The Spirits of Armageddon, Pt. 2

Announcer: Coming to you from New York City at the historic Manhattan Center with your host, Doug Batchelor. Join this exciting journey of discovery as we learn the truth about Bible prophecy, explore the timeless wisdom of God's Word, and see how it relates to our lives today. Stay tuned, your "Amazing Facts" adventure begins now.

Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends. Welcome back to "Prophecy Odyssey." Have you ever heard someone claim that they had spoken with the dead? It's pretty common, isn't it? But in our last episode we learned that the Bible teaches this sinister practice is forbidden. Today I want to show you from God's Word what actually happens when we die. We'll discover the truth about the immortal soul and see why understanding death is a vital topic that affects your life today.

Before we get started, remember, check out the "Prophecy Odyssey" Bible lessons and our free offer so you can deepen your learning experience. I'll tell you more about how to get those resources later in this program. So now, thank you for watching, and God bless you as you continue your "Prophecy Odyssey" adventure.

Doug: I had a dream one time. When I lived in the mountain, I started reading the Bible, and I dreamed I saw the Coming of Christ and it was so vivid. Jesus was coming from the heavens down for me and it was so exciting. And He was driving a bumper car. How many know what a bumper car from the arcade, you know, they've got--they used to have them at Atlantic City, you know, it's got the electric thing overhead. When I was a kid, for me, the most fun I ever had was driving a bumper car, being able to crash into other cars, unlimited free crashes. For a kid, for a boy, that was heaven. And so, for me, just between me and Jesus, Jesus coming in a bumper car was eternal bliss. Do you think Jesus is coming in a bumper car? No, that's just between me and the Lord.

So, some people may have had near-death experiences, that's between them and Jesus. You do not base your theology on death based on someone's vision. You be if--especially if it contradicts the Word of God, amen? And people say, "Well, I died, and I heard things that only I would know, that angels told me." Or maybe the devil spoke to them. The Bible makes it plain that King David is saved. Y'all know who I'm talking about? There's more than one person in the Bible named Jesus. There's more than one person in the Bible named Moses. There's more than one Saul in the Bible, but you know, the Bible only has one person named David. His name is mentioned over 1000 times. David was the good king. Jesus is the son of David. David killed Goliath, and though he sinned in a big way with Bathsheba and killing Uriah, he repented of his sin. He's forgiven. God said, "David is a man after My own heart. He will be saved."

Now, if anybody's going to go to heaven, David was forgiven, he's going to go to heaven. Are we in agreement? So, what does the Bible say? The Bible makes it plain that King David is saved, so is he in heaven now? Listen to Peter's sermon at Pentecost. This is 40 days after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus doesn't need 40 days to get someone to heaven. Peter said, "Let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both," what? "DEAD and BURIED, and his tomb," there's a picture of it. You could--it's still in Israel today, "is with us to this day." Read in verse 34, Acts chapter 2, "For David did NOT ascend into the heavens."

Now that's as clear as it can be. David is dead, buried, not in heaven, but for David. The Bible says that David died probably congestive heart failure, he couldn't get warm. Some of you remember reading about this as he became an old man, he's about 70 years of age. He lived a hard life, fought many battles, never lost. David never lost a battle. But he got old, and he couldn't get warm and finally it says David slept with his fathers, he died. Now, it's been 3000 years since David died. Does it seem like 3000 years for David? The last thing David knows is he dies, and in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, he wakes up and he gets a glorified young powerful body. He can sing better than ever, and he comes out of his grave and Jesus is coming and he's caught up.

The dead in Christ will rise to meet the Lord in the air, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. But it hasn't happened yet, because you and I live in something called time. We live in a dimension of time. Do you realize God is outside of time? God can go to a million years in the future right away. God can take a prophet down in the past. It happens in the Bible. He takes his prophets forward and He takes his prophets backwards in time. God is not limited by time, but we are, they are not in heaven yet.

