By: Robert Serreyn

Question? I had a Jehovah Witness use Acts 2:29 & 34, Could you explain?

(Acts 2:29, 34) Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. (34) For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand.

Answer:

Acts Chapter 2 verses 29, & 34 are FAVORITES ONES for the Jehovah Witness for they THINK these two verses give support to their FALSE DOCTRINE and TEACHING of Soul Sleeping.

When discussing Death, and the AfterLife with a J.W. they will ALWAYS bring up Acts Chp 2 about King David and the fact that THEY BELIEVE he is still in the grave AWAITING for Jehovah to awake his soul to inherit Paradise Earth.

When talking to a J.W. you MUST REMEMBER they DO NOT BELIEVE that a person goes to heaven or hell when they die.

Another KEY VERSE JWs’ goto is:

(Psalms 6:5)  For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

JWs’ say SEE it says those that are in the grave have no remembrance or cease to exsist.

What the JW FORGETS is that after a person dies that individual is still VERY MUCH Alive and are Conscience of their environment, they can feel, think, speak & see JUST LIKE they did when they were alive physically.
ACCORDING to WatchTower doctrine ALL FAITHFUL JWs’ will upon death enter a sleep like state and lie there in the grave till awaking by Jehovah, ALL OTHERS that deny Jehovah and its faithful slave (WatchTower Society, & Organization) will be ANNIHILATED and cease to exisit forever.

To REFUTE the JWs’ claim about King David, the answer is this.

NOBODY including King David PRIOR to Jesus Christ going to the cross and shedding his blood…..TAKE NOTICE…..ASCENDED(to be taken up or to go up) into heaven, which is refered to as theThird heaven that the Apostle Paul spoke of:

(2 Corinthians 12: 2 – 4) I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. (3) And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) (4) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Jesus in John Chapter 20 Verse 17 told Mary to “TOUCH HIM NOT”

(John 20:16, 17) Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. (17) Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

WHY did Jesus tell her (Mary) to NOT TOUCH HIM??? The answer is in the same verse(17) For I am not yet ascended to my Father.

The REASON WHY Jesus told Mary to Touch Him Not is BECAUSE he (Jesus) had NOT YET ascended into (gone up, entered) heaven to ANOINT(Cover) the Mercy Seat with his perfect sinless blood that he had shed on the cross which makes it possible for every person WHO places their FAITH ALONE in the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation to enter heaven.

(Hebrews 9:12) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Every saved person from the Old Testament till Jesus went to the cross, shed his blood, and then ascended into heaven to Anoint (cover) the Mercy Seat with his blood ALL WENT to a place called Paradise in the CENTER of the earth.

(Matthew 12:40) For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

HEART is the Greek word KARDIA and means MIDDLE or CENTER.

(Luke 23:43) And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

(Ephesians 4:8, 9) Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (9) (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

ALL Lost Unsaved people STILL GO to the Center of the Earth to the TORMENT SIDE to suffer in flames and pain till they stand before Jesus as THEIR JUDGE to recieve their severity of punishment in the Lake of Fire.

(Luke 16:19 – 24) There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: (20) And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
(21) And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. (22) 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; (23) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.(24) 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.

(Revelation 20:11 – 15) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

In Conclusion:

There is NO SOUL SLEEPING, there is NO ANNIHILATION for the unsaved but a place called hell to avoid.

King David when he died along with ALL OTHER Old Testament Saints went to Paradise in the CENTER of the Earth UNTIL AFTER Christ had anointed the Mercy Seat in heaven with his perfect sinless blood that he shed on the cross.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.

-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8

-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24

-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9

“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23

IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH