Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
00:01:12.21\00:01:13.76
Father in heaven, thank
You so much for the privilege,
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once again, to come to
this place and study Your Word.
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And as we study about the
Keys To the Mystery Of Life and
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Death, we ask for the
guidance of Your Holy Spirit.
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We know that this is a
very important subject in this
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day and age, so we ask that
You will give us understanding,
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and that You will give us hope.
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And we thank You for
hearing our prayer for we ask it
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in Jesus' name, Amen.
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One of the greatest questions,
one of the greatest existential
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questions that have ever
been asked is the question
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that Job asked
many, many millennia ago.
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If a man die,
shall he live again?
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In our study today
we're going to discuss
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the mysteries of life and death.
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And basically what we're going
to do is study this subject
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in ten specific points.
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And I want to tell you
where we're going as we begin,
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so that when we get there
we know that we have covered
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all of the ground.
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The first point that we
want to study is what is life?
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Than after we've determined
what life is, we want to go
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and ask the question,
What is the body of man?
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What is the body of man?
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And that might be
self-explanatory, but we're
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going to examine what the
Bible has to say about the body.
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In the third place,
we want to examine what
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the spirit of man is.
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What is the spirit?
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In the fourth place we
want to examine what the Bible
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defines as the soul.
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What is a soul, and what
happens when a person dies,
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with the soul? The fifth point
that we want to analyze is:
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How could life be perpetuated
at the very beginning?
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Did man have an immortal soul,
or was there an external source
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of life that man
needed to partake of?
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The sixth point that we
want to study is what is death,
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according to scripture?
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The seventh point that we want
to deal with is where does man
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go when he dies? Where
do women go when they die?
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Point number eight, if we die
is there hope of living again?
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Point number nine, when
will death be totally eradicated
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from the universe?
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And finally, why is this
subject that we are studying
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so important to
understand in this day and age?
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And so we have our
work cut out for us.
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We have to travel very quickly,
but I hope very thoroughly,
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and we're going to
attempt to answer every single
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one of these questions.
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Now lets begin by
asking, What Is Life?
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Go with me to
Genesis 2:7, Genesis 2:7.
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Here we find a description
of the creation of man.
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And notice what
we are told by Moses,
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under inspiration of the
Holy Spirit. It says there:
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Or a living being, as it says
in the New King James Version.
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Now I want you to notice
here that when God created Adam
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He formed him out of the dust
of the ground, then He breathed
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into his nostrils
the breath of life,
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and Adam became a living soul.
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I want you to notice that
this text does not tell us
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that God gave Adam a soul.
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We are not told
that Adam had a soul.
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We are told
that Adam was a soul.
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The soul was the
totality of Adam.
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The body, plus the
breath, was equal to the soul.
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The soul was not something
that Adam had inside of himself;
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in his totality he was a soul.
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The dust plus the
breath equaled soul.
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Now we want to go
to our second point,
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and that is, What is
the body composed of?
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Who made the body?
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Notice Isaiah 64:8.
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By the way, we just
noticed that God formed Adam
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out of the dust of the ground.
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Now we're going to
get an additional glimpse
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of what creation was like.
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Isaiah 64:8. Here we find
a description of creation,
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and it says this:
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So notice that this verse tells
us that we are made out of clay,
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potters clay. Now it's
interesting to notice that
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in the story of creation God
spoke everything into existence.
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But when He formed man He
took dust, wet dust, clay,
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and He formed the
body of man, and then
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breathed into his nostrils.
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And so, according to
this text in Isaiah 64:8,
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we are all composed
of dust, or of clay,
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in our physical nature.
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That is, our body
is composed of clay.
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Now lets talk a little bit about
the spirit, or the breath that
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God gave to Adam
when He was created.
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Now there are two
words in the Hebrew
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which are very closely related.
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One is the Hebrew word,
neshama, which is the word
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that is translated breath here,
breath of live, in Genesis 2:7.
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But there's another Hebrew word
which is basically synonymous
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to neshama, and
it is the word ruach.
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The word neshama is always
translated in the King James
00:08:19.14\00:08:25.25
breath, whereas the word ruach
is usually translated spirit,
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but spirit and breath
are actually interchangeable.
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Now I want you to notice Job
33:4 on the spirit, Job 33:4.
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Here you'll see the
synonymous nature of the
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breath and the spirit.
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It says there in Job 33:4:
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And then notice the
synonymous expression.
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Do you see how those
two sentences are parallel?
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They say the same
thing in different words?
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It's the same thing to say
the spirit of God has made me.
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By the way, the
word there is ruach.
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And the breath of the
Almighty has given me life,
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or gives me life.
There it is the word neshama,
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the very same word
that we find In Genesis 2:7,
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so the spirit and the
breath are used interchangeably.
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Now you'll notice that
the spirit, or the breath,
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is found where? In the nostrils.
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That's a very important point.
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Now in the resource material
that you're going to get
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at the end of the lecture,
you'll have additional verses
00:09:47.44\00:09:51.70
on these points that
I'm underlining right now.
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But it's interesting to
notice that in the Old Testament
00:09:54.40\00:09:57.49
both ruach and neshama,
which are translated spirit,
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and breath, are
found in the nostrils.
00:10:01.88\00:10:05.59
The spirit, or the breath,
is found in the nostrils.
00:10:05.62\00:10:09.68
Now let me ask you, what
do you use your nostrils for?
00:10:09.71\00:10:12.29
We use our nostrils to breathe.
00:10:12.32\00:10:15.11
So what is the
spirit, or what is the breath?
00:10:15.14\00:10:18.29
The spirit, or the
breath, is the respiration.
00:10:18.32\00:10:22.64
In other words, the spirit,
or the breath, is the energizing
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force, the electrical power
source that makes the heart
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pump, the lungs breathe,
and the blood to circulate.
00:10:32.92\00:10:37.10
It's the vital energy that
keeps the body functioning.
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And, by the way, the heart
pumps, and the lungs breathe,
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and the oxygen is
carried to all parts of the body
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through the blood.
00:10:49.78\00:10:50.81
In other words, the
breath of life, or the spirit,
00:10:50.84\00:10:53.83
is the energizing force that
allows the body to be alive,
00:10:53.86\00:10:58.50
and to function, and to move.
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Now we need to go
to our fourth point.
00:11:01.14\00:11:04.68
We've analyzed three so far.
00:11:04.71\00:11:06.34
1. What is life?
2. What is the body?
00:11:06.37\00:11:11.38
3. What is the
spirit, or the breath?
00:11:11.41\00:11:15.48
Now we need to ask the
question, What is the soul,
00:11:15.51\00:11:20.07
and what happens when a
person dies with the soul?
00:11:20.10\00:11:24.03
There's a lot of
confusion when it comes to
00:11:24.06\00:11:26.64
talking about the soul.
00:11:26.67\00:11:27.86
The problem is that the word
soul in the twentieth century
00:11:27.89\00:11:34.17
means something
different in the minds of people
00:11:34.20\00:11:37.63
than it meant
back in Biblical times,
00:11:37.66\00:11:40.41
in the Old and in
the New Testaments.
00:11:40.44\00:11:42.61
Now the soul, basically,
in scripture it is the life of
00:11:42.64\00:11:48.12
the person, or is the
person, the individual.
00:11:48.15\00:11:53.88
Now I want you to
notice Genesis 9:4.
00:11:53.91\00:11:57.87
Here the word
soul, which by the way,
00:11:57.90\00:12:00.23
in the Hebrew is
nephesh, is translated life.
00:12:00.26\00:12:05.66
Genesis 9:4. It says here:
But you shall not eat flesh with
00:12:05.69\00:12:14.45
it's life, that is it's blood.
00:12:14.48\00:12:19.28
Now that word that
is translated life here,
00:12:19.31\00:12:23.49
in the New King James, is
the identical word which is
00:12:23.52\00:12:26.54
translated soul, or
being, in Genesis 2:7.
00:12:26.57\00:12:32.44
In other words, the soul is
the life, is the living entity,
00:12:32.47\00:12:37.81
the individual, the
person, the person who's body is
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functioning because
the breath is allowing
00:12:41.75\00:12:44.55
the body to function.
00:12:44.58\00:12:46.25
So the word soul is translated
many times in the Old Testament
00:12:46.28\00:12:51.58
life, but the word
is also translated soul
00:12:51.61\00:12:55.95
in the King James Version.
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And, by the way, the New
King James changes the word soul
00:12:57.56\00:13:01.20
to the word person.
00:13:01.23\00:13:02.54
I want to give you
a couple of examples.
00:13:02.57\00:13:04.45
Go with me to
Genesis 12:5, Genesis 12:5.
00:13:04.48\00:13:11.33
This is talking about the people
that Abraham took with him
00:13:11.36\00:13:16.63
when he went to Haran.
00:13:16.66\00:13:18.82
And it says there in Genesis
12:5, Then Abram took Sarai
00:13:18.85\00:13:25.46
his wife, and Lot his brothers
son, and all their possessions
00:13:25.49\00:13:30.55
that they had
gathered...and now notice,
00:13:30.58\00:13:33.05
and the people whom
they had acquired in Haran;
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and they departed to
go to the land of Canaan;
00:13:35.88\00:13:38.78
so they came to
the land of Canaan.
00:13:38.81\00:13:40.85
Notice that they took the people
whom they had acquired in Haran.
00:13:40.88\00:13:45.82
Now the King James Version
translates that word souls.
00:13:45.85\00:13:49.27
Abraham took the souls
that he had acquired in Haran.
00:13:49.30\00:13:53.19
Obviously, those words
souls there means what?
00:13:53.22\00:13:56.75
It means what the New King
James says; it means persons.
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Notice also Genesis
14:21, Genesis 14:21.
00:14:01.10\00:14:10.86
We find these words: Now
the king of Sodom said to Abram,
00:14:10.89\00:14:16.31
Give me the persons, and
take the goods for yourself.
00:14:16.34\00:14:22.00
Once again the King James
translates that word persons
00:14:22.03\00:14:25.95
with the word souls.
00:14:25.98\00:14:27.85
In other words, the King of
Sodom says, You keep the souls,
00:14:27.88\00:14:30.76
and you keep the possessions,
and I'll keep the souls.
00:14:30.79\00:14:34.68
Now obviously the
word souls here means what?
00:14:34.71\00:14:38.42
It means persons, and
so it is translated in the
00:14:38.45\00:14:42.72
New King James Version.
00:14:42.75\00:14:44.39
And so the word nephesh,
soul, in the Old Testament,
00:14:44.42\00:14:48.97
can mean life.
It can mean person.
00:14:49.00\00:14:53.12
I want to take you
now to a text which has
00:14:53.15\00:14:56.73
been greatly misunderstood.
00:14:56.76\00:14:58.63
Genesis 35:18, this is when
Rachel was dying, and she was
00:14:58.66\00:15:07.44
having Benjamin, her child.
00:15:07.47\00:15:09.30
And it says here in Genesis 35:
18, And so it was as her soul
00:15:09.33\00:15:18.68
was departing, before she died,
that she called his name Benoni:
00:15:18.71\00:15:24.56
but his father
called him Benjamin.
00:15:24.59\00:15:27.89
Now you'll notice that
even the New King James Version
00:15:27.92\00:15:31.69
translates here, as it was her
soul was departing for she died.
00:15:31.72\00:15:37.61
Now you could very
easily translate that word soul
00:15:37.64\00:15:42.44
with what? life. As
her life was leaving.
00:15:42.47\00:15:46.93
And that's the way that
it should be translated,
00:15:46.96\00:15:49.58
but many
Christians, you know, they put
00:15:49.61\00:15:51.40
additional words in here.
00:15:51.43\00:15:52.80
They say, for example,
as her immortal soul was
00:15:52.83\00:15:56.88
departing to heaven.
00:15:56.91\00:15:58.21
The text does not say
that her soul was immortal,
00:15:58.24\00:16:01.87
neither does it say that
it was departing to heaven.
00:16:01.90\00:16:04.54
It simply says that her
life was going out from her,
00:16:04.57\00:16:08.41
and then it
explains what that means.
00:16:08.44\00:16:10.32
It says, for she died.
00:16:10.35\00:16:13.99
So we can't put more
in the text than is there.
00:16:14.02\00:16:17.10
That word can be very
easily translated life,
00:16:17.13\00:16:21.56
just like in Genesis 9:4.
00:16:21.59\00:16:24.71
By the way, the New Testament
also has the same phenomenon.
00:16:24.74\00:16:29.23
Notice in the book of Acts 7:14,
Acts 7:14, that the equivalent
00:16:29.26\00:16:38.23
Greek word, which by the
way, is psyche or psuche,
00:16:38.26\00:16:42.54
is translated also souls in the
King James, but it is translated
00:16:42.57\00:16:48.72
persons in the New King James.
00:16:48.75\00:16:50.81
Once again, Acts 7:14 has
this same idea of referring
00:16:50.84\00:16:58.85
to souls as persons.
00:16:58.88\00:17:01.08
It says here: Then Joseph
sent and called his father Jacob
00:17:01.11\00:17:06.24
and all his relatives to
him, seventy-five people.
00:17:06.27\00:17:11.68
There the word is psuche, which
is exactly equivalent in Greek
00:17:11.71\00:17:17.19
to the Hebrew nephesh.
00:17:17.22\00:17:18.76
By the way, the King
James Version translates
00:17:18.79\00:17:21.14
seventy-five souls, but
it's really seventy-five what?
00:17:21.17\00:17:25.26
seventy-five persons.
00:17:25.29\00:17:26.95
So what is the soul?
00:17:26.98\00:17:28.45
The soul is the person, or the
individual, the living entity,
00:17:28.48\00:17:34.08
if you please. Do you know
that the New Testament also
00:17:34.11\00:17:37.02
translates the word
soul with the word life?
00:17:37.05\00:17:40.71
Notice what we find in
Matthew 2:20, Matthew 2:20.
00:17:40.74\00:17:47.70
It's speaking about the
time that Herod was seeking
00:17:47.73\00:17:50.75
the life of Jesus.
00:17:50.78\00:17:51.81
He was seeking to kill Christ.
00:17:51.84\00:17:53.20
And it says here in Matthew
2:20, here we find the angels
00:17:53.23\00:18:00.98
speaking to Joseph saying,
Arise, take the young child
00:18:01.01\00:18:04.83
and his mother, and go to
the land of Israel: for those
00:18:04.86\00:18:08.92
who sought the young
child's life are dead.
00:18:08.95\00:18:12.43
That is the identical word which
is translated in other places
00:18:12.46\00:18:16.44
of the New Testament soul.
00:18:16.47\00:18:18.52
So really the soul is the life.
00:18:18.55\00:18:21.71
Herod was not seeking some
intangible, invisible entity
00:18:21.74\00:18:25.80
within Jesus. He was
seeking for the life of Jesus.
00:18:25.83\00:18:29.88
He was seeking to
kill Jesus, in other words.
00:18:29.91\00:18:32.72
By the way, do you know that
in the New Testament the word
00:18:32.75\00:18:36.85
soul and the personal pronoun
are used interchangeably?
00:18:36.88\00:18:42.06
I want to compare two very
interesting verses that we find
00:18:42.09\00:18:48.77
in the New Testament.
00:18:48.80\00:18:49.83
Go with me to Matthew 16:26,
Matthew 16:26, and then we're
00:18:49.86\00:18:58.13
going to go to Luke 9:25.
