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MISUNDERSTOOD MYSTERIES

MADE MANIFEST (CLEAR)

by Dr. Fred Wittman


II. THE MYSTERY OF DEATH

INTRODUCTION: What happens when humans disobey The God? Where are we ultimately going? What is death? How will it all end? There is a mystery about death? The Holy Scriptures have the solution to many mysteries! Last time we looked at three aspects of life: physical life, soul or natural life, and spiritual--eternal life. Now we shall look at three aspects of death. Since The God created humans to live forever, how did death come about?

A. DEATH DECREED! (Gen. 2:16,17; 3:1-7).

    1. The God’s Decree (2:16,17):

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

         a. Freely Eat of all trees except one!

         b. Eat not of that one tree!

         c. When you do eat of it, you will surely die!

    2. Human Disobedience (3:6):

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

          She refused to believe The God.

         Both ate of that one tree!

3. Whose Deceit? Another Mystery: There was not immediate physical death for Adam and Eve when they disobeyed The God and ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree!

         a. It was Satan that deceived Eve (Gen. 3:1-5).

“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

Was Satan truthful when he implied that God was holding back on Eve? Absolutely not! Jesus called him a murderer from the beginning, a liar and the father of falsehood (Jn. 8:44). He was a murderer because his lie to Eve brought three kinds of death as shall be seen on the following pages.

b. Did God Deceive Adam since Adam and Eve did not die physically immediately? (Gen. 2:17 cf. 3:7)

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

. . . And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.”

 Answer is: NO! By no means!

“And Adam was not enticed (deceived AV), but the woman, being enticed stands emerged in transgression” (1 Tim. 2:15 APT).

For nearly 4000 years The God’s Holy Word has stated God’s promise to Adam that in the day he eats of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he shall surely die. For centuries, possibly millenniums, people have questioned the veracity of that statement regarding physical death. Now medical science has discovered that “death is a process.” The August 2003 issue of Reader’s Digest in an inset on page 125, Atlanta cardiologist Michael Sabom is quoted as saying, “It used to be thought that the point of death was a single moment of time. It is now thought that death is a process, not a single moment.” The Great Creator knew very well how long it took, and even today takes, humans to die. But medical science and society has coined some terms to attribute criteria for death because it cannot definitely ascertain when physical death takes place since it has been discovered to be a process and not a point of time.

This discovery reduces the criticism and clarifies to some extent the mystery of Adam’s delayed physical death. The physical 930 year death process began the moment they ate the forbidden fruit.

Look at Death from God’s Perspective!

B. DEATH DEFINED - Three Aspects:

    Life is a union and Death is a separation.

    1. Physical Death (Heb. 9:27; Rom. 5:12,15; 7:2,3; Jn. 11:14).

“And according to as much as it is scheduled for the humans to die off once for ever but after this, judging” (Heb. 9:27 APT).

“Because of this even as through one human the sin entered into the world and the death through the sin, so also the death penetrated unto all humans because all sinned. . . . But on the contrary, not as the gross stupid error, so also |is| the grace-gift. For if (and it is true) by the gross stupid error of the one the many died off, much rather the grace of The God and the gratuitous gift by means of grace, which |is| by The One Human, Jesus Christ, is in abundance unto the many” (Rom. 5:12, 15 APT).

“For the married woman stands bound by law to her absolutely living husband. But if (and it may be) her husband die off, she stands negated away from the law of the husband. Therefore really while her husband is absolutely living, if (and it may be) she become to another man she shall be given an identifying name, Adulteress. But if (and it may be) her husband die off, she is free from bondage away from the law, so that she not be an adulteress if she become to another man” (Rom. 3:2,3 APT).

“ Therefore at that time Jesus said to them in boldness, Láhzahrohs died off” (Jn.11:14 APT).

Physical death is a separation of the soul and spirit of a human from the body. Adam and Eve did not experience immediate physical death, but they did immediately experience spiritual death.

2. Spiritual Death (Ezek. 18:4,20; Rom. 5:15; Eph. 2:1-5; 2 Cor. 5:14; Col. 2:13; 1 Tim. 5:6).

“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. . . . The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezek. 18:4,20).

“But on the contrary, not as the gross stupid error, so also |is| the grace-gift. For if (and it is true) by the gross stupid error of the one the many died off, much rather the grace of The God and the gratuitous gift by means of grace, which |is| by The One Human, Jesus Christ, is in abundance unto the many” (Rom. 5:15 APT).

“And yourselves, although being dead ones in your gross stupid errors and in your sins; in which you once walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, namely of the spirit who is now continually effectively working in the sons of the disobedience among whom also we all ourselves once were demeaned in the passionate lusts of the flesh of ours, continually doing the determined wills of the flesh and of the thinking capacities. And we were continually children of wrath by nature, as also the remaining ones. Then The God, being rich in mercy, because of His ardent love with which He loved us, even though ourselves, being dead ones in our gross stupid errors, He made us absolutely alive together with The Christ (by grace you are being permanently saved ones)” (Eph. 2:1-5 APT).

“For the love of The Christ is continually impelling us because |we| judged this, ‘‘/If (and it is true)\ One died off in behalf of all, so then the all died off” (2 Cor. 5:14 APT).

“And yourselves, while being dead ones in your gross stupid errors and the uncircumcision of the flesh of yours, He made absolutely alive in association with Him and graciously pardoned to you all your gross stupid errors” (Col. 2:13 APT).

“But the one continually living in self-indulging pleasures stands dead while absolutely living” (1 Tim. 5:6 APT).

Spiritual death is the separation of the soul and spirit of the human from The God. So Adam and Eve died spiritually at once!

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden” (Gen. 3:8,9).

They were separated from The God and they knew it. On former occasions they fearlessly welcomed His voice and His presence. But since they died spiritually they feared both His voice and His presence and shied away from Him. Their conscience smote them and they tried to cover their sin. But The God will have none of that. He must and He shall extract a confession. They were in the process of physical death though it would take 930 years for Adam to ultimately die physically, they both died spiritually instantly. Their offspring inherited their sinful disobedient nature. There is not now nor has there ever been, since Adam and Eve sinned, one human that can claim to be perfect except The Lord Jesus Christ. Since no one is perfect, all have sinned and died spiritually. All are at enmity with The God and need to be saved, redeemed, and reconciled to Him by totally committing trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His vicarious death in crucifixion and His victorious resurrection-ascension.

3. Eternal Death (John 5:25-29; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 21:8; 20:10-15; Mt. 25:41).

“Amen, amen, I am saying to you, ‘0Hour comes and it is now when the dead ones shall hear for themselves the call of The Son of The God and the ones hearing shall absolutely live. For even as The Father is continuously having absolute life in Himself, in this way also He gave to The Son to continuously have absolute life in Himself. And He gave to Him authority also to continually do judging because He is continuously 0Son of Man. Stop marveling at this! Because 0hour is coming in which all the ones in the memorial graves shall hear His call for themselves and they shall make exit, the ones who did the beneficially good things unto resurrection of absolute life, but the ones practicing the worthless things unto resurrection of judging’” (Jn.5:25-29 APT).

“For the wages of the sin, death! But the grace-gift of The God, eternal absolute life through Christ Jesus, The Lord of ours! (Rom. 6:23 APT).

“But to frightful ones and to faithless ones and to sinners and to abominating ones and to murderers and to sexually immoral ones and to sorcerers and to idolaters and to all the lying ones, the part of theirs |shall be| in the lake, |namely| the one continuously burning with fire and brimstone, which is 0second death” (Rev. 21:8 APT).

