Angering The Dead

Why The Dead Do Not Require Anger

• Proximity to God Almighty
• Their Age Relative To Ours
• Anger Is Neither To Be Owned Nor Provoked

Why the Dead Do Not Require Our Anger

Introduction

ii. --- What it means to anger the dead, is to level highly inflammatory remarks at anyone who is no longer alive to fairly defend themselves against such insensitive verbage. That this gives rise to their anger upon a future occasion, we may quite reasonably infer from our Lord's comments to the generation in which He lived. From His certain and absolute knowledge of the future, He explained to the Israelites how the people of Ninevah and the queen of the south will rise up in the day of Judgment and condemn them for ignoring the Lord of glory. (Matt. 12:39-42 & Luke 11:29-32)

iii. --- I am not talking about the relation of certain facts and realities about the dead that are sometimes mentioned in the sermons of preachers (e.g., the relation of Ernest Hemingway's suicide). If the statements are true, however unflattering they may be, and especially if they further the message of the sermon, they are quite allowed and even beneficial to the goal. The Keyword here is that they must be certain facts and realities, not opinions, personal views or gossip.

Their Proximity to God

1. As the history of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) informs us, those on both sides of the "great gulf fixed" are well aware, yea, even undeniably so, of both the existence and presence of God. Taking the case of those in Abraham's bosom, with a small amount of reasonable reflection applied, it becomes manifest that they do not need for us to cast false accusations (e.g., Abraham Lincoln's alleged abuse of alcohol) or evil surmisings continually into their ears, as is the gross habit of some. If we were to truly love our neighbors as ourselves in the usual fashion of putting ourselves in their place, we would immediately recognize the massive injustice involved in casting fifteen tons of biased opinions at people who have no ability to respond to them or, as I said before, fairly defend themselves.
   

2. The dead (who are really alive) in Abraham's bosom are busy enjoying the Rest of God and anything else that can possibly exist both harmonious and blissful in that sacred realm. Anyone can see that such as these do not require vast clouds of selfish, pompous morons calling them names and passing off lies to the public about them or their lifestyles as if they were true. If you didn't like that last sentence, just think how you would feel if you had died, gone to heaven and STILL had to listen to the insults of not just one, but BILLIONS!
   

3. The same is true for those in hell as is the rich man; or, that is to say, the truly dead. They definitely do not require at the hand of anyone for their misery and agony to be both complicated and multiplied. If they have been awarded with hell, that just judgment of God Almighty is very obviously sufficient and to which nothing should be added. What man is there who can judge more accurately than the omniscient, righteous Judge? "Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or being His counsellor hath taught Him?" (Isaiah 40:13)
   

4. Therefore, on either side of the fence, it is not required of us to provide them with fuel for anger, and is to be avoided. Certainly a great deal more than it is being avoided at this present day. "Thou shalt not bear false witness." (Exodus 20:16 & 23:1-2) Mainly, as stated above, their proximity to God bars any earth-bound human from having any valid comments regarding anyone who has finished the part of their life this side of the grave and now awaits the final judgment. They can now see the reality of the kingdom which they before either denied or defended. They may then, from their new vantage point, add more visible works to their knowledge of the whole creation of God than anyone on earth could ever convince them existed during their whole lifetime.
   

Their Age Relative to Ours

1. It appears to be a common agreement that the earth is at least 6,000 years old. According to logic, this means that there are men and women, either in hell or in Abraham's bosom who are around 6,000 years older than we are. From that point till now, the ages descend in successive order till they reach the numbers of those who are alive at this present day. Again, according to logic, this means that the preponderance of all humans who have ever trod the face of God's green earth, have passed on and collected either in one or the other of the two aforementioned repositories. If the average life expectancy of humans, according to Psalm 90:10, being a figure of 70-80 years, is divided by 6,000 years, the result is either 1.16% for 70, or 1.33% for 80. In either case, above 98% remains. This means that of the sum total of all humans ever created, those who are older than we are extend from 2% to 98% of the total 6,000 year period. If anyone adheres to the foolishness of the evolutionists, this figure becomes even greater and thus increases the amount of respect we owe to them.
   

