In part 1 of this Q&A, we discussed the fact that many religions believe that each person has an immortal soul.   Orthodox Christianity, in general, has the same understanding.   But is it true? 

In our booklet “The Theory of Evolution – A Fairy Tale for Adults,” the Spirit in Man is discussed and below are a few selected highlights taken from pages 19-26.   This shows that the Spirit in Man is not the soul.  

“Herbert W. Armstrong… published his findings in a book entitled, ‘The Incredible Human Potential.’ This is what he wrote on pages 74 and 75, ‘Animals are equipped with brain and instinct. But they do not have power to understand and choose moral and spiritual values or to develop perfect spiritual character. Animals have brain, but no intellect—instinct, but no ability to develop holy and Godly character. And that pictures the transcendental DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANIMAL BRAIN AND HUMAN MIND.

“‘What then can account for the vast difference? Science cannot adequately answer. Some scientists, in the field of research, conclude that, of necessity, there has to be some non-physical component in human brain that does not exist in animal brain….’

“Mr. Armstrong then explains that, according to the Bible, each human being has a non-physical component in his brain, called ‘the spirit in man.’ On page 81 of his book, he points out, ‘[T]his spirit is not the man—only something in the man… This spirit cannot see, hear, or think. The man sees, hears and thinks through his physical brain and the five senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and feeling. The spirit in man imparts the power of physical intellect to the physical brain, thus forming human mind.

“‘This spirit acts, among other things, as a computer, adding to the brain the psychic and intellectual power. Knowledge received in the brain through the eye, ear and the senses is immediately “programmed’ into the spirit computer. This “computer” gives the brain instant recall of whatever portion of millions of bits of knowledge may be needed in the reasoning process. That is to say that memory is recorded in the human spirit, whether or not it is also recorded in the “gray matter” of the brain. This human spirit also adds to man a spiritual and moral faculty not possessed by animals.’

“Most people know nothing about the existence of the spirit in man—even many religious people—lay persons and theologians alike. When they read passages in the Bible describing the spirit in man, they assume the Bible is talking about the soul. But the soul is not a non-physical component of the human being. The soul, according to the Bible, is totally physical. The Bible does not teach the concept of an immortal soul. Rather, we read in Ezekiel 18:4, ‘The soul who sins shall die.’ The word ‘soul’ in the Bible refers to the living body of both man and animals. In Revelation 16:3, we read that every living soul—both men and beasts—died in the sea. The soul does NOT distinguish man from animals. Rather, the spirit in man is THE distinguishing factor between man and animals. It explains man’s superiority over the animals and totally disproves the concept of evolution. 

“The Bible strongly indicates that God gives the human spirit at the time of conception, and then takes it back at the time of death. We read in Zechariah 12:1, ‘Thus says the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.’ Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, ‘Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.’ When the spirit in man leaves a person, that person is dead. James 2:26 says, ‘For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.’

“Jesus Christ Himself, at the time of His death, cried out to the Father to receive His spirit. What exactly did He say? Let’s read in Luke 23:46, ‘And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.’ When He died, His human spirit returned to God, as we read in Ecclesiastes. 

“Understand though, that when a man dies and his spirit returns to God, that spirit does not continue to live consciously, apart from the body. Rather, God ‘stores’ it, so to speak, in heaven, until He unites it at the time of the resurrection of man with a new spiritual or physical body. The concept that man’s soul is immortal is as wrong as the concept that man’s spirit continues to live consciously after death. Rather, the body—or soul—dies, and the spirit of man returns to God to await a resurrection.

“Note Ecclesiastes 9:4-6, ‘But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope… For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing…Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished…’ And verse 10, ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.’ In other words, there is no conscious activity after a person dies. The spirit does not continue in the realm of consciousness.

“Jesus Christ also made it clear that dead people do not continue to live on. Rather, the dead will have to be brought back to life through a resurrection from the dead. In Matthew 22:31-32, He asked the Sadducees, since they did not believe in the resurrection, ‘But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’ If the dead persons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had somehow continued to live consciously after their death, including a conscious existence of their spirit that had returned to God, then Christ’s words to the Sadducees would have been without sense.

“WHY does God give each human being a spirit? The spirit in man records all the human characteristics of the person, as well as his or her outward appearance. At the time of the resurrection, the spirit of the dead person is combined with a new body of the dead person. This means, all the experiences and memories and ideas of the former life are back in the resurrected individual, and the resurrected person will also look the same way he or she did in their former life.

“When a person dies, his body returns to dust. But the spirit of man in him has recorded the appearance of the person, the personality, the personal attributes, and God gives the spirit of that person back into the newly created physical body. 

“Just as the Bible teaches a resurrection to physical life, so it also teaches a resurrection to spiritual life. Those who died after having been counted worthy to enter the Kingdom of God at the time of Christ’s second coming, will have part in a spiritual resurrection, as the Apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-44, ‘But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be… But God gives… a body as He pleases… So also is the [spiritual] resurrection from the dead [to spiritual life]: The body is sown in corruption [flesh and blood], it is raised in incorruption…It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.’ But as with a resurrection to physical life, the resurrection to spiritual life will also incorporate the spirit that was in man and that recorded the person’s characteristics.

“So we see that it is the spirit in man that explains the vast differences in self-awareness, intellect and intelligence between man and animals.”

What you have just read is something that so many simply don’t understand.  Because so many believe in an immortal soul that has to go somewhere when the body dies, Bible verses are interpreted in a way that allows this belief.   As we saw in the previous instalment, many religions are convicted of this and even in mainstream Christianity, it is the prevailing view with the good going to Heaven at death and the evil unbelievers going to Hell being accepted as Biblical Truth, when it isn’t.   And once such error is accepted, then further errors creep in, which is why it is so vital to have the correct understanding that we don’t have an immortal soul.

In part 1 of this Q&A, we mentioned that one writer opined that “the present Heaven is not our final destination, it’s a wonderful place, and it’s understandable that those who have had loved ones die in Christ wonder what life is like for them there. Based on the Bible’s teaching, we know several things: the present Heaven is a real (and possibly physical) place. Those who love Jesus and trust Him for their salvation will be with Him there, together with all who have died in Christ. We will be awake and cognizant.” 

We had explained that this is most certainly not the prevailing view in orthodox Christianity which holds that the good remain forever in Heaven as their final destination. But this writer even thinks that “The Present Heaven May Be a Physical Place.”  He also wrote that “A fundamental article of the Christian faith is that the resurrected Christ now dwells in Heaven. We are told that His resurrected body on Earth was physical and that this same, physical Jesus ascended to Heaven, from where He will one day return to Earth. It seems indisputable, then, to say that there is at least one physical body in the present Heaven. If Christ’s body in the intermediate Heaven has physical properties, it stands to reason that others in Heaven could have physical forms as well, even if only temporary ones.”

To add to the confusion even more, he writes: “Given the consistent physical descriptions of the intermediate Heaven and those who dwell there, it seems possible—though this is certainly debatable—that between our earthly lives and our bodily resurrection God may grant us some temporary physical form that will allow us to function as human beings while in that unnatural state ‘between bodies’ awaiting our bodily resurrection. If so, that would account for the repeated depictions of people now in Heaven occupying physical space, wearing clothes and crowns, carrying branches, and having body parts (for example, Lazarus’s finger in Luke 16:24).”  

As mentioned previously, we address the question about Lazarus and the rich man in our booklet “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” on pages 31-32: 

The opinion of the writer, as quoted above, is wrong for many reasons. One, there are no physical bodies in heaven, and there never will be. Two, nobody went to heaven except for Jesus Christ, but not in a physical body, but as a Spirit being. 

