Views of the Endtimes: Full Preterism

Various Passages.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on September 1, 2019.

Today we begin a series on important prophecies of the Bible and how different Christians have come to interpret them.  Our approach will be to ask a question regarding a particular aspect of prophecy, which will then serve as a filter that creates a clear separation between different views.

For those who think that prophecy is unimportant, or worse a wild, goose chase, I would give a caution.  Jesus and his apostles not only taught that prophecy was important, but they also gave more prophecies that aligned with the Old Testament ones that had not been fulfilled yet.  In fact, if you simply take the number of verses that have a prophecy in them, whether they are fulfilled or not, and divide it by the total number of verses in the Bible, you will find that around 27 to 28 percent of the Bible is prophecy.  So, prophecy is obviously important to our Lord. 

However, prophecy is not an attempt to tell us everything that will happen in the future.  We must remain humble and cautious in these matters.  If we are to take our Lord and his Apostles seriously for our salvation, and daily walk, then we should also take them seriously as they spoke on things that they said were to come in the future.

Is there a literal, physical return of Jesus from heaven in the future?

Our first question has to do with what is called the Second Coming of Christ.  Is it still in the future, and will it be a literal, physical return of Jesus from heaven?  There is a group of Christians who claim that this is not what the Bible says will happen.  We will talk more about how they get there in a bit.

We will focus on the main views, rather than on the multitude of individual interpretations that people hold.  Even these individual interpretations can be sorted into categories, which our filter questions will help us analyze.  I say this because it may appear as we go along that I am presenting these views as a monolithic or absolute scheme.  This is not so.  To give you an idea, this first category that we will look at has over sixteen unique approaches.  However, they all agree that the Bible does not say that Jesus is going to return to earth physically.

The group that answers the above question as, “no,” is called Full Preterism, or, as they like to call themselves, Consistent Preterism.  The name preterism uses the prefix preter, which comes from the Latin word for “past.”  It refers to how a person approaches Bible prophecy in general.  Preterists see Bible prophecy as being fulfilled in the past, as opposed to futurists, who see much of it to be fulfilled in the future.  Preterism is the view and preterist is the person who holds the view.  In fact, any time you read a prophecy in the Bible, you have to ask yourself what it is predicting and whether that has happened or not.  Thus, I would technically be a preterist regarding the prophecies of the First Coming of Jesus, but the word is not really used in that way.  There is a group that is usually called Partial Preterists or Moderate Preterists.  They would say that most of prophecy has been fulfilled in the past except for the Second Coming and the Resurrection.  We will talk about them at a later date.  So, how do full preterists come to believe that Jesus has already come back and fulfilled all the prophecies of the Bible?

Before we answer that question, let’s get a better feel for what all they believe.  If you think the Bible says something that hasn’t happened yet, it is only because you are ignorant of exactly what was meant and the historical events that fulfilled it.  According to this view, the Day of the Lord and the end times are references to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  The reign of Jesus, or Messiah, over all of the earth is actually a spiritual reign, and not meant to be a physical reign on earth.  The Second Coming of Jesus is also a spiritual event in which Jesus came in wrath upon Israel in 70 AD.  They will typically add that, when a person first believes on Jesus, they have their own personal, spiritual, Second Coming at that point.  The Final Judgment scenes of Revelation have already occurred in 70 AD, as well as the resurrection.  Yes, according to this view, you missed the Resurrection that the Bible talks about, and Satan has been bound, metaphorically of course.  We are actually in the New Heavens and the New Earth already because they were never intended to be physically new, but rather, spiritually new.  So, what are we doing?  The goal of the Church is to help all humans discover and accept what Christ has done for them.  The whole world will eventually be converted and mankind will enter Utopia.

Now, this view has variations about exactly when all these things were accomplished, but they generally fall within the first century AD.

Before we go into the negatives about this view, let me just say up front that they say much that we can agree with.  Those who believe that Jesus will literally and physically return, also believe that he is already spiritually reigning in our hearts.  They also believe that Christians already participate in the Kingdom of God by the Holy Spirit.  In fact, believers are described as those who have judged themselves already, and thus will avoid the Final Judgment.  Lastly, they also believe that the works of Satan can be bound by believers who stand against him and trust God.  So, many aspects of this view can be embraced.  The problem is that they see these things as the only thing promised in Scripture.  Is everything promised only metaphor and none of it also literal?

This would be my up-front statement:  This view directly contradicts Scripture and offers unsatisfying reasoning for their “misinterpretations” of the prophetic passages.  Let’s deal with three main arguments from Scripture that Full Preterists use to substantiate their view.

In Matthew 24:34, we are told, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”  Immediately before this verse, and in all three of the Gospels, Jesus is telling about his Second Coming.  So far, it looks like a good case.  They believe that Jesus is pointing to his disciples as he says, “this generation…”  However, in verse 33, Jesus first refers to those who “see all these things,” and then states “this generation.”  This leaves the door open that it is just as possible that Jesus is referring to a later generation, i.e. the generation that sees all these things. 

