Page 18 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2010

The spirit of Death as well as the spirit of Hades have no power over the believer in Christ. Yes, death

comes to the believer as well as the unbeliever. However, as we have seen, God has a plan of

deliverance for the body of the believer at death. His body will “sleep” in peace until the coming of Christ

to raise his body from the grave. Let us look at an interesting passage of Scripture that can only be

understood in light of what we have seen about the spirit of Death meeting all unbelievers at the moment

of death: “MOST ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU,
IF ANYONE KEEPS MY WORD HE SHALL NEVER SEE DEATH.” John 8:51

Jesus certainly is not teaching that His obedient followers will not die (see John 11:25), but rather that
they will not “SEE” death. All unbelievers WILL see the spirit of Death coming for them at the moment
they die! Hades will follow Death in order to imprison the spirit and the soul until the day of the Great
White Throne Judgment! Jesus is promising His faithful followers that at the moment they die they will
NEVER see the spirit of Death coming for them because they do not belong to either Death or Hades! As
proof that the body of the believer does not end up in the same place (under the control of the spirit of
Death), consider what happened behind the scenes when Moses died:

‘…MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL, IN CONTENDING (ARGUING) WITH THE DEVIL,
WHEN HE DISPUTED ABOUT THE BODY OF MOSES…” Jude 9

Moses’ body, like the body of the believer is appointed to “sleep” (rest) in the grave until the glorious day

of the resurrection. The devil wanted possession of Moses’ body, but Michael would not permit it, and

neither will God permit the Devil’s spirit of Death to lay hold of the believer’s body at death! As we have

seen, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). The spirit and soul of the

believer will instantly go to be with the Lord at death and await the day of the resurrection in which their

mortal body will be raised a glorious body possessing immortality (eternal life). To these alone is the

promise: ‘DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.
O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?

O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?’ ” 1 Cor. 15:53-55

No such promise exists for the unbeliever. They will experience “the second death” (Rev. 20:14, Rev. 21:8).
The Lake of Fire is worse than confinement in Hell. When the unbeliever dies his spirit and soul are
confined in Hades (Hell). This place called Hell (Hades) is like going to jail and awaiting sentencing. It is
a place of temporary confinement until the judgment at the Great White Throne Judgment. Sentencing
will take place at this judgment “according to their works” (Rev. 20:12-13).

“…AND HE SHALL BE TORMENTED WITH FIRE AND
BRIMSTONE…AND THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT
ASCENDS FOREVER AND EVER; AND THEY HAVE NO

REST DAY OR NIGHT…” Rev. 14:10-11

“…CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE…
AND THEY WILL BE TORMENTED DAY AND NIGHT
FOREVER AND EVER…” Rev. 20:10

“…THE COWARDLY, UNBELIEVING, ABOMINABLE, MURDERERS,
SEXUALLY IMMORAL, SORCERERS, IDOLATERS, AND ALL LIARS
SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNS WITH
FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHICH IS
THE SECOND DEATH.” Rev. 21:8

I don’t like jokes about Hell. There is nothing humorous about it or the Lake of Fire. I’ve talked to people
about Hell and the Lake of Fire who retort with sayings like, “I’ll be there with all my friends.” Perhaps
this morbid biblical account from the Psalms of a soul in Hell will dispel that flippant attitude:

“…I AM COUNTED WITH THOSE WHO GO DOWN TO THE PIT; I AM LIKE A MAN WHO HAS NO STRENGTH,
ADRIFT AMONG THE DEAD, LIKE THE SLAIN WHO LIE IN THE GRAVE, WHOM YOU REMEMBER NO MORE,

AND WHO ARE CUT OFF FROM YOUR HAND. YOU HAVE LAID ME IN THE LOWEST PIT, IN DARKNESS,
IN THE DEPTHS. YOUR WRATH LIES HEAVY UPON ME, AND YOU HAVE AFFLICTED ME WITH ALL YOUR
WAVES. SELAH! YOU HAVE PUT AWAY MY ACQUAINTANCES FAR FROM ME; YOU HAVE MADE ME AN
ABOMINATION TO THEM; I AM SHUT UP, AND I CANNOT GET OUT; MY EYE WASTES AWAY BECAUSE OF
AFFLICTION…I SUFFER YOUR TERRORS; I AM DISTRAUGHT. YOUR FIERCE WRATH HAS GONE OVER ME;

YOUR TERRORS HAVE CUT ME OFF. THEY CAME AROUND ME ALL DAY LONG LIKE WATER;
THEY ENGULFED ME ALTOGETHER. LOVED ONE AND FRIEND YOU HAVE PUT FAR FROM ME,

AND MY ACQUAINTANCES INTO DARKNESS.”

Psalm 88:4-18 excerpt