Look at us today. Look at our past history as a species as well and look at all of the harm we have done to the planet earth and to each other.
What the systems of religion have failed to do is make the connection between the events in the Garden of Eden and the curse the Most High God made upon the man Adam and his offspring (us) and why Jesus was inserted into the world of man.
It is assumed that Jesus was sent so that man would not die. That is not what Scripture teaches. The mankind we know at present – fathered by Adam – will die. That was the curse pronounced upon Adam and his offspring. Consider the following Scriptures.
From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die. (Genesis 2:17)
And …
That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned. (Romans 5:12)
Jesus was sent into the world – not to prevent man from dying – because mankind will die – but was sent so that man would not perish. Dying and perishing have different meanings.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The word perish carries the same meaning as the word destruction or to be destroyed.
Our deaths are not the end of us. We simply become dead souls, but souls none the less. Dead souls can be revived by God to become living souls.
That persons who die can be brought to life again, was demonstrated by Jesus when he performed resurrections. So it is possible for the dead to be brought to life again.
Even the faithful man Job, who had gone through a tremendous time of trial, pain, and hardship knew that his death would be the end of his suffering, not the end of him. Job also knew that dead are not conscious of anything (Eccl 9:5, 10). He knew that he would exist in God memory and that God would remember him in the resurrection. Notice carefully what Job says in prayer to God. In this prayer to God, Job is suffering very much and wants his suffering to end by dying (hidden in the grave) and yet Job mentions a time set for him to be remembered.
If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! (Job 14:13)
To perish means to be destroyed; to no longer exist. Dead persons still exist, they exist as dead souls. They are in God’s memory or what Scripture calls the Book of Life. As long as the dead are in God’s memory, they can be restored back to life again.
Perishing goes beyond death. One who perishes is gone, nonexistent. No longer in God’s memory. If not in God’s memory, they could never be remembered in order to be resurrected. Scripture calls this state of non-existence or perishing by two expressions: The Lake of Fire or The Second Death.
And death and Ha′des were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14)
The above-quoted Scripture teaches us that a time will come when there will be no more death (it will be non-existent) and there will be no more Hell (Hades). That there will be no more death can be seen at Revelation 21:4. And, since Hades (Hell) is the grave – not a place of eternal torment – graves will no longer be needed because people will no longer die.
*** For a more detailed discussion about The Lake of Fire, see the article What Is The Lake of Fire
That God pronounced the death sentence upon all of mankind, Jesus had to be inserted into the world of mankind so that mankind itself would not perish or go into nonexistence as a species.
Jesus fully understood Adam’s genetic progeny would all die. Much of mankind today has not grasped this truth. The religious systems of mankind today has created elaborate work-a-rounds to this issue such as going to heaven or a rapture so as to not deal with the reality of what Jesus taught with regards to the death of the entire human race.
Listen to what Jesus said at John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.
If Jesus promises that ALL of the dead in their graves will be resurrected, then what does that imply? It implies that ALL of Adam’s progeny – mankind – has to die in order for ALL of mankind to be resurrected.
Think about that.
If God had not sent his Son into the world of mankind, who, then, or what would cause man to perish – that is, go into a state of no longer being?
The answer is the original Serpent. The one we know today and who has become Satan the Devil.
Satan knows that he will one day no longer exist. He – when he was the Serpent – too had a curse pronounced upon him in the Garden. But his curse would not be death as pronounced upon Adam and his offspring. The Serpent’s pronouncement far worse; it was to nonexistence or The Lake of Fire; a perishing, a being destroyed. Notice what God said to the Serpent in Genesis 3:14-15:
And Jehovah God proceeded to say to the serpent: “Because you have done this thing, you are the cursed one out of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild beasts of the field. Upon your belly you will go and dust is what you will eat all the days of your life. And I shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel.
This bruising of the Serpent in the head by the seed of the woman (notice the woman is a he) is a crushing or destroying of the Serpent. The Serpent will cause some damage to the woman, but it will not be long-lasting because it will be in the heel. Yet, a blow to the head of the Serpent will cause its destruction and go into a state of nonexistence.
So, Satan knows his outcome is one of nonexistence and his desire today has been the same as it was when he deceived Eve: To direct all of mankind away from the source of continued life, the Most High God, Jehovah. Jehovah God is the Tree of Life. The fruit on that tree is his words or utterances. Mankind has to depend upon and feed upon Him if they are to have continued life. It is to Jehovah God that Jesus leads us.
The Serpent has been successful in clouding this issue and directing mankind away from the source of all life and directing us to other sources that will lead to where he is headed: a state of nonexistence.
So, the Serpent has no hope for himself that he will exist indefinitely. He is really upset that his pronouncement was more severe than men. Man gets death, he gets “a bruising in the head” or a perishing.
So it is Satan who wants to carry mankind down that road that leads to destruction or non-existence: the state in which he is destined. Jesus spoke of this at Matthew 7:13-14:
Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.
The Serpent is the one who is leading the entire human race down this road that leads to where he is going: destruction or nonexistence.
Satan even tried to get Jesus, The Son of God, to place his foot on that road when he offered him all of the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (Matthew 4:8)
Scripture teaches that Satan is the world of mankind’s ruler at John 12:31:
Now there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
This future casting out of Satan from among mankind will be his destruction.
Satan also knows that there is nothing he can do, at present, to cause mankind’s perishing. He knows that Jesus died on behalf of all mankind so should they die, they will be resurrected. He knows this. But what Satan can do at the present time is cause mankind’s death; get us to kill each other or by any other means that cause death. Satan has the means to cause death, but not a perishing. (Hebrews 2:14)
Satan is the one who is influencing all of mankind today; he is the worlds unseen ruler and leader and he is leading all of mankind to “a perishing.” This process of misleading will continue until we all die, then it will stop for 1000 years during Christs 1000 year reign and while Satan is in the abyss in the interim, and the misleading to a perishing will resume after Christs future 1000 reign ends and Satan is released from the abyss.
It is for that reason God inserted his Son into the world. Jesus’ death made it possible that Satan will not be successful at causing all of man to go into a state of nonexistence.
Jesus’ death affords each of us a certain resurrection from the dead when we die. (John 5:28-29)
So, upon being resurrected, we stand up as new creatures benefiting from Jesus conquering death in our behalf. At our resurrection and after Satan is released from his abyssing at the end of Christs 1000 year rule over the earth, he cannot cause our deaths again. That Jesus conquered death will have been proven by resurrecting all of mankind from the dead. So then at that time, Satan will create a system of rulership upon the earth at his unabyssing that will mislead all the resurrected to a perishing or state of nonexistence.
It is certain that there will be a future Great Resurrection of all of mankind. (John 5:28-29). That resurrection will prove once and for all that death will have no power; no sting over mankind. Since mankind cannot die again upon being resurrected to life, the only thing that would stand in front of mankind is not existing anymore. No longer being in God’s memory. Destroyed. Gone.
When Jesus spoke of the broad and spacious road and the cramped road, he was not referring to where mankind stands today – we are going to die and we are going to be resurrected – but he was referring to a time period after his 1000 year reign on earth where Satan will set up a beastly system of rulership (a roadway or path he wants mankind to follow) that will lead the entire earth to a perishing or destruction. Those who willfully support and follow that beastly rulership will perish.
Yet, Jesus says only a few will not support and follow the beast and its image or accept it’s marked upon them.
Cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.
Satan’s beastly rule over the earth in those future days after Jesus’ rule ends will be very difficult to give up or deny. Why? Because it will be a time of “peace and security” in all of the earth; just like the 1000 year kingdom of Christ. Yet, it is cleverly crafted to oppose the coming of God’s Kingdom to the earth – which will replace his beastly kingdom. If the earth rejects God’s Kingdom after having been taught by Christ during the 1000 years, they reject having continued life as only God and His kingdom can provide them with that.
Jesus’ one thousand year definite rule over mankind abysses Satan and restores them to their Creator, who is The Tree of Life. During that 1000 years, resurrected or re-created mankind will feed on the words that come from God’s mouth – his fruit. It will take 1000 years of feeding before mankind will reach a state of maturity and then able to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad. That is, knowing for himself what is good and what is bad. Mankind will not need a mediator after Christs 1000 rule ends. Man will know what he does. Man will not be ignorant as he is now. Any decisions man makes at that time will be made with full knowledge and understanding of what he is doing.
But Christs one thousand year rule over the earth is not the end of the matter. Satan is still in the abyss and must be released after Christ 1000 rule ends.
This is where things get very interesting. Upon his release from the abyss, Satan sees a changed world. A world in which he used to have a rule over. He sees a new creature, not of flesh and blood but water and spirit in this new world. This new creature has been taught by Christ and they are fully knowledgeable and are expecting Satan’s second coming. This new creature no longer has a mediator over them. Jesus has fulfilled his mission concerning them. This new creature now stands directly before their Creator – as Adam did – knowing his requirements.
Satan’s knows where he is headed: to nonexistence or external destruction. He has more reason to take as many of this new creature with him. So as Scripture teaches in The Book of Revelation, Satan ascends out of the abyss to mislead this new creature and take them down the road he is on. In the process, Satan will stand up something on the earth in those days that will facilitate this misleading this new creature to head down that road the would lead to their destruction and cause this new creature to oppose or war with God.
Now as soon as the thousand years have been ended, Satan will be let loose out of his prison, and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Ma′gog, to gather them together for the war. (Revelation 20:7-8)
Satan sees a new creature with no ruler. He sees them living in a peaceful paradise. Satan will subtly usurp what Jesus established. With his ascension, he will not make drastic changes to what Jesus established on earth. He will use it to his advantage.
Many today do not realize that Satan ascension out of the abyss is rising up out of the sea the Beast of Revelation 13:1-2.
The sea that Satan rises up out of is the peaceful world of this new creature that Jesus had taught, enlightened and restored to their Creator and a paradise earth. What else is there to come out of the abyss to? Nothing, but a peaceful world.
The Beast Satan will superimpose on an already existing and peaceful society on earth will be a system of rulership – pretending to be from God – that will prepare and mislead this new creature to oppose what Satan knows is coming to the earth: God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 6:9-10)
Satan knows that it will be God’s Kingdom that will take hold of him and destroy him once and for all. He knows his time is short, so he will want to mislead this new creature into opposing what is certain to come. This will involve influencing all the people to support and give allegiance his Beast and its image. Satan’s beastly system of rulership over the people in those future days will not be brutal. It will actually be paradisiacal and beneficial to those who worship the Beast (support this new rule and system of government) and accept the emblem or thing that represents or reflects that Beast. (Like a flag representing a nation)
This new creature will be much more enlightened than we are today, so whatever Satan will do to mislead them to oppose God and what is to come – His Kingdom – would have to be made by way of smooth words and reasoning.
When the Serpent got Eve to eat from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad, the act itself, opposed God because God told Adam that he was not to eat from that tree and Adam obviously told Eve the same. So Eve knew this. It was by smooth words and reasoning that the Serpent turned Eve against God.
It was also by the transference of the Serpents smooth words and reason from Eve to Adam that turned Adam against God.
Thus, the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad was not literal fruit, but the fruit of the lips or words. Eve listened to the Serpents words. This listening and accepting of his words were the actual partaking of the fruit.
When Adam listened to his wife and accepted what was told to her by the Serpent, he too ate from the fruit of that tree. God even confirms by a statement he makes that the act of listening and accepting of words is the fruit. Notice what God says to Adam after he ate from the tree:
And to Adam he said: “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and took to eating from the tree concerning which I gave you this command, ‘You must not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. (Genesis 3:17)
Notice that God links listening to the eating.
