The Evil Function of The Doctrine of The Trinity – Part 3

[Study Aired June 7, 2026]

We paused our last study quoting this inspired verse of scripture:

Joh 4:24  God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

I left off the indefinite article ‘a’ because it does not appear in the original Greek. God is not “A” spirit. God IS SPIRIT. It is in His spirit that all things in heaven and on earth live and move and have their being:

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

God did not create the universe out of nothing. All things consist in His spirit:

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds [G165: ages] were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

It has been the ‘good pleasure’ of the Father to give all that He has to the Son.

1Co 15:27  For he [the Father] hath put all things under his [the Son’s] feet. But when he [the Father] saith all things are put under him [the Son], it is manifest that he [the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him [the Son], then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [the Father] that put all things under him, that God [the Father] may be all in all.

This “all things under His feet” is cited from Psalms :

Psa 8:6  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Paul, without explanation, applies this verse of the Psalms to Christ, but read this verse in its context:

Psa 8:4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man [H120, ‘adam’], that thou visitest him?
Psa 8:5  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Psa 8:6  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Paul takes a verse of scripture that talks of “man”, ‘adam’, and applies it to Christ. All the writers of the New Testament do this without explanation. To understand this principle used by every writer of the New Testament read ‘Rightly Dividing  The Word.’

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/rightly-dividing-the-word/

You said that you had understood me to say that Christ is the holy spirit. I did not say “Christ is the Holy Spirit,” as you say. I quote 1 John 2:1, which says Christ is the ‘Parakleetos.’  I do not say that. John says that. All I do is point that out. Here is what I did say:

“If the Holy Ghost, the hagios pneuma, “which is the Comforter” (Joh 14:26), the parakleetos, is really Christ in us, then there should be a scripture that calls Christ the parakleetos. It so happens that there is just such a scripture. You would never know it by simply reading your King James Bible, or for that matter, using your Strong’s concordance which is keyed to our King James English. If one uses Strong’s, searching the English word, ‘comforter’, one will see the four places where parakleetos appears in John chapters 14, 15 and 16:

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter [G3875: ‘parakletos], that he may abide with you for ever;

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter [G3875: ‘parakletos], which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter [G3875: ‘parakletos] is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter [G3875: ‘parakletos] will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

These scriptures certainly reveal the parakleetos “is the holy spirit” (Joh 14:26), as we have shown. These verses do not say that the parakletos is Jesus Christ. You would need to use an Englishman’s Greek Concordance (Wigram’s) or America’s Online Bible to find the only other appearance of this Greek word in all of the scriptures. It’s not translated Comforter there. This inconsistency in translation has kept the Truth of how Christ lives within us hidden from many for the past two millennia. Remember as you read this that, according to John 14:26, The Comforter (parakleetos )…is the Holy Ghost… The scripture before us is the First Epistle of John, chapter two verse one. “My little children, these things I write unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (parakleetos – not even capitalized here in the KJV) with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous: There it is once again stated straight out. “Jesus Christ the righteous” is the parakleetos, “the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost” (Joh 14:26).” (End Quote)

I can see how the first sentence of this paragraph could be construed to say that I said that Christ is the Holy Spirit. To do so is the same thing as accusing Christ of claiming to be God the Father just because He claimed to be the Son of God and therefore “equal with God”. Christ’s ‘equality’ with God is signified by Joseph’s ‘equality’ with Pharaoh. All Egypt, signifying all the world, was required to bow the knee to Joseph, as if he were Pharaoh:

Gen 41:39  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
Gen 41:40  Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Gen 41:41  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

That is exactly what our “one God the Father, of whom are all things” has done with Christ:

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

I point out in the Trinity article that Christ never claimed to be the son of the Holy Spirit in spite of the fact that we are told that he was conceived “of the Holy Spirit.”

Mat 1:18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Luk 1:35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

The reason Christ never claimed to be the son of the holy spirit is because of what this next verse reveals:

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The holy spirit is not a person. It is “the holy spirit of God… the Father of whom are all things”:

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

You will hear very few sermons which include this verse of scripture simply because it denies the false doctrine of a triune Godhead. It doesn’t even mention the ‘holy spirit’.

You make this statement below:

“I understand this [‘man’ being a triune being] to mean that man because of his likeness to God, could commune with God. Man’s soul in the likeness of God generated a life that was as God’s Life. This seems correct to me because man’s soul is constantly generating or giving forth a birth of some life. Now this life is either good or evil depending on the state of his soul; whether it be good or evil. (So it seems to me) Now let’s consider what happened to the state of his soul after the fall, according to [William] Law.” (End Quote)

Paul tells us what ‘man’s soul’ generates:

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Adam was not created as “a quickening [Greek: ‘life giving’] spirit”. Christ tells us that if He does not die, the holy spirit cannot come:

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

There it is. The first Adam was made a living soul, but the last Adam was made a ‘quickening spirit’. According to this formula, a ‘living soul’ is nothing more than “the body of this death.” “Dying thou dost die” (Gen 2:17 Young’s Literal Translation).

Eze 18:4  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Paul tells us that the church at Corinth was:

1Co 1:2   … sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

Yet in his next breath he tells us that they are “yet carnal.”

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

In four verses Paul tells these Corinthian Christians that they are carnal four times. What does he tell us about being carnally minded?

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Christ, on the other hand, is the ‘tree of life:’

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Adam never partook of the ‘tree of life,’ and yet the self-contradicting doctrine of the ‘fall of man’ teaches us that Adam already possessed eternal life and an immortal soul, and then because of another false doctrine called ‘free moral agency,’ Adam, who we are told could have obeyed God ‘of his own free will,’ chose instead to rebel against God and eat of the forbidden fruit. Such doctrine would have you to believe that because God asked Adam “Where are you?” that God did this because He didn’t have a clue where Adam was.

Of course this was not the case. God knew exactly where Adam was. The fact that God told Adam not to eat of the forbidden fruit does not mean that He did not know what Adam was going to do. He did know exactly what Adam was going to do. He had already prepared the sacrifice for the sin that He already knew Adam was about to commit.

God even knew exactly how many hairs were on Adam’s head. While every minister claiming to speak for Christ admits to this scriptural fact, they deny that He would ever dare to know what thoughts were in that head. What utter foolishness! God is not telling us that He knows how many hairs are on our heads so that we will know that He knows how many hairs are on our heads. He tells us this fact so that we will be aware of His omniscience of all things, especially the thoughts in our heads:

Psa 94:11  The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Psa 139:2  Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Psa 139:3  Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Psa 139:4  For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, [Even] the days that were ordained [for me], When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man [man’s thoughts], and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Mat 12:25  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

How does God know that the thoughts of man are vanity?

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made [right from the hand of the Creator] subject to vanity, not willingly [not by choice], but by reason of him [God, not by Adam’s fabled ‘free will’] who subjected the same in hope.

Anyone who knows that something evil is about to happen and does nothing to prevent that evil, is as responsible for that evil as the person who commits the evil. But God not only doesn’t prevent the evil, He creates it!

Isa 45:6  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Notice the similarities between what Joseph tells his brothers about their evil deed against him, and what Paul tells us here about the “mystery of [God’s] will” in Ephesians 1:10-11.

Gen. 50:20  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things [meaning all men] in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

You ask this question:

“I also cannot see how Christ, the Son of God, if a created being, is able to dwell in all his creatures. All creation was created in and through Christ, and all creation must have Christ in it if it is to have any glory or perfection. I hope you believe that I have no intention of arguing with you or anyone; I merely want to know what the truth is, and I feel that William Law has explained the nature of the Trinity better than anyone I have ever read. For a better and more in-depth understanding of what I have referred to, you can look up these two books of William Law’s on the internet and see whether you agree or disagree with him.” (End Quote)

I will conclude this study with these two verses where Christ promised that He would never leave nor forsake us:

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you I, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

In our next study we will see how it is possible for Christ to keep that promise.

[Click here for part 4.]

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Gospels In Harmony – The Coming of the Son of Man and The Lesson of the Fig Tree

Mat 24:29-33, Mar 13:24-31, Luk 21:25-33

[Study Aired August 17, 2021]

The Coming of the Son of Man

Mat 24:29a Immediately after the tribulation of those days …
Luk 21:25 there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Mat 24:29b …the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, 
Luk 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:
Mat 24:29c …and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

Luk 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mar 13:29a So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass…
Luk 21:31b …know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Mat 24:33b …know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

In our last study we were given the understanding that the abomination of desolation happens early in our journey of seeking the kingdom of God. We take on the name of Christ, but we eat our own bread and wear our own apparel thinking this will take away our shame. We glory in our self-righteousness.

Isa 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Jer 9:23-24 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Then we were warned of the great tribulation to come.

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

This great tribulation is receiving the false doctrines given to us by the Sadducees, scribes and Pharisees in temples made with hands.  The disciples were just showing Christ how glorious the temple they were building would become. We thought the temples in which we worshiped were also glorious. We had no idea that God did not dwell in temples made with hands when we “accepted Christ as our savior”. We were no different than the pagan Athenians whom Paul spoke to in the midst of Mars’ hill.

