Hello Mr. Vinson,

Sorry I haven’t written for awhile; been a little busy and trying to stay off the pc. Hope that this finds you well. I have a quick question if you have some time, or at least can point me in the right direction.
I have to deal with new age theology (if you want to call it that), seems like on a weekly basis. I have came to the realization that these (my wife’s father and brother) new agers do not believe that the bible is a living document, it seems they think it is a old outdated book, that should be a last resort, or just something to read casually. I have attempted on numerous occasions to explain certain things, such as Jesus is NOT a hybrid alien (the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard), that 2012 is not the end of the world and that there are many anti- christs (I even tried to explain that I see the spirit of anti- christ weekly), but I don’t seem to be getting through. Anyway, I say that Jesus never went to “hell and preached to any spirits in prison” and that “no one currently is in “heaven” at this time” (using scriptures, and attempting to show where and what heaven is), but to my surprise I had this scripture thrown at me to claim that those dead are now alive:

Luk 20:34  And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
Luk 20:35  But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
Luk 20:36  Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Luk 20:37  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Luk 20:38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

Any assistance on explaining these verses would be greatly appreciative.
God bless
D____

Good morning D____,
It is very good to hear from you, and I hope this also find you are doing well.

You and I both know that Truth is not intended to be understood by the masses who come to God’s Word. “To them it is not given to know… the mysteries of the kingdom of God” (Mat 13:10-16).
But just to answer your question, the whole point of Christ telling the Jews that “God is not the God of the dead but of the living” is “now that the DEAD ARE RAISED…”
They are “the children of God” only because “they are the children of the RESURRECTION” from the dead. This whole discussion is over the question:

Luk 20:33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.

The Jews obviously didn’t think there was any way this woman could be anyone’s wife if she were not resurrected back to life. Christ’s point in all of this is that there will be a resurrection, and therefore God is not the God of the dead… for all live unto Him.”

Luk 20:37  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Luk 20:38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

When Christ’s good friend Lazarus died, Christ told his disciples that “Lazarus is asleep”. His disciples understood that to be a literal statement, so we are told that Christ had to “tell them plainly, Lazarus is dead”.
Now, when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, He did not look up to heaven and say ‘Lazarus come down’, neither did he look down toward an imaginary hell and say ‘Lazarus come up.’ He simply said Lazarus come forth”, and Lazarus was raised from the dead with his grave- cloths still on him.

Joh 11:1  Now a certain [ man] was sick, [ named] Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
Joh 11:2  (It was [ that] Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Joh 11:3  Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Joh 11:4  When Jesus heard [ that], he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Joh 11:5  Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
Joh 11:6  When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Joh 11:7  Then after that saith he to [ his] disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
Joh 11:8  [ His] disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
Joh 11:9  Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
Joh 11:10  But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
Joh 11:11  These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12  Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13  Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14  Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Jesus said that “This sickness is not unto death” simply because Christ knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, just as God knows that He will raise Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from the dead. When Moses called the Lord the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he was showing the resurrection. “For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.“

Luk 20:37  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Luk 20:38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

Now what happens to them if they are not raised from the dead? Are they already in heaven? Not according to the Bible.

Act 2:29  Men [ and] brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

What would happen to David if there is not a resurrection from among the dead? Here is what all scripture from Genesis to Revelation teaches.

1Co 15:16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith [ is] vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

I hope this is of some help to you, but remember that you can slap a blind man in the face and stick the Bible in front of him, and he still will not be able to see simply because God has not given him eyes that see.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40  And [ some] of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Until you and I acknowledged our total blindness, we could not see. The same is true for everyone.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike