Did Lazarus die again after being resurrected by Jesus?

Does Hebrews 9:27" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 9:27 ("once to die") mean that those the Lord raised, like Lazarus, did not die again but went to heaven at Christ's ascension?

At the Fall, God appointed death as the one-time penalty for sin (Romans 5:12;" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 15:21, 22). That compares to the one-time offering of Christ for sins (verse 28).

This verse states that in the natural course of events, death is a one-time occurrence. At the Rapture, supernatural power will alter this. Living saints will never die (John 11:26)." TARGET="_blank">John 11:26). In the case of those raised from the dead before the Lord's incarnation, during his ministry, and in the apostles' ministry, supernatural power contravened this order. Only a divine intervention can reverse death.

Scripture gives no reason to believe that any raised from death before Christ's incarnation or after His ascension had a miraculous exit from earth. They returned to life in a world ruined by sin; along with Lazarus, they died again.

The Lord is the only One thus far raised "out from death" ("out resurrection," Philippians 3:11)." TARGET="_blank">Philippians 3:11). He is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18)" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 1:18) and is the Firstfruit (1 Corinthians 15:23)" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 15:23) of a new and distinct harvest. Others before Him were raised from the dead. He was raised out from death - a resurrection. At His coming, the sleeping saints will not merely be raised from the dead, they will be resurrected never to die again, having changed bodies like the Lord's body of glory (1 Corinthians 15:51-56;" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 15:51-56; Philippians 3:21)." TARGET="_blank">Philippians 3:21).

D. Oliver
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Should a Christian have friends who are not believers?

Be the first to give an answer to this question. Write an answer in the comment section below. Please provide your name and if you have a website or blog, be sure to include the URL and email address in your answer.

Answers will be reviewed.

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What happened to the people who rose from the dead when Jesus was crucified?

Matthew 27:52," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 27:52,53 states that “many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” Is it known what happened to these saints? Did they go to heaven with Christ or did they return to their graves?

We are not told in the Scriptures, but the resurrection of these saints in connection with that of our Lord leaves little doubt, I think, on the matter. Our Lord Himself was shewn after His resurrection “not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God” (Acts 10:41)," TARGET="_blank">Acts 10:41), to make it easier for the people at large to believe in the resurrection. He was the first-fruits. “Many bodies of the saints arose and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” They could not deny their own senses that they had seen their dead friends alive, and if so, why should not the testimony of the disciples be that Christ had risen? Under such circumstances, it seems very difficult to believe that the resurrection of these saints was anything but a true and lasting resurrection. I believe this was the first stage in the First Resurrection, of which the resurrection of the sleeping saints, when the Lord comes, will be the second stage, and the remaining saints who have died when He returns in glory the final stage. “This is the first resurrection.” Had they returned to their graves, it might be said that He did, too. Surely they were part of that captivity which He led captive when he ascended on high.

W.H.

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Do people become angels after death? Do children become angels?

No. Angels are spirit beings, while humans are composed of a body and spiritual part consisting of soul and spirit.

Christ taught in Matthew 22:30" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 22:30 that angels do not get married nor have children.

In heaven, there are two distinct groups who live there. Hebrews 12:22-23" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 12:22-23 mentions a “myriads of angels” and “the spirits of righteous men made perfect”.

The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31" TARGET="_blank">Luke 16:19-31 tells us that at death a person either goes to the agonies of Hades or to the bliss of God's presence. The Rich Man even asked Abraham to send Lazarus to his father's house, but believers who have died do not return to earth to communicate with anyone. In contrast, God sends his angels to protect and communicate with believers who are still alive (Hebrews 1:13-14;" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 1:13-14; Psalm 91:11-13;" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 91:11-13; Acts 27:23-24;" TARGET="_blank">Acts 27:23-24; Matthew 2:13;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 2:13; Acts 5:19)." TARGET="_blank">Acts 5:19).

Children who die do not become angels. They die like adults who are saved. They are covered by Christ's work at the cross. A related question to this is "Are children saved who die young?"

Shad David Sluiter

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Was the descent at the time of Pentecost gradual?

Was the descent at the time of Pentecost gradual?

If the question refers to the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, the answer is in verses 2 to 4 of Acts 2" TARGET="_blank">Acts 2: "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, … And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." With unexpected suddenness (Strong’s Dictionary), the sound filled the house, divided tongues (ESV) appeared and rested on the believers, the Holy Spirit filled them, and they spoke in tongues.

