A: The scripture that you are probably referring to is Isaiah 25:8:

He will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove the disgrace of his people
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.

The message of Isaiah 25:8 is also found in Revelation 21:4:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Some Bible teachers have inferred from these scriptures that believers will no longer remember the sadness, sickness, pain, or death that they experienced in this life. Some believe that the reference to the ‘disgrace’ or reproach of God’s people being ‘removed’ means that all the mistakes and sins made in this life will be blotted out and remembered no more in Heaven.

There is no scripture which teaches that we will no longer remember our life on earth. I believe that the scriptures are teaching that we will be changed and that our understanding and feelings about our earthly life will also be changed. Memories which cause us to experience pain, sorrow, and remorse will no longer affect us. The sting and stigma of all our pain, sorrow, sickness, mistakes, and sin will no longer touch us in a negative way in the life to come. *Top

A: Following the destruction of the Temple in 69/70 AD, the Jewish leaders were left with a problem over what to do about atoning for their sins. Some Levites carried on local sacrifices on high places as a stop gap. Similar to what Abraham and the patriarchs had done before there was a temple.

The Jews rebelled once more against Roman authority in 132/135 AD hoping to rebuild their nation and Temple. Emperor Hadrian drove them out of Jerusalem and built a temple to Jupiter on the temple mount and changed the name of the city to Aelia Capitolina. After that, Jews were banned from the city and most of Judea.

Many Jewish families continued to kill lambs for Passover and had informal sacrifices during Yom Kipper. Around 200 AD, nevertheless, the sin problem remained because most of the Rabbi’s did not recognize the sacrifices as being beneficial.

It was around 200 AD with the completion of the Mishnah (an interpretation of Jewish law, scriptures, and tradition) by Rabbi Judah Hanasi. Councils of Rabbis began meeting together to address the problems they faced and to reinterpret their religion in the new context that they found themselves living in. The issue of sin and atonement was one of the primary issues that they began to address.

They were pressured by the fact that thousands of Jews had joined the Christian sect and the blood of Jesus as the atonement for sin resolved the temple issue for these Jewish-Christians. I believe that the Jewish Rabbis were deeply affected by the Christian message. So much so that they took the same OT references that Christians point to as a foreshadow of the sacrifice of Jesus. Only they interpreted the passages as applying to the Jewish people as a whole. When Christians read Isaiah 53 we see Jesus, but when Jews read that passage they believe that it represents the sacrifice that God has asked their whole people to make for all mankind.

Now when Jews today go to their Yom Kipper (Day of Atonement) services once a year; they come into the Synagogue bearing all their sins that they have committed that year. They individually consider their sins and pray directly to God for forgiveness. They traditionally hope that their good deeds far outweigh their bad for the year. Then they commit themselves to do better next year, to do more good and less evil. When the Shofar (rams horn) blows at the end of the service they believe that God himself has taken away their sins and they leave free and clear.

This is the current practice that Rabbis initiated sometime after 200 AD in response to the destruction of the Temple, the scattering of their nation, and to counteract the Christian teaching.

For Christians, Jesus is the final and ultimate sacrifice; an offering of atonement for all believers.

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Q: Why did Jesus forgive his sins first? Just so he could make a point? Looks like what he really needed was healing.

A: When Jesus ministered to people, he did what was necessary to bring complete healing. Regardless of what all the observers might be thinking.

We live in a fallen world, all of us have sinned & sometimes our sin can get in the way of our receiving complete healing in our lives. All of us needs a Savior, and we all need Jesus to forgive us. If you need Jesus to forgive your sins, just ask him now, he will forgive every mistake and every wrong thing you ever did. You only need to ask. He will be your Savior for all Eternity if you ask him. He can be your greatest friend. Just ask him now!

We don’t know the background of the paralyzed man, we only know his physical problems, and those there could only see his need for physical relief. When the physical healing did come-everyone rejoiced and glorified God. Only Jesus knows your real needs today, just ask him.

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A: Was this Noah’s view or God’s? However, most believe that a lot more was implied than spoken of in that deal. In any case, I think that Noah may have over reacted here, unless he was standing here as a prophet and proclaiming God’s judgment in this situation.

