy was NOT for Israel, Samaria, or Israel's leaders.

Moreover, if we bother to read ALL of the rest of this chapter of Isaiah, it becomes very clear that this was intended for a people living under the terms of God's covenant with the Israelites (Old Covenant - Torah). Later in this chapter, we read: "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?' says the Lord; 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them." (Isaiah 1:11-14, ESV) Just to be clear, the people of the United States have NEVER followed these tenets of God's covenant with Israel - NOT AT ANYTIME IN THEIR ENTIRE HISTORY AS A NATION!

Finally, for those who actually suffered through Bill's presentation, you may be wondering why the pastor spent so much time talking about immigration, Islam's influence, and homosexuality. Bill reads: "Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners" (verse 7) and thinks immigration. It apparently never occurred to him that Isaiah might be talking about Assyria's invasion of Israel and Judah which happened during King Hezekiah's reign! Likewise, Bill reads: "If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!" and thinks homosexuality! Once again, it appears that Bill doesn't see the obviously intended comparison between the rulers and people of Judah and the rulers of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And, just for the record, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah was about a whole lot more than the attempted homosexual gang rape of two angels (see Ezekiel 16:49-50). Now, as Mohammed hadn't even been born yet, I leave my readers to speculate about how Bill came up with a connection to Islam.

NO, Bill! The first chapter of Isaiah is NOT a message for our day! In fact, it has NOTHING to do with the United States, the Christian era, or the Twenty-first Century! That's a big swing and a miss - commonly known as "STRIKE ONE!" 

Unity

Psalm 133

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

1 How wonderful and pleasant it is

    when brothers live together in harmony!

2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil

    that was poured over Aaron’s head,

    that ran down his beard

    and onto the border of his robe.

3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon

    that falls on the mountains of Zion.

And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,

    even life everlasting.

New Living Translation