DOES JEREMIAH 7:32-8:3 TEACH THAT THE UNSAVED WILL BE
RESURRECTED AS UNCONSCIOUS BONES?
Updated - 6/16/09
We
read in Jeremiah 7:32-8:3:
32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the
LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of
Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there
be no place.
33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat
for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall
fray them away.
34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of
Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of
gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land
shall be desolate.
1
¶ At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of
Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the
bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of
their graves:
2 And they shall spread them before the sun,
and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they
have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and
whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they
shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by
all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all
the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.
This
passage is talking about the wrath of God that is coming.
We
read about carcases being meat for the fowls of heaven and the beasts of the
field. We also read about bones being taken out of the graves and spread upon
the land.
Do
these statements teach that the unsaved will not awake to consciousness at the
resurrection of the last day?
To
examine the question of the birds eating carcases please see the study on that
subject.
PLEASE SEE THE STUDY ON
BIRDS EATING CORPSES AT JUDGMENT DAY
In
this study, we will focus on Jeremiah 8:1-2.
One
Biblical principle that we must keep in mind is that Christ spoke in parables
and everywhere in the Bible we should expect to find parabolic language.
We
read in Matthew 13:34:
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in
parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
The
whole Bible came from the mouth of the Lord Jesus, so we want to remember that
wherever we read in the Bible, we should expect parabolic language.
God
uses much parabolic language in Jeremiah, so we would not be surprised to see
parabolic language in Jeremiah 8:1-2.
Let’s
look at some examples of the parabolic language found in Jeremiah.
When
we study Jeremiah carefully, we find that the main focus of Jeremiah is upon
the churches in our day, at the end of the church age. The book of Jeremiah has
it’s primary focus upon the churches and congregations in our day.
With
that in mind, let’s examine some verses in the book of Jeremiah and see how God
uses parabolic language.
We
read in Jeremiah 2:26-28:
26 As
the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they,
their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
27
Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast
brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their
face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
28 But
where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can
save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy
cities are thy gods, O Judah.
God
is talking to
God
is using the figure of the making of an idol.
However,
the vast majority of mainstream churches and denominations that would have
nothing to do with idols of wood and stone.
Then,
does this mean that these churches and denominations are exempt from God’s
faulting here?
No,
God is using parabolic language. The making of an idol and the high places were
figures pointing to the following of wrong doctrines. The tie in comes from 2
Corinthians 10:3-6.
In
Jeremiah 2:26-28 God is faulting the churches and congregations of our day for
trusting in their wrong doctrines and in their wrong confessions.
In
Jeremiah 2:26-28 God is using parabolic language to describe sin of the
churches of our day.
We read in Jeremiah
18:15:
Because my people hath forgotten
me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in
their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not
cast up;
In
Jeremiah 18:15 God is faulting
Generally,
we do not find people in mainstream churches burning incense as a part of their
worship.
Does
this mean that Jeremiah 18:15 does not apply to the churches of today?
No.
Jeremiah 18:15 applies to the churches of today. We can understand this passage
when we remember that Christ spoke in parables. The burning of incense has to
do with praying (Revelation 8:3-4).
Jeremiah
18:15 uses parabolic language that speaks about the churches of our day.
If
we don’t want to listen to the Bible and don’t want to obey the Bible, then our
prayers are vain. We are not willing to listen to God. Our worship and prayers
are in vain.
Jeremiah
18:15 uses parabolic language to speak to the churches of our day.
We
read in Jeremiah 19:4-5:
4
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have
burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have
known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of
innocents;
5 They
have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for
burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither
came it into my mind:
In
these verses God is faulting the local congregations for burning incense unto
other gods. He is also faulting them for building high places to Baal.
We
don’t see these activities in mainstream churches of our day, yet God is
speaking to those churches using parabolic language.
As
mentioned, the burning of incense has to do with praying to false gods or
praying while in rebellion against God. God makes no promises to hear those
prayers.
The
high places can be shown to speak of man-made doctrines contrary to the Bible.
God
is using parabolic language in the book of Jeremiah to speak to the churches of
today.
These
are some examples of the kind of parabolic language that God uses in Jeremiah.
If we examine Jeremiah carefully, we find that it has much parabolic language
and speaks primarily to the churches of our day.
Therefore,
as we investigate Jeremiah 8:1-2, or any passage in Jeremiah or any passage in
the Bible, we should remember that God frequently uses parabolic language in
the Bible.
