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SCENARIO ONE
The news came as a complete shock! It was so unexpected,
no one was prepared for it. Family and friends alike
were stunned at hearing that John was in the hospital
emergency room fighting for his life. Although he was in
perfect health, good health could not prevent the
accident he was involved in. As he was driving home from
his job as Principal of Washington Elementary, another
vehicle suddenly crossed the center-line into his path.
The collision was colossal and his injuries were
life-threatening. Moreover, the other driver, only 17
years old was already dead.
At the hospital, family members and friends found John
unconscious. The prognosis was not good, and his Doctor
not optimistic about his chances for survival. After
hours of struggling to keep John alive, Doctor Levitt
finally conceded the inevitable and called the family
aside to deliver the sad news that John's injuries were
indeed fatal, and that his life was slipping away. He
said that if the family wanted to see him one more time
before he died, they could enter the room now.
Of all the family there, strangely it seemed to affect
adversely the one most religious, Martha. Martha was
John's older sister. She had always been very devoted to
her church, New life Christian Assembly. So many times
she had talked with John about getting involved in Bible
study or church, but he just didn't seem interested at
all. Although he wasn't a religious man, he was one of
the city's finest citizens. John was well known for his
honesty, kindness and charitable acts. He was always
there when help was needed. As a Principal of an
elementary school, all the children knew and loved him,
calling him "Mr. J".
Martha sat at his bedside opposite Lucille, John's wife,
holding tightly one of his hands. She silently prayed,
asking God to bring his consciousness back so that she
could lead him in a last rites prayer. Without it, she
was sure John was lost forever, doomed to burn in the
fires of hell. But it was not to be, John never regained
his awareness and quietly passed away. At the funeral,
the Pastor had to awkwardly sidestep John's lack of a
spiritual life, during his eulogy. And Martha lives
daily with the agony of believing her dear brother is
suffering in the flames of hell!
Just what did happen to John? Where is he at this very
moment? Is there hope for him, or is he lost forever?
SCENARIO TWO
A young family sitting in church services hears the
announcement that there is going to be a special guest
speaker after the song service. Tom, Sally their six
year old Mandy applaud the announcement, while baby
Joshua, in wide-eyed wonder awakes from his sleep.
Today's guest is a visiting missionary, there to share
his work of Christian evangelizing Guatemala in hopes of
raising money for his efforts.
He begins by revealing the staggering number that have
already been "saved" from eternal damnation there,
through his ministry. But he says there is so much more
he could do with increased financial support. And that
although thousands have "received Christ into their
hearts", many die lost every day. He says, "we must
snatch as many as possible out of Hell, before they
die." He says there are many thousands that have never
heard the name of Jesus Christ, and are hopelessly lost
in sin.
He then told a story about a man requesting a visit from
him to learn about the Lord. On the way there the Jeep
broke down, and had to be towed back to be repaired. He
said, "I really didn't think much of it at the time." "I
thought, I'll still visit the man but only a week or two
later, after the Jeep is repaired." But only four days
later he received word that the man had suddenly
suffered a heart attack and died! The missionary said he
was heart-broken. If only the Jeep had not broken down.
Then he said to the congregation, "If I had received
more financial support I could have had a new Jeep, that
would have been more trustworthy, and this man would not
have died without Christ!" "That is how desperately
Guatemala needs your support and prayers." "Because of
the lack of proper support there is one more burning in
the fires of Hell, than living blissfully in Heaven with
the Lord!"
Little Mandy turns to her mother and asks, "I thought
you said Jesus loves everyone?" "Why did Jesus let that
Jeep break?" "Why did he make that man go to live with
the mean `O Devil?" "Why is Jesus letting the Devil hurt
that man?" Sally wipes the tears from her own eyes as
she answers, "Honey, the man went to Hell because he
didn't know Jesus." Mandy asks, "Was he a real bad man,
mommy?" Sally says, "Baby, I don't know, but if you die
without knowing Jesus you can't go to Heaven, you have
to go to Hell." Mandy in tears answers, "But mommy it's
not his fault, the Jeep broke down." "Maybe if we tell
Jesus the Jeep broke, He will let him out of Hell."
There have been literally BILLIONS that have lived and
died without ever hearing the name of Jesus Christ. Are
they all hopelessly lost and disposed to the fires of
Hell? Or are they sleeping the sleep of death awaiting
the resurrection? Is there another day
of salvation for this great multitude? Just what does
the Bible, the holy Word of God have to say about this
important subject?
In the Christian community there are three prevalent
schools of thought concerning God's plan of salvation, (1)The
belief that this
is the only day of
salvation, and that judgment is on every living person.
