Matthew 5: 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Ever since the fall of Adam, all generations have had to confront the issue of our mortality. The fact that we are finite is something all persons have to come to grips with, because mortality deeply affects the various perspectives on life that are held worldwide.
Sooner or later, everyone will have to face up to this fact, and what we do as a result will make all of the difference in the here and now, and for eternity. We can exercise until thy kingdom come, and we could eat every vegetable we can think of, but inevitably, we must deal with this issue of mortality.
Let it be said here that the blessed hope given to us in Christ is what makes all the difference in life, as it opens up the possibility of eternal life to all who will believe. It is this blessed hope that makes life worth the living.
There are individuals who’ve made very important contributions to this world, in advancements and in inventions, technologies and medicines, which have greatly helped the human family, but without this blessed hope, all the good that is done will fade into oblivion at the end of the day.
This past week the financial Guru Warren Buffet saw fit to pass the baton to one who is younger, even as it is known that he made considerable contributions to the investment world. Over the many years of his investing, he has made many millionaires but, as the fact of his own mortality comes into view, he found himself having to reckon with the ultimate.
This is what Jesus was trying to get the folks in His day to consider, for life seemed to be one big rush to survive and provide for the here and now. While it is true that we all have to work and pay bills, this is not the greatest, or most important issue on the menu.
The salvation of all souls, including our own, and the building up of God’s kingdom is what constitutes the greatest achievements one could strive for, because this is what would last for eternity as Christ stated in His discourse with the people back then, and as He is now calling our attention to. Let’s read:
Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
In our first passage, Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who mourn, and He promises comfort for the bereaved multitudes of earth. The Lord empathizes with suffering humanity, being a firsthand witness, and participator in the sadness, and loss of life that has become a part of the human experience.
Hence the reason why God has placed in His word, many promises of assurance, and of a better world to come that are to cheer our hearts on our pilgrim journey to Christ’s kingdom. In other words, a better day is coming, and every mourner is encouraged to allow the promises of God to instruct our views on the issue of mortality.
However, comfort, in and of itself does not make the future brighter. It is the blessed hope that puts the sadness of life into the correct perspective, and from this we derive the hope of the better world to come.
Hence the reason why Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, to certify to all humanity that God has power to resurrect and to impart life, to all who believe. As Mary and Martha mourned the loss of Lazarus, the issue of mortality again came into view.
The narrative is written, both to comfort our hearts and to inform our perspectives, so that even though we must confront our own mortality at some point in time, at least we would have the assurance that The Lord will raise to life, all those who trust in Him.
As we read, there will be some highlights that would brighten our pathway, and would greatly help in the process of recovery after the loss of your friends or family. Let’s read:
John 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Persons who are closely associated with Christ can, and do get sick at times. Persons who work for the building up of God’s kingdom can fall ill, for its just a part of our humanity. Diligence, and faithfulness in doing God’s work does not necessarily prevent all sickness, for even Ellen White fell sick on numerous occasionIn fact, she lost two of her own children, and later lost her husband while doing God’s work, so when we read in the narrative of Lazurus, that a certain man was sick, the words identify with experiences we are all familiar with.
This leads us to another important point we should always remember, that whenever the Christian falls sick, the default setting should be prayer. In times of illness, we are to turn to God who knows best, and we can trust Him, that He will do or permit only that which is best in the given situation. Let’s read:
John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Prayer that is made to The Lord for healing does not always result in healing. Sometimes it does, and at other times it doesn’t. It all depends on The Lord’s will, and His ability to accurately read the future.
Very often God might see something coming down the road, that mortals cannot see, and therefore, He may employ His foreknowledge preemptively in His answers to our prayers.
This is what took place when God told Hezekiah the king to put his house in order. In that circumstance God looked into the future, and He saw two very disturbing things that would take place.
[1] That the king would make a significant mistake in judgement and [2] That the most wicked king to rule Israel would be born to Hezekiah. Therefore, in His wisdom, and mercy, God informed the king that it was time to go. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him Thus, saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
Then, as we often do, Hezekiah began to pray like he never did before, because the human spirit naturally recoils from the prospect of passing. Thus, Hezekiah prayed to God for healing, and in this instance, God answered the king’s prayer, as per his desire.
But the results would be placed on record, so that the living who will come after would know that God always does that which is in the best interest of His people. In the heat of the moment, it may not seem to us mortals as the preferred outcome, but with God, it is always the best thing to do.
Lamentations 3: 32 But though He causes grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.
33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
The Lord then extended Hezkiah’s life by fifteen long years, but the records show that the time when God had bidden the king to put his house in order, was indeed the best time for him to pass on. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 20: 2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,
3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.
Not long after, an embassage from Babylon was sent to find out why the shadow in the sun dial of Ahaz suddenly defied all logic and science to go back ten degrees.
In today’s environment it would be the equivalent of all clocks and time pieces suddenly reversing back about an hour or so. That would immediately cause great consternation and fear among the nations, as everything we depend on for time is thrown out of whack.
An occurrence of that magnitude would certainly rattle Wall Street, and the stock markets. It would disturb and throw off those GPS gizmos we’ve come to depend upon, and it could potentially interfere with your Tesla and other electric vehicles which depend on accurate time as an indispensable part of their operation.
Yet, Hezekiah missed this golden opportunity to set before the men of Babylon, the glory of the God of heaven, and instead, did what you and I must never do, to expose the material wealth God has blessed us with to unconverted strangers. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 20:12 At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah shewed them not.
14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, what said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, they are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
15 And he said, what have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord.
17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
In the case of Paul, prayer was offered three times, petitioning The Lord to remove a thorn in the flesh, some sort of physical issue that was bothering Paul, but it was not in the apostle’s best eternal interest, for him to be healed.
This is something the Christian should be reconciled to, for if The Lord does not heal or restore, it does not mean that your prayers were not answered. It means that God did what was best in the particular given situation.
This leads us to another very important point in the narrative for the passing of a Christian is not the end of the story. Like all who have believed in God, from Adam down to the last saint, those who have had a relationship with Christ will be raised again.
This is one of the reasons why Jesus says blessed are they that mourn, for those who grieve in Christ have the assurance that one day soon death will give way to eternal life, and mourning and sadness would be things of the past. Let’s read:
John 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, your brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
1st Thessalonians 4: 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
[The Desire of Ages pp 804] The resurrection of Jesus was a type of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him. The countenance of the risen Savior, His manner, His speech, were all familiar to His disciples.
They may have been deformed, diseased, disfigured in this mortal life and they rise in perfect health and symmetry; yet, in the glorified body their identity will be perfectly preserved.
This leads us to the core of our study, because the you and me in the here and now would also have to confront our own mortality someday. Some will be sooner, and some will be later, but the way things are going, it will be something that must be given due consideration.
Confronting our own mortality.
There is a single passage, written in the Scriptures which we hesitated to present previously, but now, will have to unpack, especially since the storms are gathering on the horizon. To put it plainly, Christ’s 2nd coming may be much closer than many persons would prefer to believe.
In the book of Revelation, after the preaching of the third angel’s message, something is written, which is of critical importance for us to understand, and be reconciled to.
In Revelation chapter 13, the mark of the beast has been instituted and the teeming multitudes of earth have been fully alerted to the high stakes involved in taking or refusing the false form of worship. Then, a final message is given warning anyone against taking the mark. Let’s read:
Revelation 14: 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worships the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.
[The Great Controversy pp 627] The severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor may be judged by the Lord's reluctance to execute justice. The nation with which he bears long, and which he will not smite until it has filled up the measure of its iniquity in God's account, will finally drink the cup of wrath unmixed with mercy.
[The Great controversy pp 628] All of the judgments upon men prior to the close of probation, have been mingled with mercy. The pleading blood of Christ has shielded the sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt; but in the final Judgment, wrath is poured out unmixed with mercy.
Then, after the third angel’s message has been sent, and delivered the following passage is written. Thus, as we read, there will be one and only one question to be answered. Let’s read:
Revelation 14: 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.
Question: When does “Henceforth” begin?
The answer is to be found by carefully studying the context in which the passage is written, because it comes right after the final close of the three angel’s messages, especially the third which locks down the teeming multitudes in their decisions for eternity.
The statement, taken together with other passages in the scripture, and several quotes coming from the servant of The Lord, point to a time when, because of the dangers posed by the institution of the mark of the beast, it will become necessary for The Lord to put many of His people to sleep briefly. We read:
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Revelation 13: 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
The time of trouble such as never was will be a time unlike any other in the history of the world, and it is a fact that many persons in the Remnant church will not be able to withstand or survive the turmoil, and the bloodshed that will be overspreading the earth.
Therefore, rather than lose millions of His people during that awful time, The Great and merciful God will put many of His people to sleep, just for a brief moment, so that they can be saved in His kingdom. This is one of the reasons why we must confront the fact of our own mortality. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 637] All who have died in the faith of the third angel's message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God's covenant of peace with those who have kept his law.
“They also which pierced Him,” [Revelation 1:7]. Those that mocked, and derided Christ's dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of his truth and his people, are raised to behold him in his glory, and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.
The above statement no doubt refers to the special resurrection, in which the Bible clearly states that some of the righteous, and certain wicked persons would be earmarked to be raised to life, prior to the general resurrection of the righteous, where all the dead in Christ will come forth from their dusty beds. Let’s read:
Daniel 12: 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Matthew 26:63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64 Jesus saith unto him, thou hast said: never-the-less I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
All who are raised in the special resurrection would see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven, with all of the glorious and destructive scenes that will attend His coming. Thus, the word “Henceforth” refers to a time, when God will lay many of His people to rest.
Therefore, it is with the understanding that we must now read the following statements, for they would shed great light on our perspectives, when praying for the sick. God who knows the end from the beginning, and Who always does what is best should be trusted in every prayer, so that His good, and perfect will may be done. Yes, it may be hard at times, but it’s always the best route to take. Let’s read:
[7 LTMS Par 10] In praying for the sick we are to pray that, if it be God’s will, they may be raised to health, but if not that He’ll give them His grace to comfort, His presence to sustain them in their suffering.
He knows whether or not those for whom petitions are offered would be able to endure the trial and test that would come upon them if they lived. He knows the end from the beginning.
Many will be laid away to sleep in Jesus before the fiery ordeal of the time of trouble shall come upon our world. This is another reason why we should always say after our earnest petition, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, O Lord, be done.” [Luke 22:42]
In closing, let’s all be encouraged and strengthened to face whatsoever life may bring, for the Christian has sunny days and rainy days in his portfolio. The blessed hope of the new earth will make all of the difference as we navigate the vicissitudes of life.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture which should cheer our hearts, even as we look to Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith. Hang in there, for it wouldn’t be long before time will give way to eternity, and grief, and mortality will be behind us. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 15: 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
God Bless!