Hey Pastor John,
Last night Alex and I read “Pillar #3: One Hope” in the Seven Pillars book.* I have a question from the section titled, “We Must Do Good Works.” In Revelation 20:13, it says, “And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one, according to their deeds.”
What exactly is John saying when he refers to the sea, or do we know? Is he saying the sea also holds souls of the ones lost?
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There is no reason to think that solid ground can hold dead souls but water cannot. I think John is referring to people who have died at sea rather than on land.
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Also, are Death and Hades in reference to the same thing versus two different places?
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Death and Hades are spirits, not places. That’s why in John’s vision, Death could ride a horse and Hades could follow him.
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We are really enjoying reading this book. So many light bulb moments and puzzle pieces that fit together. A few praise breaks along the way too!
One of my favorite “aha” moments last night was Acts 16:32 when I read, “And then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who were in his house.” They spoke the word of the Lord. They didn’t read it! So many times, I have seen people try and convince others that the Bible is the word of the Lord. What Paul and Silas had was a living and breathing gospel. I don’t remember that scripture ever sticking out to me the way it did this time reading it. I hope I remember that scripture now, if ever in a conversation about that topic.
I think that is all the questions I had from that chapter, that I can remember at this time, anyway.
Bye for now!
Margo
* Going to Jesus.com – The Seven Pillars of the Gospel: The Unifying Bond of Peace