Questions About Bible Text, Rapture, The Soon Return of Jesus

Doesn’t Matt. 24: 37-41 say one is taken (raptured) and the other left behind?

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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?

Hell, Truth About the Deceased, What is God Like?

Halloween and Evil: Are the Wicked Given Eternal Life in Hell?

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“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.

The Fate of The Lost (Part 3)-Difficult Verses – Answers From Scripture – A Jesus Journey (answersfromscriptureonline.com)

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.

Death and Resurrection

ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN AND LIFE AFTER DEATH

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Pagan Roots

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.

Death and Resurrection

Halloween, Spirits, Death, Jesus, and Resurrection

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Halloween is approaching…that great holiday of celebrating ghosts, spirits, and gore. Get out the candy, costumes, and crazy thoughts about ghosts and wispy spirits from the dead. Why does this fascinate us? It may be because there are so many unreliable ideas about death, spirits, and the afterlife. Subconsciously, perhaps, we want to be able to communicate with the dearly departed.

Mystery of Life and Death

Probably the greatest mystery about life is death. It falls upon all rich, poor, blind, healthy, black, white, tall, short…you name it. It will get everyone regardless of their culture or color. It does not discriminate! This we understand, albeit reluctantly. We push back against dying, we try to postpone it, but eventually, it will win.

What happens at the moment of death and beyond remains a mystery to most people despite the subjective, anecdotal experiences of people who claim to have seen the great beyond (light, heaven, or hell). They write books and give TV interviews. Are they giving false hope to everyone about communicating with the dead and their soul living forever regardless of the life they lived on this planet? Is eternal life for everyone? Is it true, as the scary preacher warns, that everyone will live forever in one of two places-heaven or a place of torture called hell?

These are questions that often run through the minds of human beings, but firm answers seem to be impossible to know.

There has been a multitude of books, movies, ancient philosophies, and personal experiences on death and beyond, but somehow, they fail to give a consistent description of the other side satisfactorily. How can we put stock in those people who “died” for only a few seconds or minutes before the defibrillator jumped-started their hearts, returning oxygen-deprived brains? Or the preacher who wants to scare and threaten you into a saving relationship with Christ?  Isn’t death scary enough?

The only people who know about death and then live again are those described in the Bible. They were not dead for just a few seconds or minutes but extended periods:

1.) Jesus- 3 days; (John 2: 19-21)

2.) Lazarus- 4 days; (John 11:17)

3.) Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter- the Bible doesn’t disclose the time she had been dead. (Mark 5: 21-43), but Jesus walked to Jarius’ house and stopped to heal a woman, so it had to be more than a few minutes.

4.) Widow of Nain’s son-(Luke 7: 11-16). He was already in the casket!

5.) Many of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:51). They had likely been dead for some time.

But, all of these did not write a book or have their words recorded by other writers about the “afterlife.” Why? The answer is revealed by Jesus and His disciples.

Opinions and Philosophy

Human beings have varying opinions and philosophical reasoning about death; but how does that compare with God’s word? Do we believe the great philosophers about death as a “friend”(Socrates 470 BC – 399 BC, dead at age 71) or his student Plato (427 BC – 347 BC-dead at age 80) who taught that the grave is a step to a higher existence? A promotion, as it were, from the pain of physical presence to the carefree joy of a spiritual reality. Or do we believe Paul, who said that death is the last enemy and it will one day end? (1 Corinthians 15:26)

How about reincarnation or the nihilist’s view? A nihilist proposes that our existence has no particular reason or purpose. Their approach to death would be pretty different from that of Plato or Socrates. Nihilists don’t expect to move up to another plane of existence. They don’t expect to go anywhere at all. Their mantra would be,

“Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

This seems to be the attitude of most people, including atheists. But in our hearts, we feel this is just not right. Death seems to be an unplanned invader of life.  There must be more.

Vain Philosphoses have entered the Christian church. It is as subtle as the often-used words,

“He is in a better place,” or those who say,

“we will never see them again.”

Even the idea that we have an immortal soul that will live somewhere forever comes from ancient Egyptian teachings.

It is sad to hear a preacher describe what the dearly departed are doing in heaven at this very moment. They don’t know. With good intentions, they attempt to comfort the bereaved by saying that they are looking down on them. I’m not sure how that is heaven to the one looking down.  Where is the Biblical evidence?   This idea of immortal souls opens wide the door to Spiritism and unclean deceiving spirits (Revelation 16:13). The idea that we can talk to the dead has its roots in the first lie of the Bible…”You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4)

God forbade His people from such people who claim to have this power. Instead, He asked them to seek Him.

‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God…..And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God?

Leviticus 19:31 and Isaiah 8:19

Interestingly, the phrase “immortal soul” is not found in the Bible. Actually, it says the opposite:

“…the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23

“The soul who sins shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4.

God can (and does) destroy the soul of the unrepentant and lost (Matthew 10:28).

Nevertheless, Jesus gave hope of eternal life with a real body, God has the best plan. “He doesn’t want any to perish…”2 Peter 3:9. Perish is the operative word here that is also included in that famous passage of John 3:16, where “perish” is the penalty for unbelief. One last question before we turn to the Bible for answers: How does the second coming of Jesus fit into all this? Does it, as some suppose, reunite the body with their spirit/soul?

Comfort About Death

The comfort for the living over the loss of a loved one is found in the Bible in the words of Jesus, the prophets, and the disciples. In their united context, they give satisfaction and consistency to the truth of death and the afterlife. God’s revealed truth about death is troubling. But there is comfort and hope in God’s word, unlike any philosopher or skewed religious thinking. 

Death and the Resurrection

While living a decade in Mississippi, I attended a few funerals.  They are included comforting words for the bereaved.  Most were not Biblical, and most excluded the resurrection and the second coming of Christ.  They ranged from a combination of truth and untruths to the ridiculous. 

“They are resting peacefully. They are watching over you.” 

How can that be?  Resting in peace and actively observing all your movements?

“Old Uncle Harry is up there right now enjoying his favorite cigar and hunting with his best dogs.” 

