In life and in death, is there a difference between THE DEAD and THE LIVING? YES, to both!
THE DEAD are walking around us every day. One could easily call them the ‘walking dead.’ They are those that have only had a physical birth and NOT a spiritual birth. If they die in this state, without having a spiritual birth, then they are STILL classified as THE DEAD after they die.
THE LIVING are also walking around us every day. They are those that have had both a physical birth and a spiritual birth. For this reason, when they die, they are never classified as THE DEAD; but their death is communicated as being ‘asleep’ to differentiate from THE DEAD that die.
We must rightly divide or differentiate THE DEAD from THE LIVING. If one is born once they die twice; and if one is born twice, they die once (or ‘sleep’). His Word contains adjectives of distinctions to communicate these two states of existence among the living and those that have died.
If there were not adjectives of distinction between THE DEAD and those having “fallen asleep”, THE LIVING, why would there be two different identifying phrases used? Why didn’t Yahusha say immediately to the disciples that Lazarus was DEAD, instead of at first saying Lazarus was sleeping? Because there is a difference that many have missed or refuse to consider. Lazarus was not part of THE DEAD; Lazarus was a believer that died so he lived. Yahusha was teaching his disciples and us the principle of distinction between how to rightly communicate about THE DEAD that die and 'know not'; versus THE LIVING though they die they live!
Let’s read the following Scripture closely within context and with the principle of distinction:
1Co 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, then neither Messiah has been raised.
1Co 15:17 And if Messiah has not been raised, your belief is to no purpose, you are still in your sins!
1Co 15:18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Messiah have perished.
1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have expectation in Messiah, we are of all men the most wretched.
1Co 15:20 But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, and has become the first-fruit of those having fallen asleep.
Upon death, there is nothing holding back believers from ascending or being raised up or being resurrected spiritually to the Father. They are clean and have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. Their sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west. We should not limit being raised or resurrected to ONLY the body.
Clearly there is a distinction made between “THE DEAD” [1Co 15:16] and those having “fallen asleep in Messiah” [1Co 15:18]. 1Co 15:20 validates that Messiah was the first fruit of those having fallen asleep. Messiah was NOT placed in THE DEAD category but was the first fruit, THE LIVING, of those having ‘fallen asleep’ in which when they die, they live. Yahusha had a spiritual being that could not be touched when Miriam first saw Him at the tomb; and later Yahusha had a glorified bodily being that could eat and be touched by the disciples.
Let’s further review the Lazarus account and look into “those fallen asleep in Messiah.”
John 11:11 He said this, and after that He said to them, “Our friend El‛azar has fallen asleep, but I am going there, to wake him up.”
John 11:12 Therefore the taught ones said to Him, “Master, if he has fallen asleep he shall recover.”
His taught ones didn’t understand the adjectives of distinction between THE DEAD and “those having fallen asleep”, THE LIVING, either!
John 11:13 But יהושע had spoken about his death, whereas they thought that He spoke of taking rest in sleep.
John 11:14 So then יהושע said to them plainly, “El‛azar has died.
Yahusha said Lazarus had died, but never classified Lazarus as THE DEAD. These adjectives of distinction were still fuzzy in the minds of the taught ones, so Yahusha goes onto say…
John 11:15 “And for your sake I am glad I was not there, in order for you to believe. But let us go to him.”
After 4 days, Yahusha and the taught ones arrive at Lazarus’ tomb.
John 11:21 Martha, then, said to יהושע, “Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
John 11:22 “But even now I know that whatever You might ask of Elohim, Elohim shall give You.”
John 11:23 יהושע said to her, “Your brother shall rise again.”
John 11:24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Now we encounter things to ponder about ‘resurrection’ and ‘rising.’
1. There is a spiritual resurrection or rising of the righteous, THE LIVING, that takes place BEFORE receiving their glorified bodily resurrection;
2. there is a resurrection of THE DEAD or the unrighteous only at the end of the 1000 year reign;
3. and THE LIVING have a glorified bodily resurrection at the ‘first resurrection’ unto life & reigning with Messiah 1000 years. [Rev. 20:4-6]
4. and there is a resurrection of the body of THE DEAD at the implied ‘second resurrection’ unto death after the 1000-year reign. This is where we get the cliché: If you are born twice, you die (or sleep) once [the righteous LIVING]; and if you are born once you die twice [THE DEAD or unrighteous].
