How God Will Save "the Rest of the Dead"

Welcome to the eighth day after the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. As you know, the only place in the Bible where all the Holy Days are listed together are right here in Lev. 23. The only other place that the Last Great Day is alluded to, is in 2-Chron. 6, after they had the dedication of the temple by Solomon and then observing the Feast of Tabernacles.

We're going to see that if someone were just to read the Bible, never read it before and read about the eighth day, they would kind of think that this is, well, not very important. As you look at the evidence within the Bible, it really does appear to be not very important at all, when, in fact, it is the greatest and most important day of the Feasts of God!

Leviticus 23:33: "And the LORD spoke to Moses saying." This is something always to remember: There is not one place in the Law—The Five Books of Moses—where Moses himself gave a law separate from what God told him to give them. So, these are the words of God—not just something Moses invented:

Verse 34: "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. On the first day shall be a Holy convocation. You shall do no servile work therein. Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD…. [you can read about that in Num. 29] …On the eighth day shall be a Holy convocation to you…. [Isn't that something? That's all it says!] …And you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly. And you shall do no servile work therein'" (vs 34-36). Two sentences!

Then he goes on to review, v 37: "These are the Feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything on its day; besides the Sabbaths of the LORD…" (vs 37-38).

They're all Sabbaths. Remember: the Sabbath is the weekly Sabbath; and all Holy Days are called a Sabbath. Collectively together, all of the Sabbaths during the year, in addition to the Holy Days, are called the Sabbaths.

"…and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD" (v 38). Then he also gives another explanation for the Feast of Tabernacles:

Verse 39: "Also, in the fifteenth day of the seventh month when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a Feast to the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath." There it is right there–so this is the eighth day!

Here's what they were to do on the first day, v 40: "And you shall take the boughs of beautiful trees for yourselves on the first day, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And you shall keep it a feast to the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths seven days. All that are born Israelites shall dwell in booths" (vs 40-42).

Now, the type of that dwelling in the booth was temporarily dwelling with God, as God was temporarily dwelling in the tabernacle or the temple. Now we have the temple in heaven above; we have Jesus Christ Who is the High Priest; and God is dwelling in us. So, the important thing is not to dwell in booths per se today, because everything on the earth is temporary; the important thing is to have Christ dwelling in you and you dwelling in God, and that's what's important. The eighth day then, after he said that they were to remember that the Lord brought them out of the land of Egypt and they dwelled in booths.

On all the Holy Days we do take up an offering. When we understand how much this day really means to all the world, because as we're going to see, the world doesn't understand what's going on. Only those who truly love God and keep His commandments and keep the Holy Days have an understanding as to what is really taking place in the world and what God is doing.

Note the book: God's Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days, with four CDs, beginning with the Passover and ending with the Last Great Day.

(pause for offering)

What does the Last Great Day picture in the plan of God? Actually, this day explains the greatest mystery of God throughout all the ages, and all the time of human history. It helps understand the nature of God even more. Also, it tells us how God is going to resolve all of the difficult human problems that people see and experience around them. When you look at the view of human history from individuals to great civilizations, from the forgotten, unwanted and rejected—and there are many of those—to the famous and idolized and celebrated, you have to ask:

• Why is there life and death?
• Why is there good and evil?

The most perplexing question of all that people cannot resolve in their mind is: Why does God allow and/or cause disasters:

• floods
• tidal-waves
• earthquakes
• volcanic eruptions
• destruction
• war
• famine
• pestilence
• sickness
• disease
• pain
• suffering
• violence
• death

to befall all mankind? That's throughout every generation and every civilization. They always ask: If God is a God of love:

• Why does He not stop or prevent the wretchedness and misery of human suffering?
• Why does He not stop accidental death?

Especially when you consider innocent children and babies, and the abortion of the unborn. These are very perplexing questions; and as we will see, this day gives God's answer!They also ask:

• Why does God allow:
  • rape?
  • murder?
  • sadistic torture?
  • cruelties?
    • of man against man?
    • the strong against the weak?
    • the wicked against the righteous?

If God really hears the mournful cries of desperate human beings suffering such horrible tragedies: disaster, sickness and death.

• Why does He not intervene?
• Why doesn't God hear?

These have been the questions throughout the ages: life and death!

You've had philosophers try and answer it; religionists try and answer it; atheists try and answer it, but they can't find it! When they attempt to find the answers to these things, they often find themselves going in the wrong direction and coming up with the wrong conclusions because they are not coming to the true knowledge of God.

What has happened as a result of all of this? Men have cultivated countless theories and 'religious' philosophies about the nature of God, as well as the origin and purpose of life!

To be a believer in evolution has got to be the most insane position that anyone could possibly believe. The theory of evolution was invented when men thought things were all simple. But it's not! They're finding even the simplest thing that God has created is very complex.

Because of that, they've developed various theories of how life came to be. We all grew out of the slime from the ocean and automatically changed. Trying to understand the origin and purpose of life, religionists have come up with the immortal soul, heaven, hell, purgatory and re-incarnation. So, when you come to the conclusion of it all, they all really admit they don't know! They don't have the answers. Yet, the answers that would give them Truth are right here in the Bible!

But when they read the Bible, they come up with many different conclusions and theories about what God is saying in the Bible, and they really don't understand it at all. Actually, when they read some of these Scriptures, they think God must be schizophrenic, because He says one thing in one place; one thing in another place.

• How are we going to know what is right and true?
• How are we going to understand the Bible?

Let's look at some of those. The way you understand the Bible is The Fourteen Rules of Bible Study, and we have it in several of our publications. It will show you:

• there is a say to understand the Bible
• and there is a way to put the Scriptures together
• and there is a way that God is showing and teaching us

There's one thing for sure, you cannot come to the Bible to read it and say you disbelieve God, because with that you'll never understand it, even if you read the Bible throughout your whole lifetime.

• What happens here?

People come and they say that because God allows all these things that we've covered earlier, God must be evil! God must be unrighteous!

• How would God do that?
• Especially to what people consider 'good people'?

Romans 9:14: "What then shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? MAY IT NEVER BE!" There's no unrighteousness with God at all!

Let's look at a couple of other statements that are interesting and that show us maybe a conflict in statements of God.

Verse 27: "But Isaiah cried out concerning Israel, 'Although the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved."

We find in the New Testament that there are many[transcriber's correction] who are called, but few who are chosen. It's the straight and the narrow way; there are going to be a remnant that are saved.

Romans 11:26: "And so all Israel shall be saved…"

• How can that be when it's only a remnant that are saved?
• Is this a conflict?
• God saying one thing in one place and one thing in another place?

or

• Could it be that He's talking about one time in history and another time in history? If that's the case then there's no conflict!

The thing is to understand when those things take place!

"…according as it is written: 'Out of Sion shall come the Deliverer, and He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob'" (v 26).

Then He says He's going to make a covenant with them, and so forth. Paul himself understood these two things, but he didn't understand when they would take place.

Verse 27: "For this is My covenant, which I will make with them when I have taken away their sins."

When is God going to take away their sins? You can't be saved unless the sins are taken away! We'll find the answer today!

Verse 28: "On the one hand, concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes … [the true Christians] … but on the other hand, concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes."

What he's saying here is that God chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and even though there are some of the children of Israel who are enemies of the Church and against the brethren of God, yet, when you look what God did physically with them, He elected to call them as a physical nation. This also demonstrates some of the future mercy of God, which He is yet to give.

Verse 29: "Because the gifts and the calling of God are never revoked. For just as you once did not believe God, but have now been shown mercy through their unbelief" (vs 29-30).

Paul is talking to the Gentiles, and he's saying because the Jews didn't believe now God has saved you.

Verse 31: "In the same way also, they have not believed at this time in order that through the mercy shown to you, they also may have mercy shown to them."

• How is God going to do that?
• When is God going to do that?

Verse 32: "For God has given them all over to unbelief in order that He might show mercy to all."

• How is God going to give people over to unbelief and show them mercy?
• Is that not a contradiction? Well, it appears to be one!

Understanding that this is going to be, but not understanding the time-sequence, and essentially because the book of Revelation had not yet been written, here's how Paul ends this chapter:

Verse 33: "O the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unfathomable are His judgments and unsearchable are His ways!…. [unless God reveals them] …For who did know the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who first gave to Him, and it shall be recompensed to him again?.… [Job had to learn that lesson] …For from Him, and through Him, and unto Him are all things; to Him be the glory into the ages of eternity. Amen" (vs 33-36).

Let's look at some other Scriptures that kind of look like God really doesn't know what He's saying. This is why when someone is hostile and antagonistic and atheist and they pick up the Bible and read it, they can't understand it. The key is, they don't believe the simple things first, like the Ten Commandments; like God is Creator. So therefore, they can't understand these other things and God has hidden them as a mystery that we will see that only God, through His Word, can reveal.

What we're going to cover today is not the opinions of any man, but what is the revelation of God through His Word?

1-Timothy 2:4—speaking of God our Savior: "Who desires all men to be saved…"

If He desires all of them to be saved and He's given some over to unbelief, and they die without being saved, how's God going to save them? If God's Word is true—and God cannot lie and does not lie—how are you going to come to understand this?

"…and to come to the knowledge of the Truth" (v 4).

2-Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not delaying the promise of His coming, as some in their own minds reckon delay…"

God has His own time schedule. And the truth is, if you know and understand the Holy Days, you have a framework so as Paul said, we can understand the times and the seasons! So, we can get a pretty well overall timeframe of understanding.

"…rather, He is longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" ( 9).

• How are all going to come to repentance?
• When will they come to repentance?

Let's see what else God has done, which also ties together with what Paul wrote about: that God gave them over to unbelief to show them mercy! That seems like a contradictory statement in itself.? When you understand the whole plan of God, that's not contradictory at all! But an atheist could read that and he could say that this sounds a little schizophrenic to him, 'talking out of both sides of His mouth.'

The disciples wanted to know why Jesus talked to them in parables that really were not understandable to them.

Matthew 13:10 "And His disciples came to Him and asked, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' And He answered and said to them, 'Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven…'" (vs 10-11).

• God has to give the knowledge!
• God has to give the understanding!

Even as we now understand, looking back in history and what the apostles taught and what they did and so forth, and what they wrote—even some of the things that they understood to a certain degree, like Paul as we read there in Rom. 11—they didn't have the fullness of the understanding of it. This is why we find in Dan. 12, he says that 'none of the wicked shall understand. But the wise shall understand.' The wise are the ones:

• who keep the commandments of God
• who believe God
• who are converted
• who have the Holy Spirit of God
• and who love God with all their heart, mind, soul and being

Furthermore, Daniel also said that this 'knowledge would be understood in the time of the end'! Not even Daniel, as a prophet who delivered many of the prophecies, would even understand them. So, it's all based on what God does. Here's part of the revelation that was given when Jesus taught the disciples.

"…it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven… [that's why I call this God's greatest mystery] …but to them it has not been given" (v 11).

Then here's something else that happened. It happens also in the lives of even those who are professed Christians; those who may even be converted, yet, get very slack.

Here's a true principle, v 12: "For whoever has understanding, to him more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance, but whoever does not have understanding, even what he has shall be taken away from him." We are now seeing that actively happen in Protestantism, which is in a death spiral!

Verse 13: "For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they see not; and hearing, they hear not; neither do they understand…. [The reason? They don't repent!] …And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, 'In hearing you shall hear, and in no way understand; and in seeing you shall see, and in no way perceive; for the heart of this people has grown fat, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…'" (vs 13-15).

They made the choice to disbelieve God first. God acted upon that knowledge and brought upon them the spiritual blinding. Now here is an astounding statement, when you compare that with that God 'desires ALL to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth'

"'…lest they should see with their eyes, and should hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them'" (v 15).

What an incredible statement. Why would God the Father and Jesus Christ do that? Because the knowledge of God only comes with repentance! Not by intellect; not by wanting to know just for the sake of knowing; not so that you can feel good and be important, but so that you can answer the call of God and follow Jesus Christ!

Verse 16: "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, and have not seen…" (vs 16-17).

• Isaiah didn't know
• Jeremiah didn't know
• Ezekiel didn't know
• all the prophets of the Old Testament didn't know
• Elijah and Elisha didn't know
• Moses didn't know, though he prophesied some things of the last days

All the way down through history till the time that Jesus came, as God manifested in the flesh, then He began revealing many, many of these things to His disciples and to His apostles. But how many? Stop and think for just a minute.

• How many thousands did He feed? He fed approximately 14,000 people!
• How many believed and followed Him?
• How many thousands of people did He heal?

He raised three from the dead, but they didn't believe Him. So, there you have the answer. What was the end result of Jesus' ministry after He was crucified and ascended to heaven? The end result was 120! The 12 apostles plus 108 others!

You would think that the Son of man could have done better than that, some people would say. When you compare that to some of these evangelists, and you better check out whether they're from God or not, they go out and they supposedly have conversions of how many? Now granted, on the Day of Pentecost 3,000 were converted. But out of how many that were at the temple? It fills in just what Jesus said: 'In this age many are called, few repent, few are chosen.' And the way to life is through the 'straight gate and the narrow gate.' Jesus said, 'few be that find it,' and the vast majority fall into this category and they're blinded.

How's God going to solve the problem? Let's look at another one that is really kind of an enigma for many people. Let's stop and think about all the good, sincere people in the world—hard working, love their family, love their wives, love their children, sacrifice for them, do good, go to church every Sunday, faithful Catholics, faithful Protestants, faithful Buddhists, they try and do nice and kind things for people, etc., etc. Now let's look and see one here, right there during the days of Jesus.

Matthew 19:16: "Now at that time, one came to Him and said, 'Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?'…. [everyone wants to do something to inherit eternal life; so he came] …And He said to him, 'Why do you call Me good?….'" (vs 16-17).

As long as Jesus was God manifested in the flesh and carrying enough human nature, He was not truly good as God the Father in heaven was truly good.

"'…No one is good except one—God. But if you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments.' Then he said to Him, 'Which?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not commit murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (vs 17-19).

He didn't mention the Sabbath and Holy Days, because this was a Sabbath and Holy Day-keeping society. But notice what the young man answered:

Verse 20: "The young man said to Him, 'I have kept all these things from my youth. What do I yet lack?' Jesus said to him, 'If you desire to be perfect, go and sell your property, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me.'" (vs 20-21). He struck right at the heart of where this man's real intention was, his wealth!

Verse 22: "But after hearing this word, the young man went away grieving, because he had many possessions."

The truth is, the only one's who are going to understand are those who deeply repent, who give their lives totally to Jesus Christ, God the Father, love Them with all heart and mind and soul and being. That you truly not only give up the things that you have, you give up something greater than what you have. He didn't ask him to give up himself. But that's the ultimate thing that you do, which is greater than all of your possessions.

Verse 23: "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Truly I say to you, it is extremely difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.'"

The point here is this: Not just the wealth. But here's a man who kept the commandments in the letter. He was a good, upstanding man of the community. He was probably well liked. He probably, with all of this money, did many things with the money. But he wasn't willing to give up his possessions or himself.

Now, what about all those good people? We can understand people who die in war and battle, because they're shooting, killing, destroying; and so, if they are killed, we say, well, you know, they deserve it. Well, do they really?

• we can't understand good, upstanding people
• we can't understand the death of innocent children
• we can't understand why God doesn't intervene in all of these things

The reason is is because beginning with Adam and Eve they weren't willing to obey God. God then gave them over to human nature to do whatever they chose to do, and live their lives in any way that they desired to live; and God blinded all of them and only called those few that God would convert at this time. That is God's basic plan! So included in that, and in many of these things, God requires—even in that state—all people to keep His commandments in the letter of the Law.

That does not mean they receive eternal life. You have to repent and be baptized and give yourself wholly to God for that.

• How many are willing to do that?
• Truly? Truly? Truly?
• In a humble and converted way?

Not in a vain way, like Peter said, 'Lord, I'm not going to let You die. If they do, I'll be there to protect You.' That's why Jesus said, 'Look, you're going to deny Me three times tonight,' because that was a carnal response. It has to be a spiritual response of deep repentance!

We have the category of the saved and the unsaved. Those who are going to be saved are in the first resurrection. It says, 'Those who are Christ's at His coming, and every man in his own order.' God is not going to forget all the rest of the people. But there is an order to what God is doing. This is the secret that we find within the Bible. The truth is, you cannot understand the Holy Days in the fall—Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and the Last Great Day—unless there is the book of Revelation to give us the interpretation of it.

We know about the first resurrection. They are going to live and reign with Christ a thousand years. Now here's a statement in Rev. 20:5, because the ones who are resurrected in the first resurrection are going to be alive, and they are going to be ruling and reigning with Christ as kings and priests; we know that.

• What about all the rest of the people?
• What's going to happen to them?

Revelation 20:5: "(But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed.)"

So, the order of the resurrection for other people is after the thousand years are completed, then the rest of the dead live again! Let's see how Jesus explained this; and let's understand what the Scriptures really tell us.

John 5:24: "'Truly, truly I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him Who sent Me [the Father], has everlasting life and does not come into judgment… [the judgment unto eternal death] …for he has passed from death into life."

If you are converted and have the Holy Spirit of God, God views you as having passed from a state of death to a state of life; because when you do die in Adam—because we all die in Adam—we are going to be resurrected. Our death in the faith is an absolute guarantee of eternal life at the resurrection.

Verse 25: "Truly, truly I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. For even as the Father has life in Himself, so also has He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and has also given Him authority to execute judgment… [because we're all going to be judged] …because He is the Son of man. Do not wonder at this, for the hour is coming… ['I didn't tell you when'] …in which all…" (vs 25-28). Not excluding anybody—not some, not a few, not the majority, but ALL!

"…who are in the graves shall hear His voice" (v 28). That means everyone who's died! The truth of the matter is, no one has gone to heaven and there's no such a thing as an immortal soul. If you don't understand that you can write us and we'll send you the information.

Verse 29: "And shall come forth: those who have practiced good…" That is the true good:

• the goodness of God
• the commandments of God
• loving God
• loving the brethren
• have grown in grace and knowledge so that they are truly converted

"…unto a resurrection of life… [the first resurrection] …and those who have practiced evil unto a resurrection of judgment" (v 29).

If you disbelieve God, even though you live in what is perceived to be a morally good life, you are still counted as those who are blinded and you are doing evil because you're not believing God. We're going to see there are two kinds of evil that are judged by God—and what happens to them—because it says, 'all who are in the grave shall hear His voice and come forth.' That's really quite a fantastic thing for us to understand.

Now as we have seen, in Rev. 20, the rest of the dead who are going to hear the voice of Jesus calling them forth, will not live again until the thousand years have been completed. This is important for us to understand. We're going to see the "rest of the dead" fit into two categories.

If the first resurrection, which is labeled the first resurrection in many places, are those who are resurrected at the return of Jesus Christ, then the rest of the dead who are brought back to life again after the thousand years is over, have to be in what is called a second resurrection. We will see that there are two categories of those in the second resurrection. We will see how Jesus makes the differentiation here in just a minute.

We're also going to see that they will be raised to judgment, as Jesus said, and this is also called the Great White Throne Judgment, which we will see in the Scriptures in just a little bit. Here are the two categories that God has made as two distinct classes of people that will be raised from the dead.

From the creation of Adam and Eve until the return of Jesus Christ all who God did not call during their first lifetime, because they had a lifetime and they died, regardless of how long or how short it was, they died.

Because God deliberately bound them to a life of spiritual blindness and unbelief, and because of that, they haven't committed the unpardonable sin. As we will see that there are two categories of people there are two categories of judgment for them even in this life:

• those who sin a sin not unto death; or they committed forgivable sins
• those who did unforgivable sins

Because God is gracious and generous, He resurrects them to a second life in the flesh for their first opportunity for salvation.

We will see that they will be raised to a life of flesh, and we'll understand why it is a life of flesh. This will be their first opportunity for salvation because they were blinded and God gave them over to spiritual blindness; did not reveal these things to them; did not grant them repentance; and regardless of how good they were in the flesh because of keeping some of the commandments of God, they still did not receive eternal life and they still didn't repent. He resurrects them back to a second physical life, for their first opportunity for salvation.

This includes all, whether old or young who have died untimely deaths, as a result of war, disease, natural disasters, accidents, murder, suicide, as well as those who have died as newborns, those stillborn, and even those who suffered death by abortion! God is not going to let Satan have his way. The greatest, most heinous act that Satan has perpetrated on mankind has been the death of the unborn through abortion.

The truth is that even though they have been aborted, every human being when conception occurs, what they are is already locked into the genes and chromosomes, and that's all God needs to resurrect them back to a second physical life; and in the case of the aborted unborn, probably back to being full-term infants.

