PURGATORY DOCTRINE

Purgatory: Whose doctrine?

By Donald Pinnock

          Time and time again, it has been proven that the Bible---and only the Bible---should be the basis of true faith, service to God, and for the attainment of salvation. This is why we refers to the Bible regarding matters and also tests the doctrines and beliefs of other churches in comparison with the truth written in the Holy Scriptures.

          Keeping this in mind, let us study a belief and doctrine that is held in high regard by some churches, that which will befall a person after he dies. In the book My Catholic Faith, Most Rev. Louie LaRevoire states what Catholic authorities uphold:

         “The rewards or punishments appointed for men after the particular judgment are heaven, purgatory, or hell. …

          “1. He who dies in his baptismal innocence, or after having fully satisfied for all the sins he committed, will be sent at once to heaven. …

          “2. He who dies in the state of grace, but is in venial sin, or has not fully atoned for the temporal punishment due his forgiven sins, will be sent for time to purgatory. …

          “3. He who dies in mortal sin, even if only with one single mortal sin, will be sent at once to hell.” (p. 157)

          For the Catholics, a member who has “fully satisfied for all his sins” or has attained a state of holiness immediately goes to heaven upon death while those who have committed venial or forgivable sins but have died “in state of grace” go to a place or state called purgatory.

Holy but in Grave

Let us scrutinize this Catholic doctrine by comparing it with that which is written  in the Bible. Is it true that those who die and are deemed holy in the sight of God go immediately to heaven? In Psalms 86:2, King David exclaims:

          “Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You!” (New King James Version)

          King David is a holy man. But has David immediately gone to heaven on the account of his holiness? The apostles made known that:

          “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried , and his tomb is with us to this day…For David did not ascend into the heavens.” (Acts 2:29, 34, Ibid.)

          King David, has not ascended to heaven but rather is in his grave. The statement of the apostles is in accord with that written in Job 14:10  and 12 which says that those who die remain in their graves until the heavens are no more. The heavens will pass away on the day of Judgment (II Pt. 3:7, 10). Thus, it is biblically incorrect to believe that upon death, a person immediately goes to heaven.

       In the same way, one does not go immediately to condemnation after death, as is made amply clear by the Bible:

        “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice

     “And come forth---those who have done  good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (Jn. 5:28-29, New King James Version)

     Attainment of eternal life or condemnation to eternal punishment for that matter does not happen right after one’s death but will take place at a future time that the Lord God has appointed---on the day of Judgment.

Purgatory

          What about the Catholic doctrine concerning purgatory? What does the word “purgatory” mean? The Catholic Encyclopedia gives the following explanation:

          “1. Catholic Doctrine. – Purgatory (Lat., purgare, to make clean, to purify).” (vol. 12, p. 575)

          What has to be made clean is the soul, according also to Catholic authorities;

          “According to the teaching of the Church, the state, place, or condition in the next world, which will continue until the last judgment, where the souls of those who die in the state of grace, but not yet free from all imperfection, make explanation for unforgiven venial [forgivable] sins or for the temporal punishment due to venial and mortal sins that have already been forgiven and, by so doing, are purified before they enter heaven.” (New Encyclopedia, vol. 11, p. 1034)

          Thus, according to Catholic doctrine, those who are sent to purgatory have already had their sins forgiven, but are not yet perfect. They, thus, have to spend some time in purgatory until they are pure enough to enter heaven. According to Catholic leaders, through prayers, good works, indulgences and Mass, a soul can be freed from purgatory and thus be able to enter heaven so they state:

          “Mr. J. That’s so, Father. But you spoke of a common custom of praying for the dead. Do you mean that we can assist those in purgatory by prayer?”

