Quoteworthy: Signs of the Times

"Ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times ?"—Matthew 16:3.

Jesus was at Magdala. He was surrounded by a multitude. They were clamoring for some signs or evidence that he was the Christ, the Messiah.

He said to them: You can tell by certain conditions in the sky whether it is going to be clear or stormy, and govern yourselves accordingly. Now, there are signs in the times, conditions, circumstances and events, foretold in your Holy Scriptures, which you ought to be able to read as clearly as you read the face of the sky.

The prophets had foretold certain things concerning the Christ when He should come. They had said he should be of lowly mien; that He would perform many healing wonders; that he would speak in parables; that he would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; that he would not come with outward beauty nor winsome attraction; that he would ride into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of an ass; that he would come in at a definite day and date, and that he would present himself in the temple as their king.

All these things had happened, were happening, and were about to happen. The Jews were called upon to be witnesses of these things and read them aright. They ought to have seen that they were the credentials of the Christ; that he who fulfilled them before their very eyes was none other than Messiah himself.

They did not so see. They did not read the signs. They were blind, and they were blind because they had turned away from the book that recorded them, and had listened and were listening at that very moment to the traditions of men rather than to the Word of God. They missed their ordained opportunity and, for two thousand years, have paid the penalty in an agony and tragedy that are terrible to contemplate. There are signs for these days just as plainly foretold in Holy Writ, as were the signs of those days.

They have been foretold by the Son of God himself and all his holy apostles. They are written in the Scriptures; and yet, the church, as a whole, fails to read or note them, is utterly blind to them, and all the out-reach of their tremendous meaning.

From The Signs of the Times by IM Haldeman.  Published in 1919.

Are You Ready for Christ’s Return?

We can rejoice in the knowledge that the Lord will return for His bride! We do not know when that glorious day will be, but Scripture tells us that Christ’s return will occur when the world least expects it (Matthew 24:44). 

While the bridegroom is away, the bride makes herself ready by studying His Word and eagerly anticipating His appearing. She also busies herself with whatever work the Lord has entrusted to her, which is portrayed in the parable of the ten minas or pounds.

Luke 19:12-13: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

The man of noble birth is Jesus, and he is currently sitting at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19, Acts 7:56, Hebrews 1:13, 1 Peter 3:22). He is interceding on our behalf as our High Priest until that wonderful day when He will return in the clouds and believers will be caught up with Him in the air
(1 Thessalonians 4:17).
 
Luke 19:14-15: “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

I believe these verses are referring to the time after the rapture, when all believers will appear before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ to be judged for their works (2 Corinthians 5:10). While our eternal security is firmly assured, we will either experience loss or receive rewards (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). 

Luke 19:16-19: “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

From these passages, it appears that believers whose works withstand the test of fire (see older posts on salvation of the soul and loss of salvation of the soul) will receive positions of authority — in direct apportion to their works — when Christ Jesus returns to earth to establish His millennial kingdom.

Luke 19: 20-27: “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

The earlier passages describe rewards, while this one points to loss at the judgment seat of Christ. There is a similar parable in Matthew 25 about the servant who was given one talent and did nothing with it, which reveals more about loss. Jesus says in Matthew 25:30:

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Many assume that this passage, and the two other passages in Scripture that speak of outer darkness (Matthew 8:12 and Matthew 22:11-13), refer to unbelievers and hell. Outer darkness is a topic on its own, and one that deserves much greater discussion. I will preface that future discussion by stating that I do not believe that Jesus is talking about unbelievers in this parable. 

In both parables, Jesus entrusts His servants with the means by which they are to work for Him (minas and talents). 

Would Jesus entrust an unbeliever to do His work?

Beware of Deceivers

How can a believer know when he is being deceived? 

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 warns: 

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (NIV)

If Satan masquerades as an angel of light, how are we able to discern truth?  I believe Genesis 3:1 provides the start of the answer:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (NIV, emphasis added)

Scripture states that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), and Genesis 3:1 shows us that when Satan questions God’s Word, he always mixes in a little truth with his lies. Those who do not know God’s Word, remain in God's Word, and test every belief against God's Word are more vulnerable to his deceptions. 

