Beyond Heaven and Earth

by Steven H. Propp

  “Well, it’s a relief to hear that not all evangelicals think the same thing,” Jobran said, with a smile.

  Robbie looked cautiously back at the church, then said, “Actually, I’m one of those evangelicals—such as Chuck Colson, Bill Bright, and James Packer—who believes that Evangelicals and Roman Catholics do have a ‘common mission.’ We have so many beliefs that we share, in terms of being pro-Life, pro-Family, and opposing the secularizing trends in society.” He paused, then continued, “And personally, there is so much beautiful sacred music that is centered in the Roman Catholic tradition—Bach’s B Minor Mass and the two Passions; Mozart, Schubert, Haydn, Beethoven, Liszt, Bruckner—I can’t even imagine life without these inspirational, God-uplifting works.” And, in a conspiratorial voice, he added, “And actually, I happen to love the writings of some Roman Catholics that I read in Bible College—outside of class, of course—such as Thomas à Kempis’ book, The Imitation of Christ, and Brother Lawrence’s book, The Practice of the Presence of God.” He made a gesture of dismissal, and added, “Although I regard many Roman Catholic practices—kneeling before statues, reciting the Rosary, praying for the dead, and so on—as a lot of unbiblical nonsense, I think that people like Kempis and Brother Lawrence really had a genuine love for Jesus, and I believe that right now they are in Heaven.”

  Interested, Jobran said, “So in your understanding, there’s a chance for my wife after all?”

  Robbie replied, “Acts 16:31 says, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your house.’ I believe that God may make providence, in his own way, for our spouses and our children.” With a serious expression, he added, “While I obviously can’t be certain, I definitely would hold out the hope that your wife was saved, and that you will see her in Heaven.”

  “In your understanding, will husbands be reunited with their wives in Heaven?” Jobran asked.

  Robbie looked thoughtful, then said, “The Bible says ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes’ in Heaven.’ (Rev 21:4) To me, that means that we must be given whatever we need to make us truly happy. For most of us—who love our wives and children with all of our hearts—Heaven could scarcely be a ‘happy’ place for us without the love of our families. So, while I’m not sure that our married condition will continue in exactly the same kind of ‘physical’ manner it was here on earth—remember what Jesus said about us being like the angels in Heaven—I personally believe that in Heaven we will be reunited not only with our spouses and children, but with all of our other loved ones: Parents, siblings, and so on.”

  “Well, that’s certainly more encouraging than the news I got from your pastor,” Jobran said, with a relieved laugh. Then, in an earnest tone, he added, “So you don’t accept your pastor’s teachings about Hell? What about all the passages where Jesus talks about the ‘worm never dying,’ and the ‘fire never going out’?”

  Firmly, Robbie replied, “I believe the Bible, and I know that what the Bible says is true.” In a carefully measured voice, he continued, “The Bible tells us that there is an ‘unforgivable sin’; Matthew 12:31 says that ‘All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.’ The Book of Revelation also says in chapters 14 and 20 that at least some beings will be ‘tormented day and night for ever and ever.’ So I think that it certainly is possible biblically to receive eternal damnation.” He gave a small laugh, then added, “I just don’t think there will be as many individuals in Hell as our Pastor thinks.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, but doesn’t that go against what the Bible says?”

  “On the contrary, I think that this is exactly what the Bible does say!” Robbie shot back immediately. “Namely, that God has already done the work through Jesus to save us all—starting with aborted babies, children who die before the age of accountability, people with mental retardation who cannot understand the gospel, but continuing right on through with the rest of us. However, I also believe that we can consciously and willfully reject God’s grace; and if we do that, the penalty is eternal separation from God.”

  “Is ‘Eternal separation’ the same thing as damnation?” Jobran asked. “That is, the fiery torment that goes on forever and ever?”

