Episode Transcript
Are you ready to experience the amazing love of God and his plan for your life? Are you curious about the fast fulfilling bible prophecies? Amidst the rapidly changing world, secrets of prophecy is your gateway to unlocking these exciting realities. Join Pastor David Price on a journey of discovery that will not only transform your life, but will equip you with inner peace and an unshakable hope to face the future. Well, it's my pleasure to welcome you to Secrets of prophecy session number 17.
We're going to look at the topic of life after death. You know, death must be one of our most painful experiences in relating to the loss of a loved one here on planet Earth. However, the emotional impact might just leave us open to unknown deceptions.
So let's go straight into our five discovery points to see what we're going to learn in session 17, life after death. We're asking the question, what role can the supernatural play in end time events? Number two, why does God forbid talking to the spirits of the dead? Number three, what is the divine formula for creating human beings? Number four, where does a dead person actually go when they die? Many people speculate about this, but not many people seem to know for sure. And number five, what happens to the righteous dead at the second coming of Jesus Christ? So it's good to be together.
And this study guide is downloadable from under the description bar on the online platform that you are watching. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we ask that your holy spirit will guide, bless and direct us in a powerful way.
And we ask it in Jesus precious name. Amen. So it's my privilege to welcome you to session 17.
We're looking at life after death. One of the great mysteries of life is actually death. What happens to people when they die? Where do they go? Is that the end of the journey or just the beginning? Are they completely dead? Or is there an inner soul that continues to live throughout the cultures of the world? The dead are buried in different ways.
In the western world, a coffin in an underground grave is the typical burial. But the Buddhists of Tibet prefer a sky burial, where the dead are prayed to for, then given over to devouring vultures. A visit to Cairo will show you the mummies of the pharaohs and the great pyramids in which they were buried.
You may have witnessed the hindu open cremations on the indian Ganges river. Here, the remains are ceremoniously sprinkled into the flowing river. Archaeologists have discovered thousands of graves from ancient Persia, all buried in the cracks of a cliff face on the much loved mountain of mercy.
Ramat mountain. So the destination of the dead polarises the world. In the christian faith, many believe the soul goes straight to heaven, or maybe even hell.
Others believe in a place called purgatory, an area of spiritual cleansing prior to heaven. Limbo is a place for people who are not good enough for heaven and not bad enough for hell. To some religions, the afterlife is spent in a place simply called paradise.
For many in the world, though, there's simply no destination for the dead. I so, over half the world believes in reincarnation, where the soul experiences successive lives on planet Earth. The form of that life can be either on a higher or a lower plane.
It depends on the moral quality of the current life. Well, interest in the supernatural is a feature of the 21st century. Many today recount a near death experience where they sense themselves leaving their body and entering a sphere of bright light and unexplainable beauty.
High rating television programmes are demonstrating crossing over. There is a live communication between the living and the dead. Disney movies, thousands of Internet sites, bestselling books and popular board games also feature open discussions with the dead.
People see the apparitions of the Virgin Mary all over the world. They feel she encourages them in their faith and gives messages of hope and peace to the world. More and more people are visiting mediums and spirit guides in the hope of getting in touch with much loved relatives who have passed away.
They want friendship, reassurance, support and strength to cope with their emotional heartache and loss. So let's ask some questions. Is there life after death? What is the soul? What is the spirit? And can we talk to our dead loved ones? And if so, should we? This study guide uncovers the mystery of life after death.
It reveals why a correct understanding of this subject is so vital to your future. So let's go straight into question number one. What role will the supernatural play in end time events? We go to revelation, chapter 16 and verse 14.
John the Revelator wrote, for they are the spirits of demons, performing signs which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God almighty. That's a reference to the battle of Armageddon, a great spiritual war at the end of time. Notice that these demons who work these signs, they actually are able to influence the kings or the leaders, the thought processes and the intelligentsia of this earth, and are able to sway the whole world.
I like what the King James version says in revelation 1614, the same verse. For they are the spirits of devils and they're actually working miracles. Friends, what does all this mean? Bible prophecy predicts demons or devils will work supernatural miracles to deceive the world.
By demons or devils, we mean the angels that fell with Satan when he was cast out of heaven. See revelation, twelve, seven, nine. These miracles or signs will include false christs and false prophets.
See Matthew 24 24. Billions could be deceived by the devil and his demons. Impersonating past spiritual leaders.
Can you imagine what would happen if Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, Gandhi, and the Virgin Mary all reappeared on earth at once? Can you just imagine a united peace plan, maybe even by the United nations, for a world ravished by natural disasters and terrorism? How easily the nations and religions of the world could be influenced to sacrifice truth in order to form a one world, new world order. This would have to be the greatest reset ever. So I want to pause and just share this.
Do you think demons or devils or fallen angels can come to us in disguise and not as themselves? Is it possible that Satan and his devils could impersonate the dead in order to deceive us? I want to read to you from the book beyond death's door, page 69. The author writes, then I went through this tunnel. I emerged from the other end in a white light which had a soft glow.
There was my brother, who died three years previously. I attempted to go through a doorway, but my brother was blocking my view and wouldn't let me see what was behind him. Then I saw what was behind him.
It was a bright angel and angel of light, and I felt encompassed by this force of love from this angel. Friends, Satan knows that death is our most painful experience, and he knows that through emotion, he can most easily deceive us in this area. Second Corinthians 1114 powerfully warns us about his power over us.
And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. But surreptitiously, he doesn't come as himself. He never comes as the devil.
