Ok, a serious Bible question. Can you help me?

Question

I'm Catholic and from what I've heard all people that die stay dead until the day of judgement (Armageddon). In the final day all people will be judged and all the dead people will rise from the ground to be judge also. Is this correct? If this is true then we could assume that no one is in heaven or hell, and that the so called spirits of the dead are actually minions of the Devil (I've read that too). I don't know maybe I got things a bit mix because not too long ago I was getting teachings from Jehova's Wintess.

Spirits of the dead, well the Devil's minions try to emulate the voice and appearence from the dead people as a means of communicating with the the people of earth. He wants people to practise things that are against God, like future telling, ghost talking, tarot, etc.

Answer 1

LIke... WHATEVER!

P.S. I'm serious too/

Answer 2

According to the Bible, there are specific people who were taken to heaven immediately. I believe that these are the "saints" that are referred to in Revelations. The rest of us will remain "dead" until the day Jesus resurrects us. Depending on your particular religion, the resurrection will take place before the last days, others believe it will be during what is called by some as the "tribulation" and still others believe it will come after the final battle with Satan has been won. As to spirits, I don't think I have ever heard them referred to the "minions of the devil". We all have a spirit (soul) so I think it is entirely possible that the "spirit" could somehow be floating around somewhere. I don't see the Bible giving a clear answer about this question. The only thing that all Christians should know is that "God is In Charge" and whatever happens will be the way he planned it. God Bless.

Answer 3

Stil to Scriptures, Don't believe what any "man" (human) will tell you.

The Bible says this...

Daniels 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

The dead are waiting for Jesus, Judgement. Some will awake to life, and others to a "second death". Hell is on earth. This is where the "Great Fire" will be. Jesus will save the living who follow him, and he will resurrect the righteous to life. We will all change bodies, the living and the dead.

READ:
1Thessalonians 4:14-15 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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.

SECOND DEATH:
Revelations 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Luke 12:49
"I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!


2 Peters 3:10-12 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Psalms 11:6
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

...And that is what we should believe.

Answer 4

Heb 12:14 strive for that holiness w/o which can not see God
Rev 21:17 nothing unclean shall enter heaven
1 Jn 5:16-17 degrees of sins distinguished
Jam 1:14-15 when sin reaches maturity gives birth to death
2 Sam 12:13-14 David, though forgiven, still punished for sin
Tob 12:12 angels offers prayers of the Holy Ones of God.

2 Tim 1:16-18 Saint Paul prays for dead friend Onesiphorus

Answer 5

I'm a Baptist and don't know what the JW believe, but you will go to Heaven or Hell when you die, there's no middle ground, ie purgatory and you don't become worm food. When the rapture happens ,our bodies will raise up and will become new. I help this helps. Honestly, the Catholics believe you lie dead in the ground? Your body is, but your soul leaves your earthy body. Just read the KJV Bible. I'm not trying to be rude, but where did you read that spirits are part of the devil's minions?

Answer 6

Its not only the JWs that believe "stay dead" until judgement day... many Christians believe this. Biblically, its true, no one is in Hell yet as that is the 2nd resurrection. The first ressurrection are the dead in Christ who are judged righteously.(Rev 7) The 2nd ressurrection happens after Christ's 1000 yr reign, those people are cast into the lake of fire along with Satan, the Beast and the False Prophet (See Revelation 19 all the way to 22 (Apocolypse in the Catholic Bible)

Answer 7

Until Judgement Day, is when the promise of Heaven or Hell will become real. The first part of your question is correct. The spirits of the devil is a different story. Pretty sure , that you are containing two different stories. The first one is correct.

Answer 8

Here is my opinion.

When we die we leave this physical world and we enter a spiritual world.

Here in the physical world, life (and everything else) is subject to time.

In the spiritual world, time has no meaning. The spiritual world is not controled by or subject to time. Therefore, to say those who are dead are waiting for the judgement is to try to make the spiritual world subject to the limits of time.

This is hard for us to understand since everything we have ever seen, felt, or experienced is controlled by time. Such is not the case when we enter into the world of the dead. In the afterlife, there shall be time no longer.

Certain things about the afterlife are described with words that have reference to time (like the word "longer" in the pervious sentence), but I believe these are used because that is the only thing we can understand and that is the best way to describe it within this limit to our understanding. One song says "when we've been there ten thousand years...", but in heaven time has no meaning.

Answer 9

I am of another faith. And I don't want you to think that i am "converting" you or anything but, your catholic religious question is not quite correct. When we die we will go up to heaven and be in a place like heaven or "he11" but it won't be the real thing. Then when we have the second coming or "armegeddon" all of the rightous(sp?) will come back down to earth or sumthin of that sort and we will be jugded. Then we will be judged into a kingdom-according to our works on earth.(celestial, terestial, telestial, and outer darkness.)
I don't get what you are saying about the devil so i can't answer that.
This isn't the exact way that it will happen but i have to think fast!
Don't think that i am being all preachy and if i am don't take it personally-just let it go and i apologize again!
Ps. Read the book of mormon! It will help!
Good Luck!

Answer 10

Hi. You bring up a number of points. I will address one or two. As far as the idea of HELL, in the commonly used sense, where it is seen as a place of eternal torment. This is not a realistic Christian concept. We as Christians know Jehovah to be almost a parent, think about it people often refer to him as Father. No loving Father would ever be able to eternally punish his child for some wrongdoings. Case in point. Your son breaks a rule, he needs punishment. You might decide to spank him, would you spank him for centuries over a crime. No. Just as no father would punish so extremely, Jehovah is a Just god. The punishment must fit the crime. When we die we are concious of nothing. (Yes, we do believe that 144,000 will be/are in heaven, but that is for another time) When the time comes for the end of this system Jehovah will decide who will be allowed to live in paradise and who will not. Those who are not brought back to live in paradise will simply not exist. No need to torment them. They will have lost the most precious gift.

Answer 11

I think of what Jesus said about it...


Luke: 16:22-31
"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Also with the thief on the cross, Jesus said today he will be there in paradise. So that leads me to believe there is a current state (heaven and hell as it is now) then there will be the second death, when death and hades and the devils are cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20).

Also read these...
Matthew 8:29, when the demons spoke to Jesus, they talked about a time for torment.
and Matthew 12:43 talks about what happens to unclean spirits when they come out of someone. They pass through waterless places, seeking rest, but find none.

Also the old testament says you should not speak to spirits of the dead or consult people who do... Leviticus 20:6

As for people rising from the ground, yes that is correct. All will stand before God. But I would not assume that no one is in heaven or hell yet. I would seriously consider searching through the scriptures and finding out for yourself. That's what I've done, and it's amazing what you learn. Start with matthew and skim through looking for anything that has to do with judgement, hell, satan, etc. See what Jesus said concerning them. Then go to mark, and so on.

You can also look up those keywords on biblegateway, and then read the surrounding passages. Don't take things out of context.