My wife and I have become fans of the series on the life of Christ called “The Chosen.” As I watch this, like many people, it has encouraged me to study closer the Scripture (Old Testament) and the New Testament writings. I want to know Jesus better! Don’t you?
It seems that the series’ writers have taken a peak at the book, Desire of Ages, by EG White. So I started to reread this book (written over 100 years ago) along with the Bible…not so much for theology, but for a closer walk with Jesus.
One of my favorite scenes in The Chosen is the rooftop meeting with Jesus. But, in the book Desire of Ages, even more, insight stimulated my mind and imagination.
It is highly likely that “Nicodemus related to John the story of that interview, and by his pen, it was recorded for the instruction of millions.” (Desire of Ages, p. 177
This was brought out in The Chosen as well.
In this account in John 3: 1-17, Jesus reveals to Nicodemus and the reader, who prides themselves in their religion, the critical experience of being born again.
In their discussion, Jesus cuts right to the heart of Nicodemus’ spiritual needs. Jesus starts their discussion with the expression of intense truthfulness, “Verily, Verily” (KJV) or “Very truly.” (NIV), or ” “Most Assuredly” (NKJV). Whatever translation is used, Jesus’ wants us to know His words are true without exception.
“Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again… Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. John 3:3
John 3:3,5
Nicodemus is not that different from many religious people who have never been born again, including leaders and, dare I say it?… Pastors.
The critical topic of Jesus’s words about being “born again” will be the topic for the next few blogs. I will be more brief than usual because I don’t want the power of God’s word to go without serious contemplation by the reader. As a pastor and evangelist at heart, this is what drives the ministry God has thrust upon me…I mean this in a good way. God’s word and Spirit compel me to do so.
“In the interview with Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded the plan of salvation and His mission to the world. In none of His subsequent discourses did He explain so fully, step by step, the work necessary to be done in the hearts of all who would inherit the kingdom of heaven.” Desire of Ages, p.176
*A quick review of the New and Old Testament shows that the term “Born Again” is not used by any other disciple or prophet except for Peter (1 Peter 1: 23), although many references in the Bible describe a new heart and a new mind that God gives the “born again” believer. More on that next time.
Nicodemus Was Good At His Religion
“Nicodemus was highly respected and held a high position of trust in the Jewish nation. He was highly educated and possessed talents of no ordinary character, and he was an honored member of the national council. With others, he had been stirred by the teaching of Jesus.” Desire of Ages, p. 167
“Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion with Him, but Jesus laid bare the foundation principles of truth. He said to Nicodemus; It is not theoretical knowledge you need so much as spiritual regeneration. You need not have your curiosity satisfied but have a new heart. You must receive a new life from above before you can appreciate heavenly things. Until this change takes place, making all things new, it will result in no saving good for you to discuss with Me My authority or My mission. ” Desire of Ages, p.171
Theology has its place, but it cannot provide salvation from sin and eternal death. Nicodemus was a great theologian, but spiritually He lacked something. He could feel it! He was drawn to the teachings and person of Jesus. Consequently, he came to Jesus alone at night.
Herein is a great truth. Coming to Jesus alone, whether at night or in the morning, without companions or the church, will produce a firmer and truer relationship with Jesus. It will enrich the worship service you attend. Your worship will be in spirit and in truth. It is your quiet time with Jesus, where the words of God will provide clarity and peace.
Each person who has been stirred by the words of God and drawn to Jesus will want to learn of Jesus. This is all-important, but the things of the Bible will not be of any lasting value if that person is not born-again.
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
John 3:2
“The opening words of Nicodemus were designed to express and to invite confidence, but they really expressed unbelief. He did not acknowledge Jesus to be the Messiah, but only a teacher sent from God.” Desire of Ages, p. 168
At this point, Nicodemus was influenced by his religion, tradition, and pride. He had not come to the point where He could acknowledge Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah as predicted by the Prophets. So it is with ourselves. Getting to know Jesus personally may be corrupted by our pride in being good at our religion or denomination. As Nicodemus, we may be lacking in a personal experience with Jesus.
“Instead of recognizing this salutation, Jesus bent His eyes upon the speaker as if reading his very soul. In His infinite wisdom, He saw before Him a seeker after truth. He knew the object of this visit, and with a desire to deepen the conviction already resting upon His listener’s mind, He came directly to the point, saying solemnly, yet kindly,
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
John 3:3
Desire of Ages, p. 168
How is it with you today, my friend? Will you see the kingdom of God? Do you sneak away from everyone and spend time talking and conversing with Jesus? Do you listen to His words to understand Him or to confirm your and your church’s views on theology? Or does your day start or end with a good movie and your blanket?
More importantly, have you been born again? How would you know? Do you look at your “good works?” Do you point to your position in the church? Next time, we will see how Jesus answers this question to help us understand what it means to be “born again.”
Logical thinking would conclude that proof of God’s existence would only be possible if one searched for truth. Therefore, there must be some motivation to do so. I was one of those oddballs who started my search for the truth about God on a dare from my wife to prove her wrong. But many people begin the search for answers from God when they have no place to look but up!
The Creator God has not chosen to reveal Himself physically except through Jesus. Jesus told doubting Philip:
Anyone who has seenme has seentheFather.
John 14:9
One of the many descriptive names given to Jesus by the Hebrew writers was Immanuel or “God with us.” (See Isaiah 7:14). This reveals to us the divinity of Jesus.
Therefore, the most reliable and logical place to discover God is to study the life of Jesus through the Holy Scriptures. Jesus and His disciples used what we know as the Old Testament ( before the New Testament was ever written) as proof that Jesus was all He and His disciples claimed Him to be.
In Part 1, I listed many barriers to belief in God. No doubt, you could probably add to the list. Just one or two of these reasons would discourage most anyone from believing in a God who knows the end from the beginning. These reasons provide good excuses never to start a search for truth. Sadly, therefore, many won’t move forward or will believe a lie that fits more with their own human worldview.
In addition, a search will never happen if someone has had an unhappy, negative religious experience with humans. But, an open-minded search will produce sufficient evidence of God, especially if someone has been compelled for some reason to search. God promises that if our investigation is not casual but consistent, He will be found…and there will be plenty of evidence provided that He is pulling you towards Him!
One writer described our search journey in very plain language:
God never asks us to believe without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, and the truthfulness of His word are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason, and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have the opportunity, while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith.
Steps to Christ, p. 106 E. White
This same author highlights the value of sincerity or the desire to know the truth.
In order to arrive at truth, we must have a sincere desire to know the truth and a willingness of heart to obey it. And all who come in this spirit to the study of the Bible will find abundant evidence that it is God’s word, and they may gain an understanding of its truths that will make them wise unto salvation.
Steps to Christ p. 110, 111 E.G. White
Jeremiah said it this way:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29: 11-13
The results of this journey for truth will succeed if we understand it is not a casual search. The determination of its success also includes a willingness to follow the truth. Jesus said,
If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me.
John 7:17
Last time, we looked at the hard evidence that would be viable in any court of law. Eyewitnesses of Jesus and prophecies regarding Him leave no doubt that God can see the future. The conclusion is that there must be an omnipotent God who is more innovative and intelligent than we are.
Because of this, we have reason to believe the gospel story of Jesus in all the books of the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. See Part 2
Often, in a court of law, there is no hard evidence such as eyewitness DNA, a murder weapon, etc. But there is a preponderance of other types of evidence, such as motive, opportunity, and character. This circumstantial evidence can be just as convicting as hard evidence. Therefore, attorneys will combine the circumstantial with the hard evidence to convince a jury.
Circumstantial Evidence-Creation and Life
Paul describes evidence we can see that will lead us to a conclusion about God.
For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen,being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Romans 1: 20
This passage points out that the world was “created.” Then God gave the laws of nature to pro-create or reproduce themselves by looking at the creation in this world and life. There are things that remain as evidence of God’s creation and His original purpose. Things like blue skies, soft wind, rivers, oceans, majestic trees, flowers, animals, the sun, the moon, and the stars all minister to life and sustain it. All are intertwined to bring the reality of life surrounded by beauty. It all points to a loving, caring God who created it all. All this can be seen regardless of your station or place on earth.
The world, though fallen, is not all sorrow and misery. In nature, itself are messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses.
Steps to Christ, p. 10 EGW
As we consider our dependence upon the things we had nothing to do with creating, we are without excuse about the existence of God. His character (invisible attributes )are clearly seen in creation, even His unending (eternal) power and divinity (Godhead). Can you look at the complexity of life and feel sure there is no Creator? Paul tells us we have “no excuse.“
“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green — all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy.
Steps to Christ, p.10 EGW
In this dangerous and crazy world, our eyes are coxed to look upon negative and disturbing scenes of everyday life. It is difficult, if not impossible, to do otherwise. Think how refreshing it is to see kind humans at work; what a change in humanity would occur if our time were spent directing our eyes to good instead of evil. Again, Paul suggested the following:
Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8
By observing these things, we become changed.
To see love expressed to the unlovable. This is the nature of God. John described God as love:
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
1 John 4;16
The writers of God’s inspired word were amazed at the works and complexity of God’s creation.
David asked this question twice in the book of Psalms.
…what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:4 and Psalm 144:3
The Apostle John stated the truth about God’s creation.
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Revelation 4:11
A close look at Scripture reveals something about Jesus that many either overlook or find too incredible. Nevertheless, it is a Biblical truth that all creation came through Jesus. Here are just a few passages:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him (The Word), and without Him, nothing was made that was made.
John 1: 1-3
This “Word,” who was with God in the beginning, made everything. This Word is Jesus! John confirms this several verses later.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1: 14
Paul says the same thing in both the letters to the Colossians and the Hebrews:
He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1: 15-16
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power.
Hebrews 1:1-3
Summary and Conclusion
If you want to search, you will find the invisible God through Jesus Christ. You will find truth, understanding, and peace when you find God. God is discovered only in Jesus. “No one ever spoke as this man” (John 7:46) . Nor have as many prophecies been fulfilled to the letter as were in Jesus’ life. This is how God the Father has chosen to disclose Himself. Over 40 prophets pointed to a coming Messiah, the woman’s promised seed (Genesis 3:15) who would restore fallen mankind through teaching, example, and sacrificial death to pay for the unchangeable law of sin and death.
The existence of the “invisible” God is plain to see through hard evidence of the life of Jesus and the complexity of life around us. Perhaps this is why David said,
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 53:1a
The Hebrew word for foolish is nāḇāl. It combines the English words “stupid” and “corrupt.” as evidenced by the last part of the verse.
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalm 51:1b
This, in a small way, demonstrates why the world is so corrupt; a majority of the world does not search for God nor follow His ways:
Today if you will yield to God’s pull to turn to Him and reason with Him, you will find…
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
In future articles, we will discover, through God’s word, the reasons for the world’s death, dying, and suffering. God, through giving angels and mankind free will and choice, planned for it.
We will understand why love does not include force. God provides reasons for love and caution against evil. True love must be based on the freedom of will and choice. You can’t be forced to love, nor can you fake it.
God the Father made Himself known as a way of escape through Jesus. This is why this author recommends a study of Jesus through the Bible as the most effective way to discover the reality of God and the plan of salvation. Unlike other books, your journey doesn’t have to start at the beginning, i.e., Genesis.
Almost any place in the Bible will lead you back to Jesus and the words, “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” I recommend starting with the book of John and his other letters (1, 2, and 3 John). Won’t you begin today? Contact me if you need some guidance on starting your journey. If you want to find a simple guide to beginning your journey, click here. Blessings as you begin your search.
Beyond what the Bible says, mentions of Judean life during the Babylonian exile have generally been scarce throughout history. All of that changed in 2014 when archaeologists discovered about two hundred tablets written in cuneiform script that reveal aspects of the life of Jews who lived in Babylon at the time of the exile.
On November 16, at the 2022 Evangelical Theological Society annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, United States, Assyriologist and expert in Mesopotamic archaeology George Heath-Whyte discussed what the ongoing translation of the tablets reveals, what it doesn’t say, and what conclusions we can and cannot derive from those findings. The Tablets
The tablets, known as the Al-Yahudu Texts, were acquired from a seller, so the specific place and background of the discovery have been lost. They have been dated between 572 and 477 BCE. This means that the oldest seem to have been written about 15 years after Babylon’s invasion of Israel.
The translation of the cuneiform script on the tablets shows that they are legal documents written in the Babylonian language. Some of them are promissory notes — one party is required to transfer goods to another party on a specific date. There are also receipts, marriage agreements, and other personal documents. Most come from the time of Darius’s reign, Heath-Whyte explained, and reveal the existence of a Jewish community living in the countryside, in a town southeast of Babylon.
“There is much we can learn about how life was for that particular community living in Babylon,” Heath-Whyte said. “They give us a glimpse into the Judean working the land … in the land-for-service scheme. [They show that] some Jews were quite entrepreneurial. Some secured jobs in the Babylonian administration.”
Heath-Whyte said that what the tablets show fits nicely with God’s message to the exiles in Jeremiah 29:4-7, which reads, “Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
A Mismatch with the Bible?
Some scholars have been using the findings in the tablets to point out what they call a mismatch with the Bible record. They say, for instance, that even though the Bible talks about the exile as a horrible period, the tablets show the overall situation of the Jews in exile was pretty good.
Heath-Whyte doesn’t think this is an either-or situation, however. “The evidence of the Babylonian sources is being misused. It is a false dichotomy,” he said. “Were Jews living in Babylon able to advance? Yes. Were Jews living in Babylon free people? No. They had to work in a land they didn’t own and render service to a foreign king. They were not entirely free.”
Assyriologist and Mesopotamic archaeology expert George Heath-Whyte shared what the Al-Yahudu Texts reveal and what they do not. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review] At the same time, Heath-Whyte explained, the Bible is clear that even though most of the Jews living in exile longed to return to their homeland, when they in fact had the opportunity, some of them decided to stay. Also, we know that Mordecai, Nehemiah, and others achieved relatively high positions in the kingdom.
Critics also point out that no tablet mentions that the Jews knew about Pentateuch and the Sabbath. But those are not things you would expect to find in a Babylonian legal document, Heath-Whyte explained. “The sources do not allow us to determine whether the Sabbath was observed,” he said, “even though one name that appears in one tablet is Shabbataiah.”
Others have pointed out that no tablet mentions the Jews returning to their homeland. Again, Heath-Whyte said, that is not something Babylonians would necessarily include in a legal document. “We have tablets that talk about sale of property, of paying of debts, but we can’t tell if they are connected to the Jews selling their properties before returning,” he said.
Limitations of the Sources
At the same time, Heath-Whyte acknowledged, there are many details these sources can’t tell us. The first has to do with the nature of the sources.
“People imagine they are letters, or fragments of the Psalms. But this is not the case,” he said. “These documents were written by Babylonian scribes in Babylonian legal jargon. There are large areas of the exiles’ lives that these documents do not mention.”
Also, the sources available are insufficient. “We don’t have many of them. Or not enough to paint a whole picture,” Heath-Whyte said.