He comes as an angel of light to destroy and to deceive. So, friends, there are many apparitions, and there are many things happening around the world today where the dead are supposedly appearing. What about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary that take place all over the earth? Let's go to Fatima, Portugal, to this amazing town.
The Fatima apparitions were to those three children, they were done by Mary, so called the mother of God, in 1917. There were six apparitions in that year, a year before World War one ended, and they're listed there. And even today, there are many celebrations of the Marian or Mary apparitions.
Millions of people go to this site in Portugal every year. It's a very, very big event where the statue of our lady is carried around and people are there to worship. In Patricia Trese's book, messengers after death appearances of saints and mystics.
I want to read to you this quote. Saints are also making after death appearances. Now that is, in whatever year you pick up this book.
Nor are such appearances something new. Witnesses who spied on St. Francis of Assisi during prayer more than once saw dead saints, among them Peter, Paul and John.
Speaking to him, Patricia trees is there, referring to the apostles. She carries on like angels. Dead saints are spiritually equipped to serve as pure, loving messages to whomever God sends them.
One other word before we begin. Whenever a Catholic writes about saints, the question always comes up, what about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary? So let's go to the book the Thunder of Justice by Ted and Maureen Flynn and find out more about the marian apparitions. Quoting from page eight, why is Mary appearing? Quote, his Eminence Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has stated in the Ratzinger report, one of the signs of our times is that the announcements of marian apparitions are multiplying all over the world.
He says, Our lady states the reasons for her warnings are to prepare us for the second coming of Jesus Christ. It's been stated in very clear and concise terms. That's page four, page 20.
I was driven by the most Holy Trinity to become the mother of the second advent. This is Maryland. And thus my motherly task of preparing the church and all humanity to receive Jesus, who is returning to you in glory, end of quote.
So, friends, we need to now ask the question, could Satan be preparing to deceive the world with his overpowering delusions, maybe even counterfeit the return of Christ? Because these apparitions actually directly contradict the clear teaching of the ancient biblical writings. We're going to be up against UFO's, spirits of the dead, channelling marian apparitions, near death experiences, reincarnation, ghosts and spiritualism, not to mention artificial intelligence. These are all mediums that Satan can use to deceive the world.
So maybe his ultimate deception is to put on miracles of healing. He's going to impersonate the dead and he's even going to impersonate Jesus Christ himself. But he does not come as himself.
He comes as an angel of light. So, friends, unless we're reading God's word on a daily basis and very sure of what it teaches then I believe there's a fair chance, a certain possibility that we are going to be deceived. In question two at the top of page four, let's go to Isaiah 819 20.
We're asking the question, by what method should we test supernatural phenomena? Isaiah wrote, and when they say to you, seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter, should not a people seek their God? So here God is saying through Isaiah, why are people going to the dark side? Why aren't they consulting God for the problems and the questions that they have, the difficulties and problems of these life? Let's go on to verse 20. Isaiah writes, to the law and to the testimony. If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there's no light in them.
Friends, the law refers there to the body of law, the Old Testament, and especially to the ten Commandments, the moral law. The testimony is very simply the witness of the prophets. The witness of the prophets, the Old Testament prophets, major and minor, and also all those who were Bible writers in the Old Testament and includes those who would come later and write the New Testament.
We need to test all these spiritualistic manifestations by God's law and by God's word. And if they do not line up with these words from God, it's because what the text tells us, because there's no light in them. And if there's no light in them, I would suggest there's only darkness.
Instead of seeking mediums and astrologers as spirit guides, the Bible suggests we seek guidance from the creator, God. After all, he is the only one who truly knows the future. See Isaiah 46, nine and ten.
There is a clear benchmark for testing the supernatural, the law and the testimony. It is this word that is the path we seek, God's guidance. If we want to ensure evil spirits do not deceive us, then the Bible, the law and the testimony is God's source of protection and truth.
One of the devil's most effective weapons in removing trust in the Bible is to influence our senses and feelings. In fact, visiting a medium can touch the heart. Issues such as relationships, a successful future, grief and loneliness are discussed.
It seems natural at times for emotions to overrule the rational. You may even see, hear or touch someone who you thought was lost to you forever. But, friends, the deceptions of the last days will challenge our faith in God and his word.
Now is the time to exercise that faith by testing everything in life by the Bible. Question three. Does God give any warnings about consulting the dead? He certainly does.
Repeatedly. He warns us from this practise, deuteronomy 18 1012. Or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead for all.
How many? For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord. That's deuteronomy 18 1112. God makes repeated warnings to his people to stay away from any association with mediums and contacting familiar spirits.
Leviticus 1931. The familiar spirits include those people you have known and loved for many years but are now dead. Let's take a moment to look at Leviticus 1931.
Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God. End of quote.
Friends, God continually begs his people to not be involved with the dark side, to not be involved with spiritism or spiritualism or mediums, or contacting the dead. It is a deadly deception. And so, friends, the Bible is clear.
It's understandable why people want to contact their loved ones. It's very understandable, isn't it? Just a word of encouragement and love brings comfort and hope to people who are hurting. So let's ask the question, why is God so definite in his opposition to consulting with the dead? Question four.
Is it possible for the dead to actually talk to you? Well, the answer is no. And yes. No, it's not possible for them because they're dead.
And yes, it's possible for you to be deceived. Let's go to two texts. We're going to ecclesiastes nine and verse five.
Ecclesiastes is written by the wisest man in the Bible, Solomon. He wrote, for the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Friends, I remember speaking to a medium and having Bible studies with her in England many, many years ago.
And she told me that this text is wrong. She said, this text is absolutely wrong. The dead do not know nothing.