So in those future days after Christs one thousand year rule ends, Satan is released from his prison and he will merge into an existing paradise a system of rulership over the people carefully designed to mislead the people down a road that leads to their destruction. And, since the populace in those future days “will know” God’s requirements, any decisions they make contrary will be a willful decision to disobey God.
It will take some time for Satan to establish such a system on earth. The Scriptures do not tell us how long it will take. We do know that it will not be one thousand years.
Yet, by the time God’s Kingdom is seen to be coming down, Satan will have had ample time to prepare the world to oppose it’s coming. There will be a relative few who will not go along with what Satan has been doing. They will not support (worship) Satan’s beastly system of government, its image, or accept its mark upon them.
Most of the world in those days will support the Beast and its image. It will be that world of persons who will hate those who do not support the Beast and its image. It will be that future world of willful opposers of God who will be the source of Great Tribulation upon those faithful to God. Jesus spoke of this at Matthew 24:9:
Then people will deliver YOU up to tribulation and will kill YOU, and YOU will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name.
Notice that this tribulation comes from people directed to his faithful followers in those days. Also, notice that this tribulation will occur at a time when his followers are objects of hatred by all the nations. So that time when all of the nations of people will hate his followers would have to be in a time period where the world is a much different place than it is now – divided – and in a world united under one government and image.
That world does not arrive until after Christ’s future 1000 year rule ends and Satan ascends out of the abyss and finds a world already united under Christ’s previous tutelage and established or superimposes his beast upon that world.
None of the events spoken of in Matthew Chapter 24, Mark Chapter 13 and Luke Chapter 21 has had a start at being fulfilled. Neither has any event in The Book of Revelation either.
The many religious organizations and persons out there who are saying that these events have already happened or are about to or who are saying we are in the last days do not get it. They are applying events that are to occur after Christs 1000 year rule ends (which as not occurred yet) to the present. They are looking in the wrong place and time period.
That God does not want us to perish (go into nonexistence), Jesus was sent to bring us back from the dead because we must die. The Adamic and flesh and blood persons we are cannot possibly see God’s Kingdom. If one can not see it, there is no way they can enter it. And, if God’s Kingdom will come down to us, then these Adamic flesh and blood bodies will not be able to see and later enter into that kingdom. So what has to happen?
We must die and leave off these corrupted flesh and blood bodies and be re-created or born again with new bodies, not of flesh and blood. Bodies sinless and clean (water) and suitable for entry into God’s Holy Kingdom. That is the purpose of the Great Resurrection of all of the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 says
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised up in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised up in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised up in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised up a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one.
We all must die because we all sprang from Adam. These bodies are corrupted. God’s kingdom is not. So in order to see and gain entry into it when it comes down, we must be re-created as totally new creatures with new bodies that have no sin in them.
One’s death is symbolically their immersion in water. Ones being called out of their graves a new and clean creature as if they are coming out of the water. That is why Jesus said at John 3:5
Unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus was not referring to literal water. He was referring to one who has died and resurrected and having had a new body that has no sin in it – washed clean – as if by water. And, in spirit in that, it will be by God’s power that will stand this new creature up to live. It is quite possible that the man in future days may be able to animate the dead. If they could do this, then those persons will still be flesh and blood and have sin in them. This is speculation, of course.
This is information most will not be able to bear.
I have many things yet to say to YOU, but YOU are not able to bear them at present. However, when that one arrives, the spirit of the truth, he will guide YOU into all the truth, for he will not speak of his own impulse, but what things he hears he will speak, and he will declare to YOU the things coming.
These words of Jesus speaks of truths being spoken that he did not mention when he was with them after his ascension. One of those truths is the not easily digested truth that all of mankind must die off.
Given the conditioning campaigns and programs of the religious system called Christianity, the world has not been allowed to see this truth. Instead, the world is fed “pie in the sky” and “escapism” in a rapture for the faithful and eternal punishment for the unbeliever and unfaithful. That is not Scriptural and it is something Jesus did not teach.
