He Was Not Abandoned to Heaven?

By Corey Shultz
3/22/4

Acts 2:24 "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. 25 "For David says of Him, 'I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. 26 'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; 27 BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. 28 'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.' 29 "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.

Peter expounds on David's Psalm, where it spoke not of David's own resurrection.  As Peter points out, "the patriarch David.. both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day."   What was related here pointed to Christ's resurrection, as verse 31 points out. The issue becomes -- where was Jesus raised from, and what else was promised to Him?  Namely, that He wouldn't be abandoned to Hades, and that His flesh would not suffer decay. When Peter speaks of Jesus not being abandoned to Hades, where is this place of which David spoke?

Concerning the Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter XXXII
Of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead

"The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption: but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them: the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies.  And the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Beside these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledges none."

It is this startling chapter in which the Westminster Confession of Faith states that the Bible recognizes only "two places" to which those who physically die go. "The highest heavens," and "hell." What we have here is a clear over reaction to the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, yet Jesus Himself takes the time to recognize the existence of "Abraham's bosom." It's interesting to see how many adherents to the WCF try to nullify the story Jesus sets forth in Luke 16 and make it a story of no meaning at all:

Luke 16:19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' 27 "And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house--28 for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "But Abraham *said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!'  31 "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.' "

The clear story set forth by Jesus comes with so many vastly different interpretations, yet those who fail to recognize Hades of torment (verse 23), and Abraham's bosom of comfort (verse 22) as real places fail to explain the meaning of what Jesus is saying here. It is suggested by some that Abraham's bosom is not a separate compartment in Hades, but heaven, yet my challenge for those who say so is, how can this be? And for others who say Abraham's bosom is a mythical place, again my challenge for you is, how can this be? Jesus the myth teller? Those who deny the existence of Abraham's bosom as the place where the soul's went to before the resurrection from the dead in 70 A.D. have to deal with Acts 2:27 and 2:31, where it is said that the soul of the man Christ Jesus was not abandoned to Hades. Yet by some scholars, it is believed that Jesus was not abandoned to Heaven, and before Jesus breathed His last, He spoke these words (Luke 23:46) "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." It is concluded from this statement that Jesus ascended into heaven when He died, and therefore the implications of this is that, Jesus was raised from Heaven, nor did His flesh undergo decay, but is this scriptural? Is this even any form of AT LEAST Creedal Orthodoxy?

What about the scripture that says, Acts 2:31 "he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY"? Where was it that Jesus was raised from? Does committing His spirit into the hands of the Father mean bringing His spirit into heaven till He is raised, or more following the lines of committing His spirit in the hands of the Father and care? That statement is not that real difficult to understand, and it is clear eisegesis that brings people to believe Jesus ascended when He died. If Luke 16 teaches that Hades was a place of torment in this story, and in fact to those who deny this story as any relevance to reality before the judgment (as the WCF does), then what does Hades here represent, and what is this torment here that comes along with it?

Revelation 20:14 "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."

It appears that Luke 16 isn't the only place where Hades is spoken of, and in fact at the judgment it would be cast into the lake of fire. If this is the case, and the last judgment hasn't occurred yet (thus Jesus has not returned yet in finality), what is this Hades in Revelation 20 that will one day be thrown into the lake of fire? To conclude that the resurrection of Christ was Jesus being resurrected from Heaven, and Him not being abandoned to Heaven lies outside of the plain teaching of scripture. Why is it that Peter spoke concerning David's words that it was Hades to which Jesus was not abandoned?  If abandonment is the case, and then if Jesus was in Heaven and in the very presence of God (before He ascended?) why would the word "abandon" be applied to Jesus? Serious implications come along with believing Jesus ascended to Heaven when He physically died, and if this be the case, was Jesus lying when He said the following:

John 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.' "

Is this speaking of having not yet ascended to the Father a second time yet, or is this in general? Is there any proof that Jesus went to heaven before His ascension? Doesn't the language of Jesus here make His ascending to the Father out to be a big deal? "My Father and your Father, and My God and your God"? If this happened before, surely there is a verse that hints at this happening before? Also concerning Luke 16:

Luke 16:27 "And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him (Lazarus) to my father's house-- 28 for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "But Abraham *said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets (mean something?); let them hear them.' 30 "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' 31 "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Did this story just say that someone could rise from this place which is labeled "Abraham's bosom"? And if so, was this called rising from the dead? Another challenge for those who deny the relevance of Luke 16 to biblical reality, why is rising from this place of Abraham's bosom known as raising from the dead? Doesn't the bible say that Jesus was raised from the dead?

