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

dead to be raised." If He were
saying Abraham is alive now, He would be denying the point He was making, that there will
be a resurrection, for Abraham could not be raised if he were alive. If Abraham were alive
at that time then Luke 20:27-38 proves that there will not and cannot be a resurrection.
This passage teaches a "resurrection of the dead," not "no one is dead to be resurrected
from the dead."
[7]. THE TRANSFIGURATION: A RESURRECTION or A VISION?
Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-9.
A VISION: Christ said it was a vision. "Tell the VISION to no man" [Matthew 17:9]. Moses
and Elijah ("Elias" in the King James Version) were seen with Christ and then were gone, leaving
only Christ. Vision [Greek-horama] is used in the New Testament twelve times, and in the King
James Version it is always translated "vision" except in Acts 7:31 where it is translated "the
sight." This is not the Greek word "optasia" that is translated "vision" in 2 Corinthians 12:1.
1. "Tell the VISION [Greek-horama] to no man" Matthew 17:9
2. "He wondered at the SIGHT [Greek-horama]" Acts 7:31
3. "To him said the Lord in a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 9:10
4 "And has seen in a VISION [Greek-horama] a man" Acts 9:12
5 "He saw in a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 10:3
6 "What this VISION [Greek-horama] which he had seen might mean" Acts 10:17
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7 "While Peter thought on the VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 10:19
8 "And in a trance I saw a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 11:5
9 "But thought he was seeing a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 12:9
10 "A VISION [Greek-horama] appeared to Paul in the night" Acts 16:9
11 "And after he had seen the VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 16:10
12 "To Paul in the night by a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 18:9
If this were a vision, no argument can be taken from it for the existence of disembodied
souls for Moses and Elijah were only seen in a vision. Those who believe in unconditional
immortality MUST reinterpret this into bringing a soul that was alive in Heaven and came back
from Heaven to earth, and that Moses had ascended to Heaven despite the fact that Christ said no
man had. They must say to Christ, "No it is not a vision of Moses, but the real Moses back from
Heaven where he has been with You alive from his death." It is not said or implied that Moses
was in Heaven and came back to earth, or that he was alive. WE ARE TOLD THAT THIS WAS
A VISION. "Tell the VISION to no man" [Matthew 17:9]. THIS BEING A VISION PROVES
THEY WERE NOT CALLED BACK FROM HEAVEN; IT DOES NOT PROVE THAT
THERE WAS AN IMMATERIAL, INVISIBLE PART OF THEM THAT IS NOW ALIVE
ANYWHERE; if Moses and Elijah were alive and in Heaven Christ could not have been the first
fruits.
A RESURRECTION: Moses and Elijah were really there, and Matthew was wrong when he
called it a vision. If it were a resurrection, it was a resurrection like Lazarus and other
resurrections in the Bible and proved Moses was dead, not alive and had to be resurrected to be
there. If Moses were alive and immortal, he would have been brought back from Heaven; he
would not have needed to be raised from the dead. FOR THIS PASSAGE TO TEACH A
PERSON NOW HAS AN "IMMATERIAL, INVISIBLE PART OF MAN" IT MUST BE
PROVED THAT THIS WAS NOT A VISION OR A RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD,
BUT A BRINGING BACK OF THE LIVING MOSES FROM HEAVEN. Would the apostles
be able to see an "immaterial, invisible" disembodied spirits that had no human body? It had to be
a vision or a resurrection for the apostles to be able to see them. If they were alive in the flesh,
they had to be brought back from the dead just as Lazarus and others were. All resurrections in
the Bible, other than of Christ, were only temporary, and those who were raised from the dead did
not put on immortality, as those in Christ will at the resurrection [1 Corinthians 15:50-54]. Just as
Lazarus was brought back in his earthly body to a mortal life, they were resurrected back to a
mortal life and still in a mortal body and were not like the resurrection of Christ, or like the
resurrection of the saved at the coming of Christ. THEY WERE ALL RAISED MORTALS
SUBJECT TO DEATH AND ALL DIED AGAIN. NOT ONE OF THEM IS STILL ALIVE
TODAY. NOT ONE OF THEM WAS RAISED IMMORTAL. In any of these temporary
resurrections, not one thing is said about what will be after our death or after the resurrection. If
God raised one or ten thousand back to an earthly body, it does not effect the resurrection of all at
the coming of Christ and would not in any way prove a person is now mortal or immortal. These
earthly resurrections of mortal bodies say nothing about the resurrection at the coming of Christ
when the saved will put on immortality. From the resurrections of Lazarus and others back to the
mortal earthly body if there were no other revelation about the resurrection we would not know
anything about those in Christ that are going to be raised immortal on the Resurrection Day.
