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LIFE AFTER DEATH
Chapter 7″There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, [3] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, `Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, `Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, `Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “`No, father Abraham,’ he said, `but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'” Luke 16:19-31
The foregoing ‘parable’ by the Lord Jesus will constitute the basis for our study of the afterlife. It is recognized that non-Christian readers will not accept His authority; and there are also some Christians who will pay scant attention to a ‘parable.
Nevertheless, the forthcoming and entire study of this ‘parable’ by our Lord can be fully backed up by the Old Testament Scriptures. For, we must recognize that God has conformed everything to the basic pattern! At the commencement of recorded ‘sin,’ God decreed that the Edenic pair had to be driven out (from His presence). This is SEPARATION from God because of sin. Then the details of the tragic experience of His ‘chosen people,’ portrays the step by step judgment of God in the AFTERLIFE as well as various allegorical illustrations for the here and now! For the planned extent of this treatise, it would take up far too much space to consider their detailed vicissitudes; hence but the study of the above parable.
Yet for a brief glimpse, it may be stated that their deportation to Babylon, and the destruction of Jerusalem as well as the temple, is a portrayal of the loss of body and soul through the power of ‘Babylon’s king.’ But first a brief glance at a little understood portion of His parable. “…send him to my father’s house: for I have five brethren… ” (vs. 27-28).
Here our Lord was not speaking of individuals only, but of entire nations as well. ‘Lazarus’ means, “whom God helps.” Thus he typifies the entire House of Jacob whom God has sworn to help. The “rich man” called Abraham his father; while the latter recognized him as his ‘son.’ And he had 5 brethren (–6).
In Genesis 25:1-2, we see where Abraham took Keturah to wife – by whom ho had SIX sons. Unto them he gave gifts, and sent them away EASTWARD. These sons multiplied into NATIONS, becoming integrated sections, or peoples within other and older groups of Noah’s descendants. Those nations to the immediate and near east of Palestine, became conversant with the “Law of Moses” and the Prophets, yet never accepted Yahweh and His ordinances unto LIFE. In the days of Jewish dispersions, those nations were comparatively rich, and in utter unconcern over “the sores of Lazarus.”LIFTING UP EYES IN HADES
Here we shall commence a clear scrutiny of life in ‘Hades’ as the ‘dead’ awaken. If you will to look upon scenes sombre and awesome, then walk with me through the chambers of ‘hell’ that you may perceive and understand through another’s God-given vision, not blinded by dogma or creed. And as the major portions unfold, the connecting links to the parable (or other Scripture) will be given – that its Truth may take root within you.
Such as never accepted Yahweh’s ordinances unto LIFE in ancient times, and such as have never entered into the “New Covenant” unto Life: all become basically typified by “the rich man.”
Death as we know it – is for the physical man. Dependent on its form, the loss of ‘consciousness’ is but for moments. For the briefest moment there is a blackout like when entering into deep sleep. But when the physical body is fully ‘dead,’ then its life forces cease to nourish the ‘soul.’ Thus what we might term the soul’s ‘umbilical cord’ is broken (Solomon called it the ‘silver cord”), whereupon the spirit encased in its SOUL-body commences to withdraw from the body of flesh.
Consciousness begins to gather like in a confused dream-state; gradually yielding to ever increasing consciousness as the spirit commences to function solely through the brain-counterpart within the soul-body. Light increases until the ‘eyes’ of the soul are opened (and he “lift up his eyes” in Hades. Although the amount of light in the soul-world has a considerable range; yet for the average awakening soul it is immensely less than the bright sunlight of our terrestrial realm. There is no sun seen; they are not dependent on its light. The light of their world is more like that of ours before the breaking of a storm when heavy, black clouds roll low. And there is faint color to the diffused light; varying according to the strata in which the soul awakens.
