Lesson 1

Virtually every human society has an afterlife belief. Most have a two step process to pass from this life to the next. Death and then without even losing awareness, afterlife. Step one, you are born and then die. Step two begins at your point of death. Depending on the society’s belief, the journey in the afterlife takes your personal psyche, in the form of a conscious, disembodied spirit or soul, to a place of happiness or torment. Your destination usually depends on your earthly conduct and status. This two step process is believed by most people today.

The Bible describes people as having a three step death process. Death, wait, resurrection. Step one starts with you being born and then dying. Step two you are dead for a period of time. Step three God brings you back to life in a resurrection.
The Bible tells us humans die. In the wait step they are unthinking, and know nothing of what is going on in the world of the living. God has interrupted this wait step on several occasions, like those resurrected by Jesus during his earthly ministry. They came back to life, only to die later on where they stayed dead in their graves.

Step three takes place for mankind when their appointed resurrection time arrives. Jesus proved humans could be resurrected as spirit born immortals. Step three for believers is when Jesus returns. This resurrection has an exception. The believers who are alive when he comes don’t die, but are changed instantly into immortal spirit beings.

After Jesus has reigned on the earth for the first thousand years, the rest of humanity’s dead are resurrected back to a physical life. Their step three resurrection is to be lived out in a world free of Satan and ruled by Jesus. This will be the first time these people have been drawn to Jesus. They will live a full lifetime of one hundred years. At the end of their lives Satan will be free to influence them to sin. Many choose to attack those who are living in peace with Jesus and are consumed by fire from God. This will be their second and permanent death. Choosing to willingly fight against God after knowing him, they will remain dead forever.

The last ones to enter step three will be those who were called by God to Jesus during their first lives, but after converting, they went on to renounce Jesus. These defunct followers of Jesus are resurrected back as mortal humans to face the white throne judgement of God. They will be thrown into the lake of fire and burned up. Deciding to reject Jesus, they will not receive eternal life and will die in the flames.

Everyone will go through a three step process. Those who follow Jesus will emerge with eternal life. Those who reject Jesus will die and will remain eternally dead. Do you believe in a two, or three step process? What Bible verses support your belief?

John 3:15 New King James Version
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.