Act 17:22-28 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

In this study we are given the signs of the process of our salvation.

Mat 24:29a Immediately after the tribulation of those days… 
Luk 21:25 there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Mat 24:29b …the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, 
Luk 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:
Mat 24:29c …and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

Once we receive the false doctrines of Babylon, the sun and moon are darkened, symbolizing that Christ and His truth are hidden from us. Our hearts are failing from the fear of these false doctrines, and our mind is destroyed. Then for a few chosen, the following happens in this age for others in the ages to come.

Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

What is the sign of the Son of man, where does it happen and who shows us the sign of the Son of man?

Rev 1:1-20 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

The sign of the Son of man is having the ability to read and hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein. The spirit of Truth changes our mind, and the body of Christ (cloud of witnesses) shares the truth to build the church.

Joh 15:26-27 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Christ continues his answer with another parable and shows us a sign.

Luk 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mar 13:29a So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass…
Luk 21:31 know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Mat 24:33b …know that it is near, even at the doors.

The sign is a young fig tree puts forth its leaves. What does this mean? What came to mind was that a young fig tree does not produce fruit and must mature. In order for a fig tree to produce the best fruit possible, it must be pruned. In order to enter into the kingdom of God, you must produce good fruit.

Luk 6:43-44 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

Here is how a fig tree produces the best fruit.

Fig Tree Pruning – How To Trim A Fig Tree – By Heather Rhoades

“Figs are an ancient and easy fruit tree to grow in the home garden. Mentions of figs being grown at home go back literally millennia. But, when it comes to fig tree pruning, many home gardeners are at a loss as to how to properly trim them. With a little knowledge, this “ancient” mystery is as easy to do as growing a fig tree. Keep reading to learn more about how to prune fig trees.

Pruning Fig Trees After Transplanting

There are many situations where you might want to prune a fig tree. The first time you should be doing fig bush pruning is when you first transplant your young fig tree. When a fig tree is first planted, you should trim a fig tree back by about half. This will allow the tree to focus on developing its roots and becoming well established. It will also help the fig tree grow side branches for a bushier tree. In the next winter after transplanting, it is best to start pruning fig trees for “fruiting wood.” This is wood that you will be pruning to help keep the fruit healthy and easy to reach. Select four to six branches to be your fruiting wood and prune away the rest.

How to Prune Fig Trees After They are Established

After a fig tree is established, the best time to prune a fig tree will be in the dormant (winter) season when the tree is not growing. Begin your fig tree pruning by removing any branches that are not growing out from your selected fruiting wood, as well as any dead or diseased wood. If there are suckers growing from the base of the tree, these should be removed as well. The next step in how to trim a fig tree is to remove any secondary branches (branches that are growing off the main branches) that are growing at less than a 45-degree angle from the main branches. This step in pruning fig trees will remove any branches that may eventually grow too close to the main trunk and will not produce the best fruit. The last step in how to prune fig trees is to cut back the main branches by one-third to one-quarter. This step in fig tree pruning helps the tree put more energy toward the fruit that will be produced next year, which makes for larger and sweeter fruit. Pruning fig trees the right way can help you to improve your fig crop. Now that you know how to prune fig trees, you can help your fig tree produce better and tastier figs.”

[Read more at Gardening Know How: Fig Tree Pruning – How to Trim a Fig Tree]

Who knew that knowing how to properly prune a fig tree, or any fruit-bearing tree for that matter, would help you understand the process of entering into the kingdom of God.

We are the tree being transplanted, and we must be pruned by half, and as we become mature our branches must still be pruned. This is all a spiritual representation of our old man being removed until the end.

Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We have a new beginning once the Spirit of Truth enters our mind. The doctrines we once held as truth became idols of our heart causing us to believe we were in total control of our lives and are completely being destroyed and will continue until the last one is destroyed.

Isaiah 65 tells us about the processed of being pruned and the fruit it produces.

Isa 65:1-25 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom. Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name: That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Paul tells us how we change once this process of salvation begins.

Eph 4:17-32 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Here are our last verses of today’s study.

Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Still today His words are here and causing the intended effect, which is bringing salvation to His elect in this age, and His words will continually be fulfilled and not pass away until God is all in all.

1Co 15:25-28 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Heb 12:9-17 “Be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits and Live” – Part 2

[Study Aired April 15, 2021]

Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 
Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 
Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Everyone who was drawn to Christ to be healed physically when he was on the earth was healed, and that healing is contrasted with the greater works spoken of in John 14:12 that God is doing through the church today in the earth (Mat 12:40, 1Co 14:22, Mat 12:39) “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” by God’s holy spirit (2Co 5:8-10, Php 2:13). Those greater works bring spiritual healing to those who are first drawn to Christ in this age (Joh 6:44).

2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2Co 5:9  Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him [‘Labour to have a successful harvest‘ (Heb 4:11, Eph 1:6)].
2Co 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.

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (Joh 6:28-29, Rom 2:13,  Joh 20:21).

In this section of Hebrews we will be focused on how that healing can take place with those who are blessed to learn in this life what it means to ‘Be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live‘. The kind of first fruits of God’s creation which we are, must be subject to God today so that “at the end of the year” (Exo 23:16) we can be used to gather in the second harvest, “the feast of ingatherings”, which represents the rest of mankind who will be saved by being grafted into the body of Christ [‘being made subject one to another‘] with the end result of God being all in all (Jas 1:18, Exo 34:22, Joh 10:16, 1Co 15:27-28).

1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures [“every man in his own order“].

Exo 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

God’s people are to be submitting ourselves one to another in the fear of God today as described in these verses (Eph 5:21-32), which is what it means to “Be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live”. We can’t say we love God or that we are being obedient to God’s commandments, which is what defines love, if we are not properly subject to those relationships God gives us, and so if we are not submitting ourselves one to another in the fear of God; we are not being obedient (1Jn 4:20).

Eph 5:21  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

[“This is a great mystery” of Ephesians 5:32 is not the negative example of mystery Babylon where we find a “woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (Rev 17:4-5, Isa 4:1). All those outward adornings represent how we stubbornly at first want to wear our own clothing and eat our own bread, having the outward appearance of the temple of God (1Co 3:16, Rev 21:21) but being full of dead man’s bones (Mat 23:27(]

“This is a great mystery” indeed “concerning Christ and the church” because it is hidden from a world that cannot be subject “unto the higher powers” in the same way we can be through Christ. In other words, prior to our conversion, we may have given reverence to our physical fathers even as others in the world when we had to endure their correction, but now God calls us to see the eternal benefits of being subject unto our heavenly Father which no one can do without the power of God enabling us to endure the chastening that He calls us to be subject to as the “Father of spirits” so that we can “live” (Heb 12:9, Rom 13:1-9). It takes God’s power within us (Col 1:27), the mystery that is hidden from the generations, to get us to the point where we can turn the other cheek and “resist not evil” or “for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully”. God alone can give us the power to go from glory to glory in this process of learning obedience by the things we suffer (Luk 6:29, Mat 5:39, 1Pe 2:19-21, 2Co 3:18).

Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God (Jas 4:12, Jas 1:25, Jas 2:10)
Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Rom 13:4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Rom 13:5  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Rom 13:6  For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Rom 13:7  Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law [Joh 14:15, 1Co 14:37].

When we are not subject to Christ within each other by not following each other as we follow Christ (1Co 11:1), we are committing all these sins – ‘adultery, murder, theft, bearing false witness’ – simply because we are now subject to the spirit of a harlot and have become one with her (1Co 6:16), and “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Overcoming harlotry is a lifelong endeavour as we overcome the rebellious giants in our land and in time bring every thought into subjection unto Christ. This is why we must be led by the spirit of God in order to be sons of God (Rom 8:14). This is the life-long good fight of faith to which we have been called, and we will find victory by overcoming through Jesus Christ (1Ti 6:12, 2Co 10:5).

Rom 13:9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

1Pe 2:19  For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1Pe 2:20  For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

The benefit of being “in subjection unto the Father of spirits” is contrasted with our physical parents and “we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us” or those who had influence over us to whom we gave reverence while growing up. The obvious physical and mental benefits of having good guardians through life can be very clearly seen in the physical world, whatever our circumstances were growing up, but so can the tragic results of those who are not given that opportunity. Thankfully God is a father to the fatherless (Psa 68:5-6) and has always had His sights set on saving all of mankind by turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers (Mal 4:6), starting with the elect who were called to receive each other as children of God (Mar 9:37, Mat 18:3-4).

Mal 4:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Mar 9:37  Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

In order to become that child of God who is received, we must go through a chastening process, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” God can humble us and give us a humble and contrite heart (Isa 66:2), and this has nothing to do with our supposed free will (which we don’t have), so when we read “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child” this is also Christ doing this work within us both to will and to do (Php 2:12-13).  If we endure chastening, which is also through Christ, that we are strengthened to do this (Php 4:13), God dealeth with us as with sons; “for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Heb 12:6-8). Knowing the benefits for what we’re going through is important (Mat 19:27-29, Rev 20:6), as it gives us incentive to go through the fiery trials so we can say wholeheartledy and with full assurance of faith “shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” These admonitions of God are for those who have been blessed to be given eyes to see and ears to hear so we can be motivated by what God has promised through His spiritual word which is filled with the promise that we can overcome through Christ being more than conquerors through Him (Joh 6:63, Rom 8:37).