If you study Matthew 24 and chart out what Jesus prophesies about the future, you come away with an outline that has two parts.  The first part he calls the “Beginning of Sorrows.”  He clearly states that it is a period that is not the end, but comes before the end.  He details many signs that will occur during this period in which the Gospel goes to the ends of the earth.  This becomes the tipping point to the second half of the discussion.  After the Gospel goes to the ends of the earth, then the end will come.  So, all the signs before this (false christs, wars, great earthquakes, famines and pestilence, persecution and martyrdom, false prophets, lawlessness, and the love of many growing cold) are not signs of the end times at all.  The Gospel would be preached to all the world under difficult circumstances, but believers were not to confuse that with the end.  Luke states that this period of difficulty that is not the end would last until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  This period is not dated.  To say that the Gospel was preached in all the nations by 70 AD requires a very limited view of what Scriptures promise.  It really is a big stretch.  After Matthew states that the end will come, he describes the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ.  Some signs of these times were signs in the heavens and on earth, and false christs and prophets doing powerful signs to deceive.  All Christians before the end would see the first set of signs, but this second set would be seen by the generation that would also see the Second Coming of Christ.  Jesus is not predicting that he would come back during the first century.  He is stating that the generation that sees the second grouping of signs would see him come back.

In Matthew 16:27-28, we have another statement that at first glance appears to state that Jesus had to come back during the first century.  The problem is that this is not exactly what it says.  In verse 27, Jesus clearly speaks of his Second Coming “in the glory of His Father with His angels, and…reward each one…”  Then verse 28 states that some who were still alive at the time that he was speaking would not die before they saw the Son of Man coming “in his kingdom,” with no mention of angels and rewarding people for according to their works.

Mark 9:1 adds the phrase that they would see him “present with power.”  All three gospels follow this statement up with the account of the transfiguration of Jesus.  James, John, and Peter see Jesus transfigured before them.  What is that?  We are told, “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, let us make here three tabernacles; one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’  While he was still speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!’”  (NKJV).  These three disciples were allowed to see Jesus in his glory and kingdom power.  John sees this again in chapter one of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  If only one of the Gospels had done this then we might still be speculative, but all three connect these two events directly.  The disciples themselves clearly saw the transfiguration as the fulfillment of what Jesus said, and not the Second Coming.

In Revelation 22:12 and 20, preterists emphasize the promises that Jesus is coming soon, which is the translation used by NIV, ESV, RSV, NLT, and some others.  The argument is that Jesus said he was coming soon, and 2,000 years is too long to qualify.  He had to come earlier.  This overlooks the reality that Old Testament passages often speak of things happening “soon” that are hundreds of years or more later.  The word that is translated “soon” in these passages is not a word about timing primarily, but of manner.  It is an adverb in these verses that speaks of how he will come, not when.  In other places it will use the noun form of this word in a prepositional phrase that similarly speaks of how it is done, not when.  Thus, Jesus is encouraging his followers that, when these things happen, they will happen quickly. 

We should also note that there are plenty of passages in the New Testament that speak of a delay of Christ’s Coming.  2 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Knowing this that scoffers will come in the last days walking according to their lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?’  For since the fathers [patriarchs] fell asleep [died], all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’”  Notice that things would take so long that scoffers would be using that as the foundation for their unbelief.  Also, Peter states that they forget about the judgment of the flood.  The Second Coming of Christ will be like the flood judgment, only this time it will be by fire.

Another passage regarding delay is Matthew 24:48-50.  There Jesus tells a parable that says, “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of…”  Again, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that it will take long enough for believers to quit watching, abuse their position over other believers, and even embrace the ways of the world.

On top of this, the Revelation itself, during the 7^th Trumpet of Revelation 10:6, declares that “there should be no more delay.”  Up until then God has been restraining things and keeping the end at bay, but at some point, He ceases and allows things to quickly come to a head.

Dr. Ron Rhodes of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries (RonRhodes.org) has this to say about preterism.  “Against preterism, futurists note that key events described in the book of Revelation simply did not occur in A. D. 70.  For example, in A.D. 70 “a third of mankind” was not killed, as predicted in Revelation 9:18.  Nor has “every living creature in the sea died,” as predicted in Revelation 16:3.  In order to explain these texts, preterists must resort to an allegorical interpretation since they did not happen literally.”  I would add that these attempts to explain an allegorical fulfillment are often extremely stretched.  Now let’s quickly lay out several reasons why we know that Christ will come back literally, physically, and from heaven, which hasn’t happened yet.

