March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 1

                                                    Bible Study 2001     

Teacher: The Holy Spirit of God

Topic: The Future 

       There are three great divisions of time: the past, the present, and the future. The past is gone as we may see, but we can not change our record. The present is our time of opportunity in the light of past experiences we may know better how to improve our opportunities in building for the future. The future is hidden from our sight by a veil beyond which we can not see, save as God sees fit to brush it aside and give us a vision of the things on the other side. It is this division of time with which we shall conduct our comprehensive Bible Study 2001.
       In the study of that portion of God’s Word which throws light upon the future let us not lose sight of the fact that some things are entirely hidden from us, some things partly revealed, and some things clearly shown. We get most out of our investigations if we do not assume to know too much, but meekly take our place as humble learners and diligent students, in faith receiving what God sees fit to reveal. The wisdom of God is nowhere more clearly manifested than in this that He has given us His Word in such a way that we can not grasp it fully at first and second reading, thereby encouraging a continuous reading and rereading, being rewarded by a greater illumination and brighter visions of the future the longer we search His blessed Word.
       No one can thus look into the future, as God has seen fit to reveal it to us, without giving Him praise and glory for the unfathomable riches and glory ahead.
       We Begin With The Second Coming Of Christ (Acts 1:11). After Christ made His ascent to glory the disciples remembered the words of Jesus directing them to tarry at Jerusalem until they should be endued with power from on high, and they proceed immediately to go back to that city (Acts 1:12). Here they continue in prayer and thanksgiving and hopeful expectation until in the fullness of time the enduement of power is theirs and the promise is fulfilled. No longer do they center their hopes in an immediate, literal, glorious reign of Jesus their King on earth, but from that time forward the personal return of our Lord becomes the hope of the Church.
       The fact that Christ is coming concerning this there can be no reasonable doubt in the mind of the believer, for here is the evidence:
       1. Christ has promised us that He will come again (John 14:3). The fact of His coming was frequently referred to in His conversations with and instructions to His disciples (Matt. 25; Luke 19:12-27).  

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 2
                                         .
       2. The two men in white apparel said that He will come again (Acts 1:10,11). There is no doubt that they were heavenly messengers, “ministering spirits” whom God sent for the occasion, as He did to His people on a number of other occasions, to direct them into proper channels.
       3.  The apostles told of His coming (1Thess. 4:14-18; 2Pet. 3; 1John 3:2). Others as well, in the bible, have talked about this event in such a matter-of-fact way as to leave no doubt in any one’s mind that they fully expected His coming again. It is said that in the apostolic writings about one verse out of seven is connected in some way with the thought of His return. Job expresses the confident hope of seeing his Lord, and that in the latter day He would stand upon the earth (Job 19:25).

       What Will Be The Signs Of His Coming? As to the exact time of His second advent, we know nothing. Christ says that only the Father in heaven knows that time, and we should ask no further questions (Mark 13:32). Men have set dates for His coming, but as these dates passed by these men were proved false prophets. But the Bible is not lacking in instructions concerning signs of His coming, so that we may know that His coming is not far removed (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 1Tim. 4:1-3; 
2Tim. 3:1-5; 2Pet. 2). Let us look at a few of these signs:
       1. People deeply absorbed in the things of this world. We are now living in a time much like the time before the flood of Noe (Matt. 24:37-39). People are so deeply absorbed in the things of this world that they will pay little attention to either prophet or prophecy but plunge on in their mad career for wealth and fame and pleasure and power, until all of a sudden-bam, too late! The voice of the Lord will be heard and all opportunity for repentance and reconciliation with Him will be gone forever Matt. 24:44
       2. The Gospel preached to all the world (Matt. 24:14). This growth is typified in the parable of the mustard seed (Matt. 13:31, 32). The tree has about completed its growth, as the Gospel message has nearly reached the ends of the earth.
       3. Great natural occurrences. Christ speaks of famines, pestilences, wars, etc., as occurring previous to His coming, This sign has been abused in two ways: (1) by those who see in every earthquake, falling star, tornado, war, etc., a sure sign that Christ is coming immediately; (2) by those who see the folly of such predictions and therefore go to the opposite extreme and say there is nothing in this sign of prophecy. To keep balanced on this question, we should remember two things: (1) With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day (2Pet. 3:8) and what may appear to the Lord as very near appears to man as far away. (2) These things have been witnessed for thousands of years; so we must recognize in the great natural occurrences an increase in both destructiveness and frequency before we can look upon them as signs of the King’s approach. We should also take notice of the rapidly growing intensity of the present world-wide unrest as a sign of the coming Christ, our King. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 3 
                                          
       4. Present day apostasy (2Thess. 2:3). Are you in any doubt that that day is now alive and well? Fundamentalists tell of the present day apostasy, and warn the people. Liberalists tell about it, and glory in it. With many of the great institutions of learning becoming centers of liberalism, many churches captured by this wave of unbelief, and with atheism rapidly on the increase, we are approaching conditions referred to in the, warning voice of Jesus: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth”
(Luke 18:8)? No amount of blind optimism can hide the fact that present conditions are accurately portrayed in the language of the prophetic writers. 
       Knowing that the signs of our Lord’s return are here, and not knowing the exact time of His coming, we should make sure of our readiness for His coming, and labor diligently to the end that others also may be ready. 
       
       What Will Be The Manner Of Jesus’ Christ Coming? It is interesting to note what the Scriptures have to say about this. In this, as well as in the matter of computing the exact time of His coming, we do well not to be too absolutely sure in our deductions. Yet the Bible does tell us enough that we may profitably spend some time in meditating upon this phase of our subject. 
       1. “He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him” (Rev. 1:7). Jesus refers to His coming as “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30.) This agrees with the testimony of the two men in white apparel (Acts 1:9-11) at the time of the ascension of our Lord.
       2. He will be accompanied by saints and angels (Matt. 25:31; 1Thess. 4:14). Christ Himself says that He will come in His glory, “and all the holy angels with him.” As for the saints, Paul says, “Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” The conclusion is logical, at Christ’s second coming He will bring with Him the disembodied spirits of the saints who had fallen asleep, will call their sleeping bodies from the grave, and, with the soul and body reunited and glorified by the power of God, together with the righteous living at His coming they will “meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Thess. 4:17). 
       3. He will come “with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30). From this Scripture we notice the remarkable difference between His first and second coming. His first coming was as a helpless infant, without any influential friends, dependent upon His mother to nurse Him, and He grew up as other children do. In His second advent He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords, clothed with power and majesty, Judge of all the earth. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God” (Rev. 19:11-13). 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 4  
                                         
                                        What Will Be The Purpose of His Coming?  
       
       1. He is coming for His own (John 14:2, 3). During the two thousand years that Jesus has been away the Holy Comforter has been here as the heavenly Representative on earth, and will continue to be here, as the personal Representative of the Father and the Son, until Christ returns (John 16:7). (1Thess 4:16, 17) emphasizes the fact that when Christ comes back to earth it will be to receive His own unto Himself. At this time the righteous will be rewarded for their faithful service to the Master. Now that you know this, this revelation should be an incentive to a life of devotion and self-denial knowing that we shall be abundantly rewarded for everything that we do in His name (Mark 9:41; Luke 14:14; John 12:24-26; 2Cor. 9:6). 
       2. He is coming to judge the world (John 5:22). Paul says that when Christ will be revealed from heaven it will be to take “vengeance upon them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2Thess. 1:7-9). The certainty of a judgment or reckoning following the coming of our Lord is as clearly established in Scripture as is the certainty of His coming (Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 14:10; 2Cor. 5:10). 
       3. He is coming to reign (Jer. 10:10; Matt. 25:31; Luke 19:27; John 18:37;      Rev. 22:5).  There is a sense in which Jesus is with us now and in which all men of faith recognize His Kingship. But there is another sense in which we speak of His kingdom as being yet future. As I am now typing this the literal reign of Christ, in which He personally takes charge of His people, is yet future. 
       While there is practical agreement among believers concerning the fact of the reign of Christ, yet concerning the nature of His reign, especially with reference to the order of events immediately following His second advent, there is a wide difference of opinion. Among believers this difference is not a question of faith and loyalty but rather a difference in the interpretation of prophecy. Some interpret literally what others believe to be figurative language. But even on this point the contention among believers does not seem so sharp as it once was. Bible students who accept without question the verbal inspiration and absolute authority of Scripture are recognizing more and more the importance of the fact that so long as we accept without question any point of doctrine where a plain “Thus saith the Lord” makes it clear what the word and will of the Lord is concerning it we may well afford to bear with one another on points of doctrine where the proper interpretation of Scripture is not so apparent. What will be the exact order of events from the time of Christ’s second advent until saint and sinner will have been allotted to their eternal portion will probably never be fully known by mortal man until the events come to pass. 
       This discussion concerning the reign of Christ, together with a number of other and kindred problems, calls for a few more observations which I trust will be of interest to you the reader. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 5 
                                                   
       1. The truth of God’s Word is not affected by man’s failure to comprehend. When in the fullness of time our mortal robes will have been laid aside and God’s revelation to man will have been made perfect and complete, it will be found out who was right and who was wrong (or whether all were wrong) in our interpretation on all points of Scripture concerning which there were and are differences of opinion, but the truth of God’s Word is the same in all ages. God’s Word is the same, eternally true, in all ages, no matter what may be the opinions of man about it. 
       2. Failure to fully comprehend should be considered an incentive to a more faithful, prayerful study of God’s Word. 
       It is no disadvantage, but rather an advantage, that we can not, at first or second or seven hundred and seventy seventh reading, grasp in fullness all that is written in God’s Word. We hold it to be a mark of God’s wisdom that the Bible was given to us in a form that finite man can keep on studying it a lifetime and find it richer and more inspiring the longer he reads it. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.” We may think that we have delved deep, broadened out, and soared high in our study of the Word and grasp of eternal truth, but we will never get so far along in our studies but that there are oceans and worlds of unfathomable truth beyond us. Every time we approach a portion of Scripture that is hard to fathom, it is a challenge to us to pray more fervently for wisdom and to study more diligently, knowing that the Word of God becomes more familiar, His truth clearer and sweeter, the longer we study it and the oftener we read it. There is not a book in the Bible but that has its place and ought to be diligently and prayerfully studied. 
       3. It is more important that we be found ready for Christ’s coming than it is for us to know the exact time of His coming or the exact program of blessings and judgments after He does come. 
       The keynote of our Saviour’s instructions, in connection with the signs of His coming, was BE READY. What good will it do, though we have studied a lifetime about the manner and purpose of His coming and the exact order of events after He does come, if we then, after His coming, find ourselves, like the foolish virgins, unprepared? Be ready! be ready! BE READY! And having assured ourselves, in the light of God’s Word, that we are ready for this great event, let our lives be dedicated to the great cause of helping the greatest possible number of lost souls to find their Saviour, to the end that they, too, may be ready for that eventful time. Mankind will be without excuse if we are not prepared for the events which are soon to end this age and begin to usher in the last Millennium before eternity. There are multitudes who are not prepared for the change that is coming to planet earth in the twenty-first century. There is no doubt about it. We are in the end-time harvest. It is the season of His appearing. The tares are coming together in bundles. The Lord of the harvest is about to gather the first harvest from the earth (Matt. 13:30).  

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 6 
                                                  
                         How THE Hope OF His Coming, Will Affect You THE Believer 

       1. “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself” (1John 3:3). Let no man say that it makes no difference what we believe concerning the second coming of Christ, or whether we believe in it at all or not. There is a very vital connection between this blessed hope and practical daily life. The hope of His coming is more than a mere sentiment, more than a mere talking point in theology; it is a very practical element in the life of the believer. People who are looking for the coming of Christ, waiting for Him to come at a time when the world is least expecting Him, have about them a soberness, a sacred regard for the truth, and an air of “other worldliness” that is not found among those not animated by this hope. And the brighter the hope of His coming, the stronger the impulse and desire to be in proper condition to receive Him when He comes. I pray that you will be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless (2 Pet. 3:14). 
       2. “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is” 
(Mark 13:33). Expectancy makes us watchful, and the strength of hope holds men to a consistent life while they watch. If there were no other practical results from the hope of our Lord’s return then this incentive for those who are expecting it to be watchful and prayerful to the end that they “may be found in peace, without spot, and blameless,” this alone would justify the wisdom of God in revealing to man the fact of the Lord’s return 
(Luke 21:34-36; Jas. 5:8). 
       3. “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day” (John 9:4, 5). We find ourselves with a great work ahead, limited time, with an urge to improve present opportunities. Since we are even now standing on the brink of eternity, ready to be called over any time, let us make good use of our opportunity for service while it lasts. 
       4. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1Thess. 4:18). Your question should be to me, what words? Well the answer I would give to you can be found if you will read (1Thess. 4:14-17). Confronted with this thrilling prospect, let us press hopefully, joyfully, faithfully on, while in anticipation of the return of our Redeemer, our Saviour, our Lord, and our King, Jesus, in whose name we should gratefully praise and glorify God for the riches ahead. 
       “The Lord is coming by and by, Will you be ready when He comes? He comes from His fair home on high, Will you be ready when He comes? To judgment calls at His command, Drawn thither by His mighty hand, Before the Throne we all shall stand, Will you be ready when He comes?” 
       I am personally praying for you, the reader, that you will be ready. If I did not personally have a genuine concern for your eternal destiny, then I would not take the time to prepare this comprehensive study specifically for you. I encourage you to, if you haven’t already, accept Jesus Christ now! Tomorrow is not promised to you. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 7 
                                                  
                                                   What Is The Resurrection?   

                                                         The Doctrine Stated 

       The clearest exposition that we know of is that found in (John 5:28, 29). The time of this “hour” is the “last day” (John 11:24). From such references as (John 5:28, 29; 11:24
1Cor. 15; Rev. 20:13), we get the idea clearly that after this age every human being will arise from the dead, when soul and body will be reunited and appear before the Lord. 

                                                  The Old Testament Doctrine 

       The doctrine of the resurrection is distinctly a Bible doctrine, as it is taught in no other system of theology or belief. While this doctrine is more clearly set forth in the New Testament than in the Old, we are not left in the dark as to whether this doctrine was believed in by the people of God in olden times. Here are some Old Testament Scriptures to prove this fact (Job 19:25, 26; Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:2; Hos. 13:14). 
       The reader who is acquainted with New Testament teaching on this subject can not but be impressed with the remarkable unity between Old and New Testament writers. The doctrine of the resurrection is not confined to the teachings of one dispensation but it is one of the eternal verities recognized as truth by the people of God in all ages. 
       Among the Jews, the Sadducees are the only sect of whom it is stated that they did not believe in the resurrection (Matt. 22:23; Mark 12:18). When Paul declared his belief in the resurrection of the dead he won the support of the Pharisees on that issue, for he gave voice to a Jewish as well as a Christian doctrine (Acts 23:6-8). Observing the stand of the liberalists among Christian professors on this and related Bible doctrines today, we are not surprised that the liberalists among the Jews should assume a similar attitude. 
                                 
                                              The New Testament Doctrine  

       Here we find the doctrine both taught and exemplified. Christ not only taught it, but by rising bodily from the grave He became “the firstfruits of them that slept”
(1Cor. 15:20). The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a prominent doctrine in the teachings of the apostles (Acts 1:22; 2:31; 17:18; 24:15; 1Cor. 15; Phil. 3:10; Heb. 11:35; 
1Pet. 1:3), the Jews being grieved (not because they taught the resurrection from the dead, but) because they “preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead”(Acts 4:2).
It was before the Epicureans and the Stoics (two schools of philosophers) that Paul on Mars’ Hill preached the doctrine of the resurrection with such power that none could withstand him in any way but through mockery (Acts 17:16-34). So frequently and forcefully did the apostles preach this doctrine that we can truly point to the New Testament as a textbook on the doctrine of the resurrection. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 8  
                                            
                                                  Proofs Of The Resurrection 

       This being a prominent Bible doctrine, the proofs of the resurrection are coextensive with the proofs of the inspiration and reliability of the Bible. We have a proof of the resurrection of Jesus in that He “shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3). Lazarus also, having been seen by many Jews after that he was raised from the dead, stands out as an “infallible” proof of the power of God to raise the dead from the grave (John 12:2, 9-11). Again, the fact of the appearance of many, after the resurrection of Jesus, who came forth out of their graves through the miraculous demonstrations of the power of God at the time of the crucifixion is another proof of the resurrection (Matt. 27:50-54). 
       But aside from Bible evidences, the doctrine of the resurrection is not incredible. The fact is, of course, that the resurrection is a result of God’s marvelous use of power. It will be as easy for Him, at His own appointed time, to call us from the grave as it was for Him to create man in the first place. If that statement is not easy for you to comprehend, then you must pray as “without ceasing” for the divine wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God’s Word and of God’s Will. The doctrine of the resurrection is not harder to believe than is the doctrine of the creation through the creative power of the Almighty. As I write this (in the spring of the year) and look out through the window we have an illustration of the resurrection power in the forthcoming vegetation-an illustration which Paul used in his forceful exposition of this subject (1Cor. 15:35-44). 
       Concerning the nature and extent of the resurrection, I’m going to drop this knowledge on you:
       Redemption is the payment of a price in order to the liberation of the captive, an idea which is clearly involved in the sacrifice of Christ. Our redemption is twofold: virtual and actual. Virtual redemption is redemption by price. Virtual redemption in regard to its extent, includes the whole human family; for Christ “tasted death for every man.” It includes also the whole of man’s nature--the body as well as the soul. This is evident from what the apostle says: “Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Hence the bodies of the saints, as well as their souls, have been purchased by Christ. The members, though dissolved by death, are still written in His book, and will in due time be raised in beauty and immortality, “according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” In regard to the soul, every true believer is actually redeemed in the present life; but not so with the body. For, though it is virtually redeemed, its actual redemption lies beyond the present state of being. That can only be fully accomplished when our Redeemer shall break the iron grasp of death, and liberate the captives of the grave. Till then we must wait for the crowning blessing of our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies. Till then the purposes of Christ’s mediation will not be fully accomplished; “for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” This, therefore, clearly and necessarily implies the resurrection of the human race.   

