Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: SOD
Program Code: SOD000001
00:01 If a man dies, shall he live again?
00:06 What does it mean to be absent from the body, 00:09 and present with the Lord? 00:11 Did Jesus go with the thief to paradise on Good Friday? 00:17 Did the souls of dead people really cry out 00:22 from below the altar? 00:23 Pastor Bohr answers these questions and more 00:28 in the amazing series: 00:35 Shall we bow our heads for prayer? 00:37 Our Father in heaven, what a joy it is 00:40 to be in Your presence today. 00:42 How wonderful it is to have Your Word, 00:46 especially in these last days of the history of the world 00:49 when everything seems to be spinning out of control. 00:52 And Father, as we begin this series about what happens when a 00:57 person dies, and the glorious hope of the resurrection 01:01 we ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit. 01:03 I ask, Lord, that You will give us hearts that are willing to 01:08 receive the truth as it is in Jesus. 01:10 And we thank you, Father, for hearing and answering our prayer 01:14 for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. 01:17 Throughout the course of the history of the world 01:22 there have been different concepts about what happens 01:26 when a person dies. 01:28 There are those who believe in what is called philosophically 01:32 nihilism. Basically, it's the idea that when a person dies 01:36 that's it. They return to the ground. 01:39 They return to the dust, and they live no more. 01:43 Then there are those who have New Age ideas. 01:47 Basically it's the idea that when a person dies they go back 01:52 and join what is called the universal, 01:55 or the cosmic consciousness. 01:58 Then we have those who believe that man was given an immortal 02:02 soul when he was created, and that when a person dies, 02:05 if he was good, or if she was good, the soul goes to heaven. 02:10 If the person was bad the soul goes to hell. 02:13 And there's at least one church in the world that teaches 02:17 that if the soul was not exactly good or bad it needs to go to 02:21 purgatory for awhile to cleanse itself. 02:24 And also that same church believes in what theologians 02:29 call limbo. And then there are those who believe that when a 02:33 person dies they simply go to an unconscious state until 02:39 the moment of the resurrection. 02:40 Now the question is, what is the Biblical view of death 02:45 and life? During the next twelve lectures we're going to 02:49 study this subject. We're not going to study it according 02:53 to the concepts of the philosophers. 02:55 We're not going to look at it from the concept 02:58 of the theologians. We are going to look at this subject 03:01 from the perspective of God's Holy Word. 03:05 The title of our subject for today is 03:09 The Right To the Tree of Life. 03:12 And what I would like to do is begin where the Bible begins 03:16 in Genesis 2:7 where we find a description of the origin 03:22 of life. Genesis 2:7. 03:27 And we'll be coming back to this verse many times during 03:31 the course of these lectures. It says there: 03:39 That's the physical nature of man. 03:42 The physical nature was made out of dust; 03:46 the body, in other words. 03:48 And then it says: 03:54 Now we use our nostrils to breathe. 03:56 In other words, God gave that body the capacity to breathe. 03:59 And then I want you to notice the last part of the verse. 04:03 It says: It's very important to realize that the text does not 04:11 say that man has a soul. 04:15 Neither does the text say that God gave man a soul. 04:20 The verse is very explicit when it says that man became 04:26 a living soul, or as the New King James translates it, 04:31 became a living being. 04:34 We can notice, for example, in the New International Version 04:38 that many, many times when the word soul appears 04:43 it is translated person. 04:46 In other words, the combination of the body of dust, 04:50 and the breath of life, gave as a result a person, 04:55 or a living being. Now I'd like us, as we begin, to compare 05:01 two verses of scripture so that we can see that the soul 05:06 is the person in his or her entirety. 05:10 First of all, I would like to read Matthew 16:26. 05:15 And then I want to go to Luke 9:25. 05:20 So I invite you to go in your Bibles to Matthew 16:26, 05:25 and please keep a finger there, and look up also Luke 9:25. 05:31 We're going to compare these two verses. 05:33 By the way, in these two verses you find the same teaching 05:38 of Jesus from the perspective of two different gospel writers. 05:42 And so we'll read first of all Matthew 16:26. 05:48 Here Jesus says, For what profit is it to a man if he gains 05:55 the whole world and loses his own soul? 05:59 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 06:04 Now notice that this verse says, What will a man gain 06:10 if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? 06:13 Now what does that mean, loses his soul? 06:17 Well, Luke 9:25 explains what the soul is. 06:22 Remember it's the same teaching of Jesus, 06:23 but it's expressed in different words. 06:26 It says there in Luke 9:25, For what profit is it to a man 06:32 if he gains the whole world, and now notice, and is himself 06:38 destroyed or lost? Did you notice that by comparing these 06:43 two verses; in one verse it speaks about losing his soul. 06:47 In the other verse it speaks about losing himself. 