KKK God's Word Four

This website exists to enlighten those who wish to digest
the "strong [solid] meat," not just "the milk or meat,"
of the Word of God. ~Hebrews 5:12-14

A study about the work of the Spirit during the present dispensation.

Search for the Bride BOOK

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Foreword SB

Ch. 1 Time of the Search

Ch. 2 Manner of the Search

Ch. 3 When He Is Come (1)

Ch. 4 When He Is Come (2)

Ch. 5 Seeing the Kingdom

Ch. 6 Entering the Kingdom

Ch. 7 One New Man

Ch. 8 An Awaiting Inheritance

Ch. 9 The Invitation

Ch. 10 The Response

Ch. 11 The Search Concluded

Ch. 12 The Departure

Ch. 13 The Bride Revealed

Ch. 14 Redemption, Marriage

Ch. 15 The Son with His Wife

FOREWORD

The Spirit of God is in the world today performing a work related to a new dispensation. Israel has been set aside, and an entirely new entity, a new nation — the one new man “in Christ” — has been brought into existence (cf. Ephesians 2:12-15; 1 Peter 2:9-10).

Why has God sent His Spirit to deal with new household servants (this new nation, this new man)? One thing is crystal clear about the matter. God has not sent His Spirit into the world to deal with unsaved man relative to eternal salvation, for two very evident reasons: First, the Spirit was sent to the saved, to do a particular, revealed work (cf. John 16:7-15; Acts 1:5; 2:1); and second, the Spirit was already present in the world doing a work among the unsaved, a work that He has been performing since Adam’s fall.

Fallen man, because of Adam’s sin, is spiritually dead; and the Spirit has been in the world throughout Man’s Day breathing life into the one having no life. And He has done/does this on the basis of death and shed blood, allowing man to pass “from death to life” (John 5:24; Ephesians 2:1).

The foundational basic teachings for the Spirit’s work in this respect are set forth in the first four chapters of Genesis. And these foundational basics, set forth at the very beginning, can never change at any point throughout Scripture. Man’s eternal salvation, necessitated by Adam’s fall, remains exactly the same throughout Man’s Day. And this necessitates the Spirit performing a work relative to man’s restoration, beginning with man’s fall, and continuing today.

Yet, God sent His Spirit into the world on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D., though the Spirit was already in the world performing a work having to do with unsaved man. Thus, since the Spirit was already in the world dealing with man relative to his spiritually dead state, it is quite evident that God sending His Spirit into the world on the day of Pentecost could have nothing to do with man’s eternal salvation. The Spirit was already here doing a work in this respect, effecting the birth from above; and nothing could be added to or taken from this continuing work of the Spirit through a work of the Spirit that began on the day of Pentecost.

Rather, God sending His Spirit on this day had to do with a special and particular work among those in whom He had already breathed life (on the basis of Christ’s death and shed blood). It had to do with a work subsequent to man passing “from death to life.” And, consequently, everything relating to this special and particular work (e.g., the immersion in the Spirit, the new creation “in Christ,” the one new man, the sealing of the Spirit, the earnest of the inheritance, etc.) can have nothing to do with salvation by grace.

And that should be simple enough to understand, for salvation by grace could only remain unchanged at the time when these things having to do with a work of the Spirit peculiar to the dispensation were brought into existence. That is to say, the Spirit, at the time of and following events on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D., simply continued His work relative to salvation by grace (unchanged); but the Spirit began a new work on this day, peculiar to the dispensation (for those in whom He had already breathed life).

Why is the Spirit performing a work of this nature, a work peculiar to the present dispensation? Where is the line to be drawn between His work relative to salvation by grace (which continues unchanged throughout Man’s Day) and His work peculiar to the present dispensation (which began on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. and will end when the work has been completed)?

That’s what this book, SEARCH FOR THE BRIDE, is about. God has brought into existence an entirely new dispensation; and, in connection with this new dispensation, God has brought into existence the one new man “in Christ.” And God has sent the Holy Spirit into the world to do a particular, revealed work among those comprising this new man.

This book covers all aspects of the matter, drawing from both the Old and New Testaments. And this book deals with that which Scripture alone, not man, has to say about the matter.

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Chapter One

Time of the Search

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh,

and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;

but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac." (Genesis 24:1-4).

There are five chapters in the book of Genesis which form an overall type, comprised of a number of individual types — Genesis 21-25. These five chapters, in the antitype, present a chronological, dispensational sequence of events carrying one from the birth of Christ to the Messianic Kingdom. Events in these chapters point to a period covering slightly over 2,000 years within man’s 6,000-year day. This period begins very near the end of the Jewish dispensation, covers all of the Christian dispensation, and leads into the Messianic Era.

And this is exactly the same period of time covered by revelation in the New Testament. The New Testament begins with events surrounding the birth of Christ (near the end of the Jewish dispensation) and concludes with events surrounding the Messianic Kingdom (cf. Matthew 1:18-25; Revelation 20:1-6; 22:7-21).

Thus, in this respect, these five chapters in Genesis form a foundational, dispensational, skeletal framework upon which the whole of New Testament revelation can be seen to rest. And the New Testament, in turn, dealing with exactly the same subject matter in an expanded manner, forms a commentary on that set forth in these five chapters. The New Testament forms the sinews and flesh that attach themselves to and clothe this skeletal framework (cf. Ezekiel 37:1-10).

This same type relationship between two sections of Scripture is something common to the book of Genesis. Note that the book opens in this manner, with the whole of Scripture brought into view. Genesis 1:1-2:3 (Creation, Ruin, Restoration, and Rest) forms the foundational framework upon which all subsequent Scripture rests. All Scripture beyond Genesis 2:3 simply forms a commentary on that set forth in the foundational framework. The skeletal framework is set forth at the beginning, and the remainder of Scripture forms the sinews and flesh that attach themselves to and clothe this skeletal framework.

And with Scripture structured after the preceding fashion, one thing should be very evident. Commentary presupposes a knowledge of that with which the commentary deals. Sinews and flesh presuppose bones upon which they are to be attached and which are to hold them in place.

All Scripture subsequent to the foundational material set forth at the beginning has been written in a manner that presupposes a familiarity with this foundational material. This subsequent Scripture has been given in a manner that presupposes that it is going to be read and studied in conjunction with a previously laid foundation. And when this isn’t done, one finds himself dealing with commentary upon a subject apart from a basic knowledge of that subject. Or, one finds himself attempting to deal with sinews and flesh apart from a skeletal framework to which they are to be attached and which is to hold them in place.

Thus, the importance of understanding foundational sections of Scripture that God has set forth in His Word cannot be overemphasized. The structure of Scripture following the foundational passages, relating back to these passages, presupposes an understanding of these passages. And, apart from an understanding of these foundational passages, subsequent Scripture relating back to these passages cannot possibly be properly understood.

Genesis 21-25

In the Genesis account, “Abraham” is a type of God the Father and “Isaac” a type of God the Son. This becomes unquestionably clear in Genesis 22 where Abraham offers his son upon one of the mountains in the land of Moriah, pointing to God offering His Son upon one of the mountains in the land of Moriah 2,000 years later.

God was very specific in His instructions to Abraham concerning the place where Isaac was to be offered — “on one of the mountains [in ‘the land of Moriah’] of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2). And the reason is obvious. Events surrounding Abraham offering his son form an unchangeable type of events surrounding the Father one day offering His Son.

God’s Son was apparently offered upon this same mount — in “the mount of the Lord” — that Abraham called, “Jehovah-jireh [‘the Lord will provide’]” (Genesis 22:14). God provided a substitute in this place two different times. He provided a substitute in this place during Abraham’s day, and He provided a Substitute in this same place 2,000 years later.

With “Abraham” typifying God the Father, it would only follow that “Sarah,” his wife, would typify Israel, the wife of Jehovah. And this fits perfectly within the typical structure of these chapters in Genesis and that seen in the New Testament commentary.

Sarah was barren; and because she was barren, Abraham and Sarah sought to bring God’s promise concerning a seed to pass through Hagar and their own efforts. But God always rejects man’s efforts. Man’s best efforts, in God’s eyes, are no different than his worst efforts. All emanate from the same source — the man of flesh, which God has rejected (Genesis 16:1-4; 17:18-19; cf. Isaiah 64:6).

God alone does His work in His time. After Sarah was physically incapable of childbirth, because of her age, God performed a supernatural work in her life, resulting in Isaac’s birth (Genesis 17:17-19; 21:1ff).

Israel later appeared in the same barren condition (Matthew 21:18-19). And God did something quite similar on the other end of the spectrum in the antitype. He took a Jewish maiden — a woman who had not known a man and would, thus, through natural means, be incapable of childbirth — and performed a supernatural work in her life, resulting in the birth of the One Whom Isaac typified. Though Israel was barren (as Sarah had been barren), the nation, through a supernatural work, brought forth (as Sarah had brought forth through the same supernatural means [Matthew 1:18-25]).

Thus, in Genesis 21, the supernatural birth of Isaac typifies the supernatural birth of Christ. In Genesis 22, the offering of Isaac typifies the offering of Christ. Then, the next event in the dispensation scheme of matters as presented in these chapters is seen through the death of Sarah in Genesis 23.

Sarah, the wife of Abraham, died following the offering of Isaac. And this is exactly what is seen in the antitype. Israel, the wife of Jehovah, died following the offering of Christ. Israel was set aside for a dispensation and is looked upon during this time as being in the place of death.

This can be seen, for example, in a corresponding type (Jonah dying in the belly of the fish [Jonah 1; 2]) or in the seventh sign in John’s gospel (Lazarus’ death [John 11]). But in both the type and the sign, Jonah and Lazarus were raised from the dead, as Israel will one day be raised out of the place of death. And Jonah and Lazarus were both raised on the same day — the third day (Jonah 1:17-2:10 [cf. Matthew 12:39-40; 16:21]; John 11:6-7, 43-44) — pointing to Israel being raised on the third day as well.

The third day is seen in Genesis 22:4. Events on the mount occurred on the third day, which would involve Abraham receiving his son “in a figurative sense [Gk. parabole, ‘parable’]” (Hebrews 11:19).

The offering of Abraham’s son is looked upon in two senses in Scripture — parabolic and typical. And though the type is evident, attention is called to the parabolic aspect of the matter in the book of Hebrews.

A parable (a transliterated form of the compound Greek word parabole [from para, “alongside”; and bole, “to cast”]) is simply a subsequent truth placed alongside a previous truth to shed light upon and help explain the previous truth.

A type, on the other hand, points to biblical truth in a reverse sense to that of a parable. A type appears first and points to a corresponding antitype out ahead (rather than, as a parable, appearing last and pointing to corresponding, previously revealed truth). But both types and parables are given for the same basic purpose — to shed light upon and help explain that to which they relate.

Abraham offered his son upon the mount of the Lord’s choosing, though death itself occurred in a substitute (a ram caught in the thicket died in Isaac’s stead [Genesis 22:9ff; Hebrews 11:17-19]). Isaac died “in a substitute,” and Abraham received his son from the dead in a parable (reflecting back on previously revealed truth [e.g., events in Genesis 3; 4, where teachings pertaining to death and shed blood are introduced in Scripture]). And events surrounding the offering of Isaac, as well, form a type (pointing forward to the antitype, where teachings pertaining to death and shed blood are climaxed in Scripture [Matthew 27:35ff]).

The third day points not only to the resurrection of Isaac “in the type,” or Christ “in the antitype,” but it also points to that time when all of God’s firstborn Sons will be raised. All of God’s firstborn Sons (Jesus, Israel, and the Church [following the adoption]) are to be raised (elevated to positions of power and authority) on the third day — the third 1,000-year period dating from the crucifixion, the antitype of that seen in Abraham receiving his son in a parable in Genesis 22 (receiving his son from the dead, with death being effected vicariously).

God will restore Israel, one of His firstborn Sons, on the third day. And this is dealt with through events in Genesis 25, where Abraham marries Keturah following the death of Sarah (Genesis 23) and following the bride being procured for Isaac (Genesis 24). “Abraham’s remarriage” points to Israel’s restoration, which will occur only following events surrounding the present dispensation (seen through events in Genesis 24).

Abraham, following his eldest servant procuring a bride for his son (Genesis 24), then married Keturah (Genesis 25), who was fruitful where Sarah had been barren. Keturah bore Abraham six sons, where Sarah, apart from divine intervention, had not borne him any sons. And this points to Israel’s fruitfulness in that coming day following the nation’s restoration.

Thus, Genesis chapter twenty-five moves matters into the Messianic Era, pointing to Israel’s future restoration following the events seen in chapter twenty-four. And the events in chapter twenty-four can only point to events of the present dispensation, which occur between two points in time — between Israel being set aside (Genesis 23) and Israel being restored (Genesis 25). Events in this chapter, in the antitype, occur during that time when Israel lies in the place of death (for two days, for 2,000 years), typified by Jonah and seen in the sign of Lazarus.

In the type, the events seen in chapter twenty-four have to do with Abraham sending his eldest servant into Mesopotamia to procure a bride for His son, Isaac. And in the antitype these events can only point to one thing. They can only point to God sending the Holy Spirit into the world to procure a bride for His Son, Jesus. The whole of chapter twenty-four has to do with God’s purpose for the present dispensation — the search for and procurement of a bride for His Son.

Thus, the events of Genesis 21-25 can easily be seen to form one overall type comprised of five individual types, carrying one, in the antitype, from the birth of Christ to the Messianic Kingdom.

And an understanding of the sequence of events through these five chapters will allow a person to place events during the present dispensation in their proper perspective. As previously stated, events during the present dispensation occur between two points in time (Israel being set aside [Genesis 23], and Israel being restored [Genesis 25]), and they have to do with God sending His Spirit into the world for a singular purpose — to procure a bride for His Son.

Thus, an understanding of events in God’s dealings with mankind occurring during the present dispensation, from a biblical standpoint, is inseparably linked with an understanding of that which occurred almost 4,000 years ago in Genesis 24.

Much of New Testament revelation surrounding the existence of the Church in the world and the ministry of the Holy Spirit during the present dispensation offers little background explanation per se. That revealed in Scripture surrounding both, as previously shown, has been given in a manner that presupposes a familiarity with previous, related revelation.

And the preceding is exactly the way in which anyone familiar with the Old Testament types would expect to find all New Testament revelation. All of the preliminary, foundational material surrounding the existence of the Church and the work of the Holy Spirit during the present dispensation was previously revealed in the Old Testament types.

In this respect, a person could only expect to find New Testament revelation given in a manner that presupposes a familiarity with the basics surrounding that with which this revelation deals — basics revealed in the Old Testament.

Supernatural Birth and Subsequent

Offering of Isaac (Genesis 21; 22)

The supernatural birth of God’s Son actually takes up little more space in the gospel accounts than it does in that which is stated about Isaac’s supernatural birth in Genesis (cf. Genesis 17:15-19; 18:9-14; 21:1-5; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; 2:1-7). The matter is only briefly dealt with in both type and antitype.

Comparing the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), the New Testament begins with events surrounding the birth of two individuals — Jesus, and John the Baptist.

Matthew deals only with events surrounding the birth of Jesus, with John not mentioned until about thirty years later when he appeared in the wilderness of Judaea with the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand” (Matthew 1:1-3:12).

Mark doesn’t deal with events surrounding the birth of either Jesus or John but begins his account some thirty years later with John’s ministry.

And Luke begins his account by providing detail concerning events surrounding the birth of both Jesus and John (Luke 1:1ff).

John the Baptist was born about six months prior to the time Jesus was born. And from the time of his birth, nothing is recorded about John until the day he, as the forerunner of the Messiah, began his ministry in the wilderness of Judaea “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (cf. Isaiah 40:3-5; Matthew 11:13-14; Luke 1:17).

In a similar fashion, except for one brief incident (Luke 2:41-52), nothing is recorded about Christ from events surrounding His birth until that time when He began His earthly ministry. Jesus began His ministry following the time John began his ministry; and after John had been imprisoned, Jesus took up the same message that John had previously been proclaiming (cf. Matthew 4:17ff; John 3:22ff).

Thus, very little information is given in the gospel accounts concerning events preceding John’s and Christ’s ministries. And, once John had been imprisoned, the gospel accounts deal almost exclusively with events surrounding Christ’s ministry. These events lead up to Israel’s rejection of the message and the Messenger, along with the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of the Messenger.

In this respect, the gospel accounts can easily be seen to cover that period foreshadowed by events previously seen in Genesis 21; 22 (though first seen in Genesis 3; 4). The gospel accounts provide the commentary for these two chapters, the sinews and flesh that attach themselves to and clothe the skeletal framework.

Death of Sarah (Genesis 23)

That typified by the death of Sarah, in the antitype, would have to follow the Son’s crucifixion (Genesis 22) but precede God sending the Holy Spirit into the world to procure a bride for His Son (Genesis 24). God, at the time of Christ’s death, would have had to still be dealing with Israel as a nation. Christ was the Paschal Lamb, and Israel alone could slay this Lamb (Exodus 12:1ff).

However, once this had been done, followed by Christ’s resurrection on the third day (also seen in Genesis 22), the events foreshadowed by Sarah’s death in Genesis 23 could then come to pass. At any time following Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, Israel, in accord with the Old Testament type, could be set aside.

And this had to be effected sometime during the fifty days between Christ’s resurrection and God sending His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, for that which occurred in Acts chapter two began the fulfillment of that foreshadowed by events in Genesis 24.

1) The Nation Set Aside

Within the gospel narratives, the matter of Israel being set aside in the antitype of Sarah’s death in Genesis 23 is dealt with more fully during Christ’s earthly ministry but not carried out until following His death, burial, and resurrection. Material extending from the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:22ff to Christ’s announcement in Matthew 21:43 detail the chronology of events that lead up to Israel being set aside following Christ’s resurrection.

In Matthew 12:22ff, the Pharisees accused Christ of using Satanic power to cast a demon out of a man. Christ though was casting out demons through the power of the Spirit. And because Israel’s religious leaders were associating this power with Satanic power, Christ announced to them,

Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32).

This act by Israel’s religious leaders in Matthew 12, followed by Christ’s announcement to them, marked the major turning point in Christ’s ministry. It was shortly after this, on the same day, that Christ (because of that which had occurred) went out of the house, sat by the seaside, and began to speak in parables. The “house” had to do with the house of Israel, the “seaside” had to do with the Gentiles, and the reason He spoke in “parables” was revealed to be twofold:

Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [Israel’s unbelieving religious leaders, and extending to those whom they had misled] it has not been given.

For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;

For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear (Matthew 13:11-16 [11b]).

Parables relate back to previously revealed truth; and in order to understand a parable, one must have an understanding of that to which the parable relates. The parable is dependent upon the previously revealed truth.

The disciples had accepted and understood the previously revealed truth to which the parables related. Thus, they would be in a position to understand the parables that Christ gave. However, this was not the case with Israel’s religious leaders. They had rejected this previously revealed truth and were in no position to understand the parables. The parables would, thus, be meaningless to them.

Christ gave four parables outside the house, and He then reentered the house where He gave three additional parables. The last three parables, though still connected with the Gentiles, had to do with Israel as well. Thus, Christ had to reenter the house before giving these parables.

However, Christ reentering the house was not an act that signaled a return to conditions as they had existed before He left the house. Rather, conditions relative to Israel had unalterably changed immediately preceding the time Christ left the house; and though God was still dealing with Israel as a nation, things were taking a sharp turn toward that which was about to occur — Israel being set aside, while God removed from the Gentiles “a people for His name” (Acts 15:14).

God’s future dealing with the Gentiles once again came into view in Matthew 15:21ff through the account of the Syrophenician woman’s daughter being healed. Then in Matthew 16:18ff, Christ, for the first time, mentioned the Church (which would be comprised mainly of those taken from the Gentiles).

It was following Christ calling attention to the Church that He instructed His disciples to tell no man that He was the Christ (because of events beginning in Matthew 12:22ff [Matthew 12:20]). Then, for the first time in His ministry the Cross came into full view:

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (Matthew 16:21; cf. Matthew 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 21:18-9, 38-39).

Though, for all practical purposes, the kingdom was taken from Israel at the time of the events in Matthew 12:22ff, the announcement was not made until shortly before Christ was crucified:

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. (Matthew 21:43).

Then God continued to deal with Israel until following the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Only after these things, according to the typology of Genesis 22; 23, could God discontinue His dealings with Israel. And, according to the typology of Genesis 24, God must discontinue His dealings with Israel prior to the Holy Spirit being sent into the world to procure a bride for His Son — an event seen to begin in Acts 2.

Israel being set aside can be seen in the gospel accounts after one fashion and in the book of Acts after another fashion.

In Luke 24:13-31, the entire nation is typified by the two disciples on the Emmaus road. They had been blinded for two days, dating from the crucifixion; and their sight was restored on the third day through Christ personally revealing Himself to them (Luke 24:20-21, 25-31).

This event deals with time during the present dispensation and points to Israel’s present blindness, which will last for two days — 2,000 years. Israel’s sight will be restored on the third day, the third 1,000-year period dating from the crucifixion; and the nation’s sight will be restored through Christ personally revealing Himself to them (Hosea 5:15-6:2; Zechariah 12:10-14; 13:6; cf. Genesis 45:1ff).

Then in the book of Acts, at the end of a forty-day period during which Christ instructed His disciples in “things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3), they asked Him if the kingdom would be restored to Israel at this time (Acts 1:6). But Christ directed their thoughts in another direction — to that which would occur ten days hence, when the Holy Spirit would be sent (Acts 1:6-8; cf. Acts 2:1ff).

Israel at this point in time had apparently been set aside, in complete accord with Genesis 23. And in complete accord with Genesis 24, the Holy Spirit would be sent into the world, with a view to another being called forth to bear fruit for the kingdom.

2) Another Called to Bear Fruit

In Matthew 21:43, attention is called to that which was about to be taken from Israel — “the kingdom of God” (that part of the kingdom which had been offered, the kingdom of the heavens) — with a view to this kingdom subsequently being offered to “a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” This is the “nation” referred to in 1 Peter 2:9-10, called into existence on the day of Pentecost, 30 A.D.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The kingdom was taken from Israel, and an entirely new entity, which was neither Jew nor Gentile but a new creation “in Christ” (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:11-15), was called into existence to be the recipient of that which Israel had rejected. And this new entity, seen in type through events in Genesis 24, could only have come into existence through that which occurred on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. (Acts 2:1ff).

The Spirit could not be sent, in the antitype of that seen in Genesis chapter twenty-four until Christ had been “glorified” (John 7:38-39). And this event, contrary to common belief, did not occur at the time of Christ’s resurrection. Christ was not raised in a glorified body. He was raised in the same body of flesh and bones that had previously been placed in the tomb (cf. Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39). And this body, as prior to the crucifixion, lacked the covering of Glory at the time of His resurrection. This body was not enswathed in Glory until forty days later, when He was “received up into glory” (cf. Acts 1:9; 1Timothy 3:16).

(Note the difference in Christ’s resurrection body without, and later with, this covering of Glory. The two disciples on the Emmaus road [et al] were able to gaze on this body and not see recognizable differences between this body and that of any other body [cf. Luke 24:15-39; John 20:14-18, 26-28].

But this was not the case at all after Christ’s body was enswathed in the Glory of God. Paul, for example, was blinded by Christ’s appearance on the road to Damascus, by a brightness above that of the noonday sun [Acts 9:3-5, 9; 26:12-15]; and note the description of the One upon Whom Christians will one day gaze [Revelation 1:16].)

The day of Pentecost in 30 A.D., occurring ten days following Christ’s ascension, is the only time that can possibly be considered as the antitype of Abraham sending his eldest servant into Mesopotamia to procure a bride for his son. The timing of this event was in exact accord with the type, along with the fact this was the only time when an event of this nature occurred in the New Testament.

And, though God was dealing with a new entity during a new dispensation, with Israel set aside, there was still a reoffer of the kingdom to Israel during about the first three decades of the new dispensation. This offer was made by the new creation “in Christ,” now in possession of that which had been taken from Israel. And since Israel was still in view in the preceding respect, signs, wonders, and miracles (as before) accompanied the proclamation of this message.

The book of Acts details this reoffer of the kingdom to Israel. This reoffer began on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. and extended to the third and last time Paul, in the Gentile world, announced to Israel’s religious leaders, “…the salvation of God [deliverance pertaining to the kingdom] is sent unto the Gentiles…” (Acts 28:28).

Israel, though set aside, held priority in the proclamation of this message throughout that time seen in the book of Acts. But, unlike the preceding time extending from the preaching of John to the events surrounding Calvary, the Gentiles were now also included.

From the sending of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. until Paul’s statement to the Jewish religious leaders in Rome, recorded in Acts 28:28 (abt. 62 A.D.), the message was “to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile” (cf. Romans 1:16; 2:9-10). However, following Paul’s statement in Acts 28:28, Israel no longer held priority, and the message beyond this point in time was proclaimed to one group of individuals alone.

Beyond Paul’s statement in Acts 28:28, the one new man “in Christ” alone is in view. This one new man, because his origin (mainly from the Gentiles), is often associated with the Gentiles, or the uncircumcision (as in Romans 1:16; 2:9-10; Galatians 2:2, 7). But his true identity is separate from either Jew or Gentile (Galatians 3:26-29). He is one new man “in Christ,” brought into existence to be the recipient of that which Israel had rejected and to bring forth fruit where Israel had failed.

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Chapter Two

Manner of the Search

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh,

and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;

but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac." (Genesis 24:1-4).

Genesis chapter twenty-four has to do with events during a completely separate and distinct dispensation within God’s dealings with man. Events foreshadowed by this chapter occur between two points in time, as set forth in the overall type (Genesis 21-25). They occur between the time God terminated His dealings with Israel (shown through Sarah’s death in Genesis 23) and the time when God will resume His dealings with Israel (shown through Abraham’s remarriage in Genesis 25).

Between the time Sarah died and the time Abraham remarried, Abraham sent his eldest servant into Mesopotamia to procure a bride for his son, Isaac (Genesis 24). And this, in the antitype, has to do with events occurring during the present dispensation. Between the time God set Israel aside and the time when He will restore Israel, He has sent the Holy Spirit into the world to procure a bride for His Son, Jesus.

In the type, Abraham sent his eldest servant, whom he had placed in charge of all his possessions, on a journey; and, prior to the servant’s departure, Abraham instructed him concerning the nature of the journey. The servant had one mission and one mission alone — to go into Mesopotamia and procure a bride for Abraham’s son.

And the servant had been instructed that the bride must come from Abraham’s own people. Prior to the servant’s departure, Abraham made the servant place his hand under his (Abraham’s) thigh and swear “by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth” concerning the place from whence the bride would be procured, i.e., from the family of Abraham. The bride was to come from the family alone, not from those outside the family (Genesis 24:1-10a).

The chapter then details the servant’s journey to Mesopotamia, his search for and procurement of the bride, and his departure from Mesopotamia with the bride. And the chapter ends with events beyond the departure, concluding with the one whom the servant had procured in Mesopotamia (Rebekah) becoming Isaac’s wife (Genesis 24:10-67 [10b]).

All the things seen in the historical account, forming the type in Genesis 24, have to do with things occurring solely during and immediately following the present dispensation. Israel has been set aside (seen through Sarah’s death in Genesis 23). God, for a time, has discontinued His dealings with Israel. This was done because of Israel’s continued disobedience over centuries of time, climaxed by the nation’s rejection of the proffered kingdom and the crucifixion of the King Himself at Christ’s first coming. And God’s discontinuance of His dealings with Israel at this time has allowed Him to bring to pass the things foreshadowed by the events seen in Genesis 24 (occurring in the type following Sarah’s death and in the antitype following Israel being set aside).

Following Israel being set aside, in exact accord with the type, God could only have placed the Spirit in charge of all His possessions prior to sending Him to the earth. And again, in exact accord with the type, the Spirit could only have been sent with a singular purpose in view — that of procuring a bride for God’s Son, Jesus. And once again, in exact accord with the type, the Spirit could only have been sent with the specific instructions to search for and procure the bride from among those within the family of God. All of these different things form major issues in the type, and they must be seen exactly the same way in the antitype.

The Spirit of God — placed in charge of all that belongs to the Father, which the Father has given to His Son (cf. Genesis 24:36; John 16:15) — has been sent into the world to perform a work among a people separate from Israel, during a dispensation completely separate from God’s dispensational dealings with Israel. And He is to do this work after the manner seen in the Old Testament type, which is after the manner seen in John 16 in the New Testament:

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12-15)

The preceding verses clearly reveal the nature of the work of the Spirit during the present dispensation, perfectly in line with that seen in the type. The means that the Spirit uses in procuring a bride for God’s Son is taking the things in His possession — the things that the Father has given to His Son, revealed in the Word of God — and showing these things to the prospective bride.

And this ministry of the Spirit surrounds a work that can be carried out only among the saved. Only saved individuals are in a position to be led into all truth in the manner seen in these verses. Only saved individuals are in a position to be shown “things to come” through the Spirit taking the Word of God, opening this Word to an individual’s understanding, and through this means showing that individual the things belonging to the Son (1 Corinthians 2:14).

God sending the Holy Spirit into the world on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. had nothing to do with the unsaved or with salvation by grace. Rather, according to the type, this event had to do solely with a search for and procurement of a bride for God’s Son. Salvation by grace didn’t enter into the matter then, and it has not entered into the matter at any time during the course of the dispensation. Salvation by grace is an entirely separate work of the Spirit, which had/has nothing to do with the Spirit being sent on the day of Pentecost in the antitype of that seen in Genesis 24.

(The Spirit has always been in the world relative to the salvation of the lost. See the subsequent section in this chapter, “Salvation by Grace.”)

And this should tell a person something about the book of Acts and the twenty-one New Testament epistles, which form the commentary material for Genesis 24. This section of Scripture occupies a place in the New Testament in complete keeping with the place that Genesis 24 occupies in the Old Testament in relation to Genesis 21-25. Both sections of Scripture parallel one another and have to do with God’s dealings with man during that time when Israel is set aside. Both have to do with a dispensation separate from God’s dealings with Israel, and both have to do with that time when God takes out of the Gentiles “a people for his name” (Acts 15:14).

In this respect, the book of Acts and the epistles that follow — beginning with God sending the Holy Spirit into the world to perform a work with an entity separate from Israel, during a time when Israel is set aside — must deal with the same thing seen in Genesis 24. This entire section in the New Testament can only center around and deal with all the various things surrounding God sending the Holy Spirit into the world to procure a bride for His Son, as outlined in the Old Testament type.

Thus, the reason why God sent His Spirit into the world on the day of Pentecost is clearly revealed in the foundational material in Genesis. Revelation seen in the book of Acts and the epistles, beginning with God sending His Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff) and continuing into the epistles, has been given in a manner that assumes that the reader possesses a knowledge of the foundational material.

The latter revelation is built upon the former. The manner in which the latter revelation has been given assumes that the reader has some knowledge of the former. And if the former is not understood (in this case, the foundational material in Genesis 24), that can only negatively reflect on one coming into a proper understanding of the latter (in this case, the book of Acts and the epistles).

Both sections of Scripture (Genesis 24 on the one hand, and the book of Acts and the epistles on the other) deal with exactly the same thing. One (Genesis 24) forms the foundation, the skeletal framework; and the other (the book of Acts and the epistles) forms the building blocks that rest upon the foundation. This New Testament section forms the commentary for the foundational revelation, the sinews and flesh that cover the skeletal framework (ref. chapter one of this book).

And all of this carries over into the book of Revelation as well. The first four chapters of the book of Revelation (Revelation 1-4) have to do solely with Christians. These chapters have to do with the removal of Christians from the earth at the end of the present dispensation, the judgment seat that follows, and events that immediately follow those surrounding the decisions and determinations emanating from the judgment seat. These are events previously set forth in the epistles but dealt with at length in these four chapters of the book of Revelation (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 15:51-58; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:9).

Then, going beyond chapter four in the book of Revelation, the entirety of that seen through the first nineteen chapters of this book (Revelation 5-19) would have to fit within the framework of that seen at the very end of Genesis 24. Though chapters five through eighteen of the book of Revelation (Revelation 5-18) have to do with God completing his dealings with Israel prior to the nation being restored (seen in Genesis 25), the matter of the redemption of the forfeited possession (the earth — the domain over which the King with His consort queen will rule) must occur prior to the procured bride becoming the Lamb’s wife (Revelation 19:7-9). And this is the central issue dealt with throughout these chapters, while God completes His dealings with Israel (in accord with that seen in both the books of Ruth and Daniel [Ruth 4:1ff; Daniel 9:24-27]).

(For a detailed discussion of the first nineteen chapters of the book of Revelation in the preceding respect, refer to the author’s book, in this site, Mysteries of the Kingdom BOOK, Chapters 10, 11.)

Salvation by Grace

As previously stated, God sending the Holy Spirit into the world on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. had nothing to do with salvation by grace through faith. Man’s salvation, man passing from death unto life, is one of the great constants of Scripture. God’s provision of salvation for fallen man, set forth at the very beginning of Scripture, remains unchanged 6,000 years later; and it will remain unchanged throughout all future time.

God’s work with man, from a dispensational aspect, changes in accordance with the different dispensations. And the Spirit’s work with man, from a dispensational aspect, also changes in accordance with the different dispensations as well (e.g., the Spirit’s work in connection with His search for a bride for God’s Son during the present dispensation is a work peculiar to this dispensation alone). But salvation by grace is not a dispensational matter. Salvation by grace remains completely unaffected by God’s various works with man throughout the different dispensations. Salvation by grace remains unchanged, regardless of God’s actions within any dispensation.

In order to begin with salvation by grace and the place that the Spirit of God occupies in man’s salvation, one must begin where God began. He must begin where God, in His Word, laid the foundation concerning the revealed work of the Spirit in this respect. And God began laying this foundation in Genesis:

In the beginning God created the heaven [‘heavens’] and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Following the creation of the heavens and the earth, God placed Satan (in his unfallen state) over the earth, one of the numerous provinces in His kingdom (provinces in the universe). But because of Satan acting outside of and contrary to the laws established by God, under which he governed the earth (Satan seeking to exalt his throne and be “like the most High”), the domain over which he ruled was reduced to a ruin, with darkness covering his kingdom (Genesis 1:2a; cf. Isaiah 14:12-17; 45:7; Ezekiel 28:14-19):

And the earth was [‘But the earth became’] without form, and void; and darkness was [‘and darkness became’ (‘became’ here is not in the Hebrew text, though implied)] upon the face of the deep. (Genesis 1:2a)

Exactly how long the ruined domain lay in this condition is unknown, for Scripture is silent on the matter. But throughout this period of darkness and ruin Satan continued to hold the scepter, though he could only have ruled over a ruined domain.

(A principle of biblical government necessitates that an incumbent ruler continue to hold the scepter until the one who is to succeed him is not only present but is also ready to take the scepter and ascend the throne. This can be seen in the account of Adam and his encounter with Satan, David and his encounter with Saul, or Christ and His encounter with Satan at His first coming [the antitype of the previous two types].)

But the day came when God set about to restore the ruined domain, followed by the creation of man to replace the fallen provincial ruler. And the manner that God used to restore the ruined domain (ruined creation) establishes a pattern concerning how He would restore any subsequent ruined creation. Once God establishes a pattern, sets a type, etc., no change can ever occur, for God sets things perfect at the outset.

The beginning of how God works in this restorative pattern is given in Genesis, where the work of the Spirit is introduced in Scripture:

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light: and there was light [or, ‘Let light be: and light became’].”

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:2-4 [2b])

Thus, God began a restorative work through one revealed means: the Spirit moving, followed by God Himself speaking. And this was followed by light coming into existence where only darkness had previously prevailed, with God declaring the light to be good and then making a division between the light and the darkness.

Following five subsequent days of restorative work (Genesis 1:6-25), God created man to replace the rebellious and fallen provincial ruler; and man, an individual created in God’s image, after God’s likeness, was to hold the scepter and rule over the restored domain in the stead of Satan (Genesis 1:26-28).

However, Satan succeeded in bringing about man’s fall, not only resulting in man’s ruin and disqualification to take the scepter but also allowing the scepter to remain in his (Satan’s) hand. Thus, Satan continued to reign, with man no longer being in a position to replace him.

At this point in time, God once again had a ruined creation to deal with (man, as He had previously found Himself having to deal with Satan under similar circumstances). Then, because of man’s fall, God once again brought the material creation into a ruined state (as He had previously done at the time of Satan’s fall).

Following God’s actions both times (following His actions surrounding Satan’s fall, and following His actions surrounding man’s fall), He was left with ruined creations. In the first of these two times, the ruin had to do with the incumbent ruler and his angels, along with the material creation; and in the second of these two times, the ruin had to do with the one created to replace the incumbent ruler, along with the material creation again.

When Satan fell, along with one-third of the angels ruling with him, which he led astray, there was no restoration provided for Satan or for his angels. However, when man fell, forming a subsequent ruined creation, matters were markedly different. God immediately provided a means of restoration for His fallen creature, and the means that God used to restore fallen man (a ruined creation) had previously been set through God’s actions when He restored the ruined material creation immediately prior to man’s creation.

The first act in God’s restoration of the material creation had to do with the Spirit of God moving upon the ruined creation. And this must, as well, be the first act within the restoration of man, a subsequent ruined creation. The Spirit of God must move upon ruined man, as He had previously moved upon the ruined material creation.

But, relative to man, a creation quite different than the material creation, exactly how was this to be accomplished? That is, how was the Spirit to move upon man? The answer can be seen and understood through the only means that anything can be seen and understood in Scripture — through comparing Scripture with Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:9-13).

Another beginning point necessary to understand the Spirit’s work in man’s restoration is seen in Genesis 2:7, where God created man and then imparted life to the one whom He had created. When God formed Adam from “the dust of the ground,” Adam was created lifeless. Adam was created an inanimate entity, and life was imparted to him through one revealed means: God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man [Hebrew Adam, meaning ‘man,’ or ‘Adam’] became a living soul.”

God’s action in Genesis 2:7 establishes another unchangeable principle in Scripture (another First-Mention Principle). How does God impart life to lifeless man? The answer, seen in this verse, is by means of His breath. “Life,” in Scripture, is inseparably connected with God’s breath. God imparts life through breathing into man; and this means of imparting life, never changes throughout Scripture. Any time life is imparted to man beyond Genesis 2:7, it can only be through one means alone. It can only be through the breath of God.

Unsaved man today is “dead in trespasses and sins.” How is God going to impart life to unsaved man where no life presently exists? There is only one biblical answer to the question, and that answer is found in Genesis 2:7. God is going to impart life through breathing into the one having no life.

And here is where the work of the Spirit comes into view, which takes one back to Genesis 1:2-5 [2b]. The word for “Spirit” and the word for “breath” are the same in both the Hebrew text (Ruach) and the Greek text (Pneuma). For example, the word for “Spirit” in Genesis 1:2b and the word for “breath” in Ezekiel 37:8-10 (where God’s breath produces life) are the same in the Hebrew text (Ruach) as well as the Greek text, the Septuagint (Pneuma).

Pneuma is used sparingly for “breath” in the Greek text of the New Testament. But when pneuma is used in this manner in the New Testament, the word is usually not understood by the reader as “breath,” for the translators have invariably mistranslated the word as “spirit” (e.g., Luke 8:55; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; James 2:26).

God breathes life into unsaved man by means of His Spirit, Who, in this respect, is the Breath of God. As previously seen, according to Genesis 1:2b the Spirit has to act first in the restoration of a ruined creation. The Spirit’s actions relative to the restoration of the material creation are seen in Genesis 1:2b, though very little information is given in the text concerning the exact nature of His work in this respect.

But when it comes to an individual created in God’s image, after His likeness, a wealth of information concerning the work of the Spirit is provided. And the beginning of this wealth of information is seen in Genesis 2:7. God breathes life into the one having no life, and He does this by means of His Spirit, Who is the Breath of God. The Spirit moves upon the ruined creation, breathing life into that ruined creation.

Then, according to the type in the opening verses of Genesis, God speaks, light comes into existence, God declares the light to be good, and God divides between the light and the darkness.

Synonymous with the Spirit breathing life into the one previously having no life, on the basis of that which God has stated in His Word, light comes into existence. Man is made alive spiritually. Man passes “from death unto life,” but his soul, associated with the natural man (the man of flesh), remains unchanged. God declares that which has been made alive spiritually, “good”; and God then divides between the spirit and the soul, between that having to do with light and that having to do with darkness (cf. John 3:6; Hebrews 4:12).

Thus, at any point in man’s history, where his eternal salvation is concerned, the Spirit has to be present to move upon the ruined creation, to breathe life into man. And this continuing presence of and work of the Spirit never changes at any time during Man’s Day, which stretches through three 2,000-year dispensations.

And the Spirit performs this work on the basis of two things also set forth very early in Scripture, which never change as well — death and shed blood.

Death and shed blood are first seen in Genesis 3, immediately following Adam’s sin. And they are seen again in Genesis 4 — Cain slaying Abel — providing further light on the subject. Then the entire matter, based on previous revelation, is put together in Genesis 22 — the offering of Isaac.

The means which God uses to effect life where no life exists is breath. God, by means of His Spirit, breathes life into man. And He does this on the basis of death and shed blood. All of this is set forth in the opening three chapters of Genesis, with subsequent chapters providing additional information on the subject.

Thus, the work of the Spirit relative to salvation, the new birth, man passing “from death unto life,” was set at the very beginning of God’s revelation to man, before and at the time of man’s creation (Genesis 1; 2). Then, the basis upon which the Spirit performed this work was set immediately following man’s fall (Genesis 3).

All of this remains unchanged throughout Man’s Day, and God sending His Spirit on the day of Pentecost had nothing whatsoever to do with the entire matter. God sending His Spirit on this day was for purposes completely separate from that which had already been an unchanging work of the Spirit for four millennia.

The Spirit was already here when the same Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. If not, salvation for fallen man could not have existed prior to Pentecost. The Spirit must be present to breathe life into the one having no life. This was true prior to Pentecost, and it remains true following Pentecost.

The Spirit being sent on the day of Pentecost had to do with the Spirit taking up an entirely separate work from His continuing work of salvation by grace. This work has both a beginning point and an ending point, as does the Spirit’s work surrounding man’s eternal salvation.

The Spirit’s work of procuring a bride for God’s Son will last for one dispensation. It will last for 2,000 years — from Pentecost until that day when the bride has been procured, followed by the bride’s removal.

And the Spirit’s work of salvation for man, “dead in trespasses and sins,” will last even beyond Man’s Day, into the Lord’s Day. It will last for 7,000 years, as long as sin and death remain. It will last from Adam’s fall until the end of the Messianic Kingdom — from the time sin and death were brought into existence through man’s fall until sin and death have “passed away” (Genesis 3:6-7; Revelation 21:4-5).

Acts and the Epistles

Though the Spirit was sent into the world on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D., His ministry on that day and for about the next thirty-two years was not limited to His search for a bride for God’s Son. There was a continuing ministry of the Spirit on this day in connection with the Spirit already being in the world, similar to His continuing presence and ministry relative to man’s eternal salvation. Beginning with the work of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 and ending with Paul’s announcement in Rome in Acts 28, there was a reoffer of the kingdom to Israel.

(Joel’s prophecy began to be fulfilled in Acts chapter two; and Paul in Rome, about thirty-two years later, announced to Israel’s religious leaders for the third and last time “that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” [Acts 2:16-21; 28:28; cf. Joel 2:28-32; Acts 13:46; 18:6].)

During the original offer of the kingdom to Israel, Jesus performed miraculous works through the power of the Spirit (Matthew 12:28); and, during the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel, miraculous works through the power of the Spirit continued, though Messiah was absent. And this reoffer of the kingdom to Israel had no more to do with the Spirit’s search for a bride for God’s Son than did the original offer of the kingdom to Israel. This was simply a continuing work of the Spirit, continuing from that seen in the gospel accounts. And this continuing work of the Spirit was completely separate from the reason why the Spirit was sent into the world in Acts 2 (in line with salvation by grace being a separate and continuing work of the Spirit, Who was already in the world prior to His being sent).

And this continuing work of the Spirit, relating to Israel and the kingdom, would only last for about the first thirty-two years of the dispensation. Signs, wonders, and miracles were in evidence during this time, for the kingdom was being reoffered to Israel. It is the Jew who requires a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22); and signs are always seen associated with two things in Scripture, with both having to be present at the same time in order for signs to exist — Israel, and the kingdom. If God is not dealing with Israel in relation to the kingdom, signs, wonders, and miracles, from a Scriptural standpoint, cannot exist (ref. the author’s book, in this site, From Acts to the Epistles BOOK, chapters 1, 9).

Following this reoffer of the kingdom to Israel, the work of the Spirit relative to signs, accordingly, ceased. They had to cease, for Israel was no longer in view. And though the kingdom remained in view, the message surrounding the kingdom following this time was solely for the one new man “in Christ,” who does not require signs.

Signs, wonders, and miracles have no place whatsoever in the Spirit’s search for a bride for God’s Son, whether during that time when the kingdom was being reoffered to Israel (from 30 A.D. to abt. 62 A.D.) or following that time (from abt. 62 A.D. to the present). Signs have to do solely with Israel, when the kingdom is in view. Any other type manifestation of signs, from a biblical standpoint, would be completely out of place.

Some of the epistles were written during the Acts period, which is why signs, wonders, and miracles were being manifested in the church in Corinth — a Gentile church (1 Corinthians 12-14). The Spirit of God was empowering individuals to manifest supernatural works in a Gentile church of that day, not for the benefit of those in the church, or as a part of His work of searching for a bride for God’s Son, but as a means of seeking to provoke Israel to jealousy (Romans 10:19-11:14).

Less than two percent of the total time that has elapsed during the dispensation was taken up with the Spirit performing this additional work relative to Israel. And, even during this time, the Spirit was beginning His work in the antitype of that seen in Genesis 24.

This work of the Spirit — searching for the bride — was foretold by Christ during His earthly ministry (John 16:7-15), and various facets of the Spirit’s ministry in this respect are outlined in the twenty-one epistles that follow the book of Acts. And this is what must be recognized and understood if a person would properly understand the New Testament.

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Chapter Three

When He Is Come (1)

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter [Helper] will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

And when He has come, He will reprove [convict, rebuke, bring into light] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;

of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:7-11).

In John 14, shortly before His crucifixion, Christ began to instruct the disciples concerning His soon departure. He was about to leave them and go back into the place from whence He had come over three decades earlier, back into the heavens, to prepare a place for them. And though He would be gone for awhile, He would one day return. He would return in order to take His disciples into the heavens, to the place that He had previously gone away to prepare (John 14:1-3).

Then, continuing His instructions, Christ called the disciples’ attention to something that was about to occur, because of His impending departure into the heavens. Another would be sent from heaven to be with them during the time of His absence.

Christ told the disciples that He would ask the Father to provide “another Comforter,” Whom He identified as “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17). Christ was the present “Comforter”; but, following His departure, “another Comforter” would be sent. The people of God would not be left “comfortless” (John 14:18).

The word “Comforter” (John 14:16) is a translation of the Greek word, Parakletos, which is a compound word meaning “to call alongside” (para, “alongside”; kletos, “to call”). The thought has to do with one called or sent to someone’s side to help. Thus, the word “Comforter” is mainly a description rather than a translation of the word, Parakletos.

Then the word “comfortless” (John 14:18) is a translation of the Greek word orphanos, from which the English word “orphan” is derived. This word, for its correct understanding, would relate back to the Parakletos, the One called alongside to help.

Christ had been sent to the people of God. He was the One sent into their presence to help. Following Christ’s departure, the Spirit would be sent to the people of God. He would be the One sent into their presence to help during the time of the Son’s absence. The people of God would not be left “orphans” in this respect. They would not be left without One in their presence Who had been sent from heaven to help in time of need.

In John 14:26, Christ continuing to speak to His disciples relative to things surrounding and following His departure, stated that His Father would be the One Who would send the Parakletos into the world. Then in John 15:26; 16:7, still continuing to speak to His disciples, Christ stated that He Himself would be the One Who would send the Parakletos. Both statements point to a work that would be carried out by two members of the triune Godhead, having to do with a work to be carried out by a third member of the triune Godhead.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are separate individuals, yet they are One individual (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4; John 10:30). Jesus often identified Himself as One with the Father in this manner, though at times this is not seen in the English text because of translation problems.

Mark 13:32 is a verse where both Christ’s true identity and a problem with the translation can be seen. Christ’s statement in this verse reveals His identification with the Father, but, because of the way that this verse has been translated into English, there is a problem seeing this identification:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mark 13:32)

There are two words in the latter part of this verse in the Greek text (ei me) incorrectly translated “but” in most English versions (e.g., KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV). This part of the verse should literally read, “…neither the Son, if not [or, ‘unless’ (He is)] the Father.” The thought brought over into the English text would have to be understood along the lines that the Son doesn’t know unless He is the Father, with the verse clearly implying that He is the Father.

Archbishop Trench, one of the great authorities on words in the Greek and English texts, translated this verse:

If I were not God as well as Man, even I would not know the day nor the hour.

Then, in John 18:5-6, Jesus identified Himself with the Father again. Answering a question concerning His identity, Jesus referred to Himself as “I Am,” not “I am He,” as in the KJV, NKJV, NASB, and NIV. This equates to the “I Am” from the Old Testament (Exodus 3:4), for there is nothing in the New that was not previously seen in the Old. And this is also perfectly in line with Thomas’ confession concerning Christ following His resurrection: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

More than one member of the Godhead is often seen carrying out the same work. Christ’s resurrection, for example, was carried out by all three; and God alone is the One Who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9). The Father raised Christ from the dead (Acts 2:30-32), the Spirit raised Him from the dead (Romans 8:11), and the Son raised Himself from the dead (John 10:18). And Scripture does not offer an explanation for any of this, other than its own testimony concerning the triune Godhead; nor should man attempt an explanation beyond that which Scripture reveals.

That which God has reserved unto Himself, about Himself, should simply be accepted and believed, with the matter left at that point. Finite man is in no position to understand and explain that which an infinite God has chosen to leave unrevealed about Himself. There is a reason why God has chosen not to reveal certain things in this realm, and for finite man to attempt to go beyond that which has been revealed would be completely out of place.

He Will Reprove

Christ’s statement to His disciples, recorded in John 16:7ff, has to do with the work of the Spirit surrounding His being sent on the day of Pentecost, ten days following Christ’s ascension. And this work of the Spirit, of necessity, would follow in exact accordance with that seen in the Old Testament type, in Genesis 24. Viewing this work of the Spirit within the framework of the overall type set forth in Genesis 21-25, this work would occur between two points in time. It would occur following Israel being set aside (typified by Sarah’s death in Genesis 23) but preceding Israel being restored (typified by Abraham’s remarriage in Genesis 25).

Thus, the work of Abraham’s servant in Mesopotamia in Genesis 24, occurring between these two points in time, typifies the work of the Spirit in the world today. And, in this respect, that which Christ revealed concerning the work of the Spirit during the present dispensation in John 16:7ff forms commentary material for the foundational material that Moses set forth in Genesis 24:1ff, over fourteen hundred years earlier.

In the type, Abraham sent his servant into Mesopotamia to procure a bride for his son, Isaac. And in the antitype, God has sent the Holy Spirit into the world to procure a bride for His Son, Jesus. And the carrying out and completion of this work by the Spirit throughout the dispensation will fulfill, in the antitype, that foreshadowed by events in the type.

1) Work of the Spirit

There are three parts to Christ’s statement to His disciples in John 16:7-11 relative to the future work of the Spirit. The Spirit, following His being sent, would “reprove the world of [‘concerning’] sin, and of [‘concerning’] righteousness, and of [‘concerning’] judgment” (John 16:7-8). Then these three parts of the Spirit’s reproving work are explained with brief statements: “Concerning sin, because… Concerning righteousness, because… Concerning judgment, because…” (John 16:9-11).

The word translated “reprove” in the Greek text (elegcho) can be used in a rather broad sense. The word can refer to “reproving,” “rebuking,” “bringing to light,” “exposing” or “correcting.” The overall thought behind the use of the word is to bring a person to a knowledge of that which is true and correct — to bring a person to a knowledge of the truth. And to reach this goal, the work of the Spirit might begin with a “rebuke” in order to subsequently “bring matters to light” within a person’s understanding.

A good example of the former, with a view to the latter, can be seen in that which Paul told Titus in the opening part of his letter to him. Paul referred to certain individuals (certain Christians) who were not “holding fast the faithful word” which they had previously been taught. They had become “unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,” and they were subverting (upsetting, overturning, destroying) “whole houses [a church meeting in homes located various places in the city], teaching things that they ought not” (Titus 1:9-11). And relative to these individuals, Paul told Titus:

Wherefore rebuke [Gk., elegcho] them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith (Titus 1:13).

Titus, doing this rebuking, would be carrying out a part of the work of the Spirit. He would be acting under the power of the Spirit, using the Word that the Spirit gave, to rebuke certain individuals; and this would be done with a view to these individuals being brought into a position where they would be “sound in the faith.”

Then the end result of the preceding can be seen in Hebrews 11:1, where the noun form of elegcho (elegchos) is used, translated “evidence” (KJV). The word could be better understood and translated, “bringing to light.” The Spirit, through the Word, brings to light things that can be seen only by faith. Such would result in a walk by faith, which, within the context of Hebrews 11:1, has to do with the salvation of the soul (Hebrews 10:35-39).

The Spirit, working among Christians in the preceding respect, searching for the bride in complete accord with the type in Genesis 24, would bring matters concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment to light. And He would do this with one goal in view — the salvation of the soul, which would allow an individual to participate in activities surrounding the bride. The Spirit would carry out this work with a view to procuring a bride for God’s Son, remaining completely within the realm of ministry that He had been sent to fulfill.

The work of the Spirit described in John 16:7-11 can have nothing to do with the unsaved. The ministry of the One sent to help the people of God in time of need would have to do solely with a future work among the saved. This is what is seen in the type (“…you shall go to my country, and to my kindred…” [Genesis 24:4]); and this is what is seen in Christ’s statement to His disciples, concerning the antitype, as well (“I will send Him to you” [John 16:7]).

(There would be a convicting work of the Spirit among the unsaved at the same time, but this convicting work of the Spirit among the unsaved had already been occurring for four millennia prior to Christ’s announcement concerning sending the Spirit to perform a work that was about to commence. And the Spirit’s work among the unsaved, in this respect, would simply continue, uninterrupted and unchanged.)

2) The World

Then it would be “the world” (those in the world) whom the Spirit would reprove, with “sin” mentioned first. And this reference to “the world” has led many to erroneously conclude that Christ was speaking about the Spirit being sent to reprove unsaved man, in the world, “dead in trespasses and sins.”

The word “world [Gk., kosmos]” though is used different ways in Scripture, and the word must always be understood contextually. Sometimes the word is used referring to the material world (John 1:9-10); other times the word is used referring to the world system under Satan (John 18:36; 1 John 2:15); and other times the word is used referring to those in the world (John 3:16; 7:7).

When referring to those in the world, the word kosmos is not necessarily a reference to all those in the world, though it could be. The word may or may not be all-inclusive in this respect. Again, the word must be viewed contextually to make this determination.

In John 3:16, the word kosmos would encompass all those in the world. God gave His Son for all. But in John 18:20, all those throughout the world cannot be in view through the use of kosmos.

In this verse, Christ speaking openly “to the world [‘to the kosmos’]” during His earthly ministry would, of necessity, have had to be referring to a ministry solely to the Jewish people in the land of Israel. The Gentiles in the world, in the kosmos (either inside or outside the land of Israel), could not have been included (cf. Matthew 10:5-6; 15:24]).

And the use of kosmos in John 16:8 would, contextually, have to be limited after the same fashion as seen in John 18:20. The reference would be limited to those in the world to whom the Spirit would be sent — to the saved (cf. John 12:19).

The word kosmos is used after the same fashion by Paul in Colossians 1:6, referring to the Word of the Kingdom having been proclaimed to Christians throughout the then known world, the kosmos. The proclamation of this message during Paul’s day couldn’t and didn’t have anything to do with unsaved Gentiles, though the message was said to have been proclaimed “in all the kosmos.” This message was (and remains today) a message for the saved alone.

Concerning Sin

Scripture deals with the sin question in relation to the people of God far more extensively than it does in relation to those alienated from God. The way in which Scripture deals with “sin” is similar to the way in which Scripture deals with the “gospel [‘good news’].”

Above eighty percent of the times that the word “gospel [Gk., euaggelion, euaggelizo (noun and verb forms of the same word)]” appears in the New Testament, the reference is solely to “good news” which is to be proclaimed to the saved. And the manner in which Scripture handles the whole of the sin question as it pertains to both the saved and the unsaved would be of a similar nature. Scripture’s message surrounding “sin” is directed centrally to the saved, not to the unsaved.

The Old Testament, beginning with the latter part of Genesis 11, deals mainly with one group of people — Abraham and his descendants, through Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons. And the Old Testament, dealing with “sin,” deals with the matter centrally in relation to the descendants of Abraham, the people of God.

During Moses’ day, when Moses led the descendants of Abraham out of Egypt, the sin question began with events surrounding the slaying of the paschal lambs and the application of the blood (Exodus 12:1ff). In one respect, the sin question ceased at this point; but in another respect, not so.

Note how this dual aspect of the sin question is brought to pass in the antitype today:

The Paschal Lamb has been slain; and, through the application of the blood of this Lamb, by faith, man passes “from death unto life.” Man, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, now has life where death had previously existed. And the sin question in relation to his eternal destiny has ceased to exist and can never again be a factor.

Man’s eternal salvation is based on a past, finished work of God’s Son (encompassing death and shed blood); and man’s eternal salvation was effected by a past, finished work of the Spirit (breathing life into the one who had no life). In relation to saved man in the world today, both the work of the Son and the work of the Spirit are works performed in past time, finished in past time, and existing during present time in a finished state. For those who have passed “from death unto life,” insofar as their presently possessed eternal salvation is concerned, the sin question does not exist.

But the sin question for saved man does exist in another realm. It exists relative to salvation present and future (the salvation of the soul, which has nothing to do with the past aspect of salvation, the salvation of the spirit [other than the fact that the salvation of the spirit places one in a position where he can realize the salvation of his soul]).

The sin question existed for the people of God in this respect during Moses’ day, following the death of the firstborn in Exodus 12. If it hadn’t, there would have been no need for the priestly work carried on by the Levites, culminating in a work by the high priest year after year on the day of atonement.

And it exists for Christians in this same respect during the present dispensation, following the antitype of the death of the firstborn. If it didn’t, there would be no need for Christ’s present work as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary.

The fact remains that the people of God can and do sin. Though born from above, they still possess the old sin nature (1 John 1:8-10). And they will possess this old sin nature as long as they remain in “this body of death” (Romans 7:24).

This fact necessitated a high priest ministering on the basis of shed blood during Moses’ day, and this fact also necessitates a High Priest ministering on the basis of shed blood today.

During Moses’ day, this priestly ministry was for the cleansing of those who had already experienced the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12), with a view to their one day entering an earthly land as “a kingdom of priests” and realizing an “inheritance” therein (cf. Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 3:28; Hebrews 11:8).

And during the present dispensation, this priestly ministry is also for those who have already experienced the death of the firstborn (in the antitype of Exodus 12), with a view to their one day entering a heavenly land as “kings and priests” and realizing an “inheritance” therein (cf. Ephesians 1:3, 11; Colossians 1:5, 12; Revelation 5:10).

In John 13, Christ — reflecting on the past ministry of Aaron and His future ministry after the order of Aaron — took a towel, girded Himself, took a basin of water, and began to wash the disciples’ feet. Through this act, Christ was showing the necessity of a present cleansing (for a revealed purpose) for those who had already been cleansed in the past (for a revealed purpose).

But when Christ came to Simon Peter, Peter refused to allow Him to wash his feet. Peter said, “You shall never wash my feet!” (John 13:8a). And he was very emphatic in his statement, using a double negative for emphasis in the Greek text (ou me). A more literal English translation of Peter’s statement would read somewhat along the lines, “Thou shalt never, no not ever, wash my feet.”

Jesus, in His response to Peter, then drove home the truth surrounding that which He was doing: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” (John 13:8b). If Peter did not allow Christ to do that which this act symbolized — a cleansing work that the Son would perform on behalf of the people of God yet future — Peter could have no part with Him.

That which was in view had nothing to do with eternal life. Rather, it had to do with the message being proclaimed, the message surrounding the kingdom. And this message was solely for the saved, not for the unsaved.

The truth being taught had to do with saved individuals availing themselves of Christ’s ministry as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. It had to do with saved individuals allowing Christ to cleanse them from defilement (typified by Christ washing the disciples’ feet). And this would have to do with defilement wrought through the old sin nature and contact with this present world in which Christians live (as the disciples’ feet would have become unclean through contact with the ground upon which they walked).

If a person doesn’t avail himself of Christ’s present ministry in the sanctuary, that person cannot have a part with Christ in the kingdom. And the reason for this has been clearly revealed in Scripture.

According to Ephesians 5:25-27, Christ “gave Himself” for the Church (past [Ephesians 5:25]), “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word” (present [Ephesians 5:26]), “that He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (future [Ephesians 5:27]).

Peter, realizing what Christ was talking about (having a part with Him in the kingdom), immediately changed his mind and said, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head” (John 13:9). But Jesus responded, “He that is bathed [Gk., louo] needs only to wash [Gk., nipto] his feet, but is completely clean” (John 13:10a).

The Greek words louo and nipto used together like this call attention to two different types of washings. Louo refers to a washing of the complete body, and nipto refers to a washing of parts of the body (hands, feet, etc.). Nipto is the word that Christ used in John 13:8, referring to that which He was doing (washing the disciples’ feet).

That being taught in John 13:8-10 is drawn from the typology of the Old Testament. When a priest in the Old Testament theocracy entered into the priesthood, his entire body was washed, never to be repeated. The Septuagint (Greek version of the Old Testament), describing this washing in Exodus 29:4; 40:12-15, uses the word louo. And the Septuagint, describing a washing of parts of the body in the priests’ subsequent ministry in the tabernacle (washing the hands and feet at the laver), uses the word nipto in Exodus 30:21; 40:30-32.

And it is the same today for those who would one day be “kings and priests” in Christ’s coming kingdom. A complete washing (louo) has occurred in the past, which can never be repeated; but partial washings (nipto) must occur subsequent to the complete washing, if…

A perfect tense of the verb louo is used in John 13:8 relative to Peter’s past washing, showing an act completed in past time and existing during present time in a finished state. And any subsequent washing of any type could have nothing to do with this past, completed work.

But, a present washing (nipto) must occur if a person washed (louo) is to have a part with Christ in His kingdom. And the Holy Spirit is in the world bringing this matter to light for Christians.

Christ, referring to this ministry of the Spirit (future at the time of His statement; present today), said, “Concerning sin, because they believe not on me” (John 16:9). That would be to say, “Concerning sin, because they do not exercise faith in me” (cf. John 14:1; Romans 1:16-17).

“Faith” and “believe” are the same word in the Greek text. One is a noun (“faith”), and the other is a verb (“believe”). “Faith” is simply believing that which God has to say. Or, “belief,” on the other hand, is simply exercising faith in that which God has to say. This is why Scripture clearly reveals that “faith” can emanate from only one source — “the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

It is faith in the “Advocate [Gk., Parakletos],” “Jesus Christ the righteous,” ministering in the heavenly sanctuary on the Christians’ behalf. Christ is “the propitiation [Gk., hilasmos, a form of the word for ‘mercy seat,’ referring to Christ’s high priestly work] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2).

The Parakletos on earth, preceding God sending His Spirit, was Christ. Following Christ’s ascension and the sending of the Spirit, the Parakletos on earth was then the Spirit. But Christ’s work as Parakletos did not end with His ascension. Rather, it continued with a subsequent work in the heavens. Christ, throughout the present dispensation, is the Christians’ Parakletos in the sanctuary in the heavens.

Thus, Christians have two Parakletos — Two called alongside to help — One on earth, and the Other in the heavens. And their respective ministries completely complement one another, both moving toward exactly the same goal. The Parakletos on earth is performing part of the work; and the Parakletos in heaven is performing the remainder of the work, which allows the work being carried out by the Parakletos on earth to be brought to completion.

Concerning Righteousness

“Righteousness” in the life of a Christian has to do with right living, living in accordance with that revealed in the Word of God. It is walking by faith, following the man of spirit rather than the man of flesh.

The wedding garment to be worn by Christians will be made up of “righteous acts” (Revelation 19:7-8), which takes one back to right living, conforming one’s life to that revealed in the Word. And this takes one back to that which Christ stated concerning the work of the Spirit in John 16:10.

Christ, the righteous One, the living Word, has gone back into heaven. True righteousness, during His time of absence (seen in the person of Christ during His presence), can be seen through only one source today — the written Word. And the Spirit is presently in the world to call the Christians’ attention to all the various facets of that which the Word has to say in this respect.

To bring matters surrounding “righteousness” to pass during the absence of the righteous One, the Spirit may have to begin with “rebuke.” But, if so, this would be with a view to subsequent instruction, a bringing of matters to light surrounding that which the Word has to say concerning “righteousness” (the present child-training, with a view to future sonship, seen in Hebrews 12:5-8). And this would be with a view to the salvation of the soul, which is part and parcel with the Christian possessing a wedding garment and being able to participate in activities surrounding the bride.

Christ, in the heavens, has sat down with His Father on His throne. This though is temporary, for a period of time described in Psalm 110:1 — until the Father makes the Son’s enemies His footstool. And it is also for a period of time seen in Genesis 24 — until the Spirit, presently in the world, completes His search for the bride.

Christ, seated on the Father’s throne in the heavens, is presently inviting Christians to one day sit with Him on His Own throne (Revelation 3:21). Christ will ascend this throne following events of the present dispensation (after the Spirit has procured the bride) and following the completion of Daniel’s unfulfilled Seventieth Week (when God will bring matters to pass wherein all will be in subjection to the Son). And numerous Christians from the present dispensation — who heeded the Spirit’s call and instructions — will find themselves among those allowed to ascend the throne with God’s Son during that coming day.

Concerning Judgment

Christ referred to the Spirit bringing “judgment” to light in His work among Christians “because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:11). “The prince of this world” is Satan, and the wording from the Greek text reveals that Satan has already been judged. A perfect tense is used for “judged,” and the translation should literally read, “the prince of this world has been judged.” The reference, through the use of the perfect tense, is to a past judgment, with conditions surrounding this judgment presently existing in a finished state.

Judgment presently awaits all Christians at Christ’s judgment seat. Christians will be judged according to their “works” (cf. Matthew 16:27; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11), which, within the framework of that revealed in John 16:7-11, will have to do with “sin” and “righteousness.”

The incumbent ruler has already been judged relative to sin and righteousness, and the ones who have been called to inherit the kingdom after Satan has been put down are to be judged relative to sin and righteousness as well. And the carrying out of decrees surrounding the judgment of both Satan and Christians will occur following the judgment of Christians.

Sin and unrighteousness have resulted in the rejection and disqualification of the incumbent ruler, and exactly the same thing can (and will) result in the rejection and disqualification of numerous Christians called to inherit the kingdom with Christ. Other Christians though will be shown to have overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil; and these will realize an inheritance in the kingdom, ascending the throne with Christ.

One Parakletos is presently in the world, working among Christians, with an end in view; and the Other Parakletos is in the heavens performing a companion work for Christians, with the same end in view.

And Christians can either heed or ignore their respective ministries. Either way, one’s eternal destiny will remain unaffected; but that which awaits Christians during the coming age will be vastly affected.

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Chapter Four

When He Is Come (2)

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12-15).

Christ’s earthly ministry covered a period of about three and one-half years; and near the end of this ministry, shortly before His crucifixion, He took the disciples aside and provided closing instructions for them. These instructions began with Christ washing the disciples’ feet in John 13, and they continued with things surrounding His soon departure in John 14 and beyond.

Christ began to provide these closing instructions for His disciples at a time when He was about to complete the work that He had come to perform, depart this earth, and be gone for a lengthy period. His death, burial, and resurrection lay immediately ahead; and His time on earth following His resurrection would be climaxed by a short ministry lasting forty days.

His entire ministry while on earth (both pre- and post-resurrection) had centered around one facet of truth drawn from the Old Testament. It had centered around regality. The Messianic King was present, and a kingdom (in which the King would rule) was being offered to Israel.

The kingdom being offered to the Jewish people by their King had to do with the governmental administration of one province in God’s universal kingdom — the earth upon which man resides (Matthew 2:2; 3:1ff; 4:17ff; 13:19ff; Luke 4:1-13; Acts 1:3). This was the kingdom over which Satan and his angels had been placed by God in the beginning (Ezekiel 28:14; Luke 4:5-6; Ephesians 3:10; 6:12); and this is the kingdom that will one day be ruled by Christ and His co-heirs, following that future time when Satan and his angels will have been put down (Luke 19:12-19; Romans 8:14-23; Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21; 12:7-12).

(Scripture, dealing with that future day when Christ takes the scepter, refers to this kingdom as “the kingdom of the world” [Revelation 11:15 NASB, NIV]. The gospel accounts, introducing this kingdom from the Old Testament [e.g., the books of 1, 2 Samuel, or the book of Daniel], refer to the kingdom mainly two different ways: calling it “the kingdom of the heavens,” and “the kingdom of God” [e.g., Matthew 19:23-24]. And these two expressions are self-explanatory.

The former expression [“the kingdom of the heavens”] has to do with the manner in which the kingdom has been established — a rule from the heavens over the earth, beginning with God and progressing through the incumbent ruler, Satan. And the latter expression [“the kingdom of God”] simply associates the kingdom with God’s universal kingdom [though only a part of this kingdom]. Both expressions refer to the same kingdom, and both are restricted to that part of the kingdom of God having to do with the earth — “the kingdom of the world.”

God rules from a place in the heavens [in relation to the universe], over the entire universe. Satan also rules from a place in the heavens [but a place in the heavens in relation to the earth, not in relation to the universe], with his rule restricted to the earth. And God apparently established rulership after the same fashion all other places in the universe where similar kingdoms exist [an established rule from places in the heavens over other provinces in His kingdom (Psalm 103:19-22)].

God, at a time in the past, positioned ruling angels [along with other angels occupying positions under them] over provinces located various places throughout the universe. And God governs the universe through these ruling angels [Job 1:6ff; 2:1ff].

But a problem arose when one of these ruling angels sought to “exalt” his throne and be “like the most High,” i.e., rule the entire universe rather than the one province in the universe over which he had been placed. And the manner in which God chose to resolve the resulting problem — through the creation of man, with man destined to take the scepter in this one province in His kingdom — is at the center of His dealings with man throughout His Word.)

Christ was about to leave His disciples and return into the heavens, for a revealed reason. He was returning into the heavens in order “to receive for himself a kingdom” (Luke 19:12) — the same kingdom in view throughout His earthly ministry, which was (and remains today) under Satan’s rule and control. This was the kingdom offered to Israel during the past dispensation, and this is the same kingdom being offered to Christians during the present dispensation.

All of these things anticipate a change in the administration of the present kingdom under Satan. Such a change must occur, for Satan has disqualified himself; and God will not allow a disqualified ruler to remain on the throne indefinitely. He, of necessity, must be replaced.

(Nor will God allow a disqualified person to ascend the throne, as Adam [following the fall] was not allowed to ascend the throne in the past, or as numerous Christians [following their being shown disqualified at the judgment seat] will not be allowed to ascend the throne yet future. Occupying positions of regality within God’s kingdom is limited to qualified individuals — whether those about to ascend the throne, or those already seated on the throne.)

The first man, the first Adam, through an encounter with Satan, found himself disqualified to take the scepter and ascend the throne. And because of this, it was necessary that the second Man, the last Adam, experience a similar encounter with Satan. It was necessary that He also meet Satan, with regality in view, in order to show that He was not only fully qualified to redeem that which the first Adam forfeited in the fall (placing man back in a position where he could rule) but to ultimately ascend the throne as well.

This is the “why” of the temptation account at the outset of Christ’s ministry (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). And that toward which everything points (regality) also forms the reason Christians experience a similar encounter with Satan during the present dispensation (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Satan, “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” And Christians are called upon to resist Satan “steadfast [i.e., ‘standing firm’] in the faith,” with a view to being exalted “in due time” (1 Peter 5:6-9).

And relative to the entire matter surrounding Satan’s actions toward Christians today, note Christ’s promise to Christians in Revelation 3:21:

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

The Son showed Himself fully qualified almost 2,000 years ago, finished the work that He had come to perform, and is now at the Father’s right hand, waiting… (Psalm 110:1ff). And the day is not far removed when the Father will give the kingdom to His Son, followed by His Son’s return as “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” Then the Father will remove Satan from the throne and position His Son, along with the Son’s co-heirs (those who [at the judgment seat] will be shown qualified, who will comprise the Son’s bride in that day), on the throne (Daniel 7:13-14; Luke 19:12ff; Revelation 11:15; 19:11-20:6).

With a View to…

With a view to all of this, beginning at Christ’s first coming, Scripture states:

He came unto His own [Gk., neuter word, referring to ‘His Own things’], and His own [Gk., masculine word, referring to ‘His Own people’] did not receive Him (John 1:11).

Christ came unto His Own things. He was born King (Matthew 2:2), and the things to which He came — things having to do with His regal birth, the Davidic throne, the throne of this earth, etc. — were not realized at His first coming. The Jewish people to whom He came and offered “the kingdom of the heavens,” rejected Him. This resulted in the events surrounding Calvary, the people to whom He came (Israel) being set aside, His departure into heaven, the Spirit being sent, and the “one new man,” in Christ, being called into existence.

Very early in His ministry, Christ had called twelve disciples. These were individuals whom He could instruct and who would have a part in His ministry to Israel (Matthew 4:18ff; 5:1ff; Mark. 1:16ff; Luke 5:1ff; John 1:37ff). He later commissioned these twelve to carry the same message to Israel that He had been proclaiming (Matthew 10:1ff) — a message that had begun to be proclaimed by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1ff). And throughout the entire course of His ministry with the disciples, as He and His disciples proclaimed this message to the Jewish people, Christ continued to provide instruction for them (e.g., Matthew 13:1ff; 16:13ff; 17:1ff; 18:1ff).

But near the close of His ministry, though the disciples had been in His presence for over three years, there were still numerous things that they had not been taught. Christ had purposely not taught His disciples in certain areas, for a revealed reason.

Christ, referring to this matter, told the disciples: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). These were things that the disciples yet needed to know and understand, but these were also things that, at that time, they were not able “to bear” (in the sense of the manner in which this same word [Gk., bastazo] is used in Acts 15:10).

Instruction extending throughout Christ’s ministry had not occurred over a sufficient length of time for the disciples to attain the necessary maturity to understand the “many things” of which He spoke. The disciples, at this point in time, still lacked an understanding of certain things in God’s revelation to man, things that it was necessary for them to understand prior to being taught these additional things.

However, “another Parakletos” would take over at this point (John 14:16), provide additional instruction in the Word, and lead the disciples into an understanding of the things to which Christ referred. He would lead them “into all truth” (John 16:7, 13).

A comparable (yet different) situation surrounding a knowledge of the Word can be seen in Paul’s experiences, beginning about five years later. Paul was converted on the Damascus road; and, though he apparently had a vast knowledge of “the letter” of the Old Testament Scriptures (Acts 9:20-22, 29; 22:3), that same knowledge did not extend over into “the spirit” of this same Word (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:6-16).

Paul had been brought up “at the feet of Gamaliel [one of the greatest teachers of Scripture of that day], and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers” (i.e., according to the strict manner in which the Jewish fathers viewed the Old Testament Scriptures). Paul knew “the letter” of the Scriptures, but not “the spirit” of the Scriptures. However, knowing “the letter,” he was in a position where he could be taught “the spirit.”

And when his eyes were opened on the third day following his conversion (Acts 9:9-18), Paul possessed a sufficient knowledge of “the letter” of the Scriptures that he, over a very short period of time, was able to begin seeing certain things having to do with “the spirit” of the Scriptures. Only a few days following his conversion, after his physical strength had returned (resulting from his ordeal, beginning on the Damascus road), Paul went into the synagogues in Damascus and proclaimed “Christ…that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:19-20). And he proclaimed this message after the same manner shortly afterwards in Jerusalem as well (Acts 9:21-29).

Paul not only possessed the ability to proclaim this message shortly after his conversion, but he possessed the ability at this time to proclaim this message in such a manner that he could prove to the Jewish people (which could only have been through using their own Scriptures) that “this is very Christ.” And Paul’s ability to use the Old Testament Scriptures in this manner resulted in the Jews attempting to slay him in both Damascus and Jerusalem , forcing the Christians both places to physically remove Paul from these cities (Acts 9:24-25, 29-30).

Paul, through his prior knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, was able to put certain things together in a correct manner, on his own, to an extent. Then, because of his knowledge of these Scriptures, the Lord was able to take Paul aside a short time later, personally appear to him, and build upon that which he already knew (over a period of time probably lasting about three years). And, in this manner, the Lord taught Paul what is called in Scripture, “the mystery” (Romans 16:25; Galatians 1:11-17; Ephesians 3:1-11; Colossians 1:25-29).

“The mystery” had to do with Gentile believers being “fellowheirs, and of the same body” with Jewish believers; and this, in turn, had to do with both (Gentile and Jewish believers), in the same body, occupying proffered positions with Christ in the kingdom (Ephesians 3:1-6). It was this message that Paul had been called to proclaim throughout the Gentile world (Acts 9:15; Galatians 2:2, 7).

The disciples, though they had been with Christ for over three years, had yet to be taught “many things”; Paul, though he had been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel and taught “according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers,” still needed to be taught the various things surrounding the gospel that he had been called to proclaim; and Christians today, though they have “another Parakletos” Who has been sent to open the Scriptures to their understanding, will always find themselves in a position where they need to be taught.

It is evident from both the testimony of Scripture and one’s own experience that a mature knowledge of the Word of God is not something that a person acquires over a short period of time — weeks, months, or even several years. Neither the disciples nor Paul came into a mature knowledge of the Word in such a manner. And it is no different for Christians today.

Rather, multiplied years of study are involved in Christian maturity. A proper, mature knowledge of the Word takes time, LOT OF TIME — time which FEW are WILLING to devote to such a study.

The price that one must pay for a knowledge of the Word of God, in this respect, could be stated in two words: Eternal Review. And FEW are WILLING to pay that price.

Note several principles set forth in Isaiah 28:9-10 surrounding the possession of a knowledge of the Word:

Whom will He teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?

For precept [one part of that which God has stated] must be upon precept [another part of that which God has stated; i.e., Scripture must be compared with Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:9-13)], precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” (Isaiah 28:9-10)

Then, a true and correct study of the Word, in line with the preceding, can only be a study under the ministry of the Parakletos, Who has been sent for this purpose. And this Word must be studied under the ministry of the Parakletos after the same fashion in which the Parakletos previously gave the word (e.g., Scripture has been built around a septenary structure that was set at the very beginning [Genesis 1:1-2:3; Hebrews 4:1-9], the Old Testament is highly typical in nature [Luke 24:25-27; 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11], and regality is the central focus throughout [with redemption, which enters the picture following man’s fall, always related to regality — allowing man to be brought back into the position for which he was created in the beginning (Genesis 1:26-28; 22:1ff; Exodus 12:1ff; Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21)]).

And it is completely immaterial whether one views the disciples (including Paul) studying under Christ’s ministry or Christians today studying under the Spirit’s ministry. One group would have no advantage over the other. Both (the disciples then, and Christians now) must be looked upon exactly the same way — studying under the ministry of the Parakletos (Christ then, and the Spirit now), Who are both One with the Father.

Christ had slightly over three years from a prior dispensation to teach His disciples. The Spirit, on the other hand, has an entire 2,000-year dispensation in which to carry out this work, along with the lifetime of individuals within the dispensation.

Thus, it can easily be seen and understood why there were things that the disciples were in no position “to bear” at the end of little more than three years of instruction, though having spent this time under the ministry of Christ Himself, one Parakletos. And it can also easily be seen and understood why these things could subsequently be opened up and revealed to the disciples under the ministry of the other Parakletos, Who would be sent following Christ’s departure. The coming Parakletos (the Holy Spirit) could not only build upon the work of the prior Parakletos (Christ), but time constraints would be quite different for those receiving instruction under His ministry.

He Will Guide

John 16:12-15 continues the thought from the preceding verses (John 16:7-11), which center around the reproving work of the Spirit (following His being sent) among Christians throughout the present dispensation. This reproving work of the Spirit would have for its goal “a bringing to light,” for Christians, all matters surrounding His mission in the world. The Spirit’s mission would center around His search for a bride for God’s Son, with a view to the Son’s coming reign; and, contextually, the Spirit would accomplish this task through calling attention to things in three realms: sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11 [ref. chapter 3 of this book]).

And these same three realms, about to be used by the Spirit in His dealings with Christians, can be seen encompassing the whole of Christ’s previous ministry to Israel. In fact, these three realms together are inclusive to the point that they can be seen encompassing the whole of God’s dealings with man at any time throughout man’s history, beginning with Adam.

Relative to sin, righteousness, and judgment, as it pertained to Israel, the nation was sick — “from the sole of the foot even to the head” (Isaiah 1:6) — and this sickness was the direct result of “sin” (Isaiah 1:4). Because of Israel’s sickness in this respect, the message proclaimed to Israel, beginning with John the Baptist, was “Repent [change your minds (relative to sin, disobedience)]: for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand” (Matthew 3:1-2; cf. Matthew 4:17; 10:5-7).

That which was to follow after the matter of “sin” had been dealt with was “righteousness” — right living. The Jewish people were living in a manner completely contrary to that which God had outlined in His Word for the nation to follow. They were living in an unrighteous manner. And it was this turning about, by means of repentance, which was in view through Christ’s statement to His disciples about “righteousness” at the outset of His ministry:

"For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees [reflecting on Israel’s condition through the condition of the nation’s religious leaders], you will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens” (Matthew 5:20; cf. James 5:19-20).

Then, that which was to follow both “sin” either being or not being dealt with and “righteousness” either being or not being effected (through “sin” either being or not being dealt with), was “judgment.” Judgment would follow in either case, though the only ones who need fear judgment would be those who had not dealt with sin, with unrighteousness rather than righteousness following.

And to use the words later directed to any Christian who would follow the same example surrounding sin and disobedience, such individuals would one day find it to be “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God [at that future time of judgment]” (Hebrews 10:30-31; cf. Hebrews 10:19-29).

1) Many Things

The “many things” that Christ had not taught the disciples, cannot be separated from that which He had previously stated about sin, righteousness, and judgment. And sin, righteousness, and judgment cannot be separated from either Christ’s preceding ministry or God’s dealings with man at any other time in man’s history. Then, all of this can be seen centering on one thing (regality) and moving toward one goal (that day when God’s Son takes the scepter, with a view to effecting order where disorder had previously prevailed).

Thus, the Spirit subsequently leading individuals “into all truth” could, contextually, center around only one realm — that dealt with in the Scriptures that lead into this section. And this really goes all the way back to Genesis 24 (the search for a bride for God’s Son), and back behind that to Genesis 1 (the reason for man’s creation in the beginning).

That seen in both Genesis chapters one and twenty-four (the reason for man’s creation in the beginning, and the search for a bride for God’s Son) would reflect on the whole of the mission of the Spirit in the world today. The sequence of events detailed in Genesis 24 were made necessary because of the sequence of events detailed in Genesis 1.

The Son doesn’t presently possess a wife; and, if the Son is to rule during the coming age, provision must be made at a time prior to that (which Scripture places in the present dispensation) for a wife to be procured. The Son cannot rule without a wife to rule with Him, for to rule apart from a wife would violate a principle that God Himself established in the beginning (Genesis 1:26). The man and the woman must rule together — He as King, and she as consort queen. In this respect, Genesis 1:26 anticipates that seen in Genesis 24:1ff.

Thus, an entire dispensation has been set aside; and God has sent the Holy Spirit into the world to acquire a bride for His Son, with a view to the kingdom that follows. And the Spirit is to accomplish this task through reproving Christians in the three-fold manner set forth in John 16:8-11.

2) He Shall Not Speak of Himself

A major problem in Christendom today is not only a magnification of the Spirit by man but also a magnification of the Spirit apart from the true work of the Spirit. The Spirit though, to the contrary, never calls attention to Himself; and His ministry is always seen channeled toward one goal — bringing to pass that for which He was sent.

In the type from Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant was careful not to call attention to himself about anything. The ten camels that he had brought into the land were laden with “all the goods of his master,” which his master had given to his son (Genesis 24:10, 36; cf. Genesis 25:5). And making known his mission involved two things alone:

1) announcing that he was there to procure a bride for his master’s son (Genesis 24:37ff), and

2) displaying that which the father had given to his son (Genesis 24:22, 47, 53).

And matters are exactly the same in the work of the Spirit among the people of God during the present dispensation. They would, of necessity, have to be the same. The type has been set, and the antitype (the work of the Spirit in the world today) must follow the type (the work of the servant in Genesis 24) in exact detail.

The Spirit in the world today, in accord with the type, does not call attention to Himself. And He makes known His mission in the world through the same two means seen in the type:

(a) The announcement concerning His mission was made about 4,000 years ago during Abraham’s day, and this was recorded for all to see about 3,500 years ago during Moses’ day. Then attention was called to this announcement (in complete accord with the type) about 2,000 years ago by Christ during His earthly ministry. And commentary on the announcement (again, in complete accord with the type) was subsequently given as the Spirit of God Himself moved men to write the book of Acts, the epistles, and the book of Revelation.

Then, continuing to remain completely within the type, the Spirit conducts His ministry during this present dispensation through:

(b) Displaying before the people of God (using the Word in His possession) all the things belonging to the Father, which the Father has given to His Son.

3) But Whatsoever He Shall Hear…

The Spirit, exactly as Abraham’s servant in the type, has all of the Father’s possessions (which the Father has given to His Son) at His disposal. And, as previously seen, these possessions are opened up and revealed to the prospective bride through the Word, which the Spirit Himself moved different men to pen in time past.

The Spirit takes this Word in His possession and opens the Word to an individual’s understanding. He takes this Word and spreads before Christians all the “jewelry of silver, and jewelry of gold, and clothing [which can only be an allusion to things having to do with the wedding garment, made up of ‘the righteous acts of the saints’]” (Genesis 24:53; cf. Revelation 19:7-8 NASB, NIV).

Abraham’s servant made known and carried out his mission in exact accord with the instructions that he had previously received from his master (Genesis 24:33ff). Nothing else was involved in his mission — only those things surrounding a search for and procurement of a bride for his master’s son.

And it is exactly the same in matters surrounding the ministry of the Spirit in the world today. His mission is being carried out in exact accord with the instructions previously received from the Father. Nothing else is involved in His mission — only those things surrounding a search for and procurement of a bride for the Father’s Son.

He Shall Glorify Me

There is a dual emphasis in Christ’s statement to His disciples concerning the future work of the Spirit. There is an emphasis on (1) the manner in which the Spirit would conduct His ministry (Genesis 24:8-11), and there is an emphasis on (2) that which the Spirit would use as He conducted this ministry in the revealed manner (Genesis 24:13-15).

As previously seen, the manner in which the Spirit presently conducts His ministry has to do with a reproving work surrounding sin, righteousness, and judgment. And, as also previously seen, that which the Spirit uses in the process of carrying out His ministry in this revealed manner is the Word of God.

It is the Word alone that reveals all that belongs to the Father, which the Father has given to His Son. And the Spirit glorifies the Son through taking the things belonging to the Son and revealing these things to the people of God.

These are the things to which Christ came approximately 2,000 years ago, having to do with regality (John 1:11). And these are the things to which He is about to return, having to do with the same regality.

It is a present glorification of the Son by the Spirit through revealing, from the Word, the Son’s coming glory. It is showing the people of God “things to come” through opening the Word and revealing all that belongs to the Father, which the Father has given to His Son. And it is through this means that the Spirit leads individuals “into all truth,” with the whole of the matter centering on regality and the Son’s coming glory.

Christ was born King at His first coming, though separated at this time from His glory (Matthew 2:2; Romans 8:3). He was rejected by the Jewish people, arrayed as a mock King and mocked by the Roman soldiers (along with being spat upon and beaten), and then crucified as “the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:15-37).

But He will return in a completely different fashion than He was seen at His first coming. There will be no mock King, no crown of thorns, no mockery by the people, no mistreatment, no crucifixion.

Rather, He will return in all His power and glory as the “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords” (Matthew 19:11ff). He, in that day, rather than being rejected by the Jewish people, will be accepted by them; He, in that day, rather than being improperly arrayed, with individuals bowing the knee in mockery, spitting upon and beating Him, will, instead, be properly arrayed and properly recognized.

He, in that day, will be arrayed in royal apparel, He will have on His head many crowns (diadems), and “every knee” shall bow and “every tongue” confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). And in that day, the same scenes that witnessed His sufferings and humiliation will witness His glory and exaltation.

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Chapter Five

Seeing the Kingdom

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:1-3).

There is a dual thread of truth surrounding Christ’s ministry and His redemptive work running throughout John’s gospel. John presents Christ as the One Who would suffer and die, and John also presents Christ as the One Who would rule and reign. And salvation — as seen in John’s gospel, or anywhere else in Scripture — is connected with both spheres of Christ’s ministry and work. The entire scope of salvation is not only connected with the death of the firstborn in Egypt (the death of the Firstborn in the world [Exodus 12]), but it is also connected with a deliverance from Egypt, with another land in view (a deliverance from the world, with another land in view [Exodus 14 ff]).

There is salvation past (salvation that man presently possesses, the salvation of the spirit), and there is salvation present and future (salvation that man has yet to possess, the salvation of the soul). John’s gospel, as any other book in Scripture (Old or New Testament), begins with the former and moves to the latter. And, also as any other book in Scripture (Old or New Testament), the emphasis in John’s gospel is always on the latter.

Salvation by grace through faith is seen over and over as one moves through John’s gospel. But salvation by grace through faith is always seen in John’s gospel, as elsewhere in Scripture, as the beginning point in God’s overall redemptive purpose surrounding fallen man. That would be to say, salvation by grace through faith is not seen as an end in itself but as a means to an end.

As stated in John 3:3, “. . . unless one is born again [‘born from above’], he cannot see the kingdom of God [not see heaven, but see the kingdom of God].” However, entrance into the kingdom of God (John 3:5) is another matter entirely; and, as Jesus goes on to state, entrance into the kingdom involves things subsequent to the birth from above. The birth from above (the salvation of the spirit [John 3:3]) places one in a position where he can realize that dealt with in John 3:5 (the salvation of the soul, which will allow one to enter into the kingdom).

(Note the way matters are presented in John 3:3, 5, which is true throughout other parts of John’s gospel as well. Both the birth from above [John 3:3] and things subsequent to the birth from above [John 3:5] are dealt with in relation to the kingdom, which has to do with Christ’s coming rule over the earth upon which man presently resides.

The thought of “heaven” is in view only in relation to the kingdom. It is “the kingdom of the heavens” [also called “the kingdom of God” numerous times in Scripture (ref. Part 4 of this series)]. It is the rule of the heavens over the earth, i.e., a rule from a heavenly sphere [the heavens associated with the earth] over the earth.)

A person has been saved (past aspect of salvation, the salvation of the spirit) for a purpose; and that same person is presently being saved and has the prospect of one day seeing the present aspect of salvation brought to fruition (present and future aspects of salvation, the salvation of the soul) for exactly the same purpose as seen in the past aspect of salvation.

Thus, salvation, in any one of its three aspects (past, present, or future), is for a purpose, which has to do with the coming kingdom. This is the way in which the gospel of John begins (John 1:29, 36, 49-51), continues (John 3:3-5; 4:40-50; 5:5-9; 6:3-14; 9:1-14; 11:4-7; 13:8-10; 18:36-37), and ends (John 19:16-19; 20:30-31). There is no such thing, in John’s gospel or anywhere else in Scripture, as salvation being effected apart from regality in relation to the earth being in view (i.e., apart from a rule over the earth being in view).

(Further, salvation associated with regality, which has to do with the earth, is dealt with in Scripture centrally in relation to one age — the Messianic Era, lasting 1,000 years [seen numerous times in Scripture, particularly in John’s gospel, as occurring on the seventh day, the earth’s coming Sabbath (the seventh millennium dating from Adam)]. At times, the ages beyond are in view, though not necessarily relative to salvation per se [e.g., in Luke 1:33, “forever” should literally be translated, “with respect to the ages”; or in Revelation 1:6, “forever and ever” should be translated, “with respect to the ages of the ages”].

But the central thrust of that to which Scripture points is not upon the ages. Rather, it is upon one age — the Messianic Era. This central thrust of Scripture was set at the very beginning of Scripture, within a septenary structure established in the opening verses of Genesis [Genesis 1:1-2:3] — a day of rest following six days of restorative work, pointing to a 1,000-year period of rest following 6,000 years of redemptive work. These opening verses set the pattern for the way in which God would structure all subsequent revelation. And the whole of Scripture, structured in this manner, must be understood accordingly.

Salvation by grace through faith [salvation of the spirit], though it relates not only to the Messianic Era but to all the ages beyond, is really dealt with in Scripture in a more restrictive sense. It is dealt with in Scripture exactly the same way Scripture deals with the whole of the matter surrounding salvation, whether dealing with past, present, or future aspects of salvation.

Scripture, in accord with the septenary pattern set at the beginning, focuses issues relating to salvation [or anything else in Scripture] on the Messianic Era, the coming Sabbath of rest awaiting the people of God [Hebrews 4:1-9]. Scripture deals very sparingly with issues beyond the Messianic Era; and, accordingly, Scripture deals with the salvation issue — whether past, present, or future aspects of salvation — exactly the same way. Scripture deals very sparingly with salvation in relation to the ages beyond the Messianic Era [eternity], though the salvation that man presently possesses extends into and covers all of these ages.

The preceding is why the thought of an age or why the Greek word for age can be used in the New Testament in connection with man’s presently possessed eternal salvation. And this is really the case throughout Scripture, not only in the New Testament but in the Old Testament as well, for neither the Hebrew text of the Old Testament nor the Greek text of the New Testament contains a word for “eternal.” Both use words that have to do with a long period of time or with an age, but not with eternity [Heb., olam; Gk., aion or aionios].

The salvation of the soul [having to do with present and future aspects of salvation] is another matter though. The salvation of the soul has to do with the Messianic Era alone, not with the ages beyond. Thus, unlike the salvation of the spirit, the whole of the matter is covered when Scripture relates the salvation of the soul to the Messianic Era. Issues surrounding the salvation of the soul, unlike those surrounding the salvation of the spirit, do not extend beyond the scope of time seen in the septenary structure of Scripture.)

Man was created in the beginning to rule and to reign (Genesis 1:26-28). But, through Satan’s deception (through the deception of the incumbent ruler, whom man was created to replace), man fell from the position in which he had been created. And in this fallen state man found himself in a position wherein he could not realize the purpose for his creation.

But God provided redemption for His fallen creature. And the redemption that God provided can only have, for its ultimate goal, man being placed back in the position for which he had been created in the beginning. Thus, the whole of the matter surrounding salvation in Scripture (salvation past, present, and future) is seen relating centrally to that future time when man will be placed back in the position for which he was created in the beginning.

The fall was with a view to removing man from this position; and, accordingly, redemption (the whole of the matter — past, present, and future) can only be with a view to placing man back in this position (something that can be clearly seen in Scripture when viewing the whole of God’s redemptive plans and purposes). Thus, regality forms the crux of the entire matter surrounding both man’s fall and God’s subsequently provided redemption for fallen man.

The first part of John 3 (mainly the first eighteen verses) would show the entire scope of salvation — past, present, and future — along with the reason for salvation, about as well as any place in Scripture. This part of the chapter recounts an event peculiar to John’s gospel. It deals with a prominent Pharisee coming to Jesus by night, who raised an issue about the supernatural signs being manifested in the presence of those in Israel and that which the Pharisees knew about Jesus because of these signs. And Jesus responded to the issue that Nicodemus raised in a manner probably quite different than the response Nicodemus may have expected.

Nicodemus was a “ruler” (in the religious sphere) among the Jewish people (John 3:1). He was a highly recognized teacher of the Scriptures in Israel (John 3:10 [“master” should be translated “teacher,” and the word is articular in the Greek text, indicating that Nicodemus was a well-known, acknowledged teacher among the Jewish people]).

Nicodemus’ prominence among those in Israel is probably what caused him to approach Christ under the cover of darkness, though that is not specifically stated. The Pharisees — by far the most prominent religious sect in Israel at that time, the ones who, by their very numbers, controlled the religious life of the people — sought to counter Christ at every turn in His ministry. And for a prominent leader among them to go to Christ in the manner in which Nicodemus approached Christ — with a positive inquiry rather than with negative statements and accusations — would not have set well at all with the vast majority of the Pharisees.

Nicodemus, coming to Jesus, immediately acknowledged something about the Pharisees that condemned their actions in toto. Nicodemus acknowledged that the Pharisees knew Jesus had to be “a teacher come from God.” And they knew this because of the supernatural signs that Jesus was manifesting in the presence of the Jewish people. The Pharisees knew that no one could perform these signs “except God is with him” (John 3:2).

And, because of these signs, the Pharisees even possessed a more specific knowledge of Jesus’ identity than Nicodemus admitted. They knew exactly Who Jesus was. They knew that He was the Heir of the vineyard (Matthew 21:33-45); and this is the reason that they opposed Him at every turn, resulting in His rejection by the Jewish people and ending with the Jewish people crying for and succeeding in bringing about His crucifixion.

(The Pharisees could only have known Jesus’ identity through two related means: 1) that which the Old Testament revealed about the signs being manifested, and 2) that which the Old Testament revealed about the signs of the times. The Old Testament relates the “signs” being manifested to the theocracy [ref. the next section in this chapter], and the Old Testament clearly revealed that it was time for Messiah to appear [e.g., Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy].

Israel’s religious leaders believed on the one hand [they knew, from the Old Testament scriptures, Jesus’ identity (the only possible way they could have known His identity)], yet they exhibited unbelief on the other hand [they were unfaithful relative to that which they knew (“faith” and “believe” are the same word in the Greek text — one is a noun, and the other a verb)].

The Pharisees believed Moses and the Prophets on the one hand [knowing Christ’s identity through that which was revealed in the Old Testament, but this belief was expressed through unbelief on the other [the Pharisees following Christ about the country, seeking to counter the signs being manifested, and seeking to bring about unbelief on the part of the people]. And the actions of the Pharisees, in the face of that which they knew, made matters even worse, not only for them but for the entire nation [cf. Matthew 16:1-5; 23:1-39; John 5:39-47; James 4:17].)

Signs in Christ’s Ministry

John’s gospel is structured completely different than the three synoptic gospels. John, throughout the first eleven chapters of his gospel, centers that which he reveals about Christ’s ministry to Israel around seven signs; and Christ’s resurrection in John 20 forms an eighth sign (cf. Matthew 12:38-40), which is followed by a statement having to do with these signs, also peculiar to John’s gospel.

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

but these [signs] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31).

Also, immediately following the seventh sign in John’s gospel (the resurrection of Lazarus [John 11]), the remainder of the book is taken up with events occurring during the six days leading into events surrounding Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. And these events, for the most part, are not only peculiar to John’s gospel but completely different in their focus. Events covering this same period of time in the three synoptic gospels center around Israel. But events in John’s gospel have to do with Christ’s closing instructions for and prayer on behalf of His disciples.

Thus, there are two main sections forming John’s gospel. On the one hand there are the signs, which have to do with Israel; and, on the other hand, there are Christ’s extensive dealings with His disciples immediately preceding His crucifixion. And the latter have to do with events during the present dispensation, following Israel being set aside.

In John chapter three, the focus is on signs. It was because of the signs being manifested that Nicodemus had come to Christ. From the signs being manifested, the Pharisees were able to ascertain Christ’s identity. And, being able to do this, the Pharisees were apparently also fully aware that these signs pointed out ahead to the kingdom. The signs were being manifested for those in Israel, for it is the Jew who requires a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22); and the signs in the Old Testament Scriptures had to do with the theocracy. This is what Israel’s religious leaders should have known and apparently did know.

(The manifestation of signs in the Old Testament — first under Moses and Joshua, and later under Elijah and Elisha — had to do with a manifestation of supernatural powers for the Jewish people in relation to the theocracy. This is the manner in which signs are introduced in Scripture; and being introduced after this fashion, forming a First-Mention Principle, this is the manner in which they must continue in Scripture.

Signs are for the Jew, and they point to things having to do with the Jewish people in relation to the theocracy. God must be dealing with Israel in relation to the theocracy for signs to exist. This is the manner in which Scripture sets the matter forth, and this is what must be kept in mind when viewing the signs in John’s gospel, or signs anywhere else in Scripture [ref. the author’s book, in this site, From Acts to the Epistles BOOK, Chapter 1].)

“Signs” are often thought of in connection with “wonders” and “miracles,” and these three words are used together five places in the New Testament (Acts 2:22; 6:8; Romans 15:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Hebrews 2:4). Among the three words, “sign” (Gk., semeion) is the main word. The other two words (“wonder” and “miracle”) relate something about the sign.

The word “wonder” (Gk., teras) has to do with something extra-ordinary, something outside the scope of a normal sequence of events. The word is used sixteen times in the New Testament and is always used in a verse where semeion (sign) appears. Teras describes the semeion. That is, the sign is something extra-ordinary; and, in this case, the sign is something emanating from God, not from man.

The word “miracle” is a translation of the Greek word dunamis, which means “power.” In this respect, “miracle” is more of a description of dunamis than a translation of the word. Dunamis further (beyond teras) associates the manifested semeion with a power beyond man’s capability. Dunamis, in this respect, refers to the sign as a manifestation of supernatural power.

Thus, a sign (a semeion) is something out of the ordinary (teras) in which there is a manifestation of supernatural power (dunamis). Signs were being manifested in the presence of those in Israel, pointing to different facets of God’s work among the Jewish people in relation to the kingdom (described by “wonders” and “miracles”).

The Beginning Point

That which the Old Testament reveals about signs and that which the Pharisees knew about Christ through the signs that He was performing formed the basis for Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night. Jesus’ response to Nicodemus though was very similar to His response to an unbelieving group of Pharisees following a sign being manifested in their midst in Matthew 12 (Matthew 12:22). These Pharisees, not believing the sign being manifested (rejecting the sign, not exercising faith [though undoubtedly knowing far more about the sign and the person manifesting the sign than they were willing to admit]), asked for another sign (Matthew 12:38). And Jesus, calling attention to their unbelief (“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign”), told them that no sign would be given (to them, because of their unbelief) but “the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 12:39-40).

Jesus knew that which lay ahead because of the unbelief that had been exhibited by Israel’s religious leaders. And, apparently because of this, He reacted in a similar manner when Nicodemus (a ruler and leading teacher among the Pharisees) approached Him with a statement about His identity and the signs being manifested. Nicodemus, though approaching Christ in a manner quite different than that seen among his peers, was dealt with in a manner similar to that seen in Christ’s dealings with the unbelieving Pharisees in Matthew chapter twelve.

Christ began with the basics surrounding salvation by grace, reflecting on a work that He was about to perform at Calvary (Matthew 12:3). And Christ dealt with the same matter through a type later in His conversation (not that of Jonah as seen in Matthew 12 but that of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness [Matthew 12:14-16]).

1) The Birth from Above

Christ responded to Nicodemus’ statement by first calling attention to the birth from above. He dropped back to the beginning point and, through the course of the entire conversation, covered the whole panorama of salvation — past, present, and future. The emphasis though, in line with the way in which He is seen dealing with the Pharisees in Matthew chapter twelve (because of that which they had done), was on events surrounding the Cross and the birth from above.

It was the cross that lay immediately ahead, and suffering must always precede reigning in Scripture (Luke 24:25-27). And also, in complete keeping with the septenary manner in which Scripture is structured, the whole panorama of salvation in Jesus conversation with Nicodemus, beginning with salvation by grace, is dealt with in relation to the kingdom (Matthew 12:3, 5).

This is the manner in which teachings surrounding salvation by grace are introduced in Scripture. They are always introduced first, for this, of necessity, is the first issue at hand. And teachings surrounding salvation by grace are introduced in this fashion with a revealed goal in view, which is always the same — the kingdom.

This is the way Scripture begins. Activity surrounding the work of the triune Godhead in ruined (fallen) man’s restoration is introduced (foreshadowed) through the events occurring on the first day of God’s restoration of the ruined material creation in Genesis 1:2-5 [2b]. And this is the manner in which teachings surrounding salvation by grace continue beyond that revealed in Genesis 1:2-5 [2b] as well.

Subsequent teachings build upon and shed additional light upon that introduced in the foundational material. These additional teachings can be seen, for example, in events surrounding Adam’s act following Eve partaking of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3), events surrounding Cain slaying Abel (Genesis 4), events surrounding Abraham offering his son (Genesis 22), or events surrounding the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12).

And all these subsequent teachings are presented within the same framework as the matter is first introduced in the opening verses of Genesis — with a goal in view.

a) The Spirit of God Moved…

The earth was created perfect in the beginning. It was created as a part of God’s universal kingdom; and a ruling angel (Satan, in his unfallen state, along with subordinate angels) was given the scepter and placed over the earth (Isaiah 45:18; Ezekiel 28:14).

But when Satan moved outside the regal bounds that God had set and sought to exalt his throne (extend his rule), God reduced his kingdom (the earth, a province in the kingdom of God) to a ruin (Genesis 1:2a; Isaiah 14:12-14). And God’s work surrounding restoring the earth and subsequently creating man had to do with restoring a part of His kingdom and with placing a new ruler over this restored domain.

Everything surrounding that revealed in Genesis 1 has regal implications. The creation (as a province in God’s universal kingdom), the ruin (resulting from the incumbent ruler seeking to exalt his throne), the restoration (with a view to order once again existing in this province), man’s creation (to rule the province in the stead of Satan), and God resting on the seventh day (pointing to a seventh-day rest, the Messianic Era), all have regal implications.

The creation, ruin, and subsequent restoration of the earth in Genesis chapter one — though comprising an actual historical account of the earth, angels, and man — is fraught with spiritual significance and meaning. It is highly typical in nature, and it forms the foundation upon which the whole of subsequent Scripture rests.

Note again something that cannot be overemphasized. Everything in this opening section of Scripture has regal implications — the earth’s creation, ruin, and restoration; man’s creation; God resting on the seventh day. There is nothing here that is not regal in nature.

Genesis 1:1-2:3, set at the very beginning of Scripture, provides the foundational framework upon which all subsequent Scripture rests (reference the author’s book, in this site, The Study of Scripture BOOK, Chapters 2-4). And this section of Scripture, providing this foundational material, not only provides details concerning how God would later restore ruined man — a subsequent ruined creation — but it also provides details concerning the purpose for man’s restoration. Man’s restoration is with a view to the seventh day, the Messianic Era.

And something else that cannot be overemphasized at this foundational point in Scripture is the fact that the whole of the matter does not move beyond the seventh day. The goal for all that is foreshadowed through events set forth in this foundational material is seen realized on the seventh day. And this is the way in which the remainder of Scripture is structured as well.

Genesis 1:1-2:3 sets forth once and for all exactly how God goes about restoring a ruined creation. The pattern, the mold, is set at this point and can never change. And the restoration of the ruined creation is with a view to a completed restoration and a seventh day — something else set forth at this point, which can never change as well.

The first act of the triune Godhead in the restoration of the earth in the first chapter of Genesis was the movement of the Spirit. “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2b). This, in turn, was followed by God speaking, light coming into existence, and God dividing between the light and the darkness (Genesis 1:3-5).

This marked the beginning point in God’s restoration of the ruined material creation, with a view to subsequent restorative work. And all of this was with a view to a restored kingdom with a new order of rulers — the man and the woman — and a seventh-day rest.

This, as well, shows the beginning point in God’s restoration of a subsequent ruined creation — man, following the fall. In effecting man’s restoration, the Spirit of God would move, God would speak, light would come into existence, and God would divide between the light and the darkness. That is, in complete accord with subsequent revelation bearing on the subject, the Spirit of God would breathe life into the one who had no life, effecting the birth from above (cf. Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 37:1-10). And the individual, through this means, would pass “from death unto life” (John 5:24; Ephesians 2:1, 5).

Synonymous with this, in the foundational material, God spoke, light came into existence, and God divided between the light and the darkness. That is, as this pertains to fallen man, God would divide between the new man and the old man, between that which was spiritual and that which was soulical (Hebrews 4:12).

Then note one thing. God’s restorative work on the first day in Genesis 1 had just as much to do with the goal in view as His restorative work on any one of the other five days. All of this restorative work had to follow a certain order, and that performed on the first day was of such a nature that it had to occur first, else the other restorative work could not occur.

And it is the same in man’s restoration. The birth from above must occur first. The man must pass “from death unto life” — be made alive spiritually — before God can deal with him relative to other restorative work (in this case, the salvation of his soul, with the body as well, yet to be redeemed). In order for the subsequent restorative work to be brought to pass, man must first possess spiritual life.

But, in complete accord with that set forth in Genesis 1, the birth from above (past aspect of salvation) has just as much to do with the goal in view as the salvation of the soul (present and future aspects of salvation) has to do with this goal.

The different facets of salvation, together comprising the whole of the matter, are inseparably linked and have to do with the same goal, which is to be realized on the seventh day.

b) Genesis 3; 4; 22; Exodus 12

In Genesis 3, Adam’s act of partaking of the forbidden fruit was both redemptive and regal in nature. A part of his very being was in a fallen state, and he could not now eat of the tree of life as a complete being (the tree that would have provided the wisdom and knowledge to rule and to reign [reference the Appendix in the reprint edition of the author’s book, in this site, The Bride in Genesis BOOK]).

Adam’s act in this respect can be clearly seen by comparing type and antitype. Christ found His bride in a fallen state and was made sin for exactly the same purpose as seen through Adam partaking of sin in the type (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21; Revelation 2:7 [set at the very first of the seven overcomers’ promises in Revelation 2; 3]).

And so it is with Cain slaying Abel in Genesis 4, Abraham offering his son in Genesis 22, or the death of the firstborn in Exodus 12.

The account of Cain slaying Abel deals with Israel in the antitype and points to that time when Israel will be restored (during the Messianic Era). The account of Abraham offering Isaac ends at exactly the same point in the overall type — with Abraham’s remarriage in Genesis 25, pointing to that future day when Israel will be restored. And the death of the firstborn in Exodus 12 was with a goal in view — the Israelites under Moses ultimately entering into a land set before them, within a theocracy.

2) NOT SOMETHING NEW

The birth from above, as often taught, is not something peculiar to the present dispensation. This can not only be plainly seen from the text itself (Christ’s reaction to Nicodemus, in a past dispensation, not understanding things about the new birth), but it can also be plainly seen from the fact that the means of salvation, set forth at the very beginning, never changes (the Spirit breaths life into the one having no life, effecting the birth from above).

And this new birth is always seen as having a purpose and a goal. The purpose is to place fallen man in a position where he can realize the salvation of his soul, and the goal of the entire matter is centered on events surrounding the Messianic Era.

These things have been set forth at the very beginning of Scripture and can never change.

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Chapter Six

Entering the Kingdom

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, [‘born out of water and Spirit’], he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).

The first eleven chapters of John’s gospel have been built around seven signs (from the marriage in Cana of Galilee [John 2] to the resurrection of Lazarus [John 11]). And an eighth sign is seen in the gospel (Christ’s resurrection [John 20; cf. Matthew 12:38-40]) immediately prior to John stating the reason why he recorded these signs:

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31).

The signs in John’s gospel all point to events leading into or occurring during the Messianic Era. And these signs are directed to the Jewish people, for it is the Jew who requires a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22).

These signs were recorded in order that the Jewish people “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God [the Saviour, Who would rule and reign, with ‘Sonship’ implying Rulership].” Thus, these signs were recorded to effect belief on the part of the Jewish people, for only though belief could they have “life in His name.”

And life in John’s gospel, seen in connection with these signs, has to do first and foremost with life (salvation) to be realized during the same time as the time dealt with in the signs — i.e., with life during the Messianic Era. John wrote his gospel, recording these signs, about three decades after the close of the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel; and any thought of life, or salvation, in connection with the Jewish people, at this point in time, would have to begin with salvation by grace. But the thought of salvation in John’s gospel, though beginning with salvation by grace, would have to include far more. It would have to include present and future aspects of salvation as well.

Salvation by Grace

Salvation by grace is eternal in nature, though that is really not the way salvation in any one of its three aspects (past, present, or future) is dealt with in John’s gospel. Rather, salvation in John’s gospel is inseparably connected with the signs, around which the gospel is built. And these signs point to things surrounding the kingdom, not to things surrounding the eternal ages.

Thus, the thrust of salvation by grace (past aspect of salvation), as the salvation of the soul (present and future aspects of salvation), points to and relates to exactly the same time as that seen in the signs. And with salvation being dealt with in John’s gospel in connection with these signs — which point to the Messianic Era, not the eternal ages — salvation is presented in this gospel in connection with millennial rather than eternal verities.

And salvation is also seen in this same respect elsewhere in Scripture. This will explain why Jesus said:

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again [‘born from above’], he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3)

The birth from above — the Spirit breathing life into the one who has no life, effecting a passing “from death to life” — is dealt with in relation to the kingdom of God, not the ages beyond the kingdom. Though the birth from above provides life that will last for not only the Messianic Era but throughout all the ages beyond that era, it is dealt with in relation to the Messianic Era in John’s gospel for two reasons: 1) This is the way in which matters were set forth in the beginning (Genesis 1:1-2:3), establishing a septenary structure upon which the whole of subsequent Scripture rests; and, as previously stated, 2) salvation in John’s gospel is connected with the signs, which point to events surrounding the Messianic Era alone.

A man must be born from above if he is to see the kingdom (John 3:3). Then Jesus goes on to deal with that which is necessary if one would not only see the kingdom but enter the kingdom as well (John 3:5).

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit [lit., ‘born out of water and Spirit’], he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5)

Verse three deals with the salvation that saved man presently possesses, the salvation of the spirit (past aspect of salvation). But verse five moves beyond this and deals with the salvation of the soul (present and future aspects of salvation). And the whole of man’s salvation (past [John 3:3]; present and future [John 3:5]) is dealt with relative to a single revealed goal — the kingdom.

Saved for a Purpose

Man has been, is being, and will be saved for a revealed purpose. There is a revealed goal in view, and, relative to salvation, that goal is always the same in Scripture, regardless of what aspect of man’s salvation is in view. That goal is the same for the whole of man’s salvation — spirit, soul, and body. That goal is man being placed back in the position for which he was created in the beginning, and that position will be realized during the Messianic Era.

(Thus, salvation, viewed in this respect, is not something peculiar to John’s gospel. Rather, this is the manner in which Scripture presents salvation throughout, with the unchangeable foundational pattern set in the opening verses of Genesis.

The inhabited world to come will not be placed in subjection to angels, as the present world [Hebrews 2:5]. This is the message seen throughout Scripture. A new order of Sons is about to be brought on the scene [Romans 8:18-23] — Christ and His co-heirs. And, from a Scriptural standpoint, man’s salvation centers on that coming day when this new order of Sons holds the scepter and rules the earth.)

Man invariably deals with salvation in relation to eternity and going to heaven, while seldom mentioning salvation in relation to the Messianic Era and the kingdom of the heavens. Scripture, on the other hand, presents the matter in a completely inverse fashion. Scripture invariably deals with salvation in relation to the Messianic Era and the kingdom of the heavens. Heaven (the present dwelling place of God) and the ages beyond are mentioned at times, but not relative to salvation in the same sense that man relates them to salvation.

Man is not going to spend either the Messianic Era or the eternal ages that follow it in the place known today as heaven. And, in relation to the eternal ages that follow the Messianic Era, God is not going to dwell in this place either. God is going to dwell on the new earth throughout the ages comprising eternity.

And even when Scripture does deal with saved man in heaven (e.g., Christians following death, or Christians following the rapture) matters are always completely consistent with the way Scripture elsewhere deals with saved man. If future time comes into view, reference is made to things surrounding the Messianic Era, not the ages beyond (though in several instances the Messianic Era is connected with and seen as the first of these ages, though separate from them [e.g., Luke 1:33; Ephesians 2:7]).

During the Messianic Era, man will dwell either on a restored earth or in the heavens above this restored earth, with there being a Jerusalem above and a Jerusalem below (capital cities both over and on the earth, with Christians [along with certain Old Testament saints] inhabiting the city above, and Israel inhabiting the city below). During this era, there will be a rule from the heavens over the earth. And this rule, as today, will originate with God in heaven and progress through rulers placed in the heavens in relation to this earth.

Today, this rule progresses from God through Satan and his angels (though rebel rulers), who reside in the heavens above the earth. But during that coming day this rule will progress from God through His Son and His Son’s co-heirs, who will reside in the new Jerusalem above the earth.

A rule of the preceding nature, from the heavens over the earth, must continue during the Messianic Era, for this is the manner in which God established the government of the earth in the beginning. Such a rule must continue as long as the earth remains, which will be until the end of the Messianic Era — to the full end of the seven days, the 7,000 years, set forth in the beginning (Genesis 1:1-2:3).

A rule from the heavens over the earth (one province in God’s kingdom) is not only the way in which God originally established the government of the earth but the way in which He evidentially established His government throughout all other parts of the universe as well (all other provinces in His kingdom). And this can never change in relation to any one province, for “the heavens do rule” (cf. Daniel 4:25-26).

Thus, God’s Son, with His co-heirs, must rule throughout the Messianic Era in exact accord with the way God established the government of the earth in the beginning. Such a governmental rule will have to continue during this time, for the present earth will not pass out of existence until the end of the Messianic Era (Revelation 21:1-5).

God’s Son, with His co-heirs, will rule over the earth for 1,000 years — the earth’s coming Sabbath, foreshadowed by the seventh day in Genesis 2:1-3 (cf. Exodus 31:13-17; Hebrews 4:1-9). They will rule for 1,000 years to effect order where disorder has prevailed for millennia in one province in God’s universe. And once order has been restored, the kingdom will be delivered up to God the Father, that God might be “all in all [i.e., permeate all, be ‘everything in all things’].”

Then, once order has been restored and the kingdom has been delivered up to the Father, the present heavens and earth will be destroyed. A new heavens and a new earth will be brought into existence, and the new earth will become the place in the new heavens (as the earth today, suspended at a point in the heavens) from whence universal rule will emanate. God will move His throne to the new earth, the Son will sit with His Father on this throne (called “the throne of God and of the Lamb”), and saved man will exercise power from this throne as well (2 Peter 3:10ff; Revelation 21:1ff; Revelation 22:1-5).

Therein lies man’s destiny, not going to heaven per se. Man’s destiny has to do with regality, the earth, and the universe — first, ruling over this present earth from the new Jerusalem above the earth (during the Messianic Era); then, ruling out in the universe from the new Jerusalem on the new earth (during the ages that follow).

Salvation in Scripture is always dealt with in relation to the scope of Scripture; and Scripture deals centrally with everything moving toward a seventh day, a seventh 1,000-year period. Events during this coming day, the Messianic Era, must be brought to pass first. And therein lies the reason why Scripture deals with man centrally in relation to this time, with the ages beyond seldom being in view (regardless of which aspect of salvation is being dealt with — past, present, or future).

Only following the Messianic Era can the ages that lie beyond this era be brought into view in all their fullness. During the present time they are briefly dealt with in Scripture so that man can have some understanding of God’s plan for the ages, where the whole of the matter — 6,000 years, followed by a 1,000-year Messianic Era — will eventually lead. But only following the Messianic Era will matters move beyond that dealt with extensively in Scripture. Only then will God begin to open up and fully reveal that which will occur during the period that man thinks of today as eternity.

And the manner in which Scripture presents this whole matter — particularly as it relates to man’s salvation — has become very difficult, practically impossible, for most Christians to see and grasp. These Christians have been taught wrongly for years — not necessarily concerning how to be saved, but concerning the purpose for salvation and that which lies ahead for redeemed man. And because this erroneous teaching surrounding salvation has become so ingrained within their way of thinking, attempts to present salvation from the correct biblical perspective usually meet with askance looks, opposition, or antagonism on almost every hand.

When that depicted by the woman placing the leaven in the three measures of meal in Matthew 13:33 occurred very early in the dispensation (which deals with an attempt on Satan’s part to corrupt all biblical doctrine having to do with the Word of the Kingdom), anything related to the Word of the Kingdom began to be adversely affected. And this working of the leaven, of necessity, would extend even into the biblical scope of salvation by grace.

This would have to be the case because of the inseparable connection salvation by grace has with the Word of the Kingdom. It is man passing “from death to life” (“salvation of his spirit”) that places him in a position where he can realize the salvation of his soul.

The whole of the matter surrounding salvation simply can’t be divided up, with part relating to the eternal ages and part relating to the Messianic Era. Scripture doesn’t make such a division, and it is wrong for man to step in and make such a division. Scripture, first and foremost, relates the whole of the matter (beginning with salvation by grace) to the Messianic Era.

Thus, one way to introduce corruption into correct Scriptural teaching surrounding the Word of the Kingdom is to remove salvation by grace from its correct scriptural setting, relating it solely to the eternal ages, while ignoring the Messianic Era. And then a corruption of the message surrounding salvation by grace itself is introduced through other means. The Lordship Salvation teaching, rampant throughout much of Christendom, would be one such means.

Satan, introducing corruption surrounding the Word of the Kingdom through different ways and means, has one revealed goal in view — a corruption of all correct scriptural teaching surrounding the message concerning the coming kingdom.

If salvation by grace is separated from the kingdom and related solely to the ages that follow the Messianic Era, the message cannot be presented within a completely correct scriptural framework. An element of corruption will have been introduced (even though the simplicity of salvation by grace might be proclaimed in a correct manner), for the kingdom will have been removed from view.

And matters become even more negative surrounding the relationship that salvation by grace has with the kingdom through the message of those advocating Lordship Salvation. Those proclaiming this message take things having to do with the Word of the Kingdom and seek to bring these things over into and apply them to the message of salvation by grace (i.e., things having to do with present and future aspects of salvation are removed from their respective contexts and applied to things having to do with past aspects of salvation). And, through this means, those proclaiming this message not only remove the kingdom from view but they do two other things in the process. They both destroy the Word of the Kingdom and corrupt the message of salvation by grace.

Interestingly enough, those who proclaim a correct salvation message per se but ignore the kingdom and those who proclaim a lordship salvation message (who, through this means, destroy one message and corrupt the other) form two major groups in Christendom today. Those from these two groups remain at almost complete odds with one another on the salvation message; but when it comes to correctly relating this message to the kingdom, it can only be said of both groups that they have been similarly, adversely affected by the same leavening process that is rampant in the Laodicean church of today.

Out of Water and Spirit

John 3:5 is usually understood as an explanation of that which was previously stated in John 3:3. However, this can’t be the case. John 3:3 has to do solely with a spiritual birth, a birth from above. But John 3:5 begins with a birth out of water. Further, that stated in verse three is set within a context of seeing the kingdom, and that stated in verse five is set within a context of entering the kingdom.

(Attention should be called to several things about the structure of the Greek text in John 3:5. There are two nouns [hudor, “water”; Pneuma, “Spirit”] governed by one preposition [ek, meaning “out of”] and connected by a conjunction [kai, meaning “and”; or the word could be understood as “even,” depending on its contextual usage]. Whenever such a construction occurs in the Greek text, both words must be taken in either a literal sense or in a figurative sense. One cannot be taken one way and the other another way.

For example, it is quite popular to understand “water” in a figurative or metaphorical sense [usually referring to the Word, or to the Spirit] but, at the same time, understand “Spirit” in a literal sense. The Amplified New Testament alludes to this type understanding of the two words in an alternate translation [“…born of water, even the Spirit”]. This though would run counter to the rules of Greek grammar. And so would the common practice of making “water” refer to the Word in a metaphorical sense, while understanding “Spirit” in a literal sense.

All attempts to explain the matter through interpretations of the preceding nature, in reality, originate from another error — attempts to align verse five with verse three rather than looking at the exact wording of the text and coming to the realization that verse five is not dealing with the same thing as verse three at all. And any interpretation resulting from this error can only produce the same end result — man’s ideas on that which God has stated, with the end of the matter being confusion.)

The fact that seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom in John 3:3, 5 are not the same can perhaps best be illustrated by reference to the experiences of Moses, and then those of Caleb and Joshua, relative to entrance into the land set before them.

(The expression, “see the land,” was used in the sense of enter the land when God dealt with the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea [Numbers 14:21-23]. This though was an expression — the word see used in the sense of enter [Numbers 14:24; cf. Joshua 5:6]. But in God’s dealings with Moses, and then with Caleb and Joshua, a sharp distinction was made between seeing and entering. And only a distinction of this nature could possibly be in view in John 3:3, 5 [where requirements for seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom are different; cf. Matthew 5:20; 7:21; 18:3; 19:23-24; Mark 9:47; Acts 14:22].)

Moses, because of his striking the rock to which he was told only to speak (Numbers 20:8-12), was denied entrance into the land to which he had led the Israelites. Immediately prior to God instructing Joshua to lead a second generation of Israelites into the land, God took Moses “to the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah” and allowed him to look over into the land. Moses was allowed to see the land, but he was not allowed to enter the land (Deuteronomy 34:1-5).

On the other hand, Caleb and Joshua, from the accountable generation overthrown in the wilderness, were allowed to enter the land. Caleb and Joshua had another spirit within them (that of belief, not unbelief), and they followed the Lord God fully (Numbers 14:24). And the whole of that set forth in the typology of the Israelites under Moses, and later Joshua — from the death of the firstborn in Egypt, to that which occurred relative to entrance into the land set before them — is what John 3:3, 5 draws from and has to do with.

The Israelites, following the death of the firstborn, had been called out of Egypt (a type of the world) to an earthly land. Those inhabiting this land (Gentile nations, infiltrated by the Nephilim [cf. Numbers 13:31-33]) were to be overthrown; and the Israelites were to realize an inheritance in this land, within a theocracy. The Israelites, as the wife of Jehovah, were to be placed at the head of the nations; and the nations were to be ruled by and blessed through Israel as the nation occupied both the position of God’s wife and that of firstborn son.

In the antitype, Christians, following the death of the firstborn, have been called out of this world to a heavenly land. Those inhabiting this land (Satan and his angels [Ephesians 6:10-18]) are to be overcome, later overthrown; and Christians are to one day realize an inheritance in this land, within a theocracy. Christians, as both the wife of Christ and God’s firstborn son, are to rule as co-heirs with Christ; and the nations are to be ruled by and blessed through Christ and His co-heirs in this manner.

An individual must go to the types — particularly the type having to do with the Israelites under Moses, and later Joshua — if he would properly understand what John 3:3, 5 deals with. Ignore the types — i.e., ignore God’s way of explaining the matter — and these verses can never be properly understood. But pay attention to the types, which have been given to shed light upon and help explain the antitype, and the whole matter will become self-evident.

This is what Nicodemus, a religious ruler and leading teacher among the Jewish people, should have been able to easily see and understand. Jesus drew from the Old Testament scriptures; and Nicodemus should have been able to go back to the complete overall type, extending from Exodus 12 through Joshua, and easily ascertain the things to which Christ was referring.

John 3:3 draws from the death of the firstborn in Exodus 12. Then John 3:5 draws from the Red Sea passage and that which lay beyond, detailed in subsequent chapters of Exodus and succeeding books (Leviticus through Joshua). If a person misses this, he will find himself lost in the same sea of misinterpretation in which so many find themselves today.

And, again, note one thing at this point. It matters not whether a person is dealing with events in Exodus chapter twelve or with events in subsequent chapters of this book or chapters in subsequent books, the same goal is in view — the land, wherein a theocracy was to be realized.

1) Out of Water

(The word “born” in John 3:3-8 [Gk., gennao] has to do with a bringing forth. The word is used throughout the New Testament mainly in connection with birth, but the word is also used at times apart from birth [e.g., Philemon 1:10]. The word is used both ways in John 3.)

Born out of water in the type has to do with the Red Sea passage. The Israelites (who had experienced the death of the firstborn [pointing to the birth from above]) were taken through the Sea (through the place of death), raised up out of the Sea, and positioned on the eastern banks. They stood on the eastern banks of the Sea through supernatural means, wherein resurrection power was exhibited; and they stood in this position with a land set before them.

And, in the antitype, this is pictured through the act of baptism. A Christian who has experienced the death of the firstborn (pointing to the birth from above) is taken through and raised up out of the waters of baptism (through the place of death). He then, within the symbolism involved, finds himself in the position of having been raised with Christ (Colossians 2:12; 3:1). And in this position — wrought through supernatural, resurrection power — the Christian is to walk “in newness of life” (Romans 6:4), with a view to a land set before him.

The Israelites, passing through the Sea, had gone down into the place of death. Only the dead are to be buried, and the death of the firstborn had just occurred. Thus, a burial must also occur. But beyond burial, there must also be a resurrection. The Israelites, through the death of the firstborn, possessed spiritual life. Thus, they must be raised from the place of death to walk “in newness of life” — something having to do with the spiritual man alone, for this resurrection has nothing to do with the man of flesh. He is to be left in the place of death.

In the antitype, matters are exactly the same. It is going down into the place of death because of the death of the firstborn, and it is rising from this place because the person possesses spiritual life. And this rising has to do with the spiritual man alone, for, again, this resurrection has nothing to do with the man of flesh. He is to be left in the place of death.

And the symbolism seen in rising from the waters is not only inseparably connected with Christ’s resurrection but in the land set before Christians (as seen in the type in Exodus 14 ff). In Colossians 2:12-15, Christ, through His resurrection, stripped the present principalities and powers inhabiting this land (Satan and his angels) of their power; and following His resurrection, He openly triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15). In this respect, His resurrection was inseparably connected with regality, as is that seen in the symbolism of a Christian rising from the waters of baptism.

Christ, following His resurrection, was positioned as “the Head of all principality and power” [Colossians 2:10]. The Father has delivered “all power…in heaven and in earth” unto Him (Matthew 28:18). And, because of this, Satan and his angels have been stripped of all power (the word “spoiled” in Colossians 2:15 could be better translated and understood as “stripped”), and Christ has openly triumphed over them relative to that which has been done.

However, though stripped of power, with all power having been given to the Son, the time is yet future when this power will be taken from Satan and exercised by Christ. In the interim, the Son is seated at the right hand of the Father, and the Spirit is in the world calling out a bride for the Son. The former is with a view to Christ’s enemies being made His footstool; and the latter is with a view to that same time, when the second Man, the last Adam, takes the scepter and rules the earth (Christ must have a wife to rule with Him during this time, else He cannot reign [cf. Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 110:1ff]).

Scripture also presents Christ triumphing openly over the present principalities and powers following His resurrection in 1 Peter 3:18-22. And baptism is dealt with in the text as well, exactly in the same manner seen in Colossians 2:12-15 (cf. Romans 6-8 where all these things are again seen in a more detailed and expanded sequence).

Relative to Christians and baptism, 1 Peter 3:21 clearly states, “There is also an antitype that now saves us — baptism …” And the statement not only draws from another type — “eight souls” saved through water during Noah’s day — but it occurs in a book that begins by making specific reference to the subject matter of the book, the salvation of the soul (cf. 1 Peter 1:5, 9-10).

How does baptism save (and note that the salvation of the soul is being dealt with, not the salvation that Christians presently possess)? The reader is not left to his own imagination. The text goes on to explain how baptism saves, with the physical, outward act of baptism itself (as the Flood itself, or the Red Sea passage itself) having nothing to do with the matter.

The salvation in view is associated, not with “the removal of the filth of the flesh,” but with “the answer of a good conscience [‘proper spiritual awareness’] toward God.” The salvation in view has to do with walking “in newness of life [something that a man without spiritual life cannot possibly do],” which is inseparably connected with Christ’s resurrection (cf. Romans 6:4-6; 1 Peter 3:21b).

This is why Paul was so completely obsessed with knowing Christ, knowing the power of His resurrection, knowing the fellowship of His sufferings, and being made conformable unto His death (Philippians 3:10 [the word for “know” in the Greek text of this verse has to do with a knowledge gained by experience]).

Paul, whatever the cost might have been, strained every muscle of his being (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) as he passed through the experiences associated with being raised from the place of death (born out of water, pictured through rising from the baptismal waters, drawing from the type in Exodus 14), for he wanted to be among those who would “attain to the resurrection [‘out-resurrection’] from the dead” (Philippians 3:11).

2) Out of Spirit

In John 3:5, Christ not only referred to a birth out of water in the preceding respect, but He also referred to a birth out of Spirit as well.

In the type, this is seen through the Israelites, on the eastern banks of the Sea, being led by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, as they moved toward the land set before them.

And the antitype is evident. A Christian, raised from the waters to walk “in newness of life,” has the indwelling Spirit to lead him into all truth, as he moves toward the land set before him.

There must be a resurrection in view. Then, the one raised from the place of death must follow the man of spirit, allowing the Spirit to fill and lead him throughout his pilgrim journey (cf. Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16).

This is why both (“water” and “Spirit”) are set forth side-by-side in John 3:5; and this is why the epistles, drawing from the types, go to such great lengths to call all the various facets of this matter to a Christian’s attention. Only through this dual means can a Christian be successfully led to the goal of his calling. Only through this dual means can a Christian enter into the kingdom of God.

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Chapter Seven

One New Man

Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He purposed in Himself,

that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both that are in heaven and that are on earth — in Him.

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:9-12; cf. Colossians 1:16-20).

Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God,

the mystery that has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:25-27).

Ephesians and Colossians are companion epistles that parallel one another in a number of places. Both books, in the first chapter of each, refer to things surrounding the revelation of a mystery. And it is clear that references to these things, in both books, deal with exactly the same body of revealed truth.

This mystery is explained in Ephesians 3:1-6 as Gentile believers becoming “fellowheirs” with Jewish believers. Both become members “of the same body” (forming the one new man “in Christ” [Ephesians 2:12-15]); and, as members of this body, both together become “partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (Ephesians 1:6).

And “His promise in Christ” has to do with that coming day when “all things” will be brought under the headship of Christ, whether things “in heaven” or things “on earth” (Ephesians 1:10). That will be the day when Christ’s glory will be revealed for all to see, and that will be the day in which Christians will “inherit the promises”; they, in that day, will become co-heirs with Christ, realizing the hope presently set before them (Ephesians 1:11-12 [“first trusted” in Ephesians 1:12 should be translated “before hoped”]; cf. Romans 5:2; Titus 1:2; 2:12-13; 3:7; Hebrews 3:6; 6:11-12; 10:23; 1 Peter 1:13; 3:15).

Ephesians 1:10 presents the antithesis of that which is set forth in John 1:11. Note the two verses together:

He came to His own [referring to ‘things’ (neuter plural in the Greek text)], and His own [referring to ‘people’ (masculine plural in the Greek text)] did not receive Him (John 1:11).

That in the dispensation of the fulness of the times He might gather together in one all things [neuter plural in the Greek text, a direct allusion back to John 1:11] in Christ, both that are in heaven, and that are on earth — in Him (Ephesians 1:10; cf. Acts 3:19-21).

Christ came unto His Own things at His first coming (having to do with things surrounding regality, which began with a regal birth — “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” [Matthew 2:2a]). He came apart from His glory to His Own things, and His Own people (the Jewish people) rejected Him. This led to a shame and humiliation that was brought to a climax through the events surrounding Calvary.

When Christ returns, it will once again be to His Own things and to His Own people, exactly as at His first coming. However, this time He will come in all His glory, not apart from His glory as at His first coming. He will come, not simply as One born King, but He will come in what Scripture calls, “His greatest regal magnificence” (2 Peter 1:16 [literal translation from the Greek text, where a superlative is used]).

He will return to the same place from where He ascended — to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:10-11; Revelation 19:11ff) — and the Jewish people, in that day, rather than rejecting Him, will receive Him. And the same scenes that had previously witnessed His shame and humiliation will, in that day, witness His glory and exaltation.

During that coming day, in which the Son will be revealed in “His greatest regal magnificence,” all things will be brought under subjection to the Son. And the ultimate goal will have to do with the Son being able to present a restored kingdom (both heavenly and earthly realms) back to His Father, in order that the Father might be “all in all [lit., ‘all things in all of these things,’ or ‘all things in every way’]” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

That is, during the Messianic Era, that seen in Ephesians 1:10 will be brought to fulfillment relative to the Son and this earth. Then, during the eternal ages, after the Son has delivered a restored kingdom back to His Father, the same thing seen in Ephesians 1:10 will be universally fulfilled relative to the Father.

Then, this mystery is explained in Colossians as “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27b). The mystery is introduced immediately prior to this explanation as something that had been concealed up to a certain point in time (which would include being concealed from both angels and man, for “ages” is used in the verse [Colossians 1:26]; and Man’s Day covers only one age [the last of the ages in view]). But, at a time toward the end of these ages, during the latter part of the last age, the mystery was made known. And, as it had previously been concealed from both angels and man, it has now been made known to both angels and man (cf. Ephesians 3:3, 9-11; 1 Peter 1:9-12).

Thus, the mystery has to do with God making known something that had been concealed during time extending throughout both an unrevealed number of ages and the first sixty-two generations of the human race (from Adam to Christ [cf. Genesis 5:1-32; 11:10-26; Matthew 1:17]). God, at the end of all this time and these generations, called one man out of the nation of Israel for purposes surrounding the mystery. God called Paul, brought about his conversion, took him aside, and over a period of time — possibly as long as three years (Galatians 1:11-12, 18; Ephesians 3:1-7) — made the mystery known to him. However, the mystery being made known to Paul was not for purposes surrounding Israel. Rather, it was for purposes surrounding the Gentiles, though revealed in complete keeping with Psalm 147:19-20 (Acts 9:15; 13:46-48; 15:14; Romans 1:13; Galatians 2:2, 7).

The whole of the matter is summed up in Colossians 1:27, which ends with a very concise explanation of the mystery:

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

The reference to “Gentiles” in this verse could not be to unsaved Gentiles, for unsaved Gentiles were estranged from God and without hope in the world (Ephesians 2:12). Further, unsaved Gentiles were “dead in trespasses and sins,” and completely incapable of understanding spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Rather, the verse, of necessity, would have to be referring to saved Gentiles. These Gentiles would have to be individuals who had “passed from death unto life,” who were no longer estranged from God, who now possessed a hope, and who were now capable of understanding spiritual truth (Ephesians 2:13-15).

In Colossians 1:27, note the words, “which is,” connecting that which precedes with that which follows. The mystery being made known “among the Gentiles” is explained to be, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Then note the words “among” and “in” in the verse (“among the Gentiles,” and “Christ in you”). Both words are translations of the same word in the Greek text — the word en.

When translating en into English, the thought usually has to do with “in” or “into.” However, “among,” as it is translated the first time that the word appears in this verse, is another way that en is quite often understood as well. The contextual usage of the word would have to be the determining factor concerning how the word is to be understood.

It is evident that the translation “among the Gentiles,” rather than “in the Gentiles,” is correct for the first usage of en in the verse. And it is also evident that this same translation of en should carry over into the latter part of the verse as well, for this part of the verse is an explanation of the first part of the verse.

The latter part of the verse should read, “Christ among you, the hope of glory.” And, with the complete verse in view, that which is meant by the explanation of the mystery in the latter part of the verse becomes quite clear. Drawing from the first part of the verse — God making known “the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles” — the translation, “Christ among you,” can only be understood, contextually, in the sense of “Christ [being proclaimed] among you [Gentiles].”

And this proclamation of Christ among the Gentiles centers on the Gentiles now having a hope (from which they had previously been estranged [Ephesians 2:12]), which is connected with Christ’s coming glory (cf. Romans 5:2; Titus 1:2; 2:12-13; 3:7). Thus, this proclamation of Christ among the Gentiles can only have to do with things surrounding that which had been revealed about the mystery — that the Gentiles are now “fellowheirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).

The mystery has to do with believing Gentiles becoming “fellowheirs” with believing Jews, in the same body. And exactly how God brought this to pass is a central subject of the New Testament as one moves from the gospel accounts into the book of Acts and then into the epistles.

Revelation of the Mystery

Anticipated

Beginning with John the Baptist and continuing with the earthly ministry of Christ and His disciples leading into the events of Calvary, there was an offer of the kingdom of the heavens to Israel. However, Israel not only rejected the proffered kingdom, but the Jewish people climaxed this rejection by crucifying their King. And because of this, a few days before His crucifixion, Christ made an announcement with far-reaching ramifications. His announcement had to do with the kingdom, with Israel, and with a nation separate from Israel. His announcement anticipated that which is seen in God’s revelation of the mystery:

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. (Matthew 21:43).

Then following Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, there was a reoffer of the kingdom to Israel (beginning on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. [Acts 2:1ff] and ending about thirty-two years later with Paul in Rome [Acts 28:17ff]). And this reoffer, of necessity, was made by the new nation to which Christ had previously referred, brought into existence immediately prior to that time when the kingdom began to be reoffered to Israel.

This new nation, separate from Israel, had to be brought into existence prior to the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel. Messiah Himself had gone back into heaven; and, since the kingdom had been taken from Israel, no one who was a part of the nation of Israel could possibly make this reoffer. Thus, another nation had to be brought forth, which would not only be placed in possession of the kingdom but could assume the responsibility of offering the kingdom to Israel once again. This new nation would now be the repository for the kingdom, as Israel had previously been the repository.

(Note though that the kingdom in view is not the whole of the kingdom, which has both heavenly and earthly spheres. Rather, that which is in view is the heavenly sphere of the kingdom only, the kingdom of the heavens — that part of the kingdom that had been offered to and rejected by Israel. The earthly sphere of the kingdom, the kingdom covenanted to David, can never be taken from Israel [2 Samuel 7:12-16; Luke 1:31-33].)

Thus, Acts 2 centers on two events: 1) God bringing into existence a new nation, and 2) the beginning of the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel by this new nation. However, the emphasis in this chapter in Acts is not on God bringing into existence a people through whom the kingdom could be reoffered to Israel. This is simply the way in which this new nation is introduced. Rather, the emphasis is on God bringing into existence a nation that could be accorded opportunity to bring forth fruit for the kingdom where Israel had previously failed, even though God used this new nation for a time (for about the first thirty-two years of the dispensation) to reoffer the kingdom to Israel.

Revelation of the Mystery

Realized

Now, how does all this fit within the scope of the mystery? It is very simple. The mystery centers on the new nation to which Christ referred in Matthew 21:43, a few days prior to His crucifixion. And, after this new nation had been brought into existence, a full revelation of the mystery became necessary.

Only through such a revelation could numerous Old Testament Scriptures be opened up and properly understood. Thus, a few years following the events in Acts 2, God called one man out of the nation of Israel for this purpose. God called Paul, brought circumstances to pass that resulted in his conversion, later took Paul aside, and revealed the mystery to him. Then Paul took the revelation of the mystery that had been committed to his trust out into the Gentile world (cf. Romans 16:25; Galatians 1:11-12, 16; Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 1:28-29).

That which had been committed to Paul’s trust had to do with a work begun by the Spirit a few years earlier. It was all part and parcel with the Spirit’s work surrounding the reason why He had been sent. In this respect, the mystery had to do with a work of the Spirit, peculiar to the dispensation in which we live. It had to do with a work surrounding the reason why the Father sent His Spirit into the world — to search for and to procure a bride for His Son.

And in order for the Spirit to procure a bride for God’s Son, He had to begin this work by first bringing into existence a people separate from either Israel or the Gentile nations. This was necessary for the simple reason that the bride couldn’t be taken from any existing nation — Israel, or the Gentile nations. Aside from Israel being the wife of Jehovah, that part of the kingdom in which the bride was to rule as consort queen with Christ had been taken away from Israel (Matthew 21:43); and the Gentile nations couldn’t even come under consideration, for they were alienated from God, without hope in the world (Ephesians 2:12).

The preceding would be to say, apart from God bringing into existence an entirely new nation — which is looked upon in Scripture as one new man “in Christ” (Ephesians 2:13-15) — there could be no search for the bride by the Spirit during the present dispensation. Thus, the mystery had to do with a new and different work of the Spirit, which involved not only bringing this new nation, the one new man, into existence but leading the individuals comprising this one new man “into all truth.” It was a work that began on the day of Pentecost, fifty days following Christ’s resurrection; and it was a work that would continue throughout a 2,000-year dispensation.

The one new man “in Christ” is comprised of new creations “in Christ” (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:13-15). The key expression is in Christ. But the key to the whole of the matter, allowing that seen in the mystery to be realized — which pertains not only to the existence of the one new man but to the reason for his existence as well — is twofold: 1) the Spirit’s work throughout the dispensation (in relation to the one new man), and 2) Christ’s identity (a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah).

1) A New Nation

Because of God’s Own previous decrees, this new nation [Matthew 21:43; 1 Peter 2:9-10], brought into existence on the day of Pentecost, had to meet certain qualifications. God had previously decreed through Moses — some 1,400 years prior to the time Christ announced that another nation would be accorded opportunity to bring forth fruit for the kingdom — that all spiritual blessings were to flow through Abraham and his seed alone (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:17-18). And it was not just any seed of Abraham. Spiritual blessings of this nature were limited to Abraham’s seed through Isaac: “…in Isaac shall your seed be called” (Genesis 21:12).

That would be to say, none of the Gentile nations could qualify to occupy the position spoken of in Matthew 21:43. And this would include even those Gentile nations which could trace their origin back to Abraham through either Ishmael or one of the sons of Keturah. These descendants of Abraham could be blessed because they were Abraham’s seed (Genesis 17:20; 21:13), but they could not be the channel through which these blessings would flow. A status of this nature was reserved for Abraham’s lineage through Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons (cf. Genesis 21:12; 26:4; 28:14; 49:1ff).

It was God, in the person of His Son, Who made the announcement in Matthew 21:43. Certain things concerning how matters were to be brought to pass had already been revealed (e.g., Matthew 3:11; John 16:7-15), but the full revelation of that which had previously been revealed awaited events that occurred on the day of Pentecost, fifty days following Christ’s resurrection, as seen in Acts 2.

Since all spiritual blessings were to flow through Abraham and a designated seed of Abraham (through Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons), it is clear that the nation of which Christ spoke in Matthew 21:43 had to possess this connection — i.e., not only be Abraham’s seed but be within the correct lineage as well. Apart from this dual connection, such a nation could not be the recipient of that which Israel had rejected, for blessings are involved. That is, individuals comprising this new nation were to one day hold the heavenly positions promised to Abraham’s seed in Genesis 22:17-18, reside in heavenly places, and be the channel through which blessings would flow out to the Gentile nations of the earth from these heavenly places.

Then, not only must this new nation possess a connection of this nature with the seed of Abraham, but this new nation could not be of Abraham’s natural lineage. The kingdom had been taken from Israel, and any nation identified with Israel in a racial manner could only be looked upon as being part of Israel, part of the nation from which the kingdom had been taken.

How could such a nation be brought into existence? How could God bring into existence a nation that had the required genealogical connection with Israel, but yet not be a part of that nation?

God’s work in this respect is what is seen through the events in Acts 2. On this day, in 30 A.D., God, through a work of the Holy Spirit Who had been sent, brought into existence a nation with the proper Jewish identity, though not Jewish itself. God, on this day, brought into existence a nation possessing the proper lineage from Abraham, though separate from Israel.

How did God do this? It’s all very simple. A group of disciples — those who had believed on Christ, apparently the same one hundred twenty mentioned in Acts 1:15 [cf. Acts 2:1]) — were made one new man “in Christ” through being immersed in the Spirit (Acts 1:4-5; 2:2-4; cf. Matthew 3:11).

And this new nation, brought into existence in this manner, forming the one new man “in Christ” (Ephesians 2:12-15), was seen to be comprised of individuals occupying a positional standing “in Christ,” constituting Abraham’s seed through the correct lineage (Galatians 3:28-29). Christ is Abraham’s greater Son, through Isaac and Jacob (within the lineage wherein all spiritual blessings lie); and, through Jacob’s son, Judah, Christ is David’s greater Son (within the lineage wherein all regal promises lie).

This new nation, brought into existence on the day of Pentecost — possessing a positional standing “in Christ” — has the proper connection with Abraham to realize spiritual blessings, which extend into regal promises through David (with the two being inseparably linked). And this new nation, through being Abraham’s seed in this manner, is not part of the nation of Israel, from which the kingdom of the heavens was taken; nor is this new nation part of any Gentile nation, which can have nothing to do with spiritual blessings or the kingdom of the heavens in this respect.

Rather, this new nation is one new man, which is “neither Jew nor Greek.” In fact, within this new nation’s positional standing “in Christ,” all distinctions of the human race have ceased to exist. This new nation is also “neither bond nor free,” and “neither male nor female.” And because this new nation is none of the preceding, this new nation, “in Christ,” can be all which God requires. Because of the nature of this new nation, it can be looked upon as comprised of individuals who are “heirs according to the promise [which would be heavenly, not earthly]” (Galatians 3:28-29).

2) A New Creation

Not only is this new nation described in Scripture as one new man, but Scripture further describes those comprising this one new man as new creations “in Christ.” And, in this respect, it is the existence of new creations “in Christ” that makes the existence of the one new man possible.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The key expression is “in Christ.” It is “in Christ” that old things have passed away. If the individual was a Jew before being immersed in the Spirit, placing him “in Christ,” then he is no longer a Jew. He has become a new creation “in Christ.” If the individual was a Gentile before being immersed in the Spirit, placing him “in Christ,” then he is no longer a Gentile. Rather, he (the believing Gentile), as the one who was previously a Jew, has become a new creation “in Christ.” And “in Christ” there is “neither Jew nor Greek,” but one new man.

The words concluding the verse, “all things have become new,” should literally read, “behold, he has become new.” That is, the individual, through the immersion in the Spirit, has become a new creation “in Christ.”

The words, “he has become,” are a translation of a perfect tense in the Greek text. This points to divine action occurring during past time, which exists during present time in a finished state. Nothing can be added to or taken from the Christian’s positional standing in Christ.

It is as the Spirit’s work effecting salvation itself — breathing life into the one having no life, on the basis of Christ’s finished work at Calvary. A perfect tense is used relative to Christ’s finished work at Calvary (John 19:30), and a perfect tense is used relative to the work of the Spirit in salvation as well (Ephesians 2:8).

That is to say, everything surrounding the whole of the matter — one’s eternal salvation, and one’s positional standing “in Christ” — have to do with past divine works that presently exist in finished states. Nothing can be added; nothing can be taken away. Both a Christian’s eternal salvation and his positional standing in Christ are just as finished and complete as Christ’s finished work at Calvary, making it all possible.