(go to the next track)

Now let's look at the second category of those who will be in the second resurrection, which will be the second phase. We will see there are two phases of the second resurrection:

• the first phase will be for those who have sinned forgivable sins
• the second phase will be for those who have committed the unpardonable sin

The second phase of the second resurrection will be all those who in their first lifetime have rejected the salvation of God and blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. We'll see Jesus' explanation of this in just a minute. If you blaspheme against the Holy Spirit you are rejecting God the Father Himself! Having committed the unpardonable sin they will be raised back to a physical life for their final judgment to be cast into the Lake of Fire and die the second death; everyone has to die the second death who has committed the unpardonable sin.

All those who have committed the unpardonable sin, they lived one life, rejected God, rejected salvation. But they have to die twice. To die twice is not some sort of ethereal theological thing that they really don't die. With immortal souls you have three stations: heaven, purgatory or hell. The wicked are in hell according to that theory. But God says they die. When you die, the Bible reveals you are dead, and you're dead all over! It also reveals that the righteous are going to walk on the ashes of the wicked. They are not in hell being tormented. Please understand this: Everlasting fire does not torment human flesh. It destroys it!

Let's see how Jesus explained this. He says something here that can only be understood in a timeframe when you have Rev. 20. This is why even the Apostle Paul, though he knew it was going to happen; though the other apostles knew it was going to happen; and though Jesus said it was going to happen, He had not yet revealed the information about when it would occur until John wrote the book of Revelation about 95-96A.D., which then is 35-36 years after the destruction of Jerusalem and the death of the other apostles.

Matthew 12:31: "Because of this, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy… [now listen carefully] …shall be forgiven to men except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; that shall not be forgiven to men."

We have online and also in the Hebrew series in two sermons, #s 17 & 29:

• The Law of Sin and Death & the Unpardonable Sin
• The Unpardonable Sin?

The unforgivable, unpardonable sin is the sin of total rejection of God with no remorse, with hatred, contempt, deliberation and foreknowledge. Not absolutely feeling sorry concerning one thing that the one who has done to commit the unpardonable sin is even willing to admit or repent of.

Verse 32—Jesus explains this: "And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit… [and rejects it, because that comes from God the Father] …it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming age."

This shows forgivable sins will be forgiven in the coming age of the second resurrection, at the end of the thousand-year period. This is for all of those in the first phase of the second resurrection, which is at the beginning of the Great White Throne Judgment, as we have mentioned and covered yesterday concerning Isa. 65, will probably be for a 100-year period.

• they'll be raised back to life
• they'll have the memory of all of their past life
• they'll be able to see that
• they'll see all the glory and goodness of the world at that time

because the last part of the thousand years they're going to be preparing for all of those who are going to be resurrected, in the first phase of the second resurrection at the end of the thousand years.

How do we know this is going to happen? We know this is going to happen because of Ezek. 37. Without the New Testament, the teachings of Jesus that we just read and the book of Revelation, you have no clue as to when Ezek. 37 is going to take place, which shows a resurrection to a second physical life for a first opportunity for salvation. This has to refer to the 'rest of the dead' in the first phase of the second resurrection who have not sinned against the Holy Spirit, and their sins are forgivable. We'll see the whole thing right here:

Ezekiel 37:1: "The hand of the LORD was on me, and brought me by the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of a valley, and it was full of bones."

If you have bones, what does that tell you? Someone died! It had to be a fleshly human being.

Verse 2: "And He made me walk among them all around…. [he walked among all the bones] …And behold, very many were in the open valley. And lo, they were very dry…. [showing that they were dead for a long time] …And He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, 'O Lord GOD, You know.'…. [he didn't know] …Again He said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, "O dry bones, hear the Word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you…'" (vs 2-6).

A second resurrection to a second physical life in the flesh, for a first opportunity for salvation, because He says this is the 'whole house of Israel' down through the whole history of time.

"…and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the LORD" (v 6). Knowing the Lord means they are converted!

Verse 7: "So, I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise. And behold, a shaking! And the bones came together, a bone to its bone. And as I watched, behold the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above. But there was no breath in them. And He said to me, 'Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain that they may live'"'"  (vs 7-9).

I've often wondered: I wonder what Ezekiel thought when he was given this vision? I wonder what the Jews think when they read this in their Bible and they don't have the New Testament. Since the Protestants and Catholics reject the Old Testament, they don't even have a clue that this is in here or for what purpose; or if they read it, unless they have understanding give to them from God, they won't understand what and how and why.

Verse 10: "So, I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. And He said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, "Our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we ourselves are completely cut off"'" (vs 10-11).

God deliberately blinded! Did not give them an opportunity for salvation. Also, understand that under the covenant with Israel that God gave to them, there is not a single promise of eternal life. They were expected to obey God in the letter of the Law and receive physical blessings that God would give them for obedience in the letter of the Law. This is what God requires of every single human being. That doesn't mean that they're going to be called. That does not mean that they're going to receive the Holy Spirit, because that only comes with repentance.

So, here they were blinded, not given an opportunity for salvation, didn't even know anything about the Holy Spirit; lived their lives in sin, sin, sin; rebelled against God. You can read it all the way through the books of 1st &-2nd-Kings, 1st &-2nd-Chronicles, 1st &-2nd-Samuel, Joshua, Judges and so forth—even in Num. and Deut.—all the sins that Israel committed, none of them were unforgivable sins! Though they lived their lives, etc., etc.; some good, some bad. He resurrects them! Notice their reactions, after He says these are the whole house of Israel:

"'…Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we ourselves are completely cut off.'" [In other words, 'We've sinned so great there's not a chance for anything.'] …Therefore, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, O My people, I will open your [#1]graves… [they were dead] …and cause you to come up out of your [#2]graves… [Where were they? In their graves!] …and will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD when I have opened your [#3]graves, O My people, and have brought you up out of your [#4]graves…"'" (vs 12-13).

For any skeptics that are out there who don't believe that this a resurrection from the dead, you're kind of stuck when it says all of the things that it says. It is a life to a second physical life in the flesh.

Verse 14: "And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live…" There is the opportunity for salvation, their first opportunity granted to them in a second physical life.

"'…and I will place you in your own land. And you shall know that I the LORD have spoken it and have done it,' says the LORD" (v 14). That's pretty powerful!

Now we will see how Jesus Christ explains it. The Jews didn't like what He said to them because they knew He was talking to them, because they were rejecting Jesus Christ. In rejecting Him as Messiah and they knew better because they had all the prophecies and the really knew and understood who He was. He was warning some of them: 'You're going to commit the unpardonable sin.' So, they thought, 'Well, Who is this?

Matthew 12:38: "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, 'Master, we desire to see a sign from You.' And He answered and said to them, 'A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, in like manner the Son of man shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights'" (vs 38-40).

Then He brings out something to them, which probably was very hard for them to understand.

Verse 41: "The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment…" We're going to see that in Rev. 20. As Jesus said, they're going to be raised to life or to judgment.

"…with this generation…" (v 41). The men of Nineveh lived long before this generation, some 900 years before, maybe even 1200 years before.

"…and shall condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here" (v 41).

He's talking about Gentiles, isn't He? So this means that what happened to the children of Israel there in Ezek. 37 is also going to happen to all the Gentile nations, because He's talking about Gentile nations.

Verse 42: "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation… [He says it twice—'rise up'—meaning be resurrected] …and shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here."

With these verses, we can understand the unpardonable sin and the pardonable sin and the two categories concerning them.

Let's see what it says about this, and the approximate timeframe that it's going to happen. Actually, a fairly direct timeframe, which is still approximate because we don't know when the Millennium actually begins in timeframe of today's date.

After Satan is bound and cast into the Lake of Fire and then into outer darkness ends the Millennium. When the Millennium ends, after the thousand years, the rest of the dead shall live. The only way they can live is be resurrected. They are not going to be resurrected to eternal life, because they have not been given the opportunity for salvation. They are going to be resurrected to a second physical life for their first opportunity for salvation.

A lot of people say, 'Well, why do they get a second chance?' The answer is, this is not a second chance because they never had a chance. God blinded them, and God was responsible for their condition. If He wants all men saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth, then He has to have a time and place to save them. This is the time and place to save them because they lived a life blinded and cut off and had not committed the unpardonable sin. So, they are resurrected at the beginning of the Great White Throne Judgment as we find here:

After Satan is bound. Just as those during the Millennium lived without the presence and temptation of Satan, so likewise, these people will live their second life in the flesh without Satan being around. As I have said many times, don't you think one life living in a world run by Satan the devil is enough? Yes, indeed! They're going to be given the opportunity much like was given to the people all during the Millennium.

Revelation 20:11: "Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who was sitting on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and no place was found for them."

There are so many billions and billions of people. When you consider that all during the Millennium, the earth is going to be built up for a thousand years in preparation for this event. There's going to be plenty of food, plenty of water; and I don't know what kind of economic boom there's going to be in the last generation, because they have to build houses, they have to have clothing, they have to have food, they have to have water, they have to have all these things immediately. Why? Because they are resurrected to a second physical life and will need them immediately.

Who are these people? Verse 12: "And I saw the dead…" The 'rest of the dead!' There are two phases to the second resurrection and there are two categories of people: those who have committed forgivable sins; and those who have committed unforgivable sins. Both are covered here.

"…small and great… [that includes everyone, no one is left out] …standing before God; and the books were opened…" (v 12).

Now they're going to begin to understand the Word of God. That's what it's referring to here. The books were opened:

• they're going to be taught
• they are going to learn
• they are going understand

"…and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life" (vs 12).

They never had their names written there for eternal life. Now perhaps they had their names written there for the second resurrection, but they never had their names written there for eternal life.

Now the time comes for the opportunity for their names to be written there after they repent, because they're going to remember their lives. They're going to remember their sins. They are going to abhor themselves and repent (Ezek. 36). And they are going to live for a hundred years. They are going to be able to develop the character of God, to love God and to do all the things that God gives them to qualify for eternal life. These then are going to be the nations that are saved as we will read of in a little bit in Rev. 21.

This is how God is going to do it. This is how God is going to undo every evil, every wrong, everything that has been done; and just as He took care of Satan the devil, the author of sin, and has bound him into the blackest darkness forever, so likewise He's going to take care of all of those who have committed the unpardonable sin and they will be cast into the lake of fire and will be burned up.

"…And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works" (v 12).

Isn't that interesting? They're going to be judged! How are they going to be judged? It can't be on their first life, because they were already judged to not have committed the unpardonable sin, but forgivable sins, and they were raised back to life!

As Israel said to God, 'Oh, we've been cut off for our parts.' God says, 'No, you're going to know that I am the Lord.' Therefore, the works that they do will not be the works of their first life. They were already judged for that, and judged to die the first physical death; but also to receive the judgment to be brought back to a second physical life for the first opportunity for salvation. This is judgment unto salvation, based upon their works during their 100-year period that they will be able to live their lives!

What's going to happen is this: When they're resurrected there are going to be all these babies, all of these small children, and there are going to be billions and billions of everyone. There are going to be enough fathers, enough mothers, enough who can take care of the children. I think one of the greatest acts of forgiveness and reconciliation and mercy is for God to take the aborted baby, now resurrected back to a full-term baby and call the mother over.

Maybe we're going to have an opportunity to do this, because we're the ones who are going to help carry this out and call the mother and father over and say, 'Here is your baby.' You know that after having an abortion, every woman you know—unless you're hard-hearted as can be—can never forget that abortion and wonder: Was it boy? Was it a girl? What would it have been like? The vast majority of those who have had abortions are truly sorry for it. Just think of the repentance and the joy when they're given back their own children.

God says. 'Here now, you're going to live My way. Now, you're going to learn to obey Me and love Me. Here's a place to live.'

All the people regardless of what it is. And I can also imagine all of those Muslims—especially those who died as suicide bombers—thinking that they're going to heaven and they're going to have 72 virgins. They're brought back to life. The thing they talk about as heaven is a place where there are trees and water and plants and every lovely thing; because they inhabit the waste and desert places of the world. Here they're resurrected and they look around and they see all of this. They see trees. They see water. And they're going to say, Where's Allah? And we're going to say, 'Well, Allah's not here. He's been bound and he's never coming back. Now you're going to learn of the true God.' Well, I thought I was in heaven. 'No, you're on the earth. And you're not a soul. You are a physical human being. Now God tells you, repent! He's giving you an opportunity. However, please understand this: you may have one wife, but not 72 virgins.'

Also, there has to come a time for the stopping of production of children otherwise the physical plan of God would have to continue and continue and continue. During this period there's obviously no physical children being born. There'll be plenty to take care of. But:

• Can you imagine some of those who have died in wars?
• Some of those who were in airplanes that crashed to the ground?
• Can you imagine what it's going to be like for all of those who have died at sea?

Talks about it right here, there have been plenty.

"…And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged individually, according to their works…. [What about the wicked?] … And death and the grave were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death" (vs 12-14).

They have to be resurrected at the end of the 100-year period. There'd be no need for them to live a hundred years, and have an opportunity for salvation because they have committed the unpardonable sin. They are all raised and are judged and are cast into the Lake of Fire and they burn up!

2-Peter 3 tells us, the whole earth then is going to be engulfed in fire and lava and flame. It's going to destroy the whole surface of the earth. It is going to burn up the atmosphere that is around the earth.

"…And death and the grave were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death" (v 14).

All of those who commit the unpardonable sin have to die twice. That's why they have to be resurrected at the end of the 100-year period.

Verse 15 is the qualification. God takes note of every single individual. There is a record that is being kept on every human being from the time of conception, You are who you are, and all of your genes and chromosomes are written in the book of God, the book of who you are. If God knows every hair on our head and He knows when a sparrow falls, He knows when every child is conceived, because He gives the spirit of man to that newly conceived life. Here it is: you're either written in the Book of Life, qualify for salvation—whether in your first life, and we will then have reigned 1,100 years by that time—or during the Millennium; or during the Great White Throne Judgment period.

Now, there has to be billions and billions of people. Because if we're going to share the universe with Jesus Christ, what is out there in the universe? So many billions of galaxies that they cannot be numbered. Remember, God didn't create those in vain.

Now let's see what happens after the earth is fully consumed in fire and in lava to burn up all the works of men, to burn up all the things that are physical, now God is ready for the spiritual earth, the spiritual heavens, etc.

Revelation 21:1: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea." The only reason we'd need an ocean is to moderate it for physical life! We don't need it then.

Verse 2: "And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem…" The great spiritual city! The place that Jesus was building. Remember, He was a carpenter on the earth.

"…coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven say, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men; and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and God Himself shall be with them and be their God" (vs 2-3).

What a wonderful and tremendous thing this is going to be, especially for those of us in the first resurrection. We're going to live in New Jerusalem, and we are going to see God the Father and Jesus Christ directly, in a eternal family relationship.

Verse 4: "And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall not be anymore death, or sorrow, or crying; neither shall there be any more pain, because the former things have passed away."

They have been burned up. Now with a spirit body, with a spirit mind, we look forward to living  all eternity.

Verse 5: "And He Who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' Then He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'… [they will happen] …And He said to me, 'It is done…. [it's finished; it's completed] …I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts, I will give freely of the fountain of the Water of Life'" (vs 5-6)—symbolic of God's Holy Spirit!

God's Holy Spirit is going to constantly flow to us. Just imagine how we're going to be learning all through eternity.

Verse 7: "The one who overcomes shall inherit all things… [all things means the universe, everything that there is] …and I will be his God, and he shall be My son."

Because this is so great and because this is so fantastic, He gives a warning for those of still on the earth reading these words, and here's the warning:

Verse 8: "But the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars…"

Obviously, all committing the unpardonable sin, not repenting of them, rejecting the salvation of God, rejecting the way of God.

"'…shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death'" (v 8).

One of the angels came and showed him New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven—describes it with all of its glory and all of its beauty and how it is going to be just a fantastic thing. It's going to be 1500 miles long, 1500 miles wide and 1500 miles high. It's going to be quite a thing to be able to be there. The streets are going to be paved with gold; the foundations are all of precious stones; the names of the apostles written in them. There will be 12 gates with the name of the 12 tribes of Israel written in them. God's plan, where He began back with Adam and Eve and then later with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is all put together in New Jerusalem.