In fact, the dead know everything. And they come to me and say they're confused because they were told that they would sleep in the grave till the resurrection. They come to me and I have to straighten them out.
Friends, isn't it interesting that people will believe the so called ones who have passed away over the clear word of God, even when both positions are contradictory? Let's get a little bit more insight by going to ecclesiastes nine and verse six. Also their love. Speaking about the dead, their hatred and their envy have now perished.
This is a reference to all their emotions are gone. The scripture says, in ecclesiastes nine, six, never more will they have a share in anything done under the sun. So, friends, the Bible is clear, isn't it? It is now very clear that it's impossible for a dead person to talk to you because the dead know nothing.
Well, what about haunted houses? I've had to deal with haunted houses in the past. I had a family who contacted me. They'd watched a spiritualistic movie.
The spirit came out of the television and went around their house and scared them all to death. And so they moved out and they asked me to come and pray over the house and cleanse it, which we did, and God cleansed it. But, friends, is this really dead people or is this really a deception? Job seven and verse nine.
This is an extra that was not in your lesson. Job wrote, as a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return. He will never come to his house again.
Friends, that text couldn't be clearer. Whoever or whatever appears to people in haunted houses is not the spirits of the dead. Any contact with the dead is, in reality, contact with an evil spirit.
That is why this practise is such an abomination or a hateful thing, a detestable thing to the Lord God. Did you remember that the original medium was a serpent? In the garden of Eden? God told Adam and Eve that disobedience would cause death. The devil spoke his first lie on earth.
Through the serpent, you will not surely die. Genesis three, four. But since that time, friends, the devil has made that lie a key teaching of virtually every unbiblical religion.
The popular view today is that when someone dies, only the body dies while the soul keeps living. You know, this subject is extremely important to all. A view that is consistent with the devil's first lie will set people up for the grand deceptions of the last days.
So, please, read the bottom of the screen with me. If you stay away from contacting the dead, you will be protected. If you believe the dead can be contacted, you've set yourself up for a fatal deception from the devil.
In the remainder of this study guide, we will discover what the Bible says about life after death. Just want to pause now and give you some extra information. I'm going to ask the question, how did spiritualism become popular? How did spiritualism and talking to the dead become popular? Well, it's always been popular, but it was kind of popularised in a huge way over 100 years ago, and that is in 1948 in Hydesville New York.
Modern spiritualism dates from 1848, when the Fox sisters allegedly communicate with a spirit of a dead person. This event led to an explosion of spiritualistic activity in the United States of America. Notice the sign, Sarah.
The sign says the Fox sisters on this site. Events of March 31, 1848, began sisters Maggie and Kate Fox's central role in the origin of modern spiritualism. And so, in this book by Barbara Wisberg, talking to the dead, Kate and Maggie Fox, and the rise of spiritualism, she documents an engaging study.
It's a lively tale of a little known slice of american history. What's that got to do with this today? Well, would you believe the same thing's happening again? Meet the young people who believe they're communicating with the dead. So we ask, why are some millennials turning to the supernatural? Because they've lost faith in all of the authorities on this earth, and they are turning to the dark side for what they believe is extra truth.
Well, let's have a look at three claims of God in the Bible that are very clear and that we're going to share during this amazing presentation, this amazing Bible study. Number one, the Bible is very clear that the dead are asleep, a dreamless, timeless state of unconsciousness that is the biblical position all the way through the Old Testament and the New Testament. Number two, that the soul is mortal, that mankind, humankind, is subject to death.
And number three, that therefore the dead cannot return. They can be impersonated, people can be deceived, but they themselves cannot return. What about the three claims of spiritualism? They are pretty much the inverse and the opposite of what we just read.
Therefore, spiritualism says the dead are conscious. It says that the soul is immortal, that it cannot die. And number three, it says that the dead can return.
Friends, I want to remind you, any contact with the dead is, in reality, contact with the dark side. It's either with Satan or it is, in reality, either contact with an evil spirit. Now, I just want to remind you there's a new medium that I've referenced just a little moment ago, a new medium for deception, and that is AI, which is artificial intelligence.
I believe many people are going to be deceived by these talking robots, which we're being told are sentient beings and are the smartest people on planet Earth because they've accessed all the information that has ever been. And as they start to give their opinions and people start to trust them, I believe they will contradict very clearly the word of God. And at that point, people have to choose between following the clear word of scripture or following that it comes from the dark side.
I want to remind you again that any contact with the dead is, in reality, contact with an evil spirit. Friends, I know that is jarring. I know that is harsh.
But sometimes God is strongest in his warnings because he has to be strongest in his love. Question five. How did God create human beings? We're going back to Genesis two and verse seven.
And here is the divine formula for man and the Lord God formed man of two ingredients. Number one was the dust of the ground. Number two was he breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life.
And man became a living being. I want you to notice there a soul's not being added. But it's only as there's dust and breath that mankind, humanity, becomes a living soul, or living being or living person.
If you don't have either of those ingredients, you will not have a living soul, being or person. So an understanding of death begins with an understanding of life. God miraculously formed humans out of the dust of the ground and gave them the breath of life.
The last word in this text is translated in the King James Version as soul. So being and soul. Those two words can be used interchangeably.
They are the hebrew words for being like nephesh is translated hundreds of times. A soul throughout the Bible. Let me share an extra point.
While the words soul and spirit are mentioned more than 1700 times in the Bible, there is nothing one place. I'll say it again. There is not one place found in the Bible that mentions ever an immortal soul or an immortal, undying soul.
