Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

What, Exactly, Is Death?

Just what IS Death? IS there a resurrection? Do the DEAD know what the LIVING are doing? Is SUICIDE unforgivable? Where will you meet loved ones again? WHY does YEHOVAH God allow CHRISTIANS to die? Does death ever come as PUNISHMENT? What if one dies being UNconverted? Is he lost forever? Here is what YEHOVAH GOD ALMIGHTY answers, from His inspired Word.

by HOIM Staff

A lonesome man wrote us recently, "Since writing to you, I am sad to say my dear wife passed away in a coma. My dear wife suffered very much before she passed away. How I miss her. I feel all broken up and terribly frustrated. Where is her soul? Does she remember what happened?"

Questions, Fear, Worry -- But No Answers!

For centuries human beings have worried about death. Philosophers, educators, religionists, psychologists have all tried to make sense out of it -- to comprehend death -- to look beyond the short span of human life.

All have failed. Most people remain fearful, apprehensive, ignorant about death today! Just WHAT HAPPENS at death? What about the soul? What about an after life? A resurrection? Meeting loved ones again?

No amount of philosophizing can bring a loved one back again. Death is FINAL -- and so it scares most living persons. But what IS death?

There is only one source that can give you the EXACT answers! That source is the revealed Word of your Creator who gives you LIFE. In His Holy Word, YEHOVAH God explains the answers to all questions about death! It's time you knew the TRUTH about this most important subject -- time you were set free from FEAR, from SORROW, from WORRY!

What Is LIFE?

You are alive. But what makes you so? Shocking though it seems, religionists and philosophers alike seem ignorant of WHAT WE ARE -- of WHAT IS LIFE?

YEHOVAH God Almighty MADE LIFE! To this day, science does not understand what life is -- still seeks to explain how it began. But apart from the revelation of YEHOVAH God, there are no answers to this perplexing question. Here's what your Creator says about it:

"Then YEHOVAH said, I will make man in My image, according to My likeness. They will have rulership over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth" (Genesis 1:26).

And then YEHOVAH God said to the man He had made, "DUST thou art, and unto dust shalt THOU [the man/the conscious man, the 'psyche' -- not just the body] return!"

YEHOVAH explained to Adam that his life was TEMPORARY if he sinned. He showed human life is only a physical, chemical existence -- subject to DEATH! "Unto DUST shalt THOU return!"

YEHOVAH God created the process by which life is procreated. He "made them male and female" and said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth!" (Genesis 1:26-27.) All about you can be observed myriad forms of LIFE. Each form, whether tiny micro-organisms or huge land mammals, is dependent on other forms of life for its own existence. Nothing lives or dies to itself -- but each type of life in some way aids, provides for, or balances the environment of each other type.

Shocking as it seems, the life of man is NO DIFFERENT from the LIFE OF ANIMALS! Man's mind sets him FAR above animals -- but man's physical, chemical existence, his life, is the same.

He must breathe air, eat food, drink water. YEHOVAH says, "For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 3:19).

And how fragile, how TEMPORARY is the life of man!

James asked, "For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a Iittle time, and then vanisheth away" (James 4:14). David was inspired to write, "Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish...like sheep they are laid in the grave..." (Psalm 49:11-14).

David shows there is no consciousness in the grave. "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish" (Psalm 146:3-4).

Life is a physical, chemical existence -- a TEMPORARY one -- entirely dependent on air, water, food and shelter! We are EARTHLINGS -- of the earth -- and destined to go back to the earth!

Cut off our air, and we die in only minutes. Cut off our water, and we die of thirst in a number of days. Cut off our food, and we starve in a number of days or weeks. We're PHYSICAL creatures. Astronauts must take a little portion of this earth's environment WITH them out in airless space. They must continue to breathe, to drink water, to eat various dehydrated and condensed foods.

Our LIFE, says your Creator, is in the bloodstream -- kept alive by AIR, WATER, FOOD." For the LIFE of the flesh is in the blood...For it is the life of ALL flesh; the BLOOD of it is for the life thereof..." (Leviticus 17:11-14).

The Messiah said, "That which is born of the flesh IS flesh..." (John 3:6). And the LIFE of flesh is NOT a "soul" but is IN THE BLOOD!