There
is another important principle in Bible study that we should keep in mind.
Another
important Bible study principle comes from 1 Corinthians 2:13 which is that we
are to compare Scripture with Scripture.
We
learn what God means by words and phrases by seeing how God uses these same
words and phrases in other parts of the Bible.
If
we keep these two Bible rules in mind then we can come to truth concerning Jeremiah
8:1-2
Now
we ask: Does the Bible guide us in how to understand this language in Jeremiah
7:32-8:3?
Let’s
start our examination in Jeremiah 8:1. As noted above, we will examine Jeremiah
7:33 in the study of the carcases and the eagles.
We
read in Jeremiah 8:1-2:
1
¶ At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of
Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the
bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of
their graves:
2 And they shall spread them before the sun,
and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they
have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and
whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they
shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
This
passage talks about "bones". It talks about bringing the bones out of
the graves. We can understand that the coming out of the graves identifies with
the resurrection of the last day, Judgment Day.
Someone
can look at the word “bones” and conclude that these verses must be talking
about literal bones coming out of the graves. Therefore, following this
reasoning it could be concluded that the unsaved will not be resurrected to
consciousness. That is, the unsaved shall not awake to consciousness (Daniel
12:2).
As
we examine this passage or any passage, we must remember that Christ spoke in
parables. We should always keep that in mind. Also, we have to check out words
and phrases in other parts of the Bible to understand what God is saying.
We
ask the question: Where else does God talk about bones in a similar way as
Jeremiah 8:1-2?
One
answer is Ezekiel 37:1-14. God talks about bones in a similar way in that
passage.
We
read in Ezekiel 37:1-14:
1 ¶ The hand of the LORD was upon me, and
carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the
valley which was full of bones,
2 And
caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many
in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And
he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD,
thou knowest.
4
Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O
ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5 Thus
saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into
you, and ye shall live:
6 And
I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you
with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am
the LORD.
7 So I
prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and
behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8 And
when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin
covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9 Then
said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the
wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe
upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So
I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived,
and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of
12
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O
my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your
graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And
ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my
people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14 And
shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your
own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and
performed it, saith the LORD.
Notice
that the bones in Jeremiah 8:2 are spread out. Jeremiah 8:1-2 gives a
description of bones spread out upon the land.
This
matches the description of the bones in Ezekiel 37. We read in Ezekiel 37:1
about the bones filling a valley. That is similar language to bones being
spread out on the land.
We
remember the principle of 1 Corinthians 2:13 where God instructs that we are to
compare Scripture with Scripture to understand what God is teaching.
Ezekiel
37:1-2 describes a scene similar to Jeremiah 8:1-2 with the bones being spread
out. Therefore, Ezekiel 37:1-14 can be a help in understanding Jeremiah 8:1-2.
Let’s
look at what the “bones” in Ezekiel 37:1-14 represent.
If
we examine Ezekiel 37:1-14 carefully we see that the “bones” represent unsaved
people and they cannot represent literal bones without consciousness.
Let’s
look at some verses to see how this is so.
We
read in verse 10:
So I prophesied as he
commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon
their feet, an exceeding great army.
In
this parable, these bones are turned into standing people. Notice in verse 10
it says that these people “lived”.
When
we become saved, the Bible says that God gives us “life” which is God Himself
(John 5:24-25, 11:25-26, 14:6, 1 John 3:14, 5:12, 5:16). When God saves us, He
“makes us alive” so that we now live (Psalm 80:18). That is, we have God, who
is life, indwelling us. Please see the study on the Biblical definition of life
and death for mankind for more information.
Please see the study on the
Biblical definition of life and death for more information
Also,
we read about them becoming a great army. The believers are the army of God.
Moreover,
we read in Ezekiel 37:13-14:
13 And ye shall know that I
am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought
you up out of your graves,
14 And shall put my spirit
in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall
ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith
the LORD.
We
read in verse 13 that God says these people are “my people”. The true
believers are God’s eternal people. Verse 14 talks about God putting His Spirit
in these people and that God puts these people into their own land, which is
the
All
of this comes with salvation. Ezekiel 37:1-14 is talking about salvation.
So,
we can be certain that these “bones” represent unsaved people. Who does God
save? God does not save literal bones, God saves people.
In
Ezekiel 37:1-14 the “bones” represent unsaved people. People like we see around
us every day. However, these unsaved people are elected by God, because they
became saved.
