The Greatest Questions in the Bible Lesson 2
May 18th, 2008
- The Greatest Questions in the Bible Lesson 1
- The Greatest Questions in the Bible Lesson 2
- The Greatest Questions in the Bible Lesson 3
- The Greatest Questions in the Bible Lesson 4
- The Greatest Questions in the Bible Lesson 5
- The Greatest Questions in the Bible Lesson 6
- The Greatest Questions of the Bible Lesson 7
If a man dies, shall he live again ?
In the midst of his suffering , Job answers one of the most profound questions ever asked.
Job 14:13 “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. 15 You shall call, and I will answer You; NKJV
There is no denying the apparent and seeming finality of the grave.
Eccl 12:6 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. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. NLT
Desk Encyclopedia
CICERO, Marcus Tullius (106‑43 BC), Roman orator, statesman and philosopher. Cicero made an exhaustive study of the question “ if a man die will he live again?” Cicero found among all peoples in the Roman Empire that regardless of their religion, they all believed in an after life.
The hope of an after life is revealed in the Bible as an anchor to the soul.
Heb 6:16 Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. 17 God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. 18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. NLT
The question of all ages is, “ is this present life all there is? ” Although Job could not completely understand it, he knew that there is more.
Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! NKJV
What of Enoch, who crossed over to the after life without tasting death ?
Gen 5:21 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived 365 years, 24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. NLT
Heb 11:5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—”he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. NLT
Enoch even prophesied about end time events which he saw in a vision . Adam and Enoch were alive at the same time. Enoch was about 280 years old at the time of the vision.
Jude 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” NKJV
Elijah left the natural world and entered into the spirit world without experiencing death.
2 Kings 2:9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. NKJV
Daniel gives us another answer to “ if a man die ,will he live again? ”
Dan 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life,Some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. NKJV
The Apostle sums up his answer to our question.
2 Tim 1: 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. NKJV
A man who was not ready to pass over from this life to the after life.
Luke 16:19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him,’They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him,’If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” NKJV
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