Truth and Light Bible Commentary,

Endeavouring to Reveal the Best and Most Logical Readings From Amongst the Ancient Versions of the Holy Bible

As indicated in the title, with God’s help, we have endeavoured to find the best renderings in the ancient versions and in some cases, deduce what most likely was the original reading because of slight errors that could have occurred in transcribing. We try to prove these points through the help of the writings of other scholars and of their commentaries or from other ancient writings concerning similar matters.

Book Two of Kings

18:26 *Syrian language] #0762. for 'Aramaic' ('Aramiyth') in the Hebrew. Also found at Ezr 4:7; Isa. 36:11; and Dan 2:4. See Nehemiah 13:24.

Book of Proverbs

4:25 [CTSept. "Let thine eyes look straight forward and thine eyelids wink justly." Sir Launcelot Lee Brenton Sept. (BSept) "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids assent 'to' just 'things'." Consider this, that the eyelids do not look, as they are blinds for the eyes. On considering further the definition of yashar or jasher in Strong's, quoted below, the Sept. readings are the most logical as they indicate being "upright(-ly)".

*eyelids] 06079. Pepe `aph`aph, af-af' from 5774; an eyelash (as fluttering); figuratively, morning ray:--dawning, eye-lid. See Hebrew 05774 (`uwph)

*look straight] 03474. rvy yashar, yaw-shar' a primitive root; to be straight or even; figuratively, to be (causatively, to make) right, pleasant, prosperous:--direct, fit, seem good (meet), + please (will), be (esteem, go) right (on), bring (look, make, take the) straight (way), be upright(-ly).

5:1 [CTSept "My son, attend to my wisdom, and incline thine ear to my {words, that thou mayst keep a good} understanding." The words in the {...} are apparently missing in the Hebrew and Aramaic texts.

The Book of Isaiah

9:6 CTSept. “Because for us a child is born, and to us a son is given, whose government is on his own shoulder; and his name is called ‘The Messenger of Great Counsel’. For I will bring peace on the rulers and health for him.” Bsept. has the same but with a footnote: “. . . counsel (footnote: ‘Alex.’ + Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty One, Potentate, Prince of Peace, Father of the age to come. Compare Heb. 2.2.”).” Lamsa’s translation has

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder: and his name is called Wonderful Counsellor, The Mighty One, The Everlasting [One of] God, The Prince of Peace.

The Hebrew of the Masoretic text could also be translated something like this: “For a child is born to us; a son is given to us; and the government is on his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful Counsellor of God, Mighty One of an everlasting Father, a Ruler of Peace.” (Victory Version). In other words, this verse is no proof that Jesus is a Father at all, the Father God, or God the Father.

The principle for translating the above, as just done in the Victory Version is that of following the Hebrew rules of grammar for the Genitive Case: word combinations that are in a construct relation, which corresponds to our English expression “of”. The first of two Hebrew nouns that are placed next to each other, that is, to the right, is said to be a substantive in a construct state,

while the second one is in an absolute state.

The governing substantive always stands first, never takes the article, and must be followed immediately by the substantive in the absolute state. They form a compound word . . . .

The word in the construct state cannot be indefinite while the word in the absolute state is definite. Either both states are definite or they are both indefinite.^¹

Note also the minor differences between the Hebrew words for Wonderful (אלפ) and Messenger (ךאלמ). Also note that the words for Wonderful Counsellor of God follow each other like this: לאץעויאלפ, in other words, what may have been Messenger of Great Counsel could have very easily been mistaken for Wonderful Counsellor. All it would take would be a poor writing of the מ that would have made it look like a פ. In turn the וי could have been mistaken for the ך.

The vowel markings that are presently in the Hebrew texts that might try to make out something different from what we are suggesting were just recently added since the New Testament times. They therefore cannot be used to force the verse to say that the child is the everlasting Father or some other wording that is not consistent with other teachings in the Bible. They indicate that Jesus is a separate individual from his Father but who is in a unity with the Father as we disciples are supposed to be in unity one with another and with Christ Jesus.

The Book of Daniel

12:7 [CTSept.> And I heard the man clothed with {the fine robes} who was over the water of the river. He lifted up his right and his left hand to heaven and swore by Him Who liveth forever and ever that it will be until a time of times and the half of a time. When {an end is put to the dispersion, they will know all these things.} [Lamsa> And I heard the man clothed in costly array who stood above the waters of the river. He held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half a time; and when holy people are delivered, all these things shall be fulfilled. *time ... half] 3 1/2 years or 1260 days but each day may represent a year.

Gospel of John

5:2 *Hebrew tongue] In Greek 'Hebraisti'. Lamsa simply has 'Hebrew'.

Acts of the Apostles

11:19 *Jews only] This indicates that the Gospel was being first preached to Jews wherever they were.

C:\Users\cliff\Documents\VV Bible Commentary\Truth and Light Bible Commentary1.doc (142A)

1 Kyle M. Yates, The Essentials of Biblical Hebrew, rev. ed. John Joseph Owens (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1954), p. 29.

   John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high [#3173 in Strong’s Greek Dictionary] day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (KJV)
    Joh 19:31 The Jews, therefore, that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, since it was the preparation, (for that sabbath day was a great one,) asked of Pilate that their legs may be broken, and they taken away. (Young’s Literal Translation (YLT))
    Joh 19:31 Therefore the Jews, because it was the Preparation Day, so that the bodies wouldn't remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special one), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (World English Bible)
   Joh 19:31 And because it was the eve of preparation, the Jews said: These bodies should not stay on their crosses, because the Sabbath was dawning, and the day of that Sabbath was a special [#2908 in The Way International Aramaic Dictionary] day. And they asked from Pilate that they might break the legs of those crucified, and take them down. (Joseph Pashka’s The Aramaic Gospels and Acts: Text and Translation)
   Joh 19:31 Now the Judeans, because it was the day of preparation, said, “These bodies should not remain on their crosses, because the SABBATH is dawning, for the day of that SABBATH was a high [#2908 in The Way International Aramaic Dictionary] day. And they begged Pilate that they might break the legs of those [who were] crucified and take them down. (Janet M. Magiera’s Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation)
    Dr. James Murdock’s translation from the Aramaic Peshito has great day.

Here are some commentary comments on this high day [or great, special day or one]:

Adam Clark’s Commentary (ACC)

For that Sabbath day was a high day] 1. Because it was the Sabbath. 2. Because it was the day on which all the people presented themselves in the temple according to the command, Ex 23:17. 3. Because that was the day on which the sheaf of the first fruits was offered, according to the command, Le 23:10,11. So that upon this day there happened to be three solemnities in one.-Lightfoot. It might be properly called a high day, because the passover fell on that Sabbath.

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Was an high day. It was, 1st. The Sabbath. 2nd. It was the day on which the paschal feast properly commenced. It was called a high day because that year the feast of the Passover commenced on the Sabbath. Greek, "Great day."

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown (JFB)

on the sabbath day, for that sabbath day was an high day--or "great" day--the first day of unleavened bread, and, as concurring with an ordinary sabbath, the most solemn season of the ecclesiastical year. Hence their peculiar jealousy lest the law should be infringed.