00:18:58.16\00:19:00.50
Matthew 16:26. Here Jesus says:
00:19:00.53\00:19:06.87
In other words, what will
it profit a man if he gains
00:19:18.86\00:19:21.15
the whole world
and loses his soul?
00:19:21.18\00:19:23.24
Now lets notice
how Luke expresses this
00:19:23.27\00:19:26.78
same saying of Christ.
00:19:26.81\00:19:28.34
Luke 9:25, Luke
9:25. Jesus says here:
00:19:28.37\00:19:35.60
In Matthew it
says loses his soul.
00:19:45.24\00:19:48.81
In Luke it says
loses what? himself.
00:19:48.84\00:19:53.23
So what is the soul?
00:19:53.26\00:19:54.99
The soul is me, myself, and I.
00:19:55.02\00:19:59.75
The soul is the person,
the living entity, the life,
00:19:59.78\00:20:05.51
if you please. By the
way, do you know that the words
00:20:05.54\00:20:09.24
soul and spirit are used
approximately 1,650 times
00:20:09.27\00:20:16.31
in the Bible? In both
the Old and New Testaments,
00:20:16.34\00:20:19.19
and not once in those over 1,650
references is the word immortal
00:20:19.22\00:20:26.93
linked with the word
spirit, or the word soul.
00:20:26.96\00:20:29.61
You would think that if
the spirit, or the soul were
00:20:29.64\00:20:33.02
immortal you would have at
least one verse where the word
00:20:33.05\00:20:36.27
immortal is linked to the
word spirit, or the word soul,
00:20:36.30\00:20:41.59
but it's simply is not there.
00:20:41.62\00:20:44.21
So we've examined what life is.
00:20:44.24\00:20:46.76
We've examined
how God made the body.
00:20:46.79\00:20:50.95
What the body is composed of.
00:20:50.98\00:20:52.62
It's composed of dust.
00:20:52.65\00:20:53.73
We've examined what the
spirit or the breath is.
00:20:53.76\00:20:57.15
We've examined what the soul is.
00:20:57.18\00:20:59.55
The soul is the living entity.
00:20:59.58\00:21:01.28
Now we need to go
to our fifth point.
00:21:01.31\00:21:03.30
And the fifth point is
this, When God created man
00:21:03.33\00:21:07.88
did He create him with
an immortal soul, or with an
00:21:07.91\00:21:13.20
immortal entity which
would never allow him to die?
00:21:13.23\00:21:17.11
Or was the source of the
life of man outside of man?
00:21:17.14\00:21:23.16
Well, lets go to
Genesis 2:9, Genesis 2:9.
00:21:23.19\00:21:30.36
Here we find that
God placed a certain tree
00:21:30.39\00:21:34.10
in the garden of Eden.
00:21:34.13\00:21:35.24
A special tree; actually
there were two, and in a moment
00:21:35.27\00:21:38.24
we're going to
go to the other one.
00:21:38.27\00:21:39.57
It says there in
Genesis 2:9 the following:
00:21:39.60\00:21:44.03
Notice that the tree of
life was in the garden of Eden.
00:21:58.54\00:22:02.44
And we know that
Adam and Eve had to eat
00:22:02.47\00:22:06.97
from the tree of life.
00:22:07.00\00:22:08.03
They had to continue eating
from the tree of life in order
00:22:08.06\00:22:11.89
to continue living.
00:22:11.92\00:22:13.02
Now my point is this, that Adam
and Eve did not have immortality
00:22:13.05\00:22:18.19
residing within themselves.
00:22:18.22\00:22:19.65
They did not have an
immortal soul inside their body,
00:22:19.68\00:22:23.62
because their only source of
immortality was in continuously
00:22:23.65\00:22:28.23
partaking from God's tree.
00:22:28.26\00:22:30.23
Their only way to perpetuate,
or prolong their life, was by
00:22:30.26\00:22:35.40
partaking of the
tree outside of them.
00:22:35.43\00:22:37.69
The immortality was in
the tree, not within them.
00:22:37.72\00:22:41.63
You'll notice that God said
in Genesis 2:17 that if they ate
00:22:41.66\00:22:47.46
from the tree
they would surely die.
00:22:47.49\00:22:50.74
Notice Genesis 2:17:
00:22:50.77\00:22:54.05
Now my question is this,
if man was immortal by nature,
00:23:04.81\00:23:08.68
what God was saying
was absolutely foolishness,
00:23:08.71\00:23:11.75
and I'm not
intending to be sacrilegious.
00:23:11.78\00:23:14.60
If man had an immortal
soul, then when God says,
00:23:14.63\00:23:18.77
you'll surely die, He was lying
because if man had an immortal
00:23:18.80\00:23:22.58
soul he couldn't die.
00:23:22.61\00:23:23.85
By the way, go with me to
Genesis 3:22-24 and you'll see
00:23:23.88\00:23:31.62
that man is not
immortal by nature.
00:23:31.65\00:23:35.26
In fact when he sinned he
was cast out of the garden.
00:23:35.29\00:23:38.92
He could no longer eat from
the tree of life, and therefore
00:23:38.95\00:23:42.33
he lost the possibility
of continuing his life.
00:23:42.36\00:23:46.78
Notice Genesis 3:22-24:
00:23:46.81\00:23:53.11
What would happen if man
ate from the tree of life?
00:24:05.95\00:24:09.22
He would live forever.
00:24:09.25\00:24:11.03
By the way, he had to continue
eating from the tree of life.
00:24:11.06\00:24:13.32
It wasn't enough
just to eat once.
00:24:13.35\00:24:15.50
It was kind of
like a battery charger.
00:24:15.53\00:24:17.99
You say, How do you know that?
00:24:18.02\00:24:19.10
Well, because even
when sin is done away with
00:24:19.13\00:24:21.65
at the end of time, the Bible
says that we will go from month
00:24:21.68\00:24:25.30
to month to eat from the
tree of life, even in eternity.
00:24:25.33\00:24:28.75
In other words, it
was a continual eating.
00:24:28.78\00:24:31.43
Notice verse 23:
00:24:31.46\00:24:32.92
In other words, man was
barred from eating from the tree
00:24:51.49\00:24:55.13
of life, and therefore he was
no longer going to live forever.
00:24:55.16\00:24:59.37
Is this point
clear in your mind?
00:24:59.40\00:25:01.41
Incidentally, if man is by
nature immortal, then why would
00:25:01.44\00:25:07.28
Jesus bother to come to die
to give us what we already have?
00:25:07.31\00:25:11.71
Really, this idea of the
immortality of the soul makes
00:25:11.74\00:25:15.27
Jesus unnecessary.
00:25:15.30\00:25:16.88
It makes the death of Christ
unnecessary, because if I'm
00:25:16.91\00:25:20.95
immortal, if I can't die,
why would Jesus die to give me
00:25:20.98\00:25:25.37
that which I already possess?
00:25:25.40\00:25:27.83
So the only way that life
could be perpetuated was by
00:25:27.86\00:25:33.03
partaking of the tree of life.
00:25:33.06\00:25:34.59
When man sinned he was
barred from the tree of life,
00:25:34.62\00:25:37.32
and therefore he
was doomed to death.
00:25:37.35\00:25:40.64
Now lets talk a little
bit about our sixth point,
00:25:40.67\00:25:44.99
and that is, what is death,
and what happens to the body
00:25:45.02\00:25:50.79
and to the spirit, or the breath
at death, and therefore what
00:25:50.82\00:25:54.14
happens to the soul?
00:25:54.17\00:25:55.28
Go with me to
Genesis 3:19, Genesis 3:19.
00:25:55.31\00:26:02.62
And we find here the sentence
that God is pronouncing upon
00:26:02.65\00:26:08.39
Adam. It says there,
God speaking to Adam:
00:26:08.42\00:26:12.30
Notice it doesn't say your body
is dust, and part of you will
00:26:30.41\00:26:36.66
return to the dust.
