Amir Tsarfati: Who Goes Where?

The topic of our message this morning is:

Who Goes Where?

As Mount Taal erupted,

and as the escalation in the Middle East took place in the past 10-15 days.

When a top terrorist was killed and the world was thinking:

This is it.

Google said that the number 1 “search word” was World War 3.

I mean, people literally thought

that there is a world war coming around the corner.

And… they didn’t know what to do.

People panic when hardships come.

And things are out of their control.

Then people start asking themselves,

Okay, so what’s going to happen if something happens here?

It doesn’t have to be a terrorist.

It doesn’t have to be a war, necessarily.

It can be an eruption of a volcano that can completely paralyze a whole country.

Let’s face it.

On Sunday evening to Monday afternoon, even Manila was paralyzed.

A city of millions and millions of people… from just ashfall and smoke.

You can imagine the people are interested in understanding:

What’s next?

Where do I go?

What if something happens to me?

Now we need to understand that God made earth to be the place for mankind to dwell.

He could have made heaven for them.

But heaven is a place for him and his hosts of angels.

Earth is the one he gave to men.

We also need to understand that when he gave earth to men,

he made it perfect for them.

There was no need for anything.

Adam was given everything that he ever required.

In fact Adam really, in a sense, never had to eat from that tree,

at all.

It didn’t add anything to him.

Do you understand that:

There were no volcanic eruptions there.

There were no earthquakes there.

In fact: No floods, no tsunamis, no typhoons, no hurricanes.

Nothing, it was perfect.

And the best of the best is that God would descend to fellowship with man.

In those days, there was no need for a temple, a sacrifice and blood to be shared.

There was no sin to atone.

It was perfect harmony.

It was perfect fellowship of God and the crown jewel of his creation, man.

That explains to you why God was so disappointed with man.

That by chapter 6 of Genesis,

he already wanted to wipe out this world.

… The Bible says he was sorry that he ever created men.

Isn’t that interesting.

It took only,

literally,

a few pages of everything perfect.

And the rest, God is trying to tell everyone:

Repent.

And there is hope.

If you will repent, change your ways.

But God was perfect with men.

God wanted to fellowship with men.

But men preferred not to fellowship with God.

Men preferred to believe the lies and the deception of the enemy.

Men preferred to look and get that which is the only thing God said,

“Do not touch.”

Men preferred to:

Disobey God, disrespect God, disfellowship, disengage from God.

This is why when sin was brought forth:

Shame was brought forth;

Fear was brought forth;

And now, guilt was brought forth.

When God came to walk in the garden,

where was Adam and Eve? Where were they?

They were hiding.

You don’t hide, if everything is great.

You don’t hide, if everything is beautiful and perfect.

What is it that people hide?

Secrets.

They don’t want people to know.

Everything that is secret by the way, just so you know,

is “fishy”, also.

It’s interesting because men preferred not to fellowship with God.

Then, of course, after this great fall of man,

yet God sent his Son to redeem the sinners.

There was no other hope for mankind.

But to be redeemed through the shed blood of a perfect,

Son of God.

God extended his love once again, even in a greater way,

than just creating man.

But now his own Son was given.

I will be honest with you.

I was thinking about it.

As much as I love all of you, and I do.

I would never give my only son for the sake of you.

Sorry.

God did.

That’s how much he loves you.

Then the Holy Spirit descended to fill the redeemed with knowledge and the understanding of God’s ways.

Guidance,

comfort,

hope

until he comes to take us.

Of course, God promised through his Son to take the redeemed to be with him.

And God will send his Son and his redeemed back to earth to rule and judge.

Of course, God will judge the whole world.

And he, later on, will make all things new.

You see, people don’t understand but:

Everything we do;

Everything we say;

Every intention of our heart is recorded in heaven.

There’s a beautiful big… tape recorder.

Maybe it’s now different,

more technologically advanced.

… MP3 or something, I’m not sure.

But it’s recording everything.

When the Bible describes books in heaven.

And in those books:

Every person’s name who has ever been born to this world;

And everything he did;

And every single thing he said;

And everything he had in his mind and in his heart.

Sometimes you don’t have to say something.

Sometimes you can just think about it.

And God knows.

How many times did Jesus answer to people who actually only thought about something?

And he knew exactly what they’re thinking about.

Now, the oldest book in the Bible is not Genesis.

Because Genesis is speaking of the oldest events, of course.

But it was written by Moses.

And Moses came way after the Patriarchs.

Moses describes them.

But the oldest book is the book,

that was written by the man who was at the time of the Patriarchs.

And it’s Job.

Job, by the way, estimated to have been written in the time of about,

between 1900 and 1700 B.C.

Let’s say, roughly 4,000 years ago.

Job knew what Moses knew, what David knew,

what Jesus said and what Paul knew.

He knew the same thing.

He knew that eventually, there is judgment.

Job said in chapter 19…

And look at Job…

Job was a beautiful, great servant of the Lord.

Yet he was tested.

And he was tried.

God was confident enough to allow Satan to test job because Job was innocent.

And Job, instead of hating God for that

and being angry with God for the hardships that he goes through.

What did he say?

He says, “For I know that my Redeemer lives.”

So, I serve a living God.

So, I am not dismayed.

Then he says, “And he shall stand…”

So, my God will one day come back to earth.

And stand on earth.

Job said that.

“And after my skin is destroyed… [Literally, when I’m even dead.]

This I know that in my flesh I shall see God.”

Job said, “Look, it doesn’t matter if you’re alive now or you die.”

Eventually, you’re going to stand before God.

“I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself…”

If you’re a believer, it’s a personal encounter you will have with him.

“And… my eyes shall behold, and not another.”

It’s not that I pray to Mary, to pray to Jesus, to pray to God.

No.

There is a direct and personal relationship, not another.

I don’t pray to someone, to pray to someone, to talk to someone.

“My eyes shall behold and how my heart yearns within me.

And if you should say, how shall we persecute him?

Since the root of the matter is found in me…”

Look what he said.

He said to all the sinners, to all the people, he said,

“Be afraid of the sword for yourselves.

For wrath brings the punishment of the sword that you may know there is a judgment.”

Jobs says, “No one can escape judgment.”

Judgment is the first thing that happens.

And it’s the most important thing that happens,

when you are dead.

That’s the next thing,

basically.

You are awaiting the judgment.

This is why the Book of Hebrews chapter 9:27 says,

“… it is appointed for men to die once.”

But after – this is the judgment.

After this, after the death:

There is judgment.

Look, it’s appointed to die.

People die.

All of you, right now.

Take your fingers, pinch yourself.

You’re alive right now.

But take a picture of yourself from 10 years ago.

You’re dying.

Look, that’s how it is.

Sin entered the world, decay came and death came.

We are literally,

sometimes slower, sometimes faster,

but in a process that leads us to death.

It is appointed for men to die once.

Now, thankfully, there is a promise that when the rapture happens,

some of us are not going to be dead yet.

We are going to be taken alive.

Hopefully, all of us will not have to die.

But if you died tomorrow?

You know that after there is a judgment.

For the believer, there is one judgment.

And that is in heaven.

That is the… the Bema Seat of Christ.

It has nothing to do with hell.

And it has nothing to do with punishment.

It has to do with rewards and with crowns.

It has to do with what is it that we receive?

And then later on can give back to him.

But then, for the non-believers?

What happens to them?

Still there is judgment.

Their judgment is delayed until after the 1,000 years Millennial Kingdom.

When God will call all the dead people from all over the world,

in the history of planet Earth.

Tthen they will all stand before the great white throne of judgment.

And the books will be opened, the Bible says.

1 Samuel 2:6, Hannah, who was praying to God for a male child,

who was a barren woman, if you remember?

She said, “The Lord kills and makes alive.

He brings down to the grave, and he brings up.”

Hannah, like every other Jew in the Old Testament knew, believed,

that there is something after death.

It’s not over.

God will bring us back up for judgment.

There’s no doubt about it.

… There is after life.

There are things that are going to happen.

All of you better understand that.

Daniel, the prophet,

the flagship of the apocalyptic events of the Old Testament said,

“At that time Michael [the archangel] shall stand up,

the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people.

And there shall be a time of trouble…”

He’s speaking of the great tribulation

that is known for Israel as the “trouble of Jacob” or Jacob’s trouble.

That Jeremiah, the prophet, in chapter 30 describes.

And then he says,

“Such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.”

And he said,

“And at that time your people shall be delivered,” he said.

“Everyone who is found [What?] written in the book.

And many…

Now what book is he talking about? Book?

There are two types of books in heaven.

There’s a stack of books that are recording all men,

everywhere,

and all of their deeds.

And there is the Book of Life of the Lamb that all believers are now added to that book.

… Probably, it’s not even in ink, it’s blood.

And you cannot erase them.

This is a different one.

He says, “…all that are found in the book.

And many of those who sleep [those who died]

in the dust of the earth shall awake,

some to everlasting life,

some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Those who are wise shall shine…”

Listen, what Daniel says is this.

Look, it matters how you live today.

It matters who you trust and what you believe.

Because when the resurrection comes,

there are two types of resurrections.

There is a resurrection for the believer.

And if you are smart, you will shine.

If you are smart…

By the way, you shine here.

“You’re the light of the world,” Jesus said.

“Like the brightness of the firmament,

and those who turn many to righteousness.”

Look,

not only that you are a believer.

What makes you shine?

What make you bright?

Is also that which leads you, to lead others, to righteousness.

A believer cannot be dormant.

Cannot be an inactive person.

A believer must be

empowered by the Holy Spirit not to just sit and study.

But to go and share.

God did not say that only select people are called to share.

No.

We all need to proclaim the wonders of the One,

who led us from darkness into his marvelous light.

And he said,

“…turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

… Jesus had to deal with that question of what happens after we die.

In the times of Jesus, there were two major groups in the Jewish community.