John Wesley’s Notes on the Old and New Testaments (JWN)

For that Sabbath was a great day-Being not only a Sabbath, but the second day of the feast of unleavened bread (from whence they reckoned the weeks to pentecost:) and also the day for presenting and offering the sheaf of new corn: so that it was a treble solemnity. (Above quotes are from the Power Bible CDRom)

Now take note as to what St. John 7:37 says:

John 7:37 In the last day, that great [#3173 in Strong’s Greek Dictionary] day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [great is sometimes translated as high, exceedingly, large, loud, mighty, and strong in the AV](AV)

      Joh 7:37 And on the high [#2908 in The Way International Aramaic Dictionary] day, which is the last [day] of the feast, Jesus was standing and he cried out and said, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to me and drink. (Janet M. Magiera)
     Joh 7:37 And on the last and greatest [#2908 in The Way International Aramaic Dictionary] day of the festival, Jesus stood there and shouted: If any man thrists, let him come to me and drink. (Joseph Pashka)
      Joh 7:37 And on the great day, which was the last of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, and said: If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. (Dr. James Murdock)
   John 7:37 Now on the greatest day, which is the last day of the feast, . . . (Lamsa)

Now notice that the above sentences are not from commentary guesses but from the very words of the Holy Bible through a variety of authoritative translators of the same Holy Scriptures. They basically say the same thing that that special day of the feast was either a great, greatest or high day of that festival and most likely of all the Biblical festivals. So what we are trying to point out then is that the crucifixion must have been done on the sixth day of the festival for the last day was on the Sabbath, the day after the preparation day when Jesus was crucified. Now note what Mark 14:1-2 says:

Mr 14:1 ¶ And the passover and the unleavened food were after two days, and the chief priests and the scribes [like the news media] were seeking how, by guile, having taken hold of him, they might kill him; 2 and they said, `Not in the feast, lest there shall be a tumult of the people.' (YLT)

In other words, after Jesus was arrested and put in prison a number of days, possibly in an underground prison cell and the feast of unleavened bread was almost over, the Judean leaders took their chances. They had by now, audiences with both Herod and Pilot and they now felt that they could safely go ahead with their original plans to kill Jesus. So they crucified him on the sixth day of the unleavened bread festival, just before the high and last day.

A further confirmation of this interpretation can be found in The Lost Gospel According to Peter.

Paragraph 13 And they went and found the tomb opened, and coming near they looked in there; and they see there a certain young man [a previous soul from Earth but now as an angel from Heaven] sitting in the midst of the tomb, beautiful and clothed in a robe exceeding bright; who said to them, Wherefore are ye come? Whom seek ye? Him that was crucified? He is risen and gone. . . . Then the women feared and fled. 14 Now it was the last day of the unleavened bread, and many were going forth, returning to their homes, as the feast was ended. But we, the twelve [?] disciples of the Lord, wept and were grieved: and each one, being grieved for that which was come to pass, departed to his home. But I Simon Peter and Andrew my brother took our nets and went to the sea; and there was with us Levi the son of Alphaeus, whom the Lord . . . (Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden (Nashville, Tennessee: World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1927) pp. 285-6).

The Meaning of Numbers in Relationship to the Crucifixion and the Resurrection

With regards to the number six, consider that the Sixth Commandment relates to the worst sin,— murder. (E. W. Bullinger, D. D. In his Number in Scripture (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publicagtions, 1973), p. 150.) With regards to the number 22 regarding the 22nd day of the month when Jesus rose from the dead has the meaning of light (Evangelist Ed. F. Vallowe) and making manifest (Don Kistler & consider that the Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters [E. W. Bullinger])

Now on making more clearly that the twenty-second day of the Hebrew month of Abib or Nisan is very significant with the meaning of light or making manifest, consider this study on light in relationship to the Jewish people and the Messiah:

Isa 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Isa 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

See "The Report of Pilate the Governor" from the above mentioned Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden which is cited below:

"Now when he was crucified, there was darkness over all the world, and the sun was obscured for half a day, and the stars appeared, but no lustre was seen in them; and the moon lost its brightness, as though tinged with blood; and the world of the departed was swallowed up;

"And the terror of the earthquake continued from the sixth hour of the preparation until the ninth hour; and when it was evening on the first day of the week, there came a sound from heaven, and the heaven became seven times more luminous than on all other days. And at the third hour of the night the sun appeared more luminous than it had ever shone, lighting up the whole hemisphere. And as lightning-flashes suddenly come forth in a storm, so there were seen men, lofty in stature, and surpassing in glory, a countless host, crying out, and their voice was heard as that of exceedingly loud thunder, Jesus that was crucified is risen again: come up from Hades ye that were enslaved in the subterraneous recesses of Hades. And the chasm in the earth was as if it had no bottom; but it was so that the very foundations of the earth appeared, with those that shouted in heaven, and walked in the body among the dead that were raised. And He that raised up all the dead and bound Hades said, Say to my disciples He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see Him.

"And all that night the light ceased not shining. And many of the Jews died in the chasm of the earth, being swallowed up, so that on the morrow most of those who had been against Jesus were not to be found. Others saw the apparition of men rising again whom none of us had ever seen. One synagogue of the Jews was alone left in Jerusalem itself, for they all disappeared in that ruin.

"Therefore being astounded by that terror, and being possessed with the most dreadful trembling, I have written what I saw at that time and sent it to thine excellency; and I have inserted what was done against Jesus by the Jews, and sent it to thy divinity, my lord." pages 274-5.

Then from "The Report of Pontius Pilate," also from Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden pp. 276-277

"Now when he was crucified darkness came over all the world; the sun was altogether hidden, and the sky appeared dark while it was yet day, so that the stars were seen, though still they had their lustre obscured, wherefore, I suppose your excellency is not unaware that in all the world they lighted their lamps from the sixth hour until evening. And the moon, which was like blood, did not shine all night long, although it was at the full, and the stars and Orion made lamentation over the (p. 277) Jews, because of the transgression committed by them.

And on the first day of the week, about the third hour of the night, the sun appeared as it never shone before, and the whole heaven became bright. And as lightnings come in a storm, so certain men of lofty stature, in beautiful array, and of indescribable glory, appeared in the air, and a countless host of angels, crying out and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men: Come up from Hades, ye who are in bondage in the depths of Hades. And at their voice all the mountains and hills were moved, and the rocks were rent, and great chasms were made in the earth, so that the very places of the abyss were visible.

And amid the terror dead men were seen rising again, so that the Jews who saw it said, We beheld Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs, who died some two thousand five hundred years before, and we beheld Noah clearly in the body. And all the multitude walked about and sang hymns to God with a loud voice, saying, The Lord our God, who hath risen from the dead, hath made alive all the dead, and Hades he hath spoiled and slain.

Therefore, my lord king, all that night the light ceased not. But many of the Jews died, and were sunk and swallowed up in the chasms that night, so that not even their bodies were to be seen. Now I mean, that those of the Jews suffered who spake against Jesus. And but one synagogue remained in Jerusalem, for all the synagogues which had been against Jesus were overwhelmed.

