Do you believe in life after death and in the resurrection of your body, if you should die today? Would you want to come back to live in the same body you currently have with all its limitations and pains? Do you believe in second chances after you die, or in reincarnation, or in the annihilation of the wicked dead?
Why are some people so opposed to the idea of the resurrection of our human bodies? Why did the Epicurean (pleasure seeking) and Stoic (rationalistic) philosophers in Athens, Greece mock the Apostle Paul when he talked to them about Christ’s bodily resurrection out from among the dead ones (Acts 17:16-32)? [1] How does His bodily resurrection affect us? Does Jesus have the power to raise everyone who has died physically? If He does, when will He do this?
Could it be that some people strongly oppose the idea of being resurrected from the dead because, if they believed in it, they might be held accountable to God for their lawless behavior while they lived here on the earth? Does living a “good life” enable us to enter heaven, and does living a “sinful/lawless life” send us to hell? Can we get into heaven if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds? What is the purpose of the different judgment days mentioned in the Bible?
Has John Lennon’s song “Imagine” (There’s No Heaven Or Hell) contributed to your philosophy of life which would allow you to live any way you wanted to live for today without any negative consequences that it might have on you or others, including your children and grandchildren?
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Since He is all powerful (Revelation 1:8), He will destroy death by raising up everyone who has died, each in his/her own order (1 Corinthians 15:26).
The bodies of the dead people that will be raised back to life will be everlasting. Believers in God/Christ through the Gospel message will receive bodies with flesh and bones, but without blood. These bodies will house their souls and spirits, and they will have garments of light (1 Corinthians 15:49; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 3:2; Daniel 12:1-3). Unbelievers will be raised from the dead and their bodies will be changed so as never to die again physically. They will stand before Judge Jesus (John 5:22) at the Great White Throne where their works will be evaluated to determine their degree of suffering in the the lake of fire forever (Matthew 25:30, 41, 46; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 21:8). [2] We don’t want this to happen to you or any other person. If you’re still alive physically, there is hope for you.
God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). The Lord Jesus Christ is the [only] way [to God], the [absolute] truth, and the [giver of eternal] life (John 14:16). He died for the sins [lawless behavior] of the whole world…and rose again bodily from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; John 3:16, 18, 36; 1 John 2:2). Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ alone (apart from your good works), and you will be saved from hell to heaven (Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8, 9). If you’ve never done this before, why not trust Him right now, wherever you are? [3]
If you’ve just done this, we’d like to help you so you can start living a life that pleases God. Contact us here or through our website: www.kelseypeach.com. We’re here to assist those who are teachable, willing to learn, and grow spiritually.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version
Copyright c. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by Permission. All rights reserved
Christ’s death for the sins of all mankind, His burial for three (not four) days and nights in the tomb, His bodily resurrection from the dead, which was validated by over 500 witnesses, on ten different occasions, over a 40 day period of time, before He ascended publicly, gradually, and literally into heaven, in the presence of His disciples, with a promise to return, are the most import events in human history.
They fulfill Bible prophecy, validate the Old and New Testament Scriptures, and guarantee the bodily resurrection of all human beings who have died. Some to everlasting life with God, and others who will be separated forever from Him in the lake of fire to suffer with the devil and his angels/demons.
The Scriptures teach, and we believe –
#1 –In Life After Death
Orthodox Jews and Christians believe in life after death (John 11:24). The Apostle Paul wrote, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). “For I am hard pressed between [life and death], having a desire to depart and be with Christ [in heaven], which is far better…” (Philippians 1:23).
As He was getting ready to go to the cross to die for our sins…and then rise from the dead, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions [dwellings]; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for [all of] you [believers]. 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). This beautiful place (the heavenly New Jerusalem, will be the home of Christ’s Bride, the glorified Church). It is described for us in Revelation 21:9 ff.
(Before you continue reading, may we suggest that you download our FREE “Bible Study Book Marker and Dispensations Chart” to help you see where we are and when things will happen. Get it from our website www.kelseypeach.com.)
The Old Testament patriarch Job said, “And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God.” (Job 19:26). Abraham believed that even if he had to actually kill his son, as God had ordered him to do to test his true devotion to God, God could and would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19) and fulfill His promises to him (Genesis 12, 15, 17).
#2 – In A Bodily Resurrection
The religious Pharisees (but not the Sadducees) believed in the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6-8). Martha, the sister of Lazarus who had died, believed her brother would be resurrected on the last day (John 11:24). Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life…” (John 11:25).
#3 – We Don’t Need To Fear Death
Many people are fearful of death and rightfully should be if they are not true Christians. They don’t know what is on the other side of death. But true Christians need not be afraid of it. Jesus Christ took the sting out of death by dying for our sins and rising again bodily from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). True Christians have hope of a better life or their “Best Life” in the future, not now as one “preacher” tells others. This hope is not wishful thinking, but it is a confident expectation based on a promise from God.
In the Old Testament times the devil held the keys of death (Hebrews 2:14; Job 1:18, 19). But Jesus Christ took them from him when He rose again bodily from the grave (Revelation 1:18). Jesus is the One who turns the key and decides when we depart from this life and enter the next one (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
#4 – We Might Be The Exception To The Rule
Death is inevitable but there are some exceptions (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23). This is a general rule: “…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Enoch and Elijah were two men who passed from this life into the next one without dying (Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11). The Scriptures teach us that there will be a whole generation of Christians who will pass from this life into the next life without dying (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). You could be in this group if you have faith in the Christ of the Scriptures alone (James 2:19). Don’t be one who believesin vain (1 Corinthians 15:2). This happens when a person puts his/her faith and trust in the wrong Christ (Mathew 24:5), or believes another Gospel (2 Corinthians 11:3, 4), or who tries to add his/her good works to faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5).
#5 – We Are Not The Most Pitiable People
If Jesus Christ didn’t really rise from the dead, as some false teachers are claiming, then Christians are of all people the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:19). But His bodily resurrection out from among the dead ones is a historical fact that was witnessed by over 500 people over a 40 day period of time. Then He ascended back to heaven in the presence of His disciples (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Acts 1:1-11; Luke 24 33-43). He promised to return for them and us some day (John 14:1-6). Avoid false teachers who deny His incarnation and His bodily resurrection (1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7).
#6 – We Shouldn’t Let The Scoffers Trouble Us
With God a day is like a thousand years (2 Peter 3:1-9). Relax! He’ll return for us when all whom the Father has given to Him have come to Him and been saved and they have done some praiseworthy works for Him to reward at the “Bema Seat Judgment” (John 6:37; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 4:5; Ephesians 2:10). We can’t save people but we can have a part in this work by leading people to Christ to so they can saved (Acts 1:8; John 1:41). We can even earn the crown of rejoicing for doing this (1 Thessalonians 2:19, 20).
# 7 – Our Resurrection Is Assured
Christ’s bodily resurrection also assures us of our bodily resurrection from the dead (John 14:19; 1 Corinthians 15:26, 51, 52). Every human being who has ever lived and died will one day be resurrected “in his/her own order” (1 Corinthians 15:23, 24, 51-53). The last enemy Christ will destroy is physical death (1 Corinthians 15:26). He will do this by raising up everyone who has died physically. Do you know in which resurrection will you participate? Fourmajor resurrections are mentioned in these verses.
#8 – We Know Why People Die
Death is very ugly and brings sorrow to so many people. It all started in the Garden of Eden when Eve and then Adam ate the forbidden fruit that God had told them not to eat (Genesis 2:17; 3:6; Romans 5:12; 6:23). Death (separation) took place in the physical and spiritual realms. At the time of physical death the immaterial soul and spirit are separated from the body. Spiritual death (separation from God) took place the moment they ate the forbidden fruit. Physical death happened later (Genesis 5). They had no idea of the suffering that would follow in the generations to come.