If one dies without confessing Jesus they are doomed to
perish in the fires of Hell, regardless of whether they
have ever even heard the name of Jesus or the God of the
Bible. These people always embrace the concept of man
possessing an immortal soul that leaves the mortal body
at death and travels to one of two or three
destinations, Heaven, Hell or Purgatory.(Purgatory is a
Catholic belief) (2) The
belief that God loves everyone to the extent that He is
not going to let anyone perish. That it doesn't really
matter much whether one strives to live by every word of
God, because God understands our nature, and as long as
one does what he feels is right, it's ok. (3) The
belief in predestination, in its strictest sense. That
only the "Elect" which are chosen before the foundation
of the world can be saved. This is commonly called
"Calvinism", because John Calvin popularized the
theological thought. The rest of humanity cannot accept
nor claim the blood of Jesus, because it was "not shed
for them", but only for the Elect. And that one who is
an Elect of God cannot
lose his salvation regardless
of how he lives his life, nor can one obtain salvation
regardless of how he lives his life. Only the Elect are
predestined for eternal salvation.
Although a case can be made for any of these beliefs by
the Bible, the various Scriptures cannot bring the whole
canon into harmony. One has to ignore some passages or
use some to cancel out others in order to hold any of
these doctrines in their strictest sense.
I believe careful examination of the Word of God will
show that there is truth and error in each of these
doctrinal concepts. As Christians, desiring the sure
truth of God, it is our duty to remove the alloy of
truth and error, because our God is one that demands
purity. Notice how God says he teaches those seeking His
truth, Isaiah
28:9-10, -"To whom would He teach knowledge? And to whom
would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from
milk? Those just taken from the breast? For He says,
Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on
line, A little here, a little there." God
teaches through His written Word, "A LITTLE HERE, A
LITTLE THERE." It
is the responsibility of the Christian to search the
Scriptures "HERE and "THERE", putting them together
properly for godly instruction.
It is also the responsibility of the Christian to judge
those that come in the name of Christ claiming to be His
ministers. Jesus said many would come in His name
falsely, notice His instruction in Matthew
24:4-5, -"See
to it that no one MISLEADS you. For MANY will come in My
name, saying, "I am the Christ, and WILL MISLEAD MANY." Jesus
was not meaning that MANY would claim to actually be
Him, but that MANY would come in His name, preaching
that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), but teaching a
different message. Notice the Apostle Paul's warning in 2
Corinthians 10. In verses
3 and 4, Paul
said he was "afraid" for
the church because Satan was deceiving some into
accepting a different spirit, a different gospel message
and another
Jesus. Now noticeverses
13-15, -"For such men are FALSE APOSTLES, deceitful
workers, disguising themselves AS APOSTLES OF CHRIST.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an
angel of light. Therefore it is NOT SURPRISING if his
servants also disguise themselves as SERVANTS OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS; whose end shall be according to their
deeds."
That is extremely difficult to do isn't it? It's just
not comfortable is it? No one is inclined to judge a
teacher or Pastor if he seems sincere. And maybe he is
sincere! But that does not mean he is accurately
handling the Scriptures, or is a true servant sent from
Christ. But judging them is exactly what Jesus and the
Apostles instruct us to do. Paul even taught the
Corinthian church to examine him to see if he was a
trustworthy minister concerning the mysteries of God.
The Bereans were called more "noble-minded" BECAUSE they
searched the Scriptures to see if what Paul and Silas
were teaching was Biblically correct.(Acts
17:11) A
true servant, being it a Pastor, Evangelist, Teacher,
Prophet or Prophetess, Healer, ETC, will not be offended
by having their acts, words or teachings judged against
the sure Word of God.
Notice 2
Timothy 2:15, -"Study to show thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the Word of truth."(KJV)
WHAT HAPPENS AT DEATH?
The ancient Egyptians believed the SOUL of the deceased
would be carried by the river Styx to the place of the
spirit world. Reincarnation is a common belief in many
countries of the East. One may return to the land of the
living as almost any creature, depending upon how he or
she had lived their previous life. The goal in this
concept is to eventually reach the blissful state of
nirvana.
In the religion of ancient Israel, the dead were
believed to remain in the grave; but there was hope that
the Eternal would ultimately rescue them through a
resurrection. Notice Daniel
12:2, "And many of those who SLEEP in the DUST OF THE
GROUND will AWAKE." There
is little indication in the Scriptures that the
Israelites believed man possessed an immortal soul.
Notice what Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes
3:19-21,-"For the fate of the sons of men and the fate
of beasts is the same. As one dies so does the other;
indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no
advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. ALL GO
TO THE SAME PLACE. All came from dust and all return to
the dust." Indeed,
the Prophet Ezekiel says "the soul that sins shall die".(Ezekiel
18:4,20) It
is clear that the Israelites did not believe that they
continued living in another realm of existence after
their physical death. But rather hoped in a resurrection
from the dead.
The Bible reveals that human beings possess something
called the "spirit of man", and this spirit returns to
God at death. But this spirit is not an "immortal soul".
This is a spirit that bonds with the human brain giving
man a MIND. This is what makes man far superior to the
animals around him. Notice Job
32:8, -"But it is a SPIRIT IN MAN, and the breath of the
Almighty gives them understanding." This
was not referring to the holy spirit from God, because
it was not poured out freely to men until Pentecost
c.31AD.
