Illuminating The Outer Darkness

I’ve written about outer darkness before, but while researching a completely different topic, I stumbled upon Unger’s definition of darkness, which includes being a symbol in Scripture of ignorance and spiritual blindness.¹

In this post I discuss why I do not believe that outer darkness is hell, but is a place for believers — whose works do not withstand the test of fire at the judgment seat of Christ — during Christ’s thousand-year reign in His Millennial Kingdom.  These believers do not lose eternal life, but will spend those one thousand years being on the outside and looking in on the Kingdom (for more on this, read Jim Harman’s book The Kingdom).

  

If a believer’s ignorance and spiritual blindness were revealed at the judgment seat of Christ, it would certainly explain the weeping and gnashing of teeth that are mentioned in the three Bible passages that describe the outer darkness (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30).

In Matthew 8:12, Jesus says:

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Would Jesus describe unbelievers as children of the kingdom?  One could argue that He was referring to the Jewish people in Israel, who were presented with His offer of the kingdom, but refused it.  The context of this passage is the great faith of the centurion.  Matthew Henry writes: “But when the Son of man comes he finds little faith, therefore he finds little fruit.  An outward profession may cause us to be called children of the kingdom; but if we rest in that, and have nothing else to show, we shall be cast out.”

The only time the phrase “children of the kingdom” is mentioned again is Matthew 13:38, Jesus’ parable of the sower:

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one (emphasis mine).

In this passage, the children of the kingdom are clearly believers. 

The next parable where Jesus mentions outer darkness is the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:13).  Henry writes that the “doom of the guest that had not the wedding-garment, the danger of hypocrisy in the profession of Christianity.”

Outer darkness is mentioned a third time in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:30).  Of this parable, Henry writes: “1. The Master is Christ, who is the absolute Owner and Proprietor of all persons and things, and in a special manner of his church; into his hands all things are delivered. 2. The servants are Christians, his own servants, so they are called; born in his house, bought with his money, devoted to his praise, and employed in his work.”  In his commentary, David Guzik writes: “…our readiness for Jesus’ return is determined by our stewardship of the resources that He has given us.”  Ray Stedman refers to Matthew 25 (and 24) as “instructions to the believing remnant on what to do until he comes again.”

To those who believe that outer darkness is hell, how is it possible for believers to be sent there?  That would mean that the gift of salvation (of the spirit) could be lost. 

Scripture does not say that the gift of eternal life can be taken away from a believer.  What Scripture does say is that believers can lose rewards based on their works while in the body (1 Corinthians 3:14-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10).  I believe this includes the reward of ruling and reigning with Christ during His Millennial Kingdom.  

I urge you to read Harman’s book.  It will open your eyes to all of this — and time is running short.

1. Merril F. Unger and R.K. Harris, ed.  The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary  (Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1988),179-180.

The Return of the Jewish Messiah

I am Jewish by birth and attended Sunday school at a synagogue until I was a teenager.  But it wasn’t until many years after becoming a believer that I learned that Jesus was Jewish.  This knowledge was the beginning of an incredible journey to understand His (and my) Hebrew roots.

I often wondered why the Jewish leaders did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah.  They dutifully and rigorously studied the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), most likely on a daily basis.  They knew about the writings of the prophets (while there was no collection of these books yet, the various texts were read as separate scrolls).¹  So how could they have missed it?

Believers today are fortunate to have knowledge from both the Old and New Testaments.  We can look back and clearly see how Jesus fulfilled Scriptural prophecies during His first advent on earth.  We have the advantage of having the full picture and of knowing exactly what we are looking for. 

The Jewish people were looking for Christ too, but I think their preconceived beliefs about who the Messiah was — and the role He would play — kept them from seeing the entire story.  When you explore both early and later Jewish beliefs, however, the parallels are amazing.