Through that terror, therefore, being amazed and being seized with great trembling, in that very hour, I ordered what had been done by them all to be written, and I have sent it to thy mightiness."

Then from "The Lost Gospel According to Peter" from the same Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden, p.282

". And Herod said, Brother Pilate, even if no one has asked for him, we purposed to bury him, especially as the sabbath draweth on: for it is written in the law, that the sun set not upon one that hath been put to death.

3 And he delivered him to the people on the day before the unleavened bread, their feast. And they took the Lord and pushed him as they ran, and said, Let us drag away the Son of God, having obtained power over him.

5 And it was noon, and darkness came over all Judæa: and they were troubled and distressed, lest the sun had set, whilst he was yet alive: [for] it is written for them, that the sun set not on him that hath been put to death. And one of them said, Give him to drink gall with vinegar. And they

Then see p. 284

mixed and gave him to drink, and fulfilled all things, and accomplished their sins against their own head. And many went about with lamps, supposing that it was night, and fell down. And the Lord cried out, saying, My power, my power, thou hast forsaken me. And when he had said it he was taken up. And in that hour the vail of the temple of Jerusalem was rent in twain.

6 And then they drew out the nails from the hands of the Lord, and laid him upon the earth, and the whole earth quaked, and great fear arose. Then the sun shone, and it was found the ninth hour: and the Jews rejoiced, and gave his body to Joseph that he might bury it, since he had seen what good things he had done. And he took the Lord, and him, and rolled him in a linen cloth, and brought him to his own tomb, which was called the Garden of Joseph.

9 And in the night in which the Lord's day was drawing on, as the soldiers kept guard two by two in a watch, there was a great voice in the heaven; and they saw the heavens opened, and two men descend from thence with great light and approach the tomb. And that stone which was put at the door rolled of itself and made way in part; and the tomb was opened, and both the young men entered in.10 When therefore those

Then see p. 285

soldiers saw it, they awakened the centurion and the elders; for they too were hard by keeping guard. And as they declared what things they had seen, again they see three men come forth from the tomb, and two of them supporting one, and a cross following them: and of the two the head reached unto the heaven, but the head of him who was lead by them overpassed the heavens. And they heard a voice from the heavens, saying, Thou hast preached to them that sleep. And a response was heard from the cross, Yea.

11 They therefore considered one with another whether to go away and shew these things to Pilate. And while they yet thought thereon, the heavens again are seen to open, and a certain man to descend and enter into the sepulchre. When the centurion and they that were with him saw these things, they hastened in the night to Pilate, leaving the tomb which they were watching, and declared all things which they had seen, being greatly distressed and saying, Truly he was the Son of God. Pilate answered and said, I am pure from the blood of the Son of God: but it was ye who determined this. Then they all drew near and besought him and entreated him to command the centurion and the soldiers to say nothing of the things which they had seen: For it is better, say they, for us to be guilty of the greatest sin before God, and not to fall into the hands of the people of the Jews and to be stoned. Pilate therefore commanded the centurion and the soldiers to say nothing.

12 And at dawn upon the Lord's day Mary Magdalene, a disciple of the Lord, fearing because of the Jews, since they were burning with wrath, had not done at the Lord's sepulchre the things which women are wont to do for those that die and for those that are beloved by them—she took her friends with her and came to the sepulchre where he was laid. And they feared lest the Jews should see them, and they said, Although on that day on which he was crucified we could not weep and lament, yet now let us do these things at his sepulchre. But who shall roll away for us the stone that was laid at the door of the sepulchre, that we may enter in and sit by him and do the things that are due? For the stone was great, and we fear lest some one see us. And if we cannot, yet if we but set at the door the things which we bring as a memorial of him, we will weep and lament, until we come unto our home.

13 And they went and found the tomb opened, and coming near they looked in there; and they see there a certain young man sitting in the midst of the tomb, beautiful and clothed in a robe exceeding bright; who said to them, Wherefore are ye come? Whom seek ye? Him that was crucified? He is risen and gone. But if ye believe not, look in and see the place

Then see p. 286

where he lay, that he is not [here]; for he is risen and gone thither, whence he was sent. Then the women feared and fled.

14 Now it was the last day of the unleavened bread, and many were going forth, returning to their homes, as the feast was ended. But we, the twelve disciples of the Lord, wept and were grieved: and each one, being grieved for that which was come to pass, departed to his home. But I Simon Peter and Andrew my brother took our nets and went to the sea; and there was with us Levi the son of Alphæus, whom the Lord . . .

Truth and Light Ministries Inc. Raised by God to “earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3d), P. O. Box 79, Ethelbert, MB R0L 0T0, truthandlight@mts.net and http://tlm55.org

The Corruption of 2 Timothy 3:16

Most Christians now-a-days, think the new translations are a great improvement from the classic King James or Authorized version of the Bible but do not realize that even the so-called experts on translations of the Scriptures are not all experts and do not even realize that the original New Testament manuscripts were not in Greek but in the very language of the writers, which was Hebrew for the Gospel of Matthew and for the Letter to the Hebrew people by the Apostle Paul and in Aramaic for the rest of the New Testament writings. See our other articles on this at our website of http://tlm79.org.

Where do we ever read in the New Testament that the apostles studied Greek in order to write their letters to fellow Judeans who spoke Aramaic or Hebrew throughout the Mediterranean area? That is nonsense. Once the Judeans or the Hebrews in the new Christian assemblies throughout that same area got their letters in their mother tongues, they could then translate them into the languages of their Gentile neighbours. This is exactly what we believe happened. Common sense tells us this. Does it not?

This essay is also to encourage you to question all the doctrines in your respective churches that may be questionable or do not appear to be completely supported by the Holy Bible.

We are therefore showing in this study or essay, a sample of ways in which we have been deceived, with a sample regarding a very well known verse of 2 Timothy 3:16.

Note that from following the two sets of Scripture, the word for any writing by hand in Bible times was in Greek called scripture. In other words that are scriptures or writings which are not inspired. The writer Paul knew this obviously and that is why he specified what kind of writing he was specifying. The Greek words for writings and their adjectives in these passages are in the nominative or subject case. That is, the following word after scripture in Greek is simply an adjective describing the subject, saying that “Every scripture [meaning obviusly, only writings or scriptures which are]God inspired.

