Saturday Sept 23 730 8pm William Bell Swallow Up Death 4

We are delighted to be with you this evening right here on the NOW Network, and we're here every Saturday from 6.30 until 7 p.m. Central Time, from 7.30 to 8 p.m. Eastern Time for another broadcast. And today we're going to be continuing some of the studies that we were presenting to you as post-debate lessons from the debate that we had with Sam Frost on the resurrection of the dead, whether it was past or future. So we hope that you will take the time to listen to the information very carefully, and try and digest it as we are presenting it to you. Be a Berean, like those in the book of Acts, who search the Scriptures daily to see whether the things were true, not to see whether they were false. That's a whole different mindset when you approach the Scriptures. And so I want to take this time also to thank all of those who are regular subscribers and who support this broadcast. We appreciate you very much. Your support is very, very important to continue it. We also want to encourage you to visit our website at allthingsfulfilled.com, and there you will find articles and research information, videos as well as podcasts that you can continue to take advantage of. In addition, we have our YouTube channel, which has over 800 videos and counting. And probably won't be long before we'll be saying it'll be over 900 videos. And our goal, or at least our first milestone that we want to reach is to get to 1,000. And so we pray that the Lord will bless us to be able to do that. Now in the minutes that we have, we're going to be talking about the death. That became a very, very important issue, both during the debate and after the debate. Now, if you want to find that debate, you can go to Standing for Truth on YouTube, and you can watch it. It was about a three or four hour stint. But you can watch it. There are also some post-debate reviews from both sides. We want to encourage you to watch those as well, because you will find them to be very, very interesting and will help to clarify some of the points that people missed during the debate or that were not addressed. And so the conversation has been very lively about that. But now what we're doing is we're going to talk about the death, because this came up. So in doing so, what I want to do is present to you a chart. And so we're going to look at this chart, and we're going to talk about it from this perspective, because there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding the death that the Bible speaks of in terms of resurrection, in terms of whether or not we're going to be raised out of physical death. And so the controversy is between whether the Bible is speaking about physical death or spiritual death as it relates to the resurrection from an eschatological or end times perspective. Many people are looking for bodies to rise out of the ground at some time in the future. However, as we examine the scriptures, we might see a different picture, and hopefully this is what we will be sharing with you today. So let's go ahead and look at our chart and talk about it for the most part. Now, here is, I should be on the screen for you by now. Here is a chart discussing the death, and Romans 6 is an important part of it, but it's not the only one. As you can see, there are many scriptures that deal with this phrase, the death. And we're going to be talking about it. Now, what we would like to do is to point out, first and foremost, the text that became an issue in the debate, which was Isaiah chapter 25 and verse 8. We've done some studies on that already in this series, but we want you to look at it from this perspective. Now, in Isaiah chapter 25 and verse 8, the scripture says that he will swallow up death forever and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. The rebuke of his people he will take away from all the earth for the Lord has spoken. And this was the death that was spoken of in the context of the veil that was spread on all the nations, that it would be done away in this mountain, verse 6, and that there would be a feast. And we are suggesting to you that that feast is the feast of tabernacles, because that is the feast that they had at the end of the harvest and resurrection is, or did occur at the end of the harvest, according to the New Testament in Matthew chapter 13, verses 39 through 43. Now, that we have seen the text tell us that in this mountain, so that's not universalism, but the text says in this mountain, he will swallow up death. That mountain was the kingdom of God, the mountain of the Lord's house that we see in Isaiah 2 and 2, the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands, that's Daniel chapter 2 and 44. And so that is the mountain that's being referred to. It's also referred to in Hebrews 12, they had come to Mount Zion. That means the death would be swallowed up in the mountain, in this mountain. That's a sphere in which death is swallowed up, the death. It's not just swallowed up for everyone, whether they're in the mountain or not, but for those who were in this mountain. Now, when we, and even in the book of Revelation, since I'm on that mountain concept, when you go to Revelation 21, four, and it talks about, there will be no more the death. John is saying that that's taking place in the holy city, the tabernacle of God that came down out of heaven. And that's the bride concerning Revelation 21 and 2. So when John shows them the bride, the Bible says he takes them to a great and high mountain. So all of this is taking place in the mountain, and that's the heavenly city that came down to be with man. And it is not just an arbitrary indiscriminate sphere, but it is a very specific and particular one. All right, so let's move on because the time will get away from us very quickly in this study. Now, when we look at the chart, as we've seen Isaiah 25 and verse 8, what we want to do is go to Romans chapter 5 and verse 12. We're going to go to Romans 5 and verse 12. The reason we're doing this is because Romans 5 and verse 12 takes up that phrase, the death, which is found in Isaiah chapter 25 and verse 8. So when you look at it, if you're using the Septuagint or the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the phrase will be the death. So he would swallow up the death, and that's what Romans 5 takes up. So let's go ahead and read Romans chapter 5. The Bible says in Romans 5 and verse 12, and I'm going to read it as you would read it in the Greek, therefore, just as through one man, the sin entered the world and the death through the