SUBJECT: Adam
QUESTION: Will Adam be
in the Kingdom of God?
ANSWER:
There is no Biblical reason
to believe that Adam or Eve will not be in the second
resurrection. There is also no Biblical reason to believe
that the estimated 3 billion people that lived before the
flood will not be in the second resurrection.
Remember that the first
resurrection is for the firstfruits that were called by God
and given the Holy Spirit after repentance and baptism and
the laying on of hands.
Going into the 1000 year
reign of Jesus Christ (at
His return) will be all of the firstfruits who
will be turned into spirit at His return and all those
physical beings that will still be alive after the Great
Tribulation. This is estimated to be about 750 million
people.
All those that died, not
having the Spirit of God in them AND all those that never
heard the gospel and/or who never knew the name of Jesus
Christ will be resurrected in the second resurrection AT THE
END OF THE 1000 YEAR REIGN OF JESUS CHRIST. At that time
they will know all the truth and will then be given the
choice to accept it or reject it. It will be at that time,
after another 100 year period that there will be a 3rd
resurrection of all those that absolutely knew the truth but
now reject it. This will include those that have committed
the unpardonable sin. All these, a relative few, will be
thrown into the Lake of Fire and be quickly burned up.
As to the idea that the
pre-flood people not hearing the gospel (truth
about God); Noah, did, in fact. preach to them
for 120 years.
Genesis
6:3
And the LORD said, My spirit
shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh:
yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Note:
This verse tells us that God gave man (and
Noah) just 120 years before the flood was to take
place.
Notice the commentary:
NOAH
But 120 years previously
<Genesis 6:3> he had been warned of the catastrophe, and
according to <1 Peter 3:20> had been preparing for the event
by building the ark. ~from
International Standard Bible Encylopaedia
Notice this from Nelson's
Dictionary:
NOAH
With unswerving confidence
in the Word of God, Noah started building the ark. For 120
years the construction continued. During this time of grace,
Noah continued to preach God's judgment and mercy, warning
the ungodly of their approaching doom <2 Peter 2:5>. He
preached for 120 years, however, without any converts <1
Peter 3:20>. People continued in their evil ways and turned
deaf ears to his pleadings and warnings until they were
overtaken by the Flood.
~from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary
2 Peter
2:5
And spared not the old
world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of
righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the
ungodly;
1 Peter
3:20
Which sometime were
disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in
the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein
few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Clearly, you can see that
these people were being preached to.
Regardless of that, they did
not repent, were not baptized and did not receive the Holy
Spirit, therefore they did not know the truth. Hence, they
will be in the second resurrection.
Revelation 20:4-5
4 And I saw thrones, and
they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I
saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of
Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped
the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark
upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and
reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead
lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This
is the first resurrection.
Note:
Here we see the difference between the first and second
resurrection.
To learn more about these
resurrections, listen to the two-part sermon by Mr.
Armstrong on the resurrections. They are posted in the
Sermons section of the EA site:
https://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/sermons/
Now, getting back to Adam:
I stated that there is no Biblical indication that Adam will
not be in the second resurrection. Based on what you read
above, such is the case. He was not baptized and he did not
receive the Holy Spirit. The fact that the Lord was there
in the garden with him means nothing (to
this point). Christ was with the disciples for
years and Peter still denied Him on the night He was put to
death. But notice later, after the resurrection and after
the Spirit was given, Peter is giving one of the best
sermons ever given in history...DIFFERENCE? --THE SPIRIT OF
GOD.
Look at the scripture
sequence showing these facts:
Matthew
26:34-35
34 Jesus said unto him,
Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock
crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
35 Peter said unto him,
Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.
Likewise also said all the disciples.
Matthew
26:73-75
73And after a while came
unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou
also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
74Then began he to curse and
to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the
cock crew.
75And Peter remembered the
word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow,
thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept
bitterly.
John
14:26
But the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Acts
2:1-4
1 And when the day of
Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in
one place.
2 And suddenly there came a
sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled
all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto
them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of
them.
