A summary of the Bible Hour presentation at the Christadelphian Hall, Blackpool Street, Burton-upon-Trent on Sunday 18th April 2010.
This blog uses Bible references. If you don’t have a Bible, you can find the Bible text online.
Genesis 2:7 – God made man out of dust, and breathed the breath of life into him, and he became a living soul (the word ‘soul’ means ‘creature’).
Dust + breath of life = living creature
Psalm 146:4 – “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.”
Living creature – breath of life = dust
Genesis 3 is the account of the fall of Adam and Eve. Death is punishment for sin, not a reward. It is simply ceasing to exist, it is not a gateway to another existence.
As a result of their fall, Adam and Eve became mortal (dying). Their offspring inherit this mortality. (This does not mean their offspring are being punished for Adam & Eve’s sin – it means they are sinners and mortal.)
The tree of life could have made Adam and Eve live for ever (Genesis 3:22), but God could not allow them to eat of it and live for ever once they were sinners. So he sent them away from it and placed cherubim with a flaming sword to keep them away. From then on, to try to get to the tree of life would have meant death.
This is an indication of how the human race will find its way back to the tree of life – by dying!
“As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22) This is the Bible’s teaching about life after death. God gave his son Jesus Christ to die to reopen the way back to him. Those who share in Christ’s life and death (by baptism and a life of obedience) will be allowed to ‘eat of the tree of life’ (Revelation 2:7).
In the Bible, people believed in the resurrection of the dead, not in heaven-going – e.g. Job 19:26, Psalm 16:10, John 11:25, Hebrews 11:17-19.
Death for the disciple is like sleep – 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
The true Bible hope of everlasting life is in the Kingdom of God – Revelation 21:3-4.
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