We said in one of our Q&As: “God also created the third heaven with all its spiritual components, including His throne, His temple, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the heavenly garden or Paradise, because we read that the Father created everything there is through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3)—the visible and the invisible (Colossians 1:16). We understand, of course, that both the Father and Jesus Christ have always existed; Christ was not created (Hebrews 7:3). So it was the God Family who created everything.”   In view of this information, how could anyone even think that heaven could be physical?

Another disagreement we would have with the concept of going to heaven and that it might even be physical etc, we write in our booklet “Why This Confusion About Life After Death” on pages 8-9 under the heading “Man Can Reach Two Heavens But Not the Third Heaven Where God Dwells” the following:

“As Lewis Brown explains in ‘This Believing World’: ‘In very early times that idea flourished not alone among the Babylonians and Egyptians, but also among the barbaric tribes in and around Greece… these mysteries [came] down from Thrace or across the sea from Egypt and Asia Minor… they declared that for every man, no matter how poor or vicious, there was a place in heaven. All one had to do was to be ‘initiated’ into the secrets of the cult.’

“The Hebrews did not believe that we go to Heaven when we die. Neither did the early Christians. But in time, the concept developed within the Roman Catholic Church that one will be saved and go to Heaven when one has been baptized into the church, including as a little baby. 

“The Bible does not teach this. Much confusion exists because many do not understand that the Bible speaks of more than one heaven. 

“When the Bible speaks of ‘heaven,’ it may refer to any one of three different locations. The first heaven is the atmosphere, surrounding the earth, where birds can fly and clouds move (Genesis 1:20; 27:28). The second heaven is the universe, with all its galaxies, suns, stars and planets (Psalm 8:3). 

“It is possible for man to reach these two heavens—at least, to a limited extent. But man cannot reach the Third Heaven, where God dwells—where His angels live and where His throne is located. It is spiritual, not physical. Physical beings cannot enter it—except in a vision—and we won’t go there after our death, either. 

“According to the biblical testimony, the only Being who entered the Third Heaven after death was Jesus Christ. Others saw the Third Heaven in a vision—such as Daniel (Daniel 7:9), Paul (2 Corinthians 12:2), Stephen (Acts 7:56) or John (Revelation 4:2), but they did not enter the Third Heaven in bodily form, or as spirit beings. 

“Christ said in John 3:13 that no human being—except He Himself—has entered the Third Heaven. The German Luther Bible from 1964 wrote: ‘And no one goes to Heaven except for the One who came down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man…’ (‚Und niemand fährt gen Himmel, denn der vom Himmel herniedergekommen ist, nämlich des Menschen Sohn…‘). 

“Most translations render the passage as, ‘No one has ascended up to heaven…’, but even then, it is at least clear that no one before Christ ever went to the Third Heaven. This means that contrary to popular belief, Elijah and Enoch did NOT enter God’s Third Heaven.”

In Time Magazine in December 2019, author N.T. Wright wrote the following:

“Indeed, for most modern Christians, the idea of ‘going to heaven when you die’ is not simply one belief among others, but the one that seems to give a point to it all.

“But the people who believed in that kind of ‘heaven’ when the New Testament was written were not the early Christians.  They were the ‘Middle Platonists’ — people like Plutarch (a younger contemporary of St Paul who was a philosopher, biographer, essayist and pagan priest in Delphi). To understand what the first followers of Jesus believed about what happens after death, we need to read the New Testament in its own world — the world of Jewish hope, of Roman imperialism and of Greek thought.

“Israel’s scriptures had long promised that God would come back in person to dwell with his people for ever. The early Christians picked this up: ‘The Word became flesh,’ declares John [1:14], ‘and dwelt in our midst.’ The word for ‘dwelt’ means, literally, ‘tabernacled,’ ‘pitched his tent’ — alluding to the wilderness ‘tabernacle’ in the time of Moses and the Temple built by Solomon. Studying the New Testament historically, in its own world (as opposed to squashing and chopping it to fit with our own expectations), shows that the first Christians believed not that they would ‘go to heaven when they died,’ but that, in Jesus, God had come to live with them.

“That was the lens through which they saw the hope of the world. The book of Revelation ends, not with souls going up to heaven, but with the New Jerusalem coming down to earth, so that ‘the dwelling of God is with humans.’”

There is so much confusion in all of this mainstream “understanding” and over many years we have covered all of these issues in our literature and in sermons, where the Bible is clear. In brief, the answer is that if the understanding about the spirit in man was accepted, no one would need to be in heaven, a temporary waiting place, purgatory or any other variation of such an erroneous belief.  And understanding that we do NOT have an immortal soul is basic Truth and understanding right from the Word of God.  If we did have an immortal soul, we couldn’t be destroyed,  and if the “going to hell at death” reasoning was correct, then those going there would be there for eternity which is neither correct nor would it be the act of a loving God.

The correct knowledge about the immortal soul is vital to our understanding about God, His plan of salvation and His love for all His creation.  Incorrect knowledge will lead to further misunderstandings as we have seen in these Q&As.

Material available for further study:

Our booklets pertinent to what has been discussed in these two Q&A’s are:

The Theory of Evolution – A Fairy Tale for Adults?

Do We Have an Immortal Soul?

And in our 79-page-booklet “Why This Confusion About Life After Death,” we cover many topics, a few of which are:

Man Does Not Have an Immortal Soul Which Goes to Heaven

Man Will Not Be Judged at the Moment of His Death

Man Is a Soul Not Has a Soul

Mary, and Everyone Else Who Has Died, Are Still in the Grave

Limbo and Purgatory Are Not Biblical Concepts

Indulgences

The False Concept of Hell

An Ever-Burning Hell-fire; After Death, Is Unbiblical

The Dead Know Nothing

The Spirit in Man

Most People Have No Knowledge About the Existence of the Spirit in Man

and much more, which can be accessed online via this link: https://www.eternalgod.org/why-this-confusion-about-life-after-death/

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

On the Britannica website we read the following:

“Human beings seem always to have had some notion of a shadowy double that survives the death of the body. But the idea of the soul as a mental entity, with intellectual and moral qualities, interacting with a physical organism but capable of continuing after its dissolution, derives in Western thought from Plato and entered into Judaism during approximately the last century before the Common Era and thence into Christianity. In Jewish and Christian thinking it has existed in tension with the idea of the resurrection of the person conceived as an indissoluble psychophysical unity. Christian thought gradually settled into a pattern that required both of these apparently divergent ideas. At death the soul is separated from the body and exists in a conscious or unconscious disembodied state. But on the future Day of Judgement souls will be re-embodied (whether in their former but now transfigured earthly bodies or in new resurrection bodies) and will live eternally in the heavenly kingdom.”

This is one of several “explanations” of our future in heaven. It is by far not the only one, as we will discuss below in more detail.

However, we can see from this information how the thinking of pagan philosophers can infiltrate Christianity and then it can become a cornerstone belief of orthodox Christianity. Just like the Trinity, for example.   But because of this supposedly Biblical belief, we should be able to readily see how this can then lead on to other errors.

We read in Matthew 7:24-27 what Jesus had to say about getting the foundations right:

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

We have proved time and again that, at death, we don’t go to either heaven (for the good) or hell (for the evil).  However, many Christian writers and theologians seem to think otherwise.   For example, one well-known author of many Christian books wrote the following:

“When a Christian dies he enters what theologians call the ‘intermediate state,’ a transitional period between life on Earth and the future resurrection to life on the New Earth. Usually when we talk about ‘Heaven,’ we mean the place that Christians go when they die. When we tell our children ‘Grandma’s now in Heaven,’ we’re referring to what I prefer to call the present Heaven (the word intermediate sometimes confuses people).

“The present Heaven is a temporary lodging, a waiting place (a delightful one!) until the return of Christ and our bodily resurrection. The eternal Heaven, the New Earth, is our true home, the place where we will live forever with our Lord and each other. The great redemptive promises of God will find their ultimate fulfillment on the New Earth, not in the present Heaven. 

“Though the present Heaven is not our final destination, it’s a wonderful place, and it’s understandable that those who have had loved ones die in Christ wonder what life is like for them there. Based on the Bible’s teaching, we know several things: the present Heaven is a real (and possibly physical) place. Those who love Jesus and trust Him for their salvation will be with Him there, together with all who have died in Christ. We will be awake and cognizant. And because we will be with Jesus, it is ‘better by far’ than our present existence.”

By believing this concept, then other beliefs have to be “bent out of shape” to fit in with this foundational error!

However, this explanation is not the standard one in orthodox Christianity, nor is it the most accepted one. The author combines false “Christian” concepts with some correct Scriptures about the heavenly Jerusalem coming down to earth, but he totally misunderstands and misinterprets those passages as well. 

When researching our final destination in Christian thinking on the Internet, this is what we are told:

“In many religious traditions, including Christianity, the concept of ‘Heaven’ suggests an eternal abode, a place where believers reside with God forever…  For the Christian faith, Heaven is: an eternity in the presence of God. the ultimate aim for all Christians in order for their soul to be reunited with God and united with Christ.” 

According to this common view, a new Jerusalem on earth does not even come into play. 

Why do many come to the conclusion that we go to heaven (or hell) when we die?   The answer is that they believe that man is an immortal soul.

In an article “Death in Different Religions” we read the religious hodgepodge that man has created over the course of the last 6,000 years in relation to life after death.   Here are some snippets of information from this article:

“Christianity

“Most Christians believe in the resurrection of Jesus and the existence of the afterlife. Many believe that moral decisions that we make on Earth determine whether we go to Heaven or Hell. Catholics believe that before we reach Heaven, we must first pass through Purgatory, a place where we must purify our sins. Catholics also believe that praying for the deceased can help them get into Heaven from Purgatory.”   We covered this approach in our booklet “Why This Confusion About Life After Death.”

“Islam

“Muslims believe that after our physical death on Earth, our soul lives on and goes to the Angel of Death to wait for Judgement Day. The Qur’an teaches that on the day of judgement, the righteous will go to Jannat (Paradise) and the sinners will go to Jahannam (Hell).

“Judaism

“Judaism is ambiguous about what happens when we die. While Jews tend to focus more on their life on Earth, most Jewish people believe in an afterlife, and it can come in many forms. Some Jews believe in reincarnation, while others believe in the World to Come, which is similar to Heaven. 

“Buddhism

“Buddhists believe that when we die, we are reincarnated into another body. After death and before rebirth, each person passes through the state called Bardo, which can be a time of great insight and liberation. For Buddhists, the ultimate goal is to break out of the cycle of reincarnation by attaining Nirvana, an end to suffering. In order to reach such a state of enlightenment, Buddhists believe we must meditate and purify our minds. 

“Hinduism

“Hindus share similar beliefs with Buddhists when it comes to death and the afterlife. They also believe in reincarnation, and believe that we can be reborn not only into humans, but also into animals, plants, or even insects. 

Further religions, like most of the ones quoted above seem to believe in an immortal soul.   For example:

Native American Spirituality – Many tribes believe in a spirit world or an afterlife where the souls of the deceased reside.

African Traditional Religions – Ancestors play a significant role, and there is a belief in the continuation of life after death.

Zoroastrianism – The soul is judged after death and sent to either heaven or hell based on its deeds in life.

Bahá’í Faith – The Bahá’í Faith teaches the concept of the soul’s journey through different spiritual realms after death.  The afterlife is seen as a continuation of the soul’s progress towards spiritual perfection.

And so, such a belief seems to permeate so many religions.   When the apostle Peter addressed the Sanhedrin, as recorded in Acts 4:10-12, he stated:

“… let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Verse 12 shows that true Christianity is a unique faith with only salvation available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.   No other faiths count. True Christianity is exclusive – the Bible says so!

Therefore, if other faiths believe in an immortal soul, it is irrelevant.  However, much of mainstream Christianity does not understand that we do not have an immortal soul and that can lead to further misunderstanding and error, and is a serious problem.

We will now quote from our booklet “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” as follows:

Introduction – page 1:

“What happens to us when we die? Does our soul continue to live on, while our body decays in the grave? Do the souls of bad people continuously burn in hell fire for all eternity? Do the souls of good people ascend to heaven at the time of death—or do they go to a place called limbo or purgatory, if they were not quite as good? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes,’ then why do we need to be resurrected from the dead—or do we? Do humans possess immortality within themselves? If you are seeking to understand the truth on this subject, then the answers can be found in God’s Word, the Bible.”

“Some Reject the Concept of an Immortal Soul – page 5:

“We have briefly noted the many different concepts that man has held regarding the immortality of the soul, and there is, indeed, an astounding array of false ideas and misconceptions about this subject. But despite the strong universal influence, there have been some down through history who did not believe in any of these concepts. For example, Arnobius, a Catholic writer, spoke against those who held the ‘extravagant opinion of themselves that souls are immortal.’ (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VI, p. 440).

“Also, at the time of the Reformation, William Tyndale put it quite succinctly when he wrote, ‘In putting departed souls in heaven, hell or purgatory, you destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection… The true faith putteth the resurrection; the heathen philosophers, denying that, did put that souls did ever live…If the soul be in heaven, tell me what cause is there for the resurrection?’

“Another Reformer who questioned the immortality of the soul was Martin Luther. He declared that the Bible did not teach the immortality of the soul, and he suggested that the soul died with the body, and that God would hereafter raise both the one and the other. He wrote in 1522, ‘It is probable, in my opinion, that… indeed the dead sleep in utter insensibility till the day of judgment… On what authority can it be said that the souls of the dead may not sleep… in the same way that the living pass in profound slumber the interval between their downlying at night and their uprising in the morning?’ (Michelet, Life of Luther, p. 133).

“While most Protestants today have long forgotten these words of Martin Luther, some Christian groups today still do not teach the immortality of the soul. The Seventh-Day Adventists, for example, do not believe that the soul of a dead person continues to live a conscious life. The Sabbath-keeping Church of God organizations, likewise, universally reject the concept of an immortal soul.”

The booklet then goes through a thorough study of the word “soul”, on pages 6-24, coming to the conclusion that:

“When we die, we go to the grave. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says to you that you won’t do anything ‘in the grave, whither thou goest.’ Now notice Psalm 94:17, ‘Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul [‘nephesh’] had almost dwelt in silence.’ In other words, unless God would have helped, the soul would have died and gone to the grave.

“Again, we see that the person and the soul of the person are one and the same. Both go to the grave, where there is silence and total lack of consciousness or activity. In other words, both die. That is why the Bible describes death consistently as a dreamless sleep [cp. John 11:11–14; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 27:52; 2 Samuel 7:12; 1 Kings 2:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17]. God must awaken us out of that sleep of death in order for us to live again—and God will do so at the resurrection of the dead.

