Immortality or Resurrection by William West (philippa perry book txt) 📕

it was a vision. "Tell the VISION to no man" [Matthew 17:9]. Moses and Elijah ("Elias" in the King James Version) were seen with Christ and then were gone, leaving only Christ. Vision [Greek-horama] is used in the New Testament twelve times, and in the King James Version it is always translated "vision" except in Acts 7:31 where it is translated "the sight." This is not the Greek word "optasia" that is translated "vision" in 2 Corinthians 12:1.
1. "Tell the VISION [Greek-horama] to no man" Matthew 17:9
2. "He wondered at the SIGHT [Greek-horama]" Acts 7:31
3. "To him said the Lord in a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 9:10
4 "And has seen in a VISION [Greek-horama] a man" Acts 9:12
5 "He saw in a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 10:3
6 "What this VISION [Greek-horama] which he had seen might mean" Acts 10:17
7 "While Peter thought on the VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 10:19
8 "And in a trance I saw a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 11:5
9 "But thought he was seeing a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 12:9
10 "A VISION [Greek-horama] appeared to Paul in the night" Acts 16:9
11 "And after he had seen the VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 16:10
12 "To Paul in the night by a VISION [Greek-horama]" Acts 18:9
If this were a vision, no argument can be taken from it for the existence of disembodied souls for Moses and Elijah were only seen in a vision. Those who believe in unconditional immortality MUST reinterpret this into bringing a soul that was alive in Heaven and came back from Heaven to earth, and that Moses had ascended to Heaven despite the fact that Christ said no man had. They must say to Christ, "No it is not a vision of Moses, but the real Moses back from Heaven where he has been with You alive from his death." It is not said or implied that Moses was in Heaven and came back to earth, or that he was alive. We are told that this was a vision. "Tell the vision to no man" [Matthew 17:9].T being a vision proves they were not called back from Heaven; it does not prove that there was an immaterial, invisible part of them that is now alive anywhere; if Moses and Elijah were alive and in Heaven Christ could not have been the first fruits.
A RESURRECTION: If Moses and Elijah were really there, then Matthew was wrong when he called it a vision. If it were a resurrection, it was a resurrection like Lazarus and other resurrections in the Bible and proved Moses was dead, not alive and had to be resurrected to be there. If Moses were alive and immortal, he would have been brought back from Heaven; he would not have needed to be raised from the dead. For this passage to teach a person now has an "immaterial, invisible part of man" it must be proved that this was not a vision or a resurrection of the dead, but a bringing back of the living Moses from Heaven. Would the apostles be able to see an "immaterial, invisible" disembodied spirits that had no human body? It had to be a vision or a resurrection for the apostles to be able to see them. If they were alive in the flesh, they had to be brought back from the dead just as Lazarus and others were. All resurrections in the Bible, other than of Christ, were only temporary, and those who were raised from the dead did not put on immortality, as those in Christ will at the resurrection [1 Corinthians 15:50-54]. Just as Lazarus was brought back in his earthly body to a mortal life, they were resurrected back to a mortal life and still in a mortal body and were not like the resurrection of Christ, or like the resurrection of the saved at the coming of Christ. They were all raised mortals subject to death and all died again. Not one of them is still alive today. Not one of them was raised immortal. In any of these temporary resurrections, not one thing is said about what will be after our death or after the resurrection. If God raised one or ten thousand back to an earthly body, it does not effect the resurrection of all at the coming of Christ and would not in any way prove a person is now mortal or immortal. These earthly resurrections of mortal bodies say nothing about the resurrection at the coming of Christ when the saved will put on immortality. From the resurrections of Lazarus and others back to the mortal earthly body if there were no other revelation about the resurrection we would not know anything about those in Christ that are going to be raised immortal on the Resurrection Day.
Summary: Either way, if the transfiguration were a resurrection or a vision, it does not prove that a person is now mortal or immortal. The reason for this vision or resurrection was to show that we are not to hear the law and the prophets, but to "hear you him." Christ is now the one who has "All authority" [Matthew 28:18]. If any of the resurrections in the Old or New Testament were a resurrection to immortality, Christ could not have been "the first-fruits of them that are asleep" [1 Corinthians 15:20-23]. How can death be changed to life in Heaven without a resurrection?
