Last week we examined that there is a life after this one; whether it be in paradise for the righteous or fire and torment for the sinners! The next part is whether souls immediately go to heaven or hell after death. Ezra again seeks to our Father YHWH concerning this and there are multiple passages concerning what happens.
2 Esdras 7:75
“And I answered and said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, O YHWH, show this also to your servant: whether after death, as soon as every one of us breathes their last, we shall be kept in rest until those days come when You will renew the creation, or whether we shall be tortured immediately?”
Firstly, do we just lie in the grave unaware? Or do our souls live on until judgment day?
Genesis 4:9-10
“And YHWH said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother? And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s guard? And He said, “What have you done? THE VOICE OF YOUR BROTHER’S BLOOD CRIES OUT TO ME FROM THE GROUND.”
Hebrews 11:4
“By belief, Abel offered to ELOHIM a greater slaughter offering than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, ELOHIM witnessing of his gifts. And through it, HAVING DIED, HE STILL SPEAKS.”
Enoch 22:3-7
“Then Raphael answered, one of the holy messengers (angels) who was with me, and said to me, “These hollow places have been created for this very purpose, that the spirits of the beings of the dead should assemble there, even that all the beings of the children of men should assemble here. And these places have been made to receive them TILL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT AND TILL THEIR APPOINTED TIME, TILL THE GREAT JUDGMENT UPON THEM.” “I saw spirits of the children of men who were dead, AND THEIR VOICE WENT FORTH TO THE HEAVENS AND PETITIONED. And I asked Raphael, the messenger who was with me, and I said to him, “This spirit; who is it whose voice goes forth and petitions? And he answered me saying, “THIS IS THE SPIRIT WHICH WENT FORTH FROM ABEL, whom his brother Cain slew, and he makes his petition against him till his seed is destroyed from the face of the earth, and his seed is annihilated from amongst the seed of men.”
So we see in three passages so far that the voice of Abel petitions to heaven even though he is dead. We see that your soul lives on and you are fully aware of where you are and still cry out to YHWH. Further evidence of this:
Revelation 6:9-10
“And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the beings of those having been slain for the Word of YHWH and for the witness which they held, and they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Adonai, holy and true, until You judge and AVENGE OUR BLOOD ON THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH? These righteous souls are still speaking and crying out to YHWH and asking for revenge just as Abel did.
2 Esdras 15:7-8
“Therefore,” says YHWH, “I shall hold My tongue no more in regard to their wickedness, which they do evilly, nether shall I tolerate them in that which they wickedly engage themselves, see, THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT AND RIGHTEOUS CRIES OUT TO ME, and the beings of the righteous protest continually.”
As we can see from these Scriptures that when you die it is not the end, but merely the beginning. Now the Book of Esdras goes into greater detail about what happens and I can say that those who gave their life to Satan or those who did not live for YESHUA will know IMMEDIATELY where they stand before the judgment, so that person will have a LONG time to think about it. Those who gave up their life for fame and fortune will know that Satan lied to them immediately as also those who said “The Law is done away with!” The deception will finally sink in but it will be too late!
Life after death for the unrighteous
2 Esdras 7:78-87
“And concerning death, the teaching is: when the decisive decree goes forth from the Most High, that one shall die, as the spirit leaves the body to return to Him again who gave it, first of all it adorns the esteem of the Most High. If it is one of those who has mocked and NOT GUARDED THE WAY OF THE MOST HIGH, WHO HAS DESPISED HIS LAW and hated those who revere ELOHIM; such spirits do not enter into dwellings (the hollow places or holding tanks spoken of in Enoch) but shall wander in torture, forever in grief and sorrow in seven ways.
1. The first way, because they have mocked the Law of the Most High.
2. The second way, because they CANNOT make a good repentance so that they now may live.
3. The third way, they shall see the reward laid up for those who have trusted the Covenants of the Most High.
4. The fourth way, they shall consider THE TORTURE LAID UP FOR THEMSELVES IN THE LAST DAYS.
5. The fifth way, they shall see how the dwellings of the others are guarded by messengers (angels) in deep rest.
6. The sixth way, they shall see how some of them pass over into torture.
7. The seventh way, which is greater than all the ways that have been spoken, because they shall utterly waste away in confusion and be consumed with shame, and shall wither with fear at seeing the esteem of the Most High in whose presence they sinned while they were alive, AND IN WHOSE PRESENCE THEY ARE TO BE JUDGED IN THE LAST DAYS.”
What about the righteous?
Esdras 7:88-101
“And this is the order of those who have guarded the Ways of the Most High, when they are separated from their mortal body: During the time that they lived in it, they labored to serve the Most High, and withstood danger every hour so they might guard the Law of the Lawgiver perfectly. Therefore this is the teaching concerning them: Firstly, they shall see the great joy the esteem of He who receives him, for they shall have rest in seven orders.” Just think about the Creator of heaven and earth being joyful to receive the one who endures this life! This should make you want to strive to see His face!
1. The first order, because they strove with great effort to overcome the wicked thought that was formed with them, so that it might not lead them astray from life unto death.
2. The second order, because they see the confusion in which the beings of the unrighteous wander and the PUNISHMENT THAT AWAITS THEM.
3. The third order, they see the witness that He who formed them bears concerning them, that through-out their life they GUARDED THE LAW with which they were entrusted.
4. The fourth order, they know the rest that they now enjoy, being gathered into their rooms and guarded by messengers (angels) in deep rest, and the esteem waiting for them in the last days.
