WHY THE DEAD PRAYS FOR THE LIVING

Many people are of the view that there is no connection between the living and the dead or that the departed souls do not have any say in the lives of the living. Even more serious is the notion by some that there is no life after death. But this is a fallacy and untrue according to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 16:19-31. Citing the story of the rich man, also known as Dives and the poor man Lazarus, our Lord makes an allusion to the fact that in Hell the rich man pleaded for Abraham to send Lazarus from the dead to his father’s house to warn his five brothers about the realities of hell. According to some theologians, this parable was actually a true event that happened due to the mentioning of at least the name of the poor man. But whether it is true or not, what matters most is the one narrating the story, Jesus. If anybody knows heaven and hell better, it is Him. He therefore tells us this story to affirm the reality of heaven or paradise and hell. But what lessons can we learn from this story?

The Realities of Life After Death in Either Heaven or Hell

From this passage we discover the true realities of life after death. Both Lazarus and Dives once lived on this earth just as we are living here today. Both died physically but not spiritually. They were no longer in their earthly bodies but in the soul body. In Ecclesiastes 12:7 we learn that at death the body returns to the earth that it was and the spirit returns to God who gave it. The reality of man’s life is that he is a spirit, have a soul, and lives in a body which is temporal. According to John 4:24, God is a spirit and man having been created in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26, 27), will live forever beyond his time in this physical world. At death, it is only our earthly container which is the body that we shed but we become even more alive than dead. The real deal at death therefore is where one goes to spend all of his or her eternity.

Hebrews 9:27, makes us to understand that it is appointed for man to die once and after that the judgement. Whiles death takes us out of this physical life, judgement takes us to our eternal homes. But what home is there and where are these places? When one breaths his last on this side called time, he walks into the next to be in either heaven with God forever or hell to be absent from God forever. Heaven is gloriously indescribable based on scriptures and the experiences of people who have seen it but hell is a sharp contrast of that.

Hell

- Hell is variously known as Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, Tartaroo or Abyss.

- It is the grave or the place of the dead or the underworld.

- It is the abode for the dead. A place of eternal punishment for the unrighteous.

- It is a place of fire (Matthew 5:22)

- It is a place full of worms that never dies and the fire is not quench (Mark 9:46,48)

- It is a place of outer darkness, furnace of fire full of wailing, weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; 13:42)

- It’s a lake of fire burning with brimstone (Revelation 21:8)

All those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into hell to be tormented day and night forever, according to Revelation 20:15 and 21:27.

From Jesus’ narrative, we witness that the rich man who is carried down to hell finds himself in constant torment in hell’s flame, craves for just a dip of water to quench his thirst and cries for mercy from his suffering. His state was a sharp contrast of his life on earth.

The Prayer of the Dead for You

Luke 16:27 captures perfectly the prayer of the dead in hell. What is the most important thing for Dives in the midst of his intense suffering? This is what he converts into prayer for Abraham to act upon – to send Lazarus from the dead to go to his father’s house to warn his five living brothers about the realities of hell, its unending tormenting nature and the need for them to repent and not to repeat his mistake. But Abraham responds that it is impossible to do so because they will still not believe. Moreover these five brothers on earth had Moses and the prophets to listen to just as we have them today.

Can you hear that man’s prayer for his family living on earth? Can you hear same from your dead relatives and friends for you too? Can you hear their cry? Think about it for a moment. Somebody is calling on God to send someone from the dead to come to warn you about the reality of hell. But like Abraham retorted, no one will come from the dead to warn us about outer darkness but the evangelist, the pastor and other ministers of the gospel who are constantly preaching to warn people of judgement. The sad reality is that Christ has been raised from the dead and still men are not persuaded about the reality of hell and of life in the intermediate state, all of which Christ confirmed after coming back from the dead (Revelation 1:18; 2:11; 6:8-11 etc.).

Hell is out of fashion today, but it is not out of business! Just because we don’t like the idea of hell doesn’t mean that it does not exist. Many people say they don’t believe hell exists. But remember: it doesn’t matter what we believe. It matters what is true. Unbelief doesn’t change reality.

Remember that the dead in hell were once like us and we will one day be like them, that is dead but more alive than dead. The question then becomes, WHERE? As John Tillotson says, “he who provides for this life but takes no care for eternity is wise for a moment but a fool forever.”

In the words of Mark Cahill, since we are all part of the ultimate statistic that ten of ten people die, where we go when we die, and who will be there with us are things we all should think about. Death is sudden. Death is uninvited. Death is certain. We don’t put “Death” on our planners, but one day it just shows up. It is a journey from which there is no return. Dr Maurice Rawlings an expect in Near Death Experience studies, in his book, Beyond Death’s Door notes, “there is life after death and if I don’t know where I am going, it’s not safe to die.”

Brothers and sisters, someone may be praying for you now from the flames of hell, shouting your name. They are calling for you to be saved if you are not saved. Listen to their pain and anguish not just for them but also with you in mind. A man who spent 23 minutes in hell reports of seeing his relative in the flames of fire who was shouting out at him to go back. To quote him, the relative shouted, “Hey! What are you doing here? Go back! Go back! No one comes here and return, go back please!”

Listen and Act Now

Please heed to the pleading of the dead on your behalf. Because of their experience in hell they mean well for you. As our popular adage goes, advice changes nobody but experience. But hell shouldn’t be one of those place you want to risk to experience and change your mind later. Your judgement is set once you take your last breath. After you die, you cannot change your sternal destination. You have a one-way ticket to eternity. An anonymous writer once urged, “Live everyday as if it were your last and someday you’ll be right.” It is best that you decide now according to 2 Corinthians 6:2. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, today is the day of salvation. Note that indecision is an answer.

“Listen for one moment to the ticking of the clock! It is the beating on the pulse of eternity. It is the footstep of death pursuing you. Each time the clock ticks, death’s footsteps are falling on the ground close behind you!” – C.H. Spurgeon

God’s final warning and answer to men in all ages: men are required to believe and obey the Bible or be damned (Mark 16:16). What is your response today to those praying for you on the other side? Will you take heed and repent today and turn your life over to God or would you share in their fate? The wisest person is the one who lives daily as if it was their last. This person will be ready at all times when death comes knocking. He takes his destiny into his hands by accepting Christ Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Please act now to save your soul forever.

If desire to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, please pray the following prayer of faith believing in your heart.

Dear Father, I accept that I am a sinner and you alone can save me and set me free from sin. Please wash me with the blood of Your Dear Son Jesus Christ and make me whole again. Please come into my heart and be my Lord, Master and personal Saviour and write my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

If you prayed this prayer, you have moved from death to life but you need to live every day for Jesus until the end of your life. Find a good Church to attend, read the Bible daily, pray and be a doer of the Word. Thank you and God richly bless you in all you do.

Prince E. Opare