06:51 So what is the soul? 06:53 The soul is the self. 06:55 The soul, in other words, is the person. 06:59 Now there's something that we need to take into careful 07:03 account when we study the story of creation. 07:06 God created man with a perfect body; this is before sin. 07:12 And He placed man in a perfect environment. 07:17 And He gave man perfect laws to conserve health. 07:21 So, once again, the three key factors: God gave man a perfect 07:26 body, to live in a perfect environment, to live in harmony 07:30 with perfect laws. But there's an additional factor 07:34 which is extremely important, and that is that God also placed 07:39 in the garden of Eden a very special tree. 07:43 It's known as the tree of life. 07:46 I would like to read the description of this tree in 07:49 Genesis 2:9; Genesis 2:9. It says there: 08:12 Now a little bit later on we're going to talk about the tree of 08:15 the knowledge of good and evil, but for now I want us to focus 08:19 on the tree of life. 08:21 Basically, scripture teaches that in order for man 08:26 to continue living he had to continue eating 08:30 from the tree of life. 08:32 In other words, the life of man was contingent. 08:36 The life of man was dependent. 08:39 It was not inherent. 08:41 In other words, it did not belong to himself. 08:44 It was conditional. 08:47 And the tree of life was actually like a battery charger. 08:51 In other words, man would have to go every so often, 08:55 and before we end the presentation today, 08:58 I'm going to suggest that he had to go there every month, 09:01 and I'll show you the Biblical evidence for that. 09:04 But every month he had to go to the tree of life to partake 09:08 of the leaves, and to partake of the fruit so that his battery 09:12 could be charged. Now allow me to read you some very 09:16 interesting statements. 09:17 The first statement is by a scholar well known in the world 09:23 of scholars. His name is Wheeler Robinson. 09:26 In his book, The Christian Doctrine of Man, page 122, 09:30 he had this to say about the tree of life. 09:33 He's speaking about Paul's concept. He says: 09:37 Paul conceived man to be mortal by his original nature. 09:43 That's interesting coming from a theologian who's not a 09:48 a Seventh-day Adventist. 09:49 Paul conceived man to be mortal by his original nature, 09:53 but with the prospect of immortality. 09:57 This, however, he forfeited when he was driven forth from Eden, 10:03 and therefore from the tree of life, which would have nourished 10:08 immortality in him. Thus came death through sin. 10:14 In other words, the tree was to nourish immortality in man. 10:19 I would also like to read a couple of statements 10:22 from the writings of Ellen White. 10:25 She has some very interesting descriptions of this particular 10:30 tree, and what the tree did for man. 10:34 In her book, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 8, page 288, 10:39 she said this: The fruit of the tree of life... 10:47 And I'm going to prove this in a few moments from scripture. 11:04 In another statement, which we find in Patriarchs and Prophets, 11:08 that wonderful book that describes history from the fall 11:12 of Lucifer in heaven, all the way to the period of the kings, 11:15 Ellen White said this: 11:27 Notice that it was a continuous thing, not a once in a lifetime 11:31 thing. And so she continues saying: 11:44 So we have these four factors: perfect body, 11:48 in a perfect environment, living in harmony with perfect laws, 11:53 and having access to the tree of life. 11:55 But now we need to speak about the origin of death. 12:00 That tragic phenomenon that reaches every human being 12:04 on Planet Earth. You see, God had placed another tree 12:08 in the garden of Eden. 12:10 It is known as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 12:13 And God told Adam and Eve not to eat from that tree. 12:18 They were to continuously eat from the tree of life, 12:20 as a battery charger to continue refurbishing their vitality, 12:25 but they were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge 12:27 of good and evil. Let's read about that tree 12:30 in Genesis 2:15-17. Genesis 2:15-17. 12:38 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden 12:42 of Eden to tend and keep it. 13:02 Notice that God didn't say, If you eat of this tree 13:05 of the knowledge of good and evil you might die, 13:07 or perhaps you'll die, or you'll die. 13:10 God said, You will surely die if you eat from this tree. 13:16 Now in the garden we find the presence also of the ancient 13:22 serpent, the devil and Satan. 13:24 And it's interesting to notice that the devil directly 13:27 contradicted what God said. 13:29 In Genesis 3:4 we catch a part of the conversation of the devil 13:36 with Eve. He explicitly told her there in Genesis 3:4: 13:48 In other words, God said, You will die because you are mortal. 13:53 On the other hand the serpent said, You will not die, 13:57 because you are immortal. 14:00 Now the question is who was right? 14:03 Was God right that man would die, and therefore did not have 14:07 an immortal soul, or was the devil right that man would never 14:11 die because he had an immortal soul? 14:14 Well, let's look at the Biblical testimony. 14:17 Remember, we're not going here by what theologians say, 14:20 by what ministers say, by what philosophers say, we're going by 14:24 what the Holy Word of God has to say. 14:27 That is our source of authority. 