          “Father S. ‘Yes, by prayers, good works, indulgences and especially by the Church’s divinely instituted sacrifice called the Mass’.” (Father Smith Instructs Jackson p. 93)

          The practice of indulgences was the catalyst that impelled Martin Luther to post his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenburg Cathedral in 1517, “protesting” against such practices of the Catholic Church of which he was then a priest and professor. Indulgences were for the “remittance of penance” either in this world or in purgatory. So Catholic would have to “buy” credits to offset their own sins, or those of the departed loved ones to enable them to pass quickly from purgatory to heaven.

          But can the dead benefit from any deed intended for them by the living? This is what the Scriptures say:

          “After a person is dead, he can no longer show love or hate or jealousy. And he will never again share in the things that happen here on earth.” (Eccl. 9:6, New Century Version)

          Those who pass away have no share or cannot benefit from anything that their living loved ones may do for them. The dead have neither love nor hate or any other emotion because they have ceased to think (Ps. 146:4, New English Bible). How then could there be any kind of “suffering” or penance in a so-called place of purgatory when the dead do not possess feeling or thought?

An unfounded belief

          How about the very foundation of the doctrine on purgatory? Can even the essence of this teaching be found in the Scriptures? Lucien Vinet, a former Catholic priest, after many years in that church, makes in unequivocal statement in his book I Was A Priest:

          “Purgatory, like Mass, has no foundation in Holy Scripture. Christ and the first Christians never talked about it and never knew of its supposed existence.” (p. 44)

          Whether it is that this declaration is plainly the proclamation of a disgruntled former priest who was his former peers or not, it is starling to note that even practicing priest nowadays confess the same. For example, Joseph Kenney C.SS.R., in his article entitled Purgatory: Doctrine of Comfort and Hope, states the following:

          “If Catholics believe and their church teaches the doctrine of purgatory, on what foundations does the doctrine rest? It is a fair question. Let us admit in all honesty that this question immediately raises a problem for those Christians who base their faith on ‘Scripture Alone’, the position that there is no source of revelation other than the Scriptures. Nowhere in the Scripture does the word, ‘Purgatory’, occur.” (p.2)

          Kenney admits that purgatory is biblically unfounded. However, there are some Catholic officials who claim scriptural proof of its validity (which only shows that there is some disunity in the ranks of the Catholic priesthood concerning this). The most concrete, according to them, being II Maccabees 12:43-46. The book of Maccabees, however, is an apocryphal book. Apocryphal means noncanonical or legendary:

          “APOCRYPHAL: concerning certain writings of New Testament times and later which the church at large has never accepted as canonical. Apocryphal; legendary, untrue.” (New Lexicon Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language)

          In spite of its rejection by many, let us take a look at this so-called proof:

          “On the next day, as had now become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up bodies of the fallen and to bring them back to lie with their kindred in the sepulchers of their ancestors. The under the tunic of each one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was the reason these men had fallen. … He also took up a collection, man by man, to amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.” (II Maccabees 12:39-45, New Revised Standard Version)

          In this unscriptural or noncanonical quotation, there is mention of a battle between a Jewish army led by a Judas Maccabeus an the Idumean forces commanded by Gorgias. After the battle, many fallen Jewish soldiers were found wearing pagan amulets. Judas immediately sent 2,000 drachmas to Jerusalem so that intercession and sacrifices might be offered for them, which, according to those who use this basis, would relive them from a long duration in purgatory. Such an act though even runs contrary to Catholic doctrine concerning those who die in mortal sin. Catholic authorities teach that idolatry---which the wearing of pagan amulets is a sign of ---is a mortal sin (This is Catholicism, p. 47), and the commission of such sin, based on their teaching, would send one immediately to hell. How could Judas help alleviate the suffering of his dead soldiers in purgatory when they were supposed to be already in hell? Hence, the very core of Catholic proof for purgatory runs contradictory even to their own teachings.