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Rev 20:6  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.

We can apply this thought of having reverence to both our physical parents and also to Babylon or any situation that God had us wherein we were under some sort of tutor or governor that was appointed of the Father (Gal 4:2). This part of God’s counsel in our life was working according to His will as are all things (Eph 1:11), and if we have been predestined to be heirs, it is necessary that we don’t look back negatively at those experiences but rather give great thanks that so many people were sacrificed for us whether they were great parents by worldly standards or horrible parents so that when the fullness of time was come God would send “forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” who were given to be the first to trust in God (Eph 1:12) and understand that “verily for a few days [they] chastened us after their own pleasure; but he [‘God‘] for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.” Trusting God comes about as a result of being received of our Father, and no son can be received except we be dragged to Christ (Joh 6:44) who will cleanse our temple so we can worship our Father in spirit and in truth (Joh 2:15, 1Co 3:16, Joh 4:23-24).

Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Christ is our preeminent example regarding loving our enemies, and He learned obedience by the things He suffered and resisted taking vengeance on anyone (Mat 26:53). Through the power of God’s spirit He forgave His accusers and said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luk 23:34). This is the “profit” that this section of Hebrews is talking about, knowing that this chastening we are receiving of God is working an eternal purpose (“eternal weight of glory” – 2Co 4:17-18) so we can be “partakers of his holiness” as we learn to love our enemies and overcome the sons-of-thunder spirit that we all start off with so “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” (Luk 9:55-56, Mat 5:44-45).

Mat 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Luk 9:55  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luk 9:56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 

The fact is that flesh hates the process to which God has called us that will lead to eternal life (Joh 21:18), even though we may intimately know that keeping or continuing in His words will result in that blessing of being in the first resurrection (Joh 8:32, Joh 8:36, Joh 6:68). This is why we must cry out to God as Christ did in his time of need, and know that we will be heard as Christ was in that he feared him (Heb 5:7, Luk 12:5).

Joh 21:18  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Christ was armed with the mind of the Father, and we are to be armed with the mind of Christ in order to overcome (1Co 2:16, Joh 5:30, Joh 15:5). Christ had no delusion in His mind regarding what was going to happen to Him and neither should we if we are as He is in this flesh (1Jn 4:17, Rom 8:36).

To be armed with the mind of Christ is to know that we are lambs for the slaughter and that regardless of how we die and leave this world we must have the patience and faith of Christ within us in order to patiently possess our souls and resist sin unto the shedding of blood, which is what God can give us the power to do through Christ (Php 4:13).

Being armed with the mind of Christ does not take away the grievous trials and chastening we must go through, but with that mind of Christ (1Co 2:16) we can look to the joy which has been set before us and be reminded that God has promised that He will always faithfully “not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Co 10:13).

We are not shadow boxing (1Co 9:26) but wrestling against powers and principalities (Eph 6:12) that we could never overcome if it were not for our Lord and Saviour Who has promised to set us free and give us the victory over those powers to which He is far higher (Eph 1:21).

This wrestling match is ongoing and throughout the twelve-hour night that makes up the day of the Lord (Joh 11:9). This wrestling match of Jacob with the angel represents the whole (#4) of our life going through a process of judgment (#3) that will afterward yield “the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (4X3=12). The fullness of that “peaceable fruit of righteousness” is granted to those who are given to endure until the end and be raised as a kind of first fruits of God (Jas 1:18, 1Co 15:52, 1Co 15:58).

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. [peaceable fruit of righteousness – Heb 12:14, Rom 12:18]

[Quoting Mike: “Our salvation is not contingent upon our good works, but it is contingent upon the workmanship of Christ who has “created us unto good works”, and that is simply what the scriptures teach:” (Eph 2:8-10, Mat 7:16, Mat 7:20, Jer 29:13).]

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Because of all we have just read up to now in this section of Hebrews, we are encouraged to “lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” and “make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed“. In other words, we must and have to be about our Father’s business as Christ was (Luk 2:49) in order to be healed. It is healing to come together often, it is healing to partake of the Lord’s supper together, it is healing to know that our affliction is not uncommon as well as the joy that we experience as we share our life in Christ and come to believe together that we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom 8:37).

Luk 2:49  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

The imagery of lifting up “hands which hang down” can be found in Exodus 17:12-13 where Moses’ hands were heavy but attended to by Aaron and Hur. John the baptist also uttered these words for our sakes: (Mar 1:3). We  understand that the wilderness he was speaking of is the place where Christ gives us victory over our sinful flesh by giving us power to overcome sin, symbolized by the fit man who takes the scapegoat into the wilderness making straight paths for us with God’s spirit of power, love and soundness of mind (Lev 16:21, 2Ti 1:7).

Exo 17:12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
Exo 17:13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Mar 1:3  The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 

Peace is not an inactive state of mind as these verses demonstrate (Heb 12:14, Rom 12:18-19, Isa 9:6, Heb 7:2), but rather something that we labour to enter into through Christ (Heb 4:11-12) who is our Prince of peace and King of peace.

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Rom 12:18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:12  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.

Our flesh says, “Peace peace when there is no peace” and so God shows His elect that peace can only come about by warring against the powers and principalities against which we wrestle and find ourselves overcoming through Christ. Then we shall see the Lord in all circumstances as a result of pursuing “peace with all men, and holiness” (Jer 6:14, Rom 8:37). Peace comes to us when we visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, which is what pure religion requires in order to “see the Lord” that no man in the flesh can see, meaning our knowledge of Christ should be based on understanding that God’s elect are the spiritually widowed and fatherless of this world who have been adopted and grafted into the body of Christ where we visit each other or receive each other through our communion that is found in Christ (1Co 10:16).

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Heb 7:2  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Jer 6:14  They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

This specific section of Hebrews (Heb 12:17) echoes back to Hebrews 6:4-6, which circumstances should cause us to look “diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God“, remembering that “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” If we labour together with a ready mind, we will overcome and destroy the schisms that God causes to exist in order to exercise the body of Christ (1Co 12:12-27). The way we do this is by looking well unto ourselves and to the church (1Pe 5:2, Act 20:28), “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled“.

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Don’t take anything for granted. Keep fighting a good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12) and know that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Heb 11:6). It takes a lifetime of concentrated effort that is accomplished through the work God is doing within this temple which He is cleansing (Col 1:29) to overcome “any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright” within us. So, we are shown in this last verse of our study this very sobering admonition: “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Finding “no place of repentance” is the result of despising the goodness of God that leads us unto repentance (Rom 2:4). This good work of God dragging us to Christ is what we need in order to destroy all our earthly and carnal appetites that would otherwise enslave us as they once did in our former conversation or way of life (Eph 2:1-5).

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  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:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

It takes only a little leaven to leaven the whole lump (Gal 5:9), or one “morsel of meat“, meaning some false doctrine that God allows to deceive the prophet (Eze 14:9). I will say this: “Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak”, because we understand that these admonitions were written for our sakes and that God can give us the victory through Christ to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling as we continue to much rather “be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live” as we look well to ourselves and the flock of which God has made us overseers (Act 20:28, 1Pe 5:2-4).

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1Pe 5:2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1Pe 5:3  Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
1Pe 5:4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

[Posted March 19, 2020]

​H​i Mike, ​

I try not to ask you questions very often, so ​I​’ll make it brief:

​W​here in the bible does it say that ungodly men/devils/​S​atan come out of the lake of fire? ​W​hat about the son of perdition?

​T​hanks, Mike.

S____

Hi S​____​,

Thank you for your question. The answer is alluded to very clearly in these verses:

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

The end of the Lord’s plan is for the Father to be “all in all” over “all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come​:”

The word translated as ‘world’ is G165, ‘aion‘, and it means ‘age’… “not only in this age, but in the age to come.”

“All principality… [and] every name that is named” included “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2), and lest we miss that point,​ it is repeated in:

Col 1:16  For by him [Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Satan is “the prince of the power of the air” and “the god of this world”, this age.

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world 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.

Eph 2:2  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: 

As such Satan, too, and his entire kingdom are included in “all things… whether they be in earth or in heaven” which are being reconciled to Christ and His Father.

The son of perdition is in every person. The new man is born through him.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

We are the temple in which the man of sin sits (vs 4 above).

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Hope this answers your questions.

YbiC,
Mike

Audio Links

The Biblical Overview of The Plan of God – Part 14

The Year of Jubilee and The All In All

Exo 15:2  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Lev 25:8  And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
Lev 25:9  Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month,in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. 
Lev 25:10  And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. 

Luk 8:15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Introduction

This is our final study on the biblical overview of the plan of God for mankind. We have now come to God’s goal for all men of all time. That goal is the destruction of death, and for God to “be all in all”.

