Though Protestants don’t accept purgatory, many nevertheless believe that the souls of the righteous dead are already enjoying Paradise in the very presence of God. Some argue that those “souls” are just disembodied spirits; others believe they are disembodied spirits but covered by a spiritual body of glory. Whatever the supposed metaphysical state of the … Continue reading –>
The Roman Catholic Church holds that the dead who do not deserve hell but who are not yet ready for Paradise can have their sins purged in purgatory and then ascend from there to Paradise. Their sufferings in purgatory can be reduced by the prayers and penances of loved ones. The Catechism of the Catholic … Continue reading –>
In his booklet for children entitled, The Sight of Hell (Dublin: James Duffy, [1874], p. 24), English Roman Catholic priest John Furniss (1809-1865) illustrates the eternal torment by means of a great solid-iron ball, larger than the heavens and the earth. “A bird comes once in a hundred millions [sic] of years and just touches the great iron ball … Continue reading –>
Compare Mark 9:42-48 with Isaiah 66:24. How do you understand the expression “their worm does not die” (Mark 9:48, NKJV)? Some interpret the singular noun “worm” (Mark 9:48) as an allusion to the supposed disembodied soul or spirit of the wicked that, after death, flies into hell, where it never dies and suffers eternal torment. But this interpretation does not reflect … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 9:42-48; Malachi 4:1; Jude 7; 1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 2:29, Acts 2:34-35; 1 John 5:3-12. Memory Text: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NKJV). Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) wrote his famous work, The Divine Comedy, about a fictional journey of the soul after death. The soul went either to the inferno (hell) within the … Continue reading –>
No. 1: God First! By Ocrhain Matengu Modesty Kakula, a businessman in Namibia, has an unusual way of sharing Jesus. Slogans painted on his three cars declare, “No. 1: God First.” Modesty’s novel approach to mission outreach began when his first employer offered to sell him a car for 50,000 Namibian dollars (U.S.$4,000) in the … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “A Great Gulf Fixed,” Pages 260-271, in Christ’s Object Lessons; “Calvary,” Pages 749-752, in The Desire of Ages; and “Teachers as Examples of Christian Integrity,” p.504, in Fundamentals of Christian Education. “In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Christ shows that in this life men decide their eternal destiny. During probationary time the grace … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 6:9-11. How can the “souls” of the dead martyrs cry “under the altar”? The opening of the fifth Apocalyptic seal reveals an unusual scene. The souls of the martyrs were seen metaphorically “under the altar” crying to God for vengeance (Revelation 6:9-11). Some commentators are inclined to identify this “altar” as the altar of incense … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Peter 3:13-20. How did Christ preach “to the spirits in prison … in the days of Noah”? (See also Genesis 4:10.) Commentators who believe in the natural immortality of the soul usually point out that Christ preached “to the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19, NKJV) while He was still resting in the tomb. For them, His disincarnated … Continue reading –>
Read Philippians 1:21-24 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. When did Paul expect to be “with Christ” (Philippians 1:23) and “with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)? Paul was driven with the passion to live “in Christ” now (2 Corinthians 5:17) and “with Christ” after His second coming (see 1 Thessalonians 4:17). For the apostle, not even death could break the assurance of belonging to his Savior and … Continue reading –>
