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God's Plan Of Salvation

By Rick Railston
September 26, 2009

Well, greetings everybody! And special greetings to our Canadian Brethren, those up in Edmonton and Sooke. I wanted to thank the Brethren in Sooke two Sabbaths ago for having us there. And as usual, it's just a wonderful time. It's in Ellen Jodrell's home and it's very relaxing. They make you feel very warm and very welcomed. They, as I've told them, they put on the best feed in the Church. And if you want to experience that, you're going to have to go to Sooke. That's just the only way it'll work. And, as usual, a hello to the Texans and the "Cheeseheads" and we hope to see a lot of you in Panama City.

As most of you know, we've had three deaths in the Church in the last few weeks. We had Tom and Louise Barron's son die in a motorcycle accident and we were able to see them and talk to them in Sooke. And then of course, Howard Johnson's son died there unexpectedly in their home. And they're suffering with that while dealing with custody of the kids. So, that's a double burden to them. And then Rick Largin, Linda Stalder's son-in-law died and left six children ages nine to twenty-one. And that's been a real trial for that whole family.

And this has all happened in a very few weeks. And it seemed appropriate that given that that we look into the Bible today regarding a very important subject that's applicable to these events. That's related to these events because if we understand God's plan, we can take tremendous comfort in the loss of loved ones when we understand God's plan for mankind. So what we're going to do today is to talk about the resurrections and the judgment periods because that is part and parcel of God's plan and it fits into the Holy Days that are coming. It particularly fits into the Last Great Day. And it might be a good review for all of us, because, as the Brethren in Sooke said, "Well, we"— They requested this sermon and then they said, "You know over the years you might have studied it, but you get a little fuzzy if you hadn't studied it in a few years." And it's a good reminder particularly given the circumstances in the Church in the last few weeks.

So, the first subject we want to address is God's Overall Plan. What is God's desire in having a plan that has resurrections and judgment periods and deaths, we're going to see? Let's go to 1 Timothy 2 and verse 4 and see God's ultimate goal in bringing mankind into existence and then having a Plan of Salvation for Mankind. 1 Timothy 2 and verse 4. If you grew up in a fire and brimstone church, if you grew up in a whip-cracking Protestant Church, this might be hard to believe for some. 1 Timothy 2 and verse 4, referring to God:

1 Timothy 2:4. Who will have all men [and women] to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (KJV)

That is God's goal. God wants His people, the people He is calling now, and then ultimately all mankind, to be saved, to come to a knowledge of the truth, to repent, and to have eternal life in His Family as children. That is His goal.

His goal is not to eliminate us. And some people think that. That God takes great pleasure in kind of looking down and boy, you step across the line and "Ah, that's one less person I have to deal with." That's a human attitude, but it's not a godly attitude.

Let's look at 2 Peter 3 and verse 9 and see another Scripture that talks about God's attitude toward mankind, humankind, and to the firstfruits today. 2 Peter 3 and verse 9, we are told:

2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; (KJV)

And we know human beings can promise and they often don't deliver. But that's not the case with God.

2 Peter 3:9b. but is longsuffering [toward us], not willing that any should perish, (KJV)

He does not want to lose one!

2 Peter 3:9 continued. but that all should come to repentance. (KJV)

That's why He says as a good shepherd you leave the ninety and nine and you go after the one because He doesn't want any to perish and all to come to repentance!

And so part of this overall plan, we're going to find that God instituted three resurrections—one to spirit and two back to physical life. Because we know, the Bible tells us not all resurrections are the same. Let's go to Hebrews 11 and verse 35. We're told very plainly that one resurrection is better than another. And, of course, if you're resurrected to physical life, that's a lot different than being resurrected to spirit life. Hebrews 11:35, it says:

Hebrews 11:35. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; (KJV)

Why did they go through that?

Hebrews 11:35b. that they might obtain a better resurrection: (KJV)

A better one! Well, if there's a better one, there's obviously more than one.

Now we're going to find out that in addition to the three resurrections, there's also three periods of judgment. Now in the mind of some people—you hear Protestant or Catholic preachers preach about it that—judgment is like you walk up in front of a judge and bam the gavel comes down, and you either are guilty or you're not guilty. Well, in God's Plan, a judgment is a period of time. It's a judgment period. It's not a one-second thing. It takes time for people to grow, people to show their true colors, for God to know their true heart. And so there are three judgment periods we're going to see.

And who is the Chief Judge? Let's go to 3 John 5 and verse 22 and we're going to see that Christ is the Judge. The Father has delegated that to Jesus Christ. He, having been a human, understands. And so God—I'm sure that's the reason. God said, "Because of what You've been through, because of Your life on earth, I am going to delegate to You the job of judgment." "For the Father judges no man," Christ tells us, "but has committed all judgment to the Son." So we know who is our Judge.

But the next question is: We're judged according to what? What's the criterion that we're judged according to? We find that in Revelation 20 and verse 12. We're talking now the Overall Plan. We haven't got into the specifics yet. But we see that Christ is our Judge and there is a standard by which we are judged. Revelation 20 and verse 12:

Revelation 20:12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, (KJV)

What was written in the books?

Revelation 20:12b. according to their works. (KJV)

What they did! Not what they say they're going to do, but what they did!

The famous quote of Yoda in Star Wars, he says: "There is no try. You either do or you don't." And that is absolutely true. People say, "Well, I'm going to try to do this, " or "I'm going to try to do that," but what we're told here in Revelation 20 and verse 12 is that's all fluff. That's all talk. That's all words. You either do or you don't—according to our works.

We're going to talk about Three Resurrections, Three Judgment Periods. And we're also going to find out that there are two deaths. And most of us know that. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 22 and see the first death that all human beings must go through, every one of us—past, present and future! 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 22, Paul says:

1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, (KJV)

All will die! No exception!

1 Corinthians 15:22b. even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (KJV)

Yes! During three resurrections all are going to be made alive. Some are going to be made alive for one purpose. Some are going to be made alive for different purposes and we will see what those are.

So the first death is a physical death. Every human being goes through a physical death—will go through a physical death. But the second death is a spiritual death. That's an eternal death. Let's look at Revelation 20 and verse 6 where we come across the term second death. There is no term in the Bible third death. There's just a second death. So there's only two. Revelation 20, we'll read verse 6 and then jump to verse 14. Revelation 20 verse 6:

Revelation 20:6. Blessed and holy is he that [has] part in the first resurrection: (KJV)

This gives us a hint about the first resurrection.

Revelation 20:6b. on such the second death [has] no power, (KJV)

We're going to see those who are resurrected in the first resurrection are free from this second death.

Revelation 20:6 continued. but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (KJV)

We'll come back to that as we go through.

Jumping to verse 14:

Revelation 20:14. And death and [the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (KJV)

So let's keep that in mind.

Now, now that we have this background, what we're going to do now is take events in time order mixing judgments periods, resurrections, and the deaths. We will take them in time order so it's clear in everybody's mind. And we will, as we go through, obviously the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day focus on some of these periods.

Events in Time Order

Number One is the First Judgment Period.

The first judgment period is the judgment of the Church, the judgment of the firstfruits. Those called in the six-thousand-year period, those called going all the way back to the earliest of the Old Testament times all the way through to those who will be called right up to Christ's return. Now we know not many now are being called. A few are being called but it includes all of those who were called as human beings, have God's holy spirit, baptized, understood the truth, and were judged according to their works, as we will see.

Look at 1 Peter 4 and verse 17, a very familiar Scripture. Peter states, for the benefit of the Brethren then and for us today, that judgment is on us now! This is the First Judgment Period. It happens to be six-thousand-years long!

1 Peter 4:17. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: (KJV)

And David was judged. Joshua was judged. And Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were judged. Those that were converted when Christ was alive were judged during their lives and us today.

1 Peter 4:17b. and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (KJV)

Not a pretty picture if people don't obey!

Now we're not going to spend a lot of time on this First Judgment Period because we talk about that a lot over the year.

The Second Event in Time Order is the First Resurrection.

And that is the resurrection of the Church to spirit. This is not a physical resurrection! It is a resurrection of those who in the First Judgment Period prove to God that they wanted to love Him more than all! And they wanted to love their neighbor as themselves. And they followed God's way and followed God's Ten Commandments. And they demonstrated by their works that they were faithful and they died. And this is a resurrection of the dead to spirit life.

Let's go to 1 Thessalonians 4 and we're going to read verses 15 through 17. 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 15 through 17. Now we have to understand that Paul thought that at the time he wrote this that he was going to be alive at Christ's coming. And he found out later that that was not part of God's plan. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 15:

1 Thessalonians 4:15. For this we say unto you by the word of the [Eternal], that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not [precede] them which are asleep. (KJV)

And that's a different subject, but God talks about in the Bible many times about death being akin to sleep. So he's talking about that those who are alive when Christ returns will not go before those who are resurrected from the dead. Verse 16:

1 Thessalonians 4:16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the [trumpet] of God: and the dead (KJV)

Now this is important!

1 Thessalonians 4:16b. the dead in Christ (KJV)

Meaning: they died with God's holy spirit.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 continued. shall rise first: 17) Then we which are alive [as human beings, He says] and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the [Eternal] in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (KJV)

Now if you're going to ever be with God forever, that's obviously not a physical resurrection! It also means those who are alive at that time are changed to spirit and in that sense they die. The physical body dies. It happens in an instant, but they die. So we see it's a spiritual resurrection. We see it occurs, as we read here, the dead in Christ shall rise first when Christ descends from heaven with a shout.

Now let's jump to 1 Corinthians 15 and we're going to read verses 52 and 53. He's talking about those who are alive at that time and the change that occurs. 1 Corinthians 15 verses 52 and 53—very familiar Scripture—we're told:

1 Corinthians 15:52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye [Just nanoseconds!], at the last [trumpet]: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, (KJV)

Now we all know that if you're raised incorruptible, that is not a physical resurrection. We sweat; we stink; we have bad breath; all of that! That's being corruptible not incorruptible. If we're raised incorruptible that means spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:52b. and we shall be changed. (KJV)

Obviously from physical to spiritual. Verse 53:

1 Corinthians 15:53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (KJV)

Immortality is spirit. It can't be something that's physical. And we are changed.

Look at Revelation now, 20. We're going to read verses 4 through 6. Again talking about the resurrection of the Church to spirit, the Body of Christ being resurrected, Revelation 20 verses 4 through 6:

Revelation 20:4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the [lives] of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus [Christ], (KJV)

Okay, this has to refer to the Church! This has to refer, in this specific case, to martyrs who died because of their belief.

Revelation 20:4b. [who] were beheaded for the witness of [Christ], and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and [Notice!] they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (KJV)

Again this is not talking about somebody who's physical.

Verse 5, now, verse 5 is a parenthetical expression. So you should have a parenthesis before the word "But."

Revelation 20:5. (But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.) (KJV)

Another parenthesis, close parenthesis. We'll come back to that in a minute.

Revelation 20:5b. This [referring to verse 4] is the first resurrection. (KJV)

Verse 6:

Revelation 20:6. Blessed and holy is he that [has] part in the first resurrection: (KJV)

We read that earlier.

Revelation 20:6b. on such the second death [has] no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (KJV)

Again, this can only be a spiritual resurrection—a thousand years. And it talks about a first resurrection, so obviously there have to be more to follow. If it was just one resurrection, it would say "the" resurrection. So it's got to be more than one.

And if it refers to a second death, then there's got to be more than one also. We know there are two.

So we have seen now the first resurrection, the resurrection of the Church to spirit.

Now we come in time order to the Second Judgment Period.

We call this The Millennium. This is what Dale was referring to in his sermonette, what we look forward to here in just a few days. It was this Second Judgment Period, the Millennium.

Let's go to Daniel chapter 7; look at verse 27. The First Judgment Period was on the Church. It extended six-thousand years. The Second Judgment—we're going to see—will extend a thousand years, but under totally different circumstances. Daniel 7 and verse 27:

Daniel 7:27. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, [the rule and the kingdom, it says] shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, (KJV)

Well, this fits in with the First Resurrection because the saints are now immortal. It will be an everlasting Kingdom. And if it's given to the saints of the Most High, they must be everlasting also.

Daniel 7:27b. and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (KJV)

So it's clear here in Daniel 7:27 that the saints, those who are resurrected in the First Resurrection, help administer the Kingdom under Jesus Christ. Not to rule with a whip and a chair, but to rule with love and kindness and gentleness—as Dale was talking about Laura, being an EMT—helping people, leading people, guiding people.

Now we see that there's going to be a huge difference in the conditions between the six-thousand-years' judgment period and the Second Judgment Period. We find that in Isaiah chapter 11. And we read these Scriptures often at the Feast because we look forward to a time unlike what we find in the world today—this abysmal world we find today. Witness the situation with the Johnsons. And how justice with Frances Cinardo is a commodity that isn't often found in this world. Isaiah 11 verse 6:

Isaiah 11:6. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, (KJV)

Okay, that means the nature of animals must somehow change.

Isaiah 11:6b. and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; (KJV)

That was going to change. And if you put a little baby, a little child, if they're going to lead them, can you imagine a little child skipping through a meadow and having a lion and having a leopard dancing behind, coming behind? That is not today's world.

Verse 7:

Isaiah 11:7. And the cow and the bear shall feed; (KJV)

Meaning: They'll feed together side by side. The bear's not ripping the cow apart.

Isaiah 11:7b. their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. (KJV)

Again a change of nature!

I don't know about you, but we have a National Geographic Channel and they sometimes have shows on lions. And when a lion jumps on the back of a wildebeest or a little deer and puts those claws in and starts eating that animal to death, I can't watch that. I just can't watch it. I'm sorry.

And that is going to change! That's not going to happen anymore! That's not God's world. If you're an animal or a human, how would you like to be eaten alive? Eaten while you are alive? That's not going to happen in the Millennium.

Verse 8:

Isaiah 11:8. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the [poisonous snake], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the [viper's] den. (KJV)

And nothing's going to happen because they're not aggressive. They're not poisonous. They'll be a plaything for children.

Verse 9:

Isaiah 11:9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the [Eternal], as the waters cover the sea. (KJV)

This is not today's world. This is the Second Judgment Period. It is a new world.

Isaiah 30 and verse 21, let's go over there. This talks about the role the saints will play in this new world because the saints will be spirit. And those who live over are going to have a different kind of teacher than we find today. Isaiah 30 and verse 21, referring to those who live over as physical human beings:

Isaiah 30:21. And [your] ears shall hear a word behind [you], saying, This is the way, walk [you] in it, (KJV)

They're going to be told right from wrong. It's going to be gentle though.

Isaiah 30:21b. when [you] turn to the right hand, and when [you] turn to the left. (KJV)

So it's always going to be there to guide and gently lead. In the past in God's Church, we've had the mistake that we're going to rule with this harshness, with this being a dictator, and a whip and a chair and the axe coming down. No! We're not going to do that. That's not God's way. These people are going to be shell-shocked. And they're going to have be gently led and gently educated.

And we read—we won't turn there—Revelation 20 and verse 4—this is going to last a thousand years. We read this earlier. There will be no war. There will be no famine. There will be no disease.

Now think about what would happen to a society where there is no death from famine, there's no death from disease, there's no death from war. Probably, eighty percent or ninety percent of the people who have ever lived have died from famine, disease, or war. That's not going to happen. So what you're going to have is a giant population explosion. Starting with those who come through as physical human beings through the holocaust that Dale was talking about and then come in to the Millennium, there's going to be a gigantic population explosion. It's going to be overseen by the saints. And with each succeeding generation, the population gets exponentially bigger and bigger and bigger. People will live longer. There will be no deaths. My guess is families will be larger and you will have this incredible growth over a period of one thousand years.

Now the question comes: What happens to people who die during the Millennium (because the Bible is silent in this regard)? Now we're told—we read earlier—1 Corinthians 15:22, "As in Adam all die." So they will die ultimately. We don't know how long they’re going to live. It could be a hundred years or what it is today. Or it's going to be like in the days of Methuselah and you're going to see twenty generations as a great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather or something like that. We don't know. But all will die at the end of their physical life.

And God, in the Millennium, is going to allow—I'm sure—longer lives in part because people are healthier and there's no war or famine, but also just longer lives. Because what that does then is teach the young people the value of being old and there will be respect for elders. And when you have four or five generations in a certain area, you will gain respect for the elderly, which is not often the case today.

And so this is just my speculation. I believe that those during the Millennium, however long they live, who are tried and tested—they've been baptized, they have God's holy spirit—they are tried and tested, at the end of their physical life, what will happen to them is what happens to those who are alive at Christ's return. They will be changed from physical to spiritual. The physical body will die but they will be changed to spirit.

Now why is that likely to happen? Well, for one reason, you have a gigantic population explosion. So a generation dies and those, the vast majority, will have followed God's way. They will be immediately made spirit to help with succeeding generations because each generation gets larger and larger and larger. And you're going to need more spirit beings to help teach and train. And so, then the next generation dies, but by that time there are five generations ahead of them or ten generations ahead of them. And it's exploding more. So they die. They're changed. And then they are able to help as spirit beings to handle and train and love and guide this exploding population of human beings during the Millennium.

Now those who reject God, and there will be a few who reject God during the Millennium, they want immorality. They want pornography. They want to molest children. They want to kill people. They want to cheat. They want to lie. They want to steal. That's just what they want. They, after having proved themselves and they die they physical death, they are going to stay dead. They will stay dead until a later time.

Okay. Now we've come through this thousand year judgment period, The Second Judgment Period.

That leads us now to the Second Resurrection. This is the Fourth Point, fourth in time scale. The Second Resurrection is a resurrection of the dead to physical life of all of those who have never known God. During the six-thousand-year period prior to the Millennium, there have been billions of people who have never heard the name Christ, who have never seen a Bible, who don't know anything about the history of Israel or Christ coming to earth. They don't know! They just don't know. You think of all of the Eskimos, the Chinese, the Indians, the people in South America and Africa that have never known.

I can remember while I was being called one of the big questions in my mind was, "Well, what happens to the people that have never heard?" I talked to my Presbyterian minister and said, "Well, the missionaries"—they were sending missionaries out. I said, "The missionary go into this village in Africa and he gets a flat tire. And he can't go there and it takes him a whole day to fix the tire. And in the meantime a guy dies in the village because he didn't make it. Was that guy lost just because of a flat tire?" And he said, "Well, that's just the way it works." And I said, "Well, that doesn't sound like a God who's fair, a God who loves His children!" And so when I understood, through Mr. Armstrong's booklets, understood this, it just clicked. "Well, yeah. This makes sense."

So we have here a resurrection to physical life of all of those during the six-thousand-year period who have not been called. And frankly, it could be many people who attended in the Worldwide Church of God, but were never called. And it could be some ministers in the Worldwide Church of God, who were never called. And all going right back to Adam!

Let's go to Ezekiel chapter 16. This is a resurrection to physical life. I'm going to read this out of the NIV. We're going to read verses 53 through 55. Ezekiel 16 verse 53, now notice this! This has to be a resurrection.

Ezekiel 16:53. "'However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters (NIV)

Well we know they were blasted to smithereens! So how can this be?

Ezekiel 16:53b. and of Samaria (NIV)

Oh those pagan Samaritans and their false gods with their counterfeit christs and all of that before Christ ever walked the earth!

Ezekiel 16:53b. of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them [referring to those that Ezekiel was talking to at that time], 54) so that you may bear your disgrace (NIV)

Meaning: the Israelites who are now going to be resurrected alongside Sodomites and Samaritans! That your disgrace—because they had God's Law. They had the Ten Commandments.

Ezekiel 16:54b. that your disgrace and [you would] be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. (NIV)

Verse 55:

Ezekiel 16:55. When your sisters, Sodom with her daughters shall return to their former estate (KJV)

Well, this can't be now. It wasn't then. It's got to be a physical resurrection so that they can come back to their former lands.

Ezekiel 16:55b. and Samaria and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and then [you] and [your] daughters shall return to your former estate. (KJV)

So it means that the pagan nations, as well as Israel, are going to be resurrected and they will go back to their former lands, but under many, many, many different circumstances than when they lived the first time.

Let's now go to Ezekiel chapter 37. This is the account of the black spiritual, the Dry Bones spiritual. It's been trivialized in many cases, but this is God's Word and it is a prophecy. And when we read it looking forward, we will see that this describes a physical resurrection. Ezekiel 37 verse 1:

Ezekiel 37:1. The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the [Eternal], and set me down in the [middle] of the valley [that] was full of bones, (KJV)

You can imagine—the Yakima Valley, the Columbia Valley, the Okanogan Valley. How'd you like to be in a valley that was huge and just full of bones? Knee high, ankle high? We don't know. But full of bones!

Verse 2:

Ezekiel 37:2. And [He] caused me to pass by them round about: and … [they] were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. (KJV)

Now that means they've been dead a while. The flesh is off. The sinews are off. The ligaments are off. All the soft tissue's gone. They've been there a long, long time.

Verse 3:

Ezekiel 37:3. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? (KJV)

Well, Ezekiel being a smart man that he was, he wasn't going to tackle that. He wasn't going to there, as we say today. And he said,

Ezekiel 37:3b. O Lord God, [you know]. (KJV)

"You know the answer."

Verse 4:

Ezekiel 37:4. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O [you] dry bones, hear the word of the [Eternal]. (KJV)

Well, if bones are going to hear, that means they have to be resurrected to a physical being in order to hear. So, it gives you a hint of what's coming.

Verse 5:

Ezekiel 37:5. Thus [says] the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and [you] shall live [a physical resurrection]: 6) And I will lay sinews upon you, (KJV)

That's not spirit. That's physical.

Ezekiel 37:6b. and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and [you] shall live; and [the purpose is that you will] know that I am the Eternal. (KJV)

They have a chance. They've never had a chance before.

Verse 7:

Ezekiel 37:7. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise … a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8) And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and [then] the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath (KJV)

They were corpses. Now you think about this! They are just up on their feet, but they're dead. They're dead corpses who are standing with flesh and blood looking like a human being.

Verse 9:

Ezekiel 37:9. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus [says] the [Eternal] God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, (KJV)

And I don't know what the percentage is, but of all the people that have ever lived during that six-thousand-year period, how many were actually murdered? Killed? A high percentage! Horrible wars! They didn't have penicillin and things like that. You get a big cut or something like that; you're going to die from infection. So even if you got wounded, most likely in a war, you're going to die until World War II.

Verse 10:

Ezekiel 37:10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and [they] stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. (KJV)

Billions! It's going to be billions.

Ezekiel 37:11. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: (KJV)

And, of course, ultimately all of us are spiritual Israel. That's the goal! Yes, certainly physical Israel here, but in that sense in the greater extent of things, it's going to be everybody.

Ezekiel 37:11b. [and], they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: (KJV)

How would you like to have been hacked to death and then you're up on your feet and that's the last things you remember? Of course, "We have no hope. We have no hope" because they lived in the world that they lived in which was horrible.

It says:

Ezekiel 37:11 continued. we are cut off for our parts. 12) Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, (KJV)

They're no longer horrible Sodomites. They're God's people! This is a new era, a new time.

Ezekiel 37:12b. I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13) [So that you] shall know that I am the [Eternal], when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14) [Notice this!] And shall put my spirit in you, (KJV)

They've never had that! These are all the people in the six-thousand-year period who have never had access to God's holy spirit. And now they, at last, will have the chance to have God's spirit in them.

Ezekiel 37:14b. and [you] shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then [you'll] know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, (KJV)

The scientists today, who say there is no God, that evolution is the reason that we're here, they will know. Ultimately they will know. This is a resurrection to physical life. It said, "Hear the word of the Lord." They inhabit places prepared for them, recently vacated by the last generation during the Millennium.

Now think about this. During the Millennium, an infrastructure is built. The world is devastated. Then the next generation, they build homes. They build houses. They build their farms and all of that. And then they have more kids and then those kids build even more farms! And maybe we'll have some kind of factories. We don't know how that's going to work, but there will be an infrastructure built. There will be roads. There will be power supplies of some kind, non-polluting power supplies. There will be farms. There will be factories to build implements and such probably. And so with each succeeding generation, the infrastructure gets larger and larger and larger. And then at the end of the Millennium, you have this worldwide infrastructure. We also know that the oceans are going to be dried up. The mountains are going to come down so that the whole world now is able to accommodate an enormous number of people.