"Many passages of
Scripture show that there is a spirit IN man. Spirit is
not matter, and man is matter. To distinguish it from
God's holy spirit, I designate it as the HUMAN SPIRIT.
Nevertheless, it is spirit and not matter. This HUMAN
SPIRIT imparts the power of intellect to the human
physical brain. The spirit cannot see, hear, taste,
smell or feel. The brain sees through the eye, hears
through the ear, etc. The HUMAN SPIRIT cannot of itself
think. The physical brain thinks. What then is the
function of this HUMAN SPIRIT? It is not a SOUL. But,
(1) it imparts the power of intellect, of thinking, and
of mind power to the human brain; and (2) it is the very
means God has instilled, making possible a personal
relationship between human MAN and divine GOD." (Mystery
of the Ages, H.W. Armstrong, pg 105)
The word "SOUL" is translated from the Hebrew "nephesh",
which simply means "breathing animal". Three times in
the first chapter of Genesis animals are called
"nephesh". The English translators used the English word
"creature" when it referred to animals, but in chapter
2, verse 7 they rendered it "SOUL". Notice, -"Then
the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
BECAME a living SOUL." It
was the breath of life that caused man to become a
LIVING SOUL. This is quite distinct from the spirit IN
MAN. Man IS a living SOUL that HAS a SPIRIT that returns
to God when he dies. Therefore the soul is physical,
composed of matter, and can die, as Ezekiel 18 says.
Now although the spirit of man leaves the body when the
breath of life does, it possesses no consciousness.
Notice Ecclesiastes
9:5, -"For the living know they will die; but the DEAD
DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING, nor have they any longer a reward,
for their memory is forgotten." And
notice also what Solomon said about death and the spirit
of man, Ecclesiastes
12:4-7, -"Remember Him before the silver cord is broken
and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well
is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed;
then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and
the spirit (of man) will return to God who gave it."
This certainly does not picture the event of a newly
deceased, departing his body as an immortal soul and
going to meet his Maker as a conscious
being. But shows that man is MORTAL and must hope in
the resurrection from the dead. Have you ever wondered
why there would be a resurrection from the dead if they
were already living in Heaven or Hell? If man is an
immortal being in a fleshly body, who is in the grave
awaiting resurrection to life? The resurrection pictures conscious life
from thoughtless death;
if man is already immortal, how could he pass from death
to life, wouldn't it be impossible for him to die at
all?
The Holy Scriptures make it abundantly clear that the
SOUL possesses no thought or memory after death. NoticePsalms
6:4-5, -"Return, O Lord, rescue my SOUL; Save me because
of Thy lovingkindness. For there is NO MENTION OF THEE
IN DEATH. In Sheol (grave) who will give Thee thanks?" Even
David, a man after God's own heart, says he could not
give thanks to God anymore if God allowed him to die. If
he ascended to Heaven as an immortal soul at death,
wouldn't he be able to "mention" or "give thanks" to
God? You see, David knew that death was as SLEEP in
God's eyes, and he would have to trust that God would
not forsake him in the grave forever. David hoped in the
resurrection from the Dead.
Jesus spoke of death as Sleep also, notice John
11:11-14, -"Our
friend Lazarus has fallen ASLEEP; but I go, that I may
AWAKEN HIM out of SLEEP. The disciples therefore said to
Him, "Lord, if he has FALLEN ASLEEP he will recover".
Now Jesus had spoken of his death; but they thought that
He was speaking of LITERAL SLEEP. Then Jesus therefore
said to them plainly, "Lazarus is DEAD." In
verse 21 Martha told Jesus that if He had gotten there
sooner her brother, Lazarus would still be alive. She
had faith that Jesus would have healed him had He
arrived there in time. In verse 23 Jesus told her that
Lazarus would RISE AGAIN. Martha responded by
acknowledging her belief that he would rise at the
resurrection. This however did not keep her from missing
her brother now.Then notice Jesus' answer in verse
25, "I
am the resurrection and the life; he that believes in Me
shall live even if he dies." Martha
had faith that Jesus had the power to HEAL Lazarus
BEFORE he died, but not the faith and understanding that
the very
power of
the resurrection was standing in front of her. Jesus
then commanded the entrance stone removed, and cried
"LAZARUS, COME FORTH! I COMMAND YOU!" Yes, Jesus IS the
RESURRECTION and the LIFE, and He, Himself is the
FIRSTBORN of those awaiting the divine call to life
again. Notice Revelation
1:5, -"...Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the
FIRST-BORN of THE DEAD."
One may read through the Scriptures from Genesis to
Revelation but will find very little to substantiate the
concept of the immortal soul. What will be found is
ample reasons to conclude that the dead are ASLEEP in
the GRAVE waiting to hear the gracious words that
brought Lazarus forth.