The Jewish people held the belief that there would be a future Messianic period, which would bring salvation to the Jewish people and to the whole world.  Their hope was for a future king who would redeem Israel and establish the kingdom of God on earth.²

In apocalyptic literature of the last two centuries B.C.E., the Messiah is described as a powerful warrior and ruler.  He was also described as a supernatural being who existed from the beginning of days and was close to God; designated as the “son of man” or as “My son.”  He is also sometimes described as an angelic being whose existence antedated the creation of the world, just waiting for the right time to reveal Himself and assume His seat of glory.  At that time He will dispense justice to all the inhabitants of the earth.²

The Jewish people also had a double concept of the Messiah: One Messiah was the son of Joseph, and another Messiah was the son of David.  They came to associate the figure of their Messiah with King David or a descendant of King David.  This idealized version of the Messiah fueled their expectation of a mighty warrior and king — and they were correct — but this will not be fulfilled until Christ Jesus’ second advent. 

When Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21) he stopped at the comma in the middle of passage:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

The Jewish leaders had no idea that the remaining part of that passage (and the day of vengeance of our God;) would be fulfilled at a future time. 

The idea of a Messiah’s supernatural birth, earthly suffering, and death to atone for sin and bring salvation to those who believe in Him was inconceivable to many Jews during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  It is not so surprising when you consider that even those who were closest to him — his disciples — did not fully understand this for themselves until Jesus appeared to them after He was crucified.  

Jesus’ resurrection was certainly beyond the realm of understanding of the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection.  It was also beyond their level of comprehension that a Messiah could come first as a suffering servant, be raised from the dead, and return to earth once again as king.

The Jewish people looked to the Messianic era (yemoth hamashiah, which literally means “days of the Messiah”) as a period of redemption to be ushered in and ruled over by the Messiah.  It is a time that marks the return of the people of Israel to the land of Israel. 

Interestingly, the “days of the Messiah” are different from the “world to come,” which will usher in resurrection and the judgment and the reign of God.   Later Jewish writings suggest that the Messianic era was postponed due to sin and will be preceded by social and political problems, extreme poverty, heresy, and wars, including the wars of Gog and Magog.  Jewish writers during the Middle Ages pointed to a new Jerusalem and a time of perfection.²

A more contemporary parallel to what we see with “kingdom now” believers is a platform that was established by American rabbis in 1937.  They stated that their historical task is to “cooperate with all men in the establishment of the Kingdom of God, of universal brotherhood, justice, truth and peace on earth.”² 

Issac Landman, an American reformed rabbi, educator, and prolific author who lived from 1880 to 1946 and edited the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, wrote that “The hope for a future king who will redeem Israel and establish the kingdom of God upon earth is not expressly found either in the Biblical or in the Apocryphal writings.”  

Believers know that there are Bible passages that speak to Jesus’ return to earth as King and reigning upon David’s throne (Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:31-33, Psalms 132:11, the tenth chapter of Zechariah, and the eleventh chapter of Romans, to name a few).  But we have the power of the Holy Spirit, which reveals to us the mysteries of the Kingdom within Scripture.

It is impossible for unbelievers to understand these mysteries (some believers are blind to them as well).  God opened my eyes when I asked Him to show me that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and our future King.  If you happen to be of the Jewish faith, I pray that you will ask God to open your eyes too. 

 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7)

1. Jones, Barry A (2000). "Canon of the Old Testament." David Noel Freedman. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans.

2.  The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia.  Isaac Landman, Ed.

A Little Leaven...

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (Galatians 5:9 ESV)

As a writer, words are extremely important to me.  Many times I am at a loss to find the right word.  When studying Scripture, however, I am keenly aware when a change in just one word distorts God’s Word.

For example, today I was listening to an audio version of Luke 22. 

When the speaker got to verse 31, he said:

“Simon, Simon!  Listen!  Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff.” (Good News Translation, emphasis mine)

Immediately I thought, “That doesn’t sound right!”  I looked up the same passage in the King James Version:

 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Then the New International Version:

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.

And the New King James Bible:

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

Then the New American Standard Bible:

 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;

Satan “desiring” to take Simon down is far different from “receiving permission.”   I cannot help but think of Genesis 3:1, which offers evidence of Satan’s first leavening of God’s Word:

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (KJV, emphasis mine)

Several years ago I watched a DVD of pastor Mike Hoggard, who profoundly and powerfully illustrated how Satan works.  Hoggard was standing on a stage and he took a tiny step to the right, then another tiny step, and then another.  Satan has been subtly corrupting God’s Word since the beginning of eternity past, and will continue until he finally leavens the whole lump (read this previous post if you have been taught to believe that leaven represents something good concerning the Kingdom of God in Luke 13:21).

Satan has deceived man so effectively that we are seeing more water-downed translations of the Bible — or paraphrases like “The Message” — that are being used to support whatever man wants to believe (read this article, which highlights numerous deceptions within "The Message"). 

I did a quick search for “Bible” on Amazon.com and a few titles that jumped out at me were: the Everyday Life Bible, True Identity: The Bible for Women, The Life Recovery Bible (for people in 12-step recovery), The NIV Pink Bible: An Invitation to Hope, A Cup of Comfort: Women of the Bible Devotional, Bible by Anonymous, NIV Faithgirlz Bible (“Connect more deeply with God, the Bible, and your friends!") and the God Girl Bible.  To be fair, I could only view a few pages of most of these titles.  But they appeared to be subjective self-help missives wrapped inside a Bible, rather than the systematic revelation of God’s plan for ruling and reigning with His bride in the millennial kingdom. 

When I read Scripture today, it is only through the lens of Christ Jesus' coming kingdom and what is revealed about it.  I run from Bible studies that are slanted toward making my life better now because my sole focus should be preparing for that future day when I will stand before my Lord at the judgment seat of Christ:

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (Revelation 16:15, KJV)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Quoteworthy: Christ’s Return in Leviticus

“…Leviticus is of use to us now as a revelation of Christ… The book is thus a treasury of divinely-chosen illustrations as to the way of a sinner’s salvation through the priestly work of the Son of God, and as to his present and future position and dignity as a redeemed man.

…Leviticus is still of use to us as embodying in type and figure prophecies of things yet to come, pertaining to the Messiah’s kingdom.  We must not imagine with some that because many of its types are long ago fulfilled, therefore all have been fulfilled.  Many, according to the hints of the New Testament, await their fulfillment in a bright day that is coming. 

Some, for instance, of the feasts of the Lord have been fulfilled; as Passover, and the feast of Pentecost.  But how about the day of atonement for the sin of corporate Israel?  We have seen the type of the day of atonement fulfilled in the entering into heaven of our great High Priest; but in the type He came out again to bless the people: has that been fulfilled?  Has He yet proclaimed absolution of sin to guilty Israel? 

How again, about the feast of trumpets, and that of the ingathering at full harvest?  How about the Sabbatic year, and that most consummate type of all, the year of jubilee?  History records nothing which could be held a fulfillment of any of these; and thus Leviticus bids us look forward to a glorious future yet to come, when the great redemption shall at last be accomplished, and “Holiness to Jehovah” shall, as Zecharian puts it, be written even “on the bells of the horses.”’

From The Book of Leviticus, by Samuel Henry Kellog

Quoteworthy: Resist Satan

"Satan will seek to bring about a Christian's fall through the things of "the world" or "the flesh"; and Christians are specifically warned, in no uncertain terms to resist such efforts by Satan. 

And there is a revealed way in which Christians are to resist Satan:

"Whom [Satan] resist steadfast [stand 'firm,' 'unmoveable'] in the faith..." (1 Peter 5:9)

The expression, "the faith," in passages of this nature has a peculiar reference to the Word of the Kingdom (cf Luke 18:8, 2 Tim 4:7; Jude 3). Christians, in this respect, are to steadfastly resist Satan's efforts to bring about their fall through worldly or fleshly means by keeping their eyes, their attention, their thoughts, unmovably fixed on the things surrounding the coming kingdom of Christ.

In the words of Heb 12:1,2, Christians are to look "from, unto Jesus" (literal translation).  That is, they are to look from the surrounding things in this present world unto Jesus.  They are to take their eyes off the things of this world and keep them fixed upon Christ.  And looking unto Christ cannot be separated from looking into the kingdom of Christ (Dan 2:34, 35, 44, 55). Within a completely Scriptural framework, a person cannot look unto One (Christ) apart from looking unto the Other (the kingdom of Christ) at the same time.

Keeping one's eyes continuousy fixed on Christ and His coming kingdom will take care of the things of this world."

From Redeemed for a Purpose by Arlen Chitwood.

Satan’s Plan Remains the Same

For what purpose did God create man?  

Genesis 1:26 tells us:

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (KJV)

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (NIV)

As we well know, Satan disqualified man from ruling over the earth.  When Christ Jesus returns to establish His Millennial Kingdom, man once again will have the opportunity to rule and reign as a co-heir with Christ (2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 20:4,6, Revelation 22:5).   

And Satan is doing everything he can to prevent this! 

In speaking about the parable of the sower, Jesus tells us that the birds of the air represent Satan (Matthew 13:9).  In the later parable of the mustard tree, Jesus says:

³¹Another 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:  ³²Which 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).

In this parable, Jesus prophesies that Christianity will experience abnormal growth (it is abnormal for an herb plant to grow into a tree) and that Satan will infiltrate Christianity.  I believe this is what we are witnessing today as we see so much false teaching within the halls of Christianity. 

Satan knows that every believer must stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of things done in the body (2 Corinthians 5:10).  Many believers are not even aware of this because their leaders are too busy preaching about marriage and sex, getting out of debt, having a life of abundance, self-healing, losing weight, meditation, yoga, and the list goes on and on. 

All this distraction from “seeking first the Kingdom” is exactly what Satan wants!  His mission today is the same as it was in the Garden of Eden: to disqualify man from fulfilling God’s purpose for man.

Judgment Day

Judgment day is coming and I am not talking about those who are unsaved, as one might expect.  No, judgment day is coming for all Christians when we will stand before the Lord and account for our works as believers.

Will our works withstand the test of fire as gold, silver, and precious stones or will they be burned up as wood, hay, and stubble?  Will we experience loss or receive rewards?

In his book, "He That Hath Ears," Gary T. Whipple writes that wood represents the world and hay is cut down grass, which represents the flesh. Stubble is an emblem of Satan. Gold is an emblem of deity (the Father), silver is an emblem of redemption (the Son), and precious stones are an emblem of power (the Holy Spirit).

Where does your heart lie?  
What motivates you each day?  
What idols have taken precedence over your life?  
Whom do you toil for?
Whose will are you following?  

I ask these questions knowing full well that I often fall short on many accounts.  Some days I am a wise virgin.  Other days I foolishly neglect to stock up on oil.  Or remain cautiously silent when I should be shouting "People get ready... Jesus is coming."

Time is short.  What shall we do with it?  

Seek first His kingdom.

Quoteworthy: From A to Z

 

The current world in which we live is under the dominion of Satan and his angels, it was given to Satan (Luke 4:6) and he will keep it until Christ takes it (Rev. 11:17).

Eph 6:12

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (KJV)

However, the world [Gk oikoumene - (empire, domain)] to come will be run by Jesus Christ and His co-heirs (those that overcome at the Judgment Seat, and being saved does not guarantee one will overcome [Rev. 2, 3]).

Heb 2:5

5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. (KJV)

The Scripture refers to Satan as ‘the god of this world’ :

2 Cor 4:4

4 In whom the god of this world [Gk. aion - age] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (KJV)

After Lucifer’s fall, God made man to replace him and his angels as the provincial ruler of this earth (Heb. 2:5-9).

Gen 1:26, 28

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (KJV)

 

Satan sought to disqualify man at Eden (and he succeeded), and ruined the restored earth and remained its incumbent ruler, though rebel capacity:

Gen 3:1-5

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (KJV)

Though Satan succeeded and caused man to die spiritually (be disqualified); God has made provision to restore man to that place where he can realize his purpose:

Eph 2:1-2

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (KJV)

When one believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and becomes saved, it’s his spirit that is saved:

Eph 2:8

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (KJV)

It is at the point of ‘spirit salvation’ that the distinction is made of the tri-partite being that man is; spirit, soul, and body:

Heb 4:12

12 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. (KJV)

The spirit is that part of man that connects him to God, now saved — which is on the basis of Christ’s finished work on Calvary:

Eph 2:9

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. (KJV)

Titus 3:5

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (KJV)

The soul is that part of man associated with the natural. It is the seat of a person’s emotions, feelings, and desires pertaining to his man-conscious existence. The Christian still has an unregenerated soul living alongside his regenerated spirit:

1 Cor 1:18

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish [lit. them that are perishing] foolishness; but unto us which are saved [lit. us which are being saved] it is the power of God. (KJV)

The salvation of our souls, unlike that of our spirits; is realized at the end of our faith, the soul is currently “being saved” as seen in 1 Cor. 1:18.

