gotime-
Would you further clarify SDA teaching about the pre-Incarnate nature of Jesus Christ as the Son?
And would you address the SDA teachings about the afterlife regarding Conditional Immortality and Annihilationism, especially relative to Soul Sleep?
Thank you, and I will remain respectful and gracious.
And would you address the SDA teachings about the afterlife regarding Conditional Immortality and Annihilationism, especially relative to Soul Sleep?
This question is not one easily answered in a short post. But I will do as I did with the last question. I will not endeavor to prove every aspect but rather tell you what we believe with some verses. What I mean by this is that while there is much more I could say I will keep it short and simple.
When Adam and Eve sinned God did and said this:
Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Because of their disobedience to God they were told they would Die.
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Thus they only had death over them when they sinned. So clearly eternal life from the start was based on obedience to God.
Nothing has changed.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Notice sin leads to death and Jesus gives life. And again:
Pro 19:16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
Eze 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Sin leads to death.
Paul understood that there was only two options:
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
We either obey God and live through Christ or we obey sin and die.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Anyway I think you get the point, immortality is conditional on Jesus blood and obedience to God.
As for Hell it is simply called in Revelation:
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Remember the soul that sinneth will die. The wages of sin is death and so on. The lake of fire is where the second death comes into play.
Now soul sleep notice these words of Jesus.
Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
so how is this so? We know the wages of sin is death and those who follow Christ shall not die. Thus there must be at least two different types of death.
We know that there is the judgment of the wicked which is an eternal death while we also have a death that is a consequence of sin. The natural death.
This death is likened to sleep by Christ for those who are saved. Why? Because its not eternal. Just as we sleep we wake up. So shall those who die in Christ.
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.
Joh 11:15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
Here Jesus says that Lazarus is sleeping but in reality he was dead.
1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Anyway you get the point I’m sure.
Of the dead it is said.
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Peter also said of King David.
Act 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Act 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Act 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
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.
Peter is arguing that the prophecy was not concerning David because he never rose and is dead in his grave to this day. Yet Jesus has risen.
Anyway that is the short of it. Tried to keep it short. If there are any questions then feel free to ask. There is much more concerning all three of these topics. Blessings