Closer To Heaven
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29 November 2022 | Adventist Today magazine is landing in mailboxes (both postal and e-mail) around the world! You can get our quarterly magazine by becoming a donor to Adventist Today during our year-end fund drive. Magazine theme: Aspiring to Be Our Best: Toward a long, happy, and productive future for Seventh-day Adventists Guest Editorial: […] Source: https://atoday.org/84369-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=84369-2
by Andreas Bochmann | originally broadcast 19 November 2022 | I still remember a time when divorce was not talked about very much in our church. At most, there were whispers behind closed doors. Divorce simply didn’t happen—and if it did, at least one person of the couple was disfellowshipped. Pastors who went through a […] Source: https://atoday.org/atss-presents-how-should-the-church-deal-with-divorce/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=atss-presents-how-should-the-church-deal-with-divorce
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 living dead, these theories undermine the biblical doctrine of the final resurrection and judgment of the dead. Why is there a resurrection and a judgment (Revelation 20:12-14) if the souls of the righteous are already enjoying Paradise?
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
The Bible teaches that all human beings who are already in heaven were either translated alive, as in the case of Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-11), or resurrected from the dead, as Moses (Jude 9) and those raised with Christ (Matthew 27:51-53).
As we have already seen, the allusion to the souls “under the altar” crying to God for vengeance (Revelation 6:9-11) is just a metaphor for justice and does not prove the theory of the natural immortality of the soul. Otherwise, these folks hardly sound as if they’re enjoying their eternal reward. In reality, the grave is a place of rest for the dead, who are unconsciously awaiting the final resurrection, when their conscious existence will be restored. The dead, even the righteous dead, are not disembodied souls drifting around heaven, waiting patiently to be reunited with their bodies at the final resurrection.
Also, what could Paul possibly be talking about in 1 Corinthians 15:18, NKJV, when he says that if there were no resurrection of the dead, then “those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” How could they have perished if they are already in the bliss of heaven and have been there for however long since they died? A central and key doctrine of the New Testament, the resurrection of the dead when Christ returns, is made null and void by the false teaching that the righteous dead soar off to their eternal reward right after they die. Nevertheless, we hear it all the time, especially at funerals.
| What are ways in which you could help people understand that the idea that the dead are asleep in the ground is really “good news,” in the sense that they truly are at rest and know no pain and suffering? |
(0)The post Wednesday: A Paradise with Disembodied Souls first appeared on Sabbath School Net.
The post Wednesday: A Paradise with Disembodied Souls appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/wednesday-paradise-with-disembodied-souls/
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It’s Giving Tuesday 2022! Adventist Today Executive Director Björn Karlman makes the case for how supporting AT makes a positive difference in the Adventist community worldwide. Donate today to support AT on Giving Tuesday: https://atoday.org/donate/ Source: https://atoday.org/3-reasons-to-support-at-on-giving-tuesday-at-exec-director-bjorn-karlman/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-reasons-to-support-at-on-giving-tuesday-at-exec-director-bjorn-karlman
What practical steps can we take to deepen our worship experience through music? How would you feel if you went to a place of worship where there was no music? Worship is our way of expressing gratitude to our loving God, and the Bible teaches us that we must worship God in spirit and truth, and music has always been an integral part of a worship service. Music is undoubtedly very important and the most effective way of expressing our hearts toward our Lord. But how can we have an impactful worship experience through songs and music? Join Ray Day and Tim Parton in this episode to learn tips on how we can participate or lead out in an amazing worship experience through music. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an established denomination since 1863. It is a global Christian family with over 21 million members who hold the Bible as the ultimate authority. We are believers who promise to help people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus. Want to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Visit our website at: https://www.adventist.org/ Click the notification bell so that you never miss a new video! Find us on social media by following the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAdventistChurch
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Establishing an Adventist School in New England, and other happenings [History] On November 29, 1882, the New England Conference voted to establish a permanent Adventist school in the American state of Massachusetts. This was the outcome of a meeting of the New England Tract and Missionary Society nine months earlier, in February 1882, at which Stephen N. Haskell resided as president. South Lancaster Academy opened its doors on April 19, 1882, and Goodloe Harper Bell became the first official principal. It is the oldest Adventist secondary school founded, second only to Battle Creek Academy, which split off from Battle Creek College. For This Week in Adventist History, let us watch the video to learn more about South Lancaster Academy and other happenings. Visit to learn more about other interesting happenings and stories, visit https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/ The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an established denomination since 1863. It is a global Christian family with over 21 million members who hold the Bible as the ultimate authority. We are believers who promise to help people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus. Want to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Visit our website at: https://www.adventist.org/ Click the notification bell so that you never miss a new video! Find us on social media by following the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAdventist
Twitter:https://twitter.com/adventistchurch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventistch Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCs5LePMr_8
It’s Giving Tuesday, everyone! Today – Tuesday, November 29, 2022 – is your opportunity to take part in what is being called a “global generosity movement.” Giving Tuesday, which started off in 2012, is celebrated internationally on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving each year. It has become THE day to back your favorite nonprofits through online […] Source: https://atoday.org/giving-tuesday-2022-is-here-thank-you-for-generously-supporting-at-with-a-gift-today/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=giving-tuesday-2022-is-here-thank-you-for-generously-supporting-at-with-a-gift-today
28 November 2022 | Sabbath services were interrupted at Johannesburg Central SDA Church over the weekend by a gang of six armed men who held the congregation hostage, robbing members of cash and other valuables. The moment it began was captured on the church’s livestream video where the preacher realizes what is happening, stops the […] Source: https://atoday.org/johannesburg-central-sda-church-robbed-at-gunpoint/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=johannesburg-central-sda-church-robbed-at-gunpoint
Poi Gesù, partito di là, passando, vide un uomo chiamato Matteo, che sedeva al banco delle imposte, e gli disse: Seguimi . Ed egli, alzatosi, lo seguì. Meditazione giornaliera Apri la porta del tuo cuore, autori vari, presentazione di Anna Cupertino Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LscwWo-safQ
Intercer is a website with biblical materials in Romanian, English, Hungarian and other languages. We want to bring the light from God's Word to peoples homes. Intercer provides quality Christian resources...[Read More]