1Co 15:25  For he [Christ] must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

The holy spirit inspired Paul to express the appreciation which we should have for the honor which has been bestowed upon us.

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

It is through Christ that His Father works, and it is through Him that we are accepted by His Father:

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will [the overview of His plan for all men of all time], according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in [the] Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

In this series on the overview of the plan of God we have learned that the steps to arriving at the goal of that plan of God is revealed to us in the symbolism of the rituals of the seven festivals which God gave to ancient Israel. We have learned that those seven festivals complete the revelation of God’s work with mankind while we are yet in vessels of clay. We have also seen in part six of this series of studies that there is a process of judgment involved in the revelation of this overview of what God is doing with mankind, and this process of judgment is revealed by the three seasons of the year in which all these festivals take place.

These annual festivals, with their attendant rituals, were designed by God to reveal to us all He is doing with mankind while we are still in these sinful garments of clay. The last step of God’s work with mankind in these clay vessels took us only to the “little season” which follows the millennial reign of Christ and His Christ, and we have been told clearly that the millennium, the thousand years, is the time when Christ, through His elect, will rule over the kingdoms of this world:

Luk 22:29  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

Rev 20:6 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.

A summary of the meaning of the holy days

We have seen that the passover, in the spring of the year, typifies the beginning of the work of God with mankind as He passes over our sinful bodies and comes to us to begin taking up His rightful abode within us, even while we are yet in sin. The days which immediately follow and are attached to the passover, the days of unleavened bread, symbolize the work which God immediately begins to perform within us, as He begins to convict us of our sins and we strive to purge the leavening of the Pharisees and the Sadducees out of our lives. But at this ‘passover’ stage we are still spiritually called “carnal… babes in Christ” (1Co 3:1-4). The next step in our spiritual walk follows seven sabbaths “until the morrow after the seventh sabbath”, at which time we are to offer up the only offering with leaven in all of the offerings made by fire unto God. It consisted of two loaves of finely ground flower. The leaven in this sacrifice has both a positive and a negative application. It symbolizes two very different things. First it symbolizes our present station being yet in these sinful earthen vessels, but after that these two leavened loaves symbolize the leaven in these verses:

Mat 13:33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

“Till the whole was leavened” in this verse means until “God shall be all in all’, which as we shall see, will be accomplished through “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” (Rev 14:4). These two leavened loaves which are offered on the day of Pentecost, symbolize the work of God through His Son’s anointed, “the Lord and… His Christ” (Act 4:26), who are given the gift of the holy spirit on that very day. Then, and not until then, do we become converted and begin to be prepared to blow the seven trumpets of judgment upon the kingdom of our old man. The festival of trumpets takes place on the first day of the seventh month, in the fall of the year. It is symbolized by seven trumpets blown by the seven angels of Revelation 16.  Those seven angels are also typified by the seven priests who blew the seven trumpets in Joshua 6, where Israel compassed the walls of Jericho for seven days. For those who have the eyes to see it, it is we who are called priests in this verse of scripture:

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

The feast of trumpets was followed nine days later with the day of atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month, in which we are instructed to “afflict [our] souls” and to offer “the Lord’s goat… and the scapegoat” for a sin offering. The day of atonement, just nine days after the feast of trumpets, signifies the afflictions of the Lord’s Christ which come upon them as a result of sounding the trumpet as they are commanded:

Isa 58:1  Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

When this day is lived internally, we too, afflict those who ‘tell us of our transgressions and our sins’. This takes place outwardly also, and it will certainly take place in a dispensational way at the end of this age as the days approach when “the kingdoms of the world… become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ”.

This step in the work of God where the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, is typified by the festival of tabernacles at the end of the annual growing season. This festival symbolizes the millennial reign of Christ,

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

The final step in the plan of God for mankind while yet in these vessels of clay is the “little season” which immediately follows the millennium just as “the last great day” immediately follows the feast of tabernacles.

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

This is the time when “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” rise up in rebellion against “the camp of the saints, and attempt to destroy their rulers, giving God the occasion He is seeking to destroy all flesh and thereby to destroy His last enemy which is death:

1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Physical death is destroyed in the lake of fire of which we are told:

Rev 20:14  And death and hell [hades, the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The scriptures teach very plainly:

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

So “all in Adam”, must be made alive, “even as… all in Adam” must die. Therefore these are the preceding verses of Rev 20:14-15:

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

The dead small and great are raised up to be judged “according to their works”. This is the resurrection that follows the millennium. Elsewhere this resurrection is called “the resurrection of damnation”.

Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

The first resurrection at the beginning of the millennium is contrasted with “the resurrection of damnation” and is also called “the resurrection of life, [and] the resurrection of the just”.

Luk 14:14  And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

When Christ speaks of God being the God of the living and the dead, He is not conceding the loss of any in Adam because:

Luk 20:38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting [Hebrew: olawm, age] life, and some to shame and everlasting [olawm, age] contempt.

There is nothing “everlasting” about the Hebrew word ‘olawm’. It is a period of time with a beginning and an end, and it is translated in the New Testament with the Greek word ‘aion’ in its noun form and as ‘aionios’ in its adjective form.

What we need to understand is that with any judgment, whether it be the judgment which is now on the house of God (1Pe 4:17) or the “great white throne… judgment”, this is what all ‘judgment’ produces:

1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

“When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord” is just as true of the “great white throne… judgment” as it is of the judgment we are enduring at this time(1Pe 4:17).  All judgment is “chastening of the Lord” for a very good purpose:

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 

Raised a spiritual body

“The resurrection of damnation” and those who are “condemned with the world” are both “in Adam”, and all those multitudes of people will be raised up in this “great white throne… judgment” to be “chastened of the Lord [and to] learn righteousness” after the destruction of physical death via the destruction of all flesh. What that means is that all who are raised from the dead, whether at the first resurrection or that the great white throne resurrection, are “raised a spiritual body” and are not therefore typified by any of the annual holy days, which deal only with the overview of the plan of God for mankind while he is still in a physical “earthen vessel”.

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 

If indeed that is the case, where then will we find an Old Testament type and shadow, as a second witness to this event which is outside of the physical realm, and yet it is the very goal of the plan of God for all of mankind of all time?

The year of the jubilee

The undeniable formula given by the holy spirit is “as in Adam… even so in Christ”. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall the same “all” who are “in Adam… be made alive”. That is also the message of the year of the jubile. “You shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” We have a series of studies on the priesthood, the Levites, and the camp of Israel, which demonstrates that the camp of Israel typifies the whole world. The Levites typified the many called, and the priesthood typified the chosen or elect of God. The holy spirit revealed this to the apostle Paul:

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

So when we are told that “You shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family”, this is what we are being told:

Eze 16:53  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
Eze 16:54  That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.
Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

It doesn’t require a spiritual giant to deduce that if Sodom and Samaria are going to be saved, considering the apostasy of both of those cities, then God intends to save “every man”, and He is intent upon saving all men of all time. This is exactly what we are told so many times and in so many ways in both the Old and the New Testaments (2Sa 14:14; Eze 16:55; 1Co 15:22, and 1Jo 2:2). Everything God did with mankind from Adam until Christ, and everything He is now doing, is preparing His “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” (Rev 14:4) to ‘warn every man and teach every man… the mysteries of the kingdom of God’. It is all leading up to the great jubilee of scripture, and that great goal will also be accomplished through “we who have the firstfruits of the spirit… the sons of God”, who are being judged now, first, so we can show the same “yet so as by fire” mercy which is now being poured out on us, to all men of all time.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

How do we know that we “have now obtained mercy”? How do we know whether we a part of that “blessed and holy… first resurrection… firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”? Here is how we know whether we are part of that group of “the church of the firstborn… the pillar and ground of the Truth”:

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

If our salvation is a matter of being “as in Adam”, then we should expect the scriptures to reveal to us that we have no choice in the matter of our salvation. That is not to say that we will not choose, but it is to say that our choice will be “even… as” it was in Adam, and lo and behold, that is exactly  what the scriptures teach from Genesis to Revelation for this one reason:

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

“The whole creation… was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who has subjected the same in hope [of] the redemption of our body. Then “the whole creation…through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.” That is the doctrine of the year of the jubilee, and it is so stated throughout the scriptures.

But the goal of God has never been to have a “dying, [and] corruptible…body, [with a] rebellious, carnal mind [which] is enmity against God”. It has all along been through “entering into His rest” to create a new man who would be “conformed to the image of [Christ]”:

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,  that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Predestination is a Biblical doctrine which demonstrates that all that God is doing will in the end bring all who are in Adam to be “conformed to the image of his Son”. It is the year of the Jubilee, which is outside of the physical realm and it therefore outside the scope of the annual festivals which God gave to ancient Israel. Here are but a very few of the many verses of scripture which make clear that God always has had every intention of bringing to Himself “even His banished”:

2Sa 14:14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him. 

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [not ‘exclusively’] of those that believe. 

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

Today we will look at this final part of the revelation of the overview of the plan of God for all of mankind as it is revealed to us in the year of the jubilee.

