When you're dead, you're not going to be able to do it. You're dead. You may have heard this suggested, but this is not how the Bible describes death. And we'll find out why today, on Truth for Life, as Alistair Begg examines death. and the reason it doesn't actually end our existence.
Our study is focused on the opening verses of Daniel chapter 12. We're reminded all the way through Daniel of angelic activity. Angelic activity. stands behind more things than we know. The Hebrews says, you know, that you have entertained angels unawares.
Unawares.
So we've been unaware of granting them hospitality, and we may have been unaware of receiving help from them. Psalm 91, he will give his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. But that shouldn't cause us to call in question the reality of their presence or their power. And fight one day. We'll see things from such a perspective.
that the scope of angelic activity will actually become apparent and we'll discover how much we were the beneficiaries of of angelic activity about which we knew nothing. The encouragement, though, is surely this. For the people who will face this. And for in every area where the people of God face persecution. That the God who has brought them to this impasse.
knows their names. He knows them as individuals. I love that little chorus. He knows my name. He knows my every thought.
He sees each tear that falls. And he hears me. when I call.
So the vastness of the tribulation It's sad within the protection. and promise of deliverance. Spent longer on that than I wanted to. Second point. Final separation.
Fearful tribulation, final separation.
Now The Bible makes it clear, as we've said, that everything is going somewhere. But it makes it equally clear that everyone is going somewhere. Everyone is going somewhere. Look at the text if you've got your Bible open, and many of those who sleep in the dust. of the earth Which is a reminder, from dust you came, to dust you will return.
Many of those who sleep in the dust is a metaphor. shall awake Some to everlasting life. and some to shame and everlasting contempt. What is the great division between men and women in our world? Or people say, oh, it's color, it's ethnicity, it's intellect, it's finance.
No, the only distinction that the Bible actually recognizes And I mean this in ultimate terms. It's whether your name is written in the book of life or whether it isn't. Whether you have bowed the knee to Jesus Christ as your Savior, Lord, and King, or whether you haven't. Whether you have received the truth of his word as you would receive a gift. or whether you have said, no, I wouldn't like it.
And the distinction that exists in time Is not neutralized in eternity. That is part of the point that's being made here. And it is a very, very important point. Because contemporary culture, imbibing chunks of New Age philosophy, Hinduism, and so on. Is increasingly pervaded with the notion that somehow or another, whatever happens in life, it will all be set to rights when you die.
You know, the rich won't be rich, the poor won't be poor, no one will be angry, and everything will be just hunky-dory. But when you read the Bible, it says, no, I'm sorry, that's not the case. The things that separate us in time will separate us in eternity.
Now think about this. The people will be raised either to everlasting life or to shame and everlasting contempt. The testimony of the Old Testament. is that the dead are still alive. The dead are still alive.
Now you're gonna have to go and and and look at this yourself. But if you read the Bible, you will realize that it describes those who have died as still alive.
so that Abraham was gathered to his people. He died. But he was gathered to his people. He went to where his people were. In the Old Testament, Shoal, S H E O L.
Is not hell It's not a place of torment. Shawl in the Old Testament is the manner in which the Old Testament asserts that death does not terminate human existence. Death does not terminate human existence. Think about it. You're not a body with a soul.
You are a soul with a body. The real unus of you is never extinct. You will go somewhere. I will go somewhere. I will be alive somewhere.
I'll be dead, but I'll be alive. Otherwise, who are we singing to? Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above. How can they sing? Because they're alive.
Because they're alive. So, what the Bible actually affirms is that the dead experience a change of place. The dead experience a change of state. Because the dissolution of our body alters everything. That's why I've always said to you, you know, when you have these dreadful poems about I am not dead, I'm still here, I'm I'm in the next room, you know, that kind of stuff.
I'm like, no, you're not in the next room, I know, because I was in the next room and you were not in there.
So Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel is broken, or the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, hang on, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. That's the change. not of place or solely of place, but it also the change of state.
So the dead are still alive. In a different place. And they are alive. As individual Persons.
So that our personhood is retained in death. That's why Abraham was gathered to his people. That's why, when they go to David and they talk to him about the death of his son and his mourning over the death of his son, what does he say? He will now come to me. He's dead.
But I will go to him. Why? Because he's alive.
So the question is. In this final separation, Where are you going to be? Either raised to everlasting life. or raised to everlasting contempt. And shame.