However, is it possible that these “bones” in Ezekiel
37:1-14 could also represent literal bones?
No.
That is not possible.
If
we examine the passage carefully, we will see that it is impossible that the
“bones” in Ezekiel 37:1-14 can be literal bones. God gives a clear proof that
these bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14 cannot represent literal bones without
consciousness.
We
must consider all the information that God gives about these “bones”. We cannot
isolate one verse from the rest of the verses that teach us about these bones.
Ezekiel
37:11 provides the clear proof that Ezekiel 37:1-14 cannot be talking about
literal dry bones. It must be talking about unsaved people.
We
read in verse 11:
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these
bones are the whole house of
God
is giving more information about these “bones” that we read about in Ezekiel
37:1-14.
Notice
that these “bones” can talk. These “bones” say: “Our
bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts”
These
bones talk.
Verse
11 is talking about these bones while they are still bones. As bones, they are
complaining about their miserable condition.
These
“bones” also experience conscious affliction. In verse 11 these bones are
complaining about their bad condition. These “bones” can experience conscious
affliction.
We
cannot isolate one verse about these “bones” from the context that God has
given. Notice that God gives 3 facts about these “bones”:
1.
These bones hear – verse 4
2.
These bones talk – verse 11
3.
These bones experience conscious affliction – verse 11
Therefore,
these “bones” can not be literal dry bones, but rather they represent people
with consciousness. Literal dry bones do not talk nor do they experience
affliction.
These
bones can only represent unsaved people, like we see around us every day. In
Ezekiel 37:1-14 these bones represent the unsaved that are elected to salvation
because the rest of the passage shows how these “bones” are turned into the
army of God.
God
is defining that He can use the term “bones” to represent unsaved people, like
those that we see around us everyday.
Therefore,
when we read about in verse 4 about these “bones” hearing the Word of God, this
is not a proof text that literal dry bones can hear the Word of God.
If
we say that Ezekiel 37:4 is a proof text that literal dry bones can hear the
word of God without any consciousness. We have to listen to everything that God
says about those bones. These bones can also speak and experience affliction.
So,
if literal dry bones can hear according to Ezekiel 37:1-14, then these same bones
can speak and experience affliction. In other words, these bones have
consciousness.
If
we are honest with Ezekiel 37:1-14 we say that it cannot be a proof text that
literal bones can hear the Word of God without consciousness. These “bones” can
hear, speak and experience affliction. They can only represent people who can
speak and experience conscious affliction.
Therefore,
Ezekiel 37:1-14 cannot be used as proof text that the unsaved will be
resurrected as literal dry bones without consciousness.
If
we want to use Ezekiel 37:1-14 as a proof text that the unsaved will be
resurrected as dry bones that hear the word of God (John 5:28-29), we have to
accept everything God says about those bones. As bones the resurrected unsaved
will be able to speak and to experience affliction of the lake of fire.
In
other words, the unsaved will be resurrected to consciousness.
Let’s
get back to the question of how Ezekiel 37:1-14 helps us to understand what
Jeremiah 8:1-2 can be teaching.
We
learn from Ezekiel 37:1-14 that God uses “bones” to represent unsaved people,
like the unsaved people we see around us every day.
In
Ezekiel 37:1-14 these unsaved people were elected to salvation, so they were
changed into the great army.
However,
the non-elect will remain unsaved. They will remain as “bones”.
God
is showing that He can use “bones” to represent unsaved people.
If
we apply God’s definition of the “bones” from Ezekiel 37:1-14 to Jeremiah
8:1-2, we learn that the “bones” in Jeremiah 8:1-2 can represent unsaved
people. We have clear Biblical validation to make this connection.
In
Jeremiah 8:1, God talks about taking the bones “out of their graves”.
This
is referring to the resurrection of the last day.
Let’s
ask this question:
What
was the condition of the unsaved while they were here in this world?
They
were “bones”.
According
to Ezekiel 37:1-14 all of the unsaved are “bones”. Ezekiel 37:1-14 talks about
the salvation of the elect. But, those elect people started out as “bones”.
The
non-elect also start out as bones, but they remain as bones.
This
ties into the Biblical declaration that unsaved man is dead, both in body and
soul. He is separated from God, who is “life”. He is not indwelt nor energized
by God, just like bones are not indwelt nor energized by God.
