Is "soul sleep" biblical?

[buttercup]

That is end time prophecy, yet to be fulfilled.
Those that belong to God will be removed before WW3 begins. God is going to intervene in this next one. And His children are not appointed to His wrath. So we go straight up in 11/100's of a second. And our bodies are glorified during the trip. And once again, the graves of those in spirit at that time, in Heaven, are opened and their bodies are retrieved. We will all need them again. Christ returns to end WW3 and we come with Him.
Rev. 19:14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
^That is us. And yay, there are animals in Heaven. Thank you, God.

But, there will be those who won't believe, until after the Rapture occurs. Then they accept Christ. And they are in trouble. They are open game. They are put in camps, along with the Jews, called re-education camps. Those that can't be re-educated will simply disappear. Once the U.N., which is becoming a Muslim organization, is in control, heads will roll.

It is again how we know we go straight up. Those souls would have been recently killed in John's vision. And there they are, in Heaven, crying out for justice, during the Tribulation, immediately following their deaths, just prior to Christ's return.

I agree with this except that I think many Christians have the timing of the rapture wrong. In my view the Bible does not support the pre-tribulation rapture, the rapture occurs on the last day (of this age.) In other words, at the second coming of Christ.

I think the problem is that many people conflate the words tribulation and wrath. But they are not the same thing.

We as God's children are not appointed to wrath. But it never says that we are going to avoid the tribulation, in fact it says the opposite.

But I'm getting off topic here, so maybe this discussion (if anyone wants to talk about it) would be better for a whole new thread.

 

[james bond]

It wasn't called "soul sleep," but was taught that in Catholicism. I thought we all go to Hades after death.

 

[The Irish Ram]

It wasn't called "soul sleep," but was taught that in Catholicism. I thought we all go to Hades after death.

They conjured up a place called Purgatory, which they have since renounced. It isn't Biblical.

 

[The Irish Ram]

Soul sleep is a concept devised by man. And it contradicts the Bible. Paul contradicts it:
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

The soul sleep concept believes that the soul is mortal. That it needs help or a special salvation to get to Heaven. That makes Christ's work on the cross incomplete.
The Bible tells us that Christ's death on the cross was indeed complete and needs nothing further to salvage our souls:
Hebrews 7:27, ESV: "He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself."

Luke disputes soul sleep uncategorically in Luke 19:22
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

^ neither slept. Here is what happened to them immediately following the death of their bodies:

In Hades, 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 set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

Abraham's bosom would not have been necessary if we all just go to sleep after death. They didn't. Neither do we. If you believe in Christ, your last breath here is your first breath in Heaven. No waiting period. Just straight up. Your soul is who you are. Your thoughts, your memories, your family, your loves, your dislikes, your name. You never cease to exist. We merely change our "outfit" and location.

 

[james bond]

They conjured up a place called Purgatory, which they have since renounced. It isn't Biblical.

I think we all go to paradise or Hades after death until the start of tribulation.

 

[Colin norris]

Not a christian...not too informed. But in my opinion, yes...you are dead, but spiritually asleep (your soul) until judgement day. Those who fail, stay asleep. dead. no hell. just absent from God forever.

I'm an atheist and can guarantee everyone there is No such thing as soul sleep. Never has a soul ever been seen or found were it resides. It is a complete load of religious bollocks.

Furthermore, if I did exist and quite obviously relies on the body for life, or why be there at all, when the body dies nothing lives on in perpetuity.
Absite garbage.
It amazes me that grown human beings are that gullible.

 

[The Irish Ram]

It amazes me that if you are right, I lose absolutely nothing. But, if I am right, you lose everything...

 

[seaofnails]

.
I was reading the wonderful post that " The Irish Ram " had written concerning the Parable rich man who died and went to hell.

I noticed that you mention that the rich man was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

May I ask you please if you could tell me - what manuscripts are you referring to that present Lazarus by the side of Abraham.

I do not know of any manuscripts that present this narrative, the manuscripts that I have seen present a Lazarus in the bosom / acceptance or embrace or THE HEART of Abraham.

Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

This would certainly validate your faith - that asserts that there is no great judgment day and that we are automatically judged the moment we die and are sent directly to heaven or hell.
Meaning = if this manuscript exists that says that presents - Lazarus by the side of Abraham. would you please tell me which manuscripts they are ?