Regarding the context of the sources, Heath-Whyte reminded his audience that the tablets were found and then sold. “We don’t know where they were found, or in what circumstances,” he said.
Their Given Names
What the tablets do reveal is the names of many of the Jews living in exile. According to Heath-Whyte, who studied the topic extensively, most of the names are not Babylonian but seem to be related to the biblical text and the God of Israel.
“The contents of a person’s name do not tell us what they believe, but it can show the connection with the belief in one God. You can see a sense of identity with God through their names,” he said. And, he added, “just like the Bible said, some Jews prospered in Babylon, and for at least some of them, the God of the Bible seemed to be their only and true God.”
In conclusion, Heath-Whyte emphasized, when we come across claims about these texts, we need to test them. “We must be careful not to assert what the texts don’t say, but we can be modestly optimistic,” he said. “Most of what these sources tell us fit with what the Bible says.”
Elitism is a word we hear often in today’s society. It paints a picture of people, or groups of people, who consider themselves superior based on one or more factors such as education, position, philosophy, privilege, wealth, race, politics, etc. You name it. Sinful, selfish, narcissistic humans can find many reasons to raise themselves above others and snub their noses at those they consider inferior.
Religious people are not exempt from this practice. The comic, Damon Carvey, made fun of the religious snobs as the Church Lady in Saturday Night Live. His character of the ultra-conservative religious woman was forthright when she bragged, “I’m just a little bit more superior than you.” Then, to the audience’s delight, she would do her “superior dance.”
I have fun with my wife, imitating the Church Lady. When I do something a little bit better than her, which is not very often, I’ll ask her if I should do my “superior dance.” If she calls me out and makes me dance, I feel a little embarrassed because the movements resemble a combination of Mick Jagger and a proud goose!
While Christians may not be as obvious, we can feel it and exhibit it in subtle forms. The feelings of superiority are fueled by the fact that there are over 300 denominations. Those affiliation differences split us off from other Christians resulting in some form of feeling “just a little bit more superior,” particularly over doctrines and church traditions.
The largest split occurred in the “dark ages” between those who protested against the large and powerful Catholic church. Then Protestants began to split off from each other as the Bible came out of seclusion and became available to the public to read, including priests such as Martin Luther.
Some of these splits were probably necessary. An example would be over the authority of Scriptures vs. the authority of a pope and the Catechism. This is the most obvious and well-documented split in Christianity. But, there are many splits in both Catholic and Protestants congregations. These divisions have often been used as ammunition for the unbelievers. They point to this family dysfunction as proof that Christians are all delusional in their beliefs and therefore are deceived. It makes them feel “a little bit more superior.”
But, overlooked in the reasoning of the unbeliever is the prediction of division. Paul warned the followers of Christ for three years of coming divisions. The ultimate objective of the “savage wolves” was to “draw away” people and make their own disciples.
For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves, men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years, I did not cease to warn everyone, night and day, with tears. Acts 20: 29-31
To this day, spin-offs within religious congregations continue to occur, and the idea of superiority maintains its course. When congregations become disciples of a particular preacher or leader and depend upon him or her completely for spiritual guidance, the relationship becomes cultic regardless of the denomination and how charismatic the speaker is. It doesn’t have to be a David Koresh type to be a cult. It is much more subtle and accepted if it is a controlling pastor in a large mainline denomination.
What makes a denomination feel superior to others? It can be based on the same things as those in politics. But religious reasons come into play: the size of church buildings and the number of members, ancestry, tradition, theology, etc. Included in this segregation process is the idea of staying away from “sinners.” Sinners can include people of other denominations and families. Religious people can feel ‘just a little bit more superior” because they don’t do certain things: smoke, drink, do drugs, watch TV, movies, pornography, dance, have music in their church, worship on the “right” day, etc., etc., etc. But sadly, religious superiority can destroy families.
To the delight of the enemy, all of these divisions cripple the work God gave His followers to do in these last days before His return:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;..” Matthew 28:19-20
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached into the entire world, then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14.
God is a merciful God who doesn’t want any to perish! Dying forever is serious business! That is why the proclamation of the good news of Jesus must be given by every church and to every person on the earth. That is our primary objective!
Instead of reaching outward confidently in the Lord, we turn inward and begin to focus on the weak sheep within our congregation. Not a bad thing, but after a while, progression in outreach can be diminished in its effectiveness due to the seed sown on the shallow ground!
By not making new members disciples through patient teaching on how to lead people to become disciples, we bring even more division. Our usual process to fertilize division starts with a powerful emotional sermon followed by an appeal/ alter call and a few denominational bible studies so the new convert can learn the denomination’s view of scripture. it is followed by baptism so they can become members of the denomination and become good “church-going” members. Then we indoctrinate them on the weekly church service order and routine, being careful not to introduce anything different. Our work is done! Or is it?
While this process can be beneficial in some ways, the Church service can become formal, prohibiting progress toward discipleship. Discipleship (as commanded by Jesus) should be dynamic and through progressive patient teaching of personal service and evangelism led by mature born-again teachers.
The addition of people to church membership is a weak objective. Multiplication is a better goal, where new disciples create new disciples. The new convert must learn to grow daily in the body of Christ, which has no denominational name on the front door of the church. The new Christian is often left to figure this out on their own. Sometimes, Jesus is left in the dust, and religious humdrum and ceremony set in.
Jesus prayed for unity. The question is this: Was His prayer answered? I believe it was, but not in the way you would think. For more on this, please see this article. “Was Jesus’ Prayer For Unity Answered.” Let’s continue with the superiority problem among us…
Are We Repeating Israel’s Mistakes?
God recorded their journey and their failed mission so that we would learn from it. But have we? It would appear that we haven’t. There is still segregation in modern Christian churches. Our denominations feel superior to the others. The idea is that we have it right theologically, but others do not. We are more concerned with political and theological correctness than letting our light shine to a world in deep darkness and dying on our watch!
Jesus prayed that we might be one even as Jesus and the Father are one! Wow! What an objective and prayer of Jesus!
“…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:21
But the key is being “in” the Father and “in” Jesus! This is such an intimate relationship! It is not a surface or casual experience but “in” the follower of Christ! Wow!
Did you catch the other vital part of the prayer? The world “may believe” that God the Father sent Jesus if we are one! If we are unified via being “in” Him!
But many will rightly say, “Unity can’t come at the sacrifice of modifying or watering down the word of God. ” If we do this, we become just like the world and politics who want us to be politically correct. Where we can, we need to ensure we don’t rebuild those walls of perdition over elitism or segregation ideas just because someone is not at the same level of theological education or in their journey with Jesus. We must love people where they are and make adjustments! Paul hinted at this when he said,
“…to the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might, by all means, save some. Now, this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 1
Corinthians 9: 22-23
There must be some flexibility in reaching people without the stiffness of religious ceremonies and even beliefs. The opposite of superiority is humbleness. This is what God calls us to be: humble.
The Lord taught us to put others before ourselves. This is the first step in humbleness;
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:3-4
Can you keep this commandment? Only through Jesus!
It can be said with confidence and certainty that God’s people are in every denomination. Their theology may not be the best, or they may even believe differently on certain doctrines, but what puts them in the body of Christ is that they are “in” Christ.” Because of this, they are members of God’s one true church with no label on its marque. They love and follow the lamb wherever He leads them. Some are still in Babylon but are called out!
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
Romans 12: 3-5
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Colossians 3:11
These passages above are all written to the followers of Christ! The point is: The differences are all united for those “in” Christ! These are those who are truly born again and not just religious!
If only we could find our common ground in love for one another and stop this feeling of superiority! This love towards one another is the great litmus test given to us by the word of God concerning true discipleship! It separates the true follower of Christ from the false.
