male announcer:
This presentation is
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brought to you by the friends
of the Amazing Facts ministry.
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¤¤¤
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Doug Batchelor: The Christians
of the Ancient Mediterranean
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world used catacombs, a
network of subterranean chambers
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and galleries for burial,
but during times of persecution,
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the catacombs became places
of refuge because burial grounds
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were guarded or
sacrosanct by Roman law.
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When churches above ground were
destroyed by imperial order,
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worshipers met
in catacomb chapels.
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By A.D. 200,
Christians had carved
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some 600 miles of
tombs in the volcanic rock
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in and around Rome.
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Eventually, the catacombs
expanded into honeycombs
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of galleries with
staircases and multiple levels.
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Romans preferred cremation,
but Christians followed
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the practice of
interring the dead in catacombs,
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which they called "coemeteria"
or "sleeping places,"
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to suggest
that, for a Christian,
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death is merely a sleep
before the Resurrection.
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Did you know that Jesus plainly
taught that death is a sleep?
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In fact, all of
Scripture confirms that it is
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an unconscious sleep until the
resurrection of Christ's return.
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So why is there
so much confusion,
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even among Christians,
over what happens when we die?
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And how can you protect yourself
against some of the potentially
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dangerous delusions
about death in the last days?
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¤¤¤
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Doug: Tonight's presentation
is very important, and it's--
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our story, we always
begin with, kind of, a storacle,
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an allegorical, metaphorical
Bible story that helps teach
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these theology points.
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It comes to us from 1 Samuel 28,
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and just give you a
little background here,
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the first king of
Israel was King Saul.
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He was anointed by
Samuel the prophet.
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Got two books in the
Bible, 1 and 2 Samuel.
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And when Saul was first
chosen, he was a good man,
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had a good heart,
had a humble attitude,
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but after he was
chosen to be king,
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you've heard that
expression, "Power corrupts,"
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"Absolute power corrupts"?
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Absolutely.
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And after he met with
some success and he gained some
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wealth and reputation,
over the years, he became proud,
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and finally he sort of cast
off God and began to grieve away
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the Holy Spirit,
started brooding.
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Bible says an evil
spirit began to torment him,
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and he gets so mad that
he'd throw a spear at David,
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who's a musician, or
even his own son, Jonathan.
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He killed a number of the
priests of God in a fit of
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jealousy and fear, and finally,
near the end of his life,
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he was facing a very big
battle against the Philistines.
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At this point,
Samuel the prophet,
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who had always guided
him earlier in his life
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had died off, and so he
was looking for some counsel,
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and the Bible said
God did not speak to him
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through the priests nor through
a prophet, and in desperation,
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looking for some guidance,
going against this massive
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Philistine army, he
said, "Well, find me a witch."
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He says, "Find me a
woman who is a medium,
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that I might go to
her and inquire of her."
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Now, that was absolutely
forbidden in the Bible.
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Well, his servants happened
to know there was still somebody
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in the area of En
Dor, not too far away,
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that had the
reputation of being a medium
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that can consult and conjure
up dead spirits, and so he went.
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He disguised himself because,
if she knew he was the king,
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she'd probably be afraid
to give him any information,
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and she went through her
incantations and whatever
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it was that she
did through gunpowder
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and the fire or something.
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It went "poof," and then this
apparition appeared that claimed
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to be Samuel the prophet come
back from the dead, and he gave
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an absolutely discouraging
message to Saul, saying,
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"You're going to die, and
you'll be with me tomorrow,
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and Israel's going to
die, and they're going to be
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defeated in battle."
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Saul just went to pieces.
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He just lost all his
courage, and, you know,
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the Bible tells us that one
of the most important things
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in battle is to have courage.
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You can read about
that in the book of Joshua.
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And the Bible tells us
in Leviticus 19, verse 31,
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and chapter 20,
verse 27, they were never
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to consult a witch or a medium.
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In absolute disregard of
that, that's what he did.
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The next day in battle,
the Philistines did overwhelm
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the discouraged soldiers,
and you've heard the expression
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"Fall on your sword"?
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That's what Saul did.
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When he realized he had
been wounded by the archers,
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he didn't want to be captured
and tortured by the Philistines.
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He literally fell on his
sword, and his armor bearer fell
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on his sword, and Saul
and his three sons died
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that same day together.
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Soon, David followed as king.
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But the big
question people want to know,
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"Was the form that Saul saw
actually Samuel the prophet?"
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I'm going to read you a verse
that is not in our study guide,
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and this comes to us
from 1 Chronicles chapter 10.
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You not only find
this story in 1 Samuel.
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You find it in 1
Chronicles chapter 10.
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They often cover
some of the same history.
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"So Saul died for
his unfaithfulness
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which he committed against
the Lord, because he did not
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keep the word of the
Lord, and because he consulted
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a medium for guidance.
