WHO AND WHAT IS BABYLON ?

WHO  AND  WHAT  IS  BABYLON ?

Descriptions and delineations of the characteristics of Babylon derived from the Bible

(See if your church exhibits any of these characteristics, and be sure to look at the possible spiritual meaning to the characteristic.  NOTE: Not every characteristic needs to be seen before your church can become Babylon)

1.   Abundant in treasures--Jeremiah 51:13.

2.   All connected with her are made rich (not riches of heaven)--Revelation 18:19.

3.   Are liars--Jeremiah 50:36.

4.   Are mad (lost their reason) upon their idols--Jeremiah 50:38.

5.   Beasts inhabit--Isaiah 13:21-22.

6.   Believes that God does not dwell with humanity (Christ's nature before fall)--Daniel 2:11.

7.   Believes they are gods--Isaiah 47:8, 10.

8.   Besieges God's professed church until it falls captive--2 Kings 24:10-12, 25:1-4; Jeremiah 39:1-2.

9.   Breaks bones of God's people--Jeremiah 50:17.

10.  Breaks down walls of God's professed church--2 Kings 25:9; 2 Chronicles 36:19; Ezra 5:12; Jeremiah 39:8.

11.  Builds city and tower whose top reaches unto heaven--Genesis 11:4.

12.  Builds great image of man for all to worship--Daniel 3:1-7.

13.  Burns with fire God's professed church--2 Kings 25:9; 2 Chronicles 36:19; Jeremiah 21:10, 38:23, 39:8.

14.  Camps against God's professed church until is succumbs--Jeremiah 52:4-7.

15.  Carries away treasures (precious truths) out of God's once faithful church--2 Kings 24:13; 2 Chron 36:7, 10, 18.

16.  Carries away all the mighty men--2 Kings 24:14.

17.  Casts out God's people--Jeremiah 51:34.

18.  Causes God's people to be slain--Jeremiah 51:49.

19.  Celebration is in her midst--Jeremiah 51:39.

20.  Commands all to worship image of man at sound of music--Daniel 3:1-7.

21.  Completely captivates majority of members until only a remnant remain--2 Kings 25:11-12, 22; 2 Chronicles 36:20;  Ezra 5:12; Jeremiah 39:9-10, 40:11.

22.  Completely removes all precious vessels which were once held by God's church--2 Kings 25:13-17.

23.  Connected with hell--Isaiah 14:9.

24.  Connected with Mysteries of spiritualism--Revelation 17:5.

25.  Connected with scarlet-colored beast (secret societies)--Revelation 17:3.

26.  Connected with ships (other churches)--Revelation 18:17.

27.  Connected with spiritualism--Ezekiel 21:21.

28.  Corrupts earth with fornication--Revelation 19:2.

29.  Crushes God's people--Jeremiah 51:34.

30.  Cuts down people as trees--Isaiah 14:8.

31.  Cuts in pieces precious vessels of God's once faithful church--2 Kings 24:13, 25:13; 2 Chronicles 36:19.

32.  Deals in slaves--Revelation 18:13.

33.  Deals in souls of men--Revelation 18:13.

34.  Deceives by sorceries--Revelation 18:23.

35.  Defiles sacred vessels and precious things of God's design--Daniel 5:2-4.

36.  Destroys all the earth--Jeremiah 51:25.

37.  Destroys God's heritage--Jeremiah 50:11.

38.  Devours God's people--Jeremiah 51:34.

39.  Does evil among God's people--Jeremiah 51:24.

40.  Does not consider her possible destruction (does not lay these things to heart)--Isaiah 47:7.

41.  Does not glorify God--Daniel 5:23.

42.  Does not remember warnings given about her destruction--Isaiah 47:7.

43.  Does not want to fight outwardly--Jeremiah 51:30.

44.  Does violence to God's people--Jeremiah 51:35.

45.  Does what she wants to, yet believes she will see no sorrow (no punishment or judgment for her actions)-- Revelation 18:7.

46.  Drunken with the blood of God's saints--Revelation 17:6.

47.  Dwells carelessly--Isaiah 47:8.

48.  Dwells upon many waters--Jeremiah 51:13.

49.  Employs reapers to harvest fields (sown with seeds of falsehood)--Jeremiah 50:16.

50.  Employs sowers (to spread seeds of falsehood)--Jeremiah 50:16.

51.  Fears not the Lord--2 Kings 17:25.

52.  Full of astonishment--Jeremiah 25:10.

53.  Full of falsehoods--Jeremiah 51:17.

54.  Full of pomp--Isaiah 14:11.

55.  Full of unclean birds--Jeremiah 50:39.

56.  Full of wild beasts--Jeremiah 50:39.

57.  Full of vanity--Jeremiah 51:18.

58.  Given to pleasure--Isaiah 47:8.

59.  Glorifies herself--Revelation 18:7.

60.  Great majority of wise men are liars and corrupt--Daniel 2:2, 9.

61.  Grows fat (on sin)--Jeremiah 50:11.

62.  Has broad walls--Jeremiah 51:58.

63.  Has daughters--Jeremiah 50:42.

64.  Has high gates--Jeremiah 51:58.

65.  Has trial (inquisition) to determine crimes against her decrees--Daniel 3:13-15.

66.  Heart is lifted up--Daniel 5:20.

67.  Her captains are drunk and asleep--Jeremiah 51:57.

68.  Her cities (churches) are a dry land (no refreshing of the latter rain)--Jeremiah 51:43.

69.  Her cities (churches) are a wilderness--Jeremiah 51:43.

70.  Her cities (churches) are desolate (no Saviour)--Jeremiah 51:43.

71.  Her cry (glory) is found in ships--Isaiah 43:14.

72.  Her men are brutish in their own knowledge--Jeremiah 51:17.

73.  Her mighty men are drunk and asleep--Jeremiah 51:57.

74.  Her princes are drunk and asleep--Jeremiah 51:57.

75.  Her rulers are drunk and asleep--Jeremiah 51:57.

76.  Her waves (ministers--those raised up above the level of the sea or people) do roar--Jeremiah 51:55.

77.  Her wise men are drunk and asleep--Jeremiah 51:57.

78.  Highest leader becomes angry when his will is disregarded for God's will--Daniel 3:19.

79.  Highest leader makes hasty decisions--Daniel 2:15.

80.  Holds God's people captive--Jeremiah 50:33.

81.  Is clothed in gorgeous apparel (but not the robe of Christ's righteousness)--Revelation 17:4, 18:16.

82.  Is covetous--Jeremiah 51:13.

83.  Is desolate--Jeremiah 25:10; Revelation 17:6.

84.  Is filled with delicacies--Jeremiah 51:34.

85.  Is full of abominations--Revelation 17:4.

86.  Is full of filthiness--Revelation 17:4.

87.  Is full of mingled-people (mixed-multitude)--Jeremiah 50:37.

88.  Is great and mighty in eyes of world--Revelation 17:18, 18:10, 16.

89.  Is intimately connected with merchants--Isaiah 47:15; Revelation 18:3.

90.  Is lustful--Revelation 18:14.

91.  Is naked--Revelation 17:16; Isaiah 47:3.

92.  Is perverted--Isaiah 47:10.

93.  Is proud against the Lord--Jeremiah 50:29, 31-32.

94.  Keeps God's people captive as prisoners--Isaiah 14:17.

95.  Language was confounded (confused)--Genesis 11:7-9.

96.  Lifts up self against the Lord--Daniel 5:23.

97.  Lives deliciously--Revelation 18:7

98.  Lucifer is her king--Isaiah 14:4, 12.

99.  Made up of many nations (churches) flowing (uniting) into one--Jeremiah 51:44.

100. Makes all nations (churches) commit fornication with her--Revelation 14:8, 18:3.

101. Makes all nations (churches) drink of her wine (false doctrines)--Revelation 14:8, 18:3

102. Makes all the earth drunken--Jeremiah 51:7; Revelation 17:2.

103. Makes all the earth mad (without reason)--Jeremiah 51:7.

104. Makes God's people empty--Jeremiah 51:34.

105. Makes inhabitants of earth commit fornication with her--Revelation 17:2.

106. Mind hardened by pride--Daniel 5:20.

107. Mounts up to heaven--Jeremiah 51:53.

108. Not humble of heart, even though aware of God's will--Daniel 5:22.

109. Once had (heavenly) craftsmen in her, but no more--Revelation 18:22.

110. Once had (heavenly) music in her, but no more--Revelation 18:22.

111. Once had the light of a candle in her, but no more (no more light of God's truths--candlestick removed)--Jeremiah  25:10; Revelation 18:23.