  Robbie looked troubled, and thought briefly before replying, “Well, C.S. Lewis in his book The Problem of Pain convinced me that people are in Hell because of their own choice—’the doors of hell are locked on the inside,’ he said—but he also suggested that Hell doesn’t necessarily mean that beings are undergoing conscious personal torment for an endless duration. I also agree with the theologians who say that even though God’s punishment is eternal, this condition of ‘eternal damnation’ can be satisfied by unbelievers being eternally excluded from Heaven, and from God’s grace.” Robbie looked thoughtful, then added, “Or some theologians have even suggested that the unregenerate might be destroyed, rather than be eternally punished.”

  Jobran looked interested, and immediately asked, “So you are open to the possibility of the doctrine of annihilation of the wicked, like the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe?”

  “No!” Robbie exclaimed, immediately. “The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a non-Christian cult that teaches a number of heretical doctrines; they reject the doctrine of the Trinity, for example. In fact, our church just finished presenting a series of films on the major non-Christian cults, including the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. No, what I’m telling you about has absolutely nothing to do with their incorrect ideas.”

  “My mistake; I just detected what I thought was a theological point of agreement,” Jobran said, apologetically. “Now, you told me earlier that although Seventh-Day Adventists have some doctrines you disagree with, you think they can be saved, right?”

  “Absolutely,” Robbie replied. “Their reliance on prophecies coming from Ellen G. White, the doctrine of the ‘Investigative Judgment,’ and their insistence that Christians today should keep the Jewish Sabbath are all wrong and unbiblical. Nevertheless, as far as the basic doctrines go, they are clearly Christian. And they seem to have moved away from some of Mrs. White’s teachings in recent years, and more towards what the Bible itself says.”

  “Whereas you think that the Jehovah’s Witnesses—who deny the doctrine of the Trinity—are ‘cultists’ and are not saved, right?” Robbie nodded his head, and Jobran continued, “But why should belief in the Trinity be such a critical point? Quite frankly, I think that the vast majority of traditional Christians—the lay people, not the theologians—would be unable to give an adequate definition or explanation of the Trinity. If you’re holding the Jehovah’s Witnesses responsible for having correct beliefs, doesn’t that make belief a ‘work’ which is then necessary for salvation?”

  Robbie threw up his hands, and said, “Who knows for sure? Fortunately, the eternal destinies of the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are not up to me, they’re up to God; He’s much more qualified for the job than I am. And I for one am satisfied to leave things in his hands, in this area.” Then, with renewed enthusiasm, Robbie added, “After all, we’re in the Last Days now; soon, the ‘Rapture’ will take place, and Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses will be among those left behind. Maybe this experience will make them finally see the truth, and they will turn and be glorious witnesses for God during the Tribulation. Of course, they’ll have to live through seven years of Tribulation, as well as the reign of the Antichrist on Earth, before…”

  Jobran cut him short, saying, “Wait a minute: by ‘Rapture,’ ‘Tribulation,’ and ‘Antichrist,’ you mean the kind of thing that Hal Lindsey wrote about?”

  “Absolutely!” replied Robbie, with enthusiasm. “You’ve read him?”

  “When I was in high school,” Jobran replied. “But didn’t he predict that Jesus was supposed to come not l
ater than 40 years—the length of a ‘biblical generation,’ according to him—after Israel became a nation in 1948? And wasn’t the Rapture supposed to happen not later than seven years before that?” Robbie did-n’t reply, so Jobran continued, “Isn’t that why one of his books was called, The 1980’s: Countdown to Armageddon? Plus, didn’t he fail to predict the collapse of the Soviet Union, and didn’t he think that the European Economic Community would only have 10 members?”

  Robbie looked embarrassed, and said, “Well…I guess he did go a little bit overboard, in some of his earlier books.” Then with renewed enthusiasm, he added, “But he’s written a lot of books since then, where he explains that a biblical ‘generation’ can be anywhere from 40 to 100 years, and that it’s the recapture of Jerusalem in 1967 that is the key prophetic event, and not the establishment of the State of Israel…”

  “In which case the Second Coming should occur by 2007, and the Rapture should have taken place not later than the year 2000,” Jobran finished. “Obviously, it didn’t.”

  Robbie was blushing, but added quickly, “Well, if a generation is 70 years, then the Rapture may not happen until…let’s see, 2030…. Anyway, I don’t know why we’re talking about Hal Lindsey so much; most of us are relying more on the ‘Left Behind’ books these days, and…”

  Jobran suddenly interrupted, and said, “I’ve got to be going,” and extended his hand—which Robbie shook warmly. Jobran said, “Thanks for your time, and for clarifying that your Pastor doesn’t speak for all evangelicals.”

  “You’re welcome back anytime,” Robbie said. “And if you don’t like this church, there are lots of other Spirit-filled churches that preach the Bible; just don’t give up searching!”

  Then Jobran headed back toward the street, thinking, At this point, giving up searching is about the last thing I’m going to be able to do…

  10

  “YE ARE MY WITNESSES” (Isaiah 43:10)

  “…but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” (Exodus 6:3)

  Jobran arrived home from work Saturday morning after walking from the bus stop, when he saw a very well-dressed middle-aged caucasian man and young black man holding leather briefcases standing on his doorstep, knocking lightly on the door.

  “Can I help you?” Jobran asked.

  They looked startled at hearing the voice behind them. When they saw Jobran, they smiled.

  “Good morning, sir,” said the older man. “Do you live here?”

  “I do.”

  “We weren’t sure if anyone lived back here or not,” the younger man said, in a friendly voice.

  “If you call this living,” Jobran said with a laugh. “What can I do for you?”

  The younger man handed Jobran two small pamphlet-sized magazines, one called Awake! and the other The Watchtower: Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. “We’d like to leave these magazines with you; I think you’d be very interested in reading them.” Holding open the one called Awake! he continued, “This article talks about the terrible rise in crime, and how difficult things are for families these days.”

  The older man added, “The article gives you the Bible’s perspective on these matters. Then, this other article,” he said, pointing out the cover of the Watchtower magazine, “Tells you about how all of these events—crime, war, terrorism—are related, according to the Bible.”

  “Obviously, you’re Jehovah’s Witnesses,” Jobran said. They nodded, looking a bit apprehensive, as he added, “I think I’ve read two of your books.”

  “You have?” the older man said, enthusiastically. “Which ones?”

  Jobran thought for a moment, then replied, “I think one was called, Is This Life All There Is? and the other one was, You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth.” The younger man looked blankly at the older man.

  “I’ve never heard of the first book, but I remember the second one,” the older man said. “It’s out of print now, but we have newer books and brochures that discuss those same topics.”

  “How did you get copies of them?” the young man asked. “Did you have a visit from some of us at your home?”

  “No; actually I bought them at a Thrift Store for a quarter each,” Jobran said, and they looked disappointed. He added, “They were very interesting, however,” and their expressions brightened again.

  The older man reached into his briefcase, and pulled out a small book with a dark red cover entitled, Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, and handed it to Jobran. “This book covers much of the same material as those earlier books. If you’d like to read it, you’re welcome to have it.”

  “Great; thanks,” Jobran said, flipping through the book. “Is this your main book containing your current doctrines about life after death?”

  The older man nodded, and said, “It is one of them.”

  The younger man said brightly, “We’d be glad to read and discuss it with you, in the privacy of your own home.”

  The older man then added, “In fact, we’d be glad to conduct a free in-home Bible study with you. That way, we can thoroughly cover what the Bible teaches about a wide variety of interesting subjects.”

  Jobran shook his head and said, “The only doctrine that I’m really interested is the doctrine of life after death.”

  The two visitors looked at each other, and exchanged knowing smiles. The older man said, “Ah, many people are interested in that topic, as well; there is so much confusion and false teaching in these areas. I think you will find that we servants of Jehovah have a very interesting perspective on that topic. Unlike many others, however, our positions are based strictly on the Bible.”

