PASTOR IVOR MYERS: We’re about to study the truth about a very important subject tonight, which revolves around death. So, you see here the title The Truth about Ghosts, Death and yes, a Zombie Apocalypse. Before we go any further, we’re just going to have another quick word of prayer, and then we’re going to get into the word this evening. Please feel free to take notes. Do know that this message is being recorded, so you’ll have access to this video online. So, if you don’t want to take notes, just know that it is being recorded, and you can share with your friends, and maybe there are people you invited, and they were not able to make it, just know that this video will be available.
With that, let’s have a quick word of prayer, and then we’ll begin. “Heavenly father, we want to ask your spirit to guide us as we go through your word. Please Lord, open our eyes, bring conviction, this we pray in the precious name of Jesus, amen.”
Congregation: Amen.
Ivor Myers: The Truth About Ghosts Death and A Zombie Apocalypse. Let me set the foundation by sharing the verse, 2 Timothy 2:15. The Bible says here, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed,” and then what, “Rightly dividing the word of truth.” I believe that it is very important to rightly divide the word of truth. Let me ask a question, according to this verse, is it possible to wrongly divide the word of truth?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Yeah. We see it happening all the time. I think when it comes to this subject, it is crucial that we know how to rightly divide the word of truth. To rightly divide the word of truth really means being able to compare scripture with scripture, to come to a logical and biblical Bible based conclusion. So, that’s what we’re going to do tonight. We’re going to rightly divide the word of truth. We’re going to do it together, and we’re going to see something, that truth always makes sense, truth is logical, truth is logical.
So, the Bible tells us in Matthew 24:24, Jesus speaking here says, “For there shall arise false Christ and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, in so much that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Let’s put these two verses together. On the one hand, God calls for people to rightly divide the word of truth, and on the other hand, we see that Satan can perform miracles to deceive, if possible, the very elect.
What does that mean? Well, do you think that Satan would be able to do miracles that seem to contradict the word of God? Yeah. This is one of the ways that he will deceive, if possible, the very elect. So, what I’m saying to you is that, I don’t know who are Christians in here or who are not, some of you may not be Christians, and you’re visiting here, but let me share this with you from a Christian perspective. It is more important to trust the word of God, than to trust your senses, because Satan can perform miracles, that we just read here, that if possible, could deceive even the very elect.
So, as a Christian, we want to say, “If the word of God says it, I believe it. But, if the word of God does not say it, and even if Satan were to perform a miracle, I would rather believe the word of God, than a miracle. I’ve got to believe the word of God, than my senses.” Does that make sense? Are we on the same page right about now?
Congregation: Yeah.
Ivor Myers: Satan has power to perform miracles, that’s what I’m saying. So, if we trust in miracles, then it doesn’t take much for Satan to deceive. Now, we are going to check out a very important verse that really brings this celebration called Halloween into question. Listen to what the Bible says here in Deuteronomy 18:10-12. The Bible says, “There shall not be found among you, anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”
The Bible says here that there were not to be found among his people, anyone that, and I’m going to focus in on one word, that was to be a necromancer. Now, anyone know what a necromancer is? A necromancer is one that speaks to the dead, communicates with the dead. According to the word of God, God says that we should have no contact with who, with the dead. No contact with the dead. Is that the word of God?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Are you sure? If you’re sure, can I get a, it is the word of God.
Congregation: It is the word of God.
Ivor Myers: Okay very good. So the word of God says, do not communicate with the dead. That lets us know that this celebration which people … [inaudible] goes and actually celebrate the dead, is something that according to the Bible, is an abomination. We’re going to find out why, soon, but just know this, I want to make sure that we’re all on the same page, to communicate or attempt to communicate with the dead, is something that the Bible does not approve of. Now, how many of you have seen television shows lately, in which people are hunting the paranormal, and communicating with the dead, and communicating with people, or spirits that claim to represent the dead? This is what the Bible was talking about. The Bible says, this is an abomination unto God.
Again, we’re going to find out why, but for now, we simply know this, if I’ve given my life to Christ, now, if you’ve not given your life to Christ, a different story, because Christ is not your king, he’s not your God, you haven’t submitted to that yet, and you don’t obey someone to whom you have not submitted. But, if you have said, I’m a Christian, I’m a believer, or I’m thinking about being a believer, then this is one of the things that we have to take seriously. God says, “Do not communicate with the dead.” Now, why would God say this? Let’s check this out.
In John 3:16, the Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him …” Who is Him? Christ. “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting,” what, life. So, who according to this verse, John 3:16, who has everlasting life? Those who believe in-
Congregation: Christ.