In our earlier study we made this statement:

“The church which is His body [is] the fulness of Him that fills all in all”. It is a rare person who is even given to understand that these words are true because Christ’s “inheritance [is] in the saints”.

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Few people know that Christ’s “inheritance [is] in the saints”, but it is even fewer who realize that this “all in all” is also typified for us outside of the seven festivals of the three annual seasons of the year. The year of the jubilee is pictured outside the annual holy days because the goal of the plan of God is outside the scope of this earthly vessel of clay. Therefore it is represented, not in a day following six days, neither is it represented by seven sevens of weeks. Instead the goal of the overview of the plan of God, which is outside of and beyond the scope of these clay vessels, and because it deals with the spiritual realm, it is represented for us  in a year which follows seven sevens of years which we are given in the Old Testament law of the year of the jubilee:

Lev 25:9  Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
Lev 25:10  And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. 

You will notice that the trumpet of the jubilee is sounded on the day of atonement, the day when the scapegoat was offered for the iniquities of Israel. We will stop here for today, and next week we will see what was to take place in the year of the jubilee, and  we will find as we have already pointed out, that even this goal of the plan of God for all men is accomplished through “the church which is His body… the glory of His inheritance in the saints”.”

So before we read any more about the year of the jubilee, let’s take the time to see why the year of jubilee is declared on the day of atonement:

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

We have recently finished a series of studies on the identity of this scapegoat, and we found in that study that this scapegoat is just one more type and shadow of God’s elect, through whom He is bringing all men to Himself, and through whom He will accomplish His goal of being all in all:

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

So the glory we read about in Romans 8 is not physical joy. Our joy as “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” is not a matter of having a shining face like Moses had when he came down off Mount Sinai with the two tablets containing the law. “The glory which shall be revealed in us [is] that which excels” the glory that was fading away. “The glory which shall be revealed in us” is the same glory that is being revealed in Christ as the Savior of this world simply because we, too, are to be saviors with Him.

Look very closely at what we are told of who we are:

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

“With the Lord’s goat”, Christ, we are being offered as “a living sacrifice, dying daily with [Him, being] crucified with Him, [yet living], to bear upon [ourselves] all their iniquities, having them placed upon [our] head by [our] Priest”, who is Christ.

Lev 16:22  And the [scape] goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

It is not possible for the natural man to begin to appreciate the work God is doing with His creation. But it has been given to a “few… elect… firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, not only to see, but also to become those “saviors… on mount Zion” by enduring and being faithful to the end:

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 

The salvation of all men will come only through Christ’s firstfruit, firstborn, who have been given the double portion of the inheritance. That double portion of the inheritance given to “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” is a major part of “the deep things of God”. That double portion of the inheritance grants us to judge both this present physical world and in the next spiritual realm, in the greatest work of grace God will ever bestow on His creatures. But that final work is not in the physical realm but in the spiritual realm of the lake of fire where Sodom and Samaria, and all men of all time, will finally fulfill the year of the jubilee, and all in Adam will be given “abundant… life”, finally fulfilling the commission Christ was  given and the reason for which He emptied Himself of His divinity and came into this physical dying realm.

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Hi Mike,

I was reading a letter in FAQ about wisdom being referred to as ‘she’. Great Scriptural answer, but one thing came very clear to my mind…something I hadn’t really seen or consiously noticed.

So what do “the things that are made” reveal concerning “his eternal power and godhead”? Who exactly is the head who relates to “His eternal power and Godhead”?

Eve was said to be a woman because ‘woman’ means ‘out of man’, and Eve came out from Adam, the man.

Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Can I see this spiritually like this?

Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from Himself, made he Christ, and brought Him unto Himself.
Gen 2:23 And God said, This is now Spirit of My Spirit, He shall be called Immanuel, because He was taken out of Me.

I always understood that Christ came from the Father, but I never saw it so clearly that Christ actually is from the Father, like the rib was taken from Adam to create Eve.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

I was expecting that the Hebrew word for everlasting would be “olam”, but is is not; it is…

H5703
עד
‛ad
ad

From H5710; properly a (peremptory) terminus, that is, (by implication) duration, in the sense of perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition): – eternity, ever (-lasting, -more), old, perpetually, + world without end.

I have no clue how Strong can say that it is properly a terminus and in the same sentence call it eternity. Looking up H5710 I find this:

H5710
עדה
‛âdâh
aw-daw’

A primitive root; to advance, that is, pass on or continue; causatively to remove; specifically to bedeck (that is, bring an ornament upon): – adorn, deck (self), pass by, take away.

That Christ is a “terminus” Father makes 1Co 15:28 clear…Christ is a Father to us untill “the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”

1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

During this “terminus” Christ will make us to advance from physical to spiritual, to pass us on, make us continue from physical to spiritual, to bedeck us, to bring an ornament (Himself) upon us…I see a clear process in H5702 and 5710…a proces with a terminus…a duration.

The word “everlasting” is as a cloud blocking the Sun.

Is this making sense to you?

Your brother in Christ,

R____

Hi R____,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I am very blessed to be on the receiving end of the revelations God is giving to so many.

Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The answer to your question is a definite, yes, you can say that about Christ in a spiritual sense eventually all that are in Christ:

Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from Himself, made he Christ, and brought Him unto Himself.
Gen 2:23 And God said, This is now Spirit of My Spirit, He shall be called Immanuel, because He was taken out of Me.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

That is what is meant by this verse in Revelation 3:

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

We are to Christ what Christ is to His Father. That is what Christ meant when He made this statement:

Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

It is a legitimate question to ask, How are we one with Christ? The Biblical answer is that we are one with Christ as a wife is one with her husband.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

So when Christ prays for us to be kept one “as we [He and His Father] are one”, we would be less than honest to deny that Christ came out from His Father and is subject to His Father just as Eve came out from the man, Adam, and is to be subject to the man.

This is all extremely important to understand because there are many who, not understanding how Christ centric are the scriptures, deny that Christ is being referred to in Isaiah 54:6-8 where He is referred to as a wife who somehow is forsaken and shown the wrath of her husband.

Isa 54:6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

It is obvious to anyone that this is referring to Israel, but then so is Hosea 11:1.

Hos 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hos 11:2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

Christ certainly never “sacrificed unto Baalim [nor did He] burn incense to graven images”, and yet we are told this:

Mat 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

The holy spirit must grant us to see that we are God’s Israel, and that as such we are in Christ and are Christ’s own Christ because we are all one in spirit. Only then will we ever understand how the apostles understood the scriptures. Only when we are granted to understand that those who are Christ’s are the true circumcision, the true Jew, and “the Israel of God”, will we be granted to understand that all that is said of the one, refers also to the others. The apostles understood this principle, and applied it as if it were so well understood that they didn’t even need to explain it. Matthew 2:15 is but one of many examples of that.

We have been extremely blessed to see and to understand this principle. In God’s own time all of mankind will be “in Christ” spiritually and will therefore be God’s Christ. Thank you for adding your insight.

Your brother in God’s Christ,

Mike

Seven Steps of Salvation

Conference held December, 2012, Buford GA

Mike Vinson

[Update added February 12, 2016]

God had a plan for all of mankind. God’s plan was complete “before the world began, and it included “all [who are] in Adam”.

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

The scriptures teach that “[God] has devised means that his banished be not expelled from Him”. What that statement means is that God’s plan for mankind is to bring salvation to all who are in Adam. He reveals to us that He is going to do so by means of three separate resurrections, which are typified in scripture as three separate harvests.

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Here is verse 10 in the Concordant Literal Version:

Eph 1:10 to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ – both that in the heavens and that on the earth.

“In the dispensation of the fulness of times [God will] gather together [harvest] in one all things in the Christ”. God’s plan for all mankind is not a plan which includes only His firstfruit harvest. “Before the world began” God planned for Christ, who God created to be the Creator of all things, and to be the first of His firstfruits harvest.

Col 1:17 And he [Christ] is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

So Christ is not preeminent only in the resurrection from the dead, “He is before all things, and by Him all things consist”. He is in the process of saving “all things” by means of these three harvests we will be studying today.

But Christ is not the only firstfruits in God’s plan. After Christ was gathered to His Father by being the very first person to be resurrected from the dead to life eonian, God will also gather to Himself “they that are Christ’s” firstfruts. That will be the second harvest in God’s three harvests, but it is called the “first resurrection” of those who are “in Christ”. This is what we are told of those who are the first to be resurrected in Christ. As we will see, the barley harvest during the days of unleavened bread, which typifies Christ, and the wheat harvest at the day of Pentecost, are both called a harvest of firstfruits.

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Rev 20:6 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.

So those in this “first resurrection” are the firstfruits of Christ, even though they are resurrected after He is resurrected. But there is one more harvest after the thousand years, and that harvest is the largest harvest of all, because it is the harvest of all men of all time who have ever been “in Adam”. God has devised the means that His banished be not expelled from Him”, and that “means” is this final, third harvest, “the feast of ingathering which is at the end of the year”. In that resurrection, death and the grave will be destroyed, and death will be robbed of every single person it has ever claimed.