14:29 Notice Genesis 3:6. Did Adam and Eve disobey the command of God? 14:36 They most certainly did. 14:37 Notice Genesis 3:6. 15:01 So the question is, did they disobey the command of God, 15:05 and did they eat from the tree of the knowledge of good 15:08 and evil? Yes, they did. 15:09 And God had said, In the day that you eat of this tree, 15:13 you will surely die. 15:16 Now let's read the sentence that God pronounced upon them. 15:20 Genesis 3:19. This is after sin. 15:25 Genesis 3:19. God is speaking here to the man and He says: 15:38 Notice that He doesn't say till your body returns 15:41 to the ground. He says: 15:45 Return means to the condition he was in before he was created. 15:50 So it says: 16:02 So it's not only talking about the body, it's talking about 16:06 the total being who is going to go to the dust. 16:10 Now, a little while ago I brought up the idea that man 16:14 had to continue eating from the tree of life in order 16:18 to continue living forever. 16:20 In other words, the fact that the life of man was contingent, 16:23 it was dependent, upon partaking from the tree which had 16:28 supernatural virtue. 16:30 In other words, in the tree there was miraculous power 16:33 to perpetuate life. You say, where does the Bible teach that? 16:38 Well, go with me to Genesis 3:22. 16:42 This is after sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, of course, we know 16:48 that God cast them out of the garden of Eden. 16:52 And let's notice why God cast them out of the garden of Eden. 16:56 It says there in Genesis 3:22: 17:19 Now wait a minute. What does this text say? so that man will 17:25 not stretch forth his hand, and partake of the fruit, 17:29 and live forever. That must mean that if he could not partake 17:34 of the fruit he would not what? 17:36 He would not live forever. 17:38 He had to eat from the fruit to live forever. Verse 23: 17:59 Notice this: to what? 18:07 Now we need to ask two questions. 18:10 Question 1. If man was already immortal, what good would it 18:15 have done for God to tell him that he couldn't eat 18:17 from the tree? The fact is that because he could not eat from 18:21 the tree, he was going to die. 18:24 If he ate from the tree he would continue living. 18:27 The fact is that it would not have done any good for God 18:31 to forbid the man from eating from the tree if man was already 18:35 immortal. But there's a more serious question, and it's this: 18:39 If Adam and Eve were immortal then why would Jesus have to die 18:47 to give them what they already possessed? 18:49 In other words, the death of Christ is made unnecessary 18:55 by the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, 18:57 because if you are already immortal, why would Jesus 19:00 have to die in order to give you immortality, which supposedly, 19:06 you already possessed? 19:07 In other words, this doctrine of the immortality of the soul 19:11 actually reduces the need that people have for Jesus Christ 19:17 as the source of life. 19:19 So after man sins several changes take place. 19:23 1. The body now begins to deteriorate. 19:27 2. The environment begins to deteriorate. 19:32 3. Man who lived in perfect obedience to the laws of God 19:36 now begins disobeying the laws of God. 19:39 4. Man can no longer partake of the tree of life. 19:44 Even if man had lived in a perfect environment, 19:48 with a perfect body; even if he had lived in harmony with the 19:52 laws of health. But if he had no access to the tree of life, 19:56 eventually, who knows after how many thousands, or perhaps 20:00 millions of years that had gone by, the life of man would have 20:04 become extinct. Now let's take a look at the life spans of those 20:10 great heroes who lived before the flood. 20:13 Their life spans are mentioned in Genesis 5. 20:17 This is after sin, and this is before the flood. 20:20 By the way, this period is a period of 1,600 years between 20:27 creation and the flood. 20:28 And we're not going to read all of the verses, but I just want 20:31 to mention the ages of the individuals who lived between 20:34 creation and the flood: 930, 912, 905, 910, 895, 962, 969, 20:50 the Grand Daddy of all! 20:52 Methuselah lived almost a thousand years. 20:55 777 and 950 years. Why is it that these individuals lived 21:04 to be so old compared to the people who live in the world 21:09 today? The fact is, folks, the reason is because they were 21:15 closer to the time that Adam and Eve had their battery fully 21:20 and completely charged. 21:23 In other words, they were close to the time when Adam and Eve 21:28 had the battery completely and totally charged, 21:32 and therefore the battery had not discharged as much as the 21:37 battery has discharged over so many thousands of years today. 21:42 But even though those people before the flood lived to be 21:47 almost a thousand years old, there is one thing which 21:50 Genesis 5 makes absolutely certain. 21:53 And that is that eight times in Genesis 5, and one time 21:59 in Genesis 9:29 the formula is used: And he died. 22:09 You can read it there in Genesis 5. 22:11 Eight times you can read it regarding Noah in Genesis 9:29. 22:17 It says he died. There's only one exception and that is Enoch. 22:22 It says there in Genesis 5 that he was translated to be with God 22:27 without suffering death. 22:29 So let me ask you, was the Word of God proved true? 22:32 Yes, because Genesis 5 says that even though they were 22:36 closer to the time when the battery was fully charged, 22:39 eventually, after living close to a thousand years, they died. 22:46 What God said later in Romans 6:23 was proved 22:51 absolutely true. And that text says, the wages of sin is death. 22:59 Allow me to read you a statement that we find in the 23:02 Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 7, page 988. 23:07 This is also from the pen of Ellen White regarding 23:11 the lifespan of those who lived before the flood. 23:14 She says this: As Adam and Eve ate of this tree 23:19 they acknowledged their dependence upon God. 23:22 It's talking about the tree of life. 23:23 The tree of life possessed the power to perpetuate life, 23:30 and as long as they ate of it they could not die. 23:36 Where was their source of life? 23:38 In some immortal soul that they possessed? No! 23:41 The source of life was in this miraculous tree of God. 23:46 You say, Well did the tree itself have virtue? 23:48 It must have had, because God forbade Adam and Eve from eating 23:52 from it. So the tree must have had some supernatural virtue. 23:56 She continues saying this, The lives of the antediluvians were 24:01 protracted, in other words, they were very long, because of the 24:05 life giving power of this tree, which was transmitted to them 24:11 from Adam and Eve. You know very well that a battery lasts a lot 24:17 longer when it's been fully charged. 24:19 As time goes by the battery becomes less and less powerful. 24:24 And that's exactly what happened after the flood. 24:28 Allow me to mention the life spans of the people who 24:31 lived after the flood. 24:33 These, by the way, are contained in Genesis 11. 24:37 And we're not going to look up the verses. 24:39 You can go to chapter 11 and you can read about the ten 24:43 patriarchs that are mentioned there. 24:45 By the way, they go from the times of Noah all the way 24:49 till the time of Abraham. 24:51 Here are the life spans: 600, 438, 433, 464, 239. 25:04 Then there was another person who lived 239. 25:07 230, 148, 205, and of course, Abraham, the last one in the 25:16 list, lived to be 175 years old. 25:21 Now the body of man had deteriorated much more. 25:27 Now the environment had become much worse 25:31 as a result of the flood. 25:33 Now man had no access to the tree of life to recharge 25:40 this battery of original life that God had given to Adam and 25:45 Eve. And of course, man was violating freely the laws 25:49 of health that God had established. 25:52 By the way, by the time we get to the days of Moses 25:55 the lifespan had diminished to about 120 years. 26:00 We can find that in Deuteronomy 34:7. 26:05 And by the time we get to the days of David, 26:08 we're told in Psalm 90:10 the following. Psalm 90:10: 26:32 So David is saying 70 or 80 years at the most. 26:38 Now we need to ask the question, So was there no hope for man? 26:45 Was there no hope of regaining life and immortality? 26:50 Was there no hope that death would be overcome, 26:54 and man could once again be blessed with the gift of 26:57 immortality? The answer is absolutely yes. 27:01 But it was not something that man had, it was a plan that God 27:06 had devised, and God was going to implement. 27:09 Let's go back to Genesis 2:17, and let's read that verse again 27:15 underlining and emphasizing one specific phrase. 27:20 Genesis 2:17. It says there: 27:33 930 years after you eat of it, you shall surely die. 27:38 Now I see you snickering out there. 27:41 Well, the fact is that it doesn't say after 930 years 27:45 you shall die. God said, In the day that you eat of it, 27:50 you shall surely die. 27:53 Of course, Adam did not die that very day. 27:57 Some people say, Well, he died spiritually. 27:59 That's true. He had to be converted. 28:01 He had to be born again. 28:02 Some people say, Well, his body started to die. 28:06 But the fact is that when the Bible says, You shall surely die 28:10 it's not talking about physical death. 28:12 It is talking about final, irrevocable death; 28:16 what the book of Revelation calls the second death. 28:20 Now the question is, Why didn't Adam and Eve die 28:24 that very day as God had said? 28:26 Did God lie to them? 28:28 Absolutely not! Genesis 3:21 has the answer. 28:34 You know that Adam and Eve after they sinned found themselves 28:38 naked, and they covered themselves with fig leaves. 28:42 But something else happened to cover their nakedness, 28:46 which is very important. 28:47 Genesis 3:21. It says there: 29:01 polyester and clothed them. 29:05 Oh, sorry, I got that wrong. 29:09 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of cotton 29:16 and clothed them. That's not what it says. 29:19 It says that God made tunics, or garments of skin, and clothed 29:25 them. The question is, what needs to happen in order for you 29:29 to get the skin of an animal? 29:31 The animal has to die. 29:34 And because it says skins, plural, it seems to indicate 29:37 that on that day two animals died to cover the nakedness 29:45 of Adam and Eve. You see, before sin Adam and Eve were clothed 29:49 with the robe of light. 29:50 They were naked when it came to human clothes, but they were 29:53 covered with the glorious light of God. 29:55 When they sinned, God says now, you're going to die. 29:58 They were naked, but then they are covered with the skins, 30:03 probably of lambs, probably of sheep. 30:06 What was God trying to teach through that? 30:09 Well, the fact is folks, that we usually think of Jesus dying on 30:13 the cross about 2,000 years ago, but the Bible teaches 30:19 that at least in promise, Jesus was slain from the foundation 30:24 of the world. In other words, the plan was devised even before 30:27 sin. And the plan was implemented as soon as Adam 30:31 and Eve sinned. Jesus Christ presented Himself and He said, 30:35 I will die in place of man so that he will live. 30:40 In other words, the earthly announcement of that was in the 30:44 sacrifice of those two lambs, because we know that the lambs 30:48 represent Jesus Christ. 30:50 Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 30:54 Allow me to read you two passages from the New Testament 30:57 that say that the plan of salvation was devised 31:00 long before Jesus actually died on the cross. 31:03 1 Peter 1:18-20. 1 Peter 1:18-20. 31:11 Here the Apostle Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says this: 31:14 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things 31:19 like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by 31:23 tradition from your fathers, but you were redeemed with the 31:27 precious blood of Christ, as of a what? 31:31 Ah, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 31:37 He indeed, notice this, was foreordained as the lamb of God. 31:43 He was foreordained before the foundation of the world, 31:48 but was manifest in these last times for you; 31:52 the plan ordained, the plan manifested when Jesus came. 31:58 The other text is in Revelation 13:8. 32:01 It's speaking about those who worship the beast 32:04 in the end time. And that's not the point that I'm going to 32:07 emphasize. I'm going to emphasize the fact that Jesus 32:10 was slain from the foundation of the world. 32:11 It says there, in Revelation 13: 8, All who dwell on the earth 32:17 will worship him, that is the beast, whose names have not 32:21 been written in the Book Of Life of the Lamb slain from when? 32:26 Slain from the foundation of the world. 32:29 In other words, the plan was devised from the foundation 32:32 of the world. It was actually implemented when Jesus came 32:36 to this earth and died on the cross of Calvary. 32:40 In fact we're told in the New Testament, in 2 Timothy 1:10, 32:45 2 Timothy 1:10. 32:54 Notice this: who has abolished death. 32:58 Why do people still die then? 33:01 We'll come back to that. 33:11 Why would He bring life and immortality through the gospel, 33:15 if man already had life and immortality before the gospel? 33:21 The fact is that Jesus brings life and immortality 33:25 to light through the gospel of His perfect life, His death, 33:30 and His resurrection from death. 33:32 Furthermore, in Romans 2:6, 7 we find that immortality is 33:38 something that we are supposed to seek for. 33:41 If we're supposed to seek for it, then we don't have it 33:45 inherently. Let's read that. 33:47 Romans 2:6. Who will render to each one according to his deeds. 33:53 Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing 33:59 good seek for glory, honor, and immortality. 34:06 Let me ask you, Why would I seek for immortality 34:09 if I already have it? 34:10 The fact is that immortality is not something inherent that I 34:15 own, it is something that is derived from Jesus Christ, 34:19 and it will always be derived from Jesus Christ. 34:22 And yet we find that people still die. 34:26 How are we to understand what the Apostle Paul says about 34:31 Jesus; that He abolished death? 34:33 The fact is that friends of ours, and relatives of ours, 34:37 die every day; people who have accepted Jesus Christ 34:41 as Savior and Lord. So how are we to understand this? 34:45 Why do they die? Well, I can tell you for sure the reason why 34:49 they die is because they don't have access to the tree of life. 34:53 Isn't it a sobering thought to think that if God had not cast 34:58 Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden, this world would be 35:01 filled with a whole bunch of immortal sinners? 35:05 Would you like to see this world in the condition that it's in 35:09 with people immortal, who cannot die because they have access to 35:13 the tree of life? I think God was very, very wise in barring 35:18 sinful man from access to the tree of life. 35:21 The fact is, that people die because they no longer have 35:25 access to the tree of life. 35:27 Now some people live longer, other people live less. 35:31 It all depends on the condition of their body. 35:33 It depends on their environment. 35:35 It depends on many different factors: how well they lived 35:38 in harmony with the laws of health, 35:40 the inheritance that they received from their ancestors, 35:43 but ultimately the real reason is because they do not have 35:48 access to the tree of life. 35:50 Now the question is, When will we have the gift of immortality? 35:57 We're told that Jesus abolished death, and brought life and 36:01 immortality to light through the gospel, but when will we 36:05 actually receive the touch of immortality? 36:08 Is it the moment when we die; when our soul flies out from 36:11 the body and goes to heaven if the person was good, 36:14 or goes into everlasting torment and torture in hell 36:17 when a person dies if the person was bad? 36:20 Is that what the Bible teaches? 36:21 That is not what the Bible teaches. 36:23 The Bible teaches that those individuals who have received 36:27 Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, will receive the final touch 36:31 of immortality when Jesus comes. 36:34 Let's read about it in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. 36:39 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, and there's two little words that 36:44 I want us to underline as we read this passage. 36:47 It says there: For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, 36:51 that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord 36:56 will by no means precede those who are asleep, for the Lord 37:00 himself will descend from heaven with the voice of the archangel, 37:06 and with the trumpet of God, and now notice this, 37:09 and the dead in Christ,... 37:11 I want you to remember that. 37:13 The dead in Christ... 37:15 So there are dead in Christ, and there are dead what? 37:17 outside of Christ. It doesn't say so here, but if there are 37:22 dead in Christ, that means that there are dead outside 37:24 of Christ. It says: the dead in Christ will rise first. 37:28 Then, we who are alive and remain, shall be caught up 37:33 together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, 37:36 and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 37:39 Question, Who goes to heaven first? 37:41 Those who are alive when Jesus comes, or those who died? 37:45 Ah, that's a good answer. 37:48 The fact is that it says we shall be caught up together 37:52 with them, that is with the living saints, those who died, 37:56 and the living saints, will be caught up together to meet the 37:59 Lord in the air, and then we will ever be with the Lord. 38:02 The fact is that if the dead in Christ who resurrected, 38:08 and those who are alive are caught up in the cloud together, 38:11 it must mean that the dead in Christ did not go to heaven 38:15 when they died. It's that simple. 38:17 Now let's go also to 1 Corinthians 15:51. 38:23 This is another classic resurrection passage from 38:26 scripture. 1 Corinthians 15:52, 53. 38:32 Notice when we are going to receive the touch 38:35 of immortality. It says there, the Apostle Paul is speaking. 38:44 By the way, that means that we're not all going to die. 38:55 When is it that we're going to be changed? 38:57 When we die or at the last trumpet? 39:00 At the last trumpet. 39:16 This what? I didn't get that. 39:18 What was that. This what? 39:21 So are we mortal? Of course, it says so here. 39:29 Why would you have to put it on if you already had it? 39:30 When do we put on immortality according to this passage? 39:35 When the trumpet sounds when Jesus comes. And so it says: 40:04 So when is it that God's people, those who are in Christ, 40:08 are going to receive the touch of immortality and eternal life? 40:12 It's at the moment that Jesus comes. 40:15 He lets out a shout. 40:16 He comes with the trumpet of God. 40:19 Then this corruptible and this mortal must put on 40:22 incorruptibility and immortality. 40:26 Now one time I was talking with a friend who didn't see things 40:31 exactly the way that I do, and he believed, actually, 40:34 that the soul of man is immortal by nature. 40:37 And so I asked him, Do you believe that man is omnipotent? 40:43 That means all powerful. 40:46 He said, No, I don't think that. 40:48 The Bible says that only God is that. 40:49 I said, Okay, do you believe that man is omnipresent? 40:53 That is that he can be present everywhere. 40:55 He said, Of course not. 40:57 The Bible says that only God is in all places. 40:59 I said, Do you believe that man is omniscient; 41:04 that is that he knows all things? 41:05 He said, Of course not. 41:07 The Bible says that only God knows all things. 41:09 I said, Do you believe then that man is immortal? 41:12 He said, Yeah, I believe man is immortal. 41:17 I said, Now wait a minute! 41:18 Immortality is of the same category of attributes of God 41:23 as His omnipotence, His omniscience, 41:26 and His omnipresence. 41:27 In other words, these are qualities that belong explicitly 41:32 to whom? And only to God, including immortality. 41:36 He said, Where does the Bible say that? 41:38 So I went to 1 Timothy 6:13-17. 41:43 1 Timothy 6:13-17. Here the Apostle Paul, inspired by the 41:49 Holy Spirit says this: I urge you, in the sight of God, 41:53 who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, 41:57 who witnessed the good confession before 42:00 Pontius Pilate. That you keep this commandment without spot, 42:04 blameless, until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing: 42:07 which he will manifest in his own time, he who is the blessed 42:12 and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 42:17 who alone has immortality. 42:25 Now what part of the word alone don't you understand? 42:28 If I say that I am alone in this place, it means that there was 42:32 no one else. And so it says, who alone has immortality, 42:38 dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen, 42:42 or can see: to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. 42:48 And then when God's people receive the touch of immortality 42:54 when Jesus comes, guess what we're going to be able to do 42:59 again? We will be restored once again to the tree of life. 43:05 In fact, let's read about that. 43:07 First of all, Revelation 21:4. 43:11 You see, it wouldn't do God any good to give us the touch of 43:14 immortality if we couldn't eat from the tree. 43:17 And by the way, when I say that He has given us the touch of 43:20 immortality it doesn't mean that we are by nature immortal. 43:24 It means that we are conditionally immortal on the 43:27 basis of eating from the tree of life. 43:29 We're going to notice that in the book of Revelation. 43:32 Revelation 21:4. This is speaking about when God makes 43:37 a new earth and a new heavens. It says: 43:48 Isn't that good news? 43:50 There shall be no more death. 43:52 Undertakers will be without a job. 43:54 Praise the Lord! No more medical doctors, no more nurses, 43:58 no more accidents, no more death. 44:02 Wonderful! So it says: 44:13 And then in the new earth, I want you to notice, 44:15 what God's people are going to do. 44:17 Isaiah 66:22, 23. Isaiah 66:22, 23. 44:24 Why won't there be any more death? 44:26 Well, why wasn't there death in the garden of Eden? 44:29 Simply because they were obedient to God, 44:31 and they were able to partake of the tree of life. 44:33 When God barred them from the tree of life many of them lived 44:37 a long period of time, but the battery ran out; they died. 44:40 After the flood they lived a shorter period of time. 44:43 The battery died out, and they died. 44:45 After that Moses, and David. 44:48 Their life was greatly reduced, but still ultimately it led 44:52 to death, because they had no access to the tree of life. 44:56 But now I want you to notice that God's people are going to 44:59 continuously go from New Moon to New Moon, or from month 45:04 to month, to do something very special. 45:07 Notice Isaiah 66:22, 23. 45:16 Notice it's talking about a new heavens and a new earth. 45:18 The same expression that we find in Revelation 21 and 22. 45:32 Now don't let that throw you off from one New Moon to another. 45:35 Many Bible versions translate from month to month. 45:38 In fact, in the Spanish version it's de mes en mes. 45:43 From month to month, because the month was determined 45:45 by the New Moon in Israel. And so it says: 45:50 month to another, and now notice this: 45:58 the Jews come and worship before Me, says the LORD. 46:00 Oh, that's right, that's not what it says. 46:04 It doesn't say all the Jews, it says, all flesh shall come 46:09 to worship before me, says the LORD. 46:11 So we're going to make a weekly visit, and we're going to make a 46:14 monthly visit to worship before the Lord. 46:16 Now we know the reason for the weekly visit. 46:19 It's to observe God's holy Sabbath in commemoration 46:22 of the creation of the new heavens and the new earth. 46:25 But why would we go from month to month? 46:28 Notice Revelation 22:1, 2. 46:32 This is the reason why I believe that originally man was going to 46:36 eat from the tree of life every month. 46:38 In other words, there was a monthly appointment 46:40 at the tree of life, because that's the way it's going to be 46:44 in the earth made new. 46:45 Revelation 22:1, 2. It says: 47:06 Is that the same tree of life that was in the garden of Eden? 47:09 Of course! was the tree of life. 47:30 So how frequently does the tree produce its fruit? 47:33 Every month. Why would it produce its fruit every month? 47:37 Because we are going to go there from month to month, 47:41 and from Sabbath to Sabbath, to worship before the Lord, 47:44 undoubtedly to eat from the tree of life. 47:47 Somebody might say, Well, but it doesn't say there actually 47:50 that we're going to eat from the tree. 47:51 It says that it bore twelve fruits, one fruit every month. 47:56 Well, go with me to Revelation 2:7. 47:58 Revelation 2:7. Here is the promise that God makes to His 48:04 people. It says there: 48:24 Are God's people going to eat from the tree of life? 48:27 Yes. How frequently? 48:29 Every month, because the tree produces its fruit every month. 48:34 By the way, there's another text in Revelation that speaks about 48:37 the tree of life, and those who will be able to partake 48:40 of the tree of life. Revelation 22:14, 15. 48:45 It says there, and I'm reading from the New King James Version. 48:59 Which commandments? All ten, but one of them has been changed. 49:06 Right? No, no. 49:19 So are we going to eat from the tree of life, 49:20 if we have the right to it? Of course. 49:29 So those who eat from the tree of life are those who obey God. 49:32 Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden because they what? 49:36 Because they disobeyed God. 49:38 And then it says in verse 15: 49:40 But outside... See in contrast to those who are inside, 49:44 are the commandment breakers outside. 49:57 By the way, this list describes violations 50:01 of the ten commandments. 50:03 Lying is thou shalt not bear false witness; sexually immoral, 50:08 thou shalt not commit adultery; murders, thou shalt not kill, 50:12 etc. In other words, those who are obedient to God are inside 50:16 like at the beginning. 50:17 Adam and Eve were inside. 50:18 Those who are disobedient to God are outside, 50:21 and they have no access to the tree of life, 50:24 and therefore they will what? 50:26 Therefore they will die. 50:28 Now the big question is this: How can I have the guarantee 50:34 of life, that life, if I should die even today? 50:39 How can I have the assurance that Jesus will give me the 50:43 touch of immortality, and that He will give me access to 50:47 the tree of life so that as Adam and Eve in God's original plan, 50:51 I can live forever and ever? 50:53 The fact is the Bible has the clear answer, 50:56 and that most famous verse of the whole Bible, 51:00 you see it behind the gold posts at football games. 51:03 John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only 51:10 begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not 51:17 perish, but have everlasting life. 51:19 In other words, the secret to receiving the touch of 51:24 immortality once again being restored to the garden of God, 51:27 and having the privilege of eating from the tree of life 51:32 and thus living forever, is found in receiving Jesus Christ 51:37 as Savior and Lord. 51:38 Now the question is, how do we receive Jesus Christ 51:43 as Savior and Lord? It's very simple. 51:46 We have to go through the same process that Jesus went through. 51:50 You see, Jesus lived, He died, He was buried, 51:56 and He resurrected. We have to go through that same experience; 52:01 not physically, but spiritually. 52:05 Notice Galatians 3:26, 27. 52:10 Remember that the dead in Christ are the ones who are going to 52:13 arise. Now how do we become in Christ? 52:16 How do we join Christ? 52:18 How do we participate in His experience so that we can have 52:21 His life? Notice Galatians 3:26, 27. 52:25 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 52:31 Now notice this: for as many of you as were baptized into Christ 52:38 have put on Christ. 52:42 When is it that we put on Christ? 52:45 It's the moment that we receive Him and when we are what? 52:48 When we are baptized. 52:49 Do you know what baptism does? 52:51 Baptism incorporates us into Jesus. 52:54 When I'm baptized God no longer looks at me; He looks at Jesus. 53:00 And because Jesus lives, I will live also. 53:03 In fact, God could not have chosen a better ceremony than 53:07 burying a person under the water. 53:09 By the way, this is lost by those who do baptism by 53:12 infusion, and those who do baptism by aspersion, 53:15 or by sprinkling. You lose the beautiful symbolism, 53:18 because what happens in baptism by immersion is a person is 53:22 standing there alive, that's the old man, the old self who hasn't 53:27 died. And then the minister takes that individual, 53:31 and places that individual under the water. 53:34 In other words, that person is buried under the water. 53:37 The person has spiritually died with Christ, and then the person 53:41 comes forth out the water, Ah, and breathes new life. 53:46 By the way, it's interesting that this is really a mini 53:51 spiritual representation of life, death, and resurrection, 53:54 because you're alive before you go in. 53:56 When you go in you stop breathing, as when you die, 54:00 and then when you come forth, Ah, you breathe again. 54:04 In other words, at the moment of baptism we are incorporated into 54:08 Jesus Christ. And when we're incorporated into Jesus Christ, 54:12 we have the assurance of everlasting life. 54:15 And Jesus, when He comes, will give us the touch of immortality 54:19 and we will have the privilege of partaking forever of the tree 54:23 of life from month to month, and we shall live forever in a world 54:27 where there shall be no more suffering, no more sorrow, 54:30 no more pain, and no more death. 54:33 You know, I find it amazing that so many Christians believe that 54:37 the hope of life is found in some immortal soul 54:40 that people have inside. 54:42 That even God could not destroy that immortal soul, 54:46 because it is by nature immortal. 54:48 The fact is the Bible makes it very, very clear folks, 54:52 that the only way in which we can have life is by receiving 54:58 Jesus Christ as our Savior, and as our Lord. 55:01 In 1 John 5:11, 12 we find these explicitly clear words. 55:10 Here John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, 55:13 1 John 5:11, 12, says this: 55:23 Did you notice that? 55:24 It doesn't say He will give us, it says He has given us 55:29 eternal life. But I want you to notice that eternal life is not 55:32 in some immortal soul within ourselves. 55:35 The text continues saying: 55:45 our immortal soul. No! It says: 55:53 Where is our life? Our eternal life is not in us. 56:00 Our life is in His Son. 56:02 And then in verse 12 it says: He who has the Son has life. 56:10 He who does not have the Son of God, does not have life. 56:19 Now what part of that don't you understand? 56:21 Does not have life? If you're outside of Jesus Christ 56:26 you can have no life, because life is found in Jesus. 56:31 Our life, if we should die, is hid in Christ, and our name is 56:37 secure in heaven. God writes next to our name, eternal life, 56:42 and we can have the assurance that when Jesus comes 56:45 He will give us the touch of immortality, to live with Him 56:49 forever and ever. But even, folks, in the earth made new 56:53 our eternal life, our immortality, will be contingent. 56:57 It will not belong to ourselves, it will be found in His tree. 57:02 It will be found in the tree which represents a connection 57:07 with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 57:10 In other words, our source of life will not be inside, 57:14 our source of life will be outside in our Lord and 57:17 Savior, Jesus Christ. 57:19 It is my prayer that as we've heard this presentation 57:23 that we will choose to make a commitment of our life 57:27 to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. |
Revised 2014-12-17