While people laughed, it was a poor attempt to comfort the family of a man who never indicated a desire to know Jesus, much less follow Him.  Heaven has become a place where any person can indulge in the human activities of worldly happiness.  This raises the question of what the saved will be doing in eternity.  Playing harp on a billowy cloud forever is not very interesting to me. Next time, we will explore the Bible to understand a few things God has revealed about activity in heaven, the new heavens, and the new earth.

Biblical Comfort for the Bereaved

The Apostle Paul gave words of comfort and hope to a group of mourning believers in the Corinthian church.  They were concerned that the brothers and sisters in Christ, who were dying, would miss the second coming.  He told the truth about those deceased followers and ended with this phrase: “comfort one another with these words.”

It all centered on the return of Christ and the resurrection.  Paul recorded letter to the Thessalonians gives us one of the most straightforward descriptions of the return of Christ as found anywhere in the Bible.  Listen closely and imagine the scene of Christ’s return.  It is plain, simple, and addresses their concerns.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring (raise up) with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thess 4: 13-18

 Paul wants the brothers and sisters to be informed.  This would mean they didn’t understand the return of Christ and the condition of those who had died.  He encourages them not to grieve like those who go to funerals with no hope of ever seeing their loved ones again.  Then he begins to describe that glorious scene of Jesus’ return found many places in the Bible (another study for another time). 

Then he uses an interesting phrase, “…will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.”  “Precede is an interesting word.  It answers the Corinthian believers’ questions about the timing of eternity for everyone.  The Greek word (phthanō) has been translated as “precede” or “prevent.”  It means “to come before.”

This answers the implied question about some getting to heaven before others. Paul describes a grand reunion of the dead (those fallen asleep) and those alive when at Jesus’ promised return.  Both groups are “harpazō,” translated as “caught up” or lifted up and carried off to meet in the air and be with the Lord! 

What a great reunion day that will be!  No one “precedes” or comes before the other; we all go to the Lord and eternity at the same time….” We will be with the Lord forever!” starting then. 

Another interesting phrase not often discussed is “we who are still alive and are left.”  The coming of Christ is destructive (See especially 2 Peter 3, especially Verse 7).  The lost are being “kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”  So those who are “left” are similar to a library fire.  Some books are burned, and there are those remaining (KJV) and those “left” or left over…not left behind as some would try to teach.

If a pastor wants to comfort those who have lost a loved one, use the words of Paul that he told would give comfort in 1 Thess. 4:18.

“Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” 

Jesus said it too!  He doesn’t want our hearts to be troubled, so he describes the many rooms and points us to the fact that he is preparing a spot for each of us, and He is coming back to get us in the future at His second coming!  Those mansions must wait until He returns, but what a glorious hope we have!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14: 1-3

The return of Christ is the comfort and hope of all Christians!  No other imagined words can comfort like the truth of Jesus’ return to unite both the living at that time and the dead of all ages and take us as one group to where He is now. 

Rest in Peace.  Death and Sleep

Both Jesus and Paul describe the dead as “asleep.” This is radically different from the ancient philosophers who saw the soul leaving the body to a higher plane…an ancient serpent’s lie. Sleep seems to be Jesus’ and the disciples’ favorite description of death.  This, my friends, should comfort us to know that death is like an unconscious state where the passage of time is a mere wisp of a second, and then Jesus takes us out of our graves to be with Him. Below are some of the Bible references to death:

  1.  Matthew 9:24, Luke 8:52- The little girl that had died, Jesus described as sleeping
  2.  Matthew 27: 51- The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;  
  3.  John 11:11- Jesus describes Lazarus as sleeping, then He plainly says, “he’s dead.”
  4.  1 Corinthians 11:30- Paul describes the sick and those who sleep (dead)
  5.  1 Corinthians 15: 6- Over 500 hundred who had seen Jesus were still alive, but some had “fallen asleep.” 
  6.  1 Corinthians 15: 18- Those who have “fallen asleep” have perished if there is no resurrection.
  7.  1 Thessalonians 4: 13- Paul doesn’t want us to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep.
  8.  1 Thessalonians 4:14 and 15. Those who sleep waiting for the return of Christ
  9.  Acts 7:60- Stephen was stoned and fell asleep
  10. 1 Corinthians 15:20 -Jesus has become the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

In 2004, I had to have open heart surgery. When they wheeled me into the operating room, they hooked up the anesthesia that would put be asleep during the procedure. Just before the nurse injected me, she said,

“Good night Mr. Armstrong.”

In what felt like a nanosecond, I heard,

“Wake up, Mr. Armstrong,”

I asked,

“When are you guys going to start the procedure?”

The nurse replied,

“Honey, you have been asleep for over two hours!”

This is what death is like for those who have died, regardless of how long they have been dead.

The After Death Experience of A Man Dead Four Days

The story of Lazarus, Martha, and Jesus in John Chapter 11 gives us insight into the state of the dead and what transpired for Lazarus for those four days he had been dead (sleeping).  It also provides us with the hope that Jesus gave Martha.  Jesus had told the disciples that Lazarus was sleeping and that he would wake Him up.  They were confused, and Jesus finally told them He was dead. Verses 11-14.  Again, Jesus’ favorite description of death, i.e., sleep.

Let’s focus on the comfort Jesus gave Martha starting at verse 21:

 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask.”  Verse 22

Martha was so glad to see Jesus.  If He had been there, Jesus could have healed her brother.  Martha also had great faith and hinted that God could bring Lazarus back to life if Jesus asked God the Father.  Then Jesus pointed her to the great resurrection day at the end of time as a source of comfort:

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Verse 23

Martha understood, from the teachings of Jesus, about the resurrection at the end of time. 

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Verse 24

Her theology was correct.  There is a resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ on the last day.