112. Once had the sound of a millstone in her (grinding out seed or hammering out the truth), but no more--Jeremiah  25:10; Revelation 18:22.

113. Once had the voice of the bride in her (was once the true church), but no more--Jeremiah 25:10; Revelation 18:23.

114. Once had the voice of the Bridegroom (Christ) in her, but no more--Jeremiah 25:10; Revelation 18:23.

115. Once had the voice of gladness (gospel of Christ) within, but no more--Jeremiah 25:10.

116. Once had the voice of mirth within, but no more--Jeremiah 25:10.

117. Once was clean and pure, but now is a cage (closed structure) of every unclean and hateful bird--Revelation 18:2.

118. Once was the habitation of God's angels, but now is the habitation of devils--Revelation 18:2.

119. Once was the hold of the Holy Spirit, but now is the hold of every foul spirit--Revelation 18:2.

120. Oppresses--Isaiah 14:4; Jeremiah 50:16, 33.

121. Persecutes by fire all who do not bow and worship image of man--Daniel 3:6.

122. Places relatives in high positions of leadership (nepotism)--2 Kings 24:17.

123. Practices abundant enchantments--Isaiah 47:8, 12.

124. Practices divination--Ezekiel 21:21.

125. Practices sorcery--Isaiah 47:9, 12.

126. Produces evildoers--Isaiah 14:20.

127. Produces other harlots--Revelation 17:5.

128. Puts on pretense of piety--Isaiah 47:1.

129. Refuses to be healed of sin--Jeremiah 51:9.

130. Refuses to let go of God's people--Jeremiah 50:33.

131. Reigns over others--Revelation 17:18.

132. Reigns without a king (being a widow, or divorced by Husband)--Revelation 18:7.

133. Replaces God's people with pagan believers--2 Kings 17:24.

134. Sins have reached unto heaven (corporate probation closed)--Revelation 18:5.

135. Sits on seven hills--Revelation 17:9.

136. Sits upon many waters--Revelation 17:1, 15.

137. Shows no mercy--Isaiah 47:6.

138. Shows no respect for age--Isaiah 47:6.

139. Sleeps a perpetual sleep--Jeremiah 51:39.

140. Smites--Isaiah 14:6.

141. Speaks with a great voice--Jeremiah 51:55.

142. Strives against the Lord--Jeremiah 50:24.

143. Swallows up God's people--Jeremiah 51:34.

144. Takes away precious things belonging to God's people--Isaiah 39:6.

145. Teaches immortality of the soul (a lady for ever)--Isaiah 47:7.

146. Teaches that she will never be destroyed (a lady or church for ever)--Isaiah 47:7.

147. The praise of the whole earth--Jeremiah 51:41.

148. Tries to be worshiped as God--Isaiah 14:14.

149. Tries to hide her nakedness--Isaiah 47:3.

150. Tries to hide her shame--Isaiah 47:3.

151. Tries to make themselves a name--Genesis 11:4.

152. Tries to prevent separation (lest we be scattered)--Genesis 11:4.

153. Tries to serve God and false gods at same time--2 Kings 17:32-33.

154. Tries to unite all into one--Genesis 11:4.

155. Trusts in wickedness--Isaiah 47:10.

156. Unites God's precious vessels (truths) with corrupt vessels (false doctrines)--Ezra 5:14.

157. Uses intimidation to bring about submission of will to worship image of man--Daniel 3:13-15.

158. Uses slime as mortar for the walls of Babylon--Genesis 11:3.

159. Waters are dried up--Jeremiah 50:38.

160. Worships false gods--Isaiah 21:9.

161. Worships idols--Jeremiah 50:2.

Why  Does  God's  Once  Faithful  Church  Become  Part  of  Babylon

1.   Because her precious vessels are removed--Daniel 1:2.

2.   Because her precious vessels are united with Babylonian treasures--Daniel 1:2.

3.   Because her shepherds (ministers) caused their sheep (members) to go astray--Jeremiah 50:6.

4.   Because her sins reach unto heaven (corporate probation closed)--Jeremiah 51:9.

5.   Because her strength is placed in the church, not in God--Ezekiel 24:2, 21.

6.   Because highest leader becomes blind--2 Kings 25:7; Jeremiah 39:7; Jeremiah 52:11.

7.   Because highest leader does evil in God's sight--2 Chronicles 36:5.

8.   Because highest leader hardens neck against God--2 Chronicles 36:13.

9.   Because highest leader is among thorns--2 Chronicles 33:11.

10.  Because highest leader makes covenant with Babylon leaders--Ezekiel 17:13.

11.  Because highest leader stiffens neck against God--2 Chronicles 36:13.

12.  Because majority of leaders and ministers follow after the abominations of other nations (churches)--2 Chron 36:14.

13.  Because majority of leaders and ministers transgress against God--2 Chronicles 36:14.

14.  Because of a famine occurring (no word of God) in midst of church--Jeremiah 52:6.

15.  Because of arrogance--Isaiah 14:5.

16.  Because of evil--Isaiah 13:11.

17.  Because of evil doing--Jeremiah 32:30, 32.

18.  Because of iniquity--Ezekiel 24:2, 23.

19.  Because of pride--Isaiah 14:5.

20.  Because of worshiping false gods--Acts 7:43.

21.  Because of rebellion--Ezekiel 17:12, 24:3.

22.  Because of there being no bread (no Saviour) in midst of church--Jeremiah 52:6.

23.  Because of transgressions--1 Chronicles 9:1.

24.  Because of wickedness--Isaiah 14:5.

25.  Because she allowed abominations to be practiced in midst--Jeremiah 32:33.

26.  Because she allowed scum to remain within her--Ezekiel 24:2, 6.

27.  Because she allowed strangers into midst--Jeremiah 51:51.

28.  Because she became polluted--2 Chronicles 36:14.

29.  Because she broke covenant made with God--Ezekiel 17:19.

30.  Because she chose to unite with Egypt (world) which occurs just before becoming part of Babylon--Ezek 17:15-18.

31.  Because she despises oath made with God--Ezekiel 17:19.

32.  Because she filled land (whole structure) with sin against the Lord--Jeremiah 51:5.

33.  Because she follows other gods--Jeremiah 32:35.

34.  Because she forgot her resting place (Jesus)--Jeremiah 50:6.

35.  Because she forgot sacredness of God's Sabbath--2 Chronicles 36:21.

36.  Because she harkened not to God's instructions--Jeremiah 32:33, 36:31.

37.  Because she is full of blood--Ezekiel 24:2, 6-9.

38.  Because she is full of filthiness--Ezekiel 24:2, 11.

39.  Because she is full of iniquity--Isaiah 14:5.

40.  Because she is full of lewdness--Ezekiel 24:2, 13.

41.  Because she is full of lies--Ezekiel 24:2, 12.

42.  Because she obeyed not God's voice--Jeremiah 40:2-3.

43.  Because she provoked God to anger--Jeremiah 32:32.

44.  Because she provoked God to wrath--Ezra 5:12.

45.  Because she refuses to be purged by God--Ezekiel 24: 2, 13.

46.  Because she sacrificed her children to false gods--Jeremiah 32:35.

47.  Because she sinned against the Lord--Jeremiah 50:7.

48.  Because she trespassed against God--Ezekiel 17:20.

49.  Because she turned back and not face to God--Jeremiah 32:33.

50.  Because the desire of her eyes was for the church, not for God--Ezekiel 24:2, 21.

51.  Because the joy of her glory was not Jesus--Ezekiel 24:2, 25.

Principles  and  Things  to  Remember  About  Babylon

1.   All inhabitants (members) are partakers of Babylon's sins--Revelation 18:4.

2.   All inhabitants (members) are to receive of Babylon's judgments or plagues--Revelation 18:4.

3.   All inhabitants (members) will fall in the midst of Babylon--Jeremiah 51:47.

4.   All who are part of, or joined with, Babylon shall be destroyed--Isaiah 13:15, 14:22.

5.   Babylon falls piece by piece--Jeremiah 51:31.

6.   Babylon is likened to a destroying mountain--Jeremiah 51:25.

7.   Babylon is the dwelling place for dragons--Jeremiah 51:37.

8.   Babylon will fall suddenly and is completely unaware--Jeremiah 50:24, 51:8.

9.   Blood is upon all the inhabitants (members) of Babylon--Jeremiah 51:35.

10.  Even highest leader of Babylon will fall down and worship at feet of God's saints--Daniel 2:46.

11.  Even the ungodly realized that God's once chosen and faithful church was part of Babylon because she obeyed  not God's voice--Jeremiah 40:2-3.

12.  God's once faithful church became connected with Babylon, but while many of His professed people were being  slain because of it, God extended mercy to those who had no connection with the rebellious church--Jeremiah  39:16-18.

13.  God's once faithful church makes covenant with Babylon, but after it is made, the only way the church can continue  to stand is by continuing with covenant--Ezekiel 17:14.

14.  God restores all His precious vessels (truths) only to those who separate from Babylon--Ezra 1:11, 5:14-15, 6:5.

15.  God's true people are to be delivered from midst of Babylon--Micah 4:10; Zechariah 2:7.

16.  Highest leader of God's professed church was captured and made prisoner, but finally gave up warfare and agreed  to become a leader in Babylon--2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 52:31-34.