3) Christ’s Body

Then there is another component part to the revelation of the mystery that must be brought to pass within the overall work of the Spirit during the present dispensation. Those comprising the one new man “in Christ” must also comprise Christ’s body, of which He is the Head. This must be the case, for the bride — the one for whom the Spirit searches during the present dispensation — has to be taken from Christ’s body.

This is set forth in a foundational type in the Genesis 2. And once God, in the beginning, had established the matter after this fashion through His sovereign control of all things, no change could ever occur. According to the type, the Spirit must acquire the bride from Christ’s body; and further, according to the type, the bride must be brought into existence from only a part of the body, not all of the body.

Adam was a type of Christ. Not only is all of the Old Testament about Christ, but Adam is specifically stated to be a type of Christ in Romans 5:14 (where the Greek word tupos [“type,” translated “figure,” KJV] is used of Adam, in relation to Christ).

Adam, in Genesis, was the first man, the first Adam; and Christ, 4,000 years later, was seen as the second Man, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-48).

Experiences surrounding Adam foreshadowed experiences surrounding Christ. There is an existing type-antitype relationship between the two. And any correct study about Christ must begin where God began, in the opening chapters of Genesis, not in the Gospel accounts of the New Testament.

To properly understand the antitype, one must have a proper understanding of the type. The truth of the matter, seen in the antitype, can be fully comprehended only through studying the type and the antitype together. This is the way in which God set matters forth in His Word, and one must study this Word after the manner in which it has been structured.

Accordingly, any proper study about the bride of the second Man, the last Adam, must begin in Genesis 2 in order to see how God brought forth the bride of the first man, the first Adam. Only when this has been seen and understood does a person find himself in a position to properly see and understand things concerning how the bride of the second Man, the last Adam, will be brought into existence.

The first man, the first Adam, was put to sleep, his side was opened, and God removed the part (a rib) from Adam’s body that He used to form a bride for Adam (called “Woman” before the fall and “Eve” following the fall [Genesis 2:21-23; 3:20]). And the matter surrounding Adam’s creation, with Eve being removed and fashioned from his body in this manner, forms foundational truths that can never change — truths that must be seen in a parallel fashion in matters surrounding the second Man, the last Adam, and His bride as well.

Eve was created in Adam in the beginning. But it was only later that God put Adam to sleep, removed a part from his body, and formed Eve. Then, after God had formed Eve, He presented Eve back to Adam; and Eve was not only to be a helpmate for Adam, but Eve was to also complete Adam.

Apart from Eve, Adam was incomplete, for she was a part of his very being — bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh (Genesis 2:23). And when God presented this part of Adam’s being back to him, the first man was then, once again, a complete being.

(This same relationship between the man and the woman is seen in marriage today, reflecting back on that which occurred relative to Adam and Eve, and looking out ahead to that which is about to occur relative to Christ and His bride [Ephesians 5:22-32; 1 Peter 3:7].

And this is why God doesn’t look lightly upon any form of perversion pertaining to this relationship [Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10]. A man cannot complete a man; nor can a woman complete a woman. Completion is derived only through the union of a man and a woman, and any deviation is a perversion that reflects negatively upon that which God has to say about Christ and His bride, which begins in Genesis 2.)

As in the type, so in the antitype. The second Man, the last Adam, was put to sleep (at Calvary), His side was opened, and from this opened side God took the elements (blood and water) that He is using to form the bride during the time of the Spirit’s present search. And, exactly as in the type, once the bride has been formed, the Father will present the bride to His Son for a helpmate (to rule with Him as consort queen, as Eve, in the type, was to have ruled as consort queen with Adam). And the bride, exactly as in the type, will complete the Son, for the bride will be a part of His very being (Hebrews 2:10).

And as the bride was created in Adam, so the bride of Christ has existed in the Son from eternity. It was only at points in time that the sides of both the first man and the second Man were opened, with the elements being removed, which God used to form Adam’s bride and which He is presently using to form Christ’s bride.

Thus, the one new man “in Christ” must form the body of Christ as well (Ephesians 5:30; Colossians 1:18), for the bride comes from the body in the type, which must hold true in the antitype. Everything set forth in the foundational framework in Genesis must hold true in the Spirit’s search for the bride throughout the present dispensation.

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Chapter Eight

An Awaiting Inheritance

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Ephesians 1:13-14 deals mainly with a work of the Spirit that occurs at the time of man’s salvation — an immersion in the Spirit (cf. Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5), referred to as a sealing with the Spirit in Ephesians 1:13. And this work of the Spirit, though occurring at the time of man’s salvation, has nothing to do with man’s salvation.

When this work of the Spirit was introduced on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D., of necessity, it was seen occurring at a time subsequent to salvation (for those immersed in the Spirit on that day had already been saved prior to this time). And this same order in the work of the Spirit would also have had to occur at other times during these opening years of the dispensation (for numerous individuals, saved prior to Pentecost, were converted to “the faith” during this time [e.g., Acts 2:41, 47; 6:7; 11:14-16; ref. the author’s book, in this site, From Acts to the Epistles BOOK, chapter 4]).

However, beyond these opening years of the dispensation (beyond the time when there were individuals living who had been saved prior to Pentecost), Scriptures such as Ephesians 1:13-14 present this work of the Spirit as something brought to pass at the time of salvation. That is, at the time of the birth from above — when the Spirit breathes life into the one “dead in trespasses and sins” — there is also an accompanying work of the Spirit, an immersion in the Spirit. The former (the birth from above) imparts life, allowing the latter (the immersion in the Spirit) to occur. And it is the latter alone that results in a new creation “in Christ,” allowing the saved person to be part of the one new man.

(Note, in the preceding respect, that the birth from above is not something peculiar to the present dispensation. The birth from above — the Spirit breathing life into an unsaved individual — is something that has been occurring without change throughout Man’s Day, going all the way back to Adam. Apart from the birth from above and the Spirit bringing this birth to pass, there could have been/could be no salvation at any time or in any dispensation during Man’s Day.

But the immersion in the Spirit is something peculiar to the present dispensation, which is separate from “salvation by grace.” The only connection between the two at all would be the necessity of the Spirit breathing life into an individual prior to the occurrence of any other work of the Spirit. That is, only the one made alive spiritually can be immersed in the Spirit, allowing the Spirit to complete the task that the Father sent Him to accomplish.)

The particular work of the Spirit that began on the day of Pentecost didn’t occur before the present dispensation, and it will not occur following the present dispensation. It is a work that has beginning and ending times, extending throughout one dispensation alone — the dispensation in which Christians presently live. And this work of the Spirit is for a revealed purpose.

The immersion in the Spirit is a work which allows the same Spirit performing the work to subsequently search for and to procure a bride for God’s Son. And once the Spirit has procured the bride, there will no longer be a need for individuals to be immersed in the Spirit, making the search possible. Consequently, the Spirit’s present work in this respect can only cease once the search has been brought to a successful completion.

(Though this work of the Spirit, as a whole, will not extend beyond the present dispensation, there is an element of this work that will exist beyond the dispensation, during the coming Messianic Era. Note that on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two, this work of the Spirit, at its beginning point, also had to do with a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy [Acts 2:4, 16-21; cf. Joel 2:27-32]. Because of the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel, the Spirit’s work in relation to Joel’s prophecy was introduced as part of His work beginning on the day of Pentecost. However, with the termination of this reoffer [about 32 years later], any fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy was set aside with Israel, awaiting Israel’s future conversion and the Messianic Era.

But that part of the Spirit’s work having to do with a search for a bride for God’s Son continued beyond the termination of the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel. This is that part of the Spirit’s work, peculiar to and extending throughout the present dispensation, seen in Ephesians 1:13-14.)

And it is a simple matter to see that this work of the Spirit, peculiar to the present dispensation, can have nothing to do with “salvation by grace.” If it did, something would have changed at the beginning of the dispensation relative to “salvation by grace.” And a change of this nature, at this time or at any other time during Man’s Day, would have been/would be completely out of place.

“Salvation by grace” can never change throughout Man’s Day. “Salvation by grace” is seen throughout Scripture only one way — being brought to pass on the basis of two unchangeable things, established at the beginning: death, and shed blood.

The basis for God’s restoration of fallen man in this respect is introduced in Scripture in the opening chapters of Genesis (Genesis 3; 4 [death and shed blood, seen in connection with Adam; and death and shed blood, seen in connection with Abel]). God established the matter in these foundational types at this early point in His Word, and no change can possibly ever occur in that which God established after this fashion.

The Spirit has always been present in the world throughout Man’s Day to breathe life into the one having no life, else there could be no salvation for fallen man. This fact was set forth in types previous to those seen in Genesis chapters three and four. The work of the Spirit, in this respect, was introduced in the Genesis chapters one and two (Genesis 1:1-5; 2:7; cf. Ezekiel 37:1-10).

Accordingly, the whole of the salvation picture is set forth in Genesis 1-4. The Spirit in Genesis 1; 2 is seen doing a work on the basis of that seen in Genesis 3; 4. And if man today would view salvation from the unchangeable perspective in which God established matters in these opening four chapters of His Word, all of man’s false soteriological ideologies would crumble in the light of the Word of God.

Truth would exist where error presently exists. Clarity would exist where confusion presently reigns supreme. In short, light would “shine out of darkness” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

If the unchangeable nature of “salvation by grace” was not only established but operative in the opening chapters of Genesis — which it was — then the Spirit being sent on the day of Pentecost, along with anything connected with the reason for His having been sent, could not possibly have had anything to do with salvation by grace.

If it did, then God, on that day, added something to the whole soteriological foundational structure that He previously established 4,000 years earlier, recorded by Moses some 1,400 years earlier; and, had this been the case, the work of the Spirit relative to salvation would have been incomplete for the first 4,000 years of man’s existence — throughout two-thirds of the whole of Man’s Day.

The problem surrounding man’s erroneous views of the entire matter lies with man being unable to see past salvation by grace in Scripture, seeking to relate everything to salvation by grace, including the work of the Spirit that began on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. “Salvation by grace” is one thing, and the work of the Spirit that began on this day, a work peculiar to this present dispensation, is something else. That is to say, the Spirit breathing life into the one having no life is one thing; and the individual, with life now imparted, being immersed in the Spirit (something peculiar to this present dispensation), is a work that — though occurring at the time of the Spirit’s work of imparting life — is separate from His work of imparting life.

The Spirit’s work in the latter respect has to do with bringing the one in whom He has imparted life (through His breath) into a state where that individual can meet all the qualifications set forth for the bride in the Old Testament. And this work of the Spirit, bringing the individual into this state, would be twofold: 1) bringing the saved person into a position where he can qualify to be dealt with by the Spirit with respect to His search for the bride (the individual becoming a new creation “in Christ” through the immersion in the Spirit, forming a part of the one new man, with all which that involves [ref., chapter 7]); and 2) the Spirit dealing with the one placed in this position (leading him into all truth — from immaturity to maturity, from gnosis to epignosis — with a view to that person realizing the purpose for his salvation).

Saved, Immersed in the Spirit,

For a Purpose

The direction toward which all things are moving through the work of the Spirit during the present dispensation is seen in Scripture within that body of revealed truth referred to as “the mystery.” This body of truth — the mystery — details matters being brought to pass in such a manner that Gentile believers have become “fellowheirs” with Jewish believers. And, through being members “of the same body” in this respect, they become “partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).

Things surrounding the mystery lie at the center of that which the Spirit, in the world, is presently making known to Christians. And He is making these things known for a revealed purpose. The Spirit is presently in the world seeking a bride for God’s Son; and the bride — taken mainly from Gentile believers, though Jewish believers are included as well — will reign as co-heir with Christ during that coming day when He is revealed in all His glory. Christ will reign as King, and His bride will reign as consort queen.

Christ and His bride (a bride who will be comprised of multitudes of individuals, occupying various assigned positions of power and authority) will replace the incumbent rulers in the kingdom of the heavens (Satan and his angels). And these things are not only being made known to Christians throughout the dispensation, but they were made known to Satan and his angels at the beginning of the dispensation as well.

These things are presently being made known to Christians by the Spirit, Who is both present in the world and indwells Christians (John 14:17; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19); and they have been made known to Satan and his angels through the Church (Ephesians 3:9-11), leading into the reason for the dual way in which Paul ended his letter to the Christians in Ephesus: 1) revealing the spiritual warfare on the one hand (because the mystery had been made known to Satan and his angels [Ephesians 6:10-18]), and 2) revealing the necessity for a bold proclamation of the message surrounding the mystery to Christians on the other (for this is the message of the hour, having to do with the purpose for the entire 2,000-year dispensation [Ephesians 6:19]).

1) Good News

It is through the good news surrounding the grace of God that individuals can be brought into a position where they can receive and understand spiritual truth, allowing them to understand things pertaining to the mystery; and it is through the things pertaining to the mystery — additional good news, associated not with the gospel of grace but with the gospel of glory — that individuals can be brought into a full realization of the reason why they have been saved. That is, individuals have been saved for a purpose, and that purpose is what the mystery is about.

The whole of the matter begins, as in the type of the Israelites under Moses, with the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:1ff). That is, the beginning point must have to do with death and shed blood; the beginning point must have to do with Christ’s finished work at Calvary. An individual must first believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; he must first pass “from death unto life.” Only then, only after spiritual life has been imparted, can the work of the Spirit surrounding the reason why He was sent on the day of Pentecost come into view.

In the type — the Israelites under Moses — that which followed the death of the firstborn had to do with a deliverance from Egypt (always a type of the world in Scripture), with a view to being established in another land, within a theocracy. And there was an immersion “in the cloud” on the one hand (the visible presence of God among His people) and “in the sea” (the Red Sea) on the other (1 Corinthians 10:2).

And for Christians in the antitype, it is exactly the same. That which follows the death of the firstborn has to do with a deliverance from this present world, with a view to being established in another land, within a theocracy. Subsequent to the Spirit breathing life into the one without life, there is an immersion in the Spirit (possible because of God’s presence, by means of the Spirit, among His people today); then there is an immersion in water (showing burial, followed by resurrection [shown by a rising from the waters; Romans 6:2-6; Colossians 2:12; 3:1ff]).

(Refer to chapters 6 and 7 of this book for additional details concerning both the immersion in the Spirit and the immersion in water.)

2) Land of Our Calling

The land to which Christians have been called, unlike the land to which the Israelites under Moses were called, is a heavenly land; and Christians will enter into this land only during the coming dispensation. Christians are being called out of this world during the present dispensation, with a view to realizing an inheritance in another land during the coming dispensation.

This is set forth in Colossians 1:12-13 as a deliverance from one kingdom (the present kingdom under Satan [cf. Ephesians 1:21; 3:10; 6:12]), with a view to realizing an inheritance in another kingdom (the coming kingdom of Christ). And though the way in which verse thirteen reads in most English translations leads one to believe that Christians have been transferred or translated from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of Christ, such cannot possibly be the correct understanding of this verse.

The kingdom of Christ does not presently exist, and it cannot exist until that future day when the Father places His Son in charge of the kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15), which will occur only at the end of Man’s Day. The kingdom of Christ will cover exactly the same domain (the earth) and His rule will be from exactly the same sphere (heavenly) as Satan’s present domain and rule. Further, Christ is to wear the crown that Satan presently wears, and Satan has yet to relinquish this crown.

Accordingly, the kingdom of Christ cannot exist during the present time. Satan is still the crowned ruler of this earth, holding the scepter. Only after Satan has been put down can Christ hold the scepter, wear the crown, and exercise power and authority (exercise power and authority from the same realm, over the same domain, as presently seen in Satan’s exercise of power and authority). And all of the preceding can occur only at the end of Man’s Day, not before.

Thus, if there were a present kingdom of Christ, the kingdom would have to exist prior to that time when the Father is seen delivering the scepter into His Son’s hand; it would have to exist apart from a domain and a crowned King; it would have to exist during Man’s Day (preceding the Lord’s Day); and it would have to exist during a time when Satan is still on the throne.

Seeing a present kingdom of Christ, in any form, becomes completely absurd when the matter is viewed in the light of Scripture. Man may erroneously think along the lines of a present kingdom of Christ, but Scripture reveals something entirely different.

The whole purpose for the kingdom of Christ has to do with Christ and His co-heirs taking the kingdom of this world and effecting a cosmos out of the present chaos, bringing order out of the present disorder.

Thus, from a biblical standpoint, one cannot possibly speak of a present kingdom of Christ as long as Satan continues to hold the scepter — whether seen existing in a so-called mystery form, or any other form.

To the contrary, the Father has told His Son to sit at His right hand until He makes His enemies His footstool. Only then will the Son ascend the throne, hold the scepter, and rule the earth (Psalm 110:1ff). Only then will the kingdom of Christ exist.

(Then there is another realm in which the thought of a presently existing kingdom of Christ becomes possibly even more theologically destructive and dangerous. Christians erroneously seeing a present kingdom of Christ usually think of individuals being transferred or translated into this kingdom at the time of the birth from above. Then, a transference of this nature moves the whole thought of entrance into the kingdom from the realm of reward to the realm of gift. And that is completely out of line with any sound Scriptural teaching concerning the kingdom of Christ.)

Colossians 1:13 should be understood in the sense of individuals being rescued and caused to change sides relative to two kingdoms. Christians have been rescued from Satan’s existing kingdom and have been caused to change sides with respect to Christ’s coming kingdom. The former has to do with the present kingdom of this world, as it presently exists under Satan; and the latter has to do with the coming kingdom of this world, as it will one day exist under Christ (Revelation 11:15).

3) That Coming Day

And Christians are being dealt with in this manner during the present dispensation with a view to the coming dispensation. It will be during the coming dispensation alone that the kingdom of Christ will be brought into existence. The present dispensation has to do with purposes surrounding the Spirit acquiring a bride to reign with God’s Son during the coming dispensation, for Christ must have a bride to reign with Him. There must not only be a crowned King but there must be a consort queen as well.

The present dispensation, the third and last of three dispensations during Man’s Day, covers 2,000 years of time (the exact number of years allotted to each of the previous two dispensations, with seven years yet remaining to be fulfilled in the dispensation that immediately precedes the present dispensation [i.e., in the preceding Jewish dispensation]). The divine work that began at the time of and through the descent of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost will last for exactly 2,000 years from that date, which makes it quite simple to ascertain that we are living very near the end of the time allotted for the Spirit to search for and to procure a bride for God’s Son (ref. the Appendix in the author’s book, Bible One - Had You Believed Moses by Arlen Chitwood).

Once the dispensation has run its course and the search has been completed, the bride will be removed, with a view to the coming dispensation. And it is during this coming dispensation that the inheritance spoken of in Ephesians 1 will be realized.

This coming dispensation, in which the inheritance will be realized, will be the earth’s coming Sabbath. This will be the Sabbath foreshadowed by the seventh day in Genesis 2, introduced immediately following man’s creation, and set before the people of God throughout man’s 6,000-year day (e.g., Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-17; Hebrews 4:1-9).

“This is the day that the Lord has made” (not today, but that coming day when the Stone that the builders refused has “become the head stone of the corner”); and in that day, beyond Man’s Day, when the Lord’s Day is ushered in, man “will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:22-24).

Having Heard, Having Believed

In a sequence beginning in Romans 10:13, salvation (deliverance) is seen being brought to pass through individuals calling upon the Lord: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Then, immediately following, beginning in the next verse, a question is asked: “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?” (Romans 10:14a [a reference back to the call for deliverance seen in the previous verse]). This question is then followed by another question: “…and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” Then a third question follows, with a fourth question beginning the next verse: “…and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent?” (Romans 10:14-15a [14b]).

Thus, the order set forth in these three verses is four-fold, though seen in a reverse fashion from the way in which it is presented: 1) God calls a man to proclaim His message, 2) that man proclaims the message, 3) individuals hearing the message believe that which is being proclaimed, and 4) those who have believed the message (which, in this case, is belief in Christ, effecting salvation) then call upon the Lord for salvation (which, contextually, would have to relate to a deliverance for those who had already been saved through believing).

(Believing and calling in Romans 10:13-14 are not to be equated; nor are they to be thought of as two separate things which, in the end, result in eternal salvation. Romans 10:13 — “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” — has been vastly misused over the years by well-meaning individuals in a Roman’s Road-type presentation of the salvation message.

Eternal salvation is brought to pass through believing alone [Romans 10:14; e.g., John 3:16; Acts 16:31]. It is brought to pass through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ [a one-time event], after hearing the message from the one who had been sent to deliver it.

Calling, on the other hand, follows believing. The person first believes, and only then does he call. The text is very clear concerning this order: “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?” [Romans 10:14a].

Calling [something that could be repeated time after time] has to do with a deliverance following salvation [brought to pass through believing]. And note that Romans 10:13 is a quotation from the Old Testament, where the verse is used relative to a deliverance of saved people during the coming Messianic Era [Joel 2:32].)

The order seen in Romans 10:13-15 is exactly the same order seen in Ephesians 1:13-14. Paul had been called, he had proclaimed the message, those in Ephesus had believed, and they were now in a position to call upon the Lord (from time to time, whenever necessary) for deliverance. And the whole of the process would be with a view to the Messianic Era.

This order though, along with the emphasis seen in the order, is often missed in some English translations of Ephesians 1:13-14 (e.g., the KJV text). Note a more literal rendering of the Greek text, which not only places the emphasis on issues beyond eternal salvation but moves matters forward into the Messianic Era:

In Him you [Gentiles] also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you [Gentiles] were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [those being preserved, those who have become God’s possession] to the praise of His glory.

1. You Were Sealed

Gentiles, previously alienated from God’s dealings with Israel and those things which God had committed to Israel’s trust (Ephesians 2:12; cf. Romans 9:4), now, through two inseparably related means, find themselves no longer alienated: 1) through believing the proclaimed message that they had heard, and 2) through being sealed with the promised Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Or, in chapter two, this sequence of the Spirit’s work is expressed another way: Those “made nigh by the blood of Christ” find themselves, through being sealed with the Spirit from chapter one, positionally “in Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). And “in Christ,” where there is “neither Jew nor Greek” (Galatians 3:26, 28), “the middle wall of partition” (previously existing between Jew and Greek) has been broken down. “In Christ” there now exists one new man, in which a “middle wall of partition” cannot exist (Ephesians 2:14-15).

Then, Paul expresses this same thing another way in Romans 11:5-25. In this section of Scripture, individuals cut out of a wild olive tree (believing Gentiles [Romans 11:11-24]) are seen grafted into a good olive tree, among branches that have not been broken off (believing Jews [Romans 11:17-24]). These believing Jews would form the “remnant according to the election of grace,” seen earlier in the chapter (Romans 11:5); and the whole of the matter is referred to as a mystery (Romans 11:25).

Thus, Paul dealt with the mystery when writing to those in Rome through one means, and he used another means when writing to those in Ephesus. Saved Gentiles being sealed with the promised Spirit in Ephesians 1:13, or those cut out of a wild olive tree being grafted into a good olive tree (a tree in which some of the branches had been broken off) in Romans 11:11-24, form two ways in which Scripture deals with the same thing — having to do with the immersion in the Spirit.

Scripture often deals with a subject through different means such as this, frequently through the use of metaphors, as seen in Romans chapter eleven. And Scripture must be compared with Scripture in order to see the complete picture, as God has set it forth in His Word.

In Ephesians 1:13, through the use of the word “sealed” to describe this work of the Spirit, Christians are given an insight into the way God looks upon those who form the one new man “in Christ.” The Greek word translated “sealed” (sphragizo) is used a number of times in the New Testament, and it is used different ways. It is used of Christ’s tomb being sealed (Matthew 27:66), but it is also used in a descriptive manner of things and people (e.g., John 6:27; Romans 15:28; Revelation 7:3ff; Revelation 10:4). The word could be used with the thought of confirming, attesting, authenticating, or certifying. It could be used to show a stamp of approval, that everything was in order. Or it could be used to show identification or ownership.

Christians have been sealed with the promised Spirit in connection with becoming a part of the one new man “in Christ.” Thus, the seal would involve being brought into the position that God requires (becoming Abraham’s seed, etc. [ref., chapter 7 this book]). And the seal would show God’s stamp of approval relative to identification and ownership. The seal would confirm, attest, authenticate, and certify that everything was in order for the Spirit to conduct His search for the bride among those forming the one new man.

2. A Pledge [Guarantee] of Our Inheritance

Being “sealed with the promised Spirit” in Ephesians 1:13 is said to be “a pledge or guarantee [‘earnest,’ KJV] of our inheritance” in Ephesians 1:14. The bride, for whom the Spirit presently searches, will one day inherit as co-heir with God’s Son. This inheritance was introduced back in verse eleven, and this inheritance, contextually, will be realized only in connection with a future redemption (Ephesians 1:14).

Relative to this future redemption, Ephesians 4:30 states,

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed [Gk., sphragizo, same as in Ephesians 1:13] for [‘with respect to’] the day of redemption.

This sealing work of the Spirit, being a guarantee (Gk. appabon), has to do with the thought of a first installment or down payment. Christians, through this means, now possess a legal claim to the inheritance; and a first installment portends full payment at a future date. This guarantees that the inheritance will one day be received.

A realization of the inheritance though is connected with a redemption of those who have become God’s possession; and this redemption, along with the inheritance, is future (Ephesians 4:30). The past work of the Spirit forms a pledge or garanteee that the inheritance will be realized, but only in connection with a future redemption.

This future redemption has to do with the salvation of the soul and related matters (e.g., the bride being removed from the body [Genesis 2:21-23], the out-resurrection [Philippians 3:11], or the adoption [Romans 8:23]). The past work of the Spirit, forming a guarantee that the inheritance will be received, cannot be isolated and understood apart from other Scripture (2 Peter 1:20).

Though the Spirit will complete the work in and among Christians that He has set out to perform (Philippians 1:6), Christians, through faithfulness or unfaithfulness, can either realize or forfeit the awaiting inheritance with God’s Son. This fact must be recognized when studying the work of the Spirit in Ephesians or any other place in Scripture.

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Chapter Nine

The Invitation

Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” (Genesis 24:58)

The question that Rebekah was asked in Genesis 24:58 (“Will you go with this man?”) and her response (“I will go”) form the heart of the most important matter that will ever confront any Christian at any time throughout the entire present dispensation. The question and corresponding answer have to do with the very reason for an individual’s salvation. A person has been saved for a revealed purpose, and it is this purpose to which the question and corresponding answer in this verse relate.

Ministry of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit is in the world today seeking a bride for God’s Son. That’s what Genesis chapter twenty-four is about. This chapter is not about eternal salvation. That’s seen through events back in chapter twenty-two (events surrounding the offering of Isaac). Rather, this chapter is about the purpose for salvation; and events in the chapter are set within the framework of the present dispensation — detailing events, from God’s perspective, between the time when Israel was set aside (preceding the present dispensation [Genesis 23]) to that future time when Israel will be restored (following the present dispensation [Genesis 25]).

1) The Type

In the type, Abraham sent his eldest servant into Mesopotamia to procure a bride for his son. And before Abraham’s servant departed to fulfill this mission, Abraham made him swear that the search would be conducted solely among his own people, among those referred to as “my kindred” (Genesis 24:3-4, 9).

Then the servant took ten camels, which is a number showing ordinal completion, for “all the goods of his master were in his hand.” And these goods, belonging to the father, would one day belong to the son.

In one respect, Isaac is seen as already being the owner of these goods (Genesis 24:36); but, in another respect, Abraham is not seen actually giving these goods to his son until after a bride has been procured, the son has married, and the father has remarried (Genesis 25:5).

The servant was placed in complete charge of all the goods of his master, he was to take these goods into Mesopotamia, he was to find the prospective bride, and he was then to show the prospective bride that which could be hers, if…

The bride, becoming Isaac’s wife, was to inherit with him. That belonging to Isaac would belong to her. The bride would complete Isaac, they would be one flesh, and they would inherit together as one complete person (Genesis 2:21-24).

2) The Antitype

The Holy Spirit, in the antitype of Abraham’s servant in Genesis chapter twenty-four, is in the world today seeking a bride for God’s Son. And he is seeking this bride from among God’s Own people — the saved — not from among the unsaved. He is seeking the bride from among those comprising the one new man “in Christ,” during a time in which Israel has been set aside (cf. Genesis 23:1-2; 25:1-4).

And the Spirit, in complete keeping with the type, has “all the goods” of the Father in his possession to show the prospective bride.

In one respect, as set forth in the type, the Son is seen as already being the Owner (in the same sense that the Son is seen as already being King, in possession of all power [cf. Matthew 2:2; 28:18; John 18:33-37; 19:19]).

But, in another respect, the Father is not seen actually giving these goods to the Son until after the bride has been procured, the Son has married, and the Father has restored His wife, Israel (which awaits the Son being crowned, at which time He will exercise all power [cf. Daniel 7:12-14; Revelation 19:7ff]).

Relative to this entire matter, Christ, near the close of His ministry, told His disciples,

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12-15).

The Spirit is in the world today searching for a bride for God’s Son. And He conducts this search by taking the Word which He gave through “holy [‘set apart’] men of God” during past time and revealing to Christians, from this Word, “things to come.” The Spirit takes this Word and reveals to Christians that which the Father has given to His Son. He shows the prospective bride that which can be hers, if…

The bride, inheriting with the Son, will inherit as co-heir with Him. That belonging to Him will belong to her. The bride, exactly as seen in the marriage relationship in Genesis 2, will complete the Son (Hebrews 2:10). They will be one flesh, and they will inherit together as one complete person (cf. Genesis 2:21-24; Ephesians 5:22-32).

Salvation, Purpose, Dispensations

That revealed in Genesis 24 often erroneously dealt with by well-meaning individuals in relation to eternal salvation. And the widely prevailing general treatment of Scripture after this fashion is a major problem in biblical interpretation today. Teachings surrounding eternal salvation are being derived from texts that have nothing to do with eternal salvation. And, through this process, not only is that which the text actually deals with being done away with, but the message surrounding salvation by grace is often corrupted.

Erroneously seeing events in Genesis 24 as having to do with eternal salvation can mislead a person dispensationally in relation to salvation. Events in this chapter have to do with a distinctly different work of the Spirit, performed during a dispensation when God is dealing with the Church, not with Israel. And, through applying this particular work of the Spirit to salvation by grace, individuals can be misled into believing that the Spirit’s work in effecting one’s eternal salvation is different during the present dispensation than it was during the past dispensation. They can be misled into believing that God’s means of salvation for man changes with a change in His dispensational dealings with man.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The manner in which the birth from above is brought to pass does not change when dispensational changes occur. A person is saved exactly the same way at any time throughout Man’s Day — through the Spirit breathing life into the one having no life. And the Spirit does this on the basis of death and shed blood. This was just as true at the beginning of Man’s Day (when God slew animals and clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins) as it is during the present time, near the close of Man’s Day (following the events surrounding Calvary).

God’s means surrounding eternal salvation is one of the great constants of Scripture. Matters surrounding the birth from above never change at any time throughout Scripture. They remain the same from the opening chapters of the book of Genesis to the closing chapters of the book of Revelation. It is God’s dispensational dealings alone that are seen to change. And these dispensational dealings with man are seen to occur only following salvation and, thus, have nothing to do with salvation.

The word “dispensation” comes from the Greek word oikonomia, which is a compound word having to do with “household management,” or “stewardship.” Accordingly, a dispensation has to do with the management of the Lord’s house through stewards whom He has placed in charge of His house.

And those whom He has placed in charge of His house could only be the saved alone during both Man’s Day and the future Lord’s Day, else they could not be looked upon as household servants.

During the past dispensation, this was Israel. During the present dispensation, this is the Church. And, during the future Lord’s Day, a succeeding dispensation — which will not only be following Israel’s national conversion and restoration but following the Spirit’s successful search for the bride during the present dispensation — God will deal with both Israel and the Church in this respect, as He deals with the Gentile nations through Israel and the Church.

(Note that the expression, “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” [Matthew 10:6; 15:24], has to do with the issue at hand — the kingdom of the heavens — not with eternal salvation. It has to do with deliverance relative to a kingdom. The Jewish people could not have been looked upon as eternally lost, else God could not have dealt with them in a dispensational respect — as household servants.

God deals with the unsaved only one way — relative to passing “from death unto life.” An individual must possess spiritual life before God can deal with him relative to spiritual values, as a household servant [i.e., deal with him in a dispensational respect].)

Then, the reason for the birth from above, as the means of salvation itself, also never changes throughout Man’s Day. This reason, going back to that revealed in Genesis 1-3, remains completely constant throughout Scripture. These three chapters reveal man’s creation, his fall, and his redemption. And purpose is seen throughout, whether relative to God’s creation of man, Satan’s intrusion into God’s creative work, or God’s restoration of ruined man.

Man was created to rule the earth; but, as a result of Satan’s intrusion, seeking to thwart God’s plans and purposes, man fell. And man’s restoration involves bringing him back into a position where he can realize the purpose surrounding his creation.

Thus, the purpose for man’s salvation is inseparably connected with the purpose surrounding his creation, which has to do with regality. But different facets of this central purpose are seen at later times in Scripture, depending on God’s dispensational dealings with man. There is a facet having to do with Israel, both past and future; and there is facet having to do with the Church, which is future.

God dealt with the Jews essentially relative to an earthly calling, though a heavenly calling (beyond the earthly) was always present. And this heavenly calling was brought to the forefront when Christ came the first time.

God’s dealings with Christians though are quite different. Christians are dealt with solely relative to a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1), which was taken from Israel at the time of Christ’s first coming (Matthew 21:33-43).

In this respect, the purpose behind man’s salvation no more changes when God’s dispensational plans and purposes change than does salvation itself. Man is always saved the same way, and his salvation is always with a view to regality. Both remain completely constant throughout Man’s Day. The only thing that changes has to do with different facets of God’s purpose for man’s salvation, in keeping with the dispensation in which He is dealing with man.

1) Israel, Past Dispensation

During the past dispensation, Israel was called out of Egypt to realize an earthly calling, in relation to regality. The nation was to be removed from Egypt and placed in the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And, with Israel occupying the position of God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22-23), the nation was to realize the rights of the firstborn within this land.

The rights of the firstborn had three parts: The firstborn was to be the ruler within the family, he was to be the priest within the family, and he was to receive a double portion of all the father’s goods. This is what lay in store for Israel at the time God called his firstborn son out of Egypt under Moses.

In relation to the rights of the firstborn, as it would pertain to national regality, the Lord’s house would be this earth — a province within God’s universal kingdom.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house [the kingdom of Christ, filling “the whole earth” (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45)] shall be established in the top of the mountains [established above all the kingdoms of the earth], and shall be exalted above the hills [exalted above all the subordinate and lesser earthly kingdoms]; and all nations shall flow unto it (Isaiah 2:2).

Then the nation of Israel was looked upon in the sense of a house as well (“the house of Israel” [Matthew 10:6; 23:38]). The Lord, within a theocracy, was to rule through His house (Israel, comprised of household servants) over His house (the earth). Israel, as God’s firstborn, was to be placed over all the house and, in this position, exercise the full rights of the firstborn.

Israel was to exercise both kingly and priestly functions within the house. Not only was Israel to rule over all the Gentile nations but these nations, as well, were to be blessed through Israel (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; 22:17-18; Exodus 19:5-6; Numbers 23:9; Deuteronomy 7:1-24; 28:1ff).

Then the double portion of all the Father’s goods comes into view, which can only have to do with both heavenly and earthly spheres of the kingdom. And these two spheres of the kingdom can be seen throughout Israeli history, extending all the way back to Abraham (cf. Genesis 14:17-24; 22:17-18; Matthew 8:11-12; Hebrews 11:8-16).

The earthly sphere of the kingdom remained at the forefront throughout most of Israeli history (though matters surrounding the heavenly sphere were always present). Then the heavenly sphere of the kingdom was brought to the forefront when Christ came the first time.

The earthly sphere of the kingdom was extended to Israel under Moses. But, in the final analysis, through disobedience, the earthly sphere of the kingdom was rejected. And it matters not whether one views the activities of the generation at Kadesh-Barnea under Moses or the activities of later generations, beginning with those under Joshua. The end result is the same.

The activities of the generation under Moses resulted in an entire accountable generation being overthrown in the wilderness, outside the land; and the activities of succeeding generations — ultimately continuing in disobedience — eventually resulted in the theocracy coming to an end, the nation being uprooted from the land, and the Jewish people being scattered among the Gentile nations.

Then the heavenly sphere of the kingdom was extended to Israel at Christ’s first coming. The nation was called upon to repent, which would be relative to past disobedience, continuing into the present. And, because of the nation’s refusal to repent, the heavenly sphere of the kingdom was rejected as well (acceptance was inseparably connected with repentance [Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17]). And this rejection reached a climactic apex with Israel’s crucifixion of the One Who made the offer — God Himself, in the person of His Son.

Israel, through disobedience, had rejected the earthly sphere of the kingdom; and the kingdom had been taken from Israel some six hundred years prior to Messiah’s appearance. Then, when Messiah appeared with the message that the kingdom of the heavens was “at hand [had ‘drawn near’],” the Jewish people continued in the footsteps of their ancestors. They persisted in their refusal to repent, and the heavenly sphere of the kingdom was rejected as well.

This climaxed the totality of Israel’s rejection in relation to the kingdom, resulting from disobedience and a refusal to repent; and the Jewish people climaxed all of this rejection — which covered over fourteen centuries of Israeli history — through pledging their allegiance to a pagan Gentile king and calling for the crucifixion of their true anointed King, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2; John 18:31-37; 19:14-15).

Is it any wonder that Israel is seen to occupy the position set forth in Genesis 23, following the events set forth in Genesis 22? That would be to ask, “Is it any wonder that Israel is seen in the place of death (typified by Sarah’s death [Genesis 23]), following the crucifixion and resurrection of the nation’s Messiah (typified by the offering of Isaac, with Abraham receiving his son from the place of death on the third day [Genesis 22])?”

2) The Church, Present Dispensation

Once Israel had been set aside, God turned to the Gentiles to take out of them “a people for His name” (Acts 15:14). A new dispensation ensued, in which God would deal with an entirely new group of household servants. And the thought of regality continued, unchanged, from the past dispensation into and through the present dispensation — with man continuing to be saved exactly the same way for exactly the same purpose.

This must be the case; it cannot be otherwise. Man was created for purposes surrounding regality, man’s fall resulted from these purposes (Satan, the incumbent ruler, brought about man’s fall in order to assure his own continuance on the throne), and man’s subsequent redemption surrounds these purposes.

The means of and purpose for redemption were set at the very beginning of Scripture and can never change. They remained the same when God dealt with Israel during the past dispensation, and they can only continue the same when God deals with the Church during the present dispensation.

(And note that positive promises or negative consequences surrounding either obedience on the one hand or disobedience on the other are also the same, regardless of the dispensation. Positive promises in either dispensation are seen to result in an exaltation over all the Gentile nations [Deuteronomy 7:1-24; Revelation 2:26-27]. But negative consequences in either dispensation are seen to result in death [Genesis 23:2; Romans 8:13].

God does not take man’s reaction to His plans and purposes lightly — whether positive or negative, and whether pertaining to the past theocracy or to the future theocracy [Leviticus 26:1-39; Deuteronomy 28:1-67; Hebrews 10:23-11:16]. God himself dwelt among His people in the past theocracy; and God, in the person of His Son, will dwell among His people in the future theocracy, as the Son’s “greatest regal magnificence” [literal translation of a superlative in 2 Peter 1:16] is set forth for all to see.)

Israel being called into existence and being called out of Egypt had to do with purposes surrounding regality, which is in complete keeping with the purpose surrounding man’s creation, Satan bringing about his fall, and God effecting his redemption.

And it can be no different for purposes surrounding the existence of the one new man “in Christ.” This one new man has been called into existence (as a nation was born in Egypt during Moses’ day) and is presently being called out of the world (as Israel was called out of Egypt under Moses) for a purpose. And that purpose, in the light of biblical history and prophecy, is self-evident.

The one new man “in Christ” has not only been called into existence to exercise a regal position, but the full spectrum of the rights of the firstborn — kingly, priestly, and a double portion of the Father’s goods — must come into view as well. The Church, through the future adoption, will be placed in the position of God’s firstborn son (Hebrews 12:23). And Christians occupying this position will exercise all the rights of the firstborn.

And any forfeiture of these rights, insofar as Christians are concerned, will occur prior to the adoption. Forfeiture will occur during the dispensation in which God is removing from the Gentiles “a people for His name.” It will occur during the dispensation in which the Holy Spirit conducts His search for the bride (seen through events in Genesis 24), prior to the adoption, with the adoption not including those who previously forfeited these rights.

(God’s two national firstborn sons — Israel [already adopted] and the Church [yet to be adopted] — will one day realize the rights of the firstborn.

Israel, following the nation’s repentance and acceptance of their Messiah, will be restored — a saved nation, back in the land, exercising kingly and priestly rights. Israel will exercise these rights within a theocracy, occupying a position at the head of the nations. And though Israel has forfeited the right to rule in heavenly places as well, Israel will realize the double portion of the birthright through two means: 1) through O.T. saints who qualified to rule from the heavens [cf. Matthew 8:11-12; Hebrews 11:8-16, 32-40], and 2) through the Church, comprised of individuals who are Abraham’s seed, grafted into a Jewish trunk [Romans 11:13-21; Galatians 3:29].

Christians, not having forfeited their birthright, will be adopted, forming another national firstborn son. And this son will exercise the rights of the firstborn through ruling as a kingdom of priests [exercising kingly and priestly functions] from heavenly places, over the earth [realizing the double portion of the birthright]. This firstborn son will rule as co-heir with Christ, inheriting with Him all that the Father will give to the Son [Genesis 24:36; 25:5; John 16:15; Romans 8:16-23; Philippians 3:10-14; Hebrews 3:1; Revelation 1:6; 5:10].)

“Will You Go with This Man?”

The question, “Will you go with this man?” moves to the heart of all matters surrounding the work of the Spirit in the world throughout the present dispensation. The work of the Spirit in the life of a Christian is designed to bring that individual to the point where he can be confronted with this question. Then, the Christian’s response to the question will have direct bearing on the manner in which the Spirit will be able to continue a work in his life from that point forward. The goal has to do with bringing the Christian to a place where he can one day participate in activities attendant the bride. A negative response to the question will quench a continuing work of the Spirit relative to matters surrounding His search for the bride. But a positive response will allow the Spirit to continue a proper work in the individual’s life, continuing to move that individual toward the goal in view.

1) The Type

After Abraham’s servant had entered Mesopotamia, he journeyed toward the city of Nahor. Nearing the city in “the evening,” he came to a well of water and made his camels kneel down by the well. The servant then prayed, asking the Lord to prosper his journey through a particular set of circumstances.

It was the time of day when women from the city came to the well to draw water. And before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah had already come out of the city with the other women. The servant saw her, that she was “very fair to look upon, a virgin.” Then, after she had drawn from the well, he requested water from her pitcher to drink; and she, completely on her own, apart from the servant making any other request, offered to perform all the things that the servant had previously requested of the Lord in his prayer. She not only drew water for the servant to drink but she drew water for his camels to drink as well.

Abraham’s servant could only stand by and marvel as he watched Rebekah fulfilling that which, only minutes before, he had requested of the Lord.

God, in his providential control of all things, had directed the servant to a certain well of water at a particular time of day. And this was at the time of day when Rebekah, along with other women of the city, normally came to the well to draw water. The Lord saw to it that both parties involved were at the right place at the right time. And the Lord further saw to matters that things began to unfold, in a systematic manner, which would allow the purpose for the servant’s mission to ultimately be fulfilled.

Similar circumstances are later seen through Moses’ first encounter with his bride. Moses, between the time of his rejection and the time of his acceptance by the Jewish people found his bride by a well of water also (which, within another frame of reference, would correspond to the time between events in Genesis 23; 25, during which Moses, typifying Christ, took a Gentile bride [Exodus 2:15-21]).

“Water” is used in Scripture to refer to both the Spirit and the Word (cf. John 2:7-10; 4:14; 7:37-39; Ephesians 5:26). The symbolism seen through Rebekah drawing water from the well, with the servant looking on, along with subsequent action on the part of both the servant and Rebekah, is fraught with spiritual significance and meaning.

Genesis chapter twenty-four provides a wealth of information concerning the true nature of the work of the Spirit in the world today. He conducts His search for the bride after the manner seen in this chapter. He must, for the matter is set in an unchangeable fashion at this point in Scripture. And, if an individual would properly understand the work of the Spirit as it is revealed in the New Testament, he must first understand the work of the Spirit as it is revealed in the Old Testament, particularly in Genesis 24.

In the type, Abraham’s servant simply stood back and watched as Rebekah drew water from the well. Only after she had drawn the water for both him and his camels, seeing that the Lord had prospered his journey in complete accord with his prayer, did he begin to act. He then brought forth several select things from the goods belonging to his master, carried on the camels, and gave them to Rebekah (Genesis 24:15-22).

The servant, at first, brought forth only a small portion of these goods. But later, after he had made known the purpose for his journey — to procure a bride for his master’s son — he then began to bring forth more of the treasures, giving them to Rebekah as well (Genesis 24:33-53).

Only then, only at a time when Rebekah — one able to draw water from the well — had been made fully aware of the issue at hand, was she confronted with the question: “Will you go with this man?” There was no coercion whatsoever connected with the question. The issue at hand had been sufficiently revealed, allowing her to make a rational decision, based entirely on that which had been revealed and shown to her by Abraham’s servant.

Rebekah’s response to the question would have no bearing on her family relationship with Abraham. It was only because of this family relationship that circumstances could be brought to pass that would allow the question to be asked. Thus, regardless of whether Rebekah responded positively or negatively, her family status would remain completely unchanged.

Rebekah’s response had to do with her willingness to “go with this man.” And going with this man had to do with her one day coming into a realization of all the things that had been revealed through the man.

Responding positively to the question, Rebekah could look forward to one day becoming the wife of Isaac and inheriting with him. The servant’s work could then continue in her life, with matters moving toward completing his mission.

A negative response though would result in these things not being brought to pass in Rebekah’s life. Though Rebekah would remain a member of Abraham’s family, the servant could not continue working with her in the same manner as before. And she could not one day become the wife of Isaac and inherit with him.

2) The Antitype

From that revealed in the type, the work of the Spirit in the world today, searching for the bride, should be a matter simple enough for any Christian to see and understand. The Spirit’s work is foreshadowed by the servant’s work in Genesis 24. And that seen in the type will, it must, be seen in the antitype as well.

The Spirit is conducting His search during a dispensation set aside for this purpose; and, exactly as in the type, He is conducting this search among members of the family, among Christians.

Following salvation — brought to pass through the Spirit breathing life into the one having no life — the Spirit then begins a work in the individual’s life, designed to lead that person from gnosis to epignosis, from immaturity to maturity. This work is designed to bring the person into a position where he can draw from the well. Then the Spirit can progressively continue leading him “into all truth,” showing him “things to come.”

And, in complete keeping with the type, it is only after the individual has been brought into an understanding of “things to come” — through the Spirit taking the one able to draw from the Well and leading him “into all truth” — that the person is confronted with the question: “Will you go with this man?”

The question is seen brought to the forefront only after the person has come into an understanding of the issue at hand. And the person’s response to the question will have no bearing on his family relationship — i.e., on his being a Christian — but it will affect forever whether or not he will one day find himself among those forming the Son’s wife, inheriting with Him.

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Chapter Ten

The Response

Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”

So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men.

And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: “Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them.”

Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. (Genesis 24:58-61).

Abraham had sent his eldest servant into Mesopotamia to procure a bride for his son, Isaac. The servant had been given specific instructions that the bride was to come from Abraham’s family. And, in order to properly carry out his mission, all of Abraham’s goods had been placed in his possession (Genesis 24:1-10).

Abraham’s servant then took ten of his master’s camels, and the clear inference from the text is that the servant was to use these camels to carry his master’s goods into Mesopotamia. In the text (Genesis 24:10), the number of camels is specifically connected with the amount of Abraham’s goods in the servant’s possession. “Ten” is a complete number; it shows ordinal completion. And the servant, singling out ten camels, showed, in a numerical respect, that “all his master's goods were in his hand.”

Once in Mesopotamia, the servant found the prospective bride by a well of water. And through a series of events, which revealed to the servant that Rebekah was indeed the one whom he sought, he began to take things from his master’s goods and give them to her.

Through this means, the servant began to open up and reveal things to Rebekah surrounding that belonging to the father, which would one day belong to the son. And it was only after this had occurred that the prospective bride was confronted with the question: “Will you go with this man?”

That which had been revealed to her had to do with one thing alone. It had to do with the purpose for the servant’s mission into Mesopotamia and that which lay in the future once this purpose had been realized. And, in order to bring about the fulfillment of this purpose, the servant, after he had found the prospective bride, used one means alone.

The servant, after he had found the prospective bride and made known the purpose for his journey, began to take certain things from the goods belonging to his master and give them to Rebekah. The servant did not speak of himself. Rather, he spoke of his master and his master’s son. And, through taking certain things from the goods belonging to his master, he began to progressively reveal to Rebekah that which would one day belong to and be controlled by the Son.

And the son’s wife, completing the son, would inherit with him. The son and his wife together, as one complete person, would exercise control over all these goods at that future time.

Set within the type, the work of Abraham’s servant occurred among those from Abraham’s family (Genesis 24:3-4, 9, 15), following the offering of Abraham’s son (Genesis 22), following the death of Abraham’s wife (Genesis 23), but preceding Abraham’s remarriage (Genesis 25). That which occurred in Genesis 22 — death, with the son being received from the place of the dead on the third day (Genesis 22:4-5; cf. Hebrews 11:17-19) — made it all possible. Then, events throughout the subsequent three chapters, dealing with “wives,” occur in a manner that brings the entire matter to the desired goal.

The death of the father’s wife, following the things surrounding the offering of the son, allowed attention to be turned to matters surrounding a wife for the son (Genesis 22; 23). And that is what is seen in Genesis 24. Then, the whole of that which is in view is brought to a climax through the son’s marriage at the end of the chapter and the father’s remarriage at the beginning of Genesis 25.

Everything moves toward that seen at the end of chapter twenty-four and the beginning of chapter twenty-five — the son possessing a wife who would inherit with him; and the father again possessing a wife, who, unlike his former wife, would be very fruitful. In this respect, the servant’s search for the bride in Genesis chapter twenty-four has to do with the continuation of a sequence of events from previous chapters, which would be brought to a climactic goal at the end of chapter twenty-four and the beginning of chapter twenty-five.

Accordingly, that end was not something that could be brought to pass while the servant was in Mesopotamia seeking the bride for his master’s son. The servant was to remain in Mesopotamia only until he had procured the bride. Once this had been accomplished, he was to leave with the bride in order to present the bride to the son, bringing about a full completion to his mission. This, in turn, would allow matters seen at the beginning of Genesis 25 to occur, bringing a full end to the whole of that which is in view.

Everything that the servant revealed while in Mesopotamia had to do with the goal out ahead. Rebekah’s family understood these things; and Rebekah, as well, understood these things. And the reason why they understood these things is very simple. The servant revealed these things to them, and they believed the testimony of the servant.

That is the type, and exactly the same thing must be seen in the antitype.

That seen in the antitype of Genesis chapter twenty-two — the death and resurrection of the Son — makes it all possible. Toward the end of Genesis 22, following that revealed about the death and resurrection of the Son, mention is made of the heavenly seed and earthly seed of Abraham possessing the gate of the enemy. Then wives occupy the prominent place in the next three chapters. Abraham’s wife dies (Genesis 23), a wife is procured for the son (Genesis 24), and Abraham again takes a wife (Genesis 25).

What is this about? It’s very simple. The whole of the type is dealing with man one day occupying the position for which he was created in the beginning. Salvation has been provided for this purpose (Genesis 22 a), and possessing the gate of the enemy (Genesis 22 b) has to do with this purpose. Then the remainder of the overall type has to do with bringing this purpose to pass.

(“The gate” of a city was the place where legal matters were transacted on behalf of those in the city [e.g., Ruth 4:1ff]; and possessing the gate would be an Eastern way of stating that the person exercised control over that particular city, which, in relation to the ultimate destiny of the seed of Abraham — both heavenly and earthly — would be governmental control over the earth from both heavenly and earthly spheres.

Note that this same expression was used by members of Rebekah’s family relative to Rebekah’s seed when they sent her away in Genesis 24:60, carrying the same thought from Genesis 22:17-18 into the relationship in which Rebekah was about to enter.)

But why such an emphasis on wives in chapters twenty-three through twenty-five, following that revealed in chapter twenty-two? There is an emphasis of this nature at this point in the overall type simply because of that which previously had been revealed surrounding the first man, the first Adam, who had been created to rule in Genesis 1; 2. Man cannot rule alone. He must have a wife to rule with him — he as king, and she as consort queen.

(Note that revelation in Scripture is progressive in this respect. One does not begin a study of Scripture in Genesis 23-25 apart from understanding things revealed prior to these chapters. Otherwise, he will be unable to properly understand that being revealed in these chapters.

And this same principle holds true at any point in Scripture. Later revelation is built on prior revelation. If an individual would properly understand the New Testament, he must first possess an understanding of that revealed prior to New Testament revelation, that revealed in the Old Testament. This is why, when studying the New Testament, a person continually finds himself going back to Moses and the Prophets. He is studying commentary in the New Testament, and he needs to understand that to which the commentary pertains if he is to properly understand the commentary.)

For man to rule, he must rule as a complete being; and only through a union with a woman — a husband-wife relationship — is the man seen as complete in this respect.

The picture is derived from Eve being formed from a part of Adam’s body, then presented back to Adam as a helpmate. Eve, a part of Adam’s very being — bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh — completed Adam. The woman, being presented back to the man, made him one complete person (Genesis 2:21-24).

And God said of the man and woman together, “…let them have dominion” (Genesis 1:26-28). The man could rule only as a complete being, which necessitated the woman ruling as consort queen with him.

This whole matter set forth in these opening two chapters cannot change at a later point in Scripture. The exercise of regality in the human realm must be through a husband-wife relationship. Neither the man nor the woman can rule alone. They must rule together as one complete person, with the man occupying the headship.

This is why wives occupy the forefront in three chapters following that which is stated in Genesis 22. The means of salvation is seen in the first part of chapter twenty-two, and the purpose for salvation is seen in the latter part of the chapter. And this purpose is then realized at the conclusion of that which follows, i.e., at the conclusion of that which is stated about wives in these three subsequent chapters.

(This is the reason why God, in the Old Testament theocracy, could not rule alone in “the kingdom of men.” He had to have a wife to rule with Him. If He hadn’t had a wife, He would have violated that which He Himself established when He created man.

And the same must hold true for God’s Son. He cannot rule alone. He must have a wife to rule with Him for exactly the same reasons as seen in the husband-wife relationship between God and Israel in the Old Testament theocracy, which goes back to the principle set forth in Genesis 1; 2.

All of this is seen in the marriage relationship today, which is the basis for not only properly understanding Ephesians 5:22-32 but the entire marriage relationship [note that this section in Ephesians 5 cannot be properly understood apart from that revealed in Genesis 1; 2]. The wife completes the husband. They rule in the house together, as one complete person — he as king, and she as consort queen. He exercises the headship, but she rules as co-heir with him. That which belongs to him belongs to her.

The husband and wife rule the house together after this fashion, looking out ahead to the same relationship that they can one day exercise with Christ, ruling as co-heir with Him over His house. And, as seen in Isaiah 2:1-4, this has to do with a rulership over the entire earth.)

Matters surrounding all of this will be realized through that foreshadowed by events at the end of Genesis 24 and the beginning of Genesis 25 — the Son taking a wife, and God restoring His wife to her rightful place. Apart from this, there can be no future theocracy.

Events at the end of chapter twenty-four and the beginning of chapter twenty-five foreshadow events that will exist during the Messianic Era, when Abraham’s seed — both heavenly and earthly — will possess the gate of the enemy. This is the climactic point to which events beginning in Genesis 21 (the birth of Isaac) lead.

“I Will Go”

From Genesis chapters twenty-two through twenty-four, six distinct steps, carried out in a progressive manner, can be seen in an individual’s life in relation to the complete work of the Spirit during the present dispensation. And this complete work of the Spirit covers the whole panorama of the Christian life — from the time of the birth from above to that time when the bride appears in Christ’s presence, properly attired in a wedding garment.

These six steps seen in these three chapters would be thus:

1) The birth from above, and the revealed reason for the birth from above (Genesis 22).

2) The beginning work of the Spirit following the birth from above (Genesis 24a [following events set forth by those in Genesis 22; 23, but preceding events set forth by those in Genesis 25]).

3) The Spirit bringing an individual to the point where he can be confronted with the issue at hand (Genesis 24:58a).

4) The individual responding to the issue at hand (Genesis 24:58b).

5) A continued work of the Spirit in the life of a Christian who has responded positively to the issue at hand (Genesis 24:61).

6) The Spirit completing His work, removing the bride, and presenting the bride to the Son (Genesis 24:62ff).

1) Beginning Work of the Spirit

The birth from above has to be the beginning point in any of God’s dealings with man. Fallen man is spiritually dead, and life must be imparted before God can deal with man in relation to the reason for his creation. God is spirit, He deals with man on a spiritual plane, and fallen man must be made alive spiritually in order to bring this to pass.

The Spirit breathes life into the one having no life, on the basis of the finished work of Christ at Calvary. Only then — when the one “dead in trespasses and sins” possesses spiritual life — can God deal with man on the necessary spiritual plane.

But, in what way does God deal with man once he has been born from above? From a Scriptural standpoint, it is always the same way. As in the life of Abraham in Genesis, or in the death of the firstborn in Exodus 12, God deals with man relative to separating himself from this world and the things of this world, with a view to realizing an inheritance in another land, removed from this world; and this is in complete keeping with the reason for man’s creation in the beginning (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; 15:5-21; Exodus 12:29, 40- 41; 15:17-18; 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 6:23).

As previously noted, exactly the same thing is seen in Genesis chapter twenty two; and it is brought to fruition at the end of chapter twenty-four and the beginning of chapter twenty-five.

In Genesis 22, immediately following that portion of the chapter which foreshadows the death and resurrection of God’s Son, “the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time” (Genesis 22:15). The first time had to do with matters surrounding bringing salvation to pass (Genesis 22:1-14), and the second time had to do with the purpose for salvation (Genesis 22:16-18).

And this purpose is not, as often expressed by Christians — so one can be saved from Hell and spend eternity with God in Heaven. Rather, this purpose has to do with regality and this earth (which will be realized during the Messianic Era); and following the Messianic Era, God’s purpose for man’s salvation will have to do with regality and the universe at large (which will be realized during the subsequent eternal ages, from the new earth).

Thus, man has been saved — he has “passed from death unto life” through the Spirit breathing life into the one previously having no life — in order to ultimately bring man back into the position for which he was created in the beginning. This is what is seen at any point in Scripture where the subject is dealt with, beginning in the opening verses of Scripture, where God set forth a foundational or skeletal framework for the remainder of His Word (Genesis 1:1-2:3). And all subsequent Scripture simply forms commentary on that revealed in these first thirty-four verses of the book of Genesis. All subsequent Scripture forms the sinews and flesh that clothe the skeletal framework (cf. Ezekiel 37:1-10), providing all the necessary details, allowing man to be able to understand that which God has revealed about His plans and purposes.

Within the skeletal framework in Genesis 1:1-2:3, a septenary structure is seen, and matters within this septenary structure move through six days into a seventh day, a Sabbath day of rest. And this is the progressive pattern seen throughout the whole of subsequent Scripture.

As God took six days to restore a former ruined creation — establishing an unchangeable pattern concerning how God restores a ruined creation — He is presently taking six days (6,000 years [2 Peter 3:8]) to restore two ruined creations (both man and the material creation once again). And, as God rested a Sabbath day in the former restoration, He is going to rest a Sabbath day (1,000 years, the seventh millennium dating from Adam, the Messianic Era, the Sabbath rest awaiting the people of God) in the latter restoration (Hebrews 4:1-9).

When one arrives at Genesis chapter twenty-two, where the means for man’s salvation are dealt with, he would expect to find matters exactly as that previously revealed concerning man’s salvation and destiny in Genesis 1:1-2:3. And this is exactly what he does find.

As previously pointed out, immediately following revelation surrounding the death and resurrection of the Son (Genesis 22:1-14), God appeared a second time and promised Abraham that both his heavenly seed and his earthly seed would one day possess the gate of the enemy (Genesis 22:15-18). Then the three subsequent chapters, dealing with wives, not only provide additional details but lead into the matter mentioned toward the end of Genesis 22 — the time when that which God promised to Abraham, relative to his seed, would be realized.

Thus, the widespread thought in Christendom that man has been saved to escape Hell, with Heaven now being his eternal home, is not what Scripture has to say about the matter at all. This type teaching is nothing short of a corruption of biblical truth that has led myriads of Christians down a wrong path in biblical studies.

And once Christians have this erroneous thought ingrained within their minds, it is next to impossible to ever get them to see the truth of the matter. Once they have been misled after this fashion, it is next to impossible to ever get them to see the true nature of the work of the Spirit during the present dispensation. But this is the way matters presently exist almost universally throughout Christendom, resulting from the working of the leaven (Matthew 13:33) over almost two millennia of time.

2) Continuing Work of the Spirit

The second of the six distinctly progressive steps in the work of the Spirit in an individual’s life during the present dispensation, seen in Genesis chapters twenty-two through twenty-four, has to do with the beginning work of the Spirit among the saved — a work peculiar to the present dispensation. This is a beginning work performed subsequent to the birth from above (Genesis 22), among a different people of God (a new nation, the Church [Genesis 24]), following that time when Israel was set aside (Genesis 23), but preceding that time when Israel will be restored (Genesis 25).

The Spirit of God is in the world to reveal to Christians — individuals who possess spiritual life and are, thus, capable of understanding spiritual truth — all the various things surrounding the seed of Abraham (both heavenly and earthly ) one day possessing the gate of the enemy. And the Spirit of God reveals these things in exactly the same manner seen by Abraham’s servant revealing the purpose for his mission in Genesis 24. He does this through taking certain things from the goods belonging to the Father, which will one day belong to the Son, and giving them to Christians.

All these goods of the Father can be seen in God’s revealed Word. And the Spirit takes this Word — which He Himself moved men to pen in past time — and leads Christians “into all truth.” He, through the Word, in this respect, reveals to Christians “things to come.” And these “things to come” will be manifested for all to see when the Father, in that coming day to which the Spirit calls attention, gives all that He has unto His Son (Genesis 25:5; John 16:12-15).

And the Spirit revealing these things to Christians is with a view to the third of the five progressive steps of the Spirit’s work in an individual’s life, seen in the overall type in Genesis chapters twenty-two through twenty-four. The Spirit’s work in the previously discussed second progressive step is designed to bring an individual to the third step, where he can be confronted with the issues surrounding the question seen in Genesis 24:58: “Will you go with this man?”

And, being confronted with the issue at hand after this fashion has been designed to bring a person to the fourth progressive step. The person must, himself, personally, respond. He must, himself, personally, choose to either to go or not go with the Spirit beyond this point. There is no middle position for him to choose (cf. Luke 11:23). Exactly as in the type (Rebekah being made fully aware of the issue at hand), the Christian is made fully aware of the issue at hand. Then, exactly as in the type (Rebekah being confronted with the issue at this point), the Christian is confronted with the issue at this point. Then, exactly as in the type (Rebekah responding), the Christian must respond. And then, exactly as in the type (where only a positive response is seen, though a negative response would have been possible), the ministry of the Spirit can continue in the individual’s life.

The manner in which the Spirit leads is with a view to bringing about the desired goal. It is leadership directed solely toward completing His mission — acquiring a bride for God’s Son.

And the Christian who dares to call attention to the truth of the matter in this Laodicean period of Church history will, in all likelihood, find himself faced with ridicule and rejection at the hands of his fellow Christians. And he may, like Paul, end up with all of them turned against him (2 Timothy 1:15; 4:10-11, 14-16).

But note Who not only stood with Paul when all the others had turned away but would deliver him “from every evil work” as well (2 Timothy 4:17-18). And this would be the experience of any Christian throughout the dispensation who followed the pattern set by Paul (cf. 1 Timothy 1:15-16; Revelation 3:18-20).

3) Concluding Work of the Spirit

The matter surrounding the work of the Spirit is not brought to a complete end during the present dispensation. That comes only after the Spirit has removed Christians from the earth, after decisions and determinations have been made at the judgment seat (based on the Christian’s reaction to the Spirit’s work during the previous dispensation), and after the procured bride is in a position to be revealed for all to behold.

That will be the day when the purpose for salvation, set forth in the latter part of Genesis 22, is finally realized. That will be a day of glory for numerous Christians. But for the vast majority of Christians, it will be anything but a day of glory. Rather, it will be a day of shame and humiliation, followed by deep regret for something that can never become a reality for them — not having a place among those forming the bride and, thus, being unable to rule as co-heir with the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” during that future time toward which all things have been moving since the creation of Adam.

“His Way”

The Spirit’s way, seen in the type through the servant’s way in Genesis 24, begins following death and resurrection.

The birth from above restores a spiritual relationship between God and man, but that brought into existence at the time of the fall — the man of flesh — present at the time of the birth from above, must remain under the sentence of death. The spiritual birth effects no change in the man of flesh. He remains untouched, unchanged; and he remains in the same place where he has always existed — under the sentence of death.

The man of flesh can have nothing to do with things surrounding the purpose for the birth from above — to one day be found among those forming the Son’s wife and realizing an inheritance, as co-heir with Him. These things are reserved for the man of spirit alone. Ishmael could not inherit with Isaac. The bondwoman and her son were to be cast out (Genesis 17:18-19; 21:9-12).

This is why, in the type, the Red Sea passage was the first thing confronting the Israelites under Moses on their march from Egypt to Canaan. “The Sea” is the place of death. The firstborn had just died; and now he must be buried, not to rise again.

The Israelites had to pass through the Sea. They had to go down into the place of death; and, in the sense of that taught in the type, this is where the old man is to remain. The person now possesses spiritual life (having to do with the birth from above), and the old man (having to do with the first birth), with his deeds, is to be put off. The old man is to be reckoned as dead, and the new man alone is to be in view beyond that foreshadowed by the Red Sea passage (cf. Romans 6:4-12).

The leadership of the Spirit — from the eastern banks of the Red Sea to Sinai, and then to the land of Canaan — was for the man of spirit alone. He alone was in view in this respect, having passed through the place of death and having been removed from that place, picturing resurrection.

The man of flesh had no inheritance in the land set before the nation. This fact should have been well known to any Israelite under Moses, for God had previously made this very clear, in no uncertain terms, to the father of the nation of Israel. Ishmael could not inherit with Isaac (cf. Romans 4:1-4, 13).

Following the birth from above (John 3:3), matters immediately turn to the reason for this spiritual birth — entrance into the kingdom, not eternal life. Then, if the one having been born from above is to enter the kingdom (John 3:5), he must be born out of both water and Spirit. And the complete picture becomes clear if set within the framework of the Old Testament type of the Israelites under Moses (ref. chapter 6).

Being born out of water (the old man left in the place of death, with the new man alone in view) and Spirit (with the new man then following the leadership of the Spirit, as progression is made toward another land) is the way matters are set forth in the Word of God. This is what God Himself, in the person of His Son, had to say about the matter at His first coming; this is what Scripture reveals at any other place where the matter is dealt with; and this is that to which man must adhere if he would one day enter into the proffered kingdom and inherit with the Son.

There is no power in the outward, physical act of baptism per se, just as there was no power in the outward, physical act of the Israelites passing through the Sea under Moses (though it took divine power to make this possible, as it took/takes divine power to make that seen in baptism possible today [Christ’s past work at Calvary, and the Spirit’s present work in the world]). The power lies in that set forth through the spiritual truths surrounding the Red Sea passage in the type, or baptism in the antitype.

The Spirit’s leadership, having to do with the man of spirit alone, must be viewed in the light of the type in Genesis chapter twenty-four. Once Rebekah had determined to follow the man (which had to do with one goal alone — becoming the wife of Isaac and inheriting with him), she went “his way.”

Rebekah arose, rode upon the camels (which carried the goods belonging to the father, which would one day belong to the son), and followed the servant. And “his way” had to do with the servant’s leadership while they were still in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:61).

The direction of travel was singular (toward another land, to fulfill the servant’s mission), that with which Rebekah found herself associated was singular (she rode upon the camels, which carried all the goods belonging to the father, which would one day belong to the son), and that which Rebekah gave herself over to was singular (following the servant, going “his way”).

The matter, as it is outlined in this part of Genesis 24 — in a type-antitype structure — is so clear that there should be no need to even call attention to the antitype. Suffice it to say, beginning with death and resurrection, this entire Scriptural presentation of the matter is why Paul was so desirous that death in relation to him became conformable to death in relation to Christ. He wanted “to know” Christ, “the power of His resurrection [the power of His rising from the place of death], and the fellowship of His sufferings [the order is post-resurrection sufferings, during the present time of His rejection, as those following Him in this same manner will be rejected during this time as well]” (Philippians 3:10).

Paul wanted to understand all of this to the extent that it could be manifested in his life in such a way that he would be found among those one day being able to attain “to the resurrection [‘out-resurrection’] of the dead.” And, attaining to this out-resurrection, he would attain to “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:11-14).

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Chapter Eleven

The Search Concluded

Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. (Genesis 24:61).

The Spirit of God has been in the world for almost 6,000 years, performing a work relative to man’s eternal salvation. The Spirit, throughout Man’s Day, has breathed life into the one having no life; and He has done this on the basis of death and shed blood.

Basic teachings surrounding not only the Spirit’s work in man’s salvation but the necessity of death and shed blood as well (allowing the Spirit to breathe life into fallen man) are set forth in Genesis 1-4. And these foundational truths — establishing First-Mention Principles — remain unchanged throughout all subsequent Scripture.

(The Spirit’s work, in this respect, is introduced in Genesis chapters one and two through that seen relative to the restoration of the ruined creation in Genesis 1:2b and that seen relative to life being imparted to man through God’s breath in Genesis 2:7.

The Spirit of God moved upon the ruined material creation, where only darkness had previously prevailed. This is the first thing occurring prior to God speaking, light coming into existence, and God making a division between the light and the darkness.

And it is exactly the same with ruined man today, wherein only darkness prevails. Fallen man, a subsequent ruined creation, must be restored in exact accord with the established pattern. The Spirit of God moves upon the ruined creation. That is, the Spirit breathes life into the one having no life [“Spirit” and “breath” are from the same word in both the Hebrew text of the Old Testament and the Greek text of the New Testament — Ruach and Pneuma respectively]. And the Spirit breathes life into fallen man on the basis of death and shed blood [Christ’s finished work at Calvary].

Light then comes into existence. The one “dead in trespasses and sins” passes “from death unto life.” Then God makes a sharp division between the light and the darkness, between the spiritual and the soulical, between the new man and the old man [cf. Hebrews 4:12].

Thus, the foundational basics surrounding the work of the Spirit in this respect, are seen in the opening two chapters. The Spirit of God moves upon ruined man [Genesis 1], imparting life through God’s breath [Genesis 2].

Then, the one basis through which the Spirit brings about life in this manner — death and shed blood — can be seen in the next two chapters of Genesis [Genesis 3; 4].

In chapter three, following the fall, the first thing that God did relating to restoration was to clothe Adam and Eve with animal skins, showing a previous death and shed blood. Then in chapter four, Cain slew Abel [a type of Israel, 4,000 years later, slaying Christ], again showing death and shed blood [ref. the author’s book, Bible One - Had You Believed Moses by Arlen Chitwood, chapter 11, “The Blood of Abel”].)

Salvation by grace though is not the only thing dealt with extensively in the opening chapters of Genesis. These chapters also deal with basic truths surrounding man after he has been saved.

Events seen on day one alone pertain to God’s work relative to eternal salvation. Events seen throughout the succeeding five days would pertain to God’s continuing work in salvation, with complete restoration awaiting a full six days of work, awaiting the completion of Man’s Day. And this continuing work has to do with the salvation of the soul, which will not be realized until the seventh day, the earth’s coming Sabbath, the Messianic Era.

Events throughout the six days in chapter one could apply to God’s work with man at any time throughout Man’s Day (during any dispensation), with the completion of all God’s work realized on the seventh day. However, following that which is revealed surrounding events occurring during the seven days in Genesis 1:2-2:3 [2b], God centers His revelation on providing foundational material having to do with two divisions of mankind — Israel and the Church.

And this is in perfect keeping with later revelation. Those separated from God (the unsaved) are later seen dealt with through Israel first, then through the Church (while Israel is set aside); and, during the Messianic Era (following Israel’s restoration), God will deal with mankind at large through both Israel and the Church.

(Though Israel was brought into existence before the Church, that which pertains to the Church is mentioned before that which pertains to Israel in these opening chapters of Genesis. Truths pertaining to the Church can be seen in chapters two and three; and truths pertaining to Israel can be seen in chapters four, six, seven, and eight.

In Genesis 2, in the antitype, Christ’s bride is revealed to come from His body [a part of His body rather than all of His body]; and in both Genesis 2; 3, basic truths are set forth surrounding the husband-wife relationship, particularly as they relate to Christ and His bride and pertain to the reason for man’s creation in the beginning.

Then in Genesis 4, events relative to Israel begin. Cain slew Abel, as Israel, 4,000 years later, slew Christ. And, as the blood of Abel cried out to the Lord “from the ground,” the blood of Christ speaks “better things than that of Abel” [Genesis 4:10; Hebrews 12:24].

And, going on to Genesis 6-8, Noah passing safely through the Flood is a type of Israel passing safely through the coming Tribulation. Then, as a new beginning lay beyond the Flood, a new beginning will lie beyond the coming time of destruction.)

Now, all of these things could be little understood apart from subsequent revelation, beginning with the life of Abraham in Genesis 11. And the whole of the matter is put together in the course of five chapters set at the latter part of Abraham’s life (Genesis 21-25), though all of this (the first 25 chapters) could not be that well understood apart from subsequent revelation (the remainder of Scripture).

Chapters twenty-one and twenty-two put together things previously seen relating to man’s salvation (in Genesis 3; 4, which foreshadow Christ’s future work at Calvary — the offering of the Son (Genesis 22), born in a supernatural manner (Genesis 21). Then chapters twenty-three through twenty-five put together things previously seen relating to Israel and the Church (in Genesis 1-9). And throughout these five chapters in Genesis, all these things are set within a dispensational framework.

Then there is the necessary abundance of revelation that follows, extending throughout both the Old and New Testaments, which continues to build upon that previously revealed. And all of this revelation together — that given prior to, including, and following Genesis chapters twenty-one through twenty-five — allows Christians to see a complete word-picture, fully detailing God’s work in relation to man and the earth during both Man’s Day and the future Lord’s Day.

The key to a correct understanding of that which is revealed in the New Testament lies in first understanding that which has been revealed in Moses and the Prophets, particularly in the book of Genesis. All of the unchangeable basics were set forth in the earlier revelation first. And later revelation simply forms commentary for the earlier, necessitating an understanding of the earlier revelation in order to properly understand that which the Spirit later moved men to pen. The whole of God’s revelation must be studied in the light of itself, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:9-13).

Back to Genesis Chapter Twenty-Four

As in the Spirit’s work surrounding salvation, so it is in the Spirit’s work surrounding His search for a bride for God’s Son. Once God had established the foundational truths in Genesis surrounding the Spirit’s work in both realms, no change could ever occur in either realm at a later point in time. The work of the Spirit relative to salvation by grace, continuing during the present dispensation, must be completely in line with that previously set forth in Genesis; and the work of the Spirit relative to His search for the bride, a work peculiar to the present dispensation, must be completely in line with that previously set forth in Genesis as well.

As in the type, so it is in the antitype. The Spirit conducts His search between two times — between the time Israel was set aside (Genesis 23) and the time when Israel will be restored (Genesis 25). And He conducts this search among the people of God.

In this instance, the people of God cannot be Israel, for Israel has been set aside. Nor can the people of God be one or more of the Gentile nations, for all of the Gentiles are “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel” — the nation through which all spiritual blessings were to flow out to the Gentile nations (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; Ephesians 2:12).

Accordingly, none of the Gentile nations could possibly come under consideration as the place where the Spirit could conduct His search for the bride. And this would be true even more so with Israel set aside, for the channel of blessings for the Gentile nations had been removed from the place that God had ordained that the nation occupy.

Thus, God had to bring an entirely new nation into existence, one which was neither Jew nor Gentile. And this new nation, though it could be neither Jew nor Gentile, had to be Abraham’s seed (for, again, God had previously decreed that spiritual blessings must flow through Abraham and his seed alone [Genesis 12:1-3; 22:17-18]). Apart from a connection with Abraham of this nature, this new nation would be outside the scope of spiritual blessings and, in this respect, no different than any of the Gentile nations.

Note how God brought matters to pass surrounding this new nation — providing the Spirit with a people of God, other than Israel, among whom He could conduct His search for a bride for God’s Son.

This new nation was brought into existence (and continues to be added to via the same means) through an immersion in the Spirit of the ones in whom the Spirit has already breathed life. This is something that began on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. and continues during each succeeding generation throughout the dispensation.

This immersion in the Spirit places the saved individual “in Christ,” forming an entirely new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). This occurs at the time of the birth from above, though subsequent to and separate from the new birth.

If the person were a Jew prior to this time, he ceases to be a Jew and becomes a new creation “in Christ.” If he were a Gentile prior to this time, he ceases to be a Gentile and becomes a new creation “in Christ.” “In Christ” there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but one new man; and all those “in Christ,” forming the one new man, make up the body of Christ (Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:15).

Then, this positional standing that every Christian occupies, “in Christ,” provides the necessary connection that the one new man must have with Abraham (in order to possess a hope and be in a position to realize spiritual blessings). Christ is Abraham’s Seed; and those “in Christ,” forming His body, are “Abraham’s seed” as well, “and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29; ref. chapters 7 and 8 of this book).

Then, being part of the body of Christ allows the bride to not only come from the family (in accord with Genesis 24) but also from the body (in accord with Genesis 2). The bride for the first man, the first Adam, was formed from a part of his body, not from all of his body. And this must hold true for the bride of the second Man, the last Adam, as well. Christ’s bride must be formed from a part of His body, not from all of His body.

Thus, the Spirit of God is in the world today bringing to pass a work that continues from previous dispensations — breathing life into the one who has no life. But the Spirit of God is also in the world today performing a work peculiar to the present dispensation alone. The one in whom the Spirit has breathed life is then immersed in the Spirit, placing that individual in a position where he can be found among those to whom the Spirit has been sent to search for a bride for God’s Son.

The individual, through this immersion in the Spirit, finds himself a new creation “in Christ,” part of the one new man, and among those forming the body of Christ. Through this immersion in the Spirit, all of the qualifications are met for inclusion in the new nation brought into existence on the day of Pentecost — a nation separate from either Israel or the Gentile nations, in which the Spirit can conduct His search for the bride.

And this search occurs over a 2,000-year period. The Spirit finds one here and one there within this new nation who will respond positively to the question, “Will you go with this man?” (Genesis 24:58 [ref. chapters 9 and 10 of this book]).

And the Spirit finds these individuals throughout succeeding generations, covering the entire two millennia. Individuals in each succeeding generation, through the immersion in the Spirit, continue to be added to the one new man, allowing the Spirit to continue His search for the bride.

There though has to be an end to the Spirit’s search. There has to be a terminal generation of individuals added to the one new man among whom the Spirit can conduct His search, bringing an end to the dispensation. The work of Abraham’s servant among Abraham’s people came to a successful end in the type in Genesis chapter twenty-four. And this same thing must come to pass in the work of the Spirit in the antitype as well.

Nearing the End

Scripture reveals God working in three dispensational periods during Man’s Day; and, in each, God deals with different household servants (that distinguishing one dispensation from the other) and the world at large through these household servants. And each dispensation lasts exactly 2,000 years, with these three dispensations completing Man’s 6,000-year Day.

During the first dispensation within Man’s Day, God dealt with household servants, who formed no particular nation. And the world at large was dealt with through these servants (e.g., during the time of the Noachian Flood, when God dealt with the entire world through Noah). This dispensation extended from the creation of Adam to the birth of Abraham, covering the first 2,000 years of human history.

During the second dispensation within Man’s Day, God dealt with household servants who, after four hundred years dating from the birth of Isaac, formed the nation of Israel. And the world at large was dealt with through these servants (Israel was to be God’s witness to the ends of the earth [Isaiah 43:10]). This dispensation extends from the birth of Abraham to that time yet future when the Messianic Kingdom will be ushered in, covering a second 2,000-year period during Man’s Day.

However, this dispensation was interrupted seven years short of completion, at the time Israel crucified the nation’s Messiah. Sin on Israel’s part had reached an apex, Israel’s cup of iniquity had become full (cf. Genesis 15:16), and God stepped into the affairs of His people and brought about a change in His dispensational dealings with man. God stopped the clock insofar as counting time during the second dispensation was concerned, set Israel aside, and began a work through new household servants fifty-three days later, on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit was sent.

A third dispensation ensued during Man’s Day; and God began His dealings with an entirely new segment of household servants, who formed a new nation — the one new man “in Christ.” And the world at large was to be dealt with through these new household servants (the one new man was now to be God’s witness to the ends of the earth [Acts 1:8]). This dispensation extends from Pentecost to the rapture, covering a third 2,000-year period during Man’s Day.

Once this dispensation has run its course, the one new man will be removed, God will turn back to Israel, and the last seven years of the previous dispensation will be fulfilled. These last seven years will complete Man’s 6,000-year Day, and the Lord’s Day, the Messianic Era — a fourth dispensation — will then be ushered in.

This fourth dispensation will last for 1,000 years. It will be the seventh millennium dating from the creation of Adam, during which the Sabbath rest awaiting the people of God will be realized. And this seventh millennium is that toward which the whole of Scripture moves, beginning with the six days, followed by a Sabbath of rest, in Genesis 1:2-2:3 [2b].

For further information on dispensations, refer to the author’s books, The Study of Scripture BOOK [chapter 5], in this site, and Bible One - Had You Believed Moses by Arlen Chitwood [the Appendix].)

1) Belief to Unbelief, Then…

Parallels can be seen in Scripture between the way in which dispensations close (or, an interruption occurs, as was brought to pass near the end of the second dispensation), necessitating God stepping in and beginning to deal with man within a new dispensational framework. In each instance, belief is followed by unbelief as the dispensation progresses. Then, unbelief is allowed to reach an apex before God steps into man’s affairs and brings about a change.

The first dispensation began with man’s creation and fall. Following redemption being provided (in order that man could ultimately realize the purpose for his creation in the beginning), God began to make Himself known to man, which would have been through a means other than written revelation (which did not exist until Moses’ day, 2,500 years following Adam’s creation).

God making Himself, His plans, and His purposes known prior to written revelation — in a manner that would allow man to act accordingly — must be recognized. Man exercised “faith” during this time, and “faith” is simply believing that which God has revealed, resulting in one’s life being governed accordingly.

Men such as Abel, Enoch, and Noah acted “by faith” during the first dispensation (Hebrews 11:4-7). But this is not how the dispensation is seen to end. The dispensation ends with a descendant of Shem, in the lineage through which Messiah would eventually come, involved in idolatry in Ur, in the area of Babylon (Joshua 24:2; cf. Genesis 10:10; 11:1-9).

Then God allowed seventy years to pass in the second dispensation before He appeared to Abraham with instructions relative to leaving his home in Ur and traveling to another land, which he was to receive for an inheritance (Genesis 11:31ff). And Abraham, at this time, is seen in a position to exercise faith, which would require his having previously been saved.

(The matter surrounding Abraham’s salvation is not really dealt with in Scripture. Other than brief references to his birth and marriage, Scripture introduces Abraham at the time of his call, at a time following his salvation [Genesis 11:26ff]; and Scripture does not go back and deal with this issue.

Romans 4:3 is often referenced as having to do with Abraham’s salvation. But that is not correct at all. Romans 4:3 is a quotation from Genesis 15:6 [cf. James 2:21-24]; and the context of the verse, in either Genesis or Romans, has to do with Abraham’s call, relative to a promised inheritance. Teachings surrounding eternal salvation are not in view in either section of Scripture [cf. Genesis 15:7-21; Romans 4:13-22].)

Abraham believed God, obeyed God’s call, and he, by faith, “went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8ff). And because of a subsequent, progressive walk by faith (though failure occurred at times [e.g., Genesis 12:10-20; 16:1-4]), Abraham became known as the father of the faithful (Romans 4:11).

The nation emanating from Abraham’s loins, through Isaac and Jacob, also went out by faith under Moses. They left Egypt four hundred and thirty years to the day, dating from the time God had first appeared to Abraham in Ur (Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 12:40-41; cf. Galatians 3:16-18).

But, as time progressed, demonstrated first through the actions of the accountable generation under Moses, things began to change. Unbelief set in, which ultimately (after giving the Jewish people centuries in which to repent) resulted in God allowing His people to be carried into captivity by Gentile nations — first, the northern ten tribes (by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.); and then, the southern two tribes (by the Babylonians in 605 B.C.) — bringing an end to the theocracy that had been established at Sinai during Moses’ day.

Seventy years following the time when the entire nation (all twelve tribes) had been carried into captivity (Daniel 9:2; cf. Jeremiah 25:11), a remnant was allowed to return to the land under Zerubbabel. The temple was rebuilt, though there was no restoration of the theocracy. And, though a remnant returned to the land, the majority of the Jewish people continued to remain scattered among the Gentile nations during the years that followed (similar to the situation which exists in the world today — a remnant of Jews have returned to the land, and they are about to rebuild the temple [though there will be no restoration of the theocracy]; but most of the Jewish people remain scattered among the Gentile nations).

By the time Christ appeared, over five hundred years following the return of a remnant under Zerubbabel, unbelief was once again firmly entrenched in the camp of Israel. And the end result was the rejection of the message, the Messenger, and the eventual crucifixion of the Messenger.

At this point, even though the dispensation still had seven years to run, God stepped into the affairs of man once again. Unbelief, resulting in the nation’s actions, had reached an apex. And God, at this time, brought about a change in His dispensational dealings with man.

An exercise of “faith” marked the beginning of this third dispensation, as seen in the book of Acts and the epistles. But the dispensation was destined to end exactly the same way in which the first dispensation had ended, and under exactly the same conditions which resulted in the second dispensation being interrupted — a manifestation of unbelief among the people of God.

And this manifestation of unbelief among the people of God at the end of the third dispensation has been plainly foretold several places in Scripture. Christ Himself, at the time of His first coming, asked, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith [Greek: ‘the faith’] on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

“The faith” is an expression peculiarly related to the Word of the Kingdom (e.g., Acts 6:7; 1 Timothy 6:10-15; 2 Timothy 3:8; 4:7-8; Jude 1:3), and the way in which this question is worded in the Greek text portends a negative response. Christ, in this passage, revealed that He would not find “the faith on the earth” at the time of His return, in complete keeping with subsequent warnings by Paul (Acts 20:29-31; 1 Timothy 4:1-3), by Peter in his second epistle (2 Peter 2; 3), and by Jude in his epistle.

At the outset of the dispensation, “the faith,” which had to do with things surrounding the saving of the soul, was the message of the hour. It was proclaimed universally throughout the churches. But, at the time of Christ’s return, conditions will be completely reversed. Except in isolated instances, one will not find this message being proclaimed at all in the churches of the land. Instead, this message will be either unknown by Christians, or it will be hated, despised, and rejected by Christians.

There are two places in Scripture that foretell the history of Christendom throughout the dispensation in this respect — Matthew 13:3-33 and Revelation 2; 3. One was given by Christ to His disciples during His earthly ministry, and the other was given by Christ to John about sixty years later.

The account in Matthew’s gospel shows the history of and condition of Christendom at the end of the dispensation through two means: 1) a mustard seed that germinated and grew into a great tree (an abnormal growth, depicting a world power, with the birds of the air [emissaries of Satan; cf. Matthew 13:4, 19, 32] lodging in the branches of the tree), and 2) a complete leavening process. And both together show total corruption at the end of the dispensation in relation to the Word of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:31-33).

Then, the opening chapters of the book of Revelation show the deteriorating history of Christendom through that revealed about the seven churches in Asia during John’s day, with conditions at the end of the dispensation depicted by the condition of the church in Laodicea — “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). And, as in the parables in Matthew chapter thirteen, this shows total corruption at the end of the dispensation in relation to the Word of the Kingdom.

(The fact that the Word of the Kingdom is the central issue at hand in both sections of Scripture is evident.

In the parables of Matthew 13, this is the stated subject forming the introduction to the parables [Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23]; and, this same subject is seen continuing throughout the subsequent parables [cf. Matthew 13:19, 24, 31, 33].

Then, in Revelation 2; 3, this is the evident central subject because of that seen throughout. Works, with a view to overcoming and occupying a position with Christ in the kingdom, form the central subject matter throughout each of these seven epistles. And each epistle is structured exactly alike in this respect.

Accordingly, as in the first four parables in Matthew 13, so in Revelation 2; 3. There is nothing in either section that pertains to salvation by grace. The whole of the matter in both sections of Scripture has to do with present and future aspects of salvation — the salvation of the soul. And this must be recognized if these passages of Scripture are to be correctly understood.)

Thus, unbelief among the people of God can be seen at each of the three times when God steps in and changes His dispensational dealings with man. Two have already come to pass, and the third is about to come to pass; and once the third comes to pass, this will allow God to once again begin His dealings with Israel and bring to pass the seven unfulfilled years of the previous dispensation.

(It should be noted that unbelief will continue to exist in the camp of Israel throughout the final seven years of God’s dealings with the nation during Man’s Day. When Christ returns, after Daniel’s unfulfilled Seventieth Week has been allowed to run its course, He will find the Jewish people scattered among the nations, in a state of unbelief. And, in a respect, this unbelief will be a continued unbelief from the apex reached at the end of Daniel’s Sixty-Ninth Week.

Then, following Messiah’s return and Israel’s national conversion, when the Jewish people look upon the One Whom they pierced, unbelief will turn to belief. And following certain related events that will occur at this time [e.g., Israel’s national repentance, the resurrection of Old Testament saints, Israel’s restoration to the land], a change in God’s dispensational dealings will once again occur.)

2) Unprepared for Christ’s Return

On the basis of Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy, which foretold the approximate time of Messiah’s first appearance to the Jewish people, Christians often see a truth applying to the Jewish people but fail to see this same truth when brought over into Christendom. Christians are quick to point to this prophecy and call attention to the fact that the generation of Jews living near the end of the time covered by Daniel’s prophecy should have known that it was about time for Messiah to appear, and they should have been ready.

And that is very true. The Jewish people should have been looking for their Messiah and should have been ready when their Messiah did appear. They possessed the Word of God, telling them that the time was at hand.

But, in this same respect, there is a parallel truth pertaining to the nearness of the hour and Christ’s reappearance that Christians today fail to see. And the knowledge and readiness of the present generation of Christians concerning the matter is no different than that of the generation of Jews that witnessed Christ’s first appearance.

Christians today only need to look at one thing in order to know that the Lord’s return is at hand — chronology related to both the dispensation and to Man’s Day. The present dispensation will last for exactly 2,000 years, and Man’s Day will last for exactly 6,000 years. Thus, all that Christians have to do is look back and perform some simple mathematical computations — the same thing which the Israelites could have done 2,000 years ago, but didn’t do.

(Refer to the Appendix in the author’s book, Bible One - Had You Believed Moses by Arlen Chitwood, for information about the chronology of dispensations and Man’s Day, problems with trying to establish exact dates for Christ’s return, etc.)

In this respect, the Israelites, at the time of Christ’s first coming, were in possession of a chronology that could have told them that the time was drawing nigh; but it was ignored, and the people were not ready when Christ did appear.

And, in this same respect, Christians today, immediately preceding Christ’s return, also have a chronology that can tell them that the time is drawing nigh once again; but it is being ignored, and Christians — as the Israelites — will not be ready when Christ reappears.

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Chapter Twelve

The Departure

Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South.

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. (Genesis 24:62-63).

The work of Abraham’s servant didn’t end with the procurement of the bride and bringing about her readiness while in Mesopotamia. Rather, there was a final and concluding work, which had to do with removing a prepared bride from Mesopotamia and presenting the bride to an awaiting bridegroom. And the bridegroom is seen waiting (near the end of the day) at a particular place, between his father’s home and the bride’s home, with a view to meeting the one whom the servant had procured and made ready.

And exactly the same thing is seen in the antitype. The Spirit’s procurement of the bride and bringing about her readiness while on earth during the present dispensation is followed by a final and concluding work at the end of the dispensation. The Spirit will remove a prepared bride from the earth and present the bride to an awaiting Bridegroom. And the Bridegroom, at that time (at the end of the dispensation), will be waiting at a particular place, between His Father’s home and the bride’s home, with a view to meeting the one whom the Spirit will have procured and made ready.

In the type, Isaac’s bride was accompanied by other damsels at this time; and they rode upon the camels as they left Mesopotamia. Though the number of the camels is not given at this point in the type, the reference could only be to the same ten camels that the servant had previously brought into Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:10). “Ten” is the number of ordinal completion in Scripture, and individuals riding upon “ten camels” at this time would show ordinal completion in relation to those going forth to meet Isaac. That is, they all went forth — not only Rebekah, but all within the scope of that shown by the number “ten.” But only one would be presented to Isaac as his bride, whom Abraham’s servant had procured and prepared.

And it will be exactly the same when Christ’s bride is removed at the end of the dispensation. The bride will not depart alone. Rather, the bride will be accompanied by others, which Scripture clearly reveals will be all other Christians. As in the type, all will go forth together to meet Christ.

But also, as in the type, not all will be presented to Christ as His bride, whom the Spirit will have previously procured and prepared. Only those appearing in the antitype of Rebekah in that day will comprise the bride.

When the caravan of camels carrying Rebekah and the other damsels approached Isaac, Rebekah is seen arraying herself for meeting Isaac. “She took a vail, and covered herself” (Genesis 24:65b). Nothing though is said in the type about those accompanying Rebekah doing something of this nature.

This act performed by Rebekah in the type speaks volumes in the antitype, for the same will be true of Christians comprising the bride in that future day. They, as Rebekah, will be granted the privilege of properly arraying themselves for meeting Christ in relation to activities surrounding the bride and the Bridegroom.

(Scripture presents two ways in which a Christian can appear in Christ’s presence in that coming day. A Christian can either appear clothed, or he can appear naked [Revelation 3:18]. And note that which Matthew 22:11-13 reveals will befall any individual appearing naked in Christ’s presence in that future day.)

The bride, under the leadership of the Spirit, will have previously made herself ready to meet the Bridegroom. And, because of this, she will be allowed to array herself in that day (not “be arrayed,” as in the KJV, but “array herself”) “in fine linen, clean and bright”; and this “fine linen” is said to be “the righteousness of saints [‘righteousness’ is plural in the Greek text —lit., ‘the righteousnesses of the saints,’ or ‘the righteous acts of the saints’]” (Revelation 19:7-8).

But the Spirit, at this time, will remove more than just a prepared bride in order to present the bride to an awaiting Bridegroom. The Spirit will remove all Christians — the complete one new man “in Christ.” Scripture is very clear concerning the all-inclusiveness of Christians in what is often referred to as “the rapture,” which will occur immediately following the Spirit’s completion of His work on earth during the present dispensation. The types clearly show this to be the case; and the antitype, which must follow all of the types in exact detail, shows exactly the same thing.

Numerous Bible students today attempt to see Scripture teaching that the bride alone will be removed at the time of the rapture, with the remainder of Christians left behind to go through either part or all of the Tribulation. Such a teaching though has no basis in Scripture. Scripture clearly reveals that all of the saved from the present dispensation — the complete one new man, comprised of both faithful and unfaithful Christians — will be removed from the earth into the heavens and be dealt with in judgment at the same time and place.

All Christians will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Scripture clearly reveals that “we must all appear,” and Scripture clearly reveals that this appearance will have to do with “a just recompense” being meted out — “that every one [not just a select few, but every Christian] may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (cf. Luke 19:15-26; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11; Hebrews 2:1-3).

Mistaken interpretation surrounding the all-inclusive nature of the rapture is often made through either viewing one type alone (e.g., Enoch, in Genesis 5) or seeking to make verses that have nothing to do with the rapture apply to the rapture (e.g., Luke 21:34-36; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; Revelation 3:10). Suffice it to say, Scripture must be interpreted in the light of Scripture. One part of Scripture must be interpreted in the light of both its context and related Scripture (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9-13; 2 Peter 1:20).

The whole of Scripture together presents the complete picture as God has set it forth in His Word. All the types bearing on a subject must be viewed together, along with the antitype. And Scripture must be interpreted contextually, not isolated and made applicable to the rapture when the context shows that the text has to do with something other than the rapture.

For example, relative to types, not only was Enoch removed preceding a time of destruction on the earth (the Flood during Noah’s day) but so was Lot, along with his family (preceding the destruction of the cities of the plain). Enoch would be looked upon in a somewhat opposite sense to Lot insofar as a walk by faith was concerned. But both Enoch and Lot are seen removed prior to subsequent destructions, and both must be viewed together in this respect. Then, the information gleaned from these two types can be seen within another frame of reference in Genesis 24, where all went forth to meet Isaac.

These three types, viewed together, present a far more complete picture of the rapture than does any one of the three set off by itself and viewed separate from the others. This is the picture — a word-picture — that God Himself has provided. And God has provided the material forming this word-picture, after this particular fashion, in order to teach His people that which He would have them know concerning the rapture and subsequent events.

And individuals going wrong at this point in Scripture invariably do so for two reasons: They either do not view the different types together (failing to see the complete picture), or they ignore the types altogether (refusing to view Scripture within the typical framework which God established).

Then, there are two central places in the New Testament (along with other related Scripture) that deal with the antitype of these Old Testament references to the rapture, presenting matters in exactly the same manner as seen in the types. And this must be the case, for once God had established these things in the types, no change could ever occur. The antitype must follow the exact pattern previously established in all the types bearing on the subject.

These two central sections of Scripture — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:9 and Revelation 1-4 — both deal extensively with the rapture and subsequent events (as these subsequent events pertain to Christians). Then, there are other Scriptures that deal with either the rapture or with these subsequent events, but not in the broad sense seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:9 and Revelation 1-4 (e.g., 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 15:51-57).

Thus, putting the whole of the matter together in both Testaments, the complete picture can be viewed, exactly as God gave it, through only one means — through taking all related Scriptures in both Testaments and comparing scripture with scripture. All of the types in the Old Testament bearing on the subject must be studied in the light of all scripture bearing on the subject in the New Testament, or vice versa.

(Then, insofar as the rapture itself is concerned, another problem often manifests itself in biblical interpretation. As previously noted, individuals often use scriptures that have nothing to do with the rapture in order to teach certain things about the rapture.

One or all of three sections of Scripture are usually referenced — Luke 21:34-36; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; Revelation 3:10. However, these Scriptures have nothing to do with the rapture and should never be used in this manner. The context, in each instance, clearly shows that things other than the rapture are in view.

For a detailed discussion of all three sections of Scripture in this respect, refer to the author’s book, Bible One - Had You Believed Moses by Arlen Chitwood, chapter 13.)

The Ones “in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:9)

In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the Lord Himself is seen descending from heaven, though not coming all the way to the earth. Christ, after descending to a place above the earth, will “shout [lit., ‘issue a command’].” The voice of the archangel (Michael) will then sound, a trumpet will be blown, and “the dead in Christ” from throughout the dispensation will come forth.

Resulting from Christ’s command, “the dead in Christ” will be raised. Christ — Who is “the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25) — must be present to give the command in order for the dead to be raised (cf. John 5:28-29; 11:25, 43). Then, living believers — those Christians alive at the end of the dispensation — will be caught up together with resurrected believers to meet the Lord in the air.

1) The Spirit’s Work at This Time

This is the time when the Spirit, in keeping with the type in Genesis 24, will remove all Christians from the earth (both the dead [resurrected] and those alive at that time). The work of the Spirit at the time of the rapture though will involve far more than the Spirit simply removing Christians from the earth.

The Spirit imparts life through breath (whether physical or spiritual). The principle regarding this matter was established in the opening two chapters of Genesis (Genesis 1; 2); and, once established, no change could ever occur in relation to the Spirit’s connection with life being imparted to man.

This is why the Spirit is seen as instrumental in Christ’s resurrection (Romans 8:11). He had to be the One breathing life into Christ’s physical body in order for life to be restored to that body. The Spirit had to act in this capacity, adhering to an established biblical principle, at the time Christ was raised from the dead.

When Christ descends from heaven and gives the command for the dead “in Christ” to come forth, to remain in keeping with the principle established in the opening two chapters of Genesis (Genesis 1; 2), the Spirit will act in this same capacity in conjunction with Christ’s command. The Spirit will breath life into those to whom the command relates — “the dead in Christ” — exactly as the Spirit did at the time Lazarus or anyone else was raised from the dead in the past, else they could not have been raised (Matthew 27:52-53; Luke 8:55; John 11:43-44; Hebrews 11:35; cf. James 2:26).

And when both the Son and the Spirit act in these revealed, respective manners, “the dead in Christ” will come forth. They will have to come forth, for the One Who is “the resurrection, and the life” will have given the command; and the One Who breathes life into those without life will have done His corresponding work.

Then there is the matter of both resurrected believers and those believers alive at that time being changed through the work of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:51ff). The dead will not only be raised but their bodies will be changed, along with a change occurring among living believers. The dead will be raised in bodies like unto the body that Christ possessed following His resurrection, and the bodies of living believers will be changed accordingly.

Both the raised dead and living believers — all “in Christ” — will be removed from the earth in what Scripture refers to as “spiritual” bodies rather than “natural [‘soulical’]” bodies (1 Corinthians 15:44-50). Christ possessed a “natural [‘soulical’]” body before His death at Calvary, but He was raised in a “spiritual” body at the time of His resurrection on the third day.

A “spiritual” body, in the preceding respect and the respect dealt with in 1 Corinthians 15:44-50, is not some type phantom, nontangible body. Rather, it is a body of flesh and bones (the same body that the person possessed at the time of death, or the same body that living believers will possess when Christ returns); but it is a body possessing a different type life-giving, animating principle. In the “natural [‘soulical’]” body, the life-giving, animating principle is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). But in the “spiritual” body, the life-giving, animating principle is the Spirit of God (Romans 8:11).

(Note, for example, Christ’s resurrection body. It was a visible, tangible body — the same body that had hung on the cross and that had been placed in the tomb [Zechariah 12:10; 13:6; Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24:39; John 20:1-29]. Christ though now possessed a body with capabilities beyond the natural [Luke 24:31, 36; Acts 9:3-5]. He had “poured out his soul unto death” [Isaiah 53:12 (a reference to both life and blood; the life, or soul, is in the blood)]; and His blood is today on the mercy seat in the heavenly tabernacle [Hebrews 9:11-12; 10:19-20; 1 John 1:6-2:2]. And Christ today possesses a “spiritual” rather than a “natural [‘soulical’]” body, one with a different life-giving, animating principle.)

These things occurring at the end of the dispensation (Christ’s command, and the Spirit’s work in relation to this command) will take place in “a moment” of time, which will be as brief as “the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52).

The word translated “moment” is atomos in the Greek text, a word from which we derive our English word “atom” and a word referring to something so small that it cannot be divided. The reference is to a particle of time so short that it cannot be divided into something shorter (e.g., brevity in time similar to that which man might think of today when referring to a microsecond — a millionth of a second).

Thus, the command by the Lord and all of the work of the Spirit in relation to this command will occur so quickly that Scripture simply uses a word (atomos) showing the most minute particle of time possible, with the brevity of this time illustrated by the quickness of “the twinkling of an eye,” allowing finite man to somewhat grasp the overall thought. And this will be done with a view to the Spirit removing the bride and presenting the bride to the Son.

The bride though will not be made known and presented to the Son until a time following events surrounding the judgment seat. It will only be through decisions and determinations emanating from the judgment seat that the bride will be seen as separate from the complete body of Christians, be allowed to array herself in fine linen, and be presented to Christ in the antitype of that seen through Abraham’s servant completing his work with Rebekah in Genesis 24.

In the type, Isaac is seen waiting for his bride “in the south country” (Genesis 24:62) — an apparent reference to his dwelling in the southern part of the land, south of the area where his father lived. And it was here that the meeting between Isaac and his bride occurred.

The same will be true when Christ meets His bride. God’s throne is north of the earth (cf. Psalm 75:6-7; Isaiah 14:13-14). Christ, when He descends from heaven, will be “in the south country” — in the southern part of His Father’s kingdom, as it would relate to the earth — south of the Father’s throne. And it will be here, as in the type, that the Spirit will lead the ones typified by Rebekah and her damsels to meet the one typified by Isaac.

Thus, when Christians are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, they will be caught up in one direction alone. They will be caught up toward the north, to meet the Lord at a place in the southern part of His Father’s kingdom.

(Note that this part of the type in Genesis 24 only provides a skeletal sequence of events from the time Rebekah saw Isaac to the time when she became his wife [Genesis 24:64-67]. Events surrounding the judgment seat, among numerous other things, will have to be filled in through not only comparing other types but also through comparing all the things revealed in the New Testament relating to the antitype.)

2) The One New Man

Near the end of the past dispensation, God interrupted His dealings with Israel seven years short of completion, set Israel aside, and called an entirely new nation into existence. This new nation is not Jewish; nor is this new nation Gentile. Rather, this new nation is comprised of believing Jews and believing Gentiles, who have become new creations “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17); and these new creations “in Christ” form one new man (Ephesians 2:11-15).

During the present dispensation, God is dealing with this new man, not with Israel. And this new man — referred to as a nation (cf. Matthew 21:43; 1 Peter 2:9-10) — is exactly as Scripture describes. It is a nation completely separate from all other nations on earth — separate from either Israel or the Gentile nations (Galatians 3:26-29). And God has set aside an entire dispensation in which He will deal solely with this new man.

(In the preceding respect, there is absolutely no place in Christendom for distinctions to be made between saved Jews and saved Gentiles. Both are new creations “in Christ,” part of the one new man, wherein distinctions between those comprising this new man cannot exist [Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:11-15; 3:1-6].

But in Christendom today, completely contrary to Scripture, certain individuals from both groups [from saved Jews, and from saved Gentiles] attempt to form distinctions between the two groups. For example, there are congregations of saved Jews calling themselves “Messianic Jews” or “completed Jews” [both misnomers], distinguishing themselves from saved Gentiles. And there are groups comprised of saved Gentiles who look askance at saved Jews, somewhat forcing saved Jews to meet together in separate places, often referred to as “Messianic congregations,” distinguishing themselves from saved Gentiles.

All of this — by saved Jews or by saved Gentiles — forms no more than vain attempts to build up a middle wall that has been broken down by Christ Himself [Ephesians 2:14].

And, as well, there is absolutely no place in Christendom for the new creation “in Christ” to go back to the old creation in Jacob [cf. Isaiah 43:1, 7; 2 Corinthians 5:17] and attempt to bring things from this old creation over into the new [cf. Matthew 9:16-17]. God has set Israel aside for a dispensation; and He is, today, dealing with the one new man “in Christ,” not with Israel. And for the one new man to go back to Israel [a nation set aside] and bring things having to do with this nation over into things having to do with the one new man [the Law, forms, ceremonies, etc.] is not only completely out of place but it serves to break down distinctions that God established between the two creations, adding to an already existing confusion.)

The Spirit of God is in the world today searching for a bride for God’s Son, with the search being conducted among those comprising the one new man. And once the Spirit has completed this work, the one new man will be removed, with a view to the one new man being dealt with in relation to the reason he had been called into existence. Then God will resume His dealing with Israel (during seven unfulfilled years, completing not only Daniel’s unfulfilled Seventieth Week but Man’s Day as well).

God’s dealings with both Israel and the Church (the new nation, the one new man “in Christ”) must be kept separate and distinct from one another. To have God dealing with either Israel during the present dispensation or the Church once God resumes His dealings with Israel is completely foreign to the way in which Scripture sets forth God’s dispensational dealings with man.

Israel has been set aside, and God is presently dealing with a new nation; and, following the completion of God’s present dealings with this new nation, He will remove this nation, turn back to Israel, and complete His dispensational dealings with Israel. The whole of the matter is that simple.

The one new man — comprised of those “in Christ,” all Christians — will be removed at the end of the dispensation. And this will be for reasons surrounding two nations — both the one new man and Israel. God will complete His dealings with one nation (the one new man), in the heavens, in relation to this nation’s calling; and God will complete His dealings with the other nation (Israel), on the earth, in relation to this nation’s calling.

The former nation possesses a heavenly calling and the latter an earthly calling; and it is only fitting that God will complete His dealings with each in the place to which they have been called.

The preceding is the clear teaching seen in both the Old Testament types and the New Testament antitypes. Biblical distinctions surrounding both Israel and the Church must be maintained, and Scripture must be allowed to speak for itself in that which has been revealed about both.

3) In the Lord’s Day

If the entire one new man “in Christ” (comprised of both faithful and unfaithful Christians living throughout the dispensation) was not removed at the end of the dispensation (as seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), Paul could not have written that which is recorded in the verses that immediately follow (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9). These verses have to do with both faithful and unfaithful Christians, removed from Man’s Day and placed together at the same time and place in the Lord’s Day.

Man’s Day has to do with man upon the earth throughout a 6,000-year period. It has to do with that time when matters have been allowed to remain under Satan’s control, with man having his way and sway in the kingdom under Satan.

On the other hand, the Lord’s Day has to do with the Lord conducting affairs in His kingdom throughout a 7,000-year period. The Lord’s Day runs concurrent with Man’s Day, though not encompassing affairs on the earth during Man’s Day (when fallen man finds himself associated with Satan’s rule and reign). Only when Man’s Day ends, will the Lord’s Day encompass affairs on the earth; and it will do so for a succeeding 1,000 years (for Christ and His co-heirs will then rule and reign over the earth, in the stead of Satan and his angels).

Note that Abraham, following death, saw the Lord’s Day (John 8:56). This was almost 4,000 years ago, in the middle of Man’s Day, as it existed upon the earth. This could be true because Abraham, following death, no longer had a connection with Man’s Day upon the earth. Rather, he then found himself removed from Man’s Day and placed in the Lord’s Day.

And exactly the same thing would be true relative to Christians, whether following death during the present time or when Christians are removed from the earth at the time of the rapture. Events surrounding the rapture show this to be the case in no uncertain terms, with Christians removed from Man’s Day and placed in the Lord’s Day (while Man’s Day continues on the earth).

Christians removed from the earth at the time of the rapture will find themselves in the Lord’s Day (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4), though Man’s Day will still have at least seven years to run upon earth. And 1 Thessalonians 5:1ff clearly shows that the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) will include both faithful and unfaithful Christians. Both are seen together in the Lord’s Day, with faithful Christians experiencing “salvation” and unfaithful Christians experiencing “sudden destruction,” “wrath” (1 Thessalonians 5:3, 9).

Only when Man’s Day ends — at the end of the Tribulation, at the end of Daniel’s Seventieth Week — can the Lord’s Day replace Man’s Day upon the earth. At that time, Man’s Day will end on earth, and the Lord’s Day will begin on earth. This change will occur because the Lord will then reign supreme over the earth, with the whole of God’s affairs in His kingdom being brought under the scope of time referred to by the Lord’s Day.

(There is a common but fallacious interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 which relates these verses to individuals left behind at the time of the rapture, to go through the Tribulation [with the advocates of this teaching referring to the Tribulation as “the Day of the Lord,” or “the Lord’s Day”].

This though cannot possibly be correct, for the Lord’s Day will not begin on earth until after Man’s Day has run its course. It cannot begin until the Tribulation is over.

Scripture is quite clear concerning the time when the Lord’s Day begins on earth. The Lord’s Day begins on earth in connection with judgments at the time Christ returns to the earth [not at some point in time during the Tribulation, preceding Christ’s return], and the Lord’s Day will continue as long as this present earth exists. Time in relation to the succeeding new heavens and new earth, following the Messianic Era, is called “the Day of God,” when God will be “all in all” [Joel 2:27-32; 3:9-16; Malachi 4:5-6; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3; 2 Peter 3:10-13].)

All Seven Churches (Revelation 1-4)

Revelation chapters one through four present exactly the same thing as is seen in chapters four and five of 1 Thessalonians, though from a different perspective. This section of Scripture deals with John being removed from Man’s Day, placed in the Lord’s Day, and seeing the complete Church — all seven Churches in chapters two and three — appearing in Christ’s presence (Revelation 1:10ff).

The description that John gives of Christ in chapter one (Revelation 1:13-16) depicts a Judge, not a Priest. The girdle is seen about His breasts (where a judge would wear it), not about His waist (where a priest would wear it). And the various things about His description, viewed together — “fire,” “brass,” a “sword,” etc. — speak of judicial activity rather than priestly activity.

Christ, at this time, will have completed His high priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (a ministry performed solely on behalf of Christians throughout the present dispensation, while they are on earth during Man’s Day). Completing His ministry, with the dispensation over, Christ will have come forth from the sanctuary; and, following events surrounding the rapture, Christ will sit in judgment upon those for whom He had previously ministered in the sanctuary — a judgment which will be executed in the Lord’s Day, not in Man’s Day.

For John to see this heavenly scene, he would not only have had to be removed from Man’s Day and be placed in the Lord’s Day but he would have had to be moved forward in time. And God moving man into a different time period in this manner is not something new in Scripture. Ezekiel, for example, had previously been moved both back in time and forward in time (Ezekiel 8:1ff; Ezekiel 37:1ff).

John, placed in the Lord’s Day and moved forward in time, records exactly what he saw. John saw all seven churches (singled out and dealt with in chapters two and three) in Christ’s presence. Those comprising all of the churches were present, even those comprising the worldly, carnal, lukewarm church in Laodicea (Revelation 1:11-13, 20).

“Seven” is a number showing completeness. This number shows the completeness of that which is in view. The “Church” is in view, and the seven churches in chapters two and three, seen in Christ’s presence in the Lord’s Day in Revelation 1 (with Christ appearing as Judge), can only depict one thing. This scene can only depict the complete Church — all Christians from throughout the dispensation, the complete one new man — appearing in Christ’s presence in heaven, in a judicial scene, in the Lord’s Day.

The types clearly show all Christians being removed together, at the same time. The antitype clearly shows exactly the same thing. And man, teaching on the subject, would do well to remain in accord with both.

Return to SB Index

Chapter Thirteen

The Bride Revealed

Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel;

for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself. (Genesis 24:64-65).

The complete Church — all Christians, comprising the one new man (all of the saved from throughout the present 2,000-year dispensation) — will be removed from the earth at the end of the dispensation and be taken into the heavens. The dead will be raised, and believers alive at that time will be “caught up” with the resurrected dead “to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This all-inclusive nature of what is often called “the rapture” can not only be clearly seen through comparing the Old Testament types (cf. Genesis 5, 19, 24) but it can also be clearly seen in the New Testament antitype as well (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4; 5; Revelation 1-4).

After the one new man “in Christ” has been removed from the earth and taken into the heavens, this new man will stand before Christ in judgment. This judgment will occur in the Lord’s Day, not in Man’s Day; and this judgment will be with a view to showing whether a Christian has overcome or has been overcome, resulting in the Christian either experiencing salvation or experiencing wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 2; 3).

At the judgment seat, the One Who “searches the minds and hearts” (Revelation 2:23), will bring all things to light. Nothing will remain covered or hidden; all things will be opened up and made known (Matthew 10:26-27; Luke 12:2-3). And through this full revelation of all things, the bride will be revealed.

Those Christians forming the bride will be separated from the complete body of Christians, fulfilling a type that God established when He created man in the beginning (Genesis 2:21-24). This will be synonymous with “the resurrection [‘the out-resurrection’]” in Philippians 3:11 — a segment of Christians being allowed to stand up out of the complete body of Christians.

(For a discussion of the out-resurrection [Gk. exanastasis] in Philippians 3:11, refer to the Appendix in the author’s book, in this site, The Bride in Genesis BOOK.)

The bride, possessing a wedding garment (made up of “righteous acts [works],” which will have previously been revealed at the judgment seat [cf. Ruth 3:3; Revelation 3:17]), will be allowed to walk with the Lord in “bright-white” raiment. But this will not be the experience of any Christian lacking “righteous acts,” for that Christian will not possess a wedding garment (Revelation 3:4, 17-18).

Then, at the marriage festivities that follow, the bride will be granted the privilege of arraying herself “in fine linen, clean and bright-white [the same garment previously revealed at events surrounding the judgment seat]” (Revelation 19:7-8). But attendance will be denied anyone not being clothed in a wedding garment (Matthew 22:11-13; 25:10-12).

The marriage itself will occur between events surrounding the judgment seat in Revelation 1-3 (when the bride is revealed) and events surrounding the marriage festivities in Revelation 19:1-9 (which precede Christ’s return to the earth). The actual marriage — quite unlike marriages in the West today — will occur through a legal transaction, entered into and completed by Christ prior to these festivities.

This legal transaction has to do with a future redemptive work of the Son — a work relative to the forfeited inheritance, the domain presently ruled by Satan (over which Christ and His wife will rule following the redemption of the domain, a redemption seen in Revelation 6-18). Only then can subsequent events in the book occur (the marriage festivities, Christ’s return, the overthrow of Gentile world power [Revelation 19], and Christ’s millennial reign [Revelation 20a]).

The book of Revelation, closing the New Testament canon, outlines the whole of end-time events surrounding the bride — extending from the judgment of Christians to Christ’s millennial reign (with those Christians found qualified at the judgment seat, forming His bride). And it could only be expected that the book forming the capstone to the New Testament would be structured in this manner, for that seen throughout the whole of the New Testament progressively moves toward one revealed goal — that day when the King and His consort queen ascend the throne and rule the earth, as one complete person.

(In that day, man will finally realize the purpose for his creation in the beginning — to rule the earth in the stead of Satan and his angels. The second Man, the last Adam [with His bride], will bring into full realization that which the first man, the first Adam [with his bride], forfeited in the fall.)

That part of the book of Revelation that details all these events — the first twenty chapters — can be outlined under six headings:

1) The Judgment Seat (Revelation 1-3).
2) Crowns Before the Throne (Revelation 4).
3) The Inheritance Redeemed (Revelation 5-18).
4) The Marriage Festivities (Revelation 19 a).
5) Christ’s Return and the Overthrow of Gentile World Power (Revelation 19 b).
6) The Messianic Era (Revelation 20 a).

(Material under the first two headings [covering Revelation 1-4] will be dealt with in this chapter; material under the next two headings [covering Revelation 5-19a] will be dealt with in chapter 14; and material under the last two headings [covering Revelation 19; 20 (19b, 20a)] will be dealt with in chapter 15.)

The Judgment Seat

I was [‘became’] in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and, what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. ”

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest [‘breasts’] with a golden band.

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

…the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:10-18, 20b).

In Revelation 1, John is transported from Man’s Day on earth into the Lord’s Day in heaven. He is then shown a scene occurring in the Lord’s Day. And the Lord chose to reveal the scene to John in a manner that would cause him to extensively use descriptive language, metaphors, and numbers in order to convey into words that which he had seen.

Revelation of this nature is something seen quite often in Scripture, particularly in the book of Revelation (e.g., Isaiah 2:1-4; Daniel 2:31-45; 7:1ff; Revelation 12:1ff; Revelation 17:1ff). And there is always complete consistency in Scripture concerning how descriptive language, metaphors, or numbers are used. Man is never left to his own imagination in the matter.

Revelation 1 presents a scene that not only occurs in the Lord’s Day but also in heaven. The Church is seen removed from Man’s Day (on earth, during the present dispensation) and placed in the Lord’s Day (in heaven, following the present dispensation). And the Church (the complete Church, all Christians [shown by the number “seven” — all seven churches]) is seen in Christ’s presence, with Christ occupying the position of a Judge, not a Priest (e.g., this is shown by the girdle placed about His chest [breasts] rather than about His waist, the descriptive use of brass, fire, a sword, etc.).

Christ will perform the work of a Priest on behalf of Christians throughout the present dispensation. But once the dispensation has run its course, Christ will come forth from the sanctuary, not only to have a part in removing Christians from the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:13ff) but also to judge those for whom He had previously ministered as High Priest ( 2 Corinthians 5:9-11; cf. Hebrews 4:11-16; 10:19-39).

The book of Revelation, in the first chapter, begins at a time following the Lord’s completion of His ministry in the sanctuary. After introductory remarks concerning Christ — where the end of the matter is seen as Messianic (Revelation 1:1-8) — revealed events move immediately to the removal of the Church from the earth. This is seen through John being removed from Man’s Day on earth and placed in the Lord’s Day in heaven [Revelation 1:10]). Then, immediately following, a judicial scene is presented. All Christians are seen in Christ’s presence at what can only be a depiction of His judgment seat.

This is the material that God has provided to form the foundational setting for the book. This material begins with the removal of Christians from the earth and centers on their judgment in heaven; and this material sets the stage for that which can be seen throughout the remainder of the book, culminating in Christ’s millennial reign, followed by the creation of a new heavens and a new earth.

(Other parts of Scripture can be seen in this same light. Note that the foundational structure for the whole of Scripture is set forth at the very beginning, in Genesis 1:1-2:3 — a septenary structure. Or, note how the book of Hebrews is structured. In the first chapter, after several brief comments concerning Christ as “Heir of all things,” there are seven Messianic quotations from the Old Testament [remaining within both the septenary structure established at the beginning and the significance of the number seven]. The Messianic Era is that period when deliverance will be effected for the world and its inhabitants; and the book of Hebrews deals with a salvation to be realized during an era introduced in the opening chapter.

This is the way in which Scripture as a whole, the book of Hebrews in particular, and numerous other parts of Scripture [books, sections of Scripture] are structured. And a person must grasp that which God reveals at introductory points if he would properly understand subsequent revelation on the subject.)

Judgment, following the removal of Christians from the earth, is seen occurring in chapter one, though no details surrounding this judgment are given. This chapter simply sets the stage for that which follows. Then, in Revelation 2; 3, seven epistles are directed to seven churches in Asia, with each epistle structured exactly the same way.

The epistles are introduced by revealing Christ in the midst of the seven churches, as seen in chapter one (cf. Revelation 1:12-13, 16; 2:1); and each epistle begins with something either directly stated about or related to Christ’s description from chapter one. Christ’s knowledge of their works is dealt with next. Then there is a call for repentance and/or watchfulness. And this is followed by an overcomer’s promise — a promise to be realized following events surrounding the judgment seat, during the Messianic Era.

In this respect, Revelation 2; 3 simply form a continuation of that seen in Revelation 1, providing details concerning the judgment introduced in this chapter. Judgment alone forms the natural flow of continuing thought from chapter one, and this fits perfectly with that which is stated in each epistle and the way each epistle is structured in chapters two and three.

The judgment of Christians will be on the basis of works, this judgment will be with a view to showing whether a Christian has overcome or has been overcome, and the goal will have to do with proffered positions with Christ in His kingdom. All of these things, with numerous details surrounding the different parts, are shown in Revelation 2; 3 through that stated in these seven epistles directed to seven first-century churches.

Then, in another respect, these two chapters present an additional picture — a dispensational picture of the Church during Man’s Day. Though John was moved forward in time and placed in the Lord’s Day in heaven — to not only depict the future removal of Christians but to be shown the future judgment of Christians, along with things which follow — the Church, at that time, was actually still on earth during Man’s Day (Revelation 1:4, 10-16).

And it is evident that these seven epistles have been arranged in a divinely designed fashion, one which reveals the history of Christendom throughout the dispensation. In this respect, these epistles begin with the church in Ephesus, which left its “first love,” and end with the lukewarm Church in Laodicea, described as “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 2:4, 3:17).

This depicts exactly the same deterioration in Christendom that Christ had revealed during His earthly ministry about sixty years earlier, in the first four parables of Matthew 13. That depicted in these parables moves from fruit-bearing in the first parable (though corruption is seen as well in this parable, as also seen in Ephesus [Revelation 2:4]) to something that had become completely leavened in the fourth parable (as also seen in the church in Laodicea [Revelation 3:14ff]).

Thus, a two-fold picture of the Church is given in Revelation chapters two and three, with the emphasis placed on judgmental matters at the end of the dispensation rather than upon a history of the Church throughout the dispensation. And, in keeping with this two-fold picture of the Church, two different accounts showing the removal of the Church at the end of the dispensation are given — one relating to the removal of the Church to appear before Christ in judgment (Revelation 1:10), and the other relating to the removal of the Church at the end of the dispensation (Revelation 4:1-2), preceding the Tribulation (Revelation 6:1ff).

(For material relating more particularly to preparation for meeting Christ at His judgment seat, refer to the author’s book, in this site, Judgment Seat of Christ BOOK.)

Crowns Before the Throne

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice that I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things that must take place after this [‘after these things’].”

Immediately I was [‘became’] in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.

the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

“You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:1-2, 4, 10-11).

Immediately following events surrounding the judgment seat, attention is again called to that previously seen in Revelation 1:10 — John being removed from Man’s Day and placed in the Lord’s Day, depicting the Church being removed from Man’s Day and placed in the Lord’s Day. And, as previously seen, calling attention to the same event again at this point in the book would show the dispensational nature of the removal of the Church — a removal occurring at the end of the dispensation (end of Revelation 3).

But, with events surrounding the judgment seat already having been dealt with (in Revelation 1-3), John is now shown subsequent events. In this chapter, John is shown events which will occur immediately following those surrounding the judgment seat and the revelation of the bride; and these subsequent events will occur preceding the beginning of the Tribulation (Revelation 6:1ff).

1) The Heavenly Scene

Immediately after attention has been called to the same event seen in Revelation 1:10 (Revelation 4:1-2a), John, rather than seeing a judgmental scene (as in Revelation 1), now sees a rainbow encircled throne, with God seated on the throne (Revelation 1:2-3 [2b]). And surrounding this throne, John sees twenty-four other thrones and twenty-four crowned “elders” seated on these thrones (Revelation 1:4).

Then John begins to describe various things about God’s throne, which he both sees and hears — “lightnings,” “thunderings,” and “voices” coming out of the throne, and “lamps of fire burning before the throne” (Revelation 1:5). And “in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne” John sees four living creatures who “rest not day nor night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come”; and these living creatures “give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, Who lives forever and ever” (Revelation 1:6-9).

Then the scene returns to the twenty-four elders, who rise from their thrones, fall down before God, worship Him, cast their crowns before His throne, and express adoration to the One worthy “to receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 1:10-11).

If an apex is to be found in the book of Revelation, aside from Christ’s return in Revelation 19, the action of these twenty-four elders would have to be considered. Their action — relinquishing their crowns to the One Who originally placed them in the positions which they occupy — is significant beyond degree in relation to the central message of this book.

2) Crowns, Regality, Government

“Crowns” have to do with regality, and the government of the earth is in view throughout the book of Revelation. At this point in the book, the judgment of Christians, with a view to regality, will have just occurred; and, with a view to this same regality, Christ, following this, is seen as the One about to redeem the forfeited inheritance through taking the seven-sealed scroll from God’s right hand and breaking the seals (chapter 5).

Angels have ruled over the earth since time immemorial — since that time when God established the government of the earth in the beginning. Angels will still be exercising this same rule over the earth following the judgment of Christians, at this point in the book. And angels will continue ruling until Christ and His co-heirs (forming His bride) take the kingdom, following Christ’s return to the earth (Hebrews 2:5).

Accordingly, neither Christ nor Christians will receive the crowns that they are to wear during the Messianic Era until after Christ returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation. The crown that Christ will wear during this time is presently being worn by Satan, as he continues to exercise power over the earth. And the crowns that Christians will wear in that day are presently being worn by two segments of angels — the angels presently ruling with Satan, and the angels who refused to follow Satan when he sought to exalt his throne.

When Satan sought to exalt his throne — following his being placed over the earth, with a large contingent of angels ruling the earth with him — only one-third of these ruling angels followed Satan, with the other two-thirds refusing to follow him (cf. Isaiah 14:12-14; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:3-4). And though the angels not following Satan didn’t continue ruling with him, they could not immediately relinquish their appointed positions. Rather, they had to retain their positions, remaining crowned, for a time.

A principle of biblical government necessitates that an incumbent ruler retain his crown until the one replacing him is not only on the scene but ready to ascend the throne. Only then can an incumbent ruler relinquish his crown.

(For example, note the account of Saul and David, forming a type. Saul, though disqualified, retained his crown and continued to reign until David was not only present but ready to ascend the throne. Then, Saul’s crown was taken, given to David, and David [along with certain faithful men] ascended the throne and reigned in the stead of Saul and those who had ruled with him [1, 2 Samuel].

And it will be exactly the same in the antitype. Satan, though disqualified, will retain his crown and continue to reign until Christ is not only present but ready to ascend the throne. Then, Satan’s crown will be taken, given to Christ, and Christ [along with certain faithful individuals] will ascend the throne and reign in the stead of Satan and those who had ruled with him [Revelation 19:11-20:6].)

This same established principle must prevail relative to the angels refusing to follow Satan in his attempt to exalt his throne. They must retain their crowns until those who are to replace them, those who are to wear these crowns, are not only on the scene but ready to ascend the throne.

These relinquished crowns though will be worn only after Christ returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, overthrows Satan and his angels, and forcibly takes their crowns. Only then will Christ be in possession of all the crowns that He and His bride are destined to wear as they ascend the throne and rule the earth.

Thus, with the introduction of crowns cast before God’s throne in Revelation 4:10-11, only one group of individuals could possibly be in view (if one remains within context and keeps in mind the earth’s government in both history and prophecy). These twenty-four elders can only represent angelic rulers. Angels alone will possess crowns in relation to the government of the earth at this time.

(Some Bible students, on the basis of the pronouns used in Revelation 5:9-10 — “us” and “we” [KJV] — have understood the twenty-four elders to represent redeemed men, not angels. However, the majority of the better Greek manuscripts omit the pronoun in Revelation 5:9 and render the pronouns in Revelation 5:10 as “them” and “they” [ref. ASV, NASB, NIV, Wuest, Weymouth].

But the matter is really not left to manuscript evidence alone. That the pronouns “them” and “they” are correct is evident from the context. Note that the song in Revelation 5:9-10 is sung not only by the “twenty-four elders” but by the “four beasts [‘living creatures’]” as well.)

And at this point in the book, through the action of the twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God’s throne, the way will be opened for God to transfer the government of the earth from the hands of angels to the hands of man.

(These crowns are cast before God’s throne [cf. Revelation 4:1-4; 5:1-7] because the Father alone is the One Who places and/or removes rulers in His kingdom [Daniel 4:17-37; 5:18-21]. He alone is the One Who placed those represented by the twenty-four elders in the positions that they occupied; and He alone is the One Who will place individuals in particular positions in the kingdom of Christ [Matthew 20:20-23].

These crowns cast before God’s throne, as previously seen, can only have to do with the government of the earth. And, at this point in the book, they can be worn by angels alone. The Son will not yet have taken the kingdom, though the Father will have previously delivered it into His hands [cf. Daniel 7:13-14; Luke 19:15; Revelation 11:15; 19:11ff]. These crowns are relinquished to God — with a view to man ruling in the kingdom — so that God can appoint those who had previously been shown qualified at events surrounding the judgment seat [Revelation 1-3] to positions of power and authority; and those whom God appoints will wear these crowns in Christ’s kingdom.)

The transfer of the government of the earth, from the hands of angels to the hands of man, in reality, is what the first nineteen chapters of the book of Revelation are about; and, as well, this is what the whole of Scripture preceding these nineteen chapters is also about. In this respect, these twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God’s throne forms a key event that one must grasp if he would properly understand the book of Revelation and Scripture as a whole.

Christ and His bride, in that coming day, will rule the earth in the stead of Satan and his angels. And, in the process of ruling in this manner, they will wear all the crowns worn by Satan and his angels prior to his fall.

3) Action of the Elders

Thus, that which is depicted through the action of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:10-11 is contextually self-explanatory. This has to do with the government of the earth, it occurs at a time following events surrounding the judgment seat but preceding Christ breaking the seals of the seven-sealed scroll, and it occurs at a time when Satan’s reign is about to be brought to a close.

After events in Revelation 1-3 come to pass, for the first time in man’s history, the person (the bride) who is to rule with the One to replace Satan (Christ) will have been made known and shown forth. And events in the fourth chapter reflect that fact.

Only one thing could possibly be in view at this point in the book, for the bride will not only have been made known but will be ready for events surrounding the transfer of power to begin. The twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God’s throne can only depict the angels who did not go along with Satan in his rebellion relinquishing their crowns, with a view to those comprising the bride wearing these crowns during the Messianic Era.

But the crowns worn by Satan and those angels presently ruling with him are another matter. These crowns will have to be taken from Satan and his angels by force when Christ returns to overthrow Gentile world power at the end of the Tribulation (a power exercised during Man’s Day under Satan and his angels [Daniel 10:13-20]).

(The fact that angels represented by the twenty-four elders are not presently ruling with Satan can be shown not only by their present position — in God’s presence, in heaven — but by the Greek word that is used for the type crown that they are seen wearing.

There are two words in the Greek text for “crown” — stephanos, and diadema. Comparing Scripture with Scripture, with regality in view, one major distinction stands out concerning how these two words are used. Diadema refers to the type crown worn by a monarch, one presently exercising regal power. Stephanos, on the other hand, is used in an opposite sense. It is used to show someone crowned but not presently exercising regal power.

For example, the crown seen on Christ’s head in Revelation 14:14, preceding His reign, is referred to by the word stephanos in the Greek text. A crown on Christ’s head at this time could only anticipate His impending reign. Then, when Christ returns to the earth to take the kingdom, He will have many crowns upon His head; and the Greek text uses diadema rather than stephanos to refer to these crowns, for Christ will be returning as “King of kings, and Lord of lords” [Revelation 19:12, 16].

The twenty-four elders in Revelation 4 cast crowns referred to as stephanos before the throne, indicating that, though crowned, these elders were not exercising regal positions. And the many crowns that Christ will have on His head at the time of His return are undoubtedly these same crowns (Revelation 19:12). But, anticipating that day when Christ reigns, the book of Revelation uses the word diadema to refer to these crowns, for Christ will be exercising a regal position, with Satan about to be overthrown.

The crowns on Christ’s head at this time though will not be worn by Christ when He rules the earth, for He is to wear the crown presently worn by Satan [the incumbent ruler] in that day. Rather, these crowns will be given to those forming the bride [whom the Father will previously have appointed to various positions of power and authority with His Son]; and this will occur following that time when the remainder of the crowns having to do with the earth’s government are forcibly taken from Satan and his angels.

Refer to the author’s book, in this site, Judgment Seat of Christ BOOK, chapter 12, for additional details concerning the use of the words stephanos and diadema in the New Testament)

The identity of the twenty-four elders is shown not only by their actions and the place in which this occurs in the book but also by their number. Comparing Revelation chapters four and twelve (Revelation 4:4, 10-11; 12:3-4), it appears evident that the government of the earth — originally established by God prior to Satan’s fall — was representatively shown by three sets of twelve, thirty-six crowned rulers. “Three” is the number of divine perfection, and “twelve” is the number of governmental perfection.

Those angels who did not follow Satan in his attempt to exalt his throne would be represented by the twenty-four elders — two sets of twelve, showing two-thirds of the original contingent of angels ruling with Satan. And the angels who did go along with Satan, presently ruling with him, would be represented by a third set of twelve, showing the other one-third of the original contingent of angels ruling with Satan (Revelation 12:3-4).

In this respect, these three representative sets of twelve would show divine perfection in the earth’s government. And also in this respect, this same perfection in the structure of the earth’s government has not existed since Satan’s attempt to exalt his throne.

But, this structured perfection will one day again exist in the earth’s government. When Christ and His bride ascend the throne together, crowns worn by those represented by all three sets of twelve will be brought together again. Then, divine perfection will once again exist in the government of the one province in God’s universe where imperfection has existed for millennia.

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Chapter Fourteen

Redemption, Marriage

Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel;

for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself.

And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. (Genesis 24:64-67).

Near the end of the account of Abraham’s servant procuring a bride for Isaac in Genesis chapter twenty-four, the servant removed the bride from Mesopotamia, and Isaac met his bride at a place between her home and his father’s home. The bride, upon meeting Isaac, covered herself with a veil; and the servant, bringing the bride forth, related to Isaac all the things that had been accomplished on his mission. Isaac then took Rebekah to his father’s home, and there she became his wife (Genesis 24:61-67).

These events in the type point to that future day at the end of the dispensation when the Son comes forth and the Spirit removes the bride from the earth. The bride, upon meeting the Son, will cover herself with that typified by the veil in the Genesis account — the wedding garment; and the Spirit will relate to the Son all the things that had been accomplished throughout the dispensation. The Son will then take the bride to His Father’s home, where she will become His wife (1 Thessalonians 4:13ff).

Genesis chapter twenty-four centers attention on the actual search for the bride throughout the dispensation. Events surrounding the removal of the bride, along with subsequent events extending into the Messianic Era, are dealt with only very briefly in this chapter. And, to see details surrounding these events as they pertain to Christ and Christians — that occur between the removal of the Church and the Messianic Kingdom — one must look to other types, along with the antitype.

And, if a person were dealing with a type that had to do mainly with the things occurring following the removal of the bride, exactly the same thing would be in view if that person wanted to know details surrounding events preceding the removal of the bride. That person would have to go to other types, types that dealt with the subject. He would have to go to types such as the one in Genesis chapter twenty-four.

Accordingly, all events surrounding the procurement of the bride, the removal of the bride, and that which follows the removal of the bride are not dealt with in any one type. Rather, different types deal with different facets of the overall scope of the matter, with each type emphasizing a particular facet of biblical truth.

Thus, to see the complete picture, exactly as God has revealed it in His Word, two things must be done: 1) all of the types on a particular subject must be studied in the light of one another, and 2) the antitype must be studied in the light of all these different types.

All of the checks and balances that God has set forth in His Word must be run. Only through this means can man see, in a completely correct manner, that which God has revealed in His Word.

Another Type, The Antitype

In the preceding respect, note another type dealing with the bride going forth to meet the Bridegroom, with the emphasis placed at a different point. Chapters three and four in the book of Ruth (Ruth 3; 4)— exactly as the latter part of Genesis chapter twenty-four — form a type of a prepared bride going forth to meet the Bridegroom, along with events that follow. And the antitype of that seen in both sections of Scripture can be seen in the first twenty chapters of the book of Revelation.

Events in Genesis chapter twenty-four and Ruth chapters three and four and events in Revelation chapters one through twenty parallel one another. The former two accounts form two different types of the same thing, with the emphasis placed at different points in each; and the latter account forms the antitype, covering that seen in both of the types. And these sections of three different books must be studied in the light of one another, along with sections in other books that deal with the subject as well.

But remaining more particularly with the book of Ruth and comparing it with the book of Revelation, note what one finds:

Ruth 3 has to do with Ruth properly preparing herself for meeting Boaz on his threshing floor, with a redemption of the inheritance in view, which also involves Boaz taking Ruth as his wife. And Ruth 4 has to do with Boaz’s redemption of this forfeited inheritance, Ruth becoming Boaz’s wife, and a kingly lineage resulting from this union — David’s lineage (King David was the great grandson of Boaz and Ruth, as revealed at the close of Ruth 4).

Revelation 1-20 have to do with exactly the same thing, in the antitype. These chapters have to do with Christians going forth to meet Christ on His threshing floor (at the judgment seat [cf. Matthew 3:11, 12]), with a redemption of the inheritance in view, which will also involve Christ taking the bride as His wife. And this will be followed by Christ’s return to the earth, the destruction of Gentile world power, the binding of Satan, and Christ’s reign over the earth (as the greater Son of David) with His wife.

Some Christians in that day will be prepared for these events, but others will not be prepared. Some will be allowed to clothe themselves in wedding garments, which they will possess; but others will not be allowed to do so. They will be unable to clothe themselves in this manner, for they will not possess wedding garments.

And the actions of Christ relative to three things will be reserved for Christians possessing wedding garments: 1) the redemption of the inheritance, 2) the bride becoming His wife, and 3) the regality that will follow. Christians lacking wedding garments will have no part in these things.

(Note that the book of Ruth, in Ruth 2-4, deals with only one part of this overall type. This book, in these chapters, deals only with the faithful, with those possessing wedding garments.

For the other part of the overall type, attention will have to be directed to the first part of the book [Ruth 1], where Orpah, a member of the family [as Ruth], turned back. And, resultingly, Orpah is not seen in subsequent activities surrounding the bride.

Or, one can turn to other types dealing with the subject to see the dual aspect of the matter [e.g., the account dealing with Lot and his wife, with Abraham also seen in the type; or the account dealing with the Israelites under Moses at Kadesh-Barnea forms the most exhaustive of any of the types in this respect].)

In the book of Ruth, because of Ruth’s action, Boaz is required to not only redeem a forfeited inheritance but to also take Ruth as his wife. Ruth properly prepared herself, appeared before Boaz on his threshing floor, and called his attention to the matter (Ruth 3:1-12). Then Boaz acted in complete accord with that which the Jewish people followed within the Mosaic economy (Ruth 3:13; 4:1-10).

In the book of Revelation, exactly the same thing is seen in relation to Christ (typified by Boaz) and Christians (typified by Ruth). A properly prepared bride will be present on Christ’s threshing floor, at His judgment seat (Revelation 1-4). And, on the basis of that which is revealed in the type, the Son will act in complete accord with the manner in which Boaz acted (Revelation 5-18).

Certain things have been promised to the bride (e.g., the overcomer’s promises in Revelation 2; 3); and the Son, of necessity, will act in a manner that will bring this to pass. The Son will not only act to redeem a forfeited inheritance but He will, at the same time, through this redemptive process, take the bride as His wife as well (exactly as seen in the type in Ruth 4).

And this is all anticipated in Revelation chapter four through the action of the twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God’s throne. Regality is in view through a casting of these crowns before the throne, and that is what is in view through the redemption of the inheritance as well (Ruth 4; Revelation 5-20).

Christ’s bride will have previously been revealed (Revelation 1-3). And these crowns will be cast before God’s throne, with a view to the bride wearing these crowns, as the bride exercises power and authority with Christ — the King, with His consort queen — over the inheritance about to be redeemed.

(For further information on Revelation 1-4, refer to chapter 13 in this book. Also, for further information on the book of Ruth, refer to the author’s book, in this site, Mysteries of the Kingdom BOOK, chapter 8.)

One Worthy to Redeem

Christ redeeming the inheritance and taking the bride as His wife, in the antitype of Boaz’s actions in Ruth chapter four, forms the central part of the book of Revelation. Fourteen chapters of the book are given over to the subject surrounding Christ redeeming the inheritance and taking the bride as His wife (Revelation 5-18). And the first part of chapter nineteen is given over to hallelujahs that will sound forth in heaven after this has been accomplished, along with the festivities surrounding the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:1-10).

Revelation 5 is taken up with the search for and a revelation of the One worthy to perform this task. And Revelation 6-18 are taken up with this redemptive work being carried out, with the previously revealed bride becoming Christ’s wife through this redemptive process.

And that set forth in the book of Revelation, leading into and including these chapters, must follow the type set forth in the book of Ruth in exact detail.

In the type there is a bride, revealed in Boaz’s presence on the threshing floor; and in the antitype there is a bride as well, revealed in exactly the same manner as seen in the type — revealed in Christ’s presence on His threshing floor, at His judgment seat.

Then the redemption of the inheritance comes into view. In the type, the bride, by her presence and actions on Boaz’s threshing floor — uncovering Boaz’s feet and lying down at his feet, requesting that he cover her with the same garment that had been covering his feet — showed that she required Boaz to not only redeem the inheritance (as a near-kinsman) but to take her as his wife as well.

A married Israelite male would cover his wife in this manner; and, since both an inheritance and widowhood were in view, Boaz would know exactly what Ruth was requesting through this act (cf. Deuteronomy 27:20; Ezekiel 16:8).

And this overall thought must be carried over into the antitype, that time when Christ’s bride will be revealed at His judgment seat. If for no other reason than her presence in the antitype of Ruth, the bride will require of Christ exactly the same thing that Ruth required of Boaz. And Christ, acting in complete accord with the manner in which Boaz acted, will do exactly the same thing that Boaz did in the type. He will not only redeem the inheritance but will take the bride as His wife.

And the whole of the matter is with a view to regality. King David is in view in the type, and the greater Son of David is in view in the antitype.

This is what Ruth chapters three and four are about, and this is what the first twenty chapters of the book of Revelation are about. The same One at the threshing floor/judgment seat — Boaz in the type, Christ in the antitype — is the One Who performs the subsequent redemptive work and takes the revealed bride as His wife.

In the book of Revelation, following the bride being revealed at the judgment seat (Revelation 1-3) and the twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God’s throne because of the bride being made known (Revelation 4), attention is turned immediately to the redemption of the inheritance (through which also the marriage will occur). And a search is conducted for One worthy to perform this redemptive work.

In the account set forth in the book of Revelation, which deals strictly with events following the judgment seat, only one person is in view, for only one person could possibly come into view. When the search was conducted, only one person, “in heaven,” “in earth,” or “under the earth” was found worthy to even look upon the seven-sealed scroll containing the redemptive terms of the inheritance, much less to loose the seals, redeeming the inheritance.

And that person is the One seen occupying the position of the antitype of Boaz — the One previously seen at the threshing floor/judgment seat, the One having a connection with regality (identified in the text as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah”).

And, as well, this individual is the One for Whom the Spirit had previously procured a bride (taking an entire dispensation to do so). The One redeeming the inheritance, through this redemptive process, takes the procured bride as His wife.

Thus, only one person could possibly be looked upon as holding the qualifications to perform this work; and this work is the immediate and next order of business following the revelation of the bride and the relinquishment of crowns, seen in Revelation 1-4. A redemption of an inheritance relative to Christ and His bride is the central reason for the judgments seen in Revelation 6-18, though Israel will be brought to the place of repentance through these same judgments as well, fulfilling Daniel’s Seventieth Week during this same time.

Redemption of the Inheritance

Simply stated, the seven-sealed scroll contains the redemptive terms of the forfeited inheritance, which has to do with judgments enacted and brought to pass, beginning in Revelation 6:1ff. In this respect, Christ’s redemptive work relative to the forfeited inheritance has to do with judgment upon the earth-dwellers and will begin to occur with the breaking of the first seal of the scroll.

(The domain over which Christ and His wife will reign during the Messianic Era has to be redeemed. The first man, the first Adam, forfeited his right to rule this domain; and Satan continued in power. The second Man, the last Adam, will redeem the right for man to rule this domain through wresting control of the domain from Satan.

And this will be done through a series of judgments, which will become so severe that “unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” [Matthew 24:22]. These judgments will bring the world into such a state that Christ, at the time of His return, can quickly and suddenly bring an end to the Times of the Gentiles, Man’s Day, and Satan’s reign [as Satan rules during Man’s Day through the Gentile nations (Daniel 10:13-20)].)

All of the judgments associated with the redemption of the inheritance, contained within the seven-sealed scroll, are brought to pass in Revelation chapters six through sixteen. The trumpet judgments are contained within the seventh seal, and the vial judgments are contained within the seventh trumpet, which is contained within the seventh seal (cf. Revelation 8:1-6; 10:7; 11:15-19; 15:1ff [Revelation 12-14 are transitional, and, within the sequence of judgmental events contained within the seals, trumpets, and vials, Revelation 15 picks up where Revelation 11 leaves off, detailing that contained within the seventh trumpet — the seven vials, poured out in Revelation 16]).

Thus, the terms surrounding the redemption of the forfeited inheritance can all be seen within the seven-sealed scroll. This is why there was such an intense search to find One worthy to break the seals of this scroll, with this scroll alone in view (Revelation 5:1-4). All attention was concentrated on this scroll alone, for all of the judgments about to occur were contained within the scope of that revealed through the breaking of the seals on the scroll (all the judgments seen within the breaking of the seven seals, the blowing of the seven trumpets, and the pouring out of the seven vials).

Apart from the seals of the scroll being broken, the inheritance could not be redeemed. And apart from the inheritance being redeemed, Christ’s bride could not become His wife, nor could Christ and His wife have a domain to rule over. In short, the goal toward which the whole of Scripture had been moving since man’s creation could not be realized apart from these seals being broken.

The fact that all of the judgments associated with the redemption of the inheritance occur within the scope of the seven seals is why judgments that will occur very near the end of the Tribulation can be seen when the sixth seal is broken (Revelation 6:12-17; cf. Revelation 16:17-21). All the remainder of these judgments (those within the seven trumpets and the seven vials) are seen within the seal about to be broken, which may explain why there will be “silence in heaven about the space of half an hour” when this seventh seal is broken (possibly a silence due to awe when the judgments about to occur are made known [Revelation 8:1ff] — judgments contained in the seven trumpets and seven vials).

And this is why the kingdom of this world can be proclaimed to have become that of our Lord and His Christ following the blowing of the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19), though the seven vials of wrath will have yet to be poured out at this point in the sequence of events (Revelation 15; 16). The seventh trumpet will include these vials. Accordingly, when the seventh trumpet is blown, conditions surrounding the end of the judgments can be seen, as depicted in both chapters eleven and sixteen (cf. Revelation 11:15-19; 16:17-21).

1) During a Particular Period

This future seven-year period in which God will complete His dealings with Israel during Man’s Day begins through a revealed event. This period begins by the ratifying of a covenant between the man of sin (Antichrist) and “many” in Israel (Daniel 9:27). This event will mark the start of God’s time-clock relative to the fulfillment of the Seventieth Week in Daniel’s prophecy; and once the prophecy begins to be fulfilled in this manner, time will run uninterrupted for seven years, 2,520 days. Then, that prophesied relative to Israel and the kingdom in relation to the prophecy can be brought to pass (Daniel 9:24).

However, this future seven-year period, along with being the time when God will complete His dealings with Israel during Man’s Day, is also the time during which Christ will redeem the inheritance through breaking the seals of the seven-sealed scroll. And insofar as the redemptive aspect of this inheritance is concerned, this has to do centrally with Christians (though Christians will not be present on earth during this time). This redemption has to do with the domain over which Christ and His consort queen will rule during the Messianic Era; and, through the process of redeeming the inheritance, the bride will become the wife of the One carrying out this redemptive act.

Though Christians are in view first and foremost in that seen by Christ breaking the seals of the scroll in Revelation 6:1ff (remaining within the chronology of the book, continuing from that revealed in Revelation 1-5), Israel will also be in view. These events will occur during a time in which Christ is not only redeeming the inheritance but a time in which God is completing His dealings with Israel during Man’s Day. Not only will Israel be brought to the place of repentance through these judgments, but numerous things seen throughout Revelation 6-18 have to do directly with Israel.