5. The fifth order, they rejoice that they have now escaped what is corruptible and shall inherit what is to come; and they also see the difficulty and toil from which they have been delivered, and the SPACIOUS FREEDOM that they are to receive and enjoy in immortality.
6. The sixth order, when it is shown them how their face is to shine like the sun, and how they are to be made like the light of the stars, being incorruptible from them on.
7. The seventh order, which is greater than all that have been spoken, for they shall rejoice with boldness, and shall be confident without confusion, and shall be glad without fear, for they press to see the face of He whom they served in life and from Whom they are to receive their reward when esteemed.
This is the order of the beings of the righteous, which from now on is announced; and the previously spoken are the ways of TORTURE that those who would not pay heed shall suffer from now on.” Then I answered and said, “Shall there be time given to the beings after they have been separated from the bodies, to see what you have described to me? And He said to me, “They shall have freedom for seven days, so that during these seven days they may see that of which you have been told, and afterwards they shall be gathered into their dwellings (the same ones mentioned in Enoch).
Sirach 18:24
“Think upon the wrath that shall be in the end, and the time of vengeance, when He turns away His face.”
2 Esdras 7:125
“For while we lived and committed wickedness, we did not consider that we should begin to suffer for it after death.”
These words from Sirach and Esdras correlate with what happens to the souls when they depart their bodies. Think about these things now and don’t wait until it’s too late. We know the number 7 is completion and YHWH uses 7 to complete what happens to the souls of the righteous and unrighteous. This is serious my fellow brothers and sisters, souls will wander about shamed and terrified because they disregarded the Way of YHWH and will be thinking of the torment laid up for them in the last days. Give your life to YESHUA today Who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life and do not delay any longer!
Sirach 10:19
“Those who revere YHWH are a continual seed, and those who love Him in esteemed plant. Those who disregard the Law are a shameful seed; those who transgress the Commands are a deceptive seed.” Those who willfully break the commandments are a shameful and deceptive seed! We know that Satan is the great deceiver and the father of lies, so not keeping the commandments makes you lawless as Satan is.
Sirach 12:6
“For the Most High hates sinners, and shall repay the wicked with retribution (punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act), and keeps them for the great day of their punishment.”
Sirach 15:11-20
“Do not say, “It is because of YHWH that I fell away.” For you ought not to do that which He HATES. Do not say, “He has caused me to stray.” For He has NO NEED OF THE SINFUL MAN. YHWH hates ALL abomination. And those who revere ELOHIM do not love it. He Himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his own counsel; so you shall guard the commands, and act trustworthily. He has put fire and water before you; stretch out your hand to which you choose. Life and death is before man…What is life and death?
Deuteronomy 30:15-16
See, I have put before you today life and good, and death and evil, in that I am commanding you today to love YHWH your ELOHIM, to walk in His Ways, and to guard His Commands, and His Laws, and His Right-Rulings…” And how do we love YHWH and YESHUA? John 14:21-24, John 15:10, and 1 John 5:3.
Sirach 16:11-20 (continued)
“And what he chooses shall be given him. For the wisdom of YHWH is great, and He is mighty in power, and sees all. And His eyes are upon those who revere Him. And He knows every work of man. He has commanded no man to do wickedly, neither has He given ANY MAN PERMISSION TO SIN.”
I have this stress the importance of this! Satan has deceived many!
2 Esdras 7:20-24
“For there are many who perish in this life, because they despise the Law of ELOHIM that is put before them. For ELOHIM has given a strict Command to those who came, what they should do to live, even as they came, and what they should observe to avoid PUNISHMENT!” Nevertheless they were not obedient to Him; but spoke against Him, and plotted in vain; and deceived themselves by their wicked deeds; and said of the Most High, that He did not exist; and did not know His ways “But they have despised His Torah, and denied His Covenants; they have not been trustworthy in His Laws, and have not performed His works.” This sounds a lot like Isaiah 24.
Isaiah 24:5
“For the earth has been defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the Torot (Plural form of Torah), changed the Law, broken the everlasting Covenant.”
Daniel 7:25
“And it speaks words against the Most High, and it wears out the saints of the Most High, and it intends to change the Appointed Times (Holy Days in Leviticus 23 Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles) and LAW…).
As we can see that saying the Torah and Laws are done away with and despising His Commands, saying they are legalistic, bondage, and burdensome is from the father of lies and not our Father YHWH! Satan has gotten the world to change YHWH’s Holy Days into pagan celebrations of Xmas, Easter, Halloween, New Years, Thanksgiving just as spoken of in Daniel and they change the Laws which is the exact opposite of what YHWH said in Isaiah and Esdras (Sabbath Day worship for example being changed for Sunday.) Satan has other plans, the same way he deceived Eve in the garden, is the same way he is deceiving those who claim to know YESHUA!
Think of the reward for obedience!
2 Esdras 2:42-48
“I Ezra saw upon Mount Zion a great number whom I could not number, and they all praised YHWH with songs. And in the midst of them there was a young Man of tall stature-taller than all the rest; and upon every one of their heads He placed crowns, and was more exalted; at which I marveled at greatly. So I asked the messenger (angel) and said, master, who are these?” He answered and said to me, “These are those who have put off the mortal garments, and put on the immortal, and have confessed the Name of ELOHIM; now they are crowned, and receive palms.” Then I said to the messenger, “What young Man is this who crowns them, and gives them palms in their hands?” So he answered and said to me, “It is the Son of ELOHIM, whom they have confessed in the world.” Then I began to greatly commend those who stood so steadfastly for the Name of YHWH.”