Immortality or Resurrection, William West [best romance books of all time txt] 📗

lay in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and of the temple, and in the abolition of the temple worship, and the whole ceremonial law: a Loammi was written upon their church state, and the covenant between God and them was broken; the gospel was removed from them, which was as death...their civil power and authority, were taken away from them by the Romans." Many orthodox writers say the same.
LAZARUS
Lazarus is the Gentiles, the people in spiritual poverty who had only the crumbs of God's blessing [see Matthew 15:21-26], but become the seed of Abraham-the church. Lazarus [the Gentiles] becomes rich in God's blessing by the Gospel. Christ says, "The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" [Matthew 21:43]. "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ" [Galatians 3:14]. See Matthew 8:11-12; Luke 8:28' Acts 8:46; 26:23; Romans 2:28-29; 9:3-5; 9:8; 3:26-29; 4:28; Philippians 3:3; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 2:12-13]. IN THE PARABLE LAZARUS (THE CHURCH) IS NOW IN ABRAHAM'S BOSOM WHERE THE JEWS ONCE WERE. "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise" [Galatians 4:28]. "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the spirit of God" [Philippians 3:3]. "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart" [Romans 2:29]. "And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise" [Galatians 3:29]. Paul calls the church "a new creation" "the Israel of God" [Galatians 6:15-16]. EVER PERSON WHO IS NOW A CHRISTIAN IS THE SEED OF ABRAHAM AND AN HEIR OF THE PROMISE MADE TO ABRAHAM.
ABRAHAM
Galatians 3:6-22; Romans 9:8. The blessing of Abraham came to the Gentiles through the Church. Israel does not now by birth have the blessing of Abraham, therefore are "in anguish, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." Israel is not now in covenant relationship with God. The Church is now the "sons of Abraham" [Galatians 3:7]. "So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham" [Galatians 3:9]. Israel has been "broken off" or "cast off" [Romans 11]. THE CHURCH IS NOW "THE ISRAEL OF GOD" [Galatians 6:16; also 1 Peter 2:9-10; Hebrews 12:22].
THE GULF
The rejection of Christ cut Israel off from Abraham and the blessing of God. One cannot reject Christ and worship God. Without believing in Christ and His resurrection, there is a gulf between God and Israel. One cannot go back to the Law as some Jews in Paul's time tried to do. As long as they reject Christ, there is not "a drop" of spiritual comfort for them in Christianity. Those that believe in Christ can give no comfort, no hope of salvation to them that do not believe whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The Law of Moses, which Israel gloried in, died at the death of Christ. "Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross" [Colossians 2:14]. "Be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage" [Ephesians 2:11-22]. Also Acts 15:24. We cannot cross the gulf and go back to the Law [Galatians 5:1]. "That which Israel seeks for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it" [Romans 11:7]. The only way any person can become a child of God today is by being born again. The Law is dead and will never be restored. The nation of Israel can never be restored. The only way any Jew could ever again be a child of God is to believe the Gospel and be baptized into Christ. "By their unbelief they (branches-plural, Jews, not nations-plural) were broken off" and Gentiles (not Gentiles nations) were grafted in. "And they (individual Jews) also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them (branches - plural Jews - not plural nations of Israel) in again" [Romans 11:17-24].
The rich man [Israel] went to the grave [hades]. Israel is no longer God's chosen people. Lazarus, the Gentiles believers went to Abraham's bosom [into a covenant relationship with God], not to the grave. Abraham's bosom is not a division of [one side of] the grave [hades]. Many draw a circle and make one side of it be where the rich man is and the other side where Lazarus is with a gulf between the two sides. This circle is in the back of most Bibles printed by Star Bible and Tract, and in many other books printed by members of the church of Christ.
THE FIVE BROTHERS
Christ was telling the Pharisees and scribes they would not believe even when He rose from the dead [See Trench "Notes On The Parables" Page 162]. Judea and his five brothers became six of the twelve tribes. Some believe five brothers are used to identify the rich man as Judea to the Pharisees to whom He was speaking this parable.
In the parable Abraham tells the rich man that if their own scriptures cannot convince them of their error, neither would they be persuaded if one rose from the dead.
