The Heaton File

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-38)

Is Resurrection Possible?

The belief in life after death did not come from the wisdom of human judgment but the divine word of God. Nothing in humanity’s arsenal would suggest what is beyond death because man cannot see beyond the grave. No matter how advanced science or technology will become, peering into the realm before and after life will be impossible. The suggestion of eternity comes from the revelation of God. Through the power of the Creator, life is given to a man and woman to create life. There is no instrument to declare the beginning of life, only the mind of God. When a man dies, he cannot return. The Lord has established the habitation of man that limits his power. Death is final; whatever is beyond death cannot be known from human wisdom.

Resurrection has been accepted by believers in the one true God since the beginning. Abraham believed God had the power to raise his dead son and acted in faith, believing the Lord would perform such an act. Saul spoke to Samuel from the grave. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah defied the orders of King Nebuchadnezzar because they believed the fiery furnace would not end their life and their God would deliver them. Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead after four days. The apostles performed miracles, including raising saints from the dead. Believing in the resurrection was challenged in the first-century church as the people of God wrestled with the questions of how and what. The church of God at Corinth was rocked by disbelief that the dead could rise again because some began to doubt Jesus Christ had risen from the dead.

Some were asking how the dead were raised. It was an honest question. The curious mind of man wants to understand the mechanics of how something is done, and bringing a dead body back to life was a huge concern. Death is final. Nothing in the wisdom of man could change that. To witness Dorcas raised from the dead defied logic and human understanding, but Peter brought her back from the dead. The question by the Corinthians was valid. How are the dead raised up? Paul used the illustration of sowing seed as an example of God’s power. A seed is planted in the ground in one form, dies, and breaks the soil in another form. How does that happen? God makes it happen. If God can show his power in the wheat seed, why can He not raise up the body of a man? How are the dead raised up? By the power of God.

If a man accepts that God can raise someone from the dead, the second question is, what kind of body will they have? The answer to this question is more vague than the first because it requires an understanding that is beyond the wisdom of human logic. Using the illustration of the seed planted in the ground, Paul shows that a new body comes from the tiny seed. When wheat comes out of the earth, it does not have the form of the seed. The seed died and transformed into another body – so it will be with the human body. A man will die in one form and, in the resurrection, arise in another body. Defining what the image of the heavenly man will be is difficult to describe. That does not suggest there is no resurrection. Understanding what kind of body a man will have in eternity is challenging, but this does not deny the resurrection.

A change occurs in death when a body removes the tabernacle of flesh and lives on in the eternal spirit. Most people do not understand that death does not make one an eternal creature. Every human being is created in the image of God. A man does not possess a soul; instead, he is an eternal creature first who inhabits a fleshly body. The spirit a man possesses from creation will never cease. That spirit takes on a new body, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Mortality will be swallowed up by everlasting life. That new body will never die. Eternity comes to all men, good or bad. The difference will be how that eternal body will spend time without end. Most will be in darkness and endless pain. The faithful will rest in the bosom of God in peace. Are you ready for the resurrection?

But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13)

What God Sees In The Blood

Blood to the naked eye does not look different, whether human blood or animal blood. The blood of humans is always red, and most animals have red blood. Typing blood (A, B, and O) was not discovered until 1901. Science has unlocked many mysteries about blood, including the makeup of human blood consisting of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. When the Hebrews were preparing to leave Egypt, nothing was known about blood at the cellular level. A man’s blood did not look much different than the blood of an animal. Distinguishing between the blood of a camel, bull, or goat was not possible. Smearing blood on a piece of wood would further hide any evidence about the origins of the blood. The blood looked the same to the human eye with no distinguishing marks.

God told Moses the final plague against Pharaoh and the people of Egypt would be the death of the firstborn. The Lord instructs Moses to say to the congregation of Israel to take a one-year-old male lamb with no blemish or defect as the sacrifice. On the fourteenth day of the first month, the lamb (taken from the sheep or goats) will be killed. The people shall smear some of the blood on the sides and top of the house’s doorframes. They will eat the flesh that night roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. None of the animal shall remain; if any is left, it is to be burned in the fire. The people are to have a belt on their waist, sandals on their feet, and a staff in their hand. When the Lord passes through the land of Egypt on that night, He will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast.