First, the resurrection of Jesus and those who followed him was always considered physical and for every believer of all time.  In Matthew 10:28, Jesus warned us not to fear those who can kill the body, but to fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in the fires of Gehenna.  He clearly warns of a physical punishment within Gehenna.  This ties together with Revelation 20, where all the dead are resurrected (bodily), judged, and put in the Lake of Fire.  We can understand a person taking the book of Revelation as mere symbolism, but the words of Jesus are clearly more than symbolic.  He is clearly warning of the foolishness of such fear.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, cannot be understood without terrible twisting of the text to mean anything but a literal, physical resurrection of the righteous. ^“50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” (NKJV). 

Paul categorically states in verse 50 that, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God,” which the preterist view point contradicts.  So, what was God’s solution to this problem?  Paul explains that God will change our mortal flesh and blood into a glorified body that cannot perish.  Paul’s argument does not make sense without a literal resurrection and one that encompasses every believer, even those today.  To say that this is a spiritual resurrection truly stretches the argument because in the argument our flesh itself is the part of the problem that the resurrection solves.  Paul also states, in Philippians 3:20-21, “²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” (NKJV).  Over and over again, the resurrection is connected to a bodily transformation, from an earthly body to a heavenly body (which is never meant to mean a spirit).

If there is still any question, Acts 1:9-11 should put the argument to rest.  ⁹ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹ who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (NKJV). 

Here we see that the apostles were told that Jesus would return in like manner as they saw him go.  This would be from heaven, supernaturally on the clouds of the sky, and in a glorified body that is physical, yet immortal.  Of course, this perfectly matches up with the scene described in Revelation 19.

¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head weremany crowns. He ^[e]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in ^[f]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a ^[g]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  ¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the ^[h]supper of the great God, ¹⁸ that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people,^[i]free and slave, both small and great.” ¹⁹ And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. ²⁰ Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. “

In countless places throughout the New Testament, believers are encouraged to be faithful and the hope placed in front of them is the Second Coming of Christ and the Resurrection of the body.  These promises often make little sense in the original context if we treat them only as spiritual metaphors. 

Let me just remind us again that I do not have a problem with recognizing spiritual fulfillments of these prophecies.  Yes, for many, the day they die is basically the Second Coming of Jesus.  We are also spiritually raised up to new life in order to live for Jesus.  However, it is a travesty to surrender the greatest promises that the Lord Jesus and his prophets have given us.

In fact, these arguments are the same arguments that unbelievers use to prove that Jesus failed.  Preterists appear to be trying to cut these arguments out from under unbelievers, and yet then they come across as many cults do when their prophecies fail.  How many Christian cults and false teachers have proclaimed that Jesus was returning on a certain day, only to be proven as liars?  The answer is many, and growing every day.  If they don’t flat out say that they were wrong, they often declare that they were correct, only Jesus came back spiritually.  You just can’t see it.  This doesn’t cause people to marvel at the power and wisdom of God.  Rather, it causes them to shake their head and blaspheme God.

Jesus is coming back, and all who have embraced him in faith will enter into his promised kingdom over all the earth, where the swords will be pounded down to ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3).  As Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.  Even so, Amen.”  It won’t be just Israel seeing him in 70 A.D., and they won’t just metaphorically see him.  He will be seen by all the nations in the flesh.

As we look at the world today, it is becoming clearer and clearer that mankind will not save itself.  Our leaders will not solve the problems of the world because the problems of the world are rooted in the sin of mankind.  Only Jesus can save us from our sins, and only Jesus has been given authority from God to rule the whole earth physically from Jerusalem.  Amen!

Endtimes audio

My Personal End Times: The New Heavens & the New Earth

Revelation 21.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on November 4, 2018.

We are now at the last point of our series.  For the sake of time, I have broken this up into two sermons.  It begins with God’s promise to recreate the universe.  Throughout the Bible God reveals to us that He truly is the master of creation, and can even melt it down and recreate it when He wants.  So here we get a brief glimpse of what that new creation will look like, and the wisdom of God who is bringing us to it.

All things are made new

I will use the phrase from vs. 5 for our point because it describes what verses 1-4 are showing us.  The things of this world have grown old through use and abuse, but God has a day in which He will renew and refashion it to where it is both fresh and greater. 

Verse 1 makes it clear that in the last chapter the old heavens and earth were melted down and then sometime after the judgment recreated.  The new “heaven” here means the cosmos or universe and not the spirit realm where the throne of God is.  As for the new earth it is not just renewed, as in being brought back to a fresh state of the same thing.  It is also, refashioned into a different form.  We see this because it shares the detail that this new earth has no sea.  This does not mean that there is no water, but that large bodies of water like the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, or the oceans, for that matter, will be no more.  Throughout the Bible the waters were a great separating instrument to mankind.  It was also used as a symbolic representation of the turbulence of the nations.  Thus God will remove the physical barriers to mankind’s unity and the spiritual problems that drive its constant dissensions.

Verse 2 introduces the New Jerusalem, which comes down from God (i.e. it comes down from the third heaven).  This does not seem to be connected to the old Jerusalem on earth, which would have clearly been destroyed.  This is typically referred to as the Final State (condition), or the Eternal State.  This new creation is what we will inhabit into eternity.  Of course it would be folly to try and comprehend what plans God has for us in the Eternal State, other than to recognize that the emphasis is that now we can do it in perfect fellowship with God.

