Dead Has No String for the Christian

This study is about Christians who gave their lives for Christ, and a brief glimpse of their souls in Heaven.  Jesus spoke of death as being asleep, we know that the soul never dies; however, our mortal body sleeps until the resurrection of that great day.

The Apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:6 that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” Obviously he was speaking of the death of the mortal body.  At death there comes a separation of the mortal body, the soul, our conscious self and the spirit. 

Genesis 3:19 states “From the dust you came and unto the dust you shall return.”  The spirit returns to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:17. When Jesus died on the cross He called out with a loud voice “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.”  When He had spoken this, He breathed his last.– Luke 23:46.  The time came when the beggar (Lazarus) died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. Luke 16:22.Jesus, on the cross. told one of the men who was also being crucified with him that today you will be with me in paradise  Luke 23:43.  

In studying the scriptures it seems that the spirit is the force that binds the soul and the body together.  When the spirit leaves the body the body immediately dies.  If the person is a Christian, the angels carries the soul into God’s presence, whereby a fiery chariot like Elijah or in the arms of angels I do not know.  This is what Paul was speaking of in 2 Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  Psalm 115:15  “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.”  Psalm 23 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” 

Even though our mortal body is asleep in the grave and our soul is in awake in Heaven, the two will be united at the resurrection of the dead at Jesus’ return.1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.  They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”  Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.  Revelation      6:9-11.

No doubt these souls had just been killed and were crying out to God for justice.   There seems to be no memory of things on earth when we are in heaven. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.  Isaiah 65:17. These souls had a short time to pray to God before they were given white robes and told to rest.  It seems possible that we have a short time to intercede for our loved ones before we get the white robes and enter our eternal rest.  These martyred souls were under the golden alter.  The golden alter may be the gateway through which we enter Heaven.

15:1-4  I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.  And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.  Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.  Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name?  For you alone are holy.  All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.

It is my understanding that these were the martyrs that were under the golden altar. The Lord has answered their prayers and given them harps along with white robes.    No doubt they have a very special reward.

When Stephen was being stoned to death, he prayed to God “forgive them for they don’t know what they do”.  A young man by the name of Saul was consenting to his death.  Saul, when on his way to Damacus to persecute the Christians, was struck down by a light from Heaven.  God answered Stephen’s prayer and saved Paul who became the great apostle to the gentiles.

"Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." Hebrew 9:27  “…each person's work will be tested by fire on the Day of Judgment. If a person's work survives the test, they will receive a reward, but if their work is burned up, they will suffer loss, though they themselves will be saved.“  Some believe this judgement will occur immediately after death while I believe it will occur after the first resurrection (Rapture).  The seventh trumpet is the last trumpet Revelation 11:18 “…the time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small—.”

I realize some of my commentary is highly speculative but test it by the scriptures.

Bobbyrayreider.com for the text of this commentary

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