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35
Are you the disciple of Christ or the Church Lady?
Three Last-Day Messages of Final Warning
The focus in these last days is to warn people of the coming destruction associated with the second coming of Christ. We should be unified in proclaiming the gospel to the entire world, which includes the rescue of God’s people when Jesus returns and takes us to where He is now.
Please read these three angels’ messages in Revelation. This is the last warning for planet earth: Revelation 14: 6:11. It is not limited to one denomination. It is the message of Christ’s followers!
Sadly, more division is to come, but it will be just one split in the end: The sheep and the goats. Also, a split between those who keep the commandments of God and those who will accept the mark of the beast. there will be no other divisions by denomination. It will be only two groups: The group that belongs to Jesus and those who belong to the counterfeit, i.e., the beast of Revelation 13. The enemy of God.
The confirmation of unity, in the last days, centers on loving obedience and love for each other through the heartfelt keeping of God’s royal law of liberty (James 1:25), The Ten Commandments. It comes at the next verse of the three angels’ messages:
Here is the patience of the saints; hereare those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 14:12
Conclusion
There is no separation, no superiority, in the body of Christ, although there are differences. That is why we can trust people who are “in” Christ regardless of their denominational name. You can see it in their faces and in their actions. They follow the lamb wherever He goes.
These are the ones who were not defiled with women (denominational churches?), for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” Revelation 14:4
No one will have reason to feel superior. All those who love Jesus will understand their unworthiness, and within their hearts will be placed a desire to reveal Jesus so He can save the lost who are headed to eternal death. This desire is where common ground is found.
But the final message to earth will be one of warning, and it will be loud and with the power of God’s Spirit. It is found in the three angels’ messages in Revelation. These messages are not limited to one denomination. It is the cry of all Christians who know Jesus. In the end, it is not what you know that matters as much as who you know. But knowing Him will cause you to want to know more and more. This itch will not go away for those who are “in” Christ!
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
In these last days, It is the second coming message that will unify God’s people as it did with the sincere seekers of Christ at His first coming. it has been said that the ground at the foot of the cross is level. No one is taller or better than the other there. No one is “just a little more superior” than the other. We can learn from each other wherever we may choose to congregate.
Jeremiah said it best:
all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags
But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.; Isiah 64:6,8
These last words of Jesus nullified Satan’s plan to take the place of God and rule according to the laws of selfishness. Christ’s prophesied death on the cross ensured that the price of sin (death) had been paid for everyone through the sacrifice of God Himself. Even though the law of sin required death for everyone. The way to eternal life was solidified for any who would accept God’s gift of life.
”Satan and a Roman guard of one hundred men tried to secure Jesus’ tomb, but they were struck down by the brightness of only one angel who rolled back the stone.
An angel, at the empty tomb, told the women, who came to prepare the body of Jesus for burial, that He was not there. They left with different work and mission. Their new goal in life was to tell the disciples and the world that “He is risen!” They were some of the first human eyewitnesses. The guards were the first to understand the power of the risen Savior.
Many, including Thomas, doubted the women, but Jesus appeared to them while they were gathered behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews.” They had not assembled on this first day of the week to worship but rather because of fear for their lives. Thomas was not with them. Perhaps he was grieving alone. But eight days later, he was with the disciples, and Jesus appeared to the disciples again. This time doubting Thomas was invited to touch the nail scars on Jesus’ hands and touch His side to feel where the sword had pierced His side. He fell at the feet of Jesus and proclaimed, “My Lord and My God.” John 20:28
Jesus asked the disciples for something to eat. This indicated that our resurrected body would be real (not a spirit). It will desire food and drink. It is at the marriage feast after Jesus comes again that we will eat bread and drink the vine’s fruit. Jesus has not touched the fruit of the vine since that Thursday night before his death, promising not to do so until he returns and takes us where He is now. Matthew 26:29.
Without the resurrection of Christ, our faith is futile, those we love that had died have perished, and the cross would mean nothing.
“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15: 17-19
The entire Christian faith and eternal life rise or fall on the resurrection of Jesus. As shown in Paul’s argument for the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, if Jesus was not resurrected, neither will we be. But, praise God, Jesus returned from the dead and will do the same for those who accept His gift of salvation.
Jesus told John that He has the keys to unlock the grave and destroy death forever. He will bring this reward of eternal life when He returns. Like Paul, “those who love His appearing will be given the crown of life when He returns.”
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
Jesus will resurrect everyone who ever lived and died on planet earth. In the first resurrection, it will be those who died knowing Him. The second resurrection of condemnation, He will raise all who have ever lived and rejected Him 1,000 years after the first resurrection. But, this lost cursing group stands before the descending New Jerusalem with all the saints therein. They will be deceived by Satan to take the city with the Tree of Life inside. If they can get do that, they will live forever. Satan has so deceived himself to think he can actually do this! What madness!
All of mankind will be together simultaneously to understand their fate: Either eternal life or eternal death. Then, because of the reality of the situation and the beauty of God’s presence, every knee will bow and every tongue of those in heaven and those on earth confess that ” Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“
Revelation 20:5-6–Blessed are those who are part of the first resurrection. You will never die again! Those who die after being resurrected in the second resurrection 1,000 years after the first resurrection will die forever (The second death).
The Complete Gospel
The revelation of Jesus Christ, given to John in vision, is not just scary symbols and beasts but the complete gospel and revelation of Jesus Christ.
The complete gospel is in the outline of these Three Most Powerful Statements Ever Made. It is the good news of the many prophecies of His first coming; His sinless life;His death for our sins that would have led to eternal death; His resurrection: His ascension to mediate for us; and finally to resurrect us (if sleeping in the grave) and lift us all to Him in the air. Then He will take us to where He is now (John 14: 1-3).
Conclusion:
All three of these powerful statements rise or fall together. If one is not true, then all is lost, but they are true! Eyewitnesses, time, history, and testimony have provided more than enough proof.
Won’t you believe Jesus today? Confess your sins and weakness and begin to learn of Him through the Bible and other sincere believers. Seek Him every day, and let your requests be known to Him. He will give you rest and peace now and forevermore.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Remember: When Jesus comes with all of heaven emptied to rescue us. He will do the following as we begin eternal life. Lord, we will need it as we consider those we loved who chose the temporary pleasures of sin for a little while rather than eternal life.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
If you have struggled to believe in the miraculous, you are not alone. Even the great heroes of faith wrestled with unbelief. Abraham was sensible enough to realize his barren wife would not produce offspring and questioned God’s promise to make a great nation out of him. Rather than rebuke Abraham’s doubt, God instructed him: “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them” (Gen. 15:5).1
To the naked eye, several thousand stars are visible. If you have been privileged enough to escape the light pollution of the city and see the sky on a clear night, you know how breathtaking it can be. Yet the incredible images of the James Webb Space Telescope remind us that what we see with our naked eye is only the smallest glimpse of the richness of the cosmos. For instance, the first publicly released image of Webb, SMACS 0723, surveys a portion of sky that is about the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length.2 When Webb peered into that tiny dark region, it revealed the light of thousands of galaxies, each containing billions of stars. I like to imagine that when God commanded Abraham to number the stars, He took him on a similar visionary experience throughout the cosmos.
Our best estimate is that there are around 200 billion trillion stars in the visible universe, though this is likely to increase. There are far too many stars for anyone to count, but that was the point of God’s exercise: Abraham needed to be reminded of God’s infinite creative power. As he looked to the heavens and tried to number the innumerable, Abraham’s objections subsided, and “he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (verse 6). Perhaps it is providential that at a time when it’s easy to doubt, we have been gifted images of the heavens through the Webb telescope to help us believe again.