“The Grave is a Place of Silence and Unconsciousness – pages 24-25:

“The grave is described as a place of silence, without any activity, thought, or consciousness. The dead do not even remember God their Creator. Psalm 6:5 points out, ‘For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave [‘sheol’] who shall give thee thanks?’”

Of course, some will immediately point to Lazarus and the rich man to prove their point and this is addressed on pages 29-32 of the booklet.

On page 40 we read “The Truth About Immortality” – “Ultimately and inescapably, God’s Word proves that eternal life is a gift of God, and that physical mankind does not possess an immortal soul. The deceptive and false doctrine of inherent ‘immortality’ has held countless millions in a state of confusion, false hopes, and tormented fear.” 

In simple terms, the Bible clearly shows that man is a soul; not, that he has a soul.

The information in the booklet mentioned above can be accessed with the following link: https://www.eternalgod.org/booklet-675/

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

It is a good question to ask.

Why do we keep this particular celebration?   Mainstream Christianity doesn’t even keep the weekly Sabbath or annual Holy Days which we do, and this particular celebration would also be rather strange to them.

We read in Exodus 12:40-42:

^“Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.  And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.”

Deuteronomy 16:1 adds:

“Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.”

It was during the Passover night—the night of the 14th day of the month—that the death angel passed over the Israelites who were in their houses (hence the name “Passover”), while killing the firstborn of the Egyptian households (Exodus 12:6–13). But it was on the 15th day, “on the day after the Passover” that the Israelites went out of Egypt, and it is on that day (at the beginning of the 15th day of the first month) that Church members celebrate the Night to Be Much Observed—“a night of solemn observance to the LORD”—when they gather together for an evening meal.

The Night to Be Much Observed is the start of the Days of Unleavened Bread.   We know that leaven “puffs” things up and that is something that true Christians must eliminate from their lives which is a physical reminder for us to remove spiritual sin from our lives.

Rudyard Kipling, a famous English poet wrote:

“I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew);

“Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.”

So, let us ask these questions about this celebration. We know about preparing for, and taking the Passover, and then getting rid of any leavened products and not eating them for seven days, but do we really think about the Night to Be Much Observed which occurs on the 15^th Abib – which begins this year with Saturday evening, 12^th April 2025.

And so, looking at these 6 questions and answering them, enables us to come up with all of the necessary explanations.   The first question is:

WHAT:

• It is a time when Church members celebrate the Night to Be Much Observed—“a night of solemn observance to the LORD”—when they gather together for an evening meal.
• Even those who may keep the Passover at the correct time, may overlook the need to keep this “night of solemn observance” as we read in Exodus 12:42.

WHY:

• First of all, because it is an instruction from God.
• For true Christians, the Night to Be Much Observed is a time when we can rejoice, thanking God for His calling and acknowledge His marvellous intervention in our lives where we have been led out of the spiritual bondage to this world, out of “spiritual Egypt” and the spiritual exodus by Church members from their slavery of sin (Exodus 12:42).
• While we are not fleeing from the enemy of the Egyptian Pharaoh and nation, we are fleeing an even greater threat today with Satan and his demons who have influenced every society around the world, and who want to destroy us spiritually so that we will not be able to enjoy what God has promised us for being faithful to Him and His Way – that of eternal life in His Kingdom.
• On this night, the people of God can reflect on our wonderful calling which will end, subject to being faithful to the end of our lives (cf Matthew 24:13), in being a part of God’s Kingdom in the Family of God.   Jesus prayed, as recorded in John 17:9-11: “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.”

WHEN:

• At the beginning of the 15th day of the first month – the night AFTER the PASSOVER – this is when Church members celebrate the Night to Be Much Observed—“a night of solemn observance to the LORD”—when they gather together for an evening meal.
• We read further in Numbers 33:3: “They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians.”
• By keeping this at the correct time, we can concentrate on our ongoing “exodus” from this world where we can anticipate the soon-coming Kingdom of God when we will rule and reign in the Family of God.
• As this evening is also the start of the Days of Unleavened Bread, it is appropriate to commemorate this with a Sabbath-type meal as it is an occasion to appreciate the understanding that God has given us about the “Night to Be Much Observed” which the world has no understanding at all.

HOW:

• In previous generations, when there were larger congregations, the Night to Be Much Observed was usually held by having a number of different locations in the homes of members but this has changed in recent years in many cases where groups are now much smaller.
• We should, we must, keep this celebration in a respectful way—not just turning up for a meal with our conversation being just about everyday matters.   What happened all those many years ago has profound implications for us today.   This is not just a meal but a look back at a time when our forebears were looking to escape from Egypt – which is synonymous with us looking to escape from sin today when it surrounds us all the time.

WHERE:

• As stated above, in previous generations, the Night to Be Much Observed was more often celebrated in the homes of church members in small groups, but in more recent times, in many cases an alternative arrangement has been that of using a restaurant particularly where a private room can be made available.
• It should be noted that as this is also the start of a Holy Day, the first Day of Unleavened Bread, dress should be appropriate for the occasion, not a casual approach of jeans, shorts or other attire that are used for leisurely occasions.   It is a special evening and one to be kept and honoured in a proper way.

WHO:

• The Night to Be Much Observed has been kept by Church of God members in modern times. The following rendition is taken from the Authorized Version as translated in Exodus 12:42: “It is a night to be much observed (“Shim-moor,” meaning night watch, watching, vigil) unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.”
• Of course, children and others in the family who may not be baptised members may participate in and keep this celebration, unlike the Passover which must only be kept by properly baptised members.
• The Church of God continues to keep this beginning part of the first Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread—after sundown, which marks the start of the time God has established for His people to keep. Exodus 13, verses 3 through 10, explicitly casts God’s instructions as an ongoing regulation for those who seek to obey Him—note, in particular, verse 10: “You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.”

As is the case for all the Holy Days (which includes the weekly Sabbath), the Church of God meets together to worship God, to be taught and to fellowship. Christians are warned to carefully maintain the practice of meeting together on a regular basis: “…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

This is another way, by obeying what was told to the ancient Israelites, that we can celebrate a time as per God’s instructions and help and encourage others as we look forward to the soon-coming Kingdom of God.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the first part of this Q&A, we looked at the biblical evidence that God the Father, Jesus Christ the Word, and innumerable angels are all in the third heaven.

But are there any human beings in heaven?  What about those who have died and have lived good lives?  Did they go to heaven and live there now in a conscious state?

In Ecclesiastes 9:5 we read: “For the living know that they shall die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.” 

Psalm 146:3-4 illustrates that the day one dies, his thoughts perish.

No human being has ascended to heaven, as Jesus revealed in John 3:13, and this is a telling piece of Scripture: “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from, and it is heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”   

The NIV states “No one has ever gone into heaven.” The old Luther Bible says: “No one ascends to heaven.”

Acts 2:29 and 34 are also instructive on this matter:

“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day… For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand…”

And Hebrews 11:39-40 speaks of the great men and women of old and shows that they are STILL awaiting their reward: “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”

For much more on this subject, please see our Q&A:  https://www.eternalgod.org/question-and-answer-1066/ and our booklet “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”    

Those who know the doctrines of the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates will be fully aware that our understanding from the Word of God is that we do not go to heaven at death.