Jesus then reminds her that He is the one who will give life to the dead on the last day:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Verses 25 and 26

Look closely at Jesus’ words. It almost seems like a contradiction. Even though they die, they will live again, but then He says if you believe in Him, you will never die. So what is it? Die or never die? This becomes clear when you understand that we are all subject to death, but for those who don’t believe, they die forever (the second death) after their resurrection of the condemned that Jesus spoke of in John 5:29. John makes it even clearer when He was inspired to write these words:

There are two resurrections! You are blessed if you are in that first one because you will live forever. But in the second one, you die twice. The second death is eternal.

Now back to our story…

Martha then acknowledges her belief in the identity of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and the power of Jesus to raise people back to life:

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Verse 27

Jesus looked upon the people weeping and felt their sorrow for the dead and rotting Lazarus. Jesus called out with a loud voice.

 “Lazarus, come forth!”

Here is what Jesus did not say:  Lazarus come down or back from heaven.  If Lazarus was in heaven, how cruel would that be to snatch him out of paradise back to a sinful, dying planet?  If Lazarus was in heaven, we should have a book of Lazarus describing the place of angels and the throne of God.  But Lazarus is silent, as were the others raised from the dead during Christ’s time on earth.  Why?  Because they were in an unconscious state of sleep.  They knew nothing as one of the wisest men in the Bible (Solomon) stated:

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten….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: 5,10

In Peter’s sermon to the Jews about the Messiahship of Jesus and His resurrection, he told them this:

“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day… “For David did not ascend into the heavens,

 Acts 2: 29, 34

Peter didn’t say David was in heaven…and he was not on the throne that Jesus now occupies because He had been resurrected, and the disciples were eyewitnesses of it. (verse 30:31)

Our Faith is Futile Without the Resurrection

Paul argues that if we don’t believe that Jesus was resurrected, we are wasting time with our belief in Him.  His resurrection gives us hope in our resurrection when He comes.  Follow Paul’s logic to the Corinthian church and group of Sadducees) who say, “there is no resurrection” (See Matthew 22: 23). 

“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if, in fact, the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”  1 Corinthians 15 12-19

So, here are the consequences of what Paul is saying if there is no resurrection:

  1.  Paul’s preaching is useless, as are all preachers
  2.  Our faith is useless
  3.  The Apostles and disciples were all liars
  4.  Your faith is futile
  5.  You are still in your sins (lost)
  6.  Those who have fallen asleep (dead) are lost for eternity.
  7.  This type of Christ (non-resurrected) means He is dead, and we should be pitied for our belief!

Sadly, the resurrection is hardly mentioned in our churches anymore.  In many churches, Easter is the only time to talk about the power of resurrection, and the emphasis is only on Christ’s resurrection.  Our own resurrection through the power of Christ at the end of time is minimized, at the least, or ignored at the most. 

Instead, churches have adopted the pagan idea that the soul is separate from your physical body.  They claim the soul is immortal and goes to one of two places when you die (heaven or hell).  These are the teaching of that ancient Serpent who lied when he said, “thou shall not surely die.”  This theme has been around a long time and promoted by Greek philosophers like Hermes Trismegistus, Socrates, and Plato.

The Bible clearly teaches the opposite of Satan and those misguided philosophers who ignored the truth of the Bible.: You will surely die:

From Dust, We Were Taken

“For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19

“All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.” Job 34:15

“You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” Psalm 104:29

All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Eccl 3:20

But praise God, He can take the dust of the ground, rebuild that which was lost, and give that person immortality at the second coming.  Even the oldest book of the Bible acknowledges this great hope.  Hope in the coming of the Lord.

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me! Job 19: 26-27

Here is my hope, joy, and comfort.  God has a crown of eternal life waiting for me, not just me, but all those who love His appearing.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

Eternal life cannot be separated from the second coming of Christ. He is the life giver. At His return is when we receive immortality and not before. The mystery of death is solved. We sleep, awaiting Jesus’ return.

 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed—  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible (not subject to deay), and we shall be changed. For this corruptible (subject to decay) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (subject to death) must put on immortality (no longer subject to death). 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

We can never say, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” until Jesus returns. But hallelujah! Glory to God!.. Jesus has demonstrated the power and given us the proof that He will bring us out of the dust of the ground and breath into us the breath of life when we are resurrected. He will not forget you! Then we will be with Him forever and countless others who have put their faith and life on the line for Jesus. What a day that will be!

Next time, we will talk about what the Bible says we will be doing for eternity on the new earth that the meek inherit.

The Law of God

Did Jesus or The Apostles Modify The Fourth Commandment?

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If they did, we should see clear evidence of a distinct command or example of such a change. To start, let’s review the names of the weeks and their Biblical numbers. After all, the fourth commandment is about a day of the week that God proclaims as holy. God’s words are not arbitrary. He is the Creator, and He wants us to remember that!

Names and Numbers of the Week

The phrase “first day of the week” appears in the New Testament only nine (9) times in eight (8) verses. Of course, the word”Sunday” never appears because it is the pagan designation for the Sun’s day. The Bible refers to the day we now call Sunday as “the first day of the week.” The day Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Another question to consider: “Does the Bible call Sunday or the first day of the week, The Lord’s Day?” Sure, a man may make that designation, but does the Bible?

All of our English names of the days of the week are related to planetary gods of regional culture. (See the Appendix for further detail and the origin of these names)

Examples:

Tuesday: Tyr’s day.” Tyr was the Norse god of combat.

Wednesday is the day of the Woden or Odin, the father of the Gods.

The Creator God simply numbered the days of the week after the days of creation.

Example:


God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:5

Although the days were number one (1) through seven (7), the seventh day was blessed by the Creator when He ended His creative work. Only this particular day was given a name with meaning. He gave it the name “Sabbath” (Hebrew word: šabāṯ), meaning rest. Our calendar shows the end of the work week to be the seventh day or the Sabbath (pagan name: Saturday).


And on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Genesis 2:2

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. Exodus 20 8-10

While the Bible mentions the phrase “first day of the week” only nine (9) times in the New Testament, There are 59 verses in the New Testament about the Sabbath. Further, there is one (1) passage in Hebrews 4:4 that uses the phrase “the seventh day,” which points back to the seventh day of creation and God’s rest (Sabbath). So, there should be no doubt as to which day God designated as the Sabbath. We cannot make a day holy or proclaim any day we wish to be the Sabbath.

