Beliefs about the Afterlife (iii)

"I Know What Lies Ahead" - This is in essence what the apostle Paul said several times (though in other ways of saying the same thing). It is certainly true with Christ and the prophets. Those who believe the bible also know what lies ahead for them as respects where they will go when they die. Recall the text I cited in the first chapter in this short series and the words of Paul who said "we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God not made with hands eternal in the heavens." (II Cor. 5: 1) 

One leading text on the intermediate state is the famous story of the

The Rich Man (Dives) & Lazarus 

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and [h]fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with [i]the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” (Luke 16: 19-31 nkjv)

This teaching from the Savior about the intermediate state must be examined carefully in order for our questions about death and the afterlife to be correctly answered. That is not to say that this teaching of the Lord answers all questions or that the interpretation of it in whole or in part have been singular, for they have been varied in the Christian community. For instance, when I was with the Hardshell or "Primitive" Baptists, many rejected the common interpretation (that it informs of what happens to good and bad people when they die) and even officially declared that to believe said common view was heresy that merited exclusion from church membership or from the ordained clergy. 

The reason for their rejection of it was due to the fact that they thought that such an interpretation would give credence to the view that teaches that men may be the means or instruments in the eternal salvation of fellow men and women by preaching the word to them (rich man thought Lazarus could save his brothers were he able to go back from the dead, inferentially by preaching to them and bringing them to repent and turn to the Lord). They believed that believing in such a system of salvation through such means is heresy and cannot therefore be what the teaching of the Lord is affirming. They will seek therefore to interpret the story allegorically and take nothing literally. They will give it a parabolic interpretation and make the parable to support anti means ideas. They would affirm that the story should not be understood literally. 

For instance, many of them will affirm that 1) the rich man represents Jews under the law covenant and Lazarus to represent the Gentiles who are without any scripture or covenant with God, and 2) the Jewish nation and the law covenant (Sinai) were put to death by the death of Christ and 3) the inauguration of the new covenant, involving the kingdom of God was taken away from the Jews, and 4) God granted the kingdom (church) to the Gentiles. 

In my second ordination to the ministry, some in the Hardshell presbytery asked me my views on it and I thought I was not going to be ordained because I stated that I believed in the common view. But, those asking did not push the matter any further. Not all "Primitive Baptists" agree with those who want to make it a test of fellowship or orthodoxy, but still it is believed by many. 

Of course, the story of Lazarus and the unnamed rich man is not a parable, for in none of the parables did the Lord use a personal name. Lazarus is mentioned by name and this indicates that Christ is talking about a real person who existed and had lived and died prior to Christ teaching about him. He is not the same Lazarus who Christ raised from the dead, and who was the brother of Mary and Martha, whose home Christ frequented. 

Further, the story is literal. It is not merely symbolic or allegorical. Lazarus is real and does not "represent" anyone but himself and those like him (who believe in God and his word). Hades is real and not symbolic of something else. Abraham, Lazarus, the rich man ("Dives" - being "rich man" in Latin), are all literal and real people. Abraham's bosom is his bosom (although Abraham is not in the afterlife in body and so "bosom" must refer to his temporary spiritual body, which opens another avenue of thought). In other words, how could Abraham have a bosom if he is in the realm of the dead in spirit? And, how could Dives have a "tongue" if he is in Hades in spirit? Though the story of Dives and Lazarus answers a lot of our questions about the afterlife and realm of the dead or spirit world, nevertheless it also raises questions that the story itself does not answer (probably because some information is assumed as already known and some additional information he intended to give later by the apostles). We might be tempted to say that the story raises more questions than it answers.

Ghostly Appearances

So, why is bodily language used of the spirits of dead people? Since Abraham, Lazarus, and Dives are all dead, and their bodies in graves, and since their spirits are not dead, though without a body or physical existence, and are in the world of spirits, how can body parts be ascribed to them, to spirits? How can they be recognized if they are spirits? The Bible supports and assumes the idea (proposition or enthymeme) that spirits of dead humans may be "seen" by the living and that their spiritual form or appearance of them was as when they were alive on earth. So, do the ghosts of the dead have a form that looks like their former bodies? It seems so. Consider that in the story Abraham still looked like Abraham even though he was a spirit in Hades. So too did Lazarus and Dives. Further, the rich man sees Lazarus and knows it is Lazarus. But, spirits are invisible, so how can they be seen? Again, we might be tempted to think the story raises more questions than it answers. But, let us not be thus tempted.