Nevertheless, the ‘cursing’ and ‘blessings’ of ones sons was a tradition among the patriarchs that had legal and spiritual implications and reality. Noah’s cursing of Ham and his son Canaan was serious indeed, and God did usually honor these proclamations.

Note: Later, the prophets of God proclaimed numerous judgments against the descendents of Lot’s daughters -Moab and the Ammonites (Too numerous to list here).

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A: God turned their mother into a ‘pillar of salt’ for looking back, and these two get a pass? Dave–I don’t know where the line is drawn. Though the Sodom folk were extremely evil in their treatment and exploitation of visitors.

The Bible doesn’t give us a full understanding of extent of the evil in these two cities. Was homosexuality so dominant, pervasive, and aggressive there, that God did not want that type of aggressive attitude and behavior to spread to other cities and cultures?

Back to the two girls. Their behavior was obviously evil, but it really affected only their own family (Though one could argue, that it did result in the beginning of two nations -Moabites & Ammonites- that ultimately became bitter enemies of Israel, and that their descendents are probably among the Arabs still opposing Israel today). There was undoubtedly greater sins than incest, and far more and greater evil perpetrated in Sodom and Gomorrah (or even in the other cites in the area for that matter). It should be noted that God did not immediately judge murderers (except for Cain) which is a far greater evil than the incest of Lot’s daughters.

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Q: This seems a bit spiteful of God. I would think he would be proud of human accomplishment.

A: The whole point here, is that these folk were trying to “save themselves”.

They figured if they could build a tower high enough, than God could not wipe them out again with another flood. Also, there is an indication that they were hoping by their efforts to “reach into the heavens”–that is code for seeking to enter the ‘spirit realm’ and become ‘gods’ unto themselves. Kind of like what the Serpent offered Eve–their goal was to “make a name for themselves” and become ‘as God’ and live in heavenly realm. So you see, they really were defying and rejecting their Creator.

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A: Jesus tells the repentant thief- “…today you will be with me in paradise.” (NIV) Years ago (20+ yrs) when I was taking a coarse in Jewish theology and Rabbinical studies, I did a major theological paper on ancient Jewish teachings on the afterlife. According to the prevailing understanding in the first century Judah (based upon the Older Testament), when one died, the body was to be buried in a grave but the soul went ‘down’ to ‘Sheol’ and waited for the end of time and final judgment.

‘Sheol’ (or ‘Hades’ in Greek), was not the abode of God or Heaven, but a holding place for the dead. It was divided into two major areas–a place for the unbelieving wicked, & ‘Abrahams Bosom’ or ‘Paradise’ (paradeisos-Greek) -for the righteous believers. The dead were to stay in this holding place until the end of time and the Final Judgment.

Another tradition based upon the OT prophecy, was that the righteous of Israel would be Resurrected when the Messiah came, and would live in peace and prosperity for a long period of time–at the end of which would come the Final Judgment. Of coarse, we are off of point at this juncture, but it is helpful I believe, to see the full soteriological progression. Some of what I speak of, is recorded in the story of ‘the rich man and the beggar named Lazarus’ (See: Lk 16:19-31). Note in the story that Abraham is in charge of the ‘Paradise’ side of Sheol. This is not the abode of God or Heaven.

Now back to your question–when Jesus died on the cross, he went ‘down’ into Abraham Bosom or Paradise for three days. After he was resurrected, he spoke to Mary in the garden (John 20:17), and then ascended to his Father in Heaven. Therefore, the two accounts are not contradictory. One of the earliest Christian creeds–”The Apostles Creed”, which is said to preserve some ‘Apostolic’ traditions, records this progression of events:

…He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the lower world. (‘inferna’)

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into Heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I add the following at no extra charge!–To complete the eschatological picture. According to early ‘Apostolic’ tradition–Jesus also returned to Abrahams Bosom/Paradise and led the righteous believers into Heaven where they now reside with him. Now when ‘believers’ die today, they immediately ascend into the presence of the Lord Jesus in Heaven (See: II Cor. 5:8). At the Second Coming, believers will come back to earth with Jesus, and live & reign with him. Later comes the Final Judgment and our final assignments–the wicked to ‘Gehenna’ or ‘outer darkness’, and the believers to ‘a new creation’–an eternal abode with God (See: Rev. 20:5).

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