Wallace G. Smith

[The text below represents an edited transcript of the TV version of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

What Happens When Unbelievers Die?

A cold hard fact of life is that the vast majority of humanity has lived and died without ever accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior—in fact, most of them without ever hearing His name spoken aloud. For many, this fact is more than a statistic, as they agonize with concerns about a dead loved one, unsure of their fate in the hereafter.

Yet the true answer concerning the fate of the unsaved is far more joyous and hopeful than almost anyone understands!

You need the hope of your Bible’s answer to the question of where the unsaved go when they die. Stay tuned.

How to Understand God’s Plan of Salvation

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible.

The question we’ll tackle today has been a source of needless doubt, heartbreak, and hopelessness for many over the centuries: Where do the unsaved go when they die?

The answer to this question is one of the most hopeful and profound truths of the Bible. So today we are offering a free study guide to anyone who requests it, so they can study the topic themselves in their own Bibles. The title is Is This the Only Day of Salvation? and you’ll want to keep an eye on your screen for the information you need to get your own free copy.

In Acts chapter 4, we read of an exchange between the Apostle Peter and angry Jewish religious leaders who were upset that he’d just healed a man in the name of Christ. Let’s read it, beginning in verse 10.

Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. … Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:10–12).

Billions of People Never Knew Anything About Jesus Christ

But causes a problem, doesn’t it? Because of the billions of human beings who have ever lived, relatively few have ever heard of Jesus Christ and His message.

Now let’s set aside for the moment the fact that most people who believe they have “accepted Christ” have not actually accepted Him at all, but have fallen for what the Apostle Paul called “another Jesus” and a “different gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:4). Again, let’s set that aside and be as generous as we can for the sake of this discussion.

Today, Christianity is just about as big as it’s ever been. For the more than 8 billion people currently on planet earth, a little less than a third, between 2 and 2½ billion, consider themselves any sort of “Christian.”

And if we go back to the beginning of Christianity around 2,000 years ago, population scientists estimate that as many as 65 BILLION people have been born in those two millennia (“How Many People Have Ever Lived on Earth?” Population Reference Bureau, November 15, 2022)—the vast majority of whom have never been any sort of “Christian.” In fact, most of mankind throughout history has been “unsaved” and never even heard the name of Jesus Christ, let alone His message.

So, what happened to them?

It isn’t just a question about cold statistics. Many have agonized over the fate of their loved ones, and others have been turned off of the Bible, believing the God of Scripture to be cruel and capricious.

Frankly, it’s a question I personally wrestled with as a young man. I asked everyone I knew and respected—my parents, my grandmother, my pastor—even my geometry teacher!

They all had answers, but the answers never completely fit the Bible.

I heard that God might ignore that some people hadn’t had an opportunity to accept Christ for forgiveness and would just save them anyway. But that didn’t fit Peter’s words in Acts 4, and it seemed to make Christ’s sacrifice unnecessary. And I knew that wasn’t the case, since Romans 3:23 said that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Jesus Christ Spoke of a Future “Day of Judgment”

Some suggested that maybe God foreknew that those who never heard the Gospel would not have accepted it anyway, so He didn’t bother to send it to them. But that doesn’t even match Jesus’ own testimony. For instance, look in Matthew 11, starting in verse 20.

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:20–24).

Note that Jesus says clearly if the people in Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom were given the same opportunities that his audience had been given, then they would have repented before they died.

It all started to make God seem so unfair. Yet passages such as Acts 10:34 and Romans 2:11 made clear that God is very fair and “shows no partiality.”

Well, then maybe God just didn’t care! Yet, Scripture, too, contradicted this. 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God “desires ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

So, maybe it meant that God was simply not powerful enough to save most people. But the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, declares the sovereign God to be the Almighty, calling Him in Revelation 19:6 “the Lord God OMNIPOTENT!”

With so many billions dying “unsaved” who never had even a chance to be forgiven of their sins, it can move us to ask as Abraham once did,

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25).

Our Hope Is in the Resurrection

But the good news is that there IS an answer! And the Bible’s truth about what happens to the unsaved when they die is a beautiful source of joy, comfort, and hope that everyone needs to understand.

In the rest of our program, we’ll explain four key biblical facts that will lay out for you the answer to the question of what happens to the unsaved when they die.

But before that, let me give you a brief opportunity to request today’s free offer, Is This the Only Day of Salvation? With this free study guide, you will be able to sit down with your Bible and see the hope-filled truth with your own eyes and in the pages of your own Bible.

One of our Tomorrow’s World magazine subscribers from Texas ordered this booklet and wrote to us to express her thanks:

My prayers were answered when my blinders were taken off by the power of God through your literature. I have just finished reading your publication, Is This the Only Day of Salvation? I often wondered about the unsaved but could not find any answer that I knew in my heart to be true. Now, I know.

You need to know, too. Here’s the information you need to get your own free copy, and I’ll be right back to look at the four facts that explain the fate of the unsaved.

1. All of the Dead Are Awaiting Resurrection

Welcome back! Today, we’re explaining the true fate of the unsaved when they die. And the key to understanding the hope-filled answer lies in grasping four biblical facts.

Fact #1: All who have died—saved and unsaved—await a resurrection.

Most think that, once you die, your immortal soul either flies off to heaven and bliss if you’re saved or plunges into the depths of hell and torments if you’re not. But this isn’t the case.

Of all humans who have ever lived, Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:16 that the only one who has immortality at this time is Jesus Christ. Instead, the consistent teaching of the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments, is that we are mortal, and that after we die, we await a resurrection from the dead.