We go back to Genesis. The story of creation provides the best definition for soul in the Bible. And here is the divine formula.
Please remember it. Dust to the ground plus breath of life equals a living soul or a living person. So the Bible says that you are a soul.
God did not put a soul into Adam and Eve. He put the breath of life into them, and they became souls. Now, at death, you cease to be a living soul.
To illustrate, a light globe plus electricity or power from the grid will bring you light. In the same way, body plus breath equals living soul or living person. Let's reverse those two formulas.
So if you didn't disconnect the electrical plug, the light ceases to exist. The light doesn't travel back through the wires to the electricity company. It simply is not in existence.
Take away the breath of God and there is no soul. Let's give another example of the creation of a wooden box. And at the end, I'm going to ask you, where does the wooden box go? I'm going to ask you, did the wooden box, after being dismantled, go to heaven? So let's look at the creation of a wooden box.
And so if we have some boards and nails, we could take a hammer and drive the nails into these boards to make a box such as body and breath equals soul. Wood plus nails equals box. We would then have three things instead of two.
Remove the nails. Box minus nails equals wood, meaning no box. And so once we remove the nails, where does the box go? The answer is very simply and obviously the box no longer exists.
But does the box go to heaven? Of course not. It can't. But, friends, when you look at the formula soul, living soul, or living being or living person, take away the breath of goddess, that goes back to God.
Then it just leaves the body, and there is no soul, there is no living person. Once again, remove the breath of God and the soul ceases to exist. Let me take a moment to maybe explain this to you so that it is very clear.
So let's look on the left at the divine formula for man. Number one. There is the dust of the earth, the elements of the earth.
God makes Adam from the red clay in the garden of Eden. He's called Adam, which in the Hebrew means the red earth, man. So to that red earth, that red clay, God adds the divine spirit.
So number one is the body, and number two is the divine breath or the divine spirit. This spirit is not a person. This spirit is not a ghost.
It's not an entity. It's a divine spark. Maybe we could even liken it to a pin number that God will always remember the dead.
It's the formula for recreating us. So when we have body plus breath and we add those together, we have a living soul or a life that's given, and that is the result. Body plus breath equals a living soul.
When we dismantle man, and this happens in death, when the breath leaves mankind, or breath and spirit, used interchangeably in the Bible, the breath of the spirit returns to God. Then the next thing that happens is that life ceases in point number two, and there is no longer any living soul. And all, all that is left is number three, the body or the dust, friends.
That is the divine formula for humanity, and that is the divine formula for death. It's very, very simple. God made it simple so that we could understand it.
Let's share some more information. The Bible says that eight souls were saved by God in the ark in one, Peter 320. It's important to note that these were eight living people, not eight disembodied ghosts, because the scripture says that God saved eight souls in the ark.
You know, the ancient greek philosophers taught the concept that humans possessed a soul. It was a conscious and immortal part of life that goes on living after death. But, friends, you know what? The Bible is absolutely clear.
God made a living being or soul out of the dust of the ground and added to it the breath of life. Now, I want to ask a question. This is the question that's really important.
I believe some people would say, would God ever allow a believer to be deceived by the devil's spiritualistic miracles? I think most people would say, no, God would never allow that. That would be unfair. But I want to tell you that God is fair, but the devil's unfair.
And here we have the story in the Old Testament where this deception happened. It's King Saul and the Witch of Endor. I'm inviting you to write down one Samuel 28 and read that whole chapter.
For in first Samuel 28, four, it says that Samuel the prophet was dead and buried. In verse 14, it says that King Saul perceived he didn't really see, but he understood in his mind that he had just spoken to the prophet Samuel, who appeared as a spirit. But he was massively deceived.
He was lied to by that spirit and went on to a suicidal death. So, friends, the answer to my question is yes, you can be deceived by the devil. Even if you especially go against God's word, you will be deceived.
Because Saul was question six. We have to ask, what happens when a person dies? We go to ecclesiastes twelve. Seven.
Solomon writes the following. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. You know, it's sad, but many people believe this spirit is actually like a ghost, an entity or a person.
But that is not the truth. You see, every person who dies will decompose and become dust while the spirit of life returns to goddess. This process is the exact reverse of the story of creation.
The soul ceases to exist when the body returns to the earth and the spirit returns to heaven. There's no distinction between the good and the bad. This is the experience of everyone who dies.
Well, what is the spirit that returns to heaven? The spirit is not the same as the soul. The word spirit comes from the Hebrew word ruachous, which simply means breath. In the New Testament, the word for spirit is the greek word pneuma, which means breath or air.
A number of words today have this word as their foundation. For example, pneumonia is a disease of the air breathing lungs. A pneumatic tire is a tyre that has air in it.
So, friends, the spirit that returns to heaven is not a ghost. It's not a person. It is the breath of life.
This spark of life, this divine spark or pin number or code, is a gift from God and enables us to keep living. Let's go to question number seven. So what happens to our emotions when we die? We've already had a look at this verse.
Let's go to ecclesiastes nine six. Also their love, their hatred and their envy have now perished. So, friends, all of these things die.
For at death, all emotions and feelings cease to exist. A dead person cannot comfort the living or return any love. Isn't that interesting? An emotion centred soul does not exist.
After death, all feelings are gone. Question number eight. Can a soul die? In Ezekiel 18 four, we read the soul who sins shall die.
Friends, the Bible says, yes, a soul, a living soul, a living being, a living person can die. Is there any backup for this point of view that a soul is a person? Let's go to today's english version who translates Ezekiel 18 four as the person who sins is the one who will die. So Satan has been very successful in propagating his lie.
