French Broad hustler., 1918-04-11
"a Bible Study
Bv REV. r. ". MILLER

What about the state of the dead? Is there
consciousness between death and resurrection!
Do all the dead, saved and unsaved, go to the
same place? Is there recognition? Are the de-
parted conscious of the doings of those who re-
main on earth? These are some of the many
questions that are being asked continually. There
is not much revealed, but enough light is given
to have some intelligent convictions on the sub
ject t---t
In the Old Testament both the righteous and
unrighteous seem to go to the same place at
death. The place is called in the Hebrew,
"Sheol." The word is used sixty-fve times.
Thirty-one times it is translated ."hell" thirty
times, grave" and three times pit. 1t
is never used in the plural. The translation
teaching and confusion The translators of the
Revised Version, in a predatory note, state that
while they have left grave" in the text, and put
lng-place of the body but to the destination of
the dsembodied spirit: The Hebrew word for
grave is "Qeber," used of Rachers tomb" and
Of the parcel of land that Abraham bought for a
"burying- place." ..-~.s
The meaning of the word "SheoP' may be
G gftten m as follows; We Standat the deafhIDed ped
I'll the last breath is gone, and as the body be-
glns to stiffen in death, we say There is his
no answer from the Old Testament, so we say he
has gone to 'tthe realm of the unheard." There is
no light on the subject in the Old Testament, ex-
cept that the dead went to realm back from
For an example of Gods people going to
'Sheol," read the last part of the thirty-seventh
'sheol" Jacob did not believe that Joseph's
body was in a grave, but thought it had been de-
F0ured by wild beast. The expression, "Gath-
cred to their fathers" found number of times
IN connection with the death of Gods saints in
old tunes, refers to their entrance into sheol 2
An instance of the wicked apparently going
70 the same place is found in the sixteenth chap
Ger OF Numbers Korah and his companions go
gown alive into the "pit." The word ''pit" is
The explanation is that the realm of departed
spirits had different departments. Each went to
his own place. (Acts 25).
With this in mind the story of the rich man
ana Lazarus, recorded in the sixteenth chapter
u Luke, may be considered not as parable,
tD4G as the history of actual case in the past.
mere was a certain rich man." He died and
s vas buried No doubt an, elaborate funeral
rom rom prominent synagogue. This is the out
.9f0 view, as the disposition of his body is con-
SSluered; But the inward view shows that Gin
!Tddes," ne lifted up his eyes,, being in torment.
me word hades' is the Greek equivalent of the
.tlTELpreW "sheol." It means F'the unseen" world.
=: mere was certain beggar," also. The beggar
@ I@o' There is no record of funeral in his
Katie his bones over the stones,
us only beggar whom nobody owns.
gutWardly we might infer that so far as his
:ooy was concerned it was carted off and buried
d ~ some pauper's grave by the city officials.
.o:ut getting the inside view, we are told he was
;S&4fFrled by angels to .Abraham'se bosom" This
= me same as being gathered to his fathers. =
toSephus tells US that Abraham's bosom is the
I'm I'm used by the Jews to describe that part of
7SIileof where the righteous went at death.
fho4S1 1oVl n1rf.1