Sleep Before the Kingdom.

Jesus came to…

Mat_4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 

…preach the gospel- the good news- the kingdom of heaven can be ours through Him.

Too many people are under the impression that we get heaven instantly upon death. Seriously, they believe this- it’s a modern concept because years ago people comprehended death as a sleep. It's a deception with its very roots stemming from Satan's lie at the beginning- 'you shall not surely die.' 

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die

If death is an automatic entrance to the white light of heaven where we meet our Savior- then why does He talk about seeing us after He returns to the skies of earth and calls us to meet Him in the air? Why would the dead need to rise to meet Him in the air? Wouldn't the dead be with Him already? Where is the comprehension of these facts?

Jesus did NOT call Lazarus back from heaven.

Why is the idea of death being a sleep so hard for people to comprehend? Why is it people want immediate access to heaven? Our spirit- our breath returns to God who gave it to us. Who we are in essence is kept safe as we sleep because when our Savior returns and calls for the dead in Him to rise and meet Him in the air, they are brought forth from their graves not only restored in a new immortal body but they are awakened from their long sleep, having only known nothing from that moment of death until the moment of their waking they are instantly in the presence of their Savior.  Unlike years and years in heaven- not in the presence of our Savior because His Word tells us He is in the Most Holy Place making intercession for us right now, not entertaining the newly dead- but rather years in the most peaceful of all sleeps ever. Death's sleep isn't like our sleep now, where we can be troubled with nightmares, with restlessness, with aches and pain. Death's sleep is the best sleep for those who die in Christ and those who do not die in Christ. One will wake to immortality, the other to the second death, the permanent end, to complete non-existence. I'm not making this stuff up…

There is a SECOND DEATH- but when is this preached? When did you last hear about a second death?

 

Rev_2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev_20:6  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.

Rev_20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev_21:8  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.

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 

Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 

Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

There is so much we can comprehend, our Lord will enlighten us if we let Him.

Jesus wants us all to inherit the kingdom of heaven that He came to preach to us, to offer to us, He died so we could have entrance- and He will return for us to give us this entrance to heaven. We need to KNOW without a doubt our Savior will return and SOME people will be alive when He does return. These people will be watching and waiting for Him. These people will recognize the signs He's given. These people will be watching for those signs. These people will suffer greatly, but these people will wholly rely upon Christ Jesus their Savior, and the Holy Spirit, all through God the Father!

More on this tomorrow… by the grace and will of our LORD!