Then, beyond that, in another respect, Israel would be included within the redemption of the inheritance. During the Messianic Era, Israel (a restored, converted nation in that day) will be placed back in the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel will be placed in this land within a theocracy, at the head of the nations; and Christ, along with ruling from His Own throne in the heavenly Jerusalem, will rule from David’s throne in the earthly Jerusalem. He will have a dual reign in this respect over the domain that He will have previously redeemed.

(Note that the breaking of the first seal — when Antichrist goes forth “conquering, and to conquer” — undoubtedly refers to events that begin with the ratifying of the covenant in Daniel 9:27, though including far more than this one event. The Tribulation begins with this event; and, if matters are not viewed along these lines, the book of Revelation would really have no actual beginning point for the Tribulation per se — something that would seem rather strange in a book of this nature, a book that deals extensively with this seven-year period.)

Thus, events in Revelation chapters six through eighteen are to be viewed in a dual respect — relative to Christ and His bride, and also relative to God and Israel.

Relative to a continuation from Revelation chapters one through five and the way matters in heaven are brought to a conclusion in Revelation 19:1-10, they are to be viewed as having to do mainly with Christ and His bride. The bride is revealed at Christ’s judgment seat (Revelation 1-3), the twenty-four elders cast crowns before God’s throne because the bride has been revealed (Revelation 4), the search is made for one worthy to break the seals of the scroll in order to redeem the inheritance (Revelation 5), the inheritance is redeemed and the bride becomes the Redeemer’s (the Lamb’s) wife (Revelation 6-18), and festivities surrounding the marriage of the lamb occur (Revelation 19 a). And this will all be with a view to regality (Revelation 19; 20 [19b, 20a]).

But, in relation to God and Israel, the chapters are to be viewed as completing the fulfillment of Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy. And a redeemed inheritance, a wife, and regality are also in view relative to Israel. Israel will be restored to her own land and placed at the head of the nations, as the restored wife of Jehovah. And Israel, occupying this position, will rule within a theocracy over the nations from this earthly land.

2) Judgments, Events Throughout the Period

There are two major parts to Revelation 6-18. There are Scriptures dealing directly with judgments seen in connection with the breaking of the seals, the blowing of the trumpets, and the pouring out of the vials; and there are Scriptures that relate to events occurring throughout the time when these judgments occur — events that may or may not be directly connected with the judgments (some are, others are not). And several things must be kept in mind about these two major parts of the book, else the book cannot be properly understood.

The judgments, though chronological in nature, should not be thought of in the sense of the things seen in any one judgment having to be completed before the things seen in the next judgment can begin. This is not the picture at all. Rather, many of the things seen in these judgments will overlap one another and be occurring at the same time, though the beginning point for events in each judgment will be different.

For example, that seen when the first seal is broken — a rider on a white horse (which could only be the man of sin) going forth “conquering, and to conquer” — would really continue throughout the whole of the Tribulation. Events that begin to occur when this seal is broken will continue to occur throughout the time when events occur through the breaking of the other six seals of the scroll.

The breaking of the second seal — that will result in peace being taken from the earth — apparently occurs about the middle of the Tribulation, when the man of sin breaks his covenant with Israel; and, if this is the correct time for the beginning of this judgment, all other judgments connected with the breaking of the seals, the blowing of the trumpets, or the pouring out of the vials would occur during the last half of the Tribulation. And as the seals continue to be broken, the trumpets are blown, and the vials are poured out — there can only be numerous judgments occurring at the same time.

Near the end of the Tribulation, when the vials of wrath are poured out (and these vials may be poured out in rapid succession, with the judgments overlapping one another), trouble on the earth (resulting from these judgments) can only intensify to unprecedented proportions — a time of trouble will ensue such as has never before existed in man’s history, or will ever exist again (Matthew 24:21). And because of this, with the actions of the man of sin from the breaking of the first seal directly involved, God will have to shorten those days in order to preserve life on the earth (Matthew 24:22).

Thus, there is a chronology seen in these judgments as they are outlined in the book of Revelation and as they come to pass during the Tribulation. Events set apart from these judgments though — covering seven chapters in this section of the book (Revelation 7; 11-14; 17; 18) — are a different matter. There is a chronology seen in the events themselves in each chapter, but that is as far as the chronology can be taken. The different events should not be understood as occurring at the particular points in which they appear in the book in relation to the breaking of the seals, the blowing of the trumpets, or the pouring out of the vials.

For example, that seen in Revelation 7 should not be understood as occurring between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seals (Revelation 6:12; 8:1). Scripture throughout Revelation 6-18 bring the reader to certain points in the judgments. Then events are introduced at different places in this section that begin to occur during the time of the judgments that have already been introduced (judgments that have already occurred and possibly continue to occur). And these events, in each instance, not only carry the reader back in time (to some point during the judgments that have already been revealed) but forward in time as well (to the end of the Tribulation).

All of this is in perfect keeping with the way numerous parts of Scripture are structured. Scripture will often provide a complete sequence of events, followed by commentary on things that will occur during the previously revealed sequence of events. And, in the book of Revelation, this structure has to do with judgments befalling the earth-dwellers, followed by commentary.

(The whole of Scripture is actually structured in this manner. Genesis 1:1-2:3 provides a complete sequence of events, covering the whole panorama of the 6,000 years of Man’s Day and the 1,000 years of the Lord’s Day. And the remainder of Scripture is simply commentary on this previously revealed sequence of events, providing all of the necessary details that God would have man to know [ref. the author’s book, in this site, The Study of Scripture BOOK, chapters 1-4].

Revelation 12 would be a classic example of a section of Scripture structured in this manner. The first six verses (Revelation 12:1-6) provide a complete sequence of events. Then Revelation 12:7-17 form a commentary, providing details on the things revealed in the first six verses.)

Chapters seven, eleven through fourteen, and seventeen and eighteen have to do with different events and the appearance of different individuals or groups of individuals during that time when the things seen through the breaking of the seven seals, the blowing of the seven trumpets, and the pouring of the seven vials come to pass.

Chapters seven and fourteen contain things about the ministry of the 144,000 Jewish evangels who will proclaim “the gospel of the kingdom” to the ends of the earth during the last half of the Tribulation (cf. Matthew 24:14); chapter eleven relates things about the ministry of the two witnesses who will testify in the streets of Jerusalem during the first half of the Tribulation; chapter twelve relates numerous events that have to do mainly with Israel and Satan, which begin to occur near the middle of the Tribulation and continue throughout the last half; chapter thirteen relates events surrounding the rise of the man of sin and his false prophet, beginning in the middle of the Tribulation and continuing throughout the last half; and chapters seventeen and eighteen cover the history of Babylon throughout the whole of the Tribulation, with both religious and political aspects seen.

Chapters containing these events might be thought of as sections of the book forming “asides” in relation to the judgments coming to pass through the breaking of the seals, the blowing of the trumpets and the pouring out of the vials. And putting all of the judgments and all of the asides together (this section of the book is almost equally divided between the length of each), this book presents a complete word-picture, as God would have man see it, of His dealings with man on the earth during the last seven years of Man’s Day.

And the outcome of the matter is with a view to that introduced in Revelation 1-4 or the fulfillment of that seen in Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 — both the bride of Christ and the restored wife of Jehovah exercising regality during the Messianic Era.

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Chapter Fifteen

The Son with His Wife

And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. (Genesis 24:66-25:2).

At the end of Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant is seen removing the bride, Rebekah (whom he had procured for Isaac), from Mesopotamia. Isaac dwelt in “the south country” at this time; and when the meeting occurred between Isaac and Rebekah, it occurred in a “field” in the “evening” (Genesis 24:62-65). Isaac met Rebekah at a place between her home and his father’s home. Isaac then took Rebekah to his father’s home and took her inside his mother’s tent. And it was inside his mother’s tent that she became his wife.

The different things foreshadowed by these events can clearly be seen in the antitype. The place and time are seen by the use of the words “field” and “evening.” “The field” is a reference to the world in Scripture (Matthew 13:38); and “evening” has to do with the end of the day. A more literal translation of “evening” from the Hebrew text would be, as evening approached. The day was ending, and the thought, in the antitype, would have to do with the end of the dispensation.

Though the meeting between Christ and His bride will occur “in the air” rather than upon earth or at His Father’s home (1 Thessalonians 4:17), it will be more closely associated with this world (“the field”) than with the Father’s home in heaven. And this meeting will occur as the dispensation draws to a close (in the “evening”).

Then, following events surrounding the judgment seat (not dealt with in the type in Genesis 24 [ref. Ruth 3 for details in this realm]), the Son will take His bride to His Father’s home and take her inside His mother’s tent. And there, inside the tent, she will become His wife.

Sarah’s Tent

In the type, Isaac’s mother was Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who had previously died. And “Sarah” in the overall type in Genesis 21-25 typifies Israel. Thus, in the antitype, Christ’s mother is seen as Israel, the Father’s wife, whom the Father has set aside and views as dead throughout the present dispensation (cf. Hosea 5:13-6:2; Jonah 1:17-2:10; John 11:3-7, 25, 43-44).

After Christians have been removed from the earth, the bride will be made known through events surrounding the judgment seat. The Son will then take His bride to the Father’s home, take her inside Israel’s tent, and she will there become His wife.

This is seen in Genesis 24 through Isaac taking Rebekah into his mother’s tent (Genesis 24:67), it is seen in Ruth 3; 4 through Ruth remaining with Naomi while Boaz redeemed the inheritance at the gate of the city (Ruth 3:18-4:10), and it is seen in the antitype in the book of Revelation through the inheritance being redeemed during the same time that God completes His dealings with Israel (Revelation 6-18).

The same thing can also be seen during Christ’s earthly ministry in the parables that He gave in Matthew 13. Christ reentered “the house” (a reference to Israel [Matthew 13:1, 36]) before he gave the last three parables, which deal with this overall issue (ref. the author’s book, in this site, Mysteries of the Kingdom BOOK, chapters 10-12).

Israel must be brought back into the picture, for the marriage can occur only one place — in Israel’s tent. Two central types in the Old Testament show this to be the case, and so do Matthew’s gospel and the antitype in the book of Revelation.

But what is so significant about Israel’s tent? Why did God establish the matter after this fashion in the types and the parables, requiring it to be brought to pass after the same fashion in the antitype? The answer is very simple.

Spiritual blessings are involved, which necessitates an Israeli connection of this nature. This union (Christ and His wife), in the antitype, is to result in spiritual blessings for all mankind as the King, with His consort queen, rules the nations (Genesis 22:17, 18; Psalm 2:6-9; Revelation 2:26-27).

Spiritual blessings, seen after this fashion, are first introduced in Scripture in Genesis 9. The three sons of Noah and their progeny are in view, and Shem is the only one seen to have a God; and, in order to receive spiritual blessings, Ham, Japheth, or their descendants would have had to dwell in the tents of Shem (Genesis 9:24-27).

This is the reason why Abraham, a descendant of Shem (Genesis 11:10-26), could be called out of Ur to be the channel through whom the nations of the earth would be blessed. He was of the lineage which had a God, the lineage wherein spiritual blessings lay.

Thus, the things surrounding Abraham and his call draw from earlier foundational teachings surrounding Shem. The foundation was set in Genesis 9; and, whether dealing with Abraham’s call in Genesis 12 or with the bride in Genesis 24, matters are exactly the same.

In short, when spiritual blessings are involved, there has to be a connection with Shem and his lineage through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons, i.e., a connection with the nation of Israel. Accordingly, the marriage has to occur in Israel’s tent. It can occur no other place and result in spiritual blessings for all mankind.

As seen by comparing the type in Ruth 3; 4 with the antitype in Revelation 6-18, the marriage occurs during the time in which God completes His dealings with Israel, during Man’s Day. It will occur through the process of Christ redeeming the inheritance as He breaks the seals of the seven-sealed scroll (Revelation 5 ff). And, as in the type, not only will the inheritance be redeemed through this process, but the bride will become the Lamb’s wife as well.

This is the scene with which one is confronted as he reads through Revelation chapters six through eighteen. And, when he comes to Revelation 19, not only will all the terms set forth in the seven-sealed scroll have been met (the inheritance will have been redeemed, and the bride will now be the Lamb’s wife) but God will have completed His dealings with Israel during this same time as well.

Through the judgmental process used to redeem the inheritance, the armies of the nations of the earth, at the end of Man’s Day, will be gathered “to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.” The cities of the nations will fall, along with Babylon, the capital of the nations at the end of Man’s Day (Revelation 16:12-21). And at the time Christ returns, Gentile world power, existing among the rubble and carnage of that day, will be completely destroyed (cf. Daniel 2:34, 35, 44-45). This is what is seen in the latter part of Revelation 19.

But between the activities surrounding the redemption of the inheritance (which will result in the marriage of Christ to His bride inside Israel’s tent) and the time when the heavens are opened and Christ returns, there is a revealed and concluding event in heaven. Immediately following the activity inside Israel’s tent and immediately preceding the heavens being opened, the festivities surrounding the marriage of the Lamb occur (Revelation 19:7-9).

The Marriage Festivities

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come [‘came’], and His wife has made herself ready.

And to her it was granted to be arrayed [‘array herself’] in fine linen, clean and bright and white: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:7-9).

Events in Revelation 19:7-9 are not to be confused with the marriage, which will have already occurred. These verses have to do with the festivities that follow the marriage.

The bride will have previously been revealed through events surrounding the judgment seat (Revelation 1-3), and the marriage will have previously occurred at the time Christ redeems the inheritance (Revelation 6-18). Then, immediately preceding Christ’s return to take control of the domain that He will have previously redeemed (Revelation 19:11ff), time is set aside for the festivities surrounding the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).

These marriage festivities are dealt with several places in Scripture, more notably in Matthew 22:8-14; 25:1-13. There is nothing in these passages about the marriage itself. Rather, these passages deal solely with the festivities that follow the marriage. And the emphasis, as in the book of Revelation, is upon these festivities.

(The book of Revelation, as the parables in Matthew 22, 25, does not really deal with the marriage per se. Nothing is said in chapters six through eighteen [the time during which the marriage occurs] about Christ’s marriage to the bride who had previously been revealed at the judgment seat [Revelation 1-3]. Rather, the marriage occurring in these chapters, through Christ redeeming the inheritance, is seen and dealt with elsewhere in Scripture. Following exactly the same chronology of events that would later be set forth in the book of Revelation, the marriage is seen and dealt with in biblical typology, in the book of Ruth.

In order to understand how the revealed bride in the book of Revelation [Revelation 1-3] becomes the Lamb’s wife [Revelation 19 a], one has to go to the book of Ruth [Ruth 3; 4]. The book of Revelation forms the capstone to all previous Scripture, beginning in Genesis. And an individual can’t begin reading Scripture in the book of Revelation and expect to arrive at any semblance of a correct understanding of this book, for he will have no foundation upon which he can build.

Rather, he is to begin where God began and understand foundational truths after the same fashion in which God revealed them. And when an individual with this type of knowledge of Scripture arrives at Revelation 6-18, he will understand that which is occurring through Christ’s redemption of the inheritance [Christ’s marriage to the previously revealed bride], though it is not even mentioned in this part of the book. And this understanding will be derived, not from the book of Revelation, but from previous Scripture.

The person who has an understanding of the foundational truths from the Old Testament — knowing what is happening as Christ redeems the inheritance in Revelation 6-18 — probably wouldn’t give a second thought to the fact that there is no mention of Christ’s marriage to His bride in these chapters. Why should he? The marriage, occurring at this time, will have already been dealt with in previous revelation, and he would know this. He would be able to compare the types with the antitype, run all the checks and balances, and see exactly what is happening in this respect. For such an individual, it would be superfluous material to reread the matter in the book of Revelation.)

But because most Christians in the world today lack a background of this nature from Old Testament typology, man’s systems of biblical interpretation generally do not follow biblical guidelines at all when the marriage festivities in Matthew 22:8-14; 25:1-13; Revelation 19:7-9 are dealt with. And not understanding that which is being dealt with, individuals, more often than not, attempt to read eternal verities [eternal salvation, damnation] into events surrounding these marriage festivities; and any semblance of sound interpretation through comparing Scripture with Scripture is, as a result, thrown to the winds.

Within man’s system of biblical interpretation in this respect, the wedding garment is declared to be the righteousness of Christ (showing one’s eternal salvation), entrance into the festivities (through possessing a wedding garment) is declared to be synonymous with eternal salvation, and exclusion from the festivities (through lack of a wedding garment) is declared to be synonymous with eternal damnation.

But these are man’s thoughts and ideas, not those emanating from Scripture. Such teachings have nothing to do with that which is being dealt with in matters surrounding these festivities. The saved alone are in view; and from among the saved, two different groups are in view: 1) those forming the wife of the Lamb; and 2) those not forming the wife of the Lamb.

The former will be invited to participate in activities surrounding the marriage festivities. But this will not be the case with the latter at all. Rather they will be denied entrance into the place where these festivities will occur.

In Matthew 22:8-14, these two groups of individuals are dealt with in a parable having to do with the marriage festivities: There were “the guests [lit., ‘reclining ones’ (the bride)],” and there were the ones not allowed to enter into and participate in the activities attendant the bride (represented by the man appearing without a wedding garment, who was cast into the darkened courtyard outside the banqueting hall).

In Matthew 25:1-13, these same two groups of individuals are dealt with in another parable having to do with the marriage festivities, through presenting the activity of five wise and five foolish virgins: Those who had properly prepared themselves, the five wise virgins, were allowed to participate in the marriage festivities. But those who had not properly prepared themselves, the five foolish virgins, were denied entrance into the place where the festivities were occurring. They were left at a place outside the door leading into the festivities.

And the parable that follows — the parable of the talents — is given to explain and shed additional light upon the parable of the ten virgins. This parable begins with the Greek words Hosper gar, meaning “For just as.” These connecting words tell the reader that the parable about to follow is just like the parable that preceded. And this parable ends with the unfaithful servant cast into the darkness outside (Matthew 25:30).

Thus, in the explanatory parable of the talents, the place outside the door to the marriage festivities in the previous parable, the parable of the ten virgins, is seen to be exactly the same place outside the marriage festivities in Matthew 22:8-14 — the darkness outside, or the darkened courtyard outside the banqueting hall.

But in the final summation of the matter in Revelation 19:7-9, only things surrounding the wife are dealt with. Those not allowed to participate in these activities are not dealt with at this point in the book (as they are in Matthew 22; 25). Rather, the matter in the book of Revelation is set forth exactly as it is in the book of Ruth. In the type, from the book of Ruth, only the wife is dealt with at this point in the book. And the matter is the same in the antitype in the book of Revelation.

(For a full discussion of “The Outer Darkness,” refer to Cast Outside into Outer Darkness, in this site.)

Christ’s Return

Following the marriage festivities, the heavens will be opened, and Christ will come forth on a white horse as the “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” He will return to the earth “with His mighty angels” and complete the overthrow of Gentile world power under Satan, along with the overthrow of Satan and his angels.

Man’s Day will end, and the Lord’s Day will begin (Joel 3:9-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Revelation 19:11ff). Then the way will be opened for Christ and His wife to ascend the throne — He as King, and she as consort queen.

There are numerous events connected with Christ’s return, both preceding and following the time when the heavens are opened in Revelation 19:11ff. This is the way in which the book of Revelation is introduced. It is a book about “The Revelation [Gk., Apokalupsis, ‘Revealing,’ ‘Unveiling,’ ‘Appearance’] of Jesus Christ…” It is a book about that day when He comes “with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him…” (Revelation 1:1-7).

The book of Revelation is a book dealing with Christ’s return, and Scripture deals with the overall subject surrounding Christ’s return in a manner quite different than man is usually inclined to view the matter. Man usually sees Christ’s return as a single event, occurring at a point in time (e.g., Zechariah 14:4; Revelation 1:7; 19:11ff). But Scripture deals with Christ’s return in a broader sense than this. The whole of the book of Revelation is about Christ’s return. Revelation 19:11ff simply records the apex of the matter.

And His return in this book begins with events occurring at least seven years prior to the time when the heavens are opened and He comes forth on a white horse. Events in this book begin with Christians being removed from the earth at the end of the dispensation, with events surrounding the judgment seat following (Revelation 1-4). The book then continues with Christ’s redemption of the inheritance (Revelation 5-18), God completing His dealings with Israel during Man’s Day (Revelation 6-18), and the marriage festivities being brought to pass (Revelation 19 a). Only then is the apex reached, with the heavens being opened (Revelation 19 b).

All these things are inseparably connected with Christ’s return. This is why, for example, in Luke 17:30-31, that an event occurring in the middle of the Tribulation (Luke 17:31; cf. Matthew 24:15-22) is directly associated with Christ’s return to the earth at the end of the Tribulation (Luke 17:30). This is also why resurrections and judgments occurring at “His appearing and His kingdom” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:23; 2 Timothy 4:1) — though separated by time — are dealt with in these two singular senses, i.e., either at his appearing, or in his kingdom.

“His appearing” covers the whole of the time seen in the book of Revelation. Christians are raised from the dead and dealt with at least seven years prior to the time Christ returns to the earth, raises Israel from the dead, and deals with the Jewish people after a similar fashion to the way in which He had previously dealt with Christians. But yet, these events surrounding both Christians and Jews are included in the words, “His appearing.” And numerous other events, either immediately preceding or immediately following His return to the earth, leading into the kingdom, would be included in these words as well.

Again, there are only two spheres spoken of — “His appearing and His kingdom.” And everything beginning in Revelation 1:9 must fit into one sphere or the other.

There is only one return of Christ presented in Scripture. There is not a return for His Church preceding the Tribulation (sometimes erroneously referred to as “a secret return” for the Church) and another return following the Tribulation (where He will appear openly and visibly to the world). From a Scriptural standpoint, the Spirit removing the bride and Christ meeting His bride in the air is an event in connection with the only return of Christ that Scripture knows anything about — “Behold, He comes with clouds…” The manner in which the book of Revelation opens makes this very clear.

This is the place where numerous Christians have gone wrong, particularly as it relates to the timing of the rapture. Christians have looked at what Scripture has to say about Christ’s return and see a singular event which occurs at the end of the Tribulation. Then, seeing that the removal of the Church is an event occurring in connection with His return, they leave themselves without a choice other than to see the Church going through the Tribulation and being removed when Christ returns back to the earth at the end of the Tribulation.

This, of course, has no validity whatsoever in Scripture. This is simply not the way in which Scripture deals with Christ’s return. Relative to Christ’s return per se, it wouldn’t matter whether the Church was removed before or after the Tribulation. A time element of this nature has nothing to do with the matter, for a removal at either time would fall within the scope of the time that God has allotted for events surrounding Christ’s return to occur.

Rather, one will have to look elsewhere to find the timing of certain events of this nature. And, looking at both the types and the antitype bearing on the subject surrounding the removal of Christians at the end of the dispensation, the timing of what is often called “the rapture” can clearly be ascertained. The types (Genesis 5-8; 18-19; 24; Ruth 3; 4) and the antitype (Revelation 1-19) clearly show two things occurring preceding the Tribulation: 1) the removal of Christians from the earth, and 2) the occurrence and completion of events surrounding the judgment seat.

Further, the same types and the antitype clearly show that all Christians will be removed at this time, not just a select group, with other Christians being left behind to go through the Tribulation. Solely from a Scriptural standpoint, the teaching that Christians — part, or all — will go through any part of the Tribulation has no validity whatsoever.

In the book of Ruth, a particular event occurred in chapter three before Boaz redeemed the inheritance and took Ruth as his wife in Ruth 4. Ruth (a prepared bride) appeared on Boaz’s threshing floor. Only then did Boaz redeem the inheritance and take Ruth as his wife.

In the book of Revelation, in the antitype, exactly the same sequence of events is seen. A particular event will occur before Christ redeems the inheritance and takes the bride as His wife. A prepared bride will appear on Christ’s threshing floor (at His judgment seat). Only then will Christ redeem the inheritance and, in the process, take the bride as His wife (which will occur during Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the Tribulation).

Then, in the book of Revelation, all seven churches are seen in Christ’s presence at this time, showing all Christians in His presence during events surrounding the judgment seat, preceding the time in which He redeems the inheritance (preceding the Tribulation). And the types show exactly the same thing (ref. chapter 12 of this book).

Understanding the reason why all Christians must appear before Christ at this time is simple. Aside from Christians having nothing to do with the Tribulation (which will be the last seven years of the previous dispensation, during which time God completes His dealings with Israel, not with Christians), events surrounding the judgment seat occur preceding the Tribulation (plainly shown from both the type in the book of Ruth and the antitype in the book of Revelation). And Scripture is quite clear that all Christians must be present, at the judgment seat: “…we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10b).

(The fact that some Greek manuscripts and English translations have “judgment seat of God” in Romans 14:10 would have nothing to do with the identification of this judgment seat. The Father “has committed all judgment to the Son” [John 5:22], and it matters little whether the Son’s judgment seat is called the judgment seat of Christ or the judgment seat of God. It’s still the same judgment seat, with the same person doing the judging.)

Comparing type and antitype (Ruth 3; 4; Revelation 1-19), the clear teaching is that all Christians will be removed from the earth and appear before Christ’s judgment seat preceding the Tribulation, before the inheritance is redeemed and the marriage occurs. And the whole of the matter is in connection with Christ’s return, with the apex reached when the heavens are opened in Revelation 19:11ff.

It is a serious matter when Christians ignore that which has been laid down in Moses and the Prophets (cf. Luke 24:25-27; John 5:45-47), following teachings that are contrary to established foundations. One simply cannot ignore the foundations that God has set forth in His Word and expect to survive theologically. It is not possible.

The Messianic Era

After Christ returns back to the earth and completes His overthrow of Gentile world power, along with Satan and His angels, numerous events will occur preceding the beginning of the millennium. And these events, as well, must be viewed in connection with Christ’s return.

Again, everything beginning with the removal of the Church in Revelation 1 to the end of the Messianic Kingdom in Revelation 20 must fall within two major categories seen in Scripture — “His appearing and His kingdom.” This is the way in which Scripture sets the matter forth, and this is the way in which man must view the matter as well.

In the type in Genesis chapters twenty-four and twenty-five, after the son married Rebekah inside his mother’s tent, Abraham again took a wife. Abraham married Keturah, who bore him six sons (Genesis 24:67-25:2). Keturah was very fruitful in the realm where Sarah had been barren.

In the antitype, after the Son marries His bride inside Israel’s tent, the Father will restore His wife, Israel. And restored Israel will be very fruitful, unlike Israel in the past, represented by a fig tree with leaves, but no fruit (Matthew 21:18-19).

The present restoration of a remnant to the land under a Zionistic movement is, of course, not the restoration spoken of in the type in Genesis 25:1-2 or in other parts of Scripture bearing on the subject (e.g., Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Ezekiel 20:34-37; 36:24-28; 37:1ff; Matthew 24:30-31). The present restoration is a partial restoration, in unbelief, which has occurred during the present dispensation, prior to the nation’s repentance. The restoration spoken of in Scripture has to do with the entire nation returning, in belief, following the nation’s repentance, which will occur not only following the present dispensation but following the fulfillment of Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy.

Nor can the nation return while Christ is exercising the office of High Priest, in the heavenly sanctuary, throughout the present dispensation. It is clear from the typology surrounding the cities of refuge in Numbers chapter thirty-five that Israel, as the slayer, has to await Christ’s completion of His present high priestly ministry before the Jewish people can return to the land of their possession.

(For a discussion of Numbers 35 in this respect, refer to the author’s book, Bible One - Let Us Go On by Arlen Chitwood, Chapter 1, “From Aaron to Melchizedek.”)

For individuals to fail to recognize the truth concerning the present return of a remnant to the land is to fail to recognize that Israel is the slayer typified in Numbers chapter thirty-five. And for Israel to attempt to return while Christ is presently exercising His high priestly ministry during the present dispensation is, according to the type, to invite death and destruction upon the nation.

And the latter is exactly what is about to occur, for the Jewish people have attempted to return before the time, in an unbelieving and unrepentant state. In the middle of the coming Tribulation, a Jewish nation (as it is known today) will cease to exist in the Middle East. The remnant comprising the nation will be uprooted at that time. A segment of the nation will escape to a place in the wilderness, specially prepared by God for them (Revelation 12:6, 14); but the remaining Jews will either be killed or sold as slaves throughout the Gentile world, with the Jewish people worldwide coming under the sentence of death (cf. Exodus 1:8ff; Daniel 3:19-20; Joel 3:6-8). And Jerusalem, throughout this time, will be “trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24; Revelation 11:2).

Nor will any attempts to effect Middle East peace be successful during Man’s Day. There is a problem that man fails to recognize, which has its roots going back 4,000 years in history. And, beyond that, only the One Who has brought about Israel’s present sickness, because of the nation’s disobedience, can effect healing (cf. Leviticus 26:14ff; Deuteronomy 28:15ff; Isaiah 1:1-26). Others can try, but they will all fail. Only the One Who has torn can heal (Hosea 5:13-6:2).

Peace will come only at the end of Man’s day, when “the Sun of righteousness” arises “with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2). These are the things seen in Abraham’s remarriage, which cannot occur until after the Son takes the bride as His wife, inside Israel’s tent.

(Note also in the type that Ishmael [the father of the Arabic nations surrounding Israel in the Middle East] died only after Abraham remarried [Genesis 25:1-2, 17]. In this respect, Middle East peace will be out of the question until the coming Messianic Era, when the man described in Genesis 16:12 will pass from the scene.)

And that is the way in which conditions will exist at the beginning of the millennium. The Father will have a restored wife; and the Son, who will be King over all the earth in that day, will have acquired a wife, allowing Him to rule and to reign in complete accord with the reason for man’s creation in the beginning and in complete accord with that which God established in the beginning relative to the man and the woman reigning together.

And Middle East peace, which man vainly attempts to effect today, will be brought to pass in that day — when the King, with His consort queen, rules the earth for 1,000 years.

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Abraham, Summary and Time Chart
By Robert I. Bradshaw

Links like the following are found throughout this website. They take one to Word Documents in my computer which has virus protection. They are SAFE to open and print! Abraham Summary and Time Chart by Robert Bradshaw.docx

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“Our war with the descendants of the apes and pigs (i.e., Jews)
is a war of religion and faith. Long Live Fatah!”
Echoing Article 7 of the Hamas Charter of 1988,
“Hamas has been looking forward to implementing Allah’s promise,
whatever time it might take.
The prophet [Muhammad] said, "The time (of Resurrection) will not come
until Muslims will fight the Jews; until the Jews hide
behind rocks and trees, which will cry,
'0 Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!’”

Islamic Hatred:
The Foundation of the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict
from the July 08, 2014 eNews issue

The beauty, more aptly stated, the ugly in writing about the Middle East is nothing really changes. You could do a piece today or a decade ago about a homicide bomber, or “peace talks” being broken off for some reason or other, or violence escalating. The dictates fueling this contention remain the same.

Arafat Turns Down Peace

The following is a summation according to Dennis Ross, the senior adviser to President Clinton at the Taba negotiations in 2000:

1) Yasser Arafat presented no ideas at Camp David.
2) The Taba talks would have happened in late September if not for the outbreak of violence. Arafat knew the US was ready to make a proposal and thus promised to control the violence, but didn’t. (I think he was hoping that he could leverage the violence into political gain.)
3) All of Gaza and a net of 97% of the West Bank were offered at Taba.
4) The West Bank area offered was contiguous, not “cantons.”
5) The Jordan valley would be under Israeli patrol for only 6 years.
6) The Palestinians were offered a capital in eastern Jerusalem.
7) There would be a “Right of Return” to the nascent Palestinian state.
8) A $30 Billion fund to compensate refugees would be set up.
9) Taba was rushed due to Clinton’s, not Barak’s, end of term.
10) Members of the PA delegation thought Taba was the best they could hope to get and encouraged Arafat to accept it.
11) Arafat accepted everything he was given at Taba, but rejected everything he was supposed to give.

Arafat scuttled the Camp David offer. Arafat scuttled the Taba offer. Arafat scuttled the Mitchell plan. Arafat scuttled the Tenet plan. Arafat scuttled the Zinni plan.

Most looking for a “just” solution to this age-old conflict would agree with Ross on this one. But equally the old adage, “the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity” also came into play 8 years later.

Abbas Turns Down Peace

On September 16, 2008, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert presented Mahoud Abbas with a similar plan for a two-state solution: He offered to make Jerusalem the capital of two states—Israel in the western part and a Palestinian capital in the east. The Old City of Jerusalem would be administered by a committee made up of so-called wise people including Palestinians, Jordanians, Saudis, Americans and Israelis. Surprising to some but not to others, Abbas likewise turned it down.

Short of total Israeli capitulation on all topics of concern, it’s evident these issues—including statehood itself—are not what’s driving this conflict. If it was, a compromise could have been reached 66 years ago when the Arab world turned down the creation of a free, democratic, Palestinian state to live peacefully alongside its nascent sibling, the Jewish state of Israel.

Foreshadowing the future, the night before the U.N. was to vote on Partition, September 16, 1947, Arab League Secretary Azzam Pasha, as would his successors in years to come, rejected compromise and statehood opting instead for war. What was his motivation? Why would Arafat and Abbas later follow suit?

For anyone not named Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or George W. Bush for that matter, it’s not difficult to ascertain. This is not and never was a secular dispute.

Islamic Hatred of Jews

The underlining issue here is indoctrinate enmity of Jews taught to generations of Palestinians, past, present and most likely future.

As moms and dads get ready to send their kids off to summer camp to participate in boating, camping, and sports, Palestinian parents are sending nearly 10,000 boys at a time to another type of camp in the Gaza Strip.

At this camp some of the crafts taught are how to kidnap an Israeli soldier. Children between the ages of 6–16 are enriched by learning the fine art of crawling under barbed wire. The final activity for the day is a game of jumping over burning tires and ducking for cover behind sandbags as counselors fire live rounds over their heads.

The detestation of Jews, not just Israelis, is intrinsic in the Islamic world. No Pollyanna, political spin can deny this. To be certain, the hatred is populist, it’s ubiquitous amongst the Palestinian people, the vast majority of which are adamantly opposed to any rapprochement with Israel.

What animus can be greater than a mother happily sending her children to commit suicide for the sake of a cause?

At the funeral of Izz Al-Din Al-Masr, the infamous homicide killer that blew up the Sbarro restaurant killing 15 people in 2001, his mother had this to say:

By Allah, today is the best day of my life. I feel that our Lord is pleased with me, because I am offering something [my son] for Him. I wish to sacrifice more [sons] for Allah’s forgiveness, and for the flag of Islam.

Juxtapose this admonition with that of Naphtali Fraenkel’s mother, one of the kidnapped [and murdered] Israeli teenagers: “We just want to embrace our children.” It’s unmistakable, the Palestinian mindset indicates a theological clash of civilizations, not a secular dispute.

Such rancor is beyond the limits most rational people can fathom. Yet it’s the reality of the Middle East conflict. As they’ve pressured and cajoled Israel into unrequited tangible concessions, it’s perplexing that the Obama Administration doesn’t distinguish or doesn’t care to recognize that from the Palestinian standpoint, this is a holy war. Palestinian mothers aren’t sending their kids off to meet Allah because some guy extended his porch in a Jewish settlement.

More likely they are responding to the invocations of a moderator at a Fatah event in 2012 who proclaimed: “Our war with the descendants of the apes and pigs (i.e., Jews) is a war of religion and faith. Long Live Fatah!” At least he’s honest. Lauding the “moderate” faction of the new “unity” government, the speaker was just echoing Article 7 of the Hamas Charter of 1988:

“Hamas has been looking forward to implementing Allah’s promise, whatever time it might take. The prophet [Muhammad] said: ‘The time (of Resurrection) will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews; until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry:

"0 Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!’” — Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 6985

This quote and countless others come from scriptures in the Koran and the words of the Prophet Muhammad found in the Hadith.

The crux of this conflict goes even beyond dar-al Islam, the Islamic concept which doesn’t allow for a non-Muslim country to exist on land claimed by Islam. The expressed aims of Hamas, Hezbollah, and their offshoots isn’t just to banish Israelis from Israel, or even to return them to submissive dhimitude, it’s to kill Jews—plain and simple. Political correctness aside, that’s the bottom line that even the Left in Israel is grudgingly beginning to acknowledge.

As stated earlier, when speaking of the Middle East conflict, nothing ever changes except employing modern tools, and resurgent Islam is once again on the move. For those willing to remove blinders from their eyes it’s not difficult to ascertain that the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is just one battle in a religious war being fought by Muslim zealots throughout the world. In defeating Islam at the battle of Tours in 732, Charles Martel recognized this. Hopefully, before it’s too late Western leaders will see it as well today.

Jerry Sobel is a writer specializing in the Middle East conflict. For the past 40 years his essays have appeared in hard copy and cyber publications throughout the world. The Israel Advocates goes out to 26,000 people, once a month.

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K-House eNews by Chuck Missler, Islamic Hatred: The Foundation of the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict

Word Document: Islamic Hatred from eNews.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

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The Nuzi material is valuable for corroborating the accuracy of Genesis and also for giving a better understanding of its meaning. This article will pass over the many references to features of life that probably were common in most parts of Near E at that time, but will note particularly a few that are valuable for throwing special light on the Book of Genesis.

Nuzi Tablets
By Biblical Training Organization Library

NUZI [nōō’ zĭ]

A town occupied by Hurrians in the second millennium B.C. The name is always written in cuneiform [an ancient wedge-shaped script] as Nu-zi, and has not yet been found in any case other than the genitive [the case expressing ownership].

LOCATION AND IMPORTANCE

The remains of Nuzi were buried in the mound of Yorghan Tepe, about nine miles west of the modern town of Kirkut in northeastern Mesopotamia. It was excavated in 1925-1931 by the American Schools of Oriental Research in conjunction with the Harvard University Museum. The importance of Nuzi for the Bible student results from the fact that the 4000 clay tablets found there probably give a fuller picture of the life of the individual citizens of the place than can be gained for any other town in the ancient Near E, with the possible exception of Mari. However, at Mari most of the tablets deal mainly with the royal family and its political activities, while at Nuzi there were found records of the life and activity of hundreds of ordinary citizens. Still more important to the Bible student is the fact that at many points the customs evidenced in these tablets show a remarkable similarity to those described in the Book of Genesis. Thus the Nuzi material is valuable for corroborating the accuracy of Genesis and also for giving a better understanding of its meaning. This article will pass over the many references to features of life that probably were common in most parts of Near E at that time, but will note particularly a few that are valuable for throwing special light on the Book of Genesis.

RELATION TO GENESIS

Connection with Haran

Haran in northern Mesopotamia, is important in Biblical history. It was here that Abram lived for many years before moving on to Canaan. Many of his relatives remained in Haran. Rebekah was brought from Haran to marry Isaac. Jacob returned to the home of his uncle Laban in Haran and spent many years there.

Although Nuzi is far to the east of Haran, both cities were a part of the region occupied by the Hurrians during the second millennium B.C., and it is therefore not surprising to find that many of the customs and laws evidenced in Nuzi between 1500 and 1400 B.C. are reflected in the activities of the patriarchs at a somewhat earlier period.

The importance of written documents

There was a time when it was widely held that the Pentateuch could not have been written by Moses because it was thought that at that time writing had not been invented. While there is now abundant evidence to the contrary from various sources, it is of particular interest to note that at Nuzi at this early time written documents were extremely important and a great many of them were produced.

Adoption

Dozens of adoption tablets have been found at Nuzi. Israelite law, so detailed on many subjects, contains no regulations for adoption, and the history of the Hebrews in Palestine after the Conquest, as recorded in the OT contains no evidence of such a practice. But, at Nuzi, it was customary, if a man had no children, to adopt someone to carry on his name and inherit his property. This seems to be reflected in the statement of Abraham, before Isaac was born, that unless the Lord should give him a child, Eliezer of Damascus would be his heir (Genesis 5:2).

Teraphim, or household gods

The incident of the Teraphim (Genesis 31:17-35) was extremely puzzling before the discovery of the Nuzi documents. When Jacob determined to leave his uncle Laban [Audio], Rachel stole Laban’s teraphim or household gods. Returning to his home, Laban was greatly excited, not simply because his daughters and his son-in-law had left without notice, nor because of the great amount of property that they had taken with them, which Jacob had amassed during his sojourn in Haran but primarily because of the loss of the household gods.

Jacob, with his great number of flocks and herds, must have had a sizable number of shepherds, and it would have required a considerable force to overcome the resistance that he could offer. Laban pursued Jacob three days, taking with him a sufficient number of supporters to cause Jacob to be terrified at his approach. Thus the pursuit of Jacob was a very expensive proposition for Laban. In the Middle Ages students wondered why Laban would have gone to so much expense and trouble on account of these household gods. It was suggested that the teraphim might have been made of gold. Even if this were the case their intrinsic value would hardly have been enough to pay for Laban’s expedition, since they were very small. This was evident from the fact that Rachel was able to hide them in the saddle-basket on which she was sitting in her tent. Though her father searched the tent most thoroughly, he never suspected their presence.

The mystery became still greater when it was noticed that Jacob was utterly shocked at the idea that he might have stolen the teraphim. When Laban was unable to find them, Jacob bitterly rebuked him for his suspicion (Genesis 31:36-42).

Previous to the discovery of the Nuzi documents, the whole situation was obscure, and it would have been equally so at the time of the Israelite kingdom when, according to the critics, the story would have been composed. The tablets from Nuzi show that according to Hurrian custom at that early time, if a man desired to appoint a son-in-law as his principal heir he would turn over to him his household gods. After the man’s death, appearance in court with the household gods would be accepted as proof of such a disposition. Rachel was trying to secure all of Laban’s property for her husband, and Jacob was rightfully indignant at being accused of attempting such an underhanded trick. The whole incident becomes understandable in the light of these facts, and it becomes clear why Laban, still suspicious, desired that a boundary stone be put up at Mizpah, and that Jacob should swear that he would not pass over this boundary in order to do him harm (Genesis 31:44-53, especially Genesis 31:52). The Nuzi tablets make it clear that a great part of Laban’s reason for this was his desire that at his death, the remainder of his property should go to his own sons and not be taken away from them by Jacob. It is good to note that later Jacob demanded that any strange gods in the hands of his people be buried (Genesis 35:2-4), and that at no time did Jacob try to make false use of these teraphim.

Sisterhood

To the modern reader it seems strange that Abraham should have said that Sarah was his sister instead of stating what to Pharaoh was the more important fact, that she was his wife (Genesis 12:11-20). It is still stranger that he should have repeated this act in the land of Abimelech [Audio] (Genesis 20:1-18), and perhaps even more so that Isaac should later have followed his example (Genesis 26:6-16). It has been suggested that light may be thrown on these perplexing incidents by the discovery at Nuzi, as evidenced by many legal contracts, that a position called “sisterhood” was there considered to be of even more importance than that of a wife, and that a wife was sometimes elevated by a special act to this superior position. In view of the evidence that this was the custom in the area in which Abraham had spent many years, it is not impossible that Abraham and Isaac may have felt that they were giving their wives a more important and secure position by calling them sisters. Since such a custom was evidently unknown to Pharaoh or to Abimelech an unfortunate situation resulted. Yet, although Pharaoh and Abimelech accused the patriarchs of misrepresentation, there is no evidence in the Scripture of Abraham and Isaac having felt guilty or of God having condemned them for their words. God punished Pharaoh and Abimelech for what they had done, but, as far as we know, He did not rebuke Abraham. Therefore it is not impossible that it was a case of misunderstanding rather than of misrepresentation. The incident is quite understandable from this viewpoint in the light of the Nuzi documents. In such a case it is hard to imagine that the story could have originated in the time of the Israelite kingdom when this custom would have been completely unknown.

Hagar

There is a similar situation in the events concerned with Hagar and Ishmael. It might seem strange that Sarah should have requested Abraham to impregnate her maidservant Hagar in order that she might raise up a son for Sarah (Genesis 16:2). Again the Nuzi documents show that what occurred was exactly in line with the customs at Haran. In the Hurrian society, where the son was so very important, if a wife did not have a son it was regular practice for her to provide her husband with a slave-wife for this purpose.

Prior to the discoveries at Nuzi a certain amount of light had been thrown on this incident by somewhat similar regulations in the Code of Hammurabi, which was discovered in 1901. Yet this did not entirely solve the problem, for in that Code (paragraph 144) only a priestess is specifically given this right, and she is not entitled to claim the concubine’s children for herself.

The maidservants of Leah and Rebekah

Until recently critical students have been united in declaring that the statements in Genesis 29:24, 29 that Laban gave a named maidservant to each of his daughters were clearly later interpolations from the P document [the Priestly source (P): hypothetically written 500 BCE by Kohanim (Jewish priests) in exile in Babylon] and out of harmony with the rest of the story, which they attributed to an earlier document. It is evident, however, from the Nuzi tablets, that at the time of Jacob it was in that civilization a normal part of a marriage agreement that the father-in-law should give the bride a maid, her name being regularly specified in these documents.

The Habiru

Nuzi tablets are also of importance because of the continuing discussion as to the origin of the term Heb. Genesis 14:13 mentions “Abram the Hebrew,” and in Genesis 40:15 Joseph tells the Egyptians that he was stolen out of “the land of the Hebrews.” These occurrences make it seem unlikely that the term originally meant simply a descendant of Jacob, or even a descendant of Abraham. Nuzi is only one of various sources in the Near E where ancient documents refer to a people called the Ha-bi-ru who seem to have been landless wanderers, sometimes entering into voluntary servitude. Although Nuzi material contains a number of such references, they are insufficient to solve the problem, but may form an important link in its examination. See Habiru, Hapiru.

Other points of contact

Since the contracts, wills, memoranda and other types of material in the Nuzi documents give a varied and extensive picture of many phases of life, scholars point out still other similarities between its customs or laws and those of Genesis. Some of these represent features common to other portions of ancient Near Eastern civilization. Others are equally true of later periods of Biblical history. In this article the attempt has been made to confine the discussion mainly to such matters as are peculiar to the time of the patriarchs, which therefore may provide strong support for the idea that the Genesis narrative is true, and also that it was written at an early time, before Hurrian customs and laws had disappeared as a result of the on-march of the Assyrian conquerors.

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Biblical Training Library - Nuzi Tablets

Word Document: Nuzi Tablets by Biblical Training Org. Lib..docx which is SAFE to open and print.

Also Abraham, Summary and Time Chart in this site may be of interest.

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Then, following the conversion of the entire nation when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation, the main harvest will appear. And the entire nation will then go forth with God’s message to the Gentile nations throughout the earth.

The Complete Purpose for Israel’s Existence Realized
Excerpt from Judgment of the Great Harlot by Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

God called Israel into existence to be the channel through which He would deal with mankind at large. The Word of God would be given through Israel, a Redeemer for fallen man would arise out of Israel, Israel would be God’s witness to the nations, and Israel would rule the nations within a theocracy, with the nations being blessed through Israel.

Israel has given mankind the Word of God, and a Redeemer has arisen out of Israel. But the remainder of God’s purpose surrounding Israel’s existence awaits a future fulfillment.

The past theocracy under the old covenant never approached the heights surrounding the reason for Israel’s existence, but the future theocracy under the new covenant will. In that day, God will “cleanse” the nation, give the nation “a new heart,” and place “a new spirit” within the Jewish people. In that day, God will cause them to walk in His “statutes” and keep His “judgments” (Ezekiel 36:25-27). In that day, God will put His law “in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.” And in that day, the one true and living God will be Israel’s God, and the Jewish people will be His people (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

The 144,000 Jewish evangels (Revelation 7, Revelation 12, and Revelation 14) will form a first fruit of the nation during the Tribulation and will carry God’s message to the Gentiles worldwide during this time. This will result in the conversion of “a great multitude,” which no man will be able to number, “of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9).

As well, the theocracy will be restored to Israel. And a restored nation will hold the scepter, ruling the Gentile nations, with the Gentile nations, in turn, being blessed through/by Israel (cf. Zechariah 8:20-23).

This is what awaits Israel and the nations of the earth following the horrors that will befall those upon the earth during the Tribulation. And this will occur by and through the “Sun of righteousness” arising “with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:1-2).

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The Time of the End BOOK, Ch. 28, in this site.

Word Document: The Complete Purpose for Israel’s Existence Realized by Arlen L. Chitwood.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

(For commentary concerning the beast and Israel [the harlot woman] in Revelation 17; 18; 19a, refer to The Time of Jacob’s Trouble BOOK, in this site)

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Man, an entirely new creation, made after the image and likeness of God, was brought into existence to take the governmental reins of the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). But the first man (the first Adam), through sin, was disqualified, necessitating the appearance of the second Man (the last Adam) to effect redemption and the ultimate realization for man’s creation.

Crowned Rulers — Christ, Christians
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

When Christ returns to the earth at the conclusion of the Tribulation, He will have many crowns upon His head (Revelation 19:12). But these crowns, by comparing this section in Revelation with other passages of Scriptures on the subject, are not crowns that Christ will wear during the Messianic Era. Christ is destined to wear the crown that Satan presently wears; and at the time Christ returns to the earth, Satan will still be in possession of his crown. Satan’s crown will have to be taken from him (by force) and given to Christ before Christ can actually sit upon the throne and occupy, in its fullest sense, the position depicted in Revelation 19:16:

“KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Saul and David, Satan and Christ

Certain things concerning crowns, especially relative to the crown that Christ is to wear, can possibly best be illustrated by referring to the typology of Saul and David in the books of 1, 2 Samuel.

Saul had been anointed king over Israel, but Saul rebelled against the Lord and was rejected (as king) by the Lord (1 Samuel 10:1ff; 15:1-23). David was then anointed king in Saul’s stead (1 Samuel 16:1-13). However, Saul did not immediately relinquish the throne; nor did David make an attempt to immediately ascend up to the throne. Saul, even though rejected, with his anointed successor on hand, was allowed to continue his reign.

Affairs continued after this fashion in the camp of Israel until David eventually found himself in exile, living out in the hills (e.g., in the cave of Adullam). During this time, certain individuals who were dissatisfied with existing conditions in the camp of Israel under Saul gathered themselves unto David (1 Samuel 22:1-2). They separated themselves from affairs in the kingdom under Saul and lived out in the hills with David. He became “a captain over them”; and they were faithful to him, anticipating the day when Saul would be put down and David would take the kingdom.

The day eventually came when this occurred. Saul, following a battle and an attempted suicide, was slain by an Amalekite. His crown was taken and given to David (1 Samuel 31:1-13; 2 Samuel 1:1-10). Then, David and his faithful men moved in and took over the government (2 Samuel 2:1ff).

The entire sequence of events depicting Saul and David typifies great spiritual truths concerning Satan and Christ:

Just as Saul was anointed king over Israel, Satan was anointed king over the earth.
Just as Saul rebelled against the Lord and was rejected, Satan rebelled against the Lord and was rejected.
Just as David was anointed king while Saul continued to reign, Christ was anointed King while Satan continued to reign.
Just as David did not immediately ascend the throne, Christ did not immediately ascend the throne.
Just as David eventually found himself in a place removed from the kingdom (out in the hills), Christ eventually found Himself in a place removed from the kingdom (heaven).
Just as David gathered certain faithful men to himself during this time (anticipating his future reign), Christ is presently gathering certain faithful men to Himself (anticipating His future reign).
Just as the day came when Saul was put down, the day will come when Satan will be put down.
Just as Saul’s crown was taken and given to David, Satan’s crown will be taken and given to Christ.
And just as David and his faithful followers then moved in and took over the government, Christ and His faithful followers will then move in and take over the government.

Purpose for the Present Dispensation

A principle of divine government set forth in the type of Saul and David shows the necessity of an incumbent ruler, although rejected, continuing to reign until replaced by his successor. The government of the earth is a rule under God by and through delegated powers and authorities. In this respect, Satan rules directly under God (though a rebel ruler), and a great host of subordinate angels rule with him.

Even though Satan and his followers have been rejected, they must continue in power (as Saul and those ruling with him) until replaced by Christ and His followers (as when David and his faithful followers took the kingdom). God will not, at any time, allow conditions to exist upon the earth in which there is no divinely administered government by and through delegated powers and authorities. Even though the government of the earth is in disarray today, because of Satan’s rebellion, it is still under God’s sovereign power and control (Daniel 4:17-34).

The present dispensation is the time during which the antitype of David’s faithful followers being gathered to him occurs. As during David’s time, so during the present time — there must be a period, preceding the King coming into power, during which the rulers are acquired, called out. David’s men were the ones who occupied positions of power and authority with him after he took Saul’s crown. Thus will it be when Christ takes Satan’s crown. Those who are being called out during the present time are the ones who will occupy positions of power and authority with Him during that coming day.

Satan will be allowed to continue his reign until God’s purpose for this present dispensation has been accomplished. Then, he and those ruling with him will be put down, and an entirely new order of rulers will take the kingdom. Christ will enter into the position previously occupied by Satan, and Christians will enter into positions previously occupied by angels ruling under Satan.

And since Christ (replacing Satan) will wear the crown presently worn by Satan, it only naturally follows that Christians (replacing subordinate powers and authorities) will wear crowns presently worn by angels ruling under Satan. All of these are crowns that neither Christ nor Christians can come into possession of until Satan and his angels have been put down at the end of the Tribulation.

Angelic Rule About to End

The originally established angelic rule over the earth has continued uninterrupted since the beginning, preceding man’s existence on the earth. However, with the creation of Adam, God announced that a change was in the offing. Man, an entirely new creation, made after the image and likeness of God, was brought into existence to take the governmental reins of the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). But the first man (the first Adam), through sin, was disqualified, necessitating the appearance of the second Man (the last Adam) to effect redemption and the ultimate realization for man’s creation.

The price has been paid, but redemption includes far more than that which presently exists. Redemption includes the complete man (body, soul, and spirit), it includes the earth (presently under a curse), and the goal of redemption will be realized only when man has been brought into the position for which he was created (ruling over a restored earth).

Scripture clearly attests to the fact that the “world [‘inhabited world’] to come” will not be placed “in subjection” to angels (Hebrews 2:5). Man is the one to whom power and authority will be delegated.

This is clearly seen by and through the action of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:10, removing themselves from their thrones (Revelation 4:4) and casting their crowns before God’s throne. Their activity can only be with a view to the fact that the government of the earth, at this point in the sequence of events depicted in the book, is about to change hands.

These twenty-four elders can only be a representative group of heavenly beings (angels) who, up to this time, had held positions within a sphere of governmental power and authority relative to the earth. And at this point in the book, by and through the action of these elders, the way will be opened for God to transfer the government of the earth from the hands of angels to the hands of man.

(These crowns are cast before God’s throne [cf. Revelation 4:1-4, 10; 5:1-7] because the Father alone is the One who places and/or removes rulers in His kingdom [Daniel 4:17-37; 5:18-21]. He alone is the One who placed those represented by the twenty-four elders in the positions that they occupied; and He alone is the One who will place individuals in particular positions in the kingdom of Christ [Daniel 4:17, 23-25; Matthew 20:20-23].
These crowns cast before God’s throne can only have to do with the government of the earth. And, at this point in the book, they can be worn by angels alone, for the Son will not yet have taken the kingdom [cf. Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15]. These crowns are relinquished to God at this time [with a view to man, rather than angels, ruling in the kingdom] so that He can appoint those who had previously been shown qualified at events surrounding the judgment seat [Revelation 1; 2; 3] to positions of power and authority; and those whom God appoints will wear these crowns in Christ’s kingdom.)

The transfer of the government of the earth, from the hands of angels into the hands of man, in reality, is what the first nineteen chapters of the book of Revelation are about; and, as well, this is what all of Scripture preceding these nineteen chapters is also about. In this respect, these twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God’s throne forms a key event that one must grasp if he would properly understand the book of Revelation and Scripture as a whole.

Thus, that which is depicted by and through the action of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:10-11 is contextually self-explanatory. This has to do with the government of the earth, it occurs at a time following events surrounding the judgment seat (Revelation 1; 2; 3) but preceding Christ being shown worthy to break the seals of the seven-sealed scroll (Revelation 5), and it occurs at a time when Satan’s reign is about to be brought to a close.

After events in Revelation 1; 2; 3 have come to pass, for the first time in man’s history, the person (the bride) who is to rule with the One to replace Satan (Christ) will have been made known and shown forth. And events in Revelation 4 reflect that fact.

Only one thing could possibly be in view at this point in the book, for the bride will not only have been made known but will be ready for events surrounding the transfer of power to begin. The twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God’s throne can only depict the angels who did not go along with Satan in his rebellion; and they will willingly relinquish their crowns, with a view to those comprising the bride wearing these crowns during the Messianic Era.

But the crowns worn by Satan and those angels presently ruling with him are another matter. These crowns will have to be taken from Satan and his angels by force when Christ returns to overthrow Gentile world power at the end of the Tribulation (a power exercised during Man’s Day under Satan and his angels [Daniel 10:13-20]).

The identity of the twenty-four elders is shown not only by their actions and the place in which this occurs in the book but also by their number. Comparing Revelation 4 and Revelation 12 (Revelation 4:4, 10-11; 12:3-4), it appears evident that the government of the earth — originally established by God prior to Satan’s fall — was representatively shown by three sets of twelve, thirty-six crowned rulers. “Three” is the number of divine perfection, and “twelve” is the number of governmental perfection.

Those angels who did not follow Satan in his attempt to exalt his throne would be represented by the twenty-four elders — two sets of twelve, showing two-thirds of the original contingent of angels ruling with Satan. And the angels who did go along with Satan, presently ruling with him, would be represented by a third set of twelve, showing the other one-third of the original contingent of angels ruling with Satan (Revelation 12:3-4).

In this respect, these three representative sets of twelve would show divine perfection in the earth’s government. And, also in this respect, this same perfection in the structure of the earth’s government has not existed since Satan’s attempt to exalt his throne.

Stephanos, Diadema

There are two words in the Greek text of the New Testament which are translated “crown” in English versions. The first and most widely used word is stephanos (or the verb form, stephanoo), referring to a “victor’s crown” or a crown denoting certain types of “worth” or “valor.” The other word is diadema, referring to a crown denoting “regal authority,” “kingly power.”

Stephanos (or the verb form, stephanoo) is the only word used for “crown” in the New Testament outside the book of Revelation. This, for example, is the word used referring to the “crown of thorns” placed upon Christ’s head immediately preceding His crucifixion (Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2, 5). This is also the word used throughout the Pauline epistles, referring to “crowns” awaiting faithful Christians (1 Corinthians 9:25; Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 2 Timothy 2:5; 4:8). James, Peter, and John also used stephanos in this same sense (James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10; 3:11). The writer of Hebrews used this word (the verb form, stephanoo) referring to positions that will ultimately be occupied by Christ and His co-heirs in “the world [‘inhabited world’] to come” (Hebrews 2:5, 7, 9). Then John used the word six additional times in the book of Revelation in several different senses (Revelation 4:4, 10; 6:2; 9:7; 12:1; 14:14).

Diadema, the other word used for “crown” in the New Testament, appears only three times; and all three occurrences are in the latter part of the book of Revelation (Revelation 12:3; 13:1; 19:12). The first two references have to do with power and authority possessed by incumbent earthly rulers immediately preceding and within the kingdom of Antichrist, and the latter reference has to do with power and authority that Christ will possess at the time He returns and takes the kingdom.

The way in which these two words are used in the New Testament relative to the government of the earth must be borne in mind if one is to properly understand the Scriptural distinction between the use of stephanos and diadema. Diadema (referring to the monarch’s crown) is used only where one has actually entered into and is presently exercising regal power. Stephanos is never used in this respect. The word appears in all other occurrences, covering any instance where the word “crown” is used apart from the present possession of regal power (though the possession of such power at a past or future date can be in view through the use of stephanos). Then, as previously seen, diadema is used when one actually comes into possession of this power.

An understanding of the distinction between stephanos and diadema will reveal certain things about the twenty-four elders that could not otherwise be known. They each cast a stephanos before the throne, not a diadema. This shows that they were not then occupying regal positions, though crowned and seated on thrones.

At one time they would have occupied such positions (wearing diadems); but with the disarray in the governmental structure of the earth, resulting from Satan’s rebellion, they ceased exercising regal power (for, not participating in his rebellion, they no longer retained active positions in his rule). Their crowns could then be referred to only through the use of the word stephanos; and these crowns would, of necessity, have to be retained until the time of Revelation 4:10.

In this respect, overcoming Christians have been promised a stephanos (victor’s crown), never a diadema (monarch’s crown); but the promised stephanos will become a diadema at the time overcoming Christians assume positions on the throne with Christ. There can be no such thing as either Christ or His co-heirs wearing a stephanos in that day. They can only wear the type crown referred to by the word diadema.

Then, note that the One who, in time past, wore a crown of thorns (a stephanos), will one day come forth with many diadems upon His head, for the Father will not only have delivered the kingdom into His Son’s hands but the Son will, at that time, have a consort queen and be ready to ascend the throne (cf. Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 19:7-9). And because of this, when He comes forth, the announcement can be sounded for all to hear:

“KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

(Crowns to be worn by Christ and His bride, in that coming day, will include the crowns relinquished willingly in Revelation 4:10 [undoubtedly the crowns on Christ’s head in Revelation 19:12, which can, at this point in the book, be referred to as diadems] and the crowns subsequently taken by force from Satan and his angels.)

Christ, at that time, will have entered into His long-awaited regal position. And the first order of business will be the putting down of the beast, the kings of the earth (Gentile world power, as it will exist in that day), and Satan and his angels (Revelation 19:17-20:3). Satan and his angels cannot be allowed to reign beyond the point Christ assumes regal power. Their crowns (diadems) must, at this time, be taken and given to others — those to whom they will then rightfully belong.

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Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Time of Jacob’s Trouble, Appendix 2

Word Document: Crowned Rulers — Christ, Christians by Arlen L. Chitwood.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

(For additional information on the preceding, refer to Crowns Cast Before God’s Throne!, The Ranks Of The Crowns! and DEFINITELY Why did God Create Man? in this site.)

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The human body has many members, yet each one has a unique role to play. The health and welfare of the body depend on the proper functioning of each member. That is how it is in the body of Christ.

God's Seven Spiritual Gifts

In God's great gift of salvation, we have a number of benefits and responsibilities. Gifts of the Spirit are benefits to each believer [one gift per believer], but they come with responsibilities.

There are two Greek words that are primarily used to describe the gifts of the Spirit. Pneumatika refers to their source, the Holy Spirit (pneuma) of God, and charismata refers to the fact that they are granted as an act of God's grace (charis). Since they are given by grace, we are reminded that they are not based on our worthiness or personal abilities, but on God's sovereign choice. Since they are given by the Spirit of God, they are a part of the new life granted to us in Christ (and may be drastically different from our perceived capabilities or desires prior to salvation).

See Romans 12:6-8 [gifts], Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 [ministries], 1 Corinthians 12:6-10 [effects].

(Note: Different Gifts applied to different Ministries produce different Effects [results].)

Serving through Spiritual Gifts (Romans 12:3-8)

Paul speaks through the grace that was given to him as an apostle of the Lord Jesus. He is going to deal with various forms of straight and crooked thinking.

First he says that there is nothing in the gospel that would encourage anyone to have a superiority complex. He urges us to be humble in exercising our gifts. We should never have exaggerated ideas of our own importance. Neither should we be envious of others. Rather, we should realize that each person is unique and that we all have an important function to perform for our Lord. We should be happy with the place God has dealt to us in the Body, and we should seek to exercise our gifts with all the strength that God supplies.

The human body has many members, yet each one has a unique role to play. The health and welfare of the body depend on the proper functioning of each member.

That is how it is in the body of Christ. There is unity (one body), diversity (many), and interdependency (members of one another). Any gifts we have are not for selfish use or display but for the good of the body. No gift is self-sufficient and none is unnecessary. When we realize all this, we are thinking soberly.
Our gifts differ according to the grace that is given to us. In other words, God's grace deals out differing gifts to different people. And God gives the necessary strength or ability to use whatever gifts we have. So we are responsible to use these God-given abilities as good stewards.

The following is by Dr. Robert Jeffress, First Baptist Church of Dallas.

Spiritual gift – One per Christian. God's spiritual gift gives one the desire and power to achieve His purpose. Gifts help perfect the body of Christ. Exercising our gift causes us joy.

Prophecy – convict people of sin – Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47)
Serving – meeting practical needs of others – Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-41)
Teaching – ability to present and clarify biblical truth -- pastors
Exhortation – comes along aside another Christian to help solve their problems using the Word
Giving – desire and ability to use person assets to further the cause of Christ
Lead – coordinating activities of others to achieve a common goal
Mercy – identify with and comfort those who are hurting

Seven Christians around a dinner table – hostess walks in with a dessert tray and spills the tray.

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: God's Seven Spiritual Gifts.docx

Also see Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts Test following a couple more commentaries.

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The one new man will comprise the co-heirs ruling with Christ in that coming day, following the time Satan and his angels will have been put down. And Christ, with His co-heirs, ruling in the stead of Satan and his angels, will exercise power and authority from the same realm where Satan and his angels presently rule.

God's Transition of Satan's Kingdom to Christ's Kingdom
Excerpts from Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast Commentaries

The Kingdom of Satan

The kingdom of Satan is actually a part of the overall kingdom of God. Angels rule domains throughout God’s kingdom, and their rulership over domains is looked upon and referred to as the rule over a kingdom. Delegated power and authority of this nature has to do with numerous kingdoms within one overall kingdom.

Satan, in time past, was among the angels given a kingdom and dominion. However, dissatisfied with the extent of his delegated power and authority, Satan sought to “exalt” his throne and “be like the most High [be like God Himself, the supreme Ruler over all].” And today Satan is a rebel ruler within his kingdom, along with one-third of his original contingent of ruling angels, who followed him in his attempt to increase his hold on power and authority [cf. Isaiah 14:12-14; Revelation 12:4].

Satan’s present kingdom is referred to as the kingdom of this world or his kingdom. Christ, at His first coming, called attention to both the resent kingdom under Satan and His coming kingdom when he said, “My kingdom is not of this world [lit., ‘not out of this world,’ referring to the present world kingdom under Satan]” [John 18:36a]. And this will explain that which is involved in I John 2:15ff, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…”

It is this present kingdom under Satan which will one day become “the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ” [Revelation 11:15 ASV; 16:10; cf. Matthew 6:10]. And it is this kingdom, which Christ and His co-heirs will rule with a rod of iron for 1,000 years in order to bring the kingdom back into conformity with the way God has established individual kingdoms within His overall kingdom [cf. Psalm 2:6-9; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 2:26-28].

The Present Kingdom

The earth is a province in the kingdom of God, and Satan holds the position of Messianic Angel (the provincial ruler) over the earth. He has held this position since the time of his appointment by God in the beginning, prior to his fall; and he (along with angels ruling under him) will continue holding this position until he is one day replaced by Man — the second Man, the last Adam, with His co-heirs, redeemed from the lineage of the first man, the first Adam (Ezekiel 28:14-16; Hebrews 2:5-10).

Satan’s fall produced no change in his appointed position, for a principal of biblical government necessitates that an incumbent ruler hold his appointed position until his successor not only appears but is ready to take the scepter. There is no such thing as God removing a ruler from a province in His kingdom and not, at the same time, appointing another ruler.

Though Satan’s fall produced no change in His appointed position, it did bring about a change in the kingdom over which he ruled. The material kingdom itself was reduced to a ruin.

The earth was [‘But the earth became’] without form, and void; and darkness was [‘and darkness became’] upon the face of the deep.” (Genesis 1:2a; cf. Ezekiel 28:18b)

From that time until immediately prior to the creation of Adam, though Satan continued to occupy his appointed position, he ruled over a ruined kingdom shrouded in darkness.

Then, approximately 6,000 years ago God restored the earth, along with the light of the sun and moon, and brought man into existence with a view to man taking the scepter held by Satan. This is the way Scripture begins.

1. A creation.
2. A ruin of that creation, resulting from Satan’s sin.
3. A restoration of the ruined creation through divine intervention, over six day’s time.
4. Then, the creation of man to take the scepter, in the stead of Satan.

However, the incumbent ruler, Satan, brought about the first man’s fall; and this necessitated the appearance of the second Man to provide redemption before fallen man could one day hold the scepter, as God had originally intended. Satan, bringing about the first man’s fall, followed by God’s redemption of fallen man, follows the pattern previously established in Genesis 1:

1. A creation.
2. A ruin of the creation, resulting from Satan’s intervention.
3. A restoration of the ruined creation through divine intervention, over six days (6,000 years) time.
4. Then, redeemed man ultimately holding the scepter in the stead of Satan, realizing the reason for man’s creation in the beginning.

The earth had been brought into existence for a purpose — “to be inhabited,” i.e., to be an inhabited province in God’s kingdom (Isaiah 45:18); and, following its ruin, the earth was restored in order that God’s purpose for the earth might be realized.

Man, likewise, had been brought into existence for a purpose (Genesis 1:26-28); and following man’s ruin, God began a work of restoration in order that His purpose for man’s existence might be realized.

As God (following Satan’s fall) restored the ruined material creation over a six-day period, He (following man’s fall) is presently restoring another ruined creation — ruined man — over the same length of time, with each day in the latter restoration being 1,000 years in length. Then, as God rested for a day following the prior restoration (Genesis 2:1-3), He will rest for a day, for 1,000 years, following the present restoration (Hebrews 4:4-9).

The pattern concerning how God restores a ruined creation was set at the very beginning, in the opening verses of Genesis. And man, a subsequent ruined creation, must be restored in exact conformity with the God-established pattern.

As this restoration pertains to “time,” it will occur over six days, over six thousand years (cf. Matthew 16:28-17:5; 2 Peter 1:15-18; 3:3-8). And there will then be a day of rest that will last for one day, for one thousand years. This is the earth’s coming Sabbath, toward which every earthly Sabbath pointed and every earthly Sabbath anticipated (Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-17; Hebrews 4:4-9).

The whole of Scripture, progressing through six days of redemptive work, moves toward that coming Sabbath of rest. The skeletal structure was set in perfect form in the beginning, and the whole of Scripture beyond that point must rest on this structure. The whole of Scripture moves toward that coming seventh day when Christ and His co-heirs will take the scepter and rule the earth in the stead of Satan and his angels.

(For additional details concerning a correct interpretation and understanding of Genesis 1:1-2:3, refer to The Septenary Arrangement of Scripture, Beginning and Continuing and Building on the Foundation in this site or Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Study of Scripture, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4.)

From what realm though do Satan and his angels presently rule? It is clear from both Old and New Testament Scriptures that they rule from a heavenly realm over the earth. Satan and his angels have access to the earth (Genesis 6:2-4; Job 1:7; 2:2; 1 Peter 5:8; Jude 1:6), but they do not rule on the earth.

1) Location of Satan’s Rule — Old Testament

Daniel 10 presents certain insights into how the present kingdom of Satan is structured, along with the location of those administering power and authority in the kingdom. In this chapter, a heavenly messenger who had been dispatched to Daniel on the earth from that part of the heavens where God resides and rules (the northernmost point in the universe in relation to the earth [Isaiah 14:13, ASV]) was detained at a point in route. This messenger was detained in the heavens above the earth by “the prince of the kingdom of Persia.” Then Michael was dispatched from heaven, and the messenger remained there with “the kings of Persia” while Michael fought with the prince of Persia for his release (Daniel 10:13).

The picture presented is that of powerful angels in the kingdom of Satan ruling the earth from a heavenly realm through counterparts in the human race on earth. There was a prince (ruler) of Persia in the heavens, and there was a prince (ruler) of Persia on the earth. Then, in the heavens, there were lesser rulers associated with Persia (the kings of Persia); and the same would have been true in the earthly kingdom (cf. Daniel 2:39; 5:28-31; 7:5; 8:3-6, 20).

Then beyond that “the prince of Greece” is mentioned — another heavenly ruler, the angelic heavenly ruler over the Grecian kingdom on earth (Daniel 10:20). And the reason why attention is called to this heavenly ruler is easy to see and understand. Daniel, throughout his book, deals with the kingdom of Babylon, from the days of Nebuchadnezzar to the days of Antichrist; and Daniel 10:20 (“…the prince of Greece will come”) anticipated that day when Alexander the Great in the Grecian kingdom on earth would conquer the kingdom of Babylon under the Medes and the Persians (cf. Daniel 2:39; 7:6; 8:7, 8, 21-22).

Thus, there is not only a breakdown of powers in the heavenly kingdom under Satan corresponding to a breakdown of powers in various earthly kingdoms under fallen man but there is also a shifting of powers in the heavenly kingdom corresponding to a shifting of powers in the earthly kingdoms. In this respect, any person occupying a position of power in any Gentile earthly kingdom during the present age is merely occupying a position of power under Satan and his angels, as they rule from the heavens through counterparts on the earth.

(Note that the nation of Israel is the lone exception among nations on earth whose rulers presently hold positions of power and authority under fallen angels in the kingdom of Satan. The prince over Israel is “Michael” [Daniel 10:21], an angelic prince in the heavens who is not numbered among those ruling in Satan’s kingdom, as Israel is not numbered among the nations [Numbers 23:9.)

2) Location of Satan’s Rule — New Testament

The book of Ephesians presents the same picture of Satan’s present kingdom as the book of Daniel, though from a different perspective. Ephesians is a book dealing with the heavenlies, pointing to the place where the Christians’ future inheritance lies (Ephesians 1:3-23). Christians have been saved with a view to realizing an inheritance as co-heirs with Christ in a heavenly kingdom at a future date. That is one of two central messages in this book.

The other central message has to do with the present inhabitants of that heavenly sphere — Satan and his angels (Ephesians 1:21; 3:9-11; 6:11ff). They are said to reside “in heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10), and Ephesians 6 presents an existing, ongoing warfare between Christians and these angels.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places [KJV: high places]. (Ephesians 6:12)

(The words “in heavenly places” [Ephesians 3:10] and “in high places” [Ephesians 6:12] are both translations of the same Greek words, referring to a heavenly sphere. The reference, in both instances, is to angels exercising positions of power and authority from places in the heavens within the kingdom under Satan — the present existing kingdom of the heavens.
For additional information concerning the present existing kingdom under Satan, along with the coming kingdom under Christ, refer to The Most High Ruleth BOOK, in this site.)

Thus, there is a present existing warfare between the heavenly rulers and Christians; and that warfare rages because Satan and his angels know the reason that the “one new man” in Christ has been called into existence (cf. Ephesians 3:9-11). The one new man will comprise the co-heirs ruling with Christ in that coming day, following the time Satan and his angels will have been put down. And Christ, with His co-heirs, ruling in the stead of Satan and his angels, will exercise power and authority from the same realm where Satan and his angels presently rule.

Thus, the warfare rages because Satan and his angels will do everything within their power to prevent this transfer of power and authority; and it will continue to rage until Christians have been removed from the earth, anticipating Satan and his angels being removed from their heavenly realm (“threw them to [‘unto,’ ‘upon’] the earth” [Revelation 12:4, 7-10; cf. Ezekiel 16; 17; 18; 19]) with a view to Christ and His co-heirs taking the kingdom (Revelation 19:11-20:6; cf. Revelation 11:15).

These things will occur at the end of the present dispensation (which has lasted almost 2,000 years) and near the end of the present age (which has lasted almost 6,000 years). Then, and only then, will redeemed man realize the purpose for his creation in the beginning — “. . . let them have dominion” (Genesis 1:26-28).

(The present dispensation covers time between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week in Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy [Daniel 9:24-27], though not time related to the prophecy itself. The present dispensation comprises a 2,000-year period separate from time in Daniel’s prophecy.
God’s chronometer, marking time in the prophecy, has, so to speak, stopped, allowing the present dispensation to run its course. Then, once the present dispensation has been completed, the Church will be removed, and God will complete His dispensational dealings with Israel by and through the fulfillment of that which is seen in Daniel’s prophecy.
God’s chronometer relating to the Jewish people will then mark time in Daniel’s prophecy once again, fulfilling the final week, the final seven years. This final unfulfilled week is the coming seven-year Tribulation. And the fulfillment of this final week will not only complete seven unfulfilled years of the previous dispensation but also the final seven years of the age covering “Man’s 6,000-year Day.”

For more information on Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy, refer to “Daniel’s Seventy Weeks,” in this site.

For information on distinctions between ages and dispensations, refer to 5) Ages and Dispensations in this site.)

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The whole of Scripture moves toward that coming seventh day when
Christ and His co-heirs will take the scepter and rule the earth
in the stead of Satan and his angels.

During the Messianic Era, the New Jerusalem will apparently be a satellite city of the present earth. In this respect, there will be a Jerusalem above and a Jerusalem below. Christ and His co-heirs — his wife — along with certain others, will dwell in the Jerusalem above the earth, which will probably be viewed as the capital of the earth; and the Jerusalem on the earth, in which Christ will dwell as well, will form the capital city of restored Israel in the nation’s own land.

From Time to Eternity
By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
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.
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
And He said to me, “It is done!” . . . . (Revelation 20:11-21:6a)

The closing verses of Revelation 20 form a climax for events during the whole of Man’s Day and the succeeding Lord’s Day, and the events beginning Revelation 21 form a new beginning, moving matters into the eternal ages that follow — which Scripture calls, “the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12). And though there are sharp contrasts between the two, both sections of Scripture need to be studied together.

Events at the end of Revelation 20 make way for and allow events at the beginning of Revelation 21 to occur. And there are certain things in each that cannot be properly understood unless viewed in the light of one another. Thus, the chapter break is being ignored, and these two series of events are being placed together in this chapter of the book Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Time of the End, Ch. 35 or see From Time to Eternity in this site.

Moving into the Eternal Ages

Satan’s rule, with his angels, is from the heavens over the present earth. Satan and those ruling with him were placed in this position by God in the beginning, though later disqualifying themselves to continue ruling the earth (Ezekiel 28:14-16). This resulted in the earth, Satan’s kingdom, being reduced to a ruin (Genesis 1:2a).

But God later restored the kingdom during six days of restorative work (Genesis 1:2-25)[2b]. And God restored the kingdom with a view to man, whom He created on the sixth day after He had restored the ruined creation, ruling the kingdom in the stead of Satan and his angels (Genesis 1:26-31). Then God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3).

Satan though, knowing the reason for man’s creation, by and through subtlety and deception, brought about his fall and disqualification to rule (Genesis 3:1ff). And if man were to ever hold the scepter in accordance with God’s original intent; his fall would require restoration, which could only be accomplished by and through a divine redemptive work.

And this is exactly what occurred, with a redemptive work continuing to occur today. God set about to restore the subsequent ruined creation, ruined man (Genesis 3:15, 21ff), who would be restored in exact accordance with the manner in which the ruined material creation had previously been restored. God would perform a redemptive work lasting six days, 6,000 years; and then God would rest the seventh day, for 1,000 years, completing the septenary arrangement of time set at the beginning.

At the end of six days, at the end of 6,000 years, man, through a divine redemptive work, would find himself in a position to rule the earth in the stead of Satan and his angels. And Man’s rule over the earth at this time would be accomplished through the second Man, the last Adam, who, with His co-heirs, would replace Satan and his angels and rule the earth for 1,000 years during the coming Sabbath of rest awaiting the people of God (Hebrews 4:1-9).

Man today finds himself very near the end of six days of redemptive work. And the 1,000-year rule of Christ and His co-heirs lies just ahead. This 1,000-year period, fulfilling the seventh day foreshadowed in Genesis 2:1-3, will complete the septenary arrangement of time in relation to man and the earth, set at the beginning of Scripture.

Then, matters can turn to God’s final dealings with Satan, his angels, and unbelieving man in relation to this earth during the whole of the septenary arrangement of time, during the complete 7,000 years. And once God has dealt with Satan, his angels, and unbelieving man in this respect, all matters in relation to the present heaven and earth will be past (the heaven associated with this earth, or with this one solar system; not the heavens comprising the whole galaxy, or the universe at large). Then God will destroy the present heaven and earth and create a new heaven and earth in which righteousness will dwell.

The present heaven and earth will remain in existence until God’s final dealings with Satan and his angels, along with the unbelieving Gentiles whom Satan will lead astray after he has been loosed following the Millennium (Revelation 20:7-10). And the present heaven and earth will apparently pass out of existence immediately prior to the judgment of the unsaved dead at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This is something seen both at the end of Revelation 20 (in connection with the Great White Throne Judgment) and at the beginning of Revelation 21 (in connection with the new heaven and the new earth being brought into existence).

The Great White Throne Judgment

As previously seen, man was created in the beginning to rule the earth in the stead of the incumbent ruler, Satan, who had disqualified himself to continue holding the scepter. And this will be realized yet future when Satan and his angels have been put down and Christ and His co-heirs ascend the throne, holding the scepter of the earth.

But the rule of Christ and His co-heirs over the domain that Satan and his angels will have previously ruled is for one age only — the Messianic Era, lasting 1,000 years. In a larger respect though, man was created to rule not just the earth but to rule out in the universe. And the latter will be realized during the ages following the Millennium.

(Man’s rule during the ages following the Millennium is developed more fully in The Eternal Ages in this site. Note also closing remarks in the present chapter.)

The preceding has been dealt with briefly at this point in these studies for a purpose.

Understanding the reason for man’s creation in the beginning (regal) and the fact that this remains uppermost in God’s mind — not only during time (during 6,000 years of redemptive work and a subsequent 1,000 years of rest) but also during eternity (the eternal ages beyond the Millennium) — is necessary if one is to properly understand judgments occurring both before and after the Millennium.

All judgments, premillennial or postmillennial, have to do with the purpose for man’s creation, which, as well, is the purpose for God’s redemptive work following man’s fall.

All judgments occurring before the Millennium (the judgment of Christians [Revelation 1:10-3:21], Israel [Ezekiel 20:34-44], saved Gentiles surviving the Tribulation [Matthew 25:31-46], and Tribulation martyrs [Revelation 20:4-6]) have to do with the place each individual being judged will occupy in relation to Christ’s rule during the Millennium.

Many of those being judged will be found worthy to occupy regal positions of varying degrees in the kingdom, depending on their faithfulness, which will have resulted in works; but many others, because of unfaithfulness, resulting in the lack of works, will be found unworthy and will be denied such positions.

There will be no judgment per se at this time for the unsaved who survive the Tribulation and subsequently enter into the Millennium. The Millennium itself will serve as their judgment, for the Millennium will be 1,000 years of judging as Christ and His co-heirs rule the earth with a rod of iron.

Other than the Millennium itself, the only judgment of the unsaved is seen following the Millennium, proceeding the eternal ages. A judgment of the unsaved simply does not, it cannot, precede the Millennium, for all judgments preceding the Millennium have to do solely with the saved in relation to the Millennium. Millennial issues could have nothing to do with a judgment of the unsaved. Thus, their judgment does not occur until after the Millennium, as seen in Revelation 20:11-15.

And this judgment of the unsaved following the Millennium will have to be all-inclusive since it does not occur until this point in time. Thus, this judgment will have to include all of the unsaved dead throughout the entire preceding 7,000 years, extending all the way back to man’s creation, along with those whom Satan will have led astray after the 1,000 years, following his release from his confinement in the abyss.

And this judgment will evidently have to do with man alone, not with both man and angels.

It seems clear, from comparing Scripture with Scripture, that where Satan goes, his angels go.

Sometimes Satan, in relation to his present rule, is spoken of alone; but at other times the angels ruling with him are seen as well (cf. Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 25:41; Luke 4:6; 10:18; Revelation 12:3-9).

And the counterpart to this would be that sometimes Christ, in relation to His coming rule, is spoken of alone; but at other times those ruling with Him are seen as well — His co-heirs, Israel, saved Gentiles coming out of the Tribulation, and Tribulation martyrs (cf. Joel 2:27-32; Matthew 25:34, 46; Luke 1:31-33; Romans 8:17-19; Hebrews 1:9; 3:14; Revelation 11:15; 20:4-6).

In short, when Satan is cast into the abyss before the Millennium, his angels will evidently be cast in with him; when he is loosed following the Millennium, his angels will evidently be loosed with him; and when he is cast into the lake of fire, his angels will evidently be cast in with him. And the preceding, at least in the final analysis, could only include the angels seen loosed when the sixth trumpet is sounded and the corresponding sixth bowl (KJV: vial) is poured out in Revelation 9:13-21; 16:12-16 (cf. 1 Peter 3:18-20; Jude 1:6).

Attention is called to this fact because of some who attempt to teach that angels will be judged along with man at the Great White Throne Judgment. The thought of angels also being judged at this time is derived mainly from the statement, “the sea gave up the dead who were in it,” in Revelation 20:13a. And a basis for seeing Satan’s angels in connection with the sea would be Job. 26:5, where Rephaim tremble beneath the waters (Rephaim is another name for the Nephilim in Genesis 6:4; Numbers 13:33 [ref. NASB, with Rephaim translated “spirits” in Job 26:5; both Nephilim and Rephaim are transliterated Hebrew words]).

To further support the thought of angels being judged at this time, attention is called to the fact that all of the dead in the human realm would be taken care of by the expression that immediately follows a mention of the sea giving up the dead — “and Death and Hades [‘hell’ in the KJV; ‘Hades,’ the place of the dead] delivered up the dead who were in them” (Revelation 20:13b). And the question is asked: Why single out the sea separate from death and Hades unless individuals from outside the human realm are being referenced?

But, if Satan’s angels had previously been cast into the lake of fire with him (which would evidently have occurred), there could be no basis for the thought that they would be present and would be judged, along with man, at the Great White Throne Judgment.

And that would be substantiated by noting how the word “sea” is used in this passage. The word “sea” is not only used in Revelation 20:13 but also in Revelation 21:1, at the time that the new heaven and the new earth are brought into existence. And, contextually, it appears evident that the word is used the same way in both verses — not in a literal sense, having to do with a place of angelic confinement, but in a metaphorical sense, depicting something other than a literal sea, which would be very much in keeping with the extensive use of metaphors throughout Revelation.

The expression, “the sea,” when used in a metaphorical sense refers to either the Gentiles or the place of death (e.g., Jonah 1:11-2:10; 1 Corinthians 10:2; Colossians 2:12; Revelation 13:1). In both Revelation 20:13 and Revelation 21:1, contextually, death would be in view. In both places, “the sea” appears in a parallel respect to death (cf. Revelation 20:13a, 13b, 14; 21:1, 4). A reference to “the sea” giving up the dead (Revelation 20:13a) is simply another way of saying the same thing as the text goes on to relate — to “Death and Hades [KJV: ‘hell”]” giving up the dead (Revelation 20:13-14). The two references form parallel statements, saying the same thing two different ways, providing an emphasis on the finality of the matter — an emphasis having to do with the end of death.

(Parallels of the nature seen here are very common in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. And, though less common in the Greek text of the New Testament, contextually, it is quite evident that a parallel of this nature exists in both places in this section of the book of Revelation.)

The Great White Throne Judgment depicts a final judgment of all the unsaved dead. Those present in that day will have rejected God’s redemptive work and, as a result, can have no part in God’s regal statements regarding man at the time of his creation. Now they can only be consigned to the same place prepared for the Devil and his angels — a place prepared for those who, not only in the beginning but throughout Man’s Day and at the termination of the Lord’s Day, had rejected God’s supreme power and authority.

In the beginning, Satan had sought to occupy a higher position than the one in which he found himself, the position in which God had placed him; and one-third of the angels ruling with him went along with his God-dishonoring aspirations.

During Man’s Day, Satan and his angels have worked continuously to subvert not only God’s redemptive work but the purpose for this work; and following the Millennium, Satan and his angels will attempt a final work in this respect immediately before they are cast into the lake of fire, where they will reside throughout the endless ages of eternity.

And man, rejecting God’s redemptive work, will, in the final analysis, find himself in this same place, for the same duration, for basically the same reason — residing in the lake of fire throughout the same endless ages of eternity, for he will have rejected God’s redemptive work and the reason for this work.

The Great White Throne Judgment will bring about an end to sin and death in relation to man, whom God had created to rule in His kingdom. In the preceding respect, this judgment has to do with removing from God’s kingdom all remaining vestiges of sin and death in the human realm prior to the new heaven and new earth being brought into existence.

This judgment appears to occur at a time following the destruction of the present heaven and earth but preceding the existence of the new heaven and earth. In Revelation 20:11, the earth and the heaven are seen to flee away from the face of the One seated on the throne — “from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away” (cf. Revelation 21:1). The Greek word pheugo, translated “fled away” in this passage, could be understood in the sense of “disappear,” or “vanish.”

This judgment appears to occur out in space, with the present earth and heaven possibly having passed out of existence at this time, leaving no place for those appearing before the throne to go. Regardless, they will be left at the mercy of the One seated on the throne, though there will be no exercise of mercy, only justice.

Following their judgment on the basis of works (Revelation 20:12), for that is the only basis upon which they could be judged (they will have already been judged on the basis of non-belief surrounding God’s Son [John 3:16-18]), they will be cast into the lake of fire, joining the beast, the false prophet, and Satan and his angels.

And, when this has been accomplished, sin and death will have been done away with, allowing the new heaven and the new earth to be brought into existence.

The New Heaven and Earth

With the introduction of the new heaven and the new earth in Revelation 21:1, two parallel sections of Scripture follow, taking one to the end of the book.

The first section is rather brief, beginning with the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God,” followed by conditions that will exist during the eternal ages (Revelation 21:2-6a). And this section ends with an overcomer’s promise and corresponding warnings, which would relate back to conditions during the previous Messianic Era, not to conditions during the eternal ages (Revelation 21:6-8).

The second section begins the same way as the first, with the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God.” And this second section provides numerous descriptive details concerning the New Jerusalem that are not provided in the first. In fact, descriptive details concerning the New Jerusalem comprise almost all of this part of the section (Revelation 21:9-22:5). Then, as in the previous section, this part about the New Jerusalem is followed by a section having to do with overcoming, rewards, and blessings, with the converse of the preceding dealt with as well. And this section, having to do with conditions in the previous Messianic Era, takes one to the end of the book (Revelation 22:6-21).

(That the two parallel sections forming these closing two chapters of the book are to be divided in the previous manner is obvious. Conditions depicted in the latter part of each section cannot possibly exist during the eternal ages. And the converse of that which is concerning the opening parts of these two sections is equally true.)

The first thing mentioned relative to the eternal ages is God bringing into existence a new heaven and a new earth to replace a previously destroyed heaven and earth. Then, relative to the new heaven and the new earth, Scripture states, “there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).

The “sea” would have to do with the whole of the new creation, both the new heaven and the new earth. And used in the same metaphorical sense as is seen in the previous chapter (Revelation 20:13) — as a reference to death, paralleling a subsequent statement concerning death (Revelation 21:4) — the one thing brought to the forefront relative to the new heaven and the new earth is the absence of death, and accordingly the absence of sin.

The previous heaven and earth — the heaven and the earth that exist now — had/has sin in both realms, with a corresponding death in the earthly realm. Sin invaded the heavenly realm in an age preceding the creation of man, when Satan sought to occupy a higher regal position than the one in which he had been placed. Then, sin invaded the earthly realm when Satan brought about man’s fall, affecting both man and the earth (note that sin would also have been associated with the previously ruined earth following Satan’s fall).

Preceding the Messianic Era, because of sin in the heavenly realm, the heavens will have to be cleansed before Christ and His co-heirs can rule from the heavens over the earth (Job 15:15). And, as well, there will have to be a restoration of the ruined earth once again (cf. Genesis 3:17-19; Isaiah 35:1ff; Acts 3:21; Romans 8:19-22; Colossians 1:20).

But the destruction of the present heaven and earth at the end of the Millennium and a new heaven and a new earth being brought into existence will result in an end to numerous things that had existed in the past heaven and earth. This termination of things will begin with sin and death, as seen in Revelation 21:1. And, as seen in Revelation 21:4, this will include tears, sorrow, crying, and pain. None of these things will exist in the new heaven and the new earth.

(The new earth may or may not have bodies of water that we know today as seas. Viewing the use of “sea” in Revelation 21:1 correctly, there is really no Scripture that deals with the matter.)

After the destruction of the present heaven and earth and the bringing into existence of a new heaven and a new earth, the New Jerusalem is seen coming down to rest upon the new earth (Revelation 21:2, 10, 23-27; 22:1-2). The “great and high mountain” upon which John stood as he witnessed this scene is apparently a metaphorical reference to the greatness of the kingdom as it will exist in that day (note the millennial scene in this same respect in Isaiah 2:1-4 and Daniel 2:35, 44-45).

The thought of the New Jerusalem standing on the new earth, as not only the apparent capital city of the new earth but, as will be shown, the center of universal government, sets forth another thought. The size of the New Jerusalem — about 1,500 hundred miles square, and about 1,500 miles high — would dwarf the present earth. Thus, the new earth will apparently be much larger than the present earth, with the land area in the Abrahamic covenant being extensively increased in size, for this land will accommodate the New Jerusalem.

Regardless, as seen in The Eternal Ages, this city will house the center of government for the entire universe. God Himself will dwell in this city, seated with His Son on “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1, 3). And God, along with His Son, will administer the government of the universe from this place through the whole of mankind, and through angels.

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The Time of the End BOOK, Ch. 35, in this site.

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If we are to escape modern idolatry, we have to admit that it is rampant and reject it in all its forms. Sadly, we are still falling for it. Even more sadly, many churches are propagating it in the preaching of the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel built on the idol of self-esteem.

Idolatry, Some Modern Forms of
By Got Questions

(Note: Some changes have been made to the 'Third' form.)

All the various forms of modern idolatry have one thing at their core: self. We no longer bow down to idols and images. Instead we worship at the altar of the god of self. This brand of modern idolatry takes various forms.

First, we worship at the altar of materialism which feeds our need to build our egos through the acquisition of more “stuff.” Our homes are filled with all manner of possessions. We build bigger and bigger houses with more closets and storage space in order to house all the things we buy, much of which we haven’t even paid for yet. Most of our stuff has “planned obsolescence” built into it, making it useless in no time, and so we consign it to the garage or other storage space. Then we rush out to buy the newest item, garment or gadget and the whole process starts over. This insatiable desire for more, better, and newer stuff is nothing more than covetousness. The tenth commandment tells us not to fall victim to coveting: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:17). God doesn’t just want to rain on our buying sprees. He knows we will never be happy indulging our materialistic desires because it is Satan’s trap to keep our focus on ourselves and not on Him.

Second, we worship at the altar of our own pride and ego. This often takes the form of obsession with careers and jobs. Millions of men—and increasingly more women—spend 60-80 hours a week working. Even on the weekends and during vacations, our laptops are humming and our minds are whirling with thoughts of how to make our businesses more successful, how to get that promotion, how to get the next raise, how to close the next deal. In the meantime, our children are starving for attention and love. We fool ourselves into thinking we are doing it for them, to give them a better life. But the truth is we are doing it for ourselves, to increase our self-esteem by appearing more successful in the eyes of the world. This is folly. All our labors and accomplishments will be of no use to us after we die, nor will the admiration of the world, because these things have no eternal value. As King Solomon put it,

“For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 2:21-23).

Third, we idolize mankind—and by extension ourselves—through naturalism and the power of science. This gives us the illusion that we are lords of our world and builds our self-esteem to godlike proportions. We reject God’s Word and His description of how He created the heavens and the earth, and we accept the nonsense of evolution and naturalism. We embrace the goddess of environmentalism and fool ourselves into thinking we can preserve the earth indefinitely when God has declared the earth has a limited lifespan and will last only until the end of time. Then, He will destroy all that He has made and create a new heaven and new earth.

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

As this passage so clearly states, our focus should not be on worshipping the environment, but on living holy lives as we await the rapture with the hope of ruling and reigning with Christ.

Finally, and perhaps most destructively, we worship at the altar of self-aggrandizement or the fulfillment of the self to the exclusion of all others and their needs and desires. This manifests itself in self-indulgence through alcohol, drugs, and food. Those in affluent countries have unlimited access to alcohol, drugs (prescription drug use is at an all-time high, even among children), and food. Obesity rates in the U.S. have skyrocketed, and childhood diabetes brought on by overeating is epidemic. The self-control we so desperately need is spurned in our insatiable desire to eat, drink, and medicate more and more. We resist any effort to get us to curb our appetites, and we are determined to make ourselves the god of our lives. This has its origin in the Garden of Eden where Satan tempted Eve to eat of the tree with the words “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). This has been man’s desire ever since—to be god and, as we have seen, the worship of self is the basis of all modern idolatry.

All idolatry of self has at its core the three lusts found in 1 John 2:16:

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)

If we are to escape modern idolatry, we have to admit that it is rampant and reject it in all its forms. It is not of God, but of Satan, and in it we will never find fulfillment. This is the great lie and the same one Satan has been telling since he first lied to Adam and Eve. Sadly, we are still falling for it. Even more sadly, many churches are propagating it in the preaching of the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel built on the idol of self-esteem. But we will never find happiness focusing on ourselves. Our hearts and minds must be centered on God and on others. This is why when asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). When we love the Lord and others with everything that is in us, there will be no room in our hearts for idolatry.

Got Questions - Idolatry, Some Modern Forms of

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Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts Test
By Bill Gothard
December 13, 2008

3 STAGES OF DISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT

1. You are NOT sure what your gift is…

There may be several reasons for this including the tendency to confuse a ministry gift with a motivational gift.

2. You ARE sure what your gift is…

At this stage, you enjoy having fellowship with others who have the same gift. Beware of isolating yourself from interacting with all the gifts, since you will then tend to have a limited response to a given need or situation.

3. You demonstrate ALL the gifts…

By learning to see a need or situation from the perspective of all seven gifts, you will greatly enhance the exercise and effectiveness of your own spiritual gift.

TAKE THE TEST!

(Note: If you find this commentary of interest and desire to take the following test, the best way is to download the test from the word link at the bottom left of this document so it can be printed.)

The following is a test I would like you to take to help you determine what motivational gift you possess. Check yes or no to each question below. Say “yes” to the questions that sound the most like you and “no” to the ones that don’t.

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: Spiritual Gifts Test, Discovering Your, by Bill Gothard, 12- 13-2008.docx

Ok, now it is time to tally it up. Please note that some “persons” have more questions than others. This should not raise too much of a problem. First, count the answers and push aside the persons with the most “no’s.”

Now, count the persons with the “yes’s.” Which person has more? Whichever person has more “yes’s,” that is most likely your spiritual gift.

If you have a person with 11 questions and got 10 “yes’s” and then a person with 10 questions and got all 10, in that case, it would be the person that has all “yes’s.”

Person 1 - Teacher    Teacher
Person 2 - Organizer Organizer
Person 3 - Prophet      Prophecy
Person 4 - Mercy         Mercy
Person 5 - Exhorter     Exhorter
Person 6 - Server        Server
Person 7 - Giver          Giver

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The following Word Document is SAFE to open and easier to copy and print: Spiritual Gifts Test, Discovering Your, by Bill Gothard, 12- 13-2008.docx

Also see God's Seven Spiritual Gifts preceding in this site.

Bill Gothard - Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts Test

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Embrace Islam... If you two accept Islam, you will remain in command of your country; but if your refuse my Call, you’ve got to remember that all of your possessions are perishable. My horsemen will appropriate your land, and my Prophethood will assume preponderance over your kingship."

Muslims and Infidels
By The Religion of Peace Organization

Does the Quran really contain dozens of verses promoting violence?

The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.

Unlike nearly all of the Old Testament verses of violence, the verses of violence in the Quran are mostly open-ended, meaning that they are not restrained by the historical context of the surrounding text. They are part of the eternal, unchanging word of Allah, and just as relevant or subjective as anything else in the Quran.

The context of violent passages is more ambiguous than might be expected of a perfect book from a loving God, however this can work both ways. Most of today's Muslims exercise a personal choice to interpret their holy book's call to arms according to their own moral preconceptions about justifiable violence. Apologists cater to their preferences with tenuous arguments that gloss over historical fact and generally do not stand up to scrutiny. Still, it is important to note that the problem is not bad people, but bad ideology.

Unfortunately, there are very few verses of tolerance and peace to abrogate or even balance out the many that call for nonbelievers to be fought and subdued until they either accept humiliation, convert to Islam, or are killed. Muhammad's own martial legacy - and that of his companions - along with the remarkable stress on violence found in the Quran have produced a trail of blood and tears across world history.

The Quran:

Quran (2:191-193) - "And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief] is worse than killing...

but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)" (Translation is from the Noble Quran) The historical context of this passage is not defensive warfare, since Muhammad and his Muslims had just relocated to Medina and were not under attack by their Meccan adversaries. In fact, the verses urge offensive warfare, in that Muslims are to drive Meccans out of their own city (which they later did). The use of the word "persecution" by some Muslim translators is thus disingenuous (the actual Muslim words for persecution - "idtihad" - and oppression - a variation of "z-l-m" - do not appear in the verse). The actual Arabic comes from "fitna" which can mean disbelief, or the disorder that results from unbelief or temptation. Taken as a whole, the context makes clear that violence is being authorized until "religion is for Allah" - i.e. unbelievers desist in their unbelief.

Quran (2:244) - "Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah Heareth and knoweth all things."

Quran (2:216) - "Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not." Not only does this verse establish that violence can be virtuous, but it also contradicts the myth that fighting is intended only in self-defense, since the audience was obviously not under attack at the time. From the Hadith, we know that this verse was narrated at a time that Muhammad was actually trying to motivate his people into raiding merchant caravans for loot.

Quran (3:56) - "As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help."

Quran (3:151) - "Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority." This speaks directly of polytheists, yet it also includes Christians, since they believe in the Trinity (i.e. what Muhammad incorrectly believed to be 'joining companions to Allah').

Quran (4:74) - "Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward." The martyrs of Islam are unlike the early Christians, who were led meekly to the slaughter. These Muslims are killed in battle as they attempt to inflict death and destruction for the cause of Allah. This is the theological basis for today's suicide bombers.

Quran (4:76) - "Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah…"

Quran (4:89) - "They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks."

Quran (4:95) - "Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward." This passage criticizes "peaceful" Muslims who do not join in the violence, letting them know that they are less worthy in Allah's eyes. It also demolishes the modern myth that "Jihad" doesn't mean holy war in the Quran, but rather a spiritual struggle. Not only is the Arabic word used in this passage, but it is clearly not referring to anything spiritual, since the physically disabled are given exemption. (The Hadith reveals the context of the passage to be in response to a blind man's protest that he is unable to engage in Jihad and this is reflected in other translations of the verse).

Quran (4:104) - "And be not weak hearted in pursuit of the enemy; if you suffer pain, then surely they (too) suffer pain as you suffer pain..." Is pursuing an injured and retreating enemy really an act of self-defense?

Quran (5:33) - "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement"

Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them." No reasonable person would interpret this to mean a spiritual struggle.

Quran (8:15) - "O ye who believe! When ye meet those who disbelieve in battle, turn not your backs to them. (16) Whoso on that day turneth his back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intent to join a company, he truly hath incurred wrath from Allah, and his habitation will be hell, a hapless journey's end."

Quran (8:39) - "And fight with them until there is no more fitna (disorder, unbelief) and religion should be only for Allah." Some translations interpret "fitna" as "persecution", but the traditional understanding of this word is not supported by the historical context (See notes for 2:193). The Meccans were simply refusing Muhammad access to their city during Haj. Other Muslims were allowed to travel there - just not as an armed group, since Muhammad had declared war on Mecca prior to his eviction. The Meccans were also acting in defense of their religion, since it was Muhammad's intention to destroy their idols and establish Islam by force (which he later did). Hence the critical part of this verse is to fight until "religion is only for Allah", meaning that the true justification of violence was the unbelief of the opposition. According to the Sira (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 324) Muhammad further explains that "Allah must have no rivals."

Quran (8:57) - "If thou comest on them in the war, deal with them so as to strike fear in those who are behind them, that haply they may remember."

Quran (8:59-60) - "And let not those who disbelieve suppose that they can outstrip (Allah's Purpose). Lo! they cannot escape. Make ready for them all thou canst of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy."

Quran (8:65) - "O Prophet, exhort the believers to fight..."

Quran (9:5) - "So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them." According to this verse, the best way of staying safe from Muslim violence is to convert to Islam (prayer (salat) and the poor tax (zakat) are among the religion's Five Pillars). This popular claim that the Quran only inspires violence within the context of self-defense is seriously challenged by this passage as well, since the Muslims to whom it was written were obviously not under attack. Had they been, then there would have been no waiting period (earlier verses make it a duty for Muslims to fight in self-defense, even during the sacred months). The historical context is Mecca after the idolaters were subjugated by Muhammad and posed no threat. Once the Muslims had the power, they violently evicted those unbelievers who would not convert.

Quran (9:14) - "Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace..."

Quran (9:20) - "Those who believe, and have left their homes and striven with their wealth and their lives in Allah's way are of much greater worth in Allah's sight. These are they who are triumphant." The Arabic word interpreted as "striving" in this verse is the same root as "Jihad". The context is obviously holy war.

Quran (9:29) - "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." "People of the Book" refers to Christians and Jews. According to this verse, they are to be violently subjugated, with the sole justification being their religious status. This was one of the final "revelations" from Allah and it set in motion the tenacious military expansion, in which Muhammad's companions managed to conquer two-thirds of the Christian world in the next 100 years. Islam is intended to dominate all other people and faiths.

Quran (9:30) - "And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!"

Quran (9:38-39) - "O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place." This is a warning to those who refuse to fight, that they will be punished with Hell.

Quran (9:41) - "Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew." See also the verse that follows (9:42) - "If there had been immediate gain (in sight), and the journey easy, they would (all) without doubt have followed thee, but the distance was long, (and weighed) on them" This contradicts the myth that Muslims are to fight only in self-defense, since the wording implies that battle will be waged a long distance from home (in another country and on Christian soil, in this case, according to the historians).

Quran (9:73) - "O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination." Dehumanizing those who reject Islam, by reminding Muslims that unbelievers are merely firewood for Hell, makes it easier to justify slaughter. It also explains why today's devout Muslims have little regard for those outside the faith.

Quran (9:88) - "But the Messenger, and those who believe with him, strive and fight with their wealth and their persons: for them are (all) good things: and it is they who will prosper."

Quran (9:111) - "Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Quran: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme." How does the Quran define a true believer?

Quran (9:123) - "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness."

Quran (17:16) - "And when We wish to destroy a town, We send Our commandment to the people of it who lead easy lives, but they transgress therein; thus the word proves true against it, so We destroy it with utter destruction." Note that the crime is moral transgression, and the punishment is "utter destruction." (Before ordering the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden first issued Americans an invitation to Islam).

Quran (18:65-81) - This parable lays the theological groundwork for honor killings, in which a family member is murdered because they brought shame to the family, either through apostasy or perceived moral indiscretion. The story (which is not found in any Jewish or Christian source) tells of Moses encountering a man with "special knowledge" who does things which don't seem to make sense on the surface, but are then justified according to later explanation. One such action is to murder a youth for no apparent reason (74). However, the wise man later explains that it was feared that the boy would "grieve" his parents by "disobedience and ingratitude." He was killed so that Allah could provide them a 'better' son. (Note: This is one reason why honor killing is sanctioned by Sharia. Reliance of the Traveler (Umdat al-Saliq) says that punishment for murder is not applicable when a parent or grandparent kills their offspring (o.1.1-2).)

Quran (21:44) - "We gave the good things of this life to these men and their fathers until the period grew long for them; See they not that We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying borders? Is it then they who will win?"

Quran (25:52) - "Therefore listen not to the Unbelievers, but strive against them with the utmost strenuousness..." "Strive against" is Jihad - obviously not in the personal context. It's also significant to point out that this is a Meccan verse.

Quran (33:60-62) - "If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and the alarmists in the city do not cease, We verily shall urge thee on against them, then they will be your neighbors in it but a little while. Accursed, they will be seized wherever found and slain with a (fierce) slaughter." This passage sanctions the slaughter (rendered "merciless" and "horrible murder" in other translations) against three groups: Hypocrites (Muslims who refuse to "fight in the way of Allah" (3:167) and hence don't act as Muslims should), those with "diseased hearts" (which include Jews and Christians 5:51-52), and "alarmists" or "agitators who include those who merely speak out against Islam, according to Muhammad's biographers. It is worth noting that the victims are to be sought out by Muslims, which is what today's terrorists do. If this passage is meant merely to apply to the city of Medina, then it is unclear why it is included in Allah's eternal word to Muslim generations.

Quran (47:3-4) - "Those who reject Allah follow vanities, while those who believe follow the truth from their lord. Thus does Allah set forth form men their lessons by similitude. Therefore when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners." Those who reject Allah are to be subdued in battle. The verse goes on to say the only reason Allah doesn't do the dirty work himself is in order to to test the faithfulness of Muslims. Those who kill pass the test. "But if it had been Allah's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others. But those who are slain in the Way of Allah,- He will never let their deeds be lost."

Quran (47:35) - "Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, when ye should be uppermost (Shakir: "have the upper hand") for Allah is with you,"

Quran (48:17) - "There is no blame for the blind, nor is there blame for the lame, nor is there blame for the sick (that they go not forth to war). And whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow; and whoso turneth back, him will He punish with a painful doom." Contemporary apologists sometimes claim that Jihad means 'spiritual struggle.' Is so, then why are the blind, lame and sick exempted? This verse also says that those who do not fight will suffer torment in hell.

Quran (48:29) - "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard (ruthless) against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves." Islam is not about treating everyone equally. There are two very distinct standards that are applied based on religious status. Also the word used for 'hard' or 'ruthless' in this verse shares the same root as the word translated as 'painful' or severe' in verse 16.

Quran (61:4) - "Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way" Religion of Peace, indeed! The verse explicitly refers to "battle array" meaning that it is speaking of physical conflict. This is followed by (61:9): "He it is who has sent His Messenger (Mohammed) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam) to make it victorious over all religions even though the infidels may resist." (See next verse, below). Infidels who resist Islamic rule are to be fought.

Quran (61:10-12) - "O You who believe! Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful torment. That you believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ), and that you strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know! (If you do so) He will forgive you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwelling in Gardens of 'Adn - Eternity ['Adn (Edn) Paradise], that is indeed the great success." This verse refers to physical battle in order to make Islam victorious over other religions (see above). It uses the Arabic word, Jihad.

Quran (66:9) - "O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey's end." The root word of "Jihad" is used again here. The context is clearly holy war, and the scope of violence is broadened to include "hypocrites" - those who call themselves Muslims but do not act as such.

From the Hadith:

Bukhari (52:177) - Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."

Bukhari (52:256) - The Prophet... was asked whether it was permissible to attack the pagan warriors at night with the probability of exposing their women and children to danger. The Prophet replied, "They (i.e. women and children) are from them (i.e. pagans)." In this command, Muhammad establishes that it is permissible to kill non-combatants in the process of killing a perceived enemy. This provides justification for the many Islamic terror bombings.

Bukhari (52:65) - The Prophet said, 'He who fights that Allah's Word, Islam, should be superior, fights in Allah's Cause.' Muhammad's words are the basis for offensive Jihad - spreading Islam by force. This is how it was understood by his companions, and by the terrorists of today.

Bukhari (52:220) - Allah's Apostle said... 'I have been made victorious with terror'.

Abu Dawud (14:2526) - The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Three things are the roots of faith: to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action; and jihad will be performed continuously since the day Allah sent me as a prophet until the day the last member of my community will fight with the Dajjal (Antichrist).

Abu Dawud (14:2527) - The Prophet said: Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious.

Muslim (1:33) - the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

Bukhari (8:387) - Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah'. And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally."

Muslim (1:30) - "The Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah."

Bukhari (52:73) - "Allah's Apostle said, 'Know that Paradise is under the shades of swords'."

Bukhari (11:626) - [Muhammad said:] "I decided to order a man to lead the prayer and then take a flame to burn all those, who had not left their houses for the prayer, burning them alive inside their homes."

Muslim (1:149) - "Abu Dharr reported: I said: Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds is the best? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Belief in Allah and Jihad in His cause..."

Muslim (20:4645) - "...He (the Messenger of Allah) did that and said: There is another act which elevates the position of a man in Paradise to a grade one hundred (higher), and the elevation between one grade and the other is equal to the height of the heaven from the earth. He (Abu Sa'id) said: What is that act? He replied: Jihad in the way of Allah! Jihad in the way of Allah!"

Muslim (20:4696) - "the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: 'One who died but did not fight in the way of Allah nor did he express any desire (or determination) for Jihad died the death of a hypocrite.'"

Muslim (19:4321-4323) - Three separate hadith in which Muhammad shrugs over the news that innocent children were killed in a raid by his men against unbelievers. His response: "They are of them (meaning the enemy)."

Muslim (19:4294) - "When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) appointed anyone as leader of an army or detachment he would especially exhort him... He would say: Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war... When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them... If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah's help and fight them."

Bukhari 1:35 "The person who participates in (Holy Battles) in Allah’s cause and nothing compels him do so except belief in Allah and His Apostle, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise (if he is killed)."

Tabari 7:97 The morning after the murder of Ashraf, the Prophet declared, "Kill any Jew who falls under your power." Ashraf was a poet, killed by Muhammad's men because he insulted Islam. Here, Muhammad widens the scope of his orders to kill. An innocent Jewish businessman was then slain by his Muslim partner, merely for being non-Muslim.

Tabari 9:69 "Killing Unbelievers is a small matter to us." The words of Muhammad, prophet of Islam.

Tabari 17:187 'By God, our religion (din) from which we have departed is better and more correct than that which these people follow. Their religion does not stop them from shedding blood, terrifying the roads, and seizing properties.' And they returned to their former religion." The words of a group of Christians who had converted to Islam, but realized their error after being shocked by the violence and looting committed in the name of Allah. The price of their decision to return to a religion of peace was that the men were beheaded and the woman and children enslaved by the caliph Ali.

Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 484: - “Allah said, ‘A prophet must slaughter before collecting captives. A slaughtered enemy is driven from the land. Muhammad, you craved the desires of this world, its goods and the ransom captives would bring. But Allah desires killing them to manifest the religion.’”

Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 990: - Lest anyone think that cutting off someone's head while screaming 'Allah Akbar!' is a modern creation, here is an account of that very practice under Muhammad, who seems to approve.

Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 992: - "Fight everyone in the way of Allah and kill those who disbelieve in Allah." Muhammad's instructions to his men prior to a military raid.

Saifur Rahman, The Sealed Nectar p.227-228 - "Embrace Islam... If you two accept Islam, you will remain in command of your country; but if your refuse my Call, you’ve got to remember that all of your possessions are perishable. My horsemen will appropriate your land, and my Prophethood will assume preponderance over your kingship." One of several letters from Muhammad to rulers of other countries. The significance is that the recipients were not making war or threatening Muslims. Their subsequent defeat and subjugation by Muhammad's armies was justified merely on the basis of their unbelief.

Additional Notes:

Other than the fact that Muslims haven't killed every non-Muslim under their domain, there is very little else that they can point to as proof that theirs is a peaceful, tolerant religion. Where Islam is dominant (as in the Middle East and Pakistan) religious minorities suffer brutal persecution with little resistance. Where Islam is in the minority (as in Thailand, the Philippines and Europe) there is the threat of violence if Muslim demands are not met. Either situation seems to provide a justification for religious terrorism, which is persistent and endemic to Islamic fundamentalism.

The reasons are obvious and begin with the Quran. Few verses of Islam's most sacred text can be construed to fit the contemporary virtues of religious tolerance and universal brotherhood. Those that do are earlier "Meccan" verses which are obviously abrogated by later ones. This is why Muslim apologists speak of the "risks" of trying to interpret the Quran without their "assistance" - even while claiming that it is a perfect book.

Far from being mere history or theological construct, the violent verses of the Quran have played a key role in very real massacre and genocide. This includes the brutal slaughter of tens of millions of Hindus for five centuries beginning around 1000 AD with Mahmud of Ghazni's bloody conquest. Both he and the later Tamerlane (Islam's Genghis Khan) slaughtered an untold number merely for defending their temples from destruction. Buddhism was very nearly wiped off the Indian subcontinent. Judaism and Christianity met the same fate (albeit more slowly) in areas conquered by Muslim armies, including the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe, including today's Turkey. Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of a proud Persian people is despised by Muslims and barely survives in modern Iran.

So ingrained is violence in the religion that Islam has never really stopped being at war, either with other religions or with itself.

Muhammad was a military leader, laying siege to towns, massacring the men, raping their women, enslaving their children, and taking the property of others as his own. On several occasions he rejected offers of surrender from the besieged inhabitants and even butchered captives. He actually inspired his followers to battle when they did not feel it was right to fight, promising them slaves and booty if they did and threatening them with Hell if they did not. Muhammad allowed his men to rape traumatized women captured in battle, usually on the very day their husbands and family members were slaughtered.

It is important to emphasize that, for the most part, Muslim armies waged aggressive campaigns, and the religion's most dramatic military conquests were made by the actual companions of Muhammad in the decades following his death. The early Islamic principle of warfare was that the civilian population of a town was to be destroyed (ie. men executed, women and children taken as slaves) if they defended themselves. Although modern apologists often claim that Muslims are only supposed to attack in self-defense, this is an oxymoron that is flatly contradicted by the accounts of Islamic historians and others that go back to the time of Muhammad.

Consider the example of the Qurayza Jews, who were completely obliterated only five years after Muhammad arrived in Medina. Their leader opted to stay neutral when their town was besieged by a Meccan army that was sent to take revenge for Muhammad's deadly caravan raids. The tribe killed no one from either side and even surrendered peacefully to Muhammad after the Meccans had been turned back. Yet the prophet of Islam had every male member of the Qurayza beheaded, and every woman and child enslaved, even raping one of the captives himself (what Muslim apologists might refer to as "same day marriage").

One of Islam's most revered modern scholars, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, openly sanctions offensive Jihad: "In the Jihad which you are seeking, you look for the enemy and invade him. This type of Jihad takes place only when the Islamic state is invading other [countries] in order to spread the word of Islam and to remove obstacles standing in its way." Elsewhere, he notes: "Islam has the right to take the initiative…this is God’s religion and it is for the whole world. It has the right to destroy all obstacles in the form of institutions and traditions … it attacks institutions and traditions to release human beings from their poisonous influences, which distort human nature and curtail human freedom. Those who say that Islamic Jihad was merely for the defense of the 'homeland of Islam' diminish the greatness of the Islamic way of life."

The widely respected Dictionary of Islam defines Jihad as "A religious war with those who are unbelievers in the mission of Muhammad. It is an incumbent religious duty, established in the Qur'an and in the Traditions as a divine institution, and enjoined specially for the purpose of advancing Islam and of repelling evil from Muslims…[Quoting from the Hanafi school, Hedaya, 2:140, 141.], "The destruction of the sword is incurred by infidels, although they be not the first aggressors, as appears from various passages in the traditions which are generally received to this effect."

Muhammad's failure to leave a clear line of succession resulted in perpetual internal war following his death. Those who knew him best first fought to keep remote tribes from leaving Islam and reverting to their preferred religion (the Ridda or 'Apostasy wars'). Then, within the closer community, early Meccan converts battled later ones. Hostility developed between those immigrants who had traveled with Muhammad to Mecca and the Ansar at Medina who had helped them settle in. Finally there was a violent struggle within Muhammad's own family between his favorite wife and favorite daughter - a jagged schism that has left Shias and Sunnis at each others' throats to this day.

The strangest and most untrue thing that can be said about Islam is that it is a Religion of Peace. If every standard by which the West is judged and condemned (slavery, imperialism, intolerance, misogyny, sexual repression, warfare...) were applied equally to Islam, the verdict would be devastating. Islam never gives up what it conquers, be it religion, culture, language or life. Neither does it make apologies or any real effort at moral progress. It is the least open to dialogue and the most self-absorbed. It is convinced of its own perfection, yet brutally shuns self-examination and represses criticism.

This is what makes the Quran's verses of violence so dangerous. They are given the weight of divine command. While Muslim terrorists take them as literally as anything else in their holy book, and understand that Islam is incomplete without Jihad, moderates offer little to contradict them - outside of opinion. Indeed, what do they have? Speaking of peace and love may win over the ignorant, but when every twelfth verse of Islam's holiest book either speaks to Allah's hatred for non-Muslims or calls for their death, forced conversion, or subjugation, it's little wonder that sympathy for terrorism runs as deeply as it does in the broader community - even if most Muslims personally prefer not to interpret their religion in this way.

Although scholars like Ibn Khaldun, one of Islam's most respected philosophers, understood that "the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force", many other Muslims are either unaware or willfully ignorant of the Quran's near absence of verses that preach universal non-violence. Their understanding of Islam comes from what they are taught by others. In the West, it is typical for believers to think that their religion must be like Christianity - preaching the New Testament virtues of peace, love, and tolerance - because Muslims are taught that Islam is supposed to be superior in every way. They are somewhat surprised and embarrassed to learn that the evidence of the Quran and the bloody history of Islam are very much in contradiction to this.

Others simply accept the violence. In 1991, a Palestinian couple in America was convicted of stabbing their daughter to death for being too Westernized. A family friend came to their defense, excoriating the jury for not understanding the "culture", claiming that the father was merely following "the religion" and saying that the couple had to "discipline their daughter or lose respect." (source). In 2011, unrepentant Palestinian terrorists, responsible for the brutal murders of civilians, women and children explicitly in the name of Allah were treated to a luxurious "holy pilgrimage" to Mecca by the Saudi king - without a single Muslim voice raised in protest.

For their part, Western liberals would do well not to sacrifice critical thinking to the god of political correctness, or look for reasons to bring other religion down to the level of Islam merely to avoid the existential truth that this it is both different and dangerous.

There are just too many Muslims who take the Quran literally... and too many others who couldn't care less about the violence done in the name of Islam.

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The Religion of Peace - Muslims and Infidels - Violence

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It is a rule of politics and business to bargain from strength. Israel is now as strong as it is going to be. But Israel does not think that it can reach an accommodation with the Palestinians that would guarantee Israeli national security, a view based on a realistic reading of geography. Therefore, Israel sees little purpose in making concessions to the Palestinians despite its relative position of strength.

Gaming Israel and Palestine
from the July 29, 2014 eNews issue of K-House

We have long argued that the Arab-Israeli conflict is inherently insoluble. Now, for the third time in recent years, a war is being fought in Gaza. The Palestinians are firing rockets into Israel with minimal effect. The Israelis are carrying out a broader operation to seal tunnels along the Gaza-Israel boundary. Like the previous wars, the current one will settle nothing. The Israelis want to destroy Hamas’ rockets. They can do so only if they occupy Gaza and remain there for an extended period while engineers search for tunnels and bunkers throughout the territory. This would generate Israeli casualties from Hamas guerrillas fighting on their own turf with no room for retreat. So Hamas will continue to launch rockets, but between the extreme inaccuracy of the rockets and Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, the group will inflict little damage to the Israelis.

War Without a Military Outcome

The most interesting aspect of this war is that both sides apparently found it necessary, despite knowing it would have no definitive military outcome. The kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers followed by the incineration of a Palestinian boy triggered this conflict. An argument of infinite regression always rages as to the original sin: Who committed the first crime?

For the Palestinians, the original crime was the migration into the Palestinian mandate by Jews, the creation of the State of Israel and the expulsion of Arabs from that state. For Israel, the original sin came after the 1967 war, during which Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem. At that moment, the Israelis were prepared to discuss a deal, but the Arabs announced their famous “three nos” at a meeting in Khartoum: no negotiation, no recognition, no peace. That locked the Israelis into an increasingly rigid stance. Attempts at negotiations have followed the Khartoum declaration, all of which failed, and the “no recognition” and “no peace” agreement is largely intact. Cease-fires are the best that anyone can hope for.

For Hamas, at least — and I suspect for many Palestinians in the West Bank — the only solution is Israel’s elimination. For many Israelis, the only solution is to continue to occupy all captured territories until the Palestinians commit to peace and recognition. Since the same Israelis do not believe that day will ever come, the occupation would become permanent.

Under these circumstances, the Gaza war is in some sense a matter of housekeeping. For Hamas, the point of the operation is demonstrating it can fire rockets at Israel. These rockets are inaccurate, but the important thing is that they were smuggled into Gaza at all, since this suggests more dangerous weapons eventually will be smuggled in to the Palestinian territory. At the same time, Hamas is demonstrating that it remains able to incur casualties while continuing to fight.

For the Israelis, the point of the operation is that they are willing to carry it out at all. The Israelis undoubtedly intend to punish Gaza, but they do not believe they can impose their will on Gaza and compel the Palestinians to reach a political accommodation with Israel. War’s purpose is to impose your political will on your enemy. But unless the Israelis surprise us immensely, nothing decisive will come out of this conflict. Even if Israel somehow destroyed Hamas, another organization would emerge to fill its space in the Palestinian ecosystem. Israel can’t go far enough to break the Palestinian will to resist; it is dependent on a major third-party state to help meet Israeli security needs. This creates an inherent contradiction whereby Israel receives enough American support to guarantee its existence but because of humanitarian concerns is not allowed to take the kind of decisive action that might solve its security problem.

We thus see periodic violence of various types, none of which will be intended or expected to achieve any significant political outcome. Wars here have become a series of bloodstained gestures. There are some limited ends to achieve, such as closing Palestinian tunnels and demonstrating Palestinian capabilities that force Israel into an expensive defensive posture. But Hamas will not be defeated, and Israel will make no concessions.

Sovereignty and Viability Problems

The question therefore is not what the point of all this is — although that is a fascinating subject — but where all this ends. All things human end. Previous longstanding conflicts, such as those between France and England, ended or at least changed shape. Israel and Palestine accordingly will resolve their conflict in due course.

Many believe the creation of a Palestinian state will be the solution, and those who believe this often have trouble understanding why this self-evidently sensible solution has not been implemented. The reason is the proposed solution is not nearly as sensible as it might appear to some.

Issues of viability and sovereignty surround any discussion of a Palestinian state. Geography raises questions about the viability of any Palestinian polity. Palestine has two population centers, Gaza and the West Bank, which are detached from one another. One population center, Gaza, is an enormously crowded, narrow salient. Its ability to develop a sustainable economy is limited. The West Bank has more possibilities, but even it would be subordinate to a dynamic Israel. If the Palestinian workforce is drawn into the Israeli economy, both territories will become adjuncts to Israel. Within its current borders, a viable Palestine is impossible to imagine.

From the Israeli point of view, creating a Palestine along something resembling the 1967 lines (leaving aside the question of Jerusalem) would give the Palestinians superb targets, namely, Tel Aviv and Haifa. Given its history, Israel is unlikely to take that risk unless it had the right to oversee security in the West Bank in some way. That in turn would undermine Palestinian sovereignty.

As you play out the possibilities in any two-state solution, you run into the problem that any solution one side demanded would be unbearable to the other. Geography simply won’t permit two sovereign states. In this sense, the extremists on both sides are more realistic than the moderates. But that reality encounters other problems.

Israel’s High-Water Mark

Currently, Israel is as secure as it is ever likely to be unless Hamas disappears, never to be replaced, and the West Bank becomes even more accommodating to Israel. Neither of these prospects is likely. Israel’s economy towers over its neighbors. The Palestinians are weak and divided. None of Israel’s neighbors pose any threat of invasion, a situation in place since the 1977 neutralization of Egypt. Jordan is locked into a close relation with Israel, Egypt has its peace treaty and Hezbollah is bogged down in Syria. Apart from Gaza, which is a relatively minor threat, Israel’s position is difficult to improve.

Israel can’t radically shift its demography. But several evolutions in the region could move against Israel. Egypt could change governments, renounce its treaty, rearm and re-enter the Sinai Peninsula. Hezbollah could use its experience in Syria to open a front in Lebanon. Syria could get an Islamic State-led government and threaten the Golan Heights. Islamists could overthrow Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy and pose a threat to the east. Turkey could evolve into a radical Islamic government and send forces to challenge Israel. A cultural revolution could take place in the Arab world that would challenge Israel’s economic superiority, and therefore its ability to wage war. Iran could smuggle missiles into Gaza, and so on.

There is accordingly an asymmetry of possibilities. It is difficult to imagine any evolution, technical, political or economic, that would materially improve Israel’s already dominant position, but there are many things that could weaken Israel — some substantially. Each may appear far-fetched at the moment, but everything in the future seems far-fetched. None is inconceivable.

In these circumstances, the Israeli strategy is to maintain its power at a maximum level and use what influence it has to prevent the emergence of new threats. From this perspective, the Israeli strategy on settlements makes sense. If there will be no talks, and Israel must maintain its overwhelming advantage, creating strategic depth in the West Bank is sensible; it would be less sensible if there were a possibility of a peace treaty. Israel must also inflict a temporary defeat on any actively hostile Palestinian force from time to time to set them back several years and to demonstrate Israeli capabilities for psychological purposes.

The Palestinian position meanwhile must be to maintain its political cohesion and wait, using its position to try to drive wedges between Israel and its foreign patrons, particularly the United States, but understanding that the only change in the status quo will come from changes outside the Israeli-Palestinian complex. The primary Palestinian problem will be to maintain itself as a distinct entity with sufficient power to resist an Israeli assault for some time. Any peace treaty would weaken the Palestinians by pulling them into the Israeli orbit and splitting them up. By refusing a peace treaty, they remain distinct, if divided. That guarantees they will be there when circumstances change.

Fifty Years Out

Israel’s major problem is that circumstances always change. Predicting the military capabilities of the Arab and Islamic worlds in 50 years is difficult. Most likely, they will not be weaker than they are today, and a strong argument can be made that at least several of their constituents will be stronger. If in 50 years some or all assume a hostile posture against Israel, Israel will be in trouble.

Time is not on Israel’s side. At some point, something will likely happen to weaken its position, while it is unlikely that anything will happen to strengthen its position. That normally would be an argument for entering negotiations, but the Palestinians will not negotiate a deal that would leave them weak and divided, and any deal that Israel could live with would do just that.

What we are seeing in Gaza is merely housekeeping, that is, each side trying to maintain its position. The Palestinians need to maintain solidarity for the long haul. The Israelis need to hold their strategic superiority as long as they can. But nothing lasts forever, and over time, the relative strength of Israel will decline. Meanwhile, the relative strength of the Palestinians may increase, though this isn’t certain.

Looking at the relative risks, making a high-risk deal with the Palestinians would seem prudent in the long run. But nations do not make decisions on such abstract calculations. Israel will bet on its ability to stay strong. From a political standpoint, it has no choice. The Palestinians will bet on the long game. They have no choice. And in the meantime, blood will periodically flow.

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George Friedman is the Chairman of Stratfor, a company he founded in 1996 that is now a leader in the field of global intelligence and is an excellent source of situational analysis. More about Stratfor.

K-House eNews by Chuck Missler - Gaming Israel and Palestine from the July 29, 2014 eNews issue, which is easy to copy and print.

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Black Sheep
By David Jeremiah

Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? (James 2:25)

Most families have a "black sheep" somewhere in the family. How that person is viewed depends on distance. If the person is a faint memory, he is seen as a laughing matter, a faint shadow in the past. But if the person remains a fresh memory, then there is no mention of him or her in polite company.

Such distinctions are made only among those who place great pride in human respectability. But in biblical terms, there are no white sheep! We are all black sheep in the family of humanity. None of us deserves mention in the holy company of heaven -- except for the grace of God. That grace is demonstrated by God sending His own Son to be born as the descendant of human sinners. They ranged from a harlot like Rahab (Matthew 1:5) to a deceiver like Jacob (Matthew 1:2); to occasional sinners like Abraham, kings that struggled to rule righteously; and Joseph, a seemingly good man. But they were sinners all, chosen by God to play a role in His grand purpose of redemption.

Because all have sinned, all can be forgiven in Christ and all can serve. Don’t ever let your human past keep you from imagining a redeemed future.

No creature that deserved redemption would need to be redeemed. ~ C. S. Lewis

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The Origin of Religion
By Got Questions

From the earliest times, humans have looked around and above them and wondered about the world, the universe and the meaning of life. Unlike animals, humans have a built-in desire to understand how we got here, why we are here and what happens after we die. Adam and Eve knew God personally (Genesis 3) and spoke of Him (Genesis 4:1). Their children brought sacrifices to the Lord (Genesis 4:3-4). And during the time of their grandchildren, “men began to call on the name of the LORD” in corporate worship (Genesis 4:26).

In all of history and in every culture, people have felt a need to worship what they perceive to be the source of life. The Bible explains why—we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), and God has set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We were created to be in relationship with our Creator. The rituals and practices of religion began as an expression of the creature’s desire to worship the Creator.

Biologist Julian Huxley dismissed the existence of religion as a vestige of past ignorance and superstition: “Gods are peripheral phenomena produced by evolution.” In other words, primitive man invented the idea of God in an ancient, superstitious time, and theism has no relevance in today’s society. Theories based on an evolutionary premise imagine that man’s belief in God was first expressed in animism, ghost-worship, totemism, and magic. Not all scholars have reached this conclusion, however. The Rev. Wilhelm Schmidt presents evidence of a monotheistic faith being the first religion practiced by men and offers many powerful arguments in support. Man began with a belief in one God, and then his theology degenerated into a belief in multiple gods.

(For more information, see Answers in Genesis - Schmidt.)

The Bible says that after the flood God initiated the unconditional covenant between Himself and Noah and his descendants (Genesis 9:8-17). Men disobeyed God’s command to spread out and fill the earth, and they built a city and began making a monumental tower instead. God confused their language and forced them to disperse (Genesis 11:1-9). After that time, many polytheistic religions sprang up around the world. Later, God made Himself known to Abram and introduced the Abrahamic Covenant (circa 2000 B.C.).

After God redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage, He gave them the Mosaic Covenant and later the Davidic Covenant. In all of these events, it is God who reached down to His people, drawing them into relationship with Him. This is unique in the history of world religions.

With regard to Christianity, God Himself was responsible for introducing the New Covenant—an unconditional promise to unfaithful Israel to forgive her sins on the basis of pure, undeserved grace through the sacrifice of the Messiah. This New Covenant also opened up the way for Gentiles to be saved. In all of this, it is God who initiates the relationship. Biblical religion is based on the fact that God reached down to us; it is not man’s attempt to reach up to God. Biblical religion is a response to what God has done for us, not a code of conduct that we must perform for God.

One reason we have so many different religions is the deception imposed on the human race by the enemy of our souls, who seeks glory and worship for himself (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Timothy 4:1). Another reason is man’s inherent desire to explain the unexplained and to make order out of chaos. Many of the early pagan religions taught that, to prevent disasters from befalling them, they needed to appease their fickle, petulant gods. Through the centuries, religion has often been hijacked by kings and rulers in order to subjugate their people in a state-run “church” system.

The true religion that God initiated thousands of years ago with Israel pointed forward to a coming Messiah who would provide the way for all people to be reconciled to their Creator. After Christ came, Christianity spread by word of mouth as the disciples of Jesus took the gospel to the world and the Holy Spirit changed lives. God’s Word was also preserved in writing and is available today throughout the world.

Got Questions - The Origin of Religion

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Now, all of the church members out there who have been forgiving of their ministers for not speaking out on the issues by saying things like, “He really doesn’t understand what’s going on,” need to reevaluate their leniency--if they are intellectually honest, that is--and if they truly care about the future of their country.

Pastors Deliberately Keeping Flock In The Dark!
By Chuck Baldwin

Research Confirms What I Have Been Saying For Years

George Barna is the foremost researcher of modern Christianity in the country. He recently spoke about a two-year research project studying why modern-day pastors and churches are so silent regarding political issues. The result of his research only confirms what I have been trying to tell people for years. But there was one thing his research uncovered that did somewhat surprise me. OneNewsNow.com covered the story:

“On Thursday, George Barna--research expert and founder of The Barna Group--shared with American Family Radio's ‘Today's Issues’ about new information he's compiling at American Culture and Faith Institute over the last two years, gauging where theologically conservative pastors are at politically.

"‘What we're finding is that when we ask them about all the key issues of the day, [90 percent of them are] telling us, Yes, the Bible speaks to every one of these issues. Then we ask them: Well, are you teaching your people what the Bible says about those issues?--and the numbers drop...to less than 10 percent of pastors who say they will speak to it.’

“When researchers ask those pastors what else they are willing to do to get their people active in the political process, Barna said ‘it's almost nothing.’

"‘So the thing that struck me has been that when we talk about the separation of church and state, it's that churches have separated themselves from the activities of the state--and that's to the detriment of the state and its people,’ stated the researcher.”

That 90% of America’s pastors are not addressing any of the salient issues affecting Christian people’s political or societal lives should surprise no one--especially the readers of this column. It has been decades since even a sizeable minority of pastors have bothered to educate and inform their congregations as to the Biblical principles relating to America’s political, cultural, and societal lives. But the part of the research that did somewhat surprise me was this statement by Barna: “What we're finding is that when we ask them about all the key issues of the day, [90 percent of them are] telling us, Yes, the Bible speaks to every one of these issues. Then we ask them: Well, are you teaching your people what the Bible says about those issues?--and the numbers drop...to less than 10 percent of pastors who say they will speak to it.”

Did you get that? Ninety-percent of America’s pastors say they KNOW that the Bible speaks to all of these issues, but they are deliberately determined to NOT teach these Biblical principles. That is an amazing admission!

It would have been one thing if the pastors had said that these political issues were not relevant to scripture, and, therefore, they didn’t feel called to address them. But the pastors are admitting that, yes, they KNOW that the scriptures DO relate to our current political issues, but they are deliberately choosing to NOT teach those scriptural principles. Holy heads-in-the-sand, Batman!

I confess: this statistic caught me off-guard. So we can forever dismiss ignorance as justification for pastors remaining silent.

Church member, admit it: that pastor of yours who refuses to speak out on the issues KNOWS the Bible speaks to these issues, and he is DELIBERATELY refusing to teach those Biblical principles to you and your family.

So we are not dealing with IGNORANT pastors; we are dealing with DELIBERATELY DISOBEDIENT pastors. They are PURPOSELY CHOOSING to remain silent. Will that make any difference to the Christians in the pews who say they want their pastor to take a stand but are willing to overlook his “ignorance?” Probably not. But at least, we now know what the real issue is, don’t we?

The report goes on: “Why the disconnect? According to Barna, the answer is simple. He suggests asking pastors how someone would know if their church is ‘successful’--which he did.”

"‘There are five factors that the vast majority of pastors turn to [when asked that question],’ he explained. ‘Attendance, giving, number of programs, number of staff, and square footage.’”

There you have it: pastors are more concerned about being “successful” than they are being truthful. They believe if they tell their congregations the truth, their churches will not be “successful.” And it is so refreshing to see Barna directly ask pastors what “success” means to them. So, now we know (as if we didn’t know before; but at least now there is definitive research to back it up). The vast majority of pastors believe church success lies in:

*Attendance
*Giving (money)
*Number of programs
*Number of staff
*Square footage (of facilities)

Shazam! Where did pastors come up with this definition of “success?” You know where: from men such as Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, et al.

The megachurch phenomenon of the last several decades transformed how pastors think and behave. Pastors read the “successful church” books and publications; they attend the “successful church” conferences; they watch the “successful church” videos, etc. They, then, try to mimic the tactics and strategies they have been taught. And if there is one constant theme promulgated by the likes of Osteen, Warren, and Hybels, it is pastors must avoid controversy like the plague. Again, one must realize that the goal is NOT being faithful to Biblical principles; the goal is building a “successful” church as noted above.

It is time for Christians to acknowledge that these ministers are not pastors; they are CEOs. They are not Bible teachers; they are performers. They are not shepherds; they are hirelings. It is also time for Christians to be honest with themselves: do they want a pastor who desires to be faithful to the scriptures, or do they want a pastor who is simply trying to be “successful?” BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF, CHRISTIAN FRIEND.

Barna’s research blows the “ignorance” excuse out of the water. Again, it is not ignorance; it is deliberate disobedience.

Barna goes on to say, "Now all of those things [the five points of success listed above] are good measures, except for one tiny fact: Jesus didn't die for any of them.” Wow! You nailed it, George!

See the report: Barna: Many Pastors Wary Of Raising ‘Controversy

Where do you find anything in the New Testament that measures a pastor’s success by the number of people attending his church? Or by how large his offerings are? Or by how many programs his church has? Or by how many staff members he has? Or by how large his facilities are? In fact, the early New Testament church didn’t even own property or buildings.

When the Apostle Paul listed his ministerial pedigree, here is what it looked like (II Corinthians 11):

*Stripes above measure
*In prisons frequently
*In deaths often
*Beaten with rods
*Stoned
*Perils
*Weariness
*Painfulness
*Hunger and thirst

*Cold and nakedness

I don’t see attendance, offerings, programs, staff, or square footage in that list at all, do you?

When Paul wrote his own epitaph, it read, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (II Timothy 4:7). He didn’t say, “I had a large congregation, we had big offerings, we had a lot of programs, I had a large staff, and we had large facilities.”

In the world of Osteen, Warren, and Hybels (and 90% of America’s pastors), the Apostle Paul’s ministry must have been a dismal failure. And how many church pulpit committees would even consider the pastoral résumé such as the Apostle Paul wrote above?

Please understand this: America’s malaise is directly due to the deliberate disobedience of America’s pastors--and the willingness of the Christians in the pews to tolerate the disobedience of their pastor. Nothing more! Nothing less!

Oh, and get this: according to the survey conducted by Barna, guess what the number one reason is why pastors choose to be “successful” and not “controversial?” You guessed it: fear of the IRS 501c3 tax-exempt status. Who would have thought it? (Yes, that question is deliberately facetious.)

The release of this research by George Barna could not have come at a more opportune time. I announced just last week that we have officially launched the Liberty Church Project, whereby we will be helping people around the country to establish non-501c3 churches. I invite folks (pastors or laymen) who are serious about starting new non-501c3 churches--or helping to resurrect patriot pulpits within existing churches--to fill out our online application. We already have several groups that we intend to help and are looking for others. If you are someone who is serious about such an endeavor, and seeks our assistance, please fill out the online application here:

I want to commend George Barna for his research. I suspect that the vast majority of pastors and churches will ignore it, but at least now we know the painful truth of the matter: by in large, pastors are deliberately choosing to not teach Biblical truth to their congregations for the selfish goal of being “successful.” But as we come to grips with this reality, we must also acknowledge that pastors are simply (and shamelessly) putting their fingers to the wind and finding that the people in the pews are more interested in their churches being “successful” than faithful to the teaching of Holy Scripture. As Barna noted, it is the churches, themselves, that have chosen to separate from the political affairs of their country.

In the end, it always comes down to We the People, doesn’t it? If you want a church where the pastor is willing to teach the Biblical principles that relate to our everyday lives--including our political lives--you might have to vote with your feet and go find one. That is, if that kind of thing is truly important to you.

Pastors Deliberately Keeping Flock In The Dark by Chuck Baldwin, which is easy to copy and print.

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God's "Path to Glory" Plan DIAGRAM (legal size)

God's Path to Glory Diagram, Gates and Paths, LEGAL SIZE.docx was designed using architectural software. A challenge to my patience, but I endured. The diagram shows the gates and path to soul salvation, the first gate being the “positional grace” gate. Safe to open and print. Just remember legal size and landscape setting.

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Middle East peace, which man vainly attempts to effect today, will be brought to pass in that day — when the King, with His consort queen, rules the earth for 1,000 years.

The Marriage of the Lamb Festivities
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come [‘came’], and His wife has made herself ready.
And to her it was granted to be arrayed [‘array herself’] in fine linen, clean and bright and white: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:7-9)

Events in Revelation 19:7-9 are not to be confused with the marriage, which will have already occurred. These verses have to do with the festivities that follow the marriage.

The bride will have previously been revealed through events surrounding the judgment seat (Revelation 1; 2; 3), and the marriage will have previously occurred at the time Christ redeems the inheritance (Revelation 6-18). Then, immediately preceding Christ’s return to take control of the domain that He will have previously redeemed (Revelation 19:11ff), time is set aside for the festivities surrounding the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).

These marriage festivities are dealt with several places in Scripture, more notably in Matthew 22:8-14; 25:1-13. There is nothing in these passages about the marriage itself. Rather, these passages deal solely with the festivities that follow the marriage. And the emphasis, as in the book of Revelation, is upon these festivities.

(The book of Revelation, as the parables in Matthew 22; 25, does not really deal with the marriage per se. Nothing is said in chapters six through eighteen [the time during which the marriage occurs] about Christ’s marriage to the bride who had previously been revealed at the judgment seat [Revelation 1; 2; 3]. Rather, the marriage occurring in these chapters, through Christ redeeming the inheritance, is seen and dealt with elsewhere in Scripture. Following exactly the same chronology of events that would later be set forth in the book of Revelation, the marriage is seen and dealt with in biblical typology, in the book of Ruth.
In order to understand how the revealed bride in the book of Revelation 1; 2; 3 becomes the Lamb’s wife [Revelation 19a], one has to go to the book of Ruth 3; 4. The book of Revelation forms the capstone to all previous Scripture, beginning in Genesis. And an individual can’t begin reading Scripture in the book of Revelation and expect to arrive at any semblance of a correct understanding of this book, for he will have no foundation upon which he can build. [Reference Ruth by Arlen Chitwood.]
Rather, he is to begin where God began and understand foundational truths after the same fashion in which God revealed them. And when an individual with this type of knowledge of Scripture arrives at Revelation 6-18, he will understand that which is occurring through Christ’s redemption of the inheritance [Christ’s marriage to the previously revealed bride], though it is not even mentioned in this part of the book. And this understanding will be derived, not from the book of Revelation, but from previous Scripture.
The person who has an understanding of the foundational truths from the Old Testament — knowing what is happening as Christ redeems the inheritance in Revelation 6-18 — probably wouldn’t give a second thought to the fact that there is no mention of Christ’s marriage to His bride in these chapters. Why should he? The marriage, occurring at this time, will have already been dealt with in previous revelation, and he would know this. He would be able to compare the types with the antitype, run all the checks and balances, and see exactly what is happening in this respect. For such an individual, it would be superfluous material to reread the matter in the book of Revelation.)

But these are man’s thoughts and ideas, not those emanating from Scripture. Such teachings have nothing to do with that which is being dealt with in matters surrounding these festivities. The saved alone are in view; and from among the saved, two different groups are in view:

1) those forming the wife of the Lamb; and
2) those NOT forming the wife of the Lamb.

In Matthew 22:8-14, these two groups of individuals are dealt with in a parable having to do with the marriage festivities: There were “the guests [lit., ‘reclining ones’ (the bride)],” and there were the ones not allowed to enter into and participate in the activities attendant the bride (represented by the man appearing without a wedding garment, who was cast into the darkened courtyard outside the banqueting hall).

Thus, in the explanatory parable of the talents, the place outside the door to the marriage festivities in the previous parable, the parable of the ten virgins, is seen to be exactly the same place outside the marriage festivities in Matthew 22:8-14 — the darkness outside, or the darkened courtyard outside the banqueting hall.

But in the final summation of the matter in Revelation 19:7-9, only things surrounding the wife are dealt with. Those not allowed to participate in these activities are not dealt with at this point in the book (as they are in Matthew 22; 25). Rather, the matter in the book of Revelation is set forth exactly as it is in the book of Ruth. In the type, from the book of Ruth, only the wife is dealt with at this point in the book. And the matter is the same in the antitype in the book of Revelation.

(For a full discussion of “The Outer Darkness,” refer to Cast Outside into Outer Darkness, in this site.)

Christ’s Return

The book of Revelation is a book dealing with Christ’s return, and Scripture deals with the overall subject surrounding Christ’s return in a manner quite different than man is usually inclined to view the matter. Man usually sees Christ’s return as a single event, occurring at a point in time (e.g., Zechariah 14:4; Revelation 1:7; 19:11ff). But Scripture deals with Christ’s return in a broader sense than this. The whole of the book of Revelation is about Christ’s return. Revelation 19:11ff simply records the apex of the matter.

And His return in this book begins with events occurring at least seven years prior to the time when the heavens are opened and He comes forth on a white horse. Events in this book begin with Christians being removed from the earth at the end of the dispensation, with events surrounding the judgment seat following (Revelation 1; 2; 3; 4). The book then continues with Christ’s redemption of the inheritance (Revelation 5-18), God completing His dealings with Israel during Man’s Day (Revelation 6-18), and the marriage festivities being brought to pass (Revelation 19 a). Only then is the apex reached, with the heavens being opened (Revelation 19 b).

Understanding the reason why all Christians must appear before Christ at this time is simple. Aside from Christians having nothing to do with the Tribulation (which will be the last seven years of the previous dispensation, during which time God completes His dealings with Israel, not with Christians), events surrounding the judgment seat occur preceding the Tribulation (plainly shown from both the type in the book of Ruth and the antitype in the book of Revelation). And Scripture is quite clear that all Christians must be present, at the judgment seat: “…we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10b).

(The fact that some Greek manuscripts and English translations have “judgment seat of God” in Romans 14:10 would have nothing to do with the identification of this judgment seat. The Father “has committed all judgment to the Son” [John 5:22], and it matters little whether the Son’s judgment seat is called the judgment seat of Christ or the judgment seat of God. It’s still the same judgment seat, with the same person doing the judging.)

Comparing type and antitype (Ruth 3; 4 and Revelation 1-19), the clear teaching is that all Christians will be removed from the earth and appear before Christ’s judgment seat preceding the Tribulation, before the inheritance is redeemed and the marriage occurs. And the whole of the matter is in connection with Christ’s return, with the apex reached when the heavens are opened in Revelation 19:11ff.

It is a serious matter when Christians ignore that which has been laid down in Moses and the Prophets (cf. Luke 24:25-27; John 5:45-47), following teachings that are contrary to established foundations. One simply cannot ignore the foundations that God has set forth in His Word and expect to survive theologically. It is not possible.

The Messianic Era

In the type in Genesis 24; 25, after the son married Rebekah inside his mother’s tent, Abraham again took a wife. Abraham married Keturah, who bore him six sons (Genesis 24:67-25:2). Keturah was very fruitful in the realm where Sarah had been barren.

The present restoration of a remnant to the land under a Zionistic movement is, of course, not the restoration spoken of in the type in Genesis 25:1-2 or in other parts of Scripture bearing on the subject (e.g., Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Ezekiel 20:34-37; 36:24-28; 37:1ff; Matthew 24:30-31). The present restoration is a partial restoration, in unbelief, which has occurred during the present dispensation, prior to the nation’s repentance. The restoration spoken of in Scripture has to do with the entire nation returning, in belief, following the nation’s repentance, which will occur not only following the present dispensation but following the fulfillment of Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy.

Nor can the nation return while Christ is exercising the office of High Priest, in the heavenly sanctuary, throughout the present dispensation. It is clear from the typology surrounding the cities of refuge in Numbers 35 that Israel, as the slayer, has to await Christ’s completion of His present high priestly ministry before the Jewish people can return to the land of their possession.