From tradition of Men

          If no base on accepted Scripture---as many Christian teaching should be---from where does the Catholic Church derive its basis of purgatory? Again, the Catholic priest Joseph Kenney admits:

          “In the last analysis, however, the Catholic doctrine does not rest on any direct Scriptural proof but on tradition, increasingly clear and unmistakable.” (Purgatory: Doctrine of Comfort and Hope, p. 3)

          What is the grave sin being committed by those who hold on to tradition in their efforts to serve God? Our Lord Jesus makes known:

          “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the tradition of men.” (Mk. 7:8, New International Version)

          The Lord Jesus Christ rebuked those who hold on to the traditions of men. By clinging to these, instead of being drawn closer to God, a person is being thrust further away. We should understand that purgatory is unscriptural, a doctrine that has only evolved through the passage of time, as explained by Arthur Goldhammer, who translated into English a book written by Jacques LeGoff:

          “Le Goff’s central point is that the doctrine of Purgatory does not appear in the Latin theology of the West before the late twelfth century, that the word purgatorium did not exist until then. …He shows that the growth of belief in an intermediate place between Heaven and Hell was closely bound up with profound changes in the social and intellectual reality of the Middle Ages, with attempts to introduce ‘middle classes’ or third orders between the powerful and the poor, the clergy and the laity.” (The Birth of Purgatory)

          What buttresses the insight of Le Goff concerning purgatory being an evolved and socially-inspired belief is the length of time before it was officially recognized and accepted. According to the book written by Loraine Boettner:

          “The doctrine was proclaimed an article of faith in 1438, by the Council of Florence, and was later confirmed by the Council of Trent, in 1548.” (Roman Catholicism, p. 229)

          Some form of the doctrine on purgatory was approved by Pope Gregory I in 593 A.D., centuries after the demise of the apostles and almost 600 years after ourLord Jesus Christ has ascended to heaven. The doctrine was not even completed until the 15^th century. What did the same author ask due to time factor before the doctrine was upheld?

          “But does any intelligent person believe that if such a place as purgatory is described in the Bible it would have taken the church fathers 600 years to discover it, and another 1,000 years to confirm it?” (Ibid.)

          The Lord God desires all men to be saved; but they must come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim. 2:4). How then can we continue to accept the doctrine of purgatory when it is unbiblical, unfounded, and in every aspect untruthful?

References:

Boettner, Loraine.

Roman Catholicism. Pennsylvania, U. S. A.: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1962.

Goldhammer, Arthur, trans.

The Birth of Purgatory, by Jacques Le Goff.n.p.: University of Chicago Press, 1984

Kenney, Joseph A., C.SS.R.

Purgatory: Doctrine of Comfort and Hope. N.p.: Catholic Information Network, 1996

Morrow, Louis LaRavoire, S.T.D.

My Catholic Faith: A Manual of Religion. Manila Philippines: The Catholic Trade School, 1960

New Catholic Encylopedia, vol. 11, Washington D.C., U.S.A., The Catholic University of America, 1967

New Lexicon Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language,

Canadian Edition. New York: Lexicon Purblications, Inc. 1988

Noll, Most. Rev. John Francis.

Father Smith Instructs Jackson. Indiana, U.S.A., Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. 1963

The Catholic Encylopedia. New York: The Encyclopedia Press, Inc. 1913

Vinet, Lucien.

I Was A Priest. Australia: Protestant Publications, 1951.

Walsh, John, S.J.

This is Catholicism. New York: Image Books, 1959.

PURPOSE OF CREATION

OUR REASON OF BEING

Feljun B. Fuentes

Have you ever asked these questions to yourself: “What am I doing here?” “Where is my life heading to?” “What am I supposed to accomplish in life?” Questions such as these demand profound reflection in order for us to arrive at the fundamental answers concern our reason of being.

