A. the Origin of Death

1. THE COMMENTARY ON DEATH

A. The Origin Of Death

a. The wages of sin is death. (Rom 6:23; 5:12)

b. God said: “For in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” (Gen 2:17)

c. And just as it is appointed for men to die once, for everyone has sinned. (Rom 3:23; Heb 9:27)

B. The Kinds Of Death

a. Physical death (there is a total cessation in bodily activity):

1. When the spirit departs from the body, the body is dead. (Jas 2:26)

 The son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:21-22)  Lord Jesus (Jn 19:30)  Stephen (Acts 7:59)

2. The body is formed out of dust, and upon death it would return to dust. (Gen 3:19; Job 34:14-15)

b. Spiritual death (the spirit is separated from God) (Isa 59:2):

1. The day when the forefather ate the fruit, his spirit died (Gen 2:17)

2. Death as a result of sin (Eph 2:1; Jn 8:24)

3. Although the sinner lives, he is dead in the sight of God (Mt 8:22; 1 Jn 3:14)

c. The everlasting death (the second death) – separated eternally from the glory of God (2 Thess 1:9):

1. Thrown into the lake of fire for eternal punishment, this is the second death. (Rev 20:14)

2. The lake of fire and brimstone was prepared for the devil. (Mt 25:41; Rev 20:10)

3. Those who obey the devil will suffer the second death. (Rev 21:8; Mt 25:41)

 There, there would not be any chances for repentance. (Lk 16:24-26; Heb 10:26, 27)

C. Christ Jesus Wants To Deliver Us From Death (Heb 2:14, 15)

a. Christ suffered death for us, He tasted the spiritual and physical death – punishment (Heb 2:9, 14; Rom 5:6-8)

b. He overcame death and resurrected on the third day. (2 Tim 1:10; Rev 1:18)

c. For those who are baptised their sins would be forgiven and their spiritual life revived. (Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3-11; Col 2:12)

d. Those who rely in the Lord to remain pure would have eternal life and would not suffer the second death. (Rev 20:6, 21:7-8) 1 e. When the Lord comes for the second time, those who were dead would be resurrected and put on spiritual bodies to enjoy everlasting happiness (1 Cor 15:50-54; 2 Cor 5:1-4).

2. INTERMEDIATRY STAGE - FROM DEATH TO RESERRUCTION

A. The Place For The Righteous After Their Death

a. The Lord said:”….today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43)

b. “Paradise” refers to the third heaven (2 Cor 12:2-4)

c. The Lord said that Lazarus was brought by the angel to the bosom of Abraham. (Lk 16:22; ref 13:28)

d. The Lord said: “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!”. (Lk 23:46)

e. Stephen said:” Lord Jesus receive my spirit’. (Acts 7:59)

f. Paul said that he wanted to depart from the world and be with Christ. (Phil 1:23; 2 Cor 5:8)

g. The souls of the justified would enter the city of the living God. (Heb 12:22-23)

h. And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Eccl 12:7)

B. The Place For The Wicked After Their Death

a. The souls of those who did not believe during the period of Noah are now kept in the prison. (1 Pet 3:19-20)

b. “…..and to keep the righteousness under punishment until the Day of Judgment”. (2 Pet 2:9)

c. After the death of the rich man he was tormented in Hades. (Lk 16:22-23)

d. God will not abandon His (Lord’s) spirit in Hades (Acts 2:27, 31). The Lord went down to Hades for the sake of our sins.

e. Death and Hades gave up the dead in them. (Rev 20:13)

f. God did not spare the angels when they sinned but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the Day of Judgment. (2 Pet 2:4)

g. And the angels that did not keep their own position, the Lord chained them in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day. (Jude 6)

3. WILL THERE STILL BE ANY SENSATION AFTER ONE DIES?

A. Biblical verses showing that there will still be sensation

a. Paul said that it was “far better” to depart from the world and be with Christ. (Phil 1:23)

b. “…whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” (1Thess 5:10)

2 c. Lazarus rested in the bosom of Abraham and “was comforted” (Lk 16:22, 25)

d. The spirits of just men made perfect, will be in the heavenly Jerusalem with the Lord and the angels (Heb 12:22-24)

e. Moses and Elijah once appeared to talk to Jesus. (Mt 17:1-3)

f. The rich man suffered in Hades. (Lk 16:22-25)

g. The unrighteous were left under punishment to wait for the Day of Judgment. (2 Pet 2:9, refer Heb 10:26-27)

B. Biblical verses showing that there will not be any sensation after death:

a. After Stephen had said these words, he “fell asleep”. (Acts 7:60)

b. Concerning those who are “asleep”. (1 Thess 4:13-14)

c. We shall not all “sleep”, but we shall all be changed. (1 Cor 15:51)

d. * The “sleep” mentioned in the above verses refers to the death of the physical body and not to the spirit sleeping.