Again, don’t just believe me—believe your Bible.

The Apostle Paul Did Not Say His Hope Was to Go to Heaven

When Paul was challenged on multiple occasions, he didn’t say that his hope lay in going to heaven one day. Read for yourself in Acts 24:15.

I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

He refers to the resurrection as his hope in Acts 23:6, as well, and he discusses it in many other passages. As we’ll see, he even devotes much of 1 Corinthians 15 to describing the resurrection, a future time when Christians will finally “put on immortality.”

Frankly, the focus of mainstream Christianity on “going to heaven” or “going to hell” is simply NOT the focus of the Bible, the Apostles, or Jesus Christ and the Church He founded. God’s word consistently points us to the resurrection from the dead as our hope and focus.

My colleague here on Tomorrow’s World, Gerald Weston, recently dived into that topic in depth on his program “When You Die—Then What?” You can find that program on our website at TomorrowsWorld.org or on our YouTube channel.

So, the short answer to today’s question about where the unsaved go when they die is that—according to the Bible—the unsaved are awaiting a resurrection from the dead, just like the saved are. But that’s where things get very interesting.

2. The First Resurrection Is for Faithful Christians

Fact #2: Faithful Christians will rise in the First Resurrection.

As already mentioned, we read of this resurrection of the righteous in many places. For instance, let’s look at one of my favorite passages in 1 Thessalonians and chapter 4.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

It’s interesting how many seek to comfort the grieving by speaking of their loved ones in heaven, when the Bible itself says that it is the resurrection of the dead at Christ’s return that should be our source of comfort. But that’s another discussion for another time.

This resurrection of the righteous dead is spoken of in great detail, as well, in 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul writes that the faithful are given “spiritual bod[ies]” (v. 44) of “glory” and “power” (v. 43) it takes place at “the last trumpet” (v. 52) when Christ returns.

The Apostle John says in 1 John 3 that at the resurrection when Jesus Christ “is revealed” (v. 2) we will finally see Him “as He is” (v. 2), in glory, and we “shall be like Him” (v. 2).

The First Resurrection Happens Before the Millennium

Honestly, there are too many beautiful verses related to that resurrection for us to recount now. But one passage is particularly vital for our purposes today. We find it in Revelation 20, where the beginning of Jesus’ reign with the glorified saints is described. Let’s read verse 4.

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4).

That thousand years is the Millennium that begins with Jesus’ return to earth. Here we are told that the glorified, resurrected Christians will reign with Him for those thousand years.

A Later Resurrection Happens After the Millennium

But note the next verse:

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5).

Note that! The resurrection of faithful Christians is only the first resurrection. A “first” implies at the very least a “second!” And indeed, the verse says that “the rest of the dead”—that is, those who were not saved—“did not live again until the thousand years were finished.”

So there is a later resurrection of those who were not Christians in this life, taking place 1,000 years after the first resurrection.

God highlights this timing in many ways in Scripture, though few read carefully enough to notice—or else are so caught up in their own preconceived ideas that they don’t read the Bible for what it truly says.

My friends, we are on the verge of answering today’s question about the fate of the unsaved—right in the pages of your Bible. We only need two more points to complete the whole picture.

Before we continue, allow me to pause very briefly to give you an opportunity to request your own in-depth, free study guide on today’s topic—titled Is This the Only Day of Salvation?

Thousands of people have already felt the comfort and joy that comes with having their fears for their loved ones lifted and replaced with hopeful anticipation. Don’t miss out on experiencing that joy for yourself.

Order your copy right now, and I’ll be right back to explain, in detail, the fate of the unsaved.

3. The Second Resurrection Is for the Rest of Humanity—Unbelievers

Welcome back! Our last point left us on the very edge of revealing what happens to the unsaved after they die. Let’s jump right back in, with our next fact.

Fact #3: Those who died in ignorance will rise in the second resurrection.

Again, this second resurrection was implied in Revelation 20 and verse 5. In fact, let’s read verse 5 again, along with verse 6.

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years (Revelation 20:5–6).

Now, this passage is focused on the first resurrection, but reading it carefully tells us a great deal about the second resurrection.

Details About the Second Resurrection

For instance, it highlights that the second death has no power over those in the first resurrection. That implies that those who rise in the second resurrection, at the end of the 1,000 years are still mortal—given physical bodies once again, just as they had in this life.

Later in the same chapter, we read even more about this resurrection of the unsaved to physical life.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works (Revelation 20:11–13).

There is so much here to unpack. Let’s take a closer look, but let me highlight again that today’s free resource dives into all of this with so much more detail.

But for now, we’ll have to move quickly.

The Dead Will Be Judged by Their Works and by the Bible—After the Second Resurrection

Notice that the passage says that “books were opened” (Revelation 20:12) and the works they then did were judged by what was written in the books.

Well, by what books are Christians judged in this life? The books of the Bible! And the Greek word for “books” in Revelation 20 and verse 12 is biblion, the Bible!

Just as 1 Peter 4:17 and James 2:12 say that Christians are in a time of judgment now, those in the second resurrection will have entered a time of judgment, as well.

God Is Fair

Note, too, that it says that the “books were opened” (Revelation 20:12). This is important, because the books of the Bible are not open to everyone in this life. In John 6:44, Jesus is plain that no one can “come to [Him] unless the Father … draws him.” And when God does call someone, He opens the Scriptures to their understanding—just as He did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus and with His apostles (Luke 24).

