The state of the dead

The Intermediate and Final States of the Dead¹
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—1999

Where does a person go when he dies?² The body, his material part, ends up in the grave, but, as we noted earlier, man has an immaterial (or non-material) part as well.³ What happens to his spirit or soul? Theologians call this the "intermediate state" because it concerns man's condition after death and before the resurrection. The Bible uses primarily five terms to describe "where" man goes upon physical death.

I. Biblical Destinations

A. Sheol

• The abode of the dead⁴

a. For the wicked

Ps9: 17 The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.

b. For the righteous

Ps 16:10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

The main Hebrew term is a general designation for the abode of the dead, wicked and righteous alike. Because the body goes into the ground, the assumption is that Sheol is under the earth as well.⁵ It is probably best to regard Sheol simply as a synonym for grave (so Harris 1980 2:892).⁶

And when I die

The Disposition of the Dead¹
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2004

What does the Bible say about the disposition of the dead? Several passages speak about man's origin from dust at creation and about his return to dust at death. They include no command or instruction about how to deal with the body, simply the observation that, upon death, the body breaks down into its elemental parts.²

In the Bible, the normal disposition of the dead was burial, generally in a marked grave³ after preparing the body.⁴ The affluent purchased plots with ground or a cave⁵ sufficient to accommodate the remains of several family members.⁶ Abraham, for example, acquired a parcel of land for that expressed purpose, where he and several relatives were interred.⁷ Whenever practical, the survivors would transport the body to those sites.⁸ If distance was not a problem, burial outside the family property was a sign of disgrace.⁹ Those who could not afford their own plot were often buried in a community cemetery or in a common grave.¹⁰

Other ways to dispose of the dead, such as cremation, were acceptable but not common.¹¹ If there was any stigma, it attached not to the manner of disposition but to the neglect of disposition.¹² It was disgraceful to leave a body unburied, to expose it to wild animals and the elements,¹³ or to desecrate it in any way.¹⁴ To leave a body unburied was also defiling to the land.¹⁵

In most cases, the living did not abandon the dead but gave them the respect of interment.¹⁶ Nevertheless, even the most respectful treatment of the body upon death would not improve a person's state after death. Ultimately, it was his decision in life that determined his disposition in death.

For the Endnotes see the pdf here.

Why do you exist?

Your Raison D'etre¹
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2003

What is your raison d'etre? Why do you exist? The Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) says: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." Apart from that, though, why did God put you on this earth? Later, when your time here is over, what will you be doing in Heaven? Will you be sitting on clouds, strumming harps and eating Philadelphia Cream Cheese? What can life in Eden tell us about life in heaven?

Before the fall, God gave man an assignment: to care for the garden that God created as man's residence.

Gen 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

After the fall, that assignment changed venues and became considerably more difficult, but it remained essentially the same.

Gen 3:18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19a By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.... 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

While giving glory to God is paramount, evidently, work—engaging in productive activity—was part of God's original design for man. Hence, heaven may include further opportunity for productivity,² albeit without the curse of "thorns and thistles" and without the need for arduous, sweat-producing labor.

One could make a similar observation about companionship. Before the fall, God said that man should not be alone and made a partner to enjoy life with him.

Gen 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

After the fall, man's need for companionship remained essentially the same, and Jesus reiterated the abiding nature of the marital relationship.

Matt 19:5 ...a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh

God has also placed us "in families" (Ps 68:6a), marked both by physical and spiritual commonality. Likewise, in heaven, man will not be in isolation but with those who are also part of God's family.³ While having a relationship with God is paramount, He designed us to relate to others as well, others with whom we will experience and enjoy eternity.⁴

Understanding these similarities of life on earth and life in heaven, there are two purposes (in addition to glorifying and enjoying God)⁵ that He intended for man since creation.

• God created man to be productive not idle.⁶

• God created man to be interactive not isolated.⁷

How these purposes will be manifest in the new creation remains to be seen, but at that point you will finally realize fully the purpose for which God created you, your raison d'etre.

For the Endnotes see the pdf here.

The Fall

The Fallen State of Man¹
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command, the effect of their action went far beyond them. It had ramifications for the entire human race. The Fall, as it is known, brought sin and death into the world God had called "very good" (Gen 1:31a). In what ways, though, do we, Adam's descendants, suffer for his sin? What do we inherit as a result of the Fall?

I. Two Theological Descriptions

As theologians have wrestled with these questions, they have explained man's fallen state using the concepts of "original sin" and the "imputation of sin" (Hodge 1972:325, 357).

A. "Original sin" concerns the moral effect of Adam's disobedience.

1. It is the corrupt nature we inherit from Adam.
2. When Adam sinned, he introduced a defective gene into the moral DNA of the species, a propensity to sin that was not part of the original genetic code.

B. "Imputation of sin" concerns the legal effect of Adam's disobedience.

1. It is the judicial guilt we inherit from Adam.
2. When Adam sinned, he implicated the entire race, making all his descendants guilty by association.

These ideas derive chiefly from Romans 5,² a series of statements in which Paul explains how Adam's sin affects us, his descendants. Rather than examining the many different positions theologians have taken on this subject, we will just look at the biblical source and try to determine what we can safely say.

Created in His image

The Image of God in Man¹
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2001

Several passages in scripture state that, from the beginning, God made man in His image.²

Gen 1:26a Then God said, "Let us make man in our image in our likeness...." 27 So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Gen 5:lb When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

Was that image limited to Adam, and did he lose it as a result of the Fall? Do only those whom God regenerates get it back? ...No, God's image is inherent in man, even in unregenerate man. After the Fall, he still bears that divine impression (distorted but not demolished, defaced but not destroyed).

Gen 9:6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.

1 Cor 11:7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

Jms 3:9b ...men...have been made in God's likeness.

All men possess the image of God, but all may not reflect that image with equal clarity; that is, to the same extent as when God originally impressed it.

What constitutes the image of God? Is it corporeal or incorporeal? The answer may include elements of both aspects. The Hebrew term for "image" appears 34 times, and its Greek counterpart appears 15 times. A synonymous Hebrew term "likeness" appears 25 times, and its Greek counterpart appears 7 times.

Theology Series Chapter 6: Anthropology

Chapter VI: Anthropology
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

In A Reader's Digest Approach to Theology, we looked first at what the Bible says about itself, because that is the chief source of information on spiritual issues. Then we examined what the Bible says about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and angels. Today, we begin to see what scripture says about us, in particular, about our nature. Much of it will probably be familiar to you, but the purpose of a study like this is to provide a summary of doctrine as well as a frame on which you can hang more specific information.

Weekly World News: "How to Tell If You Are Double-Souled" (Floori 2010)

What happens when two souls are reincarnated in a single body? That is the provocative question Dr. Sankar Khan, who has been conducting reincarnation studies in Mumbai, India, for the past 26 years, is attempting to answer. He says, "Some individuals are not truly one person, but two." According to Dr. Khan, a reincarnated soul enters its new body when the fetus is at an early stage of development.

Usually a single soul enters the embryo — but sometimes two spirits, eager to be reborn, both elbow their way into the child. When this occurs, the body responds by splitting the embryo, leading to the birth of twins.

This explains why many identical twins, though raised in the same environment, are polar opposites in personality.

When the spirits are very different in nature this can lead to the tragic condition known as 'multiple personality disorder.' In these cases, there are two radically different persons trapped in one body, taking turns controlling it.... A telltale sign of such individuals is their tendency to talk to themselves, as they consult their inner companion.... Typically, double-souled individuals tend to be full of inner conflict. They find themselves torn between two lovers, two career goals, two dreams of the future. Each of their souls pulls them in an opposite direction.

