Bible Study Seattle

Is there second death in heaven? This scripture suggests no:

“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years.” Revelation 20:6

But what about judgement?

“For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

“For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household.” 1 Peter 4:17

Judgement involves the possibility of condemnation. How do we square these scriptures? One possibility is that the phrase ‘the second death has no power over them’ was inserted later than the apostles’ time. Another possibility is that the 1,000 years is referencing the 1,000 year Jubilee after the 1,000 year Sabbath.

We think Revelation 20:6 was altered. God went out of his way to warn the scribes:

“I testify to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19

Revelation was tampered with before the 300s so there is no manuscript proof. But at the resurrection we will learn who and what was changed.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Many Christians are frustrated at the apparent ineffectiveness of their witness to friends and family. They think that this life is it and if a person is not converted they’re lost. Imagine their surprise when everyone comes back from the dead including non believers!

Now imagine a new conversion situation. Word is that the trees of life have reappeared in Israel (and heaven(?)) People are allowed to eat providing they follow the Lord’s instructions at the Temple. Conversion now becomes a matter of life or death. But everybody has a choice. The onus of conversion is suddenly on each individual. “The person who sins is the one who will die. A son won’t suffer punishment for the father’s iniquity, and a father won’t suffer punishment for the son’s iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him.” Ezekiel 18:20

When a person dies today, we are sad. There’s nothing we can do to stop death. But not in the next life. How different that will be! Imagine reverse aging! Our current life is 35ish years of looking ahead and 35ish years of decline. But that next life can be thousands of years or infinite years of looking ahead. Imagine having the zest of a 25 year old at 400?! Yet it has happened in the past. Methuselah lived 969 years. I doubt he was old and haggard at 99. And let’s not think it will be boring. The New Creation is coming bringing new things that we can’t even imagine today. Will there be new colors? New smells? Imagine the powers we might have. Will we be able to fly? Teleport? Will we be able to have thousands of children? Will we understand the angelic realm? “Don’t you know that we will judge angels—not to mention ordinary matters?” 1 Corinthians 6:3

“The same day some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came up to Him and questioned Him: “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother.  The same happened to the second also, and the third, and so to all seven. Then last of all the woman died.  In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.” Matthew 22:23-28

This is actually an excellent question. Jesus skips right to the final resurrection in the new creation where marriage is no longer in operation. But we know that many people will come back in human form first. “But I know my living Redeemer, and He will stand on the dust at last. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh.” Job 19:25-26

“Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them, My people, and lead you into the land of Israel.  You will know that I am Yahweh, My people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.” Ezekiel 37:12-13

The answer to the Sadducees’ question is that the man will be married to all seven former wives. The times of Jesus’ 1,000 year reign will still be messy with sin. It is an intermediate time where Jesus cleans the world to a point where it can pass God’s test and enter into the promised land of God’s new creation. But not all will enter. Some will choose death – like Pharaoh. We get a picture of those who are forbidden to enter Jerusalem on account of their unrepentant sin:

“Blessed are those who wash their robes [the repentant], so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.  Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.” Revelation 22:14-15

Perhaps the extra wives of a man will be able to marry a new man so that it is one man to one woman. Think of Solomon! 300 wives and 700 cucumbers! Is it really equitable that a woman should have to compete with 999 others? No way! God has better things for us in Jesus’ 1,000 years. In heaven it may be different. The goal of the church is to marry Jesus. There is probably some way we can’t understand that Jesus can satisfy thousands of wives. But Jesus’ attendants in heaven may have a more standard marriage in the heavenly realm. Who knows? We will have to see when we get there. In any case someone is going to have lots of babies, either on earth or in heaven.

“Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth;
burst into song and shout,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the forsaken one will be more
than the children of the married woman,”
says the Lord.
“Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let your tent curtains be stretched out;
do not hold back;
lengthen your ropes,
and drive your pegs deep.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left,
and your descendants will dispossess nations
and inhabit the desolate cities.

“Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame;
don’t be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced.
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will no longer remember
the disgrace of your widowhood.
Indeed, your husband is your Maker—
His name is Yahweh of Hosts—
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
He is called the God of all the earth.
For the Lord has called you,
like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit,
a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”
says your God.
“I deserted you for a brief moment,
but I will take you back with great compassion.
In a surge of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
but I will have compassion on you
with everlasting love,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.
“For this is like the days of Noah to Me:
when I swore that the waters of Noah
would never flood the earth again,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
or rebuke you.
Though the mountains move
and the hills shake,
My love will not be removed from you
and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
says your compassionate Lord.

“Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
I will set your stones in black mortar,
and lay your foundations in sapphires.
I will make your fortifications out of rubies,
your gates out of sparkling stones,
and all your walls out of precious stones.
Then all your children will be taught by the Lord,
their prosperity will be great,
and you will be established
on a foundation of righteousness.
You will be far from oppression,
you will certainly not be afraid;
you will be far from terror,
it will certainly not come near you.
If anyone attacks you,
it is not from Me;
whoever attacks you
will fall before you.
Look, I have created the craftsman
who blows on the charcoal fire
and produces a weapon suitable for its task;
and I have created the destroyer to cause havoc.
No weapon formed against you will succeed,
and you will refute any accusation
raised against you in court.
This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants,
and their righteousness is from Me.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.” Isaiah 54

“Turn to Me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth.
For I am God,
and there is no other.
By Myself I have sworn;
Truth has gone from My mouth,
a word that will not be revoked:
Every knee will bow to Me,
every tongue will swear allegiance.” Isaiah 45:22-23

“As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to Me,
and every tongue will give praise to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:11-12

“For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Those in heaven will bow? Are there currently some in heaven that refuse to bow?? Who all are in heaven? Is it a mixture of good & evil like earth? Will Satan himself confess Jesus is Lord? Evidently no one will be ignorant of who the Messiah is in due time. There will be no excuse.

“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup. For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep. If we were properly evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged, but when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, so that we may not be condemned with the world.

“Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.  If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather together you will not come under judgment. And I will give instructions about the other matters whenever I come.” 1 Corinthians 11:27-34

The meaning of communion is lost on most Christians. It is a ritual involving eating a wafer and wine (or grape juice). That’s about it. Communion really is Passover. It was eaten right before the Hebrews marched out of Egyptian slavery before the crack of dawn of Abib 14 (or Nisan 14). It represents our coming out of the slavery of sin. In the second part of our life when we come back from the dead in the millennial reign of Christ, its meaning will become apparent.

“Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths.  Should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, rain will not fall on them.  And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the Lord inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Booths.  This will be the punishment of Egypt and all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Booths.” Zechariah 14:16-19

Will the nations also be required to go to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover? “Then He said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Luke 22:15-16 If they eat the Passover meal in a unworthy manner will they be prohibited from eating of the trees of life?

This is where the rubber meets the road. God has told us that those that refuse to go to the Feast of Booths will have no rain. Their crops will fail and they will ultimately die if they persist in resisting the Lord’s commands. How different this is from the current situation! (circa AD 2023)

Something amazing will happen to those who are fit to eat from the trees of life: “then his flesh will be healthier than in his youth,
and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor.” Job 33:25

But people will not be able to eat of the trees of life whenever they see fit, only when in season, yet these trees will blossom every month: “All kinds of trees providing food will grow along both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fresh fruit because the water comes from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for medicine.” Ezekiel 47:12

The effects of sin will be reversed! The way to eternal life will be open to all who would choose Life!