So, when someone says that they're your grandma, they're your grandpa, they're--or they're the mother Mary that's come to give you a message. The Bible says that Mary, holy woman, saint, she died probably in Antioch, stayed with the apostle John until she got old and died. She is sleeping along with the other saints in her grave peacefully, no consciousness of time. But the devil is going to use this misunderstanding. People have apparitions of prophets and saints and Mary, and they give messages that may contradict the Bible. What are you going to believe in the last days? I hope it's, "Thus sayeth the Lord."

Number nine: "Isn't it true that the soul is immortal and that only the body dies?" How many of you have heard? Well, you've got an immortal soul to save. Have you heard that before? People sing songs about the immortal soul, and the preachers preach about the immortal soul, and we've got to save people because they're either going to live forever in heaven or they're going to burn forever in hell because you're immortal. No, the Bible says immortality is a gift.

In fact, the Bible says, Ezekiel 18:4: "The soul that SINS will," what? "Die. Can mortal man--" What does Job say man's immortal or mortal? Mortal means you die. "Can mortal man be more righteous than God?" It's actually a statement, it's in the book of Job, I think it's a statement from Elephas. And this--listen to this, New Testament. Paul is speaking. 1 Timothy 6:15-16. If this is not clear, nothing's going to be clear. "The Lord--the King of kings and Lord of lords, who ALONE has immortality," amen? "When Jesus comes--" well, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Question number ten: "When will the righteous be given immortality?" You can read here in 1 Corinthians chapter 15: "We will all be CHANGED--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last TRUMPET," speaking of the resurrection trumpet. "For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be RAISED," how? "Incorruptible, and this mortal," what are we now? We're mortal. Just go to the cemetery, friends, go to the hospital. People get old and die. We're not immortal yet. "This mortal must put on immortality."

Now, you know, the devil is trying to bombard our culture with false information. He has--the devil has got a masterpiece marketing campaign to try to tell everybody that you are immortal now. All you've got to do is look at the "Marvel" movies and it seems like everyone's indestructible. When I was a kid, it was Wiley B. Coyote. He got blown up and ran off a cliff and got killed 50 different ways, but he kept coming back. And so, kids sometimes forget, you know, we don't understand that we are mortal.

We don't understand the value of life, and that it's temporary. We've got a probationary time to know about the Lord, to find Him, and serve Him. You can live forever. You don't need to be afraid of death. We don't talk enough about death. You know, pastors say a few words at a funeral and that's it. But it's the big event that people are facing, and the purpose of this life is to prepare for the life that doesn't end, in heaven. But if you don't have Jesus, "he that has the Son has life; he that has not the Son has not life," amen?

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God. And the DEAD in Christ will RISE first." When does that happen? Shall, it's future tense, it's coming. Number 11: "How does the Bible constantly refer to death? What term does the Bible use?" You look in 2 Samuel 7, verse 12, God said to David, "You will REST with your fathers." The Bible says in Matthew 27: "The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen ASLEEP were raised."

I got to talk about that real quick before I move on. Right there, you've got at the death of Jesus, when Jesus died on the cross, "It was a dark day. He said, 'It is finished.' And there was a great earthquake. And many of the graves of the saints," this is Matthew chapter 27, I'm quoting. "Many of the graves of the saints who slept, their graves were shaken open during that earthquake, and after the resurrection of Jesus, they came out of their graves."

It doesn't say all, it says many. It doesn't say universal; around Jerusalem. It's a local small resurrection where Jesus took a handful of saints, maybe John the Baptist, maybe Isaiah or Jeremiah. They died around Jerusalem. He brought them to heaven as a trophy. But it's a local resurrection. It's not even mentioned by Mark, John, or Luke, just Matthew. A handful of the saints came out of their graves and they went through the city and they witnessed for Jesus to the others that He was the Messiah. When Christ ascended to heaven Sunday morning, they ascended with Him.

