Aa-1. DO CHRISTIANS GO TO HEAVEN OR NOT?

SPELLING EDITED


Aa-1. DO CHRISTIANS GO TO HEAVEN OR NOT?


Some Christians say yes. Other Christians say no. While other Christians say yes, but only their soul goes to heaven until the first resurrection, which is when all Christians, both the living and those who had died physically and are now present with the Lord, shall receive their new glorified immortal bodies of flesh and bone like Jesus has now sitting at the right hand of the Father up in heaven.

In this study, I will quote from a writer, who dogmatically teaches that Christians do not go to heaven when they die. Now in all fairness, he has gone too far to the extreme using the verse that we shall rule with Jesus ON the EARTH and NOT in heaven to mean that no Christian EVER goes to heaven even for an instant of time. Also, his main goal is not to try and prove the doctrine of soul sleep, but rather he is exposing the wrong ideology that Christians will LIVE in mansions up in heaven as soon as they die physically.

Let us begin this study in God’s word by you reading one of Watchman Nee’s quotes from his book in chapter 49. The emphasis is mine so you can clearly see the errors he makes by not considering the WHOLE of God’s word of truth.


“When some read the statement that Christians do not go to heaven when they die, they may ask an important question: According to the Bible, where do believers go when they die? Because this is a serious and reasonable question, we would spend some time to consider it before going on to cover the sign of the divine glorification.

A verse that is helpful in answering the question of where believers go after death is Luke 23:43: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” This is the word spoken to one of the thieves who was crucified with the Lord Jesus. This verse indicates that when the Lord Jesus died, He went to Paradise. Many Christians do not know that Paradise is in Hades. A strong proof that Paradise is in Hades is the comparison of the Lord’s word to the saved thief in Luke 23:43 with Acts 2:27 and 31.

The verses in Acts reveal that when the Lord Jesus died, He went to Hades. Matthew 12:40 indicates that Hades is in “the heart of the earth” where the Lord Jesus went for three days and nights after His death. In Hades, there is a pleasant section likened to Abraham’s bosom where Lazarus went (Luke 16:23). This is not the Paradise in the heavens; it is the Paradise in Hades. Luke 16 indicates that in Hades there is a pleasant section, known as Paradise, where believers go when they die.

According to this chapter, a sinful rich man died and went to a place of torment. A poor man named Lazarus also died and was taken by angels to Abraham’s bosom. Between these two regions of Hades, there was a great gulf, and no one could go from one section to the other (Luke 16:26). One section was a place of torment, and the other was a place of comfort. We believe that Abraham is still in this pleasant place. According to the New Testament, the pleasant section of Hades is called Paradise.”


Now simply ask yourself four very simple questions.


#1. Is Jesus still yet in the Paradise in HADES in the heart of the earth?


#2. Or did God not leave his soul in Hades like he promised and prophesied in his word and thus God raised the Son of man from the grave?


#3. Is Jesus in heaven NOW?


#4. Was heaven ever called Paradise before the highly exalted Son of man ascended up into heaven to be seated at the right hand side of his God and Father?


The answers should be obvious to all Christians, but just in case that correct answer to question #1 is a NO!, Jesus is NOT still yet in Hades, the heart of the earth. 

The correct answer to question #2 is a YES, God did indeed raised the Son of Man Jesus from the dead and did NOT LEAVE his soul in Hades in the heart of the earth. 

The correct answer to question #3, is that the Son of man, Jesus, is IN heaven at the right hand of the Father. 

And the correct answer to question #4 is a NO!, the only Paradise spoken of before Jesus ascended into heaven was the Paradise in Hades, which is no longer called Paradise, because NOW it has become the holding place of ONLY the wicked until the final day of judgment.


Now please read 2 Corinthians 5:6-8.


“Therefore we are ALWAYS CONFIDENT, KNOWING that, while we are at home IN the body, we are ABSENT from the Lord: (Or we are not PRESENT with the Lord IN heaven when we are still living in our mortal body)

7.  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

8.  We are CONFIDENT, I say, and WILLING rather, to be ABSENT from the body, and to BE PRESENT WITH the Lord.” 


These verses do not need ANY interpretation to understand what they mean. They simply mean that when Christians die physically, their SOUL and spirit leaves their body to go and be PRESENT WITH the Lord in heaven, because that is WHERE the Son of man, Jesus, is NOW. 