I think the appearance of departed spirits is more like what we see in "holograms." We saw this in the first Star Wars movie series where Princess Leia is seen in such an hologram image. 

In Acts 12, Peter is miraculously released from prison when an angel visits him at night. Peter escapes and returns to the house where a group is gathered praying. A servant girl named Rhoda goes to answer the door, hears Peter's voice and is so excited that she forgets to open the door and so runs back to tell the others that Peter is there. 

"But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” (Acts 12: 15)

It is perhaps that they also thought that the person speaking was Peter's ghost or spirit, or as many think, his guardian angel. Either way, the disciples must have believed that a person's ghost or angelic guardian spoke with that person's voice and even looked like the person. Further, they thought the angel or spirit of Peter would speak with the unique voice, slang, and dialect of Peter. I find it very interesting that the disciples thought that the angel of Peter would be some kind of replica of Peter. I had in my mind at one time that the text (from my faulty memory) says that they said "it is his spirit" but the text says "it is his angel." I could understand how the spirits of dead men could be able to speak and look like they did while on earth in a body, but not understand how Peter's angel could do so. What they said raises questions. Notice this text:

"But when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out..." (Mark 6: 49)

Not only could we envision how a spirit would have the ability to become visible in a kind of ghostly way or in the manner of a hologram image, but recall that in the movie Princess Leia's hologram image was able to talk and communicate as if it were actually her. 

Think also of the ghostly appearance of the miser "Marley" in Dicken's famous Christmas story about "Scrooge." Marley appears to Scrooge as a ghost walking and talking with chains.

The ghost or spirit of Marley was a likeness to his physical appearance when in the physical body, at the time of his death. So, at what point in our earthly life is the way we will look in the afterlife in spirit? Will it be as we looked when we were young, middle life, or aged, or when we died? The spirit of the infant or toddler, will it be look like the infant? So, again, these are not easy questions to answer. 

Perhaps we do have a kind of "spiritual body" (an oxymoron?) that is a kind of "doppelganger," a mysterious exact double of a living person. It's a German word that literally translates to "double walker" or "double goer". A doppelganger is not, therefore, someone who merely resembles you, but is rather an exact double, including the way you walk, act, talk, and dress. A doppelganger is therefore a ghostly counterpart of a living person. 

When the prophet Samuel was called forth from the spirit world, from Sheol (or Hades), from the bosom of Abraham, by the Witch of Endor at the request of King Saul (1 Samuel 28:3–25), Saul at once recognized that the appearance of the spirit of Samuel resembled his appearance on earth. Saul had known Samuel and so knew what he looked like when he was alive. 

So, we see three spirits of human beings who have died (left their bodies) in the story, Abraham, Dives, and Lazarus. These spirits are viewed and described as if they still had bodies. The rich man suffered from thirst, but how can a spirit feel physical thirst? Lazarus is said to be "comforted" and to enjoy himself, but again how can spirits experience pleasure? 

As we saw in the previous postings in this series, Paul taught that the spirit of the believer, when he dies, will exit his clothing (body), or his house (body), and will have a temporary body/clothing, or a way of appearing in a body. By this power the angels, who are by nature spirit, were able to present themselves in a visible form in the bible. So, envision that same power being given to the "spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb. 12: 23). Jesus had the power after his resurrection to appear and disappear (going through walls). 

Christians sing a hymn whose title is in the form of a question - "shall we know each other there?" Notice some of the words of it.

1. When we hear the music ringing
In the bright celestial dome,
When sweet angel voices, singing,
Gladly bid us welcome home,
To the land of ancient story,
Where the dwellers know no care,
In that land of light and glory;
Shall we know each other there?

Chorus:
Shall we know each other?
Shall we know each other?
Shall we know each other?
Shall we know each other there?

2. When the holy angels meet us,
As we go to join their band,
Shall we know the friends that greet us
In the glorious, happy land?
Shall we see the same eyes shining,
On us as in days of yore?
Shall we feel the same arms twining,
Fondly round us as before? [Chorus]

3. Yes, my earth-worn soul rejoices,
And my weary heart grows light;
For the sweet immortal voices
And th' angelic faces bright
That shall sing with us the story
Of redemption round the throne,
Are with us the heirs of glory,
And we'll know as we are known.

4. O ye weary, sad, and tossed ones!

Droop not, faint not by the way;
Ye shall join the loved and lost ones
In the land of perfect day.
Harp strings touched by angel fingers,
Murmur in my raptured ear;
Evermore their sweet song lingers,

"We shall know each other there!"

In our next posting (chapter) we will continue our analysis of the story of Lazarus and Dives.