So, but what were they doing before that? Sleeping. Isn't that what it said? Look at this. Lazarus, John chapter 11, you know the story. One of the dear friends of Jesus, name is Lazarus. He's sick. And the disciples say, "We've got a message, Jesus." They're up in Galilee, they're up north many miles, and they said, "Your dear friend Lazarus," Jesus used to stay in the house of Martha and Lazarus, brother and sister, younger sister named Mary, in Bethany. And they said, "You should go visit him," and Jesus delays. Several days later they say, "Are we not going? I mean, Jesus, You healed everybody. What about Lazarus?" And Jesus said, "Lazarus is sleeping," and they said, "Oh, well, that's good that he's sleeping, maybe he'll get better," and Jesus said, "No, no, Lazarus is dead." He called it a death. He said, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps," and then He said, "Lazarus is," what? "Dead."

But Jesus had something special planned for Lazarus. He then went from Galilee down to Bethany. Lazarus at this point had been buried and dead for 4 days, and decomposition had already set in. Death is not pretty. The Bible says: "Ashes to ashes and dust to dust." And so Jesus goes, He says, "Let Me go to the tomb." And Jesus tells Martha, He says, "Your brother will live again." You know what Martha says? She says, "Lord, I know he will live again in the resurrection in the last day." Jesus said, "No, I got something special planned for your brother. Let Me go to the tomb," and everybody comes, they say, "Oh, Jesus has gone to cry at Lazarus's tomb," and he's in a cave, something like the tomb Jesus is later buried in.

There's a stone covering the mouth of this cave. And Jesus is there, and a number of the Jews and the family have gathered and Jesus said, "Roll away the stone." And Martha goes, "Uh, Lord, that's not a good idea. He's been dead 4 days and it's going to smell really bad." He said, "Didn't I tell you if you would trust Me?" She says, "Do what He says." So, some strong men got some levers there and they rolled away this massive stone and they could probably have the vapors come out and assault their senses. And then Jesus prayed a simple prayer, and He said, "Lazarus, come forth." And everybody held their breath and all of a sudden there was a stirring sound that came from within that tomb, and this individual came hobbling out because he's still bound up something like a mummery--a mummy, and Jesus said, "Loose him," let him go, unwrap him.

Now, the last thing Lazarus knew, he had a terrible fever, and he went unconscious and he wakes up and all of a sudden he's all wrapped up like the mummy. And he's stumbling out into the light, squinting, and they unwrapped him and he's alive.

Now think about this, friends. There are about a dozen resurrections in the Bible. You've got the daughter of Jairus. You got where Paul resurrects Eutychus. Peter resurrects Dorcas. Jesus resurrects the little girl, Tabitha. Elijah resurrects a boy. Elisha resurrects the Shunammite's son. You add them up; there's about a dozen resurrections in the Bible.

If there was someone dead for 4 days today, they're dead and they're buried. We know they're dead, they're clinically pronounced dead. They're decomposing. And then all of a sudden with witnesses watching, they are resurrected. Every news agency in the country would send their reporters and they would shove their microphone in the face and the first question they'd ask is, "What did you see? What was it like? Where did you go?" What did Lazarus say? Nothing. Why? Because Solomon said, "The living know they'll die, but the dead know nothing."

Not one person who's resurrected in the Bible ever makes a single comment on what they experienced in death. Because death is the absence of all life. They're dead until the resurrection when Jesus comes, they're sleeping, and that ought to give you peace, because, let's face it, some of us know some people that died and we're not so sure they're going to make it. I find comfort in knowing that right now, they're sleeping. They're not feeling any pain, they're not being judged. There's a great Judgment Day coming, we're talking about that tomorrow, and you don't want to miss that, but they're sleeping. Again, look at 1 Thessalonians 4:14: "Even so God will bring with Him those who," do what? "They SLEEP in Jesus."

Number 12: "Why does Satan want us to believe that the spirits of the dead are really alive and they can communicate?" Answer: "Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die.'" What was the first lie that was ever told? Who was inspiring the serpent? The devil. God said to Eve, "You're mortal. You sin; you'll die. Do not eat the forbidden tree." The devil said, "God's lying to you. You're immortal, you will not really die. You'll live forever in heaven or you'll live forever in hell, but you're immortal, you cannot die." And you know what? Most of the world, including many Christians, believe the devil instead of the Bible. How sad, because the devil's going to use that in the last days to deceive.

