WHERE ARE ALL THE DEAD? (Part One)

All through my growing up years as a Christian, I often heard Sunday school teachers, pastors, preachers and guest speakers talking nonchalantly about heaven and hell. Many a times, some would even preached at the wake of Christians who had passed on to bring comfort to those who are mourning that the deceased had 'gone to heaven to enjoy life forevermore'. But a careful study of Scripture will show that it teaches no such thing. So what is the truth of the destiny of all those who had died throughout the millennia since our distant ancestors walked the earth? Let's go through Scripture to find out.

The concept of the dead who had believed in Christ going to heaven and those who had not, going to hell is to believe that human beings have immortal soul. But Ezekiel 18:4 & 20 state, 'the soul that sinneth, it shall die' , and since 'all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God' - Romans 3:23, all human beings died and those who had died remained dead, they do NOT have eternal life somewhere else (whether in heaven or hell) as no human being has an immortal soul. All humans are souls and when they die, the souls died as well.To believe that the 'lost' are all 'burning in hell fire' after death is to imply that the wages of sin is 'eternal life in hell'.

Such man-made theology is pagan in origin and was popularised by a novelist named Dante Aligeirli who wrote the novel Divine Comedy in the thriteenth century. Dante was influenced by Greek philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and other earlier writers to pen the novel about heaven and hell. Subsequent preachers and evangelists had made use of such concept to great drama and effect in reaching out to unbelieving audience to 'frighten them into trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour'.

When a person dies, his or her spirit returns to God but it is not conscious and has no life of its own (Eccl: 3:21). The dead has no consciousness of existence and the passage of time (Psalm 6:5, 115:17, 146:4;  Eccl 3:20, 9:5). 'My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word' - Ps 119:25. The Psalmist knew that when he died, he will be 'sleeping in the dust' awaiting the (First) Resurrection when Christ returns to claim the kingdom of God as the ruling King of all the earth. David knew full well his eternal destiny when he will be resurrected (First Resurrection) from death to become immortal spirit God being (born again) like Jesus Christ - 'I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness' - Psalm 17:15.

Interestingly, Jesus Christ told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, which was recorded in John 3:13 thus, 'And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.'  Even after the ascension of Christ up to heaven, the Apostle Peter declared that 'David is both dead and buried...For David is not ascended into the heavens.' - Acts 2:29, 34. If David who is a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) is not in heaven, even after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, then how is anyone going to get into heaven!

Jesus Christ taught in the Sermon on the Mount that 'the meek shall inherit the earth' - Matt 5:5. John recorded in Revelation 5:10 which should be correctly translated as 'And has made them (the saints) unto our God kings and priests, and they (the saints) shall reign on the earth.'  Similarly, it was recorded in Revelation 2:26 - ' And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.'  Man-made theology would have you believe that heaven is an eternal playground for believers to roll and idle around forever with nothing better to do. But such teaching is contrary to the Gospel message which Christ and all His Apostles taught!

The prophet Daniel also recorded in chapter 7:14,18,22 &27 about Christ being officially given the rulership of the kingdom of God by the Heavenly Father and the saints of God were given the task to rule and reign with Christ on planet earth - hence the title of Christ as King of kings (saints) and Lord of lords (humans on earth). Towards the end, the prophet Daniel was told by Archangel Michael to rest (die) till the time of resurrection at the end of days (end of church age) - Daniel 12:13.

Some sceptics may weigh in Christ's promise to the thief in Luke 23:43 of granting him safe passage to heaven. But this is purely a mistranslation. Since in the original Greek manuscript which was inspired, there is no punctuation, the coma was incorrectly placed. It should rightly be translated as, 'Verily I say unto thee today (that is, right now),  shalt thou be with me in paradise.' If Christ had promised the thief that today he shall be with Him in paradise, the Lord is contradicting Himself. For He was three days and three nights in the grave and when Mary Magdalene saw Him on the fourth day, Christ told her, 'Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father (in heaven).' - John 20: 17.

