The Dead ... Rise First.

Daniel and Revelation - Revelation Chapter 18

VERSE 15. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,  16.  And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed

p 723 -- in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!   17.    For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,  18.   And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!  19.   And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Emotions of the Wicked. - The reader can readily imagine the cause of this universal voice of mourning, lamentation, and woe. Imagine the plague of sores preying upon men, the rivers turned to blood, the sea like the blood of a dead man, the sun scorching men with fire, their traffic gone, and their silver and gold unable to deliver them, and we need not wonder at their exclamations of distress, nor that shipmasters and sailors join in the general wail. Very different is the emotion the saints are called upon to exercise, as the following testimony shows.

VERSE 20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.  21.  And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.   22.   And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;  23.   And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.  24.   And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Emotions of the Righteous. - The apostles and prophets are here called upon to rejoice over great Babylon in her destruction, as it is in close connection with this destruction that they will all be delivered from the power of death and the grave by the first resurrection.

Like a great millstone, Babylon sinks to rise no more. The various arts and crafts that have been employed in her midst, and have ministered to her desires, shall be practiced no more. The pompous music that has been employed in her

p 724 -- imposing but formal and lifeless service, dies away forever. The scenes of festivity and gladness, when the bridegroom and the bride have been led before her altars, shall be witnessed no more.

Her sorceries constitute her leading crime; and sorcery is a practice which is involved in the Spiritualism of to-day. "And in her was found the blood " of "all that were slain upon the earth." From this it is evident that ever since the introduction of a false religion into the world, Babylon has existed. In her has been found, all along, opposition to the work of God, and persecution of his people.

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Spiritism- Believing that the dead go on living in another form, a spirit form in heaven or on earth, or elsewhere.

Why is this belief so wrong, so dangerous?

If we believe that we go on living automatically upon death then we are not really dying at all we are LIVING in another form and we were told we would die.

Read this verse-  Ecc_9:5  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.

And this one-  Isa 38:18  For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Psa 6:5  For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

These are God's words, not mine. Are they lies? NEVER!

So when we refuse to believe that in death we stop thinking,  that we don’t live on we are refusing God's words, God's truth.

Why is death such a bad thing if we just simply live on?

Why did Jesus have to die to save us if we don't really die at all?

Why did Jesus lay in the grave after He died and didn't rise until the third day if upon death we all simply go on living in spirit?

Why did Jesus tell His disciples not to touch Him because He hadn't yet gone to His Father, if upon death we are automatically in God's presence in heaven?

There are so many inconsistencies when we choose to believe in life after death instantly, yet people are DECEIVED, and REFUSE to believe truth.

There will be ETERNAL LIFE, but only for God's people who believe in HIS truth, and only when Christ returns and calls the dead that are His from their graves, and calls the living up to Him in the air.

1Th 4:15  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.

1Th 4:16  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:

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

TRUTH.

If we are already with God why do we need to be raised from the grave?

Please Lord, help us to learn and know YOUR truth and KEEP YOUR truth, only YOUR truth even if it goes against what the world believes!

All through the power of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our LORD now and forever!!!

Amen!