21.04.2018 Views

Hell and Heaven

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

HEAVEN AND HELL: IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE: PROF.M.M.NINAN<br />

Description of Sheol in the Bible.<br />

What happens when we reach sheol after death? Evidently the life giving spirit <strong>and</strong> the carrier of<br />

life the body are separated.<br />

Man was created from the dust which formed the body <strong>and</strong> given life by the breath of God (the<br />

Spirit of God) <strong>and</strong> Man became a living soul.<br />

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; <strong>and</strong> the spirit shall return unto God who gave<br />

it" (Eccl. 12:7).<br />

Body goes to earth as dust<br />

"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast<br />

thou taken: for dust thou art, <strong>and</strong> unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19).<br />

"All go unto one place; All are of the dust, <strong>and</strong> all turn to dust again" (Eccl. 3:20).<br />

The Spirit goes back to God<br />

"Thou takest away their breath, they die, <strong>and</strong> return to their dust" (Psalm 104:29).<br />

The Soul goes to Sheol<br />

In Genesis 37:35 Jacob says, "I will go down into Sheol unto my son (Joseph) mourning."<br />

This is the first place where Sheol is found in the Old Testament.<br />

Sheol was essentially the "Abode of the Soul"<br />

Into Sheol, when life is ended, the dead are gathered in their tribes <strong>and</strong> families.<br />

Hence, the expression frequently occurring in the Pentateuch,<br />

"to be gathered to one's people,"<br />

"to go to one's fathers," etc.<br />

(Genesis 15:15; 25:8,17; 49:33; Numbers 20:24,28; 31:2; Deuteronomy 32:50; 34:5).<br />

The soul was imagined like the data written by the Spirit onto the body. Thus the separation of<br />

spirit from the body left the soul unreadable unless it is again regained by the spirit <strong>and</strong> body<br />

10

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!