GOSPEL: Reflections on Death and Dying

Two years ago, I received a phone call from my mother. She wanted to give me a “heads up” message that she had been informed by her doctor that she had terminal cancer and didn’t have long to live.

After the call ended I immediately called my sons and daughter to give them the news. But I also told them that I wanted them make plans for them and their children to fly to Ohio to visit their great-grandparents as this might be the last chance for them to see their children and the childrens’ children, and their great-grandchildren. I cleared the path with my Mother and Father so that we could come together on Memorial Day weekend. My youngest son provided the air transportation using the many air miles he had accumulated.

My mother had also just found out, because my father said nothing about it, that he had been on chemotherapy for his own cancer.

My three brothers and their wives also came and we had a grand, four generation reunion. My children stayed on with their children for a week, while the rest of us returned home after memorial day. But before we left photos and videos were taken of the party and a classic four-generation photo was taken which you see on the right.

During the week my Mother did something that she had always dreamed about. She had a chance to talk to each of her offspring alone and in person. My Dad spent time with each of the kids but more in a group as they worked around the yard pulling weeds and helping in his work shop.

My Mom and Dad could not stop talking about that short time, and every time we called back, my Dad, whose memory was failing, kept telling stories about seeing all his children.

In September I got a call. It from my youngest brother. He said that Dad had died, but that wasn’t quite true. He had a case of sleep apnea that scared everybody. That was on Monday, on Friday he had been taken to the hospital were he died very early Saturday morning. I immediately got on a plane and flew back to Ohio.

My brothers and I, along with some family friends, were going to speak at his funeral service. On the flight over my mind raced through so much material that I found it difficult to focus on what to say. But I knew that what people need to hear under those circumstances was the greatness of our future, the tremedous hope that we all have, and that my Dad would stand on his feed once again with his offspring and relatives in the greatest family reunion the people would ever experience. I told how he would wake up and find himself standing looking at his body and how that body look similar to his old body but it felt different. In fact, it was young, vibrant, full of health.

Afterward, we went back to the house where we engaged in a talk. My brothers picked up on different things that I said in my short speech. I learned that no matter how careful I craft a speech, people pick up on different things. Sometimes they talk about things that they “heard” that I didn’t say! But this time we talked about matters on a spiritual level that happens only under special circumstances. At one point my youngest brother expressed feelings of anguish over my Dad’s death. I told him that there was nothing to fear and to look forward to the hope that promises peace, health, and well-being in the future. My Mom sat and listened to our conversation, and then started to cry. She said that she felt that someone placed hands on her shoulders to comfort her and that moved her both emotionally and spiritually. I told them that everything was good, that there is more hope for us all than we could ever imagine.

On the evening before the day I was to return home. My mother and I sat at the kitchen table. I asked her how she felt and was there anything that she had hoped that she could accomplish in her life. She chuckled and said, “Well, I really wanted to live to be 100 years old.” I asked her if she would like to pray? She said yes and I put my hand on her head and prayed that she would receive strength and courage during this time of struggle and loneliness. She had known my Dad since she was fifteen years old. Their marriage lasted more than sixty years. Then my Mom prayed and as she always did, she requested, “Your will be done.” As far as she was concerned that was all she wanted from her teenage years.

I told her that everything was “Ok” and that not to fear or be worried about anything. And that we were all there to help her. I also said, “Don’t be afraid to get out and visit with her friends as often as she could.” And she agreed. The next day before I left, I gave her a big hug and just held her. I told her again that I loved her and not to worry or be afraid.

This was a deeply spiritual time for all of us. And it was a time of hope and joy.

After I got home, I called several times just to check up and see how Mom was doing. Nothing had changed. She continued to get worse. Then about the middle of December, I got a call from my mother. My brother place the call for her. She said she had made a list of people to call to say “Goodbye.” I was the first on the list. I told her that I was proud of her, that we loved her very much, and that she showed great faith and courage in making this call. I said that everything was going to be fine. My wife also talked with her, and then, we all cried together.

During the days that followed, I got a few calls. Mom was complaining that she was still alive. She would sit in her rocking chair and try to will herself to die. But she kept waking up. Then one morning she started to tease my brothers, and laugh with them. Then she said she was tired and wanted to sleep. She fell asleep and died laughing. That was my Mom.

For some reason she died 91 days after my Dad died. You might have heard in one of my posts that 91 days is exactly one quarter on Enoch‘s calendar. When I brought this to the attention of my brothers, they were also surprised to learn that.

Prophecies about our future life

In my posts, I wrote and spoke about the times of great trouble ahead. The earth must be prepared for the life that it will support in the future. When it is ready, millions, if not billions, of people will be raised from the dead to stand once again on the earth. We will not receive our old bodies. Instead our spirits will be placed in new bodies specifically custom made for each of us. Some bodies will be spiritual bodies. Others will have physical bodies but new, fresh with no pollutants, poisons or radiocarbon to shorten lifespan. Others will survive the distress and death of the old world to the new world with their old bodies.

This is a great time for humanity. No religion of this current time will survive to the next age. Those who are still looking for the “true” church or “true” religion should give up in that futile quest. Instead we must all prepare spiritually for what lies ahead. Physical death is our lot. If we can learn to embrace it with a view to the hope that we have been promised, we should not be afraid. All of us have much to learn about the promises made to our fathers and the prophecies revealed to the Prophets and Apostles.

The earth must be restored to its original structure with waters above, increased land, pollutants and radiocarbon cleansed from the air and food supply. This requires a cosmic event of immense power. The moon will turn to blood, the sun darkened, and the stars disappear from view, and meteor shows fill the sky. Then heat will be so strong that the oceans will become so warm that great clouds of steam will carry water to the stratosphere. The rotation speed of earth will slow down. When all this is done, the scriptures say that there will be few people left. Then we will see the coming of the Son of Man, of Eyahuwah, and he will raise the righteous and the chosen, his people, from the dead and gather them from all around the earth. Then He will fight against those who persecuted the righteous and tried to wipe nations from the face of the earth and the righteous will witness His victory. His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. Then new life begins for all. The Righteous Kingdom comes to earth.

The resurrection into this new life is the greatest hope of all human kind. When we understand the good news and the hope, death has no power over us. These are the promises that gave our fathers hope. The good news did not start with Jesus (Eyahushuah) and the Apostles. It was known to our father Enoch when he saw in a vision what was planned to happen before the stars, heavens, and the earth were made.

Even though it is a shock for us to lose our body, it is not the end of our existence. But our worn-out, sick, and polluted old body is not something to hang on to, instead we can let it go looking to the hope that our spirit will be placed in a new, clean, and pure body in our next waking moment. The soul or nephesh is us. But when the spirit leaves, the body dies. The body without the spirit is dead. So the soul is no more. The spirit goes back to Elah who gave it, back to the one called “The Lord of Spirits.” Then when the new body is prepared for each of us (“A body you have prepared for me” Heb. 10:5), our spirits will be placed into the new body and we will stand on our feet.

And in this mountain, Eyahuwah of hosts shall make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of old wines, of choice pieces with marrow, of old wines, well-refined. And He shall swallow up on this mountain, the surface of the covering, which covers all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.

He shall swallow up death forever, and the Master Eyahuwah shall wipe away tears from all faces, and take away the reproach of His people from all the earth. For Eyahuwah has spoken.

And it shall be said in that day, “See! This is our Elahim. We have waited for Him, and He saves us. This is Eyahuwah. We have waited for Him. Let us be glad and rejoice in His deliverance.” Isaiah 25:6-8

Who says the God of the Scriptures doesn’t care about the people?