That all of mankind must die is not a “doom and gloom” scenario. It is actually a great blessing and great news and it will afford each and everyone one of us a resurrection into Jesus’ definite 1000 year kingdom where we will become complete in every way and be restored to our Creator.
It will require a strong faith in God and Christ within this present world system and one to come after Christs 1000 year rule ends. At present, we take in knowledge of God and Christ; not through the established religions of the world, but through Christ himself in prayer to our Father in heaven. He fully and completely able to give us the knowledge and wisdom (bread) we need through his only channel, Jesus Christ.
It is important that we know and understand that this old world is going away. This world of mankind will perish. Did you get that? This mankind – flesh, and blood – must die off. Replacing it will be a time-limited one thousand year kingdom of Christ. All of us – who will have died – will be resurrected into it. At the time we close our eyes in death in this present world, we open them again to stand up as new creatures in Jesus’ 1000 year paradise. This is just the beginning.
Jesus 1000 year rule does end it all. It begins our journey that will lead us to everlasting life. Jesus’ 1000 year kingdom is a “road” that will get us at the entry point of God’s Kingdom that comes down after his rule ends.
When Christ 1000 year rule ends, we are not in God’s kingdom yet. Satan has to be released.
When Satan is released, he establishes a beastly system of rulership that will take advantage of the one Jesus established. Many in those days will not realize that Satan has established anything. They will not realize that he subtly blends his beastly system into an already existing system that was established under Christ’s rule. That system will be peaceful and beneficial to all within it. Yet, it has an agenda to turn all of the people in those days against God’s Kingdom which Satan knows is coming.
So our lives within Christs 1000 year rule will be wonderful and happy. We will stand as persons perfect and whole before our Creator. Jesus will no longer need to mediate for us.
After Christs 1000 rule ends and Satan ascends out of the abyss, he will establish a system of rulership over the earth that will demand allegiance and loyalty to it. That beastly system will view any who oppose it as heretics against God and his kingdom. That system and its supporters will cause great tribulation for all who oppose Satan’s Beastly system of rulership over the entire earth. The entire earth in those days will be of one mind and thought and will support Satan’s counterfeit kingdom.
So it will be after Christ’s rule ends and when Satan establishes his beastly system is when the Great Tribulation occurs. The Great Tribulation is as Jesus said it would be, a tribulation upon his faithful followers and in a time period when all of the world hates them. As stated earlier in this article, that time period is not now – not even close – but in a future time period when all of the earth will support (worship) a beastly system of rule. That time period is after Christs 1000 year rule ends and when Satan establishes is system of rulership.
Also to occur during Satan’s beastly system of rule is Armageddon. Armageddon is not a war. according to Scriptures. It is a place. (Revelation 16:16) (For more information on Armageddon, see the article entitled “What Is Armageddon.”)
The War of the Great Day of God will be conducted in this place. (Revelation 16:14)
Notice that Armageddon is the “War of the Great Day of God.” What does this mean? The Great Day of God is the coming of His Kingdom to the earth (It already exists in heaven)… So, it has to come down to the earth.
Jesus’ one thousand year rule has already prepared all of mankind to receive it. Only one thing stands in the way: Satan and his Beastly system. Satan knows that God’s Kingdom is coming. He knows – from that future point of time – that his time is short. (Revelation 12:12)
Satan’s beastly system of rule was established specifically to prepare the world of people in those days to have a mindset – like Satan’s – to oppose God’s Kingdom from being established. I believe that the earth’s population in those days will believe that God’s kingdom will have already been established. Satan’s beastly system of rule will mislead them into thinking that his system is that kingdom. Obviously, Satan will not literally be telling the earth in those days but will mislead them into thinking such.
The relatively small band of faithful ones not supporting this “beast” will be the ones actually accused of opposing God’s Kingdom. They will know, however, what Satan’s beast is.