Now I know--I want to say this with compassion. I know there are people who are watching, you're listening, and you're thinking, "You know, I lost my grandma, my spouse, a child." I've lost everybody in my personal family: my mother, my father, my grandparents; lost a son. And I know death is painful. It is very permanent, it's very painful, so I don't want to be insensitive, and you may have felt their presence. You may have thought that they were guiding you, you may have thought that they were speaking to you and, you know, God could have used angels to guide you, and you misunderstood.

And sometimes it can be the devil guiding you, you don't know, but you've got to be very careful about thinking that you're getting messages from the dead. Because the Bible says in the most certain terms, we should not listen to those diabolical voices. Matthew chapter 24, verse 24, Jesus said, "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great SIGNS."

You know what some of those signs can be? Counterfeit resurrections of Bible characters that they're communicating with, that'll be giving messages and, you know, there's folks out there, they never read their Bible but, oh, if a ghost talks to them, they'll believe it, right?

Everyone watch all the ghost movies, programs, dial 1-800, give your credit card. I remember a few years ago they had this program, you could dial 1-800, you could talk to a medium, a prophet, psychic. How many of you remember? Yeah, did you call? If you called them, I didn't do it, but I got a friend. He called one of these numbers 1-800 and talked to a psychic. First thing they said is, "Can we please have your credit card number?" And he said, "Well, if you're a prophet, you tell me my credit card number. Then I know I can believe you," amen? "False christs and false prophets will rise and show great SIGNS and wonders and DECEIVE, if possible, even the very ELECT."

How convincing will the last day deceptions be? So convincing that even the very elect, God's people, are going to go, "Wow, that's convincing." But we're not going to go by what we see, we're not going to go by what we feel, we're not going to go by what's popular, or even what leaders might say because the kings of the earth will be deceived. We're going to say, "Here's what the Word of God says. I'm standing on the Word of God."

There's a storm coming, friends. Jesus said there's a storm coming. The storm comes to a wise man and the storm comes to the fool. The wise man has a house, and the fool has a house. You know what the difference is between the wise man and the fool? They both have storms. They both have houses. "The wise man is one who hears the words of mine and does them. The fool builds on the sand. He's listening to other voices." Build on the rock of God's unchanging Word is the only way for us to be safe, friends, amen? 2 Corinthians 11, verse 13: "For Satan himself," Paul tells us, "transforms himself into an angel of light." He's going to even impersonate Christ. He can impersonate angels. The devil knows how to appear and he'll quote the Bible. We--didn't he quote the Bible to Jesus when He was tempted? "Therefore it is no marvel if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."

Number 13: "How effective will Satan's use of these evil spirits be in the last days?" Answer? "That serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives," how much? "The WHOLE world." Now, friends, I tell you, I've traveled all over the world. And I've found, and I know something about the religious beliefs of people all over the world. I'm very interested, it's my, you know, number one study is to find out what people believe. I believe the Bible, but I'm interested, I want to know how to reach people, and I can tell you about Islam, I can tell you about Hinduism, I can tell you about yoga, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. I can tell you about a lot of ancestor worship in Africa. I can tell you about a lot of the different religions.

You know, virtually every one of these religions believes that you can communicate with the dead and the dead communicate with you. The Bible says the dead don't know anything. They are dead. Are there spiritual voices out there giving messages? Yes, the devil was cast out of heaven. He drew one third of the stars with him. Satan and his angels.

Now there are 8 billion people in the world, and everybody's got a guardian angel. There are billions of good angels. There are probably billions of bad ones too. Satan's come down with great power to deceive. You can read in Revelation chapter 18, verse 2, speaking of Babylon. That's the corrupt power. "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become the dwelling place of," what? "Demons and a prison for EVERY foul SPIRIT." God's got good angels and there are bad angels out there, and they deceive, and it says: "By your sorceries ALL of the nations," how many nations?