The soul-world (‘Hades’) is a vibrational sphere-zone interpenetrating to the very core of our earth, and also extending beyond our earth’s periphery to the extent of about 4,500 miles. [This is derived from. the fact that our atmosphere extends this far. In Scripture, Satan is referred to as “the prince of the power of the air’ and also “the prince of this world.” Hence the area of his dominion encompasses the entirety of the realm of ‘Hades’. This ‘vibrational sphere-zone’ is not like our earth where its inhabitant’s habitants live on its surface. Perhaps you can best understand it by thinking of the ocean or the air as ‘spheres’ of life for fish and fowl. There is no surface, on which the fish walk or glide, neither for the birds on which to fly. The latter point their tail up or down to determine their altitude of flight, while the fish let off or take in more air to determine their depth of travel. (incidentally, God has correlated the fish and ocean to the ‘soul’ world.)
Since souls have feet, they could walk; however, they soon learn to travel by means of propulsion (made possible through the soul’s counterpart of our present solar plexus). “Yet be not deceived by the twaddle of some that they know no ‘distance’ that they have but to ‘will,’ when presto! They are there. Space, distance and time are as real to souls as to humans. By a careful analysis of the fish of the sea, we could even approximate speed of the soul’s travel.
Although the soul-world interpenetrates the physical, and extends some 4,500 miles into the stratosphere, that does not mean that the soul can choose its own ‘altitude’: their height and depth range being strictly limited, and dependent on their own vibrational pitch. The viciously evil (Stalins and Hitlers) strike nether chords of vibration; human derelicts and debauchees are not far above them: all these find themselves at depths within, or below the surface of our earth – where the light is sparse and lurid. Their world is monstrous! And without beauty! It is a sordid projection of what they were in earth-life. Many of their caverns of habitation are not too unlike what we now sometimes see under the caption of “modern art.” (Well might one wonder if now the whole world is so close to fusing with ‘hell’ that the Pit’s chaotic unbeauty impinges on the consciousness of many….)
Such do not find themselves in the company of the just and good who were ‘unsaved.’ They had nothing in common on earth, neither have they in ‘hell.’ ‘UNsaved’ musicians, doctors and other classes (here on earth) do not necessarily find themselves together after death. Such vocations here on earth have nothing to do with the soul’s vibrational pitch. To illustrate, we might place God at one extreme and the devil at the other (NATURES considered). Then the soul’s degree of harmony with the one or other (extreme), is that which determines its ‘vibrational pitch,’ and hence its ‘level’ or location in the unseen (hades) world.
Those whose earth-lives are snuffed out in war or by accident, will regain consciousness in the awareness of friends and earth conditions, from whence they shortly recede or ascend to their own vibrational level. The very aged, or those whose interests in life have largely ceased, have but a fleeting vision of the fading earth-life as they quickly sink or rise to their own true level. The higher (away from the earth’s center) the strata, the greater their light, and the less of the nether pit’s malformations and unbeauty.
Once I heard a Christian evangelist raving about Hell’s ‘lava’ and that “there is no love in Hell.” Such are but the unfounded rantings of the ignorant. There is no molten metal or stone in ‘hell,’ nor yet in “the lake of fire.” And there is every whit as much LOVE in ‘hell’ as we find it here on earth. In fact, I am prone to think of it as greater, In the strata of the Stalins, it is sadly wanting, yet we must bear in mind that such extremes of human fiends are comparatively few. By and large, ‘love’ is a vital factor in Hell, and helps to make Hades more ‘hellish’.”…for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment.” Luke 16:28
IF we accept the verdict of the Lord Jesus, then we perceive, and must admit that whatsoever the true inner man may have been while on earth, THAT HE IS AND CONTINUES TO BE – after so-called death. Immediately when the ‘rich man’ realized that nothing could be done for himself, he pleaded on behalf of his brethren – “lest they also come into this place of torment”! That in itself adds to their portion of suffering in ‘hades’: the realization that loved ones are similarly heading for their own tragic lot ‘Love’ receives a new awakening in ‘hell’ to sear its unrequited (or inability to demonstrate) agony into the very spirit itself!
Reflect on this fact-in-Truth: the child, or human, manifests no change in nature, inside the house or out: in the topcoat or out of it. Similarly with the human spirit: inside the physical body or out of it, that particular spirit is not one iota different.
