Coffee With the Lord

During my devotion time this morning, I was thinking about how incredible it is that the Lord actually loves me.  I’m no one special, haven’t done anything special or great in my life.  In fact, there’s nothing at all “good” about me and never has been other then what the Lord Himself has put in me since I was saved.  And yet, He loves me!  Not only that, but He rejoices over me, says I’m precious to Him, and that I delight Him!  Isn’t that incredible???  And of course, it’s not just me, it you too, it’s all who’ve been saved.  Every single one of us can say this!

I’ve reflected on this before, but today it took a bit of a different turn. I thought about what an honor and privilege we have in being given the opportunity to actually get to know the One True God; God Almighty, our creator and the creator of everything that is! There’s no one else like Him and no one and nothing above Him or more important then Him.  If we’d lived during the time that George Washington was president, I’m sure we’d have all felt very honored if we’d been given the opportunity to meet him and get to know him well.  Yet, in reality, we’ve been given the honor and privilege of getting to know the glorious, unequaled, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Great I AM!

That He would want to know us is amazing, but that He wants us to know Him, is just incredible, and even more incredible is that He wants to have a personal relationship with each one of us.  It’s mind boggling when you think about it!  It reminds me of when God had led the Israelites out of Egypt and then was giving them His laws.  He’d been speaking through Moses, but then came down to speak to the people Himself.  Their attitude shocked me.  Sure, they were scared – who wouldn’t be! But they let their fear win and cut their noses off to spit their face, because they told Moses that they didn’t want to hear from God anymore, they’d much rather have God speak to Moses and then have Moses tell them what He said!  Every time I read that part of the story, my heart aches for the Lord.

I used to think we were a lot better then that, because I didn’t think we (those who are saved) had a problem with getting to know Him personally. But I’ve realized since those early days, that in fact, we often don’t respond any better then they did.  Oh we may not say the words they did, but our actions speak for us.  Many learn about God by listening to their pastor preach, or seeing shows on TV about Him, or movies about Him, hearing about Him on the radio, or by reading Christian books, both fiction and non fiction, including commentaries about Him. For many the very last thing they do to get to know Him, is open their bibles or pray.  That’s really like hearing what He has to say from Moses, instead of personally, except that the information we get from those sources may not be correct.  At least Israel knew they were hearing the real thing.  So actually Israel did better then many of us have!

I really feel sad for those people who aren’t taking advantage of the honor we’ve been given, because they’re missing out on the best relationship a person could possibly have.  For those of us who have taken the Lord up on His offer though, it makes my heart soar to know that we will have all of eternity to get to know Him better. 

Did you know that Jesus tells us that our eternal life begins at the moment we are saved, not when we get to heaven? I used to wonder about that.  Then I realized that went along with what Jesus said the definition of eternal life is:  “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. “ (John 17:3). Our Eternal Life began at salvation because that’s when we were given the privilege and honor of being able to meet and develop a close personal relationship with the Lord. You know how we’re told that we’re being changed to be more like Jesus every day?  Well a part of that comes because of our individual relationship with Him, for the more we get to know Him, the more we want to be like Him, and the more we try to emulate Him. Children naturally take after the people who raise them, which is usually their parents.  So we too will take after our Father, but we can only take after Him if we know what He’s like. To know that, we obviously have to have a personal relationship with Him. That’s why children act more and more like their parents here, and why we will act and think more and more like our Lord.

Praise God for the wonderful and amazing opportunity He gives each one of us!

2 Corinthians 3:18 —And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. *

1 John 3:1–3 —How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. *Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. *Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. *

Are We Hating Our Lives?

As I was talking to the Lord the other day about living in these times, He led me to these two verses: John 12:25 —The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. *  and Luke 14:26–27 —“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. *And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. *  and I felt compelled to reflect on them, as they seemed to come into my heart with a special force this time. Because of that, I've continued to reflect on them since then and it's amazed me at how blind I've been all these years.  I understood before the basics of what these verses say, just as I'm sure we all do, but they hadn't settled down deep into my heart and soul.  The more I consider them, the more I understand that we're to actually hate our lives in this world, in comparison to the life He offers us.  It's not just that we're to hate our lives here though, it's just as important that we love the Life He is offering us, for if we only have the hate, all that will do is poison us.  It's the love for Him and the Life He gives us, that's will get us through this life without faltering.

Of course all through the Bible we're told to love God and hate evil, but this goes even further, telling us to hate our lives - the lives we're living right now, and instead, to long for real Life, the Life He offers us through our salvation.  

He actually showed me the verses I've printed above in the order I've given them.  For at first I was considering that I was only to hate evil, as His Word tells us too, and never considered the people in my life, especially not those I love.  After all, I'd just finished praying for the salvation of my loved ones and the loved ones each of you have asked prayer for.  How could I hate them???  Yet, He then showed me the verses in Luke.  I've always understood that He meant that we were never to place anyone above Him or before Him, but as I considered it in this context, I came to understand it more fully.  For I think I have often placed them before Him in various ways. I think we all do.  

It reminded me again that our hearts are deceitful and not to be trusted.  (Jeremiah 17:9; Ecclesiastes 9:3; Proverbs 28:26; Mark 7:21–23) That in order to truly determine our own motives, we must go to the Lord and ask Him for wisdom and to show us the Truth. For He is the only One who knows what's truly in our hearts, and only He can reveal any sin that is in us. Considering that, the Lord surprised me by reminding me of this scripture: Matthew 18:8–9 —If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. *And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. * 

We console ourselves and say that the Lord didn't really mean this literally, and often rush through the scripture, not looking at it closely, for it seems awfully harsh.  Yet it's there for a reason and it goes along with the fact that we're to hate our lives here and hate even our most loved ones if we're going to follow the Lord.  He's showing us, yet again, how very important the Life He has for us is in comparison to this life.  See, we think this life is the all in all, but it's not.  It pales greatly in comparison to Real Life - the Life He has for us.  This life is nothing compared to it!

In fact, there is nothing in this life, nothing- including our own bodies, that is worth losing the Life He offers us, or missing out on even one of the great rewards He has for us there!  That's why He goes so far as to tell us to cut off our foot if it's causing us to sin, and yet instead, we'd rather stop reading our Bibles and thinking about Him so that we don't have to deal with being convicted of whatever our pet sin currently is.  

Just after the above verses in Luke, the Lord goes on in Luke 14:28–33, to tell us that because of all of this, we should therefore count the cost of following Him before we start.  Jesus never said that life after salvation would be easy. How could it be "easy" if we're to hate this life and those we love compared to Him and the Life He has for us?  Instead, He tells us to count the cost and then, only if we think it's worth it, are we to take that step and ask to belong to Him.  For this life will be hard, harder than that of unbelievers, not easier.  

How many times and in how many ways does the Lord have to tell us that this life is going to be hard; that the unsaved are going to hate us - not "dislike us", not "just tolerate us", but hate us, before we believe Him? And that includes our loved ones.  How often I complain because it's hard, actually thinking I deserve better!  Why should my life be any easier then my Lord's life here was?  His own family, His mother, brothers and sisters, ridiculed Him and didn't believe Him until after He died and rose again! So why do I bewail the fact that some in my family are the same way, and feel upset, when in fact, He told us it would be this way!  Why do I cling to my loved ones or my possessions, (remember how Jesus told the young man to sell all had and follow Him?) or my sin, when they can't hold a candle to what He has for me?  It's like wanting a handful of dirt instead of a handful of diamonds!

Jesus finishes His talk about the cost of following Him by again saying:  Luke 14:33 —In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. * After which He reminds us that we shouldn't start what we don't intend to finish.  Luke 14:34–35 —“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? *It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” * This reminds me of when He warned us that we cannot serve 2 masters.  We can't love this life and look forward to the next.  Instead He says to hate this life, hate possessions, people, including loved ones, even ourselves and our bodies - anything and anyone that comes between us and Him, and put Him, His Word, and the Life He has for us as the only things worth living for. He says this life will be hard, but it will be more then worth it!

I can't speak for anyone else, but looking at my own life, it certainly doesn't look anything like this.  Suddenly, it seems that I have an awful lot of possessions that I don't need and that actually do hinder my life in Him. Yet, all the while, I'm wanting "more."  It seems that there are people in my life that shouldn't be as well as things; and desires I give in to that I shouldn't.  Suddenly too, I seem to feel very blessed, whereas before I was whining about what I didn't have and wanted.  He's certainly given me a lot to consider!

The End Of The Age, And Beyond

The End Of The Age, And Beyond

by Jack Kelley

(Note: This narrative is a summary of dozens of end times prophecies from both the Old and New Testaments. Its objective is to present a readable overview of the times ahead from a Biblical perspective. )

One day soon when many are not expecting it, there will be a sudden attack against Israel. Even the Israelis will be caught by surprise, carelessly thinking themselves to be at peace. Israel will have recently defeated its next door neighbors as foretold in Psalm 83, and destroyed Damascus, ending its reign as the world’s oldest continuously populated city (Isaiah 17:1). Iran’s proxy Hezbollah and Egypt’s stand-in Hamas will have also been defeated putting an end to the Palestinian issue for good. In a kinder, gentler world the Jews would have had a little time to catch their breath and enjoy a period of peace.

But without warning a coalition of Moslem nations, armed by Russia and led by Iran, will attack Israel with overwhelming force. Were it not for one unforeseen factor this force would have easily been sufficient to totally destroy its target. But long ago the God of Israel chose just this time to reveal Himself through Israel to the nations. With the considerable force at His command He’ll intervene to decimate the Moslem armies. As He does the conflict will go nuclear and warheads will fall on the Middle East, Russia, Europe and perhaps even the USA.

As the battle comes to an end, the Israelis will recognize the Author of their supernaturally wrought victory and joyously petition the Lord to renew their covenant relationship with Him. Jews from all over the world will begin coming to Israel as the reality of their reunion with the Lord begins to sink in. Indeed not a single Jewish person in the world will be left behind in this historic return to the Promised Land (Ezekiel 38-39).

The Missing People and The Man Of Peace

Two other astonishing events will accompany this battle. Just prior to its beginning untold numbers of Gentile Christians and Messianic Jews will suddenly disappear with out a trace (1 Thes. 4:16-17), and just following it a rising leader will offer the world a plan he says will finally bring peace to the Middle East and prevent anything like this battle from ever happening again (Daniel 8:25, 9:27). It’s a good thing the church will be gone because they would have recognized him immediately as the anti-Christ.

The disappearance of the Church will bring the Age of Grace to a close, allowing the last seven years of the interrupted Age of Law to play out (Daniel 9:27, Romans 11:25). In seeming to put an end to the hostilities, this rising leader will help the Jews rebuild their temple so they can return to their ancient worship system as their covenant requires. He’ll do this, not because he has any love for the Jewish people or the God they worship, but because the unseen power behind him has plans to appropriate the Temple for his own use.

Following directions from the book of Ezekiel, the Israelis will construct their new temple in an area the Lord had him designate some 2600 years ago. It’s about 20 miles north of the present Temple mount in a place called Shiloh, where the tabernacle sat for 400 years (Ezekiel 48:1-10). In following Ezekiel’s instructions instead of trying to share the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock, they will avoid the peace shattering problems they would otherwise have had with the recently defeated Moslem nations.

Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace

Unbeknown to most of the world’s remaining inhabitants, who will think the Utopian Age has finally arrived, the authorization to build the Temple will begin a seven-year count down to the 2nd Coming (Daniel 9:27). At first, this man of sin will have most of the world convinced he’s a real peace maker, even though he commits his forces to war after war, and causes enormous hardship on Earth (Rev. 6).

Half way through the last seven years he’ll implement Satan’s nefarious plan for the Temple. He’ll stand in the Holy Place and exalt himself above everything that is called god or worshiped, declaring himself to be God (2 Thes. 2:4). With this declaration, the full force of God’s wrath will be unleashed on Earth, beginning a period of time known as the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:15). Satan will be expelled from heaven and will personally in-dwell the anti-Christ as the final contest for Planet Earth begins in earnest (Rev. 12:9, 13:2). For 3 1/2 years warfare and persecution on Earth will be augmented with catastrophic judgments from Heaven making it the worst time the human race has ever had to endure (Matt. 24:21, Rev. 13:5).

Following the rapture of the Church, multitudes will give their hearts to the Lord and be martyred for their faith as the anti-Christ seeks to wipe out all opposition to his rule (Rev. 7:13-14). If the Lord didn’t return when He promised to put an end to it, not a single person would be left alive (Matt. 24:22). But believing His promise to return, hordes of post-rapture believers will flee from Israel into the mountains of southern Jordan, where they’ll be supernaturally protected, to await His Glorious Appearing (Matt. 24:16, Rev. 12:6).

The War To End All Wars

For his part the anti-Christ will amass huge forces for the coming battle of Armageddon, with a wary eye on a great army from the East that will try to sneak in and steal away his victory (Daniel 11:44, Rev. 16:12). By some estimates several hundred million combatants will be gathered in and around Israel for this battle, said to be the climax of the War for Planet Earth (Rev. 16:16).

But suddenly the skies will open and the Lord will appear with all His holy ones to reclaim that which He’s bought and paid for with His own blood, shed on the cross (Rev. 19:11-16). In hardly any time at all the battle will be over, the enemy vanquished, and the Lord will be established as King of the whole Earth (Zechariah 14:9).

The moment the Lord’s feet touch the Mount of Olives, a great earthquake will occur. It will split the Mount of Olives in half from East to West (Zechariah 14:4) and the old Temple Mount, located directly in its path, will crumble into the earth to disappear forever. Suddenly a gushing spring will bubble up massive amounts of clear fresh water from under the New Temple, just 20 miles to the north (Zechariah 14:8). The water will emerge from under the south end of the Temple and flow southward into the ravine created by the earthquake. Soon the water will become a mighty river, branching west to the Mediterranean and east to the Dead Sea, filling the ravine. Fruit trees, bearing a different fruit each month, and whose leaves are for healing, will line its banks. The inflow of so much fresh water will cause the Dead Sea to come alive, teeming with fish. Only the southern tip, where Sodom and Gomorrah once stood, will remain a salt marsh (Ezekiel 47:1-12, Rev. 22:1-2).