Ivor Myers: Those who believe in Christ, those who believe in God. So, for a believer, when a believer dies, the believer expects that one day he will be in heaven with who? With God. Do you know, I’m sure all of you have heard of near death experiences. Check this out, how many of you have ever heard Christians say, I can’t even let you see this yet, you’re cheating, near death experiences, how many of you have seen or known someone that’s had a near death experience? It’s usually what? Who do you see? You see the bright light, and you see Jesus, right? Or an angel saying, “Jesus has said it’s not your time yet, and so, go back.” How many of you would take that, don’t raise your hand, but how many of you would take that as pretty conclusive evidence that God exists? Don’t raise your hand. I want you to just answer that in your mind.
Now, you need to check this out. Because, did you know that Muslims have near death experiences too? They do. With the Muslims near death experience, they do not see Jesus, they do not see God. Let me share with you. One particular woman says that she was lifted up to heaven and saw a throne, which was inscribed with these words, I’m not going to read those words, because I cannot pronounce them, but it’s translated as this, “There is no god but God, and Mohammed is his messenger.” Did you catch that? For the Muslim who has a near death experience, they see Allah, and they see Mohammed.
Another one says this, same Muslim religion, it says, one woman who had a near death experience says that when she went to heaven, she found illuminated beings, including Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, then she noticed an even more illuminated groups of beings, Noah, sitting alone, Moses with Jesus, lord Krishna with the Buddha, and Mohammed next to the virgin Mary, with the luminous face of his son-in-law, and successor. What does this tell you? Well what this says to me is, wow, everybody’s in heaven. Mohammed and Buddha, and …
What this says to me then is, John 3:16 really isn’t true, because John 3:16 says, “Whosoever believes in him shall have everlasting life.” But according to these near death experiences, and I’ll show you one more here, this is from near death experiences in the Hindu religion, and Hindus commonly reported figures including Yamraj, the god of the dead, the Yandus his messengers, and teacher Gupta, who consults a book to determine the balance of a person’s positive and negative karma. So for the Hindus, their near death experiences does not reveal Jesus, but it reveals their Hindu religion beliefs. You get what I’m saying? And for Muslims, the same thing.
So guess what, here’s what I’m saying to you. If we’re putting stock in near death experiences, then that means that the Bible actually is in error when it says that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. Does that make sense so far?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: We can’t trust in miracles. By the way, I believe that when a Hindu person dies, and the brainwaves are getting ready to die, and we have a lot of activity going on, they are going to see what they have always believed. You get what I’m saying?
Congregation: Yeah.
Ivor Myers: This is happening just as their brain is becoming starved, and a lot of activity happens in this time, where you are hallucinating, and you think you’re seeing things. You’re actually still alive, but you’re seeing what your belief system is. So, we can’t use these experiences to really know what the Bible actually says, or what is actually truth, because if that were the case, then truth is subjective, and everyone has their different heaven that they go to. I don’t believe that. If you believe in the word of God, then you believe, according to John 3:16, that there is only one path to eternal life. Are you with me so far?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Now, we’re going to take a little test, it’s the dead or alive test. Now, this may be a little hard, but follow along. Jimmy Kimmel.
Congregation: Alive.
Ivor Myers: Very good, very good. John McCain.
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Michael Jackson.
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Abraham Lincoln.
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Aretha Franklin.
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Megyn Kelly.
Congregation: Alive.
Ivor Myers: You guys are very good. Barrack Obama.
Congregation: Alive.
Ivor Myers: Robbin Williams.
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Now, this next person was here before cameras came into existence, so, I don’t have a picture of him, but, Jesus.
Congregation: Alive.
Ivor Myers: I didn’t, Jesus.
Congregation: Alive.
Ivor Myers: Alive. I don’t know if you caught what just happened. Let me go back here, here, let’s stay on it, Robbin Williams.
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Jesus.
Congregation: Alive.
Ivor Myers: If you’re thinking with me, you’re like, “Wait a minute, why do we say that Jesus is alive, naturally, and yet say that Robbin Williams or Abraham Lincoln or whoever else is, is dead?” Watch this, watch this. Abraham Lincoln, well everyone, Abraham Lincoln is-?
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: No question about it, right? But as believers, we believe that Jesus is-?
Congregation: Alive.
Ivor Myers: Alive. So, there’s obviously a difference between being dead and being alive. So, let’s see what that difference is, because this is crucial to understand. Matthew 28:5-7, the Bible says of Jesus that, “The angels answered and said unto the women, ‘Fear not ye, for I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified.'” So, was Jesus dead?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Yeah, Jesus was dead, past tense, was dead. “He was crucified, he is not here, for he is,” what? “Risen, as he said, come see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead, and behold, he go up before you into Galilee, and there shall you see him, lo, I have told you.” So, the bible clearly tells us that Jesus Christ is not dead because he was what?