sin, and thus the death spread to all men because all sin. Then in verse 14, he says, nevertheless, the death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned, according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of him who was about to come. So at the time the text was written, the one who was about to come was Jesus Christ. And the fact that it uses that term mellow about means that this was not very far distant in the future, yet some want to make it even future to us. But that's not the way the text is written. So now you see this concept introduced and showing us that the death was the death of Adam again. The Bible says, therefore, just as through one man sin or the sin into the world and the death through sin. So what the Bible is calling the death is the death that entered the world through the sin of Adam. So we have to go all the way back to Genesis to understand that this is what the writer is talking about. He's talking about the death. Now, in viewing this, we should also see that it's mentioned again in verse 21. In verse 21, the Bible says so that as the sin reigned in death. And I want to back up and reverse 20 as well. He says, moreover, the law entered that the offense. Well, the offense is the sin of Romans 512. That's the sin that caused the death to enter the world. And so he says that the offense might abound. But where the sin abounded, the grace abounded much more. Or at least I should say the sin is that which into the world through Adam sin. And so that as the sin reigned in the death, even so. And it literally says the grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So we're still talking about the sin and the death. And he's also mentioned the law. And I know that might sound strange to have me continue to repeat that. But I'm doing so deliberately. I'm doing so to emphasize the importance of looking at it from that perspective. So what he's done is he's tied that phrase, the death to Adam in the garden. And he's also tied it to Isaiah 25, 8, because he would swallow up the death. So as we go through these passages, we want you to see this correlation. Now, the death is found in other places. And one of which is in Romans. So the last thing that we were dealing with, and you have to ignore the chapter divisions when you're studying the Bible, because they were placed in much, much later than when the Bible was written. And a lot of times they break the continuity of thought in the text and separate passages that should not be separated. So when you look in verse 21 of Romans 5, and it says, so that as the sin reigned in the death, even so the grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The next question is, what should we say then? Paul is not dealing with a different subject. He's dealing with the same subject. He says, what should we say then? Shall we continue in the sin that the grace may abound? Where did he get that from? From verse 20, when he said the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. So if grace much more abounds over the sin and the death, then why not just continue in the sin and the death and just let grace abound? Paul said, certainly not. How shall we who died to the sin live any longer in it? Watch this now. Pay careful attention to the fact that Paul said, how shall we who died to the sin live any longer in it? Now, this is very, very important because remember from verse 12 of Romans 5, therefore, just as through one man, the sin entered the world and the death through sin. So how did we get the death? The death came through the sin. Now, Paul asked the question, how shall we who died to the sin live any longer in it? Well, if we die to the sin, that means also we die to the death. That should logically follow, shouldn't even be questioned. But the question is, how do we die to the sin and therefore to the death? And he explains that it does not occur. Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, it does not occur by you dying physically, ceasing to breathe, to be unalive physically and go back to physical dirt. That's not how you die to the sin. And if it's not how you die to the sin, it's not how you die to the death, because it was the sin that caused the death. So they go hand in hand, wherever one goes, the other goes. Now, in verse three, the scripture tells us how to die to the sin that entered the world through the Adam, through Adam. It says in verse three, or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus, now watch this, were baptized into his death. So if you're looking at the chart, you can see where I have his death right there in the center. And the scripture says those who were baptized were baptized into his death. So what this is doing is it's telling us what Jesus's death is as it relates to the sin and the death. He says you were baptized into Christ Jesus and therefore were baptized into his death. Now watch verse four. Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism. Now, does that text say that you were buried by dying physically, having a funeral, having been placed in a casket and then taken out to the graveyard and buried? That's not what it says, is it? It says, therefore, we were buried with him through baptism. So it's through baptism that one is buried. Baptism becomes the conduit or the means through which one is buried. But they're buried into, now watch this, the death. So very, very important. They're baptized into the death. That's the same, the death in Romans 5, 12, in Romans 5, 14, in Romans 5, 21, and also in Isaiah 25 and verse 8. It's the same, the death. But how did they get into it? They were baptized into Jesus's death. And it says that Jesus's death, in other words, what Jesus was dying to was the death. Now, why was that the case? Because he had taken on the sins of the world that had been caused by individuals who sin. And as a result, just as the death passed upon Adam when he sinned, the death passed upon all men because they sinned. And in Jesus taking away sin, he was dying to the death under which men were held. So he says, therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into the death that just as Christ was raised out from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also, now watch, should walk in newness of life. Now, I've explained and stated many times when the Bible says that they should walk in newness of life, this is the probability of a future action. It's an error subjunctive as far as the Greek is concerned. And that just simply means that it's something that had begun in the past from the errorist. But