Judgment Day 1 … The Tribulation Survivors

One of the Lord’s first official acts after assuming His role as King of the whole Earth will be to have Satan bound in chains for the duration of His 1000 year reign (Rev. 20:1-3). At that time the martyrs from Daniel’s 70th week will join Old Testament believers in receiving their resurrection bodies (Daniel 12:1-2, Rev. 20:4)

The Lord will summon the tribulation survivors from all over the world to the Kidron Valley for a series of judgments (Joel 3:1-2). Using their actions as evidence of their faith, He will separate the believers from the unbelievers. He’ll welcome the believers into His Kingdom while consigning unbelievers to the outer darkness (Matt. 24:45-25:46). These believers, still in their natural human state, will repopulate Earth during the Kingdom Age.

A time of absolute peace and tranquility will ensue, with Satan bound and all unbelievers taken away, and the Earth will flourish in a way not seen since the creation (Isaiah 35). Having finally recognized Jesus as the true Messiah (Zechariah 12:10) Israel will arise and shine, once again the pre-eminent nation on Earth (Isaiah 60). In the skies above, the New Jerusalem, eternal home of the Church, will circle the Earth in a low orbit and serve as the source of light for the world (Rev. 21:9-27). Its unfathomable riches and spacious accommodations will allow members of the Church to dwell, in a level of luxury and comfort to be envied even by royalty, with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forever.

The inhabitants of Earth will soon discover that the final judgments of the Great Tribulation have served to correct the ancient errors introduced into the Earth’s axis and orbit. As a result a luscious sub-tropical climate will again bless the whole Earth. The water-vapor canopy that collapsed during the Great Flood will be restored to prevent life shortening ultra violet rays from entering the atmosphere and Earth dwellers will once again see life spans nearly 1000 years in length. Earth will be the Garden Paradise it was always intended to be (Isaiah 65:17-25. Rev. 21:1).

Judgment Day 2… The Great White Throne

During the Kingdom Age, the offspring of Earth’s natural inhabitants will have the same opportunity to accept the pardon purchased for them at the cross as people born in the past have had. As the Kingdom Age comes to an end, those who’ve refused His pardon will rise up to rebel against the Lord, and upon Satan’s release will be drawn into his final attempt to unseat the Lord and re-capture the planet. In just a few moments the rebellion will be quashed, the rebels destroyed, and Satan will be thrown into the eternal fires to suffer forever with those who sided with him (Rev. 20:7-10). All the unsaved dead from the beginning of time will be resurrected to stand before the Great White Throne in judgment. As their lives pass in review it will be obvious that they failed to do the one thing God required of them, and that’s to believe in the one He sent. They too will be consigned to the eternal fires (Rev. 20:11-15).

The Bible, being the handbook for the Age of Man, does not address Eternity except to say that there is one, where the saved will dwell in bliss in the presence of the Lord forever (life) while the unsaved suffer never-ending punishment (death). You see, everyone ever conceived exists forever. We all inhabit eternity, the only question being where we’ll spend it. There are just two destinations, life or death, and we all have to choose for ourselves. If you haven’t decided yet, there’s still time but you’d better hurry, because one day soon the final bell will ring, and remember, the default choice is death. But for those who choose life, the greatest victory in the history of mankind is just over the horizon, and if you miss out you’ll literally regret it forever. If you listen carefully you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

posted with permission
http://gracethrufaith.com/ikvot-hamashiach/the-end-of-the-age-and-beyond/ 

Eternal Reward and Eternal Life

I was reading Mark today and thought you all might enjoy this. But since I've already really covered the subject on these two studies (and others as well) The reasons for the rapture, the tribulation & the Millennium
Are you ashamed of Jesus?

I'll just paste what the commentary says here. This is one of my favorite teachers and I love how he writes, and I thought you all might enjoy hearing from someone else besides me lol I'm not going to paste the entire commentary on it as it's quite long and I doubt if anyone would read it all, so I'll just post some of it.

Mark 10:35–45 (NIV84) — Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

It really helps to read both the one in Mark and the passage in Matthew to get the full meaning of the passages...but I'm only gong to post the one here.

John and James Seek Favors (Matthew 20:20–28; Mark 10:35–45)

The question put by the two brothers was very perceptive, for they had come to recognize that a believer’s eternal reward is not going to be measured in possessions, but rather in status and glory. They were right, for our Lord did not correct them in any way, thus confirming both that status in the eternal Kingdom is a major element in the believer’s reward, and that reward is somehow related to His glory.

Our Lord explained that John and James would indeed be baptized in the Holy Spirit (this happened at Pentecost) and would also drink the cup of service.

Jesus explained that the two most prestigious positions in His Kingdom will be awarded by His Father, not Him, and will be awarded to the two souls whom God has predetermined will occupy them. This predetermination is based on God’s foreknowledge (Rom 8:29)—foreknowledge of how they and the rest of saved mankind will perform in the use of their independent volition.

He explained that position in the Kingdom of God will be determined by service on this earth (Mark 10:42–45). The more a believer serves on earth, the higher will be his status in God’s eternal Kingdom. This is quite the converse to the worldly pattern (v. 42), but this is the principle in the Church. Study vv. 43–44 carefully, for it actually depicts three categories which encompass the whole Church. The generic plural ‘you’ represents the whole Church, then there are ‘servant’ and ‘slave’; our Lord assures us that the servant on earth will be ‘great’ in the eternal Kingdom, but the slave on earth will be even ‘greater.’ This is the formula for success in the eternal Kingdom of God: self-denying service on earth. The apostles believed this and delighted in the title ‘slave,’ as all the named writers of the epistles attest.

We cannot escape the fact that our Lord taught that in His Kingdom there will be a broad mass of people: those who were essentially content to be ministered to on earth without ministering to others in turn. Then, on a higher plane, there are those who involve themselves in the ministry of the Church (consider Eph 4:12—God intends all saints to be involved in the ministry [service] of the Church). And, finally, on a still higher plane, there are those who have of their own volition resigned all personal rights and have become slaves to Christ—who do His bidding without thought of their own desires, whose dedication to their Lord is pure and complete. They are His slaves on earth, and will enjoy the highest status eternally. Heaven and the New Earth to come are not a classless society; there will be three main classes, just as there were three classes in the temporal society our Lord described in v. 42: commoners, rulers, and great ones (princes).

Your position in that eternal society will not be determined by accident of birth, chance, or happenstance, but on how diligently you serve your Lord on this earth during this life by becoming involved in the affairs of His Kingdom here on earth in the here and now!

This is where the riddle of ‘many who are first will be last, and the last first’ fits (v. 31), for God’s standard for judging each individual is perfect, being based entirely on the individual’s ability and capacity to serve. So many who appear to man to be great achievers for God will be found to have been working beneath their capacity or with the wrong motives and will thus not receive elevated status in eternity, while others, whose gifts were humble but who used them to the full, will be elevated eternally. Nothing could be fairer; no more could be done to encourage you to put your best foot forward for your Lord. You have God’s unbreakable word that He will remunerate you eternally, and His explanation that the only things you do on earth which have any lasting consequence are those things which you do in His service. What are you going to be in glory—a commoner, a ruler, or a prince? The answer lies entirely in your hands!

Eternal Reward and Eternal Life (Matthew 19:24–30; Mark 10:24b–31; Luke 18:24b–30)

This section teaches that the love of riches is a serious hindrance to saving faith, and that it compromises a believer’s eternal status. This section also teaches that God’s eternal recompense makes it impossible to sacrifice for Him......

Jesus concluded this teaching with the assurance that no sacrifice by a believer for Him would go unrewarded in eternity. We will be overcompensated in eternity for any temporal loss. Think on this—you lose something for a lifetime, say seventy years, yet you receive one hundred times more forever, for all eternity, not for a mere seventy years. This must be the best deal any camel trader ever heard of! What did the rich young ruler, who, by the world’s standards, had everything going for him, lose? He had been invited to join Jesus’ apostles, and had he done so he would have sat on a throne judging (ruling) one of the tribes of Israel eternally (Matt 19:28). He would have been the supernumerary to fill Judas’ place after that unworthy disciple’s defection; indeed, he may well have fulfilled the function Paul was called to fill. His riches kept him from eternal honor and reward. How sad!

Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Mt 20:20–Mk 10:45). Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.

LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life

In the Bible study we're doing now are some appendices, and I'd really like to share this one with you as it gives us a really good picture of what our lives are going to be like and I thought you all would enjoy it. This is a bible study and not just an article so I'm only going to post one part of it every day till it's done.

Heavenly Father, please open our spiritual eyes and ears that we may see and understand Your Truth as we study Your Word together. Help us to apply what we learn to our own lives so that we might grow to spiritual maturity and do the works you've planned for us since the beginning of time. We want to be people who hear Your Word and obey, producing fruit for Your Kingdom 100 fold. Please establish Your Truth fully & firmly in each of us, & establish each of us, fully & firmly in Your Truth. Guide us as we study Your Word today. Thank You Father! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

LIFE AFTER DEATH

PROLOGUE
God has graciously deepened my consciousness of the glories and marvel of His plan for eternity as I have meditated on its wonders while writing study guides on the various books of the New Testament. My appreciation of the power and reasonableness of what Christianity offers every human being has grown immensely. This appendix emphasizes the advantages inherent in the offer that God extends to every human being, so is thus in keeping with the biblical depiction of God’s character, for Scripture first presses His loving concern for man, and then, after appealing to man’s rational faculty, invites him to accept God’s offer. I am thoroughly convinced that biblical Christianity is always reasonable and logical, and never capricious or arbitrary.

The biblical presentation of eternal life is so alluring that no man in his right senses would pass up an opportunity to secure it. It is much more than simply living for ever, it is a life of endless delights with no distress whatever, a life preserved in a mantle of universal righteousness (which is the only logical way to ensure no distress), and with a perfect, and necessary, safeguard against boredom. These dimensions are seldom presented in any depth in the contemporary church, so this brief appendix attempts to remedy some of this void.

My purpose in this appendix is to strengthen the believer’s confidence in Christianity. It also comes with the prayer that, by being better informed, it will equip him or her to better present Christianity’s offer to those who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. We have an astonishingly powerful and wonderful offer to make; there is absolutely nothing that even starts to compare with it, and it is absolutely free! No informed reasonable person would turn this offer down, and all can afford a free gift! It is our privilege and responsibility as Christians to present this offer as plainly and attractively as possible. I pray that this appendix will be of some help in this direction.

INTRODUCTION
John 3:16 may be the best known verse in the New Testament: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His unique Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Footnote: The Greek word ‘imonogenes,’usually rendered ‘only begotten,’also means ‘unique’which avoids the tension of suggesting a beginning for God the Son, who, as He is divine, must be without beginning (an NASB marginal note confirms this option). This verse plainly states that all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation have eternal life, so it is incontrovertible that Christianity promises eternal life to those who follow the divine mandate. It is thus appropriate to ask just what this eternal life is that Christ promises His followers, for this promise lies at Christianity’s very core. God’s covenant with man is this: trust Jesus Christ as Savior, and He will give you eternal life. However, it is also fair to ask for proof that this stupendous offer is valid.

Sadly, most people have a very limited grasp of this subject of eternal life. Indeed, many Christians leave the impression that this topic is wrapped in mysticism, for, when pressed, they seem to have little understanding of it. One hears of God needing another angel in heaven, of a soul going to heaven forever, of an ethereal existence-seated on a cloud, playing a harp. But what is the truth? Where can we find authoritative information on “eternal life”?

As Christianity makes the offer of eternal life, it must be allowed to define its own term. We must therefore consult Scripture, for it is the only definitive statement of true Christianity’s teachings. This makes practical sense, for surely only someone familiar with eternal life can explain it, and Scripture claims to be God’s revelation of Himself and His ways to man. (Footnote: 2 Peter 1:21 says of Scripture, “no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Spirit spoke from God” ; 1 Peter 1:10–11 (ESV) — 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. and 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV) — 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, as examples, confirm this.) Axiomatically, no mortal has experienced eternal life, so the best any man can do on his own is speculate. Unarguably, God is the only authority on this subject, for, as we shall see later, the arena for eternity has yet to be created so exists only in His mind. Therefore, He alone can explain it. So, with full confidence, we can turn to Scripture as the only valid source for this definition.

THE ULTIMATE PERSPECTIVE
In order to keep this question in its proper perspective, we do well to ask what God’s perspective of things is. Logically, God’s focus must be on the coming eternal state, not on this temporal state, for it is axiomatic that eternity must be more important than any temporal state. After all, temporal means “temporary” and eternal means “permanent,” so their relative importance is beyond dispute. It is therefore clear that God’s plans must center around His coming eternal creation, and that this present temporal creation can only be properly understood within the context of how it contributes toward the coming eternal creation. The Genesis report of creation indicates God’s purpose in creating man, for it is clear that He created Adam for eternal company. The fall destroyed that relationship, but Jesus Christ restored it, albeit in a restricted form during this temporal life. However, in the coming new creation, regenerate man will fill God’s intended purpose, for he will then give God the full pleasure of the closest of relationships, that of a perfect father and perfect son.

Recognizing these truths pays proper tribute to God’s sovereignty; as He is the Creator, all created beings (that, axiomatically, is every other being) should do so, for this is only admitting an unalterable fact. We must face facts, the most basic of which is that, like it or not, we are caught up in our Creator’s plan. The is no escaping His plan (indeed, we cannot even escape His creation), so sensibility dictates that we seek to understand it and then see how we can fit in with this divine plan. On investigating the plan Scripture reveals, it becomes clear that no thinking person would want to be excluded from God’s plan, but would rather do anything possible to benefit from it, for its promises are so alluring and delightful. The only valid question then becomes, “Is our information on this plan true?” Scripture address this question by asserting that Jesus Christ’s resurrection establishes the veracity of all His teachings.

