Dear Dan, The ones that Christ referred to pertaining to the dead 'HEARING' His voice, were those that had died IN FAITH in God's Word, thus promises, pertaining to that which was to come, prior to Christ coming into the world in the form of a man; in the likeness of sinful flesh, to die for the sins of mankind. All those that had died prior to His coming, who HEARD God's Word; words, in the way that means to BELIEVE God's Word; to thus have faith in God's Word, are all those who's souls went down into the midst of the earth, not into Hell, but nevertheless in a particular grave site, where death held them hostage, as they waited for the prophesied; foretold, coming Messiah; Saviour. As, the Lord had promised them, saying:
Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with MY DEAD BODY shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste DEATH FOR EVERY MAN.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
2 Corinthians 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
Acs 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
After Christ came OUT of that fleshly body; the form of a man; the likeness of sinful flesh, He THEN went to the part of the midst of the earth that is Hell, and TOOK AWAY from Satan the KEYS of Hell and Death!
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
THEN He want to another part of the midst of the earth where all those souls that had BELIEVED God; believed the Word of God preached to them, and had thus died in faith, looking forward to the coming Saviour; Redeemer; Messiah, slept; rested, waiting for Him to come. And He took them, who were all held CAPTIVE by death, in the grave, all CAPTIVE UNTO HIMSELF, and AROSE, with them, they with HIM, from the dead:
As prophesied in the Old Testament:
Ezekiel 37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
He FULFILLED that prophesy in the New Testament, upon rising from the dead:
Matthew 27:50 Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And THE GRAVES WERE OPENED; and many bodies of the saints which slept AROSE,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led CAPTIVITY captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Since our Saviour; Redeemer; Messiah, is come in the flesh:
John 1: 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath EVERLASTING LIFE, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
To Linda: Dear Linda, I want to thank you for hearing God's Word. It is clear that you do, as I do. You see, the truth, as it is written, bears witness in your heart. Even if there are things you do not understand, as in being not able to fully understand mentally, and thus not being able to explain it in words, your heart KNOWS. And the more you read, the more you will understand what your own heart KNOWS, because you have received the truth with your heart, meaning that you DESIRE the truth.
Before I say what I have to say for now, since I just barely got off work, and am tired, that I want you to keep looking for my 'TO LINDA' messages, because I will continue to write to you, to take up from where I left off.
Also, I want to say that, after I tell you what I have to say for now, following that will be holy scriptures to confirm; back up, all said.
First, I want to say that the physical body that you are in right now is TEMPORARY, or as God's Word says it, TEMPORAL. It's actually DEAD. But since you have received Christ, His Spirit has quickened it; made it alive, in a very special way.
Unlike those that have not yet received Christ, who's physically bodies are likewise DEAD, your body, even though you cannot see it with your physical eyes or experience it fully with your physical realization, is QUICKENED; made alive, by the Spirit of God in Christ.
Those that have not yet received Christ, have temporary life in them for one reason; purpose, and that is so that they MAY receive Him. They, as we, have the BREATH of God's Spirit, (not God's Spirit, as we do,) but the BREATH of God's Spirit, IN them. That is the life from God that means that no one would exist if it were not for God's spiritual breath in them, giving them the chance to live and recieve His Word; Christ; His Spirit; eternal Life.
Most people do not get it. They don't even have a clue, that the only reason that they are able to BREATH their next breath, and to THINK their next thought, and to go about DOING whatever they do, is for the purpose of TIME to receive Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. There IS no other reason why the Lord God allows people who have not yet received Christ to LIVE, so that they MAY, if they choose; if they WILL.
This TEMPORATY life is far less than a mere blink of any eye compared to ETERNITY. And there is not even one sin that could ever be worth hanging onto; refusing to repent of, in the face of LIVING FOREVER in the love of Almighty God, Who OWNS IT ALL, and Who has made ALL THINGS NEW for those that receive His love, which is to receive His Word; Christ, and to obey it, always beginning with repenting, when we mess up. To avoid that, is like a child whom you so dearly love refusing to do that one and only thing that he or she could do TO GET OUT of trouble; the mess.
