Is the Bible consistent on the subject of death

[lynna]

Is the Bible consistent on the subject of death. Does the O.T. say the same thing as the N.T. when it comes to the nature of death? Personally I am confused. Jesus seems to imply that if you believe and obey Him you will never die. (John 8:51). Why do different religions believe different things on the subject of death? When John 8:51 is so clear. What do Messianic Hebrews believe?

 

[GuardianShua]

Is the Bible consistent on the subject of death. Does the O.T. say the same thing as the N.T. when it comes to the nature of death? Personally I am confused. Jesus seems to imply that if you believe and obey Him you will never die. (John 8:51). Why do different religions believe different things on the subject of death? When John 8:51 is so clear. What do Messianic Hebrews believe?

The bible is consistent about the subject. Christ has been made a mediator between us and God. Yahshua said, if you love me, then keep my Fathers commandments.

 

[yedida]

Is the Bible consistent on the subject of death. Does the O.T. say the same thing as the N.T. when it comes to the nature of death? Personally I am confused. Jesus seems to imply that if you believe and obey Him you will never die. (John 8:51). Why do different religions believe different things on the subject of death? When John 8:51 is so clear. What do Messianic Hebrews believe?

Shalom Iynna ,
I can only speak for myself here, not for the whole of MJ/G (G = Gentile Messianics). The Bible is a progressive journey of revelation, and that includes the understanding of death from century to century. Even today, in 2011, there are still differences in the understanding of death. Some people think that death is a sleep lasting until the Day of the Lord, some people think one's concious soul goes directly to the Lord to await the Day of the Lord. There are scriptures that seem to back both views.
I would say the important thing is to make sure Whose you are, and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[SGM4HIM]

John 8:51 is not speaking of a physical body death.

Here's a reference of beliefs in afterlife in Judaism Judaism 101: Olam Ha-Ba: The Afterlife which is interesting.

 

[lynna]

The Bible is clear on the beginning of human life -- "in the beginning God created" but it's so unclear on the subject of death. As far as I am concerned the beginning of life and end of life its what matters -- everything else is up for grabs or interpretation -- that's the wonderful thing in life that everyone has a different way of seeing things. But when a sacred book such as the Bible is not clear on an important subject as death then I begin to question the validity of such a book. Being messianic Jews I thought you will have a more clearer and definite answer for me. I guess death from a Biblical point of view will remain a mystery.

 

[yedida]

The Bible is clear on the beginning of human life -- "in the beginning God created" but it's so unclear on the subject of death. As far as I am concerned the beginning of life and end of life its what matters -- everything else is up for grabs or interpretation -- that's the wonderful thing in life that everyone has a different way of seeing things. But when a sacred book such as the Bible is not clear on an important subject as death then I begin to question the validity of such a book. Being messianic Jews I thought you will have a more clearer and definite answer for me. I guess death from a Biblical point of view will remain a mystery.

Shalom Iynna,
Can I ask you a question without you thinking I'm being contentious? (cos I'm not being that.)
Why is it important to know exactly about death? Death is something we are all promised but other than that there is not a thing we can do about it - not how we die, not when we die, not where we die, none of that is in our control.
How we live up to our death IS in our control, that's where we put our efforts. Do we bring light and goodness or do we bring darkness and evil when we come into a room? Are we of the Light of the world, or do we spread wickedness and discontent to those around us. In the 60 seconds that we know are ours, do we shine? or bring gloom worrying whether we have another minute after to live?
This is kinda the Messianic view. We're waiting breathlessly for haba Olam but we're living and shining in the here and now, this very minute.

 

[hlaltimus]

Christ is not being inconsistent with the balance of the Holy Bible when he said that whoever believes in him would never see death, though all still commonly die physically speaking, and this is why:

The application of the sacrificial atonement of Christ effectively prohibits death from claiming anyone who has been made an object of that blood redemption. However, although the death of Christ legally procured or purchased the entire and whole man or woman who truly believes in him, that death is only applied partially, in that it only immediately redeems now the spiritual man/woman, and deliberately neglects to redeem that same person's physical man/woman, and so allows for a physical death to take place that would have not otherwise occurred. So, here we have a true and genuine believer in Christ who, (it would seem,) cannot die, and yet must die! Why?

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption." I Corinthians 15:50

Since Jesus the Messiah purchased his beloved bride with his priceless, matchless and incontestable life blood, he hasn't the least intention of seeing that dear bride unredeemed in any way, right down to the smallest hair upon her lovely head. Everything that Messiah has purchased...absolutely everything, must effectually be redeemed, or the death of that Messiah would have been in vain, an utter impossibility for the omniscient mind which designed the atonement. However, if Christ the Messiah applied the saving virtue of his sacrifice to any believer here on earth now, that person would then be legally exempted from physical death, and if they couldn't die, then they obviously couldn't receive a new resurrection body in place of the terrestrial one which they never lost! Christ deliberately, (and lovingly I might add,) withholds the benefits of his sacrificial death to a believer who is yet alive on earth, to justify the physical death of that believer, to the end of justifying the granting of a new resurrection body in place of the former earthly body that was forfeited for that purpose.

He is so very wise. Here we have a believer in Messiah who cannot die, (since the benefits of Messiah's death have been applied to their spirit/soul faculties,) and yet must die, (since the benefits of that same death have not yet been applied to the physical faculty of their body.) What a marvelous mind is at work here in our salvation! The only way that you can get a new body is to, (basically,) loose the one that you've got now, but by so loosing in order to gain, you acquire a new, celestial body that millions of eons of heavenly delight will not tarnish down to a single, glorified and happy atom. "To die is gain" in Christ, and indeed it is. Next to the benefit of the deathless, redeemed spiritual man or woman that we already have by believing in Christ, the next best gift to the whole and entire person is, (oddly enough,) the physical death of the same. For, if we earnestly covet to one day see Messiah enthroned upon his lustrous seat in glory, we could never do so through the vehicle of "flesh and blood", and so Christ temporarily allows for physical death to take place, as he could not have possibly given us a better gift if we would ever know the wonders of resurrection glory.