The Only Hope For A Future Life
The Only Door Into The Kingdom___
The Only Hope
Hebrews 9:27
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (KJV)
Every human must die one time. This is what the Bible tells us.
Resurrection is the only door into the kingdom. It is the only hope the Bible teaches. Death is inescapable.
We determine what is to follow by our deeds during our lives. Which ever outcome, we will face death.
Many have falsely associated, “coming out of the great tribulation”, or surviving the tribulation, with the salvation of their flesh.
However, “coming out of the great tribulation” is about the survival of the ‘spirit’.
Revelation 7:15 states that the ones these words refer to are in Heaven, “standing before the throne of God”.
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people robed in white, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His sanctuary. The One seated on the throne will shelter them:
These who, “come out” have had to have died because flesh and blood cannot enter Heaven.
In addition to that, the pattern God established only allows for anointed priest to enter the Temple Sanctuary.
The Messiah came out of a ‘great tribulation’ through enduring death. He surrendered his flesh but saved his spirit. His spirit was raised from the dead and when he returned to Heaven, he entered a brand new body.
Jesus’ last statement before he expired is recorded at Luke 23:46:
Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” After he said this, he breathed his last.
Obviously the disciple Stephen had the same expectation. After he had been stoned and was about to die he said:
Acts 7:59
As they continued to stone Stephen, he kept praying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
‘Coming out of the great tribulation’ is not about the preservation of one’s fleshly body any more than it was for the Messiah.
Like Jesus came out of his great tribulation survival of the coming great tribulation or “coming out of the great tribulation” is a matter of preservation of the ‘spirit’ or the ‘real’ you.
Those envisioned in the book of Revelation as being seen before the throne of God, have come out of the final great tribulation upon the Earth in the same manner as Christ. They have saved their ‘souls’ by keeping spiritually pure and completely obedient to God’s will. They have surrendered their old fleshly bodies for new bodies in Heaven.
Its clear their survival has nothing to do with not dying nor does it have to do with humans living through the tribulation, the End, and never having to die. One must come to grips with their own mortality. Again, the Bible teaches, “all men must die one time”.
Hebrews 9:27:
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (KJV)
It is a false expectation that you will enter the Kingdom of God and never face dying.
Where are those in union with Christ who have already died? Are they in Heaven?
The Bible states that those living at the Lord’s coming, those to pass into Heavenly life at death in “the twinkling of an eye”, would not precede those who have already fallen asleep in death.
This has led many to assume that the opposite is true. That those who are already dead get raised first.
In this way they are saying a raising to life in Heaven has already occurred or is happening now. Untrue.
The apostle merely pointed out that Christ’ brothers who are alive when he arrives benefit from not having to sleep the Adamic death. But, they will arrive in Heaven simultaneously with their already deceased brothers. Just like Jesus, God will receive their spirits upon resurrection.
Christ does not receive his ‘bride’ in bits and pieces but as a father presents a bride to his son…whole, prepared, and fully adorned as the Bible tells us.
Remember, that Jesus said when he arrives, “all those both the righteous and the unrighteous” who sleep in death will hear his voice and rise to Judgment.
These ‘righteous’ are those call from death to heavenly life. This is the “first” resurrection. The “first resurrection will not occur until Christ returns. Therefore those who already have died in union with Christ remain asleep in death.
The words “first resurrection” implies that after there is to be another resurrection. The rest of those who are to be saved return in a ‘second’ resurrection.
brotherjohnsite.org 