2Ti 3:16 Every^G3956 scripture^G1124 is God inspired,^G2315 and^G2532 beneficial^G5624 for^G4314 teaching,^G1319 for^G4314 reproof,^G1650 for^G4314 correction,^G1882 for^G4314 instruction--^G3809 the one^G3588 in^G1722 righteousness;^G1343 (Apostolic Bible Polyglot with Strong's Numbers)

2 Timothy 3:16 πασα^G3956 γραφη^G1124 θεοπνευστος^G2315 και^G2532 ωφελιμος^G5624 προς^G4314 διδασκαλιαν^G1319 προς^G4314 ελεγχον^G1650 προς^G4314 επανορθωσιν^G1882 προς^G4314 παιδειαν^G3809 την^G3588 εν^G1722 δικαιοσυνη^G1343
(^{Apostolic
Bible Polyglot Greek with Strong's Numbers)}

The following versions from the Aramaic show this obvious true meaning:

2Ti 3:16 FOR all scripture which from the Spirit is written, is profitable for doctrine, and for rebuke, and for correction, and for instruction [Or, discipline.] which is in righteousness:(Etheridge)

16 All scripture, written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness: (Lamsa)

2Ti 3:16 All scripture that was written by the Spirit, is profitable for instruction, and for confutation, and for correction, and for erudition in righteousness; (Murdock)

2Ti 3:16 Every writing which is written by The Spirit* is profitable for teaching, for correction, for direction and for a course in righteousness, (Original Aramaic NT in Plain English)

There are a few versions from the Greek which also show this same meaning:

2Ti 3:16 Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. (American Standard Version)

2Ti 3:16 Every holy Writing which comes from God is of profit for teaching, for training, for guiding, for education in righteousness: (1965 Bible in Basic English)

2Ti 3:16 All scripture, given by divine inspiration, is indeed profitable for doctrine, for conviction, for reformation, for instruction in righteousness, (Charles Thomson NT)

2Ti 3:16 All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice: (1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

2Ti 3:16 Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: (Revised Version)

2Ti 3:16 For all scripture given by inspiration of God, is profitable to teach, to improve, to amend, and to instruct in righteousness (Modern Spelling Tyndale/ Coverdale Bible).

2Ti 3:16 For all scripture given by inspiration of God, is profitable to teach, to improve, to inform, and to instruct in righteousness, (William Tyndale New Testament)

Versions from the Coptic are as such:

2Ti 3:16 All scriptures of inspiration of God are profitable unto [a] doctrine, unto [a] reproof, unto [a] correction, unto [an] instruction which is in [the] righteousness: (Coptic NT, Northern Dialect in English)

2Ti 3:16 For every scripture [^part
missing] God [ ^part
missing] unto the teaching [ ^part
missing] unto the doctrine, unto the righteousness: (Coptic NT, Southern Dialect inEnglish)

Tricks Being Played in Translations

Note that almost every other version from the Greek is distorted and untrue except where they capitalize the word Scripture but in the Greek there was no differentiation of that. This capitalization should be noted as a footnote in order to be honest to the readers. Another added word which distorts the meaning of the Greek version is this word: is :

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (Jubilee Bible [probably from the Greek])

Note that in the above, the word is, is in italics. In the Authorized Version this practice was to show not emphasis but to indicate that this word was added by the translators and has no backing in the manuscripts from which they have translated.

The above therefore shows that the best translations are from the Aramaic and almost every one from the Greek is distorted and not true. There are many other distortions of the truth in Bible versions today so please check out for the truth on doctrine from our website of http://truthandlightministries.org or http://tlm79.org. We may make mistakes at times from misunderstanding God's leading, so if you find something that may be wrong. Please let us know.

This essay is adapted from a Seventh-day Adventist Bible Study Lesson 9: Edited by Cliff Besson, whose comments are in script writing or below the quoted scriptures. (Cliff has used the World English Bible rather than the Authorized Version which is not as accurate as the newer version. For some New Testament passages, he has used versions from translations from the Aramaic, which is the very language that Jesus and his disciples spoke and wrote their Gospels and epistles, except for the Gospel of Mathew and the Letter to the Hebrews which would have been originally in Hebrew. This would have been necessary to get the Rabbis, priests, lawyers, and scribes to find those writings acceptable for them to read.)

Job 21:32 A man’s body often goes into a grave. See below Psa. 49:14; Ez. 32:21-32; Lk. 16:22. The Hebrew here for grave is qeber’ and is translated graves in Young's Literal Translation and it is mentioned as such in Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge for this verse. Consider the earlier part of this chapter of Job though:

“Job 21:9 Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power? 13 They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol (grave in the AV but as in the Hebrew it is really Sheol, the place of the Unseen after their deaths or “place of departed spirits”(American Tract Society Dictionary) and “It means really the unseen world, the state or abode of the dead, and is the equivalent of the Greek Haides, by which word it is translated in Septuagint.”(International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)26 They [good and bad] lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them. 30 that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led forth to the day of wrath? 31 Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done? 32 Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men shall keep watch over the tomb. (World English Bible = WEB)

Regarding this same verse 32: from Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary grave--literally, “graves”; that is, the place where the graves are. Remain in--rather, watch on the tomb, or sepulchral mound. Even after death he seems still to live and watch (that is, have his “remembrance” preserved) by means of the monument over the grave. In opposition to Bildad (Job 18:17).

Ps 49:14 They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion. (WEB)

Ezekiel 32:1 It happened in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first [day] of the month, that the word of [Jeh-wah][1] came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and tell him, You were likened to a young lion of the nations: yet are you as a monster in the seas; and you did break forth with your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet, and fouled their rivers. 3 Thus says the Lord [Jeh-wah]: I will spread out my net on you with a company of many peoples; and they shall bring you up in my net. 4 I will leave you on the land, I will cast you forth on the open field, and will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you, and I will satisfy the animals of the whole earth with you. 5 I will lay your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your height. 6 I will also water with your blood the land in which you swim, even to the mountains; and the watercourses shall be full of you. 7 When I shall extinguish you, I will cover the heavens, and make the stars of it dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. 8 All the bright lights of the sky will I make dark over you, and set darkness on your land, says the Lord [Jeh-wah]. 9 I will also vex the hearts of many peoples, when I shall bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. 10 Yes, I will make many peoples amazed at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for you, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall. 11 For thus says the Lord [Jeh-wah]: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come on you. 12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause your multitude to fall; the terrible of the nations are they all: and they shall bring to nothing the pride of Egypt, and all the multitude of it shall be destroyed. 13 I will destroy also all the animals of it from beside many waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of animals trouble them. 14 Then will I make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil, says the Lord [Jeh-wah]. 15 When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate and waste, a land destitute of that of which it was full, when I shall strike all those who dwell therein, then shall they know that I am [Jeh-wah]. 16 This is the lamentation with which they shall lament; the daughters of the nations shall lament therewith; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they lament therewith, says the Lord [Jeh-wah]. 17 It happened also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth [day] of the month, that the word of [Jeh-wah] came to me, saying, 18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, to the lower parts of the earth, with those who go down into the pit. 19 Whom do you pass in beauty? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised. 20 They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword; draw her away and all her multitudes. 21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of Sheol with those who help him: they are gone down, they lie still, even the uncircumcised, slain by the sword. 22 Asshur is there and all her company; her graves are round about her; all of them slain, fallen by the sword; 23 whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit, and her company is round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror in the land of the living. 24 There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who are gone down uncircumcised into the lower parts of the earth, who caused their terror in the land of the living, and have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit. 25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude; her graves are round about her; all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for their terror was caused in the land of the living, and they have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of those who are slain. 26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all their multitude; their graves are round about them; all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they caused their terror in the land of the living. 27 They shall not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who are gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are on their bones; for [they were] the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. 28 But you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised and shall lie with those who are slain by the sword. 29 There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who in their might are laid with those who are slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with those who go down to the pit. 30 There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who are gone down with the slain; in the terror which they caused by their might they are put to shame; and they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. 31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, says the Lord [Jeh-wah]. 32 For I have put his terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord [Jeh-wah]. (WEB)

Lu 16:22 It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. (WEB)

Job 21:30 a day of wraths The wicked are reserved there until they will be brought forth to what?