That precious child CANNOT do any amount of GOOD or RIGHT things to get his, or her, own self OUT of the trouble, EXCEPT to follow your instructions. And, with God, His instructions when it comes to our sinning, is ONE THING, and thus ONE WAY, only, when it comes to GETTING OUT, and that is DOWN, spiritually; heartfully, speaking, ON OUR KNEES, simply ACKNOWLEDGING; CONFESS; ADMITTING, 'Lord, according to YOU, and thus YOUR Word, I was wrong, sinfully wrong, to think, speak, or do that. I'm sorry, and seek your mercy; please forgive me.'
We could try doing a hundred good and right things in the meanwhile, TO NO AVAIL. Because we do NOT get the glory for that which cleanses us of sin. Only God, and the BLOOD of His Christ; His Son; OUR Saviour; the Shepherd of OUR soul, can get the glory for our cleansing from our sins.
Since you have received Christ, and have not let go of Him; God's Word, thus WORDS, should you physically die right now, you would step right into the arms of Christ; into heaven; into glory.
You would not feel a thing. It would be like opening the door of your house, and stepping outside. Only it would be even easier than that. Because Christ Jesus IS the Door, and He would instantly take your hand, and lift you, up and totally out of this world, to where He is.
The reason that people cannot see the SPIRITUAL newness, as far as our NEW; perfect, bodies, is because it's not time. God LOVES, and DESIRES, and LOOKS FOR, our FAITH in His Word. If we could see everything for how it really is spiritually, we would not NEED to have FAITH in Him.
God's Word says that 'Without faith, it is impossible to please God.' I remember when I first read that, at about 12 years old, and I cried, to think that such was all God wanted from me, was for me to have FAITH in Him, and thus in His Word.
And since, as it is written, 'Faith WORKS by LOVE,' I knew that the love had to come first. I knew that I had to love Him, as He commands; 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might.' At first that overwhelmed me, because I did not know how to, or if I was able to, do as He required. It made me feel bad, because I wanted to love Him how He wanted. But just by my DESIRING TO; WANTING TO, kept me sincerely sorry when I failed to. And I never failed to let Him know it, even if I, for whatever stupid reason, put it off.
God KNOWS your heart, and if you truly love Him, you WILL repent of any and all of your sins, in due time, because you won't be able to stand yourself until you do, no matter how slight the sin may be.
As for your dying physically, do you remember all those people prior to Christ's coming to pay their debt of sin, and death, who died IN FAITH, looking FORWARD to the coming of the Messiah? Those were all the ones that lived, and physically died, prior to Christ's shedding His blood for the sins of all of mankind.
Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with MY DEAD BODY shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the deEzekiel 37:13
And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves.
Matthew 27:52
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Matthew 27:52
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Matthew 27:52
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
(NEW Testament:) MATTHEW 27:
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
No one could actually be CLEANSED of their sins, but only have their sins COVERED, prior to Christ dying for our sins. So, it was not until Christ Jesus paid the price for 'the wages of death' for us, that any could actually be risen up, and received by our Heavenly Father, AFTER Christ entered heaven FIRST, because He IS the RESURRECTION and THE LIFE!
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I AM the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Your physical body is temporal. But just because you cannot see your perfect heavenly body, does not mean it is not there. It is, by faith in God, and it will be manifested; come to light; come to sight, when you physically die, or when Christ comes to draw those that love Him up to meet Him in the air (whichever comes first.)
If He came right now to draw us up, your physical body would instantly DIE, so quickly that all that would be seen is your physical body suddenly changed into a glorious perfectly beautiful heavenly body that CANNOT DIE!
TEMPORAL is all those things that, FOR NOW, we cannot see with physical eyes, but they shall come to sight in due time.
2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are TEMPORAL; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
1 Corinthians 15:48
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the HEAVENLY, such are they also that are HEAVENLY.
1 Corinthians 15:49
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the HEAVENLY.