In this life, God calls people to follow His Son and opens the Bible to their understanding. And Revelation 20 describes this same process happening with the unsaved in the second resurrection.

The Great White Throne Judgment: God Will Open the Book of Life for All—After the Second Resurrection

And verse 12 adds: “another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.”

Now, keep in mind, everyone whose name had been written in the Book of Life had already been resurrected in the first resurrection—the resurrection of the faithful. The only reason for the Book of Life to be opened again in the second resurrection is for more names to be written in.

My friends, God truly is fair! Everyone who has ever lived will have an opportunity to have his or her mind opened and to learn the truth.

Those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ and had His life-saving message opened to them in this life will have that opportunity.

Understanding this beautiful truth answers other mysteries, as well.

The World Will No Longer Be Blinded

For instance, in the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul laments that his fellow Jews and Israelites were refusing to accept the Gospel and that God had “blinded” them, “given them a spirit of stupor” (Romans 11:7–8), so that they would not understand.

Every day around him, his fellow Jews were dying—unsaved, unable to see that their own Savior had come in their day.

Yet, rather than despair, Paul states in Romans 11:30–31 that those who have in his day “now been disobedient” will eventually “obtain mercy,” explaining:

For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all (Romans 11:32).

Surrounded by Israelites dying daily without accepting the Gospel, Paul says confidently in Romans 11:26, “And so ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED!”

How could he be so boldly confident? Because he understood that there was a future resurrection to come for those God was not calling today.

The Second Resurrection Is Back to Physical Life

In fact, Paul had likely read about that physical resurrection many times, just as you can in Ezekiel 37. There, God gives Ezekiel a vision of a valley of dry bones and describes restoring dead sinners to physical life of bone, sinew, and flesh, so that He can put His Spirit in them and they can learn His ways (Ezekiel 37:7–14).

God describes these physically restored people as “the whole house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:11)—or just as Paul said in Romans, “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

And the Israelites are not alone in the second resurrection. Jesus Christ plainly says in Matthew 12:41–42 that Gentiles, too, such as the men of Nineveh and the queen of the South will “rise up in the judgment WITH this generation” of Jews.

No one will be left out. What a glorious time that judgment period to come will be!

But it is not yet the end of the story. We will see the whole conclusion of the matter in our last segment.

But first, let me take one final opportunity to encourage you to request today’s free literature: Is This the Only Day of Salvation?

My friends, this topic is too important for you NOT to prove it for yourself. This booklet, Is This the Only Day of Salvation?, dispels the myths woven by modern Christianity with the light of God’s word, and replaces despair and confusion with joy and hope.

Get your free copy right now, and I’ll be right back to give you God’s word on the conclusion of His great and merciful plan.

4. After the First and Second Resurrections Is the Lake of Fire for the Unrepentant

We’ve seen that God is fair, and He will give everyone who’s ever lived a real opportunity to have their minds opened to know His truth and to commit to His Son. But God will not rob us of our free will, and He will not force anyone to choose life over death.

And the implication in Scripture is clear that some will not accept obedience to Jesus Christ, and will choose to remain wicked, disobedient, and in rebellion against their Creator.

That brings us to fact #4: After the first and second resurrections, the incorrigibly wicked are destroyed in the Lake of Fire.

Let’s turn to Revelation 20 again and see what takes place after the second resurrection and the Great White Throne Judgment period. We’ll see it described in verses 14 and 15.

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15).

Yes, the incorrigibly wicked who refuse to repent will be burned up, cast alive into the lake of fire, where they will be destroyed and made ashes under the feet of the righteous, as the Lord of Hosts says in Malachi 4:3.

At that point, with His Family grown to an innumerable multitude to include ALL who are willing to accept the lordship of Jesus Christ, and the incorrigibly wicked utterly destroyed forever in eternal death, the plan of God will be complete. And the saved will step into the rest of eternity, enjoying all of existence—physical and spiritual—as their inheritance alongside Jesus Christ and their loving Father, in the Family of God, forever.

No, the countless billions of unsaved in this life who never had their mind opened by God to the truth of Jesus Christ are NOT lost forever.

God really is fair. He will give everyone a real, true opportunity to embrace or reject His offer of salvation.

He is not capricious. He is not random. And he is not weak.

He is fair. He is merciful. And He is the Omnipotent God who reigns supreme—and who profoundly loves EVERY human being He has created.

And with Him, no one falls through the cracks.

Our short question may have had a long answer. But it’s a beautiful answer. And it’s the answer from God’s inspired word.

I hope you won’t fail to get your own copy of today’s free offer, Is This the Only Day of Salvation?, so you can truly PROVE this beautiful truth about the second resurrection for yourself.

And I hope you’ll come back next time! When you do, Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Rod McNair, and I will be right here waiting for you, ready to share the truths of God’s word, the warnings of end-time prophecy, and the hope of Jesus Christ’s Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Until then, take care.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of the television version of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Why Is Reading Bible Prophecy Important?

The Christian Bible holds the Guinness World Record of best-selling book in the world (“Best-selling book,” GuinessWorldRecords.com). Many homes in the Western world have at least one Bible on their bookshelves, and many of them have more than one. But how many people actually read them? And even of those who do, how many read Bible prophecy?

Prophecy makes up a quarter of God’s revealed word, yet for many it is the most neglected part of Scripture.

My friends, we don’t want you to fall into that trap, because God wants you to dive into the prophecies He inspired to be recorded for you to understand.

