UNBELIEVERS
For the non-believing world the end of one’s earthly life and beginning of life in eternity
will be unimaginably horrible.Jesus warned:
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot
kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
The rich man in hell cried
out in his misery:
“Then 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.’” (Luke 16:24)
“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you
would send him to my father’s house, ‘for I have five brothers, that he may
testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’” (Luke 16:27-28)
What a waste that the door
stands open and so many refuse to enter in. Jesus said:
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be
saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)
Glory to God for those of us
who have been saved, but our one desire is that others may come to Jesus and be
saved also. It is so much sweeter to enjoy His love now and in eternity, than
to face His judgment in eternity.
BELIEVERS
Stepping into eternity is an
event every Christian looks forward to, especially those who are suffering in
some way.
When the last breath leaves
our body while on this earth, we will see the face of God in Jesus Christ. This
is the same Jesus who left His home in Heaven for a time and came to earth to pay
our sin debt and provide the only path to God. He walked the streets of
Galilee, prayed for us in the garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of
Olives (John 17:20-26). This is the same Jesus who the angels told His
disciples:
“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.” (Acts 1:11)
If I may emphasize one more
point; this is the same Jesus as revealed in the book of Revelation.
“Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.
And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven
lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and
girded about the chest with a golden band.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as
snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a
furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth
went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in
its strength.
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He
laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and
the Last.
“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am
alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Revelation 1:12-18)
This very same Jesus we see
in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and also in the book of Acts, is the
same Jesus we see throughout the Bible (Old and New Testament), including the
Revelation of Jesus Christ in the last book of the Bible.
In Psalms 22 and Isaiah 53 is
Jesus our Savior upon the cross of Calvary paying our sin-debt. In Matthew 28
our Savior rose from the grave just as He said He would. In John 20 He appears
to Mary Magdalene and His disciples.
In Genesis 1 He spoke
everything into existence. In Genesis 3:15 He announces Satan’s fate. In
Genesis 6 He told Noah He was bringing a world-wide flood and to build an ark.
In Genesis 12 He births the Jewish nation of Israel from a man He called
Abraham.
In Exodus 3 He calls a man
named Moses to deliver His people from Egypt. In 1 Samuel 16 He called a young
shepherd boy named David to be king over Israel. In Daniel 3 He was with
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace.
This is just a small sampling
of Jesus at work throughout His written word, the Bible. His greatest
missionary, the apostle Paul, wrote most of the New Testament as inspired by
God’s Spirit, as did the other writers of the Old and New Testaments. The
Bible, in its entirety, is about Jesus, the very same one we will see when we
are welcomed into Heaven and eternity.
“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He [Jesus]
expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27 insert mine)
“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as
our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath
written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these
things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are
unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their
own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:15-16)
Our seeing Him will be our
greatest reward of all, but there are more wonderful ‘surprises’ ahead, thanks
to Him.
For all those who belong to
God there will be no more bodies riddled with diseases … not even a bad cold.
In our new bodies, there will be no pain. The blind on earth will see in
Heaven. The deaf on earth will hear in Heaven. Those without limbs will be
whole in Heaven. There will be no blemishes in our new bodies, not even a pimple.
Again, our new bodies will be perfect in every way. Yet, there is more. It just
keeps getting better.
We will have no hate within
us. There will be nothing but love in our hearts. Envy and jealousy will be
like the DoDo bird … extinct, non-existent. There will be no sorrow within us
and no fear. Every day will be a Friday instead of a Monday (those who dread
Monday but long for Friday will understand). Think on this; no sinful thoughts
of any kind. Now don’t say you don’t have them anyway. We all have sinful
thoughts here on earth, but we will entertain none in Heaven.
Those who have died with disease
riddled bodies will one second later be with Jesus and completely healed, never
to suffer again. Victims of car wrecks, murder, war and accidents will be whole
in Heaven, with a new body. Those whose body and mind were ravaged by Alzheimer’s,
will have a clear mind and a new body.
There are those who say this
is only a pipe dream. We are called gullible day dreamers, but the gullible are
those who believe the lies of the son of darkness … Satan. Satan is a liar. The
Son of God is not.
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of
your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not
stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he
speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44)
“And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” (John 8:45)
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
I haven’t mentioned a tenth
of a percent of the problems we have while upon this earth. Our bodies, our
minds and our very souls are under constant attack from the results of sin that
came upon all mankind, but none … I repeat, NONE … of this will exist in Heaven
with our Lord and Savior. Any who will just put all their trust in Jesus can be
blessed by His very presence and all He provides for us in eternity.
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html