Your heavenly new perfect body is like a new dress; clothes, or a new house; a new tabernacle, that never gets worn out. You; your soul; your spiritual self, for now, lives in your old physical body, which is like an old, decaying, house, or old raggy clothes. Your old physical body shall be dissolved; die, and God will CLOTHE you with your perfect everlasting heavenly body. It will look like your old one only enough to tell it's you, but moreso what the Lord MEANT for your body to look like, flawless, perfect, eternally healthy and glorious, never ill, never aging, never dying.
2 Corinthians 5:4
For we that are in THIS tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but CLOTHED UPON, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with MY DEAD BODY shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste DEATH FOR EVERY MAN.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
2 Corinthians 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
Acs 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
After Christ came OUT of that fleshly body; the form of a man; the likeness of sinful flesh, He THEN went to the part of the midst of the earth that is Hell, and TOOK AWAY from Satan the KEYS of Hell and Death!
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
THEN He want to another part of the midst of the earth where all those souls that had BELIEVED God; believed the Word of God preached to them, and had thus died in faith, looking forward to the coming Saviour; Redeemer; Messiah, slept; rested, waiting for Him to come. And He took them, who were all held CAPTIVE by death, in the grave, all CAPTIVE UNTO HIMSELF, and AROSE, with them, they with HIM, from the dead:
As prophesied in the Old Testament:
Ezekiel 37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
He FULFILLED that prophesy in the New Testament, upon rising from the dead:
Matthew 27:50 Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And THE GRAVES WERE OPENED; and many bodies of the saints which slept AROSE,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led CAPTIVITY captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Since our Saviour; Redeemer; Messiah, is come in the flesh:
John 1: 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath EVERLASTING LIFE, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Before I say what I have to say for now, since I just barely got off work, and am tired, that I want you to keep looking for my 'TO LINDA' messages, because I will continue to write to you, to take up from where I left off.
Also, I want to say that, after I tell you what I have to say for now, following that will be holy scriptures to confirm; back up, all said.
First, I want to say that the physical body that you are in right now is TEMPORARY, or as God's Word says it, TEMPORAL. It's actually DEAD. But since you have received Christ, His Spirit has quickened it; made it alive, in a very special way.
Unlike those that have not yet received Christ, who's physically bodies are likewise DEAD, your body, even though you cannot see it with your physical eyes or experience it fully with your physical realization, is QUICKENED; made alive, by the Spirit of God in Christ.
Those that have not yet received Christ, have temporary life in them for one reason; purpose, and that is so that they MAY receive Him. They, as we, have the BREATH of God's Spirit, (not God's Spirit, as we do,) but the BREATH of God's Spirit, IN them. That is the life from God that means that no one would exist if it were not for God's spiritual breath in them, giving them the chance to live and recieve His Word; Christ; His Spirit; eternal Life.
Most people do not get it. They don't even have a clue, that the only reason that they are able to BREATH their next breath, and to THINK their next thought, and to go about DOING whatever they do, is for the purpose of TIME to receive Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. There IS no other reason why the Lord God allows people who have not yet received Christ to LIVE, so that they MAY, if they choose; if they WILL.
This TEMPORATY life is far less than a mere blink of any eye compared to ETERNITY. And there is not even one sin that could ever be worth hanging onto; refusing to repent of, in the face of LIVING FOREVER in the love of Almighty God, Who OWNS IT ALL, and Who has made ALL THINGS NEW for those that receive His love, which is to receive His Word; Christ, and to obey it, always beginning with repenting, when we mess up. To avoid that, is like a child whom you so dearly love refusing to do that one and only thing that he or she could do TO GET OUT of trouble; the mess.
That precious child CANNOT do any amount of GOOD or RIGHT things to get his, or her, own self OUT of the trouble, EXCEPT to follow your instructions. And, with God, His instructions when it comes to our sinning, is ONE THING, and thus ONE WAY, only, when it comes to GETTING OUT, and that is DOWN, spiritually; heartfully, speaking, ON OUR KNEES, simply ACKNOWLEDGING; CONFESS; ADMITTING, 'Lord, according to YOU, and thus YOUR Word, I was wrong, sinfully wrong, to think, speak, or do that. I'm sorry, and seek your mercy; please forgive me.'