(For a discussion of Numbers 35 in this respect, ref. Let Us Go On BOOK, Ch. 1, in this site.)

For individuals to fail to recognize the truth concerning the present return of a remnant to the land is to fail to recognize that Israel is the slayer typified in Numbers 35. And for Israel to attempt to return while Christ is presently exercising His high priestly ministry during the present dispensation is, according to the type, to invite death and destruction upon the nation.

And the latter is exactly what is about to occur, for the Jewish people have attempted to return before the time, in an unbelieving and unrepentant state. In the middle of the coming Tribulation, a Jewish nation (as it is known today) will cease to exist in the Middle East. The remnant comprising the nation will be uprooted at that time. A segment of the nation will escape to a place in the wilderness, specially prepared by God for them (Revelation 12:6, 14); but the remaining Jews will either be killed or sold as slaves throughout the Gentile world, with the Jewish people worldwide coming under the sentence of death (cf. Exodus 1:8ff; Daniel 3:19-20; Joel 3:6-8). And Jerusalem, throughout this time, will be “trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24; Revelation 11:2).

Nor will any attempts to effect Middle East peace be successful during Man’s Day. There is a problem that man fails to recognize, which has its roots going back 4,000 years in history. And, beyond that, only the One Who has brought about Israel’s present sickness, because of the nation’s disobedience, can effect healing (cf. Leviticus 26:14ff; Deuteronomy 28:15ff; Isaiah 1:1-26). Others can try, but they will all fail. Only the One Who has torn can heal (Hosea 5:13-6:2).

Peace will come only at the end of Man’s day, when “the Sun of righteousness” arises “with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2). These are the things seen in Abraham’s remarriage, which cannot occur until after the Son takes the bride as His wife, inside Israel’s tent.

(Note also in the type that Ishmael [the father of the Arabic nations surrounding Israel in the Middle East] died only after Abraham remarried [Genesis 25:1-2, 17]. In this respect, Middle East peace will be out of the question until the coming Messianic Era, when the man described in Genesis 16:12 will pass from the scene.)

And Middle East peace, which man vainly attempts to effect today, will be brought to pass in that day — when the King, with His consort queen, rules the earth for 1,000 years.

See additional commentary: Ruth - Israel and the Church follows in this site.

Search for the Bride BOOK, Ch. 15, in this site.

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: The Marriage of the Lamb Festivities by Arlen L. Chitwood.docx

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The book of Ruth, in its type-antitype structure, has to do with the Church.
And the book of Esther, in its type-antitype structure, has to do with Israel.
Ruth presents a complete overview of the history of the Church,
and Esther presents a complete overview of the history of Israel.
But the emphasis in each book is not so much on the past and present as it is on the future.

Ruth - Israel and the Church
Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion-Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. (Ruth 1:1-2)

There are two books in Scripture bearing the names of women who appear as principal characters in the books — the books of Ruth and Esther. These are the only books in Scripture named for women; and an element of mystery surrounds both, for no one knows the identity of the person who wrote either book.

The book of Ruth has to do with events occurring during the days of the judges (Ruth 1:1). Events during the days of the judges began following Joshua’s death and lasted until the time of Samuel the prophet, a period covering about three hundred years (which followed a period covering “about . . . four hundred fifty years,” going back to the birth of Isaac [Acts 13:17-20 NASB]). Events in the book of Ruth though cover a much smaller part of the time of the judges, occurring during the latter part of this period (Ruth 4:13-22), during about the middle or latter part of the twelfth century B.C.; and events in the book occurred both in a Gentile land (Moab) and in the land of Israel.

The book of Esther, on the other hand, has to do with events occurring about seven centuries later, in Persia (following not only the Babylonian captivity [about 605 B.C.] but also following the time when the Medes and the Persians conquered the kingdom of Babylon [about 538 B.C.]). Events in the book of Esther would appear to have occurred during the first half of the fifth century B.C., about sixty years after the Medes and the Persians conquered Babylon (Esther 1:1; 2:5-6).

The book of Ruth, in its type-antitype structure, has to do with the Church. And the book of Esther, in its type-antitype structure, has to do with Israel. Ruth presents a complete overview of the history of the Church, and Esther presents a complete overview of the history of Israel. But the emphasis in each book is not so much on the past and present as it is on the future.

Ruth 2; 3 deal with the past and present; but Ruth 3; 4 deal almost entirely with future events, beginning with events surrounding the judgment seat at the end of the present dispensation. And these events, along with subsequent events seen in Ruth 4, immediately precede and lead into the Messianic Era.

Esther 1 deals with the past and present; but Esther 2-10 deals entirely with future events. These last nine chapters deal with Israel mainly during seven unfulfilled years that remain in God’s dealings with this nation in order to complete Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy, ending with the restoration of Israel and the ushering in of the Messianic Kingdom.

In the preceding respect, the books of Ruth and Esther together provide a complete overview of God’s dealings with His people — both the Church and Israel — throughout the last 4,000 years of Man’s Day, leading into the Messianic Era. Certain things are opened up and revealed in these two books after a manner not seen in other Old Testament books. And these things form an integral part of God’s complete word pictures pertaining to both the Church and Israel in the Old Testament, providing different facets of information, apart from which these word pictures would be incomplete.

Then, insofar as the end of the matter is concerned — the realm where the emphasis is placed in both books — these two books together cover exactly the same period of time and deal with exactly the same events seen in the first twenty chapters of the book of Revelation. Ruth covers matters relative to the Church during this period of time, and Esther covers matters relative to Israel during this same period. And, in this respect, if an individual would properly understand that which has been revealed in these chapters in the book of Revelation, he must go back to the books of Ruth and Esther, along with sections of numerous other Old Testament books that would have a direct bearing on the subject (e.g., Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel).

There is no other way to properly understand the book of Revelation (or, for that matter, any other part of the New Testament). All of the things opened up and revealed in the New were previously set forth, through various ways and means, in the Old. Different Old Testament books deal with varying and particular facets of the matter — “here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:10). And since the New Testament has an inseparable connection of this nature with the Old, an individual must continually look back to and draw from the Old if he would properly understand the New.

The whole of the matter is by divine design, and only through viewing the whole together — after running all of the checks and balances through comparing Scripture with Scripture — can a person see the complete picture (comprised of word pictures dealing with both the Church and Israel), exactly as God would have man see it.

Historical Setting for Ruth

Events in the book of Ruth, occurring during the latter part of the time when the judges ruled, appear to cover a period lasting no more than about two decades. And, since King David (Israel’s second king) was the great grandson of the two principle individuals in the book — Boaz [Audio] and Ruth (Ruth 4:17) — one can know that most of the events in the book occurred during the second generation preceding the ascension of Israel’s first king, Saul.

Saul ascended the throne about the middle of the eleventh century B.C. (about 1050 B.C.) and reigned for forty years. This would thus place events in the book of Ruth occurring about the middle or latter part of the preceding century.

The period of the judges, during which events in the book of Ruth occurred, is marked by two things:

(1) disobedience on the part of the Jewish people, and
(2) God’s reaction to their disobedience (which had to do with anger, followed by a chastisement of the Jewish people to bring about their repentance; and this was followed each time by God raising up one or more individuals [one or more judges] to deliver His people).

During Moses and Joshua’s day, God had commanded His people to drive out all of the Gentile nations inhabiting the land. But, following Joshua’s death, the Israelites gradually began to cease driving these nations out (cf. Deuteronomy 7:1-2, 16, 22-24; Joshua 23:1-5; Judges 1:1, 19, 21, 27-33). Then, disobedience at this point resulted in other forms of disobedience — something that the Lord had previously called to the people’s attention and had warned them about (cf. Exodus 23:33; Deuteronomy 7:4, 16; 12:30).

God, through Moses, had laid down the rules and regulations (the Law) that His people were to follow within the theocracy. But, after failing to drive the Gentile nations out of the land, that which God had warned His people about began to occur. The Jewish people, over time, found themselves gradually being influenced and conforming more and more to the ways and practices of the pagan Gentile nations dwelling in the land with them. And, as a result, rather than the Jewish people following that which God had stated in His Word, this period is marked by a departure from the Word. Scripture reveals one central manner of living on the part of God’s people during this time:

..everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6; 21:25)

And God reacted accordingly. God reacted in exact accordance with that which He had previously revealed in His Word through Moses.

There is a repeated sequence in the book of Judges relative to the Jewish people’s disobedience and God’s reaction to their disobedience. In Judges 2, this sequence is given, setting the stage for that seen throughout the remainder of the book:

a) Israel’s action:

Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;
and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers . . . and they followed other gods . . . (Judges 2:11-12a)

b) The Lord’s reaction:

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers . . . and He sold them into the hands of their enemies . . .
Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them . . . . (Judges 2:14-15a [14a])

c) Israel’s reaction:

And they were greatly distressed [which would lead to repentance]. (Judges 2:15b)

d) That which the Lord then did:

Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. (Judges 2:16)

When the Israelites fell into sin, God reacted through using that which had resulted from His people’s previous failure — Gentile nations remaining in the land, contrary to His command — as a means to bring about their repentance. He delivered the disobedient Israelites into the hands of the same pagan nations that they had previously failed to drive out (Judges 2:21-23). And, following His people being brought to the place of repentance through a judgment of this nature, God then raised up one or more individuals to deliver them out of the hands of the Gentiles.

Beginning in Judges 3, when God raised up the first judge to deliver his people, repentance on Israel’s part is seen first. That is, God delivered His people into the hands of the Gentiles, the people repented, and God then raised up an individual to deliver them out of the hands of the Gentiles. And this same order is continued through eleven of the fourteen judges whom God raised up (Judges 3:7-9, 12-15; 4:1-4; 6:1-14; 10:6-18; 11:1ff).

Then, following the death of the eleventh judge (Judges 12:15), though the same sequence is seen beginning again (with Israel’s disobedience), certain changes occur in the complete cycle of events this time:

Again the children of Israel did evil . . . and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. (Judges 13:1)

For the first time there was a forty-year period in which the Israelites found themselves in subjection to the Gentiles. “Forty” is one of several numbers used in Scripture to show completeness, and the number appears numerous times in Scripture in this respect (e.g., Moses’ life is divided into three separate and distinct forty-year periods, Moses was on Mount Sinai forty days and nights, the disobedient Israelites under Moses wandered in the wilderness for forty years, each of Israel's first three kings reigned for forty years, Christ was tempted by Satan for forty days and nights, and Christ had a forty-day post-resurrection ministry prior to His ascension).

In this respect, because of Israel’s disobedience, God gave His people into the hands of the Gentiles (the Philistines) for a complete period of time. And this complete period could only have followed a completion of Israel’s disobedience over the years. That is to say, Israel’s cup of iniquity had apparently become full (cf. Genesis 15:16), with God acting accordingly.

However, there is no record of the Israelites repenting and crying out for deliverance during these forty years. Nevertheless, God raised up Samson during this time as the twelfth judge, stating that he would “begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5b). Full deliverance though could not occur until after the Israelites had repented, something not seen until the days of Samuel the prophet, the fourteenth and last judge (following Eli [1 Samuel 7:3-15]).

It was sometime during the latter part of the period of the judges that events in the book of Ruth occurred. These events occurred during the latter time of these repeated cycles of Israel’s disobedience, the Lord’s anger being manifested, repentance occurring on Israel’s part, and one or more individuals being raised up to deliver the Jewish people. And these events occurred during a time when probably less and less thought was being given to repentance by the Jewish people (having progressively been hardened to sin over time, as their cup of iniquity continued to fill). But God always remained faithful and raised up deliverers nonetheless.

(E.g., note events surrounding Christ’s first coming. Though the Jewish people were unrepentant at this time [with deliverance contingent upon repentance], God still sent a Deliverer [knowing, in His omniscience, that these unrepentant people would reject and crucify this Deliverer — following a pattern seen in Jewish history, but resulting in the direst of consequences this time (Matthew 23:34-39)].)

Typical Structure of Ruth

Events in the book of Ruth relate different facets of exactly the same story told over and over, time after time, during the days of the judges — sin, followed by deliverance. This is the way in which the book both begins and ends, dealing in this respect with not only Israel and the Gentile nations but with the Church as well. And the book, though beginning with the former, centers on the latter. The book is centrally about Christ and the Church, not about God and Israel.

The book of Ruth begins by showing a Jewish family driven from their own land into a Gentile land because of a famine in the land of Israel (which could only be traced back to Jewish disobedience [cf. Deuteronomy 28:1-25]). Then, prior to anything being stated about the family returning to the land, death began to overtake them. Three members of the family died. The father, Elimelech [Audio], and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion [Audio], died in the land of Moab (Ruth 1:3, 5).

But the complete family was spared from death in a Gentile land. One person, Naomi, remained to return back to the land of Israel when the famine was over. Naomi, in a Gentile land, heard that “the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread” (Ruth 1:6); and she returned to the land of Israel, where Boaz resided (a near kinsman, in charge of a field [which points to the world — cf. Matthew 13:38], who would prove to be the deliverer).

This brief account relates the complete history of Israel, beginning with the people’s disobedience during the days of Moses and later repeated over and over as recorded in the book of Judges. Because of disobedience, numerous times in history, along with the present time, the Jewish people found/find themselves without bread. And, as in the experiences of the family of Elimelech during the days when the judges ruled, the nation today finds itself not only without bread but uprooted from the land, scattered among the Gentile nations, and at the mercy of these same nations.

During this time in the type, as previously noted, three Jews died in a Gentile land. “Three” is a complete number in Scripture, showing divine perfection. In this respect, in the type, the death of three Jews in a Gentile land showed a completeness in God’s judgment because of Israel’s disobedience.

The length of time during which divine perfection in God’s judgment would be carried out is also given following the death of Elimelech: “. . . And they dwelt there [in Moab] about ten years” (Ruth 1:4b). “Ten” is the number of ordinal completion, showing that they remained in Moab for a complete period of time.

And it would be exactly the same today for the Jewish people scattered among the nations. There will be no visitation from the Lord, providing bread, until there is a completeness in God’s judgment, resulting from a past disobedience of the Jewish people. And, as shown by the number “ten” in the type, this judgment will occur during a complete period of time — a set period, predetermined by God in the beginning. Israel will remain scattered among the nations during a complete, predetermined period, which is part and parcel with the Seventy-Sevens that God has “determined” upon the Jewish people in Daniel 9:24-27. In the case of the Seventy-Sevens, the Seventieth Seven (a concluding period of seven years) will complete the period of God’s judgment upon His people because of their disobedience.

(Note something about the death of three Jews in a Gentile land in the type and the death of millions of Jews, throughout centuries of time, in Gentile lands in the antitype:
There should be no Jewish graves in Gentile lands. The Jewish people were not called out of Egypt to dwell in and eventually die in Gentile lands. But the Jewish people and the Jewish graves are there today, scattered throughout Gentile lands worldwide. And they are there for a single reason: Israel’s disobedience. And they bear testimony to one thing: God has remained faithful to that which He stated in His Word relative to Israel’s disobedience.

[God has done exactly what He stated that He would do (Leviticus 26:33-39; Deuteronomy 28:37, 64-67). One can stand in the middle of a Jewish cemetery in a Gentile land, with an open Bible in his hand, and view the history of Israel from the days of Moses to the present day two different ways. He can view this history from the pages of Scripture, or he can view this history from the perspective of the Jewish graves surrounding him. Both bear testimony to and relate exactly the same story.]

Had the Jewish people remained faithful and obeyed that which God commanded, they would have remained in the land within a theocracy. Occupying this position in the land, they would have been established at the head of the nations, with the nations being ruled by and blessed through Israel.
But unfaithfulness and disobedience marked the route that the Jewish people took, time after time. And time after time God allowed the Gentile nations in the land [nations that Israel had failed to drive out] to subdue and rule over them, with deliverance following each time.
All these things occurred in the land itself, but the day finally arrived when Israel’s cup of iniquity became full, in a sense beyond that [or typified by that] seen in the forty-year period of Judges 13:1 [note previous remarks on this forty-year period in the light of Genesis 15:16]. Then, when this time arrived, God allowed Gentile nations from outside the land to come into the land and uproot His people, carrying them captive into surrounding Gentile lands. And from these surrounding lands, the Israelites were subsequently scattered throughout all lands, scattered among the Gentile nations of the earth.
This uprooting and scattering of the Jewish people began to occur over 2,700 years ago (with the Assyrian captivity [about 722 B.C.], continuing with the Babylonian captivity [about 605 B.C.]), with the Israelites still remaining scattered among the nations today. And throughout this time, Jewish graves have appeared in Gentile lands worldwide, during centuries of time, bearing witness to that which has been done by both Israel and the God of Israel.
But this is not where matters end. God’s faithfulness to His revealed Word (cf. Psalm 138:2) must not only involve Israel’s uprooting and scattering but the nation’s eventual restoration as well. The complete outworking of all God’s plans and purposes surrounding Israel can be brought to pass only with a restored nation dwelling in the land covenanted to Abraham and his progeny and, in this land, fulfilling that which God called Israel to do in the beginning.
In this respect, the goal toward which everything moves relative to Israel will occur when the Deliverer one day appears [reappears in Israel’s case], and there will once again be bread in the land. This is seen occurring with respect to one family in the book of Ruth, and it is seen occurring in the book of Judges during a time when the story was repeated over and over with respect to the entire nation.)

As previously stated though, this story of Israel (with which the book opens) is not really the central message of the book of Ruth. Esther is the book that centers on Israel, not Ruth. But, unlike Esther, Ruth also opens with events surrounding Christ and the Church. And though Israel, of necessity, must remain in the picture throughout this book, revelation in the book centers on Christ and the Church, not on God and Israel.

Israel is introduced in a typical manner at the first of the book. Then, Israel is seen in this same typical manner throughout the book for reasons which, from a Scriptural standpoint, can only be obvious.

Apart from Israel, nothing revealed in the book relative to Christ and the Church could exist. “Israel” is the pupil of God’s eye (Deuteronomy 32:8-10; Zechariah 2:8 [“apple,” KJV, should be translated “pupil” in both references]). God, in this respect, views His complete dealings with mankind through the nation of Israel.

God revealed early in the book of Genesis that He would deal with mankind at large through a particular segment of mankind. Among the three sons of Noah, God singled out Shem immediately following the Flood as the one through whom such dealings would occur (Genesis 9:26-27); and slightly over four centuries later, God singled out a particular descendant of Shem, Abraham, through whom His dealings with mankind would continue to be worked out (Genesis 11:10-26; 12:1-3).

And matters of this nature must be carried out in the manner that God has decreed or they cannot be carried out at all. God has decreed that all spiritual blessings are to flow through Abraham and his seed, which is revealed to be through Isaac, Jacob, Jacob’s twelve sons, and their progeny — i.e., through the nation of Israel; God has provided mankind with a Jewish Savior, whose lineage can be traced back to Abraham and Shem; all things about this Savior were foretold in a Jewish book (God’s revelation to man, given through Jewish prophets); and Christians have been grafted into a Jewish trunk, having become “Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” through their positional standing “in Christ,” who is Abraham’s Seed (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; Psalm 147:19-20; Matthew 2:2; Romans 11:17; Galatians 3:29; Ephesians 2:11-15).

Thus, it becomes a simple matter to see and understand that none of the things revealed about Christ and the Church could exist apart from Israel. And this is why events in the book of Ruth, though not dealing centrally with Israel, cannot occur apart from Israel being seen someplace in the picture throughout the book.

1) Chapters One and Two

Relative to the central message of the book, Ruth 1; 2 outline events extending from the time two Gentile women (Ruth and Orpah) become members of a Jewish family to the time one of these women (Ruth) is seen gleaning in the field of a near kinsman (Boaz) during the time of barley and wheat harvest.

a) Type

Following Elimelech’s death, Mahlon and Chilion both married Moabite women — Ruth and Orpah [Audio], respectively. Then, sometime later, Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving Naomi with her two daughters-in-law.

Though death had dissolved the marriage relationship, the family relationship continued. Ruth and Orpah were still members of Naomi’s family. They were still Naomi’s “daughters-in-law” (Ruth 1:4-6; 2:20).

Thus, the book opens with two Gentile women who had become members of a Jewish family through marriage. And, following the death of their husbands, this family relationship with Naomi then had a connection with death.

Everything following this point in the account is based on an existing family relationship of this nature (widowed Gentile women, who are members of a Jewish family, where death is involved in the family relationship). Matters had to be established in this manner first. Only then could Ruth and Orpah occupy their respective positions seen in the story.

The story through the book though is centrally about Ruth, not about both Ruth and Orpah. Only Ruth chose to cleave unto Naomi and to her God, traveling with her to another land. Orpah chose to turn back to the Moabite people and to their gods, in the land where she dwelled (Ruth1:15-17).

Ruth traveled with Naomi to Bethlehem (the house of bread), in another land (Ruth 1:18-22); and in that land she found herself working in the field of a near kinsman, Boaz (Ruth 2:1ff). It was the time of barley and wheat harvest, and the whole of Ruth 2 is taken up with Ruth working in Boaz’s field from morning until evening, from the beginning to the end of the harvest.

b) Antitype

As two Gentiles in the type occupied a family relationship with Naomi following the death of their Jewish husbands, Gentiles throughout the present dispensation occupy a family relationship with the one which Naomi typifies, Israel, through the death of a Jew. Individuals are saved by Christ’s death and shed blood; and they, through a work of the Spirit during the present dispensation — an immersion in the Spirit — occupy a positional standing “in Christ.” And, within this positional standing, because Christ is Abraham’s Seed, they become “Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).

Then, as in the type, Christians find themselves in a position where they can govern their lives in one of two fashions. They can either look out ahead toward another land (a heavenly) and glean in the field (the world) belonging to the Near Kinsman (Christ), or they can look back to and involve themselves in the things of this present world system. The choice is theirs to make. They can, as Ruth, turn to the things that have a connection with the Jewish people, a land, and a Redeemer; or they can, as Orpah, turn back to the things of this present world system, with its god (Satan). Regardless, their family relationship will remain unaffected, but not so with that seen throughout the remainder of the book of Ruth.

2) Chapters Three and Four

Relative to the central message of the book, Ruth 3; 4 outline events extending from the time Ruth prepared herself for meeting Boaz on his threshing floor, relative to both her widowhood and a forfeited inheritance, to the time Boaz had not only redeemed the inheritance but, through this redemptive process, had taken Ruth as his wife as well.

a) Type

With a view to her widowhood and the redemption of a forfeited inheritance — an inheritance belonging to Naomi’s family — Ruth prepared herself for meeting Boaz (a near kinsman) on his threshing floor. And she prepared herself in a threefold manner. She washed herself, anointed herself, and properly arrayed herself (Ruth 3:3).

On the threshing floor, because of laws governing the Jewish people and because of Ruth’s identity and proper preparation, Boaz was under obligation to do as Ruth requested (which she made known, through her actions, once on the threshing floor in Boaz’s presence).

Then the remainder of the story is taken up with Boaz’s redemptive act at the gate of the city (Ruth 4:1ff). Boaz redeemed the inheritance, Ruth became his wife in the process, and the book ends with a brief account of the lineage of this union, extending to King David.

b) Antitype

Proper preparation for meeting Christ on His threshing floor (at His judgment seat [Matthew 3:12]) would occur during the present dispensation. Christians, working in the field (Ruth 2:1ff) in a proper manner would also be properly preparing themselves in the same threefold manner seen in Ruth 3:3.

Washing oneself has to do with cleansing (keeping oneself clean from the defilement connected with this present world system), anointing oneself has to do with the filling of the Spirit, and putting on raiment has to do with the wedding garment. This is the threefold manner in which Christians are to presently be preparing themselves, with a view to meeting Christ on His threshing floor.

It is here that faithful Christians, typified by Ruth, will find themselves in the same position in which Ruth found herself on Boaz’s threshing floor. And Christ, in like manner, typified by Boaz, will find Himself at this future time in the same position in which Boaz found himself.

A redemption of the forfeited inheritance will then occur (which will have to do with a territory, as in the type [a “field,” i.e., the world, the earth; cf. Ruth 4:5; Matthew 13:38]); and Christ, as Boaz, will take the one typified by Ruth as His wife in the process (cf. Ruth 4:9-13; Revelation 5:1-19:9).

Then, through carrying Boaz and Ruth’s genealogy to King David, regality is seen beyond this point in the type. And this is where matters will end in the antitype as well — when a descendant of Boaz, the one greater than David, takes the kingdom and, with His wife as consort queen, reigns over the redeemed inheritance, reigns over the earth.

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Ruth BOOK, Ch.1, in this site.

Word Document: Ruth - Israel and the Church by Arlen Chitwood.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

To website CONTENTS Page.

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The book of Esther, in its type-antitype structure, has to do with Israel.
And the book of Ruth, in its type-antitype structure, has to do with the Church.
Esther presents a complete overview of the history of Israel
and Ruth presents a complete overview of the history of the Church.
But the emphasis in each book is not so much on the past and present as it is on the future.

Esther: A Book of Mysteries
By Chuck Missler of K-House
(Commentary from K-House eNews)

Esther is an obscure book to many, even though it is a story of romance and palace intrigue set in the glory days of the Persian Empire. A Jewish maiden, elevated to the throne of Persia as its queen, is used by God to preserve His people against a Hitler-like annihilation. Even the works of Shakespeare's dramatic genius cannot compare with the drama and irony in this captivating epic.

To this day, the Feast of Purim is held to commemorate these events. Instituted by Mordecai to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews from extermination, Purim (from Akkadian, puru, "lots") is so called after the lots cast by Haman in order to determine the month in which the slaughter was to take place. Held on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month of Adar, Purim is one of the most joyous days of the year.

The book of Esther chronicles real historical events. It deals with the Jews escape from genocidal annihilation after their return from Babylonian captivity. Chronologically, Esther makes possible Nehemiah. It was Esther's marriage to the king of Persia that ultimately leads to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and enables the chain of events that led to the appearance of the Messiah five centuries later.

Orphaned as a child and brought up by her cousin Mordecai, Esther was selected by King Ahasuerus to replace the queen when Vashti was disgraced. Haman, the prime minister, persuaded the king to issue an edict of extermination of all the Jews in the Persian Empire. Esther, on Mordecai's advice, endangered her own life by appearing before the king [without being invited] in order to intercede for her people.

Seeing that the king was well disposed toward her, she invited him and Haman to a private banquet, during which she did not reveal her desire but invited them to yet another banquet, thus misleading Haman by making him think that he was in the queen's good graces. Her real intention was to take revenge on him. During a second banquet, Queen Esther revealed her Jewish origin to the king, begged for her life and the life of her people, and named her enemy.

Angry with Haman, King Ahasuerus retreated into the palace garden. Haman, in great fear, remained to plead for his life from the Queen. While imploring, Haman fell on Esther's couch and was found in this ostensibly compromising situation upon the king's return. He was immediately condemned to be hung on the very gallows which he had previously prepared for Mordecai. The king complied with Esther's request, and the edict of destruction was then changed into permission for the Jews to avenge themselves on their enemies.

It is a fascinating story, but one full of Biblical mysteries. There is no mention of the name of God in the book. There is no reference to worship or faith. There is no mention or prediction of the Messiah; no mention of heaven or hell; there is nothing "religious" about it. It is a gripping tale, but why is it here in the Bible? Martin Luther believed it should not be part of the Canon, however the name Esther gives us a clue: it means "something hidden." In studying this book we have discovered that there are numerous surprises hidden behind, and underneath, the text itself.

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The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: Esther - A Book of Mysteries, Commentary from Chuck Missler of K-House eNews.docx

See following Esther for additional commentary.

Also ref. the author’s book, Esther BOOK, an exegetical presentation, in this site.

To website CONTENTS Page.

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The book of Esther is an integral and vital link to seeing and understanding the complete word picture that God has provided. Not only must Esther be viewed and studied in the light of related Scripture (e.g., Exodus, Daniel, Revelation, among numerous other books and places in Scripture) but related Scripture must be viewed and studied in the light of Esther as well.

Esther
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

(H635,'estêr, of Persian derivation; Ester, the Jewish heroine: - Esther [Audio].)

(Note: Where [Audio] follows a name, click on for Audio Pronunciation.)

Content:

Foreword

Historical Setting for Esther

Typical Structure of Esther

Haman

Esther, Summary

Foreword

The book of Esther contains a wealth of information relative to Israel and the nations, having to do mainly with activity occurring at the end of and following the Times of the Gentiles.

Esther 1; 2, within the typical structure of the book, relate the complete history of Israel — from God’s call surrounding this nation during Moses’ day to that future day when this call will be realized under the One greater than Moses, with Israel then occupying the nation’s proper place, in the Messianic Kingdom.

Then the remaining seven chapters (Esther 3-10) form commentary material for the first two chapters, centering attention on that future time when God will resume His national dealings with Israel, at the end of Man’s Day, terminating at the same place as the first two chapters — Israel occupying the nation’s proper place, in the Messianic Kingdom.

Esther 3 begins with the rise of Haman to a high position of power in the kingdom, typifying the future rise of Antichrist to a position of world power in the kingdom near the middle of Daniel’s unfulfilled Seventieth Week. And the remainder of the book reveals Antichrist’s activities (typified by Haman’s activities) as they relate particularly to Israel (typified by both Esther and Mordecai [Audio]), that which Israel will do because of these activities, Antichrist’s ultimate fall (which marks the end of the Times of the Gentiles), and Israel’s subsequent rise to the position that the nation was called to occupy almost 3,500 years ago when God called the Israelites out of Egypt under Moses.

In the preceding respect, Esther 3-10 parallel Revelation 6-20. And, when studying either book, to gain a proper understanding of the book, it is vitally important that Scripture be compared with Scripture. One book must be studied in the light of the other, among other books (Old Testament and New Testament) containing related subject matter as well.

This is simply one of the ways in which God has structured His Word, necessitating comparing Scripture with Scripture in order to gain a correct understanding of that which has been revealed. God, through this means, has provided man with a complete revelation of Himself, His plans, and His purposes.

This complete revelation though can be seen only in one place — in the complete Word. And it can be properly seen and understood through only one means — through comparing parts of this revelation with other parts of this revelation, through “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:9-13), viewing and studying the whole of Scripture in this manner.

In this respect, the book of Esther is an integral and vital link to seeing and understanding the complete word picture that God has provided. Not only must Esther be viewed and studied in the light of related Scripture (e.g., Exodus, Daniel, Revelation, among numerous other books and places in Scripture) but related Scripture must be viewed and studied in the light of Esther as well.

And the importance of Esther in this respect is self-evident. This book is about Israel and the nations, and understanding God’s dealings with Israel in this respect is a central key to understanding the whole of Scripture.

Understand the message of the book of Esther (comparing Scripture with Scripture), and you can understand what has happened, is happening, and is about to happen relative to Israel and the nations. It was all foretold in the small book of Esther almost two and one-half millennia ago.

Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Esther, Forword

(Reference the book Esther by Arlen Chitwood for a more detailed account of these events. Use Esther by Arlen Chitwood.docx, a SAFE Word document, for printing. The following Haman, in the book Esther in this site may be of interest also.)

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Historical Setting for Esther

The events seen throughout the book of Esther occurred in the southern part of the country known today as Iran. “Iran” is a name of more recent origin. The country was known as “Persia” prior to 1935, reflecting on the racial identity and history of the people inhabiting the land — descendants of the ancient Persians.

Though the people inhabiting this land during modern times are of Persian descent, which carries all the way back to the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians during Ahasuerus [Audio] and Esther’s day, the name change in 1935 reflected another racial characteristic of the Persian people — that of Aryan descent. The name Iran is derived from “Aryan,” a reference back to the Aryan tribes in that part of the world (as distinguished from the Middle East Semitic [Defined] tribes); and the Aryan tribes would include the descendants of the ancient Medes and Persians, among other tribes in that region.

Iran today though only covers a small part of the kingdom as it existed during Ahasuerus and Esther’s day in the book of Esther. The kingdom during that day extended all the way from India west to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1). It was the world kingdom of that day, represented by the breast and arms of silver on Daniel’s image in Daniel 2:32, 39. (See The Great Image in this site.)

This kingdom, represented by the breast and arms of silver, was a dual kingdom — the Medo-Persian kingdom — throughout the time of its existence as the center of world power (from about 538 B.C. to about 330 B.C.). This was the kingdom that conquered Babylon (the kingdom that conquered the world power represented by the head of gold on Daniel’s image); and the Medo-Persian Empire formed the kingdom that, in turn, was conquered slightly over two hundred years later, in Babylon, by Alexander the Great and his armies (which then brought into existence the third part of Daniel’s image, that represented by the belly and thighs of brass [cf. Daniel 2:32, 39; 8:3-8].

The Medes were the dominant power at first. But, according to secular history, about the time that the Medo-Persian Empire became the center of world power, the dominance in power shifted from the
Medes to the Persians. And the Persians continued as the dominant power throughout the empire’s status as the world power of that day.

(Following the Medo-Persian kingdom being depicted by the second part of the image in Daniel 2, this dual kingdom was later depicted in the book through a bear raising itself up on one side [Daniel 7:5], which is subsequently explained by the horns on a ram in the next chapter. The ram had two high horns [representing “the kings of Media and Persia” (cf. Daniel 8:3, 20)], “but one was higher than the other, and the higher [the king of Persia] came up last” [Daniel 8:3].)

The Persian kingdom had become the dominant power long before the time of Ahasuerus’ reign, as seen at the beginning of the book of Esther. Note that this world power is referred to as that of “Persia and Media” at this time (i.e., Persia mentioned first, in accord with the power-structure of the kingdom [Esther 1:3; cf. Esther 1:18-19]). And the time of his reign — several generations following the captivity under Nebuchadnezzar [Audio] (Esther 2:5-6) — would be in complete accord with the probable identity of Ahasuerus (a title or family name, similar to “Herod” in the gospel accounts). Ahasuerus in Esther was probably Xerxes (the son of Darius in Daniel 5:31), who ruled the Medo-Persian Empire during the years 486-465 B.C.

(There is one exception to Persia being mentioned before Media in the book of Esther, and that occurs in Esther 10 where mention is made of “the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia” (Esther 10:2). However, it would only naturally follow that Media should be mentioned first when this book was referenced, for this book contained records dating back to the time when Media rather than Persia was the dominant power. In this respect, attention was called to the original title or way in which the book was known, not to the present status of power among the two nations forming the kingdom.)

Thus, the book of Esther has to do with the most powerful of all the kings on earth ruling over the world empire of that day. In conjunction with his reign, his queen is brought to the forefront different places throughout the book. And the queen is brought to the forefront in this manner for a revealed reason, set forth and established in an unchangeable fashion in chapter one of the book.

This is the setting for the book of Esther, a book fraught with types and meaning.

Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Esther, Ch. 1, Historical Setting for Esther

(Reference the book Esther by Arlen Chitwood for a more detailed account of these events.)

Return to Contents of Esther

Typical Structure of Esther

Events in the book of Esther occurred almost a millennium after Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt (a type of the world); and these events occurred during a time when the Israelites were once again under Gentile subjection, awaiting that time when the One greater than Moses would return to lead the people out from a worldwide dispersion (i.e., awaiting that time when Christ will return at a yet future date to lead the Israelites out from that typified by the Exodus from Egypt under Moses).

Thus, events in the book of Esther occurred at a mid-point between the actions of Moses in the type and the actions of Christ in the antitype. And, at this juncture in the history of Israel and the nations, God, through bringing circumstances and events to pass among Israel and the nations over a period of centuries and millennia, could take the current events of that day and use these events to reveal great spiritual truths concerning both history and prophecy surrounding the same nations carrying out these events.

God’s sovereign control over all things throughout Man’s Day has allowed Him to take Old Testament history and, through divine design, structure this history in a manner that is highly typical in nature. Only an omniscient and omnipotent God, who possessed perfect knowledge of all things — the beginning, the end, and all that lay between — could, within His sovereign control over all these things, reveal His plans and purposes in this manner.

And, accordingly, only through studying God’s revelation after the manner in which God has structured this revelation can man come into a proper understanding of the revealed Word.

1) Chapters One and Two [Esther 1; 2]

The whole of the story as it pertains to Israel — typified by the queen (Vashti, then Esther) — is set forth in the opening two chapters of the book. The remaining chapters (Esther 3-10) simply provide commentary for that previously revealed in the opening two chapters.

But first, the type, as it is set forth in each of these opening two chapters:

a) The Type — Chapter One [Esther 1]

Chapter one begins with the king making a great feast. Mention is made of his power and the riches of his kingdom, with those in positions of power in the kingdom being invited to the feast. The feast was proclaimed “in the third year of his reign”; and, during this time, “he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all [six months]” (Esther 1:3-4).

Then the king made a feast to all who were present — to all the people “from great and small” — for “seven days.” And, “on the seventh day,” the command was given “to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown.” And this was to be done in order “to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold” (Esther 1:5, 10-11).

But, “Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command.” And, because the queen refused to come, after the king had commanded her to come, “the king was furious, and his anger burned within him” (Esther 1:12).

Then the remainder of the events in chapter one surround that which was to be done concerning Vashti because she had refused to come at the king’s command. The king consulted his advisors. And because the actions of the queen had wronged not ony the king but everyone in the kingdom as well, a decree, in keeping with her actions, was issued.

This decree was “a royal decree,” which had been “recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes.” And the decree, because it was recorded among national law, could not be altered. The decree stated the matter simply and clearly:

. . . that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. (Esther 1:19b; cf. Esther 1:15-19a)

This decree, in turn, was to be published throughout all of King Ahasuerus’ empire, in the various languages of all those throughout the empire. This was done because other women in the empire might be inclined to follow Vashti’s lead.

Then, something additional was written in the decree concerning Vashti’s actions. Because that which Vashti had done reflected negatively on the king’s authority and brought dishonor to the king, it was decreed “that each man should be master in his own house.” This would turn matters around and result in wives honoring, not dishonoring, their husbands (Esther 1:17, 20-22).

b) The Type — Chapter Two [Esther 2]

Chapter two begins with the king’s wrath being appeased and his remembering Vashti, “what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.” Then the king’s servants suggested that a search be conducted for one to replace Vashti — a “young woman who pleases the king,” who would “be queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:1-4).

The search was begun; and Mordecai [Audio], whose great grandfather had been carried away in the captivity (under Nebuchadnezzar [Audio], which began about 605 B.C.), had a cousin named Hadassah, whose Persian name was Esther. And Esther was among those “taken to the king’s palace” to later appear before the king (Esther 2:5-8).

Proper preparations would be made for meeting the king over one year’s time, divided into two equal periods of six months, with different things regarding preparation being accomplished during each period. It was only at the end of this time — after complete and proper preparation had been made — that a young women would be taken in before the king (Esther 2:9-14).

When Esther’s turn finally came, she was taken in before the king “in the tenth month . . . in the seventh year of his reign.”

The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. (Esther 2:17)

The king then “made a great feast,” which was proclaimed to be the “Feast of Esther.” And he “proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.” (Esther 2:18)

At the same time, “Mordecai sat within the king’s gate.” And, while in this position, he became aware of a plot against the king. Mordecai then made the matter known to Esther, who told the king. An inquisition was conducted. And, as a result, the two men involved in the plot were “hanged [impaled] on a gallows” (Esther 2:19-23).

c) Antitype of Chapters One and Two [Esther 1; 2]

In different parts of chapters one and two, reference is made to various time-periods in connection with festivities, showing the honor of the king’s majesty, showing the riches of the kingdom, and bringing the queen before the king. In chapter one, reference is made to “the third year,” “one hundred and eighty days [six months],” “seven days,” and “the seventh day” (Esther 1:3-5, 10). And in chapter two, reference is made to “the tenth month” and “the seventh year” (Esther 2:16).

The whole of the matter has to do with different ways of viewing part or all of a single time-period in the antitype, set forth and established in an unchangeable manner in the foundational framework at the very beginning of Scripture, in Genesis 1:1-2:3. And that which is revealed in the book of Esther has to do with commentary on these opening verses in Genesis (as does all other Scripture subsequent to these opening verses), providing additional sinews and flesh necessary to clothe the skeletal, foundational framework established at the beginning (cf. Ezekiel 37:1ff).

(I.E., the opening verses of Genesis establish the pattern for the whole of subsequent Scripture — God taking six days to restore a ruined creation [the earth], followed by a day of rest. And this points to God taking six more days [6,000 years] to restore a subsequent ruined creation [man], to be followed by a day [1,000 years] of rest [ref. Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Study of Scripture, Ch. 2 OR The Septenary Arrangement of Scripture in this site].)

Israel was called into existence to occupy a particular position before the King — before God Himself — at a time designated by the number three, following a time designated by the number six, and during a time designated by the number seven. All of these are seen in the first chapter of Esther. Then, in chapter two, the number ten is brought into the picture in connection with another reference to the number seven.

Time, through the use of numbers in the preceding respect, is dealt with different ways in Scripture. But, as previously stated, the whole of the matter must be in line with the foundational framework established at the beginning, i.e., in line with six days of restorative work, followed by a seventh day (a Sabbath) of rest. And in the opening two chapters of Esther, one finds various ways in which Scripture deals with time in this respect.

“In the third year” (Esther 1:3) points to the seventh day in the respect that Israel had been called into existence two days (2,000 years) before the nation was destined to be raised up to live in God’s sight on the third day, which, using the full reckoning of time, would be the seventh day (cf. Hosea 5:13-6:2 [Audio]).

Israel was called into existence after two days (after 2,000 years) of human history; and, according to Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy, the Messianic Era would be ushered in at the end of the Jewish dispensation, 2,000 years following Abraham’s birth, 4,000 years following Adam’s creation.

But the present dispensation (during which time God deals with the one new man “in Christ” another two days, another 2,000 years, with Israel set aside) must fit into the equation. The present dispensation is not seen within either Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy or Hosea’s reckoning of time, though it would relate to the fifth and sixth days (covering the complete six days, the complete 6,000 years) in the opening verses of Genesis. And that which occurred during and following the complete six days in the opening verses of Genesis is that which is in view through events occurring during and at the end of the six months in Esther 1:4-5.

Then the “seven days,” with the crowned queen being called into the king’s presence on “the seventh day” (Esther 1:5, 10-11), is self-explanatory. This, in the antitype, has to do with the entire seven days in Genesis 1:1-2:3, with Israel being called into existence during the six days in order to realize a particular position on the seventh day — the Sabbath day, pointing to the seventh millennium.

And “the tenth month” and “the seventh year” in chapter two (Esther 2:16), in connection with the crown being placed on Esther’s head (Esther 2:17), point to exactly the same thing. “Ten” is the number of ordinal completion, and all things will be brought to completion when that seen in these verses is brought to pass on the seventh day.

Then, Mordecai seated in the king’s gate completes the type — the Jews one day possessing the gate of the enemy (Genesis 22:17).

Israel in the Old Testament was called into existence to occupy a particular position at a particular time. Israel refused, and the nation was set aside. That’s what Esther 1 is about.

However, the day is coming when God will once again turn to Israel and complete His dealings with this nation, establishing Israel in the position to which the nation was called, during a time that God has established. That’s what Esther 2 is about.

Thus, in the preceding respect, the opening two chapters of Esther cover the complete history of Israel — from the time of the nation’s inception to the time when the nation realizes her calling, in the Messianic Kingdom.

2) Chapters Three through Ten [Esther 3-10]

These eight remaining chapters in the book of Esther provide commentary, filling in details, for the complete story that has already been told in chapters one and two. This commentary, when seen in the antitype, fits into the latter part of the time covered by chapter one and ends at the same place where chapter two ends.

The arrangement of God’s revealed Word after this fashion — a complete sequence of events, followed by commentary — is something seen quite often in Scripture. Actually, as previously seen, viewing Genesis 1:1-2:3 in connection with subsequent Scripture, the whole of Scripture has been structured in this manner (cf. Matthew 17:1-5; 2 Peter 1:15-18; 3:1-8).

Revelation chapter twelve (Revelation 12) would be one of the more classic examples of a section of Scripture structured after this fashion. The complete sequence of events is given in verses one through six (Revelation 12:1-6). Then verses seven through seventeen (Revelation 12:7-17) provide commentary for that which has already been stated in the opening six verses.

And this is the manner in which the book of Esther is structured — the complete story is given first, and commentary then follows. And the latter (commentary on Esther 1; 2) is exactly what the last eight chapters deal with.

a) The Type — Chapters Three through Ten [Esther 3-10]

Chapter three (Esther 3) begins with the king promoting Haman to a high position of power. From information provided in the book, his position of power appeared to be second only to the king himself. And Haman (a Gentile), rather than Esther or Mordecai (both Jews), held this position of power.

Haman was placed over “all the princes that were with him.” And “all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate” were commanded by the king to honor Haman in the position to which he had been appointed, bowing before him (Esther 3:1-2a).

But Mordecai, also at the gate, “would not bow or pay [Haman] homage.” And this infuriated Haman to the extent that he, knowing Mordecai was a Jew, sought to not only slay Mordecai but all the Jews throughout the entire kingdom (Esther 3:2-6 [2b]).

And this sets the stage for that which occurs throughout the remainder of the book.

Haman, seeking to bring about the destruction of the Jews, instead, ultimately brought about his own destruction, along with that of his house as well. Haman had built a gallows upon which he planned to have Mordecai hanged (impaled). But, through God’s providential control of all things, the tables were turned, with Haman himself subsequently being hanged (impaled) on the gallows. And not only was Haman hanged (impaled) on the very gallows that he had built for Mordecai, but his ten sons were subsequently slain and hanged (impaled) on this same gallows as well (Esther 3:8-9:14).

(Relative to the preceding, the English text in most versions refers to being hanged on a gallows, as the two men were hanged on a tree at the end of chapter two. The thought though, in all instances throughout the book, has to do with being hanged in the sense of being impaled, whether on a tree or on a gallows.)

Then, following Haman’s overthrow, instead of a Gentile continuing in power, a Jew was promoted to the position that Haman had held. The house of Haman was given to Esther the queen; and Esther, in turn, placed Mordecai — who had been promoted to a position of power directly under the king — over the house (Esther 8:1-7; 10:3).

b) The Antitype of Chapters Three through Ten [Esther 3-10]

The account of Haman, his love for both recognition and power, his hatred for the Jewish people, his ignominious end, and the ultimate triumph and exaltation of a Jew to the position of power previously held by a Gentile have to do with that future time when God turns back to and completes His dealings with the Jewish people. These dealings will complete the full time seen in Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy, bringing “the times of the Gentiles” to a close (Luke 21:20-24). And the long-awaited Messianic Era will then follow.

“Haman” typifies the man of sin (Antichrist), who, in the middle of the coming Tribulation (Daniel’s Seventieth Week), will find himself occupying the same position in Satan’s kingdom that Haman occupied in Ahasuerus’ kingdom. Satan (ruling the present world kingdom under God, though a rebel ruler) will give to this man the same thing that He offered to Christ in the temptation account (Luke 4:5-6). Satan will give to this man “his power, his throne, and great authority” (Revelation 13:2).

Though giving his throne to Antichrist, Satan will still hold the same regal position to which he was appointed in the beginning. God alone can appoint or remove rulers, and Satan will be removed from his present position only after Christ returns (cf. Daniel 4:17, 25; Revelation 19:17-20:3). But, regardless, the man of sin will still exercise power emanating from God’s throne through Satan’s throne in the same manner in which Haman exercised power emanating from Ahasuerus’ throne.

Scripture deals with matters surrounding the emergence of this man at the end of Man’s Day in a manner far more extensive than many realize. Numerous types and prophecies have to do with the day when this man will be upon the earth; and most also continue into the end of the matter, into the Messianic Era.

The book of Esther forms a good illustration of the preceding. Note that the larger part of this book has been given over to the emergence of this man, that which he will do, and that which will resultantly occur. Then matters end with conditions that foreshadow the coming Messianic Era.

This man was on the scene in type at the time of the inception of the nation in the book of Exodus. There was an Assyrian Pharaoh ruling Egypt in that day (the Assyrians had conquered Egypt, and an Assyrian Pharaoh ruled Egypt). And this Assyrian Pharaoh foreshadowed the future Assyrian (the man of sin, who will arise from within the territorial boundaries of the old Assyrian kingdom, which covered parts of present day Iraq, Iran, and Turkey [cf. Isaiah 10:5; 14:25; 30:31; 31:8; 52:4; Daniel 8:22-25; Hosea 11:5]).

And this man will be on the scene when God completes His dealings with the Jewish people at the end of Man’s Day (Revelation 13:1ff). The type in Exodus, having to do with not only this man’s activities but his destruction in the Red Sea as well, foreshadows that which will occur when this man emerges in the antitype. And that which occurred relative to the Jewish people — beginning with the appropriation of the blood of the slain paschal lambs in chapter twelve (Exodus 12) and continuing with their departure from Egypt — foreshadows that which will occur in the antitype as well.

Almost the entire book of Exodus deals with prophecy in this respect. That which is about to happen has all been foretold in this manner in various Old Testament books. And each part of the Old Testament where these matters are dealt with provides another, slightly different, part to the complete word picture.

And the book of Esther is one of these books, providing part of the complete word picture. This book centers on the Jewish people and the great enemy of the Jewish people in the end times. And this book relates the matter from God’s standpoint, revealing those things that God chose to reveal, after the manner that He chose to use.

Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Esther, Ch. 1, Typical Structure of Esther

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Haman
Excerpt from Arlen Chitwood's The Time of the End

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
And all the king's servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. .
When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.
But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone [he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone], for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus-the people of Mordecai. (Esther 3:1-2, 5-6)

The opening two chapters of Esther (Esther 1; 2) deal with the complete, overall scope of the history of Israel — past, present, and future — as seen typically through the experiences of Ahasuerus [Audio] (the king), Vashti (rejected as queen), and Esther (replacing Vashti as queen). Then the book takes eight more chapters (Esther 3-10) to provide details surrounding events during a minute part of this overall history, yet future.

Esther 3-10 deal centrally with Ahasuerus, Haman, Esther, and Mordecai [Audio]. And, from a typical standpoint, events seen in these chapters have to do with God, the beast, and Israel during the last three and one-half years of the Times of the Gentiles, with events leading into the Millennium.
This section of the book opens with Haman being promoted to a position in the kingdom above all others, a position directly under the king (Esther 3:1).

This foreshadows the beast coming into power as world ruler in the middle of the Tribulation, with Satan giving to this man his power, throne, and great authority. And this will place the beast in exactly the same position seen in the type — a position directly under the King, under God, as the Lord’s anointed (cf. Ezekiel 28:14).

All in the kingdom were to bow and reverence Haman. But Mordecai, a Jew seated in the king’s gate (Esther 2:19, 21), refused to bow before or reverence him (Esther 3:2b).

(From the standpoint of the overall type, Mordecai, a Jew seated in the king’s gate, portends that which is seen in Genesis 22:17-18 — the seed of Abraham possessing the gate of the enemy. The “gate” was the place where business or governmental affairs were conducted in a city or kingdom. And possessing the gate in the manner seen in Genesis 22:17-18 is a manner that Scripture uses to signify governmental control.
Mordecai seated in the king’s gate in the type is another picture of the same thing seen in Revelation 12:1 — the woman wearing “a crown of twelve stars.” Both foreshadow Israel in waiting, destined to take the kingdom, possess the gate.)

And when Haman saw Mordecai seated in the King’s gate, refusing to bow and reverence him, he was enraged. As a result, Haman’s hatred for not only Mordecai but the whole of the Jewish people in the kingdom became such that his goal was seen to be the same as previously exhibited by the Assyrian in Egypt. Haman sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the kingdom (Esther 3:6).

And the remainder of this book is about Haman’s efforts to do away with the Jewish people, along with that which resulted from his efforts.

The more Haman turned his hand against the Jewish people, the worse conditions become for him. He was humiliated by having to publicly exalt Mordecai, whom he had planned to slay and impale on a gallows that he had built (Esther 5:14; 6:1-14). And then he himself was slain and impaled on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai (Esther 7:1-10), followed by his ten sons being slain and impaled on the same gallows as well (Esther 9:10-14).

These events were then followed by the king giving Esther all that had belonged to Haman (Esther 8:1, 7) and promoting Mordecai to the position that Haman had previously held (Esther 8:2;10:2-3).

The whole of the account, typically, has to do with the aspirations of the beast during the last half of the Tribulation, that which God will bring to pass concerning this man and his ten-kingdom federation as a result, and that which God will then bring to pass concerning the nation of Israel.

This account is simply another part of an overall word picture surrounding the beast and Israel, with the emphasis placed in a particular realm. And the account shows once again the working out of God’s unchangeable principles regarding Israel as set forth in Genesis 12:1-3.

Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Haman in Esther excerpt, from The Time of the End, Ch. 22 or The Beast — In the Types in this site.

(Reference Esther by Arlen Chitwood for a more detailed account of these events. Also Haman , excerpt from Arlen Chitwood's The Time of the End.docx, a Word document that is safe to open and print.)

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Esther, Summary [Website author's title.]

Mordecai’s Rise and Greatness

So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor.
And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them. .
And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea.
Now all the acts of his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen. (Esther 8:15-17; 10:1-3)

Esther 1; 2 tells the complete story of the Jewish people in a brief, minute form.

Then, throughout Esther 3-10 (forming commentary material for Esther 1; 2), the thought of the Jewish people ultimately occupying their God-ordained place on earth — as seen in the opening two chapters (a place having to do with regality) — is continually brought to the forefront. And, as the sequence of events depicted in the book relative to Israel and the Gentile nations draws to a close, information surrounding the Jewish people occupying their proper place within God’s economy is brought to the forefront in an ever-increasing manner.

Throughout Esther 3-10, which have to do mainly with a time near and following the end of Gentile world power (foreshadowing events during the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation, progressing on into the Messianic Era), regality relative to Israel is shown a number of times, several different ways. And when one arrives at the last four chapters of the book (Esther 7; 8; 9; 10), this is seen even more so, with the book ending by taking two whole chapters (Esther 8; 10) to foreshadow Israel holding the scepter during the Messianic Era.

Mordecai, at different times throughout the first part of the book, is seen seated “within the king’s gate” (Esther 2:19; 3:2-3; 4:2, 6; 5:9, 13; 6:10, 12), an act portending regality (cf. Genesis 22:17-18; 24:60). Esther in Esther 5 is seen appearing before the king in “royal robes” on the third day, which is the time when Israel will appear in the King’s presence arrayed in this manner — after two days, on the third day; after 2,000 years, in the third 1,000-year period (cf. Hosea 6:1-2).

And following Haman’s death (Esther 7), the whole of Esther 8 is given over to thoughts surrounding the Jewish people and regality. Then, following Haman’s ten sons being slain (Esther 9), the whole of Esther 10 is given over to thoughts surrounding the Jewish people and regality once again, which is how the book ends.

Events surrounding Haman’s death at the end of Esther 7 foreshadow the destruction of Gentile world power (headed up under Antichrist) at the end of Man’s Day, resulting in the end of the Times of the Gentiles. God’s purpose for the Times of the Gentiles will have been realized, for the Jewish people will have been brought to the place of repentance.

Then, in Esther 9, another word picture is given concerning the end of the Times of the Gentiles. Haman’s ten sons (foreshadowing Antichrist’s ten-kingdom confederacy) are slain and impaled upon the same gallows that Haman had built for Mordecai, the same gallows upon which Haman had previously been impaled.

Thus, the whole of that seen in Esther 7; 9 foreshadow the destruction of Antichrist and his ten-kingdom confederacy, depicting the destruction of Gentile world power at the end of Man’s 6,000-year Day.

But in Esther 8; 10, quite another story is seen. The Jewish people are seen occupying their proper God-ordained place in relation to the kingdom and regality. And this place is seen to be the highest of all positions in the kingdom on earth — next unto the King (Esther 10:3).

Insofar as the book of Esther itself is concerned, Esther 7; 9 together present a complete picture of the end of Gentile world power, and Esther 8; 10, together present a complete picture of Israel in the Messianic Era, following the destruction of Gentile world power. And this is where the book ends — Gentile world power destroyed, Israel holding the scepter, the theocracy restored, and the Messianic Era ushered in.

And as the book progresses more and more toward that day, Israel is seen being moved more and more from the shadows into the spotlight. Then as the book is brought to a close, following the overthrow of Gentile world power, it is the Jewish people alone who are seen in relation to regality, ruling directly under the King.

ANTICIPATING THAT COMING DAY

Israel though is presently scattered among the nations and has been since the days of Nebuchadnezzar [Audio], about 2,600 years ago. And, throughout this period, the Times of the Gentiles has been allowed to continue. The Gentiles, during this time, have been allowed to hold the scepter; and, throughout this same time, the Gentiles have been allowed to persecute the Jewish people whom God has scattered among them.

Israel must first be brought to the place of repentance. Only then can the Times of the Gentiles be brought to an end, for the entire purpose for the Times of the Gentiles is to bring Israel, through Gentile persecution, to the place of repentance. Only then, following Israel’s repentance and the end of the Times of the Gentiles, can the things depicted at the end of the book of Esther be brought to pass. Only then can Israel, as God’s firstborn son, hold the scepter directly under the King.

And to show all these things in what would be considered the commentary section of the book of Esther (Esther 3-10), God begins at the very heart of the matter. Viewing Esther within a type-antitype framework, God begins very near the end of Man’s Day and details a sequence of events, lasting three and one-half years, which brings Man’s Day to a close. Then, following this sequence of events, which completes Man’s Day, the Messianic Era is ushered in.

This sequence of events begins with the rise of Antichrist to a position of world power near the middle of the coming Tribulation. This will be the man who, as the antitype of Haman, brings Israeli persecution to an apex — attempted worldwide genocide. And, as also seen in the type, this will be the man whom God will use, through this intensified persecution, to bring Israel to the place of repentance.

Thus, the reason God begins at this point in the book is evident. The book of Esther throughout centers on Israel in relation to a future regality. But Israel must first be brought to the place of repentance; and Gentile world power (which cannot end before Israel has been brought to this place) must then be destroyed (after Israel has been brought to this place), allowing repentant Israel to hold the scepter.

Accordingly, Esther 3-10 begin very near the end of the Times of the Gentiles, showing the final outworking of God’s plans and purposes surrounding the Times of the Gentiles. God simply moves to near the end of the matter (not only here but numerous other places in Scripture as well) and reveals a concluding sequence of events at the end of 2,600 years of Gentile persecution during the Times of the Gentiles.

The purpose for the Times of the Gentiles will ultimately be realized. Israel will ultimately be brought to the place of repentance. Then, Gentile world power will be destroyed, Israel will take the scepter, and Israel will be elevated to the nation’s proper place on the earth.

But, until that day arrives, matters relative to Israel and the nations will remain unchanged. The Gentiles will continue to hold the scepter, and the Jewish people will remain scattered among and persecuted by these same nations.

1) ISRAEL, TODAY

Thus, Israel in the world today still finds itself in exactly the same position that the Jewish people have occupied since the days of Nebuchadnezzar — living during the Times of the Gentiles, scattered among the nations, persecuted by these nations, and still unrepentant. And, these conditions will, they must, persist until God’s purpose for the Times of the Gentiles has been realized.

During the Times of the Gentiles, there have been two restorations of remnants of Jews to the land of Israel. The first occurred during the years following the Babylonian captivity, forming the remnant in the land when Christ came the first time; and the second has occurred during modern times, forming the remnant that is not only presently in the land but will be in the land when Antichrist appears.

The first remnant returning to the land (near the beginning of the Times of the Gentiles) ultimately found itself uprooted from the land and scattered among the nations. And this exact same fate awaits the second remnant returning to the land (near the end of the Times of the Gentiles). This remnant too is about to be uprooted from the land and scattered among the nations, where most of world Jewry still resides (about one-third of world Jewry is presently in the land, with the remaining two-thirds still scattered among the nations).

The first remnant was uprooted in this manner through the actions of Titus and his Roman legions in 70 A.D. Titus marched against Jerusalem, besieged the city, and ultimately destroyed both the city and the temple. And more than one million Jews perished in this destruction, with the remainder subsequently driven into Gentile lands.

The second remnant, in the land today, will be uprooted in a similar manner by Antichrist and his armies. Antichrist, after three and one-half years (in the middle of the Tribulation, Daniel’s 70th Week), will turn against the Jewish people, break his seven-year covenant with Israel, and destroy both Jerusalem and the rebuilt temple (cf. Daniel 9:26; Matthew 24:15-22; Luke 21:20-24). And, in the process, above one million Jews in the land will be slain (Zechariah 13:8), with the remainder (other than the remnant that escapes into a specially prepared place in the mountainous terrain of the land [cf. Matthew 24:16-20; Revelation 12:6, 14]) being uprooted and driven into Gentile lands.

Then, for the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation, Jerusalem will be “trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (cf. Luke 21:24; Revelation 11:2). And it will be during this period that Israel’s suffering at the hands of the Gentiles will reach such extremes (cf. Matthew 24:21-22) that the Jewish people will be left without a choice other than to cry out to the God of their fathers, fulfilling the type seen in Exodus 2:23; 3:9 (among numerous other types and prophecies in Scripture).

God’s purpose for the Times of the Gentiles will then be realized. Israel, through Gentile persecution, will be brought to the place of repentance. It will have taken 2,600 years of Gentile rule and Jewish suffering at the hands of the Gentiles to bring this to pass; and Jewish suffering will have been climaxed by the Holocaust in Europe during the reign of Hitler and a succeeding worldwide Holocaust during the reign of Antichrist.

Thus, in that coming day, preceded by Jewish persecution and suffering over millennia of time, God’s plans and purposes surrounding Israel and the nations will have been worked out.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [without a change of mind]. (Romans 11:29)

The context of Romans 11:29 has to do with Israel’s future deliverance at the time of Messiah’s return (Romans 11:24ff). Israel will have been brought to the place of repentance, and the Times of the Gentiles will have been brought to an end. God is not going to change His mind concerning the reason He called man, then the nations, and then Israel into existence. God is not going to change His mind concerning the reason He brought the Times of the Gentiles to pass. God’s plans and purposes surrounding individuals and nations, occurring during time, will ultimately be realized.

The Infinite God, unlike finite man, does not get in a hurry in matters of this or of any other nature. Nor does God do things as man might seek to do them.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

God is often seen taking millennia to bring His plans and purposes to pass. He is seen working with man in general, with Israel and the nations, and with the Church in this manner. God, in this respect, brings matters to pass within His own set times, with one thing clear and certain. God’s plans and purposes — that which He has decreed and revealed in His Word — will ultimately always be brought to pass.

2) THE REMNANT PRESENTLY IN THE LAND

As previously seen, the Jewish people in the world today can be divided into two categories:

(a) those in the land, forming the present nation of Israel; and
(b) those remaining scattered among the Gentile nations. Only a remnant though has returned to the land, with the majority of the Jews remaining outside the land and scattered among the nations.

But why is there a segment of world Jewry back in the land today? There has been no repentance on Israel’s part, neither the people nor the land has been healed, and man is still living during the Times of the Gentiles.

Is this somehow the beginning of God’s restoration of the Jewish people back to their land, as foretold by the prophets, anticipating their repentance and that seen at the end of the book of Esther? Or, is this something else?

Note a short history of Israel during modern times, bringing the matter somewhat up-to-date in this respect:

The present existing Jewish nation in the Middle East is the end result of a Zionistic movement that had its beginning during modern times through the efforts of Theodor Herzl (and other Jewish leaders) during the closing years of the 19th century. Herzl (1860-1904), who became the first president of the World Zionist Organization in 1897, was a Hungarian-born Jew who would presently be looked upon as the father of modern-day Zionism. Herzl, and other Jewish leaders of his day, opened the door to a renewed Zionism among Jews worldwide, Jews scattered among and persecuted by the Gentiles.

Then, at the beginning of the 20th century, Britain figured prominently in the matter. Britain, throughout the years leading into and during World War I (1914-1918), was sympathetic toward the Zionistic aspirations of the Jewish people. But it was only near the end of World War I that all of this was brought out into the open, with the British government acting on the matter. And a Russian-born Jew, Chaim Weizmann (1874-1952), who had become a British subject prior to the war, figured prominently in that which the British government did in this respect near the end of the war.

Chaim Weizmann, a chemist, had been placed in charge of the Laboratories of British Admiralty during the war. And, as director, he discovered a process for synthesizing acetone, a substance necessary for the manufacture of high explosives — something that helped, in a major way, to bring about an Allied victory in the war.

Weizmann was an ardent Zionist. And the British government, near the end of the war, exercised governmental control over Palestine (though they were not officially given the mandate by the League of Nations until 1922). Thus, the stage was set for that which then occurred.

Weizmann, because of his contribution to the war effort, in a manner of speaking, was in Britain’s debt. And, with Britain both in governmental control of Palestine and looking favorably upon Jewish Zionistic aspirations, Weizmann, through his influence in the British government, brought Zionism to the forefront.

Weizmann was the person largely responsible for Arthur James Balfour (Foreign Secretary in Britain’s government during the war), on Nov. 2, 1917, issuing what later became known as “The Balfour Declaration.” This declaration, in essence, set the course for future actions that the British government took toward Jewish Zionistic aspirations of that day. The declaration read, in part:

“His Majesty’s government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object . . . .”

Britain though, seeking to carry matters forward in this respect in the Middle East, immediately ran into the same problem that the Jews have experienced in the land for the past half century. The British government found itself in the middle of and adding fuel to a 4,000-year old conflict between two half brothers. And, seeking to appease both participants in the conflict (Arabs and Jews alike), the British began to issue what were called “White Papers,” sharply limiting Jewish immigration. And the issuance of these papers all but closed the door during the ’20s and ’30s to the Jewish dream of a national homeland in Palestine.

Then in the late ’30s, World War II, with its Holocaust, began to envelope Europe. And, because of that which occurred during these years (1939-1945), with a Zionistic base already well-established in the Middle East, the flood of Zionism among Jews worldwide following World War II was unstoppable. Regardless of the White Papers and continued British control and rule in Palestine, nothing was now going to stop the Jewish people from establishing a national homeland within the boundaries of the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And the nation in the land today can be traced back to the succeeding events of May 14, 1948, when David Ben-Gurion stood beneath a picture of Theodor Herzl in the Tel Aviv Museum Hall and, shortly before sunset, declared Israel’s independence.

Events beginning with Theodor Herzl and continuing through men such as Chaim Weizmann paved the way and opened the door for that which occurred in Tel Aviv May 14, 1948. And the Jewish frame of mind, worldwide, at the conclusion of World War II was the central driving thrust that brought all that had preceded into reality.

So, again the question: Is the remnant presently in the land today (approaching 5,000,000 strong) somehow the beginning of God’s restoration of the Jewish people back to their land, as foretold by the prophets, anticipating that seen at the end of the book of Esther? Or, is this something else?

To address the issue, note two simple facts:

(a) The Times of the Gentiles presently continues, and
(b) Israel has yet to be brought to the place of repentance.

And, as has previously been shown, an inseparable relationship exists between the two. The reason for the Times of the Gentiles is to bring about Israel’s repentance through the Jewish people being scattered among and persecuted by the Gentiles.

And, in keeping with the preceding, Scripture clearly reveals when God’s purpose for the Times of the Gentiles will be brought to pass — under the reign of Antichrist yet future, at the end of Man’s Day. Only then and not before, will God heal His people, heal their land, and restore His people to their land within a theocracy.

The remnant presently in the land is there as a result of Zionism, which, in this case, is little more than finite man’s efforts to help an infinite God fulfill His plans and purposes — an effort to push God’s plans and purposes ahead of His timetable. Thus, from a Scriptural standpoint, under no stretch of the imagination could this remnant be said to exist in the land in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning God restoring the nation to its land.

For the latter to be true, God would be violating His own Word — an impossibility. He would be ignoring the purpose behind the past 2,600 years of Jewish history — the scattering of a disobedient people among the Gentiles in order to bring about their repentance. He would be re-gathering a disobedient and unrepentant people back to a desolate land, during the Times of the Gentiles, before His purpose for scattering these people among the Gentiles had been realized (e.g., Isaiah 1:4-15).

Thus, God re-gathering His people in fulfillment of the restoration foretold by the Old Testament prophets is simply not what is presently occurring. According to Scripture, both Israel and the land must first be healed. Only then can the prophesied restoration occur (e.g., Isaiah 1:16-2:5).

In more ways than one, the remnant presently in the land has returned before the time. Not only has this remnant returned before God has completed His purpose for the Times of the Gentiles, but this remnant has returned while Christ is still exercising His high priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. And, according to the type in Numbers 35, the slayer (Israel, in the antitype) cannot return to the land of his possession (the land of Israel, in the antitype) until the death of the high priest (which, in the antitype, could only have to do with the termination of Christ’s present high priestly ministry after the order of Aaron, when He departs the heavenly sanctuary and comes forth as the great King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek).

According to the type in Numbers 35, for Israel to return to the land before the time foreshadowed by the death of the high priest is to place the nation in great danger. It is to place the nation in danger of being slain. And this danger is not only very real but it is about to be realized.

When Antichrist rises to power in the immediate future, he will attempt to slay the slayer. He will break his covenant with Israel, uproot the remnant presently in the land, and attempt to destroy all of the Jews worldwide.

Hitler attempted to bring about a Jew-free Europe, and Antichrist will seek to bring about a Jew-free earth. Failure marked Hitler’s efforts, and failure will mark Antichrist’s efforts (cf. Jeremiah 31:35-37). And, as a nation arose from the ashes of the first Holocaust, so will a nation arise from the ashes of the latter Holocaust, with the latter being the restoration foretold by the prophets.

Thus, to bring matters to pass, a remnant of Jews has been allowed to return to the land near the end of Man’s Day, not as part of the prophesied Old Testament restoration of the Jewish people, but as a Zionistic undertaking that has occurred under God’s sovereign control of all things. God, in His sovereignty, has allowed this remnant to return in order to bring about a conclusion to the outworking of His plans and purposes surrounding the Times of the Gentiles and Israeli repentance.

(For a detailed discussion of the slayer in Numbers 35, reference Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Esther, Appendix 1, Death of the High Priest.)

WHEN THAT DAY ARRIVES

The day of Israel’s prophesied restoration to the land will be following Israel’s repentance, following Christ’s return and the overthrow of Gentile world power, and following the healing of both the people and the land. This is simply what the Old Testament prophets have revealed about the matter, and this is what must be followed.

Further, Israel will be restored to the land in accord with the seven “feasts of the Lord” in Leviticus 23. These festivals form the prophetic calendar of Israel and detail the chronology of events, as they will have to do with Israel, from the time of Christ’s return to the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom (a period, which, according to Daniel 12:11-12, will apparently be seventy-five days in length).

The first festival, the Passover, has to do with Israel’s national conversion after Christ returns and the Jewish people (still scattered among the nations) look upon the One “whom they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10). The Jewish people, in that day, will look upon the Aleph and the Tau (the first and last letters in the Hebrew alphabet, as Alpha and Omega in the Greek alphabet [cf. Revelation 1:8; 21:6]). These two letters form an untranslated word in the Hebrew text of Zechariah 12:10, which follows and refers back to “Me [Christ]” in the verse.

Israel has slain the Lamb, but the Jewish people have yet to apply the blood. Thus, insofar as Israel is concerned, not a single festival from Leviticus 23 (festivals that must be fulfilled in the order given) has been fulfilled. But, in that coming day, following Christ’s return, these festivals will be fulfilled, beginning with the Passover (during what would appear, from Daniel 12:11-12, to be a seventy-five-day period).

But note within this order where Israel’s restoration is placed. It is seen in events surrounding the fifth festival, the Feast of Trumpets (which follows Israel’s national conversion [fulfilling the first festival], among other events set forth through the intervening three festivals). It will be then, not during the present day, that the fulfillment of verses such as Deuteronomy 30:3; Ezekiel 37:11-14; Matthew 24:31 will occur.

Then, a restored nation, in a restored land, during the Messianic Era, is seen through events surrounding the seventh and last festival — the Feast of Tabernacles. And it is toward this day that the whole of Scripture moves.

1) NEXT UNTO THE KING

Israel in that coming day will be the restored wife of Jehovah, with the theocracy restored to the nation. “God” will be King; and “Israel,” a nation separate and distinct from the Gentile nations (cf. Numbers 23:9; Deuteronomy 7:6), will be queen.

Israel will be placed back in the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (a healed nation placed back in a healed land). Israel, in that day, will occupy her proper, God-ordained place at the head of the nations. The Times of the Gentiles will be past, Israel will hold the scepter, and the Gentile nations of the earth will be ruled by and blessed through Israel.

In that day, Israel is going to go forth in the antitype of Joseph’s brethren after his reappearance to and their acceptance of him. Joseph’s brethren, in the type, went forth with the message, “Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 45:1-4, 9, 26). And Jesus’ brethren, in the antitype, are going to go forth with the same message: “Jesus is yet alive, and He is Governor over all the earth.”

The Jewish people, in that day, will fulfill the one thing that they have yet to fulfill surrounding their calling. They, as Jonah following his being raised from the dead after two days, on the third day, will carry God’s message to the Gentiles. And, as in Jonah’s experience, the Gentiles will hear and take heed (cf. Isaiah 43:1, 10; Jonah 1:17; 2:10-3:10).

2) GREATNESS, ACCEPTANCE, WEALTH, PEACE

The end of the matter is seen in both Esther 8 and Esther 10. Chapter eight depicts one facet of Israel’s royal position during the Messianic Era — arrayed in a regal manner (Esther 8:15); and Esther 10 depicts another facet of the matter, with four words used to describe Israel in that coming day — greatness, acceptance, wealth, peace (Esther 10:3 KJV).

The only word that probably needs any comment at all is the word “wealth.” This is the translation of a Hebrew word that has to do with “good,” or a reference to “the welfare of the people.”

Israel in that day will be great (at the head of the nations, rather than as today), the Jewish people will be accepted (the present-day situation will be reversed), the Jewish people will do that which is good (looking out for the welfare of all), and there will be worldwide peace (cf. Luke 1:31-33; 2:13-14).

And it will be in that day, in accord with Esther 8:17 — “. . . many of the people of the land became Jews, because the fear of the Jews fell upon them” — that the Gentiles are going to recognize the Jew in complete accord with his true identity and calling:

Thus says the LORD of hosts: “In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” (Zechariah 8:23).

“Ten” is the number of ordinal completion, pointing to all of the Gentiles, calling attention to that which the future holds for both Israel and the nations (Psalm 122:6; 126:1-6; Isaiah 60:1-22).

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Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Esther, Ch. 9, Summary

Word Document: Esther by Arlen L. Chitwood.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

See preceding Esther: A Book of Mysteries for a simplified summary.

Also ref. the author’s book, Esther BOOK, an exegetical presentation, in this site.

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Man is living today during a time when Israel remains in an unbelieving and disobedient state. And God’s Word, relative to Israel in this state, must be fulfilled. That’s what most of the book of Esther is about. The matter is introduced in chapter one, and the remaining chapters present the full and ultimate end of the matter — the unparalleled sufferings that the nation is about to undergo, followed by the glory to then be revealed.

Israel, During the Old Testament Theocracy and At Christ’s First Coming

Excerpts from Esther by Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Content:

During the Old Testament Theocracy

At Christ’s First Coming

During the Old Testament Theocracy

Following Adam’s fall, God waited 2,000 years before he brought forth the man — Abraham — through whose lineage the nations of the earth were to be blessed. Then, 500 additional years passed before God was ready to begin fulfilling his promises to Abraham concerning a seed and a land, through a nation emanating from his loins (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:13-21; Exodus 6:3-8; 12:40-41).

Twenty-five hundred years beyond the creation of Adam, during the days of Moses, the nation emanating from the loins of Abraham found itself exactly where the same nation (because of disobedience) finds itself today. The Israelites found themselves in a Gentile land (in “Egypt,” a type of the world in Scripture), ruled over and persecuted by a Gentile power.

God called the nation out of Egypt under Moses, to dwell in the land that had been covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were to dwell in this land as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” And, in this position, they were to be placed “above all people,” with the Gentile nations of the earth being blessed through Israel (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 6:23; 7:6; 28:13).

However, unbelief and disobedience marked the history of the Israelites — from the days of Moses to that time centuries later when God allowed Gentile powers to come into the land, uproot his people, and carry them away captive into Gentile land.

A theocracy existed in the land of Israel for about eight centuries, which reached its heights during David’s reign, extending into part of Solomon’s reign. But this theocracy, because of Israel’s disobedience, never rose to the heights that God had intended. It never became a theocracy in which the nations of the earth could be ruled by and blessed through Israel.

During the latter part of Solomon’s reign, things began to go even further awry. And about fifty years after his reign, Elijah [Audio] appeared, followed by Elisha [Audio], calling attention to sin, disobedience.

But matters remained unchanged. And, to remain true to His Word, God was left with only one recourse. The Israelites were to find themselves occupying a position diametrically opposed to the position that God had called them to occupy.

The Israelites would be removed from their land and scattered among the Gentile nations; they would find themselves under subjection to these nations and mistreated by these nations in every conceivable way, exactly as God had promised (cf. Leviticus 26:21-22, 27-28, 33-39; Deuteronomy 28:25, 30, 37, 65-67).

In 722 B.C. the Assyrians were allowed to come into the land and take the northern ten tribes into captivity. And slightly over one hundred years later, about 605 B.C., the Babylonians were allowed to come into the land and take the southern two tribes into captivity. These were captivities from which only remnants of Jews have ever been allowed to return, more particularly at two different times — one that began seventy years following the Babylonian captivity, and the other that began in 1948, during modern times.

The nation itself has never been allowed to return from the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. Rather, because of disobedience, the nation has remained scattered among and persecuted by Gentile nations. And that which happened in Europe during particularly the years 1939-1945 — 6,000,000 Jews slain as a result of Gentile persecution — is simply an extreme outworking of that which God promised would happen to His people if they did not obey His voice. In short, the Holocaust was the direct result of two things:

(1) Jewish disobedience, and
(2) God keeping His Word.

But the Holocaust also had to do with something else relative to God keeping His Word. Though the Gentile nations may seek to carry out genocidal activities surrounding Israel, this nation cannot be destroyed.

As the bush burned during Moses’ day, apart from being comsumed (Exodus 3:2-3), the nation of Israel will continue to be persecuted by the Gentiles, apart from being destroyed. For, as God was in the midst of the burning bush during Moses day (Exodus 3:4), or as a fourth person was seen in the fiery furnace during Daniel’s day (with the three Israelites [Daniel 3:19-25]), God has always resided in the midst of His people, Israel (even today, in their disobedience). Thus, to destroy Israel, God Himself would have to be destroyed.

Two things relative to Israel in the preceding respect are contingent entirely upon God fulfilling that which He has promised in His Word. One has to do with the position in which the nation of Israel finds itself today (scattered among and persecuted by Gentile nations), and the other has to do with the fact that Israel will continue as a people until God’s purpose for calling this nation into existence has been realized.

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At Christ’s First Coming

Christ’s first coming occurred about six centuries following that time when the complete nation (northern ten tribes and southern two tribes) had been removed from their land, carried away by Gentile powers, and scattered among the Gentile nations. And His first coming occurred at a time slightly over five centuries following the return of remnants (allowed by Cyrus) under Zerubbabel [Audio] and Ezra.

These remnants formed the original nucleus for that segment of the nation that was in the land, under Roman dominion and persecution, at Christ’s first coming. Most of the Jews at this time were still scattered throughout Gentile lands (Acts 2:8-11), and even the ones in the land of Israel found themselves under subjection to a Gentile power.

Christ’s first coming occurred during “the times of the Gentiles,” which began about 605 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar [Audio] was allowed to come into the land and begin carrying the remaining southern two tribes into captivity; and this time will continue until the heavens are opened, Christ returns, overthrows Gentile world power, and places Israel in the position to which the nation was called in the beginning.

Jerusalem was being trodden down of the Gentiles when Christ came the first time, and it will be trodden down of the Gentiles for the three and one-half years immediately preceding Christ’s return (Luke 21:20-24; John 19:10-15; Revelation 11:2). Then, “the times of the Gentiles” will end, for Israel, in that day, will be brought to the place of repentance.

In this respect, note the message of John, Jesus, the twelve, and the seventy at Christ’s first coming. It was a simple message: “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand” (cf. Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; Luke 10:9). There was a call for national repentance, and this was to be followed by national baptism (showing exactly the same thing that the Red Sea passage during Moses day depicted relative to the entire nation in the type [ref. Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Search for the Bride, Ch. 6).

And this call for repentance, followed by baptism, was voiced by Peter on the day of Pentecost, after the promised Spirit had been sent: “Repent and be baptized every one of you [the entire nation of Israel] . . .” (Acts 2:38a).

This was the beginning of the re-offer of the kingdom of the heavens to Israel (which lasted until about 62 A.D.). During the original offer (during Christ’s earthly ministry), the message was to the Jew only (Matthew 10:5, 6; 15:24). But, during the re-offer, the message was to the Jew first, not to the Jew only. And, during this time, it was also to the Gentile (Romans 1:16; 2:9-10, 16).

However, Israel refused to repent during both the offer and the re-offer of the kingdom. During the offer, the Jewish people climaxed their unbelief and disobedience through rejecting the message and the Messenger, pledging their allegiance to a pagan Gentile king, and then crucifying the true King (John 18:19-23; 19:14-15). This was then followed by continued rejection during the re-offer of the kingdom (Acts 2:37-41; 3:19-4:3, 10-21; 5:17-33; 7:51-8:4; 9:20-29).

This left God with only one recourse — to continue fulfilling in the lives of the Jewish people that which He had stated in His Word relative to the consequences of disobedience (e.g., allowing a Gentile power to destroy Jerusalem in 70 A.D., followed by a scattering of the remnant in the land, followed by continued Gentile persecution). Though the nation was set aside for a dispensation, there must be a continuation of the outworking of the principles that God has laid down in His Word surrounding Israel (for Jew or Gentile, as seen in Genesis 12:3).

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Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Esther, Ch. 2, Israel, During the Old Testament Theocracy and At Christ’s First Coming

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: Israel, During the Old Testament Theocracy and At Christ’s First Coming by Arlen Chitwood.docx

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And the end of the matter will be the same as before the Millennium. The leader — Satan — will be taken and cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and false prophet will still reside (the leadership under Satan during the counterpart to this battle before the Millennium). Then the Satanic-led nations, as before, will be destroyed.

The Two Destructions of the Nations Coming Against Christ and Israel
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Content:

The First Destruction - The Great Supper of God

The Second Destruction – Following the Millennial

The First Destruction - The Great Supper of God

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,
that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”
And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:17-21)

Revelation 19 presents two suppers that will occur following the close of the Tribulation (deipnon, the Greek word translated “supper,” in both instances refers to the principle meal of the day, usually observed toward evening).

In the first part of the chapter, immediately following the shouts of hallelujah and praise in heaven at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 19:1-6) — a jubilation, mainly because of Israel’s repentance and the Son’s impending reign — the marriage supper of the Lamb occurs (Revelation 19:7-9).

Then immediately afterwards the heavens are opened, and Christ, as “King of kings, and Lord of lords,” comes forth with His armies to tread “the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” And this treading of the winepress on earth allows “the supper of the great God [lit., ‘the great supper of God’]” to occur (Revelation 19:11-21).

Thus, two successive suppers are seen in chapter nineteen — one in heaven preceding Christ’s return, and the other on earth following His return. And the two suppers are completely different in nature, though both are inseparably connected with the Son’s impending reign over the earth.

(The adjective, “great” [Greek: megas] in Revelation 19:17, describing a supper [describing God in the KJV] is used eighty-two times in the book of Revelation, describing numerous things [e.g., Revelation 1:10; 2:22; 5:2, 12; 6:4, 10, 12-13, 17]. The word megas though is never used to describe God in this book, unless this verse in Revelation 19 is the exception.
A couple of Greek manuscripts do have the word megas describing “God” rather than “supper” in this verse [including the Textus Receptus, the main Greek text used for the KJV, accounting for the KJV translation]. However, the vast majority of manuscripts have the word megas describing “supper,” accounting for the translation, “the great supper of God,” in almost any English translation since the 1901 ASV.
The word megas appears one-hundred fourteen times throughout the rest of the New Testament [Matthew through Jude], and the word is used only seven times throughout this part of the New Testament to describe Deity — three times to describe Christ in Messianic passages [Matthew 5:35; Luke 1:33; Titus 2:13], twice to describe Christ as High Priest [Hebrews 4:14; 10:21], once to describe Christ as the great Shepherd of the sheep [Hebrews 13:20], and once by the Jewish people to describe Christ as a great Prophet [Luke 7:16].
The Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament] uses megas mainly for a translation of the Hebrew word gadol. This word is used some five hundred times in the Old Testament, but, as in the New Testament, the word is used only sparingly to describe Deity [e.g., Exodus 18:11; Deuteronomy 7:21; 10:17; Psalm 47:2; 99:2; 138:5].)

In connection with Christ returning through an opened heaven as “King of kings, and Lord of lords” to tread the winepress, an angel is seen standing in the sun (Revelation 19:17). And this angel cries out with a loud voice to all the birds of the air (land animals as well in the same scene from Ezekiel 39:17) to come, gather together, and partake of “the great supper of God” — a supper that will consist of “the flesh of captains . . . mighty men . . . horses . . . all people, free and slave, both small and great . . . the kings of the earth, and their armies” (Revelation 19:18-19a).

(In both Ezekiel 39:17 and Revelation 19:17, the cry is to “all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven,” not just the carrion birds. And the same is true of the land animals in Ezekiel 39:17 — “every beast of the field.”
According to the scene presented when the third and fourth seals have been broken in Revelation 6:5-8, depicting conditions during the latter part of the Tribulation, particularly near the end, hunger existing among animal life at that time may be such that even non-carnivorous animals will be found partaking of this “great supper.”)

The angel standing in the sun, uttering this cry, stands within that which is used in a metaphorical sense in the book of Revelation to symbolize the center of governmental power (cf. Revelation 6:12; 8:12; 12:1; 16:8). And the symbolism use in Revelation 19:17 is introduced by and reflects back on the previous six verses, depicting Christ returning through an opened heaven as “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”

The right to take the scepter and rule the earth at this time will have previously been given to the Son by the Father (Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15; cf. Daniel 4:17, 25; 5:18-21; Matthew 20:23). And the angel standing in the sun — standing in that which symbolizes the central governing authority — is seen announcing this fact.

(A similar scene occurring at the time of Christ’s return was depicted earlier in the book, in Revelation 10:1-2 — the angel with the seventh trumpet, whose “face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire,” coming down from heaven and placing “his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.”
Refer to The Time of the End BOOK, Ch. 19, or The Opened Scroll, both in this site, for comments on the actions of this angel.)

Then, from this point, the call goes out to all the birds of the air to come and feast upon that which is about to remain of Gentile world power when it comes against the King in Jerusalem, seeking to prevent Him from taking the scepter and assuming the throne, seeking to prevent Him from assuming that which will then be rightfully His.

Following this call, both the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast alive into the lake of fire. Then the Gentile armies of the earth — which will have dared to follow the beast, as he led them against the King in Jerusalem, along with restored Israel in the land — will be trodden under foot as Christ treads the winepress (Revelation 19:19-21; cf. Revelation 14:14-20; 16:13-16).

These armies will consist of such vast numbers in that day — myriads of myriads, referring to large indefinite numbers (Revelation 9:16; ref. Silence in Heaven (3), in this site) — that blood will flow in places to a depth coming up to a horse’s bridle. And this slaughter will extend over a distance of about one hundred and eighty miles (Revelation 14:20).

This is how the Times of the Gentiles will be brought to a close when Christ returns — centrally because of the outworking of the principles set forth in Genesis 12:1-3 and Israel’s God-appointed position among the nations in Genesis 9:26-27; Exodus 4:22-23. And the manner in which this will occur results in that which Scripture refers to as “the great supper of God,” with trampled Gentile world powers left on the mountains and plains of Israel for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field to devour.

See The Great Supper of God, in his site.

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The Second Destruction – Following the Millennial

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
and will go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
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. (Revelation 20:7-10)

Certain parallels exist between the seven-year Tribulation and the one-thousand-year Millennium that follows. And these parallels have to do with events during and immediately following the Tribulation and with events during and immediately following the Millennium. (See The First Destruction - The Great Supper of God and The Second Destruction – Following the Millennial in this site.)

The Tribulation will be a time when God’s righteous judgment falls upon those residing on the earth. During this time of judgment, a first fruit of the Jewish nation (144,000 Jewish evangels) will go worldwide to the Gentiles with God’s message. (See The 144,000 Jewish Evangels in this site.)

Then, immediately following the Tribulation, the nations of the earth — under Satan, as he heads matters up through the beast — will be gathered together against Christ and the Jewish people, with Jerusalem being the focal point. The beast and false prophet will then be taken and cast into the lake of fire, followed by the destruction of the nations formerly under the command of the beast (cf. Isaiah 34:11). Satan will then be chained, cast into the abyss, and the abyss will be sealed over, allowing the Millennium to ensue.

The Millennium will be a time when those dwelling on the earth will experience God’s righteous judgment through His Son, as the Son, with His co-heirs, rule the earth. The Millennium, in this respect, will be 1,000 years of judgment (Psalm 2:6-12; 110:1-7). And during this time, the entire Jewish nation (as the 144,000 previously) will go worldwide to the Gentiles with God’s message, as seen in Isaiah 53.

Then, events occurring immediately following this 1,000-year period (the Lord’s Day) will end exactly like events occurring immediately following the previous seven-year Tribulation (the last seven years of Man’s Day). Immediately following the Millennium, the nations of the earth — under Satan, who will have been loosed from the abyss — will be gathered for exactly the same reason and to exactly the same place seen 1,000 years earlier. They will be gathered to the land of Israel, with Jerusalem, once again, being the focal point for those coming against Christ and the Jewish people.

(In Revelation 20:10, note that the word “are” is in italics [“where the beast and the false prophet are,” KJV; NKJV], indicating that the word has been supplied by the translators. The fact that the beast and false prophet are still there though is seen in the words “shall/will be tormented.” These three words [KJV; NKJV] are a translation of one word in the Greek text, and this word is in the third person plural: lit., “they will be tormented,” referring to more than Satan alone, which, textually, can only include the beast and the false prophet. Thus, after 1,000 years the beast and false prophet will still be there when Satan is cast into this place.
And, following Satan being cast into the lake of fire, an expression is used pointing to continuous, unbroken time extending throughout the eternal ages that are to follow, providing the duration that Satan, the beast, and the false prophet will remain in the lake of fire — “day and night forever and ever [‘day and night with respect to the ages of the ages’],” i.e., continuous, unbroken time throughout the endless ages of eternity.)

Immediately following the Tribulation, the armies from the nations of the earth, gathered to the land of Israel, are referred to as “Gog, of the land of Magog” (Ezekiel 38:2). And the matter is expressed the same way in Revelation 20:8 relative to the nations of the earth gathered to the land of Israel once again at the end of the Millennium (worded, “Gog and Magog,” followed by an explanation concerning the land, as seen preceding the name “Magog” in Ezekiel 38:2).

The reason for the gathering of these nations into the Middle East both times will be the same, and this reason is echoed in verses from Psalms 2 and Psalms 83 (verses having to do with the first gathering, but the reason for the nations being gathered is the same both times):

Why do the nations [Gentiles] rage, and the people plot [KJV: imagine] a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us. [the restraining and authoritative power of the Father and Son].”
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh [a contemptible laughter]; the Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure:
“Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” (Psalm 2:1-6).
For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head [they carry their head high, exalt themselves].
They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones [the latter is a parallel part of the verse, referring to the Jewish people previously mentioned, those protected by God; cf. Psalm 27:5].
They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You. (Psalm 83:2-5)

Both before and after the Millennium, the reason for such an endeavor by the nations under Satan will be the same; and the end result will, as well, be the same. The nations of the earth, under Satan, will march into the Middle East against Christ and Israel. Then, the leadership will be taken and dealt with, and those under their command will be destroyed.

The first destruction of the nations coming against Christ and Israel will occur by and through a treading of the winepress. And this destruction will be followed by the great supper of God and by Satan subsequently being bound and cast into the abyss, which will then be sealed over, for 1,000 years. See The First Destruction - The Great Supper of God.

The second destruction of the nations coming against Christ and Israel follows Satan being loosed and deceiving the nations. And this destruction will occur by and through fire coming down from God out of heaven (note that fire from heaven is also associated with the first destruction as well [Ezekiel 38:22; 39:6; cf. 2 Peter 3:10]).

Comparing the manner in which the reference to “Gog and Magog” is used in both Ezekiel 38:2 and Revelation 20:8, understanding exactly what is meant by these two names used together is a simple matter (cf. Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5; 5:4). In Ezekiel 38:2, “Gog” refers to a people (other than Israel — the Gentiles, with the leadership of the nations particularly in view), and “Magog,” as seen in the text, refers to a land (Hebrews erets, understood as one or more “lands” or the whole “earth,” depending on the context). In Revelation 20:8, that which is referred to by both words is the same as seen in Ezekiel — “the nations [referenced by ‘Gog’] in the four quarters of the earth [referenced by ‘Magog’].”

It is evident that “Magog” in Ezekiel 38:2 should be thought of in the same sense seen in Revelation 20:8 — more than just the land of one or more named countries; rather, contextually, the reference is to the lands of countries worldwide, the entire earth.

The battle seen in Ezekiel 38; 39 occurs after Israel has been restored to the land, following Messiah’s return at the end of the Tribulation. Thus, these two chapters simply form another description of the same battle seen in Revelation 14:14-20; 19:17-21, the Battle of Armageddon.

See Following the Millennial, in this site.

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: The Two Destructions of the Nations Coming Against Christ and Israel by Arlen Chitwood.docx

(For additional information on how “Gog and Magog” is used in Ezekiel 38:2, along with an overall view of Ezekiel 38; 39 in this respect, refer to The Time of the End BOOK, Ch. 32, Also see Wikipedia - Armageddon.)

(Aside: God reveals the beast to us, through His Holy Word, the Bible. In the Word, God describes an unholy trinity, one that may already be in the making at this point in history. But, the beast will not rise to power until the latter days, known in general, as the Tribulation, the last seven years of human history as we know it.

This unholy trinity is that of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet. In the scriptures, God reveals Antichrist as the Beast, who derives his power from Satan, the Dragon. Together, they will use the False Prophet, the Second Beast, to help them accomplish their evil works on planet earth. The Bible also tells us that in the end of days, the Antichrist will rule over the entire human race with an ecumenical and apostate global religion, in addition to ruling the planet through a global government, and economy. No person living at that time, will be able to escape his evil rule. Revelation 13:1-18.)

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Atheists Forgetting the Meaning of Freedom
By Ben Carson
August 19, 2014

Many people in this country were shocked when the U.S. Navy recently announced the removal of all Bibles from military hotels under their control. This was in response to pressure from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a well-known atheist group.

The surprise is not the hypocritical stance of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, but rather the fact that an established bulwark of American strength and patriotism caved to a self-serving group of religious fanatics. This last sentence may seem out of place if you don’t realize that atheism is actually a religion. Like traditional religions, atheism requires strong conviction. In the case of atheists, it’s the belief that there is no God and that all things can be proven by science. It is extremely hypocritical of the foundation to request the removal of Bibles from hotel rooms on the basis of their contention that the presence of Bibles indicates that the government is choosing one religion over another. If they really thought about it, they would realize that removal of religious materials imposes their religion on everyone else.

Some atheists argue that there should be a library or cachet of religious material at the check-in desk of a hotel from which any guest could order a Bible, Torah or Koran for their reading pleasure. No favoritism would be shown through such a system, and those who reject the idea of God would not have to be offended. This is like saying there shouldn’t be certain brands of bottled water in hotel rooms because there may be guests who prefer a different type of water or who are offended by bottled water and think that everybody should be drinking tap water. The logical answer to such absurdity would, of course, be that the offended individual could bring his own water or simply ignore the brand of water that he does not care for.

As a nation, we must avoid the paralysis of hypersensitivity, which will allow us to get nothing done because virtually everything offends someone. We need to distribute “big boy” pants widely to help the whiners learn to focus their energy in a productive way. We must also go back and read the Constitution, including the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of religion. It says nothing about freedom from religion and, in fact, if you go back and look at the context and the lives of those involved in the crafting of our founding documents, it is quite apparent that they strongly believed in allowing their faith to guide their lives. This has nothing to do with imposing one’s beliefs on someone else.

Those of us who do believe in God can hope and pray that at some point, the secular progressives will come to understand that they must abide by the same rules with which they attempt to control others. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the philosophy of “live and let live.” America was designed to be a free country, where people could live as they pleased and pursue their dreams as long as they didn’t infringe upon the rights of others. By continually broadening the definition of infringement on the rights of others, the purveyors of division will succeed in destroying our nation — but only if we continue to cater to their divisive rhetoric.

Liberty and justice for all has worked extremely well for an extended period of time, and there is no reason to upset the equilibrium by endowing the hypersensitive complainers in our society with more power than everyone else. Thankfully, the Navy quickly realized its mistake and restored the Bible to its lodges. Maybe now we can deal with the real issues that threaten our safety.

Ben S. Carson is professor emeritus of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University and author of the new book “One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future” (Sentinel).

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Washington Times – Atheists Forgetting the Meaning of Freedom by Ben Carson

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While it is technically true that the word rapture does not appear in the English Bible, it does, nevertheless, appear in the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible. Certainly the notion of a rapture appears many times in the Bible. Translators of the Bible into English could have been justified had they translated "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 with the English word "rapture." They also could have translated it by the word "snatch." We could just as easily call the rapture "the great snatch."

Rapture Critics and Myths
By Dr.Thomas Ice

Critics

Rapture critics like to claim that the word "rapture" is not located in the Bible. It may not be in the King James, but the word "rapture" is found in the Bible, if you have the Latin Vulgate produced by Jerome in the early 400s. The Vulgate was the main Bible of the medieval Western Church until the Reformation. It continues to this day as the primary Latin translation of the Roman Catholic Church. It was Protestants who introduced the word "rapture" into the English language from the Latin raeptius. It was Jerome's Vulgate that translated the original Greek verb harpazo used by Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which is usually translated into English with the phrase "caught up." The leading Greek Lexicon says that harpazo means "snatch, seize, i.e., take suddenly and vehemently." This is the same meaning of the Latin word rapio "to seize, snatch, tear away." It should not be surprising to anyone, that an English word was developed from the Latin which we use today known as "rapture."

~~Rapture Ready - Rapture Critics by Thomas Ice~~

Myths

Hardly a week goes by that I don't receive material opposing the pre-trib rapture which is filled with all kinds of error, both Scriptural and historical. For example, I ran across an article entitled "Origin of the Secret Rapture Theory." The first sentence said, "It may surprise and even shock you that neither the word 'rapture' nor the teaching of a secret rapture is not mentioned in ANY Christian literature prior to 1830-including the Bible!" I am hardly surprised or shocked that anyone could pack so much error into a single sentence, but there we have for all to see. This month I want to deal with some of the popular myths about the pre-trib rapture teaching that Dr. LaHaye and I very much believe is taught in the New Testament Scriptures.

The Term "Rapture"

First of all, the word "rapture" is found in the Bible, if you have the Latin Vulgate produced by Jerome in the early 400s. The Vulgate was the main Bible of the medieval Western Church until the Reformation. It continues to this day as the primary Latin translation of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, as we shall see later, it was Protestants who introduced the word "rapture" into the English language from the Latin raeptius. [1] It was Jerome's Vulgate that translated the original Greek verb harpaz used by Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which is usually translated into English with the phrase "caught up." The leading Greek Lexicon says that harpaz means "snatch, seize, i.e., take suddenly and vehemently." [2] This is the same meaning of the Latin word rapio "to seize, snatch, tear away." [3] It should not be surprising to anyone, that an English word was developed from the Latin which we use today known as "rapture."

In Europe, during the Middle Ages and Reformation periods, the theologians were from various countries and therefore spoke different native tongues. However, the single language of the church, both Catholic and Protestant was Latin. In fact, many of the first books written and published in the American Colonies during the seventeenth century were in Latin. For example, Cotton Mather's famous history of the American Colonies during the seventeenth century was written in Latin and called Magnalia Christi Americana, or The Great Works of Christ in America. [4] Because it was done in Latin it could be read throughout Europe by the educated class. Thus, it should not be surprising to anyone that many new words came into the English language from a Latin source, especially in the realm of theology. Rapture is just such a word.

I have in my personal library at least 50 commentaries on 1 Thessalonians. Virtually all of them use the word "rapture" to describe the event in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. They do not appear interested in using it in a derogatory way nor do any of them go on an excursus about how this word does not appear in English translations. Most of these commentators do not hold to a pre-trib rapture view. They merely use the word because they know that it is one of the many Latin words that have made it into the English theological vernacular. Sorry that some have not yet heard.

The rapture does occur in the Bible, especially if you read the Latin Vulgate. However, there is no doubt that the Greek word harpaz in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, usually translated into English "caught up," conveys the rapture concept.

"Rapture" Usage

Our anti-rapture diatribe noted earlier said, "the word 'rapture' nor the teaching of a secret rapture is not mentioned in ANY Christian literature prior to 1830." Oh really! It is not hard to find out when English words were first introduced into the language. One needs only to check The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and it will cite examples of the history of the usage of the word. The oldest word in the "rapture" family is "rapt." OED cites examples of rapt occurring in 1400 in English literature.[5] The earliest instances of "rapture" in secular English literature are cited as 1605, 1607, and 1608.[6] OED provides seven nuances of the word Rapture. The fourth entry is the biblical one defined as "The act of conveying a person from one place to another, especially to heaven; the fact of being so conveyed."[7] Two examples of this use are cited from the seventeenth century. The first by a writer named Ward in 1647 and the other by J. Edwards (not the American Jonathan) in 1693.[8] It does not take long to realize that these examples are well before 1830.

Joseph Mede (1586-1638), considered in his day, a brilliant English exegete wrote a commentary on Revelation in 1627 called Clavis Apocalyptica (Key of the Revelation). In it he said, "Therefore, it is not needful that the Resurrection of those which slept in Christ, and the Rapture of those which shall be left alive together with them in the air . . ."[9] While Mede was a premillennialist, he did not hold to a pre-trib rapture. Nor did the commentator and theologian John Gill (1697-1771) who wrote around 1745 the following in his commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4:17: ". . . and to which rapture will contribute, the agility which the bodies both of the raised and changed saints will have: and this rapture of the living saints will be together with them; . . ."[10]

To admit that the word rapture was used in the English language at least a couple of hundred years before J. N. Darby came along does not in the least mean that one believes in pretribulationism. The Greek word harpaz is used fourteen times in the New Testament. In addition to 1 Thessalonians 4:17, it is used at least three more times of one being raptured to heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2, 4; Revelation 12:5). So there is no need to get upset over the use of the Latin based, English word "rapture." It is a biblical word.

The "Secret" Rapture Myth

Included in the above tirade is an equation of the so-called "secret" rapture with pretribulationism. Sorry, but this is another mistake, another myth. In all my reading of pretribulationism and discussion with pretribulationists, I have never, that I can recall, heard a pre-trib rapturist use the nomenclature of "secret" rapture to describe our view. I have only heard the phrase "secret" rapture as a pejorative term used exclusively by anti-pretribulationists. Why? Apparently they enjoy fighting with a straw man.

Anti-pretribulationist, Ken Gentry declares, "On the very surface it is remarkable that one of the noisiest verses in Scripture is said to picture the secret rapture." [11] The truth of the matter is that Gentry wrongly assumes that pretribulationists characterize their view of the rapture as "secret." We do not! However, there are anti-pre-trib rapture advocates, like Dave MacPherson who have taught this myth. As a result, unwitting critics like Gentry have absorbed this myth into their rhetoric without doing their homework.

Very likely it was Dave MacPherson who has spread this myth that equates pretribulationism with a secret rapture. "In 1880 William Reid, in his book on Brethrenism," declares MacPherson, "stated that 'Edward Irving contributed the notion of the secret rapture of the saints.'[12]" [13] MacPherson later concludes, "The pretrib rapture eventually became known as the 'secret rapture.' This label was based on the presupposition that only certain persons would have privileged visibility or knowledge during the occurrence of this catching up."[14] MacPherson does not actually reference anyone who believes in a pre-trib rapture when he makes these statements. It is through slight of hand that he slips such an assumption into his plot of fictional myths about the origins of pretribulationism.

In fact, Brethren researcher R. A. Huebner refutes MacPherson's misinformation about the pre-trib rapture and its supposed association with a secret rapture teaching.[15] Huebner notes that supposed relation of pretribulationism and a secret rapture are built upon the following false historical assumptions: First, the "erroneous notions are the result of the myth that the Irvingites held a pretribulation rapture and also results from trying to link J. N. D. with this falsified Irvingism."[16] Second, when speaking of events transpiring in the 1830s, Huebner says, "the Secret Rapture as used at that point in time did not refer to the pretribulation rapture."[17] Third, "it seems that up to this point in time [the 1830s, T. D. I.], 'Secret Rapture' referred to a rapture at the appearing [the second coming, T. D. I.]."[18] Fourth, "I am not aware if JND ever thought that the rapture would be 'secret.'"[19]

It was the Irvingites, and not the Brethren, who believed in the secret rapture. Since the secret rapture and pretribulationism are not the same, this is where much of the confusion resides. The Irvingite view of the secret rapture was a belief that a few enlightened ones would be taken right before the second coming at the end of the tribulation. This is what Irvingite, Margaret Macdonald's revelation is about. It is impossible to find a pre-trib rapture of any kind in her vision.[20]

Conclusion

I am sure that this call to anti-pre-trib rapture advocates will not result in much of a reduction of their zealous proclamation of mythological falsehoods about our blessed hope. It seems that too many are blinded by their zeal to oppose the biblical teachings of the any-moment hope of the rapture for them to take time to get their information straight. No wonder Columba Graham Flegg, in his scholarly work on the Irvingites spoke specifically of Dave MacPherson's work as "less scholarly." Flegg said, the "conclusions reached in this work and the rationale behind them are hardly convincing." [21] Now why is an expert on the Irvingites not impressed with MacPherson's work? Because Flegg has a thorough knowledge about the times in which MacPherson writes and realizes that he is spinning out myths. Maranatha!

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~~Rapture Ready - Rapture Myths by Thomas Ice~~

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The Prophets and the Apostles have recorded in written form a portion of the oral teaching of the Old Testament in Hebrew and Aramaic as well as the New Testament in Greek. These are the original languages of the Holy Bible from which all the translations have been derived.

The Bible: Its Original Languages and English Translations
Rev. George Mastrantonis

THE BIBLE - GREATEST MONUMENT OF MANKIND

There are distinguished persons and distinguished monuments which stand out in the annals of history. Their lives were full of adventure as they faced the tremendous opposition of their contemporaries as well as accepting enormous sacrifice in their own lives. One of the monuments, the greatest in the history of the world, is the Bible. It has met great challenges of its literal expression as well as its trials over its validity and accuracy. The critical scrutiny of the Bible is the most thorough effort and examination that has ever been made of a literary work from the beginning of time, an examination challenging its integrity and meaning. Its words, thoughts and personalities have been the subject of controversial discussion and debate through the centuries, both in its original language and its translation. From approximately 12 centuries before the Christian era through 20 centuries since (the former for the Old Testament and the latter for both the Old and New Testament), its construction, correction and restoration was achieved. The Bible is stronger today than ever before, despite the "scientific" effort to replace it with human elements of the laboratory and technology. The Bible is so different from other literary works of famous writers whose names are mentioned in the history of scientific findings that only a Superhuman Providence has kept it alive through its orbit of destiny. The Bible has been inscribed on stone, papyrus, lamb skin, in the memories of men and in the hearts of the people.

This extraordinary adventure of the Bible, a written document of historical validity, is so because its content and mission are different from all other examples of human literature, regardless of their valuable content of knowledge and human wisdom. The Bible was written by different writers over an extensive period of time, especially the Old Testament. The writers of the Old Testament began with Moses, covering 12 centuries before Christ and continuing through the writers of the historical, poetical, instructive and prophetic books, together with the writers of the New Testament, writing over a period of 50 years. They find themselves in agreement on thoughts, purpose, destination and mission. The readers of the Bible are overwhelmed and astonished to find these harmonious elements of destiny and purpose. No other literature of this kind exists. A close coherence of the Old and New Testaments, keeping their content intact, their continuity in "promises" and "fulfillments," links them together so closely. The various writings of the Old and New Testaments witness one Editor with Authority that permeates their thoughts.

The literature of the Bible is an epic monument which influences the thinking of man and the molding of his character. "The Bible carries its full message, not to those who regard it simply as a heritage of the past or who praise its literary style, but to those who read it that they may discern and understand God's Word to man. That Word must not be disguised in phrases that are no longer clear, nor be hidden under words that have changed or lost their meaning. It must stand forth in language that is direct and plain and meaningful to people today."

THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES - THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

The Gospel of Christ and, in general, the Holy Bible are written with the inspiration of God. The Prophets and the Apostles have recorded in written form a portion of the oral teaching of the Old Testament in Hebrew and Aramaic as well as the New Testament in Greek. These are the original languages of the Holy Bible from which all the translations have been derived. God's inspiration is confined to the original languages and utterances, not the many translations. There are 1,300 languages and dialects into which the Holy Bible, in its entirety or in portions, has been translated. This does not mean that the translations do not convey the meaning of the Bible for spiritual uprightness of the readers in their own language. On the contrary, the Bible should be spread and preached to "all nations." The missionaries in foreign lands learn the language or the dialect of the new area into which they bring the Bible and other religious teachings. For example, the missionaries from Constantinople, Saints Cyril and Methodios, sent to Christianize the Slavic peoples in the 9th century, first translated the Bible and the ritual books into the language of the people.

Translations of the Bible are very necessary, but are not sufficient for formulating dogmas and doctrines of the Church, which requires reference to the original languages. The translations depend upon the genius and knowledge of the translator in the selection of the proper words and phrases to render meaning as close as possible to the text of the original language. It is well-known that a new translation is more or less a new interpretation. This is obvious when the Bible is translated in the same language, but in different expressions and words. For instance, in the English language there are many translations and renderings with different words and phrases, which imply that one translation differs from the other. The many translations in the same language are justified in that new renderings are different from the previous ones. The fact that there are many translations in the same language indicates that the first translation is not understood after many centuries. For instance, the first translation into the English language from the original New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew by John Wycliffe in the fifteenth century is incomprehensible to the reader today in English.

Unique characteristics such as idioms and colloquialisms make it impossible for an accurate translation of the meaning of the original language. Therefore, the translations should be used for the spiritual guidance of the believers, but not for the formulation of dogmatic teaching of the Church. This is why it cannot be said that the translations are "the inspired word of God." Only the original language is "the inspired word of God." It should be repeated, however, that the translations of the Bible are necessary for the spreading of the Revealed Truths of God among the people in all languages. This is the great commandment of God and the mission of His Church, for Jesus Christ Himself commissioned the Apostles to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you", Matthew 28:19-20. This is to be in many languages of the nations, especially to nations which have never heard the Christian Message.

THE TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE

The many translations are necessary for spreading the word of God without any obstacles in communication. However, this should not diminish the significance of the original languages of the Bible, the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament, and the language of the era when the books of the Scriptures were written. The study of the original languages is imperative for the correct understanding of the meaning of the Bible. The knowledge of the original languages is also imperative in order to translate the Scriptures into the vernacular. The knowledge of the original language is especially necessary for the doctrinal teaching of the Bible.

The individual Christian is urged to read the Bible in his own language for his spiritual enrichment, but not to use the translation in arriving at personal conclusions. One should read the Bible against the background of the interpretation given it by the Church as a whole, not on one's own interpretation. It is profitable, however, for one who studies the Bible to use short commentaries of the Church and to leave the dogmatic and systematic teaching to the Church, which is the authoritative and infallible body. Taking a Biblical verse out of context often is misleading and is the basic cause of the Christian Church being separated into many parts, each interpreting according to their own opinions and thoughts.

It is not the Bible itself that divides Christianity, but its interpretation based on personal premises. That is the weakness of the human element. This weakness of the human element is reflected in claims that the Holy Spirit has inspired the individual to interpret the Bible according to his own premise. This is where the fallacy lies-the claim that the Holy Spirit is the author of his own personal interpretation, a claim that all make. The fact that so many persons have claimed that the Holy Spirit has spoken to and chosen them personally should be clear and unmistakable proof that the interpretation of Scriptures lies only in the authority of the Church as a whole, and not with individuals. It should be stressed that the Bible is written on the background of the life of the Church, which has kept the Christian Message, Sacred Tradition, the words and deeds of Jesus Christ, undefiled. The Church, not individuals, was and remains the infallible interpreter of the written word, the Holy Bible. The mistake is even greater when the interpretation of the Bible depends upon the translations instead of the original Hebrew and, especially, the New Testament Greek text. The fact that there are variations in the translations of the Bible indicates most clearly the need for a common edition of the Greek New Testament on which other translations will depend.

A comparison of the text of this edition with that of the edition of the official New Testament text of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople shows approximately 2,000 variations. But most of them do not change the meaning of the New Testament. All the variations between these two texts are found in the apparatus of the critical edition of 1966, issued by the five Bible Societies. The text of the Patriarchate was prepared by a commission in 1904, and it also has approximately 2,000 variations compared to the Common Edition, Textus Receptus, prepared much earlier. Despite these efforts, there is still no one common edition of the New Testament Greek accepted by all. It must be recognized, though, that the edition issued by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople depended mainly upon the passages and verses designated by the Church to be read during the celebrations on Sundays and feast days, and for this reason, these passages were kept intact with fewer changes. It is evident that greater efforts involving all the Christian churches must be made to arrive at one common edition in the original language recognized by all Christians. This effort will be a step in unifying the Christian Church as Christ meant it to be, One Body, Undivided.

THE NEED TO KNOW THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES

A critical examination of the text of the original Hebrew and Greek languages of the Bible is indispensable, for through the centuries, many words were added or omitted. This was especially so before the printing press when there was only manual copying on rough lamb skin and papyrus. The scholarly study of the original languages is a valuable aid in correcting the mistakes and reestablishing intact the original texts from which the translations should be made. The prime purpose of such a valuable work is not only to make the Bible free from any and all changes and mistakes, but even more to make the original context and meaning available for translations in many languages for reading by all Christians. The simple purpose of the Bible is to be read and known by all the peoples of the world, in their own languages and in its pure and true form in its original languages and in its many translations.

The individual Christian should read the Bible as the Revelation from God Himself for his enlightenment and salvation. He should read the Bible with the fear of God and with true faith. The reader invokes the Holy Spirit to help him understand its deep meaning for his own personal and practical life. The Christian should read the Bible for his spiritual rebirth and divine assistance in order to understand its sacred content carried by the letter, which is a human organ and tool. Nevertheless, it is the spirit that gives life to the reader, for it is "not of the letter (of the new covenant) but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life", 2 Corinthians 3:6b; that is, "spiritual and not literal", Romans 2:29b.

Because the Bible took its literal form in the Christian community, which kept it intact, this community-the Church-was and is the treasurer and interpreter of the Revealed Truths of Christ. This Revealed Truth, taught orally by Christ and His Apostles, is the Sacred Tradition, a part of which later became the written New Testament. Therefore, when the Christian reads the Bible, he must read it against the background of this Sacred Tradition at large. The reader should also have in mind that the various parts of the Bible were not written systematically, but occasionally. Therefore, the Christian needs a guide to properly understand the meaning of the Scriptures. The guide is the interpretation given by the Church as a whole, which is infallible. The example that one needs to help him understand the Bible was given when Philip the Apostle asked the minister of Candace who was reading the Prophet Isaiah, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And the minister answered, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" Acts 8:30 (cf. Acts 8:26-40). In order for the Bible to be read and understood by the people, it should be translated into the various languages of the people, using the interpretation made by the Church as a whole. This is the correct guide.

THE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE INTO ENGLISH

The translation of the Bible into the English language coincided with the invention of the printing press and the period of Reformation (15th -16th centuries). Before this time, the use of the Bible in the West was forbidden in any language other than Latin. The Latin translation, from the original Hebrew and Greek, was made by St. Jerome in the fourth century. It became the authoritative Bible for the Western Church and was known as the Vulgate. The reading of the Bible, even in the Latin, was forbidden the lay people without permission. This denial by the authorities of the Western Church was one of the main reasons for the Protestant Reformation. Therefore, the first act of the first reformer, Martin Luther, was the translation of the Bible into German in 1522, which translation was the main factor in the establishment of the German language. Before the Reformation and the printing press, various parts of the Bible had been translated into English from the Latin Vulgate.

The Western Church was very strict in the use of Latin not only for the Bible, but also for the ritual worship of the Church, which was incomprehensible to the people. It should be noted that before the Reformation, there was no complete translation of the Bible in English. The only translation in English, from the Latin and not the original Greek language, covering only the New Testament and some parts of the Old, was that attributed to John Wycliffe of England. Despite the fact it was made with the knowledge of the authorities of the Church, its use was forbidden without special permission, according to the decision of the Synod of Oxford of 1407. The first translation of the Bible into English from the original languages, Hebrew and Greek, and the first which was printed was that of William Tyndale in c. 1523. Before this translation, the only printings of the Bible were the Vulgate (first printing, 1456), the Hebrew text of the Old Testament (1488), the text of the New Testament Greek by Erasmus (1516), with four revisions through 1535, and the literal translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Latin (1528). The translation of the New Testament into English from the original Greek text depended on the initiative of Tyndale (c. 1523), without the sponsorship or permission of the Bishop of London. Tyndale was denounced and forced to flee to Germany, where he probably met Martin Luther. Tyndale started to print the New Testament in English in Cologne, but was again forced to flee to another city, Worms.

In Worms, he finally completed the printing of the English translation of the New Testament in its entirety. This translation was reprinted many times in Holland. Copies of this translation reached England, where it aroused the anger of his enemies. Nevertheless, Tyndale continued his work and undertook to translate and print the books of the Old Testament. He first printed the five Books of Moses, the Pentateuch, in Antwerp in 1529-30. Over the next few years, he printed the other books of the Old Testament. Tyndale later printed the New Testament and the Pentateuch together with marginal notes reflecting the Protestant views. This further incensed his enemies, who had him condemned as a heretic. He was burned at the stake in Holland in 1536. Tyndale's translation, especially that of the New Testament from the original Greek, marked the beginning of many other English translations from the original Greek, using Tyndale's translation as a guide. Unfortunately, the original Greek New Testament edited by Erasmus in 1516, which was used by Tyndale for his English translation, contained many mistakes. Still, Tyndale's English translation of the Bible was a pioneer work and an independent effort. Much of his translation is used in the King James Version of 1611.

TYNDALE'S TRANSLATION AND THE KING JAMES VERSION

Tyndale's English translation of the entire Bible was the basis for the many other English translations that followed. The subsequent English versions are Coverdale's Bible, 1535; Thomas Mathew's Bible, 1537; the Great Bible, 1539; the Geneva Bible, 1560; and the Bishop's Bible, 1568. Also the Rheims-Duae's in 1582 was translated from the Latin Vulgate. Within approximately 50 years from the time of Tyndale's first printed translations, the above six translations were made. It must be noted, however, that none of these English translations were accepted as an authorized English version because of general dissatisfaction with them and the many mistakes found in them. Therefore, after 30 years, another attempt to translate the Bible anew into English was made by a conference in England, where a new version of the Bible was suggested to King James. King James was convinced of the need for a new English translation of the Bible. He appointed 54 scholars to undertake the task. These scholars used the Bishop's Bible of 1568 as a basis, but earlier English versions were also taken into consideration, especially Tyndale's.

These 54 scholars, appointed to translate a new, original English version, failed because they used the earlier English translation, which had many mistakes. Thus, theirs was a new revision, not a new translation. Regardless, this new version was received with great enthusiasm and happiness, and within a generation, it displaced all other English translations. This new version became known as the King James Version, or the Authorized Version. This King James Version was printed in 1611 and has become the familiar form of the Bible for many English-speaking generations. The King James Version was the only version that bore the royal authority and was "appointed to be read in churches." It is characterized as "the noblest monument of English prose." The King James Version has played a prominent role in forming the personal character of the church and institutions of the English-speaking people.

Yet, even this King James Version was neither well-received nor free of criticism by some. Nevertheless, it has prevailed through the centuries and is still held in great esteem today, both by preachers and lay people, despite its defects, which were noted more clearly in the mid-nineteenth century and more so today. The Greek and Hebrew manuscripts of the Bible possessed today were unknown to the 54 scholars of the King James Version. The manuscripts of the Bible which were found later pointed out more clearly the serious defects of the King James Version. This fact convinced the Church of England in 1870 to make a revision of the King James translation. This revision was published in 1881 (N.T.) and 1885 (O.T.) and was known as the English Revised Version of the Bible, which included the Apocrypha, printed in 1895. However, to its detriment, this committee of revisers included only Anglican scholars. This version was not accepted by the vast majority of local churches and people, who cherished the King James Version.

THE REVISED STANDARD VERSION

The dissatisfaction with the new English Revised Version led scholars in America to once again attempt to issue another English translation based on this English Revised Version. The American scholars, who cooperated with the English revisers, made amendments in the English Revised Version and published it in 1901, calling it the American Standard Version. Numerous other new English translations were published over the years. Among those worthy of mention are: The New Testament by R. F. Weymouth, 1902; The New Testament, 1913, and The Old Testament, 1924, by J. Moffatt (complete Bible revised in 1935); The American Translation of the New Testament by E. G. Goodspeed, 1923; the Old Testament by J. M. Powis Smith, 1935; the Apocrypha by Goodspeed, 1938; The Westminster Version of the Holy Scriptures by the Catholic Church, 1935; a Revised Catholic Version by R. A. Knox (New Testament, 1945, Old Testament, 1949); The Basic English by S. H. Hooke (N. T., 1945, O.T., 1949); and The New Translation of the Bible in Modern English, by the Church of Scotland (including only Protestant churches), 1947.

Between 1881 and 1901, when the English Revised Version (1881) and the American Standard Version (1901) were published, there was an unhappy lack of agreement on an English translation acceptable to all. Therefore, the task of a new English translation was again undertaken by the International Council of Religious Education in 1937. This Council appointed a committee of scholars to study The American Standard Version for further revision. The committee studied this question for two years and concluded that there was need for a thorough revision of the American Version of 1901, using the Tyndale Version as well as the King James Version in light of today's knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek texts and their meaning, and also using present understanding of the English language. The Council thereupon authorized an English revision of the Bible.

A committee of 32 scholars was appointed to make the new revision in cooperation with an advisory board of 50 representatives of all the denominations which had agreed to its need. The committee was then divided into two groups, one for the Old Testament and the other for the New. Each group submitted its work for the scrutiny of the other, with each change being made by two-thirds vote of the entire committee. The work of the committee covered approximately 10 years. The new revision was unanimously adopted by the advisory board and participating Protestant denominations. The result of this great effort is the Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV). The New Testament was first printed in 1946. The complete Bible, Old and New Testaments, was authorized by vote of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America in 1951.

FINDING OF ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS OF ORIGINAL LANGUAGES

The Greek text of the New Testament used for the King James Version was that of Beza in 1589. Beza had two Greek manuscripts of great value of the fifth and sixth centuries, but he did not use them because they were different from the Greek text made by Erasmus (1516-1535). The manuscripts used by Erasmus were from the tenth century on, and he made little use of them. The discovery of many ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, especially after 1931, provided the committee of scholars with important new sources, including the information which recent discoveries have provided for a better understanding of the vocabulary and idioms of the Greek New Testament language. Since 1870, when the official undertaking of the revision of the King James Version took place, an enormous number of papyri have been unearthed in Egypt, containing private letters, official reports, petitions, business accounts and various other records of the activities of the first centuries. These findings were thoroughly studied by Adolf Deissmann, and his results were published in 1895. His study proved that many of the Greek words of the New Testament were used in the everyday life of the people of the first centuries and were not special words which belonged to what was considered Biblical Greek. These discoveries provided the committee of scholars of the Revised Standard Version with valuable material not available to previous translators. Another factor promoting the decision to revise the King James Version was that its archaic form of expression of English was not clearly understood by contemporary people. The use of such words as "thou," "thee," "thy" and "thine" and the verb endings, "est," edst," "eth" and "th," made it difficult for most people to understand it. More than 300 words in the King James Version are misleading in light of today's understanding. This was one of the reasons that led the Council to revise the King James Version. It must be noted that the Revised Standard Version is not a new translation, nor is it a paraphrase of the English language; it is a revision of the King James Version.

THE NEED OF A COMMON ENGLISH VERSION

There is a tendency today by churches, Bible societies and scholars to adopt one English translation of the Bible as a common, authoritative one. For the first time, even the Roman Catholic Church adopted the Revised Standard Version in 1966 to be used with the addition of the "Apocrypha" (books of the Old Testament designated by the Church "as worthy to be read," which are incorporated in the Hebrew text in the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint, and the Latin Vulgate). When the Catholic Church adopted the Revised Standard Version, it received permission from the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, which holds the copyrights of this Version, to include its own explanatory notes in an appendix.

The Eastern Orthodox Church officially uses the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament which was translated from the original Hebrew language into Greek in the third century B.C. The Septuagint of the Orthodox Church contains all the Canonical Books and the Anaginoskoinena Books "worthy to be read" (called Apocrypha in the English Versions). For the New Testament, the original Greek text is used by the Greek Church, while the other Orthodox Churches have translated the Bible into their own native languages from the original Greek, with the Slavonic translation the oldest. The Orthodox Church has not, as yet, translated the Bible into English and so has no official English translation. In the meantime, the Orthodox are temporarily using both the King James Version and the Revised Standard Version.

THE BIBLE - THE REVEALED WORD OF GOD

The Bible, the inspired word of God, is a living monument in that it goes above and beyond being just a historical document or just a classic piece of literature. It is the Revelation of God Himself and His Will. The Bible is a divine account of God's Design for the salvation of man; it is an account of the Incarnation of the Logos in the Person of Jesus Christ Who became flesh and dwelt among man. It was written to be read with reverence and faith. The Revelation and Message of the Bible should not be hidden or altered by words and phrases that have lost or changed their meaning over the years. The Bible was given to man so he might know the True God and His Revealed Truths, for without the Bible, Christ would be unknown to man. God speaks to man through the Bible. Therefore, the written word in its original context is indispensable for belief in Christ and for living His Commandments. The important words of the Holy Bible are:

"written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31)

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Heavenly Father and 5 Tips for Becoming a Best Father
By David Jeremiah of Turning Point

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9)

English "father" was vader in Dutch, fader in early German, vater in later German, and fader in Middle English. And all those words were built on Latin pater, which was very close to Greek pater. But all those Western spellings were a radical departure from Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke. He would have pronounced "father" as abba, derived from Hebrew ab.

In fact, Jesus' use of "father" represented a major shift in how the Hebrews used the term -- almost exclusively to refer to human fathers. God was rarely called Father by the Jews (Isaiah 63:16; 64:8; Jeremiah 31:9; Malachi 2:10), but Jesus called God "Father" (Abba -- Matthew 11:26) and taught His disciples to do the same (Matthew 6:9). But this was not the formal, Victorian "father" of the English language. This was the abba of the Hebrew family unit -- the "papa" or "daddy" used by children the world over today (Mark 14:36). Jesus introduced a new way to relate to God -- a familial way of fondness and closeness.

However you view and address your earthly father, feel free to address your heavenly Father the way Jesus did -- as Abba Father.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:14-17)
The name Jehovah carries majesty in it; the name Father carries mercy in it. ~Thomas Watson

Five Tips to Becoming the Best Dad
Focus on the Family

1) Guide your children toward a relationship with their heavenly father. Show them the love of the God you serve by being a godly man yourself. Let them see you praying, reading His Word and living the faith you claim. Walk the talk.

2) Show genuine respect and love for the mother of your children. Nothing will make your children feel more secure in your love and acceptance than seeing you cherish their mom. Boys, especially, need to see how a godly man loves a woman.

3) Remember that love is the motivation for discipline. Dads discipline because they love. The two are inseparable. Seek to guide, mold and correct – all with a gentle spirit of fairness and acceptance.

4) Spend time with your children. In your children's eyes, time spent with them is the measure of your love. Show them they're high on your list by giving them your time. There is no substitute.

5) Demonstrate your affection. Hug, kiss and offer a kind word. Every day. Tell your children you love them – and then show you mean it with your actions.

(Aside: A father needs to "bless" each and every one of his children. A child not receiving the blessing of his/her father is left inhibited in some way, often difficult to overcome [for me lack of confidence and fear]. My father didn't bless me and I didn't bless my two children. Predictably, by others, my children have nothing to do with me. Pat

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Creation is All about God
By Charles Strong of Bible One

Romans 11:36
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Exodus 20:11a
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them . . . .

Exodus 31:17
It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.

Nehemiah 9:6
You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.

Psalms 8:3
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained.

Psalms 33:6-9
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. (7) He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. (8) Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. (9) For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

Psalms 89:11-12a
The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them. (12) The north and the south, You have created them . . . .

Psalms 102:25
Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Psalms 136:5-9a [5a]
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens . . . (6) To Him who laid out the earth above the waters . . . (7) To Him who made great lights . . . (8) The sun to rule by day . . . (9) The moon and stars to rule by nigh . . . .

Psalms 146:6a
Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them . . . .

Isaiah 42:5
Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it.

Isaiah 44:24
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.”

Jeremiah 10:12-13
He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. (13) When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens: and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

Jeremiah 51:15-16
He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding. (16) When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

Zechariah 12:1
The burden of the Word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.

John 1:3
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Acts 14:15b
. . . We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them.

Acts 17:24
God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

Colossians 1:16-17
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Hebrews 1:2-3, 10
[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; (3) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (10) And: “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.”

Hebrews 2:10
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Revelation 4:11
You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.

Revelation 10:6
and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer.

Revelation 14:7
saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

Romans 1:18-23
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, (19) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. (20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (21) because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22) Professing to be wise, they became fools, (23) and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Bible One - Charles Strong's Creation is All About God

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A Christian though, to fall away after this fashion, would have to do two things: a) He would first have to come into a mature knowledge and understanding of the things surrounding Christ’s coming reign over the earth, and b) he would then have to apostatize after the same fashion in which the Israelites apostatized (looking away from Moses and the land [an earthly land], back to Egypt; i.e., looking away from Christ and the land [a heavenly land], back to the world.

Very few Christians today could fall away in the antitype of Hebrews 6:4-6, for to fall away after this fashion requires an understanding of the Word of the Kingdom, something that very few Christians presently possess.

Hebrews Chapter 6, Verses 3-8
From Let Us Go On by Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Content:

If They Shall Fall Away

Two Kinds of Growth

If They Shall Fall Away

And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame (Hebrews 6:3-6).

The line of teaching thus far in the third of the five major warnings in Hebrews— in perfect keeping with the things set forth in the first two warnings — is with constant reference to that coming day when Christ will reign over the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. The day is coming, during the Great Tribulation, when an angel will sound the last of seven trumpets; and at that time, “great voices in heaven” are going to be heard, announcing, “The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15, ASV).

The whole of God’s revelation to man, beginning with the opening two chapters of Genesis (Genesis 1; 2), progressively moves toward the same goal — that coming day announced in Revelation 11:15. And revelation throughout the Book of Hebrews, in perfect keeping with revelation as a whole, views that future day as central in all matters surrounding the past or present.

THE WARNING PASSAGES

The first of the five major warnings in the Book of Hebrews deals with “so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3), which is the greatest thing God has ever designed for redeemed man. This salvation has to do with Christians being elevated from this earth and placed in the heavens on the throne as co-heirs with the King of kings and Lord of lords; and the time when this will occur is revealed to be in that coming day when Christ fulfills the things which are stated in the seven Messianic passages making up most of Hebrews 1, leading into the first warning.

Also in connection with the first warning there is a revealed angelic ministry. Angels, who at one time ruled in the kingdom of this world (under Satan, in his unfallen state), are presented as presently ministering on behalf of Christians (Hebrews 1:13-14; 2:5); and this ministry is with a view to Christians wearing the crowns presently worn by these angels when they one day rule in the kingdom under Christ (see Because of the Angels in this site or So Great Salvation BOOK also in this site).

The second of the five major warnings (Hebrews 3; 4) begins by addressing those to whom the warning applies: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling…” (Hebrews 3:1). The parallel is then drawn between Israel’s earthly calling and the Christians’ heavenly calling, with the writer drawing extensively from the type (surrounding Israel’s calling) for all his spiritual lessons (concerning the Christians’ calling).

The land of Canaan during Moses and Joshua’s day was occupied by the Nephilim, who had infiltrated and corrupted the Gentile nations in the land (Numbers 13:32-33 [the word, Nephilim, literally meaning, “fallen ones,” is a name used in Scripture for the offspring resulting from a co-habitation of “the sons of God” with “the daughters of men”; cf. Genesis 6:4]); and the Gentile nations, infiltrated and corrupted by the Nephilim, were there at the pre-planned direction of Satan and his angels (who ruled from the heavens through the Gentile nations on earth [Daniel 10:13, 20; cf. Luke 4:6; Revelation 13:2]) to contest Israel’s right to enter into and take possession of this land.

That heavenly land to which Christians have been called, on the other hand, is presently occupied personally by Satan and his angels (the one-third who went along with Satan in his attempted coup, separate from the two-thirds who refused [who presently minister on behalf of Christians]). And at the heart of all teachings surrounding the second warning is a type-antitype parallel between the Israelites under Moses (and later Joshua) and Christians under Christ.

The Israelites, in the type, were called to leave an earthly land (Egypt) and dwell in another earthly land (Canaan) as “a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.” They were to dwell in that land, as God’s “firstborn son,” within a theocracy (cf. Exodus 4:22-23; 40:34-38; Joel 2:27ff). And in this fashion, with God dwelling in Israel’s midst, the Gentile nations were to be ruled by and blessed through the seed of Abraham, in perfect keeping with Genesis 12:2-3; 14:18-19; 22:17-18.

Christians, on the other hand, in the antitype, have been called to leave this earth and dwell in the heavens, as “kings and priests” and a “holy nation.” And they are to dwell in that heavenly land within a theocracy, seated on the throne with Christ (cf. I Peter 2:9-10; Revelation 2:26-27; 5:10). And in this fashion, with Christians occupying positions of rulership with Christ, the Gentile nations are to be ruled by and blessed through the seed of Abraham from a heavenly sphere as well (Galatians 3:29), also in perfect keeping with Genesis 12:2-3; 14:18-19; 22:17-18.

And Satan and his angels are present in that land today — as the Gentile nations infiltrated and corrupted by the Nephilim were present in the land of Canaan during Moses and Joshua’s day — contesting the Christians’ right to one day enter and take possession of the land. This is what the “manifold wisdom of God” being made known “by [‘through’] the Church” to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places” is all about in Ephesians 3:9-11, and this is what the warfare in Ephesians 6:10ff is also all about.

The announcement has gone forth, “through the Church,” to Satan and his angels in the heavens, that they are about to be replaced. Both “Christ,” the Head, and the “Church,” the body, are on hand, waiting for that day. And Satan, through knowledge of this fact, can only know that his time is short and his days are numbered.

Christ has shown Himself fully qualified to take the kingdom (Matthew 4:1-11), He has paid redemption’s price to redeem fallen man so man can be brought back into the position for which he was created in the beginning (cf. Genesis 1:26, 28; 3:15; John 19:30), and the Holy Spirit is in the world today calling out the bride who will ascend the throne with the Son in that coming day.

And Satan and his angels don’t any more like the thought of Christ and Christians one day occupying the heavenly places which they presently occupy than the Gentile nations in the land of Canaan almost 1,500 years ago (under Satan’s direction and control) liked the thought of the Israelites coming in and occupying that land in their stead. Thus, the warfare of Ephesians 6:11 rages.

And, because of this warfare, Christians are called upon to make the necessary preparations. They are called upon to properly array themselves for the ongoing “battle,” a battle which is very real. And there is a “prize” in view, which is also very real — that of one day being accorded the privilege of occupying a position as co-heir with Christ in His kingdom (cf. Philippians 3:10-14); and this prize can be either won (through overcoming in the battle) or lost (through being overcome in the battle).

Then the third major warning in Hebrews (Hebrews 5; 6) centers around Genesis 14:18-19 for its spiritual lessons — the only historic account of Melchizedek in the entire Old Testament (Psalm 110:4, the only other reference to Melchizedek in the O.T., draws from Genesis 14:18-19). And though the account is very brief, it is fraught beyond compare with spiritual significance. The whole of that which is taught in the spiritual lessons in Hebrews 5-7 draws primarily from the whole of that which is taught surrounding Melchizedek in this one Old Testament passage.

Melchizedek was a king-priest in Jerusalem (cf. Genesis 14:18; Psalm 76:2), and though Christ is presently “a priest after the order of Melchizedek,” as He is presently “King [He was born ‘King of the Jews’],” He has yet to occupy either office (cf. Matthew 2:2; Hebrews 5:10; 6:20; 7:11). He is presently ministering in the heavenly sanctuary, on the basis of shed blood, after the order of Aaron. It will only be when He leaves His present position in the sanctuary and comes forth as “King” that He will exercise the office of King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek” (ref. Angelic Ministry in Heirs of Salvation in this site or So Great Salvation BOOK also in this site).

The writer of Hebrews dealt with this subject (Hebrews 5:1-10), then he dealt with spiritual babes “in Christ” who were not mature enough to understand these things (Hebrews 5:11-14), and then he exhorted these immature Christians to leave the foundational truths and go on unto maturity (Hebrews 6:1-2).

And there is no getting around one central truth in this section of Scripture: Maturity in the faith, as it is set forth in Hebrews 5:1-6:2, has to do with coming into a knowledge and understanding of those things which the Word of God reveals concerning that future day when Christ reigns over the earth as the great King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek.” That which is stated in Hebrews 6:3 (“And this will we do, if God permit”) and the heart of the warning itself in Hebrews 6:4-6 (“For it is impossible…”) MUST be understood within the framework of that which has proceeded. These verses must, contextually, be understood as having to do with Christians coming into a knowledge and understanding of the things surrounding Christ’s coming reign over the earth.

Reading the thought of salvation by grace through faith into Hebrews 6:4-6 (as so many do) is not only completely out of line with the context but it is also completely out of line with any Scriptural teaching concerning salvation by grace through faith, beginning with the opening two chapters of Genesis. The context has to do with Christian maturity (which centers on coming into an understanding of specific future things, for a revealed purpose); and salvation by grace through faith centers around the Christians’ present possession (based on two finished works of the Triune Godhead:

1) the finished work of the Son at Calvary, and
2) the finished work performed in the life of the believer [performed on the basis of and made possible through the Son’s prior finished work]).

Hebrews 6:4-6 has to do strictly with God’s present and future work in the lives of Christians, not with His past work, effecting their present position, “in Christ.” This section of Scripture is written to and has to do solely with those who are already saved, and it has to do specifically with bringing these saved individuals into a mature knowledge and understanding of the things surrounding Christ’s coming reign over the earth, as King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek.”

AND THIS WILL WE DO, IF…

Hebrews 6:3 should be taken at face value. That is, “We will go on unto maturity [Hebrews 6:1-2], if God permits us to go on.” And one is then left with the thought that God may not permit some Christians to go on unto maturity.

Leading into Hebrews 6:3, the writer had previously reprimanded a group of Christians for their lack of spiritual maturity. They had been saved for a sufficient length of time that all of them should have been well enough grounded in the Word that they could do two things:

1) be able to understand teachings surrounding the coming Melchizedek priesthood of Christ, and
2) be able to teach others these things as well (Hebrews 5:10-14).

Then, following the reprimand, the writer exhorted these same Christians to leave “the first principles [the rudimentary things of the Christian faith]” and “go on unto perfection [maturity in ‘the faith’]” (Hebrews 5:12; 6:1-2).

Then after this comes the statement that going on unto maturity is conditional. It is conditioned on God allowing the person to go on. But bear in mind that this is not maturity in what might be considered a general sense; rather, the reference is to maturity in a specific sense. This is maturity in that which Scripture calls “the faith” or “the word of the kingdom” (cf. Matthew 13:19; I Timothy 6:12; Jude 1:3) — maturity in things surrounding Christ’s coming reign over the earth “after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:10ff).

Thus, the writer is dealing with a specific realm of Biblical teaching which is little understood in Christendom today. And this would provide a basic explanation (in conjunction with the working of the leaven in Matthew 13:33) for the existing situation. Not only is there a present lack of knowledge (much less an understanding) concerning this whole overall message in Christendom but something even beyond this exists. Along with the lack of knowledge (and understanding), an overt aversion — more often than not — is exhibited toward any teaching on the subject.

(Note, by way of passing, that an aversion of this nature invariably emanates from two spheres: 1) ignorance rather than knowledge, and 2) immaturity rather than maturity.)

And, projecting the matter out to the end of the dispensation, this is the message Christ will not find being taught to Christians in the Churches at the time of His return. Though this is the central message which Christians are supposed to hear once they have been grounded in the rudimentary things of the Word, Christ stated that by the end of the dispensation, at the time of His return, conditions will have become so completely contrary to the way they should exist that He will not find “faith [lit., ‘the faith’] on the earth” (Luke 18:8).

The reason why God will not allow certain Christians to go on into an understanding of these truths is given in the verses which immediately follow (Hebrews 6:4-6), which comprise the heart of the warning itself. Verse three forms a connection between that which has preceded and that which follows; and this verse must, accordingly, be understood in the light of the complete context — verses both preceding and following.

Very briefly, note the verses leading into Hebrews 6:3 before going on to the explanation. These verses explain the matter from the standpoint of one type, and then the explanation explains it from the standpoint of another type.

Hebrews 5 draws its spiritual lessons from Genesis, chapter fourteen (and Psalm 110, which also draws from Genesis 14). The subject has to do with Abraham meeting Melchizedek following the battle of the kings.

Melchizedek, at this time, brought forth “bread and wine” and blessed Abraham, “of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:17-19). This, of course, points to that day in the antitype, following the battle of the kings (Revelation 19:17-21), when Christ comes forth with “bread and wine” — as King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek” — to bless Abraham and his descendants, both heavenly and earthly (Matthew 26:29).

Now note something about the type, which must carry over into the antitype. Abraham, after meeting Melchizedek, no longer manifested any interest in the things of this world. The king of Sodom offered him goods, but his response was completely negative. Abraham said to the king of Sodom:

“I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, ‘I have made Abraham rich’: Save only that which the young men have eaten…” (Genesis 14:22-24).

Having met Melchizedek, Abraham manifested total disinterest in that which the king of Sodom had to offer. He had found something so far greater than the things this world could offer that he refused to take anything (other than food) from the king of Sodom. Rather, his interest was focused on the things surrounding Melchizedek (cf. Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus… [lit., ‘Looking from (the surrounding things of the world) unto Jesus…’]”).

Abraham, through this experience, could only have gained a whole new perspective on the present in relation to the future, and vice versa. Thus, Abraham, relative to the magnanimous offer of the king of Sodom, in a word, told the king, No! “I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth…”

And that is where Christ comes into the picture in prophecy as the great King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek.” The Father — “the possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:22) — has given all that He possesses unto the Son (cf. Genesis 24:36; 25:5; John 16:13-15); and in that coming day, with the Son occupying both His Own throne in the heavens and David’s throne on the earth, blessings will flow out to the Gentile nations through the seed of Abraham (“possessor of heaven and earth [through inheritance]”) from both heavenly and earthly spheres.

And when a Christian sees Christ, within this framework, as King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek,” this should drive him to manifest the same attitude toward the things of this world as Abraham manifested toward the things of the world after he met Melchizedek. In the words of the song, “the things of this world” should “grow strangely dim.” The Christian should possess an entirely new perspective on the present in relation to the future, and vice versa.

But, how often is the preceding really the case in the lives of Christians? How many really understand these things? Or, how many really view matters within the framework of “the light of His glory and grace”?

And therein lays the secret to questions surrounding Hebrews 6:3. We are dealing with the very choicest of God’s choice things which He has set aside for Christians, and God has placed certain conditions around allowing Christians to move into a knowledge of the Son in this realm (cf. Philippians 3:10-14). God knows what is in man; and He also knows what man coming into knowledge and understanding of these things will, too often, do.

God knows that numerous Christians, after coming into knowledge and understanding of Christ as King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek,” would not manifest the same attitude at all toward the world as Abraham manifested after he met Melchizedek. They would, instead, either continue in or one day return to their worldly interest and involvement (cf. 1 John 2:15-17), which is within a world presently ruled by Satan and his angels. And by so doing, such Christians could only bring shame upon Christ’s name (this will be further dealt with later in the chapter within the framework of that which is stated in Hebrews 6:6).

The matter surrounding God allowing or not allowing a Christian to go on unto maturity though should be viewed more within the framework of man’s attitude toward these things than it should within the framework of God’s omniscience per se. Scripture clearly states, “If any man will do [‘is willing to do’] His will, he shall know of the doctrine…” (John 7:17).

That is, do you really want to know Christ as “author [‘source’] of eternal salvation [salvation for the age (the Messianic Era)]”? (Hebrews 5:9). Are you serious about the present warfare and one day coming into a realization of the proffered inheritance? If so, there should be no reason why God would not allow you to go on into knowledge and understanding of the various things surrounding His Son’s coming reign over the earth.

But, if on the other hand, interest in and seriousness about the matter are not present, there is no Biblical reason why God should allow such a person to go on into a knowledge and understanding of these things. In fact, within a Biblical perspective, the opposite would exist instead. From a Biblical perspective, God would not allow such a person to go on, for a revealed reason.

And with this in mind, we’re ready to go on into the heart of the warning and see the explanation to verse three from the perspective of another type.

FOR IT IS IMPOSSIBLE…

Hebrews 6:4-6 is looked upon by numerous Christians as probably the most difficult, and sometimes controversial, passage in all Scripture. And the reason why the passage is looked upon after this fashion is because of an erroneous interpretative approach. The passage is invariably approached from the standpoint of teachings surrounding the Christians’ presently possessed eternal salvation — salvation “by grace through faith.”

The passage though, as previously stated, doesn’t deal with this subject. And, not dealing with this subject, it is understandable why those who seek to interpret the passage from the standpoint of teachings surrounding salvation by grace through faith find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings. And not only is this the case, but they also invariably find themselves being forced into erroneous views concerning salvation.

Then, beyond the preceding, the correct subject matter is not even being dealt with. Rather, through this erroneous interpretative approach, the correct subject matter is, instead, being completely obscured. And such can only foster the present work of the enemy as it is outlined in 2 Corinthians 4:4 ASV — blinding the minds of Christians relative to “the gospel of the glory of Christ”.

Contextually, Hebrews 6:4-6 must be looked upon as dealing with four basic issues surrounding Christians, from the standpoint of possibility:

a) Christians coming into a mature knowledge and understanding of the things surrounding Christ as King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek,”
b) the same Christians falling away (apostatizing),
c) that which would befall such Christians, and
d) how such an act on the part of Christians would negatively reflect upon Christ Himself.

These four issues will be dealt with under two subsequent headings. Issues under “a” and “b” will be dealt with under the first; then issues under “c” and “d” will be dealt with under the second.

1. ONCE ENLIGHTENED…BUT FELL AWAY

Certain descriptive words appearing in Hebrews 6:4-5 make it virtually impossible to look upon these verses as describing unsaved people.

There is the word, “enlightened” (Hebrews 6:4), which is used in Hebrews 10:32, translated “illuminated.” And according to 1 Corinthians 2:14, “the natural man” cannot be enlightened or illuminated in spiritual matters. Then, beyond that, the passage is dealing with things other than the “milk” of the Word; it is dealing with “strong meat” (Hebrews 5:12-14). Then there is the word, “tasted” (Hebrews 6:4-5). This is the same word used for Christ tasting death “for every man” in Hebrews 2:9. The experiences entered into by those in Hebrews 6:4-5 must be looked upon as a tasting to the same extent that Christ tasted “death” at Calvary. The latter was full and complete, and the former must be also.

And the last descriptive word is “partakers” (Hebrews 6:4). This is the same word translated “fellows” in Hebrews 1:9 and “partakers” in Hebrews 3:1, 14. This is the word metochoi, which could be better translated, “companions.” It is used in Hebrews 1; 3 describing Christ’s co-heirs, His companions, in the coming day of His power.

Being “enlightened,” tasting “of the heavenly gift,” being made “partakers of the Holy Spirit,” tasting “the good word of God,” and tasting “the powers of the world [‘age’] to come” form a description of Christians progressively coming into a mature knowledge and understanding of the things surrounding Melchizedek from Hebrews 5. It, thus, has to do with Christians coming into a mature knowledge and understanding of Christ’s coming reign over the earth, with His companions.

Then, spiritual lessons surrounding the possibility of Christians falling away after coming into this mature state is drawn from the type dealt with prior to the introduction of Melchizedek in Hebrews 5 — the account of the Israelites under Moses (Hebrews 3; 4).

The Israelites under Moses passed through similar experiences within the framework of their earthly calling, climaxed by their hearing the report of the twelve spies and tasting the actual fruits of the land which they had brought back with them. And that which happened to the Israelites at this point (in the type) is where one must go in order to understand the falling away and accompanying statements (in the antitype) in Hebrews 6:6.

The Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea were in possession of the Word of God (received at Sinai), God dwelled in their midst (in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle, built and erected at Sinai), they had heard the report of the spies, and they had tasted the actual fruits of the land (brought back by the spies). And occupying this position, they were then ready to enter the land, conquer and possess the land, and subsequently realize their calling in the land as God’s firstborn son.

They, at this point, were in possession of what could only be looked upon as a mature knowledge of the whole matter. They understood their calling and that which lay out ahead. And it is at this point that they fell away and, within the framework of that stated in the antitype in Hebrews 6:4-6, found it impossible to be renewed “again unto repentance.”

2. IMPOSSIBLE TO RENEW AGAIN…BECAUSE…

The report which the spies brought back concerning the land was both positive and negative. It was a good land, flowing with “milk and honey”; but the inhabitants, which included the Nephilim, were strong and lived in walled cities (Numbers 13:26-29, 32-33).

Caleb and Joshua, exhorting the people, said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” But the remaining spies said, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we” (Numbers 13:30-31).

The people of Israel heard the report and both exhortations, but they believed the evil report of the ten spies rather than the true report of Caleb and Joshua. And their resulting actions said it all. They wept, began to murmur against Moses and Aaron, and then looked back to Egypt, wishing that they had never left. Then, to climax matters, they sought to appoint another leader and return to Egypt (Numbers 14:1-4).