Please
see the study on the Biblical definition of life and death for mankind for more
information.
Please see the study on the
Biblical definition of life and death for more information
Ezekiel
37:1-14 teaches us that in God’s sight the elect start out as “bones”. This
means all of the unsaved are also “bones” in God’s sight. Both the elect and
non-elect unsaved are “bones”.
It
is only the elect that become saved. At which point, they are given “life”,
which is God Himself to indwell them. Once saved, they are represented by the
army of people in Ezekiel 37:1-14.
All
the unsaved are represented by “bones” as taught in Ezekiel 37:1-14.
What
is the condition of the resurrection of the unsaved?
The
unsaved will still be “bones”, like they were when they were in the world.
The unsaved that are sleeping in the dust will “awake” to consciousness
according to Daniel 12:2. But, what will be their condition?
The
unsaved will still be dead in sins, as when they were in this world. They will
still be dead, both in body and soul like they were in this world. That is,
they will be still be separated from God, who is “life”.
Therefore,
the resurrected unsaved will still be “bones”. Just like when they were in the
world in the past, the unsaved will still be “bones”. They will “awake” to
consciousness in the same condition as “bones”, dead in sins, separated from
God who is life.
This
is why we read about the “bones” coming out of the graves in Jeremiah 8:1.
The
unsaved that are sleeping in the dust will “awake” to consciousness. This is
shown in the study on the Biblical definition of life and death for mankind. It
is also shown in the study of ten proofs of conscious resurrection of the
unsaved, and in other studies.
However,
they will still be dead in sins, separated from God who is “life”. That is why
they are represented by “bones”. This is a completely Biblical explanation for
Jeremiah 8:1.
There
is no problem harmonizing Jeremiah 8:1 with other passages that teach a
conscious resurrection of the unsaved when we consider the Biblical direction
given by Ezekiel 37:1-14
Therefore,
when we read Jeremiah 8:1, we have Biblical direction to see the bones as representing
unsaved people. They were sleeping in the dust and at the end of the world,
they awake to consciousness (Daniel 12:2).
Let’s
look at other information given in Jeremiah 8:1-2
God
talks about the unsaved being as "dung".
This
Hebrews word translated "dung" is used 6 times in the Bible and each
reference is to a corpse. This Hebrew word translated "dung" really
signifies a corpse. An emphasis is that the corpse is something that is
completely despised.
Here
are the other 5 verses that have this same Hebrew word “dung”:
2 Kings 9:37 And the
carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung <01828> upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so
that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.
Psalms 83:10 Which
perished at Endor: they became as dung <01828> for the earth.
Jeremiah 9:22 Speak, Thus
saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung <01828> upon the open field, and as the handful
after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.
Jeremiah 16:4 They shall
die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be
buried; but they shall be as dung <01828> upon the face of the earth: and they
shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat
for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
Jeremiah 25:33 And the
slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even
unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither
gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung <01828> upon the ground.
An
examination of each of the above verses will show that this word “dung” is
always used to refer to a corpse.
This
Hebrew word translated “dung” in Jeremiah 8:2 really signifies a corpse.
Since
this Hebrew word is translated “dung” we could add that it signifies a corpse
that is stinking or despised.
To
learn what God is teaching in Jeremiah 8:2, we search the Bible, following
God’s rules to compare Scripture with Scripture.
Where
else in Bible do we get direction about the significance of a stinking corpse?
We
have a parallel idea with the corpse of Lazarus in John 11. We read in John 11:39:
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister
of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he
hath been dead four days.
John
chapter 11 recounts the death and resurrection of Lazarus, a friend of the Lord
Jesus and brother to Mary and Martha.
Lazarus
had been dead 4 days. His body was buried in a tomb. In John 11:39 Jesus is
instructing that the stone was to be rolled away. Martha points out that after
4 days his corpse will be stinking.
God
has guided this language of John 11:39 to teach us God’s assessment of the
condition of unsaved man. In God’s sight unsaved man is a stinking corpse. We
can use this verse to help us understand other parts of the Bible.
When
we study the historical parable of Lazarus in John 11 we learn that it teaches
about salvation. As Lazarus was dead in that tomb, he represents unsaved man
that is dead in sins, both in body and soul, according to the Bible.
Then
Jesus cries out in John 11:43:
And when he thus had spoken, he
cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
This
agrees with what we read in John 5:24-25:
24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
John
5:24-25 is talking about when God saves someone. Notice God sets the time by
saying “The hour is coming, and now is”.