How Did We Get So Skeptical?
Our modern skepticism can be traced to the Enlightenment philosopher David Hume. Hume argued that “a miracle is a violation of the laws of nature,” but as “firm and unalterable experience has established these laws,” we should reject the miraculous. But this argument is circular, for it rules out miracles by defining them to be violations that cannot be violated, failing to account for the possibility that God can act in the world contrary to our ordinary experience. Indeed, in his two-volume work on miracles, Craig Keener documents the long history of well-attested miracles throughout the world.
Nevertheless, Hume’s skepticism was widely embraced. It fits with the popular myth that now that we are scientific, we know better than the ancients who superstitiously believed barren women could conceive and dead men rise from the dead. But of course, the ancients well knew old women did not become pregnant and dead men rotted away, which is why they made such a big deal when something so out of the ordinary occurred.
Many scientists have recognized that the existence of the laws of nature is itself miraculous. In his essay “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences,” the mathematical physicist and Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner observed: “It is not at all natural that ‘laws of nature’ exist, much less that man is able to discover them.”5 Wigner uses the word “miracle” to characterize the ability of mathematics to describe the natural world. The history of science testifies to the fact that people were bold enough to look for the laws of nature precisely because they believed in a divine lawgiver. Neither under polytheism, where the cosmos is ruled by many competing gods, nor atheism, which denies any Intelligence behind the universe, would one expect to be able to discover universal mathematics laws.
A God Who Creates
Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation, for example, naturally arose from his belief in a God who created the heavens and the earth. And rather than think that it explained away God, Newton saw it as evidencing “an intelligent and powerful Being”6 who created and actively sustains the universe, believing that behind the force of gravity was “an agent acting constantly according to certain laws.”7 Newton’s view is well reflected in Ellen White’s description of God’s relationship to the laws of nature: “God does not annul His laws, but He is continually working through them, using them as His instruments. They are not self-working. God is perpetually at work in nature. She is His servant, directed as He pleases. Nature in her work testifies to the intelligent presence and active agency of a being who moves in all His works according to His will. . . . The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work guiding this planet.”
Granted, Newton’s understanding of gravity was incomplete, and we continue to develop richer accounts—from Einstein’s vision of mass warping spacetime to hypothesized graviton particles that are conjectured to mediate the gravitational force. Yet as science advances, God’s power is not diminished. Every such theory is, after all, a mathematical model describing how the universe behaves, for equations have no creative or sustaining power. God alone governs the cosmos; “in Him, we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
As such, the Bible does not treat natural explanation and divine intervention as mutually exclusive. Rather, it often blends these two kinds of explanations, portraying God as sovereign over nature and free to use His laws to accomplish His purposes. During the plagues of Egypt, Scripture records that God brought locusts by a wind from the east, and when God relented, they were dispelled by a strong wind from the west. And when Israel was trapped by the Red Sea, “the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land” (Ex. 14:21). The strong wind explains Israel’s deliverance on one level, and God’s activity explains it on another.
Thus we should not think that just because someone has offered a natural explanation of something, it rules out God’s hand in it. Nor is God constrained by what we deem the laws of nature.
Ellen White forcefully made this point when she observed, “As commonly used, the term ‘laws of nature comprise what men have been able to discover with regard to the laws that govern the physical world; but how limited is their knowledge, and how vast the field in which the Creator can work in harmony with His own laws and yet wholly beyond the comprehension of finite beings!”9
Events such as creation, the Incarnation, and resurrection are all singular occurrences that are exceptional to God’s typical governing of the world. Just as ordinary physics breaks down at singularities such as black holes and the first moments of the universe, we should not be surprised that God’s mighty acts are beyond our explanatory power. As Blaise Pascal reminds us: “The last proceeding of reason is to recognize that there is an infinity of things which are beyond it. It is but feeble if it does not see so far as to know this. But if natural things are beyond it, what will be said of supernatural?”10
If there is one lesson we should take away from the stunning images of the James Webb Space Telescope, it is that the universe is a much bigger, grander, and more miraculous place than we often imagine. This ought to teach us that just because something is incomprehensible to us does not mean that it is impossible for God. Rather, as we struggle to comprehend the incomprehensible, might we learn once more to believe that which we had mistaken as unbelievable.
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1 Bible texts are from the English Standard Version.
3 David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, ed. L. A. Selby Bigge (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902), p. 114.
4 Craig S. Keener, Miracle: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011).
5 E. P. Wigner, “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences. Richard Courant Lecture in Mathematical Sciences Delivered at New York University, May 11, 1959,” Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics 13 (1960): 1-14.
6 Isaac Newton, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687); Scholium Generale (1713; 1726).
7 I. Bernard Cohen, ed., Isaac Newton’s Papers and Letters on Natural Philosophy and Related Documents (Boston: Harvard University Press, 2014).
8 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 8, pp. 259, 260.
9 Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890, 1908), p. 114.
10 Blaise Pascal, Pensées, p. 267.
Read more at: https://adventistreview.org/magazine-article/believing-the-unbelievable/
God will not allow us to destroy the earth. He will destroy the planet while we are nearing self-annihilation.
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” Revelation 11:18 b
The preceding verses here in Revelation 11:18 describe the earth’s condition when we are near destroying ourselves through atomic weapons. John had to write this verse in faith because he could probably not imagine such power man would possess to literally destroy the entire earth. But we have arrived just in one generation.
The nations are angry, and so is God!
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, Revelation 11: 18
God has reserved the destruction of the earth for Himself.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:7
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Before we move along, let’s review a key component of this coming destruction. It begins with the return of Christ.
God’s word precisely describes the following about the second coming when Jesus appears in the sky and “every eye shall see Him.”Note: I am not addressing the tribulation in this article. That topic will be for another time.
The Literal Return of Christ Summary:
1.) It is not a quiet or secret event. It is a powerful rescue of God’s people! Every person alive (whether lost or saved) sees Him coming (Rev. 1:7)
2.) It is a destructive event. God destroys the earth and its contents by fire. (2 Peter 3: 10-13)
3.) There are two different responses to the second coming: The response of God’s people and the response of the wicked. The wicked run and hide (Revelation 6:16). The redeemed rejoice! (Isaiah 25:9)
4.) All can hear it! He descends with a shout and a loud trumpet. (1 Thess 4:16)
5.) Jesus’ literal return is the keeping of a promise He made and is the hope of His followers. I go and prepare a place…I will return again. His rescue is not in two parts. (John 14: 1-3)
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To this point in this review, we have primarily shown that when Christ returns, there are two classes of saved people:
1.) The saved alive who will not see death.
2.) The saved of all ages who are “dead in Christ.”
Both classes are given immortality here and rise from the earth to meet the Lord in the air. It is here that eternity begins. There are two very clear verses that support this clearly:
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
Notice the key statements:
1.) Lord Himself comes down with a shout, voice, and a trumpet (you can hear it). So can the lost, as we will see.
2.) The “dead in Christ” rise first. Graves open up, and out come the saved of all ages.
3.) Then those who are alive who were protected by the Lord during the tribulation rise to meet those who were resurrected and the Lord in the air. Notice the word “remain.” Some translations use the word “left.” This alludes to the fact that they were left or remained after the plagues that hit the earth. An example: If a house burns down that has a full library. There might be some books that were destroyed and some that were in a safe which were “left” or untouched by the fire.