because it's subjunctive, it means that it's potentially action of the future, meaning that that has not yet been completed. So you got this dual process going on indicated by that. All right. Then the text says, for we have been united together, a term which could mean sewn or planted in the likeness of his death. See how we've gone from his death, the death, and then back to his death. So his death was a death to the death. If we have been planted or united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we should also be in the likeness of his resurrection. So this is telling us we did not have to die physically as Christ did in order to enter the death that he entered. We simply have to be baptized because it's through baptism that we enter his death. And therefore are buried into the death. Hence, being raised out of that, we are raised into newness of life. Now, let's go further to show you that this is the same death. I want to back up and take a look at John 5 and verse 24 for a second. John 5 and verse 24. In John 5, 24, he says, most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in me in him who sent me has everlasting life or age lasting life, the life of the age. That's the messianic age. That's the age to come and shall not come into judgment or condemnation, but has passed out of the death into life. How does Jesus say that happens? It happens through believing on him. Because the person who believes is baptized. Matthew of Mark 16 and 16. He who believes on me or go into all the world, preach the gospel to all the creation. He who believes and is baptized. That's saying he who believes and is buried into Christ through baptism is buried into his death. Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into the death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father. Even so, we also should walk in newness of life. So the Bible says that in believing in Christ and him who sent Christ, the father has everlasting life, the life of the Messiah, the messianic life, the life of the age to come and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed out of the death into the life. Now, we find that also in 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 7. Again, in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 12. I'm not going to take the time here to go through that, but also in Philippians 3 and verse 10. Now, having seen that and I've shown you the scripture, you can see it at the bottom of the page that they were buried with him through baptism into the death, but that's the same the death found in John 5, 24. It's the same death found in 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 7, and I said I wouldn't read it, but I think I will change my mind. All right. It's good to do that every now and then, as long as you change it to something better than what you had before. So in 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 7, he says, but if the ministry of the death written and engraved on stones was glorious so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away. So it says that the ministry of the death was written and engraved in stones, meaning that it was engraved in the law. That's the death of the law. It's the same the death. Then in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 12, he says, so then the death now he's speaking of Jews here because we just read it was in the ministration that was written and engraved on stones. So he says, so then the death is working in us, but the life in you. And because the Jews could not dispense with the law until every jot and tittle of it was fulfilled, Matthew 5 and verse 18. Well, the Gentiles were not under it, so they could be delivered from the death without having to wait on the law to be fulfilled. And from the perspective of they never had, they didn't have to go under the law. And that's why the death through the law was working in the Jews. But the life apart from the law was working in the Gentiles. Now, if this is physical death, we'd have to say that death is working in everybody because it's appointed unto all men to die physically. But you see here, you have death working in one group, but life's working in the other. How can that be physical death? Now, we've shown you then that his death is the death. That's the death of Romans 5, which was the death of Adam. That's the death of Isaiah 25, 8. But it's the death that they died to in baptism. It's the death. Now, let's note in 1 Corinthians 15, it's the same death in 1 Corinthians 15. It's not a different the death. So let's read in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 21. The scripture says, for since by man came the death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. Now, that's the same the death into which they were buried with Christ into his death, buried by baptism into the death. It's not different. As a matter of fact, with that definite article, how many the deaths could it be? It's just one. And it's the same throughout the entirety of the scriptures. And so 1 Corinthians 15, 51, for since by man came the death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. Now, watch how he ties it back to Adam, just like Romans 5, 12 does. For as in Adam, all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive. You see, in Christ, in the mountain. All right, we got to sum this up quickly because we're just about out of time. Now, in verse 26, the last enemy that is being destroyed, which is the literal rendering when you check the Greek, the last enemy that is being destroyed is the death, is the death. Then in verse 56, which follows the death quoted from Isaiah because verses 53 and 54 are a quote from Isaiah when he says, well, this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on incorruption or immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written. The death is swallowed up in victory. That's the death of Isaiah 25 in verse 8. Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, Hades, where's your victory? The sting of the death is sin and the strength of the sin is the law. Romans 5, 12 and 14 again. And then finally, in verse 10 of Romans 6, the scripture is plain. It says for the death that he died, he died to the sin. And that's Revelation 21, 4 that speaks of no more the death in the New Jerusalem. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we ran out of time, but I think we got everything on the chart with the exception of a few verses. And I hope that you've enjoyed the message. I'm William Bell saying we'll be back on next week for another lesson.