This is talking about the whole New Testament era. When God saves someone, he
hears the voice of God through the Bible. That is illustrated in John 11:43
with the historical parable of the raising of Lazarus.
Lazarus
“passed
from death unto life” after he heard
the word of God. This is illustrating John 5:24 that says that when we are
saved, we have “passed from death unto life” in
our soul. It is not that we have passed from non-existence to existence in our
soul.
No,
rather, it is that we have passed from separation from God, who is life, to
indwelling by God. Please see the study on the Biblical definition of life and
death for mankind.
The
raising of Lazarus is a historical parable teaching about salvation.
Therefore,
the 4 day old stinking corpse of Lazarus is a picture of unsaved man, who is
dead in sins, both in body and soul, according to the Bible.
The
4 day old stinking corpse of Lazarus ties into the Hebrew word translated “dung”
in Jeremiah 8:2 because this Hebrew word is always identified with a corpse.
The
unsaved, both elect and non-elect, are typified by a stinking corpse. A corpse
after 4 days smells very bad. Given that the word "dung" in
Jeremiah 8:2 is always used in connection with a corpse, we have parallel
language between John 11:39 and Jeremiah 8:2. These are figures that represent
the unsaved; which are dead, both in body and soul, according to the Bible.
In
John 11:39, the dead, stinking corpse of Lazarus represents someone who is
unsaved, dead in sins. God will then resurrect Lazarus. That is a picture of
salvation.
In
Jeremiah 8:2 God talks about the bodies as dung. This word "dung", as
indicated, is used 6 times and is always talking about a corpse. So, in
Jeremiah 8:2 by use of this word “dung“, God is effectively talking
about a stinking corpse. That matches the language of John 11:39.
So,
both Jeremiah 8:2 with the reference to dung and John 11:39 with the reference
to a 4 day old stinking corpses, are making reference to unsaved people, who
are dead in sins.
God
also uses the word “dung” to point to something that is rejected or cast away.
We
read in Philippians 3:4-8:
4
¶ Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh
that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church;
touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I
counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I
may win Christ,
In
verses 4 to 6, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is
talking about some of the credentials that he had in the Jewish religion.
However, once God saved him, he realized that all of those were worthless.
Something of no value.
In
verse 7 he says that he counts all of those things “loss” for Christ. They are
of no value. He has rejected his trust in those things.
Then
in verse 8, he says that he counts them but “dung” in comparison to
knowing the Lord Jesus. In this verse, God is helping to define “dung”
as something that is rejected.
So,
when we read that the unsaved will be as “dung” that does not mean that
they are literally “dung”, but rather it shows that at Judgment Day the
unsaved will be rejected by God, something that is cast away.
When
the unsaved awake from the dust at the end of the world, they will still be
dead in sins like they were when they were in this world. This is represented
by the stinking corpse in John 11:39 or by the bones spread out in Jeremiah
8:1-2 and Ezekiel 37:1-11. The dung signifies that the unsaved are rejected or
cast way from God at Judgment Day.
Let’s
now continue our examination of Jeremiah 8:2 by looking at other words in this
verse.
If
we examine the rest of Jeremiah 8:2 we find that the language matches the
language of the unsaved who are awaken to consciousness at the end but not raptured
to be with Christ.
The
next significant word in Jeremiah 8:2 is the word “gathered”.
What
does it mean that these bones, representing the unsaved that are awakened at
the end of the world, are not "gathered" in Jeremiah 8:2?
Maybe
this word “gathered” makes us think of bones spread out in a field and
not collected to be buried.
However,
to come to truth, we must remember the Biblical rules that we are to compare
Scripture with Scripture and that Christ spoke in parables.
God
uses the word “gathered” in another very significant place that helps us
to understand what God can mean by this word “gathered” in Jeremiah 8:2.
When
the Rapture comes, the believers are all “gathered” to be with Christ.
The unsaved people will not be “gathered” with the true believers when
Christ comes.
This
is talked about in 2 Thessalonians 2:1. We read there:
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
The
true believers are “gathered” unto the Lord Jesus at the Rapture. But,
sadly, when the Rapture comes the unsaved will not be “gathered”. They
will not be “gathered” to Christ.
This
matches perfectly with what we read in Jeremiah 8:2 that says that the unsaved
people, represented by the bones, shall not be “gathered”.
