People all through the ages either believe in a resurrection to a life eternal in the heavens or they do not believe in life after this physical life. There are people who believe in God Almighty and do not believe in a resurrection. They have been deceived by Satan and his angels, his beasts and his false prophet. They believe life is in the here and now and they must live it to the fullest; including all the promiscuousness and hedonistic manners in which they can enjoy all this life has to offer. It is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life of which they strive.
As was stated before, people who believe in God see the world prospering and they must obtain a portion of this lifestyle and all it provides. Revelation 17:1-2 explains who is the perpetrator of all the world’s abominations which God abhors. 17 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Vss. 4-5. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
This evil angel of Satan has deceived the world with her abominations and fornications and people have fallen for them. Through these evils mankind has turned from the truth of God and believed lies; especially the lie of no resurrection. Mankind must obtain all the wealth they can and enjoy all the fornications Satan offers. Their motto is, “Live for today for there is no tomorrow.”
Last week we began a series concerning the bondage of which Satan believes he can control all mankind; death and the binding of the dead in Hell–the grave. But Jesus spoke of the gates, the binding agent to forever hold the souls of mankind. These gates of hell cannot prevail against the church, the saved of God. If Jesus says there is no holding the souls of the righteous under the bondage of Satan, he speaks of a resurrection from hell–the grave–and death cannot separate the righteous saints from God.
Yet there are still many who do not believe in a resurrection. Let us look at the scripture and its writings concerning a resurrection. We will start with God’s chosen people, Israel.
A sect of the governing body to all the nation of Israel called themselves Sadduccees. They did not believe in a resurrection. Another sect called themselves Pharisees who did believe in a resurrection. There was conflict between these two groups often. Turn to John 5:24-29. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Jesus had just spoken to the Jews concerning his Father God raising the dead in verse 21. They were very angry over his words. Now Jesus says everyone who believes in God can obtain everlasting life. Jesus is promoting the concept of a resurrection. Let us continue.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Dead men can hear the voice of Jesus and live? How can one dead now live? Without a resurrection by someone with power to raise a dead person, can there be the ability to hear; one of the physical senses? If you believe in God, all things are possible. (moving on)
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
God has given Jesus power (authority) to execute judgment upon whomever he wills just as God can execute such judgment. Thus Jesus speaks to these angry Jews concerning a resurrection. (moving on)
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Jesus introduces a two position resurrection. One group to a resurrection of life; the other to a resurrection of damnation. All mankind shall be resurrected from hell–the grave. But not all shall enter the same place for eternity.
Jesus told Peter the gates of hell shall not prevail against the everlasting life of the church–the saints. A wonderful resurrection shall take place in which the righteous shall obtain a new life in Heaven with God.
Let us turn to another teaching from an apostle who believed and needed to explain why he was being persecuted. Turn to Acts 23:1-8. Apostle Paul is being charged with a crime and is standing before a council of Jews hearing his charge. Beginning in verse 6 Paul begins to recognize the evilness of the council and speaks unto them. 6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. 7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
Apostle Paul, a Pharisee, one believing in a resurrection speaks against the council including children of God, all Jews, of which some believed not in a resurrection; Sadducees. (vs. 8)
We see there are many people who do not believe in a resurrection. There are many who act as if there will be no resurrection even though they may say they do. The behavior of people who believe in God, even in modern times, live as if there will not be one. God has not been witnessed by many in a long time. “Is He dead?” “Has He given up on mankind?” Some say, “Prayer to a God does not do anything for you, you fools.” We have heard these similar sayings in the media just in the past few years with so much turmoil in some areas and devastation from nature in our country. Religious people act as if they believe these lies and deception from Satan and his angels.
Will there be a resurrection? What does scripture say? Let us first look at the teachings of the Apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonica who were concerned about the righteous who had already died before the return of Jesus. Turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Apostle Paul believes and understands the resurrection just as he spoke of it to the Jewish council recorded in the Book of Acts. He explains how it shall happen. Let us now read what Jesus told John which was recorded in the Book of Revelations.
Revelation 14:14-16. 14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Jesus is sitting upon a white cloud–and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, Vs. 14. An angel comes and tells him to harvest the earth–reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. Vs. 15. Jesus does as told–he … thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. Vs. 16.
In the end of time, a resurrection shall take place. Here we witness the harvest of the righteous persons who shall inherit everlasting life with God in Heaven.
What about the rest of mankind–the unrighteous? First I want you to notice there seems to be more who’s portions of their inheritance shall be but without the abominations attached. They seem to have more goodness in them than evil and the evils must be purged before they can inherit a pure life with God.
Revelation 14:17-20. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
What might be the ‘vine of the earth’? John 15:1-2. 15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Jesus is the vine. God is the husbandman who prunes the vine from its evils to produce more. To a vineyard owner, what does he do with the grapes when they are ripe? He harvests them. The good grapes can be sold but the blemished grapes must be first picked over to remove the bad. Some of these clusters are put into a wine press and squeezed to collect and preserve the goodness which can be obtained. What happens to the waste? Is it not burned in the fire? Therefore, the owner of the vineyard saves and preserves the goodness of the grapes and separates the unwanted debris into a fire.
Here in Revelation, is this not what Jesus is telling John; God, the husbandman will have the fully ripe clusters which are not perfect and put them into the winepress to render the acceptable from the unacceptable. A great amount of goodness was preserved–vs. 20. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. This being done ‘without the city’ is to signify no amount of evil shall enter God’s Holy City–Heaven.
This was the judgment of those who believe in a resurrection and strive to be as pure as they can; even with all Satan’s persecutions and the evil temptations from Mystery, the whore of Babylon, with her filthinesses tempting them.
Revelation 20:11-15. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The resurrection shall happen just as Jesus told John to warn mankind. THE WORDS OF JESUS: Matthew 25:31-34. 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Vs. 41. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: Vs. 46. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Friend, believe there shall be a resurrection from the grave–hell. Some shall gain everlasting life with the Father; the rest shall receive a painful life with their father, Satan. This is the second death–separation from man’s creator, God Almighty named Jehovah. At the resurrection, which everlasting land shall you be taken, Heaven or Hell–Gehenna, the place of everlasting fire and brimstone? If your name is found in the Book of Life, you shall receive a life filled with great joy, peace and love with the Father, Jehovah, the Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Strive for life in Heaven.
According to Jesus, there shall be a resurrection. Believe it.
