Between Death and Resurrection

Announcer:

This is Today With Derek Prince. The internationally recognized Bible teacher and author presents to you Keys to Successful Living.

Derek Prince continues this week with his series on Laying the Foundation. His new theme is entitled ‘Resurrection of the Dead,’ which will tell us how Jesus’ resurrection was the basis for our own resurrection which will ultimately complete our salvation. In today’s message which Derek delivered at a conference in New Zealand, he explains the meaning of resurrection and differentiates between the destinies of the body, soul and spirit at the time of a persons death. Be sure to stay tuned at the end of today’s message for our address and this week’s special offer.

Derek Prince:

Now we’ve come to the last two of the great foundation doctrines, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. In this present session I will be dealing with the resurrection of the dead and then in the following session I’ll be dealing with eternal judgment.

We need to understand the meaning of the word resurrection. The Greek word that’s translated means to stand up out of. So resurrection is standing up out of death and out of the grave. In the Scripture we just quoted we saw that man consists of three elements: spirit, soul and body. It’s important to understand that it’s the body that dies and it’s the body that will be resurrected. The spirit and the soul never need to be resurrected because they’ve never passed into death. So we are talking about the resurrection of the body. This is very important.

Now, I want to deal a little bit this morning with what the Bible shows about what happens to people after they die. I’ve discovered that this is a matter of universal interest. It doesn’t really matter what nationality or what culture you belong to, everybody is interested to know what happens after death. The Bible gives a pretty clear picture and I’m going to try to outline this picture and then show how it will affect the resurrection.

In Luke chapter 16:22–26 Jesus gives us His picture of what happens. I want to point out that this is never called a parable, because the word parable is not used in connection with this. We’ll start with Luke 16:19.

“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously [or lived luxuriously] every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus full of sores who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this place.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and, likewise, Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, Father Abraham, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them lest they also come to this place of torment.’ And Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.’”

And how true that proved in experience. Even when Jesus rose from the dead, those who did not believe Moses and the prophets did not recognize what had happened. That’s a very solemn thought. Sometimes we expect some tremendous supernatural visitation and say if that happens we’ll be convinced. But God says, ‘You have my Word, that’s all you need. If you believe it and obey it, it will take you through.’

Now I want to point out certain features that are indicated by this story of the rich man and Lazarus. There are five features.

First of all, there was persistence of personality after death. The rich man was still the rich man and Lazarus was still Lazarus. Neither of them lost their identities. Now, some people teach us that after death everything just fades away and there’s nothing left. That’s not scriptural. We continue in the same personality after death as we lived in in life.

Secondly, there was recognition of persons. The rich man recognized Lazarus and he recognized Abraham. And Lazarus recognized the rich man.

Third, there was recollection of life on earth. Both the rich man and Lazarus could recall the circumstances of their lives before they died.

Fourth, there was a consciousness of their present condition. The rich man was in torment, his tongue burning with fire; Lazarus was in comfort and peace in the bosom of Abraham.

And fifthly, there was a complete separation between the righteous and the unrighteous. Each of them had an appointed place and neither could cross from one to the other.

Let me say those five things again because they’re very, very important and they contradict a lot of theories that are being put around today.

“Number one, there was persistence of personality—no loss of identity.
Number two, there was recognition of persons.
Number three, there was recollection of life on earth.
Number four, there was a consciousness of present conditions after death.”

And number five, there was a complete separation between the righteous and the unrighteous. Now, what happened to those who died before Jesus Himself died and rose from the dead? Because that event bisected human history and the destiny of souls before and after the death and resurrection of Jesus is not the same. The death and resurrection of Jesus produced a change, actually, in the whole universe. It was the most decisive event in the history of the universe and it affected what happened to those who died. Let’s deal now with what happened before the death of Jesus. We’ve seen already in this story of the rich man and Lazarus that all departing souls pass into a place which is called in Hebrew, Sheol and in Greek, Hades. The Greek word Hades means the unseen world. So all alike, whether righteous or unrighteous, passed into this unseen realm called Hades or Sheol.

This was a place of departed souls but there were two completely separate areas for the righteous and the unrighteous. And notice everybody was either righteous or unrighteous, as I was saying yesterday, there’s nothing in between. You can’t be halfway righteous and halfway unrighteous. You’ve got to end up in one or other of those two places. The area for the righteous is called ‘Abraham’s bosom’ meaning, I suppose, that Abraham, who’s the father of all who believe, welcomed them there and comforted them. That’s my understanding. Now, what happened to Jesus when He died? Jesus was a perfect man. He too had spirit, soul and body. And there’s a different statement made about each of those three elements in Jesus’ personality. In Luke 23:46 we find out what happened to the spirit of Jesus when He died. Luke 23:46: It says,

“When Jesus had cried out with a loud voice . . .
And I believe what He cried out was ‘It is finished.’
. . . He said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ And having said this He breathed His last [He died, He expired].’”

So, His spirit was commended to the Father. There are some things that I can’t explain. I can make these statements but there may be areas in which I cannot give you a further explanation. What happened to the soul of Jesus? In Acts chapter 2 when speaking on the Day of Pentecost, Peter quoted Psalm 16 as an experience of Jesus and not of David the psalmist. And he says, David spoke in Psalm 16 concerning Jesus these words:

“I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad because moreover, my flesh will also rest in hope because you will not leave my soul in Hades.”

So the soul of Jesus went down into that realm of departed spirits. It’s also stated in 1 Peter 3:18-19.

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit [or in the Spirit] by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah.”

So Jesus went down into Hades and there are details of this which I cannot explain to you but I can tell you what the Bible says. He made a proclamation. This translation says He preached but it’s the word ‘to proclaim.’ It does not mean necessarily that He preached the gospel but He made a proclamation. My guess is He said, ‘From now on I’m the ruler in this place. I have the keys of death and of Hades. And you are answerable to me for everything that goes on from now on.’ That’s just my theory, it may not be right.

Now, meanwhile, Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb. In John 19:40 and following we read what happened after He died on the cross. John 19:40 and 42:

Announcer:

Tomorrow Derek Prince will continue his theme ‘Resurrection of the Dead,’ when he’ll look at what took place at the resurrection of Jesus and the resulting effect on all true believers. This message is available on audiocassette No. RC4168 and also on video Our special offer this week is Derek’s book Chords From David’s Harp which offers one hundred one specific subjects from the Psalms for meditation and application in our lives. To receive your copy of ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ write today and include a contribution of $5.00 or more for audiocassette RC4168 or $14.95 for the video teaching. Include a gift of $5.00 or more for the book Chords From David’s Harp.

Derek Prince also welcomes your letters and prayer requests. Our mailing address is Derek Prince Ministries, Box 19501, Charlotte, North Carolina 28219. The address again is Box 19501, Charlotte, North Carolina 2821, or you may also call us at 1-800-448-3261. That’s 1-800-448-3261. In Canada write to Derek Prince Ministries, Box 8354, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 5M1, and please give us the call letters of this station when you write.

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