The biblical teaching on eternal life presents a logical transition from the present temporal state to a coming eternal state. This is practical, for, as we shall see when considering the coming resurrection of believers, it is God’s plan that all who enter His yet-to-come eternal creation will do so together. This teaching on the believer’s life-to-come neatly divides into four phases:

Phase 1: The intermediate state-between death and the resurrection.
Phase 2: The resurrection of the redeemed and the rapture.
Phase 3: Jesus Christ’s millennial reign.
Phase 4: The eternal state.

We will subdivide our study under these four heads, confining it to the revelation that effects believers, as this is our present concern.
Our purpose in this study is to explore the New Testament teaching on eternal life for us believers with the object of deepening our grasp of the topic in the hope that this thrilling future will encourage us in our Christian walk, deepen our confidence in Christianity, and motivate us to interact with those not yet blessed with the assurance of eternal life.

Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record. Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.

Cindy January 17th, 2012 11:29 AM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Lord, we ask that You would help us today as we study Your Word, guide us into all Truth and show us what You would have us learn. Help us to apply it to our lives and grant to each of us a deep, abiding, passionate desire for a deeper, more personal relationship with You and a tremendous hunger and thirst for Your Word that we can't deny. Help us to each grow toward maturity in Christ today through Your Word. Thank You Father! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. THE INTERMEDIATE STATE We all know from experience that when people die their bodies remain on earth and soon decay and disintegrate. Christianity teaches that a person is more than a body and also has a soul; this is indisputable, for when Christ said to the thief on the cross, “Today, you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43), the “you” and “Me” can only have referred to their souls, for their bodies remained on earth. FOOTNOTE: Jesus’talk of going to Paradise on His death (Luke 23:43 (ESV) — 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”) causes some to question the reliability of Scripture, for three days after His death He told Mary Magdalene that He had not yet ascended to the Father (John 20:17 (ESV) — 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” ). How could He have been in Paradise three days earlier and yet not have been to Heaven (which the phrase, “Our Father, who is in Heaven,”[Matt 6:9] makes clear is where God is)? Is this contradictory? Paradise and Heaven must be distinct, for that harmonizes Jesus’soul going to Paradise six weeks before He bodily ascended to Heaven, there to seated at the Father’s right hand (Hebrews 10:12 (ESV) — 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ). 2 Corinthians 12:2 (ESV) — 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. calls Paradise “the third heaven”, thus revealing there are several “heavens”and allowing this interpretation of Jesus’ whereabouts between His crucifixion and resurrection. So Paradise is one “compartment”of Sheol (a collective noun describing the abode of the dead); Hades is its other compartment-Paradise accommodated the justified dead before Jesus’ ascension; Hades accommodates the unjustified dead until the final resurrection. Luke 16:19–31 describes both; Luke 16:22 (NIV) — 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. “Abraham’s bosom” is the Israelite sector of Paradise, as indicated by the Old Testament phrase, “gathered to his fathers.” (Some scholars debate whether Luke 16:19–31 is a parable or a factual report, but it seems unarguable that it is the latter, for no identified parable names its characters, while this passage names Lazarus.) It seems that the necessity for Paradise before Jesus’ ascension lies in the fact that until God accepted Jesus’ blood as atonement for sin (Hebrews 10:12 (ESV) — 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ), the sins of Old Testament saints (like Abraham and David) had not been paid for, so they could not be allowed into a holy God’s presence. Their salvation, like ours, depends totally on Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, and their temporary separation from God after death absolutely affirms this fact (this is why David could deplore his death as a separation from God [Psalm 6:5 (ESV) — 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? ; Psalm 30:9 (ESV) — 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? ], and yet be sure that he would go to his deceased son [2 Samuel 12:23 (ESV) — 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” ]). Paradise, then, was a holding station for the souls of Old Testament saints who there awaited Christ’s remission of their sins (”apart from the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sins”-Heb 9:22). When Christ ascended on high, He took this vast host of “captives” with Him (Ephesians 4:8–9 (ESV) — 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ) as trophies of the victory He had won over sin, Satan, and death. His entry into Heaven was no solitary affair, but the grandest triumphal entry imaginable; every other victor’s triumphal entry pales into nothingness! So Jesus was talking of their essential essence, their souls, being transported to Paradise. Moreover, this statement is proved true by the fact that Jesus returned from Paradise to re-inhabit His resurrected body. So in one simple yet significant theological stroke, God both demonstrated the fact of the continued existence of man’s soul after death and the certainty of the coming resurrection of all men, for Christ averred that He will resurrect all men (John 5:25–29 (ESV) — 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. ). So what happens to his soul on a saint’s death? Scripture does not leave us to extrapolate our knowledge of the destiny of souls at death from Jesus’ promise on the cross, for Luke 16:22 (ESV) — 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, reveals that at death angels escort a saint’s soul into his new spiritual abode, while 2 Corinthians 5:8 (ESV) — 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. and Philippians 1:23 (ESV) — 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. make it plain that in the Christian era saved souls are escorted right into Christ’s presence, for these verses state unambiguously that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Indeed, Acts 7:55-56 (ESV) — 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” , It even suggests that our Lord stands to welcome His saints! So immediately at death, angels escort the soul (the spiritually cognitive part) of every saved person right into Jesus Christ’s presence, and as He is seated at the Father’s right hand, this also means into God’s the Father’s very presence. I find it marvelous that God even spares us the concern over of how our soul is to find its way into His presence! Incidentally, talk of “soul sleep” is erroneous, for it is incompatible with the Scriptures we have considered. We encounter the mystery of the soul as distinct from a person’s physical body. At first this seems strange, for experience leads us to think of body and soul as an inseparable unit. This is certainly true in our mortal life, yet men instinctively feel that the soul and body are nevertheless distinct and that the soul is eternal-this is why man is universally religious. Medical science, too, points in this direction, for transplanting vital organs from one person to another does not alter personhood (an aspect of the soul). Scripture confirms this instinct, for the Old Testament speaks of, for example, David going to be with his deceased infant son at death (2 Samuel 12:23 (ESV) — 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” ). The New Testament speaks of disembodied souls under a heavenly altar (Revelation 6:9–11 (ESV) — 9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. ) in a tone which indicates that they long for reunion with their physical bodies. So the Creator has revealed that man does have a soul distinct from his body, a soul that never dies and passes into eternity at death. Luke 16:19–31 The Rich Man and Lazarus, graphically affirms this. What, then, is death to believers? For them, death is but a transition, a passing of life from this temporal realm in which man lives into the eternal realm in which God lives. Psalm 23:4 (“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for You are with me”) lays bare this bogy we call death. It talks not of “the valley of death,” but “the valley of the shadow of death”; for believers, then, death is but a shadow, and a shadow holds no terrors. The sun shines both before and after a shadow; this shadow is simply a brief, momentary gloom. In the case of a believer’s death, the sun shines ever brighter on the other side of that brief shadow, for thereafter he or she basks eternally in the radiance of God Almighty. 1 Corinthians 15:54–55 (ESV) — 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” repeats this Old Testament elation at this victory in a glorious cacophony based on Isaiah 25:8 (ESV) — 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. and Hosea 13:14 (ESV) — 14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes. : Death is swallowed up in victory! Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting? No wonder, just a short while later, when comparing this temporal life with the life to come, Paul was inspired to write, “what is mortal will be swallowed up by life” (2 Cor 5:4) which graphically re-expresses the concept of 1 Cor 15:54: “when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality.” For the informed Christian, the bogy of death has lost its terror; death is merely a chariot to transport him into the very presence of his Lord from whom he will never ever be separated. This concept of being with the Lord after death lies at the heart of Jesus’ definition of eternal life: “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life, then, is not so much being reunited with departed regenerate loved ones (though this is unquestionably true; e.g., Luke 16:23 (ESV) — 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ; 2 Samuel 12:23 (ESV) — 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”), for even this marvelous prospect will be utterly eclipsed by the wonder of having a never-ending, personal relationship with God the Father and God the Son (consider the word portrait Rev 1:10–17 gives us of the glorified Christ, for no other being, except only God the Father, even starts to compare with Him). Revelation 1:13–17 (ESV) — 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, From the moment of death, it is the believer’s eternal privilege to be inseparably bonded to this perfect, divine Person-his Savior and God! But this transport of the soul into Heaven is just the first of many wondrous events that await believers, for it is only the first phase of eternal life. It is but a necessary first step to lead into eternity proper, the state which will eternally satisfy God. Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record. Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries. Next: THE RESURRECTION AND THE RAPTURE

Cindy January 18th, 2012 12:29 PM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Father, help us to put spiritual/eternal values above earthly ones and to keep You first in our lives above everything and everyone else as You have commanded us to. Help us to realize that we can only do that when we also place Your Word first in our lives. Please protect our study time with You so that it's not interfered with by people or circumstances. Remind us that You have exalted Your Name and Your Word above all things and have promised us Your Holy Spirit to guide us and help us to understand what we study. Sharpen our spiritual eyes and ears to Your guidance today. Thank You Lord! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. This part is going to start out with 2 long passages of scripture, so rather then try to fit that into the paragraph after the first sentence, I'm just going to post those scripture first: THE RESURRECTION AND THE RAPTURE 1 Corinthians 15:35–58 (ESV) — 35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Thess 4:13–18 (ESV) — 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. The Bible teaches several resurrections, but as our present focus is on the believer’s life-to-come, we will confine ourselves to their resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:35–58 (above) details the significance of this fabulous coming event, and 1 Thess 4:13–18 (above) explains the event itself. These passages, together with others such as John 5:26–29 (ESV) — 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. , assure us that a time is coming when Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven, accompanied by the souls of those who have died in Him (1 Thess 4:14 (ESV) — 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ); He will then resurrect their bodies (Thess 4:16 (ESV) — 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ) and reunite their souls with these bodies. Their resurrected bodies will be immortal and imperishable (1 Cor 15:52 (ESV) — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ), like the body Jesus now has (1 John 3:2 (ESV) — 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ). While this body is spiritual (1 Cor 15:44 (ESV) — 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ), the reports of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances reveal that it has all the attributes of a physical body, yet none of its limitations (Luke 24:39–43 (ESV) — 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them. ). This resurrected body will be imperishable, glorious, and powerful (1 Cor 15:42–43 (ESV) — 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ). This new imperishable body is necessary to participate in the imperishable kingdom that God is yet to create because that kingdom will be physical, not purely spiritual like the present Heaven (1 Cor 15:50 (ESV) — 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ). The fact that this resurrection is logically necessary for regenerate souls to enter God’s coming eternal kingdom in physical bodies poses the question of what will happen to the generation of believers alive during this resurrection. Will they die so as to be resurrected? 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 (ESV) — 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. and 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 (ESV) — 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. explain that that generation (who may well be us!) will be transformed in an instant, a split second after the resurrection. So, in a moment of time, all Christ’s saints, dead and alive, will be clothed with immortal, imperishable bodies. In this moment the first phase of a new creation will be born, for this metamorphosis will precede God’s creation of the new heavens and a new earth by a millennium, which is why James 1:18 (ESV) — 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. calls believers “the first-fruits among His creatures.” In contrast to the first creation in which physical man was the last act of God’s temporal creation, spiritual man will be the first act of God’s coming new eternal creation. Theologians call the translation of the generation of Christians alive at Jesus’ coming for His church “the rapture.” Footnote: “Rapture” derives from the Latin word for “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV) — 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.; however, the word itself is not found in English versions. The rapture will be a startling event for onlookers, for they will see all the saints simply float into the heavens, just as Jesus ascended visibly into heaven (Acts 1:9–10 (ESV) — 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,), just as Elisha watched Elijah ascend into Paradise (2 Kings 2:10–13 (ESV) — 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13 And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ), and just as the world will watch the two Tribulation witnesses ascend into heaven after their bodies have been resurrected (Revelation 11:12 (ESV) — 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.). Footnote: ”In the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor 15:52 (ESV) — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ) refers to the speed of transformation into a regenerate body, not to the rapidity of the saints’ disappearance, as is often mistakenly taught. Every similar instance reported in Scripture was a visible, gradual departure, so there is no reason to imagine that the rapture will be different. Indeed, even Enoch’s departure must have been visible for it to be known that “God took him”(Genesis 5:24 (ESV) — 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. ); how did they know he had not fallen into a well, or been eaten by a lion? But imagine what it will feel like for the generation of believers who are raptured. Imagine the surge of energy that will transform one’s body into immortal substance; imagine the relief of eyesight perfected and glasses discarded; imagine your teeth restored and disgorging the fillings; imagine the vitality as mortality is banished and replaced by an eternal life force; imagine the relief as all pains, aches, and handicaps disappear instantly and eternally. Imagine the flood of strength as we become stronger than angels. Imagine the sense of release as our intellect expands exponentially. And wonder of all wonders, imagine the spiritual relief as one’s sin nature is eternally excised, and then the excitement of knowing that one is about to meet the glorious Jesus Christ, enter Heaven, and there meet our awesome, loving Father! Think, too, of witnessing and participating in the incredible triumphal entry into Heaven as Jesus Christ escorts back with Him the multiple billions of souls, now in their regenerate bodies, whom He has saved. Heaven’s curiosity in just what we, God’s newest and highest order of creation, will be like (Romans 8:19 (ESV) — 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ) will at last be satisfied as we parade through Heaven’s gates in Jesus Christ’s train! The resurrection of believers marks the beginning of a sequence of wondrous events in eternity, the full significance of which mortal mind simply cannot grasp. We can but list the events and wait to learn their full marvel in the glorious eternity that God has in store for us! The first event will be what Revelation 19:7 (ESV) — 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; calls “the Wedding Feast of the Lamb” (Psalm 23:5 alludes to this in “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”). The first divine act in this new era is that Christ, after He resurrects believers, will join Himself eternally to His Bride, the Church. We, the true Church, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, will be eternally one flesh with Him, united in a perfect, indissoluble bond of love. And as Christ is eternally united with the Father, we, through Him, will be eternally united with the Father (John 17:21 (ESV) — 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ). A major feature of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb will be a stupendous awards banquet at which the Father will remunerate each saint with glory (2 Cor 4:17 (ESV) — 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ) for every righteous act we perform in the cause of Christ from the time of our conversion to the time of the rapture (Matthew 10:42 (ESV) — 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” ; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 (ESV) — 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. ); this is the treasure saints store up in Heaven (Matthew 6:20 (ESV) — 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.). Another aspect of this awards banquet will be the conferral of eternal status or rank in the coming eternal kingdom. This rank and fund of glory (“treasures in heaven”) will be the means which believers will use to glorify Christ and the Father eternally. Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record.