Now that last generation in the Millennium dies. The bad ones are still dead. The good ones are now spirit beings. And the world is silent. The earth is silent. And you have all of these homes and all of these vineyards, and all of these fields that are just sitting there. And then God says, "My breath is going to come in you." and bone comes to bone and you have this physical resurrection. And you have billions of people all around the earth and there's an infrastructure waiting for them. It's there.

Now when is this going to happen? Let's go to Revelation 20 and verse 5. It tells us when it's going to happen. God has planned this out with great detail, great delicacy, very elegantly planned. Revelation 20 and verse 5, it says:

Revelation 20:5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. (KJV)

So we have a time, this time, this resurrection, the Second Resurrection to physical life of those who have never known God occurs at the end of the thousand years.

Let's go to Matthew 12 and look at verses 41 and 42. Notice what's going to happen here as you read in Matthew 12 verses 41 and 42. And it says:

Matthew 12:41. The men of Nineveh (KJV)

Well, they repented!

Matthew 12:41b. shall rise in judgment with this generation [the one that Christ was talking to], and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of [Jonah]; and, behold, a greater than [Jonah] is here. 42) The queen of the south shall rise up (KJV)

That's got to be a resurrection, physical resurrection!

Matthew 12:42b. in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. (KJV)

So let's understand that this Second Resurrection is all of those who have never known God, never been exposed to the Truth.

That leads us, Point Number Five, to the Third Judgment Period. We call this the Great White Throne Judgment. This is a period now of those who have never known God, never known God, have the chance the know God and to be taught correctly. Let's go to Revelation chapter 20. We're going to read verses 11 and 12. This is why we call it the Great White Throne Judgment. It is a judgment period for all who have never known God.

Revelation 20:11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (KJV)

We read that earlier. Now how long does this last? How long does this period of time last? Let's go to Isaiah 65. We're not totally sure. Isaiah 65 gives us some hints. We're going to read verses 17 through 25. Well, for time's sake, let's start at verse 20—verse 19. You can scratch your notes out. I used to do that more often but I had little widows just come and beat me up after services. "Now I had to scratch that out. And I had to scratch it out again!" Verse 19:

Isaiah 65:19. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20) There shall be no more [there] an infant of days, [and no more] an old man that [has] not filled his days: (KJV)

So at the end of this period all the infants are going to grow up and all of the elderly people are going to be fulfilling God's will for them. They will have a time to be judged.

Isaiah 65:20b. for the child shall die an hundred years old; (KJV)

Well, does that mean that those little babies that died, maybe even were aborted, they come back as a baby; they get to live for a hundred years to prove themselves.

Isaiah 65:20 continued. but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. (KJV)

Now it's just my speculation, but some guy that was ninety-nine got resurrected here, you wouldn't want to come back at age ninety-nine because you have limited mental capacity, you have limited physical capacity. You have all kinds of aches and pains. So, my suspicion is God would resurrect them at a time in their life being in a physical condition—they'll have the full memory of what happened before—but they will be resurrected physically so they can live a long full life and not have to battle aches and pains as we do as we get older. That way they can focus on growing and overcoming.

Verse 21:

Isaiah 65:21. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. (KJV)

This is a physical resurrection.

Isaiah 65:22. They shall not build, and another inhabit; (KJV)

Which has happened to probably most of those billions who have lived before!

Isaiah 65:22b. they shall not plant, and another eat: (KJV)

They won't have their money stolen by the taxman or by corruptible bankers or whatever.

Isaiah 65:22 continued. for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. (KJV)

They will see the fruit of their labor. Many never got that chance. Verse 23:

Isaiah 65:23. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the [Eternal], and their offspring with them. 24) And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25) The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, [says] the [Eternal]. (KJV)

Now obviously this environment will occur during the Millennium also, but in verse 20 we kind of get an indication that it could be a hundred years. We're not totally sure, but it's certainly enough time for people to prove themselves.

The fact is now that these people are raised and resurrected in a much better environment than they lived in before. And this is where Linda Stalder can take comfort. And Howard Johnson can take comfort. And Tom and Louise Barron can take comfort because their son is going to be resurrected in a much better world than he lived in today. It will be a beautiful world—a wonderful world! And the educators and the teachers will be spirit beings. The Chief Educator, the Chief Shepherd will be Jesus Christ. And what a world to come up in!

And, as we read in Revelation 20 and verse 5, it occurs at the end of the Millennium. And so, we see now that they have a chance.

Satan is not going to be there because they've had a belly full of Satan! Can you imagine Hitler coming up and everything that's he's got to repent of—or Stalin that would kill ten, twenty million of his own people—and he's got a belly full of Satan, a mind full of Satan. They need a time where Satan is not going to be around. Satan is chained. He's not going to be there because they have so much to repent of, so much to overcome, so much to unlearn that they don't need Satan tapping on their shoulder. Can you imagine the mind transformation? We talk about going from the old man or woman to the new man or woman. Put yourself in Hitler's position, or Ribbentrop's position, or some of those people. They have a lot to overcome.