Friends, the whole world is going to be caught up in this deception. You've come to this seminar or you're watching right now and this is a divine appointment. God does not want you to be deceived because He loves you, amen? He wants you to understand this subject so that you're not taken by surprise. How?

Number 14: "How does God regard these miracles by evil angels?" I was walking down the street to the hotel. This is right around the corner. I hope you don't go looking for the place. If you look really closely at that picture, you know, I didn't realize Karen was standing there, in the picture, under the word "astrology." It almost looks like the spirit of Mrs. Batchelor was in the picture. So, I'm sorry, dear, but that's just her reflection. It was not an apparition. But just if you think that this is not relevant, this is right around the corner from where I'm staying. Astrology and you look down there, they got tarot cards, and they've got we're going to read your palm and there's people out front and you know what? There are people in business suits from Wall Street, you think they're educated, they go to these places to get guidance, and you think, "I thought that that would just sort of be for, you know, the rabble of society," but there are leaders.

Revelation says: "The kings of the earth are deceived," like King Saul and others that are consulting. And you know, I can understand some of these people in positions of leadership are overwhelmed. Do you know that Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, she consulted mediums and she finally went mad. She was grieving because she lost two kids while she was in the White House and then, of course, all the death from the Civil War and she began to consult mediums and eventually she--the devils took a hold of her and her son had to commit her to an asylum.

People in high positions have great pressures and they're looking for answers and some of them think they're going to get their answers from the spirit realm. It's going to happen in the last days. "Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.' Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God," 1 Corinthians 15, verse 33 and verse 34. Paul tells us, 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 1, "Some," even in the church, Paul is writing to the church. "Some will DEPART from the FAITH, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." People say, "Well, I know what the Bible says, but an angel appeared to me and told me something different." It might have been an angel, but not a good one. Ephesians 5:11: "We have no fellowship with the UNFRUITFUL works of DARKNESS."

You know, we've got October around the corner and all you've got to do is go into the stores right now and they got Halloween everywhere, right? Now I think it's good for Christians to celebrate Thanksgiving. Boy, if there's a holiday we should celebrate, praise God. And if you want to remember the birth of Jesus, it's in the Bible. If you want to remember the resurrection of Jesus, it's in the Bible, but I'll tell you one thing I don't get involved in, is Halloween. When they say that everyone's talking about the dead and consulting with the dead, and I have no dealings with the unfruitful works of darkness. "The works of the flesh are evident, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry," and what does it say? "SORCERY." "Sorcerers will have their part."

This is a revelation seminar, right? We're talking about prophecy. Revelation 21: "Sorcerers will have their part in the lake that burns with FIRE and brimstone, which is the second death." Friends, we should not have anything to do with those things.

Now, I don't want this to be a negative heavy message, but I want you to know the truth. Did you learn something tonight? We're talking about life and death, but I want you to emphasize life. Jesus wants you to have eternal life.

Question number 15: "What glorious power does God offer to His people?" It says: "That I might know Him and the power of His RESURRECTION." Friends, do you know the Lord? He wants you to know the power of His Resurrection.

Doug: Friends, I hope you've been blessed by today's presentation, but the most important thing is not the information and the details, it's the relationship. Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? You're watching because He's planned that, and He wants to come into your heart and change your life. He wants to forgive you of all of your sins. He died for your sins, but you need to ask Him. He won't force His way in. You can ask Him now. He loves you, He'll accept you. Do it right now.

Doug: Hi, friends. I trust you're being blessed by what you're watching. If you want to be doubly blessed, then you're going to want to get the "Prophecy Odyssey" study guides that go along with these presentations. There's 15 study guides. They're beautifully illustrated, and they will greatly enhance your Bible comprehension. So, if you'd like to get them, simply follow the instructions that you see on the screen. You will be glad you did.

Doug: Hello, again. Today we've learned what the Bible really says about the subject of death, to help you avoid the devil's deceptions. But there's much more to discover, so I hope that you'll request "Spirits of the Dead," our booklet that helps uncover the real truth about the afterlife. To get your copy, simply follow the instructions on the screen, and we'll send it to you quickly and free of charge.

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