However, perhaps the question addresses the descent or decline of Israel’s place of privilege. During the period covered in the Book of Acts, the gospel went "to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 1:16). In Ezekiel’s visions, the glory of the Lord gradually moved away from the temple, the land, and the nation. The Lord did not rush to withdraw from His people. The prophet received the message of judgment before the glory departed, but God carried out the judgment with apparent reluctance, which is both instructive and touching. So during the book of Acts, Israel’s removal from its position of privilege took place gradually. The Lord had announced it before the cross, and made it clear that the reason was the slaying of the beloved Son (Matthew 21:33-43)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 21:33-43). He taught that after He ascended back to heaven, the nation would seal its doom by sending after Him the message, "We will not have this Man to reign over us" (Luke 19:12-14)" TARGET="_blank">Luke 19:12-14) and by declining the invitation of the King’s messengers (Matthew 22:1-7)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 22:1-7). The same leaders who plotted the death of Christ sent their message of determined rejection ("We will not have this Man . . .") back to heaven when they stoned Stephen (Acts 7)." TARGET="_blank">Acts 7). They imprisoned and beat the messengers (ch 5). They proved that their slaying of Christ was not accidental; they were not manslayers (Deu 19:1-4)," TARGET="_blank">Deu 19:1-4), but, as Stephen said (Acts 7:52)," TARGET="_blank">Acts 7:52), were murderers (Deuteronomy 19:11, 12)." TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 19:11, 12). They had no refuge from the sword of judgment. As the gospel spread from Jerusalem to Rome in Acts, the Jewish leaders affirmed the nation’s rejection of Christ and His messengers, although individual Jews were saved.

The nation rejected Christ and His kingdom when they crucified Him. As the gospel spread, the nation’s rejection of the message spread; the pall of darkness and blindness (Romans 11:25)" TARGET="_blank">Romans 11:25) settled over Israel. With apparent reluctance, God gradually removed the place of privilege from the nation that had rejected His Son. That generation crucified the King and therefore would not share in His kingdom. That was settled before the beginning of Acts. During Acts, God gradually removed their place of privilege as the message went from Jerusalem to Rome. After the end of Acts, the army came from Rome to Jerusalem to destroy the city (Matthew 22:7)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 22:7). The decline was gradual, but the result inevitable.

D. Oliver
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Does the devil still have the power of death?

Does the devil still have this power of death?

This page was adapted from an answer at Truth and Tidings Magazine by David Oliver.

To this date the devil still has the power of death. That is, death still extends its reach to all creatures - animal and human. The verse in Hebrews 2" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 2 does not say that Christ destroyed the power of death or took it away from the devil. Christ destroyed the devil himself or, more perhaps better said, Christ rendered him ineffective (Arndt & Gingrich). Satan is still the ruler of this world; the curse of sin and death still affects us all. He is still active and mighty. He will have another, unrestrained opportunity to bring disaster on the earth (Revelation 12:12)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 12:12). However, the Lord Jesus died and effectively rendered Satan powerless, the devil will not and cannot undo God’s plan. In creation, God had a greater plan that simply creating a peaceful place to live for Adam and Eve. In Eden, the devil had more in mind than ruining creation or making it his dominion.

D. Oliver

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Why does God allow suffering and pain?

Why is there pain and suffering?

You may also be interested in the more personal question "Why am I experiencing a time of difficulty? What is going trying to do to me?"

C.S. Lewis called it “The Problem of Pain” in his short, but influential book.

“If God were good, He would wish to make his creatures perfectly happy, and if God were almighty, He would be able to do what He wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both. That is the problem of pain in its simplest form.”

Very briefly, there are a number of ways of answering this challenge.

Choice

God created man, Satan and the angels with the power of choice. This gives us the option of choosing to obey or to rebel against God. Building us with a free will has the inherent risk of losing us to sin. Suffering, being the result of sin, is the inheritance we received from Adam and Eve and their fatal choice to disobey God. Romans 5:12" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:12 says that he is the source of death in the world being the head of all humanity. As a consequence of Adam’s choice, the world is visited by calamity and suffering.

Romans 5:12" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned--

This “bondage of corruption,” with the “whole world groaning and travailing together in pain” (Romans 8:21, 22)," TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:21, 22), has affected all men everywhere. God did not make the world in its fallen state. In fact, when finishing the world he said "it is very good" (Genesis 2:1-3)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 2:1-3). Some day in the future, God will take away the curse from the earth. In that day, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:4)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 21:4).

God lacks power?

If God is almighty, then why does he allow suffering to exist? God actually uses suffering to accomplish his will. Hebrews 12:5-11" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 12:5-11 says that he disciplines his children with chastening. Discipline is both punishment and instruction.