Jeremiah
8:2 is teaching that when the unsaved awake to consciousness at the end of the
world, they will not be “gathered” unto Christ at the Rapture, like 2
Thessalonians 2:1 says that the believers will.
What
about the fact that the bones were not "buried" according to
Jeremiah 8:2?
This
again is a parable.
We
read in Ecclesiastes 6:3:
If a man beget an hundred children, and live
many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled
with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an
untimely birth is better than he.
We
read about the importance of a “burial". Christ spoke in parables.
A physical burial is not the important item. Rather, the answer is that we need
to be “buried” with Christ in salvation.
We
read about how the believers are “buried” with Christ in salvation in
Romans 6:4:
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
We
are “buried” with Christ in the sense that we died with Him when He paid
for our sins.
So,
the important burial of Ecclesiastes 6:3 is that we were in Christ when He
suffered death to pay for our sins.
This
is the “burial” that the unsaved do not have.
So,
when we read in Jeremiah 8:2 that the unsaved are not “buried”, it means that
they are not saved. They have not been “buried” with Christ, which identifies
with salvation. Christ did not pay for their sins.
We
have examined Jeremiah 8:1-2 following two important Biblical rules:
1.
Matthew 13:34 which states that Christ spoke in parables.
2.
1 Corinthians 2:13 which states that we are to compare Scripture with Scripture
to learn what God means by words and phrases.
By
following these rules we have found a completely Biblical explanation of
Jeremiah 8:1-2 which teaches the resurrection or awaking of the unsaved to
consciousness at the end of the world. However, they will remain unsaved and
will not be raptured to be with Christ.
Please
see the study of the carcases and the eagles for more information about
Jeremiah 7:33.
We
summarize the Biblical meaning of some of the key words and phrases in Jeremiah
8:1-2
1. “bones”: These bones tie into the
bones of Ezekiel 37:1-14. The bones of Ezekiel 37:1-14 can only represent
unsaved people, that are dead in sins, both in body and soul. They are
separated from God, who is “life”. They are not energized nor indwelt by God.
Yet, they are completely conscious.
2.
“out of their graves”: The unsaved were dead in sins, both in body and
soul, while they were in this world. They were “bones”.
When
they “awake” from the dust at the end of the world, they will still be dead in
sins, both in body and soul, separated from God, who is life. They will still
be “bones”. But, now they are “bones” that have been awaken to consciousness or
taken “out of their graves”.
3.
“shall spread them”: Matches the language of Ezekiel 37:1-14 in which
the bones fill the valley.
4.
“dung”: This word is used 6 times and always signifies a corpse. Because
of the translation “dung” we could say a “stinking” corpse. This ties into John
11:39 and the “stinking” corpse of Lazarus. Both the stinking corpse of Lazarus
and the term “dung” describe the condition of the unsaved in the sight of God.
5.
“gathered”: This ties to 2 Thessalonians 2:1 which says that the
believers will be “gathered” to be with Christ. Sadly, the resurrected or
awakened unsaved will not be “gathered” to be with Christ, but will be left for
judgment.
6.
“buried”: This ties into Romans 6:4. The believers have been “buried”
with Christ in that when He died for their sins the believers were in Christ.
The believers were “buried” with Christ in that Christ saved them. Sadly, the
awakened unsaved will not be “buried” in Christ. They will not become saved.
So,
if we consider the words and phrases in Jeremiah 8:1-2 and see how they are
used in other parts of the Bible, and know that Christ spoke in parables, we
can find a solution that fits well with the rest of the teaching of the Bible.
This passage agrees with the teaching of a conscious awaking of the unsaved at
the end of the world.
A
careful study of Jeremiah 8:1-2, following Biblical principles to compare
Scripture with Scripture, remembering that Christ spoke in parables, will show
that it agrees with the teaching that the unsaved will awake to consciousness
at the end of the world.
In
order for a passage to teach annihilation or anything else, it is necessary
that the passage cannot be understood in another way. Without any problem
Jeremiah 8:1-2 can be understood as a resurrection to consciousness of the
unsaved.
DOES
JEREMIAH 25:33-34 SUPPORT ANNIHILATION?
We
read another passage that may seem to teach annihilation.
We
read in Jeremiah 25:33-34:
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that
day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the
earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be
dung upon the ground.
34 Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow
yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your
slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a
pleasant vessel.