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        page# 9  
                                              
                                                    Some Erroneous Views  

       Like all other great Bible doctrines, the doctrine of the bodily resurrection has by unbelievers been ridiculed, reviled, and opposed in many ways. We, as believers, should not be surprised. Upon this doctrine rests the credibility of the entire Gospel of Christ, Paul clearly tells us this in (1Cor. 15). If we concede the fact of the resurrection in our hearts and our minds, then we concede the truth of the entire Gospel, foundation and all. If we are so willing to concede, because of the ridiculed and opposition of unbelievers, that perhaps after all there is no such thing as the bodily resurrection, and then we actually concede that, then to us who have conceded, the Bible has become nothing more than a pious system of fraudulent claims. We as believers should expect the enemies of Christ to attack this doctrine so long as the fact of this miracle has a place in the hearts of men and women. Some will deny the resurrection entirely while others will twist it into something meaningless, so that it might as well be discarded altogether. Here are some examples of what some of these people have said in the past, and what they are still claiming today:

       1. “That there is no resurrection” (Matt. 22:23). This view was held by the Sadducees, but Christ quickly silenced them with (Luke 20:27-40). Paul also proves conclusively with (1Cor. 15:12-20) that if this doctrine is abandoned, the whole realm of Christian doctrine falls to the ground. 
       2. “That the resurrection is past already” (2Tim. 2:18). Paul encountered this heresy, mentioning Philetus and Hymenaeus, and declared that this heresy ate into the vitals of people’s faith as cancer does into the vitals of the physical body. It is a deceptive argument, having a show of piety and feigned faith, that the resurrection is merely a rising from sin at the time of our conversion. The fact that Paul, being the chosen of God to proclaim His Word among Jews and Gentiles (Acts 9:15), denounced this heresy, is conclusive proof of its being an error. It is also in direct contradiction to (John 5:28, 29;
1Cor. 15:51, 52; 1Thess. 4:16) and many other scriptures referring directly to the bodily resurrection. 
       3. That the body of Christ was not raised from the grave. The people that make and have made this statement can not explain why the corpse of Jesus was not found when Peter and John explored His grave (John 20:3-9). Jesus called special attention to His wounded body and blessed those who believe and have not seen (John 20:25-31). Anybody who will, in today’s times, deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus are not, as a rule in the class of doubters with Thomas but rather with that other class mentioned in (Matt. 28:11-15). So you see, you the reader, are blessed more for not needing to see the physical body of Christ after His resurrection and believing in His resurrection, than those who saw Him after His resurrection with their own eyes and then believed.  

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 10 
                                             .   
       4. That there will be no bodily resurrection, but that glorified bodies will be supplied in their stead. To accept and believe this is all the more dangerous because it has the semblance of truth in it. We who will be the risen saints will indeed be supplied with glorified bodies (1Cor. 15:42-54; 1John 3:2) but that fact does in no way nullify the teachings set forth in the scriptures I have just given you. Just how the change from a natural to a glorified body will be made we can not explain, for it is miraculous; but we deny the possibility of the transformation from one to the other when we deny the first part of the miracle, namely the bodily resurrection. Two things will be true of the resurrection: (1) It will be a literal bodily resurrection. (2) There will be a transformation whereby these vile bodies will be changed into glorified bodies like unto Christ’s. A recognition of both facts is needed to make a perfect Bible doctrine of the resurrection. 

                                   Summary Of Resurrection Teachings  

       1. There was a bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. “By many infallible proofs” was this fact demonstrated to the disciples, who by these “proofs” were changed from an attitude of doubting and indifference into that of ardent believers and followers. 
       2. There is a spiritual resurrection for all penitent believers. There will be a rising to “newness of life” on the part of all who are “buried with Christ in baptism” (Rom. 6:3-6; 1Cor. 12:13; Col. 3:1-4). It is a fact that all unsaved souls are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1); that their souls are “quickened” when they hear “the voice of the Son of God” (John 5:25); and that all such as come to “newness of life” are “risen with Christ” (Col. 3:1). Why not call this a spiritual resurrection, just as rising from the grave is called a bodily resurrection? And let all the world know assuredly that, unless we in this world rise to a “newness of life,” when at the trumpet call of God there will be a rising from the grave it will mean to us “the resurrection of damnation” rather than “the resurrection of life.”  
       3. There WILL BE a bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust. that this resurrection will be universal, there can be no question (John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:13). From every clime and age, no matter how death was brought about or what disposition had been made of the body, all will be called forth, and all will receive “a just recompence of reward” (Heb. 2:2), whether good or evil. And whether this resurrection will mean to us “the resurrection of life” or “the resurrection of damnation;” whether the souls of the righteous and of the unrighteous will appear at the same time, as some believe, or whether the righteous dead will be called up first and the unrighteous dead a thousand years later, as others believe, the resurrection of the body will be an event in the experience of every individual, good or bad--except such as will be alive at the appearing of our Lord, whose going forth to meet the Lord will be according to (1Thess. 4:17). 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 11  
                                              
                                 WHAT THE RESURRECTION WILL MEAN  

       “The Resurrection of Life.”--To the righteous, the resurrection will mean “the resurrection of life.” (John 5:29a) “They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life.” To us who will be alive at the coming of our Lord the event will appear as it is written in (1Thess. 4:16, 17). I may be wrong, but I do feel very confident that I will be alive when Christ returns. Its’ just a gut feeling. But, I would not offer bets on it God may decide to prove me wrong. Then I would have to listen to you in heaven telling me that I told you so. Laugh Out Loud! But seriously, we will be rising in the strength and glory of the Most High, the saints of God will be glorified together with Christ (Col. 3:4); and with bodies incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual (1Cor. 15:42-44), “as the angels of God in heaven” (Matt. 22:30), we will ascend in rapturous joy to meet the Lord in eternal fellowship and glory. What a Glorious day that will be for me, and also for you I pray! May God speed that day’s coming--and may we spare neither pains nor sacrifice in the important work of getting the greatest possible number of people ready to join in this wonderful rapture. 
       “The Resurrection of Damnation.”--The saddest thought that ever comes to the children of God is the reflection that not all people will have part in the resurrection of life. Daniel says that when the wicked will awake it will be to “shame and everlasting contempt.” Let no unsaved soul now living turn away from this awful scene until he has come to himself, turned a listening ear to the heavenly voice (John 5:25), repented before God, and resolved in his heart to spend the rest of his days in turning the hearts of other unsaved ones from the awful path that leads to destruction and pointing them to the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ. 
       Nature of the Resurrection.--Paul describes this very accurately in(1Cor. 15:35-58) As a grain of corn goes down into the ground and by the power of God a new plant comes forth, so the dead body is lowered, returns to dust, and at the coming resurrection will be called forth at the trumpet call of God. At what particular time, and in what particular way, the change is made from the corruptible clay into the “image of the heavenly,” into a glorious body like unto Christ’s, God has not seen fit to reveal. We know that it is so, and that is enough to satisfy every believer and to cause us to praise His holy name. As John says (1John 3:2) : “We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” The teaching of the Scriptures sums it all up. The body shall rise again. The integrity of man’s being, a creature of soul and body, shall be restored. In some sense the identity of the body shall be preserved. The body is to be changed and refined to fit it for the new surroundings of the future life. For the saints it is to be a “glorified body.” The resurrection of the righteous will take place at the coming of Christ, of the unsaved at the great white throne judgment after the Kingdom age. The power is of God in Christ, who said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).  Amen. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 12 
                                              
                                                      THE JUDGMENT    

       The word “judgment” has been defined as “the pronouncing of an opinion or decision of a formal or authoritative nature.” In the matter of its many applications, I list the following classification: 
       1. The sentence, or decision of a judge.--(1Kings 3:28). 
       2. The spirit of wisdom and prudence, enabling one to know and to discern right from wrong, and good from evil.--(Ps. 72:1). 
       3. Those remarkable punishments, which God inflicts on people for their sins and transgressions.--(Prov. 19:29; Ezek. 30:14). 
       4. The spiritual government of the world, which is committed by God the Father to Christ the Mediator, and which He manages with a perfect rectitude and equity.--
(John 5:22; 9:39). 
       5. The afflictions and chastisements which God brings upon His children for their trial and instruction.--(1Pet. 4:17). 
       6. God’s merciful moderation in chastising His people.--(Jer. 10:24). 
       7. The solemn action and trial at the great and last day.--(Eccl. 12:14; Jude 6). 
       8. The righteous statutes and commandments of God.--(Ps. 119:7, 20). 
       9. The punishment inflicted on Christ for our sins.--(Is. 53:8).  
       10. The doctrine of the Gospel, or God’s Word.--(Matt. 12:18). 
       11. Justice and equity.--(Is. 1:17; Luke 11:42). 
       12. The deliverance and vindication of mankind from the power and tyranny of the devil.--(John 12:31). 
       13. God’s decrees and purposes concerning nations, or persons.--(Rom. 11:33). 
       14. The sentence of damnation upon the wicked, and of absolution in favor of the godly.--(Jude 15). 
       15. Courts of justice.--(Matt. 5:21). 
       16. Differences and controversies to be decided.--(1Cor. 6:4). 
       17. Sentiment, or opinion.--(1Cor. 1:10). 
       18. Advice.--(1Cor. 7:25). 
       19. The Gospel, or kingdom of grace.--(Matt. 12:20). 
       Theologians have often maintained that there is one general judgment. But a careful inductive study of all the Scriptures involved demonstrates that there are at least eight distinct judgments described in the Bible: the judgment of the Cross; the judgment of Believers; the Believer’s Works; the judgment of Self; judgment of the Nations; the judgment of Israel; the judgment of Angels; and the White Throne Judgment.       
       The judgment of which we wish especially to refer to, in this part of this Bible Study, is that pertaining to God’s dealing with “the children of the kingdom,” and His sentence upon “the children of the wicked one.” 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 13  
                                              
                                     Judgment as an Old Testament Doctrine   

       As in the doctrine of the resurrection, we find the doctrine of the judgment well supported in both Old and New Testaments. (1Chr. 16:33; Ps. 9:7; 96:13; Eccl. 3:17; 11:9), from these Scriptures we conclude that the Old Testament writers understood that there is certain reward ahead for the righteous and certain punishment for the wicked. They had only to open their eyes, and they could see the judgments of God visited upon the disobedient, while His blessings flowed freely toward them that kept His precepts. Looking forward toward the time when “they that sleep in the dust shall awake,” they could also see the day of rewards and punishments. 

                                   Judgment as a New Testament Doctrine 

       (Matt. 12:36; 25:46; John 16:8; Acts 24:25; Rom. 14:10; 2Cor. 5:10; Heb. 10:27; 2Pet. 3:7; Jude 6; Rev. 20:12), when we read these Scriptures we find this same doctrine held forth by the inspired writers in the New Testament. Paul was equally clear and specific in proclaiming this. That this judgment is not merely a smiting of conscience, as some would interpret it, is evident from the fact that he tells us that “it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment.” Peter also testifies of the judgment of God being visited upon a sinful world, Jude speaks of “the judgment of the great day,” and John testifies of his Patmos vision of seeing, “the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” 

                                         The Reason For The Judgment  

       Now that we have clearly established the judgment as a Bible doctrine, we will examine the reasons for it. 
       Practically all people believe in some form of judgment. Even the rankest atheist believes that justice should be meted out to criminals, and rejoices greatly when some heartless criminal gets his “just dues.” Justice calls for the punishment of crime, and practically all people recognize the reasons for it, when administered impartially and sympathetically. It requires no great intelligence to perceive that in this life people are not always punished or rewarded in a way that is commensurate with their sins or their merits. Quite frequently the most hardened sinners fare comparatively well so far as health, wealth, pleasure, honors, etc., are concerned; while some God-fearing men who want to live right in every respect are afflicted, suffer for years from pain and sickness, and die in penury and want. It is evident, therefore, that if the justice of God is to be established there must be future retribution; judgment for the wicked, rewards for the righteous “at the resurrection of the just.” 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 14  
                                             
       Only by future retributions and rewards can the truth of Peter’s testimony, “God is no respecter of persons,” be sustained. The stripes and afflictions sent us in this world are not a punishment for sin, primarily, but rather a touch of God’s love for our own or others’ good (Heb. 12:1-13). There is no better illustration of this fact than that of the life story of Job. Whatever Job’s afflictions may have meant for him and his three friends, the world has in him an object lesson which has been a real blessing to thousands of lives in all generations since that time. There is a vast difference between chastisement and retribution. The first is for corrective purposes, the other is for punishment. The doctrine of judgment for the future not only makes for the fairness of God, but, on the other hand, the theory of no future judgment is so very unreasonable as to make it unworthy of any support, as it would entirely destroy all idea of the justice of God. Both revelation and nature sustain the doctrine of future retribution and rewards. 

                                                           THE JUDGE    

       1. “The Father . . . hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22). A number of thoughts should be awakened in us by this statement. The first is the reason assigned for the provision: “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.” Indirectly this is a rebuke to “the wise and the prudent,” in our day as well as in the day of Christ on earth, who see only the human side of Christ. Another thought is that of the complete triumph of Jesus Christ. “Despised and rejected of men,” nailed to the cross and dying in ignominy, He rose triumphant over every foe, took His majestic flight to glory, is at the right hand of the Father as the Advocate and Intercessor for all that believe on Him, and in the fullness of time will return as the Judge of  “the quick and the dead.” Still another thought worthy of our meditation is the fact that since judgment is in the hands of Jesus Christ who died for us we have a true Friend upon the judgment seat. 
       2. It is not within the sphere of man to judge. We do not here refer to any use that God may make of man during the eventful times beyond the grave (Matt. 19:28; 
1Cor. 6:2), but rather to the proper sphere of man while still in the flesh (Matt. 7:1; Rom. 2:1; Jas. 4:12). It is not wrong to pass judgment or express opinion on any subject upon which the Scripture shines light (John 7:24), but to pass the sentence of eternal death upon people is a function that belongs not to man. We may express opinions, may differ from other people in views of religion or duty, but we are very thankful that the matter of deciding upon what shall be their lot in eternity is reserved for Him whose knowledge is infinite and whose judgment is perfect. 
       3. Our Judge is in every way competent and worthy. He is infinite in wisdom, knowledge, and soundness of judgment. He is unchangeable (Heb. 13:8), and therefore thoroughly reliable. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 15  
                                                
       He has proved His friendship for us in that He died for us, therefore we have nothing to fear in the form of severity from an unfriendly Judge. He is perfect in righteousness, so we may expect nothing but simple justice. He is impartial, and therefore “no respecter of persons.” This is the character of the great Judge before whom we all shall stand--and if in this life we are wise and judge ourselves according to His standard of everlasting truth and righteousness while this opportunity is still ours, we are assured that our judgment at that great day will be commendation rather than the sentence of eternal death because of our sins (Matt. 25:34; 1Cor. 11:31). 
       It may be well to add that no other being, besides the Divine Judge, is qualified to serve in that capacity. Here, as in all other cases, God has manifested His wisdom and grace in the provisions made for our well-being.  

                                                       THE JUDGMENT   

       1. It will be according to the law and the evidence. Christ makes it clear that He is not an arbitrary Autocrat passing judgment upon whomsoever He will, but that His mission in the world was to save men, not to condemn them (John 3:17; 12:47); and that when He comes the second time it will be with the same heart of love, as the same Friend to humanity, meting out justice according to the Word (John 12:48) and according to our works (2Cor. 5:10). As a man in court is brought before a bar of justice to be justified or sentenced according to the law and the evidence, so will our standing before the great Judge depend upon how our record compares with the eternal Word of God. The law being established forever (Ps. 119:89), the only point to be decided is as to whether our record here has been such as to establish our innocence or guilt before the law. “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1Cor. 11:31). If we have accepted God’s grace in Jesus Christ, we shall then stand justified in the record; if not, we shall  remain condemned. All this will appear in the evidence. Here, not yonder, is where our eternal fate is determined. However merciful a judge may be, justice demands that all who are brought before him be declared innocent or guilty, depending upon the law and the evidence. The law being established forever, and our record established at the time of our death, there remains nothing to do for the great Judge but to assign us to the place where our records, according to the law and the evidence, prove us to belong (Matt. 25:41). 
       2. It will be meted out to fallen angels (Matt. 25:41; 2Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). In the end the fallen angels will share the same fate as fallen men-- both will be sent “into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” 
       3. It will be meted out to “all the nations” (Matt. 25:32). God as “Judge of all” (Heb. 12:23) will know no class; neither will there be any favored nations or individuals, for “God is no respecter of persons.” 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 16  
                                               
