Lesson: THE FUTURE OF MAN, Pastor Molly Ngugi
Introduction:
As we get busy with each day’s business, we give very little thoughts about this topic, “the future of man” or “our destiny.” It is important for all of us to take time to think about our destiny now and in eternity. This is because, what we do today and how we do it affects our destiny. The following Bible texts make it clear that our life before death is very temporary and unpredictable.
Job 8:9 – for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. See same description of man in I Chronicles 29:15.
Psalm 37:1-2 – Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
Psalm 39:5 – You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.
Psalm 102:3 – For my days vanish like smoke, my bones burn like glowing embers.
Psalm 103: 15-16 –As for man his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone and its place remembers it no more.
The above texts show that man is a temporary being. He is here today and tomorrow he is not. He is described as things, we all know, are fragile and do not last long. Examples given are that man is like a shadow, a breath, smoke, mist, grass and a flower. All these things do not last long.
In this lesson, the topics that we shall cover are: Man’s Origin and Nature, Man in the state of Death, Man’s Resurrection, Man’s judgment and the Millennium/Eternity.
- Man’s Origin and Nature:
Psalm 8:4-8 – What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than Elohim and crowned him with glory and honour. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet; all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. This is a very honoured position that Yahweh has given to man.
Genesis 2:7 – Yahweh Elohim formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The rest of the creation was created by Yahweh’s word which said “Let there be” but when it came to man Yahweh took the dust of the ground and formed man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. This again shows how man is special to Yahweh.
Genesis 1:26 – Then Elohim said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
When Yahweh created the plants and the animals each was created after its kind but man was created in His image and his likeness. This is why man is as creative as Yahweh. This is proved by his ability to invent and create complex things from his own imaginations e.g. planes, rockets that travel to the moon, computers, complicated machines etc.
Genesis 2:16-17 – And Yahweh Elohim commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
This is the only command Yahweh gave man in Eden. Man disobeyed it and so had to suffer the consequences of disobedience; death. Yahweh set out man’s punishment for his disobedience as written in Genesis 3:17-19.
Genesis 3:22-24 – “And Yahweh Elohim said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live for-ever. So Yahweh Elohim banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.’ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Yahweh put a guard to prevent the now rebellious man from eating the tree of life and live for-ever like Yahweh himself.
Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
This death sentence still exists. When man rebels against Yahweh by choosing to go against his commands, the same death sentence still hangs over man, the death penalty.
Romans 2:5-8–But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of Yahweh’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed, Elohim “will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality he will give eternal life. But for those who are self seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger….
There will be a reward for those who obey and for those who disobey like Adam. Romans 6:23 –For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Elohim is eternal life in Messiah Yahshua our Lord.
Man having been given by Yahweh a free will to choose, has the freedom to work towards his desired destiny.
- Man in the State of Death:’
Eccl.7:2 – It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man, the living should take this to heart.
Eccl.9:5-6 – For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.
It is common knowledge that each man will die one time. When a man is sound asleep he is wholly lost to consciousness; time goes on unmeasured, and the functions of the mental organs are suspended for the time being. The state of a dead man is similar. He is not conscious of anything going on on earth.
Daniel 12:2 – Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
The dead sleep in the dust of the earth until the resurrection time.
Job 14:12, 14, 21 – 12so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep. . . . 14If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. . . . 21If his sons are honoured he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it.
All man does in the grave is to wait for the day of being raised. He does not know anything that happens on the earth.
Psalm 146:3-4- Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit [breath] departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
A dead man has no plans. His plans come to an end as soon as he dies.
Psalm 6:5 No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?
Psalm 115: 17-18 – It is not the dead who praise Yahweh, those who go down in silence; it is we who extol Yahweh both now and for evermore.
The psalmist shares with us that the dead do not remember or even praise Yahweh. In the grave there is total darkness, silence and stillness. No activity whether good or bad is found in there. This is why Eccl.9:10 tells us– “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave; where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”
III. Man’s Resurrection:
Hosea 13:14 – I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?