#9 – We Will Get A Garment Of Light
We believe that they also realized that they had been stripped of their garment of light (Genesis 3:7). When the Rapture occurs Christians will get a garment of light like Christ’s (1 Corinthians 15:49; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 3:2). Old Testament Jewish believers will get their garments of light seven years later when they are raised from the dead to live on the refurbishedearth (Daniel 12:2, 12; Isaiah 40:4; Luke 3:5). After Christ’s 1,000 year rule of the heavens over the earth (Daniel 2:44, 45; Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Revelation 20:1-7), Jesus Christ, the God-man will destroy the present heavens and earth and create new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness will finally settle down and feel at ease (2 Peter 3:10-13). The Jewish believers are promised a new world (Matthew 5:5; Romans 4:13). Christians are citizens of heavens (Philippians 3:20).
#10 – We Should Expect Opposition
Some people believe that there is only one general resurrection at the end of time rather than several resurrections of the dead as the Scriptures teach (1 Corinthians 15:23, 24; Acts 4:1-5). The Apostle Paul insisted that the bodilyresurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead be included in the Gospel message (2 Timothy 2:8-10). The sensual philosophers of Athens mocked him when he spoke of the resurrection (Acts 17:23). Without a risen Savior, we all would be doomed to hell and be without hope (1 Corinthians 15:1-19).
Perhaps their hostility to Christ’s resurrection and to mankind’s resurrection from the dead stems from the fact that unbelievers don’t want to give an account of their behavior to the true and living God (Romans 12:14; Hebrews 9:27; 10:31). Most people love darkness rather than light (John 3:19).
#11 – We Received A New Heart/Nature By Faith
Man’s heart (nature) is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10-23). We all need to be born again from above to receive a new one. God gives us one when we trust in Christ alone as our personal Savior (John 3:3; 2 Peter 1:4). But believers still retain their old heart (sin nature) until we die or are taken up in the Rapture (1 John 1:8; Romans 7:15-25). To be assured of victory over our sin nature, we must rely on God the Holy Spirit to kill the evil desires (lusts) that come from it (Galatians 5:16-25).
#12 – The Dead Are Not Annihilated Or Reincarnated
Some people choose to believe in the annihilation of the wicked or in reincarnation. Neither is taught in the Scriptures which are the authoritative Word of God. The Old Testament was authenticated by Jesus Christ Himself (John 17:17). He told His disciples that God the Holy Spirit would convey additional information to some of them after His death and resurrection (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:21; 3:15, 16; John 16:13). In addition to the 39 books of the Old Testament, we have Biblical truth in the 27 books of the New Testament. We don’t accept the Apocryphal books as authoritative or believe the spurious writings of false teachers in the cults. Nor do we believe that God is still giving new revelation (information) to people today (1 Corinthians 13:8-10).
#13 – The Dead Get Intermediate Bodies
According to the Scriptures, as soon as a person dies, he/she moves out of time into eternity (Hebrews 9:27). All human beings have a spirit, soul, and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). By means of our bodies we express ourselves to others (James 2:18). Our soul seems to be most closely related to our emotions (Psalm 6:3; 7:5; 13:2; 23:3), and our spirit belongs to the mind (Ephesians 4:23). The spirit is the only part of the believer that is saved today (1 Corinthians 2:10, 11; 6:17). The Christian’s body and then the soul are the last parts of us Christians to be saved at the time of the Rapture (Romans 8:23; 1 Peter 1:9).
Incidentally, God the Holy Spirit can and does lead maturing believers to do those things He desires us to do (Romans 8:14; Philippians 2:13). But He will never lead us to do something that is contrary to the written, revealed Word of God to Christians.
#14 – There Are Different Groups Of People
We believe that as soon as a New Testament Christian dies he/she receives a temporary body from God to house his/her soul and spirit in the Paradise section of heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1-8; 12:4; Ephesians 4:8-10). [1] Christians will have these temporary, heavenly bodies until they return with Christ at the Rapture to reclaim their bodies that died and which were placed in the ground or in the sea to rest in sleep (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15). It is only the body that sleeps until it is raised. Our souls and spirits don’t sleep.
When Christ comes back at the Rapture to meet us in the air (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), He will raise up the bodies of the New Testament believers and change them and make them like His resurrected, glorified human body which has flesh and bones, but no blood (1 Corinthians 15:49-53; 1 John 3:2; Luke 24:36-43). We don’t become little gods and reproduce children (Matthew 22:30). Those living at the time of His return in the Rapture will have their bodies changed to be like His glorified body.
The resurrection of the Old Testament believers will take place seven years after the rapture (Daniel 12:2, 12). They will live among the residents of the earth who physicallysurvived the Tribulation and who enter into the millennium. The resurrected believers will not be able to reproduce themselves (Matthew 22:30). But the believers who lived during and who survived the tribulation will repopulate the earth during the millennial reign of Christ on/over the earth (Matthew 10:22).
We also believe that during Christ’s millennium reign on/over the whole earth, the undefiled Jewish and Gentile believers will have access to the heavenly New Jerusalem. They will enter it through the gate with the name of the Jewish person’s tribe above it (Revelation 21:12, 27). It appears that the angels will accompany them up and down (Genesis 28:12; Zechariah 8:23).
King David will be resurrected from the dead and will be the topking on the earth over other Gentile kings, but under Christ, the King of kings, and His Bride, the true Church. Together they will rule from the satellite city which will circle the earth during the millennium (Jeremiah 30:9; Revelation 19:16; 21:10-27). It is about 1,5000 miles square at the base and 1,500 miles high either in the shape of a cube or more probably in the shape of a pyramid (Revelation 21:16). It will be the source of light for the earth during the millennium (Revelation 21:24). The sun will go out completely towards the end of the tribulation (Revelation 16:8-10; Matthew 24:29).
The believers who physically survive the seven year tribulation will enter the millennium and have children. But not all of their descendants will believe in the true and living God, Jesus Christ, in spite of the ideal conditions on earth at that time. The devil will be bound in the sides of the abyss for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:2; Isaiah 14:15), all man’s needs will be met (Isaiah 11:1-10; 35:1), and the sin nature of man will be curbed (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The present, diabolical world system, that was devised by the devil in the days of Cain, to curb the sinful nature of man (Luke 11:50, 51; Genesis 4:16-24), will also not exist during the millennium (1 John 2:15-17).
In spite of all this, a rebellion will break out at the end of the millennium when Satan is released from the abyss, which is in the heart of the earth, to deceive the nations (Revelation 20:7-10). This rebellion will be crushed and the devil along with all the rebels will be cast into the Lake of Fire where the beast (man of sin) and the false prophet were cast 1,000 years earlier (Revelation 19:20; 20:10-15). The fact that they are still there when the devil gets there disproves the annihilation of the wicked.
The resurrection of unbelievers will take place at the Great White Throne judgment at the end of time (Revelation 20:11-15). Currently the unsaved dead are confined to the “jail house” (Sheol / Hades) in the heart of the earth (Numbers 16:30; Deuteronomy 32:22; Luke 16:19-31) where they are suffering in great pain.
At the Great White Throne judgment, the unsaved people will have their works judged to determine their degree of torment in the lake of fire (Matthew 10:15; 11:22; Revelation 20:11-15). It was designed for the devil and his angels (demons), but those who reject God’s offer of salvation will end up there with them (Mathew 25:41, 46). We need Christ’s righteousness to get into heaven (John 16:10). It is imputed to those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ through the Gospel (Romans 4:22-25). Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6).
#15 – There Are Different Orders Of Resurrections
Review. Four major resurrections are mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. There is Christ’s bodily resurrection that insures other resurrections (15:23). Then the Apostle Paul mentions a resurrection of those who are Christ’s at His [second] coming (15:23) after the seven years of tribulation (Daniel 9:24-27). This resurrection was anticipated by the Jewish believers (John 11:24). The resurrection of unbelievers will take place 1,000 years later at the end of time (15:24).