       4. It will be meted out to both “small and great” (Rev. 20:12). John on Patmos saw a vision which brought out this fact very forcefully. In this vision is represented a picture of the judgment in which both small and great stand before the throne. Books were opened and comparisons made. The mighty conqueror, the king, the humblest subject, the statesman, the scholar, the illiterate man, the beggar, the billionaire, the old and young---every man and woman whom God has ever given existence, without distinction of race, color, social standing, age, or any other condition---all will be judged by the same standard, all judged in righteousness, our eternal fate being determined by the question as to whether in this life we met or failed to meet the conditions of eternal salvation. 
       Some of the attainments here mentioned find favor in the sight of men; but before God they are counted as nothing---save that He expects greater things of us in proportion to our blessings, favors, talents, or opportunities. 
       5. It will be meted out to “the quick and the dead” (2Tim. 4:1). In this connection Paul, in (1Thess. 4:14-18), gives us a vivid word picture of what will be the experiences of the righteous dead and the righteous living at the time of Christ’s second coming. And a similar application, though with opposite experiences, might be made with reference to the unrighteous living and unrighteous dead. Whether living or dead when Christ comes again, all will be judged according to the deeds done in the body.  
       6. It will be meted out to “the righteous and the wicked” (Eccl. 3:17). There is no favoritism with God. The difference between the two classes mentioned is that the former have accepted the atonement through the blood of Christ while the latter have not. Malachi speaks of “the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5). Whether we speak of the second coming of Christ, the resurrection, or the judgment to come, it means something indescribably great and glorious for the righteous and something incomparably dreadful and dismal for the unrighteous. The future has no terrors for any class but the unsaved, the unrighteous, the guilty. How striking the contrast between John on the Isle of Patmos praying, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” and the pitiful wail of those haunted by “a certain fearful looking for of judgment,” begging, “Rocks and mountains, fall on us!” 
       Quite a difference, you say. Yes, the difference is vast. Yet we lose the practical effect of this contrast if we fail to remember two things: (1) The judgment is sure for every one, both small and great, both quick and dead, both saved and unsaved. (2) Upon us as individuals, not upon God’s arbitrary power, rests the responsibility of what the judgment will mean for us, as in this life we have the opportunity of making preparation for the great events of the future. These will be to us “great” or “dreadful,” depending upon whether in this life we prove ourselves faithful or unfaithful to God. “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 17  

                                                                  HELL   

          The wicked shall be turned into hell, an all the nations that forget God.--(Ps. 9:17). 

                                                             DEFINITIONS   

       The original word “Sheol” has a double application, sometimes used to designate the grave, sometimes referring to the place of departed spirits. In the Authorized Version the words “grave” and “hell” are each used thirty-one times as derived from the word “sheol.” 
       In several instances in the Authorized Version the word “hell” refers to the grave; as in (Ps. 16:10) and (Acts 2:27). Generally, however, the word designates the place where lost souls are; as in (Deut. 32:22; Ps. 9:17; Luke 16:23), etc. 
       The word “hades” is used frequently in the Revised Version where the word “hell” is used in the Authorized. It is sometimes used to designate the grave, as in (Acts 2:31; 1Cor. 15:55), but more frequently refers to the place of torment, as in (Matt. 11:23; Luke 16:23), etc. The word “gehenna,” used twelve times in the Greek New Testament, means the place of future punishment. 
       It matters not by what name the place may be known, the Scriptures teach that there is a place of endless punishment for the wicked, and this is the theme to which the thoughts found in this part of this Bible Study are directed. 

                                             DESCRIPTION OF THE LAKE OF FIRE  

       Unless otherwise designated, when the word “hell” is found in this part of this Bible Study it refers to the lake of fire, the eternal abode of the devil and all his hosts. But the vital question is not, What do we call the place? but, What is it like? Turning to the Word of God for light on this question, we find the following terms used in describing the place: “Devouring fire” (Is. 33:14); “Everlasting burnings” (Is. 33:14); “Everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2); “Furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:50); “Unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:12); “Hell fire” 
(Matt. 5:22); “Damnation of hell” (Matt. 23:33); “Outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30); Everlasting fire” (Matt. 25:41); “Everlasting punishment” (Matt. 25:46); “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44); “Vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7); “Smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever” (Rev. 14:11); “Tormented day and night for ever” (Rev. 20:10); “Lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:20). 
       To get the full force of this description it will be necessary to study these descriptive terms in connection with their contexts. We shudder as we try to imagine what an awful place this will be--and we become speechless as we try to explain why men pretending to believe the Bible should ever entertain the idea that possibly there is no such a place! Let every one know assuredly that such a place is a terrible reality. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 18  
                                              
                                                           HELL A PLACE    

       One of the important things to remember is that hell is a “place” (Luke 16:28), not a mere condition. Some tell us that “we make our own hell.” That we are personally responsible for our own state and standing before God here, and personally responsible if we will ever be cast into the lake of fire, is beyond question or dispute; but the Scripture teachings as to its being a place are so emphatic that no true believer doubts it. Hell is a place, just as earth is a place. 

                                                     FOR WHOM PREPARED  

       Christ specifically states that it was “prepared for the devil and his angels” 
(Matt. 25:41). God prepared a different place for us, as we shall notice in the next part of this Bible Study; but if any of us will deliberately or carelessly refuse or neglect to conform to God’s plan for our eternal welfare, in the great consummation of all things, when heaven and hell will be the only places left, God will have no other recourse than to send us to the place prepared for the devil and his hosts. The devils understand what is to become of them. When Christ met a number of them they cried out, “Art thou come hither to torment us before the time” (Matt. 8:29)? Though they “believe, and tremble” (Jas. 2:19), they know their doom, and dread the place to which they will eventually be sent. In Christ’s time they preferred to enter swine rather than to go to their long home. Entering the swine, they caused their destruction. They have the same effect upon men whenever they enter their hearts. The demon-possessed swine rushing down over the bank into the waters are typical of the demon-possessed men rushing into the lake of fire. 

                                                     WHO WILL GO THERE   

       1. The devil and his angels (Jude 6; Rev. 20:10). 
       2. The wicked (Matt. 7:13, 14; Rom. 1:18-32; 6:23; Jude 8, 16). Choosing the path of sin in this world, they will reap the fruits of their unrighteousness in the world to come. 
       3. All who forget God. It will be noted that in the same breath in which judgment was pronounced upon the wicked there was also included God’s judgment upon “all the nations that forget God.” In some of the nations were Christianity had once gained a foothold the God of heaven has been all but forgotten and Christ has been entirely repudiated. To say nothing about the wickedness prevailing in such countries, the fact of their apostasy alone is sufficient to merit their eternal damnation. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 19  
                                               
       4. Sinners who refuse to repent (Luke 13:3, 5; 24:47; Ezek. 18:4). Remission of sins can take place only upon condition of repentance. When therefore sinners die without having repented of their sins, the divine edict applies to them: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” 
       5. All who are disobedient to God. On this point we find our most direct reference in (2Thess. 1:7-9). Here Paul speaks of the vengeance that will be meted out to those who are out of the fold of Christ. Notice, he does not say anything about any of them being notoriously wicked, but he does say emphatically that at His coming Christ will, in flaming fire, take “vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ;” adding that they “shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” Let it be indelibly impressed upon every mind and heart that a person need not be a notorious criminal--such as a murderer, a thief or robber, an assassin, a whoremonger, an inveterate drunkard or liar or extortioner--to be on the road to hell, but all that he or she needs to do is to disobey God, walking disobediently in daily life, and, unless he or she repents and turns to the path of obedience, he or she will go into the same place where the vilest of sinners will go. 
       Here some people stumble. They tell you of the man who is upright in business, provides well for his family, lives a cleaner life than most church members, gives liberally to churches and charitable enterprises, and certainly such a person will not be sent to hell, even if he is only a nominal church member or perhaps no member at all. We do not realize that in our defence of this kind of man we are simply strengthening the case against him. To say nothing of the fact that by our profession we put more faith in the goodness of that man than we do in the truth of God’s Word, a man of that caliber is less excusable for disobeying God than is the man whose mind is enfeebled and judgment warped through ignorance or dissipation. Christ said that in the last day it would be more tolerable for the rank and ignorant heathen, even the men of wicked Tyre and Sidon and Sodom and Gomorrah, than it would for those who knew God’s Word and yet disobeyed (Matt. 11:20-24; Luke 10:10-16). It is not that those people were better than the Pharisees, but the Pharisees knew what God wanted of them and still did not obey Him. Before God, the most inexcusable sin is that of going against better knowledge (Luke 12:47, 48). We can make no excuses for the moralist or the responsible man who in spite of his superior advantages refuses or neglects to obey God; but say to all such, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish!” Many people would like nothing more than to be able to enter the gates of heaven, with the intention of spending all eternity there, by only being a “morally good” person. There is nothing wrong with being a morally good person. But it will take more than that to receive Eternal Salvation from the future punishment that awaits every man and woman who is disobedient to God and His Holy Word. It is very important that you grasp this! 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 20  
                                                
       6. The hypocrites. Some people think that only church members can be hypocrites. I think that we all can admit that there are more hypocrites in the churches than there ought to be, I can with all humility honestly say that there were times that I myself was guilty before God for being a hypocrite but thanks to repentance I will escape eternal damnation; but every man or woman who pretends that the reason they are not in the Church is because there are so many hypocrites there are themselves hypocrites; for no sooner is that excuse taken away than they are ready with some other excuse for not being a Christian. But whether hypocrites on earth are in the churches or outside, in the world to come they will all be together--in the lake of fire. Christ tells of the man who has been negligent in the matter of preparing for the coming of the Lord, saying that He will “appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 24:51). 
       QUESTION: Considering who all are going to the lake of fire, do you suppose that you would enjoy being with them in eternity? If not there, why prefer to be in a class with them here? 