Here are all three of these harvests:

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: [1] Christ the firstfruits; [2] afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 [3] Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

And this is the fate of death:

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

“The end”, mentioned in 1Co 15:24, means the end harvest. It means the “harvest at the end of the year”, as is revealed in the three harvests seasons in which are revealed the seven steps to the salvation of “all in Adam”.

So there are actually three separate harvests of God’s ‘field’, which ‘field’ according to our Lord, is the whole world.

Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Christ has purchased the whole field, and by means of his three separate harvests and the seven steps which must be fulfilled within those three harvests, he will not lose one single soul who is “in Adam”. Here are the words of what the scriptures call “a wise woman…”

2Sa 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

That “means” which God has “devised” is revealed to us in seven separate feasts which are all types of the seven steps which all men must take in order to come to Christ and His Father.

Here are those three seasons in which the seven festivals of Israel took place.

Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep [1] the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16 [2] And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and [3] the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

Now here are the seven holy days within these three seasons. It is these seven annual holy days which reveal to us the seven steps to the salvation of each and every man whom God will drag to Himself, as well as the seven steps which are being taken by all men in coming to the completion of God’s plan for all men:

Lev 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
Lev 23:5 [1] In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.
Lev 23:6 [2] And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
Lev 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Lev 23:12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.
Lev 23:14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:15 [3] And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
Lev 23:18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
Lev 23:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
Lev 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
Lev 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24 [4] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27 [5] Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Lev 23:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:34 [6] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
Lev 23:35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:36 [7] Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

Now let’s consider how these feasts of ancient Israel reveal to us God’s plan for the redemption of “all in Adam [including] His banished”.

The first holy day is the passover, which signifies the death of our Lord, “the spotless… lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world”.

The passover took place in the spring of the year.

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Joh 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [But “not for ours only” 1Jn 2:2] of those that believe.
1Ti 4:11 These things command and teach.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

So God is in the process of bringing “all [who are] in Adam” to himself, and this first feast in the first month in the spring of the year gives us the first step that must be taken to bring about the “means that his banished be not expelled from him”. Christ is our passover who has been offered for our sins, and the very next day begins the feast of unleavened bread, signifying the very next step all who are in Christ must take. We are crucified with Christ, and if indeed we are dying daily with Him we begin immediately to purge out the sins which have leavened our lives.

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Indeed Christ was offered upon the day of the passover. Rest assured the priest and the Pharisees did not plan it that way. They were as blind to what they were doing as you and I were to the fact that it was through our sins that our Lord was crucified.

Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for [Greek: dia – through] our offences, and was raised again for [Greek: dia – through] our justification.

1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

It is “on the morrow after the sabbath [that] the priest shall wave” a sheaf of the firstfruits of the barley harvest to be accepted of the Lord.

Lev 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

The fifteenth of Nisan being a holy day is called “a high day”, and it can be any day of the week, but it just happened to be on the weekly sabbath the year that Christ, our passover, was crucified:

Joh 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

So when Christ was raised up “early on the first day of the week”, that just happened to be “the morrow after the sabbath” and He was received of His Father as the wave sheaf of the first fruits of the early barley harvest.

Luk 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week [“the morrow after the sabbath”], very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
Luk 24:2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
Luk 24:3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

But while Christ’s own apostles went out and wept bitterly for denying Him when He most needed them, they and we still have to wait for the day of Pentecost, which in Greek means ‘count fifty’ before the holy spirit will come to us and enter into our hearts and form and found the church of Christ and the kingdom of God within us.

Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

This is the day in which we are finally willing to die with Christ because the spirit of God has changed our hearts, and we now become Christ’s firstfruits.

Lev 23:15 [3] And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

If we are Christ’s, then we are “a kind of firstfruits” because this feast typifies those who are in that blessed and holy first resurrection, as Christ’s firstfruits. So the feast of Pentecost is also called “the feast of your firstfruits”.

Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

While our Lord was a sin offering “who knew no sin”, the same cannot be said for His firstfruits, who, in Him, become a trespass offering which Christ fulfills only through “them that are Christ’s”. That is how we can be “chief of sinners” and also “fill up in our bodies what is behind of the afflictions of the Christ”. Because Christ fulfills the trespass offering only through us, the Pentecost offering is the only offering offered to God with leaven:

Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

2Co 5:21 For the man who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (ACV)

We become the righteousness of God in him, and we offer our lives as the scapegoat (Lev 16:8-26) and the second bird (Lev 14), as a living sacrifice, “for His body’s sake, which is the church”.

Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church; (ASV)

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Pentecost is the second season and the third festival which reveals the process of our salvation. Pentecost is the summer wheat harvest, which comes in fifty days after the Spring barley harvest. Pentecost is the only holy day in the second Summer season. The last four steps in the process of our salvation are all in the third season of the process of our salvation. These last four steps are all in “the seventh month”, and they begin with the festival of trumpets on the first day of the seventh month:

Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

This is the festival that portrays the judgments of the seven trumpets in the book of Revelation. Here is what happens at the seventh trumpet:

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

“There were lightnings, and voices, and thundering, and an earthquake, and great hail”, are all Biblical words which are associated with the judgment of the old, first man Adam within us. The ark of His [new] testament is seen within the temple. It is the temple of God which must be cleansed by the fiery judgments of the seven trumpets and the seven plagues of the seventh trumpet. Here is what we are told of God’s temple and that seventh trumpet, which is the seven plagues of the seven angels:

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

The passover typifies our first coming out of Egypt, followed by the purging out of the leaven of the sins of the giants within our lives, which at this stage are typified by the land which is filled with great giants. This is the days of unleavened bread in the Spring of our walk. This part of the process of our salvation is followed by the Summer feast of Pentecost, when and where we are given God’s spirit and the kingdom of God begins to grow within us, and we begin to be changed inwardly. But the judgment of our flesh is a life-long process which begins in earnest only after Pentecost and after the holy spirit comes into our hearts and begins to cleanse the temple of God within our heavens.

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Christ has entered into the holy place in His temple, “which temple ye are”.

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The last of these seven trumpets is the seven last plagues. This is the significance of the feast of trumpets. This is when our souls are most afflicted as our heavenly Father is dragging us to Himself. Judgment must begin at the house of God. It is a fiery purging of anything that can be burned up. Anything that can be burned will be burned up and will be burned out of our lives and out of the temple of God in the heavens of our minds and hearts. It is in this day of fasting that we are denying ourselves, dying to our old man, and coming out of Babylon. We return to the temple of God, and begin rebuilding that temple. But Babylon comes out with us, and the seven plagues of the seven angels has yet to do its work within us.

So we are being judged in this life, and we are “dying daily”. Christ comes to us at Pentecost, but Pentecost continues within us as Christ increases within us. Trumpets continues within as “the house of God” is being judged within us. The day of atonement also continues within us as we endure the fiery trials of a life of “dying daily”.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

So it is only after we have been judged that we are able to enter into the temple of God, and come to be at one with our Lord by the covering of our sins. And that is the meaning of the Hebrew root word ‘kawfar’ H3722 which ‘kippur’ H3725 comes from and is translated as ‘atonement’, the day of fasting which is on the tenth day of the seventh month. It is not fifty days from the last feast, nor is it a matter of going from the Summer months to the Fall, as from Pentecost to Trumpets. The day of atonement is but nine days after the the feast of trumpets, which is on the first day of the seventh month. We cannot be given salvation, without first suffering with our Lord. Neither can we be given salvation while still believing salvation can be acquired by virtue of our own works. Those are the lessons of the fifth step towards our salvation. It is a day of fasting and affliction for our souls known as the “day of atonement”.

Lev 23:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27 [5] Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement^H3725: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement^H3725, to make an atonement^H3722 for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

It is only the few chosen whose souls are being afflicted for the sins being committed within the church. Most people who claim the name of Christ are certainly neither resting from their own works, nor afflicting their souls, or being afflicted because of the abominations which are being committed within Jerusalem:

Eze 9:4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

Here is the meaning of the Hebrew word ‘kawfar’, which is translated as ‘atonement’.

H3722 ka phar kaw-far’ A primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel: – appease, make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (- liation).

The “fiery trials” of 1Pe 4:12, and the sighing and crying for all the abominations that be done in the midst of Jerusalem, are one and the same. These are those who are ceasing from their own works and are afflicting their souls on the day of atonement.

Atonement is only five days prior to the feast of tabernacles which begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Like the passover and the days of unleavened bread, these last two feasts are not separated by a single day.

Lev 23:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:34 [6] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
Lev 23:35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:36 [7] Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

This “feast of tabernacles” is the third and the last of the three harvests of the Lord’s work to bring salvation to all who are in Adam. The “last great day of the feast” is the immediate consequence of living through the feast of tabernacles, which is called the feast of ingathering in the end of the year.

Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15 [1] Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty: )
Exo 23:16 [2] And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and [3] the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

This feast is called the “feast of tabernacles” because Israel dwelt in temporary tabernacles when coming out of Egypt. This is how all who are now being harvested into the kingdom of God view this entire physical life:

Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

The great purpose of this “last great day” is signified by this event:

Joh 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Joh 7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

This feast of tabernacles is the last great harvest of our Lord’s field. It culminates in the last great day when all men who have ever lived “in Adam” will be given “the spirit which they that believe on Him should receive”. It will truly be a “great day” for all of mankind. It will be the consummation of the ages, and will effect the salvation of all of God’s banished. The last great day, is as closely associated with the “little season” which follows the thousand years, as the days of unleavened bread are associated with the feast of the passover. There is not one day between either of these feasts. The “little season… when the thousand years are expired” is distinguished by the rebellion of “the nations in the four quarters of the earth”, who are all destroyed when “fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them”. This is the occasion God is seeking to destroy all flesh and thereby destroy death through the great white throne judgment at the second resurrection of all men of all time in spiritual bodies which will yet need to be purged of the mind of their father the devil, and that is exactly what the lake of fire at ‘the last great day’ will accomplish.

Here is the timeline of the events signified by the feast of tabernacles and the last great day as they are laid out for us in Revelation 20:

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years [tabernacles] are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison [this event precipitates the great white throne judgment which is signified by the last great day],
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The next chapter tells us of a new heaven and a new earth. The statement “there was no more sea” signifies that there is no more flesh, and consequently “there is no more death”, because ‘the sea’ signifies the sea of flesh, out of which the beast we all are, arises:

 Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

So many supposedly ‘great men of God’ have quoted Act 16:31, at the exclusion of Act 16:32, of which most Christians actually believe, that all one has to do to be saved is to confess the name of Jesus with your mouth and you are ‘a shoe-in’ for the first resurrection.

Act 16:31 And they [Paul and Silas] said [to the Philippians jailer] Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Believing that lie is the strong delusion which will place the masses of humanity in that second resurrection. The Bible is much more than this one lone sentence, and we must never forget that the Lord has informed us that “the sum of [His] word is Truth” (Psa 119:160). “Believ[ing] on the Lord Jesus Christ” is not something that comes only out of your mouth. It must also come out of your hands, in what you do. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, must also be demonstrated through your spiritual feet, in the way you walk through this life. So we are also given the very next verse:

Act 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

The truth is known only when we consider “the sum” of the word of God. And our salvation, and the salvation of all of mankind, is known only when we have lived by all seven seals, all of the seven trumpets, all seven vials, and all of the appointed days which are written in God’s book of our life. This is how salvation comes to each of us individually, and this is how salvation will come to all mankind corporately. When God’s plan for mankind is completed, He will be “all in all”.

Here is how Paul sums up these seven steps to salvation within God’s three seasonal harvests:

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: [1] Christ the firstfruits; [2] afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 [3] Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. [The Father cannot relinquish “the power of throne” Gen 41:40]
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Mike,

Thank you for answering my question about ‘did we exist as individual spirit beings’ before we were physically born. That never seemed right to me, but there is a lot of that thought swirling around the internet these days.

Will we exist as individual spirit beings when God is all in all or will we NOT be individual beings any more? I know that this scripture – Eph 1:10 “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ….” – could sound as if ‘all things’ go back to one and not individual beings.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. You will never know what a difference the truths that I have learned have made in my life.

Bless you,

L____

Hi L____,

I am very grateful that you see that we did not preexist as individual spirits. I should have pointed you to Psa 104 to make that even clearer.

Psa 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
Psa 104:25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
Psa 104:26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
Psa 104:27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
Psa 104:28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
Psa 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Psa 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

The word for breath in verse 29 is the Hebrew word ‘ruach’ and the same word is translated as spirit in verse 30. But when Christ is admonishing Adam and Eve for their disobedience in eating of the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil, He does not tell them ‘Spirit you are and to spirit you will return’. Instead He tells them they are dust and will return to dust. Later Paul tells us that if there were no resurrection of the dead, then Adam and all in Him will perish in death.

1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Concerning your question about the entire creation losing its identity and once more becoming God, that would make this whole exercise of creating mankind completely futile, and nothing would have been accomplished. If there were anything to that false and unbiblical doctrine, then we would be told simply that God would be all, and there would be no need for the Lamb as the light of New Jerusalem. But we are not told simply that God will be all. What we are told is that God will be all IN all, and the Lamb will be the light of the New Jerusalem.

1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

The Lamb is the temple and the light, and we are in the Lamb. We are even told that Christ’s inheritance is “in His saints”, and we are the ones who fill up Christ just as He fills up His Father.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also [ trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Eph 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Eph 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what [ is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us- ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly [ places],
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him [ Christ] that filleth all in all.

I hope this helps you to see clearly that we are not going through all of this just to cease to exist. We are being tried to be placed in a position of everlasting glory with and in our Lord.

Your brother in Christ,

Mike>

Video Links

Study Aired March 18, 2012

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
Job 14:3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
Job 14:6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Job 14:8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Job 14:9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, andbring forth boughs like a plant.
Job 14:10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

Introduction

As we have seen in the words of both Job and his miserable comforters, they have not been granted to see the things our eyes see or hear the things we are granted to hear.

Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. [ Including Job]

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are all pointing their fingers at Job, and Job is pointing his finger at them. Both are the Old Testament type of all of us while we are a part of Babylon the great who teaches us that we are the captain of our own souls via the false doctrine of “free moral agency”. Like all of us while we are in the darkness of Babylon, we pay God’s sovereignty great lip service, even as we deny it with our actions and our words. Here is how Job as the type and shadow of who we are at this point in our walk, is doing the same thing:

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

We “maintain [ our] own ways” because we are blinded to the true sovereignty of God over all our ways.

Pro 20:24 Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

What we do is not scripturally our own doing at all but God’s, be it good or evil.

Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

When we are being judged during this part of our walk, we simply cannot see any of these verses declaring God to be sovereign over the evil that we do.

Mat 19:11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Our Babylonian hireling shepherds have always told us that God does not create evil, so we have always believed that our evil deeds were of ourselves. Even so we do not see ourselves as being as evil as God sees these clay vessels. We see them as being tolerably evil, if not all together good and righteous. So, typified by Job, we plead our own case with words like Job’s:

Job 13:18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

It is so very natural to see our own evils as being almost good deeds when compared to the gross evils we all see so clearly in others. We always tend to justify our own weaknesses by the greater weaknesses of others. Seeking spiritual excellence simply does not occur to our natural man. So it is always the case that when we contend with our Creator attempting to justify ourselves, we display our confusion for all to see. So now Job, who sees himself as righteous of himself, still must confess that God has already determined:

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

This life may seem like an eternity when we are enduring trials such as Job has already endured and is still enduring with the added humiliation at the hands of his “inward friends, [ and] miserable comforters”. Nevertheless, the Biblical truth is that this life really is “of few days, and full of trouble”. The holy spirit has inspired these words here in Job, as a witness to these words in James:

Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Christ used words very similar to these words of Job, and in doing so He agrees with Job. Without Christ living His life within us, we are all just “man that is born of woman”, and the very best of such men is still corruptible flesh which is unfit to inherit the kingdom of God.

Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

But the only reason “He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than [ John]” is that “he that is least in the kingdom of heaven” has had Christ living His life within him, and his works have been judged and “tried with fire” first. There really is but one event to all men (Ecc 9:2). Those who are ‘least in the kingdom of heaven’ are simply judged first:

1Co 3:13 Every 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.

“Every man’s work shall be… revealed by fire”. It is the fire of God’s Word which is revealing the self- righteousness of both Job and His miserable comforters, as types of us, “for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come” (1Co 10:11).
Job has noted, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.” It seems incredible to Job and to us, that God gives so much attention to such insignificant creatures as members of mankind such as himself and such as you and me.

Job 14:3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

So it appears that Job has some sense that mankind, “man born of woman”, is inherently unclean, even as he maintains his own ways, and declares that he is confident that he will be justified.
As we all do, Job displays his own confusion while contending with his Creator. Here is Job’s confidence in his own righteousness.

Job 13:18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

Bildad expresses this same sense of mankind’s inherent uncleanness, using some of the same words.

Job 25:4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
Job 25:5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
Job 25:6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

What these verses make very clear is what the scriptures mean when they tell us this of our own Savior:

(YLT) for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.

How was Christ made sin? We are not left to speculate.

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

“Made of a woman, made under the law” are both expressions of the sinful state in which we are “marred in the Potter’s hand… shapen in iniquity, conceived in sin”.

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

As hard as it is for those who simply don’t have the mind of Christ and His Father to believe, Christ, by His own estimation, was neither “good” nor “perfected” while being “made of a woman, made under the law”. Let’s just let Christ speak for Himself, and then all we need to do is to believe Him:

Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox [ King Herod], Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Christ tells us He does not consider Himself either “good” or “perfected” because He is well aware that His flesh too, is “made of a woman, made under the law”. The fact is that our Savior calls Himself “the son of man” twice as many times as He refers to Himself as “the Son of God”. Both are true, but Christ wants us to know that He identifies with us as “in Adam”, as well as being “in Christ”.
“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” Who calls light forth out of darkness? Who brings life forth out of death? Whose strength is made perfect in weakness? Who uses the foolishness of this world to confound the wise? Who uses the weak to confound the mighty?