          Our reason for being refers to the essence and purpose of our earthly existence. This is what people have been striving to understand and search for since time immemorial. It has preoccupied the minds of countless thinkers and philosophers even from the earliest times. Its impact had inspired one great Greek philosopher to say, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

          If we are to address this vital issue during our dying state, by all means, it will be too late. By that time, nothing else could be done to alter the consequences of our past, should we find out that our life is headed for a tragic end. We, therefore, have to resolve this matter while we are still alive and able to act. In fact, the Bible says:

          “Listen, my child, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live.” (Prov. 23:19, Today’s English Version)

          But, we ordinarily observe people finding life’s meaning in different ways. Some find it in simply living routinely by the day, without bothering at all about life’s meaning and purpose. Others claim that they have clear and definite goals in life and have kept working to succeed in achieving them. Still others seem confused and are continuously searching for life’s true meaning. But, there are also those who find their life’s meaning in improving the lives of others and in contributing their efforts in making the world a better place to live. These are but some of the ways by which people like us find meaning in their life.

          Moreover, there are those who obviously don’t have a clear –cut meaning, and purpose in life, yet believe that they have lived their life quite well and that it is a tedious exercise to even just think about life’s meaning and purpose.

          As human beings, we are endowed with reason, free will, and the freedom of choice. But, these faculties should not lead us to misconstrue life’s true meaning as what has happened to some who considered themselves as the master s of their own destiny. For us not to be misled in the search for our reason for being, we ought to be wholly centered on God who is the real source of life. The Bible says:

          “After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we are created for.” (Eccl. 12:13, Ibid.)

          “Worship the Lord with joy; come before him with happy songs!

          “Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, we are his flock.” (Ps. 100:2-3, Ibid.)

          The true essence and purpose of our existence then is to be sought in the fulfillment of that single purpose---to honor and worship the Almighty God throughout our days. We ought to fulfill this purpose on top of our priorities as long as we live. When we die, we can longer fulfill the purpose of our existence, because the dead can never worship or praise God:

          “The Lord is not praised by the dead, by any who go down to the land of silence. But we, the living, will give thanks to him now and forever. Praise the Lord!” (Ps. 115:17-18, Ibid.)

          Therefore, while living, we ought to honor the Lord God and love Him above all by remaining faithful to His commandments (Mt. 22:23-38; I Jn. 5:3). We should let reverence for the Lord be the primary concern of our life (Prov. 23:17). By doing these, we are able to fulfill the ultimate purpose of our existence-our reason for being. (:

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?

Do you believe in GHOSTS?

God’s words are contained in the Bible. Hence, true Christians adhere to the teachings written therein – seeing to it that God’s commandments reign supreme in the conduct of their lives and beliefs.

While many people believe that the dead return and appear to the living as “ghosts,” such belief is unscriptural and is against the basic tenets of the true Christianity. What does the Holy Scriptures say concerning the existence of so-called “ghosts”?

Definition

          Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines “ghosts” as the soul of a dead person believed to appear to the living in bodily likeness. 

          However, scriptural citations disprove the existence of “ghosts” as defined above. What constitutes man according to the teachings of the Holy Writ?

          “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thess. 5:23, King James Version)

          Man is composed of spirit, soul and body. While many people believe that the soul and the spirit are one and the same, the Holy Scriptures says that man is composed of spirit, soul, and body. The teaching of God as explained by Apostle Paul further says, thus:

          “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12, Ibid.)

          Apostle Paul mentions about “the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.” This shows us that the soul is different from the spirit and the spirit from the soul.

          The difference between soul and spirit is further proven by what would happen to these when man dies. What happen to the soul when death overcomes a man? When a man dies, his soul cleaves to the dust:

          “My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

          “For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.” (Ps. 119:25; 44:25, Ibid.)

          What about the body and spirit? What happens to them when a man dies? When the first man, Adam, sinned against God, the Almighty said to him “…for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (cf. Gen. 3:19, Ibid.). The Holy Scriptures further explains:

          “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Eccl. 12:7, Ibid.)

          Man is dust and when he dies, his body decomposes and eventually returns to dust as decreed by God, while his spirit returns to God who gave it. If man is dust, how did he possess life? When is a man considered alive? The Holy Scriptures narrate, thus:

          “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7, Ibid.)