Join us on this episode of Tomorrow’s World where we explain why you need Bible prophecy.

Avoiding Bible Prophecy Neglects More Than 25% of Scripture

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World. Today, we’re going to help you understand why you need Bible prophecy.

We’ll also be offering you one of our most popular free DVDs, The Power of Prophecy. This DVD contains four programs that are designed to help you finally begin to understand the prophecies that fill God’s word. Like everything we offer on Tomorrow’s World, there’s no cost to you whatsoever. So, be sure to keep an eye on your screen for the information you need to get your own free copy.

Now, before we begin, I need to be very clear. Today, I am speaking specifically of Bible prophecy. History is filled with so-called prophets who claimed to tell the future—men like Edgar Cayce or Nostradamus. History has not been too kind to such claims. The same could be said for the weird predictions concerning the year 2012—a weird “end of the world” prediction based on drug-induced, misinterpreted Mayan concepts that did more to sell crackpot books and movie tickets than it did about telling the future.

Bible prophecy is important—so much so that God has filled His own word with it. So it should not be a surprise that the Devil has counterfeited true Bible prophecy and the biblical prophets in countless ways.

But you don’t need the counterfeit—you need the truth! And that’s what I am focusing on today: Real Bible prophecy.

And let’s be honest: Have you ever tried to read Bible prophecy and found it intimidating?

With all of its symbols and visions of harlots and monsters and statues, or talk of antichrists, the fall of empires, heavenly signs—it can seem a bit much.

When I was a young teenager, I remember reading the book of Revelation and reading about the seven-headed beast with ten horns. I told my late grandmother about what I thought it meant—which was completely wrong, by the way—and she looked at me kindly and told me with a gentle smile, “You know, we tend to stay away from that book of the Bible.”

Now, I am definitely not here to speak ill about my grandmother on a television program broadcast around the world. I loved her very much. But for all her wisdom and experience, she had simply never had anyone explain to her the blessings that reading and understanding prophecy can bring into our lives—and the purposes for which God inspired it in the first place.

Think about what avoiding prophecy meant for her—and for you and me.

Between one-fourth and one-third of your Bible is prophecy. Imagine ignoring every fourth word or every fourth chapter. If anyone else demanded that we rip out 30 percent of the pages of our Bible, we would be crying out about censorship and totalitarianism.

When Jesus was about to begin His ministry, He was tempted by Satan, and in response, Jesus made an important statement that we need to listen to today—in Matthew 4:4.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.”

Note that “every word” means every word, not two out of three, or three out of four.

Jesus Christ Commands Us to Live by Every Word of God

In fact, Christ is plain that He wants His followers reading the prophecies he inspired, in both the Old and New Testaments. In Revelation 19:10, we’re told that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy,” and the very beginning of the book of Revelation, the very first verse of the very first chapter, tells us that Christ revealed the contents of that book under God’s instructions “to show His servants—things which must shortly take place.”

Blessings Come from Hearing Bible Prophecy

And in Revelation 1:3, God gives us a promise:

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

Who doesn’t want to receive God’s blessings? God doesn’t waste words, and He inspired Bible prophecy for good reason. Over the rest of today’s program, we’re going to outline four reasons God inspired prophecy. When you see the truth of each, you understand why it is such a vital part of the Bible, and why you need to dive into it yourself.

But before we look at the first reason, I want to give you the opportunity to receive a free DVD that will help you understand the prophecies of the Bible. The Power of Prophecy is one of our most popular free resources, with four Tomorrow’s World programs that answer a host of vital questions about Bible prophecy, including:

• What is the mysterious beast of Revelation?
• What are the five keys to understanding prophecy?
• What are the six greatest perils facing the United States?
• What does the Bible say about the future of the EU, Russia, China, Iran, and other nations?
• How can I personally prepare for what is to come and protect my family?
• How can I escape the Great Tribulation?

Unlocking Bible prophecy to your understanding will help the pages of Scripture come to life in a way they never have before. Request your free copy of The Power of Prophecy, and I will be right back to begin explaining why God has inspired prophecies in the pages of your Bible.

Point #1: Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent to avoid punishment

Welcome back! Today, we’re helping you understand why you need Bible prophecy. And the key is understanding why God inspired it in your Bible in the first place. We’re looking at four reasons, and here is the first: Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent so they can avoid punishment.

When the Apostle Peter wrapped up the first inspired sermon of the New Testament Church, he told the gathered crowds,

“Be saved from this perverse generation” (Acts 2:40).

My friends, look around you at the world today and tell me—honestly—if you don’t think that his words apply even more powerfully today—almost 2,000 years later—than they did in his day?

Our world is failing because of sin—breaking God’s laws

You can see it, can’t you? The world is coming apart at the seams. Something is terribly wrong with civilization, and while many people claim they know the way to fix it, none of them are saying what truly needs to be said: The world is dying due to sin, the breaking of God’s righteous law. In fact, as we highlight frequently on this program and in our free Tomorrow’s World magazine, some of those nations that have been blessed the most by God are the very nations that are leading the way in breaking God’s law, and teaching others to do so.

One major consequence of sin will be the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord

That path will lead those nations, and eventually the entire world, into the most horrific time mankind has ever known: The Great Tribulation, followed by the Day of the Lord. We read of the times prophesied to come in Matthew chapter 24, beginning in verse 21.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21).

Note: Jesus says “no flesh” would be saved if God did not intervene. While the punishment for unrepentant sin will begin, frankly, in the United States, Great Britain, and other British-descended nations, it will eventually engulf the entire world, threatening the existence of every living thing.