Cindy January 19th, 2012 12:11 PM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Father, we come before you today, asking again that You would guide us as we study Your word; help us to understand and apply what You would have us learn today. Remind us that you know & love each of us intimately, just as You know and love each person who's name is listed in our study today. Remind us Lord that every word in our Bibles is there for a reason just as Jesus told us. You know Lord that we tend to zone out when we read lists, so please help us to think of each name as a real person--a person You loved enough to die for. Let each name stand out to us as our very own brother or sister who we will be spending eternity with. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen Again there will be a lot of scriptures posted, some of them quite long. But that's the mark of a good bible study and it's what we should want to see. We want to know what God's Word says, not what someone else says it does. Remember what we learned in the other study too: keep things in context, look at the meaning of words you might be unsure of, and check the scriptures for yourselves (which is why they're posted!) don't just assume that what you're being told is correct, and ask questions. If you don't understand the relevance of a verse, check the meaning of the words, or if you need help with that, I'll be happy to help you. JESUS CHRIST’S EARTHLY REIGN Following the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, the whole body of saints will accompany Jesus Christ as He returns to set up the Kingdom of Heaven on this earth (Revelation 19:14 (ESV) — 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. ). This is the Age of Righteousness spoken of in the prophets in which the Messiah will reign with a rod of iron (i.e., impose righteousness on the mortal human population). The most significant feature of this era will be Christ’s reign on earth; of major importance is the fact that it will be an Age of Righteousness, and of lesser importance is its duration of 1,000 years. It seems that a purpose of this millennial Age of Righteousness is to prove beyond question that God made no mistake when He created this present earth, but that all its woes are attributable to man choosing to follow Satan rather than God. The first event in our Lord’s return to earth will be the battle of Armageddon. Revelation 19:14 (ESV) — 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. reveals that the saints, now in their eternal (reconstituted) bodies, will accompany Jesus Christ, each mounted on a white charger. Footnote: This indicates that there are animals in heaven, so also in eternity; so if you have wondered whether pets “go to heaven,”this may provide your answer! So we believers will be at Armageddon, and will watch our Lord destroy all His enemies by the power of His mouth-presumably simply by His word! This suggests that He who spoke humanity into existence, will simply speak them out of existence. Both the New Testament (e.g., Revelation 19:11–21 (ESV) — 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. ) and the Old (e.g., Zechariah 14:12–16 (ESV) — 12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 And on that day a great panic from the Lord shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. 14 Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15 And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. 16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. ) describe this event; the latter passage suggesting that at our Lord’s behest, their flesh will simply melt off their bones. Thereafter, we will be His administration, ruling with Him for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4 (ESV) — 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. ). We will see the world in the perfect, divine state which God intended at creation, so see the folly of sin demonstrated by contrast, and see it thus for 1,000 years! What will conditions be like in this Age of Righteousness? Scripture gives us glimpses of a world restored to some of its primordial perfection in this coming glorious messianic age. First, the earth’s topography will be significantly altered; its crust will be flattened (Revelation 16:20 (ESV) — 20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. ); thus apparently restoring it to a similar condition to that which Genesis 2:10 (ESV) — 10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. describes. Footnote: The fact that the river that flowed from Eden divided into four rivers requires that the terrain was very flat. In our day rivers converge and do not divide, except in the flat land at deltas. This will mean that the climate will be more uniform and the earth more verdant than at present (the absence of mountain ranges will mean there will be no deserts in their lee). Then Isaiah 11:6–9 (ESV) — 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. tells us that God will effect a marvelous transformation in the nature of the animals-the wolf and the lamb will live in harmony, as will all predators and their previous prey. There will be such perfect harmony between man and beast that little children will have “wild” animals, even erst-while predators, as their playmates. Snakes will lose their venom, and animals that are now carnivorous will become herbivores. So all will live in peace and harmony, just as it was in the beginning. Man’s physical circumstances will apparently be similar to those that prevailed before the flood. Infant mortality will be a thing of the past, and death from disease will be rare. Longevity will be so greatly increased that it will be thought tragic and unnatural for a person to die before reaching 100 years of age. Indeed, 100 years of age will be viewed as still being in one’s youth. Life will be wondrous and joyful. Under Jesus Christ there will be no distress or ill health. There will be domestic and economic stability. The earth will have returned to the calm, peaceful existence that God created, a state disturbed by man yielding to Satan. All this is revealed in Isaiah 65:18–25 (ESV) — 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. 20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. . During this period Satan, the source of all trouble, will be incarcerated (Revelation 20:3 (ESV) — 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. ). This is when Israel will be the world’s leading nation (Acts 1:6 (ESV) — 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ). Jesus will reign over all humanity, and the resurrected David, or one of his descendants, will rule Israel (Ezekiel 37:24 (ESV) — 24 “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. ). This will be Israel’s moment in the sun; she will be the world power of the age, a power not vested in might or wealth, but in spiritual leadership (Isaiah 11:10 (ESV) — 10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. ). Israel’s territory will be enlarged (Ezek 47:13–48:35), (This is very long so I will post it at the end of the study along with some maps and diagrams) and a magnificent new temple in Jerusalem will be the center of man’s religious practice; and its focus, worldwide, will be on God Almighty. When this period draws to a close, God will release Satan who will spark a rebellion (Revelation 20:9 (ESV) — 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,) which God will quash and then bring this temporal era to its end. The temporal creation will then have served His purpose of providing Him with a righteous people, a people who have freely chosen to subject themselves to Him and who have placed their absolute faith in Him-a people who have chosen to love Him. Only then will He have the kingdom He desires, a kingdom in which love, not law or any duress, will rule. Indeed, this perfect love will ensure that this will not be a kingdom of disparate persons, but a single, immense family, united by perfect love! Only after the temporal era has ended, will God set about implementing His final plan, His eternal plan, which is where eternity proper, the true eternal state, comes into being. It seems that the purpose of Christ’s coming earthly reign is to vindicate this creation, proving that its troubles are attributable to sin. His reign will prove several important truths and address questions that need answering so that they can eternally be laid to rest before God takes His redeemed souls into eternity proper. For instance, it will prove how perfect this world is when run God’s way, and therefore that God made no mistakes in His creation. This is why our Lord’s coming reign will be “with a rod of iron,” a metaphor that means He will enforce righteousness for the period of His reign. The perfection that will flow from enforced righteousness will prove that Satan is to blame for all the ills of this world, and that they are not the result of any defects in God’s plan. This latter point seems necessary to ensure that absolutely no doubt in God’s perfect ability goes into eternity, for any such doubt would ultimately prompt the same rebellion that brought this present creation into distress. Satan’s guilt in the present sinful and therefore chaotic state will be thoroughly demonstrated in his release from incarceration at the close of the Age of Righteousness (Revelation 20:7 (ESV) — 7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison ), for he will again deceive unregenerate man and lead them in rebellion against God. In this way, man’s need for absolute reliance on God will be demonstrated eternally. Even after schooling in the advantages of righteousness for 1,000 years, after enjoying the unmitigated benefits of living in righteous conditions for 1,000 years, unregenerate man will still yield to his sin nature and flock to Satan in the hopes that he can give them independence. In this way God will demonstrate for eternity that man is absolutely dependent on Him for his well-being. Man cannot be independent, but must have God at the center of his life to ensure stability, peace, happiness, and fulfillment. So, with all possible doubts about His ability and perfection fairly and rationally laid to rest, God will be ready to implement His eternal plan, and take His people into the final eternal state. What we have spoken of above is plainly revealed in Scripture. However, Scripture hints at other nuances of Jesus Christ’s temporal reign. As this reign takes place after the regeneration which appears to be an aspect of the resurrection of the saints (Matthew 22:30 (ESV) — 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ), it seems that we saints will have entered into our eternal functions at this stage, which includes ruling over angels (1 Corinthians 6:3 (ESV) — 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! ). This means that not only will we participate in Jesus Christ’s earthly rule, but we will also rule over the unfallen angels in the heavens. Just what locale this involves Scripture does not reveal, but it makes a mysterious (some may say vague) connection between angels and stars, so there is license to suppose that we will be involved in some sort of interplanetary rulership. This may sound fantastical and far fetched, but is anything impossible for God? (Luke 1:37 (ESV) — 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” ). Further, is it likely that God will leave our natural curiosity about this universe unsatisfied? Moreover, this grand scale means that Christ will reign over all His creation, and also explains how billions of saints will be employed in the millennium (earth would be grossly over staffed with resurrected saints if we all [maybe 12 billion??] were crammed onto it). We can ignore the problems of space travel as we now understand it, for we will not be controlled by the present laws of physics as we will not be physical beings in the present sense of the word, but the firstfruits of a coming new order of creation governed by different laws. It seems that we will not be limited by the speed of light, but will be able to project ourselves at the speed of thought (after all, is that an analogy of how fast God can move through His creation?). Again, we will be sons of God in our regeneration, and as sons will we not be like our heavenly Father and Christ in many respects? (1 John 3:2 (ESV) — 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ). Nehemiah 1:9 (ESV) — 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ talks of man in ‘the remotest part of the heavens,’ so allows scriptural warrant for this hypothesis. On the subject of numbers of believers, God told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5 (ESV) — 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ). This suggests tenuous support for the hypothesis advanced above. Yet there are physical limitations to how many humans God could have expected when He gave Adam the command to fill the earth (Genesis 1:28 (ESV) — 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ). Conventional wisdom is that this earth can sustain about 12 billion people based on its renewable physical resources. Astonishingly, it is quite feasible to posit that there were 12 billion people on earth at the time of the Noahic flood. So man had fulfilled God’s command to him, but when God came to inspect the human race He found it rotten. How long would it have taken Adam and Eve and their descendants to fill the earth? Assuming that 12 billion is a valid number, recognizing that there was no death in the original order of things, it would only take 1,000 years to reach 12 billion. Footnote: This calls for each mother to bear a fertile daughter every 12 years; i.e., children spaced 6 years apart with women bearing, on average, 60 children (Jewish tradition is that Eve bore 56 children) We can note, too, that there is a mysterious link between 1,000 years and a day in God’s sight (2 Peter 3:8 (ESV) — 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.), and this explains what God did when He rested on the seventh day-He left His creation in man’s hands for that ‘day.’ It seems from 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) — 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. that God is waiting for His ‘earthful’ of righteous people before the rapture. Logic requires that this ‘quota’ be met, otherwise Satan will have thwarted God’s intent, and that must be a theological non sequitur. Notably, if this hypothesis is correct, God will reap several harvests of earthfuls of souls from this planet-at least one before the rapture, a substantial bonus’ during the Tribulation, and one during the Millennium, so even Satan’s rebellion will be turned to God’s glory. God simply cannot be thwarted, and every attempt to do so ultimately results in His greater glory! (me: remember this scripture too: Romans 11:25 (ESV) — 25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.) The Restoration of Israel and the boundaries of the land during the Millennium: Ezekiel 47:13–48:35 (ESV) — 13 Thus says the Lord God: “This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. 14 And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance. 15 “This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to Zedad, 16 Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side. 18 “On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side. 19 “On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side. 20 “On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side. 21 “So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God. 1 “These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion. 2 Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. 3 Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion. 4 Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion. 5 Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion. 6 Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion. 7 Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion. 8 “Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it. 9 The portion that you shall set apart for the Lord shall be 25,000 cubits in length, and 20,000 in breadth. 10 These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the Lord in the midst of it. 11 This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did. 12 And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites. 13 And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000. 14 They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the Lord. 15 “The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city, 16 and these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500. 17 And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250. 18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east, and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. 20 The whole portion that you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city. 21 “What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst. 22 It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin. 23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion. 24 Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion. 25 Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion. 26 Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion. 27 Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion. 28 And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. 29 This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord God. 30 “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, 31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. 32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.” Click on map for larger picture: http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...noftheland.gif The Temple during the Millennium as seen by Ezekiel: click on graphic for larger picture: http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...ielsTemple.gif http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...elsTemple2.gif Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record. Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.

