Die Wahrheit über den Tod
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LEKTION 15: DIE WAHRHEIT üBER DEN TOD
King Saul of Israel had been cornered.
The vast army of the Philistines had assembled to attack his small remaining troops.
If only the great prophet Samuel – who guided Saul to the throne of Israel – was still alive,
he might have been able to inquire of him what he must do.
But Samuel had passed away a few years ago.
The apostate old king desperately sought guidance from other prophets and priests.
When he was young, Saul was close to the Lord,
but after he ascended the throne, he grew ever more cruel and proud,
and eventually murdered an entire village of the Lord’s priests,
persistently rebelling against His Word.
And now in dire distress, the Lord no longer answered him.
Thus Saul said to his servants:
“Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her.” [09] I Samuel 28:7.
Despite the fact that the Lord had plainly declared
that His people are never to inquire of those with familiar spirits, ([03] Leviticus 19:31; 20:27),
Saul no longer cared what He commanded.
Upon finding a witch in Endor,
who claimed to have the power to communicate with the dead,
the king disguised himself and went to her.
He requested her: “Bring me up Samuel.” [09] I Samuel 28:11.
The witch started to cast her spell,
and a shadow emerged, claiming to be the prophet Samuel,
and to nobody’s surprise, accurately predicted the inevitable doom of Saul and all his three sons on the battlefield the next day.
Question: who actually was it that was talking to Saul through the witch,
that the Lord forbids His people to inquire of?
Was it really the soul of Samuel His prophet, or was it a demon in disguise?
1. What is a “soul” made of?
[01] Genesis 2:7 And YHWH God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.
Very simple. Dust + breath of life = living soul.
A body of organic matter, plus the breath of life from God, equals a living soul.
A person’s soul is his entire being (body included),
not some immaterial ghost that the person has,
capable of flying off and going to places after death.
2. What happens when someone dies?
[21] Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
A person’s spirit (ruach) is that breath of life.
Death is simply the reverse of the creation of life:
the spirit returns to God, and is kept there, while the body rots back into dust.
What about the soul? It simply ceases to exist (die) on the spot.
Until the Lord returns and resurrects the dead,
they won’t be able to fly away anywhere in spirit form.
The “soul” is DEAD, and the “spirit” has already returned to God.
3. What about the “spirit” that returns to God upon death? Does it still retain awareness and can still know what’s going on? Can it come back and converse with the living?
[21] Ecclesiastes 9: 5, 6, 10 The living know that they shall die:
but the dead know not any thing…
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished…
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 thou goest.
[18] Job 7:10 He shall return no more to his house,
neither shall his place know him any more.
[19] Psalm 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.
[19] Psalm 6:5 In death there is no remembrance of Thee:
in the grave who shall give Thee thanks?
[19] Psalm 115:17 The dead praise not YHWH,
neither any that go down into silence.
[23] Isaiah 38:18 The grave cannot praise Thee,
death can not celebrate Thee.
NO! The Bible is too clear and there are too many passages all unanimously declaring
that a dead person cannot do or know anything that is happening anymore.
4. What is the term the Bible often uses to refer to death?
[04] John 11:11, 14 Our friend Lazarus sleepeth… Lazarus is dead.
[05] Acts 7:59-60 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying,
Lord JESUS, receive my spirit.
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.
The Bible often uses “sleep” to describe death.
Death is just a completely unconscious state,
in which one second or one thousand years are the same.
The dead simply “sleep” in the tomb
until the Lord shall raise them up when He shall come.
The doctrine teaching that the souls of the dead become some kind of angels in heaven,
or some righteous ghosts that can be communicated with, is completely unbiblical.
5. What was the first lie that the Devil used to deceive mankind into sin, starting with Eve?
[01] Genesis 3:4 Ye shall not surely die.
If after someone dies, that person shall continue to exist as a ghost,
Satan obviously was telling the truth here.
Meanwhile, God had said very clearly about the forbidden fruit:
“in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” ([01] Genesis 2:17).
Eventually, who turned out to be the liar? God?!
