Resurrection
of the Dead
1 Corinthians 15:16-18 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if
Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then
also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life
only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (miserable).
Thank God that Jesus rose
from the dead, and he gave many infallible proofs to over five hundred people
for forty days before his final ascension. The apostles were so fully convinced
of Jesus' resurrection that they all became martyrs to testify to that truth.
Acts 1:1-3 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began
both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He
through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many
infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was
buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen
by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
Jesus has conquered sin and
death, and by his resurrection, he offers eternal life to everyone who believes
in him.
People have always struggled with
the question of "is there life after death?" From the beginning, the
patriarchs and the saints of the Bible believed there would be a resurrection.
The word resurrection means to stand again, everyone will stand again, but the
real question is with what body, and where?
Job lived just after Noah's flood,
and the book of Job may be the oldest book of the Bible. Even going back that
far, Job had a revelation of Christ and the resurrection. Job believed that his
redeemer (Jesus) would stand on the earth and that he would see him, an event
that would not happen for thousands of years. He also believed that after he
was dead and his body had decomposed in the ground, he would stand again and
see his God. Job described the resurrection, how our body and spirit come back
together after death.
Job
19:25-26 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He
shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed,
this I know, that in my flesh (body) I shall see God, Whom I shall
see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns
within me!
After Job, come to Abraham, we
don't know if Abraham knew of Job, but he had a similar revelation of the dead
rising again. Abraham had a personal relationship with God. And God had
promised Abraham a son at age 75, and at the age of 100, he and his 90-year-old
wife had a son, and about 20 years later, God asked Abraham to put his son
Isaac on the altar as a sacrifice and take his life. Holding the knife above
Isaac, God stopped him by providing a lamb (Christ) to take the place of Isaac,
so Abraham passed his test.
Abraham's faith had been growing
step by step for 45 years, and by that time, he believed God could raise Isaac
from the dead. Abraham did not have a Bible, synagogue, or church, but he knew
the most important principle of the faith, that God raises the dead. Abraham
became the father of faith through that experience, and God considered him to
be righteousness because of his faith. And we are also are counted righteous by
our faith in Christ's resurrection.
Hebrews
11:19
Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively
speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Romans
4:16-25
but also to those who are of the faith of
Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, "I have made
you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed God,
who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as
though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became
the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall
your descendants be." And not being weak in faith, he did not consider
his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the
deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through
unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully
convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore
"it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now it was not
written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It
shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the
dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of
our justification.
Abraham's descendants became a
great nation with a legacy of faith and covenant bonds with God. The children
of Israel followed in the steps of Abraham's faith, and they did amazing things
by faith because they were looking for a "better resurrection."
Romans
4:12
who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had
Hebrews
11:32-35 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to talk
about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who
through faith conquered kingdoms,
whose weakness was turned to strength; and
who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back
their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be
released so they might gain a better resurrection.
In the Old Testament, everyone who
died went down to the grave; the Hebrew word for the "grave" is
Sheol, also translated as hell or the pit. The location of Sheol is said to be
deep in the lowest parts of the earth and had different regions at that time to
separate the righteous from the wicked. The righteous are in a place of
comfort, while the wicked go to a place of torment.
Psalm
63:8-9 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand
upholds me. But those who seek my life, to destroy it, shall go into the
lower parts of the earth
Psalm
55:15-23 Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into
hell (Sheol), For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them
But
You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction
We see an example of the grave,
specifically the pit, with Israel wandering in the wilderness. Led by Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram and a group of 250 leaders, they challenged Moses and his
leadership. In response to their rebellion, God confirmed His approval of Moses
through a dramatic miracle. First, the innocent people moved away from the
group of rebels. Then the ground split
open and swallowed Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families, and they dropped
alive straight down into the pit of hell, and the earth closed back over them.
Numbers
16:30-34 "But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the
earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and
they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men
have rejected the LORD." Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all
these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its
mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah,
with all their goods. So, they and all those with them went down alive into the
pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.
Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said,
"Lest the earth swallow us up also!"
Both the righteous and the wicked
go down to the grave, but they arrive in different places and there is a place
prepared for the godly whom God has redeemed from the power of the grave.
Psalm
49:13-15 This is the way of those who are foolish, and of
their posterity who approves their sayings. Selah Like sheep they are laid
in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion
over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far
from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the
grave, For He shall receive me.
We get another picture of life after death by looking at a conversation
between King Saul and the deceased prophet Samuel. Saul was in great fear,
being threatened by war and vastly outnumbered. In desperation, Saul went to a
witch and held a sιance to speak to the prophet Samuel, who was dead.
1 Samuel 28:13-14
And the king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What did you see?" And
the woman said to Saul, "I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth."
So, he said to her, "What is his form?" And she said, "An old
man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle." And Saul perceived
that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed
down.
Being in the lower parts of the earth, Samuel
ascended from the grave, and Saul recognized him and the mantle he was wearing.
They acknowledged each other, and there was no loss of memory or
identification, showing that we will remember and know each other in eternity.
1 Samuel
28:15
Now Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing
me up?" And Saul answered, "I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines
make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me
anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore, I have called you, that
you may reveal to me what I should do."
Samuel could see and speak and
complained about being disturbed and brought up. He showed intelligence,
memory, a range of emotions and had all his speaking and communication skills.
The fact that he felt disturbed showed he preferred where he was, implying it
was better.
1 Samuel
28:16-18 Then Samuel said: "Why then do you ask me,
seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy? "And the
LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the
kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. "Because
you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon
Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.
Samuel remembered details of his
past life, the words he spoke to Saul, his disobedience, and how he lost the
kingdom to David. Adding to Saul's problems was the sιance he just had with the
witch. God strictly forbids communication with the dead, and that seance was
like the straw that breaks the camel's back, and it shattered Saul's chances of
any victory. Finally, Samuel delivered a prophecy from the grave, saying how
Saul would die the next day, which happened as predicted.
1 Samuel
28:19
"Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of
the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The
LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the
Philistines".
Samuel's prophecy was true, and the
next day Israel was defeated, and Saul and his sons died and went down into the
grave, but probably not to the same area where Samuel was. Samuel was a saint,
but Saul was a rebel against God, demon-oppressed, shed innocent blood, sought
counsel from a witch, and spoke to the dead. Saul is probably in a place of
torment.
When Abraham died, they said that
he was gathered to his people. That was the same thing they said when Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, and Aaron died. After they died, they joined all the saints who
went before them, like a big family reunion. (Gen25:17, 29, 33, Num 20:24-26,
Duet 32:50)
Genesis
25:8
Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and
full of years; and was gathered to his people.
Jesus told a story of two men who
died and went down into Hades. The Greek word Hades is the equivalent for Sheol
and correlates to Hell or the pit. This story contrasts two different places
and two different men who were there. Notice it was called Abraham's bosom, he
is the father of faith, so it would be like being welcomed and comforted with a
big hug from a loving father, with the whole family there to greet you.
Luke
16:19-26 "There was a certain rich man who was
clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. "But
there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at
his gate, "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich
man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. "So it was that
the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The
rich man also died and was buried. "And being in torments in Hades,
he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. "Then
he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he
may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame.' "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in
your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil
things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.' And besides all this, between
us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from
here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
The beggar Lazarus was with Abraham
in a place of comfort, while the rich man was in Hell, a place of torment, with
an uncrossable gulf or chasm between them. They could see each other from
across the gap, and they recognized each other, but they could not cross from
one side to the other. In life, Lazarus begged in shame and suffering, and the
rich man had lived a life of abundance and luxury. Outward appearances are
deceiving, and we may be surprised to find out who is going to heaven and who
is going to Hell.
Also, if you were in Hell and had
one wish, what would be your wish? For one drop of water? It seems more likely
that most people would be frantically begging, get me out of here!!! Everyone
has the free will to accept or reject God. By the consequences of his own
decisions, the rich man chose to go to Hell, and he didn't even ask to get out
of Hell but just wanted a drop of relief in Hell.
It's puzzling how people get
addicted to drugs, alcohol, and all kinds of sins, yet they refuse to turn to
God for help and choose to stay in their situation. They will look for relief
or fulfillment from any source except God. Sadly, if they die in that
condition, they will be trapped in their misery forever.
Luke
16:27-31 "Then he said, 'I beg you, therefore,
father, that you would send him to my father's house, 'for I have five
brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place
of torment.' "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets
(in the Bible); let them hear them.' "And he said, 'No, father Abraham;
but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent' "But he said
to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"
Possibly, the saddest thing for the
rich man was that he had five living brothers, and he was worried that they
would be joining him in hell. He wanted to have Lazarus go to warn his
brothers. Saying that his brothers would repent if somebody came back from the
dead to warn them. Of course, Lazarus could not go. As Abraham said, if his
brothers, or anyone else, do not believe the prophets' (the Bible), they will
not believe in someone who rose from the dead (Jesus), so they will ultimately
join him in hell. That is why it is so important to share Jesus with our family
and friends in this life before it's too late.
The Old Testament laws for
harvesting crops are symbolic for us, giving us an outline of the spiritual
harvest of souls, revealing in what order the different resurrections will
happen.
Christ the Firstfruit
The name "firstfruits"
comes from the "laws of the harvest" under the law given by Moses. At
the end of the growing season, the farmers would watch the crop to know when it
was ripe for the harvest. When the crop was ready to be harvested the day after
the next sabbath, the priest would waive the first ripe fruit before the Lord.
They called the first sheaf of ripe grain the firstfruits, pointing to Jesus,
the first to rise from the dead.
Leviticus
23:10-11
'When you come into the land which I give to you,
and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of
your harvest to the priest. 'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be
accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall
wave it.
In the
year they crucified Jesus, the harvest was ready by the Passover, and there was
a sabbath two days later. Jesus's crucifixion was on the Passover, and three
days later, the priest waved the sheaf of the firstfruits before the Lord. So,
Jesus became the first to rise from the dead and fulfilled two different Old
Testament symbolisms, at the same time, first as the Passover lamb and then as
the sheaf of the firstfruits in the harvest.
The first Passover took place when the children of Israel
were slaves in Egypt. God used Moses to speak to Pharoah and sent ten plagues
against the Egyptians to force them to release Israel from their bondage. God
told Moses that the final plague would be the death of all the firstborn of
Egypt. The only protection against death would be to kill a lamb and put its
blood on the doorpost of their houses. As God passed through Egypt and brought
death to the firstborn when he saw blood on the doorpost, he would "pass
over" that house, and he spared the lives of everyone inside the house.
All the firstborn in Egypt died, but nobody died in homes where blood was on
the doorpost. Israel was set free from Egypt the next day, and the Jewish
people have celebrated Passover every year since. Jesus was crucified on the Passover,
fulfilling what was planned before the foundation of the world, that he would
be the lamb of God to take away sin.
1
Corinthians 5:7-8
For indeed Christ, our Passover was
sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast
Revelation
12:11
And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus),
and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the
death.
Revelation 13:8
in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world.
Firstfruits
The day after the sabbath, they
would waive the first ripe sheaf of grain, calling it the celebration of the
"firstfruits." On the day the priest waived the first fruit of the
harvest, Jesus became the fruitsfruits of the resurrection of the dead.
1
Corinthians 15:20-23 But now Christ is risen from the dead,
and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since
by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in
Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Two Loaves
After they waved the sheaf of the
firstfruits, they would count 50 days, called Pentecost, or fiftieth. On
Pentecost, they would bake two loaves of bread and wave them before the Lord.
That symbolism points to the church, which was born on the day of Pentecost.
Leviticus
23:15-17
count for yourselves from the day after the
Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering
'Count
fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new
grain offering to the LORD. 'You shall bring from your dwellings two wave
loaves
They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They
are the firstfruits to the LORD.
Acts
2:1-4
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in
one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there
appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The two loaves represent the
church, one representing the dead "in Christ"
and the other representing those who will be alive
"in Christ" when he comes for the church in the rapture. The
rapture is when Jesus will return to snatch the church up to heaven sometime before
the seven years of tribulation begins. The church is also firstfruits (Jas
1:18) because they will be the bride of Christ.
1
Thessalonians 4:13-17 For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep (are dead) in
Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive
and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who
are asleep (dead)
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God ... And the
dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And
thus, we shall always be with the Lord.
The Corners & Gleanings
Jewish law required all Israelites
to remember the poor. Farmers were required to leave some of their crops to
feed the poor.
The crops in the corners of the fields were not
harvested and were left for the poor to eat. The poor could go there anytime
during the season. We know Jesus and his disciples went into a field and ate
some corn on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1).
The gleanings
were sheaves that were dropped or missed by the harvesters. When they harvested
a field, they were not allowed to go back to pick up what they missed. They had
to leave the gleanings for the poor to eat. Boaz intentionally left gleanings
for Ruth (Ruth 2:15-16).
Leviticus
23:22
'When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the
corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning
from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am
the LORD your God.'"
The corners and the gleanings point to different groups that
will have their resurrection during the tribulation or at the second coming.
These would be people like the Two Witnesses, Old Testament saints, and
tribulation martyrs. Similar to the random nature of gathering from the corners
and gleanings, these different groups will resurrect at differing times,
culminating at the second coming of Christ.
Revelation
11:17-18
" saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God
Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken
Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And
the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward
Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small
and great
who destroy the earth."
The Harvest
After
the sheaf of the firstfruits and the two loaves, it was time for the harvest.
There were two harvest seasons in Israel; the barley harvest in the spring
(Passover) and the wheat harvest in late summer (Pentecost). There will be two
harvests in the resurrections as well. The early harvest is called the first
resurrection, where all the redeemed will stand before the judgment seat of
Christ to test their works and receive their rewards. The second harvest will
come at the end of the world, called the second death, whereby all sinners from
every age are brought out of death and hell to stand before the great white
throne. After their trial before the great white throne, they will be sentenced
and cast into the lake of fire.
Jeremiah 8:20 The
harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
The
Wheat & Tares
Weeds have
always been a problem for farmers. Jesus told a parable about a farmer (God)
who planted wheat, and his enemy (Satan) came at night and scattered tares in
his field. Wheat and tares look very similar, and removing the tares would
damage the crop, so the farmer let them grow together. True believers and
unbelievers grow together until the harvest when God sorts them believers go to
the kingdom and unbelievers to hell. (Matthew 13:25-30)
Jesus knew the prophecies and
understood the suffering he would endure and that he would be beaten,
crucified, die, and be in the grave for three days and nights. He knew three
days after his death, he would rise from the dead, and he told everyone what to
expect before it happened.
Matthew
12:38-40 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered,
saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered
and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,
and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
For as
Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish,
so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
John
2:19-22 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up
Then the Jews said,
"It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it
up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body
Therefore,
when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had
said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had
said.
When Jesus was hanging on the
cross, two criminals were also hanging on crosses, one on either side of him.
In his final moments of life, one of the criminals understood that Jesus was
the son of God and asked him for mercy.
Luke
23:42-43 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when
You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I
say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Paradise is a Persian word that means the King's Garden. There
was a Jewish belief that Abraham's Bosom and the Garden of Eden were side by
side, comparable in beauty. Jesus and the thief both went to Paradise that
day.
The penalty of sin is death, and when Adam sinned, he passed the DNA of sin to the entire human race, bringing all of humanity under the law of sin and death. Through one act of disobedience, all were born sinners, all will die, and earthly dominion went to the Devil. Satan tried to trick Jesus like he did Adam, offering him all the kingdoms of this world, but Jesus did not tolerate Satan's schemes, rebuking him, and surrendered nothing.
Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain,
and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to
Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship
me." Then Jesus
said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship
the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"
On his way to the cross, Jesus acknowledged that Satan was the
ruler of this world (age) at that time. The apostle Paul called Satan the god
of this world and that the unsaved lie under the sway of the wicked one.
John 14:28-30 "You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away (death)
and coming back to you (resurrection).' If you loved Me, you would rejoice
because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.
"And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass,
you may believe. "I
will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world (Satan) is
coming, and he has nothing in Me.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are
perishing, whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded, who do
not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the
image of God, should shine on them.
But one man, Jesus,
took back the power of death through his obedience and sinless sacrifice.
Because Jesus had never sinned, death and corruption could not touch him, so he
defeated sin, death, and the Devil the moment he died. Jesus has the power to
give eternal life, holds the keys of death hell, and has all power and
authority in heaven and earth.
Hebrews
2:14-15
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself
likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had
the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear
of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Acts
2:23-27 "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose
and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and
put to death; "whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death
because it was not possible that He should be held by it. "For David
says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my
right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced, and my
tongue was glad; Moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not
leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
Romans
5:15-21 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by
the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift
by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many ... For
if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more
those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will
reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one
man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so
through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in
justification of life.
For as by one man's disobedience many were made
sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous
so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign
through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There was another problem before
the cross, that was the law of Moses. The law is good, but it has a weak human
partner that always sins. Adam and Eve were perfect in a perfect paradise, with
no bad neighbors, no bills, no traffic, no problems, and they lacked for
nothing. They only had one simple little law, and they had the whole planet all
to themselves doing whatever they wanted to do.
They broke the law. If they
couldn't obey just one little rule, then what are the chances that we could
keep all 613 laws of Moses throughout our entire life? Impossible! Thank God
that Jesus fulfilled the law and saved us from its condemnation by nailing the
law to the cross.
Colossians
2:13-15 When you were dead in your sins and in the
uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He
forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its
regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away,
nailing it to the cross and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he
made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Romans
7:7-9
Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law.
For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said,
"Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the
commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from
law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment
came, sin sprang to life and I died.
Jesus' victory on the cross gives
us the ability to live above our sinful human nature and live a life directed
by the Holy Spirit. At the cross, we die to sin, and God gives us a new heart
and makes us a new creation in Christ.
Romans
6:2-7
How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
even so we
also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the
likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be
slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.
2
Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become
new.
When Jesus died, he descended into
the grave, but he didn't go there to suffer or pay for sin because he
accomplished that on the cross. Instead, He went on a mission to make a
proclamation, take the keys of death and Hell, and relocate the righteous
captives who were in Abraham's Bosom up to paradise.
Revelation
1:18
"I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. And I have the keys of Hades (Hell) and of Death.
1 Peter
3:18-20 For Christ also suffered
once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might
bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly
were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was being prepared
1
Corinthians 15:54-57
that is written: "Death is
swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades,
where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of
sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ preached the gospel to disobedient spirits imprisoned
in Hell as a testimony against them, comparing them with living people that
obey God and live in the Spirit. Sinners are kept in Hell until they stand
before the great white throne judgment, but in the meantime, the testimony of
living saints is a witness against them and continues to grow.
1 Peter
4:4-5
In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the
same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account
to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason, the
gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit.
The abyss is a bottomless pit, a
prison for the devil and his angels. Some evil spirits are so bad they are
bound in prison, inside Hell where they have been since Noah's flood. And when
Jesus descended into Hell, he went there and preached or made a proclamation to
them.
Jude 1:6 And the angels
who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved
in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
2 Peter
2:4-5
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell
and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and
did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a
preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
From Paul's letter to the
Ephesians, we see that Jesus took all the people formerly captive in Abraham's
bosom and relocated them to a heavenly paradise when he ascended to heaven.
Ephesians 4:8-10 This is
why it says: "When he ascended on high, he took many captives and
gave gifts to his people." (What does "he ascended" mean except
that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who
descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in
order to fill the whole universe.)
The Apostle Paul told us that
Paradise is in the heavens. Paul said he was "caught up" beyond the
first and second heavens, ascending to the third heaven and Paradise.
2
Corinthians 12:2-4 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years
ago whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not
know, God knows such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know
such a man whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows how
he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it
is not lawful for a man to utter.
Early on the third day after Jesus
rose from the dead, and before He ascended to His Father, he stopped and gave
Mary Magdalene a message to deliver to his brethren, the disciples.
John
20:17-18 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I
have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to
them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and
your God.'" Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had
seen the Lord and that He had spoken these things to her.
Then after leaving Mary, he
ascended far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and name.
Matthew
28:18
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given
to Me in heaven and on earth.
Ephesians
1:18-23
the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when
he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the
heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and
every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one
to come. And God placed all things under his feet
After his resurrection, Jesus
appeared to his disciples. They were in disbelief and thought they saw a ghost.
They talked with him, touched the nail scars in his hands, and saw him eat
solid food. Then they realized that this was the same Jesus they witnessed
dying on the cross, who died, and was buried. And he was now standing before
them.
Luke
24:39-43 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself!
Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I
have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while
they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them,
"Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of
broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.
John
20:26-28 A week later his disciples were in the house again,
and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood
among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas,
"Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into
my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord
and my God!"
His body endured 39 lashes with a barbed whip, nails driven into
his hands and feet, and a spear pierced his side. He had the scars from his
wounds, proving that it was the same body. Jesus told the disciples that a
spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. He had the same body
but resurrected, incorruptible, glorified, and eternal. He did not say he had
flesh and blood. The resurrection body does not need blood, food, or air
to stay alive. Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and all eternal life
flows from him.
John
11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and
the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever
lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
John
10:28
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch
them out of my hand.
When Jesus came, although he was
God, he humbled himself and took on the form of a servant and limited his
abilities as a man on earth (Philp 2:5-10).
But as the resurrected Lord in his
glorified state, he has unlimited power and absolutely no restrictions
regarding time or space. Jesus can appear or vanish, ascend or descend through
the clouds, and there is nothing impossible for Him, and He has all power in
heaven and earth.
Luke
24:30-31 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he
took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were
opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight.
Acts
1:9-11 After he said this, he was taken up before their
very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up
into the sky as he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood
beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here
looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into
heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into
heaven."
Jesus was the first to be
resurrected from the dead. Everyone else is still waiting, and there's a
sequence of events that will happen before the other groups will be judged and
resurrected.
John
5:25-29 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and
now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who
hear will live.
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all
who are in the graves will hear His voice "and come forth those who
have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to
the resurrection of condemnation.
Isaiah
26:19 But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will
rise let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy your dew is
like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.
In the same way that Jesus'
physical body was resurrected, transformed, and eternally glorified, at the
resurrection, believers will experience a transformation of their bodies from
death to life, with various degrees of glory.
2
Corinthians 5:1-4 Now we know that if the earthly tent
(body) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house
in heaven, not built by human hands.
because we do not wish to be
unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal
may be swallowed up by life.
Philippians
3:20-21 But
[we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we
eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who,
by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself,
will [not only] transform [but completely refashion] our earthly bodies so that
they will be like His glorious resurrected body. (AMP)
1 John
3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not
yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is
revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone
who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
We should not misuse our bodies for
ungodly purposes or defile and disfigure them. Since we are held responsible
for everything done in our bodies, the followers of Christ should seek to
glorify God with their bodies and flee from sexual sins, drunkenness, drugs,
gluttony, and so forth.
1
Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a
man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins
against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of
the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your
body and in your spirit, which are God's.
1
Corinthians 3:16-17 Don't you know that you yourselves are
God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys
God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are
that temple.
The rapture is like a wedding, and
Jesus and John the Baptist both stated that Jesus is the bridegroom spoken of
in all the wedding parables. The church will be raptured, removed from the
earth as the bride of Christ, which will happen before the wrath of God comes
during the great tribulation. Both the rapture and the (gentile) church were
hidden mysteries not mentioned in the Old Testament but only revealed after the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church.
Matthew
9:14-15
(Jesus speaking) "Can the friends of the
bridegroom (John the Baptist & others) mourn as long as the
bridegroom (Jesus) is with them? But the days will come when the
bridegroom (Jesus) will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
1
Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye (Rapture), at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will
sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Ephesians
5:23-27, 32 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ
is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as
the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands
in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her
with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself
a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that
she should be holy and without blemish
This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the
church.
Jesus spoke about a wedding feast
which is also the marriage supper of the Lamb (Matthew 22:1-14, 25:1-13). The
bride of Christ is a position held exclusively by the church. The guests at the
wedding feast will be the Old Testament saints and martyrs. Jesus said that
John the Baptist was the greatest and the last of the Old Testament saints, but
the least in the kingdom of heaven will be greater than John.
Matthew
11:11-13 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there
has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist, yet he who is least in
the kingdom of heaven is greater than he
For all the Prophets and the Law
prophesied until John.
Even John admitted that he would be
just a "friend of the bridegroom" at the wedding.
John 3:29 (John
speaking) "He who has the bride (church) is the bridegroom (Jesus); but the
friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly
because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled.
Although John was
said to be filled by the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb, he told Jesus that
he needed the baptism of the Spirit that Jesus would give (to the church),
showing that he is not part of the Spirit-filled church and the bride of
Christ.
Matthew
3:13-14 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to
be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to
be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"
The Spirit-filled believers in the
New Testament have a better covenant and better promises than John the Baptist
and the Old Testament saints.
Hebrews
8:6
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is
also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better
promises.
Hebrews
9:11-14 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to
come
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He
entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption
how
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God?
It's not that "we" are
better than the Old Testament saints, but we have a better covenant and a
different type of relationship. Who has the most honor at a wedding, the bride
or the family and guests? No doubt it is the bride, but the Old Testament
saints and tribulation martyrs will be the friends at the wedding, which is a
great honor. But the church is given in pledge to marry Christ, and the
infilling of the Holy Spirit is like an engagement ring, given as a down
payment sealing the covenant until the wedding day.
2
Corinthians 1:20-22
Now he who establishes us with
you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed
us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Ephesians
1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of
His glory.
Revelation
19:7-9 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for
the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me,
"Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the
Lamb!'"
Following Jesus, the
next in the order of resurrections is the church. Those who are "in
Christ," both the dead and living, will be raptured, meaning snatched from
the earth and caught up into the sky to meet Christ in the air and taken to heaven.
The rapture could happen at any moment without warning, and it will be like a
flash of lightning or the twinkling of an eye.
1
Thessalonians 4:15-18 For this we say to you by the word of the
Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will
by no means precede those who are asleep (are dead). For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,
and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we
who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1
Corinthians 15:51-54 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall
not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the
dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. So, when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and
this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
One day
the dead and the living believers in Christ will be snatched off the earth and
taken up to meet Jesus in the air, and then each believer will stand before the
Judgment Seat of Christ to give an account of their lives. The Judgment Seat of
Christ does not determine heaven or hell, condemnation or guilt (no sinners
there) but is a judgment reserved for the saints alone to receive their
rewards. All of their works pass through a test of fire to verify which ones
were approved by God, the works that survive the flames of
testing get rewarded, and whatever gets burned up is a total loss.
2 Timothy 4: I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the
living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Corinthians 5:10-11 For
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive
the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be
good or bad.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For no
one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus
Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones,
wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will
bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the
quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his
reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved,
but only as one escaping through the flames
1 Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the
genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be
found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do
not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of
glory, receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls.
There is always
a risk of doing works that are not approved, and there is also a risk that we
could give away the crowns and rewards that should have been ours. Sometimes we
forfeit the opportunities to do acts of service for God by neglect or sin, and
those moments may slip away forever, and we lose our crowns.
Revelation
3:11 "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold
fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
In the parable of the prodigal son, he
took his inheritance and squandered it on wild living, parties, and women,
losing everything he had. Then he returned to the father and was allowed back
into the house, but he was empty and broke, and what he wasted was lost
forever.
Luke
15:13, 30 "Not long after that, the younger
son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered
his wealth in wild living ... (older son) But when this son of yours who
has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the
fattened calf for him!'
It takes a conscious effort to prioritize
our lives to use each day to serve God. We need to make the best use of our
time and talents while remaining faithful during the times of testing if we
want to lay up treasures in heaven.
Matthew
6:20-21 "but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves
do not break in and steal. "For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew
19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be
perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
Revelation
3:18 "I counsel you to buy from Me
gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich;
1 Peter
1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, though now
for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that
the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that
perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory
at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Ephesians
5:15-16
walk circumspectly, not as fools but as
wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Psalm
90:12 So teach us to number our days
The book of Revelation has the
testimony of the two witnesses, who will preach for 3½ years and call for
droughts, and fire to consume their enemies. They will be hated by all the
ungodly of the world, and the Antichrist will kill them. They will leave the
witness's dead bodies in the street and gloat over their deaths. But after 3½
days, they will be resurrected and caught up to heaven, before the whole world.
Revelation
11:7-12 When they finish their testimony, the beast that
ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and
kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their
dead bodies three and a half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put
into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make
merry, and send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those
who dwell on the earth. Now after the three and a half days the breath (Spirit)
of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear
fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to
them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and
their enemies saw them.
During the time of the great
tribulation, there will be a great multitude of believers killed. There will be
a global government with a dictator called the Antichrist. He will give a
mandate that says no one can buy or sell unless they take his mark or worship
his image. All those who disobey the mandate, and refuse the mark, will be
killed. (Revelation 13:1-18). A great multitude of believers from all over the
world will be faithful to Christ and refuse the mandate. They will be killed,
go to heaven, be honored with a crown of life, and will worship before the
throne of God.
Revelation
7:9-14 After these things I looked, and behold, a great
multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and
tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed with
white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud
voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and
to the Lamb!"
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who
are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" And I said
to him, "Sir, you know." So, he said to me, "These are the
ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.
When Christ returns at the second
coming, he will resurrect and judge the Old Testament prophets and saints, as
we see in the following verses.
Revelation
11:15-18 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were
loud voices in heaven, which said: The kingdom of the world has become the
kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and
ever. And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God,
fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: We give thanks to you, Lord God
Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great
power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has
come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your
servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both
small and great and for destroying those who destroy the earth.
Daniel
12:13
"But you (Daniel), go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and
will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days."
John saw a scene in heaven with
martyrs singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. The mention of
Moses is a reference to people of Jewish descent being saints and prophets from
the Old Testament. Those singing about the Lamb refer to the New Testament
believers from Jewish or Gentile backgrounds.
Revelation
15:1-4 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:
seven angels with the seven last plagues-- last, because with them God's wrath
is completed. And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and,
standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and
his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God
and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: "Great
and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your
righteous acts have been revealed."
The Church, martyrs, Old Testament
prophets, and saints will be part of the first resurrection, and they will not
face the second death that is only for sinners.
Revelation
20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not
worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon
their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy
is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath
no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with
him a thousand years.