2. So we see that for this reason also, the dead do not require any provocation to anger at our hands. If we teach our children to respect their elders, then subsequently allow those who have passed on to have their characters dragged through the mud by the simple-minded, what use has been made of all our prattling about respect? It appears the height of stupidity to hear these same individuals who carry on to such extremes about the respect they allegedly claim to have as a right; then almost in the same breath, trash the characters and work of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, and even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Yes, even the Son of God is unfortunately no longer sacred in our blindly charismatic age of enlightenment and reason. And yet He is the Ancient of Days, and is older than all humans combined into one figure! Even He, "who by the grace of God tasted death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9) has no shield from the ever so brave and courageous insults spewed from the mouth of modern man in too many forums to enumerate.
   

3. Will we then be so bold to repeat these nonsensical spewings before His throne in the day of judgment? We may not boldly do so, but do so we will. Why is that? Because Jesus Christ, not the local pastor said, "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)
   

4. Since I have just demonstrated it to be a fact that an average of 98% of all humans ever created are of a greater age than we are; and that they very definitely occupy the other 98% of the earth's history, should we still continue to aimlessly provoke the dead by our thoughtless ramblings? You do the math on that one!
   

Anger is Neither to be Owned Nor Provoked

1. We find that anger is one of the several works of the flesh according to Galatians 5:19-20, that is destroyed by the justification and sanctification of the believer in Christ Jesus. So, we may reason that those on the side of Abraham's bosom and in the presence of the Lord may not be touched by the fire of any earthly kind of anger.
   

2. In fact, long before their departure from this physical realm, anger was "not once named among them as becometh saints." (Ephesians 5:3) (Yes, anger is a species of covetousness or pride.) They had received the purifying baptism of the Holy Spirit who had throughly purged them of this selfish behaviour, and they knew it no more. And upon passing into their present realm, were removed from even the temptation to become cross or ill-willed toward any fellow creature of their Lord, whom they had long loved with all their heart, soul, mind and strength -- and shall forever more. (Matthew 22:36-40)
   

3. But "wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses," (Hebrews 12:1) it cannot be reasoned that they are not affected at all by the foolish words of many today. Nor is it in any way believable that the saints of God even LIKE to be accused of anything that, were they still alive, they would be full in your face telling you that it is a flat-out lie!
   

4. So, to summarize -- If they are affected by the rude behaviour of some, and do not like it, and would tell you that you are wrong if they could, and will probably be involved to some extent in your future judgment -- WHY CONTINUE TO PROVOKE THEM? And does this not also provoke God Himself, by a flat disobedience of His commandment to bear no false witness against our neighbors and to love them as ourselves? It most assuredly does! Church attendance is in vain when this type of foolish, suicidal behaviour is maintained. And in the end of time, it will be seen and proved to amount to just nothing.
   

5. The provocation to anger even of the living, but especially the gross shame of provoking the dead is for the most part today passing unnoticed by the mass populace; but not by me. Moreover, it is not only a heinous sin in the eyes of a holy God, but is proof positive that they who wilfully continue in such acts have no part with the Lord Jesus Christ. Yea, they shall be among that number to whom the Lord announces, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity into everlasting damnation prepared for the devil and his angels, I NEVER KNEW YOU." (Matthew 7:23 & 25:41)
   

6. Prayer, repentance and deliverance from all guilt, not just this, is your only remedy, and I strongly urge you to avail yourself of it at any cost. Eternity is far too long to spend wishing that you had. And the price is free -- "without money, without price." (Isaiah 55:1) It only takes a prayer, faith and a thankful mind.
   Amen.
   

"He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death." - Psalm 68:20


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Begun on or about 10/3/99
Text last revised - 12/24/99