The only manuscripts that I have seen, say that Lazarus was in the bosom / acceptance or embrace or THE HEART of Abraham, and are not saying that Lazarus was by the side of Abraham.

This is a major difference, because we even notice that Yahashua also said that he was into the fathers bosom. but Yahashua was still on earth and alive / living but yet also at the same time into the fathers bosom.

would not being in the bosom of another simply mean that this is referring to being in someone's acceptance or embrace or THEIR HEART OR MIND. ?

 

[.oldschool]

 

[seaofnails]

.
I will watch the movie, this is very interesting.

REMEMBER

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God - breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1Co 15:45 The first man Adam was made a living soul

Rev_16:3 the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

It can be confusing, - but the Scriptures are filled with hundreds of passages that say that animals also have souls

Gen 1:20 And God said, Let waters bring forth many moving creatures that hath a SOUL / LIFE, and fowl that may fly…

Gen 2:19 … Every fowl of the air … … and whatsoever Adam named, every living SOUL, that was the name thereof.
A variety of other verses say that animals are “ SOULS “ such as Gen_9:4, Gen_1:24, Gen_1:30, Gen_9:10, Lev_17:14, Lev_20:25, Deu_12:15, Hag 2:13
The Bible indicates clearly that Animals Do Have Souls.

Gen 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature " creature / SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh that moveth, which the waters .....and every winged fowl

Gen 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature " creature / SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh that hath life, and fowl

Gen 9:10 And with every living " creature / SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth.

Lev 11:10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing " creature / SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh which is in the waters

And the Protestant and Catholic translators shifted back and forth between USING many words like Creature, heart, body, mind, things, will, desire, pleasure, appetite, ghost, dead, mortally, any, lives, one, yourselves, one, any, thing, beast, man, persons, me, she, he, them, man, any, yourselves, thyself -

but when they used all of these other words -

they are all the same exact Hebrew word for “ SOUL “ the same word And the Hebrew word is aways the word - SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh - used 753 total times in the Old Testament. " although mostly as soul "

However, with the Hebrew word for “ SPIRIT, “ the translators did not shift back and forth and insert the 28 + other words that You see above there as the translators attempted to couch and formulate their personal doctrine into the manuscript texts, to demonstrate what they personally felt about each matter relating to what a soul means to then in each circumstance.

in other words, the Trinitarians want to change and alternate between various words to explain how they scrutinize and contextualize the meaning of SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh

in various passages

However - the Hebrew word “ SPIRIT “ is solely and exclusively mainly centered and focused around the SPIRIT WORLD - these words. ---- spirit, wind, breath, air, blast, whirlwind

And the Hebrew word SPIRIT - רוּחַ - - rûach - is used a total 378 times in the Old Testament.

And the SAME exact Hebrew and Greek words that are Used for Human as Souls are also used to indicate Animals as literal Souls. And Passages that Show that The Soul of a Human - can be Killed, - But Animals never are Shown to have a Spirit..

The IDEA and TEACHING of humans having a Spirit - is directly connected to The Accountability of The Soul, Mind, Body and Individual Human - Which is Accountable to God.

Animals are not accountable to God in the same way that humans are.

“ The SPIRIT WORLD “ is the world of evil, of satan, of demons and the world of God's holy spirit. And - The Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Righteousness, Peace, Love, Joy … ECT… . and the Spirits of Darkness.

** God's Plan is to Graft our lives / Souls with His Eternal Spirit, Therefore God has ORDAINED The Soul Of Mans life - to be as a Spirit. Because He * ( The Spirit ) Created Man To be Subject to the Spirit World.

Man is body and spirit. Created In God’s Image. When We Die – The Bible says that we sleep in time. and can remain asleep for thousands and thousands of years, not conscience, waking up in a flash of time. That we *( As DEAD ) do not realize time is passing , as it is passing. it is like being asleep. you fall into sleep and the next moment you wake, unaware of the time, as it is passing while passing. **

1Co 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, The Bible explains that - IN THE SECOND COMING - THE DEAD WILL RISE FIRST. We shall not all sleep - and THE LIVING WILL BE CAUGHT UP TO MEET THEM ( The Sleeping Dead. ) - IN THE AIR

MT 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which SLEPT arose,

Luke 8:52 My daughter is even now dead: … JESUS said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not DEAD, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