For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”

Hebrews 4:4

The first day of the week and the seventh day are not the same days; neither is Sunday and the Sabbath the same.

The Lord’s Day

The one phrase that stands by itself is “The Lord’s Day,” which is found only one (1) time in the Bible (Revelation 1:7)

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet” Revelation 1:10

There is no clear designation for which day of the week John refers to, but within its context or the verse and the entire eschatology of Revelation, it appears John is referring to the day of Christ’s return which is accompanied by a loud trumpet.

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 Thessalonians 4:16

While a good case could be made that the Sabbath is called the Lord’s day in the following passage, this is not the purpose of this article. I explore this in detail in the article called Patmos and the Lord’s day.


Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:28

Here Jesus proclaims to own or be the Lord of the Sabbath. Since He was the Co-Creator according to John 1: 1-13, Colossians 1: 15-17, and Hebrews 1: 8-10, He actually participated in the sanctification of the seventh day as a weekly memorial of His creatorship. Jesus claims the Sabbath day as His, for a good reason, but uses a different order of words.

But did the disciples change the First Day of the week into “the Lord’s Day” to refer to the resurrection of Christ? Let’s take a look at all the verses regarding the first day of the week (aka Sunday). On the flip side, was the Sabbath only for the Jews or stricken/changed from the ten (10) commandments? (This last question will be explored in a later article)

New Testament Passages on the First Day of The Week

Of the eight verses about the first day of the week, only three have any indication that the disciples met on the first day of the week for religious reasons. But were they really together to worship, or was it for some other reason?

Click here for all 8 verses. They are described below:

1.) Matthew 28:1 -Matthew recounts the time when the two Marys came to the tomb after the Sabbath, and early on the first day of the week. We know the rest of the story; they found an empty tomb. Jesus had risen from the dead! This resurrection of Christ is what separates the true religion of Christ from all the other false gods. Paul said it is so important that those who do not think it possible that Jesus was resurrected (that it didn’t happen), then all the preaching, including our faith, is empty, futile, and we are, of all men, the most pitiable. It would also mean that the disciples are all liars. Further, those who have died (fallen asleep) have perished.

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.  Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.  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.”

1 Corinthians 15: 13-19

Did you catch that? If Jesus was not resurrected, then here are the effects on your Christianity:

1.) All the preaching you hear is empty

2.) Your faith in Christ is empty

3.) The eyewitnesses of the resurrection (disciples) are liars (False Witnesses).

4.) Your faith in Christ is futile

5.) Your loved ones who fell asleep (died) in Christ have perished. We have no hope of seeing them again

6.) We are still in our sins. The cross would mean nothing!

7.) We are, of all men, the most pitiable.

But praise God Jesus was resurrected, and this ensures we will be resurrected when He returns:

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 Thess 4: 16-18

If ever there was a reason to make the First Day of the week Holy, it would be the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. But look closely, there is not indication from this verse or any verse on the resurrection that Sunday has become a holy day for worship and that the Sabbath has been done away with.

2.) Mark 16:2 They came to the tomb The next two passages are Mark’s account of the resurrection on the 1st day of the week. Again, no indication of a change or pending change of the fourth commandment. the same for #3-6 below.

3.) In Mark 16:9, Jesus appears to Mary

5.) Luke 24:1 Luke’s account of the resurrection.

6.) John 20:1 John’s Account of the resurrection

If we are going to find an example or command for the change from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, it will be clear in the only two verses remaining:

7.) John 20:19 The disciples gathered together on the first day of the week. It was not for the reason of worship at this point but because of “fear of the Jews.” In the midst of their fear gathering, Jesus appears to them. No indication of a change of the day of worship here.

8.) Acts 20:7 The disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread. Was it a Sunday morning communion service? There is nothing to indicate it was. The breaking of bread can also refer to eating together. This they did daily.

 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, Acts 2:46

The reason they came together? Paul was preparing to leave the next day. This text is part of a running narrative describing various incidents of Paul’s homeward trip to Jerusalem at the close of his third missionary journey. The whole story requires two chapters.

Notice there is no holy title (Lord’s Day) given to the time they came together. Also, the Lord’s supper is the description of what we often call the communion service of eating bread and wine. This is not limited to any particular day.

“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

1 Corinthians 11:25

No mention as a requirement of each Sunday. It is as “often” or” when”you do this. It is apparent that celebrating the Lord’s supper can be any day of the week.

As you read the verse, you see that this is a night gathering (many lights in the chambers), and Paul preached into the night (midnight). Wow! long sermon! But notice that this was the “dark part” of the first day of the week. This is important because the day (in biblical reckoning) always changed at sunset. See Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31, Leviticus 23:32

Therefore, the dark part of that “first day of the week” was what we would describe as Saturday night.” This was a Saturday night service!

Conybeare and Howson, in their authoritative work, Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul, write as follows concerning the time of the meeting:

“It was the evening which succeeded the Jewis sabbath. On the Sunday morning the vessel was about to sail”

Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul, Page 520 (1-vol. edition)

Some translations of the Bible rightly translate this late evening meeting as Saturday night.

On Saturday evening, we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight since he was going to leave the next day.

Acts 20: 7 (Good News Translation)

Notice the footnote reference in the Expanded Bible.

On the first day of the week Sunday; or perhaps Saturday night since the Jewish day began in the evening (Greeks reckoned from the morning)],

Acts 20:7 (Expanded Bible)

Whatever the time, there is no evidence that this meeting is an example of the Sabbath being rejected and the first day of the week becoming a holy day. Only one day was proclaimed holy by God Himself, the seventh day Sabbath.

9.) 1 Corinthians 16:2– Paul is instructing the Corinthian church “lay aside or store up something (offerings for the poor in Jerusalem) so that there would be no collections when Paul arrived. So they are not taking up an offering in a church service but storing it up to give to Paul whenever he arrives. This was more of a bookkeeping type of instruction rather than an act of worship. Doing this at the start of the week made since it was after the rest day of the Sabbath.