4.) From this point forward, the redeemed will spend eternity with the Lord
*These are the words (as described in 1 Thess 4: 16-18) where we are to find comfort. Why is this verse hardly ever mentioned at funerals? Instead, the pagan idea of the bodiless soul going immediately to heaven is described, yet there is no biblical evidence of this. That falsehood contradicts both 1 Thess 4: 16-18 that we just read and Paul’s further details found in the 15th Chapter of 1 Corinthians:
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. 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.” 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54
Again, notice the key statements:
1.) Not all will sleep (die)
2.) The saved are “changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” Note: it is the change that is very fast…not the second coming.”
3.) The dead (in Christ) are raised incorruptible (No longer subject to decay)
4.) God gives (puts on) the redeemed incorruption and immortality to their resurrected bodies in a flash.
5.) When this change to our bodies is made, it is then that the saying “Death is swallowed up in victory.” can be made. It cannot be made at the grave site or at a funeral. It is only when Jesus returns.
Somehow, we have made dying the gateway to immortality, but without the return of Christ and our resurrection, we are all lost. We might as well live it up, for tomorrow, we die forever.
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…If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
We have already seen “that every eye” will see the return. The wicked cannot stand to see Jesus when He comes. They run anywhere to hide from the face of the Lamb:
They Can’t Stand the Sight of His Coming
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6: 15-17
The key points are:
1.) Every person who does not love Jesus’ appearing on the earth, (regardless of their economic status) cannot stand the sight and try to flee to dark places. They ask a question that is answered in the next chapter of Revelation: “Who is able to stand?”
a.) The sealed of Israel. This is not literal Jews, but those who are “in Christ. A study for another time.
b.) The vast multitude of those who are alive and survived the great tribulation through the power of God. “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.” Rev. 7: 14
Some have suggested that the 144,000 and the vast multitude are the same group of people. Another study for another time.
They Are Destroyed By The Brightness of His Coming:
As far back as the Old Testament, the fate of the lost has been described. Here is a clear example:
“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.…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: 1,3
Key Points:
1.) That day will be like an oven
2.) All who do wickedly will be like stubble and will be burned up
3.) Burned up means nothing left (neither a root nor a branch left)
4.) They shall be turned to ashes
Paul describes the same event in 2 Thessalonians:
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2: 8-11
Key Point
1.) As shown earlier, Christ’s return is destructive. God destroys the “lawless one” (aka Antichrist) and those who perish with “him” because they did not love the truth. They chose the convenience and selfishness of a lie.
What are the Second Death and the Second Resurrection?
Both Jesus and John talk of two resurrections:
Jesus clearly states that all who are in the graves will be resurrected. But the resurrections have two different results: life or condemnation.
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: 28-30
John, who recorded Jesus’ statement above, adds more detail about the timing of the two resurrections. They are separated by 1,000 years:
And they (the saved) lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20: 4-6
Key Points as we compare with previous verses:
1.) When Christ returns, those in the grave are resurrected. They are in the “first resurrection.”
2.) Those in the first resurrection (along with those who were alive at the return of Christ) live and reign with Christ for 1,000 years. A lot of our questions are answered during this time.
3.) The second death has no power over those who are reigning with Christ for this 1,000 years.
4.) Those who were wicked and dead when Christ returned were not resurrected until the end of the 1,000 years. Those who were wicked and alive were destroyed by the brightness of the Lord’s return. Both the wicked dead and the wicked destroyed are raised at the second resurrection at the end of 1,000 years.
5.) The wicked at the return of Christ die twice! One on earth and again for eternity after their judgment. The second death is forever with no hope. Fire comes down and devours them. “And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9
6.) The ultimate fate of the unbelievers is “perishing,” as John described in that famous verse 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.” Notice the fate of the lost: “Perish.” It is contrasted with the believers’ gift of everlasting life. The lost do not have everlasting life in a burning place.
Christian, Do you really want to believe in a God who so loved the world that He would burn the lost or quad trillions of years without mercy? This is a horrible picture of burning people in some corner of the universe. Do you really know Jesus if you believe this pagan picture?
At the end of the 1,000 years, John describes (in the next Chapter 21) the “New Jerusalem” coming down out of heaven. It is at this point that God creates a new heaven and a new earth. The saved of all ages spend eternity with sin and death destroyed forever. God dwells with His people in the new dwelling place of God…with His people who have been redeemed
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. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21: 1-4
Key Points
1.) Like John, the redeemed will be witnesses to God creating a new heaven and a new earth! Praise God! What a sight!
2.) The New Jerusalem, currently residing in heaven, will come to this new earth!
3.) God will reside with us here on the new earth!
4.) All tears, sorrow, crying, and pain will be eliminated…gone forever. Praise our Holy God!!
One last picture. Each month and each week, we will be worshiping together. Congregating will be continued on the new earth!
“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. 23 And it shall come to pass From one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. Isaiah 66:22-23
Just as the Sabbath of the 10 commandments commemorated the creation of the earth, this “new” Sabbath will honor the new earth…a new creation. And as on the first earth, we will work six days and then worship on the seventh day.
They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Isaiah 65: 21-22
Heaven, as we call it, will be a real place on a real earth.
Summary of the Fate of all People
In this simple chart, we see the fate of everyone who has ever lived on this planet. There are only two places: eternal life on a new planet or eternal death. You can have the promise of eternity today through Jesus. Will you repent of your sins and turn to Him? He will gladly save you from yourself and the wiles of the enemy.
Redeemed
Lost
Both dead and alive, go where Jesus is now at His second coming.
Destroyed by the brightness of His coming
Spend 1,000 years in New Jerusalem-A Honey Moon of sorts
Lay in the grave for 1,000 years
At the end of the 1,000 years, the redeemed come down in the New Jerusalem with Jesus
Are resurrected in the resurrection of the condemnation.
Resurrected and then try to attack the New Jerusalem. God sends fire down from heaven. This is the second death for the wicked. They died once on earth and once at the end of the 1,000 years. They perish for eternity.
The redeemed enjoy eternity without any more pain or death. They build houses and plant vineyards and enjoy the work of their hands in immortal bodies. They worship on the Sabbath.
In a previous article, I wrote regarding the Second Coming made simple. This question came up regarding the rapture and those left behind. We will examine this passage closely, comparing it with Luke’s parallel passage of the same event. But, first, a quick review of just a few clear passages from the Bible about the return of Christ.
The disciples of Christ understood the clarity of the events of Jesus’ return. They never contradicted each other. They only added clarity. So it is with the question today. Taking each disciple’s description into account, we can get a clear picture. Today’s Bible passage (Matthew 24:40-41) is often used to support the secret rapture and left-behind theory. Books and even movies have built a picture that is not entirely accurate. We will examine the question of the day from two different disciples and find out exactly what is being described.
As we study the return of Christ, we begin to understand that,
1.) It is not a quiet or secret event. It is a powerful rescue of God’s people!
John described the brightness of the event that is seen by all who are alive at that time, including the wicked and those who are ” dead in Christ.” As John describes it,
“He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Revelation 1:7
2.) It is a destructive event
Peter describes this very clearly. heavens pass away with a great noise. Even the elements (including the earth) melt with fervent heat.
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… the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:10, 12
3.) There are two different responses to the second coming:
The unprepared or lost cry for the rocks to…“Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Rev. 6:16
The prepared cry out,
“Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.“
Isaiah 25:9
4.) All can hear it!
Paul described the event as loud (shout and voice of an archangel, and a trumpet of God). All can hear it! Even those who 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.
1 Thess 4: 16
5.) Jesus’ literal return is the keeping of a promise He made and is the hope of His followers
The hope He gave you and I was that He would go away and prepare a place and then return to take us where He is now. This does not happen at death but when He returns.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I 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: 1-3
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Let’s take a look at the passage today and see if it supports the “left-behind” theory of the rapture despite the clear picture painted by the disciples regarding Jesus’ return.