[8]. GOD WILL BRING WITH CHRIST 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
This is often used to prove those who have died are now in Heaven, and Christ will bring them back when He comes for the judgment. This passage is about the resurrection at the coming of Christ, and it like those that says not a word about an "immaterial, invisible part of man" that is now alive before the resurrection and it says nothing about a place called Hell. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that fallen asleep [are dead] in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede [go before] them that are fallen asleep."
There are three point in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
1. The second coming of Christ: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.”
2. The resurrection of the dead in Christ: The dead in Christ shall rise, be resurrected first, not those who are alive in Heaven or any other place returning to earth.
3. Those who will be living when Christ returns: then we that are alive at the time Christ descends, “that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17]. Both the dead in Christ and those who are alive when He comes shall together be caught up from the earth to the clouds. Not as some say, that we that are alive shall be caught up to meet Christ and those He is to bring from Heaven with Him.
This passage is a plain statement that there will be a resurrection, and it is opposed to the theory that no one is really dead. Both cannot be true. It is clearly said that they “are asleep” not awake in Heaven. “And I will raise him up at the last day” [John 6:40].
"The dead in Christ shall rise first." Those who are asleep will wake up first. How could they wake up if they are not asleep? How could they rise from the dead if they are not dead and how could they meet the Lord in the air if they were coming with Him from Heaven? Paul says nothing about immortal souls, but persons.
1. Persons “who are asleep in Christ"
2. And persons “that are alive" when Christ comes.
Those who believe we have an "immaterial, invisible part of man" that is now immortal take the resurrection out of this passage and makes it be about:
1. Those who are now alive (not asleep) in Heaven with Christ shall come with Him.
2. And "we that are alive" when Christ comes shall meet them in the air. There will be no resurrection for no one is dead. If you believe in an immortal soul there is no reason for a resurrection and no room for it.
"In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto Myself that whereI am, there you may be also" [John 14:2-3]. Those who teach we have a soul that goes directly to Heaven at death believe that souls are now in the place where Christ has gone to prepare before He comes to receive them and have made the coming of Christ, the resurrection, and the judgment useless. Those who preach at funerals often say our loved ones are now with the Lord in Heaven. This is a contradiction of Paul's detailed account of what will happen at the resurrection.
Two views:
1. The dead in Christ are now in Heaven and God will bring them back to earth with Christ.
2. God will bring those who have fallen asleep in Christ with Christ when He returns to Heaven after the judgment.
The first view makes many problems.
• At the time Paul wrote this the dead Christians were "asleep in Christ," not in Heaven. "Concerning them that fall asleep...even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus" [1 Thessalonians 4:13-14]. "Then they also that fallen asleep in Christ have perished" [1 Corinthians 15:18]. There would be no need to sorrow for the dead in Christ if they are alive in Heaven; they should have been rejoicing for their loved ones would be in a much better place and be with Jesus. The fact that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished if there is no resurrection clearly states that they are not in Heaven before the resurrection, that life after death is completely dependent on the resurrection and that no one will be alive in Heaven before the resurrection of the dead. Many gospel preachers who say they speak only where the Bible speaks and are silent where it is silent, when they teach the dead in Christ are now in Heaven clearly are speaking the opposite of the Bible. “In Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then they that are Christ’s at his coming” [1 Corinthians 15:22-23]. The victory over death is not instantly at death [1 Corinthians 15:54] but at the resurrection of the dead. The “dead in Christ” shall rise at the coming of Christ, not at death. [1 Thessalonians 4:16].
• When "those who are asleep" is used to prove a person has an immortal soul, then it would prove the immortal soul is asleep, and they prove "soul sleeping," which they falsely accuse those of believing who do not believe a person has an immaterial invisible something. It is the whole person, not just an immaterial something in the person that is asleep unto the waking up at the Resurrection.
• THE DEATH OF LAZARUS: In John 11 is the account of the death of Lazarus and his restoration to life on this earth. When Jesus arrived, the sister of