Besides, He would be contradicting Himself on His statement in John 3:13. That is why He told His hearers that 'Where I go (heaven), you cannot come' - John 8:21,22; John 13:33. The thief will not be in the first resurrection as he was not baptised and had no time to develop the righteous character required to become sons of God. Since he repented of his sins, Christ will not condemn him and he will be in the second resurrection towards the end of the Millennium Age. By then, earth would have been a paradise. Jesus Christ is coming to earth and NOT the saints going to heaven - Rev 22:12. All who died in faith, including Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still 'sleeping in the grave' awaiting the First Resurrection - Hebrews 11: 13. Christians are heirs in this lifetime and to become inheritors when Christ returns. If the dead in Christ had gone on to heaven, why is there a need for resurrection (see 1 Cor chapter 15)? - it simply makes no sense!




 

THE CALL TO BE GOD'S FIRSTFRUITS

The firstfruits are those whom God called (John 6:44) out of the value systems of this world (Gal 1:4) to conform to the mindset and attitude of Christ (Phil 2:4-5). They are in the world but not of the world (John 17:16) and will be sanctified by the Word of Truth (17:17) - meaning that they are not being deceived by false doctrine and teachings. Unless God the heavenly Father called them like Abraham, Moses and the Apostle Paul, amongst others, all of humanity are going through life ignorant of the plan and purposes of God. The Apostle Paul recognised those who are called to be the firstfruits of His creature (James 1:18) and acknowledged them as such (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:15).

The prerogative of those who are called to be the firstfruits is that of God the Father. For He foreknew those whom He calls even before they were born (Rom 8:29-30). Those called will have a lifetime of striving in order to please God and be separate and different from the world (1 John 2:15-17). That is why 'not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.' (1 Cor 1:26-27). As Christ had said, 'narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.' (Matt 7:14). Those who hope to be overcomer of self (pride, greed, selfishness etc.), the deception of Satan and the lure of society will have to choose God's way.

The true church of God that Christ founded on the Day of Pentecost in AD 31 consists of a small group of true believers who understood the gospel of the Kingdom and all its accompanied truth handed down to Christ as the Prophet (Deut 18:15) and Messenger (Mal 3:1c). There is only one true church that He founded (Matt 16:18) and not a mixture of churches with differing doctrines and practices. They are the 'little flock' (Luke 12:32) with the Father's name written on their forehead (Rev 14:1) - meaning the Holy Spirit is indwelling in the cognitive part of their mind situated at the frontal lobe of the brain. The will and work of the Heavenly Father are always in their mind. The have not been corrupted by false doctrine ('spiritual virgins') and have avoided the political and religious system of the world (Rev 14:4) which are nothing more than the doctrines and traditions of men (Mark 7:7-8). The called are prepared to forsake all to abide in the truth and be faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ (Like 14:33), for they are the called, chosen and faithful (Rev 17:14).

Those who are being called and are obedient, God has given them the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32) to empower them to overcome trial and tribulations which are necessary to trim their character to be more Christlike for the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). The firstfruits that make up the true church of God in this church age follow the government of God led by Christ as the Head. They must learn to be good followers of Christ now in order to lead others into God's kingdom come the millennium.Those who cannot follow the commandments and laws of God now will not qualify as the firstborn of God in the First Resurrection when Christ returns - 'for judgment must begin at the house of God' (1 Peter 4:17).

God's plan for the salvation of mankind is revealed in the observance of His Holy Days - not holidays! The Day of Pentecost is the picture of the calling and harvesting of the firstfruits of the church of God who will later assist Christ in bringing the rest of humanity to salvation when He returns. We are now living in such a time when God is calling and choosing His firstfruits to be trained and prepared - a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people - to reign with Christ in His kingdom (1 Pet 2:9). Those who have ears to hear will do well to heed the advice of the Apostle Peter to 'give diligence to make your calling and election sure; For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' - 2 Pet 1:10-11.






 

WHY WAS JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED?

Traditional Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ, the Son of God was crucified for the sin of mankind. While this is an absolute truth on God's Plan for the salvation of mankind, there are more to the reasons and circumstances that led to His crucifixion.