But the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, revealed still another resurrection that was a mystery in the Old Testament times (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; Romans 16:25, 26). It will be for the dead New Testament believers who are part of the Body of Christ that becomes His bride (John 14:1-3; Ephesians 5:32; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
The Apostle Paul wanted to be alive when the Rapture took place (Philippians 3:11). But God had another plan for him. God wants all His children to live each day anticipating Christ’s return.
If a Christian truly loves Christ’s imminent return, he/she will be more likely to live a righteous life and earn the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). If you’re a Christian, are you living in the light of His any moment return? It will help purify you (1 John 3:3), and bring comfort to you when Jesus calls believers home to be with Him in heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:18). It is also called the blessed hope (Titus 2:13) and will bring happiness into the lives of those who believe it will occur at any moment.
#16 – We All Exist Forever Somewhere. Where Will You Spend Eternity?
Those who have placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, will spend eternity with God where there is joy evermore (Psalm 16:11). God will wipe away every tear from [the believers’] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, and no crying. There will be no more pain and the former things will have passed away (Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 65:17).
But those unbelievers who lack Christ’s righteousness will suffer forever in the lake of fire (John 16:8-11; Revelation 20:15). When we place our faith in Christ alone, Who died for your sins…and rose again bodily on the third day, God puts Christ’s righteousness to our account and He will accept us into heaven (Romans 4:22-25).
You might ask, “What about those who have never heard about Jesus and the Gospel?” God has provided natural revelation for all of us. We can look at nature and know that there is a God and that He is powerful (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1). If one will accept this much light and desires more, God will see to it that he/she will gets the additional information about Christ (the Gospel) so he/she can believe and be saved.
The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of the Jews and non-Jews (Romans 1:16, 17). God could send a missionary to that person (Acts 10). He could use a voice over the air waves, or a printed page to get the Gospel to that person so he/she can be saved.
#17 – We All Have A Choice To Make. How Will You Respond?
God desires that all men and women, boys and girls be saved (1Timothy 2:4). He made a way of escape from hell to heaven for all of us humans, but not for the fallen angels. If you place your faith and trust in Him alone you will be saved from eternal condemnation (Acts 16:31; Romans 5:1). If you’ve never done so before, will you trust Him now? You can know you have eternal life (God’s quality of life) even before you die (Romans 8:16; 1 John 5:13).
If the Lord Jesus Christ is your personal Savior, will you help us get this message out to others who aren’t saved yet? We get to go home to heaven when our work on earth is done. [2] Until then let’s be faithful to Him who called us to salvation (1 Corinthians 4:2; 15:58). He wants all Christians to be faithful, available, teachable, flexible, resilient, evangelistic, and enthusiastic (F.A.T.F.R.E.E.) [3]
Help
We’re here to assist those who are teachable, willing to change, and grow spiritually, and reproduce themselves (2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 3:18; Matthew 28:19, 20). If you need additional help or have questions, contact us here or through our website: www.kelseypeach.com. To receive future articles as they come out, click on “Follow.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version
Copyright c. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by Permission. All rights reserved
[1] The Comforting Hope Of An Intermediate Body, by Richard Schafer
Thanatology is fast becoming a very popular course in many colleges and universities across the country. In fact, more and more of them are offering a “Master of Science” degree in this field. We’ve read that there is a three year waiting period before students can take one professor’s class that deals with this subject.
What is “thanatology?” One source describes it as “the scientific study of death and the practices associated with it, including the study of the needs of the terminally ill and their families. Thanatologists are supposed to be specialists in a multi-disciplinary field dedicated to better understanding death, dying, grief, loss, and bereavement. They utilize a wide variety of theory and applied practice to support and educate groups and individuals who are navigating end of life issues.”
However, those professors who disregard the Biblical truth (John 17:17) about death and dying are not providing a full and accurate picture for those whom they teach and counsel. Scripture warns us, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Furthermore, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Corinthians 3:19).
Most people, including children, fear death and the unknown. You’ve probably asked some of these questions: What happens to us when we die? Does our soul go to sleep? Do we get reincarnated and live in another body? Do the wicked dead get a second chance to be saved from hell or are they simply annihilated? What is universalism? Do Christians go immediately to heaven or do they have to go to Purgatory first? Are heaven and hell real places? Why do some people actually prefer hell over heaven? Why is the word “hell” used in vulgar conversations? What about “out of body experiences” (OBE)? Do the Scriptures teach that everyone receives a temporary body at death until they get a permanent body sometime later when they are raised from the dead? How many resurrections are there? What is the last enemy that Christ defeats? How does He do this?
Are these some of the questions that you have? Would you like some answers from the Scriptures? Do you believe Jesus and that all 66 Booksof the Bibleare true and trustworthy sources of information (John 14:6; 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17)? If so, please keep reading. Otherwise, don’t.
In an article entitled “THE COMFORTING HOPE OF AN INTERMEDIATE BODY” Richard L. Schafer wrote the following:
“One of the things Christ accomplished on the cross was to nullify the power that Satan had over the death of believers. This work of Christ made it possible for a Christian to be unafraid of death. (Heb. 2:14-15; Rev. 1:18) In spite of Christ’s accomplishments on behalf of saints of the dispensation of Grace [in which we now live], [1]some believers still harbor the fear of death. This fear occurs because of a lack of understanding about what happens when we leave this body on earth. The Bible contains an abundant amount of revelation [information] concerning the process we call death and describes an existence after we leave this body on earth.
“What really happens when a Christian dies before the Rapture? We know that at the Rapture all the dead church saints [i.e., all true Christians] will be raised and all the living saints will be changed. Both groups will be caught up together to meet the Lord [in the air]. At that time all the church/bride of Christ will have [permanent] glorified bodies like that of the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3)
“Many think the dead Christian exists in the state of a disembodied spirit. In this condition the dead saint is thought to be in a blissful, semiconscious state: a state of inactivity or floating aroundas a spirit. Others picture death as a state of complete unconsciousness.
“Non-Christians [in the cults] have other fanciful imagined concepts of conditions after death. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists hold to soul-sleep, a belief that the disembodied soul is unconscious until a resurrection. Mormons maintain there are seven levels of heaven that the dead enjoy. Others consider the soul to be extinct after death. Many think humans “return” in another form–reincarnation. All of these views are contrary to what is revealed in Scripture.
“The Bible teaches that the believer can have the hope of an intermediate, or temporary, body after physical death; death is when a person is separated from this present body on earth. To understand and to fully appreciate the concept of an intermediate body, it is necessary first to have a foundation of other important Biblical concepts such as the composition of man, what constitutes death and where both saved and lost go after leaving the surface of earth. [2]
CONCLUSION
“It is evident [from Scripture] that when humans die they do not go into any kind of soul sleep. After physical death, both saved and unsaved are able to express their personalities. At death saints [all believers] are housed in an intermediate body awaiting glorification. For church saints [but not for Old Testament believers] this change takes place at the Rapture. The hope [confident expectation] we have for an intermediate body, which is based on a promise from God, is comforting since we will never have to worry about being a naked disembodied sleeping spirit.
“Christ has the only immortal or glorified body, prior to the Rapture. (1 Tim. 6:16) However, if we are not the generation alive at the Rapture, our hope is of a smooth transition from life on earth to a conscious awareness, allowing us to perceive and participate in the action around us in heaven with Christ. This intermediate body will be replaced at the Rapture with a [permanent] glorified one.” [2]
These Biblical truths won’t be taught in a course on thanatology at a secular college or university. They will probably approach the subject from a philosophical and humanistic viewpoint which could leave a student in greater confusion.