Now loved ones. The Old Testament is replete. With anticipating bodily resurrection. People say, you know, you read the Old Testament, there's no resurrection in the Old Testament. It's not true.
It's not framed out. It can't be ultimately until we have the resurrection of Jesus. But when you read your Bible backwards and you read Psalm 16, And verse 11. In your presence there is fullness of joy, and at your right hand there is pleasure, or there are pleasures forevermore. Or the Samus words that when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
What does that mean? It means that when I am gone from here, when there is the dissolution of my physical frame, I will be satisfied when I awake to see your likeness or even with your likeness. This loved ones is the hope of Christianity. This lies at the very heart of what Jesus has come to do. It's amazing, isn't it?
Two entirely different Destinies, final separation. The continued conscious life beyond the grave. for both the righteous and the wicked. leaves no place for annihilationism. No place for annihilationism.
Which is one of the contemporary views.
Well, nothing really matters because when you're dead, you're dead and there's nothing else. You don't believe that. I know you don't. Because God, by creating you, said eternity in your heart. And in my heart too.
And I know there is something more than this. I can't be a human being without that awareness. I may seek to repress it. But I know it. And even those who would deny the words that I'm speaking to you now may be prepared to take you up the stairs of some rickety little staircase in some small town in mid-Ohio and introduce you to a spooky lady who will try as best she can to get in contact with what?
with your great aunt Mabel from Minneapolis or whoever it is. But if you're dead, you're dead, who are they trying to get in touch with? No, the demons Often no more. and tremble. than the people of God do because they won't pay attention to the Bible.
Even the demons know these things, says James, and they tremble at them. They are aware of the reality of that which is apparently unreal.
Now, my dear friends, I ask you. If the penalty for sin is death, which it is, every time somebody dies, Genesis 3 is fulfilled again in our seeing. In the day that you eat of this, you will surely die. And die they did.
Well, they didn't die immediately physically, but death was immediately written into the DNA. If the penalty for sin is death, How can those doomed to die receive eternal life. That seems to me to be the $64,000 question. If you don't have a view of the world that can answer this question, you need a new view of the world. If I am going to die, Which I am.
And if my death is the penalty for sin. How in the world is this to be dealt with? That is where Jesus comes in. By his death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for sin. By his resurrection from the dead, three days later, he conquered death.
for all who believe in Him. Listen to Jesus again. For this is the will of my Father. The will of my Father. that everyone who looks on the sun and believes in him should have eternal life.
And I will raise him up. on the last day. That is unbelievable. This is good news. This is good news beyond good news.
Here is the answer. to the human predicament. Here is the diagnosis of the human predicament. And this antidote Provided by the same Creator against whom I have rebelled. And I've decided I really don't want any interest in you at all.
It is this God. who loves me in Jesus, and who comes to seek me out. Not because I have been a good fellow. No, nice. a good fellow at all.
That's why the wonder of the the Advent is so good, isn't it? Whoa so what are we gonna what what is his name? Is it the angels again?
Sorry, yeah, what did you say his name was to be? Jesus. Why, why? For he shall save His people. From their sins.
So that all who look to him and believe in him. Shall have everlasting life, and I will raise them up in the last day. Have you looked to Christ? Have you believed in Christ? Have you?
In the privacy of your own home. in the security and isolation of your own heart. Have you? Finally. There's a fearful persecution.
There's a final separation. and uh futile investigation. Where do you get that from?
Well, actually, just from the final phrase of verse 4. Many shall run to and fro. and knowledge shall increase. I take it what this refers to is the fact Yeah. mankind in its futility.
continues to search for truth. while leaving God out of the picture. There will be a great quest. Think about the explosion of knowledge just in the 21st century. in the fifteen years of our lives.
It's almost beyond comprehension. Yeah. How are we doing? In terms of Hatred. In terms of Man's inhumanity.
terms of the wars of the nations. And so on. What do we discover?
Well, we discover that it's just a sorry picture because it's the picture of humanity trading the truth of God for a lie. and then charging around and looking for what only God can give. You see, if we do not find Rest, peace and forgiveness. As provided by God in Jesus, then we'll have to go look for rest, peace, and forgiveness someplace. Is that you?
Santa Claus He's not just coming to town, he's in town. And um If you go there, you can sit on his knee. Not that I'm suggesting it for any of you, but You take the little ones and They can sit on the on the knee. And what and what what does he ask them? What would you like for Christmas?