When God redeemed Israel out of slavery from Egypt, He entered into a covenant with them to bless them as long as they obey His commandments. This was ratified with the blood of animal sacrifices (Exodus 24:6-8). Since the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin (Heb 10:4), God has to establish a better covenant and with better promises (Heb:8:6) that came in the Person of Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world (John 3:16; John 6:54).

Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of virgin Mary in Bethelem. He was the God of the Old Testament (1 Cor 10:4) and came unto his own, and his own received him not (John 1:11). During His first advent, thousands heard Him speak and teach, saw Him casting out demons and healing the sick. The Pharisees and Sadducees - the religious elites of that time - demanded proof from Him of His identity with a sign from heaven. But none will be given except that of the prophet Jonah, when He will be in the grave for three days and three nights after His crucifixion.

These religious elites felt threatened by His teaching and popularity as they could lose their the support of the Jews. Besides, their power and authority were derived from the Roman authorities from where they were given some minor governmental roles. If they allow Christ to preach the true Gospel of the kingdom of God - a higher authority than that of the Roman emperor - these religious leaders could be implicated with sedition and treason which demand the death penalty. These prompted the religious leaders to plot the death of Christ in order to save their own skin (John 11: 45-53).

The Pharisees knew that Christ came from God the Father (John 3:2) and the Gospel of the kingdom that He proclaimed is about the coming supergovernment of God on planet earth. But to safegurard their interests and positions, they were determined to undermine Jesus Christ at every opportunity to stop Him in His track! They attempted to trap Him with His words so that they can accuse Him of sedition or treason before the Roman government. (Matt 22:15). But Christ saw through their intention (verse 18) and silenced them with His wisdom (verse 21).

Christ performed many miracles and spoke of strong words that the masses found difficult to stomach. After feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish, Christ went over to Capernaum. The masses continue to follow Him hoping for more physical food to feed their stomach. But Christ told them to feed on spiritual food that will eventually lead to eternal life. When He spoke to the crowd that He is the Bread of Life and told them to feed on Him (the Passover symbols), many of His disciples turned away and walked with Him no more (John 6:66). Little wonder that Jesus said to His country folks, 'A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house' - Mark 6:4.

It was one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him to the religious leaders for thirty pieces of silver and Christ was delivered to the Roman governor Pilate to be tried. It is commonly believed that the Jewish leaders have no power to sentence Him to death based on John 18:31, 'It is not lawful for us to put any man to death'. However, this is true only for charges involving sedition or treason - for which Jesus Christ was accused of since He preached the Gospel of the kingdom of God - the very Gospel message sent from God the Father. The religious leaders accused Christ of blasphemy, but they falsely charged Him of treason to let Pontius Pilate put Him to death. In this way, they could wash their hands off (and so they thought) and yet have Christ crucified. Jesus Christ came to preach the Gospel (Luke 4:43: John 18:37) and to set up the church (Matt 16:18) so that mortal human beings could be born again as immortal spirit beings in the Family of God to inherit God's kingdom (Rom 8: 16-17, 29-30; Heb 2:10). He died doing the Father's will!





 

THE LAST GREAT DAY

The Last Great Day is also known as the 'eighth day' in Leviticus 23:36 as it follows immediately after the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. This final Holy Day commemorates the final judgement of God and some major events that follow after the Millennial Rule of Christ on earth. Some of these events include the Second Resurrection, the Third Resurrection, the New Heaven and the New Earth. All those who are called in this church age and qualifies in the First Resurrection will be rulers  (Rev 3:21) and priests (1 Peter 2:9) in the kingdom of God. They will be the pioneers who will assist Christ to govern and turn the hearts of rebellious mankind to be reconciled to God the Father.

