19 November 2023
In Chapter 1 of Heiser's Demons, he mentions that Scripture itself leaves us hanging on some issues. From reading the Old Testament, we get the impression that Israelis who knew the Scriptures were unsure of their fates, both in this world and the next. The promises are vague on the latter, in particular, but natural threats in this world were a little confusing. We know from the historical narratives that it's not always clearly stated that some difficulty was a message from God, and some seemed to be ambiguous.
This is all you can get from reading the text with too much of a scholar's eye. But if you include the prophets, you soon realize that people of faith were never in doubt about such things. We know in general that faith comes from the Word, but it requires a heart ready to receive it. People who were genuinely committed to God as their Lord and Master didn't lack for that clear view of faith. It was part of the package: If you genuinely cared about God as your Father, you trusted Him regardless of what your senses told you. That kind of serenity was simply a part of the Hebrew culture.
And regarding their eternal end, we can see the confidence of the heroes of faith versus the fears of fools and scoundrels. That should answer the question. They might not have a clear idea about what was on the other side of death, but the faithful didn't fear it. They were certain that their Father was waiting to receive them.
This is the basis for what Jesus said in the parable of Lazarus the Beggar. Nobody in His audience batted an eye at the image of death as the place of rest for the faithful, and a place of torment for fools. That was right out of the Old Testament.
Yes, there are some differences between the Old and New Covenants, but faith has not changed since Adam stood in the Garden.
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