SIMPLY THE CONSCIENCE OF MAN

What does it mean to be conscience? What does it mean to be conscious? I thought it might be spiritually instructive to pause and look into these two words in a spiritual light. In my simple way if defining conscience would be (having the ability to distinguish between right and wrong). And (conscious) means that you are awake, aware of your surroundings. You’re not asleep. We can put it in a sentence and say this: He was conscious during the medical procedure.

If we use these two words in a spiritual sense, couldn’t we say that there are a lot of people unconscious in our churches today? Meaning that they are spiritually asleep and very unaware of the spiritual things happening all around them? However, they might be very conscience of what they do right and wrong but simply don’t worry about it because they are not spiritually conscious.

As we leave the Garden of Eden, I see the importance of understanding the God Consciousness of man and how it will play out in the next possible two thousand years. In just seeking to spiritually see scripture, once God spoke to Adam in the garden and told them they had to leave that garden, look and pay attention to the next person he spoke to. I used the word consciousness there because we must be awake to the fact that God is in order to conscience. Do you see what I’m saying? Without the presence of God, you see no right or wrong!

Here, I’m going to use a verse we see in the New Testament. With that fact; we have to understand that the people just after Adam and Eve left the Garden od Eden didn’t have this verse to consider.

1 Timothy 4:1-2

NOW THE SPIRIT SPEAKETH EXPRESSLY, THAT ON THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS, AND DOCTRINES OF DEVILS; (2) SPEAKING LIES IN HYPOCRICY; HAVING THEIR CONSCIENCE SEARED WITH A HOT IRON;

I only point this out to make the point that a person’s conscience, their ability to see right and wrong can be simply dictated by what any person chooses to think.

One other thing I’d like to say and, just a few simple questions that I wonder about during this particular period of time that we see in scripture. First of all. We know this according to scripture. It says in (Genesis 3:14-19) God cursed the Serpent and made him crawl on his belly and eat dust all the days of his life. God also said to the Serpent this: I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his head. I’d like for you to remember this. This curse is upon the Serpent only, no other animal or any other being. I believe this is something to consider, we’ll look into it.

Unto the woman, God said this: I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Unto the man, God said this: because you harkened unto your wife and did eat the fruit, cursed be the ground for thy sake, in sorrow thou shalt eat all the days of thy life, thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shall eat the herb of the field, in the sweat of thou face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.

With those things being noted as we get into this chapter; I’d like to point out a few things that I believe is possible, but I can’t prove from scripture. I personally believe that it’s possible that the Cherubims (more than one) and a flaming sword was at the entrance of the Garden of Eden and could be seen all the way up to the days of the flood. I believe that it was a spiritual witnessing point to be used to point people to the grace that God had given to Adam and Eve. Also, is it possible that as they left that garden, things seem to be just as normal over the next few years. In other words, it took time for thistles and thorns to grow and for other things to take place. Remember, we now know that it had never rained before Noah’s Ark.

I can see how we just overlook something that is simple. Do you realize that neither Adam and Eve nor any animals died while in the garden? Therefore, there was no need for reproduction. Those things begin to happen after they left the garden. With that statement being noted, look at what God said to the Serpent. (I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN THEE AND THE WOMAN, AND BETWEEN HER SEED AND THY SEED). exactly what does that mean?

While you’re pondering that, consider this. Did Eve seem to have a problem having a conversation with the Serpent? Is it possible that all animals could talk before the flood? We see in (Numbers 22:28) where God opened the mouth of an ass and he spoke to Balaam!

So, look at this verse we see in:

Genesis 6:4

THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE EARTH IN THOSE DAYS; AND ALSO AFTER THAT, WHEN THE SONS OF GOD CAME INTO THE DAUGHTERS OF MEN, AND THEY BARE CHILDREN TO THEM, THE SAME BECAME MIGHTY MEN WHICH WERE OF OLD, MEN OF RENOWN.

God has a way of showing, teaching men just how ungodly they can be. Is it possible that the giants he reveals here just before the flood are products of men and women (before the flood) doing things we see mentioned in:

(Romans 1:26-28

FOR THIS CAUSE GOD GAVE THEM UP UNTO VILE AFFECTIONS: FOR EVEN THEIR WOMEN DID CHANGE THE NATURAL USE INTO THAT WHICH IS AGAINST NATURE: (27) AND LIKEWISE ALSO THE MEN, LEAVING THE NATURAL USE OF THE WOMAN, BURNED IN THEIR LUST ONE TOWARD ANOTHER; MEN WITH MEN WORKING THAT WHICH IS UNSEEMLY, AND RECEIVING IN THEMSELVES THAT RECOMPENSE OF THEIR ERROR WHICH WAS MEET. (28) AND EVEN AS THEY DID NOT LIKE TO RETAIN GOD IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE, GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO A REPROBATE MIND, TO DO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT CONVENIENT;

What will men do if they are left to their own conscience? These things I cannot prove but as we move forward, we will see that whatever men had done, God deemed it necessary to destroy them all and start over again. We also know that today there are people that commit (paraphilia) which I will define as trying to mix their seeds with animals. With that being said, let’s look at this verse.

Exodus 22:19

WHOSOEVER LIETH WITH A BEAST SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH.

Consider this, why would God give such a commandment if it hadn’t already happened and he knew it? We can’t make the mistake of thinking God didn’t know in the very beginning because it’s nothing he doesn’t know but, once he allowed us to see that he makes the commandment. I stated that God has a way of proving just how ungodly man can be. What he might have allowed between men and beast before the flood, he changed after the flood. Let’s look at a couple more verses and we’ll move on. Whether animals could talk before the flood, I can’t prove other than what I’ve already said but, we do know that basically all animals were tame before the flood. That changed after the flood.

Genesis 9:2

AND THE FEAR OF YOU AND THE DREAD OF YOU SHALL BE UPON EVERY BEAST OF THE EARTH, AND UPON EVERY FOWL OF THE AIR, AND UPON ALL THAT MOVETH UPON THE EARTH, AND UPON ALL FISHES OF THE SEA; INTO YOUR HAND ARE THEY DELIVERED.

I often say that I believe that during the thousand-year millennial reign of Christ things will go back to being basically like it was in the Garden of Eden. Do you remember the phrase (the lion shall lay down with the lamb)? Also, look at this verse.

Isaiah 11:4

THE WOLF ALSO SHALL DWELL WITH THE LAMB, AND THE LEOPARD SHALL LIE DOWN WITH THE KID; AND THE CALF AND THE YOUNG LION AND THE FATLING TOGETHER; AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM.

You can read this whole chapter and study both, before and after. This is speaking of the Thousand-year millennial reign of Jesus Christ which we will be looking into a little farther along. There are some things I mentioned that will be debated until Jesus Christ returns to set up his kingdom. However, it is food for thought as we seek to see the different ways God has dealt with man through time.

As we get into this and see how God Deals with Cain, I also believe that Godly people would use what God did to him as another way to witness of the grace of God toward Adam and Eve. So, we’ll begin with this.

Genesis 4:6-7

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO CAIN, WHY ART THOU WROTH? AND WHY IS THOU COUNTENANCE FALLEN (7) IF THOU DOEST WELL, SHALT THOU NOT BE ACCEPTED? AND IF THOU DOEST NOT WELL, SIN LIETH AT THE DOOR. AND UNTO THEE SHALL BE HIS DESIRE, AND THOU SHAL RULE OVER HIM.

This is one of three times in this chapter that we see God have a conversation with Cain. To put in our words, he preached a message to him. We can’t say how long now that its been since they left the garden but, both of these young men have grown and have a basic understanding of what they have been taught. We also know that in (Genesis 5) we see the children that are born to both Cain and Seth.

I feel that just by way of teaching I need to make this comment here. I do this to show the possibility of a depraved conscience. Over the years as a born-again believer, I’ve been asked this question: who did Cain marry? First of all, the question has always been concerning Cain, why not Seth? Didn’t he get married as well? Just in this one simple question, can you see just how easy it is to allow our conscience to flow toward the physical or fleshly man and not toward the spiritual man? Cain being the type of our flesh? When this question is asked, it’s always asked by people that haven’t considered studying God’s word and, in their flesh seeking to make a person that is seeking to learn spiritual things look stupid.

With this being said, if that would have simply done a little research, they would have known that Adam and Eve had more children than just the sons recorded in the first part of this chapter. As a matter of fact, it appears that they think that it was just Cain and Abel and, even Seth was never born. So, look at this verse.

Genesis 5:4

AND THE DAYS OF ADAM AFTER HE HAD BEGOTTEN SETH WERE EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS: AND HE BEGOT SONS AND DAUGHTERS:

With this fact being known, let’s just assume that Cain married one of his sisters. Now also consider this. The Bible says this (CAIN KNEW HIS WIFE). We see this about Cain in (Genesis 4:17).. First of all, can you see a spiritual decline in Adam’s children even in the very fact that one of his daughters would marry Cain? One of the reasons that I point that out is because, someone had to teach the spiritual lesson of the marriage of a man and a woman to Cain, would you agree?

So, back to the message God preached to Cain. Can you see how that God sought to teach Cain what it took to be pleasing to him, but Cain rejected that message? Now, let’s look a little into the message. In (Genesis 4:7) God asked him this question. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

In every person, there’s a (God Consciousness). We are awake to the fact that there is a presence of God. When truth is shared, God deals with that Conscience, we can know right from wrong.. However, any person can make any choice they choose to with what has been taught to them. I desire to move on but by this we know that both Cain and Seth had been taught the very same thing. The difference was in what their conscience allowed them to do. Please understand that at this point, there is nothing, but truth as revealed by Adam and Eve to their children and the desire of their children to yield to that truth. God is simply speaking, revealing himself through man and truth, no Holy Spirit that draws conviction.

Let’s look at the next part of the message. (Genesis 4:7) and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shall rule over him.

SIN LIETH AT THE DOOR! Look at it, it appears to be the most beautiful thing possible. Remember this? (AND WHEN THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD, AND THAT IT WAS PLEASENT TO THE EYES, AND A TREE TO BE DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE, SHE TOOK THE FRUIT THEREOF, AND DID EAT).

As we speak of Cain, we don’t see the Serpent here, do we? However, make no mistake, he’s living right there in the flesh of Cain just as he does in every person. (in my opinion) and this is only my opinion, Cain’s desire was to take what he had done with his hands and say to God, (LOOK WHAT I HAVE DONE)! And he expected God to be pleased with his accomplishments. While Abel understood that it was all God, and he could do nothing within himself.

Let’s look at the next part of this. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. In today’s language, his and him would be the pronouns they use. Both of which here would be referring to sin. In the New Testament we see it stated this way.

1 John 3:4

WHOSOEVER COMMITTETH SIN TRANSGRESSETH THE LAW: FOR SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW.

We now can easily see this but, they didn’t have the New Testament, did they? All they had was conscience. Can you see how (unto thee shall be his (sins) desire)? In other words, you are fulfilling to will of sin. The last part says: (and thou shall rule over him (sin). All you’re doing is allowing sin to use your body to have its way. You are controlling that!

The next time God speaks to Cain he says: (WHERE IS THOU BROTHER?) (WHAT HAST THOU DONE)? We know already that God knows the answer to these questions before they are asked. However, I often tell people that the difference in preaching and teaching is that when someone is preaching, there has to be an answer given, not necessarily with teaching. Already, since God has been preaching to Cain, we have seen grace and mercy offered twice. The first time God asked the question, if thou doest well, will thou not be excepted? At that, Cain didn’t answer in words but by his continual actions, like most sinners do. For instance, A message is preached, you feel great conviction but, just stood there, turned and left. The second time God asked two questions and Cain this time replied, (AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER)? He also said, (I KNOW NOT). It just might be more truth in that answer that he realized.

Now, the third time God spoke to Cain, this is what he said.

Genesis 4:15

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM, THEREFORE WHOSOEVER SLAYETH CAIN, VENGEANCE SHALL BE TAKEN ON HIM SEVENFOLD. AND THE LORD SET A MARK UPON CAIN, LEST ANY FINDING HIM SHOULD KILL HIM.

In that, can you see a description of eternal damnation in the curse of any sinner that refuses to hear God? Also, can you hear sarcasm in the response Cain gave God when he asks him where was his brother? Sinners beware for God is not mocked! For whatsoever you sow, so shall you reap!

I’d also like to point out one other point here as well. (Genesis 4:17-24) Here we see the things that the children of Cain built and did. We often think that we are the most intelligent people that have ever lived but, just read what some of these people did and consider what they might have accomplished. In the last couple of verses notice what is said. Lamech appears to have killed two men. He tells his wives that if Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold. I believe it’s very possible that the fact that God had placed so great a punishment on Cain that it had become a possible witnessing point to those that believed God. One great difference in now and then is that people cannot see the punishment of hell, can they? But as people lived out their lives, they could see all that Cain was facing.

The things of this world are often made by sinful people. We as believers get to enjoy the comforts, they might afford but, can you see how we can never make that our focus? Do you remember the verse in the New Testament, (FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS ON SOUL)?

The very same way we see the works of the hands of Cain’s people, we can also see mindsets of God’s people. I’ll use just one simple verse to begin this.

Genesis 5:29

AND HE CALLED HIS NAME NOAH, SAYING, THIS SAME SHALL COMFORT US CONCERNING OUR WORK AND TOIL OF OUR HANDS, BECAUSE OF THE GROUND WHICH THE LORD HATH CURSED.

If you will notice there are two Lamech’s mentioned, one in the line of Cain and the other in the line of Seth (Genesis 4&5). I’m always seeking to see spiritual types as I read and study scripture. For example: there is a me that is now past tense as far as my flesh is concerned and now, my prayer is that you can see the (new man) in Christ. I believe we can make that a type of what I’m saying.

As we look at the people mentioned within the timeline of God’s people, those that listened to Seth and placed their faith in the God that offered grace to sinful men I always point this out. As we read through both the genealogies, we see that they all died. We often take the fact that only eight people got on the Ark as meaning that only eight people done the work on that Ark. Isn’t it possible that many people over the one hundred and twenty years it took to build the Ark helped but they died off one at a time? Also, each of these people knew that Adam and Eve died. They lived by faith, knowing that their was something beyond what they had seen on this earth.

When Lamech, the father of Noah made this statement (the same shall comfort us) what did he know? Did God reveal to him that God would be building an Ark? These questions, like many have to be left to spiritual application. I’ll give you, my thoughts. We’re talking about people of faith here, people that shunned the ways of this world and walked by faith. Lamech could see the corruption all around them. It’s very possible that he was thinking that all this cannot stand much longer.

If we use ourselves as believers today as a metaphor, can’t we say the same thing? We now have the New Testament that is far more revealing as it relates to end times and, don’t we look at each generation as it comes and goes and think, this can’t go on much longer? However, we keep building for God’s glory because we simply live by faith, not knowing what tomorrow might bring.

As we look at the descendants of these two different men being Cain and Seth isn’t it obvious that Cain, a man after the flesh was building things of this world but Seth and his descendants were more concerned about things not of this world?

Before we leave this, I’d like to show something that I considered. We often will just read through genealogies and not pay too much attention to them. I believe that they are there for a reason and we must seek to find truth even in them. So, with this being said, let’s see if you agree with me. Methuselah lived longer than any other person, we see in (Genesis 5:27) he lived nine hundred sixty and nine years. I believe he is a type of the Holy Spirit. When Methuselah died, the flood came.