There were the Sadducees, who were priestly descendants of priestly families.

They were the aristocratic group of people, wealthy people,

very well connected with the regime.

They were people who were very flexible.

Let’s bend the Word of God to fit the times and the season in which we live.

Remember, yesterday, we saw that there are churches

who are twisting the Word of God to adjust them to modern times, to modern days?

That’s how the Sadducees were.

Let’s not be dogmatic.

They, by the way said, look,

we’re only having one shot.

We’re born to this world.

Let’s make the most out of it.

YOLO: You Only Live Once.

Carpe diem: Live the day.

They did not believe in resurrection from the dead.

That’s why they were “sad-u-see”, Sadducees.

Never mind…

But then there were the Pharisees.

The Pharisees are strict Orthodox Jews,

who believe in the fulfillment and in the written law.

And if the law says there is a resurrection?

There has to be a resurrection.

The Pharisees were very religious people.

It says resurrection?

There is a resurrection.

It’s interesting because it’s the Sadducees,

who wanted to set up a snare, a sort of like a trap, for Jesus.

So, in Luke 20:27-38,

“There came to him some Sadducees,

those who deny that there is a resurrection.

And they asked him a question saying,

‘Teacher,

Moses wrote for us

that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children.

The man must take the widow and raise up offspring for… his brother.

Now there were seven brothers…”

Look how

irrational and ridiculous they are in “sailing in their imagination”.

There were seven brothers.

They all married the same woman.

And they all had no children.

How can that be possible?

But they wanted to see.

And so,

“The first took a wife and died without children.

The second and the third took her.

Likewise, all seven left no children and died.

Afterwards the woman also died.

In the resurrection, [if you say there is]

therefore, whose wife will the woman be?

For the seven had her as wife.”

And they’re like…

“And Jesus said to them,

‘The sons of this age marry and they’re given in marriage…”

This age means, before we reach the afterlife.

“But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age,

and to the resurrection from the dead.

Neither marry nor are given in marriage,

for they cannot die anymore.”

See, if you have been resurrected?

If you are dead…

Let’s say you died, okay?

As a believer, you died.

And I know I’m going to shatter some myths that you all have.

I’m going to see you in heaven.

We’re going to be married again…

And my dog will be there and I will…

Ladies and gentlemen, in heaven, Jesus himself says,

Obviously after you die, you cannot die anymore.

“Because they are now equal to angels and are sons of God,

being sons of the resurrection.

But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed in the passage about the bush.

Where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”

See, Moses knew that they are all alive somewhere.

That’s why he called him, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

God is not the God of the dead.

He’s the God of the living.

But in heaven: You don’t marry;

You don’t have children;

You don’t fight over a wife.

So what are you talking about?

If you only understood what a believer is going to be like in heaven?

You wouldn’t even be asking me this question.

“Therefore, it was necessary

that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these.

But the heavenly things themselves, with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands,

which are copies of the true.

But into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

Not that he should offer himself often,

as the high priest enters the most holy place every year with… blood of another.

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world.

But now, once… at the end of the ages,

he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.

To those who eagerly wait for him,

he will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

This is one of the most important pieces of Bible.

Think about it.

The writer to the Hebrews says,

Christ came, he died and he shed his blood,

which is far better than all the sacrifices

that are being made on a daily, on a weekly, on a monthly and on an annual basis.

But then he said, ladies and gentlemen,

“He came once to die for your sin.

But he’s going to appear…”

Say the word… “appear”.

Appear is not coming back and staying.

Appear is [whoosh] he appears somewhere.

And he will appear, what?

To those who eagerly wait for him.

Can there be a real believer that is not waiting for Jesus?

Did you understand what he’s saying?

If you call yourself a Christian?

And you’re not interested that Jesus will come?

I’m not sure in what book you believe.

Because to those who eagerly wait for him,

he will appear the second time.

Apart from sin, he already dealt with sin.

This time is for, what?

It’s the salvation of your body from this world.

He’s coming back (whoosh) to take you.

And who is he going to take?

Those who are eagerly waiting.

Are you eagerly waiting for him?

Then you are going to be taken.

But if you’re like [snoring]

I don’t care about Jesus, the Bible, this…

I care about making money, money, money.

And having fame and having this…

Sorry.

You are going to be one of those five virgins

that didn’t have probably, oil in their lamps and they were left.

So, how many people were, are and will be in the world?

Not number wise, but age wise.

I’m talking about:

Timeframe.

There’s the “Old-Testament” people:

From the very beginning of creation all the way.

Then there’s the “New-Testament”:

First Century.

Then there’s the “Church-Age”:

The last 2,000 years.

Then when we’re out of here, there will be a 7-years “Tribulation”.

And then, after we come back with Jesus to reign,

there is the “Millennial-Kingdom”.

After the Millennium Kingdom, that’s it.

He makes all things new.

All of these groups of people that you see over there.

They all have a specific place designated for them, after death.

Are you ready?

So, “Who Goes Where?

That’s the message.