They, in the words of the antitype, fell away. They had turned their backs upon God, and God, correspondingly, turned His back upon them. Because of that which had transpired, the most severe judgment possible was pronounced upon the entire accountable generation. Every single individual comprising that generation, twenty years old and above, save Caleb and Joshua, was to be overthrown in the wilderness.

And once this apostasy had occurred (with its corresponding pronounced judgment), there could be no renewal “again unto repentance” (as in the antitype). And the reason, drawing again from the antitype (“crucify to themselves the Son of God”), is because they had brought shame and reproach upon the One (God) dwelling in their midst, Who was to have led them victoriously into the land.

(“Repentance” simply means a change of mind. And in both the type and antitype, the change of mind is on the part of God, not on the part of the Israelites [type] or on the part of Christians [antitype].)

The Israelites, the very next day, repented (changed their minds). They “rose up early” and sought to “go up unto the place” which the Lord had promised. But the Lord didn’t repent (He didn’t change His mind). He was no longer with them relative to their entering the land and victoriously combating the enemy; and, consequently, the Israelites, trying to enter apart from the Lord’s leadership, were smitten and driven back (Numbers 14:40-45).

And that’s what Hebrews 6:4-6 is about. If God allows a Christian to come into a mature knowledge of His Son’s coming reign as King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek,” and that Christian apostatizes, the same thing will occur as that which occurred with the Israelites under Moses (it would have to, for the antitype must follow the type in exact detail).

The Christian would be cut off insofar as those things surrounding his calling were concerned. He would not be allowed to subsequently enter that heavenly land to which he had been called and victoriously combat the enemy therein. He could never be brought back to the position which he had previously occupied. Which is to say, he could not be renewed “again unto repentance.”

Though the Christian may later change his mind about the matter (as the Israelites did), God would not change His mind (as in the type). The Christian, like the Israelites, would be overthrown on the right side of the blood but on the wrong side of the goal of his calling.

And the reason for such severe judgment on God’s part results from the fact that, through this act, such a Christian could only bring shame and reproach upon the name of Christ. Note the entire expression, “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh [‘afresh’ is not in the Greek text, though implied], and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:6). The thought has to do with the shame and reproach surrounding Calvary, not with subjecting the Son to a second crucifixion, for such an act is impossible (Hebrews 7:27).

But subjecting the Son to this same type shame and reproach at the hands of the world is very possible today; and such shame and reproach can result from the act of any Christian falling away in the antitype of the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea.

A Christian though, to fall away after this fashion, would have to do two things:

a) He would first have to come into a mature knowledge and understanding of the things surrounding Christ’s coming reign over the earth, and
b) he would then have to apostatize after the same fashion in which the Israelites apostatized (looking away from Moses and the land [an earthly land], back to Egypt; i.e., looking away from Christ and the land [a heavenly land], back to the world).

And doing this, a Christian would be subjecting God’s Son to the same type humiliation and shame which He experienced at Calvary. The expression, “crucify to themselves,” is actually explained by the remainder of the verse — “put [expose] Him to an open shame.” It is subjecting the world’s coming Ruler to humiliation and shame through the one “in Christ” turning from that which lies out ahead and focusing his attention back on the present world system under the incumbent ruler, Satan.

And this is something which God will not allow. Thus, the verse, “And this will we do [we will go on to maturity in the things surrounding Christ’s coming reign over the earth], if God permit [if God permits us to go on].”

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Let Us Go On BOOK, Ch. 5, in this site.

Bible One - Hebrews 6:3-8, Reproduction of Chs. 5-6 of Let Us Go On by Arlen L. Chitwood

In this site The Wilful Sin and Sinning Willfully may be interest.

Return to Contents of Hebrews 6:3-8

Two Kinds of Growth

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessings from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned (Hebrews 6:7-8).

The subject matter, contextually, must center around that which has preceded. The writer uses an illustration drawn from nature which corresponds to that which he has been discussing. It is an illustration concerning two kinds of growth, resulting in two types of fruit.

This illustration would refer back to the immediate context, which deals with maturity in the faith. It deals with Christian growth or nongrowth and a corresponding fruit-bearing in relation to each. The two types of fruit presented though are quite different, with one type being looked upon as barrenness in other passages of Scripture (cf. Mark 11:13 ASV; James 2:20 ASV [ref. ASV; some manuscripts have the word arge, “barren,” rather than nekros, “dead,” in this verse. Regardless though, “dead” or “barren,” in the sense spoken of here, would be the same]).

The unsaved are not in view in Hebrews 6:7-8; nor is one’s eternal destiny in view. The passage deals strictly with those who are already saved, those in a position to bring forth fruit.

Drawing from the type in the context, the passage deals with things beyond Exodus 12 — with man at a point beyond the death of the firstborn. It deals with man in a position to bring forth fruit relative to the hope of his calling.

Preceding events surrounding the death of the firstborn, there is no such thing as man being placed in a position of this nature. Prior to the point of salvation, a person is connected only with the earth. He is connected with Adam, who was made from “the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7). And at the time of the fall, the dust of the ground came under a curse: “…cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee…” (Genesis 3:17b-18a).

Fallen man is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). And insofar as works or fruit-bearing are concerned, he can only do two things:

1) He can only produce works or bring forth fruit in association with the earth, with which he finds himself connected (which is under a curse), and
2) he can only be active after this fashion within the sphere of the one life he possesses (“natural,” i.e., “soulical” [cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14ff]).

He could never, in an eternity of time, rise above his connection with the earth; nor, in the same eternity of time, could he remove himself from the “natural.” Thus, he, in and of himself, could never bring forth anything acceptable to God. All which he, in his fallen state, might consider as “righteous” would only be looked upon by God after one fashion — “as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

Man has a spiritual problem, which had its origin in the fall. Man, at that time, found himself separated from God; and, apart from Divine intervention, resulting in redemption, that’s where he would not only continue to remain today but for all eternity as well.

Unredeemed man’s association with the “natural” leaves him alienated from God; and his association with the “earth” leaves him destined for destruction.

This is the reason man MUST be born from above, which is a spiritual birth. There is no alternative. If he would escape the state in which he presently finds himself, he must escape it through God’s provided means.

Unredeemed man has no capacity whatsoever to act either relative to or within the “spiritual realm.” Insofar as spiritual matters are concerned, unredeemed man has no more ability to act than any person in any graveyard has the ability to act physically. Both are dead — one spiritually, the other physically. And, apart from Divine intervention, neither could ever make even the most minute move conceivable — one in the spiritual realm, the other in the physical realm.

Unredeemed man, to escape his present state, thus must be made alive spiritually (John 3:6). He must be brought from his dead, alienated state to a living, nonalienated state. That is, he must be removed from his present state and be placed in an entirely different state. He must pass “from death unto life” (John 5:24).

That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again [lit., ‘born from above’]” (John 3:7). This is the great imperative. A man can make no move toward the Red Sea and the things lying beyond (Exodus 13ff) until he has first settled the matter surrounding the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12).

Until he has settled this matter he can never be associated with anything other than Egypt and the things of that land. But once he has settled this matter, a new land comes into view. Once he has settled this matter, he finds himself associated with a land removed from Egypt.

But, there is still a problem.

And that still-existing problem is what Hebrews 6:7-8 is about. Though redeemed man finds himself associated with a land removed from Egypt, the land of Egypt is not done away with. The land of Egypt remains in existence.

And, correspondingly, though redeemed man possesses a new nature, the old nature is still present. It is as in the original type in Genesis 1:3-5 when God “commanded the light to shine out of darkness” (2 Corinthians 4:6). The darkness remained, though light now shined forth out of that darkness (ref. From Egypt to Canaan BOOK, Ch. 7, in this site).

Redeemed man thus finds himself in a position where he can go in either of two directions. He can either fix his attention on the land out ahead, or he can turn and fix his attention on the land from which he was called.

Insofar as his eternal destiny is concerned, it could never make one iota of difference which direction he takes. But, insofar as the hope of his calling — the purpose for his salvation — is concerned, it would make every difference.

Hebrews 6:7-8 presents man with a dual capacity in this realm. That is, he possesses the capacity to go in either direction. Thus, not only contextually, but textually as well, it is evident that the passage is dealing only with those who have passed “from death unto life.” Those remaining “dead in trespasses and sins” do not possess this dual capacity and cannot be in view at all.

(Man must be made alive “spiritually” [John 3:6] because “God is spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” [John 4:24 NASB, NIV]. Consequently, in order for man to find himself in a nonalienated state once again, he must, through Divine intervention (for he himself is powerless to act), be restored “spiritually”; and this can be accomplished only through the spiritual birth from above.
John 4:24 has nothing to do with God in a physical sense, as the verse is often understood [stating, on the basis of this verse, that God does not have a physical existence]. The word “spirit” is anarthrous in the Greek text, referring to God’s character rather than to His identity. The expression is used in the same sense as another expression by John,

“God is love” [1 John 4:16].

And the latter has no more to do with the physical than the former, or vice versa. Both refer to God’s character.
This is the reason that the natural man finds himself alienated from God. He, within the framework of his character, acts in the “natural”; and that is the only sphere in which it is possible for him to act. But God, within the framework of His character, acts in the “spiritual,” never the “natural.” And one is totally incompatible with the other. Ishmael cannot act within the sphere occupied by Isaac. It is impossible.
Thus, the “natural man” cannot worship God “in spirit and in truth”; nor can he exercise “faith,” apart from which it is impossible to please God [Hebrews 11:6]. Only the person having experienced the spiritual birth from above is in a position to do either.
But, such a person may or may not conduct his affairs in the realm of the spiritual, though Scripture, time after time, exhorts him to so do. Those things which characterize his life may or may not be in line with those things which characterize God, though they should be. He still possesses the old nature [the natural (soulical) man, connected with the earth], though he [unlike unredeemed man] also possesses the new nature [the spiritual man, connected with God, another land, etc.]. And a Christian is fully capable of following either nature, going in either direction.
And for this reason Scripture is filled with spiritual lessons, exhortations, and warnings concerning the overall matter surrounding the Christians’ calling. And herein, as well, lies the reason for the necessity of proper spiritual growth unto maturity, for redeemed man lives within the sphere of which ever nature is cultivated, nurtured, and fed.)

BLESSINGS FROM GOD

Several lines of teaching can be drawn from Hebrews 6:7-8. One would have to do with redeemed man in relation to two lands — one earthly, the other heavenly. Another line of teaching would contrast the two lands themselves — one land having to do with our natural birth and the other with our spiritual birth. However, the latter (referring to the two lands) would still have to be understood in conjunction with the former (referring to redeemed man), for one cannot be separated from the other.

1. THE LAND OF CANAAN

That heavenly land to which Christians under Christ have been called (in a place removed from the earth) is typified by the earthly land to which the Israelites under Moses were called (Canaan). And the land from which the Israelites were called (Egypt) would typify the land from which Christians have been called (the earth).

Just as the Israelites were to separate themselves from Egypt and fix their attention on the land set before them, Christians are to separate themselves from this world and fix their attention on the land set before them. Both callings thus concern two lands — one from which the person has been called, and the other to which the person has been called; and God draws spiritual lessons from the former calling (the Israelites under Moses) to teach His people great spiritual truths concerning the latter calling (Christians under Christ).

The land of Canaan was the place wherein the Israelites under Moses could realize both a “rest” and an “inheritance” (Deuteronomy 12:9). God said of the land of Canaan, “But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

“Rain,” in this respect, is associated with God’s blessings. In Deuteronomy 32:2, the Lord states, “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.”

Then during the coming Messianic Era the presence or absence of “rain” is associated with the presence or absence of blessings. On the one hand, the prophesied “latter rain” is associated with blessings for Israel, which will result in blessings for the nations (Joel 2:23); and, on the other hand, the absence of “rain” is associated with a withholding of blessings from the nations (Zechariah 14:17-19).

(Though the land of Canaan is part of the earth, which is under a curse, it is used in an eschatological sense within the framework of the type [referring to that day when the earth will be removed from the present curse]. In this respect, it is used of both the rest set before us [to be realized in that coming seventh day, earth’s coming Sabbath] and a land contrasted with Egypt. In the latter respect, the land of Canaan would be associated with “the spiritual” and the land of Egypt with “the natural.”)

Thus, the land of Canaan corresponds to the land of Hebrews 6:7, which “drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it,” which “receiveth blessings from God.” And the land of Canaan (to which the Israelites under Moses were called) is set forth as a type of that heavenly land (to which Christians under Christ have been called).

Contextually, this verse would have to do with those who have been allowed to go on unto maturity within the framework of Hebrews 6:1- 6, remaining faithful to their calling. The blessings in view would have to do with being enlightened concerning the things out ahead — tasting “of the heavenly gift…the good word of God, and the powers of the world [‘age’] to come” — and with being made “partakers [‘companions’] of the Holy Spirit” in these matters, as He leads individuals “into all truth” (Hebrews 6:4-5).

And further, contextually, the verse would have to do with that coming day when Christ will be the great King-Priest, “after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:5-14). That will be the day when the blessings of God will find their ultimate fulfillment insofar as man on the present earth is concerned. In that day the blessings of God will flow out through the Seed of Abraham to the Gentile nations from both heavenly and earthly spheres. And the Seed of Abraham, in that day, will dwell in these lands (heavenly and earthly), corresponding to the land of Hebrews 6:7.

2. CALEB AND JOSHUA

Caleb and Joshua — two of the Israelites under Moses at Kadesh- Barnea, and two of the twelve spies sent in to obtain a report concerning the land of Canaan — had a proper respect for God’s calling and the land set before them. All twelve of the spies first presented a uniform report to Israel concerning the land (a land flowing with “milk and honey [they had brought back some of the actual fruits of the land for the people to see],” but strong Gentile nations, infiltrated by the Nephilim, dwelled in the land). Then Caleb and Joshua, apart from the other ten, “stilled the people before Moses” and exhorted them after a positive fashion: “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:26-30; cf. Numbers 13:33).

Though the enemy was stronger and more numerous than the Israelites, Caleb and Joshua believed that which God had to say concerning their calling and the land set before them. They had seen God’s previous dealings with the Egyptians the night of the Passover (Exodus 12:29ff), they had seen God’s miraculous parting of the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22), they had seen God’s destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:23-28), they had seen God’s provision of food and water in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4-18; 17:1-7), and they had seen God’s continued provision of victory over anyone who stood in the way of their march toward Sinai and their subsequent march toward the land of Canaan (Exodus 17:8-14).

(In fact, God’s attitude toward anyone standing in Israel’s way was such that He not only completely destroyed the Egyptian army which moved into the sea after Israel [“there remained not so much as one of them” (Exodus 14:28)] but He pronounced a terminal, annihilating judgment upon the “first of the nations” [Numbers 24:20] to war against Israel in the wilderness. God said to Moses: “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven” [Exodus 17:14; cf. Deuteronomy 25:17-19].
The Amalekite nation existed for hundreds of years following the Exodus under Moses; but, during the days of Hezekiah, this nation was finally destroyed after the fashion which God had previously stated at the time of the Exodus centuries before [1 Chronicles 4:39-43]. And, as a consequence, the only available record today that this nation ever even existed can be found only one place — in the pages of Scripture. Secular history knows nothing of the Amalekites, for God destroyed this nation to the extent that man, in his secular world, can find no trace of it whatsoever.)

Caleb and Joshua had seen and experienced these things; and they knew that it was through the Lord’s strength and power, not their own, that deliverance or provision had been forthcoming at every point. The Lord had slain the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 12:12), the Lord had destroyed the Egyptian army, and the Lord was the One who warred with Amalek (eventually blotting him out of existence [Exodus 17:14-16]). And the Lord was the One Who, as well, over the previous one and one-half years, had miraculously provided food and water in the wilderness for the Israelites (Exodus 16:4; 17:5-7).

Thus, for Caleb and Joshua (and it should have been the same for the remainder of the nation), it was really a simple matter to look out ahead to the land set before them and believe, regardless of the strength of the land’s inhabitants or the comparative weakness and seeming inability of the Israelites, that the people of Israel could “go up at once, and possess it.” The people of Israel would be “well able to overcome it,” but not in their own strength and power. They, as before, would have to rely upon the Lord, with His strength and power; and by so doing, through faith in the Lord, nothing could stand in their way as they marched into the land and victoriously engaged the enemy.

But there was another side to the matter, and that was the attitude exhibited by the ten remaining spies, with their “evil report.” They, in a faithless manner, overlooking all God’s works which had proceeded, said to the Israelites, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we” (Numbers 13:31).

It is these two reports, with the resulting action of Caleb and Joshua on the one hand and the remainder of the nation on the other, which establish a basis for much of that which is taught in Hebrews 3; 4; 5; 6. And nearing the end of this whole section in Hebrews 6:7-8, these two totally incompatible ways in which the Israelites viewed the land set before them typifying the two totally incompatible ways Christians can view the land set before them) are set forth in a very simple illustration, drawn from nature.

Within one sphere, there are acceptance and blessings; within the other, there are rejection and curses. And no middle ground lies between the two (cf. Matthew 12:30). Thus, these two verses outline the only two options open to any Christian:

a) that of one day coming into a realization of his calling (Hebrews 6:7), or
b) that of one day being overthrown short of the goal of his calling (Hebrews 6:8).

REJECTED…

The land of Canaan is set forth, on the one hand, corresponding to the land of Hebrews 6:7; then it is set forth, on the other hand, as being sharply contrasted with the land of Egypt, which corresponds to the earth under a curse. And though the curse will be lifted for one thousand years (during the coming Messianic Era), at the end of this time “the earth…and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (cf. II Peter 3:10-13).

It is the land of Egypt which corresponds to the land in Hebrews 6:8 — that which bears “thorns and briers…whose end is to be burned [set in sharp contrast to the land of Hebrews 6:7].” And the land of Egypt is a type of the world in which man presently lives — a world under a curse, which brings forth “thorns also and thistles” (Genesis 3:17-18).

Whether it be the earth under a curse or natural man connected with the earth, insofar as God is concerned, there can only be total, complete rejection. “That which beareth thorns and briers is rejected.”

The reference in Hebrews though is not to unredeemed man on the earth (although he has been rejected). The reference is to redeemed man who looks to that land which bears “thorns and briers” (Hebrews 6:8) rather than to that land which brings forth “herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed” (Hebrews 6:7). The reference is to the antitype of those Israelites under Moses at Kadesh-Barnea who believed the evil report of the ten spies concerning the land of Canaan, causing them to look back to Egypt rather than out ahead to the land of their calling (Numbers 13:31-14:4).

These Israelites looked back to a land which bore “thorns and briers” rather than out ahead to a land which brought forth “herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed.” And their subsequent overthrow in the wilderness was completely in line with that which God had to say about Egypt, the land to which they had sought to return. Relative to their calling and the land set before them (called out of Egypt to dwell in the land of Canaan as God’s firstborn son), they were “rejected.” They were overthrown in the wilderness, short of this goal.

And the warning to Christians is that they can, by following the same example, only suffer the same fate. Eternally saved? Yes! But, just as the Israelites under Moses were overthrown on the right side of the blood at a place short of the goal of their calling, so can Christians under Christ be overthrown for the same reason, after the identical fashion (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:11).

1. RIGHTEOUS LOT

The experiences of “righteous” Lot (2 Peter 2:7-8) form another Old Testament type — from a different perspective — concerning redeemed man’s calling from the world to a land removed from the world. And, within this account, the type is quite instructive concerning the inability of a carnal, worldly person (though redeemed) to act in any depth at all within the “spiritual.”

Lot was among those whom Abraham rescued in the battle of the kings in Genesis, chapter fourteen. And, from the record, it seems apparent that Lot was with Abraham when Melchizedek came forth with bread and wine following this battle. However, it was Abraham alone who was blessed by Melchizedek and was allowed to understand enough about that which was happening to make him lose all interest in the things which the world had to offer (Genesis 14:18-24).

Nothing like that which Abraham experienced is recorded concerning Lot. Though he, in all likelihood, was present with Abraham at this time, he apparently saw and understood little or nothing beyond the “letter” of the matter.

(Note one facet of teaching from this aspect of the type relative to Christians in the coming kingdom. All will be present when Christ exercises the Melchizedek priesthood, but not all will be blessed.)

Abraham and Lot, in this respect, would fit within the framework of Hebrews 6:1-6. One was allowed to go on into an understanding of the things surrounding Melchizedek, but not so with the other. Viewing their individual backgrounds, the reason becomes evident; and viewing that which occurred in the lives of these two men in subsequent years, the end result is quite instructive.

Abraham lived in the “plains of Mamre,” near Hebron, located in the mountainous terrain of the high country (Genesis 13:18; 14:13; 18:1; 23:17-19; 35:27). Lot, on the other hand, lived in Sodom, in the “plain of Jordan,” in the low-lying country (Genesis 13:10-12; 14:12; 19:1).

The difference in these two places would be similar to the difference between Jerusalem and Jericho. Jerusalem was located in the mountainous terrain of the high country, but Jericho was located near the lowest point in the land, near the Dead Sea at the southern end of the Jordan Plain (where Sodom and the other cities of the plain are believed to have once existed).

Jerusalem and Jericho are set in contrast to one another in Scripture. One is “the city of the great King,” from which blessings for the nations of the earth will flow during the coming age (Psalm 48:2; Zechariah 14:1-21); but “a curse” rests upon the other (Joshua 6:18, 26). And the two places where Abraham and Lot lived are set in similar contrast.

Lot’s downward path can be seen in different places from Genesis 13:10 to Genesis 19:1, and the results of his downward path can be seen in Genesis 14:12-24; 19:1-38.

Lot “lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere…” He then “chose him all the plain of Jordan…dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.” And in the process of doing this, he separated himself from Abraham (Genesis 13:10-12). That is, the carnal believer separated himself from the spiritual believer.

The day came when Lot got into trouble and had to be rescued by Abraham (Genesis 14:12-16 [numerous spiritual lessons could be drawn from this account]). But his long association with the cities of the plain apparently prevented him from seeing beyond the “letter” when Melchizedek subsequently appeared (Genesis 14:18-24); and his failure to see beyond the “letter,” coupled with his long prior association with the cities of the plain, eventually resulted in his not only again living in Sodom but also in his being actively involved within the affairs of the city (Genesis 19:1 [affairs of a city were carried on by men seated at the gate, as was Lot]).

Abraham, during this same time though, dwelled in the high country, removed from the cities of the plain. And, apart from instances such as his rescue of Lot and his intercession on behalf of the righteous in Sodom (Genesis 14:14-16; 18:23-33), the affairs of the people in the Jordan Plain were of no moment to him.
Thus, when the day arrived for the destruction of the cities of the plain — as the day will arrive for the destruction of the present world system — two completely contrasting saved individuals can be seen.

And that’s what’s in view in Hebrews 6:7-8, along with fruit-bearing in each sphere — one of value, the other worthless (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:12).

Some Christians have been allowed to go on and see that which is taught concerning Melchizedek. Consequently, their interest doesn’t lie in the things of the Jordan Plain but in the things of the high country. And they dwell where their interest lies.

Other Christians though, as Lot, have not been allowed to go on and see that which is taught concerning Melchizedek (and, invariably, for the same reason set forth in Lot’s life). Consequently, their interest doesn’t lie in the things of the high country (concerning which they have little to no knowledge) but in those of the valley instead. And they too dwell where their interest lies.

2. ESCAPE FROM SODOM

The Jordan Plain with its cities was destroyed during Abraham and Lot’s day by “brimstone and fire” from heaven (Genesis 19:24-25). And though Lot was delivered from Sodom prior to this destruction, his deliverance was, as in 1 Corinthians 3:15, “so as by [‘through’] fire.”

Prior to this destruction, Lot was placed outside Sodom and commanded, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed” (Genesis 19:17).

(Note what’s involved in this five-part command. First, “Escape for thy life [‘soul’].” This is the saving of the soul/life. Physical life in this instance? Yes! But far more than just the physical is involved, as becomes evident from the remainder of the command.

The next three parts relate how the soul/life can be saved:

a) “Look not behind thee” (cf. Luke 9:62; Hebrews 12:1-2),
b) “neither stay thou in all the plain” (don’t remain in the low-lying country [equivalent to Egypt]), and
c) “escape to the mountain” (a “mountain” is used in Scripture symbolizing a kingdom, particularly Christ’s coming Kingdom [cf. Isaiah 2:1-5; Daniel 2:35, 44-45; Matthew 17:1-5]).
(Note: Contrary to some English translations, the word “mountain” in the Hebrew text is singular, as in the KJV. the reference is to a “mountain” symbolizing a kingdom, not to “mountains” symbolizing kingdoms. A distinction between “mountain” and “mountains” in this respect can be seen in Isaiah 2:2-3 — “…the mountain of the Lord’s house [the kingdom of Christ] shall be established at the top of the mountains [all the individual earthly kingdoms]…”)

The escape from the plain to the mountain is an escape from Egypt to Canaan — to that land associated with the coming kingdom. This is where one’s attention is to be centered. This is where he is to dwell.

Then the last part relates what will happen to a person should he not follow the Lord’s command in this respect: “lest thou be consumed.” That is, he will be consumed by that which will itself be consumed; and, as a consequence, he will lose his soul/life.

Lot though had no concept of that which was being stated; and, in reality, even though the Lord had given him this five-part command, he couldn’t follow it.

His spiritual senses had not been sufficiently developed or exercised. He could do no more than act after a carnal fashion, which he did (Genesis 19:19-20). And this is the apparent reason why the Lord, apart from remonstrance, honored his request to be allowed to go to Zoar instead of the mountain (Genesis 19:21-23).

However, Zoar — a city in the plain, spared for Lot — wasn’t the last stop. After the destruction of the other cities of the plain, Lot became afraid to dwell in Zoar and moved out into the mountain to which he had previously been commanded to escape. But, unlike Abraham, Lot dwelled on the mountain in “a cave” (Genesis 19:30) rather than standing in a place “before the Lord” (Genesis 19:27; cf. Genesis 18:22). He, in effect, dwelled in a place of shame rather than in a place of honor.

And therein is the account of two pilgrims who governed their lives after two entirely different fashions, one day arriving at the same destination and finding themselves occupying positions completely commensurate with the fashion in which they had governed their lives during their previous pilgrim journey. Thus will it be with Christians on the Mountain in that coming day.

[Aside: The writer of Hebrews gives ample encouragement to believers, but there are five solemn warnings we must heed. There is the danger of neglect (Hebrews 2:1-4), the danger of unbelief (Hebrews 3:7–4:13), the danger of spiritual immaturity (Hebrews 5:11–6:20), the danger of failing to endure (Hebrews 10:26-39), and the inherent danger of refusing God (Hebrews 12:25-29). And so we find in this crowning masterpiece a great wealth of doctrine, a refreshing spring of encouragement, and a source of sound, practical warnings against slothfulness in our Christian walk. But there is still more, for in Hebrews we find a magnificently rendered portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ—the Author and Finisher of our great salvation (Hebrews 12:2).]

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The Great White Throne Judgment will bring about an end to sin and death in relation to man, whom God had created to rule in His kingdom. In the preceding respect, this judgment has to do with removing from God’s kingdom all remaining vestiges of sin and death in the human realm prior to the new heaven and new earth being brought into existence.

The Great White Throne Judgment
From The Time of the End by Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Man was created in the beginning to rule the earth in the stead of the incumbent ruler, Satan, who had disqualified himself to continue holding the scepter. And this will be realized yet future when Satan and his angels have been put down and Christ and His co-heirs ascend the throne, holding the scepter of the earth.

But the rule of Christ and His co-heirs over the domain that Satan and his angels will have previously ruled is for one age only — the Messianic Era, lasting 1,000 years. In a larger respect though, man was created to rule not just the earth but to rule out in the universe. And the latter will be realized during the ages following the Millennium.

(Note: Man’s rule during the ages following the Millennium is discussed in The Eternal Ages in this site.)

Understanding the reason for man’s creation in the beginning (regal) and the fact that this remains uppermost in God’s mind — not only during time (during 6,000 years of redemptive work and a subsequent 1,000 years of rest) but also during eternity (the eternal ages beyond the Millennium) — is necessary if one is to properly understand judgments occurring both before and after the Millennium.

All judgments, premillennial or postmillennial, have to do with the purpose for man’s creation, which, as well, is the purpose for God’s redemptive work following man’s fall.

All judgments occurring before the Millennium (the judgment of Christians [Revelation 1:10-3:21], Israel [Ezekiel 20:34-44], saved Gentiles surviving the Tribulation [Matthew 25:31-46], and Tribulation martyrs [Revelation 20:4-6]) have to do with the place each individual being judged will occupy in relation to Christ’s rule during the Millennium.

Many of those being judged will be found worthy to occupy regal positions of varying degrees in the kingdom, depending on their faithfulness, which will have resulted in works; but many others, because of unfaithfulness, resulting in the lack of works, will be found unworthy and will be denied such positions.

There will be no judgment per se at this time for the unsaved who survive the Tribulation and subsequently enter into the Millennium. The Millennium itself will serve as their judgment, for the Millennium will be 1,000 years of judging as Christ and His co-heirs rule the earth with a rod of iron.

Other than the Millennium itself, the only judgment of the unsaved is seen following the Millennium, proceeding the eternal ages. A judgment of the unsaved simply does not, it cannot, precede the Millennium, for all judgments preceding the Millennium have to do solely with the saved in relation to the Millennium. Millennial issues could have nothing to do with a judgment of the unsaved. Thus, their judgment does not occur until after the Millennium, as seen in Revelation 20:11-15.

And this judgment of the unsaved following the Millennium will have to be all-inclusive since it does not occur until this point in time. Thus, this judgment will have to include all of the unsaved dead throughout the entire preceding 7,000 years, extending all the way back to man’s creation, along with those whom Satan will have led astray after the 1,000 years, following his release from his confinement in the abyss.

And this judgment will evidently have to do with man alone, not with both man and angels.

It seems clear, from comparing Scripture with Scripture, that where Satan goes, his angels go.

Sometimes Satan, in relation to his present rule, is spoken of alone; but at other times the angels ruling with him are seen as well (cf. Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 25:41; Luke 4:6; 10:18; Revelation 12:3-9).

And the counterpart to this would be that sometimes Christ, in relation to His coming rule, is spoken of alone; but at other times those ruling with Him are seen as well — His co-heirs, Israel, saved Gentiles coming out of the Tribulation, and Tribulation martyrs (cf. Joel 2:27-32; Matthew 25:34, 46; Luke 1:31-33; Romans 8:17-19; Hebrews 1:9; 3:14; Revelation 11:15; 20:4-6).

In short, when Satan is cast into the abyss before the Millennium, his angels will evidently be cast in with him; when he is loosed following the Millennium, his angels will evidently be loosed with him; and when he is cast into the lake of fire, his angels will evidently be cast in with him. And the preceding, at least in the final analysis, could only include the angels seen loosed when the sixth trumpet is sounded and the corresponding sixth bowl (KJV: vial) is poured out in Revelation 9:13-21; 16:12-16 (cf. 1 Peter 3:18-20; Jude 1:6).

Attention is called to this fact because of some who attempt to teach that angels will be judged along with man at the Great White Throne Judgment. The thought of angels also being judged at this time is derived mainly from the statement, “the sea gave up the dead who were in it,” in Revelation 20:13a. And a basis for seeing Satan’s angels in connection with the sea would be Job. 26:5, where Rephaim tremble beneath the waters (Rephaim is another name for the Nephilim in Genesis 6:4; Numbers 13:33 NASB [ref. NASB, with Rephaim translated “spirits” in Job 26:5 NASB; both Nephilim and Rephaim are transliterated Hebrew words]).

To further support the thought of angels being judged at this time, attention is called to the fact that all of the dead in the human realm would be taken care of by the expression that immediately follows a mention of the sea giving up the dead — “and Death and Hades [‘hell’ in the KJV; ‘Hades,’ the place of the dead] delivered up the dead who were in them” (Revelation 20:13b). And the question is asked: Why single out the sea separate from death and Hades unless individuals from outside the human realm are being referenced?

But, if Satan’s angels had previously been cast into the lake of fire with him (which would evidently have occurred), there could be no basis for the thought that they would be present and would be judged, along with man, at the Great White Throne Judgment.

And that would be substantiated by noting how the word “sea” is used in this passage. The word “sea” is not only used in Revelation 20:13 but also in Revelation 21:1, at the time that the new heaven and the new earth are brought into existence. And, contextually, it appears evident that the word is used the same way in both verses — not in a literal sense, having to do with a place of angelic confinement, but in a metaphorical sense, depicting something other than a literal sea, which would be very much in keeping with the extensive use of metaphors throughout this book.

The expression, “the sea,” when used in a metaphorical sense refers to either the Gentiles or the place of death (e.g., Jonah 1:11-2:10; 1 Corinthians 10:2; Colossians 2:12; Revelation 13:1). In both Revelation 20:13 and Revelation 21:1, contextually, death would be in view. In both places, “the sea” appears in a parallel respect to death (cf. Revelation 20:13a, 13b-14; 21:1, 4). A reference to “the sea” giving up the dead (Revelation 20:13a) is simply another way of saying the same thing as the text goes on to relate — to “Death and Hades [KJV: ‘hell”]” giving up the dead (Revelation 20:13b-14). The two references form parallel statements, saying the same thing two different ways, providing an emphasis on the finality of the matter — an emphasis having to do with the end of death.

(Parallels of the nature seen here are very common in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. And, though less common in the Greek text of the New Testament, contextually, it is quite evident that a parallel of this nature exists in both places in this section of the book of Revelation.)

The Great White Throne Judgment depicts a final judgment of all the unsaved dead. Those present in that day will have rejected God’s redemptive work and, as a result, can have no part in God’s regal statements regarding man at the time of his creation. Now they can only be consigned to the same place prepared for the Devil and his angels — a place prepared for those who, not only in the beginning but throughout Man’s Day and at the termination of the Lord’s Day, had rejected God’s supreme power and authority.

During Man’s Day, Satan and his angels have worked continuously to subvert not only God’s redemptive work but the purpose for this work; and following the Millennium, Satan and his angels will attempt a final work in this respect immediately before they are cast into the lake of fire, where they will reside throughout the endless ages of eternity.

And man, rejecting God’s redemptive work, will, in the final analysis, find himself in this same place, for the same duration, for basically the same reason — residing in the lake of fire throughout the same endless ages of eternity, for he will have rejected God’s redemptive work and the reason for this work.

This judgment appears to occur at a time following the destruction of the present heaven and earth but preceding the existence of the new heaven and earth. In Revelation 20:11, the earth and the heaven are seen to flee away from the face of the One seated on the throne — “from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away” (cf. Revelation 21:1). The Greek word pheugo, translated “fled away” in this passage, could be understood in the sense of “disappear,” or “vanish.”

This judgment appears to occur out in space, with the present earth and heaven possibly having passed out of existence at this time, leaving no place for those appearing before the throne to go. Regardless, they will be left at the mercy of the One seated on the throne, though there will be no exercise of mercy, only justice.

Following their judgment on the basis of works (Revelation 20:12), for that is the only basis upon which they could be judged (they will have already been judged on the basis of non-belief surrounding God’s Son [John 3:16-18]), they will be cast into the lake of fire, joining the beast, the false prophet, and Satan and his angels.

And, when this has been accomplished, sin and death will have been done away with, allowing the new heaven and the new earth to be brought into existence.

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When our Lord comes back
He will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness
and reveal the counsels of the hearts.
Then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).
On that day our works will be tried and we may suffer loss,
but we will not be judged for sin (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
God will see what Christ has done for us.
He “will not remember [our] sins.” ~David Roper

The New Heaven and Earth
From The Time of the End by Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

With the introduction of the new heaven and the new earth in Revelation 21:1, two parallel sections of Scripture follow, taking one to the end of the book.

The first section is rather brief, beginning with the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God,” followed by conditions that will exist during the eternal ages (Revelation 21:2-6a). And this section ends with an overcomer’s promise and corresponding warnings, which would relate back to conditions during the previous Messianic Era, not to conditions during the eternal ages (Revelation 21:6-8 [6b]).

The second section begins the same way as the first, with the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God.” And this second section provides numerous descriptive details concerning the New Jerusalem that are not provided in the first. In fact, descriptive details concerning the New Jerusalem comprise almost all of this part of the section (Revelation 21:9-22:5). Then, as in the previous section, this part about the New Jerusalem is followed by a section having to do with overcoming, rewards, and blessings, with the converse of the preceding dealt with as well. And this section, having to do with conditions in the previous Messianic Era, takes one to the end of the book (Revelation 22:6-21).

(That the two parallel sections forming these closing two chapters of the book are to be divided in the previous manner is obvious. Conditions depicted in the latter part of each section cannot possibly exist during the eternal ages. And the converse of that which is concerning the opening parts of these two sections is equally true.)

The first thing mentioned relative to the eternal ages is God bringing into existence a new heaven and a new earth to replace a previously destroyed heaven and earth. Then, relative to the new heaven and the new earth, Scripture states, “there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).

The “sea” would have to do with the whole of the new creation, both the new heaven and the new earth. And used in the same metaphorical sense as is seen in the previous chapter (Revelation 20:13) — as a reference to death, paralleling a subsequent statement concerning death (Revelation 21:4) — the one thing brought to the forefront relative to the new heaven and the new earth is the absence of death, and accordingly the absence of sin.

The previous heaven and earth — the heaven and the earth that exist now — had/has sin in both realms, with a corresponding death in the earthly realm. Sin invaded the heavenly realm in an age preceding the creation of man, when Satan sought to occupy a higher regal position than the one in which he had been placed. Then, sin invaded the earthly realm when Satan brought about man’s fall, affecting both man and the earth (note that sin would also have been associated with the previously ruined earth following Satan’s fall).

Preceding the Messianic Era, because of sin in the heavenly realm, the heavens will have to be cleansed before Christ and His co-heirs can rule from the heavens over the earth (Job 15:15). And, as well, there will have to be a restoration of the ruined earth once again (cf. Genesis 3:17-19; Isaiah 35:1ff; Acts 3:21; Romans 8:19-22; Colossians 1:20).

But the destruction of the present heaven and earth at the end of the Millennium and a new heaven and a new earth being brought into existence will result in an end to numerous things that had existed in the past heaven and earth. This termination of things will begin with sin and death, as seen in Revelation 21:1. And, as seen in Revelation 21:4, this will include tears, sorrow, crying, and pain. None of these things will exist in the new heaven and the new earth.

(The new earth may or may not have bodies of water that we know today as seas. Viewing the use of “sea” in Revelation 21:1 correctly, there is really no Scripture that deals with the matter.)

During the Messianic Era, the New Jerusalem will apparently be a satellite city of the present earth. In this respect, there will be a Jerusalem above and a Jerusalem below. Christ and His co-heirs — his wife — along with certain others, will dwell in the Jerusalem above the earth, which will probably be viewed as the capital of the earth; and the Jerusalem on the earth, in which Christ will dwell as well, will form the capital city of restored Israel in the nation’s own land.

After the destruction of the present heaven and earth and the bringing into existence of a new heaven and a new earth, the New Jerusalem is seen coming down to rest upon the new earth (Revelation 21:2, 10, 23-27; 22:1-2). The “great and high mountain” upon which John stood as he witnessed this scene is apparently a metaphorical reference to the greatness of the kingdom as it will exist in that day (note the millennial scene in this same respect in Isaiah 2:1-4 and Daniel 2:35, 44-45).

The thought of the New Jerusalem standing on the new earth, as not only the apparent capital city of the new earth but, as will be shown, the center of universal government, sets forth another thought. The size of the New Jerusalem — about 1,500 hundred miles square, and about 1,500 miles high — would dwarf the present earth. Thus, the new earth will apparently be much larger than the present earth, with the land area in the Abrahamic covenant being extensively increased in size, for this land will accommodate the New Jerusalem.

Regardless, as seen in The Eternal Ages, this city will house the center of government for the entire universe. God Himself will dwell in this city, seated with His Son on “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1, 3). And God, along with His Son, will administer the government of the universe from this place through the whole of mankind, and through angels.

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Sleep Well
By David Jeremiah of Turning Point

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. (Psalm 63:6)

Scientists and researchers aren't sure why we sleep. When we don't sleep, we are tired, less alert, irritable, and have poorer memory. So we sleep to prevent those things from happening. We do know this: The mind is active while we sleep. Many believe it is helpful to give the mind positive and peaceful thoughts while drifting off to sleep.

And what could be more positive and peace-inducing than thoughts of God's love and care? Meditating on Scripture before going to sleep is encouraged by verses like Hebrews 4:12

"Scripture is alive and active, able to separate soul from spirit, able to reveal the thoughts and intents of the heart" (paraphrase). (Hebrews 4:12)

Why not give our mind "food for thought" that is alive and active, truth the Holy Spirit can use even as we sleep to create ideas, desires, insights, and motivations for our life? And if we awake from sleep in the night with a troubled heart, a whispered prayer to God for rest and peace is better than tossing and turning (Philippians 4:6-7).

Give your mind and body the rest it needs by sleeping peacefully in the knowledge that God is at work in you for His own good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

We sleep in peace in the arms of God, when we yield ourselves up to His providence. ~François de la Mothe Fénelon

Sleep Well by David Jeremiah

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When He shall come with trumpet sound,
oh, may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.

It is your responsibility and privilege to represent, to live by, and to always tell the truth. If your reputation is one where others declare that “your word is your bond” and that “your handshake is better than a contract,” you are most blessed.

TRUTH
By Charles Strong of Bible One

Truth — the concept, the quality, the reality — is paramount to a balanced and contented life, a life anchored in stability and moral strength. Without the foundation of truth, there can only be physical and emotional disruption and pain. The existence of truth assures forward direction and enhancing progress, whereas its absence creates distraction and disorder. To put it in other words, truth is uniquely and inimitably fundamental to a state of well-being in any existing relationship, in any situation or plain of existence, with God or with human — the ultimate quality of a proper, a beneficial, and a rewarding life.

The essential concept of “truth” is anything that represents fact, i.e., that which is totally trustworthy and which exists in reality, substance and information that cannot be refuted. Yet, today, it is most unfortunate that such is rare within most all facets of society, e.g., personal relationships, politics, advertising, media broadcasts, economic opportunities, and religion. And it is regarding the latter that this study is directed, because if this aspect of life is correct, all else can and should appropriately follow.

The term “truth” represents “that which actually exists” and “that which is communicated.” The first would be creation itself, e.g., space, substance, and time. To deny such is futile. The material and laws that make up the Universe are indeed true. They exist, they are real, and any attempt to refute such leads to absurdity.

“Truth” stems solely from God (Exodus 34:6). His truth is eternal (Psalm 117:2).

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6)
For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117:2)

Furthermore, since God is true, so is His Word — it is real, permanent, and absolute (Psalm 119:160; cf. John 17:17; 2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 43:3; 119:142, 151). Scripture is the very Word of truth and is to be handled correctly (2 Timothy 2:15). And central to Scripture is the gospel — God’s good news for mankind — which indeed is true (Galatians 2:5, 14; 5:7; Ephesians 1:13).

The entirety of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
. . . that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. (Galatians 2:5b)

God’s Word became flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. He indeed was truth incarnate, the One who unequivocally stated that He was centrally “the Truth” (John 14:6), for He was “the Word” [clear expression] of God who was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14, 17).

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of [lit. complete, to the brim with] grace and truth. (17) For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:1, 14, 17)
. . . the truth is in Jesus. (Ephesians 4:21b)

Not only in God’s time was God’s Word manifest in the flesh, but it was given in written form by means of the Holy Spirit through chosen men prior to and after the time of its manifestation for the benefit of mankind.

For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . . . (2 Timothy 3:16a)
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

God’s Word, inscribed and in the flesh, has always been “the Truth” for the salvation of man:

1) Salvation of the Spirit — eternal salvation based solely on the work (sacrifice) of Christ on the cross — salvation that emanates from the grace of God that is grounded in and based solely on Christ’s payment for sin while on the cross at Calvary, which may only be apprehended by faith in Christ (never by any work/s of man) and which, when received by faith, can never be withdrawn or nullified by man or God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13)
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

2) Salvation of the Soul — an inheritance that may only be achieved by a Christian who faithfully follows Christ during this temporal life, a salvation that may only affect his entrance and participation with Christ during His Millennial Kingdom reign of 1,000 years over the earth — reserved for those Christians who achieve spiritual maturity (sanctification) via God’s Word and who thereby produce “good works” for which they were “created in Christ Jesus.” And although a primary aspect of this salvation is “faith,” it is the quality of a Christian’s faithful works, credited at Christ’s Judgment Seat, which will secure his placement in the coming Kingdom, a placement that will be forfeited should a Christian remain “carnal (‘babes [spiritually immature] in Christ’) and devoid of “good works” during this lifetime.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (25) For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (26) For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (27) For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Matthew 16:24-27)
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (11) Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men . . . . (2 Corinthians 5:9-11a)
Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” (39) But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:38-39)
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. (James 2:24)
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth. (John 17:17)
Receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9)
[Note: Man is a tripartite being composed of spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12). Scripture addresses the salvation of each. To study this complete redemptive doctrine more thoroughly, it is recommended that the reader read, in this site, Salvation of the Soul BOOK.]

In addition to the “actuality of existence” as truth, Scripture lays great emphasis on the necessity of communicating the truth. To put it another way, God would have man to strictly and always tell the truth. Scripture is quite firm on this issue.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16; cf. Deuteronomy 5:20)
You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. (Exodus 23:1)
You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. (Leviticus 19:11)
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue. (Psalm 120:2)
He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit. (Proverbs 12:17; 14:5)
Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. (Ephesians 4:25; cf. Colossians 3:9)

In this regard, the opposite of telling the truth is to tell a lie, an act that God hates.

These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: (17) a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, (18) a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, (19) a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19; cf. Proverbs 19:5, 9; cf. Zechariah 8:16-17)
“And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me,” says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:3; cf. Isaiah 59:4)
. . . no lie is of the truth. (1 John 2:21b)

Finally, it is your responsibility and privilege to represent, to live by, and to always tell the truth. If your reputation is one where others declare that “your word is your bond” and that “your handshake is better than a contract,” you are most blessed. In this day and age where a lie is preferred over the truth (at every level), you would be a rarity. Be one for Christ and you will not be disappointed at His Judgment Seat!

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Bible One - Charles Strong's Truth

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Political Issues the Bible Addresses

While political issues such as the size/scope of government and economic systems are not explicitly addressed in Scripture, there definitely are some political issues the Bible does address, such as abortion (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6; Exodus 21:22-25; Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5) and gay marriage (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9). For the "strong meat of the Word believer/ Christian", abortion is not a matter of a woman’s right to choose. It is a matter of the life or death of a human being made in God’s image. Endorsing gay marriage is giving approval to a lifestyle choice the Bible condemns as immoral and unnatural. Therefore, non-carnal Christians should support issues/candidates that are pro-life and should support issues/candidates that oppose gay marriage and uphold the biblical/traditional understanding of marriage.

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Events occurring during the first three days in Genesis 1 would point to elementary things or the basics in one’s spiritual life and growth. Events occurring during day one would point to a division between the soul and the spirit, having to do with the impartation of life. Then events occurring during days two and three would point to divisions and distinctions as one begins to progressively grow within the framework of the new life brought into existence on the first day. One would learn to distinguish between the soulical and spiritual, spiritual and carnal (fleshly), Jew, Gentile, and Christian, the dispensations, etc.

Bible Facts Little Understood by Christians (2)
By Charles Strong of Bible One

Salvation

God’s redemption plan for man is far more intricate than most Christians realize. It is normally understood as a singular concept, which would be the salvation of the spiritual part of man from sin with the end-result being heaven. Most verses of Scripture dealing with man’s salvation are generally attributed to this one linear dimension. This may be attributed to “illegitimate totality transfer” (the error that arises, when the “meaning” of a word [understood as the total series of relations in which it is used in the literature] is read into a particular case as its sense and implication there), [1] which results in the most prominent aspect of salvation for the Christian as discussed in the New Testament being almost unknown within Christendom today.

To illustrate this, any Christian can easily understand that subsequent to his placement of faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross for his eternal salvation (i.e., being “born [from above] again” as mentioned in John 3:3-7), his body continues to exist in a state of degradation (i.e., death), only to be redeemed (saved) at its resurrection.

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will 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 has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:48-54)

In this case the salvation of the body is quite different (i.e., transpires later) than the spiritual salvation of man that comes instantaneously upon his faith-based decision to accept God’s grace-gift of salvation in Christ. But what is not so well understood by a vast majority of Christians is that besides the salvation of the body there are two other distinct aspects of a Christian’s salvation, both of which are spiritual in character. One is immediate, eternal in scope, and complete while the other is initiated, millennial in scope, and progressive (or regressive, as the case may be) upon the person’s faith-decision in Christ.

That which is immediate, eternal in scope, and complete (never to be abrogated by man or God), which is based solely upon the finished work of Christ upon the cross, is the salvation of the spirit (that part of man’s composition [to be discussed later] that connects him to God). Many if not most Christians see only this aspect of salvation in Scripture.

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” . . . For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:5-7, 16-17)
And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)
If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:15)
Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:5)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

But the aspect of salvation (and its related doctrinal components) that is addressed much more in both Testaments than the salvation of the spirit is that which is initiated at the “new birth” and is either progressive or regressive throughout a Christian’s life. And rather than eternal, it is millennial in scope. This salvation, which is little understood but often known as “sanctification,” is described in the New Testament as the salvation of the soul (that part of man’s composition [to be discussed later] that represents his life lived as a Christian, which connects him to the material world, and which is adjudicated at the Judgment Seat of Christ with only millennial varieties in view).

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:39)
Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. (1 Peter 1:22)
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. (1 Peter 2:11)
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:2)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Matthew 16:24-27 [Mark 8:34-36; Luke 9:23-25; 17:33])
But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13)
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel that I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)

Furthermore, this error of interpretation (illegitimate totality transfer) has led to a major division within the realm of soteriological theology (the doctrine of salvation), with respect to the “eternal security of the believer” and which is reflected in the teachings of the French Protestant reformer John Calvin (Calvinism) and the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius (Arminianism). “The issue that is paramount is whether the saving work of Christ on the cross includes the safekeeping of the one who trusts Him, or not. This is the central and precise issue in the controversy.” [2] And this division, along with other differences in less significant doctrines, has led to a proliferation of variant beliefs and denominations within Christendom.

It should be noted that Scripture is precise in the use of the Greek words, which are translated “spirit” (pneuma) and “soul” (psuche), never the two being confused in meaning or use. Furthermore, it should be said that both the past and future aspects of salvation (i.e. spirit and soul) are based on works — spirit-salvation on the finished work of Christ upon the cross (which is personally acquired solely by believing God’s Word about His Son, Jesus Christ) and soul-salvation on the works (i.e., fruit) of the *individual believer. The salvation of the soul should never be associated with the past aspect of salvation. Scripture carefully distinguishes between the soul and the spirit, never using the words interchangeably in this respect (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12). Salvation in relation to the spirit is always dealt with in a past sense, but not so with the salvation of the soul. Rather, the salvation of the soul is always dealt with in a future sense.
[*Note: The editor of this site believes the works of the individual believer referenced must be of the Holy Spirit working through the individual.]

The basis for the contrast in the two theological positions (Calvinism / Arminianism) previously mentioned, and thereby the reason that the most prominent use of the words “salvation” and “save” in the New Testament (i.e., salvation of the soul) is almost universally unknown within Christendom today, can be attributed to ignorance of

(1) the purpose for the creation of man,
(2) the relevance of the skeletal structure and type-antitype relationship of Scripture,
(3) the relevance of the composition of man as a tripartite being to his redemption,
(4) the three Greek tenses used of salvation in Scripture,
(5) the aspect of inheritance and hope in God’s redemptive plan,
(6) the correct rendering of the Greek word normally translated “eternal” in Scripture, and
(7) the contextual setting of salvation passages in the New Testament.

The Purpose for the Creation of Man

When one studies the Word by beginning at the “beginning” (the book of Genesis), which is how it should be, only then will he be able to understand why God created man and how this purpose bears upon and is relevant within the panorama of salvation. The importance of beginning in this fashion is well stated by Arlen L. Chitwood, as follows:

The Old Testament opens with the statement, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”; and the gospel of John opens with a parallel simple statement, “In the beginning was the Word . . . All things were made by Him . . .” (John 1:1, 3a [1a]). Both references go back to the same point in time — the beginning of God’s creative activity relative to the heavens and the earth.
The first five verses of Genesis (Genesis1:1-5) can be paralleled with the first five verses of John’s gospel (John 1:1-5). But, beginning with verse six (John 1:6), John moves millennia ahead and continues with events during his day, though he still continues to reference events of prior days.
The gospel of Matthew, opening the New Testament, immediately references the Old Testament after another fashion —“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). And in the gospel of Luke, the matter of Christ’s genealogy is carried all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38).
The Old Testament leads into the New after an inseparable fashion. The latter forms a continuation and completion of that which was begun in the former; and both together constitute one continuous, complete revelation that God gave to man over a period of about 1,500 years through some forty different Jewish writers, revealing His plans and purposes in relation to man, the earth, and the universe at large.
Consequently, one must be understood in the light of the other, apart from precedence given to either. It is no more or no less valid to interpret the Old Testament in the light of the New as it is to interpret the New Testament in the light of the Old. One is to be interpreted both in the light of itself (other parts of the same Testament) and in the light of the other (the New in the light of the Old, or the Old in the light of the New).
The interpretative method laid down in Scripture is very simple:
. . . not in words that man’s wisdom teaches but that the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:13b)
One part of the Word (at any point in the Old or New Testaments) is compared with another part of the Word (at any point in the Old or New Testaments) under the leadership of the indwelling Spirit.
Then, again, many of the distinctions that Christians often view between the Old and New Testaments simply do not exist. A basis for calling the two parts of Scripture by these names could be derived from verses such as 2 Corinthians 3:6, 14; but to see one Testament as Jewish and the other as Christian, as is often done, is about as far removed from biblical reality as one can get.
The word “testament” is a translation of the Greek word for covenant (diatheke). The word appears thirty-three times in the New Testament, and, in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, it has been rendered “covenant” twenty times and “testament” the other thirteen (cf. Hebrews 9:4, 15). Either translation is correct so long as one understands that the thought has to do with two different covenants.
And confusion often arises at this point through the erroneous thought that the new covenant has been made with the Church. That simply is incorrect. Covenants are not made with the Church. They never have been, and they never will be.
Since the call of Abraham 4,000 years ago, God, within His covenant relationship to mankind, concerns Himself with one nation alone — the nation of Israel (Romans 9:4). The old covenant was made with the house of Israel during the days of Moses, and the new covenant will be made with the house of Israel when the One greater than Moses returns (Hebrews 8:7ff; cf. Jeremiah 31:31ff).
During the interim, Christians are ministers of the new covenant in the sense that the shed blood of Christ is the blood of this covenant, and the entire basis for any Christian’s ministry has to do with this blood — blood shed at Calvary, presently on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies of the heavenly tabernacle (Matthew 26:28; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 9:14-22). But the fact remains. The new covenant has not been — nor will it ever be — made with the Church.
The new covenant will replace the old, and it will be made with those in possession of the old. And, apart from being ministers of the new during the interim (for the blood has been shed, and this is the basis for all ministry during the present time), the Church has no more to do with the establishment of the new covenant than it did with the establishment of the old covenant.
Thus, when one talks about “New Testament doctrine,” “New Testament theology,” etc., the expressions cannot extend beyond the thought of doctrine or theology that has for its basis the shed blood of Christ; and this is something that cannot be understood at all apart from the Old Testament.
Revelation surrounding the shedding of blood for the remission of sins begins in Genesis 3 immediately following man’s fall; and the entire Old Testament sacrificial system that followed pointed toward the One — of whom the prophets spoke (cf. Isaiah 53:12; Zechariah 12:10; 13:6) — who would one day come and take away “the sin of the world” through the sacrifice of Himself (John 1:29).
The foundations have been established in the Old Testament, and both Testaments together comprise one continuous, complete revelation of all the various facets of the person and work of Christ. And the only way one can grasp the complete picture is to look at the whole of Scripture after this fashion. [3]

And it is in Genesis 1:26-28 where one may find the purpose of man’s creation as stated by God Himself.

(26) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”. . . (28) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Man, along with his bride (his co-equal partner), were to have dominion over the earth. They were to rule over all the land and all that moved in and about it. And this purpose for man, which was restated by God after the Flood, has never changed.

But following the “fall of man” in the Garden and although God’s purpose for man to rule the earth never changed, its fulfillment continued in a damaged state. Instead of a rule in which man and creature existed in tranquility and harmony, the fear and dread of man has been on every beast of the earth (Genesis 9:1-2) since that time.

But God’s ultimate intent relative to His purpose for man will not be thwarted. The day will come when man will indeed rule upon the earth after the fashion as it was set in the beginning, where the earth will prosper and bloom and man and animal will thrive and coexist in peace together (Isaiah 11:6-9).

And it is this facet of God’s redemption plan for man that is often overlooked when one considers the subject of his salvation. It is in fact a predominant theme throughout both Testaments. It is foremost in the field of eschatology (the division of Systematic Theology that is concerned with things to come [prophecy]). To overlook this is to miss a major portion of the teachings throughout the entirety of God’s Word. And further, to miss this is to misunderstand a major facet of man’s salvation.

The Relevance of the Skeletal Structure and Type-Antitype Relationship of Scripture

Scripture is unique beyond all other writings upon earth. It is God-breathed and structured in a precise fashion. Nothing can compare to its accuracy and unity. Although it consists of sixty-six separate books penned by over forty authors over a period of several thousand years, it is an integrated message organism, i.e., it is “alive” with every passage, every word, every number, and every subject skillfully designed and integrated within the whole. It is of extraterrestrial origin. And it continues to defy the efforts of man to discredit it.

Although Scripture is primarily taken upon the basis of faith, should one address the subject with a genuinely unbiased outlook, its divine origin can be mathematically and scientifically proven. Two notable prior-atheists have compiled substantial evidence to this end. One is the award-winning journalist for the Chicago Tribune, Lee Strobel, who through years of research became absolutely convinced that the God of the Bible was in fact for real. He came to this revelation through extensive research in modern biology, physics, cosmology, and astronomy. He chronicles his journey from spiritual skepticism to a profound faith in God by means of 21st century science in both book and video formats; each entitled “The Case for a Creator.”

The other distinguished atheist turned believer after his many years of intense analysis of the Bible is Ralph O. Muncaster, a professor at Vanguard University of Southern California. Among many of the arguments that he so skillfully advances in support of Scripture as being divine in origin is the following one that deals in mathematical probabilities and is most compelling.

Can we ever “prove” anything? Apart from mathematical proofs, many critics would say no, especially regarding history or even regarding the world around us.
However, statisticians and most other scientists agree there is a point when the probability of something happening is so remote that it becomes absurd or essentially impossible. As a guideline, scientists accept that anything with a probability of less than one chance in 10 to the 50th power (1 followed by 50 zeros) is “impossible.” If such an “impossible” event happens to occur, it may be concluded that it required God’s action or some other supernatural action outside of the dimensions of time and space.
For example, suppose a friend correctly foretold the winning number in a state lottery with one single prediction (like buying one ticket). The odds of that is about one in 10,000,000 (or 1 in 10 to the 7th power). You might be extremely impressed, but you probably wouldn’t claim he had “divine insight.” Now suppose he did it a second consecutive time — again with one single prediction. The odds immediately jump to one in 100,000,000,000,000 (1 in 10 to the 14th power). Suddenly it would seem impossible without some trick or supernatural information. Imagine someone successfully picking three consecutive lotteries (one chance in 10 to the 21st power). Such an “impossible” feat would likely end lotteries forever — because the odds of such a chance occurrence are nil.
The miraculous insights in the Bible occurring by chance has a probability far more remote than that of winning dozens in the manner described above. Only supernatural inspiration can account for it. “Statistical proof” of God’s inspiration comes in at least three ways:
Scientific insights — Scientific information in the Bible that was written hundreds, even thousands of years before modern science had the knowledge to recognize the Bible was correct. These insights are in the areas of physics, biology, engineering, and medicine, among others.
Concealed evidence — Cross-referenced information contained in books of the Bible that were written hundreds of years apart by very different authors in different situations in different parts of the world.
Prophecy miracles — The future foretold with precision and total accuracy. Over 1000 specific prophecies are recorded in the Bible, of which 668 are historical. None have errors. All types of prophecies are included — about people, places, and events. Irrefutable evidence exists that these prophecies could not have been contrived. [4]

Muncaster arrived at the conclusion that “all Bible prophecies,” which through exhaustive research were shown to be absolutely accurate, had a mathematical probability of 1 in 10 to the 999th power. This alone substantiates the divine origin of Scripture. To conclude otherwise would be beyond all reason.

Taking the Bible as truly the Word of God, it is then contingent upon the student of the Word to study it with proper recognition and attention to its skeletal and type-antitype structure. In this regard, Chitwood says it best, as follows:

Then He said unto them, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?”
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (Luke 24:25-27)
Now these things were our examples [Now these things happened as types for us], to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted . . . .
Now all these things happened to them for examples [Now all these things happened to them for types’]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [the ages] are come. (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11)

Three things above all else must be adhered to in the study of Scripture.

1) A person must recognize that all Scripture is God-breathed.
2) A person must begin where God began.
3) A person must study Scripture after the fashion in which it was written.

God gave His Word to man through man in a particular manner:

. . holy men of God spoke as they were moved [borne along] by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21b)

The manner in which God revealed Himself, His plans, and His purposes in His Word (a God-breathed revelation, penned as the Spirit moved men to write) is what makes Scripture different from all other writings. Scripture stands in a category solely by itself, completely alone; and all other writings stand in a completely separate category.
Then, in the process of giving to man, through man, the God-breathed Word, at the very outset God set forth a skeletal structure covering the whole panorama of revelation that was to follow, along with foundational building material. And if a person would understand Scripture correctly, he must begin where God began and follow that which God has set forth, after the manner in which He Himself established the matter.
The person must follow the skeletal structure and build upon this structure after the manner in which God Himself began and set matters forth, establishing them in a particular manner at the outset. At any point in the whole of Scripture, any teaching must have a connection with and be in complete agreement with the God-established skeletal structure and subsequent foundational material set forth at the beginning.
Then, beyond that, God structured His revelation to man after a particular fashion, alluded to in Luke 24:25-27, 44 and stated in so many words in 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11. Scripture not only deals with a completely accurate history of certain events surrounding God’s dealings with the earth, angels, and man, but biblical history has been recorded after such a fashion that it is highly typical as well. God has established His primary means of teaching, not through history per se, but through inherent types (seen in past history) pointing to antitypes (seen in later history and/or prophecy).
The manner in which God revealed Himself to man is as stated in 1 Corinthians chapter ten:
Now all these things happened to them for examples [Greek: tupos, for “types”] . . . . (1 Corinthians 10:11a)
The reference is to events during Moses’ day, drawing from the wilderness journey of the Israelites. But the reference would, of necessity, have to go far beyond simply the specific events listed in verses one through ten (1 Corinthians 10:1-10), preceding the statement in verse eleven (1 Corinthians 10:11a). In the light of other Scripture, as becomes increasingly evident when one views the whole of Scripture, the reference would have to be enlarged to encompass not only all biblical history during Moses’ day but all biblical history beginning with Genesis 1:1.
That would be to say, God has structured His revelation to man after a fashion in which not only true, correct history is presented, but this history is presented in such a manner that it is highly typical in nature. God, within His sovereign control of all matters, brought things to pass after such a fashion (within the history of the earth, angels, and man) that He could, at a later time, have these events to draw upon in order to teach His people the deep things surrounding Himself, His plans, and His purposes. And this would be accomplished mainly through types and corresponding antitypes.
Thus, God draws not so much from history per se as He does from the spiritual content set forth in the historic accounts — the great spiritual lessons, taught mainly from types pointing to corresponding antitypes.
Anyone can understand facts within revealed biblical history (saved or unsaved man). This would pertain more to the letter of the matter. But only saved man can go beyond the letter to the spirit of the matter (2 Corinthians 3:6-16). Only the saved can understand the spiritual lessons drawn from history. Only the saved can look within biblical history and see spiritual content (1 Corinthians 2:12-16).
For the unsaved, things beyond the simple, historical facts are completely meaningless. They can’t see these things; nor can they know them. Spiritually, they are dead; and these things are “spiritually discerned.” They can view Scripture only from a “natural [‘soulical’]” standpoint (1 Corinthians 2:14).
But for the saved, the matter is entirely different. They, through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, have been made alive spiritually. The Spirit has breathed life into the one having no life, and they have “passed from death unto life.” And they have this same Spirit — the One who gave the Word to man through man — indwelling them to lead them “into all truth” (John 16:13-15; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20; 1 John 3:24). Accordingly, the saved possess the ability to see beyond the facts of history and view the spiritual lessons inherent therein.
This is what is meant by “comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” It is within this facet of Scripture that man can see the things which “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard . . . .” It is within this facet of Scripture that “God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-13).
And it is within this complete, overall thought that one finds the whole of biblical history filled with types and meanings. This is the manner in which God has structured His Word. It has been given to man after this fashion, and if man would properly understand that which God has revealed in His Word, he must study it after the fashion in which it was given. [5]

As one studies Scripture in this manner, it soon becomes apparent not only is Christ the central Person of Scripture but that there is an aspect of salvation that has nothing to do with heaven per se. Rather it has to do with man’s purpose that God intended for him at his creation. In fact, one who studies in this fashion soon learns that this aspect of salvation is the most prominent facet of that subject addressed in Scripture.

This most prominent aspect of salvation, which centers on the central Person of Scripture, Jesus Christ, has to do with the coming literal kingdom and glory of Christ. Again, Chitwood explains it as follows:

As all Scripture revolves around a central Person, all Scripture also revolves around a central focus, which has to do with the central Person. Scripture concerns itself with time, and, in the main, this time has to do with the 7,000 years portended by the seven days opening Scripture. And, within this time, there is the thought of creation for a purpose, redemption for a purpose, and God’s work throughout the 6,000 years covering the present age (Man’s Day) for a purpose.
The purpose surrounding man’s creation has to do with the seventh day, a seventh 1,000-year period; and so does redemption; and so does God’s work throughout the six days, the 6,000 years of Man’s Day. The whole of Scripture moves toward that coming seventh day, a pattern established in the skeletal outline set forth at the very beginning.
Thus, the central focus of Scripture looks to that seventh day when the central Person of Scripture will be revealed in all His glory to bring about that for which man was created in the beginning and for which he has been redeemed. The Son is to exercise dominion over one province in His Father’s kingdom — for a revealed purpose (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) — and man is to have a part in this dominion.
In this respect, biblical history, within its established historic-typical framework, becomes largely prophetic within its scope of fulfillment. Biblical history, in this respect, revolves around the central Person and the central focus of Scripture.
And the central Person and the central focus of Scripture are so inseparably related that at times they are spoken of either in synonymous terms or both are understood to be in view though only one is mentioned.
Examples of both facets of the matter can be seen in Daniel 2:34, 35, 44-45 and Hebrews 12:1-2:
1) DANIEL 2:34-35, 44-45
The Stone, “cut out of the mountain without hands,” in one respect refers to Christ and in another respect to the kingdom of Christ.
The Father will give the Son “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom” (Daniel 7:13-14). He will be the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” in the kingdom. He, as the King, as the Stone, will be the One who personally smites the image at its feet (Revelation 19:11-21).
But Daniel 2:44-45, interpreting Daniel 2:34-35, also refers to the kingdom of Christ itself breaking in pieces and consuming all the kingdoms comprising the one world kingdom of that day (cf. Revelation 11:15). The Stone, after smiting the image, will become “a great mountain” and fill the whole earth.
In this respect, the King of the kingdom is not to be thought of apart from His kingdom. All the various facets of His person and work, set forth in detail throughout Old Testament Scripture, have an end in view; and that end is the day when He will rule and reign over the earth.
Christ’s finished work at Calvary and His present work as High Priest — foretold in the Old Testament — have the same end in view. The Savior, who is presently exercising the office of High Priest, was born King (Matthew 2:2).
And the coming King and His Kingdom, in the overall scope of the matter, become inseparable; and this is the reason they can be spoken of in synonymous terms as in Daniel 2.
2) HEBREWS 12:1-2
Hebrews 12:1-2, in the light of other Scripture, presents the same picture. In this section of Scripture a person is told to look “unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” The thought from the Greek text is literally to look “from [from the things in the surrounding world system, the present kingdom under Satan] unto Jesus . . . .” But yet other Scriptures exhort us to look from this present world system “to the mountain [signifying the coming kingdom of Christ (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 2:35)]” (cf. Genesis 13:10-12; 19:1, 17).
Are we to look unto Jesus? Or are we to look unto the Mountain? The correct biblical answer would center on the thought that a person, within a proper biblical perspective, cannot look to one apart from looking to the other. That would be to say, in a proper biblical perspective, we cannot really look “from unto Jesus” apart from seeing Him in connection with His coming kingdom; and, conversely, we cannot really fix our eyes on “the mountain,” the kingdom, apart from seeing the King of the kingdom.
When Hebrews 12:2 states, “Looking unto Jesus . . . .,” the thought would have to include, as well, the same thing contained in the remainder of the verse. Christ,
. . . for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame [considering it a thing of little import in comparison to the joy set before Him], and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrew 12:2)
The “joy that was set before Him” had to do with that day when He would rule and reign (cf. Matthew 25:21, 23). Christ had His eyes fixed on that day as He endured present sufferings; and we are to fix our eyes on the One who left us an example, after this same fashion, as we endure present sufferings.
Christ, at the time of His sufferings on Calvary, had His eyes fixed on the coming kingdom, the day of His exaltation and glory. And that is exactly the place — the same place — we should have our eyes fixed as we look “from unto Jesus” during present sufferings. He left us an example that we “should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). His eyes were fixed on that which lay ahead.
And, as has been demonstrated, in the true biblical sense of the command, there can be no such thing as a Christian fixing his eyes on Jesus apart from seeing both the King and His Kingdom. [6]

The Relevance of the Composition of Man as a Tripartite Being to His Redemption

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
For the Word of God is living [lit. God-breathed] and powerful, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

The use of language by the Holy Spirit in Scripture is quite precise. As Dr. Chuck Missler has said:

“Although the Bible consists of sixty-six separate books penned by over forty authors over a period of several thousand years, it is an integrated message system. Every passage, every word, every number, and every place name is there for a specific reason.” [7]

Scripture well establishes that man is comprised of three components — spirit, soul, and body. The effort of commentators to equate the “spirit” with the “soul,” and thereby advance the notion that man is a dichotomous (two-part) being, will not stand the tests of linguistics and exegesis. The tripartite nature of man is well documented by Arlen L. Chitwood, as follows:

Man is a tripartite being comprised of spirit, soul, and body; and the salvation of man within its complete scope (past, present, and future) pertains to the salvation of man with respect to his complete being. In the study of Scripture it is revealed that each of these three parts of man is subject to salvation at different times. Thus, to understand salvation in its complete scope, one must first understand certain things about man’s tripartite nature. Then, salvation in relation to this tripartite nature becomes the issue.
Chapter one of Genesis (Genesis 1) reveals that man was created in the “image” and “likeness” of God. The word translated “God” in the Hebrew text of this statement is Elohim. This is a plural noun, which, in complete keeping with related Scripture, would include all three members of the Godhead — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (e.g., cf. John 1:1-3).
Since Elohim is a trinity, for man to be created in the “image” and “likeness” of God, he too must be a trinity. Unlike the dichotomous animal kingdom (created apart from the “image” and “likeness” of God) possessing only bodies and souls, trichotomous man (created in the “image” and “likeness” of God) is a triune being. Man not only possesses a body and a soul, but he also possesses a spirit as well.
(Aside by editor: Bible Trichotomies I've gathered to date -- 199 Trichotomies! The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: Trichotomies of the Bible.docx.)
Jesus is Elohim manifested in the flesh; and having been made in the “likeness” of man (but apart from man’s fallen nature), He, as man, must also be a trinity (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7). This tripartite nature of Christ, in whom “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), was clearly revealed at the time of His death. At this time Jesus yielded up His spirit, which went back into the presence of His Father in heaven (Luke 23:46; cf. Ecclesiastes 12:7; Acts 7:59); His soul went into Hades, the place of the dead, housed inside the earth at this time (Acts 2:27); and His body was removed from the cross and placed in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb (Matthew 27:57-61). This threefold separation persisted until the soul and spirit re-entered the body at the time Christ was raised from the dead.
Thus, God, Elohim, is a trinity; Jesus, Elohim, manifested in the flesh, is likewise a trinity; and man, created in the “image” and “likeness” of Elohim, can only be a trinity as well. Accordingly, a complete redemption provided by the triune, God must, of necessity, pertain to man as a complete being. Man’s complete redemption must encompass spirit, soul, and body. [8]

The Three Greek Tenses Used of Salvation in Scripture

Salvation is expressed in three tenses — past, present, and future — within the New Testament as they apply to the three differing components of man. Again, Chitwood handles this in a most compelling manner, as follows:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit [lit. “for the sake of the ones about to inherit”] salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)
Salvation in the Word of God is spoken of in three tenses — past, present, and future:

(1) Christians have been saved,
(2) Christians are being saved, and
(3) Christians are about to be saved.

The previously quoted verses provide examples of how Scripture deals with each of these three tenses or aspects of salvation.
In Ephesians 2:8-9, salvation is a past, completed act; in 1 Corinthians 1:18, salvation is a present, continuous work; and in Hebrews 1:14, salvation is a future, inherited possession. Since the Word of God presents salvation in a framework of this nature, it is vitally important in Scriptural interpretation to first ascertain to which of these three aspects of salvation any given passage pertains.
In the first aspect of salvation, dealt with in Ephesians 2:8, the words, “you have been saved,” which is a correct translation, are a translation of two Greek words that form, what is called in the Greek, a “periphrastic perfect.” The “perfect” tense refers to action completed in past time, with the results of this action extending into the present and existing in a finished state. The “periphrastic” construction places additional emphasis on the present, finished state and refers to the persistent results during present time of the past, completed work.
Salvation in this verse is wrought by grace through faith, accomplished completely in past time, and is the present possession of every believer. This present possession, in turn, constitutes an active, continuing, ever-abiding salvation. The eternal security of the believer cannot be expressed in stronger terms than the periphrastic construction of the perfect tense in Ephesians 2:8, for the present results of the past action, in this case, can only continue unchanged forever.
However, in 1 Corinthians 1:18, dealing with the second aspect of salvation, things are presented in an entirely different light than seen in Ephesians 2:8. Rather than the tense in the Greek text referring to a past, completed act, the tense refers to a present, continuous work. The former has already been completed, but the latter has yet to be completed.
Then, in Hebrews 1:14, dealing with the third aspect of salvation, matters are presented yet in a completely different light. The wording in the Greek text of this verse refers to something that is about to occur. Nothing is past or present; the reception of this salvation, in its entirety, is placed in the future.
Further, the salvation referred to in Hebrews 1:14 is not only to be realized in the future, but it is also an inherited salvation. And the thought of inheritance further distinguishes the salvation in this verse from the salvation previously seen in Ephesians 2:8, for the salvation that Christians presently possess is not an inherited salvation.
Rather, our present salvation was obtained as a free gift during the time we were alienated from God. And, as aliens (outside the family of God), we were in no position to inherit salvation, for inheritance in Scripture is always a family matter.
In the Old Testament, “sons” were first in line to receive the inheritance, with “daughters” next. If there were no sons or daughters in the immediate family, the inheritance was passed on to the nearest family member or members, designated by the law of inheritance (Numbers 27:8-11).
Consequently, an individual must first be a family member before he can be considered for the inheritance, which, during the present dispensation, is restricted to “children” or “sons” of the Owner. That’s why the statement is made in Romans 8:17, “If children, then heirs . . . .” And that’s also why, in Hebrews 1:14, that an inherited salvation pertains to those who have already been saved, those who are no longer alienated from God but are presently family members.
In this respect, the complete scope of salvation — past, present, and future — has a beginning point, with an end in view. It involves the Spirit of God breathing life into the one having no life and thereby effecting the birth from above. And this has been done with a purpose, with an end in view. This has been done so that the Spirit can take the one who now has spiritual life and perform a work in the life of that individual, with a view to an inheritance that will be realized at a future time.
Thus, one should immediately be able to see the importance of proper distinctions being drawn and observed in the realm of these three aspects of salvation. And depending on how one approaches and deals with the different salvation passages in Scripture, either difficulties can be avoided on the one hand or insurmountable problems can result on the other.
Past, Present, Future . . . Spirit, Soul, Body
When man sinned in the garden in Eden, the complete being of man — spirit, soul, and body — became in a fallen state. God had commanded Adam concerning the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). After Satan had deceived Eve into eating of the fruit of this tree, she then “gave to her husband with her; and he ate.” Immediately following this, “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Genesis 3:1-7).
At the time of the fall, Adam and Eve lost something; and it is clearly stated in Scripture that both immediately recognized this fact. That which they lost could only have been a covering of pristine glory that had previously clothed their bodies; for they, following the fall, found that they were in a twofold condition:

(1) naked and
(2) separated from God.

God is arrayed in a covering of “light,” connected with “honor and majesty.” And man, created in the “image” and “likeness” of God, could only have been arrayed in a similar manner prior to the fall.

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with [You have put on] honor and majesty,
who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.” (Psalm 104:1-2)

Recognizing the loss of this covering, realizing that they were naked, explains why Adam and Eve immediately sought to clothe themselves following the fall. They tried to replace the covering that had been lost with a work of their own hands, with fig leaf aprons. And then, apparently realizing the utter inadequacy of this covering, they, in their fallen state, sought to hide from God.
God, finding Adam and Eve in this condition, completely rejected the works of their hands. God completely rejected their feeble efforts to atone for their own sin by seeking to replace the covering of pristine glory with fig leaves. Then, to bring His fallen creature back into a right relationship (although not in complete keeping with their previously unfallen state — something still future even today), God provided a covering consisting of animal skins (Genesis 3:21). This necessitated death and the shedding of blood; and herein lays basic, unchangeable truths concerning the state of fallen man and the means that are necessary to effect his redemption.
Unredeemed man is a fallen creature, alienated from God; and two things are necessary to effect his redemption:

(1) divine intervention, and
(2) death and shed blood.

These truths have forever been set forth in the opening chapters of Genesis and can never change.

(Two different words are used for “naked” in the Hebrew text of Genesis 2:25 [before the fall] and Genesis 3:7 [after the fall]. In the latter [Genesis 3:7], the word has to do with absolute nakedness, but not so in the former [Genesis 2:25].
Remaining within the way a person dressed in the East at the time Moses wrote Genesis, and at later times as well, the word used relative to nakedness pertaining to Adam and Eve preceding the fall [Genesis 2:25] could be used to describe a person clothed in a tunic [inner garment] but lacking the mantle or cloak [outer garment]. In the preceding respect, prior to the fall, Adam and Eve were clothed in the Glory of God but had yet to possess the regal outer garments worn by kings [fulfilling the reason for man’s creation — to rule the earth (Genesis 1:26-28)].
Then, following the fall, no longer clothed in the Glory of God, Adam and Eve were no longer in a position to be further clothed in regal garments, realizing the purpose for their creation. They, apart from the inner garment [the Glory] could not wear the outer garments [royal apparel]. Adam, prior to the fall, never wore regal garments or held the scepter. In this respect, he never moved beyond the description given in Genesis 2:25 — a “naked” condition, “naked” in relation to the reason for his creation [lacking the outer regal garments].
Thus, if man, now separated from the Glory, is to ever fulfill the purpose for his creation, God must act. Redemption has to occur; and this, of necessity, has to include the complete man — spirit, soul, and body — with a view to not only a restoration of the Glory but to regality beyond this restoration.)

a) Spirit
Man’s sin in the garden in Eden produced death. Man died the day he ate of the forbidden fruit. Since his body continued to live, revealing that his soul — the life-giving principle in the blood (Leviticus 17:11; cf. Genesis 9:4) — remained unchanged with respect to life (natural life), it is evident that it was his spirit that died.
The spiritual nature is that part of man that links him directly with God. “God is spirit,” and man’s worship of God must be “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). The death of Adam’s spirit separated him from God (establishing the primary meaning of “death” in Scripture — separation from God), and this death (this separation from God) “passed upon all men” (Romans 5:12).
Scripture speaks of an unsaved person as being “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). With an unredeemed, inanimate spirit (spiritually dead), he is alienated from God, separated from God (Ephesians 2:12).
But once the person has been born from above, he is then spoken of as having passed “from death to life,” as having been “quickened” (John 5:24; Ephesians 2:5). Possessing an animate spirit, possessing spiritual life (having been made alive spiritually), he is no longer separated from the One who Himself is “Spirit” (John 4:24).
This aspect of salvation is brought to pass through the Spirit of God breathing life into the one having no life, based on Christ’s finished work at Calvary; and once this has been accomplished, everything surrounding the work effecting this aspect of salvation has been completed, with this work existing in a finished state (as previously seen through the use of the perfect tense in Ephesians 2:8). Thus, the salvation experience that man enters into at the time of the birth from above is a work of the Spirit, based on a previous work of the Son. It is a spiritual birth and has to do with man’s spirit alone:

“. . . that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6b).

b) Soul
The salvation of the soul, on the other hand, should never be associated with the past aspect of salvation. Scripture carefully distinguishes between the soul and the spirit, never using the words interchangeably in this respect (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12). And Scripture also carefully distinguishes between salvation in relation to the spirit and salvation in relation to the soul. Salvation in relation to the spirit is always dealt with in a past sense, but not so with the salvation of the soul. Rather, the salvation of the soul is always dealt with in a future sense:

Receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9)
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe [are faithful] to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:39)

The statements and exhortations in these verses pertain to Christians alone — those whose spirits have already been saved and whose souls are in the process of being saved, with the salvation of the soul being realized only at a future time.
c) Body
The salvation of the body presents very few problems for the majority of Christians. Very few Christians contend, contrary to Scripture, that the body has either already been redeemed or is in the process of being redeemed. Scripture places the redemption of man’s body entirely in the future (Romans 8:23).
The Christian’s body is presently in a continuous state of deterioration. The body grows old and weakens with time; and the body is subject to sickness, disease, and eventually death. This must ever remain the case as long as the body remains unredeemed. The “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and the unredeemed body must pay the price that sin requires.
Within this unredeemed body are two opposing entities, each seeking dominion — a redeemed spirit, and an unredeemed soul. The unredeemed soul is housed in an unredeemed body, and the two are mutually compatible. But the redeemed spirit housed alongside an unredeemed soul in an unredeemed body experiences no compatibility with either of the other two at all. Compatibility is not possible, for “what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness, and what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). This heterogeneous union is what produced the cry of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:24:

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [9]

The Aspect of Inheritance and Hope in God’s Redemptive Plan

Unless one recognizes how inheritance and hope, particularly as the former is seen in the Old Testament, relates to the redemption of man, it is difficult to understand a major facet of salvation. Again, Chitwood covers the topic in a most persuasive manner, as follows:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved [‘preserved’] in heaven for you,
who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Peter in his epistles, as James in his epistle (or any of the other writers in their epistles), directs his message to the regenerate, not to the unregenerate. Peter’s message is for the “elect,” those who have been “begotten” from above, those in a position to receive the Word of God into their saved human spirits, those who have been called “out of darkness into His marvelous light,” those who have “obtained mercy,” those who are “strangers and pilgrims” on the earth, those who have “obtained like precious faith with us” (1 Peter 1:2-3, 23; 2:1-2, 9-11; 2 Peter 1:1).
The epistles of 1 and 2 Peter have been written to encourage Christians, who are being tried and tested, through holding up before them prizes, rewards, compensations. The subject matter in these epistles, set forth at the very beginning, concerns a present “living hope,” a future “inheritance,” and a future “salvation”; and encouragement for proper conduct in trials and tests is derived from “a knowledge” of God’s revelation concerning these things (cf. 1 Peter 1:2-9; 2 Peter 1:2-8).
A Present, Living Hope
Christians have been “begotten” from above unto “a living hope” through “the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Christ lives, and Christians will live with Him. But this fact is not the object of one’s hope. Hope is described as “living” because of Christ’s resurrection, but a Christian’s hope lies in things beyond His resurrection. And these things are revealed in the text to be an “inheritance” and a “salvation.”
“Hope,” “inheritance,” and “salvation” are inseparably linked in Scripture. It is only because we are saved (past, salvation of the spirit) that we can possess a “hope.” And this hope looks ahead to the reception of an inheritance within a salvation (future, salvation of the soul) to be revealed.
Christians are commanded,

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. (1 Peter 3:15b)

Since this hope pertains to a future inheritance and salvation, the “reason” for this hope must also be futuristic in scope. Thus, to respond in accordance with 1 Peter 3:15, Christians must be knowledgeable concerning scriptural teachings pertaining to present and future aspects of salvation, for their hope is inseparably linked with the salvation of their souls.
The Christians’ hope is a subject found numerous places throughout the Pauline and general epistles (Hebrews being included in the general epistles). Two of the best books to help Christians understand exactly what is involved in the hope that they possess are the books of Titus and Hebrews. Both books deal with the same subject matter as 1 and 2 Peter, or any of the other epistles for that matter.
1. “Hope” in Titus
The epistle of Titus centers on the Christians’ relationship to both “hope” and “the coming age,” for it is in the coming age that the hope of our calling will be realized. Hope in Titus 2:13 ASV is called “that blessed hope” and is associated with the “appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (ASV). The structure of the Greek text shows the “appearing of the glory” as the object of one’s hope (through placing both “blessed hope” and “appearing” under one article). Christians are the ones who possess this hope, as they are the ones who are to be partakers of Christ’s glory when it is revealed. In this respect, participation in the coming glory of Christ will be the realization of the Christians’ present hope, for one cannot be separated from the other.
The word hope is also used in this same framework within its two other appearances in Titus 1:2; 3:7. In Titus 1:1-2, hope is associated with a “mature knowledge” [“acknowledgment” (Titus 1:1) is epignosis (mature knowledge) in the Greek text] of truth, and with “(aionios) life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2). Then, in Titus 3:7, this “hope” is reserved for the justified alone, and it has to do with a future inheritance:

That having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal [aionios] life. (Titus 3:7)

The Greek word aionios appearing in Titus 1:2; 3:7, translated “eternal” in most English versions, does not itself mean “eternal.” The Greek language actually contains no word for “eternal.” Aionios can be, and many times is, used in the sense of “eternal”; but this meaning is derived from its textual usage, not from the word itself. Aionios refers to “a period of time,” usually thought of as “an age.”
The only way the Greek language can express “eternal,” apart from textual considerations, is by using the noun form of aionios (aion) in the plural (“ages” [e.g., Luke 1:33; Hebrews 13:8]), or by using aion twice in the plural (“unto the ‘ages [aionas]’ of the ‘ages [aionon]’” [e.g., Revelation 1:6, 18; 4:9-10; 5:13-14; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 14:11; 15:7; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5]). A person using the Greek language thinks in the sense of “ages,” with eternity being thought of in the sense of “endless ages,” i.e., “aeons,” or “the aeons of the aeons.”
Aionios life in Titus 1:2; 3:7 — a hope associated with an inheritance set before the believer — must be understood contextually to mean “age-lasting,” referring to the coming age, the Messianic Era. “Eternal life” cannot be in view at all. Neither “hope” nor “inheritance” is used pertaining to eternal life that Christians presently possess; but both words are used numerous times concerning Christians and their relationship to the coming kingdom (with its glory), which is what is in view in the book of Titus. The hope (the blessed hope) set before every Christian is simply that he/she may, at the judgment seat of Christ, be found qualified to occupy one of the numerous, proffered positions with Christ in His kingdom. A Christian — already in possession of eternal life — may or may not realize this hope, for such depends entirely upon one’s faithfulness during his present pilgrim walk.
2. “Hope” in Hebrews
In Hebrews 6:11-12 a Christian’s hope is associated with faith, patience [patient endurance; a lengthy waiting during the pilgrim walk for postponed promises], and the inheritance set before Christians. This hope is to be held with “diligence” until “the end,” with “full assurance” that the hope of one’s calling will be realized. The “end [Greek: telos]” in this passage is the same “end” set forth in 1 Peter 1:9: “Receiving the end [Greek: telos] of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” The end in both instances has to do with faith brought to perfection, brought to maturity, brought to its goal, through “works” (cf. James 2:22).
In Hebrews 6:18-20 “the hope” set before Christians is stated to be “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.” Christ Himself presently resides beyond the veil in the Holy of Holies; but His future ministry, “after the order of Melchizedek,” rather than His present ministry (after the order of Aaron), is in view in Hebrews chapter six (Hebrews 6:20; cf. Hebrews 5:6-11).
An anchor, firmly secured, will moor a ship that it might withstand the movements of currents, winds, etc., and remain in a certain place; and the anchor of our souls, firmly secured in the very presence of Christ beyond the veil, provides protection from the onslaught of the enemy in order that we might be “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The salvation of our souls is in view; and just as a ship in mooring is continually being drawn toward the place where its anchor lies, we are continually being drawn toward the place where our anchor lies — unto Christ and His Melchizedek priesthood.
The book of Hebrews is built around five major warnings; and, prior to the writer’s comments concerning “hope” in Hebrews 6, he had previously introduced the Christians’ “hope” in the second warning (Hebrews 3; 4) by showing the relationship between hope and faithfulness. The central portion of the second warning, introducing “hope,” is in Hebrews 3:

But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. (Hebrews 3:6)

This hope within the text has to do with the house of Christ; and within the context (Hebrews 3; 4), in order to teach Christians the deep things of God in this realm, the Spirit of God draws a parallel between the house of Christ (present) and the house of Moses (past). This parallel constitutes a type-antitype treatment of Israelites under the leadership of Moses with Christians under the leadership of Christ. The experiences of the Israelites under Moses have their counterpart in the experiences of Christians under Christ. And all these things have been “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11).
Christians are presently members of the house of Christ in the same sense that those who appropriated the blood of the paschal lambs in Egypt during the days of Moses were members of Moses’ house. An earthly inheritance lay before the Israelites under Moses, and a heavenly inheritance lies before Christians under Christ. Through unfaithfulness to their calling, the majority of Israelites within the accountable generation under Moses were overthrown (cut off from the house of Moses); and through unfaithfulness to their calling, the majority of Christians under Christ will also be overthrown (cut off from the house of Christ).
Neither the type nor the antitype has to do with eternal verities. The faithless Israelites were overthrown on the right side of the blood in the type, and thus will it be for faithless Christians in the antitype.

Many are called [as the entire accountable generation under Moses], but few are chosen [lit. “called out,” as Caleb and Joshua]. (Matthew 22:14)

The key words in Hebrews 3:6 pertaining to hope are “confidence” and “rejoicing.” The Greek word translated “confidence” (parresia) has to do with being “bold,” or “courageous”; and the Greek word translated “rejoicing” (kauchema) has to do with “the object of boasting,” “a thing of pride.” Christians are to be bold, courageous as they journey toward their heavenly inheritance; and they are to exult in the hope set before them. They are to display this hope as the very object of the salvation that they possess in such a manner that the One who secured this hope for them will receive the praise, honor, and glory.
A Future Inheritance
The future inheritance of the saints (1 Peter 1:4), mentioned numerous times in Scripture, must be understood from the standpoint of the inheritance surrounding the birthright, having to do with firstborn sons. The word translated “birthright” in the New Testament is from the Greek word prototokia, a plural noun that should be properly rendered, “the rights of the firstborn.” And the rights of firstborn sons consists of a plurality of rights, which are inherited rights.
The rights of firstborn sons in the Jewish economy in the Old Testament consisted of three things:

(1) ruler of the household under and for the father,
(2) priest of the family, and
(3) the reception of a double portion of the father’s estate.

Every Jewish firstborn son was in line to receive this threefold inheritance; but, according to that which God has revealed in His Word, this inheritance was forfeitable. The positional standing as a firstborn son did not itself guarantee that the inheritance would be received. A firstborn son, through rebellious actions, could forfeit the rights of primogeniture.
Two classic examples of the forfeiture of the rights belonging to firstborn sons are given in the book of Genesis, the book wherein the roots of all biblical doctrine lie. One is the account of Esau, and the other is the account of Reuben.
1. Esau and the Birthright
Esau, the firstborn of Isaac, forfeited his birthright to his younger brother, Jacob. Esau forfeited his birthright to satisfy a fleshly gratification. He sold his birthright to his younger brother, Jacob, for a single meal (Genesis 25:27-34).
Since the rights of the firstborn had ultimately been promised to Jacob (Genesis 25:23), some doubt that Esau ever actually possessed these rights. However, Esau was no pretender to the rights of the firstborn. The Greek word translated “sold” in Hebrews 12:16 (referring to Esau and the birthright) is inflected in a tense implying that the article sold belonged to Esau alone, and he was fully aware of his actions when he sold his birthright to Jacob.
In Genesis 25:34 we read that Esau “despised his birthright.” The Greek word in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament translated “despised” implies that Esau regarded the birthright as a paltry, a mere trifle. Esau regarded the birthright as practically worthless, and sold his rights as firstborn with the thought in mind that what he was selling was of no real value.
It was only later, at a time when it was too late, that Esau realized the value of that which he had sold. Though the forfeiture of the birthright did not affect Esau’s sonship, it did affect forever blessings surrounding his relationship to Isaac as firstborn.
After Jacob had been blessed as the firstborn in the family, Esau, apparently for the first time, realized the value of that which he had forfeited. Esau then tried to retrieve the birthright, but the Scripture records that “he found no place of repentance.” After Esau realized the value of the birthright and the finality of that which had occurred, he pleaded with his father, Isaac, to change his mind and bless him also. Esau cried out to Isaac:

Have you but one blessing, my father: bless me, even me also, O my father.

And it is recorded,

Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. (Genesis 27:38)

(The way in which Genesis 27:38 is worded in the Hebrew text shows that Esau was literally beside himself with grief at this time, apparently from not only coming into a full realization of the value of that which he had forfeited but from realizing the finality of his previous actions as well.)

The word “repentance” means to change one’s mind. Esau sought to effect a change of mind on the part of his father, but “he found no place of repentance,” i.e., Esau was unable to get his father to change his mind.
In this respect, in the light of that which Esau was seeking to accomplish, the American Standard Version of the Bible (ASV, 1901 ed.) has possibly the most accurate rendering of Hebrews 12:17 ASV to be found in any of the translations presently available. This verse in the American Standard Version reads,
For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with tears. (Hebrews 12:17 ASV)
Isaac could not change his mind. The birthright had been forfeited, the blessing had been bestowed upon Jacob, and the rights belonging to the firstborn were now beyond Esau’s grasp forever.
2. Reuben and the Birthright
Reuben, as Esau, was in direct line to inherit the rights of primogeniture; but because of one grave sin committed during his life, Reuben forfeited these rights. Reuben’s sin, resulting in the forfeiture of his birthright, was sexual impropriety of a nature that dishonored and shamed his father: “Reuben went and laid with Bilhah his father’s concubine” (Genesis 35:22).
Because of this one sin, years later when Jacob called his twelve sons into his presence (shortly before his death) to relate that which would befall not only them but their descendants “in the latter days,” Reuben heard the words:
Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it — he went up to my couch. (Genesis 49:3-4)
Not only did Reuben not excel, as Jacob prophesied, but the tribe of Reuben did not excel. Reuben’s forfeiture of the rights of the firstborn affected not only himself but his descendants as well. No judge, prophet, or king ever came out of the tribe of Reuben.
That which Reuben lost, he lost forever. But he himself remained a son of Jacob and was blessed in measure, but not as the firstborn.
Reuben’s birthright was divided among three of his brothers. The tribal rulership was bestowed upon “Judah”; the priestly office was bestowed upon “Levi”; and the double portion of the father’s estate was given to “Joseph.” The tribe of “Judah” became the kingly line; the tribe of “Levi” became the priestly line; and the tribe of “Joseph” received the double portion through Joseph’s two sons, “Ephraim” and “Manasseh,” who each received a full inheritance (1 Chronicles 5:1-2).
During the Messianic Era the status created by Reuben’s sin will still abide. The King will be of the house of Judah (Revelation 5:5); the priests will be of the house of Levi (Ezekiel 44:15-16; 48:11); and the double portion will be held by the house of Joseph, through Ephraim and Manasseh (Ezekiel 47:13; 48:4-5).
3. Christians and the Birthright
Every Christian is presently a firstborn child of God awaiting the adoption, to be followed by the reception of the inheritance belonging to firstborn sons. As in the Old Testament, this inheritance consists of three things:

(1) a position as ruler,
(2) a position as priest, and
(3) the reception of a double portion of the Father’s estate.

The position of ruler has to do with occupying a position of “power over the nations” with Christ during the coming age (Revelation 2:26-27). God’s original purpose for the creation of man in the beginning involved rulership over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28), and following the complete redemption of man (spirit, soul, and body) and the removal of the earth from its present position (under a curse), this purpose will be realized.

Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion [let them rule]. (Genesis 1:26)
The gifts and calling of God are without repentance [without a change of mind]. (Romans 11:29)

God will not change His mind concerning the reason He brought the earth out of its ruined state and called man into existence in Genesis 1. Redeemed individuals from the lineage of the first Adam will, in the coming age, with the last Adam, rule over a restored, inhabited earth.
The position of priest has to do with a combined kingly-priestly function that will be exercised by Christians at the same time they are given “power over the nations.” Christians are presently “priests,” but are not presently “kings and priests.” This position is reserved for the coming age (cf. 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10). Our present ministry as priests, as Christ’s present ministry as High Priest, is connected with the tabernacle in heaven (cf. Hebrews 9:11-12; 10:19-20; 1 John 1:5-2:2). But this status of existing conditions will continue only until the end of the present dispensation. During the coming dispensation (the Messianic Era) Christ’s ministry on behalf of Christians will no longer be connected with the tabernacle. He will, prior to that time, come out of the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, judge Christians, and subsequently appear to Israel on earth as the great King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
And the Christians’ ministry at that time will also be no longer connected with the tabernacle. Christians in that day will appear with Christ in glory. They will appear in the position of “kings and priests” with the great “King-Priest” and will rule with Him during the day of His power.
The reception of a double portion of the estate can only have to do with the dual sphere of the kingdom that is to be inherited — both heavenly and earthly. Christians are to rule from the heavens over the earth as joint-heirs with Christ. Occupying such positions really means possessing an inheritance that is associated with both the heavens and the earth. God has promised His Son,

Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations [the Gentiles] for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. (Psalm 2:8)

This earthly inheritance and possession is open only to God’s Son and those who rule from the heavens as “joint-heirs” with Him. Thus, a rule from the heavens over the earth will incorporate this double portion.
Every Christian is in line to receive the inheritance belonging to the firstborn; but, according to that revealed in Scripture, this inheritance is forfeitable. The positional standing of Christians “in Christ” places all Christians in a position wherein God can deal with them in relation to the inheritance awaiting firstborn sons, but this positional standing does not itself guarantee that this inheritance will be received. A firstborn child of God, through rebellious actions, can, as firstborn sons in the Old Testament, forfeit the rights of primogeniture.
The fifth and last of the five major warnings to Christians in Hebrews 12:14-17 concerns the account of Esau and the forfeiture of his rights as firstborn. This warning has been placed in the book of Hebrews in a type-antitype arrangement, as the wilderness journey of the Israelites in Hebrews 3; 4, to sternly remind and warn Christians that the things that befell Old Testament saints can also befall New Testament saints.
Esau, Isaac’s firstborn son, was in line to receive the rights belonging to the firstborn, but he, through disobedience, was rejected. Esau was denied the rights of primogeniture — his rightful inheritance within the family.
The Israelites in the wilderness — forming God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22-23) — were in line to go in, conquer, and take possession of the land. They were in line to realize their earthly inheritance. But the entire accountable generation, twenty years old and above, save Caleb and Joshua, was overthrown in the wilderness, short of the goal of their calling.
And Christians on their pilgrim journey, with a heavenly inheritance in connection with the rights of the firstborn in view, can, through disobedience, also be overthrown and be denied their inheritance “reserved in heaven.” This is seen in both the type dealing with Esau and the type dealing with the Israelites under Moses, together forming the foundational material for all five of the major warnings in Hebrews.

“To deny the parallel is to overthrow inspiration: to ignore the parallel is to silence Scripture: to admit the parallel is to disclose a momentous peril to the believer in Christ.” ~ D. M. Panton
A Future Salvation
The underlying theme throughout the epistles of Peter involves our present hope, which is centered in the salvation to be revealed, wherein Christians will realize the inheritance “reserved in heaven” for firstborn sons. During our present pilgrim walk, anticipating “that blessed hope” set before us, we are being “kept [guarded] by the power of God through faith” for the purpose of realizing the salvation of our souls and occupying positions as joint-heirs with God’s Son during the coming age. The entire program of God for Christians today moves toward this end.
As the living hope possessed by Christians and the inheritance “reserved in heaven” for Christians have their respective counterparts within teachings drawn from the five major warnings in Hebrews, so does the salvation “to be revealed in the last time.” Hebrews 1:14 speaks of a future salvation that is so intimately associated with the inheritance of the saints that “salvation” itself is said to be inherited; and Hebrews 2:3 calls this future salvation, “so great salvation.”
It is the greatest thing God could ever design for redeemed man, for it consists of the recipients exercising power and authority from the heavens over the earth with God’s Son when He rules as “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” Through coming into possession of this future salvation, Christians will realize the very purpose for their present salvation — the goal of their calling, the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls.
However, the first warning in Hebrews, as the other warnings in this book, gives two sides to the overall picture; and the lessons at the very beginning, as in subsequent warnings, are drawn from Old Testament history. The object lesson beginning these warnings surrounds the experiences of the Israelites in the wilderness:

For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward [retribution or penalty];
How shall we escape, if we neglect so a great salvation . . . ? (Hebrews 2:2-3a)

The “just recompense of reward” is receiving exactly what an individual deserves. All of the Israelites who left Egypt under Moses were saved (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). All of these Israelites had availed themselves of the substitutionary atonement in Egypt through the death of the paschal lambs. The death of the firstborn was past and could never be their lot, for the paschal lambs had previously died in their stead.
The danger that the Israelites faced was not that of being returned to Egypt and being removed from the safety of the blood. Such an act was an utter impossibility, for the firstborn had died (via a substitute), and God was satisfied.
Rather, the danger that the Israelites faced lay in the fact that they could be overthrown in the wilderness and not realize the purpose for their deliverance from Egypt. Through obedience they would realize this purpose, but through disobedience they would fail to realize this purpose. In either instance, they would receive a “just recompense of reward” — receiving exactly what they deserved, based upon faithfulness or unfaithfulness to their calling, whether positive or negative.
The same is true for Christians today. All Christians have availed themselves of the substitutionary death of the Passover Lamb. The death of the firstborn is past and can never be their lot, for the Passover Lamb has already died in their stead.
The danger that Christians face is not that of being removed from the safety of the blood. Such an act is an utter impossibility, for the firstborn has died (via a Substitute); and God, as in the type, is satisfied.
Rather, the danger that Christians face is the same as that which the Israelites under Moses faced: Christians can be overthrown in their present position and fail to realize the purpose for their salvation.
Through obedience, which involves a “living” faith — connected with faithfulness in carrying out the works that the Lord has outlined for one’s life — an individual will realize this purpose. But through disobedience, which involves a “dead” faith — connected with unfaithfulness in carrying out the works that the Lord has outlined for one’s life — an individual will fail to realize this purpose.
In either instance, Christians will receive “a just recompense of reward.” They will receive wages exactly commensurate with services rendered as household servants in the Lord’s house, receiving exactly what one deserves in this respect, based upon faithfulness or unfaithfulness to their calling, whether positive or negative.
The “so great a salvation” in Hebrews 2:3, synonymous with the salvation to be inherited in Hebrews 1:14, is, within the context, associated with the inhabited earth to come:

For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. (Hebrews 2:5)

Angels occupy positions of power over the nations during the present age. But, during the coming age, angels will not occupy these positions. Satan and his angels will be removed from their positions of power at the end of the present age; and Christ, with His “companions” (cf. Hebrews 1:9; 3:14), will exercise power over the nations during the coming age.
The writer of Hebrews clearly states that this coming inhabited earth under the rule of man is what the preceding verses are dealing with. The inherited salvation (Hebrews 1:14), the so great salvation (Hebrews 2:3), has to do with the coming age when a new order of rulers — a new order of sons (Hebrews 2:9-10; cf. Romans 8:18-19) — will be crowned and will exercise regal power and authority over the earth.
The books of Hebrews, James, and 1, 2 Peter all deal with the salvation to be revealed, the salvation of the soul; and these epistles, as all of the other epistles (which also deal with this same subject), must be interpreted within this same framework. The warnings in Hebrews and works in James have to do with the same thing as the text in 1 Peter 1:3-5 — a “just recompense of reward” to be realized in the coming age. [10]

The Correct Rendering of the Greek Word Normally Translated “Eternal” in Scripture

Although this point was covered previously, it bears repeating. The Greek word aionios translated “eternal” (or its equivalent, “everlasting”) in most English versions, does not itself mean “forever without end.”

The Greek language actually contains no word for “eternal” seen in this fashion. Aionios can be, and many times is, used in this sense; but this meaning is derived from its textual usage, not from the word itself. Aionios refers to “a period of time,” usually thought of as “an age.”

The only way the Greek language can express “eternal,” apart from textual considerations, is by using the noun form of aionios (aion) in the plural (“ages” [e.g., Luke 1:33; Hebrews 13:8]), or by using aion twice in the plural (“unto the ‘ages [aionas]’ of the ‘ages [aionon]’” [e.g., Revelation 1:6, 18; 4:9-10; 5:13-14; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 14:11; 15:7; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5]).

A person using the Greek language thinks in the sense of “ages,” with eternity being thought of in the sense of “endless ages,” i.e., “aeons,” or “the aeons of the aeons.”

The Contextual Setting of Salvation Passages in the New Testament

When interpreting which facet of salvation is under consideration within the New Testament, the context is fundamental in making the determination. Of course, this should go without saying regarding any passage under study. Nevertheless, it is one rule of interpreting Scripture that routinely goes unheeded, usually because it is so easy to approach Scripture with preconceived and preprogrammed theological positions and because pride will allow no other approach.

A prime example of how ignorance of context leads to misinterpretation of Scripture would be how most commentators view the book of Hebrews. The book draws richly from the Old Testament in order to present truth. Note Chitwood’s comments, as follows:

Melchizedek is introduced in Scripture as a king-priest in Jerusalem, and he forms a type of Christ as King-Priest in Jerusalem during the coming day of His power, during the coming Messianic Era. This is clearly seen to be the case through both the two Old Testament references to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-19; Psalm 110:4) and the place that Melchizedek occupies in Hebrews 5; 6; 7.
Both Old Testament references are Messianic in their scope of fulfillment, as are the references in the book of Hebrews. In this respect, Christ is not presently exercising a priestly ministry after the order of Melchizedek, for Melchizedek was also a king in Jerusalem as well. Rather, Christ is presently exercising a priestly ministry after the order of Aaron, who ministered in the sanctuary on the basis of shed blood, on behalf of a redeemed people. Christ is presently ministering in the sanctuary (the heavenly), on the basis of shed blood (His Own), for a redeemed people (for Christians).
Christ is presently a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, as He is presently King (He was born King [Matthew 2:3]). Christ though has yet to exercise either office; and Scripture presents His exercise of both offices as occurring at the same time, during the coming age.
In keeping with the manner in which Scripture has been structured, Melchizedek appears in Genesis 14 in a particular setting and at a particular time; and, within this setting and time, God established foundational truths from which He could later draw spiritual lessons in order to teach His people deep spiritual truths surrounding the various things having to do with His Son's coming reign over the earth.
These foundational truths were established during Abraham’s day through the record of that which occurred in Genesis 14. Then the writer of Psalm 110 drew from this account, as did the writer of Hebrews 5; 6; 7.
Thus, in all three of these sections of Scripture, the three different writers dealt with issues surrounding Christ in relation to the Messianic Era, not in relation to the present age. And sections of Scripture such as Hebrews 6:4-6, contextually, must be looked upon and interpreted in this same light.
There is a logical progression in thought as one moves through the five major warnings in the book of Hebrews. And all the warnings are directed to Christians alone, centering on the same subject matter — Christians either realizing or failing to realize the salvation of their souls/lives, synonymous with Christians either realizing or failing to realize the rights of the firstborn; and this salvation has to do strictly with the position that Christians will occupy in the coming Messianic Era (Hebrews 6:12, 18-20; 10:36-39; cf. James 1:21; 1 Peter 1:9).
In the first warning, the salvation set before Christians is called "so great salvation," and is specifically stated later in the epistle to be “the saving of the soul.” This is the greatest thing God could ever design for redeemed man, for it centers on man being removed from the earth, placed in the heavens, and occupying the throne as co-heir with the “Heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2-2:5; 10:39; cf. Hebrews 3:1).
Then the second warning outlines the route that one must travel during his pilgrim journey if he would one day come into a realization of so great salvation. The route is from Egypt to Canaan.
Spiritual lessons are drawn from the historic account of the Israelites under Moses, forming the type. And these spiritual lessons are seen in the antitype surrounding the experiences of Christians under Christ. The Israelites under Moses had been called out of Egypt and were being led toward an earthly land, wherein their calling was ultimately to have been realized. And Christians under Christ have been called out of the world and are being led toward a heavenly land, wherein their calling is ultimately to be realized.
With these things in mind, the third warning then continues with one major overriding thought:

Let Us Go On! (Hebrews 6:1).

The thought has to do with moving from immaturity to maturity; and this maturity, contextually, centers on Christians coming to a knowledge and understanding of the things surrounding the land set before them, for a revealed purpose.
In other words, so great salvation has been set before Christians (warning one), and the route that Christians must travel to realize this salvation has been well marked (warning two); then, with these things as an established background, the writer exhorts Christians to go on to a mature knowledge and understanding of those truths that God has revealed concerning the land set before them (warning three).
Entering into that land and realizing the rights of the firstborn therein is the goal of the Christians’ calling. And pressing toward any goal apart from knowing and understanding certain things about the goal, or things that may lie in the pathway preventing one from reaching the goal, would be unheard of.
This is easy to see from the manner in which Christians are commanded to array themselves for the spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:11ff, for they cannot properly array themselves apart from a knowledge and understanding of that which lies out ahead.
The “helmet of salvation,” for example, is identified as the “hope of salvation” (cf. Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8); and the “hope of salvation” has to do, not with the salvation that Christians presently possess, but with the salvation of the soul (Hebrews 6:12, 18-19; 10:36-39), which is the central message of the book of Hebrews.
The “helmet of salvation” cannot be possessed apart from a “hope” based on knowledge and understanding. But it is only one part of the armor, and the possession of other parts of the armor requires a similar knowledge and understanding surrounding the goal of the Christians’ calling. And, apart from being properly arrayed for battle after the fashion revealed in Ephesians 6:11ff, Christians will suffer defeat time after time and ultimately fail to realize the goal of their calling.
Drawing from the previous two warnings in order to understand the third is the progressive manner in which the things in this book, Let Us Go On BOOK, in this site, have been structured; and this is also the progressive manner in which any correct exposition of Hebrews 5; 6 must be viewed.

Scripture must be understood in the light of Scripture. There is first the near context, and there is then the far context. The near context, in this case, takes one back to the previous two warnings; and the far context takes one to the various other related points in Scripture throughout both the Old and New Testaments. One must compare “spiritual things with spiritual” if he would come into a correct knowledge and understanding of the things that God has revealed to man in His Word (1 Corinthians 2:9-13). [11]

A Final Word on Salvation

The following would be an overview of salvation by Chitwood:

The Bible is a book of redemption; and basic, unchangeable teachings surrounding redemption are set forth in Scripture, at the very beginning, revealing a purpose in view.
In Genesis 1 God sets forth the unchangeable manner in which He, in His infinite wisdom and knowledge, restores a ruined creation. There is a restorative work which follows a specific pattern, and the matter is accomplished entirely through divine intervention. And within this unchangeable pattern set forth at the very beginning, God reveals how any subsequent ruined creation would, of necessity, have to be restored. It would have to be restored after a certain order, entirely through divine intervention, over a six-day (six-thousand-year) period.
Thus, to establish correct thinking relative to the fundamentals of salvation, one must begin in Genesis. If all those holding erroneous views had begun in Genesis 1 and understood and adhered to that which God set forth at the very beginning concerning how a ruined creation is to be restored, not a single erroneous view concerning salvation would exist today. Such couldn’t exist.
And, going to more specific thoughts concerning salvation, the preceding would equally apply to not only the salvation of the spirit but the salvation of the soul as well. Within the structure of this foundational framework, the salvation of the spirit (the salvation that we presently possess) is realized at the very beginning of the six days; but the salvation of the soul (a salvation occurring at the end of one’s faith, or as the goal of one’s faith [1 Peter 1:5, 9]) is an on-going process and is to be realized only at the end of the six days, on the seventh day.
In this respect, the unchangeable basics pertaining to redemption in relation to the whole of that which, in reality, is the man himself (both spirit and soul) have been set forth at the very beginning of Scripture, in Genesis 1:1-2:3. And if a person would understand salvation within its correct perspective, avoiding all error, he must begin here. Here — and only here — can a person see the unchangeable foundation, setting forth the unchangeable basics, laid down at the very beginning.
Salvation of the Spirit
Hebrews 4:12 reveals a division being brought to pass between man’s soul and his spirit. And this is a teaching drawn from the very opening verses of Genesis (as seen earlier in this same section in Hebrews relative to the “rest” set before “the people of God” [Hebrews 4:4, 9]). The Spirit of God moves in Genesis 1:2b, and God speaks in Genesis 1:3. In relation to man’s salvation, it is at this point (in what would be referred to as the foundational type) that a division is made between man’s soul and his spirit (in what would be referred to as the antitype).
In the type, the Spirit of God moved, God spoke, and light came into existence. Genesis 1:2-3 [2b] records the initial act of the Triune Godhead in bringing about the restoration of the ruined material creation, an act in which the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each participated — the Spirit moved, God spoke, and then note that nothing can come into existence apart from the Son (John 1:3).
In the antitype, within the framework of man’s salvation experience, the matter is identical. There must be an act of the Triune Godhead, for this is how God worked to restore a ruined creation in the Genesis account, establishing an unchangeable pattern for a later work. Thus, as in the type, so in the antitype — the Spirit of God moves, God speaks, and light comes into existence.
Everything is based on the Son’s finished work at Calvary. The Spirit moving and God speaking are both based on that which occurred almost 2,000 years ago. When the Son cried out from the Cross, “It is finished [lit., ‘It has been finished’]” (John 19:30; cf. Luke 23:46), He meant exactly that; and when the Word of God reveals that we have a salvation of divine origin, based entirely on the Son’s finished work, the Word of God means exactly that.
When man sinned in the garden, he died spiritually; and when unregenerate man, “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), is made alive today, he is made alive spiritually. The movement of the Spirit (Genesis 1:2b) and God speaking (Genesis 1:3) in order to restore the ruined creation are simultaneous events. It is the Spirit using the God-breathed Word to effectually perform a supernatural work in unredeemed man. It is at this point — through the inbreathing of God — that life is imparted to that which previously had no life. God breathes into dead man (the Spirit using the God-breathed Word, based on the finished work of the Son), and man is “quickened [‘made alive’]” (Ephesians 2:1, 5).
At this point, light shines “out of darkness” (2 Corinthians 4:6), a division is made between the light and the darkness (Genesis 1:4), and the darkness has no apprehension or comprehension of that which is light (John 1:5; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14).
It is at this point in man’s salvation that the spirit is separated from the soul. The “spirit” in unsaved man is dead. It is a part of the totally depraved man, with his “body of . . . death,” in which there dwells “no good thing” (Romans 7:18, 24). With the movement of the Spirit, using the God-breathed Word, man’s spirit is made alive and, at the same time, separated from his soul.
The “soul” remains within the sphere of darkness, which is why “the natural [Gk. psuchikos, ‘soulical’] man” cannot understand “the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:14). That which remains in the sphere of darkness can have no apprehension or comprehension of that which has shined out of darkness. There is a God-established division between the two that cannot be crossed over (cf. Luke 16:26).

(Note that the preceding forms a foundational part of the reason why Christ becoming one’s Lord [cf. Luke 6:46] cannot be an integral part of salvation by grace.)

Salvation of the Soul
The preceding process is the manner which God uses to deliver the spirit from its fallen state, resulting from Adam’s sin. And because the spirit has been delivered, there can once again be communion with God. Man can now comprehend spiritual things, and there can now be a progressive, continued work by the Spirit of God within man so that he can ultimately be delivered to the place which God has decreed that he occupy at the end of six days, at the end of six thousand years.
Within the framework of the type in Genesis 1, this is the very first thing which is foreshadowed. This had to be set forth first, for man has to first be made alive — he has to first pass “from death unto life” — before anything else in the restorative process can occur.
Thus, this is foreshadowed at the very beginning of the six days that God, in accordance with the established pattern, would use to bring about man’s complete restoration — spirit, soul, and body (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
To briefly illustrate how God’s complete restoration of man is patterned after God’s complete restoration of the material creation in Genesis 1, note three things:

1) Where the complete restorative process began (on day one, as previously mentioned).
2) That which occurred on each succeeding day (days two through six).
3) Where the whole of the restorative process was leading (the seventh day, the Sabbath, a day of rest following six days of work).

Within a type-antitype framework — pertaining to man’s salvation in the antitype — that which occurred in the type on day one pertains to the salvation of man’s spirit, and that which occurred in the type on days two through six pertains to the salvation of man’s soul, with the whole of that revealed leading to the seventh day.
The salvation of the spirit is an instantaneous event where one passes “from death unto life,” but not so with the salvation of the soul. It is a progressive event. It is an event that begins at the point one is made alive spiritually, and it will not be completed and realized until the end of that foreshadowed by the six days of restorative work — 6,000 years of restorative work.

(The issues of the judgment seat of Christ at the end of the present dispensation — which will occur at the end of the six days, at the end of the 6,000 years — will have to do with issues surrounding the salvation [or loss] of the soul/life. It will be at the judgment seat — not before — that man will realize [or fail to realize] the salvation of his soul/life.)

Since the salvation of the spirit cannot occur apart from an exact duplication in the antitype of that which occurred in the type during day one of the restoration in Genesis, it should be evident that the salvation of the soul and its relationship to that which occurred on days two through six must be looked upon the same way. The latter must follow the pattern to the same degree as the former. There can be no difference in this respect.

And since this is the case, note what occurred on days two through six in the restoration of the ruined material creation in Genesis. Then, to see the overall picture of that which must be done to bring about the salvation of redeemed man’s soul, these same events can be viewed in relation to God’s present continuing restoration of man, a subsequent ruined creation.
Events on days two and three (as events on the first day) have to do with divisions. On the second day God established a division between the waters (Genesis 1:6-8), and on the third day He established a division between the dry land (with its vegetation) and the waters (Genesis 1:9-13).
Then events on days four through six belong together as another unit, depicting things beyond the divisions previously established. On the fourth day God placed lights in the heavens to give light upon the earth (Genesis 1:14-19), on the fifth day He created birds that could soar above the earth and marine life that could move throughout the depths of the sea (Genesis 1:20-23), and on the sixth day He created the land animals, which included great creatures capable of roaming the earth (Genesis 1:24-25).
And, as previously noted, the whole of God’s restorative work relative to the material creation in Genesis foreshadows the whole of God’s restorative work relative to man today. After man has “passed from death unto life,” wherein the spirit is separated from the soul — wrought entirely through divine intervention — redeemed man finds himself in a position and condition where a continued divine work not only can occur but must occur if he is to realize the salvation of his soul. And only through this continued divine work can the whole of God’s restorative work, as it pertains to man, be realized.

(Man, as the material creation, must be completely passive in relation to the salvation of the spirit [he is dead, rendering him incapable of acting]; and man, as the material creation [“And the earth brought forth . . . .”] must be active in relation to the salvation of the soul [he now has spiritual life, allowing him to act in the spiritual realm]. But, as in the restoration of the material creation, the entire salvation process [spirit and soul, and ultimately the body] is a divine work. “Salvation is of the Lord” [Jonah 2:9].)

Events occurring during the first three days in Genesis 1 would point to elementary things or the basics in one’s spiritual life and growth. Events occurring during day one would point to a division between the soul and the spirit, having to do with the impartation of life. Then events occurring during days two and three would point to divisions and distinctions as one begins to progressively grow within the framework of the new life brought into existence on the first day. One would learn to distinguish between the soulical and spiritual, spiritual and carnal (fleshly), Jew, Gentile, and Christian, the dispensations, etc.
Only when one learns the divisions and distinctions depicted by that which was brought to pass on days two and three is he in a position to move on into the things depicted by that which was brought to pass on days four through six. On these three days, light was restored to the sun and moon (day four, Genesis 1:14-19); sea life and the birds of the air were created (day five, Genesis 1:20-23); and then God created all the living creatures that roam the earth, followed by His creation of man (day six, Genesis 1:24-27).
That depicted by the work of the Triune Godhead during these three days points to things beyond elementary truths in the antitype. After one has passed “from death unto life” and has been instructed in the elementary truths (days one through three) — after he has grown to a degree in his Christian life — he can then begin to view with understanding deeper spiritual truths of the Word. He can then begin to view with understanding those things in the Word depicted by events on days four through six of Genesis 1.
An individual in this position can begin to sink deep shafts down into the Word and mine its treasures. He can look into the Word and understand that depicted by the lights in the heavens. He can, in the true sense of the Word, “mount up with wings as eagles . . . run, and not be weary . . . walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31), as he scales the heights; or he can scale the depths of the Word, as the sea creatures plunge to the depths of the sea; or he can roam through the Word, as the land creatures roam the earth.
Christian maturity and spiritual victory — bringing to pass the salvation of the soul — go hand-in-hand. And the entire process of God’s restoration work throughout the six days is with a view to that which lies beyond, on the seventh day. It is with a view to the Sabbath rest awaiting the people of God. [12][

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[1] James Barr, The Semantics of Biblical Languages (London: Oxford University Press, 1961), p. 218.

[2] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3. (Kregel Publications, Inc., 1993), p. 274.

[3] The Study of Scripture by Arlen Chitwood, pp. 1-3.

[4] Ralph O. Muncaster, Does the Bible Predict the Future? (Harvest House Publishers, 1984), pp. 8, 9.

[5] The Study of Scripture by Arlen Chitwood, pp. 123-126.

[6] The Study of Scripture by Arlen Chitwood, pp. 136-138.

[7] Dr. Chuck Missler, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours (Thomas Nelson Publishers), pg. 1.

[8] Salvation of the Soul by Arlen Chitwood, pp. 3, 4.

[9] Salvation of the Soul by Arlen Chitwood, pp. 1-8.

[10] Salvation of the Soul by Arlen Chitwood, pp. 81-94.

[11] Let Us Go On by Arlen Chitwood, Back cover & Foreword.

[12] Salvation by Grace through Faith by Arlen Chitwood, pp. 46-52

(Also see in this site The Old Man, Old Man did Not Die with Christ, but was Crucified with Christ!, Holy Spirit – Ministries and Filling!, Christians vs. Angelic Rulers Presently!, Christians and the World SOULICAL SPIRITUAL or CARNAL MAN, Bodies, Natural and Spiritual, The Spiritual Warfare BOOK, and Satan, Great Enemy of Christian Life!.)

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Daily, we have a choice to make. We may choose to put on the “old man” and be dominated by the force of evil; or, we may choose to put on the “new man” and be led in righteousness. When we were without Christ, we had no choice. As Christians, God always gives us this choice.

The Old Man (Question and Answers)
By Charles Strong of Bible One

Pat:

Regarding your inquiry, i.e. as follows:

There’s something I’m overlooking, but I’m confused about the ‘old man.’
When we’re spiritually saved, the ‘old man’ dies in us – he’s crucified. Since the ‘old man’ is the ‘soulical man,’ it would seem our soul would die.
Previously, before dwelling on this, I thought that either the ‘old man’ didn’t die or if he did, was then made alive. But that didn’t make sense. I’ve thought for the longest that the ‘old man’ was still in us and was the one who sinned, not the new man in Christ. Therefore I thought as we were ‘be being’ filled with the Holy Spirit, in an inverse proportion, the ‘old man’ was dying. Dwelling in the Word was the main work to accomplish this filling.
Do we saved still have a soul? It would seem we do since some of us are running the race for soul salvation.
Does my question make any sense? I’ve spent a number of hours researching without finding the answer, or probably don’t recognize the answer.

Charles:

I can only answer as I understand the concept of “old man” as Paul uses it in Scripture, e.g. as follows:

Romans 6:5-14

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (7) For he who has died has been freed from sin. (8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. (10) For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (11) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. (13) And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (14) For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

(Essentially, Paul’s argument relevant to the “old man” and “his” affect upon corporeal men and women [and in this case, specifically the Christian person] extends through the middle of Romans 8.)

Ephesians 4:20-24

But you have not so learned Christ, (21) if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: (22) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, (23) and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (24) and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians 3:8-10

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. (9) Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, (10) and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

The concept of and the dealing with the “old man” are in fact relevant to soul-salvation; but, to equate “old man” with “soulical man” may be somewhat incorrect; although, I do agree that the objective (purpose) of the “old man” is to produce a non-spiritual influence and life within a person.

Part of the difficulty is in the understanding of the soul-component of man. There is little difficulty in comprehending the body-component of man, since it is tangible and touchable every waking moment of one’s life.

As for the spirit-component of man, it is my belief that this aspect of man is what totally died within man when he sinned soon after his creation (Genesis 2:16-17). It is this component of man that allows connectivity (union, if you please) with God. From Adam onward man has been born with a dead spirit, a component that can only be revitalized (“born from above”) upon one’s faith in Christ (John 3:7, 16); but, when resuscitated, can never more die.

Then there is the soul-component of man, man being a tripartite being (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12). And frankly, I believe it is quite difficult for man to adequately understand the composition of the soul. It has been stated that this aspect of man is the seat of self-consciousness, mentality, volition, emotion, and conscience (norms and standards). To be sure, the soul encompasses these features, for it is the soul of man that allows connectivity with the non-spiritual world. In another study, I have stated the following regarding the soul-component of man.

On the other hand, the soul is the identity of the person, the one who resides in the package, i.e., the body. It is the life-giving principle, which actually resides in the blood (Leviticus 17:11; cf. Genesis 9:4). The soul comprises the intellectual and emotional assets of one’s identity, without which, the body cannot properly function. It is the body’s engine, and, its identity. In brief, a person cannot meaningfully exist without the union of body and soul; nor, for that matter, can any non-human (e.g., animal) so exist without the same. Christ pointed out the difference between these two distinct elements when He said in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Having offered this explanation, it must be stated that this account may be somewhat lacking as to the complexity and totality of not only the differences between body and soul, but also as to their connectivity. As one views the various passages of Scripture that apply to these two components of God’s air-breathing creatures, one can only be certain that they do exist, have their separate function, and transition separately at death, which is seen in the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary.

In any case, I am not certain that any man can fully appreciate and understand the complexity of God’s crowning creative act, i.e., man, just as man is totally unable to fully appreciate and understand the existence and nature of God. Still, man is to accept both by faith, for this is the only avenue established for man that will lead him to the only constructively divine destination for man.

It is my belief that when Paul uses the designation, “old man,” as to an element of man, he uses it as a synonym for the “sin nature,” which dominates man in the “lost state” (non-Christian), but which can be overcome by man in the “saved state” (Christian). And when he refers to the “old man” as having been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6), he is referring to the sin nature’s ability to dominate a person, a power that no longer exists unless (and this is key) the person allows it — this power was crucified/terminated on the cross, meaning that once a person accepts Christ in faith, he is no longer under the unyielding thumb of the sin nature, its dominance.

In addition to the designation “old man,” Paul uses the word “sin,” “flesh,” and “law” throughout his discourse in Romans 6; 7; 8, to refer to and to explain this force, to clarify that although we as Christians were once dominated by this force toward evil, we are to now realize that it has been put to death (may now be rendered inoperable “by faith”) on the cross of Christ, a condition that now, as Christians, we may take advantage of “by faith” throughout our temporal life (Romans 6:6-7, 12, 14; 7:5-6; 8:1-2, 12-13 [Romans 6:6b]) to lead a holy life, to the saving of our souls.

This theme continues throughout the New Testament, as you may also see in some of his other epistles, e.g., Ephesians and Colossians (above). Bottom line, as Christians we are no longer under the rule of our old nature, a nature that was defeated at the cross, unless, we so choose to be.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal [age-lasting] life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

(You may wish to read my commentary on this verse in my site Bible One - Charles Strong's Bible Facts Little Understood by Christians (2). Or one can read in this site Bible Facts Little Understood by Christians (2).)

Well Pat, I hope some of this helps you in your quest for an answer to your question. The subject is rich but most valuable to a life for Christ. As I do on many of my replies regarding spiritual matters, I also send a copy to Arlen L. Chitwood of Arlen Chitwood's Lamp Broadcast. Should he wish to correct me or clarify an issue (which I always appreciate) regarding this subject, I will be certain to pass his comments on to you.

Charles

Follow up by Charles Strong re Arlen Chitwood's Response.

Pat,

The following input regarding the matter is from Arlen Chitwood, who always endeavors to understand/interpret New Testament doctrine by comparing such with antitypes in the Old Testament (a method of study specified by Paul in the New Testament [1 Corinthians 2:13]). I have always found that such from Arlen always makes an issue more clear; and, at times helps me to see the error of my understanding. In this case, I see agreement, but the issue is clearer in my mind.

Bottom line: The darkness remains in all of us, but we may always choose to walk in the Light—please see Colossians 2:6; John 8:12; 12:46, AND always remember that the only way we can walk in Christ the Light is through His (written) Word (Colossians 3:16).

Charles

Arlen Chitwood:

Try "back to basics" on the original type, in Genesis 1.

(See Eternal Salvation As Seen in the Earth's Restoration by Arlen Chitwood.)

Saved man and unsaved man are both tri-part beings.

In unsaved man, there is only darkness, with both spirit and soul housed in a body.

In saved man, the prior existing darkness remains, but light now shines out of that darkness. The spirit, through the inbreathing of the Spirit, is no longer dead but alive, with soul and body still connected with the darkness.

In saved or unsaved man, none of the three parts comprising his being is that darkness per se. In the type, the earth was one thing, the darkness another. And so it is with man.

The earth existed within total darkness until light shined out of darkness (day one), allowing for an on-going restoration of the earth (days 2-6), with a view to that seen at the end of day six (a completely restored earth, man, the seventh day).

You can do the antitype relative to man.

Also, "crucifixion" could be used and understood in more than one respect. Christ was crucified hours before He died. The old man has been crucified with Christ, but is the old man dead? Compare Romans 6 and Colossians 3. The old man could only be very much alive, though to be kept affixed to the cross, in the process of dying.

The old man would be associated with that remaining in darkness, the new man with that no longer in darkness. And the darkness itself is not gradually changed or ever done away with. The darkness remains, unchanged, until . . . Revelations 22:5.

Charles Strong:

Reread your response and you state that in “saved man . . . The spirit . . . is no longer dead . . . .” Another question. Are you suggesting that the “old man” of Romans 6 (also in Ephesians and Colossians) is comparable to the “darkness” in Genesis?

Arlen:

I would rather stay with the word I used -- "associated."

One can't do anything with the darkness, though one could do something with the old man. But neither can be done away with.

The are only two reals -- light and darkness -- as there are only two realms seen in verses such as Matthew 12:30 or I John 3:9. (Added by website author: 1 John 3:6; 5:18.)

Word Document: The Old Man - Question and Answers - by Charles Strong (1).docx is SAFE to open and print.

See The “Old Man” did Not Die with Christ, but was Crucified with Christ! in this site also.

On Arlen Chitwood's site see Natural and Spiritual Bodies by Arlen Chitwood.

In this site is Battles between a Christian's New and Old Natures adding commentary to the subject.

(See following next Eternal Salvation As Seen in the Earth's Restoration by Arlen Chitwood)

(Also the following in this site may be of interest: Holy Spirit – Ministries and Filling!, Christians vs. Angelic Rulers Presently!, Christians and the World, SOULICAL SPIRITUAL or CARNAL MAN, Bodies, Natural and Spiritual, The Spiritual Warfare BOOK and Satan, Great Enemy of Christian Life!.)

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The importance of understanding that which is revealed in these opening verses cannot be overemphasized, for man, a subsequent creation of God, also fell into a ruined state because of Satan’s actions (Genesis 1:26-28; 3:1ff). And if ruined man was to be restored (as the ruined material creation had previously been restored), it would have to be accomplished exactly in accordance with the previously established pattern.

Eternal Salvation
As Seen in the Earth’s Restoration
By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

The Bible is a book of redemption; and basic, unchangeable teachings surrounding redemption are set forth at the very beginning of Scripture.

In the opening verses of Genesis God sets forth the unchangeable manner in which He, in His infinite wisdom and knowledge, restores a ruined creation. There is a restorative work which follows a specific pattern, and the matter is accomplished entirely through Divine intervention.

And within this pattern set forth and established in a perfect God-ordained fashion at the very beginning, God reveals how any subsequent ruined creation would, of necessity, have to be restored. It would have to be restored in complete accord with the established pattern. In this respect, it would have to be restored after a certain order, and it would have to be restored entirely through Divine intervention.

Thus, to establish correct thinking relative to the fundamentals of salvation (restoration), as previously stated, one must begin where God began — in the opening verses of Genesis 1.

In these opening verses, God begins by revealing His creation of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Then, immediately following this, in the first part of the second verse (Genesis 1:2), God reveals that the earth became a ruin (which, as subsequent Scripture reveals, could only have resulted from God’s actions following Satan seeking a higher regal position than the one which he held [the God-appointed ruler over the earth (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:14-16)] and be “like the most High” [be like the Ruler over the entire universe, like God Himself (Psalm 103:19)]).

Then, immediately following the statement in Genesis 1:2a concerning the ruin of the material creation, God reveals the means which He used to restore this ruined creation (Genesis 1:2b ff) — a restoration accomplished entirely through Divine intervention.

The importance of understanding that which is revealed in these opening verses cannot be overemphasized, for man, a subsequent creation of God, also fell into a ruined state because of Satan’s actions (Genesis 1:26-28; 3:1ff). And if ruined man was to be restored (as the ruined material creation had previously been restored), it would have to be accomplished exactly in accordance with the previously established pattern.

It would have to be accomplished exactly in accordance with the method which God revealed at the beginning of His Word concerning how He restores a ruined creation.

This is the first of numerous unchangeable ways in which God has revealed Himself, His plans, and His purposes to man in His Word.

Once God establishes a pattern, no change can ever occur. And He has forever established, once for all, at the very beginning of His Word, exactly how He goes about restoring a ruined creation.

Genesis 1:2-3 [2b] records the initial act of the triune Godhead in bringing about the restoration of the ruined material creation — an act in which the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each participated.

In this foundational pattern, forming a type, the Spirit of God moved, God spoke, and light came into existence (note that nothing can come into existence apart from the Son, Who is “the light of the world” [John 1:3, 9; 9:5]).

And in the antitype, within the framework of man’s salvation experience, the matter is identical. Salvation can occur only through a work of the triune Godhead, and this Divine work follows an established pattern.

Thus, there is an initial past work of the triune Godhead which foreshadows an initial present work of the triune Godhead:

In God’s initial past work of restoring the ruined material creation in Genesis 1, the Spirit of God moved, God spoke, and light came into existence.
In God’s initial present work of restoring ruined man, the Spirit of God moves, God speaks, and light comes into existence.
This is the manner in which God began/begins His unchangeable, restorative work.

And, relative to God’s present restorative work, foreshadowed by the foundational pattern surrounding His restorative work on day one in the type, everything within the outworking of that revealed in this pattern is based on one thing — the Son’s finished work at Calvary almost 2,000 years ago (progressively opened up and brought to light in subsequent types).

(Note that God’s initial restorative work, seen on day one in the Genesis account, is the only part of His six-day restorative work which has to do with salvation by grace. There had to be an initial work, producing light shining out of darkness, before God could continue His restorative work.
And exactly the same thing is true concerning ruined man today. Ruined man has to initially be made alive spiritually — pass “from death unto life,” light has “to shine out of darkness” [John 1:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6] — before God can continue a restorative work.
Man today [saved man] has a redeemed spirit dwelling alongside an unredeemed soul, with both housed in an unredeemed body. That foreshadowed by God’s work on day one in the Genesis account had to do with man’s spirit, and that foreshadowed by His work on days two through six had to do with man’s soul, with the body to be redeemed at the end of that foreshadowed by God’s work throughout the entire six days.)

When the Son cried out from the Cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30; cf. Luke 23:46), He (the living Word) meant exactly that; and when God’s Word reveals that we have a salvation of Divine origin, based entirely on the Son’s finished work, this Word also means exactly what it states.

When man sinned in the garden, he died spiritually; and when unregenerate man, “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), is made alive today, he is made alive spiritually. The movement of the Spirit (Genesis 1:2b) and God speaking (Genesis 1:3) in order to restore the ruined creation are simultaneous events. It is the Spirit using the Word — the written Word and the Word which became flesh (cf. John 1:1-3, 14) — to effectually perform a supernatural work in unredeemed man.

It is at this point — through the inbreathing of God — that life is imparted to that which previously had no life. It is at this point that God breathes into lifeless man (the Spirit imparting life, in accordance with the God-breathed Word, based on Christ’s finished work), and man is “quickened [‘made alive’]” (Ephesians 2:1; cf. Genesis 2:7; 2 Timothy 3:16).

At this point, light shines “out of darkness” (2 Corinthians 4:6), a division is made between the light and the darkness (Genesis 1:4), and the darkness has no apprehension or comprehension of that which is light (John 1:5; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14).

The “spirit” of unsaved man, associated with “darkness,” is dead. It is a part of the totally depraved man, with his “body of… death,” in which there dwells “no good thing” (Romans 7:18, 24). But, with the movement of the Spirit — breathing life into unsaved, lifeless man — man’s spirit is made alive and, at the same time, separated from his soul (Hebrews 4:12).

The “soul” remains within the sphere of darkness, which is why “the natural [Gk., psuchikos, ‘soulical’] man” cannot understand “the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

That which remains in the sphere of darkness can have no apprehension or comprehension of that which has shined out of darkness. There is a God-established division between the two which cannot be crossed over (cf. Luke 16:26).

Thus, the unchangeable method which God uses and the pattern which He follows to restore a ruined creation have forever been set forth at the beginning of His Word, through the account of God’s restoration of the ruined material creation.

Then, in Genesis 3, God’s new creation, man, finds himself in a ruined state. But he is not to be left in this state, for man, at this point, becomes the object of a new Divine restorative work.

And this work, as seen in the latter part of chapter three and subsequent types, follows that which had already been set forth in an unchangeable fashion in Genesis 1.

“What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

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Eternal Salvation As Seen in the Earth's Restoration by Arlen Chitwood

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: Eternal Salvation by Arlen Chitwood.docx

(See all of Arlen Chitwood's Salvation Tracts / pamphlets.)

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At the moment of conversion, the Christian receives a new nature. It is instantaneous.

Sanctification, on the other hand, is the process by which God develops our new nature, enabling us to grow into more holiness through time. This is a continuous process with many victories and defeats as the new nature battles with the “tent” in which it resides—the old man, old nature, flesh.

Battles between a Christian's New and Old Natures
By Got Questions

The new nature battles with the “tent” in which it resides—the old man, old nature, flesh.

The first problem that comes up is one of semantics. For example, many prefer "sin nature," others prefer "sinful nature," and still others prefer the ambiguous "flesh." Whatever the specific names used for the warring parties, what is relevant is that an ongoing battle rages within the Christian.

The second problem is the actual definition of "nature." How this significant word is defined determines how one sees the distinction between the “old man” and the “new man” and its relevant outworking in the life of the Christian. One way to view "nature" is to understand it as a "capacity" within a believer. Thus, the old man is interpreted as the former way of life, that of an unbeliever. In this sense, the Christian has two competing capacities within him—the old capacity to sin and the new capacity to resist sinning. The unbeliever has no such competition within; he does not have the capacity for godliness because he has only the sin nature. That’s not to say he cannot do “good works,” but his motivation for those works is always tainted by his sinfulness. In addition, he cannot resist sinning because he doesn’t have the capacity to not sin.

The believer, on the other hand, has the capacity for godliness because the Spirit of God lives within him or her. He still has the capacity for sin as well, but he now has the ability to resist sin and, more importantly, the desire to resist and to live godly. When Christ was crucified, the old man was crucified with Him, resulting in the Christian's no longer being a slave to sin (Romans 6:6). We “have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:18).

At the moment of conversion, the Christian receives a new nature. It is instantaneous. Sanctification, on the other hand, is the process by which God develops our new nature, enabling us to grow into more holiness through time. This is a continuous process with many victories and defeats as the new nature battles with the “tent” in which it resides—the old man, old nature, flesh.

In Romans 7, Paul explains the battle that rages continually in even the most spiritually mature people. He laments that he does what he doesn’t want to do [disicipline] and, in fact, does the evil he detests. He says that is the result of “sin living in me” (Romans 7:20). He delights in God’s law according to his “inner being,” but he sees another law at work in “the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members” (Romans 7:23). Here is the classic example of the two entities, whatever terms they may carry. The point is that the battle is real, and it is one Christians will wage throughout their lives.

This is why believers are encouraged to put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13), to put to death that which makes a Christian sin (Colossians 3:5), and to put aside other sins such as anger, wrath, malice, etc. (Colossians 3:8). All this to say that the Christian has two natures—the old and the new—but the new nature needs continual renewing (Colossians 3:10). This renewing, of course, is a lifetime process for the Christian. Even though the battle against sin is constant, we are no longer under the control of sin (Romans 6:6). The believer is truly a “new creation” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and it is Christ who will ultimately “rescue [us] from this body of death. Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24–25).

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Got Questions - Battles between a Christian's New and Old Natures

(Also see in this site Holy Spirit – Ministries and Filling!, Christians vs. Angelic Rulers Presently!, Christians and the World, SOULICAL, SPIRITUAL or CARNAL MAN, Bodies, Natural and Spiritual, The Spiritual Warfare BOOK, and Satan, Great Enemy of Christian Life!.)

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For whatever reason I've always tried to find and understand "the BIG picture" of most anything encountered.

God's Plan, Exceedingly Oversimplified!

God's Plan, Exceedingly Oversimplified! What I call "the BIG picture."

God's angel, Satan, God-appointed ruler of the earth, desired rulership over the entire universe, like God. He, and 1/3 of all the angels under him, rebelled against God in an attempt to gain that rulership. (Isaiah 14:12–14; Ezekiel 28:11–19)

God reacted by making the earth uninhabitable -- without form and void. (Genesis 1:1-2a)

God then restored the earth and created man, and man's wife, to replace Satan and his angels who continue to rule the earth. (Genesis 1:2-25 [2b]; Isaiah 45:18)

God made man [Adam], and man's wife [Eve], to rule the earth together. God required the earth be ruled by man and his wife (Genesis 1:26-28). In the antitype Christ is the man and overcomers His wife.

God began preparing Adam and Eve -- make them ready (Revelation 19:7) -- to rule. Before completion, Satan interceded and enticed Eve to sin. Since Adam could not rule without Eve, Adam sinned also. (Genesis 3:1ff) Had Adam and Eve eaten of the tree of life, not the tree of good and evil, they would have received the wisdom and knowledge to rule and therefore be ruling the earth now. (Proverbs 3:13-18; Revelation 2:7).

God then began a restoration process for fallen man, exactly as He had for the earth, but man was not faithful [as Adam and Eve weren't], not even national Israel, who is God's wife. So God placed His Son on earth as the Living Word with the focus on Jewish repentance first and salvation of the Gentiles second (Romans 1:16; 2:5-16). The Jews refused the offer (Matthew 23:37; John 3:1-3) and God, following His Son’s resurrection, set them aside. (Matthew 21:43; 28:19; Acts 13:46; 18:6; 28:28)

Fifty days following His Son’s resurrection, God established "a new creation" at events surrounding Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff). Those at Pentecost, all saved, became "new men in Christ" [called / saved] and out of the called some will be chosen [called out of the called (saved)] to become Christ's wife. Christ's wife will rule and reign with Christ during the 1,000 year rest, the Millennial Kingdom, which is the same plan as for Adam and Eve before they fell. (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:15)

Jesus' works of shedding blood and dying for our sins, brought grace into play. To be spiritually saved by grace, one has only to believe and receive Jesus' works on the cross -- becoming "a new man in Christ." No works of man are required since Jesus' works on the cross satisfied God.

Believing and receiving Jesus' works places one in a position to enter and run the race for a future inheritance. The winners will receive that awaiting inheritance -- become Christ's wife to rule and reign as co-heirs with Christ in His Millennium Kingdom. (Philippians 3:13-14)

However, without a continuing impartation of spiritual truth flowing into one's saved spirit, one remains immature and fleshly [carnal], following the fleshly impulses of their soul. Therefore, one spiritually saved must be controlled by the Holy Spirit, not the soul, necessitating a moment-by-moment filling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must have His way relatively ungrieved in the life of the spiritually saved so he/she can fulfill his/her role in God's plan: Qualifying the spiritually saved [new man in Christ] for the awaiting inheritance -- salvation of the soul - leading to ruling and reigning with Christ. (Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:16; Galatians 2:20)

Those spiritually saved who through self seek to bring about this change will always affect outward change rather than inward change. At the time of the birth from above the Holy Spirit began a work that He will continue until the Judgment Seat. No works on the part of the spiritually saved can help the Holy Spirit effect this change.

When there are enough overcomers (qualified to rule) to replace Satan's angels, all Christians will be raptured to appear at the Judgment Seat.

At the Judgment Seat, the place all those spiritually saved appear, each is judged by the amount of 'righteous fruit' they have allowed the Holy Spirit to produce through them. Those with enough righteous fruit to please Christ will be "out resurrected" to rule and reign with Christ, as His wife, in His Kingdom. Those without enough righteous fruit will be sent to 'outer darkness' during the time of His Kingdom, one millennium, 1,000 years, before entering eternity.

Gold, silver, precious stones vs. wood, hay, straw. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

God will then bring about the Tribulation, causing Jewish repentance and restoration so that during the millennium all blessings to the nations will flow through Israel. Satan and his angels will have been put down and replaced by Christ and his wife, as planned for Adam and Eve before they fell.

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: God's Plan, Exceedingly Oversimplified.docx

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(Remember: Satan and his angels presently rule the earth, and will until Christ's Second Coming. See Satan, Great Enemy of Christian Life! and Redemption, Marriage, Regality related to this subject in this site.)

Reading Crowned Rulers —Christ, Christians, in this site, adds to the understanding of Why did God Create Man?.

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: God, Why did, create Man - God's Plan, Exceedingly Oversimplified 2-12-2016.docx

(Remember: Satan and his angels presently rule the earth, and will until Christ's Second Coming. See Satan, Great Enemy of Christian Life! and Redemption, Marriage, Regality in this site, also related to this subject.

Others are Bible One - Charles Strong's God’s Original and Ultimate Purpose for Man and Arlen Chitwood's Saved for a Purpose.

The following Word Documents add to the subject and are SAFE to open and print: Without Form and Void, Tohu Wavohu, by Arlen L. Chitwood.docx and Tree of Life, The, In Genesis, Proverbs, and Revelation, by Arlen Chitwood.docx.)

To website CONTENTS Page.

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Saul and David Type/Antitype:

The entire sequence of events depicting Saul and David typifies great spiritual truths concerning Satan and Christ.

Just as Saul was anointed king over Israel, Satan was anointed king over the earth.

Just as Saul rebelled against the Lord and was rejected, Satan rebelled against the Lord and was rejected.

Just as David was anointed king while Saul continued to reign, Christ was anointed King while Satan continued to reign.

Just as David did not immediately ascend the throne, Christ did not immediately ascend the throne.

Just as David eventually found himself in a place removed from the kingdom (out in the hills), Christ eventually found Himself in a place removed from the kingdom (heaven).

Just as David gathered certain faithful men to himself during this time (anticipating his future reign), Christ is presently gathering certain faithful men to Himself (anticipating His future reign).

Just as the day came when Saul was put down, the day will come when Satan will be put down.

Just as Saul’s crown was taken and given to David, Satan’s crown will be taken and given to Christ.

And just as David and his faithful followers then moved in and took over the government, Christ and His faithful followers will then move in and take over the government.

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The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: Saul and David — Satan and Christ by Arlen L. Chitwood.docx

(1 and 2 Samuel - See Crowned Rulers — Christ, Christians and Man and the Universe! in this site. Also Saul and David / Satan and Christ Typology.)

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Aside by Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

There is an existing universe which God not only brought into existence but one over which He also exercises absolute, sovereign control. And the Bible is God’s revelation to man concerning His actions in the preceding respect, especially as these actions relate to the earth and to man.

Man is a latecomer in the universe. He was created after God’s creation of the physical universe, after God’s creation of angels, and after God’s government of the universe had been established and was in full operation. Man’s existence dates back only six millenniums, and he was brought into existence for the specific purpose of replacing a disqualified provincial ruler in God’s kingdom, one who had been ruling for a prior unrevealed period of time.

Man was created to replace the ruler whom God had, in the beginning, placed over the earth (Ezekiel 28:14). This ruler, Satan, who, because of his rebellion against God’s supreme power and authority, disqualified himself (Isaiah 14:12-15). And man was subsequently brought on the scene to take the sceptre and, along with the woman, rule this one province in God’s kingdom in the stead of Satan and his angels (Genesis 1:26-28).

Thus, matters surrounding man’s subsequent fall and redemption both revolve around the reason for his creation — “…let them [the man and woman together] have dominion…”

Satan knew why man had been created, and he immediately set about to effect man’s disqualification (through disobedience), as he himself had been disqualified — an act which, if successfully accomplished (as it was), would allow Satan (though disqualified) to continue holding the sceptre (Genesis 3:1ff; cf. Luke 4:5-6).

And redemption, remaining within the same framework of thought, simply has to do with God providing a means whereby He could not only bring man back into a right relationship with Himself but also a means whereby He could ultimately bring man into a realization of the purpose for which he had been created (Genesis 3:15; cf. Hebrews 2:5).

This is the manner in which Scripture not only begins in the Book of Genesis but also concludes in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 22:1-5). And all intervening Scripture must be viewed and understood within this same framework.

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Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Most High Ruleth, Front Cover

(Also see in this site The Existing Kingdom, Past, Present, and Future, Purpose for the Present Dispensation, Crowned Rulers — Christ, Christians, Redemption, Marriage, Regality, Acts, Between the Gospels and the Epistles.)