HOLY DAYS PICTURE GOD'S PLAN
Ezekiel 37 reveals
a resurrection of the dead, but of itself does not
establish a time frame or clear chronology. But the
Apostle John did it for us in the book of Revelation. Revelation
19 shows
the coming of Christ as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
Then in Chapter 20 we see the fulfillment of Ezekiel
37 in
order, notice Revelation
20:1-6,- "And I saw an angel coming down from heaven,
having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his
hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of
old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut
it and sealed it over him so that he should not DECEIVE
THE NATIONS any longer, until the THOUSAND YEARS WERE
COMPLETED; after these things he must be released for a
short time. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them ,
and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of
Jesus and because of the WORD OF GOD, and those who had
not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not
received the mark upon their forehead and upon their
hand; and they CAME TO LIFE and REIGNED with Christ for
a THOUSAND YEARS. The REST OF THE DEAD DID NOT COME TO
LIFE UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEARS were completed. This is
the FIRST RESURRECTION. Blessed and holy is the one who
has a part in the FIRST RESURRECTION; over THESE the
SECOND DEATH has no power, but they will be PRIESTS of
God and of Christ and will REIGN with Him for a THOUSAND
YEARS."
We find here that here is a THOUSAND YEARS when the
SAINTS or the ELECT of God will rule with Christ over
the nations of the earth. As Christ is the FIRSTBORN of
many, His SAINTS or ELECT are the FIRSTFRUITS of God's
harvest. Notice Romans
8:29, -"For whom He foreknew, He also PREDESTINED to
become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might
be the FIRST-BORN among MANY BRETHREN."
In the land of Palestine there is a Spring harvest and a
Fall harvest. The commanded annual Festivals and Holy
Days of God are centered around that agricultural cycle.
In Leviticus
23 and Deuteronomy
16 God
gives specific instructions in when and how these
observances should be kept. It is in the observance of
these Festivals that one can truly come to understand
the fulness of God's plan of Salvation.
There are SEVEN observances commanded by God,
they are in order:
- (1) The
PASSOVER.
To the Christian this observance illustrates the
great love of God for the works of His hands, and
his desire and willingness to make a way for sinful
man to be reconciled to His Creator. As John
3:16 states, "God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son". In
ancient Egypt, Moses told the Israelites to kill the
Passover Lamb and put its blood on the door posts of
their houses, so that when the death angel came to
strike the FIRSTBORN of the land he would PASSOVER
the houses protected by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB. Well
over a thousand years later, Jesus was crucified on
this very day, the PASSOVER. The PASSOVER falls on
the 14th day of the First Month in the Hebrew
Calendar, thus it may fall on any day of the week.
The year Jesus was crucified the PASSOVER was on
WEDNESDAY, not Friday as is commonly believed.
Whoever receives Christ and lives according to His
Way of life, is washed in the BLOOD OF THE LAMB, and
SAVED from eternal death (pictured by the death
angel) as long as he remains faithful and does not
fall away. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthian
Church that Christ was their PASSOVER LAMB. (1
Corinthians 5:7)
- (2)
Seven Days of Unleavened Bread.
Leavening and even Egypt is used as a type of SIN.
When God brought the Israelites out of the bondage
of Egypt, it pictured them being delivered from the bondage of
SIN. They came out of the land of Sin with
UNLEAVENED dough. The Apostle Paul told the
Corinthians that they
were in
fact UNLEAVENED,because Jesus
had been sacrificed for them as their PASSOVER LAMB. (1
Corinthians 5) Later
the Israelites were instructed to remove all
leavening or anything that was leavened out of their
homes prior to the commencement of the Days of
Unleavened Bread. (Leviticus
23) Since
the first day of Unleavened Bread follows the
Passover, they carefully removed all their leavened
food and leavening agents out of their homes on the
Passover. At sundown the Passover would be over and
the seven Days of Unleavened Bread would begin, when
no leavened food may be eaten or even found on your
property. This FIRST DAY of Unleavened Bread is an
annual SABBATH. That is why the Passover is also
called a PREPARATION DAY. As Friday is the weekly
PREPARATION DAY for the SABBATH, the Passover is an
annual PREPARATION DAY for the First Day of
Unleavened Bread, which may fall on any day of the
week , but is an ANNUAL SABBATH. The year of the
crucifixion of our Lord c.31 AD, it was on a
Thursday. For the Christian it is a time of
self-examination for hidden faults, and a
celebration of thanksgiving for the deliverance from
the penalty of sin, which is death. Removing the
leavening reminds us that our acceptance of Christ's
sacrifice cleanses us from sin, and motivates us to
walk in newness of life in humble obedience to God's
divine will.
(3) Feast of Weeks, or
Pentecost.
This is called Feast of Weeks because God instructed
seven weeks be counted from the weekly Sabbath day
which fell during the
Days of Unleavened Bread. The Israelites were told
to count seven weeks, then add one day, which would
be a HOLY DAY with an assembly and offering. It is
called Pentecost in the New Testament, because
"pentecost" means "50th" in Greek, the language of
the New Testament. Seven weeks (49 days) plus one
day is 50. Since the counting always begins on the
weekly Sabbath, Pentecost is always on a Sunday. It
was on this day that the New Testament Church began
when God poured out His holy spirit on 120 disciples
of Christ. (Acts
2) Later
that day, through their witness, over 3000 Jews
received Jesus as the Messiah, thus the church of
God was born. At the
end of
the weekly Sabbath that began the 50-day countdown
to Pentecost, God instructed that a sheaf of Barley
be gathered and brought to the Priests so that they
may WAVE IT BEFORE THE LORD to be ACCEPTED by HIM.