The devil doesn’t want people to know the absolute truth that is found in Scripture (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17). “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). He wants people (including Christians) to be kept in the dark and lulled to sleep (1 John 5:19).
So, wake up! “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). If you’re a Christian, you can/should ask God for His wisdom (James 1:5).
Everyone needs to know “The Bad News & The Good News” so he/she can be delivered from eternal separation from God in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels/demons (Matthew 25:30, 41, 46). [3]
If you’d like to learn more about this important subject, we encourage you to read and study (2 Timothy 2:15) the entire article by Richard Schafer, where he develops many more thoughts from the Scriptures.
But, even before you read it, if you haven’t yet placed your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, Who died for your sins…and rose again bodily from the dead on the third day, why not believe on Him right now? Assurance of your deliverance from the lake of fire (hell) to heaven can be yours today. (See Romans 8:16; 1 John 5:13; John 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; 10:28, 29). Furthermore, God the Holy Spirit will be in a position to illuminate your mind to Biblical truth (John 14:16, 26).
We’re here to assist those who are teachable, willing to change, and who want to grow spiritually (2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 3:16; 2 Peter 3:18). We can be reached here, or through our website: www.kelseypeach.com.
Please SHARE this with others to help them gain Biblical information about death and dying. Remember this – “…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This is a general rule. There have been and there will be exceptions (1 Corinthians 15:51, 52). Click on “Follow” to receive future articles as they come out.
To read the entire article by Richard Schafer, which answers many more questions, go to link # [2] –
“Life Is Short, So Make It Count – Zoe. Thanatos. Deo Volente.”
“Our life (zoe) is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Death (thanatos) is certain and judgment day follows (Hebrews 9:27). Every decision we make in life should include the words or at least the thought, “God willing (Deo Volente), I will do this or that” (James 4:15). https://kelseypeach.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/lifes-a-vapor-make-it-count/
Scripture taken from the New King James Version
Copyright c. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by Permission. All rights reserved.
John Lennon’s song “Imagine” has been sung at the Olympics for many years now. It suggests that we forget about heaven and hell, and live selfishly just for the moment and disregard any possible consequences that might come to us or our children. (Consider Ben Shapiro’s critique of this song below [1]).
A less popular, more recent song entitled “I Can Only Imagine” was written by Bart Millard. It apparently was inspired by the loss of his father, who was abusive before being diagnosed with cancer. But then his life was transformed by faith. This song struck a chord with many people. It asks a lot of questions about what heaven will be like without giving answers.
Yes, it’s true, that while the Bible tells us quite a bit about the everlasting lake of fire (hell) as a place to avoid (Matthew 25:30, 41, 46; Mark 9:42-48; Revelation 21:8), it doesn’t provide for us a lot of information about heaven (John 14:1-3). This may be due to our present inability to fully appreciate it because of our tendency, even as believers, to be more strongly motivated by our emotions (souls) rather than by our spirits that belong to the rational part of our minds (Ephesians 4:23). [2]
The heavenly New Jerusalem is laid out as a square at the base. The length, the width, and the height are the same – 1,500 miles. If it’s in the shape of a cube, it would have 3,375,000,000 cubic miles, and if it’s in the shape of a pyramid, it would have 1,125,000,000 cubic miles.
It would cover the United States from our northern border to our southern border, and would cover about half the country from the west coast eastward. It also has a wall around it that is 216 feet high and has 12 angels at the 12 gates with the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel (Jacob). There are 12 foundation stones with the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb on them (Revelation 21:9-27).
We believe that this city will be the source of diffused light during Christ’s 1,000 year reign on/over the earth since the sun will go out at the end of the 7 year tribulation (Matthew 24:29; Revelation 21:23). Such light will cause the desert to blossom as a rose and cause rapid growth (Isaiah 35:1; Amos 9:13). The light will come from Christ’s resurrected, glorified body which has a garment brighter than the midday sun (1 Timothy 6:15, 16; Acts 26:13). [3]
It seems that a pyramidal shapemight be the more likely shape with Christ at the apex of it. As this satellite city circles the earth, everyone on earth will be able to see Christ once a day. [4] Sadly, after some time, there will be people on earth who will begin to take this view for granted.
But more important than the place where Christians will live forever, is the One with Whom we will spend it. He is the Second Person in the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who volunteered to come to our sin cursed world, and to die for our sins…and rise again bodily from the dead so He could deliver us from having to spend eternity in hell and take us to heaven (Hebrews 10:7-9; Philippians 2:1-11).
Is your faith resting in Him alone to save you? If not, why not believe on Him now, right where you are (Acts 16:31; John 3:16, 18, 36)? We’re here to help unsaved people so they can get saved and gain assurance of salvation (Romans 8:16; 1 John 5;13).
When Jesus decides to travel, whether it be to other galaxies in the new heavens, where unfallen spirit beings (cherubs, seraphs, and angels) apparently will dwell in the second heavens (Ephesians 6:12), or to the new earth to visit the Jewish believers and Gentile proselytes who will reside there (Romans 4:13), we (New Testament Christians – His Bride) will go with Him (John 14:1-3; Ephesians 5:25, 26; Revelation 1:1; 21:9 ff; 22:3). [5]
It will be like being on a never ending honeymoon with Jesus – the One Who graciously died for our sins…and rose again bodily on the third day. We will keep on learning new things about Him and the riches of His grace which will be shown to us in kindness in the ages of eternity yet to come (Ephesians 2:7). He said, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17).
In the eternal state righteousness will finally settle down and feel at home (2 Peter 3:10-13). All wars, being promoted by greedy people who defy God and His authority, will come to an end (James 4:1 ff; Revelation 20:11-15; Psalm 2).
In the eternal state we’re told that “[God] shall wipe away every tear from [the believers’] eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no long be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4 NAST).
This stands in sharp contrast to the lake of fire (hell) where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth…where the fire will not be quenched and the worm [sinful nature of man] won’t die. [6] This place was prepared for the devil and his fallen angels/demons but all unbelievers will end up with them forever (Matthew 25:30, 41, 46; Mark 9:42-48).
There will be no annihilation of the wicked, or second chances to be saved after we die physically (Hebrews 9:27). Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Don’t boast about tomorrow; you may die today (Proverbs 27:1; James 4:14). “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul” (Mark 8:36)?
Are you among those who have some mistaken ideas of heaven? “Sir Walter Scott dreaded for himself ‘an eternity of music’ and hoped for ‘some duty to discharge.’ Lloyd George confessed: ‘When I was a boy, the thought of heaven used to frighten me more than the thought of hell. I pictured heaven as a place where time would be perpetual Sundays, with perpetual services from which there would be no escape.’”
If you’d like to learn more about heaven, we invite you to read “The Business Of Heaven”
We’re here to extend hope to unbelievers who are lost, and to provide valuable, life changing information to believers who want to grow spiritually and become more like Jesus (2 Peter 3:18; 1 John 3:2, 3). Our hope (confident expectations) are based on promises from God for Christians. [7]
We can be reached here or through our website: www.kelseypeach.com. To receive future articles as they come out, click on “Follow.”
[2] It is our understanding that man is a three part being with a spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We know that our bodies aren’t saved yet (Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 John 3:2), and our souls (emotions) are yet to be saved at the time of the Rapture (1 Peter 1:9). The only part of a believer that currently is saved is his/her spirit that belongs to the mind (Ephesians 4:23; See John 3:3-8; Romans 8:16).
[3] When New Testament Christians see Christ face to face at the time of the Rapture in all His glory, we will also get our garments of light like His (1 John 3:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52). Old Testament believers will be raised from the dead and get their garments of light 75 days after the Tribulation (Daniel 12:1-3, 12).
[4] Some mathematicians have figured that the closest this satellite city could be to the earth during the millennial reign of Christ, and yet cover half of the earth with light at one time, would be about 17,500 miles above the earth.
