Great Chasm Fixed

 Existentialism, a family of philosophies that seeks to define the meaning and purpose of life without considering life after death, is associated with several 19th- and 20th-century European philosophers who shared an emphasis on the human subject, despite their differences. Among the 19th-century figures now associated with existentialism are philosophers Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche, who criticized rationalism and concerned themselves with the problem of meaning. Mid-20th-century philosophers, including Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger, Albert Camus, and others, championed the position in more recent times.

Existentialist philosophy encompasses a range of perspectives, but it shares certain underlying concepts. Among these is the idea that personal freedom, individual responsibility, and deliberate choice are essential to the pursuit of self-discovery and to determining life's meaning. Although these varying philosophies have evolved over recent times, they have still found a home in various forms in Western societies, which emphasize human life apart from strong considerations of God and life after death. George Barna recently shared that current polling finds only 4% of Americans have a biblical worldview. Without a biblical view, even believers question the existence of heaven and hell.

Why should I fear in days of adversity, when the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, Even those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches? No man can by any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him—For the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever—That he should live on eternally [nesah – perpetually], that he should not undergo decay. For he sees that even wise men die; the stupid and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations; they have called their lands after their own names. But man, in his pomp, will not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the way of those who are foolish, and of those after them who approve their words. Selah. As sheep, they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd; and the upright shall rule over them in the morning, and their form shall be for Sheol to consume so that they have no habitation. But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah.     Psalm 49:5-15

The 49^th Psalm addresses the quality of life this side of Sheol, the subsequent habitation beyond death, and the one who views his current life as a prelude to the one the Lord has prepared once this life is over. The writer deals with the relationship between the two lives, before and after death, the latter determined by the righteous content of the former. But God will redeem my soul (the upright) from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. But for man in his pomp will not endure, but instead, perish, quality of life destroyed in the process. Death shall be their shepherd! The distance between these two habitations is a great chasm fixed.

Rich Man & Lazarus

In Luke 16, the physician and historian addresses the management of wealth and riches, contrasting it with the treatment of the poor and their implications in relation to God and eternity. Luke 16:11-13 summarizes the entire chapter: Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." The parable or story of the rich man and Lazarus contains lessons that Jesus was teaching His disciples, dealing with the treatment of the poor and its future implications for the Jew (and the Christian).

"Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom [paradise – Eden]; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades [the place of disembodied spirits before judgment] he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great [megas – great, large] chasm fixed [sterizo – stands fixed, impassible], so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'"             Luke 16:19-31

After an introduction of Lazarus and a rich man and their relationship in this life, the account follows the two into the land beyond the grave. In it, He adopts the familiar Rabbinical teaching as to Hades. He takes their own notions of it—angel bearers, Abraham's bosom, the two divisions in Hades, the separation, and yet communication, between them. These contrast Rabbinic perspectives rather than Christ's revelations. The truths which He wished to emphasize lie in the conversation between the rich man and Abraham, which also has its likeness in many Rabbinical legends. According to Alfred Edersheim, a clear explanation of these divisions is not available in Rabbinic writings:

“Again, it is consonant with what were the views of the Jews, that conversations could be held between dead persons, of which several legendary instances are given in the Talmud.   The torment, especially of thirst, of the wicked, is repeatedly mentioned in Jewish writings. Thus, in one place, the fable of Tantalus is apparently repeated. The righteous is seen beside delicious springs, and the wicked with his tongue parched at the brink of a river, the waves of which are constantly receding from him.  But there is this very marked and characteristic contrast, that in the Jewish legend the beatified is a Pharisee, while the sinner tormented with thirst is a Publican! Above all, and as marking the vast difference between Jewish ideas and Christ's teaching, we notice that there is no analogy in Rabbinic writings to the statement in the Parable, that there is a wide and impassable gulf between Paradise and Gehenna. “             

