Concerning third blessing Christ’s death made available to man–the possibility of life after death–we will continue in our study of His resurrection.  A fundamental tenant of professing Christendom is that those “in Christ” (belong to “THE” church) go directly to heaven upon their passing.  As with any other doctrine attributed to the Lord, this one must be Scripturally confirmed in that God commands that we (1) “Prove all things” and hold fast that which is good (1 Thes. 5:21), and that we (2) study to show ourselves approved by God and able to refute the “profane and vain babblings” of ungodly men who lead people astray (2 Tim. 3:15,16).  In His “prove and study” commands the Lord was not referring to church doctrine, which is in fact the “profane and vain babblings of ungodly men” He warned about, men who make no difference between the holy and the profane and thereby profane God Himself (Eze. 22:26;44:23).  Scriptural study and Scriptural proof are absolutely necessary relative to any belief, doctrine or custom in the spiritual realm (Isa. 28:9-13).  In this posting we will plumb the mind of the Lord relative to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its eternal effect on those who believe and obey His Word.

After lying dead in His tomb for 3 days and 3 nights (Sundown Wednesday to Sundown Saturday (not Friday night to Sunday morning which is 1 day and 2 nights), Jesus Christ arose from the dead but did not ascend directly into Heaven.  Scripture tells us that He first descended into “the heart of the earth” where He spoke to “spirits” that had controlled the minds of men during the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:18-20), not to God’s dead followers as we are often told.  Afterwards, the Messiah made Himself visible to His disciples and spoke to them for 40 days about the coming Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).  It is these people, their spiritual ancestors and spiritual descendants who are the subject of the third part of the Father’s commission given to the God Who became Jesus of Nazareth.

We need to understand that what His resurrection did NOT accomplish is equally as important as what it DID accomplish.  Over the centuries there has been much erroneous teaching concerning God’s Very Elect who have died in a state of holiness.  Specifically, the focus is on where they are and what they are doing now.  Church consensus holds that they are in heaven with Jesus enjoying the fruits of their religion.  But is that what God tells us in His Holy Bible?  Let us allow His Spirit to teach us the Truth about the matter through study and revelation about what we are studying,.  Jesus said that God’s Word is Truth (Jn. 17:17).  It is to that Truth that we will now turn.

In Ephesians 4:8-13 we find a passage that men have used to “prove” that those who die in Christ (belong to “THE” church) go directly to heaven at death.  As is often the case, the “headline” is the only part of the passage that man reads and teaches.  The “fine print” that follows, along with other fine print found in other Biblical passages, are ignored because they do not fit the popular narrative.  Let us STUDY what the Lord says about the matter, PROVE what is right and HOLD FAST to it.  In the Ephesians 4 passage the Apostle Paul is quoting King David (Ps. 68:18) concerning Christ’s resurrection:  “Wherefore He says, ‘When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive ….” (vs 8a).  At this point the teacher stops reading and skips to verses 9 and 10 where it is written that, before Christ “ascended up above the heavens” He “descended into the lower parts of the earth.”  Then the speaker leads the congregation back to verse 8 where he tells them that in His ascent to heaven Jesus had taken some “captives” with Him.  The question then becomes, who were those in “captivity” whom He took “captive?”  Parishioners are told that Jesus descended into the earth and brought to life all of the holy people who had died since creation week.  It is explained that these souls had been held in “captivity” (imprisoned in their graves) since their burials.  Having brought them back to life, Jesus freed them from their “captivity,” took them “captive” to Himself and transported them to heaven with Him where they remain to this day.  The congregation is assured that everyone in “THE” church who had died since then had immediately joined the former “captives” in a heavenly paradise.  Is this Biblically true?

There is a passage of Scripture (“fine print”–Truth) that is conveniently ignored when Christ’s  resurrection is discussed.  In 1 Peter 3:18-20 it is written that, following His resurrection, Jesus went into the heart of the earth and spoke to “spirits in prison” who had influenced men “during the days of Noah.”  Contrary to popular theology, Jesus did not speak to dead saints who were “in prison” (their tombs), did not free them from their “captivities” and did not take them to heaven.  Rather, He spoke to devils (demons) who were imprisoned in the heart of the earth for their evil deeds prior to Noah’s flood.  However, He did appeared to His 120 or so disciples, 12 of whom He would make apostles (sent ones) whose commission was to “… go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” who had been scattered throughout the earth (Mat. 10:6), and teach them “… the things concerning the  gospel of the Kingdom” of God (Acts 1:3/ Mat. 24:14).

Returning to Ephesians 4 let us rejoin verse 8.  This time we will include part b where it is written that Jesus “gave gifts to men,” not to resurrected saints.  We are told that He gave (appointed) some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers.  Paul tells us why the risen Lord gave ministerial gifts to those in His church: “for the perfecting of the saints (“holy ones”)” so that they could carry on His ministry and therefore edify the Body of Christ until all within the church come to the unity of THE faith and have perfect knowledge of the Son of God.  He set up those ministries for the purpose of maturing the saints until they “come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (11-13) which would enable them to reject the various false teachings Satan’s prophets would put forth.  Today these heathen teachings are called “denominational doctrines” and form the foundation of the Institutional Church.  The gifts (ministries) Jesus gave “to men” would not be needed by spirit beings supposedly abiding in heaven.  Also, if all Christians who have died are now in heaven, who are those who will rise from the grave when Christ returns as foretold in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18?  Note that in this passage that Paul refers to “those who are asleep (dead).”  He also tells people to “sorrow not” as do those who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead and therefore “have no hope” (vs 13). His resurrection was proof that His fellow saints would also be resurrected if they obeyed His Words.

In verse 14 Paul speaks of Jesus bringing His saints “with Him” when He returns to earth.  This has led many to believe that those who have died are in heaven.  Those who believe in the “rapture” theory use this passage to “prove” their thesis.  However, in verse 14 Paul is writing about Christ’s descent following the resurrection of the dead (verses 15-18) at His Second Advent.  After the saints join Him in the air, He and they will descend to the Mount of Olives as Zechariah 14:4 tells us.  From there they will enter Jerusalem and establish the Kingdom of God.  Read The Kingdom of God.  Key word–Kingdom.   Also read The Rapture.  Key word–Rapture. Also read Christ’s Resurrection.  Key word–Christ’s.  Now back to the “captivity” question.

In 2 Timothy 2:18 Paul tells us what had held God’s saints in “captivity.”  One word answers the question–fear.  He explains that false teachers were telling the people that the resurrection had already taken place.  Unfortunately, some believed them.  In Hebrews 2:15 Paul mentions other people in the church who did not believe that there would be a resurrection.  Both groups had been “in bondage” to fear all of their lives.  They feared that this was the only life they would ever have.  By allowing Himself to be seen by His disciples, Jesus assured His followers then and now that they would be resurrected exactly as He had.  We are told that every person ever born will be resurrected, “each in his own time.”  This Truth is proved in the series titled The Three Resurrections.  Key word–Three.  By giving His living disciples this assurance He “took captivity captive” to the Truth by setting them free from their fear that there would be no life after this life.  L.J.