6. Where are the dead now then?
[05] Acts 2:29, 34 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day…
For David is not ascended into the heavens.
[01] Genesis 3:19 for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
[04] John 5:28, 29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming,
in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth;
they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
[04] John 12:48 The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
[13] I Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
All the dead have returned to the dust, and are in the graves (or wherever their bodies are).
The righteous dead like king David have not yet ascended to Heaven,
the wicked dead have not yet been thrown to Hell,
because they have to wait until the day of Judgment to be resurrected and rewarded accordingly.
7. What about the thief crucified next to JESUS?
Didn’t the Lord say to him: “Verily I say unto you, today you will be with me in Paradise” in [03] Luke 23:43?
[04] John 20:17 JESUS saith unto her, Touch me not;
for I am not yet ascended to my Father.
How could JESUS have been to Paradise on Friday when He died,
if on Sunday morning when He rose from the dead, in the garden of His tomb,
He still told Mary that He has not yet ascended to His Father?!
Note that according to [27] Revelation 2:7, Heaven and Paradise are one and the same!
Then, how do we make of JESUS’s statement addressing the dying thief on Friday afternoon:
“Verily I say unto you, today you will be with me in Paradise“?
The answer will be clear immediately when we take into account
THE ABSENCE OF ALL PUNCTUATION MARKS IN GREEK, the original language of the New Testament.
This language has no comma, period, etc… whatsoever!
All the punctuation marks we see on translations of other languages were added by translators,
in the places where they think the marks should be,
to make the sentences make sense.
And behold how a single misplaced comma can change the meaning of the entire sentence!
The Lord’s statement in [03] Luke 23:43 should have been read:
“Verily I say unto you today, you will be with me in Paradise.”
With the comma placed AFTER the word “today” instead of before it.
That is what the Lord meant.
One day, that thief who repented in the last hour,
along with all those who have sincerely believed in Christ,
will receive the promise of everlasting life and get to be with JESUS in Paradise,
but that day is NOT the Friday when he died.
8. Who holds the key of death and the grave?
[27] Revelation 1:17-18 Fear not; I am the first and the last,
and he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;
and have the keys of hell and of death.
The one that God has given to hold the power over life and death is the Lord JESUS Christ.
Even Satan is unable to raise the dead up.
Let alone the necromancers, the witches with familiar spirits, etc… are all mortal sinners,
even if Satan grants them his demonic power,
in no way can they raise the dead up to talk with them.
9. Who are the ghosts of the dead then?
[27] Revelation 16:14 They are the spirits of devils, working miracles.
Obviously. If all the dead, including the saints, the apostles, and even Mary the mother of JESUS,
are in the grave in a state of total unconsciousness, not knowing anything,
then all the ghosts that bear their faces, no matter how shiny they are,
can only be demons in disguise.
Be noted that these demons lurk and spy on you and your relatives daily.
So don’t be surprised if they manage to know even some secrets that only you and some deceased family members know,
and then use this information to persuade you that they are them when they are not,
thus gaining your confidence, and then seek to lead you astray afterward by lies contrary to the Word of God.
The necromancers and witches, thought to possess supernatural power over these demons,
in reality are nothing more than their powerless pawns,
being deceived and used by them, to be made their tools without knowing.
The Truth about Death exposes one of the cheapest deceptions of Satan,
along with the method that he uses to deceive and destroy countless people on earth.
10. Why does Satan want us to believe that the dead continue to exist as ghosts?
[01] Matthew 24;24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
[15] I Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
[05] Deuteronomy 18:10-12 There shall not be found among you
any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,
or that useth divination, or an observer of times,
or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer,
or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
For all that do these things are an abomination unto YHWH.
Now that we understand all signs and wonders and supernatural power
can only come either from the Lord or from Satan,
it is not hard to see why the Lord strictly prohibited His children from having anything to do
with these activities of spiritual fornication with demons, mentioned above.
Worshiping and communicating with the dead
are in fact worshiping and communicating with the very demons
who are posing themselves as these dead people.