But God the Father and Jesus Christ make a way of escape available.

God wants all people to repent and turn away from sin

In Ezekiel 33:11, God tells us that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Instead, He warns us about what is coming so that we will repent, so that we will stop sinning and accept the opportunity for escape.

Turn earlier in the book of Ezekiel and read His passionate words to Israel—words that I assure you are meant for nations and peoples today. Read them in Ezekiel 18:30.

“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

Today’s free DVD, The Power of Prophecy, teaches that understanding how God describes modern nations in the ancient words of the Bible is a fundamental key to understanding prophecy. And, believe it or not, modern nations such as the United States, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, Germany, France, China, Russia, and, yes, the modern state of Israel, as well as many others, are identifiable in Bible prophecy.

And when you understand what Bible prophecy says is coming upon our nations, and how their sins will be visited upon them, then you understand why all of us here at Tomorrow’s World refuse to cease crying aloud and sparing not in declaring those sins and encouraging the world to turn from its sins, embrace its Savior, Jesus Christ, and find escape from the times to come. For repentance is the only means of escape, and prophecy makes this fact plain. Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent so they can avoid punishment.

My friends, that means you and me, too. If you want to escape the punishments coming upon this world, then you need to stop sinning and breaking God’s commands and turn to Jesus Christ in repentant obedience.

Point #2: Bible prophecy encourages people in captivity to repent

However, we must see the world not as we want it to be, but as it really is. God certainly does. And the fact is that, sadly, most will not repent and change. In fact, many of you watching may not choose to turn from your sins. Most will go into punishment and into captivity. Then, the second reason God inspired prophecy in the pages of Scripture kicks in: Bible prophecy encourages those in captivity to repent.

Like punishment from a loving parent, God’s punishment isn’t harsh just for the sake of being harsh. He hopes individuals will repent before punishment arrives. And even after punishment has come, He continues to hope they will repent. And prophecy plays a role in that, too.

We see this purpose for prophecy reflected in passages such as Deuteronomy 4. Yes, Deuteronomy was written to ancient Israel long ago. But today’s free DVD, The Power of Prophecy, will explain why its words have meaning for many modern nations today. And in those words, God inspires Moses to explain to Israel about the punishment they will receive for their sins, and how they can still choose to change. We see this starting in verse 27.

And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them (Deuteronomy 4:27–31).

It is our sincere hope that many if not all of you listening will repent, turn to God with all your heart, and sincerely commit your lives to obeying Him. But for those who do not and who find themselves under the soon-coming punishment of the Great Tribulation, then we hope these words of Deuteronomy 4 will come to mind—that you will remember that the times you are experiencing were prophesied and came about exactly as the Bible said they would. And that you will at that time turn to God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Cry out to Him in those times! And if you turn to Jesus Christ in your captivity with a whole heart, committed to obeying Him, then He will hear you.

Yes, the second reason God inspired prophecies in the pages of your Bibles is that Bible prophecy encourages those in captivity to repent.

Well, so far, the reasons for Bible prophecy we’ve covered have been a bit of a downer! The next reason we will cover will visit the other extreme, as we see that prophecy also brings us the greatest hope in all of human history—a hope you need in your life!

We’ll cover that in a moment—but first, let me pause to remind you how to get your free DVD, “The Power of Prophecy.” This collection of four Tomorrow’s World programs is a must-have for anyone who has been confused or intimidated by prophecy before but who longs to understand it. God inspired prophecy to be understood! Don’t regret missing out on the life-changing information in this DVD. Order yours now, and I’ll be right back to explain the great hope of mankind that is revealed in the words of Bible prophecy.

Point #3: Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God

So far, we’ve seen that God uses prophecy to warn nations to repent and escape punishment, and He uses it to inspire those who do not repent to turn to Him in the midst of their punishment.

The third reason for Bible prophecy highlights the irony of Christians who say that you don’t need to pay attention to prophecy, because it illustrates why prophecy is at the heart of the message Jesus Christ came to preach.

The third reason is that Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.

Too many think Jesus Christ only came to tell people how they can be forgiven of their sins. And, yes, the forgiveness of sins is a source of joy and cause for praise! But that is only one facet of a larger message God sent His Son to preach. We read of that message in Mark 1:14–15.

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

That Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to be established at the return of Jesus Christ is one of the most hope-filled and life-transforming messages you can ever hope to comprehend.

And focusing as it does on future events, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is inherently a prophetic message. In fact, many prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments POINT US to different, hopeful details of that Kingdom’s reign! For instance:

• Revelation 20 speaks of the 1,000-year removal of Satan the Devil and proclaims that glorified, faithful Christians will reign alongside Jesus Christ during that time.
• Zechariah 14 explains how all the nations of the world will assemble in Jerusalem each year for the joyous Feast of Tabernacles.
• Isaiah 35 tells of the transformed and beautified earth, and the healing of all who are blind, deaf, and unable to walk.
• Zechariah 8 tells of how small children will be safe to play in the streets.

If you are a longtime viewer or a subscriber to the Tomorrow’s World magazine, then you know the many prophecies of the Kingdom of God are a special focus of this ministry. God has commissioned us to preach the Gospel of Christ’s coming Kingdom—and we do.

And you need the hope that comes from understanding about that Kingdom. That’s why you need Bible prophecy. There is a reason the Apostle Peter called the prophetic reign of Jesus Christ the “restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is a prophetic message, and if you are ignoring the prophecies of your Bible, then you are ignoring the beautiful descriptions of tomorrow’s world that the Almighty inspired in the pages of Scripture to fill you with a hope and longing for that soon-coming world.

