Whenever a skilled manufacturer comes up with a product, he makes sure that there is an information manual on, first, what the product is, secondly, how it operates, and thirdly, what it is meant to achieve. We are a product of a master-maker, the creator God who, “…….created all things-Eph.3:9”. He did clearly in His manual, the bible, tell us that, “…we are dust, and to dust, we shall return- Gen.3:9”. He continued to elaborate on how this physical life is short, likening it to grass and the flowers in the field-Isa.40:6-7; Job.41:1-2. So, He clearly explained how, “ when man stops breathing, he returns to his earth(grave); on that very day, his plans perish-Psalm.146:4”, “….straight to the grave, they descend…..-Psalm.49:14”. This brings to every reader’s awareness, the fact that there is death at some point in human lives. But, even with this information from our maker, from the way most of us talk when someone dies, it sounds like, God never told us exactly, what it is, to die. Some say, one has not died but just transferred from this physical realm to a spiritual one in heaven, that God has loved him so much that He had to call him up to heaven to be with him. To them, even though they talk of death, its like, death is not death. Others say, human beings were created just for this life, after which they die and that is all. A great other majority can’t even guess what happens, nor what exactly is this life they live. Why the confusion? Is it God’s will and purpose that this issue remains a mystery, that people should continue wondering what it is, and why it is? Friends, the only one who has been with God, through whom also, were all things created, says that the confusion is not because, God has not revealed it, but because, “…….. you do not know the scriptures( not read the manual), neither the power of God-Mat.22:29”. So, now; do you want to know, what, why, and where, is, about life and death? If yes, just keenly read on, and its ma prayer that God through his manual (scriptures) will reveal it to you.
WHAT IS MAN?
Friends, unless we first know what it is that, we call man, then, it is in vain that one will try to understand what life and death is( For detailed info about this, read our message, “ What is man”, found in www.endtimecog.org). God says that, to come up with man, He combined, “….dust from the ground, with, the breath of life, and that formed, a living man(one who is alive)-Gen.2:7”. Also, apart from this breath of life, He tells us that, “ there is a spirit in man, but it is God who gives it understanding( make sure you’ve read, “what is man” to get details please)-Job.32:8”. As for this spirit, which many confuse with the breath of life, no one knows exactly how and when God puts it in man, for God tells us, “You do not know how the spirit comes into the bones in the womb( it is God’s secret)-Ecles.11:5”. To prove that the breath of life is different from the spirit in man mentioned by Job, God shows that the same breath of life in man is also in animals, and it is the oxygen we breathe in. When it is discontinued (like when suffocated), one dies. “…and all flesh died that moved upon the earth…..everything in whose nostrils is the breath of life-Gen.7:21-22”. What else goes through the nose by way of breathing except oxygen? As it is with animals, so it is with man, no difference. But the spirit in man, a spirit essence in the brain, is different, and it is the one that makes man’s brain different from animals. It is the one that helps the physical man to connect with the spirit world, either the evil, or the holy one, for, “ it is the spirit of God that combines with our spirit, to make us understand, that we are children of God-Rom.8:16”. Yes, man has no knowledge of his own. It is when his spirit is imparted with knowledge from that other spirit(whether God’s or satan’s) which combines with his spirit that the mind records the imparted information which becomes his knowledge. This spirit is not another man in the physical body, like so many assume, but rather, something in man. It is like a recorder, and one that empowers the mind to recall, to coordinate, to have memories, for it is where everything about you is recorded and stored. It is the one which, when man dies, “…it goes back to God who gave it-Ecles.12:7”. This is what is talked about in Hebrews when God tells us, “…..the spirits of just men made perfect-Heb.12:23”. With this summarized information about what makes up man, lets now come to our point please.
WHAT IS DEATH?