Joh 11:11 , Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

1CO 15:20 Christ risen from the DEAD, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

I Thessalonians 4:14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15. … we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1CO 15:, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling / BLINK of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
DANIEL 12:1 At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that SLEEP in the dust of the earth shall awake,

JOB 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised - out of their SLEEP

DE 31:16 o Moses, Behold, thou shalt SLEEP with thy fathers; and these people will raise up
2CH 33:20 So Manasseh SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 32:33 And Hezekiah SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 28:27 And Ahaz SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 27:9 And Jotham SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 26:23 So Uzziah SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 21:1 Now Jehoshaphat SLEPT with his fathers Ect… …

Studies can be very time-consuming, however, I am glad that I took the time to see what the Bible actually says about the soul and spirit and the difference between human and animals.__

Animals and Humans are both a living soul, but animals do not have a spirit accountable and interacting joining and joining and communicating with connect energy of union that is accountable to God in the same way that humans do.

 

[seaofnails]

If Yahashua promised the thief on the cross that today he would be WITH HIM in heaven

would not this mean - that either the Trinity is a complete lie and Yahashua is not another SEPARATE DISTINCT person - not another separate, distinct Co - Eternal , Co - Equal person of God

If the thief on the cross was promised that that " today " he would be WITH Yahashua in heaven

Then how could Yahashua meet him in heaven while he was still on earth - and had not ascended up to his father ? - or is SOUL SLEEP IS a reality. ?

Did Yahashua secretly resurrect from the dead the very day he died and was was placed in the tomb and then come back to life for a few moments while in the tomb and ascend up to heaven just to meet the Trinitarian thief in paradise - and then return back his tomb and then DIE AGAIN to be resurrected again after three days ?

how does this make sense ? - If Yahashua is another SEPARATE, DISTINCT Co - Eternal , Co - Equal person of God, how would he fulfill his promise that he made to the thief on the cross to be with him the very day he died ~~ in paradise ?

If he was dead for three days ?

There is a Trinitarian website that attempts to explain how that this verse was mistranslated but the website only places the fault in the mistranslation within the context of explaining that a comma should follow after the word { today , } "Verily I say unto thee today, shalt thou be with me in paradise." THE WEBSITE EXPLAINS By using the word "today," Jesus was stressing the time of His promise— not the time He would be in Paradise

The website explains = that punctuation was not used in the inspired Greek

however, the real translation from the manuscripts is not reflected in the Trinitarian translations, Trinitarians build their entire translation to reflect their personal pre - conceived faith system.

Luk 23:43 και And - ειπεν speaking - αυτω himself - ο this - ιησους Yahashua - αμην Amen - λεγω saying - σοι you - σημερον today, - μετ with - εμου me , - εση I am - εν in - τω the - παραδεισω paradise.

And speaking himself this Yahashua, Amen, saying you today with me ,
I am in the paradise.

Yahashua was reassuring telling the thief that He was with him and that he " Yashashua " was also in the paradise.

The truth is, Trinitarians do not really know what they believe about most of the Bible, they just wander and drift back and forth between one contradiction to another. The main goal and purpose for Trinitarians and Muslims also is to invent a faith system that cancels out and denies and destroys the original message of the manuscript - it does not matter what changes must be inserted and made - just as long as the original message is not transmitted because they detest and dislike the message of the original word of God.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

A thread someone posted today in this section brought to mind a belief called "soul sleep," which is held by Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. In a nutshell, it's the view that when we die, our soul "sleeps" until the resurrection and final judgment

I agree with this 100%, though I am not JW or SDA, but I am a Sabbath keeper

 

[Carl in Michigan]

.
I will watch the movie, this is very interesting.

REMEMBER

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God - breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1Co 15:45 The first man Adam was made a living soul

Rev_16:3 the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

It can be confusing, - but the Scriptures are filled with hundreds of passages that say that animals also have souls

Gen 1:20 And God said, Let waters bring forth many moving creatures that hath a SOUL / LIFE, and fowl that may fly…

Gen 2:19 … Every fowl of the air … … and whatsoever Adam named, every living SOUL, that was the name thereof.
A variety of other verses say that animals are “ SOULS “ such as Gen_9:4, Gen_1:24, Gen_1:30, Gen_9:10, Lev_17:14, Lev_20:25, Deu_12:15, Hag 2:13
The Bible indicates clearly that Animals Do Have Souls.