Act 24:15 having an expectation in Elohim, which they themselves also wait for, that there is to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the righteous and the unrighteous.
Luke 14:14 and you shall be blessed, because they do not have to repay you. For you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
John 5:29 and shall come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have practiced evil matters, to a resurrection of judgment.
Mar 12:22 “And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman died too.
Mar 12:23 “In the resurrection then, when they rise, whose wife shall she be? For seven had her as wife.”
Mar 12:24 And יהושע answering, said to them, “Is this not why you go astray, because you do not know the Scripturesb nor the power of Elohim? Footnote: b Mat_22:29.
Mar 12:25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as messengers in the heavens.
Here we see where those in Messiah after death are as ‘messengers in the heavens.’ Until ‘those in Messiah’ receive their glorified bodies on the last day; they are as angels (messengers) in heaven around His thrown room. Their living souls exist beneath His wings of the 4 the Living Creatures (seraphim), the Lion, the Ox, the Man, and the Eagle; and those closest to Him are the 24 elders or priestly rotations among the cherubim. These scenes described in Revelation 4 & 5 and Ezekiel were replicated on earth with the 4 lead banner encampments of the children of Israel in the wilderness and the priestly encampments closest to the Dwelling Place.
Mar 12:26 “And concerning the dead, that they rise – have you not read in the book of Mosheh, at the bush, how Elohim spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the Elohim of Aḇraham, and the Elohim of Yitsḥaq, and the Elohim of Ya‛aqoḇ’? Exo_3:6.
Mar 12:27 “He is not the Elohim of the dead, but Elohim of the living. You, then, go greatly astray.”
1. Elohim is the Elohim of THE LIVING.
2. Elohim is NOT the Elohim of THE DEAD.
The righteous, THE LIVING, ‘those having fallen asleep’ or having died, are living souls that will receive their glorified bodies first; and then the righteous remnant on earth will be changed in a twinkle of an eye to rule and reign with Him 1000 years from the ‘New Jerusalem’ on Mount Zion, hovering above the mountain tops of earth.
In the Lazarus account, Yahusha does not dispute what Martha shared about the term resurrection on the last day, but He goes on to explain resurrection or being raised spiritually and physically, more fully and accurately.
John 11:25 יהושע said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he dies, he shall live.
John 11:26 “And everyone that is living and believing in Me shall never die at all. Do you believe this?”
We all must answer this same question. Do we believe this? Do we believe what Yahusha said and asked? I do! Do we fully comprehend the POWER OF ELOHIM mentioned in Mark 12:24? Do we see that Yahusha is not only THE RESURRECTION but is THE LIFE? There is no death in Yahusha! Death is a defiled unclean state, and our Elohim does not mix the clean with the unclean. He doesn’t leave a clean soul in a defiled dead body. The only thing Yahusha did with the darkness of death was to defeat it and possess the keys!
To best understand THE DEAD is to remember we encounter ‘dead men walking’ around us every day. THE DEAD are those that have never received Yahusha and have never been washed by the blood of the Lamb. When THE DEAD die; they are doubly dead.
Luk 9:60 And יהושע said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and announce the reign of Elohim.”
You see, the living remnant in Messiah and those that have ‘fallen asleep in Messiah’ are both THE LIVING! THE LIVING are VERY DIFFERENT from THE DEAD.
THE DEAD living remnant, those living a human unregenerate spiritual life on earth, and THE DEAD that have already died, are both THE DEAD!
Please ponder this dichotomy between THE LIVING and THE DEAD; between THE CLEAN and THE UNCLEAN as you study His Word. It makes a huge difference especially when studying eschatology. These insights were revealed in my studies of His Word and have literally been ‘life changing!’ It is His Ruach that leads us to all Truth.
May we not get caught up in positions of ‘right and wrong’ but may we be good Bereans and search the Scriptures to see if these things be so.
John 8:51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone guards My Word he shall never see death at all.”
Blessings and Shalom, Libby
[Note emphasis added at times to above Scriptures]