Sadly, Satan has more knowledge of Scripture than many believers do today, including leaders of highly visible churches who are introducing false and dangerous doctrines and shepherding their sheep right to the slaughter. Spiritual blindness prevents them from seeing that they are playing into Satan’s hands by focusing on the attainment of earthly rewards instead of the promise of our future reward, which is to rule and reign with Christ Jesus when He returns to establish His millennial kingdom.

But this has all been foretold in Scripture:

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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

A preparing bride takes heed of the sound advice provided in Thessalonians 5:19-22:

Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. 

Test everything. 

Hold on to the good.    

Avoid every kind of evil.

Run to the shelter of God’s Word, beloved, and abide there.

Quoteworthy: Looking for the Saviour's Appearing

Each of the apostles, of whose writings we have any inspired record, taught their converts to look for their Saviour's appearing. Alas! that this testimony was not maintained. Alas! that this Blessed Hope should ever have become dim. Alas! that it should, for more than a thousand years, have been almost totally lost to the Lord's people. Yet so it was.

The immediate successors of the apostles turned their attention to other things: as it was with the Pharisees in the days of our Lord, so these tithed anise and mint but "omitted the weightier matters." Instead of expounding the Prophetic Scriptures and setting before the Church its one great Hope, the early "Church fathers," for the most part, spent their time in wrangling among themselves. Even before the apostles themselves had left the earth, false teachers crept in and began to devour the flock, and within three centuries the whole professing Church had become Paganized. Then followed the Dark Ages—aptly named, for the lamp of Prophecy had ceased to shine and the prospect of the speedy return of the Morning Star had completely disappeared.

As our Lord Himself had foretold, the virgins all slumbered and slept: no longer were His people looking for the Coming of the Bridegroom.

From The Redeemer's Return by AW Pink. Published in 1918.

Jesus in Genesis: Abraham, Isaac, and the Ram

Genesis 22 provides a poignant type of Abraham as God the Father, and the sacrifice of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. In verse 2, God says to Abraham:

Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

What is interesting about this passage is that Isaac is not Abraham’s only son. In Genesis 16, Hagar gives birth to Ishmael, Abraham’s first son. Could this be a mistake? No, because the Lord repeats His words twice more in Genesis:

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. (Genesis 2:12, emphasis added)

And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: (Genesis 2:16, emphasis added)

Then if you jump to Hebrews 11:17, the Lord provides another revealing statement:

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son

You are probably very familiar with John 3:16, which says:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Do you see the connection? There is more. When Abraham goes up to the mountains of Moriah, he finds the place to sacrifice his son on the third day (Genesis 22:4). This typifies the resurrection of Christ Jesus on the third day (Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible). Isaac asks his father, where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham replies: My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.

In verse 13, Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in the bushes by its horns, which he offers up as a burnt offering instead of his son. The Father provided a substitute for Isaac, foreshadowing the future event when the Lord provided His only begotten Son as the substitute to be sacrificed for our sins. The Father loves us so much that he allowed His Son to be publicly humiliated and brutally tortured. Then He suffered an agonizingly painful death upon a cross. That our lives would be lived for His glory pales in comparison as a way to show gratitude for His sacrifice.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states that “the ram was caught and held by his horns in a thicket of briers, brambles, and thorns, or in the thick branches of the shrubs or bushes which grew upon the mount,” a type of our Lord Jesus who was forced to wear a crown of thorns on his head before His crucifixion (Matthew 27:29). 

Isn’t it incredible that we see God’s plan for man’s spirit salvation through the sacrifice of His Son right in the beginning of the Bible? When you study Scripture with the knowledge that everything in the New Testament is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, the Bible becomes a wonderful treasure chest. 

Every time you open it, there are many jewels to be found.