The New Jerusalem descends from Heaven

The New Jerusalem is compared to a bride adorned for her husband in verse 2.  However, in verses 9-10 it is called the bride of the Lamb (i.e. Christ).  Is the city just a symbol and not an actual city?  The descriptions to follow are far too detailed to treat the whole thing as simply a symbol of the Church.  Just as God’s people have been prepared to live with Jesus in eternity, so the city has been prepared to be the place of our dwelling, which leads us to the next point.

We are told in verse 4 that God wipes each tear from their eyes.  It is not saying that He will do that from then on because all the sources of pain will be no more: death, sorrow, crying, and pain.  Here we see the cathartic or healing experience of God removing any remnants of the old earth and its imprint upon our minds.  This is the ultimate renewing of our minds.  In verse 5 we are told that this plan and purpose of God is “true and faithful.”  It truly is His plan, and He will surely accomplish it.  God will bring it to pass for all who trust Him in this life.

In verses 6-8 we are given several promises from God and a warning.  First we hear the phrase “it is done” connected to that point in time.  This is in contrast to the words of Jesus on the cross, “It is finished.”  They are two different Greek words.  At the cross Jesus used a word that was used to state that a debt had been paid in full.  Thus at the cross it was finished in the sense that Christ had paid the price for salvation.  However, at the New Heavens and the New Earth “it is done” means that salvation/healing has been fully accomplished.  God has completed the task of overcoming the rebellion and corruption of the old universe.

Next the fountains of the Water of Life are promised to those who are thirsty.  There is a beer commercial that loves to use the slogan, “Stay thirsty, mis amigos!”  However, this begs the question.  What are you thirsty for?  You can drink all the beer you want, but it will not satisfy the empty aching in your soul.  If you are thirsty for the Waters of Life that are given to those who put their faith in Christ then you will know satiation that this world cannot give.  We drink from this water by faith.

Then inheriting all things is promised to those who overcome.  This world is our testing ground and the thing we must overcome.  It seeks to destroy your faith in God, but you must overcome it.  Jesus told his disciples that they would have persecution in this life, but then he said, “Fear not!  I have overcome the world.”  Thus we know that He will enable us to overcome the world as long as we lean upon Him.

Lastly, the warning is given.  We are given a list of the kinds of people who will be thrown into the Lake of Fire (i.e. The Second Death).  Most of the list makes sense.  However, many balk at the very first word, the cowardly.  Really?  People who are cowardly will be thrown into the Lake of Fire?  That seems way to harsh.  The point is not that those who are afraid receive the Second Death.  Rather, it is those who let fear cause them not to believe in Christ and instead embrace any of the other things in the list and more (there is no reason to believe the list is exhaustive).  When we let fear cause us to turn back and not overcome the world, then we fall short of the salvation and healing that God has for us.

The New Jerusalem described

For the sake of time I will list the descriptions briefly.  But it is worth spending some time thinking about the things described.  Verse 10 states that John is taken up to a great and high mountain.  This seems to be an allusion to Daniel’s kingdom “not made by human hands.”  That kingdom became a mountain that filled the whole earth.  As John stands on the great high mountain he sees the city coming down like a great mountain itself.  The Bible is replete with the mountain analogy.  The mountain of the Lord that was established in the earthly Jerusalem, pointed to a heavenly mountain of the Lord that existed in the heavenlies.  This New Jerusalem seems to be the ultimate mountain of the Lord coming down out of heaven and having the presence of God (as we see later).

We are told that the whole city is made of precious stones and shines with the glory of God.  In fact everything seems to be made of translucent material that will enable the glory of God to shine through it.  This is similar to the description Daniel gives of the righteous.  He says that they will shine like the stars.  Definitely there is a reference to taking on divinity (an immortal body that is from God).  However, if God has a glory that actually shines, it would stand to reason that we too will have some kind of shining glory, although lesser than that of God.

There are 12 gates around the city named after the 12 tribes of Israel and guarded by an angel.  We are also told that each gate is made out of a single pearl.  This is significant because as we go to the next point we will see that the walls are 216 feet tall.

The wall, that the gates are in, have 12 foundations named after the apostles of Christ and made of precious stones.  We are told that the city is the same length, width, and height and that each side is 1,400 miles.  It would be amazing enough to conceive of a city that was 1,400 miles square, but for it to also be 1,400 miles tall is flabbergasting.  We are not told if it is shaped like a cube or like a pyramid.  If it is like a cube, then it would be more reminiscent of the temple and the Holies of holies, whereas a pyramid shape would be more in keeping with the “mountain of the Lord” motif throughout Scripture and mentioned in verse 10.  Of course we have to point out that the streets are made of pure gold and thus in heaven gold is asphalt. 