For those who may want to study this more thoroughly, please see our Q&A’s:

“What are the biblical proofs that we do not go to heaven when we die?” https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-11453/

“Do certain biblical passages tell us that we go to heaven when we die?”  https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-11468/

“How do you explain certain passages in the Bible suggesting that we go to heaven when we die?”  https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-11483/

“Doesn’t the Bible say that we will enter the kingdom of heaven? Doesn’t this show that we will go to heaven when we die?”  https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-11501/

There are some commentators who say, incredibly, that there are human beings in heaven, and in their physical state, and they even make some other even more preposterous assertions.   We have no doubt about their sincerity, but such errors are something that we must avoid.  

What is in Heaven?

We read in Exodus 20:4 the following: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth…”

This verse reveals that there are things in heaven.

Revelation 3:5 speaks of a “Book of Life” which is in heaven.  In our booklet “Are You Predestined to be Saved?”, we read in the first chapter, page 3, the following description: 

“‘THE BOOK OF LIFE. The most important heavenly book, or scroll, that pertains to God’s true children is mentioned numerous times in Scripture. But many who have read these references have falsely assumed that this particular book is just a figurative expression, rather than a real, albeit spiritual book. The opposite is true. The book we are talking about is a VERY real book! It is called in Scripture, ‘the Book of Life.’ For example, we read in Revelation 3:5: ‘He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I [Jesus Christ] will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.’ On its face value, and without trying to ‘interpret’ this passage, we are plainly told that the names of true Christians are written down in a particular book—the Book of Life—and that they will not be erased from it as long as they continue to overcome. We can also understand from this that their names could be blotted out from the Book of Life.”

The information below is taken from Mr Norbert Link’s very revealing booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World” on pages 59-62:

“In Revelation 20:12 we read: ‘And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.   Barnes Notes on the Bible states: ‘And the books were opened – That is, the books containing the record of human deeds.’ 

“Revelation 4:2 mentions a ‘throne set in heaven.’” 

We have seen, in part one of this Q&A that God the Father and Jesus Christ, both Spirit beings, reside in heaven.   In Psalm 47:8 we read: “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.”   And in Psalm 103:19: “The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”

“Revelation 4:4 describes several thrones in heaven.”

The Scripture reads: “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.”

“Revelation 4:6 speaks of a ‘sea of glass’ before the throne in heaven.”

The Scripture reads: “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.”

“Revelation 5:1 mentions a spiritual scroll, sealed with seven spiritual seals.” 

The Scripture reads: “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.”

“Revelation 5:8 talks about a spiritual harp and golden bowls.”

The Scripture reads: “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

These golden bowls housed the prayers of God’s people, the saints, which indicates how important they are.   Incense burned in the temple in the Old Testament gave off a pleasing aroma to God, and His people’s prayers are likened to this. 

“Revelation 8:2–5 reveals the existence of a spiritual golden censer, a spiritual golden altar, and even spiritual fire.”

The Scripture reads: “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.”

“We are informed in the book of Hebrews that all of these spiritual objects were used as a pattern for the creation of physical objects at the time of Moses. We read in Hebrews 9:23–24, in the Living Bible: ‘That is why the sacred tent down here on earth, and everything in it—all copied from things in heaven—all had to be made pure by Moses in this way…But the REAL things in heaven, of which these down here are copies, were made pure with far more precious offerings… It was not in the earthly place of worship that He did this, for that was merely a copy of the REAL TEMPLE IN HEAVEN.’ 

“So, there is a spiritual temple in heaven (Revelation 11:19; 15:5–6, 8). Further, we read about the temple of the tabernacle. God showed Moses exactly on the mountain how to build the earthly tabernacle. Time and again we read (Exodus 25:9; 25:40; 26:30; and 27:8) that God showed Moses a pattern as to how to build the tabernacle, the altar, the golden lamp stand and the sanctuary. God showed Moses what the real spiritual heavenly things look like. Moses was also instructed to form two cherubim, which were to cover the mercy seat. Again, God showed Moses, if he did not already know, what cherubim look like… 

“Isaiah 14:13 reports that Satan, formerly Lucifer, said: ‘I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation.’ Ezekiel 28:14 adds what God said about Lucifer: ‘You were the anointed cherub who covers…You were on the holy mountain of God.’ This spiritual mountain of God in heaven is also described in Hebrews 12:18–24. 

“We read about a city in heaven, the spiritual or heavenly Jerusalem (compare Hebrews 11:9–10; Revelation 3:12). It will come down to this earth in the future (Revelation 21:2–3, 10–21; 22:1–2). 

“Revelation 2:7 says that the tree of life is in the Paradise of God. Ezekiel 28:13–16 adds that Lucifer, who became Satan, was in the garden of God at the time of his creation, long before there ever was a physical world. So, we see that there is a spiritual garden of God, a Paradise, in heaven. 2 Corinthians 12:2–4 mentions that ‘Paradise,’ the spiritual garden, is in the third heaven where God dwells [and is] a heaven composed of spirit—the third heaven… where God lives (Psalm 11:4; Hebrews 9:24)]. The physical garden of Eden, which God later created for Adam and Eve, was patterned after the spiritual garden that exists in heaven, and in which is a spiritual tree of life. When the heavenly Jerusalem comes down to this earth, the heavenly garden, with the tree of life in it, will come down to this earth as well. 

“Revelation 21:1 tells us that the heavenly Jerusalem will come down from heaven to this earth, AFTER God has created a new heaven and a new earth. This will take place after all human beings have been changed into immortality or have been burned up and destroyed in the lake of fire. By that time, as we read in Revelation 20:14, death will no longer exist. We are told that death will have been cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:4–5 confirms that there will be NO MORE DEATH from that time on. 

“It is true that during the Millennium, certain of the things mentioned in Revelation 21 and 22 will be found on this earth as physical forerunners (Ezekiel 47:1, 7–8, 12). There are differences, however. Ezekiel 47 talks about the existence of a physical temple. When the heavenly Jerusalem comes down to this earth, after the Millennium, there will be no temple in it, ‘for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple’ (Revelation 21:22).”

In our booklet “Is That in the Bible? – The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation” page 145, we read:

“……John sees the ‘holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God’ (Revelation 21:2). This is a literal city—albeit not physical, but spiritual. (For more information on the spiritual nature of the new Jerusalem, please read our free booklet, ‘Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.’) That this city is literal and not just a symbolic reference to the Church, for example, can be seen from the very detailed and specific description in Revelation 21:10–22; 22:1–5. We are told in Revelation 21:2, in conjunction with other Scriptures, that God is presently ‘preparing’ this city in heaven (compare Revelation 3:12; Hebrews 11:9–10; 12:22; 13:14; Galatians 4:26). We also read that Jesus Christ is presently ‘preparing’ for us a place in the ‘Father’s house’—the new Jerusalem (John 14:1–3).”

What marvellous and thrilling information about who and what is in heaven—exciting and mind-blowing facts that we may not have previously fully understood or appreciated.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

These are very interesting questions and the only place that we can find this information is in the Word of God, the Bible.

The spiritual realm is a fascinating subject.   Physical can’t see spirit.  Our physical life now, however long or short, will be a fraction of our life as a Spirit-born member of God’s Family if we make it into the Kingdom of God.

In an article entitled “What Science Can’t Discover About the Human Mind”, Mr Herbert W Armstrong (1892-1986), former leader of the now defunct Worldwide Church of God, wrote that “God has had to plan to bridge the gap between MATTER (of which MAN is now wholly composed) and SPIRIT (which God now is, and man must become).   The body that comes in the (first) resurrection is not the same body that was flesh and blood in this human lifetime. God does not turn flesh and blood matter INTO Spirit. The flesh and blood physical body, after death, decomposes and decays, but the spirit that was IN that body, like the sculptor’s mold, preserves all the form and shape, the memory, and the character INTACT. And that mold, being spirit does not change — even though the resurrection may take place thousands of years after death.”