Yes, he did descend first into Hades to preach to the dead spirits in the prison or the holding place of the dead souls but God did NOT LEAVE his soul in Hades. Jesus is NOW in HEAVEN, so to be PRESENT WITH our Lord, meaning to be WHERE he is NOW, which is up in HEAVEN.

The word “Paradise” is found only three times in the Bible and has the meaning of the garden. So in truth, the Garden of Eden was also a Paradise. We use the word Paradise as a place that is comfortable and pleasant.

It is also used in the Bible as the holding place for the souls of the righteous who died. In Old Testament times the righteous, who died, went to the Bosom of Abraham to be comforted while the souls of the wicked dead went to another portion of Hades NOT called Paradise because the wicked are NOT in a holding place of COMFORT.

Please read the in-depth study I have written called “WHAT and WHERE is PARADISE?” but for now here are the three verses where the word Paradise is used.


Luke 23:43.

  

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, TODAY shall you be WITH ME IN PARADISE.” 


So then, that Paradise during the Old Testament times was indeed in the heart of the earth, but you also must consider the whole word of God. The Bible also teaches us that Jesus is the ONLY name under heaven whereby men MUST be saved. 


Acts 4:12.


“Neither is there, salvation, in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”


And the Bible also teaches us that Jesus descended first before he ascended.


Ephesians 4:8-10.


“Wherefore he said, WHEN he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

9.  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

10.  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)”


And that Jesus preached the gospel to the dead spirits so that they could be saved in the same manner that the living is saved, which is by the PREACHING of the gospel of Jesus Christ to believe in the ONLY name given among men whereby we MUST be saved.

In other words, the Old Testament saints were kept by the law but no one was SAVED by the law and thus the dead saints, who died under the Old covenant, needed to HEAR the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to be saved like all men are saved who are still living in their mortal bodies.

Please read both 1 Peter 3:19 as well as 1 Peter 4:6.


1 Peter 3:19.


“By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;”


Now IF the soul of Jesus was in an unconscious state of SLEEP then Jesus could have not possibly PREACHED the gospel to the spirits in the holding place of the dead on the PARADISE side of hell.


1 Peter 4:6.


“For this cause (Or for this REASON) was the gospel preached ALSO to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”


And IF the souls of the dead were in an unconscious state of sleep then they could not have HEARD the Gospel in order to be saved. The Bible also teaches us the many of the bodies of the saints arose after Jesus was resurrected from the dead.


Matthew 27:52.


“And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,”


Now the obvious simple answer is that these saints that arose where the Old Testament saints to whom Jesus descended into Paradise to preach the gospel, so that they could be saved like all men still living in their bodies of FLESH who are saved and walk in newness of life in the Spirit.

I say obvious, because who else were the captives that were led out of captivity?

And I say the simple answer because any other interpretation leads to them trying to EXPLAIN AWAY many other verses that are clear, plain, and simple verses to understand with absolutely no interpretation needed to understand their true meaning in the light of the whole word of Almighty God. You will see what I mean as we continue this study in God’s word.


Here is the second verse with the word Paradise.


2 Corinthians 12:2-4.


“I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. 

3.  And I knew such a man, (whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows;) 

4. How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”


So then, we know from this passage of Scripture that Paradise is NOW up in Heaven where God’s throne is, which is called the third heaven.

And this AGREES with Revelation 6:9-11 where we clearly see the SOULS of the righteous IN Jesus up in heaven under the altar.


Please read Revelation 6:9-11.


“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: 

10.  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 

11.  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”


Now the Christians, who teach soul sleep or that the souls of the dead are UNCONSCIOUS and that the souls of the dead REMAIN with their dead decaying physical body until the resurrection, try to explain away the clear simple meaning of Revelation 6:9-11 and many other verses to try and support their teaching that Christians do not go to heaven when they die. We will take a closer look at Watchman Nee’s argument shortly, but first, let us look at the last verse where the word Paradise is found.


Revelation 2:7.  


“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” 


Now I myself personally believe that this Paradise is the city of God where only those who are IN Jesus Christ, who have been granted eternal life, will dwell while all others who were spared alive during the wrath of God will dwell on the earth in their MORTAL bodies.

In other words, the yet future Paradise is the city of God which will be above the earth in the first heaven wherein ONLY those who have been given eternal life will dwell and rule with Jesus over the mortal on the surface of the earth.

So then, we have four Paradises. The Garden of Eden, before the fall of man, which is no more. The place of comfort for the Old Testament saints who are NOW up in the PRESENT Paradise who will be part of the bride of Jesus Christ who will rule and reign with Jesus dwelling in the yet future Paradise in the world to come. 