Probably, you've always taken for granted you have a "soul" -- that there is something immortal or ETERNAL about the real "life" within you! But what about these MANY scriptures you've just seen? What about the positive statements of your CREATOR?

One might argue, "Well, yes -- I KNOW the Bible says man dies like a beast; that HIS consciousness dies; that HIS thoughts perish -- but his SOUL can't die -- and I won't believe SOULS can die unless you can show me THOSE VERY WORDS IN THE BIBLE!"

The SOUL DIES!

Here's the BIBLE answer to any such human reasoning.

Open your own Bible. Turn to Ezekiel the 18th chapter. Now read verses 4 and 20! "Behold all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT SHALL DIE!" (Verse 4). "The SOUL that sinneth, IT shall DIE!" (Verse 20).

Now you've seen the plain statement that SOULS DIE -- and right in your own Bible!

How can that be?

It's simply explained. You ARE a soul -- you do not "have" or possess a soul! Probably, you've always assumed YOU are a body, a living human being, but that somewhere "in" you is a soul.

No -- the Bible reveals we ARE a soul! Notice Genesis 2:7: "And the Eternal God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man BECAME A LIVING SOUL!" Man IS a soul -- "soulish" or PHYSICAL, meaning FLESHLY, and OF THIS EARTH!

The Hebrew word originally inspired was "Nephesh!" The original word is always Nephesh when you read "soul" in the English. But Nephesh is not ALWAYS translated "soul."

It is used in the same first chapters of Genesis for LOWER ANIMALS.

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth living 'NEPHESH' after his kind [rendered "creature" in English]." The word "nephesh" is used FOUR TIMES of lower animals in Genesis BEFORE it is ever used for man; and of the thirteen times used in Genesis, TEN of those refer to ANIMALS!

Nephesh is translated in many ways. It is translated as "any," "one," "yourself," "persons," "men," "creature," and in many other ways. The Hebrew word Nephesh is the equivalent of the Latin word "anima" which means AIR or BREATH (from the Greek word, anemos). You'll recognize in "anima" the origin of our English word, "ANIMAL!"

There is absolutely NO Bible substantiation for the idea of an "immortal" soul!

And what about the NEW Testament?

Yeshua the Messiah is the central figure of the New Testament. And HIS DEATH is one of the major FACTS of the New Testament. But WAS HE REALLY DEAD? Or did just his BODY die?

Let's let HIM answer. After all, HE should know! If you have a "Red Letter" Bible; that is, a Bible with the first-person quotations from the Messiah in red ink , you'll notice some of the words in Revelation are in red! Many of them were spoken DIRECTLY to John from the Messiah himself!

Notice what he said about his death! " I am He that LIVETH, and WAS DEAD!" (Revelation 1:18).

The Messiah predicted he would DIE -- that he would be KILLED! Isaiah prophesied, "...because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).

Notice, he "poured out" his SOUL (Heb. "Nephesh"). What WAS it the Messiah "poured out" on Golgotha? His BLOOD! Always the Bible speaks of the shed BLOOD of the Messiah, of the BLOOD of the "Lamb" -- just as typified in the Passover (I Corinthians 10:16; Ephesians 2:13).

Of course he poured out his blood -- because the LIFE of every flesh and BLOOD creature is IN THE BLOOD! (Leviticus 17:11).

No wonder it speaks of pouring out the "soul," or the Nephesh (LIFE) -- and no wonder it plainly says DEATH results!

The Messiah DIED! He said so, himself! The wages of sin is DEATH (Romans 6:23) not eternal life in some other geographical location. And the Messiah took upon himself the PENALTY of OUR sins -- DEATH. It was COMPLETE death; REAL death; the complete absence of LIFE. He really DIED!

So what IS death? It is the absence of life. It is complete UNconsciousness -- total oblivion -- NOTHING remaining alive.

Any LIFE After Death?

Remember what Job was inspired to say? "O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, TILL MY CHANGE come" (Job 14:13, 14).

Job knew about the resurrection of the dead. And so does ANYONE who knows the promises of YEHOVAH God! Your Bible speaks in both Old and New Testaments of a RESURRECTION of the dead of Israel -- a RE-CREATION OF LIFE!