Barley was the FIRST produce to become ripe for the
spring harvest so it was a sheaf of Barley that was
gathered and given to the Priests. They would wave
it before the Lord the next morning, which was
Sunday. It represented the FIRST gathering of the
FIRSTFRUITS. No Barley could be gathered forpersonal
use until
the FIRST sheaf was WAVED and ACCEPTED by the Lord.
Barley was always ripe for harvest at this time, but
other produce of the Spring harvest would not be
ready for harvest until the seven weeks plus one
day, were complete. The wave sheaf represents Jesus
Christ as the FIRSTFRUITS of the dead. Notice 1
Corinthians 15:20, -"But now CHRIST has been raised
from the dead, the FIRST FRUITS of those who are
asleep."
Jesus was crucified on
the Passover, which was Wednesday that year. He
was put in the grave at the end of Passover, just
prior to sundown, for that is when the first Day of
Unleavened Bread would begin and it would be a
ANNUAL SABBATH.(Thursday that year) So He was in the
grave from just prior to sundown as Wednesday became Thursday
(Remember days began at sundown), to just prior to
sundown Saturday,(the
Sabbath) three full days later. Jesus rose from the
dead at the end of the Sabbath but was not seen
until Sunday morning when they found the tomb empty.
At the same approximate time Jesus was emerging from
the tomb, the WAVE SHEAF was being gathered and
taken to the Priests. It was also at
this time that
the 50 day countdown to Pentecost began, at the
conclusion of which, the remainder of the Spring
harvest would be ripe for harvest. The next morning
(Sunday) He appeared to Mary Magdalene,(John
20:15-18) but
when she embraced Him, He stopped
her saying
that He
had not yet ASCENDED
TO THE FATHER. Sometime between this time, early
Sunday morning and later that same day, Jesus did
ascend to the Father to be accepted. It was this
very morning that the Jewish Priests were WAVING THE
SHEAF before the Lord to be accepted. Notice that
later He did
allow Himself
to be touched (verses
19-20, 27), because He
had already been accepted by the Father. The wave
sheaf also represents Christ as our High Priest
making intercession to the Father for us. (Hebrews
4, 5, 7)
After the seven weeks, we come to
the 50th day which is Pentecost, a HOLY DAY, and a
commanded assembly. On this day an offering of two
loaves of bread made from the Wheat harvest was
commanded.(Leviticus
23:16-17) This
represents the FIRSTFRUITS of the world. Those whom
God has called out of the world and sanctified
before its foundation, the ELECT of God who have
overcome Satan's temptations and devices and
remained faithful to the truth. Notice what Paul
wrote in 1
Corinthians 15:22-23, -"For in Adam all
die, so also in Christ all
shall be made alive. But EACH in his OWN ORDER:
(1) Christ, the (2) Firstfruits, (righteous who are
dead) after that (3) those who are Christ's at His
coming." (who
also qualify as Firstfruits) Then
after one thousand years, the "great and small" will
be resurrected to a world filled with the knowledge
of God. (Rev.20)
Jesus said "No
man can come to Me unless the Father draw Him."(John
6:44) The
Father does not call everyone at the same time to
come to know the Son, who is the Way, the Truth and
the Life. And not everyone has the opportunity to be
a FIRSTFRUIT. There has been countless billions who
have never had the opportunity to really know God.
Think of the natives of Africa, the Aborigines of
Australia, the peoples of China and Japan, and also
the native Americans, we call Indians. They may have
realized there was a supreme power, but so many have
never truly known the God of the Bible, because He
has not made Himself knowable to all as yet. But God
has not forgotten nor forsaken them.
After God called Israel out of
Egypt to be His sole possession, the other nations
sometimes knew
of the
God of Israel, but they did not actually
know Him,
as in having a relationship with Him. It was Israel
alone that God chose to be the FIRSTFRUIT of the
many nations that will someday ultimately come to
know their God. Pentecost concludes the Spring
Festivals.
(4) Feast
of Trumpets.
This is a one day Festival and is holy to the Lord.
It falls on the FIRST DAY of the SEVENTH MONTH on
the Hebrew Calendar. An assembly is commanded, and
also an offering given. As in all the commanded Holy
Days, one is not to appear before the Lord
empty-handed. To the Christian this Festival
represents the coming of Jesus as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. It is often called the "Last Trump"
in Scripture. Notice Matthew
24:30-31, -"And
then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the
sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will
mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on
the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
And He will send forth His angels with a GREAT
TRUMPET and
they will gather together His ELECT from the four
winds, from one end of the sky to the other."