 

In his book “Beyond the Cosmos,” author Hugh Ross states on page 15 that “Since birth we have lived in the four dimensions of length, width, height and time.   We will continue to reside there until the day of our physical death.”  On page 19, we read: “With the help of supercomputers, mathematicians have designed realms with as many as a million dimensions of space.  On page 20, we further read: “Physicists have just uncovered strong evidence that extra dimensions do indeed exist.  Yet predating these physics discoveries by more than nineteen hundred years are the words of the prophets and apostles who penned the sixty-six books of the Bible.  These ancients described phenomena – such as the creation event, miracles, [and] Jesus’ post-resurrection capacities…  – that require the existence of extra dimensions or the functional equivalent of extra dimensions.”  

We quote these comments to show how incredible the future will be when the physical will be but a fleeting moment of history and everything will then become spiritual.   As Spirit beings, the people of God will understand all of this information, and much more as the sons and daughters of God.

Therefore, we will have a look at the spiritual world now and see how magnificent it is.   This should encourage and motivate us about the future that is set before us and show us how much greater it will be than that which we enjoy today, and much greater than we can understand at this time.   It is exciting to think about all of this and to pray for God’s Kingdom to come – and soon!

There are three heavens and we have written before, for instance in our Q&A https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-3756/, about these as follows:

“The Bible does indeed reveal the existence of ‘three’ heavens. While the first two heavens are ‘physical’ in nature, the third heaven is composed of spirit — it is referred to in Scripture as God’s dwelling place.

“The atmosphere or the ‘first heaven’ — the air that surrounds the earth — refers to the space where the birds fly, the clouds and the wind roam, and from which the dew comes. We read in Genesis 1:20: ‘…let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’ We also read, in Genesis 27:28, that God promises to give ‘the dew of heaven.’ Finally, we are told in Deuteronomy 33:28, that Jacob’s ‘Heavens shall also drop dew.’

“The physical universe, which is beyond this earth’s atmosphere, can be described as the ‘second heaven.’ It represents the space where we find the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the other planets that God has created. We read, in Genesis 1:14-17, that God referred to sun and moon as ‘lights in the firmament of the heavens’ (verses 14, 15), and that He ‘set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth’ (verse 17). David pondered, in Psalm 8:3, over God’s ‘heavens, the work of Your fingers,’ and he especially continued to talk about ‘the moon and the stars, which You have ordained.’

“In addition to these two physical ‘heavens,’ we find that the Bible speaks about another heaven, a heaven composed of spirit — the third heaven, where God lives. No human being has ever ascended to this heaven (compare John 3:13) — the only one who went to this heaven after His resurrection was Jesus Christ. We are specifically told that David did not ascend to heaven (Acts 2:34).’”

So, let us now look at the Heaven of God’s Throne and so much more.  We will explore WHERE it is, WHO and WHO IS NOT in heaven, WHAT is in heaven.

One commentator opined that “I believe that heaven cannot thoroughly be explained, even by the Scriptures, for it must be too wonderful for words and it must be too indescribable to relate to by word pictures.”   It would be difficult to disagree with that assertion!

So, where is the Heaven of God’s Throne?    

In Isaiah 14:13, we read about Lucifer’s attempted coup d’etat, the most audacious but ridiculous attempt at a take-over bid in the history of the universe!  But this verse does reveal a geographical location of the third heaven: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” (Authorized Version).

This reveals that it is in the north of the earth and the word ascend means to go or move upward, to rise.   This is confirmed when we read that Jesus came down from heaven (cp John 3:13 and many other verses particularly in John 6 which are quoted further on in this Q&A.  Therefore, it must be in the north.

There are many verses in the Bible where heaven is shown as in the north. Psalm 75:6-7 (Authorized Version) states: “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Promotion or “exaltation” comes from the north, where God’s throne is. 

The Bible does not give other information about this location, geographically, but the location is immaterial anyway because, as it is spiritual, it can’t be seen by man.

Let us look WHO and WHO is not in heaven.

It is interesting to read about those spiritual beings who inhabit that wonderful spiritual place.

Wikipedia gives the following insight into the 3^rd heaven: “A third concept of Heaven, also called shămei hashamayim (שׁמי השׁמים or ‘Heaven of Heavens’), is mentioned in such passages as Genesis 28:12, Deuteronomy 10:14 and 1 Kings 8:27 as a distinctly spiritual realm containing (or being traveled by) angels and God.”

We know, of course, that God the Father and Jesus Christ are in heaven.   Let us review just a few of so many verses in the Bible that refer to this.

Psalm 11:4: “The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.”

Psalm 115:3: “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.”

Isaiah 66:1: “Thus says the LORD, Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?”

In the model prayer given by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 6:9, Jesus opens with the phrase “Our Father in heaven.”

In John 3:12, we read: “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” Jesus knew about heavenly things because He had come down from there.

In John 6, Jesus refers to Himself as the bread which came down from heaven (see verses 33, 41, 48, 50, 51, 58).

Hebrews 8:1: “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,”

Mark 16:19: “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”

Revelation 3:21: “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

 And then there are the angelic beings.   

On page 3 of our booklet “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” the question is asked: “How Many Angels Exist?” and the answer reads as follows:

“Man has no comprehension of how many angels exist. The revealed number is indeed mind-boggling. In Revelation 5:11, the number of angels that had assembled before the throne of God is given as ‘…ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ Hebrews 12:22 goes even further: ‘But you have come to… an innumerable company of angels.’ The Greek word for ‘innumerable’ is ‘anarithmethos,’ literally meaning, ‘unnumbered’ or ‘without number.’ Certainly, God knows how many angels He created but for man, angels are ‘without number.’”

Let us, from the same booklet on page 4, read about them having their own names:

“As individual beings with feelings and emotions, and with their own language, God also knows them by individual names. The Bible reveals two angelic names to us—Michael and Gabriel. It also talks about a third angel—Lucifer—who became Satan the devil. It appears, however, that all of the other angels have God-given names too. In Hebrews 1:4, we are told that Christ ‘…obtained a more excellent name than they,’ and Ephesians 1:21, in comparing Christ with the angelic world, states that Christ was seated at the right hand of God the Father, …far above…every name that is named.’ (Compare, too, Philippians 2:9.)”

Then on page 7, we read about the different orders of angels:

“There seem to exist different orders, categories or ranks of angels, with varying degrees of power and authority. When describing the angelic world, Colossians 1:16 speaks about ‘…thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.’ Ephesians 1:20–21 refers to angels as ‘…principality and power and might and dominion.’ In Ephesians 3:10, angels are identified as ‘…principalities and powers in the heavenly places,’ and 1 Peter 3:22 describes the created world of spirit beings as ‘…angels and authorities and powers.’

“In light of these Scriptures, the Swiss Zürcher Bible does refer to ranks among the angels. The Ryrie Study Bible states in an annotation to Ephesians 1:21: ‘These words (i.e., principality, and power, and might, and dominion) in rabbinical thought of the time, described different orders of angels.’

“As will become clearer in the remainder of this booklet, angels have been given varying degrees of power and glory. All of them are powerful and glorious, but not to the same extent. Revelation 5:2 speaks about a ‘strong angel.’ Revelation 10:1 and 18:21 describe ‘mighty’ angels. Revelation 18:1 introduces an angel ‘…coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.’  Other Scriptures imply that specific angels were given special powers over fire (Revelation 14:18) and water (Revelation 16:5).

