Death & Judgment Day


Discerning Scriptural difference between Death and Judgment Day

 

Hebrews 9:27 - "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"

Revelation 20:11-15 - Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who sits upon it, from Whose presence the earth (Psalms 114:3, 7) and the sky fled and a place was not found for them. Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. And scrolls were opened, and another scroll was opened, which is of life, (Exodus 32:32, 33, Psalms 69:29, Daniel 12:1) and the dead were judged according to their deeds, (1 Corinthians 3:8; Isaiah 59:18; Jeremiah 17:10; Psalms 28:4; Proverbs 24:12; Romans 2:6) by what had been written in the scrolls. (Daniel 7:9, 10) Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it and Death and Hades gave up the dead, those in them, and each was judged according to his works. Then Death and Hades were thrown violently into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if someone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire. (Isaiah 30:33)  ) 

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Discerning Scriptural difference between Death and Judgment Day - Taking into account what Jesus told the thief on the cross and what He proclaimed about "dwelling places." Then, what Paul said about "being absent from the body and at home with the Lord," and his discussion about "the last trump," and that he proclaimed "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."  

Our spirit, which is eternal, goes to be with the Lord upon death if our names are written in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:11-15). On judgment day, we will then put on our "spiritual body."  

As the Scriptures below declare, the believer's spirit goes to be with Christ upon death. At "the last trump" the believer will then have a "spiritual body."

Note that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" which is why, as Jesus declared "you must be born again" of the Spirit. We are first and foremost a spirit with a "natural body" ("flesh and blood") with a soul or mind. (Please see Trinity: Created in His image for understanding the importance of knowing why we are a spirit and not just our temporary body and soul.)

Please consider all the following Scriptures and references. 


1. Summary:

(Hebrews 9:27) "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"

(1 Corinthians 15:44) "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."

(1 Corinthians 15:51-52) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Resurrection and Abraham's City of God - By Dr. Ray Rooney Jr. - ...Sadly, most Christians don’t really spend much time or effort thinking about the afterlife. Consequently, a cogent theology about what’s beyond death is noticeably absent from their day-to-day lives.

     ....We seem to settle quickly for the tone and tenor of our life as it unfolds putting all our focus on the here and now, considering the afterlife almost like a dream muddled in the midst of some ephemeral cloud that human understanding cannot penetrate.

     ...But then along comes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are suddenly confronted with a very concrete and objective reality concerning the future. “Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have,” Jesus said to His disciples following His resurrection (Luke 24:39). This was no apparition. This wasn’t some kind of psychic remnant of a previous life. This was flesh and bone reality!

    ...Suddenly, that cryptic saying recorded in John 14:2-3 comes to life and takes on meaning and urgency: "In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

     ... As Paul says, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:19).

     ... We do know Jesus reminded the Sadducees that when God revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush He said He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then Jesus pointed out the obvious: “He is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Mark 12:27). Scripture is clear that even though “it is appointed for man to die once” (Heb. 9:27) it is just as sure that “this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:53).

     ...Jesus’ resurrection body could do strange things (suddenly appear without walking through a door, disguise itself from those who knew Him, and ascend upon a cloud). Those are the things that our minds should continually roll over and over. John knew this. That’s why he wrote, “what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).


2. Scriptures to reference: 

John 11:24-26 - Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise on the last Day in the resurrection." Y'shua said to her, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life: the one who believes in Me, even if he would die, he will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me would not ever die. Do you believe this?"

John 14:1-3 - "Your heart must not be troubled: you must constantly believe in God and you must faithfully believe in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places: and if it were not so, would I tell you that I am going to prepare a place for you? (1 Kings 8:13) And if I would go, then I shall prepare a place for you. I am coming again and I shall take you along with Me, (Exodus 6:7) so that where I AM you would also be."

"Dwelling places" (v.2) While traditionally translated dwelling places or mansions, this is not a building. The primary meaning of the Greek word mon-ai is staying or tarrying.  

Luke:23:39-43 - Then one of the evil ones who was hanging there was blaspheming Him saying, "Are You not the Messiah? You must now save Yourself and us." But the other said, rebuking him, "Do you not yourself fear God, because you are in the same sentence? But we indeed justly, for what we did is worthy of what we are receiving: but this One did nothing improper." Then he was saying, "Y'shua, You must right away remember me when You would enter Your Kingdom." Then He said to him, "Truly I say to you, this very day you will be with Me in Paradise."