Now that we have seen what God did to come up with a living man, we should be able to easily understand what happens, which is what we call death, or dying. According to what we have seen, it wasn’t until God ignited that process of breathing in oxygen (which must continue, for life to be), that life began. Before then, it was just a lifeless body- dust. That body, without the breath of life is actually not called man, but his remains- a corpse. So, what happens for death to be confirmed? “…..when God takes away their breath of life, they die-Psalm.104:29”. It doesn’t take much spiritualism to understand this, for nearly every one of us has seen it practically. When somebody is straggled, which actually is, being denied oxygen, for some, like three minutes or so, he dies. This because, one is disconnected from the life- giving breath. When someone’s heart stops pumping blood, which is the carrier of oxygen (the breath of life) to all parts of the body, one also collapses in death. Other wards said, death is the cessation of life; it is, the end of life- stopping to exist. It is the dismantling of that combination which God made to come up with a “…..living being-Gen.2:7”. In the course of one’s life, everything a man does is recorded and stored in that spirit which God put in the mind of man, which at death, “…goes back to God who gave it, the breath of life ceases to flow, and the dust goes back to dust-Heb.12:7”. What are we saying here? Death occurs when what forms a man is dismantled, with each component going apart. Before they were combined, God didn’t call any single part, a man, neither did He talk of a living man. So also, it is an ignorance of a highest degree for one to talk of a man, or life, once this dismantling takes place. At this point, God says, one is, “…perished-Psalm.146:4”. Does perishing mean, transferring and beginning anew elsewhere? “….the dead knows nothing, and they have no more reward; but their memory is lost. Their love, hate and envy, all perish, and have no more share forever in all that is done under the sun-Ecles.9:5-6”. Where are you, Mr. transfer-to-another life in heaven? Who told you that God calls people at death, that some are in heaven or, others in hell? Who exactly taught men that they don’t die at death, thus making English, or any other language, meaningless? It is non-else other than the arch-deceiver, Satan the devil-Gen.3:4-5. He is also the same who taught the idea of heaven-going-Isa.14:13-14. Does this then mean that, those who believe, man to be perished forever once dead, are right?
THE HOPE OF MANKIND
Understand please if you are given to. Even though God wants a man who is like Himself (a spirit being), he never straightaway created man as so ( get details on this from our message, “why the physical bodies”). This physical is, the first stage of the creation process in which, God is entering into the second stage for those who freely chooses his life. He did make it so, so that, those who don’t choose his way of life, may die before they become spirit beings which cant die-Gen.2:17. Now that we are all physical, does it then mean, as some believe, that, when we die, that is the end of life? Job, a man who lived righteously before God had the same question, and wondered; “ If a man dies, shall he live again? Now listen keenly. Stop assuming your creator’s position. Learn to listen and accept what He tells you. Get the answer please. “All the days of my service, I will wait, till my release comes. You will call, and I will answer you; you will long for the work of your hands-Job.14:14-15”. Whatever God purposes to do, He will accomplish, for no one can hinder him. Even though, there has been this halting of His creation for man, which came after man made the wrong choice, which made him remain the physical perishable being, which, we all are now, God had fore planned that He will restore man to his process if he strays, through a salvation plan( read our informative message, “ Are you a Christian?”). And this is what Job is talking about, for he continues to say, “For I know that my redeemer (from this death-bringing body) lives, and at last, he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has thus been destroyed( in decay after death), then from the flesh, I shall see God, who I will see with my own eyes, not another-Job.19:25-27”. It is this same thing which Enoch talked about when he said, “…….Behold the lord comes with his holy myriads, to execute judgement on all…….Jude.1:14”. What we are saying here is, when man dies, he is not called by God, neither does he go living elsewhere, whether in heaven or hell. He is perished. But according to God’s master-plan, there is a promised resurrection from the dead, which is the only hope of life after death. Apart from this resurrection, there is no life; if it weren’t for it, then once man dies, he would be perished forever, “ for if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ also didn’t resurrect(for he is the example of our life-process)…….. but in truth, Christ did resurrect- 1 Cor.15:13-20”. It is true that there is a time when God will call people, but not now. For now, people when die, do decompose and become dust. That spirit in man which God stores in heaven, which has stored everything about man and the life he lived when he was alive, is the one that God will use to recall everything that one did. When? “ Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming, when all those in the grave(not in heaven or hell) will hear his voice, and come forth out of the graves….John.5:28”. So, when will God call people? Not when they die, but when Christ comes the second time, “…in a moment, in a twinkling of the eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable-1 Cor.15:52”. See also 1 Thes.4:16-17”. So friends, before this recalling to life by way of resurrection, between the time one dies, and the resurrection, there is no life, there is nothingness. How I would that people may accept God’s plain truth, and stop these painful imaginations. Surely, when one imagines a dead person to be somewhere living, could be looking at him and unable to just tell him a word, don’t you think it to be agonizing? Yes, with this notion of people going to heaven or hell after death, you are hearing almost all people purporting to speak to their departed ones, in a consoling way, telling them, “ RIP-rest in peace”. What an ignorance! Rest where? If God says, such a one is perished and there is no consciousness in him, then, whom are you telling to rest in peace? Listen to those who believed their creator, telling you what happens in the grave. “ In death, there is no remembrance-Psalm.6:5”. And again, “whatever you put your hands to do, do with all your might, for in the grave there is no work”. “for man flees like a shadow, and is no more-Job.14:2”. Yes, there is life after death, but according to the planned timeline.