According to Dr. Khan, you are likely to be double-souled if...

• You have difficulty making important decisions.
• You talk to yourself often throughout the day.
• You are ambidextrous.
• You often "can't believe" what you did the night before.
• You alternate between using your real name and a special nickname.
• You sometimes sign your name so differently, it is almost unrecognizable.
• You love a song one day and can't stand it the next day.

What is the main problem with this hypothesis? ... Scripture dismisses the idea of reincarnation.

• Death only goes in one direction.¹

Heb 9:27 ... man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

• God alone can reverse that direction.²

Rom 7:24b Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25a Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

A. The nature of man

1. Man is a created being.

 [The end notes can be found in the linked pdf]

Can the Devil read your thoughts?

Satanic Mind Control
or
Can the Devil Read Your Thoughts?¹
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2009

How much influence does Satan have on your life? Does he, for example, have the power to know your thoughts? We read in the gospels about Jesus' knowing people's thoughts, can Satan do this too? Why does your mind "wander and go astray" when you pray? How is it that you can maintain your concentration when reading the newspaper or a secular book but grow drowsy as soon as you start reading your Bible? At the heart of these various questions are two concerns about the human thought process, the first of which is...

The Angel of the Lord

The Angel of the Lord¹
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

Of the various topics in any survey of theology, the study of angels is one of the most popular. People are fascinated by the prospect of other beings who exist outside the physical realm yet who occasionally enter our world and even interact with us.² The Bible records several examples of such interaction and only rarely identifies the angel involved. In most cases, he remains unnamed.³ This session we will look at a few Old Testament passages in which the biblical writers call an angelic visitor "the angel of the LORD." Is he, as some think, a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ (i.e., Christophany; so Baron 1918:23; Feinberg 1979:23; Leupold 1942 1:500-501; Morris 1976:330,370; Wood 1975:231,n.12)?⁴

Theology Series Chapter 5: Angels

Chapter V: Angelology
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Having considered the three persons of the godhead in A Reader's Digest Approach to Theology, we proceed down the cosmic hierarchy to study angels.

Quiz: What Do You Know About Angels?

1. What is the theological term for the study of angels? Angelology.
2. What does the word "angel" mean? Both Hebrew (mal'ak) and Greek (anggelos) terms mean "messenger."
3. T/F: Angels have wings. False (in the narrow sense of the term): Seraphs and cherubs have wings; angels, proper, do not, although they do fly.¹
4. T/F: When people die, they become angels. False: They become "like the angels" (Matt 22:30) but do not become angels.²
5. T/F: Israel was the only Ancient Near East (ANE) people with a belief in angels. False: A stele depicts angels flying over the Sumerian king Ur-Nammus while he prays (c. 2250).
6. T/F: Angels always appear in the Bible as adult males, never as females or children. True.³
7. T/F: Daniel is the only Old Testament (OT) book that names angels. True (See answer to the next question).
8. Who are the angels Protestant scriptures name? Gabriel and Michael.⁴
9. T/F: "The angel of the LORD" is Christ. False (See Excursus 1: The Angel of the LORD).
10. What is the main goal of evil angels? To thwart God's purpose by opposing God's people.⁵
11. Who controls the activities of evil angels? Satan partially (immediately) but God ultimately (mediately).⁶
12. T/F: Angels play harps. False: This notion seems to have arisen from a misunderstanding of passages in Revelation where elders have harps and where some believers have harps (Mounce 1977:146).⁷
13. T/F: Angels are musical. True: They sing and play instruments.⁸
14. What extra-biblical book has the most information about angels? 1 Enoch, where the author attributes sin to angelic intercourse with human women and identifies six good angels by name.⁹

[The end notes can be found in the linked pdf]

A father's instruction

FATHER'S DAY:
A Father's Instruction
Proverbs 3:1-12
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

For many young men, the prospect of fatherhood can be daunting, even overwhelming.