Job 14:12 so man lies down and doesn’t rise. Until the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep. (WEB)

Job 14:13, 14 (13) "Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would keep me secret, until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! (14) If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, until my release should come. (WEB) Note that it is not waiting in the grave or a grave but in Sheol, the unseen world.

1Co 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. (WEB)

But see 1Co 15:50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption. (WEB)

1 Corinthians 15:22, 23 (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's, at his coming. (WEB) But General William Booth of the Salvation Army was shown in two or more visions that as Christians or Believers die and go to heaven, a moment after they die, that they end up in heaven awaiting the coming of Jesus with his cloud of witnesses.

2Co 5:8 We are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. (WEB) Heb 12:1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (WEB)

Acts 2:34 For David didn't ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit by my right hand, (WEB)

(Psalm 110:1 <<A Psalm by David.>> [Jeh-wah] says to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet." (WEB) Note that King David wrote the Psalm while he was still living down on Earth and at that time, he had not had the privilege of going into the Heavens. The Bible reveals though that he must be in Heaven now, just as much as the holy patriarchs of old, for God is not a respecter of persons ( Deut. 10:17; 2 Chron. 19:7; Job 34:19; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25; 1Pet. 1:17). Do not the Holy Scriptures teach and reveal that holy people are in Heaven right now and that they are lively (speaking and doing things for others and for God) and not sleeping as some men philosophize: Moses and Elijah (Mt. 17:3, 4), like Abraham and Lazarus (Lk. 16:23-25), an unnamed fellow servant who was a brother in the Lord to the Apostle John (Rev. 19:10), another one who was a messenger who revealed some things to John (Rev. 22:8,9), a innumerable number of souls or people wishing that God would avenge the wrongs done to them (Rev. 6:9-11; 12:10-12), people of the nations, sitting down in Heaven (Rev. 20:4), and beheaded souls or people living and reigning (having a good time with the Messiah) for a thousand years in Heaven (Rev. 20:4). Did not Jesus say that his God was the God of the living (zao in Greek which has also been translated as lively [Acts 7:38) and quick (Acts 10:42) but not certainly meaning sleepers or the unconscious as some philosophers teach-- see Mt. 22:32; Mk. 12:27; Lk. 20:38.

Ac 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. {let me: or, I may}

As shown above though, from the Holy Scriptures, David, as a holy person, one after God's own heart, must be in Heaven, reigning with the other saints with the Messiah. The topic at hand here was not the state of people in general who get sick and die but of the Messiah being the one who rose from the dead and is alive at that time, in contrast to the Psalmist King David who obviously died years ago and accordingly is still dead to them according to the evidence of his sepulchral and the Scriptures. 1Ki 2:10 So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. But a cross reference to this verse is Deut. 31:16 which is about God telling Moses that he is going to sleep with his fathers. A note to that verse says that the

Deut. 31:16. The death of men, both good and bad, is oft called a sleep, because they shall certainly awake out of it by resurrection. See Ps 76:5; Da 12:2; 1Th 4:13, &c.; 2Pe 3:4. This people will go a whoring: God certainly foresees all things to come, yea, even those which depend upon the wills of men, or contingencies of the things, as this unquestionably did.

The greatly misunderstood doctrine here is the timing of the resurrection of the dead. Since the Bible teaches that the wicked go to hell after they die and that the souls and spirit (invisible) bodies of the real saints, being absent from their Earthly bodies are present with their Lord (2 Cor. 5:8 and Philip. 1:23) then each one’s resurrection is a moment after each one dies. 1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [our] last trump: for [our] trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

It is common in New Testament Greek for the definite article before a noun or adjective to be translated as a personal pronoun, such as my arm or my face or their food. Check and see that this is so. Therefore, the above translation of our instead of the regular the is very plausible. Besides this, everyone who dies or lies down for the last time will have heard his or her last trumpet, whenever that may have been.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. (WEB)

Note that in verse 14 above, the ones who laid down, slept in Christ or died, will be in Heaven at the time when God will send His son to the Heavens above the Earth at his special coming. In verse 15, it says that those who die before those who are still on Earth when Jesus comes again will get to Heaven before the others (every man in his own order 1Cor. 15:23). Verse 16, would have been better and more logically translated will have risen first rather than will rise first because the saints go almost instantly in their “own order” to the Lord in Heaven upon each one’s own death as explained above. In verse 17, we see that Christ Jesus will not be coming down to the Earth at all to start a kingdom but his kingdom of saints on Earth will be caught up by angels of God (Mat. 24:31; Mk. 13:27).

Acts 13:36 For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay. (WEB).

This is of course talking about his Earthly body but his spirit body or invisible body and his soul (real being that continues to live after the Earthly body dies (1 Cor. 15:35-50)) goes to live with God and the angels in Heaven or in the holy part of Sheol.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, Mt 24:31 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (WEB).

The above verse is suggested in this study, but this verse does not say anything about awakening anyone up with either a shout of a certain archangel or with a trumpet of God. It just says that Jesus would be descending from Heaven with the above noise or sounds. According to a number of people who died while being awake they immediately started to go to Heaven, saw loved ones close by or at their bedside, went to Paradise or Heaven, or went flying off into space, pass the moon and the planets while they zoomed off towards Heaven (Pastor Henry Gruver, who was killed during a vehicle accident). This last person was dead at the side of the road with a bolt hole at the top of his head where blood was pouring out as a patrol officer tried to revive him. After about twenty minutes through the prayers of his wife and daughter, he suddenly revived and got up to tell of his amazing trip. All these people, one was being operated on in a hospital in Toronto when he died and started to immediately rise slowly out of his Earthly body into a cloudy room with a number of his friends in the spirit world, looking on very sadly at the operation that was going on. A moment later, the doctors or nurses got his heart going again and his soul and spirit body went back into his Earthly body. I met this man in Toronto while working for the Salvation Army and he told me of this experience. Several others could tell of seeing the doctors and nurses operating or attending to their bodies while their souls and spirit bodies hovered around near the ceilings of their operating rooms. Suddenly, they too were back in their regular bodies. One of my friends, who backslid terribly from being a fine Christian, was dying on his bed when he felt the flames of Hell all around his bed. He started to cry out to God and repented strongly. The flames stopped and he regained his health.

Besides above, there are several Scriptures that teach that the dead are being resurrected all the time. Consider these Scriptures: Joh 5:21 (WEB) For as the Father raises {is rousing}[1] the dead and gives them life {vivifying}, even so the Son also gives life {is vivifying}to whom he desires. 1Co 15:15 (WEB) Yes, we are found false witnesses of {the}God, because we testified about {the}God that he raised up {the}Christ, whom he didn't raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised {being roused}. 1Co 15:23 (YLT) and each in his proper order, a first-fruit Christ, afterwards those who are the Christ's, in his presence, 2Co 1:9 (YLT) but we ourselves in ourselves the sentence of the death have had, that we may not be trusting on ourselves, but on {the}God, who is raising the dead, 1Th 3:13 (YLT) to the establishing your hearts blameless in sanctification {holiness}before our God and Father, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Mt 22:23 (YLT) In that day there came near to him Sadducees, who are saying there is not a rising again, and they questioned him, saying, 24 `Teacher, Moses said, If any one may die not having children, his brother shall marry his wife, and shall raise up seed to his brother. 25 `And there were with us seven brothers, and the first having married did die, and not having seed, he left his wife to his brother; 26 in like manner also the second, and the third, unto the seventh, 27 and last of all died also the woman; 28 therefore in the rising again, of which of the seven shall she be wife--for all had her?' 29 And Jesus answering said to them, `Ye go astray, not knowing the Writings, nor the power of God; 30 for in the rising again [note: not in the later rising again] they do not marry, nor are they given in marriage, but are as messengers of God in heaven. [Did not Jesus make or let them think at that very time that the rising again and the living like angels was happening right at that time?] 31 `And concerning the rising again of the dead, did ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not a God of dead men, but of living.' [Not sleeping or unconscious men but of living men. This was shown in Jesus' account of an unnamed rich man and a beggar called Lazarus:

Lu 16:19 (YLT) `And--a certain man was rich, and was clothed in purple and fine linen, making merry sumptuously every day, Lu 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, Lu 16:21 and desiring to be filled from the crumbs that are falling from the table of the rich man; yea, also the dogs, coming, were licking his sores. 22 `And it came to pass, that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the messengers to the bosom of Abraham--and the rich man also died, and was buried;Lu 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Lu 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Lu 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Verse 19. There was a certain rich man] In the Scholia of some MSS. the name of this person is said to be Ninive. This account of the rich man and Lazarus is either a parable or a real history. If it be a parable, it is what may be: if it be a history, it is that which has been. Either a man may live as is here described, and go to perdition when he dies; or, some have lived in this way, and are now suffering the torments of an eternal fire. The account is equally instructive in whichsoever of these lights it is viewed. Let us carefully observe all the circumstances offered hereto our notice, and we shall see-I. The CRIME of this man; and II. His PUNISHMENT.

circumstance our Lord adds nothing: he does not say that he was born to a large estate; or that he acquired one by improper methods; or that he was haughty or insolent in the possession of it. Yet here is the first degree of his reprobation-he got all he could and kept all to himself.

There was a certain rich man, &c. Jesus having rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and covetousness, returns to his discourse concerning the true use of riches, and the great evil of a worldly and voluptuous life. To which purpose he adds the following parable. Dr. S. Clarke.

And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, (according to the Greek pronunciation) or Eleazer. By his name it may be conjectured, he was of no mean family, though it was thus reduced. There was no reason for our Lord to conceal his name, which probably was then well known. Theophylact observes, from the tradition of the Hebrews, that he lived at Jerusalem.

Lu 16:1. A wicked man, and one that will be for ever miserable, in the height of prosperity (Lu 16:19): There was a certain rich man. From the Latin we commonly call him Dives-- a rich man; but, as Bishop Tillotson observes, he has no name given him, as the poor man has, because it had been invidious to have named any particular rich man in such a description as this, and apt to provoke and gain ill-will. But others observe that Christ would not do the rich man so much honour as to name him, though when perhaps he called his lands by his own name he thought it should long survive that of the beggar at his gate, which yet is here preserved, when that of the rich man is buried in oblivion. Now we are told concerning this rich man,

Our Saviour in his parabolical history of Dives and Lazarus, instructs us concerning the right use of riches, which is to capacitate us to do good to others; declaring that in the life to come, the pious poor man shall be eternally happy, while the unmerciful rich man shall be intolerably miserable.

Job 17:13 If I wait--Sheol is my house, In darkness I have spread out my couch. Note that it is not in a grave but in a place called Sheol which is regarded by Job to be a house. (YLT)

Joh 5:28 Don't marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, (WEB)

Jesus here was not talking only to theologians but to the mankind on the streets. 5:14 says that Jesus was in the temple speaking to a man he had previously healed on the Sabbath. The man went away and told the Judeans that it was Jesus who healed him. The Judeans were then upset with him and wanted to kill him. So then by verse seventeen he must have been on the street or in a field talking to them. Note that in 5:21 he said, “For just as the Father is raising the dead and giving them life, even so the Son is giving life to those whom he will. (VV)At 5:24

Joh 5:24 "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life [like right now], and is not coming into judgment, but has passed out of death [in other words the people were spiritually dead] into life. 25 Most certainly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead [the previously speaking spiritually dead walking around people] will hear the Son of God's voice; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. 27 He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. 28 Don't marvel at this, for an hour is coming [when? 2000 years later or shortly after his crucifixion death?], in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, 29 and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. [an amended version of the WEB by this writer]. Mt 27:52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

On this topic why not also consider The Gospel of Nicodemas Chapters xII:14-24 and XVI:10 (from http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/lbob/lbob10.htm)?

XII:14 It is indeed a thing really surprising, that he should not only himself arise from the dead, but also raise others from their graves, who have been seen by many in Jerusalem. (footnote 3) 15 And now hear me a little: We all knew the blessed Simeon, the high-priest, who took Jesus when an infant into his arms in the temple.16 This same Simeon had two sons of his own, and we were all present at their death and funeral.17 Go therefore and see their tombs, for these are open, and (p. 80 in the Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden) they are risen: and behold, they are in the city of Arimathæa, spending their time together in offices of devotion. 18 Some, indeed, have heard the sound of their voices in prayer, but they will not discourse with any one, but they continue as mute as dead men. 19 But come, let us go to them, and behave ourselves towards them with all due respect and caution. And if we can bring them to swear, perhaps they will tell us some of the mysteries of their resurrection. 20 When the Jews heard this, they were exceedingly rejoiced. 21 Then Annas and Caiaphas, Nicodemus, Joseph, and Gamaliel, went to Arimathæa, but did not find them in their graves; but walking about the city, they bound them on their bended knees at their devotions: 22 Then saluting them with all respect and deference to God, they brought them to the synagogue at Jerusalem: and having shut the gates, they took the book of the law of the Lord, 23 And putting it in their hands, swore them by God Adonai, and the God of Israel, who spake to our fathers by the law and the prophets, saying, If ye believe him who raised you from the dead, to be Jesus, tell us what ye have seen, and how ye were raised from the dead.24 Charinus and Lenthius, the two sons of Simeon, trembled when they heard these things, and were disturbed, and groaned; and at the same time looking up to heaven, they made the sign of the cross with their fingers on their tongues.