Verse 22 tells us that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem because God and the Lamb dwell in it and they are the temple.  There is no separation from God and His people any more.  That, which was important to understand in the past, has now been overcome.  Not only is there no temple, but the city does not need the light from the sun or moon.  This doesn’t mean there isn’t a sun or moon, but that their light is not needed because of the light from the glory of God.

We are also told that the nations who are saved will walk in its light.  I should point out that it is not stated that the city will “land” upon the earth, only that John saw it descend out of heaven.  In light (pun intended) of this description, it would seem more likely that the New Jerusalem would orbit the New Earth as an artificial satellite giving light to the earth below.  However, it is quite possible that it lands upon the earth.  Of course life in the New Jerusalem and on the New earth is left to our imagination.  Do some people live in the New Jerusalem all the time?  Do some only live on the earth, and if so who?  Though many are quick to be dogmatic in answers to these questions, it seems a fool’s errand.  We simply have not been told and thus should wait until the time in which it will be revealed.

One thing is clear, only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life may enter the New Jerusalem.  Which brings up the question, is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?  You can make sure that it is today, but repenting of your sins, believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and following His commands.  Will you do this now?  If you do you will have the joy of experiencing the greatest city that the world has ever know because it will have been built by God Himself.

The New Heavens & the New Earth Audio

Your Personal End Times: What is after death?

Various Passages.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on September 2, 2018.

Today we continue to look at the end times from a personal perspective rather than from a global one.  Last week, we emphasized the biblical teaching that we are given one life to live on this earth and then we face judgment.  We also pointed out that God’s ultimate purpose is to resurrect all who have died and thus lift mankind out of this mortal condition in which we have found ourselves for ages.  However, there is a large amount of time between the death of most people who have lived and the time of the resurrection.  Note: In a later sermon, we will deal with the reality that there is a resurrection of the righteous and a resurrection of the wicked that do not happen at the same time, but are both at the end of the current age.  So what happens to people in between their physical death and their later resurrection?

Some passages use the terminology of sleeping and have led some people to believe that this is literal.  Thus they teach that the soul of an individual, after death, will go into an unconscious state and awake at the resurrection.  However, it is generally understood to be a euphemistic way of referring to death.  Too many passages exist in which we see the souls of those who have died as conscious and aware.  Yet, what does that look like?

Today we will look at the first of two possible experiences after death.  Scripture promises all who belong to Christ, both those who died before the cross and those after it, that they will be with Him in heaven when they die.

Those who belong to Jesus got to be with Him in Heaven

We cannot list all the passages that directly or indirectly make this point clear.  However, let’s look at several passages that give us a picture of what lies beyond death for those who belong to Jesus.

Luke 23:42-43 involves Jesus on the cross.  One of the thieves mocked Jesus, but the other one was clearly repentant.  He then says to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”  The reply of Jesus is, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”  Notice that Jesus emphasizes that it will happen today.  So is paradise a place in the grave (more on this later) or is it another term for Heaven, God’s dwelling place?  In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, the Apostle Paul speaks of a person who was “caught up to the third heaven,” and then describes it again as “caught up into Paradise.”  Clearly he is equating the third heaven and Paradise.  It was common to see the cosmos as having a first heaven, the atmosphere, a second heaven, what we call outer space, and the third heaven, a spiritual place where God dwells.  Another point to make is that the directional language used for Paradise is upwards, i.e. “caught up.”  The grave is never described in the Old Testament or the New Testament as being up.  It is always down, and in the dust of the earth.  So, Jesus is promising more than that the thief will join him in the grave.  The other thief would be in the grave as well (admittedly not with Jesus).  The promise is that he would be with Jesus in heaven.

This promise is made in other passages as well.  In Philippians 1:21-24, Paul describes his potential death as “a desire to depart and be with Christ.”  Basically, his argument is that it is good to be alive on this earth because we can labor for Christ and help each other.  However, it is a better condition to depart this life, i.e. die, and be with Christ.  There is no suffering and difficulty for us in that condition.  This is a clear equation from Paul.  He knows that for him to die is to be with Jesus.  Let’s look at another passage.

2 Corinthians 5:4-9.  In this passage it becomes clear that there are three possible conditions for a believer in Christ.  The first is that we are on this earth with a mortal body.  In this condition we should make it our aim to please the Lord because He is the source of the other two conditions.  Upon our death, those who “please the Lord” enter into the second condition, which is a soul that is with Jesus and without a physical body.  The second state is seen as more desirable than the first state.  Yet, the first is necessary to reach the second.  Even better than being a soul that is with Jesus and without a body, is to be with Jesus and to have a glorified body.  This passage emphasizes the promise of God that we will have a glorified body (also called a heavenly body) that is incorruptible and immortal, at the resurrection of the righteous.