Again, Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.

Point #4: Bible prophecy demonstrates God’s total sovereignty and power

A fourth, vital reason for prophecy is that Bible prophecy demonstrates God’s total sovereignty and power.

And in a world like today’s, in which every week seems to bring news of more upheaval, chaos, and heartbreak, we need a reminder that our loving Creator is truly in control.

God points to this purpose of prophecy in Isaiah chapter 46, beginning in verse 9.

“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it” (Isaiah 46:9–11).

Many of you are familiar with my friend and longtime Tomorrow’s World presenter Richard Ames. He loves to emphasize a vital truth that he summarizes in three simple words: “GOD REIGNS SUPREME.” And if any of you knew Richard Ames personally, then you know he lived his life in the light of those words!

God uses prophecy to help teach you that truth and to make it that much more real in your heart and your mind—in your life. Bible prophecy teaches us that God is faithful and can be trusted. It reveals that all of human history, from the beginning to the end, is simply the unfolding of His plan for mankind—and it reveals that plan.

When we trust God, then even in our hardships, we can have faith that He is in charge and is working all things to our good, as we’re told in Romans 8:28. It is that trust in God’s power to fulfill His purpose that moved the Apostle Paul, in all his hardships to begin his letter to Titus in this way:

Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began… (Titus 1:1–2).

Only the Creator has the ability to declare the end from the beginning and to guarantee it will be so. And such a Creator is not only worthy of our love and worship, He is also worthy of our trust. Prophecy helps to remind us that He has total sovereignty and power, and we can trust Him with our lives.

God Shows Your Life’s Purpose With Prophecy

When we put these four purposes of prophecy together, we see that Bible prophecy is not just some academic pursuit or some “fortunetelling” game in which we try to predict the future and see if it turns out the way we thought. You need prophecy because there is a purpose God intends to work in your life. We’ll discuss that purpose in the conclusion of our program.

First, let me take advantage of this last break to encourage you to order today’s free DVD, “The Power of Prophecy.” We don’t just want you to understand that prophecy is important. We want you to UNDERSTAND PROPHECY. This free DVD will help get you on your way. One of the four messages on this DVD is “Five Keys to Understanding Prophecy,” and it will begin to explain how to take the often intimidating symbols and messages of Bible prophecy and make their meaning plain. It’s time to stop avoiding prophecy and, instead, dive into the deep end. This DVD, “The Power of Prophecy,” will help you get started. Order your copy now, and I’ll be right back to help us see what all of this should mean.

Prophecy is meant to change your life—for the better

Today, we’ve discussed four reasons God inspires prophecy in the pages of your Bible.

1. Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent so they can avoid punishment.
2. Bible prophecy encourages those in captivity to repent.
3. Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.
4. Bible prophecy demonstrates God’s total sovereignty and power.

When you think about these reasons, it’s plain that God doesn’t intend prophecy to be some sort of academic exercise or just some sort of secret code we have to crack to know what the future holds. Rather, God is using prophecy to produce an impact in your life. He seeks to change your life and draw you closer to Him—to bring you more in line with His purpose for your life.

God intends prophecy to move you to repent—to change your ways day by day, turning from sin and disobedience to His laws, and turning to repentance, embracing the rulership of His Son, Jesus Christ. Whether we do this before punishment comes our way, or even in the midst of that punishment, a transformed life is what He seeks to achieve with His inspired prophecies.

Bible prophecy reveals hope for your future

And with prophecy, God gives form to our hope for the future. By pointing us, in prophecy, to our future roles in His Kingdom—as glorified children of God, helping Jesus Christ to beautify this world and serve others by helping them to understand the ways of God more fully—God gives us a goal that gives meaning to our lives. As Christ says in Matthew 6:33, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”—and prophecy helps to make that Kingdom real to us, painting a beautiful and detailed picture of tomorrow’s world that helps us to envision the world He longs to build alongside us.

Finally, when life gets difficult, and we pass through trial and hardship, it is prophecy that reminds us that God is great and good, and that in all things He reigns supreme in the heavens—that no matter our current circumstances, the end of all things is in His hands, and we can rest assured that He is in control.

My friends, you need what God wants to place within your life through the words of prophecy He has inspired in the pages of His Bible. And if you are ready for what He longs to give you, today’s free DVD will be a great place for you to start. I hope you will order your copy today.

And I hope you will come back next time! When you do, Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Rod McNair, and I will be right here waiting for you—ready to share with you the teachings of Jesus Christ, the powerful hope of the Kingdom of God, and the end-time prophecies of your Bible and their meaning. Until then, take care.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Who Do You Think Jesus Is?

Ask five different people about Jesus Christ and you’ll likely get five different opinions. However, one question sits at the heart of the religion that bears His name: Is Jesus God?

And today, we’re going to answer that question. Don’t go away!

Overwhelming Historical Evidence That Jesus Christ Was a Real Person

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you to make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible. We’re glad you’re here, and today’s question is one of the most important questions you could ever ask: Is Jesus God?

This question about Jesus is important. Estimates indicate around 2.4 billion people in the world claim Christianity as their religion—almost half-a-billion more than claim Islam and more than a billion more than claim Hinduism. Yet, even as almost one-third of the planet claims a religion centered on the person of Jesus Christ, many of those same people disagree on exactly who He really was.