XVI: 5 The King of Glory, dead and alive, though once slain upon the cross? 6 Who layest dead in the grave, and art come down alive to us, and in thy death all the creatures trembled, and all the stars were moved, and now hast thou thy liberty among the dead, and givest disturbance to our legions? 7 Who art thou, who dost release the captives that were held in chains by original sin, and bringest them into their former liberty 8 Who art thou, who dost (p. 85) spread so glorious and divine a light over those who were made blind by the darkness of sin? 9 In like manner all the legions of devils were seized with the like horror, and with the most submissive fear cried out, and said, 10 Whence comes it, O thou Jesus Christ, that thou art a man so powerful and glorious in majesty, so bright as to have no spot, and so pure as to have no crime? For that lower world of earth, which was ever till now subject to us, and from whence we received tribute, never sent us such a dead man before, never sent such presents as these to the princes of hell. 11 Who therefore art thou, who with such courage enterest among our abodes, and art not only not afraid to threaten us with the greatest punishments, but also endeavourest to rescue all others from the chains in which we hold them? 12 Perhaps thou art that Jesus, of whom Satan just now spoke to our prince, that by the death of the cross thou wert about to receive the power of death. 13 Then the King of Glory trampling upon death, seized the prince of hell, deprived him of all his power, and took our earthly father Adam with him to his glory.

(Joh 5:14-19) . Jesus had to speak to the people as to how they understood things and then take them to where he wanted to lead them. This is the same way good teachers and preachers help people to understand things. From verse 19 and 21, we should understand that the dead, that is, the ones whose bodies now lie in the tombs or graves are rising all the time and are able to hear the Father or the son to whom so ever they speak. This was shown when Jesus spoke to Lazarus and raised him from the dead

(Joh 11:11-43), a twelve-year-old girl (Mark 5:41), a young man on a funeral bier (Luk 7:14), and a maid (Luk 8:52). Jesus, remember was doing these things as his Father was also doing these things, that is, raising the dead (Joh 5:21). Look also at what happened during the crucifixion of Jesus. Just after Jesus died, there was an earthquake (Mt 27:52) and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who have fallen asleep, arose, 53 and having come forth out of the tombs after his rising, they went into the holy city, and appeared to many. (YLT) There are also Scriptures of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, (Luke 16:22-30, Mt 22:32 & Mk 12:26) being alive as well as this amazing passage: (Lu 20:37) `And that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the Bush, since he doth call the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; 38 and He is not a God of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him.' There is also Mr 12:26 `And concerning the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the Book of Moses (at The Bush), how God spake to him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; 27 he is not the God of dead men, but a God of living men; ye then go greatly astray.' (YLT) Elijah, Moses, (Mt 17:3-4; Mr 9:4-5; Lk 9:30-33) and two Israelites (Rev 19:10 & 22:9) being all very much alive, even years or perhaps months after they died. What about this passage:

and it was said to them that they may rest themselves yet a little time, till may be fulfilled also their fellow-servants and their brethren, who are about to be killed--even as they. (YLT) and Re 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand, and they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years;

Note that as they were beheaded they must have been reigning with Christ Jesus in Heaven. This is believed to have been from A. D. 926 to the end year of 1926, which is a year in the end times mentioned in a poem of prophecy by the English saint Mother Shipton who was born around the year A. D. 1488 and died in Clifton, Yorkshire in 1561. That year of 1926 was mentioned as a year of motion pictures, of planning of wars, of submarines, and of airplanes .^{^[1]} The #926 is the year in the Thompson Chain Reference Bible on the End Times.

Re 7:9 After these things I saw, and lo, a great multitude, which to number no one was able, out of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands, 10 and crying with a great voice, saying, `The salvation is to Him who is sitting upon the throne--to our God, and to the Lamb!' 11 And all the messengers stood around the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell upon their face, and bowed before God, 12 saying, `Amen! the blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the strength, are to our God--to the ages of the ages! Amen!' 13 ¶ And answer did one of the elders, saying to me, `These, who have been arrayed with the white robes--who are they, and whence came they?' 14 and I have said to him, `Sir, thou hast known;' and he said to me, `These are those who are coming out of the great tribulation, and they did wash their robes, and they made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb; 15 because of this are they before the throne of God, and they do service to Him day and night in His sanctuary, and He who is sitting upon the throne shall tabernacle over them; 16 they shall not hunger any more, nor may the sun fall upon them, nor any heat, 17 because the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and wipe away shall God every tear from their eyes.'(YLT)

Mt 27:52 and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who have fallen asleep, arose, 53 and having come forth out of the tombs after his rising, they went into the holy city, and appeared to many.

There is a remarkable passage in Josephus, which proves that the best informed among the Jews believed in the immateriality and immortality of the soul, and that the souls of righteous men were in the presence of God in a state of happiness. "They who lose their lives for the sake of God, live unto God, as do Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of the patriarchs." Not less remarkable is a passage in Shemoth Rabba, "Why doth Moses say, (Ex 32:13) Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? R. Abin saith, The Lord said unto Moses, I look for ten men from thee, as I looked for that number in Sodom. Find me out ten righteous persons among the people, and I will not destroy thy people. Then saith Moses, Behold, here am I, and Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar, Phinehas, and Caleb, and Joshua; but, saith God, there are but seven: where are the other three? When Moses knew not what to do, he saith, O Eternal God, [hayim hem ha-metim,] do those live who are dead? Yes, saith God. Then saith Moses, If those that are dead do live, remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

The Gospel of Nicodemus mentions the names of the sons of Simeon, who blessed Jesus as a baby. The two sons were of the ones who rose from the graves at the resurrection of Jesus. Their names are Charinus and Lenthius. When questioned by the high priests, they explained what was going on in the place of Sheol where the people were not sleeping at all but rather were living and talking to others in a dark world.^{^[2]}

Oregon's Amazing Miracle by Thomas Welch is about the author being dead for about a whole hour at the bottom of a pool of water at a sawmill. During that time of death the man was alive but in hell with other people where he saw a Lake of Fire^{^[3]} until a lady prayed for a miracle of restoration of the man's life. While in Hell he saw an uncle of his who died years before and a boy he knew years ago that had also died years before. Thomas never saw anyone in the Lake of Fire at that time of his death experience (page 8).

Here are a number of other books about people who also experienced death for a moment or more (one or more may have also been dead as long as the above): The Evidence for Life After Death by Martin Ebon, Bergenfield, New Jersey: The New American Library, Inc., 1977; A Critical Examination of The Belief in a Life After Death by C. J. Ducasse, (Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island), Publisher: Charles C. Thomas: Springfield, Illinois, U. S. A., 1961; Touching Incidents and Remarkable Answers to Prayer, edited by S. B. Shaw, Publisher: S. B. Shaw, Dutton, Mich. , 1894. This was has one incident ("Death of a Soul-Sleeper") where the person, while dying saw Heaven and her Pa, who had died previously. Glimpses of the Beyond by Jean-Baptiste Delacour, Delacorte Press, New York, 1974; Life After Life by Raymond A. Moody, Jr., M. D., Bantom Books, 1975; Death: the Final Stage of Growth by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1975; A Look at Life After Life by Charles C. Ryrie, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1978. Three Worlds by H. A. Baker, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Osterhus Publishing House, n. d.

One gospel tract had a case of a prisoner who died the day before and was in a wooden coffin, being carried out to the cemetery of the prison yard, when one of the guards tripped and the two guards dropped the coffin onto the ground. The prisoner fell out alive. He later told how his mother had been praying for his salvation but when he died he was lost and therefore went to Hell. The earnest prayers of his mother got God to give the young man a second chance on life, which he then apparently, went on to live for God.