You shall not surely die. Virtually all pagan religions, across every continent and culture teach the concept of a soul that lives through physical death. The Bible alone stands out in opposition to the immortal soul.
In fact, the Bible says the soul ceases to exist at death. All have sinned. Romans 323.
And therefore all souls must die. While the word soul and spirit are mentioned more than 1700 times in the Bible, there's not one place that mentions an immortal. Solved.
I'd like to now give some extras. Here is the new catholic encyclopaedia. I'd like to go to volume seven, page 467.
The new Catholic Encyclopaedia says, quote. The notion of the soul surviving after death is not readily discernible in the Bible. End of quote.
Friends, I love how the church of Rome cuts straight to the chase and gives us the main point that scripture does not support an immortal, undying soul. They say it's not found in the Bible. Question number nine.
Who is the only one who has immortality in one? Timothy 615 16, Paul writes to the young minister, Timothy and tells us this. He says, the king of kings and lord of lords, who alone has immortality. So this is a reference to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
And notice there that the Godhead the Trinity are the only ones who have immortality. That means the angels don't have immortality. So the evil angels, those fallen spirits and Satan can be destroyed.
And we'll discuss that in our next session, number 18. So angels can be destroyed. Humanity, mankind can be destroyed, and also animals can be destroyed.
But only God has immortality. That text alone should tell us that anyone believing in the immortality of the soul for mankind is completely on the wrong track. It's not even logical.
So there's only one being who has immortality. According to scripture, the everlasting God. God has been in existence throughout eternity and will continue as the God of the universe forever.
We can have confidence in putting our trust in the one and only immortal goddess. Let me just take you to job four and verse 17. Job writes, shall mortal man be more just than God? Now, friends, he tells us the nature of man, because everyone today will tell you that we have an immortal, undying soul.
But job, the first book written in the Bible, one of the wisest men says, shall mortal man be more just than God? He describes our nature as mortal. That is, he describes our nature as subject to death. This is entirely consistent with the biblical position.
Question number ten, do good people go straight to heaven at death? We're going to acts chapter two and verse 29 and 34. So here the apostle Peter says the following men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David. He's speaking about King David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
For David did not. What? For David did not descend into the heavens. There's a second text we're looking at.
Do good people go straight to heaven at death? In psalm 100 1517, we read. This is an amazing text. Don't miss it.
The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence. I'll read it again. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence.
So the grave there is a reference to where dead people go. It's a place of silence. They're not praising God.
If the dead are in heaven, certainly they would be praising God. Let's summarise those two verses very simply. And please have a look at the screen.
You know, God described King David as someone worthy of heaven. He called him a man after my own heart in acts 1322. Well, in the book of acts, the apostle Peter, some 1000 years after the death of David, categorically states that David is not in heaven.
David was and still is in his tomb, resting until the second coming of Jesus. So anyone who's in heaven would be praising the Lord. But the Bible says the dead do not praise the Lord.
Psalm 100 1517 as we just looked up, so all emotions and worship cease. Also, Jesus told his disciples they would be with him after he returned to earth, not as soon as they died. John 14 three so very clearly, the righteous do not go straight to heaven.
The dead rest in their graves until Jesus comes back. Question eleven. So does the Bible teach reincarnation? This is a very important question.
We go to Hebrews 927 because reincarnation is so popular today. Paul wrote to the Hebrews and as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this, the judgement. So how many times do we die? Do we cycle over and over and over again through different lifetimes? Not according to the Bible.
And as it appointed for man to die once, but after this, the judgement. A research study by Monash University on Australian Gen wise generation y found that more than half of Australia australian young people believe in reincarnation. The Bible says that each one of us dies once.
We do not live and die over and over again. Question twelve. What did Jesus Christ actually call death in John 11 11 14? This is the story of Lazarus, the raising of Lazarus.
And after that, Jesus said to the disciples, our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up. However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
I just want to pause a moment and ask you, do you remember what Lazarus said when he came out of the tomb? Did he abuse Jesus for bringing him back down here? That he'd have to suffer and die again? Did he bring some secret communication from the heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit down to Jesus? What did Lazarus say? Well, the scripture records nothing that he said because he had nothing to say. Where had he been? Lazarus hadn't been anywhere. He hadn't been to heaven and he hadn't been to hell.
He had merely been asleep, as the Bible teaches. When Jesus talked about the death of Lazarus, he referred to it as asleep. Lazarus was not in heaven, he was in his tomb, sleeping in death.
Jesus said, come forth, Lazarus, not come down. Lazarus. Cheque out.
John 1143 imagine how unfair it would be if Lazarus was enjoying life in heaven, only to have Jesus pull him out of there to live his life back here on earth. So friends, more than 50 times in the Bible, death is called asleep. People close their eyes in death and the next thing they know, Jesus has returned.
They're reunited with their loved ones and they are on their way to heaven. I want to ask you a question now. What can we learn from Martha's faith in Jesus Christ? In the story about the death of Lazarus? Let's go back into John 1121.
Let me give you some extra material. In John 1121 we read God's word says. Then Martha said to Jesus, remember Mary, Martha and Lazarus were great friends of Jesus.
And he stayed there in Bethany, in their home, many many times. He was more than their saviour. He was a personal friend.
Then Martha said to Jesus, when Jesus turned up four days late, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. She was heartbroken. Her faith in Jesus was under test, it was under trial.
Jesus said to her, Martha, your brother will rise again. Now let's just notice here what Martha believed about death from the Old Testament. What was her understanding? She must have known Daniel, chapter twelve, verse two.