                                             SOME LIES AND ERRONEOUS IDEAS   

       It is natural for people, especially disobedient people, to try to escape disagreeable facts. Fortunes have been spent trying to find some magical elixir of life. Vain philosophy has been invoked in the cause of somehow getting around the awful reality of hell, notwithstanding God has made it possible for all to escape it who will. Some seek to argue it away entirely, others to make it easier. Let us look at a few lies from satan and errors of men: 
       1. That there is no hell. Only those who deny the infallibility of the Scriptures can and will take this position. Yet there are, inconceivably, those professing to believe the Bible who try to make it appear that hell simply means the grave. I, having complete trust and total faith in the infallibility of the Bible, can’t comprehend this manner of thinking. 
       There is no possible way of adjusting your views to the idea of no place of eternal torment for the wicked without repudiating all that the Bible has to say about such a place. 
       Some want to believe that there is no consciousness after death. But from Christ’s words, it’s evident that a person in Hell is just as aware of himself and his surroundings as when he was on earth! The Bible, God’s Word, says Hell is an everlasting burning for the punishment of sinners and hypocrites, a bottomless pit where men have no rest, day or night. It’s a place where people pray, but their prayers are not heard, where they gnaw their tongues and at the same time curse God. Please, accept Jesus Christ, repent, then live a life of complete obedience and total faith. Please, I beg of you! Please! 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 21  
                                                
       2. That the wicked will have a second chance after death. There is nothing in the Bible that lends encouragement to such a delusion. When the rich man begged that Lazarus might be sent to bring him some comfort, Abraham informed him that between them there was a great gulf which no man could cross. While death does not end all, it does end all, and any possible, chance for the sinner finding his way back to God. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” 
       3. That the wicked will not be in torment forever. There is absolutely no such teaching in the Bible. The same arguments which men use to prove that the punishment of the wicked will not last forever, would, if honestly applied, prove as conclusively that heaven also will be but of temporary duration. 
       The idea of a “purgatory,” even when stripped of the gruesome stories of priests getting the victims through quickly for a money consideration, is mischievous in that it holds out false hopes and encourages wicked men to take chances, even if they will have to suffer for a while instead of being brought to their senses and truly repenting of their sins while they have opportunity. 
       Some have gotten the idea of a “purgatory” confused with the scripturally supported idea of an “intermediate state” for both saved and unsaved. A reading of such scriptures as (Eccl. 12:7; Matt. 25:30; Luke 16:19-31; 1Cor. 15; and 1Thess. 3:13; 4:14), gives us the idea that during the intervening time between death and the resurrection the disembodied spirits will be in what has been called “an intermediate place”--the righteous in conscious bliss and the unrighteous in conscious torment, the righteous in the presence of God and the unrighteous in the presence of the tormentors--until the time when Christ returns with His saints, when there will be a reuniting of spirit and body. After the consummation of all things earthly, the righteous, with glorified bodies, will be forever with the Lord, while the unrighteous, doomed and damned in hell, will be with the devil and his angels forever. But there is nothing in the Bible that gives any one the idea that any one will enter the intermediate state an unsaved soul and come out of there saved, neither does any scripture justify the idea that souls once in hell will pass from that place on to glory. 
       4. That the wicked will be instantly consumed upon being cast into the lake of fire. The theory of instant annihilation does not harmonize with such expressions as “everlasting fire,” “worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched,” etc., etc. The saddest part of all these palliatives is not only that they are without scriptural foundation but that they are deceptive, holding out a delusive hope to sin-benighted souls that even if they do live in sinful indulgence and ungodliness here that there will be some means of escape from the awful punishment which the Bible emphatically teaches is in store for the wicked who die in their sins.  Dear Christian friends, who know and believe the truth, be diligent in sounding the alarm so that those who are lost and living in ignorance will have a chance to be saved. This is your obligation as a child of God. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 22  
                                                
                                             EXPERIENCES IN THE LAKE OF FIRE  

       The world must be awakened to what it means to be lost in an endless hell, and then the millions will be awakened to their awful condition and seek the pardoning grace of God while there is opportunity. If you have not accepted Christ, and if you have not repented of your sins look the stern realities of the future squarely in the face and know that the following conditions are just ahead: 
       1. They will be “tormented day and night for ever” (Rev. 20:10). We have chosen this wording of what will constitute endless punishment, not because the doctrine depends upon this scripture alone but because it is an impressive way of stating what is repeatedly and emphatically taught in other scriptures. Here we suffer, hoping for relief sooner or later; there the suffering will continue forever, without hope of ever getting through. The severest and most prolonged case of suffering on earth is but a mere foretaste of what is in store for doomed souls in hell!
       2. There “their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44). As literal fire is to the body, so the fire of hell will be to the soul. And the fire will be like the burning bush which Moses saw--will continue, but the soul will not be consumed. Our physical bodies may be burned or destroyed in some other way, but the soul having eternal existence can never be annihilated, though it suffers “the vengeance of eternal fire” forever. 
       3. “There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:42). Notice the two words, “wailing” and “gnashing”--sorrow and rage, weeping and cursing, lamentations and defiance, remorse and desperation, pitiful moaning and fierce and blasphemous raving--but we draw the curtain, the scene can not be described. Only those whose doom it is to spend eternity in hell will know the depth of the agony of this awful suffering. 
       4. They will have “no rest day nor night” (Rev. 14:11). People suffering here are usually relieved in resting spells; or, failing to get relief the Lord graciously relieves their suffering here by removing them from time to eternity. No such relief is ever in store for the doomed in hell. 
       5. They will be in “outer darkness” (Matt. 22:13). What! outer darkness where there is so much fire? Yes, if God could create light without first creating the sun, He can also create fire without light. But this is not the kind of light and darkness we are talking about. We think of light as truth, righteousness, holiness, a knowledge of God, the presence of the Lamb (Rev. 21:23; 22:5) who furnished light without the aid of any sun. Out of this light the sinner is forever banished--away from God, away from the truth, away from holiness, away from glory--banished, forever banished from the presence of the Lord--in the darkness of sin, of gloom, of wretchedness, of woe, without a ray of light from heaven--here the doomed souls must spend eternity, “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power”, this is outer dark. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 23  
                                                
                                                    FURTHER OBSERVATIONS    

       1. Withhold not the facts from a sinful and deluded world. A noted infidel was lecturing before a large audience, drawing upon the powers of language to make the Bible doctrine of an endless hell as repulsive as it was possible for the human tongue and imagination to make it. “Suppose,” said he, “that this world would be composed of sand, and a little bird would come at the end of each thousand years and carry away a grain. Even by this inconceivably slow process the world would be finally removed, but still there would be an eternity ahead for the doomed souls in hell to suffer the pangs and torments of indescribable misery and woe!” A thoughtful young man was in the audience, greatly stirred by the recital, but it had an opposite effect from what the lecturer intended. “If this is true--and it is,” he said, “I will spend my whole life in warning sinners to flee from the wrath to come.” That young man was William Booth, afterwards organizer and commander-in-chief of the Salvation Army. And why should we not be moved with a similar resolution? Tell the world the truth. It has been lulled to sleep in a sense of false security, and it will take many thunderings from Sinai to awaken the sleeping millions to a realization of their actual condition and danger. 
       2. Whoever is lost, is lost in spite of God’s will and mercy. It is not God’s will “that any should perish” (2Pet. 3:9), for He has “not appointed us to wrath” (1Thes. 5:9). With a greater sacrifice (John 3:16, 17; Rom. 5:8) than any human being has ever been willing to make to rescue his fellow man, God has done everything that can be done to make it possible for all men to be saved. Notwithstanding the fact that men have cried out against God as cruel and unmerciful, His is one continuous record of love and sacrifice and benevolence, while sinful men have deliberately defied His Word and made it impossible for Him to do anything but to send them where they belong. 
       3. Eternal punishment is simple justice. The present wave of lawlessness and crime is due to the fact that men have turned a deaf ear heavenward and a listening ear to sin and iniquity. People are reaping what they have sown; and the only thing that will keep them from reaping the full crop in eternity is the grace of God in giving every penitent believer an opportunity for “repentance and remission of sins.” Here mistakes are often made in that guilty people are often allowed to go on in their crimes unpunished while innocent people are unjustly imprisoned, while over yonder there will be perfect justice, and no one will be cast into the lake unjustly. 
       4. Tell the people of their opportunity. Thank God, there is a way of escape. Let all the world know that through the grace of God there is opportunity given for “repentance and remission of sins,” for “the blood of Jesus Christ---cleanseth us from all sin.” “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 24  
                                              
                                                                HEAVEN    

            Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven. (Matt. 5:12). 