Cindy January 20th, 2012 01:10 PM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Lord, we love you so much and would ask that You would sanctify us by Your Truth, knowing that Your Word is Truth and that it is through the study of Your Word every day that we are sanctified-made holy. Help us to understand what we study today and by it, to grow into the person You created us to be so that no one can ever malign You or Your Word because of us. Make us holy and teach each of us the fear of the Lord. Thank You Lord! In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. THE ETERNAL STATE God only grants a glimpse into the wonders of His coming creation; indeed, these few tantalizing hints indicate that He, our loving Father, wants to surprise us, His children, with an unending series of delights. All we can do is explore the hints He has given, and then, with bated breath, await their ultimate fulfillment. But these hints hold unimagined promise, and God’s promises are sure! In talking about the eternal state, 1 Cor 2:9 makes a stirring promise and holds out the hope of unimaginable wonders: it says: Things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him. This verse asserts that the wonders of eternity go far beyond man’s ability to imagine; it hints at the new heavens and new earth announced in Is 65:17 (ESV) — 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.; Is 66:22 (ESV) — 22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. , and affirmed in 2 Pe 3:7 (ESV) — 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. and Re 21:1 (ESV) — 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. God, these passages tell us, will dissolve the present earth and heavens and create a new eternal cosmos. This, too, is utterly logical, for we know that the present universe suffers from entropy, so must ultimately cease. Logically, if eternity is to last forever, it has to be lived in an eternal arena, an arena with-out entropy. And this is just what Scripture promises. Furthermore, it promises that this coming new creation will be so marvelous that we will not even remember the present creation (Is 65:17 (ESV) — 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.). The fact that we will not even remember this present creation explains why 1 Co 2:9 (ESV) — 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— says that man’s mind cannot even imagine the wonders God has in store for the saved. I cannot imagine flowers so pretty that we will not even remember an orchid. I cannot imagine a fragrance so delicate that we will forever forget a rose. I cannot imagine a beauty so great that we will never even bother to recall an earthly sunset. I cannot imagine scenery so grand that the Grand Canyon will not even be a distant memory. I cannot imagine intricacy so vast that all the wonders of present natural science will be forgotten in the face of the new. I cannot imagine a universe so great that the present wonders of astronomy fade into nothingness. I cannot imagine a taste so sweet that honey ceases to be a basis of comparison. All this, and infinitely more, awaits all those who enter God’s coming creation. Common sense says it must be so, for we learn that regenerate man will be vastly superior to his present state, so it is only logical that God will give him a greatly enhanced environment in keeping with his vastly enhanced abilities and intellect. Appropriately, 1 Co 13:12 (ESV) — 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. compares our present comprehension to looking through darkened glass. Can you imagine what delight it will be to watch our heavenly Father create a new universe and new heavens? We are told that the angels sang for joy when they witnessed God create the present temporal creation (Job 38:4–7 (ESV) — 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? ). This time it will be our delight to watch God create an infinitely more marvelous creation. Remarkably, Jas 1:18 (ESV) — 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. calls believers the first-fruits of this new creation; so quite the converse of the first creation, man will not be God’s last creative act, but His first act in the process of creating the new creation. So we, in our full enhanced intellect, will be able to enjoy watching this coming creation unfold before our startled eyes, and more particularly enhanced spirituality. And can you imagine a love richer than that between a husband and wife, or that of a mother for her child; yet this will be the universal bond in God’s family, for this perfect love will be the rule in God’s kingdom (1 Co 13:8 (ESV) — 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.). This new creation is often confused with Heaven, but 2 Pe 3:7 (ESV) — 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. reveals that God will dissolve the present heavens and this earth. Re 21:2–3 (ESV) — 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. describes a momentous change, for whereas God presently resides in Heaven, He will move to the new earth, “and dwell among men … and they shall be His people.” This is a most noteworthy role reversal, for it will make the new earth more significant than the new heavens as it will be God’s domicile. This, too, is fully compatible with the role reversal through which glorified man will become superior to the angels. Furthermore, this means that we will not live eternally in Heaven, but on the new earth that God is yet to create. Revelation 21–22 describe God’s eternal residence, the ultimate in glory, for this passage likens it to a magnificent, immense piece of jewelry, a cube 1,360 miles long, wide, and high. This city will be made of crystal clear gold, its streets paved with similar gold, its gates mammoth pearls, its foundation a laminate of twelve gargantuan gemstones. This is the city from which the river of life will flow and in which the tree of life will grow. This is the city which will need no sun or light, for it is the eternal residence of Almighty God. It is, at last, the eternal city which is eternally free of the curse of sin. The fact that gold and precious stones will be used as common building materials challenges our sense of values, and insists that values in the coming eternal state will be spiritual, not material. The things we hold dear in this world will be trodden underfoot, and in their place will be a new sense of values, an ethical, purified sense of values, for it is precisely the practice of these values that God will use to determine each saint’s eternal reward- “treasure in heaven.” This description is, I am sure, symbolic, for God has used temporal, perishable terms that we can understand to describe the indescribable, eternal, and imperishable. The city is marvelous beyond description. But the central feature of the life to come is not gaining access to this indescribable city-it is the eternal relationship with God the Father and God the Son, for did not Jesus Himself define eternal life thus: “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3) ? This eternal kingdom is the “day of God” (2 Pe 3:12 (ESV) — 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ), the “Kingdom of God” which Jesus announced (the “Kingdom of Heaven” is the Age of Righteousness which He will yet establish on earth; it is the Kingdom of Heaven because God will still rule from Heaven at that time). Footnote: The Kingdom of Heaven is a time of Jewish privilege (which is why the term is only found in Matthew, the gospel addressed to Jews) as they will lead the nations of the world in worshipping God for that 1,000 years. The Kingdom of God, however, is for all men; there will be no special privileges in the eternal kingdom based on ethnicity, for all status in that kingdom will be based on service. The terms “Kingdom of Heaven” and Kingdom of God”are frequently seen as synonyms because Mark and Luke use “Kingdom of God” in passages where Matthew uses “Kingdom of Heaven.” However, Matthew also uses “Kingdom of God”(albeit much less frequently that “Kingdom of Heaven”), so requires a distinction. When we recognize that the principles that will prevail in the (earthly) “Kingdom of Heaven” will also apply to the (eternal) “Kingdom of God,” this tension is removed. We who enter this blissful and glorious Kingdom will not enter as citizens, but as God’s family, for God adopts all who trust Jesus as Savior as His sons (Ga 4:5 (ESV) — 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.). Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record. Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries. Next is: Children of God-Our Eternal Status But I'm going to copy some info from another post about New Jerusalem, here for us so we'll have it one thread. I'll put that in my next post.

