They were banished from the garden and separated from the presence of God that day.
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If we do not understand the meaning of death, we will certainly not understand the resurrection from death.ĭeath literally means “a separation.” When Adam and Eve sinned, they died spiritually. He said, “The day you eat thereof, you shall surely die.” They ate…but did they die that day? Some would argue they “began to die” that day or they “became subject to death” that day. In the beginning God warned Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The former things have passed away, all things have become new.
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The concept of “no tears, no sorrow, no death” relates to the spiritual nature of the kingdom of heaven as compared with the former physical kingdom. In order to understand the resurrection of which Jesus and Paul spoke we must first understand the difference between physical and spiritual. Paul, writing to Christians in Thessalonica said, “We do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Most people, like Mary and Martha, get the two confused. In the context of salvation and eternity, death and resurrection are always spiritual concepts, never physical.
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It was a physical demonstration of what would soon become a spiritual reality. Do you believe this?” Jesus used the resurrection of Lazarus to demonstrate that he had power over death. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Speaking to Martha on the occasion of her brother’s death, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. In John 5:24 he said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned he has crossed over from death to life.” Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). The spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ is vulnerable to none of these things. The physical kingdom was subject to all these physical problems wars, captivity, calamities, sorrow, hunger and death. The comparison is between the physical kingdom of Israel and the spiritual kingdom of heaven, the church. This does not mean these things will literally disappear from the earth, nor are these Scriptures referring to heaven after we die. The above prophesies, and many more, clearly indicate that in the kingdom of heaven, the new Jerusalem, the church, there will be no more sorrow, hunger, death, crying, etc. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the Apostle Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation the old has gone, the new has come!” I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.”Ĭomparing the old covenant and the physical nation of Israel to the new covenant we have Jesus Christ, Hebrews 12:22-24 says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.” When did Jesus “swallow up death” and “remove the disgrace” (sin) of his people?Īnd in Isaiah 65:17-19 the same prophet announced, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth.
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Speaking of the coming Messiah, the Prophet said in Isaiah 25:7-8, “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations he will swallow up death forever. The entire book of Revelation was written to reveal how Jesus fulfilled the promise of God to redeem mankind from the consequences of sin. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ ” He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev 21:1-4, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.