Let’s do the numbers. Methuselah was one hundred and eighty-seven years old when Lamech was born. (verse 25) We’ve already seen that he lived a total of nine hundred and sixty-nine years. It says that Lamech lived a total of seven hundred and seventy-seven years. Adding (777 +187) = 964. Those two numbers represent the age Methuselah was when Lamech was born and the total life span of Lamech. Therefore, Methuselah lived six years alter Lamech died. His son died first.

Let’s look at this. The Bible says that (Enoch walked with God: and was not, because God took him). Can you see a picture of Enoch being a type of Jesus Christ, Methuselah being a type of the Holy Spirit there? Jesus Christ left but, he left the Holy Spirit to be with us until the rapture. When Methuselah died, the flood came!

During this period of time that I’m calling conscience we see that God deals with the sinner first. We also know this, there were God fearing people, Seth, Adam, Eve and possible some of the children of Adam and Eve, Seth and his family that were sharing to grace and mercy of God. However, as time moved forward less, and less people paid any attention and also less and less people even believed. I actually got so bad that it caused God to speak again. We see him speaking in (Genesis 6). But to whom is he speaking now? Would you allow me to make an assumption? He’s crying out loud to the members of the world, but who is listening to him? Can we agree that the very same thing is happening all over the world again today, and no one is listening!

God the father has now proven two distinct things. One, like Adam and Eve, if man is left to themselves, the weakness of their flesh will cause them to fall into sin. Two, it cannot be simply left up to a man’s conscience to direct him because of the weakness of his flesh his conscious will be seared.

the next time we see that God speaks to anyone is when he speaks to Noah concerning the building of the Ark. All this time and we don’t see any instruction from God about how things are to be done. Man, up until this time, the time of Noah it’s simply been no law, no spirit, only the fact that Adam and Eve revealed the grace of God to their children. Each person had to seek righteousness from that mindset. The only thing we see is the punishment that God placed on Cain for his actions.

Now we’ll move to chapter six where Noah found grace in the eyes of God. This can call this in a way the start of Human Government. The reason I say that is because we will see where God tells Noah a couple of things and the punishment for them after the Ark settles back to earth.

CHAPTER ONE

AN AGE OF INNOCENCE

I fell impressed by God’s Spirit to try and teach my understanding of spiritual things to come. God gave us his word to reveal the things we need to know about now and even eternity if we, as individuals make a choice to pray and seek the answers we need to our spiritual future.

Ignorance, and the teaching thereof is the way Satan loves to keep people. That causes them to live in fear and doubt. As they stay in spiritual darkness, hidden from truth and therefore, they live their whole lives never understanding God’s plan for his people. This is not just the lost people of this world; many that are truly born-again believers also never come to an understanding of the plan of God for eternity.

I often say as I teach things of any spiritual nature that I’m just a vessel of God’s Holy Spirit. A vessel that doesn’t even claim to be perfect or to know it all. However, if within my teachings you can glean at least a desire to learn far beyond what I teach or, you even try to prove me wrong then God’s Spirit can use me in either case.

As I teach, you need to understand that I believe that God the Father has dealt with mankind in different ways ever since he created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden. I often use this verse of scripture to prove my point.

Hebrews 1:1-2

GOD, WHO AT SUNDRY TIMES AND IN DIVERS MANNERS SPAKE IN TIMES PAST UNTO THE FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, (2) HATH IN THESE LAST DAYS SPOKEN UNTO US BY HIS SON, WHOM HE HATH APPOINTED HEIR OF ALL THINGS, BY WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS;

Some of that fact is just simple common sense. For instance, and I say this often. When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden with the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They, failed and had to leave that garden. With that point being made, we don’t worry about the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil today do we? That particular way that God dealt with man, came and went. That is, as far as any of us actually attempting to eat of the fruit of that tree. The very concept of that tree still exists today in a spiritual sense. As we grow physically and become tempted by sin, once we reach out and commit that sin it’s the very same as Eve taking that fruit and eating it.

I believe we could make the point here that the very fact that God placed a (God Consciousness) in man and the fact that he always offers grace in every different way that he deals with man possibly brought about the way that man learned of his righteousness once Adam and Eve left the garden.

Let’s try and relate what happened to Adam and Eve to our very own lives today. This is what God said to Adam right after the created him.

Genesis 2:16-17

AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN, SAYING, OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT: (17) BUT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLWDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: FOR IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF THOU SHALT SURELY DIE.

Now, let’s notice something here:

Genesis 2:9

AND OUT OF THE GROUND MADE THE LORD GOD TO GROW EVERY TREE THAT IS PLEASANT TO THE SIGHT, AND GOOD FOR FOOD; THE TREE OF LIFE ALSO IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN, AND THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.

We see here that they could also eat fruit off of the tree of life. Is there a point to be made about that? I believe it is and as we continue moving forward, we will see that tree again. Let’s point it out right now for one of those times.

Genesis 3:22-24

AND THE LORD GOD SAID, BEHOLD, THE MAN IS BECOME AS ONE OF US, TO KNOW GOOD AND EVIL: AND NOW, LEST HE PUT FORTH HIS HAND, AND TAKE ALSO OF THE TREE OF LIFE, AND EAT, AND LIVE FOREVER: (23) THEREFORE THE LORD GOD SENT HIM FORTH FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN, TO TILL THE GROUND FROM WHENCE HE WAS TAKEN, (24) SO HE DROVE OUT THE MAN; AND HE PLACED AT THE EAST AT OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN CHERUBIMS, AND A FLAMING SWORD WHICH TURNED EVERY WAY, TO KEEP THE WAY OF THE TREE OF LIFE.

If you will notice in this verse; he doesn’t say (to keep them or men away from the (tree of life), he says (to keep the way) of the tree of life. What would (the way) of the tree of life be? The answer to that question can be found all through the sundry times and divers manners that God chose to deal with mankind, it has never changed. It all has to do with the condition of a person’s heart. It always has been. (The Way) of man placing his complete faith in the mercy and grace of God.

As we get into the place that Israel and the Church will live for eternity; I’d like to start by using this verse of scripture:

Romans 9:6

NOT AS THOUGH THE WORD OF GOD HATH TAKEN NONE EFFECT. FOR THEY ARE NOT ALL ISRAEL, WHICH ARE OF ISRAEL;

I pause here and consider just how deep we need to go here. The reality is that God chose this nation to be his people. In essence, his desire was for the people of this nation to all listen to God as he spoke to them and to direct every move they made and, by doing so they would at some point be in complete control of this world. God would allow his voice to be heard through this nation and because of their strength the world would be governed by the Spirit of God that directed them.

While there were some in Israel that were very willing to yield to that Spirit, the majority of Israel chose to live in fear, rejecting that voice. This is what the Apostle Paul meant by (they are not all Israel). In the mind of God, (Israel) was his Spirit moving and leading this world. If we go back to Adam and Eve and their acceptance of the blood sacrifice, we see the same picture. However, we also see that even though they sought to teach their children about the grace God had afforded them most of their children rejected the grace and chose to live their lives as they pleased.

We can see in (Genesis 3:21) that God killed an animal, shed blood to cover them both. We must understand that this blood sacrifice had to be accepted by them both. Do you understand that they both could have rejected it? But they didn’t. As we move forward, we will see that Eve truly had a burden for one of her children to understand and accept that same sacrifice.

Let’s make this point right now even if I have to repeat it again. We see that when Adam and Eve left the garden, they had two sons, Cain and Able. We see that Cain killed Abel, Abel being to son that truly had accepted the blood sacrifice and was seeking to honor God in his life. WE see that in (Genesis 4). Now, notice what Eve says a little later.

Genesis 4:25

AND ADAM KNEW HIS WIFE AGAIN; AND SHE BARE A SON, AND CALLED HIS NAME SETH: FOR GOD, SAID SHE, HATHAPPOINTED ME ANOTHER SEED INSTEAD OF ABEL, WHOM CAIN SLEW.

Can you see the passion for someone to carry their salvation story on to the future generations? In (Genesis 5) we see that Adam and Eve had many children. However, just like Cain most of them went the same way in their lives as he did.

Israel is the same way. As we read through scripture, we see the decline of God’s will as the people he had chosen moved forward. However, God made a promise to Abraham that his people would inherit the earth and, the fact that Israel was not obedient to God did not void that promise. I believe that many people fail to realize that God the Father has had a design for the world and its people even since the foundation of the world. It’s not like anything that has ever happened caught God the Father by surprise. At every turn, he knew exactly what people would do.

For instance: when God destroyed this world with water, Noah’s Ark and only eight people entered that Ark, God already knew that the sinfulness of man would take root again from those same eight people. When God made the promise to Abram in (Genesis 12) he already knew that Israel would be less than he desired for them to be and that he would set them aside that the Gentiles might come into his fold.

Look at this verse:

Ecclesiastes 1:4

ONE GENERATION PASSETH AWAY, AND ANOTHER GENERATION COMETH: BUT THE EARTH ABIDETH FOR EVER.

This verse is more pointed to Israel:

Luke 1:31-33

AND, BEHOLD, THOU SHALT CONCIEVE IN THY WOMB, AND BRING FORTH A SON, AND SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS. (32) HE SHALL BE GREAT, AND SHALL BE CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGHEST: AND THE LORD GOD SHALL GIVE UNTO HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID: (33) AND HE SHALL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOR EVER; AND OF HIS KINGDOM THERE SHALL BE NO END.

We see in these verses that this earth is a forever place. We also see that Jesus Christ’s is forever. What we fail to recognize often is that the Jewish people are earthly people. We see here that the house of Jacob is forever. It will be forever right here on this earth. And, the kingdom of Jesus Christ will have no end.

If you will study (Daniel 9) and (Romans chapters 9,10,11) you can see these things clearly if you will allow God’s Spirit to lead you as you study. I also like to point this out. Although the last book of the Old Testament is Malachi, the Old Testament didn’t actually end until Jesus Christ died on the Cross of Calvary. Look at this verse:

Matthew 27:51

AND, BEHOLD, THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS RENT IN TWAIN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM; AND THE EARTH DID QUAKE, AND THE ROCKS RENT;

Up until this point, the Nation of Israel still went to the temple to worship and only the high priest could go behind that veil. These things are easily seen in scripture. However, when Jesus Christ died on the cross it brought an end to what the Jews had always known. Something new was about to transpire.

It’s also important to understand this fact. God purposely blinded the spiritual understanding of this to Israel as a nation. As a nation they cannot see and will not understand the spiritual application of things until God opens their spiritual eyes at the time appointed. With that being said, any person, Jew or Gentile that desires to be born again can feel the convicting hand of God and become a member of the new formed (Church) the body of Jesus Christ. Now, it’s a whosoever will come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Although we mentioned a few other things here we also see how the beginning and an end came to the Garden of Eden. We clearly see that God the Father started a dialogue with Adam and Eve and also ended the way he worked with those two people. If we wish; we can call this an introduction to the very way that God chose to work and speak to mankind. We see this in the first three chapters of Genesis. These three chapters are very rich in spiritual knowledge if anyone choses to try and dig all these things out. All I’m doing is simply making the point that God chose more than one way to speak to man over the course of God’s word. In every way we look into I’ll try and make the point that every person’s walk with God has to be a very individual personal relationship apart from any (what we call) law.

The very reason God gave this law we see in Genesis concerning the Knowledge of the tree of good and evil was to show that man is sinful by nature and to prove that he needs a savior far above all laws that even God can make. As we move forward, we will see this time and time again.

In the next chapter we’ll move from the time Adam and Eve left the garden up until Noah built the Ark.

Let’s start here and see what we can agree on.

God the Father is

1– Calvinism has five points, and it spells the word TULIP. Most people that study God’s word can agree on some point of what he says but, not all. Often people will say that they are a three-point Calvinist for instance. I’ll show you the points I some and to some degree believe and will stand on.

T– TOTAL DEPRAVITY

This means that basically mankind is completely in sin and unable to do anything on his own to help himself out of that condition.

This aspect I can agree with. We, people are sin-cursed in every way. There are many people that will disagree with me on the way I look at this but, this is what I see in scripture. We are born in sin, Although Jesus Christ died and rose again from the grave to pay the price for our sin and when we are born again, his blood has covered all our sin, it doesn’t make us any less sinners. Now, instead of being (lost sinners) we are (saved) or (born-again- sinners. The only difference is that we now have his blood for our covering. We must understand that the fact that we are still sinner’s doe does not give us the right to continue in sin. It’s our spiritual responsibility to grow daily, allow God’s Spirit to teach us and turn us away from our sinful acts understanding that we will never reach perfection this side of heaven. It’s a couple of verses that we can read to see my point.

Romans 3:10-13

AS IT IS WRITTEN, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE: (11) THERE IS NONE THAT UNDERSTADETH, THERE IS NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD. (12) THEY ARE ALL OUT OF THE WAY, THEY ARE TOGETHER BECOME UNPROFITABLE; THERE IS NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, NO, NOT ONE. (13) THERE THROAT IS AND OPEN SEPULCHRE; WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY HAVE USED DECIET; THE POISON OF ASPS IS UPON THEIR LIPS:

1 john 1:9-10

IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFIUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. (10) IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE HIM A LIAR, AND HIS WORS IS NOT IN US.

If you will notice in both of these books (Romans and John) it is speaking to believers, it’s people that have already been born-again. John calls them (my little children) The Apostle Paul in (Romans) the first chapter and maybe verses (1-5) say it’s to the saints.

U — UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

What might he be saying here? He is teaching that God chooses to whom will be saved. This way of thinking says that people are sinners and not able to create a response God. I could say he is somewhat correct; however, I believe he misses the aspect of the Holy Spirit of God and the ability of preachers to preach God’s word under that inspiration and allow the Holy Spirit to work in a person’s heart. In my personal opinion, I believe that the word election is completely out of place here and, I will show you why in a little while. The phrase (unconditional election) implies that a person, any person will be saved, no matter how he lives, what he does for time and eternity. Therefore, I completely disagree with his point here.

Let’s add something here. Jesus Christ was crucified between two thieves. The one on his right side ask him to remember him when he came into his kingdom. Jesus replied, (today you will be with me in paradise). now, if by chance that thief would have not been a person that had been predestined by God, would Jesus have had to say to him, nope, you can’t go, you weren’t chosen! Also, in:

Matthew 7:23

Jesus Says this:

AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.

Now if (unconditional election) is true, couldn’t I then kook at Jesus Christ and say (ye you did), you just rejected me. I came to you for help multiple times and you turned me away! These facts are very contrary to God’ own word and cannot be true. It’s a couple of other points I would point out.

Romans 12:1-2

I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BY HTE MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YE PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE. (2) AND BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD: BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD, AND ACCECPABLE, AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD.

2 Peter 1:10

WHEREFORE THE RATHER, BRETHREN, GIVE DILIGENCE TO MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE: FOR IF YE DO THESE THINGS, YE SHALL NOT FALL (11) FOR SO AN ENTRANCE SHALL BE MINISTERED UNTO YOU ABUNDANTLY INTO THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.

Here, in these verses, do you see that you have a responsibility to do something? For instance, In (2 Peter 1:10 why am I going to (make my calling and election sure if it’s already been predestinated? In (Romans 12L1-2) why do I have to (not conform) to this world or (be transformed by the renewing of my mind) if those things have already been predestined?

L– LIMITED ATONEMENT

This is stating that Jesus Christ only died for the (elect). Let’s asked a question here. Now, we can get into who the elect is as mentioned in scripture a little later but, how do you know that I am or am not one of the elect? Therefore, why would you even attempt to hear anything I might say? Do you have to accept the fact that I say I’m one of the elect just because I say I am? And also, it this is true, don’t we have to remove every (whosoever will) in scripture?

It’s any number of ways and scriptures that can disprove what they are teaching. I’ll give you something to consider about this shortly.

I –IRRISTABLE GRACE

Over the years and looking into this I’ve heard a couple of ways this is seen, that is (irresistible grace). One way that it can be seen is that as you sit in Church while a preacher is preaching with the power of God, you cannot help the fact that the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and draws you to become a believer. It doesn’t matter whether you get saved or not, you can’t help the fact that he spoke to your heart. I can see that aspect of (irresistible grace). Another way that I’ve heard this is that if God desires to save you being drawn by God’s Spirit you are going to the alter, you have no choice. He is going to pull you down there. There’s a Church within fifty miles of my house that actually believes this. I totally disagree with this aspect of (irresistible grace).

The way I believe that most people that preach predestination view this is like this. They believe that when any person preaches God is going to only speak to those that he has chosen, predestinated or elected to be saved. The rest will never feel that Holy Spirit drawing them.

God’s grace is resistible. It’s for (whosoever will). The whole concept of salvation from Adam and Eve until our present day is actually simple, nothing complicated about it. For eample: I visited a friend of mine the other day, he is somewhat disabled. His daughter was there and pointed this out to me. She pointed to a cup of water on the table beside his chair. The cup had a handle on it. She said, my mom, his wife will keep water and ice in that cup for him and, also turn the handle so he can easily pick it up, every time she refills it.

She does this simple out of love, not because of any demand on his part. This picture of love between a wife and a husband of course goes both way if it is done correctly. I’ll use something that my wife and I do. If my wife goes to the restroom and, at some point I go after her, the commode lid will always be up for me. If I go, before her, it will always be down. Nothing much and, that’s just one thing I mention, I could mention many.

The point is that a wife or husband would much rather for acts of love to be shown (just because) rather than by demand, bring forced to do so. (In my opinion) that is somewhat the difference in Jesus Christ being the bridegroom of the Church and not just our king. A king can demand anything he desires, and it will come to pass but, a husband desires to be treated with love and that love acted out just because of love, nothing more.

This is the very same picture of what we see today as salvation. Jesus Christ (God in flesh) willingly gave his all on the cross for us. God raised him from the dead, seated him at his right hand, sent the Holy Spirit to this world to convict us of our sinful nature and draw us to his loving side, that is (whosoever will) His desire is for each of us to come of our own freewill. To willingly give ourselves in service to him, that not because we must but because we make a choice to submit to his will.

PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

This is another one I can agree with. Now, I didn’t actually keep up with it but, I believe many would call me a (two-point Calvinist). However, I’m actually not! I’m simply a born-again believer that studies and believes God’s word, When the term (perseverance of the saints) is used, we still have to understand what is being taught. If we look at the extreme answer to this as seen by those that believe in predestination, can’t we say that if a person comes down to an alter for salvation that the person was already saved, even before he or she came and, the fact they came to the after was a moot point? Using that same mindset, does it matter whether they attempt to live righteous or just remain as the have always been?

I believe that once any person is born-again, they then have eternal security. At the same time, I’m the judge of no person. The only person I can say for sure is saved is me. Likewise, the only person you can say for sure is saved, is you. Since I mention this, I will say this. The Bible teaches us to (JUDGE NOT THAT WE BE NOT JUDGED). In this verse it’s speaking of looking at a person, seeing their lifestyle and, by what we see saying that person is lost or saved. We cannot see the heart of any person, only God can decide that. Now, it also teaches us the (JUDGE RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT). We do, as believers, even being lost have a right to see righteous or unrighteous acts. If you see me steal something, you then have a God given right to say to me that what I just dis is wrong, it is sin but, we cannot decide that person’s salvation on simply what we see.

The Bible also says this (JUDGE YOURSELF AND THEREFORE YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE JUDGED). this is speaking to born-again believers, and it is instructing us to look at ourselves and to change what we know that is not righteous in our lives.

Can we agree that all these things still point back to any individual and their own personal walk with Jeus Christ? Within that concept, we still see a necessity of a relationship far beyond being predestinated. As we consider all these things, each person will build unto themselves how we stand before Jesus Christ at the (Judgement seat) of Jesus Christ. We see that term in two places.

Romans 14:10

BUT WHY DOST THOU JUDGE THY BROTHER? OR WHY DOST THOU SET AT NOUGHT THY BROTHER? FOR WE SHALL ALL STAND BEFORE THE JUDGNENT SEAT OF CHRIST.

2 Corinthians 5:10

FOR WE MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST; THAT EVERY ONE MAY RECEIVE, THE THINGS DONE IN HIS BODY, ACCORDING TO THAT HE HATH DONE, WHETHER IT BE GOOD OR BAD.

Now, here I’m going to show something.

GOD IS:

OMNIPRESENT. In basic terms, there is nowhere that God is not.

OMNIPOTENCE-In basic terms, God what he desires to do.

OMNISCIENCE- God’s power is not blind. Everything he does has a purpose, a definite goal.

This is partially where I believe that many people misunderstand. If we say that God doesn’t know then we make him less than God, he knows the beginning from the end. His power is unmatched and all he does in this world has a purpose. I believe that! However, with that being said, he also gave each of us a freewill.

I’ve already stated that I’m not a judge of any person. But that doesn’t mean that every person that teaches God’s word is born0does it? It also doesn’t mean that every person that is born-again truly seeks to know and understand God’s word, does it?

This is something I believe that many people miss. While Jesus Christ died and rose again for the sin of the world, which is true, technically, he died for the Church, which is his wife, his body. When each person is born-again that places them inside that body, the Church. Jesus Christ will return one day for that body, his Church. Now, let’s look at this>

We see this in (Ephesians 1). I won’t write it all, but I want you to see what I’m saying. This book and chapter are one place we see the word (predestinate). My desire is for you to see what he is saying (after) he uses that word.

(VERSE 13-15)

IN WHOM YE ALSO TRUSTED, AFTER THAT YE HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION: IN WHOM ALSO AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED WITH THAT HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE. (14) WHICH IS THE EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSESSION, UNTO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY. (15) WHEREFORE I ALSO, AFTER I HEARD OF YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS, AND LOVE UNTO ALL THE SAINTS,

The Apostle Paul, in the first part of this chapter uses the words (we and us) often. If you will notice in the verses, I wrote you we see the word (AFTER). After that ye heard the word of truth, after that ye believed. So, can you see here that something had to be done before you were considered (predestined)? You had the hear the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and you had to believe after you heard that word. Now, notice, once this was done you were also (sealed) with the Holy Spirit of promise.

The Church is a perfect picture of Noah’s Ark. Even before Noah began to build the Ark, it was going to rain, and it was going to float. Even before Jesus Christ died on the cross, the Church was going to be raptured and any person that was born-again was going to be in that Church as promised. The Ark was predestined, and the Church is Predestined. However, not one person is predestined. Whosoever will can be born-again and be a part of the body of Christ.

The only other place we see the word) predestined is in.

Romans 8:29-30

FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. (30) moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Notice the verse before these two.

Romans 8:28

AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM THAT ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

In closing, I, as a man, a born-again believer will never claim to know it all, I’m still learning. However, if you will read the first few verses in (Roman 1) you will notice that the Apostle Paul is speaking to people that have already been born-again I the saints at Rome. These people are already inside the body of Christ. Every person that is born-again is (predestined) to be conformed to the imager of God’s son, Jesus Christ. As we grow spiritually, we become more like him however, we will never be like him until we stand in his presence.

Now, without getting too much into foreknowledge and election, can you see how God, already know the very end can elect and call people according to his will? I believe where we often get deceived is thinking just because someone is standing behind a pulpit or, just speaking that person is called by God. They are not! And, I might add that that’s why the Holy Spirit is so important in the heart of every believer. That Spirit will lead you into all truth. Even this that I wrote, it will take God’s Spirit to reveal the truth to you, not simply the fact that I say or teach something.

Please don’t be like average Church members and just sit there and believe all you hear or, all I write. Seek God’s Spirit as you read or listen and allow him and, only him to be your teacher. Stand be fore God one day and hear him say (WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SREVANT)!

Marshall Clayton

2Timothy 1:7

IN THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD; (2) AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE POROPHETS, BEHOLD, I SEND A MESSENGER BEFORE THY FACE, WHICH SHALL PREPARE THY WAY BEFORE THEE.

While studying about the different ways the God the Father has dealt with man over the time since Adam, I seen this verse of scripture. It came about because of seeing the difference in the way that even the gospel of Jesus Christ is seen as revealed in scripture. We hear a lot today about reading God’s word. However, simply reading God’s word will never reveal the spiritual aspects of his word he truly desires for each of his children to know and understand.

Exactly how can the gospel of Jesus Christ be defined? If we simply take this verse at face value like most people might; couldn’t we simply say that he was speaking of John, the Baptist and his message to the nation of Israel? And, to add to that, the Nation of Israel could say that our king has come and that’s the end of it.

We know that it’s more to the gospel of Jesus Christ than just what we see here in Mark and, it needs to be understood that spiritual growth might occur in the hearts of believers. I’d like for us to see this verse of scripture.

Hebrews 6:1-2.

THEREFORE LEAVING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, LET US GO ON UNTO PERFECTION; NOT LAYING AGAIN THE FOUNDATION OF REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS, OF FAITH TOWARD GOD, (2) OF THE DOCTRINES OF BAPTISMS, AND OF LAYING ON OF HANDS, AND OF RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, AND OF ETERNAL JUDGMENT.

When we see the word (therefore) at the beginning of these verses it tells us we must go back and see what caused him to say these things. If we do so, he is making the point that they are dull of hearing. While at the time they should be teachers, they still need someone to teach them. They, like babies are in need of milk and can’t eat strong spiritual meat. They are unskilled in the word of God and his righteousness. and so on.

I personally believe that the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews to his own people, the Hebrew believers in Jesus Christ, those that were born-again. Although that can’t be proven that I know of, he was very concerned in the lack of spiritual growth in them as he seen it. We, as well have to understand that even the fact that there was an Apostle Paul tells us that time has moved forward from the days that Jesus Christ lived among them. We, like the Nation of Israel, when we lock ourselves in a time zone so to speak also lock out our ability to learn to eat strong spiritual meat. That because we refuse to acknowledge time as it moves forward and the spiritual teachings that must come because of time moving forward.

The Apostle Paul makes a point to the Corinthians about this.

1 Corinthians 15::8-9

AND LAST OF ALL HE WAS SEEN OF ME ALSO, AS OF ONE BORN OUT OF DUE TIME. (9) FOR I AM THE LEAST OF THE APOSTLES, THAT I AM NOT MEET TO BE CALLED AN APOSTLE, BECAUSE I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD.

As we read these verses, we need to consider, is the Apostle speaking of how he sees himself or is it more about how others might see him? Now, I personally believe that the Apostle was very humble but still he knew how he was seen in the very nation that he came from and the Apostles that were supposed to be on the same team he was. So, what was the problem? It was the ability to see the gospel of Jesus Christ as it moved forward and being willing to change as that gospel moved forward.

Simply by way of spiritual teaching, let’s bring the chosen Apostle by Jesus Christ (Judas) into play. Judas was one of the twelve original Apostles. We see in the gospels where he betrayed Jesus Christ. Look at this:

John 13:26-27

JESUS ANSWERED, HE IT IS, TO WHOM I SHALL GIVE A SOP, WHEN I HAVE DIPPED IT. AND WHEN WE HAD DIPPED THE SOP, HE GAVE IT TO JUDAS ISCARIOT, THE SON OF SIMON. (27) AND AFTER THE SOP SATAN ENTERED INTO HIM. THEN SAID JESUS UNTO HIM, THAT THOU DOEST, DO QUICKLY.

Now, let’s look at another verse.

John 17:12

WHILE I WAS WITH THEM IN THE WORLD, I KEPT THEM IN THY NAME: THOSE THAT THOU GAVEST ME I HAVE KEPT, AND NONE OF THEM IS LOST, BUT THE SON OF PERDITION; THAT THE SCRIPTURE MIGHT BE FULFILLED.

As we consider (that scripture might be fulfilled), some say that it refers to (Jeremiah 32 and Zechariah 11) because of the weighing out of silver and the purchasing of land. I see how that can relate because we know that they took the money Judas returned, the thirty pieces of silver and purchased a potters’ field. (Matthew 27:7) And, as I always say, you need to allow God’s spirit to lead you to what you see as truth concerning this. However, I will give you my thoughts as it relates to the fulfillment of scripture.

If we go all the way back to the very beginning of the Nation of Israel, I believe we can see a more detailed picture of what he is saying about the fulfilling of scripture. I won’t take the time here to write the whole story that I’ll be referring to, but I will give you the key point that can be taken from the scripture. In (Genesis, chapters 37-50) we read about the twelve sons of Jacob and what ten of the brothers did the youngest son because he was beloved by his father. As you read this, you will see that Joseph being the youngest at that time told his brothers basically that they would one day bow to him. His brothers hated him because of this and sold him to the people of Egypt. They then lied to their father as if a beast had slain him.

In all of this remember, Joseph is the eleventh son of Jacob. As we watch the story unfold, God sends a famine to Israel, and they end up going to Egypt in search of food. At this time the twelfth son is now born but, Joseph doesn’t even know he has another brother.

When his brothers meet him, not nothing that It’s Joseph they reveal that there is one other bother back with the father. I believe that this picture, while showing a picture of Jesus Christ and the Nation of Israel, it also shows how that the Church comes into the picture. The Apostle Paul, being of the tribe or a descendant of Benajmin. The Apostle Paul makes this clear at least twice in his writings and we also see Luke reference it in his writings. (Philippians 3:5) (Romans 11:1) (Acts 13:21)

I also feel that I must make this point. The twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ do not represent one Apostle from every tribe of Israel although each of them will sit in his kingdom as representatives over the tribes, each Apostle having one tribe. (Matthew 19:28) However, I believe while we see a picture of Jesus Christ and the Church in the chapters we referenced, we can also see a picture of why one of the twelve original Apostles had to fall in order to bring in the Apostle to the Gentiles (the Apostle Paul).

Now, as we speak of (types) in the Old Testament, none of which might be a perfect picture; they do reveal something we need to understand in the New Testament. Many types are much closer than others. This one where we see the sons of Jacob and one of the sons being seen as dead is pretty revealing. However, when we see what actually happens in the gospels and the Apostle Paul becoming the twelfth Apostle, it’s not a perfect picture. Why? When we see the sons, there are only twelve sons, one of which becomes a type of Jesus Christ (Joseph) and Benjamin being the last son born (as the Apostle Paul) might say (born out of due time).

1 Corinthians 15:8

AND LAST OF ALL HE WAS SEEN OF ME ALSO, AS OF ONE BORN OUT OF DUE TIME.

. This could be speaking about the fact that Joseph had never even known him as a brother. With that being said, we also realize that the Nation of Israel could not see the Gentiles as ever being their brother. It became a very hard sell as the Apostle Paul began the ministry that God laid on his shoulders. He often tries to sell the fact that he is an Apostle at the beginning of the epistles he writes. We’ll reference only to one of them. This is the one that I believe is the most powerful but, you can see it in almost all of his writings.

Galatians 1:1

PAUL, AN, APOSTLE, (NOT OF MEN, NEITHER BY MAN, BUT BY JESUS CHRIST, AND GOD THE FATHER, WHO RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD;)

Here, I’d like to make this point. It cannot be but twelve Apostles because there is only twelve tribes of Israel. The Apostle Paul is the Apostle to the Church but, in the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ there are only twelve tribes, the Church to which we are calling the (thirteenth brother) so to speak is the Church which becomes the bride of Jesus Christ. Like I say, it might not be a perfect picture of what unfolds in the New Testament but it’s very revealing.

So, with all this being said, can you see how that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the Nation of Israel rejecting him, denying that he’s their king plays into the concept of Judas being the son of perdition and being replaced by the Apostle Paul the Apostle to the Church?

If you’ll study out the act that Joseph’s brothers did in giving him to Egypt, killing an animal and lying to their father, the shedding of blood can be seen as significant as it relates to the salvation of the Gentiles and what we see as the full gospel of Jesus Christ.

THE FIRST PART OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

Let’s first look at the birth of Jesus Christ and how it relates to Israel. To that nation, that day is not seen as important, it’s not even recognized. As a matter of fact, they don’t even recognize the whole New Testament. Within that fact, can you see the necessity of understanding the difference in how the gospel relate to Jesus Christ and how we see him as we read through the epistles?

If we also consider this fact given us in scripture.

Matthew 19:20

BUT MANY THAT SHALL BE FIRST SHALL BE LAST; AND THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST.

Matthew 20;16

SO THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST, AND THE FIRST LAST: FOR MANY BE CALLED BUT FEW CHOSEN.

These scriptures need to be read and studied even beyond what is said within these verses. Consider, In the minds of the ten brothers of Joseph, he was no longer one to be even considered. However, they now have one brother even younger than Joseph. (the last shall be first). Since the Apostle Paul is a member of the family of the tribe of Benjamin, can you see how that the Nation of Israe; will have to submit to the teachings, (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ as it relates to the last shall be first and the first shall be last?

As far as I know the word gospel cannot be found in the Old Testament. However, the good news of the coming of Jesus Christ and the good news of the gospel is seen very often, we just have to seek for it. For instance, just to show one.

Isaiah 52:7

HOW BEAUTIFUL UPON THE MOUNTAINS ARE THE FEET OF HIM THAT BRINGETH GOOD THINGS, THAT PUBLISHETH PEACE; THAT BRINGETH GOOD TIDINGS OF GOOD, THAT PUBLISHETH SALVATION, AND SAITH UNTO ZION, THY GOD REIGNETH!

We can see at least four different ways the gospel is revealed in the New Testament. The gospel being good news to them it is revealed to. We will look at all four.

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Matthew 3:1-3

IN THOSE DAYS CAME JOHN THE BAPTIST, PREACHING IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAEA, (2) AND SAYING, REPENT YE: FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND. (3) FOR THIS IS HE THAT WAS SPOKEN OF BY THE PROPHET ESAIAS, SAYING, THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

We see here that John the Baptist and the message he preaches was call the (Kingdom of Heaven). We can see even (John the Baptist) prophesied in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 40:3

THE VOICE OF HIM THAT CRIETH IN THE WILDERNESS, PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE STRAIGHT IN THE DESERT A HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD.

We can also see where Jesus Christ himself preaches this very same gospel.

Matthew 4:23

AND JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL GALILEE, TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING ALL MANNER OF SICKNESS AND ALL MANNER OF DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE.

This message, at this time, (the gospel) (the good news) of the kingdom of heaven is the very same message that John the Baptist came preaching. Jesus Christ being the man that John the Baptist was preaching of. Now, notice this verse.

Mark 1:14-15

NOW AFTER THAT JOHN WAS PUT IN PRISON, JESUS CAME INTO GALILEE, PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, (15) AND SAYING, THE TIME IS FULFILLED, AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND: REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.

So, here, we need to ask a question. What is the difference in (The kingdom of heaven) and (The Kingdom of God) or is there a difference? I stand on the concept that there is a very distinct difference, that the difference must be recognized to understand spiritual growth. That difference is easily seen in the gospels if we seek to find it and are willing to accept it as truth.

Now we have seen these three terms: The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Gospel of the Kingdom of heaven and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. We will look at some things about this before we move on.

Let’s consider the (Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven). This is the first good news of Jesus Christ. We see and basically understand his birth. He was born of a virgin as prophesied in the Old Testament. The Bible tells us often in the New Testament that he came to the Jew first. The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven only concerns Israel. Jesus Christ was born the rightful King of Israel. As it relates to the gospel of Jesus Christ, they, the Nation of Israel was offered that good news first. Our King is here, he is born, the Messiah has come!

As we study through the gospels, we can see many miracles that Jesus Christ did as well as enable his disciples to do as well. Let’s consider something here. Will this end or, has it? The Bible says in (John 11) that Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead four days after he had died. When is the last time you seen someone raised from the dead even on the same day? I asked the question, when did this end or, did it? Let’s look at a verse of scripture.

Acts 13:46

THEN PAUL AND BARNABAS WAXED BOLD, AND SAID, IT WAS NECESSARY THAT THE WORD OF GOD SHOULD FIRST BE SPOKEN TO YOU; BUT SEEING YE PUT IT FROM YOU, AND JUDGE YOURSELVES UNWORTHY OF EVERLASTING LIFE, LO, WE TRUTN TO THE GENTILES.

As we look at this verse seeing that here the Apostle Paul says he’s turning to the Gentiles; can we agree that up until this point even the Apostle Paul’s main focus has been somewhat toward the Nation of Israel as he moved toward preaching to the Gentiles?

My point is this, the book of Acts is a period of time that we can call a transition period. The world is moving from a time of law and transitioning to a time of grace. Therefore, we see some things during that period of time that will be change as time moves forward in the time of grace. Look at these verses.

Acts 20: 9

AND THERE SAT IN A WINDOW A CERTAIN YOUNG MAN NAMED EUTYCHUS, BEING FALLEN INTO A DEEP SLEEP: AND AS PAUL WAS LONG PREACHING, HE SUNK DOWN WITH SLEEP, AND FELL DOWN FROM THE THIRD LOFT, AND WAS TAKEN UP DEAD. (10) AND PAUL WENT DOWN, AND FELL ON HIM, AND EMBRACING HIM SAID, TROUBLE NOT YOURSELVES: FOR HIS LIFE IS IN HIM.

I desire to show you that even after the Apostle Paul had turned to the Gentiles that things of this nature was still used through the book of Acts. At one point in :

Acts 28:3-6

AND WHEN PAUL HAD GATHERED A BUNDLE OF STICKS, AND LAID THEM ON THE FIRE, THERE CAME A VIPER OUT OF THE HEAT, AND FASTENED ON HIS HAND. (4) AND WHEN THE BARBARIANS SAW THE VENOMOUS BEAST HANG ON HIS HAND, THEY SAID AMONG THEMSELVES, NO DOUBT THIS MAN IS A MURDERER, WHOM, THOUGH HE HATH ESCAPED THE SEA, YET VENGEANCE SUFFERETH NOT TO LIVE. (5) AND HE SHOOK THE BEAST INTO THE FIRE AND FELT NO HARM. (6) HOWBEIT THEY LOOKED WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE SWOLLEN, OR FALLEN DOWN DEAD SUDDENLY; BUT AFTER THEY HAD LOOKED A GREAT WHILE, AND SAW NO HARM COME TO HIM, THEY CHANGED THEIR MINDS, AND SAID HE WAS A GOD.

If you will continue to read through this chapter, the last chapter in Acts, you will notice that the Apostle Paul done other miracles after this happened however, once we leave this book and move into the epistle, we have no record of anything of this nature recorded in the epistles.

Now, let’s look at one other scripture.

1 Corinthians 13: 8-10

CHARITY NEVER FAILETH: BUT WHETHER THERE BE PROPHECIES, THEY SHALL FAIL: WHETHER THERE BE TONGUES, THEY SHALL CEASE; WHETHER THERE BE KNOWLEDGE, IT SHALL VANISH AWAY. (9) FOR WE KNOW IN PART, AND WE PROPHECY IN PART. (10) BUT WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME, THEN THAT WHICH IS IN PART SHALL BE DONE AWAY.

The Apostle Paul being the last Apostle chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ is the Apostle to the Gentiles. Although he is not the only author of the New Testament, he is the Apostle to which we get our Church doctrine from. His letters to the Churches is where we find Church doctrine.

I feel that here, we need to take the time to define some terms we see in (1 Corinthians 13:8). First of all, we see charity. It says that it never fails. What is charity? Charity in its simplest form can be defined as (LOVE IN ACTION). Often the word is used as a noun as in a charity like an organization that helps poor or maybe sick people. But, isn’t that putting love in action.

We see that this love act will never change. It has and, always will be exactly the same no matter who it might originate from whether it’s from Jesus Christ, an Apostle, a disciple or any person that allows love to be put in action. However, we also see that prophecies shall fail, tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish away. So, what does this mean?

Since the first thing mentioned is prophecy, I’d like to show you something. We see this in:

Acts 21:10-12

AND AS WE TARRIED THERE MANY DAYS, THERE CAME DOWN FROM JERUSALEM A CERTIAN PROPHET, NAMED AGABUS. (11) AND WHEN HE WAS COME UNTO US, HE TOOK PAUL’S GIRDLE, AND BOUND HIS HANDS AND FEET, AND SAID, THUS SAITH THE HOLY GHOST, SO SHALL THE JEWS AT JERUSALEM BIND THE MAN THAT OWNETH THIS GIRDLE AND SHALL DELIVER HIM INTO THE HANDS OF THE GENTILES. (12) AND WHEN WE HEARD THESE THINGS, BOTH WE, AND THEY OF THAT PLACE, BESOUGHT HIM NOT TO GO UP TO JERUSALEM. (13) THEN PAUL ANSWERED, WHAT MEAN YOU TO WEEP AND TO BREAK MY HEART? FOR I AM READY NOT TO BE BOUND ONLY, BUT ALSO TO DIE AT JERUSALEM FOR THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS.

We see here in these verses that it calls Agabus a prophet. We also see that the Apostle Paul didn’t listen to him and went to Jerusalem anyway. As we study through scripture, we see what Agabus prophesied came true. I believe that it’s a couple of points to be made here. First, a transition away from the need of prophets and even a need to pay attention to what they say is occurring because of the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Second, and I believe this could be seen as the most important, God’s Spirit is now within the heart of every born-again believer and it’s not just any one man he speaks to as it was in the times past. The Old Testament is gone, and the New Testament is now here. We have a New Covenant in Christ Jesus. We must be willing to accept this new and leave the old.

I see prophecy and knowledge as two completely different things. If not, why would we see both mentioned here? A prophet is a person that God reveals a future event to, and that event will always come to pass. We see in the verse that prophecies shall fail. In other words, people will say some things that will not come to pass, we can’t depend on what they say. I’ll also say this. We see that even though the prophet Agabus was correct in what he prophesized, the Apostle Paul also knew what God was leading him to do, no matter the outcome.

I’ll put it this way. Today we don’t have prophets. If we did and God had something else to add to what we know from scripture, then it would be verses or books added behind the book of Revelation in scripture that all men could see that truth. Let’s say you have a man in your assembly that says God has revealed a prophecy to him and he is sharing it to your assembly. Well, don’t I and all the rest of the world need to hear what he tells you? How can we get that prophecy?

With that being said, let’s now look at this scripture.

Hebrews 1;1-2

GOD, WHO AT SUNDRY TIMES AND IN DIVERS MANNERS SPAKE IN TIME PAST UNTO THE FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, (2) HATH IN THESE LAST DAYS SPOKEN UNTO US BY HIS SON, WHOM HE HATH APPOINTED HEIR OF ALL THINGS, BY WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS;

We see in these verses how that in time past God used prophets and other ways to speak to men. He is saying here that in the last days he spoke to man by his son. Let’s just assume that in the gospels John the Baptist was a prophet or that he revealed knowledge to the people of Israel. We can look back in the book of Isaiah and see where the birth of Jesus Christ had already been prophesied. Therefore, we can simply say that he is revealing knowledge of the fact that Jesus Christ has now come.

Once Jesus Christ was baptized and the spirit descended on him do, we never see any other person in the gospels prophesying anything? Jesus Christ himself even stated that he was going away, and he would not leave us comfortless that he would send the comforter.

John 15:26-27

BUT WHEN THE COMFORTER IS COME, WHOM I WILL SEND UNTO YOU FROM THE FATHER, EVEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, WHICH PRECEEDETH FROM THE FATHER, HE SHALL TESTIFY OF ME; (27) AND YE ALSO SHALL BEAR WITNESS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN WITH ME FROM THE BEGINNING.

We can say that all the way through scripture, both the Old and New Testament it was God’s Spirit that spoke to man and revealed scripture whether we see it as prophecy or knowledge. However, my contention is that there is a distinct difference in prophecy and knowledge. Prophecy is a man’s ability to foretell a future event accurately, never being wrong. Knowledge is a man’s ability to explain those events in detail or teach the aspects of an event such as the Apostle Paul did as it relates to the Church.

Although the Church is a mystery in both the Old Testament and the gospels and hard to be seen, it is there and taught in both. Many pastors and Churches try to connect the teachings of the gospels, the epistles written by other Apostles to the teachings as revealed by the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was given the mystery concerning the Church, the body of Jesus Christ. While we can relate all scripture, we must be very careful to rightly divide the word of God, keeping each thing in its proper place.

As we look into these two terms, prophecy and knowledge, can’t we say that Jesus Christ was possibly a prophet and a revealer of knowledge as well? I believe we can actually see the Church as it unfolds in the book of Genesis. With that statement being true then that makes Jesus Christ the revealer of that Church in the gospel. It’s not that any of his Apostles understood any part of it at that time but, it was none the less revealed there. For instance: I believe we can see the rapture of the Church in (Matthew 24) among other places in the gospels but it’s not clearly seen at that time. However, we can clearly see it as the Apostle Paul reveals it in his writings.

I’ll add this and we will move on. I’d like to begin this with some verses.

2 Peter 3:13-18

NEVERTHELESS WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, WHEREIN DWELLETH RIGHTEOUSNESS. (14) WHEREFORE, BELOVED, SEEING THAT YE LOOK FOR SUCH THINGS, BE DILIGENT THAT YE BE FOUND OF HIM IN PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT, AND BLAMELESS. (15) AND ACCOUNT THAT THE LONGSUFFERING OF OUR LORD IS SALVATION; EVEN AS OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL ALSO ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN UNTO HIM HATH WRITTEN UNTO YOU; (16) AS ALSO IN ALL HIS EPISTLES, SPEAKING IN THEM OF THESE THINGS; IN WHICH ARE SOME THINGS HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD, WHICH THEY THAT ARE UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE WREST, AS THEY DO ALSO THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, UNTO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION. (17) YE THEREFORE, BELOVED, SEEING YE KNOW THESE THINGS BEFORE, BEWARE LEST YE ALSO, BEING LED AWAY WITH THE ERROR OF THE WICKED, FALL FROM YOUR OWN STEDFASTNESS. (18) BUT GROW IN GRACE, AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. TO HIM BE GLORY BOTH NOW AND FOR EVER. AMEN.

We see in these verses that the Apostle Peter had come to the understanding that the Apostle Paul was someone that they all needed to be listening to and to study after. I don’t believe that even he was a person that accepted Paul in his early ministry but grew to understand that what he was teaching was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. I don’t know for a fact that any other of the apostles ever came to that spiritual understanding.

If you remember Jesus told them in (John 15:26-27) (AND YE SHALL ALSO BEAR WITNESS, BECAUSE YE HAVE BEEN WITH ME FROM THE BEGINNING). Although Jesus Christ had made that statement to them, it would still take the Spirit of God and their willingness to accept that truth to stand and proclaim what was being taught. That, from both the Apostle Peter and Paul.

