This is my first posting of a Sunday School Lesson. I expect it to be a rough start especially since I am in the middle of a study. I will attempt to keep these coming and apologize for my rough note style.
Last time I taught I ended with a quick summary of what most people look at when doing a study of Lazarus and the rich man. In my hasty drawing I found out through some feedback I may have left the impression that Sheol and heaven were synonymous. So I am going to try and quickly go through this again. I took some time yesterday to redraw the chart I tried to draw last time. (Handed it out as a printout will attempt to add it as an image to this post.)
Sheol is a word in the old testament defined as the place of the dead. In the greek of the New Testament the word Hades is used instead. In my mind I instantly think of hell when I hear either of these two words or read them in the bible but you need to use caution especially when reading the Old Testament. When you hear these words you need to, from the context, figure out if it is referring to either ‘the Bosom of Abraham/paradise’ or ‘the Place of Torment’. So looking at our little charts the grey box marked Sheol was the status quo for the souls to go to until something happened. Where do I get this from scripture you may ask lets look.
Everyone turn to Genesis 37:35 and can I have someone with a New American Standard Bible read it for me. While you turn there I will give you the background of the verse. You see Israel was just told about the supposed death of Joseph by his children. Israel, we can all be pretty sure is a man we are going to get to meet in heaven correct? Ok go ahead and read.
Now some of your bibles say to the grave instead of Sheol. Does anyone else have something different? Ok, in the original language it is Sheol and we have Jacob/Israel happy to be going there to be united with his son. Not likely to be the place of torment.
Alright one more Psalm 16:10 I will need either a New American Standard or a New King James. Again as you turn scene setting a psalm of David. Interestingly the title in my Bible for this is ‘The Hope of the faithful, and the Messiah’s victory.’
Please read
I shared and interesting point yesterday during men’s bible study that popped into my mind as we were have our study. The list of people we know are going to be with us in eternity that it is plainly stated in scripture as believers is very few. But we do have a list in Hebrews of the faithful. Some call it the faith hall of fame. So just real quick are our 2 examples there first Jacob Hebrews 11:21 the David verse 32.
Ok now before I get into trouble again and people think of Sheol as Heaven lets look at some examples of the opposite.
These do not need a lot of explanation Psalm 9:17 also need NASB and then and then 31:17 also NASB
The different translations do tend to make some of this confusing don’t they. One thing I have realized over preparing this study is that translations of the bible are chaotic at best in how they translate the word Sheol. It get’s translated several ways sometimes in the same version of the bible. As believers when we get into studying God’s word we need to be very careful with knowing what it is we are studying. Setting aside our prepositions on words and looking them up. To many times we can make huge theological mistakes because we misunderstand a word or use a modern inappropriate definition for it.
Ok now for the arrows I didn’t label them on your charts if you have a pen you can add this in if you would like. Let’s do it like this what event took or has to take place to have people leave Abraham’s bosom to go into the presence of Christ. (Jesus crucifixion, resurrection, ascension)
Just some thoughts first we don’t get told of hoards of dead following Christ around before His ascension although there is a blurb about the dead going to the Holy City Matthew 27:52-53.
Second question why why was there this place? Until Jesus lived the perfect life, followed the will of the father perfectly, died, and was resurrected He had not taken the inheritance, the title to the earth, taken His throne, what was there for old testament saints to inherit. Also until Jesus had paid the penalty for sin how could they be grafted into the family.
Next arrow from with Christ to 1000 year reign what has to occur? (Rapture, Bema Seat, Christ’s return )
I don’t want to get on the timing of the rapture to me it is a small window of possibility and I would love to talk to you about it sometime but not in this lesson what I will say it is that it is clearly got to take place before we can return with Jesus.
Now for the last arrow. Now the last red arrow and the last blue happen essentially simultaneously however the arrows are different blue arrow first what happens there?
(Final battle, earth cleansed, and we enter eternity)
ok red arrow?
(the last resurrection, the great white throne judgment)
One more thing of note there are two special cases that miss out and get to go straight to the lake of fire. Revelation 19:20
Many people think of heaven as a harp and some clouds but scripture doesn’t show this as the case. A new earth made perfect without the taint of sin will be our new home. Perfect and Hell is a lake of fire pretty deep description that.(pun intended)
closing prayer
Sorry for the fuzziness best image quality I could upload. Any questions post a reply and I will get back to you.