Notice also what the Apostle Paul
wrote, 1
Thessalonians 4:13-17, -"But we do not want you to
be uninformed, brethren, about those who ARE ASLEEP,
that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no
hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so God will bring with Him those who
have FALLEN ASLEEP in Jesus. For this we say to you
by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and
remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not
precede those who have FALLEN ASLEEP. For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with
the voice of the ARCHANGEL, and THETRUMPET OF GOD;
and the dead in Christ shall RISE FIRST. Then we who
are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and thus we shall always be with the Lord."
(1) The
SIGN of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. There
will be a SHOUT from Heaven and the VOICE of the
ARCHANGEL. Then the TRUMPET WILL SOUND and the Son
of Man will descend from Heaven with His angels. (2) The
ANGELS will be DISPATCHED to gather the ELECT from
the four corners of the earth who have survived the
Great Tribulation. As the Angels are sent, the DEAD
IN CHRIST come out of their graves immortal and in
glory, and rise up to meet Christ in the sky. (3) The
dispatched Angels change the MORTAL ELECT with a
"twinkling of an eye" to IMMORTAL SPIRIT BEINGS. (1
Corinthians 15:52) They
then rise up to meet Jesus and their resurrected
brethren in sky. (4)They
all descend with Jesus to the Mount of Olives, which
will split in two when their feet touch earth.(Zechariah
14:4)
(5) Day
of Atonement.
Ten days after TRUMPETS is ATONEMENT. (7th Month,
10th Day) It is a Holy Day with a commanded assembly
and offering, but it is also a FAST. No food or
water is to be consumed. In its simplest
understanding, it means AT-ONE-MENT with God. It is
the time when Satan is put away into the place of
restraint. In Old Testament times, the High Priest
would enter through the VEIL into the HOLY OF HOLIES
in the Temple, into the very presence of God. He
would sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice on the MERCY
SEAT of the ARK OF THE COVENANT for the remission of
the sins of the people. Jesus is the High Priest of
the Christian, who stands at the Mercy Seat of God
with His own righteous and precious blood for us.(Hebrews
5) It
is the time when God will restore man's broken
relationship with Him that occurred so long ago in
the garden of Eden.
(6) Feast
of Tabernacles.
This is a seven day Festival which begins 5 days
after Atonement on the 15th day of the 7th month.
The First day is holy and a commanded assembly with
offering. It pictures the THOUSAND YEAR REIGN of
Christ and His Saints. It represents the ushering in
of the KINGDOM OF GOD. God's Kingdom is not
something mystical, it is a literal government that
will be established on the earth at the return of
Christ. This Festival is called "Tabernacles"
because we are commanded to live in "temporary"
dwellings during its observance. This reminds us
that we are but sojourners while on earth, and like
Abraham, be living for a city NOT MADE by HUMAN
HANDS. (New Jerusalem-Rev.21) It keeps the fact
foremost in our mind, that we are not to build our
lives in this present evil world, but store up
treasure in the world to come. It is at this time
that all of the nations who survived the Tribulation
will come to know Christ for the first time and will
learn of His way of life. It pictures the time when
the lamb will lay with the lion and the kid with the
wolf. A time when the knowledge of God will fill the
earth.
(7) The
Last Great Day.
This is sometimes called the "eighth day" of the
Feast of Tabernacles, but it is really a separate
festival. It is a Holy Day with commanded assembly
and offering. It pictures the Great White Throne
Judgment of God. It is the time when God, the Father
will descend to earth on His glorious Throne. It is
at this time that all that have ever lived and died,
will be resurrected to life. This is the SECOND
RESURRECTION, the resurrection to judgment. All that
are brought up at this time will be mortal not
immortal. They will be given a period of 100 years
to learn God's wonderful way of life. During this
period of time, they will be judged in the same way
that the Elect are judged today. This judgment is
not "condemnation" or even "sentencing", it is an
evaluation of conduct. All will be judged by how
they live by the books of the Bible. Those who
submit to the will of God will be granted eternal
life, and those who will not, eternal death. It
represents the FIRST CHANCE of the billions that
have never known the true God, to know Him and His
way. The aborted babies, the mentally handicapped
and ignorant, etc will all receive their
opportunity.
ANOTHER DAY OF SALVATION
As we read earlier in Revelation
Chapter 20, Christ and His Saints will rule the Nations
for a THOUSAND YEARS. Although the DEAD IN CHRIST
arise,(First Resurrection) the REST OF THE DEAD do not
until the THOUSAND YEARS IS COMPLETED. Verse 7 says that
at the end of the thousand years Satan will be loosed
for a "little season" in order to deceive the nations.
At this time a number of people are stirred up, who are
the spiritual equivalent of Gog and Magog and led into
rebellion against the ruling Christ and His Elect. But
they will be destroyed by fire from Heaven. Now Notice
Verses 10-11, -"The Devil, who deceived them, was cast
into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and
the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day
and night forever and ever. Then I saw a GREAT WHITE
THRONE and Him (God, the Father) who sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there
was found no place for them."
Here we are AFTER THE MILLENNIUM (1000 years), after the
"little season" in which Satan was turned loose on the
nations. This is the time when the REST OF THE DEAD will
LIVE again. Remember, we read that the "rest
of the dead did not come to life until the THOUSAND
YEARS were completed."