The Antichrist will imitate the
actual Christ. He will be more than just demon-possessed; he will be the Devil
incarnate. Satan will enter him to unleash Hell on earth. He will demand all
the inhabitants of the world to worship him as a god. He has a sidekick, the
false prophet, who will bring the world's religions together as one to worship
the Antichrist. If anyone refuses to worship the beast or his image or take his
mark, the penalty is death.
Revelation
13:7-15 It was granted to him (antichrist) to make war
with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every
tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him
And he (false prophet) deceives those who dwell on the earth by those
signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who
dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast (antichrist) who was wounded
by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the
beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as
would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Satan, the Antichrist, and the
false prophet make an unholy trinity, deceiving by false signs and wonders, the
evil trinity will deceive the whole world. At the end of the great tribulation,
the Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire. They
will be the first to experience the second death in the resurrection of
condemnation.
Revelation
19:19-20 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and
their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse
and against His army. Then the beast was captured and with him the false
prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who
received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two
were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
At the end of the millennium Satan
is released only to be defeated and sent to the lake of fire. He will be joined
later by all sinners, after the white throne judgment when death and Hell get
cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation
20:7-10, 14 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be
released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four
corners of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them for battle. In number,
they are like the sand on the seashore They marched across the breadth of the
earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came
down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was
thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet
had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night
After the
second coming, there will be one thousand years of peace, called the
millennium. At the end of the millennium, there will be a final war and the
physical universe will be destroyed, and time will be no more. Then every
sinner who has ever lived will stand before the great white throne for judgment
(Saints will not be there). The books will open, and the dead will stand to be
judged, out of the books. Those whose names are not in the book of life go to
the lake of fire.
Revelation
20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was
seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for
them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead
were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The
sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that
were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then
death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the
second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Those of us who love God and love
His appearing have a blessed hope. We are looking forward to an eternity of
bliss in the presence of God. However, we find it hard to comprehend what
heaven will be like with our earthly minds. There will be different places,
with various glories in Heaven, there will also be differences between each
body, based on rewards. The resurrected bodies in Heaven will not be a
one-size-fits-all uniform, where everybody is the same. Paul asks and then
answers his question, how are the dead raised, and what kind of body will they
have?
1
Corinthians 15:35-39 But someone will say, "HOW are the
dead raised up? And with WHAT body do they come?" Foolish one, what
you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
And what you sow, you do not sow
that body that shall be, but mere grain perhaps wheat or some other grain.
But
God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh is
not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh
of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
Paul compares the differences in
earthly types of bodies to the variations in resurrection bodies. He starts by
contrasting the differences between the bodies of men, animals, fish, birds.
Each of the four categories was designed with a different purpose and
function, especially suited for their environment. Birds were designed to soar
to clouds, fish to existence underwater, animals to populate the mountains,
valleys, and trees. But man was made in God's image to rule over them all.
Paul uses the animal world as an example of God's creativity in
designing a vast array of different types of bodies, in showing how each
resurrection body could be unique. Just look at how many species and breeds are
in God's creation.
With humans, there are short, tall, skinny, chubby, brown
eyes, blue eyes, different languages, cultures, rich, poor, smart, not smart,
etc. With animals, there are predators and prey, carnivores and
vegetarians, elephants, tigers, hippos, alligators, deer, bears, turtles,
sheep, goats, etc. Also, there are variations within one species, like the
wolf, Doberman, Shih-Tzu, mastiff, Chihuahua, Great Dane, and many crossbreeds.
Fish
have
scales and fins, and there are fresh and saltwater variations like whales,
sharks, minnows, goldfish, catfish, trout, tuna, octopus, starfish, sea horses,
stingrays, dolphins, etc. Birds have wings, feathers, and beaks, and
there are eagles, vultures, sparrows, owls, hawks, parrots, ravens, peacocks,
turkeys, etc. There are variations of one species like pigeons, or chickens,
etc.
With that limited list, you can see how creative God
is and imagine how each person will have bodies with boundless capabilities and
dwelling places with a beauty beyond human comprehension, and no two are the
same.
1
Corinthians 2:9-10
"No eye has seen, no ear has
heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
Paul spoke about the hope of
eternal glory and compared it to the various degrees of glory from star to
star. Each star is different, and each person will reflect different levels of
God's glory.
1
Corinthians 15:40-42, There are also heavenly bodies and earthly
bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of
the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory
of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from
star in glory. So also, is the resurrection of the dead.
There are different glories in
eternity similar to the sun, moon, and stars. The sun would be a reference to
God. You cannot stare at the sun for even a minute without going blind. God's
glory will be much more radiant than the sun and will be the only light in
eternity.
Revelation
21:23-24 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine
on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their
splendor into it.
The moon has no light of its own
but only reflects the light of the sun. The moon refers to those who give
witness for the glory of God.
Psalms
89:35-37 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness and I will
not lie to David that his line will continue forever and his throne endures
before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the
faithful witness in the sky."
The stars are like those who serve
God and win souls for Christ.
Daniel
12:3
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those
who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
When you look up at night and see
the billions of stars, each star is unique. That's how it will be in eternity. Star
differs from star in glory, each rewarded according to its works. Paul paints
another picture of our transformation.