The prophet Ezekiel in the book that bears his name states the vision of the 'Valley of the Dry Bones' (chapter 37) of physical resurrection (Second Resurrection) of all who had ever lived but are not already in the First Resurrection. Starting with the Israelites, all people who had died will be resurrected to flesh and blood physical beings to learn of God's truth and plan of salvation - to be lead and taught by Christ's called and chosen saints (Rev 17:14) in the First Resurrection who will become immortal spiritual beings (1 Cor 15:51-54; Rev 20:4-6). These saints will be members of the Family of God (Hebrews 2:10) and will be 'kings' (1 Tim 6:15) and 'gods' (Ps 82:6; Micah 4:5) to bring in the great harvest for the kingdom of God. They are currently being trained and judged by God in this present age for the great task ahead (1 Pet 4:17).

Only a small percentage of the world's population will survive to live in the millennial age - the large majority having perished in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord preceding that. They will be given the full truth of God's grace, mercy and Plan of Salvation for mankind. Just before The Last Great Day, Satan will be let loose on earth to deceive the people (Rev 20:7-10), and many will fall away. Subsequently, Satan and his demons will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:10) and they will never again influence humanity.

Then comes the Second Resurrection or the Great White Throne Judgment - not sentencing - where all of humanity who have ever lived will be physically resurrected as flesh and blood beings to experience the life of peace, joy and prosperity since Satan and his demons were put away for good. This group of people will include all those who lived during the Pre-Flood era. Regardless of their age from infant to the elderly, they will live for another 100 years and be given all of God's truth for salvation (Isaiah 65:20-24; Acts 4:12). They will be judged on how they live their lives during the last 100 years of the millennial age and not their past life before the Return of Christ. All their works post resurrection will be recorded in the book of life (Rev 20:12) and judgment will be meted out based on post resurrection living.

Christ taught this in John 7:37-38, 'In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and cried, saying "If any man thrist, let him come unto me and drink." He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' His mesage was given probably on the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. In Christ's teaching, the living waters refer to partaking of the Holy Spirit, which God will pour out His Spirit upon ALL flesh (Joel 2:28) during the Last Great Day to give eternal life on all those who will accept God's way of life - the way of giving rather than Satan's way of getting.

The physical resurrection of all human beings during the last 100 years of the millennial age is not a second chance for salvation, but for all who have never had the opportunity to know the Creator and the truth of God. Their judgment will occur during the time of Christ's rulership when earth will be a paradise, after booting out Satan as god of this world (2 Cor 4:4) and as a great deceiver (Rev 12:9). The vast majority of the resurrected will have the opportunity to learn, experience and grow in God's way of life and have their names inscribed in the book of life. All those who refused to accept  God's way of life will experience the Third Resurrection. They will be those living during the 6,000 year period of Satan's rule, the millennial age or the last 100 years before the end of the millennial age. The merciful God will put them out of misery, casting them into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:15) to be annihilated (Malachi 4:1, 3) in the 'second death' (Rev 20:14)  as if they have never been born and with no possibility of resurrection - they will not have eternal life in 'hellfire'. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) - not eternal life in any form of 'hellfire'!

All who qualifed for eternal life are either those who lived during the 6,000 years of Satan's rule, during the millennial age or at the last 100 years before the ushering in of the New Heaven and the New Earth. Even the inhabitants of ancient cities of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, which angered God for their depravities will find mercy on the day of judgement and probably many will be saved and reconciled to God (Matt 11:21-24). God the Father will come down from the third Heaven to reside in the kingdom of God (headquarters will be in Jerusalem) and dwell with mankind (Rev 21:3). Man's destiny is to inherit the earth (Matt 5:5) where the throne of God (kingdom of God) resides. All who accept God's way of life will be born again as immortal spirit beings and be part of God's divine Family. But that is only the beginning - the universe needs to be transformed to conform to God's purpose for eternity!

 

FEAST OF TABERNACLES

The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23: 27,34) is a seven day festival commanded in Scriptures to be celebrated for which no servile work is to be carried out. This festival is celebrated by looking forward to 'when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord ' - Acts 3:19. God's plan for mankind involves restoration, and this Feast symbolises the restoration process when Jesus Christ will return to earth - represented by the Feast of Trumpets - and the banishment of Satan - represented by the Day of Atonement. Once all these have taken place, the foundation is set for the 'restitution of all things' (Acts 3:21), including the restoration of peace and harmony with God for the whole earth - with Jesus Christ reigning as the King of kings and Lord of lords!