[5] The devil and his angels/demons will spend eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10; Matthew 8:28, 29; 25:41, 46).
[6] Throughout the ages of eternity man’s sinful nature, likened to a worm, will continue to crave the perversions of good things, but he will never have them gratified in hell (Mark 9:42-48). See these links:
Most people fail to realize the treasure they have if they own a Bible or have access to the Scriptures, which most of us do in this country. Sadly, many people around the world know little or nothing about the true and living God, and don’t have a Bible to read. Some people can’t read.
Within the 66 books of the Bible, that make up the Old and New Testaments, we have all that we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3, 4). We don’t need to turn to the philosophies of sinful men to learn how to be saved or how to live a victorious Christian life (Colossians 2:8). God’s Word is “theocentric.” This means that it’s centered around God. By contrast, an anthropocentric life puts man at the center. “Unfortunately, living for the moment often leads to misery in the form of addiction, unwanted pregnancies, broken relationships, and other regrets. Living for humanistic, anthropocentric goals also has its problems—if the advancement of man is the highest good, ambitious leaders can justify almost anything to ensure the progress of humanity—even, ironically, genocide and ethnic cleansing.” [1]
The Scriptures teach us the truth about God (John 17:17), our sinful condition (Romans 3:10-23; Jeremiah 17:9), how to be saved from the lake of fire and enter into heaven to spend eternity with the One Who laid down His life to save us sinners (1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Acts 16:31). Such love should prompt us to live a life that pleases Him at all times (John 15:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:9). Ten major themes include: The Bible, God, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Man, Sin, Salvation, The Church, and Future Things. How familiar are you with these topics?
All Scripture is God breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the man / woman of God (a believer) may be complete / thoroughly equipped to do the work God pre-planned for us to do (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; See Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 4:10). Question: If you’re saved, do you know what your spiritual gift is, and are you using it with love for the benefit of others (1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 5:13)? [2]
While all the Bible is for us, not all of it is addressed to us as New Testament believers. All the doctrines (teachings) of the Bible are to be believed, but not all of it is to be believed and practiced (Titus 1:9). God has given different rules for different people at different times known as “Dispensations – Rules for Living.” (They are NOT separate ways of salvation.) Three major ones are Law, Grace, and Kingdom. (See our Bible Study Book Marker with a Dispensations Chart on our website.) [3]
The devil[4] doesn’t want people to have access to the Scriptures and/or to read it. During the Middle Ages it was virtually inaccessible to the common man. But thanks to the printing press and the Protestant Reformation that began around A.D. 1500, mankind has had access to God’s Word in many languages of the world.
“Natural Revelation” (i.e., the things we can learn from nature) tells us that there is a God Who is powerful (Romans 1:20). But we need “Special Revelation” from God to learn other vital information including how we can be saved / delivered from everlasting condemnation to spend eternity with God.
God’s purpose is to glorify Himself (John 17:1-8). He wants to make Himself known to His creatures – human beings and spirit beings. His attributes include: goodness, righteousness, omnipotence, omniscience, truthfulness, holiness, and love. Man’s purpose is/should be to glorify God by making Him know to those around us (1 Corinthians 10:31). Question: What are others learning about God by your life and lip?
In the end every creature will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is LORD (i.e., that He is the God-man, Who died for our sins…and rose again bodily from the dead. See Philippians 2:11; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4.) He is the One in Whom our faith and trust must rest if we are to be saved. We are NOT saved by our good works, or by our faith PLUS our good works lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5). The Scriptures do not teach the “universal salvation” of all men and fallen angels.
We’re here to assist those who would like to be assured of spending eternity in heaven with God rather than in hell with the devil and his angels/demons (1 John 5:13; Romans 8:16; Matthew 25:41, 46). We also want to help believers grow spiritually, serve God joyfully, and reproduce themselves (2 Peter 3:18; Matthew 28:19, 20).
We can be reached here or through our website: www.kelseypeach.com. To receive future articles as they come out, click on “Follow.”
“If you don’t know the date you were saved, then you’re not saved.” “When you miss an opportunity to share Christ with someone, it’s your fault if that person goes to hell.” “You shouldn’t keep company with sinners.” “If you want to be saved, just invite Jesus into your heart.” “Not true,” says veteran evangelist and teacher Dr. R. Larry Moyer in his book, “21 Things God Never Said.”[1]
Dr. Ron Shea wrote, “…before [an individual] is ever won to Christ, the gospel must first be proclaimed [clearly to him/her]. We believe that the greatest weakness in the church thwarting the fulfillment of the great commission is the prevalence of false gospels within the church that have perverted or distorted the true gospel of the Bible….If the gospel is unclear, it cannot point men toward the Savior. “For if the trumpet give an unclear sound, who shall prepare himself for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8). We seek not only to be accurate in our presentation of the gospel, but clear! If the lost cannot understand the message of the evangelist [or the believer who shares the gospel], how can he place his faith in the Savior?” [2] [3] Which Jesus saves? [4]
“Do We Really Know The Gospel” is the title of an excellent article that Dr. Manfred Kober wrote which shows us Christians how we can share the precise Gospel with a person who is very near death by using 24 words: “Friend: You have sinned. But Christ died for sinners and rose again. Trust Him alone and He will save you eternally. Do it now!” [5]
Sharing the Gospel with lost people, which can deliver them from everlasting suffering in the lake of fire and enable them to enter heaven, should be considered as a privilege, not a burdensome duty done out of guilt.
The “Crown of Rejoicing” awaits faithful believers who direct lost people to Christ for salvation (1 Thessalonians 2:19, 20). The greatest joy in life comes to believers who lead unbelievers to Christ and then help them go on to spiritual maturity as they walk in truth (3 John 1:4).
We’re here to show unbelievers how to be saved, and to help prepare Christians so they can share the Gospel with lost people at a moments notice as God opens doors of opportunity for us (1 Peter 3:15).
Most of us know a lot more people than we realize. We may not know their names, but we are acquainted with some of them. God has brought these people into our lives for a reason. Many of them are struggling physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. They are people for whose sins Christ died and rose again so they can be saved from hell to heaven. Ask God to make you a blessing to someone today.
As Christians, our main purpose in life is / should be to glorify God by making Him known to others (1 Corinthians 10:31). We should desire the salvation of all mankind (1 Timothy 2:1-4), help new believers growspiritually (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18), encourage them to use their spiritual gift with love (1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 5:13). Then help them reproduce themselves (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8).
Think about what your life would be like if you went to a store to purchase something and the people who worked there didn’t show up for work to serve you? It has happened to us. It’s sad when people are paid more (by the government) not to work, than for them to work? Did you know that we can / should intercede for or against others, including our politicians (1 Timothy 2:1-4; Romans 11:2).
When I go to a store, I try to thank the people for their service, and share a “Gospel tract” with them if I can. (It’s usually the tract I wrote about “Our Son’s Death.”) Many of them identify with a loss of a loved one or a friend. I ask them to read it when they get home or are on their lunch break. The Gospel is the power of God unto people’s salvation (Romans 1:16). It’s the same message for Jews and non-Jews.
Here is a list of some of the people who serve us:
Mailman/UPS Driver – Paperboy/Editor – Physician/Nurse – Chiropractor – Optometrist – Pharmacist – Mortician/Funeral Director – Insurance Agent – Stock Broker – Barber/Beautician – Salesman/Clerk – Tax Advisor – Babysitter – President of PTA – Banker/Credit Manager – T.V. Repair Man – Plumber/Electrician – Heating/AC Man – Florist/Gardener – Painter/Welder – Pet Shop Owner – Real Estate Broker – Policeman/Fireman – Dry Cleaner – Auto Mechanic – Travel Agent – Pilot/Flight Attendant – Bus Driver – Piano Teacher – Carpenter – Lab Technician – Computer Programer – Chef/Waitress – Social Worker – Secretary/Librarian – Air Traffic Controller – Grocery Store Clerk – Others.