Gen 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature " creature / SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh that moveth, which the waters .....and every winged fowl

Gen 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature " creature / SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh that hath life, and fowl

Gen 9:10 And with every living " creature / SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth.

Lev 11:10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing " creature / SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh which is in the waters

And the Protestant and Catholic translators shifted back and forth between USING many words like Creature, heart, body, mind, things, will, desire, pleasure, appetite, ghost, dead, mortally, any, lives, one, yourselves, one, any, thing, beast, man, persons, me, she, he, them, man, any, yourselves, thyself -

but when they used all of these other words -

they are all the same exact Hebrew word for “ SOUL “ the same word And the Hebrew word is aways the word - SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh - used 753 total times in the Old Testament. " although mostly as soul "

However, with the Hebrew word for “ SPIRIT, “ the translators did not shift back and forth and insert the 28 + other words that You see above there as the translators attempted to couch and formulate their personal doctrine into the manuscript texts, to demonstrate what they personally felt about each matter relating to what a soul means to then in each circumstance.

in other words, the Trinitarians want to change and alternate between various words to explain how they scrutinize and contextualize the meaning of SOUL - נֶפֶשׁ - nephesh

in various passages

However - the Hebrew word “ SPIRIT “ is solely and exclusively mainly centered and focused around the SPIRIT WORLD - these words. ---- spirit, wind, breath, air, blast, whirlwind

And the Hebrew word SPIRIT - רוּחַ - - rûach - is used a total 378 times in the Old Testament.

And the SAME exact Hebrew and Greek words that are Used for Human as Souls are also used to indicate Animals as literal Souls. And Passages that Show that The Soul of a Human - can be Killed, - But Animals never are Shown to have a Spirit..

The IDEA and TEACHING of humans having a Spirit - is directly connected to The Accountability of The Soul, Mind, Body and Individual Human - Which is Accountable to God.

Animals are not accountable to God in the same way that humans are.

“ The SPIRIT WORLD “ is the world of evil, of satan, of demons and the world of God's holy spirit. And - The Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Righteousness, Peace, Love, Joy … ECT… . and the Spirits of Darkness.

** God's Plan is to Graft our lives / Souls with His Eternal Spirit, Therefore God has ORDAINED The Soul Of Mans life - to be as a Spirit. Because He * ( The Spirit ) Created Man To be Subject to the Spirit World.

Man is body and spirit. Created In God’s Image. When We Die – The Bible says that we sleep in time. and can remain asleep for thousands and thousands of years, not conscience, waking up in a flash of time. That we *( As DEAD ) do not realize time is passing , as it is passing. it is like being asleep. you fall into sleep and the next moment you wake, unaware of the time, as it is passing while passing. **

1Co 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, The Bible explains that - IN THE SECOND COMING - THE DEAD WILL RISE FIRST. We shall not all sleep - and THE LIVING WILL BE CAUGHT UP TO MEET THEM ( The Sleeping Dead. ) - IN THE AIR

MT 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which SLEPT arose,

Luke 8:52 My daughter is even now dead: … JESUS said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not DEAD, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

Joh 11:11 , Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

1CO 15:20 Christ risen from the DEAD, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

I Thessalonians 4:14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15. … we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1CO 15:, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling / BLINK of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
DANIEL 12:1 At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that SLEEP in the dust of the earth shall awake,

JOB 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised - out of their SLEEP

DE 31:16 o Moses, Behold, thou shalt SLEEP with thy fathers; and these people will raise up
2CH 33:20 So Manasseh SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 32:33 And Hezekiah SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 28:27 And Ahaz SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 27:9 And Jotham SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 26:23 So Uzziah SLEPT with his fathers
2CH 21:1 Now Jehoshaphat SLEPT with his fathers Ect… …

Studies can be very time-consuming, however, I am glad that I took the time to see what the Bible actually says about the soul and spirit and the difference between human and animals.__

Animals and Humans are both a living soul, but animals do not have a spirit accountable and interacting joining and joining and communicating with connect energy of union that is accountable to God in the same way that humans do.