That speaks about the two resurrections, the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation. In John 1124 we readdez. Martha said to Jesus, I know that he, Lazarus will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Then Jesus says the most amazing verse that I can remember. Jesus said to her, I am. What did he say? I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. The King James says, yet shall he live. And we use the new King James version here to make it easier to understand.
Jesus now has the stone rolled back. The ladies protest. Mary and Martha protest, Lord, he stinketh, for his body's been in there for a number of days.
But Jesus says, have faith, says a prayer and then says, lazarus, come forth. Lucky he said Lazarus, come forth. Because if he hadn't said Lazarus, he just said, come forth.
He had the power to raise all the dead from all the ages. So Lazarus comes out, but Lazarus has nothing to say. Lazarus comes out alive but has no message.
Why? Because he's been sleeping in the grave. Friends, again, we need to share with you that more than 50 times in the Bible, death is called a sleep. This sleep is an unconscious state until we wake up on the great resurrection morning.
Let's go to psalm 13 three as we share extra material. Consider and hear me, o Lord, my God David writes, enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. So scripture calls sleep as in the real sleep that we go into at death.
They calls it the sleep of death. You'll notice here on this gravestone that it's chiselled here into the concrete that this person is asleep in Jesus. The word cemetery actually means to lull, to sleep, because the cemetery is where all God's children are sleeping.
Here is another grave that says, do not worry, he's just asleep. We're in question 13. Did Jesus tell the thief on the cross he would go to heaven the day he died? You know, most people would say, yes, he did, but let's have a look and see.
The problem is that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul has been superimposed on to the Bible. And so then people now read the text in different ways to support that belief. But that belief is not found in scripture, as we are proving in this powerful Bible study we're in.
Luke 23, 42, and 43. Let's see the answer to the question. Did Jesus tell the thief on the cross he would go to heaven the day he died? And Jesus said to the thief, assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
Friends, let's just unpack this verse and understand some things that you might not have considered. So it appears as if Jesus promised the thief a life in heaven, starting the day he died. Certainly, many christians use this text to support such a view.
But what is important to realise is that when looking at this text, is the punctuation. Well, what about the punctuation? Friends? In the original greek manuscripts, there were no full stops or commas in the sentences. As a result, the translators placed the punctuation where they thought it made the most sense.
And so, friends, Christianity has for thousands of years believed in the immortality of the soul. We will address that in a moment. So, here, in the case of the words of Jesus, the context clearly shows that the comma must be placed after the word today instead of after you.
The statement of Jesus would then read, assuredly to the thief, I say to you, today, comma, you will be with me in paradise. Friends, we know with certainty that the thief was not in heaven on that Good Friday, because he did not even die on that day. The soldiers broke his legs late that afternoon because he had not yet died.
See John 1931 32. A little bit more information. So, friends, a biblical day is from sunset to sunset.
Please refer to Leviticus 23, verse 32. So the thief did not die today before sunset, which was that good Friday of the crucifixion. He would have died after the sunset, which was, of course, the next day.
Secondly, Jesus did not go to heaven that day. How can we say that? Very simply, the Bible tells us, after his resurrection, Jesus tells Mary this quote, john 2017, do not cling to me, Mary, for I have not yet ascended to my father. So he's saying, don't hold on to me, don't delay me, I'm in a hurry.
I want to go to the Father. He wants to go up and see if his sacrifice has been approved. Let's ask the question now.
How could Jesus Christ be in heaven on Friday if he'd not been there by the following Sunday? It's absolutely impossible. Jesus Christ did not ascend to heaven on the day of his crucifixion. So he never met up with a thief up there in heaven.
It could never have happened. So, friends, if the commerce left in the position of the translators, it creates a blatant contradiction within the scriptures. Many modern translations have fixed this contradiction by using correct pronunciation.
The good news is, friends, that the thief on the cross will be in heaven, but not until he is raised at the second coming of Jesus Christ. I want to share with you some extra material here and ask the question. Do you think correct punctuation is important? I know young people in school probably don't really care for punctuation today, do they? They're not interested in grammar.
But let's ask the question. Is correct punctuation, is it important? So let's read this one. A woman, comma, without her man, comma, is nothing.
Is everyone happy with that statement? I would think a lot of you are very, very uncomfortable with that. So let's rearrange the commas. Does it actually change the meaning? And we'll read it again.
A woman without her man is nothing. A woman without her man is nothing. So, friends, you can see that punctuation makes a huge difference in terms of historically.
Did you know that the Bible was not written with punctuation, but it was added centuries later. Bye. The mediaeval church of the Middle Ages, the church of Rome, did that.
So, friends, let's summarise. If Jesus told Mary on Sunday morning that he'd not yet ascended to heaven, how then could he tell the thief on Friday afternoon that he would be with him in paradise that same day? If he did, that would have been a lie. We now have to ask the question.
So where did the idea of the immortal undying soul, where did it actually originate from? It goes back into ancient ages of the early civilizations. But there is the bar and the car coming out of the pharaoh's body. That was believed in Egypt.
It was also very strong in the time of the greek philosophers, like Plato. Plato said, quote, the soul is immortal, it's indestructible death is merely the separation of soul and body. This then made its way into the early christian church.
Here is Tertullian on the right hand side of the illustration from the anti nicene Fathers, volume two, page 202. He said, I use the opinion of Plato when Plato declares every soul is immortal. Friends, can you see the transfer that's going on between early Christianity and greek philosophy in the Encyclopaedia of religion and ethics? On the article soul in volume eleven, page 742, we read this.
