We have discussed the prophetic book of Revelation as “The Trial of the Universe”. This issue’s discussion might be rather surprising to many Bible students since we focus on the sentencing/reward phase.
Some believe that people go to heaven when they die, but this is not so, according to Scripture. In a nutshell, we rest in our graves until the Second Coming of Christ when only two classes of people exist: the saved and the unsaved. Within each group are the dead and the living.
But first, let’s review a summary of what we’ve covered:
a) the issues are the consequences of each person’s choice of allegiance to either Jesus or Satan and whether Satan’s accusations about God’s character and His law are true (Revelation 22:11-12 and 11:16-19);
b) every person is a defendant whose choices will be judged by God’s law, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17), as distinguished from the ceremonial laws which were abolished at Christ’s death on the cross (Matthew 27:51);
c) neither God nor His law changes and Lucifer’s defiance in heaven resulted in his expulsion, so likewise Adam’s disobedience resulted in the first family being expelled from the Garden of Eden (Malachi 3:6; Matthew 5:18; Isaiah 40:28; Revelation 12:10-13; Ezekiel 28:12-17; Genesis 3);
d) Satan is our accuser (Revelation 12:9-10 and John 8:44);
e) Jesus is both our defense lawyer and judge (1 John 2:1; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8; 3:2; John 5:22); and a defense verdict is based upon a person’s choice to accept the free gift of salvation purchased by Christ’s victorious death allowing us to be covered by His robe of righteousness (John 3:16; Revelation 3:16; Romans 5:8; Isaiah 64:6).
Let’s tackle the first statement about what happens when we die—we die! In Genesis 3:4, Satan’s lie to Eve, “You will not surely die” birthed three other lies—an immortal soul, communication with the dead, and immediate rewards at death.
There were two trees in the Garden of Eden, “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). After Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God said, "Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever ... So he drove out the man” (Genesis 3:22, 24).
Only by eating fruit from the tree of life did Adam and Eve have access to immortality. They sinned and God placed Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep [them from] the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). Consequently, on this first analysis of what the Bible says, man is not immortal.
Next issue, we will dig deeper into the lie of the immortal soul, but if you want to continue searching for Bible answers now, please email me at JudithHawkins@GRM2.net.