How is it that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal one evening, then became the Passover sacrifice himself the next day? The answer is that the observance of Passover changed through the centuries. Passover was initially celebrated at homes but was later moved to the Temple. Jesus celebrated the Passover meal at the beginning of Abib 14; the Temple sacrifices started at 3pm – the end of Abib 14. Here is an excellent article:

https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/19888/Two-Passover-Observances-at-Time-Jesus.htm

“See, I have placed before you today life and happiness, and death and adversity, in that I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, so that you may live and become numerous, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to take possession of it.” Deuteronomy 30:15-16

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding close to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, so that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

“When I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way so that he may live, that wicked person shall die for wrongdoing, but his blood I will require from your hand.  However if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die for wrongdoing, but you have saved yourself.  Again, when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits sin, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require from your hand.  However, if you have warned the righteous person that the righteous is not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall certainly live because he took warning; and you have saved yourself.” Ezekiel 3:18-21

“Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. “But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, if he does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period— and if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, and if he does not lend money at interest or take interest, if he keeps his hand from injustice and executes true justice between one person and another, if he walks in My statutes and keeps My ordinances so as to deal faithfully—he is righteous and will certainly live,” declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 18:4-9

“But if the wicked person turns from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.  All his offenses which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live.  Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he would turn from his ways and live?” Ezekiel 18:21-23

“Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then should you die, house of Israel?’  And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, ‘The righteousness of a righteous one will not save him on the day of his offense, and as for the wickedness of a wicked one, he will not stumble because of it on the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous one will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.’  When I say to the righteous that he will certainly live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits injustice, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but for that same injustice of his which he has committed he will die.  But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, if a wicked person returns a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing injustice, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.  None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall certainly live.” Ezekiel 33:11-16

“And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment,” Hebrews 9:27

At current none of us can choose life. We can choose faith, but we are guaranteed to die.

“For as in Adam all die,” 1 Corinthians 15:22

First death is guaranteed. Second death is a choice.

“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:22

Once we come back after first death, we will be able to choose if we live forever. The instructions will be simple.

“O ye simple, understand prudence;
And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.
Hear, for I will speak excellent things;
And the opening of my lips shall be right things.” Proverbs 8:5-6

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4

All people may come to a knowledge of the truth, but not all people will choose life.

“So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go to war in Israel, all the numbered men were 603,550.” Numbers 1:45-46

“So Moses counted all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded him; and all the firstborn males, by the number of names from a month old and upward for their numbered men, were 22,273.” Numbers 3:42

How could there be only one first born male for every 27 males in Israel? One Jewish commentary suggests a translation error leading to much smaller numbers exiting from Egypt. Some Jewish commentaries even cast doubt on the Exodus happening at all!

The answer probably has to do with the ongoing genocide since the time of Moses’ birth.

“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah, and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”  But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.  So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”  The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”  So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.  And because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.  Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born, you are to throw into the Nile, but every daughter, you are to keep alive.” Exodus 1:15-22

The fact that Pharaoh kept the Israelites as slaves means he would not have killed all the boys or he would have had no work force. He probably meant to thin the herd. He reasoned thus:

“Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.  And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.  Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, otherwise they will multiply, and in the event of war, they will also join those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.” Exodus 1:8-10

He may have specifically instructed the Hebrews to kill the first born boys. We don’t know but we can reason, assuming the numbers given in the Torah are accurate. One clue is the tenth and final plague on Egypt:

“Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.  And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.  Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said.  Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.” Exodus 12:29-32

God repaid Pharaoh and his people for what they had done to the Israelites. Conundrums such as this apparent impossibility of 22,273 firstborn among 603,550 are the invitation by God to ask questions. Those that are looking for quick reasons to mock God and the bible will do so without serious inquiry. But those whose heart is in the right place will follow Jesus’ injunction to “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

Evidently God the Father choose to let his Son join him in creating the universe:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;” Genesis 1:26

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [the] God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with [the] God;  all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:1-3

“The Lord created me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
From eternity I was established,
From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
When there were no ocean depths, I was born,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born;
While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
When He established the heavens, I was there;
When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became fixed,
When He set a boundary for the sea
So that the water would not violate His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth;
Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was His delight daily,
Rejoicing always before Him,
Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having my delight in the sons of mankind.” Proverbs 8:22-31

“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:15-20

Might God expand his list of co-creators in the new creation?

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” Galatians 6:15

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”  Revelation 21:1-5

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very valuable stone, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper.” Revelation 21:10-11

Of course it may not be necessary or proper for the saints to be involved in the new creation, but who knows?