Grace And Mercy Are With HIS Holy Ones

"Indeed GOD created man to be immortal in the likeness of HIS own nature, but the envy of the devil brought death to the world, and those who take his side shall experience death.

The souls of the just are in the hands of GOD and no torment shall touch them.

In the eyes of the unwise they appear to be dead.  Their going is held as a disaster; it seems that they lose everything by departing from us, but they are in peace.

Though seemingly they have been punished, immortality was the soul of their hope.  After slight affliction will come great blessings, for GOD has tried them and found them worthy to be with HIM; after testing them as gold in the furnace, HE has accepted them as a holocaust.

At time of HIS coming they will shine like sparks that run in the stubble.  They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD will be their king forever.

Those who trust in HIM will penetrate the truth, those who are faithful will live with HIM in love, for HIS grace and mercy are for HIS chosen ones." - Wisdom 2:23-3:9 

(Those who take his side shall experience death.  Those who do evil begin to experience death.  There is a physical wearing down caused by vice [alcoholism, licentiousness], but there is an even greater deterioration of enthusiasm, generosity and trust.  "The person who sows for the benefit of his own flesh shall reap corruption and death from the flesh" [Galatians 6:8].

The text considers what JESUS will do; that behind a mass of evil that tear humanity, and behind our disbelief there is a presence of "the Enemy" [see Matthew 13:39; Hebrews 2:14-15].

The souls of the just are in the hands of GOD.  This is the great revelation in this book.  In the previous books of the Scriptures, the soul only means the breath of a person, that is to say, the life in him which disappears at death.  Now, the soul means the person who does not die when the body does.

Their going is held as a disaster.  Whether the just dies in the hands of violent people, or naturally die as we all do, the end of their lives seems to contradict GOD's goodness.  It is a scandal that death can overcome the just.  [We know that the just are those who fulfill the hopes that GOD placed in them.]  It is only the body which dies.  They are alive before GOD as JESUS will also state [Luke 20:38].

But they are in peace.  They will forever enjoy what they hoped for here on earth.  That is to say, we only see one side of death: we shall never know how everyone experienced his departure, even less how he awakened in GOD's world.

At the time of judgment we will see that the just are the only ones who have been truly alive.  The death of the friends of GOD brings peace to those who were at their side.  Through their death the martyrs bring the triumph of the cause for which they lived.)

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