Cindy January 20th, 2012 01:29 PM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Here's some more info about New Jerusalem for us that I copied off other threads: From the Millennium on Jews will live in Israel on Earth. The Church which has been raptured (us) will live in the New Jerusalem. Gentile believers in Jesus who miss the rapture but survive the Great Tribulation will live on Earth during the Millennium and re-populate the nations.. Jesus told us that He was going to prepare a place for us. John 14:2–3 (NIV) — 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. That "place" is New Jerusalem, which is where we will live from the time of the rapture on. At first New Jerusalem cannot be "on" the earth, because nothing and no one that's still sinful can enter it. Only those who have been saved and have glorified bodies can enter New Jerusalem. Because we will have glorified bodies, like Jesus had/has we will be able to come and go between New Jerusalem and the Earth as we please as we will not be bound by time and space any longer. Keep in mind though that we won't be flitting about doing our own will, but will rather be busy doing our Father's Will during this time. At the end of the Millennium, God will make everything new and at that point New Jerusalem will come down from Heaven and be on the New Earth itself, for everything from that point onward will be perfect and without sin. New Jerusalem will be the "capitol city" of the New Earth and will be where we will live and reign with Christ forever. Some things the Bible doesn't tell us. We do know though that all Jews who come to Christ before the rapture since He walked the earth, become part of His Church. God no longer views them as "Jews" or as "Israel", but instead views them as part of the Church. Those Jews that come to Christ after the rapture do not become part of the Church. They cannot become part of the Church because the Church Age ends with the Rapture. So when they are saved during the Tribulation, they become the remnant of Israel and will live in Israel during the Millennium which is when God will fulfill all His promises to them. They will finally be the "priests of God" and their job will be to lead and teach those born during the Millennium about Him and His ways as well as to lead in worship etc. Oops, I skipped some folks...the Old Testament Saints: They will have been resurrected and have their glorified bodies as well, but they are not part of the Church either as they were saved during the Age of the Law. (even so, they were still saved by faith because they believed and had faith that God would send a Savior to save them from their sins) Since they won't be part of the Church, they too will be part of the remnant of Israel. The difference between them and those saved during the Tribulation will be that they will reign over the rest of the Jews in Israel. So they'll be the head, the leaders, of Israel just as God promised them. As for Gentiles who are saved during the Tribulation, they will live in various places on the earth during the Millennium and will repopulate it. Some of them will be blessed to be allowed to live in Israel as a special blessing, but 99% will live other places on the earth. All of the people entering the Millennial Kingdom in "regular bodies" will be saved and eventually will receive their glorified bodies after the Millennium is over, but other then that, the Lord doesn't tell us what happens, except to say that they will not be part of the Church as again they weren't saved during the Church age but rather during the Age of the Law since that starts again as soon as the Tribulation begins. There's one other group of people which are those born during the Millennium. They aren't born saved but must choose that for themselves just like everyone else did. Some will and some won't. Those that do will get their glorified bodies at the end of the Millennium, but again the Lord doesn't tell us anything else other then that they too aren't part of the Church. New Jerusalem is our heavenly home, the place that Jesus went ahead to prepare for us His Bride, His Church, for all of us who are saved during the Age of Grace. As I said, because New Jerusalem is holy and no sin can enter into it, it cannot be on the earth until after the Millennium, but it will be near the earth during that time, and will only come down to rest on the earth when it's been cleansed and remade for us all. Here's some more info about the moon and mainly about New Jerusalem itself: The moon will not be needed in the new Jerusalem: Isaiah 60:19–20 (NIV) — 19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.; Revelation 21:23–24 (NIV) — 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. The New Jerusalem (Rev 21:2–8). A New Jerusalem, made of jewels and transparent gold, a foursquare some 1400 miles square, drifts in the sky over the refashioned earth. This is the inheritance of the children of God Hayford's Bible handbook. When the smoke clears following God’s final punishment of the wicked, earth will be no more. John records in chapters Rev 21–22 the startling revelation of the city of God and the eternal state. Clearly, Paradise lost (Gen. 3) is Paradise regained! As chapter 21 opens, all the sinners of all the ages, both demons and men, including Satan, the beast, and false prophet, are in the lake of fire forever. The whole universe has been destroyed, and God creates a new universe to be the eternal dwelling place of the redeemed. The citizens of eternity—Old Testament saints, tribulation saints, and all those converted during the millennial kingdom—will be incorporated into the ultimate redeemed bride (i.e., the Church) and will dwell in the New Jerusalem. John described the consummation of all things in Christ and the New Jerusalem descending into the eternal state (see 19:7; 20:6). The city itself is described by John in remarkable detail and hard-to-fathom terms, but essentially this heavenly city is a beautiful and real place, marked by the awesome glory and presence of God. Chapter 22 concludes with the penetrating words of Christ. The Lord of life and King of eternity is coming soon! May our earnest and sincere prayer be the same as John’s: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”.... About New Jerusalem: ....a new heaven and a new earth (v. 1)—The entire universe as we now know it will be destroyed and be replaced by a new creation that will last forever. This is an Old Testament teaching, as well as a New Testament one. See 20:11–15. no more sea (v. 1)—Currently three-fourths of the earth’s surface is water, but the new environment will no longer be waterbased and will have completely different climatic conditions. See 22:1–2. New Jerusalem (v. 2)—See 3:12. This is the capital city of heaven, a place of perfect holiness. It is seen “coming down out of heaven,” indicating it already existed; but it descends into the new heavens and new earth from its place on high. This is the city where the saints will live (see John 14:1–3). the Lamb’s wife (v. 9)—The New Jerusalem takes on the character of its inhabitants, the redeemed (see v. 2; 19:7–9). jasper (v. 11)—This is a transliteration, not a translation, of the Greek word. Rather than the modern opaque jasper, the term actually refers to a completely clear diamond, a perfect gem with the brilliant light of God’s glory shining out of it and streaming over the new heaven and the new earth (see 4:3). gold reed (v. 15)—The reed was about ten feet long, which was a standard of measurement. measure the city (v. 15)—This action indicates that the capital of heaven belongs to God and He is measuring what is His (see 11:1). length, breadth, and height(v. 16)—The city has the symmetrical dimensions of a perfect cube, which parallels its closest earthly counterpart, the inner sanctuary in the tabernacle and temple. twelve thousand furlongs(v. 16)—fifteen hundred miles. This would be about two million square miles of ground space, offering plenty of room for all the glorified saints to live. length and width and height. The city has the symmetrical dimensions of a perfect cube, which parallels its closest earthly counterpart, the inner sanctuary in the tabernacle and temple (cf. 1Ki 6:20). one hundred and forty-four cubits (v. 17)—Seventy-two yards or two hundred sixteen feet; likely the width of the wall jasper (v. 18)—See verse 11. This is the material of the thick wall-diamond. pure gold, like clear glass(v. 18)—Unlike earth’s gold, this gold will be transparent so the over-powering radiance of God’s glory can refract and glisten through the entire city. chalcedony (v. 19)—This name derives from Chalcedon, an ancient name for a city in modern Turkey. The gem is a sky-blue agate stone with translucent, colored stripes. sardonyx (v. 20)—a variety of chalcedony with parallel layers of red and white (see verse 19) sardius (v. 20)—a common stone from the quartz family, which ranged in color from orange-red to brownish-red to blood-red (4:3) chrysolite (v. 20)—a gem with a transparent gold or yellowish tone beryl (v. 20)—a mineral with several varieties of gems, ranging from the green emerald to the golden yellow beryl to the light blue aquamarine topaz (v. 20)—Ancient topaz was a softer stone with a yellow or yellow-green color. chrysoprase (v. 20)—The modern form of this jewel is an apple-green variety of quartz. The Greek name suggests a gold-tinted, green gemstone. jacinth (v. 20)—Today this stone is a transparent zircon, usually red or reddish-brown. The one John saw was blue or shining violet in color. amethyst (v. 20)—A clear quartz crystal that ranges in color from a faint purple to an intense purple. one pearl (v. 21)—Each of the gates of the city is a single, fifteen hundred-mile-high pearl. Even as earthly pearls are formed in response to the wounding of oyster flesh, so these gigantic, supernatural pearls will remind saints throughout eternity of the magnitude of Christ’s suffering and its eternal benefit. MacArthur, J. (2001). Revelation : The Christian's Ultimate Victory. Here's some images I've collected over time of different people's ideas of what New Jerusalem will look like: http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...jerusalem2.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...wJerusalem.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...Jerusalem1.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/goldcity.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...an/heaven2.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...-jerusalem.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w..._jerusalem.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...an/heaven2.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w..._jerusalem.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w..._photos/NJ.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...Jerusalem1.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...photos/NJ2.jpg http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...os/hcity-3.jpg Jews, Gentiles, And The Church Q.I was reading an answer from a reader about where the Jews and other believers would be. I understood you to say, the Jews would be in Israel and the rest in the New Jerusalem. I think I’m confused about New Jerusalem and Heaven. Are they the same? If there is a separation, why, since the Jews have accepted Jesus as their messiah. A.During the Millennium and beyond, Jews will live in Israel on Earth. The Church will live in the New Jerusalem. Gentile believers in Jesus who miss the rapture but survive the Great Tribulation will live on Earth during the Millennium and re-populate the nations. The Bible doesn’t say what happens to them after that. Many Christians are really talking about the New Jerusalem with its mansions and its streets paved with gold when they make reference to Heaven. Heaven is the location of God’s throne where the spirits of dead believers go to await the resurrection. Old Testament Jews, along with Jews who come to faith after the rapture, remain Jews in God’s view. Jews who come to faith in Jesus during the Church age become part of the Church. God no longer thinks of them as Jews, just as He no longer thinks of Gentile believers as Gentiles. Both groups have become part of the Church (Galatians 3:26-29) http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bibl...-the-church-3/ Where Do We All Go? Q. For my question, I’m going to group believers into 3 categories: believers who die before the rapture, believers who go in the rapture, and believers during the tribulation. My question is where will each of these groups live during the millennial reign of Christ? Will some live in heaven and some on earth? Thank you for your help. A. Church age believers who die before the rapture and living believers who are taken in the rapture will all live together in the New Jerusalem during the Millennium. Tribulation believers who survive will live on Earth and help repopulate the planet during the Millennium. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bibl...-do-we-all-go/ Locating The New Jerusalem, Again Q. You answered a question about Tending The Tree of Life, in which you made a statement that the New Jerusalem will not be on Earth. Can you clarify this? A. I’ve gotten several versions of your question based on that answer so I’ll clarify myself for those who have asked as well as for those who haven’t but are wondering. In my commentary on Rev. 21 I described the size of the New Jerusalem, which John said is 12,000 stadia on a side and 12,000 stadia tall, this way. “12,000 stadia are equal to about 1400 miles, meaning that if this city came to rest in Europe, it would cover everything from Scandinavia to Gibraltar and from the Coast of Spain to Italy’s heel. Alternatively, it would hide the entire Middle East, or all the Eastern US from Maine to Florida and from the Atlantic past the Mississippi. And at 1400 miles tall it would be over 4000 times as tall as the next tallest building on Earth. John didn’t give us its shape, but a globe with a 1400 mile diameter would be about 1/6th the size of Earth or about 2/3rds the size of the moon. In short it’s too big to fit anywhere on Earth. More likely, it’s a small planet or low orbit satellite, maintained in the vicinity of Earth, but not on it.” http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bibl...rusalem-again/ The New Jerusalem? Q. Thank you for taking time to answer questions and working so hard with your website! I have something I have been wondering about: when you say that the new city of Jerusalem will probably orbit just above the earth, what scriptures can you find to show this point of view? I can remember one about John saying that the city came down from heaven but he never said that it landed on earth. Can you help me find some more please? A. The verse that describes the Holy city coming down out of heaven but doesn’t mention it landing (Rev. 21:2) is the only one. The rest is deduction. Rev. 21:16 says the city is 12,000 stadia square and just as tall. 12,000 stadia is roughly equivalent to 1,400 miles. That means if it landed on Earth it would have a footprint bigger than all of Israel. In fact it would cover most of Western Europe. And 1,400 miles in height would make it 4,000 times taller than the next tallest building on Earth. If it was shaped like a ball, it would be 1/6th the size of Earth. (Most scholars believe it will be shaped like either a cube or a Pyramid.) Since the Earth spins on its axis at the rate of about 1,000 miles per hour, something that big simply couldn’t sit on its surface without causing it to spin off into outer space and fly apart. So, John saw it coming down out of Heaven, the Kings of Earth bring their splendor into it, and its light illuminates the Earth (Rev. 21:24) But nothing impure can ever enter it (Rev. 21:27) That tells me it has to be close enough to be near Earth, but far enough away to prevent it from de-stabilizing Earth’s orbit. To me that describes a low orbit satellite, but that’s just my opinion. We’ll all be truly amazed when we see what it’s really like. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bibl...w-jerusalem-2/ The New Jerusalem Q. Referring to the New Jerusalem; I’ve had this thought that we would be inside it, as if it was a mansion or something that we actually live in. In ‘How Many Christians Are There?’, a recent question you answered, it sounds like we live on it’s surface, like a planet. Does the Bible clarify this anywhere? A. Because of it’s size, 1400 miles tall and square, I’ve visualized it more like a low orbit satellite or small planet (it’s about 1/5th the size of Earth), but it’s true, we could just as easily live inside, on the surface, or both. As John described it in Rev 21 it seems like a giant city with streets of gold, and the Greek rendering of John 14:1-3 indicates that it’s composed of many mansions, but no further detail is given as to its actual configuration. One thing’s for certain. We’re gonna love it! http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bibl...new-jerusalem/ Living In Heaven, Reigning On Earth? Q. I have further questions on your article of June 25th. In it you say we will live in heaven with Christ, and yes I understand our home (or mansion) will be made there. How does Revelation 20:4-6 fit into this? If we are reigning with Christ for that 1000 years it must be on earth. God reigns in heaven forever and there is no other need to reign there. A. You’re making an assumption that sounds logical but isn’t necessarily so. Who says we have to live on Earth? John 14:2-3 clearly says that Jesus went to Heaven to prepare a place for us there, and that’s where He’s going to take us in the Rapture. Rev. 20:4-6 says that those from the first resurrection will reign with Christ, but it says nothing about where we’ll live. We find out from Rev. 21 that the home He built for us and will take us to is the New Jerusalem which is seen coming down out of heaven. But it never says that it lands on Earth. In fact a comparison of its dimensions shows that it’s too big to fit in Israel or any other place on Earth. Personally, I believe the New Jerusalem, which is 1/6th the size of Earth, will orbit Earth in close proximity like a satellite would. From there we’ll reign with Christ. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bibl...ning-on-earth/ Heaven Or New Jerusalem? Q. Can you explain who will be in heaven and who will be in the New Jerusalem? From what I have read it seems to me like the rapture happens, we are taken to heaven and then after the tribulation we go to the New Jerusalem for 1,000 years. And then what after the 1,000 years? Will we ever go back to heaven? A. I believe that for all practical purposes Heaven and the New Jerusalem are one and the same and that it will be the eternal home of the Church. The fact that John saw it coming down out of heaven (the Greek word means the sky) at the end of the Great Tribulation simply means it was coming close enough to Earth that it could be seen with the naked eye. I believe we’ll go there at the rapture and live there forever. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bibl...new-jerusalem/ The Church In Heaven Q. I listened to your commentary at the end of Revelation in regards to the New Earth. First, I understand that the church will reside in the New Jerusalem. But will we (the church) have the ability, right, or desire to interface with the New Earth and its inhabitants? And if the church is supposed to go to heaven to be with Jesus, then how can he set up shop in the New Earth at the same time? Jesus as flesh and blood can only be in one place at one time. How does that work? Finally, if the church is in heaven what point would there be to have a physical glorified body? Why not just have spirit? A. The Bible is silent on some of these details, but I believe we’ll go to the New Jerusalem immediately after the rapture and remain there until after the Great Tribulation, when we’ll descend from Heaven to the vicinity of Earth for the duration of the Millennium (Rev. 21:2). During the Millennium I think we’ll have both the desire and the freedom to visit Earth whenever we like, but no one from Earth will be able to visit us (Rev. 21:27). I don’t see any problem with Jesus living in the New Jerusalem but reigning on Earth. After all, the two will be close to each other and He can travel at the speed of thought. As for receiving our glorified bodies the Bible promises this will happen at the time of the rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-53), so they must be necessary in order for us to receive the full benefit of our eternal destiny. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bibl...rch-in-heaven/ The Millennial Reign During the Lord's reign, the Redeemed are going to be doing anything but floating around on clouds playing harps. We are going to reign with Jesus over those who are allowed to enter the Millennium in the flesh (which will be those believers who are alive at the end of the Tribulation). Jesus will reign over all the earth from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1-4) as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). David, in his glorified body, will reign as king of Israel (Ezekiel 37:24). Those of us who will be glorified saints will be scattered all over the earth to assist with Jesus' reign (2 Timothy 2:12). Think of it — every person on earth who is in a position of governing authority will be a glorified saint. Some of us will be in administrative positions, sharing in Jesus' reign as presidents, governors, or mayors (Luke 19:11-27). Others will serve as judges (1 Corinthians 6:3). Most of us will serve as "shepherds," or teachers, trying to bring those who are born during the Millennium to faith in Jesus (Isaiah 66:18-21 and Jeremiah 3:15). None of us will serve as legislators because the law will be given by Jesus Himself, and it will be perfect (Isaiah 2:1-4). There will be no abomination known as the Texas Legislature or the United States Congress. Nor will there be any lobbyists or political parties. The Lord will rule with "a rod of iron" (Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 2:27). The government of the world will be a theocracy, with Jesus serving as both the spiritual and political leader. "He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices" (Zechariah 6:13). We will be given the blessing of seeing this old sin-sick world flooded with peace, righteousness and justice, "as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9). There will be no homeless people or hungry people (Isaiah 65:21-22 and Micah 4:4). Peace will envelope the earth (Isaiah 2:4). The Lord's reign will be characterized by righteousness, fairness, and faithfulness (Isaiah 11:4-5). "The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to Him. People from every nation will bow down before Him" (Psalm 22:27). The Eternal State When the Millennium ends and we move into the Eternal State, the Bible does not go into detail as to what our activities will be. It tells us only three things: we will see the face of God (Revelation 22:4); we will serve the Lord (Revelation 22:3); and we will reign with Him forever (Revelation 22:5). Seeing the face of God is an exciting prospect, for the Bible says that no one has ever seen His face (Exodus 33:20 and 1 Timothy 6:16). I believe the promise of seeing God's face means we are going to enjoy intimacy with Him forever. Much of that, undoubtedly will be in the form of worship. I think it also means we will grow in our knowledge of the Lord forever. He is infinite, and no matter how much we come to know Him, there will be just that much more for us to experience. I feel certain that one aspect of this will be the eternal study of His Word. I get excited over all this as I think of singing the Psalms with David and studying the book of Romans with Paul. As for service, I would imagine, for one thing, our gifts and talents will be magnified and that we will use them to glorify the Lord. Thus, a singer will be able to sing with a perfection and range never before achieved, and a painter will be able to paint with a glory never imagined. Reigning with the Lord forever implies that we will be reigning over someone. Who that will be, I do not know. Perhaps it will be the mysterious "nations" referred to in Revelation that seem to inhabit the new earth (Revelation 21:24-27 and Revelation 22:2). posted with permission http://bible-prophecy-today.blogspot...g-purpose.html Our Eternal Home This brings me to the fourth and final discovery I made when the Holy Spirit led me into an in-depth study of Bible prophecy. I discovered that the Redeemed are not going to live eternally in an ethereal world called Heaven. I learned, instead, that our eternal home is going to be on a new earth. Most Christians are amazed by this truth, which shows how little Bible prophecy is taught in the Church today. Since the Bible teaches that the current earth is eternal (Psalm 78:69 and Psalm 148:6), I have concluded that the "new earth" will be the current earth renovated by fire. It is true that Peter said that the current earth will be "destroyed" by fire (2 Peter 3:10,12), but in the context, it is clear that he is referring to a radical transformation of the current earth. Earlier in the same passage he referred to the original earth as having been "destroyed" by water, speaking of the Noahic flood. The earth of Noah's day did not cease to exist, but the flood "destroyed" it in the sense that it radically changed the nature of the earth — tilting it on its axis, splitting the continents apart, laying down the fossil record, depositing the marine organisms that would become petroleum deposits, and creating the ocean depths and the mountain heights. At the end of the Millennium, fire will be used by God to burn away the pollution of Satan's last revolt (2 Peter 3:12). In the midst of that fiery inferno, God will reshape the earth like a hot ball of wax. He will refresh it and restore it to its original perfection (Acts 3:21). He will then lower the new Jerusalem down to the new earth, with the redeemed inside (Revelation 21:1-2). Then, He Himself will come to earth to live in our presence eternally! "The tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them" (Revelation 21:3). Heaven is where God resides. When the new earth is supplied, Heaven will descend to earth as God takes up residence on this new earth. So, it is true that the redeemed will live eternally in Heaven, but Heaven will be on earth. More here: Our Lives After the Rapture and: The reasons for the rapture, the tribulation & the Millennium