These faithful ones see – through eyes of faith – God’s Kingdom coming. The rest of the world will not and will believe that they are already in it. It will be a peaceful world that they are in so why would they believe otherwise?
These supporters of the Beast will go after these dissenters and use threat and coercion to get them to support the Beast and its image and cast off their thoughts that God’s Kingdom is coming.
Armageddon is a situation where on one side we have those who support the Beast and believe that they will be already existing in God’s Kingdom; in other words, it had already come. On the other side are those few who do not support the Beast and have come to know that it is a counterfeit pretending to be God’s Kingdom come. They know that God’s Kingdom is coming. They see it by faith.
The war itself is not one fought with literal weapons. The weapons will be verbal attacks, smear campaigns, lies, coercion, and propaganda against the faithful to break their integrity and support this counterfeit kingdom. It is at that time we:
Stand firm, therefore, with YOUR loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and with YOUR feet shod with the equipment of the good news of peace. Above all things, take up the large shield of faith, with which YOU will be able to quench all the wicked one’s burning missiles. Also, accept the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, that is, God’s word, while with every form of prayer and supplication YOU carry on prayer on every occasion in spirit. (Ephesians 6:14-18)
This should not be surprising as the Christian system of religion and the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society uses such things to get people to be loyal to them – believing God is with them. Christianity teaches being favored by God if one accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, which usually means joining a church. They label all who don’t as heathen and persons condemned to an eternity of punishment in their hellfire.
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, by comparison, is soberer. Yet, it does the same thing. It teaches that only those in association with the Watch Tower Society – which is viewed as God’s organization on earth – will have life everlasting. All outside of the organization will simply lose their lives and perish. Even those, like myself who was a former Jehovah’s Witness (more than 20 years) and one who loves God and Christ and have an intense concern and love of truth, are viewed by the Watch Tower as apostates because we view Christ as our only Head and channel, not a human organization.
It is arrogant for an organization to say that association with it is what leads to life. That they are the way. That they are the truth. When Jesus said he is those things. (John 14:6)
So in both cases, the lure and pressure to be faithful to humans and human agency is strong. So it should not be surprising to see this same type of thing used when it comes to choosing God’s Kingdom over a system that will claim to be God’s Kingdom.
It is interesting to me that the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society claims itself to be God’s organization and channel by which truth flows down to the “domestics.” Millions of members within that organization sincerely believe this and it is a very difficult thing to reason with a Witness to get them to see otherwise.
Individual Witnesses are not allowed to speak to me or read anything I write or else they themselves face the threat of punishment of being disfellowshipped. The Watch Tower as a very effective system of information control in place. All it has to do is label one an “apostate” and it’s membership automatically turns on a switch and they have no interest in knowing why a person was given such a label. They never question what did the person do?
In most cases, a person is given the foul label of apostate because they questioned or challenged WatchTower authority from Scripture and were unbending and refused to be “re-adjusted.” I am convinced that the Watch Tower Society fears many of the ones they labeled “apostate” because if others did hear them, they would begin to think and question and have doubts about some of the teachings. So, placing a foul stench and label upon someone is an effective way to make them look like “bad persons.”
While it is true that many former Jehovah’s Witnesses become angry and disgruntled and have a vendetta against the Watch Tower organization, there some who do not, like me. I hold no ill-will towards the Watch Tower organization. I view Christ as my only teacher and Head and as the way, the truth, and the life, not a human organization.
So it can be appreciated how such a thing can happen in the future under a system of control over humans. If those persons speak against the beast and its image, they will be subject to being labeled “apostate” or “dissenters” not loyal to God.
That beastly system will cultivate a mindset in the earth that if one does not support it, they are ungodly.
Yet, the race of humans that issued forth from Adam, namely all of us, must die and be raised up new creatures if we are to see God’s Kingdom at the end of Christs one thousand year rule. Thus as the Master has said at Matthew 10:22:
… but he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.
