Question
Gramps,
How do we reconcile that Lazarus died, then was raised from the dead to later die again with Hebrews 9:27 as with all those who were raised from the dead? The scripture says man dies but once to die no more.
Donald
Answer
Donald,
One of the ways we can easily reconcile Lazarus’s death and his being raised from the dead (along with others) with Hebrews 9: 27 is through the concept of general facts/truths. For example, humans have five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot. This is accepted as a general fact. We also know there are humans who are born with six fingers, but despite this our science books don’t change to a new general fact recording, “Humans have six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.” Why? Because we understand that when there are no complications from the zygote to a baby that the baby will have five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot. That is a simple, general, fact.
Let’s review Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (emphasis mine). The scripture specifically says, “appointed unto men once to die” (emphasis mine) yet Lazarus surely was appointed twice unto death.
Not only Lazarus, the Bible also shares another story covering the Moabite who was laid on top of Elisha (2 Kings 13:21), “And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.” This Moabite, like Lazarus, seems to contradict Hebrews because he also was appointed unto death TWICE!
Well, we definitely could interpret it that way but our interpretation would be wrong, and we can confirm this by generally understood facts as discussed previously. Let’s take a look at some common mantras people will use:
1. YOLO! You only live once!
2. Carpe Diem — Sieze the day! Or as some have said it’s true interpretation is “Plucking the day!” Meaning take every advantage in the day to pluck all the good fruit.
Do we need to reconcile these mantras with Hebrews 9:27? Does Lazarus and this Moabite (and others) prove the mantra “YOLO” to be wrong, and that people should stop saying YOLO and Carpe Diem? No, not at all, because it is well known that we as humans have one life, and we die once. We really don’t argue this general idea, this general fact. We don’t laugh or mock an individual who uses these words because of commonly understood principles regarding life and death. We know humans will live and we will die, and for the majority of us that death will happen “once” not twice or even multiple times.
I see no need to reconcile “once” with Lazarus. It seems to be a true statement. We live and we die. And my guess is that I will die once, and I’m willing to take a bet — a wager — on that if you would like. 
Gramps
