WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DEATH? (LIBERATION 103)
EZRA'S VISIONS
We Christians look to the Bible for answers about end-time events and what shall happen to us after death. The Roman Catholic Church in ancient times described an eternal hell of fire and agony along with a heaven of timeless bliss. That church created a theology which would strike terror into people's hearts which could only be alleviated by paying money to the church. The Protestant Reformation did not address many of those false teachings. Nor did the Reformers stress the racial exclusivity of God's family, a race which is different from all others because we possess the indwelling Spirit of God. Our race began with Adam who was created separately, after those races of the Sixth Day whom God created "male and female He created them." Adam was not part of that Sixth Day creation, and only later was Adam's helpmeet brought forth from him, as a feminine nature separated from the masculine.
The Bible gives rare few hints about life-after-death. The church teaches an eternal timelessness by translating the word aion as "eternity" while it really means "during ages." The Kingdom of Heaven is a time period of coming ages. One complete cycle of God's plan is about 24,000 years, of which half is World and the other half Heaven. Many cycles have preceded this one, just as King Solomon said.
It is most important to know that one specific race, a genetic bloodline from Adam and later defined as exclusively from Jacob, is the immortal race, living from the time before the World appeared and living unto the end, whenever that might be. It is our individual Spirits which are immortal. Other races have flesh and emotions and intelligence, too, but they do NOT have the indwelling Spirit of God which makes us part of His family. The Bible makes clear that Israel's neighbors well knew that Israel's God was not theirs. Sure, God is the Supreme source and ruler over all that exists, including all animals and races, but only one race possesses His Spirit Nature as individual Spirit Beings. Only this one race is His personal family for whom He is the personal Father.
I personally believe God has fostered the confusion regarding this racial issue. I think He did so in order to protect and preserve His family. Consider that during the 12,000 year Kingdom of World, Satan is the ruling power. Consider that Satan also has a racial offspring family: that of Cain and later renewed as the progeny of Esau, namely the Edomite Jews of the world today. The eternal contest is between the Christ family and the Satan family. If it was commonly known that God favors only His Israel family, while Satan has dominion, we would have already been destroyed and there would be no pageant on this earth stage, no contest between a race of evil instincts against a race of Godly instincts. So, our Christ family has expressed, in innocent ignorance, a universal compassion toward all races, even our enemies. The result is that we are still alive and still actors on the stage representing the Godly instincts as our primary purpose for living.
There was a book in the Bible which Jesus used which explained more clearly than any other the purpose of our lives and the end-time events and what happens after death. It was written by the Prophet Ezra, as visions were granted to him when he asked the difficult questions which we also ask. The Roman Catholic Church rejected that book, known as II Esdras, for several reasons, perhaps mostly because it teaches clearly against praying for the dead. You can read the text of this hard-to-find book at II Esdras. It is my feeling that the time has arrived for God's family to read this book and be enlightened. Firstly, I wish right now to introduce you to this book, that you might read it for yourself. Secondly, I would refer you to an article on my website which is based on this book, which outlines the events of the end-times. I call it these events the Armageddon Sequence. You can read it at Esdras Prophecy. Thirdly, I want now to summarize the subject of Chapters 7 & 8 which is: where do we go after we die?
You can read it for yourself, but briefly, it goes something like this. When one dies, his Spirit leaves the flesh body. He is still an individual, most likely in a glorified body like that of Jesus after Resurrection. He beholds God's Glory. Then, for seven years he will have a kind of "freedom" and will be able to see the things which have been described, namely the seven penalties of the scorners (7:79-87) and the seven rewards of the Righteous (7:88-99). After that will be the JUDGMENT which the Bible so often mentions. The Righteous will be "gathered into their habitations." (7:101) Since the word "habitations" is not described, perhaps because it is not describable in terms we can understand, we can only visualize a kind of paradise (garden) of bliss where God's glory is our sunshine. We can understand that it is opposite from the place of torments, of course. At Judgment, the unrighteous will be assigned to a place of torments, which seems to be a place where individuals will be aware of their failings along with being aware of that reward which went to the Righteous, a place where they will anguish over their failings until the Second Resurrection, hopefully deciding to yield their lives to God. The Second Resurrection will happen about 1700 years after that Judgment, at the end of the Church Age of Ephesus (See Revelations: Search/Find the words "Second Resurrection" at the Fourth Seal/Trumpet/Bowl). It was the Eagle which called forth the Fourth Trumpet. You will read about the Lion and the Eagle in the eleventh chapter of II Esdras. For a fuller understanding of the four natures of God which are represented by Lion, Bull, Man, and Eagle, see The Four Minds article, and for a more comprehensive exposition of the Minds of God and the Twelve Tribes, 12 Zodiac, and 12 Disciples, see God's Kosmos.
In summary:
1) You die & immediately behold Glory of God.
2) You spend seven years in freedom.
3) Then is Judgment of Scorners and Righteous.
4) Righteous go to "habitations;" Scorners go to "torments."
5) Second Resurrection 1700 years later. 2nd chance for Unrighteous.
6) The unyielding will suffer 2nd Death, cease to exist.
7) The Righteous inherit and govern the Kingdom of God/Heaven.
by Roger Hathaway (divinepageant.com) Return to Index