                             Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim

Prosperity of the Wicked

For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, and their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore, pride is their necklace; the garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; the imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; they speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue parades through the earth. Therefore, his people return to this place, and waters of abundance are drunk by them. They say, “How does God know? and is there knowledge with the Most High?” Behold, these are the wicked; and always at ease, they have increased in wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning.        Psalm 73:3-14

In particular, Psalm 73 considers the acceptance of the prosperity of the wicked in this life: the psalm speaks of the difficulties a Jew faces in accepting the apparent prosperity of the wicked without the Lord’s apparent retribution. The writer suggests that this is not the world of retribution; there is a future state where exact justice will be done and where all the inequalities of the present system will be corrected. In that future world, in eternity, there will be ample time and room to bring about exact justice to all. The idea in the psalm is that these things cannot be explained except on the supposition that there is a future state, and the psalm, therefore, is an argument for a future state of existence. The affairs of earth cannot be understood, and the character of God cannot be vindicated, except on that premise.

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again’ [anothen – from above]. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."                          John 3:5-8

The distance between those born of the Spirit and all others can be measured by the distance between two kingdoms. Colossians 1:13-14 tells us that, For He rescued us from the domain [kingdom] of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. That determination does not depend on human effort, but instead, a moment in time when a believer exercises his faith in who Jesus is and what He accomplished. That distance cannot be measured in human terms; it is immeasurable.

David recognizes in Psalm 16:5-6 that the kingdom becomes real when the Lord is his portion: The Lord is the portion [menat – a part or share] of my inheritance and my cup [kos – the cup that I drink]; You support my lot [goral – apportioning]. The [boundary] lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.    David compared the LORD to a portion allotted to him by inheritance. The Lord was all he needed to satisfy his heart in life. Besides his portion and his cup, the Lord had assigned him a delightful inheritance. The boundary lines speak of portions of land measured by line and distributed by lot. In other words, he compared God's blessings to the best inheritance a person could receive. David has been given a full life. Jesus defined it as abundant life (John 10:10).

The Nearness of God

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion [share] forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.                           Psalm 73:26-28

How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You to dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.                    Psalm 65:4

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.                           Psalm 84:10

The great chasm fixed, the distance between Hades (Gehenna) and Abraham’s bosom, cannot be measured in physical terms. Jesus told Thomas in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” The road trip is not a pathway, but a person. When the Lord becomes the strength of a believer’s heart and his portion forever, then Asaph testifies that the nearness of God is my good. Yahweh Adonai (the Lord God) has become a refuge.

David spoke of his priority for life in Psalm 27:4, One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. When the Lord’s presence is his focus, represented by His temple, sanctuary, house, or courts, the goodness of God and His beauty are in clear view. Yahweh’s greatness is manifested in His presence.  

Prophetic Word Made More Sure

For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased"— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. So, we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.       Peter 1:16-19

In recounting his experience with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter was more impressed by what he heard than what he saw on that sacred mountain. The voice that came from heaven, the Father’s voice, called the Majestic Glory, spoke approvingly of the Son and told the disciples to listen to Jesus, in contrast to Moses and Elijah (the Law and the Prophets).

The prophetic word, the word of the prophets, is confirmed, made more sure (certain) in the person and words of Jesus, who is the Logos, the Word of God. Both the prophets and the transfiguration pointed to Jesus's kingdom on earth. In an exhortation, Peter told how to derive meaning from God's Word: pay attention to it. As a Light, God's written Word has validity and authority. In today's experience-oriented societies, many people, including Christians, seek to determine or assess truth by the particular way God has worked in their own lives. But for Peter, the splendor of his experience faded as he spoke of the surety of the written revelation of the prophets.

The believer experiences the personal life of the Son of God as he focuses his attention on the Word of God, a firm foundation. This foundation connects him to his future home in heaven as a source of strength and encouragement despite the many trials faced by all of His followers.

How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said—

To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

 

“Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.

 

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;

For I will be with thee thy trouble to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

 

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not harm thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

 

“The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose,

I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no never, no never forsake."