LESSON 10

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Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgment

 

Heb. 6:1-2  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

 

In this lesson we will try to cover the last two foundational doctrines of Christ as found in Hebrews 6:1-2; resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

 

These are not popular subjects in the church today.  We aren’t receiving a lot of teachings on them.  We will lay a scriptural foundation that there is a literal resurrection.

 

Psa. 49:15  But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me.  Selah.

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There is a literal resurrection. 

Isa. 25:8  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken [it].

 

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According to research done by George Barna, this young generation is preoccupied with death.  Two of the top six things that are important to this young generation concern death.   

 

When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, he swallowed up death.

 

Isa. 26:19  Thy dead [men] shall live, [together with] my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew [is as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

 

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The earth will not be able to hold the dead.  Some will be raised to eternal life, some will be raised to eternal damnation.  There will be a resurrection.

 

Dan. 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

 

This is going to happen.  There is a time coming, when Jesus will return and there will be a resurrection of all who have died; some to eternal life and some to eternal death.

 

Hos. 13:14  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

 

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God has destroyed the power of death.  Death has sought after man ever since the fall of man.  God is turning that around and destroying the power of the grave.

 

When you begin to understand and grasp that there is a resurrection, it gives you hope.  No matter what happens or comes against you, there is a hope.  There is a resurrection.

 

Matt. 22:31-32  But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,  I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

 

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There is a hope.  No matter what comes against you there is a hope.  There is a resurrection.

 

God is not a god of the dead, but a god of the living.  All the saints of old are not dead.  They are alive with God.

 

Matt. 27:50-53   Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

 

The veil was not a thin fabric.  It was woven to about four inches thick.  It could not be torn, yet God tore it when Christ died.

 

When Jesus died, many of the saints of old were raised from the dead and began walking around the streets of Jerusalem.

 

1 John 3:3   And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.

 

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The Bible says that those who have the hope of the resurrection purify themselves.

 

John 5:19-24  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.  For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.  For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth [them]; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all [men] should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.  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.

 

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Jesus said that when you are born again you pass from death unto life.  The person who has surrendered to Jesus has already passed from death to life and there is no more judgment for them. 

 

The Bible warns us not to turn away from a surrendered life and return unto death.  When we are surrendered to Jesus we pass from death to life and there is no more judgment.

 

John 5:25-29  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.  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  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.

 

There is a judgment for those who refuse Christ.  They will rise to eternal condemnation.

 

Isa. 34:8-10  For [it is] the day of the LORD'S vengeance, [and] the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.  And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.  It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

 

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Brimstone is a substance found in lava.  It comes from the belly of the earth.

 

There is a literal resurrection and there is a literal hell.

 

Matt. 3:12  Whose fan [is] in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 

There is a literal hell.  A place of a literal fire and brimstone.

 

Matt. 18:8  Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast [them] from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

 

Matt. 25:41  Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

 

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God will judge every ungodly act.  Punishment isn't just absence from His presence, it's not getting into a lower heaven.  The punishment is eternal, everlasting fire.

 

Luke 16:19-31  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence.  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. 

 

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This literally happened. Whenever Jesus told a story or used a parable He mentioned it.  Here He said there WAS a rich man and there WAS a poor man.

 

God is a god of mercy, love and grace, but He is also a God who demands justice.  He will not hesitate to bring judgment.

 

Heb. 10:28-31   He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.  [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 

God will not hesitate to bring judgment, whether on the heathen or on those who once knew the Lord and then walked away. 

 

2 Pet. 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

 

As born again Christians, we have passed from death unto life.  We must remember however that there is a lost and dying world out there, that will pass unto eternal damnation unless we lead them to Christ and eternal life.

 

In Review:

1.  What happens when you are

 born-again?  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.  Whom is the Judgment for?  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.  What is punishment for those who reject Christ?  ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.  Do a study in the Bible about heaven and hell.  Describe each of them in detail.  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________