Bible Questions and Answers

Right from the beginning the unrighteous have been killing the righteous.

Cain killed Abel

John 3:12 Not as Cain, who... slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

The Jews killed the prophets and their messiah.

Luke 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

The point to remember is that all are condemned to death because all are children of Adam and all sin.

It does not really matter how we die because this life is temporary.

What matters is whether we will be raised from the dead and given eternal life in the kingdom of God. This is the reward of the righteous. The reward of the unrighteous is eternal death.

Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Death for the righteous is but a sleep. When we sleep, time passes unheeded; whether minutes or millennia. We fall asleep and the next thing we know is when we wake. This is how it is for the righteous; they are killed and ‘fall asleep’ and the next thing that they know is the awakening to eternal life in the kingdom of God.

Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Psalms 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

The slaying of the righteous by the unrighteous demonstrates the ultimate sinfulness of sin. It is rooted in a lack of love for our fellow man.

Genesis 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

The killing of the righteous by the unrighteous will continue until Christ returns to judge this world in righteousness.

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Sometimes the death of the righteous removes them from further suffering.

Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come

Throughout scripture we have the examples of the suffering of those who were counted righteous.

Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The writer to the Hebrews draws exhortation from such and especially from the submission to crucifixion by Jesus Christ who died for us:

Hebrews 11:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

God endures the wickedness of the unrighteous in order to save the righteous of each succeeding generation.

Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

2 Timothy 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

It is by the forbearance of God that our generation has the opportunity to believe and obey the gospel and by so doing inherit eternal life in the kingdom of God.

I hope you have found this helpful.

God bless you,
Glenn