Daniel was inspired to write, "And many of them [of Israel] that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2).

Later, the Messiah quoted these same words. Read John 5:21 through verse 29! Yeshua said, "For as the Father raiseth up the dead...even so the Son quickeneth [makes alive] whom He will. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the DEAD shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall LIVE...Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all [those of Israel] that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (judgment; margin).

The Messiah spoke of MORE than one resurrection for YEHOVAH's people Israel!

Notice the proof. Turn to Revelation, chapter 20. Now read verses 4 and 5. "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them [Greek word: "Psuche" -- meaning same as "Nephesh" in the Hebrew] that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, 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 they [of YEHOVAH's people Israel] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years!"

And the "souls" John saw in this vision were DEAD! Notice the proof. "But the REST OF THE DEAD [of Israel] lived not again until the thousand years were finished!" (Revelation 20:5). John saw a vision concerning the resurrection of the JUST! The Messiah promises RULERSHIP with him and YEHOVAH God to those of Israel who overcome (Revelation 2:26; 3:21) which he will give AT HIS RETURN (I Corinthians 15:23; Philippians 3:20, 21 ).

The RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD of YEHOVAH's people Israel was the whole hope -- the heart and core of the MESSAGE of the early Church! Notice how it completely DOMINATES the sermons of Peter and Paul in early Church history. Read ALL of the following verses in context in your own Bible! "... have crucified and slain: Whom God hath RAISED UP..." (Acts 2:23, 24). "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses....For David IS NOT ASCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS: but he saith himself [proving David, too, expected to WAIT TILL A CHANGE CAME, THROUGH A RESURRECTION!], The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, UNTIL I make thy foes thy footstool" (Acts 2:32-35).

Peter continually emphasized THE MESSIAH'S resurrection as proof of the future resurrection of ALL of YEHOVAH's people Israel! "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead..." (Acts 3:15). "Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus..." (Acts 3:26). "...the Sadducees came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD!" (Acts 4:1-2).

Notice! Peter preached the RESURRECTION! He said NOTHING about the completely PAGAN doctrine of any supposed "immortal soul" or going to "hell" or "heaven" when one dies!

Rather, he emphasized how even DAVID -- a man after YEHOVAH's own heart -- was DEAD AND BURIED (Acts 2:29) and showed the believers that David HAD NOT GONE TO HEAVEN (Acts 2:34), but was waiting in his GRAVE, just as the Bible says, until a RESURRECTION of the just!

Paul was inspired to write ONE WHOLE CHAPTER on the subject of the resurrection! You need to study the whole 15th chapter of I Corinthians! Notice how Paul was directed of YEHOVAH's holy spirit to answer the "let's suppose" and "what if?" kind of questions people would ask!

"But some man will say, 'How are the dead raised up? and with WHAT BODY do they come?'" (I Corinthians 15:35).

And true to that prediction -- people ask: "Yes, but WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE killed in the wars of our nation?" People want to know about our sailors buried at sea, eaten of sharks. And what about those CREMATED?

All right -- WHAT ABOUT them?

Is it "DIFFICULT" for YEHOVAH God because the same BODY no longer remains?

Ridiculous! And that's exactly what the Messiah inspired Paul to write about such questions. "It is a foolish question! What you sow does not sprout into life unless it DIES...The same is true of the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in DECAY; it is raised for the purpose of being INDESTRUCTIBLE...It is sown in SHAME; it is raised in GLORY. It is sown in WEAKNESS; it is raised in POWER. It is sown as a NATURAL BODY; it is raised as a SPIRITUAL BODY. Just as there are NATURAL bodies there are also SPIRITUAL bodies..." (I Corinthians 15:36-44 -- The One God, the Father, One Man Messiah Translation).

Just as Job said, there is a complete CHANGE at the resurrection. A SPIRIT BEING is given life -- not an old, disease-ridden, maimed or mangled, shot or burnt, hideously deformed or wasted HUMAN, PHYSICAL, BODY!

"WE SHALL BE CHANGED!" said Paul! (I Corinthians 15:52).