Speaking of this text, the commentator declares that, as to the practice of Christians to meet on the first day of the week, “we cannot infer it from this passage.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Published by the Cambridge University Press and edited by Church of England clergymen.

This follows the comment on the phrase “lay by him”

i.e. at home, not in the assembly, as is generally supposed….He (Paul) speaks of a custom in his time of placing a small box by the bedside into which an offering was to be put “whenever prayer was made”

The First Epistle to the Corinthians, edited by J. J. Lias, p. 164

So, there is no evidence that Jesus or His apostles ever changed the solemnity of the Sabbath as found in the 10 commandments in favor of a different day of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is celebrated as the symbol of baptism and the rebirth experience:

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4

So, Who Made the Change from Sabbath to the Lord’s Day?

 Pope Sylvester officially named Sunday “the Lord’s Day,” and in A.D. 338, Eusebius, the court bishop of Constantine, wrote, “All things whatsoever that it was the duty to do on the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) we (Constantine, Eusebius, and other bishops) have transferred to the Lord’s Day (the first day of the week) as more appropriately belonging to it.”

From the Catholic Catechism of Catholic Doctrine. “We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (336 A.D.) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday…”  “The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plentitude of that divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her.” Rev. Peter Geiermann, C.SS.R., (1946, p. 50.

Wjo is our authority on religious matters? Tradition, Popes? Preachers? Wikipedia? Google? No! It is the infallible word of God.

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Appendix

Brief description of the meaning of the names of the week:

  • Sunday-Sun’s day. The Papacy didn’t like this name, so they attempted to change it to the Lord’s day.
  • Monday-Monandæg, meaning “day of the Moon”
  • Tuesday-Tiwesdæg, meaning “Tyr’s day.” Tyr was the Norse god of combat.
  • Wednesday-Wodnesdæg means the day of the Woden or Odin, the father of the Gods.
  • Thursday Þunresdæg, or Thor’s day. Thor was the Germanic and Norse god of thunder.
  • Friday-Frigg, the Norse goddess of beauty Frigg
  • Saturday-Saturday is the only English day of the week to retain its Roman origin. Saturday “Day of Saturn”
The Soon Return of Jesus, The Truth About The Fate of The Lost

TWO DIFFERENT DESTINIES

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Jesus said, “the meek will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 cf Psalm 37:11). But it won’t be this tired old wasted earth, it will be a new one full of peace. The cleansing of the earth will be by fire. God will destroy His creation, not mankind. It is reserved for the day of judgment and fire:


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 of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:7

*The Greek word for perdition is “apōleia.” It means “utter destruction)

(Over time, the old sinful ways of the earth will not be remembered, nor will the acts of sinful men.

Peter, John, and Isaiah all describe this new earth:

“Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

2 Peter 3:13

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

Revelation 21:1

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

Isaiah 65:17

But what happens to the wicked?

David tells us plainly…

“For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace

Psalm 37:99-11

Malachi confirms their destruction:

“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

Peter also describes the end of this earth through fire. This verse is 3 verses before Peter’s description of God’s creation of a new earth:

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

2 Peter 3:10

Then Peter encourages us to live a life in anticipation of that great day! Peter is linking the coming of Christ with the destruction of this earth.

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,

2 Peter 3: 11-12

Mercifully, the Lord “delays” His coming so as to give people time to repent and not perish.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

“Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus”

Rev 22:20

Hell, Pain and Suffering, What is God Like?

KNOWING GOD-PART 3-HIS CHARACTER

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Those who know God know His character.

But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 9:24

The platform for understanding God’s character must start with John’s bedrock description of God Himself:

All Biblical understanding must conform to this grand description of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

If God’s character of love does not transfer into our own experience, it is a demonstration that we don’t really know God. If we don’t have love in our hearts for God and other people (even our enemies), we don’t know God. John said this very clearly:

 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

1 John 4: 7-8

If our understanding of God rejects these characteristics, it is likely due to a misunderstanding of who God is. If this is the case, certain Bible texts about the nature of God will be twisted to make God uncaring and cruel beyond belief.

A Modern Parable

There was a certain young boy who loved his father very much. We will call him Jim. His Dad, Bill, took an interest in everything Jim did. They often talked about life while fishing or working around the house. His Dad taught him many things about relating to family, friends, and even enemies. He encouraged Jim to love them all and to honor each person. To love them as God loves them.

As far back as he could remember, Jim’s Dad read to him. Nightly, many good books, including the Bible, brought peace and understanding to Jim. Dad taught him how to pray. In the morning, Jim would see his Dad on his knees at the window, praying to God.

When war came, Jim’s Dad volunteered for service and went away to war. Bill was a good soldier that could be trusted. He was promoted rapidly as a leader and was in charge of taking men into battle. After the war, Bill was decorated for his bravery and leadership. Jim was so proud of his father!

The boy grew, and so did his relationship with his father. The boy knew his Dad better than anyone else. He wanted to be like his brave and kind father.

Jim went off to college. While there, he met some young men whose dads had also been to war. They remember the stories told to them of the war. One young man, in particular, had heard of Jim’s decorated Dad. The young man said his father had told stories about Bill torturing the enemy troops that were captured. In detail, Jim’s classmate described the torture of burning a prisoner a little at a time and keeping them alive to suffer even more. The prisoner would cry out for mercy and even death, but Bill ignored them.

Jim was shocked!. He knew his Dad was not that kind of person and rejected the gruesome story of torture.

After discussing this with his Dad, the true story came out. The father of the young man at college was someone who disliked Jim’s Dad and was angry because he did not get the promotions in rank as did Bill. He began to spread rumors and lies to smear Bill’s good name and character. The truth was turned into lies and events twisted to satisfy the narrative of cruelty.

Jim knew his Dad. Because of this, he was certain Bill was not capable of torturing anyone. It was beyond reason and contradicted everything he knew about his Dad. The lessons taught to Jim about God’s love and compassion, even for enemies, did not square with the conflicting characteristics of someone who did not know his Dad nor his God.

