People are fascinated with Near-Death Experiences (NDE’s) these days. Books like Heaven is For Real,To Heaven and Back,1 90 Minutes in Heaven, and 23 Minutes in Hell tell the story of people who died and crossed over to the other side before they were sent back to earth to tell their stories. Many Christians find … Continue reading –>
Muka [moo-KAH] is the third wife of a Himba headman living in northern Namibia. While some Himba children have gone to school, few who remain in the settlements can read or write. They pass their history and culture to their children during story times around a fire in the evening. For more than 15 years … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Ellen G. White, Lazarus, Come Forth, p. 524-536, and The Lord Is Risen, p. 779-787, in The Desire of Ages. The voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: Awake, awake, awake, ye that … Continue reading –>
Why was Lazarus’ resurrection the crowning miracle of Christ’s earthly ministry? See John 11:38-44. Though Jesus had raised two others from the dead, none was as dramatic as this. Lazarus had been dead for four days, a fact that Martha corroborated at the graveside. Jesus performed the miracle in the full light of day before … Continue reading –>
Jesus used two Greek terms, hades and gehenna, to speak about death and the punishment of the unrighteous. Given the popular belief in the meaning hell, we need to consider it carefully. Hades is equivalent to the Hebrew she’ôl, the most common Old Testament term for the realm of the dead. These names simply represent … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : Without the resurrection of Christ, our religion would not be the road to eternal life, but just an empty promise like many other religions. [Lesson Plan for Death and Resurrection September 15, 2014] 1. Have a volunteer read John 1:1-4. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most … Continue reading –>
What we have studied so far could lead us to think that the resurrection will be for only a few. But Jesus affirmed that a time will come when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth (John 5:28-29, NKJV, emphasis added). Believers and unbelievers, righteous and sinners, saved and … Continue reading –>
At Creation, the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. As a result, man became a living being (Gen. 2:7, NKJV). As long as God maintains the breath of life in the living creatures, they are alive. But when He takes away their … Continue reading –>
A family I had studied with called me late one afternoon, asking me to meet them ASAP at the hospital. Their mother was dying, and they wanted prayer. Now I believe that God can hear your prayers for your sick loved one, just as easily as He can hear an elder’s prayer. Nevertheless, I met the family … Continue reading –>
Old Testament writers consistently held that humanity is an indivisible living being. The various Hebrew terms usually translated as flesh, soul, and spirit are just alternative ways to describe, from different points of view, the human person as a whole. In harmony with this perspective, the Scriptures use different metaphors to describe death. Among them, … Continue reading –>