All of these people have an eternal destiny. Their lives and your life on earth could end today. Make every day count. Don’t boast about tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1; James 4;14).
If they are wearing a name tag say, “Thank you ________. I appreciate your service today.”
“Remember that a person’s name is to that person
the sweetest sound in any language.” – Dale Carnegie
Gospel Tracts – Make sure, if you use them, that they clearly present the Good News of Christ’s death for our sins...and His bodily resurrection from the dead. And make sure that it makes faith (believing in/on Christ alone) as the only condition for salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 16:31).
If you were told that you could become a genius instantly with artificial intelligence (AI), and that you could live forever in perfect health if you had a microchip painlessly inserted under your skin or into your brain, would you take it? I believe most people would.
One very influential young “mover and shaker,” who is part of the World Economic Forum, has called humans “hackable animals” who can become “humans 2.0” and even become gods. [1]
Transhumanism is the belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology.
If you have a modern day cell phone, you probably have asked “Siri” a question and got an answer back almost instantly. You also can tell your phone to give you directions to a particular location and it will most often come up with the right information. (I recall being in the mountains in Washington state once and a sign on the side of the road said, “Don’t depend on directions from your cell phone.” We did it anyway, and we got lost.)
Just prior to the universal flood of Noah’s day, we’re told that there were “giants (Nephilim) on the earth who were mighty men of renown” (Genesis 6:4). If you were living in an agricultural society as they were, without modern day heavy equipment, what father wouldn’t want a strong son-in-law to help out on the farm?
How could he get such a son-in-law? Scripture tells us that “that the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose” (Genesis 6:2). The fathers of these girls probably had no objections to this arrangement.
There are two views of this verse. Some believe that “the sons of God”[2] refer to the godly line of Seth. Others believe that it refers to some of the fallen angels (demons), who took on humanoid forms, and cohabited with women and produced these giants who were half human and half angelic beings (2.0 transhumans). [3]
A “cyborg” is someone who has technology implanted into his/her body. If you’re an older person, you may remember the TV series of “The Six Million Dollar Man” with Lee Majors.
From Scripture we know that angels can take on human form and look like men and eat food like humans do (Genesis 18:1-8; 19:1 ff; Acts 1:9-11). Some object to this view because they say that the angels don’t marry nor are they given in marriage (Matthew 22:30). Please note that the same verse says that the “angels in heaven” don’t do this. This seems to refer to the good angels.
We understand the Scriptures to teach that just before the universal flood of Noah’s day the devil wanted to genetically pollute the human race from which the promised Messiah was to come (Genesis 3:15) by having some of his fallen angels mix and intermarry with human women. Apparently all of the inhabitants on earth at that time were in some way contaminated except Noah, his three sons, and their wives. The rest of mankind perished in that universal flood (Genesis 8:9). Why?
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The Prophet Jeremiah pointed out the same thing about man’s heart. “The heart [of mankind] is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9; See also Romans 3:10-23).
Keep in mind that the continental shift began to take place and the mountains rose up after this universal flood in the days of a man named Peleg (Genesis 10:25). Apparently the earth was one flat land mass before this flood (Genesis 1:9, 10).
We know that God judged these wicked, fallen angels/demons for doing this and confined them to a place called Tartarus (hell – KJV) in the heart of the earth. “For … God did not spare the [fallen] angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell [Tartarus] and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly…” (2 Peter 2:4, 5). “And the [fallen] angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day…” Jude 1:6).
Today there are powerful people, including some in the cults, who want to become gods and have the rest of humanity serve them as their slaves and be happyabout having and owning nothing. They often site China as a model for the New World Order.[4] They defy God and His authority over them. (See Psalm 2). They believe that man can solve his problems without a god. Humanism is their religion.
Some of these elite eugenicists want to reduce the human population down to about 500 million people. [5] Think about that. In His time, God will crush them with His rod of iron (Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). While He was here on earth Jesus used a whip of cords to chase out the money changers in the temple (Matthew 21:12, 13; John 2:13-17). If you don’t like what He did and will do to His enemies, maybe you’re trusting in the wrong Jesus.[6]
God will allow these foolish and arrogant men who deny His existence (Psalm 2; 14:1; Romans 1:18-32) to try their experiment but He will limit their plan toseven years (Daniel 9:27). If He let them have longer than that, no flesh would survive on earth (Matthew 24:22).
During this dark period of human history, over ½ of the world’s population will die (Revelation 6:8; 9:15). With all that is happening in the world today, these days seem to be right around the corner. The stage seems to be set, and many of the main actors are on board. [7]
Most of the non-Jewish people who enter into this seven year period, and who don’t take “the mark of the beast” (Revelation 13:16-18; 16:2; 19:20) will be killed or die of starvation. But a few of them will survive by eking out a living.
When the true 144,000 Jewish Jehovah’s Witnesses (Revelation 7:1-8) come to their door and tell them about the Gospel of the “Kingdom of the heavens” (Daniel 2:44, 45; Matthew 4:17; 10:7), and they believe their message about the returning King Jesus, they will be willing to give to them what little bit of the food and water they have. On their judgment day, King Jesus will say to them, “‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (Matthew 25:40). This verse is often misapplied to include everyone.
The Jews, having learned not to bow down and worship idols while they were in Babylon for 70 years, will refuse the mark of the beast and be preserved by God in Petra (Sela), which is in Jordan, during the last half of the Tribulation for 3 ½ years (Matthew 24:15 ff; Isaiah 16:1). This period is known as “the time of Jacob’s [Israel’s] trouble” when men will experience terrible pain like a woman in labor (Jeremiah 30:7).
God will provide for them what they need to survive just as He did for the Jews in the wilderness for forty years (Deuteronomy 2:7). But, sadly, there will be unbelieving, rebellious Jews who will have to be “weeded out.” It is our understanding that two thirds of these Jews will die by means of the “Trumpet Judgments” (Zechariah 13:8; Revelation 8, 9).
If you are an unbeliever (non-Christian) who goes into this seven year period, you will probably choose to take the “mark of the beast” on your forehead or right hand (Revelation 13:16) as a way of expressing your allegiance to this false Messiah (“Man of Sin – Antichrist”) while hoping to become an advanced 2.0 transhuman being.
Eve wanted to be like God (Genesis 3:1-7). “Then the serpent [the devil – See Revelation 12:9; 20:2] said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. [This was a lie.] For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (Genesis 3:4, 5). This last part was true but it wasn’t good for them and caused them to act independently of God. The devil tempts Christians today to act independently of God too.
Those who voluntarily take his mark will be doomed and cannot be saved. It’s an unforgivable sin. They will be tormented here on earth (Revelation 14:9-11; 16:2), and also in the lake of fire forever with the devil and his angels/demons (Matthew 25:30, 41, 46).
Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). My friend, you have no guarantee that you will be alive by the end of today. Our lives are like a vapor that vanishes away (James 4:14; See Proverbs 27:1).
To be saved / delivered from having to spend eternity with the devil and his angels/demons in the lake of fire, and to live with God in heaven (John 14:1-3), we must believeon the Lord Jesus Christ alone, Who died for our sins…and rose again bodily from the dead on the third day (Acts 16:31; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4).
We are not saved by our good works or by our faith plus our good works lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5). Jesus paid our debt to God (Romans 6:23). God the Father was satisfied with His sacrificial death on our behalf and proved this by raising Jesus bodily from the dead (Romans 4:25).
If you aren’t sure that you are saved, [8] and need additional help, you may contact us here or through our website: www.kelseypeach.com. We’re here to assist those who are teachable, willing to change, and who want to grow spiritually (1 Timothy 2:2,15; 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 3:18).
