he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. (Acts 2:31)
whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be held by it. (Acts 2:24)
or, who shall descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.) (Rom. 10:7)
Christ, while in Hades those three days, not only appeared in Paradise but also went to Sheol to preach the good news of the gospel to the souls of the dead there, that they should believe so that their spirits would be made alive unto them at the judgment.
knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion or him. (Rom. 6:91)
For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and living. (Rom. 14:9)
and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. (Rev. 1:18)
By Christ's Resurrection, He achieved the authority (keys) over death and Hades, taking this power away from Satan, who legally had it until then. Thus it is that Satan does not have the key to the bottomless pit in Revelation 9:1, but must be given it.
Sing, 0 ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth ... Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel. (Isa. 44:23)
But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: and after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God: (Job 19:25‑26).
... and at that time thy people shall be delivered. Every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame, and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:2)
Marvel not at this for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. (John 6:28‑29)
and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. (Matt. 27:52‑53)
The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken‑hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the openings of the prison to them that are bound; (Isa. 61:1)
Whereforth he saith, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now this, He ascended, what is but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? (Eph. 4:8‑9)
... To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in
the Paradise of God. (Rev. 2:71
I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught
up even
to the third heaven.
And I know such a man (whether in the body or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth), how that he was
caught up
into Paradise ... (2 Cor. 12:2‑4).
For David
ascended not into the heavens ... (Acts 2:34)
According to the original Greek of 2 Corinthians 12:2‑4, Paul was caught up to the third heaven, but he was caught into (not up into) Paradise. Notice also that his being caught up to heaven and his being caught into Paradise are recorded as two separate instances of the same experience. Both these instances occurred at the time of his regeneration. That the Paradise where the believers are being kept is not in heaven (then or now) is shown by this being recorded as two separate instances. Otherwise Paul would have stated that he was caught up to Paradise in the third heaven. (The first heaven is the atmosphere of our planet, the second heaven is the space of stars, and the third heaven is the spiritual heaven of God.) That Paradise, the keeping place for believers, is still in the earth is confirmed by Acts 2:34, which tells us that David, even after the ascension of Christ, had not ascended to heaven. There are two Paradises, therefore: one, the earthly Edenic level of Hades, and the other, a heavenly Paradise of God in the third (spiritual) heaven.
It is my opinion that the tombs opening, etc., was only a temporary resurrection (a sneak preview, as it were) of the bodies of the saints given as a sign to God's people in Jerusalem to further try to bring them to repentance. The actual physical resurrection of the bodies of the saints, both Old and New Testament, does not occur until right before Christ's return to the earth. The souls of New Testament believers who fall asleep are also kept in Paradise until the Lord sets up His judgment seat.
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well‑pleasing unto God: (Heb. 11:5)
And it came to pass, when Jehovah would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven…(2 Kings 2:1)
These were some of the exceptions to the rule, who were caught up directly to heaven without seeing death rather than dying and being kept in Hades. We will see why this was so later on in the book (Chapter Nine).
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead. (James 2:26)
And it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died)…(Gen. 36:18).
For the
word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two‑edged word, and piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and
spirit . . . (Heb. 4:12)
... because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets: before
the silver cord is snapped asunder . . . (Eccles. 12:5‑6)
Is not their
tent‑cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom. (Job 4:21)
And
her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately: and he commanded that something be given her to eat. (Luk 8:55)
And he stretched upon the child three times, and cried unto Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. (1 Kings 17:21‑22)
… being borne down by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Make ye no ado; for his life is in him. (Acts 20:9‑10)
There is a "cord" that connects and binds the soul‑spirit to the physical body of the individual that it belongs to. Ordinarily, at the time of physical death, this cord is severed and the soul‑spirit goes to whichever keeping place is appropriate to the life that that person led in the flesh. However, sometimes this does not immediately occur and the person is able to be brought back to life. This has occurred not only in these biblical instances but also up to the present. There is only one logical reason to explain this: God must so love and desire that these people become His children by believing in Christ that He has given them the most final of chances. A word of warning: direct knowledge in this life of the next is expressly forbidden by God‑ any and all impressions obtained by these people while medically dead are almost certainly deceptive.
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