{"id":6829,"date":"2025-01-02T14:51:23","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T20:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hebrew4christians.com\/training\/?p=6829"},"modified":"2025-01-03T05:09:59","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T11:09:59","slug":"preparing-for-eternity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hebrew4christians.com\/training\/preparing-for-eternity\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for Eternity…."},"content":{"rendered":"
The ancient Greek philosophers sought for \u201csalvation\u201d (\u03a3\u03c9\u03c4\u03b7\u03c1\u03af\u03b1), which they generally understood as freedom from the fear of death… Therefore Socrates sought to dispel mythical superstition by regarding philosophy as the \u201cpractice for death,\u201d by which he meant that reflecting upon this \u201cshadowy world\u201d would instill a profound hunger for the eternal (and ideal) world, and he therefore advised that, since we all must die, we ought to prepare ourselves now for eternity, by focusing the mind on what is most essential, real, and beautiful.<\/p>\n
The Jewish sages likewise later affirmed, “This world is like a corridor before the World to Come; prepare yourself in the corridor, that you may enter into the hall” (Avot 4:21), which implies that the great commandment is \u05d3\u05bc\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b4\u05d7\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05bc – “Seek Me and live” (Amos 5:4), as the prophet Isaiah (7th century BC) cried out, \u201cSeek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near\u201d (Isa. 55:6).<\/p>\n
Therefore Yeshua (\u05d9\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7) is justly named \u201cour salvation\u201d (\u05d9\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e2\u05b8\u05ea\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc), since it is by his hand that we are delivered from bondage to the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15). The resurrection of Yeshua utterly overthrows the power of death (i.e., the devil), and eternally secures our welcome in the world to come.<\/p>\n
Do not let your heart be troubled; have faith in God, for he \u201cprepares a place for you\u201d on the other side of the veil of this temporal world (John 14:1-3). \u00a0\u201cWhoever is born of God conquers the world<\/em> (\u03bd\u03b9\u03ba\u1fb7 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03ba\u1f79\u03c3\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd), and this is the overcoming power that conquers the world, even our faith\u201d (1 John 5:4).<\/p>\n
As Yeshua testified: “I AM the resurrection and the life (\u05d0\u05b8\u05e0\u05db\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05ea\u05bc\u05b0\u05e7\u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd). The one who trusts in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never, no, not ever, die (\u03bf\u1f50 \u03bc\u1f74 \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03b8\u1f71\u03bd\u1fc3 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03b1\u1f30\u1ff6\u03bd\u03b1). Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).<\/p>\n
Yeshua\u2019s words indicate there are two distinct senses of the word \u201cdeath,\u201d namely physical death (temporal) and spiritual death (eternal). Though we may indeed die physically, that does not imply that we will die spiritually, since we are given eternal (spiritual) regeneration and life by the miracle of God\u2019s love…<\/p>\n
We press on in hope, dear friends: \u201cFor our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling (2 Cor. 4:17-5:1-2).<\/p>\n
God our Savior “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 1:24). May God help us persevere in hope, remembering the glory that lies ahead! Amen.<\/p>\n
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The ancient Greek philosophers sought for \u201csalvation\u201d (\u03a3\u03c9\u03c4\u03b7\u03c1\u03af\u03b1), which they generally understood as freedom from the fear of death… Therefore Socrates sought to dispel mythical superstition by regarding philosophy as the \u201cpractice for death,\u201d by which he meant that reflecting upon this \u201cshadowy world\u201d would instill a profound hunger for the eternal (and ideal) world, and he therefore advised that, since we all must die, we ought to prepare ourselves now for eternity, by focusing the mind on what is most essential, real, and beautiful.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hebrew4christians.com\/training\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/psalm118-17-analysis-1.gif?resize=553%2C521&ssl=1\")
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