davidbowerkingwood

There Seems to be Some Confusion on What Happens and When it Happens!

I cannot recall having ever heard a sermon in church on the subject of this essay. I would like to examine, in some detail, the Bible’s message to all born-again believers in Jesus Christ as to what happens when we die, where do we go and how do we look. Death is a distinctly different experience from resurrection and will happen at a different time.

This is written as a three-part essay which covers, Death, the First Resurrection, and the Second Resurrection.

Death

Death is the common description given to the time we depart our mortal bodies; while death is a common subject, rarely, if ever, is our emergence into the eternal state a topic of discussion.

When, for some reason, age, illness or accident, our bodies can no longer support our eternal essence and must be left behind; exactly what happens to us then, we leave but where are we going? We know we are eternal so where do we go and what do we look like?

Eternity can be a really wonderful place or a truly horrible place; all depending on your position concerning the Lord Jesus Christ at the time you take that great leap into eternity!

The Problem of Death

Death was part of the Adamic curse pronounced by God on Adam and his descendants in Genesis 2:16-17 where it is written:

¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Adam deliberately disobeyed God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and died spiritually at that instant, killing himself, Eve, and all of his physical descendants including you and me! In Genesis 3:6-7 we are told:

⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

It was only when Adam ate that God’s command was disobeyed, it is in Adam that all die! Romans 5:12

¹² Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

While spiritual death came instantly, physical death was delayed, we do not know Adam’s age when he disobeyed God, but we know Adam lived to be 930 years old.

(Since the death of Adam, physical death has been the destiny of every human body with the exception of Enoch and Elijah which is why some believe the two prophets of Revelation 11 will be Enoch and Elijah. In Hebrews 9:27 it is written: “²⁷ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” Enoch and Elijah are the only Old Testament saints who have not yet died once.)

Where do Adam’s Descendants Go When They Die?

The Bible omits a great deal of detailed information that would be of great interest to many of us; those who have heard me teach know of my interest in trying to connect the dots of “information bits” provided in the Bible. The following parable was used by Jesus to refute the notion, popular at the time, that wealth was a sign of God’s approval of an individual while poverty was a sign of God’s disapproval.

While telling this parable, Jesus made some references to the hereafter that may give some guidance to us regarding life after death. While it is clear that death is the destiny of all descendants of Adam because of Adam’s sin, the question before us now is where do they go? The Bible gives us some clues about that in Luke 16:19-23 where it is written:

¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

We learn certain facts from these verses; there is one place for the redeemed; referred to here as Abraham’s bosom, it is a place of peace and blessings for the redeemed, and another place for the lost. The lost go to a place of torments in Hades where there is suffering and torment.

After the First Advent and the Lord’s ascension to heaven, we are told the redeemed join him in heaven and are with the Lord Jesus Christ. I noted last time the reference in 2 Corinthians 5:8 where it is written:

⁸ We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Since there is no reference, of which I’m aware, to any change; it would appear the lost still go to a place of torments in Hades.

How will we Look?

To the best of my knowledge, we will not have a body immediately after our departure from our mortal bodies; we are spiritual beings and will exist in spiritual form until the time of our resurrection.

I think it possible that time, in heaven, does not exist as does time on earth. We are told in Scripture,

⁴ For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night. Psalm 90:4

⁸ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8

I would not be surprised if the Old Testament saints, who had died in faith, would be totally unaware of the passage of thousands of years on earth. It may seem to them that only a few days had passed since their deaths; someday we’ll know for sure.

The Near Future?

There are several verses that tell us our resurrection will take place near the end of the age; at that time the spiritual essences of those who have died will be rejoined with their transformed, heavenly bodies and those of us of the terminal generation will join them in our transformed heavenly bodies without ever experiencing death!

¹³ “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.” Daniel 12-13

⁴⁰ And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40

¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Our resurrected bodies will be our mortal bodies that have been transformed into eternal, heavenly bodies. The best example of this is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostles knew and recognized the resurrected Jesus as the one with whom they had ministered to Israel.

Next time we will consider the first resurrection to God and Heaven.

Your War Years

During the years I served on board the USS Hemminger, DE 746, the entire crew looked forward to “MAIL CALL“; letters from home were always a big event and it was a happy moment when a sailor got a letter from a loved one at home!

Letters from home helped establish links with the known, the familiar; serving in any branch of the military resulted in changes that could, in some instances, produce extremely difficult situations and pressures. Letters from home helped to provide a foundation for why all of this was even necessary and gave a feeling of connection with what had been left behind.

Soldier/Ambassadors

Previously, I had written on your role as a Royal Warrior Priest who has been appointed an ambassador to this troubled world. This time, I would like to devote some attention to your collateral role as a warrior, a soldier of the Lord. Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, these are in fact, your war years!

Today, as a Christian, you are living your life as a soldier on a spiritual battlefield, you are not home. I have written more on this in the three-part series, “To the Soldiers in the Spiritual War,” You should not be surprised if you are feeling pressure as you fight the forces of evil on this troubled world.

We have been appointed ambassadors to this world but have no political immunity granted to us by the rulers of this world. Instead, we find ourselves as warriors, soldier/ambassadors who represent our home government, but must also defend ourselves from attack by the world we are sent here to help.

This is a familiar story, as our King and Lord, Jesus Christ, was also killed as he came to redeem this world. In accordance with God’s plan, King Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back into heaven where he now prepares a place for us.

As soldier/ambassadors, we are truly dependent on the support that is available to us from home. In his grace, we have God, the Holy Spirit living inside us, ready to provide all we need to successfully complete our mission.

Even a Royal Warrior Priest Needs Letters from Home

As on any other battlefield, from time to time, mail can be delivered to those at war. God has been faithful to send us letters of encouragement and hope; we call those letters from home, the Holy Bible. The Bible makes some things very clear, in Philippians 4:4-9 we are cautioned:

“⁴ Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵ Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Propaganda from the Enemy

During World War II, military personnel in the Pacific were exposed to propaganda which attempted to undermine morale and discourage the servicemen and women in that area. One notable example was “Tokyo Rose;” a name given by the Allied forces to any female propagandist for the Japanese military.

Today, Christian soldiers are exposed to propaganda in many forms as the world seeks to influence the thinking of all who will listen. We are surrounded by propaganda that seeks to confuse and discourage us.

There has never been a better time to put Philippians 4:8 into action in our lives. Those who are more sensitive to such influence need to be especially careful selecting what enters their minds. Unlike computers, data in our minds cannot be so easily deleted.

Good News from Home

There are many reasons to believe our time of service will soon be over; at a time known only to God, we will be called home for good. Letters from home describes the home that will eventually be ours, it is an amazing place.

“¹⁰ So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. ¹² The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. ¹³ There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶ When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. ¹⁷ Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

¹⁸ The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. ¹⁹ The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

²¹ The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.

²² I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. ²⁴ The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. ²⁵ Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. ²⁶ And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. ²⁷ Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:10-27″

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

The Final Truth About What and Who You Are!

I have been greatly touched by Psalm 139 for many years. Various portions of that Psalm have been an important part of my life! There was a time, in my work, that I traveled alone for the company, to conduct business, into places I had never even seen before.

I enjoyed applying verses 3-5 to my travel situation and imagined the Lord waving goodbye to me as I boarded the plane, sitting by me as we flew to our destination, and greeting me as I arrived at the air terminal. This was just a little mind-game that I found to be both fun and reassuring.

One thing I was very sure of, the Lord had indeed been at this new destination since its beginning and had secured for himself men and women to join him in the family of God. I had many brothers and sisters in this new city that loved the Lord Jesus Christ, that I would likely never even meet.

Those verses, although very important to me, did not have the impact on my thinking I found in the following verses of that Psalm:

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:13-16

I have been particularly impacted by verse 16; the implications of that verse are staggering to me. I can more easily understand Ephesians 1:11 where it is written: “¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,”

The concept of God planning every moment of my life is truly beyond my ability to imagine!

In two previous essays I wrote on “What You Are, Satan’s Deadly Deception” and “Who You Are, Let’s Set the Record Straight, OK?” In this essay, I want to examine cause and effect in greater detail. There is one very important point I want to make, you are a Royal Warrior Priest who has been made an Ambassador by divine appointment!

You did not choose this appointment, it was made for you by Almighty God!

When you were born-again, into the royal family of God; you became a new creation by the power of God!

“¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

As a member of God’s royal family, you have inherited both privileges and responsibilities which are now an inseparable part of who you are. God, the Holy Spirit, has joined with you in an eternal union of God and man; you have become a temple of God, the Holy Spirit, now and forever!

Your Mission

You have been placed on this troubled world, to which you have been sent as an Ambassador, to represent the Kingdom of God and equipped with the Holy Spirit to provide the resources you need to accomplish your assigned mission!

²⁰ “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

You have been given a specified number of days to do your work as an ambassador of the royal Kingdom of Heaven. At the end of your term of service, you will be called back home; the only exception to that would be a future declaration of war at which point, all of God’s ambassadors world-wide, will be called home.

Time for an Honest Self-assessment!

Now for a moment of personal evaluation; do you see yourself as described above or not? This is your description from the pages of the Bible; if you are living a life of informed faith, then you can quickly acknowledge the truth of your description as given to you in God’s word, the Holy Bible.

The Satanic world system is doing its best to deceive and confuse you about who you are and your purpose on this earth. It is attempting to fill your mind with Satanic propaganda and neutralize you in your efforts to be an effective ambassador for the Kingdom of God.

You simply must be strong and decisive in selecting your self-image, just remember who and what you are in God’s sight, do not submit to Satan’s lies about yourself! Satan will try anything to get you off-balance, to prevent your full recognition of all God has done for you. You must always make a consistent effort to live a life of faith, not a life of sight!

^7″ For we live by believing and not by seeing.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

So Much is Changing!

The world, as we have known it, appears to be a thing of the past. We seem to be experiencing what Alvin Toffler (October 4, 1928. – June 27, 2016) referred to as “Future Shock” in his 1970, bestselling book of the same name.

Near the end of the book, he wrote:

“Our first and most pressing need, therefore, before
we can begin to gently guide our evolutionary destiny,
before we can build a humane future, is to halt
the runaway acceleration that is subjecting multitudes
to the threat of future shock while, at the very same
moment, intensifying all the problems they must deal
with—war, ecological incursions, racism, the obscene
contrast between rich and poor, the revolt of the
young, and the rise of a potentially deadly mass irrationalism.”

It is interesting to note his almost prophetic insight into life today as it exists in the United States; especially the references to racism, and mass irrationalism. I have written on both of those subjects in “Racism, Satanic Deception in Action!”

Racism is the embodiment of irrational thought; as a species, we are all descended from one man, Adam, and to make distinctions based on physical appearance is truly irrational.

One Thing is Constant!

In a world that seems to be filled with rapid change, there is one thing that has remained a constant from the beginning, and that is our universal need for a Savior. While our physical appearance may be a trivial, very transient, matter, our spiritual condition is and has always been of paramount importance.

The deliberate disobedience of Adam, in the Garden of Eden, resulted in his spiritual death and the spiritual death of all his descendants. This, of course, includes you and me and everyone born of a human father.

Although there was absolutely nothing we could do to reverse the problem of our death, God, in his mercy and grace sent us a Redeemer, a Kinsman Redeemer, born of a virgin by the power of God, the Holy Spirit to pay the penalty of our sin by his death on the cross.

Spiritual Life or Death

Spiritual life is now available to all who will receive the atoning work done by Jesus Christ by believing in him as Savior. Today, the world is divided into two classes and only two classes of people, those with living spirits and those with dead spirits.

The full impact of that distinction cannot be comprehended by the frail human mind. The Bible sheds some light on the results of spiritual life versus spiritual death but the consequences are too enormous to truly understand by our limited ability to grasp a timeless eternity.

Spiritual life, by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, means eternity with God as a member of his family; spiritual death means eternity burning in the Lake of Fire with Satan, and the fallen angels. My mind is completely overwhelmed by the thought of eternity, especially with the thought of eternal suffering in the Lake of Fire!

Where Do We Go From Here?

Now, back to the original question. How should we respond to the rapid changes that seek to overwhelm us; do we have any guidance from Scripture? I believe we do and it’s known as:

The Great Commission

¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The Lord Jesus Christ has given the church, individually and collectively, a job to do:

Make Disciples

Baptize Them

Teach Them to Obey all the Commands that have been given

God has all the big things under his complete control, our job is to do what we have been commissioned to do!

And Found Wanting!

The Babylonian Empire had served as a refuge for God’s “good figs” as well as an instrument for judgment on Israel for its failure to observe the Mosaic Law. This had all been foretold by the prophets and Israel had been warned of the coming judgments.

Israel’s failure to observe the Mosaic “Sabbatical Year” for 490 years, was to result in Israel’s fall, the destruction of the Temple, and the removal of those Jews God wanted to protect from the coming 70 years of judgment on Israel.

God’s instrument of justice was the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar, who is identified as a servant of God. After Nebuchadnezzar’s death, the situation for the Babylonian Empire was changing; although it had been an instrument of God’s judgment on Israel, God’s hand of judgment would fall on Babylon and the Babylonian Empire would be defeated by the Medo-Persians.

Babylon, the Invincible

The city of Babylon was protected by massive walls and thought to be impenetrable by the Babylonians. The night Babylon fell, the second ruler in the empire was celebrating in the palace when suddenly there appeared the fingers of a man’s hand who was writing on the wall:

Mene, mene, tekel, Parsin

In Daniel 5:25-31 we see the words explained by Daniel and the consequences of those words.

²⁵ “This is the message that was written: Mene, mene, tekel, and Parsin. ²⁶ This is what these words mean:

Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.
²⁷ Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.
²⁸ Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

²⁹ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.

³¹ And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

I have meditated at length on this chapter and see it as one of the most dramatic scenes in the Old Testament. I have also wondered if the United States of America is also approaching the end of its days as well. Has this nation been weighed on the balances and not measured up?

Any casual perusal of this nation would suggest it has strayed far away from the Biblical principles upon which it was founded. Nationally, we must understand that it is God that establishes nations and tears them down. The fourth verse of the National anthem clearly reveals the truth about this nation:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation,

Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven – rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,

And this be our motto –“In God is our trust.”

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Nationally, we have long ceased to “Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.” Today the United States seeks to remove God from this nation and reject the Godly principles that have served as our foundation!

The Coming Change in Government

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 a new government will be installed in Washington to lead this country. The Bible makes it clear, this is a work of the Lord, not of men. The principle is clearly defined whether we’re speaking of the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the United States, or any other nation in the history of the world.

¹⁷ For this has been decreed by the messengers;
    it is commanded by the holy ones,
so that everyone may know
    that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.
He gives them to anyone he chooses—
    even to the lowliest of people.” Daniel 4:17

13 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. ² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. ³ For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. ⁴ The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. Romans 13:1-4

The government leaders who will begin their governing roles are there because God has willed, they should be. Those words in Romans, were penned by Paul, under the inspiration of God, the Holy Spirit, when Nero was Emperor in Rome and we know what sort of leader he was.

The Missing Nation

The United States is conspicuously absent from Bible prophecy; it is likely much more will change in the United States and will, at the appointed time, include the removal of millions of Christians at the Rapture of the Church.

It is a radically different thing to actually live in the “End Times.” While it may be interesting, to some, to read of the end times and the end of the age; it is a much more serious affair to actually live in those times, one day at a time!

I think it likely the forces at play, at this point, will only intensify as God’s will for the world begins to be revealed; we are spectators at the most anticipated events that will ever transpire during the Times of the Gentiles. We can be thankful that at the appointed time, we will be called home!

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

You Are Infinitely More Than What Satan Wants you to Believe!

I find it fascinating to observe how many people live their lives; they live as if the here and now is the beginning and the ending of all things! What can be seen, touched, smelled or observed in any form or fashion is the totality of the reality which must be given consideration.

This is the results of being born spiritually dead and living in a world dominated by a Satanic world system; a world dedicated to deception!

True reality is far removed from what is revealed by Satan’s world system; I have written on the subject of reality in “What is Reality?” and in that essay I wrote:

“Ultimate reality then is the Trinity; everything else is both derivative and dependent!”

My conclusion in that essay was, only the Trinity was real and all else is nothing more than a creation of the Trinity. We, and all we can observe, are created by and sustained continuously by our creator, the Holy Trinity. Without the direct, and constant intervention of the Trinity, all of this universe, would cease to exist instantaneously!

A Critical Distinction!

While you and I are a part of the Trinity’s creation, an important distinction is revealed in the Bible. This distinction is revealed in Genesis 1:26-27 where it is written:

May the Lord bless and guide you in 2021!