          With the breath of life, a man is alive. Without breath, he is dead. Is a dead man capable of doing anything in this world? The Bible says, thus:

          “Yes, the living know they are going to die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward; they are completely forgotten.

          “Their loves, their hates, their passions, all died with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens in this world.” (Eccl. 9:5-6, Today’s English Version)

          How then could a dead man appear as a “ghosts”? The dead know nothing. The Bible says that the memory of them is forgotten. They could never take part in anything that is done on earth.

What the dead cannot do

          How about the simple task of going back to his house? Is a dead man capable of doing this? Job 7:19 says, thus:

          “He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.” (King James Version)

          Alive, a man who lost his memory will lose his way and possibly forget his identity. A dead man does not even have any memory in the first place. Lifeless, how could he returned to dust, his soul cleaving to the dust, and his spirit having returned to God? And individual so far away from home and without any means of transportation will not be able to go back home. How much more for a dead man six feet under the ground? A man with a sane mind would easily find his ways home after he temporarily lost his bearing. But a man afflicted with insanity could not probably do so. All the more for a dead man having no soul, no mind, and no spirit.

          Some may argue that it is not the whole man that returns, but his “ghosts,” his soul. However, the Holy Scriptures testify that the soul of a dead man “cleaveth unto the dust” and could not therefore return home or do anything at all.

          But when will the dead rise from their graves? The Holy Scriptures state, thus:

          “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

          “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (Jn. 5:28-29, Ibid.)

          The day of Judgment is the time when the dead shall rise from their graves, not to return to their respective homes but to receive their just from the Lord for whatever good or evil they have done while still living.

          With all these scriptural truths, would you still care to believe in ghosts? :)

DEATH BASED ON THE BIBLE

What the Bible teaches about Death

Steven V. Kroll

          A subject that most people don’t even want to think about but which surprisingly carries with it great fascination is death. Death happens everyday. It is a fact of life. “Death” and “taxes,” as the saying goes, “are two sure things in life.”

          The truth is, many are scared to die. Almost all people will go to great lengths to try and avoid death. If there were only a pill that would give eternal life, most people would exert great effort to earn enough money to buy such pill.

      There are so many question about death that people seek answers to. Our Creator, the Almighty God, has the answer to these questions. Since it is He who gave us our life, He knows what will become of us. If we want to know the way to life, then God is the One to teach us through His words written in the Bible.

         So let us set aside any pre-conceived notions and let the words of God be our guide.

The Uncertainty

          One of the truly fearful things regarding death is how it makes life so uncertain. Even if we have made plans for the future, all can end in moment:

          “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (Js. 4:14, New King James Version)

          Life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. It is uncertain as is the morning fog-now you see it, soon it is gone.

          What truly strikes fear in the hearts of man is not so much that death will come, but the uncertainty of it all. Do we really know what will happen tomorrow? We have so many plans for our life. We plan to take vacation or to buy a new car. We have decided to go to school we have always dreamed or see the world. Then, death comes-and what will become of all those things which we have planned for? All these will end. This truth is iterated in the following biblical passage:

          “For every man must die. His breathing stops, life ends, and in a moment all he planned for himself ended. (Ps. 146:4, Living Bible)

         

Where are the dead?

   Catholicism upholds the belief that a person who dies immediately goes to heaven, hell or purgatory. Many believe that we are either being guarded or threatened by the dead. Stemming also from this view is the belief in haunted houses and ghosts which continue to be the subject of books, movies, television shows, and even everyday conversations.

          What happens to a person when he dies? Where do the dead go? Can they help us? Can they harm us? The Bible makes it very clear that the dead are in the grave:

          “Adrift among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, and who are cut off from Your hand.” (Ps. 88:5, New King James Version)

          So, when a person dies, he does not go immediately to heaven or hell but to the grave.

          While the aforementioned verse does not specify the soul, could it be possible that only the body is in the grave and not the soul? God Himself declared:

          “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.” (Ezek. 18:4, Ibid.)

