Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 3 * PART 4 * BOOK 82
THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST – 4
Daniel 12:13
Okay, good to have everybody back for our fourth program. And again, I just have to constantly thank our T.V. audience, as well as all of you in here, for supporting us. My, next month would make 19 years since we’ve been on T.V. That’s just unbelievable, isn’t it, Honey? We vowed up and down that it would never go more than six months. But we didn’t know what the Lord had in mind, did we? But anyway, we appreciate you all so much and love you with all our heart.
All right, in this lesson we’re going to wind up our study on the Book of Daniel and the revelations of Daniel chapter 12. And I like to remind you that we are in Book 82, finishing it up today. That means we have now completed 984 half-hour programs. That’s a lot of talking, believe me. Anyway, Revelation chapter 20 is where I want to start. I want you to see one term back here before we go back to Daniel for a moment, and that is in verse 5.
Revelation 20:5-6a
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6. Blessed and holy is he who hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death(That is the Lake of Fire, Hell.) shall have no power,…”
Now then, there’s nothing to indicate that that’s going to be one immediate resurrection. But all three parts—I’m going to go back to my little field on the board. All these segments of resurrection: the firstfruits that we saw in the first half hour, then the main harvest that we saw in the next half hour, as well as the gleanings which are the Old Testament and the Tribulation saints (they make up the smaller percentage). That completes, then, the first resurrection.
All right, we’re going to look at it again, briefly, and then we’re going to look at the resurrection of the lost—which, of course, won’t happen until after the thousand-year Kingdom-rule is finished. So, come back with me momentarily, again, so we can officially end our study in the Book of Daniel chapter 12. Again, this will be the last of the first resurrection. The firstfruits, then the Rapture of the Church, then the gleanings, and then we’ll go into the Kingdom. Then at the end of the Kingdom, they’ll have the resurrection of the lost.
But all right, back to Daniel chapter 12 to finish it up in total now. In verse 10, again, where we started at one o’clock this afternoon:
Daniel 12:10-11
“Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. (And then here’s the timing.) 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, (Which we understand from Daniel, as well as from the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24, that’ll be in the mid-point of the seven years.) and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be twelve hundred and ninety days.” Which is an extra 30 days, but we also know there will be a total of an extra seventy-five days added. All right, now verse 12.
Daniel 12:12-13
“Blessed is he who waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty five days (Or 1,260 plus 75. Now He tells Daniel–) 13. But go thy way until the end be: for thou shalt rest, (In other words, he’s going to die physically, and his soul and spirit are in the presence of the Lord, just like all the rest of the believers of time gone by. What the Lord is really saying, is when these seventy-five days have finished, even though it goes into the Kingdom–) thou shall rest, and shalt stand in thy lot at the end of the (those seventy-five) days.”
So, that’s where I time the resurrection of the Old Testament saints, as well as the Tribulation saints who will be martyred. They will be the gleanings and corners in the first resurrection.
Now, let’s back up for a little bit to Daniel chapter 2, and see why I have no problem with these extra 75 days. Now, some people try to twist this all into something else. I’ve read more ideas that you can imagine. But I have no problem just leaving it the way the Scripture describes it, because of Daniel chapter 2 when Nebuchadnezzar saw the image of this huge human likeness; which, of course, was gold and silver and brass and iron and clay. It was a depiction of the coming Gentile empires. All right, let’s read over them quickly. I think we’ve got plenty of time. Verse 31 again:
Daniel 2:31-33
“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. (the likeness of a man) This great image, whose brightness was excellent, (Another translation says frightening.) stood before thee; and the form thereof was (again) terrible (or frightening). 32. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.” Now verse 34, he tells the king.
Daniel 2:34a
“Thou sawest (this huge image of all these metals until–) till that a stone was cut out without hands, (Which was a reference to an act of God.) which struck the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.” Which we feel, now, is a depiction of a revived Roman Empire that I feel is coming together in Western Europe. It will strike this image on the feet, which would be the empire primarily augmenting the anti-Christ and his power. All right, read on.
Daniel 2:35a
“Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold,…” In other words, from the feet right on through the body image going to the head of gold, will be all ground up under this huge stone. Or, if you want a picture: a steamroller that just rolls over this huge statue which depicted all the Gentile empires. And that’s the coming of Christ. That’s the steamroller. That’s “the stone cut out without hands.”
Daniel 2:35b
“…broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors;…”
And now here are the 75 days as I understand Scripture. And in these 75 days, from the Second Coming until the Resurrection of the Old Testament saints, the Kingdom becomes full flower.
Daniel 2:35c
“…like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: (In other words, that’s going to be the total destruction of all the empires of this materialistic world. They will disappear through the crushing judgment of those final three-and-a-half years.) and the stone (which is the second coming of Christ) the stone that smote the image (and crushed all vestiges of those Gentile empires) became a great kingdom and filled the whole earth.”
Now, that is the end, then, of the Tribulation. The end of all the resurrection of believers, and the Kingdom begins. Now, we’ve covered a lot in the last several programs on the Kingdom. So, I’m not going to spend any more time on that. But now, let’s pick up the lost. We can’t forget the lost, because after all, that’s the greatest majority of the human race.