17.  Kings of the earth commit fornication with Babylon--Revelation 17:2, 18:3.

18.  Merchants lived on Babylon's delicacies--Revelation 18:3.

19.  Message of the fall of Babylon begins the time of harvest--Jeremiah 51:27, 33.

20.  Names changed when become part of Babylon--Daniel 1:7.

21.  No one is forced to leave Babylon to rebuild God's church--Ezra 7:13.

22.  Only health reform kept a small remnant pure while in Babylon--Daniel 1:8, 16.

23.  Only those who separated from Babylon to rebuilt God's church, and who were of one accord, can be written down  on the new membership list of God's church--Nehemiah 7:5-13, 8:1.

24.  Only those who separate from Babylon will have God's covenant of peace--Jeremiah 32:36-44.

25.  Some of those who separate from Babylon are made to wear crowns of gold--Zechariah 6:10-15.

26.  Souls are held guilty of Babylon's sins if remain part of her--Jeremiah 51:6.

27.  Souls are lost if they remain part of Babylon--Jeremiah 51:6.

28.  Takes about three years to try and defile and corrupt God's people with Babylonian meat and wine--Dan 1:5, 8.

29.  The blood of all God's servants is found within Babylon--Revelation 18:24, 19:2.

30.  The least (weakest) of God's flock brings Babylon down--Jeremiah 50:45.

31.  There were three different attacks against church until it was completely conquered--Jeremiah 52:28-30.

32.  Those who separate to rebuild God's church are supported with freewill gifts--Ezra 7:15-17.

33.  Three parts make up Babylon the great--Revelation 16:19.

34.  When Babylon captures church only a poor remnant left--Jeremiah 52:16.

35.  When Babylon captures church she breaks down all her walls--Jeremiah 52:14.

36.  When Babylon captures church she breaks down all the great pillars supporting it--Jeremiah 52:17, 20-23.

37.  When Babylon captures church she burns it with fire--Jeremiah 52:13.

38.  When Babylon captures church she takes away all the precious vessels (truths)--Jeremiah 52:18-19.

39.  When church becomes part of Babylon, blindness occurs (eyes put out) and cannot really see that church and  membership are indeed part of Babylon--Jeremiah 39:7; Ezekiel 12:13.

40.  When church becomes part of Babylon, her members become lost sheep--Jeremiah 50:6.

41.  When God calls for His people to separate from Babylon, it is a new beginning (1st day of 1st month)--Ezra 7:9.

Eggs predicted to be a problem since 1939

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/health/2010/08/24/am.cohen.egg.safety.cnn



"But I wish to say that when the time comes that it is no longer safe to use milk, cream, butter, and eggs, God will reveal this. No extremes in health reform are to be advocated. The question of using milk and butter and eggs will work out its own problem. At present we have no burden on this line. Let your moderation be known unto all men".
Ellen G White {Counsels on Diet and Foods page 206.4}1938 


"Let the diet reform be progressive. Let the people be taught how to prepare food without the use of milk or butter. Tell them that the time will soon come when there will be no safety in using eggs, milk, cream, or butter, because disease in animals is increasing in proportion to the increase of wickedness among men. The time is near when, because of the iniquity of the fallen race, the whole animal creation will groan under the diseases that curse our earth."
Ellen G White {Counsels on Diet and Foods page 349.1} 

Better days are not coming.This is the begining of the final crisis

Better days are not coming.This is the begining of the final crisis

Gods people need to think from Cause to Effect

" There are periods which are turning points in the history of nations and of the church. In the providence of God, when these different crises arrive, the light for that time is given. If it is... received, there is spiritual progress; if it is rejected, spiritual declension and shipwreck follow".

E.G White {{Bible Echo, August 26, 1895 par. 11}

The Last Crisis: "We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude. 

The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.

The condition of things in the world shows that troublous times are right upon us.

{Testimonies to the church vol 9 page11}

The Roman Catholic Socialist Agenda

The Roman Catholic Socialist Agenda


By Richard Bennett
At the present time, it is becoming more apparent that the Roman Catholic Church is first and foremost a socialist system. For example, on February 10, 2012, Dr. Paul A. Rahe, a practicing Catholic, vehemently criticized its socialist agenda in a widely read article entitled “American Catholicism’s Pact with the Devil.” He stated,
“In my lifetime, to my increasing regret, the Roman Catholic Church in the United States has lost much of its moral authority. It has done so largely because it has subordinated its teaching of Catholic moral doctrine to its ambitions regarding an expansion of the administrative entitlements state. In 1973, when the Supreme Court made its decision in Roe v. Wade, had the bishops, priests, and nuns screamed bloody murder and declared war, as they have recently done, the decision would have been reversed. Instead, under the leadership of Joseph Bernardin, the Cardinal-Archbishop of Chicago, they asserted that the social teaching of the Church was a “seamless garment,” and they treated abortion as one concern among many.”1
Rahe is exactly right in his estimation that the Catholic Church has “subordinated its teaching of Catholic moral doctrine to its ambitions regarding an expansion of the administrative entitlements state.” However, Cardinal Bernardin was acting in accord with the major thrust of the Vatican. The Catholic agenda has not changed since Cardinal Bernardin’s time. Indeed, the Catholic Church subordinates not only its moral teaching but also the very Gospel of grace to its social teaching. Furthermore, official Vatican dogma declares that Catholic social doctrine is a valid instrument of evangelization,
“The Church’s social doctrine ‘is itself a valid instrument of evangelization’ and is born of the always new meeting of the Gospel message and social life. Understood in this way, this social doctrine is a distinctive way for the Church to carry out her ministry of the Word and her prophetic role…This is not a marginal interest or activity, or one that is tacked on to the Church’s mission, rather it is at the very heart of the Church’s ministry of service: with her social doctrine the Church ‘proclaims God and his mystery of salvation in Christ to every human being, and for that very reason reveals man to himself.’”2

Purpose of Vatican’s Social Doctrine

The purpose of the Vatican’s social doctrine is officially stated, “With her social doctrine, the Church aims ‘at helping man on the path of salvation.’ This is her primary and sole purpose.”3 Thus, the Vatican is unambiguous in defining the intent of its social doctrine. It focuses on the good social works that people do. It assumes that these social deeds proclaim “God and his mystery of salvation in Christ.” However, salvation in Christ is totally separate from human deeds, as it is exclusively by the power and in the authority of His name. As the Apostle Peter proclaimed, “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Likewise, the Apostle Paul proclaimed, “For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”4 Every converted sinner is a sinner saved by grace alone. The grace that saves them is the free, undeserved favor of God. The Lord God saves sinners, not through doing social works, but through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Both grace and believing faith in Jesus Christ alone are essential gifts from God, for without them none can be saved. This true Gospel is given to mankind by divine revelation in Scripture. It stands in total contrast to the official dogma of the Vatican that “The Church’s social doctrine ‘is itself a valid instrument of evangelization.’” Rome’s latest scheme to evangelize starts, as always, with the attempt to replace the true Gospel with its counterfeit gospel. In an age when Marxism, statism, and socialism are on the rise, the Catholic Church’s social doctrine, which is socialist to the core, has been added to its false gospel. Once again, the Catholic Church is able to blend itself in with whatever are prevalent trends in the society it wishes to draw into itself.