4 And they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:14
But Peter, standing up with
the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men
of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known
unto you, and hearken to my words:
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We see the sequence of
events here. Peter is with Christ for 3.5 years in His
ministry (not to mention
that they knew each other as children growing up),
he heard all those words of Jesus Christ, yet he denied him
on the night he died. But then Christ is resurrected and
remains with them for 40 days. Then comes the giving of the
Holy Spirit as He, Christ promised and on the Day of
Pentecost (which pictures
the giving of the Holy Spirit) we see Peter rise
up and speak with strength. He then goes on to raise up the
Church of God and do His (God’s)
Work. Nothing like this happened with Adam. Adam did not
have the Holy Spirit, therefore he could not have chosen to
turn his back on God IN FULL KNOWLEDGE. Now, clearly, he
turned his back on God but not in the same way. There are
billions of people who turn their backs on God everyday.
Many have never heard the gospel, several others have heard
the name (Jesus Christ)
but never know the truth.
Adam will be in the second
resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15 is known as
the Resurrection Chapter....notice:
1
Corinthians 15:45-47
45 And so it is written, The
first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was
made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not
first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and
afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the
earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
Note:
You see here that Adam was physical and natural but Christ
was spiritual. One cannot be spiritual or have a spiritual
life in this physical body unless he or she has the Spirit
of God. Without the Spirit, you cannot be spiritual.
Galatians 5 lists the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy,
peace, etc. Man without the Spirit of God cannot fully
produce these things.
If you have not received the
Holy Spirit, and no where in the Bible does it say he (Adam)
did, then you will be in the second resurrection.
You will see him then.
There was another statement
you made that I think needs clarification. You said,
"...and only because of Noah's righteousness with God, that
the rest of the human race now has a second chance because
of Christ and the bible."
It is important to
understand that no one has ever been given a "second
chance". As we stated above, man does not get his "first
chance" until he or she is given the Spirit of God. At that
moment, with the laying on of hands, when someone receives
the Holy Spirit, they get their ONLY CHANCE. Once you have
that Holy Spirit, you have two choices; to follow God or to
reject Him.
The Flood was not about
giving man a second chance; it was about destroying a
society that was abundantly evil. It was a continuing with
the original plan of God for mankind.
Genesis
6:7-8, 11-12, 17-18
7 And the LORD said, I will
destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth;
both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls
of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in
the eyes of the LORD.
11 The earth also was
corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the
earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had
corrupted his way upon the earth.
17 And, behold, I, even I,
do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all
flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and
every thing that is in the earth shall die.
18 But with thee will I
establish my covenant;
Genesis
8:15-17
15 And God spake unto Noah,
saying,
16 Go forth of the ark,
thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with
thee.
17 Bring forth with thee
every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of
fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in
the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
Note:
Just like He said back in Genesis Chapter One:
Genesis
1:27-28
27 So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and
God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish
the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth.
No single individual in this
whole process is getting a second chance. Those that died
in the flood never got their first chance...they WILL though
in the second resurrection.
Clearly, Noah was not
getting a second chance...he was righteous in the eyes of
the Lord.
And also clearly, Noah's
offspring...all those that have populated the earth from
then to now have not been given a first chance much less a
second chance, save those He called as first fruits.
Notice:
1
Corinthians 15:22-26
(again in the chapter about
the Resurrection)
22 For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own
order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are
Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when
he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the
Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all
authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till
he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall
be destroyed is death.
Note:
In verse 23 we see mention of those God calls..."afterward
they that are Christ's at his coming".
Romans
8:9-11
9 But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,
he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you,
the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him
that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your
mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Clearly, to be His, one must
have the Spirit of God. To get that, you must be called of
God.
John
6:44-45
44 No man can come to me,
except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will
raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the
prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man
therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father,
cometh unto me.
Note:
See how in verse 44 it states that these people are to be
raised up at the last day. He is speaking of the
firstfruits.
1Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord.
Conclusion of this point:
You can see that those rising up must have the Spirit of
God. The great majority of people will not rise up to meet
Him. They are saved for the second resurrection where they
will be given their first chance. The phrases "second
chance" and "another chance" do not appear in the King James
Bible.
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