1 Corinthians 12:2-4 - I know a man who was in Messiah more than fourteen years ago, whether in the body I do not know, God knows, or outside the body I do not know, this one was taken away up to the third heaven. And I know such as this man, whether in the body or without the body I do not know, God knows, that he was taken away into Paradise and he heard inexpressible words, which are not permissible for a man to speak. (Note: RE: "Third heaven." In the Hebrew Scripture there are seven levels in heaven. Another discussion.)  

Revelation 2:7 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Note: v.7 - Overcomer is the traditional translation, but the Greek really means to be victorious, to conquer, so as you read the letters to the cities )whenever you see overcomer, think conqueror! 

Revelation 3:5 - He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Revelation 20:11-15 - Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From His face the earth and the heavens fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. Books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to their works as recorded 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 by his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

John 5:21-29 - For just as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, (Deuteronomy 32:39, Isaiah 26:19) so also the Son makes alive whom He wishes. For neither does the Father judge anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all would honor the Son just as they would honor the Father. The one not honoring the Son does not honor the Father, the One Who sent Him. Most certainly I say to you that the one who listens to My message and believes in the One Who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but he has departed from death into life. Most definitely I say to you that a time is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, (1 Peter. 4:6) and those who listen will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He gave to the Son to have life in Himself. And He gave Him authority to make judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice and those who have done good things will go forth into resurrection6 life, but those who have done evil things into resurrection judgment. (v.29 - See Revelation 20:11-15, Matthew 25:31-33.)

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Job 32:8-10 - But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will show mine opinion.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 - Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Philippians 1:21-23 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:


Death is spoken of with three idioms, one being "is not" in Matthew 2:18 and Revelation 17:8 & 11. This  idiom is used occasionally in the Tanach as well, in just Genesis 5:24 and Jeremiah 31:15.  

Another idiom for death is used very frequently and that is to "sleep" as in John 11:11-16 with Lazarus. When this mortal body dies we are only sleeping until He comes for us. Acts 7:60 tells us that Stephen slept after the religious people stoned him.  

Psalm 17:15 And I, in righteousness I shall behold Your face: upon awakening I shall be sated by Your image. Awakening refers to the hereafter.  

Song of Songs 7:9, speaking of the sleeper, is used by the Rabbis as one of a number of verses speaking of resurrection.  

A third idiom, not appearing in the New Testament, is used in Isaiah 58:8, saying, Then your light will burst out like the dawn and your healing will speedily sprout; your righteous deed will precede you and the glory of the LORD* will gather you in. To be gathered in is to enter eternal life, often stated gathered to one's fathers.  


Isaiah 26:19 - Your dead people will live. They will rise together with my dead body. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust, for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the dead. 

Y'shua referred to resurrection in Matt. 22:31-32. - And concerning the resurrection of the dead did you not read what was spoken to you by God saying, "I AM the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?" (Exod. 3:6, 15, 16) He is not the God of the dead but the living. This is also reported in Mk. 12:27 and Lk. 20:38. 

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (KJV) For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (One New Man Bible) - And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you would not grieve as the rest of those who do not have hope. For if we believe that Y'shua died and rose, so God will also bring with Him those who have fallen asleep by means of Y'shua's redemption. Indeed we say this to you in a word of the Lord, that we, those left behind who are living to the coming of the Lord, would not precede those who are sleeping: because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a command, with a voice of an archangel and with a shofar of God, and the dead in Messiah will rise first (Revelation 20:4), then we, the living, those who are left behind, will be taken away together with them into the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air (Revelation 20:5): and thus we will always be with the Lord. So you must continually comfort one another with these words.


1 Corinthians 15 (One New Man Bible: Revealing Jewish Root and Power)

The Resurrection of Messiah

And I am making known to you, brothers, the Good News which I proclaimed to you, which then you accepted, in which you have also stood, and through which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the kind of message I preached to you, except in case you believed in vain. For I gave over to you at first what also I had accepted, that Messiah died on behalf of our sins according to the Scriptures And that He was buried and that He rose on the third day according to the Scriptures (Hosea 6:2) and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve: then He was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are remaining until now, but some fell asleep: then He was seen by Jacob, then by all the apostles: and last of all as in an untimely birth He was seen by me. For I am the least of the apostles, who is not qualified to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the congregation of God: but by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which is in me did not become ineffective, but I labored more than all of them, not I but the grace of God which is with me. Now whether it was I or those, in this way we are proclaiming and so you believed. 

