My Bible Studies and Comments, Let The Dead Bury Their Dead

My Bible Studies and Comments

Let The Dead Bury Their Dead

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People make up excuses, (or give a reason for), about anything they may or may not want to do. They'll sometimes use what's called a euphemism, in stating their reason. According to Webster's dictionary a euphemism means, "To use a less direct word or phrase for one considered more offensive". An example may be, someone asked you to help them on Friday morning at 10:00. You, not wanting to help and also not wanting to flatly say no, fearing you may offend that person, may give an excuse that may, or may not, be true. You might say something like, I've already obligated myself from 9:00 am till 4:00 pm on Friday. Just to make sure that person knows that he or she can't depend on you for help. After all, that person can't read your mind and he or she will never know that you just made up that little story. The two of you will continue to be friends and all is well. You might be thinking, what does this have to do with the Bible? Well, Jesus taught some good lessons on this very thing.

Luke 9:57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Verses 57 thru 62 gives us three descriptions of how many, probably most, re-act to Jesus. The same, I think, is true today. Excuses Excuses. For this study I'll use only the first two.

This man wants to follow Jesus so bad. Right up front, Jesus lets him know what's in store if he does.

Luke 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

The Bible doesn't state whether this man followed or not. He gave no excuse. I assume he followed Christ.

Luke 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Allow me to go bury my father? What kind of an answer is that? Or better yet what kind of excuse is that? Note, Jesus asked this man to follow Him.

See Luke 9:59 parallel column in E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible for explanation. Which is, "A euphemism for declining an invitation, as the Jews buried within twenty-four hours and didn't leave the house for ten days". ..... I guess a polite way of saying no.

I've read and heard a few different opinions about what this meant, but I tend to agree with Mr. Bullinger.

Luke 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

If it appears to you that Jesus is rather harsh here, keep in mind that Jesus knew the thoughts of everyone.

Example:
Mat 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

There're many verses in the Bible that indicate Jesus has the ability to know the thoughts of our minds? I chose this one for no particular reason, other than it just simply makes that statement. But why did Jesus state, "Let the dead bury their dead"? Is there a deeper meaning? The word dead in both occasions in the above verse have the same meaning.

DEAD 3498. nekros, nek-ros'; from an appar. prim. nekus (a corpse); dead (lit. or fig.; also as noun):--dead.

Sixty three, (63), times the words it is written is in the new Testament, eighteen, (18), of which were stated by Jesus. Seven, (7), times in seven verses, Jesus states have ye not read? Well, just maybe there's more written about this statement Jesus made, "Let the dead bury their dead." Maybe we just haven't read it in such a way to get a greater meaning.

1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1 Cor 15:52 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.

1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

There shall come a time when all flesh will cease to exist. At the last trump. I feel this is described pretty well in the book of Zechariah.

Zec 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

Zec 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Just below in Ezekiel 39 we'll read of this battle.

Zec 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Another battle the LORD fought? Past tense? When He fought? Maybe at Satan's rebellion in Revelation 12:3-4. Read also in Jeremiah 4:19-28, for what I feel is a description of God's destruction of the first earth age, at Satan's rebellion.

Zec 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Zec 14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Now who's fighting this battle? God Himself. The LORD is here. He has returned. This is the final battle in the flesh age. Read all of Zechariah for more details.

Read all of Ezekiel 38 and 39 for even more details of this final battle. The one that God fights. I'm just going to insert the last part of chapter 39 where I feel it describes the dead are burying the dead. Before I do that let's look at four more verses which I feel describes why there's no flesh left after this battle.

1 Cor 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1 Cor 15:52 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.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Here Christ takes possession of the kingdoms of this world. This will be the last day of this flesh age and the beginning of the one thousand year reign of Christ. If the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of God, all flesh and blood must be done away with. So at the coming of Christ all flesh must cease to exist.

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The Mystery, (or secret), of God should be finished? Finished? Is it over? The mystery, (or secret), is over.

1 Cor 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Now back to the dead burying their dead:
The next three verses, especially the third one, let's us know that the LORD is here. He has returned. He is present.

Ezek 38:18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.

Ezek 38:19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

Ezek 38:20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

Ezek 39:8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

Saith who? The Lord God!

A couple of places where God spoke of this day:
Job 21:30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

Job 38:22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
Job 38:23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

After the battle:
Ezek 39:9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:

Burn, (or destroy), the weapons man has built while in the flesh? Seven years it will take? Think of all the different type of weapons in the world today, the 21st. century. Nuclear, chemical, and conventional.

Ezek 39:10 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezek 39:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.

Ezek 39:12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.

Ezek 39:13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezek 39:14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.

Ezek 39:15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.

Ezek 39:16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.

A repeat from above:
1 Cor 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1 Cor 15:52 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.

Here Christ takes possession of the kingdoms of this world. This will be the last day of this flesh age and the beginning of the one thousand year reign of Christ. If the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of God, all flesh and blood must be done away with. So at the coming of Christ all flesh must cease to exist.

Currently there's over 6.7 billion people on the earth, not including animal life. Early in the Bible God predicts a destruction to all flesh life on planet earth.

Gen 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

God did not destroy all mankind, beast, creeping thing, or birds, at Noah's flood. That's obvious because we're all still here. But when the last, (or seventh trump), sounds, He will. Then will that prophecy be completely fulfilled. When that takes place who's left to bury the dead? Certainly no one in the flesh. Just because all have been changed into spiritual bodies at the last trump, doesn't mean that all have overcome. I feel some will overcome during the one thousand year reign of Christ while others wont. Until they do overcome, I'll call these two groups not only flesh dead, but spiritually dead as well. These spiritually dead, I feel will bury the bones of all the flesh dead. Cleanse the earth.

Remember, Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead. Since one corpse, can't bury another corpse, how's this going to happen? Could Jesus have been predicting this future event and could it mean that the day would come when the spiritually dead would be burying their own bones? I'm not saying this is exactly how it'll be, but something similar has to take place. I don't think God's going to leave this planet littered with 6.7 billion sets of bones.

Jesus made the following statement:
Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

While being crucified, Jesus reminded us that It, His crucifixion, was foretold.

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

God didn't forsake Jesus. He states in His word that He'll never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus was quoting scripture. Reminding us that It is written. Where is it written? Psalms 22. Check it out. It starts with the words, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" It goes on to describe in detail the things Jesus endured at His crucifixion.

I tend to think our first two jobs in the spirit, (during the 1,000 year reign of Christ), will be to destroy all flesh man's weapons of war and then what's left of flesh man himself. After all, we're certainly not going to be needing either. Again, I'm not saying this is exactly how it'll be, I'm just putting my thoughts, along with some scriptures, in writing. Maybe this is just another thing Jesus was foretelling us. Then again, maybe not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks, for allowing me, to share this with you. Remember, to always, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

In His Word,
Art Porter

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