We could try doing a hundred good and right things in the meanwhile, TO NO AVAIL. Because we do NOT get the glory for that which cleanses us of sin. Only God, and the BLOOD of His Christ; His Son; OUR Saviour; the Shepherd of OUR soul, can get the glory for our cleansing from our sins.
Since you have received Christ, and have not let go of Him; God's Word, thus WORDS, should you physically die right now, you would step right into the arms of Christ; into heaven; into glory.
You would not feel a thing. It would be like opening the door of your house, and stepping outside. Only it would be even easier than that. Because Christ Jesus IS the Door, and He would instantly take your hand, and lift you, up and totally out of this world, to where He is.
The reason that people cannot see the SPIRITUAL newness, as far as our NEW; perfect, bodies, is because it's not time. God LOVES, and DESIRES, and LOOKS FOR, our FAITH in His Word. If we could see everything for how it really is spiritually, we would not NEED to have FAITH in Him.
God's Word says that 'Without faith, it is impossible to please God.' I remember when I first read that, at about 12 years old, and I cried, to think that such was all God wanted from me, was for me to have FAITH in Him, and thus in His Word.
And since, as it is written, 'Faith WORKS by LOVE,' I knew that the love had to come first. I knew that I had to love Him, as He commands; 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might.' At first that overwhelmed me, because I did not know how to, or if I was able to, do as He required. It made me feel bad, because I wanted to love Him how He wanted. But just by my DESIRING TO; WANTING TO, kept me sincerely sorry when I failed to. And I never failed to let Him know it, even if I, for whatever stupid reason, put it off.
God KNOWS your heart, and if you truly love Him, you WILL repent of any and all of your sins, in due time, because you won't be able to stand yourself until you do, no matter how slight the sin may be.
As for your dying physically, do you remember all those people prior to Christ's coming to pay their debt of sin, and death, who died IN FAITH, looking FORWARD to the coming of the Messiah? Those were all the ones that lived, and physically died, prior to Christ's shedding His blood for the sins of all of mankind.
Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with MY DEAD BODY shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the deEzekiel 37:13
And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves.
Matthew 27:52
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Matthew 27:52
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Matthew 27:52
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
(NEW Testament:) MATTHEW 27:
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
No one could actually be CLEANSED of their sins, but only have their sins COVERED, prior to Christ dying for our sins. So, it was not until Christ Jesus paid the price for 'the wages of death' for us, that any could actually be risen up, and received by our Heavenly Father, AFTER Christ entered heaven FIRST, because He IS the RESURRECTION and THE LIFE!
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I AM the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Your physical body is temporal. But just because you cannot see your perfect heavenly body, does not mean it is not there. It is, by faith in God, and it will be manifested; come to light; come to sight, when you physically die, or when Christ comes to draw those that love Him up to meet Him in the air (whichever comes first.)
If He came right now to draw us up, your physical body would instantly DIE, so quickly that all that would be seen is your physical body suddenly changed into a glorious perfectly beautiful heavenly body that CANNOT DIE!
TEMPORAL is all those things that, FOR NOW, we cannot see with physical eyes, but they shall come to sight in due time.
2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are TEMPORAL; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
1 Corinthians 15:48
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the HEAVENLY, such are they also that are HEAVENLY.
1 Corinthians 15:49
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the HEAVENLY.
Your heavenly new perfect body is like a new dress; clothes, or a new house; a new tabernacle, that never gets worn out. You; your soul; your spiritual self, for now, lives in your old physical body, which is like an old, decaying, house, or old raggy clothes. Your old physical body shall be dissolved; die, and God will CLOTHE you with your perfect everlasting heavenly body. It will look like your old one only enough to tell it's you, but moreso what the Lord MEANT for your body to look like, flawless, perfect, eternally healthy and glorious, never ill, never aging, never dying.
2 Corinthians 5:4
For we that are in THIS tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but CLOTHED UPON, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.