Believers in Jesus can be confident that when they leave this life behind, they will not cease to exist or go into an unconscious state.  Rather, we will be in the presence of Jesus in a spirit form, of which we have very little information to satisfy our curiosity.  Right now Jesus is at the right hand of the Father awaiting the command to come to earth and set up His earthly kingdom.  Also, there are countless believers who are with Him waiting for the day that they will receive their resurrection bodies and join Him in His triumphant return to Earth.

Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke 16

So what about this story that Jesus told?  For the sake of time I will assume you have read Luke 16:19-31.  In this story there is a very poor man who is full of sores and has to beg for his food.  His name is Lazarus.  There is also a very rich man who is apparently healthy, has costly clothing, and never wants for food.  It is clear that the rich man did not help Lazarus.  The only consolation Lazarus received was dogs licking his sores.  Both men die, but they have very different fates.  Lazarus is carried by angels to a place referred to as Abraham’s Bosom.  It is not clear if this is just a description or an actual name for the place.  We are told that the rich man is buried and then finds himself in torment in Hades.

Now Hades is a Greek term that is synonymous with the Hebrew word She’ol.  Both of them essentially refer to the grave.  Though it can be used to refer to a physical grave, it typically refers to a spiritual holding place for the spirits of those who die.  In the story the grave is depicted as having two compartments, a place of torment for people like the rich man and a place of comfort for those like Lazarus.  Clearly the main teaching is that we should be careful how we live our life because our life on earth directly impacts what we will experience after death.

In the days of Jesus it was believed that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing, and so the rich man may have felt that surely his condition after death would be just as fair.  Similarly, a person like Lazarus would be seen as cursed by God, and could not hope for a good condition after death.  Notice the reversal of fortunes.  Those who live selfishly, without thought for God and their fellow man, will be in torment when they go to the grave.  However, the souls of the righteous (whether destitute as Lazarus or else) will receive comforts and no longer suffer.  Both cases are depicted as spiritually alive and conscious. 

Why isn’t Lazarus in the presence of God?  It appears that until Jesus actually paid the price for the sins of the world, those who put their faith in God had to wait in the “nice side” of the grave to enter His presence.  Once Jesus paid the price on the cross, he then went into the grave.  There he proclaimed his victory over sin and death.  This would be good news to the righteous, but a shattering of any hope for the wicked (see 1 Peter 3:18-20).  Some believe that Ephesians 4:8 refers to Jesus leading the righteous captives out of the captivity of the grave and into heaven.  Whether this verse is intended to reference this or not, it seems stretched to think that only believers after the cross could go to heaven after death while those before the cross must stay captive in Abraham’s bosom.  In John 8:47 and John 16:15, Jesus taught that everyone who “belonged to the Father” would believe on Him.  Thus all that belonged to the Father (before Christ came) essentially belonged to Him.  Would not that which belongs to Christ be with Him?  The price has been paid.  At this moment all the righteous and faithful of every generation back to Adam are with Jesus at the right hand of the Father, and believers who die today immediately join that multitude in Heaven.

There are objections to taking Luke 16:19-31 literally.  They say that this is just a parable and thus is only emphasizing that our life on earth sets us up for a good or bad experience in the afterlife.  Thus they would ignore the descriptions as merely props used to get an idea across rather than specifics.  The problem with this is that if this is a parable, it is the only one where one of the characters is named.  An even bigger problem is that the parables of Jesus were always true-to-life.  Jesus did not tell Aesopian Fables involving turtles and hares.  His stories always represented real experiences that happened every day.  Why would this be the one parable where we would say the story does not represent real experiences that people who are dying have every day?  There is no strong reason.  Thus I believe that the story is intended to give us a real look into the grave and give us a rough picture of what it will be like.

Today, I encourage you to think about your life.  We are not all as destitute and seemingly cursed as Lazarus, and most likely you are not as well off as the rich man in the story.  However, it is important how you live this life because it will impact what you will experience after your death.  If you want to be in the presence of God when you die, then I encourage you to put your faith in Jesus, rather than in yourself or the things of this world.  Admit to God that you are a sinner in need of saving.  Believe that God sent Jesus to pay the price for your sins and that His teachings are the way for you to live your life.  Then publically confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Those who embrace Jesus in faith have a bright future ahead of them in which not even physical death and the grave are bad things.  They simply become our promotion from the teaching grounds of this life into the presence of God Himself.  Choose to follow Him today!

What is after Death audio

Jesus Reveals The Future- Part VI

Luke 21:29-38.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on November 08, 2015.

Today we will finish this chapter and return to the events of the last days of Jesus leading up to the crucifixion.  I plan to pause our study through Luke for the next 2 months and then pick it back up next year.

Having finished his revelation of the things that are in the future, Jesus ends with some final instructions regarding how that should affect their minds and lives.  It is important to recognize the difference between receiving information from the Lord and having that rightly impact our lives.  We must not only hear the Word, but we must also recognize the imperatives that the Spirit of our Lord is pressing to us.

