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What's It Like To Die In Christ And Be Resurrected?

Writer's picture: Fred RochesterFred Rochester

Obviously, the Lord had no questions in His mind about His resurrection. I mean, He is God. He knew before time began that should man sin against God, the Lord Jesus would have to pay man's debt because the Father demands sinless blood to pay the debt of sin (see John 19:30 and Hebrews chapters 8, 9, & 10).


When the Lord said "It is finished" in John 19:30, the word "finished" means "debt released."


It's like you owed a debt that was impossible for you to pay and only Someone that is Perfect could pay it.


That's why the word "propitiation" is mentioned in Romans 3:25, Hebrews 2:17, and 1 John 2:2, 4:10. The word "propitiation" means "an expiator or the means of appeasing or satisfaction."


In Vine's Dictionary, from a commentary........(Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary) in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10, signifying that He Himself, through the expiatory sacrifice of His death, is the personal means by whom God shows mercy to the sinner who believes on Christ as the One thus provided.


In the former passage He is described as “the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.”


When we believe in and on Christ alone after repentance, the Holy Spirit is given to us as a down payment or guarantee. True believers, at the end of life, and at the resurrection of the dead, receive the balance of the downpayment, the resurrection of our bodies.


2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NKJV) "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."


2 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NKJV) "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.


For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.


For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."


The word "guarantee" also means, "an advance." Just like getting paid in advance, or payday in advance.


Therefore, Paul's further writing gives us a clue as to what this "guarantee" means.


Romans 8:19-23 (NKJV) "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.


For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.


For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body."


Sin originated in heaven with satan (see Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-19, and Revelation chapter 12), but there's no redemption for fallen angels. Sin brought forth death (see Romans 5:12) but Christ brought forth immortality through the light of the gospel.


2 Timothy 1:10 (NKJV)

"...but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel..."


Sinning angels get no resurrection or redemption but they receive a severe eternal penalty.


It appears, (and I could be wrong) that there were angels that sinned before Lucifer (now satan), and were placed in chains, reserved for judgment under darkness. This place is called Tararus. It's the bottom of the Abyss.


2 Peter 2:4 (NKJV)

"For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (tartarus) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.."


Strong's Concordance........"Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment: — cast down to hell."


The word "hell" in 2 Peter 2:4 is the Greek word "Tartarus" and Jude concurs with Peter.


Jude 1:6 (NKJV)

"And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day..."


In Jude, where it says "did not keep their proper (own) domain" means that they didn't stay in their place but they've rebelled against God.


If this is the correct interpretation, there may have been a rebellion before Lucifer's rebellion where he drew 1/3 of the angels of heaven (see Revelation 12:7-9) and these, along with satan were cast to the earth before God created Adam & Eve.


I could be wrong. Why? Because there's a big dispute about what happened in between Genesis chapter 1:1 and 1:2. But there may be no dispute so it's left up to us to wait until we see it all explained by the Lord in heaven.


Why was the earth without form and void? Why was there darkness on the face of the deep? Why was the Holy Spirit hovering over the face of the waters? Why did the Lord say "Let there be light." And then later on, the Lord made the sun, the moon, and the stars?


What happened?


We really don't know.


Even in these passages, the chronological order is out of order.


In reading the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we know for certain that the book is not in chronological order. Well, sort of. It seems like the events are all over the place by design.


Now the reason why is that the Lord wants us to search the Scriptures.


Regarding death, we're told what it's like to be raised from the dead in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Paul gives us what must take place with the dead in Christ. And the Lord Jesus told us in John 5:24-29 that there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust.


Those that were raised from the dead in the OT and NT had to die again. But the Lord Jesus, in John 11, raised Lazarus from the dead after Jesus explained to Mary and Martha, that "I am the resurrection and the life."


Then Paul gives us 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV) "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.


For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.


And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.


Therefore comfort one another with these words."


That's what it's like.



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