the gates of hell (Photo credit: mararie)
XI. What happens when New Testament Sinners Die? Jesus continued to propound the doctrine of hell throughout His public ministry. He strongly warned people to repent, to be sure they did not go there. Matthew 5:22 – “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Matthew 5:29-30 – “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”
Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 18:8-9 “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”
Matthew 23:33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
I could list many other verses here. These are just a handful from Matthew. Those who die today without Christ, join those of old who died without faith in the Lord. They are suffering in hell, which is located in the lower parts of the earth. I recently saw a news clip on the television of some protestors where and a man was dressed like a cartoon satan – all red with horns, etc. He held a sign saying something like, I can’t wait to party with satan in hell. How very sad that some are so horribly deceived by God’s enemy.
XII. What happens when New Testament saints die? First, our bodies go into the grave awaiting the resurrection. Note the differences between our current bodies and our resurrected bodies: “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 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. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” (1 Corinthians 15:35-49)
This new glorified body will be created anew at the instant of the rapture. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 - “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
One of my very favorite passages of Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – ” 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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. 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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
Second, Saved Saints’ spirits and souls go upward to be with God in Heaven immediately upon our death. There is no soul sleeping or waiting. Remember, when Jesus died, His spirit went immediately up to the Father in Heaven. Jesus never ceased to exist. His physical body died. His soul and spirit did not. His soul went into hell – Acts 2:27, 31 – “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption;” “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” His spirit went up to the Father – Luke 23:46 – “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” Likewise, our spirits and souls go upward to be with God immediately upon our death.
Ecclesiastes 3:21 – “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Philippians 1:21-23 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 – “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.”
Old Testament saints sent into Hades (Abraham’s Bosom) for a time of rest. We covered this under Point IX. New Testament saints go directly to heaven upon their death – Luke 23:42-43 – “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” John 14:3 – “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Jesus’ words in John 17:24 – “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” 2 Peter 1:11 – “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Just a thought: If the Old Testament saints were emptied out of Hades and taken to Heaven, and the New Testament saints go directly to Heaven, then seances (the practice of bringing up saints or departed loved ones) are a farce. I believe it is highly likely that those so-called spirits they are calling up are demons.
XIII. Conclusion of The Doctrine of Death – What is the Second Death? The second death is mentioned in three texts of the Book of Revelation:
Revelation 2:11 – “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
Revelation 20:6 – “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
Revelation 20:11-15 – “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
The first death is a physical death, when the spirit leaves the body. The second death is an eternal death; a spiritual death, being banished forever from the presence of God in an eternal lake of fire. Hell will be cast into the lake of fire. Hence, hell is like a holding center. Then the guilty go to judgment, are sentenced, and go to the lake of fire which is like a prison; a permanent abode. Some religions teach that we ought to pray our loved ones into Heaven after they die and go to the “waiting area.” According to God’s Word, getting someone out of hell is beyond our control. They are there to stay because they chose to reject Jesus Christ as Saviour.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 – “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”
This is a very fearful thing, and it is repulsive to our human nature. No one of us comes close to understanding how unutterably holy God is, and how great His hatred is toward sin and rebellion. We should make an effort to understand this: 2 Corinthians 5:11 – “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”
When we begin to understand how holy and perfect God is, it makes us wonder how He could let any of us into Heaven! 1 Peter 4:17-18 – “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
PRAISE THE LORD FOR JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR! We who are saved need not fear the second death. Again: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)
Michael defeats Satan 07 (Photo credit: Waiting For The Word)
For whomever may be reading this: If you have not yet made your calling to Christ sure, I beg you with all of my heart to please repent and turn to Christ. Do not be deceived! PLEASE CLICK ON THE TAB, “THE ONLY WAY” AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG AND FOLLOW GOD’S PATH TO SALVATION. DO IT TODAY, FOR JESUS’ RETURN IS SO VERY NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOOR! You do not have to be cast into hell which was made for satan and his minions.
The next Doctrinal Series study will be on “The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit.”
- When You Know Who You Are (afriendofjesus2013.com)
- Exit the Road Leading to Hell (jpfinn7.com)
- The Door Of Salvation Opened. (savedbygraceblogdotcom.wordpress.com)
- You must be born again (olayiwolafunminiyi.wordpress.com)
- The Sentimental View of Hell (escapetoreality.org)
Like this:
Like Loading...
II. The Personality of the Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit of God is a Person, just as much as the Father and Son are Persons. Therefore, He experiences all of the elements involved within a personality.
