Immortality or Resurrection (Updated) by William West (reading strategies book .TXT) 📖

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
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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.
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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 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
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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 according to the way Revelation 6:9-10 is used, those on the shore
would be asking God to torment them more.
If it were a true story it is the one place in the Bible where the veil is drawn aside
and we can see what it is like after death. We can even hear the conversation of those on
the other side, and it was given to unbelievers, the Pharisees and Scribes. Luke 15 and 16
is a discourse to them, not to the Apostles.
If this were a true story we have a biblical example of praying to a Saint and to a
person as if he were God, which we are forbidden to do. If after death anyone can pray