Instructions From The Lord

Jesus starts his instructions with a parable regarding vigilance.  Several times he commands us to watch, look, and see the things that are happening around us and within us.  Thus earlier he commanded his disciples not to fear and not to be deceived.  Both involve the things that we may or may not see.  The people of God are called to be a vigilant people as opposed to those who are spiritually sleeping, drunk, or dead.  The first thing he points them to watch for involves all the signs and events that he has prophesied.  It is not enough for us just to know that he believed these things were coming.  We need to be a people who watch for these things.  On one hand we watch for the things that fit the descriptions that Jesus gave.  But on the other hand we make distinctions based upon what he said.  Thus we know that some things were going to happen in the first century, other things were going to be indicative of the whole age of Gentile domination, and then some things would be indicative of the end of this age and the Second Coming of Jesus.  Part of our watching is coming to a better understanding of what Jesus was saying.

Jesus gives a parable of budding trees.  It mentions a fig tree but then adds “and all the trees.”  Sometimes a fig tree is used as a metaphor for Israel.  However, in this passage it is a picture of all the things Jesus prophesied (some of them having to do with Israel).  When a tree begins to bud then we know that summer is near.  Although we may think this a no-brainer, there is a subtle point being made.  We have dates on the calendar such as June 21 and September 21 (depending on the year) in which we declare the beginning of summer and its end.  However, our experience with this period of time called summer is not always the same.  Sometimes it comes late and sometimes it comes early.  Trees have a relationship with the earth and sun that is different than us.  They are more sensitive to the things that can go undetected by us.  Thus a tree buds when it has a certain amount of energy and nutrients from the soil and sun.  We can make educated guesses at when that will be, but nothing can take the place of seeing the trees and plants responding.  Thus the difference between computer models and real life cause and effect cannot be made clearer.  Those who watch the world and make their guesses as to when the times of the Gentiles will end and the Second Coming will occur have often demonstrated the inability we have as humans to sense spiritual things clearly.  The signs and events that Jesus has revealed are intended to be like buds on a tree.  They help us know that the Kingdom of God and the Second Coming is near, or not.  Clearly, Jesus is not referring to the spiritual aspect of the Kingdom of God that the disciples had already entered into.  Rather, He is pointing forward to the Millennial Age when Messiah will remove the wicked of the earth, depose its wicked kings, and hand the kingdom over to the saints.  What has happened spiritually will come into being politically at the Second Coming.

Next Jesus makes a statement that “this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.”  If this was the only information we had, it would seem that Jesus is pointing to the disciples and saying this generation (the one that exists now).  But when we look at the same account in Matthew 24 it is worded a bit differently.  “When you see all these things, know that it is near-at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”  Here the generation being referred to is a generation that will see “all these things” in the future.  So here is the rub.  If all the events of Luke 21 happened in the first century then they were the generation Jesus was talking about.  However, I have made the case in the last 5 sermons that not everything happened.    In fact, the genius in how this prophecy is written can be seen in how the people of every generation will still operate with a characteristic of vigilance and it would do them in good stead.  Thus the first century believers saw many of these things and were prepared to avoid the wrath of God poured out on the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.

Yet, there are still some things that have not happened.  Matthew 24:15 mentions an Abomination of Desolation that did not occur in the first century.  There are some creative attempts at connecting this with events at the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem, but they are forced at best.  Matthew 24:14 mentions the Gospel being preached in “all the world.”  This also would not be the natural understanding of what happened before 70 AD.  Yes the Gospel spread greatly into the Roman world.  But the universal need of the Gospel requires a spread throughout all the nations literally.  Notice that it says all things that are written would be fulfilled (vs. 22).  This sets up many passages, such as Zechariah 14, that were clearly not fulfilled in the 70 AD destruction.  The times of the Gentiles ending and the Second Coming of Jesus did not happen in 70 AD.  Again, there are some creative attempts to say that Jesus came back spiritually.  But that is not what this prophecy predicts.  Lastly, we have not seen a convergence of the sun and moon darkened with stars falling to the earth.  See last week’s sermon for more on this.

Up to verse 34 Jesus is talking about our vigilance regarding the things in the heavens and on the earth.  But at verse 34 he begins talking about our vigilance regarding ourselves.  Believers must be watchers of their own souls as much as they are watchers of the times around them.  The word translated “take heed” in the NKJV has the idea of turning your mind and inspection upon yourself.  Thus we talk about introspection.  There are many temptations and fears that can sidetrack a believer from following Jesus.  If a person is not careful and does not watch themselves they will fall into sin and into its consequences.  If left unattended, these things can even jeopardize the soul of a disciple of Christ.  We only need to think of Judas to recognize this.  Jesus warned Peter, James, and John, when he asked them to pray with him on the night he was betrayed, that they needed to “watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41).  The love of God and the blood of Christ do not absolve the believer from vigilance over their soul.