But please keep in mind that all the souls of the “wicked” remained in Hades and it was ONLY the souls of the SAINTS who arose with Jesus. In other words, it was only the “Paradise” part that was moved up to heaven while the side for the wicked has remained in the heart of the earth.

Now let us examine Watchman Nee’s argument that the Paradise side has NOT been moved to heaven.


“However, it is not accurate to say that these saints who have died are now in heaven. On the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the Lord’s resurrection, Peter said, “David is not ascended into the heavens” (Acts 2:34). This indicates that even at the time of the day of Pentecost, David was still not in heaven. Concerning this, G. H. Lang, a teacher among the Brethren, says that “the Scripture nowhere declares” that after Christ’s ascension Paradise was transferred from under the earth to the third heaven, “but is wholly against” such a concept. He also points out the verse in Acts 2 where Peter said that David was not in heaven. No, Paradise has not been removed from Hades to the third heaven. Paradise is still a pleasant section in Hades, a section of comfort, where believers go when they die.”


Here we see two arguments, one from Scripture and one from what some brother in the Lord believes who happens to agree with what Watchman Nee believes. We should not base our faith on what others believe so let us see what the Scriptures teach us.


Please read the context of Acts 2:22-36.


“You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 

23.  HIM, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 

24.  Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 

25.  For David speaks CONCERNING HIM, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 

26.  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 

27.  Because you will not leave MY SOUL in hell, neither will you suffer your Holy One to see corruption.  (NOT David’s soul, but the Messiah’s soul was not left in hell or Hades)

28.  You have made known to ME the ways of life; you shalt make ME full of joy with your countenance. 

29.  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his SEPULCHER is with us unto this day. (Meaning that the decayed remains of the physical BODY of David is STILL IN the grave and that it was NOT David’s body that God raised from the dead)

30.  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to HIM, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; (So David wrote CONCERNING the Christ and NOT of himself is the main subject of the context of Acts 2:34)

31.  He (David a prophet of God) seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that HIS soul was not left in hell, neither HIS FLESH did see corruption. 

32.  This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 

33.  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this, which you now see and hear. 

34.  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he (David) says himself, The LORD said unto MY Lord, Sit you on my right hand, (Or David prophesied saying, “Yahweh said unto MY Lord” meaning that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah of David and that it is Jesus who sits on the right hand of Yahweh) 

35.  Until I (Yahweh) make YOUR foes YOUR footstool. 

36.  Therefore let all the house of Israel KNOW ASSUREDLY, that God has MADE that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, BOTH Lord and Christ.”


The writer of Acts had no intentions of his words to be twisted to mean that no man, not even King David, has ascended into heaven, and thus, all the souls of the dead are still in Hades in the heart of the earth.

Rather, Luke uses a COMPARISON between King David and the risen Christ by saying first that the grave of David still has his decayed dead body in it, which is NOT the case with the EMPTY tomb of Jesus whose body did NOT see corruption or decay. It was NOT King David who was raised from the dead and who ascended but rather it was the Son of MAN Jesus who ascended into heaven.

Here is another one of Watchman Nee’s arguments used to try and EXPLAIN AWAY the clear, plain, and simple meaning of the souls of the dead IN Jesus Christ being IN HEAVEN.


“Another portion of the Word related to the question of where the departed saints are is Revelation 6:9-11. Verse 9 says, “And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they held.” 

In Revelation 6:9 we see that the souls are underneath the altar. This points to the sacrifices killed on the altar. When a sacrifice was killed on the altar, its blood flowed down to the bottom of the altar and under it. The soul of the flesh is in the blood (Lev. 17:11). The fact that the souls of the martyred saints are under the altar indicates that, in the sight of God, they have all been offered to Him as sacrifices on the altar and that their blood, their life, was shed there. 

Now their position is under the altar. In a figure, the altar is in the outer court of the tabernacle and the temple, and the outer court signifies the earth. Hence, “underneath the altar” is underneath the earth, where the souls of the martyred saints are. 

It is the Paradise where the Lord Jesus went after His death (Luke 23:43). This is in the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:40), and is the comfortable section of Hades (Acts 2:27), where Abraham is (Luke 16:22-26). This Paradise differs from that in Revelation 2:7, which will be the New Jerusalem in the millennium.”


Please notice that it was first needed to EXPLAIN AWAY 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 where Paul was caught into the THIRD HEAVEN and into Paradise to see things that he was not allowed to share or utter. But later John was caught away into heaven and was specifically told to write down what he saw and what he heard.