Verse 22—for all of those who love to build temples: "And I saw no temple in it…" The place you would expect to be the greatest temple of all!

"…for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" (v 22)—direct worship of God!

Verse 23: "And the city has no need of the sun… [doesn't say it won't be there] …or of the moon, that they should shine in it… [even though it will] …because the glory of God enlightens it, and the light of it is the Lamb. And the nations that are saved…" (vs 23-24).

That's all of those through the Millennium; all of those through the Great White Throne Judgment, they receive salvation!

"…shall walk in its light; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it" (v 24).

I don't know exactly what all that means, except whatever we are doing, we are going to be busy and productive and making things and creating things and doing things. Based on that, and based on what we know in the Bible, there's got to be some sort of offering and tithing system that God is going to have for all eternity for sharing in the creation and wealth that God has made.

Verse 25: "And its gates shall never be shut by day; for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it…. [just in case someone misses the point, here's another warning]: …And nothing that defiles shall ever enter into it, nor shall anyone who practices an abomination or devises a lie… [Who is the father of liars and lies? Satan the devil!] …but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" (vs 25-27).

Revelation 22:1 "Then he showed me a pure river of the Water of Life… [God's Spirit, His power] …clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb," Apparently they're going to have joint thrones! It comes right out from underneath it.

Verse 2: "And in the middle of the street, and on this side and that side of the river, was the Tree of Life, producing twelve manner of fruits, each month yielding its fruit; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."

The Greek is 'therapeon' for the maintenance of the nations! This is going to be perpetually eating of the Tree of Life, forever. This doesn't mean that we don't have eternal life. But eternal life is going to be also a growing and tremendous experiencing thing through all eternity.

Verse 3: "And there shall be no more curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him."

You go back and see where that applies to the 144,000 and great innumerable multitude, and you again picture the throne of God there (Rev. 4 & 5) and the 24 elders and the multitude of angels and ten thousand times ten thousand angels. It's going to be something!

Verse 4: "And they shall see His face; and His name is in their foreheads."

That's what we find back in Rev. 3: the name of the Father, the Holy City, New Jerusalem and Jesus' name—those three names will be right there in our foreheads.

Verse 5: "And there shall be no night there; for they have no need of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God enlightens them; and they shall reign into the ages of eternity." Now, that's something! Eternal life into the ages of eternity!

As we have seen, every time we come to a real high point of what John is describing and for us to understand, then God also gives a warning. So here He gives a warning:

Verse 6: "And he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true… [they're going to happen] …and the Lord God of the Holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things that must shortly come to pass.'…. [in the time of eternity, this is shortly coming to pass] …'Behold, I am coming quickly…. [don't think He's slack, don't think He's late, don't think He's delaying it] …Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book'" (vs 6-7).

In the book of Revelation you are going to find every commandment of God referred to or declared.

Verse 8: "Now I, John, was the one who saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who was showing me these things. But he said to me, 'See that you do not do this! For I am a fellow servant of yours, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book….'" (vs 8-9).

That can also refer to the whole Bible, because this is the last book of the Bible.

"'…Worship God.' And he said to me, 'Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book because the time is near.'…. [much more so as we get toward the end] …Let the one who is unrighteous be righteous still; and let the one who is filthy be filthy still; and let the one who is righteous be righteous still; and let the one who is Holy be Holy still. 'And behold, I am coming quickly; and My reward is with Me, to render to each one according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who keep His commandments, that they may have the right to eat of the Tree of Life, and may enter by the gates into the city'" (vs 9-14).

Then again, another warning, v 15: "But excluded are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and devises a lie. I, Jesus, sent My angel to testify these things to you in the churches…." (vs 15-16).

This last part is the message to the churches: that we grow in grace and knowledge, hold fast to what is true, live the way that God wants us to live, in spite of all circumstances around us.

"'…I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star.' And the Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.'… [this is going to be our mission] …And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who thirsts come; and let the one who desires partake of the water of life freely. For I jointly testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, that if anyone adds to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book…. [that is to anybody, not just the Church] …And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and from the Holy City, and from the things that are written in this book. He Who testifies these things says, 'Surely, I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (vs 16-21).

That's the message of God and the meaning of the greatest mystery of all: How God is going to save all who will!

Scriptural References:

• Leviticus 23:33-42

• Romans 9:14, 27
• Romans 11:26-36
• 1 Timothy 2:4
• 2 Peter 3:9
• Matthew 13:10-17
• Matthew 19:16-23
• Revelation 20:5
• John 5:24-29
• Matthew 12:31-32
• Ezekiel 37:1-14
• Matthew 12:38-42
• Revelation 20:11-14
• Revelation 21:1-8, 22-27
• Revelation 22:1-21

Scriptures referenced, no quoted:

• 2 Chronicles 6
• Numbers 29

• Daniel 12
• Isaiah 65
• Ezekiel 36
• Revelation 20:15
• Revelation 4; 5; 3

Also referenced:

• Book: God Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days by Fred R. Coulter
• Booklet: Fourteen Rules for Bible Study
• Sermon Series: Hebrews (note #17 & 29 Unpardonable Sin)

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8-28-08
Reformatted/Corrected: 11/2019