  With enthusiasm, the younger man added, “Many of the world’s religions teach that when we die, we go immediately to either ‘Heaven’ or ‘Hell.’ But this is a false teaching, according to the Bible.”

  Jobran looked from one to the other, then said, “Well, would you like to go inside and discuss it?” The visitors smiled broadly, nodding enthusiastically, and followed Jobran inside after he unlocked the door.

  The younger man glanced around the small, cramped living room, and he started to say, routinely, “You have a very nice…,” but then as his eyes focused more closely on the room, he said, “Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many books, except in a library!” Then, with a sheepish look at his companion, he said, “I mean, this is a very nice place you have.”

  “Thanks,” Jobran replied, busily moving aside books, trying to clear a place for them to sit on the couch.

  The older man asked, “Have you read all of these books?”

  “The ones on the shelves, pretty much—except for a few dictionaries and encyclopedias, that are strictly for reference.” He pointed to other stacks in the corner between the living room and kitchenette, saying, “Those are the ones I haven’t read yet.” He motioned for them to sit down on the couch, and asked, “Would you like a cup of tea, or glass of water?” Both of them shook their heads “no.”

  The older man said, “By the way, my name is Walter, and this is Lamonte.” They all shook hands. “And you are…?”

  “Jobran; Jobran Winter.”

  “We’re pleased to meet you, Jobran. What are all these books about?”

  “Mostly religion, theology, anthropology, and comparative religions—mostly on the subject of life after death.”

  Lamonte asked, “Are you a college teacher, or something like that?”

  “No; just an independent researcher.”

  Walter opened his briefcase, and pulled out a large Bible, which he placed gently on his lap, and said, “As you know, we are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Do you know why our organization exclusively uses the divine name ‘Jehovah’ to refer to God?”

  Jobran nodded. “‘Jehovah’ is an English approximation—used in the King James Version of the Bible in the Old Testament, but not i
n the New Testament—of the Tetragrammaton; that is, the four Hebrew letters that spell out the divine name of YHWH, or ‘Yahweh,’ as most people pronounce it. In the King James Version, YHWH is usually translated as ‘LORD’—all in capital let-ters—such as in the 2nd chapter of Genesis. As I recall, ‘Jehovah’ is arrived at by inserting the syllables from Adonai—’my Lord’—or Elohim—’God,’ the word used in the 1st chapter of Genesis—where the vowels are missing in the Hebrew, because the ancient Jews refused to actually pronounce the holy name of God, usually saying Adonai when reading the Bible aloud.” Both Walter and Lamonte nodded at Jobran, surprised at his knowledgeable response.

  Walter smiled and said, “You’ve obviously spent some time researching these matters. Since you’ve read so widely, I presume that you are familiar with the idea of a supposed immortal ‘soul,’ a concept that was invented by the Greeks and the Babylonians?”

  “I don’t think it’s quite certain just who invented the concept; there were religions such as Hinduism that apparently taught reincarnation of the individual soul or Atman prior to the Greeks and Babylonians,” said Jobran. “And of course, most Christian and some Jewish groups say that the ancient Hebrews taught the existence of a ‘soul.’” They both looked at him, again surprised by his response. “But as I recall from your books, you folks don’t believe that we have eternal souls?” Jobran added.

  Both Walter and Lamonte smiled at each other. Lamonte removed a large dark brown book from his own briefcase, which he opened with a practiced hand.

  Lamonte said, confidently, “The terms ’immortality’ and ’immortal’ are not used in the Hebrew Scriptures. The words translated as ‘soul’ in the Bible are the Hebrew word nephesh, and the Greek word psykhe. Basically, the Bible says that man is a soul, not that he has a soul. In the book of Ezekiel, Chapter 18, verses 4 and 20, it says that ‘The soul that is sinning, it itself will die.’ How could the soul die, if it was ‘eternal’?”