The Apostle Peter said this, (WHICH THEY WHICH ARE UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE WREST). Do you see what I’m saying? Once true knowledge is revealed, it still must be received and shared by those that gain that knowledge. If any person, apostle, preacher, pastor or just a church member make a choice to remain unlearned and unstable that is not any reflection on the person that seeks to reveal knowledge given by God’s Spirit. It is however a fact that many refuse to see truth as it is revealed.

As we move forward from prophecy and knowledge that we see in (1 Corinthians 13:8-10) you’ll see what I mean. Looking at (verse 8) let’s notice something. We only see three things, prophecy, tongues and knowledge in that order. Wonder why a word like tongues would be placed with prophecy and knowledge? To put it another way, we are seeing here that prophecy would fail, knowledge would vanish away, and tongues would cease, all this when that which is perfect is come according to (verse 10).

So, what is that which is perfect? It is nothing less than the complete word of God (the Bible)! Common sense will tell us that when (1 Corinthians) was written, (2 Corinthians) hadn’t been written yet.

Let’s ask a question here and, make a point. When did the Old Testament end? We say or even see that the last book in the Old Testament is Malachi. However, both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist lived in the Old Testament. All four gospels, in a sense can be placed in the Old Testament. However, it’s very important that they be seen as part of the New Testament because of the revelation of Jesus Christ and the (gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven).

Therefore, with all this being pointed out, when we see John, the Baptist saying repent to the Jews, what is he saying? We can go back to our original verse and below to see this. (Mark 1:1-6). John baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. It says they all went out, confessing their sins and were baptized.

When he uses the word (all) to whom is he speaking? We know that all Israel didn’t go, don’t we? He was speaking of all those that realized that they had begun living in sin, not looking for the Messiah but, now were willing to come back to looking for him, ready to follow his leadership and, they were all of Israel.

When these people were baptized, the religious men of Israel and many others in Israel knew that they were ready to denounce who Israel called king and to readily embrace the one that was soon coming. Since we see the phrase (remission of sins), it also implies that God the Father also seen this change in those people. John the Baptist didn’t have to power to remit sin, neither did the fact they were baptized. Actually, from the very physical standpoint, this, the kingdom of heaven has very little to do with the spiritual standpoint of these people as to how we might see it today.

We can simply see this all through the gospel and especially in a verse or verses we see in John. However, let’s go back to the Old Testament to begin with. If you read through the Book of Exodus, you will see where Moses led the people of Israel across the Red Sea on dry land. However, not long after they were all safe, no longer in slavery to Egypt, we see that they began once again to complain, not being satisfied. They even said to Moses that they were better off in Egypt. You see, being set free from an enemy can never make you spiritual unless you choose to become that way with thankfulness. If we take this a step farther, can’t we say that Moses was already free even though he was in Egypt?

Although we have said a lot of things and some of which we will revisit; we have looked into the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. It actually began with the birth of Jesus Christ; John the Baptist gave Israel the (knowledge) that he was the Messiah. We see that in all four gospels, and it continues to be preached in the Book of Acts as the transition into the (Age of Grace) is complete.

Next, we will look at the concept of (My Gospel). That is a term that the Apostle Paul referred to as the gospel he preached.

MY GOSPEL

As far as I know, we only see this phrase three times in scripture. I’ll show you and write the verses that we see the phrase.

Romans 2:16

IN THE DAY WHEN GOD SHALL JUDGE THE SECRETS OF MEN BY JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL.

Romans 16:25

NOW TO HIM THAT IS OF POWER TO ESTABLISH YOU ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL, AND THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY, WHICH WAS KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN,

2 Timothy 2:8

REMEMBER THAT JESUS CHRIST OF THE SEED OF DAVID WAS RAISED FROM ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL:

As I’ve tried to relay to you, the Book of Acts is a transition period from, shall we say the Gospel of the Kingdom into the what the Apostle is calling (My Gospel). At some point as we continue, I’d like to return to the Book of Acts and point out some things that might be beneficial in the study of God’s word.

However, let’s see if we can find out what the Apostle Paul means when he uses the term (My Gospel).

 

The joy of the Christmas birth, has now come and gone,

And now Josheph and Mary, with the Christ child, could feel all alone.

Now to focus on, the child’s days ahead,

Never yielding to man, but God’s Spirit instead.

In youth, in wonder, two parents we see,

with passion, with will, they go forth in glee.

A child now to raise, seeking only their father, his praise.

Most fathers, most mothers, move forward each day,

Like Joseph, like Mary, seeking God’s grace, in all that they say.

The children we raise, and all that it takes,

‘We see also in them, our many mistakes. Trusting God’s grace, to them be revealed.

Just as in us, his grace we did see, and so also in them. we pray and we plea.

Mary and Joseph, in Christ did not see, the same sin nature, that we pray and plea.

For he was the Christ child, no sin did they see,

What was the price, for living sin free?

Mary and Joseph, cried as they watched,

their beautiful, as he died on a tree.

The day after Christmas, the day after birth,

In youth, in wonder, our children we raise,

not looking for riches, not looking for praise.

Seeking only God’s blessings, as our children we raise,

And the new birth in them, that God might get praise.

Our babies are priceless, no sin do they know,

their faces are simple, all filled with great glow.

What do we teach them, as onward they go,

A picture of Jesus or Satan do they know?

Like Mary, Like Joseph, as onward we go,

a child must we teach to God to give praise.

Though children be precious, as parents we know,

Our job is for Jesus that to heaven, our children my go.

The price is now paid, for salvation so free.

In mothers and fathers, Christ Jesus, our children must see!

As we look into this topic, I’d like to begin by telling a true story; something that happened to me in my ministry some years ago. I, as a pastor went to visit the man that led the singing in our church. As I went into his home, he wasn’t there. His wife told me to come in, he’d be back in a few minutes. I went in and sat down in the Livingroom. At that time, she, his wife had two other ladies visiting her and, her children were home as well.

While I sit there listening to those ladies, the youngest daughter walked into the room, as we spoke to each other she asked me if I knew she was getting married? I replied, no! Well, let me ask you a question. She said OK. I asked, can you give me a biblical definition of a wife? She replied, NO! I said, then how are you going to be what you can’t define? I then looked at the ladies sitting in the room and asked them; can you define wife in a biblical sense? They all shook their heads in the negative. About that time, her husband walked in, and the conversation was over.

Of course, we could do the same thing with the word husband, couldn’t we? Both of these words have a biblical definition but, you can’t simply look in God’s word and find that definition like you can a Webster’s Dictionary. Also, if you look in a dictionary for the definition, you’ll simply see a worldly definition.

Spiritually speaking we must have a spirit filled desire to know and a great desire to find and live out the definition that God’s word gives us. As born- again believers we can’t simply take the world’s definition for any word that has a biblical background. Just for the desire to teach, let’s look at two words that we can mention. (Jew and Church). You can’t just say you are going to join either of these two words and become a member. You must be born a Jew meaning you father and mother are Jews to be a Jew. You might say you joined the Jewish faith but that will never make you a Jew.

The Church is the very same way. You can join and be baptized in any Church building but, you must be born into God’s family to be a member of the Church, (Ye Must Be Born Again)!

One of the greatest reasons we have such a high divorce rate in our country, even among people that are members of Churches is because the marriage that takes place is almost always carried out according to the world’s design or as the world defines marriage, neither the man nor the woman has any real idea what their responsibilities are beyond that ceremony.

Often as church members we have the very same problem. We join a Church and have no idea what we are saying we are willing to do. Also, I might add, we can’t if we are not truly born again at that time. We must be taught the concept of (allowing Christ to be formed in us) as Church members, as newly born babes in Christ just as we teach any other physical child that is born into a fleshly union. The only difference is we’re now teaching the spiritual aspects of our lives to a babe that is born into God’s family. So, let’s get into seeking to define what the title of this article is all about.

In beginning, I’d like to show you something we see in:

1 Corinthians 2:12- 1 Corinthians 3: 2

BUT THE NATURAL MAN RECEIVETH NOT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD: FOR THEY ARE FOOLISHNESS UNTO HIM: NEITHER CAN HE KNOW THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED. (15) BUT HE THAT IS SPIRITUAL JUDGETH ALL THINGS, YET HE HIMSELF IS JUDGED OF NO MAN. (16) FOR WHO HATH KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE MAY INSTRUCT HIM? BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.

(1) AND I, BRETHREN, COULD NOT SPEAK UNTO YOU AS UNTO SPIRITUAL, BUT AS UNTO CARNEL, EVEN AS UNTO BABES IN CHRIST. (2) I HAVE FED YOU WITH MILK, AND NOT MEAT: FOR HITHERTO YE WERE NOT ABLE TO BEAR IT, NEITHER YET NOW ARE YE ABLE.

We see in these verses four different possibilities for any person to be. Every person on this earth fits into one of these. I’ll take the time to point these out. First, there’s the (natural person). This means that person is not born again, he or she is just like they were born into this world. Secondly, we see a (babe). This means that they are born again but hasn’t had the time to grow spiritually. Thirdly, there’s a (carnal person). This means that they are born again but show no evidence of desiring to walk or be taught spiritual lessons. Then we see the (spiritual person) meaning that this person is sold out with a great desire to serve and be used of God’s Spirit and that he is someone that can be used of God’s Spirit to teach others.

So, let’s consider something. If we as parents, remain in our natural state, babes in Christ or carnal how will we ever be able to teach our girls and boys to be fit for marriage? That is as defined spiritually from the word of God? Do you see the dilemma here? Even if we are very spiritual, at our spiritual best, we are still seeking to teach (fleshly beings) to be what God expects them to be however, if they can see (Christ in us) they at least have a better chance in their lives with a better understanding of spiritual life.

Did you know that God commanded a man to leave his father and mother and to cleave to his wife? But does he say that to the wife?

Did you know that God commands a man to love his wife as Christ loved the Church? But, nowhere in scripture is a wife commanded to love her husband?

Now, while we are speaking of this; the Bible does instruct the (Older Women) to teach the (younger women) how to love their husbands. How would that be, I mean how does a woman love her husband?

All these things can be taught in another lesson. However, when the question is asked; Am I half the wife I expect mine to be, can you see the importance of understanding how God defines these things? This question is pointed toward men however, in a spiritual sense every woman, man, wife or husband has to understand their spiritual role and be taught spiritually to become all we can in Christ Jesus.

In a physical sense; it can be more difficult for a husband to be submissive to God than it would be for a wife to be submissive to her husband. Why would I say that? Because a wife can hear her husband in an audible voice when the husband has the responsibility to hear the Spirit of God speak to his heart.

However, the husband can read God’s word and be taught to act like Jesus Christ instructed him to as he surrenders his life to God’s will. look at these verses:

Ephesians 5:25-27

HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES, EVEN AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT: (26) THAT HE MIGHT SANCTIFY IT AND CLEANSE IT WITH THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD. (27) THAT HE MIGHT PRESENT IT TO HIMSELF A GLORIOUS CHURCH, NIOT HAVING SPOT, OR WRINKLE, OR ANY SUCH THING, BUT THAT IT SHOULD BE HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH.

In these verses, isn’t he telling us simply to be examples of Jesus Christ as husbands? So, just how did Jesus Christ love the Church? Let’s go back to the verse I quoted about a man leaving his father and mother and cleaving to his wife.

Genesis 2:24 – Matthew 19:5 – Mark 10:7

THEREFORE, SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE UNTO HIS WIFE: AND THEY SHALL BE ONE FLESH.

So, why would the Bible say this to the man and not the woman? Let’s look at you as a born-again believer. If you make a choice to do something that is not pleasing to Christ, does he leave you or stay with you, go where you go? For instance: if I decide to go to a beer hall and get drunk, am I not taking Christ into that place with me, even against his will? Even far less than that, if I choose to tell a lie, have a sinful thought; is Christ still with me?

In the spiritual sense, I, as a man was courted by the spirit of God, he asked me to be United with him and I submitted my will to him, I gave myself to him in spiritual marriage. Now, Jesus Christ is asking me to be like him, not me, expecting him to be more like me.

Jesus Christ came into this sin cursed world and took the most sinful of wives and vowed never to leave or forsake her. So, let’s consider how Christ loved this bride he chose to be his own. When we consider the verse where he tells us to (love our wives as he loved the Church), do you realize that Christ never demanded one thing of his wife? As we study his word, what he does is speak truth from his heart, it’s completely up to us whether we yield ourselves to his will or not.

In scripture, the Bible tells our wives to submit their selves to their husbands, that something they have to do, it’s not up to husbands to demand that action. Remember the older women to teach the younger women (how to) love their husbands?

(Titus 2:1-4)

BUT SPEAK THOU THINGS THAT BECOME SOUND DOCTRINE: (2) THAT THE AGED MEN BE SOBER, GRAVE, TEMPERATE, SOUND IN FAITH, IN CHARITY, IN PATIENCE. (3) THAT THE AGED WOMEN LIKEWISE, THAT THEY BE IN BEHAVIOR AS BECOMETH HOLINESS, NOT FALSE ACCURERS, NOT GIVEN TO MUCH WINE, TEACHERS OF GOOD THINGS; (4) THAT THEY MAY TEACH YOUNG WOMEN TO BE SOBER, TO LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS, TO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN, (5) TO BE DISCREET, CHASTE, KEEPERS AT HOME, GOOD, OBEDIENT TO THEIR OWN HUSBANDS, THAT THE WORD OF GOD BE NOT BLASPHEMED. (6) YOUNG MEN LIKEWISE EXHORT TO BE SOBER MINDED.

The woman in any Church has a responsibility. However, it’s not up to the husband to demand but rather simply to speak his heart. Christ also never showed anger toward his bride, even when we as his bride are far less than perfect, he still shows forth love toward us. He led his wife by example never dictated or forced her in any way.

The Bible says that (CHRIST GAVE HIMSELF FOR HER). The picture there is that Christ willingly gave his physical life and was resurrected with new life for his bride. Are you, as a husband willing to die to yourself and give yourself to Christ for your bride? I, as a husband have made this statement: a man that becomes a husband by choice takes on one of the most tremendous challenges that he will ever take on in his life! (By definition) he is saying that he is willing to offer himself to his bride and them wait patiently until the same desire he had to be subjected to Christ is formed in his bride.

The secret of a spiritual education is within the willingness of older believers to teach. There’s an educational mindset that teaches this: (you teach some by what you say, more by what you do but, most by what you are)!

Personally, I don’t think we do enough teaching as parents about the spiritual aspects of our lives and their very important responsibilities. This I understand; It takes time for husbands to learn the art of hearing and obeying the spirit of God as he speaks just as it takes time for a wife to learn to hear and obey her husband.

When we consider what we must do as a husband or wife then we must be very careful who we choose to be either a wife or husband. However, we very seldom hear any instruction on what we must be willing to sacrifice to be a husband or wife. Spiritually speaking, didn’t I give up my right to be who I am when I became born again as a man, husband? In the same light, doesn’t a woman give up her right to be who she is when she chooses to be married to a man? If either one of these things never happen, aren’t we still of this world?

The very day I was born again, my last name changed to Christ! I gave my life to him. The day a woman marries a man, doesn’t her last name change? Not his? We know that it takes time for the change necessary to happen but, are we at least willing to work to that end? Look at these verses:

Galatians 4:19-20

MY LITTLE CHILDREN, OF WHOM I TRAVAIL IN BIRTH AGAIN UNTIL CHRIST BE FORMED IN YOU, (20) I DESIRE TO BE PERSENT WITH YOU NOW, AND TO CHANGE MY VOICE; FOR I STAND IN DOUBT OF YOU.

