Category Archives: What is God Like?

What is God Like?

Life and Death Confusion-Part 1

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Elements of Confusion

The things we see and do every day incorporates our God-given ability to be logical.  He made us logical beings. But, what we see in movies and hear from some people is often not logical.  It is entertainment and may even have an agenda to express beliefs of the writer.  But, it is  God who invites us to “reason” with Him.

“’Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the Lord”

Isaiah 1:18

Logic and good reason will come to those who seek it.  On the other hand, things like church tradition can overtake reason and dismiss plain scripture on the truths God wants to reveal.  Our great Creator brings light to things requiring deeper thought through the many writers of the Bible and His apostles and prophets.

“When you read this, you’ll see that I understand the mystery about Christ.  In the past, this mystery was not known by people as it is now. The Spirit has now revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.”

Ephesians 3: 4-5 (GW)

 Things such as church tradition about death, founded on something other than the word of God, has led many away from a true knowledge of God’s character.  It has hurt the ability of believers to present a true picture of the plan of God for those who may be seeking truth.

We might ask ourselves: “How do we present the story of sin and the solution as found in Jesus to a world so that they are drawn to him on their own free will?”

The short answer and the one that is the bed rock for the ideas set forth here is  beautifully summarized below:

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

John 12:32 (New International Version)

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3 (King James Version)

It is the story of a giving  Creator God who greatly loved that He gave His Son to this world  condemned to die because of the law He initiated and cannot be changed i.e., “The wages of sin is  death.”  God demonstrated His great grace and compassion by paying the penalty of sin so that we would not perish.

Look carefully at John 3:16 and you will see something you might have missed.  It is the word perish.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

What is the reward of the believer?  It is eternal life or  “not perish(ing).” So if this is true, the unbeliever perishes.  Notice it does not say the unbeliever has eternal life in hell or anywhere else.  It says the reason God gave His only begotten son is that we might escape dying (perishing) forever.  Death passed upon everyone, but God made an escape through the death of His son His power to resurrect people.  When Jesus was around on earth, no one died in his presence.  He IS Life and Resurrection!  Eternal death (Perish) is escaped through Jesus only!  True, you may die once as a believer, but you will be resurrected at the end of time to live forever.  The unbeliever’s reward is here on earth.  There is no life for them…only eternal death.

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When Jesus died for us, he could not see through the “portals of the tomb.” (Desire of Ages, P. 753)  He believed He was dying this eternal death.  When the depth of the message about the death of Jesus comes clear in the mind of the sinner, it draws that person to Jesus and a decision.    Paul understood the power of the cross when he said.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 (New King James Version)

There is that word again (perishing).  The unbelievers or those who think the cross is foolishness will perish (die) forever.  It does not say they will live forever in hell.

Why is the message of the cross power to one and foolishness to another?

The answer may come in the choice of a person to study the message and respond. It is foolishness to the one who will not use his/her God-given gift of intelligence and scriptural logic. Those who are serious about finding truth and power will go forward looking for the “pearl of great price.” Matthew 13:46

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

Once truth is found, the journey does not end.  There is more! Jesus gave to the disciples just enough truth for them to bear at that point in their relationship.  He said to them,

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.“

John 16:12 (NKJ)

Did you catch that?  Jesus purposely did not tell them some things because they were not able to “bear it” or as some versions suggest, “not ready to receive it.“

Paul repeated this idea when he said,

I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

1 Corinthians 3:2 (KJV)

Only those who come to Jesus like children; wanting to learn and follow Him will understand and move from truth to truth.

There is an passage in Isaiah that illustrates this beautifully.  This truth is revealed in a question and an immediate answer:

“Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?

Isaiah 28:9

Children grow on a simple diet of  on milk, but as they get older, they must be drawn away from the milk to more substantial food or they will cease to grow.  A child would never grow if fed on milk all their lives.  While it was important to the baby at the start, it is the solid food that will lead to growth and maturity.

It is the food (God’s word) and the willingness to do what is taught that will set the stage for God to reveal even more truth.

Those who want to follow the will of God will know if what I teach is from God or if I teach my own thoughts.

John 7:17

Has your experience with church, with Jesus, and with God become routine?  Are you content with what you know?  Is your faith in Jesus not producing any type of peace?  Is your experience lukewarm? What can you do with your doubts?

If you are still searching and are having difficulty believing Jesus was all He and the prophets claimed Him to be, I invite you to learn more about Him as we study this topic of life and death.  For this is what the whole story is about.  Eternal life versus eternal death.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:29

It is understanding the truth about the experience of death, as the Bible teaches it, that will help us deal with the doubts  and provide “rest for (our) souls.”

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Life and Death Confusion

Probably the number one reason people (including Christians) become discouraged and doubt God is the death of a loved one.  Some even come to hate God because of the death of a mother, father, son or daughter.  Doubters and Atheists have always asked this question,

“If there is a God, then why is there death and suffering?”  

As I write this, I have learned ISIS has beheaded 21 Coptic Christians. There are 21 families grieving in an intense way right now.  But there are many more who die every day.  Almost 7.2 million people died  in 2015. A dramatic clock showing  the population growth and the number of people who die can be found at this link:

World Population Growth and Decline

Why doesn’t God stop all the death and dying?   My prayer is that we will find some answers about death you may have not considered.  I believe that knowing the truth about death will bring more comfort than any made-up scene described by  well-meaning people.

Truth is always better!

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I have been to many funerals.  The last one was the funeral of a young man, 21 years old college student,  who was killed saving his girlfriend from a wall about to fall on her during a tornado.  I know his mother and step-father well.  A few weeks earlier I attended another funeral.  Again, a 21 year-old who died suddenly from aneurysm.  He was the son of my cousin.

When I went to the  funeral of my cousin’s son,  this grieving father laid his head on my chest like a little child.  I wept with him.  His pain was strong and deep.  The same with the mother of the brave young man who laid her head on my chest and wept.  Much later, in a meeting where I work, she came up to me and laid her head on my chest, again, in a room of stuffy executives.  I knew she was still hurting a year after the event and will continue to hurt, until they meet again.

I personally experienced the sting of death when my own father died in a car wreck on the day he retired.  We had just started to connect with each other.  My pain was almost too much to bear!

Oh Lord, why!

It is OK to ask why, but it is not OK to not search for answers and begin to hate God.

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At almost every funeral I hear things that contradict the simple word of God.  Tradition and well-meaning people who desire to comfort family and friends will of often say things like this:

“He has gone to a better place.  He is up there enjoying the streets of gold.”

or

“My daughter is looking down on us and watching over me.”

or

“My brother is up there teaching Peter how to play golf.”

or

“God called Him home.  He wanted Him more” (The man had died of a massive heart attack)

Recently, I heard a pastor say this,

“Old Bob is up there drinking his favorite whisky and listening to his favorite country music.”

Is this how the scripture describes death and the life hereafter?  Some say that the soul is immortal and it never dies. Is this what scripture teaches?

I don’t know about you, but I want to know what God’s inspired writers know about death. I want to know what Jesus knows about death.  I want to know how I can have real comfort when a loved one dies.

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History of Death

When did death start?  According to Genesis, death passed upon all men when Adam sinned by disobedience.

“Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned.”

Romans 5:12

Adam and Eve were meant to live forever.  But the serpent (Satan) told them the first lie recorded in the Bible and it is about death.  Satan contradicted the plain words of God:

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:2-5

Many today, even Christians, believe that no one ever really dies.  They live in either heaven or hell.

God says you will die, Satan says you won’t.  Adam and Eve did not die that very day, but they were banned from the Tree of Life which evidently helped perpetuate eternal life.  Eventually, they DID die.

“They must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever.”

Genesis 3:22

The Tree of life is lost in the first book of the Bible (Genesis), but regained in the last book of the Bible (Revelation)

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.On each side of the river was the tree of life, which bears fruit twelve times a year, once each month; and its leaves are for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22:2

Here we get a sneak peak of heaven where the throne of God and Jesus (lamb) are located.  Could it be that God uses a very natural way to perpetuate eternal life and it is found in a steady diet of the tree of life and the water of life?  Could this be the place Jesus went away to prepare for us?

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The sin of Adam and Eve was not believing nor trusting the plain words from their Creator.  Although they sinned first, they were not the first to die.  The first death was Abel.  His brother (Cain) slew him because of uncontrollable anger and jealousy.

“Then the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look disappointed?  If you do well, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it.”

 Cain talked to his brother Abel. Later, when they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Genesis 4:6-8 (GW)

How sad Adam and Eve must have felt knowing that it was their sin that led to the death of their son.  How much regret they must have had as they watched death begin to pop up all around them, even the death of plants and animals.

As a side note,  the Lord did not warn Adam and Eve, nor Cain that the cost of sin was living in hell.  If there was a place of eternal torment waiting for sinners, surely God would have warned them at the beginning.  His warning was about dying if they disobeyed His command. The wages of sin is death and always has been and the gift from God is eternal life where sin no longer raises its head a second time:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Again, this verse does not say, the wages of sin is eternal life in hell.

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What is death? The answer can be found in understanding what is life as described in Genesis when God first made man:

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Here is God’s simple formula for what makes up life:

Dust (Elements of the earth) + Breath of Life  (life giving element from God) = Living soul.

Notice that God did not breath into man a soul, but rather the breath of life.  Man does not have a soul, rather man IS a soul. (Another topic for another time.)

Whatever the “breath of life” is, we know that when combined with the elements of the earth, we are formed into a soul or a living being.  This is where life started  in the beginning and then God gave Man and woman the ability to “procreate.”  This breath of life is passed from generation to generation through “procreation.”  When it is taken away, death results and all knowledge and activity stops for that person:

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”

Ecclesiastes 9:10

 So if life is found in the Biblical formula of Living Soul = Dust + Breath of Life = living soul.  Then the formula for death should be the opposite.  We find it in this verse:

Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes 12:7

So now we see the Biblical formula for death:

Dead Soul = Dust -(minus) Breath of Life (aka spirit)

Now all this seems scary, but the Lord Jesus described death as a sleep that passes by very quickly,.  In fact the experience of death will pass like a flash for those who have died in Christ.  They will rise to see Jesus and all those they loved when they died. Here is where the comfort comes.  We are told to get our comfort from this thought, not the fanciful stories of well-meaning people.

“The Lord will come from heaven with a command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the dead who believed in Christ will come back to life. Then, together with them, we who are still alive will be taken in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. In this way we will always be with the Lord. So then, comfort each other with these words!“

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

What a reunion day that will be!  Those two young sons who were followers of Christ will meet their fathers, mothers, and friends who believe in the air before going to the place Jesus has prepared for those who believed Jesus when he said,

 “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die;

John 11:25

Isn’t that comforting to know that the sleep of the saved is but for a second.

I remember being put to sleep when having surgery.  The two hours that passed were but a flash.  I was told to take a deep breath, then instantly I was asked to wake up.  So it will be for those who die in the Lord regardless of how long they have been dead.

But what about the lost?  Is God a cruel terrorist who will punish those who rejected Jesus to a life of non-stop frying?  Next time we will look at the topic of Heaven and the destiny of the lost.  How does the Bible describe the home of the saved and how He deals with those who have rebelled against Him?

Blessings and comfort as you consider God’s plan for life eternal.

What is God Like?

Life and Death Confusion-The End and The Beginning

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“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

Here is a well-known verse that most can recite from memory, but have you looked closely at the words and the context?

First, let’s consider the context.  We find it in verse 1:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away

Revelation 21:1

Did you catch that?  The earth we live on now is the first earth, but there is coming a time when God will create a new earth and a new heaven (the atmosphere)

This was prophesied from long ago, even before Jesus came to this earth the first time.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

Isaiah 65:17

“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.”

Isaiah 66:22

So, we can be certain that this earth we now stand on, will be destroyed and a new one created.  The tainted air we breath will also be changed.

As I look at the pollution of this world on the earth, in the air, and in the sea it is no wonder that God must use fire to melt all the filth and disease.  The fire is a cleansing act of God before creating a new heaven and earth.

Peter describes the day when the Lord will burn up this earth.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

2 Peter 3:10

Even the elements will melt! All the “works” man has created will come to an end and be reduced to ashes.  Malachi had a similar vision of this day when he said,

“For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,

Malachi 4:1 (Partial)

What all is burned up? If we continue on with this verse in Malachi, we will discover something about the fate of those who reject the appeal of a loving God to repent and turn from evil ways.

“For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.“

Malachi 4: 1 (Complete)

The fate of this earth with its sin and rebellion come to ashes.  Continuing with Malachi, we read these words:

“You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.”

Malachi 4:3

Last night, my wife cleaned our oven by using the self-clean feature which sets the oven temperature very high.  This intense heat over a 4 hour period brings all the crud in the oven to ashes.  She then wiped out the ashes and the oven looked like new.  The fires God sends will cleanse the earth of all the “crud”

Peter saw  this “strange act” of God and used the example of the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah to illustrate the destiny of those who “live ungodly.”

“…turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly“

2 Peter 2:6

Look closely at these verses.  Just as Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes, so will be those who are lost.  Sodom and Gomorrah is the example!

Even Satan himself has a destiny with eternal destruction:

I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;
You have become a horror,
And shall be no more forever.”’

Ezekiel 28: 18-19

The fire God sends reduces all the “elements” and “works of earth to ashes.  This is a final work and not a continuous work of torture as many have tried to claim.

In the book of Revelation, a very literal depiction is given to help the reader understand that sin, death, and everything evil come to an end.

“They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them”

Revelation 20:9

Just as a hungry dog devours its food and leaves an empty bowl, so does the work of the fire.  This devouring fire is what destroys Satan as described in Ezekiel 28:18-19

This fire that is devouring the earth, the atmosphere, and all the elements is huge! It is world-wide and is described as a lake of fire in Revelation.

The fire is the end of everything we know, including the life and death struggle of this world.  Notice what is thrown into the lake of fire:

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 20:14

Here John uses the concept many do not understand.  It is the second death.

How can there be a second death caused by the lake of fire?

As we discussed last time.  All of us, saved or lost are destined to die.  This is the first death.  But, those who are lost die a second death that is eternal.  They “perish” and, like Satan, will never be anymore.

Like a brother of mine said, “If you have been born once, you will die twice and if you are born twice, you will die once.”

Life or eternal death is at the heart of the bad news/good news found in John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

There is a simple truth in this powerful verse that is often missed:

Believe = eternal life

Don’t Believe = Perish

Here is a simple formula to understand and clear up the confusion about life and death.

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The first death, the one all must experience, is the opposite of life.  When God created life, he used to elements to produce the soul.  Here is the verse and the formula:

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 2:7″

The formula:

Dust (elements) + breath of life (God’s spirit) = Living Soul

The first death is the opposite of life:

“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

Ecclesiastes 12:7

The formula:

Dust – spirit (breath of life) = Dead Soul

Moses described it this way:

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 3:19

David also said about the living:

You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

Psalm 104:29

Now don’t let this upset you because even though we turn to dust, that time period is as fast as you can blink your eye.  For our Lord will raise us from the grave or wherever our dust may be.  As Job said, our flesh can be destroyed, but the next moment we will see our Redeemer:

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 I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!

Job 19: 25-27

We saw last time that it is the resurrection that is to give us hope of receiving eternal life.  After we are dead, we brought back to life.  To the sleeping in Christ, this change is like the time it takes to blink or twinkle your eye.

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, 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.

1 Corinthians 15: 51-53

How my heart yearns for the day Jesus will return and re-unite us as described by Paul,

 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope…

 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 4: 16-18

What a great reunion day that will be! Those long separated by death will experience the creation of life all over again.  The dust will have God’s breath of life (Spirit) breathed back into their nostrils and we will become incorruptible living souls again!  Glory!

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But the lost will not have this experience.  Although they died once like all of us the will die a second time.  Let’s let the Bible explain it.

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power.” 

Revelation 20:6

The lost also have a resurrection, but it not the joyful one.

Let’s follow some simple logic.  If there is a first resurrection, there must be at least a 2nd one.  Right?  If there is a first death, there must be a 2nd one.  Right?

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.

John 5:28-29

That is right!  All who are in the grave will be resurrected and the lost will experience the 2nd resurrection and the 2nd death that is eternal.  How does this happen?

“They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.”

Revelation 20:9

Those who are part of the 2nd resurrection go upon the breadth of the earth.  They are deceived by Satan. The “breadth” of the earth refers to the wide expanse.  There are literally millions! He convinces them that if they attack the city, they will have access to the tree of life which is located in the holy city (New Jerusalem) that has descended from heaven after the 1,000 years.  It is next to the river of life.  They certainly have a vast number of people for

“…wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” Matthew 7:13

Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,…Between the street of the city and the river there was a tree of life visible from both sides.

Revelation  21:2 and 22:2

Notice that Jesus talks about the “many” lost being destroyed in Matthew 7:13 .

This fire that the Lord uses to cleanse the earth and create a new one also destroys the disease of sin and death.  For it is also cast into the lake of fire.

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15

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The first and second resurrections and the 1st death and 2nd death are separated by 1,000 years.

“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.”

Revelation 20:5

Here is a summary of what we have learned in this series on Life and Death confusion:

1.)  Death is real. It is the end of life.

2.)  It is compared to sleep even by Jesus himself.

3.) The sleep of death is quick.  The dead don’t know anything and it passes quickly like a blink of the eye.

4.) Those who are in Christ are resurrected first and meet the Lord in the air with those who are alive at the second coming. All are taken where Jesus is now.

5.) The saved are in heaven for 1,000 years.  To learn more about this, see the post called, “Part 4-Second Coming Predictions-1,000 years?”)

6.) At the end of the 1,000 years, the lost are raised from the dead and face the White Throne judgment (Revelation 20).  They are then deceived by Satan to attack the holy city New Jerusalem.

7.)  God sends fire out of heaven and the disease of sin is destroyed.

8.)  God creates a new heaven and a new earth with the New Jerusalem as its capital.

The idea that the unsaved suffer non-ending suffering and torment in white hot fire for eternity does not make sense in the light of these many verses.

I have run out of time.  I had promised to talk about the verses that seem to indicate the unsaved suffer throughout eternity and that the flames never go out.  I have the material nearly ready and it is rather lengthy.  I hope you don’t mind if I save it for next time.

Blessings!  May you have a wonderful God day!

What is God Like?

Life and Death Confusion-Part 2

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When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

Isaiah 8:19

In today’s society, mediums and spiritiists do not whisper and mutter, they shout at us.  Their voice is heard on the TV, Movies, and small homes along a busy street!  The council from Isaiah is to inquire of God rather than looking to the dead for answers.  Moses confirms Isaiah’s council,

“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.”

Leviticus 19:31

These spirits lie and deceive people about life and death.

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A popular TV series called the “Walking Dead,” is based on a comic book series by Robert Kirkman.   Should a comic book written by one man tell us more about the dead than the 40 writers of the Bible?

The walking dead (We use to call them Zombies) are those who have “died,” but somehow are able to walk, move, and eat human flesh.  This is a contradiction in terms; dead VS alive.  It echos of the first lie recorded in the Bible and told by Satan himself while disguised as a snake.

“You shall not surely die.”

Genesis 3:4

This was the first form of spiritualism meant to mystify and deceive the first couple.

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The “Walking Dead” is in its fifth season and has approximately 17 million viewers.  It is the most watch drama series in cable history.

There have been other TV series about life and death such as “Resurrection” and many movies such as “What Dreams Might Come’ and “The Sixth Sense.”  This is but just a few that give a writer’s view of death.

Unfortunately, this type of entertainment has contributed to confusion about Life and Death.  It is one the Dirty Dozen that confuse people about the truth as found in the time-tested word of God.  (“What to Do With Doubt-Dirty Dozen” from a previous blog.)

To further add to the confusion are well-meaning people and pastors who speculate that our dearly departed are “looking-down” at those who are still alive while enjoying the reward of heaven.  How could that be heaven if they see the pain and suffering we go through on planet earth?  God has a better plan even on the topic of death.

Then there are movies and experiences that tell of a  person who died on the operating table and went to a light in the sky or walked the streets of gold.  There is a popular movie about a young boy who died and saw heaven and family.  It is called, “Heaven is For Real.”

This sounds good, but is it truth?

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The only source for truth about what happens at death is found in God’s word,  Wouldn’t you agree?  Anything else is speculation, deceit, misinterpretation of scripture, or perhaps the mind imagining things due to the chemical reactions taking place during life and death situations.

The following verse proceeds our opening verse.  Not only are we instructed to consult God, but it is His word that is to be consulted for light and understanding.

“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Isaiah 8:20

Let us spend a few moments seeing what the Bible has to say about death that comes to all people, whether counted among the save or counted among the lost.  _____________________________________________________________

The first recorded lie came through Satan disguised as a snake and it was about death!  He said,

“You will not surely die.”

The lie directly contradicted the plain words of the Lord, cautioning them about disobeying,

“You will surely die.”

Ever since then, the lie and contradiction of God’s word has grown into man forms so that most people (even Christians) think that no one really dies.  Their soul lives forever in one place or another.  Some believe that the person is reincarnated and come back in another form.

Paul tells us because of this first seed of disobedience, it grew into a world full of sin, death and dying:

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

Romans 5:12

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Notice that death is the payment to all men because of the sin that began thousands of years before. It is not eternal life in another form or even eternal life in a place of torment.

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Death means exactly what it says and it comes upon all mankind whether wealthy or  poor;  king or servant; male or female.

There are many passages from inspired men in the Bible who underscore the fact that when death comes there is no more life nor activity:

Solomon, who was given great wisdom and wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and most of Proverbs described death as follows:

“Whatever you are capable of doing, do with all your might because there’s no work, thought, knowledge, or wisdom in the grave, which is where you are headed.”

Ecclesiastes 9:10 CB

“For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.”

Ecclesiastes 9:5 NKJV

Summary:

No work

No thought, knowledge or wisdom in the grave

Dead don’t know anything

After enough time, the memory of them is forgotten.

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David, the father of Solomon, wrote about death in this manner:

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Psalm 146: 3-4

The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.

Psalm 115:17

For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?

Psalm 6:5

Summary:

The thoughts of a person perish

No one praises the Lord while dead

The dead have no remembrance of anyone including God and the dead do not give God thanks.

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Job who spoke “what is right” about God (Job 42:7) described death in the same way as Solomon. But he also mentioned death as waiting for a change.

His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.

Job 14:21

If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes.

Job 14:14

He knew that one day he would be resurrected and see his Redeemer (Jesus) at the last day on earth…a very longtime after his skin is destroyed.

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 I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!

Job 19: 25-27

When will his change come?  Paul agrees with Job though they are separated by thousands of years:

“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, 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.”

1 Corinthians 15:50

Don’t you like the satisfaction of understanding something that has been a mystery?  My wife and I enjoy mysteries on TV and in books.  We are always guessing at how the mystery will be solved.  In this passage and others, we see the mystery solved about death. Paul says, he is telling us a mystery that is now understood.   Job understood that he would be in the grave until his change came.  The change occurs “at the last trumpet.”  When this occurs, the righteous dead will be raised incorruptible (no longer subject to death and decay) and or mortality (subject to death) will be changed to immortality (no longer subject to death.)

Paul further reveals the mystery of death when he wrote his letter to the church at Thessalonica.  He was encouraging those who were waiting for the return of Jesus.  This is the clearest picture of what happens to those who have died “in Christ”

“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 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Why do we not comfort each other with the words Paul encouraged us to do rather than the fanciful and imaginative scenarios of men?  What a joy to know that one day Jesus himself will return to our sinful planet and there will be a loud sound of a trumpet and those who rise first will be those who have died “in Christ.”  How about those who rise second?  More on that later.

These along with those who are alive “in Christ” will meet them in the air and the Lord will take us to where He is now.  They will never be a separated from the Lord again.  What a comfort to know that those who died “in Christ” will be reunited with loved ones “in Christ” when Christ returns!  What a grand reunion day that will be!

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Jesus also helps us understand death and the passage of time by referring to it as sleep.  There is a real example of the experience of death.  Lazarus, who was a friend of Jesus and brother to Martha and Mary, got sick and died.  He was dead four days.  At four days, the body will have had enough time to decay and smell.  The story is in John 11.

Jesus told his disciples,

“Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”  Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.”

Why did Jesus refer to Lazarus’ death as sleep if it was not an important lesson for them (and us) to know?

Lazarus was truly dead.  His spirit was not in heaven enjoying his reward.  He was dead just like Job, Solomon, and Paul described.

Jesus gave Mary hope by reminding her,

 “Your brother will rise again.”

John 11: 23

 Mary had her understanding of death correct when she acknowledged to Jesus,

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

John 11:24

 Her hope, as is Job, Paul’s, and all others is in the return of Christ and the resurrection.  It is not that they are in heaven somewhere already enjoying the reward of being with Jesus.

 Then Jesus tells her something that we all should know about the mystery of life and death,

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25, 26

Standing there before Martha is the one who will resurrect those “in Christ” at the “last day.”  Although we die, we will live again and never die again.

This is not the case for those who are not “in Christ.”  We will see in the next study that they will die like all do, but then they will “perish.”  Perish is eternal death. It is the opposite of the reward of eternal life as described in the world’s favorite verse:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not PERISH, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

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Another time, Jesus referred to the death of a 12-year old child as sleep.  It is found in Mark 5: 35-43.

“Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

Mark 5:38, 39

This idea of resting or sleeping until Jesus returns is not a new teaching.  It has been taught as such since the beginning of time.  If you have ever been in an old grave yard, you will often see the initials RIP.  This means rest in peace.  When did all this change?  Why do people believe we have an immortal soul that never dies and must live somewhere for eternity.  We will explore more in our next study.

A few years ago, I had to go into the hospital for surgery.  When the doctors and nurses put me to sleep, I knew nothing, felt no pain, and did not dream.  I did not feel or have any worries about my chest being open up and repairs made to my heart. I was not aware of the passage of time.  It had been almost 4 hours since they put me to sleep, but it felt like the passage of time was instant.

So it will be with Job and all those who died as believers.  Whether it is a thousand years or just a few hours, the passage of time will be instant.  So when your loved one dies in Christ, the next thing they will see will be the beautiful return of Jesus.  They will be given flesh like Jesus gave to Adam when he created them of the dust of the ground. They will be changed instantly in perfect heath with the gift of immortality.  Then they will rise in the air to meet Jesus and go to the place He has prepared for us.

 “I (Jesus) go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

John 14:2, 3

 Our hope is in the resurrection, not in dying so our soul can go to heaven. Until then, our body returns to dust and our Spirit returns to God who gave it.  The passage of time is but for a twinkling of an eye then we shall be changed and begin eternity with those redeemed by the Lord Jesus.

But what about those verses that seem to paint a different story like “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” or the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus?

This we will study next time. Until then, put your hope and faith in Jesus who proclaims:

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Revelation 1:18