Loss of Salvation of the Soul (Part 2)

What is the loss that is referred to in
1 Corinthians 3:14-15?:

  

¹⁴If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

Let's start by looking at the rewards that are gained by those whose works survive the fire:^1,2

• Crown of life — for the faithful martyrs of the tribulation period (Revelation 2:10)

• Crown of glory — for church leaders who feed the flock of God with the Word of God (1 Peter 5:2-4)

• Crown of rejoicing or the soul winner’s crown — for those who will rejoice when the Lord returns because they have led others to Jesus (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20)

• Crown of righteousness — for those who love His appearing
  (2 Timothy 4:8)

• Incorruptible crown or the victor’s crown — for those who do not yield to lusts of the flesh or worldly amusements (1 Corinthians 9:25-27)

I think that the believers who earn these rewards receive salvation of the soul and are the “overcomers”  Scripture refers to.  This “overcoming” is our final victory over the battle that often wages between our spirit and our soul.  Those who do not receive salvation of the soul still have the gift of eternal life, but they will not gain any rewards.²  Many churches steadfastly believe that all Christians are overcomers, but I don't see where Scripture supports that.

Overcomers and the bride of Christ

The marriage of the Lamb occurs after the judgment seat of Christ (Revelation 19:7-9).  I think those overcomers whose works survive the fiery test, and receive salvation of their soul, will be the bride of Christ that returns with Christ Jesus to rule and reign with Him during the millennial kingdom.  Adam is a type for Christ, and Adam’s bride was taken from his body, which supports the idea that the bride of Christ will also be taken from the body of Christ (the church at large).

The book of the Revelation tells us what overcomers will gain:

• Revelation 2:11: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

• Revelation 2:17: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

• Revelation 2:26: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

• Revelation 3:5: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

• Revelation 3:12: Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

• Revelation 3:21: To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

• Revelation 21:7: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

I think this inheritance that the Lord speaks of is the same thing He wanted at the beginning of the ages, which was for Adam and his bride to have dominion over the earth.  Due to Satan’s cunning, man was disqualified from this, but we have the hope of achieving this inheritance when Christ Jesus returns and establishes His millennial kingdom. 

Romans 8:17: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Satan did not want man to rule over the earth at the beginning of the ages, and he does not want man to rule and reign with Christ during the 1,000-year period of the millennial kingdom.  He will do everything he can to prevent this!

Because Satan is doing such a good job of distracting believers from their true purpose, I think he will keep many believers from being overcomers, and they will not be able to rule and reign with Christ in His millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:1-6).  Some authors I have read feel that these believers will be able to see the kingdom, but not be able to enter it, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Reference:

1.  Larkin C.  Dispensational Truth, or God’s Plan and Purpose in the Ages.  Originally published in 1918.  
2.  Harman JT. The Kingdom.  Prophecy Countdown Publications.  Maitland FL, 2009.

Jesus Will Separate the Wheat From the Tares at His Judgment Seat

God is never inconsistent.  He always says what He means and He means what He says.  But often we need to compare Scripture with Scripture, particularly when looking at Jesus’ parables, to completely understand what the Lord is telling us.  We will do this as we look at Jesus’ parable of the wheat and tares.  

In early biblical times, the Hebrews used wheat as a main staple in making their bread.  They also roasted the grains and ate them.¹  Scripture reveals more about wheat through the Lord's words in Matthew 13:24-30:

²⁴Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:  ²⁵But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.  ²⁶But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.  ²⁷So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?  ²⁸He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?  ²⁹But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.  ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 

In this passage, wheat symbolizes God’s judgment,² which every believer will face at the judgment seat of Christ (see older post on loss and rewards).  In the King James version, the Greek word zizanion is translated as tares, not weeds.  A tare is a darnel that looks exactly like wheat while both are growing as blades.  When the fruit from an ear of wheat is ready to be harvested, the tares can finally be distinguished by their lack of fruit, and they may be separated easily.^1,3  Unfortunately, much of this rich meaning is lost in more modern translations that use the word weeds.*

Later in Matthew 13, Jesus explains the meaning of His parable:

³⁸The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; ³⁹The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. ⁴¹The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; ⁴²And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

Jesus is clearly saying that the enemy who sowed the tares is Satan, that the harvest is the end of the age, and that the reapers are angels.  The King James Version uses the phrase “end of the world,” but a more accurate translation is age,* which describes the end of this present dispensation.  Jesus is also warning believers that there will be those among us who look, talk, and act like true followers of Christ.  But they are actually tares who will go to any length to distract us from believing God's Word about the millennial kingdom.³ 

Going back a little earlier to the parable of the sower, Jesus says in Matthew 13:3-4:

Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

  

In Matthew 13:19, Jesus explains that the fowls he speaks of are the wicked one.  If we use Scripture to interpret Scripture, the meaning of the fowls in the parable of the sower must be the same in Jesus’ later parable about the mustard tree:

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Matthew 13:31-32) 

The same Greek word, peteinon, is used in both parables for fowls and birds.

Now a mustard plant is an herb, so its growth into a tree implies abnormally large growth.³  If the birds are lodging in its branches, that means there are tares sitting right alongside true believers!  I believe these tares have been seducing entire churches to move away from God's Word and to focus more on “experiencing” Jesus in ways that contradict God's Word.  They are also high-profile pastors who are promoting man-made doctrines that have absolutely no basis in Scripture.  Since Jesus tells us that these tares are children of the wicked one, it is unclear whether they were once faithful believers who Satan has successfully deceived or whether they are aligned with Satan and know exactly what they are doing.

The bride of Christ, however, remains firmly grounded in Scripture, which allows her to discern everything she hears (what Scripture refers to as “testing the spirits”) so that neither Satan nor the tares will be able to deceive her. 

Beloved, are you firmly grounded in Scripture?  Or are you relying on others to tell you about Scripture?

*I have become convinced that there is no "one best translation," which is why I often compare several translations when studying Scripture.  The NET bible online provides a great way to do this.

References: 1. Merril F. Unger and R.K. Harris, ed.  The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary  (Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1988), 217, 1341.  2.  Brand C, Draper C, England A, eds.  Hoffman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.  (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003): 1670.  3.  Herbert J.  Matthew 13 Parables Part 4, The Parable of the Wheat and Tares.  

Quoteworthy: Longing for God

Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all. 

If we would find God amid all the religious externals we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity. Now as always God discovers Himself to "babes" and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly respond.

When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the "and" lies our great woe. If we omit the "and" we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.

We need not fear that in seeking God only we may narrow our lives or restrict the motions of our expanding hearts. The opposite is true. We can well afford to make God our All, to concentrate, to sacrifice the many for the One. 

 Excerpt from The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Published in 1948.

Jesus in Genesis: Joseph as a Type

Romans 5:14 states that Adam is a type of Him who was to come.  The Greek word for type is tupos, which means an example to be imitated, a design, an ensample, or a person or thing that prefigures a future Messianic person or thing.  

When the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to types in Scripture, it becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss them as mere coincidences.  Types form an amazingly consistent pattern that could only have been devised by One who has divine knowledge of the course of history from the beginning of time to the end of the ages: our Lord.

In Genesis, Joseph is a type that beautifully shadows the second coming of Christ.  Below are just a few of many similarities that have been plucked from the Old Testament account of the life of Joseph.  

Some have already been fulfilled at Christ's first coming, while others still remain as our blessed hope, the imminent return of our Lord.

• Joseph is sent by his father to find out how his brothers (and their flock) are doing (Genesis 37:14) 
• He is rejected by his brothers, stripped of his robe, and cast into a pit (Genesis 37:23-24)
• He is sent to a far country (Genesis 37:28) 
• At the age of 30, he is exalted to the throne by Pharaoh, clothed in fine linen, and rules over all the land of Egypt (Genesis 41:40-43)
• He obtains a Gentile bride named Asenath (Genesis 41:45)
• He saves his people during the famine (Genesis 41:56-57)
• He shows grace to his brothers (Genesis 44:17)
• He is made known to his brothers the second time he appears before them (Genesis 45:1)
• He delivers his family from tribulation to settle into the land of Goshen (Genesis 45:10)

Awaiting Christ’s Kingdom

Among the Israelites, the title “king” referred to the supreme head of the nation.  A king was commander in chief of the army, supreme judge, and the absolute master of all his subjects’ lives.¹  Knowing this has helped me to understand why the Jewish people did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah.  They were expecting a mighty king who would redeem Israel!  They did not realize that when Jesus returns to earth, He will reign as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16) and Israel will finally be redeemed. 

Do you believe that Christ Jesus will rule and reign upon a literal throne when He returns?  This is a topic that is rarely discussed in pulpits today.  But there is no denying that it is a major theme from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation. 

Daniel 2:44: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Daniel 7:13-14: ¹³I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. ¹⁴And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Jeremiah 33:14-16: ¹⁴Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

Jesus is the righteous branch.  Jeremiah 33:14-15 refers to Jesus’ first appearance on earth, when he impressed upon the hearts of believers the gospel of his glory.  Jeremiah 33:16 refers to Jesus’ second coming to earth when he will reign as king on the throne in Jerusalem.  We have the benefit of knowing this because we live on this side of the cross and have all of Scripture to read.  But it is easy to see how early readers of the Torah could not possibly understand that there would be two comings of the Lord.

Zechariah 14:5 also prophesies that Jesus is coming, and that He will be bringing His saints with him:

And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

Zechariah 14:9 makes it crystal clear that when Jesus returns, his kingdom will be an earthly one:

And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

You are probably very familiar with this passage from Romans 14:11, which stirs every bride’s heart:

For it is written,
AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." (NASB) 

The prophet Isaiah correctly prophesied the birth of Jesus (Isaiah 9:6) and foretold that the government would be on his shoulders.  Isaiah 9:7 tells us exactly where Jesus will reign over his kingdom: 

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

And in Zechariah 9:10 we learn that His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.  Amen!

 A future event

Many “kingdom now” proponents base their belief on what Jesus said in Luke 17:21:

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (NIV)

Look up this passage in the online NET Bible (a great resource for comparing different translations side-by-side), and you will see that a more accurate translation is probably “in your midst” or “in your grasp.”  Jesus was telling them that the king was among them.

Context is everything when reading Scripture.  Who was Jesus talking to in Luke 17:21?  The NET translators make an excellent argument by stating that Jesus was talking to a group of angry Pharisees.  Why would He tell them that the kingdom was within them? 

  

Remember Jesus’ words a bit later in Luke 11:44: 

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  

Finally, if the kingdom was already here, why would Jesus instruct us to pray for the kingdom to come in Matthew 6:9-13?:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

¹⁰Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.

¹²And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Reference: 1. Merril F. Unger and R.K. Harris, ed.  The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary  (Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1988), 739.  

More about the Second Coming of Christ from the Book of Beginnings

When the bride readies herself for the bridegroom’s return, all of Scripture opens up to her.  She starts to see the promise of the second coming of Christ, with His bride to establish His millennial kingdom, so clearly in passages that she may have overlooked before.  

IM Haldeman says it so eloquently: "Thus from Genesis to Revelation this doctrine of the Second Coming is inwrought with the warp and woof of the inspired Word and lies as thick upon its pages as the autumn leaves which at this hour whirl about Manhattan; and he who keeps his ears alert as he opens its pages may hear the rustling of the footsetps of the Coming King."

We are fortunate that there have been many preparing brides who have gone before us (stewards of the Word like Haldeman, Larkin, Spurgeon, Seiss, and Pink, just to name a few) who have lovingly uncovered many of these precious pearls in Scripture.

This will be the start of an intermittent series of posts that will bring to light some of these treasured verses, starting from the book of beginnings — Genesis.

Genesis 2:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed (Christ’s first coming prophesied) it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Christ’s second coming prophesied). 

Later in Genesis, we learn that Enoch was born to Cain and his wife (Genesis 4:17), that he lived 605 years when he begat Methuselah (Genesis 5:21), and that Enoch walked with God 300 years after he begat Methuselah (Genesis 5:22).  All the days of Enoch were 365 years (Genesis 5:23) when God took him (Genesis 5:24). 

Hebrews 11:5 states that Enoch was translated that he should not see death, which is a type of the rapture.

Another interesting aspect about Enoch is that he prophesied about the Lord’s second coming, as revealed in Jude 1:14:

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.

The Return of the Bridegroom As Foretold In Genesis

After Abraham had typically offered up his son on Mount Moriah and typically received him from the dead on the third day the son for a number of chapters in the record disappears from view. 

