Proof Of Soul Sleep

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

You accused me of attacking Christ character over basically the same thing.

Here you are ADMITTING it is not a literal story. That puts us both on the same ground.

I say it is a story made to fit the Pharisee belief concerning the dead actually being the living.

Josephus:

1: Now as to hades, wherin the souls of the righteous and unrighteous are detained, it is necessary to speak of it. Hades is a place in the world not regularly finished; a subterraneous region, wherin the light of this world does not shine; from which circumstance, that in this region the light does not shine, it cannot be but there must be in it perpetual darkness. This place is alloted as a place of custody for souls, in which angels are appointed as guardians to them, who distribute to them temporary punishments, agreeable to everyone's behavior and manners.

3: For there is one descent into this region, at whose gate WE believe (I wonder who the we is?) there stands an archangel with a host; which gate when those pass through that are conducted down by the angels appointed over souls, the do not go the same way; but the just are guided to the right hand, and are led with hymns, sung by the angels appointed over that place, unto a region of light, in which the just have dwelt from the beginning the world; not constrained by necessity, but ever enjoying the prospect of the good things they see, and rejoice in the expectation of those new enjoyments, ............. etc etc.

This is the Pharisee belief. Does it sound like anything you have read in the Old Testament? True it was a doctrine of that time but where did it come from? No Old Testament backing at all. If you can point out the Prophets teaching this in the Bible I will change my belief and admit you all are right and I was wrong.

Yeshua simply used their own belief to point out their covetousness and that even to their own belief they would suffer for it.

Even YOU admit there was no man standing in Hades fire talking to Abraham.

Jesus would never use a myth to teach something. Just as there were actually sowers of seeds in His day, and he used that in a parable, so there there are actually conscious places of rest and of torment after death.