Three expectant fathers were in the waiting room of the maternity ward. The delivery nurse came in and spoke to the first man, "Congratulations, your wife just gave birth to twins!" "Amazing," he replied, "I work for 'The Twin Pines Motel!" A little later the same nurse returned and spoke to the second man, "Congratulations, your wife just had triplets!" "What a coincidence," he replied, "I work for AAA!" At this, the third man was on his feet. "I'm out of here," he said.... "I work for Seven Up!"

The prospect of fatherhood can be daunting, even overwhelming. Solomon, who also had a very large family,¹ offers some help, though, in his recounting of A Father's Instruction.

The Book of Proverbs is a collection of sayings from the sages, and chapters 1-7 take the form of instruction from a father to his son.² Much of it is in praise of wisdom and represents an attempt to impart the experiences and values of one generation to the next. Please turn to Prov 3, which indicates what fathers should value for themselves, by adopting several defining principles in their own lives, and what they should then convey to their children.

The worthy wife

MOTHER'S DAY:
The Worthy Wife
Proverbs 31:10-31
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

In a family, mothers are often the embodiment of practical wisdom, more than their children, even their adult children, always recognize.

Jim had been trying to get his mother to fly out for a visit. "No way am I getting on an airplane," she would reply. "Look, Mom," Jim said, trying to calm her fears, "When it's your time to go, it doesn't matter if you're on the ground or in the air." "I know," she said. "I just don't want to be that far off the ground...when it's the pilot's time to go."

Mothers are the embodiment of practical wisdom, more than their children, even their adult children, always recognize. The message this morning is from the wisdom literature of the Bible, specifically Prov 31, which is not just about mothers but about wives in general and, indeed, has relevance for all women as it describes the experience of The Worthy Wife.

There are two ways we could approach this passage. One is to comment on how much work this poor woman has to do: She sews, she cooks, she labors in the field, she gets up early in the morning and stays up late at night, all this while her husband is out having a good time with the guys. That is not, of course, how we should understand the passage. The biblical writer is not giving a grocery list of all this woman has to do but is telling all this woman is able to do. She is both capable and responsible. Moreover, if we look carefully at the text, we will see not merely this woman's numerous duties but her broad authority. In many ways, this is not only a description of the ideal mate, it is a picture of the ideal marriage. The author begins his description of this woman by speaking about...

Church Ordinances: Communion

CHURCH ORDINANCES:
The Savior's Banquet
1 Cor 11:23-26
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

The typical Baptist church observes communion with small cups of juice and pieces of bread. It is a practice that can be confusing to those present for the first time, especially children.

A little boy was visiting his grandparents one weekend and went to church with them. The congregation was observing communion, something the boy had never seen, so he asked his grandfather about it afterwards. "That was Jesus' Last Supper," his grandfather explained. "Wow," the boy replied... "they didn't feed him much!" (Adapted from Rowell 1996:42)

We may not realize how this practice impacts young minds, even beyond the event itself.

A minister responded to a Red Cross appeal for blood donations. When he didn't come home by the time his young son expected him, the boy asked his mother, "Is Dad visiting sick people?" "No," his mother replied, "he's giving blood." Somewhat alarmed, the boy said..."But we know it's really grape juice." (Adapted from Rowell 1996:41)

Despite what passes for communion today, the initial context for that event involved much more than small cups of juice and pieces of bread. As Jesus observed it on the night he was betrayed, there was a full meal. It was, indeed, The Savior's Banquet.

Church Ordinances: Baptism

CHURCH ORDINANCES:
The Disciple's Baptism
Romans 6:3-4
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

One of the minister's goals in preparing for Sabbath morning is to coordinate the various elements of the service so they direct the congregation's attention where it belongs.