“And the devil who led them astray is cast into the Lake of the Fire and Brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are. And they shall be tortured daytime and nighttime for ever and evermore. . . . And I beheld a great white throne and The One sitting upon it, away from Whose face the Earth and the Heaven successfully fled and a place was not found for them. And I beheld the dead ones, great ones and little ones, remaining standing in the viewpoint of The God. And Volumes were opened. And another book was opened, which is |The Book| of The Absolute Life. And the dead ones were judged out of the ones standing written in the books according to the works of theirs. And the sea gave the dead ones in it. And the death and the hell gave the dead ones in them. And they were judged each one according to the works of theirs. And the death and the hell were cast into the lake of the fire. This is the second death. And if (and it is true) anyone |who| was not found standing written in The Volume of The Absolute Life, was cast into the Lake of the Fire” (Rev. 20:10-15 APT).

Eternal death is the reunion of the soul and spirit of the disobedient human, who refuses to commit trust totally to the Lord Jesus Christ, together in a resurrected body which shall never die again, separated from The God forever with the devil and his angels, to be tormented forever in a particular place, the Eternal Lake of Fire.

C. DEATH (both physical and spiritual) DESCENDED UPON ALL.

    (Rom. 5:12,14,17; Gen 5:5,8,11,14,17,20,27,31; 1 Cor. 15:21,22)

“Because of this even as through one human the sin entered into the world and the death through the sin, so also the death penetrated unto all humans because all sinned. . . . But the death reigned away from Ahdáhm til Moses, even upon the ones |who| did not sin on the basis of the similitude of the transgression of Ahdáhm who is a 0type of The Imminently Coming One. . . . For if (and it is true) by the gross stupid error of the one the death reigned through the one, much rather the ones receiving superabundance of the grace and of the gratuitous gift of the righteousness shall reign in absolute life through The One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:12,14,17 APT).

“And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. . . .And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. . . .And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. . . .And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. . . . And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. . . .And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. . . .And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. . . .And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.” (Gen. 5:5,8,11,14,17,27,31).

“For inasmuch as the death |is| through a human, 0resurrection of 0dead ones |is| also through a human. For even as in the Ahdáhm all are dying off, so also in The Christ all shall be made absolutely alive” (1 Cor. 15:21,22 APT).

Who Is to Blame? Adam Blamed Eve. “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Gen. 3:12).

Eve Blamed Satan. “And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. (Gen. 3:13).

God’s eternal principle is “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Ex. 20:3-6)

“Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7).

“Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments” (Deut. 5:7-10).

     Blame your ancestors! But also blame yourselves! You too have sinned!

D. DEATH DEFEATED.

“Therefore since the little children stand partaken of flesh and blood, He also Himself associated in sharing similarly the same things in order that through the death He destroy the one having the might of the death, this one is the devil, and He rid judicially from him the ones, as many as because of fear of death through all the process of absolute living, were ones held guilty under bondage” (Heb. 2:14,15 APT).

“Who saved and summoned us with an holy invitation, not according to the works of ours, but on the contrary, according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before space of eternal time, but now is displayed by means of the splendid appearance of The Savior of ours, Jesus Christ, |Who| on the one hand made the death ineffective, but on the other hand illuminated absolute life and incorruptibility by means of the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10 APT).

“ For the law of the Spirit of the absolute life in Christ Jesus freed me from bondage away from the law of the sin and the death” (Rom. 8:2 APT).

God’s grace is extended to you. He offers to you victory over Death.

“Then gratitude |be| to The God, |namely| The One giving to us the victory through The Lord of ours, Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:57 APT).

CONCLUSION: You will die! Some day! Your only hope is in Christ!

Unless you obey God and trust Christ you are spiritually and eternally dead.

Your eternal destiny is at stake! The choice is yours. Choose Life, not Death!

Trust The LORD JESUS CHRIST NOW!

To find out how, listen now to our webcast titled “Knowing The Savior #1”!

Click on it now!

| | understood $singular &plural /the 0no article +masculine ~neuter
[ ]basic meaning / \ manuscripts divided

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Last modified: November 10, 2003