First Birth:

All of us are born of the water.

Women are carrying that baby.

They’re basically a walking swimming pool.

The baby is swimming.

There’s water.

And when is it?

What is it?

The main sign that they’re ready to give birth?

The water breaks.

There is no more water.

He cannot swim.

It’s time to go out.

So, birth out of water is the natural birth of a person.

And believe it or not,

as much as the babies are cute and look innocent?

They are already born in sin.

How dare you say that?

I didn’t say that.

David, the king said that.

You know very well that children can lie, deceive, be manipulated and all of that.

Hello?

They were born in sin.

Genesis 6 says,

that from the moment sin entered the world, it became so bad.

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth.

That every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The Bible says in Psalm 51,

when David was standing before Nathan, the prophet,

who confronted him with his sin with Bathsheba.

He says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity.

And in sin my mother conceived me.

I’m already born in sin.

Romans 5, which often is being taken out of context by the Universalists.

It’s saying, Romans 5:12,

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin.

And thus, death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

All sinned and all have…

Have you ever seen a baby born without an expiration date?

A baby born to live 500 years, 800 years?

No.

Why do we wish each other up to 120?

That’s probably as old as you can ever get.

There’s an expiration date.

Sin brought the average age all the way down.

By the way, in the time of David, all the way back down to almost 40.

Then medicine, modern world technology, we’re up to 80-85, now.

That’s it.

All sinned.

Ephesians 2,

“And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

in which you once walked according to the course of this world.

According to the prince of the power of the air,

the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh,

fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.

And were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

Hey, we were not different than all the non-believers.

We were just as they were.

Paul, the apostle, says, “I am the chief of sinners.”

I am definitely not someone who’s perfect.

Even now, as long as you have this body, remember.

As long as you have this body, you cannot, not sin.

Now you can… live a holy life by way of avoiding sin.

By way of having life of…

Sanctifying yourself,

being in the right company with the right people,

listening to the right things,

looking at the right things and reading the right things.

I mean, obviously what we consume

turns to who we are, basically.

However,

let no one forget that we were all like that.

The Bible says in John 3:16-18,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish.

But have everlasting life.”

But then, he says,

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world.

But that the world through him might be saved.”

It’s a beautiful thing.

Jesus, in his first coming, did not come to judge.

But in his second coming is going to come to judge.

In his first coming, he came to save.

However…

How about reading verse 18, also?

Because verse 18 continues and says,

“He who believes in him is not condemned.

But he who does not believe is [what?] condemned already.

Because all of us were born in sin; We are all already condemned

The minute you believe in Christ:

You are coming out of the “condemned”;

And you are now, “not condemned”.

So, if you don’t believe in Jesus?

You are condemned already.

It’s not like:

You will be doing some terrible things and then you will be condemned.

No!

You’ve already been born in sin.

You are already condemned.

Only faith in Jesus Christ takes you, out of, the camp of the condemned.

And makes you, not condemned.

Because he [whoever is condemned]

has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

So, there’s the first… [birth] and you canot avoid it…. The first birth, excuse me.

Then there is a second birth.

Now, yesterday we celebrated Pastor Edwin’s 50th birthday.

It’s beautiful.

But we all need to have another birthday.

All people are born of the water.

And Jesus asked Nicodemus,

Nicodemus, you are a teacher in Israel.

You are a smart man.

Don’t you know that birth from the water is not enough?

Don’t you know that one must be…

Listen, I remember 1998, my first trip to the Philippines,

1998.

I was a 25-year-old, good-looking boy.

That’s it, from then it goes downhill.

And I met someone in the street.

I quoted a Scripture, I believe.

And he said,

“Are you a Catholic or born again?”

And I’m like?

Are these the options here?

On the menu?

Well, according to what he said, yes.

Well, born again knows the Bible very good.

… Wait a minute.

Do you think born again is another religion?

I mean, there is Catholic and there is born again.

There is a born again church and there is Catholic?

No, no, born again, everyone can be born again.

Everybody should be born again.

If you’re a Muslim, you should be born again.

If you’re a Catholic, you should be born again.

If you’re a Jew, you should be born again.

If you are a Hindu, you should be born again.

There is no Catholic or born again.

There is born again or born again.

If you’re not born again?

That’s it.

There is only one type of Christian

that can enter the Kingdom of God.

And it’s a born again.

You cannot choose:

Oh, Catholic, born again, Orthodox, etc.

This is not an option; It’s not a menu bar.

I was shocked when he asked me that.

But then I realized.

Man, that term “born again” became a coin of speech, now.

As if it’s an option.

There’s the second birth from the Spirit.

And it’s not like you don’t have sin.

Your sin is now, forgiven.

Your sin is now, removed and forgotten.

Your sin is now, no longer condemning you.

You are born from the Spirit.

That means you have new life.

You… are a new creation.

That means you have a renewal of the mind.

The old things have passed away.

You should not be hanging with the old friends.

You should not be doing the old shenanigans.

You should not be watching the old things.

You should not be reading the old things.

You should not be listening or engaged in the old things.

Folks, if you…

In the old days, you used to hang out in bars, discotheques,

clubs and all of those things?

And you know exactly where it led you to.

As a born again and Spirit filled,

do you really think that that’s what you need to do right now?

So, you have a new birth from above.

Oh, I want to be cool.

I want to be like everybody else.

I’m sorry.

We are not meant to be like the world.

We are not meant to be loved by the world.

We are not meant to be…

Do you understand?

Sin is forgiven.

John 5:24,

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word,

and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life.

And shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

Beautiful.

John 4, “Jesus said to the woman, [the Samaritan woman]

‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain,

nor in Jerusalem, will worship the Father.

You [the Samaritans] worship what you do not know.”

We, the Jews,

“We know what we worship.

For salvation is of the Jews.”

Not of Apollo Quiboloy in Davao.

He is not the son of God.

There is no other messiah.

There is no other lord.

There is no other, appointed son.

There is no such thing.

“Their salvation is of the Jews,” he said.

However, he said, but…

having said that.

Yes, he had to come from the house of Judah; Having said that.

“Woman… [listen to me]

“… the hour is coming, and actually, is now.”

Here I am, woman.

I am standing in front of you.

“… the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

For the Father is seeking such to worship him.”

The Father is not interested in you going to:

The temple, or church, or synagogue or whatever it is.

5 times a day, 3 times a day, do the rosary, do the Hail Mary 50 times…

Any religious act is not what the Father wants.

He wants people to worship him in spirit and in truth.

And he, as a Messiah but also as a Jew, says look,

the Samaritans, A, say “A”.

We, the Jews even say “B”.

But we’re both wrong.

The religion is not the answer.

“Spirit and in truth,” he says.

2 Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ…”

Not in the church, not in the mosque, not in the synagogue, if you are in Christ.

“He’s a new creation; Old things have passed away.

Behold, all things have become new.”

Titus 3, “But when the kindness

and the love of God our Savior towards man appeared.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done…”

Paul is a chief religious person.

He knows exactly.

He says, we’ve done all those works.

“But according to his mercy he saved us,

through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit…”

So, we talked about the first birth.

And we talked about the second birth.

Second birth is more important.

But you cannot have the second birth,

if you were not born through the first birth.

You have to be alive, to be born again.

But you cannot be born, born again.

Hello?

You were born of the flesh.

And then you must be born of the Spirit.

But then comes the first death.

First death is nothing we, as believers, should worry about.

And I want you to remember, keep it in mind.

I, as a believer, should not worry or be afraid of death.

You have to chant that even.

Death lost its sting.

Death…

What is the definition of death?

Separation from life.

Who do we believe in and who are we in?

Christ.

Who is Christ?

He’s the only, what?

Way, truth and life.

When you are in Christ?

Death is no longer separation from life, anymore.

Death is just the consequences of sin

that you were born into.

But that’s it.

It’s a natural consequence of sin.

By the way, for the unbeliever, I want to say,

“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

But rather fear him,

who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The word “hell” is in the Bible.

The word “hell” is in the Bible in the context of those who are non-believers.

They should be aware of that place.

And as a consequence of their disbelief.

I want you to know,

churches all across the world refrain from saying “sin”,

refrain from saying the word “repent”

and refrain from talking about hell.

They say there is no hell.

By way of saying no hell, there is no heaven.

By way of saying there is no heaven, there is nothing after.

And then do the most now!

Interesting, because…

In Luke 16 it says,

“So it was that the beggar died…”

Luke 16 is an amazing, amazing story and it’s not a parable.

It’s a true story because Lazarus is mentioned by his name.

“The beggar died,

and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.”

Abraham’s bosom…

“The rich man also died and was buried.”

Look at that.

A believer has an angel carrying him.

And non-believer just [poof] goes to death.

It’s interesting because, look…

Where was the non-believer?

In a place, where?

In torments in Hades.

Hades in the Hebrew, “Sheol”.

It’s a place…

It’s a place where all people in the Old Testament,

before Jesus died and resurrected,

all went to.

Those who believed, and that was counted for them as righteousness,

were in one place called Abraham’s bosom.

And those who were non-believers and evil

were in a place called, the place of torments.

But this was the same place almost, with a divider.

Do you understand?

You could see from here, here.

You could see…

Because, look, he says,

“…being in the torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes

and he saw Abraham afar off.

And Lazarus in his bosom.”

He could see it.

Yet he couldn’t get there.

Before Jesus died and resurrected,

all people went to Hades.

Hades was divided: A place of torments; And Abraham’s bosom.

It’s just a waiting place for judgment, that’s all.

It’s not that you can be born again in Hades.

It’s not that you have another chance to repent.

And all that purgatory suggested.

Not at all.

Today is the day of salvation.

Because you cannot save yourself then.

Look, he knew that.

When he wanted to tell his family,

Hey, be good, believe.

He couldn’t go back; He couldn’t say anything.

John 8:24,

“Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins.

For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

Jesus said look…

Just like Moses said,

“Here I put before you today.

Life and death.

Good and evil.

He said, Choose life!”

And Jesus said, “Believe that I am He and you will not die.”

You see, for the believer…

The good thief said to Jesus,

“Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

And Jesus said to him,

“Assuredly I say to you today you will be with me in paradise.”

The death and the resurrection of Jesus marked a new era,

where all believers instantly, go to be in his presence.

That’s it.

Your body may rot.

But your soul is already with Christ.

That’s it.

You have to understand that it’s different than the Old Testament.

John 11:25-26, “Jesus said to her…”

To Martha, who was lamenting over the death of her brother.

“I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me…”

By the way, he’s actually hinting of the rapture.

Because the rapture is when Jesus comes,

the dead in Christ will rise.

And we that are alive will be caught up in the air.

We’ll meet, together, him in the clouds.

The rapture is both for:

The dead believers; And the living believers. Okay?

So look what Jesus says,

“I am the resurrection and the life.

He believes in me, though he may die…”

Let’s say you die tomorrow.

“… though he may die, he shall live.”

There’s a resurrection for you.

And whoever lives [at that time] and believes in me shall never die.

See, the people who will never, ever die and never see death?

Are those who are alive at the time of the rapture.

God is not saying, okay, wait a minute.

Stand in a line; I want to kill all of you.

And then I will resurrect all of you.

No. Those who died, died.

He will resurrect them.

And those who are alive will be caught up, in the air.

But then he asked her, “Look, Martha, I said all of this.

But do you believe?”

Do you see?

1 Thessalonians 4 speaks of the rapture.

Although he speaks of the rapture,

90-95% of the churches worldwide, don’t believe in the rapture.

Jesus is asking them that, also.

Do you believe this?

No, we don’t.

Oh, you have no problem believing he parted the sea,

he rolled back the Jordan,

he had Daniel in the lions den.

But you have a problem with being raptured?

Is that your problem?

By the way,

Enoch was raptured,

Elijah was raptured.

Rapture, by the way, is not just upward.

It’s is also sideward.

Did you know that Philip, the evangelist, was raptured?

When he baptized the Ethiopian eunuch…

When the Ethiopian eunuch came out of the water and did this.

Philip was gone.

The Bible says the Spirit took him.

And the word in the Greek, harpazo, is also there.

[whoosh!] Gone.

By the way, the Ethiopian didn’t go home and say, I don’t believe this.

He rejoiced.

He was happy; He believed.

See?

2-minute-old believer, believes.

40-year-old believers, 50-year-old believers, don’t believe in the rapture.

How’s sad.

Philippians 1:21-23,

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

We shouldn’t be afraid of death.

“But if I live on, in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor.

Yet what I shall choose, I cannot tell.”

Paul says, “Look, I’m thinking about death, life.”

Look, I know that if I live, I mean, there are fruits from my life.

But, do you know what?

I’m not going to tell you, which I am going to choose.

Because I know both are great options.

He says, “For I am hard-pressed between the two,

having a desire to depart and be with Christ…”

Paul knew, for us, the believers?

Departure is instantly, to be in the presence of God.

“…to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

He said that,

“This is far better.”

But then that’s the 1st death that everybody, or most people, will go through.

Then there is the second death.

And the second death is final.

The second death is ultimate.

The second death is eternal.

The 2nd death is the one you do not want to have part of.

The 2nd death is something reserved for the non-believers.

After they have been resurrected… at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.

And they…have been judged for all the things they did.

That’s the second death.

By the way, the 2nd death, has no death in it.

Wait a minute, it’s the second death.

No, no…, it’s called the second death.

But it’s not exactly, death.

It’s actually life in the:

Lake of Fire.

The Bible says that Death, real death, and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire.

There’s no more need for Hades.

Nobody’s awaiting… judgment, anymore.

That’s it.

It’s over.

Judgment is over.

Death and Hades were thrown.

Death is disconnection from the source of life, from God.

Hades is a temporary residence of all dead people awaiting their 1st resurrection.

I’m talking about the non-believers, of course.

Of course, in that Hades, there is Abraham’s bosom, as I said.

And the place of torments.

We talked about that as well.

We go back to Luke 16,

“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen.

And fared sumptously every day.

But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores.

Who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs,

which fell from the rich man’s table.

Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.

So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.

The rich man also died and he was buried.

And being in torments in Hades,

he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off.

And Lazarus in his bosom.

Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me.

And send Lazarus that he made dip the tip of his finger in water.

And cool my tongue.

For I am tormented in this flame.’

But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember,

that in your lifetime you received your good things.

And likewise, Lazarus evil things.

But now he is comforted and you are tormented.”

By the way, this is not about:

It’s great to be poor; And it’s horrible to be rich in this world.

It’s the condition of the heart.

Just so you understand that.

Then, of course,

“Besides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed.

So that those who want to pass from here to you cannot,

nor can those from there pass to us.

Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father,

that you would send him to my father’s house.

For I have five brothers that he may testify to them.

Lest they also come to this place of torment.’

… Then, Abraham said to him,

‘They have Moses and the prophets.

Let them hear them.

And he said, ‘No, Father Abraham.

But if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

But he said to him,

‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets,

neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

Basically, what we see here is this:

You’ve got a lifetime to make the most for Christ.

For your own salvation by ways of following Christ.

And living the life of a believer.

This is why living as believers is more important than:

Living a life of sin.

Then putting your alarm clock so at the very end,

you can wake up and repent.

No.

Because you are corrupting yourself through that life,

that you became so dull from hearing even that alarm clock at some point.

That’s why God is not telling us the day of the rapture.

No one knows: Not even the Son; Nor the angels.

They don’t know the day of the rapture.

So, we will be ready all the time.

There’s a logic behind it.

Of course, in Revelation 1:18,

“I am He who lives, and was dead.

And behold, I am alive forevermore.

Amen.

I have the keys of Hades and Death.”

Jesus said, “Look, I have the keys of Hades and Death.”

In other words,

If you believe in me, you have no part in Hades or Death.

If you don’t believe in me?

That’s where people go, until what?

The day of judgment.

When Hades and Death will be cast down into the lake of fire.

So Jesus said, “Look, I am He.”

Look how many warnings we have in the Bible.

Look what Abraham was trying to tell the rich man.

If they don’t believe the Scriptures,

do you think they’ll believe a man who said he came from the dead?

No!

God gave them the Scriptures so that they may believe.

Revelation 20, “The sea…

After… the Millennial Kingdom,

“The sea gave up the dead who were in it.

And Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.

And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”

This is the second death.

Wondering what the second death is?

It’s that.

And non-believers are cast into the lake of fire.

And it says,

“And anyone who is not found written in the Book of Life [by the way, of the Lamb]

was cast into that lake of fire.

That’s the second death.

But remember, there are two resurrections.

The Bible says,

“He who has part in the first resurrection,

to him, the second death over him, has no power.”

In other words, there are two types of resurrections.

There is the resurrection of the believers.

And there is a resurrection of the non-believers.

It is not at the same time.

John 5, “Do not marvel at this.

For the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice.

And come forth.

Those who have done good, to the resurrection of life.

And those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

That’s exactly what Daniel said in chapter… 12.

Hebrew says,

“And as it is appointed for men to die once,

but after this the judgment.

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.

To those who eagerly wait for him,

he will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

So, there is a 1st resurrection that we all want to be part of.

And there is a second resurrection.

The 1st resurrection started with Jesus, himself.

The Bible says that he became the First Fruits from among those who fell asleep.

Because no one ever in the history of planet Earth

was born, lived, died, raised from the dead and never died again.

No one.

Up until the moment that we speak, right now.

No one ever:

Died;

Resurrected;

And stayed alive.

Do you understand that?

Do you understand what I’m talking about?

Jesus, thus became the First Fruit.

The resurrection that came right after Jesus,

included first, the Jerusalem saints.

The Bible says that right after he was crucified and resurrected,

we know that people resurrected from the graves.

In Matthew 27, it spoke of it,

“… graves were opened

and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.”

Then, of course, there is the “Church-age Saints”.

According to 1 Thessalonians, John 14 … and 1 Corinthians 15.

We see that we are all going to be resurrected.

Then, of course, at the time of the rapture…

We read in 1 Thessalonians,

“…I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren,

concerning those who have fallen asleep.

Lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,

even so, God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord,

that we who are alive and remain

until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,

and with a voice of the archangel, and with a trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first.

And then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up. [harpazo in Greek]

Together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”

First of all, it’s started with Jesus.

Then the saints in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus.

Then, when the rapture comes, all of the dead in Christ will be resurrected.

Then the great tribulation begins.

And throughout the first half of the tribulation,

God is sending 2 witnesses to witness of salvation.

And of God’s Word to the people.

They will be mocked.

They will be murdered.

And they will be resurrected… 3 1/2 days later.

And they will be taken, raptured, by God.

That’s in Revelation 11:11-12.

Then in the second part of the tribulation,

we know that… the people of Israel that are being kept in the wilderness.

Then at the end of the tribulation, when Jesus comes back,

Israel and other Old Testament saints are going to be resurrected.

Isaiah, the prophet, Daniel, the prophet, all spoke of that.

Isaiah knew, I’m going to resurrect.

Isaiah said,

“Your dead shall live; Together with my… dead body they shall arise.

… Excuse me,

“Your dead shall live together in my dead body, they shall arise.

Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust.

For your dew is like the dew of herbs,

and the earth shall cast out the dead.”

Then, of course, we’ve got the tribulation martyrs

that will be resurrected and taken.

I want to show you that there is a table.

Let’s put the table of “The Order of the Resurrection”.

So all of you can see who and when is going to be resurrected.

There is the First Resurrection;

And the Timing of it;

And Who;

And then there is the Scripture verses of all of it.