1 Peter 1:3-5, 9

3 Blessed 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, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (KJV)

The Christian at the Judgment Seat of Christ, will either ‘overcome’ or ‘be overcome’; as seen in the warnings given to all seven Churches of Revelation chapters two and three. The Church at Laodicea (the one depicting the current state in which the Church currently exists), is warned against ‘nakedness’:

Rev 3:18

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (KJV)

The clothing of the Christian (fine linen, clean and white), is [lit. ‘the righteous acts of the saints‘]:

Rev 19:7-8

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (KJV)

The Christian that does not overcome at the Judgment Seat, who is not clothed or whose raiment is not white; will ‘suffer loss’.

1 Cor 3:14-15

14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss [Gk. zemioo - to injure or experience detriment]: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire [lit. ‘through fire’]. (KJV)

Our Lord, in praying for His own said:

John 17:14-15

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world: 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (KJV)

The word ‘world’ is a translation of the Gk. kosmou, — orderly arrangement, the world system; in which the Church currently has to coexist but should not be influenced by. The Church, however, to our shame, has taken on worldliness to the extent where it’s difficult to make distinctions between them at times — the orderly arrangement:

2 Cor 6:17-18

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (KJV)

God expects Christians to constantly seek to live holy lives or we will be castaway [disapproved] at the Judgment Seat:

1 Cor 9:27

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (KJV)

Or we could be rejected:

2 Cor 5:8-9

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. (KJV)

Christ in addressing His disciples expressed the same warning:

Matt 16:26

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (KJV)

Mark 8:35-37

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (KJV)

Luke 9:23-25

 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (KJV)

Jesus was actually saying to His disciples, “you can loose your souls”. (The Gk word translated “soul” is the same one translated “life” psuche).

Remember it’s the salvation of the spirit that is realized when one believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, the soul is ‘being saved’ and determined at the end of our faith (1 Peter 1:9).

Acts 16:30-31

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (KJV)

The writer of the Hebrews says:

Heb 2:1-3

1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, 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; (KJV)

The “great salvation” is the salvation of the soul, which relates to “the world [lit. the age to come] to come” of verse five:

Heb 2:5

5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. (KJV)

The Christian that looses his or her soul at the Judgment Seat, will be denied the ‘rest’ that remains for the people of God, castaway, overcome, and will have negative impact on his inclusion in the kingdom for a thousand years:

Heb 4:1, 6, 9, 11

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (KJV)

Jesus taught kingdom exclusion in the parables of the “friend” in improper garment in Matthew 22:1-14; the “virgins” of Matthew 25:1-13; and corresponding parables. Like the Jews during the time of Jesus’ first coming who were over looking the suffering that Christ had to undergo prior to His reign; so the Church today is over looking the Millennial Kingdom (1000 year reign of Christ) which precedes the eternal ages or the Day of God:

Rev 20:6

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (KJV)

Christians are not taught that “the inheritance” that’s awaiting the people of God, is not the same as the “Heaven” of the Bible. Heaven is not an ‘inheritance’ (it is derived on the basis of one’s believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and is saved), but only those in the ‘family’ can be eligible to receive inheritance. That is what Jesus was referring to when He told Nicodemus that he had to be born again before they can even discuss “the kingdom”:**

John 3:3

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (KJV)

It was in that same passage He said, “you have to walk holy to inherit the kingdom:

John 3:5

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (KJV)

Paul in his epistle to the Galatians Christians gave a list of things that would exclude them from ‘inheriting’ the kingdom:

Gal 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (KJV)

Unfortunately, Christians often do these things. Does that mean they won’t go to Heaven? It’s not in reference to Heaven, but to the inheritance — rest.

** The term “born again” is incorrectly used to describe one’s becoming saved. To be more accurate, when one becomes saved, he is “born from above” and not “born again.” It is the Jewish people that were ‘born before’ — born out of Egypt, by water and the Spirit — that had to come to a place of repentance (being born again) so they can be included in the inheritance that was first given to them, that they subsequently rejected (Matt. 21:43). 