And uh have you been good this year? Have you been good this year? And of course, they lie through their teeth. Oh, yeah, exceptionally good. Tidied your room, picked up your clothes, yes, helped my mother, yeah, been nice to Granny, all that kind of stuff.
I fear that some people have just got that built into their psyche when it comes to the question of the gospel and of meeting God. That somehow or another, you think that that's how God is operating, that He comes to us and He says, Have you been good this year?
Now have you? 'Cause I haven't.
Okay. Have you been naughty? Or nice.
Well, what possibility is there? And see, God isn't operating like that. He's operating on this basis: that he gave his only son. to live and to die for us. to replace the guilt of our shame and to grant us peace.
with him. Salvation is not granted to us because we've done well. Salvation only comes when I acknowledge that I've sinned. That I know I displeased him. And that I need A saviour.
The end of verse 4 is similar to Amos chapter 8, where it says, They shall wander from sea to sea and from north to east. They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it. They won't be able to find it. I don't want to believe in a God like that. I don't want to believe in a God who this.
I don't want to believe in a God who won't allow me to do this.
So you want to create your own God, right?
Well, he's not there. He's not there. You'll never find him. You can run to and fro for the rest of your life. That's the point that's being made.
If I started with the 60s, I'll end with the 60s. wandering to and fro in searching. Moody Blues. Why do we never get an answer? When we're knocking at the door with a thousand million questions about hate and death.
And war. Why? Because we're running to and fro. Considering everything except and everyone, except the one who has the answer to the question. Because we don't like their diagnosis.
So we won't take the cure. But in the gray of the morning, My mind becomes confused between the dead and the sleeping. and the road that I must choose. I'm looking for Someone had changed my life. I'm looking for a miracle in my life.
That might be you this morning. That may be why you've wandered in here. That might be why you come routinely. Is there a miracle worker? Yes, there is.
It's called Jesus. They were coming down the street, the disciples, and the whole crowd of them, and a fellow started shouting out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. And the disciples said, Hey, listen.
So you gotta Jesus here is doing a lot of big stuff. He doesn't need to be fiddling around with you, an old blind beggar, lying at the side of the road. Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me. Yeah. And Jesus heard them.
And he said to the disciples, Go and call him. Yeah. Yeah. Horribly embarrassing for them because now they've got to go and go, oh, yeah, we were wrong about that, we were only kidding. No, it was Peter.
He always says bad stuff like that. My name's Philip. I'm not like him at all. But no, he said, yeah, you should come, Jesus. is calling you and the gospel writer says and Throwing aside his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
Throwing aside his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. That's wonderful, isn't it? Because he heard that Jesus was interested in him. And Jesus said, what do you want me to do for you? And he said, well, teacher, I'd like to...
Recover my sight. Because he was blind. And by nature I'm blind. And I may come to Jesus and ask him. to help me to see.
Help me to see that I'm blind. and that I need then someone to restore my sight. And when I do in the mystery of his grace. I discover that my name has been written down in his book. I wonder who's yours?
It may be today. I only know one way to understand the verse I read: everyone who looks to him and believes in him. That doesn't sound too hard, does it? It's actually very hard. I might as well invite the people who are in the graves.
Down the road here on South Franklin Street. to come out. I've got as much chance of anybody coming out of one of those graves on South Franklin Street as I have of saying to you: why don't you look to Jesus Christ and believe in him? It's not possible. He can bring them out of the graves.
And he can bring you out of your darkened stupor. into a living personal saving relationship with himself. Mm. You're listening to Truth for Life with Alastair Begg. Alistair returns in just a moment to close today's program.
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Now here's Alastair with a closing prayer. Father, thank you that your word is clear in his essentials. And It just tells us again and again that salvation belongs to you, the living God. And I pray this morning That as we hear your voice, that we will not Harden our hearts. But that we might Now I turn to you.
looking to you and resting in you. Thank you that the great testimony of conversion is just simply that: that this is a wonder of what you have done, not about even what we have done. but what you have accomplished. and what we have accepted. Hear our prayers.
For Jesus' sake. Amen. Thanks for listening this week. Hope you enjoyed the weekend and are able to worship with your local church. On Monday, as we continue our study of Daniel's apocalyptic visions, the inevitable question is, how long will it be before these events take place?
Alastair addresses that question Monday. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.