1
Corinthians 15:36-38 How foolish! What you sow does not come
to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be,
but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a
body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed, he gives its own body.
Lets say you plant corn, starting
with a tiny yellow seed, you plant it in the ground, and it sprouts and becomes
a seven-foot-tall green plant with ears growing on its sides. Each ear has a
husk outside with rows of little yellow squares inside. What came out of the
ground looks nothing like what you planted. At death, we put our bodies in the
grave, then what comes up from the grave is the same body, but transformed and
different.
We will be recognizable to those
who know us, but our resurrected bodies will be eternal without earthly
limitations. That body is free from aging, hunger, sickness, and pain, and it
will reflect the glory of God. The Apostle Paul endured a tremendous amount of
suffering, and he was relentless through the pain by the grace of God because
he had a burning vision of his glorious transformation in the resurrection.
2 Corinthians
4:8-12 We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but
not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so
that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are
alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life
may be revealed in our mortal body
Philippians
3:9-10
and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in
Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him
and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead.
Paul told the church that if they
endured sufferings for Christ, it produces a glory in them that outweighs all
their suffering. Paul's scars will shine with the glory of God forever. Nothing
we suffer for Christ is in vain because God will reward each one according to
the works.
Rewards are according to what we
have done, so it makes sense that there will be many different places in
eternity. If there are millions of people, there could be millions of dwelling
places.
Let's use Israel as an example. On planet earth, located between the African,
European, and Asian continents, there is a
small country called Israel. In Israel,
there is a city called Jerusalem, and in
Jerusalem is a hill called Zion, and there
was (and will be) a Temple there, which is
where God's people went to worship. The Temple
had three different areas inside its walls. The entrance led into a courtyard
called the Outer Court. Only the 12 tribes
of the children of Israel were allowed to enter through the gate into the outer
court. All non-Jewish people were forbidden to enter.
Inside the Outer Court, there was a
building that had one entrance. It had two rooms. The first room was called the
Holy Place, and only a priest from one tribe of Israel was allowed to
enter and serve in the Holy Place.
From inside the Holy Place was an
entrance to the next room, which was the Most
Holy Place. Only one person, the High Priest, could enter once a year,
and he risked his life to do so. Inside the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the Covenant, where God's presence dwelt
between two cherubim (angels).
That's how it will be in heaven.
There will be different places, different levels of access, with various
degrees of glory. There will be a place called the New Earth (Outer Court),
and place called the New Heaven (Holy Place), and a city called the New
Jerusalem (Most Holy Place), and in that city will be the Throne of God (Ark
of the Covenant).
Hebrews
8:5
They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.
This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle:
"See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown
you on the mountain."
Revelation
21:1-2 Now I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no
more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation
21:9-10
"Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's
wife." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high
mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending
out of heaven from God,
The church is the bride, and she is
in New Jerusalem. There will be a New Earth, and it has nations (distinctions between peoples), the kings
of the new earth (various levels of authority)
will visit the New Jerusalem (with limited
access) to bring glory and honor to God (glory
and honor as tributes). The New Jerusalem is the throne, and Christ is
the temple and its light.
Revelation
21:22-26 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God
Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or
the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is
its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its
light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And
they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there
shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a
lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
The word gospel means good news.
Jesus is alive, and if we believe in him, we will live forever. We are saved by
faith, not by our good works or church attendance. Salvation is God's gift paid
for by the death of Jesus on the cross. Here is the first thing Jesus preached,
and this is the first thing we have to do to start and maintain a relationship
with God.
Matthew
4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent [change your
inner selfyour old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way
that proves repentance; seek God's purpose for your life], for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand."
When we give our lives to Christ,
it means that we die to our old sinful life so that Jesus can live his life
through us.
Galatians
2:20 I have been crucified with Christ [that
is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by
adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave Himself up for me.
When Christ comes into our hearts,
everything changes, our lives become so different that we have a new life, we
are born again.
2
Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ
[that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new
creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the
previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things
have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]
Think of your family and all the
people you know where will they go? If we don't speak to them, who will? We are
ambassadors for Christ, and may God give us boldness and wisdom to share with
as many as we can while we can!
2
Corinthians 5:18-20 All this is from God, who reconciled us
to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's
sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal
through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Mark
16:15-16 He said to them, "Go into all the world and
preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will
be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
We are in the end times; our
world is changing quickly to line up with Bible prophecy. Jesus said the signs
of his return would be like birth pangs, growing globally in intensity and
frequency. We are seeing those signs happening weekly in real-time with wars,
food shortages, pandemics, shutdowns, and natural disasters, all leading to
global tyranny. There will be global persecution of Christians and Jews, and
it's not a question of if, but when. There will also be a great falling away
from Christ, and we can see it happening already. So-called churches are
already becoming sexually immoral, politically woke, and in bed with the
government. As more churches go apostate or get shut down, true believers may
have to find or create small groups for fellowship. While we have time and
freedom, we should study the scriptures, share the gospel, and watch for Jesus
to return.
This book is part of a series of studies that all Christians
should know and teach. We call it the "toolbox series" because these
studies are tools to equip you to share your faith with others. For free
resources and study materials, visit our website at Ears2Hear.online.