"And they worshipped the dragon..."
Study:
"And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast,..." Revelation 13:4
According to this verse, worship of the beast is dragon worship, that is, the worship of Satan for "...the great dragon [is] ... that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world...." Revelation 12:9. He passed this worship, his religion, to humanity when "...that old serpent ... deceived the whole world..."
"And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. ... And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2:9,16,17
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall NOT surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5
So, there are a couple things to point out here:
- According to Satan, God is a liar and untrustworthy!
- According to Satan, disobedience or sin does not result in death!
- According to Satan, man does not die!
- According to Satan, God is hiding something beneficial from us with this lie!
- According to Satan, sin, rebellion against God... the eating of the forbidden fruit... brings an awakening, a higher state, knowledge and insight, our own godhood!
- According to Satan, rebellion makes us our own god able to rightly divide good and evil, truth and error, apart from God!
What have been the results of these Satanic statements?
God is not believed and thus neither is His word. The state of the dead, as God's word declares it to be, is not believed! It is not searched nor understood nor believed! Instead, man has made themselves the source of truth on the state of the dead, able to discover it on their own. This has resulted in the near-universal belief in the immortality of the soul, in the pagan world as well as the Christian, despite the fact that the Bible clearly states that only God has immortality.
"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:17
"Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." 1 Timothy 6:15,16
The Bible clearly says that immortality is something that man must obtain, not something we have already!
"To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:" Romans 2:7
"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Cor. 15:53,54
"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:" 2 Timothy 1:10
You cannot seek for something you have already nor can you put on something you are already wearing nor can you have brought to you something you already possess.
If the dead are not really dead and the soul immortal, then why did God command that those who communicate with the dead be disregarded, killed, expelled, etc.?
"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 19:31
"And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people." Leviticus 20:6
"A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them." Leviticus 20:27
"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Deuteronomy 18:10,11
"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?" Isaiah 8:19
So we have seen that according to the Bible, only God has immortality and that mankind can only receive it. Furthermore, that the pagan people viewed the dead as not really dead and that God commanded that all who had familiar spirits, so-called "spirits of the dead," be killed and that His people have no dealings with them. With this as a background, how does God and the Bible describe death?
First, notice that, according to the Bible, there are two deaths.
"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:14,15
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:6
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelation 21:8
Notice that the second death is the lake of fire that occurs on the surface of the earth just after the Millennium (See Revelation 20)... and it comes to an end according to Malachi 4:3. The main point is that what we face in this life... love ones dying, etc.... is the first death.
Second, notice that death, in this life, (the first death) is an undoing of the Creation of man/Adam.
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7
Creation: dust (body) + breath => living soul
"...man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Ecclesiastical 12:5-7
Death: living soul => dust + spirit (or breath)
"His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth;..." Psalm 146:4
"As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:3-4
So, how does God and the Bible describe death?
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers;..." Deuteronomy 31:16
"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom." 2 Samuel 7:12
"Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders." 1 Kings 1:21
"So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David." 1 Kings 2:10
"And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country." 1 Kings 11:21
"And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 11:43
"And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 14:20
"And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 14:31
"And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 15:8
"And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 15:24
"So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 16:6
"So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 16:28
"So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 22:40
"And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead." 1 Kings 22:50
"And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 8:24
"And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 10:35
"And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 13:9
"And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel." 2 Kings 13:13
"And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 14:16
"He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers." 2 Kings 14:22
"And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 14:29
"So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 15:7
"And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 15:22
"And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 15:38
"And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 16:20
"And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 20:21
"And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 21:18
"So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead." 2 Kings 24:6
"And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 9:31
"And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 12:16
"So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years." 2 Chronicles 14:1
"And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign." 2 Chronicles 16:13
"Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 21:1
"He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers." 2 Chronicles 26:2
"So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 26:23
"And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 27:9
"And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 28:27
"And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 32:33
"So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead." 2 Chronicles 33:20
"Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest," Job 3:11-13
"And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be." Job 7:21
"So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep." Job 14:12
"Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;" Psalm 13:3
"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel 12:2
"He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn." Matthew 9:24
"And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose," Matthew 27:52
"And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." Mark 5:39
"And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth." Luke 8:52
"These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." John 11:11-14
"And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." Acts 7:60
"For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:" Acts 13:36
"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [are dead?]." 1 Corinthians 11:29,30
"After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep." 1 Corinthians 15:6
"Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." 1 Corinthians 15:18
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." 1 Corinthians 15:20
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," 1 Corinthians 15:51
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15
"And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 2 Peter 3:4
This sleep of death... a dreamless sleep, what characteristics does the Bible give it? Do these apply to sleep?
[A sleeper stays in his bed:]
"As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more." Job 7:9,10
[A sleeper has no perception:]
"His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them." Job 14:21
[A sleeper's thoughts parish: no recollection, no praise/thanks/celebration, no knowing, knowledge, or wisdom, no hope, their love, hatred, and envy have parished]
[A sleeper does not work... and is silent:]
"For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?" Psalm 6:5
"The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." Psalm 115:17
"For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth." Isaiah 38:18
"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9:5,6
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Ecclesiastes 9:10
"His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Psalm 146:4
Where is the bed or resting place of the dead?
"Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb." Job 21:32
"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John 5:28,29
"Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. ... For David is not ascended into the heavens:..." Acts 2:29,34
"And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be." Job 7:21
"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel 12:2
"And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose," Matthew 27:52
When do the dead awake from their sleep?
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:51-54
"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John 5:28,29
Note: all three of these verses speak of the same event, the resurrection at the Second Coming.
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:5,6
Note: "the first resurrection," prior to the Millennium, is the resurrection of "they that have done good," "the resurrection of life" while the second resurrection, after the Millennium," is the resurrection of "they that have done evil," "the resurrection of damnation" which gives way to "the second death."
"These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. ... Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. ... Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" John 11:11,14,24,25
"So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep." Job 14:12
Note: "the heavens are no more" just prior to the start of the Millennium: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. ... And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." Revelation 20:11; 21:1
So the sleeping dead are awakened/resurrected at the Second Coming of Christ, at the last day, when the heavens are no more!
So what of all these other beliefs in the churches? That we have an immortal soul? That we go to heaven or hell at death?
"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall NOT surely die:..." Genesis 3:5
Why did God command the killing of those who had familiar spirits?
Because, as the above Bible verses prove, the dead are asleep and all spirits of the dead are
"For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles..." "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do..." Revelation 16:14; 13:14
"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thess. 2:11,12
God gives us the truth so that we might be protected but if we choose to not believe it then we must suffer the consequences and the loss of eternal life.
To be continued....
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