Then Abraham the father sends his servant Eliezer into a far country to get a bride for this now invisible son. Eliezer meets the intended bride at a well from whence she is drawing water, goes with her into her brother's house, takes out a pack of precious things sent from the father in the name of the son, displays them to her and invites her to become the bride of the son. She consents. The servant leads her forth. On the way he talks to her of the promised bridegroom. Suddenly she beholds him coming to meet her. He receives her, takes her into his prepared tent and she becomes his wife.

On the same mount nearly two thousand yeare later God the Father offered up His only begotten Son. On the third day He raised Him from the dead. For two thousand years He has disappeared from view. The Father has sent forth the Spirit to obtain a bride for His Son. He meets her at the Gospel well from whence we draw the waters of salvation. He is calling her through individual selection that she may become the corporate bride. He has brought spiritual gifts which He seeks to display in all her assemblies. He is endeavouring to lead her along the highway of time and to speak to her in the heaven speech of the Coming Bridegroom. Suddenly the Lord will come to meet her and take her into the place prepared and keep her for the marriage hour. In this simple story the analogue finds its prophetic climax in the Second Coming of our Lord.

From Why I preach the second coming by Isaac Massey Haldeman.

Jesus Will Return Upon the Clouds

Seeing clouds in the sky is a pretty common sight for most of us.  During the time of Moses, however, it was unusual to see even a trace of a cloud between the months of May and September.¹  Throughout Scripture, there are many references to clouds that have spiritual significance. 

• In Exodus 19:9 the Lord tells Moses: Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

• In the Tent of Meeting in Exodus 40:34 a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

• In Numbers 12:5: the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

• In Deuteronomy 31:15: the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

• In Psalm 104:1-3: the Lord maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

When the Lord appeared before the people in Old Testament times, he often did so within a cloud (a word search will reveal just how often).  This was not just a cloud of mist and vapor, but a cloud of Shekinah glory, manifesting the majestic presence of God.  What a sight that must have been to behold!

Clouds in Old Testament passages also reveal the promise of what is to come, as we see in Isaiah and Daniel, two prophetic books of the Bible.

• Isaiah 19:1: the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

• Daniel 7:13: I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

• Daniel 7:14: And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

These verses prophesy that when Jesus returns to earth in a cloud at His second coming, His dominion will be an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.  Praise God!  

Prior to this wonderful event, Jesus will also come on a cloud to rapture believers, but He will not actually set foot on the earth.   

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:¹⁶For 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: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

These passages have changed the way I look at clouds, especially when I see the glorious rays of the sun shining through.  What about you?

Reference: 1. Merril F. Unger and R.K. Harris, ed.  The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary  (Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1988), 243. 

Quoteworthy: Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God?

Jesus often used euphemisms for God — his audiences would have been shocked had he not.  The most common world for God used by Jesus was "Heaven."  This occurs often throughout the Gospel of Matthew in the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven," the term Jesus used for his community of disciples.

Mark and Luke used "Kingdom of God," possibly because most of their Greek readers might not have understood the euphemism.  The original, however, is malchut shamayim (Kingdom of Heaven), which is common in the Hebrew literature of the period while "Kingdom of God" is never used.

David Bivin.  2007.  New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus.  Holland MI: En-Gedi Resource Center, Inc.

Salvation of the Soul (Part 1)

I must start off by asking for your patience, dear reader, as I struggle to find the right words to summarize important truths that can be understood by anyone who has received salvation of the spirit and is devoted to studying God's Word.  If you are here because you are seeking a deeper understanding of Scripture I implore you to go back to your Bible after reading this, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide you, and you will find all your answers there. 

⁷Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: ⁸For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 
(Matthew 7:7-8)

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

On the heels of yesterday’s post, I want to discuss another Scripture verse that once perplexed me.

Hebrews 9:28: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

I believe that this verse is referring to salvation of the soul, which is different from spirit salvation.^1-3  Man is made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body.^1-4  There is a great deal that can be written about this, but in its simplest form, the part of us that is spirit cannot be seen and it is the part of us that God communicates with through His Word.  Our soul is the part of us that influences our emotions, our personalities, our will, and ultimately our choices.  Our body is the flesh, the outward part of us that can be seen.^1-4  

1 Thessalonians 5:23 leads me to believe that the full scope of salvation involves all three of these parts: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

When man fell in the Garden of Eden, he experienced spiritual death.  When we believe in Jesus, we receive salvation of the spirit.  Even as believers, however, there is often a battle that wages between our spirit and our soul.^1-3  Scripture talks about the saving of our soul in James 1:21:  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 

While spirit salvation is present for believers, salvation of the soul appears to be a future salvation^1,2— the end of our faith that Peter talks about in 1 Peter 1:9.   