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

It is God who sent our savior in sinful flesh and who perfected His strength in that weakness. It is God who used Christ’s corruptible flesh to bring forth a clean “new man” out of the filthy rags that are our own self- righteousnesses.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Job is well aware of the temporal and limited nature of being “born of a woman”:

Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

“His days are determined, the number of his months are with thee” is very close to these words of King David:

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

“Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with you.” Taken at face value, Job is admitting that God knows in advance just how long any of us will live.

Job 14:6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

The ‘him… he… and his of this verse are all Job himself again pleading with his Creator to give him a break, and give him rest from his afflictions. Never once does he even consider that “maintaining his own ways” just might be an element necessitating his chastening afflictions.

Pro 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Jer 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
Eze 36:31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

But as the self- righteous people we all are while in Babylon, being wicked and backslid are always words which have no personal application. Those are words which always apply to publicans and harlots who are far beneath us. On the other hand, we think of ourselves as worthy of being used by God to stone such people to death.

Job 13:18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
Job 27:5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
Job 27:6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
Job 33:9 I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
Joh 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

The self- righteous spirit of Job is exposed for us by Christ Himself:

Luk 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Like any good Pharisee, even when Job confesses that he is a sinner, he considers himself to be a fairly good sinner who is ‘without transgression… innocent… without iniquity’, and totally undeserving of being afflicted, or being “a burden to [ him] self”.

Job 7:20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

Throughout scripture trees are used to symbolize men. Christ Himself is said to be “the life” and tells us that He gives Himself for us as ‘the Tree of Life”.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

God’s witnesses in this world are called “two olive trees”:

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

John calls God’s witnesses ” the two olive trees” because he is referring to the “two olive trees” which are first mentioned in Zec 4 where the angel asks repeatedly “Know you not what these be?” What do these two trees represent?:

Zec 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
Zec 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Zec 4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zec 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Zec 4:8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Zec 4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zec 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; t hey are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Zec 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
Zec 4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
Zec 4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

So a tree whose roots are still in the earth is revived with the mere scent of water, even after it is cut down. This tree Job speaks of is actually himself, who though he has been cut down, he refuses to die to his own self- righteousness. With just “the scent of water”, with just a hint of God’s word, as opposed to “the sum of [ God’s] word” (Psa 119:160), the old Job is revived.

Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Job 14:8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Job 14:9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

If any of our “old man” survives, he again blossoms, is healed, and will overcome the saints, and “bring forth like a plant”, that was never cut down. Here is the way this same principle is expressed in the book of Revelation:

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads [ of the beast that is mankind, Ecc 3:18] as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

It is God who both gives us our deadly wound and who also heals that wound and restores our beastly health, to continue opposing Him and His ways. It is God who helps us to fight and overcome the “giants” in our land, and it is God who has predestined that we will all go into Babylon to learn the ways of that system.

Hos 11:3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
Hos 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
Hos 11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian [ Nineveh and Babylon] shall be his king, because they refused to return.

God has all our days written in His book. Our very thoughts are predestined to show us who we are and what mankind is. Our suffering is all for the purpose of bringing forth a good end. It takes decaying matter to produce nourishing fruit. We, like Job, may at first have a glimpse of these truths, but for “a long time” we are not granted to see the process through which God is bringing us all to Himself.
So at this point Job sees death simply as relief from man’s “days [ which are] few… and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). Neither Job nor we can see the connection between the tree that revives at the scent of water, and the beast within. We cannot accept, at this time in our walk, that we live by every word of God (Mat 4:4), that all things are ours (1Co 2:21-22), and that all things come alike to all men (Ecc 9:2). So he attempts, as we all do until we granted to see the Truth of those verses, to segregate himself from the tree that is cut down.

Job 14:10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

“Man dies… gives up the spirit… and where is he?” Job, does not know the answer to that question. He later affirms that “when I am tried I will come forth as gold”.

Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

So, just as Job, we have hints of what God is doing, but we have no idea that the goal is the salvation of all who are in Adam, even though the whole process is right there before our eyes all along:

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

The scriptures answer Job’s question. Man returns to the dust whence he was taken and the spirit from God which gives him this temporary life in this clay vessel, returns to God who gave it. That spirit is the spirit of God from which all things come. It is not an individual personality, and it “knows not anything” as such.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

“All things are of God”. He sends forth His spirit and creates all life, but when He withdraws that spirit, they die, and without a resurrection they are perished. They are not alive in joy in heaven, nor are they suffering in eternal flames in hell. They are asleep in the earth until they are resurrected from among the dead.

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Psa 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Psa 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
1Co 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

But Christ is risen, and just as we are all dying “in Adam… so in Christ shall all be made alive” via a resurrection from the dead.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Next week we will, Lord willing, consider the rest of the verses here in chapter 14 of Job.

Job 14:11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
Job 14:16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
Job 14:17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
Job 14:18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
Job 14:19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
Job 14:20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
Job 14:21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
Job 14:22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

Hey Mike,

This is a quote from someone who believes the myth of endless punishment.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 5:34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
God sent His Son into the world that the world MIGHT be saved. Not guaranteed they would but might be, based upon conditions.
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

I know Christ is the Savior of all mankind, so I know his interpretation is false.
Could you clarify these verses and how can I refute his false interpretation?

Thanks, Mike,<<br />
J____

Hi J____,

Thanks for your question. You gave me a quote from your friend with three scriptures which use the words “might be saved,” and you ask:

Could you clarify these verses and how can I refute his false interpretation?

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

In all three of these verses the words “might be saved” are translated from one Greek word. Why three words for one? The reason is that the Greek word in question is ‘sozo,’ pronounced ‘sode’zo.’ Here is Joh 3:17 with Strong’s numbers:

Joh 3:17 ForG1063 GodG2316 sentG649 notG3756 hisG848 SonG5207 intoG1519 theG3588 worldG2889 toG2443 condemnG2919 theG3588 world; G2889 butG235 thatG2443 theG3588 worldG2889 throughG1223 himG846 might be saved. G4982

Notice, the Greek word ‘sozo,’ Strong’s number G4982, is translated with the last three words in this verse, the words “… might be saved.” Now here is Strong’s definition of that one Greek word ‘sozo:’

G4982
σωζω
so zo
sode’- zo
From a primary word σως so s (contraction for the obsolete σαος saos, “safe”; to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): – heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

This is the case for all three verses you list here. They all mean “to save.” There are no words ‘might be’ involved.
Can either of us convince your friend that ‘all in Adam will be made alive in Christ?’ No, we cannot. Only the holy spirit can do that. Can either of us make your friend acknowledge that Christ ‘is the savior of all men, specially, but not exclusively, believers?’ No, only the holy spirit can do that. Can a blind man see that Christ is the propitiation for our sin and for the sins of the whole world? No, a blind man will never see, until he is healed of his blindness and given sight. You and I know that will one day happen, but at this time there are few indeed who have been healed of the spiritual blindness with which we have all been born.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. [ We too, are “firstfruits” Jas 1:18.]
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end [“ingathering at the end of the year”], when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [ which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [ not exclusively] of those that believe.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Christ will save all men in “the end” harvest. In the meantime it is God Himself and Christ who has come who have come to “blind those who see.”

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

If indeed God is blinding this world, then it is incumbent upon Him to, in the end harvest, “at the end of the year” after the firstfruits, to become “the savior of all men, specially of them that believe.” That is why we are told that:

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Our calling is at the expense of those who do not at this time believe: “yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:”
But why have we been given faith at their expense? Is it so they can burn forever in excruciating pain in real physical flames of fire in a fabled ‘eternal hell fire?’ Is that what the scriptures teach? Where??? Here is what the scriptures really teach is the reason for a “firstfruit… first resurrection:

Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

So it is that at this time “many are called but few are chosen,” but those few chosen are chosen to later “show mercy” upon those who at this time are unbelievers who have been blinded by God Himself:

Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

I hope this has given you some thoughts which you might share with your friend, but do not make the mistake of trying to make anyone see what they cannot see and hear.

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? [ even] because ye cannot hear my word.

Those words were spoken to “those Jews which believed on Him”, and it is so to this day.

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [ then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Neither you nor I come willingly to God. We are all dragged to God by humbling experiences which change our will and cause us to say “what would you have me to do Lord” to the very Lord we were persecuting only moments before.

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [ Greek, drage] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Now we are into another subject which your friend cannot, at this time, accept, and that is the subject of ‘free will.’ If you have not yet done so read After The Counsel of His Own Will.
I leave both you and your friend in the hands of Him “who is working all things after the counsel of His own will”, but I do so with the prayer that you now can see clearly that the words “might be” are not in the original Greek, and that there are no uncertain ‘mights’ as we use that word, in the original Greek. Good or evil, God is working it all.

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Pro 20:24 Man’s goings [ good or evil] are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Your brother in Christ,
Mike