In Coronatime thinking about death

None of us likes thinking about death, but there are times when we have little choice. For weeks now we did not hear anything else that so many died. Everywhere in the world lives are lost.

The unseen enemy has reached every corner of society, being rich does not help you to avoid the death toll. The so-called most rich, developed and greatest nation in the world shows its very weak position and how capital gain has become more important there than human lives of ethical values.

We could notice an increase at certain websites and received more letters and phone calls from worried people, asking why God allows this to happen or what mankind has done wrong. The corona crisis has unexpectedly raised the specter of death itself, our constant companion even if, most of the time, we do our best to ignore it.

This month Time Magazine has taken the opportunity to write about death, heaven and hell.

There are over two billion Christians in the world, the vast majority of whom believe in heaven and hell. According to many Christian when people die they would have one part, which they call the soul going either to everlasting bliss or torment (or purgatory en route). Strangely enough, most Christians believe in a loving heavenly Father, but do not ask a question about such a father when he would have his children being tortured for ages and ages in a fire! Can you imagine yourself doing that to your children, even when they would have hurt yourself a lot?

Americans continue to anticipate a version of the alternatives portrayed in The Good Place: regardless of religious persuasion, 72% believe in a literal heaven, 58% in a literal hell.

Do they never went or go looking in the Bible to see what the Word of God really says?

The vast majority of these people assume also Jesus himself taught such read. But that is not true. Neither Jesus, nor the Hebrew Bible he interpreted, endorsed the view that departed souls go to paradise or everlasting pain. Though there were Roman and Greek philosophers who talked about split personalities or two or more elements in a human being that could separate from the physical human being. Only many centuries later those who agreed with the Roman rulers to go for a three-headed god, also were eager to integrate the thought of separate units in the human body with a soul going to one or another place.

Unlike most Greeks, ancient Jews traditionally did not believe the soul could exist at all apart from the body. On the contrary, for them, the soul was more like the “breath.” In particular for them it was the Breath of God Which brought the breath in man, making him able to breathe and to live. Without breathing or without breath there would be no life in man.

It is good that Time magazine in these times when so many are confronted with death, brings an article to clarify the misreading of so many books and in particular the reading of the Book of books, the Bible.
Bart D. Ehrman in his article of 2020 May the 8th is willing to look at the first human God created, Adam, who began as a lump of clay; then God “breathed” life into him (Genesis 2: 7). Adam remained alive until he stopped breathing. Then it was dust to dust, ashes to ashes.

Ancient Jews thought that was true of us all. When we stop breathing, our breath doesn’t go anywhere. It just stops. So too the “soul” doesn’t continue on outside the body, subject to postmortem pleasure or pain. It doesn’t exist any longer.

In the article, you shall be able to read that it was not only by the Christians that opinions changed. In several Jewish communities infiltrated the false teachings. Problem with lots of human beings is that it is very difficult to cope with the idea that we just can die and that everything would be finished with us. Not many people love the idea that when we die we can not do anything any more. Though the scriptures are very clear about it.

 “For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.” (Ec 9:5 NAS)

 “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.” (Ec 9:10 NAS)

For many it is unacceptable that we would just be like plants and animals and not having something better after this life. But the Bible tells us:

 “19  For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. 20  All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.” (Ec 3:19-20 NAS)

It must be said also God’s own people Israel continually were by their confrontation of difficulties in life oblidged to think about life and death.

The article writer questions

 If God loves his people and is sovereign over all the world why do his people experience so much tragedy?

And remarks

Contrary to what other Jewish leaders taught, Jesus preached that no one will inherit the glorious future kingdom by stringently observing all the Jewish laws in their most intimate details; or by meticulously following the rules of worship involving sacrifice, prayer, and observance of holy days; or by pursuing one’s own purity through escaping the vile world and the tainting influence of sinful others. Instead, for Jesus, the earthly utopia will come to those who are fully dedicated to the most pervasive and dominant teachings of God’s law. Put most simply, that involves loving God above all things despite personal hardship, and working diligently for the welfare of others, even when it is exceedingly difficult. People who have not been living lives of complete unselfish love need to repent and return to the two “greatest commandments” of Jewish Scripture: deep love of God (Deuteronomy 6:4-6) and committed love of neighbor (Leviticus 19:18).