John 5:28-29 – “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
Acts 24:14-16: …I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in Elohim as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before Elohim and man.
This is Paul’s testimony concerning his belief in the resurrection of the dead.
I Cor.15:12-23 –But if it is preached that Messiah has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Messiah has been raised. And if Messiah has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about Elohim, for we have testified about Elohim that he raised Messiah from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Messiah has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Messiah are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Messiah, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Messiah has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as in Adam all die, so in Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own turn. Messiah, the firstfruit; then, when he comes those who belong to him.
This is a serious text concerning resurrection because if there is no resurrection of the dead then Messiah would not have risen. In such a case our preaching and faith would be useless and a waste of time and we would still be in our sins. If our preaching and faith are only for this life, then we are most to be pitied.
I Cor.15:52 – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Thess.4:16 – For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of Elohim and the dead in Messiah will rise first.
Rev. 20: 6 – Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with him for a thousand years.
V.5 – (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
The above texts prove to us that the resurrection of man is definite.
- Man’s Judgment:
Acts 17:30-31- In the past Elohim overlooked such ignorance but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.
There is a day set when men will be judged.
Ecclesiates 3:17 – I thought in my heart, “Elohim will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.”
All people will be judged both the righteous and the wicked.
Hebrews 9:27 – Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
Judgment is as sure to man as death is.
Rev.20:12-15 – And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Yahweh’s judgment is just. Man will be judged according to what will already be recorded in the books, which is according to each man’s deeds while in the flesh.
2 Cor.5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body whether good or bad.
All of us will be judged according to the things we have done in times we live in the body. If good, we will receive a reward and if bad we will receive condemnation.
Jude V.14 -15 – Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men; “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly way and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
When Yahshua comes back He will judge everyone.
Rev.11:18 –The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great – and for destroying those who destroy the earth.
At the judgment the prophets and the saints will be rewarded while those who destroy the earth will be destroyed.
Eccl.12:14 – For Elohim will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden thing whether it is good or evil.
All deeds will be judged whether good or evil. We have been taught in this lesson, that judgment takes place at Messiah’s second coming and not at death. We should know that judgment is a future event.
- The Millennium/Eternity:
There are two events that mark the beginning of millennium:
- Acts 3:20-21 – and that He may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you – even Yahshua. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for Elohim to restore everything as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. The second coming of Yahshua.
- 20:1-3 – And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be set free for a short time. The dragon will be locked up for a thousand years in the Abyss .
Who will be reigning during the Millennium rule?: Rev.20:4 And I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Yahshua and because of the Word of Yahweh. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years.
V.6 –Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but why will be priests of Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Where will the Millennium rule be?: Rev.5:9-10 –And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with you blood you purchased men for Elohim from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our Elohim, and they will reign on the earth.”
Daniel 7:27 – Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and all rulers will worship and obey him.
What will happen during the millennium rule?: Isaiah 2:4 – He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.
Isaiah 11:6-9 – The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea.
All creation will co-habit in peace as it was in the creation period.
Isaiah 65:20-25 -…..According to this text there will be total peace and ..they will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain says Yahweh.
What event marks the closing of the Millennium?: Rev.20:7-10 – When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth – Gog and Magog – to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand of the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of Elohim’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for-ever and ever.
Who will not escape this great destruction?: Rev.21:8 – But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murders, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.
Who will escape this great destruction?: Rev.21:7 – He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his Elohim and he will be my son.
What is next after the end of the Millennium rule?: 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 there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of Elohim is with men, and he will live with them and be their Elohim. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Rev.21:27 – Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Rev.22:14-15 – Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Conclusion:
How wonderful the great eternity is, and how glorious is the time when Elohim shall dwell among people. Each one should do everything in their power, willing to make any sacrifice they are called upon to make, in order to have part in the great eternity where all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes.
The time to prepare for our departure from this world is now. The time to prepare for the coming judgment, where there will be no TKK (Toa Kitu Kidogo) is now. And the time to prepare for millennial rule and eternity is now. Yahweh has given us equal opportunities to prepare ourselves. I urge you to give this matter serious thought today.
It’s Wonderful Life!