God’s Character

Image a God who tortures his enemies for eternity. Is this a God of love and mercy? To believe that God gives no relief from the flames lost sinners can suffer without end means one of a couple of things:

1.) Passages of scripture have been twisted to teach that the lost have eternal life in burning flames even though the Bible clearly states that the wages of sin is eternal death, not eternal life in flames. We may have created a God, in our heads, where His wrath is never satisfied. Unlike God, we want revenge on the evil person and for them to pay for their wrongs through suffering. We want revenge, but God wants justice.

How is it justice that my lost relative who refused to believe in Jesus or go to church should burn without end for his free choice?

2.) We don’t know God. We like the idea of hell where people burn for their evil deeds, but remember…When we talk about salvation, we are talking about the good moral people who don’t care for Jesus or religion. They pay their taxes, have families, and are good neighbors. Should they burn forever along with Hitler? Is it justice to live for 30 years in riotous living, die in a car wreck, and then burn for 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 + years?

Someone suggested I don’t believe in hell. I always tell them, “I believe in a hell that is hotter than the one you support. The hell of the Bible burns up and leaves no root or branch. It is not meant to torture.

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

This means nothing will be left of the person for eternity. Even Satan is turned into ashes:

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

So yes, I believe in a firey END…not firey torture. Sodom and Gomorrah are no longer cities, but they are examples of what will happen to the ungodly at the end of time:

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

2 Peter 2:6

Destruction awaits the lost. Jesus tells it plainly:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Matthew 7:13

Do you know God?

Do you know God like Jim knew his Dad bill? If God takes no delight in the death of the wicked, He would take no delight in unmerciful torture.

‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. 

Ezekiel 33:11

Do you really believe our Heavenly Father, that sent Jesus to die for our sins, would make the penalty of unbelief flames licking at their body parts of melting skin and bones in a torture chamber where people cry out to die? We would need to alter several verses to support this idea. The most famous one of God’s love, John 3:16 would need to be changed to read:

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

John 3:16

Wages of sin is death life in a burning hell for eternity.

Romans 6:23


He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. has a life in burning flames called hell.

1 John 5:12

Friends, salvation is a matter of life or eternal death. Eternal death is punishment enough. But it is also an act of mercy. Heaven is not the place for those who love sin. Their reward or their heaven is while they are on earth living a life of selfish indulgence. Their philosophy is “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.”

Salvation also includes the victory over the sins that we love. A born-again follower of Jesus is given a new heart, God replaces that love of the world of sin with a love for Him and other people.

Salvation and eternal life are more about who you know rather than what you know:

Author

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17:3

We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

God does not scare people into accepting Him. He uses powerful words of reason, demonstration, and understanding. It is His love, mercy, compassion, and kindness that win people to Him for eternal life. It is the cross of Christ that draws people to Him.

“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

Jeremiah 31:3

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.

John 12:32

This is the God of love that we serve and preach to a dying world. There is no opposing character in our God. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He never changes (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6).

He loves even the sinner and desires him/her to turn (repent) and live. If this is you, will you do that just now?

Faith, Reasons to Believe

KNOWING GOD-PART 2-WISDOM IN THE BASICS-THE FACE OF A CHILD

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And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17:3

In the last article, we looked at the idea that it is possible to know God. Keep in mind that this is different from a complete understanding. We will have an eternity to contemplate the love of God expressed in God the Father’s sacrificial love…Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection, mediation, and His creation of a new earth,

God Wants Us to Know and Understand Him

God wants us to know and understand Him, but mastery of this knowledge is impossible because of who we are (His creation) and who He is (The Creator). But, it is the basic things about knowing God that is important anyway. The most powerful and simple intercessory prayer recorded in the Bible came from the heart of Jesus before His death on the cross. As we read it in John 17, we will begin to know the basic things about God the Father and Jesus. These elementary things are powerful and dynamic. Let’s read the first five verses of Jesus’ prayer

Jesus spoke these words, lifted His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.  And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

John 17: 1-5

What can easily be seen in Jesus’ prayer is His acknowledgment and acceptance that His time had come. His pending painful death for our sins is only hours away. Jesus wants to avoid this death. He wants the cup of suffering to pass over Him. Nevertheless, Jesus defers to the Father’s plan that the sorrowful cup of sacrifice is drunk to the last drop. Jesus, the innocent lamb of God who knew nothing but love, and compassion, would die the death we deserve so that we can enjoy the life He deserved. We won’t have scars on our palms or side forever.  He will. The only imperfection in heaven will be those scars on the glorified body of Christ. These scars will remind us of our redemption from a sin-crazed world. That is why sin and rebellion will never raise their ugly heads again. See the source image Jesus’ death on a splintery rugged cross would bring glory to both the Father and the Son: even though the enemy thought it would scare Jesus away.  But love was stronger. In Jesus’ prayer, we can see that authority over all of us is given from God the Father to Jesus.  This is not a “bossy” authority but a protective authority.  Jesus, in turn, Jesus provides eternal life for those given to Him. But this eternal life is not arbitrary, by chance, ancestry, or anything else; it is through a developed knowledge of God the Father and Jesus. How does this life-saving knowledge come to the saved?  It is by learning about God through at least three basic sources in this world. Today, we will describe the first 2:
  1. God’s communication through His creation.
  2. The face of a child.
  3. The preserved word of those God inspired to write about God’s dealings with humanity from the very beginning. The story provides understanding.
    •  The life of Christ
    •  The faith of those who knew God.
Any of these are sufficient to create faith (trust) in a Creator God. This faith will lead to a changed heart.

His Creation

Anyone with eyes and ears can learn about God through His creation, or what we call nature. A simple walk or hike will lift the heart upward. As a young man with job responsibilities and a family, I would sometimes need to escape. This I did by hiking with a couple of Chrisitan friends for a few days in the Great Smokey Mountains or other such places near home.  I can still remember the burden removed from my shoulders as I walked only a hundred yards on the path into the woods. Today, the daily habit of short walks in the country setting of my home re-connects me to the reality of a Creator God. May be an image of tree, nature and grass Paul tells the Romans in the first chapter that God’s creation is sufficient proof of God’s existence and that we have no excuse for believing otherwise.

