Christian
Churches of God
No.
143z
Summary:
The
Resurrection of the Dead
(Edition 2.3
19940927-20000926)
The paper deals
with the first and second resurrections of the dead and the identification of
the Nephilim and the denial of the resurrection to them.
Christian Churches of God
E-mail: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright ã 1994, 2000 Wade Cox)
(Summary ed. by Wade Cox)
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The
Resurrection of the Dead
This paper deals with the two resurrections of the dead. The first is at the return of Christ when He claims his own who are dead from the creation, and those who are alive at His return. The second is at the end of the Millennium for the resurrection of the rest of the dead.
And yet
Isaiah 26:13-14 declares there are some who will not rise. We see that this
refers to a pre-Adamic humanoid creation who do not share in the Spirit of God,
and are not resurrected.
The Last
Great Day is a Feast in its own right, and occurs the day after the closing of
the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feasts of God serve to show the
Plan of God for the Salvation of all men. The Feast of Tabernacles represents
the Millennium - a period of just rule under Christ and His Saints. The Last
Great Day represents the White Throne Judgment, and is the final process of the
reconciliation of the planet to God.
Isaiah
26:3-14 speaks of the Rephaim or Nephilim (translated “dead” or “deceased”) who
will not rise, that God destroyed them, and they are not listed in the memory
of God. They have been separated from the Adamic creation and are denied
resurrection.
Who were
they? These were the “mighty men of old” or “giants” of Genesis 6:4-5 and were
the offspring of the fallen Host, consequent to their fornication with the
daughters of men (Gen. 6:4-5; Jude 6).
“Rephaim”
is a proper name, and should be translated as such. But the Trinitarians used
“dead” or “giants” to cloud the understanding of mankind with regard to the
numerous sons of God - the spiritual Host, the fallen Host, and mankind. Their
object was to promote the idea of Christ as the only son of God. This notion is
clearly refuted in Job 38:6-7, at the creation of the earth. The Bible was
deliberately misconstrued as a result of Augustine’s treatment of the
proposition in Genesis 6:4 in his work “The City of God”.
These
offspring of fornication were genetically inferior humanoids, and their remains
(dating back thousands of years) have been exhumed all over the world. This
makes Christianity appear quite foolish, when a 6,000-year period is all they
profess for the earth.
This is unfortunate,
but contrived, and the evidence is there for pre-Adamic man. Does the Bible
confirm this? Yes. The Bible testimony is that there were giants in the earth
in those days and afterwards. The results of examination of the DNA of the
humanoids has not been published.
The
evidence indicates that the Nephilim/Rephaim no longer exist, having been
cleaned out by the Flood. Enoch was the standard against which that society was
judged, and Noah was the instrument used for the destruction. All peoples alive
now are of the Adamic strain of creation, and all will face a resurrection and
judgment.
From Isaiah
26:13-14 onwards the resurrections of mankind follow a time-frame (Isa.
26:15-18). Israel, God’s chosen nation, increased but did not bring
deliverance, nor did they convince the Gentiles to accept the Law, and they did
not save the world. That is, the elect, both the Church of God and the elect
nation, have failed and this brings the time-frame to the end time.
Isaiah
26:19-21: The distinction is here made that “thy dead men shall live”, as
opposed to the humanoids from verses 13 and 14. The verses from 13-21 cover an
enormous period of history, including the term called the Time of the
Gentiles.
Verse 20 –
this shutting of the doors refers to Matthew 25:1ff., i.e. the wise that enter
and the gates are shut (Rev. 14:4). Those who enter the gates of the Kingdom of
God become the Temple of God. The time-frame continues over the Day of the Lord
or Millennium, and onto the Day of Judgment, when the “earth shall disclose her
blood and no more covers its slain” (Rev 20: 4-6, 11-13).
The state
of the dead is termed “sleeping” (see Mat.9:24; Lk.8:52; Jn. 11:11) and many
more.
The dead
are silent – Psalm 115:17.
The dead
are in darkness- Psalm 143:3.
There is no
eternally existent soul.
The dead
know nothing – Ecclesiastes 9:5.
One thing
happens to all; they die – Ecclesiastes 9:3.
Man and
beast – Ecclesiastes 3:19 – one thing befalls them; as one dies so dies the
other. See also Psalm 49:12.
To further
enforce the non-existence of a soul alive after death – Job 34:14-15: “If He
should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and his
breath, All flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust”.
See Psalm
88:10,11 for God’s love which is declared in a resurrection for the dead.
Job 19:25:
Job is confident he will stand on earth again. Christ raised people from the
dead so that we might know that He is the Messiah (Mat. 11:45). Lazarus was an
example of this power (Jn 11:11). Many rose when Christ was crucified.
Tradition has it they were all killed.
1Corinthians
15 is called the Resurrection chapter. The brethren will be brought to
life on Christ’s return, and changed to a spiritual body. See also
1Thessalonians 4:13-15-17. These saints rule with Christ for 1000 years
(Rev.20:4-6). God’s Law will be enforced with a rod of iron (Rev. 2: 26-27).
Not
smashing, but not feeble, like a reed – stable, strong and reliable.
The rest of
mankind will be subject to a system of righteous training, and it is expected
that all would be saved as God is not willing any one should perish (2Pet 3:9).
However, should there be unconverted wicked after their training, they will be
allowed to die, and their bodies destroyed in Gehenna fire. There is no lingering
torment in a hell fire. The wicked, after judgment will die, the body disposed
of and cease to exist. This death is eternal, and the opposite of eternal life.
The rule of
the saints during the Millennium will be the standard by which the rule of the
demons might be judged. Satan, as a spirit being, was judged against the
performance of Jesus Christ, as a weak human, and was found wanting.
God is just
and loving, and as all mankind will be given a learning period towards eternal
life, so the fallen Host and Satan will be reduced to human flesh, for their
learning period. All unrepentant wicked ones will be destroyed.
Then the
Plan of Salvation will be completed in this phase, and the next phase of the
creation will proceed under God’s direction.
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