PART II Now let’s get back to the part of our teaching where the enemy makes it appear that dead people are smoking $300 cigars in their new life after death.Man’s basic spiritual problem has always been the integrity and accuracy of God’s Word – not to mention the fact that people DON’T EVEN READ IT. If people who are supposedly dead are enjoying themselves more than a person who is alive, then why did God write the following Scripture?I Corinthians 15:26 – The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.If death is an enemy, then how can it be a pleasant experience? Someone is lying. Who is the author of all lies? Numbers 23:19a – God is not a man, that he should lie; . . . . . . .I John 1:5 – This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.Is lying darkness? I think so. Then the lie must come from only one other source.John 10:10 -- The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I [Jesus Christ] am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Next, we will examine some specific occurrences in the gospels and other parts of God’s Word which will make it even clearer to you that the dead are NOT alive, but are in an unconscious state awaiting the return of Christ. Some of you who have studied Advance Bible Study for some time have learned that the original Bible texts did not have any punctuation – it was all added by man. I am going to show you where the erroneous placement of ONE COMMA can cause no end of confusion pertaining to our topic. It will truly amaze you.Luke 23:42 – And he said unto Jesus, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.Watch carefully the next verse.Luke 23:43 – And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise [on earth]. Now notice the placement of the comma (,) AFTER the word ‘thee’. That comma was placed there by the translators and is not a part of the original God-breathed Word. It is private interpretation.II Peter 1:20 -- Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private [idios -- one's own] interpretation.If you leave the comma where it is, it is as if Jesus Christ is saying to the malefactor that ‘today’ you will be with me in paradise (referring to the third heaven and earth, far in the future). This supports the erroneous life immediately after death doctrine. Now let’s repeat this verse with the proper punctuation so that the verse is in alignment and harmony with the rest of God’s Word.Luke 23:43 – And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee To day, shalt thou be with me in paradise [on earth].First of all, ‘shalt thou’ is a poor translation and should read "thou shalt". DO YOU SEE THE MAJOR IMPACT THAT THIS LITTLE COMMA HAS ON THE MEANING OF THE VERSE? Now the verse is saying that today, Jesus Christ tells the malefactor that he shall (future tense) be with him in paradise. When will that be? When Jesus Christ returns and raises everyone from the dead. When the malefactor dies, he will stay dead until that time. . . . . and so will everyone else that dies.There are a number of areas like this in God’s Word which need to be rightly divided to be understood. We will examine a few more.There is the so-called Transfiguration, as recorded in Matthew Chapter 17.Matthew 17:1-3 – And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them into an high mountain apart. And was transfigured [changed in appearance] before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias [Elijah] talking with them.The key word here is ‘appeared’’ in the third verse – "and behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him." The Greek word used here for "appeared" is the word ‘optomai’ which means "seeing objectively" or "envisioning".The Greek word ‘blepo’ is ordinarily used and means "using the eyes to look at". Peter, James, and John DID NOT SEE THIS PHENOMENON WITH THEIR EYES, but with their minds. The sense of seeing with the eyes was completely bypassed. That is why Jesus Christ said what he said in verse nine (9).Matthew 17:9 – And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.The phenomenon was "a "vision". The words "trance" and "vision" used in the Bible do not have the same meaning or implications that spiritualists and psychics try to say. In the Bible, both words are used synonymously. Biblically speaking, a trance or vision is never a loss of consciousness. IT IS A DORMANT STATE OF MENTAL ACTIVITY, when God by revelation – word of knowledge, word of wisdom and discerning of spirits – gives a panoramic picture of the scene. That’s exactly what happened in this record in Matthew.If you believe that there is life immediately after death, then what is the point of the resurrection of the dead and why was so much of the Bible written pertaining to this subject? The Bible specifically documents the resurrection of the ‘dead in Christ’ and of the ‘just’ and ‘unjust’. A number of different resurrections occur at different times.The Sadduces did not believe in the resurrection of the dead – that’s why they were so sad you see. Seriously, God’s Word lets us know where we would stand if we did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.I Corinthians 15:12 – Now if Christ be preached that he arose from [among] the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?I Corinthians 15:13 – But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen.Why is this true? Because God is not a respecter of persons, but of conditions only. If he raised Christ from the dead and He did, then He will raise all of us from the dead.Acts 10:34 – Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: I Corinthians 15:14 – And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.I Corinthians 15:15 – Yea [Moreover], and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.When God wants to establish a point, He will say it twice. Remember, He is showing us how futile and miserable our existence would be if there were no resurrection of the dead and no resurrection of Jesus Christ. Again, God reiterates verse 13.I Corinthians 15:16 – For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:I Corinthians 15:17– And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.God adds something here by reminding us that we are yet in our sins and have not been redeemed if Christ was not raised from the dead.I Corinthians 15:18 – Then they also which are fallen [fell] asleep in Christ are perished.If all this is true, then all the believers that died after being born again such as the apostles and everyone since the day of Pentecost are perished – their life and their believing and worship was all for nothing.I Corinthians 15:19 – If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable [pitied].This is quite a negative picture of what would be if there was no resurrection of the dead, BUT THERE IS GOING TO BE A RESURRECTION and we have proof that Christ was raised, especially if we can pray in the spirit – speak in tongues. Now God presents the truth of His Word in all of its glory as we continue in I Corinthians Chapter 15.I Corinthians 15:20 – But [this word sets in contrast that which is said before] now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept [he was the first one raised from the dead].I Corinthians 15:21 – For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [Jesus Christ] came also the resurrection of the dead.I Corinthians 15:22 – For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.People cannot all be made alive if they are already alive. Do you believe man or do you believe God? Now you must make a decision. Make the obvious one.Love in Christ,Agape