Congregation: Risen.
Ivor Myers: Risen from the dead. So, the difference between the dead and the living is that, the dead, check this out, this is deep, the living are alive. That sounds pretty profound, right? And the dead are dead. I know, I know, it’s like, “Wait a minute, what are you saying pastor?” But listen, for those who just read from that text, Jesus was dead, he is resurrected, he was dead, he is resurrected, the place where he lay was empty, and you shall see him. Those are the four things that we read in that verse.
So, let’s take a look at this. Was dead, is Abraham Lincoln, was he dead? Is he still dead?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Jesus, was he dead?
Congregation: Yeah.
Ivor Myers: Is he still dead?
Congregation: No.
Ivor Myers: He is alive. How about this, resurrection, Abraham Lincoln, was Abraham Lincoln resurrected? No. Was Jesus resurrected?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Yes. So, we know that Abraham Lincoln, not resurrected, Jesus was resurrected. How about this, the place where he lay, was empty, so, the evidence that Jesus is living is that, he was dead, past tense, he was resurrected, and the place where he lay was empty. The place where he lay was what, everyone?
Congregation: Empty.
Ivor Myers: Which means that his body was not in the grave. So, I have a question for you, if you were to go and dig up Abraham Lincoln’s grave right now, what would you find?
Congregation: Bones.
Ivor Myers: Whatever you find, ashes, bones, whatever, you would find remnants of the body of Abraham Lincoln, which would be evidence that Abraham Lincoln is-
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Dead and not-
Congregation: Alive.
Ivor Myers: Alive. Is this making sense so far?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Are you following so far?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Okay. Number four, you shall see him. Let me ask a question, after Abraham Lincoln died, did anyone see Abraham Lincoln walking around anywhere?
Congregation: No.
Ivor Myers: No, no, no one saw him walking around. But, after Jesus died, did people see him walking around?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Yes, he was seen after he was resurrected. So, we see here that there’s a clear difference between being dead, and being alive. So, we’re going to break these points down one by one. First of all, was dead, Christ was dead. What does it mean to be dead? According to Genesis 2:7, the bible says, “The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,” and man became what? A living soul. So, what does this mean? God, as he’s creating Adam and Eve, the Bible says, he made them out of the dust.
Now, let me ask you a question, when God made man, when God created man in the dust, was man a living being then?
Congregation: No.
Ivor Myers: No, he was not a living being until God what? Breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life, and then he became a living being. Are you with me so far? So, God did not breathe a living thing into Adam. What God did was, when he put his breath into Adam, Adam himself became a living soul. He became a soul. He did not receive a soul, he became a soul. How many souls do we have in here today? Everyone that is alive and breathing should be raising their hand right now, because you are a soul. You are a soul.
Now listen, I know there’s a challenge for some of you because you’re thinking, “No, no, no, wait, that’s not true, because according to Hollywood, we have a soul.” No, Hollywood has it wrong. In Hollywood, the show the person dies, and then this soul comes out of the being. But the bible says that man became a soul, not that he received a soul. Dirt plus breath equals a living soul. You are a soul.
Then we find in Genesis 2:17, God puts this tree in the garden and he says, “But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, though shall not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely,” what, “die.” So God tells Adam and Eve, he says, “Listen, if you eat from this tree, something is going to happen, you are going to surely die.” Well, Adam and Eve had never died before. What in the world does that mean? What does it mean to die? Keep that question in mind.
Just to verify what we’ve said, I want you to notice Job 27:3, it says, “All the while, my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils.” Remember, what did God really breath into Adam? The breath of life. So, the breath of life was what brought man to life, man became a living soul. In Job 33:4, “The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life.” The breath of the Almighty has given me life. Here again, we have basically the bible saying the same thing, it is God’s breath that gives us life.
In Genesis 3:19, after Adam and Eve sin, God comes to them in the garden and he’s about to tell them what death is. Now, I want you to catch this carefully, because God himself is about to tell us what death is. Here’s what he says in Genesis 3:19, he says to Adam, “In a sweat of they face shall though eat bread, till though return,” unto where?
Congregation: Ground.
Ivor Myers: Okay. How do you spell ground? H-E-A-V-E-N? Is that what the text says?
Congregation: No.
Ivor Myers: “In a sweat of they face shall though eat bread, till though return unto heaven.”
Congregation: No.
Ivor Myers: The bible says, “Till you return onto the ground.” So check this out, according to God, it says, “For out of it you were taken, dust you are, and unto dust shall you return.” So, death is a condition in which the person was in, before he or she was created. Now, how many of you remember those days before you were created? You don’t know this? You were like, “Man! I can’t wait to be born.” Anyone have those memories? You don’t have those memories, do you?
Congregation: No.
Ivor Myers: Because, the condition in which you were in before you were created, was a condition of nonexistence. You had no thoughts, you didn’t know things, you had no knowledge of things going on, on the earth. You were not existing. So, God says to Adam and Eve, “Listen, you’re going to die. That means, you are going to return to the condition in which you were in before I created you.” Now listen, never take one verse of the bible, and draw your conclusion from that one verse. Why? Because you have to have other verses that verify what you’re saying. That’s how you study the bible line upon line. That’s how you study the bible by rightly dividing the word of truth.
So, we’ve got to ask ourselves, is this accurate? Can we find other places in the bible that verify what the pastor’s saying? Because by the way, don’t trust any pastor. A lot of pastors say a lot of things, you have to trust the word of God, Amen? You might like a guy, and like how the guy is preaching, and, “Oh man, it was great.” But guess what? A great speaker does not mean that, that speaker’s speaking truth. A great preacher, a great pastor, doesn’t mean that the person’s speaking truth. You must test everything by the word of God.
So, let’s hear Ecclesiastes 12:7 says. It says, “Then shall the dust return to earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Does this verse verify what I was just saying?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Does it tell us that when a person dies, the dust returns to the earth, and the spirit, listen carefully, the breath that God breathed into us, that breathe returns to who?
Congregation: God.
Ivor Myers: To God. Why? Because it came from him. So the body came from where?
Congregation: The ground.
Ivor Myers: The ground, and the breath, now look, your breath is not your mind. You’ve captured what I just said? When I do this, my mind isn’t like, “Hey guys, I’m here, hi.” No, that’s just breathe. This breath, when a person dies, that breathe goes back to God who gave it, but the body goes where?
Congregation: To the ground.
Ivor Myers: To the ground. You return into a state in which you were in before God created you, which is a state of nonexistence. Listen carefully, and I know so many of you think, “Well pastor, what about, what about …?” But just hold on, hold on, I’m coming. Listen, in Job 34:14-15, the bible says, “If he,” that is God, “Set his heart upon men, if he gather unto himself his spirit, and his breath, all flesh shall perish and man shall turn again,” unto what?
Congregation: Dust.
Ivor Myers: Unto dust. See, verse after verse verifies what we’re saying. Listen, the bible says in Psalms 6:5, “For in death, there is no remembrance of thee, in the grave, who shall give thee thanks?” So, what is this verse telling us? Do the dead remember who God is?
Congregation: No.
Ivor Myers: No. The bible says, “In death, there is no remembrance of thee.” It says, “In the grave, no one is giving thanks to God.” Why? Why aren’t people giving thanks to God in the grave? Because Psalms 146:4 says this, “His breath goeth forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” In what day does his thoughts perish?
Congregation: The day he dies.
Ivor Myers: The day that he dies. So, if the bible says that in the very day a person dies his thoughts perish, wait a minute, what about that spirit that I saw, who visited me by my bedside the other night? What about all these people who say that they have had encounters with spirits? Are they lying? No, no, no, they’re not lying. However, please remember what we said earlier, can Satan perform miracles?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Is the purpose of Satan performing miracles to lead you to disregard the plain word of God?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: For example, I’m just going to say this, some of you may be sitting in here right now struggling right now, because you’ve read these verses, and you’re going, “Man! That makes total perfect sense.” However, you are familiar with experiences. You’re familiar with what someone went through or maybe what you yourself went through, and you’re saying, “No, that can’t be untrue, that can’t be untrue.” You’re wrestling with putting the word of God below your experience, you’re wrestling, and I get that. That’s why the Christian is called to trust in the word of God, lean not upon your own understanding, lean not upon your own feelings, trust the word of God. If the word of God says it, believe it.
So listen, Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, some of the most clearest verses in all the scriptures, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.” So, when people are celebrating Halloween, and they’re celebrating the dead, who are, “Oh, the dead, this dead person came to me, and that dead person came to me,” now you can begin to understand why God said do not communicate with the dead. The reason why is because the dead are actually-
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Dead, and the dead know nothing. If the dead know nothing, then that person who your friend or maybe you yourself saw that said, “Hey, you know what, I’m …” Let me tell you something about how Satan works. Satan will cause the worst, like your Uncle Nestor, who used to do everything bad in the world appears to you and he’s like, “I’m in heaven.” You’re like, “What? No. If you’re in heaven, then I know I’m making it.” Satan has a way of deceiving, of leading into error, and I’m telling you, he does this by leading a person to trust feelings over the word of God.
Listen, in Ecclesiastes 9:10, the bible says, ” Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” So, when people claim to have a power to talk, these [inaudible] says, “Hey, you want to know what your dead grandmother is saying, or you want to know what …?” They are not telling the truth according to the word of God. God says they have no knowledge, don’t even seek them, because it is an abomination, according to the word of God.
So check this out, the bible says in 1 Kings 2:10, “So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.” What happened to David, when David died, what does the bible say he did? He slept. So, what is death according to the bible?
Congregation: Sleep.
Ivor Myers: Death is a sleep. When a person is sleeping, they have no knowledge of things going on around them. In John 11:12-14, because some people say, that was the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, things have changed, but listen, Jesus himself speaking of his friend Lazarus who had died, it says, “These things said he unto them, and afterward he said unto them, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. But I go down there and wake him out of sleep. Then said the disciples, ‘Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his,” what?
Congregation: Death.
Ivor Myers: “Death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” So, according to the bible, death is equated to sleep.
Number two, we’ve just discovered what death is, now we’re going to talk about resurrection. The bible says, Jesus says, “In my father’s house, there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” How many of you are looking forward to being where Jesus is? If we’re looking forward to being where Jesus is, how do we get to where Jesus is? According to this verse, how do we get there?
All right, now I’m going to ask the question, I’m not going to ask you to raise your hand, but, how many of you believe that there are people where Jesus is right now? Don’t raise your hand. There are people where Jesus is right now, all right. Please watch this. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” So, where is that place? Heaven. Now [inaudible], what else he says, he says, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will do what? Come again,” hold on, “And receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” What is this text telling us?
He’s coming to take us home. It doesn’t say I go to prepare a place for you, and when I die, I’ll receive you to myself. Is that what it says? No, no, no. He says, “I will come again, in order that you may be where I am.” So, Jesus himself clearly tells us, in order for us to be where he is, he must first come again. That’s what we call the second coming of Jesus Christ. So, now we’ve got an option. We’ve got to think about this, “Wait a minute, is my hope death? Am I saying, I can’t wait to die and be with Jesus, or, is my hope resurrection?” Because I don’t know of anyone who says, “Oh man! I can’t wait to die.” We don’t talk like that. No one is looking forward to death, because why, the bible clearly says that death is an enemy.
Listen, are there verses that tell us that this is so? In Acts 2:4, the bible says, “For David is not ascended into heaven …” Wait, wait, wait, hold on, this is in the book of Acts, this is after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and Peter is speaking here on the day of Pentecost and Peter says, “David,” remember David? The man after God’s own heart? The guy who was like a friend to God? Peter says, “David has not been ascended into heaven.” Why would David not have ascended into heaven? Is David lost? No. Why does David not ascend to heaven? Because Jesus has not yet what? Come back.
So, if David is still in the grave, which means that he has not ascended into heaven, then that means that every other person who is still in the grave, has not yet what?
Congregation: Ascended.
Ivor Myers: Ascended to heaven. Listen, Jesus says this in John 5:25, ” Verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when,” the people in heaven, “Shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” Is that what the text says? The text says, when the who?
Congregation: The dead.
Ivor Myers: The who?
Congregation: The dead.
Ivor Myers: The dead shall do what? Hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. I have a question for you, are the dead living?
Congregation: No.
Ivor Myers: No, because the bible says that they don’t come to life again until they hear the voice of the son of God. When will they hear the voice of the son of God? When Jesus, what? When he comes again. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 says this, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent, or go before them which are asleep.” Which are? Give me another word for that?
Congregation: Dead.
Ivor Myers: Which are dead. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven,” with a what? “A shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” So beloved, I have a question for you, are the dead in Christ in heaven or in the grave?
Congregation: In the grave.
Ivor Myers: They are in the grave just as God said, back in the book of Genesis. He says, when he comes again, then the dead in Christ shall rise, and 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. Listen carefully, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also, so shall they ever be with the Lord.” When are we with the Lord? When Jesus comes again to take is to ever be with them himself. Are you following me? Does this make sense?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Let’s keep going. The bible tells us here, 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.” The bible clearly tells us that death is a sleep, and people are woken out of that sleep, only at the second coming of Jesus Christ, and not before. The dead are in the grave, they know nothing.
Point number three, the second to the last point, remember there were four points, is, Christ had an empty tomb. I’m going to ask you a question, what do you think would have happened to Christianity of the disciples were running around saying Jesus is alive, and then the Romans went to his tomb and found his body? What do you think would have happened to Christianity? Christianity would have ended right there. Why? Because the body of Christ would have been evidence that he was not what? Risen. That he was not in heaven. You could say all you want, “He’s in heaven. He’s in heaven.” No, no, no, no, had the body of Christ been found, it would have been evidence that Christ was dead.