e. “….but the dead know nothing…”. (Eccl 9:5)

f. “For in death, there is no remembrance of you, in the grave who will give you thanks?” (Ps 6:5)

g. “… let then go dumbfounded to Sheol…” (Ps 31:17)

 The dead cannot return to the world:

a. David said that his son would not return to him. (2 Sam 12:23)

b. The appearance of Samuel was the work of the devil. (1 Sam 28:8-19)

c. The appearance of Moses and Elijah was an exceptional case. (Mt 17:3)

 The dead would not have the chance for repentance:

a. There was a great gulf between the rich man and Lazarus. It was not possible to go from one side to the other. (Lk 16:25-26)

b. It would be too late to repent when the Lord comes. (Lk 13:22-27; Mt 25:10)

4. CONCERNING HELL

A. The word ‘hell’ is mentioned eleven times in the New Testament

 The Alexandrian Version Septuagint translated the Hebrew word “Sheol” meaning ‘grave’ to ‘hell’ a territory of death (Gen 37:35) without demarcation or distinction to separate the righteous from the wicked. They can be found in the following verses in the New Testament:

a. Capernaum should be brought down to Hades. (Mt 11:23; Lk 10:15)

3 b. God would not abandon His (Jesus) soul to Hades. (Acts 2:27, 31)

c. The rich man was tormented in Hades. (Lk 16:23)

d. “ O grave “ (death: as being translated in the ancient text) “Where is thy sting? “ (1 Cor 15:55)

e. The Lord held the keys to Hades. (Rev 1:18)

f. “Hades” followed him. (Rev 6:8)

g. Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. (Rev 20:13)

h. Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:14)

i. The power of death shall not prevail against it. (Mt 16:18)

 The word “Hades” has the following definition:

1. Generally, it refers to “the grave”. (Acts 2:27, 31; 1 Cor 15:55; Rev 1:18, 6:8)

2. It specially refers to where the wicked will go after death. (Lk 16:23; Rev 20:14)

3. It generally refers to “death” or specifically refers to “hell” (in the wicked sense). (Mt 11:28; Lk 10:15; Mt 16:18; Rev 20:13)

B. There are three words in the Greek Bible of the New Testament indicating the place for the dead

a. “Gehenna” usually translated as “hell” in the Chinese Bible (Mt 5:22, 29-30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 33; Mk 9:44, 46-47; Lk 12:5; Jas 3:6 altogether there are twelve mentions of it). The word originated from Hebrew, meaning “the valley of Shinnom” and later it was known as “Topeth”. This place is situated in the southeast part of Jerusalem. In the early days, the inhabitants offered human sacrifices here; later on the Jews were tempted and soon followed the ways of the Canaanites by putting their children in the fire for trial. During the time of King Josiah, this became a place for dumping rubbish, and the practice of worshipping idols stopped. ( 2 Chron 34:3-5) Later on the heap became greater because the fire burnt continually without being extinguished, and the worms here never die but would continue to bite the corpses there, as the saying goes “where the worm around it does not die, and the fire is not quenched. “ (refer: Josh 15:8; 2 Kgs 23:10; Isa 30:33; 2 Chron 28:3, 33:6; Jer 7:31-32, 19:2-14, 32:35; Mk 9:48).

b. “Hades” means “grave” in Greek. The Hebrew word “Sheol” is often translated to “Hades” in Greek, while in Chinese it is translated to “Hell”

c. “Tartarus” in ancient Greek means secret cell, dungeon or dark pit. (2 Pet 2:4)

* “Bottomless pit” this phrase appeared 9 times in the New Testament. (Lk 8:31; Rom 10:7; Rev 9:1-2, 11, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1, 3) In Greek, this refers to the confusion, without form – like the earth before its creation when it’s void and without form. (Gen 1:2)

5. COMMENTARIES ON RESURRECTION

A. The Kinds Of Resurrection

a. Resurrection of the soul: 4 1. The soul is dead because of sin. (Gen 2:17; Rom 5:12)

2. Through faith in the Lord, baptism and washing away of sins, there is resurrection. (Acts 2:38; Col 2:12; Tit 3:5) 3. Hold fast to salvation, and those who keep themselves holy shall never die. (Jn 11:26; Rev 20:6)

b. The resurrection of the physical body (the reunion of the body and the spirit when the life is revived or restored in the body, it will fall sick and die again). For example:

1. The son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:17-23)

2. Lazarus (Jn 11:14-44)

3. Eutychus (Acts 20:9-12)

c. Resurrect into the form of the spiritual body:

1. Waiting for the adoption of sonship, which is the redemption of our body. (Rom 8:23)

2. The dead shall resurrect to become imperishable, and the saints who are still alive shall be changed. (1 Cor 15:52)

3. What is sown is the natural body, what is raised is the spiritual body. (1 Cor 15:44)

B. The Basis of Resurrection

a. The instructions of the Holy Bible:

1. “ He will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Phil 3:21)

2. The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth, those who had done good to the resurrection of life. (Jn 5:28-29)

3. The dead in Christ shall rise first, the living, which are left, shall be caught together with them in the clouds. (1 Thess 4:16)

4. God has called the Lord to rise and shall also use His power to cause us to rise up. (Rom 8:11)

5. The dead shall live, their bodies shall rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead (Isa 26:19)

6. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Dan 12:2)

7. When the Lord died, “…..the rocks were split, the tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised”. (Mt 27:51:52)

8. The Lord said, “But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mt 10:28)

b. The resurrection of Christ:

5 1. The Lord prophesied that He would rise on the third day. (Mt 17:23, 20:19)

2. Peter went into the tomb and saw the linen cloth lying there. (Jn 20:6-7, 13)

3. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Lk 24:3) 4. “… Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who had fallen asleep”. (1 Cor 15:20)

5. Christ died for our sins. He was buried and was raised up on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4).

C. The Appearance Of The Lord After His Resurrection

a. His appearance resembled that of an ordinary man:

1. Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus initially. It was only later that she recognized Him. (Jn 20:14-16)

2. When the Lord stood on the shore, the disciples did not recognize Him initially. It was only later that they recognized Him (Jn 21:4-7)

3. The Lord walked with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, but they did not recognize Him. (Lk 24:13-31)

4. The Lord said, “…. handle me and see, for a spirit has no flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Lk 24:39)

5. The Lord ate a piece of broiled fish before the disciples. (Lk 24:41-42)

6. The Lord showed them his hands and his sides. (Jn 20:20)

7. He appeared to them often during the forty days after his resurrection. (Acts 1:3)

8. He also revealed himself to five hundred brethren once. (1 Cor 15:6)

 He could enter the house even with the door closed. (Jn 20:19)

 He appeared to his disciples for a while and then disappeared again. (Lk 24:31)

b. The unusual appearance:

1. Appeared to Paul: A great light shone on him and there was a voice that spoke to him. (Acts 9:3-9, 22:6-11)

2. Appeared to John: John saw the awesome yet glorious appearance of the Lord. (Rev 1:12-19)

3. When the Lord comes again, we shall see his real body and we shall be like him. (1 Jn 3:2; Phil 3:21)

D. Paul’s commentary on resurrection:

a. The reply of Paul to the church in Corinth:

1. What is sown is not the body which is to be. (1 Cor 15:37)

6 2. There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies. (Verse 40)

3. What is sown is perishable, what is reaped is imperishable. (Verses 42, 54)

4. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. (Verse 43) 5. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. (Verse 43)

6. It is sown in physical body, it is raised in spiritual body. (Verse 44)

7. It has the image of the man in dust, it also bears the image of the man in heaven. (Verse 49)

8. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. (Verse 50)

9. The dead will be raised to imperishable, and we shall all be changed. (Verses 51-52)

b. 2 Corinthian 5:1-10 :

1. If the earthly tent (the body) is destroyed, it will be built up by God a house (spiritual body) eternal in heaven.(Verse1)

2. Earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked (verse 2, 3)

3. Not because we want to be unclothed (physical body), but further clothed (spiritual body), that mortality may be swallowed up by life (4).

4. In the physical body, we are absent from the Lord, but to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (6, 8).

c. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 :

1. Those who had fallen asleep in the Lord shall rise again first and together they shall appear with the Lord in the air. (Verse 14, 16)

2. Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and shall always be with the Lord. (Verse 17)

E. The Power And The Time Of Resurrection

a. The Power:

1. “ Who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Phil 3:21)

2. God had raised the Lord. He will also raise us up by his power. (1 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 4:14)

3. The spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise our perishable body. (Rom 8:11)

4. The Lord will raise us up on the last day. (Jn 6:44, 54)

b. The time:

1. The last day when the Lord comes –

7  The believers will have eternal life and the Lord shall raise them up on the last day. (Jn 6:39-40, 44, 54)

 When the last trumpet sounds, all the dead will be raised to become imperishable and we shall be changed. (1 Cor 15:52)

 The Lord will descend from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise first, then those who remain on earth alive will also be changed and be lifted up in heaven. (1 Thess 4:16-17)

2. The righteous and the wicked will resurrect at the same time –

 All those who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Lord and all those who had done good to the resurrection of life and those who had done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (Jn 5:28-29)

