Judgement - Page 11

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Day 5-

The Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgment

All of the foundational principles mentioned in Hebrews 6:1-2 are basic tenants that originated in the Old Testament (Mosaic Covenant) and they carry through to the New and better Covenant that was ratified by Jesus the Christ, our Messiah. These were practices that represent deep spiritual truths that pointed to and were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The concept of the Resurrection and Eternal Judgment were quite familiar to the Jews. Hebrews 6 affirms the truth of these principles as legitimate but incomplete elements of living in relationship with God. All of these things pointed to and are fulfilled in Christ. In Hebrews 6, the author is strongly exhorting (warning, encouraging) people to “move on” from the pictures of these truths to the reality of their fulfillment in Christ. The message is not to “reject” the old teachings but to add to them their fulfilment in Christ and grow to maturity.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

In Jesus time, the Sadducees (a prominent Jewish group) who did not believe in the resurrection challenged Jesus on the subject of the resurrection expecting Him to confirm their view on the subject, but He did not. His answer stunned them with its simplicity and truth (see Luke 20:27-40)

Jesus own resurrection was prophesied in the Old Testament scripture (Isaiah 53:5, 8, 10) so the Bible would not be true if this prophecy was not fulfilled.

Paul tells us plainly that if there is no resurrection of the dead, our preaching is pointless and our faith is pointless and we are still in our sins. We preach Christ crucified for the sake of our sin which leads to death.

1 Corinthians 15:12-27- The Resurrection of the Dead

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ESV

This resurrection is not just some theological idea; it is a present and continuing reality. The Bible tells us that when we are “born again” or “born from above” (John 3:3-7) we participate in His and are joined in life with His Spirit.

John 3:5-8

Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. [Ezek 36:25-27.] What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above). The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. AMP

John 17:3-4

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ESV

God is the God of the living not the dead. (Matthew 22:32)

ETERNAL JUDGMENT

To judge is to make a distinction between what is right and what is wrong this is an essential character of who God is and what He does. God’s judgments are timeless and they are always in our favor because God is love and He loves us beyond what we can think or ask. Do not mistake love for comfort. Do not mistake favor for approval of our present state of living and do not confuse the deceptive oppression of the enemy for His righteous discipline. God is good and all of His ways are just.

GOD IS THE JUDGE:

For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king. (Isaiah 33:22)
For the Lord is our judge. (Isaiah 32:22)
...God the judge of all... (Hebrews 12:23)
Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just ?" (Genesis 18:25) ESV

The Hebrew word translated “just” in Genesis 18:25 is the word “mispat” which is an important Old Testament concept and one closely linked with God. It may denote the process whereby a verdict is reached or the verdict itself; it is bound up with the notions of justice and righteousness and it is of fundamental importance in understanding YHWH. Thus Abraham could ask, "Will not the Judge of all the earth do mispat?”(Genesis 18:25); it is fundamental that God engages in judgment.

Indeed, God is the God of “mispat”. Judgment is essentially his own activity.

Nobody taught him (Isaiah 40:14), and “all his ways are just" (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Judgments are linked with righteousness as the foundation of his throne ( Psalm 97:2

.Judgment is as natural to God as the movements of the birds are to them (Jeremiah 8:7).

We should be clear that judgment is of great importance to YHWH. The gods of the heathen were capricious and unpredictable; their worshipers could never know what they would do next, or whether what they themselves did would be pleasing to their deities or not. The Hebrews knew that God is righteous and that he demands righteousness of his people.

God's judgments are eternal that is they are seen in the present, consistent with the past and unchanging in the future. "For he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth" (Psalm 96:13). This tells us something important about God. All people, and not only Israel, will answer to him. And it tells us something important about the way people live.

Not only does God demand righteousness, He provides it for us in the Messiah, Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus is the first, last and ever present manifestation of God’s justice for mankind.

God has given Jesus authority to judge:

Judgment is connected with the cross of Christ. In fact the authority to forgive our sins is given through the love and sacrifice of Jesus.

John 5:22, 27

...for He has given all judgment--the last judgment and the whole business of judging--entirely into the hands of the Son... And He has given Him authority and granted Him power to execute [exercise, practice] judgment, because He is a Son of man [very man]. The Amplified Bible

As he drew near to his death Jesus said, "Now is the time for judgment on this world, now the prince of this world will be driven out"(John 12:31).And in the upper room as he spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit, he said that the Spirit would convict the world of judgment, "because the prince of this world now stands condemned (lit. Is judged)" (John 16:11). The use of the judgment terminology in connection with the defeat of Satan is important, for it shows that this was no arbitrary happening. Nor did it mean simply that God is stronger than Satan. That is true, but the manner in which Satan was defeated was righteous and its source is in the Love of God.

Mirror Word Bible says in Hebrews 9:28

-Begin Quote-

Christ died once and faced the judgment of the entire human race! His second appearance has nothing to do with sin, but to reveal salvation for all to fully embrace Him. (To fully embrace is to take into ones hands to accept whole heartedly. In his resurrection he appeared as Savior of the world! Sin is no longer on the agenda, for the Lamb of God has taken away the sins of the world! Jesus Christ has fulfilled mankind’s destiny with death! [1 Corinthians 15:3-5, Romans 4:25, Acts 17:30, 31.])

Note: (Even in his first coming, he did not come to condemn the world. The Father judges no one for he has handed over all judgment to the son, who judged the world in righteousness when he took their chastisement in his own body. Now in his appearance in us, his body, his mission is to unveil the consequence of redemption through the Holy Spirit.

This is not to be confused with the doctrine of his second coming. Many scriptures have been translated and interpreted with only a futuristic value and have consequently neutralized many, like the Jews, to diligently wait for the Messiah still to come. The Messiah has come once and for all as Messiah. Jesus appeared again after his resurrection and now his resurrection life is in us as his body is the extension of his second appearance; God is making his appeal to an already reconciled world to “be reconciled!” [Acts 3:26, 2 Corinthians 5:19,20]. The church continued to postpone the reality that God introduced Christ. We are now already fully represented in his blamelessness

-End Quote-

Romans 4:25 (Mirror Word)

Here is the equation: He was handed over because of humanity’s fallen condition; he was raised because we were declared righteous! His resurrection is the official receipt of our acquittal

(His cross = our sins, His resurrection = our innocence)

Acts 17:30-31

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." ESV

Discussion Questions:

Day 5 – Resurrection and Eternal Judgment