Come up with me now to John’s Gospel chapter 5. Now, I would just as soon ignore this. I would love to be a Universalist. I could rest easier if I knew that loved ones who may have been lost and are in eternal doom—it would be a comfort to feel that one day they will still make it. But, beloved, that’s not what the Book teaches. It’s just not true.
All right, John’s Gospel chapter 5 verse 28, if you’ve got a red-letter edition, it’s in red. It’s the Lord Jesus Himself speaking. And He says:
John 5:28a
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming,…” Now, it’s just like when the Old Testament says “Thus saith the LORD!” How have I been putting it over the last several months? When our Bible says, “Thus saith the Lord,” or such and such will happen, it is going to happen! Don’t ever think for a minute God is going to change His mind about something and that it won’t happen. If it’s in prophecy, it has to happen.
You know, that’s been just pressed on me more than ever the last few months. Prophecy has to be fulfilled, or this Book is worth nothing. Now, let me just give you one example. Judas had to betray the Lord. He had to, even though it wasn’t that God made him to do it. Judas had to betray the Lord, because it was prophesied. The Book of Psalms said that one of His own would betray Him. So, it had to happen. And it’s true of anything that’s been prophesied. It has to happen. All right, now here’s another one. The Lord Himself is saying it.
John 5:28b
“…that all that are in the graves will hear His voice.” Saved and lost. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is one general event. We’ve already seen that even the first resurrection is divided into three separate resurrections, but they make up the first. All right, now the second death, which Revelation spoke of, is this one. So, all the lost as well as the saved–
John 5:29
“And shall come forth; (Now He separates them.) they who have done good, (people of faith, they will come–) unto the resurrection of life; (That’s the first resurrection, which we have just covered in the last three programs. Now come the lost, or the rest of the human race that are lost.) and they who have done evil, unto the resurrection of condemnation.” Those who had no faith, regardless of how much wickedness they accomplished—that’s not the point. They were without faith.
You remember when we were way back in the Old Testament twenty years ago, I always liked to use Jacob and Esau. What was the difference? I wouldn’t doubt that Esau was probably a better kid to get along with than Jacob was. But what was the difference in those two boys? Jacob had a little faith, and Esau had none.
All the way through Scripture, those who had faith, regardless of how much righteousness they may have exhibited, were people of God. If they had no faith—like Esau, Ishmael, Cain, and others throughout the Old Testament—regardless of how much or how little wickedness they accomplished, they’re lost, because faith is always the key. I can’t emphasize that enough. It’s not what manner of works we’ve done, it’s our faith that God looks for, and then everything else follows.
And the same way with the lost—it isn’t how much wickedness he’s accomplished. It’s the fact that he never exercised faith. He never agreed with what God said to do. So, they’re lost. Oh, Hell’s going to be full of good people. Believe me. It’s going to be full of some of the best of people, because they never gave any concern to the Word of God. All right, now read on.
John 5:29b
“…they who have done evil, unto the resurrection of condemnation.” So, they’re going to be brought out of that place of torment that you see expressed in Luke 16, where the rich man was. You remember, he was suffering in the flame. Well, that’s where the dead have been going ever since, until they’re resurrected out of that place of torment. Now, let’s pick them up in the Book of Revelation.
Come all the way up to Revelation chapter 20. We’ve come through the whole seven years of Tribulation. We’ve come through the thousand years of the Kingdom and now Revelation 20 verse 7.
Revelation 20:7
“And when the thousand years are expired, (They’ve finished. They’ve run their course.) Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” Now the question comes in constantly, why?–when God has got that—whatever you want to call him—locked up. He hasn’t deceived anybody for a thousand years. It was Heaven-on-earth. Why let him out? Well, it’s a good question that I have to answer.
You want to remember, the thousand years is another time of testing. It’s another dispensation. Not quite as simple as in the Garden. Because there Adam and Eve only had one thing to deal with, and what was it? The tree. Do not eat of that tree and they’d be fine. That was their testing. But they failed their test. They ate.
All right, now for a thousand years the test has been to be loyal to the King. Be obedient to the King. And there was nobody to test them otherwise. There was nothing to tell them—why, go ahead and do otherwise. There was nobody whispering behind their back—well, try something. No, none of that. Only Satan can do that.
So, in order to test all these new generations that have been born from believing parents up front—they’ve never had to make a decision for or against. And that’s been the whole human criteria, you know. We either choose for God, or choose against Him. It’s always choice.
All right, now for all these new generations, there’s been no way of testing their choice. So, God has to bring Satan back to give them the alternative. And what do you suppose Satan tempts them with? Well, go back to the Garden. Let’s go back, I think we’ve got time. Come back to Genesis—because, see, Satan never changes his tactics either. Genesis chapter 3 and let’s take it from the beginning.
Genesis 3:1a
“Now the serpent (Now that wasn’t Satan, yet. But it was the instrument that Satan chose to use, and here’s why. Because it–) was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” In other words, Satan chose the best of all possibilities, and it was the serpent. If you want to look up the word subtle sometime, get a good dictionary. I haven’t done it now for a long time, but there’s a list of words that long describing subtle. And they’re all good. To be subtle means that you are intelligent, and you are cunning—all these things that the serpent was. And that’s what Satan chose.
Genesis 3:1b-3
“And he said (Satan using the serpent) unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Well, that God didn’t say. But God did say they were not to eat of it. All right, now the serpent comes back in verse 4.
Genesis 3:4-5a
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (What’s he already doing? Feeding the big lie, because God said they would. But the serpent says, no, you won’t.) 5. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as (What?) gods,…” Now what does that do to people? Do you know that almost every famous totalitarian dictator, before he leaves planet Earth, what is he convinced of? That he’s a god. We’re almost seeing it again today, aren’t we? They get that mental complex that they’re some kind of a god.
Well, you see, that’s what appeals to the human nature. All right, now if you’ll come back with me to Revelation chapter 20, verse 8. Now remember what the temptation was to Eve.
Revelation 20:8
“And (Satan) shall go out (across the planet.) to deceive the nations…” Now you’ve got to remember, there’s going to be billions of people, again. Because you’ve had a thousand years of no sickness, no death, and multiple childbirths. It’s going to be a population explosion like the world has never known.
All right, so you’re going to have these billions of people now, having begun with believers up front. But all these new generations of children have never had to choose for or against God. All right, so Satan comes back, and what does he do? He goes out, “to deceive.” The big lie.
Revelation 20:8
“Satan goes out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, (in other words, the whole planet) Gog and Magog, (Everything, and he’s going to–) to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” For what purpose? To defeat the King, because they’re following him in rebellion. They are now following the big lie that they’re going to be gods in their own right, and they don’t need the God that’s King. So, it’s a total rebellion under Satan’s leadership.
All right, verse 9, now look at this—the foolishness of human beings. And, oh, listen, they’re ordinary humans. They’re all going to come out of flesh and blood, saved parents who are going to survive the Tribulation. We’ve covered all that in past programs. They’re going to come out with all the intelligence that anybody else could have. Yet, they’re going to fall for Satan’s lie that they can become gods. Instead of being under the King, they can be above Him. That’s the lie.
Revelation 20:9
“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: (Jerusalem—but this time God doesn’t show mercy and grace. This time God comes down in instant judgment.) and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Bingo! That whole multiplied billions of people are instantly off the scene. All right, then verse 10:
Revelation 20:10
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire (Satan finally gets there.) he’s cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast (the anti-Christ) and the false prophet are, (Now, they’ve been there a thousand years, so they’re not annihilated like some groups try to teach. They are still there. Then the Scripture goes on to say they’ll be there forever.) and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
All right, now let’s keep on going. These are not pretty verses, but we have to teach them. Verse 11:
Revelation 20:11
“And I saw a great white throne, (Somewhere out in space, we don’t know where this is going to take place. God alone knows.) And I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, (Which is Christ Himself.) from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
Now, you know I’ve taught in days gone by that I feel this whole universe will be pulled back into the Creator that flung it out in the first place. And in that interval of time, while there is no real universe, no multitude of stars, just a blackness of empty space—someplace in there, there’s going to be this Great White Throne. Now, don’t worry about the believers. God’s taken care of them someplace else.
Revelation 20:12a
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;…” Now, this is why I started with John 5. How are they going to stand unless they have a resurrected body? But they will have. They’re going to be resurrected out of their place of torment, and given a body to stand before this Great White Throne over which Christ is now, not the Savior, but the Judge. They’re going to stand before Him.
Revelation 20:12b
“…and the books were opened: (See, God’s going to be fair. He’s going to do everything intricately and explicitly. He doesn’t cut corners. He opens the books.) and another book was opened, which is the book of life: (To show them their name is not there.) and the dead (of all the ages from Adam to the end of the thousand-year Kingdom) all the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” In other words, the record of their daily experience.
Now, let’s see what we mean by that. Come back with me to Matthew. Matthew chapter 9—thought it was. Go over to chapter 10. I don’t see the one I wanted in chapter 9. All got it? Verse 15. Matthew 10 verse 15:
Matthew 10:15
“Verily I say unto you, (Now, this is Jesus speaking. And remember, He’s the Creator. He’s the Great White Throne Judge.) I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah(with their wicked behavior) it’ll be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, (That is the Great White Throne of Revelation 20.) than for that city.”
Matthew 10:16a
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents,…” And so forth. All right, now let’s come over to chapter 11. That’s where it was. I thought it was 9 and 10, but it’s 10 and 11. Now, come to chapter 11 verse 20. Again, it’s Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Matthew 11:20-23a
“Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: (They didn’t pay a nickel’s worth of time to all of His miracles and preaching and what have you. And here’s His response.) 21. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, (His miracles) which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, (which were wicked Roman cities on the Mediterranean seacoast) had my miracles been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented… 22. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23. And thou, Capernaum, who are exalted unto heaven,…”
So, they’re going to be judged according to their works.