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Volume 9 ... #20
Jesus Shows Us What Death Is
John 11 ... Jesus says ... Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said HIS disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that HE had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
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Jesus is showing us that people who die are simply asleep.
This is the truth about the dead.
Secular fiction shows dead people "in heaven" watching down upon those who are still alive on this earth. That is simply fiction. Dead people are asleep. When Jesus returns, HE will awaken the dead with a shout. The dead will arise from the graves in their new heavenly bodies given them by God. They will not have the earthly bodies that we knew them by. (I Cor. 15)
I Thess. 4 ... 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), 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.
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 (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
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:
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.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
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My cousin's husband died. She was going to decorate his grave with flowers. When I learned of this I said to my cousin, "WHY? ... dead people are asleep ... they cannot see what you are doing ... So who are you trying to impress?"
She paused ... and then she said, "Then it really doesn't matter where we are buried." (This is correct.)
In her case, it was very interesting for she was with her husband at the time he died. She said he patted her hand and then just fell asleep. She had seen that dead person fall asleep. She would relate to death as falling asleep for she had seen such.
I have always found it shocking that Christians would visit graves as the pagans of this world do.
Sometimes you will read novels and a person will be buried and the survivor will say how he was buried on this beautiful hill overlooking the sea which he loved so much.
To what advantage is that to the dead? He is asleep and doesn't know where he is buried.
The concepts of this world are just emotional nonsense. But we, who are of God, know the truth through what the Bible shows us.
Also we can relate to sleep. We fall asleep and several hours pass and we awaken. How could all these hours pass, we sometimes question.
In the case of the physically dead ... the time passes for them ... then all of a sudden they will be awakened by a mighty voice, the shout of Jesus coming through the air to raise the dead and to gather those persons who are still alive. (I Thess. 4)
And the dead rise to meet Jesus in the air.
Then the ones still alive on this present earth are changed to their new bodies and rise to meet Jesus and the dead who have been awakened in the air. (I Cor. 15 & I Thess. 4)
We will not be living on this present earth for it will be destroyed. (II Peter 3)
God has created a "new" Jerusalem ... a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. There will be no sorrow, no crying, nothing that can defile. There will be no pain for we will be given new bodies that are not subject to the pain we sometimes have in this current body. (I Cor. 15) (Revelation 21)
We, who are of God, should know these things because of what we read in Bible. We should not be living by the concepts of the people of this world who imagine all types of things which are not true.
Truth about these things is there for us to see in Bible.
Refer to:
I Thess. 4
I Cor. 15
II Peter 3
Revelation 21
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