Many people are overcome with grief today simply because they don’t know “where are the dead”. They may have lost a loved one, or in some cases they themselves are in a deep health crisis. Either way, we must be able to comfort them with Gods word. For it is God himself that is the Comforter. To begin this lesson, we need to remember we have two bodies, now we did a lesson on “two bodies”. Let’s begin in 1Cor.15:40-50 and it reads.
1Cor.15:40] There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
We have a fleshly body and we have a spiritual body. In your fleshly body your spirit and your soul are present. When you think, that is your soul. When your flesh dies, your soul being in your spirit, goes back to the father. Now I will let this read out for you without interruption, read carefully.
1Cor.15:41] There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
[42] So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
[43] It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
[44] It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
[45] And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
[46] Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
[47] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
[48] As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
[49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
[50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Two bodies, one of flesh and the other of spirit. This law was made by the Lord, that we all come through the flesh but one time. Let’s go to Hebrews 9:27 and it reads.
Heb.9:27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
You will see in a minute that this judgement has to do with which side of the gulf you will be on. We went there so that you can see for yourself there is no such thing as reincarnation, this is an invention of those that don’t believe in God. Now let’s go to John 3:1-6 and it reads.
John 3:1] There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
[2] The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
[3] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
“Born again” is born from above. Most Bibles have this in the side column.
John 3:4] Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
[5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus says truly (verily), we must come through the womb and die, then we can enter into the kingdom. The kingdom is the glory of God. Those who don’t come through the flesh will never live, they will die the second death. These are Satan and his angels.
John 3:6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Born of water, from his mother’s womb. What is the first thing that happens when a woman goes into labor, her water breaks. The spirit is capitalized, meaning of the Holy Spirit. We must come to the Lord in the flesh before we can go back to him in heaven. This says a lot, sounds like a law, it is the law. Now, let’s go to Ecc.12:6-7 and read.
Ecc.12:6] Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
In other words when you die.
Ecc.12:7] Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Looks like it was a law. Our flesh goes to dust and our spirit goes back to the Father. Back, because it was the Father who put our spirit into the flesh at conception. Luke chapter 1:34-44 and it reads.
Luke 1:34] Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
[35] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
[36] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
[37] For with God nothing shall be impossible.
[38] And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
[39] And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
[40] And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
[41] And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
John in her womb leaped, his spirit knew the Holy Spirit entered into the room. John’s spirit was alive and well in the womb. And so was Jesus in his mother’s womb, this is how we know at conception the Lord places the soul into the flesh.
Luke 1:42] And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
[43] And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
[44] For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
I love that truth, though many may not want to hear it, it is truth. Life begins at conception. Let’s go to a chapter many false teachers have perverted into a lie. They don’t pick up the subject from verse 13 so that they teach Gods children to rapture away. But not me, let’s pick up the subject and begin with 1The.4:13 and it reads.
1The.4:13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
[14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Asleep or sleep means those who died. He tells us not to sorrow. Not like the heathen who don’t believe in life after death. But, more importantly don’t be ignorant, don’t be unlearned, know his word and study his word. Pick up the subject, this is talking about where are the dead.
1The.4:15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
We that are alive and wait for the second advent, the 7th. trump. We can’t prevent (precede) them that die first why? Because they are with him already, the flesh returns to dust and spirit returns to the Father who gave it. Check out this word prevent in the Strong’s, it’s Precede, to go before.
1The.4:16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Again, they are with him, and when Christ returns, he brings them with him. Jesus returns with an army.
1The.4:17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Two words to check out here. First clouds, Paul spoke street Greek, when he says clouds, he means crowd. Like a cloud of locust, or a cloud of black birds. The second is air. This is breath of life, your spirit. This word was translated Holy Spirit and spirit throughout Gods word. So, when he returns at the 7th. trump all that remain in the flesh are changed into our spiritual bodies.
1The.4:18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
He just said we should comfort one another with these words, His words. Flying away was never said, if you want to know how it will be in the end times then flip the page and read 2The.2. Anyways, we should comfort one another because those that pass away, all our loved ones, are with him. But some are not with him, remember Heb.9:27, after man dies but once, there is a judgement. For this I want to go to Luke 16 and read.
Luke 16:19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
[20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
[21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
[22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
[23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Hell is grave, but then he can see Abraham and Lazarus across from him. They (the rich man and Lazarus) are both in the kingdom, spiritually.
Luke 16:24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
He wanted that Living Water, and that Living Water is Christ. Tormented is ashamed.
Luke 16:25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
[26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
In heaven there is a gulf, those who don’t make it on one side. And those who overcome on the other. One can’t cross the gulf, it’s a separation, it was a judgement.
Luke 16:27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
[28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
He at least had compassion for his brothers.
Luke 16:29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
We also have Moses and the prophets, have you read, have you heard them?
Luke 16:30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
[31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
They crucified Jesus, did they believe then. Well, we’ll see who overcomes and who didn’t. This is why we have the millennium, The Lord’s Day. A time of discipline, a time for teaching. When we have a friend or family who lost a loved one comfort them with these words. “They are with the Father, they go to him instantly, on one side or the other they are there.” Jesus went to the gulf after the crucifixion, let’s go to 1Pet.3:18 and read.
1Pet.3:18] For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
[19] By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
These are those on the other side of the gulf.
1Pet.3:20] Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
8 adamic souls. Noah, his wife, his 3 sons and their wives. Now, when Jesus went back to those that were in prison (the other side of the gulf) he taught, and many believed on him. Many were saved. It was only fair that they which didn’t have salvation, (they were under law) were given this chance to know Jesus. Jesus, Yah’s Saviour. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.