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Sunday, April 23, 2017

LEFT BEHIND


WHERE DO WE GO AT DEATH

“Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." Eph. 4:8



In the OT dispensation, righteous souls at death went to paradise, which is the upper part of hades (Luke 16:19f). The prophecy of Christ declares that with the building of the church the gates of Hades will no longer close over a righteous soul (Matt. 16:18). At the resurrection of Christ, He came forth from the Paradise section in Hades and brought all the righteous souls with Him (Eph. 4:8-9). The first one to die from those who belong to the church was Stephen (except in the case of Ananias and Saphira), and he went above (Acts 7:59). Paul reveals the fact that all the righteous go to be with Christ in heaven (Phil. 1:21-23). Judas was left in the lower part of Hades. What a sight he beheld as he watched Stephan rise with Christ as he was left behind.

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