The term “born again” is used only three times in Scripture (John 3:3, 7; 1 Pet. 1:23) and all three are in reference to Jews (who were already born out of Egypt by the water of the Red Sea).

A similar error is perpetuated in Christian circles by what has become known as “soul winning.” The way it’s taught is surely not the Scriptural teaching on the subject. Soul-winning has erroneously been equated with reaching the unsaved with the message of the gospel of grace; and few Christians, viewing soul-winning in this manner, seem to even give the matter a second thought.

Books have been written on soul-winning, Bible colleges and seminaries teach courses on soul-winning, and soul-winning conferences are held by those same institutions and by various Churches. But, among these groups, almost without exception, soul-winning is viewed from a non-Scriptural perspective.

Soul winning in Scripture has to do with the saving of the soul/life of those who are already saved, whether Israelites in the Old Testament or Christians in the New. When it comes to the saving or loosing of the soul/life in this respect, solely from a Scriptural standpoint, the unsaved are not in view.

What then is soul-winning? And why is there so much confusion on this subject today? The questions are interrelated, and Scripture is quite clear concerning the answers to both.

Soul-winning, having to do with those who are already saved, is seen connected with a kingdom in both Testaments. In the Old, this kingdom was an existing kingdom (the O.T. theocracy); and in the New, this kingdom is seen as the coming kingdom (the coming Kingdom of Christ).

Thus, it is no wonder that corruption and confusion have marked the proclamation of this message throughout Man’s Day. Satan, the present ruler in the kingdom — ruling from a heavenly sphere through the Gentile nations on earth (cf. Dan. 10:13-20; Luke 4:5, 6; Eph. 6:12) — knows that the ultimate outworking of that contained in the message surrounding the salvation of the soul will bring about the end to his rule.

Accordingly, Satan has done all within his power, over millenniums of time, to destroy this message and with tremendous success, to the point where most Christians know nothing about this truth. And exactly how well he succeeded can be seen on practically every hand in Christendom today (cf. Matt. 13:31-33; Luke 18:8; Rev. 3:14-21).

Written by Pastor Al Williams (reprinted with permission).

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven: The Same or Different?

I have been researching the phrases "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God," and whether there is a difference between the two.  Kingdom of Heaven is used throughout the gospel of Matthew, while the other gospels use Kingdom of God. 

Some scholars believe that both phrases mean the same thing.  In his book, New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus, David Biven states that Jesus often used euphemisms for God (including the Kingdom of Heaven).  His audiences would have been shocked if He had not because it was forbidden for the Jews to utter the name of God.

This thinking seems to fall apart, however, when you look at several other passages in the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 6:33:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 12:28:

But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

Matthew 19:24:

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 21:31:

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

Matthew 21:43:

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

In Matthew 12:28, 21:31, and 21:43, Scripture tells us that Jesus is addressing the Pharisees (also referred to as chief priests) or the elders.  If Biven is correct, why would Jesus use the phrase Kingdom of God when addressing these Jewish leaders?  What confounds me even further is that in the other gospels, there are several passages—which are obvious references to similar passages in Matthew—where the phrase Kingdom of Heaven has been replaced with the phrase Kingdom of God.

As much as it would be very tidy to say that the two phrases mean the same thing, the fact that Jesus uses both terms in Matthew has me wondering if they must mean something different?

Clarence Larkin writes that the Kingdom of God represents the reign of God over all things in the universe and is spiritual.  He also states that the Kingdom of Heaven is of “time and sphere.”  The time is between the first and second coming of Christ, and the sphere represents all of Christendom.

Scofield (according to David Reagan) takes the view that the Kingdom of Heaven “signifies the Messianic earth rule of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.”  Reagan concludes that "the kingdom of God is the kingdom set up by God. The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom that finds its source in heaven." Others say that the Kingdom of Heaven is a political kingdom. 

There are other explanations offered by other authors, but none of them completely satisfies me.  What I do know with absolute certainly is that every jot and tittle in Scripture has been placed there for a specific reason.  I may not see it yet, but pray that one day the Lord will reveal it to me.

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: 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.