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But he did not inquire
of the Lord, therefore,
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the Lord killed him."
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So when he inquired of Samuel
the prophet, the Bible says,
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"He did not
inquire of the Lord."
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That was not Samuel the prophet.
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That was not the Lord's counsel
or the Lord's message to him.
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It says that this
was an apparition,
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a spirit that was
conjured up by a witch.
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You read in 1 Kings chapter 22,
verse 22, "The Lord said to him,
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'In what way?'
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So he said, 'I will go
out and be a lying spirit
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in the mouth of
all of his prophets.'"
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This is when Micaiah the
prophet was talking to Ahab
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and Jehoshaphat, and he
said there are lying spirits.
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Look also again what we just
read in Revelation 16, verse 14,
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"For they are the spirits
of demons performing signs,"
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and you can read in 2
Corinthians chapter 11,
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"For Satan
himself is transformed
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into an angel of light."
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Satan can create illusions,
and we need to understand
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what does the Bible say
happens when a person dies.
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All right, question number two,
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"Do dead people come
back to converse with
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or to haunt the living?"
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Listen to what the Bible says.
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We believe the Bible, amen?
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So let's find out
what the Bible says.
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Ecclesiastes 9,
verse 5, Solomon wrote,
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"For the living know that
they will die, but the dead--"
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what's that say up there?--
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"know nothing, and
they have no more reward,"
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meaning of in this life, "for
the memory of them is forgotten.
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Also, their
love, their hatred--"
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they're not
loving or hating anybody.
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You don't have to worry
about ghosts haunting you
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because they're mad at you--
"their envy has now perished.
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Nevermore will they have a share
in anything done under the sun,
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meaning in this life."
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They don't come
back to this life.
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The Bible's clear it's
appointed unto man once to die;
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after that the judgment."
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You don't keep coming
back and haunting people
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and meddling with
what's going on down here.
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You're asleep
until the resurrection.
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Psalm 115, verse 17, "The
dead do not praise the Lord."
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That's pretty clear.
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First thing I'd do if I
died and I went to heaven,
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what would I do?
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I'd say, "Praise the
Lord, I'm here," right?
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So the Bible says, "The
dead do not praise the Lord."
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Then you can read
in Psalm 6, verse 5,
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"In death there is
no remembrance of Thee."
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People who die, they're
not thinking of the Lord.
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Job 7, verse 10, it says,
again, speaking of the dead,
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"He will never
return to his house."
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He's not going anywhere to
haunt anybody at that time.
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And, again, another verse
in Isaiah 38, when Hezekiah was
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told by Isaiah the prophet, he
said, "Put your house in order,
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" "You're going to die,"
Hezekiah began to pray and cry,
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and he said,
"Death cannot praise You."
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He says, "I'm
going to praise You.
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If I'm dead, I can't do that."
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So the idea that, as soon
as you die, you're leaping up
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and down in the presence
of the Lord, praising God,
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you don't find
that in the Bible.
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Psalm 146, verse 6, "Put
not your trust in princes,
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neither in the son of
man, in whom there is no help.
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His breath goes forth.
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In that very day,
his thoughts perish.
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His plans perish."
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He's not thinking or
planning anything--what it says.
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"Where do the dead
people go when they die?"
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It says here in Job 21:32,
"He is brought to the grave.
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He remains in the tomb.
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All who are in their
graves--" when Jesus comes--
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this is John
chapter 5, verse 28 and 29.
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"All who are in their
graves will hear His voice."
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How can they hear
His voice in the graves
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if they're already in heaven?
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Does that make sense?
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These are the words of Jesus.
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It's all through
the New Testament.
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"The Bible makes it plain
that King David will be saved."
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Everyone knows good
King David killed Goliath.
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Man after God's own heart.
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He will be in heaven.
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When he died, the Bible says,
"He slept with his fathers."
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"Is he in heaven now?"
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Some people say, "Well,
no one really went to heaven
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till Jesus died on the cross,
and then they went to heaven
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when Jesus raised."
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Well, you read
in the book of Acts,
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40 days after
Jesus has gone to heaven,
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you can read,
Peter, where he says
00:09:43.14\00:09:44.45
in Acts chapter 2,
verse 29, "Men and brethren--"
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this was during
his public sermon--
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"let me freely speak to
you of the patriarch David,
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that he is dead and
buried, and his tomb is with us
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to this day."
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David's tomb is still,
to this day, in Jerusalem.
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And then he goes on.
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He says, in verse 34,
"For David did not ascend
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into the heavens."
00:10:03.67\00:10:04.97
Now, I don't know
how more clear it can be.
00:10:05.00\00:10:06.30
This is not complicated.
00:10:06.33\00:10:07.64
He says, good King David,
someone saved, he is dead,
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he is buried, he's not in
heaven, and this is a long time
00:10:10.47\00:10:13.51
after the Resurrection.