          The Bible makes it clear that the soul dies. Not only does it die, but is also goes to the grave together with the body:

          “For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body clings to the ground.” (Ps. 44:25, Ibid.)

          So, when a person dies, both body and soul go to the grave and stay there not for just for a short period of time. In other words, not just for three days, as some superstitiously believe. When a person dies, he will stay in the grave until Judgment Day.

          “But man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last and where is he?

          “So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep.” (Job 14:10, 12, Ibid.)

          Notice the question, “…and where is he?” The answer that we seek is right in the passage: “…man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more.” There is a definite time given by the Bible and that time is when “the heavens are no more.” The Scriptures clarifies the time when the “heavens shall pass away”:

          “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the element will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

          “But the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of  judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (II Pt. 3:10, Ibid.)

          The time when the dead will come out of the grave or be resurrected is on Judgment Day. This is not only biblical but also logical. Imagine for a moment, for the sake of argument, if it were true that all the dead are in heaven, hell, or somewhere else-why would there still be a need for Judgment Day? All the dead would have already been judged and gone to their destination. But since all the dead are in the grave after they die, there is still a need for Judgment Day. Then and only then will the dead come out of the grave. This was taught by Christ Himself:

          “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice And come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (Jn. 5:28-29, Ibid.)

          Christ, referring to the dead or those in the grave, said, “the hour is coming,” which tells us that this is not in the present but rather in the future. Judgment Day is what Christ is referring to here when the dead will come from the grave—not from hell, not from alleged purgatory, but from the grave.

          Thus, the Bible clearly teaches that when a person dies, he will go to the grave and remain there until Judgment Day. Let us not be deceived by those who would say or teach that our loved ones are somewhere else besides the grave or the place where they have been buried.

          The aforementioned verses of the Bible should make us realize that the two basic beliefs of the Catholic Church regarding purgatory and their so-called saints are unbiblical. By Catholic definition, a saint is someone who had died and it in heaven and can mediate or intercede in behalf of the living. What we would like to point out is that the belief that there are people who had died and who are now in heaven, aside from our Lord Jesus, is unbiblical. Remember that all dead, whether good or evil, are in the grave and will remain there until Judgment Day. In like manner, not only is purgatory never mentioned in the Bible, but even the belief that there are dead people in a so-called middle state being “purged” from their sins goes against biblical teachings.

Ghosts?

          As mentioned in the first part of our discussion, there are also many superstitious beliefs concerning the dead. Foremost is the belief that the dead come back to visit the living. Many people believe in ghosts and haunted houses. But what does the Bible say abut this? Will the dead still go back to their house?

          “As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, nor shall his place know him anymore.” (Job 7:9-10, Ibid.)

          Here, we can see very clearly that the dead will not return to their houses. Some may argue that they have had so-called experiences of the dead returning to their house. But, remember that the word of God in Holy Scriptures makes a very definite statement --- “He shall never return to his house.”

          Others might say that it is not the physical body of the dead that returns but his spirit. The Bible testifies about what happen to the spirit:

          “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” (Eccl. 12:7, Ibid.)

          Remember that the dead cannot do anything to us; neither can they do anything for us.

          On the other hand, can the living do anything for the dead for whom the latter can benefit? We know that there are many who believe that by saying prayers, lighting candles, and performing certain rituals, the living can help the dead. In some cases, they even believe that actions or works done by the living can help the dead reach heaven. But this is not true. According to the Bible, the living can do nothing to help the dead:

          “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also, their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun.” (Eccl. 9:5-6, Ibid.)

          Notice the last part of the verse which states, “Nevermore will they have a share anything done under the sun.” What does this means? Exactly what it says. The dead will never have a share in anything done under the sun. This includes lighting of candles, saying prayers, saying Mass, doing rituals, and all others.

          Of course, we remember the dead. There are friends and loved ones who have passed away but whom we can never forget. But, we must remember that once a person dies, there is nothing more that we can do to help him go to heaven. Biblically speaking, when the reward is to be given, it will be based on what each individual has done not on what the living have done for the dead:

          “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Rev. 22:12, Ibid.)