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GLOSSARY OF SELECTED TERMS
From Bible One - Gary Whipple's Beyond the Rapture

(A couple of additions to definitions have been made, mostly addtions regarding soul salvation.)

A DAY WITH THE LORD IS AS A THOUSAND YEARS: A Prophetic time-scale of human history showing that one-day represents one-thousand years.

ABOVE WISDOM: Spiritual truths connected to the Second Coming of Christ and of His kingdom (also above knowledge, Gk. ‘epignosis’).

ADOPTION: Placing your own child as your son. To the Jewish family this occurred on their child’s thirteenth birthday. In the spiritual realm, it occurs immediately after the redemption of the body at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

A JUST RECOMPENCE OF REWARD: Receiving exactly what one deserves.

BLACKNESS OF DARKNESS: A place in the realm of Gehenna reserved for apostate believers for one thousand years.

BODY OF SIN AND DEATH: The body we live in this present life.

CALLED: Sprit Saved.

CHOSEN: Called (to soul salvation) out of the called (spirit saved).

CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN: Those believers of the church age who will experience the first resurrection (gain entrance into the kingdom).

CUT ASUNDER: Cut into two pieces (bisect).

DISINHERITED: A believer losing his reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

FEAR OF THE LORD: A reverential and spiritual exercise of fear by mature believers of the judgments that they could suffer at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY: All of the saved of the church age who will not enter the kingdom (those who will lose their reward).

GEHENNA: A region in the heart of the earth where the bodies of apostate believers will be destroyed for one thousand years.

GREAT SALVATION: Incorporates all salvations of man (spirit - soul - body) and includes the redemption of the earth and its creatures. It will last for one thousand years.

HOPE: Anticipation of reward at the coming of the Lord in His kingdom. Hope is not faith and makes no guarantees that the believer will gain a reward.

INHERITANCE: The reward received at the Judgment Seat of Christ for believers (soul salvation) who will rule and reign with Christ in His coming kingdom.

JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST: The judgment of all Christians immediately after the rapture of the church. This judgment will determine if a Christian will gain a reward (soul salvation), or suffer loss (spirit salvation only) for one thousand years.

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: A one thousand-year period of time in which Jesus Christ will rule over the earth.

KINGDOM OF THE FATHER: The eternal ages, which will begin at the close of the kingdom of heaven.

LAST TRUMP: The trumpet that sounds last (the furthest in time). It will sound at the second resurrection.

MEAT DOCTRINES: Biblical doctrines connected to the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom.

MILK DOCTRINES: Biblical doctrines connected to the first coming and the work on the cross.

MILLENNIUM: A period of one thousand years in which Christ rules and reigns over the earth.

SALVATION OF THE SPIRIT: A salvation that is a work completed in the past, with its finished results extending into the present time (Gr. present tense). This is the salvation that guarantees eternal life to all who trusts Jesus Christ as Savior.

STANDING GRACE: A continuous grace that is given to a believer who allows his life to be Christ-controlled.

THE FIRST GATE: An experiential entrance through faith into salvation (the salvation of the spirit).

THE SECOND GATE: An experiential entrance by faith into a life that is controlled by Christ (the beginning of the salvation of the soul).

THE THIRD GATE: A future literal entrance by works (works of the Holy Spirit through the believer) into the kingdom. To qualify to enter this gate, one must have had his SOUL saved.

THE WIDE ROAD AND BROAD WAY: The way of the world for a believer that will end in destruction (the loss of all reward).

THE THIRD HEAVEN: The abode of God above the physical universe and the present location of paradise.

THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH: The catching out of the church in secret in the air, at the coming of Christ. Both the dead in Christ and those who are alive will be raised.

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST: The public appearing of Christ when He returns to rule over the earth. This event will occur approximately seven years after the rapture of the church.

TRICHOTOMY OF MAN: Man is composed of three parts: body, soul, and spirit.

WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH: The anguish of a believer who loses his reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

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There can be no such thing as Christians holding to, proclaiming the Word, and, at the same time, being loved by the world. And the inverse of that would have to be equally true. The world would have no basis for hating Christians not holding to the Word, not proclaiming the Word.

Christians and the World
From We Are Almost There BOOK, Ch. 7
By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

THE BIBLICAL RELATIONSHIP OF CHRISTIANS TO THE WORLD

I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth. (John 17:14-17).

Christians live in a world governed and controlled by Satan and his angels. It is a world in which Satan and his angels continue a rule, which they have held since time immemorial, since a time preceding Satan’s fall, along with one-third of his original contingent of angels ruling in lesser positions of power under him. And this, in turn, would date back to the time following the creation of the heavens and the earth when God appointed and placed Satan and his angels in the positions of power that they, since that time, have occupied (cf. Ezekiel 28:14ff; Daniel 4:17ff; Romans 13:1).

Then, since man’s creation and fall 6,000 years ago — an individual created in God’s image, after His likeness, created to take the scepter in the stead of Satan and his angels (Genesis 1:26-28 [though the fall, requiring redemption, has delayed man from occupying this position]) — Satan and his angels, continuing to rule, have carried out this rule by and through fallen man, by and through rulers among the nations (Daniel 10:12-20).

And since the bringing into existence of the nation of Israel over two millennia following man’s creation (descendants of Jacob, a special creation, separate from the nations), the rule of Satan and his angels through fallen man has been restricted to the Gentile nations. Israel’s ruling angel is Michael, with undoubtedly a large contingent of angels ruling under him. And Michael, with his angels, is not part of Satan’s kingdom (Daniel 10:21).

(Ref. the author’s book, The Most High Ruleth BOOK, in this site, for a more complete, overall picture of the preceding.)

A World That Hates Christians

The preceding, according to John 17:14, describes a world that hates Christians, for a revealed reason — a world presently governed and controlled by Satan and his angels.

Something though is evidently wrong in today’s world, for there is no presently existing hatred between the world and Christians. The world and Christians appear to get along with one another just fine. The conflict described in Scripture, for all practical purposes, simply doesn’t exist in today’s world.

So, what is this all about?

The answer is simple. All a person has to do is read the first part of John 17:14, then take a look at Christendom in the world today. And doing so, that person can know, solely from a Scriptural standpoint, what is wrong. He can know, solely from a Scriptural standpoint, why Christians are not hated by the world today.

Note the verse again:

I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them . . . .(John 17:14)

The world either hates or does not hate Christians, the world either gets along with or does not get along with Christians, on one basis alone — the Word. Christians holding to the Word, proclaiming the Word, will not find the world to be their friend. On the other hand, Christians not holding to the Word, not proclaiming the Word, will have no problem with the world. The two can walk hand-in-hand.

Stated another way, there can be no such thing as Christians holding to, proclaiming the Word, and, at the same time, being loved by the world. And the inverse of that would have to be equally true. The world would have no basis for hating Christians not holding to the Word, not proclaiming the Word.

The base for the entire matter is singular. It’s the Word, the Word, the Word, nothing else. It’s not aids to devotions, it’s not so-called Christian music, it’s not anything connected with any type of so-called Christian activity. Rather, it’s the WORD, with that being the end of the matter.

Why?

The “why” of the world’s hatred for Christians holding to and proclaiming the Word is very simple. Satan could only have an extreme hatred for what the Word reveals about where matters are headed. Satan is “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), he and his angels rule through and control the nations, and the nations could only follow suit concerning what the Word has to say about that which the future holds for Satan, his angels, and unsaved man under his control and sway.

But, if the Word is removed, then nothing is left. Apart from the Word, there would be no basis for an existing enmity between the world and Christians.

Again, it’s the Word, the Word, the Word, nothing else.

So, What Has Happened?

The Church and the world find themselves today at the very end of a 2,000-year dispensation in which God has been dealing with the new creation “in Christ.” Israel was set aside for a dispensation, a new creation was called into existence, and the Spirit of God has been performing a special and particular work throughout the dispensation. He has been calling out a bride for God’s Son, who will reign as consort queen with Him — co-heir over all things — following Satan and his angels being put down.

Satan and his angels know these things, which form the heart of the message to be proclaimed by and heard in the churches of the land today. But how many Christians know anything about or have ever even heard these things proclaimed?

The answer to that question will explain the “why” of the problem presently existing throughout Christendom.

1) In Christendom

In the chronology of Church history, as depicted in the first four parables of Matthew 13, or in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2; 3 (the only two places in the New Testament where this complete history is revealed), the Church at the end of the dispensation is seen in two descriptive ways:

a) As completely leavened (Matthew 13:33)
b) As wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17b).

In the latter, the Church has been deceived into believing that it is “rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17a). Yet, the state of the completely leavened Church at the end of the dispensation is seen by God in a completely opposite respect.

Why is this the case? The answer, part and parcel with the working of the leaven, is very simple. The Church has progressively strayed from the pure, unadulterated proclamation of the Word (John 16:9-11), the Church has progressively gone the way of the world, and the world has won the Church over.

Accordingly, the world has disarmed the Church, stripping the Church naked of the armor that God has provided (Ephesians 6:11-17 [again, note the end result of this “naked” condition in Revelation 3:17b]).

If a person doesn’t believe that this is the case, all he has to do is open his eyes and look around. There is no hatred between the world and the Church; and it is difficult to know whether we have a worldly Church or a Churchly world — probably both. Equally difficult is to know where one begins and the other ends in the world today.

2) In the World

The world though, by disarming the Church, has sealed its own fate. In a respect, the nations comprising the world, by and through disarming the Church, have committed genocide.

The Church, possessing the Word, believing and proclaiming this Word, is in possession of a restraining power for all that exists among the nations. But a disarmed Church, having ignored the Word, is another matter entirely. Note how such a Church is aptly described in Matthew 5:13-16.

The Church, in this passage, can be seen as the “salt of the earth” which “loses its flavor” and is now “good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” The Church can be seen as the “light of the world,” though now “put under a basket.” And, occupying this position, there is no longer a shining light that can glorify the “Father in heaven.”

The restraining power of such a Church is gone. And apart from this restraining power, there is nothing withholding “the god of this age” from taking the nations under his control and sway to heretofore unseen depths of degradation — e.g., homosexuality and same-sex marriage running rampant, uprisings in nations worldwide, etc.

The Church has allowed this to occur on the one hand; and the world, under Satan, has brought it to pass on the other. And the end result will be far from anything that anyone might desire.

3) The End of the Matter

The principle pertaining to all of that which exists is seen in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. This passage, dealing with an already working “mystery of lawlessness,” has to do with things that will occur, yet future, after an existing restraining power has been removed.

Once this restraining power has been removed, the man of sin (the Antichrist) is going to be revealed, one whose coming is after the “working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.” This man, seated on Satan’s throne, will take the nations of the earth, including Israel, to the very brink of complete destruction (Matthew 24:22; Revelation 13:2).

And, leading into this man’s rise, paving the way for him to put the finishing touches on all that is seen happening in the world today, is the worldly Church no longer holding to or proclaiming the Word, opening the door for the world under Satan and his angels to become fully engaged in the madness seen all around us.

The world, spiritually speaking, is dead; and the Church, the only means through which the world could possibly find life, for all practical purposes, has become like the world. And the same fate awaits both (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).

Note from the preceding two verses that it is possible for Christians who do not judge themselves during the present time to one day be judged by the Lord after a fashion that they will be “condemned with the world.” For the Christian, this would have to do with his calling, with millennial verities in view; but for the world, without life or a calling, this could only have to do with eternal verities.

And that brings matters back to the existing problem. The Church, by forsaking the Word (progressively brought about by the working of the leaven), has allowed a friendship with the world to ensue (cf. James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17), sealing its own fate in one respect; and the world, having disarmed the Church, has sealed its own fate in another respect.

How much worse will it become on both fronts before the Lord steps in and removes the Church? Only time will tell. But when the Church is removed, and the existing flicker of light, though under a bushel, is gone — with nothing but darkness and death remaining — things will begin tumbling completely out of control.

And you don’t want to be here, but you will be if unsaved; and you don’t want to be among Christians at Christ’s judgment seat, “condemned with the world,” but you will be if . . .

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We Are Almost There BOOK, Ch. 7, in this site.

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Fate of Non-Overcomers in Outer Darkness
Excerpt from The Time of the End, Ch. 36, The Eternal Ages
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

To what extent, if any, will rewards realized by overcoming Christians during the Millennium carry over into the eternal ages beyond? The question is really unanswerable.

The wiping away of all tears at the conclusion of the Millennium (Revelation 21:4) and the fact that the overcomer’s promises are millennial only in nature would clearly indicate that distinctions that existed during the millennial age between overcoming and non-overcoming Christians will not exist during the eternal ages beyond the Millennium. But, to take matters beyond this point and say that no rewards exercised by overcoming Christians during the millennial age will extend over into the eternal ages following the Millennium (or have any bearing on the place which they will occupy following the Millennium) would be carrying matters beyond Scriptural grounds. Scripture simply does not deal with the matter.

(Scripture re Outer Darkness: Mathew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30, and Overcomer: 1 John 5:4-5, Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7.)

And the position that man (all of saved mankind) will occupy in this universal rule is unrevealed, though, as previously seen, it appears clear that man’s rule in that day will be universal since power will emanate from “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Possibly this rule will have to do with, or include, positions under God over provincial rulers (angels) in the multiplied billions of provinces scattered throughout the multiplied billions of galaxies comprising the physical universe. But, again, we’re not told. This is something yet to be revealed.

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The Eternal Ages in this site.

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(Ref. Cast Outside into Outer Darkness in this site.)

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Note that millennial verities, not eternal, are in view throughout Revelation 20:4-6. The passage is dealing with two types of saved individuals coming out of the Tribulation, just as Revelation 2:11 is dealing with two types of Christians removed from the earth before the Tribulation. And in relation to both groups, judgment pertains to individuals either overcoming or being overcome, the second death either not having or having power over them, and the entire matter is with a view to these individuals either ruling and reigning or not ruling and reigning with Christ for 1,000 years. Matters pertaining to eternal salvation are simply not dealt with in either passage.

Judgment, Two Resurrections (One Before and One After Millennium)
Excerpt from The Time of the End, Ch. 33, The Millennial Reign
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Revelation 20:4-6 deals with individuals executing judgment from thrones, and with two resurrections. As will be shown, executing judgment from thrones in this text is synonymous with reigning from thrones; and the two resurrections are inseparably related and occur at two different times, 1,000 years apart. And it is clearly revealed from the context that this judgment and one of the two related resurrections are events that have to do with the 1,000 years, also spoken of in these verses.

Judgment from Thrones

“Judgment” is sometimes used in a synonymous sense to reign. For example, in Matthew 19:27-28, note Peter’s statement and question, along with Christ’s response to not only Peter but to all twelve disciples:

Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:27-28)

During the Millennium, the twelve disciples will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (which can only be viewed as extensions of Christ’s throne, with the power emanating from His throne [Revelation 3:21]). And, in this respect, the Millennium can be viewed as 1,000 years of judging, with Christ and His co-heirs ruling the nations with a rod of iron (cf. Psalm 2:6-9; Revelation 2:26-27).

But who are those seated on thrones in Revelation 20:4, to whom regal power and authority will have been given at this time? Those allowed to ascend these thrones are referred to only as “they,” and there is seemingly no antecedent to the pronoun to tell us who is being referenced.

Pronouns, such as “they” in this verse, are used in the place of preceding, identifying substantives. And a pronoun, used in this manner, could not stand alone in Scripture. There would have to be an antecedent, for Scripture has not been structured in a manner where man is left to his own interpretation, which the absence of an antecedent would necessitate. God has simply not put His Word together in this manner.

The verse goes on to tell the reader who is being referenced by “they.” It is the Tribulation martyrs in the latter part of the verse, seen back in the latter part of Revelation 7:9-17, also briefly referred to in chapters twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen (Revelation 12:11; 13:15; 14:12-13; 15:2-4). And, in relation to the antecedent of the pronoun being that far removed from those being referenced, bear a couple of things in mind.

Those having previously been slain (referred to by “they,” and identified in the remainder of the verse) had been slain throughout the time covering the latter part of the Tribulation, throughout the past three and one-half years. Thus, in relation to time, events in Revelation 20:4 occur very shortly after the conclusion of time covering the Tribulation saints being martyred.

Then, something else should be considered. With God, both the past and the future exist during present time. Thus, with God, the antecedent of a pronoun could only be something existing during the same present time seen in the pronoun, not something removed from the pronoun by time. Note Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 in this respect:

I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever: nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.
That which is has already been [the past seen as present], and what is to be has already been [the future seen as past, which makes it present as well]; and God requires an account of what is past [lit., “and God seeks that which has been pursued” (which again makes it present)]. (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15)

Thus, the identity of those occupying thrones in Revelation 20:4, to whom “judgment” will be given, is easily determined. The complete text, along with the context, makes this quite clear.

Two Resurrections

Revelation 20:4-6 deals with two resurrections, one occurring before the Millennium and the other occurring after the Millennium. And, as will be shown, the thought of bodily resurrection is not what is in view by the use of the Greek word anastasis, translated “resurrection” in Revelation 20:5-6.

(The word anastasis appears forty-three times in the Greek New Testament. And, as in Revelation 20:5-6 [which is the only place this word appears in the book of Revelation], it is the word translated “resurrection” in different places throughout the New Testament.
Anastasis is a compound word formed by prefixing a preposition [ana, meaning “up”] to stasis [meaning, “to stand”]. Thus, the word anastasis means “to stand up,” with the thought behind the English word “resurrection” having to do with the impartation of life, allowing the dead to stand up. And, when used in the sense of being raised from the dead in the New Testament, the word applies only to the body, to the material part of man [for that is the only part of man that dies today]. The body stands up, with the thought of life understood within the meaning of the word anastasis itself.)

Anastasis is used three different ways in the Greek New Testament.

1) The word is used referring to the resurrection of the body. With only several exceptions (cf. Hebrews11:35), this is the way that the word is used throughout the New Testament.
2) The word is used in Luke 2:34, translated “rising,” referring to a spiritual deliverance of the Jewish people.
3) The word is used in Philippians 3:11, translated “resurrection,” but with an additional preposition (ek meaning out of,” not seen in most English translations) prefixed to the word (forming exanastasis [in Greek, the letter ‘k’ becomes ‘x’ when prefixed to a word beginning with a vowel]).

Philippians 3:11 is the only place in the New Testament where anastasis appears with the preposition ek prefixed to the word, making the word to literally mean “to stand up out of.” And, contextually, the word has nothing to do with bodily resurrection in this text. Rather, the word has to do with one group of individuals standing up out of another group of individuals, with the context clearly relating the matter to that which awaits both faithful and unfaithful Christians at the judgment seat. One group (the faithful, the overcomers) will stand up out of the other group (the unfaithful, the non-overcomers).

(Anistemi, the verb form of anastasis [formed from ana (“up”) and histemi (“to stand”), which can only carry the same meaning as anastasis] is used one hundred eleven times in the Greek New Testament. And, unlike anastasis, the word anistemi refers to bodily resurrection only about thirty of these times. In most instances the word does not refer to the dead at all but to living individuals rising up in both literal and non-literal senses [e.g., Matthew 9:9; 12:41; 17:9; 20:19; 22:24; 26:62].)

As will be shown, textually and contextually, one group of Christians standing up out of another group of Christians in Philippians 3:11 is exactly what is in view in Revelation 20:4-6 relative to one group of Tribulation saints standing up, with the remainder of the Tribulation saints not being allowed to stand up at this time, though they will be allowed to stand up at a later time (after the 1,000 years).

Bodily resurrection is in view in these verses only in the sense that it is understood to have occurred prior to the exercise of judgmental rule in verse four — the same as that which is seen in the judgment of the unsaved at the end of the Millennium in subsequent verses (Revelation 20:11-15), where no mention of bodily resurrection is made either, though it would be understood to have occurred prior to judgment.

Neither the judgmental rule of the Tribulation martyrs nor the judgment of the unsaved dead (Revelation 20:4, 11-15) can occur apart from a resurrection of the bodies of those in view. Individuals simply will not rule or be judged apart from the complete person being present, which necessitates a resurrection of the body (Daniel 12:2-3; John 5:29; cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 1:10-20).

In this respect, the word “lived” in Revelation 20:4-5 is not a synonym for bodily resurrection, as it is often understood, for “lived” in these verses occurs subsequent to resurrection and judgment. Contextually, the word has to do with living and reigning with Christ during the 1,000 years.

Also, note John 5:29:

and come forth [all in the graves] — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

The word “resurrection” in this verse is used in connection with both “life” and “condemnation [lit., ‘judgment’].” It is evident that neither word (life, judgment) refers to or has to do with bodily resurrection. Life and judgment are opposite counterparts, and both must be seen having to do with the same thing — both having to do with Christ’s reign, not with the resurrection of the body (for that would necessitate seeing “judgment” associated with life).

The word “lived” in Revelation 20:4-5 would be separated from a resurrection of the body in this same sense, which is the sense seen through Christ’s words in John 11:25 — “I am the resurrection and the life” (cf. Acts 2:24). The manner in which this is worded in the Greek text, “resurrection” and “life” are not synonymous, though “life” has to be involved in resurrection (pertaining only to the body). But life in connection with the physical body is not the thought by and through the subsequent use of the word “life,” for this word (Greek: zoe, used one hundred thirty-four times in the New Testament) is not only used in a separate sense from “resurrection” but is used throughout the New Testament pertaining more to the whole man, not just the body.

The word “lived” is not only associated with Christ’s reign in Revelation 20:4 but is referred to as “the first resurrection” in Revelation 20:5. That is, it is referred to as one group of previously judged individuals standing up in relation to Christ’s rule and reign, with another group of previously judged individuals not being allowed to stand up at this time, being denied a part in Christ’s rule and reign.

A second standing up — those not being allowed to stand up before the Millennium, “the rest of the dead” — non-overcomers -- is clearly stated in Revelation 20:5. And this standing up will occur only after the Millennium.

The word “again” (KJV, NKJV) in verse five should not be in the translation. That is, the verse should read:

But the rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:5)

(The word “again” appears in a couple of Greek texts, including the Textus Receptus, the main Greek text used for the KJV, which accounts for the KJV translation. However, the vast majority of Greek manuscripts do not have the word “again” in this verse. And, resultantly, almost any English translation since the 1901 ASV does not include the word.
Beyond the preceding, contextually, it is evident that the word does not belong in the text. If in the text, the words “lived” and “resurrection” would have to be viewed as synonyms and relate to bodily resurrection, for living bodily would be something that the individuals in view would do again. But this is not the case in the text. These individuals had never lived in the sense seen here. But they will live in this sense after the 1,000 years.
Saved individuals not living and reigning until following the 1,000 years is dealt with in the concluding chapter of this book, The Time of the End BOOK, The Eternal Ages in this site.)

Then, further textual evidence that “lived” is not synonymous with bodily resurrection in these verses can be seen in a mention of “the second death” not having power over those who live and reign with Christ, though there is a clear inference that it will have power over those not living and reigning with Christ [non-overcomers].

The phrase “the second death” was previously seen in the book of Revelation in connection with Christians overcoming or being overcome in the message to the church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:11). The promise given to this church was that overcoming Christians would “not be hurt by the second death.” But, the clear inference in the promise to overcoming Christians was that non-overcoming Christians would be hurt by the second death.

And exactly the same thing is seen in Revelation 20:4-6 relative to Tribulation saints and “the second death.” Tribulation saints who had died, been raised from the dead, and judged are in view. Those overcoming Christians (as seen in Revelation 20:4-6) will be the ones standing up, with “the second death” having no power over them. And exactly the opposite will be true for those Christians not overcoming in this manner. They will not be allowed to stand up (in a regal respect) until after the 1,000 years, and it is clearly inferred that “the second death” will have power over them (cf. Romans 8:13).

(Note that millennial verities, not eternal, are in view throughout Revelation 20:4-6. The passage is dealing with two types of saved individuals coming out of the Tribulation, just as Revelation 2:11 is dealing with two types of Christians removed from the earth before the Tribulation. And in relation to both groups, judgment pertains to individuals either overcoming or being overcome, the second death either not having or having power over them, and the entire matter is with a view to these individuals either ruling and reigning or not ruling and reigning with Christ for 1,000 years. Matters pertaining to eternal salvation are simply not dealt with in either passage.
For additional information on “the second death” in the previous respect, refer to The Time of the End BOOK, Appendix 4 - The Second Death in this site.)

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The Time of the End BOOK, The Millennial Reign in this site.

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: Judgment, Two Resurrections by Arlen L. Chitwood.docx

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The Son is today seated at His Father’s right hand, and He is waiting for His Father to bring matters to pass in such a manner that His enemies will be made His footstool, i.e., His enemies will be brought into complete subjection to the Son. And when this has been brought to pass, God’s Son will then rule in the midst of His enemies. He, in that day, will realize the position that He presently occupies as His Father’s “appointed Heir of all things” as He realizes “the joy” placed before Him at Calvary — both referring to the same thing.

So Great Salvation BOOK
The Greatest Thing God Could Offer Redeemed Man
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

CONTENTS

Foreword & Rear Cover

Ch. 1 Heirs of Salvation

Ch. 2 Because of the Angels

Ch. 3 God Has Spoken

Ch. 4 Which at the First

Ch. 5 The World to Come

Foreword

The writer of Hebrews began his epistle by very briefly calling attention to how God had spoken to His people both “in time past” and “in these last days.”

In “time past,” God spoke to the Jewish people by means of the Prophets; and in “these last days” God has spoken to the Jewish people, and then to Christians, by means of His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2a).

Whether “in time past” or “in these last days,” the SAME unchangeable Word, with the SAME unchangeable message, is in view. The message has to do with God’s “appointed Heir of all things” awaiting that day when He will come into possession of His inheritance (Hebrews 1:2b).

The writer takes up this message in the epistle by showing the proper connection between Christ’s finished work at Calvary and His God-appointed position as “Heir of all things”:

. . . when he had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3b)

And EXACTLY the same thing seen in this verse (in conjunction with Hebrews 1:1-2) is seen again in the opening part of Hebrews 12:

. . . for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2b)

Both verses have to do with Christ suffering the ignominy and shame of Calvary, with a view to the glory and exaltation that lay ahead. And both verses call attention to that which would follow Christ’s sufferings by referring to that which is seen in Psalm 110.

This Psalm, a Messianic Psalm — in the latter part of verse one, along with verse two — carries the reader forward into that coming day.

Note these two verses:

The LORD said to my Lord [i.e., the Father said to His Son], “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! (Psalm 110:1-2)

And when this has been brought to pass, God’s Son will then rule in the midst of His enemies. He, in that day, will realize the position that He presently occupies as His Father’s “appointed Heir of all things” as He realizes “the joy” placed before Him at Calvary — both referring to the same thing.

In that day, the SAME scenes that witnessed His sufferings and humiliation will witness His glory and exaltation.

This is the manner in which the book of Hebrews opens in the first three verses. Then, “angels” are brought into the picture (Hebrews 1:4-7), contextually, for several reasons:

1) Angelic rule over the earth is about to end (Hebrews 2:5).
2) Angels minister during the present time for those about to inherit with the Son (Hebrews 1:14; cf. Hebrews 1:9; 3:14).
3) Angels will minister rather than rule in that coming day, in Christ’s kingdom (Hebrews 1:6-7).

And, in conjunction with angels being brought into the picture, the writer records seven Messianic passages from the Old Testament, concluding at the same place where he had ended before beginning these quotations — with that stated in Psalm 110:1 (Hebrews 1:3-13 [3b]).

This, in brief form, is what the first chapter of Hebrews is about, relating, at the outset, the subject matter of the book.

The book has to do with the coming reign of Christ, with His co-heirs (introduced, as well, in the first Hebrews 1:9, 14]); and the five major warnings in the book, accordingly, have to do with this same thing.

“So great salvation,” seen in the first of these five warnings, is the SAME salvation, deliverance, seen throughout ALL of the warnings.

It is realizing the greatest thing God could ever design for redeemed man, — occupying A POSITION AS CO-HEIR with His Son in the coming kingdom.

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Rear Cover

“So great salvation” in Hebrews 2:3 is NOT the salvation which we presently possess. Rather it is a FUTURE salvation, and it is clearly set forth in this manner in the immediately preceding context, in the text itself, and in the context which immediately follows.

The immediately preceding context (Hebrews 1:1-14) has to do with Christ exercising the rights of the firstborn during the coming Messianic Era and with Christians exercising these same rights as companions, coheirs with Him. It has to do with that time when God will again bring His firstborn Son (the One Who is to exercise the rights of primogeniture), the “heir of all things,” into the inhabited world (Hebrews 1:2, 5-6); and it has to do with those redeemed individuals who are to appear as His companions, inheriting with him in that day (Hebrews 1:9, 14).

The text itself (Hebrews 2:1-4) begins by referring back to material in chapter one (Hebrews 2:1a), and the text, which comprises the first of five major warning to Christians in this book — “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation…?” — has its basis entirely in this introductory material.

The salvation in Hebrews 2:3 is the SAME as the salvation in verse fourteen of the introductory material. That is, coming into possession of “so great salvation” (Hebrews 2:3) is the same as inheriting “salvation” (Hebrews 1:14); and inheriting salvation (or realizing “so great salvation”) is the same as realizing the rights of the firstborn, inheriting as companions with Christ (God’s Firstborn, His “appointed heir of all things” [Hebrews 1:2, 5-6, 9]).

Then the context which immediately follows (Hebrews 2:5ff) has to do with a rule in the inhabited world to come (Hebrews 2:5), when many sons will be brought unto glory to realize the rights of the firstborn with God’s firstborn Son, Jesus (Hebrews 2:10).

In short, it has to do with man, after 6,000 years, finally being brought into the position which he was created to occupy in the beginning. Christ, “the second man,” “the last Adam,” will take the kingdom and ascend the throne, along with numerous companions from among those whom He has redeemed.

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Chapter One

Heirs of Salvation

A FUTURE INTERITANCE AWAITING CHRISTIANS

But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:13-14).

The writer of Hebrews opens his epistle after a similar fashion to the way Christ, following His resurrection, opened His conversation and dealt with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and the eleven later in Jerusalem.

Christ, on the road to Emmaus and later in Jerusalem, called His disciples’ attention to certain things about Himself (His past sufferings, the reality of His resurrection in a literal, physical body of “flesh and bones,” and His future glory); and He then opened their understanding to these things concerning Himself by reference to the Old Testament Scriptures (Luke 24:25-27, 39, 44-45).

The writer of Hebrews, after calling attention to certain things about Christ — His appointed position as “Heir of all things,” His finished work on Calvary, and His present position at God’s right hand (Hebrews 1:2-4) — then does the same thing that Christ had previously done — moves FROM past sufferings and present conditions TO future glory.

Using the Old Testament Scriptures, the writer of Hebrews, after calling attention to things past and present about Christ, then moves on to the GOAL toward which everything moves, Christ’s coming glory.

And to accomplish this purpose, he quotes from seven different Old Testament passages (Hebrews 1:5-13).

In Luke’s account of Christ revealing Himself to His disciples, we’re not told which Old Testament Scriptures He called to their attention. We’re only told that He began at “Moses and all the Prophets” and “expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27, 44-45).

These Scriptures though would, of necessity, have had to include BOTH Christ’s past sufferings and future glory (Luke 24:26).

Even though Christ, the One destined to rule and reign, had previously taught His disciples things concerning His rejection and sufferings (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:1-2), they still failed to grasp the overall picture and see both the sufferings and the glory in their proper perspective.

Thus, Christ’s revelation of Himself to His disciples through the Old Testament Scriptures would have had to include passages concerning both. And He could have drawn such dual teachings from Old Testament Scriptures such as those surrounding the life of Joseph in Genesis or those surrounding the life of Moses in Exodus, along with numerous other passages.

Though the writer of Hebrews approaches the matter after a similar fashion to that which is seen in the gospel of Luke, there is a marked difference. The writer of this epistle begins by referring to Christ as the appointed “Heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2) prior to recording anything about His past sufferings or His present position at God’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3).

And he then reflects back upon Christ’s heirship that he had mentioned FIRST by focusing his readers’ attention ONLY upon Old Testament Scriptures that have to do with THAT day when Christ will come into possession of this inheritance (Hebrews 1:2, 5-13).

Thus, though there is a reference to Christ’s past sufferings in the first chapter of Hebrews, this is NOT what is mentioned first, and this is NOT what the chapter is about.

This chapter begins with and centers upon teachings surrounding the coming glory of Christ, and this is accomplished mainly through reference to the Old Testament Scriptures.

SEVEN QUOTATIONS

The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6)

Introducing the subject matter in Hebrews by using different quotations from the Old Testament is strictly by divine design. There are “seven quotations” having to do with Christ in His coming glory.

“Seven” is a number that refers to the completion of that which is in view; and these seven quotations present a complete, composite Messianic portrait of Christ, setting the stage for that which follows, covering the remainder of this book.

Hebrews is built around five major warnings; and to properly understand these warnings and related passages, a person MUST understand the opening verses of the book in their correct perspective, for these verses CAN ONLY be looked upon as forming an introductory key to the remainder of this book.

The last of the seven quotations (Hebrews 1:13) leads directly into the introductory verse (Hebrews 1:14) for the first of the five major warnings (Hebrews 2:1-4).

And, contextually, it would NOT be sound exegesis at all for one to attempt to understand this warning apart from the Old Testament quotations that precede the warning; NOR, in a larger context, would it be sound exegesis for one to attempt to understand the remaining four warnings and other related subject matter in the book apart from these introductory verses and the first warning.

For this reason, the remainder of this study will be taken up with two things:

• Showing the Messianic nature of the seven quotations in Hebrews 1.
• Showing how these quotations logically lead into the first of the five warnings in the book, and thus the book at large.

1) Sonship, Heirship, Rulership

The first two quotations in Hebrews 1 center on Christ’s Sonship, with the preceding mention of heirship (Hebrews 1:2-4) forming the basis for these two introductory statements:

For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? (Hebrews 1:5; cf. Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14)

Christ is the “appointed Heir,” the Son who, by inheritance, has “obtained a more excellent name” than angels (Hebrews 1:2, 4). “Sonship” implies rulership, and, as God’s Son, Christ is the One destined to exercise the rights of primogeniture and rule the earth with “a rod of iron” (cf. Psalm 2:7, 9).

Though angels are “sons of God” (because of their individual creation), God has NOT spoken after the fashion revealed in Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14 relative to angels. He has spoken after this fashion relative to His Son, Jesus, alone (Hebrews 1:5ff).

The Messianic nature of these two quotations cannot be questioned, for both appear in Messianic settings in the Old Testament.

Verses on either side of Psalm 2:7 have to do with Christ during the Messianic Era. Psalm 2:6 states,

Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.

And Psalm 2:8-9 state,

Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations [Gentiles] for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel. (cf. Revelation 2:26-27)

The quotation from 2 Samuel 7:14 was spoken in a dual sense. It was spoken in a near sense concerning David’s immediate successor, his son, Solomon, and in a far sense concerning David’s greater successor, his greater Son, Christ.

And the Father-Son relationship relative to the kingdom and the throne are in view in both instances (2 Samuel 7:12-14a, 16). The greater Son is the One to whom God will give “the sure mercies of David [lit., ‘the holy things of David’]” (Acts 13:34b; cf. Acts 7:33).

Note different things about the seven quotations from the Old Testament in the first chapter:

a) Introduced with Messianic statements (Hebrews 1:2-4).
b) Begin with Messianic verses (Hebrews 1:5).
c) Continue with Messianic verses (Hebrews 1:6-13).
d) Lead into that which can only be Messianic in its fulfillment (Hebrews 1:14ff).

2) Return of God’s Firstborn Son

The third quotation refers to that future time when “the firstborn [KJV: firstbegotten] will again be brought into the inhabited world (Hebrews 1:6a), continuing the thought of Sonship and the rights of primogeniture from the previous verse:

“And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world [lit., ‘And when He shall again bring the firstborn into the inhabited world’] he saith, ‘And let all the angels of God worship him’” (Hebrews 1:6; Deuteronomy 32:43 LXX; Psalm 97:7).

A distinction is here made between Jesus and angels insofar as Both being “Sons” but only One possessing the “rights of primogeniture” is concerned. The rights of the firstborn (Greek: prototokia) are reserved for firstborn (Greek: prototokos) sons. The two Greek words are closely related, referring to two inseparable things — position, and rights within that position. And no angel can come within the scope of either one. That is, no angel is a firstborn son, in line to inherit the rights of the firstborn.

Rather, at this time, the angels of God will worship the Son (Hebrews 1:6b). Sons of God will worship God’s firstborn Son after He comes into possession of the rights of the firstborn; and since only God is to be worshipped (cf. Matthew 4:10; Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9), the One whom angels will worship at this time must Himself be God. And this is a fact specifically stated in a later Old Testament quotation in Hebrews, chapter one where the Father says to the Son, “Your throne, O God . . . .” (Hebrews 1:8).

3) “And of the Angels”

The fourth quotation continues the thought of angelic ministry, and contextually this angelic ministry must be looked upon as a ministry surrounding the Son during the Messianic Era:

And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” (Hebrews 1:7; cf. Psalm 104:4)

Psalm 104, from which this quotation is taken, reveals a number of things about the Creator and His creation (the earth, angels, and man). Thoughts in this Psalm move all the way from the creation of the earth in the beginning (Psalm 104:5) to the coming Messianic Era (Psalm 104:31, 35). Angelic ministry, thus, within this Psalm, could refer to a ministry occurring in the past, the present, or the future.

In passages such as Luke 2:9, 13 (referring to angelic ministry surrounding Christ’s birth), such a ministry is past; in Hebrews 1:14 (referring to angelic ministry surrounding Christians in the world today), such a ministry is present; but in Hebrews 1:7 (referring to angelic ministry surrounding Christ in His kingdom), such a ministry is future.

4) “But to the Son”

The fifth quotation refers to the Lord with His co-heirs seated upon His throne, holding the scepter, during the coming day of His power:

But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions [KJV: fellows].” (Hebrews 1:8-9; cf. Psalm 45:6-7)

The duration of time in which the Son rules (the time during which He sits on the throne and holds the scepter) is said to be “forever and ever [throughout the endless ages, eternal in duration].”

Christ will sit on His own throne in the new Jerusalem above the earth during the Millennium and, with His “companions [co-heirs],” rule the earth for 1,000 years. But during the eternal ages beyond the Millennium, Christ will sit alongside His Father on “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1; 3), which will be in the new Jerusalem on the new earth. Universal rule will emanate from this throne, Christ’s “companions” will continue to rule with Him, and in this sense Christ’s rule with His saints can be said to last “forever and ever” (cf. Revelation 11:15; 22:5).

5) The Same, Yesterday, Today, and Forever

The sixth quotation refers to the eternity of Christ within both a historic and prophetic setting:

And: “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.” (Hebrews 1:10-12; cf. Psalm 102:25-27)

These three verses appear near the end of Psalm 102 and, in this Psalm, are addressed to God (as were the words in the previous quotation from Psalm 45:6-7). However, the writer of Hebrews, being “moved by the Holy Spirit [the One who originally moved the Psalmist to pen these words],” applies these verses also to the Son.

There is no stronger language in the New Testament concerning the deity of Christ than the first chapter of Hebrews. It was the blood of God that was shed on Calvary (Acts 20:28), and God (“Your throne, O God . . . .”), in the person of His Son (or, as in Hebrews 1:2, “in Son [literal rendering]”), is the One who will rule the earth during the coming age.

He was present and co-equal with the Father in the beginning. “All things” were brought into existence through Him (John 1:1-3). “All things were created by [‘through’] Him, and for him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [i.e., He upholds ‘all things by the Word of His power’ (Hebrews 1:3)]” (Colossians 1:16-17).

Hebrews 1:10-12, quoting Psalm 102:25-27 (which appears in a Messianic setting in the Psalms [cf. Psalm 102:16, 21-22] and is quoted in a Messianic setting in Hebrews), presents Christ as both The Creator at the time the heavens and earth were brought into existence and The Destroyer at the time the same heavens and earth will pass out of existence (cf. Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 65:17; John 1:3; 2 Peter 3:10-12). And though change occurs in the creation, the Creator remains unchanged, for He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

6) “Sit at My right hand, till . . . .”

The seventh quotation, as the first quotation, is preceded by a reference to angels once again:

But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? (Hebrews 1:13; cf. Psalm 110:1)

The writer of Hebrews terminates his seven quotations from the Old Testament at the same point that the apostle John terminates his seven overcomer’s promises in Revelation chapters two and three (Revelation 2; 3). Both the Father’s and the Son’s thrones are in view in both instances.

In Hebrews, the Son has been invited to sit alongside His Father, on His Father’s throne, until His enemies are made His footstool. Then He will sit on His own throne. In the book of Revelation, in the last of the overcomer’s promises, reference is also made to the Son being seated on the throne with His Father; and the promise is given to overcoming Christians that they will one day be allowed to sit with Him on His own throne (Revelation 3:21).

Thus, the introductory verses in Hebrews, presenting a complete, composite Messianic portrait of Christ, terminate with a view to Christ ascending the throne and holding the scepter, fulfilling these verses. And this logically leads into the same subject matter that the apostle John in Revelation chapters two and three (Revelation 2; 3) deals with — others (companions, overcomers) ascending the throne and occupying positions as co-heirs with Christ in that coming day.

The five major warnings in the book of Hebrews and the seven overcomer’s promises in the book of Revelation, in this respect, have to do with the same thing. They are both Messianic in their outlook and are directed to the saved, not the unsaved. They both have to do, not with the salvation which we presently possess, but with the salvation of the soul. It is the overcomer (Revelation 2; 3) who will realize “so great a salvation [KJV: ‘so great salvation’]” (Hebrews 2:3) and be allowed to ascend the throne as a companion with God’s Son during the coming age (cf. Hebrews 1:8-9, 14; 3:14; Revelation 3:21).

(Note also that the warning passages in Hebrews and the overcomer’s promises in Revelation are both preceded by the author’s portrait of Christ.
In Revelation 1:13-16, the picture is that of Christ as Judge in the midst of the seven churches [a scene presenting the Householder and His servants at the judgment seat of Christ, occurring at the end of the present dispensation but preceding the Messianic Era].
And in Hebrews 1:5-13, the picture is that of Christ as King, with the overcomers from the churches seated with Him on the throne [a scene presenting Christ and His co-heirs, His companions, holding the scepter together during the Messianic Era itself].)

ANGELIC MINISTRY

“Angels” occupy a very prominent place in the opening two chapters of Hebrews. They are referred to eleven times throughout these chapters (Hebrews 1:4-7, 13; 2:2, 5, 7, 9, 16), though only two times throughout the remaining eleven chapters of the book (Hebrews 12:22; 13:2).

There is no similar section in the other twenty New Testament epistles where repeated references such as these are made to angels. In fact, the word “angel [Greek: aggelos]” only appears in all these other epistles the same number of times as there are other epistles — a total of twenty times. In nine of these twenty epistles the word doesn’t even appear; and in Galatians 4:14 and James 2:25, even though the Greek word aggelos is used, the reference is to men (translated “messengers” when referring to men in James 2:25 KJV).

The writer repeatedly calling attention to “angels” in the opening two chapters of Hebrews is, in one respect, somewhat like his repeated references to “Melchizedek” in chapters five through seven (Hebrews 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1, 10-11, 15, 17, 21). There are no references to Melchizedek elsewhere in the New Testament, and there are only two in all of the Old Testament (Genesis 14:18; Psalm 110:4). Hebrews though is different, for the writer calls attention to Melchizedek nine times in the short space of three chapters.

The repeated reference to “angels” throughout the first two chapters (something not seen at all in any other New Testament epistle) and the repeated reference to “Melchizedek” in chapters five through seven (something not seen in any other book in all Scripture) are simply two interrelated peculiarities of the book of Hebrews that should cause one to stop and think. There’s a definite reason why the Spirit of God moved the writer to pen the epistle after this fashion; and this reason, contextually, is very easy to see, though often missed.

(A prominent use of aggelos [angel] is seen:

1) In the gospels [when the Messianic King was present and the kingdom of the heavens was being offered to Israel].
2) In the book of Acts [in the opening years of the present dispensation, following the departure of Israel’s King back into the heavens, during the reoffer of the kingdom of the heavens to Israel].
3) In the book of Hebrews [which has to do with teachings surrounding the coming reign of Christ, with Christians having a part as “companions” with Christ in this reign].
4) In the book of Revelation [which has to do with the complete unveiling of the Son (in relation to all things appertaining thereunto), which includes the redemption of the inheritance (the earth), the bride being revealed and becoming the Lamb’s wife (the bride for whom the Spirit, throughout an entire previous dispensation lasting 2,000 years, will have searched and procured), the restoration of all things, and the millennial reign].

Then, as previously seen, another peculiarity to the book has to do with the mention of Melchizedek nine times. Melchizedek was a king-priest in Jerusalem [Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:1-2; cf. Psalm 76:2].
The two Old Testament references to Melchizedek are both Messianic. Both foreshadow activities surrounding Christ as the great King-Priest in Jerusalem during the coming age [both in the heavenly Jerusalem and the earthly Jerusalem (cf. Genesis 14:19)].
And the references to Melchizedek in Hebrews 5; 6; 7 must be understood accordingly, as the references to angels in the first two chapters of the book must be understood in the light of that which is being dealt with in these chapters.)

Angels are of an entirely different creation than man and occupy one main role in Scripture. They are special, individual created beings who render service for and under God in numerous capacities. They serve God in various assigned positions as executors of His will and purpose.

God uses angels to do His bidding in all areas of His sovereign rule and control of the universe (Psalm 103:19-20). He has angelic armies (2 Kings 6:17; Job 25:3; Revelation 12:7; 19:14; cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:7), angelic messengers (Daniel 10:5ff; Luke 2:9ff), angels who minister on behalf of others (Acts 12:7-16; Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 1:20), angels who occupy various positions of power and authority within God’s government of the universe (Job. 1:6; 2:1; cf. Isaiah 14:12-13; Ezekiel 28:14), and angels who carry out His bidding in numerous other capacities (Genesis 19:13; Deuteronomy 33:2; cf. Acts 7:53; Hebrews 2:2).

Angels, as man, unlike God, had a beginning. There was a point in time when God created angels; and God’s actions since that time have been, in different capacities and numerous realms, connected with angels. Not only so, but angels minister under the Lord after such a fashion (within the scope of established, set laws, etc.) that their actions are looked upon as those of the Lord Himself (cf. Genesis 18:20-22; 19:13, 24-25; Daniel 4:17, 25-32).

A major problem ensued in God’s government of the universe when one ruling angel moved outside the scope of God’s established laws (Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:14). He sought to exalt his throne (the position that he occupied by divine decree) above that of “the stars of God” (above all other ruling angels [angels ruling other provinces in the universe, as Satan ruled the earth]). Satan sought to be as God in this respect and rule the entire universe rather than just the one province in the universe over which he had been placed.

This, of course, was the one we know today as Satan, the ruler over the province upon which we reside, the earth. And Satan didn’t attempt this God-dishonoring act alone. He led one-third of the angels under His command to go along with him in this attempted coup (cf. Revelation 12:4).

This brought about Satan’s disqualification to rule and the destruction of his kingdom (Genesis 1:2a; Ezekiel 28:16; cf. 1 Samuel 15:23; Isaiah 45:18). This was later followed by a restoration of the ruined domain and the creation of man to rule the earth in the stead of Satan and his angels (Genesis 1:2-28 [2b]). Man though, because of Satan’s deception of Eve, was himself disqualified through sin (Genesis 3:1-7). And this left Satan continuing to occupy the throne.

Man’s fall though, unlike Satan’s fall, was followed by not only God’s promise of a future redeemer but by God’s immediate redemptive act as well (Genesis 3:15, 21). But God’s redemptive act did not nullify that which had occurred. Man was still in no position to take the governmental reigns of the earth, for, though redeemed, he was still a fallen creature with an old sin nature.

Man holding the earth’s scepter must await the appearance (reappearance today) of the promised Redeemer from Genesis 3:15. He has appeared once “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” and to “those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:26-28). Redemption was provided for fallen man at Christ’s first appearance; and He is going to one day reappear, take the scepter, and position redeemed man on the throne with Him.

During the time between Christ’s redemptive work on Calvary and His actually taking control of the government — a period lasting approximately 2,000 years — God has set aside an entire dispensation, during which time the co-heirs who will ascend the throne with His Son are being called out. The coming kingdom of Christ will require numerous rulers, and it is during the present dispensation that these are being acquired.

And it is with this backdrop that the book of Hebrews begins and must be understood.

(Much of the Old Testament typology depicting the preceding is seen in the account of Saul and David in the books of 1, 2 Samuel.
Saul was anointed king over Israel; but Saul disqualified himself by refusing, as God had commanded, to destroy the Amalekites and all of their possessions [1 Samuel 15:1ff], though Saul continued to reign. And Saul would continue to reign until the one whom God had chosen to replace him was not only on the scene but ready to ascend the throne.
Then note that which the type, thus far, foreshadows: Satan was anointed king over the earth; but Satan disqualified himself by seeking to extend his rule beyond his God-appointed position [Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:14], though Satan continued to reign. And Satan would continue to reign until the One whom God had chosen to replace him was not only on the scene but ready to ascend the throne.
In the type, shortly after God rejected Saul as Israel’s ruler, God had Samuel anoint David king over Israel [1 Samuel 16:10-13]. There were then two anointed kings in Israel. But David didn’t immediately ascend the throne. Rather, he eventually found himself in a place out in the hills, separated from Saul and his kingdom. And, during this time, certain faithful men joined themselves to David and remained out in the hills with him.
The day came when David was ready to ascend the throne, possessing a contingent of faithful men ready to rule with him. Then, Saul was put down, his crown was taken and given to David and David and his faithful men moved in and took over the government.
In the antitype, after God had rejected Satan as the earth’s ruler, God anointed His Son King over the earth [Psalm 45:6-7, 16; Hebrews 1:8-9]. There were then, and there are today, two anointed Kings over the earth. But God’s Son, as David in the type, didn’t immediately ascend the throne. Rather, as David, Christ finds Himself in a place of exile, separated from the kingdom. And, as in David’s case, certain faithful individuals join themselves to Christ during this time, remaining in the place of exile with Him.
But the day is near at hand when matters will continue exactly as seen in the type. Christ, in that day, as David in his day, will be ready to ascend the throne, possessing a contingent of faithful followers to rule with Him. Then, Satan, as Saul, will be put down, his crown will be taken and given to Christ, and Christ, with His faithful followers, will move in and take over the government.
A principle of biblical government — seen in the type and, of necessity, in the antitype as well — necessitates that an incumbent ruler, though disqualified to rule, continue holding the scepter until the one who is to replace him on the throne is not only present but ready [prepared] to ascend the throne.
This principle, seen in the type, will explain why God allows Satan to continue holding the scepter, though God’s Son [the One destined to take the scepter and replace Satan on the throne] has been present for the past 2,000 years.
The simple truth of the matter is that the Son, though present, is not yet ready to take the scepter and ascend the throne. The work of the Spirit, presently searching for a bride for God’s Son, has to be completed first. The Son cannot reign apart from possessing a wife to sit alongside Him on the throne [another established biblical principle relative to man fulfilling the purpose for his creation in the beginning; man can reign only as a complete being, requiring a husband-wife relationship to complete the man].

[For more information on this subject, refer to the author’s books, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Bride in Genesis, Ch. 1, and Search For The Bride by Arlen Chitwood (most of the book’s fifteen chapters deal with this subject).]

The bride for whom the Spirit presently searches, removed from the Son’s body in that coming day, will be presented back to Christ, completing the Son [Hebrews 2:10], allowing Him to reign.
And, as well, the bride, also seen in that day as a firstborn son [Christians being individual firstborn sons], will form the rulers necessary to govern as co-heirs with Christ in the kingdom.)

INHERITING WITH THE SON

In Hebrews 1:6-7, angelic activity surrounding God’s Son during the coming Messianic Era appears to be twofold:

1) Worship of the Son (Hebrews 1:6).
2) Ministry on behalf of the Son (Hebrews 1:7).

Angelic activity in Hebrews 1:14 though is different. It has to do with a present ministry “to minister for those who will inherit salvation [lit., ‘on behalf of the ones about to inherit salvation’].” And there can be no question concerning the identity of the ones to whom angels are presently ministering or exactly what is meant by these individuals inheriting salvation.

Continuing the thought from verse fourteen in the verses following (Hebrews 2:1ff), it can only be Christians who are in view — “Therefore we . . . .” Christians are the ones referred to in the previous quotation from Psalm 45:6-7 (Hebrews 1:8-9) as Christ’s “companions” in that coming day; and they are also the ones referred to in Hebrews 2:10 as the “many sons” whom Christ will bring to glory with Him.

Then, also continuing the thought of an inheritance in connection with salvation, the context leaves no room to question that which is in view. Christ is the “appointed Heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2, 4), an inheritance that will be realized in the Messianic Era; and the seven Old Testament quotations leading into verse fourteen (Hebrews 1:5-13) all refer to that time when Christ, with His co-heirs, will come into possession of this inheritance. The inheritance in view in Hebrews 1:14 is for Christians, not the unsaved (cf. Hebrews 1:8-9; 2:1); and, viewing the first chapter as a whole, this inheritance can only be associated with the Son’s inheritance during the coming age.

This inheritance is spoken of in connection with “salvation” because that is exactly what is involved. Inheriting with the Son is the same as realizing the rights of primogeniture, which, in turn, is the same as realizing the “end [goal] of your faith -- the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9; cf. Hebrews 9:28; 10:37-39).

Salvation is spoken of in the Word of God in three tenses — past, present, and future: We have been saved (Ephesians 2:8-9), we are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18), and we are about to be saved (Hebrews 1:14). And when dealing with salvation in Scripture one must first ascertain to which of these three any given passage pertains (see the author’s book, in this site, Ch. 1 of Salvation of the Soul).

In Hebrews 1:14, both the text and context will show beyond any shadow of a doubt that this verse has nothing to do with the Christians’ presently possessed eternal salvation. The verses leading into this passage have to do with Christ coming into possession of His inheritance, along with His co-heirs. And a person cannot even be in a position to inherit with Christ, realize the rights of the firstborn, unless he has first been saved (experienced the past aspect of salvation, placing him in the family of God [a firstborn child via the birth from above], in line to inherit the rights of the firstborn). Romans 8:17 plainly states, “if children, then heirs.” One must be a child of the Owner before he can be in line to receive the inheritance.

Further, continuing the thought in Hebrews 2:1ff, we’re told exactly what is involved in the heirship from verse fourteen. Hebrews 2:3 refers to “so great a salvation,” which can only be the same salvation previously mentioned in verse fourteen. And then the writer, in verse five, plainly reveals the subject matter at hand:

For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak [lit., “concerning which we are speaking”] in subjection to angels. (Hebrews 2:5)

That is, the world to come (which will not be ruled by angels, but by man) is what the writer had been dealing with in the immediately preceding verses. So great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3), inheriting salvation (Hebrews 1:14), and the Messianic quotations from the Old Testament (Hebrews 1:5-13) all have to do with the same thing. They all have to do with that time when the One who has been “appointed Heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2, 4), along with His “companions” (Hebrews 1:9), will ascend the throne and rule the earth for 1,000 years.

Angels presently ministering “for those who will inherit salvation” are conducting this ministry with a view to not only Christians entering into “so great a salvation” but with a view to a continued ministry of a different nature once their present ministry is complete, a ministry that will occur during the coming age.

During the Messianic Era, angels will worship Christ and apparently minister on His behalf (Hebrews 1:6-7); and such a ministry (though not worship) will apparently extend to Christ’s “companions” as well, for they will be occupying positions on the throne as co-heirs with Him. In this respect, angels presently ministering on behalf of the ones about to inherit salvation will apparently one day minister, in a different capacity, for these same individuals after they have inherited salvation.

Throughout history God has used angels to carry out His bidding in all aspects of His sovereign rule and control of the universe. And there is no reason to believe, especially in the light of Hebrews 1:7, that affairs in the Son’s kingdom will be carried out in a manner that is any different. The scepter in that day will be held by man, not by angels (Hebrews 2:5); but angels will evidently occupy a prominent place in the kingdom as ministers for those who do hold the scepter.

Christ and His co-heirs will rule, and angels will worship and minister. Thus, in this manner, will affairs in the Son’s kingdom be carried out during the coming age.

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Chapter Two

Because of the Angels

Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. (Hebrews 1:14-2:1)

The book of Hebrews opens by presenting Christ as the appointed “Heir of all things” and Christians as those “who will inherit salvation [lit., ‘who are about to inherit salvation’]” (Hebrews 1:2, 14). The Father has given “all that He has” to the Son (cf. Genesis 24:36; 25:5; John 16:15); and Christians, realizing the salvation of their souls (Hebrews 10:36-39), will inherit as co-heirs with Christ in that coming day, exercising with God’s Son the rights of the firstborn.

There are seven Messianic quotations, forming most of chapter one of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:5-13), and Christ’s co-heirs are mentioned within the scope of these quotations as “Your companions [Greek: metochoi]” (Hebrews 1:9). Referring to the same group again, metochoi is translated “partakers” in Hebrews 3:14.

Immediately following the first two Messianic quotations from the Old Testament (Hebrews 1:5), attention is called to God’s Son being the One in possession of the rights of primogeniture (Hebrews 1:6); and these seven Messianic quotations close with a reference to God’s Son being seated at His Father’s right hand, awaiting that day when His enemies will be made His footstool, allowing Christ and His companions to exercise the rights of primogeniture (Hebrews 1:13; cf. Hebrews 1:9).

All of this then naturally leads into the mention of Christ’s companions in that coming day as “those who [Christians during present time] are about to inherit salvation [at a future time]” (Hebrews 1:14), and from there the subject matter leads immediately into the first of five major warnings directed to Christians (Hebrews 2:1-4).

And there can be no separating the first warning or any of the subsequent four warnings from the Messianic nature of the opening chapter. The introductory material in the opening chapter points to one thing and one thing only — Christ and His companions one day taking the scepter and exercising regal power and authority over the earth, necessitating that the five subsequent warnings, beginning with the first warning in chapter two (Hebrews 2) and concluding with the fifth warning in chapter twelve (Hebrews 12), be understood within this same framework.

Such would also apply to the repeated reference to angels throughout the first two chapters. “Angels” are mentioned eleven times in these opening two chapters, within a Messianic setting; and God’s purpose behind providing such a design for the book of Hebrews should be obvious.

This book deals with a change in the government of the earth, with “angels” presently holding the scepter and “man” about to hold the scepter. Thus, when the Son is presented as the appointed “Heir of all things” (pointing to a future inheritance and a rule over that inheritance), one should naturally expect a corresponding reference to “angels” (pointing to a present rule over the earth), for the Son’s future inheritance has to do with these angels’ present domain and the exercise of dominion therein. And because of the Son’s identity — God’s Firstborn (Hebrews 1:6) — the Spirit of God chose to introduce the subject of heirship by showing the Son’s superiority to these angels:

having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:4)

Then the verse that immediately follows, formed from the first two of the seven Messianic quotations, centers on the thought of Sonship, with Sonship portending rulership. And in this verse, in these two references from the Old Testament pointing to the One with the “more excellent name” than angels, God begins by stating: “You are My Son . . . ” (Hebrews 1:5).

The appointed Heir is “God’s Son,” the One in possession of the rights of the firstborn (Hebrews 1:6). And though angels are “sons of God,” relative to this heirship, God will never say to any angel, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You” (Hebrews 1:5; cf. Psalm 2:7); nor has He ever said to any angel, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool” (Hebrews 1:13; cf. Psalm 110:1). He will say/has said this to His Son, Jesus, alone.

Further, these same angels are also spoken of in another sense. They are spoken of as “ministering spirits,” ministering both during the present time (Hebrews 1:14) and during the coming Messianic Era (Hebrews 1:7). During the present time they minister on behalf of “those who will inherit salvation”; and during the coming Messianic Era they, along with worshipping the Son (Hebrews 1:6), will minister on behalf of the Son and undoubtedly His companions as well.

Who though are these angels? Can anything be said about them other than that they are just angels within the kingdom of God who have some type of connection with God’s affairs in the government of the earth? They certainly cannot be looked upon as consisting of all the angels of God, for vast numbers of these angels have nothing to do with this earth and its government.

From a Scriptural standpoint, one would have to recognize the existence of what could only be myriads multiplied by myriads of angels in God’s universal kingdom who occupy regal positions as provincial rulers or regal positions under these provincial rulers (separate from Satan, his angels, and their rule over one province in God’s universal kingdom, the earth); and, as well, one would have to recognize the existence of similar numbers of other angels occupying positions in other capacities in relation to these rulers and provinces.

(It is evident from Scripture that there are vast numbers of angels [which, as previously noted, could only be myriads multiplied by myriads in number] occupying positions under God over, or in relation to, provinces in the universe other than the earth. And, because of the size of the physical universe — a size that can only stagger the imagination, consisting of evidently billions of provinces in the one galaxy in which we live alone, with the existence of billions of galaxies elsewhere in the universe — there can only be, not billions, but trillions of these provinces in the universe.
The positions held by angels elsewhere in the universe would be regal, or in other related capacities. And these angels, in this respect, would hold regal positions [or other type of related positions] over or in relation to at least many of what could only be trillions of provinces in the billions of galaxies that comprise the physical universe.
God’s revelation to man though concerns itself almost exclusively with only one of these provinces — the earth — which, by comparison to that which exists in the whole of the physical universe in this respect, could be viewed as almost comparable to a grain of sand in the sea. God’s revelation has to do with the one province in His kingdom where the appointed provincial ruler stepped outside the divinely fix laws under which he was to rule the province. Doing this, he disqualified himself to continue holding the scepter. His kingdom was reduced to a ruin [Genesis 1:2a], then later restored [Genesis 1:2-25 {2b}]; and, immediately following this restoration, man was created to take the scepter and rule the province in the stead of angels [Genesis 1:26-28].
But, though God’s revelation to man concerns itself almost exclusively with the earth and the government of the one province that he had been created to rule, God, in His word, has seen fit to briefly move outside the bounds of this one province and give man a glimpse into the government of the whole of the universe.
In the opening two chapters of Job, Satan is seen appearing in the presence of God as a son of God among other sons of God (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). Satan appearing among them evidently appeared as an equal with them. Satan was the appointed ruler over one province in God’s universal kingdom, and it appears quite evident that these other sons of God could only be appointed rulers over other provinces elsewhere in the universe.
In this respect, these angels would be referred to by “the stars of God” in Isaiah 14:13-14 that Satan sought to rule over rather than rule as an equal with. Satan became dissatisfied with simply being one provincial ruler among possibly trillions of provincial rulers, and he sought to place his throne above that of all these other provincial rulers. He sought to “be like the Most High,” like God Himself. He sought to “sit also upon the mount of the congregation [lit., ‘the mount of the assembly’], in the sides of the north [lit., ‘the uttermost parts of the north’].”
Satan’s aspirations to sit on “the mount of the assembly” [Isaiah 14:13b], textually, would not only be in relation to placing his throne above all other provincial rulers in the universe but would be in relation to placing himself in the position of the one before whom all these other provincial rulers would appear. He would, in this respect, be as God Himself, ruling over the entire universe.
In the opening two chapters of Job, Satan, during Man’s Day, appeared among these other provincial rulers at this meeting place, as an apparent equal with them. But his prior aspirations, preceding man’s creation, had been to rule over these other provincial rulers from this place rather than meet with them at this place, as an equal with them.
Thus, activities of the angels in view in the book of Hebrews and elsewhere in Scripture — aside from the several references to provincial rulers other than Satan — would have to do with the earth and its government alone, not with God’s governmental affairs elsewhere in the universe.
For additional or related information on the preceding, refer to the author’s book, The Most High Ruleth BOOK, in this site.)

With respect to the rulership of the earth, God’s Son occupies an appointed position superior to angels (Hebrews 1:4-7, 13), and angels minister on behalf of those who are about to occupy positions of governmental power with God’s Son (Hebrews 1:14). Then, in Hebrews 2:5, reference is made to “the world to come [‘inhabited world to come’]” as not being placed in subjection to angels (an allusion to the position that angels presently occupy).

Angels will not hold the scepter in “the inhabited world to come,” the Messianic Era (i.e., on the one province in view — the earth — not on other provinces in the universe). Rather, God’s firstborn Son (Hebrews 1:6) and the many sons He is in the process of bringing “to glory” with Him (Hebrews 2:10) will hold the earth’s scepter in that day.

Everything about the mention of angels from Hebrews 1:4 through Hebrews 2:5 is, after some fashion, associated with the government of this earth. And it is evident that the reference to “man” and the “son of man” being made “a little [‘for a short time’] lower than the angels” in Hebrews 2:6-9 can only have to do with this same thing. The sufferings of Calvary (Hebrews 2:9), the glory that would follow (Hebrews 2:7-9), and the “many sons” Christ will bring to glory with Him (Hebrews 2:10) are all in view.

Man was made “a little [‘for a short time’] lower than the angels” at the time he was created (Hebrews 2:6-7). He was created to possess dominion over the earth but did not hold the scepter at the time of his creation. Nor did man hold the scepter at any time before the fall.

Angels (Satan and his angels) held the scepter at this time, and they still hold it today. Thus, in this respect, man during the present time still finds himself in the same position in which he found himself at the time of his creation — created for a revealed purpose, but still not fulfilling that purpose — for a short time, occupying a position “lower than the angels.”

Christ, as well, was made “a little [‘for a short time’] lower than the angels” when He appeared on this earth, apart from His glory, as the God-Man — occupying the same regal position in relation to angels and the government of the earth as fallen man (Hebrews 2:9). He appeared in order that “He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9), with a view to bringing “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). Christ, in this position, thus provided redemption (Hebrews 2:9) so that man might ultimately be placed back in the position for which he had been created (Hebrews 2:10).

MINISTERING SPIRITS

Contextually, the angelic ministry set forth in Hebrews 1:14 can only have one thing in view. These angels are presently ministering on behalf of Christians with a view to these Christians one day realizing an inheritance in a realm that angels presently occupy, an inheritance with the One who has been appointed “Heir of all things.” They are ministering with a view to seeing Christians ultimately elevated into positions as “companions” with Christ in His kingdom, realizing, as firstborn sons, the rights of primogeniture.

Angelic ministry, in this respect, would have to be intimately connected with the spiritual warfare in which Christians presently find themselves (Ephesians 6:10ff). Christians possess a “heavenly calling” (Hebrews 3:1; cf. Philippians 3:14) — a calling to one day move into a heavenly land, possess that land, and rule over the earth in that land as co-heirs with Christ.

And the land to which Christians have been called is today occupied by Satan and his angels. Accordingly, a present angelic ministry “for [on behalf of] those who will inherit salvation [which has to do with man moving into this heavenly land and exercising regal power and authority therein],” would, of necessity, have to involve this present spiritual warfare.

1) TWO OPPOSING SIDES

On one side of the conflict within this spiritual warfare there are powerful angelic beings (“world-rulers of this [present] darkness” [Ephesians 6:12, literal rendering]) seeking to hold onto their regal positions and presently possessed territory. And on the other side there are those called into existence (Christians) to one day move into and occupy this territory, bearing rule from this realm in the stead of the incumbent rulers. Territorial rights and governmental control of the earth within that territory, together, form the crux of the entire matter.

This is what the warfare in Ephesians 6:10ff is all about, which can be easily seen in the type surrounding Israel’s earthly calling. Israel had passed through the experiences of Exodus 12 while in Egypt in view of the nation being removed from Egypt, placed in another land, and allowed to exercise the rights of the firstborn in that land (cf. Exodus 4:22-23). That is, Israel had appropriated the blood of the paschal lambs in Egypt (redemption had been provided), with a view to the nation being removed from Egypt and placed in the land of Canaan, “above all people” as “a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6).

Once in the land, Israel was to exercise God-given kingly rights over all the Gentile nations. And not only so, but within this rule Israel was to also exercise God-given priestly rights, being the channel through which God would pour out His blessings upon the Gentile nations.

However, the land to which Israel had been called during Moses’ day was already occupied. It was occupied by Gentile nations infiltrated by individuals referred to in Scripture as “giants [Hebrews, Nephilim, the offspring of a cohabitation of angels in the kingdom of Satan with female descendants of Adam]” (Numbers 13:28-33; cf. Genesis 6:4). And the Israelites were called upon to move into this land, overcome the inhabitants, and take possession of the land.

They were to accomplish this conquest in view of subsequently fulfilling the kingly and priestly aspects of the birthright; and this was the goal toward which everything beyond Exodus 12, after some fashion, moved. Exercising the rights of the firstborn in the land constituted the purpose for the appropriation of the blood in Egypt and the departure of the Israelites from Egypt.

Christians, in the antitype, have appropriated the blood of the Passover Lamb while in the world (“Egypt” is always a type of the world in Scripture) with a view to their one day being removed from the world and placed in another land — a heavenly land — for a specific purpose; and that purpose has to do with exercising the rights of the firstborn in that land, which has to do with carrying out regal and priestly activities in that land.

That is to say, Christians have been saved with a view to their occupying positions as “kings and priests” (Revelation 5:10), positions as co-heirs with the great King-Priest, in a heavenly land. And not only are the nations to be ruled by those occupying this land but the nations are also to be blessed through those occupying this land as well (Genesis 22:17-18).

As in the type, everything from the appropriation of the blood of the Passover Lamb (from the point of one’s salvation) in the Christian’s life moves, after some fashion, toward the Christian realizing his calling, which centers around co-heirship with Christ in a heavenly land presently occupied by Satan and his angels. Christians, as the Israelites under Moses, are to enter the land and slay “the giants,” with a view to dwelling in this land and exercising the rights of the firstborn therein.

The battle today though, unlike the battle during Moses’ day, is completely spiritual. It is a battle against spirit beings in a heavenly land, which is why Ephesians 6:12 states,

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. [lit., against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places’].

The battle is against individuals who are far more powerful than man, located in a realm that he cannot see or physically reach out and touch; and this is the reason help has been provided for man from another spiritual realm, from both the work of the Spirit and the work of angels (the latter being a like-spiritual-realm to the one being combated [cf. Daniel 10:12-13; Revelation 12:7-10]).

2) THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S

As the Israelites within their own strength could not go in and take the land during Moses’ day (Numbers 14:40-45), neither can Christians bring about such a conquest within their own strength today. The means for successful conquest of the enemy and possession of the land during Moses’ day was the same as it is during the present day and time (cf. Numbers 13:30; 14:42; Ephesians 6:10).

“. . .the battle is the LORD’s.” It always has been, and it always will be. He is the One who, through His strength, gives the enemy over into the hands of those placing their trust in Him (1 Samuel 17:47; 2 Chronicles 20:15).

The Lord though is seen time after time in Scripture using angels to carry out His bidding, which would include delivering His people from the hand of the enemy (cf. 2 Kings 6:17; Psalm 103:20). Angels appear to be instrumental in every aspect of God’s affairs in His kingdom, with God choosing to act by surrounding Himself with angels to carry out that which He has commanded. And angels carrying out affairs in God’s kingdom could only act under fixed laws, resulting in their actions being looked upon as actions of the Lord Himself.

(A case in point would be the observation of conditions in and the subsequent destruction of the cities of the Jordan plain during Abraham’s day, in Genesis chapters eighteen and nineteen (Genesis 18; 19).
The Lord, accompanied by two angels, had come down to see for Himself the outcry that had come up to Him [apparently by angelic watchers, relating the depravity existing among those dwelling in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:1-2, 20-21; cf. Daniel 4:17, 23)]. But the Lord, after coming down, though on earth in the area where Abraham lived, didn’t go on down into Sodom Himself. Rather, the Lord remained with Abraham out in the high country and sent the two angels down to observe conditions in Sodom; and their observation, acting under fixed laws, became the Lord’s observation. [Genesis 18:22].
Then, the same thing is seen in the destruction of four cities in the Jordan plain at this time [Deuteronomy 29:23]. These two angels carried out the destruction of these cities under the Lord’s command, continuing to act under fixed laws [Genesis 19:13]. And destroying the cities in this manner, their actions became the Lord’s actions. Not only did these two angels destroy the cities in the plain but the Lord is also said to be the One who destroyed these cities [Genesis 19:24-25, 29].)

The same thing is in view in Hebrews 1:14. Angels are seen performing a work that the Lord is elsewhere said to perform. That is, since the ministry of these angels, of necessity, has to center on the spiritual warfare in which Christians find themselves engaged (since this angelic ministry surrounds Christians realizing an inheritance in that heavenly land presently occupied by Satan and his angels), they are seen fighting a battle that the Lord is said to fight. And such would be in perfect keeping with the angelic ministry presented elsewhere in the Word of God. The actions of these angels, acting under fixed laws, are looked upon as actions of the Lord Himself.

The ministry of these angels on behalf of Christians results in what could be viewed as an angelic conflict (cf. Daniel 10:13, 20; Revelation 12:7-10). But the entire matter, in its larger scope, must also be looked upon as a conflict involving Christians, angels, and the Lord himself — Christians warring against angels and angels warring against angels, with the latter resulting in the Lord Himself warring against angels, with the battle being the Lord’s.

3) THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME

To get a better grasp of the whole spiritual warfare and to understand where things are headed, it is necessary to look at the larger picture and view Satan’s kingdom both before and after his fall. And viewing Satan’s kingdom after this fashion, several things must be kept in mind.

Because of that which lies at the heart of the conflict — governmental control over the earth — angels involved in the present conflict, ministering on behalf of Christians, may very well include those angels who ruled with Satan in the beginning but refused to go along with him in his attempt to be “like the Most High.” If so, this would present a rather unique situation existing during the present dispensation. These angels would be (and possibly are) helping Christians to acquire positions in the future government of the earth that they once occupied, along with helping Christians to one day possess and wear crowns that these angels presently still possess and wear.

Only one-third of the angels originally ruling with Satan followed him in his God-dishonoring act (Revelation 12:4). The other two-thirds separated themselves from Satan and, as previously stated, possibly form part of the “ministering spirits” in Hebrews 1:14 during the present dispensation.

Satan’s aspirations and sin caused this separation. Satan’s aspirations and sin caused a separation of rulers within his kingdom — two-thirds separating from one-third. And, as will be shown, this separation resulted in an imperfection in the God-designed order for the government of the earth, an imperfection that exists to this day (cf. Ezekiel 28:15).

The present spiritual warfare is inseparably connected to a divine work surrounding a restoration of perfection in the earth’s government where imperfection presently exists. And the key to understanding the entire matter can be found in that which is revealed in the book of Revelation about the two-thirds contingent of angels who separated themselves from Satan.

These angels are presented in the book of Revelation as “twenty-four elders,” which could only be a representative group, referring to individuals “of old” (‘elders,’ Greek: presbuteros, referencing older individuals). And this would be in relation to that which is in view, which in this case, as is evident from that which is revealed, would have to be the government of the earth. They are seen as “older ones” in relation to this government, which could only refer to angels (cf. Revelation 4:4, 10; 5:5-6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4).

(These twenty-four elders are usually identified by expositors as Christians representing “the Church” [by some expositors as both Christians and Jews representing both “the Church and Israel”]. However, neither can possibly be correct, and either would only serve to veil the entire line of teaching in view at this point in the book of Revelation.)

a) Crowns

First, note that the twenty-four elders are not only seated on thrones and crowned (the word “seats” [KJV] should be translated, “thrones” [Revelation 4:4]) but they, numerically, form two sets of twelve. “Twelve” is the number in Scripture of governmental perfection; and the fact that they are seated on thrones and crowned, along with forming two sets of twelve, shows that they would have to be somehow connected with a facet of God’s government in the universe; and the only facet of government within the universe that can be in view here is that of the earth. Thus, these twenty-four elders can only be looked upon as occupying regal positions of some type within the structure of the earth’s government.

Christians do not presently occupy regal positions of this nature (the earth’s government is still under angelic rule), but they one day will. However, though Christians are destined to occupy such positions, Christians cannot be represented by these twenty-four elders, for Christians will not be seated on thrones and crowned at the time events in Revelation 4 occur (which would be following the removal of Christians from the earth [Revelation 1:10; 4:1-2], following events surrounding the judgment seat [Revelation 1:11ff], but preceding the beginning of the Tribulation [Revelation 6:1ff]).

Nor would Christians cast their crowns before God’s throne if they did occupy such positions; for Christians who occupy positions with Christ during the coming age will wear their crowns as they sit on the throne with Him, not cast these crowns before God’s throne prior to this time.

The twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God’s throne, by this act, shows something that could not possibly be true of Christians. Such an act [particularly textually in Revelation 4] shows the relinquishment of regal positions, and Christians, at this point in the book of Revelation, will be about to assume regal positions.

Crowns that reigning Christians will wear when they ascend the throne with Christ are presently in existence and worn by two segments of angels — the two-thirds who refused to go along with Satan in his attempted coup, and the one-third remaining with him. And all of these crowns will not be available for Christians until after Christ returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation and overthrows Gentile world power, along with Satan and his angels.

The fact that the twenty-four elders are connected with the government of this earth, in itself, leaves no room to question their identity. They can only be identified as angels, for angels alone (as during the present time) will occupy positions of such a nature at this point in the book of Revelation. Consequently, they would have to be looked upon as representing, at least in part, angels placed by God in positions of power and authority with Satan over the earth in the beginning; and since they, contextually, can only be identified with angels other than those actively ruling at that time in Satan’s kingdom, there is only one other group of angels left — those angels who refused to follow Satan in his attempt to exalt his throne. Thus, ascertaining their identity is really a very simple matter.

(Some Bible students, on the basis of the pronouns used in Revelation 5:9-10 — “us” and “we” [KJV, NKJV] — have understood the twenty-four elders to represent redeemed men, not angels. However, the majority of the better Greek manuscripts render the pronouns in Revelation 5:10 as “them” and “they” [ref. ASV, NASB, NIV, Wuest, Weymouth], giving rise to the thought that the pronoun “us” in Revelation 5:9 is probably a scribal insertion, being spurious [ref. Alford, Lenski].
But the matter is really not left to manuscript evidence alone. That the pronouns “them” and “they” are correct is evident from the context. Note that the song in Revelation 5:9-10 is apparently sung not only by the “twenty-four elders” but also by the “four living creatures [KJV: ‘living beasts’]” as well. Then, other angels join them in Revelation 5:11ff, with all of the angels together voicing additional, related statements.
Aside from the preceding, it would make absolutely no sense whatsoever to understand these twenty-four elders as referring to a segment of redeemed man. Man couldn’t possibly be crowned at the time of events in Revelation 4; 5, else he would be crowned before Christ is crowned [note that Christ is to wear the crown that Satan presently wears, which Satan will still be wearing at this time]. Also, man is to wear the crown he receives, not relinquish it before God’s throne as seen being done by the twenty-four elders.)

Then in view of man assuming the scepter, those angels represented by the twenty-four elders (possibly among those presently ministering on behalf of individuals about to move into these positions of power and authority) will willingly relinquish their crowns, but crowns worn by Satan and his angels will have to be taken by force at the time of Christ’s return.

The twenty-four elders are also seen wearing a type of crown (a stephanos) that shows that even though they occupy regal positions they are not presently reigning. This type of crown (in contrast to a diadem) shows that the wearer either actively occupied a position of power and authority in the past, but now doesn’t, or that he aspires to occupy such a position in the future, though he presently doesn’t (see the author’s book, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Judgment Seat of Christ, Ch. 12).

Then the place that the twenty-four elders occupy in the book of Revelation will further reveal their identity. They appear at a point in the book immediately following events of the judgment seat (referred to in chapter one, with judgment occurring on the basis of that which is revealed in chapters two and three [“works,” resulting in Christians being shown either to have overcome or to have been overcome]). They appear at this point in the book in order to show a relinquishment of crowns in view of others (previously shown qualified at the judgment seat) possessing and wearing these crowns during the coming age (cf. Hebrews 2:5).

The crowns relinquished by the twenty-four elders are apparently the “many crowns” that Christ will have in his possession at the time of His return (to be worn by Christ’s co-heirs [Revelation 19:12]); and the crown that Satan presently wears (which Christ will wear during the Millennium [cf. 2 Samuel 1:10; 5:4-5]), and crowns worn by angels presently ruling with Satan (the remainder of the crowns to be worn by Christians), will be taken by force after Christ returns (Revelation 19:17ff). Thus, though all decisions and determinations concerning the placing of Christians in various positions in the kingdom of Christ will be made at the judgment seat, Christians will not actually receive crowns and occupy positions on the throne until after Christ returns and takes the kingdom.

b) Two, Three Sets of Twelve

Why though does Scripture show the two-thirds contingent of angels who refused to follow Satan as represented by the number “twenty-four”? Note that there are “two” sets of twelve, one set short of “three,” the number of divine perfection. That is, “three sets of twelve” would show divine perfection within a governmental structure, which is the only way God would have designed and established the government of this earth in the beginning; and, beyond that, viewing three sets of “twelve,” He apparently established this government in accord with His own triune being.

Remaining within this framework, there is a missing set of “twelve” in Revelation 4:4, 10. And this is exactly what is shown, for these twenty-four elders represent only two-thirds of the original group. Those represented by the other one-third, the other set of “twelve,” remained with Satan (Revelation 12:4). “Two” is the number of division in Scripture. Those represented by the two sets of twelve separated themselves from Satan. “One” though is the number of unity. Those represented by the other set of twelve remained with Satan.

As a consequence of Satan’s attempt to exalt his throne, divine perfection ceased to exist in his kingdom in more ways than one. Not only was the domain over which he ruled reduced to a ruin (Genesis 1:2a), but the governmental administration within his kingdom ceased to exist in its previous perfect triune state.

All of this brings us to a point concerning the coming kingdom of Christ and how it will be structured. Angels represented by the twenty-four elders will relinquish their crowns willingly in view of Christians wearing these crowns during the coming age. But these are not all of the crowns, either presently worn by angels or which Christians will wear in that future day. The full complement must be shown by three sets of twelve, not two sets.

The other one-third, presently ruling under Satan, must also relinquish their crowns, along with Satan himself. Only then can Christ and His co-heirs assume regal positions on His throne, allowing divine perfection to once again be set forth in the government of this earth, with the government established after God’s own triune being.

Thus, that is the goal of angelic ministry in Hebrews 1:14 — redeemed man inheriting with God’s Son within a restored governmental structure that will be both perfect and established after God’s own triune being. It is clear from Scripture that this is the manner in which the past government of the earth was originally established; and in the “restoration [KJV: restitution] of all things,” the future government under God’s Son could not, it will not, be established after any other fashion (Acts 3:21).

Thus, it is only fitting that the inheritance with God’s Son spoken of in Hebrews 1:14 — occupying a position of power and authority as co-heir with Christ within a restored, perfect government — is called, in Hebrews 2:3, “so great a salvation.”

(For additional information on the twenty-four elders in Revelation chapter four, refer to the Author’s book, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Time of the End, Ch. 7, or Crowns Cast Before God’s Throne! in this site.)

THEREFORE…

Because of that which the Spirit of God reveals through the writer of Hebrews in chapter one, especially verse fourteen (Hebrews 1:14), a two-part statement is immediately given. In Hebrews 2:1, Christians are compelled on the one hand and warned on the other.

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.

They are compelled concerning the necessity of keeping one’s attention fixed on the inheritance that lies out ahead, and they are warned concerning the consequences of not so doing.

Hebrews 2:1 could be better translated:

Because of this it is necessary, so much the more, to keep our attention fixed upon the things which we have heard, lest, at any time, we might drift away.

“Because of this,” of course, refers back to that which has previously been stated; and the words, “it is necessary,” refer to the necessity of action on the Christian’s part, which the text goes on to explain.

Man was created for a purpose that will ultimately be realized. And man, understanding this purpose, along with that which is presently being done on his behalf in order to bring him into a realization of this purpose (revealed in chapter one), should be compelled to do everything necessary in order to reach the desired goal.

And “so much the more” continues the thought, referring to the necessity of straining every muscle of one’s being — an all-out effort (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 Timothy 5:12; Jude 1:3) — causing that person to keep his attention fixed on the things that he has heard (things revealed in chapter one). One’s attention must be focused on the goal, as in putting one’s hand to the plow (Luke 9:62), or in running the race (Hebrews 12:1-2). If a person does otherwise, according to the text, there is an ever-present danger of drifting away rather than attaining the goal of his calling.

Christians are being compelled to excel in the race of the faith through God’s revelation concerning that which lies at the end of the race; and God has made the necessary provision (angelic ministry, etc.) for victory.

Christians have been saved with a view to their running the race in a satisfactory manner, not failing to so run. But along with God’s revelation compelling Christians to keep their eyes fixed on the goal is also His warning concerning that which will occur should Christians choose to direct their attention elsewhere.

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Chapter Three

God Has Spoken

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
For if the Word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,
how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 2:1-4)

The opening four verses in Hebrews 2 record the first of the five major warnings in the book. This warning is introduced and based upon that which is seen in Hebrews 1, and neither this warning nor any one of the other four warnings can be properly understood apart from this introductory material.

Any incorrect understanding of the central message in Hebrews — usually seen as having to do with eternal salvation, causing the warning passages to be incorrectly applied to the unsaved rather than correctly applied to the saved (a common misinterpretation of these passages and the book as a whole) — can invariably be traced back to a misunderstanding of Hebrews 1 and the connection that this chapter has with the remainder of the book.

The Spirit of God led individuals to begin that which they wrote after certain fashions for particular reasons; and, aside from the manner in which the book of Genesis and the gospel of John open, Hebrews provides about as good of an example of this as can be found in Scripture. Hebrews is a book built around five major warnings, and the first fourteen verses of the book, comprising the first chapter, set the tone for not only the first warning but for the remaining four as well.

The entire Hebrews 1, made up mainly of quotations from the Old Testament, centers on the thought of heirship. Christ has been appointed “Heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2); and when He comes into His inheritance, He will have many “companions [KJV: ‘fellows’]” with Him (Hebrews 1:9), who are spoken of as those “who will inherit salvation [lit., ‘who are about to inherit salvation’]” (Hebrews 1:14).

These seven Old Testament quotations in chapter one (Hebrews 1:5-13), from which most of the teaching is drawn in this introductory chapter, are all Messianic in their scope of fulfillment. And these quotations present a complete, composite Messianic portrait of Christ, drawing from different things that the Spirit of God had previously revealed concerning Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures.

The first chapter has one central focus: a forward look to that day when Christ and His companions (Christians) will ascend the throne together and rule the earth with a rod of iron for one thousand years. This chapter then leads immediately into the first warning, recorded in Hebrews 2, which sets the tone for the other four warnings in the book.

In this respect, contextually, all five warning passages can be understood only one way. They can only be understood as warnings directed to Christians relative to the inheritance that lies out ahead.

Then, the very nature of the way that the first warning begins in Hebrews 2 should eliminate all controversy. This warning begins with the word “Therefore,” or more literally, “Because of this.” Because of what? Only one thing can possibly be in view — because of that which has preceded in Hebrews 1.

Introductory material has been given, and now the Spirit of God can move beyond this material and sound the first warning to Christians without the possibility of being misunderstood, provided one heeds the introductory material. But, if one ignores this introductory material . . .

THEREFORE

Hebrews 2:1 could be better translated:

Because of this it is necessary, so much the more, to keep our attention fixed upon the things which we have heard, lest, at any time, we might drift away.

Because of that which precedes, especially the immediately preceding verse dealing with Christians as “those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14), Christians are compelled on the one hand and warned on the other. They are compelled concerning the necessity of keeping their attention fixed on the inheritance that lies out ahead, and they are warned concerning the consequences of not so doing.

Christians, by the birth from above, have become members of the family of God. They have become “children of God”; and because they are new creations “in Christ,” (2 Corinthians 5:17), they, as well, are seen as “sons of God” (Galatians 3:26; 4:6). In fact, Christians are referred to as “Children” and “sons” about an equal number of times in the New Testament.

Because Christians are new creations “in Christ” and can presently be viewed as “sons” because of creation, they can one day be adopted into a firstborn standing. And, in this respect, they are in line to inherit the rights of the firstborn, the rights of primogeniture.

With these things in view, the first chapter in the book of Hebrews is about Christ, as God’s firstborn Son, one day coming into possession of His inheritance; and the chapter, as well, is about Christ’s “companions,” — Christians, following the adoption into a firstborn standing — coming into possession of this same inheritance as co-heirs with Him.

(For additional information on Christians presently seen as both “children of God” and “sons of God,” with the adoption into a firstborn standing occurring yet future, refer to the author’s book, in this site, Ch. 3, God’s Firstborn Sons BOOK, along with the Appendix.)

And at the heart of all five of the warning passages, reflecting back on material in Hebrews 1, each passage clearly reveals that it is possible for a Christian to forfeit his birthright and fail to realize this inheritance. The entire matter is looked upon from different angles in the first four warnings, viewing the inheritance from different perspectives and showing different facets of the present pilgrim walk, warning and exhorting Christians.

Then the fifth and final warning deals with the matter in a more direct manner, summing up the previous four warnings by drawing from the account of Esau forfeiting his birthright (Hebrews 12:14-17; cf. Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-38).

The thought in Hebrews 2:1 is very similar to the thought set forth in Hebrews 12:2 where Christians, running the race of the faith, are exhorted to center their attention upon Jesus. Drawing from the way that the Greek text is worded, Christians are to look away from anything that could distract and look to Jesus alone in the course of the race.

In Hebrews 12:2, the person upon whom we are to keep our attention fixed is described as:

1) The One who, at Calvary, kept His attention fixed on “the joy that was set before Him [the day when He and His co-heirs would rule and reign over the earth (Matthew 25:20-23)].”
2) The One who is presently seated at God’s right hand, anticipating that future day when “the joy that was set before Him” will be realized (cf. Hebrews 1:13).

And in Hebrews 2:1, it is the overall scope of this future inheritance upon which we are to keep our attention fixed — Christ as the appointed “Heir of all things” and Christians as those who are about to come into the position of “companions” with Him.

The danger of Christians not keeping their eyes fixed on the goal in either passage (Hebrews 2:1; 12:2) is the same. It would have to be, for the race of the faith in Hebrews 12 is simply another picture of the same thing seen in Hebrews 2, with the goal at any point throughout the book where a goal is in view having previously been established and made known in the opening chapter.

In Hebrews 2:1, the thought is that of drifting away from these things (as a ship, because of improper navigation by the crew, might drift past its mooring). Then, because of this improper direction in the course of one’s life — an improper navigation in one’s life — because of this drifting along in life, in a direction not moving toward the revealed destination, a Christian can fail to realize the goal of his calling.

In Hebrews 2:1, attention is to be fixed upon “the things we have heard,” which center on the coming inheritance of Christ and His co-heirs. And in Hebrews 12:2, attention is to be fixed upon Jesus, who, as seen in the very opening statement concerning Him in Hebrews, is the “Heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2). And by fixing our attention upon Him, as Heir, our attention will also be fixed upon the coming inheritance of the saints as well. From a proper Scriptural perspective, our attention really cannot be fixed upon one apart from the other, for they are inseparably related, one to the other.

The same inseparable relationship can be seen between Christ’s finished work at Calvary and His coming reign with His co-heirs. Jesus paid the price for His co-heirs’ redemption at Calvary, and, at the same time, had His eyes fixed upon “the joy that was set before Him” (referring to that day when He and those for whom He was paying redemption’s price [His shed blood] would occupy the throne together [ref. the author’s book, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Run to Win, Ch. 3]). Thus, within the scope of the inheritance given to Him by the Father, Christ cannot be separated from His co-heirs, for both are to exercise the rights of primogeniture together. There is no such thing as viewing the events surrounding Calvary in their proper perspective apart from viewing Christ’s future inheritance in connection with these events. And, as well, there is no such thing as viewing Christ in a proper perspective as “Heir of all things” apart from also viewing the “companions” which He will have with Him in that day, made possible because of His finished work at Calvary.

The glory must follow the sufferings, and Christ and His co-heirs, within the scope of this future glory, must realize the inheritance together. Sufferings, glory, Heir, co-heirs are all inseparably related, one to the other.

We must fix our attention upon the Christ of the Scriptures, the “Heir of all things”; we must look at redemption’s price, paid at Calvary, the same way Christ looked at it — “for the joy that was set before Him . . . .” If we don’t, “at any time, we might drift away” from these things. And such a drifting away — an erroneous direction in the course of one’s life — will, unless corrective action is taken, ultimately result in tragic consequences.

A JUST RECOMPENSE OF REWARD

Two things are brought to light in Hebrews 2:2:

1) “. . . the Word spoken through angels proved steadfast.”
2) “. . . every transgression and disobedience received a just [KJV: ‘recompense of’] reward.”

God gave His Word to Moses at Sinai through the instrumentality of angels (cf. Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalm 68:17; Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19), and that which they spoke was “steadfast [i.e., ‘settled,’ ‘established’].” This word was given “perfect” in the beginning (Psalm 12:6); that given through Moses, and later through other Jewish prophets, was “firm,” “established” at the time it was given. And the Israelites’ adherence to or departure from this Word always resulted in that which Scripture calls, “a just reward,” referring to payment exactly commensurate with services rendered.

God told Moses at this time,

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.
And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation . . . (Exodus 19:5-6a).

The matter was then later reiterated at length, along with the negative side, as recorded in both Leviticus 26:3ff and Deuteronomy 28:1ff.

God always acts in perfect accord with that which He has revealed, that which is “steadfast”:

If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
then I will . . . . (Leviticus 26:3-4a).

Or, on the other hand,

But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,
and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
I also will . . . . (Leviticus 26:14-16a; cf. Deuteronomy 28:1ff, 15ff).

The latter is what Hebrews 2:2 deals with — acting contrary to God’s revealed Word and ultimately receiving “a just reward.” Receiving such a reward has to do with receiving exactly what a person deserves and such a reward must always be based on the person’s actions in the light of revealed Truth.

God will not act apart from His revealed Word, and He will always act in perfect accord with this Word. This is the reason that there must always be “a just reward.”

A present household servant will, in that day, receive payment exactly commensurate with services rendered in the house, whether good or bad, whether comparable to “gold, silver, precious stones” or to “wood, hay, straw” (1 Corinthians 3:12ff). To view matters after any other fashion would reflect negatively on God’s perfect justice and righteousness.

God had revealed certain things to the Israelites, and, numerous times, they acted contrary to revealed Truth. Ultimately, they always reaped exactly what they had sown (cf. Galatians 6:7-8). There was always a just reward, for if such a reward had not been forthcoming, God would not have acted in complete accord with His Word. Apart from such a reward, God would not have been perfectly just and righteous in His dealings with His people.

This is the reason for God’s wrath falling upon the Israelites at Sinai, the subsequent overthrow of an entire generation in the wilderness, the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities centuries later, and the worldwide dispersion of the Jewish people today. God has rendered a just reward, based on the actions of His people with respect to His Word. God has done exactly what He said that He would do. His actions in relation to that which He revealed in His Word have been exactly commensurate with Israel’s actions in relation to that which He revealed in this same Word. There has been “a just reward.”

HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE

The heart of the warning now comes into view, and the thought turns from that which happened to the Israelites (who acted contrary to God’s Word) to that which will also happen to Christians (who act contrary to God’s Word). God dealt with the Israelites after a just fashion, based upon that which He had revealed in His Word; and God will, in like manner, also deal with Christians after the same just fashion, based upon the same thing — that which He has revealed in His Word.

The question is asked, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” How shall we escape what? The answer is obvious. How shall we escape “a just [KJV: recompense of] reward”? God’s people did not escape in the past, and they, in like fashion, cannot escape today. That is, the Israelites did not escape in past time (Hebrews 2:2), and neither can Christians escape during the present time (Hebrews 2:3; cf. Jude 1:5).

God spoke to the Israelites “at various times and in various ways . . . in time past . . . by [‘in the person of’] the prophets,” and He has spoken to Christians “in these last days . . . by [‘in the person of’] His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The Word that was spoken, in either instance, is the same. It was the written Word, which was God, which became flesh in the person of God’s Son. And the Three are inseparable, for any One of the Three (the Word, God, His Son) is simply a different manifestation of the other Two.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. . . .
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . . (John 1:1-2, 14a)

That which was given to man by means of the Son (the Word made flesh) “in these last days” is no different than that which had previously been given to man through Jewish prophets. No matter the form, it is still the unchangeable Word — whether the unchangeable God, the unchangeable written Word, or the unchangeable Word that was made flesh.

The unchangeable written Word “was [always has been, always will be] God.” This unchangeable Word is that which has forever been settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89) — as settled as the Father and His Son, for this Word is seen as both, and they are both seen as this Word.

(The word “was” appearing four times in John 1:1-2 is a translation of a form of eimi in the Greek text, which is a verb of being, without reference to a beginning or an ending. Thus, the Word always has been and always will be God, who became flesh in the person of His Son.
The same verb [eimi] is used in John 18:5-8 where Jesus identified Himself to “a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees,” led by Judas, when He simply said “I Am,” causing them to fall backward upon the ground.

[The translation “I am He” in the KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV is incorrect. The translation should be, “I Am.” This is the manner in which the same identifying expression is set forth in the Old Testament, and, of necessity, it must be the same in the New Testament.
Eimi, as in John 18:5-8, is the verb used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) in Exodus 3:14, where God identified Himself in Moses’ presence as “I AM THAT I AM,” translating (as in the English text) a double use of a verb of being from the Hebrew text.]

Also note that the Spirit, part of the Triune Godhead, can be seen in this same light with respect to the Word in another manner. The Spirit, who gave this Word through Jewish prophets, as well, cannot be separated from this Word. The Spirit possesses exactly the same relationship to the Word as does the Father and the Son. The Spirit would have to possess this same relationship relative to the Word, for He is part of an inseparable Trinity.
Comparing Ephesians 6:18-19 with the counterpart to this passage in Colossians 3:16, the command to “be filled with the Spirit” in Ephesians is revealed in Colossians to be carried out by allowing “the Word of Christ” to dwell in a person “richly in all wisdom.” The Spirit and the Word — as God and the Word, or as Jesus and the Word — are the same, manifested in two different forms.
And the preceding is why a Christian can eat Christ’s flesh and drink His blood [John 6:48-58] only one way — by allowing “the Word of Christ” to dwell in him “richly in all wisdom.” And by so doing, the Christian will progressively become filled with the Spirit at the same time.
Thus, a progressive infilling with the Word is part and parcel with a progressive infilling with the Spirit. And this is the only manner in which a filling with the Spirit can occur in a Christian’s life. God simply does not act apart from His Word. To do so, in a respect, God would be acting apart from Himself, His Son, and His Spirit — an impossibility.)

The actions of the Israelites in the past, in relation to that which God had said, pertained to an earthly calling; and the actions of Christians today, in relation to that which God has said, pertains to a heavenly calling.

The Israelites, following the appropriation of the blood of the paschal lambs (the point of beginning), were called to depart Egypt and go to another land, the land of Canaan.

And Christians, in like manner, following the appropriation of the blood of the Passover Lamb (the point of beginning), have been called to separate themselves from this world (“Egypt” is always a type of the world in Scripture) in view of one day inhabiting another land, a heavenly land.

The accountable generation of Israelites that left Egypt (twenty years old and above [Numbers 14:29]), because of “transgression and disobedience” (save Caleb and Joshua), failed to realize that to which they had been called. They failed to realize their earthly inheritance. They were overthrown in the wilderness, on the right side of the blood (eternally saved) but on the wrong side of the goal of their calling (entering into the land of Canaan and exercising the rights of the firstborn by God placing them “above all people” as a “kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” [Exodus 19:5-6]).

An entire accountable generation, forming part of a nation recognized as God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22-23), forfeited the rights of the firstborn. And this entire accountable generation was, accordingly (having received a just reward), denied these rights.

The Spirit of God in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 makes it very clear that the experiences of the Israelites “happened to them as examples [Greek: tupoi, ‘types], and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:6 where the Greek word translated “examples” is also tupoi). That which happened to Israel happened as types for us.

God, within His sovereign control of all matters, allowed these things to occur; and these things have been recorded so that God can draw from the type and teach His people numerous deep spiritual truths in the antitype. That is, God has these events surrounding Israel’s earthly calling to draw from in order to teach Christians deep spiritual truths surrounding their heavenly calling.

And many of “the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10) surrounding the Christians’ heavenly calling can be found only in the types surrounding Israel’s earthly calling. The Spirit of God didn’t move different men to record the actions of the Israelites through hundreds of pages in the Old Testament just to provide man with a history of this nation.

God’s purpose goes far beyond that. All historical incidents in the Old Testament form types. This is the manner in which God has seen fit to give His revelation to man. And anyone who would properly study and teach that which God has revealed in the Old Testament must study and teach it after the fashion in which it was written.

The Christians’ present experiences form the antitype of Israel’s past experiences, which is exactly what is referred to in Hebrews 2:2-3:

For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast [and it was], and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward [and they did],
how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation . . . . [we won’t, we can’t]?”

God has established the experiences of the Israelites as types for us. That which occurred in the type will also occur in the antitype. One is an exact replica of the other.

God has established this in His Word, and it is a settled matter. God acting in accord with His Word must act in accord with the type that He has established. There can be no deviation from this established pattern. This is the reason why we can’t escape if we, relative to our heavenly calling, follow a parallel course of action to that which the entire accountable generation of Israelites, save Caleb and Joshua, followed relative to their earthly calling.

They didn’t escape in the type, and we can’t escape in the antitype; there was “a just reward” in the type, and there will be “a just reward” in the antitype.

As the entire accountable generation of Israelites that left Egypt, because of “transgression and disobedience” (save Caleb and Joshua), failed to realize that to which they had been called (an earthly inheritance), so will it be for Christians who follow a parallel course of action relative to their heavenly calling (which involves a heavenly inheritance). And as the Israelites were overthrown on the right side of the blood (eternally saved) but on the wrong side of the goal of their calling (failing to realize the inheritance that they had been called to possess), so will like-minded Christians be overthrown on the right side of the blood (eternally saved) but on the wrong side of the goal of their calling (fail to realize the inheritance that they have been called to possess). The Israelites forfeited and were denied the rights of the firstborn during Moses’ day; and numerous Christians are presently forfeiting and will, during the days of the One greater than Moses, be denied these same rights.

1) IF WE NEGLECT

The word “neglect” is a translation of the Greek word ameleo, which means, “to be unconcerned about,” “to care little to nothing for,” “to disregard.” This word is used four other places in the New Testament: Matthew 22:5; 1 Timothy 4:14; Hebrews 8:9; and 2 Peter 1:12.

a) In Matthew 22:5, certain individuals “made light of,” they “disregarded” an invitation to the festivities surrounding a royal wedding.
b) In 1 Timothy 4:14, Timothy is warned to not “neglect,” “disregard” the gift given to him.
c) In Hebrews 8:9, the Israelites had failed to keep the Lord’s covenant — they had “disregarded” that which the Lord had said — and He, exactly as He had said that He would do, had, correspondingly, “disregarded” them. They reaped exactly what they had sown.
d) In 2 Peter 1:12, the writer explained that he would “not be negligent” to keep the attention of those to whom he was writing channeled in the proper direction, “to remind you always of these things [things having to do with Christian maturity in relation to the Lord’s return and an abundant entrance ‘into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 1:2-11; cf. 2 Peter 1:15-19)].”

Understanding how the Greek word ameleo is used in the preceding passages will suffice to show exactly how this word is also use in Hebrews 2:3 (note that which is in view in three of the four references where this word is found [Matthew 22:5; Hebrews 8:9; 2 Peter 1:12]. It is man’s attitude [and resulting action on his part] toward that which the Lord has revealed in His Word).

The parable of the wedding festival in Matthew 22:2-14 provides three different invitations to two groups of individuals, requesting their attendance at a royal wedding festival. The first group was invited on two different occasions. The first time that the invitation was extended, Scripture states that they simply “would not come” (Matthew 22:3); and the second time that the invitation was extended, these individuals not only “made light of” the invitation, but some of them went so far as to extend ill treatment to the King’s servants who, on behalf of the King, had extended the invitation (Matthew 22:4-6). Then the King sent His servants out with the message a third time, to other individuals. Some of these individuals showed a proper attitude toward the invitation (Matthew 22:10, 14), but others didn’t (Matthew 22:11-14).

The wedding festivities in view are those surrounding the marriage of God’s Son. The first two times the invitation was extended had to do with God’s servants sent to the Israelites, along with the Israelites’ response. It is the same as in the immediately preceding parable of the Householder and His vineyard (Matthew 21:33-44).

Then, following judgment falling upon the Israelites for their attitude toward this invitation (Matthew 21:41; 22:7), the King’s servants were sent to a different group of individuals — the group called into existence to be the recipient of that which Israel rejected, the Church (Matthew 21:43; 22:8-10). Some from this last group accepted the invitation (Matthew 21:10, 14), but others didn’t (Matthew 21:11-14). And the emphasis in this part of the parable, as in the first part, is upon those who rejected the invitation.

The man appearing at the wedding festivities improperly clothed in verses eleven through thirteen would, in the light of verse fourteen, be representative of many like-minded individuals. He appeared without a wedding garment, and the way that the Greek text is worded (Matthew 21:11-12) shows that the man knew he was supposed to have a wedding garment but deliberately, willingly refused to provide himself with one. Consequently, when the King came in and asked the man what he was doing at the festivities, with the man knowing that he was present at these festivities improperly clothed, the man “was speechless.” There was nothing he could say, for his innermost thoughts had been revealed — laid bare before the all-searching eyes of the King (cf. Revelation 1:14) — through the question that had been asked.

The attitude of numerous Christians during the present dispensation toward the invitation to attend the festivities surrounding the marriage of God’s Son is little to no different than that exhibited by the Israelites in the past dispensation. Christians are making light of this invitation; there is an utter disregard for that which God has revealed about the matter, recorded in His Word. And the end result will be, it can only be, the same as that which Israel experienced for doing exactly the same thing.

The Israelites, acting contrary to God’s Word in the past, did not escape a just reward; and neither can Christians acting contrary to this Word today escape a just reward. The Israelites disregarded that which the Lord had said, and He correspondingly disregarded them (Hebrews 8:9). And Christians are warned in Hebrews 2:2-3 that if they “neglect [‘disregard’] so great a salvation,” the Lord will extend like treatment to them, in perfect keeping with His Word.

We, as expressed in 2 Peter 1:12, must not disregard that which the Lord has revealed about His return and coming kingdom. Rather, we must keep these things “always in remembrance.” Even though we “know” these things and are “established in the present truth,” we still must keep these things uppermost in our thinking. We must keep our eyes fixed on the goal out ahead (cf. Hebrews 12:2).

If we don’t, according to Hebrews 2:1, there is an ever-present danger of drifting away from these things. And continuing on to Hebrews 2:3, there would, correspondingly, be an ever-present danger of neglecting, disregarding “so great a salvation.”

2) SO GREAT A SALVATION

Understood contextually, “so great a salvation” would have to refer to the same salvation previously mentioned in Hebrews 1:14 — Christians inheriting as co-heirs with the “Heir of all things,” realizing the rights of the firstborn. This is the “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time . . . the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:5, 9).

Further, the message surrounding this salvation “began to be spoken by the Lord,” it “was confirmed to us by them those heard Him,” and it was attended by “signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews 2:3-4 [3b]).

The Lord and His disciples offered to Israel the kingdom of the heavens (a rule from heavenly places as co-heirs with the Heir); and this message was attended by signs, wonders, and miracles, which were the credentials of the messengers, bearing witness concerning the validity of the message which they proclaimed. They were “powers of the age to come” (Hebrews 6:5; cf. Isaiah 35:1, 5-6; Matthew 4:17, 23-25; 10:7-8), powers of that coming day, not the present day.

The salvation in view is that which was taken from Israel and is presently being offered to Christians (Matthew 21:43). And though the offer is no longer attended by signs, wonders, and miracles (it was the Jew who required a sign during the offer and the reoffer of the kingdom [1 Corinthians 1:22]), that which is stated in Hebrews 2:3-4 [3b], as that which is stated in Hebrews 1:14, leaves no room to question what is meant by “so great a salvation.”

(Signs, wonders, and miracles in relation to “so great a salvation,” as seen in Hebrews 2:3-4 [3b], is dealt with in the next chapter in this book.)

The Spirit of God in Hebrews 2:3 chose to use a qualifying word, setting this salvation apart. The thought is not that of Christians (“we”) disregarding “salvation,” but that of Christians disregarding “so great a salvation.”

The adjective in the Greek text translated “so great [Greek: telikoutos]” is only found three other places in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 1:10; James 3:4; Revelation 16:18); and its full force can be seen in the latter reference, in Revelation 16:18:

And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty [telikoutos] and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.

The earthquake in Revelation 16:18 [Greek: seismos, ”a shaking,” has to do, contextually, with a complete collapse and disarray in the earth’s government under Antichrist, not with an earthquake] will occur in connection with the termination of God’s judgments during the Tribulation. The seventh bowl poured out in the preceding verse (Revelation 16:17) will complete God’s judgments upon the earth-dwellers, preceding His Son’s return.

(For information on how the Greek word seismos is used in the New Testament [fourteen times — seven times in the gospel accounts and the book of Acts, and seven more times in the book of Revelation], refer to the author’s book, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Time of the End, Ch. 15, or The Great Seismos in this site.)

The words, “It is done,” at the end of Revelation 16:17 are the translation of a perfect tense in the Greek text, indicating action completed in past time with the results of this action extending into the present and existing in a finished state. The succeeding four verses (Revelation 16:18-21) simply describe, in brief form, the completion of God’s judgments within the seventh vial in verse seventeen. Then chapters seventeen and eighteen (Revelations 17; 18) elaborate more in detail concerning these judgments.

The evident thought incorporated into Hebrews 2:3 and Revelation 16:18 by the use of the word telikoutos is that, in each instance, something unexampled is being dealt with. In Revelation it is so “mighty and great earthquake [‘so mighty a shaking,’ one beyond anything having previously existed on the earth, dating all the way back to the days of Adam],” and in Hebrews it is “so great a salvation [the greatest thing God could ever design for redeemed man, for it has to do with removing man from the earth and positioning him in the heavens as co-heir with the ‘Heir of all things’].”

It is such a salvation as this — so great a salvation — that is in view. God is the designer, He has declared it to be something unexampled, and He has offered it to redeemed man. Resultantly, God is not going to countenance individuals whom He has redeemed through the finished work of His Son making light of, disregarding this salvation.

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Chapter Four

Which at the First

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 2:1-4)

According to Hebrews 2:3-4, the message having to do with “so great a salvation,” which is the central message to be proclaimed to Christians throughout the present dispensation, is the same message proclaimed to Israel in time past.

This is the message proclaimed by Christ, the Twelve, and later the Seventy, to Israel during Christ’s earthly ministry; this is the message proclaimed to Israel for about three decades following Christ’s ascension, as seen throughout the book of Acts; and this, as well, is the message proclaimed to Christians by those who had heard Christ during the same period of time covered by the book of Acts, along with the period shortly thereafter (Hebrews 2:3b).

This message has to do with that which was offered to Israel in time past, offered during Christ’s earthly ministry. And this is also the message rejected by and subsequently taken from Israel, with the new creation “in Christ” then called into existence to be the recipient of that which Israel had rejected (cf. Matthew 21:33-45; Acts 2:1ff; 1 Peter 2:9-11).

And, though there was a reoffer of the kingdom to Israel during the Acts period (from 33 A.D. to about 62 A.D.), the nation, as before, rejected the offer. This reoffer of the kingdom to Israel was made at the same time that the kingdom began to be offered to the new creation “in Christ,” the one new man (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:15).

Since Israel, at this time, was still in view relative to the proffered kingdom, signs, wonders, and miracles, of necessity, had to continue in evidence as well. This is the reason that they are seen throughout the period covered by the book of Acts, which covers the complete time of the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel — from the Apostles dealing with the Jews in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:4ff to Paul dealing with the Jewish religious leaders in Rome almost thirty years later, in Acts 28:17-29.

And this is the period of time in view by a mention of signs, wonders, and miracles in connection with “so great a salvation” in Hebrews 2:4.

With that in mind, the remainder of this chapter will be taken up with an overview of signs, wonders, and miracles as seen throughout Scripture, allowing Hebrews 2:3-4 to be understood within a proper Scriptural framework relative to the message surrounding “so great a salvation,” proclaimed to Israel during past time and to be proclaimed to Christians throughout the present dispensation.

(Defining “signs and wonders, with various miracles” [e.g., Acts 2:22], the “sign” is centrally in view; and the words “wonder” and “miracle” describe the “sign.” That is, the “sign” [Greek: semeion] is both a “wonder” [Greek: teras, something out of the ordinary] and a “miracle” [Greek: dunamis, meaning “power,” referring to the supernatural power necessary to bring the sign to pass].)

HISTORY OF SIGNS, WONDERS, AND MIRACLES

The manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles in Scripture is inseparably connected with two things:

1) The Nation of Israel.
2) The Kingdom.

Both Israel and the kingdom must be in view at the same time for signs, wonders, and miracles to exist. If there is an absence of either one (either Israel, or the kingdom), a manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles, as seen throughout the gospel accounts and the book of Acts, cannot exist (for it would be out of line with the reason for their appearance in Scripture for them to exist).

And, in order to properly understand this manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles during time covered by the gospel accounts and the book of Acts, a person must have a correct foundation upon which to build. A person must begin in the Old Testament and trace the history of this supernatural work into the New Testament. Only then is he in a position to understand various, necessary things about this supernatural phenomenon.

1) SIGNS, WONDERS, AND MIRACLES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Signs, wonders, and miracles, performed through individuals, were manifested only on two occasions in all of the Old Testament.

They were manifested by Moses and Aaron surrounding Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, with a view to the nation’s entrance into the land of Canaan; and they were manifested by Moses’ successor, Joshua, surrounding Israel’s subsequent entrance into the land of Canaan (Exodus 4:29-31; 7:10ff; Deuteronomy 6:22-23; Joshua 3:7ff; 10:12-14).

That was the first occasion. The second was a manifestation by Elijah and his successor Elisha, some five hundred years later (1 Kings 17:1ff; 2 Kings 2:13ff).

Outside of these two occasions there is not a single reference to an individual being empowered to perform signs, wonders, and miracles throughout all of the Old Testament Scriptures. Numerous miracles are recorded in these Scriptures (e.g., the burning bush that was not consumed [Exodus 3:2], the sun being moved back ten degrees on the dial [Isaiah 38:7-8], the three Israelites being protected in the fiery furnace [Daniel 3:19-25], or Jonah being raised from the place of death in the sea [Jonah 1:17-2:10]). But these were miraculous works performed directly by God, not by individuals whom God had empowered to perform them.

Note that the manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles during the days of Moses, Aaron, and Joshua was in relation to Israel and the kingdom. Supernatural manifestations of power occurred relative to Israel being removed from Egypt and being established in the land of Canaan, within a theocracy.

Thus, a first-mention principle was set forth at this point in Scripture, establishing an unchangeable pattern. Any future manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles of the nature seen at the time of the Exodus must be brought to pass with Israel in view, and they must have to do with the kingdom.

During the days of Elijah and Elisha the people of Israel had been established in the land, within a theocracy, for about five hundred years. But, because of continued disobedience on the part of the people, the theocracy never came even close to reaching the heights that God had intended. The theocracy reached its greatest heights during the days of David and his son Solomon (though far from the heights that God had intended). But after that, following the division of the kingdom, things began to go in another direction entirely, moving even farther away from that which God had commanded.

And it was during these days that Elijah was called forth (with Elisha finishing his ministry) to call the nation to repentance. The manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles accompanying their ministry pertained to Israel and the kingdom. They had to, for a first-mention principle had previously been established; and any future manifestation had to be exactly in accord with the way matters were set forth at the beginning.

These signs, wonders, and miracles were simply the credentials of those manifesting them in Israel’s presence, with the signs themselves, by their very nature, setting forth a message (like the sign of Jonah, foreshadowing a miraculous deliverance of God’s two firstborn Sons — Christ and Israel — from the place of death [cf. Matthew 12:38-40]).

Through a manifestation of supernatural powers accompanying the message, Israel was to recognize that the Messenger had been sent from God; and, accordingly, the people were to heed both the message set forth by the manifested signs and proclaimed by the Messenger (Exodus 4:1-9, 29-31).

The people of Israel though failed to heed the message; the nation didn’t repent. And the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities followed (722 B.C. and 605 B.C. respectively).

The “times of the Gentiles” began with the Babylonian captivity, has lasted to the present day, and will last until the end of the Tribulation. This is simply a prolonged, uninterrupted period of time — lasting about 2,600 years — during which Israel must dwell apart from a theocracy and remain scattered among the Gentile nations. And the Gentiles, among whom Israel dwells, will hold the scepter throughout this time.

(The remnant of Jews in the land forming the present nation of Israel — nearly 6,000,000 strong — is not there to stay. This remnant has returned under a Zionistic movement, due to man’s efforts, apart from repentance, before it is time for the nation to return.
And, from a biblical standpoint, a continued, indefinite presence of the Jewish people in the land is not possible.
In past history, because of Israel’s continued disobedience over centuries of time, God eventually uprooted the Jewish people from their land and drove them out among the Gentile nations. And among these nations is where God has deemed that they will remain until they repent. As well, this is the place where God has decreed that He will deal with His people relative to repentance, not in the land.
The remnant presently in the land is going to be uprooted in the middle of the coming Tribulation and be driven back out among the nations [Matthew 24:15-22; Luke 21:20-24]. God dealt with Jonah in the sea in the type, and that which the sea typifies [the Gentile nations] is where God has decreed that He will deal with the one whom Jonah typifies — the nation of Israel [Jonah 1:15-2:10].
The type has been set, and the antitype must follow the type in exact detail.
For additional information on this whole overall subject, refer to the author’s book, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Time of the End, Appendix 1 and Appendix 2, “The Intractable Middle East Problem” and “The Death of the High Priest.”)

2) SIGNS, WONDERS, AND MIRACLES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

After moving through almost 1,500 years of Jewish history and seeing signs, wonders, and miracles manifested during only two different periods by only five different men within these periods (by Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Elijah, and Elisha), things suddenly changed. Israel’s Messiah (following the ministry of His forerunner, John the Baptist) appeared to Israel with a message pertaining to the kingdom of the heavens; and this message was accompanied by numerous signs, wonders, and miracles (Matthew 4:17-25; 8:1ff).

Then, in conjunction with and very early in His ministry, Christ called twelve disciples to help carry this message; and they were empowered to perform signs, wonders, and miracles in connection with their ministry as well (Matthew 10:5-8).

(Also, Christ later “appointed” seventy others to go “before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go” — though very little is said about them in the gospel accounts — and He empowered them to perform signs, wonders, and miracles as well [Luke 10:1-19].
Thus, at this time, there was a manifestation of supernatural signs in the camp of Israel unlike anything heretofore seen in the history of the nation.)

Christ had been sent only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24), and Christ sent the disciples whom He had called to Israel alone (Matthew 10:6). Christ and His disciples, both went to Israel with the same message and the same accompanying manifestation of supernatural powers. It was a message surrounding the offer of the kingdom of the heavens to the nation, attended by a manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles of an unprecedented nature.

Whether it was Jesus or His disciples proclaiming the proffered kingdom, signs, wonders, and miracles accompanied their ministry and formed the credentials of those carrying the message. These manifestations of power were supernatural events that, by their very nature, set forth a message themselves; and these signs, as well, authenticated the message being proclaimed by the Messenger as being true and from God (John 3:1-2; Acts 2:22; cf. Exodus 4:1-9).

The religious leaders in Israel were to see these signs, wonders, and miracles and understand not only the message set forth by the signs but that the Messengers were God-sent, carrying God’s message for His people. Then, believing and understanding the message that they had both seen (by the signs) and heard (from the Messengers), they were responsible for carrying this message to the people of Israel (cf. Exodus 4:29-31; Numbers 13:1-26).

However, exactly the opposite occurred. The religious leaders refused to believe the message, rejecting both the signs and the Messengers; and they, in their unbelief, then sought to subvert the message and discredit the signs and the Messengers in the presence of the Jewish people (Matthew 12:14-32).

(This is why Christ, near the end of His earthly ministry, in no uncertain terms, condemned the actions of the scribes and Pharisees — the fundamental religious leaders of that day [Matthew 23:1ff]. They had seen the signs and heard the Messengers; but they had rejected the message and had sought to do away with the accompanying supernatural powers, mainly by attacking the central Messenger, by attacking Christ.
The scribes and Pharisees had rejected the signs and had sought to discredit Christ in the eyes of the people, bringing about reproach on the Messenger and casting doubt on His message [e.g., Matthew 9:27-34; 12:22-24; cf. John 12:10-11]. And, whether by word or deed, this resulted in their bearing a false witness to the people of Israel.)

The scribes and Pharisees, the main body of religious leaders in Israel, controlled, more than any other group (by their very numbers), the religious life of the nation. And these religious leaders had “shut up the kingdom of the heavens against men [lit., ‘. . . in the presence of men’ — i.e., among those in Israel]” (Matthew 23:13). These religious leaders had no interest in entering the kingdom, and they were doing all within their power to prevent others from entering as well.

And all of this had its end result in Israel’s rejection of both the message and the Messenger, the removal of the kingdom of the heavens from Israel, the crucifixion of Israel’s Messiah, and God bringing into existence a separate and distinct entity to be the recipient of that which had been offered to and rejected by Israel.

Israel had failed to bring forth fruit in relation to the kingdom of the heavens, and the one new man “in Christ” was called into existence to be accorded the opportunity to bring forth fruit in this realm (Matthew 21:18-19, 33-43; cf. 1 Peter 2:9-11).

But, though the kingdom was taken from Israel and the Church was called into existence to be the recipient of this offer, there was a reoffer of the kingdom to Israel, beginning at the time of the inception of the Church (Acts 2:1ff). And, if for no other reason, this is evident because of the continuance of signs, wonders, and miracles.

That would be to say, if God had terminated His dealings with Israel relative to the kingdom of the heavens at or before the time that the Church was called into existence, signs, wonders, and miracles would have ceased to exist. These supernatural manifestations of power had nothing to do with the one new man “in Christ” (who is “neither Jew nor Greek” [Galatians 3:28]). They had to do with Israel alone (1 Corinthians 1:22), and they had to do with Israel in relation to the kingdom.

These were supernatural works, manifested through empowered individuals as they carried the message to Israel (Acts 2:4; 3:1ff; 4:29-33; 5:12ff; 6:8ff). Then, when Gentiles began to be added to the body of Christ, they were manifested within churches comprised mainly of saved Gentiles, such as the Church in Corinth (Acts 12-14). And a manifestation of supernatural works in the Church after this fashion could only have been centered on the thought of provoking Israel “to jealousy” (Romans 10:19; 11:11, 14).

That is, God was using those whom Israel considered Gentile dogs to manifest supernatural powers that naturally belonged to Israel in order to provoke the nation to jealousy.

And, between the segment of the one new man “in Christ” carrying the message to Israel and another segment seeking to provoke the nation to jealousy — all being done by a manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles — the Jewish people were dealt with in what might be considered a maximum manner.

In one respect, God pulled out all stops (cf. Luke 10:13-24; 11:29-32); but the religious leaders in Israel would still have nothing to do with the message. Thus, the nation continued in unbelief.

Purpose for Signs, Wonders, and Miracles

Most of the manifestations of supernatural power during the ministry of Christ and the apostles (during the periods covered by both the gospel accounts and by the book of Acts) centered on bodily healings. This was the manner in which they were introduced during Christ’s ministry (Matthew 4:23-25), and this was the manner in which they were brought to a close about three decades later during Paul’s ministry (Acts 28:7-9).

(And along with bodily healings, death was no longer irreversible [Mark 5:35-43; John 11:1-47; Acts 9:36-42; 20:7-12], material needs were miraculously supplied [food, drink, etc. (John 2:1-11; 6:1-14; Acts 5:19-23; 16:26)], there was deliverance from demonic spirits [Matthew 12:22; Acts 5:16], and angelic ministry was abundantly available [Matthew 4:11; Acts 12:7-8, 23].)

The signs, centering on bodily healings (though including other related things), reflected on and had to do with a dual aspect of one thing: the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel.

1) The signs showed an existing condition (sickness, seen prior to the healings).
2) The signs also showed another condition that could exist (restoration, seen following the healings).

And deliverance for the nation after the fashion set forth by the signs was contingent on national repentance, followed by baptism (cf. Matthew 3:1-11; 4:17, 23-25; 10:5-8; Acts 2:37-38; 3:19-21).

These signs, wonders, and miracles, along with being the credentials of the Messengers of the gospel of the kingdom, were manifestations of supernatural powers (powers necessary to bring the signs to pass) depicting Israel’s present spiritual condition and showing how this condition could change, if . . . . These same manifestations of supernatural powers could and would — contingent on Israel’s repentance — bring to pass that of which the signs spoke, i.e., Israel’s supernatural healing, accompanied by God’s supernatural provision for the nation in all areas of life, dealt with in all the other various signs.

1) ISRAEL’S PRESENT SPIRITUAL CONDITION

Israel’s spiritual condition prior to God’s miraculous healing is revealed numerous places in Scripture. But note Isaiah’s description of the nation in this respect:

Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward.
Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints.
From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. (Isaiah 1:4-6)

This was the way Isaiah introduced Israel at the very beginning of his prophecy; but he didn’t remain at this point, depicting Israel’s spiritual condition during his day (a condition that has continued to the present day). Isaiah went on, at the beginning, to relate the main subject matter of his prophecy.

Israel was sick, but Israel could and one day would be cured of this sickness. And the latter is what Isaiah went on to also relate. Israel’s condition was not permanent. The nation would one day be healed.

But this would occur only after God’s conditions had been met: “If you are willing and obedient . . . .” (Isaiah 1:19a; cf. Isaiah 1:18). Only then would the Lord turn His hand, purge the nation, and restore her rulers (Isaiah 1:25-26). Only then would redemption occur, and only then would the kingdom with all its glory be restored to Israel (Isaiah 1:27-2:5).

2) ISRAEL’S FUTURE SUPERNATURAL RESTORATION

But when will Israel repent, allowing healing to occur? The answer is provided numerous places in Scripture, but note Hosea’s prophecy where the matter is dealt with in so many words.

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound [“Ephraim” and “Judah” referring to Israel], then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb [“Jareb,” a figurative title of the Assyrian]; yet he cannot cure you, nor heal you of your wound.
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.
Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. (Hosea 5:13-6:2)

In these verses from Hosea, Israel is pictured as sick, having a wound (near the end of Israel’s time of sickness, during the coming Tribulation), with the Assyrian (Antichrist) being unable to provide a cure (Hosea 5:13). Help though is available, but it must come from the same source that Isaiah or any of the other prophets foretold. It must come from the Lord (Hosea 5:14-6:1).

Israel’s sickness was brought about by the Lord because of the nation’s refusal to obey that which the Lord had commanded. And the same One who brought about Israel’s condition is also the only One who can effect a change in Israel’s condition. And a reversal of the nation’s condition after this fashion is dependent on a reversal of the nation’s attitude and action regarding the Lord’s commandments (cf. Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-12; 4:19-20).

Israel being positioned in the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the head of the nations, within a theocracy, is conditional. It was conditional in history and remains so today. It was/is conditioned on Israel obeying the Lord’s commandments.

Once the Israelites had been delivered from Egypt and were at Sinai, about to receive the Law [the Magna Charta for the kingdom, the rules and regulations governing the people within the kingdom], the Lord made one thing very clear — the necessity and importance of the people obeying His commandments.

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.
And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5-6; cf. Leviticus 26:1-13; Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

(Note that obedience to the Lord’s commandments follows repentance [a change of mind] in both the type and the antitype.
In the type, the Israelites changed their minds and received the one whom they had previously rejected [Moses]. In the antitype, the Israelites will change their minds and receive the One whom they previously rejected [the One greater than Moses, the nation’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ (Zechariah 12:10-14; 13:6)].
It is only after this, in the type or the antitype, that subsequent events leading up to the reception of the Lord’s commandments governing the Jewish people in the kingdom occur [in the type, following the Passover, the Exodus from Egypt . . . ; in the antitype, following that which is foreshadowed by these events].
In the type, the Lord’s commandments had to do with the old covenant, the Law received at Sinai; in the antitype these commandments will have to do the new covenant, the Law placed “in their inward parts,” written “in their hearts” [Jeremiah 31:31-33]. And the new covenant may very well be made with Israel at the same place that the old covenant was made with the nation — at Sinai.)

And it was later clearly revealed exactly what would occur if Israel refused to obey the Lord’s commandments (Leviticus 26:14ff; Deuteronomy 28:15ff). The nation would be punished “seven times [a number signifying the completeness of that which was in view, i.e., a complete punishment at the Lord’s hands],” all types of curses would befall the people, they would be removed from their land and scattered among the nations, and they would find themselves in subjection to the Gentile nations where they had been scattered.

They would find themselves at the tail of the nations rather than at the head, and their lot in this position would be that of curses rather than blessings. And, though remnants of those scattered would, at times, leave the Gentile nations and return to their own land (a remnant was present 2,000 years ago, and another is present today), the nation — the whole nation, including any remnant in the land (Isaiah 1:5-7) — would remain in the same spiritually sick condition, with its land desolate. Only the Lord could bring about healing, but in His time.

And that’s what Hosea 5:13-6:2 is about — Israel’s present condition and that future time when the nation will repent, resulting in the nation being healed. Note again Hosea 6:1-2 relative to Israel’s repentance and healing:

Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days [after 2,000 years] He will revive us; on the third day [the third 1,000-year period] He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.

Then, note the two things revealed immediately before this, in Hosea 5:15, which introduce Israel’s future repentance:

1) The two days (the 2,000 years) begin with Israel’s “offense” (i.e., the nation’s rejection and subsequent crucifixion of her Messiah).
2) The two days (the 2,000 years) come to a close with the Jewish people seeking the Lord’s face during a time of “affliction” (during the coming Tribulation), receiving the Lord when He returns.

Both the time of the Tribulation and the time when Israel will seek the Lord’s face will be two days (2,000 years) beyond the crucifixion of Christ, which was four days (4,000 years) beyond the creation of Adam. Thus, healing for the nation will occur after two days, on the third day (counting from Calvary), or after six days, on the seventh day (counting from Adam [cf. Numbers 19:11-12, 19]).

As God worked six days to restore a ruined creation in the beginning and then rested the seventh day (Genesis 1:1-2:3), so is He presently working six more days (6,000 years) to restore a subsequent ruined creation, with a view to resting the seventh day (the seventh 1,000-year period). And all subsequent sections of Scripture, such as Hosea 6:1-2, merely rest upon and provide additional light for the foundational framework — showing the septenary structure of Scripture — set forth at the very beginning.

Then, with all of the preceding in mind, note Isaiah 53. This chapter outlines Israel’s confession in that coming seventh day, following the healing of the nation:

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:1, 4-5)

It was this future condition of Israel that Isaiah (along with the other prophets) dealt with so extensively. And it was this future condition of Israel to which the miraculous signs throughout Scripture pointed, whether during Moses and Joshua’s day, during Elijah and Elisha’s day, or during the days of Christ and the Apostles (both preceding and following the events of Calvary).

The central thought when the Spirit of God closed the Old Testament Canon pertained to Israel being healed [Malachi 4:2-3], and this was likewise the central thought when the heavens were once again opened over four centuries later in the New Testament [Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17, 23-25]. The New is simply a continuation and unveiling of that which has lain in the Old from the beginning.

Do you want to understand the New? Then study the Old. Do you want to see Israel and the Christ of the New? Then view Israel and the nation’s Messiah in the eyes of the Old.

Cessation of Signs, Wonders, and Miracles

Signs, wonders, and miracles, manifested during time covered by the gospel accounts and the book of Acts, were inseparably connected with the offer of the kingdom of the heavens to Israel (both in the original offer and in the reoffer).

In the gospel accounts (in the original offer), these manifestations of supernatural power were more evident prior to Israel’s climactic rejection of the message and Christ’s departure from the house (Matthew 12:22-32; 13:1), though seen throughout this period.

And in Acts (in the subsequent reoffer), these manifestations of supernatural power were more evident prior to Israel’s climactic rejection once again and the introduction of Paul to carry the message to the Gentiles (Acts 7:51-58; 9:1-15), though, as in the original offer, they were seen throughout this period.

There was a definite, revealed reason for the particular type of manifestations of supernatural power — something that would not be true at all beyond that time when the offer was removed from Israel and the nation set aside, awaiting “the fullness of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:25). These signs, wonders, and miracles were not only inseparably connected with the offer of the kingdom to Israel (a connection established in the Old Testament Scriptures) but they spoke volumes in and of themselves. These manifestations of supernatural power reflected directly on Israel’s spiritual condition, past, present, and future — something dealt with throughout the Old Testament.

In this respect, before Israel’s climactic rejection in both the original offer and the reoffer, it was only natural for these signs, wonders, and miracles to be very prevalent. However, in each instance, once these climactic points had been reached it was also only natural for the signs, wonders, and miracles to become less prevalent, though still in evidence because the offer of the kingdom remained open to Israel. Then, once the offer had been withdrawn (about 62 A.D.), it was not only natural but absolutely necessary that the signs, wonders, and miracles cease altogether.

They had to cease at this time. They would have been completely out of place beyond this point. And this can be seen from a Scriptural standpoint entirely apart from referencing 1 Corinthians 13 — a section of Scripture in which Paul stated that they would cease, giving both the time and the reason.

1) 1 CORINTHIANS 13:8-10

Paul’s reference to this matter in his first letter to those in Corinth was made necessary because the church in Corinth was a Gentile church in which signs, wonders, and miracles were being manifested, which could only have been with a view to provoking Israel to jealousy (Romans 10:19; 11:11-14; cf. Acts 13:44-45). And Paul, viewing that which was occurring in the light of the Old Testament Scriptures, called their attention to the time and the reason when these manifestations of supernatural power would cease.

In 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, Paul called attention to the fact that the spiritual sign-gifts being manifested in the church in Corinth were only temporary, for a revealed reason. And it is evident that the whole panorama of spiritual sign-gifts (1 Corinthians 12) would be alluded to by the three that Paul singled out — prophecies, tongues, and knowledge.

All of the spiritual sign-gifts would have to be looked upon together — as a unit, comprised of different parts — simply because of their interrelated purpose. They all existed for exactly the same purpose. And when the Lord saw fit to bring His purpose surrounding these gifts to a close, they (all of them together, delineated by the three in 1 Corinthians 13:8) would no longer exist.

Actually, from a Scriptural standpoint, they could no longer exist. Any existence of these gifts beyond this time would be contrary to the revealed Word of God and, thus, impossible.

Prior to this time, Paul had the power to effect bodily healings (portending Israel’s healing), for the offer of the kingdom was still open to Israel (Acts 19:6, 11-12; 28:8-9). But after this time, when the offer of the kingdom was no longer open to the nation — when healing for Israel was set aside with the nation, with the corresponding cessation of signs, wonders, and miracles — Paul no longer possessed this power.

After this time, Paul instructed Timothy, “. . . use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (1 Timothy 5:23); and he later left Trophimus “in Miletus sick” (2 Timothy 4:20).

In 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, two expressions relative to these sign-gifts are used in opposite senses — “in part,” and “perfect”:

Love [KJV: “Charity”]. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

In these verses, “in part” has to do with incompleteness (from ek meros), meaning “out of a part [plural in the Greek text of 1 Corinthians 13:9-10, ‘out of parts’],” and “perfect” has to do with completeness (from teleios, meaning “complete,” “bringing to an end”). Thus, ek meros and teleios are used in antithetical senses.

And both expressions, since they have to do with either the continuance or the end of the manifestation of supernatural signs, are inseparably connected with either the continuance or the end of the offer of the kingdom to Israel. This is a connection that must be recognized in order to properly understand that which is being stated in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.

In this respect, incompleteness (shown by ek meros) has to do with that time prior to God finishing His work pertaining to the offer of the kingdom to Israel (with signs, wonders, and miracles still in evidence); and completeness (shown by teleios) has to do with that time following God finishing His work pertaining to the offer of the kingdom to Israel (with signs, wonders, and miracles no longer in evidence).

Thus, the thought set forth by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:9-10, contextually, is something quite easy to see and understand as long as the proper connection with the manifestation of signs, wonders, and miracles is made. But remove this key, and the whole matter becomes impossible to properly see and understand.

Verse nine teaches that Paul and others were exercising supernatural spiritual gifts. And they were exercising these gifts during a time of “incompleteness,” i.e., they were exercising these gifts during the period prior to the time God would “complete” His work with Israel relative to the proffered kingdom.

Verse ten then goes on to state that the time was coming when God would “complete” His work surrounding the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel. Then, the things being done during the time of “incompleteness” (during the time when the offer of the kingdom remained open to Israel, prior to God completing His work in this respect) — things pertaining to Israel and the kingdom — would “be done away” with.

2) ACTS 28:28

This is exactly what occurred when the offer of the kingdom was withdrawn from Israel, with a view to God removing from the Gentiles “a people for His name.” The manifested signs, wonders, and miracles ceased. And this was in complete keeping with their usage in the Old Testament (pertaining to Israel and the kingdom), in complete keeping with their usage during the time covered by both the gospel accounts and the book of Acts (again, pertaining to Israel and the kingdom), and in complete keeping with that which they portended (Israel’s spiritual condition, both present and future).

In Acts 28:28, Paul told the Jews for the third and last time that he was going to the Gentiles with the message that they had rejected.

Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!
And when he had said these words, the Jews departed . . . .” (Acts 28:28-29a; cf. Acts 13:46; 18:6).

At this time, God set Israel aside for the remainder of the dispensation, and, correspondingly, signs, wonders, and miracles ceased. With God’s termination of His dealings with Israel in relation to the kingdom, signs, wonders, and miracles had to cease.

For sign-gifts to continue beyond this point would have been out of line with Scripture. And, remaining in line with Scripture, these sign-gifts cannot again be in evidence until that future time when God resumes His national dealings with Israel in relation to the kingdom.

This is a truth drawn from the Old Testament, the gospel accounts, and the book of Acts which, from a biblical standpoint, cannot be denied.

And that’s where we are today — living during a time in which Israel has been set aside awaiting “the fullness of the Gentiles” being brought to pass (Romans 11:25). We’re living during a time when signs, wonders, and miracles can have no part within the framework of God’s plans and purposes. And this can be easily understood, for any present manifestation of supernatural powers of this nature would portend God dealing with Israel in relation to the nation’s spiritual condition and the theocracy during the present time; and this is something that God is not doing.

Thus, such a manifestation of supernatural powers during the present time, from a Scriptural standpoint, can only be completely out of place.

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Chapter Five

The World to Come

For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:5, 10)

The first major warning in Hebrews must not be separated from its context, either preceding or following. The verses preceding the first warning set the tone for not only this warning but the succeeding four major warnings as well, along with the book at large; and the verses that follow the first warning continue with the same line of thought.

The designation “so great a salvation” in Hebrews 2:3 is not the salvation that we presently possess. Rather it is a future salvation, and it is clearly set forth as such in the immediately preceding context, in the text itself, and in the context that immediately follows.

The immediately preceding context (Hebrews 1:1-14) has to do with Christ exercising the rights of the firstborn during the coming Messianic Era and with Christians exercising these same rights as companions, co-heirs with Him. It has to do with that time when God will again bring His firstborn Son (the One who is to exercise the rights of primogeniture), the “Heir of all things,” into the inhabited world (Hebrews 1:2, 5-6); and it has to do with those redeemed individuals who are to appear as His companions, inheriting with Him in that day (Hebrews 1:9, 14).

The text itself (Hebrews 2:1-4) begins by referring back to material in chapter one (Hebrews 2:1a), and the warning has its basis entirely in this introductory material. The salvation in Hebrews 2:3 is the same as the salvation in verse fourteen of the introductory material. That is, coming into possession of “so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3) is the same as inheriting “salvation” (Hebrews 1:14); and inheriting salvation (or realizing “so great a salvation”) is the same as realizing the rights of the firstborn, inheriting as companions with Christ (God’s Firstborn, His “appointed Heir of all things” [Hebrews 1:2, 5- 6, 9]).

Then the context that immediately follows (Hebrews 2:5ff) has to do with a rule in the inhabited world to come (Hebrews 2:5), when many sons will be brought unto glory to realize the rights of the firstborn with God’s firstborn Son, Jesus (Hebrews 2:10). In short, it has to do with man, after 6,000 years, finally being brought into the position that he was created to occupy in the beginning. Christ, “the second Man,” “the last Adam,” will take the kingdom and ascend the throne, along with numerous companions from among those whom He has redeemed.

This is what the book of Hebrews is about, and attempts by individuals to read into various texts in this book that which is not there (e.g., using Hebrews 2:3 as an evangelistic text, a text relating to our presently possessed eternal salvation) can only result in confusion; and such confusion in biblical exposition manifests itself in two different realms:

1) Using texts that have no relationship to the subject being taught will often result in heretical doctrine.
This, for example, is why the controversy rages today within the ranks of so-called evangelical Christianity over the Lordship Salvation issue. Verses that have nothing whatsoever to do with eternal salvation have been removed from their contexts and made to refer to eternal salvation, something that the verses don’t refer to at all.
Resultantly, the pure, simple gospel of the grace of God has become corrupted, and confusion abounds on every hand in the very realm where Scripture is worded in a quite simple and clear manner, completely in line with that which is seen on the subject in the Old Testament (cf. Genesis 3:21; 22:2ff; Exodus 12:3ff; John 1:29; 3:16; Acts 16:30-31).
2) Using texts that have no relationship to the subject being taught will close the door to that which actually is being taught in these texts.
Relative to the Word of the Kingdom, Scripture, in Matthew 13:33, records a woman placing leaven in three measures of meal, which would work in the meal until the whole had been leavened, until the whole had been corrupted. This leavening process could only have begun very early in the dispensation, with the results seen today, after centuries of time, when the whole has been almost completely leavened, if not completely leavened.
And this leavening process can be seen as the primary reason that the Word of the Kingdom (the message concerning the salvation of the soul, inheriting as companions with Christ, realizing so great salvation) is not being proclaimed from the pulpits of churches throughout the land today. Over the years, because of the working of the leaven, expositors have closed the door to this teaching by means of a misinterpretation and misapplication of verses that deal with the subject. Resultantly, the churches today are filled with Christians who are biblically illiterate concerning the Word of the Kingdom, the one subject that should be uppermost in the minds of all Christians.
(For additional information on the preceding, refer to the author’s book, Mysteries of the Kingdom BOOK, Ch. 6, in this site. , “Parable of the Leaven.”)

God said what He meant and meant what He said when He, through the Holy Spirit, moved men to record His Word. In the book of Hebrews, when He spoke about bringing His firstborn Son back into the inhabited world to exercise the rights of primogeniture (Hebrews 1:2, 5-6), He meant exactly what is stated; and when He spoke about the Son having companions who would ascend the throne with Him as co-heirs in the kingdom (Hebrews 1:9), He also meant exactly what is stated; and when He spoke about Christ’s companions entering into this inheritance in synonymous terms with their inheriting “salvation” (Hebrews 1:14), their realizing “so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3), He meant exactly what is stated in these passages as well. And for man to begin ignoring that which God has clearly stated, reading into various texts things that God didn’t state or mean at all, is one of the tragedies of the age.

Connected with this is a present-day irony — something seen quite often in Christian circles. Individuals stand up and vigorously contend for the plenary, verbal inspiration of Scripture (i.e., full inspiration, extending to the very words and letters of these words), but they themselves then turn right around and pay little attention to the exact wording of that for which they have vigorously contended. They gloss over a text or words in a text, interpreting Scripture within a preset mold of theological thought, and often end up with a teaching completely alien to that which is actually stated and taught in the text.

It goes without saying that the inspiration of Scripture must be looked upon in a plenary, verbal sense. Anything short of this would be out of line with that which Scripture reveals about itself (cf. Psalm 12:6; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21). That which God gave through man for man is, it can only be, the very Word of God, spoken by God Himself.

This revelation can only be as perfect as the Word that became flesh, for both are simply two manifestations of the same thing — the living Word, which is God, whether revealed in written form or revealed in flesh (cf. John 1:1-2, 14; Hebrews 1:2).

Redeemed man must recognize and keep in mind that he has a book of this nature that tells him exactly what God wants him to know about the past, the present, and the future. God has put this revelation of Himself, His plans, and His purposes together after a certain fashion. And it is incumbent upon man to study this book with these things in mind.

Man must pay attention to the exact wording of Scripture. He must look at words within the sentences that they form; and he must look at these words, a combination of several words, or the sentences that they form within the texts or contexts in which the words or sentences are found. He must accept and believe that which God has stated about a matter, exactly as it is recorded in His Word. Only after this fashion will redeemed man come into a proper understanding of that which God has revealed.

A CHANGE IN THE GOVERNMENT

In the opening verses of Hebrews, God’s revelation of His plans and purposes has to do with a change in the government of the earth. These verses reveal the outworking — after 6,000 years of time, after the completion of Man’s Day — of God’s original purpose for bringing man into existence.

In the opening verses of Genesis, man was created to “have dominion” over the earth — to rule the earth — and all that is upon the earth (Genesis 1:26-28); and the book of Hebrews reveals the outworking of God’s plans and purposes in this realm.

Christ as “the second Man,” “the last Adam,” is to occupy the position for which “the first man Adam” had been created, and from which he fell. Christ is God’s “appointed Heir of all things.” And numerous individuals, redeemed through the finished work of the second Man, the last Adam, are to ascend the throne with Him as “companions,” “co-heirs,” in that coming day.

However, positions of this nature with Christ in the kingdom are not to be entered into merely on the basis of one’s eternal salvation. These positions are to be earned by those who will ultimately occupy them. Faithful household servants, bringing forth fruit resulting from their faithfulness, will be the ones who enter into these positions. And Hebrews has been written with these things in view, relating the unsearchable riches of Christ and then exhorting, warning, and encouraging Christians concerning present faithfulness in view of that which lies out ahead.

1) NOT SUBJECTED TO ANGELS

The text plainly states,

For He has not put the world [the inhabited world] to come, of which we speak [concerning which we are speaking], in subjection to angels. (Hebrews 2:5)

The government of the existing inhabited world is under angelic control. Angels hold the scepter. But the government of the coming inhabited world will be under man’s control. Angels will relinquish control; and man, in the stead of angels, will then hold the scepter.

(The Greeks used the word translated “world [‘inhabited world’]” in this passage [oikoumene; see also Hebrews 1:6] referring to their world, a seat of settled government, as opposed to the unsettled state of affairs existing among the barbarians. Though this thought would fit the text, there is not really a usage after this fashion in other parts of the New Testament [e.g., Matthew 24:14; Luke 2:1; 4:5; 21:26]. The word is used in the Greek New Testament relative to the present world under Satan as well as the coming world under Christ.
The present inhabited world is in an unsettled state of affairs. But, in the inhabited world to come, things will be quite different. The present imperfection existing in the government will not exist in that coming day.)

When this change in the government occurs — when “the kingdom of the world” becomes “the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15 ASV) — it will be an entirely new form of government in God’s universe. Angels, since the beginning, have always been the ones who ruled, under God, over provinces throughout the galaxies of the universe. God has Messianic angels who rule over different provinces (Satan is the Messianic angel ruling over the province upon which we live), and there are numerous gradations of angels ruling under them.

God rules His universe through angels after this fashion, and though we’re told very little about angelic rule outside the one province upon which we live, there is no indication that God has ever ruled any part of the universe in any manner other than through angels. The earth has never been ruled after any other fashion, even though the provincial ruler disqualified himself ages ago (along with one-third of the angels ruling with him, who had followed him). And, coupled with this fact, matters surrounding God’s creation of man and His plans and purposes for the earth would appear to clearly indicate that no change has occurred in the government at any point in the universe since the time of its institution as well.

Man’s creation is intimately connected with God’s government, not only with the government of the earth but with the government of the universe itself. In this respect, God had in mind a near and a far purpose for man’s creation. The immediate, near purpose had to do with the government of the earth; and the ultimate, far purpose had to do with the government of the universe.

Man was created, first of all, to rule in the stead of angels over the one province in the universe where rebellion against God’s supreme authority entered into the ranks of the one holding the scepter. Satan had sought to exalt his throne and occupy the place that God Himself occupied. He had become dissatisfied with ruling under God over one province and sought to become the supreme ruler over all the provinces in the universe.

This was an attempted coup on his part, and he led one-third of his subordinate rulers to participate in this God-dishonoring act (Isaiah 14:13-14; Revelation 12:4). The end result was Satan’s disqualification to continue holding the scepter and the creation of man as the one to whom God would ultimately give the scepter (Genesis 1:26, 28; Ezekiel 28:15-16).

Man though didn’t immediately assume control of the earth’s government at the time of his creation; and, because of his sin, resulting from satanic deception; he has yet to hold the scepter. Adam fell as the federal head of the human race before he took the reigns of world government, which allowed the incumbent ruler, Satan, to continue on the throne. And Satan will continue to occupy his present position until such a time as God places man back in the position where he can hold the scepter.

(For additional information on the preceding, refer to Chapter 2 in this book, “Because of the Angels.”)

Man taking the scepter and ascending the throne in the stead of Satan and his angels is what the appearance of “the second Man,” “the last Adam” 2,000 years ago was all about. He appeared in order to redeem that which “the first man Adam,” almost 4,000 years prior to His appearance, forfeited in the fall. And, as God’s newly appointed Federal Head, He provided a means, through His redemptive work at Calvary, whereby He and redeemed man could one day take the scepter and rule the earth in the stead of Satan and his angels.

Christ and His co-heirs are to first rule the earth for 1,000 years, bringing order out of disorder, producing a cosmos (orderly arrangement) where a chaos (disorderly arrangement) previously existed (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). And they are to rule after this fashion on the Son’s throne from the heavens in the New Jerusalem (Hebrews 3:1; Revelation 3:21).

A governmental rule of this nature is what is referred to in Hebrews 2:5. Government in the “inhabited world to come” will be removed from angelic control and be placed under man’s control.

Then, beyond that point — beyond the Messianic Era — the government of the universe is to be centered in the New Jerusalem upon the new earth. God Himself will dwell upon the new earth, ruling the universe from this point; and Christ, along with redeemed man, will then exercise power that can only be universal in scope. Power will emanate from “the throne of God and of the Lamb [a throne associated with universal rule],” and man will have a part in the exercise of this power (Revelation 22:1, 3, 5).

The creation of man is an act peculiar to this earth, resulting from Satan seeking to exalt his throne. The fact that no other creature like man exists in the universe is evident. God’s future dealings with the universe center on His Son (“the second Man,” “the last Adam”), around descendants of Adam (redeemed man), and around the earth (the new earth). Thus, man was created on the earth in God’s image, after His likeness, for purposes having to do with God’s government (Genesis 1:26) — this earth first, and then the universe.