For some, even some claiming to be Christian, Jesus was simply a man—a Jewish teacher in the first century, who just happened to have an outsized impact on world culture. The late Shelby Spong, a bishop in the Episcopal Church, was quite famous for his stance that Jesus was not actually God, was not born from a virgin, and was never resurrected.

Other religions claiming to be Christian teach different things about Jesus’ divinity. Some teach that Jesus was a created being, like the angels. Some identify Him with the archangel Michael. Others claim that Jesus and the Devil were brothers in the past. And others, further, claim that Jesus and the Father are the very same person, and not two separate divine persons, at all.

Outside of nominal Christianity, ideas vary, as well. Some religions consider Jesus to have been a holy man, or wise guru, or even a prophet, but not truly divine in the way God is divine. Others consider Him a manifestation of God, like an avatar, or some sort of ascended master in the manner of new age teachings.

And then, there are those who don’t think He ever existed—as if He were a figment of the imagination, or a fiction created in the first century to form the basis of a new religion.

Perhaps we should tackle this question first, in the event some of you have been infected by this pernicious lie.

There is abundant evidence that Jesus of Nazareth did, indeed, exist. Even if we treat the New Testament not as Scripture, but as a mere human product of history, just like Homer’s Iliad or Caesar’s commentaries, it provides abundant evidence that Jesus was a real person, going back to within two or three decades of His life. We even have a fragment from the gospel of John, the famous Rylands Library Papyrus P52, that dates back to within a handful of years after the Apostle John is believed to have written it.

And, outside of the New Testament, a number of secular historical records refer to Jesus and the impact of His teachings and example in the first century. The contemporary Jewish historian Josephus, the Roman historian Tacitus, and Pliny the Younger all speak of Jesus Christ as a real person—much too early in the historical record for some imaginary account to have taken hold so profoundly.

In fact, one of the most effective defenders of the very real existence of Jesus Christ is New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman. While Ehrman has publicly declared that he does not believe Jesus was divine, does not believe in the supernatural, and does not consider himself a Christian, he is just as clear that the evidence for Jesus’ existence is overwhelming.

Referring to those who claim Jesus’ existence is just a myth, Ehrman writes,

“It is fair to say that mythicists as a group, and as individuals, are not taken seriously by the vast majority of scholars in the field of New Testament, early Christianity, ancient history, and theology” (Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth, 2012. p. 20).

In fact, almost all scholars, secular and religious alike, tend to agree. As Ehrman summarizes,

“Despite the enormous range of opinion, there are several points on which virtually all scholars of antiquity agree. Jesus was a Jewish man, known to be a preacher and teacher, who was crucified (a Roman form of execution) in Jerusalem during the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea” (p. 12).

In short, those who say that Jesus never existed should be taken as seriously as those who say the tooth fairy or Santa Claus do exist.

Facts are facts. And the man Jesus of Nazareth did live and walk this earth around two thousand years ago in Judea, teaching around the Sea of Galilee and in Jerusalem.

But is that where the story ends? A great teacher dies in His early thirties and just happens to have a religion founded in His name? Or was Jesus more than a man?

Jesus Christ Was God in the Flesh—but Also Preincarnate

And the question at the heart of our discussion today—is Jesus God?—is either true or false. So, which is it?

Admittedly, that idea that Jesus could be God, like God the Father is God, is a large and audacious claim, to be sure! And the only way to know is to let God, Himself, reveal the answer to us.

Let the scholars and skeptics have their opinions and debate their conclusions. What should concern us is what God says of Jesus. What DOES God’s word say? Was Jesus merely a man? Or, perhaps, something greater than a man but less than God, like an angel? Or was He truly GOD in the flesh?

The Bible answers these questions plainly: JESUS IS GOD!

In fact, His identity as God was declared long before He was even born!

In his gospel, Matthew explains that Jesus’ virgin birth had been prophesied long before by Isaiah:

“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22–23).

That’s right: Jesus is, literally, “God with us”!

The Apostle John, in his gospel account, explains this in some detail. Let’s read it in John 1, beginning in verse 1:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1–5).

The “Word”—or, in Greek, the “Logos” or “Spokesman”—is the One who became Jesus Christ. In the event it is not clear, John specifies a few verses later:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

John is plain. The One now known as Jesus Christ had been with God and was, Himself, God also! He had been with God in eternity past, before Creation existed. In fact, in His final Passover on this earth, Jesus prayed that after His crucifixion He would be returned to this state of glory with His Father—back to the state of eternal co-existence they had known before He became flesh. We read it in John 17 and verse 5, where Jesus prays,

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5).

Yes, existing in eternity past with the One we now call the Father, Jesus, too, was God! John calls Him the Word, or the Logos in Greek. This is because He has always been the Spokesman for God, representing the Father’s will and the Father’s word. Jesus says this in John 12:

“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49).

Jesus plainly knew who He was—one of the two divine members of the God Family. During His ministry, he made numerous statements illustrating this—so clearly that Jewish authorities sought to stone Him for what they saw as blasphemous claims.

In John 8, for instance, Jesus speaks of the ancient patriarch Abraham, beginning in verse 56:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:56-58).

There should be no doubt about this statement! Jesus did NOT say, “Before Abraham was, I was.” He said “before Abraham was, I AM.” That otherwise-ungrammatical statement is a direct call-back to God’s statement to Moses:

“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

The Jews of Jesus’ day understood His claim and sought to stone Him for it. Later, He makes a similar claim of His own divinity. We see this in John 10:

“I and My Father are one.”