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

Nature can help us understand the great mystery of His eternal power and even the Godhead!  Wow!  Think about that for a second or two.  But many will reject this knowledge.  Paul continues…

…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.

Romans 1:21-22

So even though the evidence is right there in their faces, they choose to be unthankful for the things that reveal God and sustain them.  Their thoughts become futile and dark.  They think they are wise, but they are fools—such a sad train of reasoning of the lost.  But God searches for ways to appeal to their intellect.  He draws them to Himself with kindness and the deep meaning of sacrificial love, as shown on the cross.

With everlasting kindness, I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:8

Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with lovingkindness, I have drawn you.

Jeremiah 31:3

Yes, even the modest of God’s creations tells of the character of God.  Because of this, no man has an excuse to wonder about God.
“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 The word of God reveals His character. He Himself has declared His infinite love and pity. Steps to Christ, p. 10

The Face of A Child

Perhaps nothing can reach the heart of anyone like the face of a child. There in that little t face with those bright eyes is the unspoiled, innocent face of God looking back at you. The love that a Mother and Father have for a child is evidence of a loving, caring, protective Heavenly Father. The righteous feelings and pride of parents explain the necessity of the sacrifice of their own lives and the overwhelming desire to protect to the uttermost. To parents, the life of that child supersedes anything else in this world. In the same way, God calls us adults, his children. How Jesus treated the little children of His day tells us how much He cares for us.

 Once when some mothers were bringing their children to Jesus to bless them, the disciples shooed them away, telling them not to bother him.

 But when Jesus saw what was happening, he was very much displeased with his disciples and said to them, “Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they. Don’t send them away! I tell you as seriously as I know how that anyone who refuses to come to God as a little child will never be allowed into his Kingdom.”

Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and he blessed them. Mark 10:13-16

Image result for images of the face of a child
“Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as they” Jesus
Some of the most direct and threatening words of Jesus relate to those who would abuse a “little one.” There is good evidence in Jesus’ words that the little ones are not just children but adults who are tempted by another person

 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.

Luke 17: 2-3

If you want to know God, observe the innocence of a child and how Jesus relates to them. If you want to see Satan, look at how he and his followers treat a child for selfish sake. Jesus is our protector and the apple of His eye. He, as our Heavenly Father, looks upon us as His children. This is what we can know about God through the face of a child.
Reasons to Believe

KNOWING GOD-PART 1-IS IT POSSIBLE?

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 Thus says the Lord:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,

Jeremiah 9 23-24

There are many in this world (mostly atheists and agnostics) who say it is impossible to know God, much less prove his existence. I recently read on an atheistic website called The Center for Inquiry these abstracted and unprovable claims:

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1. Humans will never have the cognitive capacity to directly understand anything with infinite powers or qualities.

2. Humans will never have intellectual reasons to indirectly demonstrate the existence of anything with infinite powers or qualities.

3. There are only two kinds of proofs for God: direct understanding or indirect demonstration.

Conclusion: Humans will never have any proofs for God.

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They boldly make this statement:

“There is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy life. “

It is interesting they assume that believers don’t enjoy life. They also suppose that believers are worried about proving God’s existence. If God’s people don’t enjoy life and are worried, maybe it is because of the ceremonies of religion and not the reality of the good news about God.

This same author wrote an article revealing the atheist’s hatred for religion. It was also ingrained into my brain when I embraced the faith of unbelief.

“Not Even God Could Make Me Religious.“

The words of atheists reveal the stubbornness of not seeking but rather falling back on superficial philosophical word games. Rarely do I meet an unbeliever who does not display a superior attitude and pride in their exegetic philosophies. The ideas of atheists rely on humanistic viewpoints within their circles that feed off each other. They claim science backs them up. This is their proof for unbelief and an excuse for hedonistic living.

Interpretive science is merely expositions that reach conclusions based on one theory of man’s existence and meaning-Evolution. A Creator is not considered because they don’t want to contemplate anything they can’t see and put in a test tube. Evolution conveniently takes away a superior being and the possibility of accountability for a life filled with narcissistic reasoning and unrestrained pleasure seeking. The theme can be summarized in one statement

Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

When Jesus told the parable of the rich man, He repeated the condition of a self-serving approach to living….a short period of 70 years on earth.

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.

Luke 12:19

Then, Jesus made this blunt statement of accountability:

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:20-21

As a convert from atheism to a believer of the only Creator God, I also hold a destain for religion. Even Jesus Himself reserved His most severe and condemning words for the religionists of the day.

Religious zeal can take two forms: One marked by an air of superiority, self-righteous judgment, and control. But true religion, demonstrated by real believers, will exhibit humbleness and concern for those who are on a dark road that ends in eternal disaster. Love and servitude will dominate the character.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble…

James 1:27

Over the next several blogs, we will explore the difference between being religious and being real. But mostly, we will explore the fact that knowing God is not only possible, it is also critical.

This study of knowing God is not directed towards the atheist nor the agnostic, it is what God reveals to those who claim to follow Him. The question is: “Who are the religionists, and who is real?” I won’t use the philosophy of my words, but the words of the many people who knew God and had experience with Him as recorded in the books of the Bible.

I am not out to prove anything about the existence of God. There is plenty of proof for that despite the hard-headed unbelievers’ claims. Rather, it is God’s words spoken directly or indirectly through those who were inspired by His Spirit that will direct our paths. For those who seek God, whether a church-attender or not, a journey to know God will result in something an atheist stubbornly resists: real peace, real happiness, real hope, and real eternal life

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 15:13

Daniel and Revelation, Prophecies for Our Time, The Soon Return of Jesus

The 144,000 and The Vast Multitude-Who is Able to Stand?

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The most important question in Revelation 6 and 7 is not the identification of the 144,000 and the Vast Multitudes. Instead, it is John’s heartfelt, but worried, inquiry:

“…who is able to stand?”