It was through the Platinus that the true greek doctrine of the soul was passed on to christian theology, end of quote. In the same article, we read Clement of Alexandria, Oregon, and Augustine. All learned in the school of Plato, end of quote.
So does this make any difference to what christians believe today? It absolutely does. Quote, this is page 742 of Encyclopaedia of religion and Ethics. It was on their teaching that the catholic doctrine was based, and their teaching goes back through Plato, to Socrates, to Pythagoras and the orphics, who represent the genuine greek doctrine of the soul.
Whose teaching was that? Clement of Alexandria, Oregon, and Augustine all learned at the school of Plato. So, friends, what have we learned? Very simply, the concept of the immortal soul came directly from pagan greek philosophy. It did not come from the Bible.
Please join me in question 14, what happens to the righteous dead, those who died believing in Jesus at the second coming of Christ? We're in John 528 29. These are the words of Jesus. He said, do not marvel at this.
Don't be surprised at this. Don't be shocked. For the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth.
Now, I'm just going to ask you a very simple question. Jesus tells us where the dead are. Did he say they are being called down from heaven, where their immortal souls are resting for all eternity? Let me read it again.
He said, do not marvel at this. Don't be amazed. Don't be shocked.
For the hour is coming in which all who are in the where. It's simple, isn't it? A young child could understand this. All who are in the graves will hear his voice, the voice of the son of God, and come forth.
Friends, the dead are sleeping in the graves and dreamless, timelessly. Those who've done good, Jesus says to the resurrection of life, they're raised, for those who've done good, they're raised in the resurrection of life. And those who've done evil to, to the resurrection of condemnation, or as the king James says to the resurrection of damnation, they will be the generation and the group who will be lost.
There's another important text in one Thessalonians 415 17. What happens to the righteous dead at the second coming of Jesus? Let's go to the apostle Paul. He said, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
So those believing in Jesus are resurrected first. What about the ones who are alive when Jesus comes? We read on. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord. That's one. Thessalonians 416 friends, this is really great news, isn't it? You see, the hope for the Christian is not death, but the resurrection.
Death is not something to fear, because Jesus has the keys to your grave. See revelation 118. That text is on the screen.
Jesus Christ will open your grave at the resurrection, and you will rise to meet him in the air. So the concept of going to heaven when we die makes a mockery of two of the most important truths in the scriptures. Firstly, the second coming would be pointless, and secondly, the resurrection would become even more pointless.
Jesus said he will return the second time with a reward for everyone according to their works. Matthew 1627. This would be a strange scenario, wouldn't it, if the righteous were already enjoying their reward in heaven? In fact, the whole exercise would be pointless.
The Bible truth about the condition of the dead is really wonderful news. Can you imagine if a baby died and went to a new place, all alone, without the mother and Father? Can you imagine how sad it would be to be in heaven and look down on your loved ones hurting and being lonely? No, that is not the way the Bible portrays death. The Bible says that we rest in the grave, sleeping.
Then what? Seems like the next instance. Jesus has returned. From that moment, we will live with Jesus and our loved ones in a place where there will be no more sin and sadness.
Our last question in our study guide says, question 15, what sort of body will be given to the righteous at the second coming? We're in first corinthians 15 51 54. All rights for this corruptible body must put on incorruption. And then he says, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
That's one corinthians 15 and verse 53. Friends, there is more good news here. At the resurrection, you'll receive a new body, a new life that's perfect both physically and spiritually, a life that will never die.
Friends, I want to just share with you why death is asleep. Makes sense to me. I want you to imagine that I die.
It doesn't matter how I die, when I die or why I die. And I believe the devil's lie and I speed my way up to heaven and I rush through the pearly gates. And then I am looking down here on earth to see my beloved family.
But as I do so, there's a problem. There's a young man who is dating my wife. He has an expensive sports car.
He comes with roses and money. And I'm spending so much time distracted by what's going on on planet earth that an angel is dispatched to ask me, why aren't you coming, David? To worship the Lord? And I'm like, but haven't you seen what's going down here on earth? My wife is about to become engaged to a man who's going to become the father of my children, and they're about to get married and go on a honeymoon. Friends, when you consider that scenario, heaven would be a living hell for those watching over their loved ones.
So let me ask this question. So what comfort is it to imagine that our dead loved ones are either suffering in hell or suffering in heaven, watching on at the fractured lives we're now living? If they're in heaven, they know what is happening here. And if they're in hell, we know what is happening there, right? So what kind of twisted gift from God is that? What kind of tortured comfort is that, friends? It's no comfort at all.
Because all it is is a theory reborn by egyptian and greek philosophers thousands of years ago, totally based on Satan's lie back in Eden. The ancient biblical writings in the Hebrew and greek state over and over again. In the 1700 plus times, the word soul is used in the Bible.
Never once is the adjective immortal attached to it. You see, the Bible teaches that death is asleep. And it's the most psychologically satisfying, the most philosophically logical and the most emotionally reassuring teaching about death that there is on earth today.
That quote comes from Dwight K Nelson. So, friends, death is nothing to fear. Death is just asleep.
And we all look forward to that great resurrection morning. There's three points to summarise and remember. Number one, the soul is a living being and all souls live and die at death.
People return to the dust of the ground while the spirit of life returns to God. Point number three. As we summarise our study, the hope for the Christian is the resurrection at the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Let's have a look at three relational questions that must arise out of this Bible study. Are you fearful of dying? Why or why not? I want to refer you to the great promises of scripture in psalm 23 four. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. That is the 23rd psalm, the shepherd's psalm. And so my answer is, am I fearful about dying? No.
