04 30th, 2021When I was much younger, I saw a movie entitled “Night of the Living Dead”. It was about a group of strangers who sought refuge in a Pennsylvania farmhouse. They were being attacked by the unburied dead who had come back to life and had a voracious appetite for living flesh. It was a creepy movie that scared me as a child.
As I sit here as an adult and recall that movie, I can’t help but draw a spiritual parallel to today.
The Savior of the world, Yeshua the Messiah, said to a man who wanted to bury his father before becoming a disciple of Yeshua, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” Matthew 8:22
It was more important for this man to follow Yeshua than for him to bury his father. He had other relatives who could tend to that while he tended to the preaching of the Kingdom of Elohim. The point is, those others were said to be “dead” spiritually whereas the man Yeshua spoke to would be alive spiritually as a disciple of his.
It was common among Jews to say “that a sinner is counted as dead (1), and that ungodly persons, even while they are alive”, are “called dead” (2).
The Apostle Paul wrote:
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;” Colossians 2:13
Before anyone receives Yeshua the Messiah as their Savior and have all their sins washed away, they are considered “dead” in their sins. Those who have not been forgiven of their sins are “the living dead”.
Here are a few more similar verses by Paul.
“Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Elohim, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Elohim.” Romans 6:13
“And you has he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” Ephesians 2:1
“Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Messiah, (by grace you are saved;)” Ephesians 2:5
“Wherefore he says, Awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Messiah shall give you light.” Ephesians 5:14
“But she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.” 1 Timothy 5:6
Are you among the dead, dear reader? Are you the living dead spoken of by Messiah Yeshua and the Apostle Paul? If you have not received Yeshua as your Savior and had your sins forgiven through him, then you are indeed “the living dead.”
In the movie, the dead came back to life, but were still dead. They were like zombies. This will not be the case when the servants of Messiah Yeshua are resurrected from the grave and come back to life. They will be given new heavenly bodies that will live forever in full communion and fellowship with their Creator Yahweh and their Savior Yeshua.
Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to Elohim, which gives us the victory through our Master Yeshua Messiah. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. John 5:28-29
In the movie, the living dead sought out people to eat. Is it any different today?
“Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? Who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon Yahweh.” Psalm 14:4
The workers of iniquity or those that sin by breaking their Creator’s holy laws, eat Yahweh’s people figuratively speaking. Here is how John Gill explains how they eat His people.
“by reproaching and persecuting them, doing injury to their persons, property, and character: they devoured their persons, by using them cruelly and putting them to death; they devoured their substance, by spoiling them of it, and converting it to their own use, as the Pharisees are said to devour widows’ houses and they destroyed their good names and characters with their devouring words: and this they did with as much ease, delight, and pleasure, and without any remorse of conscience, and as constantly, as a man eats his bread.”
Are you among the living dead who eat up Yahweh’s people?
Here is how Yahweh figuratively spoke of this through the prophet Micah.
“You who hate good and love evil, who tear off their skin from them and their flesh from their bones, who eat the flesh of my people, strip off their skin from them, break their bones and chop them up as for the pot and as meat in a kettle.” Micah 3:2-3
The prophet Jeremiah cries out to Yahweh:
“Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know you not, and upon the families that call not on your name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.” Jeremiah 10:25
Are you among the living dead that do not know Yahweh or His Son Yeshua? Do you eat up Jacob (Israel) as do the Arab nations who fight against Israel and who desire to wipe Israel off the face of the map?
The living dead in the movie would primarily make their attacks at night. Thus, the movie was called, “Night of the Living Dead”. Not so with Yahweh’s people.
“You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5
Yeshua said, “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
Are you walking in darkness among the living dead? Follow Yeshua and you will no longer be dead or in darkness.
The strangers in the movie sought refuge in a farmhouse in Pennsylvania. We have a far better refuge today in heaven.
“Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my Elohim, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2
“The name of Yahweh is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10
“For you have been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in your tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of your wings.” Psalm 61:3-4
Friend, if you do not know your Creator Yahweh or His Son Yeshua the Messiah; if you have not had your sins forgiven; if you are among the living dead of this world; there is hope for you. Receive the Master Yeshua as your Savior and your sins will be blotted out. You will be spiritually made alive and given Yahweh’s Holy Spirit to help you keep His commandments and help you overcome in this life as you await the return of Messiah Yeshua to literally resurrect you from death and the grave.
(1) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 6. 2.
(2) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 18. 2. Jarchi in Gen. 11. 32.
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