THE RESURRECTION
We know that God had no intention that man should be dying anytime. His was to make man a spirit being. Death was to happen only if, man makes a wrong choice, for God tells us, “….if you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die( see our message, “the two trees”, found in our web,www.endtimecog,org)-Gen.2:17”. So, suppose Adam never sinned, and so, taught his descendants the way of obedience, what would have happened? Our Lord and only teacher, Jesus Christ tells us that, “ death is a fruit of sin-rom.6:23”. This means, if Adam had not sinned, then he and his descendants would not have been dying. What then would be happening? Though the bible is not affront on this subject, it is clear from some verses that, if Adam had obeyed God, he would have received the holy spirit which would have enabled him to acquire God’s knowledge on how to live, which in turn would have given him to live(behave) like God; and this would have been in opposition to Satan, in the same way, human beings today live Satan’s way in opposition to God. Adam then would have developed God’s mind and character (the second stage in God’s creation process), and at maturity, instead of dying, God would have changed this physical body into a spirit one. Why do I believe so? Hear please. There are those who in this life are now learning God’s life, developing God’s mind and character. There are those who will have been perfected in godly life, who, when Christ comes, will find alive. What will happen to them when Christ comes to resurrect the dead in Him? Do we see them dying first, then being resurrected with the rest? No. Listen please. “…..then we who are alive, who are left( after the dead are resurrected with spirit bodies), will be caught up( not die) with those resurrected, to the clouds….1 Thes.4:17”. Caught up with this physical bodies? No. “…….the dead will be raised imperishable, and we, the living, shall be changed( not die first) ; we shall not all die, but shall be changed-1 Cor.15:52-51( read in that order please)”. It is with this information that, we also believe that, had Adam not sinned, since death is as a result of sin, then he would not have died but rather, on qualification against Satan, he would have been changed. But now that sin came in, it also brought death with it for, “……death spread to all men because the same all, sinned-Rom.5:12”. Even then, let not anyone think that this resurrection plan was an afterthought. God had fore planned that, if man sins, then the word God would put on a fleshly body- see psalm.40:6-7, and die to take the sin penalty from the sinners. It is because of this sin that death began to affect all, even the righteous until the appointed time. When Christ came, he confirmed this saying, “….he who believes(obeys) in me, though he die, yet shall he live-John.11:25”. And again; “ If the spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through his spirit which dwells in you”, for, “……when God sends forth his spirit, they are created- rom.8:11; Psalm.104:30”. Dear brethren, know therefore and understand that there is life after death. But understand this, that there is a period of nothingness between the time one dies, and the time one is resurrected. In that period, there is nothing; one completely ceases to be. This is why we are calling the promised resurrection, the only hope for man, of life after death. Can everyone therefore, come out of blindness and believe his/her creator. It is Satan who preaches continuity of life in death-Gen.3:4. He uses his fellow fallen angels to disguise themselves, and appear to people in the form, or speak in the voices of the departed ones, in order to perpetrate his lies, like in the case of Samuel and Saul. But the good news is, “…. The hour is coming, when all(righteous and sinners alike) who are in the graves shall hear his voice and resurrect-John.5:28”. This is the time when God will call people, not now when someone dies. We have a detailed explanation of God’s master plan as illustrated through his annual holydays, beginning with the weekly Sabbath and ending with the last great day-Lev.23:1-37. You can visit our web, www.endtimecog.org, and read a message, “ the spirit of God’s holidays” for details. Let’s get knowledge; let’s get understanding, and stop being like those who are ignorant-1thes.4:13-16. Let us also accept that, we have inherited lies, and begin to remove them, learning afresh from our creator through his word which, is “…profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness-2Tim.3:16-17”. May the good God equip us with this knowledge so that we live lives which are meaningful, as we look forward to the promised time, when we will meet our loved ones who have died; yes that we may always be comforted by that hope and so, afford to have peace of mind. Our web has many more teachings concerning life in general. Give yourself time and visit it for more. This is coming to you from your creator, through His servant,
THE ENDTIME CHURCH OF GOD
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