The Dead Keep Dying!

                                                 

The reader may be asking, “why such a morbid title to an article?” Well I believe I can justify the title biblically. In a few words hopefully I can express why the title makes sense.

The Bible tells us in two passages in particular that we were (prior to salvation) dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). What that means is that as a result of original sin, the human race was born dead and separated from God.  What? That small phrase is an oxymoron most readers are saying.  You would be correct. That phrase on the surface does not make any sense. How can we be dead and alive at the same time?

Well actually it is simple. We are alive physically, but prior to conversion, we are dead spiritually. Every human being that has or will be born is born with this terminal spiritual disease!

            

We need to be healed immediately. Well, what’s the cure?

Before I answer that question, let us explore some passages in scripture that I believe support this idea of the dead keep dying.

In Matthew 23:27-28 we read Jesus rebuking the Pharisees, “woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Jesus here gives a clear provocative illustration of the living dead. Those that were the most religious on the outside during his day were the one’s Jesus called dead on the inside, or in other words spiritually dead. If someone dies having never repented of their sins while alive, they will never see eternal life. This is a clear illustration of the dead keep dying.

Other passages that deal with this subject: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whom whose face the earth and heaven fled away. And there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

The Elder apostle John is describing the judgment of the world of the wicked dead at the end of this mortal life.  Everyone will be raised-resurrected from the dead to face judgment for the life they lived while on earth. Understand this judgment is not to determine if someone will enter heaven or not. All of these people are hell bound. When their life is played back before their eyes, they will know without a doubt why they are eternally damned. This is the most vivid picture of the dead dying in all of scripture.

This is what the Bible calls the second resurrection (Revelation 20:6), and the second death (Revelation 20:14). The first resurrection happens prior to the Millennium. The tribulation martyrs (those beheaded for the witness for Christ Revelation 6:9;20:4) and surviving tribulation believers are part of this group. Old and New Testament believers (i.e. the Church) are raised at the rapture (I Corinth 15:51-58; 1 Thess 4:13-18). Those in the first resurrection are the redeemed for all time.

So back to the question, what is the cure for the dead to stop dying? Isaiah 53:5 states it perfectly, He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon 

Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

This cure all only benefits those who believe in the sacrificial atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. His death satisfied the Father’s wrath against sin. Jesus made full payment for the sins of mankind (Revelation 1:5b). 

God the Father punished Jesus for our sins.

Believing in Jesus is the only way to reverse the curse of sin which is death (Romans 6:23).

Then and only then will the dead stop dying and inherit everlasting life.