Just so you know, pay attention.

All the 1st is before the Millennial Kingdom.

After the Millennial Kingdom,

all the unbelieving dead people, in the history of planet Earth, will be resurrected.

The Bible says,

“I saw thrones, and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them.

Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus.”

And then, of course, it speaks of that,

“I saw a great white throne [in Revelation 20]

and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away.

And there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God.”

[Remember] Books were opened.

And another book was opened,

which is the Book of Life.

And the dead were judged according to their works,

by the things which were written in the books.”

Not in the Book of Life, remember that.

“The sea gave up the dead who were in it.

And Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.”

Remember, Death and Hades.

And of course,

“And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death.”

Lake of fire, we know is for the non-believers.

When death is there, your 2nd death, and your destination is the lake of fire:

You will have a sign.

A very sad sign of no entrance to the new Jerusalem.

Take a look at this very sad sign.

That probably all of the people, who do not believe, are going to see:

No Entrance.

Can you put that sign, please?

“No Entrance To The New Jerusalem”

… Can you put that sign? There you go.

However, for the believers,

there are three signs that we’re going to see.

The 1st one:

We are going to heaven very soon.

And it’s upwards.

2nd one is 7 years later:

Time to go earth; Put on your fine linen garments;

And ride your white horses behind your Commander-In-Chief.

Then, of course, when you’re here,

you will also see, after the Millennial Kingdom, the beautiful sign of:

“Welcome To The New Jerusalem.”

I want to finish with one thing.

This is it.

Until all of that happens, we still have life here.

I want you to know that life is not easy.

Anyone who promises you that life of believers are easy?

Is lying to you.

I want you to know that Paul when he wrote to Timothy in chapter 4 of 2 Timothy,

he knew that he was about to die.

And he wrote him those beautiful words.

He says, “I’m already being poured out as a drink offering.

And the time of my departure is at hand.”

Look what he said.

I want to ask you, if you can say the same thing when your day is coming?

Paul said, “I have fought the good fight.”

Do you know that there are fights that are not good?

I saved that seat for someone else.

You sit in my seat.

You parked in my spot.

You did this to me.

You say that to me.

These are stupid things.

These are not the “good” fights.

Good fight is about your faith.

It’s about your heart.

It’s about eternity.

It’s about your future.

It’s about those things.

That’s the good fight.

And it’s worth fighting for.

Don’t fight fights that are not worthy for it.

Look in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul said,

“Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.”

You can ask Manny Pacquiao.

He can tell you, beating the air means nothing.

You need to beat the person; You need to beat the situation.

You need to fight the good fight that matters.

Not just punching in the air.

Going back, he said, “I fought the good fight.

I have finished the race.”

Look, Paul said, there’s a race.

Life is not just strolling, walking and everything is great.

It’s a race.

I always likened Christianity to be running on an escalator, that goes down.

Have you tried it?

Escalator goes down, and you run up.

What happens if you stop?

You go down.

There is no, “I’m taking a pause from my Christian walk in the next few months”.

There’s no such thing.

The life of a believer is a race!

And Paul says to those first Corinthians,

“Do you not know that those who run in the race all run,

but one receives the prize?

Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

Don’t just stroll.

Don’t just do this.

Run!

Run in order to win!

“…I finished the race,” he said.

By the way, our finish line is up there.

Not here.

Paul already could see the “Welcome to Heaven” [sign].

And that’s what he said,

“Finally, [he said] I kept the faith.”

I could have lost my faith.

Look, I could have blamed every person who did bad things to me.

And depart from faith and go do whatever I want.

Oh, he was nasty to me.

Those Christians…

No.

Christianity is not about Christians; It’s about Christ.

And Christianity is not promising us, no problems.

Christianity is not the absence of problems.

It’s the presence of Christ.

So, it’s your choice.

I don’t want to be a Christian.

These are evil people…

Your problem is that you don’t look at Jesus,

the Author and Finisher of our faith.

You look at people.

“I kept the faith, and finally, [he said] they’re laid up for me,

the crown of righteousness.”

And he knew the day of the Bema Seat of Christ is not yet there.

I need to wait for all of you to come.

And when you come, in the day of the rapture?

Then that day, the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will give to me.

On that day, he said.

Not only to me, he said,

I can’t wait for the day that I see all of you.

Who?

Those who have loved his appearing.

Do you love, do you wait?

Are you eagerly waiting for his return?

Father, we thank you for your Word.

We thank you that we can eagerly wait for your return.

We should eagerly wait.

We should love your appearing.

We cannot wait for those crowns of righteousness that you are keeping for us.

And you probably already have one reserved with our names.

If indeed: We will finish the race;

We will fight the good fight;

And we will keep the faith.

We thank you and we bless you

that we don’t have any part in the second death or the lake of fire.

That we are already residents of the new Jerusalem to come.

We thank you and we bless you for the great promises that you have for us.

We ask you, Father, that you will help us to witness to non-believers of the severity

and the urgnecy of the times and the season.

In Jesus name. Amen.