The Resurrection of the Dead

And if it is preached that Messiah rose from the dead, how are some among you saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is not a resurrection of the dead, then Messiah has not risen: and if Messiah has not risen, then also our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain: And then we are being found false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that He raised Messiah, Whom, if indeed the dead are not really being raised, He has not risen. For if the dead are not raised, then Messiah has not been raised: and if Messiah has not been raised, your faith is useless, you are still in your sins, and consequently those who sleep in Messiah are lost. If we only have hope in Messiah for this life, we are all miserable people. But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, First Fruits of those who have slept. For since death is through a man, then resurrection of the dead is through a Man. For just as all are dying in Adam, so also will all be made alive in Messiah. But each in his own order: Messiah is First Fruits, then those of the Messiah at His coming, then the end, when He would give over the kingdom to God and Father, when every leader and every authority and every power will be brought to an end. For it is necessary for Him to reign until the time when He would place all His enemies under His feet. Death is the last enemy being abolished: for "He subjected all things under His feet." (Psalms 8:7) and when He would say that all things have been subjected it is clear that the One who subjects all things to Messiah is Himself excepted. But when all things would be subject to Him, then also the Son Himself would have been subjected to the One Who subjected all things to Him, so that God would be all in all. Because what will those who are immersed on behalf of the dead be doing? If the dead are not actually being raised, then why are they being immersed on their behalf? Why then are we in danger every hour? I die daily, as surely as I may boast in you, brothers, in Messiah Y'shua our Lord. If according to man I fought wild beasts in Ephesus, what was the profit for me? If the dead are not raised, "We should eat and we should drink, for tomorrow we die." (Isaiah 22:13) You must stop being deceived: "Evil associations are corrupting good customs." (Menander, Thais 218) You must become righteously sober and stop sinning, for some have ignorance of God, and I am speaking to arouse shame in you. 

The Resurrection Body

But some will say, "How are the dead raised?" And "What sort of body is coming?" Foolishness! What you are sowing does not live unless it would die first: (John 12:24) then what you are sowing, you do not sow what will be the body, but a naked seed. Perhaps it will turn out to be wheat or some of the other grains: but God would give it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds its own body. But not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind of flesh for people, and another kind of flesh for domestic animals, and another flesh for birds, and another for fishes: then there are heavenly bodies, and earthly bodies: another of the splendor of the heavenlies, but another of the earthlies. With another kind of splendor for the sun, and another kind of splendor for the moon, and another splendor for the stars: for star differs from star in splendor. So also the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised incorruptible: it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in magnificence: it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power: a body is sown fleshly, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a fleshly body, there is also a spiritual. And so it has been written, "The first man was Adam in living life," (Genesis 2:7) the last Adam has become a lifegiving spirit. But the spiritual was not first but the physical, then the spiritual. The first man is from dust of the earth, the second man out of heaven. What sort of earthly man, and such as these earthly ones, and what sort of the heavenly One, then such as these born of the heavenly nature: and just as we bore constantly the image of the earthly, we will bear constantly also the image of the heavenly One. But I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood are not able to inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold I am telling you a mystery: we will not all be asleep in death, but we will all be transformed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last shofar: for a shofar will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we will be transformed. (Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:13, Revelation 20:5) For it is necessary to clothe this corruptible with the incorruptible and to clothe this mortal with the immortal. And when this mortal will be clothed immortal and this corruptible will be clothed incorruptible then the written word will happen, "Death was swallowed up in victory." (Isaiah 25:8). "Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?" (Hosea 13:14). But sin is the sting of death, and the power of sin is taken from the Torah (Teaching): But thanks to God, to the One Who gives us victory through our Lord Y'shua Messiah. Thus, my beloved brothers, you must continually be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord always, since you have known that your labor is not without result in the Lord.


Revelation 20:11-15 - Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who sits upon it, from Whose presence the earth (Psalms 114:3, 7) and the sky fled and a place was not found for them. Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. And scrolls were opened, and another scroll was opened, which is of life, (Exodus 32:32, 33, Psalms 69:29, Dan. 12:1) and the dead were judged according to their deeds, (Isaiah 59:18, Jeremiah 17:10, Psalms 28:4; 62:13, Proverbs 24:12, Romans 2:6, 1 Corinthians 3:8) by what had been written in the scrolls. (Daniel 7:9, 10) Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it and Death and Hades gave up the dead, those in them, and each was judged according to his works. Then Death and Hades were thrown violently into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if someone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire. (Isaiah 30:33) 

John 17:3 - This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.