What we see in these verses is the Apostle Paul; the man that started the church of Galatia desiring to verbally speak to them that they might hear the concern in his voice. In his mind he’s saying that he stands in doubt of them because he doesn’t see the change in their lives as far as daily yielding themselves to the will of Christ. If you’ll notice, he makes the statement that he, as a man that truly desires to see them grow in Christ. He hurts within himself because of what he hears about their actions. The Church, the Pastor is very relative to a husband and his wife. It’s very understandable that growth has to take place, a price has to be paid as we die to self but, we must be willing to do just that, (die to ourselves)

In all that we are saying whether it’s a church, a wife or a husband. if we don’t at least consider this, aren’t we still of this world? Only you can see your own heart and know whether you are all you desire to be in Christ or not.

Am I, as a husband half the wife I expect mine to be? Am I willing to die to myself, yielding myself to Christ?

Jesus Christ once asked Peter three times (Peter, do you love me)? Peter would say (yes lord, you know I love you)! (John 21:15-17)

The problem was that Peter was loving Jesus in a way that the world defines love, Jesus knew that. It would take time and God’s Spirit within Peter for him to understand (LOVE) as defined by God.

Consider this: When it comes to husbands and Jesus Christ or, wives and their husbands; often we are still using the word (LOVE) as defined by the world and not as defined by God’s word.

I’d like to share a personal story with you that I saw happen with my mom and dad.

My mom always carried my sisters and I to Church when we all were children. However, my dad never went. He had a problem with alcohol while his children were growing up.

At one time my mom had the office of Sunday school superintendent in the Church we attended. As time moved forward, the children grew up, married and some of us attended a very spirit filled Church. Not long after we started attending it, my dad began attending, my mom started coming and my dad would come with her. At some point, they joined, my dad was born again and started to grow spiritually.

One Sunday night our Church had a business meeting; the pastor was leading the meeting. I was sitting where I could see both my mom and dad. My mom started to raise her hand to be recognized. My dad gently laid his hand on her hand and said: I got this!

My mom never spoke but, boy was she hot. This made her very angry.

I have no idea what happened on their way home that night or for the next few days but, Wednesday night mom didn’t come to Church. I asked my dad about her. His reply was that she decided to stay home tonight.

The next night I went to their house to see her. Dad was in the house. When I went in mom was sitting in the living room. I told her I missed her at Church the night before. She didn’t even respond.

I felt that I knew what her problem was, she was upset at dad because he took control (shall we say he took authority over her)?

I looked at her and spoke in a stern and powerful voice. Mom, I’ve seen the time when you would’ve given your right arm to see my dad, your husband, take a leadership role in Church. Now that he’s trying; you’re going to get angry and quit? Well, you just sit right there, stay home and quit? That’s fine! I got up and walked out!

Sunday morning, she was back at Church again. Now, I won’t say that my dad handled that situation right and maybe I didn’t either, however it brought about spiritual growth in all three of us.

1 Peter 3:1

In the last segment I sought to point how God, through the loins of Abraham brought about a nation to which he calls his own. That nation was the Nation of Israel. We called that segment (Law). The period of time extended all the way up until the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We also looked at a few events that took place at the very time Jesus Christ died and, some things that took place after his resurrection.

Fifty days after his resurrection came the (day of Pentecost). On that day the spirit of God fell on 120 believers that were in one accord in one place. We see this in:

Acts 2:1-4

AND WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME, THEY WERE ALL WITH ONE ACCORD IN ONE PLACE. (2) AND SUDDENLY THERE CAME A SOUND FROM HEAVEN AS A RUSHING MIGHTY WIND, AND IT FILLED ALL THE HOUSE WHERE THEY WERE SITTING. (3) AND THERE APPEARED UNTO THEM CLOVEN TONGIES LIKE AS OF FIRE, AND IT SAT UPON EACH OF THEM. (4) AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST, AND BEGAN TO SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES, AS THE SPIRIT GAVE THEM UTTERANCE.

Here, we see the birth of the Church. I feel it necessary as we continue toward the time of tribulation to stop here and teach a few defining factors about what we see here. I realize that it takes God’s spirit to teach and reveal all truth to any person. With that being stated, I pray he can use me as a vessel of his use to teach this to the understanding of many people.

Beginning in this segment we’ll see the word (whosoever) used many times. We can see that word all the way through the Bible and, it would be a very good study to see just how it’s used all the way through. For the sake of this study and the trail toward tribulation, I’d like to show you how it’s used in the gospels and beyond.

As we look at all four gospels, we see the word (whosoever) in all four. However, when that word is used in the gospels it’s not all conclusive. We can see a distinct change inn how it’s used in the gospel of John. What would be the reason for this? The reason for this is all about the progression of time toward the end times. The spiritual growth of the people of Israel and also the Church as time moves forward.

First, let’s see Jesus Christ himself. In the four gospels, he reveals himself in four different ways. In the book of Matthew, he is the King of the Jews. In the book of Mark, he is the servant of man. In the book of Luke, he is the son of man and in the book of John, he is the Son of God.

In the book of Matthew, it’s all about the Jews, the Nation of Israel. As we move through the next two books, we see that he becomes more about all people the way things are worded and not just about the nation of Israel. When we get to John, (the Son of God) the word (whosoever) is always about any person that desires his saving grace. Let’s look at a couple of examples.

One of the best examples of this is seen in the conversation with the woman from Canaan. We see this first in :

Matthew 15:22-27

AND, BEHOLD, A WOMAN OF CANAAN CAME OUT OF THE SAME COASTS, AND CRIED UNTO HIM, SAYING, HAVE MERCY ON ME, O LORD, THOU SON OF DAVID; MY DAUGHTER IS GRIEVOUSLY VEXED WITH A DEVIL. (23) BUT HE ANSWERED HER NOT A WORD. AND HIS DISCIPLES CAME AND BESOUGHT HIM, SAYING, SEND HER AWAY; FOR SHE CRIETH AFTER US. (24) BUT HE ANSWERED AND SAID, I AM NOT SENT BUT UNTO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. (25) THEN CAME SHE AND WORSHIPPED HIM, SAYING, LORD, HELP ME. (26) BUT HE ANSWERED AND SAID, IT IS NOT MEET TO TAKE THE CHILDREN’S BREAD, AND CAST IT TO DOGS. (27) AND SHE SAID, TRUTH, LORD: YET THE DOGS EAT OF THE CRUMBS WHICH FALL FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE.

If you continue to read in this scripture, you will see that he does heal this woman’s daughter because of her great faith. However, that is not the point. He makes it clear that he is there just for Israel.

Now, let’s read this same account in the book of Mark:

Mark 7:27

BUT JESUS SAID UNTO HER, LET THE CHILDREN FIRST BE FILLED: FOR IT IS NOT MEET TO TAKE THE CHILDREN’S BREAD AND TO CAST OT TO DOGS.

Can you see the difference in the way it’s worded in this book? Here, he is not completely leaving her out but rather making sure Israel is first to get the blessing.

We don’t see this conversation with this woman either in Luke or John. However, we do see the use of the word (dogs) in Luke.

Luke 16:21

AND DESIRING TO BE FED WITH THE CRUMBS WHICH FELL FROM THE RICH MAN’S TABLE: MOREOVER THE DOGS CAME AND LICKED HIS SORES.

Here we see a story about a man named Lazarus that was full of sores and begged to be fed from the rich man’s table. The word dogs in this are not a reference to him however, we see that he is in the same place the dogs would be. We don’t see any mention of dogs in the book of John. I mention these things to make a very powerful spiritual point. When we see (the crumbs); that is a reference to the very word of God we now have the ability to read. It’s in no way all that God the Father knows or even has to say but, it’s all we need to know as we travel through our lives that we might know him, and salvation might be ours.

In the gospels we see a progression toward (whosoever will). In the gospels that progression is about Jesus Christ being to king of Israel and changing to the savior of the world. We see that same progression continued in the Book of Acts. The Apostles begin the preach the gospel to the Jews only and then we see that it becomes to again (whosoever will). The teaching is important to understand as it might relate to the Tribulation period how things change from the nation of Israel and that nation being set aside with the Church becoming the body of Christ.

Before we seek to prove that the nation Of Israel was, shall we say (placed on a shelf), I’d like to take the time here to make a very important spiritual point. When we speak or see the reference of dogs used in the verses we read and Lazarus begging for the crumbs I like for you to consider something. A hungry dog or, in the case of Lazarus isn’t choosy with what crumbs fall from the table. Every crumb that falls, they eat!

As born-again believers are we not hungry for every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God? Have we become selective in what we choose to take in spiritually as far as what we study? I believe so! I say this because of the simple fact of the denominations we see. Most of us will go to our perspective Churches, sit and listen to a pastor a few minutes, get up and go home. If we attend Sunday School, we’ll say we study our Sunday School quarterlies and simply believe what we read there.

When we become spiritually hungry for the crumbs of God’s word, truth it will cause us to find every crumb we can as we seek to find truth as revealed by God’s Spirit through his word. We’ll stop being selective in what we hear or believe and reach far beyond the teaching of any one denomination. Do you realize it cannot be but one truth therefore, can’t we find error in any denomination? Far too often we fall in love with pastors, people and Churches and not in love with the truth and seek to know Jesus Christ from the word he gives us.

Even as I write these chapters seeking to show what tribulation is and why, are you going to simply take my word for it and not find out truth for yourself? I beg you to allow God’s spirit to prove me right or wrong that you might know truth beyond what I might say.

In the previous chapter we seen what God said to Daniel as it relates to the Nation of Israel. We’ve seen that the sixty- nineth week ended at the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we now get into the age of grace, I believe it’s something we must point out about what we now call the Church. We can get very deep into this but, since we are seeking to teach tribulation, we’ll simply show things that can be seen as relative to that study.

First of all, the Apostle Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles. The other eleven Apostles are there for Israel. We have already point out that the gospel was to the Jew first and then to the uttermost parts of the earth. Even the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts started his ministry offering the gospel to the nation of Israel. However, look at this verse:

Acts 18:6

AND WHEN THEY OPPOSED THEMSELVES, AND BLASPHEMED, HE SHOOK HIS RAIMENT, AND SAID UNTO THEM, YOUR BLOOD BE UPON YOUR OWN HEADS; I AM CLEAN: FROM HENCEGORTH I WILL GO UNTO THE GENTILES.

We see that it came a day when even the Apostle Paul had done all he was supposed to for the nation he loved, his people. While his calling was to the Gentiles, he still offered the gospel he preached to the nation of Israel first in obedience to God’s word. I feel we must make this point. It is the nation that is blinded to the gospel of Jesus Christ, not individual Jews. For instance, all the Apostles were Jews, even the Apostle Paul, they all believed. On the day of Pentecost, all the one hundred and twenty believers in which the Holy Ghost fell were Jews.

The time to which we now live has been in existence for some two thousand years. From the very beginning of the age of law the nation of Israel was blinded to the very concept of what we know as the Church. The Bible calls it a mystery meaning it could have been seen in the Old Testament, but a person would have to be desirous to see it with the spiritual eye.

From the very start of the Church all the eleven Apostles at that time didn’t understand the concept of what God was doing. Each of them in the very beginning truly believed that Jesus Christ would be back very quickly to be their king. It would take years for them to be taught by God’s spirit exactly what had transpired, In the very beginning they couldn’t even see the Apostle Paul or recognize him as their equal.

As it relates to the Tribulation period, this age (the age of grace) will end with the rapture of the Church. The word (rapture is not seen in scripture but there are verses we can see and know what it relates to the word (rapture). So, let’s look at a few verses:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU TO BE IGNORANT, BRETHREN, CONCERNING THEM WHICH ARE SLEEP, THAT YE SORROW NOT, EVEN AS OTHERS WHICH HAVE NO HOPE. (14) FOR IF WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, EVEN SO THEM ALSO WHICH SLEEP IN JESUS WILL GOD BRING WITH HIM. (15) FOR THIS WE SAY UNTO YOU BY THE WORD OF THE LORD. THAT WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD SHALL NOT PREVENT THEM WHICH ARE ASLEEP. (16) FOR THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT, WITH THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, AND WITH THE TRUMP OF GOD: AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST; (17) THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE COUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD. (18) WHEREFORE COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS.

This event, the calling up of the body of Christ from this earth marks the end of this age. We can also see a verse or verses in the Revelation that we can relate to this event.

Revelation 4:1

AFTER THIS I LOOKED, AND, BEHOLD, A DOOR WAS OPENED IN HEAVEN: AND THE FIRST VOICE WHICH I HEARD WAS AS IT WERE OF A TRUMPET TALKING WITH ME; WHICH SAID, COME UP HITHER, AND I WILL SHEW THEE THINGS WHICH MUST BE HEREAFTER.

If you’ll read the first three chapters, you’ll see that Jesus is basically talking to the Churches and sharing how he feel about the Church as the centuries go by. Every Church he names relates to a period of time during this age. After we see the verse in (chapter four) the Church is not mentioned again until the end of the book of Revelation when Jesus returns for the Nation of Israel to establish his kingdom here on this earth.

During the next seven years, the Church is above this earth watching the things as they unfold upon this earth. The Church has no part in the tribulation that God has determined upon his people, Israel.

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Here, I will mention that there are at least three different opinions about this, and I’ll mention all three. However, there can’t be but one truth. I personally believe that we must allow God’s spirit to teach and never men, even me. As we consider the other mindsets, only you can allow God’s spirit to show you truth.

The way many describe what I teach is called a (pre-millennial). That word simply means that the Church will be raptured before the tribulation starts. In my heart, I don’t need a word to describe truth as revealed by God’s spirit, it’s simply truth and can be studied out as fact. I, myself have often wondered about that word and what it means. Does it mean that the tribulation period (seven years) are seen as part of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, it’s just seen as the first part of that time?

If we compare it to Noah’s Ark and flood, can we say that the flood was a part of the next few years of life after the flood? or, can we call the time that Noah and his family stayed on that Ark a completely different time than the time before or after? In my opinion and, only my opinion, this makes a valid point. We can compare the time on the Ark to the Church in the sense that they are kept above and away from to chaos on the earth during the change from one period of time to another.

We’ll get more into the next segment of tribulation and even describe some things but, there is a vast difference in the time of the flood and the tribulation period. At the same time, they both are a transition from one way God deals with people to another. Even the Book of Acts is a transition period from one period of time to another in which we have mentioned.

One of the other mindsets of teaching is called (post millennial). In this mindset these people believe that Jesus Christ established his kingdom on earth through his preaching and redemptive work in the first century and that he equips his church with the gospel, empowers the church by the spirit and charges the church with the great commission (Matthew 28:19) to disciple all nations. Postmillennialism believes that eventually the vast majority of the people on earth will be saved as time moves forward. After an extensive era of such conditions, Jesus Christ will make himself visible bodily, and gloriously, to end history with the general resurrection and the final judgment after which the eternal order follows.

This is somewhat of my own understanding of what they believe. And I’m sure that there are various versions of what each mindset teaches.

The (amillennial) believe that there will be no millennial reign of the righteous on earth. They believe that the thousand years spoken of in (Revelation 20) is symbolic in nature. Again, I don’t study what they believe and I’m sure there are various versions of this as well.

Personally, while I might relate to the (Premillennial) I believe we should forget each teaching and simply study God’s word to see truth and believe God’s word as I have already stated. (In my opinion) many people have a tendency to simply believe what some denomination teaches or a specific group such as either one of these three millennial mindsets.