The blood commanded by God to be put on the doorposts and lintels would be a sign, and when the Lord saw the blood, He would pass over the house and not kill the firstborn. As the Hebrews prepared for the night of death, the question of the blood must be answered. When the blood was put on the doorposts, what difference did it make what kind of blood was there? Who could tell the difference in the blood that was smeared on the wood? As far as the human eye could see, the blood of a camel and the blood of a lamb were the same, and smearing camel’s blood on the door would look just like the neighbor who put a lamb’s blood on the doorpost. If a man decided to put camel’s blood on his house, what would happen to his firstborn? They would die! Did it make a difference in the blood? It may not have looked different to the human eye, but to the eye of the Lord God, it made a difference.

When the Lord passed over the land of Egypt, He was not looking for blood on the doorposts and lintel; He was looking for obedience. God could tell if the blood was from a lamb without blemish through the divine eye of discernment. Even modern science cannot tell from blood if a lamb has a broken leg or some blemish. God could make that discernment. The Lord wanted to see the blood of a male of the first year that had been killed on the fourteenth day of the first month. With all the science of modern technology, can forensic science determine on what day a lamb is killed? God can. The lamb must be killed at twilight. Where in the study of blood can scientists know what time of day it is killed? When the Lord saw the blood, He knew if it was killed at twilight or the third hour.

The religious world tries to fool God into believing it does not matter what kind of blood is smeared on the doorposts of the house. To the religious world, one blood is as good as another. Churches fill the landscape of every community with the false doctrine that nothing really matters to the Lord and variety is accepted. If the religious leaders today lived in Egypt with the Hebrews, they would tell people, “Choose the blood of your choice.” People are being led astray with the false doctrine of the wrong kind of blood. They go through the motions and believe the blood will save them. Then the night comes with the judgment of God, and they die. Did God see the blood? Yes, He saw the blood, but He knew it was the wrong kind of blood. Does it matter what type of blood the Hebrews put on their houses? If you asked those who lived through the terrible night of death, rest assured they emphasized how important the one blood was to their salvation. They may have been ridiculed for believing in the one blood, but salvation was in their house when morning came. What blood have you put on your house? There is only one blood, and it matters when God sees the blood!

Therefore you shall keep My commandments and perform them: I am the Lord. You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 22:31-33)

Do Not Profane God’s Name

The Ten Commandments forbade taking the name of the Lord God in vain and included severe consequences for those who did. Swearing by God’s name was an abomination. There was an incident where an Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the name of God, and they took him out and stoned him to death. Using God’s name in vain will bring destruction to all those who trifle with the holy name of God. Aaron and his sons were also warned against profaning the name of the Lord, but it was more than using the name of God in vain. As priests, they served the Lord in the holy things when they made sacrifices for the people. They were forbidden to profane the name of the Lord by serving in an unclean manner before the Lord. If a priest were ceremonially unclean when he approached the sacred offerings that the people of Israel consecrated to the Lord, he would be cut off from the presence of the Lord. His actions would profane the name of the Lord.

Profaning the name of the Lord goes beyond the verbal swearing of His name. Priests of the Lord could not present themselves before the holy things with uncleanness. They would be cut off from the presence of the Lord. The priests were given a long list of regulations regarding what made them unclean and how they must cleanse themselves before coming to serve the Lord. What was sanctified by God could not be profaned by the disregard of those who served the Lord. The holiness of the Lord required His people to honor Him in their speech and conduct.

The Law of Moses has long passed away, and its laws are no longer binding. Reading the Law is a body of truth written for the children of Israel, but the principles and applications of the law remain the same. Profaning the name of the Lord was a sin before the Law, and it is a sin after the Law. Holy people living unholy lives profane the name of the Lord. God has always demanded His people to set themselves apart from the world in their conduct. Since the fall of man in the garden, evil has overshadowed the world with its power. As lights set on a hill, the righteous must let their lights shine brightly in a dark world. A Christian who lives as those of the world profane the name of God’s Son.

