We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Our souls apart from our dead bodies, are an abiding presence with knowledge and ability to speak and hear, whether in heaven or hell.
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
Our body on earth is a temporary domicile for our souls, and a physical presence by which we speak and act. At the death of our bodies, our souls are a spiritual presence temporarily at home in heaven or hell. It is only until the resurrection of our bodies, whether to be present forever with God, or to be punished forever absent from the Lord.
No soul ever ceases to be present with knowledge, whether with God or apart from God.
The souls of the wicked are punished with everlasting presence, all alone in the blackness and darkness of being absent from God.
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
The chains of hell are dark chains, and the presence of God dwelling with man is light, where there is no darkness at all.
Our choice really is simple: either dwell and walk in the true light with Jesus today on earth, or walk in the darkness of sin forever. Only there won't be any fellow sinners to know and talk with after the resurrection unto judgement.
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Our souls apart from our dead bodies, are an abiding presence with knowledge and ability to speak and hear, whether in heaven or hell.
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
Our body on earth is a temporary domicile for our souls, and a physical presence by which we speak and act. At the death of our bodies, our souls are a spiritual presence temporarily at home in heaven or hell. It is only until the resurrection of our bodies, whether to be present forever with God, or to be punished forever absent from the Lord.
No soul ever ceases to be present with knowledge, whether with God or apart from God.
The souls of the wicked are punished with everlasting presence, all alone in the blackness and darkness of being absent from God.
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
The chains of hell are dark chains, and the presence of God dwelling with man is light, where there is no darkness at all.
Our choice really is simple: either dwell and walk in the true light with Jesus today on earth, or walk in the darkness of sin forever. Only there won't be any fellow sinners to know and talk with after the resurrection unto judgement.