1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;

So Jesus being raised from the dead directly correlates to the Hope of Israel and the resurrection from the dead. If there is no resurrection from the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. Yet to the futurist who thinks the resurrection from Hades occurred before 70 A.D. or even as a whole denies the resurrection from the dead and says that the soul's of the righteous have always gone to heaven upon physical death, how do you explain Hebrews 11 hall of faith, where Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham (Hebrews 11:13) "All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." If these people above all died in the faith without receiving the promises, might I ask what these promises were?

Hebrews 11:9 By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10 for he (Abraham) was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

And:

Hebrews 11:35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

If Abraham died in the faith not receiving the promises such as the "city" "whose architect and builder is God," and a "better resurrection," where were those people in Hebrews 11 who died at before they received these things? Do futurists deny that the New Jerusalem is the kingdom of God to come when Jesus would judge the world in righteousness (Mt 25)? The author of Hebrews is plainly stating that Abraham was not in it, yet the promise concerning him was said:

Hebrews 11:38 (men [Abraham] of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39 And all these (Abraham), having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised (verse 13), 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they (Abraham) would not be made perfect.

Was Abraham in the city who's architect is God before this letter was written around 66-68 A.D. or was Abraham as this context plainly state still waiting for the city and the better resurrection? Doesn't this verse also say that apart from "us" Abraham would not be made perfect? Who is this "us" in this context, and why is it always interpreted that the last people the "us" could be is the author of Hebrews and the Hebrews he was writing to? The verse is clear "because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect." Jesus taught and His apostles taught a first century coming, and the sign of the Son of man in heaven was going to be the destruction of Jerusalem.

The Westminster Confession has been refuted, in that the bible recognizes more than "two places" to which those who physically die go. Now assuming that soul sleep is wrong, where was it the soul of Abraham went to when he died, because it is evident that to this same place Jesus Himself was not abandoned, but was raised from, Abraham went also. Thus the resurrection from the dead, as promised to Abraham and those who follow in the faith of Abraham. Luke 16 has everything to do with where the righteous went to before the resurrection from the dead in 70 A.D. when they would receive the city who's architect is God, yet Jesus thus far is said to be the "first born from the dead" (1Cor 15:20; Col 1:18; Rev 1:5). Later those in Abraham's bosom would be raised to eternal life, and the wicked in Hades of torment would be raised to judgment than cast into the lake of fire.

To conclude that Jesus was raised from Heaven destroys the full biblical doctrine of the resurrection from the dead and places on itself serious implications as to what the resurrection from the dead means. But the bible teaches that Jesus was raised from the dead, and was raised from Hades, and that the dead were going to one day be raised, and this compartment in Hades known as Abraham's bosom is where those who died in the faith not receiving the promises waited for the resurrection from the dead.

Date:

23 Mar 2004

Time:

08:00:46

Comments

Corey, Super article. I am curious...Could you briefly explain this "teaching" that you are refuting here? You say that there are some who teach that when Jesus was raised from the dead (ones), he was "raised" out of "heaven"? I have not heard of this one yet. Who is teaching this? Where did you come in contact with this? Dr. Birks

Date:

23 Mar 2004

Time:

14:18:27

Comments

"the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies." - (Chapter XXXII Of the State of Men after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead)... i've honestly found it rare by many futurists to believe in the existance of Abraham's bosom, yet alone believe OT saints go there pre-cross... only reason i came at the issue from the angle i did was cause i've come across many who believed that OT saints went to heaven when they died. I think reading out of context the following verse causes people to do so, as does the WCF use this as a proof text of the erroneous doctrine... ECC 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Date:

23 Mar 2004

Time:

14:21:19

Comments

one other thing i left out, by concluding OT saints went to heaven pre-cross, where else would Christ have gone when He died if not Hades, or soul sleep? common reasoning of futurists i've run into. i know people personally who believe this, and you'll come across people on paltalk who believe this... just ask around ;)

Date:

27 Mar 2004

Time:

11:46:28

Comments

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice… A second time; for at the first loud cry, he uttered these words, "Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani"; and at the second what follows; see (Matthew 27:46-50) (See Gill on Matthew 27:46). (See Gill on Matthew 27:47). (See Gill on Matthew 27:48). (See Gill on Matthew 27:49). (See Gill on Matthew 27:50). he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit; not the Holy Spirit, nor his divine nature, but his human soul: for that he had a reasonable soul, as well as a true body, is certain; from his having an human understanding, will, and affections, ascribed to him; and indeed, without this he would not have been a perfect man, nor like unto us; and could not have been tempted, bore sorrows and griefs, and endured the wrath of God; nor could he have been a Saviour of souls: now just as he was expiring, as he made his soul an offering for sin, and which he offered unto God, he committed it to his divine care and protection; and to enjoy his presence, during its separation from his body, using the words of the Psalmist in (Psalms 31:5) and this shows, that his spirit, or soul, belonged to God, the Father of spirits, and now returned to him that gave it; that it was immortal, and died not with the body, and was capable of existing in a separate state from it, and went immediately to heaven; all which is true of the souls of all believers in Christ; and what the dying head did, dying members may, and should, even commit their souls into the same hands: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost; breathed out his soul dismissed his spirit, laid down his life, freely and voluntarily, and which no man, or devil, otherwise could have taken away from him.

Date:

29 Mar 2004

Time:

19:23:13

Comments

I think before we take the story of the rich man and Lazarus as speaking of literal places of all the departed dead either pre 70 AD or after,we must first identify who Abraham, the Rich man and Lazarus are. Some things I noticed about the Rich man that makes me wonder if he is representative of all the lost are: 1. He refered to Abraham as Father Abraham. 2. Abraham refered to him as son. If Abraham was his father then why was he lost? Are not the true children of Abraham the children of faith? If he was just a child of the flesh and not the spirit would Abraham have refered to him as Son? Another question that I think we need to figure out is, who does Abraham represent? Can one human being hold all the saved in his bosom or was Lazarus the only one in his bosom? Is it not God that comforts his children not Abraham? If Lazarus represents all the saved does one have to receive evil things in order to be redeemed since that was the contrast between the two characters? The rich man had recieved good things in his lifetime and Lazarus evil!! What kind of water did the Rich man want Lazarus to come and give him? Would a drop of drinking water from somone's finger on his tongue cool it if he were literally burning in flames? Or was he wanting the living water of Jesus. Also, he wanted him to go to his fathers house did he not? Of whom did his fathers house consist of? All the lost of the earth? I think Abraham identified who his bretheren were in verse 29 "Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. Who had Moses and the prophets yet refused to believe them? All the lost? Did the gentiles have Moses and the prophets? Concerning thinking that this is speaking of the place of the dead. Does the theory that this is literally speaking of the place of the unjust meet with what scripture teaches concerning the place of the dead? Psalm 6:5 " For in death there is no rememberance of thee, in the grave who shall give thee thanks" Psalm 88:10-12"Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfullness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? Do these Psalms portray somone that would be begging to Abraham to go send One that would have to be raise from the dead in order to give warning to his lost bretheren so they would not have to go to that place? Luke 16:31" And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." According to those Psalms do the dead have any remembrance of God or of his mercies? As Psalm 88:11-12 says:" Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark: and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfullness?" Does that sound like where the rich man was? I think there could be other senerios that this portion of scripture could be representing. one might be. 1. the rich man could be represntative of the pharisees and the false fleshly religious system they had created, decked out in all their finery purple and fine linen. The ones that Jesus refered to as of their father the Devil. 2. Abraham could be symbolic of God. 3. Lazarus could be symbolic of the true children of Abraham or pherhaps even of the Lord Jesus Christ himself as he is the one that rose from the dead that Moses and the prophets spoke of. As verse 31 says "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persusaded, though one rose from the dead." Just some thoughts that I think must be considered before we can take Luke 16 as a literal picturing of the places of the departed dead.

Date:

10 Sep 2004

Time:

13:21:12

Comments

Corey - an outstanding article. If the (1Peter ch. 1) GOAL OF THEIR FAITH was the SALVATION OF THEIR SOULS at the REVELATION (Revelation in greek: Apacolypse) OF JESUS CHRIST then no one had the SALVATION OF THEIR SOULS YET !!! Great article Corey <>< Michael Bennett