Living in an unholy world is a difficult challenge. The child of God must remain in the world but be separate from the world. The Christian can’t live without the world’s influence, but it must be the constant work of a diligent heart to remain above the world’s trappings. Too many Christians look like the world, talk like the world, dress (or lack thereof) the world, and think like the world. Coming before a Holy God with unholy lives profanes the nature of the righteousness of God. Jesus died to set men free from the bondage of sin to glorify the Father. Shedding the cloak of sin is a daily battle to fight against the wiles of the devil. Keeping the commandments of the Lord and doing the will of the Father honors the name of God. Refusing to keep His commandments profane His name. God must be hallowed in the life of the child of God. Do not bring shame on God’s holy name. He will display His holiness in the world through the sacred lives of His people.

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity. (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10)

Have Fun But Be Careful

Life is a series of transitions from infancy, adolescence, young adulthood, maturity, and old age. Each portion of life has its blessings and dangers. There is discovery in the heart of an infant. The adolescent is sorting out feelings of identity. Young adults investigate the avenues of life with deep curiosity. The age of maturity is when life becomes more real with responsibilities. Old age is a time of reflection and awareness of mortality. Some of life’s most important decisions will be found in that time of investigation when the spirit of youthfulness runs down the paths of adventure, seeking answers to life. God created man to enter each phase of life with a unique pattern of knowledge, preparing them for the next. That time when young men and women open their hearts to the world can be enjoyable and rewarding.

God created the days of youth to be a time of joy. The Lord tells young people they are living in a wonderful time of life. There is no reason not to enjoy what God has created. Youth is a time of energy and fun when hearts are carefree and not burdened with the issues of life. God wants young people to enjoy every minute of life, soaking in all the gusto of a time in life that seems unbounded. The days of youth fade quickly, and God desires young people to embrace the energy that will one day be gone. Yes, youthfulness is a time of unlimited vitality, but it comes with a cost. The Lord warns young people not to sow their wild oats and expect a crop failure. What they reap in their youth comes due for the rest of their lives.

The warning the Lord gives is a sobering reality that one cannot spend his youth in folly and not suffer consequences. For every action of youthful failure, there will be a time when the debt comes due. God encourages young people to enjoy life and do what they enjoy, but only with the knowledge that every action comes with a penalty. Everyone will give an account before God for everything they have done in life. The advice of wisdom to young people is to enjoy life but never make decisions that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. A shadow of guilt for mistakes made in youth will never make life the full purpose God intended. Many a man has entered the latter part of life looking back at the mistakes of youth with deep regret. God tells young people to live in such a way as to diminish regrets in life.

There is a judgment that comes upon the young and the old. Sometimes, the judgments come to bear in life. Sexual immorality may be fun in youth, but infidelity will scar a soul for life. There are consequences to the freedom one thinks he has as a young man or woman. When maturity comes later in life, reflecting on past decisions will make it difficult to deal with future realities. God warns young people to enjoy life but measure their decisions with the counsel of sowing and reaping. He counsels young people to put away sorrow and remain pure. Do not allow evil to corrupt the joy of youth. There is a judgment coming that will not bring happiness. Life is painted as a time of freedom to let young people live without restraints. The wisdom of God teaches the consequences of youth will live on in life. Life is better lived with restraint to enjoy a time of joy without the consequences of youthful decisions.

God reminds young people there is another judgment coming. This judgment comes when all men stand before the Creator. Solomon ends his thesis on life, reminding everyone that God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. That includes secret things of youth, good things of youth, and evil things of youth. Everything will be there. The best advice is for the young man and woman to enjoy life and live full lives with youthful energy – but to do so with a cautionary warning to sow seeds of righteousness. It is much easier to harvest a crop of goodness than evil. Enjoy life. Make right decisions.

Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” (Luke 23:1-2)

The Indictment Against Jesus

When the Jewish leaders brought Jesus to Pilate, they needed to establish a cause as the first step in a criminal proceeding. The indictment or Nominis Delatio against Jesus was that He was perverting the nation with His teaching. He taught the people to refuse to pay tribute to Caesar, placing Himself as Christ, a king. Pilate ignored the first two parts of the indictment and touched on the matter of high treason, the charge against the prisoner. Jesus answered Pilate with respect to his authority to interrogate Him judicially but explained to the Roman ruler His kingship was a spiritual kingdom. The defense of Jesus was clear; the indictment against Him was false, and Pilate immediately saw the shallow ground of the charges brought by the Sanhedrin. Hearing the answer of Jesus, Pilate declares an acquittal.

In a bold and radical move by the Jewish authorities, the crowds became more fierce in their insistence on a guilty verdict against Jesus. Seeking to appease the masses and deflect the responsibility of his office, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. This act by Pilate was illegal as an acquittal had already been established. Sending Jesus to Herod was not such much a trial as an examination. When Jesus was returned to Pilate, what proceeded bears little resemblance to a lawful proceeding. A coward sat on the seat of law, and the blind fury of the mob drove the decision to kill Jesus. The result was judicial murder.

Jesus was accused of perverting the nation. The indictment charged the teaching of Jesus excited the people to incitement to rebellion and turmoil. In the early stages of the ministry of Jesus, multitudes in the thousands followed Him. On one occasion, He provided food for five thousand men, not counting the women and children. Many people came to Jesus to be healed of disease. On a few occasions, Jesus raised people from the dead. The Pharisees, scribes, and Chief Priests tried in vain to trap the man from Nazareth in His teaching and failed every time. When Jesus finished the sermon on the mount, the people were amazed He taught with such authority. Jesus never sought to pervert the nation but to convert the nation. The Jewish leadership was envious of Jesus from Nazareth. Pilate could see the charge of perversion was empty.

The second part of the indictment was Jesus leading the people in a tax revolt and refusing to pay taxes Himself. Some Pharisees and supporters of Herod had tried to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. They knew Jesus was honest and impartial and refused to play favorites among the people. Jesus was asked directly if He thought it was right to pay taxes to Caesar or not. Seeing through their hypocrisy, Jesus took a Roman coin and asked them whose image was stamped on the coin. He then told them to give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar and give to God what belonged to God. Desperate to show Pilate the evil nature of Jesus, the Jews presented a false indictment against an innocent man. Charging Jesus with forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar was a blatant lie. Pilate ignored the charge.

Jesus was charged with a third crime, calling Himself a king. It was on this part of the indictment that Pilate would focus. It was ill-advised to call oneself a king in the Roman Empire. There were many who tried to revolt against the Romans but were crushed by the iron will of the Roman Army for insurrection. Pilate examined the charge against Jesus and could see that Jesus was only a man who had visions of some spiritual identity to be a king but was no threat to the Roman government. To the more serious parts of the indictment, Pilate found Jesus innocent. The trial should have ended at that moment as the accusation was proven invalid, and no proof was offered to substantiate the charges. Only later, when Pilate ignored Roman law and bent to the will of the mob, he delivered Jesus to be crucified.

The greatest travesty of human jurisprudence took place that day, but the result was the greatest example of divine jurisprudence in the history of man. An innocent man was charged with false accusations; yet the guilt of man was judged that day. Jesus died with sinless perfection before the mob demanding His death. Mercy was given on a day when no mercy was shown. Love poured out in a world filled with hatred. The sacrifice of one man brought salvation to all men. A lamb was sacrificed on the altar of grace so that the human heart could find the joy of peace in a man from Nazareth. The indictment against Jesus was false, and the indictment against man was validated. Jesus Christ is a king – the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:5-7)

The Futility Of The Climate Agenda

Global warming is the focus of the world seeking a zero-emission climate to avert global catastrophe. It is believed and widely politicized the reckless actions of humanity destroying the world, leading to the total annihilation of man on earth. The Green Agenda pushes the doctrine of human wisdom’s capability of destroying its domain. Rooted in the pride of the arrogant heart of those who do not believe in God, the climate agenda seeks to convince the naïve world that man has the power to destroy his environment. Using data based on skewed perceptions of self-driven agendas, pundits for climate change seek to have their voices heard above the voice of reason and truth. The reality that many do not realize is what God says about climate change and the end of the world.

