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CONGRUITIES AND INCONGRUITIES BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND THE QUR'AN |
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In the New Testament the afterlife consists of Grave, Judgment, hell and paradise.
« And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;»(Luke 16/22)
« There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. »(Luke16/19-26)
Death is not an end, it is the beginning of the eternal life. Beyond the grave, the souls await the day of Judgment on which they will resume their former bodies and be resurrected to stand trial. The evil doers will go to hell and those who have been favored by god to paradise.« Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.»
DOOMSDAY
The end of the world, the time when the dead will be raised from their tombs and stand trial.
The Second Coming is believed by the Christians to be the Doomsday.
« And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.» (Luke 21/8,28)
Doomsday
« Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: »(Matthew 24/29)
This description has their parallel in other gospels and in the Qur'an.
Resurrection
« Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.» (John 5/28,29)
« And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.» (Acts 24/15)
« And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.» (Luke 14/14)
Lord Messiah will judge nations
« When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:» (Matthew 25/31)
« And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. »(Matthew 25/46)
« For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.» (2 Corinthians 5/10)
In the Gospel of John there are two different teachings regarding the judgment.
1) « For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: »(John 5/21,22)
2) « He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. »(John 12/48)
HELL
The place that evildoers shall go after judgment.
Eternal punishment
« Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: »(Matthew 25/41)
Either recompense or punishment will be the lot of man. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Fire and Brimstone
« The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.» (Revelation 14/10-11)
« And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death».(Revelation 20/10-14)
Furnace of Fire
« The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. »(Matthew 13/41-42)
« And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:» (Mark 9/45)
« For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. »(Mark 9/49)
Purgatory
Purgatory is an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification; specifically : a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God's grace may expiate venial sins or satisfy divine justice for the temporal punishment still due to remitted mortal sin. As there is no mention of it in the New Testament in Orthodox and Protestant Christianity, purgatory does not exist.
PARADISE
It is a place or state in which the souls of the righteous after death enjoy eternal bliss.
You will be with me in paradise.
« And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. »(Luke 23/43)
After the final judgment some people will go to paradise and some to hell. Paradise is the place whose inmates shall be the Christians only. Because men are saved only if hey believe in Christ. « That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. »(Romans 10/9-10)
« The inmates of the paradise will experience eternal bliss with Christ among them. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.»(Revelation 21/3,4)
Age of the inmates
« Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. » (Philippians 3/21) Jesus Christ had received revelation when he was about thirty years old and had departed this life when he was thirty five. The period 30-35 in one's lifetime is generally accepted the age of physical maturity. Christian thinkers believe that God will give the inmates of the paradise such an age.
Marriage in Paradise
There is no such attachment in the paradise, nor shall there be death. Human beings shall be like angels. « And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.»
AFTERLIFE IN THE QUR'AN