 By having a hope in God there will be resurrection both to the just and the unjust. (Acts 24:15)

 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Dan 12:2)

 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne” for judgment. From this we can see that both the just and the wicked will rise together. (Rev 20:12-13; Mt 25:31- 46)

6. COMMENTARIES ON JUDGMENT

A. The purpose of judgment

a. To reward the just and punish the wicked is to show the righteousness of God. (Gen 18:25; Ps 9:4; Ex 34:7)

b. To the righteous will be given glory. (Rom 2:10; 2 Tim 4:8)

c. To the wicked will be given punishment. (Rom 2:8-9; Rev 21:8)

B. The Judge

a. The true God is the Lord of the Judge. (Ps 96:10, 9:7-8)

b. The judgment is executed by Jesus Christ –

1. All matters of judgment will be entrusted to the Lord. (Jn 5:22, 27)

2. Judgment is executed through Jesus. (Acts 17:31)

3. Jesus is the Lord of judgment of the living and the dead. (2 Tim 4:1; 2 Cor 5:10)

4. The Lord said, “I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to everyone according to his work. (Rev 22:12)

c. The right of judgment of Christians –

8 1.The Lord said that the time would come when the Christians would sit together with the Lord to judge the twelve tribes. (Mt 19:28)

2.The Lord said that He would appoint the kingdom to the believers and those sitting on the thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. (Lk 22:29-30)

3.“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” and that we should judge the angels. (1 Cor 6:2-3) 4.“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed”. (Rev 20:4)

* Reference verses:

Rev 2:26, 27; 3:21; 5:10; Mt 12:41, 42

C. The People To Be Judged

a. All the human beings:

1.“… all the people of the world will come under the judgment of God.” (Rom 3:19)

2.God has fixed a day on which he will judge the living and the dead. (Acts 17:31)

3.Jesus is ordained by God to judge the living and the dead. (Acts 10:42; 1 Pet 4:5)

4.When the Lord comes, all the people shall gather before Him to be judged. (Mt 25:31-32; 34, 41, 46)

5.All the dead, great and small, would stand before the Lord to be judged according to what they had done. (Rev 20:12-13)

b. The angels who has sinned:

1.The angels who have sinned will be thrown into the dark pit to wait for judgment. (2 Pet 2:4)

2.The angels that did not keep their positions had been kept by God in eternal chains in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day. (Jude 6)

D. The Basis of Judgment

a. According to the law of God:

1. “Those who had sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and those who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.” (Rom 2:12)

2. “So speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” (Jas 2: 12)

b. According to the gospel of Christ. (Rom 2:16):

1. The word that He (the Lord) had spoken would be his judge on the last day. (Jn 12: 48)

2. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; but he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (Jn 3: 36) 2 9 c. According to one’s conscience:

1. “When Gentiles who do not have the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law” ( Rom 2:14).

2. “They show that what the law requires is written in their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts confuse or even accusing them” (Rom 2:15).

d. According to miracles:

1. “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sinned but now they have seen and hated both me and my father” (Jn 15:24).

2. The Lord says, “Woe to those who don’t believe even after witnessing the mighty works of God.” (Mt 11:20-24; ref Rom 1:19-20)

E. The Time of Judgment and its Frequency

a. The time:

1. After death: as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment (Heb 9:27).

2. On the last day: the Lord said that the word that He had spoken would be his judge.(Jn 12:48).

b. Frequency (only once, the just and the wicked would be judged together):

1. God had already appointed the day ….to judge the world according to righteousness (Acts 17:31). “The World” means the people in the world.

2. The day when the Lord appears He will recompense the saints and punish the wicked. This is a clear indication that the wicked and the righteous would both be judged. (2 Thess 1:7-10).

3. The Lord said that the day when he descends, he would separate the people on His left and on His right. The righteous would be taken into heaven and the wicked would be punished eternally (Mt 25:31-46).

4. When God sits on the great white throne, He will judge include both those who are good and those who are bad (Rev 20:11-15)

F. The End of Judgment

a. The righteous will enter into the heavenly kingdom:

1. “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.” (2 Tim 4:18).

2. “Then the King would say to those at His right, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;…’ (Mt 25:31-34).

b. The wicked would go down to Hell:

10 1. The faithless, the polluted, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone (Rev 21:8).

2. The King will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire…..’(Mt 25:41-46). c. The devil would be cast into the lake of fire:

1. “…and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone” (Rev 20:10). 2. The eternal fire was prepared for the devil and its angels (Mt 25:41). d. The old heaven and earth will pass away and the new heavens and earth will emerge:

1. The Lord said, “Heaven and earth will pass away” (Mt 24:35).

2. When the day comes, the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire. But according to the Lord’s promise we wait for a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pet 3: 10 -13).