The Feast celebrates the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God which Christ came to preach as the Gospel at His first advent. It also reflects the weekly Sabbath 'rest' (Hebrews 4: 1-11) when all of humanity will be resurrected to be given the opportunity to learn of God's truth and perfect laws and be reconciled back to God. It was meant to be so at the beginning of creation, but Satan's deception and man's disobedience led to sin and depravation of mankind.

Christ's return will begin the one-thousand year rule - the millennium reign (Rev 20:4) - with God's law as the foundation of His Messianic rule. 'For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem' - Isaiah 2:3. King David echoed this in Psalm 119:165, 'Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them'. By then, even the nature of wild animals will be changed, 'The wolf  also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them' - Isaiah 11:6.

Deserts will bloom and great physical healing will take place during the Millennial reign of Christ. 
'The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.' - Isiaah 35:1. 'Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.' - verses 5-6. Of even greater miracles will be spiritual healings, with six thousand years of human sufferings and injustices reversed. The Lord Christ and His saints (those resurrected from the First Resurrection) will become rulers and priests to help minister to all in need. Christ promised all true disciples 'that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations' - Rev 2:26. In the church age, they are being trained by the true church for times such as these!

The Feast of Tabernacles is also known as the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16). This Feast is a time of celebration of abundance which God has given. In type of the spiritual harvest, the former rain spring harvest is moderate (before Christ's return), while the latter rain fall harvest will be an abundant spiritual harvest during the Millennium - Joel 2:23-24. It will be the time when 'every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' - Philippians 2:11 and 'The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea' - Isaiah 11:9.

In the New Testament, Christ kept the Feast (John 7:8-14), despite threats to His life as the Jewish religious leaders sought to kill Him. It was only in the middle of the Feast that His presence became known. Similarly, the Apostle Paul kept the Feast of Tabernacles as it was celebrated in the fall (Acts 18:21). The Millennial rule of Christ will be the time of peace, happiness and prosperity that mankind has been waiting for after six thousand years of wars, conflicts and misrule that plagued mankind with no lasting solutions to all the problems of humanity. Indeed, it is the Good News of the 'world to come' - Hebrews 2:5 - that Christ came to proclaim for all mankind. Christ said to His hearers -'know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32) - free from the bondage and deception of Satan. Let all who have ears hear the Gospel truth!







 

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

The Day of Atonement (Lev 23:27) is the fifth of the seven holy days of God's Master Plan for the salvation of mankind. In the feast of trumpets, Christ will return to earth to stop total destruction of mankind by establishing rulership over the whole world. Following from that, the next step of God's Plan is to put away Satan and his demons who are the primary instigators of all the sins of this world. Although the Passover is the forgiveness of sin for mankind, only those who are called before His return have appropriated the Blood of Christ and are saved. The rest of mankind will have to wait till the time of the Millennial Age for salvation.

Satan is so powerful that he blinds the world of God's truth, for he 'deceives the whole world' - Rev 12:9. The Apostle Paul reminded us that those who are called once ' walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience' - Eph 2:2. For Satan can transform himself as an angel of light, and his ministers can be transformed as ministers of righteousness to deceive the naive and gullible - 2 Cor 11: 14-15. Christ plainly taught this to those who are antagonistic to his teaching, ' Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it - John 8:44.

True Christians are called to be in spiritual battle to resist the devil and his demons. We all have to do our part to resist the devil and temptation of the flesh to sin against the righteous laws of God. The Day of Atonement looks forward to the time when Satan and his demons will be put away and mankind will be free from their deception and influence (Rev 20:1-3). It will be the time when all of humanity will be given the chance to know the truth and be reconciled to God the Father. Babylon will become the habitation of Satan and the demons (Rev 18:2).