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Please find the Time magazine to read: What Jesus Really Said About Heaven and Hell

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Find more articles about the "soul" 

1. How much does man wants to be dependent on a Divine Creator?
2. Why is the Holy Spirit sometimes called the Holy Ghost? 
3. Finding and Understanding Words and Meanings
4. Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
5. Looking at three “I am” s
6. Non-practicing Christians widely believing in a god or higher power
7. What is life?
8. Concerning Man
9. Realities concerning Human Life and Death
10. Dying or not
11. What happens when we die?
12. Immortality, eternality - onsterfelijkheid, eeuwigheid
13. Is there an Immortal soul
14. The Soul not a ghost
15. Are we taken up into heaven straight after we die?
16. The Soul confronted with Death
17. Consciously or unconsciously forming a world-view and choosing to believe or not to believe in God
18. From dust and breath into living beings
19. Bereshith 1-2 The Creation of the World – The Seven Days
20. Bereshith 2 Man and Woman placed in a Royal Garden
21. The figure of Eve
22. Ezekiel 18:4 – What the Bible teaches about Soul and Spirit
23. Matthew 6:1-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary on Leviticus 19:18 Continued 5 Matthew 6: 24-34: e) Anxiety and neighbor love
24. Matthew 16:5-12 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Watch Out for the Leaven of False Teaching
25. Matthew 16:24-28 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: A Disciple Must Disown Self
26. Calvin’s view on trying to save your life
27. Spurgeon’s view on trying to save your life
28. False teachers and false prophets still around
29. We all have to have dreams
30. Departed Souls Await Judgment
31. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #1 Intro
32. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #2 Psyche, the word
33. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #3 Historical background
34. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #4 Psyche, According to the Holy Scriptures
35. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #5 Mortality of man and mortality of the spirit
36. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #6 Summary
37. Souls and Religions with Nirvana and light
38. The resurrected Lord
39. Who Through Jesus Sleep
40. All Souls’ Day
41. I Can’t Believe That (1) … God would send anyone to hell
42. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #1 Beginning of everything
43. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #4 The Fall
44. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
45. According the vatican ashes and bone fragments cannot be kept at home
46. Are you religious, spiritual, or do you belong to a religion, having a faith or interfaith
47. The Development of Differences
48. 19° Century London Christadelphians
49. Today’s thought “A Perfect World” (January 02)
50. Today’s Thought “Proclaiming the kingdom” (May 13)
51. To be prepared for the Day of Judgment
52. A Word and helping sites to give answers
53. Two new encyclopaedic articles

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 Articles about hell

1. Hellfire 
2. Looking for answers on the question Is there a God #3 Transcendence or Surpassing other gods and man
3. Is God behind all suffering here on earth
4. God’s wrath and sanctification
5. Al-Fatiha [The Opening] Süra 1: 4-7 Merciful Lord of the Creation to show us the right path
6. Old and newer King James Versions and other translations #5 Further steps to women’s bibles
7. Old and newer King James Versions and other translations #9 Restored names and Sacred Name Bibles
8. I Can’t Believe That (1) … God would send anyone to hell
9. When there is secrecy involved
10. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
11. Need to reject an archaic, racist inspired interpretation of the Bible and animosity against other believers
12. Realities concerning Human Life and Death
13. Is there an Immortal soul
14. Grave, tomb, sepulchre - graf, begraafplaats, rustplaats, sepulcrum
15. This month's survey question: Heaven and Hell
16. Nazarene Commentary Matthew 5:21-26 – 1. The Nazarene’s Commentary on Exodus 20:13
17. A fact of History or just a fancy Story
18. Jesus three days in hell
19. We are redeemed; we are “bought with a price”
20. Jewish and Christian traditions of elders
21. Are we taken up into heaven straight after we die?
22. Darkness, light, burning fire, Truth and people in it
23. Is Hell-fire something to fear
24. Fear and protection
25. Fear of God reason to return to Holy Scriptures
26. Sheol, Sheool, Sjeool, Hades, Hell, Grave, Tomb, Sepulchre
27. Another way looking at a language #3 Abraham
28. Fragments from the Book of Job #1: chapters 1-12
29. From nothingness to a growing group of followers of Jeshua 3 Korban for God or gods
30. Sources of evil
31. Edward Wightman
32. Dave Norris and his writings on the Belgian Bible Students
33. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 2 Summersend and mansend
34. Heaven and hell still high on the believers list showing a religion gender gap
35. Indulgence still offered by roman Catholic Church
36. Today’s thought “Whoever is not with me …” (March 19)
37. Today’s thought “Ability to circumcise your heart” (May 13)
38. Salvation, Baptism and Re-baptism
39. Why we do not have our worship-services in a church building

Not all will inherit the Kingdom

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) ⁹ What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God's kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God's kingdom. ¹¹ And yet that is what some of YOU were. But YOU have been washed clean, but YOU have been sanctified, but YOU have been declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.

