An Hour is Coming

An Hour is Coming...

by David Brenneman 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." John 5:24-29.

There was exceedingly great joy in Sheol the day Jesus appeared there after dying. At least on the side where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all those who longed for His appearing were. The celebration must have shook the after-life world down there. His pronouncement of Him saying they were now leaving with Him to go to His Heaven probably brought the house down. 

So loud it must have been that the voices of those who rejected Him on Hell's side probably couldn't be heard.

Even those who most recently died must have been stunned to see this same Jesus whom they scorned and mocked standing where He was...oh the horrors they probably now felt.

Then I imagine after some time things settled down and Jesus gave all of them some personal time with Him that He probably addressed those on Hell's side in the same way we read of His words to the living. 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23.

"Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out." Luke 13:26-28.

"And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” John 19:37.

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. " Zechariah 12:10.

Very few screams are as penetrating as those of someone who's been rocked to their core. Everything is stripped away and the cry of the heart is heard far and wide by those who hear it. Within the confines of our world the closest is when a parent learns of the death of their child or a close relative or friend at an extremely unexpected time. 

These countless trillions are screaming...some in rage...some in fear...that the One whom they rejected...the voice of Truth...is right there and they all completely understand who and what He is. 

Those who are with Him are caught up in rapturous joy. Then 2 days later Jesus tells them its time to go. Those on the other side pleading with Jesus for another chance. Only to be told with Authority: no. 

Which side would you find yourself on? Which side?

Here we are over 2,000 years later and the promise of His coming is closer at hand than it ever has been. In those ensuing years billions and billions of people have joined those others in Hell because they've rejected Him in this life. Still others whom looked forward to His appearing, who placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, stepping straight into eternal life in Heaven...welcomed home.

My Dear Reader...before you is set death and life. Eternal separation from Jesus in painful torment in Hell or eternal peace and joy in His presence.  

In your here and now you have the opportunity to choose. The door to your heart has someone named Jesus gently knocking on the other side just waiting for that moment you bid Him to enter in.

These words of mine hold little meaning apart from this core belief: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;" 1 Corinthians 15:3-6.

Further: "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.

You, my Dear Reader, are who stands between death and life by your choice to ask Jesus to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life...or to choose the fires of Hell and all the painful torment of accepting the judgment of paying for your own sins.   

Don't wait until you think you're clean enough or good enough or have your act together before you decide to ask Him to save you. None of that is necessary. It's His job to clean us, heal us, make us whole after we come to Christ for salvation. 

Don't wait for you to "live your life" first before you decide because as Jesus said...we know not the day or the hour of His return. Furthermore the Scriptures say His return for His Church will not be with signs to be observed by mankind. In the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, that will be it. 

As several in the Old Testament told various multitudes...so are you now told...before you is set death and life.  

Choose life! Choose life because Jesus did live a sinless life, took your punishment upon Himself, died on the cross and arose 3 days later victorious over sin, death and the grave for you and I. 

What's your next choice going to be?  

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life. 

For God so loved you that He gave His only begotten Son that if you believe in Him you will not perish but will have everlasting life. 

As the Scriptures say...coming to Christ for salvation is simple enough for a child to understand it.

The hour is coming...

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.