Every day, in thousands of funeral services all over the western Christ-professing world, ministers attempt to soothe the heartbroken, bereaved families of those who have died. They say the loved-one is “even now in the arms of the Lord,” and has gone to heaven.
Somehow, no matter the oft-repeated clichés and promises, the wails and sobs of those who have lost family members are clearly in evidence. Is it because death is such a hated enemy? Is it because, no matter the assurances about “going to heaven” when we die, many people cannot bring themselves to rejoice when a loved one dies?
There can be no more important questions than WHY we were born; WHY we are on this earth in this human life; WHAT HAPPENS when we die; WHERE we are going!
There are some puzzling problems with the concept of each human being, regardless of race, having an “immortal soul” which is either destined to “go to heaven,” or “go to hell.” What if many of them never so much as heard about Christ and heaven?
If a Protestant missionary was attempting to reach a remote Chinese village, and had a flat along the way, and while he sweated over the jack and patching materials a little sick Chinese girl died, never having so much as heard the name “Jesus Christ” in her brief lifetime, does her “soul” go instantly to an “ever-burning HELL FIRE”?
Is such a scenario LOGICAL? Does it sound like something a loving God would do to a precious little child?
Will she ever have an opportunity to learn about Christ and His sacrifice?
When Peter was challenged at the “Beautiful gate” as a result of healing a crippled man, he said, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12).
Even the little Chinese girl must be saved in and through the name of Jesus Christ. But first, she must be given an opportunity to learn about Christ; to learn how He died for the sins of all mankind; to learn what sin IS; to learn about repentance, baptism, and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. She must have a CHANCE for salvation! Was her only chance wiped out because of the missionary’s flat tire?
The false doctrine of the “immortality of the soul,” coupled with the false idea that every human being, regardless of race or nationality is having a chance for salvation NOW, and only now, causes much confusion. God has decreed that ALL will have an opportunity for salvation, and that it is only when REJECTING the truth of God when it is brought to you that you are lost!
Plainly, God’s word says the vast majority of all mankind WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY to be saved. He says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
No “Second Chance,” — But Every Human Will Have A FIRST Chance!
There is coming a SECOND RESURRECTION! Christ Himself plainly said so! “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6). The FIRST resurrection is the resurrection of the “dead in Christ”; those who have repented, been baptized, and received God’s Holy Spirit, and who have become “new creatures in Christ.” Paul spoke of this FIRST resurrection in his famous “resurrection chapter,” 1 Corinthians 15. He said, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Corinthians 15:22, 23).
The converted Christians who have died are to rise FIRST, in the FIRST resurrection. Notice another proof: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
But the REST of the dead; those who have never heard, or had an opportunity for salvation during their physical lifetimes, will not be resurrected until AFTER the one thousand year reign of Christ, at the time called the “Great White Throne Judgment Day,” as pictured by the last annual holy day of God each year.
Notice the proof: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years [this pictures the “dead in Christ” who were in the FIRST resurrection, as well as the living who were instantaneously changed at Christ’s coming (see 1 Corinthians 15:50-52)] .
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:4, 5).
Who are “the rest of the dead”? Obviously, all the dead who were NOT in the first resurrection; who were not CONVERTED; who had never heard the name of Christ! The “rest of the dead” includes our little Chinese girl, and the countless millions like her in nations all over the world, from the time before the flood up until the time of the second coming of Christ!
The “rest of the dead” includes all those who have never consciously REJECTED salvation! Think of it! How many gallons of tears have been shed by worried loved ones whose beloved children or other family members died “unsaved”? To discover the real TRUTH about the state of the unsaved dead; to learn that deceased loved ones are profoundly ASLEEP IN THEIR GRAVES; that they will come up in a great resurrection; that they will HAVE A CHANCE FOR SALVATION should be met with great JOY by anyone! What a vast relief it is to learn that it is only those who deliberately, consciously REJECTED God and His laws who will burn in Gehenna fire; that others, who were not called in this life, will have a wonderful opportunity for salvation!
Did not Christ say there are those who God IS NOT CALLING, and who have not been given an opportunity in this lifetime? He certainly did! He deliberately concealed the meaning of much of His teaching to those who were not being called at that time! Notice it, “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
“He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matthew 13:10-15). Read that again! Can you believe it? Jesus Christ said this in His own words! Plainly, He said “No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44) and explained that not all are called to repentance and salvation at the same time.
You may have deceased loved ones who simply were NOT CALLED of God during their physical lives. If God did not CALL them, is it their fault? Is it logical that God would punish such people for all eternity in screaming agony when He decided it was not time to call them?
What about those to whom Jesus spoke in parables, saying “LEST at any time they should see with their eyes”? Believe it or not, Christ did NOT come to “save the world” THEN, during His sojourn on this earth in the flesh!
Notice the description of the great second resurrection: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [Greek: hades, meaning “the grave”] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works” (Revelation 20:12, 13). The Greek word for “books” is Biblos, from which we derive the English word “Bible.” God is consistent. God does not change. He does not judge one part of mankind according to one standard, and another part according to a different standard.
You and I are being judged, DAILY, by the word of God. The “Holy Biblos,” or holy BOOKS of the Bible are used as God’s standard for judgment! In the “Great White Throne Judgment,” or the second resurrection, the SAME God uses the SAME books to judge in the SAME WAY! Notice the dead are judged by and according to their WORKS, the very thing many preach against! Judgment is not SENTENCING! It is, instead, a “trial” period, this time a period of one hundred years; a much longer than the average human life span, during which all those who did not REJECT God and His truth will have a glorious opportunity for everlasting life!
