Dear Saints,

With the memorial service for Pastor Bell June 22, our sister Jan recently going on home hospice, and my father’s funeral coming up in NY for which I’m leaving this Monday, it has been profound providence to have received these various messages over the last few weeks that I will list and link to below for your perusal with excerpts from each for this e-devotion/Pastor’s Posts.

First this article,“Three Reasons the Saint’s Death is Precious in the Sight of The Lord,” by Jim McCarthy, referencing Psalm 116:15: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
“The death of a saint is precious in the sight of the Lord because it marks the end of their suffering … because it marks the end of their sin … because it marks the end of their separation … When a saint’s mortal life ends, they are gathered to their people … But the saints will not only recognize ‘their people’ loved and lost and now reunited. They will recognize him whom they have only seen through the eyes of faith, maybe among their people, maybe beyond them, maybe standing as he stood for Stephen, maybe seated high upon his throne of fire at his Father’s right hand; Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, lover of souls, and friend of sinners.”
https://www.reformation21.org/blog/three-reasons-the-saints-death-is-precious-in-the-sight-of-the-lord

Next, this podcast by The Jerusalem Chamber Podcast (Episode 32.2: The Resurrection of the Body).
“What does ‘at the last day’ mean? What’s going on with the souls of people as the body is laid to rest? What happens to those who are alive on the last day? Describe the resurrection of the dead. What does ‘selfsame’ body mean? Tune in as Nathan, Joel, Shawn, and Kyle discuss WCF 32.2: At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed; and all the dead shall be raised up with the self-same bodies, and none other, although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls forever.”
https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ep-32.2-resurrection-of-the-body.mp3

Next, this podcast, “Comfort for the Mourning” by The White Horse Inn.
“‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted’ – Matthew 5:4. But how? In this episode, Michael Horton, Bob Hiller, Walter Strickland, and Justin Holcomb take a look at Jesus pronouncement of ‘blessing’ to those who mourn—how Christ’s kingdom uniquely, and utterly, transforms our grief.”
https://whitehorseinn.org/resource-library/shows/comfort-for-the-mourning/

Lastly, this article, “Heaven or Hades? Old Testament Saints in the Intermediate State,” by Purely Presbyterian.
“Scripture positively teaches that Old Testament saints were glorified and went into the blessed presence of God in Heaven upon their deaths.”
https://purelypresbyterian.com/2024/03/04/heaven-or-hades-old-testament-saints-in-the-intermediate-state/

Let me close with this very much made use of pastoral section of our Westminster Standards that speaks especially to much of the content of these resources listed above:

Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 86.

“What is the communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death?”

“The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls …”

These highlights are speaking to the doctrine of the “intermediate state,” and you can hear a sermon on WLC 86 and about six other sermons on this topic if you type and enter that term in the search box of our SermonAudio page at sermonaudio.com/puritanchurch.

Semper Reformanda,
Pastor Grant