Summary: EITHER WAY, if the transfiguration were a resurrection or a vision, it does not
prove that a person is now mortal or immortal. The reason for this vision or resurrection was to
show that we are not to hear the law and the prophets, but to "hear you him." Christ is now the
one who has "All authority" [Matthew 28:18]. If any of the resurrections in the Old or New
Testament were a resurrection to immortality, Christ could not have been "the first-fruits of them
that are asleep" [1 Corinthians 15:20-23]. How can death be changed to life in Heaven without
a resurrection?
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[8]. GOD WILL BRING WITH CHRIST 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
This is often used to prove those who have died are now in Heaven, and Christ will bring them
back when He comes for the judgment. This passage is about the resurrection at the coming of
Christ, and it like those above Paul said not a word about an "immaterial, invisible part of man"
that is now alive before the resurrection and nothing about a place called Hell. "For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that fallen asleep [are dead] in Jesus will God
bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are
left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede [go before] them that are fallen asleep."
There are three point in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
1. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: “For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.”
2. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST: And the DEAD in Christ shall
RISE, BE RESURRECTED first, not those who are alive someplace returning.
3. BOTH THOSE WHO WERE RESURRECTED AND THOSE WHO ARE LIVING
WHEN CHRIST RETURNS: THEN we that are alive at the time Christ descends, “that
are left, shall TOGETHER WITH THEM be caught up in the clouds, TO MEET THE
LORD IN THE AIR: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17].
BOTH the dead in Christ and those who are alive when He comes shall together be
caught up from the earth to the clouds. Not as some say, that we that are alive shall be
caught up to meet Christ AND those He is to bring from Heaven with Him.
o This passage is a plain statement that there will be a resurrection, and it is
opposed to the theory that no one is really dead. Both cannot be true.
o It is clearly said that they “are asleep” not awake in Heaven. “And I will RAISE
HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY” [John 6:40].
"The dead in Christ shall rise first." Those who are asleep will wake up first. HOW COULD
THEY WAKE UP IF THEY ARE NOT ASLEEP? HOW COULD THEY RISE FROM THE
DEAD IF THEY ARE NOT DEAD AND HOW COULD THEY MEET THE LORD IN THE
AIR IF THEY ARE COMING WITH HIM FROM HEAVEN? Paul says nothing about an
immortal soul, but persons.
1. Persons “who are asleep in Christ"
2. And persons “that are alive" when Christ comes.
Those who believe we have an "immaterial, invisible part of man" that is now immortal take
the resurrection out of this passage and makes it be about:
1. Those who are now alive (not asleep) in Heaven with Christ shall come with Him.
2. And "we that are alive" when Christ comes shall meet them in the air. THERE WILL
BE NO RESURRECTION for no one is dead. IF YOU BELIEVE IN PLATO'S
IMMORTAL SOUL THERE IS NO REASON FOR A RESURRECTION AND NO
ROOM FOR IT.
Those who believe the dead are now alive in Abraham's bosom make the Resurrection just as
impossible as those who believe the dead are now alive in Heaven.
• Both believe that no one is dead to be raised from the dead, but they make the second
coming be Christ coming from Heaven, going by way of Abraham's bosom to pickup
those that are living in it (not raising them from the dead) and bring them that have never
been dead but are now alive in Abraham's bosom back to earth.
• Both change those who are asleep in Christ to those who are awake in Heaven or awake
in Abraham's bosom.
"In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I COME AGAIN, AND WILL
RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YOU MAY BE ALSO" [John 14:2-
3]. Those who teach we have a soul that goes directly to Heaven at death believe that souls are
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now in the place where Christ has gone to prepare before He comes to receive them. Have they
not made the coming of Christ, the resurrection, and the judgment useless? Those who preach at
funerals often say our loved ones are now with the Lord in Heaven. This is a contradiction of
Paul's detailed account of what will happen at the resurrection.
Two views:
1. The dead in Christ are now in Heaven and God will bring them back to earth with Christ.
2. God will bring those who have fallen asleep in Christ with Christ when He returns to
Heaven after the judgment.
The first view makes many problems.
• At the time Paul wrote this the dead Christians were "asleep in Christ," not in Heaven.
"Concerning them that fall asleep...even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus" [1
Thessalonians 4:13-14]. "Then they also that fallen asleep in Christ have perished" [1
Corinthians 15:18]. There would be no need to sorrow for the dead in Christ if they are
alive in Heaven; they should have been rejoicing for their loved ones would be in a much
better place and be with Jesus. The fact that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished if there is no resurrection clearly states that they are not in Heaven before the
resurrection, that life after death is completely dependent on the resurrection and that no
one will be alive in Heaven before the resurrection of the dead. Many gospel preachers
who say they speak only where the Bible speaks and are silent where it is silent, when
they teach the dead in Christ are now in Heaven clearly