Jesus said that we must, first of all,  take in knowledge of both "the only true God" and the one that he sent forth:
(John 17:3) ³ This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.
Therefore we do have to work, because taking in knowledge does not go from itself. First we have to get to know Jehovah, the Elohim and we have to believe fully in Him. We also do have to believe in God's Plan for sending His promised Saviour, the Messiah Jesus Christ, the Nazarene whom  Jehovah provided as our ransom sacrifice:

(John 3:16) ¹⁶ "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.
In case we want to be called Christians, we do have to follow Jesus, which mean that we should do that what he said that we must do. He gave several tasks to his disciples, and when we want to be a disciple of Christ, it means those wishes of Christ are also fro us. Also did he urge to do  the will of his Father who was in heaven:
(Matthew 7:21) ²¹ "Not everyone saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.

Jesus here gives a hint that perhaps many may call themselves disciples of him, but would not be recognised as such by him. Namely those who not imitate Christ, obey not his commands, and shall not enter the Kingdom. Only those who follow the commandments (=do that work) and live by his teachings shall be saved and be able to enter God's Kingdom. What Jesus put first in the model prayer was that we should pray for the Father's name to be sanctified, and our attitude of, and reverence for that name is of paramount importance. so we do have to work on that attitude.


(Malachi 3:16-18) ¹⁶ At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name. ¹⁷ "And they will certainly become mine," Jehovah of armies has said, "at the day when I am producing a special property. And I will show compassion upon them, just as a man shows compassion upon his son who is serving him. ¹⁸ And YOU people will again certainly see [the distinction] between a righteous one and a wicked one, between one serving God and one who has not served him."
(Romans 9:17) ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "For this very cause I have let you remain, that in connection with you I may show my power, and that my name may be declared in all the earth."
(Romans 10:13) ¹³ For "everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved."
This latter verse is a quote from Joel 2:32:
(Joel 2:32) ³² And it must occur that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will prove to be the escaped ones, just as Jehovah has said, and in among the survivors, whom Jehovah is calling."

We need to associate with God's people, as Christians in the first century did, however Jesus said that along with the "wheat" there would also be mixed in with them the "weeds". So we have to examine the beliefs of those we consider to associate with to see if these are in harmony with the Bible.

We need to obey the Christ. He gave all true Christians a commission, as recorded at Matthew 28:19,20, and that is what Christians do. Another example of a command that we obey is found at Acts 15:28. We should use God's name, preach to our neighbours about God's Kingdom, teach interested ones free of charge about what God requires of us, and practice what the bible teaches everyday in such things as the sanctity of blood and the right way of living.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Niet allen zullen het Koninkrijk beërven

God should be your hope

Dutch version / Nederlands > God moet je hoop zijn

“Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps 16:11 RSV)
“Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” (Ro 5:2 RSV)
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Ro 5:3-5 RSV)
“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” (2Co 9:8 RSV)
“For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb 6:10-12 RSV)

God won't ask

God won’t ask what kind of car you drove, but he’ll ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.

God won’t ask the square footage of your house, but he’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won’t ask how many times you read the Bible to yourself, but he’ll ask how many people you read the Bible with.

God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but he’ll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

God won’t ask how many friends you had, but he’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won’t ask how much you got out of your church meetings, but he’ll ask how much you gave to others at your church meetings.

God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but he’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but he’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.

Matt.5:28 - “Then the king will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Whatever you do for the least of these…

Dutch version / Nederlands > God zal niet vragen ...

God is the strength of my heart

“And the LORD said unto Aaron: ‘Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any portion among them; I am thy portion and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.” (Nu 18:20 JPS)

 “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee I desire none upon earth. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.” (Ps 73:25-26 JPS)

 “O LORD, the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup, Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” (Ps 16:5-6 JPS)

 “’The LORD is my portion’, saith my soul; ‘Therefore will I hope in Him.’” (La 3:24 JPS)

 “Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” (Ps 119:111 JPS)

 “(63-1) A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. (63-2) O God, Thou art my God, earnestly will I seek Thee; my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee, in a dry and weary land, where no water is.” (Ps 63:1 JPS)

 “(63-8) For Thou hast been my help, and in the shadow of Thy wings do I rejoice.” (Ps 63:7 JPS)

 “My beloved is mine, and I am his, that feedeth among the lilies.” (So 2:16 JPS)

Dutch version / Nederlands > God is de sterkte van mijn hart
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2013 update:

The Promulgation of the Law at Mount Sinai, by the illustrators of the Figures de la Bible, 1728 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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