Hebrews 12:5-11" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 12:5-11 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. (6) For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." (7) It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? (8) If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (9) Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? (10) For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. (11) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 5:8-9" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 5:8-9 says that Christ himself “learned” and was "made perfect" by what he suffered. Christ was certainly not ignorant nor unaware of suffering neither was he "imperfect" in the moral sense of sin. He "learned" by experience what suffering is. He "learned" obedience by practicing obedience even at the cost of the worst suffering imaginable. "Made perfect" is the completion of his work by carrying it out to the end.

Hebrews 5:7-9" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 5:7-9 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. (8) Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. (9) And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

Just because suffering continues to exist does not logically mean it exists because God is powerless to stop it. God uses suffering to accomplish his purposes, which raises the next question…

God is cruel?

If God is capable of stopping suffering, then why does it continue? To end suffering, God would have to end the root cause of suffering – the ability to sin. This would mean that God would end our ability to make choices. To stop murder, God could end our ability to commit murder. To stop sin against God, he could end our ability to rebel. To stop evil implies ending the ability for individuals to choose what they want to do. God created Adam with the foreknowledge that Adam and his sons had the ability to worship God as well as the ability of Cain to kill his own brother.

Doesn’t God want his creatures to be perfectly happy?

Is God leading us somewhere with the aid of suffering? The purpose of creation is not to give us self-indulgent pleasure. The ultimate happiness of man is found by being able to glorify God even if that entails suffering on our part. If God had made Adam with the mind of a programmed machine, Adam would not have sinned nor died. Adam and his descendents would also not have the experience of being redeemed by grace. There would be no salvation. There would be no mercy of God. There would be no heaven. Instead, God has created a plan that will be consummated by the salvation of sinners who don’t deserve redemption, but will worship God eternally because of it. Man would never know salvation apart from sin.

Suffering is turned into goodness in the end. God was not surprised by Adam’s sin and fall. Of course, this does not mean that God is the source of sin, but it does mean that God is above sin and can use it to accomplish glory in the end. If God is eventually going to bring glory to himself through the suffering of all humanity, can he not do the same in your broken life?

Conclusion

These are summary paragraphs of a few reasons why suffering is allowed to continue. We can't know all the reasons why God allows suffering we just know that He does.

Shad Sluiter

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Is the narrow road a message for believers or a message of salvation?

Why do some say that the teaching of Matthew 7:13-14" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 7:13-14 is a message for believers?

Unbelievers (7:28) and believers (5:1) were both present while the Lord spoke. As in all that He did and said, His message was a model of good preaching; He set out the truth and then called for action. Verses 13 through 27 were His summary and call for action. Such was His skill in speaking that His summary applied to all who listened. He expressed universal principles. Submission to His Word results in "life which is life indeed" (1 Timothy 6:19," TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 6:19, RV), enjoyed both now and eternally. Disobedience to His Word results in loss, suffered both now and eternally.

We who are believers need this reminder. The value of our present life and testimony depends on uncompromising submission to His Word. The degree to which we disregard His Word is the degree to which we will suffer loss at the Bema (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

D. Oliver
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Should a woman not teach a Sunday school class?

Does 1 Timothy 2:11," TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 2:11, 12 mean that a woman should not teach Sunday School classes?

Some beloved saints have come to this conclusion. Respecting their wish to uphold the Scriptures isn’t the same as agreeing with them, however.

Women are instructed to teach in non-assembly settings (Titus 2:3)," TARGET="_blank">Titus 2:3), so to require women to remain silent and to refrain from teaching necessitates conducting the Sunday School as an assembly meeting. If that is the case, children cannot say their verses, suggest choruses to sing, nor answer questions. No one should be surprised if the children lack interest in listening or coming to such a "Sunday School." If the children are saying their verses, "giving out choruses," and answering questions, then this is no different than when a husband and wife gather the neighborhood children on their back porch, in a rented building, or an available school room. Using the assembly’s building is merely a convenience for the Sunday School and doesn’t impart "church status" to the gathering.

D. Oliver
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Is gospel preaching too opinionated, narrow or manipulative?

Since telling people what they must do is regarded as "manipulative," how can we preach "we must be saved?"

Part of the responsibility we have when preaching the Gospel is to communicate to audiences a Biblical concept of God -His holiness, mercy, grace, love and power. Germane to this is the truth of His authority - His absolute right as Creator to judge any disobedience to His laws. He not only "commends His love" (Romans 5:8)" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:8) but "commands repentance" (Acts 17:30, 31)." TARGET="_blank">Acts 17:30, 31). All He says is true and it is proper for us not only to "beseech" and "persuade" but to "warn." Expressions like, "I believe" or "We have always believed," when used in this connection, are pointless self-references that carry little weight. "Thus saith the Lord" and "It is written" are the language of the evangelist, conveying to an audience that the authority behind these statements is God and His Word.

E. Higgins

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