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Death and the Resurrection
By Mahlon Wickey August, 2012
Physical death is very REAL to all of us, and someday we MUST all experience the death of our bodies, and many people have a real FEAR of physical death. But the resurrection is generally IGNORED (or NOT believed in), but it is also very REAL that all of us MUST also experience. But the fear of physical death is why many people will spend their life savings (if not insured) to treat their ailing and aging bodies so as to PROLONG the unavoidable death of their bodies. Mankind was created with a "built-in" desire to stay ALIVE, and this is WHY most people want to avoid physical death at "all costs". This is the death that is FEARED, but the average everyday people in today’s deceived world are NOT aware that they are ALREADY DEAD!
They are "dead" to the TRUE gospel message, "dead" to ANY spiritual TRUTH, "dead" to TRUE worship, "dead" to a TRUE desire to OBEY God, and "dead" to the common sense question of just wanting to KNOW the PURPOSE of human life. This is a very VALID question and a very real FACT of life that we all experience, and this question deserves to be answered. But questions of this nature are generally left to our "learned" pastors and "teachers" of the Bible to answer. This FACT of human life is generally taken for granted, and a deceived world is NOT aware of a DIVINE PLAN for mankind, which is WHY the "God-factor" in human existence is ignored or rejected. This is also WHY we are made to believe the incredible theory that the origin of mankind could be called a "biological accident".
From childhood our schools "skillfully" taught us that mankind "evolved" from a certain species of animals that took millions of years to finally achieve human intelligence. We were also made to believe that the incredible complex DESIGN of the universe could be called a "cosmic accident" that happened randomly by pure chance billions of years ago. WHY is our "scientific" world so determined to teach and UPHOLD the utter impossibility for a very COMPLEX universe to come about ON IT’S OWN by random pure chance? You see, our "scientific" world CANNOT allow an HONEST debate of logic and common sense on a creation of amazing order and DESIGN to be connected to even the remote possibility of the existence and REALITY of an All-powerful sovereign God!
What CAUSES this TOTAL denial and rejection of logic and common sense? It is very obvious that our deceived "scientific" world wants an orderly creation of design to be without a creator! This is also WHY evil men in government CANNOT allow the LAWS and RIGHT principles of a creator God to "influence" them in ANY way since they are driven to govern by their OWN evil agendas.
I want ask again, why is our deceived "scientific" world so determined to REJECT logic and common sense about the origins of an orderly creation of DESIGN? What is blocking the "intelligent" thoughts of men that are "trained" in so-called "science" to quickly REJECT very VALID questions about the origin of creation and mankind? Our modern churches will also quickly REJECT the "dangerous" belief that a sovereign God CAUSES mankind to be in UNBELIEF to the "God-factor" of creation so that mankind is INSPIRED to reject ANY spiritual truth!
Read, study, and believe Jeremiah 13:16….
KJV Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
It is God (yes, GOD) that causes "darkness" so that man "stumbles" while looking for "light". God then turns this "light" into the shadow of death (yes, DEATH), and makes this shadow into GROSS darkness! Why does a sovereign God (in total control of sinful man) turn the "light" (understanding) of sinful man into GROSS (thick) darkness? Yes, for a divine PURPOSE this "darkness" HAS to be GROSS and THICK in order to be very effective to DECEIVE; so as to fulfill this temporary world/AGE of deception! Our modern churches IGNORE that it was God (yes, GOD) that has "concluded" ALL in UNBELIEF….
Romans 11:32 KJV For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
The word "concluded" (G4788 and G2808) means to "shut up" and to "close". Could it be that deceived mankind is UNABLE to accept ANY spiritual TRUTH simply because God has "shut up" and "closed" their minds in UNBELIEF to be "brain dead" (yes, brain DEAD) to the spiritual truths of God? Why would God do that? Please understand; If (yes, IF), God can have MERCY on ALL; then this GODLY mercy will LEAD to the salvation of ALL! There HAS to be a divine PURPOSE during this temporary world/AGE of deception that God has "shut up" and "closed" the minds of mankind to be "brain DEAD" to ANY spiritual TRUTH!
The Bible repeatedly talks about physical death and spiritual death. Our modern churches acknowledge that the "wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23), and they correctly believe that this death includes ALL mankind. But they ALSO believe in "eternal death"; which "mysteriously" means that ALL unbelievers MUST still be ALIVE to suffer conscious torment for eternity in a place called HELL! But "eternal death" is NOT a biblical term!
Death does NOT exist for eternity, simply because it will be destroyed (1Cor 15:26), and death will be no more (Rev 21:4)! Christ PAID the wages of sin (death) IN OUR PLACE, but Christ is not (I repeat, is NOT) suffering "eternal death" in conscious torment for eternity in a place called HELL!
The wages of sin IS (yes, IS) death. It is NOT implied that the wages of sin "shall be" eventual death. The wages (payment) for sinning mankind is that they are already spiritually DEAD! This means that mankind is NOT under the sentence or danger of being spiritually dead, or that mankind is "liable" (legally responsible) for spiritual death. ALL mankind has inherited spiritual DEATH for the divine PURPOSE so that the WORK of salvation is called for and NEEDED!
As we all know, the divine WORK of salvation is that Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the LOST, and to give spiritual life to DEAD mankind. 2Cor 5:14 clearly explains that "If one died for all then were ALL DEAD". ALL mankind could NOT be SAVED from being spiritually DEAD and LOST without the RESURRECTION!
The word, "resurrection" (G386) simply means "standing up again", and it can also be used as a moral "recovery". Yes, a MORAL recovery is much MORE than a "standing up again" of human bodies that have died! G386 was taken from G450, which also means to "stand up", but G450 was translated most times using words in the PAST or PRESENT tense. Our modern churches generally ignore that a resurrection can be a PAST or PRESENT certainty for TRUE believers, and NOT only a FUTURE "standing up again" of human bodies that have died! But there is another resurrection (G1815) that means "a rising from death", but it is different than the G386 resurrection.
The apostle Paul wanted to attain the G1815 resurrection, but Paul in HUMILITY could honestly say he was NOT yet "perfect", and he did NOT count himself to have apprehended and attained this type of resurrection. Carefully read, study, and BELIEVE Philippians 3:11-16. The Darby, the Rotherham, and the 1912 Weymouth NT use the term, "from among the dead" when explaining the G1815 resurrection, and the term, "out of the dead" is used by the LITV translation. Notice what the Concordant Literal Version says about the G1815 resurrection….
Philippians 3:11 CLV if somehow I should be attaining to the resurrection that is out from among the dead.
This INSPIRED term, "out from among the dead" has a very profound meaning! It is a spiritual "rising" OUT from among the spiritually DEAD mankind. It is a "rising" OUT from a spiritual status called spiritual "death" INTO a spiritual status called spiritual "life". The major point is; it is not (yes, NOT) a resurrection of people that have physically DIED!
Paul obviously believed that it is possible for TRUE believers to attain and apprehend this spiritual STATUS called "rising from (spiritual) death" DURING this physical life. To experience this physical life is NOT truly experiencing LIFE! What we all experience is "spiritual death" during this physical life, and we will all remain spiritually DEAD unless Jesus Christ "rescues" (saves) us from the status of being spiritually DEAD. Jesus Christ "hath" (past tense) abolished (destroyed) death….
2Timothy 1:10 KJV But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
But most modern churches teach that we MUST exercise the POWER of our "free will" to choose to be TRUE believers so that we can have death abolished ONLY for us as TRUE believers. No, I believe death is legally abolished for ALL mankind based on all mankind being spiritually DEAD "in Adam". What does the term "in Adam" truly mean? Notice how BOTH the terms, "in Adam" and "in Christ" are used in this scripture….
1Corinthians 15:22 KJV For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive
Please understand; the SAME "all" (G3956) that "in Adam" ALL DIE will also be "in Christ" to be made alive. As we know, Adam (the FIRST man) caused the death of "all", even so (yes, EVEN SO) "in Christ"; the SECOND man (1Cor 15:47) "all" (again, the SAME "all") will be made alive. ALL mankind (the just and unjust) will be resurrected (Acts 24:15) to be JUDGED and chastised to be "in Christ" so that ALL mankind can be made alive. The term, "made alive" (G2227) means to "re-vitalize" (with a NEW life), and was translated most times as "quicken", and "in Christ" eventually ALL (yes, ALL) will be made alive (quickened) WHEN "this mortal must put on immortality"….
1Corinthians 15:53 KJV For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality
But notice; MORTAL bodies can be "quickened" NOW....
Romans 8:11 KJV But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
God gives His Spirit to us NOW that will "quicken" (re-vitalize) our mortal bodies DURING this physical life to be in a spiritual condition with a spiritual NEW life and LEGAL STATUS to accept a NEW resurrected body AFTER our physical body dies.
The dead "in Adam" includes BOTH physical death and spiritual death, which Christ has LEGALLY abolished that will be an eventual REALITY. But MOST of mankind were (and are) in total UNBELIEF to their LEGAL STATUS of being spiritually DEAD since they are ONLY familiar with physical death. Yes, MOST of mankind were (and are) ALSO in total UNBELIEF that this spiritual death has been legally abolished for them, but it will STILL be an eventual REALITY for them.
All mankind considered to be "in Adam" INHERITED sin and death; which is WHY all mankind are INSPIRED TO SIN, simply because ALL mankind were (and are) born ALREADY spiritually DEAD! There is the example in 1Tim 5:6 when Paul said a woman that "liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth". It is not theological "rocket science" to know what Paul meant!
People that LIVE by the unrestrained SINFUL pleasures of the flesh are spiritually DEAD while they are LIVING this physical life. There is also the parable of the "prodigal son" that was DEAD, became ALIVE AGAIN, was LOST, and then FOUND. This was indeed a very joyful, merry, and glad event….
Luke 15:32 KJV It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
The word "lost" (G622) means to destroy FULLY, and is the SAME Greek word used in many other New Testament scriptures for "perish", "destroy", "lose", etc. The prodigal son was DEAD, destroyed FULLY, LOST, and he PERISHED, but he was "found" and made ALIVE again, and was truly welcomed back home again by his loving, forgiving, and merciful father!
I believe Jesus Christ spoke a beautiful parable that points to all the DEAD that perished, were destroyed FULLY, and were all spiritually LOST, but they will ALL be FOUND and made ALIVE again (yes, again), and will be welcomed back "home" again by a loving, forgiving, and merciful Heavenly Father. What a beautiful, joyful, and heavenly LOVE story!
But it is so sad and very shameful that most of our modern "spiritually-enlightened" churches cannot allow that beautiful, joyful, and heavenly "home-coming" to actually happen and be a spiritual REALITY, simply because they do NOT believe in this type of "home-coming"! Most modern churches believe and TEACH that ALL unbelievers will NEVER be made alive AGAIN since they are FOREVER suffering "eternal death", FOREVER lost, FOREVER destroyed FULLY, and will NEVER be found.
This incredible shameful deception is caused by a mistranslation of the English words, "eternal", "for ever (and ever)", and "everlasting" that are translated from the Greek words G166 and G165 that have their meanings linked to mean "during an age", "age-lasting", or simply "age(s)". Certain translations explain this biblical TRUTH using words linked to "age(s)" instead of using "eternal" sounding words as most English translations have carelessly done! MOST of mankind were (and are) in UNBELIEF and are spiritually DEAD, and therefore they will ALL PERISH, but ONLY during the time known as the AGES!
Time and the AGES do NOT mean eternity, and eternity does NOT mean time and the AGES! Eternity is a spiritual realm that CANNOT be comprehended by "natural" minds, simply because how can a spiritual realm that had NO beginning and has NO ending be comprehended and explained? But TIME and the AGES can be comprehended and explained!
Now back to the term, "in Adam", and what this term could possibly mean. Certain people today believe that "in Adam" refers to the genealogy, ancestry, and RACE of Adam. In other words, these certain people believe that mankind "in Adam" is LIMITED to only racially "pure" people that are FREE from ANY "race-mixing" in the genealogy, ancestry, and RACE of Adam.
God created the DNA codes of all human flesh (including all other flesh) that identify the unique design of ALL kinds of flesh, including the flesh of different KINDS of races of people. This is WHY the different DNA codes are NOT designed to "mix" in sexual union since the offspring of two KINDS of races will "confuse" the unique design of BOTH races. We can all see this genetic "confusion" in today’s world, in which the RACE of many people cannot be identified. The biblical genealogy of Adam is 6000 years, but archeology has discovered human bones (other races) MUCH OLDER than 6000 years, therefore other races CANNOT genetically be "OF" Adam. This is WHY the term, "IN Adam" would NOT refer to the RACE "OF" Adam!
1Cor 15:22 says, "in Adam all die"; which implies an "entering into" of the SAME STATUS of Adam’s death. The major point is; Adam died spiritually, and I believe this spiritual STATUS is NOT determined by racial PURITY! Therefore the term, "in Adam all die" would mean ALL mankind likewise spiritually DIES. If (yes, IF) ALL mankind legally dies "in Adam", do they have the THINKING ability to BELIEVE, and be emotionally "moved" by the TRUE gospel message? That is the question of this WHOLE issue! If (yes, IF) they have this BELIEVING and emotional ability then they can be resurrected and morally recovered (G386) to be JUDGED and chastised to be "in Christ" so that they can be "made alive" (1Cor 15:22) with a NEW life.
Adam was NOT deceived into SIN (1Tim 2:14), but understand; he was still INSPIRED to SIN for the divine PURPOSE to cause BOTH the physical and spiritual death of Adam. Yes, Adam did indeed DIE spiritually in the day that he sinned, but of course his physical body did NOT die until 900 years later. Adam BECAME like the rest of mankind, therefore God can legally consider the REST of mankind ALSO spiritually DEAD before their physical bodies die.
If (I repeat, IF) a sovereign God considers the REST of mankind as legally WITH Adam in symbolic Eden, then "in Adam" they therefore inherited spiritual death. The cause (yes, CAUSE) of spiritual death MUST be judged and consumed by the "fire of God", and this is WHY "in Adam" ALL mankind can be resurrected and MORALLY recovered (G386) to be "in Christ" for the divine PURPOSE to be "made alive" with a NEW life!
There is also this question; are believers "in Christ" determined by the PURITY of their FLESH, or determined to be "in Christ" by a humble child-like PURITY of FAITH? There are certain people today that believe BOTH the purity of certain flesh and the "free will" choice of true humility are required to be eligible to be "in Christ". But TRUE humility must be CAUSED and INSPIRED by the Holy Spirit of an ALL-KNOWING sovereign God, and therefore it is NOT a "free will" uncaused choice!
These certain people believe that a certain physical "seed-line" must be FREE of race-mixing so that the purity of flesh and blood remains unbroken. But the apostle Peter spoke of TWO seeds; the corruptible physical seed (sperm), and the incorruptible spiritual seed, and it is by this spiritual seed of God that spiritually conceives a NEW birth in the HEART (NOT in the womb) to be "born again" of a NEW life….
1Peter 1:23 KJV Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
The apostle Paul wrote that God has reconciled the world unto HIMSELF, and God does not (yes, does NOT) impute (attribute) the world’s trespasses unto them, and of course that would INCLUDE the grievous trespass of "race-mixing"….
2Corinthians 5:19 KJV To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
What is so hard to believe that God is "big enough" to make His PEACE with this evil deceived world? The grievous sin of race-mixing will cause flesh and blood to be "out of kind" in the KIND it was originally created and intended. We can all see the "confused" racial results of this grievous sin that this evil deceived world is BLINDLY involved with, but the grievous sin of race-mixing is NOT IMPUTED (NOT attributed) to the world! There is a NEW birth that is NOT of flesh and blood! The apostle John explains that the NEW birth is NOT by blood, nor of the will of the flesh (sexual drive), nor of the will of man….
John 1:13 KJV Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
In other words, the NEW birth is NOT determined by the sexual union of flesh and blood; hence NOT by physical racial purity! This very important premise is addressed in detail by the article on "Israel" found on my web sites.
Notice that John 1:13 also explains that the NEW birth cannot be chosen by the "will of man", which is simply called today as the "free will" of man. You also cannot choose by "free will" to be "in Christ". It is Christ that "finds" you, and it is Christ that chooses you (John 15:16, 19). It is NOT you choosing Christ, and it is Christ that puts you IN HIM ("in Christ").
WHAT is the resurrection, and WHEN and HOW does it happen to us? Carefully read, study, and BELIEVE John 11:25-26….
KJV Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Jesus Christ said, "I am the resurrection, and the life". Notice that the resurrection is directly a part of THE LIFE, and the resurrection and the (yes, THE) life is (yes, IS) the PERSON of Jesus Christ! To experience the resurrection and THE LIFE is to experience the PERSON of Jesus Christ living HIS resurrected life IN US, and we will NEVER DIE (verse 26). What never dies is the ONE (yes, ONE) resurrected life of Christ that is lived IN the hearts of TRUE believers. Again, this is NOT theological "rocket science", but we MUST believe what Jesus Christ said!
Notice it was NOT ONLY those believing in Christ but those LIVING in Christ that shall NEVER die (verse 26). Christ explained, "though he WERE dead, yet shall he LIVE". The word, "were" (past tense) is used, which means that he was NO LONGER considered spiritually DEAD. To "never die" could NOT refer to the physical bodies of the apostles and all TRUE believers since ALL physical bodies will DIE! But the resurrected LIFE of the PERSON of Jesus Christ that was (and is) LIVED in the hearts of TRUE believers NEVER DIES!
THE LIFE of Christ is lived in TRUE believers DURING this evil world/AGE, and should be called "aionios life". As we all know, most Bibles say "eternal life", but the Greek word is G166, which means "perpetual", but it was also used of past or future TIME simply because it comes from G165 that means AGE. It truly is perpetual never-ending life, but it FIRST must be lived DURING THE AGES! This is WHY it should be called "aionios life", and NOT "eternal" life! The Rotherham, 1912 Weymouth NT, and Young’s Literal translation CORRECTLY translated eternal life as "Life age-abiding", "Life of the ages", and "life age-during".
Anyone that believes and LIVES "in Christ" is NO LONGER spiritually dead, but will have continual (perpetual) life that will abide during and through the ages ("Life of the ages"). Of course their physical bodies will DIE, but they are considered "asleep" (Acts 7:60, 1Cor 15:6, 18, 1Thes 4:13, 15, and 2Pet 3:4). But does this "sleep" apply to everyone that dies the physical death?
We are all aware of the age old question; what happens to us when we die? In Eccl 12:7 Solomon says our bodies return to dust and our spirit returns back to God who gave it. Yes, all the spirits of the DEAD "in Adam" belong to God, and I do believe it is these spirits that God will AGAIN restore and MORALLY recover (G386) the state of mind that was in them BEFORE they died, so that they can be JUDGED.
Solomon also says in Eccl 9:5, "the dead know not anything". But did dead Samuel "know anything" when he "supposedly" spoke to Saul (1Samuel 28:15)? Some believe this event was NOT REAL, but let us suppose that it was REAL; which would mean that Samuel was "awakened" from his "sleep" of death. Samuel was a GODLY man, and therefore did NOT need a FUTURE judgment, but the UNGODLY dead "know not anything" UNTIL they are resurrected to be in a FUTURE judgment.
Physical sleep pictures the spiritual sleep, and people that are physically asleep can be AWAKENED. If (yes, IF) GODLY Samuel was indeed "awakened" then GODLY believers can ALSO be "awakened" from their "sleep" of death BEFORE the rest of the UNGODLY dead. So when will all the ungodly dead be "awakened" (or shall I say, resurrected?) It will seem that they were "awakened" instantly after they DIED, simply because they were "asleep" (unconscious), and therefore they were unaware that possibly thousands of years had passed!
Jesus Christ is (yes, IS) the resurrected life that never dies, and this LIFE (Christ) "comes" to TRUE believers before they physically die, therefore I do believe that they are conscious to experience "aionios life" after their physical bodies die! But their spiritual NEW bodies will NOT be manifested (revealed) until a certain FUTURE event known as the "manifestation of the sons of God", as explained in Romans 8:19. This future event is addressed in the web link, "Coming" on my web sites.
Carefully read, study, and BELIEVE John 5:24-25….
KJV Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Notice; he that "heareth" (perceives) Christ’s word and believes on the Father that sent Him "hath" (present tense) everlasting life (G166), or the "life of the ages". Also notice that they shall NOT come into condemnation (judgment); which is ONLY reserved for the resurrection of the UNJUST, as we shall see.
Jesus Christ said, the hour is coming and NOW is when the DEAD shall "hear" (perceive) the "voice" of Jesus Christ and they shall live; which I believe HAS to be a conscious state of mind to experience a condition called "passed from death unto life" (verse 24). The word "passed" (G3327) simply means to "change place". A conscious state of mind called spiritual death will "change place" with a conscious state of mind called spiritual life, and Christ said that the "hour NOW is" (during Christ’s day) that this "change" was possible. This is why I do NOT believe that this is a FUTURE event when the DEAD (in the graves) will "hear" (perceive) the "voice" of Jesus Christ, and THEN be resurrected.
Carefully read, study, and BELIEVE John 5:28-29….
(KJV) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, (29) And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
In this context I do NOT believe Jesus Christ spoke of LITERAL graves. This word "graves" is G3419 and G3420, which means remembrance and memory. Graves are much MORE than a hole in the ground! Of course, the dead "in Adam" carried memories of their state of mind "to their graves". But what about the MEMORIES of vast countless bodies that died and were NOT buried in graves, if indeed the term "graves" points to ONLY that type of remembrance and memory? So what do the spirits of all mankind remember after they have physically died when they "hear" (perceive) the "voice" of Jesus Christ? The major point is; it is a MORAL remembrance and memory that will be morally recovered by the G386 resurrection!
Christ spoke of TWO resurrections in John 5:29; one to "life" and one to "damnation" (G2920); which means tribunal of justice by divine law. As we know, "tribunal" could simply be a court of justice. These are the resurrections of the "just" and "unjust" (Acts 24:15); which indeed would include ALL mankind simply because ALL mankind "in Adam" is either "just" or "unjust"; which is determined ONLY by an ALL-KNOWING God. Justice means "to treat fairly with full appreciation", and I ask this question; is it FAIR TREATMENT for God’s tribunal court of justice to cast billions of unbelieving souls to suffer conscious torment for all ETERNITY in a place called HELL? But this is generally what our modern churches believe and teach!
Suppose unbelievers live out their lives in ungodly lifestyles of NOT honoring God. Our modern churches NEVER explain where the fairness and justice is for unbelievers generally living in ungodly lifestyles that dishonor God in a life-span of "only" 80 or 90 years compared to never-ending torment in a place called hell with NO hope of "acquittal" or RELIEF!
Here is another example of "passed from death unto life"….
1John 3:14 (KJV) We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
John said "WE KNOW" that we have (yes, HAVE) "passed from death unto life". This is why I believe it ALREADY is a state of mind in which TRUE believers KNOW that they HAVE "changed places" from a state of mind called "death" INTO a state of mind called "life". This change from "death" to "life" is KNOWN because TRUE believers have a genuine LOVE for the brethren, and a believer (yes, a BELIEVER) that does NOT LOVE his (yes, HIS) brother (in the faith) is abiding in (spiritual) DEATH!
Notice this term, "should taste death for every man"….
Hebrews 2:9 (KJV) that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
The word "taste" (G1089) means to figuratively EAT of "good" or "ill". Thayer’s Lexicon says, to "try" or to "perceive" the flavor. So the question is, how did Jesus Christ "taste" and perceive the FLAVOR of death? We all know that by tasting or "trying" flavors of foods we can "perceive" WHAT the foods are. Jesus Christ in His entire adult life "tasted" and figuratively "ate" of the "good" and "ill" that is IN every man, and Christ did this "tasting" FOR (in BEHALF of) every man (yes, EVERY man).
Some assume that the last hours of Christ’s most brutal PHYSICAL death on the cross was how Christ "tasted" death for every man, but Christ ALSO had to "taste" spiritual death since BOTH deaths had to be abolished! Jesus Christ was sent in the "likeness" of (NOT IN) sinful flesh (Rom 8:3); which ENABLED Him to truly "taste" spiritual death caused by sinful flesh so that Christ as the GOD MAN could truly RESIST and overcome the total corrupt nature of sinful flesh!
Carefully read, study, and BELIEVE Matt 16:28….
KJV Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Christ explained to the apostles they shall NOT "taste" of their (spiritual) death UNTIL they "see" (perceive) the Son of man "coming" in His kingdom. This spiritual LESSON for us today is that we ALSO cannot "taste" of our spiritual death UNLESS and UNTIL Jesus Christ "comes" in His kingdom IN SPIRIT in our hearts. It is the PERSON of Jesus Christ that KNOWS how to "taste" spiritual death, and Christ MUST "come" IN US to also "taste" our spiritual death FOR us (ON our behalf). It is by knowing the PERSON of Jesus Christ intimately by His "coming" in His kingdom IN our hearts that enables us to KNOW and RESIST the corrupt things of our spiritual death. I believe this is what the "coming" of Jesus Christ is all about!
The "preterist" people or those known as the "70ADers" believe that Christ told some of the apostles that they would STILL be alive in 70AD to see Christ coming in His kingdom. No, I do not believe Christ was talking about a physical death at all! Christ did NOT say some would NOT DIE until they see Christ coming in his kingdom! Christ INSTEAD used the INSPIRED word "taste" for a divine REASON! The apostles could NOT "taste" of their spiritual death UNTIL they had "seen" (perceived) Christ coming in His kingdom, but maybe some (not all) of the apostles did NOT "hear" (perceive) what Christ was explaining.
Christ knew the hearts of all the apostles, and could it be that some (not all) were simply NOT able to "hear" (perceive) this special knowledge UNTIL they witnessed this glorious vision of Christ talking to Moses and Elijah in His kingdom? Six days after Christ said this statement (Luke 9:28 says about eight days) Christ took some (not all) with him to witness this glorious VISION of Christ "coming" in His kingdom. Please understand; the apostles most certainly did NOT have to WAIT six or eight days to "taste" their PHYSICAL death, or to WAIT until 70 AD to physically see Christ coming in His kingdom!
As I mentioned, the apostle Paul wanted the "out from among the dead" resurrection (G1815), and I truly believe it is a state of mind that has "broken free" from the BONDAGE of the state of mind known as "spiritual death". Yes, TRUE believers are INSPIRED to BELIEVE that DURING this physical life they are buried "with" Christ in the "baptism" of death, and they are also INSPIRED to BELIEVE that they are RISEN (resurrected) "with" Christ.
Carefully read, study, and BELIEVE Colossians 2:12….
Colossians 2:12 KJV Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
TRUE believers KNOW that Jesus Christ is living His resurrected life IN THEM; therefore they also KNOW that they have a state of mind that no longer FEARS ANYTHING, including the terrifying FEAR of a very agonizing physical death. Yes, the apostles and many hundreds of martyrs during the middle ages (as history tells us) were able to give their lives in gruesome horrible deaths. It is possible that they WELCOMED this type of martyrdom simply because they KNEW SOMETHING!
Most of today’s believers ASSUME that these many hundreds of martyrs truly believed in the eternal torment of HELL, and it is also assumed that they easily accepted a few hours of torture by not denouncing Jesus Christ compared to NEVER-ENDING torment in HELL if they DID denounce Jesus Christ. I suggest that they KNEW something entirely different!
They KNEW that the PERSON of Jesus Christ was living HIS life IN THEM; so would Jesus Christ denounce HIMSELF? They also KNEW that the resurrected LIFE of Christ made their souls and spirits FREE from their bodies of DEATH. In that sense their state of mind lived "outside" of their bodies, and therefore they did NOT CARE what happened to their bodies! They KNEW that the PERSON of Jesus Christ had "COME" in their hearts, and they KNEW they had "passed from death unto life". Yes, it is time that we re-examine the accepted theology that was taught to us all our lives about the "coming" of Jesus Christ!
In conclusion; most of mankind is WAITING for the John 5:29 "resurrection to damnation" (G2920) to be JUDGED, chastised, and corrected by God’s tribunal of justice by divine law. If (yes, IF) we are INSPIRED to believe and LIVE (yes, LIVE) "in Christ" DURING THIS LIFE then we have truly "passed from death unto life". The meanings of the original words of the Holy Scriptures are designed to INSPIRE us to believe and LIVE "in Christ", but we MUST read, study, and LIVE "BY" ("BY-live", or "BE"-LIEVE) the TRUTH of these INSPIRED meanings!
By Mahlon Wickey August, 2012
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