Can you see? Your Creator says DEATH IS DEATH -- just as you KNOW it is -- and that a resurrection FROM the dead is the whole hope of an Israelite Christian! That's why Paul asks, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for [Greek: "Huper" meaning FOR THE HOPE OF] the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized FOR THE HOPE OF [original] the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?" (I Corinthians 15:29-30).

The HOPE OF THE DEAD OF ISRAEL is a RESURRECTION FROM the dead! Baptism SYMBOLIZED that resurrection!

"Therefore we are buried [by being immersed completely in water -- symbolizing BURIAL] with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of HIS RESURRECTION!" (Romans 6:4-5).

Your God shows you that those of Israel who have truly been CONVERTED, who have utterly surrendered to Him -- who have GIVEN UP their carnal arguments, their resentment and hostility toward YEHOVAH God and His Word, and who have begun to really LIVE by YEHOVAH's Word, will be in the RESURRECTION of the just! Paul said this was the DRIVING AMBITION in his life!

"...and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus...that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection...if by any means I might attain unto the RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD!" (Philippians 3:8-11).

But what about those who have NOT been converted? What if someone dies who never really knew the truth? What about the MILLIONS of Israelites right down through history who NEVER EVEN HEARD THE NAMES of YEHOVAH God and the Messiah, let alone had an opportunity to hear and study YEHOVAH's WORD? What becomes of THEM?

The REST of the Dead of Israel

The Messiah spoke of a resurrection to LIFE, and a resurrection to "JUDGMENT" (John 5:29). The word rendered "damnation" in the Authorized Version is more correctly translated "JUDGMENT" from the original.

Notice how the Bible interprets the Bible on this important point!

John was inspired to say, "But the rest of the dead [those of Israel NOT included in the resurrection to eternal life at the Messiah's coming!] lived not again UNTIL the thousand years were finished!" (Revelation 20:5). The words following this parenthetical statement then refer back to the FIRST resurrection of the dead in the Messiah!

But the REST of the dead -- those millions of YEHOVAH's people Israel having never heard; never having an opportunity for salvation "lived not again UNTIL the thousand years were finished!"

Notice verses 11 through 15! "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. 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 [not sentenced, or "condemned," but JUDGED] OUT OF THOSE THINGS WHICH WERE WRITTEN IN THE BOOKS, ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS..."

Notice what the Bible DOES NOT say! Millions have falsely pictured this event as a great "assembly line" of miserable humans, marching endlessly past a great "courtroom" -- each told in his turn, "You go to heaven," "You go to hell!"

Isn't that the way YOU have always pictured it?

But that isn't what the Bible SAYS!

Your Creator says the dead of Israel will finally be judged OUT OF THINGS WRITTEN IN THE "BOOKS," and that they will be judged BY THEIR WORKS!

And what are those books ? The original Greek word is "BIBLOS." And "Biblos" is translated correctly into English as "BIBLE." Surprising though it may seem, there is nothing "holy" about the word "Bible" when it is used by itself. But when the word "HOLY" is added to the word BIBLE, (which merely means BOOKS) then the meaning is HOLY BOOKS!

OF COURSE!

That is exactly how those of YOU of Israel will be judged. YEHOVAH God says, "I CHANGE NOT!" (Malachi 3:6). Yeshua the Messiah is THE SAME, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). YEHOVAH God will judge those people in the future JUST AS HE JUDGES TODAY!

And how does He judge His OWN PEOPLE -- those Israelites called and converted?

"For the time is come that JUDGMENT must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that OBEY NOT the gospel of God '" (I Petet 4:17).

JUDGMENT is a "discerning." Those Israelites who are members of YEHOVAH's true Ecclesia, members of the very body of the Messiah (I Corinthians 12:13), are being judged NOW! (I Peter 4:17.)

And how are they being judged?

The Messiah said, "...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proccedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). "Thy word is truth," (John 17:17) said Yeshua the Messiah. The books or "Biblos," which are the laws by which YOU and I of Israel are judged, are the books of your own Bible! Each Christian Israelite is judged, according to his WORKS, based upon the the Word of YEHOVAH God.