00:10:13.54\00:10:15.88
And you can read in 1
Corinthians chapter 15,
00:10:15.91\00:10:18.15
verse 22, "For
in Adam all die--"
00:10:18.18\00:10:22.05
because of the sin of Adam,
we all struggle with death--
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"even so in Christ
shall all be made alive.
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But each one in its own order.
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Here's the order:
Christ the firstfruits,
00:10:29.16\00:10:31.89
afterward those who are
Christ's at His coming."
00:10:31.93\00:10:36.56
When are they raised?
00:10:36.60\00:10:38.13
"At His coming."
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The Lord will descend
from heaven with a shout,
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the voice of the
archangel, the trump of God.
00:10:41.70\00:10:43.54
The dead in Christ will rise."
00:10:43.57\00:10:45.27
They are resting in peace.
00:10:45.31\00:10:47.38
Even Martin
Luther understood that.
00:10:47.41\00:10:48.84
The great reformer, he
said, "God, Jesus will come,
00:10:48.88\00:10:51.55
and when He comes, He'll
knock on the grave and say,
00:10:51.58\00:10:53.01
'Dr. Martin, wake up,'"
because they're sleeping.
00:10:53.05\00:10:56.62
"But isn't it true
that the soul is immortal
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and that only the body dies?"
00:10:59.29\00:11:02.36
What's the Bible say?
00:11:02.39\00:11:04.06
"The soul who
sins--" Ezekiel 18, verse 4--
00:11:04.09\00:11:07.20
"will die."
00:11:07.23\00:11:09.60
Job 4:17, "Can mortal man
be more righteous than God?"
00:11:09.63\00:11:14.17
We don't have immortality yet.
00:11:14.20\00:11:17.21
That's why God chased
Adam and Eve out of the garden
00:11:17.24\00:11:19.37
that they might not
eat from the tree of life,
00:11:19.41\00:11:21.44
and they were going to die.
00:11:21.48\00:11:23.24
Says, "In the day that you eat
thereof, you will surely die."
00:11:23.28\00:11:25.38
Look at 1 Timothy
chapter 6, verse 15 and 16,
00:11:25.41\00:11:28.32
"The King of
kings, the Lord of lords,
00:11:28.35\00:11:31.85
who alone has immortality."
00:11:31.89\00:11:35.69
If that's clear, say, "Amen."
00:11:35.72\00:11:37.76
So, when people say,
"You've got an immortal soul"
00:11:37.79\00:11:41.40
and that you're destined to
live through eternity, well,
00:11:41.43\00:11:45.27
Jesus said in John 3:16,
"For God so loved the world,
00:11:45.30\00:11:49.60
He gave His only begotten
00:11:49.64\00:11:50.97
Son, that whoever believes
in Him might not perish,
00:11:51.01\00:11:54.31
but have everlasting life."
00:11:54.34\00:11:56.48
Immortality is
conditional unbelief in Christ.
00:11:56.51\00:12:01.08
Isn't this what the
Bible is telling us?
00:12:01.12\00:12:03.35
"When will the
righteous receive immortality?"
00:12:03.39\00:12:07.12
"We will all be
changed in a moment,
00:12:07.16\00:12:11.49
in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet."
00:12:11.53\00:12:15.56
Goes on and says, "For
the trumpet will sound,
00:12:15.60\00:12:18.83
and the dead will be
raised incorruptible,
00:12:18.87\00:12:20.67
and this mortal
must put on immortality.
00:12:20.70\00:12:23.94
For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven
00:12:23.97\00:12:27.11
with a shout," and I
quoted this to you a moment ago,
00:12:27.14\00:12:29.21
1 Thessalonians 4:16.
00:12:29.24\00:12:31.58
"The Lord Himself will descend
from heaven with a shout,
00:12:31.61\00:12:34.48
with the voice of the archangel,
and the trumpet of God.
00:12:34.52\00:12:37.15
And the dead in
Christ will rise first."
00:12:37.19\00:12:41.69
So there's
resurrection of the dead,
00:12:41.72\00:12:43.69
and this is our
first resurrection.
00:12:43.73\00:12:45.86
It happens when
the Lord comes back.
00:12:45.89\00:12:48.16
And so, "But Pastor Doug,
we've just heard so many people
00:12:48.20\00:12:52.03
say that you die, and you
immediately go to the Lord,"
00:12:52.07\00:12:54.60
and they talk about so-and-so:
"They're in heaven now."
00:12:54.64\00:12:57.27
And we know they mean
well because they're thinking,
00:12:57.31\00:12:59.47
you know, based upon
the time they'll experience,
00:12:59.51\00:13:01.58
but it hasn't happened yet,
and the reason I keep pressing
00:13:01.61\00:13:04.11
it's important
to understand that--
00:13:04.15\00:13:06.35
you remember our opening story?
