The Doctrine of Physical Death

RV147-01

© Berean Memorial Church of Irving, Texas, Inc. (1993)

We are studying Revelation 11:3-14, and our subject is "The Two Witnesses." This is segment number three.

The Two Witnesses

We have found that during the tribulation period on earth, God is going to send two men as His special witnesses to warn tribulation mankind, for three-and-a-half years, of the imminent divine judgments which are coming upon all unbelievers. These two witnesses, of course, are not popular because of their message. They have a message from God, and it's a message which the world does not want to hear. Part of their message is a proclamation of the Messiah saviorhood of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation from hell, and for entrance into heaven. They proclaim that all other religions and cults: no matter how popular; no matter how large; and, no matter how impressive in the sight of men, are false, and they will not take a person to heaven. They will take him, if they follow their leading, into the lake of fire.

New Age Doctrines

In prominence at that time, no doubt, will be what we call New Age doctrines today. It will probably be the basic doctrinal statement of the world church which will exist at that time. It, in fact, will be declared by the two witnesses to be the doctrines of demons. It is sophisticated nonsense, because at the heart of it is the Eastern mysticism idea that man himself is a god, but has not realized it.

The moral standards of mankind are chosen at that time by majority vote of the population, who vote according to their own sin natures. The two witnesses will declare these moral standards to be corrupt on the basis of what God has revealed as true morality in Scripture. They will proclaim the Bible to be the only source of information about God. They will condemn the false prophet in his claims to speak for God. They will point to the inerrant revelation of God which is found in the Bible, which is the only basis on which to decide all spiritual questions.

The Antichrist

The antichrist himself will be attacked, no doubt, by the two witnesses. He will be exposed as a tool of Satan. And his followers will clearly be told that the mark that they now bear on their foreheads and on their right hands is the mark that dooms them to the lake of fire forever.

They will condemn the whole concept that man is God, and they will proclaim that to be the big lie of Satan.

Immortal

Well, the result will be that people will be so enraged at the two witnesses that they will repeatedly try to kill them, but that they will discover that God has provided the two witnesses with supernatural powers to protect themselves. Anyone who tries to attack them will be simply himself killed by fire which comes out of the mouths of these two men. They are, in every sense of the word, immortal. They cannot be killed.

Miracles

The two witnesses, furthermore, confirm their claims that they do speak for the true God by performing miracles. They prevent rain from falling, perhaps over all the earth, or in parts of the earth, for the period of the three-and-a-half years of their ministry. As we have indicated previously, there is some question as to whether their three-and-a-half years comes at the first part of the tribulation or the second part. It doesn't matter. There are good reasons in both directions. Probably, I tend to feel that this will be in the latter half of the tribulation.

The Ecology

So, they will create a great problem with the ecology. By preventing rain. They will cause an enormous amount of famine because of the droughts that will develop. They will, furthermore, turn bodies of water into blood, and they will strike the world's population with various plagues.

This will, of course, add enormously to the death roll which has been mounting during the tribulation period. The power of God over nature will be expressed by the two witnesses in these ways, and they will indeed bring death to millions of unbelievers.

The miracle-working power against nature is exercised, furthermore, as they choose, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and it is used with the purpose not of giving people pointless misery and suffering, but in order to bring them to agree and to accept that the message of the two witnesses is indeed the message from the true God Himself. Many Jews and gentiles will believe their message, and they will trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for personal salvation.

The Antichrist

After testifying for three-and-a-half years, John is told that the antichrist finally decides to mount a serious military attack on the two witnesses, and lo and behold, he is able to kill them. The antichrist is described as a beast, which means a brutal, destructive, animal type of character. The antichrist is described as coming from the abyss, which is the domain of Satan. The antichrist is described as being from the abyss himself because he is the personification of Satan, who comes from the abyss.

Death

Death in the tribulation then will increase steadily in intensity worldwide as God gradually continues His program of removing unbelievers from the face of the earth in preparation for the beginning of the millennium, when all human beings will be born-again. So, the issue of death will be very, very prominent. This is very hard for us to conceive. We're talking about 6 billion people on the face of the earth today. We have trouble conceiving what it would be like such that, within a span of three-and-a-half years, three billion are put to death in one way or another. Three billion people is an enormous number of human beings. Yet we must understand the things that are going to be taking place in the tribulation period, not only on the part of God, but what people will be doing to each other. Without the Holy Spirit to restrain evil, violence and death at the hands of people in the form of murder is going to be widespread, just as it was before the Noahic flood.

The Doctrine of Physical Death

So, now, we should be acquainted with what is exactly going to happen in the matter of physical death.

  1. A Consequence of Adam's Sin

    Physical death in the human race is a result of Adam's rebellious sin in Eden. We find this in Genesis 2:16-17, where God, in all fairness to Adam, warned him of the consequences of disobedience: "The Lord God commanded the man saying, 'From many any tree of the garden you may eat freely, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die."

    Sin Brings Death

    The apostle Paul, in Romans 5:12, points to that statement as the principle that explains why everybody in the human race dies. It doesn't matter whether you're a little infant baby who has never committed a single sin. You are born with the moral guilt of Adam upon you, and therefore, sin has brought death to those who have, in their own right, never even done a thing that is wrong: "Therefore just as through one man (namely Adam) sin entered into the world, and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sin." How can you say that all sin? How can you say that a little infant baby has sinned? Because he is born with Adam's guilt upon him. What Adam did was imposed upon all the human race. So, point number one is that physical death in the human race is the result of Adam's rebellious sin in Eden. It's very important that you understand that sin brings death.

    I heard one time a physicist with the American Atomic Energy Commission who was speaking to a Christian group. He was talking about the conditions of the world originally in the Garden of Eden. And he said, "And I believe that, of course, death would have been necessary – as animals multiplied, death would have had to come in to start weeding them out." I raised my hand and quoted the Scripture to him that death came as the result of the sin of one man, Adam, and that death then became king over all mankind. I said, "How do you square that – that God says that if there had been no sin, there would have been no death?"

    The people in that large room sat in stunned silence. This was a Young Life campaign organization. The man looked to the leaders and said, "Help me out, fellas." They sat there (Dallas seminary graduates – all of them) because they knew he was quite wrong. Death in the human race is the result of sin.

  2. The Soul Separates from the Body

    Physical death is caused by the soul leaving the body. What happens at death is that the soul separates from the body. Death is basically a separation condition. Genesis 35:18 is about talking of the death of Rachel: "And it came about as her soul was departing, for she died, that she named him (the last son), Benoni, but his father called him Benjamin." In her moment of agony, Rachel gave him the name such that he would be the child of her suffering. However, Jacob gave him a happy name instead. She called him "the son of my sorrow, Benoni." He called him "the son of the right hand."

  3. The Body Dissolves

    The physical body at death dissolves into the chemical elements from which God created it. In Genesis 3:19, Adam was told, after his sin: "By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

  4. Almost Everyone is Destined to Die

    Everyone in the human race is destined to die with the divine exception of certain believers. In Hebrews 9:27-28, we are told this: "And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes the judgment. So, Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation, without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." Everybody in the human race is destined to die. The only exceptions to that are in the Old Testament were Enoch and Elijah; and, in the New Testament era, there will be those who are part of the rapture.

    This is also indicated in Psalm 89:48 which reads, "What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol (which means the power of the grave)?

  5. God Determines the Time and the Manner of Death

    God determines the time and the manner of one's death. How and when you go out of this life is already determined by God. Psalm 39:4-5: "Lord, make me to know my end. What is the extent of my days? Let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as a handbreadth; and my life is nothing in Your sight. Surely every man at his best is but a mere breath." God has everything in full control, and He determines the termination of one's lifetime.

  6. God Can Postpone Death

    God may choose to postpone one's death. There have been times in the history of the human race when God, for His own purposes, has postponed a person's death, and has extended his lifespan. Isaiah 38:5 is speaking about Hezekiah, who has been told that he's going to die. He goes to the Lord and pleads that that should not happen, and God permits him to live another 50 years: "Go and say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David: I have heard your prayer. I've seen your tears. Behold, I will add 15 years to your life." God, for His own reasons, can do that.

  7. God Can Deliver from Imminent Death

    Furthermore, God can deliver one from imminent death. A life-threatening situation can easily be turned around by God Himself, and He does that many times. Psalm 56:13: "For You have delivered my soul from death; indeed, my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living." Here the psalmist clearly recognizes that God has preserved him from stumbling into death, and keeping him in the land of the living.

    Furthermore, Psalm 68:20 says, "God is to us a God of deliverances, and to God the Lord belong escapes from death." Many a person wonders how he escaped from death with near misses. It is because God, in His sovereign authority, can decide to preserve you from a point of death.

  8. All Dead Human Beings will be Resurrected

    In time, all dead human beings will be resurrected. This is told to us by the Lord in John 5:28-29: "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth. Those who did the good, to a resurrection of life; and, those who committed the evil, to the resurrection of judgment." The good that you do is trusting in Christ as to Savior. That's the good. The evil that you do is rejecting the gospel message.

  9. Jesus Christ Brings Immortality to all Mankind

    Jesus Christ, in His victory over Satan, through personal resurrection, has brought immortality to all mankind. Because there is now a man alive in heaven, we too, who are born-again, shall be in heaven alive.

    2 Timothy 1:10: "But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." Anyone who accepts the gospel will live forever in heaven.

  10. A Believer's Soul and Spirit goes into Christ's Presence

    At the death of a believer, his soul and spirit goes immediately into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8: "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, and not by sight. We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord." It is very important that you understand that there is no intermediate weigh station. The Roman Catholic Church teaches a totally false doctrine invented by the papacy – that those who have not quite performed the good works needed to merit the salvation of Christ go to a holding station called Purgatory until, by one means or another, they have been cleansed of their sin sufficiently in order to merit the merit of Christ. The Bible says that if you are a Christian, and you close your eyes in death, then you open them immediately in the presence of Jesus Christ in heaven.

  11. Upon Death, an Unbeliever's Soul goes to Hades

    At the death of an unbeliever, his soul goes immediately into Hades. The contrast here is very sobering. We have one of the great insights on life after death in Luke 16:22-23. This is the historical record of the historical event about a rich man and a poor beggar man named Lazarus: "Now it came about that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom." That was the Old Testament description of heaven. In the Old Testament, it was either called Abraham's bosom, or they used the Greek idea of Paradise, which is the way the Lord described it: "And the rich man also died, and he was buried." And where is he?

    Hades

    Verse 23: "And in Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in Torments." At this particular point in time, before the death and resurrection of Christ, Hades was the place where everybody went who died. That's why the King James Version translation of this word in the Greek as "hell" is a bad translation, because all unbelievers go to Hades. It's the same thing like in the Apostles' Creed that says, "Jesus Christ entered hell." What they mean is Hades. It is very confusing. But at this time, before the resurrection of Christ, Hades had two compartments. There was a compartment called Paradise, or Abraham's bosom; and, there was another compartment called Torments. Lazarus, the saved man, was in Abraham's bosom where the saved people were. The rich man who was lost was in Torments. There was a third division called Tartarus, which was the place of confinement of a special group of extremely vile, filthy angels – those who are engaged in the sexual relations and reproduction with the women that are described in Genesis 6.

    So, here this unbeliever is now in Hades, and he's in a place called Torment because he is in torment: "And He saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom." So, at the death of an unbeliever, he goes immediately into Hades. When the Lord Jesus was resurrected, he took the compartment of believers from Hades, and He transferred them up into heaven. So, only unbelievers now go to Hades. They go into the Torments area.

  12. The Dead are Conscious of their Spiritual Status and Location

    The dead are conscious of their spiritual status and of their location. Notice here again in Luke 16:24-25: "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and said Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool off my tongue, for I'm in agony in this flame." Make no mistake about this. There is a place like the lake of fire. There is a place that is a place of agony. As a matter of fact, this man was not in the lake of fire. He was in Hades. The book of the Revelation tells us that Hades is going to be emptied into the lake of fire in the future. But right now, he is already immediately in agony, suffering as an unbeliever. He's very, very much conscious about that.

    This is why the unbelievers and the cults regularly try, in one way or another, to eliminate the concept of the lake of fire (the concept of hell) as just being political language, or something that God is not going to keep for all eternity.

    A couple of weeks ago, a lady from the Jehovah's Witnesses came to my door with her little booklets. She wanted to give me one of the booklets, and she wanted to know if I was acquainted with the Watchtower ministry, which is their name. And I said, "Yes, I'm well acquainted with the Jehovah's Witnesses." And I took out our brochure on evangelism that has those terrible word on the cover: "Hell or Heaven?" I said, "Well, you may have this. You may find it interesting to read in comparison to the literature that you have." She looked at it, and recoiled, and said, "No, I won't. I can't. I can't have that. No, I don't want that." Why was she so startled?

    The last Jehovah's Witnesses that I did this with said, "Well, your title is wrong to begin with: 'Hell or Heaven: Which will it be for you?'" Why? Because the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that there is no place like hell. They teach that God is simply going to rub unbelievers out of existence, but nobody is going to suffer forever. But here you have the Lord Jesus giving you a picture of what actually happens on the other side when you die as an unbeliever, and it is strictly bad.

    This is also reinforced in Revelation 6:9-10: "And when he broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained." And notice their consciousness of their surroundings: "And they cried out with a loud voice (these people who are in heaven), saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?'" These are saints who were martyred during the tribulation. They are in heaven. They know they're in heaven. They're very much conscious of what's going on. In fact, they know what's going on down on earth. I don't know that all believers (that your loved ones) who have gone on know what's happening in your life, and what goes on on this earth. But they know that God was executing judgment. They did know that they had become the victims of the antichrist, and they knew that the execution of God's judgment on the antichrist had not taken place. So, they were crying out, "Lord, when are You're going to do it? When are you going to impose justice upon this man who took our lives?" The dead are conscious of their spiritual status and of their location.

  13. The Dead in Heaven cannot Communicate with those in Hades

    The dead in heaven cannot communicate nor visit with those in Hades. Luke 16:26 again teaches us that. You cannot talk from one side to the other. You cannot communicate. This man who wanted help from Lazarus said, in verse 26, "And besides all this, between us there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able." Isn't that interesting? Those who may wish to come over from Abraham's side in the saved portion to Hades are not able. The people who are in the saved portion of Hades knew what was going on, the agonies of those who were unbelievers, and if God did not keep them from doing so, they would go over the gulf and try to testify to them, and try to help them, in their mercy as they watch the agony of the unbeliever: "And none may cross over from there to us;" that is, neither can anyone from Hades go across to the saved side. So, the dead in heaven cannot communicate or have any relationships with each other.

  14. God Gives Believers Dying Grace

    The next one is one of the great truths of the Word of God that everybody needs to learn before the time comes when you need to fall back on this. That is that God gives special grace to the believer at the point of death. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God is speaking a general principle to the believer: "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." This little principle here tells us that God will provide grace at the point of our weakness. Whether your dying goes quickly; whether it goes through physical agony; or, whether its prolonged, you need the grace of God to carry you through. You need dying grace. And this dying grace is expressed in a variety of ways.

    One thing is that the fear of death is removed from the believer. This is indicated in Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil."

    There is 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 that also indicate the removal of any fear of death for the believer: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin. The power of sin is the Law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, here is a victory which is given on the basis of the grace of God. That grace of God, of course, includes an inner peace that is given to the believer when he is facing death.

    If you read the articles in the Dallas Morning News today, they had a big article about people taking their own lives: mercy killing; and, helping people to kill themselves. The Word of God never justifies that. God gives life, and only God is authorized to take life no matter what the circumstances are.

    Another point is that God's dying grace to us makes us aware that the death of a believer is a very precious moment with God, because that child is coming home. Don't forget that. Psalm 116:15: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his godly ones." If you have had children who have been away from you: on vacation; at school; or, at some other event, you know exactly how God relates to this – that their return is a precious moment in your life, and something you look forward to. And God the Father does the same thing.

  15. At Death, the Believer is Carried into Heaven by Angels

    At death, the believer is carried into heaven by angels. When a person who is a believer dies, his mode of transport into the Father's presence is via angelic carriage. Luke 16:22: "Now it came about that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom." Our entrance is by angel transport.

  16. For the Believer, Death Means no more Sorrow, Pain, Tears, or Death

    For the believer, death means no more sorrow, pain, tears, or death itself ever again. Revelation 21:4 tells us: "He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall no longer be any death. There shall no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. The first things have passed away."

  17. At Death, the Unbeliever Immediately Experiences Suffering

    At death, the unbeliever immediately experience is suffering. We have seen that already, here again, in the incident of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:22-23: "Now it came about that the poor man died, was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died. He was buried." Only his body was buried, but he was still alive. He was alive in Hades: "And he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. He saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. He cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I'm in agony in this flame." Those who die as unbelievers immediately experience suffering.

    You don't have to have your body to experience suffering. Someday, this man will be reunited with his body, and that will enter the suffering as well. A person just in his soul form will experience suffering.

  18. Death for the Christian is a Personal Promotion

    The Word of God tells us that death for the Christian is, wonder of wonders, a personal promotion. Philippians 1:21: "For to me to live is Christ." This is saying, "When I live, that is Christ living through me. I'm an in-temporal-fellowship believer. Consequently, when I die, it is enormous personal gain. It's a great promotion.

  19. At Death, the Christian Enters his Dwelling Place in Heaven

    The Christian at death enters his dwelling place in heaven, prepared for him by the Lord. And this is a really, truly great dwelling place. The old King James translation used to call it "a mansion in heaven." John 14:1-3: "Jesus said, 'Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places. For if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

    Verse 3 is a statement of the rapture. Did you catch that? Jesus said, "I am going to come again. And when I come again, I'm going to take you to Myself, so that I will be able to take you, who are alive when I come, back to where I am also, to show you your dwelling place."

    This is not Jesus talking about coming to the earth in the Second Coming. This is coming to meet us, to take us to the dwelling places that He has prepared for us. Each of you has a dwelling place. Each of you has an apartment in heaven. I can assure you that many politicians will be disappointed in heaven because there will be no homeless people for them to work on. 2 Corinthians 5:1: "For we know that if the earthly tent, which is our house (our bodies) is torn down, we have a building from God; a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

  20. At Death, the Christian Enters the Full Joy of Eternal Salvation

    The Christian at death enters the full enjoyment of his eternal salvation reserved in heaven for him.

  21. A Christian's Death is Compared to Sleep, to be Awakened in the Resurrection

    To the death of a Christian is compared to the body sleeping to be awakened in the resurrection. When a Christian dies, the Bible compares this to a person being asleep in his bed at home. Acts 7:60: "And falling on his knees, he (Stephen) cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And having said this, he fell asleep.

    1 Thessalonians 4:15 gives us that same comparison: "For this we say to you, by the word of the Lord: that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who have fallen asleep (meaning the Christians who have died).

    1 Corinthians 15:51 also stresses that sleep quality: "Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. Not every Christian is going to die, but every Christian will get a glorified body.

    So, sometimes people go to a wake, and they observe somebody lying there in a casket. They say, "He just looks like he's asleep." Well, if he is a Christian, that's exactly what he's doing. He's just having a long winter's nap.

  22. Christians Should not Grieve Death

    While Christians experience sorrow at the death of saved loved ones, they do not grieve, as do unbelievers, who have no hope of a future reunion. The apostle Paul pointed this out in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep (Christians who have died), that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope." We have a hope of reunion.

  23. The Sin Unto Death

    At a certain point of a believers rebellion against God, he may experience the sin unto death, and be taken home to heaven before his time. Yes, you can shorten your lifespan, and that is not an uncommon experience among Christians. Psalm 118:18 indicates this: "The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death." The Psalmist indicates that God has discipline him, but not to the point of taking his life, though he could have done that.

    Proverbs 14:27 says, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death." The fear of the Lord provides one with a fountain of life instead of death.

    The most dramatic verse on this is 1 John 5:16, where we read, "If anyone sees his brother committing sin not leading to death (that is, the sin unto death), He shall ask, and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I do not say that you should make requests for this."

  24. God can Resurrect a Dead Body

    God can resurrect a dead body. We have this illustrated in incidents in both the Old and New Testaments. In 1 Kings 17:22, we have an example of this power of God to raise a dead body: "The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him, and he revived." Elijah is raising this child to life.

    It is important to remember that in New Testament times, the Greek philosophers scoffed at any concept of a person being able to be brought back to life. Acts 2:24 adds this: "And God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held in its power." This is describing God raising His Son Jesus Christ from the dead. And, of course, that is the crucial key resurrection, because that is the pattern for all the rest of us.

    Acts 26:8 also says, "Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?" Here, Paul is speaking before Agrippa.

  25. The Believer will be Resurrected in the First Resurrection

    The believer will be resurrected as part of the first resurrection to be reunited with his soul and spirit. Revelation 20:6 indicates a first resurrection, which indicates that there is a following second resurrection: "Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God, and of Christ, and will reign with Him for 1,000 years."

    The order of the resurrections that we find in the Bible is, first of all, that the first people to be brought back to life are Christians (the church-age believers). This happens at the rapture itself, before the tribulation. Christians are raised. At the end of the tribulation, all of the Old Testament saints, and all of those who died during the tribulation (belonging to Israel now) – they will be raised. And then, during the millennium, believers who may die will be raised at the end of the millennium. All of that is part of the first resurrection. Then at the end of that 1,000-year period comes the second resurrection, when only unbelievers are brought back to life.

  26. The Resurrected Christian will Receive a Perfect, Sinless, Immortal Body

    The resurrected Christian will receive a perfect, sinless, immortal body like that of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20-21 tell us about that: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly await for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has, even to subject all things to Himself."

    Then we have the great passage in 1 John 3:2: "Beloved, now we are children of God. And it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is." When the Lord appears, we will have bodies just exactly like His.

    Our time is up for this session. There are several more points that we should comment on, in order to give you a good, clear picture about the doctrine of physical death. And some of the most important points are those which are now to follow. It is crucial that Christians understand what happens at the point of death. One of the most important things is to know what terminates when you die. There are some things that are going to come to an end for you as a Christian (which we will look at next time), which you should really be considering now. You should really give some big, big personal consideration to certain things that will come to a sudden termination for you, and that you need to be prepared and make preparations for.

    So, the doctrine of physical is wonderful for believers, but it is horrible and terrible for unbelievers. For most of the people that John sees brought to death in the tribulation, including those who will be put to death by the two witnesses, it's going to be a terrible condition. But for the two witnesses who themselves have now been killed, the contrast is marvelous. Where are they? Well, their bodies are lying out in the street, but they themselves are up there in the Lord's presence. We shall complete this next time.

    Dr. John E. Danish, 1989

    Back to the Revelation index

    Back to the Bible Questions index