Didn't read every line, but I THINK we are 100% in agreement

 

[Indeependent]

A thread someone posted today in this section brought to mind a belief called "soul sleep," which is held by Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. In a nutshell, it's the view that when we die, our soul "sleeps" until the resurrection and final judgment.

The timing of the other thread was interesting because just last night this topic came up in an online small group I'm part of, and someone in our little group believes in soul sleep. I mentioned that what Jesus said to the thief on the cross - "today you will be with me in paradise" - shows that soul sleep is unbiblical, but she said that doesn't make sense because Jesus did not go directly to paradise that day. (That's a whole topic in and of itself, but apparently that is one of the arguments used by those who believe in soul sleep.)

My view is that soul sleep is a false idea, but I'm open to being convinced otherwise. Mainly I'd like to hear the arguments / scriptures for and against this in order to be more confident that the standard view is indeed correct.

I wanted to hear what the Christians here have to say about this, especially anyone who has studied this topic before. Thanks!

The soul does not sleep.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

the Bible especially in the Old Testament sometimes refers to death as sleep

Jesus did too, because that is how GOD views death. For us it is permanent WITHOUT GOD, but it is not, for God.

Every night when we go to bed, we know we will be "resurrected" in the morning when the "son" comes

 

[Carl in Michigan]

It wasn't called "soul sleep," but was taught that in Catholicism. I thought we all go to Hades after death.

Hades is the earth/grave

 

[Karen Brandon]

Samuel was CONSCIOUS in death when called up by the witch of Endor.
Paul contrasted being alive with "being present with the Lord", he didn;t contrast it with being asleep.

The account in Luke 16 - told by Jesus Himself - shows that the Rich Man, Lazarus the Beggar, and Abraham himself - are CONSCIOUS.
They are talking - they can do things - but they cannot cross from one side of the unseen realm (hades mean unseen)to the other.
Christ does go to hades and brings the "good guys" back with Him to Heaven - this is known as "the Harrowing of Hell".

There are verses in Psalms and elsewhere that say the dead "know nothing" - soul sleep is not uterly without scriptural support - it is just trumped by Jesus own description in Luke 16, by Paul saying death is to be present with the Lord, and by Samuel's spirit talking to King Saul (saying "why are you disturbing me?" and Samuel is very conscious hwen he prophesies to King Saul thqt he will be killed (along with son).

SOUL SLEEP is tripe espoused by Seventh Day Adventists (who are a real church and have many things right)
and is espoused by Jehovah's Witnesses (who are outside the realm of "real church" and are more or less cultish).

 

[Karen Brandon]

Mat 12:40
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

 

[Karen Brandon]

1Pe 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1Pe 3:19
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

1Pe 3:20
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Good and bad souls get preached to - "good and bad" being used figuratively ( no one was really "good") but the "good" go on up with Christ in the Harrowing of Hell - "bad" guys stay in hay-yull/tartarus/Sheol/hades/tophet/HELL

Soul Sleep is held by SDA's, JW's, and others who are wrong. I have seen SDA's on boards swear that it is not really Samuel talking in the Witch of Endor passage - they say it must be a demon impersonating Samuel (whose soul is asleep).

Soul Sleep = SDA Tripe.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

So much ignorance above.

Let's see.
Saul consults a WITCH. A worshipper of DEMONS, and believes a demon worshipper who tells her that he is "Samuel"

Of course that spirit wasn't Samuel. What to demon worshippers have to do with GOD????

ALWAYS remember that Jesus Christ said, NO MAN has ascended to heaven except the Son of Man who came down from heaven.

ALL HUMAN BEINGS are in "hell"/hades/the grave.

Your silly error is believing you have an immortal soul inside your physical body that never really dies. BUT IT DOES.

When you're dead, YOURE REALLY DEAD.

AT CHRISTS RETURN, THE DEAD IN CHRIST will be RESURRECTED.

There is so much LIES believed by the "christian world That has ZERO basis in Scripture.

As for Paul, when you're DEAD, you're not conscious. TO THE DEAD IN CHRIST, His Return, and your resurrection will seem to be only an INSTANT whether Christ returns in an hour, or a thousand years.

As far as CULTS, there are none greater than the Catholic cult and her Protestant daughter cults. And like good lemmings, you've accepted the demonic lies taught by these cults.

The other parables of Lazarus and the rich man were told to teach a lesson. But it was only a PARABLE