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Matthew 24: 37-41
Here is a list of the key components of this passage:
Matthew compares the second coming of Christ to the days before the flood. This context helps us understand the events of the second coming.
He states that the flood came and took the unprepared away. Notice it is not the saved (i.e., Noah and his family) that were taken away.
Matthew says it will be the same on the day of Christ’s return, i.e., The unprepared are going about the routine of life, not expecting the end of time and the return of Christ. But on that day, the unprepared die in the flood waters. You would have to really add to this passage to say, they are left behind to endure the tribulation.
So Matthew is saying that those unprepared at the second coming will be like the unprepared of Noah’s time, who were “taken away” by the flood waters and died.
Luke’s account adds clarity to this in his description by not using the “took away” phrase but rather the clearer word for modern ears, “destroyed.”
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Luke 24:26
Matthew and Luke describe the exact same thing but use different words (“took away” is the same as “destroyed.”)
So this fits perfectly with the other disciples who described the second coming as a “destructive event” for this sinful earth and the wicked who have turned their back on God.
Please notice that there are 4 classes of people at the return of Christ mentioned in our passages today:
1.) Those who are alive and saved (they meet the Lord in the air.)
2.) Those who are dead in Christ and saved (they are resurrected and meet the Lord in the air.)
3.) Those who are alive and lost. (They are destroyed by the brightness of His coming.-See 2 Thess 2:8)
4.) But the 4th group, those who were already dead and lost; what happens to them?
The simple answer is they are resurrected too, but not for a thousand years. This we will study next time.
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished….Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power.
Revelation 20: 5, 6
Jesus said there are two resurrections which John also described here in Revelation. This we will examine next time:
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
What is this second death, and what happens to the lost who were destroyed at Christ’s return and the lost dead that come up in the second resurrection after the thousand years?
“A young mother discovered that her little boy had lied to her. Utterly shocked and desperate to correct his wayward behavior, she sat him down and said to him, ‘Listen-you can’t lie to Mommy! If you do that again, a big tall man with red eyes and horns (will) come and take you away. He’ll make you work for a hundred years in the coal mines just for telling one little lie!’ The look on the boy’s face told the mother that he was listening carefully. Encouraged that she was getting through to him, she said, ‘Now you’ll never lie to Mommy again, will you.’
He thought for a moment, then blurted out, ‘No ma’am, I wouldn’t dare-’cause you tell them better than id do!”-From the book, Draining the Styx-Boonstra p. 90
Many churches and pastors have taken the scare-tactic to “soul-winning.” Like this mother, they picture a place so bad that people will accept Jesus out of fear rather than repentance and love. This place is called hell, where the fallen and wicked will be tortured in flames for eternity.
Life Eternal is for the Saved Only
Eternity for the saved begins when Jesus returns. Perhaps the clearest single passage in the Bible to confirm this is found in Paul’s writing in 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18
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.
We are to comfort ourselves about those who have died in Christ this way: Jesus will return, and those who are alive then and those who died “in Christ” will gather around Jesus in the air for the first time. Here is where eternity begins for the saved. What a reunion day that will be!
Jesus confirmed the importance of His return in the following words. His words, like Paul’s, give comfort to those who fear death or have lost loved ones to the enemy of death.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I 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: 1-3
Notice what these verses do not say. They do not say that eternity for the saved begins at death. It begins at the return of Christ. It is because He has the keys to the grave and death (Rev. 1: 18) that we can be resurrected from decayed bodies, perhaps that are dust, to receive immortality and new bodies. Paul describes the importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:
So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15: 41-44
Without our resurrection, there is no immortality; there is no heaven. All those who have “fallen asleep” are lost, and we have no hope or comfort for those who have died and for ourselves. Paul described it this way:
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. …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 allen asleep in Christ have perished.
1 Corinthians 15: 13-14, 17-18
The resureection of Christ demonstrates God’s plan to resurrect the saved for eternity. While death is an enemy, Jesus and the Bible describe this period between the grave and the second coming of Christ as a unconscience sleep. When He returns after a nano-second nap, the saved of all ages will meet Jesus in the air after receiving immortal incorruptuible bodies. Eternity will begin for His people.
Author-Eddie Armstrong
But What About the Lost?
Did you notice in the passages above that there is no mention of the resurrection of the wicked and the lost? What happens to them? Modern theology has these people burning in hell after they die or at a later time, e.g., after the White Throne Judgement. But is that what the Bible teaches?
Unfortunately, traditions absorbed from pagan philosophers have created a God that is sadistic that His anger against the wicked is so great that it is never satisfied. A God of mercy and love who loses it and shows absolutely no mercy for those screaming for death to escape the licks of flames on their flesh.
“…Consider a nineteenth-century account of the fate of the wicked, which a children’s author named John Furniss (no pun intended-that was his name!) wrote to scare children into behaving.
Come into this room. You see it is very small. But see, in the midst of it, there is a girl, perhaps about eighteen years old. What a terrible dress she has on–On her head, she wears a bonnet of fire. It is pressed down close all over her head; it burns into the skin; it scorches the bone of the skull and makes it smoke. The red hot fiery heat goes into the brain and melts it…There she will stand forever, burning and scorched! She counts with her fingers the moments as they pass away slowly, for each moment seems to her like a hundred years. As she counts the moments, she remembers that she will have to count them forever and ever.
Look into this little prison. In the middle of it, there is a boy, a young man. He is silent; despair is on him. He stands straight up. His eyes are burning like two burning coals. Two long flames come out of his ears. His breathing is difficult. Sometimes he opens his mouth, and a breath of blazing fire rolls out of it. But listen! There is a sound just like that of a kettle boiling! It is really a kettle boiling? No; then what is it? The blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy. The brain is boiling and bubbling in the head. The marrow is boiling in these bones. Ask him why he is thus tormented. His answer is that when he was alive, his blood boiled to do very wicked things.”Rev. J. Furnis, Tracts for Spiritual Reading (New York – P.J Kenedy, 1877, page 19
Draining the Styx-Boonstra p. 91 and 92
This tract by Rev. Furniss is often quoted by atheists as an argument for throwing out Christianity. When I was 8 years old, attending Vacation Bible School along with other children, an elder of the church described hell in this same manner to all of us boys and girls. He was prepping us for the Sunday Service. He wanted us to come forward at the altar call and be baptized…trophies for him and the vacation Bible School program. This was the beginning of my atheistic beliefs. But, praise God, I discovered the love, mercy, and compassion of the God who loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me so I could have eternal life. For my testimony, start here:
The Biblical Fate of the Lost
There is no story in the Bible like Rev. Furniss’s. Some will point to the Rich Man and Lazarus as proof that the lost are tortured in a place that burns forever, But in this parable, Jesus takes the pagan beliefs that had infiltrated Jewish theology to make his point which is at the end of the parable. The point of the parable was about the resurrection and belief in Jesus. It was not a description of a place of torture. To learn more about this parable, click on this link regarding the Rich Man and Lazarus: Lord Teach Me About Hell-Part 1 (Rich Man & Lazarus) – Answers From Scripture – A Jesus Journey (answersfromscriptureonline.com)
The fate of the lost has always been eternal death. In that famous verse that everyone can quote, Jesus tells us that the fate of the lost is that they “perish” If their fate were eternal life in burning flames, we would have to rewrite it:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not live for eternity in hell- a burning place of firey torture
The operative word here is “perish.” It is different from the death that all must experience. It is eternal.
The Lost Have A Resurrection Too!