I’d like to share something about the period of time to which we live. From the beginning of this period of time as we see in (Acts two) until it ends at the rapture of the Church is the only period of time when God’s spirit has the ability to live within the heart of every believer. The way God work in this period is like this. In the beginning of this period, God placed his Spirit in the heart of (120 believers). Those one hundred and twenty believers at that time began to share what was within them and many other people believed. As that happen those people went about sharing what was in their heart and, that still takes place today some two thousand years later.

What the Bible teaches during this age is that as time passes there is less and less of that spirit within people and therefore less and less people truly hear truth. There are many verses that teach this. We’ll look at a couple.

2 Timothy 4:1-4

I CHARGE THEE THEREFORE BEFORE GOD, AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO SHALL JUDGE THE QUICK AND THE DEAD AT HIS APPEARING AND HIS KINGDOM; (20) PREACH THE WORD, BE INSTANT IN SEASON, OUT OF SEASON, REPROVE, REBUKE, EXHORT WITH ALL LONGSUFFERING AND DOCTRINE. (3) FOR THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE; BUT AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS SHALL THEY HEAP TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS, HAVING ITCHING EARS; (4) AND THEY SHALL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, AND SHALL TURN TO FABLES.

Now, look at these verses:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-7

NOW WE BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN, BY THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND BY OUR GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM, (2) THAT YE BE NOT SOON SHAKEN IN MIND, OR BE TROUBLED, NEITHER BY SPIRIT, NOR BY WORD, NOR BY LETTER AS FROM US, AS THAT THE DAY OF CHRIST IS AT HAND. (3) LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS: FOR THAT DAY SHALL NOT COME, EXCAPT THERE COME A FALLING AWAY FIRST, AND THAT MAN OF SIN BE REVEALED, THE SON OF PERDITION; (4) WHO OPPOSETH AND EXALTETH HIMSELF ABOVE ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD, OR THAT IS WORSHIPPED; SO THAT HE AS GOD SITTETH IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD, SHEWING HIMSELF THAT HE IS GOD. (5) REMEMBER YE NOT, THAT, WHEN I WAS YET WITH YOU, I TOLD YOU THESE THINGS? (6) AND NOW YE KNOW WHAT WITH-HOLDETH THAT HE MIGHT BE REVEALED IN HIS TIME. (7) FOR THE MYSTEY OF INIQUITY DOTH ALREADY WORK: ONLY HE WHO NOW LETTHETH WILL LET, UNTIL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY.

2 Timothy 3:1-7

THIS KNOW ALSO, THAT IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. (2) FOR MEN SHALL BE LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES, COVETOUS, BOASTERS, PROUD, BLASPHEMERS, DISOBIENT TO PARENTS, UNTHANKFUL, UNHOLY, (3) WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION, TRUCEBREAKERS, FALSE ACCURSERS, INCONTINENT FIERCE, DESPISERS,OF THOSE THAT ARE GOOD, (4) TRAITORS, HEADY, HIGHMINDED, LOVERS OF PLEASURES MORE THAN LOVERS OF GOD; (5) HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF: FROM SUCH TURN AWAY. (6) FOR OF THIS SORT ARE THEY WHICH CREEP INTO HOUSES, AND LEAD CAPTIVE SILLY WOMEN LADEN WITH SINS, LED AWAY WITH DIVERS LUSTS, (7) EVER LEARNING, AND NEVER ABLE TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.

We mentioned (Revelation 4:1) which I believe is a picture of the rapture of the Church. If we will study the last part of (Revelation 3) we can see what Jesus Christ has to say about the period of time in which we live today. Not only the last two thousand years but what is happening right now in the last days of this period of time.

In closing this chapter, let’s look at :

Revelation 3:20

BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR, AND KNOCK: IF ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE, AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM, AND WILL SUP WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME.

Today we have a lot of buildings we call Churches, worship centers, houses of prayer and so on. However, will we allow God’s Spirit, which is Jesus Christ into those places? That’s what we see in the verses we looked into. People would rather have someone to (tickle their ears) than to truly know what God has to reveal unto them. We have (in these day) sought to change the name of Jesus Christ into a person we can relate to rather than to just be willing to allow his word to change us into all he desires for us to be.

As I write this, the rapture of the Church hasn’t taken place as of yet. It can happen at any time. As we get into the next period of time which is the actual (Tribulation period) I’ll refer back to something we see in the epistles that the Apostle Paul wrote to show you just how important it is for any person that is living in this age not to forsake the conviction, the call of God to salvation while we each have the privilege to be saved.

Hebrews 2:3

HOW SHALL WE EXCAPE, IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION; WHICH AT THE FIRST BEGAN TO BE SPOKEN BY THE LORD, AND WAS CONFIRMED UNTO US BY THEM THAT HEARD HIM;

Please, I beg you to asked Jesus Christ to be your savior before the door of salvation is closed during this time of grace to which we live. As we get into the next age you will clearly see why!

Marshall Clayton

2 Timothy 1:7

We begin this in (Genesis 12) with a man called Abram. We see where God instructs him to get out of his country and away from his people. At this time, we see no mention of his wife, Sarah. When Sarah is mentioned in (verse 5) we also can see something else. We see that he also takes his brother’s son (Lot) and all their substance. It also says that he took the souls that they had gathered as well.

The Bible tells us in (Verse 4) that Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed Haran. We also see that Abraham was one hundred years old when (Isaac) the son of promise was born.

(Genesis 17:17)

AND ABRAHAM FELL UPON HIS FACE, AND LAUGHED, AND SAID IN HIS HEART. SHALL A CHILD BE BORN UNTO HIM THAT IS AN HUNDRED YEARS OLD? AND SHALL SARAH, THAT IS NINETY YEARS OLD, BEAR?

Seeing that verse and seeing the doubt of Abraham, let’s also look at the very next verse before we begin this.

Genesis 17:18

AND ABRAHAM SAID UNTO GOD, O THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVE BEFORE THEE!

In each segment we’ve looked into, I’ve tried to make the point that it appeared that each man we mentioned was blessed to have his wife submissive unto him. We see in the first few verses here that Abraham did in fact leave the place he was, being obedient to God the Father. However, he was not completely obedient, was he? We know that God spoke to Abraham, not Sarah. Wonder what kind of possessions Abraham had without taking Lot along with him? I’ll say up front that that no matter what the reason for Lot going with him, it was Abraham alone that was less than obedient to God.

As I seek to teach each time that God spoke to man in divers ways, it’s a lot to be seen as we move toward tribulation period. However, it’s very important to mention and see these spiritual things and to learn how each of them relate to our lives even today. The very fact that God spoke to Abraham, directing him created a situation that he then had to share God’s direction with his wife. Wonder how she received that word? Was she submissive to her husband or, did her doubt create a situation where Abraham took others and their belongings along with them for security, not completely trusting God? This is a question we can’t answer, can we? However, can you see how important it is to yield to God’s will even against the voice of other members of your family?

Let’s say just for the sake of argument that it was Sarah that influenced Abraham to take Lot and his belongings along with them. Can’t we also say that if Abraham would have stood his ground at that time, God could have also spoke to Sarah’s heart and brought about a yielding to her husband? Can we also argue that because of the lack of faith on the part of them both that it was twenty-five years before God kept his promise of the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah?

As we move forward in the lives of both, Abraham and Sarah, we see spiritual growth in both of them. We can see many things that cause us to wonder about their faith but, after the birth of Isaac we see where God spoke to Abraham when Isaac was eight years old and instructed his to take him to a mountain and offer him for a sacrifice.

If you remember I showed, you a verse where Abraham desire for God to use Ishmael as pleasing to him. Now we see where the son of promise has been born, Isaac. In:

Genesis 22: 1-2

AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS, THAT GOD DID TEMPT ABRAHAM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, ABRAHAM; AND HE SAID, BEHOLD, HERE AM I. (2) AND HE SAID, TAKE NOW THY SON, THINE ONLY SON ISAAC, WHOM THY LOVEST, AND GET THEE INTO THE LAND MORIAH, AND OFFER HIM THERE FOR A BURNT-OFFERING UPON ONE OF THE MOUNTAINS WHICH I WILL TELL THEE OF.

Now, let’s read this verse:

Hebrews 11:17-19

BY FAITH ABRAHAM, WHEN HE WAS TRIED, OFFERED UP ISAAC: AND HE THAT HAS RECEIVED THE PROMISES OFFERED UP HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, (18) OF WHOM IT WAS SAID, THAT IN ISAAC SHALL THY SEED BE CALLED: (19) ACCOUNTING THAT GOD WAS ABLE TO RAISE HIM UP, EVEN FROM THE DEAD; FROM WHENCE ALSO HE RAISED HIM IN A FIGURE.

I simply point these things out to show you spiritual growth. In the beginning, whether it was just Abraham or Sarah that doubted God’s ability to take care of them, we see now that it is not even questioned.

As we move through the book of Genesis, we will see many aspects of the family that God created to bring about the Nation of Israel. However, we must remember that this whole book and even part of the book of Exodus is being lived still in the time of human government. Up until the law was given to Moses, it is completely left up to man to decide what is right or wrong according to the laws they create. At this time man cannot know the true heart of God because he hasn’t revealed himself to them in that light.

We could teach in the book of Genesis for a complete lifetime and still not be able to reveal all of the spiritual lessons that are seen in this one book. However, it has nothing to do with the timeline we are building towards tribulation. In essence, we see here a nation in its youth within one family. For the rest of the Old Testament God id dealing with, speaking to this family. In reality, there is no other people that matter.

I’ve tried to share with you that in all things God is seeking to tech or reveal to mankind the things that will not work as it relates to a true spiritual relationship with him. In this segment as we move forward, we will see God giving his law to this family, this nation, his chosen people. As we look at this picture, we can see the desire of God’s heart. His desire was for this family, nation, or people to completely submit to his total will and, as time moved forward, they would at some point in time cover the whole world as all others died out.

Remember, as you read and study through Genesis and the first part of Exodus there is no law to declare what is right or wrong other than the law that is created by a man or a nation. As we leave Genesis we see where the family that God created has taken one of their own and sells him to the Egyptians. (Genesis 38). After that there was a great famine in their land, and they went into Egypt seeking food.

As we get into Exodus, Israel is now slaves to that nation. As we read in this book we see where there is a man-made law that states that if the midwives see that a male child is born to kill him. But God seen to it that Moses was spared, you can read the account here in Exodus. This man Moses became the deliverer of Israel out of Egypt. As time move on, he also becomes the voice of God to the nation of Israel at least through the book of Exodus.

We see in the last chapter of Genesis that God created a nation to be his people. As we get into Exodus, we see that God gives his people a law to live by. He reveals this law to the man Moses. As we look at this and study Exodus, we see that Moses led the nation of Israel to freedom, on dry land across the Red Sea. Even in all that these people seen, once they were free, we see that their hearts were filled with unbelief as it related to the very God that created them and even freed them.

What I’m about to say will seem very harsh but none the less a fact. I stated that God created the nation of Israel that he might have a people that would be obedient to his very will. In that sense, every other person that was not a member of that nation was completely worthless as God seen them through his eyes. I also stated that if Israel completely yielded to God’s will, in time they would possess the whole world and not one other person would exist unless they were just as obedient to God as that nation.

God’s promise to Abraham was that (as far as his eye could see) it would be his. That is, no matter where he would be standing, as far as he could see was his to have. I’d like to go back here to the sons of Noah to make a point. Noah commanded that his sons, Japheth and Ham submit to the teaching, leadership of Shem and his Lord God. If Japheth and Ham refused to yield to that leadership then, who was to blame?

It’s the same picture here. If the nation of Israel, being totally submitted to God’s will moves into a country, they (Israel) being God’s people, if that country chooses to yield to their leadership, then that country would be spared. If not, they would be completely destroyed. or, we could say that if some of their people stood with Israel then those people would be spared.

Here, I’d like to show you some scripture to make the same spiritual point. First:

Matthew 15:26-27

BUT HE ANSWERED AND SAID, IT IS NOT MEET TO TAKE THE CHILDREN’S BREAD, AND TO CAST IT TO DOGS. (27) AND SHE SAID, TRUTH, LORD, YET THE DOGS EAT OF THE CRUMBS WHICH DALL FROM THEIR MASTER’S TABLE.

These verses and this whole Biblical story are a reference to what I’m speaking of. In the book of Matthew Jesus Christ is come to the nation of Israel. This woman is not a Jew therefore he is saying that it’s not right for him to give that which is Israel’s to her. At that time, she points out that even the unworthy dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table. That’s what I’m saying about Israel and all other nations in the Old Testament. If Israel would have yielded to God’s will that’s exactly what would have happened.

We also see this in:

Romans 3:10-12

AS IT IS WRITTEN, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE: (11) THERE IS NONE THAT UNDERSTANDETH, THERE IS NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD. (12) THEY HAVE ALL GONE AOUT OF THE WAY, THEY ARE TOGETHER BECOME UNPROFITABLE; THERE IS NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, NO, NOT ON.

In the sense of Israel in the Old Testament, God seen them as the spiritual body upon the face of this earth. From the time they were created up until the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that was to be the picture. Although Israel was, as a nation in their flesh as well, that complete nation was to be completely yielded to the will of God. In that respect, every other nation would have to yield to God’s people to exist.

Here, let’s make another spiritual point concerning Adam and Eve and also Shem and his Lord God. When we see Adam and Eve, we see that when they ate the fruit they didn’t die physically, it was a spiritual death. It’s the same way with both Japheth and Ham. When they chose not to submit to the leadership of Shem and the Lord his God, they then died a spiritual death and not a physical death at that time.

As we get to now, what we see as the nation of Israel; they are a product of the people of the Lord God of Shem. Japheth and Ham have formed their own nations and don’t recognize Shem’s Lord God therefore they have become (dogs) in the eyes of God. We, as individuals, if we simply yield to the desires of our flesh and forget the spiritual aspect of our lives then we are completely worthless to God without having his spirit within us to guide us.

I often say that it’s a great difference in the way the world see life and how God sees that same life. The world will protect the life of a person to the utmost. The world act as if (this life) is all it is. The world will even take a known murderer, rapist, even a serial killer and refuse to kill them, giving them the rest of their life to live in prison. Right on the other hand, God, in the days of the law would destroy complete cities because they didn’t worship him. The point is that if (flesh) doesn’t honor and worship God the to him it’s already dead.

Therefore, what has God proven to us as it relates to the nation of Israel? I think one of the best ways to show what he taught here is to use a verse of scripture we see in the New Testament.

Luke 14:26-27

IF ANY MAN COME TO ME, AND HATE NOT HIS FATHER, AND MOTHER, AND WIFE, AND CHILDREN, AND BRETHREN, AND SISTERS, YEA, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. (27) AND WHOSOEVER DOTH NOT BEAR HIS CROSS, AND COME AFTER ME, CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

God formed a nation out of the loins of Abraham that it might glorify his name on this earth transforming every aspect of this world unto his glory. From Abraham to Jesus Christ, God used many different methods to try to cause Israel to hear his voice as a nation. The truth is that every man has his own mind, and it is impossible to get every man, woman, boy and girl to yield themselves to the will of God. Since Israel that is a proven fact.

However, there’s something we must understand; God promised that the nation of Israel would inherit this earth. Another point to be made and, we will do it time and time again, God knows the end from the beginning. All we see in scripture is for our instruction and spiritual education. Every nation, every person can make their own choices as designed by God, Israel was no exception. From the very beginning God’s desire has been for every person to (by choice) chose to walk with him, doing his will.