       It is significant that the word “God” (the Creator, the Infinite One) is mentioned in the first verse in the Bible, while the word “Lord” (the One in supreme authority) is found in the last. Between these two verses is written the career of man in time; beyond it is the lot of man in eternity. 
       “The best last” is not only a sentimental saying of man, but also one of the happy provisions of the Creator for His people. Here we are blessed with many “unmerited favors,” (here we have the definition of “Grace”), but the best of human life is mixed with disappointments and sorrows of earth. Over yonder is a world unmixed with the sins and sorrows of earth, abounding in endless bliss and glory of which the most blissful things of earth are but temporary foretastes. It is fitting, therefore, that in harmony with this gracious provision of a loving heavenly Father, we should reserve for the last a subject which, next to God, is the sublimest of all subjects--HEAVEN. You the reader are invited to join us in our meditation upon what heaven is, upon the way to get there, upon who will go there, and what will be our experiences after we get there. 

                                                            DEFINITIONS  

       In considering this subject we think of--
       1. The aerial heavens--where the birds fly, the clouds float, the rain and snow are formed. 
       2. The broad expanse--the region of the stars. 
       3. The “heaven of heavens”--the place where God dwells, the eternal “paradise of God,” where God and saints and angels will spend eternity. 

                                                   HOW GOD DESCRIBES IT 

       1. It is “a place” (John 14:1-3). From this and similar scriptures we understand that heaven is not merely a condition but a place, the eternal dwelling place of God, where God the Saviour dwells, and where saints and angels will spend eternity with Him. 
       2. It is “the high and holy place” (Is. 57:15). This gives us the added thought that of all places heaven is “the high and holy” place--high, because it is above all other places; holy, because it is inhabited by holy beings only, and sin will never enter there. The seraphim sang, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts,” (Is. 6:3), and worshipers in glory will continue to take up this sweet refrain. The holy of holies in the tabernacle in the wilderness, and later in the temple, typified heaven (Heb. 9:1-12).  

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 25  
                                                 
       To those who expect to spend eternity in heaven the commandment is, “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1Pet. 1:16). The angels of God are spoken of as “holy angels” 
(Matt. 25:31). Nothing unholy will ever be permitted there, for “there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev. 21:27). Without peace and holiness, “no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Holy, thrice holy, forever holy is the eternal dwelling place of God. 
       3. It is “a better country” (Heb. 11:16). This world seems good enough to many people, considering how they cling to it in the face of all that the Bible has to say of “the high and holy place,” the “better country” above; but they who have, with an eye of faith, beheld visions of the glory world, are of one mind in calling that “a better country: than any place ever found here, for the following reasons: 
       All that is in this world will pass away, but the things of the “better country” will last forever. (1John 2:15-17). 
       Here riches are endangered by moth, rust and thieves; there they are safe, will endure, are eternally preserved. (Matt. 6:19-21; 2Tim. 1:12). 
       Here the wicked trouble, we grow weary and worn; to find out what will happen to us there read (Job 3:17). 
       Here all flesh, like grass, withers; there we shall live forever. (1Pet. 1:24; 
1Cor. 15:54). 
       Here we have sickness, heartaches, pain, disappointments, many tears; in the world to come our state of existence will be the exact opposite of these things. (Rev. 21:4). 
       Here the poor are oppressed, some well-meaning people are led astray, and murder, wars, licentiousness, pride, intemperance, and corruption are in evidence in every land; there such things are unknown. (Rev. 7:16, 17; 21; 22). 
       4. It is a place of “many mansions” (John 14:2). As Good makes bountiful provisions for the well-being of His people here, so will He do for His people in the world to come. The question is not, Has God prepared a mansion for us there? but, Have we made the necessary preparations, that we may be so happy as to occupy it when the Lord makes His final call? 
       5. It is a “garner” (Matt. 3:12). This Scripture conveys figurative language especially when read after (Matt. 13:39), but the meaning is so clear that no one needs an interpreter to understand it. The idea of a garner suggests convenience, protection, safety, and preservation. 
       6. It is a place where there are “pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11). This world is pleasure-mad--and in their madness after pleasure people seek it from the wrong source. Following the leadership of the enemy of their souls, their pleasures are but for a season, when the bitter dregs found in every cup of sinful pleasure reveal the folly of it all. (Eccl. 11:9; Prov. 23:32; 1Tim. 5:6). 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 26 
                                              
But if a simple faith in Jesus in an occasion for “joy unspeakable and full of glory”  
(1Pet. 1:8), what must be the real experience of the saints of God when, in the fullness of joy and glory they shall stand in the presence of the King in His glory and at His right hand share in His pleasures forevermore. “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.” 
       And then to think that this will go on FOREVER. Can you grasp it? Centuries before the Flood, Enoch was translated and has been walking with God ever since; but this is but a mere speck upon the canvas of time as compared with what eternity means. Joy, riches, glory--FOREVER--How long did the pleasure-mad people of that day who despised God’s marriage laws (Gen. 6:1, 2) enjoy their pleasures! “FOREVERMORE”--are the pleasures at the right hand of God. Well has the poet said: 

                                         “When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
                                                            Bright, shinning as the sun, 
                                                        We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
                                                            Than when we first begun.”  

       7. It is a place of spotless purity and fullness of glory. No vile bodies will be there, for “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1Cor. 15:50). No sin will be admitted there (Rev. 22:15), because those people will have their place in the lake which is the second death (Rev. 21:8). And who can fathom the depths of the blessedness and purity and holiness of heaven, where the ransomed hosts of God will be out of sight and out of reach of all danger, forever removed from the corruption and debauchery of the devil and his hosts? As for the glory there, it is beyond the power of the human tongue or pen to describe. Nearly two thousand years ago the heavenly host proclaimed the glory of God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Saints and angels are still proclaiming His glory. Today we look beyond this vale of tears and with an eye of faith behold the King upon His throne surrounded by an innumerable throng of saints and angels. We think of the glory which envelops the throne of God in heaven; of the majesty and power and goodness and purity and wisdom and dominion of the mighty King of kings and Lord of lords; of the saints of God and holy angels in unnumbered millions praising and glorifying His high and holy name; of the ransomed hosts of God singing the song of everlasting deliverance; of the immeasurable space, the indescribable beauty, the matchless purity, and the perfect bliss of those whose happy lot it will be to share in this wondrous glory; of the heavenly light that far outshines the brightness of the noonday sun, the Lamb of God being the light thereof. Glorious and wonderful, both the Throne and He that sitteth thereon--happy the lot of those whose blissful privilege it will be to have a part in His never ending reign. “Praise ye the Lord.” 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 27  
                                                
                                                        HOW TO GET THERE  

       1. By way of the cross. In other words, it is through Jesus Christ “the door” 
(John 10:1, 9) that any one may enter, and no one can find entrance by any other means. 
(Acts 4:12). When Thomas asked,” How can we know the way?” Jesus replied with, 
(John 14:6). Christ Jesus “is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification” (1Cor. 1:30). 
       2. By way of innocence. Jesus referred to the child as being typical of and among those who are fit to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:1-3, 10; 19:14). God’s “little ones” are the innocent ones, those under the Blood whether by reason of childhood innocence or by being (“born again”), a prime essential for getting into the Kingdom--otherwise their entrance into heaven would bring defilement into it. But being under (washed, cleansed by) the Blood, they are fit subjects for the eternal Kingdom. 
       3. By way of the new birth (John 3:3, 5, 7). We “must be born again.” “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” 
(Gal. 6:15). 
       4. By way of the “strait gate” (Matt. 7:13, 14). Christ warns His followers against the teaching of false prophets, who deceive many into traveling the broad road--where they may take their pride, lust, covetousness, sinful amusements, deceitfulness, selfishness, and every other mark of worldliness along. The narrow way is too narrow to admit any of these things (Luke 13:24), yet broad enough for every human being to travel on, provided they leave their worldliness behind. This way is just as broad as the TRUTH--no broader, no narrower. How eager we should be to know the truth and to obey it in fullness: for who has the power to remove even “one jot or tittle” from the WORD? 
       5. By the way of holiness. “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not passover it” (Is. 35:8). People are not made holy at the judgment bar; there they will simply get their sentence of reward or punishment, according to the record they make here. Whatever may be the point at which we get on to this “highway” or “way of holiness;” we must be on it at the time death overtakes us, or eternity will find us outside of heaven. “To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin ... harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:13, 15). The way of the world is condemned (Eph. 2:2). Only holy people can walk the way of holiness. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” They who travel this road will “see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 28  
                                                