Jesus taught there were two resurrections:
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
These two resurrections are confirmed by the Apostle John in Revelation. John also gives more detail about the vision given to him of the end times:
“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
Revelation 20: 5-6
It is very easy to see from these passages the two resurrections are separated by one thousand years. The first resurrection occurs when Jesus comes. This was described above in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15: 50-55. This is the starting point for the one thousand years of the honeymoon of the bride (church) and the groom (Jesus). But the rest of the dead don’t come alive until one thousand years have passed.
The lost are resurrected. Satan gathers them together to attack the Holy City coming down out of heaven. This Holy City was where Jesus and the saints were in heaven for one thousand years. The lost of all ages are convinced by Satan to attack the heavenly city, and then God sends fire out of heaven, and this fire devours them.
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 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: 7-9
Thus all the enemies of God are forever turned to ashes. Nothing left of them, they are devoured! And never shall they ever be any more. This is the way a merciful God deals with those who want no part of Him. Their reward was living on earth and enjoying their 70 or so years. They don’t receive eternal life, as do the saved.
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
Satan shares the same fate after watching his people destroyed. He is saved for last:
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:14
“You (Satan) defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore 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. Ezekiel 28:18 (See entire chapter for context)
If you want more information on confusing passages that seem to support eternal life in hell for the lost vs. what the Bible teaches about eternal death, click here for more information: The Fate of The Lost-Difficult Verses.
My friends, let us lift up Jesus as the only source of eternal life and pray for those in our circle of friends and family who can be saved from eternal death. This is scary enough.
The origin of Halloween and its customs likely had their origins in an ancient pagan Celtic festival called Samhain, which celebrated “summer’s end.” It marked the conclusion of the harvest and the beginning of the colder, darker season.
It was at this time that the pagan Celts saw an opportunity to commune with the dead believing the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its thinnest.
Catholic Church’s Adoption
In the 11th century, at the height of the suppression of God’s word and the control of people by the Roman church, the papacy sought to adopt or claim the pagan tradition of celebrating Samhain and turn it into a Christian festival called “All Hallow’s Eve.” The papacy sought to make a purse out of a sow’s ear through the modified inclusion of pagan philosophies in Christian rituals. Many of Samhain’s traditions continue in the Catholic church to this day.
According to Encylopedia Britannica, Pope Gregory III pronounced November 1 as ‘All Saints Day.” aka “All Hallow’s Day,” a day to honor all the saints of the church who have attained heaven. The papacy proclaimed it to be a holy day. Thus the religious side of the annual event mixed in with a pagan holiday.
Combining church traditions with the ancient philosophers such as Hermes, Socrates, and Plato, who believed the souls wandered in a disembodied world, gave a path to communication with the “dead” for both the pagans and Christians.
These spooky activities only work if there is a soul separate from the body, and that soul is immortal. This is a trick hidden in a treat of Satan that goes back to the beginning of creation and the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan contradicted God and said,
“You will not surely *die.”
Genesis 3:4
This lie continues to this day…no one ever dies. Their souls live forever in one of two places.
Death now comes with a footnote in many people’s beliefs:
*except for the soul, which is immortal.
But let’s go to the source and only reliable authority on the soul and life after death, God’s Word, to discover what a soul is. Is the soul immortal? Who are the spirits people talk to when Mediums call up the “dead” spirits of people to converse?”
What is a soul?
Soul’s Origin
The soul originated with God, as shown in this passage in Genesis
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 KJV
Notice the formula here. It is simple addition:
Dust of the ground + breath of life = soul
Noticed what it doesn’t say, “Man has a soul. ” No! he is a soul. Before he was created, there was no incorporeal soul in Adam.
Death is also a formula. This time it is subtraction:
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
Death= Dust -(minus) the spirit (God’s breath).
The person is dead, their body turns to dust, and their thoughts and plans cease that very day.
His spirit departs, and he returns to his earth; In that very day, his plans perish. Psalm 146:4
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 unlike the pagan philosophers, death is not a promotion to a world of knowledge and existence. It is compared to sleeping more than 70 times in the Bible, including Jesus.
The Hebrew word for the soul, as shown in Genesis 2:7 KJV above, is nep̄eš. It literally means “that which breaths.” This is our identity. We are a creation of God “that breathes.” Most of the other translations use the phrase “living being” as opposed to the often confusing word “soul.” “Living being” makes more sense and is in the context of the Word of God about death.
We can see many examples of how the Bible uses the word “soul” for people who are living beings instead of separated, wispy entities. Here are just a couple:
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. Acts 27:27
This simply means “living beings” or people were on the ship.
Which sometimes were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. 1 Peter 3:20
Noah and his family were comprised of eight souls or people that were saved from the drowning waters of the flood. They were living beings who were walking around in the flesh but called souls.
The term soul has been used this way in modern society. When the Titanic made its maiden voyage, it was said to have 2,240 souls or people on board, of which more than 1,500 souls lost their lives.
This leads us to the final question of the day.
Are Souls Immortal?
Let’s start with this easy question. If a soul can die, then is it immortal (i.e. not subject to death)? Of course not! You can’t die and then, at the same time, be no longer subject to death or immortal. They are opposing conditions.
Remember the lie of Satan, “You will not die,” but God says, “you will die.” Paul said that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). An asterisk is not used here to say, “except for your soul. ” In fact, the Bible writers say things to indicate that the soul is not immortal. No place in the Bible does it say that the soul is immortal. However, the opposite is true, as shown here:
“…The soul who sins shall die.” Ezekial 18:4
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:28
If God can kill the soul, can it then still be immortal? Of course not! it is impossible to be both dead and immortal!
God can (and does) destroy completely forever the entire living being for some, but not the redeemed! At this time, only God has immortality:
He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality,
1 Timothy 6:15b, 16a
But there is good news! No! Great unimaginable news! God gives immortality at the second coming! Let’s end with Paul explaining the mystery of death and resurrection:
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
Praise God! When Jesus comes, He will change the redeemed (both those who are sleeping (dead) and those living. What is included in this package of change?
Corruptible to incorrpution (Subject to decay to no longer slowly decaying with the passing of time)
*Mortal to immortality (Subject to death, but then no longer subject to death)
Eternity will Be Real for the Redeemed
Until that time, death is like taking a nap (sleeping), where the passage of time is a microsecond. You lay down on the bed of death, and in the twinkling of an eye, you rise to see Jesus and receive your package of eternal life. There is no pain, no conscience waiting room while you are sleeping. This new life on new earth is real! It includes eating, building homes, and talking with real bodies that have been glorified just as Jesus was when He appeared to the disciples after He arose. He had skin and bones and even ate some food! He was not a disembodied whispy spirit.
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
Luke 24:39
Jesus must have been a little hungry. He asked for food and ate!
“Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.
Luke 24: 42-43
Our bodies will be like Jesus’ resurrected body! Real and not wispy.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body,
Philippians 3:20-21
We will have access to the tree of life that was forfeited at the time of sin. It will perpetuate eternal life.
“To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. …In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. ” Rev. 2:7, 22:2
We will be doing things we enjoy for six days, then every month and every Sabbath, the redeemed will join in a universal church service of worship together on the new earth without denominational differences.
Our existence will not be incorporeal and wispy. We will be using our mouths, hands, and all the other things of a glorified “living being.”
They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit…And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.. Isaiah 65: 21, 22b
“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. And it shall come to pass. That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.
Isaiah 66: 22-23
What a life God has planned for those who love Him and keep His commandments! But even so, we cannot imagine. It is impossible until we actually experience it!
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
But what about those who were not redeemed? Are they given immortality to be tortured forever? This we explore next time.