IF THIS WERE A TRUE STORY AND NOT A PARABLE
If this is a true story, IT IS IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH CHRIST AND PAUL. Christ said, "for you shall be recompensed in the resurrection of the just" [Luke 14:14]; but if this is a true story, their recompense is in "Abraham's bosom" immediately after death before the resurrection. What will happen after death? Christ says, "For the hour comes, in which ALL THAT ARE IN THE TOMBS [not in Abraham's bosom] shall hear his voice, and come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment" [John 5:28-29]. If hades is not the grave, no one will be in the tombs when Christ comes. Paul said, "There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord...shall give me at that day" [2 Timothy 4:8]. The resurrection keeps getting in the way of the immortal soul doctrine for it seems to be more than just a little difficult to have a resurrection of something that is alive and not dead.
o If all go to Heaven or Hell instantly after death, no one will be in the tombs when Christ comes.
o If all go to Abraham’s bosom or the bad side across the gulf, no one will be in the tombs when Christ comes.
If this is a true story it makes the judgment a mockery and an empty show. All are judged instantly after death. The wicked are now being punished and the saved are now being rewarded before the Judgment Day, therefore, both punishment and reward would begin immediately after death without the judgment, not at the resurrection.
If this is a true story, it makes the resurrection useless and not needed. No one is dead. It makes void the teaching of Christ about the resurrection of the dead at His coming. Not only would the resurrection be useless but also a lie for if no one is dead, no one can be resurrected. The dead would be more alive than we are and at the second coming of Christ, no one will be in the grave to "come forth" [John 5:28-29]. They would have to "come back" from somewhere, but it would not be a resurrection of the dead. "Abraham's bosom," if made to be a real place in a true story, and the teaching of going directly to Heaven or Hell after death, both makes a resurrection impossible and not needed. A LIVING SOUL OR PERSON COMING BACK FROM ABRAHAM'S BOSOM OR FROM HEAVEN FOR THE JUDGMENT WOULD NOT BE A RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. Any doctrine which makes the dead not be dead, and those who are asleep are not asleep, makes a resurrection an impossibility and useless. IF THIS IS A TRUE STORY AND NOT A PARABLE, IT IS AN UNDENIABLE CONTRADICTION OF THE PROTESTANT VIEW THAT EVERYONE GOES DIRECTLY TO HEAVEN OR TO HELL AT DEATH.
If this is a true story it makes the wages of sin being death not possible. There is no real death. To be dead is just to be alive in another form. It is used to show the nature of punishment after death in Hell. EVEN IF IT WERE A TRUE STORY, IT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT ANYTHING AFTER THE JUDGMENT OR ABOUT HELL. IT DOES NOT MENTION THE SOUL, HEAVEN OR HELL BUT IS USED TO PROVE ALL THREE.
If this is a true story it would be an actual description of the intermediate state, which must be true in ever detail, such as praying to Abraham, able to see and hear those in torment. Both the saved and the lost would receive their reward or punishment immediately after death before and without the resurrection and judgment day.
If this is a true story it is when the rich man had brothers living on earth, not after the judgment, therefore could not be used to prove that is a Hell after the judgment by those who believe the Abraham bosom version for they teach no one will be in Hell unto after Judgment Day and then no one in Hell will have brothers living on the earth.
If this is a true story those who believe souls are immortal and live after the death of the earthly body believe the rich man and Lazarus to be two immortal souls that do not have a body. THIS IS THE POINT THEY WANT TO MAKE, THAT A PERSON HAS A SOUL THAT LIVES AFTER THE DEATH OF THE BODY. Do they think one immortal soul would want another immortal soul to bring it a drop of water? They tell us the "soul" of both the saved and the lost are in hades, and tell us at death "the spirit returns to God" [Ecclesiastes 12:7]. They have the "soul" in hades and the "spirit" in Heaven at the same time.
If this were a true story those in Abraham's bosom would be able to hear and see those on the other side of the gulf. The gulf must be narrow enough to be in speaking distance. Could parents be in joy while they watched their children in agony? Could anyone be happy and have peace while they could hear the cries of anguish of those on the other side? Would you be happy if you were confined in a place for centuries where you had to see the agony and hear the screaming of some of your loved ones; would that be a reward for anyone; but if this is a true story them you will see and hear their agony and screaming? Even most who believes this to be a parable, do not believe the good and the bad dead can talk to each other, or that the dead can now come back and talk to the living as the rich man wanted Lazarus to do. The view taught today is Abraham's bosom is like a lake of fire with the lost in the lake and the saved sitting on the shore watching their torment, and