In the picture: “the virgin Mary” appeared unto three children in Fatima, 1917. Who is this really? Mary, or a demon posing as her?
Satan wants men to believe that the dead continue to exist as ghosts
so that his demons can impersonate dead relatives, saints, prophets, renowned leaders of old,
and he himself can pose as “an angel of light” ([08] II Corinthians 11:13-15)
and deceive millions, even billions at a time.
The act of inquiring these unclean spirits is based on a belief with 2 parts:
(1) the dead still live on as ghosts,
and (2) these ghosts can contact us, or we can contact them.
This is one of the most dangerous heresy of Satan, that almost the entire world is believing in.
The witch of Endor did not manage to evoke Samuel at all, only a demon posing as Samuel.
{Ellen G White, Spirit of Prophecy vol. 4, 405.2}
“Spiritualism is now changing its form,
veiling some of its more objectionable and immoral features,
and assuming a Christian guise.
Formerly it denounced Christ and the Bible; now it professes to accept both.
The Bible is interpreted in a manner that is attractive to the unrenewed heart,
while its solemn and vital truths are made of no effect.
A God of love is presented;
BUT HIS JUSTICE, HIS DENUNCIATIONS OF SIN,
THE REQUIREMENTS OF HIS HOLY LAW,
ARE ALL KEPT OUT OF SIGHT.
Pleasing, bewitching fables captivate the senses of those
who do not make God’s word the foundation of their faith.
Christ is as verily rejected as before;
but Satan has so blinded the eyes of the people that the deception is not discerned.”
11. Is obeying the Lord to not worship dead parents and dead ancestors an act of filial impiety,
as many taoists in Eastern countries would accuse?
[06] Romans 1:21-22 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
Not at all. If that were true, only a few Eastern nations
that have this tradition of worshiping the dead would have “filial piety”,
while the rest of the world, including the Jewish and Western countries,
are all endorsing filial impiety.
Worshiping dead ancestors is merely one EXPRESSION of filial piety
according to the vain and false opinion of man,
that they made up and heap upon true filial piety.
It is not the pure and original filial piety that the Creator taught:
pay attention to loving your parents while they are still yet alive,
don’t wait until they are dead to make up farces that can in no way reach them.
Farces that are not limited to worship services for the dead alone,
but started even from their funerals onwards.
{Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, 427.2}
‘In modern times the funeral services of a man of high position
are often made the occasion of ostentatious and extravagant display.
When Aaron died, one of the most illustrious men that ever lived,
there were only two of his nearest friends to witness his death and to attend his burial.
And that lonely grave upon Mount Hor was forever hidden from the sight of Israel.
God is not honored in the great display so often made over the dead,
and the extravagant expense incurred in returning their bodies to the dust.’
All the superstitious nonsense revolving around the dead
was even made up by none other than the very people
who had treated their parents with contempt while they were still alive.
It is not until they are dead, that these people, filled with shame and regret,
combined with ignorance and self-deception, made up all these vain rituals.
No. In fact, the very act of bravely facing the truth
that once our parents are gone, there will be nothing that we can do for them,
would force us into the realization that we must love them NOW when they are still alive.
Once our parents are dead,
there will be no incense, no food offering, no drink offering, no money offering that can reach them.
None of the good deeds that we do can alter their already-decided fate either.
NOW is the time to love our parents.
NOW is the time to care for them.
NOW is the time to urge them to Christ – if they have not yet surrendered to Him –
to receive from Him salvation and the right to live with us their children in life everlasting.
I would not hesitate to state my opinion clearly,
as a Vietnamese born in a taoist family who worshiped dead ancestors:
whosoever parents that do not acquaint themselves with the Lord,
who have had the truth presented to them so clearly
to the point that they themselves can not gainsay,
yet still obstinately choose their own sinful course
and refuse to receive salvation to live forever with their children,
are in fact loving their own sins MORE than loving their own children.
On the day of Judgment, these very parents will have to answer to their saved children
for the crime of taking away their joy of living with their parents in the eternal kingdom of the Lord.