          So, the living should prepare them selves for the life to come. We should not wait until it is too late or until death claims our life.

         

The dead who are fortunate

          Time will come when we will die. We will leave behind everyone and everything. Our hopes and dreams, our desires, our loved ones, everything, in a moment, will come to an end. Who does the Bible consider as fortunate or blessed at the moment of death?

          “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on’”. Yes,’ says the Spirit,” that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them’.” (Rev. 14:13, Ibid.)

          Not all the dead will be considered fortunate. The Bible is very specific---“the dead who die in the Lord” will be among the fortunate ones.

          Those who die in the Lord are very fortunate or blessed because those in the Lord or those “in Christ” will no longer be condemned:

          “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1, Ibid.)

          Apostle Paul concluded that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. Remember, not all the dead have this promise; only those in Christ or those “in the Lord.” Thus, before Judgment Day comes, we should make sure that we are “in Christ.”

          The phrase “in the Lord” or “in Christ” refers to those who are in the “body of  Christ.” No one can truly be in Christ if he is not in the body of Christ. Apostle Paul proves this:

          “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, So we, being many, are one body in  Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Rom. 12:4-5, Ibid.)

          Those in Christ are in His body or are “members” of the one body, which is the Church:

          “And He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col. 1:18, Ibid.)

          And this is the Church where Christ is the head:

          “Take head therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts. 20:28, Lamsa Translation)

          If a person is a member of the church of Christ, he is a member of the body of Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of the body, so He is the head of the members of the church of Christ. Therefore, those who are members of the church of Christ are “in Christ” and, as such, will no longer be condemned. This is one reason why it is stated in the Book of Revelation that “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”

Rest from their labors

          There are other reasons why members of the Church of Christ are considered fortunate or blessed. The Bible says, “they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Rev. 14:13). How can someone be given rest if he is already dead? How can we say that the members of the Church of Christ are blessed if they are dead “in Christ,” or the members of the Church of Christ who have died, will be resurrected first:

          “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thess. 4:16-17, New King James Version)

          In the first resurrection, the dead in Christ will come out of the grave and those who are alive in Christ will be caught together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Notice that not all the dead will join the first resurrection---only those who have died in Christ---the members of the Church of Christ. If we desire to be included in the first resurrection, then we should enter or join the Church of Christ. This cannot be done after we die; it must be done now, while we are alive.

          The Bible teaches that after the first resurrection, there will be a second resurrection. There is a great difference between the first resurrection and the second resurrection. Those who will be resurrected first are “greatly blessed”:

          “Happy and greatly blessed are those who are included in this first raising of the dead. The second death has no power over them; they shall be priest of God and of Christ, and they will rule with him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6, Today’s English Version)

The second death will have no power over those who will rise first. The second death referred to is the death in the lake of fire:

          “Then death and the world of dead were thrown into the lake of fire. (This lake of fire is the second death).” (Rev. 20:14, Ibid.)

          Thus, the members of the Church of Christ will overcome not only the first death, but also the second death or the punishment in the lake of fire. On the other hand, those who will be included is the second resurrection will be condemned to eternal punishment (Rev. 20:5-10).

          It is the desire of all to reach the heavenly kingdom. No one wants to be punished in the lake of fire. Therefore, we should make certain that before Judgment Day comes, we must have been members of the Church of Christ who will be resurrected and thereafter be with the Lord.

          This is the fulfillment of the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ when He established his Church. He made this promise concerning His Church and the problem of death:

          “And so I tell you, Peter; you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it.” (Mt. 16:18, Today’s English Version)

If the Church were not necessary, why then had Christ said, “not even death will ever be able to overcome it.”?

Death will come to our life someday. And we prepared for it? Let us be found in Christ as members of the Church of Christ. Let us honor the invitation of Christ Himself:

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” (Jn. 10:9, New King James Version). (: