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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13
LESSON #07
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DEATH
v MEMORY VERSE: 1CORINTHIANS 15:26
v IN MANY NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE PASSAGES, THE BELIEVERIN JESUS CHRIST IS TOLD TO BE READY, TO WATCH FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD. JESUS INDICATEDTHIS ANTICIPATED EXPECTANCY IN PARABLES AND TEACHINGS, SUCH AS THE PARABLE OF THE TENVIRGINS (MAT 25:1-13). IN MAT 25:13 JESUS SAYS THAT WE SHOULD WATCH BECAUSE WE DONTKNOW THE DAY OR THE HOUR WHEN THE LORD WILL COME. THIS ANTICIPATION OF THE LORDSRETURN IS CALLED THE BLESSED HOPE. (TIT 2:13)
Ø THE WORDS IMMINENT RETURN EXPRESSTHIS BIBLICAL IDEA OF EXPECTANCY.
§ THE WORDIMMINENT MEANS = LIKELY TO OCCUR AT ANY MOMENT. IN OTHER WORDS, THELORDS RETURN COULD OCCUR WITHIN THE NEXT 5 MINUTES, OR WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YEARS, ORWITHIN THE NEXT 500 YEARS, ETC.
§ BECAUSE OF THIS ANTICIPATEDEXPECTANCY THAT THE RAPTURE COULD OCCUR AT ANY MOMENT, THE BIBLE GIVES NO SIGNS FOR WHICHTO LOOK.
· BELIEVERS IN THE EARLY CHURCHLOOKED FOR CHRISTS SECOND COMING JUST AS WE LOOK FOR IT TODAY.
· THE BIBLE TELLS US TO LOOK FOR HIMTO COME. WE ARE NOT TOLD TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF THE RAPTURE.
¨ YES, THERE ARE SIGNS REGARDING THETRIBULATION PERIOD AND THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. BUT THERE ARE NOSIGNS FOR THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
Ø THE NEW BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH INTHESSALONICA LOOKED FOR CHRISTS IMMINENT RETURN. HOWEVER, SOME MEMBERS OF THEIRCONGREGATION DIED, AND CHRIST HAD NOT RETURNED. THEY QUESTIONED PAUL IN REGARDS TO THOSEWHO DIED.
v READ 1THE 4:13 SLEEP AND PHYSICAL DEATH
Ø THE BIBLE USES THE WORD SLEEP INSEVERAL PLACES TO REFER TO DEATH. (DAN 12:2) (MAT 9:24) (MAT 27:52) (MAR 5:39)(JOH 11:11).
§ WHY DOES THE BIBLE USE THEWORD SLEEP?
· THE BIBLE USES SLEEPFOR PHYSICAL DEATH TO INDICATE A SPIRITUAL TRUTH.
¨ DEATH IS SOMETHING UNKNOWN AND USUALLYRESULTS IN THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. USUALLY A PERSON EXPERIENCES IT ONLY ONCE.
¨ FOR THE HEATHEN NATIONS AND PAGAN RELIGIONSTHROUGH HISTORY, DEATH HAS BEEN VIEWED AS THE LITERAL END OF LIFE WITH NO HOPE FORANYTHING MORE.
Ø HOWEVER, FOR THE OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVING JEWAND THE NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIAN, THERE WAS ALWAYS THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION PRESENTED BYGOD IN BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENTS. 1THE 4:13 TELLS US THAT THE BELIEVER SHOULDNOT SORROW BECAUSE HE HAS THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION.
§ DOES THAT MEAN WE MUST NOTCRY WHEN A LOVED ONE DIES?
· NO. THE WORD SORROW MEANS = TOGRIEVE IN HEAVINESS AND ANGUISH WITHOUT HOPE.
· OUR TEARS ARE MORE FOR OURSELVESBECAUSE OF THE VOID IN OUR LIVES WITHOUT THAT LOVED ONE.
¨ THE BIBLE USES SLEEP TO GIVE USTHIS FUTURE HOPE. THERE ARE SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN GOING TO SLEEP AT NIGHT AND PHYSICALDEATH.
| SLEEP: | PHYSICAL DEATH: |
| A TEMPORARY EXPERIENCE OF THE BODY | A TEMPORARY EXPERIENCE OF THE BODY |
| THERE IS A MOMENT OF WAKING UP | THERE IS A MOMENT OF RESURRECTION |
| THE BODY GOES TO SLEEP WHEN IT IS PHYSICALLY TIRED | THE BODY DIES WHEN IT CAN NO LONGER SUSTAIN ITSELF |
§ THE GREEK WORD FORSLEEP IS keimai WHICH MEANS = TO LIE DOWN
§ THE GREEK WORD FORRESURRECTION OF THE BODY IS anastasis. THIS GREEK WORD COMES FROM TWOGREEK WORDS, histemi WHICH MEANS = TO STAND, AND, ana, WHICH MEANS = UP ORERECT. THEREFORE, THE WORD RESURRECTION MEANS = TO STAND UP ERECT.
Ø WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BODY DIES?
§ FOR THE BELIEVER AND THENON-BELIEVER THE CONDITION OF THE BODY IN PHYSICAL DEATH IS THE SAME. THE BODY RETURNS TODUST.
· READ GEN 3:19
· READ GEN 2:17
¨ WHAT DID GOD MEAN WHEN HE SAID ADAM WOULDSURELY DIE WHEN HE ATE OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL? ADAM DID NOT DIE THAT DAY. HE WENT ON TO LIVE 930YEARS! (GEN 5:5)
Ø GOD ORIGINALLY INTENDED THAT MAN LIVE FOREVERAND NEVER EXPERIENCE DEATH.
Ø ADAMS BODY BEGAN TO DIE THE DAY HE ATEFROM THE FORBIDDEN TREE, JUST AS OUR BODIES BEGIN TO DIE THE DAY WE ARE PHYSICALLY BORN.(ROM 5:12)
Ø HOWEVER, ADAMS SPIRIT DIED SPIRITUALLYTHE DAY HE ATE OF THE FORBIDDEN TREE.
Ø WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SPIRIT AND SOUL WHEN THEBODY DIES?
§ MAN WAS CREATED IN THEIMAGE OF GOD WITH A THREE-PART NATURE. GOD HAS A THREE PART NATURE (FATHER, SON, HOLYSPIRIT) AND WE HAVE A THREE PART NATURE (BODY, SOUL, SPIRIT)
· A PHYSICAL BODY THAT IS SUBJECTTO DECAY AND DEATH.
· A SOUL, WHICH INCLUDES:
¨ REASON, INTELLECT, EMOTIONS, WILL, AND YOURPERSONALITY.
· A SPIRIT, WHICH DESIRES TOWORSHIP AND COMMUNICATE WITH A HIGHER POWER.
§ READ ECC 12:7
§ READ 2COR 5:1-9
· PAUL INDICATES THAT THE BODY IS ATEMPORARY TENT IN WHICH WE LIVE. AT THE PRESENT TIME, OUR BODIES GROAN,LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY.
· THERE ARE SOME CHRISTIANS WHOBELIEVE IN SOUL SLEEP. THEY SAY THAT WHEN THE BODY DIES, THE SOUL GOES TOSLEEP UNTIL THE DAY OF RESURRECTION.
· HOWEVER, PAUL SAYS IN 2COR 5:8THAT WHEN WE ARE ABSENT FROM THE BODY WE ARE IMMEDIATELY PRESENT WITH THE LORD. HE DOESNOT TALK ABOUT SLEEPING UNTIL THE RESURRECTION.
¨ WHEN THE BIBLE USES THE WORDSLEEP FOR DEATH, THE CONTEXT ALWAYS RELATES TO THE BODY AND NOT THE SOUL.
v DEATH WAS CHANGED FOR BELIEVERS AT THE CROSS OFJESUS CHRIST:
Ø THROUGH THE TIME OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WHEN APERSON DIED, HIS SPIRIT AND SOUL WENT TO A PLACE CALLED SHEOL ORHADES. THIS PLACE WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS, ABRAHAMS BOSOMFOR BELIEVERS, AND TORMENT OR GAHENNA FOR NON-BELIEVERS. (LUK16:19-31)
Ø WHEN JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED, HE DESCENDED INTOHADES (EPH 4:10). HE DECLARED HIS VICTORY TO THOSE WHO HAD DIED IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES(1PET 3:19). AND HE TOOK THE OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS IN ABRAHAMS BOSOM TO PARADISEIN HEAVEN. (EPH 4:8 LUK 23:43)
Ø OLD TESTAMENT NON-BELIEVERS REMAINEDIN TORMENT WAITING FOR THE FINAL RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT.
Ø NEW TESTAMENT NON-BELIEVERS JOIN THEOLD TESTAMENT NON-BELIEVERS IN TORMENT WAITING FOR THE FINAL RESURRECTION ANDJUDGMENT.
v THE THREE KINDS OF DEATH IN THE BIBLE:
Ø UP TO THIS POINT, WE HAVE DISCUSSED ONLYPHYSICAL DEATH. HOWEVER, THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THREE KINDS OF DEATH:
§ THE PHYSICAL DEATH OF THEBODY THAT RETURNS TO DUST, WHICH WE HAVE JUST DISCUSSED.
§ SPIRITUAL DEATH:
· WHAT IS SPIRITUAL DEATH?
¨ IT IS MANS SEPARATION FROM GOD BECAUSEOF SIN. (ROM 1:29-32)
Ø BECAUSE GOD CANNOT LOOK UPON SIN, IT IS SINTHAT SEPARATES MAN FROM GOD.
Ø READ ISA 59:2
Ø READ ROM 6:23
Ø READ EPH 2:1
§ THE REMEDY FOR SPIRITUALDEATH IS JESUS CHRIST WHO GIVES ETERNAL LIFE TO THOSE WHO REPENT OF THEIR SINS AND RECEIVECHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR.
§ ETERNAL DEATH OR THE SECONDDEATH:
· READ JUDE 12
· READ REV 2:11
· READ REV 20:15
¨ ETERNAL DEATH IS THE STATE OF ETERNALSEPARATION FROM GOD FOR THOSE WHO NEVER REPENT AND NEVER RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST INTO THEIRHEARTS.
Ø IT IS AN ETERNAL STATE OF DAMNATION IN THELAKE OF FIRE FOR ALL NON-BELIEVERS, THE ANTI-CHRIST, THE FALSE PROPHET, AND SATAN.
§ READ REV 19:20
§ READ REV 20:10
§ READ REV 20:14-15
§ READ REV 21:8
v SUMMARY:
Ø OUR LESSON HAS CONCENTRATED UPON DEATH.HOWEVER, THE BIBLE CONCENTRATES ON LIFE. DEATH IS THE NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF THIS LIFE ONEARTH AS A HUMAN BEING DESCENDED FROM ADAM. ALL HUMANS ARE DESTINED TO DIE PHYSICALLY,UNLESS THE RAPTURE OCCURS DURING YOUR LIFETIME. ALL HUMANS ARE SINFUL AND EXIST INSPIRITUAL DEATH, UNLESS THE PERSON RECEIVES CHRIST INTO HIS HEART AND IS BORN AGAIN. ALLNON-BELIEVERS SUFFER ETERNAL DEATH IN THE LAKE OF FIRE. HOWEVER, THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLESAYS THAT THE REMEDY FOR ALL DEATH IS JESUS CHRIST, THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.
§ READ HEB 2:14
· AS WE READ IN REV 20:14 EVENDEATH WILL BE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. ONCE THE ETERNAL FUTURE BEGINS (REV 21 AND 22)THERE WILL BE NO MORE DEATH.
v HOMEWORK
v 1THESSALONIAS 4:14
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
v APPLICATION OF 1THE 4:13
Ø HOW DOES THE KNOWLEDGE THAT CHRIST COULD COMEAT ANY MOMENT, CHANGE YOUR THINKING ABOUT YOUR DAILY ROUTINE?
Ø HOW DOES THE KNOWLEDGE THAT DEATH FOR THEBELIEVER IS DIFFERENT THAN DEATH FOR THE NON-BELIEVER ENCOURAGE YOU?
v PREPARATION FOR 1THE 4:14
Ø READ 1THE 4:14
§ READ THE FOLLOWINGSCRIPTURES:
· ROM 8:11
· 1COR 15:3-6, 12-58
¨ FROM THESE PASSAGES, WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOUKNOW REGARDING THE RESURRECTION OF THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.
v MEMORY VERSE: 1COR 15:22