In Leviticus chapter 16, the Scriptures describes the Old Testament typology of Christ as the sacrificial Lamb that was slain and Satan as the 'scapegoat' that escaped into the wilderness. Although since the death of Christ, animal sacrifice was no longer necessary, nonetheless it reveals God's Plan for the salvation of mankind. Two goats were chosen and Aaron the high priest would cast lot to select 'one for the Lord' to be offered as a sacrifice (Lev 16:8-9). This goat represented Jesus Christ who would pay the penalty for the sin of all mankind. The high priest would confess all sins of the Israelites upon the head of the other goat ( the 'scapegoat' ) to be set free into the wilderness. The Hebrew word for 'scapegoat' is Azazel, which is a name for a demon - namely Satan. The term is a misnomer as the word 'scapegoat' is one who wrongly takes the blame of others and not one who was set free! The sending off of the sin-laden goat into the wilderness signifies the removal of all sin from the people and handling them over to the evil spirit where it belongs.

The term 'ye shall afflict your soul' in Lev 23:27 is to humble oneself through fasting on the Day of Atonement in a repentant state of mind. Fasting helps to remind us of our dependence upon God who alone is our source and sustainer of life. The early church kept the Day of Atonement and so did the Apostle Paul who observed this day of fast as recorded in Acts 27:9. The Day of Atonement is to be observed by all true believers as it is a prepatory step toward the Feast of Tabernacles when Christ and His saints will reign over all the earth.





 

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS

The Feast of Trumpets (Lev 23: 23-25) introduces the autumn festivals during which period of time God will send Christ back to earth to govern all the nations of the world. This coming establishment of the kingdom of God - the very heart of the gospel message of Christ - will commence the Millennial Age when God will intervene in the affairs of man throughout the whole earth. Satan will be put away for a thousand years under the restraining order of God. This Holy Day will commence the turning point in the history of mankind as the good news of the establishment of divine government on earth where peace, prosperity and righteousness based on God's law will prevail.

This Feast celebrates the heralding of the final prophetic trumpet that depicts the return of Jesus Christ to earth as the ruling King. It is the good news for this sin-filled wretched world that will finally see Satan dethroned as the god of this world and Christ enthroned as the King of the whole earth (Rev 11:15)! Hence, the Feast marks the future fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah coming as the King who will rule with power and authority.

In His earthly ministry, Christ did make a distinction between His first and second coming. Before Pontius Pilate at His trial, Christ told him that He had not come to rule at that time. ' My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight (indicating at His second coming the angels will come with Him to destroy those who oppose His rulership), that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence... To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.' (The truth is that His first coming was to deliver the Gospel message of the kingdom of God and to build the church that will form the Family of God to help govern the kingdom when He returns).

Just before Christ was to ascend to heaven, the apostles last question for Him was when is He going to establish the kingdom of God. Christ told them that 'It is not for you (the disciples and true believers) to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power' - Acts 1:7. Instead, Christ told them to focus on spreading the Gospel of the good news of the coming kingdom. Note that just two verses earlier, Christ told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, which is at Pentecost -' not many days hence'. Pentecost is the birth of the Christian church in 31 A.D. Yet traditional Christianity largely believe that the kingdom of God is synonmous with the church - which is contrary to what Christ taught!

The Feast of Trumpets also signals the resurrection of the dead. It is recorded for us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 'For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.' The Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth and all true believers will be with Him on planet earth with the Headquarters of His kingdom in Jerusalem - not in heaven! The Apostle Paul initially believed that Christ would return in his lifetime, hence the use of the word 'we'. This is the first resurrection mentions in Revelation 20:5 for which the second death (at the lake of fire) has no power because those resurrected will be changed to immortal spirit being.The writer of Hebrews term this 'a better resurrection' - Hebrews 11:35. This is the blessed hope of all true believers who understand the Master Plan of God.

Paul wrote in Romans 8:18-23 that all creation awaits the revelation of the sons of God as all are in bondage due to sin of corruption. Although tragic events lie ahead of the cataclysmic events of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, what lies beyond is the good news that Christ will return to restore mankind and the whole earth into God's abundant way of life, with the establishment of His perfect government on all the earth. The Feast of Trumpets is also a time to remember Christ command to pray, 'Thy kingdom come' - Matthew 6:10.