The Bible is not just a book about the divinity of God. There are many parts of the word of God that answer questions that concern people of every generation. Before modern science and technology, human pollution filled the air and desecrated the land. The 1970s were a time of global consciousness to make the world a better place. Walt Kelly’s famous Pogo cartoon shows his character standing in the middle of the Okefenokee Swamp with the caption, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” Yes, man can make a mess of his world. The question is not whether humanity can defile the earth with pollution, but rather the question if it is in the power of human waste to destroy the planet. The answer is a resounding, “No!” There is nothing within man’s wisdom and power that will ever end the world. Using fear to drive people to a “green world” is nothing more than a tactic of a godless world.

Earth is man’s domain and will always be the residing place of humanity until God decides differently. Man will never live on the moon, much less on Mars. The counsel of the Creator determines the habitation of man. The earth will continue to exist and experience seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night. That will never change. Peter declared what men forget. The world was destroyed a long time ago, not by global warming but by global flooding. In the days of Noah, God looked at the hearts of men and saw nothing but wickedness. Ironically, the pollution of the heart destroyed the world when God brought a global flood that killed all life on earth except eight souls. Using the flood as a backdrop, Peter shows the world that exists is held together by the word of God. It will not change unless God says so. There will be a day of global warming, but it will not be warm – it will be so hot the universe itself will explode in one giant conflagration. Then, and only then, will the earth be destroyed.

Mankind can mess up his world, and that should not be. As the earth’s caretaker, he should take as good care of his environment as possible. To think that any generation has the power to destroy the world is a failed theology. The agenda of the climate alarmists and Green Deal doomsayers are not based on truth but the lie of human wisdom. God will not allow anyone to do what is in His power and will to do. When it comes time for the earth to end – God will speak. Then, those who did not believe in the Bible will realize another climate agenda. There will be a climate of joy and peace in heaven, and there will be a climate of darkness in a lake of fire. The best climate change a man can make is seeking salvation from God’s wrath. Spend more time changing your heart. That is where true pollution is found. Let the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse your heart.

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. (Acts 9:31)

Going To Church In 1420

The 15^th Century was a time of upheaval and war. The Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War was the largest land battle in Medieval Europe, England was fighting against the Welsh uprising, and Joan of Arc was burned at the stake while fighting for the French. Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press. Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire, and the War of the Roses was fought in England. During the 15^th Century, Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas looking for a passage to the Indies. It was a busy time for the world. For the commoner, little was changed by the historical events of the 15^th Century. When it came time to go to church, he had limited opportunities.

Many religions existed in the 15^th Century, including Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism (Taoism), and Islam. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church dominated the Christian world. In Europe, the choice of where a person went to church was limited to only two places: either the apostate Roman Catholic Church or the New Testament church of devoted disciples. Many people do not realize that in 1420, the landscape was not filled with churches of different faiths. The Lutheran Church was one hundred years away from being organized, and the Baptist Church would not be established for 187 years. There were many cathedrals but no Presbyterian or Methodist. If you were religious and went to “church,” in all likelihood, you were Catholic, not a Protestant. The 16^th Century would introduce the world to the Protestant Reformation. A Catholic monk named Martin Luther was successful in beginning a period of reforms from the apostate teachings of the Catholic-dominated landscape.

The Lutheran Church was established in 1520, followed 14 years later when Henry VIII of England created the Church of England or the Episcopalian Church. Two years later, in 1536, John Calvin started the Presbyterian faith. The Baptist Church was not founded until 1607, and the Methodist came 132 years later. If a man lived in the 14^th Century, he could not go to any of the Protestant churches that are so familiar in modern times. The Bible teaches the New Testament church existed in the 1^st Century and, according to the Bible, was a kingdom that could never be shaken. In the midst of the prophesied apostasy, the New Testament disciples continued to serve the Lord as devoted saints of the true pattern. The historical reference through the centuries may not have recorded their enclaves of influence, but God knew where they were. Nothing stopped the New Testament church from its mission.

Bible-believing people need to recognize the apostasy of the church when men build something that is not found in the Bible. The Lutheran church is only 502 years old. If you lived 600 years ago, where would you go to church? No Lutherans, Methodists, Baptist, Mormon, Adventists, or Jehovah’s Witnesses existed in 1492. If these churches did not exist for nearly fifteen hundred years, why is it so easy for anyone to embrace those churches as Biblical? None of the names of the churches are found in the Bible – does that not make an impact on the hearts of truth-seeking people? If the Bible is the word of God, should we not declare our faith in what is found in the word of God and no other allegiance? Demand truth from where you go to church. Let the Bible be true and every man a liar. Find the New Testament church and follow its pattern. That is the church that Jesus built.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

The Halo

There is nothing new under the sun, and the empty traditions of men have been around since the beginning of time. What makes an error sometimes difficult to clarify is the long assumed acceptance of a truth that is, in fact, false. Truth does not change but creating a false narrative can be believed to be truth if enough time passes and the falsehood is not examined closely. Such is the case with the question of the halo. A halo is an image found in religious art depicting a globe of light surrounding the head of a holy or sacred figure. Using a light around the head predates Christ, as Greek artists would embolden the figures of their heroes with a ring or crown of light. This distinction is also found in Asian art. The halo began to be used by artists in the Christian age around the fourth century.

The Bible never mentions a halo or suggests the heads of saints glowed. Jesus was transfigured on the mountain where His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as the light, but this was not a halo. Artists old and new suggest the face of Jesus glowed or shone as He walked among men. Isaiah, the prophet, described the image of Jesus as less than attractive. The truth about the image of Jesus is that in a crowd of twenty people, no one could pick out the Son of God from others as He looked as average as the common man of His day. God never allowed images of His Son to be produced by the whims of men. There is no evidence of what Jesus looked like (how tall he was, the length of His hair, His body size, etc.). Jesus did not come to leave a totem that men would worship.

A halo is a popular icon to describe “saintly people.” Angels are shown in art with haloes. The halo is a misrepresentation of a principle found in scripture that never suggests an image of light shining around the head of God’s people. This would also indicate that the person is not good or saved without a halo. Regardless, a halo is an invention of men that is accepted as a part of the religious world. It may come as a surprise to some that the halo is non-Biblical. The acceptance of a man before God is based on the heart, not a glowing head with a halo. Instead of trying to live to attain a halo, seek to follow the will of God where truth resides. Always be careful to measure the teachings of men with the word of God and reject what is clearly an imagination of human fantasy.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

Jesus Returns With A Lot Of Noise

The first time Jesus came to earth, He was conceived in the womb of a woman. There was no fanfare, no trumpets blowing, and only one person who knew He had come. It would not be until later that Joseph found his wife pregnant. The angel Gabriel had told Mary she would be with child of the Holy Spirit, and Joseph was told by an angel the pregnancy of his wife was according to the divine will of God. During the first thirty years of His life, Jesus lived in obscurity, with few people taking notice of Him. He was the son of a carpenter with brothers and sisters. When He began His ministry, the religious leaders began to take note of Him as multitudes flocked to Him for teaching and healing. At Golgotha, the only noise came from the mockers who hurled insults at Jesus hanging on a cross. As far as the world was concerned, the man in the middle of the two thieves was a criminal and deserved to die. The soldiers bartered for His garments with no knowledge that He was God’s Son. Few people cared that Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross. No mournful trumpets blew at the death of Jesus, and the world continued as it always had.

When Jesus died, the veil of the Temple rent from top to bottom. It was during the offerings of midday Jesus died, and the priests would have heard the incredible sound of the huge veil ripping. An earthquake shook the earth, and the rocks were split with graves opening of the saints who had fallen asleep. Then the world went silent. Life continued as usual. There have been loud noises piercing the world, but only in a local sense. What may happen in one part of the world will not be heard by someone in another. Life goes on. And one day, all of that will change.