Foundation of Catholic Social Doctrine

The Catholic Church states that its “primary and sole mission” is to “help men on the path to salvation.” Starting with a false gospel, the Vatican then teaches a social doctrine based in standard anti-biblical Catholic dogma. For example, it states,
“In fact, the roots of human rights are to be found in the dignity that belongs to each human being. This dignity, inherent in human life and equal in every person, is perceived and understood first of all by reason. The natural foundation of rights appears all the more solid when, in light of the supernatural, it is considered that human dignity, after having been given by God and having been profoundly wounded by sin, was taken on and redeemed by Jesus Christ in his incarnation, death and resurrection.”5

By speaking of “human dignity” having been “wounded by sin” and “redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ in His incarnation, death and resurrection,” the Catholic Church has simply retrofitted its old dogma that “It [original sin] is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted….”6 With this new tool, “human dignity…wounded by sin…redeemed,” the Vatican is now able to accommodate the socialist-statist trends so prevalent in modern, secular thinking

However, the fall of man from grace was total. Since then, man is born spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins.”7 The Fall corrupted every aspect of who man is, including his ability to reason. Therefore, the Bible does not talk about human dignity but rather about man’s sin nature. The sin of Adam brought spiritual death to the whole human race. Consequently, before Holy God, all men are born possessed of inherent pride, selfishness, idolatry, and hostility to God and the truth of His Word. It is not surprising, therefore, to see that the Catholic Church states, “This dignity, inherent in human life and equal in every person, is perceived and understood first of all by reason.” Their statement is simply a demonstration of corrupted reasoning. Rather, what is demonstrably “inherent in human life and equal in every person” is this: every one of us is born spiritually dead. The sin nature, with which every individual is born, shows itself by the personal sins each person commits.

The Catholic teaching is contradictory to Scripture because the Bible portrays unregenerate human beings as dead in trespasses and sins; thus, before God, lacking all dignity. Sinners are cut off from God, the Fountain of life, and therefore spiritually dead, even as a condemned criminal is said to be a dead man. This is the reason we need to be in right standing before God on the terms He prescribes. We have a spiritual debt of infinite proportions that we are unable to repay. However, by His grace alone we can be turned to Him in faith alone for the salvation that He alone gives. Then by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, based on Christ’s death and resurrection, we believe on Him alone. As the Scripture states, “you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”9 All the vain glory of speaking about “human dignity” ought to alert one to the fact that the Papacy is promoting its social works agenda with an ulterior motive beyond the proffered “helping man to salvation.” For centuries, the Vatican’s false gospel has deceived souls to their detriment. The new agenda is simply the latest device added to their false gospel. It cannot save from destruction. It cannot deliver life in Jesus Christ.

Human Rights as Defined by Catholic Social Dogma

Having stated that the roots of human rights are in human dignity, the Vatican defines what it means by human rights. “In Catholic teaching, human rights include not only civil and political rights but also economic rights …‘all people have a right to life, food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, education, and employment.’”10 However, the Bible does not speak in terms of rights. From cover to cover, the words “rights” and “privileges” are never found in the Bible. The Bible speaks rather about what is fitting for man as when it states, “to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”11 Thus, it is that God looks to the one who recognizes he is poor in spirit, whose heart is contrite for sin, and who trembles at His Word. By God’s grace, men can repent of the arrogance of standing on one’s so-called rights and accept the truth of His Word that states “There is none righteous, no, not
one".

Vatican Aligns with Socialist Theories of Government
Catholic social doctrine continues to be honed for accumulating power to the Papacy. In its claimed status of spiritual moral authority, the Catholo
arding the duties of civil government when it states, “Society as a whole, acting through public and private institutions, has the moral responsibility to enhance human dignity and protect human rights. In addition to the clear responsibility of private institutions, government has an essential responsibility in this area [because]...Human rights are the minimum conditions for life in community. In Catholic church makes known its opinion regarding the duties of civil government when it states.

“Society as a whole, acting through public and private institutions, has the moral responsibility to enhance human dignity and protect human rights. In addition to the clear responsibility of private institutions, government has an essential responsibility in this area [because]...Human rights are the minimum conditions for life in community.
In Catholic teaching human rights not only include civil and political rights but also economic rights.

As Pope John XXIII declared, ‘all people have a right to life, food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, education, and employment.’”

The Catholic Church teaches a role for civil government that is beyond the purpose designated to it by Scripture. The civil government is meant to constrain evil behavior.14 Thus, people are to obey their civil government in order to avoid anarchy and chaos. It is the individual’s responsibility to provide food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care, etc., for his own family. As Scripture states, “if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”15 The Papal Church contradicts this by asserting that individuals have a “right” to such things. Moreover, the Vatican insists emphatically that private institutions and civil governments have an essential duty to provide such things. The Papal Church teaches a socialist policy regarding the duties of civil governments. In so doing, the Vatican hopes to set itself up as the moral watchdog for society, both within nations and internationally.

Vatican Promotes “The Common Good” to Attain a Collectivist State
The concept of “the common good” is an integral part of the Catholic social doctrine. They define “the common good” as follows,
“The common good does not consist in the simple sum of the particular goods of each subject of a social entity. Belonging to everyone and to each person, it is and remains ‘common,’ because it is indivisible and because only together is it possible to attain it, increase it and safeguard its effectiveness…The common good, in fact, can be understood as the social and community dimension of the moral good.”

Implicit in this statement is the idea that all property, wealth, and goods are never fully privately owned. Elsewhere, it is officially stated that private property and all goods are always subject to regulation so that “the common good” will the foremost beneficiary.17 Further, the Catechism of the Catholic Church declares,
“It is the role of the state to defend and promote the common good of civil society. The common good of the whole human family calls for an organization of society on the international level.”18
By aligning itself with current socialist trends, the Vatican hopes to gain an increasing position of relevance in secular political, economic, and social circles. Their ambition focuses on gaining power at every level, but particularly at the international level. Pope Paul VI in a section of his encyclical entitled, “Toward an Effective World Authority,’’ proclaimed,

“This international collaboration on a worldwide scale requires institutions that will prepare, coordinate, and direct it until finally there is established an order of justice which is universally recognized…”19
Catholic social doctrine aims at a Marxist-type collectivism in which each person has an equal portion of “the common good” based on his so-called claimed human dignity and rights. Such a concept teaches people to depend on civil government rather than taking responsibility for their own lives and choices, as the Bible requires. Nowhere does the Bible call on believers to depend on government for their livelihood, but rather they are to look to God who will provide for His own.20 If, however, the Bible can be made to be irrelevant21 and the Gospel perverted, then the Catholic Church will once again have an opportunity to be the international moral authority that it claims to be primarily in secular nations.

The Modus Operandi of the Vatican Socialist System
The Roman Church seeks to implement her socialist ideas by using her power as a religious system working through her own status as a civil state. As a religious system, she is able to command a “fifth column” within many nations. By her influence as a civil power, Papal Rome is also able to substantially influence civil rulers and civil policy in many nations and international bodies. The Church of Rome has 179 legal agreements with nations across the world. These “concordats,” as they are called, guarantee that the Catholic Church has the right to define religion and worship for Catholics within that sovereign nation. They also secure for the Vatican the right to define doctrine, establish Catholic education, and negotiate laws regarding property, appointing bishops, and Catholic laws of marriage and annulments. Thus, the Vatican is able to make use of civil governments to implement its own agenda.

Catholics are Obliged to Promote the Socialist System
Dr. Rahe also noted that for some time he has heard no moral teaching from his priest when he goes to church, but rather he hears socialism; and, he is right. The central authority of the Catholic Church has declared that all Catholics are to be taught this social doctrine, and they are to promote it everywhere in every situation—both personal and political.22 This, says the Catholic Church, is the duty of the lay Catholics in particular; hence, they must be taught it. Since the social doctrine has been designated as part of the theology of the Catholic Church, it must be believed on pain of excommunication.
Decidedly, the Vatican has on its agenda for the United States a change from constitutionalism to socialism. This the U.S. Bishops made clear in 1995 when they stated,
“In the pastoral letter we suggest that the time has come for a ‘New American Experiment’—to implement economic rights, to broaden the sharing of economic power, and to make economic decisions more accountable to the common good. This new experiment can create new structures of economic partnership and participation within firms at the regional level, for the whole nation, and across borders.”23
God, in His providence, saved Europe and England during the Reformation of the sixteenth century by the spread of the Gospel and the proliferation of the Bible. In the seventeenth century, thousands of Bible believers, under threat of persecution from the Papacy’s murderous Inquisition, fled to the new land of America where they had freedom to worship God according to their belief and to set up a civil government that would be greatly influenced by the Bible. In our own day, if the authority of the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be removed from the Western world, the Catholic Church, which is both a religion and a nation state, will have an opportunity to again enslave the West. Conclusion It is from the biblical perspective that we must view the machinations of the Roman Catholic social teaching and practice. The Catholic Church formally went apostate at the Council of Trent in 1546 when they denied the Gospel.24 Nonetheless, the Gospel remains “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…for therein is the righteousness of God revealed.”25 The central message of the Gospel remains unaltered, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”26 The Lord God speaks to us again through His written Word, “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me…and had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.”27 He will give us victory over the enemies of the Gospel and Christian life as we listen to Him and walk in His ways. Our Lord God delights in our serving Him. We are utterly blessed as we hold to Him and His biblical truth. In addition, we see the Lord's fruitfulness and providence in our days, to the praise of the glory of His name! ♦

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1 http://ricochet.com/main-feed/American-Catholicism-s-Pact-With-the-Devil 2/15/2012
2 “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church” Para. 67 www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html 2/25/2012
3 Ibid, Para. 69
4 Ephesians 2:8, 9
5www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html See Chapter Three The Human Person and Human Rights, IV. Human Rights, a. The value of human rights, Para. 153 2/25/12
6 Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994), Para. 405
7 Ephesians 2:1
8 “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
9 Ephesians 2:1
10 US Bishops 1995 Pastoral Letter, “Economic Justice for All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy,” Sect. 17 http://www.usccb.org/upload/economic_justice_for_all.pdf 2/17/2012 (Bolding in any quotation indicates emphasis added in this paper.)
11 Isaiah 66:2
12 Romans 3:10
13 “Economic Justice for All,” Para. 18 http://www.osjspm.org/document.doc?id=94
14 Romans13:3, 4 “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”
15 I Timothy 5:8
16 Compendium, Sect. 164
17 Compendium, Sect. 177, 178
18 Catechism, Para. 1927
19 Paul VI, “Populorum Progressio” (1967), Para. 78
20 Matthew 6:31-32 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? ... for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” Hebrews 13:5-7 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
21 This agenda has been taught ubiquitously in Western colleges and universities at least since the 1960’s.
22 Compendium, Sect. 80

23 “Economic Justice for All,” Para. 21
24 “If anyone shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake, or that it is this confidence alone by which we are justified: let him be anathema [cursed].” Henry Denzinger, The Sources of Catholic Dogma (Herder Book Co., 1957) # 822, Can. 12
25 Romans 1:16
26 John 6:29
27 Psalm 81:13-14

Question: "What does the Bible say about fate / destiny?"

Answer: This is a very complex issue, and we will start with what the Bible does not teach. Fate is usually thought of as a predetermined course of events beyond human control. A typical response to a belief in fate is resignation—if we can’t change destiny, then why even try? Whatever happens, happens, and we can’t do anything about it. This is called “fatalism,” and it is not biblical.

Fatalism is a major premise of Islam, which demands total submission to the sovereignty of Allah. It is widely held in Hinduism, too; in fact, it is a fatalistic view of life that helps keep India’s caste system in place. Greek mythology told of the Moirai, or the Fates, three goddesses pictured as weavers of men’s lives. Their decisions could not be canceled or annulled, even by other gods. Again, fatalism is not a biblical concept.

Fate and Destiny - Our Free Will

The Bible teaches that Man was created with the ability to make moral choices and that he is responsible for those choices. The Fall of Man was not a predetermined event in which Adam and Eve were hapless victims of a Puppet-Master God. On the contrary, Adam and his wife had the ability to choose obedience (with its attendant blessing) or disobedience (with its consequent curse). They knew what the result of their decision would be, and they were held accountable (Genesis 3).

This theme of being held accountable for our choices continues throughout Scripture. “He who sows wickedness reaps trouble” (Proverbs 22:8a). “All hard work brings a profit, / but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23). “Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you” (Romans 13:3).

Often, when the Bible speaks of destiny, it’s in reference to a destiny people have brought upon themselves: “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction” (Philippians 3:18-19). “This is the fate of those who trust in themselves” (Psalm 49:13). “A man who commits adultery lacks judgment; / whoever does so destroys himself” (Proverbs 6:32). “Each person was judged according to what he had done” (Revelation 20:13).

We sin because we choose to. We can’t blame “Fate,” kismet, predestination, or God. James 1:13-14 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”

Interestingly, many people who choose to sin are annoyed by the negative consequences of their sin. “A man's own folly ruins his life, / yet his heart rages against the LORD” (Proverbs 19:3). This is a very insightful verse. When a man foolishly wrecks his life, he may yet insist on blaming God, or perhaps “Fate.” In this way, he persists in his folly.

Scripture also teaches that we choose to have faith. The oft-repeated command in Scripture to believe implies that we do have a choice in the matter. “Be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27; see also Acts 16:31; 19:4).

Fate and Destiny - God’s Sovereignty

Lest we get the wrong idea, we are not the sovereign masters of our fate. Only God is sovereign. His sovereign control is called “providence.” He has chosen to give us a free will, and He has created a moral universe in which the law of cause-and-effect is a reality. But God is God alone, and there are no “accidents” in the universe.

An all-wise, all-powerful God must have a plan, so it should be no surprise that the Bible speaks of a divine plan. God’s plan, since it belongs to God, is holy, wise, and benevolent. The providence of God is working to bring about His original plan for creation.

God speaks in Isaiah 48:3, “I foretold the former things long ago, / my mouth announced them and I made them known; / then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.” What God announces, He does (and He may announce it centuries ahead of time!).

Fighting against the plan of God is pointless. “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan / that can succeed against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:30). This is why the Tower of Babel was never completed (Genesis 11:1-9), why Daniel’s detractors were thrown to the lions (Daniel 6:24), why Jonah spent time inside a fish (Jonah 1:17), and why I get in trouble when I sin.

Even what we would normally call “chance” or “fate” is under God’s control. “The lot is cast into the lap, / but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). In other words, God does not take a “hands-off” approach to running the world.