“The following brief overview will summarize the varying orders or categories of angels, as revealed in Scripture.”

We then read about them on pages 6-10:

• Archangels
• Seraphim
• Cherubim
• Four Living Creatures
• The twenty-four Elders
• The seven Spirits of God
• The Remaining Angels 

In heaven, there are God the Father, Jesus Christ the Word, and innumerable angels.   

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the first part of this two-part series, we began our review of Deuteronomy, chapter 17:14-20, where we read about an instruction that was to be given to a king showing that he was not to look after his own personal interests as being foremost in his activities, but to learn to fear God and to observe His law and statutes.  We read in verse 14:

“When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me’…”

But why did God talk about a future king when Israel was a theocratic institution?   We read in 1 Samuel 8 that Israel demanded a king.  In verses 1-4, we read that Samuel was old and that his sons didn’t walk in the ways required of them.   Then in verse 4, we see how this affected the nation:

^“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’   So Samuel prayed to the LORD.”

Samuel knew that this was not the right course of action—that it was a SIN to ask for a king—but it had come about because his own sons had set such a bad example. Continuing with verses 7-10:

^“And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behaviour of the king who will reign over them.’ So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king.”

In verses 11-18, he clearly set out the consequences of their request but they would have none of it, and in verses 19-22 is their response and that of God and the prophet Samuel:

^“Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, ‘No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.’And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. So the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Heed their voice, and make them a king.’ And Samuel said to the men of Israel, ‘Every man go to his city.’”

Then, as we read in 1 Samuel 9 and 10, Saul was the chosen one and anointed and proclaimed king.  

There appears to be no record of an Israelite king actually writing out the entire Law of the LORD as was instructed by Moses.   However, that does not invalidate its value in any way, nor does it prove, that it never happened. It is clear, of course, that David KNEW the Law of God, meditating in it day and night, and we should not assume that he himself did not actually write the Law himself in a personal book, as instructed by God in Deuteronomy 17:18.

While the Scripture says specifically that the king had to write his own copy, with his own hand, some feel that it was sufficient that it was written for him, upon his command, and being handed to him. This interpretation seems to defeat the purpose of God’s explicit command. There is great value in writing down the Scriptures yourself, as this also serves to retain them to memory. This practice, which had been recommended in the past by the Church of God, might have fallen into neglect by many. But to write at least key Scriptures down in a personal notebook—especially when you are still young in the faith—can be of great lasting importance. We are told to write God’s Law into our minds. In order to do this, we might be well advised to write it down first quite literally in a book, and to read in it day and night.

An excellent admonition is found in Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”   That backs up what this admonition would achieve if followed through as instructed.

Knowing about, and keeping the Law of God, was an important function that the future kings of Israel were required to do so that they were kept in mind of the way that they should act for their own benefit and that of their subjects.   Unfortunately, there were good kings and bad kings in Israel and Judah.   The seeming resultant neglect showed that so many kings wanted to just do their own thing.

And so, what can WE learn from the requirements given to kings thousands of years ago?   The same approach by the people of God to honour our Creator and live by His Law, is of paramount importance.   Let us look at this passage of Scripture in Deuteronomy 17 and see what was required. Verse 16 states: “…he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary makes these interesting observations:

“…he (the king) shall not multiply horses to himself—The use of these animals was not absolutely prohibited, nor is there any reason to conclude that they might not be employed as part of the state equipage. But the multiplication of horses would inevitably lead to many evils, to increased intercourse with foreign nations, especially with Egypt, to the importation of an animal to which the character of the country was not suited, to the establishment of an Oriental military despotism, to proud and pompous parade in peace, to a dependence upon Egypt in time of war, and a consequent withdrawal of trust and confidence in God (2 [Samuel] 8:4; 1 [Kings] 10:26; 2 [Chronicles] 1:16; 9:28; [Isaiah] 31:3).”

Barnes Notes on the Bible states:

“The spirit of the prohibition therefore is that the king of Israel must not, like other earthly potentates, put his trust in costly and formidable preparations for war (compare Hosea 1:7).

“Egypt was the principal source from where the nations of western Asia drew their supplies of this animal (compare Exodus 14:5 ff; 1 Kings 10:28-29; 2 Kings 7:6); but contact, traffic, or alliance which would ‘cause the people to return to Egypt’ would be to reverse that great and beneficent wonderwork of God which inaugurated the Mosaic covenant, the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt; and to bring about of set purpose that which God threatened Deuteronomy 28:68 as the most severe punishment for Israel’s sin.”

We can learn from this that, for us, such distraction and reliance on outside sources can lead us into areas that will probably not be conducive to our Christian Way of Life. In Matthew 19, we read the account of Jesus and the rich young ruler.  Wealth can be a way that can be more important to some than the Way that God has shown His people, and in verse 23 we read: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.’   We must not be distracted from our chosen path.

Deuteronomy 17:17 says: “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.”

A classic example of this problem can be found with King Solomon’s departure from God in 1 Kings 11. Verse 3 shows the extent of the problem: “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.”   Solomon’s actions with foreign princesses were in part for political ends, but introduced heathen cults into Israel.  He was not content with just one wife as is the instruction from God (cf Genesis 2:20-24; 1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Timothy 3:2).   Although there are examples in the Old Testament where having multiple wives was extant, but this never occurred with the approval of God, and the outcomes were not good.  Again, distractions from our Godly calling can arise when the Way that is best for us is not adhered to.

“Multiplying gold and silver for himself” is a case of wealth being pursued as an end in itself, thus distracting from the much more important things in life.   It can be self-serving and we read in Matthew Poole’s Commentary: “Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold, lest this should lift up his heart in confidence and pride, which God abhors, and beget in him a contempt of his people; and lest it should incline, or engage, or enable him to burden his people with immoderate exactions. They are not simply forbidden to be rich, if God made them so either by the voluntary gifts of their subjects, or by the spoils of their enemies, which was the case of David, and Solomon, and Jehoshaphat [etc.],  but they are forbidden either inordinately to desire, or irregularly to procure, great riches by grinding the faces of their poor people, or by other wicked arts and courses, as the manner of their neighbouring kings was.”

Deuteronomy 17:18-19 continues: “…so it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.  And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes…“

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary reads as follows (our emphasis underlined): “He must carefully avoid everything that would turn him from God and religion. Riches, honours, and pleasures, are three great hinderances of godliness, (the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life,) especially to those in high stations; against these the king is here warned. The king must carefully study the law of God, and make that his rule; and having a copy of the Scriptures of his own writing, must read therein all the days of his life. It is not enough to have Bibles, but we must use them, use them daily, as long as we live.  The king’s writing and reading were as nothing, if he did not practise what he wrote and read. And those who fear God and keep his commandments, will fare the better for it even in this world.”

Deuteronomy 17:20 continues: “…that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

The Benson Commentary states “that his heart be not lifted up — He intimates, that the Scriptures, diligently read, are a powerful means to keep a person humble, because they show him that, though a king, he is subject to a higher monarch, to whom he must give an account of all his administrations, and receive from him his sentence, agreeably to their quality, which is sufficient to abate the pride of the haughtiest person in the world.”

We read earlier that the king must read God’s law (or Word) every day of his life. Not only must he read it, but he must develop the skill to interpret and apply it rightly and fairly. We can take from that, that we must also read God’s Word daily as part of our Christian Way of Life.   If it was good enough for the king, it would certainly be deemed to be good enough for us!

