Question:  Hi Greg,

            Keep up the good work in helping people better understand the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

            My query relates to Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead.  Where was Lazarus’s spirit until Christ brought him back to life?  Since Jesus didn’t go to the Father’s side right away, how could the repentant thief be with Jesus in paradise the day they were crucified?

            Looking forward to your comment.

            Joe      

Answer:  Dear Joe,

            Lazarus’ spirit was exactly where everyone’s spirit/soul is at the time of death.  With God.

            What does that mean?  Is there a specific piece of heavenly real estate?  Do we have a celestial address?  Are we “sleeping” wherever we are “with God” – or are we conscious?  The Bible does not answer those questions specifically.

            Some Christians and some churches propose specific and dogmatic answers.  PTM believes that we should speak where the Bible speaks, and at least try to be somewhat silent where the Bible is silent.  This is difficult, because we humans love to speculate.

            Some Christians go so far as to say that they and their specific denominational belief system doesn’t just teach “what everyone knows”, but what only they understand.  Big problem with such assertions.  Does God only reveal “hidden truths” to a few, esoteric, more loved people, while withholding such “secret knowledge” from others?  Is salvation a matter of knowing what someone else doesn’t?  Is salvation, therefore, a matter of academic expertise?  What about the people who love God but have the equivalent of a third grade education?

            We don’t know exactly what happens to our soul/spirit.  We do know that our body decomposes.  We know that because we can see it happen, it is something that we can observe when our loved ones die.  We don’t have any evidence from someone who has died, then been resurrected – any evidence about what their spirit or soul was doing, or not doing, while they were dead.

            We also know that the dead in Christ will be resurrected, bodily, at the Second Coming of our Lord.  We know that our soul/spirit will at that time be re-united with our body.  We will all know then – and probably not before – exactly what happened to our souls/spirits and where they were.

            Second question – Jesus did not ascend to the Father right away.  That’s true.  But remember – Jesus was and is God.  When he died, only his physical body died – for he was very man and very God.  He was the Godman – God in the flesh.  Both divine and human.  The divine part of Jesus could not, by definition, die.  When his body died, the Son of God did not die – only the Son of Man.  That’s why he said (in John 2) that if you kill my body I will raise it up in three days.  How could a dead man raise his own body?  Jesus was not only man but also God.

            The thief on the cross was with Jesus in paradise that very day.  OK.  So what is and where is paradise?  It’s just another word to describe being with God – like we use the word “heaven” today.  Back to the original question.  Where is it – what is it like?  The Bible does not say exactly.

            We do know that Jesus “going to” paradise and the thief “going to” paradise is two different things.  Jesus is God by nature.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, without beginning and without end.  He is uncreated.  He was and is always “in paradise” – paradise is part of the nature of God.  The thief, as a created human, with a beginning and an end, experienced and continues to experience paradise in the way that God decided for the dead to do so.  Whether we are conscious or unconscious, whatever may happen, we will only “know” when we die – and all will know at the Second Coming.

            Big questions Joe – and I can only devote a few minutes to each answer.  I hope this gives you some spiritual food for thought as you continue to explore this question in your Bible.  Let us know if we can be of further help.  May God bless you.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht