Born Again, the First to Conquer Death.

 

1 Corinthians 15:50 ; "I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable."

 

John 3:13; "No one has ascended into the heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man."

 

Elijah was transported by a fiery chariot and a whirlwind into the heavens where the birds fly to another section of earth. [compare Genesis 1:6-8, 20.]

Although Elijah was seen as he "went up by a whirlwind into heaven," this does NOT mean that he went into the spirit realm.

Elijah is LATER reported as sending a letter of reproof to the king of Judah. 2 Kings 2:11; 2 Chronicles 21:1; 12-15.

 

Jesus' Death was Predicted.

The importance of the prophecy at Isaiah 53 is reinforced when we read in the book of Acts ('penned' by Luke) about the Ethiopian eunuch reading aloud a section of this prophetic writing after Jehovah sent his angel to Philip to approach this Ethiopian. Acts 8:26-39.

 

The Prophecy.

 

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins--- that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave.  Isaiah 53:

7-9. [New Living Translation-Tyndale. ]

 

He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he was a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgement, and who will declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people he was stricken. And they made his grave with the wicked--- but with the rich at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:7-9 [NKJV].

 

He was hard pressed, and he was letting himself be afflicted; yet he would not open his mouth. He was being brought just like a sheep to the slaughtering, and like a ewe that before her shearers has become mute, he also would not open his mouth. Because of restraint and of judgement he was taken away, and who will concern himself even with [the details of] his generation? For he was severed from the land of the living ones. Because of the transgression of my people he had the stroke. And he will make his burial place even with the wicked ones, and with the rich class in his death, despite the fact that he had done no violence and there was no deception in his mouth. Isaiah 53:7-9. [New World Translation]. 

 

So was His Resurrection

 

Daniel 7:13-14: "I kept on beholding in the visions of the night, and, see there! with the clouds of the heavens someone like a son of man happened to be coming, and to the Ancient of Days he gained access, and they brought him up close even before that One. And to him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not be brought to ruin.

 

 

Psalm 110:1-2: The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is, "Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet. The rod of your strength Jehovah will send out of Zion, [saying] "Go subduing in the midst of your enemies."

Hebrew 10:11-18: Also, every priest takes his station from day to day to render public service and to offer the same sacrifices often, as these are at no time able to take sins away completely. But this [man] offered one sacrifice for sins perpetually and sat down at the right hand of God, from then on awaiting until his enemies should be placed as a stool for his feet. For it is by one [sacrificial] offering that he has made those who are being sanctified perfect perpetually. Moreover, the holy spirit also bears witness to us, for after it has said: "'This is the covenant that I shall covenant toward them after those days,' says Jehovah. 'I will put my laws in their hearts, and in their minds I shall write them,'" [it says afterwards] "And I shall by no means call their sins and their lawless deeds to mind anymore." Now where there is forgiveness of sins, there is no longer an offering for sin. 

Please see also Jeremiah 31: 33-34.

 

See also Acts 7:52-56.

 

He has Risen

1 Peter 3: 22 says: He is at God's right hand, for he went his way to heaven; and angels and

authorities and powers were MADE subject to him.

 

1 Peter 3:18 (New Century Version)

¹⁸ Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. His body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit.

 

 

Romans 6:9-10 (King James Version)

 ⁹Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

 ¹⁰For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

 

Romans 8:27-30 (New Century Version)

²⁷ God can see what is in people's hearts. And he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way God wants.

 ²⁸ We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him.^[a] They are the people he called, because that was his plan. ²⁹ God knew them before he made the world, and he chose them to be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn^[b] of many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ God planned for them to be like his Son; and those he planned to be like his Son, he also called; and those he called, he also made right with him; and those he made right, he also glorified.

Footnotes:

1. Romans 8:28 We . . . him. Some Greek copies read "We know that everything works together for good for those who love God."
2. Romans 8:29 firstborn Here this probably means that Christ was the first in God's family to share God's glory.

 

 

 

 

 

Revelelation 20:6: Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.

See also, Phillippians 2: 5-11.