In the book, Caught Up into Paradise, by physician and surgeon, Richard E. Eby, D. O., the doctor tells of how he fell off a second story balcony onto a sidewalk with his head down. His cracked open and as his feet were caught up in a bush, his blood drained out as he died. A neighbour or two noticed the accident, an ambulance was called, a prayer chain was started almost immediately, and after some time in the hospital, while a priest was saying the last rites over a corpse, the doctor came back to life. While he was dead though, he got to experience the amazing beauties of paradise. This doctor can verify that he certainly was not soul-sleeping until Jesus came. Jesus came already and appeared to him while he was in the hospital and told him, "My peace I give unto you. . . .With your hands you will heal." (p. 211).

John 11:11 These things said Jesus, and afterwards he said to them: Lazarus our friend reposeth. But I go to awake him. (Murdock) 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. (AV)

Jesus said that Lazarus was sleeping but when we put it into context, we find that to him it was as if his friend was just asleep when he was really dead., for Jesus knew he could easily bring the man back to life again as easy as someone else might wake up someone that was dead. He was using the word sleep as a euphemism, so it would not sound so harsh to his disciples, when it would be no big deal to him to revive his friend from death.

Joh 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

There are many other places where sleep is also used figuratively of death: from the Power BibleCD^{^[4]} -Rom we can get these enlightening comments:

* sleepeth. Joh 11:13; De 31:16; Da 12:2; Mt 9:24; Mr 5:39; Ac 7:60; 1Co 15:18,51 1Th 4:14; 5:10 (Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge,)

The Jews used a milder kind of speech and called death "sleep", and this same manner of speech is found in other languages, who call the place of burial where the dead are laid waiting for the resurrection a "sleeping place". (1599 Geneva Bible Notes)

Verse 11. Lazarus sleepeth] It was very common among the Jews to express death by sleep; and the expression, falling asleep-sleeping with their fathers, &c., were in great use among them. The Hebrews probably used this form of speech to signify their belief in the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body. (Adam Clark’s Commentary)

Verse 11. Lazarus sleepeth. Is dead. The word sleep is applied to death, 1st. Because of the resemblance between them, as sleep is the "kinsman of death." In this sense it is often used by pagan writers. But, 2nd. In the Scriptures it is used to intimate that death will not be final: that there will be an awaking out of this sleep, or a resurrection. It is a beautiful and tender expression, removing all that is dreadful in death, and filling the mind with the idea of calm repose after a life of toil, with a reference to a future resurrection in increased rigour and renovated powers. In this sense it is applied in the Scriptures usually to the saints, 1Co 11:30; 15:51; 1Th 4:14; 5:10; Mt 9:24.{i} "sleepeth" De 31:16; Ac 7:60; 1Co 15:18,51 (Albert Barnes’ NT Commentary)

-- Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, He means, that Lazarus was then dead, and that He intended to go and restore him to life; which, to the Divine power, was as easy a thing as that of raising a man out of his sleep. Dr. S. Clarke. It is usual with the Hebrews to speak of death under the name of sleep, not only with reference to good men, De 31:16; 2Sa 7:12; Ps 13:3; but also, to bad men, Ps 76:5; Da 12:2. Dr. Whitby. (British Family Bible)

The symbol of "sleep" for death is common to all languages, and familiar to us in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, however, a higher meaning is put into it, in relation to believers in Jesus (see on JFB for 1Th 4:14), a sense hinted at, and clearly, in Ps 17:15 [LUTHARDT]; and the "awaking out of sleep" acquires a corresponding sense far transcending bare resuscitation. (Jamieson-Faucet-Brown Commentary)

Sleepeth-Such is the death of good men in the language of heaven. But the disciples did not yet understand this language. And the slowness of our understanding makes the Scripture often descend to our barbarous manner of speaking. (John Wesley’s Notes on the Old and New Testament)

There is such an analogy between death and sleep, that there is nothing more ordinary than to express death by sleep in Scripture, De 31:16; 2Sa 7:12; 1Ki 1:21; 2Ki 20:21; Job 7:21; 14:12 Da 12:2, and in a multitude of other texts, both in the Old Testament and in the New; so as it was evident our Saviour meant he was dead, which he knew as he was God, though as yet he had received no relation of it from the friends of the deceased. But I go (saith our Saviour) to raise him up again from the dead, which he calls awaking him; pursuing the former metaphor, where he had compared death to a sleep. (Matthew Poole’s Commentary)

Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Jesus before called death a sleep (see Mt 9:24; Mr 5:39; Lu 8:52), because it was only a temporary slumber. (People’s New Testament Commentary)

Psalm 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. See the Gospel of Nicodemus XII:14 – 24 and XVI:10.

13. What words did Paul use to say that some of those who saw Jesus were now dead?

1Co 15:6 and after that, he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once; many of whom survive at the present time, and some of them sleep. (Dr. James Murdock from the Aramaic)

14. If there were no resurrection, what would happen to all who have fallen asleep?

1Co 15:16 For if the dead do not rise, not even Christ has been raised. (Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation [APNT])

15.When Jesus awoke from death, how did he say that He had not yet been to heaven?

Joh 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them [that] I ascend to my Father and your Father, and [to] my God and your God."

Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

Note that the writer goes on to say in verse six that this refers to this life or area under the Sun. (World English Bible [WEB])

Ecc 9:6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun. (WEB)

Psa 146:4 His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish. (WEB) His breath goes forth, he returns to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish. (Lamsa)

Other passages though which mention of the dead speaking to one another as in Luke 16:24, this passage in the Psalms is just referring to the dead body which cannot think anymore.

Psa 146:2 While I live, I will praise [Jeh-wah]. I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist. WEB

Psa 115:17 The dead don’t praise [Jeh]Yah, neither any who go down into silence;

This is especially so if they were spiritually dead while on Earth, then they would also be spiritually dead in death as well and would not think of praising God that would put them in torment.

Psa 6:5 For in death there is no memory of you. In Sheol, who shall give you thanks?

As David had not died as yet (while he was writing the Psalm) he gives his opinion here concerning his body once it dies and if he goes to Sheol, to the bad area, he knows he would not be giving God thanks.

[1 ]Mother Shipton's Prophecies, gospel tract, possibly by Pilgrim Tracts. Also see the Internet.

[3]Mt. 13:40-43; Rev. 19:19,20; 20:10, 14, 15; and 21:8

[1]

Words in these kind of brackets are from the Concordant Literal New Testament by A. E. Knoch: Concordant Publishing Concern, 1966.

[1]

WEB had Yahweh as their guess for a translation of the Hebrew word for the Most High God but it was revealed a few years ago through a miracle of supernatural utterance to this editor that Jēh-wah was the proper pronunciation. The editor asked God to give the pronunciation to a friend who was regularly hearing the voice of his guardian angel guide him out of Roman Catholicism into becoming a good strong Bible Christian and help him understand the Bible better. Instead, God used the editor's mouth to pronounce God's name, which has the same initial pronunciation as Jesus' name.