00:26:36.69\00:26:38.15
God says, You are dust,
and to dust you will return.
00:26:38.18\00:26:44.39
In other words, he was
going to be like he was
00:26:44.42\00:26:47.30
before he was created.
00:26:47.33\00:26:48.51
You can't return to
the dust unless you were
00:26:48.54\00:26:50.71
taken out of the dust.
00:26:50.74\00:26:51.79
And so what happens with
the body when a person dies
00:26:51.82\00:26:55.04
is that the body
returns to the dust.
00:26:55.07\00:26:58.74
It disintegrates; it decays.
00:26:58.77\00:27:01.30
And you know that this is true.
00:27:01.33\00:27:03.52
If you open up a grave many
years after the person has died,
00:27:03.55\00:27:07.24
the body has decomposed,
and the individual has
00:27:07.27\00:27:11.14
been reduced to dust.
00:27:11.38\00:27:13.02
And so when a person dies,
the body returns to the dust.
00:27:13.05\00:27:17.80
Now the question is,
what happens with the spirit,
00:27:17.83\00:27:21.38
or the breath
when a person dies?
00:27:21.41\00:27:23.31
Well, we have several
references in scripture
00:27:23.34\00:27:26.66
that describe this phenomena.
00:27:26.69\00:27:28.42
Notice John 19:30, John 19:30.
00:27:28.45\00:27:36.80
This is referring
to the death of Jesus.
00:27:36.83\00:27:39.28
And we're told
exactly there what happened
00:27:39.31\00:27:42.65
to Jesus when He died.
00:27:43.67\00:27:44.77
It says there in verse 30:
So when Jesus had received the
00:27:44.80\00:27:50.39
sour wine He said, It is
finished: and bowing His head,
00:27:50.42\00:27:56.29
He gave up His what?
00:27:56.32\00:27:58.51
He gave up His spirit.
00:27:58.54\00:28:00.39
The King James Version
says He gave up the ghost.
00:28:00.42\00:28:04.30
But actually what did Jesus do?
00:28:04.33\00:28:07.48
Well, when Jesus
said, It is finished.
00:28:07.51\00:28:10.63
Into Your hands I
commend My spirit.
00:28:10.66\00:28:12.74
Jesus breathed His last.
00:28:12.77\00:28:15.96
In other words He expired.
00:28:15.99\00:28:19.12
To give up the
spirit means to expire.
00:28:19.15\00:28:21.86
It means to breathe your last.
00:28:21.89\00:28:24.15
Do you remember that
the spirit, or the breath,
00:28:24.18\00:28:26.08
is in the nostrils, and you
use your nostrils to breathe?
00:28:26.11\00:28:29.54
So when Jesus on the
cross died, He expired,
00:28:29.57\00:28:33.98
and He breathed no more.
00:28:34.01\00:28:35.47
His body was no
longer functioning because
00:28:35.50\00:28:37.97
it didn't have breath.
00:28:38.00\00:28:39.11
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:28:39.14\00:28:41.01
Now we have some other examples
of this in the New Testament.
00:28:41.04\00:28:45.37
I'll just
mention them in passing.
00:28:45.40\00:28:47.10
We have, for example,
Herod, the death of Herod.
00:28:47.13\00:28:51.13
You can find this in Acts 12:23.
00:28:51.16\00:28:54.98
It says that Herod died
and he gave up the ghost.
00:28:55.01\00:29:00.24
In other words he
gave up the spirit.
00:29:00.27\00:29:02.26
He gave up his breath.
00:29:02.29\00:29:03.74
He breathed his
last; he expired.
00:29:03.77\00:29:06.22
You find this same phenomenon
with Ananias and Sapphira
00:29:06.25\00:29:10.10
in Acts 5:5, 10. It says there,
you know, that they actually
00:29:10.13\00:29:16.60
promised that they were going
to give God a certain amount,
00:29:16.63\00:29:18.99
and they ended
up giving Him less.
00:29:19.02\00:29:20.38
And so Ananias dropped dead.
00:29:20.41\00:29:23.68
And then the Bible says
that Sapphira told the same lie.
00:29:23.71\00:29:29.39
And the Bible tells us
that she also gave up the ghost.
00:29:29.42\00:29:33.69
She expired, and then the
people came and they carried
00:29:33.73\00:29:36.37
away her dead body.
00:29:36.40\00:29:37.43
So once again, when a person
dies the spirit, or the breath,
00:29:37.46\00:29:42.28
leaves the body
and returns to God.
00:29:42.31\00:29:45.33
In other words the body
doesn't function anymore.
00:29:45.36\00:29:47.87
It doesn't breath anymore.
00:29:47.90\00:29:49.04
It's not energized anymore.
00:29:49.07\00:29:50.92
The body returns to the dust,
and the breath leaves the body,
00:29:50.95\00:29:55.93
so to speak. Now we need
to go to our seventh point.
00:29:55.96\00:30:01.24
The seventh point is this:
What happens in the interim
00:30:01.27\00:30:06.65
period between death
and when Jesus comes?
00:30:06.68\00:30:12.52
Well, we need to
let the Bible tell us.
00:30:12.55\00:30:15.54
Many people think that when
you die you either go to heaven,
00:30:15.57\00:30:18.46
your soul goes to heaven, or
your soul goes to hell if you
00:30:18.49\00:30:21.23
were wicked, or
perhaps go to an intermediary
00:30:21.26\00:30:24.00
place called
purgatory, or perhaps to limbo.
00:30:24.03\00:30:28.06
There's all kinds of
different categories where
00:30:28.09\00:30:30.21
people supposedly go.
00:30:30.24\00:30:31.30
But what does the Bible have
to say about the retaining place
00:30:31.33\00:30:35.43
where people go when they die?
00:30:35.46\00:30:37.04
Notice John 5:28,
29, John 5: 28, 29.
00:30:37.07\00:30:45.57
And here Jesus is
speaking, and He says this:
00:30:45.60\00:30:48.52
In heaven or in
hell will hear His voice.
00:30:53.97\00:30:56.91
Is that what it says? No!
00:30:56.94\00:31:00.00
Where are the
dead after their death,
00:31:16.31\00:31:19.36
and before the resurrection?
00:31:19.39\00:31:20.49
They are in their graves,
and when Jesus comes the Bible
00:31:20.52\00:31:25.02
tells us that they come forth.
00:31:25.05\00:31:28.65
By the way, we
have the interesting
00:31:28.68\00:31:31.22
experience of Lazarus.
00:31:31.25\00:31:32.80
Lazarus of Bethany, a
very good friend of Jesus.
00:31:32.83\00:31:36.64
And Lazarus died and Jesus came
to the tomb, which was a cave
00:31:36.67\00:31:44.08
in the rock, hewn in rock, and
Jesus said, Our friend Lazarus
00:31:44.11\00:31:50.46
is what? Our friend
Lazarus is sleeping,
00:31:50.49\00:31:53.55
but I'm going to awaken him.
00:31:53.58\00:31:56.24
Now isn't that interesting?
00:31:56.27\00:31:58.27
Death is compared with what?
00:31:58.30\00:32:00.26
Death is compared with sleep.
00:32:00.29\00:32:03.05
Do you know that over fifty
times in the Bible death is
00:32:03.08\00:32:07.34
compared to sleep?
00:32:07.37\00:32:08.46
Now you say, Why would
death be compared to sleep?
00:32:08.49\00:32:11.43
Very simple. I believe
there are three reasons:
00:32:11.46\00:32:13.82
1. Because when we sleep w rest.
00:32:13.85\00:32:17.89
And when people die they rest.
00:32:17.92\00:32:21.94
I've seen people who
have suffered intensely
00:32:21.97\00:32:25.25
during their lives.
00:32:25.28\00:32:26.31
They've gotten very ill in
the last days of their lives,
00:32:26.34\00:32:29.66
and when they die they rest.
00:32:29.69\00:32:32.36
And Revelation 14:13
says that they will rest
00:32:32.39\00:32:36.07
from their labors.
00:32:36.10\00:32:37.33
The second reason why I believe
that the Bible compares death
00:32:37.36\00:32:41.06
to sleep, or to rest, is
because in death, like in sleep,
00:32:41.09\00:32:46.58
you are unconscious about
what's happening around you.
00:32:46.61\00:32:49.97
And the third reason is
that as from sleep you awaken,
00:32:50.00\00:32:55.59
in the same way, from
death you will awaken.
00:32:55.62\00:32:58.84
The only difference is that in
death you sleep a little longer
00:32:58.87\00:33:02.87
than you do when
you go to bed at night.
00:33:02.90\00:33:05.68
And so the Bible, over fifty
times, refers to death as sleep.
00:33:05.71\00:33:10.06
When people are in
their graves, in other words,
00:33:10.09\00:33:12.92
they are sleeping until
the moment that Jesus comes
00:33:12.95\00:33:17.12
to resurrect them from the dead.
00:33:17.15\00:33:19.58
Now we don't have time
to read all of these verses,
00:33:19.61\00:33:22.75
but I'm going to mention them,
and the basic content of each.
00:33:22.78\00:33:26.18
You will have these texts
in your lecture when you go out
00:33:26.21\00:33:30.51
from the lecture today.
00:33:30.54\00:33:33.00
Ecclesiastics 9:5, 6, 10.
00:33:33.03\00:33:37.74
There's one verse there that
says, The living know that they
00:33:37.77\00:33:41.80
will die, but the
dead know not anything.
00:33:41.83\00:33:46.64
Now let me ask you, how
much is know not anything?
00:33:46.67\00:33:51.08
Does that mean
just a little bit?
00:33:51.11\00:33:53.07
You know, just a
little bit of memory?
00:33:53.10\00:33:56.46
Absolutely not! Very clearly
Solomon says that the living,
00:33:56.49\00:34:01.30
they know that they're
going to die, but the dead know
00:34:01.33\00:34:04.27
absolutely nothing.
00:34:04.30\00:34:05.69
Psalms 6:5 says that in the
grave there is no remembrance
00:34:05.72\00:34:10.61
of God. There is no
thanking God in death.
00:34:10.64\00:34:15.34
Psalms 115:17 explains that
the dead do not praise the Lord.
00:34:15.37\00:34:21.10
Neither do those who
go down into silence.
00:34:21.13\00:34:24.10
Psalms 146:4 tells us that the
plans of people who die perish.
00:34:24.13\00:34:32.46
In Psalms 104:29, 30 we're
told that individuals who die,
00:34:32.49\00:34:38.80
they return to the dust.
00:34:38.83\00:34:42.37
In Acts 2:29, 34 we
find that David did not
00:34:42.40\00:34:46.92
ascend into the heavens.
00:34:46.95\00:34:48.82
And, by the way, some people
say, Well, because he lived
00:34:48.85\00:34:51.05
in the Old Testament, and you
know, he wasn't going to ascend
00:34:51.09\00:34:53.90
into heaven until
Jesus died on the cross.
00:34:53.93\00:34:56.10
And then Jesus would take
him from Paradise on the final
00:34:56.13\00:35:00.06
journey to heaven.
00:35:00.09\00:35:01.12
Well, that's an interesting
concept, but do you know
00:35:01.15\00:35:04.48
that the apostle Peter
is saying this after Jesus
00:35:04.51\00:35:07.46
died on the cross, and after
Jesus has ascended to heaven?
00:35:07.49\00:35:10.76
This is on the day of Pentecost.
00:35:10.79\00:35:12.60
In other words, on the day
of Pentecost Peter is saying,
00:35:12.63\00:35:15.90
David has not gone to heaven.
00:35:15.93\00:35:19.35
In fact his sepulchre, or his
grave, is here with us today.
00:35:19.38\00:35:25.23
Now also in Isaiah 38:18, 19
we find very clearly that the
00:35:25.26\00:35:33.59
dead offer no thanks, they offer
no praise, and they can not
00:35:33.62\00:35:38.18
hope for God's truth.
00:35:38.21\00:35:40.28
And so the Bible is very clear
that when an individual dies,
00:35:40.31\00:35:44.91
he or she goes to the
grave, is unconscious, asleep,
00:35:44.94\00:35:51.25
until the moment
of the resurrection.
00:35:51.28\00:35:54.39
And this brings me to the
eighth point, and that is if a
00:35:54.42\00:35:58.75
person dies, does that person
have hope of living again?
00:35:58.79\00:36:04.85
The answer is Yes.
00:36:04.88\00:36:07.79
Do you remember that in
Genesis 2:17 we're told that God
00:36:07.82\00:36:13.81
said to Adam and Eve, The
day that you eat of the tree,
00:36:13.84\00:36:18.00
you will surely die?
00:36:18.03\00:36:19.65
On the very day that you eat
of the tree you will surely die?
00:36:19.68\00:36:23.01
We've studied previously that
they didn't die that very day.
00:36:23.04\00:36:26.51
In fact, Adam died
when he was 930 years old.
00:36:26.54\00:36:30.75
So how do you explain this?
00:36:30.78\00:36:32.86
Well, you'll also
remember that on that very day,
00:36:32.89\00:36:38.72
according to Genesis
3:21, there was a death.
00:36:38.75\00:36:43.24
Do you remember that
actually there were two deaths?
00:36:43.27\00:36:46.85
The deaths of
animals, probably lambs.
00:36:46.88\00:36:51.33
They were sacrificed that day.
00:36:51.36\00:36:53.43
What was indicated by
that sacrifice of the lambs?
00:36:53.46\00:36:57.15
It was actually a prophecy
that Jesus was going to come
00:36:57.18\00:37:01.63
in the future, and He was
going to die as the Lamb of God,
00:37:01.66\00:37:06.41
who takes away
the sin of the world.
00:37:06.44\00:37:09.77
In other words, in this
illustration in the garden of
00:37:09.80\00:37:13.62
Eden, with the death of these
two animals, probably lambs,
00:37:13.65\00:37:18.77
God was teaching that the Lamb
was going to take our death.
00:37:18.80\00:37:23.73
He was going to die
the death that we deserve,
00:37:23.76\00:37:27.31
so that we could have
the life that He deserves.
00:37:27.34\00:37:30.55
And that's the reason why, in
1 John 5:11, 12, 1 John 5:11, 12
00:37:30.58\00:37:40.21
we find these very meaningful
words, and they're very
00:37:40.24\00:37:43.94
categorical incidentally.
00:37:43.97\00:37:45.93
It says there in 1 John 5:11:
00:37:45.96\00:37:50.11
Notice it doesn't say
He will give us, it says:
00:37:55.21\00:37:57.62
Will have life. Is that
what it says? No, it says:
00:38:06.88\00:38:11.62
So what is the key?
00:38:20.09\00:38:22.11
In order to have
life we must have whom?
00:38:22.14\00:38:25.61
We must have Jesus.
00:38:25.64\00:38:27.37
This is life eternal,
that they might know Thee,
00:38:27.40\00:38:31.13
the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom Thou hast sent.
00:38:31.16\00:38:34.95
In other words, if we
receive Jesus as our Savior,
00:38:34.98\00:38:38.81
we have the
guarantee of life now.
00:38:38.84\00:38:43.25
But we've got a problem.
00:38:43.28\00:38:45.15
Let me ask you, do believers
in Christ die? Do they die?
00:38:45.18\00:38:51.53
I know many believers
in Christ who have died.
00:38:51.56\00:38:55.12
So you say, what do you
mean that when you accept Jesus
00:38:55.15\00:38:58.30
Christ as your
Savior, you have eternal life,
00:38:58.33\00:39:02.32
and yet you still die?
00:39:02.35\00:39:04.36
How do we understand this?
00:39:04.39\00:39:06.31
Well, the fact is folks, that
when we receive Jesus Christ,
00:39:06.34\00:39:10.92
His death takes
the place of my death.
00:39:10.95\00:39:13.89
And even though I should die
physically, some day Jesus is
00:39:13.92\00:39:20.17
going to come to resurrect
me, because as I received Him,
00:39:20.20\00:39:23.88
He has guaranteed that He will
give me everlasting life someday
00:39:23.91\00:39:28.77
physically, and empirically.
00:39:28.80\00:39:30.67
In fact, lets notice this in
the gospel of John 11:25, 26.
00:39:30.70\00:39:38.37
This is the chapter where
Christ resurrected Lazarus.
00:39:38.40\00:39:42.76
John 11:25, 26. Jesus said
to her, I am the resurrection
00:39:42.79\00:39:52.11
and the life. He who believes
in me, though he may die,
00:39:52.14\00:39:58.95
he shall what? He shall live.
00:39:58.98\00:40:02.44
So Jesus says, You
might die physically.
00:40:02.47\00:40:04.59
Yeah, you might die in this
life, but don't worry about it.
00:40:04.62\00:40:07.79
He says, because if you
receive Me, you will have,
00:40:07.82\00:40:12.02
in the future, life.
00:40:12.05\00:40:13.97
And it says in verse 26,
And whoever lives and believes
00:40:14.00\00:40:18.48
in Me shall never die.
00:40:18.51\00:40:20.93
Do you believe this?
00:40:20.96\00:40:22.34
Now when He says, You will
never die, is He talking about
00:40:22.37\00:40:25.33
never dying physically? No!
00:40:25.36\00:40:27.41
He's talking about
never dying how? eternally.
00:40:27.44\00:40:31.17
Not being eternally excluded
from the privilege of life.
00:40:31.20\00:40:36.95
And so we find very clearly that
God gives us right now hope,
00:40:36.98\00:40:42.35
and He gives us everlasting
life in Jesus Christ.
00:40:42.38\00:40:45.97
You know, we don't
have to be scared of death.
00:40:46.01\00:40:48.15
We don't have to be
worried about dying.
00:40:48.18\00:40:50.13
We don't have to be bent out of
shape over what happens when we
00:40:50.16\00:40:56.08
give our last breath, when
we let go of our last breath.
00:40:56.11\00:40:59.18
We don't have to worry about
that, because if we receive
00:40:59.21\00:41:02.09
Jesus, our life
is hidden in Him.
00:41:02.12\00:41:05.23
We can take it to the bank.
00:41:05.26\00:41:07.66
It's certain that He has written
in by our name in heaven,
00:41:07.69\00:41:12.44
everlasting life, and
someday He's going to break
00:41:12.47\00:41:16.45
the power of death.
00:41:16.48\00:41:18.35
In fact, lets go to our eighth
point and that is, When will the
00:41:18.38\00:41:24.15
power of death be broken?
00:41:24.18\00:41:26.63
Well, some people say that
when you die you go to heaven.
00:41:26.66\00:41:30.29
If when you die you go to
heaven, why would Jesus even
00:41:30.32\00:41:33.75
bother to come and
give you life when He comes
00:41:33.78\00:41:36.14
in His second coming?
00:41:36.17\00:41:37.20
The fact is, the Bible tells
us very clearly that we will
00:41:37.23\00:41:41.97
receive
immortality when Jesus comes.
00:41:42.00\00:41:45.82
We can have the guarantee of
eternal life now, but we will
00:41:45.85\00:41:49.05
receive
immortality when Jesus comes;
00:41:49.08\00:41:51.51
the final touch of immortality.
00:41:51.54\00:41:53.65
You say, Where does
the Bible say such a thing?
00:41:53.68\00:41:55.90
Well, go with me to
1 Corinthians 15:51-53,
00:41:55.93\00:42:03.15
1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
00:42:03.18\00:42:10.09
Here the apostle Paul is dealing
specifically with the issue
00:42:10.12\00:42:14.03
of the resurrection, and he
says this, 1 Corinthians 15:51:
00:42:14.06\00:42:21.43
And now notice this.
00:42:35.90\00:42:37.01
Why would we have
to put on immortality
00:42:51.94\00:42:55.39
if we are already immortal?
00:42:55.42\00:42:56.90
When will we put on immortality?
00:42:56.93\00:42:59.77
Is it at the moment we die, or
is it at the moment when Jesus
00:42:59.80\00:43:04.62
comes with the sound of the
trumpet, and resurrects the dead
00:43:04.66\00:43:08.03
and gives them the
touch of immortality,
00:43:08.06\00:43:10.44
and the touch of incorruption?
00:43:10.47\00:43:12.38
Scripture is very
clear on this point.
00:43:12.41\00:43:14.72
Go with me also
to 1 Thessalonians 4,
00:43:14.75\00:43:18.28
1 Thessalonians
4:15-17, 1 Thessalonians 4:15.
00:43:18.31\00:43:29.21
Here the apostle Paul says this:
00:43:29.24\00:43:31.38
In other words the living
are not going to go to heaven
00:43:43.86\00:43:46.46
before whom?
before the dead. Verse 16.
00:43:46.49\00:43:50.53
The same trumpet that we
read about in 1 Corinthians 15.
00:44:01.28\00:44:04.99
Now verse 17 is crucial.
00:44:09.35\00:44:12.08
Question: who
goes to heaven first?
00:44:25.56\00:44:28.32
Those who are alive when
Jesus comes, or those who died?
00:44:28.35\00:44:31.92
What do most Christians teach?
00:44:31.95\00:44:36.80
They teach that when a
person dies, if they were good,
00:44:36.83\00:44:39.99
they are whisked off to heaven.
00:44:40.02\00:44:41.85
If they were evil
they're sent to hell.
00:44:41.88\00:44:44.37
If that's true, why would
Jesus even bother to come?
00:44:44.40\00:44:48.93
Are you
understanding what I am saying?
00:44:48.96\00:44:51.13
And so I want you to notice
here that this text very clearly
00:44:51.16\00:44:56.25
says that we will be caught
up together with those who died,
00:44:56.28\00:45:01.87
and resurrected, and taken
to heaven to be with the Lord;
00:45:01.90\00:45:06.23
all together. If we're taken
to heaven when Jesus comes,
00:45:06.26\00:45:09.71
we were not taken to heaven
when we what? when we died.
00:45:09.74\00:45:14.47
The Bible is clear on this.
00:45:14.50\00:45:16.17
Notice John 14:1-3, John 14:1-3.
00:45:16.20\00:45:23.93
We find here the promise that
Jesus made to His disciples,
00:45:23.96\00:45:28.63
and also to us. Jesus says,
Let not your heart be troubled.
00:45:28.66\00:45:33.62
You believe in
God, believe also in Me.
00:45:33.65\00:45:36.95
In My Father's
house are many mansions.
00:45:36.98\00:45:41.84
If it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:45:41.87\00:45:45.19
I go to prepare a place for
you, and if I go, now notice,
00:45:45.22\00:45:51.80
and prepare a place for you.
00:45:51.83\00:45:54.43
I will come again and receive
you to Myself, that where I am,
00:45:54.46\00:46:00.33
there you may be also.
00:46:00.36\00:46:03.09
Question: when will the children
of Jesus be where Jesus is?
00:46:03.12\00:46:08.86
When He what?
When He comes again!
00:46:08.89\00:46:13.04
It's not at the
moment when we die that we go
00:46:13.07\00:46:17.42
to be with the Lord,
it's when Jesus what?
00:46:17.45\00:46:20.18
It's when Jesus comes
again, and in the interim
00:46:20.21\00:46:25.49
we're simply
resting, or sleeping.
00:46:25.52\00:46:30.21
And when Jesus comes He's going
to wake us up out of our sleep.
00:46:30.24\00:46:35.45
Notice this wonderful
verse that we find in Acts 7:60.
00:46:35.48\00:46:40.96
It's talking about
the death of the first
00:46:40.99\00:46:43.40
Christian martyr, Stephen.
00:46:43.43\00:46:45.52
And I just love the way
that his death is expressed here
00:46:45.55\00:46:50.05
in Acts 7:60 as
they're stoning him.
00:46:50.08\00:46:55.20
Notice what it says there.
00:46:55.23\00:46:56.62
Then he knelt down and
cried out with a loud voice,
00:46:56.65\00:47:01.90
Lord, do not
charge them with this sin.
00:47:01.93\00:47:06.36
And when He had said
this He what? He fell asleep.
00:47:06.39\00:47:13.98
I like that! It
doesn't say He died.
00:47:14.01\00:47:18.06
It says, He fell asleep.
00:47:18.09\00:47:20.72
Let me ask you, What
is the next thing that
00:47:20.75\00:47:22.44
Stephen is going to hear?
00:47:22.47\00:47:23.50
The next thing he's going
to hear is when Jesus comes.
00:47:23.53\00:47:27.94
Jesus is going to
say, Stephen, wake up!
00:47:27.97\00:47:30.59
Wake up! And Stephen is
going to awaken from the grave.
00:47:30.62\00:47:38.70
And, by the way, for
Steven, how much time has passed
00:47:38.73\00:47:42.82
from the moment he died, until
the moment when Jesus comes?
00:47:42.85\00:47:46.31
How much time has
passed for Stephen?
00:47:46.34\00:47:48.41
None, because all during
that period he's been what?
00:47:48.44\00:47:52.95
unconscious. Now I'm
going t say something which
00:47:52.98\00:47:56.18
I want you to
understand what I'm saying.
00:47:56.21\00:47:58.17
There's a certain
sense in which when you die
00:47:58.20\00:48:01.00
you immediately go to heaven.
00:48:01.03\00:48:02.89
Now let me explain what I mean.
00:48:02.92\00:48:06.29
For Stephen his
last thinking moment
00:48:06.32\00:48:09.78
was when they were stoning him.
00:48:09.81\00:48:11.39
His next thinking
moment is when Jesus calls him.
00:48:11.42\00:48:15.64
How much time has
transpired for Stephen? none.
00:48:15.67\00:48:19.18
And so he died and
the next thinking moment
00:48:19.21\00:48:22.08
he's with the Lord.
00:48:22.11\00:48:23.14
For him, from his perspective,
there is no period between
00:48:23.17\00:48:27.99
when he died,
and when Jesus comes.
00:48:28.02\00:48:29.28
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:48:29.31\00:48:30.57
And so you don't have to worry.
00:48:30.60\00:48:32.33
Oh, I'm going to be in a
cold tomb for who knows how many
00:48:32.36\00:48:35.44
years until Jesus comes.
00:48:35.47\00:48:36.50
You're not going to know it.
00:48:36.63\00:48:37.66
Your next thinking moment is
actually when Jesus is coming
00:48:37.69\00:48:41.09
on the clouds to call
you forth from the grave.
00:48:41.12\00:48:44.48
And, by the way, scripture
says that when Jesus comes
00:48:44.51\00:48:47.56
He's going to give us a
body like the body of Jesus.
00:48:47.59\00:48:50.47
Notice what we find
in Philippians 3:20, 21,
00:48:50.50\00:48:55.83
Philippians 3:20, 21.
00:48:55.86\00:49:00.03
Here the apostle
Paul is speaking about the
00:49:00.06\00:49:02.61
resurrected body of
Christ, and he's going to say
00:49:02.64\00:49:05.97
that we're going to
receive a body just like His.
00:49:06.00\00:49:08.16
He says there in verse 20, For
our citizenship is in heaven;
00:49:08.19\00:49:12.30
from which we also
eagerly wait for the Savior,
00:49:12.33\00:49:17.29
the Lord Jesus Christ: who
will transform our lowly body,
00:49:17.32\00:49:23.64
that it may be
conformed to His glorious body,
00:49:23.67\00:49:27.25
according to the working
by which He is able even to
00:49:27.28\00:49:30.35
subdue all things to Himself.
00:49:30.38\00:49:32.20
Our body will be conformed
according to the body of Jesus.
00:49:32.23\00:49:36.43
Now there's some Christians
that say that up there
00:49:36.46\00:49:39.45
we're not going to have a
body; that we're going to be
00:49:39.48\00:49:41.05
kind of like spirits or ghosts.
00:49:41.08\00:49:42.84
Let me ask you, When Jesus
resurrected did He have a body?
00:49:42.87\00:49:46.38
Of course He did!
00:49:46.41\00:49:47.94
In Luke 24 we find Jesus
appearing to the disciples
00:49:47.97\00:49:53.18
and He says, Listen, you think
I'm a ghost, but a ghost does
00:49:53.21\00:49:56.38
not have flesh and
bones, like you see that I have.
00:49:56.41\00:49:59.16
And then He said, they
still didn't want to believe,
00:49:59.19\00:50:01.26
so He said, Do you
have something to eat?
00:50:01.29\00:50:03.01
Do ghosts eat is
what He's saying?
00:50:03.04\00:50:04.97
Give me something to eat!
00:50:05.00\00:50:06.56
So they gave Him a piece
of a fish, and they gave Him
00:50:06.59\00:50:08.52
some honey, and He
ate in their midst.
00:50:08.55\00:50:10.36
In other words, we're going to
have real bodies, but they are
00:50:10.39\00:50:13.38
going to be glorified bodies.
00:50:13.41\00:50:15.90
They will be bodies
not subject to corruption.
00:50:15.93\00:50:18.76
They will be bodies
not subject to death,
00:50:18.79\00:50:21.43
because they will be immortal.
00:50:21.46\00:50:23.90
Now we must go
to our ninth point.
00:50:23.93\00:50:26.40
The ninth point is this:
When will death come to an end?
00:50:26.43\00:50:31.63
You know, it won't even
come to an end when Jesus comes,
00:50:31.66\00:50:35.84
because when Jesus comes the
second time, every wicked person
00:50:35.87\00:50:40.10
on Planet Earth is going to die.
00:50:40.13\00:50:41.80
And all of the wicked
who have died before that,
00:50:41.83\00:50:44.94
we're going to study
this later on when we deal
00:50:44.97\00:50:46.98
with the millennium.
00:50:47.01\00:50:48.07
All of those wicked people who
have died before Jesus comes,
00:50:48.10\00:50:51.91
will remain dead.
00:50:51.94\00:50:53.03
So when Jesus comes the
righteous receive the touch
00:50:53.06\00:50:57.84
of immortality, but
the wicked are still dead.
00:50:57.87\00:51:00.60
Death has not totally been
eradicated from the universe.
00:51:00.63\00:51:04.67
So the question is,
when will death be no more?
00:51:04.70\00:51:07.98
According to
Revelation 21:4 it will happen
00:51:08.01\00:51:12.12
after the millennium,
after the thousand years,
00:51:12.15\00:51:15.14
when God
destroys sin and sinners.
00:51:15.17\00:51:19.01
He will destroy also second
death and death will be no more.
00:51:19.04\00:51:23.79
Revelation 21:4 says:
00:51:23.82\00:51:26.27
There shall be no
more what? Praise the Lord!
00:51:33.89\00:51:39.36
So when God makes a new heavens,
and a new earth, death will be
00:51:47.47\00:51:51.47
eradicated from the universe.
00:51:51.50\00:51:53.36
And then God's
people will live forever.
00:51:53.39\00:51:56.81
Let me ask you, how
will we live forever?
00:51:56.84\00:51:59.16
How could Adam and Eve live
forever in the garden of Eden?
00:51:59.19\00:52:03.27
Do you remember?
They had to what?
00:52:03.30\00:52:05.79
They had to continuously
eat from the tree of life.
00:52:05.82\00:52:09.28
You say, Well, it doesn't
say in Genesis that they had to
00:52:09.31\00:52:12.13
continue eating
from the tree of life.
00:52:12.16\00:52:14.39
It gives the impression
that had to eat only once.
00:52:14.42\00:52:18.22
Well, the fact is we
know that even in eternity,
00:52:18.25\00:52:21.60
after we receive the touch of
immortality, and incorruption,
00:52:21.63\00:52:24.85
we are going to have
to eat on a monthly basis,
00:52:24.88\00:52:28.81
from the tree of life.
00:52:28.84\00:52:29.87
Notice Revelation 22, Revelation
22:2, Revelation 22:2.
00:52:29.90\00:52:39.52
We're told here about a tree
that is in the New Jerusalem.
00:52:39.55\00:52:43.45
It says:
00:52:43.48\00:52:44.51
The leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations.
00:52:57.82\00:53:01.25
How frequently does the
tree of life bear its fruit?
00:53:01.28\00:53:03.61
Every month. And, by the way,
in Isaiah 66:22, 23 we're told
00:53:03.64\00:53:09.68
that when Jesus comes, after the
thousand years, and He cleanses
00:53:09.71\00:53:16.10
the earth from sin and sinners,
and He makes a new heavens
00:53:16.13\00:53:18.62
and a new earth, we will
go to worship before the Lord
00:53:18.65\00:53:22.98
from month to month,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath.
00:53:23.01\00:53:26.47
Sabbath to Sabbath
because that's the day of rest.
00:53:26.50\00:53:29.68
Month to month because
Revelation tells us that there's
00:53:29.71\00:53:33.64
the tree of life there, which
produces its fruit every month,
00:53:33.67\00:53:36.68
and we will have to eat from
the fruit of the tree of life
00:53:36.71\00:53:39.78
every month to continue living.
00:53:39.81\00:53:42.18
That beautiful verse
in Revelation 22:14 says,
00:53:42.21\00:53:46.09
Blessed are those
who do His commandments,
00:53:46.12\00:53:49.27
or who keep His commandments,
that they may have the right
00:53:49.30\00:53:52.44
to the tree of life,
and may enter through the
00:53:52.48\00:53:55.01
gates into the city.
00:53:55.04\00:53:56.71
God will have a people
who will enter the holy city,
00:53:56.74\00:53:59.61
and they will continue to
eat from the tree of life,
00:53:59.64\00:54:02.34
and thus they will
continue to live forever.
00:54:02.37\00:54:06.11
Now we need to go
to our last point.
00:54:06.14\00:54:09.00
Why is this
subject so important?
00:54:09.03\00:54:12.70
I'm going to give
you several reasons.
00:54:12.73\00:54:15.29
Reason 1. The idea that man has
an immortal soul brings glory
00:54:15.32\00:54:22.50
and honor to man, not to God.
00:54:22.53\00:54:25.03
I find it interesting
that theologians will tell you,
00:54:25.06\00:54:28.31
Oh, you know,
only God is omnipotent.
00:54:28.34\00:54:32.89
Only God is omniscient.
00:54:32.92\00:54:35.59
Only God is omnipresent.
00:54:35.62\00:54:37.88
You know, only God has
the capacity of being present
00:54:37.91\00:54:40.03
everywhere, or knowing
everything, or doing everything,
00:54:40.06\00:54:43.24
and then when you tell
them, Is only God immortal?
00:54:43.27\00:54:48.09
Oh, no, no, man
is immortal, too.
00:54:48.12\00:54:49.97
No! Immortality is just as much
an absolute attribute of God,
00:54:50.00\00:54:56.85
as are all of
His other attributes.
00:54:56.89\00:54:59.53
And to say that man
is immortal is to bring
00:54:59.57\00:55:01.82
honor and glory to man.
00:55:01.85\00:55:03.26
Furthermore, believing
that man has an immortal soul
00:55:03.29\00:55:07.61
makes God a liar, because
God said, You will surely die.
00:55:07.65\00:55:11.97
And if you say that you don't
die because you have an immortal
00:55:12.00\00:55:14.87
soul, than God was
lying, and the devil was what?
00:55:14.90\00:55:18.77
and the devil was right when he
said, You shall not surely die.
00:55:18.80\00:55:23.76
In the third place, if man is by
nature immortal, why would Jesus
00:55:23.80\00:55:28.73
have to die to give me
what I already possess;
00:55:28.76\00:55:31.18
what I already have?
00:55:31.21\00:55:32.24
It makes the death
of Jesus unnecessary.
00:55:32.27\00:55:34.91
Furthermore, if I have
a immortal soul inside,
00:55:34.95\00:55:39.51
that's going to leave the body,
and that's the important part
00:55:39.54\00:55:42.61
of my nature, and my old
body that I have now doesn't
00:55:42.64\00:55:46.30
make that much difference,
why should I even bother
00:55:46.33\00:55:49.43
to take care of
the body that much?
00:55:49.46\00:55:51.00
I can treat the
body any way I want.
00:55:51.04\00:55:52.54
Maybe that's the reason why many
Christians say that you can eat
00:55:52.57\00:55:55.91
anything, and you can
drink anything, and you can do
00:55:55.95\00:55:58.05
anything you
want with your body.
00:55:58.08\00:55:59.56
It depreciates the importance
of caring for the body,
00:55:59.59\00:56:03.11
if you believe that what's
important is your immortal
00:56:03.14\00:56:05.52
soul that's inside.
00:56:05.55\00:56:06.74
Furthermore the belief in
an immortal soul de-emphasizes
00:56:06.77\00:56:10.78
the second coming of Jesus.
00:56:10.82\00:56:11.96
After all, if you, when
you die, you go to heaven,
00:56:11.99\00:56:14.37
why should it be so urgent
for you to be expecting Jesus
00:56:14.40\00:56:17.62
to come to get you?
00:56:17.65\00:56:18.68
In fact, you know, now there's
this woman who they've taken
00:56:18.71\00:56:21.81
the feeding tube out of,
you know, and they're trying to
00:56:21.84\00:56:25.17
fight to keep her alive.
00:56:25.20\00:56:26.41
You know, if I were the
parents I would say, you know,
00:56:26.45\00:56:29.78
Let her rest. And according
to their belief, anyway,
00:56:29.81\00:56:33.70
she's going to go
straight to heaven.
00:56:33.74\00:56:34.99
She'll be a lot
happier in heaven
00:56:35.02\00:56:36.23
than in a bed in the hospice.
00:56:36.27\00:56:37.57
But, of course, people are not
sure, and so they want to cling,
00:56:37.61\00:56:42.77
and they want to hang onto life.
00:56:42.81\00:56:44.41
Finally, this subject is very
important, because those who
00:56:44.45\00:56:48.55
believe that the soul of man is
immortal, open the doors wide to
00:56:48.58\00:56:52.99
spiritualism, to the
manifestation of spiritualism.
00:56:53.02\00:56:55.48
You see, if you believe
that man is by nature immortal,
00:56:55.51\00:56:57.96
what is to keep people who have
supposedly gone to the other
00:56:57.99\00:57:01.71
world from coming back
and speaking to the living?
00:57:01.75\00:57:04.21
There are theologians in
the church today that are saying
00:57:04.24\00:57:07.63
that out of body experiences,
and near death experiences
00:57:07.66\00:57:10.77
are proof that there is life
after death, and that people
00:57:10.80\00:57:13.91
are coming to speak to us.
00:57:13.94\00:57:14.97
Folks we need to
believe that Jesus is our only
00:57:15.00\00:57:18.66
source of life,
and believe in Him,
00:57:18.70\00:57:20.99
and receive Him as our Savior.
00:57:21.03\00:57:23.63