In other words, those who teach soul sleep must explain away this second Paradise up in heaven as if it does not exist and thus they teach only two Paradises. The one in Hades and the one yet to come so that they can support their teaching that the souls of  believers in Jesus do not go to heaven to be present with the Lord when a believer in Jesus dies physically.

Now any “thinking” Christian will understand that Watchman Nee’s interpretation does not make any sense in the light of 2 Corinthians 5:6-8.


2 Corinthians 5:6-8.


“Therefore we are ALWAYS CONFIDENT, KNOWING that, while we are at home IN the body, we are ABSENT from the Lord: (Or we are not PRESENT with the Lord in heaven when we are still living in our mortal body)

7.  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

8.  We are CONFIDENT, I say, and WILLING rather to be ABSENT from the body, and to BE PRESENT WITH the Lord.” 


Again, these verses do not need ANY interpretation to understand what they mean. They simply mean that when Christians die physically, their SOUL and spirit leaves their body to go and be PRESENT WITH the Lord in heaven, because that is WHERE the Son of man, Jesus, is NOW up in heaven. 

I mean the “interpretation” that the soul of believers go to be present with the Lord IN HADES makes no sense because our Lord is NO LONGER IN HADES. 

Jesus is NOW IN HEAVEN. So therefore just like Revelation 6:9-11 teaches us in SIMPLICITY the souls of believers in Jesus are present with the Lord IN heaven under the altar of God.

Also, to try and explain away 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Watchman Nee points out that in the original Greek there is no word “UP” and should have been translated as into Paradise rather than UP into Paradise. But there is also no “UP” into the third heaven in the original Greek either, but no one would argue that it should have been translated as caught into the third heaven.

I mean it is really reading INTO this verse to claim that Paul was caught up into the third heaven and then from there, in the third heaven, Paul was caught DOWN into Hades on the Paradise side.

Getting back to Watchman Nee’s explaining away Revelation 6:9-11 as Martyrs being offered up as SACRIFICES to God is easily refuted as being in error by simply comparing Scripture with Scripture and follow these saints IN heaven through the book of Revelation.

Please read Revelation 19 where we see these saints in heaven again getting ready for the wedding supper of the Lamb.


Revelation 19:7-15.


“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

8.  And to her (The church, the bride of Christ who has died in the Lord, whose SOULS are in heaven getting ready to COME WITH Jesus at his coming) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of SAINTS. (Remember that the souls under the altar were told to wait a little longer till their brothers on the earth were killed as they were killed and then it would be time to avenge the blood of all the saints at the same time. All the souls of the saints who die in Jesus are given white robes, garments of fine linen white and clean. It is a continuing process. Every time a believer in Jesus dies their soul goes to be present with our Lord in heaven to wait under the altar of God for the new glorified immortal body and while they are waiting they are given a white robe to wear which is called the righteousness of the SAINTS.)

9.  And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Which by the way do not need any interpretation to understand that these saints clothed in white robes are getting ready to COME WITH Jesus FROM HEAVEN at his coming to execute to wrath of God.)

10.  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

11.  And I saw heaven opened, (And NOT Hades opened) and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war. 

12.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 

13.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 

14.  And the armies which were IN HEAVEN FOLLOWED HIM upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (This is interpreted FOR us in verse 8 as the righteousness of the SAINTS. So then, one of these armies IN HEAVEN is the army of SAINTS who have died in the Lord and have gone up to heaven to be PRESENT with the Lord just as the clear, plain, and simple word of God teaches us. And the other army is the army of angels. BOTH armies will FOLLOW Jesus from heaven to help Jesus execute the wrath of God)

15.  And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”


So then, all the twisting of Scripture to explain away Revelation 6:9-11 as some kind of SACRIFICE being offered to God can now be seen as false teaching. I mean WHO is doing the sacrificing? Nowhere in Scripture are we taught to offer HUMAN sacrifices to God. And those killing the Christians are not offering then to God on an altar of sacrifice. But we are told to offer our lives as a LIVING sacrifice, which is our reasonable service.


Romans 12:1,2.


“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a LIVING sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

2.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”


Crucifying the FLESH does not mean to literally offer ourselves up to be sacrificed on an altar, but rather means to put away the evil DEEDS of the flesh which is our reasonable service.