Jesus points out that our hearts can become weighed down with sin.  The picture is of a person who is overly burdened and cannot follow where the Lord is leading.  Hebrews 12:1 touches on this same concept, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  Whether we think of the analogy of an animal that is so loaded down they can’t move, or of a runner in a race who is wearing boots and heavy clothing, both instances demonstrate that we will not be able to do what Jesus wants us to do, or go where he wants us to go.  Jesus mentions two specific sins and a general category.  They are: carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life.  The word translated as “carousing” is a reference to the state of mind of a person when they are drinking alcohol.  It involves both the giddy feeling of euphoria and the attending horrible pain of a hangover.  In both cases the mind of the person is messed up and not focused on Jesus.  In the first all inhibitions and ability to work well are overwhelmed by a false sense of well-being.  This false well-being takes the place of seeking our well-being in Christ.  Thus it is a form of idolatry.  In the second situation our mind is filled with pain and suffering to the point it is unable to deal with anything else that the Lord may have for us.  This cycle of drinking to feel good and then not feeling good has sidetracked many a person from being a faithful servant of the Lord.  The second sin translated “drunkenness” goes hand in hand with carousing.  It is a clear reference to the person who drinks too much alcohol and becomes intoxicated.  Believers are not commanded to be teetotalers, but they are commanded not to be drunk.  Both of these issues can be seen as spiritual metaphors.  The lusts of our flesh can become the directors of our pursuit of well-being.  The consequential cycle of dramatic highs and crashes, shipwrecks the faith of people in the way of Christ.  This leads us to the general category of the cares of this life.  Jesus referred to this in the parable of the soils.  He warned that the cares and worries of this life can suck up all the moisture and nutrition of our life and choke out the Word of God.  Thus a person does not grow in becoming like Christ and instead grow in becoming like the world.  All of these are like weights on our heart and must be jettisoned in order to follow Jesus.  It might be better said that the Christian life is one of learning to prune the things we need in order to continue following Christ.  This is a process that will not end as long as we are in this flesh.

The consequence of dilatoriness in the battle against the lusts of the flesh can lead to being caught unaware by the Day of the Lord.  Now the problem here is not that a person has sinned.  But that they have quit watching over their soul and have become like one of the drunkards.  Just because you have the label of Christian does not mean that your heart is really following after Jesus.   Several parables that the Lord told refer to servants who doubt that the master is coming back and begin to take advantage of their position in his “house.”  They end up receiving the same judgment as those who were his enemies and never a part of his house.  The Lord is coming back to judge the wicked of this world who reject him as Lord.  Yet, he will also judge the wicked servants of his house who have rejected him in their hearts.  Thus Jesus uses the picture of a snare or trap in verse 35.  The world and “Christians” who are following their flesh will be surprised at the coming of Jesus.  They will both be caught up in the judgments and wrath of the Lamb of God.  All traps have bait that the thing being trapped wants.  In this case both those who never follow Christ and those who only pretend to do so are trapped by the lusts of their own mind and body.  God has warned us for millennia that those who go after the lusts of the flesh will reap destruction.  Thus we begin to understand another side of the distress and perplexity experienced by those who see the wrath of God coming upon the earth.  They are trapped by their desire to do it any way but the way of Jesus.  The world is headed into a trap that it will not escape.  Do not listen to the songs of the singing sirens.  They call mankind to take hold of its “evolution” and become the gods it was destined to become.  This will lead to inescapable judgment and destruction.

Finally Jesus tells us to pray for ourselves.  Technically watching and praying are concepts that are tied together in the Scripture.  They are two sides of the same coin.  Yes we ought to pray for one another.  But a prayer life begins with a person who sees the assault of sin upon their own heart and has established a communion with Jesus regarding what is seen there.  Only then are we able to rightly pray and intercede for others.  A prayer of introspection concerns itself with being ready for the Lord’s return.  Regardless whether he comes back or we die, we know that we will have a day of accounting and this should be a daily concern of our prayers.  In fact, Jesus uses the phrase “counted worthy to escape…”  This is not talking about meriting our own salvation.  Only those who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ are worthy.  However, our response of faith to Jesus must demonstrate works that are worthy of true repentance.  In other words, “Don’t be deceived.  God is not mocked.  Whatever a man sows that will he also reap.”  If we sow to our flesh we are going to reap destruction.  But if we follow the Spirit of Christ and sow to it, we will find life.  Our pretense will not be over looked by him who can see all things of the mind and heart.  Thus we want to be able to stand before Christ as an accepted servant, rather than to fall as an unworthy servant who is cast out into utter darkness.  Many who think they should be accepted will be rejected in that day.  It is no mystery.  Christ has made these things abundantly clear.

Let me end by reminding us that God does not intend His wrath to be poured out on His people.  1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ.”  Also, Revelation 11:18 says, “The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.”  Like He has often done, and like He did in 70 AD, the Lord pulls out the righteous before He brings down His wrath.  Thus He will do in the last days.  At some point Jesus will rapture His bride before He pours out the wrath of God upon a world that hates him.  Today is the day to choose what side you will be on.

Jesus Reveals Future VI Audio