Last Action

July 21st, 2017

1 Corinthians 15:26 (KJV)  “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”   

my question has been for a long time now, “which death” ?  Death of man, as in spiritual death or death of man in the physical or both.  Death of mammal (we’re considered mammal), fowl, reptile, insect or of plant.  Death has many faucets to consider.

So before i start this weeks writing i need to qualify the question.  Please, again please, if you have any input, with or without scripture please advise me; i’m open to anything you may have to bring.  This verse has been on my mind for some time now; iv’e inquired of the LORD what He would have me to write but i’m at a loss.  Never the less the burdens still there and so i begin.  

To define death:  “1. The act of dying; termination of life.” from The Free Dictionary (BY FARLEX).   Termination of life; so then what is “life” ?   

1.a. The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism. No helping that.

That’s all well and good from mans perspective, but i wanted to know God’s perspective; “What saith the Scriptures”?  The first mention of “death” per say is:  “And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.”  Genesis 21:16.  This is concerning Hagar and her expulsion with Ishmael.  The last use of the word death is “which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8b.  To have a second death there has to have been a first death, what is that death, the death obviously before the second death?  Death is mentioned some 346 times in the King James (+/- in other versions) but 346 here; the King James Version.  

Seeing how we (lost or saved, being in Christ) are all in this dispensation of the grace of God (Eph 3:1-130, and Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles (Ro 11:13) i should strongly consider his understandings of this word “death” and how it is defined to me, by him now, here.  We can quickly deduce that, that first death was when man (Adam, sinned, not believing God) when Adam ate, doing what had been forbidden of God to do  (Gen 2:17 (commanded not too) and disobeyed, sinned, did partake; Gen 3:6).  At that moment Adam experienced spiritual death; experienced termination of life, God’s life left Adams physical body and Adam died spiritually.  

How does Paul address “death” for us in this dispensation of the grace of God?  In Acts Paul speaks of death in the physical 10 times but not spiritual.  But how, from Romans to 2 Timothy, does Paul use the word “death”.  

Side bar:  The Epistles of Paul are not inserted into scripture as to the time written but as to the way of spiritual growth.  Romans: “Basic Doctrine” for the Church.  Church as in His, Christ’s body upon the earth. not the building, the edifice built by man’s hands.  The Corinthians:  reproof and correction for the Church.  Galatians: more on correction in their way of working out this life, His life (Gal 2:20) in this present day.  Ephesians: a deeper doctrine in Christ, who we are in Christ.  Philippians:  yet deeper reproof of love in doctrine for the Church.  Colossians: yer deeper still in correction (Col 1:27).  Thessalonians:  end time righteousness.  Timothy:

Church conduct and pastoral duties.  Titus:  pastoral duties repeated from 1st Timothy.  Philemon:  love and forgiveness shown in the working out of Paul’s testimony in letter form.  This is where we live today, this is our how to portions of scripture, Paul’s epistles.  All the rest of scripture is to give us understanding as to the how and the why that we live in today: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”  Romans 15:4.

i’m looking for answers.  If no answers come, then i’m not mature enough in Christ to understand, its not my time to know.  Here are some of my thoughts concerning death.

1.  Did meat eaters, predators, as we know them have teeth made for eating of grass before man’s sin? (Get 1:30)  Or were they endowed with teeth as in a herbivore.  If herbivore teeth, did they receive carnivore teeth at the fall of man.  If they, the mammal predators were created with the teeth they have today how long were they to carry them, till the fall of Adam? (Isa 11:7, 65:25) Isaiah 11, concerns the Kingdom of Heaven; Luke writes of Peter in Acts 3:19 and Peter himself writes of in 2 Peter 3.  Likewise Isaiah 65 speaking of new heavens and new earth.  Also concerning animal reproduction; true i know that there isn’t male or female (Gal 3:28) but is that for mankind or all live forms?  Knowing that eternal is never ending and if no death and reproduction will be, what happens when the earth is overrun if there isn’t any death?  

Side bar:  It is spoken on in Revelation of the city in the new earth (Rev 21:9-21); it is said that this city, New Jerusalem is some 1200 miles square.  That being so i would think that the size of this new earth would be equally large as to make that city proportionate to the size of the city.  

Does the “death” then pertain to all life or only to man who lost life when sinned?  i mean if all life; does not a grain or a fruit die when plucked?   

“But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”  2 Timothy 1:10.  

i don’t know, but i sure do enjoy thinking on these things.  Someday, either here when i have grown to a point to understand, or in eternity, someday i will know.  

Just as i was about to quit, this thought came to mind:  “Who is scripture written to and for?  is it man or all my creation?  i think i have my answer, an answer thats enough for me and will leave the rest with Him.

Thank You LORD Jesus for loving me and giving me Your life.  i understand Your life in me, iv’e read the passages in Your Word to me and i understand.  Sometimes i just can’t put it, it being what i understand into words but in my spirit i understand and thank You for that knowledge.  iv’e such a long way to go, and will never come to the end of You in it; what a promise, what a hope to never be able to come to the end, but will always be growing for all eternity, “Surely I come quickly” Your final Words to man but i have a continuing hope in what Paul wrote:  “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our (my) Saviour Jesus Christ;”  In Jesus’s name Amen . . . . . . . .