Within this time of law, we see where God determines a time of tribulation on his people. The time we call (tribulation) has nothing to do with any people other than the nation of Israel. Again, I make this statement, if any person that is, members of the nation of Israel or any Gentile is living and faces this time it will be because of the choices they made themselves. I said that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the end of the time of law. The next segment we get into will be a time of grace. During that time (whosoever will) can come to Jesus Christ and receive his saving grace. That is, Jews and Gentiles alike.

So, let’s look in :

Daniel 9;24

SEVENTY WEEKS ARE DETERMINED UPON THY PEOPLE AND THY HOLY CITY, TO FINISH THE TRANSGRESSION, AND TO MAKE RECONCILIATION FOR INIQUITY, AND TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND TO SEAL UP THE VISION AND PROPHECY, AND TO ANOINT THE MOST HOLY.

As I seek to teach (tribulation) I feel impressed by the Spirit of God to say just a few things about this. First of all, when we see (seventy weeks) it’s referring to seventy periods of seven-year periods. That would end up being four hundred and ninety years. As you read through the next few verses, we see some defining times such as (shall Messiah be cut of but, not for himself). Now, in (verse 27) we see this: (And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week). This week (seven years) is the time of tribulation.

Let’s look at something Jesus Christ said to his Apostles. If we look in (Matthew 24:3) (Mark 13:4) and (Luke 21:7) we see his disciples asked him (when shall these things be)? Jesus, each time told them about some events that would transpire. However, look at what he told them in:

Matthew 25:13

WATCH THEREFORE, FOR YE KNOW NEITHER THE DAY NOR THE HOUR WHEREIN THE SON OF MAN COMETH.

Let’s look at one other scripture here:

John 14:1-4

LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED: YE BELIEVE IN GOD, BELIEVE ALSO IN ME. (2) IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS: IF IT WERE NOT SO, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU. I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. (3) AND IF I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME AGAIN, AND RECIEVE YOU UNTO MYSELF; THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO. (4) AND WHITHER I GO YE KNOW, AND THE WAY YE KNOW.

I simply point these things out to make a spiritual point. We see where Jesus Christ explains some of the events that will happen to his Apostles and disciples. He also tells them that no man knows the day nor the hour when the son of man will return. He lets them know he’s leaving to prepare a place for them and that he will return but they or we cannot say when.

We’ve now looked into four segments of time where God works with man in different ways. In each of these times we can see no way to tell how long that time will be, even here in the time of law, at least up until the verses in (Daniel 9) were revealed. Here, he clearly gives a reference point to when this time of law might be ending. We see that the angel Gabriel, sent from God revealed to Daniel that when the Messiah was cut off that would be the end of the sixty-nineth week.

When I make this point I always like to show people what was said about a man we see in;

Luke 2:25-26

AND, BEHOLD, THERE WAS A MAN IN JERUSALEM, WHOSE NAME WAS SIMEON; AND THE SAME MAN WAS JUST AND DEVOUT, WAITING FOR THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL; AND THE HOLY GHOST WAS UPON HIM. (26) AND IT WAS REVEALED UNTO HIM BY THE HOLY GHOST, THAT HE SHOULD NOT SEE DEATH, BEFORE HE HAD SEEN THE LORD’S CHRIST.

Can you see the significance of this verse? It’s very possible that this man had studied the Old Testament and the time frame to the point that he knew by events that the sixty-nineth week was upon them and that the Christ Child had to be born during that time. As you well know, I can’t prove that about him but, I can see that we do see a way to tell the time frame of this segment in time.

We can see it here and, as we get into the time of tribulation we also see and know that it will be (seven years). As we continue to move forward, we can also know that the millennial reign of Christ is seen as one thousand years. We’ll get to that later however, as we study all that we study, there is no way that the disciples or the Apostles of Jesus Christ could have seen the period of time between to death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the time we live in now. That period of time after the end of the law was just like the other segments, we can’t tell the length of time that they will last. We can call the period of time we live in now (grace period) or, the Church age.

Daniel prophesied the end of the period of time in which he lived. We can really get into some deep study here as it concerns a change from law to grace. I’ll just give you an example of one very important change we see as we see the end of the law. When God gave the law to Moses in the segment of time and instructed him in the building of the Tabernacle, we see that the only person that could go behind the veil and meet with God in the Holy of Holies was the high priest. He did that just once a year for the sins of God’s people, Israel. You can study this in (Exodus 20-29). Also, we see a good report of it in (Hebrews chapters 4-9). The most important point here is that (only the high priest) could go behind the veil.

As we come to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, we see something happen. We see this in:

Matthew 27:50-51

JESUS, WHEN HE HAD CRIED AGAIN WITH A LOUD VOICE, YIELDED UP THE GHOST. (51) AND, BEHOLD, THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS RENT IN TWAIN FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM; AND THE EARTH DID QUAKE, AND THE ROCKS RENT;

This typically shows us something. All this time during the law, no person was allowed to see what was behind that veil. However, now it is wide open for all people to see. In essence, Jesus Christ became our high priest. Now, since the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ we can boldly go right up to the throne of God’s grace without the need of an earthly man standing between people and God the father. Jesus Christ is our mediator.

Just by way of teaching and then continuing on to tribulation, I’ll give you some verses to reference.

1 Timothy 2:5

FOR THERE IS ONE GOD, AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS.

Hebrews 8:1

NOW OF THE THINGS WHICH WE HAVE SPOKEN THIS IS THE SUM; WE HAVE SUCH AN HIGH PRIEST, WHO IS SET ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF THE MAJESTY IN THE HEAVENS;

We can read many things in Hebrews as it relates to Jesus Christ becoming our high priest and also how he is propitiation for our sin. Look at this verse:

1 John 2:2

AND HE IS THE PEOPITIATION FOR OUR SINS: AND NOT FOR OURS ONLY. BUT ALSO FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD.

I feel that we must come to a resolve of what is being said here.

Romans 10:4 says this:

(FOR CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH.

The word (propitiation) means to satisfy, in this sense, the will of God. As we study through the Old Testament and see in Hebrews, the blood of goats, sheep or any other animals could never satisfy to sin debt of people. And also, the law was never given to Israel with and expectation by God that they would keep that law. It’s not that God didn’t desire for them or us to live righteous lives; he does but, the law was given that we might know his heart and what he expected.

As we look behind the veil that we speak of we see that a high priest would take the blood of an animal and offer that blood for the sin of Israel each year. That had to be done every year. When it comes to Jesus Christ, when he died on his cross, he took his own blood behind that veil and offered it for the sins of the world. that blood propitiated God the Father’s need to cover the sin-debt of this world. Therefore, the veil could now be taken down because we all can walk straight up to the throne of God and offer our petitions of prayer through that perfect blood.

It’s something we need to see here. The blood of Jesus Christ was offered for the sins of the world, not just for the nation of Israel. We often forget that (the segment of) law is just one segment. Remember, we see three others before this one and none of the people that lived in that times were Jews, were they? I said that each segment of time is designed by God to teach us something. Can we say that we can even see that in every family? Just because a mother believes in Jesus Christ doesn’t mean her husband does nor her children.

I live in the United States of America. Just because we have a national slogan that says (one nation under God) doesn’t mean that ever person here believes in Jeus Christ does it? God taught us from the nation of Israel that you can’t expect unity from a whole nation, a whole family or any other institution.

Just by way of teaching, I’d like to share this with you again. When Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden, I stated that a lot of things remained the same all the way up to the flood of Noah. Also, after the flood settled by to dry land; and the things those eight people seen as a new earth remained the same, nothing changed up until the giving of the law and even all the way up to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We see that God called out a people and gave the law but as far as men were concerned nothing changed as fear as this world is concerned.

I make that statement to bring us up to the end we see of the law. The law ended when Jesus Christ died. However, as we get into the new segment, we can see fifty days exactly before the Spirit of God fell on the Day of Pentecost in (Acts 2). That fifty-day period of time is significant as it relates to teaching and why.

As we come to the end of this segment, I’d like to point out why these days are significant. During to period of time we call law, God gave Israel a number of (feasts) to observe each year. We see these feasts in (Levitus 23-24) If you’ll look in:

Levitus 23:16 we see this.

EVEN UNTO TOMORROW AFTER THE SEVENTH SABBATH SHALL YE NUMBER FIFTY DAYS; AND YE SHALL OFFER A NEWMEAT OFFERING UNTRO THE LORD.

This feast marks the beginning of the age of grace, the next segment. While this is true, all the feasts are strictly concerning Israel as time moves forward. If you will continue to read you will notice a long period of time between the feast of Pentecost and the next feast, Trumpets. this is the regathering of Israel after the grace period. I’ve also said that Israel could not see this time as it relates to grace or the existence of the Church. However, spiritual men of Israel such as the man Simeon, the man we mentioned studied and knew as much as possible about the coming events.

We, as born-again believers can clearly see these things today if we will study as inspired by God’s Spirit. I also believe that many of the people of Israel as they became spirit filled believers could see these things in the Old Testament as well.

As we leave the segment of law, I often tell people this. We can also relate it to (Hebrews 1:1) as well where we see that God spoke at sundry times and diver’s manners. We also see in (verse 2) that he tells us that in the last days he has spoken to us by his son. We only see two times in the gospels where God the Father speaks. One of those times he says (THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, HEAR YE HIM). The other time he says this: (THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED).

Jesus Christ is the keynote speaker in all four gospels. The four gospels are a period of time where Israel is still under the law. We can see in all four gospels where Jesus Christ spoke to his disciples after he was resurrected from the grave. What he said to them and the events around what he said can be a study in itself. Basically, he was telling them to go and preach the gospel into all the world. One point I’d like to make about the Apostles or disciples is that they, at that time were a lot like us. What they heard and how they reacted to what they heard could be seen as very child-like, just as we are vey often.

Often, what we think we know and what truth is can be seen in very different ways. We often move spiritually according to what we think we know more so that what the truth is. All of this is simply part of spiritual growth, we will see some of this in the next segment.

I mentioned the fact that God the Father only spoke twice in the gospels. Have you ever considered how often Jesus Christ; God’s Son spoke once we leave the gospels? Let’s use this thought to make a very powerful point as we leave this segment.

I’d like to point out that it’s a fact that God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit are all one in the same. It’s just a different way he presents himself to the people of this world. We’re looking at a timeline that will take us to the end of this world as we know it. Each event that happens as we move forward becomes more and more important to the people that are on this earth and in need of the free gift that God offers to every person. We see where God the Father only spoke twice in the Gospels. In both cases he was seeking to draw attention to his son as the mouthpiece that needed to be heard.

Now, as we look at the times that Jesus Christ spoke after the gospels, I believe it can be very telling. The first time he spoke after the gospels we see in (Acts 9). Here in Acts, we see that spoke to two different men. First he spoke to Saul. Saul, the man that later became the Apostle Paul was a man that went about both killing and putting those that believed in Jesus Christ in prison. Here, we see that Jesus Christ basically preaches to him, drawing Saul to himself with his saving grace. As we move on in Acts, we see a man called Ananias. Jesus Christ speaks to him, instructing him to help Saul. Ananias fears Saul because of his past life, Jesus Christ assures him that things are different now.

The fact that Jesus Christ takes the time to speak here is very significant because Saul is going to become the Apostle to the Church in the age of grace. His responsibility will be to teach people to hear the spirit of God as he speaks to their heart and to yield to that voice within them. We’ll see that in the next segment.

The next time we see Jesus Christ speak is in (Revelation). There he speaks multiple times. As we look at what he says, it’s always to the church. I’d like to show you a verse here before we leave this segment concerning the voice of all three members of the Godhead. As we continue to move forward towards what we know as tribulation, the importance of our ability to hear and yield to God’s spirit becomes more and more critical because, time is running out as it relates to God speaking to man.

I stated that God the father spoke twice in the gospels. We see in Acts nine that Jesus Christ spoke directly to the (soon to be) Apostle Paul and, in Revelation; Jesus Christ spoke directly to (the Church) warning them of complacency among other things.

Now, look at these verses:

Matthew 12:31-32

WHEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, ALL MANNER OF SIN AND BASPHEMY SHALL BE FORGIVEN UNTO MEN: BUT THE BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST SHALL NOT BE FORGIVEN UNTO MEN. (32) AND WHOSOEVER SPEAKETH A WORD AGAINST THE SON OF MAN, IT SHALL BE FORGIVEN HIM: BUT WHOSOEVER SPEAKETH AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST, IT SHALL NOT BE FORGIVEN HIM, NEITHER IN THIS WORLD, NEITHER IN THE WORLD TO COME.

It becomes very easy to simply read over these verses and never even consider what is being said. However, these verses are very telling as it relates to even what we know as (Tribulation). I want you to understand that here, Jesus Christ is speaking to Israel. Like in most cases it also can clearly relate to any individual as well. As believers, we know that God the Father was in the fleshly body of Jesus Christ. If you read this, we see where a Pharisee has just accused the God of the universe of doing the work of Satan, we can say that the Pharisee looked right into the eyes of Jesus Christ and made that statement. The fact that he was speaking to Israel means this. That nation has at this point rejected everything that God sought to do to have them follow him. Because of that, he sent his son, Jesus Christ in an effort to help them see and walk with him. We see here and also know that Israel rejects not only God the Father but now, God the Son. Look at this verse:

Matthew 27:25

THEN ANSWERED ALL THE PEOPLE, AND SAID, HIS BLOOD BE ON US, AND ON OUR CHILDREN.

Do you see there that it says ( then answered all the people)? What we see here is a nation, the nation that God chose to be his people rejecting him. What Jesus Christ is saying to this Pharisee is this. Through most of the Old Testament, you as a people have rejected my Father. Therefore, my father sent me in the flesh that you might see him in me, in the flesh. I have told you more than once ( if you have seen me, you have seen the father). What the Pharisee is accusing Jesus Christ of doing is exactly what he is doing. He is blaspheming or showing contempt for God and his Son.

I know we can define blaspheme in different ways, but the truth is that it simply means (to reject). We see that Israel at this time has now rejected God the Father and God the Son. Jesus Christ is telling them that they can be forgiven for that act. However, he tells them that if they blaspheme the Holy Ghost there is no forgiveness for that act, not in this world or the world to come.

As we leave this segment we’re calling law, we will be going into the next segment we will call grace. In that segment we will see the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. I’d like to say here that the art of knowing God in any one of the parts of the Godhead is within our willingness to seek him, to know. It’s been that way from the very beginning and, always as it relates to individuals, never a group of people. I say that to make to point that the people of Israel could have seen the fact that the third part of the Godhead was coming simply by seeking to know by studying the Old Testament. I wasn’t necessarily easy but, it could be seen.

What Jesus Christ is saying to the Pharisee and also to Israel is that the third part of the Godhead is coming. If you reject the drawing of that Spirit then there is not going to be anyone else sent to help you to be redeemed, that’s it!

As we look at the last verse, we read we see what the Nation of Israel cried as they placed Jesus Christ on his cross. Let his blood be upon us and our children. They were blinded by their own self-righteousness and self-will. After the crucifixion, we see the events that unfolded. We will get into those things in the next segment.

I’d like to say here again that God the Father proved another point. The point is that righteousness will never be gained by keeping the law nor will you find it in any given family. Just as we have seen in every segment, it has to do with individual people and a desire to walk in the spirit of God.

The next segment will be called (God’s Grace).

Marshall Clayton

2 Timothy 1:7

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