This is the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT. Verse
12, -"And
I saw the dead, SMALL AND GREAT, standing before God,
and BOOKS WERE OPENED. And another Book was opened,
which is the BOOK OF LIFE. And the dead WERE JUDGED
ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS, by the THINGS which were
WRITTEN in the BOOKS." Now
we find TWO THINGS that are OPENED up: (1) the
BOOKS and (2) the
BOOK OF LIFE."BOOKS" here is translated from the
Greek "Biblos" meaning
the BIBLE. As Jesus OPENED the minds of His disciples to
understand the Scriptures (Luke
24:45), we find here that He will OPEN
them to the countless billions that are now dead, AFTER
the THOUSAND YEAR period. And as Peter said, JUDGMENT is
on the HOUSE OF THE LORD (1
Peter 4:17) and
must begin there, but it does not stop there. All these
people will be given the opportunity to finally know
their God, and His Word will be opened to their
understanding. Then they will be given a period of time
to live by the Word of God, and will also be in a period
of judgment. "Judgment" here is not "condemnation" or
even "sentencing", it is translated from the Greek "Krino" which
means "to
make a distinction, or come to a decision." And
the judgment or decision of whether they receive life or
death will be determined by how their DEEDS MATCH THAT
OF THE BIBLE that had been opened to them.
This period of TESTING is spoken of in Isaiah 65, and
will occur after the thousand years and after the first
heaven and earth has passed away. Notice Verse
17, -"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things shall not be remembered or come to
mind." Verse 20, -"No longer will there be in it an
infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does
not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age
of ONE HUNDRED and the one who does not reach the age of
one hundred shall be thought accused."
As we read in Revelation
20, it is at this time that the BOOKS
(Bible) are opened to their understanding and the BOOK
OF LIFE is opened again, as it was at the FIRST
RESURRECTION. Now, why does God open the BOOK OF LIFE at
this time if TODAY is the ONLY DAY of salvation? The
people we just read about are clearly not in the FIRST
RESURRECTION, they are the "REST OF THE DEAD". All the
remainder of human beings, the millions and billions
down through the centuries who have lived and died, the
"dead, small and great." And when they come up out of
their graves, TWO THINGS ARE OPENED UP, the BIBLE and
the BOOK OF LIFE. Why is the Book of Life opened BACK
UP? Is God going to double-check His list to make sure
He didn't leave somebody out that should have come up a
THOUSAND YEARS EARLIER? The answer to that is obvious,
isn't it? OF COURSE NOT!
Well then, WHY? God is going to open up the BOOK OF LIFE
because that will be the FIRST TIME when these people
will have the opportunity to have their names inscribed
into it. We are told the BOOKS are opened, and judgment
(period of evaluation) is made for a period of 100 years (Isaiah
65) concerning
them, by how their deeds match the instruction of the
BOOKS.
Notice Revelation
20:13, -"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it,
and death and hades (grave) gave up the dead which were
in them; and they were judged (Gr.Krino) every one of
them ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS." They
are raised up, restored to life, the books of the Bible
are opened to their understanding and they are then
judged in accordance with that they do with what they
know. And whosoever is not found written in the Book of
Life at the conclusion
of this period, will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
(Verse 15)
JESUS SPOKE OF ANOTHER DAY
Even Jesus spoke of another day of judgment, notice Matthew
11:20-24, -"Then
He began to reproach the cities in which most of His
miracles were done, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT REPENT. "Woe
to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! (Israelite
cities) For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and
Sidon (Gentile Cities) which occurred in you, they would
have REPENTED long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon in the DAY OF JUDGMENT, than for you.
And you Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven will
you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had
occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have
remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it
shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the DAY
OF JUDGMENT, than for you."
Jesus talked about a time of JUDGMENT, and said
that if Tyre, if Sidon or even Sodom had been given the
opportunity in their day that some of the Israelite
cities of His day, they would have repented! Have you
ever read about Tyre and Sidon? Those
were the peoples that colonized North Africa, they
colonized Carthage. Have you read about the pagan idol
"Molak" and the human sacrifices that took place? Have
you read about the detestable religious practices of
these people? The
term "sodomy" comes from the lifestyle of Sodom! These
cities of the plains were so evil God utterly destroyed
them! Yet
Jesus said, IF THOSE CITIES, if THOSE degenerate
societies had been GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY and the WITNESS
THAT CHRIST GAVE, they would have REPENTED from their
evil deeds. And Jesus declared, "It
will be MORE TOLERABLE FOR THEM in the DAY OF JUDGMENT,
than for you."(Israelite cities) This
shows clearly that there is a time of judgment yet
future. And that even the inhabitants of these evil
cities will arise at judgment, and the indication is
(from previous Scriptures read) that they will be given
the opportunity to know Christ, and to have the Bible
opened to their understanding.