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (John 10:30–33).

Yes, Jesus knew who He was—and the religious leaders of His day understood exactly what His claims meant!

Not only did Jesus understand who He was, His first century followers did, as well. And if He is anything less than God, then the core beliefs, practices, and truths of Christianity become a lie.

God Created All Things Through Jesus Christ—His Son, the Word, the Savior.

In Colossians 2:2, the Apostle Paul referred to “the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ.” Yes, the godhead consists of the Father and Christ—the two members of the God family.

Speaking of Jesus Christ, Paul writes earlier in Colossians 1, beginning in verse 16:

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist (Colossians 1:16–17).

Such words echo what we read earlier from John chapter 1, that “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” That is a very thorough statement!

Henry Ford is properly credited with creating the “Model T” in America, but others were the hands that accomplished the work. So, too, God the Father is our Creator, yet the Bible makes plain whose hands, as it were, did the work: those of the One who became Jesus Christ! All was created through Him and for Him.

Jesus Christ is, in a real way, our Creator, just as the Father is! Together, they are the reason that Genesis 1:26 says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness….” Because there were TWO God beings speaking! In fact, the Hebrew word translated “God” in this passage, Elohim, is unusual for being a singular word that is plural in form—another hint that there is more to “God” than meets the eye!

Paul is just as blatant in Ephesians 3 and verse 9, where he says he seeks “to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.”

These passages and others make it clear that Jesus Christ is not an angel, not even the archangel Michael. Note Hebrews 1 and verse 5,

For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? (Hebrews 1:5).

And, too, verse 13,

But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? (Hebrews 1:13).

These are rhetorical questions, because the answer is meant to be obvious: To NONE of the angels has God ever said this! They have only been spoken to the Father’s co-creator, who was with God and who was God—the one we now call Jesus Christ.

In fact, all the vital truths at the very heart of the faith of the Bible depend on the truth that Jesus is God.

Consider, how is it that Jesus Christ has standing to die in our stead for our sins? He has that standing because, as our Creator, He can take that responsibility on Himself.

And how is it that His life is sufficient to pay for all of our sins? It is because, as God, His life is worth infinitely more than all of our lives combined—an eternal life given as the payment for the eternal death we’ve earned.

And so, our Creator became a human being, born of a woman, to be able to die and pay that penalty. In explaining this, the Apostle Paul, again, explains just who Jesus really is. Read with me in Philippians 2, where some translations don’t always communicate the fullness of what Paul is saying [vv. 5–8]:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5–8).

The New King James’ phrasing here about not considering it “robbery to be equal with God” and “making Himself of no reputation” is awkward, and other translations take it differently.

For instance, the English Standard Version translates verses 6 and 7 this way, saying that Christ, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Although He existed in glory with God from eternity past, He did not consider that something He had to desperately cling to, but, instead, was willing to empty Himself of His divine prerogatives and become just like us, His creation, to serve us with His life and death.

The awe-inspiring truth of Jesus Christ—the Word, the divine Spokesman of the God Family—is truly humbling to consider. He lowered Himself from glory to become like us, all so that He might one day lift us up to join Him and His Father in that same glory!

But understanding this profound truth about the identity of Jesus is more than an academic exercise.

The God of the Old Testament and the Son of God Are One and the Same.

When we understand who Jesus really is, it is no wonder that the Apostle Thomas, upon seeing the resurrected Christ, called Him “my Lord and My God!” And it is also no wonder that those living under the Family of God in the Millennial reign of the Kingdom of God will refer to Him as “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6).

The Word, the Logos, the divine Spokesman for the God Family willingly set aside the indescribable glory, power, and majesty He had eternally shared with the Father to live a perfect human life, set us an example of righteousness, and become our perfect sacrifice so that we might be cleansed of our sins. Then, three days and three nights later, after His death, He was, in the words of Paul, “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

Yet, many who claim to be Christians seek to avoid the full implications of Jesus’ identity as God.

For instance, many write off the God of the Old Testament as cruel and heartless—unlike Jesus, who is seen as loving and merciful. And God’s commandments are often slandered as too restrictive and harsh.

Yet, consider—who was it who thundered the Ten Commandments to ancient Israel on Mount Sinai and served as the Commander of the Army of the Lord, as He called Himself to Joshua?

The Apostle Paul makes the matter clear. We see this in 1 Corinthians 10, beginning in verse 1:

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ(1 Corinthians 10:1–4).

Yes, it was Jesus Christ—as the divine Logos or Spokesman—who thundered the Ten Commandments!

Consider: Exodus 33 and 34 explain that Moses saw God from behind with His own eyes. And the account of Exodus 24 is even more explicit:

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity (Exodus 24:9–10).

Note, it says plainly “they saw the God of Israel.” Yet compare that to John 1:18, which says, “No one has seen God at any time,” and Jesus’ words of John 6:46:

“Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.”

Yes, the elders of Israel saw God, but they did not see the Father. Rather, the Member of the God Family they saw was the One who would become the Son, the divine Logos!

So, if it was Jesus Christ who spoke those Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath command, should they not mean more to followers of Jesus Christ than they seem to mean to most self-proclaimed Christians today?

And consider, too, our ultimate destiny. In 1 John 3 and verse 2, note what the Apostle writes to us:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

If we are to become like Christ is now, and Christ now possesses the glory He had with the Father before the world was, then what does that say about the glorious future existence ahead for those who await His return? And what does it say about Jesus’ prayer on His last Passover that His followers may one day be one, just as He and his Father are?

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