The life after death- in the Bible

When we talk with other people -most of them although they claim they are Christians- they are completely hopeless when they hear about death.  But dying doesn't mean the end of life forever like many think. Those who don't have interest in searching the Bible may think that  there is no hope and that the future is unclear, uncertain. People would read every magazine they see that looks interesting or discloses secrets of a famous person, but there is a very little interest in reading the Bible. I wonder if a famous actress dug herself out of the grave and came back to a studio saying ; 'Guys I am back to life!,- every news would be talking about it. More- if she said 'Guys, I have something for immortality!'- wouldn't everybody want to know about it?

So why the fact about Jesus resurrection isn't speaking to people so much that they would hold on to hope of coming back to life manifested in Jesus?

The thing is most people are not really taught about it too much. There are lots of Christian churches that would only talk about Jesus as Him being born as a baby and then at Easter time- about Him crucified and risen again- without teaching what was the whole purpose of  it.

You would say; He was risen from the dead but what about me? I have no peace, no hope. I am trying to live my life in a good way but still I have no clue what will happen to me when I die. So we would rather avoid thinking about the whole story.

But if you  look into the  Bible , you would be surprised  how many great things are still possible in your future.

You can be sure you can have  life after coming to Jesus. And it is not about this life only but the life after you died. Life forever.

"Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in Me has eternal life." John 6;47

In order to be sure you have life you have to come to Jesus. Don't think about Him as a baby from the 'Christmas story'but accept Him as your powerful Lord and Savior.

You won't be sure about what will happen to you after you die, until you come to Jesus. 'Playing' the religious life without coming to the Son of God, won't bring you peace and hope.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. " John 5;39

You start with coming to Jesus, then you can read about the whole future the Bible is talking about. You will find out that Christ promised to come back and that there will be a time with  Him as a king on earth, time in which all those who belong to Him, will reign with Him for 1000 years.

You can see that you will be alive again  if you are to reign with Him during that time on earth.

The Bible says that if you – as a true believer in Christ- die before the return of Christ, you will be risen from the dead at His coming and you will receive the nature of what Christ received after His resurrection - He was the "firstborn from the dead" (Col.1, 18). The nature which Christ received, isn't subject to the death , it is as the nature of angels. Luke 20;36 talks about the 'righteous in Jesus' resurrected; " they can not die, because they are equal to the angels."

The body of Christ was transfigured - He could walk through the door, move through space (John.20, 26), He ate with His disciples (John.21, 13) - but He was not a ghost, but a person in a physical body.

 (John.20 , 27).

 In the Philippians we read, that "the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body." (Phil.3, 21)

You can be sure of your resurrection if you belong to Jesus;

“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8;11

We read about that also in Revelation (chapter 20), that talks about  two resurrections: the first one - when Christ returns to earth (v. 4), and the second one -after the 1000-year period of Christ reign on earth (v.13).

In the first (v. 6) case the reward for the righteous will be their immortal life that Jesus spoke about 

(Luke.20, 35-36).

“But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.”

Paul also writes about that in 1 Corinthians 15; 23, the first resurrection is at the time of Christ's coming.

There is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

Not all people will have their share in the first resurrection ( at His coming). Those who are subject to God's judgement because they rejected Jesus who could save them- they won't see life.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." John 3;36

Jesus said;

"Whoever rejects me, and receives not my words has a judge: the word I preached,  will judge him in the last day" (John.12, 48). 

 

If you trusted Jesus as your Lord, you will not be judged into condemnation.

”Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." John 5;24

Those who are subject to God's judgement will be resurrected after 1000 years of Christ reign on earth

 ( second resurrection).

“The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.”

"Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire which is the second death." Revelation 20;14-15

"Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for thousand years."

                                       Christ 's Kingdom -1000 years of reign on earth

The period of 1000 years between the first and second resurrection will be a time of great blessing on the earth but before "God will be all in all" (v.28)-as Paul says in  1 Corinthians.15- Christ must "destroy all dominion authority and power; because He must reign, until He has put all His enemies under His feet "(v.24-25).  Finally, Christ's kingdom will cover the whole earth.

(Satan will be bound for a thousand years.) Christ will reign over the nations (mortal men), together with all the faithful (whom He will raise from the dead at his coming.  (1Corinthians.15, 23) 

 

"... they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him thousand years "

(Revelation 20:6). 

They will accompany Christ in the introduction of a new order when He returns. They have their share in so called 'the first resurrection'.

“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert. " Isaiah 35;5-6

“Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.

They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
he work of their hands."             Isaiah 65;20-22

Eventually -after 1000 years -there will be perfect world, when the death will be totally destroyed.

                                          The Judgment of Satan

"When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20;7-10 

                                         A New Heaven and a New Earth

                                 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  Revelation 21;1-5

The disciple of Jesus

The disciple of Jesus is a man who belongs to Him, follows Him, he is learning and serving Him. Usually he is called a Christian which means follower of Christ. He knows who his master is, he listens to His voice.

There are many people who claim that are Christians now-days.

Just because they show up at the church and know some facts about Jesus,

it doesn't mean they are necessary the followers of Christ.

Many times we describe some nation as a Christian nation. We say; 'this is a Christian church', but how many real disciples of Christ are there in these Christian churches? How can we recognize them, how can we be sure we are one of them?

Jesus said that our life will be a testimony of whether we really belong to Him or just 'think so' we do.

Whether we abide in Him or not will be shown by our fruit;

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15;4 

 

He also said “ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me “ John 10;27 

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13;34-35

These verses show that ' bearing no fruit' or ' not responding to Jesus' voice''  or 

' no love toward other people maight be  a clear evidence a person  has very little to do with being the Christian - Jesus wants him/her to be. Without a fellowship with the Lord, without learning from Him and serving Him – how can somebody be called His follower?

Of course we shouldn't compare each other's abilities and talents we are given or expect we all will be doing things the same way and that our ministry will be as 'huge' as somebody's else.

We are given different gifts and talents. Lots of our work for the Lord depends on the spiritual gifts we received. The more you are given, the greater is your responsibility, the more you are expected to do. The Bible is encouraging us to be faithful in using of what God has given us. You might be suprised but even the 'little' talent has a great meaning. If you were entrusted with that minimum to multiply- with only that one little gift you are given- it is what your Lord will be happy with. But if in somebody's life even that 'little fruit' to bring is missing, the person is called 'a worthless servant' and is not allowed in his master's everlasting presence.

Matthew 25;14-30
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

We should carefully note the outcome of faithful service, and of unfaithful service, in this parable. Faithful service led to increased responsibilities in the kingdom of heaven, and eternal joy in the presence of the Master, Jesus Christ. Unfaithful service led to condemnation, the removal of one’s stewardship, and an eternity of weeping and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness, away from the presence of our Lord.

One must surely admitt that this parable is a message of eternal significance.