Please SHARE this with others so the unsaved can be saved and Christians can be informed.
[2] Sons of God – We believe that this term, when used in the Old Testament, refers to angelic beings who came into existence at God’s command. (See Genesis 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) Some of them followed Lucifer / Satan in his rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12 ff; Ezekiel 28:11 ff; Revelation 12:4). Not all fallen angels / demons are incarcerated in Tartarus or Hades today (See Ephesians 6:12). Neither is the devil.
Almost three decades ago, George Lucas decided to use the monumental Treasury, the centrepiece of Jordan’s ancient Nabataean city of Petra, as the exterior of The Temple of the Sun in his movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In the film’s climactic final scenes, actors Harrison Ford and Sean Connery burst forth from the Siq and walk deep into the labyrinths of the Treasury to find the Holy Grail. [1]
Unexpected. To the surprise of many people, Jordan recently experienced unusually heavy rains on December 26, 2022, resulting in severe floodingthat forced around 1,700 people to evacuate the archeological site. Tourist routes at the site were reopened on December 27 and movement across the city restored. The storm brought 3.1 inches of rain to some areas of the Petra region out of 6.78 inchesof its average annual rainfall.[2]
Bible Prophecy. This flooding reminded me of something the Bible predicted long ago, which might happen in the very near future. Something is going to cause most of the rest of the Jews from all over the world to return to Israel. (The Bible isn’t clear about what this will be.) They will enter into a seven year peace agreement(Daniel 9:27) with a powerful, charismatic man (“the man of sin” – antichrist) whom they believe might be their Messiahand Deliverer. He will deceive them with all powerand signsand lying wonders, by imitating what Jesus did while He was here on earth (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
Confused. You see, Jesus, who was here 2,000 years ago, didn’t meet most of the Jews’ expectations. They couldn’t relate to a “Suffering Savior” (Isaiah 52, 53) who would also be a “Conquering King”(Isaiah 9:6, 7). That’s why they had Him crucifiedby the Romans (John 19:16; See 1 Corinthians 2:8).
BTW – God holds all men are responsible for the death of Christ, not just the Jews(Acts 2:36; 4:10, 26-28). This includes youand me. Our sins (lawless behavior) caused Him to be nailed to the cross as the Just One for the unjust ones (1 Peter 3:18; Philippians 2:8). Are you gratefulto Him for doing this? I am. But I’m also thankful that He rose again bodily from the dead so He could save those who put their faith and trust in Him alone, apart from their good works (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Without it, we’d be hopeless and miserable(1 Corinthians 15:12-19).
Wars – Peace. While the rest of the world will be suffering extensively from a false peace, wars, famines, and death – (referred to as thefour horsemenof the apocalypse – Revelation 6:1-8), when ¼ of the world’s population will die, (just think about a that for a moment), the Jews will be living in peace and prosperity in Israel. This will cause Russia and her allies to come down on Israel during the middleof this Seven Year Tribulation period to try to take a prey for themselves (Ezekiel 38, 39). But they will be destroyed on the mountains in northern Israel.
Temple Rebuilt. Yes, a thirdJewish Temple will be built on the Temple mount, and the Jews will offer sacrifices there once again during the first ½ of the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27). But when the “man of sin” (antichrist) is killedin this battle with Russia and resuscitated back to life (Revelation 13;1-4), imitating Christ’s resurrection, he will demand that the Jews worship him and his imagethat will be set up in the Jewish Temple(Matthew 24:15 ff). He will also require everyone to take his mark if they want to engage in buying and selling (TheMark of the Beast, 666– Revelation 13:17). Do you know who won’t take it? (See Matthew 7:21-23; Revelation 7:4-8; 20:4)
Flee. This is when the Jews will realize that he is nottheir Messiah. They will flee to Petra (Sela) in Jordan to escape his wrath and the wrath of the devil (Isaiah 16:1) who will be cast down to the earth after a war with Michael and his angels (Revelation 12:7-9).
Petra. We were there several years ago. It’s shaped like a bowl with a very narrow entrance into it. Thinking that he has the Jews corralled there, the devil, in his wrath, will send forth a flood to try to drown them.
BTW – The devil has limited control over nature. See Job chapters 1, 2. There are those who believe that some of his human agents (Ephesians 2:2) may also be involved in geoengineeringto control the weather so they can control people.) If you’re interested, do your own research on this.
God’s Omnipotence. But, at that future time, God will cause the earth to open up and swallow the flood (Revelation 12:15-17). Somehow, the devil thinksthat if he can keep God from fulfilling His unconditional promises to the Jews, then maybe He won’t be able to cast him into the lake of fire to suffer forever (Revelation 20:7-10; Matthew 25:41, 46). This won’t happen. The Jews are indestructible.
BTW – Did you know that Adolph Hitlerused Martin Luther’s writings to justify his attempt to annihilate the Jews? [3]
Israel’s Future. God is not finished with the Jewish nation (Romans 11:1 ff). Those churches that teach the “Replacement of Israel”heresy will be responsible, in part, for the worst holocaustyet to occur on earth. [4] If you attend church, do you know what your Pastor believes and teaches about this? If not, why not ask him? Does he interpret Bible prophecy normallyor allegorically? Yes, it really matters. You could be supporting the wrong Pastor and church.
Protected. God miraculously will protect the Jewish nation, while they are in Petra from totally being exterminated during the last half of the Seven Year Tribulation (3 ½ years). It’s called “The Time of Jacob’s / Israel’s Trouble”(Jeremiah 30:7). God will supply the Jews with foodand waterjust as He did when they were wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years because of their disobedience and lack of faith in God and His promises (Exodus 16:35).
Death. Sadly,2/3of the rebellious, unbelieving Jews willperish there during this time (Zechariah 13:8). We believe that the “Seven Trumpet Judgments”will be designedprimarily for the Jewsto “weed out” the unbelieving rebels(Revelation 8, 9). Those who die during this time will be just like the Jews who were 20 years old and older who perished in the wilderness for failing to believe that God could take them into the “Promised Land”where giants lived (Numbers 13:28; 32:11).
BTW – When Christ sets up “His Kingdomof the Heavens” on/over the whole earth for 1,000 years (Daniel 2:44,45), the Jewish believers will inherit all the landthat God promised to give to them. It will extend from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River(Genesis 15:18-21). This is when there will finally be true “Peace on Earth” (Revelation 20:1-7; Isaiah 2:4; 11:1 ff; 35:1 ff).
Christ’s Bride, the true Church (not the apostate, harlot church – Revelation 17, 28) will rule with Him for 1,000 years (2 Timothy 2:12; Ephesians 5:32; Revelation 21:9; 22:3). King David will be raised up from the dead, 75 days after the Tribulation is over (Daniel 12:12), to rule under Christ and His Bride, the Church (Jeremiah 30:9). He will rule over other Gentile (non-Jewish) kings on earth (Revelation 19:16).
Unbelief. This is a very serious sin in the eyes of God. The only“unforgivable sin” today is to fail to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ alone, Who died for our sins…and rose again bodily for the dead on the third day (John 16:9). This is the Gospel messagethat is the power of God for the salvation of Jews and non-Jews (Romans 1:16).
Lake Of Fire. Those Jews, living in the Tribulation, who die in unbelief, and who fail to acknowledge that Jesus is indeed their True and Promised Messiah, Who is returning to this earth as He promised (Acts 1:11), will end up forever in the lake of firewith the devil and his angels/demons (Matthew 25:30, 41, 46). We don’t want you or anyone else to go there.
Coming Events. If you’d like to learn more about what God has predicted in His Word, [4] we invite you to get our FREE “Bible Study Book Marker” with a “Dispensations Chart” from our website: www.kelseypeach.com.
If you have questions and/or comments, we can be reached here or through our website. To receive future articles as they come out, click on “Follow.” Please SHAREthis information with others. You could have a part in redirecting their eternal destiny from hell to heaven.
and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree For the Lord he wanted to see. And when the Savior passed that way He looked up in the tree. And said, ‘Zacchaeus, you come down! For I’m going to your house today!
For I’m going to your house today!’”
Luke Chapter 19:1-10
Perhaps you sang this chorus when you were a small child in Sunday School. But you probably didn’t know that he was a despised Jewish tax collector whom the other Jews hated. He worked for the Roman government and often extracted from his own people much more than he was supposed to collect. Thus he became very rich.
(BTW – There are some Jewish people like Zacchaeus who are doing the same kind of thing in our day to their own Jewish people and to others.)
But don’t hate such people; pity them. They too can be savedfrom hell just as Zacchaeus was. We should never wish that awful place on anyone, no matter how bad they’ve been, or say “God d— you.” Where would you and I be today apart from the grace of God? It’s truly amazing.
Have you ever wondered what kind of people might be your neighbors in heaven, if you go there? To find out, click below. Which of these characteristics describe you? [1]
Jesus wept over the Jewish folks in Jerusalem who had rejected Him (Matthew 23:37-39). If you’ve been saved by God’s grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, do you ever weep over lost people as the Apostle did (Romans 9:1-3)?
Blind songwriter, Fanny Crosby wrote, “Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying, Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave, Weep o’er the erring one, Lift up the fallen, Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.”
Although he probably wasn’t as rich as Zacchaeus was, Matthew (one of Christ’s 12 disciples) was also a converted Jewish tax collector (Matthew 9:9; 10:3). He wrote the first Gospel presenting Jesus Christ as the true Messiah and the rightful King of the Jews.
During the early part of His 3 ½ year ministry on earth, Jesus’ concern was for His own people, the Jews (Matthew 15:21-28). He said to His disciples, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles [non-Jews], and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5, 6). Note an exception Jesus made (John 4:1-42).
But after most of the Jewish people had rejected Him (John 1:11, 12) as their promised Messiah, He temporarily changed His focus from that of being their Messiah to His offering of Himself as the Savior of the whole world Who would go to die on a cross for the sins of all mankind (Matthew 16:20 ff; See John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). Sadly, most people won’t come to Him and be saved because they lovedarkness rather than light (John 3:19). What about you?
After His death and resurrection, and just before He ascended back to heaven from where He had come, Jesus told His disciples that they were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). They were witnesses of His death for our sins…and His bodily resurrection (Acts 1:22; 4:2, 33; 24:15, 21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Without His bodily resurrection, we’d be hopeless and most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:17-19).
BTW – Merely knowing and agreeing with the facts of the Gospel won’t save us (James 2:19). We must transfer our faith and trustfrom ourselves and our good works over to Christ alone if we are to be saved (Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5). Have you done this yet? If not, why not now?
Some years after the church began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), a council meeting was held in Jerusalem. James, Christ’s half-brother said, “Simon [Peter] has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles (non-Jews) to take out of them a people for His name” (Acts 15:14). The non-Jews were/are also those whom God the Father loved, and the ones for whom Christ died and rose again so they could be saved from everlasting condemnation in the lake of fire (John 3:16, 18, 36; Matthew 25:41, 46).
Today God is creating from Jewish and non-Jewish believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, one new man known as “The Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:15). Jesus Christ is the Head of this new creation and true Christians make up the spiritual “Body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13).
The Jewish people must be saved the same way non-Jewish people are saved and acknowledge the full Deity of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16, 17; 10:9; Colossians 2:9). This is a problem for most of the Jews and those in some of the cults and other religions.
Once saved, Jewish believers become one “in Christ” with non-Jewish believers (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13; Ephesians 4:1-6). In God’s mind, there are no distinctions between these two groups (Galatians 3:26-29; 1 Corinthians 10:32).
The Apostle Paul, a converted Jew, wrote, “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that [spiritual] blindness in part has happened to Israel [the Jewish people as a whole] until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25).
This means that after all the non-Jews, whom God the Father has given to God the Son, have come to Him and been saved (John 6:37) during this era of the Church (i.e. the “Dispensation of Grace”), Christ will return for “His Body, the true Church” and make it His “Bride” (Ephesians 5: 32; Revelation 21:9 ff; 22:17). This will take place at the time of the “Rapture” when true Christians will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Corinthians 15:51, 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Then our works will be judged / evaluated to determine which ones can berewarded and which won’t be rewarded (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). At this same time, our future roles and service in heaven and our enjoyment of it will be determined, depending on the type of works we did while we were here on earth (1 Corinthians 4:5).
Once the true Church has been taken up to heaven, God’s “time clock” with the Jewish nation will resume (Romans 9-11). God is NOT finished with the Jewish nation. We do NOT believe in “Replacement Theology” that falsely teaches that the Church has replaced Israel and can claim the promises that were given to the Jews? [3] (Read Genesis 12:1-3 about the blessings and curses that come on those who treat or mistreat the Jews. See also Deuteronomy 28.)
Sadly, many churches in “Christendom” believe this heresy which will result in the worst holocaust in human history during the last half of the Tribulation (3 ½ years). It is known as “The Time of Jacob’s / Israel’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).
With the increase of anti-semitism (i.e. hatred for the Jews, particularly among the other nations in the United Nations), this event seems to be “just around the corner.”
After going through this seven yearholocaust (Daniel 9:27; Jeremiah 30:7), God will rescue a remnant (1/3) of the Jewish people (Isaiah 10:20-22; Zechariah 13:8, 9). Note: During this 7 year period over ½ of the world’s population will die (Revelation 6:8; 9:15). Some of the current, anti-God globalists want to reduce the population of the earth down to 500 million. That’s about a 95% reduction of the current world population. [3]
The Jewish remnant will be the ones who finally acknowledge that Jesus, whom their forefathers had rejected, was/is indeed their Promised Messiah (Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 19:14). [4] He will return as the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” and crush all His enemies with a sharp sword and a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 19:16).
He will come to rescue the believing Jews in “the nick of time” as the nations of the world gather at Armageddon to try to annihilate the Jews once and for all (Matthew 24:29 ff; Revelation 16:16; 19:11-21). God will not let this happen to the Jews. The devil would like to annihilate them so God can’t fulfill His unconditional promises to them. (See Revelation 12:15-17).
Then God will make the Jewish believers the head nation over the non-Jewish nations during Christ’s millennial (1,000) reign on/over the whole earth (Revelation 20:1-8), as foretold by the Jewish prophets (Deuteronomy 28:13; Daniel 2:44, 45; Isaiah 9:6, 7). Resurrected King David will be ruler on the earth under Christ and His Bride, the true Church (Jeremiah 30:9). Finally there will be true peace on earth (Isaiah 2:4; 9:6, 7).
It seems like we are approaching the end of this era, known as the “Dispensation of Grace” (Ephesians 3:1-7). [5] There are at least 1,007 years left before God wipes out this present universe that has been polluted by sin. Then He will create new heavens and a new earth where righteousness will finally settle down and feel at home (Revelation 21:1 ff; Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:10-13).
Where will you spend eternity – with God in heaven or in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels/demons (John 14:1-3; Matthew 25:41, 46)? Now, while you’re physically alive, is the only time you have to make your decision to believe or not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior (2 Corinthians 6:2; John 3:16, 18, 36).
To learn more about God’s timeline for humanity, and where we are today, we invite you to get our FREE “Bible Study Book Marker” [5] on our website: www.kelseypeach.com
Having completed “fourscore” years on this earth, I believe that my days may be very limited. I want to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31) by making Him known to others who are teachable, willing to change, and who want to grow spiritually (2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 3:16-4:8; 2 Peter 3:18).
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