A day will come when there will be a noise that will fill the vacuum of space and time. It will echo in the heart of every human being living on the face of the earth. Those in the northern hemisphere will hear what those in the southern hemisphere will hear. Every person in every country will hear the sound. The cities filled with millions will hear as well as those villages tucked away in the Amazon jungle. Those on the top of mountains will recognize the same sound as those in the lowest valleys. It will be instantaneous. The earth will seem to shrink to an atomic level when every man, woman, and child hears the same sound at the exact moment. This is the day Jesus returns a second time; and His final time.

Jesus Christ will ascend from heaven with a shout. No definitive human reasoning can describe what the shout of deity will be like. Every inch of the earth’s circumference (24,901 miles) will reverberate with the sound of God. It is unclear what the voice of an archangel sounds like, but it will be something everyone will know. On one occasion during the ministry of Jesus, God spoke to His Son to glorify Him, and those who heard said it was like thunder. The voice of an archangel is going to be louder than thunder. As if the shout of Jesus coming and the voice of an archangel would not fill the earth with a sound beyond imagination, the trumpet of God will also be heard. A trumpet is a shrill and loud sound piercing into the souls of men. Every human being on earth will hear God’s trumpet.

The coming of the Lord will not be a quiet affair. For those who follow the false teaching of the rapture, they will hear the same sound. Jesus is not coming back to establish a kingdom on earth but to bring a noise all humanity will hear. And then, as quickly as the noise blasts across the depths of the universe, it will all go quiet. Judgment begins, and another sound is heard in eternity. For the saved, the sound is rejoicing, praise, and honor to the Lamb that was slain. To most souls, it will be the crying, gnashing of teeth, and horrific cries of torment as they languish in an eternal flame. The sound of the lost will fill the emptiness of eternal darkness. Heaven will burst forth as saints sing the praise of the day Jesus returned and took them home. You will hear that sound. Are you ready?

These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

The Lord Hates

It is inconceivable to view God as hating anything. The picture of the Lord is one of beauty, glory, and full of love. These attributes are true of the character of the Heavenly Father but to accept these as the only traits of the Holy God is to misplace loyalty to His true nature. The proverb writer ascribes seven things the Lord hates but does not suggest the list is complete. Using poetic prose to draw attention, the writer shows there are things the Lord detests. Pride, liars, murderers, evil hearts, mischief, and discord are highlighted as things God hates and sets apart from righteousness. The seven things listed summarize the nature of the Lord to despise those things that defile His holiness. Men must realize that God is a wrathful God full of vengeance and recompense against those who disobey Him.

The hatred of God is based on His own righteousness. Hatred in the heart of man comes from an evil heart. God hates because it impugns the holy character of what is right and wrong. A lawgiver establishes law, and as the Creator of the universe, the Lord God has the divine right to determine what is right and wrong. Pride is a sin because God hates a proud look. The righteousness of God is what makes sin detestable. Adam and Eve were given a law forbidding them from taking the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and they ignored the righteousness of God when they took its fruit. What is immoral about eating fruit? Nothing. The reason they were punished was that they challenged the authority of God and followed their own path. Sin brought consequences because God hates rebellion.

Disobedience to the will of the Lord puts man in disfavor with God through the righteousness of the law. Everything contained in the word of the Lord is for the benefit of man’s well-being. When the will of man rejects the word of God, he conflicts with the purpose of law. Idolatry is detestable to the Lord because man worships a worthless object. Man falls down to a god he created. God hates idolatry and views it as an abomination. The wicked do not accept the grace of God. Living for the lust of the flesh and the desires of the eyes, rebellious men reject the word of the Lord to consume themselves in their passions.

God hates the wicked and those who love violence. His holiness is the reason for His hatred. God hates divorce because of its consequence. The holiness of God establishes what is right, and only by keeping the will of the Lord can men find true peace and happiness. The Lord God is full of love and has shown His love through Jesus Christ, His Son. The other side of the Lord God is his wrath and hatred for wickedness. No man should deny the hatred of the Lord. There is a place prepared by God for those who rebel against the word of the Lord. God prepared this place. It was not His desire, but His holiness demanded it. Hell is real. It becomes the fulness of the hatred of God.