Saturday, January 7
No resident will say: “I am sick.”
If we maintain our Christian integrity, we may well witness one of the greatest miracles of all time—the miracle of surviving the great tribulation. Soon after the war of Armageddon, more miracles will occur, restoring humans to good health. Imagine watching people discard eyeglasses, canes, crutches, wheelchairs, hearing aids, and the like. Armageddon survivors will have work to do. They can move forward with zest to make our planet, a gift from God, into a global paradise. Jesus’ healings in the past encourage the “great crowd” today, reinforcing their joyous prospect of being healed of all ills. Those healings reflected his deep feelings and showed just how much love God’s firstborn Son has for mankind. Jesus’ compassion paints a touching portrait of Jehovah’s concern for each one of his servants.
COMMENTARY
It is astonishing to me that more people do not accept God’s invitation to inherit the earth by surviving the end of this world. No doubt in large measure it is because of indoctrination from the churches and the heaven and hell dichotomy. As far as the theologians of Christendom are concerned the earth doesn’t even factor into God’s purpose. They don’t even believe that God has a purpose.
True enough, the so-called New Testament is all about the heavenly calling. But the reason for that is easily explained. The reason being, God has always purposed to resurrect the vast majority of humanity that have lived and died. There is really nothing anyone has to do to even qualify for an earthly resurrection of judgment. Paul explained that God is going to resurrect the righteous and the unrighteous.
However, qualifying for the first resurrection is another matter entirely. Jesus advised us to exert ourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door because many would be locked out. So much for the evangelical claptrap that merely believing is all it takes. But the Greek Scriptures are directed to those called into Christ’s Kingdom and the “earlier resurrection,” as Paul called it.
When Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, died, Jesus comforted his grieving sister by assuring her that her brother would rise. And Jesus went on to say: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life; and everyone who is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all. Do you believe this?”
What did Jesus mean, that everyone living who puts faith in him will never die at all? Obviously, all who qualify for the first resurrection must die. Even the chosen ones who die during the parousia and who are changed in the twinkling of an eye must die in the flesh. Evidently, Jesus meant that everyone living during the great tribulation who exercises faith in him will never die at all. In other words, Jesus was referring to the great crowd that will come out of the great tribulation. Their coming out of the great tribulation means that they will never die. They will be the first generation to not experience death.
While God purposes to raise the dead, those living at the time the Kingdom comes and who do not exercise faith will forfeit the resurrection. Their names are not written down in God’s book of life.
The fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses not only embrace the biblical hope of never dying and are actively extending the invitation to earth’s billions —in what is assuredly the greatest preaching work in history —is a sure indication that Jehovah is preparing a people to survive the impending end of the world and never die at all. Do you believe this?