Why or why not? The Bible says that death is just a timeless, dreamless sleep. Until the resurrection time, there's nothing to fear. We're not up in heaven suffering, and we're not down in hell suffering.
Question number two. Why do you think the subject of what happens at death is important from God's perspective? Let's go to two Corinthians one, three, four. Once again, I want to highlight to you the promises of God's word.
Praise be to God, the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, the father of compassion, the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. So, friends, God wants us to know that if we have an ongoing, daily relationship with Jesus Christ, there's absolutely nothing to fear. Relational question number three.
How do you think you would cope with the grief of losing someone you loved? Who would you go to for support? I take you to the beautiful promise in psalm 140 514. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. So, friends, how did I cope with the loss of my mother? My mother just died a few months ago.
Friends, the blessed hope of the resurrection and the second coming of Jesus Christ, which I believe is very certain, has really helped me to cope. And I got support from all of God's promises, which reassured me regarding the very strong resurrection hope. So, what is your response to this amazing study? The Bible says that death is asleep, and if you should die before Jesus returns, is it your desire to be in the resurrection of eternal life? I hope your answer is yes.
Let's go back to where we started this session. In what role can the supernatural play in end time events? Well, friends, we're told the spirits of demons or devils can work signs or miracles. Number two, why does God forbid talking to the spirits of the dead? Very simply, he doesn't want us to be deceived with false hopes.
The problem with this is that if one of your dead relatives appears at the end of your bed and tells you something only you and them knew, some secret, then you'll believe it's really them. And it's very, very easy to be deceived. What christians forget is that we have a guardian angel and a recording angel.
And Satan would have at least one or two angels with us as well. They would hear and see everything that we've ever done and said, and therefore they can impersonate the dead. They are able to work miracles and signs and use the same intonations and the same looks and the same stories.
And death is our most painful experience. And this is why God forbids talking to the spirits of the dead, because we can be deceived with false hopes. If you ever have a spirit appear at the end of your bed, you need to say, in the name, power and authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Evil spirit, I command you in Jesus blood and his powerful name to leave me. You have no legal right to be here. Here.
Get out. In Jesus Christ's powerful name. Amen.
And friends, that demon has to leave. Question number three. What's the divine formula for creating humans? I think it's very simple.
It's just dust of the earth, the mineral elements of the ground, plus the divine breath or spark of God. That divine pin number leads to a person becoming a living soul. A living person, a living being.
So long as there's dust and so long as there's breath mixed together. Lose one of those two and you cease to have a living soul or a living person. The bulb is there, but the electricity is gone and the light goes out.
Number four, where does a person go to when they die? The answer is they rest in their graves till the second coming of Jesus Christ. Number five, what happens to the righteous dead at the second coming of Christ? Jesus Christ will resurrect them all back to eternal life. So let's go to our quiz.
There's just one correct answer per quiz. Question number one, by what method should we test supernatural phenomena? A. YouTube, preachers and social media.
That's what most people are doing today. B. The last days prophecies of Nostradamus.
This was popular in the past. And number c, God's word. We need to test supernatural phenomena by God's word, the laws and the prophets.
Please lock in a, b or c and your answer is? That's right, it's c. To the law and the testimony, the laws and the prophets. Question number two, does God give any warnings about contact in the dead? Number two, part a says no, nothing is said against contacting the dead in the Bible.
B, no, as God wants us to contact dead loved ones in heaven or c yes, God warns us. He hates it, as it's most often a fatal deception. People will be deceived and they'll believe in it, just like the lady I told you who was the spirit medium and said that I was mixing up the spirits by quoting to them the scripture that death is asleep and the dead know not anything.
The dead know nothing. Well, the answer there is. See, yes, God warns us.
He hates it and it's a fatal deception. Number three, is it really possible for dead people to talk to you? A. Yes, they're lonely and want to talk to someone.
B, no, as they're really all dead. And C. Yes, they're lost souls trying to make sense of the afterlife.
A, b or c, lock it in. Number three. And the answer is b.
B is correct. They are really all dead, sleeping in the graves. Number four.
What is the divine formula for God to create humanity? A. Is that dust plus soul equals living person. Is it b, breath plus soul equals living person? Or is it c? Dust plus breathe equals living soul.
Lock it in. And Genesis two seven says the answer must be c. It's dust plus breath equals living soul.
Number five, the spirit that returns to God is a, alive, b, the soul, or c, the breath? The spirit that returns to God, is that alive? A, the soul be or the breath? See? And the scripture said it is. That's right, it's c. It is just the breath that returns to God.
In our secrets of prophecy. Wall of biblical truth last time in session 16, we were told to beware the mark of the beast and that God's ten commandment laws are still very important. In session 17, we've asked what happens when we die? And the answer is we sleep until the resurrection.
If you want more information, I refer you to prophecy seminar session number 17 on True Bluesda website. Also revelation keys of death is revelation seminar number 13. Extra material is there.
Friends, let's end this session with prayer. Gracious heavenly father, we want to thank you for how plain and clear your word is. We thank you that, but death is nothing to fear.
It's just a dreamless, timeless sleep where eventually you'll wake up your children in the cemetery. On the great resurrection morning, I pray a blessing on all who will continue to read and study your word. Thank you for revealing your truth to us.
And may we always stand for truth, even when it is not popular. We ask in Jesus powerful name. Amen.
Secrets of Prophecy with Pastor David Price has been brought to you by 3ABN Australia radio. For more resource in this series you can visit the YouTube page trueblue SDA all one word that's trueblue SDA.