Man will rule over this earth in the stead of angels during the coming Messianic Era; but during the eternal ages when he finds himself associated with governmental power of a universal nature, he will apparently occupy a position somehow associated with the presently existing angelic rule — a rule which will apparently continue in that coming day.

God will have numerous individuals, created in His own image, after His likeness, exercising power with Him from His throne. And such individuals will possibly occupy positions of some type under God but above Messianic angels ruling over provinces throughout the universe (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:3).

In this respect, the creation of man would, of necessity, have to be an act peculiar to Adam on this earth. Everything in Scripture bearing on the subject points to the creation of an individual in God’s image, after His likeness, occurring only at one time and place in the entire universe — almost 6,000 years ago, on this earth. And the plans and purposes of God outlined in Scripture, as they pertain to man, center on bringing to pass all that God had in mind when He brought man into existence.

This is the reason why it is all-important to rightly understand the opening chapters of Genesis. If a person goes wrong here, he will be wrong the rest of the way.

(For additional information on the preceding, refer to the author’s book, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Time of the End, Ch. 35 and Ch. 36, “From Time to Eternity,” and “The Eternal Ages.”)

2) OF WHICH WE SPEAK

The inhabited world to come stands in opposition to the inhabited world of the present time. Angelic rule continues in the present inhabited world, but this will not be the case in the inhabited world to come. As stated, “all things” are not presently placed under man, much less under Christ (Hebrews 2:6-9), but this will one day change (Hebrews 2:10).

The present state of the world (fallen man residing on an earth that is both under a curse and under the rule of fallen angels) is the reason that sin, death, and corruption mark the course of the present age. We reside in a world under satanic rule and control, which can have only one destiny. God is allowing this world system under Satan — a system that is progressively growing more corrupt with each passing day — to continue on its present course up to a certain point in time. God will then step in, and through the actions of the One to whom He will have given the kingdom (Daniel 7:14; cf. Luke 19:12), sudden, swift, and complete destruction will occur (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45; 8:25).

This is the reason that Christ did not meddle in or seek to alter the course of world affairs at His first coming, and this is the reason that Christians should govern their lives after the same fashion today. The time when God will step in and bring about a change has not yet come (cf. Matthew 12:20); and when that time does come, there will be no long process of resistance to the present state of affairs (something that had no place in Christ’s ministry while on earth, and something that should likewise have no place in a Christian’s life).

Rather, when that time does come, there will be a sudden smiting of Gentile world power under Satan; and through that which will occur, destruction is going to be swift and complete. This destruction of Gentile world power will occur as a result of Christ’s direct intervention, and it will take place after such a fashion that all His garments will be stained with the blood of those slain, blood which will run even unto the depth of “the horse bridles.” And this destruction will be so complete that there will be no opposition left whatsoever (Isaiah 63:3; Revelation 14:14-20; 19:17-21).

Not only will such befall the earth-dwellers, but Satan will be removed from the scene immediately afterwards (Revelation 20:1-3). The kingdom under Satan, along with his angels, will, at that point in time, cease to exist. It will have been totally destroyed, allowing Christ and His co-heirs to then move in and assume control of the government (Revelation 20:4-6).

(Thus, Christians are to bide their time, as David’s faithful men did during his time of exile. David’s men didn’t go into Saul’s kingdom and seek to straighten out existing conditions. Rather, they remained out in the hills with David, waiting for that day when Saul would be put down and David would take the scepter.
Christians, in like manner, are not to go out into the world, into Satan’s present kingdom, and seek to straighten out existing conditions. Rather, they are to remain in the place of rejection by the world with Christ, waiting for that day when Satan will be put down and Christ will take the scepter.
Christ clearly stated that His kingdom was “not of this world” [the present system under Satan]. Had it been, His servants would have done something about existing conditions. But His servants really couldn’t have, unless they defiled their high calling through this process, for they, as Christ, were not of the world either [John 17:16; 18:36].
This is why Christians, in 1 John 2:15, are commanded, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world . . . .” The complete present system under Satan is going to one day pass out of existence [1 John 2:17]. And Christ’s servants [Christians during the present dispensation, who are not of this world], are to keep their eyes fixed upon the coming kingdom of Christ, which will never pass out of existence.
For additional information on this present world system, its end, and that which will follow, refer to the author’s book, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Time of the End, Ch. 31, Ch. 32 and Ch. 33, “Christ’s Return,” “The Great Supper of God,” and “The Millennial Reign.”)

The book of Hebrews sets before us, not the present inhabited world under Satan, but the inhabited world to come, which will be under the control of Christ and His co-heirs. It holds before us a better day out ahead. Man, following the kingdom being given to the Son and the subsequent destruction of the present world system, will rule in that world, in the stead of angels; and the writer of Hebrews states that this is the subject matter at hand. This is what he has been talking about.

The words, “of which we speak,” could be better translated, “concerning which we are speaking,” or “about which we are speaking.” That is, the inhabited world to come, in which man will hold the scepter, is what the writer had been talking about in the preceding verses. That’s what the first warning is about, and that’s what the verses leading into this warning are about.

These verses are about God’s “appointed Heir of all things” coming into possession of His inheritance and about Christians inheriting as “companions” with Him (Hebrews 1:2, 5-6, 9), which is referred to as a future inherited “salvation,” called “so great a salvation” (Hebrews 1:14; 2:3).

And the corresponding warning passage (Hebrews 2:1-4) centers on the fact that by a Christian’s failure to keep his attention centered on the things having to do with the Son’s inheritance and his own coming inheritance — a failure to keep his attention centered on the goal out ahead (cf. Hebrews 12:1-2) — it is possible for him to fail to enter into that inheritance, fail to reach that goal. He can, by governing his life after this fashion, forfeit the proffered inheritance with God’s Son and find himself rejected, find himself among those Christians having failed to win in the race of the faith (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

And when the writer of Hebrews states that he has been talking about the inhabited world to come, he has all these things in view, plus numerous other related things revealed in the previous verses. It all centers on the Heir and His companions exercising regal power together in that coming day.

RULERS IN THE KINGDOM

The coming kingdom of Christ will have numerous regents and vice-regents, both in the heavenly sphere and in the earthly sphere. Christ and His co-heirs will reign from the New Jerusalem in the heavens above the earth, from Christ’s throne; and Christ will also reign from the earthly Jerusalem, seated on David’s throne, with Israel occupying her rightful place at the head of the nations. This coming rule over the earth will emanate from rulers in the heavenly sphere and be carried out through rulers in the earthly sphere — both through rulers in Israel and among the Gentile nations.

The twelve apostles will rule over Israel, from the heavens (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:28-30); and there will be numerous regents and vice-regents ruling with them (probably comprised of Old Testament saints who qualified to rule from the heavens [cf. Matthew 8:11-12; Luke 13:28-29; Hebrews 11:12-16, 39-40]). Then the 144,000 who will proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to the nations of the earth during the last three and one-half years of the coming Tribulation will apparently occupy comparable positions over the Gentile nations to that which the twelve apostles will occupy over Israel (Revelation 12:5); and there will be numerous regents and vice-regents from the present dispensation ruling with them (note that Christians, aside from the twelve Apostles, have never been promised power over Israel, only over the Gentile nations [Revelation 2:26-27]).

These are the ones who will rule and reign with Christ in that coming day. Not all of these rulers will form the bride of Christ, for the bride will be comprised only of saved individuals from the present dispensation, i.e., only of Christians.

Then, some of these rulers are seen seated on individual thrones (Matthew 19:28), though these thrones, of necessity, will have to be inseparably connected with Christ’s throne, with the power emanating from His throne.

In brief form, the preceding is the picture that Scripture presents of Christ’s kingdom in that coming day.

(Relative to rulers seated on thrones, with the power emanating from one central throne, the same thing revealed about Christ’s future kingdom is also seen in that which is revealed in Scripture about the past and present kingdom under Satan.
The twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:4 are seen seated upon separate, individual thrones [the word “seats” (KJV) should be translated, “thrones”], and the type crowns on their heads [Greek: stephanos] clearly shows that they are not presently exercising governmental power, though still crowned and seated on thrones.
They, at one time, exercised power in conjunction with Satan’s throne, though seated upon separate thrones [ref. Chapter 2, Because of the Angels, in this book]. And, exercising such power, they, in effect, were seated on the throne with Satan, to whom God had given governmental power over the earth [such would have to be the correct way to look at the matter, for this is the only manner in which the governmental structure of the universe could possibly exist [provincial rulers (angels) throughout the universe seated on thrones but exercising power from God’s throne, with the coming kingdom of Christ to be structured after this same fashion].
Note also the coming kingdom of Antichrist, immediately preceding that time when Christ takes the kingdom, in which Satan will give this man, his Christ, “his power, and his throne, and great authority” [Revelation 13:2]. Antichrist will not necessarily sit directly upon the throne of Satan. He won’t have to do so in order to be looked upon as occupying this position.)

All governmental power originates with God, emanating from the one throne in the far reaches of the North — from God’s throne. God conducts His governmental affairs through angels; and after this fashion, even upon the earth where rebellion has entered into the ranks of the angelic rulers, God, in His sovereignty, still rules “in the kingdom of men.” In this respect, “the heavens do rule” — foremost and primary, beginning with God Himself (Daniel 4:25-26).

Accordingly, God, in His kingdom, dispenses positions, with their corresponding power, to whomsoever He wills (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32; cf. Matthew 20:20-23). He placed the earth’s present ruler in charge of a province in His kingdom at a time in the past (Ezekiel 28:14), and He will place His Son in charge of this province (referred to as a “kingdom” itself numerous places in Scripture) at a time yet future (Daniel 7:14; cf. Ezekiel 28:16; Matthew 28:18; Luke 19:12). And when this change in the government occurs, man, for the first time, in line with the purpose for his creation, will hold the scepter.

1) MANY SONS BROUGHT TO GLORY

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)

“Sonship” implies rulership. Only “sons” can rule; and when the writer of Hebrews talks about Christ “bringing many sons to glory,” he is talking about Christ bringing many rulers into the kingdom with Him.

Angels, rulers in the present kingdom, are all “sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psalm 89:6). Christians are presented in Scripture as both “children of God” and “sons of God” during the present time (Romans 8:14-17). And, in the position of a “son” (because of creation [new creations “in Christ”]), Christians are awaiting “the adoption” into a firstborn standing, being placed as firstborn sons (Romans 8:23).

Angels, presently ruling, occupy their positions simply as sons of God (“sons” because of creation [all angels are special, individual creations of God]). There is no such thing as adoption or firstborn sons in the angelic realm. But the human realm is different. There are “sons,” and there are “firstborn sons” [Exodus 4:22-23; Hebrews 12:23]. And in the human realm, only firstborn sons can rule in the kingdom.

(For more information on the preceding, refer to the author’s book, in this website, God’s Firstborn Sons BOOK.)

Thus, Christians are not presently in a position to rule, for no Christian is presently a firstborn son; the adoption must occur first. And the entire creation awaits “the revealing [KJV: ‘manifestation’]” of Christians as firstborn sons (the adoption of Christians and their subsequent placement in positions of power and authority in the kingdom) in order that Christ might be “the Firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:19, 23, 29).

The thought of Christ being “the Firstborn among many brethren” in Romans and the thought of Christ “bringing many sons to glory” in Hebrews are both referring to the same thing. The reference in each instance is to Christ and His co-heirs exercising the rights of primogeniture together in the coming kingdom.

Christ being “the Firstborn among many brethren” should be looked upon in the same sense as His being the Firstborn among many firstborn sons. It is a “revealing [manifestation] of the sons of God” — a revealing [manifestation] of Christians as firstborn sons, with God’s firstborn Son, Jesus. And it is toward this end that “all things work together [‘are working together’] for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Christians have been called “into His kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12), and God’s purpose is that of “bringing many sons to glory.”

It is one thing to be a child of God, saved forevermore; but it is quite another thing to be a son of God, with the future adoption in view, when firstborn sons will ascend the throne with God’s firstborn Son in His kingdom.

2) THE CAPTAIN OF THEIR SALVATION

Those being brought to glory as "sons" are called Christ’s brethren in both Romans 8:29 and Hebrews 2:11-12. The One sanctifying (the One setting apart) and those who are sanctified (those set apart) are “all of one” (Hebrews 2:11). They all proceed from the same source, who is God.

But the text actually deals with something beyond a common unity made possible through the birth from above. It deals with something based on this unity. In verse ten, individuals entering into “salvation” and Christ being made “perfect through sufferings” are inseparably connected with Christ “bringing many sons to glory.” And it is within this framework that both the oneness in verse eleven and the reference to Christ’s brethren in verses eleven and twelve occur.

The salvation in view is the same salvation seen in Hebrews 1:14; 2:3; and the reference to Christ being made perfect through sufferings must be viewed, contextually, within this same framework.

The Greek word translated “perfect” is teleioo, and the thought expressed by the use of this word is to “bring something to completion.” And here it is Christ being made complete in connection with “sufferings” and “bringing many sons to glory.”

The sufferings in view would have to be seen in two realms:

1) Christ’s past sufferings at Calvary, making that seen in Hebrews 2:10 possible.
2) Christians suffering during present time, making that seen in Hebrews 2:10 possible as well.

Christ suffered, with a view to “the joy” that had been placed before Him (the day when he, with His co-heirs, would rule and reign (Matthew 25:19-23]). Christ, at Calvary, kept His eyes fixed on the goal — the day when He would bring “many sons to glory.” He would be “the Captain of their salvation,” and He, through them, would be made complete.

Christ has left Christians “an example,” that they “should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Christ’s sufferings are mentioned in the verses immediately following (1 Peter 2:23-24), and Christians suffering with respect to the same thing that are seen in Christ’s sufferings, looking out ahead to the same “joy” to which Christ looked, are seen relative to the saving of the soul in the previous chapter (1 Peter 1:5-11).

Note how this is seen in 1 Peter 1:9-11:

receiving the end of your faith [‘the goal of the faith’] -- the salvation of your souls.
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ [lit., ‘sufferings with respect to Christ,’ i.e., Christians suffering, following the example which Christ has set, with a view to the salvation of their souls (1 Peter 1:9-10)], and the glories that would follow.

And Christ being made complete in Hebrews 2:10 by Christians suffering in the manner seen in 1 Peter 1:11 can be easily seen from Christ’s position in relation to Adam, as the second Man, the last Adam.

The first man, the first Adam, was put to sleep, his side opened, and a rib was taken from this opened side that God used to form a helpmate, a bride for Adam. Adam, apart from his bride, was incomplete, for she had been formed from a part of his very being; she was bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh (Genesis 2:23). And, in this respect, after God had formed the woman and presented her to the man, the man was then complete once again.

The second Man, the last Adam, as well, was put to sleep and His side opened. A Roman soldier pierced Christ’s side shortly after His death, while He still hung on the cross. And out of His opened side flowed blood and water, the two elements necessary to bring into existence the bride (John 19:33, 34).

The bride of Christ, which will be taken from Christ’s body in complete accord with the type, is part of Christ’s body in the same sense that Eve was part of Adam’s body — bone of His bones, and flesh of His flesh (Ephesians 5:30-32). And, exactly as in the type, when the bride has been formed and presented back to Christ, the bride will complete Christ, as seen in Hebrews 2:10.

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Book: So Great Salvation BOOK

Word Document: So Great Salvation BOOK by Arlen Chitwood.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

(For additional information on the preceding — the blood and the water, the bride removed from the body — refer to the author’s book, Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's The Bride in Genesis, Ch. 1, “Adam and Eve.” Also for additional information on the warnings in Hebrews see If They Shall Fall Away in this site.)

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The Five Warning Passages in Hebrews
By G. H. Lang

The First Warning (Heb. 2:1-4)

The Second Warning (Heb. 3:1-4:13)

The Third Warning (Heb. 5:11-6:20)

The Fourth Warning (Heb. 10:26-39)

The Fifth Warning (Heb. 12:14-29)

Excerpts from Schoettle Publishing - The Epistle to the Hebrews by G. H. Lang.

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God exercises sovereign control of all things,
nothing occurs apart from Israel occupying center-stage.

Israel is God’s eye-gate, His pupil, the lens through which He views all things.
And the nations, unlike Israel, are estranged from God.
Thus, God can view and deal with them only one way, through Israel.

The Pupil of God’s Eye
The Place Israel Occupies in God’s Economy
By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Solely from a Biblical perspective, what place does Israel occupy in events occurring in the world today, not only in the Middle East but worldwide? The answer would surprise most, shock the nations surrounding Israel in the Middle East, for, within the manner in which God exercises sovereign control of all things, nothing occurs apart from Israel occupying center-stage.

Note Deuteronomy 32:10b and Zechariah 2:8b as somewhat parallel verses to begin dealing with the matter, again, solely from a Biblical perspective:

“…He [God] kept him [Israel] as the apple [lit., ‘the pupil’] of His eye.” (Deuteronomy 32:10b)
“…he that toucheth you [Israel] toucheth the apple [lit., ‘the pupil’] of His [God’s] eye.” (Zechariah 2:8b)

In short, God views all affairs occurring in the human race through one means alone, through Israel, through the Jewish people. Thus, God views all affairs in any and all of the Gentile nations through the one nation separate from these nations. Israel, in this respect, is God’s eye-gate as He has viewed affairs in the world down through centuries of time, continues to view them today, and will always view them.

Now, let’s approach the matter from a different standpoint. Apart from Israel, even with the nation’s present state of unbelief and disobedience, the Gentile nations all find themselves in exactly the same position relative to an association with the one true and living God — estranged from God, “without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12b).

And that should be simple enough to understand, for, according to Genesis 9:25-27 as the starting point — to begin explaining Ephesians 2:12a relative to Christians and Psalm 96:5 relative to the Gentile nations — not only is Israel the only nation on the face of the earth with a God, but “the gods of the nations” are clearly stated to be, “idols [lit., ‘nothing’ (compared to the one true and living God), or ‘demons’].”

How can the preceding be true as it pertains to the thought of “demons” relative to the nations? The answer to that is in the latter part of Daniel 10. In the closing part of this chapter, the government of the Gentile nations is seen from two perspectives — earthly and heavenly.

In the earthly realm, individuals in the human race occupy positions of power and authority.

In the heavenly realm, angels occupying positions of power and authority in the kingdom under Satan (demonic beings) rule from the heavens through those occupying positions of power and authority on earth (Daniel 10:12-20; Ephesians 3:10; 6:12).

Israel though, not to be “reckoned among the nations” because of the creation in Jacob (Numbers 23:9; Isaiah 43:1), finds itself completely separate from this rule. Israel’s ruling angel from the heavens is Michael, with evidently a great host of angels ruling under him (Daniel 10:21).

Note where this places the Gentile nations in relation to possessing a God during the present day and time when they, because of Israel’s unbelief and disobedience, can’t go to the one nation in possession of a God. They are left with the only god available, as their rulers occupy positions of power under demons.

They are left with “the god of this world [‘age’ — one age, covering Man’s 6,000-year Day]” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

(For additional information on both Israel as a separate creation and the present structure of the government of the earth, refer to the author’s books, God’s Firstborn Sons BOOK, Ch. 2, and The Most High Ruleth BOOK, Chs. 1-3, both in this site.)

Now, put just these two parts of the picture together and one can easily and clearly see how and why God views all activity occurring among the nations after only one fashion — through Israel.

1) Israel is God’s eye-gate, His pupil, the lens through which He views all things.
2) And the nations, unlike Israel, are estranged from God. Thus, God can view and deal with them only one way, through Israel.

And the preceding is exactly what God has done since the call of Abraham 4,000 years ago, continues to do today, and will always continue to do (or, this, as well, would have to be seen in the lineage from Adam to Abraham throughout the twenty generations during the first 2,000 years of human history [e.g., Noah and his family]). God has to do things in this manner, for Israel is the only nation with a God, the only nation with which God is associated (whether preceding Abraham [in the bowels of Abraham, his ancestors] or following Abraham [his seed]).

(As an example of the bowels of Abraham, note in Genesis 10:5, 25, 32; 11:5-8; Deuteronomy 32:8 that God divided the nations and set their boundaries following the Flood, during Peleg’s day, “according to the number of the children of Israel.” And God did this before Abraham was even born [Peleg’s death preceded Abraham’s birth], centuries before Israel even existed as a nation.
Or, note the beginning of the sojourn of the seed of Abraham thirty years before Abraham even had a seed [cf. Genesis 15:13-14; Exodus 12:40-41; Galatians 3:17-18; ref. The Selfsame Day in this site].)

Remove Israel from the equation on this basic premise and the human race is left with nothing other than a godless, hopeless future wherein only destruction and eternal damnation await mankind.

However, leave Israel in the equation on this basic premise and exactly the opposite is seen. The human race is left with hope and godliness.

But, again, this can be brought to pass only one way, as revealed in the Word — through Israel, the one nation with a God, as God views and deals with the Gentile nations through the nation which He has called into existence to effect His plans and purposes in this manner.

(Clarification needs to be made about Christians in the preceding respect. Unlike the nations, but like Israel, Christians — a separate creation [in this case, separate from either the nations or Israel] — possess a God. But this is only because Christians are positionally “in Christ [a Jewish Saviour],” forming a separate creation, the one new man.
Then, exactly in accord with Deuteronomy 32:10b and Zechariah 2:8b, God views Christians through Israel, more specifically through their Jewish Saviour. And this is all dealt with only one place — in a Jewish book, written by Jewish prophets.)

Israel and the Nations in the Middle East

Putting all of this together, note the present situation in the Middle East. A situation exists which is quite different than the world could possibly even begin to envision.

To introduce the picture of the existing situation, in the light of that which has already been presented, let’s drop back some 3,500 years in Jewish history, to Moses’ day.

Moses, during his forty-year rejection by the Jewish people, was tending sheep on the far side of the desert when a burning bush captured his attention.

“The angel of the Lord” appeared to Moses out of the midst of the fire, the bush burned continuously but was not consumed, and “God called unto him out of the midst of the bush…” (Exodus 3:2-4).

It is evident from the context — “I have seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt…” (Exodus 3:7) — that the continuously burning, unconsumed bush represented Moses’ people in Egypt, persecuted by an Assyrian Pharaoh. And note God’s position in relation to the Jewish people, ever burning in the fires of Gentile persecution. God is seen in the midst of His people, viewing the persecuting nation through Israel from this vantage point.

Exactly the same thing is seen over 900 years later in the book of Daniel. Three Israelites, representing the nation as a whole, were cast into a fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal. Then, a fourth person is seen in the fire with them. And these three Israelites emerged completely unharmed, without the smell of fire on their garments, without even a hair on their heads singed (Daniel 3:19-27; cf. Isaiah 3:1-3; Daniel 6:16-24).

Again, God viewed matters during Daniel’s day from the same vantage point seen during Moses’ day.

Then, bringing this down into modern times, where was God when 6,000,000 Jews were slain during the twelve-year reign of the Third Reich? The answer, of course, is seen in Exodus and Daniel. God was there, in the midst of His people, viewing the persecuting Gentile nation from that vantage point. And though 6,000,000 Jews perished, the nation itself lives. Israel can no more perish than could the burning bush in Exodus be consumed or the three Hebrews in Daniel be slain.

Note one of the many promises which Israel possesses in this respect, as seen in the two previous types:

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn…” (Isaiah 54:17a).

So, where does that leave the world with the current situation in the Middle East — with Israel in the midst of nations who would like to see the Jewish people uprooted from their land and driven into the sea? It leaves the world at exactly the same place seen anywhere in the Old Testament where the subject is dealt with. It leaves the world with God in the midst of His suffering people, viewing the surrounding, persecuting Gentile nations from that vantage point, viewing them through the very nation being persecuted.

As this is being written (August, 2014), here’s the picture in the Middle East:

The Palestinian Arabs, ruling in Gaza (Hamas), are firing missiles over into Israel. A people ruling under the god of this age (Satan) is not only firing missiles into the only nation with a God but they are firing these missiles at and into the very presence of God Himself, with God viewing the entire matter from Israel’s vantage point as He views events through Israel.

Even though the nation exists in an unrepentant and unbelieving state, God still resides in their midst and views the Gentile nations through Israel. The situation must exist in this manner, for this is the way it has been set forth in an unchangeable fashion in the Old Testament.

(In this respect, note the inseparable association of God [manifested in flesh] with Israel in Matthew 25:31-46 — “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”)
Then there is the matter of individuals trying to effect peace between Israel and those nations seeking Israel’s destruction (e.g., current efforts by the U.S. Secretary of State).

These individuals really need to check the Book and find out not only who they are dealing with but what they are dealing with. The Middle East situation which man is vainly seeking to deal with has its roots in 4,000 years of Jewish history and can only be dealt with by the One in Israel’s midst (cf. Psalm 139:1ff).

(For information in the preceding realm, refer to the author’s book, Israel -- From Death to Life by Arlen Chitwood.)

Israel and the Other Nations of the World

Though an Israeli nation exists in the Middle East, the Jewish people, as well, remain scattered throughout the Gentile nations. The reason for this is simple. Those forming the nation in the Middle East have returned under a Zionistic movement, before the time for Israel to return, leaving most Jews still scattered worldwide (again, refer to the author’s previously mentioned book, Israel from Death to Life BOOK in this site).

And, with this in mind, how does God view the Gentile nations where these Jews are scattered? The answer, of course, is evident. It has already been given in the two verses quoted at the beginning of this pamphlet.

God resides in the midst of His people and views these nations through the Jewish people in their midst.

The whole of the matter is really that simple, in the Middle East, or elsewhere in the world.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

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Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Distant Hoofbeats, The Pupil of God’s Eye, Ch. 1

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Also The Pupil of Man’s Eye in this site may be of interest.

[Aside: The Israelites had tempted God ten times (Numbers 14:22). These temptings were as follows: at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11-12), at Marah (Exodus 15:23), in the Wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:2), two rebellions concerning the manna (Exodus 16:20, Exodus 16:27), at Rephidim (Exodus 17:1), at Horeb (Exodus 32:7), at Taberah (Numbers 11:1), at Kibroth Hattaavah (Numbers 11:4 ff.), and at Kadesh (the murmuring at the spies' report—Numbers 14).]

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The simple truth of the matter is that the Son, though present, is not yet ready to take the scepter and ascend the throne. The work of the Spirit, presently searching for a bride for God’s Son, has to be completed first. The Son cannot reign apart from possessing a wife to sit alongside Him on the throne [another established biblical principle relative to man fulfilling the purpose for his creation in the beginning; man can reign only as a complete being, requiring a husband-wife relationship to complete the man].

Satan Rules the Earth
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Excerpted from So Great Salvation BOOK, Heirs of Salvation Chapter, in this site.

Angels, as man, unlike God, had a beginning. There was a point in time when God created angels; and God’s actions since that time have been, in different capacities and numerous realms, connected with angels. Not only so, but angels minister under the Lord after such a fashion (within the scope of established, set laws, etc.) that their actions are looked upon as those of the Lord Himself (cf. Genesis 18:20-22; 19:13, 24-25; Daniel 4:17, 25-32).

A major problem ensued in God’s government of the universe when one ruling angel moved outside the scope of God’s established laws (Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:14). He sought to exalt his throne (the position that he occupied by divine decree) above that of “the stars of God” (above all other ruling angels [angels ruling other provinces in the universe, as Satan ruled the earth]). Satan sought to be as God in this respect and rule the entire universe rather than just the one province in the universe over which he had been placed.

This brought about Satan’s disqualification to rule and the destruction of his kingdom (Genesis 1:2a; Ezekiel 28:16; cf. 1 Samuel 15:23; Isaiah 45:18). This was later followed by a restoration of the ruined domain and the creation of man to rule the earth in the stead of Satan and his angels (Genesis 1:2-28 [2b]). Man though, because of Satan’s deception of Eve, was himself disqualified through sin (Genesis 3:1-7). And this left Satan continuing to occupy the throne.

Man holding the earth’s scepter must await the appearance (reappearance today) of the promised Redeemer from Genesis 3:15.

He has appeared once “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” and to “those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:26-28). Redemption was provided for fallen man at Christ’s first appearance; and He is going to one day reappear, take the scepter, and position redeemed man on the throne with Him.

And it is with this backdrop that the book of Hebrews begins and must be understood.

(Much of the Old Testament typology depicting the preceding is seen in the account of Saul and David in the books of 1, 2 Samuel.
Saul was anointed king over Israel; but Saul disqualified himself by refusing, as God had commanded, to destroy the Amalekites and all of their possessions [1 Samuel 15:1ff], though Saul continued to reign. And Saul would continue to reign until the one whom God had chosen to replace him was not only on the scene but ready to ascend the throne.
Then note that which the type, thus far, foreshadows: Satan was anointed king over the earth; but Satan disqualified himself by seeking to extend his rule beyond his God-appointed position [Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:14], though Satan continued to reign. And Satan would continue to reign until the One whom God had chosen to replace him was not only on the scene but ready to ascend the throne.
In the type, shortly after God rejected Saul as Israel’s ruler, God had Samuel anoint David king over Israel [1 Samuel 16:10-13]. There were then two anointed kings in Israel. But David didn’t immediately ascend the throne. Rather, he eventually found himself in a place out in the hills, separated from Saul and his kingdom. And, during this time, certain faithful men joined themselves to David and remained out in the hills with him.
The day came when David was ready to ascend the throne, possessing a contingent of faithful men ready to rule with him. Then, Saul was put down, his crown was taken and given to David and David and his faithful men moved in and took over the government.
In the antitype, after God had rejected Satan as the earth’s ruler, God anointed His Son King over the earth [Psalm 45:6-7, 16; Hebrews 1:8-9]. There were then, and there are today, two anointed Kings over the earth. But God’s Son, as David in the type, didn’t immediately ascend the throne. Rather, as David, Christ finds Himself in a place of exile, separated from the kingdom. And, as in David’s case, certain faithful individuals join themselves to Christ during this time, remaining in the place of exile with Him.
But the day is near at hand when matters will continue exactly as seen in the type. Christ, in that day, as David in his day, will be ready to ascend the throne, possessing a contingent of faithful followers to rule with Him. Then, Satan, as Saul, will be put down, his crown will be taken and given to Christ, and Christ, with His faithful followers, will move in and take over the government.
A principle of biblical government — seen in the type and, of necessity, in the antitype as well — necessitates that an incumbent ruler, though disqualified to rule, continue holding the scepter until the one who is to replace him on the throne is not only present but ready [prepared] to ascend the throne.
This principle, seen in the type, will explain why God allows Satan to continue holding the scepter, though God’s Son [the One destined to take the scepter and replace Satan on the throne] has been present for the past 2,000 years.
The simple truth of the matter is that the Son, though present, is not yet ready to take the scepter and ascend the throne. The work of the Spirit, presently searching for a bride for God’s Son, has to be completed first. The Son cannot reign apart from possessing a wife to sit alongside Him on the throne [another established biblical principle relative to man fulfilling the purpose for his creation in the beginning; man can reign only as a complete being, requiring a husband-wife relationship to complete the man].

[For more information on this subject, refer to the author’s books, in this site, The Bride in Genesis BOOK, Ch. 1 and Search for the Bride BOOK (most of the book’s fifteen chapters deal with this subject).]

The bride for whom the Spirit presently searches, removed from the Son’s body in that coming day, will be presented back to Christ, completing the Son [Hebrews 2:10], allowing Him to reign.
And, as well, the bride, also seen in that day as a firstborn son [Christians being individual firstborn sons], will form the rulers necessary to govern as co-heirs with Christ in the kingdom.)

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Any Christian coming into a mature knowledge of that which God has stated,
and then turning away — apostatizing — has only one thing awaiting him:
A “fearful,” “terrible” experience with Christ at the Judgment Seat.

The willful sin, simply put, has to do with apostasy, after one has come into a mature knowledge of the things surrounding the hope set before Christians — something seen in the type in the second warning (Hebrews 3; 4) and in the antitype in the third warning (Hebrews 6:4ff). And sinning after this fashion will result in a Christian failing to come into possession of so great salvation (first warning [Hebrews 2]), synonymous with failing to realize the rights of the firstborn (fifth warning [Hebrews 12]).

Sinning Willfully
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Christ provided Himself as the Sacrifice for sin, His blood is today on the mercy seat in heaven, and He is presently occupying the office of High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary on behalf of sinning Christians. Christ is presently performing a cleansing from defilement for Christians who sin, and all a Christian needs to do in order to avail himself of this provided cleansing is to confess his sin. When he does this, cleansing will occur (1 John 1:9).

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

The willful sin of Hebrews 10:26 results in defilement, as does any sin. But, a different situation exists with this sin. This verse states that no sacrifice exists for those who sin after the manner dealt with by the verse, which separates it from Christ’s present ministry.

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (Hebrews 10:26)

How does this sin differ from any other sin that Christians can commit? Is it possible that this sin could somehow be brought under Christ’s present ministry and confessed, with forgiveness resulting from the person's confession? If so, How? If not, Why not?

1) Christ’s Present Ministry

To properly understand the willful sin, for several reasons (one reason being contextual), it should be viewed, first of all, in the light of Christ’s present high priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Note the context of Hebrews 10:26 (Hebrews 10:19-22) and also 1 John 1:6-2:2. The “blood” of Christ is presently on the mercy seat in the “holiest [Holy of Holies]” of the heavenly sanctuary; and a “new and living way” of access has been provided through the One who shed this blood, our “High Priest over the house of God.”

The blood of Christ, presently on the mercy seat of the heavenly sanctuary, “cleanses [keeps on cleansing]” Christians who have become defiled (through sin) as they “walk [keep on walking] in the light” (1 John 1:7; cf. Hebrews 10:22). It is impossible for the ones walking in the light to occupy a position other than being cleansed from sin; but, viewing the other side of the picture, it is entirely possible for Christians to not walk in the light, in which case there will be no cleansing.

To understand exactly what is meant by walking in the light, one must draw from the typology of the tabernacle. The light was provided by a seven-leafed golden candlestick inside the Holy Place where the priests carried on part of their ministry, and the only way that these priests were permitted to enter the Holy Place and walk in this light was through a previous cleansing at the brazen laver (basin) in the courtyard.

This laver lay between the brazen altar and the Holy Place and had upper and lower basins for washing the hands and feet. The entire bodies of these priests had been washed upon their entrance into the priesthood (Exodus 29:4; 40:12-15) — an act never to be repeated — but in their subsequent ministry, it was necessary to avail themselves of partial washings (washings of parts of the body) at the laver. Their hands and feet became soiled in their ministry, and these parts of the body had to be cleansed prior to entering the Holy Place (Exodus 30:18-21; 40:30-32). (See following Tabernacle Complex.)

Exactly the same thing holds true for Christians, New Testament priests, in the antitype today. Christians have received a complete washing (received at the point of the birth from above, upon their entrance into the priesthood) — an act never to be repeated. But, as the Old Testament priests, they must now avail themselves of partial washings in their ministry. And this is seen in the type by and through the actions of Old Testament priests washing at the laver.

This is what Jesus alluded to in John 13:8, 10:

If I do not wash [Greek: nipto, referring to a part of the body (the Septuagint uses this same word in Exodus 30:19, 21)] you, you have no part with me [note: not ‘in me,’ but ‘with me’]”; and “He who is washed [Greek: louo, (‘bathed’ in the NKJV) referring to the entire body (the Septuagint uses this same word in Exodus 29:4; 40:12)] needs only to wash [Greek: nipto] his feet . . . .

This is also what is alluded to in Hebrews 10:22 and 1 John 1:7.

Old Testament priests whose hands and feet had become soiled through activity in the courtyard could not bypass the laver and proceed on to the Holy Place. Nor can New Testament priests. New Testament priests must first, as the Old Testament priests, avail themselves of cleansing. Defilement in the Christians’ case comes through contact with sin; and cleansing, according to the context of 1 John 1:7, is accomplished through confession of sin:

If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

And this cleansing is accomplished solely on the basis of Christ’s shed blood on the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary:

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [Greek: parakletos, one called alongside to help in time of need] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
And He Himself is the propitiation [Greek: hilasmos, (God appeased, through Christ’s work on the basis of His shed blood on the mercy seat)] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world [contextually, a reference to all of the saved in the world, not the unsaved (a cleansing for Christians alone is in view; the unsaved and eternal salvation are not in view at all in these verses)]. (1 John 2:1-2)

Thus, the ones walking in the light in 1 John 1:7 are Christians who have availed themselves of the provision in 1 John 1:9. As they continue walking in the light (continue availing themselves of this provision, allowing continued access to the Holy Place), the blood of Christ continues cleansing them from “all sin.”

And a Christian refusing to avail himself of provided cleansing today is seen walking in darkness. He has not come to the laver and, consequently, can only remain in the darkened courtyard outside the light in the Holy Place. He has refused confession of sin; he has refused the cleansing provided by Christ. And for such an individual, in reality, “there remains no more sacrifice for sins.” That is, there is no sacrifice for those refusing the sacrifice that God has provided in the person of His Son.

Thus, contextually (Hebrews 10:19-22), one might think that the willful sin in Hebrews 10:26 (for which there is no sacrifice) would be a Christian’s refusal to avail himself of Christ’s present high priestly ministry. In this respect, there would be no sacrifice for his unconfessed sins (for a Christian refusing to confess his sins would be refusing the provided sacrifice).

2) BUT. . . .

But Christians harboring sins of the flesh and refusing to confess these sins cannot possibly be that which they are warned against in Hebrews 10:26. This verse continues the thought from the immediately preceding verses (Hebrews 10:23-25), and this thought has nothing whatsoever with Christians confessing (or not confessing) their sins.

Nor can the willful sin in this verse be thought of in the broad sense of sins committed by Christians in a willful, or a deliberate, or a knowing manner. If the truth were known, it could probably easily be shown that most sins committed by Christians would fall into a singular category — things that Christians knew were sins before they committed them, knew were sins during the time in which they were committing them, and knew were sins after they had committed them.

The only possible way to properly understand the willful sin in Hebrews 10:26, for which there is no sacrifice, is to view this sin, contextually, within the book of Hebrews where it is found. If this is not done, a person will invariably go wrong at this point in Scripture.

Note first that all of the warnings in Hebrews are closely related, drawing heavily from the Old Testament types. The second warning (Hebrews 3; 4) draws from the account of the Israelites under Moses, and the same thought is continued in the third warning (Hebrews 6:4ff), relating the matter to Christians.

In both the type (Hebrews 3; 4 [second warning]) and the antitype (Hebrews 6:4ff [third warning]), the sin referenced in the fourth warning (Hebrews 10:26ff) is present. The Israelites under Moses committed a sin for which there was no sacrifice (second warning [(Hebrews 3; 4)]), and Christians today can commit exactly the same sin, with the same result following (third warning [Hebrews 6:4ff]). Then the fourth warning (Hebrews 10:26ff) continues with thoughts pertaining to this sin; and the matter has to do with “so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2 [first warning]), resulting in “blessing” associated with the “birthright” (Hebrews 12 [fifth warning]).

That is the broad contextual scope of the matter. The Israelites, in the type, through their actions at Kadesh-Barnea — refusing to go in and take the land to which they had been called — committed a sin for which there was no sacrifice. And, with there being no sacrifice for this sin, God didn't, He couldn't, change His mind concerning that which He had decreed pertaining to the matter.

And Christians, in the antitype, can commit exactly the same sin relative to the heavenly land to which they have been called. And, as in the type, no sacrifice exists for such a sin. As in the type, God won’t, He can’t change His mind concerning that which He has decreed pertaining to this sin, if committed by His people today.

This is plain from that which is stated in Hebrews 6:2-4, again drawing from the type in Hebrews 3; 4, the account of the Israelites under Moses:

For it is impossible . . . if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance . . . .”

(For additional information on the preceding, refer to the author’s book, Let Us Go On BOOK, Chs. 4 and 5.)

Then note that the reference to this sin is the continuation of a text having to do with a central purpose for Christians assembling together during the present dispensation — whether on Sunday at a regular meeting place, or at any other time or place during the week (Hebrews10:23-25). The particular purpose given in the text is singular: Christians meeting together in order to exhort and encourage one another concerning the hope set before each one of them (“profession of our faith” [Hebrews10:23 KJV] should be translated, “confession of our hope”). And this hope set before every Christian is the hope that they might one day realize the very thing to which they have been called — win a crown in the present race of the faith and, as a result, occupy a regal position with Christ in that coming day of His power.

In short, Christians are exhorted to assemble together for a particular purpose, and then they are warned concerning the danger of failing to assemble together on a regular basis for this purpose. They can either find mutual strength in the race of the faith through assembling together, or they can fail to assemble for this mutual strength and find themselves in danger of falling away and becoming involved in that which Scripture refers to as willful sin.

Numbers 15:30-31, immediately following the account of the Israelites refusal to enter into the land at Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 13; 14), deals with God’s statement concerning a sin for which there was no sacrifice. And an example of such a sin — a man violating the Sabbath — immediately follows God’s instructions concerning the matter.

God’s statement concerning a sin for which there was no sacrifice in this passage had to do with a person acting in open rebellion, followed by his being cut off from the people of Israel (which was exactly what occurred at and following the events at Kadesh-Barnea). And the contextual example not only had to do with the experiences of the Israelites, beginning at Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 13; 14), but it also had to do with a man violating the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36).

As with the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea, so with the man violating the Sabbath. There was no sacrifice for the sin committed by either. Rather, in both instances, the Lord commanded that a sentence of death was to be carried out. And, resulting, an entire accountable generation died on the one hand, and a man was taken outside the camp and stoned on the other.

The land set before Christians is associated with a rest, a Sabbath rest, drawing from Genesis 2:1-3 (Hebrews 4:4-9). And a Christian turning his back on this land (after coming into a mature knowledge of the things surrounding the land) would be doing exactly the same thing that the Israelites under Moses did at Kadesh-Barnea (after hearing the report concerning the land by the twelve spies). Then, in another respect, such a Christian would be doing violence to that which God had to say about the Sabbath rest set before the people of God, in a similar respect to the man violating the Sabbath in Numbers 15:32-36 (for the Sabbath was given Israel as a sign [Exodus 31:13-17]).

The Sabbath was a sign pointing to a day of rest following God’s present six days of work (Exodus 31:13-17). As God rested on the seventh day after working six days to restore a past ruined creation (the material creation) — establishing an unchangeable, foundational pattern — He is going to rest on a seventh day (a 1,000-year day) after working six days (six 6,000-year days) to restore two present ruined creations (both man and the material creation once again).

Thus, drawing from both Numbers 13; 15 and Hebrews 3; 4; 6, it can easily be shown how Christians, in Hebrews 10:26ff, can sin willfully today. They can do so by and through only one means:

coming into a mature knowledge of the truth surrounding their calling, and then apostatizing (turning away from this truth).

Any Christian committing such an act, according to Hebrews 10:29, will have done three things:

1) Trodden “under foot the Son of God.”
2) Considered the blood of Christ “an unholy [a common] thing.”
3) Insulted “the Spirit of grace.”

God places the willful sin in a category of this nature simply because of the high place in which He holds that which He has stated concerning the coming reign of His Son. And, according to Scripture, any Christian coming into a mature knowledge of that which God has stated in this realm, and then turning away — apostatizing — has only one thing awaiting him:

a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:27)

Then note how verses thirty and thirty-one of Hebrews chapter ten (Hebrews 10:30-31) parallel 2 Corinthians 5:10-11:

For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord shall judge His people.”
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Events of the judgment seat will be one of the most terrible times many Christians will ever experience, for Christians who have refused to follow the Spirit’s leadership during the present day and time will, at the judgment seat, “fall into the hands of the living God.” Such Christians will find it to be a “fearful,” “terrible” experience, for there the “terror of the Lord” will be manifested, and a completely just reward (recompense) will be meted out.

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Excerpted from Judgment Seat of Christ BOOK, Ch. 3, in this site.

The following Word Document is SAFE to open and print: Sinning Willfully by Arlen Chitwood.docx

In this site The Wilful Sin may also be of interest.

The following links, in this site, are additional commentaries on the Word of the Kingdom and/or Satan’s ongoing war against Christians:

The Primary Message of the Bible! / Saved for a Purpose / Conditions in the Church Today! / Confusion about Salvation / Brought Forth from Above BOOK, Appendix 1 / Salvation by Faith or Works or Both / The Central Message of the New Testament / Dragnet / Separation / Furnace of Fire / Kingdom / Christendom Today! / God's Transition of Satan's Kingdom to Christ's Kingdom / Satan, Great Enemy of Christian Life! / Organizational Set-up of Satan’s Rule over the Earth / The Spiritual Warfare BOOK/ Freedom, Satan and Armor / Christians vs. Angelic Rulers Presently! / Man and the Universe! / Christians and the World and In the Kingdom of Men.

(For additional information on the warning passages see The Five Warning Passages in Hebrews and Hebrews Warnings and Admonitions (Table Format) in this site. Also for a full course on Hebrews see KKK God’s Word in Hebrews by Dr. Mark Miller.)

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This book deals with one major facet of the matter — things that the Prophets wrote about millennia [millenniums] ago that are about to transpire upon this earth, things having to do with Israel and the nations following the removal of the Church. And these are not things that will occur in some distant, far-away future. Rather, the present dispensation is almost over.

Distant Hoofbeats
By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Book Cover

All mankind, both the living and the dead throughout the past 6,000 years of man’s existence, has a date with destiny. No one is excluded; all are included. And that day is fast approaching.

Man’s Day has almost run its course. We are almost there.

God works with pre-established, set times, which He Himself established and set; and He is about to, once again, step into man’s affairs, with major changes to then follow.

The Church is about to be removed, with God then turning back to Israel and completing the final, unfulfilled seven years of Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27). During these final seven years, Israel will be dealt with after a fashion that will result in the nation, after 2,600 years of Gentile dominance, being brought to the place of repentance.

To effect repentance, God will use the actions of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, who are about to ride. Their ride will begin with Deception (the rider on the white horse [Revelation 6:1-2] who will deceive and mislead the masses); then, War, Famine, Pestilence (Plagues, Diseases), and Death will follow in this man’s deceptive wake as he shows his true colors when the other three horsemen come forth (Revelation 6:3-8).

This man will become world ruler, sit on Satan’s throne (Revelation 13:1-2), and — seeking to destroy the nation of Israel, with the nations resultantly caught up in the matter as well — two-thirds of the Jewish population of the earth will die, along with more than a billion from the nations.

Then, following Israel finally being brought to the place of repentance through all of this death and destruction, the heavens will open and a fifth Horseman will come forth — One from above, not from below, as the others. And He will not only bring the whole of that occurring to an end but set things right.

You can read about it in this book, or better yet, in The Book.

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Bible One - Arlen Chitwood's Distant Hoofbeats, Cover

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Grace is power, not just pardon!

Response from Charles Strong of Bible One, a mentor and my friend: Always happy to assist you as we both endeavor to do the will of our Father in heaven. I certainly agree that He has given grace to all; but, He doesn’t force any of His created beings (humans) to accept or use it. We are simply to submit to His guiding hand, the hand of grace, which allows us to accomplish faithful works for the salvation of our souls.

Grace and Faith
By Bill Gothard

Two years ago I wrote a paper on the topic of grace. The questions that it raised confirmed to me that grace cannot be explained apart from faith. The two are linked together in Scripture, and the one activates the other. Both are gifts of God. God’s grace gives us the desire and power to do His will. Related to this is God’s mercy, which withholds the just punishment when we fail to act upon grace. The following points summarize and expand what I have been teaching in the Basic Seminar for more than 40 years.

Grace is the desire and the power that God gives us to do His will.

Grace is free and unmerited.

There is nothing we can do to earn or merit the grace of God. It is the free gift of God to us, apart from any works or effort that we can achieve:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Grace is given to every person.

Everyone in the world is given sufficient grace to respond to the light of conscience and of the Gospel. This point is emphasized in Titus 2:11–12:

“The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

Grace is interrelated with faith.

It is not possible to define grace without at the same time referring to faith because the two are so intricately entwined, as stated in Ephesians 2:8–9:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith.”

(See also I Timothy 1:13–14, Romans 5:2). Both grace and faith are gifts of God.

Grace is expressed in action.

Both grace and faith are expressed in God-directed action. Paul emphasized this in II Corinthians 8:1–2, when he explained how the grace of God that was bestowed on the churches in Macedonia resulted in their generosity. Then he challenged the Corinthians:

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (II Corinthians 9:8).

Grace is given progressively.

We have access to all of God’s grace; however, it is given to us as we have need of it and as we have responded to previous grace. Therefore, Peter urged the believers to “grow in grace” (II Peter 3:18) and prayed that grace would be multiplied unto them (see II Peter 1:2). Paul was assured that God’s grace was sufficient for the trials that he was enduring (see II Corinthians 12:9). As we respond to the grace God gives us, He gives more grace. Therefore, different believers will have different measures of grace.

Grace can be resisted.

Since grace is given to every person, but not every person is acting upon it to carry out the will of God, it is obvious that we can resist the work of God’s grace in us. Scripture warns of this possibility in Hebrews 12:15:

“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”

Grace is given to the humble.

One of the strongest ways to resist the grace of God is to have pride. Thus, Scripture states:

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

Peter also emphasized the importance of humility in order to receive God’s grace:

“Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (I Peter 5:5).

Grace requires good stewardship.

Peter stated that we are to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (see I Peter 4:10).

Grace is singular in this passage; however, there are different applications of grace. For every need, there is grace:

“Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20).

Different applications of grace would also include various spiritual gifts that are given to each believer:

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…” (Romans 12:6).

Grace is the power to overcome trials.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:1–5).

Grace Can Be Abused

Since grace is given to overcome sin, some might wrongly conclude that by sinning more, we receive more grace. Such a conclusion is condemned by Paul:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1–2).

There are also those who view grace as freedom to do what they want rather than power to do what they ought. This view turns God’s grace into a license to sin and is condemned in scripture.

A further abuse of grace is dividing it into two parts. One for salvation, and the other for Christian living. There is no such division in Scripture. One Bible scholar noted, “It is a great irony that the people who cultivate a two-stage Christianity do so in the name of grace but in effect nullify grace. They say there is a faith stage necessary for getting to heaven, and then an obedient stage not necessary for getting to heaven (but perhaps for getting better rewards there)… Underlying this mistake is a misunderstanding of grace. Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God to overcome sin. Grace is power, not just pardon” (Pleasures of God, John Piper, p. 244+).

(Response from Charles Strong of Bible One, a mentor and my friend: Always happy to assist you as we both endeavor to do the will of our Father in heaven. I certainly agree that He has given grace to all; but, He doesn’t force any of His created beings (humans) to accept or use it. We are simply to submit to His guiding hand, the hand of grace, which allows us to accomplish faithful works for the salvation of our souls. It appears to me that Gothard denies the three aspects of God’s comprehensive redemption program for man, believing that those of us who do actually “separate” grace. But there is no separation, even though there are degrees of it, of which we are privileged and encouraged to take advantage.)

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Reverend Who??

By Charles Strong of Bible One

It is common practice today, as it has been for many years, for members of the clergy within the various branches of Christendom to be referred to with the title “Reverend” – a title intended to convey a state of spiritual elevation and position over that of communal believers. This title has been adopted in many English-speaking denominations as a courtesy designation for clergymen. Higher orders are designated as “Very Reverend,” “Right Reverend,” or “Most Reverend.”

Yet, to many within Christendom, the use of such recognition would only be a means of conveying respect for those who minister the Word of God for and to others and not a means of establishing a spiritual hierarchy recognized or originated by God.

Nevertheless, for those who utilize and who wear such a title, it would be prudent to consider the following:

1) There is no New Testament authority for the use of such titles. This practice was initiated by man in both Ireland and England during the eighteen hundreds. Scripture is clear that Christians must not venture into the domain of presumptuous religious activity (1 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 3:17; 2 John 1:9). They are warned against religious conduct that is grounded in their personal “will” (cf. “will-worship” — Colossians 2:23 KJV).

2) Jesus Christ condemned the use of titles by which men of faith exalt themselves above their fellows, which was a common practice among the Jewish religious order at the time of His earthly ministry. This was made clear when He “spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples” about the “scribes and the Pharisees” (Matthew 23:1-2).

(During the time that Christ walked the earth, scribes were those who were trained in writing skills and who interpreted the law of Moses, while Pharisees were religious controllers of the synagogues who were separated from the local populace to the study and interpretation of the law of Moses and who were the developers of the oral traditions and teachers of the two-fold law: written and oral.)

The following is what Christ stated pertaining to man-made religious titles:

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries [a portion of their attire] broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, “Rabbi, Rabbi [a Hebrew official title of honor].” But you, do not be called “Rabbi”; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:5-12)

3) The only New Testament list of descriptive positions [not “titles”] designated by Jesus Christ for the Church (i.e., the entire body of believers in Christ) is found in Ephesians 4:11 for the purpose or purposes described in Ephesians 4:12-16.

And He [Christ] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers [Gk. literally “pastor-teachers”], (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (14) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ – (16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

It is important to understand that the designations listed – apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers – were never meant to be strictly “titles” by which these individuals were to be addressed, although they could and have been utilized as such, but more importantly they are terms that specifically describe the duties and activities to be performed by those who were to minister to the “body of Christ” [the Church]. The following are descriptions of the duties of each designated position:

Apostle (Gk. apostolos) – a delegate, ambassador, special messenger.

Prophet (Gk. prophetes) – an inspired foreteller of coming events.

Evangelist (Gk. euaggelistes) – a preacher of the gospel (good news).

Note how Paul conducted his ministry along these lines (cf. Acts 20:20-32; Colossians 1:1-29). And note Paul’s command in his second epistle to Timothy, along these same lines:

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:5)

The word “evangelist” (Greek: euaggelistes) means, a proclaimer of good news. The word is not used in Scripture in the narrow sense in which it is often used in Christendom today — one proclaiming only the good news of the grace of God as it pertains to eternal verities. Scripture uses this word in a much broader sense.

Timothy, being told to “do the work of an evangelist,” was simply being told to proclaim the good news. What good news was he to proclaim? The context itself has to do with the good news of the coming glory of Christ (cf. 2 Timothy 3:15; 4:1, 7-8). Thus, contextually, this facet of the good news would be foremost in view.

But there is another facet to the good news — a preceding facet — the good news of the grace of God. And the command to Timothy could not preclude this facet of the good news, though the context deals with the other. In other words, if Timothy was dealing with the unsaved, he was to proclaim the good news of the grace of God. He couldn’t proclaim anything else to them, for they were still “dead in trespasses and sins.” They were incapable of spiritual discernment (1 Corinthians 2:14).

But, once they had “passed from death to life,” he was no longer to proclaim the good news of the grace of God to them. Such would be meaningless, for they had already heard and responded to this message. He was then to proclaim the good news of the coming glory of Christ, for now they could understand spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:9-13).

Either way though he would be doing the work of an evangelist. That is, he would be proclaiming good news, whether relative to salvation by grace or the coming glory of Christ.

[Above taken from Mysteries of the Kingdom BOOK, Ch. 8, in this site.]

Pastor-teacher (Gk. the copulative “de” unites “poimen” [pastor] and “didaskalos” [teacher] into one meaning. Poimen literally means “shepherd,” one who feeds and cares for the sheep [Christ being the Chief Shepherd (John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4)] – one who feeds (instructs) the members of the “body of Christ” with the Word of God.

4) As to a local church (assembly of believers), the two identifiable positions recognized by the New Testament with duties and/or responsibilities are “bishop” (also referred to as “elder”) and “deacon.” Within the New Testament both the eldership and diaconate in the local churches were referred to in the plural, i.e., there is no recorded instance in Scripture of only one elder or only one deacon in a local church. The use of the singular in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:7 refers to the “bishop as a type” rather than a set number. The selecting of such officers by some form of a “group [possibly ‘democratic’] process” by a local congregation is found in Acts 6:1-6.

The following are descriptions of the duties of each designated position, as outlined by Arlen L. Chitwood:

Deacon

The verb form of the Greek word (diakoneo) for “deacon,” which is diakonein means “to serve.” It connotes a very personal service closely related to a service of love, exemplified in Christ’s second commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

In Acts 6:1-6, which most scholars agree is the first recorded appearance of the diaconate in the early Church, and where the Greek terms diakonia (“ministry” or “service”) and diakonein (“to wait on or serve tables”) are used, they are used in a non-technical sense, i.e., they refer to workers and not to office bearers. And as to gender, this rests upon ones interpretation of the use of the Greek word diaknos (which may be either masculine or feminine; in this case “deaconess”) as it refers to Phebe in Romans 16:1.

With reference to one who holds a specific office in the local church, the word diakonos (“deacon”) occurs in only four passages in the New Testament (Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8, 10, 12). In the first reference is simply a greeting to them, where their qualifications are given in the second.

Nowhere in the New Testament are deacons seen as persons of authority in the conduct of church affairs, as is the case in so many local churches today. Rather, they were individuals who served the needs of others in order that the bishop/elders could devote themselves strictly to prayer and the teaching of the Word (Acts 6:2, 4; 1 Timothy 3:10).

Sadly, deacons do little true service (“to wait on or serve tables”) in today’s churches but are usually now considered part of the “church’s hierarchy” and are given priority in the making of decisions regarding most if not all matters concerning it. Such participation in church-related decision is a right that this author believes should be provided equally to all members of the congregation and not just to a “few.” The only priority that is allotted to a deacon is the “right to serve others,” a most notable activity if properly and faithfully performed that will be accorded great honor at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Bishop/Elder

The Greek word for “bishop/overseer” (episkopos) in the New Testament occurs five times: once of Christ (1 Peter 2:25) and in four other places, indicating a “superintendent” of a local church (Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:7). The secular meaning for the Greek term episkopos indicated an “office,” and when used of a person indicated “protective care” as a function of the one so classified.

It is clear that a “bishop” and an “elder” (Gk: presbuteros) were terms representing the same office/person in the local church. The apostle Paul summoned the “elders” (presuteros) of Ephesus to Miletus in Acts 20:17 and then addressed them as “bishops/overseers” (episkopos) in Acts 20:28. He also used both terms (presbuteros and episkopos) to refer to the same office in Titus 1:5, 7. And the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:1-2 appealed to the “elders” (presbuteros) to fulfill the office of “bishops/overseers” (episkopos).

The qualifications of the bishop/elder are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. In addition to the personal moral and social qualifications requisite to the person appointed/ordained to fill this office, the one primary ministry qualification deemed absolutely indispensable in regards to his relationship to those he would oversee was the ability to labor in, understand, and teach sound Bible doctrine.

Considering the above, the only assessment one can come to is that there is no Scriptural basis for using the title “Reverend” to apply to man. And finally, as one considers the above, one should understand the purpose of the “local church.”

There is only one purpose unique to the position of bishop/elder relevant to the local church that is prominent in the Word of God. And it is the contention of this author that this is the primary purpose for saints to assemble together, i.e., the establishment or existence of a “local church.” As previously stated, this one primary ministry qualification deemed absolutely indispensable in regards to the relationship of the bishop/elder (pastor) to those he would oversee was his ability to labor in, understand, and teach sound Bible doctrine.

. . . we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. . . .then the Word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly . . . .(Acts 6:4, 7a)

For I have not shunned to declare to you the Whole Counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd [“feed” KJV] the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. . . . So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:27-28, 32)

A bishop then must be . . . able to teach. (1 Timothy 3:2)

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the Word and doctrine. (1 Timothy 5:17)

Holding fast the faithful Word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. . . . whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. (Titus 1:9, 11)

Shepherd [“feed” KJV] the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly. (1 Peter 5:2)

In this sense, the elder or bishop served as one of “Christ’s gifts,” specifically “pastor-teachers” (not “pastors and teachers”— the copulative “and” unites the two into one meaning), to the local church in order “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine ..”(Ephesians 4:11-14).

Yet in Christendom today one must search long and far to find a pastor of a local church who fulfills the biblical role (the only primary role God would have him fill) of pastor-teacher. Instead one finds multitudes of pastors who believe their role is to deliver “sermons” designed to hearten the Christian community. Their multi-point messages are intended to promote a “feel-good” (emotional) response and to influence attendees to join their multi-activity assembly, often for the underlying purpose of self-aggrandizement.

The “milk” of God’s Word is standard fair in such churches; “meat” (and “strong meat”) is never served. Instead of encouraging the biblical formula for witnessing to the lost, such pastors take on this responsibility within the confines of the church by devoting much of the time to evangelical efforts from the pulpit and thereby essentially relieving their flock from conducting soul-winning efforts outside the church. Doctrinal instruction is relegated to “Sunday School” classes, which normally amounts to 30 to 40 minutes a week, and is generally structured around a denominational issuance of more “milk.” And then there are the sundry social activities that are legion in today’s local churches and which never end. All this has the net result of avoiding the in-depth teaching of Bible doctrine, which should profusely flow from both the pulpit and most other church-sponsored activities.

Due to this dearth in teaching Bible doctrine in most churches within Christendom today, most Christians never leave the “baby, milk-fed” state of spirituality and therefore they lead carnal lives, i.e., they walk according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, which does not please God.

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food [meat]; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food [meat]. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the Word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food [meat] belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. . . . that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:1, 4-8)

It is unfortunate that to fill the spiritual-growth void that many sincere Christians experience as a result of their “milk-diet” since their spiritual birth, they resort to highly emotionally charged, supposedly “evangelical,” activities within and without local churches, which play on “experience,” “feelings,” and “miraculous signs” rather than the sound doctrine of God’s Word. Even though emotionalism and feelings may be experienced in such environs, they have no relation to spirituality. Spiritual growth is linked solely to faith in God’s Word as the newborn Christian goes beyond the “milk” to the “meat” of doctrine.

In short, local churches and pastors do believers a grave injustice by not adhering to their primary responsibility of fully teaching God’s Word (Bible doctrine). Spiritual maturity can only be achieved through continuous consumption of the “meat” of the Word. And although a truly biblical doctrine-based local church may not be as popular as the “emotion-fed” activities and “social-based” mega-churches of today, one may be assured that this is completely in-line with the Savior’s revelation regarding the Church during the “last days” of this dispensation.

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Sufferings and Glory

By Arlen Chitwood of The Lamp Broadcast

“Sufferings” and “glory” go hand in hand throughout Scripture. The former always precedes the latter, and the latter cannot be realized apart from the former. Scripture records the sufferings of Christ on behalf of Christians (1 Peter 2:21), and Scripture also records the sufferings of Christians with respect to Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 1:11). Glory must then follow, for Scripture inseparably links sufferings and glory.

On the road to Emmaus, following His resurrection, Christ rebuked two disciples whose eyes were still closed to the truth concerning His sufferings and glory:

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)

The sufferings of Christ refer to the events surrounding “Calvary,” and the glory of Christ will be revealed in the coming “Kingdom.” The Son’s ministry in the interim, as our great High Priest, has its basis in the former, with a view to the latter.

The blood shed at Calvary is presently on the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary, and Christ is presently ministering in the sanctuary for those in whom the Spirit has breathed life on the basis of His finished work at Calvary; and Christ’s present work as High Priest is with a view to that coming day — that day when He will appear in His glory, bringing “many sons to glory” with Him (Hebrews 2:9-10; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John “saw His glory” (Luke 9:32). This event, following the mention of both the sufferings of Christ and the sufferings (of Christians) with respect to Christ’s sufferings (Matthew 16:21-27), pertains specifically to “the Son of man coming in His kingdom . . . after six days [after 6,000 years]” (Matthew 16:28-17:5; 2 Peter 1:16-18; 3:8). For “the joy [the day when He shall rule and reign] that was set before Him,” Christ “endured the cross, despising the shame [not that ‘the shame’ was a small thing, but ‘the joy’ was so much greater that He refused to consider ‘the shame’], and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2).

The sufferings of Christians with respect to Christ’s sufferings and the glory that is to follow in 1 Peter 1:11 appear in this same framework in Romans 8:17-23, with a condition set forth in verse seventeen:

. . . if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

The thought is then continued in verse eighteen with the statement:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

The time when this glory will be revealed is then specifically stated in verses nineteen through twenty-three to be following the adoption, when the sons of God are revealed for all to behold.

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. . . .”

God is about to bring forth a new order of “sons” (Christians) to replace the present order of “sons” (angels). This new order is referred to in Hebrews 2:10 as “many sons” who will be brought to glory; and these individuals — presently “children,” or “sons” awaiting the adoption (Romans 8:14-23) — are to look upon their present sufferings in the same manner that Christ looked upon His sufferings (Hebrews 12:2).

(Along with being called “children” [Greek: teknon], Christians are also referred to in a present sense as being “sons” [Greek: huios] three different places in the New Testament [Romans 8:14; Galatians 3:26; 4:6-7; Hebrews 12:5-8]. In each instance, the context deals with different aspects of present faithfulness in the Christian life, with a view to faithful Christians being among those adopted into a firstborn status following events surrounding the judgment seat.

At the end of the present dispensation, all Christians will be resurrected, or removed from the earth without dying, in the same type of body in which Christ was raised from the dead. Christ was raised in a spiritual body rather than a natural [soulical] body [cf. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44]. He was raised in a body of flesh and bones, with the life-giving, animating principle of the body being the Spirit of God rather than the blood [which He had previously “poured out” (Isaiah 53:12)].

Christ though was not raised in a glorified body. He was raised in a type of body that possessed capabilities outside the scope possessed by a natural [soulical] body [e.g., He could appear at a certain place and disappear from that place, moving to another place, at will (Luke 24:31, 36)]. But there was no Glory connected with His resurrection body until “a cloud” received Him out of the disciples’ sight at the end of His forty-day post-resurrection ministry, when He was “received up into glory” [Acts 1:9; 1 Timothy 3:16].

This can be easily seen, for example, by noting the differences in two of Christ’s post-resurrection appearances. He appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus later on the same day that He was raised from the dead [appearing apart from His Glory (Luke 24:13-31)], and He appeared a few years later to Paul on the road to Damascus [in connection with His Glory (Acts 9:1-5; 26:12-15)]. At Christ’s former appearance, it is apparent that there was nothing visibly different about His overall appearance that distinguished him from any other man. However, at His latter appearance, there was a major difference in this respect. There was a brightness surrounding His appearance that was above that of the noon-day sun [Acts 26:13; cf. Revelation 1:16].

When Christians are removed from the earth at the end of the present dispensation, they will receive bodies like Christ’s body at the time of His resurrection — a spiritual body of flesh and bones, apart from the Glory. The “redemption” of the body will then occur at a later time, synonymous with “the adoption” [Romans 8:23], not in connection with the removal of Christians from the earth at the end of the present dispensation.

[The manner in which the Greek text is worded in Romans 8:23, the redemption of the body and the adoption are synonymous. One is simply another way of saying the same thing as the other.

“…waiting out adoption, (namely) the ransoming of our body” (Lenski).

“Patiently awaiting son-placing, the redemption of our body” (Wuest).]

The adoption of Christians can occur only following events surrounding the judgment seat of Christ, for the adoption has to do with sons occupying the position of “firstborn” [firstborn sons] — something that cannot occur preceding a separation of Christians [the overcomers from the non-overcomers], based on decisions and determinations rendered at the judgment seat. Christians having been shown faithful at the judgment seat, realizing the salvation of their souls/lives, will be adopted as firstborn sons. But such will not be, for it cannot be, the case for unfaithful Christians, those having forfeited their souls/lives.

According to Romans 8:18-23, adoption as firstborn sons is in connection with rulership [in the human realm, only firstborn sons can rule in this manner within the theocracy]. And the unfaithful, though possessing spiritual bodies of flesh and bones, will be in no position to rule and cannot be adopted into a firstborn status. They can only appear as the ones seen in Hebrews 12:8 — as individuals who had previously rejected God’s child-training [Hebrews 12:5-7] and cannot now be His sons [the sons seen in Romans 8:19, adopted into a firstborn status in Romans 8:23].

[The word “chastisement” (KJV) in Hebrews 12:5-8 KJV is from noun and verb forms (paideia, paideuo) of a Greek word that means “child-training.” Then, the word translated “bastard” (KJV) in Hebrews 12:8 KJV is nothos in the Greek text. The word, contextually refers to those who reject God’s child-training and cannot be His sons.

“Sonship,” with a view to rulership, is in view. And only those capable of spiritual perception, only those born from above, would be in a position to reject God’s child-training. Thus, the unsaved cannot be in view; nor is eternal salvation even the subject at hand.]

Only following the adoption can the Glory be connected with the body, with man brought back into a full realization of that which Adam forfeited at the time of the fall [at the end of six days, at the end of 6,000 years]. Man, following the adoption and the corresponding restoration of the Glory will once again be enswathed in a covering of Glory and in a position to be further clothed in regal garments [refer to in this site Coverings of Glory, Adam and Eve's for additional information in this realm].

Thus, the redemption of the body in Romans 8:23 can have nothing to do with the change in the body that will occur when Christians are removed from the earth at the end of the dispensation. As shown by the context, the redemption of the body in this verse can only be a reference to that future time when “the glory . . . shall be revealed in us,” in Christians; it can only be a reference to that future time when “the sons of God,” a new order of Sons — Christ with His co-heirs [overcoming Christians, adopted and properly arrayed] — will be manifested for all to behold [Romans 8:18-19].)

Christians are to enter into “the fellowship [be like-minded] of His [Christ’s] sufferings” if they are to have a part in “the resurrection [‘out-resurrection’] of the dead” and receive “the prize of the upward call (KJV: ‘high calling’) of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:10-11, 14). Christ “suffered for us [‘on our behalf’], leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps [i.e., that Christians should enter into His sufferings through experiencing sufferings for Christ’s sake themselves]” (1 Peter 2:21).

1 Peter 1:11, pertaining to Christians rather than to Christ, should literally read:

. . . when He testified beforehand the sufferings with respect to Christ [i.e., with respect to Christians entering into Christ’s sufferings], and the glory that should follow.

Then, in complete accord with the established biblical pattern, future glory will always follow present sufferings. The “glory that will follow” pertains to “the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9-10) which will occur after “the genuineness [KJV: ‘trial’ (approval)] of your faith” (1 Peter 1:7) — an approval that will be rendered at the judgment seat of Christ.

In this respect, when being tested and tried during the present day and time, Christians are told,

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;

but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4:12-13; cf. James 1:2-12)

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(Taken from Bible One - The Breath of God by Arlen Chitwood and Bible One - The Ministry of Elders by Arlen Chitwood.)

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From Encouragement to Apostasy

What Has Happened in Christendom?

By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Christians are warned over and over in the Book of Hebrews concerning the goal of their calling. This is the central subject of the book, it is the central issue within the Christian life, and it should be the issue which occupies the central place in every activity of every Christian at all times. This overall matter is set forth in the Word of God to be that important in God’s sight.

Beginning of Our Confidence

In Hebrews 3:13a, Christians are told,

“But exhort one another daily [lit., ‘each day,’ ‘every day’], while it is called Today [the present time]…”

And this is to be done in order to avoid, at all costs, following a similar course of action to that which the nation of Israel followed at Kadesh-Barnea (cf. Hebrews 3:8, 13b). For, according to Scripture, Christians will occupy positions with Christ on the throne, as His “companions,” IF… Christians will hold positions of this nature with Christ in that coming day only IF, during the present day, they hold the beginning of their confidence “steadfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:14).

(The word “companions” rather than “partakers” [KJV] would be the preferred translation of the word used in the Greek text in Hebrews 3:14, the word metochoi. This is the same word which the writer of Hebrews also used in Hebrews 1:9 [translated “fellows”] and in Hebrews 3:1 [translated “partakers,” as in Hebrews 3:14]; and the preferred translation in these two instances as well would be “companions” [Hebrews 3:14 DBY].)

Holding “the beginning of one’s confidence steadfast unto the end,” with a view to being “companions” with Christ in that coming day, must be understood within the framework of the type.

Caleb and Joshua held the beginning of their confidence steadfast unto the end; the remainder of the nation, however, didn’t.

Relative to entering the land, overthrowing the enemy, and occupying the position for which they had been called, Caleb and Joshua said,

“Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30).

But the remainder of the nation manifested an entirely different attitude and took an entirely different approach toward the matter. They feared the inhabitants of the land, they wept through the night, they murmured against Moses and Aaron, and they sought to appoint a new leader and return to Egypt (Numbers 13:32-14:4).

This is where the difference lay, and, contextually, Hebrews 3:14 must be understood within this framework.

Confession of Our Hope

In Hebrews 10:23-25, the same command is restated after a slightly different fashion in connection with Christians assembling together. In verse twenty-three, Christians are exhorted, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith [lit., ‘the confession of our hope’] without wavering.” Then, in the following two verses, Christians are told to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works…exhorting one another”; and Christians are to conduct their affairs among one another in this manner “so much the more” as they “see the day approaching [that coming day when one’s present hope will be realized].”

Contextually, in Hebrews chapter ten, a central purpose for Christians assembling together (actually, the central purpose in the text) — “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” (Hebrews 10:25) — is with a view to exhorting one another relative to the hope of our calling (cf. Hebrews 10:23, 25).

And to do this, Christians would have to be knowledgeable, after some fashion, concerning this hope. They would have to talk about and discuss this hope with one another, for there could be no exhortation apart from some type knowledge of the facts surrounding the Christians’ calling.

In other words, in the light of Hebrews 3:13; 10:23-25, Christians are to assemble together with a view to talking about and discussing among themselves the things surrounding their calling. They are to talk about that land out ahead (that heavenly land), the enemy therein (Satan and his angels), the necessity of present victory over the enemy (through the spiritual warfare), and the hope set before them (that of one day occupying that heavenly land with the “King of kings, and the Lord of lords,” as Christ and Christians ascend the throne together [replacing Satan and his angels] and exercise the rights of the firstborn).

And, with these things in view, Christians are to spend time exhorting one another (“daily” in the text [Hebrews 3:13]) relative to the importance of keeping their eyes fixed on the goal out ahead; and they are to carry on an interchange with one another after this fashion so much the more as they “see the day approaching.”

And that’s exactly where we are today — at a time when Christians should be exhorting one another “so much the more,” for we are living very near the end of the present dispensation, very near the end of man’s allotted six days (6,000 years), immediately prior to the fast-approaching seventh day (the Lord’s Day, the Messianic Era, to last 1,000 years).

But…

Are Christians though assembling together today with this purpose in view?

Hardly!

Christians, by large, know little to nothing about this whole matter. This is not something which they talk about, discuss; nor, much less, is it something which is uppermost in their thoughts, governing their actions, allowing them to exhort one another daily.

Consequently, Christians are assembling together today for purposes which completely ignore that which is stated in Hebrews 10:23-25. This is how complete the leaven has done its damaging work.

Are conditions going to improve? Are Christians going to one day wake up?

Not during the present dispensation!

The present dispensation, according to Scripture, will end in total apostasy relative to Christians understanding and manifesting an interest in the Word of the Kingdom; and that’s exactly the direction in which the Church has been moving for centuries.

And, not only has the Church been moving in this direction for centuries, but the Church continues to move in this direction today — a direction which, for all practical purposes, has carried the Church completely away from “the faith” which was held almost universally among Christians during the first century.

Christ’s statement, “till the whole was leavened” (Matthew 13:33), and His companion statement that at the time of His return He would not find “the faith on the earth” (Luke 18:8), must be taken at face value. Christ, in His omniscience, knowing the future as well as the past and present, stated the matter exactly as it would exist at the end of the dispensation.

After two millenniums, at the end of the dispensation, the leavening process, according to Christ’s statement (cf. Matthew 13:3-33), would be so complete that, correspondingly, the message surrounding “the faith” would no longer be heard in the Churches — in so-called fundamental and liberal Churches alike. And the Church as a whole, with respect to this message, would be as the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3:14-21, “…wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

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Word Document: From Encouragement to Apostasy by Arlen Chitwood.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

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Soul-Winning

Saving of the Life

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Book Cover

The expression, “salvation of the soul,” has been misused in Christian circles over the years to the extent that any correct Scriptural teaching on the subject has become almost nonexistent. Soul-winning has erroneously been equated with reaching the unsaved with the message of the gospel of grace; and few Christians, viewing soul-winning in this manner, seem to even give the matter a second thought.

Books have been written on soul-winning, Bible colleges and seminaries teach courses on soul-winning, and soul-winning conferences are held by these same institutions and by various churches. But, among these groups, almost without exception, soul-winning is viewed from a non-Scriptural perspective.

Soul-winning in Scripture has to do with the saving of the soul/life of those who are already saved, whether Israelites in the Old Testament or Christians in the New Testament. When it comes to the saving or the losing of the soul/life in this respect, solely from a Scriptural standpoint, the unsaved are not in view.

But exactly what is soul-winning? And why is there so much confusion on this subject today? The questions are interrelated, and Scripture is quite clear concerning the answers to both. Soul-winning, having to do with those who are already saved, is seen connected with a kingdom in both Testaments. In the Old Testament, this kingdom was an existing kingdom (the Old Testament theocracy); and in the New Testament, this kingdom is seen as a coming kingdom (the coming kingdom of Christ).

Thus, it is no wonder that corruption and confusion have marked the proclamation of this message throughout Man’s Day. Satan, the present ruler in the kingdom — ruling from a heavenly sphere through the Gentile nations on earth (cf. Daniel 10:13-20; Luke 4:5-6; Ephesians 6:12) — knows that the ultimate outworking of that contained in the message surrounding the salvation of the soul will bring about an end to his rule.

Accordingly, Satan has done all within his power, over millenniums of time, to destroy this message. And exactly how well he has succeeded can be seen on practically every hand in Christendom today (cf. Matthew 13:31-33; Luke 18:8; Revelation 3:14-21).

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See in this site, Salvation of the Soul BOOK, and Charles Strong's website, Bible One - Soul-Winning, Salvation of the Soul, by Arlen Chitwood.

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In the Lord’s Day BOOK

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Foreword

Ch. 1 Caught into His Presence

Ch. 2 Judged in His Presence

Ch. 3 The Seven Churches

Foreword

This book deals (1) with the time of the resurrection of the dead and translation of the living “in Christ” (commonly called “the rapture”), (2) with judgment awaiting Christians at Christ’s judgment seat following their removal from the earth, and (3) with events related to this judgment, which preceded and anticipate the coming Messianic Era.

These are the things dealt with in the opening four chapters in the book of Revelation. And viewing the book as a whole, these opening four chapters provide a sequence of events that must occur at the end of the present dispensation but before the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation period on earth.

The book of Revelation is the only book in Scripture that provides a comprehensive coverage of this nature, surrounding these events. The same truths concerning these events are taught elsewhere in Scripture (particularly in Old Testament typology) but not all together, in a sequence, which includes the Tribulation in the sequence, such as one finds in the book of Revelation.

Now only must the rapture and events surrounding the judgment seat occur preceding the Tribulation, but these events must, according to information in these chapters, be all-inclusive. That is, all Christians (all of the dead and the living “in Christ” throughout the entire 2,000-year dispensation) must be removed together, at the same time and place, to appear before Christ in judgment. According to these chapters, there can be no such thing as a selective removal of Christians from the earth at the time of the rapture; nor can there be such a thing as more than one time and place for events surrounding the judgment seat.

A separation of Christians on the basis of faithfulness will occur, but not at the time of the rapture. This separation will occur at the judgment seat alone.

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Chapter One

Caught into His Presence

I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches that are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” (Revelation 1:9-11)

The book of Revelation is clearly a prophecy having to do with events occurring during “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:1, 10). These events begin with Christ’s return for the saved of the present dispensation, preceding the Tribulation (Revelation 1:10; 4:1-2), and end with events at the conclusion of the Millennium, anticipating “the day of God” (Revelation 20:7-22:5; cf. 2 Peter 3:10-12).

The book divides itself into three main sections in the opening chapter: “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this [lit., ‘after these things’]” (Revelation 1:19).

The “things which you have seen” refer to the things in the latter part of chapter one (a description of Christ as Judge, with Christians in His presence [following their removal from the earth], in the future Day of the Lord), the “things which are” refer to the things in chapters two and three (God's dealings with His people [Christians] during the present dispensation, preceding the Day of the Lord), and the “things which will take place after this [‘after these things’]” refer to the things beginning with chapter four (things that will occur during the Day of the Lord, after the present dispensation [set forth in Revelation 2; 3] has run its course).

Note that events in chapter one actually follow events in chapters two and three, though they are listed first in the book. The Lord's Day, during which time these events occur, will not begin until Christians have been removed at the time of the rapture (following events in chapters 2, 3). And this is where both chapters one and four begin. Events beginning with verse ten in chapter one and events throughout chapter four actually occur either at or about the same time, which is at the time of and immediately following the removal of Christians from the earth into the heavens at the conclusion of the present dispensation.

(As will be shown, John's removal into the future Day of the Lord in Revelation 1:10 is the same as his removal into heaven in Revelation 4:2. Events that follow in each chapter have to do either directly or indirectly with Christians. The events depicted beyond John’s removal in chapter one apparently precede events depicted beyond his removal in chapter four, for events in chapter one anticipate the events in chapter four.)

Events throughout the first four chapters, beginning with verse ten of chapter one, concern God’s dealings with Christians, both during and immediately following the present dispensation. Then chapter five is somewhat of a transitional chapter. God's dealings with Christians will have been completed at this point in the book (dealings that terminate in heaven with events at the judgment seat [chapter 1] and the relinquishment of crowns by the twenty-four elders [chapter 4]), and God will then turn His attention toward Israel and the nations on earth.

Chapter five (Revelation 5) is given over to a search for and revelation of the One found worthy to break the seals of the seven-sealed scroll; and the breaking of these seals — with the breaking of the first seal marking the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation — then begins to occur in Revelation 6.

Thus, along with the three-way division of the book given in verse nineteen of chapter one, the preceding divisions must also be recognized. Except for several statements in the opening nine introductory verses, the first four chapters constitute the Christian section of the book. Then beyond that, events shift away from God’s dealings with Christians to His dealings with the earth-dwellers (Israel and the Gentile nations); and most of the remainder of the book (through chapter eighteen) is given over to these events.

Christians appear on earth during the present dispensation in chapters two and three. They appear in heaven at the end of the present dispensation in chapter one and again in chapter nineteen at the end of the Tribulation, concluding the present age. Then events in chapter four indirectly concern Christians, in heaven, though there is no reference to them in the chapter.

Events in chapter five present a scene in heaven, anticipating the Tribulation on earth; and chapters six through eighteen are given over to a description of this seven-year period on earth. These chapters (Revelation 6-18) have to do strictly with Israel and the nations, and they form the most exhaustive, detailed treatment to be found anywhere in Scripture of events that will transpire on earth during the last seven years of the present age.

Do you want to know what’s about to happen to Christians? Do you want to know what’s about to happen to Israel and the Gentile nations? Do you want to know how Man’s Day will end and the Lord’s Day will begin and end? We’re not left in the dark. It has all been made known in the “Revelation of Jesus Christ” that God gave to John the Apostle, in order “to show His servants — things that must shortly take place” (Revelation 1:1).

In the Spirit

The expression, “in the Spirit,” used in Revelation 1:10; 4:2, refers to a person being removed from the natural state of affairs and into the supernatural for a particular purpose. John was on the Isle of Patmos “for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ [which must be understood in the light of Revelation 1:1, ‘things that must shortly take place’]" (Revelation 1:9). He was removed from his own time, near the end of the first century, and placed in the future Day of the Lord, nineteen centuries later (Revelation 1:10). And he was not only moved from one time-period to another but he was also moved from one place to another. He was moved from the earth into heaven (Revelation 4:1-2).

John recorded the things revealed to him, not on the Isle of Patmos, but in heaven, nineteen and twenty-nine centuries in the future. These things were given to the Son by the Father and revealed to John through an angel (Revelation 1:1; 22:6-9). And during this time he was commanded to “write” on twelve different occasions (Revelation 1:11, 19; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5).

The fact that John wrote as these things were revealed to him is evident from the one time when he was about to write but was commanded not to so do (Revelation 10:4). Thus, what we have in this book is an eye-witness account concerning events that will begin to transpire at the end of the present dispensation and age (excluding events in chapters 2, 3), which are prophetic insofar as Revelation 1:1 is concerned but current from John's vantage point in the future Day of the Lord. In this respect, we have a book that was written during “time” which is yet to occur.

Moving individuals into another time-period (either past or future) or into another location within that time-period in order to receive a revelation from God is not something new in Scripture. God, on one occasion, moved the prophet Ezekiel back in time, transporting him from Babylon to Jerusalem, in order to show him certain things about Israel's past (Ezekiel 8:5ff); and, on another occasion, God moved Ezekiel forward in time and once again changed his geographical location in order to show him certain things about Israel's future (Ezekiel 37:1ff).

God is not bound by time or space. He can move individuals forward or backward in time at will, as well as change their geographical location (cf. Acts 8:39). He lives in the eternal present, and He is omnipresent. He is the eternal “I Am” (Exodus 3:14), and He is present everywhere at once through the work of the Spirit (cf. Genesis 1:2; 2:3; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

In Ezekiel 8:3, God removed Ezekiel from Babylon and transported him to Jerusalem into a time before the captivity. God allowed Ezekiel to see the abominations that had been committed at that time by the children of Israel, which ultimately brought about the captivity in which Ezekiel had found himself (Ezekiel 8:5ff). Thus, God, by allowing Ezekiel to see with his own eyes that which had occurred in Jerusalem at a time in the past, allowed him to see and understand why the children of Israel were in Babylonian captivity.

In Ezekiel 37:1, God removed Ezekiel from Babylon once again and placed him in the middle of a “valley that was full of bones.” On this occasion God revealed to Ezekiel, by that which happened to these bones, that which would happen to Israel at a future date. In this instance, the prophecy looks far beyond the Babylonian captivity to a time when the Israelites would be scattered throughout the nations of the earth, to a time when it would appear that all hope was lost and the people were cut off (Ezekiel 37:11, 21ff; cf. Matthew 24:21-22, 31; Luke 21:24).

Ezekiel was removed from Babylon and placed at a point in time over 2,500 years in the future and allowed to see that which is future even during the day in which we live. He was allowed to see the restoration of “the whole house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:11) at a time when the Israelites would be placed in their own land under David their king, never to be uprooted again (Ezekiel 37:12-28). Thus, he was allowed to see the restoration of Israel (both the resurrection of the dead and the re-gathering of the living [Daniel 12:2; Matthew 24:31]) as it will occur when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation.

And John’s experience on the Isle of Patmos — being supernaturally transported through time and space — is no different than Ezekiel’s experience. John, as Ezekiel, was transported after the same fashion (cf. Ezekiel 37:1; Revelation 1:10) for the same purpose (cf. Ezekiel 11:25; Revelation 1:1; 22:6). Both men were transported “in the Spirit” through time and space in order that they might be allowed to view different things first-hand, as they actually occurred, things that God wanted them to see, understand, and record.

The Lord’s Day

Controversy has existed over the years in the interpretation of different parts of the book of Revelation; and the fact that controversy of this nature has existed can, in no small part, be attributed to a misunderstanding of what is meant by the expression, “on the Lord’s Day [lit., ‘in the Lord’s Day’],” in Revelation 1:10. Some expositors view this expression as a reference to the first day of the week, while others look upon the expression as a reference to the future Day of the Lord.

The manner in which one understands this expression will govern, to some extent, his interpretation of that which follows in the book. Differences of interpretation in this realm usually involve only the opening several chapters, but sometimes they involve almost the complete book.

One school of thought, for example, viewing “the Lord’s Day” as a reference to the first day of the week, looks upon the book of Revelation as a prophecy having to do mainly with events occurring during the Christian dispensation (an interpretation requiring extensive spiritualization of the book). Almost everything leading into the Lord’s return at the end of chapter nineteen is looked upon as pointing to events progressively occurring over two millennia of time. All these events would have been future at the time John wrote the book, in line with Revelation 1:1, but they would be mainly past today.

A more common view among those expositors who view “the Lord’s Day” as a reference to the first day of the week is to look upon most of the book after the correct fashion — having to do with events during the future Day of the Lord — but to look upon the opening several chapters (especially chapter one) after an incorrect fashion. These expositors often see events depicted in the latter part of chapter one as referring to events surrounding Christ and His Church here on earth today, with Christ in the midst of the Church occupying His present high priestly office.

To view chapter one in this manner is to miss the whole point of the way the book is introduced, something that will reflect, after some fashion, on one’s understanding of various things in the remaining chapters, especially things in chapters two through four. On the other hand though, to view John’s reference to “the Lord’s Day” properly, as a reference to the future Day of the Lord, will start the person out in a correct manner in the book; and beginning the book after this fashion, he will be far more apt to see things within a correct framework in subsequent chapters than if he had begun after a fashion different from that which the author intended.

Most of the criticism concerning “the Lord’s Day” being a reference to the future Day of the Lord arises from the way that the Greek text is structured. It is structured differently in Revelation 1:10 than it is elsewhere in Scripture when reference is made to the Day of the Lord. Elsewhere, both in the Greek and Hebrew texts, two nouns are used (“Day” and “Lord”). In Revelation 1:10, by contrast, there is one noun (“Day”) preceded by an adjective (translated, “Lord’s”).

The adjective (translated as a possessive in the English text [a perfectly acceptable translation in this case; see also 1 Corinthians 11:20]) is a form of the Greek word for Lord (Kuriakos) and is used in the sense of “Lordian” or “Lordly.” The word is articular in the Greek text, referring to a particular Lordian or Lordly day. It is a particular Lord’s Day, or a particular Day of the Lord.

There is absolutely no difference in saying “the Lord’s Day” or saying “the Day of the Lord.” In fact, the Hebrew text where the expression is found most of the different times it appears in Scripture (twenty times in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament and three times [other than Revelation 1:10] in the Greek text of the New Testament) can only express “the Lord’s Day” one way. There is no adjective for “Lord” in the Hebrew text, as in the Greek text, and the only way “the Lord’s Day” can be expressed in this language is by using two nouns and saying “the Day of the Lord.”

The context of Revelation 1:10 and central message of the book clearly reveal that the writer, through the use of the expression, “the Lord’s Day,” could have had only one thing in mind — the future “Day of the Lord.” John was not only removed from the Isle of Patmos and taken to heaven but he was also moved forward in time to the end of the present dispensation. He was transported to a place and time where he saw Christ occupying His future position as Judge in the midst of His Church (Revelation 1:11-20). And from that point forward, the book of Revelation has to do with things either anticipating judgment (Revelation 2; 3; 5), with judgment itself (Revelation 1; 6-20, or with things resulting from judgment (Revelation 4; 19; 21; 22) during “the Lord’s Day,” “the Day of the Lord.”

The first reference to the Day of the Lord in Scripture forms a first-mention principle, establishing a meaning and usage for this day that holds constant throughout Scripture. The Day of the Lord is first mentioned in Isaiah 2:12 as a day when the “lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted” (Isaiah 2:11-17). To bring the latter to pass (the Lord’s exaltation), the Day of the Lord is always associated in Scripture with God’s judgment, both upon man and the material creation. Judgment during this day falls first upon the Church (cf. Revelation 1:10-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4), then upon Israel and the Gentile nations (cf. Revelation 6:1ff; Joel 1:15; 2:1-2, 11, 31; 3:14), and then upon the material creation (cf. Revelation 21:1; 2 Peter 3:10). This is the way the book of Revelation is structured.

This is the reason why a correct understanding of the expression, “the Lord’s Day,” in Revelation 1:10 is a major key to a proper understanding of this book. And one reason so many people have trouble with the book of Revelation is because they have ignored the interpretative keys that God has provided, especially this one.

Aside from the preceding, there is no evidence whatsoever that the first day of the week was ever called “the Lord’s Day” prior to the time this book was written. “The first day of the week” is always called just that in Scripture — the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2); and insofar as any historical evidence is concerned, this was the usage common in John's day.

Matters surrounding the expression, “the Lord’s Day,” and how it is used by Christians today though are quite different. This expression is presently used by numerous Christians as a reference to the first day of the week. In fact, one hears it almost everywhere, in and out of the pulpit. And this common usage may very well have had its origin centuries ago with a misinterpretation of Revelation 1:10.

Actually, if one is going to call a day of our week, “the Lord’s Day,” it would have to, according to scripture, be a reference to Saturday, not Sunday. Saturday is the seventh day of the week, corresponding within the septenary arrangement of Scripture to the seventh millennium, which will be “the Lord’s Day,” or "the Day of the Lord" (ref. the author's book, What Time Is It?* chapter 3 [*Haven't found this book.]).

Thus, the use of the expression, “the Lord’s Day,” as a reference to the first day of the week is detrimental to sound biblical study in more ways than one. The scriptural use of this expression (or, “the Day of the Lord”) is limited to one thing: a period of judgment lasting slightly longer than 1,000 years that will ultimately result in that which is described in Revelation, chapters twenty-one and twenty-two. The Day of the Lord will terminate at the conclusion of the millennium (after 1,000-years of judgment, executed by Christ and His co-heirs) with God making “all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Come Up Here

John’s removal from the earth and appearance in heaven during “the Lord’s Day” points to that future day when Christians will be removed from the earth and find themselves in heaven during “the Lord’s Day.” This is clear from comparing Revelation 1:10 with Revelation 4:1-2, along with the contexts of these verses.

In Revelation 1:10, John was transported, “in the Spirit,” into the future Day of the Lord. He then heard behind him “a loud voice, as of a trumpet,” instructing him, “What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches that are in Asia . . . .” (Revelation 1:10-11). John then turned to see the One speaking (Revelation 1:12) and saw the seven churches, with Christ, occupying His future role as Judge, in their midst (Revelation 1:12-20).

In Revelation 4:1-2, John heard a voice, “like a trumpet,” which said, “Come up here, and I will show you things that must take place after this [lit., ‘after these things’].” He was then transported, “in the Spirit,” into heaven. Once in heaven, John saw a throne, One seated on the throne, and twenty-four crowned elders seated on surrounding thrones (Revelation 4:2-4). John then described the central throne and the worship of the One seated on the throne by four living creatures and by the twenty-four elders, as they cast their crowns before the throne (Revelation 4:5-11).

Revelation 1:10 provides the time (the Day of the Lord) into which John was transported, and Revelation 4:1-2 provides the place (heaven) into which he was transported.

Time is then looked upon in another sense in Revelation 4:1. This verse both begins and ends with the same two Greek words that mark the third division of the book back in verse twenty of chapter one — the words meta tauta (“after these things”). The verse should literally read, “After these things I looked . . . and I will show you things that must be after these things.” “After these things” follows “the things which are [the things set forth in the messages to the seven churches in chapters 2, 3, pointing to the present time, the time when God deals with the Church on earth].” Thus, John’s removal into heaven, “in the Spirit on [‘in’] the Lord's Day,” points, chronologically, to an event occurring during future time at the conclusion of the present dispensation, preceding the Tribulation (Revelation 6:1ff).

This is where Scripture places the removal of the Church from the earth. It will occur at the end of the present dispensation, preceding the Tribulation on earth. And for those who have eyes to see, Revelation 1:10 and Revelation 4:1-2 describe the same event as described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

1. Seven Churches

Following the removal of Christians from the earth, commonly called “the rapture,” Christians will see exactly the same thing John saw following his removal in chapters one and four. They will see other Christians (which, in Revelation 1:11-20, is clearly a reference to all Christians [all seven churches appear together, with Christ in their midst]), they will see Christ on His judgment seat, they will see God on His throne, they will see an active, ongoing worship of God, and they will see twenty-four elders cast their crowns before God’s throne.

The seven churches, to which John was commanded to send a record of that which he saw while in heaven, in the Lord’s Day, were seven existing churches in Asia during his day. These were seven particular churches that the Lord chose to use, because of certain peculiar characteristics embodied by each — things brought to pass under God’s sovereign control of matters — in order that He, having these things, might be able to teach numerous spiritual truths in the opening chapters of this book.

These seven churches, among other things, set forth a history of the Church during the present dispensation, beginning with the church in Ephesus that left its “first love” and ending with the “lukewarm” church in Laodicea (Revelation 2:4; 3:15-16). Apostasy, because of the working of the leaven that the woman placed in the three measures of meal in Matthew 13:33, began to make inroads in the Church early in the dispensation (set forth in the message to the church in Ephesus); and the working of the leaven was prophesied to be so complete (“until the whole was leavened”) that, by the end of the dispensation, within the Church, there would exist a state of total corruption (set forth in the message to the church in Laodicea).

This is the reason Jesus asked the question, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith [‘the faith’] on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). The answer, from the wording of the Greek text, is negative. When the Son of Man comes, rather than finding the Church holding to “the faith” (a reference peculiarly related to the Word of the Kingdom [Matthew 13:19]; see in this site Confusion about Salvation.), He will instead find the Church, because of the working of the leaven over almost two millennia of time, described as being “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

Such a condition, however, will make no difference insofar as Christians going forth to meet the Lord is concerned. All Christians, both the dead over a two-thousand-year period (resurrected) and the living at that time (translated), will be removed from the earth when the rapture occurs. They will be removed at the same time and be transported to the same place.

The seven churches dealt with in the first three chapters of Revelation (dealt with on earth during the present dispensation in Revelation 2; 3 and dealt with before the judgment seat of Christ during the Day of the Lord in Revelation 1 point, numerically, to the complete Church. “Seven” is a number showing the completeness of that which is in view; and in this case, the reference is to the complete Church, all Christians.

The book of Revelation, in one sense, is built around the use of the number “seven.” This number is not only used to point to the Church in the Christian section but it is also used, among other things, to point to judgments (seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven vials) upon the earth-dwellers during the final seven years of Daniel’s prophecy of the Seventy Weeks. The three sets of sevens, outlining judgments on earth during the Tribulation, point to divine perfection (“three” sets) within God’s complete judgment (“seven” in each set) during the completion of Daniel’s prophecy (the last “seven” years).

The number “seven” must show completeness. It is the number associated with God and the completion of His work, in contrast to man’s number, “six,” showing incompletion. And when John sees all seven churches in the presence of Christ in heaven, as He exercises His role as Judge during the Lord’s Day, only one thing can be in view. The scene is that of all Christians in heaven during the Lord’s Day, standing in Christ’s presence to be judged.

All Christians are going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ together, at the same time and place. Their faithfulness or unfaithfulness, carnality or spirituality, will have nothing to do with the matter of their being removed from the earth to stand in this place at this time.

This is what is pictured in Revelation, chapter one. All who are “in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17) — i.e., all Christians — will appear in the presence of Christ together, at the same time, in order that they might give an account concerning how well they had previously performed their assigned duties as servants in the Lord’s house (Matthew 24:45-51; 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27). Those represented by the Laodicean church will be there alongside those represented by the Philadelphian church. The separation of Christians on the basis of faithfulness or unfaithfulness occurs before the judgment seat, not via selective resurrection and translation as some teach.

This is what is taught in the first chapter of the book of Revelation, perfectly in line with corresponding Scripture such as the parables of the talents and pounds (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27) and the reference to the future judgment of Christians in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

2. In that Day

The expression “the Day of the Lord,” “the Lord’s Day,” because of how the expression is used in the Old Testament, is usually thought of by expositors as associated only with activities surrounding Israel and the Gentile nations on earth. However, the New Testament, following the inception of the Church, uses the expression in association with activities surrounding the Church in heaven as well (along with the expression, “the day of Jesus Christ” [Philippians 1:6]).

In 1 Thessalonians 5:4, there is a clear inference that “the Day of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) will overtake some Christians “as a thief.” Many of those advocating selective resurrection and translation of Christians at the rapture recognize this fact; and viewing “the Day of the Lord” in verse two as associated only with activities surrounding the earth-dwellers, they point to 1 Thessalonians 5:4 as one of their proof texts that some Christians will be left behind at the time of the rapture to go through either part or all of the Tribulation. However, Revelation, chapter one clearly reveals that God’s dealings with man during that part of “the Day of the Lord” prior to the millennium (as during the millennium itself) have to do with the Church in heaven, as well as Israel and the Gentile nations on earth.

“The Day of the Lord” will overtake unfaithful Christians “as a thief” at the time they are removed from the earth and taken to heaven — at the time of the rapture (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-10; Revelation 1:10-20). For them, Christ’s appearance will be completely unexpected, as the unexpected arrival of a thief (Matthew 24:37-44 [note particularly Matthew 24:43-44; see also the author’s book, Bible One - Prophecy on Mount Olivet, One Taken, Another Left, by Arlen Chitwood]).

Such Christians will, “in the twinkling of an eye,” be removed from the earth and find themselves in heaven, in the Lord’s Day, before the judgment seat of Christ. And, in accord with the first chapter of the book of Revelation, it is there that they, along with all other Christians, will render an account, resulting in “a just recompense of reward” (Hebrews 2:2; 11:26).

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Chapter Two

Judged in His Presence

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. (Revelation 1:12-16)

The book of Revelation is a prophecy (Revelation 1:1; cf. Revelation 22:7). Except for several introductory verses, chapters two and three, and a few concluding verses, the book concerns events that will transpire beyond the present dispensation, during “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10), the future Day of the Lord. And even chapters two and three, which have to do with the present dispensation, must also be looked upon as prophetic in nature. Among other things, these chapters depict a history of the Church — beginning with Ephesus (which left its “first love”) and terminating with Laodicea (described as “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”); and John, though writing at a point beyond the present dispensation (in the future Day of the Lord into which he had been transported), wrote for those living in his own time, at the beginning of the dispensation (Revelation 1:11).

In order to receive this prophecy, called, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1), John was removed from the earth, taken to heaven, and placed at the very beginning of the future Day of the Lord. From that point he was progressively moved forward in time and shown a sequence of events that would transpire throughout this future day, both in heaven and on the earth (Revelation 1:10-20; 4:1-22:6); and at the very beginning of this time he was allowed to look back upon certain events that would transpire during the present dispensation, preceding the Day of the Lord (Revelation 2; 3).

The events occurring during “the Lord’s Day” that John saw began with the removal of the Church at the conclusion of the present dispensation and ended over 1,000 years later with preparatory events anticipating the eternal ages, the Day of God, which will follow the Day of the Lord (cf. Revelation 1:9-10; 4:1-2; 21:1ff; 2 Peter 3:10-13). The complete scope of time covered by the Day of the Lord is thus clearly revealed in the book of Revelation.

The Day of the Lord covers not only events during the Tribulation and Millennium but also certain events immediately preceding the Tribulation and certain events immediately following the Millennium. It includes the judgment of Christians in heaven, preceding the Tribulation (cf. Revelation 1:10-20; 6:1ff); and it includes events beyond the Millennium, preparatory to the eternal ages, the Day of God (Revelation 20:7ff; cf. Revelation 1:10-11; 22:6).

This is why Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, clearly associates God’s activities during the Day of the Lord with both the earth-dwellers and with Christians; and insofar as Christians are concerned, this association is clearly revealed to be immediately following the rapture, preceding the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4; cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18); and this is also why the destruction of the present heavens and earth and the creation of a new heavens and earth at the end of the Millennium are placed within the Day of the Lord (cf. 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 21:1).

(Actually, Scripture presents an overlap between the ending of the Day of the Lord and the beginning of the Day of God. Note that the destruction of the present heavens and earth occurs both during the Day of the Lord and during the Day of God [2 Peter 3:10-12]. This destruction occurs at the very end of the Day of the Lord and at the very beginning of the Day of God. Thus, at least some, if not all, of the events beyond the Millennium in the book of Revelation will occur during the Day of God as well as during the Day of the Lord.)

The Son of Man

The title, “the Son of Man,” in Scripture is intimately connected with the Lord’s coming dominion over the earth. This title first appears in Psalm 8:4, a Messianic passage quoted in Hebrews 2:6, within a Messianic setting. Psalm 8 begins and ends with the same statement: “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1, 9). The reference is to the coming day of His “glory” when He will possess “dominion” over the earth (cf. Psalm 8:1, 6). Thus, by the use of this title in Psalm 8:4, a first-mention principle is established that remains constant throughout Scripture.

Wherever this title occurs in Scripture, the underlying thought through its use always has to do with the Lord’s coming dominion over the earth. The first appearance of this title in the New Testament is in Matthew 8:20: “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’” At first glance there would appear to be no Messianic connection. But note the last mention of this title in the New Testament: “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle” (Revelation 14:14).

Both the first and last times this title appears in the New Testament, there is a reference made to Christ's “head.” At His first coming, He did not have a place on the earth (which He would one day receive for an inheritance) to even lay His head. This was the day of His shame and humiliation, the day when a crown of thorns was placed on His head, followed by His crucifixion between criminals. However, the day is coming when He will wear a golden crown upon His head (signifying divine kingly power [“gold” in Scripture signifies deity]). That will occur during the coming day of His power and exaltation.

(The Greek word used for “crown” in Revelation 14:14 is stephanos, not diadema, indicating that Christ, at this time, will not yet have entered into His office as King. A ruling monarch wears a “diadem,” not the type of crown that the Greek word stephanos signifies. By contrast, in Revelation 19:12, Christ is seen wearing “many crowns [the Greek word diadema rather than stephanos is used here].” Thus, that which occurs in Revelation 14:14 anticipates that which will occur in Revelation 19:12.)

The true nature of His identity — Israel's Messiah, the One destined to possess dominion over the earth — is exactly what Jesus had in mind when He asked Peter, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matthew 16:13). And Peter, after responding to that question, in response to the Lord’s next question, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15), responded within the same framework in which Christ had asked both questions. Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

In essence Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Firstborn of God, the One in possession of the rights of primogeniture.” And this is why Jesus said in response, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

This title is used about eighty times in the four gospel accounts, and outside the gospels the title only appears in the New Testament four different places, in three books (Acts 7:56; Hebrews 2:6; Revelation 1:13; 14:14).

The passage in Acts 7:56 presents “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” The offer of the Messianic Kingdom was still open to Israel at this time, Stephen had just finished delivering a lengthy dissertation about Jesus the Christ to the Jewish council (Acts 7:2-53), and the door was open for the Jewish leaders to respond in a positive manner. Had they done so, Jesus would have returned and restored the kingdom to Israel. This is the reason He is seen “standing” at God's right hand and identified as “the Son of Man.”

The passage in Hebrews 2:6 is simply a quotation from Psalm 8, a Messianic Psalm where the title is first used in Scripture. The use of this title in Hebrews speaks volumes about the Messianic nature of this book. Paul never used the title in His writings, though he had far more to say about the coming kingdom than many realize. But Hebrews is different yet. Hebrews is a book given over almost entirely to things surrounding the Heir and His co-heirs, as these things relate to the Messianic Era.

Then in the book of Revelation the title is used of Christ twice at the conclusion of the present dispensation (Revelation 1:13; 14:14), anticipating His coming reign over the earth. Both times the title appears in this book, judgmental scenes are in view. The title appears first in connection with the Son judging the Church preceding the Tribulation, with a view to the manifestation of His co-heirs at the termination of this judgment; and the title appears the second time in connection with Christ judging the earth-dwellers at the end of the Tribulation, with a view to His taking the reins of government.

His Description in that Day

As soon as John was transported into heaven, into the future Day of the Lord, he heard behind him “a loud voice, as of a trumpet,” telling him to write the things being revealed and to send the record to seven particular churches in Asia. The words following this command — “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last” — appear in some Greek manuscripts but are usually considered spurious by textual critics. The person speaking though had previously identified Himself after this same fashion (Revelation 1:8) and does so after a similar fashion later in the chapter (Revelation 1:17-18).

John turned to see the One speaking; and having turned, he saw seven golden lampstands and the person possessing the “voice, as of a trumpet” standing in the midst of the candlesticks (Revelation 1:12-13). The person John saw was the glorified Christ as He will appear after the present dispensation is over, at the very beginning of the Day of the Lord (note Revelation 1:18); and the seven lampstands were said to be “the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20).

Consequently, John didn't see Christ as our present High Priest, but as our future Judge. The time in view and John’s description of Christ clearly reveal this fact.

The time is in the future Day of the Lord. Christ today is exercising the office of High Priest in order to effect a present cleansing of the “many sons,” the “kings and priests,” He is about to bring “to glory.” His present ministry in the heavenly sanctuary is strictly on behalf of those who are being called out to occupy positions as co-heirs with Him during the coming age. If He does not “wash [a reference, typically, to cleansing provided by water in the laver in the courtyard of the tabernacle]” them now (through His high priestly ministry, on the basis of His shed blood on the mercy seat), they can have “no part” with Him during the coming age (cf. John 13:8-10; 1 John 1:7-2:2).

John sees Christ in heaven at a time beyond the present dispensation, beyond the time of His present high priestly ministry. The complete Church, shown by the seven churches in His presence, will have been removed from the earth; and Christ’s present high priestly ministry will have come to an end. Christ, at this time, will come forth from the sanctuary to judge those for whom He had previously interceded with the Father.

The description that John then gives of Christ is that of a Judge. A description of Christ as Priest in the future day of the Lord, with the Church in His presence, would be completely out of place, for this would not be in keeping with events set forth in the book at all.

The Day of the Lord is associated in Scripture with God’s judgment, and the dispensation during which Christ exercises the office of High Priest will have ended when this day begins. Thus, without even reading John’s description, one could, contextually, only expect John to see Christ as Judge. And that is exactly the description that he gives.

1. Clothed . . . . (Revelation 1:13)

John described Christ first of all as “clothed with a garment down to the feet.” Such a garment would be worn by either a priest or a judge. But John next states that He was “girded about the chest with a golden band”; and only a judge wore the girdle in this position.

A priest wore the band around the waist, signifying service. He would often lift the hem of his garment and tuck it under the band as he went about some of his various priestly duties. By contrast, a judge wore the band over one shoulder and across his chest as an insignia of the magisterial office that he held.

Thus, John sees Christ at a time after He has removed the band from His waist and placed it over one shoulder, allowing it to rest at a position across His chest. This signifies that His high priestly work has ended (the present dispensation is over) and His judicial work has begun (those for whom He occupied the office of High Priest are now in His presence, in heaven, in the Day of the Lord; and they are about to come under judgment).

2. His Head and Hair . . . . (Revelation 1:14)

It is significant that at this point in the book John sees Christ, in the future Day of the Lord, without a crown upon His head. This part of the revelation of Jesus Christ occurs prior to the time He is seen wearing a crown (cf. Revelation 14:14; 19:12). It occurs at the time He judges Christians, at the end of the present dispensation but preceding the Tribulation.

Christ will turn His attention to the earth-dwellers only after He has first dealt with the Church (Revelation 5:1ff); and seemingly, at this time, He will begin wearing a crown — first a stephanos, to later be followed by a diadem. This thought is derived from comparing four different verses — Revelation 6:2; 12:3; 14:14; 19:12.

In Revelation 6:2 the Antichrist is seen wearing a stephanos at the beginning of the Tribulation, three and one-half years before Satan gives to him “his power, his throne, and great authority” (Revelation 13:2) — three and one half years before he actually enters into his regal office and wears a diadem (Revelation 12:3; 13:1-2), anticipated by the stephanos.

Christ will wear a stephanos prior to the time He actually assumes regal power and is seen wearing many diadems (cf. Revelation 14:14; 19:12); and since Antichrist dons a crown (though not a regal crown) at the very beginning of the Tribulation, it seems evident that Christ will have donned a crown (though not a regal crown) at this time also. Satan is the great counterfeiter, and he will see to it that regal activities surrounding Antichrist are patterned after regal activities surrounding Christ.

(See in this site, Crowned Rulers — Christ, Christians, for additional information concerning how the words stephanos and diadema are used in this respect in the Greek New Testament.)

The yet-to-be-crowned head of Christ and the hairs of His head were described by John as being “white like wool, as white as snow.” Wisdom, dignity, and superiority (all surrounding longevity) are in view, but the best commentary on the passage is Daniel 7:22, where the results of Christ’s judicial activity set forth in Revelation, chapter one are depicted.

The words, “saints of the Most High,” in Daniel 7:22 (also Daniel 7:18, 25, 27) should literally be translated, “saints of the high places [heavenly places].” Since Israel, through rejection, forfeited the right to occupy these heavenly places in the coming kingdom and the Church was called into existence to be the recipient of that which Israel rejected (cf. Matthew 21:43; 1 Peter 2:9-10), Christians (among others, e.g., martyred Tribulation saints [Revelation 20:4]) would have to be the ones receiving judicial power and authority (rulership) in Daniel 7:22 (even though the Church was not in existence at the time this was written).

And since all such power and authority has been committed into the hands of the Son (cf. Matthew 28:18; John 5:22), “the Ancient of Days” in Daniel 7:22 would have to be identified as Christ, even though “the Ancient of Days” is a title used of the Father back in verse nine of the same chapter (cf. Daniel 7:13; also note the Son’s title, “the Son of Man,” in this verse).

The thought is similar to Psalm 45:6 and Hebrews 1:8. The author of Hebrews, quoting Psalm 45:6, takes words directed to the Father in the Old Testament and uses them relative to the Son in the New Testament. The words, “Thy throne, O God . . . .,” are used of both; and in Daniel 7:9, 22, the title, “the Ancient of Days,” is also used of both.

(In Daniel, chapter seven, verses seventeen through twenty-seven form an “interpretation” of several visions that Daniel had previously been shown, recorded in verses two through fourteen [Daniel 7:16]. However, the manner in which “the Ancient of Days” is presented in the interpretation is significantly different than the way He is presented in the visions.

In the visions, “the Ancient of Days” gives the Son “dominion and glory and a kingdom.” [Daniel 7:13-14]; but in the interpretation, “the Ancient of Days” gives the saints of the high places judicial power and authority in the kingdom [Daniel 7:22, 27]. The former allows the latter to occur, and in this respect, revelation becomes progressive as one moves from the visions to the interpretation.

In the visions, the Father, called “the Ancient of Days,” acts on behalf of His Son; but in the interpretation, it is the Son who acts. The Son, now in possession of the kingdom [received from His Father], is also called “the Ancient of Days” and acts on behalf of His co-heirs.

This is the manner in which the delegation of power and authority in the coming kingdom is presented elsewhere in Scripture. The Son receives the kingdom from His Father [an act of the Father as He delivers the kingdom over to His Son]; but once the Son has received the kingdom, then He, rather than the Father, is the One seen acting with respect to the power and authority placed in His hands [cf. Luke 19:12, 15-19; Matthew 20:23; 25:19-23]. This is why the work of “the Ancient of Days” in Daniel, chapter seven must be looked upon as progressive acts of both the Father and the Son.)

In Daniel 7:9, the Father is described as having hair “like pure wool,” and this same description must be looked upon as also applying to the Son in verse twenty-two, which perfectly fits the description given of the Son in Revelation 1:14. The Father cannot be described one way and the Son another. The Father and the Son are “one” (John 10:30), which can be easily illustrated by comparing the description of the Father in Daniel 7:9 with the description of the Son in Revelation 1:14, in the light of Daniel 7:22.

Thus, not only does the manner in which Christ is clothed in Revelation 1:13 depict a judicial scene, but the first thing said about the description of His person in the following verse (in the light of Daniel, chapter seven) also depicts judgment.

3. His Eyes . . . . (Revelation 1:14)

John next calls attention to His eyes, described “like a flame of fire.” “Fire” is used numerous places in Scripture in connection with God’s judicial activity.

In Daniel 7:9-11, in the same judicial scene previously considered, God’s throne is described as being “a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire”; and a “fiery stream [a stream or river of fire] issued and came forth from before Him.”

Fire is used after this same fashion in connection with what Scripture reveals about the judgment seat of Christ: “Every man's work shall be made manifest . . . it shall be revealed by [‘in’] fire; and the fire shall try every man's work . . . .” (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). This is where the baptism “with [‘in’] fire” occurs — on Christ’s threshing floor when the wheat is separated from the chaff and the chaff is burned (Matthew 3:11-12; cf. Hebrews 6:8-9).

Christ used the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), the place of refuse south of Jerusalem, where the fires always burned, as a synonym for the place numerous individuals found unworthy to enter the kingdom would occupy following judgment.

Then there are the fiery judgments of the Tribulation, the destruction of the earth by fire at the end of the Millennium, and the Lake of fire as the final abode of the unsaved.

There can be no question concerning how “fire” is used in Scripture; and when Christ is presented as having eyes “as a flame of fire,” only a judicial scene can be in view.

In the subsequent messages to the seven churches, Christ is presented as the One who sees all and consequently knows all. Nothing that occurs escapes His attention. And this same individual is the One who will one day judge all those in each of the seven churches (pointing to a judgment of all Christians); and nothing that occurs during the present day will escape His attention in that coming day when every man’s work will be “revealed by [‘in’] fire.”

Christ's eyes, “as a flame of fire,” in that day will be searching, penetrating, and revealing, just as they were when He looked upon Peter after his foretold denial of Christ. Immediately after Peter had denied his Lord the third time, the cock crowed a second time; and the Lord (apparently being led at that moment past Peter into “Praetorium (‘the hall of judgment’)” turned and looked upon Peter, awakening him to the stark reality of that which he had done (Luke 22:61).

The Lord's look at this time was far more than a brief glance. The word used in the Greek text (emblepo) points to Christ fixing His eyes upon Peter in an intently searching sense. These were the eyes that John saw in Revelation 1:14; and Peter looked into these eyes, as will every Christian.

Peter came under scrutiny for his actions, causing him to remember that which had previously occurred. Resultantly, he “went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). And Christians who have followed a similar course of action will react after a similar fashion when they, in that coming day, look into those same eyes, described as “a flame of fire.”

4. His Feet . . . . (Revelation 1:15)

John not only sees Christ's feet as being “like fine brass,” but he further describes them “as if refined in a furnace.” Thus, there is actually a dual reference to judgment, for both “brass” and “fire” are used in Scripture depicting judgment, with “brass” specifically depicting judgment upon sin as borne for us.

In Numbers 21:5ff, God judged His people because of sin. He sent poisonous serpents throughout the camp, and numerous Israelites, bitten by the serpents, began to die.

Moses interceded with God on behalf of the people, and God provided him with the antidote. He was to take a brazen serpent, affix it to a pole, and lift it up in the camp of Israel. And any individual who had been bitten by a serpent needed only to look upon the brazen serpent in order to live.

In the antitype (to which Christ called attention in John 3:14) man today is under the sentence of death. Man is dying, and God has provided the antidote. In the camp of Israel, serpents caused the problem, and a serpent provided the cure. In the world today, man (the First Adam) caused the problem, and Man (the Last Adam) has provided the cure. God has judged sin in the person of His Son, “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:15).

The same use of brass in Scripture is seen in the two articles of furniture in the courtyard of the tabernacle. The brazen altar was constructed of wood overlaid with brass, and the brazen laver was constructed completely of brass. Both appear in connection with God’s judgment upon sin.

The brazen altar stood next to the only door to the tabernacle and barred the way for any who would not come via the required blood sacrifice (typifying Christ’s finished work on Calvary); and the brazen laver stood between the brazen altar and the Holy Place and barred the way for any priest who would not first avail himself of cleansing from present defilement, provided by the water in the upper and lower basins (typifying Christ’s present work as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary).

5. His Voice . . . . (Revelation 1:15)

His voice, heard and described by John, was “as the sound of many waters.” During Christ's earthly ministry, officers sent to apprehend Him returned empty-handed and confessed to the chief priests and Pharisees, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:46). At a later time, shortly before His crucifixion, Judas led a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees in another attempt to apprehend Him, and, at the sound of two words that He used to identify Himself, they were caused to go backward and fall on the ground (John 18:5-6).

Christ identified Himself to His would-be captors through the use of the expression, “I am.” By using this expression, Christ identified Himself with the God of the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). He revealed that those sent by the chief priests and Pharisees had been sent to take God Himself captive. It was God who was later led into the “Praetorium (‘the hall of judgment’),” and it was the blood of God that was subsequently shed to redeem fallen man (John 18:28; Acts 20:28).

A judicial scene in connection with Christ speaking can be seen in Matthew 22:11-12, in the parable of the marriage feast. This parable has to do with the festivities surrounding the wedding of God’s Son, and the King coming in to see the guests in verses eleven and twelve can only be identified as the Son Himself making His appearance, as King.

The King, viewing the guests, sees a man who does not have on a wedding garment, and he asks the man a very revealing, searching question: “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?”

The way the question is worded in the Greek text indicates that the man knew he was supposed to have a wedding garment to attend the festivities, but he deliberately, defiantly refused to provide himself with one and sought to attend the festivities dressed after another fashion. This fact was called to his attention in Christ’s question, and he was left without any way to respond. There was nothing he could say. The man, as described in the text, was “speechless.”

6. In His Right Hand . . . . (Revelation 1:16)

John saw Christ with “seven stars” in His right hand, which are identified as the “angels of the seven churches” (Revelation 1:16, 20).

These are “angels,” not men, and would have to be identified as being angels from among the “ministering spirits” of Hebrews 1:14 — ministering on behalf of Christians during the present dispensation but somehow connected with the future judgment of those for whom they presently minister. God has always used angels to carry out affairs in His kingdom, and angels will apparently be very active in events surrounding the judgment seat of Christ (ref. in this site Because of the Angels).

7. Out of His Mouth . . . . (Revelation 1:16)

Out of Christ’s mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. A “sword” in Scripture is symbolic of the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). God always acts in complete accordance with His revealed Word; and judgment, wherein a just recompense will be rendered to every Christian, will be carried out in perfect keeping with that which God previously revealed in His Word.

In Christ’s message to the church in Pergamos (the church that had settled down in and, as its name implies, had become “married” to the world), reference is twice made to the “sharp two-edged sword” from Revelation 1:16 (Revelation 2:12, 16). The church in Pergamos was warned that unless those in the church repented, the day would come when Christ would appear to them and “fight against them” with the sword proceeding out of His mouth.

That day would be when Christians appear before the judgment seat of Christ as seen in chapter one. And the common teaching that only blessings and rewards will emanate from Christ’s judgment seat can immediately be dispelled by noting how Christ uses this same sword in His dealings with the unsaved at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 19:21).

Christ, on His judgment seat, will come against those Christians settling down in and associating themselves with the world; and Christ, at the time of His return, seated on a white horse, will come against those in the world itself.

Christ will speak, and it will be done; and that which He speaks will be in perfect keeping with that which He previously revealed in His Word.

8. His Countenance... (Revelation 1:16)

John then sums up the appearance of Christ by writing that “His countenance [His overall being] was as the sun shining in its strength.” The allusion is to the sun at noon on a cloudless day, too intense for man to gaze upon.

This is Christ in His glory, as John, along with Peter and James, had beheld him about sixty years earlier on the Mount. At that earlier time “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2). Now, six decades later, John sees the same glorified Christ and compares His complete being to the shining of the sun; and it is not just simply the sun shining but the sun shining in its strength.

Concluding Remarks

When Christians see Christ it will be at His judgment seat, and the description given in Revelation 1:13-16 is exactly what they will see in that day. That which John saw caused him to fall at Christ’s feet “as dead” (Revelation 1:17); and his experience will also be that of numerous Christians when they look upon Christ as Judge and realize that “the terror of the Lord” is about to be manifested (2 Corinthians 5:11; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10), and a “fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” is about to occur (Hebrews 10:27; cf. Hebrews 10:30).

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Chapter Three

The Seven Churches

To the angel of the church of Ephesus . . . Smyrna . . . Pergamos . . . Thyatira . . . Sardis . . . Philadelphia . . . Laodicea . . I know your works . . . To him that overcomes . . . . (Revelation 2:1ff)

Revelation, chapters two and three consist of short, to-the-point epistles written to seven churches in Asia during the first century, during the time in which the Apostle John lived. These seven churches were specifically chosen by the Lord to not only receive the message given to John in the future Day of the Lord but to also set forth certain evident, spiritual truths in the opening part of this message.

Near the end of the first century, at the time John was removed into heaven to receive “the Revelation of Jesus Christ,” it is obvious that there were many churches scattered throughout Asia [groups of believers in different communities, comprising various churches], far more than the seven referred to in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation.

There were some five hundred to one thousand townships in Asia near the end of the first century; and through the dispersion of Christians and the evangelistic fervor of the early Church, with much of this evangelistic fervor concentrated in Asia (cf. Acts 2:9; 8:1, 4; 11:19; 19:10, 26; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1), one could only conclude that there had to be numerous Christians, comprising many churches, in different communities throughout Asia by this time.

Thus, the seven churches appearing in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation could only have been chosen by the Lord from among numerous existing churches, and the Lord’s purpose behind not only selecting seven but selecting these particular seven becomes very evident as one studies the material in these opening chapters.

Seven Churches

“Seven” is one of four numbers used in Scripture to show completeness (“three,” “ten,” and “twelve” are the others). Each one shows completeness after a particular fashion. “Three” shows divine completeness. “Seven” is somewhat similar to “three” in the sense that it is a number associated with deity. It is God’s number, and in this respect it is used in Scripture numerous times to show the completeness of that which is in view. “Ten” shows numerical completeness, and “twelve” shows governmental completeness.

When the Lord used the number “seven” in the first three chapters of this book, referring to seven churches in Asia, He, by this means, was also referring to the complete Church (the completeness of that which was in view, i.e., “the Church”). These seven churches are spoken of and dealt with in the book of Revelation in an all-inclusive sense (cf. Revelation 1:4, 11, 16, 20; 2:1ff). Insofar as revelation in this book is concerned, there were no other churches in Asia. These “seven” are looked upon as comprising a summation of the whole, the complete Church.

In this respect, any one of the numerous other churches in existence in Asia during John’s day could not be named or even alluded to in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation, for the complete Church is shown within the scope of the “seven” that are listed. This is the reason that there is a repeated reference to “seven churches,” no more, no less — calling them “the seven churches that are in Asia,” looking upon them, in actuality, as the only churches in Asia — in the opening three chapters of this book.

These seven churches show not only the complete Church in Asia during John’s day but also the complete Church in the world throughout the dispensation. This is evident by that which is shown at the very beginning of the book, in chapter one — the seven churches appearing in Christ’s presence in the future Day of the Lord. These seven are used to represent the complete Church — all Christians throughout the entire course of the dispensation — appearing in Christ’s presence to be judged in that future day when we all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10).

By having John send “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” to “the seven churches that are in Asia,” viewing these churches in an all-inclusive sense, the Lord clearly revealed that this message was for the complete Church, represented by the seven. It was also for the other congregations in Asia or any other part of the world during that time, as well as all congregations in the world during any intervening time since. The message in this book is thus for all Christians at any time during the dispensation.

1. An Overview of Chapters Two and Three

Two entire chapters of the book of Revelation are given over to material pertaining strictly to the seven churches. Seven short epistles — one directed to each of the seven churches — form all of the material comprising these two chapters. And each of the seven epistles follows exactly the same outline: (1) Introductory words, drawn from that which has already been revealed about Christ in chapter one, (2) the statement, “I know your works,” (3) certain things peculiar to each church, and (4) an overcomers’ promise to each church.

God has taken a rather lengthy segment of the book of Revelation to record a number of things to and about the seven churches in Asia, and these seven epistles can only be filled with meaning and spiritual significance. There are seven churches, there is an order to the way these churches are listed, and certain things are said to and about each church within this order.

Possibly the best way to illustrate what God did in His choice of these churches and the arrangement of material set forth in Revelation 2; 3 is to illustrate what He did prior to this time in establishing the types within Scripture. One was done exactly in the same fashion as the other.

God, in His sovereignty, allowed certain things to occur (beginning with the sin of Satan and the subsequent ruin of the earth prior to the creation of man) in order that He might have these occurrences (and also the subsequent experiences of Adam and his descendants), forming the types within Scripture, to draw upon as object lessons to later teach His people the deep things of God. Everything occurred within the scope of God’s sovereign control of matters. God does not draw spiritual lessons of this nature from haphazard experiences.

And it is the same with the seven churches in the book of Revelation. God, in His sovereign control of matters, allowed certain things to occur within seven particular churches in Asia during the first century for particular purposes — that at the end of the first century He could have these seven churches and the things peculiar to each to draw upon in order to teach His people, for the next nineteen centuries, numerous spiritual truths surrounding the Church.

2. A History of the Church

With the seven churches pointing to the complete Church as shown numerically, one would naturally be led to look for a fore-view of the history of Christendom during the dispensation, and even more so since the first and seventh of these epistles fit perfectly within the framework of that which Scripture elsewhere reveals about the beginning and end of Church history during Man’s Day.

It is entirely by divine design that Ephesus (which had left its “first love”) is mentioned first and Laodicea (which had never known a “first love” but, rather, is presented as “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”) is mentioned last. The dispensation began after a fashion described by Christ’s words depicting conditions in the church in Ephesus, and it will end after a fashion described by Christ's words depicting conditions in the church in Laodicea.

During the Apostolic period, “the hope of the gospel” (which has to do with “the mystery” revealed to Paul [“Christ in you, the hope of glory”]), was proclaimed to “every creature [‘the whole creation,’ Weymouth] under heaven” (Colossians 1:23, 26-27). But Scripture presents conditions in Christendom at the end of the dispensation in a completely opposite framework.

The departure of Christians from their “first love” eventually resulted in complete apostasy in Christendom — Christians refusing to have anything to do with “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints,” i.e., Christians departing from particular biblical truths that were widely proclaimed by the Church during the Apostolic period but would not be proclaimed by the Church at the end of the dispensation (cf. Jude 1:3-4).

It was the Lord Himself who asked the question while on earth the first time,

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find [the] faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)

The way the question is worded in the Greek text necessitates a negative answer. When the Son of Man comes He will not find “the faith” on the earth (an expression in Scripture peculiarly related to the Word of the Kingdom, the salvation of the soul, or, as in Revelation 2; 3, overcoming and subsequently occupying a position with Christ in the kingdom [cf. 1 Timothy 6:12; Jude 1:3]). Rather than finding “the faith” on the earth when He returns, the Son of Man will find conditions in Christendom exactly as described in His words to the Church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:15ff.

(Note the section dealing with the Messianic nature of the Lord’s title, “the Son of Man,” in Part 2 of this series. It is “the Son of Man,” the One about to possess dominion over the earth, who will not find “the faith [the message concerning Christians having a part as co-heirs with Him in His dominion]” being proclaimed by the churches at the time of His return.)

The thought of a history of Christendom being presented in Revelation 2; 3 must be understood within the framework of the subject matter in these two chapters. The seven epistles deal with the works of Christians in relation to overcoming or being overcome, with a view to the coming judgment of Christians and the Messianic Era that follows. In short, the epistles deal with the Word of the Kingdom; and that part of Church history that is covered within the scope of these seven epistles must, contextually, center on the direction that Christendom takes over a 2,000-year period in relation to this message.

3. Present Conditions in Christendom

The Word of the Kingdom is the central message that is supposed to be proclaimed by pastor-teachers in the churches of the land during the entire dispensation. This is the message that was proclaimed throughout the entire known world during the Apostolic period and the message Christ will not find even being proclaimed in the world when He returns. And it is this central thought that must be kept in mind when viewing a panorama of Church history in Revelation 2; 3. Church history is not covered in a broad sense in these two chapters. Rather, it is covered in a very restricted sense.

Why has Church history gone in this direction? Why did the Church leave its “first love” and eventually end up in its present apostate state? The answer is very simple. The leaven that the woman placed in the three measures of meal in Matthew 13:33 has progressively done its damaging work during two millennia of time. And not only is this the case, but once the working of the leaven had brought Christendom into the state described by the seventh church, the Laodicean church, the leaven could then rapidly finish the work that it had begun almost two millennia earlier.

Leaven works best in a place where the temperature is not too hot or too cold, and the “lukewarm” conditions existing in the Laodicean state of Christendom provide a very conducive atmosphere for the leaven to complete its work in a rapid manner. Because of this, the leaven today is actually doing its most rapid, damaging work of the entire dispensation.

This is the reason why a person can go into the churches of the land today and begin talking about any number of subjects, except one, and encounter very little problem or opposition. But let him begin talking about the one subject that was uppermost in the mind of the Lord before the inception of the Church, or uppermost in the minds of the Apostles and others in the early Church (before or about the time that the leaven began its work in Christendom) and see what happens. Let him begin talking about the Word of the Kingdom, and trouble will immediately surface. Apostate Christendom, brought into a place separate from “the faith,” will be antagonistic toward and will have nothing to do with this message.

Thus, don’t be surprised when you find Christians, even in so-called fundamental circles, who will not only reject but be antagonistic toward the things having to do with the coming kingdom of Christ. The leaven has been working toward this end for almost two millennia, and that which is very evident in Christendom today is the end result. The condition in which Christendom presently finds itself is exactly the condition in which Christendom had been prophesied to exist at the end of the dispensation.

Messages to the Churches

As previously stated, each of the seven messages to the seven churches follows exactly the same outline: (1) Introductory words, drawn from that which had already been revealed about Christ in chapter one, (2) the statement, “I know your works,” (3) certain things peculiar to each church, and (4) an overcomers’ promise to each church.

The messages to the seven churches are directed, not to the churches themselves, but to the angels of the churches: “To the angel of the church of [‘in’] Ephesus . . . Smyrna . . . Pergamos . . . Thyatira . . . Sardis. . . Philadelphia . . . Laodicea write . . . .”

These angels are heavenly messengers and could only be identified as angels from among the “ministering spirits” in Hebrews 1:14, ministering on behalf of Christians relative to “so great salvation,” “the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 2:3; 10:39) — or contextually in Revelation 2; 3, relative to overcoming and realizing a position as co-heir with Christ in the coming kingdom (cf. Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21).

In Hebrews, chapter one, angels are seen as spirits ministering on behalf of individual Christians; but in Revelation, chapters two and three, angels are seen as spirits ministering on behalf of groups of Christians, comprising churches. Angels are thus presented in Scripture as ministering on behalf of Christians on both individual and corporate levels.

Though the different messages in Revelation, chapters two and three are directed to the angels ministering on behalf of the churches, the messages are for and concern the churches themselves, not the angels per se.

The material concerns the angels only in the sense that they have been placed over the churches and occupy positions in which they can minister on behalf of the churches in relation to that which is in these messages.

(For additional information concerning these angels, see the author’s books, Bible One - Judgment Seat of Christ by Arlen Chitwood, chapter 3, and, in this site, So Great Salvation BOOK, chapter 2.)

1. Introductory Words

Revelation, chapter one provides the background material for chapters two and three, and these two chapters would stand alone, in a non-intelligible sense, apart from chapter one. Chapter one provides numerous descriptive statements concerning Christ, but revelation in the chapter centers on John being removed into the future Day of the Lord and seeing the Church (the complete Church, all Christians [represented by the seven churches]) appearing in Christ’s presence to be judged.

Then chapters two and three also contain a number of descriptive statements concerning Christ. Each of the seven epistles to the seven churches begins with one or more descriptive statements, and each is drawn from material in chapter one.

The descriptive statements in these three chapters could all be looked upon under four different headings: (1) the deity of Christ, (2) His finished work of redemption, (3) Christ as Judge, and (4) Christ as King.

The One who is co-equal with the Father, the “I AM” of Scripture (cf. Exodus 3:13, 14; John 18:4-8), purchased the Church “with His own blood [the blood of God (Acts 20:28)]” with a purpose in view. And that purpose is intimately connected with His coming reign over the earth. However, prior to His reign, Christians must be judged. And it is with all these things in mind that the descriptive statements concerning Christ are given in the first three chapters of this book.

Chapter two, opening with the message to the church in Ephesus, begins by showing Christ in the midst of the seven churches and by calling attention to the angels of the seven churches (Revelation 2:1). Since these angels are mentioned within the scope of the judgmental description of Christ in the first chapter (Revelation 1:16, 20), the only logical conclusion would be that they will somehow have a part in Christ’s judgment of Christians. God has always used angels to carry out affairs in His kingdom, and angels will apparently be very active in events surrounding the judgment seat of Christ.

The scene beginning the second chapter of this book is thus one of judgment. Christ is presented as walking “in the midst of the seven lampstands [the seven churches]” with the angels of the seven churches in His presence, which is a judicial scene drawn from chapter one (Revelation 1:13, 16).

The next descriptive statement concerning Christ in chapter two, beginning the message to the church in Sardis, centers around the eternity (deity) of Christ and His finished work of redemption. He is "the first and the last," and He is also the One who “was dead, and is alive” (Revelation 2:8). The One who will judge the Church is described as the One who not only has existed from all eternity but has also redeemed the Church.

In messages to the next three churches, the churches in Pergamos, Thyatira, and Sardis, reference is made to things having to do with Christ as Judge. He is described as the One “who has the sharp two-edged sword,” “who has eyes like a flame of fire,” and “feet like fine brass”; and reference is again made to the angels of the seven churches, along with the “seven Spirits of God” (Revelation 2:12, 18; 3:1; cf. Revelation 1:4, 14-16).

Then in the messages to the last two churches, the churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea, reference is made to Christ’s Kingship and to things surrounding His deity once again (Revelation 3:7, 14; cf. Revelation 1:5-6, 8).

God’s message in this seven-fold description of Christ is very simple: God is calling attention to the One existing from all eternity who will one day reign over the earth (Revelation 2:8; 3:7, 14); but the One who will reign has first provided redemption (Revelation 2:8), and He will also first execute judgment (Revelation 2:1, 12, 18; 3:1).

2. I Know Your Works

God's judicial activity has always been and will always be on the basis of “works.” There is no such thing as God executing judgment apart from works.

God, for example, judged sin in the person of His Son on the basis of the Son’s finished work; and God is satisfied. This is the reason unredeemed man can come into possession of eternal salvation only one way — by receiving that which has already been done on his behalf.

The things surrounding Christ’s finished work can never enter into any future judgment of man, whether saved or unsaved. That is, no man can ever stand before Christ to be judged on the basis of his eternal salvation. Judgment surrounding this matter has already occurred in past time, and it can never occur again.

This is the reason we find in John 3:18 that the one believing on Christ “is not condemned [‘judged’],” but the one “that believeth not is condemned [‘judged’] already.” No judgment relative to eternal salvation can await the believer (it has already occurred [cf. Romans 8:1]); nor can judgment relative to eternal salvation await the unbeliever (it has already occurred also, for it is the same judgment, occurring at the same time, as for the believer).

God judged sin in the person of His Son once, never to be repeated; and unsaved man, in relation to God’s judgment upon sin in the person of His Son, has already been judged. A perfect tense is used in the Greek text in John 3:18, indicating that judicial activity surrounding unsaved man occurred in past time and presently exists in a finished state. Unsaved man has already been judged, and that’s the end of the matter.

Some Christians have sought to view the first part of John 3:18 and Romans 8:1 in relation to Christ’s judicial activity at His judgment seat, leaving them with a one-sided, erroneous view of this future judgment. God’s judicial activity in the past is one thing, and Christ’s judicial activity in the future is something completely different. Both have their basis in works; but they are completely separate judgments, surrounding completely different matters, occurring at completely different times, for completely different reasons, based on completely different works.

If a person, on the basis of Christ’s past finished work, is going to say that a Christian can never enter into any type future judgment (leaving the judgment seat of Christ operable only in the realm of rewards), he is going to be forced to say exactly the same thing about unsaved man relative to future judgment at the Great White Throne. Unsaved man can no more be judged at the Great White Throne on the basis that is being used (John 3:18; Romans 8:1) than saved man can escape judgment on this basis at the judgment seat of Christ.

Judgment that is waiting for both saved and unsaved man will be on the basis of works — their own works (Matthew 16:27; Revelation 20:12). There’s no other basis upon which they could be judged. Their prior acceptance or rejection of the finished work of Christ will only determine which judgment they will enter into. Their eternal destiny will have already been determined, and it can have nothing to do with that which will occur at either of these future judgments.

This is the reason that the works of Christians are mentioned first in each of the seven messages to the seven churches, immediately following the introductory words concerning Christ. “Judgment” is in view (from chapter one; note also how the first of the seven epistles is introduced in chapter two — Christ, as Judge, walking in the midst of the seven churches [Revelation 2:1; cf. Revelation 1:13, 20]), and it can’t be a judgment on the basis of eternal verities. The eternal destiny of those being judged will have already been settled, on the basis of God’s past judgment surrounding the past finished work of Another.

Consequently, something entirely different is being dealt with in these seven epistles when the works of Christians are mentioned.

A judgment of Christians, with a view to overcoming and occupying a position on the throne with Christ, is the only thing that could possibly be in view (and, contextually, it is clear that this is exactly what is in view); and the only basis for this judgment will be the works of those being judged. Thus, each of the seven epistles, after introductory statements concerning Christ, begins exactly the same way: “I know your works . . . .”

3. Peculiarities of Each Church

The “Nicolaitans” appear to occupy a prominent place in the facet of Church history depicted by the seven churches in Revelation 2; 3. These individuals are named in the first and third of the epistles to the seven churches (epistles to Ephesus and Pergamos), and there is a sharp deterioration in the attitude of Christians toward “the faith” in these epistles, which would seem to be connected with what is said about the Nicolaitans.

Outside of Revelation, chapter two, there is no known sect in Church history (biblical or secular) by the name Nicolaitans. Some early writers tried unsuccessfully to connect this group of individuals with Nicolas of Antioch; and others, following in their steps, try this even today. However, such a connection cannot be established, which leaves one with a sole method of identification — the meaning of the word itself.

The reference can only be to a group of individuals in the early Church whose practices and doctrine are self-explained by the term that Christ used to identify them. Apart from this method of identification, nothing can be known about the Nicolaitans.

The word “Nicolaitans” is a transliterated, compound word from the Greek text, derived from nikao (“to conquer”) and laos (“people”). Thus, the word simply means, “to conquer the people.” Using the meaning of the name itself after this fashion, the Nicolaitans would have to be identified as individuals in the Church who had subjugated the remaining Christians to their self-imposed authority — individuals comprising a ruling class (the clergy over the laity), something condemned by Scripture in no uncertain terms.

Authority within the Church must always be based solely upon “service.” Those occupying positions of leadership (elders, deacons) must always minister (serve) within this sphere of activity, which is to bear no relationship whatsoever to authority exercised by those in the world (cf. Matthew 20:25-28; 1 Corinthians 16:15-16). Nicolaitanism is simply a corruption of delegated authority within the Church, exercising this authority after a forbidden pattern — after the pattern set forth by the world.

Christians in the church in Ephesus were said to hate “the deeds of the Nicolaitans” (Revelation 2:6), but this was not said about Christians in the church in Pergamos. Rather, in the church in Pergamos, Christ alone is mentioned as hating their “doctrine”; and the Nicolaitans appear to have found acceptance in the Church by this time.

Christians in the church in Smyrna — the church that Christ singled out after He mentioned the Nicolaitans in the church in Ephesus but before He mentioned them in the church in Pergamos — were exhorted to be faithful; but such was not to occur. By the time one reaches the epistles to the third and fourth churches (Pergamos and Thyatira), doctrinal corruption appeared to be rampant. The doctrine of Balaam was being taught, and a woman identified by the name “Jezebel” was being allowed to teach Christians things surrounding sexual immorality and idolatry (see the author’s book, Bible One - Judgment Seat of Christ by Arlen Chitwood, chapters 7, 8).

Contextually, the “deeds of the Nicolaitans,” brought about through the working of the leaven, appear to have been the means by which the working of the leaven then produced the additional named corruption in the churches.

The fifth and sixth churches that Christ addressed — the churches in Sardis and Philadelphia — reveal that even though corruption of the nature set forth in the churches in Pergamos and Thyatira will exist during the dispensation, there will still be faithful Christians in various churches (Revelation 3:4, 10). But the Church as a whole, in relation to the attitude of Christians toward the Word of the Kingdom, is going to exist at the end of the dispensation exactly as depicted by the seventh and last church that Christ addressed, the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14ff).

4. To Him Who Overcomes

The promise ending each message concerning what Christ will do for the one overcoming becomes self-evident when these seven messages are viewed in their proper perspective.

“Overcoming” is to conquer, to gain a victory. The promise is to Christians alone, to those comprising the seven churches, i.e., to all Christians. Christians, rather than falling victim to the various forms of corruption arising in the Church are exhorted to remain “faithful” (cf. Revelation 2:10; 3:4), and seven different overcomers’ promises are held out for those who so govern their lives.

The overcomers’ promises are all millennial in their scope of fulfillment, and they will be realized in the coming age when Christ and His co-heirs ascend the throne together.

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Bible One - In the Lord’s Day by Arlen Chitwood

Chapter 4, not included here, but in this site: Crowns Cast Before God’s Throne

Word Document: In the Lord’s Day BOOK by Arlen Chitwood.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

The Time of the End BOOK, in this site, is a comprehensive commentary on the book of Revelation by Arlen Chitwood.

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One Taken, Another Left

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:40-44)

It was Philip Mauro who, during the first part of the last century, said,

“We greatly fear the consequences of the tendency observable in certain quarters to treat the millennial kingdom of the Son as a thing of little interest to the saints of God.”

The coming reign of Christ is the climactic event of the ages pertaining to man in relation to this present earth. All Scripture, after some fashion, moves toward this event; and to ignore this fact can only prove detrimental to any sound method of biblical study.

In the Jewish section of the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:4-39), the kingdom of Christ follows God’s dealings with Israel during and after the Tribulation; in the Christian section of this discourse (Matthew 24:40-25:30), the kingdom of Christ likewise follows God’s dealings with Christians during and at the end of the present dispensation; and exactly the same thing is seen concerning God’s dealings with the Gentiles at the end of the Tribulation in the Gentile section of this discourse (Matthew 25:31-46).

The reign of Christ over the earth is the consummative event in view throughout the Olivet Discourse. God’s dealings with the Jews during and following the Tribulation, His dealings with Christians during and at the end of the present dispensation, and His dealings with the Gentiles at the end of the Tribulation are ALL intimately related to the kingdom that follows these dealings.

The Christian section of the Olivet Discourse centers on events during and at the end of that time that God has set aside (the present dispensation) in order to accomplish a dual purpose regarding His Son’s coming reign over the earth:

1) To call out the many sons (the Son’s co-heirs) of Hebrews 2:10.

2) To acquire a bride for God’s Son (Genesis 24).

(Israel and the Church are dealt with in Scripture in both masculine and feminine respects. Both are dealt with in relation to sonship [firstborn sons], and both are dealt with in relation to marriage [as a bride, a wife].

Both are dealt with in the former respect [sonship] because only sons can rule in God’s kingdom [only firstborn sons in the human realm]; and both are dealt with in the latter respect [a bride, a wife] because, as God Himself established the matter in the opening two chapters of Genesis, the King cannot reign without a consort queen [God and Israel; Christ and the Church].)

Israel has been set aside for a period of time that will last for one dispensation, 2,000 years, and during this time God is calling out the “companions” [KJV: “partakers”] who will occupy the throne as “joint heirs” with His Son during the coming age (cf. Romans 8:17-23; Hebrews 1:9; 3:1, 14) — as both the many sons who will reign with His Son, and as the consort queen who will ascend the throne and reign alongside His Son.

And these individuals must be dealt with at the end of this present dispensation, with their calling in view. This is what the Christian section of the Olivet Discourse is about.

Responsibility, Accountability, the Goal

The Lord’s reference to one taken and another left opens the first of four parallel parables in the Christian section of the Olivet Discourse. And each parable actually has to do with the same thing, though each parable presents matters from a different perspective.

Each parable has to do with the Lord’s dealings with His servants (Christians) during present and future times, with the coming kingdom in view. And, with each parable presenting matters from a different perspective, all four parables viewed together present a complete, composite picture in a threefold fashion:

1) The Christians’ present responsibility.

2) The Christians’ future accountability.

3) The relationship of both to the coming kingdom of Christ.

Christians have a responsibility to live their lives in a manner that reflects their high calling. “Salvation” is for a purpose, and this purpose has to do with the coming kingdom. Christians have been called “unto His own kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12; cf. 1 Peter 5:1, 10; 2 Peter 1:3). And the biblical picture of one’s salvation is not so much saved from (“from hell”) as it is saved into (“unto His own kingdom and glory”).

“Responsibility,” in turn, demands accountability. Every Christian will one day appear before the judgment seat of Christ to render an account concerning how he carried out his responsibility. All things will be revealed in the presence of a righteous, omnipotent, omniscient Judge (Revelation 1:12-20). The previous works of the ones being judged will come under review, and the results will have a direct bearing on the Christians’ position in the kingdom that follows.

The purpose for the judgment seat, in this respect, is in keeping with the purpose for the entire present dispensation. God is today calling out the rulers who are to reign as co-heirs with His Son during the coming age, and the decisions and determinations rendered at the judgment seat concerning these individuals will have to do with their being placed in or being denied one of the numerous proffered positions that the co-heirs will occupy with Christ.

Accordingly, the end or goal toward which everything moves in the Christian section of the Olivet Discourse is the coming kingdom. It is the kingdom with its glory to which Christians have been called, and any Christian failing to realize his calling therein will have failed to realize the very purpose for his salvation.

The coming kingdom is not only the end or goal toward which everything moves in the Christian section of the Olivet Discourse but in the other two sections as well. God’s dealings with the Jewish people in the first section (Matthew 24:4-39) occur during and immediately following the Tribulation and lead into the kingdom, and God’s dealings with the Gentiles in the third section as well (Matthew 25:31-46) occur at the end of the Tribulation (following God’s dealings with the other two divisions of mankind) and also lead into the kingdom.

And, as evident, in a broader respect, the kingdom is the end or goal toward which everything in Scripture moves, save events in the few references describing conditions during the eternal ages beyond the Millennium (e.g., 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; parts of Revelation 21; 22). Beginning with the opening chapters of Genesis, the emphasis is upon man holding the scepter, ruling over a restored earth; and this emphasis never changes throughout Scripture.

Christ’s discourse on the Mount of Olives moves more to the end of the matter and presents summary information relative to concluding events in God’s dealings with the three groups of mankind (Jew, Christian, and Gentile), with the kingdom, as throughout Scripture, the objective or goal in view.

It is clearly shown in the parable of the Householder and His servant and in the parable of the talents (Matthew 24:45-51; 25:14-30) that man ultimately placed in the position of “ruler” is the focal point (cf. Matthew 24:47; 25:21, 23). And it is no different in the other two parallel parables in the Christian section of the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:40-44; 25:1-13).

Note that each parable begins in a similar fashion: “Then . . . .” (Matthew 24:40-44); “Who then . . . .” (Matthew 24:45-51); “Then . . . .” (Matthew 25:1-13); “For it is just as a man . . . [literal rendering, referring back to the parable of the ten virgins in vv. 1-13, and consequently back to the previous two parables in this section, in Matthew 24:40-51]” (Matthew 25:14-30).

Then note that each parable has been given to provide additional information that will help explain another parable. In this respect, the words “Who then” and “Then,” opening the second and third parables, refer back to the previous parable/parables.

The first parable (Matthew 24:40-44), for example, closes with the exhortation to Watch, Be Ready, “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42, 44). The second parable immediately following (Matthew 24:45-51) opens with the words, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant . . . .” The allusion is back to the preceding parable (vv. 40-44).