There
are similarities between Jeremiah 25:33-34 and Jeremiah 8:1-2. There are also
differences.
We
read the phrase “slain of the LORD” and many people immediately think of
a field full of corpses.
However,
for truth, we have to compare Scripture with Scripture following the rule of 1
Corinthians 2:13.
We
read in Romans 7:9-11:
9 For I was alive without the law once: but
when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained
to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
deceived me, and by it slew me.
God
is using the Apostle Paul as an example to represent all mankind.
In
verse 9 we read that when Adam sinned, the Apostle Paul and all of mankind “died”.
This agrees with many other verses that teach that unsaved mankind is already “dead”
in body and soul.
When
we read these verses we say in our minds “spiritually dead” because in
our minds we have equated “death” to an unconscious corpse.
However,
God never says “spiritually dead”.
The
Bible indicates that unsaved man is dead, both in body and soul.
We
read:
Romans
8:10 And if Christ be in you, the
body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness.
1
Corinthians 15:29 Else what shall they
do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they
then baptized for the dead?
Both
Romans 8:10 and 1 Corinthians 15:29 teach that the believers body is still
dead. If the believer’s body is dead, then the unbeliever’s body is dead.
Unsaved
man is dead, both in body and soul, according to the Bible. He is separated
from God, who is “life”. He is not energized by God nor indwelt by God. For
more information, please see the study on the Biblical definition of “life” and
“death” for mankind.
Please see the study on the
Biblical definition of life and death for more information
Let’s
go back to Romans 7:11. We read there:
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived
me, and by it slew me.
Romans
7:11 says that God “slew” all mankind at the beginning because of sin.
According
to the Bible all of the unsaved are already “slain”. God “slew” all man when he
sinned. All mankind are already the “slain of the LORD”.
Unsaved
man is “slain” because he is separated from God, who is “life”. God does not
indwell him (Romans 8:9) nor does God energize him (Philippians 2:12-13).
People
will change verses like Romans 7:11 to say that man was “spiritually slain”
even though the Bible does not say that.
Romans
8:10 and 1 Corinthians 15:29 teach that man is dead, both in body and soul.
Likewise, Romans 7:11 is teaching that the unsaved are “slain”. They are
“slain” both in body and soul.
According
to Romans 7:11 and other verses, this world is full of “slain” people. Unsaved
people who are separated from God, who is “life”.
Presently,
in this world, we also have true believers. They have been made “alive” (or
“quickened”) by God (Psalm 80:18, 119:25, 37, 40, 50). They now have “life”
because they have God, who is “life”, indwelling them (1 John 5:12).
So,
today, we have a world with two kinds of people. We have those that are “slain”
both in body and soul, which are the unsaved. We also have those that have been
made alive by God, which are the saved.
However,
at the Rapture, all of the believers will be caught up to be with Christ. Only
the unbelievers will be left. Only the “slain of the LORD” will remain.
The
statement “slain of the LORD” in Jeremiah 25:33 refers to the unsaved that will
be left behind at the Rapture. According to Romans 7:11 and other verses, the
unsaved are already the “slain of the LORD”.
That
Hebrew word translated “slain” in Jeremiah 25:33 is an interesting word.
About
80 times this Hebrew word is translated either “slain” or “killed”. However,
about 10 times it is translated “wounded” and 3 times as “profane”.
Here
are verses with this same Hebrew word translated either as “wounded” or
“profane”:
Job 24:12
Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded <02491> crieth out: yet God
layeth not folly to them.
Jeremiah 51:52 Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the
LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land
the wounded <02491> shall groan.
Ezekiel 21:25
And thou, profane <02491> wicked prince of
Ezekiel 26:15
Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound
of thy fall, when the wounded <02491> cry, when the
slaughter is made in the midst of thee?
Ezekiel 30:24
And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword
in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he shall groan before him
with the groanings of a deadly wounded <02491> man.
Each
of the above verses has this same Hebrew word translated “slain” in
Jeremiah 25:33. In each of these verses, this word could have been translated “slain”
in those verses.
For
example Jeremiah
51:52 could be written this way:
Wherefore, behold,
the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images:
and through all her land the slain <02491> shall groan.
This
translation is perfectly valid following the translation of Jeremiah 25:33.
Probably
the reason the translators put “wounded” or “profane” in the above verses is
that they did not understand the Biblical definition of “dead” or “slain” for
mankind is to be separated from God, who is “life”.