Cindy January 21st, 2012 10:58 AM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Heavenly Father, we come to you and ask today that You would give us soft and open hearts, to hear and obey Your Word; that You would guide us into all truth and defend us from all error, sin and evil. Help us each to establish the habit of studying Your Word with You daily. Remind us to speak to you about what we're studying as we study, making this study time a time of fellowship with You as well. Thank You Father, In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen Children of God-Our Eternal Status The New Testament develops a theme that is latent in the Old Testament -the theme of saints being sons of God. John, in its prologue, reveals that a prime purpose in Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry was to confer the right to become ‘children of God’ on those who believe in Him (Jn 1:12 (ESV) — 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ). Footnote: Christians are called ‘sons of God’ in Matt 5:9, 45; 8:12; 13:38; Luke 6:35; 20:36; Rom 8:14–15, 19, 23; 9:4, 26; 2 Cor 6:18; Gal 3:26; 4:5–7; Eph 1:5; Heb 2:10; 12:5–8; Rev 21:7; and ‘children of God’ in John 1:12; 11:52; Rom 8:16–17, 21; 9:8; Phil 2:15; Heb 2:13; 1 John 3:1, 2, 10; 4:4; 5:2. This theme is extensive in the New Testament, and obviously underlies the doctrine of adoption as sons developed in Gal 4:5–7 (ESV) — 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. and elsewhere. Indeed, Jn 11:52 (ESV) — 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. and Heb 2:13 (ESV) — 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” teach that Jesus gathers into one the children of God who are scattered throughout the world, so it is clear that a central purpose of His ministry is putting together the family that God desires for eternity. This is why, early in His earthly ministry, He referred to God as the Father of believers (Matt 6:4 (ESV) — 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ), and gave them the right to call Him ‘Father’ (Mt 6:9 (ESV) — 9 Pray then like this:“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ). Our elevation to this lofty status seems fully logical, for it would seem inappropriate for God’s sons to be of lowlier stock than the servant class, and angels were created to serve us (Heb 1:14 (ESV) — 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? ). Now, as God is the King of Kings beyond compare, that means His sons are indeed all princes! This is why Ps 16:3 (ESV) — 3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. calls the saints ‘majestic ones,’ thus alluding to our eternal elevated status as God’s sons. So in the regeneration, those who were made a little lower than the angels (Ps 8:4–6 (ESV) — 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, ; Heb 2:5–10 (ESV) — 5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. ) will become higher than the angels, eternally. As sons of God, saints must obviously be more elevated than angels who were created ministering spirits, which is why 1 Cor 6:3 (ESV) — 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! and Heb 2:5–8 (ESV) — 5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. tell us we will be their superiors. Footnote: This teaching stems from Jesus’ remark to the seventy that the ‘spirits’(not ‘demons’) are subject to believers (Lk 10:20 (ESV) — 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” ). In other words, we are assured of becoming the highest order in God’s New Creation; this is why all sensible creation anxiously awaits the unveiling of God’s adopted sons, this marvelous brand-new specie in God’s creation (Rom 8:19 (ESV) — 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.). All creation waits with bated breath for our manifestation! So one marvelous blessing God has in store for believing man is that in the regeneration he will be the highest order of God’s new creation. Now angels are most impressive persons, much more spiritual intelligent than man, and significantly more powerful. Yet the lowliest saint will be superior to the most magnificent archangel! This, too, explains why Psalm 82:6 says of the saints: “You are all gods; all of you are sons of the Most High!” If God truly adopts us as His sons (and He assuredly does), then we are indeed ‘sons of the Most High.’ So at our resurrection, all saints will be reconstituted more glorious, intelligent, and powerful than the most magnificent angel; a new order of beings, ‘sons of the most High’! Oh what gracious felicity!!! One of Jesus’ purposes is to bring many sons to glory (Heb 2:10 (ESV) — 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. ; Jn 1:12 (ESV) — 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ; Matt 5:9 (ESV) — 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.; Lk 20:36 (ESV) — 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.). Jesus Christ is the forerunner of this magnificent new order of creation, and all who enter its ranks do so as a result of His provision (Jn 1:12 (ESV) — 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,). Heb 1:14 (ESV) — 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? read with Heb 2:7–8 (ESV) — 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. indicate that in the fall man was placed under the angels (God stationed cherubim [superior angelic beings] to keep man from the tree of life [Gen 3:24 (ESV) — 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. ]), but that regenerate man will be returned to his earlier position (Heb 2:5–8 (ESV) — 5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him., Heb 2:10 (ESV) — 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. , Heb 2:13 (ESV) — 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” ) in the regeneration which commences with the resurrection of the righteous (Lk 20:36 (ESV) — 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. ). In Adam’s creation he was a son of God (Lk 3:38 (ESV) — 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. ), but when he sinned he lost his position; this is why the last Adam (Jesus Christ) restores men of faith by giving them back the spiritual life that the first Adam lost in the fall (1 Cor 15:45 (ESV) — 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ). Rom 8:14–25 (ESV) — 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. explains God’s plan for eternity, the role the saints have in that plan, and gives us an insight into why He adopts all believers as His children. The focus of this passage is on the coming creation (Rom 8:21 (ESV) — 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ), and it explains that in that creation God’s sons will be liberated from the corruption of their fallen state and elevated to a new state of glory (Rom 8:23 (ESV) — 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.). It also reveals that all sensible creation waits with bated breath for God to reveal His sons (Rom 8:19 (ESV) — 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.), thus indicating that we will have a hitherto unimagined magnificence as the supreme order of creation. In this state we will administer His new eternal creation, just as Adam and his progeny were intended to administer this present creation (Gen 1:28 (ESV) — 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ). This is our promised coming glorified state (Rom 8:30 (ESV) — 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ). This sonship explains how we are co-heirs with Jesus Christ in the coming New Earth (Rom 8:17 (ESV) — 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. ; Gal 4:1–7 (ESV) — 1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. ). No wonder the Messiah extols the saint’s majesty in Ps 16:3 (ESV) — 3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. , yet we only find this wonder explained in the New Testament. Graciously, He makes this marvelous privilege of adoption possible, and then extols us, explaining that all His delight is in the saints, thus disclosing that transforming sinners into saints is a major purpose of His earthly ministry (1 Tim 1:15 (ESV) — 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ). As we are co-heirs with Jesus Christ, this means that we will actually have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God (Rom 8:17 (ESV) — 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.), His coming new Creation. We will each have our own piece of eternal real estate! Thus, we are assured of eternal domicile; our God has thought of everything! Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record. Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries. Next is: ETERNAL LIFE’S GREAT DELIGHT

Leigh January 21st, 2012 11:02 PM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Oh boy, another great thread! Thanks Cindy! I haven't even started reading this one yet... one look, and I decided it's too long and too late to get started on it tonight, so I'll try for tomorrow. Thanks again! :hug:

Cindy January 22nd, 2012 01:52 PM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   I hope you enjoy it Leigh! This is the last post in this study: Lord, I ask that you would bless us as we study and motivate us to reflect and talk to you about what we're studying both during our study time and throughout the day. Please enable us each to be diligent in our commitment to do this study and help us so that we don't allow anything to get in the way of our doing it every day. May we individually, and all together, accomplish great things for the glory of our risen Lord. And may Jesus Christ come soon! In His Name I pray. Amen ETERNAL LIFE’S GREAT DELIGHT The new earth will be infinitely more marvelous than the present one as it will be eternal, devoid of time, and thus not subject to entropy. Clearly, it will be devoid of any sin and all the tension and strife that sin brings; for instance, there will be no pain or suffering. There will be no night, and no need for sleep, for there will be not an erg of weariness in that coming wonderful, eternal Day of God. In any case, with such marvels to enjoy, who could sleep? As the new earth will supplant heaven in importance, it is proper to conclude that its wonders will surpass those of the present universe (indeed, Is 65:17 (ESV) — 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. tells us the new creation will so eclipse this present one that it will not even be remembered in the next)-ponder the incredible scope in that concept. Yet, despite all this wonder, this delight, this perfection, this glory, the only biblical definition of eternal life (Jn 17:3 (ESV) — 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.) focuses entirely on the believer’s relationship with and God the Father and His Son. Ponder this just a moment and you will see its perfect logic: which is more marvelous-the Creator or His Creation? Clearly, the Creator; so Scripture focuses our eternal attention on Him, and that most assuredly is where it will be! He Himself will lead us individually in exploring the endless delights of His new creation, just as He did Adam in this present creation (Gen 3:8 (ESV) — 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ). Ah, what sweet, delightful communion!! The word for “know” in Jn 17:3 (ESV) — 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (‘ginosko’) denotes an ingressive or ever-growing knowledge. The marvelous truth this draws to our attention is that every day in eternity (Is 66:23 (ESV) — 23 From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord. and Rev 22:2 (ESV) — 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. indicate that somehow there will be time divisions in eternity) our individual knowledge of God will grow. We will start each day wondering what marvelous things we will learn about our God that day, and will never be disappointed-eternally. Moreover, in one respect our relationship with Him will be individual, for He is infinite and can thus be with each one of us individually without distraction. Think on this-perfect “quality time” with the perfect Father, eternally without interruption!! Will you ever become bored? This is impossible for, obviously, your Creator can satisfy your every need. Consider the fascination of this relationship. You will be able to ask God anything you wish, and He will always have the full and perfect answer. Is your interest anatomy? He created man so can explain any and every detail of man’s anatomy, and, moreover, the reasons behind each detail. Is your interest astronomy, physics, or zoology? He knows it all from a–z, for He created it all. Do you have artistic leanings? He can show you form, beauty, balance, and perfection that you have never imagined; not only can He do this, but He can explain precisely why it pleases you, and just what impact each feature of every artistic work has on every other individual. Could you have a better teacher than the Artist of every sunset, than the One who mixed every hue in nature? Ah, to sit eternally at His feet!! But raise your thoughts to the spiritual plane. Consider the wonder of access to His perfect holiness. Consider basking in His infinite love, His grace, His justice, His goodness, His divine spiritual perfection, and all His glorious attributes. Consider losing yourself in the mystery of the Trinity, of its eternal existence, the mystery of existence without beginning and without end. Marvel at the wonder of being in constant and intimate touch with Almighty God! These halting, faltering thoughts bring us to another aspect of our eternal relationship with God, for not only is it going to be personal, but it will also be corporate. It seems that we will feel so inadequate to respond to His magnificence that we will want all the help we can muster to sing His praises! So Scripture presents cameos of untold myriads gathered around His throne to sing His praises (e.g., Rev 5:13 (ESV) — 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” ). So even that deep and natural desire will be satisfied! For those of us who, like me, cannot sing worth a hoot, I imagine God will give us melodious voices that even angels will covet! Can you imagine the grand cacophony of this glorious heavenly choir, all united as brothers in Christ, as we praise the Father and His glorious Son? Can you imagine the pleasure we will derive from arranging songs and worship to praise our glorious Benefactor? Our overwhelming eternal ambition will be to praise and glorify God-and this desire will be perfectly fulfilled, eternally. Moving to lower levels of relationships, think of the endless delight you will have in meeting and getting to know each of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Multiple billions of them, each with their own experience of our common heavenly Father to share. Each with their own interesting life to share, and all this with no pressure of time to distract you from hearing every detail of their spiritual pilgrimage. They will all love you with the deepest spiritual love, and you will return their love, for this love endures for ever (1 Cor 13:13 (ESV) — 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.). What a perfect, exciting prospect! But it does not even end there; what of the host of angels and all their interesting tales! But back to our relationship with God the Father and His matchless Son. We find that our relationship with Jesus Christ is likened to a marriage, which means it is eternal and that nothing can disrupt it. We are eternally one flesh with Him! Amen and Amen! CONCLUSION This discussion reminds me all too acutely of my limited intellect, but this is just what 1 Co 2:9 (ESV) — 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— prepares us to accept. Again with my limitations in mind, I cannot help but be in awe of the logic of God’s plan. Superficially, all men would like to live for ever, but as soon as we ponder what we would do forever, a thinking man has to concede that annihilation would be a happy release, for, left to his own devices and given enough time, eternal life would become eternal boredom from which there would be no escape. Now consider the marvel of God’s plan. He controls eternity; He alone is infinitely varied, He alone is omniscient, and therefore can keep eternity eternally interesting, exciting, and fulfilling. The brief glimpse the New Testament gives us of eternity quietens any concerns and holds the utmost enticement, first in the personal relationship it promises with so magnificent a person as God and His Son, and second, in its promise of a perfect environment in which to conduct this eternal relationship. The fact that this environment is promised to be so vastly superior to the present universe reveals marvelous forethought, for it accommodates not only man’s promised enhanced faculties, but also an eternity in which to enjoy those faculties, and a perfect God to guide them. So Christianity promises a perfectly fulfilling eternal life that will never become boring, a life forever in the closest bond with the perfect, exciting Person, a never-ending life in a perfect environment, a life lived in perfect righteousness, a life lived in a perfect, loving community that embraces everybody, and a God who can guarantee all this and more. This is what Christianity offers; it emphasizes not so much escaping eternal damnation, but rather perfect eternal fulfillment. Where else can you find such an offer; and one that is guaranteed? Will you be there to enjoy it? Jesus Christ’s resurrection affirms that it is only available to those who accept Him as Savior. Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record. Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries. http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...egodyellow.gif http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...hallelujah.gif http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...ogodpurple.gif

Leigh January 23rd, 2012 12:08 AM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Copied: "Eternal life, then, is not so much being reunited with departed regenerate loved ones (though this is unquestionably true; e.g., Luke 16:23 (ESV) — 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ; 2 Samuel 12:23 (ESV) — 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”), for even this marvelous prospect will be utterly eclipsed by the wonder of having a never-ending, personal relationship with God the Father and God the Son (consider the word portrait Rev 1:10–17 gives us of the glorified Christ, for no other being, except only God the Father, even starts to compare with Him). Revelation 1:13–17 (ESV) — 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, From the moment of death, it is the believer’s eternal privilege to be inseparably bonded to this perfect, divine Person-his Savior and God!" WOW! I can't add anything to that except :amen: !!! :cheers:

Cindy January 23rd, 2012 11:37 AM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Isn't that awesome??? I just can't wait! Sometimes I feel so "home sick" that I don't think I can take it anymore!