Jesus said basically the same thing in Matthew
Chapter 12 concerning
the ancient city of Nineveh, saying they will rise up in
the judgment with this generation (Jesus' generation)
and condemn it, because "They
REPENTED at the preaching of Jonah." Also
He said the Queen of the South will rise up in the
JUDGMENT and condemn His generation for not repenting at
the preaching of Jesus.
It is clear, that the 9th century B.C. men of Nineveh,
the 10th century B.C. Queen of the South, or the people
of the cities Jesus preached to in the 1st century AD,
will all come up together in the SECOND RESURRECTION,
the resurrection to JUDGMENT.
They are then "JUDGED" not immediately "SENTENCED". This
judging covers a period of time during which these
people have God and His truth revealed to them. Hebrews
9:27 clearly
says, that "it
is appointed for men (Mankind in general) to die
ONCE, but AFTER THIS (After they have been brought
back to life by the resurrection) the JUDGMENT." And Isaiah
65 indicates
that everyone from babies to the elderly who are
resurrected to this period will be given one hundred
years to learn to live by the Word of God. This
is the meaning of what Jesus said, -"Many
that are LAST will be FIRST."
Notice also what the Apostle Paul told Timothy, 1
Timothy 2:1-6, -First of all, then, I urge you that
entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be
made on behalf of ALL MEN, for kings and all who are in
authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and
quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, WHO
DESIRES ALL MEN to be SAVED and to come to the KNOWLEDGE
OF THE TRUTH. For there is one God, and one Mediator
also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave
Himself as a ransom FOR ALL, the testimony borne at the
PROPER TIME." Just
as there is a PROPER TIME for each Festival, and a
PROPER ORDER of resurrection, there is also a PROPER
TIME when God calls each individual to the knowledge of
His Way of life in truth. The FIRSTFRUITS that are
called TODAY, in this present evil age, are a small
group. Jesus repeatedly called His Church the "little
flock". God's true Church is not comprised of a great
number of people. Most professing Christians are not
truly in Christ and led by the holy spirit of God. It is
the holy spirit that makes you a part of the Body of
Christ, and puts you in "ekklesia". "Ekklesia" is the
Greek word translated "Church", and means "called out
ones". Only the ELECT are called out TODAY, but there is
another day coming.
Notice Isaiah
25:6-9, -And the Lord of Hosts will prepare a lavish
banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of
aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged
wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the
COVERING which is OVER ALL PEOPLES, even the VEIL which
is STRETCHED OVER ALL NATIONS. He will swallow up death
for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from
all faces, And He will REMOVE THE REPROACH of His people
from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. And it will
be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God for whom
we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord
for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in
His salvation."
How wonderful this prophecy of the future is! The
Banquet the Lord will prepare for His people is called
the"Wedding Banquet" or "Dinner" in
the writings of Jesus. (Matthew
22 and Luke 14) It
is also referenced to by David in the famous 23rd
Psalm, -"Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of my enemies....my (wine) cup overflows." This
is the Banquet for the FIRSTFRUITS, but notice that the
"COVERING" or the "VEIL" will also be REMOVED from ALL
PEOPLES and NATIONS, so that they may come to know the
Lord. And the REPROACH will be REMOVED from God's people
Israel so that they may have the blindness removed from
their eyes and accept Jesus as the Messiah. The Apostle
Paul wrote of this time to the Church in Rome, noticeRomans
11:25-27, -"For I do not want you, brethren, to be
uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own
estimation, that a partial HARDENING has happened to
ISRAEL until the
fulness of the GENTILES has come in; and thus ALL ISRAEL
will be SAVED; just as it is written, "The Deliverer
will come from Zion, He will REMOVE UNGODLINESS from
JACOB (Israel), And this is My Covenant with them, When
I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
The FIRSTFRUITS were chosen from the foundation of the
world, they are the ELECT of God. But there is a PLAN OF
SALVATION for ALL that have ever lived. That is not to
say that ALL will ACCEPT this salvation. Surely there
are those asleep in the grave now that will be
resurrected to eternal death in the Lake of Fire. But
these were called and chosen, the elect of God that have
turned aside and fallen away from Christ. Without Jesus
there is no WAY to LIFE, because He is the WAY, the
TRUTH and the LIFE.
But from the inner cities of today to the deepest parts
of the African bush yesterday, all that have never known
the true God will be resurrected together in the SECOND
RESURRECTION, the resurrection to JUDGMENT. (Not
condemnation) At this time the "Biblos" will be opened
unto them. How else can so many Scriptures be
harmonized?
There is an ELECT today that JUDGMENT is on now, and
their names are already written in the Lamb's BOOK OF
LIFE, and have been since the foundation of the earth.(Ephesians
1:4) But
there is ANOTHER DAY of judgment for the billions that
lay sleeping the sleep of death. After the one thousand
year reign of Christ and His Saints, they too will hear
the words Jesus spoke to Lazarus, -"COME
FORTH, I COMMAND YOU, COME FORTH!"
It is truly wonderful to
understand and be comforted in the knowledge that God
has not forsaken those who sleep waiting to hear those
gracious words. May glory, honor and thanksgiving be to
our great and awesome God.
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