A godly leader must be a humble person, serving always with humility. The Israelite king was told “that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren.” He may have had a far superior position; nevertheless, he was, like his brethren, still a servant of God.

We are to be kings and priests in the Kingdom of God, as we read in Revelation 5:10: “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”  This is the time when the Law of God will be the Way that people will live in the Kingdom of God during the 1,000 millennial rule of Jesus Christ.

Learning these lessons today from this passage of Scripture will help us to see what will be required of us when we become a member of the Family of God at the return of Jesus Christ.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 17, we read about an instruction that was to be given to a king showing that he was not to look after his own personal interests as being foremost in his activities, but to learn to fear God and to observe His law and statutes. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 reads as follows:

“When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

In respect of what qualified as a book that the king had to write out as a copy, we read these observations In Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible:

“In our opinion, neither a few verses nor a short document qualifies as ‘a book.’ Perhaps this is the reason that the Septuagint (LXX) translated this place in such a manner as to make the meaning ‘a copy of all the law of God.’ Recent knowledge of the suzerainty treaties (see below for an explanation of these) and the resemblance to them found in Deuteronomy has shed some light on this, and, as Kline expressed it: ‘A duplicate copy of the suzerainty treaty was provided for each vassal king.’… Moreover, that ‘copy’ was not a few excerpts, but the whole document, the entire treaty. That is clearly what is indicated here.

“Canon Cook discerned this a long time ago, writing that, ‘What was given to the king was the whole Pentateuch, or at any rate the legal portion of it… Only the whole law of the covenant could preserve the king from the dangers of his position.’… Note also, in this connection, what was to be copied: It was that which was laid up ‘before the priests and the Levites,’ (Deuteronomy 17:18) and that is a clear reference to ALL of the sacred law. [The Pulpit Commentary] also concurred in this view: ‘The priests were the custodians of the written Law (Deuteronomy 31:26) and from the text of their codex was the king’s copy to be written…”

What are the suzerainty treaties referred to above? Wikipedia states that these were the “Type of relationship between a dominant and a vassal state.  Suzerainty includes the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity which controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, but allows the tributary state internal autonomy. Where the subordinate party is called a vassal, vassal state or tributary state, the dominant party is called a suzerain.” 

Why should this be of any real interest and importance to us today? If the king did not follow this instruction and practice about which he was commanded to both read and write out, he would be like the rest of the world and miss out on the benefits that following such an instruction would bring. It took work but was surely worth all of the effort in following what God instructed for his own good and that of his subjects and nation.

This Q&A is not designed to be a thorough exposition of everything that surrounded this instruction and all the different views that many have about it today, but to show the wisdom of God in issuing this requirement then and what we can learn from this today.

Theologyofwork.org makes these interesting and legitimate observations:

“Just as people and institutions must not contravene legitimate authority, people in positions of power must not use their authority illegitimately. Moses specifically deals with the case of a king… He shall have a copy of this law diligently observing all the words of this law and these statutes, neither exalting himself above other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left… In this text we see two restrictions on the use of authority—those in authority are not above the law but must obey and uphold it, and those in authority must not abuse their power by enriching themselves…

“Today, people in authority may try to put themselves above the law, as for example when police and court workers ‘fix’ traffic tickets for themselves and their friends, or when high-ranking public servants or business employees do not obey the expense policies others are subject to.  Similarly, officials may use their power to enrich themselves receiving bribes, zoning, and licensing exemptions, access to privileged information, or personal use of public or private property. Sometimes special perks are granted to those in power as a matter of policy or law, but this does not really eliminate the offense. Moses’ command to kings is not to make sure to get legal authorization for their excesses, but to avoid the excesses altogether. When those in power use their authority not simply to gain special privileges but to create monopolies for their cronies, to appropriate vast lands and assets, and to jail, torture, or kill opponents, the stakes become deadly. There is no difference in kind between petty abuses of power and totalitarian oppression, merely in degree…

“The more authority you have, the greater the temptation to act as though you are above the law. Moses prescribes an antidote. The king must read God’s law (or word) every day of his life. Not only must he read it, but he must develop the skill to interpret and apply it rightly and fairly. He must develop the habit of obeying God’s word himself, of putting it into practice in his work, ‘diligently observing all the words of this law’ (Deuteronomy 17:19).  By this the king learns to revere the Lord and fulfill the responsibilities God has given him. He is reminded that he too is under authority. God does not give him the privilege of making a law unto himself, but a duty of fulfilling God’s law for the benefit of everyone.”

These comments, as far as they go, are very helpful. However, what this commentary and many others overlook or fail to mention is the instruction that the king had to write himself God’s Word in a personal book of his to read from it (compare Deuteronomy 17:18: “… he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.”). We will address this unique requirement in the next instalment.

Let us look at what the torah.com has to say about this matter:

“The book of Deuteronomy presents itself as the final address of Moses, delivered to the Israelites upon the plains of Moab, on the verge of their entry into the land.  The book is set in the time between the wilderness period and Israel’s future life as inhabitants of the land, a space opened between memories and threats, past and future.

“The core of the book is the Deuteronomic law collection, spanning chapters 12–26 which is followed in chapter 28 by a list of the rewards for obedience (vv. 1–14)and a much longer list of consequences for disobedience (vv. 15–69).

“Moses’s Deuteronomic address, delivered to the Israelites on the eve of their entry into the land, anticipates and establishes the perpetuity of the Israel’s subjection to YHWH’s rule. In this, YHWH was no different from any other suzerain in the ancient Near East, or ever since. The people as a multitude and as a nation are placed at a juncture in which they have to agree to serve YHWH loyalty, or face an endless slew of punishment, and they remain in that juncture ever since.

“For the people standing in the Plains of Moab, compliance is not really a choice at this point. The revelation at Horeb has already taken place, the previous generation has already been punished for its sins, and the laws have already been explicated. Israel’s agency here is limited to their agreeing to follow YHWH’s commands or suffer the deity’s wrath.”

Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible has this to say: “Thus he should ensure that he had his own copy of the record of Yahweh’s doings and of His Law as contained in the books which were in the levitical priests’ care. (As Deuteronomy was not, at this stage in his speech, in written form, this must refer to an earlier written Law). And he must keep it ever by him and read it every day of his life, so that he might learn to fear Yahweh his God, and keep His Instruction and what He had laid down, in accordance with what was now being spoken of by Moses.” 

From the jewishvirtuallibrary.org website we read about the problems after the death of Solomon:

“The experiment with the opulence and power of the great eastern kingdoms had ended in disaster for Israel.  King Solomon created the wealthiest and most powerful central government the Hebrews would ever see, but he did so at an impossibly high cost. When Solomon died, between 926 and 922 BCE, the ten northern tribes refused to submit to his son, Rehoboam, and revolted.

“From this point on, there would be two kingdoms of Hebrews: in the north – Israel, and in the south – Judah.  The Israelites formed their capital in the city of Samaria, and the Judaeans kept their capital in Jerusalem. These kingdoms remained separate states for over two hundred years. [In fact, they never became united again. This will only happen after Christ’s return.]

“The history of the both kingdoms is a litany of ineffective, disobedient, and corrupt kings. When the Hebrews had first asked for a king, in the book of Judges, they were told that only God was their king. When they approached Samuel the Prophet, he told them the desire for a king was an act of disobedience and that they would pay dearly if they established a monarchy. The history told in the Hebrew book, Kings, bears out Samuel’s warning.” 

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)