10 Questions For Response Or Serious Reflection on The Part of Those Who Believe in theImmortality of Soul
Prof. Azenilto G. Brito
1st. - Why, when comforting the bereaved Lazarus' sisters, Jesus didn't mention that he was enjoying the heavenly bliss, but referred to them the hope of the future resurrection--John 11:17-27?
Note.: He also used the metaphor of sleep, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. . ."
2nd. - Why did Jesus say to His followers that He would go up "to prepare a place" for them, but His emphasis on the occupation of these abodes is the moment of His final encounter with them when He return the second time, not when they were dying and their souls showed up in heaven to occupy them (John 14:1-3)?
3rd. - Why both Christ and Paul (Matt. 24:30; 1 Tess. 4:16) stress that the dead ones will rise as they hear the voice of the archangel and the divine trumpet, being "raised" from the death sleep, but their souls supposedly come down from wherever they've been (heaven, hell, purgatory) to reincorporate, so they are well awaked and don't need any sound effect to wake up?
4th. - When Jesus brought Lazarus out of his tomb, after His friend was dead for four days, did He bring him from heaven, hell or purgatory? If it was from heaven, He did a bad thing, bringing him back to suffer on this planet. If it was from hell (improbable because he was a follower of Jesus), He granted him a second opportunity for salvation, which is an antibiblical teaching.
5th. - Where is it said that the lake of fire, which occur on the Earth's surface (Rev. 20: 9, 14, 15), is tranferred to another part of the universe, where it goes on burning, when the immediate context says that soon after the second death action, the prophet saw "a new heaven and a new earth . . . and there was no more any sea" (Rev. 21:1)?
6th. - Why doesn't Paul, as he discusses specifically, in 1 Corinthians 15, how will be the final encounter of all the redeemed ones with the Savior, never mention souls descending from heaven, or from wherever they might be in, to reincorporate?
7th. - In 1 Corinthians 15:16-18 Paul says clearly that, were not for the resurrection of the dead--confirmed and guaranteed by Christ's own Resurrection--"those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost". Why are they lost, since they were supposed to be safe with their souls in heaven?
8th. - Doesn't Paul confirm in 1 Corinthians 15:32 what he said in vs. 16-18, stressing that he risked his life fighting with wild beasts, implying that if he died he also would be lost?
Note:: He comments, "Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die", meaning that if the resurrection hope was not real, then we could at least have some fun in this life. . .
9th. - Why doesn't Paul say to the Thessalonians they shouldn't mourn for their loved one since they were already enjoying the heavenly bliss, but highlights that they were "sleeping" and would be awakened when the resurrection occurred (see 1 Tess. 4:13-18)?
Note: At the end he recommends: "Encourage each other with these words" (vs. 18). The encouragement stems from the promise of the resurrection, not from the fact that the souls of their dear ones were in heaven.
10th. - Why does Job speak of his hope to see his Redeemer "in my flesh", when He at the end time "will stand upon the Earth", rather than that he would see Him when his soul went to heaven (see Job 19:25,26,27)?
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Note: Bible quotations from the New International Version.
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