Everything that happens in the world is made to work out according to God’s purpose. Evil exists, but it is not allowed to thwart God’s providence. God uses even sinful men for His purposes. “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; / he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1). God worked in the hearts of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:36) and King Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:27) to bring about His purpose. Even when Man’s intent is purely evil, God can still bring about His will, as in the case of those who crucified Jesus (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28).

God’s plan includes a reward for those who trust in Him, and He promises to glorify His children. “We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. . . . As it is written: ‘No eye has seen, / no ear has heard, / no mind has conceived / what God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:7-9). Note the use of the word destined in this passage—and that it’s a destiny based on our love for the Lord.

Fate and Destiny - An Individual Plan

God’s sovereignty reaches even to a plan for our individual lives. This is illustrated in God’s calling of Jeremiah—before the prophet was even born. “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, / before you were born I set you apart; / I appointed you as a prophet to the nations’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5).

David also recognized that the Lord had a plan for him. “Your eyes saw my unformed body. / All the days ordained for me / were written in your book / before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). Because of this knowledge, David sought the Lord’s specific guidance in many situations, such as in 1 Samuel 23:9-12.

Fate and Destiny - Putting It All Together

In Acts 9, Jesus appears to Saul of Tarsus with an interesting statement: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (verse 5). Jesus obviously had a plan for Saul, and Saul had been (painfully) resisting it. Exercising our freedom against God’s plan can be painful.

Later, Jesus tells Saul that a man named Ananias would come to visit —and then Jesus tells Ananias (verses 11-12)! Obviously, Jesus had a pre-arranged plan for Ananias as well. Now, Ananias didn’t want to visit Saul (verse 13-14). He could have been like Jonah and run the other way. If that had been his choice, God would have had a “fish” prepared to bring him back. Fortunately, Ananias obeyed (verse 17). Exercising our freedom to follow God’s plan brings a blessing.

In summary, the Bible teaches that God is in charge. At the same time, He has given us the freedom to obey or disobey Him, and there are some things that God does only in answer to prayer (James 4:2).

God blesses the obedient, and He is patient with those who disobey, even to the point of seeming laxity. He has a plan for our lives, which includes our happiness and His glory both in this world and in the world to come. Those who accept Christ as Savior have accepted God’s plan (John 14:6). From then on, it’s a step-by-step following of God’s best for us, praying for His will to be done (Matthew 6:10), and avoiding the sidetrack of sin (Psalm 32:1-11; 119:59; Hebrews 12:1-2)

What Happens When We Die?

What Happens When We Die?

What is the truth about death? What happens when we die? Do some soar to heaven while others descend to hell? Is there a holding place called “purgatory”? Do we enter the spirit world? What about reincarnation? Might I return as an eagle? Can the living actually communicate with dead and do the dead haunt the house they used to live in? The truth about what happens when we die can be found only in the Bible. The book of Revelation says, “Satan deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9), thus we cannot expect the majority of human beings to be right about anything!
The purpose of this study is to prove these seven simple facts:

1. Man is made from the dust of the earth and becomes a living soul with the breath of life from God which is the spirit.
2. Fallen man is “mortal.”
3. Fallen man does not have an “immortal soul.”
4. It is not possible to communicate with the dead.
5. Death is a painless, unconscious sleep. (No awareness of time.)
6. Jesus Christ died, was buried, and then rose from the dead.
7. Jesus Christ will resurrect believers at His Second Coming.

What is the Spirit and Soul?

The Spirit and Soul is something that is very misunderstood by many so we will primarily let the Strong’s dictionary followed by the Bible define what they are. Put simply, the Spirit is basically the BREATH of life from God. Both the Greek and Hebrew words translate “spirit” to “breath” or “air.” The Greek word “pneuma” is known by many of you in relation to things like pneumatic tools which are air driven or pneumatic tyres which means tyres inflated by air. As you can see, the word “pneumatic” originated from the Greek word “Pneuma” and means “breath” or “air.”
Strong’s Old Testament Hebrew dictionary definition for Spirit.
H7307 ruach, Pronounced roo'-akh. From H7306; wind; by resemblance breath, that is, a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions): - air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, X vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).
Strong’s New Testament Greek dictionary definition for Spirit.
G4151 pneuma, Pronounced pnyoo'-mah. From G4154; a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy spirit: - ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare G5590.
A person’s soul is just simply a living breathing creature. Have you heard the expression; I went to the park and there wasn’t a soul there? A soul just simply means a person and is who and what you are.
Strong’s Old Testament Hebrew dictionary definition for Soul.
H5315 nephesh, Pronounced neh'-fesh. From H5314; properly a breathing creature, that is, animal or (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental).

In the Beginning

Genesis 2:7 God formed Adam into “a living soul.”
Genesis 2:16-17 God warned that if Adam sinned, he would “surely die.”
Genesis 3:4 The serpent said, “you will not surely die.”
Genesis 3:19 Because of sin, man will return to dust.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Death is creation of a living soul in reverse. We return to dust “and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
Job 27:3 The spirit of God does not live in our nose! This is referring to the breath of life from God.
Genesis 3:22-24 God did not want Adam and Eve after sin to take from “the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” So He drove them out of Paradise. Therefore no sinner will naturally “live forever” apart from Jesus Christ.
Genesis 5:5 After Adam lived 930 years, then “he died.”

The Soul is Not Immortal

Job 4:17 The Bible calls man mortal.
Revelation 16:3 "Every living soul died in the sea." Souls can die.
Ezekiel 18:4 God said, “The soul that sins, it shall die.” Again, the soul can die!
Exodus 1:5 “Seventy souls” went to Egypt. Souls are people.
Acts 2:41 “Three thousand souls” were baptized. Again, souls are people.
1 Peter 3:20 “Eight souls were saved” in Noah’s day. Again, souls are people.
1 Timothy 6:16 God “only has immortality.” Man is not immortal.
2 Timothy 1:10 “Immortality” comes only “through the gospel.”
Romans 2:7 Christians “seek for immortality.”
1 Corinthians 15:53 At the end, “this mortal” shall “put on immortality.”

Death is a Sleep

Job 14:12 The dead “shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep” until “the heavens be no more.”
Psalms 13:3 “Lest I sleep the sleep of death.”
Daniel 12:2 “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.”
Acts 7:60 When Stephen died, “he fell asleep.”
John 11:11-14 “Lazarus sleeps … Jesus spoke of his death.”
1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:6, 18, 51 Paul said death was “sleep.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 Those “which sleep in Jesus” will be resurrected.

Do the dead haunt their house?

Job 7:10 The dead “shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.”

The Dead are Unconscious

Psalms 115:17 “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.”
Psalms 146:4 When a man dies, “in that very day his thoughts perish.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 “The dead know not anything.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 “There is no work... nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave.”

Jesus Christ Taught the Resurrection of the Dead

Matthew 22:23, 29 Jesus rebuked those who said there was “no resurrection.”
Matthew 22:31 Jesus taught “the resurrection of the dead.”
Luke 14:14 The saints will “be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
John 5:28-29 “All who are in their graves” will be resurrected at the second coming of Christ.
John 6:39, 40, 44, 54 All believers will rise “on the last day.”
John 11:24 Martha said to Jesus, “I know that he [Lazarus] shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus

Matthew 16:21 Jesus would “be killed, and be raised again on the third day.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “Christ died ... was buried ... he rose again.”
Matthew 28:7 The angel said, “he is risen from the dead.”
Revelation 1:18 Jesus “was dead,” but is now “alive for evermore.”
Revelation 2:8 Jesus “was dead, and is alive.”

Death and Resurrection in the Book of Acts

Acts 2:29 David is “dead and buried.” His body is still in the tomb.
Acts 2:34 David has not yet “ascended into the heavens.” He’s not in heaven yet.
Acts 9:36-41 Tabitha “was sick, and died ... Peter ... prayed; and turning to the body said ... arise ... she opened her eyes ... presented her alive.”
Acts 13:36 David “fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption.”
Acts 24:15 “A resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.”