Jeremiah
51:52 is talking about the unsaved at Judgment Day, who are the “slain”.
They shall “groan” (or cry) because of the coming of the wrath of God.
Therefore,
The “slain” in Jeremiah 25:33 represent the unsaved who are not raptured on
Judgment Day. The Biblical definition of “slain” is to be separated from God,
who is “life”.
Revelation
6:15-17 provides one rebuttal to the idea that there will be literal corpses
scattered all over the world at Judgment Day. Please see the study on conscious
awaking of the unsaved at Judgment Day for more information.
Please see the study on
CONSCIOUS AWAKING OF THE UNSAVED AT JUDGMENT DAY FOR more information
Someone
may ask:
Why
can’t you accept what the Bible says at face value? When you are slain you are
slain!
We
always have to read the Bible, comparing Scripture with Scripture.
We
read in Acts 16:31:
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
This
is a very simple statement that says we are to believe in Christ and then we
shall be saved.
However,
as we continue to study the Bible, we discover that we cannot do anything to
get ourselves saved.
We
have to compare Scripture with Scripture to understand Acts 16:31.
Likewise,
we can read an expression like “slain of the LORD” and get a picture in
our mind of the land scattered with corpses.
However,
we must compare Scripture with Scripture. When we do that, we find that the
unsaved are already “slain”. They are already the “slain of the LORD”.
A
big problem is understanding the difference between being “dead” and a corpse.
For mankind, “death” is separation from God, who is “life”. The corpse is a
body sleeping in the dust. They are two different things, but we think of them
as the same thing. For more information, please see the study on “sleeping in
the dust” versus “death”.
PLEASE THE STUDY ON
“SLEEPING IN THE DUST” VERSUS “DEATH”
Let’s
look at Jeremiah 25:33-34 to examine some more words in these two verses.
We
read there:
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that
day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the
earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be
dung upon the ground.
34 Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow
yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your
slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a
pleasant vessel.
The
statement “from one end of the earth even unto the other end
of the earth” means that the unsaved at Judgment Day will be all over the
world. We see that mankind has already spread out to the whole world. The
majority of them will be standing there at Judgment Day.
We
see the key words “gathered”, “buried” and “dung” that were
also in Jeremiah 8:2. God is repeating Himself to make extra emphasis. We saw
that these words tie into other passages:
1.
gathered: 2 Thessalonians 2:1 says that the true believers will be “gathered”
unto Christ at the Rapture. The unsaved will be left. They will not be “gathered”
unto Christ. At the Rapture, the unsaved will be left for Judgment Day.
2.
buried: Romans 6:4 says that the true believers have been “buried”
with Christ because Christ made payment for their sins. There is no salvation at Judgment Day. The
unsaved at Judgment Day will not be “buried” with Christ. They will not
be saved at Judgment Day.
3.
dung: This word for dung is used 6 times and always directly refers to a
corpse. Dung is also something that stinks. This ties into John 11:39 where
Martha refers to the 4 day old corpse of Lazarus as “stinking”.
The
unsaved in this world are represented by the 4 day old stinking corpse of
Lazarus. The corpse of Lazarus ties into this Hebrew word translated “dung”
because it is always used in connection with a corpse.
These
three words, “gathered”, “buried” and “dung” fit in
perfectly with the understanding that the unsaved will awake to consciousness
at the last day, still dead in sins, separated from God, who is life. They will
not be raptured.
In
verse 34 we read about a “slaughter”. This word means to “kill”.
When
we read the words “slaughter” or “kill” we think about a corpse.
However, if we study the Bible carefully, the words “slaughter” or “kill”
mean to be separated from God, who is “life”. This goes against the way we
think, but it is Biblical.
We
saw that God says in Romans 7:11 that He slew Adam and the whole human race the
day that Adam sinned. Mankind became separated from God, who is life.
The
unconscious corpse is a body sleeping in the dust. That occurs the second time
that man dies, both in body and soul.
We
have prepared two studies that examine these questions:
Please see the study on the
Biblical definition of life and death for more information
Please see the study on A
BODY “SLEEPING IN THE DUST” VERSUS “DEATH”
We
have carefully examined Jeremiah 8:1-3 and Jeremiah 25:33-34 and have found
that neither is not a proof of annihilation. In order to come to truth
on these passages we must remember to follow the Biblical rules of comparing
Scripture with Scripture and knowing that Christ spoke in parables.