12. Realizing the Truth about Death plainly declared in the Bible,
are you ready to turn away from all such activities as inquiring the dead, worshiping the dead,
and all doctrines of devils that they communicated to mankind through the times they were posing as the dead?
Appendix
I. [04] John 10:17-18 – Did JESUS resurrect Himself, or did His Father raise Him up?
Those who believe in the trinity doctrine often taught
that JESUS is the second person of the trinity had come back to life on his own (?!),
based on a few verses in [04] John 10:17-18:
“Therefore doth my Father love me,
because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.
I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”
But the Truth about Death reveals plainly that Lord JESUS while He was in the tomb,
like all the other dead, was completely unconscious while He was dead,
so JESUS cannot be the one that resurrected Himself.
This truth thus crushes the trinity doctrine right on this point also,
because if God is a trinity, then God has resurrected God at the tomb of God.
But the truth is obviously not so.
The Bible plainly declared in so many passages that JESUS, the Son of God,
had been resurrected by the Only True God, His Father.
Read [07] I Corinthians 6:14, [08] II Corinthians 4:14, [10] Ephesians 1:20, [05] Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:10, 5:30, 10:40…
and many, many, many other verses.
So what about this verse [04] John 10:18,
what did JESUS mean when He said:
“I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again”?
The answer is simple once we understand the Truth about Death:
with his spotless sinless life, Christ has the RIGHT to be brought back to life
even if He allows the wicked sinners to murder Him.
The original Greek text confirms this as well:
the word that was translated as “power” here is “right/authority”, instead of “power”.
II. [21] I Peter 3:19 “By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison”, what does it mean?
This is one of the verses that are deemed to be somewhat hard-to-be-understood.
But it will be easily understood once we determine the meaning of the 4 main phases:
“by which”, “the spirits”, “in prison” and “preach”.
First off, what does “by which” refer to?
Take a look at the end of verse 18 right above it:
“quicken by the Spirit”, we know the “which” here is the resurrection of Christ.
Secondly, “the spirits”.
This term is never used to refer to human beings in the Bible,
but spiritual beings, like the Holy Spirit of God,
or His angels – the ministering spirits, or the demons – unclean spirits.
Thirdly, “in prison”, we can find the explanation in [22] II Peter 2:4
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned,
but cast them down to Tartarus,
and delivered them into chains of darkness,
to be reserved unto judgment,”
combined with the above meaning of the term “the spirits”,
we can identify “the spirits in prison” as the fallen angels, Lucifer and his evil angels.
Lastly, the term that is translated as “preach”, simply means “to proclaim”.
In other words, this verse can be understood as:
“By the resurrection by the Spirit, He also went and proclaimed unto the demons in prison.”
By His resurrection, Christ has declared unto Lucifer and all his demons the decided message:
their doom is determined, Christ has won.
As stated by Ellen White, it is:
“When JESUS was laid in the grave, Satan triumphed.
He dared to hope that the Saviour would not take up His life again.
He claimed the Lord’s body, and set his guard about the tomb, seeking to hold Christ a prisoner.
He was bitterly angry when his angels fled at the approach of the heavenly messenger.
When he saw Christ come forth in triumph,
he knew that his kingdom would have an end,
and that he must finally die.”
{Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages, 782.4}
III. AFTER DEATH TRUTH: What the Bible Reveals about Near-Death Experiences
The Truth about Death begs a very interesting question: what about those who had a near-death experience and survived,
and relate many wonderful scences and dreams to us during the time they were supposedly dead?
On the “setting” gear symbol at the corner of the video screen, you can adjust your subtitles to your preference.
In the next lesson, we will study about Heaven, especially its political model.
Because recently there has been an increase in the amount of people
who mistakenly identify the Kingdom of God to be some sort of democracy,
where the people have the right to unite together
to vote for laws that sanction abominable practices, such as homosexual marriage.
A “misunderstanding” that needs to be thoroughly cleared by Bible Truth.
Click “next” to advance to the lesson.