Look, if you want to know if someone’s in heaven now or not, I know this is going to sound funny, and I don’t mean to be funny, but, just go dig up their grave. If you dig up their grave and find a body in the grave, that person is not in heaven. They are in the grave. Because, had the body of Jesus been found, if the body of Jesus could be produced today, Christianity would cease immediately. But, the fact that there was an empty tomb, is also fact that Jesus Christ is not dead, but he is where? In heaven.
I want you to check this out. Do you know that when Jesus died, there were some people that came up out of the grave? I want you to notice this, the bible says in Matthew 27:51, “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
So, when Jesus brought these people back from death, what happened with that? They were bodily resurrected. The only way to come back to life, is to be bodily resurrected, which helps us to understand that the hope for the Christian, is not death, “I can’t wait to die,” it is resurrection. That’s what we look forward to, “I can’t wait for Jesus to come again.” Listen guys, if the dead are in heaven now, what sense would it make for Jesus to return to get them? If we’re saying, “He’s coming to get your body,” “I’m like, “Wait, what? No, no, no. Leave that body right there, just give me a new one in heaven.” I don’t want that old body.
When Jesus comes again, it is because he’s coming to get his saints to be with him. Why? Because they are not with him in death. Those that are in the grave do not praise God, they’re not giving thanks to God. Why? Because the dead know nothing. Why does God do that? Why does God make it so that the dead know nothing? It’s very simple. Can you imagine that if you lived on after you died, and you saw the misery that your family maybe is going through after your death, you can no longer provide for them, you’re dead. Now, your kids begin to be abused, how could heaven be heaven with you watching this abuse from heaven? How could you be in heaven rejoicing, watching suffering and misery on earth?
God says, “No, I’m going to allow you to sleep until I come again. When I come again, I will raise you from the dead, and take you to where I am, that you will be with me. You’re not going to suffer anymore. You have suffered enough in this life, you’ve seen enough, now it’s time to sleep.” You know what’s beautiful about it, when you go to sleep at night, and you wake up in the morning, you don’t say to yourself, “Whoa!” When you sleep and you open your eyes, it’s like no time has passed.
So, don’t think, “Oh man what a thought! I’m going to be in the grave and just waiting there, like, “Man, it sure is taking a long time. Hurry up Lord, come back.” No, no, no, it’s you close your eyes, and the next thing you know, your eyes are open, and it’s literally like the same thing, except, you don’t know that hundreds or thousands of years have passed. Preach.
2 Kings 2:11&17. How many of you know that Elijah went to heaven, the prophet Elijah went to heaven. In fact, you’ll remember that Elijah appeared to Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration, and you say, “Well pastor, what about Elijah?” Well check this out, the bible says, “It came to pass, as they went on still and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder, and Elijah went up by the whirlwind into heaven, and they sought him three days but found him not.” Elijah was bodily, was what everyone, bodily taken to heaven.
What about Moses? In Jude 1:9, the bible says, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” We know that Moses appeared to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration as well, and listen carefully, it’s not because Moses died, and his body was [inaudible] but he went to heaven. Moses was bodily resurrected. Moses and Elijah were both types of people that will be resurrected, or that will be saved when Jesus comes again. Remember, Elijah was translated without seeing death, and Moses died, was buried and will be resurrected.
There will be two groups of people that are saved when Jesus comes again, those who died, were buried and resurrected, the Moses’, and those who will be translated without seeing death, the Elijahs. Does that make sense?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: We’re almost there guys, we are almost done. Two objections that we need to talk about very quickly, because some of you have been saying this all night, absence from the body, present with the Lord, absence from the body, present with the Lord, absence from the body, present with the Lord, I know that verse, right? The bible says here in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Very often, I’ll hear people, well meaning people take this verse and say, “Well despite everything I’ve just read in the bible, this verse trumps every …” Listen, the bible does not operate like that, because if the bible operates like that, the bible is a book that is full of contradiction, and the bible does not contradict. So, we’ve got to say, how is it that this verse, how does this verse really fit in? Well listen carefully, it’s very simple. Paul is saying here, that he would rather be absent from the body, and be present with the Lord. But, he doesn’t say when that happens. He doesn’t say that this happens at death, he doesn’t say that in the text. He just says, “Man! I can’t wait to be absent from this body, and present …”
By the way, how many of you are looking forward to being absent from this body and present with the Lord? We all are. But, Paul doesn’t tell us when that happens, at least in this verse. But, he does tell us some place else. It’s in the same book, but 1 Corinthians 15, and here’s what he says, “Behold, I saw your mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in a twinkle of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised,” how, “Incorruptible, and we shall be changed, for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal, must put on immortality.”
What Paul is telling us here is that, it is at the last trump where we become absent from this corruptible body, and present with an incorruptible body. Did you catch that?
Congregation: Yeah.
Ivor Myers: It happens at the last trump, the last trumpet, I should say. The last trumpet. Listen, the dead don’t go to heaven at death. The dead don’t receive immortality at death. Immortality, look at the verse, when this mortal, what does mortal mean? Subject to death. What does immortal mean? Not subject to death. When does the mortal become immortal? At the last trump. Is the last trump death or is it the second coming of Jesus? The last trump is the second coming of Jesus.
In other words, I’m trying to show you that text after text in the bible, is letting us know why Jesus said, “Do not communicate with the dead,” and the reason is because, you’re not communicating with who you think you’re communicating with. There’s a story in the bible, it’s called the story of Lazarus and the rich man. By the way, let me come back here. So, I’ve heard people say that this text really shows that when a person dies, their body is in the grave, but their spirit is where? Is in heaven. So, you’re absent from the body, the body’s in the grave, but the spirit is in heaven.
Well, check this out. How many of you know the parable of Lazarus, or the story, I should say, of Lazarus and the rich man? In the story, the bible says, there was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and he fed sumptuously every day. The bible says also, there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gates full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs, which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.
The story goes on to say that, this man named Lazarus dies, and is taken to the father’s bosom. The rich man dies also, and is taken to hell. In hell, he sees Abraham and he says, “Send Lazarus to cool my tongue with some water.” Abraham says, “No, you can’t, I can’t send him.” The rich man says, “I have brothers who need to hear this, who are still living. So, go send Lazarus to them.” Then Abraham says, “No, I’m not sending Lazarus.” “Why?” “Because they have the bible. If they don’t listen to the bible, neither will they be convinced, though one rolls from the dead.”
I’ve just summarized that parable for you. Well, let me explain what that parable’s talking about. The man Lazarus in this parable, and it’s a parable by the way. How do we know it’s a parable? Because remember, or let me ask you this, the rich man, some people say, no, he is in hell. So, this is absent from the body, present with the Lord. He’s in hell. So, here’s a question, is the rich man in hell bodily? Did you capture what I just said? Is the rich man in hell bodily?
Because remember, in Psalms 25, when a person dies, their body remains in the grave, but their spirit goes to heaven or hell. Okay, so in this parable, the rich man when he died, the bible says that he was what? Buried. Is that right? Now, do spirits have tongues? Do they have eyes? Do they have fingers? No. According to the story, Lazarus or the rich man, is bodily in hell. Did you catch what I’m saying? This is not a literal event happening, it’s a parable. How do we know this? Because dead people don’t go to Abraham’s belly, number one.
Number two, heaven, and hell are not close enough for those who are in hell to speak to those who are in heaven. Number three, either the rich man is bodily in the grave, or he is bodily in hell. He can’t be both. If he’s bodily in the grave, then there are no eyes for him to lift up and look and see Lazarus. He has no tongue to cool, he has no fingers, Lazarus has no fingers to bring water to his tongue. In other words, this is a parable, and in parables, God is trying to teach a lesson. The question ism what lesson was Jesus trying to teach by this parable? It’s very powerful, let me tell you.
Because the bible says that, Lazarus was a poor man outside the gates of the rich man. The rich man had a table that was just plentiful. Listen carefully, do you know that the Jews in the days of Christ thought that they had everything? Did you know that they looked at Jesus as a poor beggar? Did you know that Jesus died outside the gates of rich man? Did you know when Jesus dies, he was buried, resurrected and taken to the father’s bosom?
Wait? Remember how the rich man said, “Bring someone back from the dead, because if you do, then my brothers will believe.” Do you know what happened? Jesus was brought back from the dead, and even still, the Jewish nation said, we choose not to believe. Jesus was speaking about himself in the parable. This was not a literal thing that was happening. Jesus was saying, “Listen, if you reject the word of God, if you reject the prophets, and the word I sent you, even if I rose from the dead, you still wouldn’t believe me,” and that’s exactly what happened.
Listen, point number four, you shall see him. After Jesus’ resurrection, Luke 24:39 says this, Jesus appears to his disciples, he says, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you have seen me.” He’s saying, I’m real. I have been actually resurrected, touch me.
Listen, the next time someone appears by your bed, this is what I want you to do, first of all, I want you to quote Ecclesiastes 9:5, “The living know that they shall die,” close your eyes and do it, “The living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything, get thee behind me Satan,” because Satan himself is a performer of miracles.
Satan himself wants the world to believe that there are many ways to eternal life, the Buddhists have it, the Hindus have it, Muslims have it, look at their near death experiences, everybody when they die they see their … So you know what, this thing Jesus’ saying about, “I a the way the truth and the life, don’t believe that, because look at the experiences of all these other people, and how can you put your experience as a Christian, over the Muslim’s experience, or the Hindu’s or the new age’s experience?” Do you get what I’m saying?
If you argue only based on experience, “Well, I saw my grandmother,” then what do you say to the Muslim who saw his grandmother? What do you say to the Hindu who’s seeing his grandmother? You have no argument. Jesus is not the only way to eternal life, if that is true. Acts 1:3, the bible says that he showed himself, that he was seen of many people, 40 days he was seen, he was handled, people knew that he was resurrected.
Now, we’ve got about five slides left, so we’re wrapping this up. Revelation 16:13 says this, “I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, for they are spirits of.” What? “Devils working,” what? “Miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” So the bible tells us that spirits of devils work miracles to gather an army of people together against God. Do you believe that one of those miracles would actually be the impersonating of the dead?
That’s why the bible says, “Do not consult with familiar spirits.” What is a familiar spirit? It’s someone that you know, familiar, “Hey, that’s my mom, that’s my dad.” God said, “Do not consult with familiar spirits,” why? Because it’s not who you think it is. The serpent’s first lie in the garden, you shall not surely die. Come on guys, you don’t die, you just carry on in a different state. You continue to live on in a different state. So, new ages have believed this lie. When you die, you become some sort of energy. Hindus, Buddhists, all.
Listen to me, almost every religion on the planet has accepted some form of this lie, when you die, you come back reincarnated as a cow, you don’t really die. The bible is the only book that says, when you die, you die. Beloved, listen to me, if you don’t really die, then everybody has eternal … You catch that? If you don’t really die, if no one really dies, if you just go on in a new state of existence, then everyone has eternal life, and that text which tells us that to those that believe in him, or God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should have everlasting life, that verse is a lie. Because, if no one dies, everyone lives. That was deep.
If no one dies, everyone has eternal life. If death is just a gateway, a friendly path into some new sphere of existence, then we all have eternal life, and the bible is a lie. Satan wants ut to believe that lie, so, he imitates the dead, and he tells us, “Yeah, I’m in heaven, yeah, I saw Buddha, yeah I saw Satan in heaven.” “What? I think I should be okay then.” He’s trying to deceive, if possible, even the very elect.
Listen, in Revelation 20:1, the bible says, “I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were fulfilled.”
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ 1,000 years.”
This text is telling us that there’s coming a time when Jesus returns, that the dead will come to life, and live, and reign with Christ, how long? 1,000 years. Now listen guys, if they reign with Christ 1,000 years, in heaven, it must mean that they all entered into heaven at the same time. Resurrection. The bible says, it goes on to say, “But the rest of the dead live not again until the 1,000 years were finished. This is the first resurrection, blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection, on such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him 1,000 years.”
Check this out, we’re wrapping this up, I promise you. See, I’m putting why slide down, we’re almost finished. Listen, when Jesus comes again, the righteous are resurrected. This is what the bible calls the first resurrection. How do you think they come up? Do they come up in this old body? How do they come up? They come up with immortal life, they come up with no more bumps on their faces, they come up with everything that is theirs, and it’s immortal, it’s perfected, it’s beautiful. The bible says, this is the first resurrection, but then it says, there’s another resurrection happening 1,000 years later, and listen guys, in this resurrection, have you ever heard about a zombie apocalypse?
Because in this resurrection beloved, this is the resurrection of the wicked, and when the wicked come up, guess how they’re coming up? They’re not coming up in glorified bodies, they’re coming up in bodies that went into the grave the same way they came out of the grave. They’re coming up with bodies that are have been ravaged by sin and by death and disease, in other words, this is the real knights of the living dead. The bible tells us that, it is those who will war against God. We don’t have time to cover this now, because we will have another presentation at a later month and later time, but the bible tells us that, the dead who have come to life at the end of the 1,000 years, these are the ones that are going to try and go and war against God, and these are the ones that will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire.
Let me show you the difference between those who come up in the first resurrection, and those who come up in the second, 1,000 years later is this, “Blessed are they that do his,” what? “Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” How many of you want to keep his commandments? If he commands you, don’t communicate with the dead, you think that’s a commandment that we need to keep?
Congregation: Yes.
Ivor Myers: Yeah. Final text, final text, John 14:6, “Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the father but by me.” He is the only way, he is the only way. There is no other way. Jesus says, “Those who believe in me, I will raise them from the dead when I return.” Beloved, I’m looking forward to that. I personally do not want to be part of a zombie apocalypse. I don’t want to come up in the second resurrection looking like what you see on TV. No, I want to come up in that first resurrection. Better yet, I’d like to be translated without seeing death, but either way, either way, I want to be ready when Jesus comes again. Beloved, that’s my appeal to you-