A preacher was winding up his temperance sermon with great fervor. "If I had all the beer in the world," he cried, "I'd take it and throw it in the river." The congregation responded with a resounding, "Amen!" "And if I had all the wine in the world," the preacher continued, "I'd take it and throw it in the river." Again, the congregation cried, "Amen!" "And if I had all the whiskey and demon rum in the world, I'd take it all and throw it in the river." Yet again, the congregation cried, "Amen!" When the preacher sat down, a deacon stood up and said. "For our closing hymn, turn to page 126 and sing together... We Shall Gather at the River."

Although, it is usually best to coordinate the various elements of the service, I will not be suggesting this morning that we throw anything into the river. I do want us to consider another use for water, one that Jesus advocated, and that is The Disciple's Baptism.

More on the blessing of children

Child Blessing¹
pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2001

"The Rabbi's Blessing" Moritz Oppenheim (1800-1882)

When the gentile church separated from the synagogue, it jettisoned some Jewish practices and altered others. Circumcision, for example, gave way to infant baptism (Manuel 1990).² After the Reformation, some Christian groups attempted to restore biblical practices. Baptists reinstated believer's (adult) baptism and, wanting some appropriate ceremony for children, replaced infant baptism with infant dedication.³

I. The common practice today is infant dedication, derived from Luke 2:22-24.

The biblical justification for the latter is often Jesus' first visit to the temple, when his parents "present him to the Lord" (v. 22).

Luke 2:22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY [firstborn] MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS."

The Old Testament passages Luke quotes indicate that this event is something quite different from what many Christians assume.

Church Ordinances: Blessing the children

CHURCH ORDINANCES:
The Children's Blessing
Mark 10: 13-16
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

I do not know if this was your experience, but growing up with a brother and a sister, it became clear to me that unlike boys, girls rarely do anything wrong and, so, rarely get into trouble. Linda and her sisters rarely did anything wrong—so I have been told; not so her brothers, who got into considerable trouble. I have heard stories about some of Elder Eddie's youthful antics. Yet, the next generation brings his daughter, Katrina, the perfect angel.

Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble, and their parents knew that, if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons were probably involved. The boys' mother heard that a local clergyman had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The minister agreed, but asked to see them individually. So the mother sent her 8-yearold first, in the morning, with the older boy to follow that afternoon. The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?" The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there stunned and wide-eyed. So the minister repeated the question in an even sterner and louder tone, "Where is God!?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer. So the clergyman raised his voice even more, shaking his finger in the boy's face and bellowing, "WHERE IS GOD!?" The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him, he asked, "What happened?" The younger boy, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time. God is missing...and they think WE did it!"

Unlike girls, boys are almost destined for trouble. Whether or not any of the boys that parents brought to Jesus were like the two in this story, they were not coming for any disciplinary reasons but to receive from him The Children's Blessing.¹

The Roman Catholic Church has a series of seven practices it terms sacraments, so-called because the Church believes that through them God actively conveys a measure of grace to the participant, grace necessary to a person's relationship with God.² Protestant churches, in particular Baptist churches, observe two of those practices, although not as sacraments but simply as ordinances, so-called not because they convey a measure of grace but because Jesus commanded his followers to keep them. The two ordinances are The Disciple's Baptism and The Savior's Banquet or communion. German Seventh Day Baptists recognize a third ordinance, The Children's Blessing, a practice Jesus commended to his followers. Unlike sacraments, the three Church Ordinances, while they accord with Jesus' instruction and example, are not necessary for a relationship with God. Those who had no part in them can still go to heaven, because God makes that determination on other grounds. Again, the primary difference between a sacrament and an ordinance is that with a sacrament, the Lord is supposedly active, dispensing His grace; with an ordinance, the participant is active, displaying his obedience.

The Children's Blessing was a ceremony common among rabbis during the first century, one Jesus also practiced. In the late Second Temple Period, it was customary for parents to bring their children to a respected teacher that he might beseech God's favor upon them. As Jesus' reputation grew, parents came to him with their children that he might petition God on their behalf.³