Your God is fair. YEHOVAH God does not judge YOU by one "method," and then judge multiple millions of other Israelites by a totally DIFFERENT standard. Think about it for a moment.

Does it make sense to you that millions of YEHOVAH's Israelite people could be sent to a supposed "ever-burning hell fire," helplessly and uselessly beating at the flames that threaten to engulf them, shrieking in hideous and all-consuming agony for ever and ever and ever -- for all eternity just because an apostle or disciple broke a leg?

Let's follow it further. Perhaps (and this is not so farfetched but that it could have been true), during the 1st century, an early apostle was striving to reach a tiny village of the Israelite dispersion. Let's assume the apostle ran into trouble and broke a leg on the rough and rocky road. Perhaps the apostle labored several hours under the hot sun on makeshift crutches -- arriving at the village several hours later than he had intended. Meanwhile, the elderly grandfather of the family, upon which he was about to call, had "passed away." Mind you, this apostle was going to bring the "name" of the Messiah to this isolated Israelite family.

But the grandfather DIED! All during his lifetime he never ONCE had an opportunity to even hear the name of the Messiah -- let alone hear one word out of the Word of YEHOVAH God or one word from an apostle, disciple, or even a neighbor about his responsibilities before YEHOVAH God.

Rather, he had been reared in one of the pagan, Celtic religions.

Does it make sense to your rational mind that this elderly Israelite would then be doomed to spend ALL ETERNITY in an ever-burning hell fire because an apostle broke a leg trying to reach him ?

Preposterous!

And so is it preposterous according to your Bible!

No, your God is a just God! He treats all of His people Israel equally! He deals the same way with Americans as with Britons, the same with Australians as with New Zealanders, and the same with Swedes as with Norwegians!

Those of Israel who have never had an opportunity to learn about YEHOVAH's Word and His laws, who have never even heard the ONLY name whereby man must be saved (Acts 4:12) must have that opportunity!

Religious hobbyists, arguers, scoffers, and bigoted antagonists will oftentimes accuse the Great Creator for this masterful plan of offering a so-called "second chance"!

With boiling rage, many a religious hobbyist has shrieked his venom at any supposed "second chance"!

But IS this a second chance? When, pray tell, did these millions of wretched, hapless, disillusioned and illiterate Israelites ever have a "FIRST" chance?

They never did.

But they will.

YEHOVAH God says, "But the REST of the dead [of Israel] lived not again UNTIL the thousand years were finished!"

And these will be resurrected to "judgment" which is NOT a sentencing based upon deeds they did in ignorance. But is, rather, a period of 100 years duration (lsaiah 65:20) during which everyone of these multiple millions of Israelites must have the same opportunity you have!

How RIGHTEOUS, how just, how merciful , and how PERFECT is the great plan of YEHOVAH God!

What happens, then, if a loved one of yours died not having "understood" much of the Word of YEHOVAH God?

The FIRST CHANCE for Everyone of Israel!

Death is DEATH -- the complete absence of life and consciousness.

Remember, your Bible reveals the "dead KNOW NOT ANYTHING." There is no consciousness of the passing of time. In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the rich man "lift up his eyes" in a resurrection -- unaware that thousands of years had passed between the time when he died and his yet future resurrection. If you have not yet read the gripping article on Lazarus and the Rich Man, then write for or download your free copy immediately.

The MAJORITY of those dying today in all the Israelite nations of the world ARE NOT CONVERTED!

The majority of those Israelites having died through past centuries died with NO KNOWLEDGE of the Messiah, of the Bible, of the way to salvation.

But they are NOT hopelessly lost. They must have their first chance for salvation.

Notice what YEHOVAH says about His own specially chosen people, Israel. "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (according as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber; eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day" (Romans 11:7-8).

Are YEHOVAH's own elect (Isaiah 44:1; 45:4) LOST FOREVER because YEHOVAH HIMSELF has caused them to be BLINDED to His truth?

No! Notice the proof! "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles [northern tribes of Israel in dispersion] be come in" (Romans 11:25).

YEHOVAH God has a TIME SCHEDULE He is working out for His people Israel. He WILL finally give all those ancient Israelites -- whose hearts were hardened, who DID NOT KNOW the way to salvation -- their FIRST chance!

