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‘If someone rises from the dead and evidences that there are heaven and hell, my family obviously repent. I wish that at least my family could escape this torment,’ thought the rich man who was suffering burning pain in hell (Luke 16:19-31.) So he begged God:

“Father Abraham! Please send Lazarus who is at your side to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them that there are heaven and hell, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.” (Luke 16:19-28)

At his earnest request, God said sadly:

They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them. If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. (Luke 16:29-31)

In general, many think that if a died friend rises from the dead and speaks the existence of heaven and hell, people may believe it. However,  God said, “If they do not listen to the words of Moses and the Prophets [the Bible], people will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Suppose, a died person comes back from heaven and says, “Heaven and hell actually exist, and those who believe in the Savior, who gives us eternal life, can enter the kingdom of heaven.” Then, how many will listen to his word? Most people will not quite believe it, or some may even scorn him by saying “you must be crazy.” Or, using complex medical terms, physicians might determine that he saw things that weren’t there.

God dismissed the request of the rich man and said that the way to know the Savior is to look at the scriptures of Moses and the Prophets, or the Bible, rather than the witness of a person who rises from the dead. Therefore, we cannot know the Savior and heaven and hell, through other books than the Bible, or through other ways. In order not to go to hell like the rich man, we must seek and receive the Savior whom the Bible testifies about.

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me [Christ who will save mankind] (John 5:39)

NOTE: The World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) believes in Christ Ahnsahnghong who came in the flesh and restored the Passover of the New Covenant according to the prophecy of the Bible.