After the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17), we know that we will appear before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ.   

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 judgment 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.

Scripture tells us that the Lord will determine if our works as believers are gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, stubble. 
 

1 Corinthians 3:10-15: ¹⁰According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. ¹¹For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; ¹³Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. ¹⁴If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

If our works survive the fiery test, I believe we will then receive salvation of our soul and the reward that is spoken of above and in Matthew 16:27:   

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 

Next time: What happens to those who shall suffer loss? 

References:  
1.  Chitwood A. Salvation of the Soul.

2.  Herbert J. "The Full Scope of Salvation."

3.  Powell R.  "Salvation of Spirit, Soul, and Body."

4.  Larkin C.  Dispensational Truth, or God’s Plan and Purpose in the Ages.  Originally published in 1918. 

Salvation of the Spirit

Have you ever been haunted by a verse in Scripture?  What I mean by that is when you come across a verse that doesn’t seem to make any sense, and you repeatedly ask others to explain it, but their answers baffle you even more.  You pray, search, and hope that one day God will finally reveal the meaning to you.

For me, one of those verses was Philippians 2:12:

¹²Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

How could I work out my salvation?  Wasn't it a free gift?  As I studied Scripture, I came across another passage that challenged everything that I had been told about salvation.   

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,⁴To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: ⁷That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ⁸Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: ⁹Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9) 

What was this salvation ready to be revealed in the last time?  And if I was already saved, how could salvation of my soul be the end result of my faith?

The reason that no one could explain these verses to my satisfaction was because they were associating them with salvation of the spirit, the free gift that we receive by God’s grace alone when we believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, which marks the beginning of our faith.

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Let me clear: when we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior, we are assured of eternal life, something that we can never lose or have taken away from us.  

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16)

Spirit salvation, however, is just the beginning of an ongoing process and it holds the promise of so much more!  To fully grasp this, we need to first understand the nature of man in relation to the nature of God.  

Genesis 1:26 states: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 

The Hebrew word for God that is used here is 'elohiym, and it is a plural noun.  Right from the beginning of Scripture we see that God is a trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

Scripture also says that man was made in God’s image and after His likeness.  1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us that man’s nature is also three-fold: spirit, soul, and body:

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Next time: Salvation of the soul.

Quoteworthy: Blessed to Live This Side of the Cross

There is no fact in history more clearly established than the fact of the "First Coming" of Christ. But as His "First Coming" did not fulfill all the prophecies associated with His "Coming," it is evident that there must be another "Coming" to completely fulfill them. It was because the religious leaders of Christ's day failed to distinguish between the prophecies that related to His "First Coming," and those that related to His "Second Coming" that they rejected Him. Peter tells us (1 Pet. 1:10-11) that the prophets themselves did not clearly perceive the difference between the "Sufferings" and "Glory" of Christ. That is, they did not see that there was a "TIME SPACE" between the "Cross" and the "Crown," and that the "Cross" would precede the "Crown." But we have no such excuse. We live on this side of the "Cross," and we can readily pick out all the prophecies that were fulfilled at Christ's "First Coming" and apply the remainder to His "Second Coming." It is clear then that Christ's "First Coming," important as it was, is not the "doctrinal centre" of the Scriptures, that is, Christ's First Coming was not the centre of a circle that contains all doctrine, but was one of the foci of an ellipse of which the other is the "SECOND COMING."

Paul in all his epistles refers but 13 times to Baptism, while he speaks of the Lord's return 50 times.  One verse in every 30 in the New Testament refers to Christ's Second Coming.  There are 20 times as many references in the Old Testament to Christ's Second Coming as to His First Coming (emphasis added).

Clarence Larkin. Dispensational Truth, or God's Plan and Purpose in the Ages. Published 1918.