Notice it. "And so ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED!" (Romans 11:26).

He says further, "For God hath concluded them [shut them up in unbelief -- original] all in unbelief, that He might have mercy on all!" (Romans 11:32).

"...God our Saviour; Who will have ALL MEN TO BE SAVED, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (I Timothy 2:3, 4).

Every single Israelite person WILL be given an opportunity to hear, and to understand the Word of YEHOVAH God. He will then make up HIS OWN MIND; make HIS OWN decision about WHETHER he will obey!

What About Suicide?

And what if someone kills HIMSELF? Will he be resurrected?

Of course! Suicide is SELF-murder. YEHOVAH God commands, "'Thou shalt NOT KILL" and says the wages of sin, which is the breaking of YEHOVAH's ten commandments (l John 3:4), is death (Romans 6:23).

In the case of suicide, the penalty is the same as for any other broken law. In the second resurrection AFTER the millennium of PEACE on this earth (Revelation 20:5); the resurrection to judgment, any person of Israel having committed suicide will learn the enormity of his sin; will HEAR the Word of YEHOVAH God, just like the millions of others who committed sins, and who died not having the knowledge of the truth.

Is There A Hell Fire?

Believe it or not, the Bible shows there must be a THIRD and FINAL resurrection! This time, a resurrection to DEATH -- by fire.

Remember: there are THREE CLASSES OF ISRAELITES with whom YEHOVAH is dealing. Those who have repented, and, whether living or dead, will rise to meet YEHOVAH God in the air (I Thessalonians 4:15-18), coming down ON THAT SAME DAY with Him to the mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) to RULE with Him for 1,000 years (Revelation 2:26; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4). Then there are the millions of those who have never understood -- the "REST" of the dead (Revelation 20:5).

And then there are those of Israel who WILL not choose to repent -- who are finally to lose out on salvation.

Notice the Bible proof!

After the millennium of YEHOVAH God's rule on earth; even AFTER the picture of the Great White Throne resurrection to JUDGMENT (Revelation 20:11-12), YEHOVAH says, "And death and hell [Greek word, "Hades" meaning THE GRAVE] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death!" (Revelation 20:14).

A grave is only a grave when it contains a body. This scripture speaks of a resurrection to physical life, for the incorrigibly evil of Israel, and a "GEHENNA" fire destroying them!

Read what YEHOVAH God inspired the prophet Malachi to write: "For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up...and ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet..." (Mal. 4:1-3).

The GEHENNA fire of your Bible is MUCH HOTTER than the pagan myth of an "ever-burning" fire. This fire really burns -- it destroys!

Write for the article about Lazarus and the Rich Man. It explains how the rich man comes up in THIS final resurrection -- only to see the advancing wall of flame before him. There is a mighty REAL FIRE revealed in the Bible -- GEHENNA (Greek word) fire.

Peter said, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (II Peter 3:10).

But before giving this awesome warning of impending DESTRUCTION of the wicked, Peter again shows the righteous MERCY of the LOVING God, who "...is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that ANY [of Israel] should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance!" (II Peter 3:9).

There is the real TRUTH about death -- from your own Bible! Death IS DEATH -- without consciousness. A resurrection is the hope of the dead of Israel -- not living for all eternity in some fanciful "limbo" or compartment of "heaven" or "hell."

The stories you've heard all your life about the boiling pots or the "pearly gates" are sheer MYTH! But the plain truth of your Bible is CLEAR!

You have been given precious knowledge in this article -- and, if you have the spiritual courage to really CHECK UP and PROVE these scriptures are REALLY IN your Bible -- you will never again be deceived about death.

But knowledge is of no value except as it is applied. Now that you KNOW about death -- what about the way you're living your LIFE?

You are NOT one of the millions of YEHOVAH's people Israel who have never heard. You are NOT one who will die in ignorance of YEHOVAH's Word -- not having had an opportunity for salvation. You are being given YOUR opportunity RIGHT NOW!

Don't throw it away.

 

Hope of Israel Ministries -- Proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God!

Hope of Israel Ministries
P.O. Box 853
Azusa, CA 91702, U.S.A.
www.hope-of-israel.org

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