Now, let's say it's a hundred years. At the end of the hundred years, what happens? Those who have overcome and have proved themselves, as in the Millennium, immediately are changed to spirit.

Those who don't—and there will be some! They don't want any part of God. They want the old way. They want to rape and pillage and do all of that. They don't want any part of this. Well, they're going to remain alive because you see they're facing another death and if they died now, then they would have three deaths and the Bible doesn't talk about that. So those at the end of the hundred year period have to remain alive for the next event. They've already died once and they're facing something else quite different now.

That leads us to the Third Resurrection. And that is for all of those who have rejected God. This is a physical resurrection to the Second Death. And it involves all of those who have rejected God. The dead from the two previous judgment periods, the six-thousand-year period, the Millennium, who died and rejected God and those who are alive here at the end of the hundred year period, they're waiting for something to happen and it's going to happen. And this is something that is awesome in a sad way because these are people who have rejected God.

The Judgment Periods are now over. The Three Judgment Periods are over, the six-thousand-years, the Millennium, the hundred years. Those Three Judgment Periods are now gone.

Now there's a Third Resurrection to life of all those who have rejected. They're standing on the earth along with those who have lived and rejected God at the end of the hundred year period. Let's go to Acts 24 and verse 15. Let's see what happens. Acts 24 and verse 15, we're talking here about a resurrection of the unjust, those who have rejected God. They've had their chance. They know the truth. They rejected God.

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 (KJV)

That's the First Resurrection.

Acts 24:15b. and [of the] unjust. (KJV)

That is the Third Resurrection.

Now let's go to John chapter 5 and look at verse 29. We see of a resurrection to damnation or condemnation that Christ talked about. John 5 and verse 29, He's talking about a resurrection and He says in verse 29:

John 5:29. And shall come forth; (KJV)

In a resurrection.

John 5:29b. they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; (KJV)

The First Resurrection!

John 5:29 continued. and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [or condemnation]. (KJV)

That is the Third Resurrection. The Third Resurrection leads to the Second Death.

Let's go to Revelation 20 now and we'll begin in verse 13, verses 13 through 15. This is obviously talking about a resurrection to physical life. Revelation 20 and verse 13:

Revelation 20:13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and [the grave] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man [or a woman] according to their works. (KJV)

We read that earlier.

Verse 14:

Revelation 20:14. And death and [the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (KJV)

These are physical human beings that are cast in to a lake of fire and they are burned up. Now who are those people? Let's look at Revelation 21. We'll read verses 7 and 8. This is where we don't want to go! This is who we don't want to be! Revelation 21:7:

Revelation 21:7. He that [overcomes] shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (KJV)

We want to be in this group—overcoming all things!

Verse 8:

Revelation 21:8. But the fearful, [the] unbelieving, the abominable, (KJV)

Like I said, the ones that just want to rape and pillage and they take joy in it.

Revelation 21:8b. and murderers, (KJV)

Those who like to kill, they become addicted to killing people!

Revelation 21:8 continued. and whoremongers, (KJV)

Sexual perverts that just will not change!

Revelation 21:8 continued. and sorcerers, (KJV)

Those who worship Satan and his demons!

Revelation 21:8 continued. and idolaters, (KJV)

People who want money and possessions more than they want to obey God!

Revelation 21:8 continued. and all liars, (KJV)

Well, that's a scary! People who will not tell the truth, who cannot tell the truth, they're not going to be there.

Revelation 21:8 continued. [they] shall have their part in the lake which [burns] with fire and brimstone: [this] is the second death. (KJV)

For them it's over with!

And I can remember thinking as a young kid trying to understand what all about life. And you saw Dante's Inferno. And we had this teacher who brought Dante's Inferno with all the illustrations in it. These horrible, horrible illustrations of all the torture that people were going to go through for eternity! They were up to their armpits in snakes biting them. And they had these demon-like looking things taking big hunks out of their flesh and all. And this goes on for an eternity. And I'm thinking to myself, "And this is a loving God that would do this for an eternity?" I had a hard time with that.

But when you understand God's Plan, they go into the Lake of Fire and they're over with. It's over with. It's finished. There's no more suffering. There's no more tears. There's no more sorrow, even by those who were evil. That's a merciful God!

Look at Hebrews 10 and verse 26 and 27. These Scriptures show very clearly that there is a resurrection to physical life; there is a Lake of Fire; and people are going to be cast in it. Can't get around that! It's very clear in the Scriptures. Hebrews 10 verse 26:

Hebrews 10:26. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, (KJV)

Meaning: We are going to sin because we want sin. We understand the truth. We understand God. We understand Christ's sacrifice. But "I just want to do this! I get pleasure out of doing this and this is what I'm going to do!"

Hebrews 10:26b. [After they've sinned] willfully after [they've received the knowledge of the truth], there [remains] no more sacrifice for sins, (KJV)

Christ is not going to do it again. It's happened once. That's enough.