The parable of the Householder and His servant [vv. 45-51] has been given to provide additional information, helping to explain the preceding parable dealing with one taken and the other left [vv. 40-44]. Both parables concern the same thing — faithfulness or unfaithfulness on the part of the Lord’s servants, resulting in their being accorded or being denied positions as rulers with Christ in the kingdom. And so it is with the following two parables.

This connection between the four parables can possibly be seen slightly clearer in the opening verse of the fourth parable. Note that the words, “the kingdom of heaven is” (Matthew 25:14), are in italics, indicating that they are not in the Greek text. The word “as” is a translation of the Greek word hosper, which is a connecting particle meaning “just as” or “even as.”

This is the same word translated “as” earlier in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:37-38), comparing the days of Noah with the days of the coming of the Son of Man. And the word is used in the same sense beginning the parable of the talents.

This word, beginning the parable of the talents, is used as a connective to show that the parable about to follow is exactly like the parable that has preceded, giving rise to the translation, “For it is just as a man . . . .”

The parable of the talents was given to help explain the previous parable, the parable of the ten virgins (or, for that matter, the two parables preceding the parable of the ten virgins as well). This parable concerns exactly the same thing — faithfulness or unfaithfulness of the Lord’s servants, resulting in their being accorded or being denied entrance into the marriage festivities and subsequent positions as rulers with Christ in the kingdom.

RECEIVED OR TURNED AWAY

The words in the text, “one will be taken and the other left,” are often misunderstood by expositors. And through this misunderstanding, some mistakenly teach that these verses refer to the rapture, with one removed from the earth and another left behind on the earth. This though is not at all what is in view.

The mistake comes from thinking that the ones left remain in the field or at the mill, while the others are removed from these places. Reference to the Greek text, the context, and parallel Scripture though will show that this cannot possibly be the case. These verses reveal the Lord’s dealings with two Christians who will be in the field and two other Christians who will be grinding at the mill (representative individuals, places, and occupations) when He returns to reckon with His servants; and this reckoning will occur, not in the field or at the mill, but before the judgment seat of Christ in heaven following the rapture. The time and place of this reckoning are always the same in Scripture.

The word “taken” (Matthew 24:40-41) is a translation of the Greek word paralambano. This is a compound word comprised of para (“beside,” or “alongside”) and lambano (“to take,” or “to receive”). Thus, the word goes a step beyond just simply taking or receiving. It is taking or receiving the person alongside or to oneself (cf. Matthew 17:1; 20:17 where paralambano is used). This would be the word used referring to the reception of an individual as an “associate” or a “companion,” which is actually what is involved in this passage.

Then, the word “left” (Matthew 24:40-41) is a translation of the Greek word aphiemi, which is used in an antithetical respect to paralambano. In the light of the way paralambano is used, aphiemi could possibly best be understood by translating the word, “turn away.”

That which is involved in this passage has to do with Christians before the judgment seat either being received in an intimate sense or being turned away in an opposite sense.

And the parable of the Householder and His servant, which immediately follows, is given to help explain these things. These verses are not referring to the rapture at all, but to faithful and unfaithful Christians in different walks of life as they appear before the judgment seat in heaven.

Reference to the parallel passage in Luke’s account of the Olivet Discourse shows this same thing:

Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36).

Some expositors have also taken this verse as a reference to the rapture (usually those attempting selective rapture); but, again, such is not correct. This verse is actually the parallel in Luke’s gospel for not only Matthew 24:40-44 but also for the three parables that follow, covering the remainder of the Christian section of the discourse (the parable of the Householder and His servant [Matthew 24:45-51], the parable of the ten virgins [Matthew 25:1-13], and the parable of the talents [Matthew 25:14-30]).

Again, reference to the Greek text, the context, and related Scripture will show exactly how this verse is to be understood. The main problems in translation and interpretation lie in the words “that you may be counted worthy” and “escape all these things.”

The words, “that you may be counted worthy,” could be better translated, “that you may prevail over [in the sense of being strong and winning a victory]”; and the words, “escape [lit., ‘escape out of’] all these things,” refer back to the immediate context, dealing with “surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life” (Luke 21:34-35). This verse is, thus, exhorting Christians to watch and pray relative to deliverance from involvement in the ways and practices of the world (Ephesians 6:18; cf. Ephesians 6:10-17).

Weymouth, in his translation of the New Testament, captures the correct thought from the Greek text about as well as any English version presently available (also see the NASB):

Beware of slumbering; at all times pray that you may be fully strengthened to escape from all these coming evils, and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man.

Note also Wuest’s “Expanded Translation”:

But be circumspect, attentive, ready, in every season being in prayer, in order that you may have sufficient strength to be escaping all these things which are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.

The words “watch” and “pray” are in a present tense showing linear (continuous) action in the Greek text. The thought is that of Christians continually watching (always being alert, on guard) and continually praying for the strength necessary to escape out of the ways and practices of the world.

“Escape out of” is the translation of an aorist infinitive in the Greek text, showing deliverance viewed as eventual (i.e., viewed as the result of Christians continually watching and praying). And, viewed as a whole (as in Weymouth’s translation), this deliverance would occur on particular occasions at different times.

Contextually, this deliverance is not a one-time event (as the rapture), but repeated occurrences (as in Wuest’s translation). And the goal of the entire process is Christians ultimately being privileged to “stand before the Son of Man.”

(Aorist and present tenses in the Greek text are often misunderstood and misused. In fact, a lot of false doctrine has resulted from a misunderstanding and misuse of these tenses.

The word “aorist” is simply an anglicized Greek word, aoratos, which means “unseen,” “invisible” [aoratos is the word horatos, meaning “to see,” negated by the prefix “a,” making the word aoratos mean just the opposite — “not to see”]. And this word, used relative to “tense” in Greek grammar, refers to the “action” of the verb [unseen action].

Action in the aorist tense is presented simply as occurring, without reference to its progress [which, from the verb itself, cannot be seen]. And this action, seen contextually, can be very linear [continuous, occurring over time] or punctiliar [occurring at one or more points in time].

[A misunderstanding and misuse of the aorist tense usually occurs by attempting to see what the meaning of the name of the tense itself clearly states can’t be seen — action occurring, which is invariably and erroneously viewed as punctiliar.

This action is represented on paper [in grammar books] by a dot, simply because it can’t be seen to describe the type of action (whether linear or punctiliar). And this dot is what often misleads people, thinking that punctiliar action is being described by the dot, which isn’t the case at all].

On the other hand, the present tense, where action is seen, serves to show both linear and punctiliar action. The general rule is that if punctiliar action is not shown by the context, then linear action is to be understood.

For example, “believes” in John 3:15-16 is the translation of a present participle in the Greek text; and, except for the context [John 3:14], the word in both verses would be understood in a linear respect. The context though shows that both words are to be understood as punctiliar — i.e., simply believe at a point in time, not keep on believing [it was look and live in the type (v. 14), and it is, as well (it cannot be any other way) look and live in the antitype (vv. 15-16)].

Then note “believes” in Romans 1:16, also the translation of a present participle in the Greek text. But this time the context doesn’t show that the present tense is to be understood any way other than linear. Thus, the thought presented in the verse would be to keep on believing, keep on exercising faith [note, contextually, that this verse has nothing to do with eternal salvation; rather, it has to do with belief, faith, exercised by those who are already saved].)

Standing before, or in the presence of, the Son of Man in the passage from Luke’s account of the Olivet Discourse (Luke 21:34-36) is synonymous with being received in an intimate manner by the Lord in the parallel section in Matthew’s account of the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:40-44).

The thought is presented another way in Psalms 24:3-4:

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.

Psalm chapter twenty-four is a Messianic Psalm; and the expression, “to stand before the Son of Man” in Luke 21:36, is Messianic as well. Ascending “the hill [referring to the ‘kingdom’; note Psalms 2:6] of the Lord” or standing “before the Son of Man” are reserved for “associates” or “companions” who will rule as co-heirs with Christ (cf. Hebrews 1:9; 3:1, 14; “fellows” [1:9, KJV] and “partakers” [3:1, 14] are translations of the same Greek word [metochoi], which could be better rendered, “associates” or “companions”).

(A similar statement to that which is seen in Luke 21:36 is seen in God’s promise to those in the Church in Philadelphia, in Revelation 3:10 — “I also will keep you from the hour of trial.”

For information on this verse, refer to Chapter 10, “A Pillar, A City,” in the author’s book, Judgment Seat of Christ, in this site: Judgment Seat of Christ BOOK.)

SAVING OF THE LIFE

The account in Matthew 24:40-44 of individuals either being received in an intimate respect or being turned away in an opposite respect was repeated on another occasion by the Lord in a slightly different setting. Luke 17:34-36 records this same sequence of events following an exhortation to remember Lot’s wife and a statement pertaining to saving or losing one’s “life [‘soul’]” (vv. 32-33).

The Greek words paralambano and aphiemi, used in Matthew 24:40-41 to show the manner of reception and the opposite manner of rejection, are also used in Luke 17:34-36.

Reception in Matthew is associated with being prepared for the Lord’s return through faithfulness and watchfulness (vv. 42-46). A correct teaching drawn from the overall passage in Luke (Luke 17:22-37) shows the same thing, with the end result of proper preparation through faithfulness and watchfulness being the salvation of one’s “life [‘soul’]” (v. 33).

The inverse of this would, of course, be true concerning those turned away by the Lord. That is, being unprepared because of unfaithfulness and not watching will result in the loss of one’s “life [‘soul’]” (cf. Matthew 16:24-28; 24:48-51; Luke 17:33).

Several verses in Luke chapter seventeen are very similar to verses in the Jewish section of the Olivet Discourse in Matthew (cf. Luke 17:23-27, 31, 37; Matthew 24:17-18, 23-28, 37-39), leading some expositors to believe that this complete section in Luke is “Jewish.”

This though cannot be the case, for the verses comprising this section are set in a context which, as in Matthew 24:4-25:30, have both Jewish and Christian parts (with the Jewish part seen first in both passages [Matthew 24:4-39 and Luke 17:23-31]; then, the Christian part follows in both passages [Matthew 24:40-25:30 and Luke 17:32-37]).

(Types in Scripture such as the days of Noah, seen in both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts, and the days of Lot, seen in Luke’s account, often lend themselves to more than one central understanding in the antitype [e.g., Jonah, in his experiences, typifies future events in the lives of both of God’s firstborn Sons, both Christ and Israel (Matthew 12:40 relative to Christ, and it is evident from the book of Jonah that the overall type has to do with Israel); or note a verse such as Hosea 11:1, which, contextually, is a reference to Israel (both past under Moses and future under Christ), but the verse is used relative to Christ in Matthew 2:15].

And the account of the destruction of the cities of the plain during Lot’s day is used in a dual manner in Scripture as well — relative to both Israel and Christians. In Luke 17:28-29, the account appears in the Jewish part of the discourse. But it is evident from the account in Genesis that Lot’s experiences can be applied to Christians as well.

Also note that the thoughts derived from the symbolism of eagles hovering over a dead carcass is used relative to Israel and the nations in Matthew 24:28, near the end of the Jewish section of the discourse; but in Luke 17:37, this same statement appears at the end of the Christian section of the discourse [ref. Bible One - The Lord’s Return by Arlen Chitwood].)

1) REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE

The thought drawn from the account in Genesis chapter nineteen concerning Lot’s wife is to keep one’s eyes fixed on the goal out ahead, with the implied warning, “Do not look behind you!” The ways and practices of the world lie behind, with the things of the mountain lying out ahead (“a mountain” signifying a kingdom), and, with all of this in view, Lot and his family were told, “. . . Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed” (Genesis 19:17).

The overall thought has to do with moving away from the things of the world toward the goal of one’s calling. A Christian, with his eyes fixed on the goal, is not to look back to the things of the world. Rather, he is to keep his eyes fixed out ahead, on the things of the mountain, on things relating to the goal of his calling.

Two significant things stand out concerning Lot’s wife:

1) She was delivered from Sodom before judgment fell, along with her husband and two virgin daughters.

2) She looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:16, 26).

And, in Luke chapter seventeen, Christ drew spiritual lessons from this account in order to teach His disciples great spiritual truths concerning the saving or the losing one’s “life [‘soul’]” (Luke 17:33), which is associated contextually with either being received alongside the Lord in an intimate manner or being turned away by the Lord in an opposite manner (Luke 17:34-36).

Lot, his wife, and his two virgin daughters were told,

Escape for your life [‘soul’]! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed [consumed ‘in the iniquity of the city’]” (Genesis 19:17; cf. Genesis 19:15).

However, Lot’s wife looked back toward Sodom. She looked back toward the things of “the plain” (signifying the world, which was about to be destroyed) rather than ahead to “the mountain” (signifying the kingdom, which would endure beyond the destruction of the cities of the plain).

Christ stated during His earthly ministry,

No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62)

The word “looking” in the Greek text, as the words “watch” and “pray” in Luke 21:36, is in a tense showing continuous action. A man beginning a task (putting his hand to the plough) and looking back after the fashion described by the Lord would be continually turning away from the task. He would be headed in one direction but continually looking in another direction. Rather than keeping his eyes fixed on the goal ahead, he would be continually turning away from this goal. Christ declared that such a man would be unfit “for the kingdom” (cf. James 1:8).

The mention of Lot’s wife is drawn from Christ’s reference to the days of Noah and the days of Lot in preceding verses, though these verses are in the Jewish part of the discourse (Genesis 19:26-31). The thought, of course, has to do with the dangers inherent in Christians becoming involved in the ways and practices of the world. Such an involvement will gradually lead Christians away from the things of “the mountain” toward the things of “the plain.”

Over a period of time, Christians involved in the affairs of the world will gradually find their attitudes and interests changing. They will gradually become more and more interested in the things of the plain, while at the same time becoming less and less interested in the things of the mountain. The path that they have been called to travel will be in one direction, but their interests will lead them in a different direction. Rather than looking out ahead toward the goal of their calling, they will find themselves looking back toward a world diametrically opposed to this goal.

It is evident that such was the case with Lot’s wife. Lot and his family had dwelled in the cities of the plain for many years. In fact, Lot who is seen seated in the gate of Sodom immediately preceding the destruction of the cities of the plain reveals his involvement in the internal affairs of the city (Genesis 19:1). The elders were the ones who usually sat in the gate of a city in that day, carrying on civil or legal matters; and it is evident that Lot had taken his place among them. Lot had settled down to this extent in Sodom, and related Scripture leaves little question concerning the fact that members of his family had settled down to a similar extent in Sodom.

Then, with his worldly mindset, acquired over several decades of living in the cities of the plain, Lot “lingered” in Sodom with his family after he had been warned concerning the impending destruction; and he, his wife, and his two virgin daughters had to be physically removed by the two angels who had been sent into Sodom (Genesis 19:16). Then, even outside Sodom and headed away from the city, Lot’s wife, contrary to God’s command, looked back.

She looked back toward a world (“the plain”) which was very familiar and away from a world (“the mountain”) which she apparently knew very little to nothing about.

Her life had evidently been wrapped up in the affairs of Sodom; and when she looked back, that was the end of the matter so far as God was concerned. It was the climactic act in a life that had been lived involved in the affairs of the world.

Thus, the Lord’s warning to His disciples concerning Lot’s wife is simply a warning concerning where involvement in the affairs of this world will ultimately lead. Though delivered from Sodom, Lot’s wife lost everything; and many Christians, though delivered from the destruction awaiting the world in the coming Tribulation (the antitype of the destruction of the cities of the plain), will, in that coming day, in like manner to Lot’s wife, lose everything because of their previous involvement with the world.

2) WHOSOEVER SEEKS TO SAVE . . . LOSE . . . .

The Lord’s warning to remember Lot’s wife, His statement relative to saving or losing one’s “life [‘soul’],” and His statement relative to individuals either being received in an intimate respect or being turned away in an opposite respect are placed together in Luke chapter seventeen and refer to the same central truth (Luke 17:32-36).

The experience of Lot’s wife (v. 32) would parallel the loss of one’s life (v. 33) and being turned away by the Lord (vv. 34-36). And the inverse would be true for an individual keeping his eyes fixed on the goal out ahead, “the mountain,” rather than looking back toward “the plain.” His experience would parallel the saving of his life (v. 33) or being received in an intimate manner by the Lord (vv. 34-36).

Saving or losing one’s “life [‘soul’]” is, contextually, placed within events following deliverance from the destruction that befell the cities of the plain. The overall account foreshadows the deliverance that Christians (all Christians, faithful and unfaithful alike) will experience before the destruction about to befall this present world system, the coming Tribulation. And the saving or losing of one’s “life [‘soul’]” would have to occur at the same time as in the type — following deliverance from the world.

(Note that the events surrounding the judgment seat of Christ will occur in the heavens after the present dispensation has run its course, but before the Tribulation begins here on earth [Revelation 1-6]. There is a deliverance from one judgment to have a part in another judgment, exactly as seen in the type.)

Eternal verities are not in view at all in the account of Lot’s wife looking back. This account has to do with one’s outlook on the things of the plain as contrasted with one’s outlook on the things of the mountain.

Saving or losing one’s “life [‘soul’]” has to do with events at the judgment seat of Christ. It is here that Christians will either be received in an intimate respect or be turned away in an opposite respect. Or, as revealed in Luke 21:36, it is here that Christians will either be granted the privilege to “stand before the Son of Man” or be denied this privilege.

(Note the contrasting positions occupied by both Abraham and Lot, in the final analysis, in Genesis chapter nineteen. Both are seen on the mountain, but the different positions occupied by each on the mountain are markedly different.

Abraham is seen standing before the Lord, occupying the place where he had always stood [Genesis 19:27; cf. Genesis 18:22].

But Lot, even though on the mountain, found himself in a place separate from the Lord, in a place where he had also always stood [Genesis 19:30-38; cf. Genesis 13:10-12)].)

Scripture elsewhere also teaches the same basic truths concerning saving or losing one’s “life [‘soul’].” Eternal verities are never in view, though many erroneously make such an association. Teaching that the salvation of the soul has to do with the eternal salvation that we presently possess (the salvation of the spirit) is foreign to any New Testament usage of the expression, and such an association will serve only to obscure that which Scripture actually teaches on the subject.

Notice three passages of Scripture by way of illustration: Matthew 16:24-27; James 1:21; 1 Peter 1:9: In “Matthew,” the saving of the soul is in connection with works that will be revealed and rewards that will be given at the time of Christ’s return (Matthew 16:27); in “James,” the saving of the soul is in connection with a justification by works for those who have already been justified by grace through faith (cf. James 1:21-22; 2:14-26); and in “1 Peter,” the saving of the soul is in connection with a person receiving the “end [goal]” of his faith (works emanate out of faithfulness to one’s calling).

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(For a more detailed discussion of this subject, see, in this site, the author’s book, Salvation of the Soul BOOK.

Bible One - Prophecy on Mount Olivet, Chapter 10 by Arlen Chitwood

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Three Soul-Salvation Scriptural Passages

By Charles Strong of Bible One

Excerpts from Three Soul-Salvation Scriptural Passages by Charles Strong of Bible One

(Galatians 5:19-21; 6:7-8; James 5:19-20)

This study will briefly address three passages of Scripture that are misunderstood and misapplied by both Arminians and Calvinists when it comes to salvation. In fact, most often they are misconstrued to refer to “spirit salvation,” when they actually refer to “soul salvation.”

Galatians 5:19-21

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

There is little doubt that the apostle Paul is writing to true believers. This is evident from his salutation comments and various other remarks regarding those to whom this epistle is addressed. He repeatedly refers to them as “brethren” (Galatians 1:11; 3:15; 4:12, 28; 5:11, 13; 6:1, 18) and “my little children” (Galatians 4:19); they had begun their Christian life “in the Spirit” (Galatians 3:3); they “are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26; 4:6); they have “known God” and “are known by God” (Galatians 4:9); they, like Isaac, are “children of promise” (Galatians 4:28); and they have been made free by Christ (Galatians 5:1). They are true believers.

Yet the warning here addressed to them is that if they practice the works of the flesh they will not inherit the kingdom of God. Of course the Arminian submits that the Christian can resort to such sin, but by doing so will lose salvation. On the other hand the Calvinist is at a loss as to how to explain that this warning can be directed to true believers, since it goes without saying that all true believers will not practice such works of the flesh. To the contrary, they hold that a true believer will persevere in good conduct. All then that is left for the Calvinist is to resort to ~~exegetical~~ eisegetical* (see Logos! in this site) gymnastics over the phrase “practice such things.” They maintain that Paul is essentially indicating that true believers, even though they may temporarily indulge in such sin, will never be able to “practice” it; otherwise, it would only indicate that such a “professing Christian” never truly believed in Christ in the first place.

The reality is that Paul is speaking to true believers who have been influenced by others to turn away from the “grace of Christ” and to a perverted* concept of it (Galatians 1:6-7). They were in danger of drifting back into the bondage of the law and its works (Galatians 2:4; 3:2; 4:9). They were going back to the old covenant given at Mount Sinai, a type of the bondwoman Hagar giving birth to Ishmael (Galatians 4:21-25). And drifting back to the bondage of the law, the Galatian Christians were being controlled not by the Spirit of God under the rule of liberty, but by their carnal nature (“flesh”). This then was seriously affecting their spiritual walk before God; or, to state it in context with this study, seriously affecting their “soul salvation.”

Paul then, after making it clear that the gospel of grace liberates from bondage that comes from the law, admonishes the Galatian believers to “Walk in the Spirit and . . . not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16) because, as the subject passage above indicates, only sin comes from the carnal state and true believers that practice such “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

To “inherit the kingdom of God” is not the equivalent of “entering heaven,” and the kingdom of God is not another name for “heaven;” rather, it is the kingdom that Christ will establish on earth when He returns in clouds of glory at the end of the Tribulation Period as seen in Revelation 19:11-20:4. It is the Kingdom Age of 1000 years duration in which those believers who have persevered in suffering with Christ become joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

But those who have returned to the carnal state (“fallen from grace”—Galatians 5:4) to live apart from God’s Spirit in the practice of works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), to include those who have fallen away to such a degree that turning back becomes impossible (Hebrews 6:4-6), there awaits for them only the fearful “expectation of judgment and fiery indignation” from their Lord at His Judgment Seat (John 15:6; Romans 2:6; 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7; Colossians 3:25; Hebrews 10:26-27), which will result in shame (1 John 2:28), a non-issuance of rewards (1 Corinthians 3:12-15), and discipline that will extend throughout the Kingdom Age (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5).

It is only after the Kingdom Age that such carnal-state believers will find relief from the negative results of their life that will have brought such limitations upon them during that time. It is only after the Kingdom Age that “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

Galatians 6:7-8

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

The Arminian has a field day with this verse by committing the illegitimate totality transfer error of equating the words “everlasting life” in this passage with entrance into heaven and escaping the lake of fire (commonly termed as “hell”). On the other hand, the Calvinist has a more difficult time in explaining this verse in conjunction with the doctrine of “eternal security of the believer;” save to say, that a true believer cannot persistently “sow to the flesh” and thereby “reap corruption.”

The truth may be understood when one understands that the Greek words zoen aionion, which are translated “eternal life” and “everlasting life,” depending on the English translation used and the context surrounding the words, may refer to one or the other aspect of God’s salvation. This is amply explained by Joseph C. Dillow in chapter seven of his masterful work entitled The Reign of the Servant Kings (Schoettle Publishing Company, 1992). And so as not to “reinvent the wheel,” his account is produced for the reader’s consideration and it follows:

Inheriting Eternal Life

The positive side of our great salvation is eternal life. By this, of course, our Lord did not mean merely eternal existence but a rich and meaningful life which begins now and extends into eternity.

Given Freely as a Gift

All readers of the New Testament are familiar with the tremendous gospel promise of the free gift of eternal life. That this rich experience was obtained by faith alone was one of the key insights of the Reformation:

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life [zoen aionion] (John 3:16)

I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life [zoen aionion] and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).

For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life [zoen aionion], and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40).

Eternal life can be ours, now, on the condition that we believe in Him, and for no other condition. Yes, eternal life is ours on the basis of faith alone.

Earned as a Reward

The phrase “eternal life” (zoen aionion) occurs forty-two times in the New Testament. Its common meaning of the free gift of regeneration (entrance into heaven on the basis of faith alone) is well documented. However, many are not aware that in eleven of those forty-two usages (26 percent), eternal life is presented to the believer as something to be earned or worked for! For example:

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life [zoen aionion] (Romans 2:7).

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life [zoen aionion] (Galatians 6:8).

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life [zoen aionion]. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me (John 12:25-26).

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life [zoen aionion] (Matthew. 19:29).

Just as there are two kinds of inheritance, two dimensions to salvation, there seem to be two sides to eternal life. We must remember that eternal life in the Bible is not a static entity, a mere gift of regeneration that does not continue to grow and blossom. No, it is a dynamic relationship with Christ Himself. Jesus taught us that when He said:

Now this is eternal life [zoen aionion]: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent (John 17:3).

He explained elsewhere that this life was intended to grow and become more abundant: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). But growth is not automatic; it is conditioned upon our responses. Only by the exercise of spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, obedience, faith, study of the Scriptures, and proper responses to trials, does our intimacy with Christ increase. Only by continuing in doing good does that spiritual life imparted as regeneration grow to maturity and earn a reward.

This is what the apostle Paul referred to when he challenged Timothy to “take hold of eternal life”:

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life [zoen aionion] to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).

Possessing eternal life is one thing, but “taking hold” of it is another. The former is static; the latter is dynamic. The former depends upon God; the latter depends upon us. The former comes through faith alone; “taking hold” requires faith plus obedience (1 Timothy 6:14). Those who are rich in this world and who give generously “will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:19). Eternal life is not only the gift of regeneration but “true life” which is cultivated by faith and acts of obedience.

This should not surprise us. On page after page of the Bible the richness of our spiritual life is conditioned upon our spiritual obedience . . . . It is extremely important to note that in every place where eternal life is presented as something which can be obtained by works; it is contextually always described as a future acquisition. Conversely, whenever eternal life is described as something in the present, it is obtained by faith alone.

In Galatians 6:8, for example, eternal life is something earned by the sower. If this passage is speaking of final salvation from hell, then salvation is based on works. A man reaps what he sows. If we sow to please the Spirit, we will reap (future tense) eternal life. Paul calls it a harvest “if we do not give up.” Eternal life is earned by sowing to the Spirit and persevering to the end. It is what we get if we do good works. There is nothing here about the inevitability of this reaping. It depends upon us. We will reap, Paul says, “if we do not give up.” Eternal life is no static entity but a relationship with God. It is dynamic and growing and has degrees. Some Christians have a more intimate relationship with their Lord than others. They have a richer experience of eternal life. Jesus Himself said, “I came to give life more abundantly” (John 10:10).

In this sense it is parallel to physical life. Physical life is received as a gift, but then it must be developed. Children often develop to their full physical and mental ability under the auspices of their parents. In order for eternal life to flourish, we must also be obedient to our Parent. Whenever eternal life is viewed as a reward in the New Testament, it is presented as something to be acquired in the future. But when it is presented as a gift, it is something acquired in the present. No one can receive it as a reward, i.e., experience it to a more abundant degree, until he has received eternal life freely as a gift to begin with.

Bible One - Chapter 7—Inheriting Eternal Life, The Reign of the Servant Kings

This commentator can add nothing to the above regarding Galatians 6:7-8 other than the note following this paragraph and to reinforce to the reader that care must always be taken to understand any particular phrase or type within its context, both within the entire epistle and within its immediate perspective. The Bible is essentially a whole, a combination of 66 books by approximately 40 different human authors (all of course used by the Holy Spirit) and written over a span of thousands of years, but with one integrated message of Jesus Christ and God’s plan and purpose for mankind. It does not contradict itself; it is man and his unwillingness to “rightly divide” its truth that produces chaos out of order.

[NOTE: “Eternal life” and its equivalent “everlasting life,” are phrases used in Scripture to distinguish life after physical death—separation of the body and the spirit/soul—as opposed to temporal life prior to physical death. Additionally, it often carries with it the quality of “abundance of life” as mentioned by Christ in John 10:10. Depending upon context, it may refer to either “spirit salvation” for all eternity or “soul salvation” during the Millennial Kingdom. A comprehensive treatment of this matter may be acquired from the following two works: The Reign of the Servant Kings, by Joseph C. Dillow and Bible One - Gary Whipple's Beyond the Rapture.]

James 5:19-20

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Just as it can clearly be seen that the phrase “kingdom of God” does not equate to heaven and the Greek word psuche, which is normally translated “soul,” actually should be translated “life;” it should also be clearly understood that the word “death” may have different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.

And just as the above Galatians’ passages are addressed to true believers, so is this passage in James. But more significantly, the one who “wanders from the truth” is also a true believer. It is therefore immediately clear that a believer can “wander from the truth,” can become involved in “error,” and commit a “multitude of sins.”

But this should not be strange to the student of God’s Word. Over and over again by clear doctrinal presentation and by anecdotal example; the Bible forcefully teaches that Christian—true believers—can fall by the wayside, can revert to their carnal state, and can commit egregious sin. In fact, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

The apostle Paul throughout the New Testament constantly admonished believers who were still babies in Christ, who lived in their carnal state, and who were in danger of falling away from the grace that is within Christ (see Romans 6; 12:1-2; 13:14; 14:1; 15:1; 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 1:11; 3:1-3; 4:14-21; 5:1-13; 6:1-10; 2 Corinthians 6:11-18; Galatians-entire book; Colossians 3:1-17; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 6:3-16; 2 Timothy 2:14-26; 3:1-9; Hebrews-entire book). One cannot read the New Testament without concluding that true believers are constantly subject to the deceit of Satan and if not suitably attired with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) can fall back into sin. This was the fear of the apostle Paul when in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 he said:

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Paul’s fear was not that he would lose his eternal salvation (deliverance from hell); he knew that was a “free gift” paid for by Christ on the cross. To this he believed and was therefore sealed for all eternity by the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30). But on the other hand he knew that he, as all Christians, was engaged in a race for the reward that would come at the Judgment Seat of Christ and would extend throughout the Kingdom Age. With this in mind he feared he might become “disqualified,” and therefore disciplined his body into subjection in order to properly fight against evil.

He was also aware, as all Christians should be, that it is entirely possible to “fall away” (become apostate) in one degree or another. There are ample examples of this in both the Old and New Testaments. Two of the most notable are David when he lied, committed adultery, and murdered; and Peter when he rejected Christ three times, even cursing the third time. If the truth be told, every Christian experiences varying degrees of apostasy or “falling away” from Christ throughout his or her life—some a little, but many to a grave degree. To this end, and this is the subject of the referenced scriptural passage in James, it is the obligation of every Christian to assist in turning a wandering believer back from the error of his way (departure from the truth) in order to save a life (soul) and cover a multitude of sins.

In this regard, Joseph C. Dillow in chapters nine and ten of The Reign of the Servant Kings has the following cogent remarks applicable to James 5:19-20, as follow:

Just as it is possible to “save” one in whom the Word has been implanted (James 1:21), it is also sometimes necessary to “save” one who is of the “brethren” and is “among us.” A man who is already saved in the sense of final deliverance from hell needs only to be saved from death. The death here may be the “sin unto death” referred to in 1 Corinthians 11:30 and 1 John 5:16. Certainly this is the ultimate consequence of Divine discipline brought upon the sinning Christian. But short of that, the life of the sinning Christian can only be characterized as spiritually dead.

We conclude that the word “saved” in James does not refer to final deliverance form hell. It refers, instead, to deliverance from the terrible consequences of spiritual impoverishment and ultimately physical death, which can come upon the regenerate person if he fails to vitalize his faith with a life of works. Divine discipline is certain, but loss of salvation is not under consideration.

James is well within the theology of the Old Testament when he warns against the shortening of life which occurs when a man lives a life of debauchery or bitterness or sin. Indeed, his point has been commonly observed by mankind throughout the ages and confirmed by modern medical science. Most of our ailments have psychosomatic origins. Emotional stress brought on by a life of guilt and bitterness is, perhaps, the major cause of physical death in the Western world. . . .

The “sinner” to which James refers is evidently a Christian brother. The conditional clause implies that it is by no means inevitable that he will always be turned back. Like wise, the apostle Peter makes it clear that true Christians can “fall”:

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:10-11).

Bible One - Charles Strong's Review of The Reign of the Servant Kings

Not much can be added to this insightful observation of the referenced passage. Though it must be reiterated that due to apostasy (falling away); Christians are subject to discipline (Hebrews 12:7-11), and to sickness, and at times early physical death (1 Corinthians 11:30).

Conclusion

A fair hearing of the above three passages of scripture will conclude that they are referring to a Christian’s “soul salvation;” not to “spirit salvation.” The subject that a believer’s conduct as a “child of God” will have present and future consequences is never a popular theme. Most of today’s “church-going Christians” appear to ignore this meat doctrine of God’s Word. They prefer to stay with the milk of the Word, which soothes them regarding their “spirit salvation.” But they have no stomach for the meat-doctrine of the coming Judgment Seat of Christ and its consequences that extend throughout the Kingdom Age.

And, unfortunately, most ministers of God’s Word do little to teach otherwise! They would rather prioritize most of the church’s time toward the preaching of psychological uplifting homilies, the teaching of denominational themes, and non-intrusive programs instead of hard-study in God’s Word. This will eventually be to their shame as they soon will stand before their Savior at His Judgment Seat and as they answer for the “babes in Christ” who never matured in Bible doctrine that were under their charge.

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Three Soul-Salvation Scriptural Passages by Charles Strong of Bible One

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It’s Almost Over

Man’s Day Has Almost Run Its Course

By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. . . . .(Romans 13:11-12a).

God established an unchangeable time-line at the beginning of His Word, at the beginning of both the Old Testament in Genesis and the New Testament in John. Man though has largely ignored this time-line in both Testaments, particularly in the New Testament, with John being erroneously placed at the end of the gospels rather than at the beginning.

(Ref. Moses and John BOOK, Ch. 1, in this site, for additional information on the preceding.)

The Length of Man’s Day, the Lord’s Day

Both Testaments begin with the length of Man’s Day set at six days and the length of the Lord’s Day which follows and is set at one day. And it is plain from the whole of subsequent Scripture that all seven of these days have to do with 1,000-year periods, perfectly in line with 2 Peter 1:16-18; 3:8 for the complete seven days, or with Revelation 20:2-7 for the Lord’s Day.

In the former reference, Peter had called attention to this septenary structure of Scripture — six days, followed by a seventh day — in the first chapter of his second epistle by referencing an event that he and two other disciples had witnessed years before (vv. 16-18). Peter called attention to that which had occurred on “a high mountain” after Jesus had taken him, along with James and John, up upon the mountain apart from the other disciples (Matthew 16:28-17:5).

The time was “after six days” — after the time that was foreshadowed by the six days in both Genesis and John had run their course — these three disciples saw “the Son of Man coming in His kingdom,” which would be on the succeeding seventh day.

Then in the third chapter, Peter continuing to deal with this same matter, stated:

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing [lit., “…stop allowing this one thing to escape your notice”], that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

The six and seven days beginning both Genesis and John point to the same thing as the six and seven days alluded to by the event referenced by Peter back in the first chapter of his second epistle, or anywhere else in Scripture where this septenary structure is dealt with. These days foreshadowed 1,000-year periods of time — six days, 6,000 years; the one succeeding day, the seventh day, 1,000 years.

The Sabbath was given to Israel for “a sign,” to keep that which is seen in this septenary structure ever before the Jewish people throughout their generations (Exodus 31:13-17). Every seventh day, following six days of work, they kept a day designed to remind them that God — in complete accord with the manner in which He began the Old Testament and would begin the New Testament — following six days of work, was going to rest on the succeeding seventh day.

In Genesis, God worked six days to restore a ruined material creation, followed by a day of rest; in John, another facet of the matter is seen. The six days beginning John’s gospel have to do with the time God is taking to restore ruined man, with the subsequent day of rest pictured by the first sign in this gospel (Genesis 2:1-11), pointing to God’s restoration of Israel (again taking the nation as His wife, which will occur on the seventh day, the seventh 1,000-year period).

As previously stated, every time the Israelites kept the Sabbath, they were to recall that to which the Sabbath pointed — 1,000 years of rest following 6,000 years of restorative (redemptive) work.

And at the end of Man’s Day in the book of Revelation, the length of this seventh day is clearly stated in no uncertain terms, as in 2 Peter 3:8 (though it is clearly stated through the use of “days” numerous places throughout preceding Scripture as well, beginning in Genesis 2:1-3). Six times in Revelation 20:2-7, referring to this coming seventh day, Scripture states, “a thousand years,” or “the thousand years.”

We’re still living during the 6,000 years (Man’s Day), with the 1,000 years (the Lord’s Day) still out ahead. How close are we to the end of Man’s Day and the beginning of the Lord’s Day? That’s the subject of the remainder of this commentary, with the matter dealt with largely by way in a numeric manner, from a biblical standpoint.

Following Biblical Chronology

There are sixty-two generations from the creation of Adam to Christ. Noah is the tenth from Adam (Genesis 5:1-32), Abraham the twentieth (Genesis 11:10-27), and there are then forty-two generations from Abraham to Christ (Matthew 1:17).

The number of years comprising these generations can be followed by and through the first twenty generations, extending from the creation of Adam to the birth of Abraham. Those years are seen in that which is revealed in the two previous genealogies referenced in Genesis 5; 11. And the total time in these two genealogies, from Adam to Abraham, is two thousand and eight (2,008) years.

(Note that there would be room for a few years difference when viewing the number of years in these genealogies from the standpoint of a calendar, for only whole years, not parts of years, are dealt with in the genealogies. And, actually, in the next section on dispensations, it will become clear that 2,000 years, not 2,008, evidently exist from Adam to Abraham.

Also, it must be kept in mind that Scripture uses a 360-day year, not the 365.25-day year that man uses today. In this respect, all references to time in Scripture are based on a 360-day year. And a person can’t mix 360-day years and 365.25-day years. Thus, any use of time from our calendar will have to be changed to years of 360 days, which can easily be done.

Note in this same respect that the time foreshadowed by the six and seven days beginning Genesis and John, or anywhere else in Scripture, would be 6,000 and 1,000 years of 360 days per year.)

Then, from the birth of Abraham to the Exodus under Moses was five hundred years (100 years to the birth of Abraham’s seed, Isaac [Genesis 21:5], then 400 years from Isaac’s birth to the Exodus [the 400-year sojourn of Abraham’s seed in Genesis 15:13-16 — 190 years in Canaan before Jacob and his family went down into Egypt, then 210 years in Egypt]). Thus, going solely by biblical genealogies and chronology, it was 2,508 years (2,500 years [see previous statements]) from the creation of Adam to the Exodus under Moses.

Then, to have a base to work from — showing dates in relation to B.C. or A.D. time, along with showing that a subsequent second 2,000-year period evidently exists in God’s dealings with mankind — one can go back in secular history to illustrate that late archaeological finds for the date of the Exodus (usually seen as 1445 B.C.) are very much in line with the number of years that must exist between the Exodus and the events of Calvary (for this second 2,000-year period). In fact, only about six or seven years of difference exist between the archaeological date and that which Scripture would require.

Using the archaeological date (1445 B.C.), it is one thousand four hundred and seventy eight (1,478) years between the Exodus and the events of Calvary (33 A.D.) — years of 365.25 days each. Then, converted to 360 day-years, this would be 1,499.5 years.

Scripture though, if dealing with a second 2,000-year period (which is evidently the case), would require only 1,493 years between the Exodus and the crucifixion (the reason for 1,493 years rather than an even 1,500 years [taking one to 4,000 years] is shown in the next section, dealing with dispensations).

Using dates as per the preceding (360-day years) — 2,500 years from the creation of Adam to the Exodus, then 1,493 years from the Exodus to the crucifixion — provides a total of 3,993 years of man’s history preceding the events of Calvary.

At the present time (spring of 2014), we are 1,980 years beyond the events of Calvary (the first and last years counted as one year because only a part of each year is used). Converting these 1980 years to 360-day years gives us 2,009 years, which is at least nine years too many.

If 3,993 years elapsed between the creation of Adam and the crucifixion, which they evidently did, there can’t be over 2,000 years between the events of Calvary and Christ’s return for the Church (2,000 years between these two points would provide a total of 5,993 from the creation of Adam to the rapture, which is the number that should exist). Thus, a problem apparently exists with our calendar (one orchestrated by God so that man couldn’t go beyond the times and seasons).

The Dispensations during Man’s Day

“Dispensation” is the term used in Scripture to show distinctions in God’s dealings with different groups of mankind during Man’s Day and the following Messianic Era.

During Man’s 6,000-year Day, there can ONLY be three dispensations; as well, there MUST be three dispensations (no more, no less). And this is for the simple reason that there are three groups of mankind for God to deal with, which He must deal with, after this fashion — Jew, Gentile, and the Church of God.

There could be breaks in a dispensation (as there is in the Jewish dispensation, which will be shown), but, if so, it is still the same dispensation. Thus, again, concerning dispensations during Man’s Day, there can only be three, and there must be three.

And it is evident from numeric studies, as seen in the preceding part of this pamphlet, that God did something rather unique with these three dispensations. Man’s Day is exactly six days long (set in the opening chapter of Genesis), foreshadowing exactly 6,000 years. And God evidently split these years into three parts, providing three 2,000-year dispensations, corresponding with His dealings with the three groups of mankind.

The first 2,000 years extends from the creation of Adam to the birth of Abraham (2,008 years using the years through twenty generations in the genealogy accounts [Genesis 5; 11], though evidently 2,000 years, for reasons previously given). During this dispensation God dealt with mankind at large, with the group that would later be known as Gentiles.

Then, as previously shown, from the birth of Abraham to Calvary would be 1,993 years, which is the Jewish dispensation, lacking seven years to complete. God stopped the clock (so to speak) marking off time in this dispensation seven years short of completion, then called into existence the one new man “in Christ,” and began a new 2,000-year dispensation, during which time He would deal with this new man, with Christians.

And when God has completed His purpose for this dispensation, He will remove the Church, turn back to Israel and complete the last seven years of the previous dispensation (the seven-year Tribulation), completing the full 6,000 years of Man’s Day.

Note that the current dispensation cannot possibly last longer than 2,000 years, if the two prior dispensations encompass 2,000 years each, which they evidently do (and, if going by our calendar, it’s already some nine years above the 2,000 years; thus, as previously stated, something is apparently wrong with our calendar, though the calendar seemingly couldn’t possibly be off all that much).

The reason that the current dispensation can’t exceed 2,000 years is because 3,993 years have already expired in the previous two dispensations (with 7 years reserved to finish the Jewish dispensation). That takes care of four days, 4,000 years of Man’s Day. And Man’s Day can’t possibly run over six days, 6,000 years. This was set in an unchangeable fashion at the outset of Scripture.

Thus, there cannot possibly be more than 2,000 years from Calvary to that time when the Church is removed (the rapture), allowing God to turn back to Israel and finish His dealings with Israel during the last seven years of Man’s Day (Daniel 9:24-27).

What time is it on God’s prophetic calendar in the preceding respect? It can only be much, much closer to the end of the dispensation than anyone cares to think about or admit.

In short, time is fast running out; it’s almost over.

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We Are Almost There BOOK, Ch. 3, in this site.

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The Sun, Moon, and Stars

For SIGNS in the Heavens, Among Other Things

By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

“And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.

And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

And the evening and the morning were the fourth day” (Genesis 1:14-19).

Genesis 1:14-19 records God’s activity on the fourth day of the earth’s restoration, anticipating the creation of marine life and the birds of the air on the fifth day, followed by the creation of animal life and man on the sixth day. And this was all with a view to man, on the seventh day, ruling a restored earth in the stead of Satan and his angels (Genesis 1:20-28).

Satan and his angels (one-third of the angels originally positioned with Satan when God, in time past, placed him as ruler over the earth) had rebelled against God’s supreme power and authority, disqualifying themselves to continue on the throne (Isaiah 14:12-17; 28:14-19; Revelation 12:3-4), resulting in a ruined kingdom, with darkness covering the kingdom (Genesis 1:2a).

But God restored the kingdom over six days time and then created man to replace the incumbent ruler and his angels (Genesis 1:2-28 [2b]).

Light was restored on the first day of God’s restorative work but not seen in connection with the sun and moon until the fourth day (Genesis 1:3, 14ff). The restoration of light before the restoration of the sun and moon bothers some individuals, though it shouldn’t.

Light is not an intrinsic part of the sun. Light was restored prior to the light bearers being restored. Then, God took the previously restored light from the first day and used that light to envelope the sun when it was restored on the fourth day. And with the sun providing light for the restored moon, both the sun and moon became light-bearers for the earth.

The fiery mass forming the sun, providing heat for the earth, could, by itself, produce some light. But the blinding light which one sees when looking at the sun, preventing one from gazing directly at the sun, is not produced by the fiery mass forming the sun. Rather this light is produced by that which God brought into existence on the first day and then used to envelope the restored sun on the fourth day. And this light enveloping the sun (forming a light-bearer), as previously stated, provides light for the moon (a secondary light-bearer).

(The manner in which God established the matter on the fourth day of the earth’s restoration would provide man with some understanding of man’s body as it was enswathed in Glory prior to the fall and will one day again be enswathed in Glory, or of Christ’s body presently enswathed in Glory.

As the light which God restored on the first day enveloped one of the light-bearers restored on the fourth day, so did God’s Glory clothe Adam and Eve prior to the fall and will one day clothe man following the redemption foreshadowed by God’s restorative work on days two through six. And this light, as the light in Genesis chapter one, can exist both separate from and in connection with man’s body (e.g., note that Christ was not raised in a body enswathed in Glory but was received up into Glory at the time of His ascension [cf. Luke 24:15-40; I Timothy 3:16].

[For additional information pertaining to the preceding, refer to the author’s book, in this site, Coming in His Kingdom BOOK].

Then note the brightness of this Glory in connection with the brightness of the light enveloping the sun today. Christ, following His resurrection and ascension, unlike His appearance to the two disciples enroute to Emmaus [Luke 24:15ff], subsequently appeared to Paul in a body enswathed in Glory — a body which exceeded the brightness of the noon-day sun, blinding Paul until the third day [Acts 9:3ff; 26:13; cf. Revelation 1:13-16].)

And, moving beyond the sun, the stars which one sees out in the heavens could only be the same as our sun [which is a medium-sized star] insofar as light is concerned, though far enough away that man can gaze directly at them. The light which man sees when he looks at stars in the heavens is not the fiery mass forming the star. Rather, man is seeing the light in which the fiery mass is enveloped.

And, in the preceding respect, there is an entire heavens with billions of stars in our galaxy alone [an estimated two to four hundred billion], with an estimated billions of galaxies filled with stars beyond our galaxy, providing the same glimpse into the past and future that our sun provides in relation to man’s body, past and future, enswathed in Glory [Psalm 104:1-2; cf. Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20; I Corinthians 15:41].)

Signs in the Heavens

In the process of completing His restorative work on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19, God associated the restoration of the sun and moon with signs (v. 14). And, though the restoration of the sun and moon did not include the stars as well, as evident from subsequent Scripture, they would be included with the thought of signs.

(The KJV rendering of Genesis 1:16, which begins with a statement about God making “two great lights,” ends with the statement, “he made the stars also,” which is an incorrect and misleading translation.

God’s restorative work had to do with the sun and the moon, not with the stars as well. There would have been no reason for God to darken the stars at the time darkness enveloped the earth in Genesis 1:2a [though God could have prevented their light from reaching the earth, had He so desired (which He might have done), which would possibly have produced the type darkness which could have been felt, a darkness of gloom, as in Egypt during the plagues (Exodus 10:21-22)].

The statement pertaining to the stars at the end of Genesis 1:16, as it appears in the KJV rendering, leads one to believe that God restored the stars at this time as well. But, the corrected rendering from the Hebrew text would simply read, “and the stars.” That is, the stars, though not part of God’s restorative activity, would provide some light in addition to the moon [but miniscule compared to the moon reflecting the sun’s light].)

Relative to the sun, moon, and stars being seen and used as “signs” in Scripture, one needs to see and understand how they are used in this manner, remaining within the way that they are used. If one doesn’t, that person will invariably end up dealing with signs in a non-Scriptural manner, committing mayhem in Biblical interpretation.

“Signs” in Scripture have to do with Israel, and invariably, after some fashion, they have to do with Israel in relation to the theocracy (cf. Genesis 4:15; 17:11; Exodus 3:12; 4:8-9, 17, 28, 30; 10:1; 31:13, 17; Numbers 14:11, 22; Deuteronomy 26:8; 29:3; 34:11; Matthew 4:17, 23-25; 12:38-40; Luke 24:21, 25-27; John 20:30-31; I Corinthians 1:22).

This is the manner in which “signs” are set forth in an unchangeable fashion throughout Scripture. And, if “signs” are going to be dealt with after a correct fashion, this must be done EXACTLY as Scripture lays the matter out.

(For information in this realm, refer to the author’s three pamphlets, “Signs, Wonders, Miracles by Arlen Chitwood, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3”; or, refer to the author’s book, Bible One - Signs in John's Gospel by Arlen Chitwood.

Also, for any thought of “signs” existing from Adam to Abraham, or before the inception of the nation during Moses’ day [during the first 2,500 years of human history], refer to the author’s pamphlet, ”The Pupil of Man’s Eye,” in this site which deals with the matter in relation to the bowels of Abraham.)

For an example of how the sun, moon, and stars are used as signs in relation to Israel and the kingdom in Scripture, note Genesis 37:9 and compare it with that stated in Revelation 12:1:

“And he [Joseph] dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me” (Genesis 37:9).

”And there appeared a great wonder [Gk., semeion, ‘sign’] in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1).

Genesis 37:9 has to do with Joseph ruling over his family, foreshadowing Christ one day ruling over the house of Israel. This is millennial in its scope of fulfillment.

Revelation 12:1 has to do with Israel during the Tribulation, depicted as a woman (at a time when God will once again be dealing with Israel, with the kingdom in view). And the sign has to do with Israel (crowned, clothed with the sun, the central governmental power) about to be placed over all the Gentile nations (sub-governmental powers depicted by the moon and stars), alluding to conditions during the Messianic Era.

Metaphors are used throughout (cf. Isaiah 2:1-5).

And related signs, using the sun, moon, and stars as metaphors for governmental powers are seen elsewhere in this book and elsewhere in Scripture (cf. Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25; Revelation 6:12-13; 12:3-4).

Existing Mayhem Concerning Signs Today

The preceding presents matters after the manner in which Scripture deals with signs related to heavenly bodies or to anything else. It is the Jew who requires a sign (I Corinthians 1:22), and the manner in which signs are used in relation to the Jews throughout Scripture is always the same. Signs appearing in connection with Israel in this manner always appear, after some fashion, in connection with Israel in relation to the kingdom.

Today though, numerous individuals in Christendom have completely departed from that which the Word has to say about signs and are looking for signs which would relate the nearness of the Lord’s return through the movement of the sun and moon, usually relating the matter more to the Church than to Israel. And this search or contention for signs in connection with the sun and moon has to do centrally with a phenomenon known as “Blood-Moons.”

A “blood-moon,” as they have come to be called, has to do with a total eclipse of the moon, with the moon giving a reddish appearance during this time — thus, the name “Blood-Moon.”

The entire matter is a natural phenomenon which has nothing whatsoever to do with Scripture. And well-meaning individuals, who should know better, are taking something from the natural, attempting to align it with the supernatural (including Jewish feast days), and seeing the whole of the matter as a manifestation of supernatural signs.

And, with Christians not knowing what Scripture has to say about the matter, masses of individuals are being misled by those who should know better.

Trying to align the natural with the supernatural is bad enough, but attempting to do this in connection with Jewish feast days during a time when God is not even dealing with Israel, much less dealing with Israel in relation to the theocracy, really takes one out into a place where no one belongs.

This though is how bad things have become in Christendom. The leadership in Christendom, generally, doesn’t seem to know any better. In fact, many in positions of leadership are the very ones adhering to and promoting the blood-moon phenomenon. And those in the pew, under their teaching, are being led down the same trail which leads to no place worth going.

The leaven which the woman placed in the three measures of meal very early in the dispensation, in Matthew 13:33, has done and continues to do its damaging work. And Scripture clearly reveals that this leaven will continue its work until the whole has been leavened.

The one and only protection which a Christian can possess from the onslaught of false teaching rampant in the world today is a knowledge of the Word of God, a knowledge of the Truth. Apart from a knowledge of this Word, it’s travel at your own risk.

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The Kingdom

Angelic Rule, Man’s Rule, Heavenly & Earthly

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

The expression, “the kingdom of the heavens” (literal rendering from the Greek text, found thirty-two times in Matthewʼs gospel), is simply a reference to the rule of the heavens over the earth. As in Daniel 4:26, “the heavens do rule” — beginning with God, the supreme Ruler over all, and progressing through an orderly structure of ruling angels (subordinate provincial rulers, with other angels possessing lesser positions of power and authority ruling under them), placed over provinces throughout the universe.

There are two spheres of rulership in Godʼs kingdom — heavenly and earthly. And this pertains to both Godʼs universal kingdom as a whole and to the various provinces in His kingdom.

This is simply the way in which God established the whole of His government in the beginning. He Himself rules from a place in the heavens over an ordered universe; and it is evident from the present form of the earthʼs government (existing in the same form which it will take yet future) that a rule of this nature — a rule from the heavens over the governed realm — is the form which God, in the beginning, used when He established the government throughout the different provinces of His kingdom as well.

As this governmental rule pertains to the province upon which we live, Satan and his angels rule from a place in the heavens over the earth; and this rule is revealed to take the form of powers in the heavens ruling through powers on the earth (Daniel 10:13-21; Luke 4:6; Ephesians 2:2; 3:10; 6:12).

Again, “the heavens do rule.” Thatʼs the way matters in Godʼs ordered government throughout the universe which He created have always existed, continue to exist, and will always exist.

The Existing Kingdom

Satan, in his unfallen state, at a time in eternity past, was placed over the province upon which man presently resides — over the earth. And a great host of ruling angels were placed in subordinate positions of power and authority with him.

The day came though when Satan became dissatisfied with his appointed position and rebelled against Godʼs supreme power and authority. He sought to “exalt” his throne above all the other God-appointed provincial rulers (angels ruling over other provinces elsewhere in the universe [worlds similar to the earth]) and “be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Because of this act, rather than exalting his throne, Satan became disqualified to rule even the province over which he had been placed. And this necessitated his subsequent removal, with another being appointed to take his place.

But God didnʼt immediately act in this respect. Rather, God allowed Satan to continue holding his position, for a time.

(A principle of Biblical government necessitates that an incumbent ruler continue to hold his appointed position until his replacement is not only on the scene but ready to ascend the throne and hold the sceptre [something, for example, seen in the account of Saul and David in the Books of I, II Samuel, and in this site Saul and David / Satan and Christ Typology].)

Satanʼs reign though, following his rebellion against Godʼs supreme power and authority, was quite different than it had been before that time. Two-thirds of the angels originally holding positions of power and authority over the earth with him refused to have a part in his actions. Only one-third followed Satan (Revelation 12:4), and this left him with a disrupted power structure in the government of his kingdom, completely out of line with that which God had originally established. And not only did a ruin of this nature exist in the governmental structure of his kingdom, but the physical state of his kingdom was reduced to a ruined condition as well (Genesis 1:2a).

But the day came when God restored the physical kingdom and created man to replace the incumbent ruler. The physical creation was restored over a six day period, and man was created on the sixth day to “have dominion” — the dominion which Satan and his angels possessed (Genesis 1:2-28 [2b]).

Satan, knowing why man had been created, immediately sought a way to bring about manʼs disqualification. And this is what he accomplished through manʼs fall, an act which, for the time, prevented man from ascending the throne and allowed Satan to continue holding the sceptre.

Following manʼs fall, Satan and his angels ruled over a restored province, though under a curse because of manʼs sin (Genesis 3:17, 18; cf. Romans 8:19-22). But God, far from being finished with man at this point, had only begun to work out His plans and purposes as they pertained to man and one ruined province in His kingdom.

Redemption was to be provided in order that man, at a future point in time, could realize the purpose for his creation in the beginning. Man, a creation quite different than angels, created in the image and likeness of God, was to be redeemed; and, as God originally intended, man was to one day hold the sceptre in Satanʼs stead (cf. Hebrews 2:5).

The Bible is a book of redemption, and this redemption encompasses far more than just manʼs eternal salvation through faith in Godʼs provided Redeemer. It encompasses bringing redeemed man back into the position for which he was created. The purpose surrounding manʼs redemption is the same as the purpose surrounding manʼs creation in the beginning — “let them have dominion” (Genesis 1:26-28).

And from the point of the fall in Genesis chapter three to the point of this dominion being realized by man in Revelation chapter twenty, all of Godʼs redemptive purposes in Scripture are seen to move toward this end. They are all seen to move toward man one day possessing dominion over the earth, in the stead of Satan and his angels.

The “gifts and calling of God are without repentance [ʻwithout a change of mindʼ]” (Romans 11:29). God is not going to change His mind concerning the reason He called man into existence. Man will, man must, one day hold the sceptre, but in Godʼs time.

In the meantime, Satan and his angels continue to occupy the throne, continuing to rule from a place in the heavens over the earth. But the day is coming when there will be “war in heaven.” Michael and his angels will fight against Satan and his angels, and Satan and his angels will be “cast out,” Man — namely Christ and His co-heirs — taking the kingdom and occupying these positions, exercising power and authority over the earth (Revelation 12:4, 7-10; cf. Revelation 2:26-27; 11:15; 19:11-20:6).

The Proffered Kingdom

When John the Baptist, Jesus, and His disciples appeared to Israel with the message, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand” (cf. Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7), there could be no mistake concerning exactly what was meant. There was no kingdom connected with the heavens and the earth outside of the one which God had established in the beginning, the one over which a disqualified provincial angel ruled.

The expression, “the kingdom of the heavens,” could only be a reference to the kingdom ruled by Satan and his angels from a heavenly sphere, a kingdom to one day be ruled by Christ and His co-heirs from the same heavenly sphere. And the various things about this kingdom are things which the Jewish people should have been fully aware of, for the structure of the kingdom as it exists throughout Manʼs Day and will exist at a future time is a clearly revealed subject of Old Testament revelation.

This subject was introduced by Moses in Genesis. Moses spoke of that day when the seed of Abraham would exercise power and authority over the earth from two spheres — heavenly and earthly (Genesis 22:17-18); and this power and authority, according to Moses, would be realized in that future day when Godʼs Son exercises the Melchizedek priesthood (Genesis 14:18-22; cf. Psalm 110:1-4; Hebrews 5-7). And, as previously shown, the form in which this kingdom exists throughout Manʼs Day (and will exist in that coming day when Christ and His co-heirs take the kingdom) is revealed in Daniel chapter ten (Daniel 10:13-21).

At Christʼs first coming, through the ministry of John, Himself, the Twelve, and the Seventy, “the kingdom of the heavens” was proffered to Israel. Through the ministry of these individuals, the nation of Israel was offered the sceptre held by Satan and his angels.

Had Israel accepted the offer, Christ would have taken the kingdom; and Israel, with the nationʼs Messiah, would have held the sceptre. But Israel refused the offer, and the nation climaxed this refusal by crucifying the central person making the offer — Messiah Himself.

Then, the Book of Acts details a reoffer of the kingdom of the heavens to Israel — beginning on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff) and terminating about thirty years later with Paul in Rome (Acts 28:28). Israel though again refused, and during this period God began His work of calling out the one new man “in Christ” to one day occupy the heavenly positions in the kingdom which Israel had spurned. And once Israelʼs refusal in the reoffer of the kingdom reached a terminal point in Godʼs eyes, he set the nation aside and, with respect to the kingdom of the heavens, turned His attention toward the new entity, the new creation “in Christ.”

(The reoffer of the kingdom to Israel could continue only as long as a saved generation of Jews remained on the scene [the generation alive on both sides of Calvary]. Thus, once this generation of Jews began to pass off the scene, the reoffer of the kingdom could no longer continue.

The reoffer of the kingdom, in this respect, continued from 33 A.D. until about 62 A.D. Then, the reoffer, of necessity, ended.)

This complete, overall picture of the offer of the kingdom of the heavens — whether to Israel (the offer and the reoffer), or to the one new man “in Christ” — is how the gospels lead into Acts and how Acts leads into the epistles, with Acts forming a bridge between the gospels and the epistles. As stated at the beginning, the gospels record the original offer of this kingdom to Israel, the Book of Acts records the reoffer of this kingdom to Israel (as well as recording the inception of and a beginning offer of the kingdom to the Church), and the epistles record the continued offer (the present offer) extended to Christians.

Importance of the Kingdom

There can be no such thing as properly understanding the gospels, Acts, or the epistles apart from “the kingdom” being seen as central. Christʼs death on Calvary, effecting manʼs redemption, has to do with the kingdom. Christ Himself, while enduring the sufferings surrounding Calvary, looked beyond these sufferings to the glory which lay out ahead (Hebrews 12:1-2; cf. Luke 24:26). The coming kingdom, the Messianic Era, the time during which Christ and His co-heirs will exercise power and authority over the earth for 1,000 years, was that upon which Christ focused His attention while paying the price for manʼs redemption. And it is this same kingdom upon which He has instructed redeemed man — in the midst of trials, testings, and sufferings — to focus his attention as well (I Peter 2:21; cf. Genesis 19:17).

Manʼs redemption is inseparably connected with the coming kingdom of Christ. And though manʼs redemption is eternal in duration and connected with a continuing regality in the eternal ages beyond the Messianic era, this is not where Scripture places the emphasis. The central focus in Scripture pertaining to manʼs present redemption and future rule centers on the 1,000-year Messianic Era.

(Regality exercised by Man beyond the Messianic Era will extend out into the heavens beyond the new earth [Revelation 22:1-5]. This is a realm extending far beyond the present kingdom of the heavens ruled by Satan and his angels, out where Satan sought to extend his rule at a time in eternity past.

Scripture though centers around man, the present earth, and the present kingdom. Scripture centers around man occupying the present kingdom of the heavens ruled by Satan and his angels, with Christ and His co-heirs taking 1,000 years to bring order out of disorder [I Corinthians 15:22-28].

The eternal ages lying beyond are mentioned in Scripture only to an extent which will allow man to understand where God is going to carry matters once order has been restored in the government of one ruined province in His universe.)

Thus, the central purpose presented in Scripture surrounding manʼs redemption is that man might ultimately occupy the position for which he was created — to rule and to reign over this earth. This is something which cannot be overemphasized. And to speak of manʼs redemption apart from the purpose surrounding manʼs creation, which resulted in his fall, necessitating his redemption, is to not see the complete Biblical scope of redemption at all.

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Salvation Analysis

By Charles Strong of Bible One

Although there is a vast multitude of Christians who have obtained eternal life by means of faith in Jesus Christ, it appears that many do not have an intricate understanding of God’s plan of salvation for mankind. Specifically, they are unaware how their sins were managed during Christ’s crucifixion; and, are unclear on the specific time and act that changed their eternal existence.

Frankly, there is no stringent requirement for such an understanding in order for a person to be “saved” as long as the individual solely places his/her faith in Jesus Christ (i.e., Christ’s finished work on Calvary’s Cross) for his/her personal salvation. Still, it can be most gratifying for any Christian to come to a more profound grasp of Christ’s sacrifice and to know the specific moment his sins were forgiven for all eternity and thereby was granted eternal life. Hopefully, this study will be helpful to that end.

(It should be noted that God’s plan of salvation for mankind is more comprehensive – involving all three components of man, i.e., spirit, soul, body – than what is generally understood by most Christians, a fact that involves both eternal and temporal life, as well as the concept of “heaven” and the reality of the coming millennial kingdom. Nevertheless, without doubt the foundational and most important/foundational element in/of the plan is the absolute acquisition of eternal life, which is the primary focus of this study.)

This study will be presented under the following headers: (1) The Requirement, (2) The Reality, and (3) The Realization, which will be followed by some Closing Comments and a link or links to the comprehensive – involving all three aspects – plan of God’s salvation for mankind.

The Requirement

Why must a person be “saved” and from what is the person “saved.” Scripture clearly states that “all (mankind) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), indeed, “Scripture has concluded all under sin” (Galatians 3:22). Man and woman, in the garden in Eden, following their eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in direct defiance of God’s specific instructions, found themselves in a ruined state – a state of sin, which was/has been passed on to all their descendants. The result of this state – for all human beings – is death, spiritual death, which is separation from God (Genesis 2:16-17; Romans 6:23a).

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12; cf. 1 Corinthian 15:21)

It was established at the very beginning that the consequence, the price or payment for sin (disbelieving and thereby disobeying God), was death, the literal meaning of such is the separation between two entities – between the Divine and the temporal, between God and man. The death relegated to man due to his sin was all-inclusive. It was (1) the initiation of a progressing temporal death of the body and soul, which was/is promoted by the then-alteration (deterioration) of man’s physical environment (Genesis 4:17-19) and results eventually in a person’s separation from temporal life; but more importantly, (2) an instantaneous supernatural death of the spirit, affecting (passed on to) every human being from that day forward (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1), which results in the separation of a person from God.

Bottom line, the cost, the consequence, the price of sin was death – separation. The most crucial aspect of this death/separation was on the spiritual level. Man was separated from his Creator, the Living God. Furthermore, this cost, this consequence, this price, is eternal unless it can be “satisfied” (paid in full) before God.

The Reality

How was mankind’s record/accumulation of sin – through all of time – “satisfied” or “paid for in full” so that a person could indeed be “saved” from its ultimate result, i.e., separation from God. Christians understand that it was Jesus Christ and His sacrifice upon the Cross of Calvary that “satisfied” God requirement for sin, but many are at somewhat of a loss to be able to clearly explain how this was the case.

The short answer is that Jesus Christ “took the place” of all sinners through all of time in order to “pay the price” of sin, so that any individually may take advantage of Christ’s payment in order to obtain eternal life. Christ’s death was a substitutionary death for all mankind. Still, this doesn’t exactly explain “how” Christ made the “payment” for all sin. So, a more detailed answer follows.

For He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us [mankind], that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21; e.g., Isaiah 53:6)

It was on the Cross of Calvary that Christ made the sacrificial price of taking on and becoming our sin, thereby personally experiencing the type of “death” resulting from sin. This was a transaction only God could and did perform, which would then enable any person who would/will appropriately take advantage of Christ’s payment for sin to be brought back into spiritual union with God.

The “death” that Christ experienced on the Cross of Calvary, which was indeed the payment (the price) required by God for the sins of mankind, was not the physical death experienced by the physical body of Jesus Christ. In fact, before that occurred, Christ specifically cried out “It is finished!” And only then did He bow His head and give up His spirit (John 19:30), personally permitting His physical death.

What did Christ mean by “It is finished”? It refers back to His previous cry, which followed a specific period (3 hours) of time, as seen in the following passage of Scripture:

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:45-46; cf. Mark 15:33-34)

Precisely identified, it was during this three hours period of time, “from the sixth hour (noon) until the ninth hour (3:00 P.M.) there was darkness over all the land,” that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, having personally taking on and becoming the sin of all mankind, became separated from God the Father – personally experiencing spiritual death for (in place of) mankind.

Granted, the spiritual separation between the Father and the Son was for only for a three hour period of time, but on the Divine level, it equated to eternal separation between the Creator and those He created should they have to experience it. As for our (created beings) ability to understand this, I’m certain it is far beyond our mindset.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Nevertheless, it should be observed that the horrific penalty for sin due created human beings, which is eternal in scope, only required the Son of God to fully pay the penalty, for every person throughout the ages, in a three hour period of time. As many believe, the number three in Scripture represents “Divine wholeness, completeness and perfection.” This is certainly true with God’s substitutionary sacrifice for the salvation of mankind.

And because God in the flesh, in the Person of Jesus Christ during a three hour period of time on earth, experienced the price of sin in the place of man (i.e., a substitutionary sacrifice), any person who is willing to accept by faith this total payment for sin, will then never ever be personally subject to it.

The Realization

Once a person (1) becomes aware by means of the Holy Spirit that he/she is a sinner and is separated from God (John 14:26; 16:5-11), and (2) that there is nothing he/she can do to personally obtain eternal life (Ephesians 2:8-9); but (3) that Jesus Christ did indeed pay for his/her sins on Calvary’s Cross by means of His substitutionary death (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:24; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 1 Timothy 2:6; Titus 3:5, 7), and he/she has only one action to take in order to obtain eternal life, i.e., to be ‘saved”; he/she then has only one choice to make in order to change his/her eternal condition.

And that singular action/choice is to exercise his/her faith (trust) in Jesus Christ and His finished work at Calvary (alone) for his/her personal salvation. The instant he/she makes this decision of trusting in Christ alone, the result is obtained, i.e., he/she is “saved” from eternal separation from God, which is eternal life, the “birth from above” (John 3:3,7, 15-16,18, 31; 6:47; Romans 3:24, 28; 4:16; Ephesians 2:5, 8-9; Titus 3:5).

Should you be interested, please check out the document at Bible One - Charles Strong's God's Plan of Salvation for a more extensive treatment of this subject. A small portion of this document follows (originally taken from: Salvation by Grace through Faith BOOK, in this site):

The message pertaining to the gospel of the grace of God is given in very simple terms in Scripture. In fact, it is so simple that man often misses it. And any person, missing the one true message given by the infinite God and drawing from his own finite wisdom and knowledge, invariably ends up with a corrupted salvation message.

The salvation message, that which makes salvation possible for fallen man, is clearly stated in

1 Corinthians 15:3:

“. . . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”

The one key thought in the salvation message is death and shed blood (e.g., Genesis 3:21; 22:8, 13), which is what God requires (Exodus 12:13; Hebrews 9:22). And the one key word in the salvation message is believe (e.g., John 1:12; 3:15-16), which is also what God requires (John 3:18).

The Lamb has died, His blood has been shed, and all that is left –all that can possibly be left – for man to do is simply receive that which has already been done on his behalf.

Eternal salvation is by grace (that which God is able to do completely apart from human merit) through faith (through believing on God’s Son [Ephesians 2:8-9]), and it is based entirely upon the finished work of Another (John 19:30). Nothing that man has done, is presently doing, or will ever do can have anything to do with his eternal destiny. Man can do no more than receive by faith that which has already been done on his behalf.

This is why Scripture states:

“. . . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved . . . .” (Acts 16:31)

This statement is in response to a question in the preceding verse,

“. . . Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)

And within another frame of reference, the response to this question could only be, “Nothing!” This would have to be the response simply because there is not one single thing left for unsaved man to do (nor could he do anything if something were left, for, he is spiritually dead and incapable of acting in the spiritual realm [Ephesians 2:1, 5]).

It is of interest to note that the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” and the answer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” only appear together one place in the entire Bible. Scripture is filled with information concerning redemption, but Acts 16:30-31 is the only place, from Genesis to Revelation, where the question concerning eternal salvation is asked and answered in so many words.

Thus, within a completely biblical framework, if the question in Acts 16:30 is asked, there can be only one answer:

“Believe . . . .”

Man’s ideas, thoughts, comments are of no moment. God has spoken, and that’s the end of the matter.

John 3:16 is often called “the gospel in a nutshell” by individuals seeking to draw attention to the overall salvation message stated in its simplest form in Scripture. God, because of His love for fallen man – who had been created in His image, after His likeness, for a purpose (Genesis 1:26-28) –“gave His only begotten Son [1 Corinthians 15:3], that whoever believes in Him [Acts 16:31] should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Everything, in its entirety, to procure man’s salvation was done by Another. It had to be accomplished by Another, for, as previously stated, the one being redeemed was “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), totally incapable of acting on his own behalf.

Christ is the One who died, Christ is the One who performed the work to procure man’s salvation, and God is satisfied with His Son’s finished work.

When Christ cried out from the Cross in “a loud voice” near the ninth hour, “It is finished” (Luke 23:46; John 19:30), He used one word in the Greek text – Tetelestai – that could be better translated, “It has been finished.” Tetelestai is a perfect tense usage of teleo, which means “to bring to an end,” “to complete.” And the perfect tense refers to action completed in past time, with the results of that action extending into and existing during present time in a finished state.

All of the work surrounding man’s redemption that Christ had come to perform had, at that point in time, been completed. This was the announcement that Christ made, in “a loud voice”; and, because of that which was involved in the announcement, there was then no longer any need for Him to continue His sufferings on the Cross. Thus, immediately after He cried out, “It has been finished,” He “gave up the ghost [KJV, lit., ‘He breathed out’ (He expired, willingly relinquishing His life)]” (Luke 23:46).

The work of Christ at Calvary, from the point He cried out, “It has been finished,” has existed in exactly the same finished state in which He proclaimed it to exist at that time. It has existed as a work completed in past time that extends into present time (in a finished state) and that will extend into all the ages comprising eternity ahead (in the same finished state).

Nothing can ever be added, and nothing can ever be taken away. That is to say, nothing can ever change relative to Christ’s finished work at Calvary. That’s the way God’s procurement of man’s salvation had to occur. Once Christ’s work had been finished, that’s the way His work had to always continue to exist – in a finished state – throughout both time and eternity.

Because of Christ’s finished work, salvation is extended to man “without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1); and apart from Christ’s finished work, there is no salvation. He who believes in him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already [lit., ‘has already been condemned’ (a perfect tense – condemned in past time because of unbelief and presently living in that condemned state)], because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18).

It is utterly impossible – and foolish to even consider – that finite man, “dead in trespasses and sins,” could add one thing to or take one thing from the finished work of the infinite God through His Son.

All man can possibly do is simply receive, by believing on the Son, that which has already been done on his behalf.

Only One Place in Scripture

It is of interest to note that the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” and the answer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” only appear together one place in the entire Bible. Scripture is filled with information concerning redemption, but Acts 16:30-31 is the only place from Genesis to Revelation where the question concerning eternal salvation is asked and answered in so many words.

Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31 [30b])

Eternal salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and it is based entirely upon the finished work of Another (John 19:30). Nothing that man has done, is presently doing, or will ever do can have anything to do with his eternal destiny. Man can do no more than receive by faith that which has already been done on his behalf. This is why Scripture states, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

In this respect, the answer to the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” is actually, Nothing!

This would have to be the answer simply because there is not one single thing left for man to do (nor could he do anything if something were left [he is “dead in trespasses and sins”]). This is the implication in Paul and Silas’ response to the jailor in Philippi. He was told simply to “believe [put his trust, reliance in]” the One who had already done everything on his behalf.

Coming into possession of eternal salvation was that simple and easy for the jailor at Philippi, and it remains that simple and easy for man today. The instant an unsaved person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, he is eternally saved. He becomes a “new creation” in Christ, a part of the “one new man” (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:13-15). Anything in addition to unsaved man’s act of faith can occupy no place in the biblical answer to the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Such can occupy no place in salvation by grace through faith.

Thus, within a completely biblical framework, if the question in Acts 16:30 is asked, there can only be one answer:

“Believe . . . .”

Man’s ideas, thoughts, comments are of no moment. God has spoken, and that’s the end of the matter.

Closing Comments

Often the act of “repentance” or a salvation “prayer” is suggested as relevant to the achievement of salvation. And, although such a framework is presented, it should be noted that a person who is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) can in no way take such an action, for such can only be addressed and acted upon by one who has a redeemed spirit, who has been sealed by God’s Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30). Indeed, when the word “repent” or the topic of repentance is utilized in the New Testament, it contextually refers to Israel and its relation to the Messiah. On the other hand, one may understand that “repentance” is to turn from any other “method” of salvation to Christ alone for such a gift.

And as to any “prayer” being the key to one’s salvation, one is at a loss to explain at what precise moment during the prayer, or, possibly at its end, that one becomes “saved.” Yet, this is not to say that a person cannot be saved when addressing God in such a fashion. Indeed, vast multitudes have come to Christ in such a fashion.

But precisely, it should be understood that the exact moment of salvation is achieved prior to the utterance of such a prayer – at the precise instant the individual decides to trust in the finished work of Another (Jesus Christ, alone) for his eternal salvation. It is at this precise moment in time that a person transitions from being “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) to being a “new creation” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:13-15) – a position that can never be reversed.

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My sincere hope is that all who read this presentation will further their study of God’s marvelous plan of salvation by accessing one or both of the books entitled Salvation of the Soul, both extolling a comprehensive treatment of the subject, involving the tripartite composition of man, i.e., spirit, soul, and body. And although both have the same title, one is written by Arlen L. Chitwood and the other by James T. Harman. Both may be freely accessed at the following website links:

In this site, Salvation of the Soul BOOK.

Bible One - Salvation of the Soul by Arlen Chitwood - Word Format

Lamp Broadcast - Salvation of the Soul by Arlen Chitwood - PDF

Prophecy Countdown - Salvation of the Soul by James T. Harman - PDF

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Bible One - Salvation Analysis by Charles Strong

Word Document: Salvation Analysis by Charles Strong.docx which is SAFE to open and print.

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Last State Worse than the First

That Which Awaits the Nation of Israel, Before…

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of the man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation” (Matthew 12:43-45).

These are Christ’s closing recorded words to Israel’s religious leaders after they had committed the “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 12:24-32), before He “went…out of the house,” “sat by the seaside,” and began to speak “in parables” (Matthew 13:1-3).

The house of Israel, during time covered by events seen in these parables (the present dispensation and subsequent Tribulation), was to be left “empty, swept, and garnished [‘put in order’]” (Matthew 13:44; cf. Matthew 23:38). The house was to stand vacant (“empty”), and it was to be “swept” and “put in order” relative to its vacated state. Nothing was to remain.

And, once the house of Israel found itself in this condition (which would include the people, the temple, the city of Jerusalem, and the land), the nation was left with only the same previously existing recourse: Repentance.

But, should repentance not be forthcoming — with the Jewish people persisting in their disobedience, ignoring the reason for their condition, seeking to bring about a change in the existing situation themselves — matters would only become worse.

God had revealed through Moses, at the beginning, that Israel would not be allowed to continue indefinitely in disobedience. The nation would ultimately be brought to the place of repentance. And, to bring this to pass, if necessary, Israel’s punishment would be intensified seven times (Leviticus 26:18-31). Israel, through this means, would be brought to a place where the nation would have no recourse other than to turn to the God of their fathers (cf. Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7ff; Jonah 2:2-10).

Then, fifteen hundred years later, Christ called attention to this same fundamental truth immediately before He left the house, went down by the seaside, and began to speak in parables (Matthew 12:43-45; 13:1ff).

Matthew 12:43-45 reveals an “unclean spirit” dwelling in the house prior to the house being left “empty, swept, and garnished.” Then, following this — because of Israel’s refusal to repent, and because of Israel’s efforts to bring about a change in the existing situation through naturalistic means — “seven other spirits,” more wicked than the first, would take up residence in the house, with the latter state of the nation being far worse than the former state (Matthew 12:45).

(“Seven” is a complete number, showing the completeness of that which is in view. “Seven times,” or “seven other spirits,” may refer to completeness rather than to a literal seven-fold intensity.

However, either way, matters would be quite similar. With completeness in view, intensity would be involved; and this intensity could, at times, possibly be even greater than seven-fold.)

Israel was sick (resulting from sin, disobedience [Isaiah 1:4-6]); and “the house,” the house of Israel, was about to be left desolate. And the nation’s condition would continue after this fashion until a certain decreed time.

This condition would continue until matters had become so bad that Israel would be forced to cry out to the God of their Fathers for help (Exodus 2:23-25). And, correspondingly, the nation would, in that day, through Divine power, be brought into such dire straits that the Jewish people would willingly, gladly, and eagerly say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:37-39; cf. Isaiah 53:1ff).

Israel’s condition was/is of Divine origin, and the nation’s cure must also be of Divine origin (Hosea 5:13-6:2). A Divine purpose lies behind the nation’s present Divinely decreed condition — a purpose having to do with bringing a nation to the end of itself, leaving the nation with no place to turn other than to the God of their fathers.

(A similar Divine work can be seen in Zechariah 1:14-15, where the Lord set about to chasten His son, Israel, because of disobedience; but, in this case, the Gentile nations stepped in and “helped forward the affliction.” That is, God, in His infinite wisdom, set about to chasten His son in order to bring about correction. And the Gentiles, seeing Israel being chastened, stepped in and sought to intensify the nation‘s sufferings.

And God will not countenance such action. God said that He was “a little displeased” with Israel, resulting in the chastening; but, when the Gentiles stepped in and “helped forward the affliction,” God said that He was “very sore displeased” with the Gentiles.

In this respect, the Gentile nations should take note of that which has been happening and continues to happen to Israel today. It is, again, the same chastening hand of God, for the same purpose. And God will no more countenance interference in His plans and purposes for Israel today than He would in Old Testament days. Should any Gentile nation attempt such [as some already have], God will, again, be “very sore displeased”; and the principle set forth in Genesis 12:3 will still apply: “I will…curse him that curseth thee.”)

A Modern-Day Situation

An interesting situation pertaining to God chastening His son, Israel, because of continued disobedience, has developed during modern times. And this is something which affects not only Israel but the surrounding Gentile nations as well.

Israel has sought to return to her land, while, at the same time, remaining in disobedience. And, attempting to return after this fashion is not only attempting to return before the time but also attempting to reverse that which God has decreed concerning Israel’s sickness and desolation. It is attempting, through humanistic means, to bring about a change in an “empty, swept, and garnished” house, the house of Israel. And an attempt of this nature can only result in seven other spirits, more wicked than the first, entering into the house.

The principle has been unchangeably established and set — given by God through Moses, and reiterated by Christ — and it CANNOT be broken.

With an existing Jewish nation in the Middle East, in the eyes of man, Israel has seemingly succeeded in that which the nation attempted (return to the land, and change that which God had previously decreed).

But, in the eyes of God, though an Israeli nation presently exists in the Middle East, matters are viewed from a quite different perspective. According to Scripture, all of the best efforts put forth by Israel — seeking to bring about a change in an “empty, swept, and garnished” house — can only have one end. Conditions for the nation can only become worse.

One need only look at a decaying Middle East situation, in the light of Scripture, to see what is really happening. Intensifying trouble exists throughout the Middle East. The whole area is like a powder keg, with a lit fuse, waiting to explode. And the nations (Israel and the Gentile nations, including the United States) are desperately, though vainly, seeking to defuse the situation.

But neither Israel nor the Gentile nations have any understanding at all of that which is happening. They have no understanding of the nature of the problem, why it exists, or how to deal with it. And, even if they did understand all the ramifications of the existing problem, they couldn’t even begin to deal with it. God alone is the only One Who can possibly deal with it.

The whole of the existing problem is a matter between God and Israel — “I will take away, and none shall rescue him” (Hosea 5:13-14).

And the whole of the revealed solution is also a matter between God and Israel — “…till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face…” (Hosea 5:15-6:2).

An eluding Middle East peace is the most intractable problem facing man in the world today. And Israel, along with the Gentile nations — understanding somewhat the gravity of the situation if it is allowed to continue (though still not understanding “why” this is the case) — are desperately seeking a solution.

But a solution will not be forthcoming until a full-end to the decreed “seven times” or “seven other spirits,” in relation to Israel’s chastisement, has come to pass. And the nations, awaiting the full-end to a problem and situation which they can’t even begin to understand or deal with, don’t have a clue concerning which way to turn.

Various plans are being studied and considered, and concessions are being made which were unheard of only a short time back. But all of man’s best efforts will fail. This is simply something which man has no control over and cannot deal with.

And where is it all headed? From a Scriptural standpoint, there is only one possible answer. It is all headed toward a climactic, desolate end — an end seven times worse than it would have been had the Jewish people not persisted in their disobedience and sought, themselves, to bring about a change in a “desolate, swept, and garnished” house.

(And those in Christendom today who teach, completely contrary to Scripture, that the remnant in the land is there in fulfillment of God’s numerous promises to one day restore His people and their land, have introduced and promoted error having grave ramifications.

In essence, by teaching and promoting error of this nature, such individuals are giving credence to Israel’s attempts to change that which God has decreed, which will result in an inevitable Divine punishment about to befall the nation, seen in Matthew 12:43-45.)

A Man Seemingly Possessing the Answer

In the immediate future, a man is going to appear in the Middle East with the seeming solution to the insoluble problem. And he will undoubtedly be received with open arms by the world at large, for he will appear to have the answer to this intractable problem.

But, though his solution for Middle East peace will appear to work for awhile, the end result will be exactly as stated by Christ in Matthew 12:43-45. Instead of one wicked spirit in the house, in the end, seven spirits more wicked than the first will be found therein.

Israel will seek to be cured of her sickness through an association with this man — the man of sin, the Antichrist. But he will be unable to effect a cure. The Lord wrought Israel’s sickness, and only the Lord can effect the nation’s cure (Hosea 5:13-14).

The matter of a Jewish nation, a remnant in the land today, is as Jonah out of the Lord’s will, asleep in the hold of the ship, out of the sea. This remnant in the land today, out of the Lord’s will, is no longer scattered among the nations. They are in their own land, no longer in the sea, though asleep to the true nature of their condition and calling (the “sea,” used as a metaphor for the nations and showing the place of death).

In Jonah’s case, the sea raged as long as this condition persisted — Jonah asleep on board the ship, out of the sea. But once Jonah had been cast into the sea, the sea became calm (Jonah 1:3-15). And Jonah had to remain in the sea, in the place of death (typifying, as well, being scattered among the nations), for two days, until the third day. Only then could Jonah be removed from the sea and be placed back in the land (Jonah 1:17-2:10).

Israel’s place out of the Lord’s will can only be in exactly the same place which Jonah occupied out of the Lord’s will — in the sea, i.e., in the place of death and scattered among the nations. This is the place where God dealt with Jonah in the type, and this is the place where God has decreed that He will deal with Israel in the antitype.

And Israel, as Jonah, has to remain in this place and condition (in the sea— in the place of death, scattered among the nations) until the third day. Any attempt by either Israel or others to bring about a change in the timing of Israel’s return or the nation’s present condition and situation is not only doomed to failure but is also destined to make matters worse than they previously existed.

An attempt has been made to remove Israel from the sea, through humanistic means, before the time, on the second day. An attempt has been made, through Zionistic endeavors, to reenter an “empty, swept, and garnished” house. And this, in itself, will reveal the only possible future for the present existing nation of Israel in the Middle East.

What is going to happen according to Jonah? The sea is going to rage; the Gentile nations are going to be in turmoil. And this continuing account from the Book of Jonah will address the whole of the situation relative to Israel and the Gentile nations, both present and future.

(For additional information concerning a type/antitype treatment of “Jonah,” refer to the author’s “O Sleeper, Arise, Call…” in this site.)

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The Holocaust

Past and Future

By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

CONTENTS:

TH PART I

TH PART II

PART I

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.

And I am come down to deliver them… (Exodus 3:1-8a)

“The Holocaust,” in modern vernacular, has come to be used as a somewhat synonymous reference to that which happened to the Jewish people in a German Third-Reich-controlled Europe preceding and during WWII (though many Jews prefer to use the Hebrew word, Shoah [meaning, a “Storm,” “Desolation,” or “Destruction”] to reference the Holocaust). This word is derived from the Greek word, holokaustos, referring to “a burnt offering,” with the thought of the offering being completely consumed by fire (the first part of the word, from holos, means “whole,” “complete”).

The Final Solution

In view of that which occurred through the Third Reich’s anti-Semitic aim to produce a Jew-free Europe (which they termed, the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question”), a name derived from the Greek word holokaustos has, in one respect, been aptly chosen. The Holocaust was a systematic effort to completely destroy an entire race of people living throughout Europe — along with other means, to consume this race of people by fire through the use of the crematoriums in the death camps.

However, in another respect, viewing the nation as a whole, the name has not been aptly chosen at all. In fact, going by the exact meaning of the word — “a burnt offering,” with a view to the entire offering being completely consumed by fire — the word cannot describe the Jewish people at all. The nation cannot be consumed by fire; not a hair on the head of a single Jew can be singed in this respect. That is clearly spelled out in numerous places in Scripture (e.g., Exodus 3:1ff; Daniel 3:19ff).

Those having a part in that which was done in Europe during the reign of the Third Reich should have read the Book. They should have looked to see Who and What they were dealing with before attempting the destruction of this particular race of people, for not only did they attempt the impossible but they brought about their own destruction in the process.

Had they bothered to read the Book, among other things,

They would have found that they were dealing with God Himself, in the midst of the Jewish people (Exodus 3:2-7).

They would have found that they were trying to destroy a people who couldn’t be destroyed (Exodus 3:1ff; Jeremiah 31:35-37; 33:20-26; Daniel 3:19ff; 6:16ff), for God Himself would have had to be destroyed.

And they would have found that they were trying to destroy a people whom God had called into existence for particular and specific purposes, with any seeking to destroy these people destined for destruction themselves (Genesis 12:3; Exodus 1:8ff; 14:18-31).

And the matter becomes even more incredulous when the lives of many of the German people who attempted that which was done during the Holocaust are viewed. Though that perpetrated against the Jewish people during the Holocaust was a monstrous endeavor, many of the German people having a connection with the death camps were quite ordinary people, not monsters per se (though there would have been monsters among them and monsters in places of command [e.g., Hitler, Himmler, Eichmann, Mengele, et al]).

From available records of those days, many of the individuals caught up in the death camp work carried on some semblance of ordinary life when away from their work, which, in many cases, would have involved attending Church on Sunday before going to work in the camps on Monday.

(The Catholic and Lutheran Churches were the two predominate Christian Churches, so called, in Nazi Germany in 1933 [the year Hitler rose to power in Germany] and throughout the continuing twelve years. And, insofar as any proper or correct outlook on the Jews was concerned, the Catholic Church was actually the sounder of the two.

The German Lutheran Seminaries and Churches were filled with Nazis, Nazi sympathizers, and anti-Semites — from the seminary professors, to the pastors of Churches, to those in the pew. In short, the German Lutheran Church of that day was shot through and through with false ideologies and corruption.

Then there was the matter of Martin Luther [the one to whom the Lutheran Church looked back upon] having had an incorrect view of the Jews in his day, warning the German people about what he termed, “The Jews and Their Lies.” And Hitler, with his anti-Semitism, was looked upon in some circles as an individual carrying on a modern-day work of Luther in Germany — in one respect, setting the stage for the Nazi party and the German Lutheran Church to find very common grounds to work together.

The Nazis were, for the most part, looked upon as Christians [mainly members of either Catholic or Lutheran Churches], and many probably were “Christian” in more than name only. Even Hermann Goering was a faithful Lutheran and would remain that way until the day of his death [though that’s not to say that Goering was really a Christian; nor is it to say that he wasn’t, when he took his own life in 1946].

There was, of course, dissention among many Catholics and Lutherans relative to the policies of the Third Reich concerning the Jews [e.g., that of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran minister; this though was centrally for humanitarian reasons or seeking the conversion of the Jews to Christianity, not for reasons involving the true identity of the Jew and how the nation of Israel fit into God’s plans and purposes as a separate and distinct people].)

Nazi military personnel assigned to one of the camps and following the preceding type lifestyle in connection with one of Germany’s Churches (and, from existing records, it is evident that many of them did) would find themselves doing two completely incompatible things:

1) Listening to or reading material from a Jewish Book on Sunday, and, at least after some semblance, looking to a Jewish Saviour.

2) Then, the next day, on Monday, beginning a work consisting principally of attempting to slay the very people who had given them this Book and Saviour.

And the preceding could only have been a correct scenario in many instances of life in Nazi Germany and German occupied parts of Europe, particularly Poland (where most of Europe’s Jews resided), during those years — again, in the light of available records — showing how little the German people in general evidently knew about the true identity of the Jewish people in those days.

Why didn’t those filling the Churches on Sunday morning in Germany know that which Scripture clearly reveals about the Jewish people? And that question can be easily addressed and answered by asking the same thing concerning Christians in our own country today.

Little to No Different Today

How many Christians in the Churches of the our land today can carry on some semblance of an intelligent conversation about the place which the Jews occupy in God’s economy — past, present, and/or future?

Any Christian that has been saved for any length of time at all should be able to easily handle the matter. But how many can do this? And if they can’t do this, why can’t they do it?

The answer, solely from a Biblical standpoint, can only be singular:

There has been (over years of time) and continues to be a failure of those whom God has placed in charge of the flock to properly feed the flock, to proclaim the Word (cf. II Timothy 4:2ff; I Peter 5:2ff).

But, correspondingly, as well, there has been a failure behind the failure, resulting in the situation which presently exists.

It is true that numerous men leading the flock have been trained in the theology schools of the land — something particularly true in Germany at the time that the Nazi party came to power in 1933 — but how have they been trained?

The matter as it existed in Nazi Germany in 1933 would have been very similar to, if not the same, as it exists over eighty years later in our own country today.

In Germany, at that time, the correct place which the Jewish people occupied in God’s economy was not something taught in the theology schools or the Churches — something which should have been uppermost in that taught by professors or pastors in any theology school or Church, for this is crucial relative to any correct understanding of the Scriptures. And, as a result, the Churches in Germany found themselves, generally, as not only weekend havens but sympathizers for numerous Nazi party members and their anti-Semitic practices in 1933.

Thus, preceding and during the war years in Germany, note what could only have been a connective, indirect role that pastors of Churches throughout the land would have played in the Holocaust by not doing as commanded by the Lord in II Timothy and I Peter.

But, could the pastors in Germany have really done this? Because of their incorrect training, except possibly in isolated instances, such evidently would not have been possible.

And it is little to no different over eighty years later in American theology schools and Churches. The lesson from history has gone unheeded.

The Holocaust, Part I, by Arlen Chitwood.pdf in pamphlet form designed for printing on letter size paper, both front and back; then folded into pocket size fit.

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PART II

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.

And I am come down to deliver them… (Exodus 3:1-8a)

The Past Holocaust

Why did the Holocaust occur?

The Holocaust occurred, not because an anti-Semitic person rose to power in Germany in 1933, not because other power-hungry anti-Semitic individuals joined themselves with this man, and not because of the sad state of the theology schools and Churches in Germany concerning their understanding of and teaching about the Jews.

The past Holocaust occurred because of Jewish disobedience over centuries, even millenniums, of time and their refusal to turn back to and call upon the God of their fathers. God simply used the existing state of Germany during that time — religious and political — to chastise His disobedient son, with a view to correction (Zechariah 1:15).

And, in His sovereign control of the entire matter, God allowed this chastisement to extend to the depths that it reached — anti-Semitic practices taken to what man would consider unimaginable sufferings and extremes, resulting in the death of 6,000,000 Jews during the twelve-year existence of the Third Reich.

(“The Third Reich” [meaning, The Third Empire] was supposed to last for 1,000 years. But, at the end of only twelve years, the empire ceased to exist, Germany lay in ruins, parts of Europe fared no better, and multiplied millions had been killed throughout North Africa, Europe, England, and Russia.

As is sometimes voiced, “Hitlers do not come cheap.”

The Third Reich began with an existing anti-Semitic setting in Germany. And the leadership of the empire took advantage of this setting, introducing ever-increasing anti-Semitic practices. Thus, the supposed 1,000-year empire, in reality, signed its own death warrant at the outset. It just took twelve years to bring matters regarding their actions to pass.

Note an unchangeable law of the harvest relative to the preceding. There is always a period of time between the sowing and the reaping, and a person always reaps more than he sows.

In the Third Reich’s case, this period of time was climaxed in twelve years, with the end result witnessing the complete destruction of this empire, taking a nation down with them.

If a person wants to incur the wrath of a father, mistreat his son. That’s true in the human realm, and it is equally true in the Divine realm. The Third Reich mistreated God’s son, incurring the wrath of the Father. And they paid dearly for their actions, taking a nation down with them.

When God said, “I will bless them that bless thee…” [Genesis 12:3a], He meant exactly that! And when God continued, and said, “and will curse him that curseth thee…” [Genesis 12:3b], He meant exactly that as well!

Germany, under the leadership of the Third Reich, rejected the former and chose the latter of the two. And the Father, remaining true to His Word, reacted toward the mistreatment of His son in exact accordance with that which had been stated at a time over four hundred years before the son even existed.

Matters have existed that way since Abraham’s day 4,000 years ago, they exist that way today, and they will always exist that way. Remain in line with that which God has revealed about His two firstborn Sons, and you will come out ahead every time.)

The Holocaust is history, and it has been fully documented for all to see.

At the time that the Allies went into Germany and Poland and liberated the death camps in the spring of 1945, they were instructed to take pictures and fully document that which had been done. And numerous other pictures have surfaced at times over the intervening years, many taken by the Nazis who were there.

Then there were the Nuremberg war-crimes trials (1945, 1946), fully documenting the matter. And with the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960 and his subsequent trial in Israel in 1961, the matter was fully documented once again.

Over the years many survivors of the death camps have told their stories, with some still alive and able to do so today. Understandably though, thinking back and talking about those years is not something many of them want to do. They don’t want to relive, after any fashion, the horrors which they went through.

Beyond the preceding are the numerous Holocaust centers or museums, particularly in major American and European cities, along with Yad Vashem (a memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust) in Israel.

In short, the Holocaust has been so fully documented that it can only be impossible for anyone to deny that the Holocaust actually happened. But some, usually those openly opposed to the existence of a Jewish nation in the Middle East, attempt the impossible today.

And, a central reason that the Holocaust has been so fully documented in this manner is for educational purposes — educating people concerning that which happened, seeking to prevent anything like this from ever again happening to the Jewish people, or happening to anyone else.

But one thing will override all such efforts, guaranteeing that it will happen to the Jewish people again. And when it does happen again, matters will be far, far more horrendous than they were in the past.

The Future Holocaust

Why will a future Holocaust of this nature occur? The answer is exactly the same as the reason why the past Holocaust occurred.

There HAS TO BE a future Holocaust, for the very simple reason that the Jewish people have yet to be brought to the place of repentance.

And this future Holocaust will, of necessity, HAVE TO BE worse, far worse, than the past Holocaust, for the very simple reason that the suffering and death during the past Holocaust was insufficient to bring the Jewish people to the place of repentance.

The past Holocaust began in Germany and spread throughout Europe. Jews in other parts of the world were largely unaffected.

But the entire nation, together, must be subjected to a type persecution — a Holocaust — of such a nature that they are left without a place to turn other than to the God of their fathers.

The future Holocaust, unlike the past, will begin in the center of Jewry, in Jerusalem, and quickly spread worldwide (cf. Matthew 24:15ff; Luke 21:20ff; Revelation 6:3ff; 7:9ff). No Jew, anywhere in the world, will be able to escape that which is about to occur.

Two-thirds of world Jewry (some 9,000,000 by today’s count) will not survive those days (Ezekiel 5:12; Zechariah 13:8-9). But through this Holocaust, unlike the past Holocaust, the remaining Jews — all affected by that which will occur — will be brought to the place where the nation will cry out to the God of their fathers for deliverance.

And when the Jews are driven to this point, God will respond and send the Deliverer Whom Israel rejected and crucified 2,000 years ago.

Israel will look upon the nation’s Deliverer (Zechariah 12:10; 13:6), there will be a great mourning throughout the camp when they realize the identity of the One delivering them (Zechariah 12:10-14), a nation will be born in a day (Isaiah 66:8ff), the Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead (Exodus 13:19; Daniel 12:1ff), and the Jewish people (the raised dead along with those living in that day) will be restored to the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 30:1ff; Matthew 24:31).

Gentile world power will be destroyed (Isaiah 63:1ff; Joel 3:1-16; Revelation 14:14-20; 19:17-21), and the sceptre will be returned to Israel within a restored theocracy, a new covenant, and a Temple which Messiah Himself will build (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Zechariah 6:11-13), ushering in the Messianic Era (Ezekiel 40-48).

The restored nation will then go forth, as God’s witness, to the Gentile nations with the message of the one true and living God (Isaiah 43:1ff; 53:1ff), with the nations being ruled by and blessed through Israel (Zechariah 8:20-23; 14:9ff).

(The preceding has been stated in a somewhat succinct manner, for all these things have been dealt with in chapters of books and other pamphlets written by the author.

Refer particularly to The Son of Man Coming in His Kingdom, Israel from Death to Life BOOK and Middle East Peace How? When?, all in this site.)

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The Pupil of God’s Eye in this site adds to this commentary. Also The Pupil of Man’s Eye and Yad Vashem.

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World Government

Israel’s Position Among the Gentile Nations

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Israel is God’s firstborn son, the one and only nation among all the nations which God recognizes as possessing the rights of the firstborn — a firstborn right among nations, which, among other things, includes the right to hold the sceptre, the right to rule.

Note that which God instructed Moses, 3,500 years ago, to tell the Assyrian Pharoah ruling Egypt after God had sent him back to His people to lead them out of Egypt:

“…Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay they son, even thy firstborn” (Exodus 4:22-23 [22b]).

The Pharaoh of Egypt, through this announcement, was to understand that Israel was the nation, separate from all other nations, which God recognized as possessing the rights of primogeniture. Israel was the nation which God recognized as possessing the right to hold the sceptre, not Egypt.

Then, with Israel exercising these rights (which the nation will one day exercise, though that is far from the case today) — rights which can never be taken from the nation, for Israel will never cease to be God’s firstborn son — the Gentile nations are not only to be ruled by but also to be blessed through Israel (in accordance with Daniel 12:2-3, realizing another part of the rights of the firstborn, the priestly rights).

The Gentile nations today rule under Satan and his angels (in accordance with that seen in Daniel 10:12-20). But Israel, not to be reckoned among the nations, occupies a position separate from this rule (in accordance with that also referenced in this chapter in Daniel 10:21).

Note the sharp contrast in the government of the earth as it has existed during the last 2,600 years and as it will exist yet future once God’s purpose for the Times of the Gentiles has been realized. Conditions in the government of the earth are quite different when the Gentiles hold the sceptre (present), as opposed to Israel holding the sceptre (past, but more particularly future).

Also note in connection with the whole overall matter that the descendants of Shem through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — comprising the nation of Israel — form the only nation on the face of the earth with a God (Daniel 9:26; Psalm 33:12). And for the Gentile nations, without a God, to acquire spiritual wealth and blessings, they must go to the one nation with a God. They must go to the nation of Israel (something really not possible today because of Israel’s condition and position among the nations).

The Gentile nations though do possess gods, but not the one true and living God. The gods of the nations are said to be “nothing” compared to the one true and living God (I Chronicles 16:26; Psalm 96:5). The gods of the nations could be anything separate from God Himself — materialism, demons in Satan’s kingdom, etc.

All of the Gentile nations find themselves in the same position, in the natural realm. And they simply cannot move from that realm into the spiritual realm (except, of course, that spiritual realm where Satan and his angels operate, which is aligned with the natural). The man of flesh simply cannot function in the realm where the man of spirit exists.

Many individuals out of the nations, over centuries of time, have moved from the natural into the spiritual realm through a Saviour which came from the one nation with a God. But it is not possible for the nations themselves to do this. Again, nations simply cannot function in this realm.

In this respect, there is no such thing as a Gentile nation with a God, or a Gentile nation which can be referred to as a Christian nation (the Church, taken mainly from the Gentiles, is referred to as a “nation” and has a God, though the Church is neither Jew nor Gentile but one new man, a new creation “in Christ,” with a heavenly citizenship [Matthew 21:43; I Peter 2:9-10; cf. II Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:11-15; Philippians 3:20]).

Gentile nations, in their governmental structure today, rule within a form of a theocracy, though a corrupted form connected with Satan and his angels. “Satan” is the god of this present age (II Corinthians 4:4), and he and his angels rule through the Gentile nations from their place in a heavenly sphere (Daniel 10:13-20).

God rules the entire universe, and He rules over all parts of His kingdom through angels whom He has placed in regal positions throughout the universe. The earth, one province in the universe, is ruled in this manner, though presently through a rebel ruler. God presently rules the earth through Satan, the god of this age.

God has delegated power to Satan, and Satan, in turn, has delegated power to subordinate angels ruling with him. It is this delegated power and regal position (his throne) which Satan will give to the Beast during the coming Tribulation (Revelation 13:2; cf. Ezekiel 28:14; Luke 4:5-6). Then the Beast will rule in this same manner under God, as a rebel ruler in a corrupted form of the theocracy.

It is immaterial whether a nation’s government is like that of the United States (where there is a separation of religious and civil powers) or like that of a Moslem country (where religious and civil powers are inseparably connected), in the final analysis all Gentile governments have a common connection. All occupy their positions directly under Satan and his angels, who rule in a rebel respect under God.

There is only one nation on the face of the earth with a government which rules after any other fashion than the preceding, and that’s the one nation with a God, the nation which is not to be “reckoned among the nations” (Numbers 23:9), the nation of Israel.

The angelic princes of the Gentile nations (each nation has a prince, with other princes under him), who rule through the nations from a heavenly sphere, are demons (Daniel 10:13-20).

But Israel’s angelic prince, ruling through the Jewish nation in the same manner, is Michael (Daniel 10:21), and Michael (evidently with a host of angels as well [cf. Revelation 12:7]) exercises power under God separate from Satan and his angels.

This is why God could establish a theocracy and rule in the midst of Israel during Old Testament days. As well, this is also why God will be able to establish a theocracy in the world yet future.

“Israel” is the key. Since Abraham’s day, the separate creation during Jacob’s day, and the subsequent inception of the nation during Moses’ day, God has looked upon and dealt with the Gentile nations through one nation alone, through Israel (cf. Daniel 12:1-3; Exodus 4:22-23; 12:2; 19:5-6; Isaiah 43:1-11; Zechariah 2:8).

And the manner in which God deals with the nations in this respect can NEVER change (Romans 11:29).

Israel’s position relative to the nations is why Israel must be brought to the place of repentance, Gentile world power destroyed, Satan and his angels removed from power, and God’s three firstborn Sons [Christ, Israel, and the Church (following the adoption)] placed in power (cf. Genesis 1:26-28; Hebrews 2:5).

Satan knows this, and over millenniums of time he has done everything within his power to thwart God’s plans and purposes by launching his attack at the fountainhead, seeking to destroy Israel.

And this is why Satan will give his power, his throne, and great authority to the earth’s last ruler during the Times of the Gentiles (Revelation 13:2b). Satan will use this man in a final, climactic attempt to do away with the nation of Israel.

But God, in His sovereign control of all things, will use this man’s efforts to achieve a completely opposite end — to bring about His Own predetermined plans and purposes for Israel. Matters in that day will be as in the words of Haman’s wise men and his wife, Zeresh, relative to Haman attempting to slay Mordecai:

“If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him” (Esther 6:13b).

(For additional information on the preceding, refer to the author’s book, The Most High Ruleth BOOK, in this site)

Satan, of course, knows all of the preceding, whether Israel and the nations, or Christians, know or do not know these things. And well he should know these things, for he and his angels have been ruling through the Gentile nations (knowing that they can’t rule through Israel) for millenniums.

And, throughout this time, Satan has been doing and will continue doing everything within his power to prevent the one nation with a God from ever fully exercising her God-ordained position as firstborn son. He knows that should this occur, not only would he have to relinquish the sceptre but conditions relative to Israel and the nations would become as described in Zechariah 8:20-23.

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; it shall yet come to pass, that there shall come a people, and the inhabitants of many cities:

And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.

Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”

And in an effort to prevent the preceding from ever occurring, Satan and his angels, ruling from a heavenly sphere through the Gentile nations on earth, have been seeking for decades in the Middle East, through the nations, to bring about that stated in Psalm chapter eighty-three.

In this Psalm, ten Gentile nations are seen allying themselves against Israel in the preceding respect, foreshadowing the ten-kingdom confederacy of Gentile nations which will one day rule under Antichrist and ally itself against Israel in exactly the manner presented.

“They [the ten nations] have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

They have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee” (Psalm 83:4-5).

But, as Scripture clearly attests, it will all be for naught. God has already spoken concerning the matter. God has already had the final Word.

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Keys of the Kingdom

Understanding Scripture in the Light of Scripture

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens…” (Matthew 16:19a).

Matthew 16:19 is one of the most misunderstood verses in Scripture. But allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, a clear understanding of the verse can, instead, be derived.

And, allowing Scripture to interpret itself in this manner, something inseparably related will be presented first; then the matter at hand can be properly addressed and understood.

Angelic Activity in Scripture

When Christ returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, He will be accompanied by an innumerable host of angels who will be instrumental in executing His will and purpose in matters which must be brought to pass preceding His reign.

Throughout Scripture angels are seen as far more active in the Lord’s affairs, as they pertain to man, than many realize. Scripture often refers to the Lord acting in a particular realm, while also referring to angels acting in this same realm. In this respect, though angels are the executors, it is the Lord Who is looked upon in a foremost sense as bringing the matter to pass. That is, the Lord assigns and empowers certain angels for particular tasks; and once these tasks are carried out, the matter is looked upon as being done by the Lord Himself.

Possibly two of the most instructive instances of the preceding can be seen in the destruction of the cities of the plain during the days of Abraham in Genesis 18; 19 and the removal of Nebuchadnezzar from his throne for seven years during the days of Daniel in Daniel 4:1ff. Also, comparing these two instances provides an insight into heavenly angelic courts which God has established (apparently alluded to in Matthew 5:22 through a reference to corresponding earthly courts) and the power with which angels acting in these courts on His behalf have been vested.

In the Book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, because of his ascribing to himself that which belonged to God alone (cf. Daniel 4:17, 30), was removed from the throne and driven into the field to eat grass as the oxen. The entire matter — judicial issues and determinations, the passing of the sentence, and the execution of the sentence — was carried out by angels, though the “most High [God Himself]” was specifically said to be the One Who brought the matter to pass.

Nebuchadnezzar had been delivered into the charge of angels called “watchers,” who had made certain decisions which resulted in a decree concerning him; and these decisions, resulting in the decree, were also ascribed to the “most High” (Daniel 4:17, 24).

The “decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones” (v. 17) can only point to angelic activity in heavenly courts concerning matters relating to individuals on earth. It seems apparent that the angels in this passage possessed a specially imparted wisdom and knowledge, allowing them to act within the scope of fixed laws to fulfill the perfect will of God concerning particular matters, apart from any immediate command from God. In so doing, the actions of these angels were looked upon as actions of the Lord Himself.

(Undoubtedly the same thing is in view in Daniel 5 where decisions were made and a decree was issued concerning Belshazzar. Note that Belshazzar was reminded of a time in Nebuchadnezzar’s life when similar action had to be taken for a similar reason [Daniel 5:18-23].

The days of Belshazzar’s kingdom were at an end; he had been weighed in the balances and found wanting, and his kingdom, apparently within the scope of decisions and determinations made by angels in the heavenly courts, had been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians [Daniel 5:24-31].)

Understanding the working of these heavenly courts, the same thing can be seen in Genesis chapters eighteen and nineteen. The Lord, accompanied by two angels, appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre. The purpose of this visit concerned the impending destruction of the cities in the Jordan plain. Comparing this section in Genesis with Daniel chapter four, it would appear clear that judicial decisions concerning these cities had already been made in the heavenly courts; and the “decree of the watchers” had already been rendered (cf. Genesis 18:17-22).

The Lord remained with Abraham, and the two angels accompanying the Lord went on down into the Jordan plain to carry out the previously rendered decree. Everything relating to the destruction of these cities was apparently done by angels. In the light of Daniel chapter four, it would appear clear that they were the ones who had made the decisions and rendered the decree; and the Genesis account clearly shows that they were the executors of the decree. However, the same thing can be said of the Lord (cf. Genesis 18:20-33; 19:11-13, 16, 24, 29).

It is the same as in Daniel chapter four. Angelic activity in this realm — because of their ability to act within the scope of the perfect will of God — is looked upon as being done by the Lord Himself.

Immediately preceding Christ’s return, during the Tribulation, angels will be very instrumental in carrying out decrees through executing judgment upon the earth-dwellers; and their actions will be looked upon as those of the Lord Himself (Revelation 6:12-17; 8:1ff; 9:1ff; 11:18; 15:1; 16:1ff). Angelic activity in the heavenly courts, as it pertains to those upon the earth, will evidently be carried out in a climactic sense and on an intensified basis during the Tribulation.

Not only will this be the case, but angelic activity of the same nature will carry over into events surrounding Christ’s presence upon earth following the Tribulation. In Matthew 13:49-50, angels are said to perform some of the same activity in relation to saved and unsaved Gentiles which Christ is said to perform in Matthew 25:32ff. Immediately preceding this, angels will have regathered Israel (Matthew 24:31), but elsewhere in Scripture it is the Lord Who regathers His people (Deuteronomy 30:1-4; Isaiah 11:10-11; Jeremiah 23:7-8).

Angels will apparently be very active in all matters when Christ returns. The Lord being accompanied by angels at the time of His return points simply to continued angelic activity of a like nature to that which has occurred throughout the whole of Man’s Day.

Binding, Having Already Been Bound

Note that the same principle seen in angelic activity, associating their actions with the Lord’s actions, exists in connection with the proclaimed Word among God’s people (Israel past and future, the Church present).

This could perhaps best be seen in Christ’s words to Peter in Matthew 16:19, repeated in another setting to all of the disciples later in Matthew 18:18:

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven [‘in the heavens’]: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven [‘in the heavens’].”

This statement to Peter (which grew out of his confession concerning Christ’s true identity [v. 16]), along with the same statement to all the disciples at a later time, has not been understood at all by numerous Christians down through the years. But there is really nothing difficult about that being taught, though a translation problem does exist, and it helps to understand Christ’s statement in the light of angelic activity in heavenly courts, as previously discussed.

The translation problem involves the way in which the Greek verbs and participles in the verse (“bind” and “loose”) are handled in the English text. The binding and loosing here on earth are present aorist subjunctives, and the binding and loosing in the heavens are perfect passive participles (same in both Matthew 16:19 and 18:18).

To show this — the aorist subjunctive verbs and the perfect passive participles — the translation should read somewhat along these lines:

“…whatsoever you might bind on earth shall have already been bound in the heavens: and whatsoever you might loose on earth shall have already been loosed in the heavens.”

The subjunctive mood shows that which is probable, that expected, though it may not occur. And the perfect tense shows that completed in past time, existing in a finished state during present time.

Those forming the Church [future at that time] are in view in both passages (Matthew 16:18; 18:17). And when those in the Church act in complete accord with that being dealt with in these verses, their actions — exactly as the actions of angels acting under fixed laws in the heavenly courts — will be seen as having already been acted upon in the heavens. In short, with the perfect tense being used in the manner in which it is used [a perfect passive], the actions of those in the Church on earth are seen as having already been acted upon in the heavens before those in the Church even act (“bind” and “loose” are simply two words used to express these actions, both on earth and in the heavens).

Now, what is this all about? Can Christians in a Church just come to a conclusion on which they all agree and have that conclusion already be decided in the heavens? That’s not exactly the way matters exist, no more so than angels in the heavenly courts can do the same and have their actions seen as the Lord’s actions.

Angels in the heavenly courts, in order to have their actions seen as those of the Lord, must act under fixed laws; and Christians in the Church today, in order to have their actions seen as having already been performed in the heavens, must do the same. They must act in complete accord with the revealed Word (exactly as Peter acted in Matthew 16:16).

Remaining completely within the scope of the proclaimed Word, that bound or loosed on earth will be seen as having already been bound or loosed in the heavens. This cannot help but be the case, for God must remain true to His Word.

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” [Psalm 12:6].

“Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” [Psalm 119:89].

“…thou hast magnified thy word above thy name [lit., ‘…You have exalted above all things Your Word and Your Name’ (Psalm 138:2b)].”

“To the law, and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God…

And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” (John 1:1-2, 14a).

It is this unchangeable Word [inseparably associated with the entire Godhead] which is to be proclaimed (II Timothy 4:2); and it is this unchangeable Word alone which Christians are to adhere to and follow in all matters.

Man’s thoughts about matters are of no moment, though they seemingly may be very good, righteous, or benevolent. The only thing of any moment is that which the Word states.

And when this Word is proclaimed, that stated in Matthew 16:19; 18:18 can’t help but be the case in the actions of Christians here on earth (during present time) and in corresponding actions in the heavens (during all past, present, and future time).

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Contextual Interpretation of Scripture

As Illustrated in Hebrews 6:4-6

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world [‘age’] to come,

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance…” (Hebrews 6:4-6a).

This passage in Hebrews has been an enigma to Bible students over the years, and it is possibly the most misunderstood section of Scripture in the New Testament. But the passage is not nearly as difficult as the multiplicity of interpretations would lead one to believe. The numerous interpretations advanced by various expositors have resulted basically from two exegetical errors:

1) A failure to take into account the central message of the Book of Hebrews.

2) A failure to take into account the context of Hebrews 6:4-6.

The message of the Book of Hebrews centers around “the salvation of the soul in relation to the coming kingdom” (Hebrews 1:1-14; 6:13-20; 10:35-39; 13:17), and the context leading into Hebrews 6:4-6 has to do with “the experiences of the Israelites under Moses” (Hebrews 3; 4), which is why maturity in the faith — moving from gnosis to epignosis — is in view immediately preceding Hebrews 6:4-6 (Hebrews 5:5-6:3).

The summation of the matter is contained in chapter six; but the thought begins in chapter three, and the entire passage must be so understood.

Israelites under Moses — Christians under Christ

As the Israelites under Moses (in their knowledge of God’s plans and purposes) moved from a state of gnosis to a state of epignosis in the type, Christians under Christ (in their knowledge of God’s plans and purposes) are moving from a state of gnosis to a state of epignosis in the antitype.

As the Israelites under Moses moved from Egypt toward the land of Canaan with an earthly inheritance in view, Christians under Christ are moving from the things of this world toward a land separate from this world with a heavenly inheritance in view.

As the Israelites under Moses were being prepared during the wilderness journey for entrance into the land, Christians under Christ are being prepared during the wilderness journey for entrance into the land. As the Israelites under Moses were to go in, conquer the inhabitants of the land, and rule as God’s firstborn son here on earth at the head of the nations, Christians under Christ are to go in, be victorious over the inhabitants of the land (cf. Ephesians 6:10-17), and, in that coming day (following the adoption [Romans 8:14-23]), rule as God’s firstborn son from the heavens over the nations.

But, as the Israelites refused to go into the land, conquer the inhabitants, and take possession of the land (with a view to a future rule), so can Christians refuse to go into the land, be victorious over the inhabitants, and take possession of the land (with a view to a future rule).

And, just as the Israelites at this point fell away, with no possibility of being renewed again unto repentance, so can Christians at this point fall away, with no possibility of being renewed again unto repentance.

And, just as the Israelites who fell away were overthrown in the wilderness and failed to realize the goal of their calling, so will Christians who fall away after this fashion be overthrown in the wilderness and fail to realize the goal of their calling.

The words, “once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world [‘age’] to come” (Hebrews 6:4-5), refer to a progression in growth from milk to meat to strong meat. This is a progression from the rudimentary things concerning the antitype of the death of the paschal lambs in Egypt to the strong meat associated with things surrounding the antitype of Israel’s experiences at Kadesh-Barnea (Hebrews 3; 4).

In the immediate context (Hebrews 5), “strong meat” is associated with things surrounding the Melchizedek priesthood. This priesthood refers to things beyond Kadesh-Barnea, in the land itself. Melchizedek was a king-priest, setting forth in type the office which Christ will occupy in the coming age when He, as the great King-Priest, with His “kings and priests” (Revelation 5:10), takes the kingdom.

The entire thought in Hebrews 6:4-6 is a progression from gnosis to epignosis, followed by a “falling away” from the faith. “Eternal salvation,” which, more often than not, is read into this text, is not in view at all. Viewing eternal salvation as the issue under discussion is completely unnatural and will serve only to obscure the correct interpretation. If the Scriptures alone are allowed to interpret Hebrews 6:4-6, the entire matter will become clear.

(Note the words, “enlightened,” “partakers,” and “have tasted” [Hebrews 6:4-5]. These words are used elsewhere in the Book of Hebrews referring to individuals [Christians] entering into certain experiences [cf. Hebrews 2:9; 3:1; 10:32]. The usage of these words in Hebrews 6:4-6 is within the same framework. The unsaved simply cannot enter into experiences seen through the manner in which these words are used in the text.)

Impossibility of Renewal

The thought that it is impossible “to renew” certain apostate Christians “unto repentance” is one of the most solemn warnings to be found in all Scripture. The finality of the matter for those who apostatize in this manner is set forth by the word “impossible.” This is a particular apostasy, and once a Christian has fallen away from the faith in the manner set forth in Hebrews 3-6, he can never again be brought back into the position which he occupied prior to his departure from the faith. (The Greek word translated “renew” refers to being brought back into exactly the same position previously occupied.) In the type, Israel could not be brought back into this position; and in the antitype, neither can Christians.

The entire thought is very similar to the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:22-32. This was a national sin committed by the religious leaders of Israel — not something which man, saved or unsaved, can commit today. Once the religious leaders had committed this sin, their actions brought the nation into a state from which a restoration to the previously occupied position could never occur.

At Kadesh-Barnea, however, the prohibition applied only to the present generation, twenty years old and above (this would allow the nation of Israel, at a future time, to realize the position for which the generation under Moses had been called — an earthly calling). In Matthew chapter twelve, anticipating Matthew 21:43, this prohibition not only applied to the present generation but to future generations as well (this would prevent the nation of Israel from ever realizing the position unto which the generation during the days of Christ and the apostles had been called — a heavenly calling).

One thing which must not be overlooked when considering the impossibility of renewing an apostate unto repentance, who has fallen away in the manner specified, is the fact that in the type surrounding the experiences of the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea the nation did repent. The word “repentance” (Gk., metanoia) means a change of mind. This change of mind will lead to other things which are often mistaken for repentance (or part of repentance), but the simple, restrictive meaning of the word itself does not include these things.

(Metanoia, translated “repentance” in the N.T., is a compound word comprised of meta [“with”] and noeo [“to know,” or “to perceive (with the mind)”], derived from nous [“mind”]. Metanoia points to doing something with one’s mind, and that which is understood in the Greek language through the use of this word is “a change of mind.”)

Once the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea had fallen away and had realized the consequences of their actions, they changed their minds (repented) concerning the land of Canaan. They sought to occupy their former position, entering into and taking possession of the land, with a view to subsequently ruling over the nations.

Thus, bringing this over into the antitype, it is possible for Christians who have apostatized in this manner to also change their minds about the land set before them and seek to occupy their former position, looking ahead to the coming inheritance of the saints. However, God did not change His mind concerning that which He stated would befall apostate Israelites in the type; nor will God change His mind concerning that which He has stated will befall apostate Christians in the antitype.

After the Israelites had repented (changed their minds) at Kadesh-Barnea, the nation failed to regain the position which it had previously occupied. The Lord was no longer among His people to lead them victoriously into the land; and when they tried to enter, the Amalekites and Canaanites “smote them” (Numbers 14:40-45).

Nor will the Lord be among like-minded apostate Christians today who repent (change their minds) and seek to occupy their former, forfeited position. They can no longer move victoriously into the land and overcome the inhabitants. If they try, as in the type, they will be overcome. The only thing awaiting Christians who have apostatized in the antitype of Israel’s Kadesh-Barnea experience is the same thing which awaited Israel — an overthrow in the wilderness, on the right side of the blood but on the wrong side of the goal of their calling.

The word “repentance” is only used three times in the Book of Hebrews (Hebrews 6:1, 6; 12:17), and two of these three times the word is used in the heart of major warnings given to Christians. Hebrews 6:4-6 is the heart of the third major warning, and Hebrews 12:14-17 is the heart of the fifth major warning.

Interestingly enough, in the fifth major warning in chapter twelve, Esau did repent. He changed his mind concerning the birthright after it had been forfeited. His repentance led to a great show of emotion. The words, “he found no place of repentance,” refer to the fact that “he found no place for a change of mind in his father” (Hebrews 12:17b ASV). Esau sought to effect a change of mind on the part of his father, resulting in a reversal of that which had transpired. However, such did not, it could not, occur. Isaac could not change his mind. The birthright, once forfeited, was beyond Esau’s grasp forever.

The situation in Hebrews 6:4-6 is identical. The apostates in this passage cannot occupy a previously forfeited position. It is not possible, as in Esau’s case, to renew them again unto repentance. In the types — the Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea, and Esau in the presence of his father — both the Israelites and Esau repented; but, though they repented, they still found no place of repentance. That would be to say, though the Israelites changed their minds at Kadesh-Barnea, God did not change His mind (God did not repent); and, though Esau changed his mind when he appeared in Isaac’s presence, Isaac did not change his mind (Isaac did not repent).

Repentance in the fifth major warning is not on the part of the one who forfeited his birthright, for he did repent. And repentance in the third major warning, as well, cannot be on the part of the ones who fall away. In the type, the Israelites did repent, necessitating that the antitype be viewed after the same fashion. Also in the type, Israel’s repentance wrought no change in that which God had decreed; nor will a Christian’s repentance in the antitype bring about such a change.

Man turning his back upon that associated with the greatest thing God has ever designed for redeemed man — that of ascending the throne with God’s Son during the coming age — is a serious matter. In fact, it is a very serious matter; and God will deal with this matter in an equally serious fashion.

This is what Hebrews 6:4-6, drawn from the type seen in chapters three and four, is about. God overthrew the Israelites who fell away in the type, and He will also overthrow Christians who fall away in the antitype.

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Zionism

Biblical Zionism, Present-Day Zionism

By Arlen L. Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” (Psalms 137:1-4).

“Zion” is used in Scripture as a synonym for Jerusalem (Psalms 76:2; 126:1; Isaiah 1:26-27; 2:2-3); and “Jerusalem,” along with “the land of Israel” itself in a larger respect, is used in Scripture as a synonym for the Jewish people (Jeremiah 22:8-9, 29-30; Lamentations 1:7-9; Ezekiel 14:11-13; Hosea 1:2; Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 13:33-35; 19:41-42; Revelation 11:8; 17:18). Scripture presents an inseparable connection between the Jewish people, their capital city, and their land.

In this respect, “Zionism” centers on Jerusalem, the land in which that city is situated, and the people of that city and land, the Jewish people.

“Zionism” — as the thought would be expressed through the Jewish remembrance of “Zion” during the Babylonian captivity in Psalms 137:1ff, or as God throughout His Word presents the restoration of the Jewish people to a restored land — could only be seen as a good and proper expression. True Biblical Zionism though is far from what is invariably seen being dealt with in Christian circles and the world at large today.

“Zionism,” as the term has been used during modern times (during about the past 120 years, extending into today) does not refer to a religious or Biblical movement at all. Though the movement has its basis in Scripture (God’s promises to the Jewish people as they pertain to the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), the movement itself is centrally secular rather than Biblical.

In this respect, Zionism, as it exists today, was founded by and has been promoted down through the years mainly by secular Jews rather than religious Jews. And, rather than being in line with Jewish thought as seen in Psalms 137:1ff, or anyplace else in Scripture where the restoration of the Jewish people to a restored land is dealt with, thought within present-day Zionism, almost without exception, is a complete CORRUPTION of how Scripture deals with the matter.

Present-day Zionism had its beginning about one hundred twenty years ago under Theodor Herzl (1895), a secular Jew who did not hold to that written in the Torah (the five books of Moses; or, in a broader respect, referring to the whole of the Old Testament). And many Zionists down through the years have been secular Jews who saw the Torah as outdated, occupying no place in modern-day Jewish life.

In fact, the land of Israel today is filled with Jewish people exhibiting exactly this same type thought, though the land is also filled (to a lesser extent) with religious Jews, some very religious, holding to and seeking to observe the writing in the Torah. And, as well, one could find thought among the Jews throughout the land lying at about every point between these two extremes — completely secular to very religious.

Zionism, as defined more by the actions of the Jewish people themselves over the years has to do with a national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel.

Thus, Zionism — seen solely from this secular respect in which it exists — for all practical purposes, has to do with the Jewish people rising up, seeking to emancipate themselves from exile, apart from their Messiah, and establish a Jewish nation with its own government in the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (though many of them are atheists, disclaiming belief in the God who made this covenant with their fathers).

Then, viewing matters more from a Biblical rather than from a secular vantage point (as in the preceding definitions), Zionism, as it exists today, has to do with the Jewish people — refusing to recognize and realize God’s purpose for uprooting them from their land and driving them out among the Gentile nations, i.e., refusing to repent — taking matters into their own hands and attempting to bring about God’s promises pertaining to their restoration to the land and a healing of the land themselves.

Or, viewing matters from that stated in Matthew 12:43-45; 23:37-39, present-day Zionism has to do with the Jewish people, under their own humanistic power and reasoning, re-entering a house which had been left desolate, empty, swept clean of anything remaining, and placed in order relative to this unclean and desolate state.

(The preceding has to do with definitions of Zionism , from two different perspectives — one solely secular [though having a Biblical base], the other from the standpoint of this Biblical base.

And it should be understood that these definitions of Zionism do not, after any fashion, reflect on how numerous individuals today might view Zionism — Jews or Christians. These definitions simply present basic statements about Zionism from two different opposing perspectives — one secular, one non-secular, with numerous things about present day Zionism, no matter how it is viewed, having to fit within one of these two perspectives.

The vast majority of the Jews in Israel or those Jews scattered throughout the world today are, for the most part, secular humanists; and many would understand Zionism, at least after some fashion, from the secular definitions which have been given.

Many Jewish rabbis over about the past 100 years have spoken out against Zionism. But this probably emanates more from the secular humanism involved than it does from how Scripture deals with the matter of God fulfilling His promises to Israel pertaining to a restoration of both the people and their land.

Some Jewish organizations today though view matters pertaining to Zionism in an entirely correct, Biblical respect. The matter, as it actually exists, could not have been stated in a more accurate, succinct manner than by one of these organizations:

“Zionism, by advocating a political and military end to the Jewish exile, denies the very essence of our Diaspora existence. We are in exile by Divine Decree and may emerge from exile solely via Divine Redemption.” — True Torah Jews

Christian thought though, pervading large segments of the whole of Christendom today, is another matter entirely. Numerous Christians, not understanding that which Scripture has to say about God’s future restoration of Israel and the nation’s land, see Zionism as a present work of God among the Jewish people, progressively restoring both the people and their land.

The matter is looked upon different ways by different individuals, though almost all would see that which has been occurring since Israeli statehood on May 14, 1948 as God progressively fulfilling His O.T. promises concerning the Jewish people being regathered from the nations and restored to a land being healed [some see a more restrictive form of the preceding — only certain O.T. restorative promises presently being fulfilled].

This in itself only goes to illustrate and show one thing: Numerous Christians today seem to know very little about something which they should know a great deal about, leaving individuals with a capacity for spiritual understanding knowing far less concerning that which Scripture has to say in this realm than some individuals lacking this capacity for spiritual understanding [ref. the previous quote from “True Torah Jews”].)

Christian Zionism

“Christian Zionism” is an expression which has been used by Christian groups for decades, thinking that they are aligning themselves with a work of God among the Jewish people through that presently occurring in Zionism.

The reality of the matter though is that God is not involved in present-day Zionism. Christians are out there alone on this one, involved in something secular, of the world, which is not a work of God at all.

From a Scriptural standpoint, a Christian Zionist today could only be a Christian seeking to help Israel do that which God has not only forbidden but warned against the nation doing. He can only be seeking to help Israel enter into and be at home in an “empty, swept, and garnished house,” with an impending punishment for doing this far exceeding anything that the nation has ever experienced, dating all the way back to the inception of the nation during Moses’ day.

In this respect, note Christ’s closing recorded words to Israel’s religious leaders after they had committed the “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 12:24-32), before He “went…out of the house,” “sat by the seaside,” and began to speak “in parables” (Matthew 13:1-3).

The house of Israel, during time covered by events seen in these parables (the present dispensation and subsequent Tribulation), was to be left “empty, swept, and garnished [‘put in order’]” (Matthew 13:44; cf. Matthew 23:38). The house was to stand vacant (“empty”), and it was to be “swept” and “put in order” relative to its vacated state. Nothing was to remain.

And, once the house of Israel found itself in this condition (which would include the people, the temple, the city of Jerusalem, and the land), the nation was left with only the same previously existing recourse: Repentance.

But, should repentance not be forthcoming — with the Jewish people persisting in their disobedience, ignoring the reason for their condition, seeking to bring about a change in the existing situation themselves — matters would only become worse.

Matthew 12:43-45 reveals an “unclean spirit” dwelling in the house prior to the house being left “empty, swept, and garnished.” Then, following this — because of Israel’s refusal to repent, and because of Israel’s efforts to bring about a change in the existing situation through naturalistic means — “seven other spirits,” more wicked than the first, would take up residence in the house, with the latter state of the nation becoming far worse than the former state (Matthew 12:45).

(And the preceding is exactly what has happened and will happen in the Middle East. The Jewish people have taken matters into their own hands, regardless of what God has said, and defiantly entered back into a house described in Matthew 12:43-45, in an unrepentant state.

And numerous Christians today, not understanding the issue at all, are not only trying to help the Jewish people do this but think that they are aligning themselves with the Word of God by aligning themselves with the people of God in this manner, expecting God’s favor, by seeking to help Israel in the nation’s efforts to circumnavigate God’s present plans and purposes for the nation.

Note that there is a vast difference between befriending and helping the Jewish people after a Biblical fashion and seeking to help the Jewish people circumnavigate God’s Word and end up in a furnace heated seven times hotter than it was meant to be heated [Daniel 3:19ff]. The latter could conceivably be seen as bordering on just the opposite of that which may have been meant — bordering on anti-Semitism.

“Seven” is a complete number, showing the completeness of that which is in view. “Seven times,” or “seven other spirits,” may refer to completeness rather than to a literal seven-fold intensity [cf. Leviticus 26:21-42].

However, either way, matters would be quite similar. With completeness in view, intensity would be involved; and this intensity could, at times, possibly be even greater than seven-fold.)

God’s Resumption of His Dealings with Israel

God is simply not dealing with Israel on a national basis today. Israel has been set aside — Daniel’s Seventy-Week timepiece (Daniel 9:24-27) is in stop-mode — during which time God is dealing with the one new man “in Christ,” with the Spirit presently calling out a bride for God’s Son (Genesis 23-25).

But one day soon, undoubtedly very soon, the Spirit’s work in the preceding respect will be finished, the Church will be removed, Daniel’s timepiece will once again be set in motion, and God will resume His dealings with Israel. That day and time though is future, not present. And God’s firstborn Sons (Christ, Israel, and the Church [following the adoption]) are to be raised up to live in His sight, not at the end of the second day (present time), but following the second day, on the third day, on the third 1,000-year period dating back to Israel’s crucifixion of her Messiah and the subsequent inception of the Church (or, on the seventh day, the seventh 1,000-year period, dating back to man’s creation and subsequent fall [cf. Hosea 5:13-6:2; Luke 24:20-31; John 1:29-2:11; 11:1-7; Hebrews 4:4-9]).

(For additional information on this whole, overall subject, along with the numerous reasons from Scripture why God cannot be restoring the Jewish people and their land today, refer to the author’s books Bible One - Middle East Peace — How, When? by Arlen Chitwood and Never Again! or Yes, Again! by Arlen Chitwood.pdf. Also Israel from Death to Life BOOK in this site.)

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Christ’s Three Appearings

Past, Present, and Future

By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

Within the framework of that which is revealed in Scripture concerning Christ’s complete work on man’s behalf — beginning at Calvary and culminating in His return — the writer of Hebrews refers to three separate and distinct appearances of Christ in connection with salvation. One appearance is past, one is present, and one is future.

These three appearances have been recorded together within the same context near the end of the ninth chapter. And these appearances, in keeping with the previously announced work of the Son — pertaining to bringing “many sons unto glory” (Hebrews 2:10) — provide the proper interrelationship between the Lord’s work as Prophet (past), His work as Priest (present), and His work as King (future).

Past Appearance

“…but now once in the end of the world [‘ages’] hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26b).

Unredeemed man is dead in trespasses and sins. He is alienated from God. Redeemed man though has been made alive, and a right relationship with God has been restored (Ephesians 2:1-7; Colossians 2:13-15). And this has been accomplished solely through the finished work of the Redeemer, promised in Genesis 3:15 immediately following man’s fall.

At the time Adam fell, “death passed upon all men.” This included Adam and all his descendants, even though his descendants had neither been born nor would sin “after the similitude of Adam’s transgression” (Romans 5:12-14). Consequently, all have sinned; and the penalty for sin, established in Eden, is death (cf. Genesis 2:17; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 6:23).

In order to bring man back into a right relationship with God, the Redeemer must pay sin’s penalty. The Redeemer must die on man’s behalf. This is the reason God sent His Son “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,” bearing “the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:26-28).

“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3; cf. I Corinthians 3:2). As in the words of the song, “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe…” His finished work of redemption leaves nothing for man to do, simply because there is nothing which man can do.

Aside from being spiritually dead and alienated from God, unredeemed man is presented in Scripture as a ruined creation; and the pattern concerning how God begins and carries out His work relating to the restoration of a ruined creation has forever been set forth in the opening verses of Genesis:

“…darkness was upon the face of the deep [Hebrews, tehom, referring to surging, raging waters covering the entire ruined creation]. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:2-4 [2b]; cf. John 1:5; II Corinthians 4:6).

All work, resulting in restoration in this passage, was accomplished entirely through Divine intervention, setting forth an unchangeable pattern concerning how God restores a ruined creation. And, accordingly, man, a subsequent ruined creation, must be restored after the established pattern.

All the work has already been accomplished by man’s Redeemer. Man, relative to this work, can only be completely passive. He can do no more than simply receive that which Christ has already accomplished on his behalf (Acts 16:30-31).

Present Appearance

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24).

During the period between the time of His departure to receive the kingdom and the time of His return in possession of the kingdom (Luke 19:11-27), Christ is not only seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:13), but He is also exercising a high priestly ministry in the Holy of Holies of the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 4:14-16). He is seated at the right hand of the Father, awaiting that day when His enemies will be made His footstool, anticipating receiving the kingdom from the Father (Daniel 7:13-14; cf. Revelation 11:15); and He is exercising the office of High Priest in order to effect a present cleansing for those comprising the “one new man” in Christ, anticipating one day bringing forth a “glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing…” (Ephesians 5:26-27; Hebrews 1:13; I John 1:6-9).

Christ presently ministers in the Holy of Holies on the basis of His shed blood. This blood was shed at Calvary to provide redemption for fallen man, and this same blood is presently on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies of the heavenly sanctuary to provide a present cleansing for the redeemed. Saved man, still possessing the old sin nature and residing in a body of death, is ever subject to defilement during his present pilgrim walk, necessitating continual cleansing.

God provided a means of cleansing for His people during Old Testament days, and He has done the same today.

The Old Testament priests were provided with a brazen laver, containing upper and lower basins filled with water, to wash their hands and feet as they ministered on behalf of the people between the brazen altar and the Holy Place; and blood sacrifices were offered by the priests daily and by the high priest on the day of atonement to provide a cleansing for those who had previously appropriated the blood of the slain paschal lambs (Hebrews 7:27; 9:6-7, 22).

New Testament priests though have been provided with a past Sacrifice, with no additional sacrifice ever again necessary. It is “a new and living way” — being “washed with pure water” — to effect cleansing for those who have, as in the type, previously appropriated the blood of the slain Passover Lamb (Hebrews 7:27; 10:12-22).

Christ’s past ministry as Prophet makes possible His present ministry as Priest, and both ministries look out ahead to the same thing — Christ’s future ministry as King.

One day Christ will terminate His present ministry as High Priest and come forth from the Holy of Holies, first to reckon with those whom He has redeemed and for whom He presently ministers, and then to reign over the earth with the “many sons” whom He will have brought unto glory.

Future Appearance

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).

Man was created to have dominion; but he fell, bringing about his disqualification. And redemption is with a view to allowing redeemed man to ultimately occupy the position from which he fell.

Christ’s past appearance to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, His present appearance in the heavenly sanctuary on our behalf, and His future appearance in all His glory are so intimately related that one cannot be separated from the other.

In relation to these three appearances,

1) We have been saved (based on Christ’s past, finished work).

2) We are being saved (based on Christ’s present, continuing work, which His past work makes possible).

3) We are about to be saved (a future work of Christ, which His past two works will have made possible).

That is to say, the three appearances of Christ are connected with these three aspects of salvation:

1) Past (Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:26b).

2) Present (I Corinthians 1:18; Hebrews 9:24).

3) Future (Hebrews 1:14; 9:28).

Once an individual has been saved (past, through the finished work of Christ at Calvary), that individual is then dealt with on an entirely different plane. He is then dealt with concerning a present aspect of salvation (on the basis of Christ’s past work at Calvary, but connected with His present work in the heavenly sanctuary); and this is with a view to the present aspect of salvation being brought to fruition and realized at a future time (at the time of Christ’s return).

The past aspect of salvation has to do with man’s spirit. Man is a tripartite being comprised of spirit, soul, and body; and each of these three parts of man, within God’s economy, is subject to salvation at different times. When man sinned in Eden, he died, just as God had decreed (Genesis 2:17). Since his body continued to live, and his soul — the life-giving principle in the blood (Leviticus 17:11) — also continued to live, it is evident that man experienced a spiritual death, with this spiritual death resulting in a subsequent physical death at a later time.

Unredeemed man today, possessing an unredeemed body housing an unredeemed soul, is spiritually dead. The birth from above, correspondingly, is a spiritual birth, effecting the change “from death unto life”: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again [‘born from above’]” (John 3:6-7; 5:24).

The present and future aspects of salvation have to do with man’s soul. And only those who have been born from above, realizing the salvation of their spirits, can enter into the things associated with the salvation of the soul. An individual must first pass “from death unto life.” Then, and only then, does the salvation of the soul come into view.

Man’s soul is in the process of being saved, and this salvation will be brought to completion at the time Christ returns and effects the redemption of man’s body (Romans 8:18-23). The saving of the soul, during the present time, is inseparably connected with the life which one lives after he has passed “from death unto life.” This is the salvation referred to in connection with Christ’s return in Hebrews 9:28, to be realized by those who “look for him [faithful servants in the house, awaiting the Householder’s return].”

Hebrews is a book dealing with the salvation of the soul; and Christ, Who was “once offered to bear the sins of many [effecting the salvation of the spirit]” is going to appear the “second time without sin unto salvation [to effect the salvation of the soul].”

To deal with Christ’s first coming apart from His second coming is utter folly. To proclaim the message concerning Christ’s past work apart from the subsequent message concerning Christ’s present and future work can only lead to spiritual disaster in the Christian life.

Christ appeared once “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” He now appears “in the presence of God for us,” and one day He will “appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

These three appearances comprise an indivisible unit intimately related to man ultimately being brought back into the position for which he was created in the beginning.

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‘The Powers That Be…’

Proper Attitude Toward Existing Governmental Powers

By Arlen Chitwood of Lamp Broadcast

“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke thee.’

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves” (Jude 1:8-10).

The message throughout the Epistle of Jude is twofold:

1) Christians are exhorted to earnestly strive “for [with respect to] the faith.”

2) Christians are warned concerning apostasy manifested in the lives of those who, instead, stand away “from the faith.”

Verses three and four introduce this message (Jude 1:3-4), verses five through seven form examples to illustrate that which has been introduced (Jude 1:5-7), and verse eight continues within the framework of teachings set forth in verses three through seven:

“Likewise [in like manner to the individuals previously mentioned in the examples] also these filthy dreamers [those in Jude 1:4] defile the flesh [cf. Jude 1:7], despise dominion [cf. Jude 1:6], and speak evil of dignities [cf. Jude 1:5].”

Proper and improper attitudes toward dignitaries are then given in verses nine and ten.

A basic teaching throughout the entire passage, beginning with verse three, has to do with the governmental administration of the earth and with apostasy in relation to this administration. Christians are to earnestly strive with respect to the faith in view of attaining the goal of their faith, the salvation of their souls (I Peter 1:9).

The realization of this salvation will follow the issues of the judgment seat of Christ and involves the placement of Christians in positions of power and authority as joint-heirs with Christ in His coming kingdom. Thus, Christians earnestly striving with respect to the faith is with a view to their occupying positions in the coming governmental administration of the earth following that time when “the kingdom of the world” has become “the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15 ASV).

Despising Dominion (Jude 1:8)

Despising dominion refers back to the sin of the angels in Jude 1:6. The word “despise” is from a Greek word meaning to “set aside,” “disregard.” Angels in the kingdom of Satan “set aside,” “disregarded” their positions of power in the heavens and came to earth in the form of man for the specific purpose of cohabiting with members of the human race. These angels set aside the positions for which they had been created and involved themselves in something completely alien to their very existence.

This account has been recorded in Jude, allowing the Spirit of God to draw spiritual lessons from Jude, showing how Christians can, in like manner, despise dominion; and this dominion is the very same dominion which the angels despised. The Church has been brought into existence to occupy heavenly places, to fill positions of power and authority in the heavens as God’s firstborn son during the coming age; and these positions are the same positions presently being occupied by angels ruling from heavenly places in Satan’s kingdom.

Angels holding positions of power and authority under Satan in the present kingdom of the heavens will continue to rule from this heavenly sphere until that day when they, along with Satan, are cast out of the heavens onto the earth. The Church will then be brought to the goal of its calling, and, as the bride of Christ, be placed in this heavenly realm and occupy these positions.

Christians have been saved with a view to their replacing the incumbent rulers in the heavens, and the warning in this passage concerns the present existing danger of Christians “setting aside” or “disregarding” their calling.

Angels apostatized in the past by standing away from the position for which they had been brought into existence; and Christians can, in like manner, apostatize during the present time by standing away from the position for which they have been brought into existence. Corruption, followed by judgment, was the inevitable outcome of this apostasy by angels; and corruption, followed by judgment, will also be the inevitable outcome of the same apostasy by Christians today.

Speaking Evil of Dignitaries (Jude 1:8-10)

Speaking evil of dignitaries in verse eight refers back to verse five and moves forward into verses nine and ten. The same word translated “speak evil” in the Greek text of verse eight is also used in verses nine and ten (blasphemeo, the verb form, appears in Jude 1:8, 10; and blasphemia, the noun form, appears in Jude 1:9). The word is translated “railing accusation” in verse nine and rendered, once again, as “speak evil” in verse ten.

This is the Greek word from which the English word “blasphemy” is derived; and the translation, “railing accusation,” in verse nine actually captures the thought expressed by the word somewhat better than the translation, “speak evil,” in verses eight and ten.

Railing accusations, emanating from unbelief on the part of the people of Israel in the historical account covered by verse five, were directed against Moses. However, by so doing, the people were actually directing these railing accusations against God Himself.

Moses was the one whom God had chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land covenanted to Abraham and his posterity through Isaac and Jacob. His power and authority were of Divine origin; and, consequently, accusations leveled against the leadership of Moses were, in actuality, accusations leveled against God Himself.

The people of Israel who questioned Moses’ authority, seeking to appoint a new leader and return to Egypt, were questioning the very authority of God vested in Moses (cf. Numbers 14:2, 27).

Because of this sin, resulting from unbelief concerning their ability to go into the land as God had commanded, judgment fell upon the people of Israel. They could no longer enter the land under Moses and realize the purpose for their salvation from Egypt. They had fallen away, apostatized, in such a manner that it was impossible to renew them again unto repentance (cf. Hebrews 6:4-6).

As a result, during the next thirty-eight and one-half years, the entire generation — murmuring against Moses, and thus against the Lord — perished in the wilderness.

Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and those who followed them constitute another similar example (Numbers 16:1ff). They rose up against Moses and Aaron in matters concerning their authority — Moses as leader of the people, and Aaron as high priest in the camp. When this occurred, Moses “fell upon his face” (Numbers 16:4). Moses knew that Korah and those with him were questioning, not just his and Aaron’s authority, but the authority of God.

This rebellion against authority led to unacceptable incense being offered upon the altar at the door of the tabernacle by two hundred fifty prominent men who had sided with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses. This, in turn, led to God’s judgment on the entire group. God exhibited his wrath upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram by opening a chasm in the earth and causing them, along with “all that appertained unto them [their wives, children (save Korah’s sons; cf. Numbers 26:11, 58]),” to go down into Sheol alive:

“And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

They, and all that appertained unto them, went down alive into the pit [‘into Sheol’], and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation” (Numbers 16:32-33).

A fire then came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred fifty men which had offered the incense upon the altar (Numbers 16:35).

Immediately after the destruction of Korah and those following him, the people of Israel again murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” Again, as before, this was a murmuring not only against Moses and Aaron but against God.

God was the One Who had performed the execution of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, their families, and the two hundred fifty men offering incense. And because of this same sin of murmuring against Divinely established authority, God sent a plague into the camp of Israel. This was done so speedily that before Aaron had time to make an “atonement for the people,” standing “between the dead and the living,” fourteen thousand seven hundred Israelites perished (Numbers 16:41-50).

According to Scripture, it is a serious thing to murmur against, bring railing accusations against, those whom God has placed in positions of power and authority. Any rebellion against Divinely established authority is a rebellion against the Lord. It was so during Moses’ day, and it is no different during the present day.

“The powers that be are ordained of God,” whether during Moses’ day or today. ALL POSITIONS of power and authority are by Divine appointment. And whosoever “resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation [‘judgment’]” (Romans 13:1-2).

God rules in the kingdom of men and gives it “to whomsoever he will.” God is the One Who establishes rulers, and He is also the One Who removes rulers (Daniel 4:17, 25-32). “There is no power but of God” (Romans 13:1), which today, in view of the coming age, is vested in His Son.

Jesus told His disciples, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). In view of this, any rebellion against existing ordained powers — whether in the heavens or upon the earth — is a rebellion against the power vested in God’s Son, which is simply a rebellion against Christ Himself.

Note the example given in Jude 1:9:

Michael, the archangel, WOULD NOT bring a railing accusation against even Satan. He, knowing that Satan held his position by Divine appointment and that Satan possessed no power but that which emanated from God, would go no further than to simply say, “The Lord rebuke thee.”

Michael knew that any accusation against Satan would be an accusation against the One Who had appointed him to this position, the One in whom all power and authority reside (cf. I Samuel 24:8-10; II Samuel 1:2-16).

(The parallel section in II Peter 2:11 is expanded to include other angels and other dignitaries as well:

“Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them [dignitaries] before the Lord.”)

Now, with all this in mind, the particular apostate element existing in Christendom in the latter days — with its parallel drawn from experiences of individuals during the days of Moses — should be clear.

Bringing railing accusations against those whom God has placed in positions of power and authority is a form of apostasy. It is that simple. Such reviling or railing against Divinely established authority is not only standing away from the God ordained position which a Christian is to occupy, but, as well, it is moving into a position wherein the apostate, in actuality, brings these accusations against the Lord Himself. And through such accusations, these apostates, as “brute beasts…corrupt themselves” (Jude 1:10; cf. II Peter 2:12).

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