Sickness fully overtook him,
Lazarus was in the grave,
Messengers sent to the master,
oh my brother can you save?
After four days he hath rotted,
stinking at the doors of death,
Now could even the Messiah,
bring back mortal life and breath?
I remember throughout my younger years enjoying Alan Hale Jr. as the “Skipper” on the television show “Gilligan’s Island.” When, as a news reporter, I was promised an interview with him, I anticipated his arrival on what was Sherry and my “tropical paradise” (Guam). With this hope, I believed to prepare some good questions, and even dressed up like his “little buddy.” We had a great time together, and I won a Gannett Award for my article on him.
We saw in Part 1 that to be “asleep in Christ” refers to a born-again believer who is physically dead and awaits the return of Christ. That is when believers will “wake up”! That is our great hope for the future. Now let’s see more of the how and when those who are asleep in Christ will get up.
Many sincere Christians believe that upon death a believer goes to heaven to live with the Lord. They even teach that those who died are conscious and are “looking down” upon those of us on earth. This teaching opens the door to spiritualism and evil spirit impersonation of the dead (familiar spirits). What do the scriptures say about those who are “asleep in Christ”?