All Believers will be Resurrected when Jesus Christ Returns

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “The Lord himself shall descend ... the dead ... shall rise ... to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:50-55 The saints cry out, “0 death, where is thy sting” when they are resurrected at the second coming of Jesus.
John 14:1-3 Jesus will take us to heaven when He “comes again.”
1 Corinthians 15:12-23 Paul says there is a resurrection of both Christ and the dead, “but every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”

We Must Beware of Satanic Deceptions

Matthew 24:4 “Take heed that no man deceive you.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 Satan deceives as “an angel of light.”
1 Timothy 4:1 We must beware of “doctrines of devils.”
Genesis 3:4 The first doctrine the devil taught Eve was that if she sinned she would “not surely die”!
2 Corinthians 11:3 As “the serpent beguiled Eve,” so Satan continues to mislead even good people “through his subtlety.”
Matthew 24:24 All can be deceived by the “great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
Behold, the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice, and come forth, they that have done good, to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation. ~~Jesus Christ (John 5:28-29)
So far it has been proven from the Bible that when a man dies, he is dead, asleep and unconscious in the grave until the resurrection when Jesus Christ comes again. Some will say, if this is true, then how do we explain other verses in the Word of God that seem to teach that either people or their souls go directly to heaven when they die? The following passages are often used to teach an “immediate flight to glory”, whereas, upon closer analysis, they really do not. Read them all carefully, and then don’t forget what Jesus and the rest of the Bible says.

The Thief on the Cross - Luke 23:42-43

When Jesus was dying on the cross the crucified thief right next to Him said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” First of all, the thief’s question looked forward to the Second Coming, not the moment of death. The interpretation of Jesus’ response depends upon where you place a tiny particle called a “comma.” The fact is, commas are not inspired, but were added over a thousand years later along with chapters and verses. Did Jesus Christ say, “I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” or, “I say to you today, you will be with Me in paradise” (at the Second Coming)? Here is one translation that put the comma in the place that lines up with all other scripture.
Luke 23:43 TS98 “And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you today, you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Here is further proof that punctuation is not inspired. Acts 19:12 KJV “So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” In this verse we see the diseases departed from the sick handkerchiefs or aprons. The comma should have been placed after the word “sick”. There are many such examples through even the King James Bible as well as other translations.
Let’s look at just one more that proves beyond all doubt that punctuation is not inspired by God. This following example involves chapters, verses as well as a comma. Matthew 28:1 reads, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
The end of the Sabbath which is sunset and dawn are twelve hours apart, so why the apparent contradiction in the above verse? The answer is found in the translation of this passage. By reorganizing the last verse of Matthew 27 and the first verse of Matthew 28, the apparent ambiguity completely disappears. See Matthew 27:62-66.
In Matthew 27:62, a request for a guard on the tomb was made on the Sabbath (the day after the preparation) and that the request was for a guard until the third day. By simply moving the text “in the end of the Sabbath,” from the beginning of Matthew 28:1 to the end of Matthew 27:66, which is where it should have been placed when punctuation and chapters and verse were added, we would have the following.
Matthew 27:66 “So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch in the end of the sabbath.”
Matthew 28:1 “As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
It was the watch guarding the tomb that began at the end of the Sabbath. Since Jesus was to rise the third day, the Roman guards were put in place immediately at the end of the Sabbath because they anticipated that the body of Jesus would be stolen by the Jews sometime on Sunday.
Four reasons why the comma is wrongly placed in Luke 23:43

1. Jesus did not go to Paradise that day. He went to the tomb.
2. Crucifixion is very cruel and it normally takes several days to die and so the thief did not die that day which is why they broke his legs. John 19:31-33 NIV “Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.”
3. Right after His resurrection on Sunday morning, Jesus said to Mary, “I have not yet ascended to My Father.” John 20:17. Thus on Sunday, Jesus had not yet ascended to Paradise. “Paradise” is in heaven where God and “the tree of life” are. Revelation 2:7 “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Revelation 22:1-2 “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
4. Jesus would not contradict Himself or the rest of the Bible. He said previously that believers go to Heaven “on the last day” when He “comes again.” John 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 14:1-3.

What about Moses and Elijah? Luke 9:27-36

On the mount of transfiguration, “two men ... Moses and Elias ... appeared in glory.” These where not spirits or disembodied souls, but “two men.” Elijah never died. He was translated without seeing death. 2 Kings 2:11. Moses “died” and was “buried.” Deuteronomy 34:5-6. Yet the book of Jude reveals that Michael came from heaven and, “contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses.” Jude 1:9. Moses was also raised, that’s why the devil protested. Then Michael said, “the Lord rebuke thee.” Hence it was a living, resurrected Moses and a living, translated Elijah that appeared on the mount. Immediately prior to this appearance, Jesus told his disciples that they would soon “see the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:27. On the mount they saw God’s kingdom in miniature. Jesus was there, so was Moses (representing all resurrected saints), and Elijah (representing all translated saints at the Second Coming). Both groups are described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord

Paul longed “to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8. The question is, would this transition take place at the moment of death, or at the Second Coming? Paul clarified in verse 4 that it would occur when “mortality” is “swallowed up by life” (verse 4). When is this? In his previous letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that “mortality” would be “swallowed up” when the resurrection of believers occurs at the end of the world. “In a moment ... at the last trump ... the dead shall be raised ... this mortal must put on immortality ... then ... Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-55. Thus Paul expected “to be present with the Lord” at the Second Coming. He later wrote, “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout ... the dead in Christ shall rise ... so shall we ever be with the Lord.” l Thessalonians 4:16-17. Jesus said we will be with Him when He “comes again.” John 14:1-3. Because death is like sleep, it will seem like barely a moment until we are “present with the Lord.”

Souls under the Altar - Revelation 6:9-11

During the “fifth seal,” John “saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood.” This scene is symbolic, representing the martyrs who died for their steadfast faith in Jesus Christ. God said to Cain after he murdered his brother Abel, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground.” Genesis 4:10. These words parallel what John saw in Revelation 6. The blood of Abel did not literally cry out from the ground. Neither are there actual souls underneath a real altar in heaven. The “souls under the altar” scene occurs right after “the fourth seal” scene. There “Hell” is seen following “a pale horse” ridden by “Death.” Revelation 6:7-8. Again, this is obviously symbolic and refers to those martyred for their faith and whose deaths cry out to God for just retribution. Those slain are represented as being told to “wait” for God’s judgment and their future reward at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16:19-31

Believe it or not, this is the ONLY place in the entire New Testament that suggests that a lost soul goes into a fiery hell immediately at death. This idea is not taught anywhere else - not by Matthew, Mark, John, James, Peter or Paul.
Jesus often told parables. While containing many practical lessons, parables are not meant to be taken literally. Here are 9 reasons why the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is definitely a parable:

1. Jesus often began his parables in the book of Luke with the phrase, “a certain...” See Luke 12:16; 13:6; 14:16; 15:11; 16:1; 19:11-12; 20:9 (KJV).
2. A man cannot literally enter into “the bosom” or chest of Abraham.
3. It is impossible for anyone who is literally burning in fire to carry on a normal conversation.
4. Can those in heaven and hell talk to each other?
5. The rich man was represented as being “bodily” in hell, with eyes, a mouth, a tongue, etc. This is obviously symbolic. If the rich man’s grave was dug up, wouldn’t his body be there? Of course.
6. A real man burning in fire would not ask for a little water to cool his tongue. (He would ask for the fire brigade!)
7. Jesus Christ did not interpret every parable He told. Yet He did interpret the parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13. In His interpretation of this parable, Jesus said plainly that hell-fire occurs at the end, rather than at death. Read Matthew 13:40.
8. Consciousness at death contradicts the rest of the Bible. Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Psalms 6:5; 115:17; 146:4; etc.
9. 2 Peter 2:9 says that the lost will not be punished until “the day of judgment” which occurs at the end of the 1000 years (see Revelation 20:11-15).

The purpose of this parable was to teach the greedy Pharisees that contrary to their present opinions, the rich are not necessarily blessed and the poor cursed (16:14, 22-23), that a man’s destiny is fixed at death (16:26), that speaking against Him with their “tongues” would result in their going into hell-fire (16:4), and that if they would not believe Moses and the prophets, a resurrection would not convince them (16:29, 31). Thus Jesus declared that we must believe Moses and the prophets. Nowhere in the writings of “Moses and the prophets” do people instantly go to heaven or into hell-fire at death. Why did Jesus use the name Lazarus? Because this parable was also a prophecy. At the end of His life Jesus would resurrect a real person named Lazarus, yet this miracle would still not convince the Pharisees that He was the Messiah. John 11:1-53.
Note: We should interpret parables in the light of the rest of the Bible, rather than the rest of the Bible in the light of one parable.

Saul, Samuel and the witch of Endor - 1 Samuel 28:5-14

Did King Saul really speak to Samuel after his death? Do the whole host of scriptures that clearly state the dead sleep until the second coming of Christ contradict this passage? Definitely not! In 1 Samuel chapter 28 we find Saul afraid of the host of Philistines and so enquiring after the Lord for help. But the Lord would not answer Saul so he went to the witch of Endor to see if he could contact Samuel from the grave and have him ask God how he could gain victory over the Philistines.
Saul of course sinned greatly by inquiring of an evil spirit in place of the Lord. If Samuel had actually gone to heaven, Satan would certainly not have been given permission to bring him down in response to the incantations of a wicked woman. The figure that appeared to the witch had to be an impersonation of Samuel by a demon or even Satan himself. If Satan can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), he can certainly appear as the prophet Samuel. Note in verse 11 that Samuel was supposedly brought up from below. Heretical but popular theology says that righteous people such as Samuel would come down from heaven, but pagan ideas assume that the dead are below ground. This popular pagan idea about death had obviously crept into the beliefs of God’s people well before the time of Christ. See the story of the rich man and Lazarus earlier and John chapter 11 for example.
This witch of Endor was known for having a familiar spirit but what is a familiar spirit? It is certainly not an angel of God because of His strong condemnation against consulting with them. A familiar spirit is a demonic spirit (fallen angel) that is in league with Satan. This is what the woman at Endor had. She had communication with a demon that was quite capable of impersonating Samuel. It was not Samuel who appeared but a demon masquerading as Samuel. Note in verse 12 that the first thing the demon did was expose Saul’s masquerade to the witch. Note also that Saul did not actually see anything himself and had to ask what she saw. The witch replied that she saw gods ascending out of the earth and an old man covered with a mantle. What were these so called gods ascending out of the earth with Samuel? More demons! Saul assumed it was Samuel he communicated with based only on what the witch said. Since the witch said she saw Samuel coming up from out of the earth (not down from heaven), King Saul was putting his trust completely in a spirit medium, a necromancer, a witch, against the expressed will of God. So the conversation that followed was not between Saul and Samuel, but between Saul and a witch with a familiar (demonic) spirit.
So with all these facts in mind and understanding what the Word teaches about the state of the dead and the circumstances of Saul’s relationship with God at the time, we know that it could not have been Samuel raised from the dead but a fallen angel. The fact that Saul even attempted this séance with a witch or spirit medium was an abomination and rebellion against God of which Saul paid for with his life.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; 14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.”
The italicized words in verse 13 are added by the translator and are not in the original Hebrew text. So if we translate 1 Chronicles 10:13 verbatim, it actually reads as follows:
1 Chronicles 10:13 “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking of a familiar spirit, to enquire;”
So this verse also actually states that Saul communicated with a demonic spirit and not the prophet Samuel! One must not base their theology on what they think one scripture shows when several black and white scriptures clearly say otherwise.

Out of Body Experiences

Some will say, but what about all those out of body experiences you hear about? Firstly, when a persons heart stops beating they are not actually dead yet but their body is being derived of oxygen. It has been scientifically proven that when the body is deprived of oxygen that it can start to hallucinate and or have dreams which will probably be based on one’s own beliefs. In one experiment Dr. Ladislas Meduna administered 30% Carbon Dioxide and 70% Oxygen to a subject. Afterwards the subject stated, “I felt as though I was looking at myself, as though I was way out there in space…I felt sort of separated.” There have also been many other experiments done that have made the person feel as though they were having an out of body experience. One cannot base their theology on what one claims to have experienced. The word of God is very clear and is totally trustworthy. One cannot go by what they think they have seen or felt. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight:”

Conclusion

Does it really matter if we know what happens when we die? Most definitely! The Bible says that people who misunderstand the subject of death will almost assuredly be deceived by the Devil on other issues including the final Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 16:14 says, “For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” We must understand what the Bible really says happens when a person dies and what is the truth about death. David declares that man is not conscious in death. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Psalm 146:4. Solomon has the same testimony, “The living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything.” “Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.” “There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 10.
Jesus said that He would go and prepare a place for us so when comes again we can be with Him where He is now. Obviously the dead cannot possibly be with Him there now according to the words of Jesus. John 14:2-3 says, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” So this is what happens when we die from the Word of God and by no mans interpretation. This leaves only one conclusion to those who believe they have spoken to loved ones in séances etc. Since the dead sleep until the second coming of Christ, theses manifestations have to be demons masquerading as our loved ones to deceive us. As for Purgatory, it is found nowhere in the Bible and was manufactured by the Papacy as a means of extorting money from people through the dark ages. (No offence intended to the many wonderful people in the Roman Catholic Church) Truth is truth and this is the truth about what happens when we die. As there is no consciousness of time in sleep, the moment we close our eyes we will see Jesus coming in the clouds of Angels.
Select this link to continue the related topic of the Truth about Hell.

Summary using Scriptures

Here are just some of the Old Testament scriptures that could be quoted to prove what happens when we die. Download “what happens when we die” scripture summary as PDF.
Ecclesiastes 9:5 “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither you goest.”
Job 14:12 “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”
Psalms 13:3 “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;”
If I was in heaven, I most definitely would be praising the Lord. How about you?
Psalms 115:17 “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”
Daniel 12:2 “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Below are most of the New Testament scriptures that can be quoted that proves what happens when we die.
Luke 23:42-43 “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you comest into your kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, To day[,] shall you be with me in paradise.”
Punctuation, chapter and verses were added when the Bible was translated and the above verse has to be wrongly punctuated to be consistent with ALL other scripture. The following translation of the same verse done by “The Scriptures 1998, Copyright by the Institute for Scripture Research” has been correctly punctuated.
Luke 23:43 TS98 “And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you today, you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
The following three verses prove that Jesus had not yet gone to His Father in Paradise on the Sunday let alone on the Friday.
John 20:17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
Revelation 2:7 “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the TREE OF LIFE, which is in the midst of the PARADISE of God.”
Revelation 22:1-3 “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of GOD and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the TREE OF LIFE, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:”
Here is further evidence that punctuation is not inspired.
Acts 19:12 KJV “So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”
In the above verse we see the diseases departed from the sick handkerchiefs or aprons. The comma should have been placed after the word “sick.” There are many such examples throughout the King James Bible as well as other translations.
John 5:28-29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
John 6:39 “And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”
John 6:40 “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
One more time just for good measure.
John 6:54 “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 11:11-14 “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spoke of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Martha understood this as well as she said to Jesus that if He had been there earlier that Lazarus would not have died.
John 11:24 “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Acts 2:29 “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.”
Acts 2:34 “For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit you on my right hand,”
This is what Stephen said as he died when he was stoned. It was obviously well known in those days that death was referred to as a sleep.
Acts 7:60 “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Acts 24:15 “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.“
1 Corinthians 15:6 “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
While still speaking of the resurrection of the dead, Paul shows quite clearly the truth of what happens when we die. Paul says in verses 17 and 18, that if Christ did not rise from the dead then all those that are fallen asleep (dead) have also totally perished. He also says that Christ was the firstfruits, that is, the first to be risen from the dead and afterwards, those at His second coming will be resurrected (verse 23).
1 Corinthians 15:12-23 “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-54 “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 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: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”