Hebrews 10:27. But a certain fearful looking (KJV)

They're here, physically alive at the Third Resurrection. They see this Lake of Fire in front of them. And I would think there is a fearful look on their face.

Hebrews 10:27b. a fearful looking of judgment and fiery indignation, (KJV)

Which is a phrase that has got to apply to the Lake of Fire!

Hebrews 10:27 continued. which shall devour the adversaries. (KJV)

Christ's adversaries—those who will not go His way. And, in fact, Christ said that Himself. Look at Luke 19 and verse 27. Christ is going to be sitting there or standing there—we don't know. There will be a Lake of Fire. There will be all of these physical human beings that hate Him and don't want His way and are just determined that they're not going to go Christ's way. That's just the way it is in their mind. Luke 19:27, they are Christ's enemies and He says:

Luke 19:27. But those [My] enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, [He says,] bring [here], and slay them before me. (KJV)

This occurs at the time of the Lake of Fire. He watches them die because those that are just rebellious and abominable and evil to the core and want everything that Satan wanted will be burned up forever.

Now think about this! What if your child or your mom or dad was one of those? You have eternal life. You're going to live on forever. And you just watched a child or a parent go into the Lake of Fire and they're gone. Now going to live forever, how would you like to live with that memory? That would be sad. That would be horrible because you remember them, maybe times past growing up or whatever. And now you just watched them fry to a crisp in the Lake of Fire. Well, God's going to take care of that because God's a merciful God.

Let's go to Isaiah 26 and verse 14. God is not going to allow the people in His Family to have those kinds of memories for an eternity because the memory will be wiped away. The memory will be wiped clean. Isaiah 26 verse 14:

Isaiah 26:14. They are dead, they shall not live; (KJV)

There's no more resurrections at this point.

Isaiah 26:14b. they are deceased, they shall not rise: (KJV)

Obviously He's talking about a time when the resurrections are over; the judgment periods are over. He says:

Isaiah 26:14 continued. therefore [have you] visited and destroyed them, (KJV)

In the Lake of Fire! But notice this!

Isaiah 26:14 continued. and made all their memory to perish. (KJV)

That means the merciful God is going to wipe away the memory of those who would not have God rule over them. That means God's Family can go forth from that time in joy and peace and happiness and unity with people who have like minds who are spirit beings. And there is no memory of the evil in the past. There's no memory of failed children or failed parents or failed brothers and sisters in the Church. The memory is gone.

So what a merciful God that we worship! What a merciful God we follow!

So we see here that the beauty of it is for those who have lost loved ones and will lose loved ones because we're all getting older and people are going to die. It's horrible when parents have to bury their children. That's the worst thing. Children should bury their parents. Yes, that's part of life. But for parents to bury children is horrible. And hopefully none of us have to do that. But Howard Johnson and Chris have, the Barron's have and the Stalder family has. That's just a reality.

But the bottom line is—and we mentioned this in the funeral—is that the good news is because of the Three Resurrections, because of the Judgment Periods, because of the deaths, everything we've talked about, those who have lost loved ones are going to see them again. They will see them again! They will come up in the hundred year period. They will have their chance. And guess what? Those of us who make it will now be spirit beings. And we can be far better children or far better parents than we were in this physical life!

I can't wait for my mom and dad to come up because I've got a lot of apologizing to do. But I'll be a spirit being. And I want to look in their eyes and say, "When I was a kid and I did this and this and this, I am so sorry! You were so good to me! I took it for granted. I didn't appreciate it until after you were dead. And I want you to know that."

And then when they have their habits—my mom's drinking habits, my dad's smoking habits—then you can put your arm around them and say, "Unh huh. We're not going to do this here. And I'm going to give you some help to help you overcome it!" And what a time that's going to be! What a wonderful time!

All the old resentments and bitterness as people who have lost loved ones and they were estranged, they rejected each other and then one of them died. And you have to live the rest of your physical life worrying about them and the estrangement. And you never were back together again. Or it can be church members that were estranged or whatever. The point is you're going to see them again. And you will be able to talk to them again. And you will be able to make things right again. And you will be spirit beings to help them in a way you never could as a father or a mother, or a brother or a sister, or a friend. What a wonderful time that is going to be!

And they will be given God's holy spirit. And since we are spirit, we will have a link that we never had before! They have God's holy spirit. We are spirit! And we can communicate in ways we've never been able to communicate before! Can you imagine the healing and the unity and the oneness that's going to occur at that period of time?

So, that means that we can teach as never before! We can teach those because they will be receptive and we will be spirit. And we will train them and communicate with them as never before. There will be avenues of communication through God's holy spirit that never occurred before. Let's understand that.

So let's understand that God's Plan of Salvation involves Three Resurrections, Three Judgment Periods, and Two Deaths. And the beauty of it! It is so beautiful! No human being could think up this plan. No man could think up this plan. It answers all questions. And as it says in the Bible, "There will be a restitution of all things." Let's look forward to that day!

Transcribed by kb August 27, 2010