00:13:06.38\00:13:09.18
King Saul was deceived and
discouraged by an evil spirit
00:13:09.22\00:13:13.49
posing as Samuel the prophet.
00:13:13.52\00:13:16.49
And remember what I just
read there in Revelation?
00:13:16.52\00:13:19.23
These unclean spirits go out
to the leaders of the world to
00:13:19.26\00:13:21.80
gather them together to battle,
to deceive them with lying signs
00:13:21.83\00:13:26.43
and lying wonders, and the
Bible talks about lying spirits,
00:13:26.47\00:13:29.70
and Satan can create illusions.
00:13:29.74\00:13:33.07
Just up the street here from
where we're having this meeting,
00:13:33.11\00:13:36.64
there's a little establishment
where you could pay them
00:13:36.68\00:13:38.71
a price, I suppose--
I've not been there--
00:13:38.75\00:13:40.55
and they will
give you a reading.
00:13:40.58\00:13:43.99
They'll try and contact
your departed loved ones.
00:13:44.02\00:13:46.42
A lot of them are charlatans.
00:13:46.45\00:13:48.02
Some of them may be in
cahoots with the enemy.
00:13:48.06\00:13:50.49
I don't know--not
going to find out.
00:13:50.53\00:13:52.89
Or they'll read your
tarot cards and Ouija boards.
00:13:52.93\00:13:56.83
And, you know, friends,
I'm talking about something
00:13:56.87\00:13:58.67
I know a little bit about
because I grew up as a pagan.
00:13:58.70\00:14:01.74
My mother used
to write horoscopes.
00:14:01.77\00:14:04.77
She actually has an album.
00:14:04.81\00:14:06.41
You can even see
it on the internet.
00:14:06.44\00:14:07.94
She wrote horoscope songs.
00:14:07.98\00:14:09.64
She wrote 12 songs, one for each
of the horoscopes, and I said,
00:14:09.68\00:14:12.65
"Mom, you believe that stuff?"
00:14:12.68\00:14:14.88
She said, "No," but it pays.
00:14:14.92\00:14:18.39
But we had a lot of friends.
00:14:18.42\00:14:19.72
They were all into seances,
and we were part of seances
00:14:19.75\00:14:22.92
and the Ouija boards,
and I don't know if anyone's
00:14:22.96\00:14:27.73
old enough to remember.
00:14:27.76\00:14:29.03
They used to have a
national television program.
00:14:29.06\00:14:30.60
It was actually a soap
opera called "Dark Shadows."
00:14:30.63\00:14:34.64
Some of you guys,
you remember that.
00:14:34.67\00:14:36.40
Two of the actors, the principal
actors in that were friends
00:14:36.44\00:14:39.21
of ours, and they'd come to our
house, and we'd go to theirs,
00:14:39.24\00:14:41.78
and those people were into
some really weird, dark stuff.
00:14:41.81\00:14:46.85
It happens more than you think.
00:14:46.88\00:14:48.92
There are some people in
high places who think that
00:14:48.95\00:14:50.82
they're consulting with the dead
or getting some spiritual advice
00:14:50.85\00:14:53.89
like that, and what if--
if the devil can come down
00:14:53.92\00:14:59.39
and impersonate Christ,
can his fallen demons look
00:14:59.43\00:15:02.60
like departed Bible characters?
00:15:02.63\00:15:05.70
¤¤¤
00:15:05.73\00:15:07.54
Doug: Don't go
anywhere, friends.
00:15:07.57\00:15:08.87
We'll be back in just
a moment with the rest
00:15:08.90\00:15:10.31
of today's presentation.
00:15:10.34\00:15:11.97
One of the most confusing
subjects in our world today is
00:15:12.01\00:15:15.11
the big question
"What happens when we die?"
00:15:15.14\00:15:19.51
Seems like everywhere you
turn, someone out there has
00:15:19.55\00:15:21.62
a different opinion about
the afterlife, whether heaven,
00:15:21.65\00:15:24.92
hell, purgatory, limbo,
or eternal nonexistence.
00:15:24.95\00:15:28.89
Well, are you tired
of all the contradictory
00:15:28.92\00:15:31.36
and confusing messages?
00:15:31.39\00:15:33.56
Wouldn't you like to know
what the Bible really says
00:15:33.60\00:15:36.00
once and for all?
00:15:36.03\00:15:37.97
To help answer
all of your questions,
00:15:38.00\00:15:39.63
Amazing Facts would like to send
you a very special free gift.
00:15:39.67\00:15:43.30
It's called "The
Afterlife Mystery."
00:15:43.34\00:15:46.31
This attractive, full-color
magazine provides simple
00:15:46.34\00:15:49.54
but vital biblical facts to
help you decode death, hell,
00:15:49.58\00:15:53.68
and eternal life, amid all of
the confusing deceptions today.
00:15:53.72\00:15:57.89
In a
captivating, contemporary way,
00:15:57.92\00:16:00.36
it presents powerful
lessons about what happens
00:16:00.39\00:16:02.86
when we die and,
more importantly,
00:16:02.89\00:16:05.16
how you can be
ready for eternity.
00:16:05.19\00:16:07.40
To get your free copy, call
the phone number on the screen
00:16:07.46\00:16:09.93
and ask for Offer Number
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00:16:09.96\00:16:14.30
and after you read
this incredible resource,
00:16:14.34\00:16:16.94
be sure and
share it with a friend.
00:16:16.97\00:16:18.64
Let's return now to
today's presentation
00:16:19.24\00:16:21.18
and learn some more amazing
facts from the Word of God.
00:16:21.21\00:16:24.68
¤¤¤
00:16:24.71\00:16:26.38
Doug: I remember
hearing this story,
00:16:26.41\00:16:27.72
and this an anecdotal story.
00:16:27.75\00:16:29.58
I can't prove it, but someone
told me that they knew a lady
00:16:29.62\00:16:33.59
that was in San Francisco--this
was during the Vietnam War--
00:16:33.62\00:16:36.99
and that she was a Christian.
00:16:37.03\00:16:39.89
Her belief was
always that you die,
00:16:39.93\00:16:41.20
and you sleep
until the resurrection,
00:16:41.23\00:16:43.67
and she got one of those
terrible notices from the army,
00:16:43.70\00:16:47.97
and it said, "We
regret to inform you
00:16:48.00\00:16:50.24
that your son is missing
in action and presumed dead."
00:16:50.27\00:16:53.98
And, of course, she was
devastated, and she was alone.
00:16:54.01\00:16:57.35
She had no husband, and she
was grieving in her apartment
00:16:57.38\00:16:59.95
building there in San Francisco
for weeks, and one day,
00:17:00.05\00:17:03.45
she woke up at night, and there
was her son standing at the foot
00:17:03.49\00:17:09.22
of her bed, and
she was terrified.
00:17:09.26\00:17:12.23
He says, "Mother, don't worry.
00:17:12.26\00:17:13.56
I'm fine."
00:17:13.60\00:17:14.86
And she was wondering
because he made no profession
00:17:14.93\00:17:16.36
of being a Christian.
00:17:16.40\00:17:17.70
He was living a pretty wild life
the last she heard from him.
00:17:17.73\00:17:20.50
And he said, "Oh,
everyone goes to heaven.
00:17:20.54\00:17:23.37
Don't worry.
00:17:23.41\00:17:24.71
God just puts these things about
the lake of fire in the Bible
00:17:24.74\00:17:26.84
to scare people into being
good," and giving all these
00:17:26.88\00:17:30.41
very strange interpretations,
but it made her feel so good
00:17:30.45\00:17:33.72
because it looked just like her
son, sounded just like her son,
00:17:33.75\00:17:36.22
knew things only
her son would know,
00:17:36.25\00:17:38.82
and this happened several times,
and then, one day, there was a--
00:17:38.85\00:17:42.02
door rang, her apartment.
00:17:42.06\00:17:44.33
She opened up the door,
and there's her son again
00:17:44.36\00:17:47.40
except now he's in uniform,
and his arm is in a sling.
00:17:47.46\00:17:50.57
And she said, "Why are
you meeting me out here
00:17:50.60\00:17:52.37
in the hall?"
00:17:52.40\00:17:53.70
He said, "What are
you talking about?"
00:17:53.74\00:17:55.04
She reached out.
It was really her son.
00:17:55.07\00:17:56.37
She touched him.
00:17:56.40\00:17:58.04
And evidently, he
said, "No, I was wounded,
00:17:58.07\00:18:00.21
but I'm not dead.
00:18:00.24\00:18:01.78
They, just, they gave
you some bad paperwork.
00:18:01.81\00:18:03.45
I'm so sorry that you
thought that I was dead."
00:18:03.48\00:18:04.88
You know,
that's happened before.
00:18:04.91\00:18:06.21
Parents get the message that
their kids are presumed dead,
00:18:06.25\00:18:08.28
and then they're not.
00:18:08.32\00:18:10.22
Well, what was appearing to that
woman, claiming to be her son?
00:18:10.25\00:18:13.39
And you wonder if the
demons had a computer breakdown.
00:18:13.42\00:18:16.46
They didn't get
their stories straight.
00:18:16.49\00:18:18.69
But you could see how easily
people, when they're missing
00:18:18.73\00:18:21.00
a loved one--now,
someone else is thinking,
00:18:21.03\00:18:22.70
"Pastor Doug,
I'm having problems
00:18:22.73\00:18:24.10
with what you're saying
right now because my loved one,
00:18:24.13\00:18:27.77
my spouse," or somebody,
"died, and I've sensed them
00:18:27.80\00:18:31.57
with me, I've heard them
guide me, and I just know
00:18:31.61\00:18:35.04
they're--I felt their
spirit, and, you know,
00:18:35.08\00:18:37.95
I'm not denying that you've
had these sensations, friends,
00:18:37.98\00:18:40.92
and it's not always diabolical.
00:18:40.95\00:18:43.08
My brother died of
cystic fibrosis when he was 35.
00:18:43.12\00:18:47.06
He's my older brother.
00:18:47.09\00:18:48.89
From the time I was born until
he died, he was always there
00:18:48.92\00:18:51.79
my whole life, and even after
he died, I'd reach for the phone
00:18:51.83\00:18:55.70
to call him because I
used to call him all the time,
00:18:55.73\00:18:58.07
and I remember reaching
for the phone to call him.
00:18:58.10\00:19:00.40
I just felt his presence,
and then I realized he was dead.
00:19:00.44\00:19:03.87
I'd forgotten.
00:19:03.91\00:19:05.37
I've talked to widows,
who, after their spouse dies--
00:19:05.41\00:19:07.91
and they say, you know,
"A few weeks later, I get up,
00:19:07.94\00:19:11.61
and I call down the hall and
say, "Jack, can you come here?"
00:19:11.65\00:19:14.15
And then they remember
that their husband's gone.
00:19:14.18\00:19:16.48
And your mind is filled with
the memories of people you love.
00:19:16.52\00:19:21.12
It's very normal to have
those sensations and memories,
00:19:21.16\00:19:24.33
and you might even have a dream
where God gives you some comfort
00:19:24.36\00:19:26.80
in a dream.
00:19:26.83\00:19:28.10
That's between you and God.
00:19:28.13\00:19:29.43
It doesn't give us
our basis for truth.
00:19:29.46\00:19:32.43
You know what I'm saying?
00:19:32.47\00:19:33.70
The Bible truth is very clear:
They are sleeping a painless,
00:19:33.74\00:19:38.04
dreamless sleep
until the resurrection.
00:19:38.07\00:19:41.94
"How does the Bible
repeatedly refer to death?"
00:19:41.98\00:19:46.31
John 11:11 and verse 14, Jesus,
speaking of Lazarus, he said,
00:19:46.35\00:19:51.69
"Our friend Lazarus
sleeps," and the disciples said,
00:19:51.72\00:19:54.99
"It's good that he's asleep.
00:19:55.02\00:19:56.32
He's sick.
00:19:56.36\00:19:57.66
You know, if he sleeps,
maybe the fever will break,
00:19:57.69\00:19:58.99
and he'll be better."
00:19:59.03\00:20:00.33
Jesus said, "No,
no, Lazarus is dead."
00:20:00.36\00:20:02.06
Jesus actually used the
term "sleep," and He had to say,
00:20:02.10\00:20:04.20
"You don't understand
what I mean by 'sleep.'
00:20:04.23\00:20:05.93
I mean, he's dead."
00:20:05.97\00:20:08.30
Then later, He said, "I'm
going that I might wake him."
00:20:08.34\00:20:10.91
Jesus goes down to
Bethany where Lazarus is buried.
00:20:10.94\00:20:13.61
It takes a few
days to get there,
00:20:13.64\00:20:15.31
and when He tells Martha to roll
away the stone from the grave,
00:20:15.34\00:20:19.01
she says, "Lord, by this time,
00:20:19.05\00:20:20.98
there's a bad odor because
the decomposition has begun.
00:20:21.02\00:20:24.29
He's been dead
for several days."
00:20:24.32\00:20:26.15
He said, "'Trust me.
Roll away the stone.'
00:20:26.19\00:20:28.26
And when Jesus
said these things,
00:20:28.29\00:20:30.63
He cried out with a
loud voice," John 11:43,
00:20:30.66\00:20:34.10
"'Lazarus, come forth.'
00:20:34.13\00:20:36.30
And he who had died
came out bound hand and foot
00:20:36.33\00:20:39.20
with graveclothes"
that had been embalmed
00:20:39.23\00:20:41.60
and soaked in ointments.
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.07
Now, think for a
minute: If Lazarus had been dead
00:20:44.11\00:20:49.98
for several days and if you
go right to heaven when you die,
00:20:50.01\00:20:53.58
and if he's a
good friend of Jesus,
00:20:53.62\00:20:54.98
he probably went
to heaven, right?
00:20:55.02\00:20:57.49
If you're Lazarus and
you die and you're in heaven,
00:20:57.52\00:21:00.66
and you're up there, and
you're hearing angelic music,
00:21:00.69\00:21:03.63
and you're, you know--
got this glorified body,
00:21:03.66\00:21:07.03
and you're in the
presence of God, and you see
00:21:07.10\00:21:08.86
there's golden streets and
all these wonders of heaven,
00:21:08.90\00:21:11.50
and you're just reaching
out for the tree of life,
00:21:11.53\00:21:13.94
and all of a sudden,
"poof," you're back on earth,
00:21:13.97\00:21:16.10
and you're wrapped
up in graveclothes,
00:21:16.14\00:21:18.31
would you think that was a nice
thing that Jesus did for you?
00:21:18.34\00:21:22.44
Oh, that wouldn't be very nice.
00:21:22.48\00:21:24.95
You know, there are
about a dozen resurrections
00:21:24.98\00:21:28.35
in the Bible, and the reason
I say, "about," is because,
00:21:28.38\00:21:31.45
when Paul was stoned,
some believe that Paul actually
00:21:31.49\00:21:35.92
was raised by the Lord.
00:21:35.96\00:21:37.26
He had been stoned to death,
but God raised him back up again
00:21:37.29\00:21:38.99
because everyone who
walked away thought he was dead,
00:21:39.03\00:21:41.90
and when Eutychus fell
out the window, everyone said,
00:21:41.93\00:21:45.97
"He's dead," and the pulse, you
know, his life was still in him.
00:21:46.00\00:21:48.37
They wondered, "Was
that a resurrection?"
00:21:48.40\00:21:49.84
So it's hard sometimes
to count a few of them,
00:21:49.87\00:21:51.21
but there are at least 12
resurrections in the Bible.
00:21:51.24\00:21:53.64
Do you realize that in
all of these resurrections,
00:21:53.68\00:21:57.48
not one of the people
involved ever comments
00:21:57.51\00:22:00.52
and says anything about
what they experienced in death?
00:22:00.55\00:22:04.39
Now, if Lazarus was alive
today and he had been dead
00:22:04.42\00:22:08.66
for four days, and somebody
came back from the dead,
00:22:08.69\00:22:13.50
every news station in the
world would have representatives
00:22:13.53\00:22:17.03
that would be there.
00:22:17.07\00:22:18.37
They would push a microphone
up into Lazarus's face,
00:22:18.40\00:22:20.60
and they'd say,
"What was it like?
00:22:20.64\00:22:23.04
What did you
experience? What happened?"
00:22:23.07\00:22:25.77
But none of the Jews
anywhere in the Bible comment
00:22:25.81\00:22:27.74
on any of these
resurrections, saying,
00:22:27.78\00:22:29.81
"What did you
experience in death?"
00:22:29.84\00:22:31.35
Because they all knew
that death was like a--" what?
00:22:31.38\00:22:33.95
"Sleep."
00:22:33.98\00:22:35.55
It is a dreamless sleep.
00:22:35.58\00:22:36.89
They didn't know anything.
00:22:36.92\00:22:38.22
Solomon said, "The
dead know--" how much?
00:22:38.25\00:22:39.85
"Nothing."
00:22:39.89\00:22:41.59
That, to me, I think,
is pretty strong evidence.
00:22:41.62\00:22:44.76
The Bible tells us that
none of the resurrection
00:22:44.79\00:22:47.20
has ever commented on
what they experienced.
00:22:47.23\00:22:50.97
"Why does Satan want us
to believe that the spirits
00:22:51.00\00:22:53.30
of the dead are actually alive?"
00:22:53.34\00:22:57.11
For false christs and false
prophets will rise and show
00:22:57.14\00:23:00.68
great signs and wonders," Bible
tells us, if it were possible,
00:23:00.71\00:23:04.75
"to deceive, even if
possible, the elect."
00:23:04.78\00:23:09.02
Jesus says, "See, I'm
telling you beforehand,
00:23:09.05\00:23:11.72
do not be deceived
by these evil spirits."
00:23:11.75\00:23:15.46
Three unclean frogs, and
they're going to claim to be
00:23:15.49\00:23:19.29
the spirits of the departed.
00:23:19.33\00:23:20.90
They're going to
deceive leaders of the world.
00:23:20.93\00:23:23.03
"How effective will Satan's
use of these evil spirits be
00:23:23.06\00:23:26.10
in the last days?"
00:23:26.13\00:23:28.00
Answer?
00:23:28.04\00:23:29.84
"By your sorceries, all
the nations were deceived."
00:23:29.87\00:23:34.51
I just told you
that, in North America,
00:23:34.54\00:23:36.38
50%, roughly 50%, 45% of
the people believe in ghosts,
00:23:36.41\00:23:43.65
and about 20% believe you
can communicate with the dead.
00:23:43.69\00:23:46.42
That's frightening when
you think about it how easily
00:23:46.45\00:23:49.32
so many people will
be deceived by that.
00:23:49.36\00:23:52.19
Some will start believing
in it but don't believe in
00:23:52.23\00:23:54.10
it now when the devil begins to
perform these signs and wonders.
00:23:54.10\00:23:56.97
Revelation 18, "Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen,
00:23:57.00\00:24:01.37
has become the
dwelling place of demons,
00:24:01.40\00:24:04.07
a prison for every foul--"
00:24:04.11\00:24:06.98
the word "foul"
there means "evil spirit."
00:24:07.01\00:24:09.41
Paul says, "We do not
wrestle against flesh and blood
00:24:09.44\00:24:11.81
but principalities and
powers and rulers of wickedness
00:24:11.85\00:24:14.02
in high places."
00:24:14.05\00:24:16.42
Well, there are evil spirits
that are out there that want
00:24:16.45\00:24:18.89
to deceive, and they're
going to use the belief that
00:24:18.92\00:24:21.26
the dead aren't really
dead to deceive people.
00:24:21.29\00:24:25.03
The Bible says in Revelation
12:9, "That serpent of old,
00:24:25.06\00:24:28.26
called the Devil and Satan,
who deceives the whole world."
00:24:28.30\00:24:32.93
What was the first
deception that Satan made?
00:24:32.97\00:24:39.11
God said, "You
disobey, you will die."
00:24:39.14\00:24:41.74
What did the devil say?
00:24:41.78\00:24:43.58
"You will not really die."
00:24:43.61\00:24:45.88
And what does most
of the world believe?
00:24:45.91\00:24:48.45
That you don't really die.
00:24:48.48\00:24:50.65
Even in churches, pastors are
saying, "You don't really die.
00:24:50.69\00:24:53.66
You live forever.
00:24:53.69\00:24:55.86
Somewhere, you just can't die.
00:24:55.89\00:24:57.59
You're immortal."
00:24:57.63\00:24:59.09
The Bible says, you're going
to sleep until the resurrection.
00:24:59.13\00:25:02.53
"How does God regard
these miracles by evil angels?"
00:25:02.56\00:25:05.73
"A man or a woman who is
a medium shall surely be put
00:25:05.77\00:25:09.20
to death."
00:25:09.24\00:25:10.54
Now, I'm not
expecting you to go on a rampage
00:25:10.57\00:25:12.37
through the
community and fulfill that.
00:25:12.41\00:25:14.78
Just telling you that, when
they lived under a theocracy,
00:25:14.81\00:25:16.98
it was the most
severe penalty for mediums.
00:25:17.01\00:25:21.12
I'm not suggesting we
revive the Salem witch trials.
00:25:21.15\00:25:23.79
Everyone clear on that?
00:25:23.82\00:25:26.45
But there was a
pretty severe punishment.
00:25:26.49\00:25:29.56
Some will depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits
00:25:29.59\00:25:33.19
and doctrines of devils."
00:25:33.23\00:25:35.66
And, again,
"having no fellowship
00:25:35.70\00:25:38.07
with the
unfruitful works of darkness."
00:25:38.10\00:25:40.50
Someone asked last night
how I felt about Halloween,
00:25:40.54\00:25:43.34
and I said, "I don't
want to have any fellowship
00:25:43.37\00:25:45.07
with the
unfruitful works of darkness,"
00:25:45.11\00:25:47.54
Ephesians 5, verse 11.
00:25:47.58\00:25:49.44
"Now the works of the flesh
are evident, which are adultery,
00:25:49.48\00:25:52.61
fornication, uncleanness,
lewdness," and notice,
00:25:52.65\00:25:55.42
"not only idolatry, sorcery."
00:25:55.45\00:25:59.22
"By her sorceries,
all nations are deceived,"
00:25:59.25\00:26:02.16
it says,
regarding Babylon the great,
00:26:02.19\00:26:04.49
and then it fills out that
verse in Galatians chapter 5,
00:26:04.53\00:26:07.46
"Sorcerers will have their part
in the lake that burns with fire
00:26:07.50\00:26:10.73
and brimstone, which
is the second death."
00:26:10.77\00:26:13.60
It's a pretty severe thing,
and, yet there are Christians
00:26:13.64\00:26:16.37
that are promoting sorceries,
saying that you can talk
00:26:16.40\00:26:18.34
to the dead.
00:26:18.37\00:26:20.48
"What glorious power
does God offer to His people
00:26:20.51\00:26:23.61
in the last days?"
00:26:23.65\00:26:25.58
The power that he's offering
us as a gift is the power
00:26:25.61\00:26:28.65
of His resurrection,
"That I might know Him
00:26:28.68\00:26:31.49
and the power of
His Resurrection."
00:26:31.52\00:26:33.79
Friends, I want to get that
new glorified body, don't you?
00:26:33.82\00:26:37.16
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