So then, this argument that the altar is “symbolic” of the blood of the saints pouring down the side of the altar of sacrifice and then seeping in under the altar is really stretching the imagination just so they can try and explain away a verse that proves their man-made doctrine of soul sleep is in error. And Watchmen Nee is not even teaching soul sleep, but rather the point he is arguing is that heaven is not our permanent home having some mansion to dwell in.

Here is yet another argument used by Watchman Nee to try and prove that Christians do not go to heaven when they die physically.


“Others may use 1 Thessalonians 4 to argue that the dead saints are with the Lord in heaven. They say that when Christ comes back, He will bring the dead believers with Him and that this proves that they must be with Him now in heaven. But if we read this chapter carefully, we shall see that it says that the “dead in Christ shall rise first” and that those “who are living, who remain, shall be caught up at the same time together with them in the clouds” (1 Thes. 4:16-17).

According to 1 Thessalonians 4, the dead saints will be resurrected and, along with the living ones, will be caught up to the air to meet with Christ. This proves that before the rapture the dead saints are not in the heavens.

If we consider carefully and soberly all these verses, we shall be clear from the Word of God what is the truth concerning heaven and Paradise. Although there certainly are heavens, there is no heavenly mansion, and the believers do not go to heaven when they die.”

 

Now I agree that there are NO mansions being prepared up in heaven for us to dwell in for all eternity that is being taught to us from John chapter 14-16. Please read the study “THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER!” which is the true sound Biblical meaning of what Jesus went to the cross to prepare for us. 

But for now, I want to point out that by TRYING to explain away 1 Thessalonians 4:13, then one must ALSO try and explain away the following verses as well.

First of all, Watchman Nee twists the Scriptures by taking 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 out of the ORDER in which it was written. The clear word of God states that God BRINGS WITH him the dead in Christ FIRST. And THEN the resurrection of the dead in Christ takes place. THEN we who are alive are changed along with the newly resurrected dead in Christ. And THEN we are all caught up together into the air to be gathered together by the angels. And THEN the angels of Jesus will take us to the place called Armageddon to MEET Jesus in the AIR to JOIN the army of angels to help Jesus execute the wrath of God.

Again, when one TRIES to explain away 1 Thessalonians 4:13, then they must ALSO try and explain away many other verses as well.

We already looked at Revelation 19:7-15 where the SAINTS are getting ready to FOLLOW Jesus from heaven on white horses at his coming which AGREES with the clear, plain, and simple meaning of 1 Thessalonians 4:13 concerning the dead in Jesus Christ which God shall BRING WITH him at the coming of Jesus.

But there are more verses that support this sound Biblical meaning of the saints coming WITH Jesus at his coming.

Please read Jude 1:14,15 which AGREES with Revelation 19:7-17 where Jesus is coming to execute the wrath of God.


Jude 1:14,15.


“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes WITH ten thousands of his SAINTS, 

15.  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”


Deuteronomy 32:2.


“And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.”


Zechariah 14:5.


“And you shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the SAINTS WITH YOU.” 


 

I mean a small child can understand these words. The saints will FOLLOW Jesus who is coming FROM HEAVEN. God will BRING WITH him those who sleep in Jesus. He is coming WITH his SAINTS.

But yet, those who teach soul sleep and that the souls of believers do not go to heaven when a believer dies, seem to prefer a “spiritual” answer to try and explain away the SIMPLE and most blatantly obvious answer that there are indeed the souls of the righteous in Christ in heaven awaiting the return of Jesus to avenge their blood.

One of my readers tried his best to try and convince me that masturbation is not a sin. I have no Scripture to PROVE that it is not a sin, but I have the Holy Spirit who has taught me that it is a sin.

Almost every day he would send me a link from a website that AGREED with what he WANTED to hear, which was that masturbation was not a sin. 

I kept telling him over and over to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Just last week he wrote to me and said that he did not want to talk about that subject anymore.

I knew in an instant that the Holy Spirit was leading him to the truth that God is not pleased with his sin of masturbating, but I could also tell that he is not quite ready to admit that he is sinning.

My point is, those who have been taught the doctrine of soul sleep, that if you will STOP visiting all the websites that agree with soul sleep and simply allow time for the Holy Spirit to teach you through His word alone, then you will see the simple truth written in the New Testament that explains the Old Testament.

I have other studies showing other sound Biblical interpretations of all the verses used by those who teach soul sleep. I implore you to read these other studies called “IS THE DOCTRINE OF SOUL SLEEP BIBLICAL?” and “SCRIPTURES USED TO TRY AND SUPPORT SOUL SLEEP!”

Thanks for reading. May God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of God.



Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Brother Mark.




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