Revelation 6:17b

Why would he ask this question? For context, let’s look at John’s vision in the last few verses of Chapter 6.

 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 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: 12-17

The events preceding John’s question are graphic! There is nothing to suggest the scenes are symbolic or related to anything other than the second coming of Jesus. God reveals to us, through John’s vision, the effects of the dramatic cosmic phenomenons on the earth and the lost who are alive at the second coming of Jesus:

  • The sky rolls back like a scroll as it prepares for the entrance of Jesus and His entourage. It is a glorious scene! The sky is filled with the glory of Jesus, the Father, and all the holy angels:


For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels,…

Matthew 16:27

  • Every mountain and island is moved out of its place. A universal upheaval of the mountains, islands, and seas. The Old Testament prophet Amos, like John, describes the earth as trembling; swelling, heaving, and the people mourning:

Shall the land not tremble for this,
And everyone mourn who dwells in it?
All of it shall swell like the River,
Heave and subside
Like the River of Egypt.

Amos 8: 8

  • This scene frightens men (mankind) who think they are powerful and rich…the so-called leaders of this world. They are contrasted with the powerful King of the Universe, who is making His way back to earth many of its inhabitants are shaking and mourning because the reality of their demise has arrived.
  • All the lost of this world run to dark places (caves) and ask the rocks to fall on them so they won’t see the face of the Lamb. They recognize that the day of His wrath has come. The redeemed have a different response:

“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

  • The lost ask the question: “Who is able to stand?” or, put another way, “who is able to survive the appearance and wrath of the Lamb?

Revelation Chapter 7 answers the question, “Who is able to stand?”

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Malachi asked a similar question:

“But who can endure the day of His coming?

And who can stand when He appears?

Malachi 3:2

Many today are confused about the second coming of Jesus, but the Bible has a multitude of verses clearly describing Jesus’ appearance. It is a destructive event that every eye can see (Rev. 1:7) No one will be wondering if He is coming or has come. It is not kept a secret. His coming is like the glowing light of lightning spreading across a dark prairie shining from the east to the west.

 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

Matthew 24:27

The lighting is not about its quickness but rather the light that all can see.

The first time Jesus came to this earth, he came quietly wrapped in swaddling clothes as a babe in a manger. But the second time, he comes like a Lion, as a conquering King. God’s prophets and Apostles describe the events as cataclysmic in nature. Here are a few from both Old and New Testament prophets:

They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty When He arises to shake the earth mightily. 

Isaiah 2:19

And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.

Isaiah 13:13

The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

Joel 2: 30-31

Our God shall come and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous (violent storm) all around Him.

Psalm 50:3

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (unexpected), in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10

“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

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The Answer:

Immediately after John asks the question, “Who is able to stand?” we are shown a cosmic scene of 4 angels, on the 4 corners (North, East, South, and West), holding back 4 winds:

After these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, Revelation 7: 1-2

These 4 angels have the power to harm the earth and the sea or let them be harmed. So they are holding back the winds of strife until given the order to do so. But a 5th angel cries out with a loud voice.

“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Revelation 7: 3

This “loud voice” in Revelation is like Paul’s description of Jesus’ return Paul records a shout and the voice of the Archangel (1 Thess 4: 16)

 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

1 Thess. 4:16

This 5th angel appears to be Jesus. The One in charge. But this is another study for a different time.

The Seal of God

Thee harm, or destruction towards the earth, is held back so the 5th angel, who has the “seal of the living God.” can do the work of “sealing” the servants of God in their foreheads. The forehead (or frontal lob) is the seat of human thoughts, logic, and feelings. So this is a very real work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, although symbolically presented. The purpose of sealing is to both protect and secure the person receiving this work of God the Spirit.

The prophet Ezekiel uses the same language and work when he talked about the people of Jerusalem being marked or protected before the destruction of Jerusalem:

“…and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it

” Ezekiel 9:4

It is interesting and revealing that the ones who had the “mark” on their foreheads (symbolic mark, not literal) were those who had sad feelings about the abominations done within its walls. They had a soft and humbled heart about the troubles and sins of the people. In the last days, those whose hearts hurt over the sin of this world will likely be candidates for the sealing taking place before the Lord comes. Jesus has recreated in them a new heart of flesh and, like Jesus, they seek the lost sheep to bring salvation.

Paul often talked about the Spirit that does the work of sealing, even today. Here are a few examples:

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1: 13-14

Notice the prerequisites for being sealed with the Holy Spirit:

  • Hearing the word of truth. The gospel of salvation (Faith or trust comes by the hearing of the word. See Romans 10:17.)
  • Believing is closely related to faith but is based on substance and evidence. It is not blindly believing; It has reasons to believe. This person uses the forehead to believe God-given logic and education in the word. (Hebrews 11:1).
  • Trust (aka faith) is a result of hearing the word and exercising trust in Christ. Without this faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

2 Corinthians 1: 21-22

Through the work of God, we are established in Christ, sealed by the Spirit given to us. Be careful that you “assume” you cannot be unsealed. It can happen by grieving away the Holy Spirit:

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4: 30

At the same time, you can be assured that the evidence of the Spirit in you is sealed by a heart that has been changed.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8: 16

This mark on the forehead speaks of ownership, as does a seal. A seal on the document often identified the owner and protected the scroll’s contents. Hot wax was dripped on the outside of the document, and a signet ring or stamp was impressed into the wax.

It is a great thing to acknowledge God as your owner. This is beautifully stated by the prophet Isaiah:

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

Isaiah 43:1

In summary, the second coming of Christ is destructive for the lost, but those who look and wait for Him have a different response of joy and praise. Those who are sealed in their foreheads are protected from the wrath of the Lamb when Jesus returns with the glory of His Father and all the Holy Angels.

You can be sealed now IF you trust God and it is demonstrated and confirmed by His Spirit in you.

But what does all this have to do with the 144,000 and the Vast Multitude? Is the 144,000 a literal number and are only 12,000 from the 12 tribes sealed and saved? If not, what is the symbolism saying to us? This we will explore next time.

"He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. Colossians 1:28