‘He is risen!’ – part 17

Jesus has resolved earth’s conflict at its root. Four times heavenly voices shout “Alleluia!” (Rev 19:1,3,4,6) to celebrate the end of the problems that prevailed on the earth. Jesus didn’t merely put a bandage on the problem; He solved it permanently. There are four greatest problems of mankind—(1) sin, death, fear and Satan
Sin is our greatest flaw because it leads to death (Rom 6:23). Christ solved it because He died for our sin and provides forgiveness.

Our greatest defeat is death because it severs us from God. Christ eliminated death by granting us eternal life and resurrection life (Jn 5:24; Rev 20:14) Our greatest emotion is fear because we fear dying (Heb 2:14,15; 1 Jn 4:17,18) Christ solved it because He rose from the dead and believers in Christ are guaranteed bodily resurrection by the fact of Christ’s resurrection (1 Pet 1:3-4; Jn 14:3; 1 Thes 4:14ff)

Our greatest enemy is Satan because he destroys us. The resurrected Christ will finally cast him into hell (Rev 20:10). Sickness and diseases are part of Satan’s destructive acts (Lk 13:11,16; Acts 10:38; cf Mark 9:17,20,25; Acts 19:11-12) and sin (e.g. Jn 5:5,14). Jesus provides healing (Mat 4:23-24; 8:16-17; Rev 21:4; 22:2).

“Alleluia” (Rev 19:1). This is the first of four times the word “Alleluia” occurs in the NT (all in this passage; see vv1, 3-4,6. It is derived from two Hebrew words: halal, meaning, “praise,” and jah, meaning “Yahweh” or “LORD;” thus, it means, “Praise the Lord!” The people in heaven praise the Lord because God has judged the world and avenged those who suffered at its hand, and because Jesus Christ is returning to earth to reign (vv6, 11; 20:4). This is heaven’s “Alleluia Chorus.”

Death: An overview
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23) “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; 26and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God.” (Job 19:25-26)

All humans, believers and unbelievers, are subject to death in this world. The word “death” in the Bible, however, has more than one meaning. It is important to understand the believer’s relationship to the various meanings of death.

Death as a Result of sin. Our first parents were created with the potential to live forever. When they disobeyed God’s command, they came under the penalty of sin, which is death. (1) Adam and Eve at this point became subject to physical death. God had set the tree of life in the Garden of Eden in order that by continually eating from it, humans would never die (see Gen 2:9). But after Adam and Eve ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God pronounced these words: “for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen 3:19). Though they did not physically die on the day they ate, they did become subject to the law of death, as a result of God’s judgment. Biblically defined, physical death is the separation of the material part of humanity (the body) from the immaterial the soul and spirit).

(2) Adam and Eve also died a moral death. God warned Adam that when he ate of the forbidden fruit, he would surely die (Gen 2:17). This was a serious warning. Even though Adam and his wife did not die physically on that day, they did die morally, i.e., their nature became sinful.

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