Death of the physical body has taken place: the ‘silver cord’ has been broken: the earth-body’s streaming life forces are no longer coursing through the ‘soul’- body. A change takes place similar’ to the reversed metabolism in the physical when a person goes on a fast. Or more correctly it is voiced in the words of the Prophet:”The grass withers, the flower fades: because the SPIRIT OF THE LORD HAS REVERSED* IN IT.” Isaiah 4O: 7
* “Blows upon it” (God’s Spirit does not ‘blow’; for, He is not a windbag.)
In the above passage, the grass represents the body while the ‘flower’ typifies the ‘soul.’ And that – says He – shall fade (away) – even as the grass (body) withers. We might say that the “current has reversed”: it has changed from positive to negative; the atoms composing its tenuous structure are no longer being bound together. Figuratively, we could say that the ‘magnetism’ therein will dissipate.
We are now speaking of the ‘UNsaved’ soul. Its ‘leprosy’ is let loose! I can behold no difference in the state of a disintegrated ‘soul’ in Hades, than as observable in the malignant and advance stage of a leper here on earth! Slowly, exceedingly slowly, the skin or outermost layers commence to fray, hang loose and drop off. This relentless process continues until there is not a vestige left of the ‘soul’-body: leaving the spirit a naked flame (in the rough silhouette of man). But the slowness of that process: H O R R O R S! And the AGONY of that process is the ‘fire’ and the ‘flame’ and the ‘torment’ in which the ‘rich one’ found himself. Included in this suffering are also the pangs of remorse as well as the agony wrought through love!
The ‘flames’ of Hell are 100% figurative language. A ‘flame’ is consuming and destructive: it is the REVERSED process of construction, or of growth. Similarly with the UNcleansed, UNpreserved soul-body in Hades: IT MUST PERISH! When the life-current of God’s Spirit has “reversed in it,” then the ‘flame’ of its disintegration, is felt throughout its structure, and it is painful. It is similar to earthly leprosy in its UNrest. Elsewhere His Spirit has better described it for us in these words: “They have NO REST day or night.”
As to the time element, this depends largely on the age and strength of the person at the time of transition. The soul of the person young and strong contains more cohesive force than that of one very well advanced in years. The soul’s lifespan can be approximated as follows: The body’s extreme life-span potential, less the actual years lived, multiplied by 10. Thus for example a person who would normally expire at 75, dies from cancer at 55: that leaves 20 years to go X 10 = 200 years in Hades. Comparatively few live out their full potential here on earth. Yet those who live out almost the entire span, have, consequently, a very short soul-life after death. But because of that soul-body’s rapid disintegration, the state of its ‘UNrest’ is more intense.
Let the reader bear in mind that the ‘UNsaved’ person’s soul-life and suffering in ‘hades’ is not one and the same as that endured later in “the lake of fire.” The latter will be considered as we progress.
In earth life, one person may suffer from cancer; another has T.B. and still another leprosy. Yet in none of these instances does the normally rational person conclude that an infuriated God is seeking vengeance and inflicting torment. We recognize that such illness and suffering is the natural outcome of the violation of the LAW of physical well being. Similarly with the soul in Hades: it is but enduring the inevitable outcome of a violated God-law; for, “the soul that sins, IT SHALL DIE!”
There is also another phase of suffering in Hades; however, that is principally confined to the very wicked and to those who die in earlier life. Such as have through their wicked ways made many enemies, and pass over while the life-forces run strong are subject to attacks by murdered victims, or bitter enemies already in the soul-world and in their own stratas. Although they cannot injure one another in the way that mortals can, they are still capable of fiendish attack. For, as the leprosy of sin commences to flake loose in the outer soul-body, hate-inspired and evilly inclined beings as well as “unclean spirits” are capable of attacking and plucking off such partly loose portions. Since such would shortly be lost anyway, there is little harm sustained by the soul attacked; yet the fear, bitterness and inner pangs add much to its suffering.
By Mikkel Dahl