                                                    INHABITANTS OF HEAVEN  

       We have reached the portals. The way that leads to the pearly gates has been traveled. We hear the blessed invitation, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the KINGDOM.” That glorious land, so vividly described in Scripture and so ardently longed for by every child of God, is in plain sight. The thing that now interests us is, Who is there? Whom shall we meet? Who will be our companions in glory? 
       1. God is there, will be there in power and glory (Ps. 11:4; 1Kings 8:27, 30; 
Dan. 5:23; Matt. 11:25). We have already spoken of heaven as the eternal dwelling place of God--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Christ our Mediator entered heaven 
(Acts 3:20, 21; Heb. 6:20) where He is all powerful (Matt. 28:18). Heaven is God’s throne, and He fills heaven and earth (Jer. 23:24). It is the presence and power of the Holy Trinity that makes heaven a land of infinite bliss and riches and glory. 
       2. The holy angels will be there (Matt. 18:10; 24:36). When Christ was under trial He had only to speak the word, and more than twelve legions of angels from heaven were ready to come to His rescue (Matt. 26:53). In the great hallelujah songs of glory the angels will have a prominent part (Rev. 7:9-12). Heaven will mean more for saints because of the presence of those celestial creatures who in this life served as “ministering spirits” to all the “heirs of salvation.” (Heb. 1:14). 
       3. Saints will be there. These, we understand, will include both those who went in childhood innocence and those who, by the grace of God and through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, were “born again” and became “heirs of glory.” The spirits of those who have gone on before are even now in the realms of glory, in the presence of God, and when Christ will bring them with Him when He comes for His bride they will, with the righteous living, be clothed in glorified bodies and together they will meet the Lord in the air (1Thess. 4:14-18) and be forever with Him. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ... as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3). To all the saints on earth this cheering message is enough to encourage them to put forth redoubled efforts to win as many other souls for God as it is possible for them to do. “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.” 

                                                  CONCLUDING THOUGHTS  

       1. We have only a limited knowledge of heaven. Notwithstanding the graphic pen pictures of heaven found in the inspired Word, there are many things which have arisen in the human mind in the form of questions which God has seen wise to withhold from us. Shall we recognize our friends there, as we knew them here? Will we know one another there as infants, centenarians, and in-betweens? Will we continue to grow there? 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                      page# 29 
                                                 
       Many more questions of similar nature have been raised, and to which, as a rule, the most enlightened human beings must answer, “I don’t know.” Is it wrong to ask such questions? No--but it is well that in all these things which are not clearly revealed we are not too positive in our views. Some things are plainly taught; others are not so clearly set forth, but we may have a fair estimate of them by the inferences borne in Scripture; while on other things the Bible is completely silent. We do well to remember that the Infinite God saw fit to reveal and to withhold from view, just as much as He knew and knows to be for our good. And in our differing opinions we should be very slow to take away other people’s hopes of anything which they expect to see in heaven, unless we have a clear “thus saith the Lord” that they are deluded by false hopes. Another thing to remember is that, on this as well as many other subjects, the more earnestly and prayerfully and perseveringly we study God’s Word the more the things which at first seem hazy are transferred into the class of things which are clearly revealed. And whatever is left unrevealed when we reach the portals of death, will be revealed in clearness when we open our eyes on the other shore. “Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1Cor. 13:12). 
       2. We can afford to trust the Lord. We spoke of a number of questions which people have raised with reference to how it will be in heaven after we get there. But there are questions which, to us in this world, are still more vital--one of them being: If Christ should come at this time, would we be prepared to meet Him, and to get to heaven at all? In all such questions we can well afford to open our eyes, trust the Lord, and conform to His holy will--not, close our eyes and risk it; but open our eyes, study God’s Word, and obey it fully. 
       3. Eternity in heaven. Here are two unfathomable words in glorious combination which send a thrill of rapturous joy through the hearts and souls of all men who have ever taken time to meditate upon this absorbing theme and who know by personal experience what it is to be saved from sin and adopted into God’s happy family. The first thought that comes to us is that of the grace of God in making us heirs of glory. Then we think of the endless ages in which we shall be in His hallowed presence, in the fellowship of saints and angels, in the fullness of bliss and glory in the land where farewell tears are never shed and sorrows never come. Meditating upon these things, may we breathe a prayer to God that He may grant us long lives and healthy bodies here, thus extending the time of our opportunities to give this vision of a blessed eternity to as many people as are willing to receive the message of salvation. As we lay down our pen it is with the sincere prayer that the blessed hope of the “glorious appearing of the great God and or Saviour Jesus Christ,” who will come to take us to be with Him forevermore, will appeal with compelling force to all our readers, and that we may all dedicate ourselves anew to the great cause of carrying this Gospel of eternal salvation to the ends of the earth. Amen. 

March 7, 2001                                                                                                        
                                                     
                ENCOURAGING COMMENTS, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, AND “DEDICATIONS”  

       Time is all the days there have been or ever will be; the past, present, and future. 
The Future is; time to come; time to be; what is to come; what will be; that is to come; that will be; occurring or experienced after death: our future state. The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. But, tomorrow is not promised to us 
(Jas. 4:14). According to Scripture we are most certainly living in the Last Days described in (Matt. 24:3-12, 34; Mark 13:4-12,30; Luke 21:7-11, 31, 32). It is not an accident that you are living during the Last Days. For the Church the Last Days should be the most exciting time, of the entire existence of the Church. Some believe that there are still left, prophecies to be fulfilled before that Rapture of the Church. I don’t, and I am not able to find any scripture to support this belief. I have been told that the Gospel must be preached to every human being before the Rapture of the Church. I feel that this is a misinterpretation of Scripture. If you read (Matt. 24:14) you will find that this scripture immediately precedes the abomination of desolation (Matt. 24:15) which according to Scripture can not happen before the Rapture of the Church. Also, according to Scripture, the “end” spoken of in (Matt. 24:14) is not representative of the “Rapture” of the Church but of the “Second Coming” of Christ. If you read (Mark 13:10), (Mark 13:9) would most certainly have to happen after the Rapture. I believe that the verses in 
(Matt. 24:5-31) and (Mark 13:6-27) are placed in chronological order. 
       It is more important to be ready for the Rapture than it is to know the timing of the Rapture. I believe that it could happen at any second from now. If you have not yet accepted Christ you can do so now by simply saying these words out loud:  
       “God, I know I’m a sinner. I know I can’t save myself. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe He rose from the dead to live His life through all who believe in Him. I now receive Him as my Savior. I accept Your offer of forgiveness and everlasting life. Thank You, Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.” 
       You are now a Believer! Receive your Salvation by your faith. You must repent and be baptized by water and the Holy Spirit to be saved, and you should attend worship service regularly among other believers. If you are reading this after the Rapture it is not to late to accept Jesus Christ to be saved and receive your Salvation. But you must hurry events will be happening very rapidly. As a Christian you should be living every day as though Christ could come at any second. No generation of Christians ever had more of a reason for believing He could come now than ours. Don’t read the Left Behind Series to prepare yourself for what to do if your Left Behind, but, prepare yourself not to be Left Behind! I want to acknowledge God and the power of His Holy Spirit in enabling me to complete this Bible Study for you. I thank God for using me to present you with the truth of His Holy Word. I thank Daniel Kauffman’s Doctrines of the Bible in assisting me. 

                                                         Bible Study 2001    

       This study of the future is dedicated to the loving memory of my Mother who I love and miss dearly, Jacqueline D. Condry, and who gets all of the credit for raising me in the reverence and fear of God, and who instilled in me the morals, and values, and respect for myself and everyone else. I Love You Mom and I Miss You. 
       To my grandmother who was the Matriarch of our family, Ruth Womble Kelly, who God gave enough strength to be able to bear the death of her son and her daughter. 
       And to the loving memory of my uncle who was more like a brother to me and left us unexpectedly, Everett Ervin Kelly, who preceded the death of his sister by exactly one year to the day. 

                                                      Everett Ervin Kelly 

                                         Sunrise                                  Sunset 
                                  August 18, 1944                  December 1, 1999

                                                   Jacqueline D. Condry

                                       Sunrise                                   Sunset
                                January 20, 1938                  December 1, 2000 

                                                    Ruth Womble Kelly 

                                      Sunrise                                   Sunset 
                              December 5, 1918                   February 11, 2001  

                                           God Bless. Peace and Love!  

                                                                                                                                                 George B. Condry 

                                                                                                                                                George B. Condry