Ruthanne February 15th, 2012 01:58 PM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   Another aspect of this awards banquet will be the conferral of eternal status or rank in the coming eternal kingdom. This rank and fund of glory (“treasures in heaven”) will be the means which believers will use to glorify Christ and the Father eternally. wow,I just copied and pasted this myself!I don't understand this part.Cindy,please help,love Ruthanne PS.that was from the end of post #3.Sorry

anna February 15th, 2012 03:33 PM Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life   All God’s children must learn to obey Him, even as Jesus on Earth had to learn in His human nature to obey His Father in all things. (Heb. 5:8, John 8:29) The natural person of believers is incapable of obeying God, for their “flesh” (the earthly body and soul acting on its own) desires to only do what it pleases. (Rom. 8:7, 7:18 Eph. 2:3) Therefore our obedience must be learned by repeated acts of the will in freely choosing moment by moment the obedience of Jesus perfect human nature in us. (Eph. 4:24Col3:10) The Holy Spirit can then reinforce the flow of the Lord’s obedient life in us. (Heb. 5:9 Phil 2:13) Christ has been made unto us all things, including the obedience that the Father desires. (1Cor. 1:30 Col. 3:11) Believers need to let Christ manifest the life of obedience in them, for He is the only life in them. (Isa. 26:12 2Cor. 4:10-11 John 14: 13-14 Col: 3:4)

Cindy

February 16th, 2012 02:19 PM

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Re: LIFE AFTER DEATH or Our Eternal Life
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthanne (Post 774541) Another aspect of this awards banquet will be the conferral of eternal status or rank in the coming eternal kingdom. This rank and fund of glory (“treasures in heaven”) will be the means which believers will use to glorify Christ and the Father eternally. wow,I just copied and pasted this myself!I don't understand this part.Cindy,please help,love Ruthanne PS.that was from the end of post #3.Sorry

This is the judgment that every believer will go through after the rapture. Notice that the judgment isn't about our sins, or concerning our salvation. We are all saved period and that will never be taken from us. However this judgment concerns everything we have said and done since the moment of our salvation. The foundation laid for each of us was Jesus Himself, and it's what we built on that foundation that will be judged.

I want to point out that God isn't going to just judge the quantity of our work, but He will also judge it's quality. Therefore someone who has spent their entire life in missionary work or volunteering in soup kitchens or something like that, but whose heart had not really been in it, and who wasn't truly doing it for Jesus, won't be rewarded for it. Yet another person who out of love and concern for their fellow man because of what Jesus did for them, helped a neighbor, will be rewarded for that act of kindness. So this is about our hearts and our attitudes as well. If we tell others about Jesus because we're trying to earn brownie points with God, then it will be burned away as dross; but if we tell others about Jesus because we love Him, and because we want to see that person saved, then that will be judged worthy or reward.

I think the biggest question I had when I first heard about this was "how does someone build on that foundation?" That is answered in God's word too. The first way we build on the foundation is by something I'm quite sure you're all sick and tired of hearing me say. It's God's Truth though so I'll say it yet again. We build on it every time we read, study, and reflect on God's Word and talk to Him about it. Again if we are "reading the bible" out of a feeling of "duty" then that won't build on the foundation and will be burned away as dross. If however we are reading and studying His Word because we love Him and want to know more about Him and know His Will for us, and know more so we can speak intelligently to others about Him, that will build on the foundation and be rewarded.

So the first two ways and the foremost ways we build on the foundation is
1. by reading, studying and reflecting on God's Word and
2. through prayer.

In other words, by working to become mature in Christ.

I want to say a little more about prayer here though because many types of prayers will survive the fire as will the time spent praying them. Anytime we spend time praying for others or praying for God to help us understand His Word or His Will for us etc will survive the fire.

and many more...... (see the rest in the study I gave you the link to)

At the Bema Judgment the Lord will not only reward us with crowns and things like that, but we will each be rewarded with a certain amount of glory as well. You know how some people say they don't care if they don't get any crowns or any rewards as long as they get into Heaven? Well, that's a slap in the Lord's face really, because it is with the things we're rewarded with and with the glory He gives us then, that we will glorify Him for the rest of Eternity. So some folks might have a tiny flame of a candle worth of glory given to them, while others might have so much that it looks like a hundred spot lights shining from them.

I explained some of the Bema judgment in this study, The reasons for the rapture, the tribulation & the Millennium so I'll copy some from there for you too--it starts on post 42 toward the bottom of page two of the study, but this is also covered very well in the bible study we're doing now. OK, here's some excerpts from that study:

Let's look at the passage that describes the Bema Judgment again in relation to this:

1 Corinthians 3:13–15, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Here again we see that it's not the person (or the field) that's burned, but the works (thorns). He suffers loss for the thorns are burned up (keep in mind that what God sees as thorns would seem like roses to someone who wasn't being obedient to Him) but he is still saved. The purpose for this judgment is twofold. First it's to reward those who have been obedient and are now ready for further service such as reigning with Christ. Second it's to purge away all the trash from our lives so that those areas can now also be used for Christ. For the person who hasn't been obedient and has no rewards coming, that means most or all of their life since salvation has been a wasted effort and is burned up because it's greatly displeasing to God. Purging that person of all the thorns will prepare them to be able to live in Heaven. They have unfortunately been disqualified for the prize or rewards but at least they'll be in Heaven. This is what Paul is referring to here as well when he says he doesn't want to be disqualified for the prize:

1 Corinthians 9:24–27, Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Back to my main point though, this I hope shows how severe God's judgment will be on those who are born again that have not been obedient, that don't study His Word, and who don't apply it to their lives. Those who live the same way they always did before they were saved--except that perhaps they add going to church into their routine. Especially those who live here in the US, for they have no excuse at all and God will accept no excuse. Knowing this causes me to really fear for all the people I know who are saved and yet not living for Him. Instead they're living for themselves still. No, they won't go to hell, but they are missing out on being able to live a life of Joy and victory here and now and just as importantly they're disqualifying themselves for rewards and glory for eternity. Let me just quote one little part for a commentary about this:

a warning is given of the danger of a Christian moving from a position of true faith and life to the extent of becoming disqualified for further service (1 Cor. 9:27) and for inheriting millennial glory. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Heb 6:4–6).

The author, like the other apostles also talks about how people fall for false teaching and so disqualify themselves for the prize and glory in the millennium. This was a sad confirmation for me as I studied it for it shows that those who refuse to search themselves and God's Word asking Him to show them the Truth about these false teachings, become hardened against the Truth, just like sinners and the unsaved to. Sin always hardens our hearts, whether we're saved or not. The more we knowingly sin, the harder our hearts get and so it is with false teaching too. Once someone has been warned that someone is a false teacher, if they continue to listen to that teacher and take what that teacher says into their hearts, they will become hardened to the Truth and no amount of warnings, or discussion or showing them from God's Word how that teaching is false will convince them. I've seen this happen over and over again and would get so very frustrated over it. It's like talking to a brick wall, in fact you'd probably get a better response from a brick wall! These are among the kinds of people that Paul said to "turn over to Satan" so that hopefully eventually they'd realize the truth after they'd been steeped in the sin or false teaching awhile.

1 Timothy 1:19–20, ... Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

1 Corinthians 5:5, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

But, very quickly as I know this is getting long... I want to touch on what the commentary meant by the reward of "glory" in the millennium. We can talk about it more tomorrow but for today let me just share this about it. Just as Jesus will return "in great glory" at the second coming, so we who have lived for Him instead of ourselves will also be given glory at the Bema Judgment. Here's one verse to give you a taste till tomorrow when we'll talk about this and how true it is that when you give up your life for Jesus you then will truly live!

2 Corinthians 4:17, For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

We've talked about this passage before in the Trials study, but I want to remind everyone that when Paul said this, he was undergoing very severe trials. Trials that make anything (and I do mean anything) that any of us are going through, look like a Sunday picnic. But in 2 Corinthians 1:8 he said those trials were beyond his ability to endure, showing us that it is only by living every moment abiding in Christ that we can live in this kind of victory. Yet he said that even those trials were "light", "easy" compared to the glory that going through them would achieve for him. That's just simply amazing when you think about it! I can't even think of anything to compare it to!

So, what is this "glory" that the trials are achieving for him and can we achieve it as well and if so how? First I want to post the above verse in context so we can see the full detail of it and where he's going with it: (I'll underline the verse itself)

2 Corinthians 4:16–5:4, Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Did you see what I did right away? Paul is again telling us to think of the future--our eternal future. It's not seen now, because all we see now is this very temporary life. It's funny how much emphasis the world has placed on this life and has programed each of us to do as well. When our real lives haven't really begun yet, and won't really begin until this one is over. This life only lasts for a very few seconds compared to the eternity we're going to be spending in our real lives, and yet we place all of the importance on this one...how crazy is that??? If that Truth were told to everyone, saved and unsaved alike, I bet a lot more people would be saved! Because even for those people who are unsaved, this life is only a very few seconds compared to the eternity they'll spend in Hell.

Then Paul says, knowing this, we naturally long for our real lives to start. To put it quite bluntly and in this world's lingo, we long to die so that we can really live! Since Paul is telling this to us and including us in what he says (he uses the word "we" instead of the word "I".) that let's us know that we too can achieve glory and that this glory is something that we gain in Heaven. Since all gifts/rewards/ etc are given at the Bema judgment, it's likely that we will receive this glory at that time. However in another way we will achieve it as soon as the rapture happens because at least part of it comes with our resurrection bodies. But that's only part of it. Basically I guess the best way of putting it is that everyone will have "some" glory because we'll all have our new bodies, but those who have been obedient will achieve even more glory.

God's purpose for our salvation was and is so we can do the good works He has prepared for us. As we become more and more mature spiritually in this life, we are transformed inwardly to be more and more like Jesus. Our final transformation will come at the rapture when we receive our new bodies and the Bema Judgment when we are given our rewards.

I'm honestly not sure how this reward of glory works--if we receive it all at the rapture or as I said before, some then and the rest at the Bema. It's really hard to tell, especially considering the fact that there is no "time" in heaven. The only thing that does seem certain is that there are degrees of glory that we can attain (achieve) or not and that the achievement hinges on our obedience in this life after our salvation.

2 Corinthians 3:18, And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Our glory now is a reflection of our Lord's Glory and comes from the Holy Spirit as He abides in us. The more sensitive we are to the Spirit the more His glory shines through us. And of course we only become more sensitive as we become more spiritually mature. There are many scriptures that talk about this, and I started to list some of them but then realized I was going overboard again. I'm sure you are capable of looking them up for yourselves.

Getting back to 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:4 we see that we can achieve this glory, that it's something that we receive in Heaven, and that we achieve it by being obedient now. Paul indicates that the way to achieve this glory is first by being obedient and becoming mature which we know happens as we read, study, and reflect on His Word daily and, just as importantly, as we put His Word into practice in our daily lives.

Next, he indicates that the glory is achieved at least partly by going through trials here in this life. This is another place where obedience comes into play. We know God sends trials or allows them in our lives to strengthen our faith. When we look back at the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 we see all those people went through some pretty severe trials and all of them are going to be glorified as well. Check out the similarity between how Heb 11: 1 starts and what Paul said

Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

2 Corinthians 4:18, So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

This lets us know that the bottom line of achieving eternal glory is to have faith and to keep our eyes fixed constantly on Jesus and on the outcome of our faith--our eternal future and the rewards we will receive.

This next verse seem to indicate what I've already said which is that at least part, if not all of our glory will be received when we receive our new bodies at the rapture.

Philippians 3:21, 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.

The following verse shows that when Jesus returns at the second coming, and we're all with Him, we all have received our glory.

Colossians 3:4, When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Yet the next verse seems to indicate it being given at the Bema Judgment.... see why it's so hard to say "when" we receive it? Of course, there's dozens of verses that show both sides, but I only chose one of each to show you what I meant.

Romans 2:6–8, God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

OK, now let's look and see exactly what this "glory" we will receive is. I think the best way to do that is to show you what some of my books say.

glory, an important theological term in both the OT and the NT. The most important Hebrew word for glory, kabod, means ‘weight’ or ‘importance.’ Thus, to have glory is to be weighty or important to oneself or others. In the OT, glory is applied to humans, showing their significance in the world (Job 19:9; Prov. 16:31; 20:29; Isa. 8:7). Frequently, it is also applied to God. God’s glory is particularly God’s visible manifestation to humans (Num. 16:19, 42; Ps. 102:16; Ezek. 10:4). ....: God’s glory is seen (Luke 2:9; John 11:40; Acts 7:55; Rev. 15:8)......Finally, both the Gospel of John and Paul extend the OT eschatological hope of seeing God’s glory to the hope of participating in it (John 17:22; Rom. 5:2).
Harper's Bible dictionary

In the Fourth Gospel it is the hour of dedication to death which is essentially the hour of glory (Jn. 7:39; 12:23–28; 13:31; 17:5; cf. Heb. 2:9).

The resurrection and ascension are also seen as manifestations of the glory of God in Christ (Lk. 24:26; Acts 3:13; 7:55; Rom. 6:4; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Pet. 1:21). But above all it is to be revealed in its fullness at the parousia (second coming)(Mk. 8:38; 13:26, etc.).
New Bible dictionary

Jesus talks about glory a lot in his prayer for us:

John 17:4–5 (NIV) — I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

John 17:10 (NIV) — All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

John 17:22 (NIV) — I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

John 17:24 (NIV) — “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

I'll give you some other scriptures about glory that you can reflect on to help you understand what we'll be receiving. As I said, this is an aspect of our rewards that I'm still learning about too, so we'll have to learn together.

Matthew 16:27 (NIV) — For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

Matthew 24:30 (NIV) — “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

Luke 2:9 (NIV) — An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

John 14:13 (NIV) — And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

John 15:8 (NIV) — This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Romans 2:6–11 (NIV) — God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

Romans 8:17 (NIV) — Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:18 (NIV) — I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 9:23 (NIV) — What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—

2 Corinthians 3:7–13 (NIV) — Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) — And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV) — For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Ephesians 3:13 (NIV) — I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Colossians 1:27 (NIV) — To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 3:4 (NIV) — When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

2 Thessalonians 2:14 (NIV) — He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:10 (NIV) — In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

1 Peter 1:7 (NIV) — These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 5:4 (NIV) — And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

1 Peter 5:10 (NIV) — And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Revelation 21:11 (NIV) — It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

Revelation 21:23 (NIV) — The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

I hope this helps some!